"Empire", quindici anni dopo. Intervista ad Antonio Negri

In this interview, the italian philosopher Antonio Negri reports about his book Empire, written with Michael Hardt, edited in the 2000 and considered one of the most important contributions in the contemporary political theory. Negri narrates the context in which the book was born and discusses some of the principal critiques addressed to his thought

Talpa o serpente? Popolo, classe, moltitudine

This essay aims at clarifying the concept of «multitude» through a comparison between Negri’s work and some of the critiques addressed to his thought. In the first part of the paper, I will consider the relationship between multitude and the individual, in order to confute those who think that the category of «multitude» is a liberal one. Then, I will analyze the connection between the multitude and class-working class, so as to highlight that in Negri’s theory there is not an opposition between those categories. Finally, the last paragraph will examine the forms of the «multitudinarian class struggle» and the hiatus existing between will and potentiality of the multitude related to the issue, still not resolved, of its organization. That is, the long-standing issue of the relationship between theory and «practice» of the multitude

Traiettorie globali nella tradizione politica dell’operaismo: Antonio Negri da «Quaderni Rossi» e «Classe Operaia» a Empire

The paper presents a brief review of the different stages in the Italian operaismo (workerism) with the aim to demonstrate that Empire (2000), written by Hardt and Negri, has been able to lead many of the ideas elaborated within the Italian workerist experience in the contemporaneity of global studies. Finally, after a review of the critiques addressed to Empire in order to challenge the workerist ideas, the book is connected with the so-called “Italian Theory”

Autonomia del "politico" e autonomia de "sociale". Trascendenza e immanenza in Negri e Laclau

Il dilemma «autonomia del politico-autonomia del sociale» ha le sue radici in quello tra trascendenza e immanenza, e si riproduce nel corso di tutta l’elaborazione teorica di Laclau e Negri, dagli scritti degli anni ’70 fino agli interventi più recenti. Queste due impostazioni teoriche si intersecano in un dialogo a distanza, la cui analisi permette di cogliere gli aspetti salienti di differenziazione e i motivi profondi di incompatibilità, ma anche di dimostrare che, considerato in questi termini, tale dilemma non ha soluzione. Questo intervento si propone di indagare la dicotomia tra «sociale» e «politico» in Negri e Laclau tramite un’attenzione particolare alle categorie di immanenza e trascendenza, con l’obiettivo di mostrare come le due posizioni si escludano a vicenda poiché entrambe formulate nei termini di un aut aut tra «politico» e «sociale» dove i due lemmi vengono esclusivamente giocati uno contro l’altro. Così facendo, i due non affrontano realmente la questione del rapporto tra «sociale» e «politico», ma scelgono semplicemente una delle due parti escludendo – o contrastando – l’altra. Per prima cosa, verrà fatta emergere l’autonomia del politico all’opera nei lavori di Laclau: in un percorso a ritroso dagli scritti più recenti (a partire dalle critiche che egli muove a Negri e Hardt) fino ai primi testi pubblicati, verrà mostrata la priorità che Laclau attribuisce al «politico» a discapito del «sociale», e come in questa impostazione sia fondamentale il rifiuto della categoria di immanenza. In secondo luogo, l’attenzione verrà dedicata agli interventi di Negri dagli anni ’70 ad oggi, compresi alcuni «scambi diretti» con Laclau. Verrà evidenziato il modo in cui Negri, per sfuggire all’autonomia del politico, elabora una autonomia del sociale in cui il rapporto tra «sociale» e «politico» viene concepito unicamente come conflittuale, ovvero come tentativo continuo del «politico» e della sua trascendenza di annichilare il «sociale» e le sue potenzialità costituenti. In conclusione, si osserverà che i termini in cui Negri e Laclau concepiscono il «sociale» e il «politico» a partire dalle categorie di trascendenza e immanenza (e le rispettive «autonomie» che producono) impediscono di pensare un rapporto tra «sociale» e «politico» che preveda una interazione tra lotte sociali e organizzazione politica, e dunque escludono la possibilità da una parte che le lotte sociali si consolidino nel tempo e formalizzino le loro conquiste immediate, dall’altra che le organizzazioni politiche non si svuotino della loro sostanza restando meri simulacri

IoT Router Testbed

Tato práce se zaměřuje na návrh a implementaci pracovního prostředí pro testování provozních parametrů přenosového kanálu IoT routeru. Teoretická část práce se zaměřuje na popis hardwaru a softwaru použitého při různých testech. Praktická část popisuje navržený testovací software (GUI), který se používá také k provádění měření s ohledem na přenosový kanál a výkon desky při použití různých technologií IoT.This work focuses on the design and implementation of a workbench environment to test the operational parameters of the transmission channel of the IoT Router. The theoretical part of this thesis focuses on the description on the hardware and software used during the various tests. The practical part describes the designed testbed software (GUI) also used to carry out measurements regarding the transmission channel and the performance of the board when different IoT technologies are used

Structural and functional basis for p38-MK2 activated Rsk signalling in Toll-Like receptor-stimulated dendritic cells

Rsk kinases play important roles in several cellular processes such as proliferation, metabolism, and migration. Until recently, Rsk activation was thought to be exclusively initiated by Erk1/2, but in dendritic cells (DC) Rsk is also activated by p38 mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase via its downstream substrates, MK2/3. How and why this noncanonical configuration of the MAP kinase pathway is adopted by these key immune cells are not known. We demonstrate that the Erk1/2-activated C-terminal kinase domain of Rsk is dispensable for p38-MK2/3 activation and show that compared with fibroblasts, a greater fraction of p38 and MK2/3 is located in the cytosol of DC prior to stimulation, suggesting a partial explanation for the operation of the noncanonical pathway of Rsk activation in these cells. p38/MK2/3-activated Rsk phosphorylated downstream targets and is physiologically important because in plasmacytoid DC (pDC) stimulated with Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonists, Erk1/2 activation is very weak relative to p38. As a result, Rsk activation is entirely p38 dependent. We show that this unusual configuration of MAP kinase signaling contributes substantially to production of type I interferons, a hallmark of pDC activation

Studio dell’Effetto dell’Inibitore Selettivo della Dopamina β-Idrossilasi, Nepicastat, su Modelli Animali di “Alcohol Addiction” e “Chocolate Addiction”

Background: Nepicastat is a selective dopamine β-hydroxylase (DBH) inhibitor that has been found to suppress the reinstatement of cocaine-seeking behaviour triggered in rats by cocaine priming, environmental cues previously paired with cocaine availability, and stress. The present studies were designed to extend to different alcohol-like behaviours the investigation into the “anti-addictive” properties of nepicastat. Moreover, we investigated whether nepicastat was capable of modifying the reinforcing and motivational properties of a chocolate solution and preventing the reinstatement of chocolate seeking in rats. Methods: Sardinian alcohol-preferring (sP) rats, selectively bred for excessive alcohol consumption, were exposed to different procedures of alcohol-motivated behaviours while Wistar rats were exposed to a series of procedures of use in evaluating the reinforcing and motivational properties of the chocolate solution. Results: Effect on alcohol: Acute treatment with nepicastat (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) completely suppressed the “alcohol deprivation effect” (i.e., the temporary increase in alcohol intake occurring after a period of abstinence; model of alcohol relapse episodes) in sP rats exposed to the 2-bottle choice regimen, and dose dependently and selectively reduced oral alcohol self-administration in sP rats trained to lever-respond for alcohol (15% v/v) on a fixed ratio (FR) 4 schedule of reinforcement. Finally, combination of nepicastat (0, 50, and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) and alcohol (2 g/kg, intragastrically) did not alter spontaneous locomotor activity in sP rats. Effect on chocolate solution: Acute treatment with nepicastat (0, 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg, i.p.) produced a dose-related inhibition of operant self-administration of the chocolate solution in rats under FR10 and progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement (indexes of the reinforcing and motivational properties of the chocolate solution, respectively). The effect of nepicastat on the reinstatement of chocolate seeking was studied in rats in which lever-responding had been extinguished by removing the chocolate solution for approximately 8 consecutive daily sessions. Nepicastat dose-dependently suppressed the reinstatement of lever-responding triggered by a ‘priming’ of the chocolate solution together with cues previously associated with availability of the reward. In a separate group of food-restricted rats trained to lever-respond for regular food pellets, nepicastat reduced FR10 lever-responding with the same potency as for the chocolate solution. Spontaneous locomotor activity was not modified by nepicastat doses that reduced self2 administration of the chocolate solution and regular food pellets and suppressed reinstatement of chocolate seeking. Notably, data on the suppressing effect of nepicastat on chocolate-related behaviors were reproduced by treatment with disulfiram (0, 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg, i.p.), another DBH inhibitor. The different time-course of the suppressing effect of disulfiram on chocolate-related behaviors may suggest a dual mechanism of action, including the involvement of a substrate other than DBH. Conclusions: (a) These data extend to alcohol- and food-related behaviours the capacity of nepicastat to suppress different behaviours motivated by natural stimuli and drugs of abuse; (b) DBH is a promising target for pharmacotherapies targeting cocaine and alcohol dependence as well as eating disorders; (c) These data provide additional proof that food and drugs of abuse share the same neural pathways in producing their rewarding, reinforcing, and stimulating properties

Effectiveness of an Educational Program Regarding Vasoactive Drugs at the Level of Knowledge and Practices among Nurses Working in Critical Care Units

Background: Critical care unit nurses have the responsibility of medication preparation and administration. Vasoactive drugs are lifesaving that commonly used in critical care units. However, the inappropriate administration of vasoactive drugs may lead to poor patient outcomes and complications. Purpose: The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of educational program of vasoactive drugs administration on critical care unit nurses' knowledge and practice Methods: A one-group pretest-posttest design was used for this study. A convenience sample of 102 registered nurses working at different critical care units at a University Affiliated Hospital was recruited. The researcher provided the study participants with a valid educational program on knowledge and practices related to the administration of vasoactive drugs. Three tools were used to collect data, a demographics form, a vasoactive drugs knowledge questionnaire, and a vasoactive drugs observational checklist. Results: There was a significant difference in the nurses’ vasoactive drugs knowledge scores before (M=9.28, SD=2.31) and after the educational program (M=12.30, SD=1.43) with p < 0.001. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in the nurses’ total vasoactive drugs observational checklist scores before (M=18.62, SD=2.27) and after the educational program (M=23.04, SD=1.76) with P < 0.001. Experience in the current critical care unit and course-related vasoactive drugs were significant predictors of the pre-knowledge test scores. Experience in the current critical care unit was a significant predictor of the pre-practices test scores. Conclusion. The implemented educational program significantly improved critical care unit nurses’ knowledge and practices related to the administration of vasoactive drugs. Implications to Nursing: Educational program increase nurses’ knowledge, competence and confidence regarding Vasoactive drugs administration