Between Times and Spaces: Polyglotism and Polychronism in Yuri Lotman

Even if Lotman\u2019s theory has often been presented as a semiotic theory based on categories of space, temporal categories are crucial as well. And as we can speak of polyglotism as one of the main features of culture, we should speak of polychronism as well. In each state of culture, in fact, we find many temporal codes, and the internal dialogue is not only based on codes coming from different spaces (in the normal sense of polyglotism), but also as coming from different times (in the sense of a sort of polychronism). Lotman\u2019s reflections about this aspect of culture could be very useful in order to understand some aspects of our society, where we find a form of presentism, the temporal dimension corresponding to localism within the spatial dimension, which globalization has produced

Le tribunal d’Internet : réseaux sociaux, culture de l’annulation et discours de haine

The contribution aims to reflect on some specificities of the sanctioning methods on social networks, transformed in today’s post-truth regime into real courts of summary justice. In particular, four aspects will be taken into consideration: i) the lack of an institutional dimension; ii) the punctual and extemporaneous character on the temporal level; iii) the absence of a probative logic on the argumentative level; iv) the strongly phatic characterization. Particularly important will be the reflection on the actantial role of the sender and on the recourse to assumption of a communicative community of destination

Italie

Centres et groupes de recherche Centro internazionale di studi umanistici Umberto Eco (CUE – Unibo) Dirigé par Patrizia Violi, le but principal du centre est de promouvoir la recherche, l’étude, la documentation, la diffusion et les études approfondies, au niveau national et international, sur des questions liées au travail et aux intérêts d’Umberto Eco. En outre, le Centre organise chaque année des dizaines d’initiatives sémiotiques et accueille des cycles de conférences, des journées d’étud..

Nassirya: una serie italiana entre ficción y realidad histórica

Las autoras realizan un análisis de Nassirya, miniserie televisiva que ficcionaliza y conmemora un evento trágico de la historia: la muerte de un contingente de soldados italianos en la guerra de Irak. La memoria del hecho se convierte en recreación y celebración de la identidad italiana, la italianidad, a través de un relato del heroísmo de unos hombres cualesquiera. La ficción transforma a los italianos en fuerzas de paz y opone su sensible humanidad a la corrupción e inhumanidad de los norteamericanos, antagonistas que toman el lugar de un enemigo iraquí, imposible en un relato de paz. El espectador es puesto ante el momento en que la historia se escribe. Y en la construcción de la memoria, realidad y ficción se superponen e intercambian sus lugares

Learning and Using Abstract Words: Evidence from Clinical Populations

Lorusso ML, Burigo M, Tavano A, et al. Learning and Using Abstract Words: Evidence from Clinical Populations. BioMed Research International. 2017;2017:1-8

Integrated MRI–Immune–Genomic Features Enclose a Risk Stratification Model in Patients Affected by Glioblastoma

Simple Summary: Despite crucial scientific advances, Glioblastoma (GB) remains a fatal disease with limited therapeutic options and a lack of suitable biomarkers. The unveiled competence of the brain immune system together with the breakthrough advent of immunotherapy has shifted the present translational research on GB towards an immune-focused perspective. Several clinical trials targeting the immunosuppressive GB background are ongoing. So far, results are inconclusive, underpinning our partial understanding of the complex cancer-immune interplay in brain tumors. High throughput Magnetic Resonance (MR) imaging has shown the potential to decipher GB heterogeneity, including pathologic and genomic clues. However, whether distinct GB immune contextures can be deciphered at an imaging scale is still elusive, leaving unattained the non-invasive achievement of prognostic and predictive biomarkers. Along these lines, we integrated genetic, immunopathologic and imaging features in a series of GB patients. Our results suggest that multiparametric approaches might offer new efficient risk stratification models, opening the possibility to intercept the critical events implicated in the dismal prognosis of GB. Abstract: Background: The aim of the present study was to dissect the clinical outcome of GB patients through the integration of molecular, immunophenotypic and MR imaging features. Methods: We enrolled 57 histologically proven and molecularly tested GB patients (5.3% IDH-1 mutant). Two- Dimensional Free ROI on the Biggest Enhancing Tumoral Diameter (TDFRBETD) acquired by MRI sequences were used to perform a manual evaluation of multiple quantitative variables, among which we selected: SD Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR), SD and mean Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC). Characterization of the Tumor Immune Microenvironment (TIME) involved the immunohistochemical analysis of PD-L1, and number and distribution of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs) and CD163+ Tumor Associated Macrophages (TAMs), focusing on immune-vascular localization. Genetic, MR imaging and TIME descriptors were correlated with overall survival (OS). Results: MGMT methylation was associated with a significantly prolonged OS (median OS = 20 months), while no impact of p53 and EGFR status was apparent. GB cases with high mean ADC at MRI, indicative of low cellularity and soft consistency, exhibited increased OS (median OS = 24 months). PD-L1 and the overall number of TILs and CD163+TAMs had a marginal impact on patient outcome. Conversely, the density of vascular-associated (V) CD4+ lymphocytes emerged as the most significant prognostic factor (median OS = 23 months in V-CD4high vs. 13 months in V-CD4low, p = 0.015). High V-CD4+TILs also characterized TIME of MGMTmeth GB, while p53mut appeared to condition a desert immune background. When individual genetic (MGMTunmeth), MR imaging (mean ADClow) and TIME (V-CD4+TILslow) negative predictors were combined, median OS was 21 months (95% CI, 0–47.37) in patients displaying 0–1 risk factor and 13 months (95% CI 7.22–19.22) in the presence of 2–3 risk factors (p = 0.010, HR = 3.39, 95% CI 1.26–9.09). Conclusion: Interlacing MRI–immune–genetic features may provide highly significant risk-stratification models in GB patients

Phosphorylation of mitochondrial proteins in bovine heart Characterization of kinases and substrates

AbstractProtein phosphorylation by [γ-32P]ATP in total extract and subfractions of bovine heart mitochondria has been studied. The results show that, in addition to pyruvate dehydrogenase, three mitochondrial proteins, with molecular weights of 44,000, 39,000 and 31,000 Da, are phosphorylated by a cAMP-independent mitochondrial protein kinase. Three other proteins associated with mitochondria, with molecular weights of 125,000, 19,000 and 6,500 Da, are phosphorylated by the cytoplasmic cAMP-dependent protein kinase (kinase A)

A seasonal periodicity in relapses of multiple sclerosis? A single-center, population-based, preliminary study conducted in Bologna, Italy

Fabrizio Salvi, Ilaria Bartolomei, Angelo Lorusso, and Elena Barbarossa are with the Department of Neuroscience, Multiple Sclerosis Center, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy -- Michael H. Smolensky is with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, the University of Texas at Austin, USA -- Ann Maria Malagoni, Paolo Zamboni, and Roberto Manfredini are with the Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara, Italy -- Roberto Manfredini is with the Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital of the Delta, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale, Ferrara, Italy and the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Clinica Medica and Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara, ItalyBackground: Temporal, i.e., 24-hour, weekly, and seasonal patterns in the occurrence of acute cardiovascular and cerebrovascular events are well documented; however, little is known about temporal, especially seasonal, variation in multiple sclerosis (MS) and its relapses. This study investigated, by means of a validated chronobiological method, whether severe relapses of MS, ones requiring medical specialty consultation, display seasonal differences, and whether they are linked with seasonal differences in local meteorological variables. Results: We considered 96 consecutive patients with severe MS relapse (29 men, 67 women, mean age 38.5 ± 8.8 years), referred to the Multiple Sclerosis Center, Bellaria Hospital, Bologna, Italy, between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2008. Overall, we analyzed 164 relapses (56 in men, 108 in women; 115 in patients aged < 40 years, 49 in patients ≥40 years). Relapses were more frequent in May and June (12.2% each) and the least frequent in September (3.7%). Chronobiological analysis showed a biphasic pattern (major peak in May-June, secondary peak in November-December, p = 0.030). Analysis of monthly mean meteorological data showed a significant seasonal pattern in ambient temperature (peak in July, p < 0.001), relative humidity (peak in January, p < 0.001), and wind speed (peak in June, p = 0.011). Conclusions: In this Italian setting we found a biphasic pattern, peaks in spring and autumn, in severe MS relapses requiring medical consultation by doctors of the MS specialty center apparently unrelated to meteorological variables. Confirmations of the findings on larger multi-center populations residing in different climatic conditions are needed to further explore the potential seasonality of MS relapses and associated environmental triggers.Biomedical [email protected]