Anders e l'incompleto

This contribution aims at highlighting some fundamental motifs (reasons) of that particular philosophical anthropology which can be found in the works of G. Anders, who sets at the center of the analysis, with strong clarity, the figure of man as human being, who comes into the world as “incomplete” and “undetermined”: according to Anders this concretizes itself through the critical confrontation with the philosophical anthropology which becomes philosophy of the tekhne in A. Gehlen and with the Kafkian representation of an existence radically incomplete

Cartografie antropologiche: sui “profughi del tempo”

Focusing on the figure of cyborg, being an important concentration of fantasy and reality, could represent a good starting point when trying to think more deeply on the relationship between man and machine, which is an essential theme of the 20th century philosophy. The article suggest how cartographies of the overall reality of contemporary subjectivities can be developed and how the latest can hope with the transformation of their modalities based upon the introduction of the machine within 'living bodies'

Su un avantesto di «Se questo è un uomo» (con una nuova edizione del «Rapporto» sul Lager di Monowitz del 1946)

Primo Levi scrisse con Leonardo De Benedetti il “Rapporto sulla organizzazione igienico-sanitaria del Campo di concentramento per Ebrei di Monowitz (Auschwitz - Alta Slesia)”, uscito nel 1946 sulla “Minerva Medica”. Il “Rapporto” è stato ripubblicato nel 1993 negli atti di un convegno e ristampato nel 1997 nelle Opere di Levi. Le ripubblicazioni hanno introdotto numerosi errori nel testo del “Rapporto” che modificano il senso di alcuni passi. L'articolo ricostruisce la storia editoriale del “Rapporto” e delle due traduzioni in lingua straniera esistenti, mettendo in relazione il testo del 1946 con “Se questo è un uomo”. L'analisi testuale dimostra che il “Rapporto” sia da considerare un avantesto di “Se questo è un uomo”. L'articolo propone infine una edizione critica del “Rapporto”

Final Doctoral Recital

Coltrane, John and Fadini, Alessandro. Please see Additional Documents for Recital Program

Continued efforts to translate diabetes cardiovascular outcome trials into clinical practice

Diabetic patients suffer from a high rate of cardiovascular events and such risk increases with HbA1c. However, lowering HbA1c does not appear to yield the same benefit on macrovascular endpoints, as observed for microvascular endpoints. As the number of glucose-lowering medications increases, clinicians have to consider several open questions in the management of type 2 diabetes, one of which is the cardiovascular risk profile of each regimen. Recent placebo-controlled cardiovascular outcome trials (CVOTs) have responded to some of these questions, but careful interpretation is needed. After general disappointment around CVOTs assessing safety of DPP-4 inhibitors (SAVOR, TECOS, EXAMINE) and the GLP-1 receptor agonist lixisenatide (ELIXA), the EMPA-REG Outcome trial and the LEADER trial have shown superiority of the SGLT2-I empagliflozin and the GLP-1RA liraglutide, respectively, on the 3-point MACE outcome (cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction or stroke) and cardiovascular, as well as all-cause mortality. While available mechanistic studies largely support a cardioprotective effect of GLP-1, the ability of SGLT2 inhibitor(s) to prevent cardiovascular death was unexpected and deserves future investigation. We herein review the results of completed CVOTs of glucose-lowering medications and suggest a possible treatment algorithm based on cardiac and renal co-morbidities to translate CVOT findings into clinical practice

Effects of androgens on endothelial progenitor cells in vitro and in vivo

The beneficial or detrimental effects of androgens on the cardiovascular system are debated. Endothelial progenitor cells are bone-marrow-derived cells involved in endothelial healing and angiogenesis, which promote cardiovascular health. Oestrogens are potent stimulators of endothelial progenitor cells, and previous findings have indicated that androgens may improve the biology of these cells as well. In the present study, we show that testosterone and its active metabolite dihydrotestosterone exert no effects on the expansion and function of late endothelial progenitors isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy human adult males, whereas they positively modulate early ‘monocytic’ endothelial progenitor cells. In parallel, we show that castration in rats is followed by a decrease in circulating endothelial progenitor cells, but that testosterone and dihydrotestosterone replacement fails to restore endothelial progenitor cells towards normal levels. This is associated with persistently low oestrogen levels after androgen replacement in castrated rats. In a sample of 62 healthy middle-aged men, we show that circulating endothelial progenitor cell levels are more directly associated with oestradiol, rather than with testosterone, concentrations. In conclusion, our results collectively demonstrate that androgens exert no direct effects on endothelial progenitor cell biology in vitro and in vivo

Glucose challenge increases circulating progenitor cells in Asian Indian male subjects with normal glucose tolerance which is compromised in subjects with pre-diabetes: A pilot study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Haematopoietic stem cells undergo mobilization from bone marrow to blood in response to physiological stimuli such as ischemia and tissue injury. The aim of study was to determine the kinetics of circulating CD34⁺and CD133⁺CD34⁺progenitor cells in response to 75 g glucose load in subjects with normal and impaired glucose metabolism.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Asian Indian male subjects (n = 50) with no prior history of glucose imbalance were subjected to 2 hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). 24 subjects had normal glucose tolerance (NGT), 17 subjects had impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and 9 had impaired fasting glucose (IFG). The IGT and IFG subjects were grouped together as pre-diabetes group (n = 26). Progenitor cell counts in peripheral circulation at fasting and 2 hour post glucose challenge were measured using direct two-color flow cytometry.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The pre-diabetes group was more insulin resistant (p < 0.0001) as measured by homeostasis assessment model (HOMA-IR) compared to NGT group. A 2.5-fold increase in CD34⁺cells (p = 0.003) and CD133⁺CD34⁺(p = 0.019) cells was seen 2 hours post glucose challenge in the NGT group. This increase for both the cell types was attenuated in subjects with IGT. CD34⁺cell counts in response to glucose challenge inversely correlated with neutrophil counts (ρ = -0.330, p = 0.019), while post load counts of CD133⁺CD34⁺cells inversely correlated with serum creatinine (ρ = -0.312, p = 0.023).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>There is a 2.5-fold increase in the circulating levels of haematopoietic stem cells in response to glucose challenge in healthy Asian Indian male subjects which is attenuated in subjects with pre-diabetes.</p

Use and effectiveness of dapagliflozin in routine clinical practice. An Italian multicenter retrospective study

In randomized controlled trials (RCTs), sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have been shown to confer glycaemic and extra-glycaemic benefits. The DARWIN-T2D (DApagliflozin Real World evIdeNce in Type 2 Diabetes) study was a multicentre retrospective study designed to evaluate the baseline characteristics of patients receiving dapagliflozin vs those receiving selected comparators (dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors, gliclazide, or glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists), and drug effectiveness in routine clinical practice. From a population of 281 217, the analysis included 17 285 patients initiating dapagliflozin or comparator glucose-lowering medications (GLMs), 6751 of whom had a follow-up examination. At baseline, participants starting dapagliflozin were younger, had a longer disease duration, higher glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) concentration, and a more complex history of previous GLM use, but the clinical profile of patients receiving dapagliflozin changed during the study period. Dapagliflozin reduced HbA1c by 0.7%, body weight by 2.7 kg, and systolic blood pressure by 3.0 mm Hg. Effects of comparator GLMs were also within the expected range, based on RCTs. This real-world study shows an initial channelling of dapagliflozin to difficult-to-treat patients. Nonetheless, dapagliflozin provided significant benefits with regard to glucose control, body weight and blood pressure that were in line with findings from RCTs

Simvastatin Rapidly and Reversibly Inhibits Insulin Secretion in Intact Single-Islet Cultures

open10Epidemiological studies suggest that statins may promote the development or exacerbation of diabetes, but whether this occurs through inhibition of insulin secretion is unclear. This lack of understanding is partly due to the cellular models used to explore this phenomenon (cell lines or pooled islets), which are non-physiologic and have limited clinical transferability.openScattolini, Valentina; Luni, Camilla; Zambon, Alessandro; Galvanin, Silvia; Gagliano, Onelia; Ciubotaru, Catalin Dacian; Avogaro, Angelo; Mammano, Fabio; Elvassore, Nicola; Fadini, Gian PaoloScattolini, Valentina; Luni, Camilla; Zambon, Alessandro; Galvanin, Silvia; Gagliano, Onelia; Ciubotaru, CATALIN DACIAN; Avogaro, Angelo; Mammano, Fabio; Elvassore, Nicola; Fadini, GIAN PAOL

SGLT2 inhibitors and diabetic ketoacidosis: data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System

Sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and may also improve glucose control in type 1 diabetes. In 2015, regulatory agencies warned that SGLT2i may favour diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). We provide a detailed analysis of DKA reports in which an SGLT2i was listed among suspect or concomitant drugs in the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS)