Der Daedalus der Dichter: Zur poetologischen Selbstdarstellung des didaktischen Ich bei Lukrez

By analysing the cumulated usage of the Greek loan word daedalus in De rerum natura it can be shown that the mythological artist Daedalus functions as a poetological model for the didactic narrator. The narrator presents himself as a poet-Daedalus. As with Daedalus' statues who were said to see and walk around like human beings, De rerum natura adds to the poetic mimesis (which is in respect of content) a formal one such as to stand as a model for the nature it describes. Likewise, as Daedalus' most characteristic feature in classical literature is his astuteness the muse of poetry in De rerum natura is called callida. The craftsman's work finally is reflected in the ordering of elements, i.e. in word order. The Epicurean position is furthermore elucidated by comparison with the Platonic view on Daedalu

Ressourcenvielfalt und Reaktualisierung. Ciceros Weg zum Klassiker

Der Beitrag behandelt den Begriff der Klassik als Erscheinung der Nachhaltigkeit und beleuchtet die Affinität der beiden Konzepte am Beispiel Ciceros. Der lateinische Schriftsteller gilt nicht nur als Musterklassiker, sondern hat sich auch selbst um Klassizität bemüht. Was aus seinen schriftstellerischen Strategien, die auf Ressourcenvielfalt setzen, abgeleitet wurde, ergänzt in diesem Beitrag der Blick auf Überlegungen, die er in der Verteidigungsrede für den Dichter Archias, einem Brief an Atticus und einem Brief an Lucceius formuliert. Diese drei Texte machen ersichtlich, wie für Cicero, dem der Klassik-Begriff noch nicht zur Verfügung stand, in seinen Reflexionen das nachhaltige Andenken der Nachwelt im Blick stand. Die zentrale Rolle im Streben danach weist er dem raumzeitlich entgrenzenden Geist (animus) und der diesen ansprechenden Literatur und Philosophie gleichermassen zu

Ressourcenvielfalt und Reaktualisierung. Ciceros Weg zum Klassiker

Als «klassisch» versteht man seit der frühen Neuzeit Phänomene mit Modellcharakter, die Epochen und darüber hinaus Kulturen prägen, wie wir die klassische Antike als prägend für die europäische Kultur mit ihren Staatsformen und ihrer Geistesgeschichte verstehen. Neben dieser engeren Auffassung stehen Begriffserweiterungen, die besonders über das Adjektiv «klassisch» auf das Typische, Vorbildliche und Massgebende einer Theorie oder Form verweisen. «Klassisch» hebt auch das Zeitlose gegenüber Kurzlebigem hervor, etwa ein klassisches Muster in der Mode. Indem Klassik nachfolgende Phänomene und Diskurse prägt, ist sie nachhaltig

Chilo und Antigone. Autonomie zwischen Partizipation und Isolation

Der Beitrag deutet zwei Figuren aus der antiken Literatur als Beispiele für autonomes Handeln: Chilo erreicht in einem Wertekonflikt eine individuelle, autonome Lösung, Antigones Widerstand gegen Kreons Gesetz führt in die Katastrophe. Beide Figuren teilen sich als Voraussetzung für gelingende Autonomie die Partizipation an den Werten ihrer Polis, die nur für Chilo gegeben ist, nicht für Antigone. Partizipation als Voraussetzung für gelingende Autonomie mag moderner Konzeption entgegenlaufen, kann aber durch Ciceros Definition des Staates als einer Rechtsgemeinschaft und seine Anbindung der damit postulierten überindividuellen Rechtsauffassung an göttliches Recht, das wir als ‘Vernunftrecht’ verstehen wollen, erhellt werden. Chilos Partizipation wird verständlich als Teilhabe an diesem, die Antigone durch Kreons Willkür versagt bleibt

Aulus Gellius und die ›Noctes Atticae‹

Aulus Gellius’ Noctes Atticae is a collection of short texts that pursues an aesthetic of variation. Beer’s study is an appraisal of the texts and the collection in general. The author analyzes Noctes Atticae based on narratological criteria, develops associative links between the sections, and illuminates the agonal relationship between narrator and implicit reader

Quality-of-life evaluations in children and adolescents with Ewing sarcoma treated with pencil-beam-scanning proton therapy.

BACKGROUND With improved survival rates for children with cancer, quality-of-life (QoL) issues have increasingly become the focus of attention. We report the QoL of children with Ewing sarcoma (EWS) treated with pencil-beam-scanning proton therapy (PT). METHODS A PEDQOL (QoL questionnaire for children 4-18 years) self/proxy questionnaire was used to prospectively assess the QoL of 23 children <18 years with EWS treated with PT. This questionnaire evaluates eight different domains. Children (self-rating) and parents (proxy-rating) filled out the questionnaire at the start of PT (E1), 2 months after treatment (E2), and thereafter once yearly (E≥3). RESULTS Compared with healthy controls, parents rated the QoL of their children at E1 significantly worse in all but two (cognition and social functioning-family) domains. At E4, significant differences between the two groups only remained in three of eight domains. At E1, children self-rated their QoL significantly worse in the domain Physical functioning (p = .004) and significantly better in the domain Body image (p = .044) compared to healthy controls, whereas no significant differences were observed at E4. For the longitudinal comparison E1 versus E4, according to parents, Emotional functioning, Cognition and Social functioning-peers were slightly decreased 2 years after PT. The children rated Emotional functioning and Body image poorly 2 years after PT. CONCLUSIONS Children with EWS usually recovered seemingly well to normal QoL levels 2 years after the end of PT. They tended to rate their QoL substantially higher than their parents. However, in the longitudinal analysis at 2 years, children rated their Emotional functioning and Body image scores poorly

Retrospective Long-Term Comparison of Naturopathic Fasting Therapy and Weight Reduction Diet in Overweight Patients

In a follow-up study overweight and obese patients fasting according to Buchinger (modified) and a control group treated by a weight reduction diet in the context of an inpatient naturopathic complex treatment were compared using a questionnaire developed for a standardized phone interview 6.8±1.1 years after inpatient treatment. During the inpatient treatment the fasting patients significantly more body weight, but at the time of the interview significantly more weight was gained again. 10.7% of the fasting patients and 31.9% of the control group lowered their weight at least 5% of their initial weight up to the interview. 42% of the fasting and 74% of the control group persistently changed their diet. The control group followed a significantly higher number of trained nutritional aspects. 21% of the fasting and 40% of the control group increased their leisure activity permanently. Continued improvement in quality of life was achieved by 16% of the fasting patients and 28% of the control group. The fasting therapy, carried out as part of the inpatient naturopathic complex treatment, turned out to be less suitable for the treatment of overweight and obesity compared to standard therapy. One likely determinant is the minor poststationary lifestyle modification

The Bank Vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) - Small Animal Model for Hepacivirus Infection

Many people worldwide suffer from hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, which is frequently persistent. The lack of efficient vaccines against HCV and the unavailability of or limited compliance with existing antiviral therapies is problematic for health care systems worldwide. Improved small animal models would support further hepacivirus research, including development of vaccines and novel antivirals. The recent discovery of several mammalian hepaciviruses may facilitate such research. In this study, we demonstrated that bank voles (Clethrionomys glareolus) were susceptible to bank vole-associated Hepacivirus F and Hepacivirus J strains, based on the detection of hepaciviral RNA in 52 of 55 experimentally inoculated voles. In contrast, interferon α/β receptor deficient C57/Bl6 mice were resistant to infection with both bank vole hepaciviruses (BvHVs). The highest viral genome loads in infected voles were detected in the liver, and viral RNA was visualized by in situ hybridization in hepatocytes, confirming a marked hepatotropism. Furthermore, liver lesions in infected voles resembled those of HCV infection in humans. In conclusion, infection with both BvHVs in their natural hosts shares striking similarities to HCV infection in humans and may represent promising small animal models for this important human disease