A Woman’s Loss of Imagination: Paola Masino’s Magical Realism in Nascita e morte della Massaia

Criticism on Paola Masino has flourished since the early 2000s. This increased attention has contributed towards reclaiming an author often overshadowed by the attention received by her partner, Massimo Bontempelli, the father of realismo magico. Masino experimented with a variety of styles—realismo magico was one of them—as she rejected strictly naturalistic forms of representation, preferring to co-opt myths and the supernatural. Nascita e morte della Massaia (1945) is Masino’s most renowned literary effort, both for its critique of Fascist Italy and for its sophisticated stylistic effects. Nascita, while indebted to Bontempelli’s theorizations, features all the chief characteristics listed in Faris’s analysis of magical realism as an international phenomenon, and illustrates how magical realism offers strategies for evading censorship to those writing against totalitarianism regimes. At the same time, it is an example of how magical realism can be used to denounce socially imposed gender roles. My analysis shows how this narrative mode emerges on multiple levels within Masino’s text

A nitro-arginine derivative of trimebutine (NO2-Arg-Trim) attenuates pain induced by colorectal distension in conscious rats.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by dysfunction of the afferent pathways that may lead to visceral hypersensitivity. Trimebutine is a weak μ opioid receptor agonist used in the treatment of IBS. We report on the effects of a novel derivative in which trimebutine has been salified with nitro-arginine (NO2-Arg-Trim), in modulating nociception to colorectal distension (CRD) in intact and post-colitis rats, an animal model that mimics some features of IBS. Colorectal sensitivity and pain were assessed by measuring the abdominal withdrawal score (AWR) during CRD. Healthy rats were treated with vehicle, trimebutine (10 mg/kg i.p.) or NO2-Arg-Trim (4, 8 and 16 mg/kg i.p.). Post-colitis, allodynic rats were investigated 4 weeks after colitis induction. Treating healthy rats with NO2-Arg-Trim resulted in a dose-dependent attenuation of CRD-induced nociception and in an inhibition of CRD-induced overexpression of spinal cFOS mRNA. NO2-Arg-Trim-induced antinociception was reversed by the opioid receptor antagonist naloxone and by the NO synthase-cGMP pathway inhibitor methylene blue, while L-NAME had no effect. The antinociceptive effect of NO2-Arg-Trim was maintained in a rodent model of post-inflammatory allodynia. In this setting, NO2-Arg-Trim but not trimebutine, significantly down-regulated the spinal cFOS mRNA expression and increased blood concentrations of NO2 + NO3. Moreover, the expression of several genes involved in inflammation and pain, as IL-1β, TNFα, COX2 and iNOS, was up-regulated in colonic tissue from post-colitis rats and NO2-Arg-Trim, but not trimebutine, effectively reversed this effect. In summary, these data suggest that NO2-Arg-Trim inhibits nociception induced by CRD in both healthy and post-colitis, allodynic rats. The NO2-arginine moiety interacts with the opioid agonist trimebutine to potentiate its analgesic activity. This study provides evidence that NO2-arginine derivative of trimebutine might have beneficial effect in the treatment of painful intestinal disorders. © 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Fascial suture technique versus open femoral access for thoracic endovascular aortic repair.

BACKGROUND Fascial suture technique (FST) has proved to be a safe and effective access closure technique after endovascular repair of the abdominal aorta. FST has not yet been investigated for closure of large-bore access after thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR). The aim of this study was to compare FST with open femoral access in terms of access safety, hemostasis efficacy, and reintervention rate after TEVAR. METHODS A retrospective study including consecutive patients undergoing TEVAR with either FST or open femoral access between January 2010 and April 2016 was undertaken. Exclusion criteria included the use of closure devices. The composite primary end point was defined as any access-related complication (bleeding, femoral artery stenosis or occlusion, pseudoaneurysm, and wound infection) during 30 postoperative days. Preoperative and procedural variables were examined in a multiple logistic regression model as potential associated factors with access morbidity. All access vessels were postoperatively examined by clinical examination and computed tomography angiography before discharge as well as during the follow-up period. In case of suspected pseudoaneurysm, additional duplex ultrasound and computed tomography angiography confirmed the diagnosis. RESULTS From a total of 206 patients undergoing TEVAR, 109 (53%) had FST, whereas 93 (45%) had an open femoral access. Four patients were excluded: closure device was used in one; one had primary conversion after percutaneous puncture without FST; and in two, no data were available about the femoral access. The access complication rate was higher in FST (FST, 14 [13%]; open access, 3 [3%]; P = .01). Five (4.6%) patients needed early reintervention, two for bleeding and three for vessel occlusion. Seven (6.4%) pseudoaneurysms were detected during the 30-day period in the FST group; three had successful exclusion with thrombin injection, one was treated with manual compression, one was treated with open repair, and two were managed conservatively. Four (3.6%) patients in the FST group and three (3%) patients in the open access group had wound complications. After multiple logistic regression, FST was the only independent factor for any access complication (odds ratio, 5.176; 95% confidence interval, 1.402-19.114; P = .014). During follow-up, neither new pseudoaneurysm nor stenosis or occlusion was detected. CONCLUSIONS FST for large-hole closure had higher risk for any access complication compared with open access in TEVAR during the 30-day postoperative period. No other complications during 12 months of follow-up were observed in FST patients