An Intertextual Reading of the Politics of storytelling in The Edible Woman, Surfacing, The Handmaid’s Tale and Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood

My article explores how Margaret Atwood deconstructs dichotomous visions of women and proposes a reconstruction of women s identity in the dominant sociopolitical context suggesting alternative aesthetic systems This implies self-knowledge and acceptance of both the good and the bad side of their identity the acknowledgement of this reality is required in order to surviv

An intertextual reading of female characters in Margaret Atwood’s work

The intertextual dialogue in a selection of Margaret Atwood’s novels is the focus of this thesis. The chapters analyse four novels: The Edible Woman, Surfacing, The Handmaid’s Tale and Cat’s Eye. Chapter 1 posits the theoretical framework, drawing ideas from Bakhtin, Kristeva, Riffaterre, Hutcheon and Foucault. The intertextual conversation in Atwood’s novels questions traditional narratives in a continuous exchange that generates visions that are alternatives to the roles and rules of the androcentric society. The frequent use of intertexts allows a ‘dialogic thought’ that opens up to multiple diverse visions that deny dichotomous restrictive roles that are implemented through traditional narratives in schools and families in a consumerist and exploitative perspective. The openness to different views gives space to a broader human vision and possible multiple readings in a continuous relationship and conversation with the Other that generates identities in flux; it is a never-ending process that creates new meanings in changing contexts where opposites coexist. The incongruous roles proposed by society are therefore exposed as restrictive and menacing and new approaches are proposed that aim for human survival. From this view, humanity is saved in a process of continuous questioning that is selfreflexive as well as in tension with previous narratives from high and low culture and traditional and contemporary discourses where the angle continuously shifts in a revolutionary mode. This entails the intertextual ‘dialogic thought’, the disruptive vision of écriture féminine and the position of the reader function in conversation with the writer function within the novels. Various readings are therefore proposed without a definite closure, allowing further developments that go beyond the ending in a world of language where ‘reality’ is constructed in words. Atwood’s literary world is representative of a political and social context and, at the same time, challenges this ‘reality’ in an attempt to rewrite these narratives from within through the intertextual conversation

The Handmaid’s Tale: an intertextual transformation through storytelling

This article analyzes how Offred, the protagonist of The Handmaid’s Tale, reconstructs her fragmented self through storytelling in a dialogic thought process that is connected to the intertextual references. She recollects her memories and engages in a parodic critique of Gileadean propagandistic discourse. This implies a process of transformation that involves both her body and her mind and critically deconstructs the role the regime has assigned to her. The readers are invited to take a stand if this is not the world they want to live in. The novel challenges the narrative of Gilead in an attempt to rewrite it from a female point of view. This process is connected to the disruptive and heterogeneous disposition of the novel, which Kristeva calls semiotic and links to the maternal chora. The dichotomous view is therefore denied at the root and a multifaceted perspective is proposed

Relevance of arginine residues in Cu(II)-induced DNA breakage and Proteinase K resistance of H1 histones

This work analyzes the involvement of arginines in copper/H2O2-induced DNA breakage. Copper is a highly redox active metal which has been demonstrated to form compounds with arginines. For this aim we used mixtures of pGEM3 DNA plasmid and two types of H1 histones which differ only in their arginine content. The sperm H1 histone from the annelid worm Chaetopterus variopedatus (arginine content 12.6 mol% K/R ratio 2) and the somatic H1 histone from calf thymus (arginine content 1.8 mol% and K/R ratio 15). Copper/H2O2-induced DNA breakage was observed only in presence of sperm H1 histones, but it was more relevant for the native molecule than for the deguanidinated derivative (K/R ratio 14), in which 80% of arginine residues were converted to ornithine. Further, copper induced proteinase K resistance and increase of DNA binding affinity on native sperm H1 histones. These observations are consistent with a copper induced reorganization of the side-chains of arginine residues. Copper, instead, did not affect DNA binding affinity of somatic and deguanidinated H1 histones, which show similar K/R ratio and DNA binding mode. These results indicate that arginine residues could affect these H1 histones properties and provide new insights into copper toxicity mechanisms

Alteration of the growth hormone axis, visceral fat dysfunction, and early cardiometabolic risk in adults: the role of the visceral adiposity index

The aim of the study is to clarify the relationship between adipose tissue dysfunction, metabolic profile and growth hormone (GH)/insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I secretion in healthy adult subjects. We investigated the metabolic profile in a cohort of 231 consecutive healthy subjects in relation to GH, IGF-I levels, and visceral adiposity index (VAI). Anthropometric measures, lipid profile, and glucose and insulin levels during oral glucose tolerance test, Homa-IR and ISI Matsuda, IGF-I and GH peak after GHRH plus Arginine test were analyzed. The subjects with high VAI showed lower GH peak (22.8 ± 11.1 vs. 42.2 ± 21.3 µg/L; p = 0.049) and lower IGF-I (presented as IGF-I under normal range, UNR) (0.54 ± 0.14 vs. 0.64 ± 0.12; p = 0.005) than group with normal VAI. ROC curve analysis identified the cut-off, able to detect subjects with high VAI, i.e., 31.8 µg/L for GH peak and 0.63 for IGF-1 UNR. The subjects with GH peak and IGF-I UNR under the cut-off showed significantly higher levels of VAI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glucose and insulin levels, Homa-IR, and lower ISI Matsuda, with a concomitant worse lipid profile (all p < 0.001). A strong relationship between GH axis, VAI and metabolic risk has been demonstrated. A percentage of apparently healthy subjects show a degree of visceral adipose dysfunction associated with GH and IGF-I levels that do not meet the criteria of overt GH deficiency (GHD). Long-term prospective studies could help to clarify and confirm whether a hypothetical condition of subclinical GHD could be taken into account as a new clinical entity

Antibacterial Effect of Stainless Steel Surfaces Treated with a Nanotechnological Coating Approved for Food Contact

Stainless steel, widely present in the food industry, is frequently exposed to bacterial colonization with possible consequences on consumers’ health. 288 stainless steel disks with different roughness (0.25, 0.5 and 1 μm) were challenged with four Gram-negative (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Salmonella typhimurium ATCC 1402, Yersinia enterocolitica ATCC 9610 and Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27588) and four Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212, Bacillus cereus ATCC 14579 and Listeria monocytogenes NCTT 10888) and underwent three different sanitizing treatments (UVC, alcohol 70% v/v and Gold lotion). Moreover, the same procedure was carried out onto the same surfaces after a nanotechnological surface coating (nanoXHAM® D). A significant bactericidal effect was exerted by all of the sanitizing treatments against all bacterial strains regardless of roughness and surface coating. The nanoXHAM® D coating itself induced an overall bactericidal effect as well as in synergy with all sanitizing treatments regardless of roughness. Stainless steel surface roughness is poorly correlated with bacterial adhesion and only sanitizing treatments can exert significant bactericidal effects. Most of sanitizing treatments are toxic and corrosive causing the onset of crevices that are able to facilitate bacterial nesting and growth. This nanotechnological coating can reduce surface adhesion with consequent reduction of bacterial adhesion, nesting, and growth

Avaliação das variáveis físico-químicas da água de chuva submetida à filtração em carvão ativado de caroço de açaí, areia e carvão ativado de caroço de açaí com areia: Evaluation of the physicochemical variables of rainwater subjected to filtration in activated carbon from açai seeds, sand, and activated carbon from açai seeds with sand

O uso crescente de água proveniente de fontes pluviais como alternativa para suprir a demanda hídrica tem gerado interesse nos últimos anos. No entanto, a qualidade da água de chuva frequentemente não é adequada para consumo humano. Este estudo teve como objetivo avaliar a eficiência de três materiais filtrantes diferentes, a saber: carvão ativado de caroço de açaí (filtro 1), areia (filtro 3) e uma combinação de carvão ativado de caroço de açaí com areia (filtro 2), em um sistema experimental de captação e tratamento de água de chuva localizado na Universidade Federal do Pará, Brasil. As variáveis físico-químicas analisadas incluíram pH, turbidez, cor aparente e condutividade elétrica. Os resultados foram analisados utilizando estatística descritiva com base nas médias, mínimos, máximos e desvio padrão. A eficiência de remoção da cor aparente foi maior no filtro de areia, com uma média de remoção de 22%. No entanto, essa eficiência não atingiu o valor máximo permitido (VMP) de 15 UC conforme indicado pela literatura de referência. O filtro 2 apresentou a maior eficiência na remoção de turbidez, com uma média de 50 %, porém também não atingiu o padrão estabelecido na literatura de referência. A variação média de pH foi de 5,1 a 8,3

COVID-19 Severity in Multiple Sclerosis: Putting Data Into Context

Background and objectives: It is unclear how multiple sclerosis (MS) affects the severity of COVID-19. The aim of this study is to compare COVID-19-related outcomes collected in an Italian cohort of patients with MS with the outcomes expected in the age- and sex-matched Italian population. Methods: Hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and death after COVID-19 diagnosis of 1,362 patients with MS were compared with the age- and sex-matched Italian population in a retrospective observational case-cohort study with population-based control. The observed vs the expected events were compared in the whole MS cohort and in different subgroups (higher risk: Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS] score &gt; 3 or at least 1 comorbidity, lower risk: EDSS score ≤ 3 and no comorbidities) by the χ2 test, and the risk excess was quantified by risk ratios (RRs). Results: The risk of severe events was about twice the risk in the age- and sex-matched Italian population: RR = 2.12 for hospitalization (p &lt; 0.001), RR = 2.19 for ICU admission (p &lt; 0.001), and RR = 2.43 for death (p &lt; 0.001). The excess of risk was confined to the higher-risk group (n = 553). In lower-risk patients (n = 809), the rate of events was close to that of the Italian age- and sex-matched population (RR = 1.12 for hospitalization, RR = 1.52 for ICU admission, and RR = 1.19 for death). In the lower-risk group, an increased hospitalization risk was detected in patients on anti-CD20 (RR = 3.03, p = 0.005), whereas a decrease was detected in patients on interferon (0 observed vs 4 expected events, p = 0.04). Discussion: Overall, the MS cohort had a risk of severe events that is twice the risk than the age- and sex-matched Italian population. This excess of risk is mainly explained by the EDSS score and comorbidities, whereas a residual increase of hospitalization risk was observed in patients on anti-CD20 therapies and a decrease in people on interferon