Intrahistorical novel between postmemory and pophistory

This comparative study takes into account two books written by women: "El violín de Auschwitz" (1994) by Maria Àngels Anglada and "La Tabla Esmeralda" (2012) by Carla Montero. Both novels, despite almost twenty years between them, offer a series of common features. Their extraliterary referent falls into the same thematic field (Nazism, deportation and the Holocaust); both employ the same narrative modality (the presenceof the intradiegetic and homodiegetic narration includes another narration, extradiegetic and heterodiegetic, about the past); last but not least, both titles offer a "view from below", carried out by fictional characters - which allows to suppose that the two novels belong to a subcategory of the intrahistoric novel.Este estudio comparativo tiene en cuenta dos obras escritas por mujeres: "El violín de Auschwitz" (1994) de Maria Àngels Anglada y "La Tabla Esmeralda" (2012) de Carla Montero. Ambas novelas, a pesar de sus casi veinte años de distancia, ofrecen una serie de rasgos comunes. Su referente extraliterario se sitúa en el mismo campo temático (el nazismo, la deportación y el Holocausto), ambas emplean la misma modalidad narrativa (el presente de la narración intradiegética y homodiegética engloba otra narración, extradiegética y heterodiegética, para relatar los hechos del pasado) y ambas ofrecen una visión desde abajo, protagonizada por los personajes ficcionales - lo que permite suponer que las dos novelas pertenecen a un subgénero de la novela intrahistórica

Cornus mas and Cornus officinalis - A Comparison of Antioxidant and Immunomodulatory Activities of Standardized Fruit Extracts in Human Neutrophils and Caco-2 Models

Fruits of Cornus mas and Cornus officinalis are representative plant materials traditionally used in Europe and Asia, respectively, in the treatment of diabetes and diabetes-related complications, which are often mediated by pathogenic inflammatory agents. Additionally, due to the fact of mutual infiltration of Asian and European medicines, the differentiation as well as standardization of traditional prescriptions seem to be crucial for ensuring the quality of traditional products. The objective of this study was a comparison of biological activity of extracts from fruits of C. mas and C. officinalis by an assessment of their effect on reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in human neutrophils as well as cytokines secretion both in neutrophils (tumor necrosis factor α, TNF- α; interleukin 8, IL-8; interleukin 1β, IL-1β) and in human colon adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2 (IL-8). To evaluate the phytochemical differences between the studied extracts as well as to provide a method for standardization procedures, a quantitative analysis of iridoids, such as loganin, sweroside, and loganic acid, found in extracts of Cornus fruits was performed with HPLC-DAD. All standardized extracts significantly inhibited ROS production, whereas the aqueous-alcoholic extracts were particularly active inhibitors of IL-8 secretion by neutrophils. The aqueous-methanolic extract of C. officinalis fruit, decreased IL-8 secretion by neutrophils to 54.64 ± 7.67%, 49.68 ± 6.55%, 50.29 ± 5.87% at concentrations of 5, 50, and 100 µg/mL, respectively, compared to LPS-stimulated control (100%). The aqueous extract of C. officinalis fruit significantly inhibited TNF-α release by neutrophils at concentrations of 50 and 100 µg/mL. On the other hand, the aqueous-ethanolic extract of C. mas fruit showed the propensity to increase TNF-α and IL-1β secretion. The modulatory activity of the Cornus extracts was noted in the case of secretion of IL-8 in Caco-2 cells. The effect was comparable with dexamethasone. The content of loganin in aqueous and aqueous-methanolic extract of C. officinalis fruit was higher than in the aqueous-ethanolic extract of C. mas fruit, which was characterized by a significant quantity of loganic acid. In conclusion, the immunomodulatory effect observed in vitro may partially confirm the traditional use of Cornus fruits through alleviation of the development of diabetes-derived inflammatory complications. Loganin and loganic acid are significant markers for standardization of C. mas and C. officinalis fruit extracts, respectively

Application of new generation phytobiotic adiCoxSOL® PF for coccidiosis prophylactics in poultry broilers

The new WHO recommendations aim to help preserve the effectiveness of antibiotics that are important for human medicine by reducing their unnecessary use in animals. In some countries, approximately 80% of total consumption of medically important antibiotics is in the animal sector, largely for growth promotion in healthy animals .Over-use and misuse of antibiotics in animals and humans is contributing to the rising threat of antibiotic resistance. After the ban of antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) in the EU many alternative substances have been investigated for their potential to replace AGPs. Phytobiotics are well known for their pharmacological effects and their wide application  in human medicine and are one of the most promising alternatives due to their high content of pharmacologically active compounds. Herbs develop their initial activity in the feed as flavour and, therefore, influence eating patterns, the secretion of digestive fluids and total feed intake. Stimulation of digestive secretions, including saliva, digestive enzymes, bile and mucus is often considered to be one of the important actions of phytobiotics. Last, due to herbs content  develop their initial activity in the feed as flavour and influence eating patterns of poultry and swine  due to the secretion of digestive fluids and total feed intake. Stimulation of digestive secretions, including saliva, digestive enzymes, bile and mucus is often considered to be one of the important actions of phytobiotics. Experiments with various products conducted with broilers show a clear tendency for improved performance and health status. Significant part of poultry farms in Poland, which are exporters of their products to EU and Asia are more and more often using phytobiotics particularly AdiCox Sol PF® for the prophylactic of subclinical coccidiosis and as a natural growth promoter in broilers. AdiCox PF® contains specially prepared Cinapis alba L., Piper nigrum L., Acorus calamus L., Saponaria officinalis L. Generally have positive effect on villi, nutrient absorption and digestal viscosity. Application of adiCoxSOL® PF solution at 22–25 days of age in broilers in dose of 1 liter per1000 liters of water for 3 days via drinking water. As a result mortality and other typical for coccidiosis clinical signs significantly decreased. Supplementation of AdiCox Sol PF® improved performance due to its positive influence on intestinal microflora and anticoccidial efficacy in broiler chicken.Протягом двох останніх років, Світова Організація Здоров’я (WHO) наполегливо рекомендує фермерам і виробникам тваринницької продукції скоротити використання антибіотиків, як з метою профілактики хвороб, так і у якості стимуляторів росту продуктивних тварин і птиці.  Метою нових рекомендацій є наданнядопомоги у збереженні ефективностіважливих для гуманної медицини антибіотиків, шляхом зменшення їх нецільового використання у тваринництві. У деяких країнах, приблизно у 80%застосування антибіотиків припадає на сектор продуктивного тваринництва, значною мірою з метою стимуляції приростів у здорових тварин. Надмірне і безсистемне застосування антибіотиків у тварин і людей сприяє зростаючій загрозі резистентності до них патогенних бактерій. Деякі з них, які викликають тяжкі інфекції у людей, вже володіють резистентністю до більшості або усіх доступних методів лікування, практично не залишаючи вченим варіантів для розробки нових антибактеріальних препаратів

Understanding defensive and secure in-group positivity: The role of collective narcissism

Integrating psychoanalytic ideas of group idealisation with social identity and categorisation theories, this article discusses the distinction between secure and defensive in-group positivity. Narcissistic in-group positivity captures a belief in in-group greatness that is contingent on external validation. It reflects defensive in-group positivity, insofar as it stems from the frustration of individual needs, and predicts increased sensitivity to threats as well as undesirable consequences for out-groups and the in-group. Secure in-group positivity—that is, in-group positivity without the narcissistic component—is a confidently held positive evaluation of one’s in-group that is independent of the recognition of the group in the eyes of others. It stems from the satisfaction of individual needs, is resilient to threats and has positive consequences for the in-group and out-groups. I review evidence for these two distinct ways people relate to their social groups and discuss theoretical and practical implications for understanding intra- and intergroup relations

Does self-love or self-hate predict conspiracy beliefs? Narcissism, self-esteem, and the endorsement of conspiracy theories

Across three studies, we examined the role of self-evaluation in predicting conspiracy beliefs. Previous research linked the endorsement of conspiracy theories to low self-esteem. We propose that conspiracy theories should rather be appealing to individuals with exaggerated feelings of self-love, such as narcissists, due to their paranoid tendencies. In Study 1, general conspiracist beliefs were predicted by high individual narcissism but low self-esteem. Study 2 demonstrated that these effects were differentially mediated by paranoid thoughts, and independent of the effects of collective narcissism. Individual narcissism predicted generalized conspiracist beliefs, regardless of the conspiracy theories implicating in-group or out-group members, while collective narcissism predicted belief in out-group but not in-group conspiracies. Study 3 replicated the effects of individual narcissism and self-esteem on the endorsement of various specific conspiracy theories and demonstrated that the negative effect of self-esteem was largely accounted for by the general negativity toward humans associated with low self-esteem

Development of children’s hymenoptera venom allergy quality of life scale (CHVAQoLS)

BACKGROUND: Venom allergy is a rare but life-threatening disease and may have a considerable impact on the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of patients, especially children. This paper presents development of the HRQoL scale for children and adolescents with Hymenoptera venom allergy (HVA). METHODS: The study sample consisted of 71 children, born between 1992 and 2000, who presented with a history of insect sting reaction when referred for consultation in the allergy center of Polish-American Children’s Hospital, Krakow, Poland, during the period from 2000 to 2010. The initial pool of 60 items - divided into 6 domains - was prepared. The items with intercorrelations higher than 0.7 were removed from each domain and then principal component analysis was conducted for each domain separately, to provide a one-dimensional subscale for each domain. Reliability of the subscales was assessed using Cronbach alpha coefficient in terms of Classical Test Theory and with rho coefficient in terms of Item Response Theory. The multidimensionality of the scale was tested using multi-trait scaling. RESULTS: Three to four items from each domain were subsequently selected to constitute six subscales. Rho coefficients for all the subscales reached 0.8, similar results were achieved with the Cronbach alpha coefficients. Multi-trait method showed that the majority of the items indicated stronger correlations with their own subscales than with other subscales, which proves that our constructed subscales measure different dimensions of HRQoL. CONCLUSIONS: The presented scale comprises high validity and reliability subscales measuring six dimensions of HRQoL related to Hymenoptera venom allergy in children and adolescents. Such information may be useful in everyday clinical practice