Semiotic scaffolding and flying saucers

Academia Letters publishes very short papers (max. 1600 signs). In my article, I argue that semiotic scaffolding isn't always an adaptive phenomenon in human culture, and that in some occasions literature effectively scaffolds our perception of reality - of what we believe to be real

Autotraduction \u2013 Une perspective darwinienne

ABSTRACT (EN) Temporarily evacuating the human factor, a Darwinian approach to cultural facts could prove an important source of additional explanation to textual, historical, biographical and sociological readings of self-translation. In this contribution, we quickly introduce some aspects of cultural evolution and their relevance for translation and Translation Studies; we then present the characteristics which (all else being equal) could enhance the success of a cultural object in relation to its competitors; finally, we try to understand, in light of these characteristics, some reasons for the practice of self-translation. These reasons should not be seen as the only valid ones, but as other reasons, valid for other entities (not human beings, but the cultural products themselves). | R\uc9SUM\uc9 (FR) Une vision \ue9volutive \u2013 au sens darwinien \u2013 des faits culturels pourrait apporter un compl\ue9ment d\u2019explication important \ue0 d\u2019autres lectures (textuelles, historiques, biographiques, sociologiques) d\u2019une pratique comme l\u2019autotraduction, en \ue9vacuant momentan\ue9ment le facteur humain, certes primordial, de son \ue9tude. Dans cet article, nous introduisons rapidement une vision darwinienne des faits culturels, ainsi que quelques-uns de ses aspects que nous r\ue9putons comme particuli\ue8rement pertinents pour l\u2019\ue9tude de la traduction ; nous pr\ue9sentons ensuite les caract\ue9ristiques qui, dans cette optique (toute autre condition \ue9tant \ue9gale), pourraient influencer le succ\ue8s d\u2019un certain objet culturel par rapport \ue0 ses concurrents ; nous essayons enfin de comprendre, \ue0 la lumi\ue8re de ces caract\ue9ristiques, les raisons de l\u2019autotraduction. Ces raisons ne devront pas \ueatre vues comme les seules raisons valables, mais comme d\u2019autres raisons, valables pour d\u2019autres entit\ue9s (non pas les \ueatres humains, mais les produits culturels eux-m\ueames)

Prevalence of urinary colonization by extended spectrum-beta-lactamase Enterobacteriaceae among catheterised inpatients in Italian long term care facilities.

Abstract Background: Long Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) play a key role in guaranteeing care to patients in developed countries. Many patients, mostly elderly, access LTCFs at some time in their lives, and their healthcare pathways often require them to move back and forth between hospital and outpatient settings. These patterns bring about new challenges regarding infection control, especially healthcare associated infections. Methods: A point prevalence study was conducted in 23 Italian LTCFs, to identify colonization in patients with urinary catheter (>24 hours). Species identification, susceptibility tests and extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) production screenings were performed using Vitek 2 System. Enterobacteria identified by Vitek 2 System as ESBL-producers or suspected AmpC hyperproducers on the basis of cephamycin resistance, were sent to a research laboratory where they underwent a double-disk synergy test. Finally, ESBL-producers were screened for bla resistance genes by PCR assay. Results: 211 patients with catheter were screened, 185 out of 211 patients showed positive samples for the presence of Enterobacteriaceae, 114 of these 185 patients were colonized by extended spectrum cephalosporins resistant microorganisms. We identified a total of 257 Gram negative pathogens, of which 51.8% (133/257) were extended spectrum cephalosporins resistant. 7 out of 133 cephamycin not susceptible strains proved to be AmpC-type beta-lactamases and 125/133 ESBL-producers; 1 was not further characterized. 43 out of 257 (16.7%) E. coli, 37/257 (14.4%) P. mirabilis, 20/257 (7.8%), P. stuartii, 14/257 (5.4%) M. morganii, 7/257 (2.7%), K. pneumoniae, 4/257 (1.6%) C. koseri proved to be overall ESBL-producers by double-disk synergy test. Third and fourth generation cephalosporin resistant P. mirabilis, P. stuartii and M. morganii strains mainly harboured a blaTEM gene (95.9%), while 89.1% of E. coli were positive for the blaCTX-M determinant by PCR and sequencing. Patients with decubitus had a higher risk of colonization by at least one resistant isolate (p < 0.01). Samples of patients undergoing antibiotic therapy and patients with decubitus showed a higher risk (p < 0.05) of colonization by beta-lactam resistant microorganisms. Conclusions: These data confirm the presence of high percentages of ESBL-positive Enterobacteria in Italian LTCFs and the predominance of CTX-M type ESBL in E. coli. The alarming presence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Italian LTCFs can seriously compromise the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy.acilities (LTCFs), Antimicrobial resistance

Prevalence of urinary colonization by extended spectrum-beta-lactamase Enterobacteriaceae among catheterised inpatients in Italian long term care facilities.

Abstract Background: Long Term Care Facilities (LTCFs) play a key role in guaranteeing care to patients in developed countries. Many patients, mostly elderly, access LTCFs at some time in their lives, and their healthcare pathways often require them to move back and forth between hospital and outpatient settings. These patterns bring about new challenges regarding infection control, especially healthcare associated infections. Methods: A point prevalence study was conducted in 23 Italian LTCFs, to identify colonization in patients with urinary catheter (>24 hours). Species identification, susceptibility tests and extended spectrum beta lactamase (ESBL) production screenings were performed using Vitek 2 System. Enterobacteria identified by Vitek 2 System as ESBL-producers or suspected AmpC hyperproducers on the basis of cephamycin resistance, were sent to a research laboratory where they underwent a double-disk synergy test. Finally, ESBL-producers were screened for bla resistance genes by PCR assay. Results: 211 patients with catheter were screened, 185 out of 211 patients showed positive samples for the presence of Enterobacteriaceae, 114 of these 185 patients were colonized by extended spectrum cephalosporins resistant microorganisms. We identified a total of 257 Gram negative pathogens, of which 51.8% (133/257) were extended spectrum cephalosporins resistant. 7 out of 133 cephamycin not susceptible strains proved to be AmpC-type beta-lactamases and 125/133 ESBL-producers; 1 was not further characterized. 43 out of 257 (16.7%) E. coli, 37/257 (14.4%) P. mirabilis, 20/257 (7.8%), P. stuartii, 14/257 (5.4%) M. morganii, 7/257 (2.7%), K. pneumoniae, 4/257 (1.6%) C. koseri proved to be overall ESBL-producers by double-disk synergy test. Third and fourth generation cephalosporin resistant P. mirabilis, P. stuartii and M. morganii strains mainly harboured a blaTEM gene (95.9%), while 89.1% of E. coli were positive for the blaCTX-M determinant by PCR and sequencing. Patients with decubitus had a higher risk of colonization by at least one resistant isolate (p < 0.01). Samples of patients undergoing antibiotic therapy and patients with decubitus showed a higher risk (p < 0.05) of colonization by beta-lactam resistant microorganisms. Conclusions: These data confirm the presence of high percentages of ESBL-positive Enterobacteria in Italian LTCFs and the predominance of CTX-M type ESBL in E. coli. The alarming presence of ESBL-producing Enterobacteriaceae in Italian LTCFs can seriously compromise the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy.acilities (LTCFs), Antimicrobial resistance

D'Annunzio, le th\ue9\ue2tre, l'auto-traduction. Quelques remarques sur La citt\ue0 morta/La ville morte et Il ferro/Le ch\ue8vrefeuille

Les rapports litt\ue9raires entre Gabriele D\u2019Annunzio et la France sont nombreux. Au th\ue9\ue2tre surtout, D\u2019Annunzio \ue9crira plusieurs pi\ue8ces directement en fran\ue7ais et, selon certains critiques, ne se privera pas de la possibilit\ue9 de l\u2019auto-traduction. Il affirmera en effet avoir traduit, ou du moins \ue9crit en deux versions, la fran\ue7aise et l\u2019italienne, au moins deux trag\ue9dies, la premi\ue8re et la derni\ue8re de sa longue carri\ue8re de dramaturge, dont les titres italiens sont respectivement La citt\ue0 morta (1896) et Il ferro (1913). Bien que plusieurs commentateurs mettent en discussion ces affirmations, en soutenant que D\u2019Annunzio n\u2019aurait pas traduit les textes, leur exploration et leur comparaison n\u2019en restent pas moins int\ue9ressantes; elles nous permetteront d\u2019acqu\ue9rir quelques donn\ue9es concernant l\u2019auto- et la pseudo-auto-traduction. Dans cet article nous analysons deux couples de textes (La citt\ue0 morta/La Ville morte, Il ferro/Le Ch\ue8vrefeuille) afin de mettre en lumi\ue8re les similitudes et les diff\ue9rences entre les deux travaux de traduction

Cos'ho imparato dagli autotraduttori

Contribuendo a comporre un\u2019antologia di \u201ctesti sull\u2019autotraduzione scritti da autotraduttori\u201d (Regattin e Ferraro 2019), non ho potuto fare a meno di notare alcuni elementi ricorrenti, alcune divergenze, vari aspetti che mi paiono interessanti e che meritano forse di essere messi in luce. \uc8 di questi punti di interesse che parlo nel mio contributo, la cui ragion d\u2019essere mi sembra la seguente: \ue8 possibile che l\u2019indagine sull\u2019autotraduzione cos\uec come essa \ue8 percepita da chi la pratica possa costituire un utile complemento alle analisi traduttologiche, sempre pi\uf9 numerose, del fenomeno, alla visione esterna dell\u2019accademico. L\u2019antologia del 2019 raccoglie le diverse riflessioni degli autotraduttori in ordine cronologico. La scelta di una scansione temporale presentava vantaggi ma anche inconvenienti, come la mancanza di uno sviluppo tematico: il peso della scoperta di eventuali elementi di intertestualit\ue0, voluta o meno, e del ritorno di idee simili in epoche e presso autori differenti gravava interamente sulle spalle dei lettori curiosi. Per questa \u201csistematizzazione\u201d delle idee degli autotraduttori sull\u2019autotraduzione, ho deciso di creare una serie di macrotemi, sotto forma di dichiarazioni piuttosto assertive e numerate, per poi vedere come i diversi autori li affrontino (quando li affrontano)

Adriano Marchetti, "Pr\ue9dilections \u2013 Incursions en Belgique"

Compte rendu du livre d'Adriano Marchetti "Pr\ue9dilections \u2013 Incursions en Belgique"

Cibi killer

[Dal sito dell'editore] \u201cDopo la pubblicazione di Toxic, sono stato sommerso dalle richieste dei lettori: volevano pi\uf9 informazioni su come proteggersi dai pericoli celati nel cibo che consumiamo ogni giorno\u201d. Spiega cos\uec William Reymond l\u2019esigenza di lavorare su una nuova inchiesta in grado di rispondere ai dubbi e alla paure dei consumatori. Cibi Killer inizia esattamente dove si era interrotto il libro precedente: i nostri piatti. Stordendoci a furia di false promesse e messaggi equivoci, l\u2019industria agroalimentare ha modificato la natura del cibo e colonizzato la nostra tavola. Mentre il \u201ccibo tossico\u201d diventava il nostro pane quotidiano certe malattie como l\u2019alzheimer o alcuni tipi di cancro hanno conosciuto parallelamente un\u2019espansione senza precedenti. Rapporto causa-effetto? Molti studi dimostrano questa terribile relazione. Dopo il bestseller Toxic che svelava le cause della crisi mondiale di obesit\ue0, Reymond si spinge ancora pi\uf9 a fondo nelle acque torbide e inesplorate delle conseguenze dell\u2019alimentazione industriale sulla salute. Dal tumore al seno che colpisce milioni di donne e persino diversi uomini fino ai danni provocati sul cervello dei bambini passando per le patate fritte cancerogene e il pollo arricchito con proteine di maiale, Cibi Killer si rivela un\u2019indagine approfondita e sconcertante sui pericoli che ci minacciano ad ogni forchettata. La caccia ai veri colpevoli \ue8 ancora aperta

Bestiario

Il volume, che presenta un'impaginazione identica all'originale in francese, raccoglie una serie di dipinti che riprendono in chiave parodistica, e "animalesca", diverse opere d'arte celebri di ogni epoca. Ogni opera \ue8 accompagnata da un titolo che gioca sul rapporto tra immagine originale e immagine contraffatta, il che ha obbligato a una ri-creazione integrale della rete di significati e significanti, nell'impossibilit\ue0 di modificare le immagini. Il testo \ue8 preceduto da un'introduzione, sempre ludica, di Jean Foug\ue8re, anch'essa tradotta in italiano. [dalla presentazione dell'editore] \u201cIn questi animali fuori dal tempo, perfino tra i pi\uf9 ignorati, come le lumache, ritrovo il nostro spirito, la mia epoca, le nostre traversie di esseri umani, tutto ci\uf2 che inventiamo per attraversare la vita\u201d (Jean Fug\ue8re). Bestiario: audacia, immaginazione e qualit\ue0 artistico-letteraria in forma di libro. Le illustrazioni di St\ue9phane Poulin formano un binomio perfetto con il prologo di Jean Fug\ue8re, che porta a termine un esercizio di stile colmo di destrezza. Un testo introspettivo, in costante bilico tra realt\ue0 e surrealt\ue0, che si radica nell\u2019anima. Un linguaggio disinibito ed evocatore che gioca con il doppio senso. Un mondo pieno di riferimenti all\u2019arte di Magritte, Hopper o Van Gogh