Narrative Time and the Thyroid: Hormone Secretions and Storytelling in Italo Svevo's "Doctor Menghi's Drug"

In the wake of fin-de-siècle discoveries in the field of endocrinology, bodily glands and the hormones they produced featured prominently in the literary works, visual arts, and popular culture of early twentieth-century Europe. Experimental surgery promised rejuvenation and intellectual vitality through gland transplantation and grafting, while phenomena of all sorts began to be associated to hormone production in causal links—from bodily rhythms to behavioral patterns, from the pace of history to the trajectory of nations. Italo Svevo was fascinated by Basedow and Graves’s discoveries on the thyroid, a gland that was supposed to determine the speed and promptness of one’s body according to the amount of hormones it produced—hypothyroidism, or scarcity of hormones, would entail lethargic behavior and slow movements, while hyperthyroidism, or the abundant production of hormones, would lead to excessive activity and consumption. Through the analysis of an early short story by Svevo, “Doctor Menghi’s Drug” (ca. 1904), this paper addresses how the activity of the thyroid affects not only bodily rhythms, but also narrative time—intended as both the time of the story (diegetic time) and the pace of storytelling—and it explores how metabolic processes act as constraints for literary creativity by complicating narrative time and raising questions of narrative agency

On Elliott Oring's Review of Dundes' 'Every Man His Way': A Comment

Revie

Comunicación. A chave do éxito dunha área protexida

[Resumo] Nos espazos protexidos a comunicación dáse a tres niveis: interna ou cos traballadores da área, ex situ ou cos poboadores da área e, por último, in situ cos visitantes que acoden no seu tempo de lecer. Para xestionar unha área é necesario contar cun plano; a comunicación coas distintas ferramentas (as reunións informativas periódicas, programas de educación ambiental, as campañas nos medios de comunicación, a interpretación do patrimonio…) xoga un papel fundamental no manexo do territorio.[Abstract] In protected areas, communication takes place on three levels: internal, with those who work in the area; ex situ, with those who live in the area; and, finally, in situ, with the visitors that come in their free time. To manage an area, it is necessary to develop a plan; communication through the different tools available (regular information sessions, environmental education programmes, advertising campaigns in the media, heritage interpretation, etc.) plays a vital role in the management of the territory

Management of osteonecrosis of the jaws induced by radiotherapy in oncological patients: preliminary results

Abstract OBJECTIVE: Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a bone aseptic necrosis which develops on post-irradiated bone tissue of patients who underwent radiotherapy for head-neck tumors. The mandible presents a higher risk to develop ORN, if compared to the maxillary bone, due to its lower vascularization. The aim of the present study is to clinically assess the regenerative ability by the epithelial and connective tissues, in response to ORN onset. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Authors have verified the importance of the surgical-pharmacological treatment, as an effective protocol for eliminating the exposed bone sequestration, as well as the teeth eventually damaged by the radiotherapy, assessing that the epithelium can regenerate only on healthy and vital tissues. RESULTS: The reported patient underwent resection of a portion of the left mandible with an incomplete healing after the surgery. A second curettage was scheduled in order to remove the bands of necrotic tissue and to obtain a clinical remission of symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: In patients undergoing radiotherapy, the dental surgeon should be able to give an early diagnosis of the dental and maxillofacial related pathologies; he should also detect all the possible infective sources and administer any possible treatment in a short time, before the beginning or the prosecution of radiotherapy

THE RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT: LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF THE ANTHROPOCENTRIC LEGAL APPROACH AND THE RIGHT OF ECOLOGICAL INTEGRITY

The present article focuses on the theoretical issues around the recognition of the right to a healthy environment, with a particular focus on its anthropocentric character. The article will do so by focusing at first on international and global perspectives, and then on the Italian case study. The article will demonstrate that despite in Italy there is no formal recognition of the right to a healthy environment, this has been de facto realized through the application in the jurisprudence of the conjunction of Articles 2 and 32 of the Constitution. Moreover, the article will present an analysis of the recent amendment of the Italian constitution, discussing the future prospects for the right to a healthy environment in Italy. Finally, the article will analyse the theoretical critical aspects connected to the anthropocentric nature of the right to a healthy environment. It will do so through a critical discussion on the contemporary polarization of the academic debate around the notions of “anthropocentric” and “ecocentric”. The objective of the article is to propose a middle position in such debate, arguing for the need of a new type of environmental human right, the right of ecological integrity. This right would synthesize the dichotomy anthropocentric-ecocentric (or human/nature), promoting a meaningful recognition of a relational ontology in an existential continuum based on the interconnectedness of human beings, animals, and non-living environmental manifestations (such as the atmosphere, rivers, seas, mountains and all the other parts of terrestrial ecosystems)

Influence of the oral status on cardiovascular diseases in an older Italian population

Oral diseases have been adversely associated with cardiovascular diseases (CVD), which are also the most frequent cause of death in older population. The aim of this study was to investigate the association among oral status indexes and CVD in patients aged more than 65 years attending in the Oral department of a public hospital Policlinico Umberto 1 of Rome. The study population consisted of 533 patients. Dental status was detected measuring the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) and Community Periodontal Index (CPI) indexes. The chi-square test with a 95% confidence level was used to assess qualitative variables. Odds ratios (ORs) and stepwise logistic regression were used to calculate risk estimates; the independent variables: age, gender, DMFT, CPI index, Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) score, and tooth loss were included in the statistical model. P value <0.05 was considered a statistically significant cut-off. No differences were found between females and males for DMFT and CPI. GOHAI data were worst for females. Patients with CVD had less education and oral care (P < 0.05), and higher CPI index and number of missing teeth (P < 0.05). Data show that patients with more than 18 missing teeth have 2.5 times greater risk of CVD. CVDs are associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus, underweight, and obesity (P < 0.05). From the findings of this study, it can be confirmed a significant link between CVD and oral health. A cooperation among geriatrician, cardiologist, and dentist is suitable to counteract the development of CVD and to early identify patients at risk of CVD

Comparison of Awareness of Exertional Heatstroke among Certified Athletic Trainers and Emergency Medical Services Providers

The goal of this project is to facilitate nurses’ duties throughout the unit in order to provide faster, more efficient patient care in the clinical setting while also increasing patient safety and outcomes. This teaching tool will provide nurses, assistive personnel, and other staff on the telemetry with proper techniques for applying and maintaining cardiac monitors. Non-actionable patient alarms create false readings of abnormal patient conditions that offset alarms and take attention away from clinically significant alarms that require immediate medical interventions. The targeted audience included the staff on the Progressive Care Unit/Telemetry Unit at Norwalk Hospital. Patient satisfaction has been interrupted due to the constant alarms sounding on units. Staff can provide interventions when applying EKG electrodes in order to help minimize the amount of non-actionable patient alarms. Electrodes can fall off during transportation, placed incorrectly, and present with false readings. Interventions include correct electrode preparation and placement, such as cleaning the site and using Skin Prep Paper. This project aimed to improve patient safety and outcomes as well as decrease alarm fatigue and work load. This will help to decrease the amount of alarm fatigue experienced by nurses. Overall, the patient safety and patient-centered care has been improved by these interventions

Una mirada sobre los adultos en la literatura infantil: con ojos de niñ@

El objetivo de esta ponencia es analizar el lugar del adulto en los textos literarios para niños. La pregunta que motiva el trabajo es desde qué lugar se presenta cada uno de ellos, qué le aportan a la historia, qué posibles identificaciones le proponen al lector infantil, cuáles son los sentimientos que movilizan. La propuesta pretende analizar cuál es el rol que juega cada adulto en el cuento y a partir de ello qué lugar le dan a los otros personajes de la historia. Mi formación profesional pertenece a una disciplina cuya práctica es el sujeto en situación de aprendizaje y los factores que intervienen en el mismo. Soy Licenciada en psicopedagogía e intentaré arrojar una mirada sobre el análisis de los textos desde esta práctica, desde mi experiencia de trabajo con niños, niñas y sus familias, tanto en talleres literarios como en la clínica psicopedagógica. Para ello tomaré conceptos, entre otras ideas, del psicoanálisis y de la sociología. Analizaré dos textos de autores argentinos contemporáneos, ellos son: Caperucita roja (tal como se la contaron a Jorge) de Luis María Pescetti, e “Irulana y el Ogronte” de Graciela Montes. Ambos son textos de autores cuyas obras plantean una complejidad que pueden ser abordadas tanto por niños, niñas y jóvenes como por adultos. La selección de ambos relatos ha sido resultado del trabajo en talleres literarios de Libre ando con niños y niñas de entre 4 y 8 años, los cuales al leerles los cuentos han realizado una serie de intervenciones y han planteado interrogantes que movilizaron mi escucha y la posibilidad de encontrar respuestas.Departamento de Letra