Traduire Semper : philologie et idéologie architecturales

Depuis le bicentenaire de la naissance de Gottfried Semper en 2003 et l’ouvrage édité à cette occasion, rares sont les publications ayant contribué au savoir factuel sur sa vie ou ses œuvres théoriques et architecturales. Les livres recensés dans cet article constituent quatre contributions importantes, moins à cause de leur apport factuel que parce qu’ils incitent à la réflexion approfondie sur les données du cosmos de Semper parfois prises comme étant établies à jamais. Théorie et pratique ..

A Multicenter, Cross-Sectional Study on the Prevalence and Risk Factors for Nasal Colonization with Staphylococcus aureus in Patients Admitted to Children's Hospitals in Switzerland

The rate of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and associated risk factors were determined in a cross-sectional study involving Swiss children's hospitals. S. aureus was isolated in 562 of 1363 cases. In a stepwise multivariate analysis, the variables age, duration of antibiotic use, and hospitalization of a household member were independently associated with carriage of S. aureu

Gottfried Semper et le « sens divinatoire de l’artiste »

Convaincu que l’architecture antique était polychrome, Gottfried Semper tenta d’accorder les maigres vestiges de peinture retrouvés sur des monuments grecs et romains et les données – en pratique manquantes – relatives à la couleur chez des auteurs antiques. Il eut recours à l’herméneutique, à laquelle sa formule « le sens divinatoire de l’artiste » fait allusion. L’idée était de déduire du contexte les données manquantes pour l’interprétation d’un texte. Semper en donna une illustration à partir d’un passage d’Hérodote consacré à un oracle. À la différence de Franz Kugler, qui comprenait ce passage comme une attestation de la couleur principalement blanche de l’architecture grecque, Semper prenait au sérieux le contexte de l’oracle et son caractère énigmatique. Compte tenu du fait que, dans l’oracle, la couleur rouge jouait aussi un rôle central, il aboutissait à une conclusion opposée : en faisant usage d’une méthode d’analogie inversée, il croyait voir dans ce texte une preuve que le rouge était la couleur dominante de l’architecture antique.Convinced that ancient architecture was polychromatic, Gottfried Semper tried to reconcile the scarce vestiges of paint found on Greek and Roman buildings and the actually missing data related to colour in the work of Ancient writers. He used hermeneutics, his expression “the divinatory sense of the artist” precisely referring to this method. His idea was to deduce from the context the missing elements for the interpretation of texts. He illustrated this approach with a passage from Herodotus about an oracle. Unlike Franz Kugler, who concluded from this text that Greek architecture was mainly white, Semper took the oracle and its enigmatic character at face value. According to the oracle, the colour red played a central role. Therefore, Semper came to an opposite conclusion: using a reversed analogy method, he believed the text was proof that red had been the dominant colour in ancient architecture.Gottfried Sempers Überzeugung, dass antike Architektur polychrom war, führte ihn zum Versuch, die kargen Farbenreste an griechischen und römischen Monumenten mit den praktisch fehlenden Angaben zur Farbe in der Architektur bei antiken Schriftstellern in Einklang zu bringen. Er bediente sich der Hermeneutik, auf die seine Formulierung des «divinatorischen Künstlersinns» weist. Gemeint war, fehlende Angaben zur Interpretation eines Textes aus dem Kontext zu erschliessen. An einer Stelle bei Herodot zu einem Orakel führte er dies vor. Anders als Franz Kugler, der die Stelle als Beleg für eine hauptsächlich weisse griechische Architektur verstand, nahm Semper den Orakelkontext und seine Rätselhaftigkeit ernst. Da im Orakel zugleich die rote Farbe eine zentrale Rolle spielt, nahm er einen Umkehrschluss vor: Er glaubte bestätigt, dass Rot die Hauptfarbe antiker Architektur war, über eine Methode der umkehrenden Analogie

Imagining study abroad and at home in the future

What will student exchange and study abroad opportunities look like in the next 5 to 10 years? How can institutions prepare for evolving international exchange needs and demands – both at home and abroad? How do we encourage intercultural learning opportunities for all students, including those who remain in Switzerland? The workshop will start with input from facilitators and input from exchange students. Participants will then break up into small groups to brainstorm before presenting their ideas back to the rest of the group

Pelvic Inflammatory Disease – Schnittstellen zwischen Hausarztpraxis und gynäkologischer Spezialabklärung

Die «Pelvic Inflammatory Disease» (PID) beschreibt eine aufsteigende Entzündung des oberen weiblichen Genitaltraktes, beginnend bei einer Zervizitis über eine Endometritis zur Adnexitis. Sie ist ein häufiges und in den letzten Jahren wieder zunehmendes klinisches Bild, das sowohl in der gynäkologischen wie auch hausärztlichen Praxis vorkommt. Die Symptome sind unspezifisch, diskret ausgebildet oder ganz fehlend. Eine schnelle Diagnosestellung mit unverzüglicher Therapieeinleitung sowie eine gute interdisziplinäre Zusammenarbeit können das Langzeitrisiko der chronischen Unterbauchschmerzen, Sterilität und/oder Extrauteringravidität mindern. Screeningprogramme auf Chlamydien und Gonokokken, die die häufigsten Erreger der PID darstellen, sind bisher in der Schweiz nicht implementiert

Mastoiditis in children: a prospective, observational study comparing clinical presentation, microbiology, computed tomography, surgical findings and histology

The aim of this study was to obtain comprehensive data on clinical presentation, microbiology, computed tomography, surgical findings and histology in acute, sub-acute and chronic mastoiditis. We performed a prospective, observational study in children under 16 years of age presenting to our institution during the 2-year period beginning in April 2000. The children were examined and their condition treated in accordance with a standardized protocol elaborated by the paediatric, otolaryngology (ORL) and radiology departments. Thirty-eight patients were hospitalized (22 with acute mastoiditis, seven with sub-acute mastoiditis, nine with chronic mastoiditis). There were 30 complications present in 21 patients (55%). Streptococcus pyogenes was the most common pathogen (7/24 cases), followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (4/24 cases). Mastoid surgery was performed in 29 patients. Histology of mastoid tissue revealed predominantly acute inflammation in two cases, mixed acute/chronic inflammation in 19 cases and predominantly chronic inflammation in seven cases. Radiologic data were evaluated retrospectively. Spiral, volume-based high-resolution (HR) computed tomography (CT) of the temporal bone had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 38%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 50% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 100% in detecting coalescence of mastoid trabeculae. Cranial CT with contrast had a sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 94%, PPV of 80% and NPV of 94% in identifying intra-cranial extension. Conclusion: histological evidence suggests that sub-acute/chronic infection underlies not only sub-acute and chronic mastoiditis, but most cases of acute mastoiditis as well. HR-CT of the temporal bone is effective in ruling out coalescence. Cranial CT is valuable in identifying intra-cranial extension. Cranial and HR-CT are recommended in the examination of children with mastoiditis

A multicenter, cross-sectional study on the prevalence and risk factors for nasal colonization with Staphylococcus aureus in patients admitted to children's hospitals in Switzerland

The rate of nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus and associated risk factors were determined in a cross-sectional study involving Swiss children's hospitals. S. aureus was isolated in 562 of 1363 cases. In a stepwise multivariate analysis, the variables age, duration of antibiotic use, and hospitalization of a household member were independently associated with carriage of S. aureus