665 research outputs found
Women and Ventriloquism in Early Modern English Drama
Bringing together feminist and theater-centered readings, this dissertation examines the status of female vessels that foreign voices inhabit and animate in early modern drama, arguing that the Greek model of ventriloquism represented by the Pythia exerted a powerful influence on the periodâs ideas about womenâs speech. In feminist work on ventriloquism, despite highlighting theatrical performanceâs dependence on citationality, ventriloquism has been largely understood as an analogue for exploring male poetsâ authorial power to appropriate womenâs voices. In these readings, the term âventriloquistâ is mainly identified with the person who throws his voice into human or nonhuman objects, reminding us of the technique we find in a puppet master who animates his dummies. But for early moderns, the word âventriloquistâ was primarily associated with female bodies becoming possessed by outside forces in order to channel supernatural presencesâ voices. While the most famous of the ventriloquists during the period were the Greek Pythia, their central significance has been obscured by the critical attempt to focus on the male voice-throwerâs authorly control.
In this dissertation, alternatively, I suggest that contemporary playwrights exploring the potential of ventriloquism were heavily influenced by the legacy of the Greek priestesses, presenting both versions of female speakers onstage. While some women on the early modern stage are depicted as vessels for powers beyond their control, others vocally control others, as when Paulina verbally animates the embodied statue in the final moment of The Winterâs Tale. Exploring versions of the Greek belly-speakers in plays including The Spanish Tragedy, Twelfth Night, The Winterâs Tale, and The Witch of Edmonton, I argue that these dramatic representations of vocal takeover offer an uncharted model for the complex meanings of agency and authorship, with implications not only for ventriloquismâs supernatural associations but also for its emerging theatrical possibilities.
The introduction charts the brief history of ventriloquism, beginning with the ancient worldâs understanding of the Pythia as chaste vessels delivering Apolloâs oracle. The way that the virgin priestessâs body was spiritually penetrated and possessed by the male god offered a sexualized model, and reproducing the godâs voice was considered equivalent to giving birth. The medieval Christianity carefully distanced ventriloquism from any connotation of pregnancy, but the late sixteenth century-resurgence of witchcraft revived the inherent association between ventriloquism, female bodies, and female fertility. But another sense of the term emerged as Baconian science began to displace occult tradition, leading ventriloquism into a double sense in the later seventeenth century. By laying out how ventriloquismâs associated meanings shifted throughout these periods, I suggest that not only womenâs bodies are central to its dramatic representation, but also that it referred to two contradictory eventsâthe one who is inhabited by a voice and the one who throws a voiceâat once in Shakespeareâs time. In the second chapter, âPuppet Theater, Woman Actor, and Hieronimoâs Playwriting in The Spanish Tragedy,â I juxtapose Bel-Imperia improvising her stage action and Hieronimo, the ventriloquist-author, losing his tongue, arguing that Kydâs tragedy challenges the authorâs exceptionalism and gestures towards an alternative way of conceiving dramatic authorship. In the third chapter, âHearing Echoâs Voice in Twelfth Night: Female Kinship and Collaboration,â I suggest that Shakespeareâs evocation of Echo in Twelfth Night enables us to explore the playâs three intimate relationships in the language of ventriloquism. Shakespeare evokes Echo to signal that imitation and twinship become pleasurable and fruitful rather than having absolute self-control and autonomy. In the fourth chapter, ââThe stone is mineâ: Theater, Witchcraft, and Ventriloquism in The Winterâs Tale,â I observe how Shakespeare seizes on the performative effects of ventriloquism not only to present Paulina as combining the roles of ventriloquist, magician, and playwright, but also to offer a version of implicit but passionate defense of the theater, which strikes the audience as a powerful form of magic and necromancy. In the fifth and last chapter, âVentriloquism and the Power of the Vessels in The Witch of Edmonton,â I argue that the chain of relationships leading from the evil spirit to the witch and finally to the actor shows the play co-written by Thomas Dekker, John Ford, and William Rowley exploring ventriloquismâs double sense, with an emphasis on the susceptibility that allows the inhabited vessel to access unusual forms of agency.
Taken together, these chapters show how the idea of ventriloquismâbeing authorized or forced to speak anotherâs wordsâplays a crucial role in rethinking the authority and agency of speech at the heart of the theater. By calling on the classical model of female belly-speakers, ventriloquism raises important questions about the relationship between vessels and the external forces that inhabit and voice them. The Pythiaâs prevailing literary legacy in and around seventeenth-century England offers some potent ways to capitalize on the susceptibility. I suggest that by examining womenâs inhabited bodies in early modern English drama, we can better understand the theatrical and gender relationships surrounding speech and text on the periodâs stage
Diosgenin Induces Apoptosis in HepG2 Cells through Generation of Reactive Oxygen Species and Mitochondrial Pathway
Diosgenin, a naturally occurring steroid saponin found abundantly in legumes and yams, is a precursor of various synthetic steroidal drugs. Diosgenin is studied for the mechanism of its action in apoptotic pathway in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. Based on DAPI staining, diosgenin-treated cells manifested nuclear shrinkage, condensation, and fragmentation. Treatment of HepG2 cells with 40âÎźM diosgenin resulted in activation of the caspase-3, -8, -9 and cleavage of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) and the release of cytochrome c. In the upstream, diosgenin increased the expression of Bax, decreased the expression of Bid and Bcl-2, and augmented the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. Diosgenin-induced, dose-dependent induction of apoptosis was accompanied by sustained phosphorylation of JNK, p38 MAPK and apoptosis signal-regulating kinase (ASK)-1, as well as generation of the ROS. NAC administration, a scavenger of ROS, reversed diosgene-induced cell death. These results suggest that diosgenin-induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells through Bcl-2 protein family-mediated mitochndria/caspase-3-dependent pathway. Also, diosgenin strongly generated ROS and this oxidative stress might induce apoptosis through activation of ASK1, which are critical upstream signals for JNK/p38 MAPK activation in HepG2 cancer cells
Angiographic analysis of the lateral intercostal artery perforator of the posterior intercostal artery: anatomic variation and clinical significance
PURPOSEKnowledge of the anatomic variations of the posterior intercostal artery (PICA) and its major branches is important during transthoracic procedures and surgery. We aimed to identify the anatomic features and variations of the lateral intercostal artery perforator (LICAP) of the PICA with selective PICA arteriography.METHODSWe retrospectively evaluated 353 PICAs in 75 patients with selective PICA arteriography for the following characteristics: incidence, length (as number of traversed intercostal spaces), distribution at the hemithorax (medial half vs. lateral half), and size as compared to the collateral intercostal artery of the PICA.RESULTSThe incidence of LICAPs was 35.9% (127/353). LICAPs were most commonly observed in the right 8thâ11th intercostal spaces (33%, 42/127) and in the medial half of the hemithorax (85%, 108/127). Most LICAPs were as long as two (35.4%, 45/127) or three intercostal spaces (60.6%, 77/127). Compared to the collateral intercostal artery, 42.5% of LICAPs were larger (54/127), with most of these observed in the right 4thâ7th intercostal spaces (48.8%, 22/54).CONCLUSIONWe propose the clinical significance of the LICAP as a potential risk factor for iatrogenic injury during posterior transthoracic intervention and thoracic surgery. For example, skin incisions must be as superďŹcial as possible and directed vertically at the right 4thâ7th intercostal spaces and the medial half of the thorax. Awareness of the anatomical variations of the LICAPs of the PICA will allow surgeons and interventional radiologists to avoid iatrogenic arterial injuries during posterior transthoracic procedures and surgery
Development of Monoclonal Antibodies Against Human IRF-5 and Their Use in Identifying the Binding of IRF-5 to Nuclear Import Proteins Karyopherin-ι1 and -β1
PURPOSE: IRF-5 is a direct transducer of virus-mediated and TLR-mediated signaling pathways for the expression of cytokines and chemokines which form homodimers or heterodimers with IRF-7. However, direct IRF-5-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are not available at present. These could be used to further evaluate the functions of IRF-5. In this study, we produced and characterized three mouse mAbs to human IRF-5. The binding of IRF-5 to nuclear import proteins was first identified using a mAb.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: His-tagged human IRF-5 protein spanning amino acid residues 193-257 was used as an antigen and three mAbs were produced. The mAbs were tested with ELISA, Western blot analysis (WB), immunofluorescent staining (IF), and immunoprecipitation (IP). In addition, the nuclear import protein which carried phosphorylated IRF-5 was identified using one of these mAbs.
RESULTS: MAbs 5IRF8, 5IRF10 and 5IRF24 which reacted with the recombinant His-IRF-5(193-257) protein were produced. All mAbs bound to human IRF-5, but not to IRF-3 or IRF-7. They could be used for WB, IF, and IP studies. The binding of phosphorylated IRF-5 to karyopherin-alpha1 and -beta1 was also identified.
CONCLUSION: Human IRF-5-specific mAbs are produced for studying the immunologic roles related to IRF-5. Phosphorylated IRF-5 is transported to the nucleus by binding to nuclear import proteins karyopherin-alpha1 and -beta1.ope
A New Method for Investigation of the Hair Shaft: Hard X-Ray Microscopy with a 90-nm Spatial Resolution
Various methods have been used to investigate the hair shaft. In the ultrastructural hair field, scanning and transmission electron microscopies are widely used investigative methods, but they have some technical limitations. Recently, X-ray microscopes with sub-micron spatial resolution have emerged as useful instruments because they offer a unique opportunity to observe the interior of an undamaged sample in greater detail. In this report, we examined damaged hair shaft tips using hard X-ray microscopy with a 90 nm spatial resolution. The results of this study suggest that hard X-ray microscopy is an alternative investigative method for hair morphology studies
Rupture of endotracheal tube cuff during robot-assisted endoscopic thyroidectomy -A case report-
We encountered a case of a rupture of an endotracheal tube cuff during robot-assisted thyroid surgery in a 35-year-old male patient. Two hours after commencing surgery, the bellows of the ventilator were not filled and a rupture of the endotracheal tube cuff was suspected. Once the robot-manipulator is engaged, the position of the operating table cannot be altered without removing it from the patient. Reintubation with direct laryngoscopy was performed with difficulty in the narrow space between the patient's head and robot-manipulator without moving the robot away from the patient. The rupture of the endotracheal tube cuff was confirmed by observing air bubbles exiting from the balloon in water. The patient was discharged 3 days after surgery without complications. In robot-assisted thyroid surgery, a preoperative arrangement of the robot away from the patient's head to obtain easy access to the patient is essential for safe anesthetic care
The PEX7-Mediated Peroxisomal Import System Is Required for Fungal Development and Pathogenicity in Magnaporthe oryzae
In eukaryotes, microbodies called peroxisomes play important roles in cellular activities during the life cycle. Previous studies indicate that peroxisomal functions are important for plant infection in many phytopathogenic fungi, but detailed relationships between fungal pathogenicity and peroxisomal function still remain unclear. Here we report the importance of peroxisomal protein import through PTS2 (Peroxisomal Targeting Signal 2) in fungal development and pathogenicity of Magnaporthe oryzae. Using an Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation library, a pathogenicity-defective mutant was isolated from M. oryzae and identified as a T-DNA insert in the PTS2 receptor gene, MoPEX7. Gene disruption of MoPEX7 abolished peroxisomal localization of a thiolase (MoTHL1) containing PTS2, supporting its role in the peroxisomal protein import machinery. ÎMopex7 showed significantly reduced mycelial growth on media containing short-chain fatty acids as a sole carbon source. ÎMopex7 produced fewer conidiophores and conidia, but conidial germination was normal. Conidia of ÎMopex7 were able to develop appressoria, but failed to cause disease in plant cells, except after wound inoculation. Appressoria formed by ÎMopex7 showed a defect in turgor generation due to a delay in lipid degradation and increased cell wall porosity during maturation. Taken together, our results suggest that the MoPEX7-mediated peroxisomal matrix protein import system is required for fungal development and pathogenicity M. oryzae
The Clinical Factors for Predicting Severe Diverticulitis in Korea: A Comparison with Western Countries
Nosocomial Outbreak of Carbapenem-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in Intensive Care Units and Successful Outbreak Control Program
Acinetobacter baumannii has been increasingly reported as a significant causative organism of various nosocomial infections. Here we describe an outbreak of carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) in the ICUs of a Korean university hospital, along with a successful outbreak control program. From October 2007 through July 2008, CRAB was isolated from 57 ICU patients. Nineteen patients were diagnosed as being truly infected with CRAB, four of whom were presumed to have died due to CRAB infection, producing a case-fatality rate of 21.1%. In surveillance of the environment and the healthcare workers (HCWs), CRAB was isolated from 24 (17.9%) of 135 environmental samples and seven (10.9%) of 65 HCWs. The pulsed field gel electrophoresis patterns showed that the isolates from patients, HCWs, and the environment were genetically related. Control of the outbreak was achieved by enforcing contact precautions, reducing environmental contamination through massive cleaning, and use of a closed-suctioning system. By August 2008 there were no new cases of CRAB in the ICUs. This study shows that the extensive spread of CRAB can happen through HCWs and the environmental contamination, and that proper strategies including strict contact precautions, massive environmental decontamination, and a closed-suctioning system can be effective for controlling CRAB outbreaks
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