Magic in the image : the artistic process as a ritual exercise in the work of Nuria Riaza

The objective of this text is to establish analogies between the creative methodology of Nuria Riaza and the ritual exercises, for which we will make a tour of the magical and dreamlike themes of her pieces. The thematic core of the article will be the study of the ballpoint pen as a determinant of the understanding of the final work. The plot drawn by Riaza refers to the fabric, and this to long process durations and the possible therapeutic nature of these. All these questions will be addressed from the perspective of the artistic process understood as a rite of passageinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The witch that exists but can not be seen: the cinematographic invisibility as a terror generating strategy, from “Rebecca” to “Blair Witch”

[ES] En un contexto audiovisual caracterizado por el exceso y el abuso figurativo, parece que funcionan mejor aquellas películas terroríficas en las que el elemento monstruoso no se muestra físicamente ante los ojos del espectador. La finalidad de este texto es la de constatar que, frente a las representaciones cinematográficas normativas, la no-presentación de la figura de la bruja favorece en la contemporaneidad audiovisual a los objetivos de las películas de terror. Buscando los posibles motivos que propician la creciente constancia del motivo brujesco femenino –invisible o no– en las producciones de este género, se comprobará si la bruja, asimilada como agente de la otredad, actúa como prototipo fílmico ideal de la mujer potencialmente temible; es decir, si para un sistema esencialmente patriarcal, la bruja deviene en el estereotipo aterrador más ajustado a sus fines. Para ello, se tomará como punto de partida el paradigma de la invisibilidad asociada a lo brujeril, Rebeca de Winter, para reflexionar sobre determinados filmes recientes, como La bruja de Blair (Adam Wingard, 2016). Se realizará un análisis basado en la confrontación, estableciendo analogías entre estas películas sin brujas palpables y aquellas otras en las que las hechiceras se vuelven exagerados y cargadas de clichés: Hansel y Gretel: Cazadores de brujas (Tommy Wirkola, 2013), Expediente Warren: The Conjuring (James Wan, 2013), La noche de la bruja (Alex Merkin, 2017), etc. Se concluirá observando si en los casos de estudio analizados surgen diferencias notables deducidas del modo en que se presenta el monstruo; esto es, si se generan significados distintos en función del grado de visibilidad del elemento brujesco, y si los efectos producidos en el espectador varían.[EN] In an audiovisual context characterized by excessive and figurative abuse, it seems that those terrifying films work best in which the monstrous element is not physically shown before the eyes of the spectator. The purpose of this text is to verify that, in contrast to normative cinematographic representations, the non-presentation of the figure of the witch favors the objectives of horror films in audiovisual contemporaneity. Seeking the possible reasons for the increasing constancy of the witch -invisible or not- in the productions of this genre, it will be verified if the witch, assimilated as an agent of otherness, acts as an ideal film prototype of the potentially fearsome woman; that is, if for an essentially patriarchal system, the witch becomes the frightening stereotype best suited to his objectives. To do this, the paradigm of invisibility associated with witchcraft, Rebeca de Winter, will be taken as a starting point to reflect on certain recent films, such as Blair Witch (Adam Wingard, 2016). An analysis based on confrontation will be made, establishing analogies between these films without palpable witches and those in which the sorceresses become exaggerated and loaded with clichés: Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters (Tommy Wirkola, 2013), The Conjuring (James Wan, 2013), House of the Witch (Alex Merkin, 2017), etc. It will conclude by observing if in the analyzed study cases there are notable differences deduced from the way in which the monster appears; that is, if different meanings are generated depending on the degree of visibility of the witch, and if the effects produced in the viewer vary.López-Villar, R. (2019). La bruja que existe pero no se ve: la invisibilidad cinematográfica como estrategia generadora de terror, desde Rebeca hasta La bruja de Blair. En IV Congreso Internacional de investigación en artes visuales: ANIAV 2019 Imagen [N] visible. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 434-439. https://doi.org/10.4995/ANIAV.2019.2019.8965OCS43443

Long COVID in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients in a large cohort in Northwest Spain, a prospective cohort study

Survivors to COVID-19 have described long-term symptoms after acute disease. These signs constitute a heterogeneous group named long COVID or persistent COVID. The aim of this study is to describe persisting symptoms 6 months after COVID-19 diagnosis in a prospective cohort in the Northwest Spain. This is a prospective cohort study performed in the COHVID-GS. This cohort includes patients in clinical follow-up in a health area of 569,534 inhabitants after SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 diagnosis. Clinical and epidemiological characteristics were collected during the follow up. A total of 248 patients completed 6 months follow-up, 176 (69.4%) required hospitalization and 29 (10.2%) of them needed critical care. At 6 months, 119 (48.0%) patients described one or more persisting symptoms. The most prevalent were: extra-thoracic symptoms (39.1%), chest symptoms (27%), dyspnoea (20.6%), and fatigue (16.1%). These symptoms were more common in hospitalized patients (52.3% vs. 38.2%) and in women (59.0% vs. 40.5%). The multivariate analysis identified COPD, women gender and tobacco consumption as risk factors for long COVID. Persisting symptoms are common after COVID-19 especially in hospitalized patients compared to outpatients (52.3% vs. 38.2%). Based on these findings, special attention and clinical follow-up after acute SARS-CoV-2 infection should be provided for hospitalized patients with previous lung diseases, tobacco consumption, and women

Artistas sobre outras obras

Sobre arte e viagem pode-se estabelecer um paralelo continuado, irónico, expressivo. Entre as duas, a síntese do signo, a justaposição associativa. A viagem mostra o mundo, a viagem mostra quem somos. A caminho se desenha, se imagina, se fantasia, se mente. Neste ensejo, e neste mote da descoberta, se apreentam os 16 artigos que compõem o número 26 da revista Estúdio.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Artistas sobre outras obras

Refletindo sobre a arte enfenta-se coisa difícil, e não raro temos de encarar o regresso à partida: é coisa antiga, ligação funda ao que diferencia o humano, assentando na arbitrariedade da sua cultura e na sua transmissão sígnica. A pergunta, na busca dos grandes signos, é quase simples: o que há de novo? Poderia dizer-se que a esta pergunta respondem, cada um a seu modo, os 16 artistas, agora autores, desafiados pela convocatória desta revista: no Estúdio se faz a Estúdio.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Representations of the Witch in contemporary audiovisual creation (2000-2019): video art, film and television

Esta tesis doctoral parte de la Bruja como una construcción cultural socialmente asentada para proponer un análisis de las diferentes representaciones de esta figura en la creación audiovisual contemporánea, marco que incluye obras de videoarte, cine y televisión. Nuestro trabajo de investigación engloba definiciones semánticas (literaria, antropológica, social y feminista) e iconográficas de la Brujas, así como una aproximación a los modos de representación de este concepto en el otros ámbitos de la contemporaneidad: pintura, escultura, instalación, moda, música, literatura, publicidad… La acotación temporal de este trabajo de investigación se corresponde con los primeros diecinueve años del siglo XXI. La elección de este periodo guarda relación, por un lado, con el creciente interés de la creación actual por la Bruja y con la consiguiente proliferación de proyectos relacionados con ella. Por otra parte, la mayoría de trabajos teóricos realizados sobre este tema se centra en obras nacidas en el siglo XX. Seleccionar un intervalo de tiempo menos explorado posibilita que nuestro análisis cuente con enfoques novedosos. Junto a la importancia de fijar el marco temporal en el siglo XXI, cabe destacar la atención que esta tesis presta al tratamiento audiovisual de la figura de la Bruja en el ámbito artístico, campo que parece menos abordado en trabajos previos. Respecto a las motivaciones personales, creemos importante señalar que lo brujesco siempre ha formado parte de mis intereses, estando presente en muchos trabajos anteriores, tanto en el ámbito de la investigación como en proyectos concretos de mi trayectoria artística. La propuesta conceptual de este trabajo se puede entender como una consecuencia directa del desarrollo continuado de obras en torno al objeto de estudio y de la necesidad de un complemento teórico para las mismas.Esta tese de doutoramento parte da Bruxa como unha construción cultural socialmente asentada para propoñer unha análise das diferentes representacións desta figura na creación audiovisual contemporánea, marco que inclúe obras de videoarte, cine e televisión. O noso traballo de investigación contén definicións semánticas (literaria, antropolóxica, social e feminista) e iconográficas da Bruxa, así como unha aproximación aos modos de representación deste concepto nos outros ámbitos da contemporaneidade: pintura, escultura, instalación, moda, música, literatura, publicidade... A delimitación temporal deste traballo de investigación correspóndese cos primeiros dezanove anos do século XXI. A elección deste período garda relación, por unha banda, co crecente interés da creación actual pola Bruxa e coa conseguinte proliferación de proxectos relacionados con ela. Por outra banda, a maior parte de traballos teóricos realizados sobre esta temática céntrase en obras nacivdas no século XX. Seleccionar un intervalo de tempo menos explorado posibilita que a nosa análise conte con enfoques novedosos. Xunto á importancia de fixar o marco temporal no século XXI, cabe destacar a atención que esta tese presta ao tratamento audiovisual da figura da Bruxa no eido artístico, campo que non parece ter sido abordado en profundidade en traballos previos. En canto ás motivacións personais, cremos importante sinalar que o bruxesco sempre formou parte dos meus intereses, estando presente en moitos traballos anteriores, tanto no eido da investigación como en proxectos concretos da miña traxectoria artística. A proposta conceptua deste traballo pódese entender como unha consecuencia directa do desenvolvemento continuado de obras arredor do obxecto de estudo e da necesidade dun complemento teórico para as mesmas.This study starts from the Witch as a socially established cultural construction to propose an analysis of the different representations of this figure in contemporary audiovisual creation, a framework that includes works of video art, film and television. Our research work includes semantic (literary, anthropological, social and feminist) and iconographic definitions of the Witches, as well as an approach to the modes of representation of this concept in other areas of contemporaneity: painting, sculpture, installation, fashion, music, literature, advertising ... The time frame of this research work corresponds to the first nineteen years of the 21st century. The choice of this period is related, on the one hand, to the growing interest of current creation in the Witch and the consequent proliferation of projects related to her. On the other hand, most of the theoretical work carried out on this subject focuses on works born in the 20th century. Selecting a less explored time interval enables our analysis to have novel approaches. Along with the importance of setting the time frame in the 21st century, it is worth highlighting the attention that this thesis pays to the audiovisual treatment of the figure of the Witch in the artistic field. As will be seen in the description of the state of the question and according to our own research, this field seems not to have been addressed in depth in previous works. Regarding personal motivations, we believe it is important to point out that witchcraft has always been part of my interests, being present in many previous works, both in the field of research and in specific projects of my artistic career. The conceptual proposal of this work can be understood as a direct consequence of the continued development of works around the object of study and the need for a theoretical complement to them