North American Indigenous Perceptions of the Apocalypse and a Renewal of Kinship Relationships through the Imagination

Interweaving ecocriticism, settler-colonial studies, and Indigenous studies, this essay interrogates the concepts of climate change and the apocalypse, repositioning them alongside Indigenous experiences of broken kinship relationships. Focusing on the Canadian Indigenous context, first, I discuss the settler-colonial implications of environmental apocalypse, arguing that Indigenous peoples are already living in a post-apocalyptic condition. Secondly, I explore the Indian Residential School policy as an example of how settler-colonialism contributed to creating the post-apocalyptic situation with which Indigenous peoples live today. Thirdly, through analysis of Lee Maracle’s “The Void” and Daniel H. Justice’s “The Boys Who Became the Hummingbirds”, I discuss how both stories employ imagination to place environmental disasters in conversation with settler-colonial practices, thus re-shaping understandings of the past, present, and future. Ultimately, both stories, as I argue, promote Indigenous traditional knowledge systems and kinship values as a way to maintain respectful and reciprocal kinship relationships among humans and between humans and the land.Interweaving ecocriticism, settler-colonial studies, and Indigenous studies, this essay interrogates the concepts of climate change and the apocalypse, repositioning them alongside Indigenous experiences of broken kinship relationships. Focusing on the Canadian Indigenous context, first, I discuss the settler-colonial implications of environmental apocalypse, arguing that Indigenous peoples are already living in a post-apocalyptic condition. Secondly, I explore the Indian Residential School policy as an example of how settler-colonialism contributed to creating the post-apocalyptic situation with which Indigenous peoples live today. Thirdly, through analysis of Lee Maracle’s “The Void” and Daniel H. Justice’s “The Boys Who Became the Hummingbirds”, I discuss how both stories employ imagination to place environmental disasters in conversation with settler-colonial practices, thus re-shaping understandings of the past, present, and future. Ultimately, both stories, as I argue, promote Indigenous traditional knowledge systems and kinship values as a way to maintain respectful and reciprocal kinship relationships among humans and between humans and the land

Land and Storytelling: Indigenous Pathways towards Healing, Spiritual Regeneration and Resurgence

This article aims to contribute to discourses of healing, Indigenous resurgence and spiritual regeneration within the context of the Indian Residential School Truth and Reconciliation Commission that took place in Canada between 2008 and 2015. First, it considers to what extent the TRC’s restorative justice process can relate to Indigenous ways of conceptualising healing. Secondly, it reflects on the Commission’s exclusive focus on the Indian Residential School system and its legacies, which, according to many Indigenous scholars, overlooks a much broader and more complex history of colonisation, political domination, and land dispossession still ongoing. I underline that, from an Indigenous perspective, land plays a fundamental role to achieve healing, spiritual regeneration, and resurgence. In the last section, I move the discussion to the literary dimension as I explore Richard Wagamese’s 2012 novel Indian Horse. In particular, I argue that fiction, especially that fiction produced during the years of the Commission’s work, can be a crucial site for challenging the TRC’s restorative process and for bringing out the significance of storytelling and of an Indigenous deep sense of connection to the land as a source of learning, spiritual reclaiming, and healing

The TRC and Njabulo Ndebele’s The Cry of Winnie Mandela: Claiming an Ordinary Female Space

Starring from an overview relating to the crucial role and ethical agenda of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, this paper proceeds to investigate the narrative and representational strategies through which, in The Cry of Winnie Mandela (2003), South African writer and academic Njabulo Ndebele turns away from the "spectacular" towards a more nuanced and introspective dimension. While inspired by the TRC's hearings concerning gross violations of hu­man rights, this dimension foregrounds (black) women's endurance, suffering, and psychological distress. My essay highlights the lyrical intensity and open-minded approach informing Ndebele's portrayal of Winnie Mandela and the imaginary conversations that the (fictionalized) "Mother of the Nation" holds with other four women, whose historical models are similarly linked to the TRC's hearings. The theme of the "women-in-waiting" (for their husbands' return, but also for their voices to be heard) is examined in connection with the archetypal figure of Penelope, a West­ern myth which Ndebele borrows and moulds in African terms

Literary responses to the South African TRC: renegotiating ‘truth’, ‘trauma’ and ‘reconciliation’

My thesis examines the intersections between trauma and narrative in the context of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), which was established in 1995 after the first democratic elections and aimed to assist the country in the transition from the apartheid regime to a democratic order. I investigate how literature responds to the reconciling project of the truth commission by exploring six exemplary post-apartheid novels: Nadine Gordimer’s The House Gun, Sindiwe Magona’s Mother to Mother, J. M. Coetzee’s Disgrace, Achmat Dangor’s Bitter Fruit, Njabulo Ndebele’s The Cry of Winnie Mandela, and Zoë Wicomb’s Playing in the Light. I argue that these texts supplement the work initiated by the TRC by challenging two core assumptions of the truth commission, namely, that the truth about the past is fully recoverable, and, if recovered would provide effective healing of the South African nation. Through the analyses of the selected novels, I expose the inadequacy of the TRC’s definition of gross human rights violations and the hybridity of the supposedly discrete categories of victim/perpetrator, thus suggesting that the truth about the past cannot be easily captured. I also question the healing power of testimony and confessional narrative by showing alternative, personal responses to the ‘public’ reconciliation as envisaged by the TRC. The TRC failed to engage with the complexities and the hybrid dimensions which have characterised South Africa’s history and society during both apartheid and the transition period. This thesis then argues that literature becomes a site where those ambiguities and contradictions are addressed in ways that invite readers to reflect on the ongoing nature of projects such as ‘truth’ and ‘reconciliation,’ as well as on new approaches to South Africa’s past and the present

Genotoxicity Revaluation of Three Commercial Nitroheterocyclic Drugs: Nifurtimox, Benznidazole, and Metronidazole

Nitroheterocyclic compounds are widely used as therapeutic agents against a variety of protozoan and bacterial infections. However, the literature on these compounds, suspected of being carcinogens, is widely controversial. In this study, cytotoxic and genotoxic potential of three drugs, Nifurtimox (NFX), Benznidazole (BNZ), and Metronidazole (MTZ) was re-evaluated by different assays. Only NFX reduces survival rate in actively proliferating cells. The compounds are more active for base-pair substitution than frameshift induction in Salmonella; NFX and BNZ are more mutagenic than MTZ; they are widely dependent from nitroreduction whereas microsomal fraction S9 weakly affects the mutagenic potential. Comet assay detects BNZ- and NFX-induced DNA damage at doses in the range of therapeutically treated patient plasma concentration; BNZ seems to mainly act through ROS generation whereas a dose-dependent mechanism of DNA damaging is suggested for NFX. The lack of effects on mammalian cells for MTZ is confirmed also in MN assay whereas MN induction is observed for NFX and BNZ. The effects of MTZ, that shows comparatively low reduction potential, seem to be strictly dependent on anaerobic/hypoxic conditions. Both NFX and BNZ may not only lead to cellular damage of the infective agent but also interact with the DNA of mammalian cells

Syncope and Epilepsy coexist in 'possible' and 'drug-resistant' epilepsy (Overlap between Epilepsy and Syncope Study - OESYS).

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Syncope and related falls are one of the main causes and the predominant cause of hospitalization in elderly patients with dementia. However, the diagnostic protocol for syncope is difficult to apply to patients with dementia. Thus, we developed a "simplified" protocol to be used in a prospective, observational, and multicenter study in elderly patients with dementia and transient loss of consciousness suspected for syncope or unexplained falls. Here, we describe the protocol, its feasibility and the characteristics of the patients enrolled in the study. METHODS: Patients aged ≥65 years with a diagnosis of dementia and one or more episodes of transient loss of consciousness during the previous 3 months, subsequently referred to a Geriatric Department in different regions of Italy, from February 2012 to May 2014, were enrolled. A simplified protocol was applied in all patients. Selected patients underwent a second-level evaluation. RESULTS: Three hundred and three patients were enrolled; 52.6% presented with episodes suspected to be syncope, 44.5% for unexplained fall and 2.9% both. Vascular dementia had been previously diagnosed in 53.6% of participants, Alzheimer's disease in 23.5% and mixed forms in 12.6%. Patients presented with high comorbidity (CIRS score = 3.6 ± 2), severe functional impairment, (BADL lost = 3 ± 2), and polypharmacy (6 ± 3 drugs). CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with dementia enrolled for suspected syncope and unexplained falls have high comorbidity and disability. The clinical presentation is often atypical and the presence of unexplained falls is particularly frequent

Frailty and post-operative delirium influence on functional status in patients with hip fracture: the GIOG 2.0 study

Background: This study analyzes the effect of frailty and Post-Operative Delirium (POD) on the functional status at hospital discharge and at 4-month follow-up in patients with hip fracture (HF). Methods: Multicenter prospective observational study of older patients with HF admitted to 12 Italian Orthogeriatric centers (July 2019-August 2022). POD was assessed using the 4AT. A 26-item Frailty Index (FI) was created using data collected on admission. The outcome measures were Cumulated Ambulation Score (CAS) ≤ 2 at discharge and a telephone-administered CAS ≤ 2 after 4 months. Poisson regression models were used to assess the effect of frailty and POD on outcomes. Results: 984 patients (median age 84 years, IQR = 79-89) were recruited: 480 (48.7%) were frail at admission, 311 (31.6%) developed POD, and 158 (15.6%) had both frailty and POD. In a robust Poisson regression, frailty alone (Relative Risk, RR = 1.56, 95% Confidence Intervals, CI 1.19-2.04, p = 0.001) and its combination with POD (RR = 2.57, 95% CI 2.02-3.26, p < 0.001) were associated with poor functional status at discharge. At 4-month follow-up, the combination of frailty with POD (RR 3.65, 95% CI 1.85-7.2, p < 0.001) increased the risk of poor outcome more than frailty alone (RR 2.38, 95% CI 1.21-4.66, p < 0.001). Conclusions: POD development exacerbates the negative effect that frailty exerts on functional outcomes in HF patients

Structural and Functional Features of Chars From Different Biomasses as Potential Plant Amendments

Biochars result from the pyrolysis of biomass waste of plant and animal origin. The interest in these materials stems from their potential for improving soil quality due to increased microporosity, carbon pool, water retention, and their active capacity for metal adsorption from soil and irrigation water. Applications in agriculture have been studied under different conditions, but the overall results are still unclear. Char structure, which varies widely according to the pyrolysis process and the nature of feedstock, is thought to be a major factor in the interaction of chars with soil and their metal ion adsorption/chelation properties. Furthermore, biochar nutrients and their elemental content can modify soil fertility. Therefore, the use of biochars in agricultural settings should be examined carefully by conducting experimental trials. Three key problems encountered in the use of biochar involve (i) optimizing pyrolysis for biomass conversion into energy and biochar, (ii) physicochemically characterizing biochar, and (iii) identifying the best possible conditions for biochar use in soil improvement. To investigate these issues, two types of wood pellets, plus digestate and poultry litter, were separately converted into biochar using different technologies: pyrolysis/pyrogasification or catalytic (thermo)reforming. The following physicochemical features for the different biochar batches were measured: pH, conductivity, bulk density, humidity and ash content, particle size, total organic substances, and trace element concentrations. Fine porous structure analysis and total elemental analysis were performed using environmental scanning electron microscopy along with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX). Phytotoxicity tests were performed for each biochar. Finally, we were able to (i) differentiate the biochars according to their physicochemical properties, microstructure, elemental contents, and original raw biomass; (ii) correlate the whole biochar features with their respective optimal concentrations when used as plant fertilizers or soil improvers; and (iii) show that biochars from animal origin were phytotoxic at lower concentrations than those from plant feedstock

Circulating Skeletal Troponin During Weaning From Mechanical Ventilation and Their Association to Diaphragmatic Function: A Pilot Study

Background: Patients with acute respiratory failure (ARF) may need mechanical ventilation (MV), which can lead to diaphragmatic dysfunction and muscle wasting, thus making difficult the weaning from the ventilator. Currently, there are no biomarkers specific for respiratory muscle and their function can only be assessed trough ultrasound or other invasive methods. Previously, the fast and slow isoform of the skeletal troponin I (fsTnI and ssTnI, respectively) have shown to be specific markers of muscle damage in healthy volunteers. We aimed therefore at describing the trend of skeletal troponin in mixed population of ICU patients undergoing weaning from mechanical ventilation and compared the value of fsTnI and ssTnI with diaphragmatic ultrasound derived parameters.Methods: In this prospective observational study we enrolled consecutive patients recovering from acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF) within 24 h from the start of weaning. Every day an arterial blood sample was collected to measure fsTnI, ssTnI, and global markers of muscle damage, such as ALT, AST, and CPK. Moreover, thickening fraction (TF) and diaphragmatic displacement (DE) were assessed by diaphragmatic ultrasound. The trend of fsTnI and ssTnI was evaluated during the first 3 days of weaning.Results: We enrolled 62 consecutive patients in the study, with a mean age of 67 ± 13 years and 43 of them (69%) were male. We did not find significant variations in the ssTnI trend (p = 0.623), but fsTnI significantly decreased over time by 30% from Day 1 to Day 2 and by 20% from Day 2 to Day 3 (p < 0.05). There was a significant interaction effect between baseline ssTnI and DE [F(2) = 4.396, p = 0.015], with high basal levels of ssTnI being associated to a higher decrease in DE. On the contrary, the high basal levels of fsTnI at day 1 were characterized by significant higher DE at each time point.Conclusions: Skeletal muscle proteins have a distinctive pattern of variation during weaning from mechanical ventilation. At day 1, a high basal value of ssTnI were associated to a higher decrease over time of diaphragmatic function while high values of fsTnI were associated to a higher displacement at each time point