«Come se la sua impresa affondasse le radici nella vergogna»: Vergogna e tragico in Philip Roth

Moving from the most recent studies on emotion, their artistic representations and, especially, from the analysis of the relationship between shame and literary texts as recently proposed by Timothy Bewes, this essay aims at studying the representation and the function of shame in Philip Roth’s so-called “American trilogy”. Through a close reading of the three novels – American Pastoral (1997), I Married a Communist (1998), The Human Stain (2000) – it will be shown how shame is behind the contrast between private life and history as it is problematized in the texts. Moreover, it will be argued that is precisely in the symbolic field of identity and in the one of its relation to the others that the individual and the general dimensions collide. In this way, eventually, it will be possible to interpret protagonists ‘downfalls through the idea of tragic.Inserendosi nell’alveo dei più recenti studi sulle rappresentazioni artistiche delle emozioni e muovendo in particolare dall’analisi del rapporto tra vergogna ed espressione letteraria proposta recentemente da Timothy Bewes, il contributo intende analizzare la rappresentazione e la funzione della vergogna nella cosiddetta “trilogia americana” di Philip Roth. Attraverso un close reading dei tre romanzi – American Pastoral (1997), I Married a Communist (1998), The Human Stain (2000) – si mostrerà come il sentimento della vergogna sia alla base della dialettica tra accadere storico e vita individuale problematizzata dai testi in esame. Verrà inoltre dimostrato come un’idea di identità fluida e sempre condizionata dal rapporto con l’altro sia il territorio simbolico dove la costruzione romanzesca porta a collidere i destini generali e quelli privati, causando così quella caduta dei protagonisti che sarà possibile interpretare tramite la categoria del tragico

Morfologia del mito

The essay dwells on the relationship between ancient myth and its modern and contemporary rewritings. It argues that, in order to better understand this relationship both morphologically and historically, it is necessary to consider myth as part of a polysystem. Therefore, after discussing what is to be considered as “myth”, it uses the so-called “Polysystem Theory”, as developed by Itamar Even-Zohar, to suggest a new insight on classical myth and, especially, on its reception.The essay dwells on the relationship between ancient myth and its modern and contemporary rewritings. It argues that, in order to better understand this relationship both morphologically and historically, it is necessary to consider myth as part of a polysystem. Therefore, after discussing what is to be considered as “myth”, it uses the so-called “Polysystem Theory”, as developed by Itamar Even-Zohar, to suggest a new insight on classical myth and, especially, on its reception

Matteo Di Gesù, L’invenzione della Sicilia. Letteratura, mafia, modernità

Review of the book L’invenzione della Sicilia. Letteratura, mafia, modernità by Matteo Di GesùSoffre la Sicilia di un eccesso di identità, né so se sia un bene o se sia un male. Certo per chi c’è nato dura poco l’allegria di sentirsi seduto sull’ombelico del mondo, subentra presto la sofferenza di non saper districare tra mille curve e intrecci del sangue il filo del proprio destino». Con queste parole Gesualdo Bufalino, in Cere perse, metteva a fuoco le ambiguità di un forte sentimento di appartenenza all’isola, sentimento che si accompagnava, quasi come un destino ineffabile, alla sofferta consapevolezza di tutte le contraddizioni culturali, politiche e sociali della Sicilia.

Peppino Ortoleva, Miti a bassa intensità. Racconti, media, vita quotidiana

Review of Peppino Ortoleva's Miti a bassa intensità.  Racconti, media, vita quotidiana.Recensione del libro Miti a bassa intensità.  Racconti, media, vita quotidiana di Peppino Ortoleva

Nicola Turi (ed.), Ecosistemi letterari. Luoghi e paesaggi nella finzione novecentesca

Review of the book Ecosistemi letterari. Luoghi e paesaggi nella finzione novecentesca edited by Nicola Turi.In un articolo recentemente apparso per il New York Magazine, il giornalista David Wallace-Wells ha tracciato un quadro quanto mai apocalittico del destino che attende il nostro pianeta nel futuro prossimo. L’interpretazione decisamente pessimistica della situazione ambientale fornita dall’autore, basatosi sui più recenti studi sul cambiamento climatico, ha sollevato non poche polemiche

A method for the analysis of the oligomerization profile of the Huntington’s disease-associated, aggregation-prone mutant huntingtin protein by isopycnic ultracentrifugation

Conformational diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases as well as ataxias and fronto-temporal disorders, are part of common class of neurological disorders characterised by the aggregation and progressive accumulation of mutant proteins which display aberrant conformation. In particular, Huntington’s disease (HD) is caused by mutations leading to an abnormal expansion in the polyglutamine (poly-Q) tract of the huntingtin protein (HTT), leading to the formation of inclusion bodies in neurons of affected patients. Furthermore, recent experimental evidence is challenging the conventional view of the disease by revealing the ability of mutant HTT to be transferred between cells by means of extracellular vesicles (EVs), allowing the mutant protein to seed oligomers involving both the mutant and wild type forms of the protein. There is still no successful strategy to treat HD. In addition, the current understanding of the biological processes leading to the oligomerization and aggregation of proteins bearing the poly-Q tract has been derived from studies conducted on isolated poly-Q monomers and oligomers, whose structural properties are still unclear and often inconsistent. Here we describe a standardised biochemical approach to analyse by isopycnic ultracentrifugation the oligomerization of the N-terminal fragment of mutant HTT. The dynamic range of our method allows one to detect large and heterogeneous HTT complexes. Hence, it could be harnessed for the identification of novel molecular determinants responsible for the aggregation and the prion-like spreading properties of HTT in the context of HD. Equally, it provides a tool to test novel small molecules or bioactive compounds designed to inhibit the aggregation of mutant HTT

Oral ondansetron versus domperidone for symptomatic treatment of vomiting during acute gastroenteritis in children: multicentre randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Vomiting in children with acute gastroenteritis (AG) is not only a direct cause of fluid loss but it is also a major factor of failure of oral rehydration therapy (ORT). Physicians who provide care to paediatric patients in the emergency department (ED) usually prescribe intravenous fluid therapy (IVT) for mild or moderate dehydration when vomiting is the major symptom. Thus, effective symptomatic treatment of vomiting would lead to an important reduction in the use of IVT and, consequently, of the duration of hospital stay and of frequency of hospital admission. Available evidence on symptomatic treatment of vomiting shows the efficacy of the most recently registered molecule (ondansetron) but a proper evaluation of antiemetics drugs largely used in clinical practice, such as domperidone, is lacking.</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>To compare the efficacy of ondansetron and domperidone for the symptomatic treatment of vomiting in children with AG who have failed ORT.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Multicentre, double-blind randomized controlled trial conducted in paediatric EDs. Children aged from 1 to 6 years who vomiting, with a presumptive clinical diagnosis of AG, and without severe dehydration will be included. After the failure of a initial ORS administration in ED, eligible children will be randomized to receive: 1) ondansetron syrup (0,15 mg/Kg of body weight); 2) domperidone syrup (0,5 mg/Kg of body weight); 3) placebo. The main study outcome will be the percentage of patients needing nasogastric or IVT after symptomatic oral treatment failure, defined as vomiting or fluid refusal after a second attempt of ORT. Data relative to study outcomes will be collected at 30 minute intervals for a minimum of 6 hours. A telephone follow up call will be made 48 hours after discharge. A total number of 540 children (i.e. 180 patients in each arm) will be enrolled.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The trial results would provide evidence on the efficacy of domperidone, which is largely used in clinical practice despite the lack of proper evaluation and a controversial safety profile, as compared to ondansetron, which is not yet authorized in Italy despite evidence supporting its efficacy in treating vomiting. The trial results would contribute to a reduction in the use of IVT and, consequently, in hospital admissions in children with AG. The design of this RCT, which closely reflect current clinical practice in EDs, will allow immediate transferability of results.</p> <p>Trial Registration</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov: <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01257672">NCT01257672</a></p

Adherence to antibiotic treatment guidelines and outcomes in the hospitalized elderly with different types of pneumonia

Background: Few studies evaluated the clinical outcomes of Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP), Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia (HAP) and Health Care-Associated Pneumonia (HCAP) in relation to the adherence of antibiotic treatment to the guidelines of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the American Thoracic Society (ATS) in hospitalized elderly people (65 years or older). Methods: Data were obtained from REPOSI, a prospective registry held in 87 Italian internal medicine and geriatric wards. Patients with a diagnosis of pneumonia (ICD-9 480-487) or prescribed with an antibiotic for pneumonia as indication were selected. The empirical antibiotic regimen was defined to be adherent to guidelines if concordant with the treatment regimens recommended by IDSA/ATS for CAP, HAP, and HCAP. Outcomes were assessed by logistic regression models. Results: A diagnosis of pneumonia was made in 317 patients. Only 38.8% of them received an empirical antibiotic regimen that was adherent to guidelines. However, no significant association was found between adherence to guidelines and outcomes. Having HAP, older age, and higher CIRS severity index were the main factors associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: The adherence to antibiotic treatment guidelines was poor, particularly for HAP and HCAP, suggesting the need for more adherence to the optimal management of antibiotics in the elderly with pneumonia

Oral ondansetron versus domperidone for acute gastroenteritis in pediatric emergency departments: Multicenter double blind randomized controlled trial

The use of antiemetics for vomiting in acute gastroenteritis in children is still a matter of debate. We conducted a double-blind randomized trial to evaluate whether a single oral dose of ondansetron vs domperidone or placebo improves outcomes in children with gastroenteritis. After failure of initial oral rehydration administration, children aged 1-6 years admitted for gastroenteritis to the pediatric emergency departments of 15 hospitals in Italy were randomized to receive one oral dose of ondansetron (0.15 mg/kg) or domperidone (0.5 mg/kg) or placebo. The primary outcome was the percentage of children receiving nasogastric or intravenous rehydration. A p value of 0.014 was used to indicate statistical significance (and 98.6% CI were calculated) as a result of having carried out two interim analyses. 1,313 children were eligible for the first attempt with oral rehydration solution, which was successful for 832 (63.4%); 356 underwent randomization (the parents of 125 children did not give consent): 118 to placebo, 119 to domperidone, and 119 to ondansetron. Fourteen (11.8%) needed intravenous rehydration in the ondansetron group vs 30 (25.2%) and 34 (28.8%) in the domperidone and placebo groups, respectively. Ondansetron reduced the risk of intravenous rehydration by over 50%, both vs placebo (RR 0.41, 98.6% CI 0.20-0.83) and domperidone (RR 0.47, 98.6% CI 0.23-0.97). No differences for adverse events were seen among groups. In a context of emergency care, 6 out of 10 children aged 1-6 years with vomiting due to gastroenteritis and without severe dehydration can be managed effectively with administration of oral rehydration solution alone. In children who fail oral rehydration, a single oral dose of ondansetron reduces the need for intravenous rehydration and the percentage of children who continue to vomit, thereby facilitating the success of oral rehydration. Domperidone was not effective for the symptomatic treatment of vomiting during acute gastroenteritis