House of Ashes e as mecânicas de uma narrativa interativa de horror

Nascido do gótico literário, o horror, a partir do século XX, abraçou o cinema como um de seus principais meios. No século XXI, os jogos digitais ganham força como um novo espaço de produção de narrativas de medo, demandando da crítica especializada um esforço de compreensão das novas formas de se produzir horror que dele surgem. Nesse sentido, um gênero específico chama a atenção por se encontrar em posição fronteiriça entre os games e o cinema: os jogos de  narrativa interativa, em que um jogador determina, por suas ações, o desenrolar de uma narrativa majoritariamenteapresentada através de cinemáticas. Tomando como objeto o jogo House of Ashes (2021), da Supermassive Games, propomos, aqui, uma análise crítica das mecânicas utilizadas nesse tipo de jogo, tendo em vista seus obstáculos para a produção dos efeitos estéticos do horror – sobretudo quando comparado ao já consolidado gênero survival horror.Born from the literary gothic, horror has, since the 20th century, embraced cinema as one of its central media. In the 21th century, videogames are becoming a new space for the production of frightening narratives, demanding from specialized criticism an effort to understand the new ways of creating horror that emerge from them. In thisway, a specific genre stands out by finding itself in a border position between games and cinema: the interactive storytelling games, in which the player determines, by his actions, the unfold of a narrative mainly presented by cutscenes. By taking as our object the game House of Ashes (2021), by Supermassive Games, we propose here a critical analysis of the mechanics used in this kind of games, bearing in mind their obstacles for the productionof asthetic effects of horror, especially when  compared with the already consolidated survival horror genre

UM MONSTRO CHAMADO SOCIEDADE: DO GÓTICO POLÍTICO À DISTOPIA

O gótico é indissociável do contexto político em que surge, e permanece, ao longo de sua trajetória, em diálogo com questões relacionadas a poder, controle e transgressão. Não obstante, há momentos em que comentários sociopolíticos assumem protagonismo e os mecanismos do gótico ganham fins retóricos para além da narrativa em si. Caleb Williams, de William Godwin, pode ser tomado como uma das primeiras manifestações desse uso do gótico, em que Fred Botting ressalta a construção de um Estado monstruoso e os horrores da opressão criada por uma justiça corrupta, e que David Punter chamará de “Political Gothic”. Apresenta-se, aqui, a hipótese de que os temas e estratégias presentes nesse uso do gótico se aplicariam também a outro gênero profundamente engajado com seu contexto político-social, a distopia. Buscamos, assim, apresentar como a ficção distópica dá continuidade a essa tradição de representações monstruosas da sociedade

Crime em revista: as narrativas criminais em O malho (1934-1937)

Por muito tempo, perpetuou-se a ideia de que o Brasil não foi um terreno fértil para o florescimento de uma literatura policial. Nas últimas déca­das, pesquisas como as de Sandra Reimão, Ana Gomes Porto e Pedro Sasse vêm mudando essa visão, revelando uma forte relação do Brasil com as histórias de crime. O presente artigo alinha-se a esses esforços ao tomar a produção de narrativas criminais publicadas entre 1933 e 1937 na revista O Malho, destacando quatro tendências do gênero no país: os contos maca­bros herdeiros do Gótico; as histórias trágicas dos romances de sensação; os enigmas do molde detetivesco tradicional; e as narrativas regionalistas

Parasitismo gastrointestinal em Leopardus trigrinus (Schreber, 1775) (Carnivora; Felidae) e carnívoros domésticos no norte do estado do Paraná, Brasil

As alterações do habitat dos animais silvestres provocam uma maior aproximação destes com os animais domésticos, o que possibilita a ocorrência de contaminação cruzada de diversos agentes de enfermidades, entre eles os parasitos gastrointestinais. Este trabalho teve como objetivo a pesquisa de endoparasitos em um gato do mato Leopardus tigrinus (Schreber, 1775), e carnívoros domésticos no município de Cambará, no estado do Paraná. Foi realizada a necropsia no animal silvestre para busca de helmintos adultos e foram feitos exames coproparasitológicos no gato silvestre e nos animais domésticos. Foram realizados os exames de sedimentação (Hoffman) e flutuação em solução saturada de cloreto de sódio (Willis). Para avaliar a correlação dos parasitos encontrados no gato do mato e nos animais domésticos foi usado o índice de Pearson. Foram encontradas parasitando L. tigrinus três espécies de nematódeos, um trematódeo e um protozoário apicomplexa. O exame coproparasitológico nos animais domésticos revelou quatro parasitos. Três destes são dos mesmos táxons aos encontrados no gato do mato e apenas um diferente. Houve uma correlação positiva entre os resultados. O compartilhamento de ambientes entre animais silvestres e domésticos pode favorecer fluxo de parasitos entre estes hospedeiros

Variation in Structure and Process of Care in Traumatic Brain Injury: Provider Profiles of European Neurotrauma Centers Participating in the CENTER-TBI Study.

INTRODUCTION: The strength of evidence underpinning care and treatment recommendations in traumatic brain injury (TBI) is low. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) has been proposed as a framework to provide evidence for optimal care for TBI patients. The first step in CER is to map the existing variation. The aim of current study is to quantify variation in general structural and process characteristics among centers participating in the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study. METHODS: We designed a set of 11 provider profiling questionnaires with 321 questions about various aspects of TBI care, chosen based on literature and expert opinion. After pilot testing, questionnaires were disseminated to 71 centers from 20 countries participating in the CENTER-TBI study. Reliability of questionnaires was estimated by calculating a concordance rate among 5% duplicate questions. RESULTS: All 71 centers completed the questionnaires. Median concordance rate among duplicate questions was 0.85. The majority of centers were academic hospitals (n = 65, 92%), designated as a level I trauma center (n = 48, 68%) and situated in an urban location (n = 70, 99%). The availability of facilities for neuro-trauma care varied across centers; e.g. 40 (57%) had a dedicated neuro-intensive care unit (ICU), 36 (51%) had an in-hospital rehabilitation unit and the organization of the ICU was closed in 64% (n = 45) of the centers. In addition, we found wide variation in processes of care, such as the ICU admission policy and intracranial pressure monitoring policy among centers. CONCLUSION: Even among high-volume, specialized neurotrauma centers there is substantial variation in structures and processes of TBI care. This variation provides an opportunity to study effectiveness of specific aspects of TBI care and to identify best practices with CER approaches

Impact of COVID-19 on cardiovascular testing in the United States versus the rest of the world

Objectives: This study sought to quantify and compare the decline in volumes of cardiovascular procedures between the United States and non-US institutions during the early phase of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the care of many non-COVID-19 illnesses. Reductions in diagnostic cardiovascular testing around the world have led to concerns over the implications of reduced testing for cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity and mortality. Methods: Data were submitted to the INCAPS-COVID (International Atomic Energy Agency Non-Invasive Cardiology Protocols Study of COVID-19), a multinational registry comprising 909 institutions in 108 countries (including 155 facilities in 40 U.S. states), assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on volumes of diagnostic cardiovascular procedures. Data were obtained for April 2020 and compared with volumes of baseline procedures from March 2019. We compared laboratory characteristics, practices, and procedure volumes between U.S. and non-U.S. facilities and between U.S. geographic regions and identified factors associated with volume reduction in the United States. Results: Reductions in the volumes of procedures in the United States were similar to those in non-U.S. facilities (68% vs. 63%, respectively; p = 0.237), although U.S. facilities reported greater reductions in invasive coronary angiography (69% vs. 53%, respectively; p < 0.001). Significantly more U.S. facilities reported increased use of telehealth and patient screening measures than non-U.S. facilities, such as temperature checks, symptom screenings, and COVID-19 testing. Reductions in volumes of procedures differed between U.S. regions, with larger declines observed in the Northeast (76%) and Midwest (74%) than in the South (62%) and West (44%). Prevalence of COVID-19, staff redeployments, outpatient centers, and urban centers were associated with greater reductions in volume in U.S. facilities in a multivariable analysis. Conclusions: We observed marked reductions in U.S. cardiovascular testing in the early phase of the pandemic and significant variability between U.S. regions. The association between reductions of volumes and COVID-19 prevalence in the United States highlighted the need for proactive efforts to maintain access to cardiovascular testing in areas most affected by outbreaks of COVID-19 infection

Variation in general supportive and preventive intensive care management of traumatic brain injury: a survey in 66 neurotrauma centers participating in the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study

Abstract Background General supportive and preventive measures in the intensive care management of traumatic brain injury (TBI) aim to prevent or limit secondary brain injury and optimize recovery. The aim of this survey was to assess and quantify variation in perceptions on intensive care unit (ICU) management of patients with TBI in European neurotrauma centers. Methods We performed a survey as part of the Collaborative European NeuroTrauma Effectiveness Research in Traumatic Brain Injury (CENTER-TBI) study. We analyzed 23 questions focused on: 1) circulatory and respiratory management; 2) fever control; 3) use of corticosteroids; 4) nutrition and glucose management; and 5) seizure prophylaxis and treatment. Results The survey was completed predominantly by intensivists (n = 33, 50%) and neurosurgeons (n = 23, 35%) from 66 centers (97% response rate). The most common cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) target was > 60 mmHg (n = 39, 60%) and/or an individualized target (n = 25, 38%). To support CPP, crystalloid fluid loading (n = 60, 91%) was generally preferred over albumin (n = 15, 23%), and vasopressors (n = 63, 96%) over inotropes (n = 29, 44%). The most commonly reported target of partial pressure of carbon dioxide in arterial blood (PaCO2) was 36–40 mmHg (4.8–5.3 kPa) in case of controlled intracranial pressure (ICP) < 20 mmHg (n = 45, 69%) and PaCO2 target of 30–35 mmHg (4–4.7 kPa) in case of raised ICP (n = 40, 62%). Almost all respondents indicated to generally treat fever (n = 65, 98%) with paracetamol (n = 61, 92%) and/or external cooling (n = 49, 74%). Conventional glucose management (n = 43, 66%) was preferred over tight glycemic control (n = 18, 28%). More than half of the respondents indicated to aim for full caloric replacement within 7 days (n = 43, 66%) using enteral nutrition (n = 60, 92%). Indications for and duration of seizure prophylaxis varied, and levetiracetam was mostly reported as the agent of choice for both seizure prophylaxis (n = 32, 49%) and treatment (n = 40, 61%). Conclusions Practice preferences vary substantially regarding general supportive and preventive measures in TBI patients at ICUs of European neurotrauma centers. These results provide an opportunity for future comparative effectiveness research, since a more evidence-based uniformity in good practices in general ICU management could have a major impact on TBI outcome

As narrativas criminais na Literatura Brasileira

A crítica brasileira sempre apontou para uma ausência ou escassez da produção nacional enquadrada no gênero conhecido como romance policial. Nossa literatura, no entanto, se vê pródiga em obras que dialogam com o crime desde seu surgimento, não através da difundida figura do investigador que vemos nas obras mais populares do gênero, mas através de narrativas centradas em criminosos e/ou suas vítimas. Levando em conta que os estudos mais recentes do gênero não mais pensam no dito romance policial como, de fato, apenas romances e apenas centrados na figura de um agente da lei e da ordem, mas como um gênero que abrange toda a ficção que toma o crime como um elemento central – denominado crime fiction pela crítica anglófona contemporânea –, é possível repensar a alegada ausência ou escassez do gênero no país como um problema conceitual: tivemos sim uma forte tradição do romance policial no país, desde que o entendamos não através da categoria cristalizada no senso comum, mas de um conceito atualizado pela crítica especializada. Para que seja possível sustentar tal afirmação, essa pesquisa precisa atingir dois objetivos: (I) apresentar um panorama das mais recentes pesquisas na área da crime fiction voltadas para uma reflexão sobre o subgênero centrado não nos investigadores, mas nos criminosos e suas vítimas, culminando na construção do conceito de narrativa criminal; (II) traçar um breve panorama da tradição da narrativa criminal no Brasil, apontando as diversas vertentes que, ao longo do tempo, esse subgênero assumirá no país. Por um lado, tal estudo busca aproximar o Brasil das reflexões atuais sobre a crime fiction feitas em um âmbito internacional, quebrando o mito de que o país teria sido um consumidor passivo do romance policial estrangeiro; por outro, espera-se que esse trabalho possa colaborar, também, para uma reflexão sobre a própria produção nacional, seja revalorizando obras de pouca atenção crítica, seja dando uma nova perspectiva para obras estudadas em outros campos dos estudos literáriosBrazilian critics have always pointed to an absence or scarcity of a local production in the genre known as detective fiction. However, since the very beginning Brazilian has been prodigal in works that dialogue with crime, although not through the more common figure of the investigator we see in more popular works of the genre, but rather through narratives centered on criminals and / or their victims. Taking into account that most recent studies of the genre no longer in fact think of the detective novels as just novels and only centred in the figure of an agent of the law and order, but as a genre that covers all the fiction with crime as a central element – called crime fiction by contemporary Anglophone critics – it is possible to rethink the alleged absence or scarcity of the genre in Brazil as a conceptual problem: Brazil in fact did have a strong local tradition of detective novels, providing we understand it not as the category crystallized in the usual sense, but rather as a concept revised by the specialized critics. In order to be able to support such a statement, this research must attain two objectives: (I) to present an overview of the most recent research in the field of crime fiction, focusing on a subgenre centred not on investigators but rather on the criminals and their victims, culminating in the construction of the concept of criminal narrative; (II) to give a brief overview of the tradition of criminal narrative in Brazil, pointing out the different aspects that, over time, this subgenre will assume in the country. On the one hand, this study seeks to bring Brazil closer to the current reflections on crime fiction made at international level, breaking the myth that the country would have been a passive consumer of the foreign police novel; and on the other hand, it is also hoped that this work may also contribute to a reflection on Brazilian production itself, either by revaluing works formerly receiving little critical attention or by giving a new perspective to works studied in other fields of literary studie

Resenha de The Monster Theory Reader, de Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock (ed.)

Obra ressenyada: Jeffrey Andrew Weinstock (ed.), The Monster Theory Reader. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2020