'Delirious Monologues': Christina Stead's 'Egotistical Monsters'

A discussion of Stead's polyphonic style with particular reference to A Little Tea, A Little Chat

A critical evaluation of the degradation state of dry archaeological wood from Egypt by SEM, ATR-FTIR, wet chemical analysis and Py(HMDS)-GC-MS

An in-depth investigation was undertaken of the chemical changes to wood induced by degrading agents in dry burial environments. The degradation state of eleven wood samples from dry archaeological sites in Egypt was evaluated by combining the information obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), wet chemical analysis (WCA), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and analytical pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry with in situ silylation (Py(HMDS)-GC-MS). The samples belonged to five different wood species (Faidherbia albida, Ficus sycomorus, Taxus baccata, Pinus sylvestris and Tamarix sp.) and came from three different archaeological sites corresponding to three different time periods (from ca. 1700 BC to ca. 1700 AD). The results were compared with sound reference wood of the same species. SEM enabled a fungal attack to be identified in some of the samples. WCA highlighted the preferential loss of lignin or carbohydrates in these samples, but also showed unusually high values of water-soluble substances in most of them. FTIR spectra acquired before and after the extraction of the samples revealed that this soluble fraction generally contained depolymerised carbohydrates and/or lignin units. Py(HMDS)-GC-MS was applied without any sample pre-treatment and was used to assess the alteration/depolymerisation of the individual wood components, thus complementing the picture regarding the chemical changes. The results showed that, unlike waterlogged archaeological wood, most of the degraded wood components â\u80\u93 depolymerised carbohydrates and/or lignin â\u80\u93 had not leached away from the dry wood matrix, and thus complicated the interpretation of data. The commonly used parameters, such as the H/L (holocellulose/lignin) ratio, failed to give a correct evaluation of the wood degradation when both carbohydrates and lignin were degraded. The preservation conditions of the samples were very variable, from very good to a high depletion of carbohydrates, to the preferential depletion of lignin, or comparable levels of carbohydrate and lignin degradation. This was sometimes observed within the same wood species and the same archaeological site. This highlighted how difficult the interpretation can be in order to correctly evaluate the multiple causes of degradation affecting dry archaeological wood. An analytical approach using complementary techniques appears to be essential

Alta prevalência de usuários que não retornam ao centro de testagem e aconselhamento (CTA) para o conhecimento do seu status sorológico - Rio Grande, RS, Brasil

The Testing and Counseling Centers are important sources of epidemiological information. This study describes a research conducted with the users of the Testing and Counseling Center of Rio Grande-RS submitted to anti-HIV test during the period 2001-2004. Demographic and behavioral factors of individuals attended in the service were analyzed using the database SISCTA- 2002/RG. HIV-1 seropositivity between 2001 and 2004 was of 1,1%; 2,4%; 2,3% and 1,7%, respectively. In 2003 and 2004, 37,7% and 36% of the HIV-1 positive patients did not return to the Testing and Counseling Center for getting the result of their serological anti-HIV or confirmatory tests. These results seem to reflect some tendencies of the HIV epidemic in Rio Grande and in Brazil. It is important to emphasize the high percentage of HIV-1 positive patients who do not return for getting the result of their test. In terms of public health this risk behavior may jeopardize the efforts for controlling the epidemic.Os Centros de Testagem e Aconselhamento (CTA) constituem importantes fontes de informações epidemiológicas, que quando bem gerenciadas e atualizadas, permitem o conhecimento e a análise das características da população atendida por esses serviços. Esse estudo descreve o perfil dos usuários do CTA de Rio Grande (RS) que foram submetidos à sorologia anti-HIV entre os anos de 2001 e 2004. Variáveis demográficas relativas ao comportamento e práticas daspessoas que procuraram o serviço foram analisadas, mediante consulta ao banco de dados SISCTA- 2002/RG. A soropositividade para HIV-1 foi de 1,1%; 2,4%; 2,3% e 1,7% de 2001 a 2004, respectivamente. Nos anos de 2003 e 2004, 37,7% e 36%, respectivamente, dos pacientes HIV-1+ não retornaram ao CTA para conhecimento dos exames anti-HIV ou confirmatório. Os resultados analisados parecem refletir algumas tendências da epidemia em Rio Grande e no país. É importanteressaltar a alta porcentagem de pacientes HIV-1 positivos que não procuram o resultado do seu teste. Em termos de saúde pública essa situação pode colocar em risco os esforços para o controle da epidemia