89 research outputs found
Eleonora Duse. Appunti per una biografia (1969): l’attrice e il mito
No full textIn 1969 the Italian Radio-Television Broadcasting- RAI produced the screenplay, Eleonora Duse. Notes for a biography. G. Loverso and C. Serino were the author of the script, directed by F. Bollini (1924-78). Having analyzed the screenplay, we are able to un- derstand how the myth of E. Duse was structured. The analysis also explains why she became famous among the television audience of the second half of the 20th century. The screenplay sparked considera- ble debate and contrasting reactions, especially based on the interpretation of the actress in the role of Duse, L. Brignone (1913-84). Many admirers wrote to Brignone about her interpretation of the great tragedienne. The actress and writer E. De Giorgi (1914-97) sent Brignone her study on E. Duse, that allows us to focus on some distinctive features of Duse’s acting, dividing the actress from the myth
Eleonora Duse. Appunti per una biografia (1969): l’attrice e il mito
No full textNel 1969 la RAI produce lo sceneggiato Eleonora
Duse. Appunti per una biografia, scritto da Gilberto
Loverso e Chiara Serino e diretto da Flaminio Bollini.
Il documento audiovisivo consente di comprendere
in che modo il mito di Eleonora Duse si delineò fin
dagli esordi e come esso venne presentato al pubblico televisivo del secondo Novecento. Lo sceneggiato suscitò un vivo dibattito e reazioni contrastanti, soprattutto grazie all’interpretazione di Lilla
Brignone (1913-1984) nel ruolo della Divina. Molti
ammiratori scrissero alla Brignone per commentarne l’interpretazione, tra questi troviamo l’attrice
e scrittrice Elsa De Giorgi (1914-1997), che inviò a
Brignone un suo studio in cui sono evidenziati alcuni
tratti distintivi della recitazione della Duse, scindendone la figura attorica dal mito divistico.In 1969 the Italian Radio-Television BroadcastingRAI produced the screenplay, Eleonora Duse. Notes
for a biography. G. Loverso and C. Serino were the
author of the script, directed by F. Bollini (1924-78).
Having analyzed the screenplay, we are able to understand how the myth of E. Duse was structured.
The analysis also explains why she became famous
among the television audience of the second half of
the 20th century. The screenplay sparked considerable debate and contrasting reactions, especially
based on the interpretation of the actress in the role
of Duse, L. Brignone (1913-84). Many admirers
wrote to Brignone about her interpretation of the
great tragedienne. The actress and writer E. De
Giorgi (1914-97) sent Brignone her study on E. Duse,
that allows us to focus on some distinctive features of
Duse’s acting, dividing the actress from the myth
Author and Authority. John Gielgud's Prospero in Peter Greenway's "Prospero's Books"
No full textIn 1991, film director Peter Greenaway turned William Shakespeare’s "The Tempest" into an experimental and visually daring film called "Prospero’s Books", starring John Gielgud as Prospero. Shot on 35mm film and edited making extensive use of electronic image processing, "Prospero’s Books" is a technologically advanced phantasmagoria that reveals the multiple aspects of Shakespeare's meta-masque. In the film, Gielgud voices all the characters, thus turning "The Tempest" into a creative act that unravels inside Prospero’s own mind. This way, "Prospero’s Books" questions the roles of the author, the actor and the director, taking "The Tempest" as a pre-text to a meta-linguistic meditation
Trust and Transparency in times of Crisis: Results from an Online Survey During the First Wave (April 2020) of the COVID-19 Epidemic in the UK
No full textBACKGROUND: The success of a government's COVID-19 control strategy relies on public trust and broad acceptance of response measures. We investigated public perceptions of the UK government's COVID-19 response, focusing on the relationship between trust and perceived transparency, during the first wave (April 2020) of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom. METHODS: Anonymous survey data were collected (2020-04-06 to 2020-04-22) from 9,322 respondents, aged 20+ using an online questionnaire shared primarily through Facebook. We took an embedded-mixed-methods approach to data analysis. Missing data were imputed via multiple imputation. Binomial & multinomial logistic regression were used to detect associations between demographic characteristics and perceptions or opinions of the UK government's response to COVID-19. Structural topic modelling (STM), qualitative thematic coding of sub-sets of responses were then used to perform a thematic analysis of topics that were of interest to key demographic groups. RESULTS: Most respondents (95.1%) supported government enforcement of behaviour change. While 52.1% of respondents thought the government was making good decisions, differences were apparent across demographic groups, for example respondents from Scotland had lower odds of responding positively than respondents in London. Higher educational levels saw decreasing odds of having a positive opinion of the government response and decreasing household income associated with decreasing positive opinion. Of respondents who thought the government was not making good decisions 60% believed the economy was being prioritised over people and their health. Positive views on government decision-making were associated with positive views on government transparency about the COVID-19 response. Qualitative analysis about perceptions of government transparency highlighted five key themes: (1) the justification of opacity due to the condition of crisis, (2) generalised mistrust of politics, (3) concerns about the role of scientific evidence, (4) quality of government communication and (5) questions about political decision-making processes. CONCLUSION: Our study suggests that trust is not homogenous across communities, and that generalised mistrust, concerns about the transparent use and communication of evidence and insights into decision-making processes can affect perceptions of the government's pandemic response. We recommend targeted community engagement, tailored to the experiences of different groups and a new focus on accountability and openness around how decisions are made in the response to the UK COVID-19 pandemic
Teatranti di razza. Intervista a Pamela Villoresi
No full textUna delle più importanti attrici del teatro italiano,
Pamela Villoresi, racconta il suo rapporto con Eleonora Duse, dialogando con Maria Letizia Compatangelo, autrice del monologo La musica dell’anima. Ritratto di Eleonora Duse, che da alcuni anni interpreta con successo in teatro. Dalla giovanile attrazione istintiva verso il “personaggio Duse” alla comprensione matura del valore delle sue innovazioni
nel campo della recitazione. Confronti, eredità, insegnamenti: due epoche diverse, ma lo stesso impegno
totalizzante verso il teatro.One of the most important actresses of the Italian
theatre, Pamela Villoresi, talks about her relationship with Eleonora Duse. She is in conversation with
Maria Letizia Compatangelo, author of the monologue La musica dell’anima. Ritratto di Eleonora
Duse, successfully interpreted for some years. Villoresi’s talk is from her youthful instinctive attraction to the “Duse character”, to her mature understanding of the value of her innovations in the field
of acting. Comparisons, legacies, teachings: two different periods, but the same all-encompassing commitment to the theatre
Author and Authority. John Gielgud's Prospero in Peter Greenway's "Prospero's Books"
No full textIn 1991, film director Peter Greenaway turned William Shakespeare’s "The Tempest" into an experimental and visually daring film called "Prospero’s Books", starring John Gielgud as Prospero. Shot on 35mm film and edited making extensive use of electronic image processing, "Prospero’s Books" is a technologically advanced phantasmagoria that reveals the multiple aspects of Shakespeare's meta-masque. In the film, Gielgud voices all the characters, thus turning "The Tempest" into a creative act that unravels inside Prospero’s own mind. This way, "Prospero’s Books" questions the roles of the author, the actor and the director, taking "The Tempest" as a pre-text to a meta-linguistic meditation
Comparison of 14-day catheter-related infection rates between standard and antiseptic-impregnated central venous catheters in intensive care patients
No full textThe most frequent life-threatening complication of central venous catheters (CVCs) is
septicaemia. Most CVC-related septicaemias derive from invasion of the catheter
wound by microorganisms from the patient’s own cutaneous microflora. To decrease
the rates of CVC related sepsis, it has been the practice of many intensive care units to
re-sito CVCs at specified intervals (e.g., every seven days). However, there is good
evidence to suggest that CVCs should remain in place until there is a clinical indication (e.g., fever without a known source) for change. In recent years, antisepticand antibiotic- impregnated catheters have been studied to determine whether they substantially reduce the incidence o f catheter-related infection, extend the time that CVCs can be left in place safely, and are, overall, cost-effective.
The purpose o f this study was to compare standard CVCs (ARROW Standard Triple
Lumen catheter, Arrow International, Inc., Reading, Pa, US) with chlorhexidine gluconate/silver sulfadiazine-impregnated CVCs (ARROWgard™ Triple Lumen
Catheter, Arrow International, Inc., Reading, Pa, US) left in situ for 14 days in adult
intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Clinical data were collected and microbiological
analyses were performed to determine the following: 1) the epidemiology of CVCrelated
infections (CRIs) in the General Intensive Care Unit, Johannesburg Hospital;
2) whether the use o f antiseptic-impregnated (ARROWgard) catheters can significantly decrease the incidence of catheter-related infection as compared to the ARROW Standard CVC at 14 days; and 3) whether the duration of catheter insertion can be safely increased to 14 days.
This is the first study conducted in South Africa documenting the epidemiology and
rates o f CVC-related infections (expressed per 1000 CVC days) in ICU patients, using
the synthesis o f both clinical and microbiological definitions as proposed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US. The General ICU of the Johannesburg Hospital is a multidisciplinary unit that admits trauma, medical,gynaecology and surgical patients.
Of the original sample of 149 patients receiving CVCs, only 118 CVCs were evaluable. Sixty-two patients received ARROW Standard CVCs and 56 received ARROWgard ™ CVCs. Data presented in this report on the types o f colonising organisms (predominantly skin colonisers) and those causing infections via the transcutaneous route are consistent with those described in other studies. The routes of catheter infection in our patients, viz., mainly transcutaneous and the catheter hub,are likewise well documented in the literature. Molecular techniques (macrorestriction analysis using PFGE) were found to be useful in elucidating the aetiological role of coagulase-negative staphylococci in CRIs.
There was no statistically significant difference in total bloodstream infection rates between the group of patients who received ARROW Standard catheters (14.1 CRB s/1000 CVC days) and those who received ARROWgard catheters (10.8 CRBsZ 1000 CVC days). If only primary bloodstream infections are considered (i.e., excluding haematogenous seeding o f the CVC) there is still no statistically significant difference in CRI rates between the 2 catheter groups (12.7 CRTs/1000 CVC days and 8.1 CRTs/1000 CVC days for the ARROW Standard and ARROWgard ™ CVCs respectively). It is pertinent to note that the absence of statistical significance between the 2 groups was noted despite the fact that the ARROW Standard CVC group included more than double the number of trauma patients than the ARROWgard ™ group (20/62 [69%] versus 9/56 [31%] respectively). Furthermore, all patients with an additional intravascular catheter other than a CVC (6/118 [5.1%]) all belonged to the ARROW Standard group. Trauma patients as well as patients with other intravascular devices are, for obvious reasons, more likely to be susceptible to CRTs. Statistical analyses showed, in this study, that it was significant that more than double the number of trauma patients (p = 0.04) and all patients with other intravascular devices (p - 0.016) belonged to the ARROW Standard group with no apparent difference in infection rates in the 2 groups.
The mean duration of catheter placement for the full sample of 118 CVCs was 12.31
days. The relatively high rates of CRTs documented in our ICU should caution practitioners against leaving catheters in situ for periods longer than absolutely
necessary. Further studies carried out in multi-disciplinary ICUs are required to
determine an acceptable range of sepsis rates in this setting. Such studies should also
investigate the optimal duration of CVC placement.
This study adds to the growing body of literature that suggests that chlorhexidine gluconate/silver sulfadiazine-impregnated CVCs are marginally, if at all, more effective than standard catheters in reducing CRIs. Until such time that more data become available to confirm or refute the anti-infective benefits, and therefore the cost-effectiveness, of chlorhexidine gluconate /silver-sulfadiazine impregnated CVCs, it seems reasonable to reduce CRTs by concentrating on meticulous infection control practice
Masques: men and Marburg
No full textMSc (Med) (Bioethics and Health Law), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersran
Investigation of Contamination of Community Groundwater Sources with Antibiotics in Informal Settlements of Kisumu, Kenya
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy, to the Faculty of Health Science, School of Pathology, at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2023.Antibiotics have been used to cure diseases, but there are growing concerns about the risk to human health caused by inadvertent exposure to low levels of antibiotics in the environment. Despite extensive reporting from the developed world on antibiotic pollution of groundwater, relatively little study has been conducted on antibiotic contamination of groundwater in the developing countries, particularly informal settlements. Antibiotic usage and misuse have long been seen as clinical events, with little understanding of the role of disposal in the development of environmentally induced resistance. Exposure pathways that contribute to groundwater contamination in informal settlements put residents at odds because they already face inequalities, such as a high disease burden exacerbated by antibiotic resistance; thus, proper antibiotic disposal is critical in protecting human and environmental health. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to establish the prevalence of groundwater contamination with the common antibiotics’ such as sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, and metronidazole, and the related antibiotic resistance and the human health risk of exposure. Ethical clearance to conduct research was obtained from three institutions as follows: - the Health Research Ethic Committee of the university of the Witwatersrand (HREC. Protocol Number M190412); the Kenyatta National Hospital and University of Nairobi Ethics and Research Committee (KNH/UoN-ERC. Ref No. P71910/2018); and the National Commission for Science, Technology, and Innovation (Ref No. NACOSTI/P/19/3232/28732). Each respondent gave informed consent to participate in the study. Anonymity was maintained at all levels of the study to protect the study participants from identification. Antibiotic use, which is connected to antibiotic disposal, was evaluated in a random sample of 447 families. From the 188 mapped groundwater sources, a random sample of 49 groundwater sources was chosen, and water samples were taken for antibiotic concentration analysis utilising a solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography coupled to magnetic sector high resolution mass spectrometry (SPE-LC-MS/MS). The Kirky-Bauber diffusion method was used to test antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli. The community's potential groundwater contamination routes were assessed by determining antibiotic use and disposal among households as well as assessing the environmental risk of exposure. In the households visited, 75% (n=337) were female and 25% (n=110) were male. The prevalence of antibiotic use in informal settlements was 43% (n=193), with 70% (n=137) users reporting that they obtained the antibiotics through a prescription from a health practitioner. A significant relationship was observed between having HIV/AIDS and acquiring antibiotics through a prescription; p=0.001. An association was also observed among the informal settlements, where a lower number of MNY B dwellers did not receive a prescription for the antibiotics acquired. There was no statistically significant difference in antibiotic use between males and females; odds ratio=1.33; whereas there was a difference in HIV/AIDS status; odds ratio=0.313; and among informal settlements where the odds of using antibiotics were reduced in NY B; odds ratio=0.42. Respondents who used antibiotics either kept the unused antibiotics for future use 87.1% (n=27) or disposed them. Among the disposals 51.6% (n=16) disposed in pit latrines, 16.1% (n=5) dispose in compost pits, and 6.5% (n=2) dispose the remaining antibiotics by burning. Females completed their antibiotic doses at a higher rate (36.3%; n=117) than males (32.5%; n=39). Significant difference was observed in completion rate among the HIV/AIDS positive and negative respondents as well as among informal settlements; p<0.000 and p=0.001 respectively. On the other hand, groundwater use in these communities is widespread. Respondents used it for a variety of purposes, including drinking (9%; n=39), though they declined to report. Awareness of the health consequences of drinking antibiotic-contaminated water was also low (35%; n=158), especially among households that reported antibiotic use; p=0.003. Only Sulfamethoxazole was detected in 7 out of 49 groundwater samples at a detection frequency of 14.3%; with concentrations ranging from nd to 258 ng/L. Escherichia coli and Cryptosporidium parvum were isolated from all the 49 water samples and E. coli isolates from 3 (6%) water samples were resistant to sulfamethoxazole with Inhibition Zone Diameters of 0.8 mm, 10.5 mm, and 11.5 mm. The 3 water samples were however not among samples where sulfamethoxazole was detected. The Hazard Quotient was 0 (zero), and therefore no risk of exposure to sulfamethoxazole in the environment, but the level of antibiotics that trigger antibiotic resistance is not known. Because of the rising problem of antibiotic resistance due to overuse and incorrect disposal, teaching on safe antibiotic prescription should be incorporated into medical training for all cadres. In addition to educating patients on proper use and disposal, the ministries of health should ensure the antimicrobial stewardship standards are adhered to both locally and worldwide. Follow-up research of antibiotic resistance discovered in three groundwater sources must be done to eliminate the possible sources and prevent further spread. This study is instrumental in informing the inclusion of antibiotics on the list of frequently monitored contaminants during water treatment, as well as serving as a starting point for antibiotic surveillance in Kenya.Consortium for Advanced Research Training in Africa (CARTA)MMM202
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