3,132 research outputs found
Variations on the Author
No full text“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Imparare le lingue per abbracciare il mondo
No full textL’autrice che si colloca, come Daniela Zorzi, tra i fautori di una linguistica “impegnata”, propone in ricordo della studiosa amica, una riflessione sul ruolo cruciale del multilinguismo e delle lingue- culture, per il successo professionale e il benessere sociale, nella società contemporanea. Il multilinguismo appare come un’urgenza educativa che interpella studiosi e formatori a tutti i livelli al fine di promuovere nei giovani un apprendimento consapevole efficace ed autonomo.Multilingualism constitutes an urgent objective for education, which needs to involve teachers and researchers at all levels if we are to promote effective and autonomous learning in the young. Like Daniela Zorzi, the author considers herself a socially engaged linguist, and in memory of her friend’s work, offers a reflection on the key roles of languages and cultures and of multilingualism for professional success and social welfare today
Reclamações ambientais em Aveiro, Portugal: atores, preocupações, padrão territorial e resoluções
No full textThis paper presents an environmental diagnosis based on public complaints on environmental
issues submitted to the Environmental Department of the Aveiro City Council, Portugal, between
2000 and 2005. It discusses the potential influences of these in local environmental planning
and governance. The paper has been organised into five sections. The first of these introduces
the study. The second section focuses on the conceptual approaches relating to environmental
grassroots movements, the main actors involved in these movements and the role played by
local government. It also contains a brief review of the most recent urban environmental
quality challenges in the European context together with a description of the main features of
the associated political and legal framework in Portugal. The third section describes the case
study and the methodology used. The results of the empirical study are detailed in the fourth
section. The final section critically analyses these results with emphases on the temporal
evolution of the submission of complaints, the actors involved, the local environmental problems
and their associated spatial pattern as well as the responses given by the City Council. This
information may then be used to provide a useful indicator for the perception of environmental
quality as well as a credible instrument for the visualisation and evaluation of local performance
in terms of environmental planning and management.AlBan Programme - n. E05M053040B
Software based analysis of local zona pellucida thickness variation: bending energy as a predictive window on day 2 embryo fate.
No full text2)Objective of the present retrospective observational study is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of “Embryon”,a new proposed software program based on the semiautomatic Local Zona Pellucida Thickness Variation (LZPTV) computation of Day 2 Intracytoplasmatic Sperm Injection (ICSI) embryos images to provide a reliable additional information regarding embryo fate.
3)LZPTV of day 2 ICSI embryos appears, after preliminary observations, able to provide a significant information as integrative standardized approach for Assisted Reproduction Technologies (ART) practice and research.
4)Zona Pellucida Thickness (ZPT) and ZPTV seem to successfully predict the clinical outcome of ART. A number of morphological, morphokinetics, automated and semi-automated non-invasive methodologies for the assessment of various human embryo stages has been developed to evaluate the feasibility of a human embryo to implant in a woman uterus but, up to date, none has been proven superior to the others.
5)400 embryo digitalized images from 150 ICSI patients observed at ART Unit “Sapienza” University of Rome, Italy, during October 2011-October 2012 were blindly retrospectively analyzed using “Embryon” software program (# IT RM2012A00025, Advanced Computer Systems ACS- Rome, Italy). It characterized the LZPTV of an embryo by a single numerical value.
6)The a-dimensional final value obtained by “Embryon” captures the high frequency variability of ZPT curve (Normalized Bending Energy), to evaluate the hypothesis that embryos with high LZPTV value (Top) have higher implantation capacities, thus higher probability to proceed to term (life birth) compared to embryos with lower score (Poor).
7)According to LZPTV absolute values, the 157 patients, with similar clinical and biological parameter were split in “Top” and “Poor” clusters: “Top” (Group A: 54 patients) if at least on “Top” embryo was present; “Poor” (Group B: 103 patients) if the previous condition is not verified. “Top” patients presented significantly higher birth rate (54.7%) compared to “Poor” patients (9.7%)(p<0.05).
8)If prospectively confirmed in a larger series of patients, possibly with single embryo transfer, for its robustness and total reproducibility, LZPTV may represent an integrative tool to distinguish embryos able to proceed to term. Factors not related to the embryo quality cannot be underestimated.
9)The proposed method is based on the computation of a “form factor”, rather than to its macroscopic characteristics. Similar methods (e.g. ZPTV) are focusing only on high-level average ZP value of the shape, whereas our approach analyzes a granular set of shape factors in proximity of the ZP border
Ultrasound detects joint damage and bleeding in haemophilic arthropathy: a proposal of a score
No full textTerm pregnancy and live birth subsequent to immediate uterine transfer of sperm microinjected oocyte in a natural cycle
No full textIt has been reported that it is possible to achieve a pregnancy after immediate uterine transfer of oocyte and sperm, before fertilization and cleavage were known to have occurred; there is an enormous amount of work about the optimal timing of embryo transfer, with no conclusive evidence of a gold standard satisfying patient age, endometrial receptivity, hormonal levels and embryological parameters. We hereby report a case of one 35-year-old nulligravid woman with longstanding tubal factor infertility and 3 previous failed ICSI cycles, treated with ICSI and immediate transfer of the oocyte microinjected with a spermatozoon in a natural cycle. A single oocyte was retrieved, injected with a spermatozoon and transferred 40 min after injection, resulting in an uneventful pregnancy and delivery of a healthy female infant weighing 3320 g at 40 weeks estimated gestational age. This case, certainly novel, should be interpreted with caution. Whether confirmed for efficacy and safeness in appropriate controlled clinical trials, our present observation could offer a simple, practical and cost-effective approach in ART programs in selected patients. © 2015 Informa UK Ltd
The possible role of hyperhomocysteinemia on IVF outcome
No full textTo evaluate the effect of the hyperhomocysteinemia on pregnancy rate, implantation rate and abortion rate after IVF. Data from a total of 48 infertile couples with hyperhomocysteinemia were prospectively collected for this study. All patients underwent a standard down regulation protocol for ovarian stimulation. Oocytes recovery was performed at 36 h after hCG administration. Embryo transfer took place at 48 h after insemination. The patients were matched in two groups that received or did not receive therapy (group A and B respectively) to normalize homocysteine plasma level. Pregnancy rate, implantation rate and abortion rate varied significantly (p<or=0.05) between the two groups. The number and quality of embryos transferred did not differ between the groups. The results suggest that hyperhomocysteinemia could affect IVF outcome
Chlamydia trachomatis and Ureaplasma urealyticum infection and In Vitro Fertilization outcome.
No full textJak rozumieć „historyczność” biblijnego Daniela? Różne kierunki wyjaśniania orędzia Księgi Daniela
No full textThe subject of this article is the issue of the historicity of the figure of Daniel, who is the main character of the biblical book bearing his name. The question of whether Daniel is a historical or just a literary figure is important because it influences the exegesis of the text of the Book of Daniel. First, the author will indicate the reasons for questioning the historicity of Daniel, and then he will present different approaches to interpreting the content of the Book of Daniel.Przedmiotem artykułu jest kwestia historyczności postaci Daniela, który jest głównym bohaterem księgi biblijnej noszącej jego imię. Pytanie o to, czy Daniel jest postacią historyczną, czy tylko literacką, jest ważne z tego powodu, że ma wpływ na egzegezę tekstu Księgi Daniela. Najpierw autor wskaże powody, na podstawie których podważa się historyczność Daniela, a następnie przedstawi różne podejścia w interpretacji treści Księgi Daniela
Rescue intrauterine insemination in women failing to retrieve oocytes at ovum pick-up. report of a case series
No full textPurpose. Failure to collect oocytes at the time of oocyte pick-up is an unfavorable outcome of in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. In these cases, prompt intrauterine insemination (IUI) could be an option (rescue IUI), but this possibility has been poorly studied.Methods Rescue IUI is routinely offered in our unit in women failing to retrieve oocytes, provided that they have at least one patent tube, normal male semen analysis, and the total number of developed follicles is <= 3. We therefore reviewed all oocyte retrievals performed from 2006 to 2022 in our unit to identify these cases. As a comparator, we referred to preplanned IUI performed during the same study period. The 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of proportions was calculated using a binomial distribution model.Results Rescue IUI was performed in 96 out of 3531 oocyte retrievals (2.7%; 95% CI 2.2-3.3%). Six live births were obtained, corresponding to 6.2% (95% CI 2.3-13.1). All pregnancies were singletons.Conclusions Rescue IUI in women failing to retrieve oocytes is a possible option that may be considered in selected cases. The efficacy is low, but the procedure is simple, and without significant risks. Generalizability to a conventional IVF protocol setting is however limited
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