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In this study of John Milton's \"L'Allegro\", \"Il Penseroso\", and \"Lycidas\", the perspective of an interpreting sign serves as the basis for analysis of the poems' allusions to the Orpheus myth. The idea of an interpretant proposed by Charles Sanders Peirce and the semiotic relations theorized by Jorgen Dines Johansen work as a lens that enables the reader to see the extent to which Milton recreated the Orpheus myth and used its recreating powers in his poems.Since the three poems have different and opposing voices, the Orpheus myth is the trigger behind the change of voices, as well as the modeling frame that underlies the transitions from an innocent to an enlightened viewpoint. Furthermore, readers in general and critics of all persuasions will have the chance to appreciate the presence of the Orpheus myth in Milton's work as the fragmented configuration of consciousness in the process of defining two orders of existence: the human and the divine.

Começo com um momento de The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (2003), de Mark Haddon, descrevendo um encontro com as coisas, na forma de uma enumeração e um tipo de colecção, onde vida corporal, sensorial, mental e imaginativa se fundem. Ao sondar as fronteiras porosas, afinidades e fricções entre sujeitos e objetos contemporâneos, com corpos, mentes especiais e coisas, este ensaio desenvolve novas abordagens para noções de materialidade, o mundo do objeto e a experiência corporificada enquanto também questiona desenvolvimentos na área da cultura material, estudos do objeto, fenomenologia cultural e teoria das coisas. Haddon e Boone (o narrador/protagonista) insistiram na base material de todos os aspectos da existência humana e finalmente concluíram que o sujeito pode ser transformado materialmente por meio da interação com objetos.  

I begin with a moment from Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time (2003) describing an encounter with things, in the form of an enumeration and a collection of sorts, where bodily, sensory, mental, and imaginative life are fused. Probing the porous boundaries, affinities, and frictions between contemporary subjects and objects, with bodies, special minds, and things, this essay develops novel approaches to notions of materiality, the object world, and embodied experience while also interrogating developments in the area of material culture, object studies, cultural phenomenology, and thing theory. Haddon and Boone (the narrator/protagonist) insisted on the material basis of all aspects of human existence and finally concluded that the subject can be materially transformed through interacting with objects.

Snakebites caused by Bothrops snakes are the most prevalent in the Amazon region, causing local and systemic complications. Local complications are mostly represented by necrosis, secondary bacterial infection and compartment syndrome. There are reports of long-term disabilities, but their burden is poorly investigated. This study aims to describe and estimate the frequency of physical and sensory long-term disabilities from Bothrops snakebites in the Manaus Region, in the western Brazilian Amazon region. Participants were >18-years individuals that accepted to return to the hospital 3–12 months (average follow-up time of 195 days) after the discharge for neuromusculoskeletal, chronic pain and sensory assessments. Assessment of disability was also performed using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). Factors associated with summary disability using WHODAS 2.0 were identified. Fifty participants were enrolled. A frequency of 20% of the participants reported difficulty in moving the affected limb (20%), and 23.7% reported difficulty in walking. Limitations of daily activities were reported by 26% of the patients. Decreased strength of the affected limb was observed in 22% of the patients. Decreased range of joint motion was seen in 20% of the patients. Chronic pain was reported in 48% of the patients. Tactile sensibility was decreased in 30%, thermal sensibility in 14%, painful sensibility (hypoalgesia) in 12%, kinetic-postural sensibility (hypokinesthesia) in 4% and vibratory sensibility was decreased or abolished in 16% of the participants. Cognition and mobility domains were those with the highest frequencies of participants with any degree of disability, each with 57%. The summary WHODAS 2.0 disability rate was 59%. Age > 59 years (p = 0.02)] was associated with protection against disability. Difficulty in moving the limb (p = 0.05), pain at the affected limb (p < 0.01), limitations of daily activities (p < 0.01) and decreased thermal sensibility (p = 0.05) were significantly associated with disability. The present study consists of the first follow-up investigation involving Bothrops snakebite patients related to long-term disabilities. These findings represent important data on Bothrops snakebites causing clinically significant long-term neuromusculoskeletal and sensory disabilities, resulting in reduced quality of life of the patients.

To minimize the environmental impact of sea salt production and promote agricultural sustainability, studies on the reuse of marine gypsum have piqued interest in semi-arid regions. This study aimed to (a) verify the characteristics of marine gypsum, (b) analyze its agronomic potential for replacing agricultural gypsum as a nutrient source in acidic sandy soils, and (c) assess its effectiveness in recreating sodic soils. The study comprised two experiments: acidic sandy soil (Red Latosol) and sodic clayey soil (Fluvic Neosol). Both experiments employed a completely randomized design with 14 treatments and three replications. The treatments included as follows: (1) soil without any additional treatment (Control-C); (2) agricultural gypsum (AG) (40 mesh-0.42 mm)-reference treatment; (3) 12 treatments involving marine gypsum (MG), with variations in recommended doses (50%, 100%, and 200%) and particle sizes (1.19, 0.84, 0.59, and 0.42 mm, corresponding to 16, 20, 30, and 40 mesh, respectively). MG exhibited higher levels of Ca 2 ⁺, Mg 2 ⁺, and S-SO 4 −2 and lower levels of Cd, Cr, Pb, and Ni, with a predominant mineralogy of gypsum. In sandy, acidic soils, adding marine gypsum (MG) increased the electrical conductivity (EC), Ca 2 ⁺, Mg 2 ⁺, K⁺, Na + , and S-SO 4 −2 , especially in the first leaches. Thus, MG is recommended at a dose of 100%, with a granulometry of 0.59 or 0.42 mm, as it proves as efficient as agricultural gypsum in providing calcium and sulfur to the soil and facilitating the vertical translocation of cations and anions. Both gypsum types were essential to increasing base saturation in this soil type. However, high MG doses may induce deficiencies in Mg 2 ⁺ and K⁺ due to leaching stimulation. In sodic soils, MG doses exceeding 50% of the recommended dose were more efficient than agricultural gypsum in lowering pH, increasing Mg 2 ⁺ and K⁺ contents, and reducing exchangeable Na⁺ content in the soil. Thus, we recommend a 100% MG dose with a particle size of 0.42 mm. We conclude that marine gypsum should replace agricultural gypsum as a source of nutrients in acidic sandy soil and for the recovery of sodic soil. Graphical abstract

Article info Article History : Received: 18 August 2016 Revised: 23 February 2017 Accepted: 7 March 2017 ePublished: 13 April 2017 Keywords: * Garlic * Chinese chive * Amoxicillin * Staphylococcus aureus * Infection Abstract Purpose: This study observed the effect of garlic extracts and amoxicillin against an induced staphylococcal infection model. MIC and MBC were also obtained for aqueous extracts of Allium sativum (Asa) and Allium tuberosum (Atu) against Staphylococcus aureus penicillin-sensitive (PSSA - ATCC 25923) and MRSA (ATCC 33592). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of amoxicillin against penicillin-sensitive S. aureus strains is usually below to 0.5 gg/mL.3 The beta-lactams' MIC against resistant strains could be hundred times higher than the usual MIC of sensitive strains. [...]there is a clear need for novel antimicrobials or new methods to improve the efficacy of old antibiotics. Garlic is often used in many forms (oils, powder, etc.), being also present in many pre-packaged foods, soups and bread used in a daily diet.6 Among the species of Allium spp., A. tuberosum (\"Chinese chive\") is an important ingredient in Asian cuisine, being used as a medicinal herb for many disorders and diseases.7 Both pressed juice and essential oil showed inhibition properties against a broad range of gram-positive and gram-negative microorganisms as well as many fungi.8 Allium sativum contains several biologically active chemical constituents, such as alliin, allicin, alliinase, S-allylcysteine and other organosulfur compounds.9 Alliin is a natural sulfoxide constituent of fresh garlic. Once exposed to the atmospheric air, allicin is converted into diallydissulphinate, which...

Snakebite envenomings (SBE) are an important and neglected health issue due to their frequency and potential for severe clinical outcomes. Envenomations can cause local and systemic complications, depending on the snake species, amount of venom injected, comorbidities, timing and use of antivenom, and access to health care. Systemic effects may be fatal or lead to permanent sequelae, including strokes resulting from venom-induced vascular and tissue damage. The objective of this study is to investigate the main clinical and epidemiological characteristics of individuals who developed stroke following SBE and to identify predictors of death. We conducted a systematic review and individual patient data meta-analysis using a predefined search strategy across MEDLINE/PubMed, LILACS, and SciELO databases, following PRISMA guidelines. A total of 100 studies were included, predominantly case reports and case series, comprising 130 individuals with stroke following SBE. Most patients were male (62.3%) and aged between 40 and 59 years (37.7%). Viperids caused 96.4% of the snakebites, particularly Daboia russelii and Bothrops spp. Most patients (90%) received antivenom therapy. Reported cases of snakebite-related stroke originated from 22 countries, mostly from India (36.9%), Brazil (13.9%) and Sri Lanka (10.8%). Ischemic strokes were more common than hemorrhagic strokes (61.5% vs. 38.5%), and multifocal brain involvement was predominant in both stroke types. Overall case-fatality was 23.4%. Sepsis [OR=6.21 (1.35-33.47); P = 0.001] and thrombocytopenia [OR=3.97 (1.66-10.03); P = 0.02] were predictors of deaths. Hemorrhagic stroke [OR=2.67 (1.15-6.31); P = 0.02], multiple brain lesions in a single hemisphere [OR=7.57 (2.33-33.39); P < 0.001], and subarachnoid hemorrhage [OR=7.00 (1.87-29.4)); P = 0.001] significantly increased the risk of death. Motor sequelae remained the most common long-term outcome (22.4%), occurring significantly more often in ischemic stroke survivors (28.8% vs. 9.4%, P = 0.05). Autopsy findings revealed intense brain alterations generally in parallel with damage in other organs such as the kidneys, lung, and heart. Strokes from SBE represent a potential medical emergency in low- and middle-income countries where snakebites predominate, and lead to high rates of mortality and long-term disability. Recognizing stroke as a disabling and underreported consequence of snakebite is essential for improving clinical outcomes and guiding public health responses. Integrating the knowledge on predictors of death from SBE-relate strokes into health policies will be vital for reducing long-term morbidity and advancing disability-inclusive strategies.

The present study investigated the association between the rs12979860 polymorphism in the IL-28B gene and HTLV-1 infection as well as the development of HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis (HAM/TSP). HTLV-1-infected patients (26 HAM/TSP symptomatic and 53 asymptomatic) and 300 seronegative healthy controls were investigated. Plasma levels of the cytokines TNF-α, TNF-β, IL-8, IL-10, IL-6, and IFN-γ from infected patients were measured using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The HTLV proviral load was measured using a real-time PCR assay, and T-cell subset counts were determined by flow cytometry. Real-time PCR was used to genotype the rs12979860 SNP. The allelic and genotypic distributions displayed no significant differences among the investigated groups. No significant association between the serum cytokine levels and the presence of the rs12979860 SNP in symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects was observed. A positive correlation ( p = 0.0015 ) between TNF-β and IFN-γ was observed in the asymptomatic group, but a positive correlation was only observed ( p = 0.0180 ) between TNF-α and IL-6 in the HAM/TSP group. The proviral load was significantly higher in HAM/TSP patients than in asymptomatic subjects. The present results do not support a previous report indicating an association between the SNP rs12979860 and HAM/TSP outcome.