Iron transportation across the placenta

According to the classification of placental types among animals, the transfer of iron through the placenta can occur via: absorption connected to transferin through the outer surface of the trophoblast in direct contact with circulating maternal blood; absorption of the erythrocytes by the chorionic epithelium in direct contact with accumulation of blood extravased from haemotophagous areas; absorption by the chorionic epithelium in direct contact with iron enriched secretions from the endometrial glands and absorption by extravasations of the blood in the maternal-fetal surface and the subsequent phagocytosis of the erythrocytes by trophoblast cells described in bovine, small ruminants, canine and feline. The function of erythrophagocytosis observed after the extravasation of blood in the maternal-fetal interface is undefined in several species. Possibly, the iron is transferred to the fetus through the trophoblastic erythrophagocytosis in the hemophogous area of the placenta and also in the endometrial glands. In this literature survey, new methods of studies regarding placental transfer involving iron and other nutrients necessary for survival and maintenance of embryonic fetus to birth are proposed.

Endotracheal suction in intubated critically ill adult patients undergoing mechanical ventilation: a systematic review

AIM: identify and analyze in the literature the evidence of randomized controlled trials on care related to the suctioning of endotracheal secretions in intubated, critically ill adult patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. METHOD: the search was conducted in the PubMed, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL and LILACS databases. From the 631 citations found, 17 studies were selected. RESULTS: Evidence was identified for six categories of intervention related to endotracheal suctioning, which were analyzed according to outcomes related to hemodynamic and blood gas alterations, microbial colonization, nosocomial infection, and others. CONCLUSIONS: although the evidence obtained is relevant to the practice of endotracheal aspiration, the risks of bias found in the studies selected compromise the evidence's reliability.

Antifungal activity of lectins against yeast of vaginal secretion

Lectins are carbohydrate-binding proteins of non-imune origin. This group of proteins is distributed widely in nature and they have been found in viruses, microorganisms, plants and animals. Lectins of plants have been isolated and characterized according to their chemical, physical-chemical, structural and biological properties. Among their biological activities, we can stress its fungicidal action. It has been previously described the effect of the lectins Dviol, DRL, ConBr and LSL obtained from the seeds of leguminous plants on the growth of yeasts isolated from vaginal secretions. In the present work the experiments were carried out in microtiter plates and the results interpreted by both methods: visual observations and a microplate reader at 530nm. The lectin concentrations varied from 0.5 to 256µg/mL, and the inoculum was established between 65-70% of trammitance. All yeast samples isolated from vaginal secretion were evaluated taxonomically, where were observed macroscopic and microscopic characteristics to each species. The LSL lectin did not demonstrate any antifungal activity to any isolate studied. The other lectins DRL, ConBr and DvioL, showed antifungal potential against yeast isolated from vaginal secretion. These findings offering offer a promising field of investigation to develop new therapeutic strategies against vaginal yeast infections, collaborating to improve women's health.

Cementum, apical morphology and hypercementosis: a probable adaptive response of the periodontal support tissues and potential orthodontic implications

Information about orthodontic movement of teeth with hypercementosis is scarce. As cementum deposition continues to occur, cementum is expected to change the shape of the root and apex over time, but this has not yet been demonstrated. Nor has it ever been established whether it increases or decreases the prevalence of root resorption during orthodontic treatment. The unique biological function of the interconnected network of cementocytes may play a role in orthodontic movement and its associated root resorptions, but no research has ever been conducted on the topic. Unlike cementum thickness and hypercementosis, root and apex shape has not yet been related to patient age. A study of the precise difference between increased cementum thickness and hypercementosis is warranted. Hypercementosis refers to excessive cementum formation above and beyond the extent necessary to fulfill its normal functions, resulting in abnormal thickening with macroscopic changes in the tooth root, which may require the delivery of forces that are different from conventional mechanics in their intensity, direction and distribution. What are the unique features and specificities involved in moving teeth that present with hypercementosis? Bodily movements would be expected to occur, since inclination might prove difficult to achieve, but would the root resorption index be higher or lower?

A quantitative TaqMan PCR assay for the detection of Ureaplasma diversum

Ureaplasma diversum in veterinary studies is an undesirable microbe, which may cause infection in bulls and may result in seminal vesiculitis, balanopostitis, and alterations in spermatozoids, whereas in cows, it may cause placentitis, fetal alveolitis, abortion, and birth of weak calves. U. diversum is released through organic secretions, especially semen, preputial and vaginal mucus, conjunctival secretion, and milk. The aim of the present study was to develop a TaqMan probe, highly sensitive and specific quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay for the detection and quantification of U. diversum from genital swabs of bovines. Primers and probes specific to U. diversum 16S rRNA gene were designed. The specificity, detection limit, intra- and inter-assay variability of qPCR to detect this ureaplasma was compared with the results of the conventional PCR assay (cPCR). Swabs of vaginal mucus from 169 cows were tested. The qPCR assay detected as few as 10 copies of U. diversum and was 100-fold more sensitive than the cPCR. No cross-reactivity with other Mollicutes or eubacteria was observed. U. diversum was detected in 79 swabs (46.42%) by qPCR, while using cPCR it was detected in 42 (25%) samples. The difference in cPCR and qPCR ureaplasma detection between healthy and sick animals was not statistically significant. But the U. diversum load in samples from animals with genital disorders was higher than in healthy animals. The qPCR assay developed herein is highly sensitive and specific for the detection and quantification of U. diversum in vaginal bovine samples.

Den flygande maran : En studie om åtta narkotikabrukande kvinnor i Stockholm

Between April 1997 and November 1999, I followed eight socially excluded female drug users in an attempt to describe their lives and living conditions. The study employs an ethnographic approach with the focus being directed at the specific woman and her life in relation to the social context where this life is lived. The study’s objective has been to describe the lives and living conditions of the eight drug-using women, as well as the extent of the opportunities available to them, as being determined by mechanisms of social exclusion. Their lives are understood on the basis of a feminist and social constructionist perspective where perceptions of ‘the drug-abusing woman’ are regarded as the result of constructions of gender and deviance. The theoretical perspectives proceeds from the idea that one is not born a woman but rather becomes one. The fundamental idea is that women become women by means of processes of femininisation, in the context of which certain ways of interpreting and presenting oneself as a woman are regarded as good and others as bad. Our images of ‘the female drug addict’ are based on how we define and interpret deviance and on the cultural and social thought and behaviour patterns we ascribe to people on the basis of bodily differences. It is images of ‘the good woman’ that defines what we regard as characteristic of ‘the bad woman’ and vice versa. The findings are organised into three main topics: femininity, living conditions and social control. The main findings are: The women described themselves as women by relating to normative messages about how women “are and should be”, and their drug use constituted a means of coping with life from their social position. Their life revolved to a large extent around money via a constant struggle to find enough to cover the rent, food and other basic necessities. And finally, how the women’s relations to societal institutions were formed by their social position as ‘female drug addicts’ and how the asymmetry of these relations produced certain fixed patterns of action for the parties involved.

Women's subjective and objective health over time : the role of psychosocial conditions and physiological stress responses

Today, health problems are likely to have a complex and multifactorial etiology, whereby psychosocial factors interact with behaviour and bodily responses. Women generally report more health problems than men. The present thesis concerns the development of women’s health from a subjective and objective perspective, as related to psychosocial living conditions and physiological stress responses. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies were carried out on a representative sample of women. Data analysis was based on a holistic person-oriented approach as well as a variable approach. In Study I, the women’s self-reported symptoms and diseases as well as self-rated general health status were compared to physician-rated health problems and ratings of the general health of the women, based on medical examinations. The findings showed that physicians rated twice as many women as having poor health compared to the ratings of the women themselves. Moreover, the symptom ”a sense of powerlessness” had the highest predictive power for self-rated general health. Study II investigated individual and structural stability in symptom profiles between adolescence and middle-age as related to pubertal timing. There was individual stability in symptom reporting for nearly thirty years, although the effect of pubertal timing on symptom reporting did not extend into middle-age. Study III explored the longitudinal and current influence of socioeconomic and psychosocial factors on women’s self-reported health. Contemporary factors such as job strain, low income, financial worries, and double exposure in terms of high job strain and heavy domestic responsibilities increased the risk for poor self-reported health in middle-aged women. In Study IV, the association between self-reported symptoms and physiological stress responses was investigated. Results revealed that higher levels of medically unexplained symptoms were related to higher levels of cortisol, cholesterol, and heart rate. The empirical findings are discussed in relation to existing models of stress and health, such as the demand-control model, the allostatic load model, the biopsychosocial model, and the multiple role hypothesis. It was concluded that women’s health problems could be reduced if their overall life circumstances were improved. The practical implications of this might include a redesign of the labour market giving women more influence and control over their lives, both at and away from work.

Contribution of Vision and Proprioception to the Precision of Reaching Movements

Ren and colleagues (2006) found that saccades to visual targets became less accurate when somatosensory information about hand location was added, suggesting that saccades rely mainly on vision. We conducted two kinematic experiments to examine whether or not reaching movements would also show such strong reliance on vision. In Experiment 1, subjects used their dominant right hand to perform reaches, with or without a delay, to an external visual target or to their own left fingertip positioned either by the experimenter or by the participant. Unlike saccades, reaches became more accurate and precise when proprioceptive information was available. In Experiment 2, subjects reached toward external or bodily targets with differing amounts of visual information. Proprioception improved performance only when vision was limited. Our results indicate that reaching movements, unlike saccades, are improved rather than impaired by the addition of somatosensory information.

Macchine esperienziali: Narrativa, cognizione e atto di lettura

La mia tesi si riallaccia al dibattito teorico-letterario contemporaneo sulla possibilità di un approccio cognitivo alla narrativa e alla letteratura in particolare. Essa si propone di esplorare il rapporto tra narrazione ed esperienza, ridefinendo il concetto di “esperienzialità” della narrativa introdotto da Monika Fludernik nel suo Towards a “Natural” Narratology (1996). A differenza di Fludernik, che ha identificato l’esperienzialità con la rappresentazione dell’esperienza dei personaggi, la mia trattazione assegna un ruolo di primo piano al lettore, cercando di rispondere alla domanda: perché leggere una storia è – o si costituisce come – un’esperienza? L’intuizione dietro tutto ciò è che le teorizzazioni dell’esperienza e della coscienza nella filosofia della mente degli ultimi venti anni possano gettare luce sull’interazione tra lettori e testi narrativi. Il mio punto di riferimento principale è la scienza cognitiva “di seconda generazione”, secondo cui l’esperienza è un relazionarsi attivo e corporeo al mondo. La prima parte del mio studio è dedicata all’intreccio tra la narrativa e quello che chiamo lo “sfondo esperienziale” di ogni lettore, un repertorio di esperienze già note ai lettori attraverso ripetute interazioni con il mondo fisico e socio-culturale. Mi soffermo inoltre sul modo in cui relazionarsi a un testo narrativo può causare cambiamenti e slittamenti in questo sfondo esperienziale, incidendo sulla visione del mondo del lettore. Mi rivolgo poi al coinvolgimento corporeo del lettore, mostrando che la narrativa può attingere allo sfondo esperienziale dei suoi fruitori anche sul piano dell’esperienza di base: le simulazioni corporee della percezione contribuiscono alla nostra comprensione delle storie, incidendo sia sulla ricostruzione dello spazio dell’ambientazione sia sulla relazione intersoggettiva tra lettori e personaggi. Infine, mi occupo del rapporto tra l’esperienza della lettura e la pratica critico-letteraria dell’interpretazione, sostenendo che – lungi dal costituire due modalità opposte di fruizione dei testi – esse sono intimamente connesse.

Sviluppo, Basi Neurali e Patologie del Sé corporeo

Il presente elaborato ha per oggetto la tematica del Sé, in particolar modo il Sé corporeo. Il primo capitolo illustrerà la cornice teorica degli studi sul riconoscimento del Sé corporeo, affrontando come avviene l’elaborazione del proprio corpo e del proprio volto rispetto alle parti corporee delle altre persone. Il secondo capitolo descriverà uno studio su soggetti sani che indaga l’eccitabilità della corteccia motoria nei processi di riconoscimento sé/altro. I risultati mostrano un incremento dell’eccitabilità corticospinale dell’emisfero destro in seguito alla presentazione di stimoli propri (mano e cellulare), a 600 e 900 ms dopo la presentazione dello stimolo, fornendo informazioni sulla specializzazione emisferica substrati neurali e sulla temporalità dei processi che sottendono all’elaborazione del sé. Il terzo capitolo indagherà il contributo del movimento nel riconoscimento del Sé corporeo in soggetti sani ed in pazienti con lesione cerebrale destra. Le evidenze mostrano come i pazienti, che avevano perso la facilitazione nell’elaborare le parti del proprio corpo statiche, presentano tale facilitazione in seguito alla presentazione di parti del proprio corpo in movimento. Il quarto capitolo si occuperà dello sviluppo del sé corporeo in bambini con sviluppo atipico, affetti da autismo, con riferimento al riconoscimento di posture emotive proprie ed altrui. Questo studio mostra come alcuni processi legati al sé possono essere preservati anche in bambini affetti da autismo. Inoltre i dati mostrano che il riconoscimento del sé corporeo è modulato dalle emozioni espresse dalle posture corporee sia in bambini con sviluppo tipico che in bambini affetti da autismo. Il quinto capitolo sarà dedicato al ruolo dei gesti nel riconoscimento del corpo proprio ed altrui. I dati di questo studio evidenziano come il contenuto comunicativo dei gesti possa facilitare l’elaborazione di parti del corpo altrui. Nella discussione generale i risultati dei diversi studi verranno considerati all’interno della loro cornice teorica.

Evaluation einer kognitiv-verhaltensbezogenen Gruppen- und Einzeltherapie zur Behandlung von Patienten mit Hypochondrie

Das Störungsbild der Hypochondrie stellt für die Betroffenen eine erhebliche Belastung und Beeinträchtigung dar und ist zudem von hoher gesundheitspolitischer Relevanz. Hieraus ergibt sich die Notwendigkeit für die Entwicklung und Evaluation wirkungsvoller Behandlungsansätze. Mit der vorliegenden Untersuchung wird die bisher umfangreichste Studie zur Wirksamkeit von gruppentherapeutischen Interventionen bei Patienten mit Hypochondrie beschrieben. Insgesamt nahmen 35 Patienten, die die DSM-IV-Kriterien der Hypochondrie erfüllten, an der Studie teil. Die durchgeführte Behandlung bestand aus insgesamt acht Gruppen- und sechs Einzelsitzungen. Zur Beurteilung des Therapieerfolgs wurden standardisierte Fragebogen und Einschätzungen der behandelnden Therapeuten eingeholt. Zudem wurde vor und nach der Behandlung die implizite Ängstlichkeit der Patienten mit Hilfe des Ängstlichkeits-IATs (Egloff & Schmukle, 2002) erfasst. Die Datenerhebung der Fragebögen erfolgte zu vier Messzeitpunkten. Eine Teilgruppe der Patienten (n = 10) konnte zudem über eine zweimonatige Wartezeit befragt werden. Ingesamt wurde die Therapie von den Patienten gut akzeptiert. Im Laufe der Behandlung zeigten sich auf den Selbstbeurteilungsverfahren umfangreiche Veränderungen im Erleben und Verhalten der Patienten. Es zeigte sich eine Reduktion von krankheitsbezogenen Kognitionen und Ängsten, eine Abnahme des Krankheitsverhaltens und eine Zunahme von Störungs- und Bewältigungswissen. Die Reduktion der hypochondrischen Symptomatik stellte sich als klinisch relevant heraus. Zudem zeigte sich eine Reduktion der allgemeinen Belastung und Ängstlichkeit sowie depressiver und körperlicher Symptome. Die Einschätzungen der behandelnden Therapeuten bestätigten die mittels Fragebogen ermittelten Befunde. Mit Hilfe des Ängstlichkeits-IATs konnte eine Veränderung des angstbezogenen Selbstkonzepts nachgewiesen werden. In einer Wartekontrollzeit zeigten sich nur geringfügige Reduktionen der hypochondrischen Symptomatik und keine bedeutsamen Reduktionen der allgemeinen Psychopathologie. Die Ergebnisse der durchgeführten Kombinationstherapie sind mit den Befunden bisheriger Evaluationen zur Effektivität von Einzeltherapien bei Hypochondrie vergleichbar. Die Befunde unterstreichen die Gleichwertigkeit von ökonomischeren gruppentherapeutischen Interventionen bei der Behandlung der Hypochondrie.

La responsabilità del vettore aereo e marittimo internazionale

Il presente lavoro si articola in due parti, la prima delle quali affronta il tema della responsabilità del vettore aereo internazionale, la seconda quello della responsabilità del vettore marittimo internazionale. Nella prima parte vi è un primo capitolo dedicato ad un inquadramento della disciplina normativa internazionale in materia di responsabilità del vettore aereo, dalla Convenzione dell’Aja del 1955 alla Convenzione di Montreal del 1999; il secondo capitolo è rivolto ad una disamina delle varie ipotesi di responsabilità del vettore, con particolare riferimento a quella per i sinistri alla persona del passeggero; il terzo capitolo costituisce un approfondimento sulla risarcibilità del danno psichico nella Convenzione di Montreal. Quanto alla seconda parte dell’elaborato, il quarto capitolo descrive la normativa vigente in materia di trasporto marittimo internazionale di persone e cose, mentre i due capitoli successivi trattano, rispettivamente, le varie ipotesi di responsabilità del vettore nel trasporto marittimo di persone e di merci ai sensi della Convenzione di Atene e delle Regole di Rotterdam. Il lavoro si chiude con alcune considerazioni conclusive.

Drosophila melanogaster as a model to study host-parasitoid interactions: the case of the polydnaviral protein TnBVANK1

Parasitic wasps attack a number of insect species on which they feed, either externally or internally. This requires very effective strategies for suppressing the immune response and a finely tuned interference with the host physiology that is co-opted for the developing parasitoid progeny. The wealth of physiological host alterations is mediated by virulence factors encoded by the wasp or, in some cases, by polydnaviruses (PDVs), unique viral symbionts injected into the host at oviposition along with the egg, venom and ovarian secretions. PDVs are among the most powerful immunosuppressors in nature, targeting insect defense barriers at different levels. During my PhD research program I have used Drosophila melanogaster as a model to expand the functional analysis of virulence factors encoded by PDV focusing on the molecular processes underlying the disruption of the host endocrine system. I focused my research on a member of the ankyrin (ank) gene family, an immunosuppressant found in bracovirus, which associates with the parasitic wasp Toxoneuron nigriceps. I found that ankyrin disrupts ecdysone biosynthesis by impairing the vesicular traffic of ecdysteroid precursors in the cells of the prothoracic gland and results in developmental arrest.

Einfluss unterschiedlicher polymerer Nanopartikel auf das Differenzierungsverhalten von humanen Stammzellen

n der vorliegenden Dissertation wurde systematisch die Interaktion von rnunterschiedlichen polymeren Nanopartikeln auf die Zellfunktionalität und das rnDifferenzierungspotential zweier humaner Stammzelllinien (mesenchymale und rnhämatopoetische Stammzellen) untersucht. Als Modellsystem wurden Polystyrol-rnPartikel für bioinerte Nanopartikel und PLLA-Partikel als Modell für bioabbaubare Nanopartikel gewählt. rnDie Analyse der Partikelaufnahme und der Zytotoxizität ergab, dass alle getesteten Partikel nach einen Zeitraum von 24 h und einer Inkubation mit 300 µg/mL Partikeln in beiden Zellsorten nicht toxisch waren. Für die CTMA-Cl-stabilisierten Partikel wurde während Differenzierungsversuche mit hMSCs eine Langzeittoxizität festgestellt, so dass diese Partikel für weitere Versuche nicht verwendet werden konnten. rnAlle Partikel wurden in die Zellen aufgenommen. Die Lutensol-stabilisierten Polystyrol-Partikel zeigten sowohl in unfunktionalisierter Form als auch mit Aminogruppen auf der Oberfläche ein geringeres Aufnahmeverhalten in hMSCs und wurden deswegen nicht für weitere Versuche verwendet. Die SDS-stabilisierten Polystyrol-Partikel zeigten eine gute Aufnahme, die durch die funktionalisierung mit Carboxylgruppen um ca. das 3-fache rnverstärkt werden konnte (hMSCs). Gleiches wurde für die CTMA-Cl stabilisierten rnPolystyrol und dem dazugehörigen aminofunktionalisierten Partikel beobachtet rn(hMSCs). In hHSCs wurden nur die SDS-stabilisierten Polystyrol-Partikel (nicht rnfunktionalisiert, carboxylfunktionalisiert) getestet. Hierbei konnte kein Unterschied bezüglich der Aufnahme festgestellt werden. Die PLLA- und PLLA-Fe-Partikel wurden sowohl in hMSCs als auch in hHSCs sehr gut und besser als die Polystyrol-Partikel aufgenommen. Das in den Partikeln eingebaute Magnetit zeigt keine Auswirkungen auf die Zellaufnahme. Für weitere Versuche wurden deshalb auf Grund der Aufnahme und Toxizitätsdaten die SDS-stabilisierten Polystyrol-Partikel (PS und PS-COOH) sowie die ebenfalls SDS-stabilisierten PLLA-Partikel (PLLA und PLLA-Fe) gewählt. Somit standen 4 Partikel zur Auswahl, die sich sowohl in ihrer Größe als auch im verwendeten Tensid nicht unterscheiden und so Aussagen über den Einfluss von Oberflächenfunktionalisierung sowie Magnetit zulassen. rnDie Zellfunktionalität der hMSCs unter Partikeleinfluss wurde mit Hilfe von IL-6 und IL-8 Messungen untersucht, hierbei zeigte sich, dass nur der PLLA-Fe-Partikel zu einer signifikant erhöhten IL-8 Ausschüttung führte, die Sekretion von IL-6 blieb vollständig unverändert. Die IL-8 Sekretion der hHSCs wurde durch die Anwesenheit der Partikel nicht verändert. rnUm den Einfluss der oben beschriebenen Partikel auf das Differenzierungspotential von hMSCs und hHSCs zu untersuchen, wurden beide Zelllinien vor der Induktion der Differenzierung für 24 h mit 300 µg/mL Partikeln inkubiert. Sowohl die histochemischen Färbungen der differenzierten hMSCs als auch die CD-Marker-Färbungen der differenzierten hHSCs zeigten keinen Einfluss der Partikel auf die Differenzierungsfähigkeit. Bei den hMSCs konnte auch keine durch die Partikel hervorgerufene Differenzierung nachgewiesen werden. Die Analyse der Differenzierung auf RNA-Ebene (qPCR) ergab jedoch für beide Zelllinien, dass einzelne Partikel einzelne Differenzierungsmarker in ihrer Expression positiv oder negativ beeinflussen. Einzig der PLLA-Partikel zeigt bei allen untersuchten Differenzierungsrichtungen in beiden Zelllinien rnkeine Veränderung der Expression. Die jeweils beobachteten Expressionsveränderungen sind jedoch nicht stark genug, um die Differenzierung sichtbar zu beeinflussen, was die histologischen bzw. CD-Marker-Färbungen gezeigt haben. rnIn einem Kooperationsprojekt mit der Gruppe von Arancha del Campo (MPI für rnPolymerforschung) wurde der Einfluss unterschiedlicher BMP-2-Peptide auf die rnosteogene Differenzierung von hMSCs untersucht. Hierbei konnte gezeigt werden, dass die unterschiedlichen Peptide in keiner Konzentration und Kombination eine positive Wirkung auf die osteogene Differenzierung haben. rnIm Rahmen eines Kooperationsprojekts mit Kerstin Münnemann (MPI für rnPolymerforschung) konnte gezeigt werden, dass eine quantitative Bestimmung des rnzellulären Eisengehalts nach Inkubation mit SPIOs sowohl mit Hilfe von MRT, H1rn NMR als auch UV/VIS Messungen bis zu einem Detektionslimit von 100.000 Zellen /mL (bei einer Beladung von 10 pg Fe/Zelle) erfolgen kann.

The structuring body : a critical study in the description & explanation of perceptual experience

The aims of the dissertation are to find the right description of the structure of perceptual experience and to explore the ways in which the structure of the body might serve to explain it. In the first two parts, I articulate and defend the claim that perceptual experience seems direct and the claim that its objects seem real. I defend these claims as integral parts of a coherent metaphysically neutral conception of perceptual experience. Sense-datum theorists, certain influential perceptual psychologists, and early modern philosophers (most notably Berkeley) all disputed the claim that perceptual experience seems direct. In Part I, I argue that the grounds on which they did so were poor. The aim is then, in Part II, to give a proper appreciation of the distinctive intentionality of perceptual experience whilst remaining metaphysically neutral. I do so by drawing on the early work of Edmund Husserl, providing a characterisation of the perceptual experience of objects as real, qua mind-independent particulars. In Part III, I explore two possible explanations of the structure characterising the intentionality of perceptual experience, both of which accord a distinctive explanatory role to the body. On one account, perceptual experience is structured by an implicit pre-reflective consciousness of oneself as a body engaged in perceptual activity. An alternative account makes no appeal to the metaphysically laden concept of a bodily self. It seeks to explain the structure of perceptual experience by appeal to anticipation of the structural constraints of the body. I develop this alternative by highlighting the conceptual and empirical basis for the idea that a first-order structural affordance relation holds between a bodily agent and certain properties of its body. I then close with a discussion of the shared background assumptions that ought to inform disputes over whether the body itself (in addition to its representation) ought to serve as an explanans in such an account.