Temporary occlusion of the inferior lacrimal punctum and canaliculi of dogs with n-butyl-cyanoacrylate and 2-octyl-cyanoacrylate

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Gedanken über das Punctum saliens im Musikleben, -Lehren und -Schaffen /

Mode of access: Internet.

Two-Year Outcome of Partial Lacrimal Punctal Occlusion in the Management of Dry Eye Related to Sjogren Syndrome

Purpose: To analyze the influence of thermal partial punctal occlusion on the ocular surface of dry eye related to Sjogren syndrome. Material and Methods: Thirty-seven eyes of 19 patients (3 male and 16 female; 49.11 +/- 14.33 years old) with keratoconjunctivitis sicca were enrolled in this study. Superior and inferior partial occlusion were performed in both eyes under topical anesthesia using thermal cautery with a sterile tip to obtain lacrimal punctum smaller than 0.5 mm. Schirmer I, break-up-time, diameter of lacrimal puncta, corneal fluorescein, and rose Bengal staining scores were analyzed before and after 24 weeks and after 24 months of the procedure. All measurements were performed under controlled climate. Results: The average lacrimal punctum diameter before the procedure was 0.65 +/- 0.134 mm. All lacrimal puncta were successfully reduced to less than 0.5 mm after 4 weeks of the procedure. The average Schirmer I test values improved statistically after 24 weeks and maintained stable after 24 months. Average break-up-time, rose Bengal, and fluorescein staining score values improved statistically after 24 weeks and improved even more after 24 months. Average Schirmer I test, break-up-time, rose Bengal, and fluorescein staining scores showed significant improvement (p < 0.0001) after 24 months of partial thermal punctal occlusion. Conclusion: Our study showed that reducing the punctum diameter to 0.5 mm can improve vital staining scores, break-up-time, and Schirmer I test in dry eye related to Sjogren syndrome.

Ojos aniquilados: ceguera reveladora y apagamiento de las imágenes en el cine de Angelopoulos, Bresson, Kiarostami, Majidi, Sokurov

A partir de tres ideas -la "impercepción" (el "punctum caecum") en el pensamiento de Maurice Merleau-Ponty, la "ceguera" en Jacques Derrida, y la teoría del "no ver" en Maurice Blanchot y Michel de Certeau-, se analizan algunos ejemplos del cine contemporáneo que constituyen imágenes representativas de la confluencia entreexperiencia-límite y representación-límite, del apagamiento místico de los sentidos y del estrecho intervalo entre lo visible y lo invisible: "teología cero" de lo "siempre ausente" (Derrida), "éxtasis blanco" (Certeau). Algunos escritores hablan de cerrar los ojos, de ojos vacíos de mirada, de cegarse para ver (A. Breton, P. Celan, J. Joyce, R. M. Rilke): la visión coincide con el desvanecimiento de las cosas vistas para hacer de esta"ausencia de visión el punto culminante de la mirada" (M. Blanchot). En el cine de Theo Angelopoulos, Robert Bresson, Abbas Kiarostami, Majid Majidi y Aleksandr Sokurov se emplean diversos recursos -el fuera de campo, los fundidos en blanco o en negro, la pantalla a oscuras¿- orientados a expresar -por medio de este espacio vacío- aquello de otro modo inexpresable. Estos recursos reflejan la dialéctica visible-invisible, la contraimagen de la mirada, la "mirada sin mirada" (Angelopoulos) hasta "perder por completo la noción de imagen" (Bresson). Se trata, en definitiva, de "la retirada de lo divino al fondo de una presencia-ausencia" (Jean-Luc Nancy) expresada por medio del eclipse o la extinción de las imágenes.

Iloinen talo? - lähikuvassa Väestörekisterikeskuksen logo

Tutkimuksessa lähiluetaan Väestörekisterikeskuksen logoa. Tutkimussuuntia on kolme: verrattuna Väestörekisterikeskuksen edelliseen logoon, Roland Barthesin myytti- sekä studium ja punctum -teorioiden pohjalta tarkasteltuna sekä VRK:n viestintä- ja markkinointitiimin haastattelun kautta pohdittuna. Tutkimuksen tärkeimmät lähdeteokset ovat Roland Barthesin Mytologioita ja Valoisa huone. Tutkimustulosten perusteella logoon on onnistuneesti koodattu Väestörekisterikeskuksen perustehtävä eli Väestötietojärjestelmä. Logon kolme avintekijää ovat sininen väri, talo ja kasvot. Sen monitulkintainen luonne kuitenkin mahdollistaa logoa luettavan toisin kuin on tarkoitettu. Tutkimuksen perusteella ehdotan Väestörekisterikeskuksen väelle sisäistä koulutusta logon sisältöä koskien. Logon vaihtamiseen en näe tutkimuksen perusteella syytä, sillä logo on toimiva ja kestää aikaa

Quantitative genetic divergence and standing genetic (co)variance in thermal reaction norms along latitude

Although the potential to adapt to warmer climate is constrained by genetic trade-offs, our understanding of how selection and mutation shape genetic (co)variances in thermal reaction norms is poor. Using 71 isofemale lines of the fly Sepsis punctum, originating from northern, central, and southern European climates, we tested for divergence in juvenile development rate across latitude at five experimental temperatures. To investigate effects of evolutionary history in different climates on standing genetic variation in reaction norms, we further compared genetic (co)variances between regions. Flies were reared on either high or low food resources to explore the role of energy acquisition in determining genetic trade-offs between different temperatures. Although the latter had only weak effects on the strength and sign of genetic correlations, genetic architecture differed significantly between climatic regions, implying that evolution of reaction norms proceeds via different trajectories at high latitude versus low latitude in this system. Accordingly, regional genetic architecture was correlated to region-specific differentiation. Moreover, hot development temperatures were associated with low genetic variance and stronger genetic correlations compared to cooler temperatures. We discuss the evolutionary potential of thermal reaction norms in light of their underlying genetic architectures, evolutionary histories, and the materialization of trade-offs in natural environments.

Experimental evolution for generalists and specialists reveals multivariate genetic constraints on thermal reaction norms

Theory predicts the emergence of generalists in variable environments and antagonistic pleiotropy to favour specialists in constant environments, but empirical data seldom support such generalist–specialist trade-offs. We selected for generalists and specialists in the dung fly Sepsis punctum (Diptera: Sepsidae) under conditions that we predicted would reveal antagonistic pleiotropy and multivariate trade-offs underlying thermal reaction norms for juvenile development. We performed replicated laboratory evolution using four treatments: adaptation at a hot (31 °C) or a cold (15 °C) temperature, or under regimes fluctuating between these temperatures, either within or between generations. After 20 generations, we assessed parental effects and genetic responses of thermal reaction norms for three correlated life-history traits: size at maturity, juvenile growth rate and juvenile survival. We find evidence for antagonistic pleiotropy for performance at hot and cold temperatures, and a temperature-mediated trade-off between juvenile survival and size at maturity, suggesting that trade-offs associated with environmental tolerance can arise via intensified evolutionary compromises between genetically correlated traits. However, despite this antagonistic pleiotropy, we found no support for the evolution of increased thermal tolerance breadth at the expense of reduced maximal performance, suggesting low genetic variance in the generalist–specialist dimension.

Plastic and evolutionary responses to heat stress in a temperate dung fly: negative correlation between basal and induced heat tolerance?

Extreme weather events such as heat waves are becoming more frequent and intense. Populations can cope with elevated heat stress by evolving higher basal heat tolerance (evolutionary response) and/or stronger induced heat tolerance (plastic response). However, there is ongoing debate about whether basal and induced heat tolerance are negatively correlated and whether adaptive potential in heat tolerance is sufficient under ongoing climate warming. To evaluate the evolutionary potential of basal and induced heat tolerance, we performed experimental evolution on a temperate source 4 population of the dung fly Sepsis punctum. Offspring of flies adapted to three thermal selection regimes (Hot, Cold and Reference) were subjected to acute heat stress after having been exposed to either a hot-acclimation or non-acclimation pretreatment. As different traits may respond differently to temperature stress, several physiological and life history traits were assessed. Condition dependence of the response was evaluated by exposing juveniles to different levels of developmental (food restriction/rearing density) stress. Heat knockdown times were highest, whereas acclimation effects were lowest in the Hot selection regime, indicating a negative association between basal and induced heat tolerance. However, survival, adult longevity, fecundity and fertility did not show such a pattern. Acclimation had positive effects in heat-shocked flies, but in the absence of heat stress hot-acclimated flies had reduced life spans relative to nonacclimated ones, thereby revealing a potential cost of acclimation. Moreover, body size positively affected heat tolerance and unstressed individuals were less prone to heat stress than stressed flies, offering support for energetic costs associated with heat tolerance. Overall, our results indicate that heat tolerance of temperate insects can evolve under rising temperatures, but this response could be limited by a negative relationship between basal and induced thermotolerance, and may involve some but not other fitness-related traits.

Um exercício de pensamento: entre a fotografia e a escrita

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Una temporada en el invierno : Fotografía de una nevada poética en Fastos de Arturo Carrera

El presente trabajo intenta poner en evidencia una de las posibles continuidades, casi como una película sensible, entre la poesía y otras zonas artísticas, aquí la fotografía. Este vínculo será abordado desde la obra del poeta argentino Arturo Carrera, particularmente Fastos (2010): libro que trabaja cada poema como días-instantes luz que invaden, tal como la nevada porteña del 2009, el universo de las percepciones y el espacio de lo cotidiano. En este sentido, el lenguaje artístico se configura como escritura sumi-é o flashes imborrables, ya congelados, de la memoria escrituraria: almanaques poéticos. Por todo lo aquí señalado, podría permitir este poemario (junto a otros libros del autor) leer ya la obra de este poeta argentino como un universo poético sólido y compacto, alejado de los estallidos neobarrocos latinoamericano. Será este trabajo entonces también un recorte fotográfico del discurso crítico literario

Una temporada en el invierno : Fotografía de una nevada poética en Fastos de Arturo Carrera

El presente trabajo intenta poner en evidencia una de las posibles continuidades, casi como una película sensible, entre la poesía y otras zonas artísticas, aquí la fotografía. Este vínculo será abordado desde la obra del poeta argentino Arturo Carrera, particularmente Fastos (2010): libro que trabaja cada poema como días-instantes luz que invaden, tal como la nevada porteña del 2009, el universo de las percepciones y el espacio de lo cotidiano. En este sentido, el lenguaje artístico se configura como escritura sumi-é o flashes imborrables, ya congelados, de la memoria escrituraria: almanaques poéticos. Por todo lo aquí señalado, podría permitir este poemario (junto a otros libros del autor) leer ya la obra de este poeta argentino como un universo poético sólido y compacto, alejado de los estallidos neobarrocos latinoamericano. Será este trabajo entonces también un recorte fotográfico del discurso crítico literario

Una temporada en el invierno : Fotografía de una nevada poética en Fastos de Arturo Carrera

El presente trabajo intenta poner en evidencia una de las posibles continuidades, casi como una película sensible, entre la poesía y otras zonas artísticas, aquí la fotografía. Este vínculo será abordado desde la obra del poeta argentino Arturo Carrera, particularmente Fastos (2010): libro que trabaja cada poema como días-instantes luz que invaden, tal como la nevada porteña del 2009, el universo de las percepciones y el espacio de lo cotidiano. En este sentido, el lenguaje artístico se configura como escritura sumi-é o flashes imborrables, ya congelados, de la memoria escrituraria: almanaques poéticos. Por todo lo aquí señalado, podría permitir este poemario (junto a otros libros del autor) leer ya la obra de este poeta argentino como un universo poético sólido y compacto, alejado de los estallidos neobarrocos latinoamericano. Será este trabajo entonces también un recorte fotográfico del discurso crítico literario