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This essay examines the early developments of the University of Melbourne’s print collection focusing on the acquisition of nine albums of prints by the Sadeler family, once owned by English aristocratic collector and patron Elizabeth Seymour Percy, 1st Duchess of Northumberland. Completed in 1962 through Colnaghi, the purchasing of the Sadeler volumes was undertaken on the advice of the University of Melbourne’s Herald Chair of Fine Arts, Professor Joseph Burke, and funded by donations from a group of Australian philanthropists: the Society of Collectors. Comprising more than 1,200 prints, the albums represent one of the world’s largest gatherings of Sadeler engravings and are expression of two separate collecting moments: seven of the volumes once formed part of the legendary collection of Robert Harley, 1st Earl of Oxford; the remaining two were personally assembled by the duchess, with a peculiar technique that is unprecedented in eighteenth century print collecting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the representation of alluvial gold and placer mining in early modern art and thought, focusing on Jan Gossaert's painting of Danae and Jan Sadeler I's print of America. It discusses how these artworks influenced European views on exploration of the Americas, ecological thinking, and colonial policies related to destructive mining techniques; andd analyzes the discourse on gold sand and placer mining, and examines the conceptualization of alluvial gold and placer mining.

To define the clinical spectrum of Ioiasis more precisely and to begin to assess the immunologic basis for the difference in clinical manifestations between visitors to endemic areas and natives of these areas, 51 West African patients with Ioiasis were evaluated and compared with 42 infected expatriates. Microfilaremia was present in 90% and Calabar swellings in only 16% of the endemic patients. Conversely, only 10% of the expatriates were microfilaremic while 95% complained of Calabar swellings. The endemic population showed significantly decreased levels of peripheral blood eosinophils, parasite-specific IgG, and lymphocyte proliferation to parasite antigens compared with the nonendemic population. These findings support the hypothesis that differences in the modulation of the immune response to parasite antigen are responsible for the observed differences in clinical presentation between expatriate and endemic populations with loiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This essay examines a unique project to revive the place, imagery, and cultural memory of solitude within a reformed Catholic context. Originating at the Munich court of the retired Duke Wilhelm V, the project was closely related to an increase in the practice of meditation across the Catholic world, in which ‘controlled’ interior spaces as well as material artefacts were given a pivotal role. The focus is on two types of medial and material representations of hermits’ spaces, which intersected and interacted with each other: the hermitages built at the initiative of Duke Wilhelm V in his city residence and near his country retreat at Schleissheim; and the series of copper engravings depicting hermits by the Flemish brothers Jan I and Raphael I Sadeler after designs by Maarten de Vos. The new anchorite ‘philosophy’ that emerged at the court of Wilhelm V soon became fashionable in cities and at courts across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hans Le Thoor of Amsterdam is known as a versatile art dealer, who conducted business in the Netherlands. In 1620 he made an ill-fated attempt to sell Dutch paintings to the King of Denmark, Christian IV (1577–1648), with the help of the 'painter and spy' Pieter Isaacsz (1569–1625). This study draws attention to the fact that, before this interesting episode, Le Thoor had been active in Central Europe in dealings with Emperor Rudolf II (1552–1612). The inventories of the Rudolfine collections list exotic objects, naturalia and Chinese paintings delivered by Le Thoor to the court in Prague in 1609. His experience in Prague had a bearing on the later attempted sale to the Danish king, to whom Le Thoor also tried to sell Rudolfine paintings that he had acquired in Brussels between 1618 and 1620 at the partial sell-off of the collection of Rudolf's brother Archduke Albrecht (1559–1621). New information on Le Thoor's life and business strategies has come to light through study of archival sources relating to his activities with the Habsburgs. As presented here, these findings advance our knowledge of the mode of operation and scale of international dealer networks in Le Thoor's time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mass drug administration programs targeting filarial infections depend on diagnostic tools that are sensitive and specific. The coendemicity of Loa loa with other filarial species often hampers the control programs. LL2634 was identified as the most promising target among several highly repeated targets, with sensitivity between 500 ag and 1 fg of genomic DNA. Using DNA from infected individuals, LL2643 quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was positive in all individuals. LL2643 was detected in plasma-derived circulating cell-free DNA (ccfDNA) from 48 of 53 microfilariae-positive patients. Detection of ccfDNA in urine was possible, but it occurred rarely among those tested. Importantly, LL2643 ccfDNA became undetectable within 1 month following diethylcarbamazine (DEC) treatment and remained negative for at least a year. LL2643 offers a more sensitive and specific target for detection of L. loa infection and would be easily configurable to a point-of-contact assay. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT00001230 and NCT00090662. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Loiasis (Loa loa filariasis) is considered a benign disease and is currently not included in the World Health Organization's (WHO's) list of Neglected Tropical Diseases, despite mounting evidence suggesting significant disease burden in endemic areas. We conducted a retrospective cohort study to assess the mortality associated with L. loa microfilaremia in the Southwestern Republic of Congo. Methods The cohort included 3329 individuals from 53 villages screened for loiasis in 2004. We compared mortality rates in 2021 for individuals initially diagnosed as with or without L. loa microfilariae 17 years earlier. Data were analyzed at the community level to calculate crude mortality rates. Survival models were used to estimate the effect of L. loa microfilaremia on mortality in the population. Results At baseline, prevalence of microfilaremia was 16.2%. During 17.62 years of cohort follow-up, 751 deaths were recorded, representing a crude mortality rate of 15.36 (95% CI, 14.28–16.50) per 1000 person-years. Median survival time was 58.5 (95% CI, 49.7–67.3) years and 39.2 (95% CI, 32.6–45.8) years for amicrofilaremic and microfilaremic indiviudals, respectively. Conclusions A significant reduction in life expectancy was associated with L. loa microfilaremia, confirming previous observations from Cameroon. This adds to the evidence that loiasis is not a benign disease and deserves to be included in the WHO's list of Neglected Tropical Diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Kunstkammer of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II (1552–1612) in Prague was one of early modern Europe's most famed princely collections. Part of this renown stemmed from the collection's abundance of rare, exotic, costly and artfully produced objects. However, Rudolf's Kunstkammer not only contained copious numbers of diverse objects, it also housed many objects that took copiousness (that is, sexual fertility and seasonal productivity) as their subject. This essay considers how copiousness affected the use of Rudolf's collection. In the end, it reveals that copiousness complicated and made difficult the use of Rudolf's collection on both a practical and an interpretative level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Diethylcarbamazine citrate (DEC) treatment of loiasis is complicated by adverse reactions that are correlated with the number of circulating microfilariae (mf). The cause of these reactions is unknown, but they are accompanied by a dramatic interleukin-5 (IL-5)-dependent increase in eosinophilia and evidence of eosinophil activation. Methods. To explore the role of IL-5 driven eosinophilia in post-DEC reactions, 8 adults with confirmed loiasis and <5000 mf/ mL blood were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of the humanized anti-IL-5 antibody, reslizumab, (1.0 mg/kg IV) administered 3 to 7 days prior to initiation of DEC treatment (9 mg/kg/day for 21 days). The primary endpoint was the reduction in absolute eosinophil count (AEC) during the first week of DEC treatment. Results. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the two groups. Single dose reslizumab lowered the AEC by 77% prior to initiation of DEC therapy (vs. 12% in the placebo group, P < .05). More importantly, AEC remained below baseline in the first week of DEC treatment in all subjects who received reslizumab and in none of the placebo subjects. Mf clearance occurred within 2 days of initiation of DEC in all 7 mf-positive subjects. Mild to moderate adverse events were seen in all 8 subjects and were not significantly different between the groups. Conclusions. In summary, although reslizumab was able to blunt peripheral eosinophilia post-DEC treatment in subjects with loiasis and had no effect on microfilarial clearance, the reduction in AEC appeared to have been insufficient to prevent post-treatment AEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karel van Mander's biography of his friend Hendrick Goltzius in the "Schilder‐boeck" provides crucial information about the artist up to 1604, but it also mythologizes him with its construction of heroic artistic masculinity. The gendered tropes of milk, fire, and blood are drawn from Goltzius's life: his mother's insufficient milk, her toddler son's severely burned hand, and his chronic adult illness (tuberculosis), causing him to cough blood and suckle milk as a remedy. Although rooted in the artist's body, these tropes work metaphorically. Suckling milk signifies the nurture of art during the artist's journey to Italy; fire, a sign of Goltzius's passion for art; blood, a non‐martial but nonetheless heroic wound. These tropes work alongside the epithets of Proteus and the phoenix to construct a mythic masculinity that strongly influenced Goltzius and persisted well after the "Schilder‐boeck's" publication. Goltzius's life and work, however, are ripe for analysis in terms of embodiment and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background We have previously demonstrated that eosinophil-associated processes underlie some of the differences in clinical presentation among patients with Loa loa infection prior to therapy and that some posttreatment adverse events appear to be dependent on eosinophil activation. Methods We first conducted a retrospective review of 204 patients (70 microfilaria [MF] positive/134 negative) with Loa loa both before and following definitive therapy. We then measured filarial-specific antibodies, eosinophil- and Th2-associated cytokines, and eosinophil granule proteins in their banked serum prior to and at 1 year following definitive treatment. We also evaluated the influence of pretreatment corticosteroids and/or apheresis in altering the efficacy of treatment. Results Patients without circulating microfilariae (MF negative) not only had a higher likelihood of peripheral eosinophilia and increased antifilarial antibody levels but also had significantly increased concentrations of granulocyte-macrophage colony–stimulating factor, interleukin (IL) 5, and IL-4 compared with MF-positive patients. However, these differences had all resolved by 1 year after treatment, when all parameters approached the levels seen in uninfected individuals. Neither pretreatment with corticosteroids nor apheresis reduced the efficacy of the diethylcarbamazine used to treat these subjects. Conclusions Our results highlight that, by 1 year following treatment, infection-associated immunologic abnormalities had resolved in nearly all patients treated for loiasis, and pretreatment corticosteroids had no influence on the resolution of the immunologic perturbations nor on the efficacy of diethylcarbamazine as a curative agent in loiasis. Clinical Trials Registration NCT00001230. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Interleukin-10 (IL-10) has been implicated as the major cytokine responsible for the modulation of parasite-specific responses in filarial infections; however, the role of other IL-10 superfamily members in filarial infection is less well studied.Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from loiasis patients were stimulated with or without filarial antigen. Cytokine production was quantified using a Luminex platform and T-cell expression patterns were assessed by flow cytometry.Results: All patients produced significant levels of IL-10, IL-13, IL-5, IL-4, and IL-9 in response to filarial antigen, indicating a common infection-driven response. When comparing microfilaria (mf)-positive and mf-negative patients, there were no significant differences in spontaneous cytokine nor in parasite-driven IL-10, IL-22, or IL-28a production. In marked contrast, mf-positive individuals had significantly increased filarial antigen-driven IL-24 and IL-19 compared to mf-negative subjects. mf-positive patients also demonstrated significantly higher frequencies of T cells producing IL-19 in comparison to mf-negative patients. T-cell expression of IL-19 and IL-24 was positively regulated by IL-10 and IL-1β. IL-24 production was also regulated by IL-37.Conclusion: These data provide an important link between IL-10 and its related family members IL-19 and IL-24 in the modulation of the immune response in human filarial infections.Clinical Trials Registration: NCT00001230. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The identification of the Tudor partbooks Oxford, Bodleian Library, Mss. Mus. e. 1–5 and Ms. Tenbury 1486, and the privately owned Willmott partbook with John Sadler, a priest and schoolmaster active in rural Northamptonshire between 1548 and the early 1590s, has sat uneasily. This is because the John Sadler associated with these books is actually someone quite different: in the first set he entered in the books what has previously been described as a simple monogram of his name, but which is in fact a 'merchant mark' identifying him unambiguously as a Norwich merchant. The article discusses the evidence for his identification and the new context for the books. Their relocation invites a new reading and interpretation of their contents, such as their significance as a source of information about the Norwich composer Thomas Morley. The link with the Elizabethan merchant world brings into focus the rather neglected topic of early modern merchants and their involvement with music. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The collection of Rudolf II (1552–1612) , housed in various spaces at Prague Castle, has attracted attention from the time of its foundation to the present day. Most research effort in the past few decades has been focused on the set of chambers designated the Kunstkammer, and has given little consideration to the existence of a further private space, often cited in the archival sources or inventories. Since the time of Rudolf's arrival at Prague Castle, there existed a room named in the records as the Schreibstüblein or Schreibstuben, which is to be regarded as the studiolo of the emperor – an intimate retreat and the repository for a number of select pieces from Rudolf's vast collections. The inventories of Prague Castle and the correspondence of foreign envoys confirm the presence of this space and help to define its position and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines English poet and artist William Blake's depictions of and references to living creatures in his designs and texts. Topics covered include the depiction of animals in his poems "Jerusalem" and "The Tyger," the additional meanings of the animals he depicted in his writings, and the supernatural dimensions that the depicted animals have.

This essay takes a material culture approach to the fate of the unicorn, that ultimate symbol of irrationality and credulity, in the natural history collection of the age of enlightenment. Exploring the interplay between unicorn horns, narwhals, rhinos, and other kinds of horn present in the eighteenth-century French collection, it shows that in fact unicorns never disappeared from the cabinet but rather presided over new narratives of what enlightenment was about. Further, it argues that this change in the status of unicorns was associated with changing patterns of the global whaling industry, which made narwhal horns widely available to Europeans and the narwhal into a natural historical object. What real objects could, or could not, be represented in the collection as specimens had an important bearing upon the credibility of animal kinds outside the space of the cabinet, yet within that space, the juxtaposition and financial value of specimens produced important narratives of the relationship between horn specimens and natural species like rhinos and narwhals existing in the real world—species which never completely shed their fictive character, like the unicorn itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

James A. Winn's paper 'A versifying maid of honour: Anne Finch and the libretto for Venus and Adonis ' (Review of English Studies, lix (2008), pp.67–85) presented an array of evidence enabling him to identify Anne Kingsmill (later Anne Finch, ultimately Anne, Countess of Winchilsea) as the likely author of the libretto of Venus and Adonis, an all-sung court entertainment performed before King Charles II probably in 1683. John Blow composed the music. This article—complementing Winn's—does not dispute his main findings but does examine additional pictorial evidence suggesting that Anne Killigrew also worked on the court's Venus and Adonis project, producing several paintings on the Venus and Adonis theme and perhaps helping to shape the libretto in some way. Killigrew and Kingsmill were both serving as Maids of Honour to Duchess Mary of Modena at the crucial time. Signs of rivalry rather than untroubled friendship can be detected. With Killigrew included, a clearer picture of the social world from which Venus and Adonis emerged can be discerned—a world in which the authorship concept had vivid meaning (authors knew who they were), while open acknowledgement of authorship could prove problematic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Severe adverse reactions have been observed in individuals with Loa loa infection treated with either diethylcarbamazine (DEC), the drug of choice for loiasis, or ivermectin (IVM), which is used in mass drug administration programs for control of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis in Africa. In this study, posttreatment clinical and immunologic reactions were compared following single-dose therapy with DEC or IVM to assess whether these reactions have the same underlying pathophysiology. Methods. Twelve patients with loiasis and microfilarial counts <2000 mf/mL were randomized to receive single-dose DEC (8 mg/kg) or IVM (200 µg/kg). Clinical and laboratory assessments were performed at 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 hours and 5, 7, 9, and 14 days posttreatment. Results. Posttreatment adverse events were similar following DEC or IVM, but peaked earlier in subjects who received DEC, consistent with a trend toward more rapid and complete microfilarial clearance in the DEC group. After a transient rise (post-IVM) or fall (post-DEC) in the first 24 hours posttreatment, the eosinophil count rose significantly in both groups, peaking at day 5 in the DEC group and day 9 in the IVM group. Serum interleukin 5 levels and eosinophil activation, as assessed by surface expression of CD69 and serum levels of eosinophil granule proteins, were increased posttreatment in both groups. Conclusions. Despite differences in eosinophil and lymphocyte counts during the first 24 hours posttreatment, the overall pattern of hematologic and immunologic changes suggest that posttreatment reactions following DEC and IVM share a common pathophysiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on book-buying and the Central Grand Tour during the early modern period with an emphasis on the Italian books at Belton House in Lincolnshire, England. Topics discussed include souvenirs that the average European tourist would obtain in the major Italian cities and the sources of information about book-buying and the Grand Tour. The benefits of studying private libraries of the aristocracy to analyzing the reach of acquired Italian materials are also cited.

This comprehensive study of individuals infected with Loa loa provides evidence that alterations in eosinophil production, activation, and regulation are responsible for the vastly differing clinical presentations of loiasis seen between long term travelers (or temporary residents) and those individuals indigenous to Loa-endemic regions of the world.Background. Loa loa has emerged as an important public health problem due to the occurrence of immune-mediated severe posttreatment reactions following ivermectin distribution. Also thought to be immune-mediated are the dramatic differences seen in clinical presentation between infected temporary residents (TR) and individuals native to endemic regions (END).Methods. All patients diagnosed with loiasis at the National Institutes of Health between 1976 and 2012 were included. Patients enrolled in the study underwent a baseline clinical and laboratory evaluation and had serum collected and stored. Stored pretreatment serum was used to measure filaria-specific antibody responses, eosinophil-related cytokines, and eosinophil granule proteins.Results. Loa loa infection in TR was characterized by the presence of Calabar swelling (in 82% of subjects), markedly elevated eosinophil counts, and increased filaria-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels; these findings were thought to reflect an unmodulated immune response. In contrast, END showed strong evidence for immune tolerance to the parasite, with high levels of circulating microfilariae, few clinical symptoms, and diminished filaria-specific IgG. The striking elevation in eosinophil counts among the TR group was accompanied by increased eosinophil granule protein levels (associated with eosinophil activation and degranulation) as well as elevated levels of eosinophil-associated cytokines.Conclusions. These data support the hypothesis that differing eosinophil-associated responses to the parasite may be responsible for the marked differences in clinical presentations between TR and END populations with loiasis. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background. Rotavirus is a common cause of severe diarrhea! disease in children worldwide. Ninety percent of the associated deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia, Our aim was to review the prevalence of rotavirus infection in Africa over the past 30 years. Methods. Eligible studies were identified from 3 Medline searches. Only studies including children <5 years of age that included >50 children and had an observational period >3 months were included. The data were analyzed during 3 periods (1976-1985, 1986-1995, and 1996-2006), as a summary (1976-2006), and by different study settings (ie, hospital, outpatient department, and combined). Results. The initial search identified 206 studies from 27 countries during 1976-2006. The refined search yielded 101 studies, of which 58 (57%) were hospital based, 25 (25%) were outpatient studies, and 18 (18%) were combined. Rotavirus was detected in 25% (interquartile range, 16%-32%) of stool samples. Rotavirus was the most common agent identified in 73% of studies in which multiple diarrhea! agents were determined. Conclusion. Rotavirus is an important cause of severe diarrhea! disease in children <5 years of age in Africa. Clinical trials in South Africa and Malawi have shown that severe rotavirus disease is a vaccine-preventable entity in Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical manifestations and geographic distribution of loiasis overlap with those of other human filarial parasites, presenting challenges in the specific diagnosis of loiasis that may lead to delays in appropriate therapy. A recombinant antigen (Ll-SXP-1), preferentially recognized by serum samples from experimentally infected rhesus monkeys, was identified from a Loa loa L3 cDNA library. IgG4 antibody reactivity to purified Ll-SXP-1 was assessed by means of ELISA, using serum samples from patients with loiasis, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, mansonellosis, or other helminthiases and healthy control subjects. The assay was 56% sensitive and 98% specific for loiasis. Antibody reactivity was detectable before microfilaremia in experimentally infected rhesus monkeys and declined (but did not disappear) after diethylcarbamazine therapy in infected patients. IgG4 antibodies to recombinant Ll-SXP-1 are a highly specific marker of L. loa infection and may be useful for the diagnostic evaluation of persons with filariasis of unclear etiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transgene in Agrobacterium‐mediated Cry1A(b)‐transgenic rice plants has been detected and its chromosomal location determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Eight of the nine transgenic lines tested showed hybridization signals. Signals were located on regions of the chromosome in which fraction length (FL) values varied from 26·2 (near the centromere) to 95·2 (distal regions). No signal was found on regions where the fraction length was less than 26·2, while six of the nine signals detected were located on regions with FL values of 75·3 or over. This demonstrates that Agrobacterium‐mediated genes can integrate into multiple sites distributed in different parts of the chromosome, but that distal regions are the preferred sites and regions near the centromeres are colder for T‐DNA integration. The donor DNA of the transformation was divided into two parts, labelled separately as probes for two‐colour FISH. Results show that the transformed DNA sequences remained linked in the recipient genome. The relationship between integration position and transgene silencing, known as the ‘position effect’, is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article approaches the famous Bruegel painting by establishing possible precursors for the politicization of the Massacre of the Innocents in European drama and art. With the wars, the theme moves, suddenly popular, from Italy to the north. I argue that there are, in fact, two distinct compositions of the subject by Bruegel the Elder, the other being much less well known but probably derived from him (both were later much copied), which I place with new evidence in the context of Spanish repression, and other politicized versions of the theme by other Flemish artists. By indicating the severity of the repression well before the arrival of Alva in 1567, I show that arguments in favour of the one autograph version (Hampton Court) having a contemporary application do not depend on a later dating, and that any resemblance of the commander of the massacre to the Duke of Alva in the Vienna version and other copies, is due to their having been done a 'safer' generation later. Other relevant political works by Bruegel are adduced, notably the Census and Preaching of St John . A consciousness of Spanish tyranny and slaughter is carried into the later part of the century, via anti-Spanish cartoons, paintings of (non-biblical) killing and plundering and other Massacres of the Innocents, notably and climactically those by Cornelis Cornelisz. van Haarlem, which must have been affected by his childhood experience of the Siege of Haarlem in 1573. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TCR γδ+ cells constitute <5% of all circulating T cells in healthy, adult Caucasians, and Vδ1+ cells constitute a minority of these cells. In contrast to TCR αβ+ cells, their repertoire is selected extrathymically by environmental antigens. Although increased frequencies of Vδ1+ cells are found in several diseases, their function remains obscure. Here we show that the frequency of peripheral blood γδ T cells in healthy West Africans is about twice that of Caucasians, mainly due to a 5-fold increase in Vδ1+ cells, which is consequently the dominant subset. No age dependency of Vδ1 frequencies was identified and the Vδ1+ cells in the African donors did not show preferential Vγ chain usage. Analysis of the CDR3 region size did not reveal any particular skewing of the Vδ1 repertoire, although oligoclonality was more pronounced in adults compared to children. The proportions of CD8+, CD38+ and CD45RAhiCD45RO– cells within the Vδ1+ subset were higher in the African than in the European donors, without obvious differences in expression of activation markers. No significant correlations between levels of Vδ1+ cells and environmental antigens or immunological parameters were identified. Taken together, the evidence argues against a CDR3-restricted, antigen-driven expansion of Vδ1+ cells in the African study population. Our study shows that high frequencies of TCR γδ+ cells with dominance of the Vδ1+ subset can occur at the population level in healthy people, raising questions about the physiological role of Vδ1+ T cells in the function and regulation of the immune system. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Intrasplenic lesions can cause diagnostic difficulties because malignant diseases can be excluded only by histologic examination. We present the cases of two patients with splenic manifestations of loiasis. Both patients had visited central Africa. Several years later, intrasplenic lesions were found during routine examinations (for chest trauma and employment, respectively). Both patients underwent splenectomies because malignant lymphoma was suspected. In both cases, histologic examination of the spleen showed eosinophilic granulomata with multiple Loa loa microfilariae. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Loa loa is a filarial parasite that is endemic in West and Central Africa. Expatriates infected with L. loa commonly develop characteristic migratory angioedema called Calabar swellings. We describe three patients who presented with classical Calabar swellings for whom the diagnosis of loiasis was delayed. Unusual features that were present included a leukocytoclastic vasculitis seen on skin biopsy (case 1), a relatively short exposure to an area of endemicity (cases 1 and 3), and a normal eosinophil count on initial evaluation (cases 2 and 3). We discuss the characteristic clinical manifestations of, pathological findings of, and therapy for loiasis. With the increased frequency of international travel, L. loa infection must be considered in the differential diagnosis for patients with migratory angioedema, urticarial vasculitis, or eosinophilia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

To characterize the clinical and laboratory features of onchocerciasis in visitors to endemic areas and to compare them with those seen in endemic subjects, 20 returned visitors and 21 endemic subjects with onchocerciasis were evaluated. Dermatitis was the most frequent clinical finding among the returned visitors. None had nodules or eye disease and, in contrast to the endemic subjects, microfiladermia was often absent or of low density. All persons studied had antibody responses measurable by ELISA to both soluble Onchocerca volvulus antigen and a panel of diagnostic recombinant antigens. Eosinophil and IgE levels were significantly higher in the endemic group, as was the capacity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells from this group to produce the T helper cell-like cytokines interleukin-4 and -5. It is likely that the chronicity and intensity of infection in endemic subjects account for the clinical and immunologic differences observed between the 2 groups. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Discusses 17th-century artist Hendrick Goltzius' mixed media work entitled 'Venus, Bacchus and Ceres.' Demonstration of Goltzius' commend of various media; Ways in which the proverb of Terence comes to thematize Goltzius' love of artisanship; Argument of a seminal theoretical text entitled 'Schilder-Boeck,' completed by Karel van Mander in 1604.

Describes two campaigns of engraving through which Hendrick Goltzius achieved his indisputable reputation as the foremost printmaker of his day. Formats and functions which explain and reconstitute the enterprise of reproductive engraving; Orbital manipulation of the working surface; Primary function of linear flexion.

The proliferation and cytokine profiles of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from microfilaraemic (Mf+) subjects infected by Loa loa in response to antigens of several parasitic stages were compared with those from amicrofilaraemic (Mf+) individuals. While a strong lymphoproliferative response and consistent levels of both Th1 (IL-2, interferon-gamma (IFN-γ)) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-5) type cytokines were observed in response to adult worm (AW) and microfilariae (Mf) antigen in Mf- individuals, Mf+ subjects were characterized by a T cell unresponsiveness. including proliferation. cytokine production and IL-2 mRNA expression. Conversely, T cell responsiveness to mitogens and non-specific antigen were similar in the two endemic populations. Depletion of lymphocyte subpopulations indicated that T CD4+ were mainly involved in the specific cellular response. In contrast to other cytokines, IL-10 was produced in response to all parasitic stages, in both Mf+ and Mf- patients. Neutralization of IL-10 did not restore cytokine production in Mf+ patients, while B7 mRNA expression was similar between Mf+ and Mf- subjects in response to Mf antigen, suggesting that IL-10 was not the only factor responsible for T cell unresponsiveness. Mf+ patients have lower Mf antigen-specific IgG levels compared with Mf- and there is a significant correlation between Mf antigen-specific antibodies and IL-5 responses. These findings suggest that Mf- status is correlated with T helper responsiveness, including proliferation and production of both Th1- and Th2-type cytokines, whereas Mf+ status is characterized by unresponsiveness of the same cell population, induced and or maintained by microfilariae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses an interpretation of the painting "An Allegory with Venus and Cupid," on display at the National Gallery in London. The painting presents various interpretations to the painting showing Cupid and Venus. With Cupid kissing Venus pleasurably and Venus holding Cupid's arrow. The painting symbolizes the eternal battle between love and time. Since Michael Levey's exposition of the Bronzino Agnolo's painting in 1967, varied interpretations have come out. Commentaries on the depictions have been numerous and this author wishes to concentrate on the interdisciplinary and intertextual approach in the cultural representation of the "act of Venus."