Man's Fingers Research Articles

Magritte's The Menaced Assassin, After Hours

Magritte's The Menaced Assassin, After Hours Diana M. Chien (bio) Keywords Diana M., Chien, Magritte, ekphrasis, painting, mountains, composition, assassin Waiting for resolution the players grow tired,fretful like old moths. The same dim light suffuses the room,lies dustlike on the slopes beyond the window's fretwork. Are the mountains blue? or grey? The men at the windowdon't see, talking in the low chunner of run-down machinery.The dead woman on the divan crosses her legs and sighs. She wishes for blue candy, a cigarette, someoneto take up the cloth lying across her collarbonesand wipe the blood from her mouth. In the gramophone's mouth the assassin,slender as the dead woman, engages his reflection:a deer holding converse with a forest pool. At the door, a man fingers his brutal club; another,his tangling net. The trap has been sprung. There is no plot.The dead woman uncrosses her legs, Penelope unweaving. [End Page 342] Diana M. Chien diana m. chien's poetry has appeared in Tin House, Boulevard, American Reader, VOLT, and Web Conjunctions and has received awards from Atlantic Monthly and others. She holds a certificate in creative writing from Princeton University and a PhD in microbiology from MIT, where she directs a science communication program. Copyright © 2021 The Massachusetts Review, Inc.

Three poisonous plants (Oenanthe, Cicuta and Anamirta) that antagonise the effect of γ-aminobutyric acid in human brain.

Although we are familiar with common British plants that are poisonous, such as Atropa belladonna (deadly nightshade) and Aconitum napellus (monkshood), the two most poisonous plants in the British Flora are Oenanthe crocata (dead man's fingers) and Cicuta virosa (cowbane). In recent years their poisons have been shown to be polyacetylenes (n-C2H2). The plants closely resemble two of the most common plants in the family Apiaceae (Umbelliferae), celery and parsley. Unwittingly, they are ingested by naive foragers and death occurs very rapidly. The third plant Anamirta derives from South-East Asia and contains a powerful convulsant, picrotoxin, which has been used from time immemorial to catch fish, and more recently to poison Birds of Paradise. All three poisons have been shown to block the γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system in the human brain that normally has a powerful inhibitory neuronal action. It has also been established that two groups of sedative drugs, barbiturates and benzodiazepines, exert their inhibitory action by stimulating the GABA system. These drugs are the treatments of choice for poisoning by the three vicious plants.

Description and assessment of chemical properties of fruits of the chocolate vine (five-leaf Akebia) Akebia quinata (Houtt.) Decne and dead man's fingers Decaisnea insignis (Griff.) Hokk.f. & Thomson, grown in Szczecin and in the Arboretum in Glinna (northwestern Poland)

Description and assessment of chemical properties of fruits of the chocolate vine (five-leaf Akebia) Akebia quinata (Houtt.) Decne and dead man's fingers Decaisnea insignis (Griff.) Hokk.f. & Thomson, grown in Szczecin and in the Arboretum in Glinna (northwestern Poland)

Liberation as an Instrument of Self-Aggrandizement: The Nigerian “Revolutionary Masquerades” in Achebe’s There was a Country and Selected Nigerian Works of Fiction

INTRODUCTIONWe will begin this discourse by evincing contextual meaning of metaphorical creation of masquerades. Being a significant phenomenon in Igbo cosmology, can be used in many ways to interpret world. Its actions, costume, representation and social function all help to interpret drama of role of man in his society. According to Chinua Achebe, the Igbo believe that art, religion, everything, whole of life are embodied in art of masquerade (There was 59). Part of this embodiment in this context is that it can be used as an artistic and significant representation of a nation's politics. It is equally a typical phenomenon used in representing and evoking cultural and traditional values of Africans. The identity of is exclusively performed by men and a well-kept secret such as we find in egwugwu's role in Achebe's Things Fall Apart:Okonkwo's wives, and perhaps other women as well, might have noticed that second egwugwu had springy walk of Okonkwo. And they might also have noticed that Okonkwo was not among titled men and elders who sat behind row of egwugwu. But if they thought these things they kept them within themselves. The egwugwu with springy walk was one of dead ancestors of clan. He looked terrible with smoked raffia body, a huge wooden painted white except for round hollow eyes and charred teeth that were as big as a man's fingers. On his head were two powerful horns. (63-64)The above excerpt simply explains that masquerade, in this case referred to as egwugwu, is actually a respected and feared member of community who is partially or notionally accepted as a spirit or their ancestor by same people. The thought of such practice of masquerade's performance often provokes a nostalgic return to familiar pre-colonial experience through their lavish costumes and displays, to thrilling experience of laughing or frightened audience. It also reminds us of old and lost African traditional values in which reliably functions as one of defending forces in African value system. Unfortunately, in contemporary African traditional system, institution of is gradually losing its sacredness and respect before people due to its new and strange role in hands of masquerader (impersonator). This metaphor therefore becomes a platform upon which we can closely examine two faces that have been politically sub-merged in contemporary Nigerian society.There is need to investigate professed face of mask through its premeditated actions and hidden political face behind revolutionary face, through its deceptive role. As hidden personality behind former carries out what can be best described as its self-aggrandized actions through guise of its seeming revolutionary mission, Nigerian public have become trapped in a pool of confusion and diverse opinions as to believe in mission of or doubt motive behind its dance. Put in another form, due to these irreconcilable differences between and what it is believed to represent in old African belief system on one hand, and possible selfish intentions of new spirit or human forces behind mask on other hand, this exploration will investigate real identity and intentions of personality behind mask through behaviour of as a whole. This paper intends to establish that there is no hope for Nigerian masses from their Hydra or ever-evolving ethnic militants (revolutionary masquerades) and geopolitical representatives who are all garbed in revolutionary deceptions for purpose of self-aggrandizement.LIBERATION IN CHINUA ACHEBE'S BIAFRAN IDEOLOGYAccording to John Locke, the natural liberty of man is to be free from any superior power on earth (15). …

Colonization of an artificial reef in south-west England—ex-HMS ‘Scylla’

An ex-Royal Navy frigate, HMS ‘Scylla’, was placed on the seabed in Whitsand Bay, south Cornwall on 27 March 2004. After five years, the reef supported a mature steel wreck community. The colonization of the reef showed wide fluctuations in species abundance in the first two years but, by 2006, most species that dominated or characterized the reef after five years had settled. Significant colonization events included settlement of barnacles, tubeworms and hydroids within a month and remarkably high settlements of the sea urchin Psammechinus miliaris and the queen scallop Aequipecten opercularis in the first year together with starfish Asterias rubens, solitary sea squirts and ephemeral algae. The plumose anemone Metridium senile, a characteristic species of wrecks, arrived in late summer 2004 but the widely distributed dead man's fingers Alcyonium digitatum was not observed until spring 2005. Wrasse were slow to colonize the reef but were established in small numbers by the end of 2007. Sea fans, Eunicella verrucosa, were first observed in August 2007. The species count for the reef stood at 263 taxa by the end of March 2009. The inside of the reef remained poorly colonized even after five years. Areas coated with tributyltin (TBT) antifouling paint only had colonization where the paint had flaked-off or on non-toxic paint markings, but with some indication that colonization may be occurring by a very few species especially near to non-TBT areas. Many species characteristic of natural reefs had not settled and neither do they occur on older wrecks including branching axinellid sponges, some cushion sponges and the yellow cluster anemone Parazoanthus axinellae. The artificial reef developed a community that was distinctly different to nearby natural rock reefs and such artificial structures should not be considered as a replacement for damaged or destroyed natural habitats.

Early reproductive developmental anatomy in Decaisnea (Lardizabalaceae) and its systematic implications

Decaisnea insignis, known as 'dead man's fingers' (Lardizabalaceae), is widely distributed in China and the Himalayan foothill countries. This economically important plant, which is the only species in the genus, has not been the subject of any embryological studies aside from one brief, older paper that lacks micrographs. Data on Decaisnea are also important because its systematic position has been unstable since the genus was established in 1855. Therefore, the objectives of this study were: (a) to use modern microscopy to document early reproductive anatomical development in Decaisnea; and (b) to compare qualitatively these early embryological characters with allied taxa in a systematic context. Decaisnea insignis floral buds and inflorescences were regularly collected from Shaanxi Province, China and prepared for light microscopy. The embryological characters studied were qualitatively compared with those of allied taxa via a thorough examination of the existing literature. Early reproductive anatomy in Decaisnea was documented and novel revelations made. It was discovered that the pollen is shed when three-celled (not two-celled, as previously reported), and that endosperm formation is nuclear (not cellular or helobial, as previously reported). These two newly revealed embryological characters are not found in any other members of Lardizabalaceae. Furthermore, neither are persistent antipodal cells, which we confirmed to be present in Decaisnea. Decaisnea and other Lardizabalaceae characteristically have tetrasporangiate anthers, a secretory tapetum, simultaneous microsporocyte cytokinesis, primarily bitegmic, crassinucellate ovules, and a Polygonum type embryo sac. However, in the family, persistent antipodals, nuclear endosperm, and pollen shed at the three-celled stage are only found in Decaisnea. These embryological data prompted the suggestion that Decaisnea needs elevation above the level of genus.

Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Stiffness: Measurement and Analysis

The purpose of this study was to quantify the stiffness of the human finger proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint and to study its relationship to different common clinical parameters. Eighty-nine normal adult subjects had their PIP joints of the index, middle, and ring fingers evaluated using a computer-controlled moment-angle plotter. This device was used to measure stiffness and energy absorbed at the PIP joint during passive flexion and extension. The average overall stiffness was 0.05 N-cm/degree. There was a weak correlation between stiffness and energy absorbed and the size of the finger: they both increased with the size of the finger. The men's fingers were stiffer and absorbed more energy than the corresponding women's fingers. No significant associations were found between the time of day when the test took place, occupation, hobbies, or age with stiffness or absorbed energy. No significant differences were associated with hand dominance. The finger on the dominant hand had a larger circumference for both genders. Heavier individuals had more stiffness and absorbed more energy than lighter individuals. The PIP joint stiffness was defined quantitatively and measured over a wide cross-section of a normal population. This may allow future studies to record the outcome of different treatments for finger joint stiffness objectively. The stiffness was greater in men and in larger fingers.

Critical language and visual art: a post-structural analysis

(2003). Critical language and visual art: a post-structural analysis. de arte: Vol. 38, No. 67, pp. 47-63.

Demersal Assemblages in the Irish Sea, St George's Channel and Bristol Channel

Macro-epibenthic invertebrate and demersal fish assemblages are described from 101 beam trawl stations in the Irish Sea, St George's Channel and Bristol Channel. Cluster analysis was used to identify those stations where catches were similar, in terms of species composition and biomass, and six assemblages were identified. The average similarity within these assemblages ranged from 44 to 58%. Species that were indicative of the differences between the six assemblages were used to describe their biological characteristics. Plaice and dab dominated on fine substrates in inshore waters (Pleuronectes–Limanda assemblage), whereas sea urchins and sun-stars dominated on the coarser substrates further offshore (Echinus–Crossaster assemblage). Thickback sole and hermit crabs were typical of the transitional area (Microchirus–Pagurus assemblage). Norway lobster and witch dominated on the muddy sediments in the Irish Sea (Nephrops–Glyptocephalus assemblage). Dead man's fingers beds (Alcyonium assemblage) occurred on coarse substrates in inshore waters throughout the study area, whereas common spider crabs were only dominant in the Bristol Channel (Maja assemblage). The common starfish (Asterias rubens) was an important component of all assemblages. The distribution of these assemblages was primarily correlated with depth, temperature and substrate type. Their spatial distribution was similar to previously described distribution patterns of sediments and infaunal communities in the area.

Somatosensory evoked potentials following proprioceptive stimulation of finger in man.

Brisk passive flexion of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the middle finger, produced by using a newly devised instrument, elicited evoked potentials on the scalp. The present study carefully excluded the possible contribution of sensory modalities other than proprioception. The initial part of cortical response was a positive deflexion at the contralateral central area (P1 at 34.6 ms after the stimulus). This was followed by a midfrontal negative wave (N1 at 44.8 ms) and a clear positivity at the contralateral centroparietal area (P2 at 48.0 ms). The evoked responses persisted in spite of the abolition of cutaneous and joint afferents of the finger caused by ischemic anesthesia, but they were lost by ischemic anesthesia of the forearm. Thus, the cortical evoked responses obtained in this study most probably reflect muscle afferent inputs. The scalp distribution of P1 suggested that its cortical generator source was different from that of the N20-P20 components of evoked potentials to electrical median nerve stimulation. Brodmann areas 2 and 3a of human brain, which are known to receive deep receptor inputs, are the most plausible generator sites for the early components of the proprioception-related evoked responses. The amplitude of P2 was related to the velocity but not to the magnitude of movement. In conclusion, the present study established a method for recording the evoked responses to the brisk passive movement of the finger joint, which mainly reflect the dynamic aspects of proprioception mediated through muscle afferent.

Input-output relation of the somatosensory system for mechanical air-puff stimulation of the index finger in man.

This study examined input-output relation of the somatosensory system in response to mechanical air-puff stimuli applied to the volar aspect of the tip of the index finger. Compound sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs) from the median nerve at the wrist and cerebral somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) were simultaneously recorded at six levels of stimulus intensity above threshold. Using the time-integral of the SNAPs and SEPs as measures of peripheral and central neural activity, a strongly accelerating power function with an exponent of 1.35 was found to describe peripheral neural function, while central neural function was described by a negatively accelerating function with a power exponent of 0.50, suggesting suppression of SEPs by recruitment of units with increasing stimulus intensity. It was concluded that input-output relation of the somatosensory system can be described by a decelerating power function with the exponent of 0.37.

Compound activity in sensory nerve fibers is related to intensity of sensation evoked by air-puff stimulation of the index finger in man

An analysis of a population response recorded from the primary afferets was undertaken to study the neural signs of intensity coding in the peripheral somatosensory system. Short air-puff stimuli were applied to the volar aspect ot the tip of the index finger to obtain both neural and psychophysical responses. The detection threshold (So) was first determined and 6 levels of stimulus intensity above threshold(So + 0.25 kg/cm 2, So + 1.25 kg/cm 2, So + 32.5 kg/cm 2, So + 3.75 kg/cm 2 So + 55.00 kg/cm 2, and So + 6.25 kg/cm 2) were adoptes for magnitude estimation using the stimulus level of So + 2.50 kg/cm 2 as the standard stimulus. The subject wasuused to give a numerical estimate of the intensity off the of stimuli randomly presented. Compound sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs) were also recorded from surface electrodes over the median nerve at the wrist for the 6 stimulus intensities. Eight SNAP components (4 positive and 4 negative) were recorded within 10 msec following stimulation. A simple power function with an exponent of 0.85 provided an adequate description of the magnitude estimation function, as was verified by the high correlation coefficient ( r=0.89, P < 0.001) Similarly, stimulus-amplitude functions of individual SNAP components were well represented by straight lines in double logarithmic plots. The function of the late N2-P3 components had the highest power exponent (0.80) and also the highest correlation coefficient ( r =00.59, P < 0.001). The functions of other SNAP components had considerably lower power exponents with lower correlation coefficients. Thus, a mismatch ebtween neural and psychophysical functions was obvious when individual neural functions were compared with the psychophysical function. Converesly, it was found like y that the total number or time-integral of peaks in the population response was a more pertinent parameter of neural activity and, thus, had a closer correlation with the psychophysical response.

ChemInform Abstract: Xylaral (I), a Hydroxyphthalide Derivative from Fruiting Bodies of Xylaria polymorpha (Ascomycetes).

AbstractFruiting bodies of "Dead Man's Fingers" ("Vielgestaltige Holzkeule") contain ca. 0.05% of compound (I), named xylaral, which exhibits a violet color reaction with aqueous NH3.

Maturation of the cutaneomuscular reflex recorded from the first dorsal interosseous muscle in man.

1. Cutaneous reflexes have been recorded from the first dorsal interosseous muscle following electrical stimulation of the digital nerves of the index finger in man. Recordings have been obtained from 127 children, aged from 3 to 18 years while each performed an isometric abduction of the index finger and whole hand grips. 2. In the adult, reflexes recorded while subjects performed an isometric abduction of the index finger consisted of three readily identifiable components within the first 100 ms. These were an initial short spinal latency increase in EMG (E1), followed by a decrease (I1), followed by a prominent longer-latency increase (E2) which was normally larger in size than the shorter-latency increase. 3. The configuration of the reflex changed during development. When recorded during an abduction, the E1 component was present in all children and showed a small but progressive reduction in size with age. With increasing age, both the I1 and E2 components were present in an increasing proportion of children and increased in size until the adult configuration was reached at 14-15 years. 4. Comparison of reflexes recorded during sustained whole hand grips with reflexes recorded during an isometric index finger abduction revealed differences in all three components. When recorded during those grips used in the present study the E1 component was generally significantly larger while the I1 component was generally significantly smaller than when recorded during index finger abduction. At all ages the E2 component was significantly smaller when recorded during a grip. 5. The configuration of the reflex during an isometric index finger abduction was compared with the ability of the child to perform rapid finger movements. Those children who had no E2 component tended not to perform well in the tests of rapid finger movement. However, there was no simple relationship between the size of the E2 component and ability to produce rapid finger movements.

Xylaral, ein Hydroxyphthalid‐Derivat aus Fruchtkörpern von Xylaria polymorpha (Ascomycetes)

Xylaral, a Hydroxyphthalide Derivative from Fruiting Bodies of Xylaria polymorpha (Ascomycetes)Fruiting bodies of Dead Man's Fingers, Xylaria polymorpha, contain a hydroxyphthalide derivative, xylaral (1), which exhibits a violet colour reaction with aqueous ammonia. 1 is a homologue of cyclopaldic acid (5) with a C14‐side chain containing an enone moiety.

Sensory nerve action potentials elicited by mechanical air-puff stimulation of the index finger in man

Brief air-puff stimuli were applied to the tip of the index finger to record propagating sensory nerve action potentials (APs) from pairs of surface electrodes at successive sites over the median nerve of the distal forearm. Within 10 msec, air-puff stimulation elicited 2–4 separate waves lasting 3–6 msec, in contrast to a single triphasic wave evoked by electrical stimulation. Amplitudes of air-puff evoked APs were much smaller than those of electrically induced APs. However, the amplitude ratio of the initial negative wave (P1–N1) of electrically evoked APs to that of air-puff induced APs declined linearly as a function of recording points along the ascending median nerve. Similarly, the duration ratio of the same component (N1) increased progressively in the proximal direction along the nerve. These results suggest that air-puff evoked afferent volleys undergo considerably less temporal dispersion than those induced by electrical stimulation. Thus, each peak of air-puff evoked APs represents a relatively homogeneous afferent fiber population. The initial P1, N1 and P2 peaks of air-puff evoked APs occurred later than those of electrical induced APs, and the latency included the time of skin indentation and receptor transduction in response to mechanical stimulation. Proximal conduction velocities were faster than distal conduction velocities due to cancellation of the extra delay at the skin mechanoreceptors as well as a true increase in the proximal direction. There were no significant differences between the interelectrode conduction velocities of the fastest fibers activated by the air-puffs and by electrical stimulation. Interelectrode propagation velocities of the different peaks from the same segments had no significant differences for air-puff evoked APs. The presence of multiple peaks may not be the result of temporal dispersion due to difference in conduction velocity of skin afferents but primarily due to a more peripheral receptor mechanism involving transduction and impulse generation.

Magnetic cortical responses evoked by tactile stimulation of the middle finger in man.

Topographic distribution of cerebral magnetic responses to air-puff stimulation of the hairy skin of the middle finger was studied in healthy humans. The magnetic response was biphasic, with peak amplitudes at 57 +/- 16 ms and 108 +/- 34 ms. The field distributions for both deflections were interpreted in terms of equivalent current dipole sources at SI; the sources were different for the two deflections, although spatially close to each other. The electric evoked response was more complex in waveform, possibly reflecting activation of additional radial or deep current sources.

Spatial distribution of somatosensory responses evoked by tapping the tongue and finger in man

Early components of the somatosensory potential (SEP) evoked by tactile stimulation of the tongue were recorded from the scalp in 7 normal subjects and compared with those resulting from taps on the middle finger. 1. (1) Unipolar but not bipolar recording of SEP to tapping the tongue failed to differentiate the early components from large EEG deflections of myogenic origin. No such contamination was seen in either unipolar or bipolar recording of SEP following taps on the finger. 2. (2) The early components evoked by tappingv the tongue consisted of 4 main deflections; the first negative wave (N 1) peaking at about 13 msec after the stimulus was followed by the first positive (P 1), second negative (N 2) and second positive (P 2) at about 23, 32 and 44 msec, respectively. Each wave had a shorter latency by several msec than the corresponding wave elicited by taps on the finger. 3. (3) To demonstrate the spatial distribution of a SEP wave over the scalp, a method of amplitude transformation of bipolar records was developed. Topography of the transformed amplitudes of P 1 wave, thus obtained while tapping the tongue differed from that obtained while tapping the finger; the former indicated bilateral distribution of the P 1 with the maximal amplitude at contralateral (T 3 or T 5) and ipsilateral (T 4 or T 6) temporal loci, whereas, in the latter, the distribution was most prominent over the contralateral posterior quadrant with the maximum at parietal locus (C 3). P 1 wave in SEP thus appeared to represent excitation of the primary cortical neurons responding to tactile stimulation of the different body areas.

Ophelia's "Long Purples" or "Dead Men's Fingers"

Karl P. Wentersdorf's identification of Ophelia's long purples or dead men's fingers as Arum maculatum rather than as Orchis mascula is based on three arguments: (1) that Arum is more phallic in appearance than Orchis and, hence, is grosser and more appropriate for Ophelia's garland; (2) that because Arum's purple phallic spadix is euphemistically called a finger in modern English, it could have been called dead men's fingers in Shakespeare's day; and (3) that from the thirteenth to the nineteenth centuries Arum had grosser names than Orchis had and, hence, it is more likely that

Variation and inheritance of relative length of index finger in man.

The length of index finger relative to fourth finger has been measured on parents and children in 190 families belonging to an endogamous Reddy community of Nalgonda District, India. The distribution of relative index finger length among various family groups was unimodal and symmetric. Heritability estimates based on parent-offspring regressions indicate a moderate level (40--70 percent) of additive genetic variance. There was no evidence for the influence of sex-linked additive genes.