scholarly journals Illness Narrative and Self-Help Culture – Self-Help Writing on Age-Related Infertility

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. VC19-VC41 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Wohlmann

Both self-help books and illness narratives are motivated by an impulse to overcome a crisis and, simultaneously, to help others who suffer from similar conditions. In doing so, authors of self-help and illness narratives move in between polar opposites: they have both individual and collective motives, they have a desire to overcome uncertainty and achieve control and they negotiate the authority of experience versus the authority of expertise. This paper has two objectives: (1) It describes the intersections of illness life writing and self-help culture and traces the thematic, cultural and historical similarities. (2) It analyzes a selection of four autobiographical, U.S.-American self-help books on age-related infertility published between 1987 and 2009. In juxtaposing these books with research perspectives from self-help criticism and medical humanities, the paper suggests that the authors blur the boundaries between patient and expert in their attempts to achieve control over what is ultimately uncontrollable – the body. The paper closes with a reflection on how scientific discourses and the Quantified Self-movement influence self-help narratives on illness.  This article was submitted on June 1st, 2014 and published on November 3rd 2014.

Author(s):  
Elisabeth El Refaie

This chapter argues that some genres are more centrally concerned with the body than others, and that each genre exploits the affordances of its modes and media in unique ways. Thus, graphic illness narratives are characterized not only by their focus on the physical, social, and emotional impacts of disease, but also by their innovative use of the tools and materials of the comics medium, including inherent tensions between words and images, and between sequence and layout. These features impose particular constraints and offer unique opportunities to artists, influencing their choice of metaphors and the shape these metaphors take. For example, in many such works the expected direction of metaphorical transfer from sensorimotor experience to more abstract concepts is reversed, as the diseased body and the nature of visual perception are foregrounded in the artist’s consciousness.


2013 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-50
Author(s):  
Allison Miller

This essay argues for the existence of a vernacular psychology in the United States centered on understandings of the body, gender, and sexuality. This was not pop psychology, which we might think of as a product of mass culture, but a complex amalgam of such influences as psychoanalysis, religion, ethics, and self-help that took shape in the first decades of the twentieth century. Analyzing a selection of sexological interviews of 295 women conducted in the 1930s, this article uncovers a childhood concept of gender that may be called “affinity”: a delight in the similarities of sexed bodies alongside conscious acknowledgment of difference, an area of play in which two sexes could become one. Rendered visible by the vernacular psychology of the 1930s, affinity played an important role in the interviews given by self-described tomboys born between 1900 and 1920. Even when they knew about gross anatomical differences, tomboys had so much in common with their boy comrades that they were able to shrug off distinctions not only of gender but of sex as well. Paradoxically, even though vernacular psychology made it possible for tomboys to describe affinity, it did not embrace affinity as normal.


Author(s):  
A. E. Chernikova ◽  
Yu. P. Potekhina

Introduction. An osteopathic examination determines the rate, the amplitude and the strength of the main rhythms (cardiac, respiratory and cranial). However, there are relatively few studies in the available literature dedicated to the influence of osteopathic correction (OC) on the characteristics of these rhythms.Goal of research — to study the influence of OC on the rate characteristics of various rhythms of the human body.Materials and methods. 88 adult osteopathic patients aged from 18 to 81 years were examined, among them 30 men and 58 women. All patients received general osteopathic examination. The rate of the cranial rhythm (RCR), respiratory rate (RR) heart rate (HR), the mobility of the nervous processes (MNP) and the connective tissue mobility (CTM) were assessed before and after the OC session.Results. Since age varied greatly in the examined group, a correlation analysis of age-related changes of the assessed rhythms was carried out. Only the CTM correlated with age (r=–0,28; p<0,05) in a statistically significant way. The rank dispersion analysis of Kruskal–Wallis also showed statistically significant difference in this indicator in different age groups (p=0,043). With the increase of years, the CTM decreases gradually. After the OC, the CTM, increased in a statistically significant way (p<0,0001). The RCR varied from 5 to 12 cycles/min in the examined group, which corresponded to the norm. After the OC, the RCR has increased in a statistically significant way (p<0,0001), the MNP has also increased (p<0,0001). The initial heart rate in the subjects varied from 56 to 94 beats/min, and in 15 % it exceeded the norm. After the OC the heart rate corresponded to the norm in all patients. The heart rate and the respiratory rate significantly decreased after the OC (р<0,0001).Conclusion. The described biorhythm changes after the OC session may be indicative of the improvement of the nervous regulation, of the normalization of the autonomic balance, of the improvement of the biomechanical properties of body tissues and of the increase of their mobility. The assessed parameters can be measured quickly without any additional equipment and can be used in order to study the results of the OC.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-18
Author(s):  
Lauren Rebecca Sklaroff

This state of the field essay examines recent trends in American Cultural History, focusing on music, race and ethnicity, material culture, and the body. Expanding on key themes in articles featured in the special issue of Cultural History, the essay draws linkages to other important literatures. The essay argues for more a more serious consideration of the products within popular culture, less as a reflection of social or economic trends, rather for their own historical significance. While the essay examines some classic texts, more emphasis is on work published within the last decade. Here, interdisciplinary methods are stressed, as are new research perspectives developing by non-western historians.


Author(s):  
Rosemary J. Jolly

The last decade has witnessed far greater attention to the social determinants of health in health research, but literary studies have yet to address, in a sustained way, how narratives addressing issues of health across postcolonial cultural divides depict the meeting – or non-meeting – of radically differing conceptualisations of wellness and disease. This chapter explores representations of illness in which Western narrators and notions of the body are juxtaposed with conceptualisations of health and wellness entirely foreign to them, embedded as the former are in assumptions about Cartesian duality and the superiority of scientific method – itself often conceived of as floating (mysteriously) free from its own processes of enculturation and their attendant limits. In this respect my work joins Volker Scheid’s, in this volume, in using the capacity of critical medical humanities to reassert the cultural specificity of what we have come to know as contemporary biomedicine, often assumed to be


EDUSAINS ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-175
Author(s):  
Gia Juniar Nur Wahidah ◽  
Sjaeful Anwar

Abstract This research aims to produce science teaching materials in junior level with Energy in The Body as the theme using Four Steps Teaching Material Development  (4STMD). The material is presented in an integrated way so that students can  think holistically and contextually. The method used in this study is Research and Development. In this R&D methods is used 4STMD. There are four steps done on the development of teaching materials, the selection step, structuring step, characterization, and didactic reduction. Selection step includes the selection of indicators in accordance with the demands of the curriculum which is then developed with the selection of concepts and values that are integrated with the concept of science. Structuring step includes make macro structures, concept maps, and multiple representations. Characterization's step includes preparation instruments, then  trial to students to identify difficult concepts. The last, didactic reduction was done by neglect and the annotations in the form of sketches.The test results readability aspect instructional materials lead to the conclusion that by determining the main idea, the legibility of teaching materials reached 67%, with moderate readability criteria. Test results of feasibility aspects based on the results of questionnaires to the 11 teachers lead to the conclusion that the overall, level of eligibility teaching materials reached 91% with the eligibility criteria well. Keywords: teaching materials; energy; 4STMD Abstrak Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menghasilkan bahan ajar IPA SMP pada tema Energi dalam Tubuh menggunakan metode Four Steps Teaching Material Development (4STMD). Materi disajikan secara terpadu sehingga memacu siswa untuk berpikir secara holistik dan kontekstual. Metode penelitian yang digunakan pada penelitian ini adalah metode penelitian dan pengembangan. Dalam penelitian dan pengembangan yang ini, digunakan metode Four Steps Teaching Material Development (4STMD). Terdapat empat tahap yang dilakukan pada pengembangan bahan ajar, yakni tahap seleksi, strukturisasi, karakterisasi, dan reduksi didaktik. Tahap seleksi meliputi pemilihan indikator yang sesuai dengan tuntutan kurikulum yang kemudian dikembangkan dengan pemilihan konsep dan nilai yang diintegrasikan dengan konsep IPA. Tahap strukturisasi meliputi pembuatan struktur makro, peta konsep, dan multipel representasi dari materi. Tahap karakterisasi meliputi penyusunan instrumen karakterisasi, kemudian uji coba kepada siswa untuk mengidentifikasi konsep sulit. Tahap terakhir, yaitu reduksi didaktik konsep terhadap konsep sulit. Reduksi didaktik yang dilakukan berupa pengabaian dan penggunaan penjelasan berupa sketsa. Hasil uji aspek keterbacaan bahan ajar menghasilkan kesimpulan bahwa berdasarkan penentuan ide pokok, keterbacaan bahan ajar mencapai 67%, dengan kriteria keterbacaan tinggi. Hasil uji aspek kelayakan berdasarkan hasil angket terhadap 11 orang guru menghasilkan kesimpulan bahwa secara keseluruhan tingkat kelayakan bahan ajar mencapai 91% dengan kriteria kelayakan baik sekali. Kata Kunci: bahan ajar; energi; 4STMD  Permalink/DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15408/es.v8i2.2039  


Author(s):  
N. I. Maslova

The article presents analysis of material and results of their own studies on changes in the permeability of cellular structures, organs and tissues in carp, which is of great importance in determining age-related indicators. The cells permeability in liver and gonads estimation was carried out under the experimental base of VNIIR on two carp genotypes during the pre-spawning period. The carp groups taken for analysis differed significantly in their genotypes. In females of the Khrapunov group the fecundity was 2023.0 thousand units, while the number of oocytes filled with yolk was only 0.7%, in the Ostashevsky ones - 1370.0 thousand units and 8.6%, respectively. During estimation the chemical composition of the generative tissue in females and males it was established that the cholesterol and lecithin content in males is higher than that of females, while feeding dependence is observed, especially on the amount of protein in the diet. For example, in females on protein diet contained less glycogen in gonads than on females on carbohydrate diet. Lecithin and cholesterol are higher in males than in females, which corresponds to increasing the Gyurdy Ratio (estimation of cell membrane strength). In spermatogenesis the content of phospholipids and cholesterol in the liver was decreased less than during ovogenesis. This indicates a lower level of synthetic processes in the milts compared with the ovaries. The cholesterol content in sperm is higher than in caviar in 19.6 times, and phospholipids almost doubled. With increasing age, the Gyordy Ratio for caviar decreases, for sperm it increases, the percentage of caviar fertilization increases. As the body age metabolism deteriorates, cellular permeability decreases (the ratio of lecithin and cholesterol changes significantly). At the same time, the permeability of cells in different organs and tissues varies and depends on living conditions, especially feeding and to some extent on the origin. In fish the gross productivity decreases as growth slows down and more energy is spent on adaptation to environmental conditions.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105971232199468
Author(s):  
Paolo Pagliuca ◽  
Stefano Nolfi

We introduce a method that permits to co-evolve the body and the control properties of robots. It can be used to adapt the morphological traits of robots with a hand-designed morphological bauplan or to evolve the morphological bauplan as well. Our results indicate that robots with co-adapted body and control traits outperform robots with fixed hand-designed morphologies. Interestingly, the advantage is not due to the selection of better morphologies but rather to the mutual scaffolding process that results from the possibility to co-adapt the morphological traits to the control traits and vice versa. Our results also demonstrate that morphological variations do not necessarily have destructive effects on robots’ skills.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 373
Author(s):  
Joshua J. Scammahorn ◽  
Isabel T. N. Nguyen ◽  
Eelke M. Bos ◽  
Harry Van Goor ◽  
Jaap A. Joles

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an essential gaseous signaling molecule. Research on its role in physiological and pathophysiological processes has greatly expanded. Endogenous enzymatic production through the transsulfuration and cysteine catabolism pathways can occur in the kidneys and blood vessels. Furthermore, non-enzymatic pathways are present throughout the body. In the renal and cardiovascular system, H2S plays an important role in maintaining the redox status at safe levels by promoting scavenging of reactive oxygen species (ROS). H2S also modifies cysteine residues on key signaling molecules such as keap1/Nrf2, NFκB, and HIF-1α, thereby promoting anti-oxidant mechanisms. Depletion of H2S is implicated in many age-related and cardiorenal diseases, all having oxidative stress as a major contributor. Current research suggests potential for H2S-based therapies, however, therapeutic interventions have been limited to studies in animal models. Beyond H2S use as direct treatment, it could improve procedures such as transplantation, stem cell therapy, and the safety and efficacy of drugs including NSAIDs and ACE inhibitors. All in all, H2S is a prime subject for further research with potential for clinical use.


2021 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 566-598
Author(s):  
Matthias van Rossum

AbstractThis article argues that we need to move beyond the “Atlantic” and “formal” bias in our understanding of the history of slavery. It explores ways forward toward developing a better understanding of the long-term global transformations of slavery. Firstly, it claims we should revisit the historical and contemporary development of slavery by adopting a wider scope that accounts for the adaptable and persistent character of different forms of slavery. Secondly, it stresses the importance of substantially expanding the body of empirical observations on trajectories of slavery regimes, especially outside the Atlantic, and most notable in the Indian Ocean and Indonesian Archipelago worlds, where different slavery regimes existed and developed in interaction. Thirdly, it proposes an integrated analytical framework that will overcome the current fragmentation of research perspectives and allow for a more comparative analysis of the trajectories of slavery regimes in their highly diverse formal and especially informal manifestations. Fourth, the article shows how an integrated framework will enable a collaborative research agenda that focuses not only on comparisons, but also on connections and interactions. It calls for a closer integration of the histories of informal slavery regimes into the wider body of existing scholarship on slavery and its transformations in the Atlantic and other more intensely studied formal slavery regimes. In this way, we can renew and extend our understandings of slavery's long-term, global transformations.


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