The Corporeality of Late Age

In a study of over a thousand Germans, Paul Baltes and his colleagues observed that most respondents saw age 80-84 as the preferred age to reach before dying. Living beyond 85 was only desired by a minority. Perhaps this is because this age seems to many the point when bodily disease and physical weakness render life not just unpleasant but actively burdensome. Such views underpin the social imaginary of an undesirable fourth age. This paper discusses the significance of corporeality as both representation and lived experience, raising the question of whether the disparity between real and imagined corporealities resides as much from an ‘other’ within as without.

PHYSICAL WEAKNESS AS COPD PHENOTYPE

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important cause of disability and premature death. The Global Strategy for the Diagnosis, Management and Prevention of COPD (GOLD) gives much attention to pulmonary rehabilitation programs including training of the muscles of the upper extremities and of respiratory muscles, which, in turn, permits to reliably reduce severity of clinical manifestations, to improve the quality of life, reduce the need for specialized medical care including outpatient visits to a doctor and the rate of exacerbations and hospitalizations for the given disease. One of the main problems of patients with this pathology is the syndrome of physical weakness. In these patients, disorders occur both in respiratory muscles and in mus-cles of the extremities, which reduces tolerance to physical exercise with the result of a consider-able impairment of the quality of life. Muscles of the lower extremities suffer to a higher extent than respiratory muscles and muscles of the upper extremities. According to foreign data, the cause of physical weakness is skeletal muscle dysfunction which leads not only to exercise intol-erance, but is also a predictor of increased mortality in COPD. Factors that contribute to muscle dysfunction are similar to those observed in a stable course of COPD: a significant role of nutritive support, hypercapnia, hypoxemia, electrolyte disorders, systemic inflammation. These factors may play a role of a triggering mechanism for a cascade of local inflammatory reactions and metabolic disorders that may induce different clinical effects including development of muscle dysfunction. At the moment, the problem of physical weakness as a consequence of muscle dysfunction in COPD deserves special study in order to effectively manage patients with this pathology in real clinical practice. Given the importance of the problem, a number of researchers have identified a separate phenotype of physical weakness in COPD. Identification of molecular mechanisms participating in muscle dysfunction, in loss of muscle mass and in disorders in anabolism will permit to elaborate new therapeutic goals in future.

Analyzes of Life World of a Young Girl With Myasthenia Gravis: Qualitative Case Study

Background and Aim: Myasthenia Gravis (MG) is a neuromuscular disorder and auto-immune disease that is associated with symptoms of fluctuating muscle fatigue and dysfunction of the neuromuscular junction system. This disease greatly affects various aspects of the patient's life and impacts the person's perception of the quality of life. The aim of this study was to explain and analyze life experiences with myasthenia gravis disease in a young girl. Methods & Materials: This report is a qualitative case with interpretive phenomenological approach that examines the life experiences of a young girl with myasthenia gravis in 2019. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using Van Manen's phenomenological approach. Ethical Considerations: This study was registered in the Research Ethics Committee of Khatam University (Code: 3299/100/P/98). Results: Thematic analysis indicated that myasthenia gravis disease affects all aspects of person's life world. These four aspects include living and feelings with time, body, space, and others. Eventually, three interrelated themes emerged from the patient's perception of the world around her, including physical weakness, future ambiguity, and frustration. Conclusion: The present study shows a clear image and understanding of the problems of living with MG in a young girl. The phenomenological world of mixed by physical weakness, ambiguity in the future, and frustration that indicating the suffering and distress that the patient experiences following the illness. The results of this study contribute to the awareness of health and rehabilitation specialists in the field of work and research in myasthenia gravis as a neurological disease.

In the Back Drop of Overuse of Synthetic Drugs, can Botanicals be One of the Answers: A Pilot Study on the Medicinal Use of Chlorophytum and Curcuma by Tribals of Central India

Background: In several recent surveys, it has been found that more people suffer because of over and indiscriminate use of synthetic drugs, chemicals and antibiotics, particularly with regard to issues like drug sensitivity, resistance, immune disturbances, and economic burdens, ultimately leading to a weak prognosis of a large number of diseases, eventually defeating the purpose of medicinal efficacy. We propose the old age use of scientifically validated natural compounds of plants and their products for a strong immune system along with a successful treatment regimen which can be effective as well as safe without side effects. Objective: The aim of the present work is to evaluate the various medicinal uses and applicability of Chlorophytum borivilianum, Chlorophytum tuberosum and Curcuma longa as natural plant-based ingredients by tribal communities. Methods: A survey was carried on the rural folks who used natural botanicals for alleviating their several common disorders successfully. Chlorophytum species of Liliaceae and Curcuma of Zingiberaceae are traditional rare Indian medicinal herbs widely used in the indigenous system of medicine since ancient time. A total number of 196 individuals were interviewed which included both men and women, in which the main objective was to explore the different forms of these medicinal plant species used with water or with milk by tribal folk for their wide range of common ailments such as pain in joints, loss of appetite, cold, sore throat, fever and general weakness. Results: The tribal people were found to use these plants for many of their problems such as physical weakness, natal and postnatal problems, lactation problems, cold and fever, sore throat, inflammation, joint pain, etc. Many of them (60-80%) were able to overcome their varied health problems to a great extent such as inflammation (69.4%), joint pain and arthritis (66.6%), sore throat and cold (87.5%), physical weakness (66%), natal and postnatal problems (75%). Conclusion: The findings strongly support the use of natural compounds for a safe and effective means of treating loss of appetite, general weakness, pain of the joints, inflammation and other related ailments by the people of tribal areas of Border States of MP and Maharashtra, having little access to modern health care facilities.

Physical Weakness, Illness and Death in 1 Corinthians 11.30: Deprivation and Overconsumption in Pauline and Early Christianity

In 1 Cor 11.17–34, Paul attempts to correct the practice of a communal meal in Corinth. He notes that consumption of this meal without discernment of ‘the body’ has had disastrous consequences within the community of Christ-followers: ‘For this reason, many among you are weak and sick, and quite a few are dying’ (11.30). This essay offers a physical interpretation of 1 Cor 11.30, contending that Paul presents the bodies of both the ‘have-nots’ and those who shame them as suffering because of the practice of the Lord's Supper, the former from dietary deprivation and the latter from overconsumption.

Strategi dan Model Pemberdayaan Masyarakat Miskin di Sumatera Utara

This article was prepared on the background where the poor in North Sumatera are powerless and have no ability to place their position and role in government and development, whileefforts to empower the poor have not been optimally carried out by the North Sumatera Provincial government. This article was prepared to discuss ways to make the poor in North Sumatera powerless, and outline strategies and models to empower the poor in North Sumatera. The poor are powerless and the risk poses a factor of poverty, physical weakness, isolation, improvement, and powerlessness, the poor are not managed and tend to be left by the government, and are not liked by the community. The strategy for empowering the poor in North Sumatera can be carried out through the Need for Strengthening program, Strengthening Human Resources, Strengthening Institutions, Strengthening Access to Communication and Information, Strengthening Networks - Partnerships, and Strengthening Participation. While the effective model of Poor Community Empowerment in North Sumatera is an Advantage and Change Model (ACM)

The health condition of Steve Jobs and the value of Apple’s shares

This paper aims to analyze the influence of news about Steve Jobs’ health on the price of Apple stock during the period from 10/16/2003 to 10/05/2011. Seven major events were identified for which significant market reaction was detected within five days after the release. The results indicate a trend dampening market reactions over time, suggesting that after the first news, investors gradually included in their predictions the frequent absences of the ceo. The mistaken announcement of Steve Jobs’ death on August 28th, and his appearance showing signs of physical weakness on September 9th 2008, in the acute phase of the financial crisis, were decisive factors in influencing the value of Apple’s shares. Furthermore, the news about Steve Jobs’ health did not cause significant impact on the price of the shares after he returned to the presidency of Apple. This indicates that the market had already picked up signs of a probable permanent absence.

Confessions of the Unfriendly Spleen

This essay traces the genealogy of humors and diseases of the spleen that originated in England and became a common subject of study in imperial and tropical medicine, reinforcing deep-seated notions about the physical weakness of Indians and the unusual pathology of native bodies and organs. It explores how forensic notions of a weaker and vulnerable Indian body emerged in colonial India through theories of miasma and the practice of dissection, and how such ideas contributed to the notorious 'spleen theory' defense in the law courts of the late nineteenth-century Raj, where Europeans charged with assault and murder of Indian servants were frequently acquitted on the grounds of their distended spleens being ruptured during routine acts of physical correction.

Semiology of pathological conditions in patients indicated for stereotactic biopsy

Introduction. Brain tumors produce symptoms and signs which are often non-specific, and therefore they may occur for more than a few months prior to diagnosis. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of referent signs and symptoms among patients referred for stereotactic brain biopsy. Material and Methods. In this study, we retrospectively analyzed medical history of 65 patients (67.7% males and 32.3% females) between the ages of 16 and 81 years. The following symptoms and signs were included in the analysis: organic brain syndrome, lateralization of crossed pyramidal tract, cranial nerve dysfunction, speech disorders, cerebellar-vestibular syndrome, nausea, vomiting, headache, the occurrence of at least one epileptic seizure and respondents? physical weakness. Results. Physical weakness was the most frequent symptom to be recognized (76.9%), whereas pyramidal neurological lateralization was the most commonly recognized sign (58.5%). There was a significant correlation between the course of disease and physical weakness (rho = -0.34, p = 0.005), as well as the course of disease and lateralization of the pyramidal tract (rho = 0.65, p = 0.00). No significant correlation was found between other clinical signs and symptoms. Conclusion. An accurate diagnosis and early recognition of signs and symptoms may be useful in determining indications for stereotactic brain biopsy.