Bodily Conditions Research Articles

Commensuration and Currency in Plato’s Phaedo

Abstract My aim in this paper is to show that Plato’s Phaedo makes an important contribution to the development of ideas about the commensuration in value of heterogeneous items that is needed for practical reasoning and rational choice. Because the passage I focus on, the so-called ‘right exchange’ passage at 69a-c, has not usually been read this way, I motivate the reading by showing how it resolves some puzzles local to the Phaedo concerning the stark contrast Socrates develops between the virtues of philosophers and nonphilosophers, ordinary people who do not pursue wisdom single-mindedly, applying to the latter labels like ‘strange’, ‘unreasonable’, ‘illusory’ and ‘slavish’. Socrates says that one should, and suggests that philosophers do, use wisdom as their currency whereas nonphilosophers use pleasure (and perhaps also pains, fears, etc., or bodily conditions in general) as their currency (or currencies). Although it has been generally understood that the basis for this contrast lies in how the two groups evaluate, the details have remained murky. I argue that it’s due to the properties of pleasure (or bodily conditions in general) qua measure of value, in particular pleasure’s context-dependence, that nonphilosophers’ judgements about virtue, e.g. the courage and moderation of particular acts or people, are defective in the ways Socrates says they are.

Drug Abuse Among Elementary School Children: a Narrative Review of Implications For Islamic Ways of Prevention

Elementary education is the key to further education. Drug abuse is a troubling issue in most societies, involving the misuse of drugs, such as using them without a prescription or just to cause intoxication. The aim of this study is to review the implications of drug abuse from the perspective of Islamic prevention methods. The study uses a qualitative method with a narrative review technique. The findings show that drug abuse has many negative impacts on both users and passive members of society. Muslim communities are also not spared from the grip of drug abuse, necessitating a religious-based intervention. Although education at the elementary level and beyond offers significant benefits, drug abuse poses an obstacle to achieving educational goals for children. Due to their vulnerabilities and lack of experience, children often fall into drug abuse. Drugs are substances that can alter bodily conditions. Children may be drawn into drug abuse due to various factors, such as peer pressure, lack of experience, genetics, environment, and others. Drug abuse can affect physical health, cause mental health problems, disrupt education, and create numerous social issues. Parents who adhere to Islamic laws in parenting can significantly reduce drug abuse among children. Following Islamic laws, such as the prohibition of drugs, will certainly address drug abuse among children in society.

Latihan Fisik : Gait Training Exercise Terhadap Penurunan Risiko Jatuh pada Lansia dengan Penyakit Tidak Menular

Introduction: Falls are a physical problem that often occurs in the elderly, with increasing age physical, mental and bodily function conditions decline. Preventing the risk of falls can be done through gait training exercises. Objective: To determine the effect of gait training exercise on reducing the risk of falls in elderly people with non-communicable diseases. Method: This research design used Quasy Experimental pre & post tests in the intervention group. The number of samples in this study was 58 respondents with the sampling technique used was simple random sampling. This research was carried out in Plombokan Village on March 27-April 15 2023. The measuring tool used in this research used the time up and go test (TUGT). Results: There was a significant effect between before and after being given gait training exercise on reducing the risk of falls in the elderly with a p value = 0.001 (p ? 0.05). This research suggests that physical exercise, gait training exercise, can reduce the risk of falls in the elderly.

Mothers: Inhabiting the Impossible

ABSTRACT This essay explores mothers inhabiting the impossible position of carrying life and death’s trauma. It delves into how this relation to death is not only entwined with the mother and infant’s bodily conditions, but also with the birth of the human subject and the divide that constitutes us. By viewing the mother’s crossing between life and death as a perpetual, moment-to-moment encounter, this paper discusses the impossible, idealized injunctions placed upon the mother, alongside the burdened demand to bear the most difficult and disavowed aspects of humanity. Drawing from Bracha Ettinger’s (2006) work on intergenerational affective traces and a collective engagement with history, the essay uses vignettes to illustrate instances of the mother’s relation to death in the unconscious, the significance of symbolization, and the possibilities that come with it.

Devising of Lazūq (A Conventional Unani Dosage Form) with reference to Transdermal Patch; Then and Now: A Critical Review

Objective: The endeavor is made to criticize the classical indications, preparations and application of Lazūq even after passing many centuries since its inception. Background: According to classical Unani literature, Lazūq is primarily formulated for headache, migraine, toothache, cervical pain, dropping of uvula and different types of pain like sciatica, backache, myalgia and some orthopedic conditions. Its approach is still conventional that encompasses thick sticky stuff of drug/s which is pasted over a cloth or thick paper, consequently, maximum ratio of medicinal properties remains insignificant owed to stratum corneum (layer of skin that functions as a barrier). Devising and method of drug delivery in classical form of Lazūq makes it inconvenient to the patient, thus, it drops patient’s compliance and anticipated efficacy. In this day and age, Unani practitioners do not prescribe it very often because of its devising and limited indications documented in classical literature. Hence, it’s now becoming out of practice. Whereas, modern medicine is practicing its novel approach epitomized as Transdermal patch for several bodily conditions like Acute post-operative pain, Alzheimer disease, Angina pectoris, Anti-emetic patch, Atrial fibrillation, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, Dementia, Depression, Dysmenorrhea, Hypertension, Local dermal analgesia, Menopausal symptoms, Motion sickness, Osteoporosis, Overactive bladder, Parkinson’s disease, Post herpetic neuralgia pain, Smoking cessation, Tic disorder, Tourette syndrome and to prevent pregnancy. In transdermal patch, drug is used in micro/nano form with chemically produced permeation enhancers (CPEs) and other smart physio-chemical techniques that makes it very easy to apply, imparts maximum active pharmaceutical ingredients with controlled release of drug. Methodology: Ancient classical Unani formulations of Lazūq was appraised and then its course with respect to today’s newer formulations as transdermal patch was reviewed to look for its progress and application in novel dosage form with the advantage of innovations in pharmaceutical and allied sciences. Conclusion: Classical Unani formulations of Lazūq must be reviewed, transformed, evaluated, coped and applied as per the standard operating procedures (SOPs) of transdermal drug delivery system. Future Prospects: New formulations of Lazūq should be designed and appraised from the medicinal treasure of Unani system of medicine for different therapeutic conditions.

Formulation and Synthesis of Vanillin from Clove Oil as a Chemosensor for Urea Detection in Urine

Urea levels in urine play an important parameter in diagnosing bodily conditions through liver and kidney examinations. The typical reagent for detecting urea content in urine is para-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde (pDMAB). However, it has a drawback related to the instability of color in the resulting Schiff base compound (pDMAB-urea). In this study, the synthesized vanillin compound derived from clove oil serves as the foundational material for a urea chemosensor based on the colorimetric concept. The synthesized vanillin was characterized using FTIR, GC-MS, and 1H-NMR. The formulation of the vanillin compound as a sensor was conducted by assessing the suitable solvent, determining the optimal mass of vanillin, and evaluating the acid-base conditions of the sensor formulation system both qualitatively and quantitatively. Subsequently, the most effective formulation was selected for detecting urea in urine samples. The synthesis of vanillin yielded a purity level of 95%. The optimal formulation was obtained at an optimum mass of vanilla of 0.75 g in 50 mL of 96% ethanol and 10 mL of 10% NaOH. The color change in the sample was from colorless to greenish yellow (436 nm). The vanillin obtained was applied to urine samples with the best results at a sample dilution level of 10,000×.

Gradient Porous Graphene-Based Ion-Selective Electrode for Real-Time Monitoring of Sweat Electrolyte

Human sweat, a biomarker-rich physiological fluid, is an ideal candidate for non-invasive and real-time health monitoring. State-of-the-art electrochemical sweat sensors, that detect concentrations of analytes, such as electrolytes, through ion-selective membranes (ISM) in ion-selective electrodes (ISEs), show great potential for monitoring bodily conditions with high selectivity and affordability. Ion detection can be accomplished by utilizing the electrochemical potential gradient across an ISM within the solid-contact ISE. The solid-contact interface, located between the sensing membrane and electron-conducting substrate, plays a crucial role in ion-to-electron transduction. This critical layer serves to minimize the formation of the water layer, enabling stable potential responses and maintaining long-term stability.This work focuses on the use of chemical vapor deposition-grown, hydrophobic, gradient porous graphene (3D-G) material as the solid-contact layer in the ISE, offering a wider detection range, enhanced sensitivity, and improved long-term stability. The highly porous structure promotes ion recognition, diffusion, and adsorption onto the enhanced electrode surface, resulting in long-term stability, rapid analyte diffusion, and enhanced ion-to-electron transduction for sweat electrolyte sensing. A three-dimensionally interconnected porous electrode design can significantly enlarge the sensing areas in comparison to a 2D planar electrode, thereby improving the overall sensing performance of the sweat sensor. Owing to their large interface area, coupled with large double-layer capacitance in all-solid-state ISEs, hydrophobic nanostructured materials have been demonstrated to facilitate the ion-to-electron transduction process. Employing the 3D-G ISEs for health assessment has been exemplified through an on-body sweat sensing experiment, wherein the obtained results exhibit notable similarity with those generated by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICP-MS). Figure 1

Approach–Avoidance Responses to Affective Facial Expressions and Bodily Posture1,2

AbstractHuman beings perceive the emotions of others through various cues, such as facial expressions, voice, and bodily posture. These social signals have been acquired evolutionarily, and reports suggest that emotions are recognized to some extent in a culturally universal pattern. It has also been suggested that an observer's approach or avoidance responses toward the expressor occur at the initial stage of emotion perception. However, such approach–avoidance reactions have hitherto been examined mainly in response to facial expressions and not bodily postures. Therefore, this study examined approach–avoidance responses to anger and fear as visualized through facial expressions and bodily postures. The study sample comprised 58 university students. The results showed that, as in a previous study, approach responses to fear and avoidance responses to anger were dominant in both facial expression and bodily posture conditions. This suggests that bodily posture and facial expression are social signals that can elicit an approach–avoidance response from the observer.

Pyroptosis Inhibition in Disease Treatment: Opportunities and Challenges.

Programmed cell death (PCD) is at the center of immune responses, with different types of PCD occurring based on bodily conditions at a given moment. The main three types of PCD include pyroptosis, necroptosis, and apoptosis. Both pyroptosis and necroptosis induce an inflammatory response while apoptosis avoids eliciting an inflammatory reaction. Recently, pyroptosis has come to the forefront of immunology research due to tremendous potential that has been revealed surrounding the regulators of pyroptosis. In addition to previously known regulators of pyroptosis (ZBP1 and NLRP3 genes), a family of proteins called Gasdermin has been discovered. Specifically, Gasdermin D (GSDMD), when cleaved, participates in the onset of pyroptosis of inflammatory diseases. The N-terminal cleaved portion of the molecule causes cellular membrane openings releasing interleukin-18 and IL-1β, inducing pyroptosis. It is hypothesized that the inhibition of GSDMD using drugs such as Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF) and Disulfiram may halt the progression of certain inflammatory diseases including Multiple Sclerosis (MS), autoimmune encephalitis etc. While there is not yet a concrete treatment for pyroptic cell death in inflammatory disease using GSDMD inhibition, there is ample evidence to suggest that there may be success in future studies and therapeutic applications of GSDMD.

Disability Prestige and Perceived Disability Disadvantage: Intersubjective Structure of Disability as a Social Disadvantage in the Japanese Metropolitan Area

Abstract This paper explores disability disadvantage in Japanese society by analyzing the structure of people’s perceptions. Following in part the occupational prestige ranking, a random-sampled postal survey conducted in 2018 in the Southern Kanto District of Japan measured the extent to which respondents thought 33 different bodily conditions were an impediment to aspects of social life (e.g. work, school, and marriage) on a six-point scale. There were 248 valid cases (24.8%) out of the sample of 1,000 persons. Based on the mean scores for each bodily condition, physical and sensory conditions ranked high, psychiatric conditions ranked in the intermediate range, and disfigurements ranked low, as confirmed by multidimensional scaling using Euclidean distance. Alternatively, based on correlations of response patterns as similarity, some clusters of disability types emerged: physical/mental incapacity, mental/physical disorders, and disfigurement. These results indicate the residual social disadvantage for some disability types according to perception in Japan, while suggesting diversity among disabilities both quantitatively and qualitatively. The latter point also implies different corporal meanings attached to different aspects of body function and structure.

Unfolding Microgravity and the Interplay Between Awe, Wonder, Curiosity, and Humility in Artistic Research

Abstract This article discusses how the term ‘curiosity’ emerged as a leading element in the development of the action performance research project Microgravity. The focus is on the effect of curiosity as an activator of movement in a participatory performance in which participants are invited to explore new bodily conditions for the first time (in this case, reduced gravity through a vertical dance technique). I begin with an account of what vertical dance is, its origin, and my personal experience as a vertical dancer. Through the connection between vertical dance and space exploration and an encounter with the terms ‘awe’ and ‘wonder’ (in connection to space travel), I move on to pedagogical and creative decisions regarding ways to create a participatory performance that, due to its complete physical involvement of participants, I now refer to as an ‘action performance’. I will elaborate on the creative partners who joined the research and the interplay of curiosity and humility in relation to the terms ‘awe’ and ‘wonder’ based on the book A Neurophenomenology of Awe and Wonder (Gallagher et al. 2015), which was the initial inspiration for the use of these terms and the establishment of the imaginary universe of Microgravity. I will also employ my own interpretation of these terms as a researcher, drawing on first-hand participatory experiments and data gathered from participants between 2019 and 2022.

Disability

The word disability originated as a legal, rather than a medical, term where it was used to limit individuals' access to rights. These linguistic roots have cast a long shadow over the legal and political lives of disabled people. Nevertheless, the word disability originally described more situational and malleable states than fixed conditions, and it was not until the antebellum era that disability began to be associated more commonly with bodily and mental conditions. When writing about disability history, scholars should keep in mind the shifting nature of the term disability and evolving understandings of the concept of disability during the period as well as the identity preferences and self-understanding of the groups whose histories they study. Cultural and epistemological humility as well as openness to change and correction remain essential.

Duas Próteses Anatómicas, da Idade Moderna, encontradas em Lisboa

Two rare 17th century human prostheses were found during archaeological excavations in Lisbon, one of them exhumed from an inhumation grave in Carmo Church and the other from a well, reused as cesspit, in the Santana Convent. The first corresponds to a thumb distal part, made in silver and the other to four teeth (upper incisors), and produced in ivory, probably from elephant. Since early times most human societies gave huge importance to its members’ body aesthetics and bodily conditions. However, those aspects, resulting mainly from economic and social factors, perhaps even religious, would be exacerbated, especially among the political, military and religious elites, from the 16th century onwards, where it was intended to identify the look of each person with their social and material condition.

Ten years of living with an injured spinal cord: A qualitative longitudinal study.

Rehabilitation and recovery following spinal cord injury often implies a fundamentally changed life. The aim of this study was to explore the process of living with spinal cord injury for 10 years to identify which factors were most decisive for living a fulfilled life. The present study was a 10-year longitudinal qualitative study based on Ricoeur's hermeneutic-phenomenological approach to explore and interpret people's experiences of life during the first 10 years after they had suffered a spinal cord injury. Interviews were conducted with 10 people during the first year and then again after two, five and 10 years. The process over 10 years showed that a satisfying life can be led despite limitations caused by the damaged spine by balancing possibilities and the life wished for. Reduced body function did not have to hinder people from living a satisfying life. Bodily issues can move into the background when new skills and routines are developed. This enabled backgrounding body conditions, letting other matters foreground. Thus, life can be experienced as good and can resemble the lives of other people of the same age, though strains and struggles were an integrated part of every activity. However, the new normal was disturbed when bodily conditions could not be kept stable or worsened due to illness, often related to the damaged spine. If this challenged the new way of living, the body foregrounded and became the primary focus for effort and attention, and the process of balancing possibilities and the life wished for had to be repeated. Life 10 years after spinal cord injury can be experienced as good despite limitations, partly resembling life lived by other same-aged people. Having stable bodily conditions allowed other matters to foreground. This was important to the process of reconciling oneself to the situation and balancing possibilities and the life wished for.

Harrison, Timothy M. Coming To: Consciousness and Natality in Early Modern England

Harrison, Timothy M. <i>Coming To: Consciousness and Natality in Early Modern England</i>

On Semiotic Mediation: the bodily conditions of human and more-than-human communication

On Semiotic Mediation: the bodily conditions of human and more-than-human communication

The association between self-rated health and all-cause mortality and explanatory factors in China's oldest-old population.

BackgroundSelf-rated health (SRH) is considered a condensed summary of information about bodily conditions that involves people’s biological, cognitive, and cultural status, but has been under-studied in the oldest old population. This study aimed to investigate the association between SRH and all-cause mortality among the oldest-old population in China and to explore potential explanatory factors in this association.MethodsThe study was based on the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) from 1998 to 2018 and included 30 222 participants aged 80 years or older (ie, the oldest old) in the analysis. We used Cox models to assess the association between SRH and mortality in this population and its subgroups, and used the Percentage Excess Risk Mediated approach to identify potential contributing factors.ResultsAfter adjustment of confounders, people with “good” “neutral”, and “bad/very bad” SRH were significantly associated with 8% (95% confidence interval (CI) = 3%-13%), 23% (95% CI = 18%-29%), and 52% (95% CI = 44%-61%) higher hazard of mortality respectively, compared with those with “very good” SRH. The significant SRH-mortality associations were exclusive to men and those with at least primary education. The adjustment of “regular physical activity”, “leisure activity”, “activities of daily living (ADL)”, and “cognitive function” all led to noticeable attenuation to the SRH-mortality association, with “leisure activity” causing the most attenuation (64.9%) in the “Good SRH” group.ConclusionsSelf-rated health is significantly associated with all-cause mortality among the oldest old population in China, particularly among men and the educated, and is considerably explained by regular physical activity, leisure activity, ADL, and cognitive function. We advocate the use of SRH as a simple and efficient tool in research and (potentially) health care practices.

Functional foods classification system: exemplifying through analysis of bioactive compounds

The classification of functional foods based on their usefulness in the management of diseases and bodily conditions is currently absent from modern academia. Benefits from a system classifying functional foods by the amount of scholarly research performed on functional foods could be useful in managing diseases, informing the public, and legitimizing functional food as a consistent method for well-being promotion. The purpose of this study is to exemplify a previously proposed 16-step system by which functional foods may be ranked according to which studies have been conducted, highlighting their abilities. Listings would include common chronic diseases affecting first-world individuals; diabetes, obesity, cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s/dementia. The proposed system would implement an alphanumeric code of ‘A’, ‘B’, or ‘C’, depending on if foods have undergone epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and aftermarket research, only epidemiological and clinical studies, or have only been certified as a functional food. Current statistics discerning the prevalence of the listed chronic disease are utilized to contextualize the uniqueness of each bioactive compound and demonstrate the variance of effect by functional food products. Additionally, individual bioactive compounds are analyzed, denoting their efficacy in observable trials to better contextualize food function. From the proposed system, many prospective functional food products would not be eligible for classification by standards previously proposed in the 16-step plan. Taking into consideration current literature, the lack of standardized testing and optimal dosage leaves much to be desired in classifying functional food products. This study aims to exemplify a viable system by which functional foods can currently be analyzed and ranked based on empirical research studies. With suitable support from these studies, bioactive compounds and their subsequent food vehicles will be justly classified within an easy-to-recognize system. As the field of functional food grows, more factors to the analytical process may need to be applied, especially should the definition of functional foods categorize products in a way that aids the FDA’s system.Keywords: Functional Food, Functional Food Classification, Bioactive Compounds, Classification of Bioactive Compounds, Aftermarket research

Long-acting reversible contraception: Targeting those judged to be unfit for parenthood in the United States and the United Kingdom

ABSTRACT There is a long history of regarding marginalised groups as unfit to parent and of eugenic policies targeting those with ‘undesirable’ bodily conditions or behaviours. This is part of a broader pattern of stratified reproduction – structural conditions that enable or discourage certain groups from reproducing – that often brings about and exacerbates injustices. This paper critically assesses the US and UK social and medical literature on applying pressure to marginalised groups, or those who have behaved ‘irresponsibly’, to use long-acting reversible contraception (LARC). Targeting young people for LARC fails to recognise that social inequality is the context for teenage pregnancy, not the result of it. Provider pressure on women of colour to use LARC is linked to institutional racism, whilst policy for those with physical and intellectual disabilities is shaped by disability discrimination. Other groups to be targeted include so-called ‘welfare mothers’, substance users, those who have had children put into care and offenders. Particularly controversial are cases in which LARC has been ordered by courts. LARC policy incorporating these kind of discriminatory practices needs to stop; future policy should focus on person-centred care that bolsters reproductive justice.

Aelius Aristides’ Sacred Tales

Aelius Aristides’ Sacred Tales, composed in the 2nd century CE, is considered a unique literary work, in which the author claimed to have recorded the dreams he had received from Asclepius over a long period of time. Modern historians explore the value of the Sacred Tales both as a literary work and as a personal oneiric record of actual dreaming experiences. In this article, I take into account the modern insights offered by the embodied human cognition paradigm in order explore the possible long-term influence and repercussions of the Sacred Tales on the readers’ imagination and dreaming experiences. In particular, I suggest that Aristides’ oneiric descriptions would have been meta-represented in the readers’ minds upon reading the text, priming specific images, representations, mental, and emotional states as well as expectations about potential divine revelations during the ritual of incubation. Later, those readers who would find themselves in similar bodily, mental, and emotional conditions like the ones experienced and described by Aristides, could have implicitly used the primed representations for meta-representing a personal epiphany of Asclepius. Thereby, the Sacred Tales would have provided the raw material to feed the readers’ imaginative simulations and to elicit a personally meaningful divine revelation.