Gradual Erosion Research Articles

Targeting Personal Recovery of People With Complex Mental Health Needs: The Development of a Psychosocial Intervention Through User-Centered Design.

Long-term admissions in psychiatric facilities often result in a gradual erosion of the identity of people diagnosed with severe mental illnesses (SMIs) into merely “patient.” Moreover, experiences of loss often reduced people's sense of purpose. Although regaining a multidimensional identity and a sense of purpose are essential for personal recovery, few interventions specifically address this, while at the same time take people's often considerable cognitive and communicative disabilities into consideration. This study describes the development process of a new intervention through user-centered design (UCD). UCD is an iterative process in which a product (in this case, an intervention) is developed in close cooperation with future users, such that the final product matches their needs. The design process included three phases: an analysis, design, and evaluation phase. In the analysis phase, the “problem” was defined, users' needs were identified, and design criteria were established. In the design phase, the collected information served as input to create a testable prototype using a process of design and redesign, in close collaboration with service users and other stakeholders. This resulted in an intervention entitled “This is Me” (TiM) in which service users, together with a self-chosen teammate, actively engage in new experiences on which they are prompted to reflect. Finally, in the evaluation phase, TiM was implemented and evaluated in a real-life setting. In a small feasibility pilot, we found indications that some people indeed demonstrated increased reflection on their identity during the intervention. Furthermore, TiM seemed to benefit the relationship between the service users and the mental health professionals with whom they underwent the experiences. The pilot also revealed some aspects of the (implementation of) TiM that can be improved. Overall, we conclude that UCD is a useful method for the development of a new psychosocial intervention. The method additionally increased our knowledge about necessary factors in targeting personal recovery for people with complex mental health needs. Moreover, we conclude that TiM is a promising tool for supporting people with SMI in redeveloping a multidimensional identity and a renewed sense of purpose.

Negative partisanship towards the populist radical right and democratic resilience in Western Europe

ABSTRACT Democracy is under threat today and scholars agree that the main challenge is not sudden regime breakdown, but rather the gradual erosion of key institutions and norms because of growing public support to political forces with illiberal tendencies. In the case of Western Europe, the major threat comes from the populist radical right. Although it is true that the latter has been gaining votes in Western Europe, scholars have not analysed the extent to which a sizeable share of the electorate dislikes this party family. Nevertheless, recent studies reveal that it is important to consider both those who feel close to and those who reject political parties, i.e. positive and negative partisanship. To address this research gap, in this contribution we rely on original survey data for 10 Western European countries to examine negative partisanship towards the populist radical right. The empirical analysis reveals that a large section of the Western European electorate has an aversion to this party family and this finding should be seen as an important sign of democratic resilience. In fact, those who dislike the populist radical right are strong supporters of both democracy per se and the liberal democratic regime.

Flexible democratic conditionality? The role of democracy and human rights adherence in NATO enlargement decisions

What explains NATO’s decision to admit new members even when they fall short of the organisational expectations of democracy and adherence to human rights? After the end of the Cold War NATO put in place an elaborate scheme of democratic conditionality; however, recent waves of enlargement since 2004 have proven increasingly incompatible with these criteria. This paper argues that this policy results from gradual erosion in the prominence of democratic discourse within the organisation, normalising deviations from previous optimistic expectations that became increasingly unsustainable, inducing within-organisation socialisation. This process is paralleled by an increasingly hostile Russian foreign policy, that served as a catalyst for the cognitive normalisation process. To support the argument, the author conducts interviews with key NATO officials previously or presently involved in the enlargement process, building on unique institutional accessibility, performs content analysis of North Atlantic Council discussions (ministerial/heads of state level) and NATO Summit Declarations in 1995‒2019, diving into Albania’s accession in 2009 as a case study. The results suggest that NATO decision-making over expansion was subject to significant politicisation that increased over time, normalising the deviations, reducing the democratic discourse in periods that preceded the integration of states that did not meet the criteria for democracy (most notably, Albania in 2009, Montenegro in 2017, and North Macedonia in 2020). The results emphasise the place of cognitive processes in IO decision-making on enlargement.

Defending Shan State's customary tenure systems from below through collective action research

ABSTRACT Much of rural Myanmar remains under local Customary Tenure Systems (CTS), particularly in upland ethnic areas. Yet CTS lack legal recognition and are increasingly vulnerable to appropriation. This paper examines how, since 2016, communities and civil society organisations (CSOs) across Shan State have organised to document their CTS as a basis for advocacy. Findings confirm CTS remain prevalent and valued, but communities are experiencing increasing pressure, through both gradual erosion, and direct appropriation. Communities and CSOs demand statutory recognition and protections. CTS defence is perceived as a priority element of a wider political process against coercive adverse incorporation and for self-determination.

‘A Neo-colonial Education’: Querying its Role in Immigrant Identity, Inclusion and Empowerment

ABSTRACT This article problematises the neo-colonial legacies of Westernised education in the experiences of empowerment, disempowerment and identity negotiations of two immigrant academic women often positioned as ‘elite’ transnationals in Australia. Through positioning theory and postcolonial theory as frameworks, critical autoethnography as a research method shapes our personal accounts within two postcolonial contexts (India and Mauritius). We explore the tensions and dualities of race, class, ethnicity and gender engendered through an anglicised education. Our empowerment manifests as privilege and access to knowledge and opportunities for transnational mobility. We unpack the gradual erosion of our cultural rootedness and a renegotiation of our migrant identities entailing both submissiveness and resistance. Situating education as a force in our lives, we query whether it is an ‘empowerment tool’ concomitantly creating and deleting elements of our cultural history OR reclaiming the paradoxes of privilege and ‘disempowerment’ shaped by a neo-colonial education?

Globalization and nationalism: Retrospect and prospect

AbstractRecent events have highlighted areas of conflict between economic integration with the outside world and the demands of domestic electorates. Historically, the tradeoffs have always become sharper in periods of crisis, such as the present. After reviewing the U‐shaped progress of globalization since the nineteenth century, this essay reconsiders John Maynard Keynes's views on “national self‐sufficiency” in the early 1930s. I argue that the postwar Bretton Woods system he helped to create evolved from those views as a balanced middle ground between market forces and governments' desires for domestic economic stability. The gradual erosion of that balance in favor of the market has helped produce discontent over globalization and more nationalism in politics. Enhanced multilateral cooperation in key areas offers the hope of supporting globalization while better meeting voters' aspirations. Despite daunting political obstacles to global cooperation these days, collective action challenges in areas such as climate, cybersecurity, and health—alongside economic policy—are becoming only more pressing over time.

Empty Night: Kashubian “Home Liturgy” in the Context of Death

Based on ethnographic field research and thanatological literature, this article analyzes the continuing, but rapidly disappearing, Kashubian custom of bidding farewell to a deceased member of the local community known as “empty night”. Its essence is the night prayer vigil in the house of the deceased, performed by neighbors and relatives. The prayer consists mainly of singing religious songs on “the last things”—in particular about purgatory, human fragility, God’s mercy, and the Passion of Christ. The efforts of the orants are motivated by the concern for the salvation of the soul of the deceased, that is, the shortening and relieving the purgatorial punishment. The centuries-old tradition of “empty night” has been rapidly disappearing over the past 50 years as a result of both economic and social transformations, the gradual erosion of living faith, and the abandonment of the priority of salvation by younger Kashubians. The progressive medicalization of life and change of the approach to death play a crucial role in weakening the tradition of the ancestors. Thus the traditional “empty night” becomes a relic of “tamed death,” giving way to its tabooization and the illusion of “technological immortality”.

Evolution of plasmonic nanostructures under ultra-low-energy ion bombardment

Metal nanostructures supported on a dielectric substrate possess unique plasmonic properties that are highly dependent on their morphologies. We show that such nanostructures can be modified upon exposure to an ultra-low-energy ion-beam bombardment (< 100 eV) near the sputtering threshold of the metal. This plasma treatment can be easily implemented in a vacuum deposition chamber and allows the achievement of morphologies, and therefore optical properties, that are difficult to achieve otherwise by physical vapor deposition. We present the effects obtained (i) on self-organized Ag nanoparticles with unidirectional orientation and bimodal distribution, and (ii) on Ag layers in the form of percolated, quasi-continuous or island thin films. Our results show that the plasmonic dichroism of self-organized assemblies can be tuned thanks to the preferential sputtering of the smaller particles associated with gradual erosion of the larger ones. Ion-induced modifications of percolated or quasi-continuous films lead to the formation of isolated tiny particles with areal densities smaller than 500 μm−2. In both cases, the duration of the ion bombardment makes it possible to finely control the desired structural and plasmonic modifications.

Defragmentation of the historical narrative as a problematic factor of nation-building in Russia in the 90s of the XX century

Overcoming the identity crisis of Russian society is complicated by the complex ideological and narrative legacy of the Soviet era, which not only raises the question of restoring historical continuity, but also of depoliticizing historical heritage. Due to a combination of divergent trends and the gradual erosion of a broad discursive space, Russia has failed to build a coherent historical narrative. This article examines the reasons for the failure of the discursive construction of the historical narrative in the 90s of the XX century.

Современное состояние традиций реинкарнации у обских угров

Introduction: the traditional worldview of the Khanty and Mansi peoples has been undergoing transformation over the past two centuries. It can be considered as a gradual erosion of the semantic «core» of the Ob-Ugric culture, which also includes the ideas associated with reincarnation. On the other hand, these changes are an expression of the modern development of indigenous ethnic groups, choosing for themselves the strategy that allows them to fit into the modern common human culture, responding to the challenges of the era of globalization. Objective: to determine the degree of preservation of traditional Ob-Ugric beliefs associated with reincarnation in the first decades of the XXI century. Research materials: the results of a survey conducted among representatives of the Ob Ugrians in 2017–2018. Results and novelty of the research: the work is a continuation of the author’s research on the traditions of reincarnation in the culture of the Khanty and Mansi peoples. The study of their current state on the basis of a social survey was conducted for the first time, which showed that the traditions associated with the reincarnation are practiced sporadically. Their deeper knowledge is typical for the elderly, while a significant part of the youth is poorly informed. The source of knowledge about reincarnation is a family, as well as literature and the media

The De Novo DNA Methyltransferases &lt;i&gt;DNMT3A&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;DNMT3B&lt;/i&gt; Initiate Erosion of Dosage Compensation in Human Pluripotent Stem Cells

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have proven to be valuable tools for both drug discovery and the development of cell based therapies. However, silencing of XIST expression followed by inappropriate reactivation and biallelic expression of X chromosome linked genes regularly occurs in female hPSCs, placing them in a state observed in human tumors. This gradual erosion of dosage compensation also occludes cellular phenotypes while modeling X-linked diseases and interferes with directed differentiation, greatly limiting the utility of female hPSCs. Here, we investigate the mechanisms regulating erosion of dosage compensation and whether it can be reversed or prevented. We found that changes to the X chromosome during erosion of dosage compensation both repress XIST through DNA methylation and prevent its RNA from silencing the chromosome, even if XIST expression is induced using CRISPR/Cas9 activation. Encouragingly, we found that elimination of the DNMT3A and genes, but the similarity of global transcriptional status of DNMT3A/3B deleted cell to non41 eroded cell differs in cell lines. While DNMT3A/3B deletion after erosion of dosage compensation failed to restore it. Thus, our study revealed that de novo DNA methyltransferases are primary factors responsible for the initiation of erosion of dosage compensation in female hPSCs and once DNA methylation is imposed on XIST promoterregions, the status is stably maintained to repress XIST by de novo DNA methylation independent manner.

“A Production Center”: A Model of Creative Work in Tadeusz Konwicki’s Early Prose

The aim of this article is to outline the issues related to the specificity of the image of the writer and his role in society created in Tadeusz Konwicki’s early works. This stage in the writer’s life opens with the first short story that Konwicki published, namely “Kapral Koziołek i ja” from 1947, after which the initial model of his writing is subject to gradual erosion and ends between 1954 and 1955 with the novel titled Z oblężonego miasta. Investigating the motif of the creative work house on the basis of Z oblężonego miasta is a pretext for reflection on the category of the writer’s work. The article traces the motifs of the professional category of the writer, through analysing the constructions on which Konwicki’s narratives are based. At the same time, due to the analysis of social discourse in which the author participated, the article outlines the social functions he performed at a given time.

STUDY OF UNPROFITABILITY OF UKRAINE’S LARGE CONSTRUCTION ENTERPRISES BY THE DUPONT METHOD

Profitability and its varieties remain the key indicator, which helps to explore certain dependencies and consequences of economic activity of each enterprise in the country. The authors study large construction companies in Ukraine to identify general trends in the construction sector. Despite their overall small share in the total number of all construction enterprises, one should note their significant contribution to the development of the construction sector of Ukraine and higher profitability compared to small and medium enterprises. The negative trend of large construction companies during 2010-2020 proves the relevance of a detailed analysis of such an indicator as the loss ratio of equity in order to identify the factors that have the greatest negative impact. Method. The authors analyse the impact of operating, investment and financial activities on the loss of equity of Ukrainian large construction companies in 2018 compared to 2013 by the widely known method of the company DuPont. It is based on an equation that shows the relationship between return on invested capital, asset turnover, net income and financial leverage. Only in 2018 the situation started to level off. Factor analysis of profitability indicators has revealed the in-depth factors that affect them, namely: loss of the main activity of construction enterprises for ten consecutive years, which caused a decrease in equity to a critically low level and, accordingly, high values of financial leverage. Results. The use of the DuPont method for the analysis of profitability (loss) for large construction companies has allowed a deeper analysis of the factors that influenced such indicators as return on equity. It has been found that the profitability (loss) of equity industries are influenced by the rate of business activity and financial dependence of large construction companies. Practical significance. It has been found that the loss of equity is influenced by a decrease in uncovered profits and a decrease in financial dependence (the ratio of financial dependence increased from 34.96 in 2013 to – 19.213 in 2018) of large construction companies. This indicates a gradual erosion of equity of construction companies, increasing the level of risk, reducing their financial stability. Additional measures are needed to revive the general economic situation in the country, including the digital transformation of construction, the search for innovative activities, the restructuring of institutional support for the construction sector.

Dcaf11 activates Zscan4-mediated alternative telomere lengthening in early embryos and embryonic stem cells.

Telomeres play vital roles in ensuring chromosome stability and are thus closely linked with the onset of aging and human disease. Telomeres undergo extensive lengthening during early embryogenesis. However, the detailed molecular mechanism of telomere resetting in early embryos remains unknown. Here, we show that Dcaf11 (Ddb1- and Cul4-associated factor 11) participates in telomere elongation in early embryos and 2-cell-like embryonic stem cells (ESCs). The deletion of Dcaf11 in embryos and ESCs leads to reduced telomere sister-chromatid exchange (T-SCE) and impairs telomere lengthening. Importantly, Dcaf11-deficient mice exhibit gradual telomere erosion with successive generations, and hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) activity is also greatly compromised. Mechanistically, Dcaf11 targets Kap1 (KRAB-associated protein 1) for ubiquitination-mediated degradation, leading to the activation of Zscan4 downstream enhancer and the removal of heterochromatic H3K9me3 at telomere/subtelomere regions. Our study therefore demonstrates that Dcaf11 plays important roles in telomere elongation in early embryos and ESCs through activating Zscan4.

Emotional Experiences of Dementia Caregiving Transitions

Research indicates that family caregivers of individuals living with dementia are at risk for high levels of stress, depression, physical health declines, and illness. The health and well-being of family caregivers is critically important to a long-term care system that is dependent on them to continue their caregiving role. In-depth individual and focus group interviews of 16 dementia caregivers were conducted to explore the emotional experiences of caregiving stress during transitions of individuals living with dementia to a higher level of care. Data were transcribed verbatim, checked for accuracy, and analyzed by at least two members of the research team. Line-by-line coding, memo writing, and constant comparative analyses were conducted until redundancy, when no new themes were discovered. Caregivers described various levels of feeling overwhelmed and symptom progression leading to the move to a nursing facility. Social isolation featured prominently, with caregivers describing a gradual erosion of their social network and socializing opportunities because of their caregiving responsibilities and the care recipient’s deteriorating symptoms. Caregivers described feeling isolated and stigmatized. One caregiver said, “…you’re being less invited, you’re being less involved. People don’t know how to deal with you…I don’t know if they become the pariah or I become the pariah.” At the same time, maintaining social connections and having help with caregiving featured prominently in the coping mechanisms described. The health of caregivers is equally as important as the person living with dementia, and programs, interventions, and resources should be a priority for supporting families through transitions.

The Significance of Foreign Military Bases as Instruments of Spheres of Influence

The category of the sphere of influence can explain some contemporary international processes. To define that category, however, much stress is laid on great powers’ exclusivity within their spheres of influence. The author takes into consideration the thesis of the aforementioned exclusivity’s erosion. Because foreign military bases are essential instruments of spheres of influence due to their strong impact on security policy, it is worth investigating their presence in this context. Specifically, the author carries out an in-depth study of military bases of more than one major power in one host country. Further, the article discusses the extent to which the gradual erosion of exclusivity undermines the significance of spheres of influence as such. In conclusion, the author states that the case of Djibouti undermines the idea of great power exclusivity. Yet, other cases do not provide sufficient evidence on such deep transformation because of either limited periods of bases’ existence or great power cooperative attitudes.

Изобрести, деконструировать и снова изобрести Супергероя: злоключения национального героя в модерновых культурах национализма (от националистического политического плаката к комиксу массовой культуры)

Автор рассматривает проблемы развития образов героев и супергероев в западной культуре. Целью статьи является анализ основных векторов и траекторий трансформаций героических образов как форм актуализации национальных и частично политических идентичностей. Теоретические подходы, вдохновленные конструктивистским поворотом, определяют методологические принципы, используемые автором в этой статье. Предполагается, что современные образы супергероев в массовой культуре общества потребления возникли как результат процессов постепенной эрозии и кризиса нации-государства и стандартизированных политических идентичностей эпохи модерна. Автор полагает, что массовая культура существенно изменила основные векторы и траектории развития героических образов в идентичностях. Автор анализирует роль национализма в трансформации образов героев. В статье рассматривается роль национального воображения и изобретения традиций в формировании и трансформации героических нарративов в современных политических и этнических идентичностях. Автор выявляет основные этапы в трансформации героических образов, предполагая, что 1) «национализмы» 19 века предложили классические образы национальных героев; 2) во второй половине 20 века классический герой в национальном воображении стал жертвой массовизации; 3) к началу 21 века сосуществовали множественные образы национального героя классической культуры и супергероя массовой культуры; 4) в начале 21 века супергерой воображался и изобретался в процессах деконструкции классических образов национального героя. В целом предполагается, что комикс в частности и культура комикса в целом актуализирует основные формы трансформации образов супергероя.

An unusual case report of bladder perforation after intrauterine device insertion: Diagnosis and retrieval by flexible hysterofibroscopy

Uterine perforation is an uncommon complication of intrauterine device insertion, with an incidence of uterine perforation by IUCD ranged from 0.4 to 1.6 per 1000 insertions. Perforation may be complete, with the device totally in the abdominal cavity, or partial, with the device to varying degrees within the uterine wall. We hereby describe a case report of a 36-year-old lady who presented with abdominal pain and her imaging with an ultrasound revealed a perforation of the uterus and partially migrated to the urinary bladder lumen. The IUCD was easily removed by grasping the tip of the vertical arm with the forceps of the flexible hysterofibroscope and directly pulling it out appropriately. Most cases are due to traumatic perforation that occurs at the time of insertion. However, “secondary” perforation can also occur by gradual erosion. Most of the uterine perforations by IUCD are uncomplicated, with the device lying in a quiescent state in the abdomen.

La década prodigiosa de Regina Lamo: su compromiso con el cooperativismo obrero en la Cataluña de los años veinte

Este trabajo pretende articular la construcción del personaje de Regina Lamo, hasta ahora presentado como sub­alterno a otras vidas que han alcanzado más relevancia históri­ca que ella. Entre otros activismos, Lamo se convirtió en líder de opinión y en creadora de escuela en el terreno del coopera­tivismo como forma más eficaz de lucha contra la explotación del movimiento obrero en las primeras décadas del siglo XX en España. La grave situación de conflicto social vivido en esas primeras décadas del siglo en el contexto de la modernización de España, y en particular en Cataluña, junto con el auge del movimiento obrero, provocó una fuerte represión de la princi­pal fuerza, el anarcosindicalismo. Se abrió así un espacio para los mutualistas que buscaban un desgaste gradual y pacífico del capitalismo y que estaban a favor de la economía social, frente a los bakuninistas, proclives a la lucha militante, la huelga ge­neral y la insurrección. En este marco, Regina Lamo perfila su compromiso con una original propuesta de creación de Bancos Populares de Crédito que singularizó su figura y la convirtió en un personaje relevante, transgresora de los límites de género, que hoy tratamos de reivindicar.

World-beating? Testing Britain's Covid response and tracing the explanation.

The UK, and England in particular, has suffered egregiously poor outcomes in managing the Covid-19 pandemic. This short perspective points to the explanation in terms of both current British politics and the public health policy inheritance. Boris Johnson's Premiership was born in an opportunistic assertion of British exceptionalism, and Johnson's initial, fate-tempting reaction to the novel Coronavirus set the UK on the wrong path. Furthermore, the gradual erosion of professionalism in (especially health) policy-making over almost four decades, and the hollowing-out of the health protection infrastructure, both facilitated and accentuated a toxic approach to managing Covid-19.