Performing Diabetes: Surveillance and Self-Management

Sustaining the diabetic body involves visible practices of expert self-management: injecting insulin and testing blood sugar levels. Drawing form qualitative interviews I consider how people with diabetes manage the visibility of these practices relative to space. For many, the practices of diabetes are configured as ‘to be hidden’, and micro-spatial strategies are frequently deployed to conceal injections and tests from possible observing others. Diabetes then, is often a performance, one influenced by the performativity in space and place in which bodies are felt to be monitored. People with diabetes internalise self-disciplinary practices – keeping their diabetes discreet – especially in public. In this paper I contend that because of this performed discretion of diabetes self-management practices, there is a barrier to knowing diabetic bodies and lifeworlds. I suggest that, through increasing awareness of this subtle performance and surveillance, people with diabetes may feel less restricted in their self-management when in public space

Representing diabetes: ‘Brightside’ and ‘chaos’ in autobiography

This paper examines six autobiographical sources written by people with type 1 diabetes. In seeking to improve the understanding of diabetic lifeworlds; some of the autobiographies present heroic stories of ‘overcoming’ diabetes while others present a more ‘chaotic’ narrative. Regardless of their form, all the autobiographies highlight how the everyday problems and concerns associated with diabetes can be hidden and silenced. Therefore, I ask the question of how to use autobiographies as sources of evidence, being aware of the power constructs that may have directed their form. Despite this question, I argue that autobiographies remain crucial sources for exploring the experience of everyday life and much of the silencing in the texts reflects spatial and emotional challenges faced by the authors. I also consider the limitations of representation in the autobiographies calling for an understanding that the experience of diabetes carries with it feelings, emotions and affects that are non-representable and so never entirely knowable. Thus, this paper builds on recent geographical research on emotion and ‘contested’ illnesses, especially those that are not obviously visible or are easily hidden

Maintaining balance through fitness fun

posterThe risk for falls increases dramatically with age. Approximately 25% - 35% of people over the age of 65 years experiences one or more falls each year (Shumway-Cook, 1997). The Berg Balance Test has been shown to have moderately good sensitivity, and high specificity, and therefore is a good predictor of older adults who may have fall risks and may need assistive devices (Zwick, 2000). According to Ringsberg et al. (1999) it was found that quad strength did not actually improve balance If individuals have a fear of falling, this leads to increased number of falls. The purpose of the current study is to assess whether or not a balance focused exercise program would improve or maintain balance

Estimating detection and density of the Andean cat in the high Andes

The Andean cat (Leopardus jacobita) is one of the most endangered, yet least known, felids. Although the Andean cat is considered at risk of extinction, rigorous quantitative population studies are lacking. Because physical observations of the Andean cat are difficult to make in the wild, we used a camera-trapping array to photo-capture individuals. The survey was conducted in northwestern Argentina at an elevation of approximately 4,200 m during October-December 2006 and April-June 2007. In each year we deployed 22 pairs of camera traps, which were strategically placed. To estimate detection probability and density we applied models for spatial capture-recapture using a Bayesian framework. Estimated densities were 0.07 and 0.12 individual/km 2 for 2006 and 2007, respectively. Mean baseline detection probability was estimated at 0.07. By comparison, densities of the Pampas cat (Leopardus colocolo), another poorly known felid that shares its habitat with the Andean cat, were estimated at 0.74-0.79 individual/km2 in the same study area for 2006 and 2007, and its detection probability was estimated at 0.02. Despite having greater detectability, the Andean cat is rarer in the study region than the Pampas cat. Properly accounting for the detection probability is important in making reliable estimates of density, a key parameter in conservation and management decisions for any species. © 2011 American Society of Mammalogists.Fil: Reppucci, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; ArgentinaFil: Gardner, Beth. United States Geological Survey; Estados UnidosFil: Lucherini, Mauro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Bahía Blanca; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia; Argentin

Investigation of Hamamatsu H8500 phototubes as single photon detectors

We have investigated the response of a significant sample of Hamamatsu H8500 MultiAnode PhotoMultiplier Tubes (MAPMTs) as single photon detectors, in view of their use in a ring imaging Cherenkov counter for the CLAS12 spectrometer at the Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility. For this, a laser working at 407.2nm wavelength was employed. The sample is divided equally into standard window type, with a spectral response in the visible light region, and UV-enhanced window type MAPMTs. The studies confirm the suitability of these MAPMTs for single photon detection in such a Cherenkov imaging application

Biodegradation and antimicrobial properties of zinc oxide–polymer composite materials for urinary stent applications

Research advancements in the field of urinary stents have mainly been in the selection of materials and coatings to address commonly faced problems of encrustation and bacterial adhesion. In this study, polylactic acid (PLA) and polypropylene (PP) were evaluated with zinc oxide (ZnO) coating to assess its ability to reduce or eliminate the problems of encrustation and bacteria adhesion. PLA and PP films were prepared via twin screw extrusion. ZnO microparticles were prepared using sol-gel hydrothermal synthesis. The as-prepared ZnO microparticles were combined in the form of a functional coating and deposited on both polymer substrates using a doctor blade technique. The ZnO-coated PP and PLA samples as well as their uncoated counterparts were characterized from the physicochemical standpoints, antibacterial and biodegradation properties. The results demonstrated that both the polymers preserved their mechanical and thermal properties after coating with ZnO, which showed a better adhesion on PLA than on PP. Moreover, the ZnO coating successfully enhanced the antibacterial properties with respect to bare PP/PLA substrates. All the samples were investigated after immersion in simulated body fluid and artificial urine. The ZnO layer was completely degraded following 21 days immersion in artificial urine irrespective of the substrate, with encrustations more evident in PP and ZnO-coated PP films than PLA and ZnO-coated PLA films. Overall, the addition of ZnO coating on PLA displayed better adhesion, antibacterial activity and delayed the deposition of encrustations in comparison to PP substrates

Test of the CLAS12 RICH large scale prototype in the direct proximity focusing configuration

A large area ring-imaging Cherenkov detector has been designed to provide clean hadron identification capability in the momentum range from 3 GeV/c up to 8 GeV/c for the CLAS12 experiments at the upgraded 12 GeV continuous electron beam accelerator facility of Jefferson Laboratory. The adopted solution foresees a novel hybrid optics design based on aerogel radiator, composite mirrors and high-packed and high-segmented photon detectors. Cherenkov light will either be imaged directly (forward tracks) or after two mirror reflections (large angle tracks). We report here the results of the tests of a large scale prototype of the RICH detector performed with the hadron beam of the CERN T9 experimental hall for the direct detection configuration. The tests demonstrated that the proposed design provides the required pion-to-kaon rejection factor of 1:500 in the whole momentum range.Comment: 15 pages, 23 figures, to appear on EPJ