The Politics of Attachment: Lines of Flight with Bowlby, Deleuze and Guattari

Research on attachment is widely regarded in sociology and feminist scholarship as politically conservative – oriented by a concern to police families, pathologise mothers and emphasise psychological at the expense of socio-economic factors. These critiques have presented attachment theory as constructing biological imperatives to naturalise contingent, social demands. We propose that a more effective critique of the politically conservative uses of attachment theory is offered by engaging with the ‘attachment system’ at the level of ontology. In developing this argument we draw on Deleuze and Guattari, making use of the common language of ethology which links their ideas to that of attachment theory. The attachment system can and has been reified into an image of the infant returning to their caregiver as an image of familial sufficiency. This has offered ammunition for discourses and institutions which isolate women from health, social and political resources. Yet Deleuze and Guattari can help attachment theory and research be recognised as a powerful ally both for progressive politics, for reflection on the movement of human individuation, and for arguing for the meaningful resourcing of those who care for someone else.This research was funded by the Wellcome Trust Investigator Award, WT103343AIA, to Robbie Duschinsky.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Sage Publications via http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026327641560557

The Politics of Attachment: Lines of Flight with Bowlby, Deleuze and Guattari.

Research on attachment is widely regarded in sociology and feminist scholarship as politically conservative - oriented by a concern to police families, pathologize mothers and emphasize psychological at the expense of socio-economic factors. These critiques have presented attachment theory as constructing biological imperatives to naturalize contingent, social demands. We propose that a more effective critique of the politically conservative uses of attachment theory is offered by engaging with the 'attachment system' at the level of ontology. In developing this argument we draw on Deleuze and Guattari, making use of the common language of ethology which links their ideas to that of attachment theory. The attachment system can and has been reified into an image of the infant returning to their caregiver as an image of familial sufficiency. This has offered ammunition for discourses and institutions which isolate women from health, social and political resources. Yet Deleuze and Guattari can help attachment theory and research to be recognized as a powerful ally for progressive politics, for reflection on the movement of human individuation, and for arguing for the meaningful resourcing of those who care for someone else.This research was funded by the Wellcome Trust Investigator Award, WT103343AIA, to Robbie Duschinsky.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Sage Publications via http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/026327641560557

Association of the co-expression of SOX2 and Podoplanin in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinomas - an immunohistochemical study

SOX2 is a transcription factor related to the maintenance of stem cells in a pluripotent state. Podoplanin is a type of transmembrane sialoglycoprotein, which plays an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. This study aims to determine association of SOX2 and podoplanin expression in the progression of oral squamous cell carcinomas and to elucidate the association between two proteins. Methodology: The immunohistochemical expression of SOX2 and podoplanin were evaluated in 60 cases of primary oral squamous cell carcinomas. The correlation between the SOX2 and podoplanin expression and the clinicopathological features of the tumors and the patient outcomes were assessed. Results: The expression of SOX2 was seen in 38/60 (63%) of the cases and the expression for podoplanin was seen in 45/60 (75%) cases. There was a significant inverse correlation between the expression of SOX2 and podoplanin with the tumor grade (p=0.002 and p=0.017, respectively). There was a high expression of SOX2 in 9/13 cases that presented with disease free survival. Survival analysis showed that a high expression of SOX2 correlated positively (p=0.043) with the disease-free survival. There was a significant positive association between the pattern of SOX2 and podoplanin expression (p=0.002). Conclusion: A high expression of SOX2 was associated with better disease-free survival. The expression of podoplanin was associated with the degree of differentiation of the tumors. Analysis of these biomarkers can aid in the prognosis and treatment of oral squamous cell carcinomas

Newton’s Bucket Experiment: Fictional or Real?

Newton’s example of a revolving bucket filled with water is one of the most well-known experiments in the philosophy of physics. It is usually interpreted as an argument for the existence of absolute space. In this paper I challenge this interpretation. In line with recent literature, I explain that a target of the example is the inadequacy of Descartes’s definition of motion. But I also a raise a serious problem for the current reading which comes from the attribution of “absolute and true circular motion” to the water revolving inside the bucket. The solution resides in an examination of Newton’s meticulous experimental setup as a self-contained, realistic description of how the quantity of true motion of a body of water changes (under which conditions and with what kind of effects). I argue that the example should be read as real experiment and that it exemplifies a double methodological aspect. The example presents an analysis of true motion which connects (i) the concrete causes of changes in motion with (ii) their quantitative representation

Introducing Dialogue to Graduate Students

Scholars and practitioners in adult education commonly agree on the importance of communication and interaction in the adult classroom. Frequently, however, learners are not provided with guidelines on how to interact and communicate with others in such settings. This paper reports on an experiential orientation to the practice of dialogue for adults in a graduate progra

Spindle Cell Lipoma of the Buccal Mucosa- A Case Report

Spindle cell lipomas are a distinct variant of lipomas that occur very rarely in the oral cavity. The most common site for occurrence of this entity in the oral cavity is the tongue. The presence of spindle cells in the lesion calls for critical histopathological evaluation of the lesion. Here we present a new case of spindle cell lipoma that occurred on the buccal mucosa of a 45-year-old female patient. We provide an insight to the pathogenesis and the pathology of the entity

Noninvasive imaging of focal atherosclerotic lesions using fluorescence molecular tomography

Insights into the etiology of stroke and myocardial infarction suggest that rupture of unstable atherosclerotic plaque is the precipitating event. Clinicians lack tools to detect lesion instability early enough to intervene, and are often left to manage patients empirically, or worse, after plaque rupture. Noninvasive imaging of the molecular events signaling prerupture plaque progression has the potential to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with myocardial infarction and stroke by allowing early intervention. Here, we demonstrate proof-of-principle in vivo molecular imaging of C-type natriuretic peptide receptor in focal atherosclerotic lesions in the femoral arteries of New Zealand white rabbits using a custom built fiber-based, fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) system. Longitudinal imaging showed changes in the fluorescence signal intensity as the plaque progressed in the air-desiccated vessel compared to the uninjured vessel, which was validated by ex vivo tissue studies. In summary, we demonstrate the potential of FMT for noninvasive detection of molecular events leading to unstable lesions heralding plaque rupture

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in oral squamous cell carcinoma - Ensuing from elective to selective

The status of lymph node involvement holds prime importance in the prognosis and therapy of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Clinically and radiologically negative neck lymph nodes in early OSCC frequently create difficulty in predicting prognosis and defining treatment, owing to the chances of occult metastasis. In case of the lymphatic spread of the carcinoma, lymphatic drain will first pass through sentinel lymph nodes. The sentinel lymph node (SLN) is defined as the lymph node on the direct drainage pathway from the primary tumor. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) is a minimally invasive technique and can be used for staging of cN0 neck in early OSCC. It helps to identify “skip” metastases and unpredictable lymphatic drainage patterns. Elective lymph node dissection (ELND) is frequently used as an adjunctive therapy to improve the cure rates of patients with cN0 OSCC and has been applied for staging as well, but it holds a greater risk of morbidity as compared to SLNB. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) poses to be a feasible, safe and reliable prognostic tool for cN0 OSCC. Here’s an attempt to understand the validity of SLNB over ELND