Charisma and the Clinic

Here we argue that ‘charisma’, a concept widely taken up within geography and the environmental humanities, is of utility to the social studies of medicine. Charisma, we suggest, draws attention to the affective dimensions of medical work, the ways in which these affective relations are structured, and the manner in which they are intimately tied to particular material-discursive contexts. The paper differentiates this notion of charisma from Weber’s analyses of the ‘charismatic leader’ before detailing three forms of charisma - ecological (which relates to the affordances an entity has), corporeal (related to bodily interaction) and aesthetic (pertaining to an entity’s initial visual and emotional impact). Drawing on interview data we then show how this framework can be used to understand the manner in which psychologists and neuroscientists have come to see and act on autism. We conclude the article by suggesting that examining charisma within healthcare settings furthers the concept, in particular by drawing attention to the discursive features of ecologies and the ‘non-innocence’ of charisma

Non-β-Blocking Carvedilol Analog, VK-II-86, Prevents Ouabain-Induced Cardiotoxicity.

Background It has been shown that carvedilol and its non β-blocking analog, VK-II-86, inhibit spontaneous Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The aim of this study is to determine whether carvedilol and VK-II-86 suppress ouabain-induced arrhythmogenic Ca2+ waves and apoptosis in cardiac myocytes. Methods and Results: Rat cardiac myocytes were exposed to toxic doses of ouabain (50 µmol/L). Cell length (contraction) was monitored in electrically stimulated and non-stimulated conditions. Ouabain treatment increased contractility, frequency of spontaneous contractions and apoptosis compared to control cells. Carvedilol (1 µmol/L) or VK-II-86 (1 µmol/L) did not affect ouabain-induced inotropy, but significantly reduced the frequency of Ca2+ waves, spontaneous contractions and cell death evoked by ouabain treatment. This antiarrhythmic effect was not associated with a reduction in Ca2+ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity, phospholamban and ryanodine receptor phosphorylation or SR Ca2+ load. Similar results could be replicated in human cardiomyocytes derived from stem cells and in a mathematical model of human myocytes. Conclusions Carvedilol and VK-II-86 are effective to prevent ouabain-induced apoptosis and spontaneous contractions indicative of arrhythmogenic activity without affecting inotropy and demonstrated to be effective in human models, thus emerging as a therapeutic tool for the prevention of digitalis-induced arrhythmias and cardiac toxicity.Centro de Investigaciones CardiovascularesConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica

Non-β-blocking carvedilol analog, VK-II-86, prevents ouabain-induced cardiotoxicity

Background: It has been shown that carvedilol and its non β-blocking analog, VK-II-86, inhibit spontaneous Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). The aim of this study is to determine whether carvedilol and VK-II-86 suppress ouabain-induced arrhythmogenic Ca2+ waves and apoptosis in cardiac myocytes. Methods and Results: Rat cardiac myocytes were exposed to toxic doses of ouabain (50 µmol/L). Cell length (contraction) was monitored in electrically stimulated and non-stimulated conditions. Ouabain treatment increased contractility, frequency of spontaneous contractions and apoptosis compared to control cells. Carvedilol (1 µmol/L) or VK-II-86 (1 µmol/L) did not affect ouabain-induced inotropy, but significantly reduced the frequency of Ca2+ waves, spontaneous contractions and cell death evoked by ouabain treatment. This antiarrhythmic effect was not associated with a reduction in Ca2+ calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) activity, phospholamban and ryanodine receptor phosphorylation or SR Ca2+ load. Similar results could be replicated in human cardiomyocytes derived from stem cells and in a mathematical model of human myocytes. Conclusions: Carvedilol and VK-II-86 are effective to prevent ouabain-induced apoptosis and spontaneous contractions indicative of arrhythmogenic activity without affecting inotropy and demonstrated to be effective in human models, thus emerging as a therapeutic tool for the prevention of digitalis-induced arrhythmias and cardiac toxicity.Fil: Gonano, Luis Alberto. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Sepúlveda, Marisa Noemí. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Morell, Malena. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Abramoff, Tamara. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Racioppi, María Florencia. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Achilli, Elena Libia. Universidad Favaloro; ArgentinaFil: Negroni, Jorge Antonio. Universidad Favaloro; ArgentinaFil: Fernandez Ruocco, Maria Julieta. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; ArgentinaFil: Medei, Emiliano. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Neiman, Gabriel. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Miriuka, Santiago Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Backwell, Lucinda Ruth. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Archenti, Adriana. University of Calgary; CanadáFil: Mattiazzi, Ramona Alicia. University of Calgary; CanadáFil: Vila Petroff, Martin Gerarde. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas; Argentin

Max Weber on the ethical irrationality of political leadership

This paper analyses the ethical basis of Max Weber's theory of political leadership. It (i) expounds the connection between the ethics of conviction and responsibility Weber outlines in Politics as a Vocation and the ideal-types of value and instrumental rationality he defines in Economy and Society, (ii) examines Weber's commitment to a practical reconciliation of these political ethics/action types, (iii) argues that, for Weber, this reconciliation ultimately is to proceed through the subordination of conviction to an ethic of responsibility