Review of 'Ageing, Insight and Wisdom: Meaning and Practice across the Lifecourse' by Ricca Edmondson

--

Extraordinary Forms of Aging: Life Narratives of Centenarians and Children with Progeria

While aging and the life-course appear to be normalized processes, the complex construction of age at the intersection of biology, society, and culture remains opaque. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of age(ing) by exploring its construction through the analysis of extraordinary cases. Focusing on life narratives of centenarians and children with progeria, Julia Velten analyzes the way in which these people experience age(ing) and shows how these experiences can contribute to our understanding of age. Situated at the intersection of aging studies and medical humanities, the study explores what extraordinary age(ing) can tell us about aging processes in general

Scham und Schamlosigkeit:Grenzverletzungen im Spannungsfeld von Dissimulation und Ostentation

Die Tagung widmet sich dem Verhältnis von Scham und Schamlosigkeit in der Vormoderne. Obwohl die beiden Phänomene kategorial unterschiedlich gelagert sind, lassen sie sich auf der Ebene der Grenzverletzung miteinander in Beziehung setzen. Im Mittelpunkt soll deshalb weniger die Frage nach Scham und Schamlosigkeit selbst, als vielmehr nach ihren Zuschreibungspraktiken stehen, nämlich wie eine Handlung im Prozess der öffentlichen Kommunikation zur Transgression wird. Aus dieser handlungsorientierten Perspektive bietet es sich an, die beiden Phänomene nicht als normative, ethische oder affektbezogene Kategorien, sondern als performative Operatoren zu untersuchen, deren Zusammenwirken über die Markierung eines Vorgangs als Grenzverletzung die Grenze erst hervorbringt. Scham und Schamlosigkeit unterliegen allerdings unterschiedlichen Aufführungsbedingungen: Scham ist paradox angelegt, denn sie macht körperlich sichtbar, was das Subjekt verbergen will. Somit lässt sich Scham als eine Kommunikationsform der Dissimulation verstehen. Die Schamlosigkeit erscheint dagegen als Ostentation: Das Sichtbarmachen der Grenze ist in diesem Fall eine zielgerichtete Geste, die für verschiedene Semantiken offen ist. Dabei geht es nicht nur um die Modi dieser Geste, sondern auch um ihre Funktionen und Effekte. Die Tagung umfasst ein breites Spektrum von literarischen und künstlerischen Inszenierungen von Scham und Schamlosigkeit, für die das Zusammenspiel von Dissimulation und Ostentation von Bedeutung ist. Sie zielt insbesondere auf vormoderne Zusammenhänge, da hier in der öffentlichen Verhandlung von Norm- und Verhaltensgrenzen keine strikte Trennung zwischen institutionalisierten Rechtsverfahren, rituellen Äußerungen und spontanen face-to-face Interaktionen herrscht.Scham und Schamlosigkeit: Grenzverletzungen im Spannungsfeld von Dissimulation und Ostentation, conference, ICI Berlin, 4–6 June 2009 <https://doi.org/10.25620/e090604

A Cell-Permeable Inhibitor to Trap Gαq Proteins in the Empty Pocket Conformation

In spite of the crucial role of heterotrimeric G proteins as molecular switches transmitting signals from G protein-coupled receptors, their selective manipulation with small molecule, cell-permeable inhibitors still remains an unmet challenge. Here, we report that the small molecule BIM-46187, previously classified as pan-G protein inhibitor, preferentially silences Gαq signaling in a cellular context-dependent manner. Investigations into its mode of action reveal that BIM traps Gαq in the empty pocket conformation by permitting GDP exit but interdicting GTP entry, a molecular mechanism not yet assigned to any other small molecule Gα inhibitor to date. Our data show that Gα proteins may be “frozen” pharmacologically in an intermediate conformation along their activation pathway and propose a pharmacological strategy to specifically silence Gα subclasses with cell-permeable inhibitors

Phase 3, Randomized, 20-Month Study of the Efficacy and Safety of Bimatoprost Implant in Patients with Open-Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension (ARTEMIS 2)

Objective- To evaluate the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering efficacy and safety of 10 and 15 µg bimatoprost implant in patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) or ocular hypertension (OHT). Methods- This randomized, 20-month, multicenter, masked, parallel-group, phase 3 trial enrolled 528 patients with OAG or OHT and an open iridocorneal angle inferiorly in the study eye. Study eyes were administered 10 or 15 µg bimatoprost implant on day 1, week 16, and week 32, or twice-daily topical timolol maleate 0.5%. Primary endpoints were IOP and IOP change from baseline through week 12. Safety measures included treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) and corneal endothelial cell density (CECD). Results- Both 10 and 15 µg bimatoprost implant met the primary endpoint of noninferiority to timolol in IOP lowering through 12 weeks. Mean IOP reductions from baseline ranged from 6.2–7.4, 6.5–7.8, and 6.1–6.7 mmHg through week 12 in the 10 µg implant, 15 µg implant, and timolol groups, respectively. IOP lowering was similar after the second and third implant administrations. Probabilities of requiring no IOP-lowering treatment for 1 year after the third administration were 77.5% (10 µg implant) and 79.0% (15 µg implant). The most common TEAE was conjunctival hyperemia, typically temporally associated with the administration procedure. Corneal TEAEs of interest (primarily corneal endothelial cell loss, corneal edema, and corneal touch) were more frequent with the 15 than the 10 µg implant and generally were reported after repeated administrations. Loss in mean CECD from baseline to month 20 was ~ 5% in 10 µg implant-treated eyes and ~ 1% in topical timolol-treated eyes. Visual field progression (change in the mean deviation from baseline) was reduced in the 10 µg implant group compared with the timolol group. Conclusions- The results corroborated the previous phase 3 study of the bimatoprost implant. The bimatoprost implant met the primary endpoint and effectively lowered IOP. The majority of patients required no additional treatment for 12 months after the third administration. The benefit-risk assessment favored the 10 over the 15 µg implant. Studies evaluating other administration regimens with reduced risk of corneal events are ongoing. The bimatoprost implant has the potential to improve adherence and reduce treatment burden in glaucoma

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

'Extreme Forms of Aging:' The Case of Sam Berns

By discussing the aging disorder progeria as depicted in the HBO documentary Life According to Sam, this paper argues that extraordinary forms of aging allow us to gain new insights into the cultural construction of age. The paper explores the ways in which age is culturally constructed through physical and behavioral aspects. The condition of progeria, puts individuals in between these categories, providing an angle to look at the way subcategories of age influence a person’s perception about age and aging in a given social context. Moreover, the essay connects methods from age studies as well as disability studies and suggests a dialogue between the two fields. Progeria, causing the body to age at a tremendously accelerated rate, serves as a suitable point of inquiry. On the one hand, it is an aging disorder at the junction between disability and age while, on the other, it challenges normative assumptions of age and aging by juxtaposing different subcategories of age within a single individual