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The Improper Apocalypse:Vitalism with and against a Psychoanalytic Approach to the End of the World
No full textThe chapter argues that while psychoanalysis gives us important resources for thinking through anthropogenic climate change it can also be a hindrance because it lapses into a form of metaphysical thought that can be linked to the conventional concept of a ‘proper death’, which is exhibited in a magnified form in apocalyptic thought. To establish this position, the chapter makes use of the biological work of Xavier Bichat, showing that his vitalistic account of life from the turn of the 19th century created a distinctively modern, non-metaphysical and pluralised concept of death that can be scaled to a societal level without evoking apocalypticism. It is in relation to this model that Sigmund Freud’s theory of the death drive is both a step forward and a step backwards, accounting for the phenomenon of climate change in a way that Bichat’s model cannot, and yet also elevating a concept of the ‘proper’ end of the world that is counterproductive to political action
Emotional AI in Cities: Cross-cultural Lessons from the UK and Japan on Designing for an Ethical Life
No full textAccessibility and applicability of physical activity guidelines and recommendations for adults living with long term conditions during COVID-19
Get PDFTo review the applicability and accessibility of physical activity guidelines for adults living with long-term conditions whilst shielding during the COVID-19. A narrative review with systematic methodology was conducted between 2015 and 2021, with two stages: 1) Search of electronic databases PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, PsycInfo, and Cinahl; 2) search of long-term condition organisations. Sixty-five articles were identified, where nine included specific guidelines during the COVID-19, 28 specific guidelines to individuals living with long-term conditions and 7 identified the utilization of online resources. Twenty-one long-term condition organizations websites were reviewed where all of them included a section regarding physical activity guidelines and seven referred to online and offline accessible resources during COVID-19. Accessibility and applicability were variable across academic databases and long-term conditions organisation websites. Findings could inform long-term condition policy and guidelines development to better and more relevant support people living with long-term conditions to be physically active.</p
A proof-of-concept study of the removal of early and late phase biofilm from skin wound models using a liquid acoustic stream.
No full textChronic wounds fail to progress through the normal stages of healing, with the largest remediable cause of chronicity being presence of a multi-species biofilm. Removal of biofilm from the wound environment is central to wound care. A device for mechanically removing biofilms from wounds has been devised. The removal is caused by small-scale liquid currents and shear, generated by acoustically activated microscopic air bubbles. These bubbles and acoustic waves are delivered onto the wound by a gentle liquid stream, allowing cleaning in situ and removal of debris in the run-off liquid. We have investigated if this liquid acoustic wound stream (LAWS) can remove bacterial biofilm from soft biological wound models and studied the effect of LAWS on the cellular tissues of the substrate. LAWS will efficiently remove early Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm from an artificial wound in a pig's trotter, 24 hours-mature biofilm of P. aeruginosa from a pre-wounded human full thickness skin model (EpiDerm FT), and 3-day mature biofilm of P. aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus from a porcine skin explant. Histological examinations of uninfected EpiDerm models that had been treated by LAWS and then stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin, demonstrated no damage to the human tissue, and wound diameter was smaller in the treated skin models compared with untreated samples. Immunofluorescence staining for cytokeratin 14 showed that keratinocytes had migrated further across the wound in the uninfected samples treated by LAWS. We discuss the implications for wound healing and propose further laboratory and clinical studies to demonstrate the removal of biofilm from patients with chronic leg ulcers and the impact on healing.</p
Authentic and therapeutic engagement with the past for veterans at Nokalakevi, Georgia, and on Breaking Ground Heritage projects in the UK
Get PDFThis article summarises the application of archaeological fieldwork to support improvements in mental health and wellbeing among military veterans. First delivered in 2011 through the Operation Nightingale initiative in the UK, and subsequently expanded through Breaking Ground Heritage, Waterloo Uncovered and other veteran-led programmes, the benefits are increasingly well-studied and documented, with several studies now published. In trying to understand ‘how’ archaeology supports effective non-medical intervention, this article reports results from a veteran wellbeing programme in Nokalakevi, Georgia, which hosted Georgian and Ukrainian veterans in 2019. Analysis of qualitative data obtained from the participants, who worked alongside British and Georgian staff and students, is presented within a thematic framework developed through research undertaken in the UK with British veterans. By comparing and contrasting data obtained from Nokalakevi with that of Breaking Ground Heritage projects in the UK it was possible to identify common yet independently achieved outcomes. The analysis demonstrates common themes across all the participants, with responses illustrating the importance of three aspects of individual experience during archaeological fieldwork: interpersonal; developmental; and holistic personal development. It is proposed that these aspects are the key elements that contribute to improved veteran wellbeing through participation on excavation projects, including the provision of social and peer support opportunities. It is also clear from this research, and that described elsewhere, that authentic and meaningful engagement with the historic environment can have a truly therapeutic impact on people with mental health needs. This sense of authenticity is often derived through participation on a project that it is well supported by experienced archaeologists and heritage professionals, meaning that individuals feel that they are contributing fully (i.e. authentically) to a better understanding and interpretation of the site and, by doing so, are engaging actively with the historic environment