De omvorming van onszelf in filosofie, kunst en techniek.

In 2009 verschenen de laatste colleges van Foucault over “Diogenes en de Cynische filosofie”. Foucault kiest daarin uitdrukkelijk voor een benadering van filosofie gericht op de omvorming van onszelf. Dit geeft een nieuwe inkijk in Foucaults werk. In “Wat is Verlichting?” gaat het ook over de omvorming van onszelf, maar daar wordt het thema omzichtiger ingebracht via (gedeeltelijk verhulde) discussies met Kant, Heidegger, Sartre en Habermas. Foucault brengt zo de omvorming van onszelf terug in de hedendaagse filosofie. Deze inzichten kunnen vruchtbaar gebruikt worden bij actuele vraagstukken, bijvoorbeeld in de techniekfilosofie. Met verwijzing naar gebruikersonderzoek en een artistieke verkenningen rond nieuwe technologie geef ik een illustratie en toepassing van Foucaults benadering

Eerst zien, dan genezen?: Een kritische blik op echografie in de eerste lijn

Echografie is bezig aan een opmars in de praktijk van de fysiotherapeut, de huisarts en sportarts. Zoals elke nieuwe techniek brengt de echografie onverwachte en ongewenste neveneffecten met zich mee. Patiënten verwachten soms MRI’s of echo’s, ook al vinden behandelaars dat niet nodig. Beeldvormend onderzoek lijkt meer autoriteit te hebben dan het lichamelijk onderzoek door een arts of fysiotherapeut. Vandaar de vraag hoe de neveneffecten van echografie beter begrepen kunnen worden en welke lessen getrokken kunnen worden voor een goed gebruik in de eerste lijn. Met een wetenschaps- en techniekfilosofische blik wordt kritisch geanalyseerd hoe beeldtechnieken als MRI en echo opvattingen over wetenschappelijke zekerheden over ziekte en genezen veranderen en daarmee ook de relatie tussen therapeut en patiënt beïnvloeden. Uitgaande van een casus wordt vervolgens de implicaties hiervan voor de klinische praktijk besproken, met name gericht op de behandelaar-patiëntrelatie

Osmotic swelling-induced activation of the extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinases Erk-1 and Erk-2 in intestine 407 cells involves the Ras/Raf-signalling pathway

Human Intestine 407 cells respond to hypo-osmotic stress with a rapid stimulation of compensatory ionic conductances accompanied by a transient increase in the activity of the extracellular-signal-regulated protein kinases Erk-1 and Erk-2. In this study, we examined the upstream regulators of hypotonicity-induced Erk-1/Erk-2 activation and their possible role in cell-volume regulation. The hypotonicity-provoked Erk-1/Erk-2 activation was greatly reduced in cells pretreated with the specific mitogen-activated/Erk-activating kinase inhibitor PD098059 and was preceded by a transient stimulation of Raf-1. Pretreatment of the cells with PMA, GF109203X, wortmannin or Clostridium botulinum C3 exoenzyme did not appreciably affect the hypotonicity-provoked Erk-1/Erk-2 stimulation, suggesting the osmosensitive signalling pathway to be largely independent of protein kinase C and p21(rho). In contrast, expression of dominant negative RasN17 completely abolished the hypotonicity-induced Erk-1/Erk-2 activation. Stimulation of the swelling-induced ion efflux was independent of activation of these mitogen-activated protein kinases, as revealed by hypotonicity-provoked isotope efflux from 125I-- and 86Rb+-loaded cells after pretreatment with PD098059 and after

Human and value sensitive aspects of mobile app design: a Foucauldian perspective

Value sensitive concerns remain relatively neglected by software design processes leading to potential failure of technology acceptance. By drawing upon an inter-disciplinary study that employed participatory design methods to develop mobile apps in the domain of youth justice, this paper examines a critical example of an unintended consequence that created user concerns around Focauldian concepts including power, authority, surveillance and governmentality. The primary aim of this study was to design, deploy and evaluate social technology that may help to promote better engagement between case workers and young people to help reduce recidivism, and support young people’s transition towards social inclusion in society. A total of 140 participants including practitioners (n=79), and young people (n=61) contributed to the data collection via surveys, focus groups and one-one interviews. The paper contributes an important theoretically located discussion around both how co-design is helpful in giving ‘voice’ to key stakeholders in the research process and observing the risk that competing voices may lead to tensions and unintended outcomes. In doing so, software developers are exposed to theories from social science that have significant impact on their product

Adipocyte-specific protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B deletion increases lipogenesis, adipocyte cell size and is a minor regulator of glucose homeostasis

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Meniscus Motion Inside A DoD Inkjet Print-Head Nozzle

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the Society for Imaging Sciences and Technology via http://www.ingentaconnect.com/contentone/ist/nipdf/2016/00002016/00000001/art00087A new study of the jetting performance for drop-on-demand (DoD) inkjet print heads investigated meniscus motions inside the transparent nozzles of MicroFab inkjet print heads. A composite image representation of the observed meniscus motions, imaged at high resolution using a spark flash light source, was developed for our subsequent analyses of the influences of drive voltage and pulse dwell time and also the ink properties. At higher drive voltages a slow damped refill (following de-pinning of the meniscus from the very edge of the nozzle exit) was also clearly observed. This and many other interesting phenomena were observed with the composite images: internal bubbles that progressed through the nozzle region over relatively long timescales, internal break-off of the jet from the meniscus surface, satellite formation and merging, and the contact line de-pinning not previously observed before.This research was performed by CSR under the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) scheme, within the University of Cambridge Inkjet Research Centre, funded by Xaar Ltd. SDH supervised and held an EPSRC Impact Acceleration Knowledge Transfer Fellowship (grant no. EP/K5037574/1) for working with a Xaar R&D team during the initial part of this project

Increasing capacity for the treatment of common musculoskeletal problems: A non-inferiority RCT and economic analysis of corticosteroid injection for shoulder pain comparing a physiotherapist and orthopaedic surgeon

Background Role substitution is a strategy employed to assist health services manage the growing demand for musculoskeletal care. Corticosteroid injection is a common treatment in this population but the efficacy of its prescription and delivery by physiotherapists has not been established against orthopaedic standards. This paper investigates whether corticosteroid injection given by a physiotherapist for shoulder pain is as clinically and cost effective as that from an orthopaedic surgeon. Methods A double blind non-inferiority randomized controlled trial was conducted in an Australian public hospital orthopaedic outpatient service, from January 2013 to June 2014. Adults with a General Practitioner referral to Orthopaedics for shoulder pain received subacromial corticosteroid and local anaesthetic injection prescribed and delivered independently by a physiotherapist or a consultant orthopaedic surgeon. The main outcome measure was total Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) score at baseline, six and 12 weeks, applying a non-inferiority margin of 15 points. Secondary outcomes tested for superiority included pain, shoulder movement, perceived improvement, adverse events, satisfaction, quality of life and costs. Results 278 participants were independently assessed by the physiotherapist and the orthopaedic surgeon, with 64 randomised (physiotherapist 33, orthopaedic surgeon 31). There were no significant differences in baseline characteristics between groups. Non-inferiority of injection by the physiotherapist was declared from total SPADI scores at 6 and 12 weeks (upper limit of the 95% one-sided confidence interval 13.34 and 7.17 at 6 and 12 weeks, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences between groups on any outcome measures at 6 or 12 weeks. From the perspective of the health funder, the physiotherapist was less expensive. Conclusions Corticosteroid injection for shoulder pain, provided by a suitably qualified physiotherapist is at least as clinically effective, and less expensive, compared with similar care delivered by an orthopaedic surgeon. Policy makers and service providers should consider implementing this model of care

Osteosarcoma in the distal femur two years after an ipsilateral femoral shaft fracture: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>The duration of symptoms preceding a definitive diagnosis of osteosarcoma is quite long. Pathological radiological signs are often evident by the time of diagnosis. Although several case reports have been published on osteosarcoma of the femur, to the best of our knowledge this report is the first one with such an unusual clinical course.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We describe the case of a 58-year-old Caucasian man who presented with a femoral shaft fracture. Two years post-trauma osteosarcoma in the ipsilateral distal femur was diagnosed. Was it coincidence? We think that the history of the trauma is crucial to answering this question.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This case report underlines the need to keep up awareness of pathological fractures in emergency medicine and trauma surgery. When radiographs do not raise any suspicion but the history of trauma or the physical examination does, we recommend further radiological and/or histological diagnostic examinations.</p

Monsoons: global energetics and local physics as drivers of past, present and future monsoons

Global constraints on momentum and energy govern the structure of the zonal mean tropical circulation and rainfall. The continental-scale monsoon systems are also facets of a momentum- and energy-constrained global circulation, but their modern and paleo variability deviates substantially from that of the longitudinal mean through mechanisms neither fully understood nor well simulated. A framework grounded in global constraints yet encompassing the complexities of monsoon dynamics is needed to identify the causes of mismatch between theory, models, and observations and, ultimately, improve regional climate projection. In a first step towards this goal, disparate regional processes must be distilled into gross measures of energy flow in and out of continents and from the surface to the tropopause, so that monsoon dynamics may be coherently diagnosed across modern and paleo observations and across idealized and comprehensive simulations. Accounting for zonal asymmetries in the circulation, land/ocean differences in surface fluxes, and the character of convective systems, such a monsoon framework would integrate our understanding at all relevant scales: from the fine details of how moisture and energy are lifted in the updrafts of thunderclouds, up to the global circulations