Depression embodied: an ambiguous striving against fading

Although depression is associated to physical discomfort, meanings of the body in depression are rarely addressed in clinical research. Drawing on the concept of the lived body, this study explores depression as an embodied phenomenon. Using a hermeneutic phenomenological approach, the analysis of narrative‐based interviews with 11 depressed adults discloses a thematic structure of an embodied process of an ambiguous striving against fading. Five subthemes elicit different dimensions of this process, interpreted as disabling or enabling: feeling estranged, feeling confined, feeling burdensome, sensing life and seeking belongingness. In relation to clinical practice, we suggest that the interdisciplinary team can focus on enhancing the enabling dimensions, for example through guided physical activities to support the patient to feel more alive, capable and connected. Moreover, we suggest that the treatment process benefits from an increased awareness of the ambiguity in the patient's struggle, acknowledging both destructive and recharging elements of the withdrawing, and the perceived conflict in‐between.     

Complete recovery of filler-induced visual loss following subcutaneous hyaluronidase injection

The rise in popularity of hyaluronic acid (HA) dermal filler injection has caused an exceptional increase in the number of cases of reported irreversible blindness. Here, we reported a case of ischemic optic neuropathy and ophthalmoplegia following subcutaneous HA filler injection with complete visual recovery. A 31-year-old Chinese woman presented with sudden onset of right monocular visual impairment associated with diplopia. Patient had received a hyaluronic acid-containing ?ller injection for nasal dorsum augmentation twelve hours prior to presentation. Visual acuity of the right eye was counting finger. A right relative afferent pupillary defect was demonstrated with ophthalmoplegia. Humphrey visual field test disclosed a right inferior altitudinal field defect with impairment of colour vision. Computed tomography of the orbit revealed mild enlargement of the right medial and inferior recti muscles. Our patient showed a tremendous improvement of vision after a subcutaneous hyaluronidase injection with complete visual recovery within 2 weeks.     

Concurrent removal of Cr(III), Cu(II), and Pb(II) ions from water by multifunctional TiO2/Alg/FeNPs beads

The use of multifunctional materials for water remediation is a modern approach where adsorption phenomena and heterogeneous photocatalysis can be applied for the removal of pollutants. Since the ideal remediation system should be able to remove both organic and inorganic pollutants, a crucial aspect to consider is the knowledge of operational parameters affecting the removal process, especially when heavy metal ions are present in concoction as in real systems. Given the proven efficiency of multifunctional TiO₂/Alg/FeNPs magnetic beads for the removal of model organic pollutants, this study investigated the possibility to exploit such system also for the removal of mixed heavy metals (MHM), specifically Cr(III), Cu(II), and Pb(II) ions, under ultraviolet irradiation at a wavelength of 254 nm. After a preliminary screening on the optimal catalyst loading, operating parameters such as the initial concentration of metal ions, contact and irradiation time, and pH were investigated to optimize the removal of metal ions using response surface methodology (RSM) via Box–Behnken design. Starting from a MHM solution containing 44 ppm of each metal ion, the removal of Pb(II), Cr(III), and Cu(II) ions in the aqueous solution was nearly completed (>98.4%) for all three ions within 72 min of irradiation at almost neutral pH (pH = 6.8). The stability of TiO₂/Alg/FeNPs was confirmed by retrieving and reusing the beads in three consecutive cycles of heavy metals removal without observing significant changes in catalyst efficiency.