Jesus's Miraculous Healings in Mt 8:1-17 Significance and Role.

Jesus's messianic identity is the central topic of the Gospel of Matthew, where the author presents the Messiah of Words and the Messiah of Actions in an original way. Namely, after chapters 5-7, in which Matthew writes about the Messiah of Words who restores the original meaning of the Law in the Sermon on the Mount, in chapters 8-9, the Evangelist presents not only Jesus's messianic identity, but also the model of his deep and fundamental messianism, which is evident in the power of miraculous healing, as well as the powerlessness of the servant, the authority of the call to follow in his footsteps, and the charity toward the poor. Therefore, we are addressing Jesus's miraculous healings, which demonstrate not only Jesus's messianic identity, but also the specific character of his "to be the Messiah", i.e. the special significance and role of his actions that lead to salvation. In Mt 8:1-17, the Evangelist presents three miraculous healings by Jesus: The healing of the leper, the healing of the Roman centurion's son, and the healing of Peter's mother-in-law, which represent three vulnerable and marginalised groups: lepers, heathens, and women. Matthew ends the account of those three miraculous healings with a summary about Jesus's exorcisms and healings of many sick people, according to the words of the prophet Isaiah: "He himself took our weaknesses and carried our diseases". In that specific quote, Matthew offers the key for the interpretation of Jesus's miraculous healings to the readers. Unlike the suffering servant from the book of the prophet Isaiah, Jesus does not accept the weaknesses of man onto himself; he instead removes them through his power as the saviour. By using the quote from the book of the prophet Isaiah 53:4 freely, Matthew does not attribute it to the suffering of Jesus, but instead to his miraculous healings. By replacing the noun hamartias "sins", with the noun hasteneias - "weaknesses", and the verb ferô "to bear", with the verb lambanô "to take away", Matthew recognises the Messiah in Jesus, who removes the weaknesses and diseases of men in his power as the saviour; a Messiah who is in solidarity with the weaknesses of men; a Messiah who heals and saves with his solidarity, by giving the weakest and the marginalised back the dignity of the sons of God. Therefore, Matthew recognises the messianic actions in Jesus's miraculous healings, which is realised in the suffering of Christ, which is the obedience to the intent of the God Saviour and solidarity with the rejected: lepers, heathens, and women.

Significados atribuídos e sentimentos autorreferidos sobre adoecimento de pessoas que vivem com hanseníase / Attributed meanings and self-reported feelings about illness of people living with leprosy / Significados atribuidos y sentimientos autoinformados sobre la enfermedad de las personas que viven con lepra

Objetivo: compreender os significados atribuídos e sentimentos autorreferidos sobre o adoecimento por pesssoas que vivem com hanseníase. Método: pesquisa qualitativa, desenvolvida em um município da região norte da Bahia. Realizou-se entrevistas semiestruturadas e observação sistemática, que originou três categorias analíticas, por meio da análise temática categorial de Bardin. Resultados: os participantes revelaram sentimentos de medo, inferioridade e tristeza que coexistem com a discriminação e a falta de informação sobre o adoecimento. Estes sentimentos vivenciados cotidianamente os afastaram de familiares e pessoas próximas, reforçando sofrimentos e adoecimento psiquico. Conclusão: o enfrentamento diário do preconceito pode interferir no prognóstico da doença, na adesão ao tratamento e qualidade de vida, o que requer uma conduta profissional pautada em acolhimento, escuta qualificada e constante diálogo.

Objective: understand the meanings attributed and self-reported feelings about falling ill by people living with leprosy. Method: qualitative research, developed in a municipality in the northern region of Bahia. Semi-structured interviews and systematic observation were carried out, which originated three analytical categories, through Bardin's categorical thematic analysis. Results: the participants revealed feelings of fear, inferiority and sadness that coexist with discrimination and the lack of information about illness. These feelings experienced daily removed them from family and close people, reinforcing suffering and psychic illness. Conclusion: the daily confrontation of prejudice can interfere in the prognosis of the disease, in adherence to treatment and quality of life, which requires professional conduct based on welcoming, qualified listening and constant dialogue.

Objetivo: comprender los significados atribuidos y los sentimientos autoinformados sobre enfermarse por las personas que viven con lepra. Método: investigación cualitativa, desarrollada en un municipio de la región norte de Bahía. Se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas y observación sistemática, que dieron origen a tres categorías analíticas, a través del análisis temático categórico de Bardin. Resultados: los participantes revelaron sentimientos de miedo, inferioridad y tristeza que conviven con la discriminación y la falta de información sobre la enfermedad. Estos sentimientos vividos a diario los alejaban de sus familiares y personas cercanas, reforzando el sufrimiento y la enfermedad psíquica. Conclusión: el enfrentamiento diario de los prejuicios puede interferir en el pronóstico de la enfermedad, en la adherencia al tratamiento y la calidad de vida, lo que requiere una conducta profesional basada en la acogida, la escucha calificada y el diálogo constante.

Stigmatization in dermatology with a special focus on psoriatic patients.

A stigma is currently defined as a discrediting mark, biological or social, that sets a person off from others and disrupts interactions with them. People who differ from social norms in some respect are often negatively labeled. A number of medical conditions are recognized at present as stigmatizing their sufferers and certain skin diseases are among them. The article aimed to analyze the current understanding about stigmatization among dermatological patients, especially those with psoriasis. We performed our search on PubMed up to November 2016 and utilized combinations of key phrases containing such words as stigmatization, skin, dermatology, names of various skin conditions (psoriasis, vitiligo, acne, etc.). Following a precise selection process, 58 articles remained. Stigmatization seems to be a common and important problem in dermatology. Psoriasis appears as the most frequently studied skin disease (37.2% of articles). It was followed by vitiligo (13.7%) and leprosy (8.6%). Mainly, the visibility of skin lesions as well as cultural factors contribute to the feeling of stigmatization. There is a need for more research in the field of stigmatization in dermatological conditions and an urgent need for the creation of special anti-stigmatization program/programs for patients suffering from dermatoses.

Percepção do estigma e repercussões sociais em indivíduos com hanseníase / Perception of stigma and social impacts on individuals with Hansen's disease / Percepción del estigma y efectos sociales en personas con enfermedad de Hansen

Os portadores de hanseníase vivenciam situações de preconceito que, com o estigma e a discriminação, culminam para o isolamento social e a restrição dos relacionamentos sociais. Este estudo teve o objetivo de avaliar a percepção do estigma nos indivíduos com hanseníase e suas repercussões sociais. Caracterizou-se por um estudo qualitativo mediante aplicação de entrevistas semiestruturadas em 20 usuários cadastrados para tratamento poliquimioterápico nas unidades de referência na Zona da Mata Mineira, no primeiro semestre de 2014. A análise foi realizada por meio da análise de conteúdo e foram definidas as seguintes categorias de análise: Desconhecimento sobre a doença; Diagnóstico e cura; Discriminação e medo; Encobrimento da doença; Apoio social; e Vínculo e participação social. O desconhecimento sobre a doença interfere no enfrentamento por parte dos indivíduos e, aliado ao receio da discriminação, foi suficiente para que eles ocultassem seu diagnóstico para os outros. Dessa forma, não foi possível perceber nenhuma alteração em seu vínculo social. Destacaram-se as diversas reações emocionais no momento do diagnóstico além da ênfase dada à cura pelos entrevistados. Neste trabalho, ficou evidente que o encobrimento da doença e o suporte social atuaram como fatores de proteção que impediram momentos de discriminação e restrição de participação social.

The individuals with Hansen's disease experience situations of prejudice that, together with stigma and discrimination, culminate in social isolation and restrictions in social relationships. This study aimed to evaluate the perception of stigma in individuals with Hansen's disease and its social repercussions. It was configured as a qualitative study, by means of semi-structured interviews with 20 users registered to chemotherapy treatment in reference units of Zona da Mata Mineira, in the first half of 2014. The analysis was performed through content analysis and the following categories were defined: Lack of knowledge about the disease; Diagnosis and cure; Discrimination and fear; Concealment of the disease; Social support; and Bond and social participation. Lack of knowledge about the disease interferes with the individual's ability to cope with it, and coupled with fear of discrimination, it was enough for them to conceal their diagnosis from others. Thus, it was not possible to notice any changes in their social bonds. The different emotional reactions at the moment of diagnosis stood out, in addition to the emphasis on healing given by respondents. In this study, it became clear that the concealment of the disease and the social support acted as protective factors that prevented moments of discrimination and restriction in social participation.

Las personas con enfermedad de Hansen viven situaciones de prejuicio que, junto con el estigma y la discriminación, culminó con el aislamiento social y la restricción de las relaciones sociales. Este estudio tuvo como objetivo evaluar la percepción de estigma en personas con enfermedad de Hansen y sus repercusiones sociales. Caracterizado por un estudio cualitativo mediante la aplicación de entrevistas semiestructuradas con 20 usuarios registrados a tratamiento de quimioterapia en las unidades de referencia en la Zona da Mata Mineira, en el primer semestre de 2014. Se realizó el análisis mediante el análisis de contenido y las siguientes categorías del análisis se definieron: La ignorancia sobre la enfermedad; El diagnóstico y la cura; La discriminación y el miedo; El ocultamiento de la enfermedad; El apoyo social; y Enlace y la participación social. La ignorancia sobre la enfermedad interfiere con afrontamiento de los individuos y, junto con el temor a la discriminación fuera suficiente para ellos para ocultar su diagnóstico a los demás. Por lo tanto, no fue posible notar cualquier cambio en su enlace social. Destacado las diferentes reacciones emocionales al momento del diagnóstico, además del énfasis en la curación por los encuestados. En este estudio, se hizo evidente que el ocultamiento de la enfermedad y el apoyo social actuó como factores de protección que impedían momentos de la discriminación y la restricción de la participación social.

Gender-based attitudes, HIV misconceptions and feelings towards marginalized groups are associated with stigmatization in Mumbai, India.

Summary This study examined the association of gender-based attitudes, HIV misconceptions and community feelings for marginalized groups with stigmatizing responses towards people with HIV/AIDS in Mumbai, India. Participants included 546 men and women sampled in hospital settings during 2007-2008. Structured measures were used to assess avoidance intentions and denial of rights of people with HIV/AIDS. Mean age of participants was 32 years; 42% had less than 10 years of education. Higher HIV transmission misconceptions (ß=0.47; p<0.001), more traditional gender attitudes (ß=0.11; p<0.01) and more negative feelings towards HIV-positive people (ß=0.23; p<0.001) were related to higher avoidance intentions. Endorsement of denial of rights was also significantly associated with higher transmission misconceptions (ß=0.20; p<0.001), more traditional gender attitudes (ß=0.33; p<0.001) and greater negative feelings towards HIV-positive people (ß=0.12; p<0.05), as well as with a lower education level (ß=-0.10; p<0.05). The feelings respondents had towards people with HIV/AIDS were more strongly correlated with their feelings towards those with other diseases (tuberculosis, leprosy) than with feelings they had towards those associated with 'immoral' behaviour (e.g. sex workers). Eliminating HIV transmission misconceptions and addressing traditional gender attitudes are critical for reducing HIV stigma in Indian society.

Neural computation as a tool to differentiate perceptual from emotional processes: the case of anger superiority effect.

Research findings in social and cognitive psychology imply that it is easier to detect angry faces than happy faces in a crowd of neutral faces [Hansen, C. H., & Hansen, R. D. (1988). Finding the face in the crowd - An anger superiority effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54(6), 917-924]. This phenomenon has been held to have evolved over phylogenetic development because it was adaptive to quickly and accurately detect a potential threat in the environment. However, across recent studies, a controversy has emerged about the underlying perceptual versus emotional factors responsible for this so-called anger superiority effect [Juth, P., Lundqvist, D., Karlsson, A., & Ohman, A. (2005). Looking for foes and friends: Perceptual and emotional factors when finding a face in the crowd. Emotion, 5(4), 379-395; Purcell, D. G., Stewart, A. L., & Skov, R. B. (1996). It takes a confounded face to pop out of a crowd. Perception, 25(9), 1091-1108]. To tease apart emotional and perceptual processes, we used neural network analyzes of human faces in two different simulations. Results show that a perceptual bias is probably acting against faster and more accurate identification of anger faces compared to happy faces at a purely perceptual level. We suggest that a parsimonious hypothesis related to the simple perceptual properties of the stimuli might explain these behavioral results without reference to evolutionary processes. We discuss the importance of statistical or connectionist analysis for empirical studies that seek to isolate perceptual from emotional factors, but also learned vs. innate factors in the processing of facial expression of emotion.

Risk factors for participation restriction in leprosy and development of a screening tool to identify individuals at risk.

The World Health Organisation International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health defines participation as involvement in a life situation. Participation restrictions are problems experienced in any life situation, for example, in relationships or in employment. Our research explored risk factors for participation restrictions experienced by people affected by leprosy. Our objective was to develop a screening tool to identify individuals at risk. An initial round of qualitative fieldwork in eight centres in Nepal, India and Brazil identified 35 potential risk factors for participation restriction. These were then further assessed through quantitative fieldwork in six centres in India and Brazil. In all, 264 individuals receiving leprosy treatment or rehabilitation services made a retrospective assessment of their status at time of diagnosis. Their level of participation restriction was assessed using the Participation Scale. Regression analysis identified risk factors for participation restriction including fear of abandonment by family members (odds ratio 2.63, 95% CI 1.35-5.13) and hospitalization at diagnosis (3.98, 1.0-7.32). We recommend four consolidated items as the basis for a simple screening tool to identify individuals at risk. These are the physical impact of leprosy, an emotional response to the diagnosis, female gender and having little or no education. Such a tool may form the basis for a screening and referral procedure to identify newly diagnosed individuals at risk of participation restrictions and in need of actions that may prevent such restrictions.

Being a female leprosy patient in south India.

The problems of women patients as revealed by a case study of a woman patient and a questionnaire study of 100 leprosy patients (47 men and 53 women) are presented. These include, besides general ones like ignorance of facts about the disease, specific ones like lack of privacy during clinical examination, indifference towards women's feelings and difficulties in communicating with male workers. A greater sensibility towards the sentiments and problems of women patients, on the part of the health service is required to amend the situation. Recruiting more women workers might help in this regard.

It takes a confounded face to pop out of a crowd.

It is widely reported that a picture of an angry face seems to figuratively pop out of an array of happy faces, although all of these reports are based on a single experiment by Hansen and Hansen. Pop out, when it occurs, indicates that an observer has located the target by means of a preattentive, parallel search. Hansen and Hansen concluded that it was the affect displayed by the face which caused it to pop out from its surrounding distracters. However, Hansen and Hansen's angry faces contained extraneous dark areas which were introduced when they transformed Ekman and Friesen's photographs of angry and happy faces into black-on-white sketches. When the original artifact-free gray-scaled versions of angry and happy faces were used no evidence for pop out was found. All target faces were found during a serial, self-terminating search regardless of their expression. The angry face in Hansen and Hansen's experiments may have popped out from a crowd of happy faces because of a contrast artifact inadvertently introduced when they created their stimuli.

Crenças das pessoas portadoras de hanseníase sobrea sua doença: base para a compreesäo de suas açöes em saúde / The hansenian population believes in respect to their illness

O presente trabalho pretendeu investigar as crenças da populaçäo de hansenianos sobre sua doença, o conhecimento que têm à respeito da patologia bem como a identificaçäo dos sentimentos e emoçöes relacionados as suas vivências enquanto portador de hanseníase. As crenças de saúde säo as idéias, conceitos, convicçöes e atitudes que os hansenianos tomam relacionadas à saúde ou doença e como estes fatores acabam por influir na qualidade da saúde destas pessoas. O referencial teórico que direcionou a investigaçäo constituiu-se do "Modelo de Crenças em Saúde" proposto por ROSENSTOCK(29), que procura explicar o comportamento das pessoas diante dos conhecimentos, crenças sobre saúde ou doença, bem como, compreender o papel de cada um na melhoria de sua própria saúde. Com base neste referencial e adaptado à situaçäo de doença já instalada, sugeri o "Modelo de Crenças em Saúde", à partir das crenças dos doentes. O enfoque dado a pesquisa foi Humanista-Existencial-Personalista, preocupado com o ser humano portador da hanseníase e com a compreesäo da essência do homem como pessoa capaz de sentir, pensar e agir dentro de sua individualidade. Para conhecimento das crenças do hanseniano sobre sua doença desenvolveu-se entrevistas embasadas no referencial teórico. Os resultados obtidos através deste contato entre paciente e pesquisador demonstram: o conhecimento que os hansenianos têm sobre sua doença através da denominaçäo que däo à patologia; modo como acreditam ter adquirido a doença e sintomas percebidos; como percebem a gravidade e cura da hanseníase para si; sentimentos e emoçöes vivenciados por ser portador de hanseníase; fatos ou eventos que ocorrem devido a ser hanseniano; açöes tomadas para resoluçäo do problema, e ainda, sugestöes que oferecem para melhoria da assistência à saúde. Os resultados revelam que é necessário esta compreensäo do ser humano portador de hanseníase, enquanto doença estigmatizante, para se poder auxiliar mais efetivamente na melhoria da qualidade da saúde destas pessoas, assim como para ajudá-las a mobilizarem forças internas para que tomem atitudes mais positivas em relaçäo à sua saúde e doença. A pesquisa sugere realizaçäo de novos e mais aprofundados estudos para se conseguir avanços efetivos para melhor assistência à populaçäo de hansenianos e na minimizaçäo dos preconceitos que persistem em torno da doença e do doente de hanseníase.

Crencas das pessoas portadoras de hanseniase sobre sua doenca: base para a compreencao de suas acoes em saude / ?

O presente trabalho pretendeu investigar as crencas da populacao de hansenianos sobre sua doenca, o conhecimento que tem a respeito da patologia bem como a identificacao dos sentimentos e emocoes relacionadas as suas vivencias enquanto portador de hanseniase. As crencas de saude sao as ideias, conceitos, conviccoes e atitudes que os hansenianos tomam relacionadas a saude ou doenca e como estes fatores acabam por influir na qualidade da saude destas pessoas. O referencial teorico que direcionou a investigacao constituiu-se do "Modelo de Crencas em Saude" proposto por Rosenstock 29, que procura explicar o comportamento das pessoas diante dos conhecimentos, crencas sobre sua saude ou doenca, bem como, compreender o papel de cada um na melhoria de sua propria saude.

Reaçöes emocionais dos hansenianos portadores de deformidade física / Emotional reactions of leprous with physical deformity

O presente trabalho objetivou levantar as reaçöes emocionais dos hansenianos portadores de uma deformidade física, em tratamento num Centro de Saúde de Ribeiräo Preto. Foram entrevistados 22 pacientes, independentemente do sexo, idade, tempo de tratamento e forma clínica da doença, utilizando como instrumento a análise qualitativa dos depoimentos registrados mediante a questäo: "Como você vê a sua deformidade física?" A análise dos discursos demonstrou alteraçöes emocionais refletindo uma gama de reaçöes geralmente manifestadas por medo, vergonha, repulsa, solidäo, angústia, agressividade, raiva, rejeiçäo familiar e social, preocupaçöes com o futuro, sentimentos de inferioridade, etc. Tais reaçöes devem ser identificadas e compreendidas por toda equipe de saúde, para dar apoio ao paciente, esclarecendo-o quanto à situaçäo vivencial, procurando eliminar falsos conceitos e tabus que ainda persistem com relaçäo à doença

Mean circadian cosinors of vital signs, performance of blood and urinary constituents in patients with leprosy.

We have herewith examined the characteristics of circadian rhythms in patients with lepromatous leprosy, active or inactive, allowing a comparison with corresponding properties of rhythms in healthy subjects mapped earlier. Group results were illustrated by cosinor plots, produced directly on microfilm by computer. Eventually such reference standards in the form of cosinors, among other displays, notably of waveform, may be individualized and carried on a person's health record. Such a quantitative assessment of an individual's rhythms in health may serve for rigorous comparison with any changes accompanying increased susceptibility or occult or overt disease.