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Contemporary rationalist Islam in Turkey: The religious opposition to Sunni Revival
No full textContemporary Rationalist Islam in Turkey is an important academic contribution, providing significant insights into the scale and depth of scholarship on critical Islamic thought in contemporary Turkey, which is often overlooked by global scholarship. Gökhan Bacık demonstrates that a group of religious scholars in Turkey have been proactively calling for ‘a new interpretation of Islam based on the primacy and supremacy of reason in any approach to Islamic texts, including Quran’ (2). He calls these scholars rationalists. The rationalists, he argues, do not simply confront traditional Islamic interpretations but also offer an alternative methodology for re-interpreting Islamic law, theology and history by incorporating social science methodology. In doing so, they offer a powerful criticism of Turkey’s official Islam (i.e. Sunnism)
The impact of Arts on Prescription on individual health and wellbeing: A systematic review with meta-analysis
Get PDFIntroduction: The evidence-base for the impact of participating in the arts for different aspects of health and wellbeing is growing. Arts on Prescription has gained increasing recognition as a method for fostering connections among individuals and communities, however, to date no systematic review of the impact on individual health and wellbeing has been conducted. This review aims to provide an understanding of individual health and wellbeing outcomes from participation in Arts on Prescription programmes. Methods: Major electronic databases were systematically searched, including Cochrane Library; Web of Science; ProQuest; CINAHL; Arts & Humanities; Ebsocohost; Pubmed; PsycINFO. Other databases were also used: Google Scholar and websites of specific organizations, e.g., NHS Evidence, Kings Fund, Health foundation, Nuffield Trust and NESTA and University of Florida Arts-in Medicine Repository. The review used PRISMA reporting structures. Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) templates were used for qualitative and quantitative studies, and the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) for studies with a mixed methods protocol to assess quality and risk of bias. A narrative review of the qualitative data was conducted. For quantitative outcomes, a meta-analysis for studies that met inclusion criteria was conducted, and a narrative review made of secondary and heterogeneous outcomes and approaches. Results: 7,805 records were identified but only 25 records were included as studies with a focus on the impact on individual health and wellbeing. Studies were conducted in Australia, Denmark, Sweden, United Kingdom, and the United States. Programmes were held in community settings, arts venues, GP surgeries, primary healthcare settings, and one school. Most interventions varied from 8 to 10 weeks and included a wide range of different arts activities. Qualitative themes included social benefits, psychological benefits and progression opportunities. The meta-analysis showed a statistically significant improvement in wellbeing, and the narrative review identified promising outcomes that require further evidential support (e.g., reductions in anxiety and depression). Discussion: Arts on Prescription programmes are an appropriate intervention for improving psychosocial wellbeing, providing both social and psychological benefits as well as progression opportunities. We discuss the various qualitative and quantitative outcomes, along with potential ‘active ingredients’ and barriers to participation (physical, psychological and social). Systematic review registration: PROSPERO, identifier CRD42023408974, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023408974
The spatial imaginaries of creative clusters: Examining the role of R&D programmes in creative placemaking
Get PDFCreative clusters – geographic concentrations of creative industries sector activity, its skilled individuals, organisations and institutions – have attracted significant investment globally, becoming an important driver of economic growth. In this paper, we frame investment in creative clusters as a mechanism for creative placemaking. Creative placemaking occupies a dual role as a driver of economic development via arts-led ‘regeneration’ of high streets and flagship infrastructural projects like cultural quarters, yet also as a sustained stewarding of creative places through social engagement and community-centred decision-making about cultural projects. This distinction is typically framed as ‘top-down’ versus ‘bottom-up’ creative placemaking. We use the Bristol+Bath Creative R+D (BBCRD) programme as a case study to show how this distinction becomes less black and white. BBCRD created a ‘twin city’ spatial imaginary distinct from the geography of existing cultural or placemaking policy remits. The novel contribution of this paper is in how it evidences the intersecting scales of creative placemaking and unpacks the effectiveness of multi-city regionality for creative clustering, using fine-grained empirical data on the impact of top-down placemaking initiatives for the existing creative ecology of a place. This type of data and analysis is largely missing from literature on both clustering and placemaking. Given the continued international replication of the clusters model, recently renewed via ‘supercluster’ and ‘creative corridor’ discourses, we propose that an ecological understanding − that takes place specificity, relationality and scale into consideration – is pressing, and offers a route for complementarity between top-down and bottom-up creative placemaking
Variable projection algorithm for GPS positioning in multipath environments based on Aitken acceleration method
Get PDFThe multipath effect often reduce global positioning system (GPS) positioning accuracy. Traditional GPS positioning methods usually ignore the multipath effect errors, resulting in poor positioning estimation accuracy. This article proposes a variable projection algorithm based on the Aitken method, which takes into consideration of the multipath effect error with the aim at improving the estimation accuracy, and uses the Aitken acceleration method to increase the convergence rate. In addition, the proposed method is robust to the step-size. Theoretical analysis and simulation examples show the effectiveness of the proposed method
Does it run in the family? - Improving radiological risk assessment in the coastal environment using taxonomic and phylogenetic perspectives in macroalgae species
Get PDFMarine macroalgae are widely used indicator species for monitoring environmental radioactivity. Empirical studies have demonstrated a range in radionuclide transfer coefficients, or concentration ratios (CRs), between taxonomic groups, however the CR values used for dose estimation assume that macroalgae are a homogenous group, represented by a single CR. This study demonstrates the presence of a taxonomic signal in macroalgae CRs for multiple anthropogenic and naturally occurring radionuclides ( Cs, Am, Pu, Po) based on a collation of available data. A Residual Maximum Likelihood (REML) mixed model was applied, producing relative estimate CRs specific to each species within the datasets. The collated data was also analysed for a phylogenetic signal, but only a weak signal was found for one radionuclide in one group ( Pu in Phaeophyceae). A theoretical case study using the estimated CRs and the ERICA tool was carried out to demonstrate the implications of these findings in a real-world scenario. [Abstract copyright: Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Take-home naloxone in multicentre emergency settings: The TIME feasibility cluster RCT
Get PDFOpioids kill more people than any other drug. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist which can be distributed in take-home 'kits' for peer administration (take-home naloxone). To determine the feasibility of carrying out a definitive randomised controlled trial of take-home naloxone in emergency settings. We used Welsh routine data (2015-21) to test the feasibility of developing a discriminant function to identify people at high risk of fatal opioid overdose. We carried out a cluster randomised controlled trial and qualitative study to examine experiences of service users and providers. We assessed feasibility of intervention and trial methods against predetermined progression criteria related to: site sign-up, staff trained, identification of eligible patients, proportion given kits, identification of people who died of opioid poisoning, data linkage and retrieval of outcomes. This study was carried out in the emergency environment; sites comprised an emergency department and associated ambulance service catchment area. At intervention sites, we invited emergency department clinicians and paramedics to participate. We recruited adult patients who arrived at the emergency department or were attended to by ambulance paramedics for a problem related to opioid use with capacity to consent to receiving the take-home naloxone and related training. Usual care comprised basic life support plus naloxone by paramedics or emergency department staff. The take-home naloxone intervention was offered in addition to usual care, with guidance for recipients on basic life support, the importance of calling the emergency services, duration of effect, safety and legality of naloxone administration. With low numbers of opioid-related deaths (1105/3,227,396) and a high proportion having no contact with health services in the year before death, the predictive link between death and opioid-related healthcare events was weak. Logistic regression models indicated we would need to monitor one-third of the population to capture 75% of the decedents from opioid overdose in 1-year follow-up. Four sites participated in the trial and 299 of 687 (44%) eligible clinical staff were trained. Sixty take-home naloxone kits were supplied to patients during 1-year recruitment. Eligible patients were not offered take-home naloxone kits 164 times: 'forgot' ( = 136); 'too busy' ( = 15); suspected intentional overdose ( = 3). Service users had high levels of knowledge about take-home naloxone. They were supportive of the intervention but noted concerns about opioid withdrawal and resistance to attending hospital for an overdose. Service providers were positive about the intervention but reported barriers including difficulty with consenting and training high-risk opioid users. We were able to calculate costs to train staff at three sites (£40 per AS and £17 in Site 1 ED). No adverse events were reported. Progression criteria were not met - fewer than 50% of eligible staff were trained, fewer than 50% of eligible patients received the intervention and outcomes were not retrieved within reasonable timescales. The take-home naloxone intervention needs to be developed and evaluated in emergency care settings, with appropriate methods. The Take-home naloxone Intervention Multicentre Emergency setting study was interrupted by coronavirus disease. This study did not meet progression criteria for intervention or trial methods feasibility, so outcomes were not followed up and a fully powered trial is not planned. This trial is registered as ISRCTN13232859. This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme (NIHR award ref: 16/91/04) and is published in full in ; Vol. 28, No. 74. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information
Cultural adaptation and validation of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children (PANAS-C) among Indonesian adolescents
Get PDFBackgroundAlthough mental health issues among Indonesian adolescents are of growing concern, a psychometrically valid measure of affect in Indonesia to inform related research and prevention and treatment efforts does not exist.MethodsThe present study’s aim was to culturally adapt and validate the widely used Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children (PANAS-C) among Indonesian adolescents. The original 30-item PANAS-C in English underwent forward and back translations to Bahasa Indonesia (the national language of Indonesia) followed by cognitive interviews with private and public school students ages 12–15 (n = 18). The adapted PANAS-C and measures to assess convergent validity were completed by 704 Indonesian adolescents from Greater Jakarta and the Javanese city of Surabaya (Mage = 13.56, SD = 0.906) (56.96% girls; 42.75% boys; 0.28% other). Most participants identified their ethnicity as Javanese (72.59%), Betawi (8.24%), or Sundanese (3.41%).ResultsExploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted, which resulted in 26 items with a two-factor structure consistent with the original PANAS-C: A 12-item Positive Affect subscale and a 14-item Negative Affect subscale. Internal consistency was satisfactory for the Positive Affect subscale (Cronbach’s alpha was 0.88; McDonald’s omega was 0.88) and excellent for the Negative Affect subscale (Cronbach’s alpha was 0.90; McDonald’s omega was 0.89). Test-retest reliability was acceptable for all items, and convergent validity was confirmed by significant correlations with measures of distress and well-being.ConclusionThe adapted PANAS-C was found to be a reliable and valid measure of positive and negative affect that can be used with Indonesian adolescent girls and boys. This is the first validated measure of positive and negative affect for young people in Indonesia, which fills a need in mental health research and practice
Blockchain adoption in the port industry: A systematic literature review
Get PDFThe global port industry, known for its historical resistance to technological advancements, now faces a pivotal moment in the age of blockchain innovation. This systematic literature review provides an in-depth investigation into the adoption of blockchain technology within the port industry, aiming to assess the current state of knowledge, identify areas lacking research attention, and emphasize emerging research avenues by analyzing a corpus of 316 articles. Our review employs a robust framework centered around four key themes: barriers to adoption, the port’s role in global value chains, sustainability considerations, and practical implementations of blockchain technology in ports. By analyzing these themes, we can gain valuable insights into the distinctive nature of the port industry and its potential transformation through blockchain technology. Theoretical contributions from this review emphasize adopting a Practice-Based View (PBV) perspective to examine the intricate interplay between barriers and practices in blockchain adoption. Furthermore, our innovative synthesis of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework sheds light on internal and external obstacles shaping the adoption landscape. A noteworthy aspect of this review is the recognition of the critical need to align theoretical frameworks with the unique characteristics of the port industry, emphasizing the importance of contextual relevance in research pursuits. It also highlights the scarcity and fragmentation of research in the domain of the port industry, encouraging future scholars to investigate the identified research gaps and theoretical perspectives. This article reveals that utilizing blockchain technology within ports can enhance the sustainability performance of the port industry
High trait anxiety enhances optimal integration of auditory and visual threat cues
No full textBackgroundEmotion perception is essential to human interaction and relies on effective integration of emotional cues across sensory modalities. Despite initial evidence for anxiety-related biases in multisensory processing of emotional information, there is no research to date that directly addresses whether the mechanism of multisensory integration is altered by anxiety. Here, we compared audiovisual integration of emotional cues between individuals with low vs. high trait anxiety.MethodsParticipants were 62 young adults who were assessed on their ability to quickly and accurately identify happy, angry and sad emotions from dynamic visual-only, audio-only and audiovisual face and voice displays.ResultsThe results revealed that individuals in the high anxiety group were more likely to integrate angry faces and voices in a statistically optimal fashion, as predicted by the Maximum Likelihood Estimation model, compared to low anxiety individuals. This means that high anxiety individuals achieved higher precision in correctly recognising anger from angry audiovisual stimuli compared to angry face or voice-only stimuli, and compared to low anxiety individuals.LimitationsWe tested a higher proportion of females, and although this does reflect the higher prevalence of clinical anxiety among females in the general population, potential sex differences in multisensory mechanisms due to anxiety should be examined in future studies.ConclusionsIndividuals with high trait anxiety have multisensory mechanisms that are especially fine-tuned for processing threat-related emotions. This bias may exhaust capacity for processing of other emotional stimuli and lead to overly negative evaluations of social interactions