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Evaluating Liturgical Engagement With Psalms of Lament: Reading Psalm 74 Through the Lenses of Feeling and Thinking
Get PDFRecent trends in biblical scholarship that have generated new interest in the book of Psalms and in the voice of lamentation may in turn present new opportunities for the liturgical use of psalms of lament. Drawing on the SIFT approach to biblical hermeneutics, the present study tested the ways in which feeling types and thinking types may evaluate Psalm 74 differently. The data demonstrated that feeling types and thinking types approach a psalm of lament in quite different ways. For thinking types, this is a satisfying intellectual exercise. They are caught up by the theological questions raised and fascinated by the capacity of the human mind to challenge God to keep God’s side of the covenantal agreement with the people. For feeling types, this is a journey of the heart as they identify with the protagonists rehearsing the source and cause of their pain. Preachers and liturgists need to be aware of this contrast
Measuring and addressing violence against women with disabilities in Africa
Get PDFViolence against women with disabilities (VAWDs) in Africa is a significant issue, with women facing higher risks of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. However, data on VAWD are scarce, hindering effective policy development. Challenges include the lack of disaggregated data by sex and disability, methodological gaps and the absence of culturally relevant measurement tools. Common tools such as the Washington Group Short Set on Functioning often miss important nuances. To improve data accuracy, integrating comprehensive disability measures into national surveys and developing context-specific tools are essential. Accurate data are crucial for creating policies to reduce violence and protect women with disabilities in Africa
A Crisis of Energy: War and Heat in the Professional Kitchens of North East England
Get PDFThe invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022 led to a dramatic increase in energy prices in the UK. Chefs interviewed in the North East of England were found already struggling with post-lockdown re-opening, now huge energy bills and food shortages as a result of war, and then the conditions of a record-breaking heatwave in the summer of that year. This article conceptualises these experiences as a crisis of energy: the re-routing of desire through a consumerist system that is open-ended with war and the production of heat – and that is now collapsing. It is argued that the professional kitchen is situated at the intersection of flows of energy – consumer desire, bellicosity, electricity, the logistical kinesis of commodities – that underpin the everyday practices of the chef but that are now organised in a system of unproductive capitalism that is marked by shocks that disrupt those same practices. In response to the strain of crises, this system has a tendency to perpetuate itself through a retrenchment in consumerist homogeneity and an abandonment of the care and attention required for a convivial and sustainable future – for the food service sector or more broadly
The dark allure: How OnlyFans and similar platforms are pulling youth into a risky digital trade
No full textHow chronic illness affects families – and how to cope when you know your loved one is going to die
No full textA critical COSMIN-informed scoping review of complex abdominal wall hernia quality of life tools: making a case for patient-driven tool development
Get PDFBackground
Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) is increasingly recognized as a key outcome measure in Complex Abdominal Wall Hernia (CAWH) surgery. However, selecting an appropriate HRQoL tool is challenging due to the variety of available instruments and their variable psychometric properties.
Aim
This scoping review systematically reviews and evaluates the six CAWH-specific HRQoL tools using the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) framework. The aim of this scoping review was to assess the clinical suitability and developmental robustness of CAWH-specific HRQoL instruments. This review does not assess post-operative HRQoL outcomes, but rather evaluates the design, content, and methodological quality of CAWH-specific tools themselves using the COSMIN framework.
Methods
A scoping review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR and informed by COSMIN and Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping methodology. Four databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CENTRAL, ClinicalTrials.gov) were searched (March 2024) to identify studies that used or evaluated CAWH-specific HRQoL tools. Tools were assessed across key COSMIN domains: conceptual framework, psychometric properties, respondent burden, and patient involvement in development.
Results
Six CAWH-specific HRQoL instruments were identified: CCS, HerQLes, EuraHS-QoL, AAS/mAAS, AHQ, and HERQL. While these tools demonstrated utility, none fully integrated patient perspectives from initial domain development, and all exhibited gaps in content and structural validity. Comparative psychometric data across tools were limited, further complicating selection.
Conclusion
Despite growing interest in measuring HRQoL in CAWH surgery, existing tools show important developmental limitations. While these tools demonstrate utility, none fully integrate patient perspectives throughout their development, and all exhibit gaps in content and structural validity. Additionally, comparative psychometric data remain limited, further complicating tool selection. Given these limitations, there is a clear need for further development—either by refining existing tools or creating a new, patient-informed HRQoL instrument that adheres to robust psychometric standards
Artificial Intelligence in Forensic Mental Health: A Review of Applications and Implications
Get PDFThis narrative review explores the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in forensic mental health, focusing on its applications, benefits, limitations, and ethical considerations. AI’s capabilities, particularly in areas such as risk assessment, mental health screening, behavioral analysis, and treatment recommendations, present promising advancements for accuracy, efficiency, and objectivity in forensic evaluations. Predictive models and natural language processing enhance the precision of high-stakes assessments, enabling early intervention and optimized resource allocation. However, AI’s integration in forensic mental health also brings significant challenges, particularly regarding data quality, algorithmic bias, transparency, and legal accountability. Limited access to high-quality, representative data can hinder reliability, while biases within AI models risk perpetuating existing disparities. Ethical concerns surrounding data privacy and the “black box” nature of many AI algorithms underscore the need for transparency and accountability. The review highlights future directions for responsible AI use, including improving data standards, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and establishing robust regulatory frameworks to safeguard ethical and fair AI applications in forensic settings. Balancing technological innovation with ethical considerations and legal obligations is essential to ensure AI supports justice and upholds public trust. This review calls for ongoing research, policy development, and cautious implementation to harness AI’s potential while protecting individuals’ rights within the justice system
L.A. Motler: a deaf anarchist
No full textThere has been little written about disabled anarchists, or consideration of how disability and anarchism intersect. When there has been attention paid to this, disabled anarchists’ disabilities have tended to be downplayed or ignored. In this paper, we write about the politics of Leonard Augustine Motler, a deaf anarchist who was active in the early part of the twentieth century. We place his anarchism and his deafness in the context of the time, showing how Motler’s deafness and experiences living as a deaf man influenced his politics. Taking a narrative enquiry approach, we offer historical context on his life, and offer a preliminary analysis of his written work, published in a range of left-wing and anarchist publications, including his own magazine, Satire. In writing this article we hope to show that disabled people have, and do, contribute to radical political movements, and that exploring and recognising those contributions is vitally important
Developing Sustainable Education through Knowledge Justice
Get PDFThis report sets out the findings of a small scale qualitative research project into the views and experiences of secondary school teachers in decolonising the curriculum. The report seeks to define what is meant by decolonising the curriculum, offer insights from teachers putting this into practice and suggest implications for consideration by those seeking to pursue a decolonising approach in schools
Why men are the minority: The perceptions of young men in UK pre-tertiary education towards studying psychology
Get PDFPsychology is categorised as a science by most higher education authorities internationally. As with many science, mathematics and engineering fields, women are underrepresented in psychology at senior levels (the ‘leaky pipeline’). However, it is men who are underrepresented within the discipline overall, meaning that the psychology workforce does not reflect the population it aims to serve. It is important to understand why fewer men are opting to enter the profession, beginning with their choices regarding higher education. The current study is one of the first to qualitatively examine the perceptions and motivations of adolescent and young adult men in post-primary education of the study of psychology at university undergraduate level. Twelve focus groups were conducted with young men (n = 64) studying AS or A2-Levels, between 16 and 18 years of age, in post-primary schools in a UK region, Northern Ireland (NI). Thematic analysis demonstrated that psychology was viewed in a gendered way as a ‘feminine’, ‘soft’ subject dealing with emotions, and was not perceived as an ‘objective’, ‘fact-based’ science. The lack of male role models in psychology was a barrier to young men pursuing psychology at university level. Young men, whether currently studying psychology at school or not, expressed gendered career expectations and motivations. There are opportunities for targeted efforts with young men to promote psychology as a science and a multi-faceted discipline. Findings will inform the efforts of those in post-primary and higher education level in making psychology inclusive in terms of gender and improving the diversity of psychology as a field