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Enhancing Ophthalmic Diagnosis and Treatment with Artificial Intelligence
Get PDFThe integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in ophthalmology is transforming the field, offering new opportunities to enhance diagnostic accuracy, personalize treatment plans, and improve service delivery. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the current applications and future potential of AI in ophthalmology. AI algorithms, particularly those utilizing machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL), have demonstrated remarkable success in diagnosing conditions such as diabetic retinopathy (DR), age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma with precision comparable to, or exceeding, human experts. Furthermore, AI is being utilized to develop personalized treatment plans by analyzing large datasets to predict individual responses to therapies, thus optimizing patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. In surgical applications, AI-driven tools are enhancing the precision of procedures like cataract surgery, contributing to better recovery times and reduced complications. Additionally, AI-powered teleophthalmology services are expanding access to eye care in underserved and remote areas, addressing global disparities in healthcare availability. Despite these advancements, challenges remain, particularly concerning data privacy, security, and algorithmic bias. Ensuring robust data governance and ethical practices is crucial for the continued success of AI integration in ophthalmology. In conclusion, future research should focus on developing sophisticated AI models capable of handling multimodal data, including genetic information and patient histories, to provide deeper insights into disease mechanisms and treatment responses. Also, collaborative efforts among governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and technology companies are essential to deploy AI solutions effectively, especially in low-resource settings
COVID-19 Lockdowns and Implications on the Informal Traders’ Livelihoods in Zimbabwe: A Qualitative Study
Get PDFThough lockdown restrictions were critical in slowing down the pandemic, there is a need to explore their implications on livelihoods of informal traders, especially in heavily informalised economies like Zimbabwe. In this study, we explore the implications of lockdowns on the livelihoods of informal traders in an urban setup in Zimbabwe. We used a qualitative research approach to explore the implications of lockdowns on informal traders’ livelihoods in Bindura, Zimbabwe, collecting data through in-depth interviews ( n =15) and focus group discussions ( n =8). The respondents were sampled purposively, with sampling terminated when data saturation was reached. The data was analysed using the thematic analysis approach. We found that COVID-19 restrictions cut income inflows, culminating in food insecurity, inability to pay for accommodation and other daily household needs. Our findings suggest the intersection of pandemics; COVID-19 broadened the food crisis already affecting not only informal traders but also generality of the general population. Inability to earn and support families psychologically affected informal traders who expressed an increase in stress levels and propensity to abuse alcohol and drugs as a coping mechanism. Additionally, to cope with lockdown challenges informal traders shifted to trading at home, paying bribes to police, selling assets, borrowing from friends, relatives and ‘loan sharks’ and reliance on remittances. Post COVID-19 lockdowns, informal traders are in excessive debt potentially affecting their ability to bounce back. COVID-19 significantly disrupted the livelihoods of informal sector participants and their ability to generate income needed to meet several household needs. However, informal traders displayed the ability to cope with the crisis, utilising various strategies
Navigating the ethics and legality of deepfake technology: advancements, implications and responsible deployment
No full textThis research explores the world of deepfake technology, particularly how generative adversarial networks can be used to create realistic synthetic images of celebrities. By using the CelebA dataset with a deep convolutional generative adversarial network (DCGAN) model, the research aims to produce high-quality deepfake images that look convincing. The objectives include producing convincing deepfake visuals, examining their practical uses in art and science, ensuring adherence to legal and ethical standards and increasing public awareness of responsible deepfake practices. Thorough testing is conducted to evaluate how well these deepfakes perform and how realistic they appear, while also considering the ethical issues and risks of misuse. The findings show that DCGANs are effective at replicating facial features and emotions, suggesting future possibilities for deepfake technology while considering the need for strong ethical guidelines and regulations
To what extent is research on infrahumanization confounded by intergroup preference?
Get PDFThe most prominent social psychological account of dehumanization, infrahumanization theory, argues outgroups are dehumanized to the extent they are denied uniquely human emotions. Recent critiques have identified a confound in previous research whereby uniquely human emotions used as stimuli tend to be more prosocial than the emotions shared with other species. Consequently, apparent evidence for subtle dehumanization may be better explained by intergroup preference. While there is growing appreciation that some studies are confounded this way, the extent of this problem has proved controversial. To gauge prevalence of the confound, we systematically reviewed the infrahumanization literature and extracted all emotion terms used. Participants rated the extent to which these emotions appeared unique to humans and prosocial. From these data, we calculated the percentage of studies that confound humanness with prosociality. In the 10 most cited papers, 95.5% of reported studies were confounded in the predicted direction. Across all 152 studies, 79.6% showed the same issue. These findings point to a pervasive methodological problem, impacting our understanding of discrimination and the reliability of social psychological data. To facilitate progress moving forward, we introduce a freely accessible tool, powered by our emotion rating database, to help researchers generate rigorously controlled stimulus sets
Bridging scholarship and practice in higher education: fostering innovative research and enhancing teaching: by Sam Illingworth, London, Routledge, 2025, 180 pp., £29.99 (Paperback), ISBN 978-1-032-81477-3
No full textFindings From a Photovoice Project to Identify Services and Support for People Living With Young Onset Dementia and Their Families
Get PDFThere is considerable variation in the provision of support and services for people living with young onset dementia in the UK. This study aimed to elicit the views of people living with young onset dementia and their families on what they want in the community, and identify gaps in support. The Photovoice approach was used to collect views from four groups of participants, over three sessions of each group. A total of four people living with young onset dementia and eight carers took part. People living with young onset dementia want to do a variety of activities, and these need to be age appropriate and “normal” things that they would have done prior to their diagnosis. Activities need to be flexible and fitted to the person rather than the person being fitted to the activity. A number of facilitators and barriers were identified. Carers’ lives are now very different to what they had planned or envisaged for the future, and they value peer support. They need support to help understand information and navigate paperwork, systems and processes. The study provided insights based on lived experience into what people living with young onset dementia and their families want from support and services in the community
Online Sexual Harassment, Disordered Eating Attitudes and Body Shame in Young Women
Get PDFSexual harassment is associated with disordered eating in young women, directly and indirectly, via body shame. However, today, young women are not only experiencing sexual harassment in-person, but also online. We recruited a non-clinical sample of young women (N = 146) to examine the direct and indirect relationships between online sexual harassment, disordered eating attitudes and body shame. Findings revealed that online sexual harassment positively predicted disordered eating attitudes directly and indirectly, via body shame. These findings offer initial support for examining the utility of online sexual harassment and body shame to further understand disordered eating in young women
Student voice is not as important compared to teachers/adults’: critical capacity building for co-curricular youth participatory action research
Get PDFPurpose: The past 30 years has seen an increase in the use of youth participatory action research (YPAR), but research into YPAR is, paradoxically, adult-centric, with capacity building adult-led (Cullen and Walsh, 2020). The purposes of this study are: to compare young people’s perspectives of YPAR outcomes to those identified in adult-centric research; and to articulate the potential of youth-led capacity building to improve YPAR processes and research outputs.
Methodology: Working alongside young people undertaking YPAR in a secondary school, we use qualitative methods - focus group, mind maps and research journals - to promote young people’s participation in the exploration of youth-led capacity building.
Findings: Undertaking thematic analysis, we have two key findings: engaging young people in research into YPAR shifts the research focus from individual to collective outcomes; and drawing upon young people’s prior understandings of research methods and ethics has the potential to promote critical capacity building.
Originality: We contribute to the literature on YPAR processes and research by demonstrating why future research into YPAR should involve young people in participatory roles, to promote critical capacity building and, ultimately, improve the quality of YPAR itself
Comparing the Psychological Profiles of Anglican Clergy and Anglican Churchgoers in the United States
Get PDFAbstract
Psychological type and psychological temperament theory have contributed to the two fields of congregation studies and clergy studies. The present study brings these two fields together by drawing on data from an online survey employing the Francis Psychological Type and Emotional Temperament Scales promoted among clergy and laity in the United States. The analyses compare the profiles of 467 clergywomen and 1,910 female churchgoers, and the profiles of 418 clergymen and 859 male churchgoers, affiliated with the Episcopal Church in the United States. The data are consistent with findings from earlier research among Anglicans in England and Wales, indicating significant differences in type and temperament between Anglican clergy and the members of their congregations. For example, in terms of temperament theory 66% of female churchgoers and 68% of male churchgoers reported as sensing and judging (SJ) compared with 43% of clergywomen and 48% of clergymen. Appreciation of these differences may help to promote greater understanding between Anglican clergy and laity
Practitioner Reflections on the Use of Formulation in Mental Health Nursing Practice
No full textThis chapter will present and examine mental health care professionals’ involvement in formulation and views focused on mental health nurses’ roles in formulation practice. Beginning with student mental health nurses’ excerpts from three students’ reflections concerning using formulation, specific learning and areas of consideration will be highlighted. The remainder of the chapter will present discursive reflections and practitioner accounts from registered mental health nurses and other mental health professionals on areas of formulation practice. Key issues which have come to light will be thematically presented and discussed in the conclusion of this chapter, with regard to what these may indicate for continuing future formulation practice and research