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Learning from events: Can higher education students reflect more ‘critically’ on their work-based experiences?
Get PDFA cross-over, randomised feasibility study of digitally-printed versus hand-painted artificial eyes in adults: PERSONAL-EYE-S
Get PDFAbstract
Background/objectives
Over 60,000 patients in the United Kingdom are estimated to have artificial eyes. Manufacturing and hand-painting of artificial eyes have not changed significantly since 1948. Delays and colour-matching issues may severely impact a patient’s rehabilitation pathway. Technology advances mean alternatives are now possible. This cross-over, randomised feasibility trial aimed to determine the feasibility of conducting a full-scale trial of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of digitally-printed artificial eyes compared to hand-painted.
Subjects/methods
Patients aged ≥18 years who were longstanding artificial eye users requiring a replacement were randomised to receive either a hand-painted or digitally-printed eye first followed by the other type of eye. Participants were asked to approach a close contact (CC) willing to participate alongside them. A subset of participants, their CCs, and staff were interviewed about their opinions on trial procedures, artificial eyes, delivery times and satisfaction.
Results
Thirty-five participants were randomised and 10 CCs consented. Participant retention at final follow-up was 85.7%. Outcome data completion rates ranged from 91–100%. EQ-5D-5L completion ranged from 83–97%. Resource-use completion ranged from 0–94% with total costs at £347 for hand-painted and £404 for digitally-printed eye. There were two adverse events. Twelve participants, five CCs, and five staff were interviewed. There were positive and negative features of both types of eyes. We identified that social and psychological wellbeing is affected, often for many years after eye removal. Participation in the feasibility study was well accepted.
Conclusions
The feasibility study outcomes indicate that a full trial is achievable.
Trial registration number
ISRCTN85921622
Hidden Voices: Journeying towards trauma-informed practices in community music
Get PDFTrauma, as a global phenomenon, affects individuals and communities, leaving deep-rooted impacts. The effects of traumatic experience are not always visible and can be masked through social and cultural constructs, as well as an individual’s inability to speak the unspeakable. This thesis is based on the assertion that across the multiplicity of contexts in which community music takes place, prior traumatic experience is statistically likely to have affected many participants. Additionally, many community music practices operate in spaces where participants have been marginalised, stigmatised, and oppressed. This thesis therefore sets out the proposition that trauma-informed practice is a necessary consideration for facilitators to promote safe and responsive practices. The five values of trauma-informed care create the conceptual lens, with notions of safety, trust, collaboration, empowerment, and choice integrated throughout the research process, design, methodology, and data analysis.
Explorations for this thesis revealed a significant gap in critically reflective research around trauma-informed community music practice. Theoretical understandings of trauma-informed practice are varied, and the concept has unhelpfully become a buzzword in recent years. To respond to the guiding research question - what is trauma-informed practice and how might it be applied to facilitated music making? - the research design utilises Case Study Research with critical examination of contemporary music-making projects offering insight into both formalised structures of trauma-informed practice and projects where there has been little or no engagement.
Findings suggest an inconsistency of approaches, and that against the changing global landscape, it is no longer sufficient to ignore the potential for participants’ experience of prior trauma within community music practices. Trauma-informed practice is found to be the most effective when contextually driven and responsive to the specific needs of individuals and communities. Conclusions suggest that, with an integrated mantra of do no harm traumainformed practice is an ethical response that can support music facilitators to sharpen their focus and learn how to attend to the hidden voices of their participants. The five values of trauma-informed care form an interconnected entity that can support application of musical, relational, and pedagogical aspects of practice. This thesis, therefore, aims to open constructive and critical dialogue around trauma-informed practice, and its application within community music
Radioactive isotopes theft in Mexico during 2011–2023: a green criminological approach
Get PDFIn the last decade, cases of radioactive isotope theft have been observed more frequently in Mexico, endangering human health, biodiversity, and the environment due to the risks of mishandling radioactive isotopes. The aim of this study was to analyze the theft of radioactive isotopes in Mexico in the period 2011–2023 from the perspective of green criminology through ofcial data and radiological emergency bulletins. The results show that the most frequently stolen isotopes were 192Ir, 137Cs, and 131I in this study period, and it was also identifed that the isotopes are stolen unintentionally, since it is the vehicles that transport them that are stolen, most of the time without knowing what they contain. It is concluded that the theft of
radioactive isotopes in Mexico is a crime linked to vehicle theft, which in turn stems from the conditions of public insecurity but puts the health, safety and well-being
of people, biodiversity, and the country’s ecosystems at risk, so that institutional actions must be oriented considering the conditions of public insecurity to improve
nuclear safety in the country
The impact of marine heatwaves on surface phytoplankton chlorophyll-a in the South China Sea
No full textAccording to previous studies, marine heatwaves (MHWs) significantly suppress the phytoplankton chlorophyll-a concentration (Chl a) in tropical oceans. However, pre-MHW Chl a has rarely been considered as a reference value. In this study, the Chl a for the periods preceding and during MHWs events was used to explore the impact of MHWs on Chl a from 1998 to 2022 in the South China Sea (SCS). The Chl a response to MHWs in different regions was further discussed based on the Chl a variation characteristics. The results showed that the Chl a response to MHWs exhibited regional variability. Interestingly, there was a large proportion of positive Chl a anomalies (∼0.55) in the estuary and offshore regions during MHWs; however, Chl a anomalies were mostly negative in the upwelling regions. These different response patterns are related to background conditions, including nutrient concentrations, wind-driven dynamics, and light availability. In upwelling regions, negative Chl a anomalies were primarily due to the weakening of wind speeds, Ekman pumping velocities, and upwelling intensities. In estuarine regions, positive Chl a anomalies were caused by enhanced light availability, whereas in offshore regions, there were attributed to the increased atmospheric wet deposition. These results have improved our understanding of the impact of MHWs on marine ecosystems
Prevalence and Outcome of Puerperal Sepsis among Mothers in Nigeria: a five-year Retrospective Study
Get PDFBackground
Puerperal sepsis is one of the leading causes of maternal illness and mortality in low- and middle-income countries, despite advances in diagnosis, antimicrobial therapy, and medical management.
Aim
This study aimed to assess the prevalence and outcomes of puerperal sepsis in tertiary hospitals in Ondo State, Nigeria.
Methods
This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Ondo State. Total enumerative sampling was used to select patients diagnosed with puerperal sepsis between 2016 and 2020. An adapted structured checklist was used to retrieve data from patients’ medical records. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the results.
Findings
Out of 7980 obstetric cases managed during the study period, 156 patients had puerperal sepsis with a prevalence rate of 2%. The majority of patients were unregistered and were referred from other health facilities (94.2%). Other significant risk factors identified were postpartum hemorrhage (60.9%), prolonged labor (14.1%), premature rupture of membranes (19.9%), and lacerations (5.1%). Of the 156 patients diagnosed with puerperal sepsis, 151 (96.8%) were treated and discharged, while five (3.2%) died due to complications. Furthermore, a strong correlation was found between the mode of delivery and outcomes of puerperal sepsis (P = 0.03).
Conclusions
Puerperal sepsis remains a major public health concern. Therefore, there is a need to promote prenatal care and ensure continuous supervision and monitoring of birthplaces/delivery centers in Nigeria
Silence is Complicity: Theological Failure in the Face of Genocide
Get PDFIn this article, we argue that public theologians have a rich tradition from which to argue for the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people. In particular, Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s resistance to the co-opting of Christianity by the Nazi regime is frequently cited in theological circles as an exemplar. Yet, we find major public figures and theological societies, such as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, and the UK’s Society for the Study of Theology (SST) to be wanting in this regard. From an examination of Welby’s comments on the Israeli bombardment in Gaza, and the SST’s response to our open letter and the lament from Palestinian Christians, we argue that theologians are failing. We draw on Palestinian liberation theology and anticolonial theologies to argue that the work of liberation is the raison d’être of theology and requires political activism. We conclude, therefore, that theological silence is complicity in injustice
Anxiety, Self-Satisfaction and Self-Defining Events: Exploring the Inter-Related Dimensions of the Self
Get PDFIncreasing self-satisfaction could reduce anxiety symptomology; however, strategies to enhance self-satisfaction are relatively unexplored. The primary aim of the present research was to examine the relationship between self-defining events (past and future), self-satisfaction, and anxiety. In total, 155 students (78.1% female, mean age = 20.54, SD = 5.49) were recruited from an English University. Participants were asked to record the content and valence of three self-defining memories and self-defining future-projections. Path analysis showed that past and future valence were positively related to self-satisfaction, which was negatively related to anxiety. Content analysis showed a significant positive relationship between self-satisfaction and the frequency of achievement-orientated past events and recreational future events. In addition, there was a significant negative relationship between self-satisfaction and the frequency of life-threatening past events. Overall, these findings present new avenues for future interventions designed to increase self-satisfaction through targeting the valence of self-defining past and future events. In addition, the findings from the content analysis could facilitate the development of more targeted interventions that for instance, focus on promoting achievement-oriented and recreational experiences while mitigating the impact of life-threatening events. These strategies could prove effective in enhancing self-satisfaction and subsequently reducing anxiety
Sustainability tracing for companies: governance, regulation, economical and ethical considerations
No full textThe proliferation of big data has led to a data explosion, which has surpassed enterprises' ability to appropriately analyse the multitude of data types that now exist. Arguably, one such data type that is challenging for companies to currently exploit but that would benefit greatly from big data analytics is tracing their sustainability performance. Currently, there is consensus in the literature that sustainability tracing based on big data analytics can have a considerable impact in achieving improved organizational sustainability. In a previous paper, we proposed an AI-based framework which uses ESG data to predict and forecast the sustainability performance of companies, and we reflected on how companies could use our framework to implement their enterprise architectures. In this paper, we reflect how our framework can be transformed into a platform solution for ESG data analysis. Our paper contributes to the literature in two ways, firstly by analysing, the regulatory, ethical, and legal opportunities and challenges associated with such am AI platform implementation scenario and secondly by leveraging this platform implementation to outline how companies can use data as a strategic asset for sustainability decision-making
