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“Somewhere without language”: reflections on a road movie education
No full textThis paper offers some thoughts in response to René Arcilla's stimulating new book on road movie philosophy. I consider the book's case for separating the ēducāre and ēdūcere functions of education from one another by examining the teacherly role of the child in Wim Wenders' films. I then reflect on the nature of train travel as a mode of journeying that troubles the distinction between fate and destiny. The paper concludes by viewing the road movie as the route to coherence in life and language.</p
Queens and Queenship
No full textThis work looks at queenship in a global, timeless sense—examining the role of queens, empresses, and other royal women from the ancient and classical period through to nearly the present day on every continent. By looking at queenship in this comparative, longue durée way, we can start to see connecting threads and continuity over time and space as well as the change and development and comparisons of how the queen’s role differed in various cultural contexts. A wide variety of examples are given to explain and contextualize key themes in queenship: family and dynasty, rulership, and image crafting. The introduction provides a brief overview of the development of queenship studies and a discussion of the ideals that queens were expected to conform to. This book offers a radically new perspective on queenship studies which enables new insights into the queen’s role as the preeminent woman in the real
Adolescent time use and mental health: a cross-sectional, compositional analysis in the Millennium Cohort Study.
No full textObjective To examine the association of 24-hour time-use compositions with mental health in a large, geographically diverse sample of UK adolescents. Design Cross-sectional, secondary data analysis. Setting Millennium Cohort Study (sixth survey), a UK-based prospective birth cohort. Participants Data were available from 4642 adolescents aged 14 years. Analytical samples for weekday and weekend analyses were n=3485 and n=3468, respectively (45% boys, 85% white ethnicity). Primary and secondary outcome measures Primary outcome measures were the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ, socioemotional behaviour), Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ, depressive symptoms) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE, self-esteem). Behavioural exposure data were derived from 24-hour time-use diaries. Results On weekdays, participants spent approximately 54% of their time in sleep, 3% in physical activity, 9% in school-related activities, 6% in hobbies, 11% using electronic media and 16% in domestic activities. Predicted differences in SDQ, MFQ and RSE were statistically significant for all models (weekday and weekend) that simulated the addition or removal of 15 min physical activity, with an increase in activity being associated with improved mental health and vice versa. Predicted differences in RSE were also significant for simulated changes in electronic media use; an increase in electronic media use was associated with reduced self-esteem. Conclusion Small but consistent associations were observed between physical activity, electronic media use and selected markers of mental health. Findings support the delivery of physical activity interventions to promote mental health during adolescence, without the need to specifically target or protect time spent in other activities.</p
Five-Year Cohort Study of White British Male Student-Athletes’ Attitudes Toward Gay Men
No full textWhile sport has traditionally been a hostile environment for gay men, attitudes toward homosexuality among youth in the West have changed significantly in recent years. This research uses Herek’s Attitudes Toward Lesbians and Gay Men Scale, Revised Version (ATLG-R) scale to investigate attitudes toward homosexuality among 243 undergraduate male students in the UK. Results revealed no significant differences in student attitudes toward gay men in the first two years, but significantly more positive attitudes onward from the third. Overall, incoming attitudinal dispositions of homophobia among young male student-athletes were minimal. Anderson’s Inclusive Masculinity Theory (IMT) is used to explain these findings, with the results supporting existing literature concerning positive attitudes toward homosexuality among young, sporting men in the UK
Data Science in the Business Environment: Customer Analytics Case Studies in SMEs
Get PDFPurpose:A vast amount of complex data is being generated in the business environment, which enables support for decision-making through information processing and insight generation. The purpose of this study is to propose a process model for data-driven decision-making which provides an overarching methodology covering key stages of the business analytics life cycle. The model is then applied in two small enterprises using real customer/donor data to assist the strategic management of sales and fundraising.Design/methodology/approach:Data science is a multi-disciplinary subject that aims to discover knowledge and insight from data while providing a bridge to data-driven decision making across businesses. This paper starts with a review of established frameworks for data science and analytics before linking with process modelling and data-driven decision making. A consolidated methodology is then described covering the key stages of exploring data, discovering insights and making decisions.Findings:Representative case studies from a small manufacturing organisation and an independent hospice charity have been used to illustrate the application of the process model. Visual analytics have informed customer sales strategy and donor fundraising strategy through recommendations to the respective senior management teams.Research limitations/implications:The scope of this research has focused on customer analytics in small to medium-sized enterprise through two case studies. While the aims of these organisations are rather specific, they share a commonality of purpose for their strategic development which is addressed by this paper.Originality/value:Data science is shown to be applicable in the business environment through the proposed process model, synthesising micro- and macro- solution methodologies and allowing organisations to follow a structured procedure. Two real-world case studies have been used to highlight the value of the data-driven model in management decision making
Human Flourishing:A Christian Theological Perspective
Get PDFThis chapter outlines one Christian theological account of human flourishing, with its roots in the Reformed Protestant tradition, but also drawing on other Christian traditions and disciplinary perspectives. Human flourishing is understood as the fulfilment of God’s good purposes for human creatures, and (following the Reformed theologian Karl Barth) includes the dimensions of relationship with God, relationships with others, living a physically embodied and integrated life, and living out a particular vocation in a particular place and time. This theological account of flourishing is brought into dialogue with current social-scientific models of well-being, particularly hedonic and eudaimonic models, and points of agreement and critique are identified. Finally, the chapter suggests a few ways in which this theological account might have practical implications for the measurement and promotion of well-being or human flourishing
Acute changes in carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity are tracked by heart-femoral-pulse-wave velocity
Get PDFBackground: Carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (cfPWV) is the reference standard measure of central arterial stiffness. However, it requires assessment of the carotid artery, which is technically challenging, and subject-level factors, including carotid artery plaque, may confound measurements. A promising alternative that overcomes these limitations is heart-femoral PWV (hfPWV), but it is not known to what extent changes in cfPWV and hfPWV are associated. Objectives: To determine, (1) the strength of the association between hfPWV and cfPWV; and (2) whether change in hfPWV is associated with change in cfPWV when central arterial stiffness is perturbed. Methods: Twenty young, healthy adults [24.0 (SD: 3.1) years, 45% female] were recruited. hfPWV and cfPWV were determined using Doppler ultrasound at baseline and following a mechanical perturbation in arterial stiffness (120 mmHg thigh occlusion). Agreement between the two measurements was determined using mixed-effects regression models and Bland-Altman analysis. Results: There was, (1) strong (ICC > 0.7) agreement between hfPWV and cfPWV (ICC = 0.82, 95%CI: 0.69, 0.90), and, (2) very strong (ICC > 0.9) agreement between change in hfPWV and cfPWV (ICC = 0.92, 95%CI: 0.86, 0.96). cfPWV was significantly greater than hfPWV at baseline and during thigh occlusion (both P < 0.001). Inspection of the Bland-Altman plot, comparing cfPWV and corrected hfPWV, revealed no measurement magnitude bias. Discussion: The current findings indicate that hfPWV and cfPWV are strongly associated, and that change in cfPWV is very strongly associated with change in hfPWV. hfPWV may be a simple alternative to cfPWV in the identification of cardiovascular risk in clinical and epidemiological settings
Use of the Milan Pet Quality of Life Instrument (MPQL) to Measure Pets’ Quality of Life during COVID-19
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic caused lifestyle changes, with unknown effect on pets’ quality of life (QoL). Between May and July 2020, we distributed an online survey to investigate the role of several factors on feline and canine QoL, including lockdown-related factors. We used existing scales to measure human and pets’ personalities (Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory Personality Questionnaire, RST-PQ; RST-Dog; RST-Cat) and the human–animal relationship (Lexington At-tachment to Pets Scale, LAPS) and the Milan Pet Quality of Life instrument (MPQL). Overall, 235 participants reported about 242 adult pets (Ncats = 78, Ndogs = 164). Factor analysis confirmed the structure and internal reliability of the existing scales (RST-PQ, RST-Dog, RST-Cat, LAPS) and suggested a four-factor structure for the MPQL (physical, psychological, social, environmental). The results indicate that the pets’ psysical QoL was largely explained by pet-related elements (pets’ demographics and life experience, and pets’ personality). Conversely, the pets’ psychological QoL was explained mostly by owner-related elements, such as the owners’ demographics, COVID-19-related changes, and the owners’ personality. Predictably, the pets’ environmental QoL is mostly explained by environmental factors, such as the outdoor access in the home environment and the country. Finally, the pets’ social QoL was explained by the larger combination of models: pets’ characteristics and personality, environment and COVID-19-related changes, and the pet–human relationship. These findings can be explained by two non-mutually exclusive mechanisms. The reported changes may be a by-product of the COVID-19 pandemic’s psychological and lifestyle effects on the owners, which in turn alter the way the owners interact with their pets and look after them. However, the owners’ characteristics and mood may bias their answers regarding their pets
