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Macropsychology: A Systematic Scoping Review of the Psychology Literature on Public Policy and Law
Full text linkMacropsychology examines the influence of macro-level factors such as policies and laws on our psychological well-being and how the field of psychology can be more effectively leveraged to influence them. While psychology has traditionally been focused at the individual level, a greater focus is needed on policies and laws at the macro level, including areas that are underpinned by psychological concerns such as human rights and social justice. Systematic scoping review methods based on the PRISMA guidelines were used to examine the following research question: To what extent is psychology, through macropsychology, engaging with public policy and law, particularly in relation to social justice? In total, 118 articles were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria, including 46 empirical articles and 72 conceptual articles. Although the authors of such articles are clearly operating at the macro level, it is not evident that they conceptualise such work as macropsychology. This scoping review is the first to systematically synthesise psychological research at the macro level, adding value to the existing conceptualisation of macropsychology. This review calls attention to the work of psychologists engaging with public policy and law from a social justice perspective
Proteomic and metabolomic responses of priority bacterial pathogens to subinhibitory concentration of antibiotics.
Full text linkThis study employed a comprehensive proteomic and metabolomic analysis to characterize adaptive cellular mechanisms of priority pathogens-Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterococcus faecium, and Staphylococcus aureus-under sub-inhibitory concentrations of antibiotics. Despite significant metabolomic perturbations, some pathogens had minimal or no significant changes in their proteome. Notably, trimethylamine metabolism was consistently altered across all species, suggesting its role in survival under antibiotic stress. Shared adaptive responses to chloramphenicol in S. aureus and E. faecium are related to translation, oxidative stress management, protein folding and stability, biofilm formation capacity, glycine metabolism and osmoprotection. Alterations in quaternary amines and trimethylamine metabolism suggest alternative nitrogen and carbon utilization pathways in response to antibiotic stress. In S. aureus, vancomycin suppressed metabolism, including D-alanine metabolism, and global regulators LytR, CodY and CcpA. These findings offer insights into early antimicrobial resistance mechanisms and highlight critical proteins and metabolites linked to antibiotic tolerance
Modelling techniques for areal spatial data
Full text linkAccounting for spatial processes is an important aspect of modelling data which are
associated with a geographical location. Failure to do so can compromise a model’s
performance. These processes can operate in different ways depending on the underlying
mechanisms at play.
It is reasonable, for example, to expect that the characteristics of a single agricultural
field should be closely related to those of other fields within the same farm, tended to
by the same farmer. Similarly, various such farms in a single area of governance may be
subject to one set of regulations leading them to more closely resemble each other than
farms in another jurisdiction. By capturing this spatial hierarchy of field within farm
within jurisdiction in a model, we would expect the model to perform better.
In another sense, it also seems reasonable to expect that fields which are geographically
close to each other should be more similar than distant fields. They may be subject
to similar climate, soil composition and local traditions of land use, so even if they are
operated by different farmers on either side of a fence, their characteristics are not independent.
Here we would expect that a spatially autoregressive model which accounts for
this should perform better.
This thesis develops models which combine both of these types of spatial processes.
Rather than looking at fields and farms, we instead focus on voter behaviour in individual
constituencies across the UK, all of which are nested within counties and regions.
We begin by applying such a modelling structure, accounting for both of these types of
spatial effect, to the 2019 UK General Election in England and Wales. Using this methodology,
we can examine the proportion of variation in behaviour which is attributable to
different levels of grouping, and estimate spatially varying coefficients.
A key component of such modelling is the construction of neighbourhood matrices
which encode whether or not spatial units are to be considered as neighbours and thus
more likely to share similarities than other units. We present an R package, sfislands,
which reduces the workload in creating such matrices when complications occur due to
the presence of islands or other geographic sources of discontiguity.
We conclude by applying a novel methodology to the 2024 UK General Election, which
seeks to capture both of the above spatial effects in a different way. The proposed model
allows the degree to which neighbouring constituencies are expected to be similar to vary
according to hierarchical position. By comparing the plausibility of this framework to
other candidate combinations of spatial structure, we find that this model represents the
more plausible explanation of the underlying spatial processes of party support in this
election
Academic Recognition and Inequality: Mapping the Underrepresentation and Diversity of Global South Scholars
Full text linkAwards given by academic societies serve as external markers of scholarly recognition, shaping reputations and career trajectories. While the Global South Scholars (GSS)’ rates of participation at major conferences have grown, these scholars remain significantly underrepresented among academic award recipients. The thesis investigates the extent and causes of this underrepresentation. As part of this investigation, it addresses conceptual ambiguities in defining GSS.
The thesis adopts a mixed-methods approach. A quantitative study of 20,265 scholars who participated in the Academy of Management (AOM) conference reveals that GSS receive awards at a 33% lower rate than their Global North counterparts, with disparities varying across the divisions of the AOM. I explore the root causes of this gap through qualitative interviews with 16 academic award gatekeepers. I identify two key dimensions influencing award outcomes: 1) demand-side barriers, including implicit biases favoring Global North scholars (GNS), institutional prestige signaling, and research paradigm dominance; and 2) supply-side barriers, such as financial constraints, limited networking access, and lack of award winner mentorship opportunities. I follow up by introducing a novel typology of GSS, based on the country of origin, Ph.D. granting institution, and employment affiliation. A further quantitative investigation based on this typology indicates that scholars employed in the Global South face the highest levels of underrepresentation, even when affiliated with prestigious institutions. The thesis highlights the asymmetrical impact of institutional prestige and geographical identity on award recognition.
This research advances status bias theory, demonstrating how geographical hierarchies influence academic recognition. It also highlights the problems with the perception of meritocracy in the
context of academic society awards, revealing structural biases that favor GNS. Finally, it brings conceptual clarity to the definition of GSS and demonstrates how underrepresentation can vary significantly between different types of GSS
Clinical Outcomes of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Gaelic Games Players
Full text linkBackground: The Gaelic games, specifically Gaelic football, hurling, and camogie, are high-intensity, level 1 field sports. However, there is a lack of data regarding the outcomes of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in Gaelic games players.
Purpose: To evaluate the rates of return to play (RTP), ACL graft reinjury, contralateral ACL injury, and patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) in a cohort of Gaelic footballers and hurling/camogie players at 2 years after ACLR.
Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.
Methods: A consecutive cohort of 1891 Gaelic games players who underwent primary ACLR between 2014 and 2018 was included. Patients were contacted at 2 years postoperatively with an overall follow-up rate of 93.4%. The rate of RTP, subsequent ACL injury, and PROMS were recorded. The PROMS evaluated were the Marx score, the ACL-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI), and the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score.
Results: The mean age was 23 ± 6 years, and 73.3% of athletes were male. RTP rates were 87.8% for Gaelic football and 89.5% for hurling/camogie, with 72.7% and 76.3% of athletes returning to an equivalent or higher level of performance, respectively. Female Gaelic footballers had a slightly lower RTP rate than males (83.8% vs 89.1%; P < .016). The mean time to RTP was 10.8 ± 4 months. The rate of bone-patellar tendon-bone (BPTB) autograft reinjury was 3.3% (51/1547) versus 15.3% (33/216) for hamstring (HT) autografts ( P < .001). Senior intercounty (elite) players had the lowest rate of contralateral ACL injury (8.1%, 14/173). Gaelic footballers and hurling/camogie players reported good outcomes with mean IKDC scores of 86.9 ± 9.8 versus 87.9 ± 8.9, ( P = .064), mean Marx scores of 11 ± 4.7 versus 11.3 ± 4.6 ( P = .309), and mean ACL-RSI scores of 74.1 ± 23.5 versus 75.8 ± 24.2 ( P = .321), respectively.
Conclusion: RTP rates among Gaelic games players were high, with the majority returning to an equivalent/higher level of performance. The rate of BPTB graft reinjury was low, considering the injury risk associated with returning to level 1 sport. Younger patients and those who underwent HT autograft reconstruction were at the highest risk of ACL graft reinjury. Overall, Gaelic games players reported good knee function and outcomes after ACLR
Beyond the QT interval: how QT/RR hysteresis may reveal a sex-dependent hidden risk for cardiac arrhythmias
Full text linkCardiac arrhythmia is a life-threatening condition in which disturbances in the electrical signals that control the heart cause an irregular heart rate (HR) or rhythm that may lead toa sudden cessation of cardiac activity and potentiate sudden cardiac death (SCD) (1). Cardiac arrhythmia can be categorized into two subtypes: supraventricular arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, and paroxysmal supra ventriculartachy cardia) and ventricular arrhythmias (ventricular tachy-cardia and ventricular fibrillation) (1). Ventricular arrhythmias are the more serious form that occur most frequently in the context of heart disease, although the incidence is increasing in apparently healthy individuals (2). The age- and sex-adjusted rates of idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias increased from 45 to 62 per 100,000 individuals from 2005–2007 to 2011–2013, with an overall incidence increasing with age (2). Thus, identification of potential prognostic bio-markers is important clinically and may aid in the risk stratification and prevention of cardiac arrhythmias and SCD in the general population, regardless of heart disease
Association of spontaneous abortion with dietary folate intake in individuals with different genotypes of FTO gene
Full text linkBackground Research has revealed a possible connection between dietary folate intake and the risk of spontaneous
abortion (SA). Interestingly, the FTO gene may play a dual role, influencing both folate needs and SA susceptibility.
Therefore, this research sought to investigate the interaction between FTO genotypes, dietary folate intake, and the
potential risk of SA.
Methods This case-control study was conducted on 539 adult women, including 192 women with a history of
SA and 347 women without a history of abortion. To evaluate FTO gene genotypes for the presence of rs9939609
polymorphism, 5 ml of blood was collected from all participants. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency
questionnaire (FFQ) was used to assess the dietary folate intake. Binomial logistic regression was used to investigate
the relationship between folate intake and SA in carriers of different FTO genotypes.
Results A negative association was found between dietary folate intake and SA, especially in females with the AA
genotype of FTO rs9939609 polymorphism (OR=0.97, 95% CI 0.95–0.99, P=0.04). The statistical significance of this link
persisted even after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI), drinking alcohol, smoking, and dietary intake.
Conclusions This study indicates that dietary folate intake may protect against SA, particularly in women who have
the FTO rs9939609 polymorphism. However, more investigation is required to confirm these findings and elucidate
the underlying mechanisms linking SA, the FTO gene, and folate intak
The psychological complex in contemporary education policy
Full text linkThis paper brings together work in critical psychology and network governance to build a distinctive critique of how education policy mobilises the psychological complex to reinscribe deficit accounts of children and young people. While contemporary work in the critical analysis of the global educational policy assemblage has uncovered the undercurrents of scientism working to frame mainstream discourses, this paper excavates the manifestation of this through the ‘psy-complex’, which works to construct specific, narrow visions of possibilities and pupil subjectivities. To achieve this, the paper draws on critical psychological research to interrogate the dominance of, and position awarded to, psychology in the research report that informs the education inspection framework used by Ofsted to inspect schools in England. The discourses and assumptions produced and reproduced through this resource are of profound influence in wider constructions of, understandings of, and responses to educational contexts. We argue that the framework draws on the psy-complex to reinscribe deficit accounts of children and young people while perpetuating systemic inequities. We call for a more critical approach to research in psychology and education within which cultural, social, and historical contexts of inequality in education and childhood are deployed in explanations of educational inequalities