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Perceived outcomes of intensive family therapy or multi-family therapy for adolescents with anorexia nervosa and their families: A literature review
Get PDFIntroduction: Adolescents aged 15-19 years have the highest incident rate for Anorexia Nervosa (AN) in the United Kingdom. They lose meaningful occupations which are often replaced with unhelpful occupations, habits and behaviours. Occupational therapists working within a multidisciplinary team can help these individuals navigate the occupational changes. This study aimed to identify perceived outcomes of Family Based Therapy such as intensive family therapy and multi-family therapy for adolescents with a diagnosis of Anorexia
Nervosa and their families.
Methods: A systematic search of EBSCOhost was completed in December
2024. This review included qualitative studies that concerned perceived outcomes of family therapy for adolescents with AN and their families. Six studies met the inclusion criteria and were quality appraised using Critical Appraisal checklists. The themes found were synthesised using the core elements of the Model of Human Occupation (MOHO).
Findings: Four key themes aligned with MOHO were identified, focusing on the health and well-being of individuals with eating disorders and their families. Perceived outcomes were mainly self-awareness, motivation and hope. Role changes within families eased guilt and improved relationships. Areas needing further attention were early focus on weight restoration and neglected emotional needs, parents’ reparation for discharge and adolescents’ willingness to
work on skills to deal with body image and eating disorder behaviours.
Conclusion: Occupational therapists can work collaboratively with individuals and their families to uncover the occupations that sustain or reinforce the eating disorder. Through this process, they can facilitate the development of meaningful alternative occupations, restructure routines and rituals surrounding food, and enhance skills for managing emotional distress
Transforming the English coaching landscape: Black women football coaches’ acts of resistance against racism and sexism
Get PDFResearch question: We seek to understand how Black women coaches negotiate and resist problematic, confined social structures caused by Association football’s embedded masculinised and racist culture. Through an intersectional lens, we ask what can we learn from Black women coaches’ lived experiences and acts of resistance, what motivates acts, and what personal effects do coaches experience following individual resistance acts?
Methodology: Nine coaches were interviewed. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings: Black women coaches negotiate dominant football culture by engaging in (1) transformative resistance to challenge institutional practices and afford opportunities, and (2) conformist resistance to amplify issues, resist microaggressions, and downplay their ethnic identity. Coaches’ acts of resistance were motivated by a need for safety, to promote women’s and ethnic minorities’ interests, to challenge white privilege, and to (re)educate. These acts led to increased or diminished empowerment depending on their reception. Coaches reported positive organisational changes but also relationship conflict (e.g., were perceived as difficult).
Practical implications: Compelling personal stories provide football associations with actionable areas to ensure football is more equitable and inclusive.
Research Contribution: We provide the first working model of coaches' individual acts of resistance through sharing new insights into how gender and race intersect to restrain Black women coaches’ football participation
Ultrasonic fatigue response of vertically and horizontally printed Ti-6al-4v and Inconel 718
Get PDFThis study investigates the effect of build orientation (vertical vs. horizontal) on the me-chanical behaviour and ultrasonic fatigue testing (UFT) performance of additively manufac-tured Ti‑6Al‑4V and Inconel 718 specimens. Additive manufacturing (AM) is known to introduce anisotropic microstructures, with orientation, defects, and process conditions sig-nificantly influencing fatigue strength [1]. In particular, layer orientation affects both ten-sile and fatigue properties [2]. Five specimens per alloy were produced in each orientation and tested using UFT at 20 kHz. System calibration was supported by Digital Image Corre-lation (DIC) and laser measurements to reduce data scatter in the high-cycle regime [3].
Mechanical properties including Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and stress–strain re-sponse were determined for both orientations. Combining Finite Element Analysis (FEA), DIC, and analytical/statistical methods enhanced confidence in interpreting deformation and stress behaviour. Results showed orientation-dependent differences. Horizontally built specimens generally exhibited longer fatigue lives and greater stiffness along the loading axis, consistent with prior findings [2]. While the combined methods were effective in as-sessing global stress behaviour, further work is needed to resolve layer-induced effects con-tributing to anisotropy
Provision of on-call urology services in the UK: Its impact on lifestyle and well-being, and its relationship to stress
Get PDFIntroduction: On-call work is an integral part of urological practice in the United Kingdom, yet its effects on urologists’ lifestyles, well-being and stress remain underexplored. Identifying factors that contribute to this stress may help prolong careers and improve professional quality of life. Materials and Methods: An anonymised online survey of BAUS members assessed the impact of out-of-hours duties on lifestyle, well-being and stress. Variables included age, gender, hospital type, clinical experience, rota design and call frequency between midnight and 8 a.m. Lifestyle and well-being were measured using linear evaluation scales, while stress was assessed with a validated perceived stress scoring system. Results: Complete responses were obtained from 132 mid-grade urologists and 289 consultants engaged in on-call rotas. Overall, out-of-hours work moderately impaired quality of life. Lifestyle disruption increased with consultant age, whereas younger and less experienced colleagues reported higher stress, particularly related to childcare responsibilities and sleep deprivation. Conclusion: Although the impact of on-call work on UK urologists appears less severe than for other medical specialties, significant challenges persist. Ageing, childcare demands and sleep deprivation remain key stressors associated with out-of-hours activity, underscoring the need for strategies to support well-being across career stages
Locally Enhanced Flow and Electric Fields Through a Tip Effect for Efficient Flow-Electrode Capacitive Deionization
Get PDFLow-electrode capacitive deionization (FCDI) is an emerging desalination technology with great potential for removal and/or recycling ions from a range of waters. However, it still suffers from inefficient charge transfer and ion transport kinetics due to weak turbulence and low electric intensity in flow electrodes, both restricted by the current collectors. Herein, a new tip-array current collector (designated as T-CC) was developed to replace the conventional planar current collectors, which intensifies both the charge transfer and ion transport significantly. The effects of tip arrays on flow and electric fields were studied by both computational simulations and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, which revealed the reduction of ion transport barrier, charge transport barrier and internal resistance. With the voltage increased from 1.0 to 1.5 and 2.0 V, the T-CC-based FCDI system (T-FCDI) exhibited average salt removal rates (ASRR) of 0.18, 0.50, and 0.89 μmol cm−2 min−1, respectively, which are 1.82, 2.65, and 2.48 folds higher than that of the conventional serpentine current collectors, and 1.48, 1.67, and 1.49 folds higher than that of the planar current collectors. Meanwhile, with the solid content in flow electrodes increased from 1 to 5 wt%, the ASRR for T-FCDI increased from 0.29 to 0.50 μmol cm−2 min−1, which are 1.70 and 1.67 folds higher than that of the planar current collectors. Additionally, a salt removal efficiency of 99.89% was achieved with T-FCDI and the charge efficiency remained above 95% after 24 h of operation, thus showing its superior long-term stability. (Figure presented.
Distinguishing the roles of edge, color, and other surface information in basic and superordinate scene representation.
Get PDFThe human brain possesses a remarkable ability to recognize scenes depicted in line drawings, despite that these drawings contain only edge information. It remains unclear how the brain uses this information alongside surface information in scene recognition. Here, we combined electroencephalogram (EEG) and multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) methods to distinguish the roles of edge, color, and other surface information in scene representation at the basic category level and superordinate naturalness level over time. The time-resolved decoding results indicated that edge information in line drawings is both sufficient and more effective than in color photographs and grayscale images at the superordinate naturalness level. Meanwhile, color and other surface information are exclusively involved in neural representation at the basic category level. The time-generalization analysis further revealed that edge information is crucial for representation at both levels of abstraction. These findings highlight the distinct roles of edge, color, and other surface information in dynamic neural scene processing, shedding light on how the human brain represents scene information at different levels of abstraction
A critical assessment of male HIV/AIDS patients’ satisfaction with antiretroviral therapy and its implications for sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa
Get PDFPurpose: The emergence of unique and destructive viruses, such as COVID-19, has claimed lives, disrupted health systems and diverted resources from addressing the needs of male HIV/AIDS patients in the context of antiretroviral therapy and other HIV/AIDS-related issues. This study aims to assess male HIV/AIDS patients’ satisfaction with antiretroviral therapy and its implications for sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Design/methodology/approach: Satisfaction, word-of-mouth, trust and revisit intention were the variables in the research model. A quantitative method was utilized. Data were collected from 400 male HIV/AIDS patients who received medical attention from hospitals in Gombe State, Nigeria, utilizing the convenience sampling method. SmartPLS was used for data analysis. Findings: The results show that satisfaction has a positive impact on trust, word-of-mouth and revisit intention. Furthermore, trust and word-of-mouth had a significant impact on revisit intentions. Word-of-mouth played a significant mediating role in the relationship between satisfaction and revisit intention. Trust played an insignificant mediating role between satisfaction and revisit intention. Additionally, word-of-mouth had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between trust and revisit intention. Healthcare organisations should prioritise patient satisfaction because it influences their likelihood of returning. Addressing the needs of male HIV patients can significantly enhance their overall healthcare experience, which would lead them to spread positive word of mouth. Research limitations/implications: Healthcare administrators should make it a top priority to provide superior services that match or exceed patient expectations. The study used quantitative data and focused on the male gender. Also, the empirical research is carried out in public hospitals; however, there are some differences between the types of hospitals in terms of the factors that affect male HIV/AIDS patients’ revisits. We employed a cross-sectional study. As a result, we recommend expanding it into a longitudinal study, as it allows the researcher to validate the causal mechanism and obtain results that are more generalizable. Practical implications: Healthcare managers should actively encourage positive patient reviews and recommendations. Setting up systems to record and distribute patient success stories can improve the hospital’s reputation and attract new patients. Increased word-of-mouth advertising can naturally result from encouraging positive encounters and outcomes. Healthcare administrators should establish channels for sharing information regarding therapies, procedures and support services that are transparent and easy to obtain. Patients’ intentions to return for follow-up appointments can be favourably influenced by education on the value of ongoing care. Social implications: Male HIV/AIDS patients who are satisfied with their care have a tendency to trust medical professionals more, which promotes enhanced therapeutic outcomes and greater compliance with treatment regimens. Positive comments from those with the condition can also reduce stigma and motivate community members to seek treatment, fostering a supportive environment for those living with HIV/AIDS. The study emphasises how important it is for patients and healthcare providers to have stronger, greater empathy connections, which could contribute to decreasing health disparities. Originality/value: The study investigates the effect of satisfaction on the revisit intention of male HIV/AIDS patients and also highlights how trust and WOM mediate this relationship
The discourse that makes racism disappear: Italian football and the (re)construction of the Maignan case
No full textWhen French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, during a game between Udinese and his team AC Milan in January 2024, asked the referee to suspend the match in the face of continuous racist abuse from the stands, it seemed a transformative moment for Italian football. There was wide expression of support for the last in a long series of players racially abused in the game. The culprits were rapidly identified and banned, the hosting team was forced to play two games in an empty ground. Over the following weeks, however, the owners of Udinese calcio, Udinese fans groups, local and national politicians, instigated a campaign to clear their image from the accusation of being “racists”. Drawing on Critical Discourse Analysis and Critical Race Theory, this paper examines such an emerging discourse that, while eluding the issue (racism) transforms the assumed culprits into victims and makes structural or institutional racism recede from view
Testing the effectiveness of functional versus sustainability message framing in enhancing consumer acceptance of imperfect produce
Get PDFPraxeological Analysis: A New Qualitative Methodology
Get PDFThis paper introduces Praxeological Analysis (PA), a new qualitative methodology for investigating psychological phenomena by examining their situated sense within interaction and talk. PA draws upon and develops ideas from three intellectual resources: (i) praxeology, (ii) gestalt psychology, and (iii) the method of grammatical investigation found in the investigative ordinary language philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein. We integrate these three resources through the concept of linguistic gestalts, which serves as the foundation for PA. We argue that once psychological phenomena are respecified in terms of linguistic gestalts, the appropriate mode of investigation is what Wittgenstein termed grammatical. PA implements this mode of investigation by generating realizations through descriptions of actual, imagined, and fictionalized situations. The goal of such investigations is to explore the grammar—the practice-embedded rules for meaningful use—of psychological terms, as this reveals their real-world significance. In PA, we develop this insight into a structured methodology that qualitative researchers can systematically apply. By outlining the conceptual foundations of PA and demonstrating its methodological application, we position PA as a novel and transformative approach in qualitative research