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Editorial introduction, Religions special issue, Peace, politics, and religion. Volume II
Get PDFIn recent years, a burgeoning body of literature on the relationship between peace, politics and religion has emerged. Generally, this reflects how religion has made a remarkable return to prominence in the literature on sociology, political science and international relations. Confounding the expectations of secularisation theorists and secularists, religion is a core source of identity for billions of people around the world. Religion’s increased prominence can be seen both in the context of conflict and as a tool of conflict resolution, peace-making and peacebuilding. Recent years have seen various kinds of religious hatred and differences become central to many political conflicts, especially, but not only, in the Global South. Evidence suggests that religious leaders and faith-based organisations (FBOs) can play constructive roles in helping to end violence and, in some cases, build peace via early warnings of conflict and proper action once conflict has erupted, as well as through advocacy, mediation and reconciliation. In short, contemporary discussions about the relationship between peace, politics and religion highlight that religion can encourage both conflict and peace through the activities of people individually and collectively imbued with religious ideas and ideals
United we stand? Organizational groups and spinoff mortality in the context of academic entrepreneurship
No full textWe study failures between 1993 and 2017 in the complete population of 1731 English and Scottish university spinoffs founded since 1977. We borrow and expand the concept of density dependence from organizational ecology to theorize that a spinoff's propensity to fail is affected by the number of spinoffs active not only in the aggregate population but also within its parent university's portfolio. We contribute to organizational theory, demonstrating the importance of organizational groups that form within larger populations on individual organizations' propensity to fail. We contribute to literature on academic entrepreneurship showing that, for most universities, spinoff portfolio growth can lower associated spinoffs' failure rates, but that such effects need to be juxtaposed to the aggregate population's finite capacity to support an expanding number of spinoffs
Image processing and machine learning techniques for Chagas disease detection and identification
Get PDFChagas disease, caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, poses a significant health threat, particularly in Latin America, with millions affected globally. This research introduces a novel approach using deep learning techniques for the automated detection of Trypanosoma cruzi in blood smear images provided by Zoonoses Laboratory (CIR) in Mexico. Advanced deep learning architectures like Faster RCNN, RetinaNet, YOLOv8, and FCOS have been adapted, trained, and compared with each other in terms of the detection accuracy of each image. Our selection of those models is based on their ability to swiftly and accurately detect anomalies, measured through rigorous assessment using pivotal metrics like Mean Average Precision (mAP) across varying Intersection over Union (IoU) thresholds. Notably, the YOLOv8 model has showcased outstanding performance, boasting a remarkable mAP score of 0.951 for parasite detection and localisation. Specifically, YOLOv8 outperforms with a leading mAP of 0.951 at 50% IoU and maintains commendable precision with a score of 0.594 for IoU thresholds ranging from 50% to 95%. This research reduces dependence on skilled manual analysis holding a significant implications for healthcare in Chagas-affected regions by providing a rapid, automated solution to disease detection. This work has the potential to revolutionise diagnostics in resource-limited settings. Moreover, the models’ adaptability to other parasitic infections enhances their global health impact
Religion and spirituality in therapeutic training in the UK: a survey of current and recent trainees
Get PDFBackground:
Research indicates counsellors and psychotherapists receive little training around working with clients who present with religious or spiritual issues and feel unprepared to work with these clients.
Aims:
This paper presents part of the findings from an online survey that aimed to explore how trainee and newly qualified counsellors and psychotherapists, who identify as religious or spiritual, experienced undertaking therapeutic training in the UK.
Method:
This online survey collected data on how much training participants received on their courses in religion/spirituality, how this training was delivered, how satisfied they were with their training, their knowledge base and skills around religion/spirituality, and what areas relating to religion/spirituality participants would like to see incorporated into therapeutic training. The survey data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis.
Results:
Over half of the participants received no training in this area, with a further third receiving minimal input. Participants reported low satisfaction rates with training received unless integrated throughout their course and identified specific knowledge gaps around religious/spiritual literacy, therapeutic skills, and awareness of religion and mental health research. Participants wanted more input on religion/spirituality in the training syllabus to increase their knowledge base and therapeutic competences.
Conclusion:
This research employed a non-randomised sample, which limits the generalisability of these findings to a wider training population. Survey participants were also a highly religious/spiritual group, with 87% indicating they engaged in weekly religious/spiritual practices. Participants identified as Christian and White, and reported receiving person-centred or integrative training.
Implications for Policy:
The absence of training on religion/spirituality in the therapeutic curriculum does not reflect a full commitment to the spirit of the UK Equality Act (2010) or the educational standards laid down by professional bodies. Given the low satisfaction rates with training evidenced in these findings, further discussion at policy level about what should be included on religion and spirituality in the curriculum to work competently in this area is required. There is also a need to review why religion/spirituality are largely absent in the therapeutic curriculum, as well as giving consideration as to how to equip trainers to deliver high quality training in this area.
Implications for Practice:
These findings point to the importance of religion/spirituality being included at key points across the training curriculum to equip trainees with the necessary knowledge base and skills to work competently with clients presenting with religious or spiritual issues in clinical settings
A study on loading multiple epitopes with a single peptide
Get PDFEpitopes, the basic functional units of antigens, hold great significance in the field of immunology. However, the structure and composition of epitopes and their interactions with antibodies remain unclear, which limits in‐depth studies on epitopes and the development of subunit vaccines. In a previous study on the localization of anti‐influenza HA monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), three strains with different characteristics reacted with the same peptide. In this study, by conventional immunological assays, computer homology modeling, and molecular docking simulations, we found that (1) the peptide could bind to three strains of mAbs with different reaction characteristics utilizing dif- ferent combinations of immunodominant groups. (2) By computer molecular docking and simulation methods, the immunodominant groups on the two peptides could be com- bined into a multi‐epitope peptide bound to six strains of mAbs. We established a method for multi‐epitope peptide recombination from these immunodominant groups. (3) The immune effect of the recombinant multi‐epitope peptide was better than that of a single peptide. Our findings facilitate the understanding of the composition of antigen epitopes and provide a theoretical and experimental basis for developing polyvalent vaccines and understanding immune responses at the molecular level
On transitive operator algebras in real Banach spaces
No full textWe consider weakly closed transitive algebras of operators containing non-zero compact operators in real Banach spaces (Lomonosov algebras). It is shown that they are naturally divided in three classes: the algebras of real, complex and quaternion classes. The properties and characterizations of algebras in each class as well as some useful examples are presented. It is shown that in separable real Hilbert spaces there is a continuum of pairwise non-similar Lomonosov algebras of complex type and of quaternion type
Exploring the urban jungle: making space for wildness in cities
Get PDFThis chapter explores how we can embrace wildness in cities, using imaginative design solutions to convince city dwellers of the beauty and utility of urban nature. Cities rich in nature benefit wildlife and humans, making increasing urban greenspace and its ecological value vital for nature conservation, city functioning and human wellbeing. But urban greenery is being lost to development and its habitat value diminished by management practices, as these benefits are not widely understood. Rewilding is a solution that elicits mixed perceptions from communities, particularly in terms of its aesthetics. In cities, greenery is associated with enhanced appearance, yet its ecological function is limited by an expectation that it must look orderly. Given this ambivalence around the aesthetics of nature, how can ‘urban rewilding’ integrate a wilder form of nature into cities? The chapter proposes a new definition of urban rewilding and a vision of how this could look, presented as postcards from a future London. Such interventions aim to persuade city dwellers to live alongside nature, understanding its usefulness and accepting its untidiness as part of its natural beauty. They offer a model for rewilding cities worldwide to ensure future cities are sustainable, ecologically and psychologically restorative ‘urban jungles’
Solar-powered photocatalysis in water purification: applications and commercialization challenges
Get PDFAlthough heterogeneous photocatalysis has been recognized as a promising technology for decontaminating and disinfecting municipal and industrial wastewater over the last few decades, it has not yet successfully transitioned from laboratory-scale research to real-world applications. This limited progress is attributed to inherent physicochemical properties of most photocatalytic materials available, which exhibit reduced photoefficiency under visible light irradiation, along with multiple engineering considerations. This comprehensive review delves into the intricate dynamics of photocatalytic reactions kinetics, exploring several types of photocatalytic reactors and elucidating the significance of materials employed in photocatalytic wastewater treatment. This critical survey systematically examines the effectiveness of different materials such as titania, zinc oxide and graphitic carbon nitride which are commercially applied for different reactor systems. Understanding the role of these materials for photocatalytic reactions is essential to address the challenges associated with wastewater treatment. Furthermore, the discussion extends beyond the technical aspects to encompass the broader landscape of challenges hindering the commercialization and widespread adoption of photocatalytic technologies. By critically evaluating these challenges, the minireview aims to provide valuable insights for researchers, engineers, and policymakers seeking to advance and implement photocatalytic wastewater treatment on a broader scale. This synthesis of knowledge consolidates the current state of the field and outlines future prospects for overcoming barriers and optimizing the potential of photocatalytic processes in environmental remediation
Child sexual abuse of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage children: a knowledge review
Get PDFThis review commissioned by the CSA Centre and Barnardo’s SEEN draws on 79 publications, based on 59 separate research projects, and four focus group sessions with African, Asian and Caribbean heritage academics, professionals and experts by experience. It explores the nature of sexual abuse, its impacts, the barriers that prevent children talking about it, and how concerns about it are identified and responded to, both within communities and by services. It recommends further research to inform and drive improvements
Digital forensic readiness in Iot-enabled organisations and forensic investigation analysis in real-time
No full textIoT has become a popular technology and is being applied in various domains such as healthcare, telecommunication, transportation, development of smart homes and cities, etc. The wide application of the technology has exposed it to cyber threats and attacks due to limitations in the technology itself. Without a standardised and holistic approach towards digital forensic investigation, the paper presents a framework based on ISO/IEC 27043 standards that could provide a crucial digital forensic readiness process for organisations to consider when developing security policies and procedures. This research aims to address the limitations encountered by IoT forensic investigations by introducing a DF readiness plan. The proposed framework developed using ISO/IEC 27043 standards would aid organisations in handling security incidents and subsequent forensic investigation processes. The paper presents the process in which data flows during a forensic investigation and the process of DFR. The framework presented emphasises the need for security monitoring tools in the IoT environment in case of a cyber-attack. The study concludes by highlighting the implications and requirements of organisations to align their IoT devices with DFR