Wider Context Research Articles

Appraisal Theory and Interpreting Political Speech

Appraisal theory can be used to study the semiotic content of formal speeches. This paper focuses on the study of two speeches by Ban Ki Moon. The first in 2006 was his acceptance speech and the second, in 2016, was his speech on leaving his role as Secretary General of the United Nations. By employing the same speaker and organization, this helps remove variances due to personal or corporate style. It also allows a focus on how different semiotic approaches are used at different stages of each speech. While affect is common across the speech structure, judgement is more commonly found in sections that can be seen as instances of expected politeness towards the intended audience. By using such modes, the speaker is effectively inviting agreement with their overall presentation. This also suggests a linkage between chosen mode and purpose. However, meaning-making cannot just be understood through a sentence by sentence analysis and there still remains a need to take a holistic overview and place the speech in a wider context.

Inter-textual Unity in Quranic Hermeneutics: Naẓm/Munāsaba, al-Ǧišumī’s Philological Theory and Its Influence on Qurʾanic Exegesis

Abstract The recent publication of a new edition of the Qurʾanic exegesis al-Tahḏīb fī ʾl-Tafsīr by al-Ḥākim al-Ǧišumī (d. 494/1101) highlights the topic of naẓm (coherence/consistency/order/ correspondence) as a subject essential to understanding the concept of iʿǧāz al-Qurʾān, the uniqueness of the Qurʾanic text, which is central to conceiving its early exegesis. The present article investigates al-Ǧišumī’s theory of naẓm in the Qur’ ān, while attempting to distinguish his theory from that of his contemporary al-Ǧurǧānī (d. 471/1074). In this article, we compile evidence of al-Ǧišumī’s novel philological theory and offer a broader historical evaluation of the concept of naẓm among Qurʾanic exegetes. Finally, this article examines for the first time how to take account of al-Ǧišumī’s methodology in our understanding of the conceptual structure of the Qurʾanic corpus. While the main focus of this article is on al-Ǧišumī’s approach to the theory of naẓm, it also considers the theory in a wider context. Moreover, although it touches on al-Ǧurǧānī’s views on naẓm, it does not discuss him in any detail, particularly since his ideas have already been examined extensively in numerous other books and academic papers.

¿El lado correcto de la historia? El uso político de la narrativa del progreso en los feminismos contemporáneos

This essay examines how the narrative of historical progress is used in contemporary feminisms. It argues that this narrative is used with a specific political aim: to characterise disagreements between feminists as confrontations between the modern and the retrograde. It observes that this positioning often employs patriarchal rhetoric which prefers personal criticism to a discussion of ideas. To illustrate this hypothesis, the article analyses the use of the progress narrative in the present debate about the sex trade within a wide historical context. Undertaking the history of women’s ideas in this way reveals how some arguments in this debate have been disfigured and misunderstood in order to serve the needs of the progress narrative.

Patient and public understanding of antimicrobial resistance: a systematic review and meta-ethnography.

To further develop an understanding of laypeople's (adult patients and public) beliefs and attitudes toward antimicrobial resistance (AMR) by developing a conceptual model derived from identifying and synthesizing primary qualitative research. A systematic search of 12 electronic databases, including CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed and Web of Science to identify qualitative primary studies exploring patient and public understanding of AMR published between 2012 and 2022. Included studies were quality appraised and synthesized using Noblit and Hare's meta-ethnographic approach and reported using eMERGe guidance. Thirteen papers reporting 12 qualitative studies were synthesized. Studies reported data from 466 participants aged 18-90 years. Five themes were identified from these original studies: the responsible patient; when words become meaningless; patient-prescriber relationship; past experience drives antibiotic use; and reframing public perception. These themes supported the development of a conceptual model that illustrates the tension between two different assumptions, that is, how can antibiotics be used for the collective good whilst balancing the immediate needs of individual patients. Findings suggest that AMR is a distinct ethical issue and should not be viewed purely as a prescribing problem. The meta-ethnography-generated conceptual model illustrates many factors affecting the public's perception of AMR. These include laypeople's own knowledge, beliefs and attitudes around antibiotic use, the relationship with the healthcare provider and the wider context, including the overwhelming influence of the media and public health campaigns. Future research is needed to explore effective health messaging strategies to increase laypeople's baseline awareness of AMR as a public threat.

Re-Purposing the Ordering of Routine Laboratory Tests in Hospitalized Medical Patients (RePORT): protocol for a multicenter stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial to evaluate the impact of a multicomponent intervention bundle to reduce laboratory test over-utilization

BackgroundLaboratory test overuse in hospitals is a form of healthcare waste that also harms patients. Developing and evaluating interventions to reduce this form of healthcare waste is critical. We detail the protocol for our study which aims to implement and evaluate the impact of an evidence-based, multicomponent intervention bundle on repetitive use of routine laboratory testing in hospitalized medical patients across adult hospitals in the province of British Columbia, Canada.MethodsWe have designed a stepped-wedge cluster randomized trial to assess the impact of a multicomponent intervention bundle across 16 hospitals in the province of British Columbia in Canada. We will use the Knowledge to Action cycle to guide implementation and the RE-AIM framework to guide evaluation of the intervention bundle. The primary outcome will be the number of routine laboratory tests ordered per patient-day in the intervention versus control periods. Secondary outcome measures will assess implementation fidelity, number of all common laboratory tests used, impact on healthcare costs, and safety outcomes. The study will include patients admitted to adult medical wards (internal medicine or family medicine) and healthcare providers working in these wards within the participating hospitals. After a baseline period of 24 weeks, we will conduct a 16-week pilot at one hospital site. A new cluster (containing approximately 2–3 hospitals) will receive the intervention every 12 weeks. We will evaluate the sustainability of implementation at 24 weeks post implementation of the final cluster. Using intention to treat, we will use generalized linear mixed models for analysis to evaluate the impact of the intervention on outcomes.DiscussionThe study builds upon a multicomponent intervention bundle that has previously demonstrated effectiveness. The elements of the intervention bundle are easily adaptable to other settings, facilitating future adoption in wider contexts. The study outputs are expected to have a positive impact as they will reduce usage of repetitive laboratory tests and provide empirically supported measures and tools for accomplishing this work.Trial RegistrationThis study was prospectively registered on April 8, 2024, via ClinicalTrials.gov Protocols Registration and Results System (NCT06359587). https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT06359587?term=NCT06359587&recrs=ab&draw=2&rank=1

Digital First Primary Care for those with multiple long-term conditions: a rapid review of the views of stakeholders.

General practices are facing challenges such as rising patient demand and difficulties recruiting and retaining general practitioners. Greater use of digital technology has been advocated as a way of mitigating some of these challenges and improving patient access. This includes Digital First Primary Care, when a patient's first contact with primary care is through a digital route, either through a laptop or smartphone. The use of Digital First Primary Care has been expedited since COVID-19. There is little evidence of staff experiences of using Digital First Primary Care with more complex patients, such as those with multiple long-term conditions. To understand the experiences of those with multiple long-term conditions of Digital First Primary Care from the perspectives of healthcare professionals and stakeholders. This was a qualitative evaluation, comprised of four distinct work packages: Work package 1: Locating the study within the wider context, engaging with literature, and co-designing the study approach and research questions with patients. Work package 2: Interviews with health professionals working across general practice and key expert topic stakeholders, including academics and policy-makers. Work package 3: Analysis of data and generation of themes, and testing findings with patients. Work package 4: Synthesis, reporting and dissemination. The study commenced in January 2021 and in total 28 interviews were conducted with 14 health professionals and 15 stakeholders between January and August 2022. From the perspective of health professionals, Digital First Primary Care approaches could enable patients to speak with a clinician more quickly than traditional approaches. Those with multiple long-term conditions could submit healthcare readings from home, though health professionals felt patients may struggle navigating digital systems not designed to capture the nuances associated with living with multiple conditions. Clinicians expressed preferences for seeing patients face-to-face, particularly those with multiple long-term conditions, to identify non-verbal cues about a patient's health. Digital First Primary Care approaches provided an opportunity for clinicians to engage with the carers of patients living with multiple long-term conditions, yet there were concerns around obtaining consent and confidentiality. There remain debates among stakeholders about the nature and extent to which Digital First Primary Care impacts on staff workload. At the time of data collection, general practices were facing considerable pressure to deliver care and respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. While it was originally intended that the study would include interviews with patients with multiple long-term conditions and their carers, none of the general practices that took part in the study were willing and/or able to recruit patients and carers in the time available. The rapid implementation of Digital First Primary Care, at a time of immense pressures, meant there has been little time for considering the impact on patients, including those with multiple long-term conditions. The impacts on care continuity depended largely on how surgeries implemented their approaches. Staff and stakeholders felt that Digital First Primary Care, as an additional route for accessing primary care, could be useful for patients with multiple long-term conditions but not at the expense of face-to-face consultations. Future research obtaining patient and carer views of digital-first approaches, understanding the impacts on carers and how approaches are designed with patients with more complex conditions in mind, is essential. This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (NIHR award ref: 16/138/31) and is published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 12, No. 21. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

“Meat from the Heavens”: The Prohibition on Meat Consumption Imposed on Adam and the Jewish-Christian Polemic

AbstractToward the end of the Noahide commandment pericope in the Talmud (b. Sanh. 56–60), we find a sugya (pericope) featuring the prohibition on meat consumption imposed on Adam and its permission to the Noahides. This unique sugya pieces together halakic and haggadic sources that reinterpret the Garden of Eden story and address the complex relationship between humans and animals. This article will examine this sugya, focusing on its closing story, which describes a pietist who merits a gift of heavenly flesh. I will demonstrate that the story has many levels of meaning, grounded in both its immediate and wider contexts, and claim that it conceals a polemic with a similar Christian story (Acts 10), which describes impure meat that descends from the sky, undermining the cultural and halakic divisions between Jews and non-Jews. The comparison between the two stories reveals opposing worldviews with regard to law and lawlessness, utopia and redemption.

Sisterhood in COVID-19’s she-cession: does stronger female representation mean weaker female discrimination?

PurposeGender equality is an important issue targeted all around the world, see, for example, the Gender Equality Strategy articulated by the European Union (EU). These goals were hindered by COVID-19, which caused a well-documented she-cession: females were hit harder than males. This paper shows that a “sisterhood behaviour” can mitigate the effects of the she-cession: female decision-makers were more likely to favour other females in recruitment and retention.Design/methodology/approachMotivated by theories from psychology and industrial demography, we hypothesise a so-called sisterhood effect or homophily: female decision-makers are more likely to favour other females in recruitment and retention. We use firm-level survey data from 19 European countries collected before and during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, and we apply a difference-in-differences methodology to test the hypothesised sisterhood behaviour.FindingsOur study finds that in firms where the top manager was a woman, gender discrimination was less likely or even not at all presented, i.e. COVID-19 did not decrease the proportion of female employees.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that promoting gender equality in leadership dimensions can also moderate discrimination at the level of the employees. Therefore, in a wider context, gender equality goals are interrelated.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to analyse the existence of the theories mentioned before in a manager – employee relationship using firm-level data from the COVID-19 period.

How One Cannot Participatively Imagine What One Could Cognitively Imagine

In this paper, we want to maintain that the puzzle of imaginative resistance is basically a pragmatic issue due to the failure of participative imagination, as involving a pre-semantic level relating to a wide context (the overall situation of discourse). Since the linguistic meanings of the relevant fiction-involving sentences violate some of our basic norms, what such sentences (fictionally) say cannot be participatively imagined. That failure leads one to refrain from ascribing such sentences the fictional truth-conditions they would have in narrow fictional contexts (sets of fixed parameters) as determined by those meanings in those contexts. Yet one could still make that ascription, for one can cognitively imagine what such sentences would say in those contexts. As is proved by the fact that if one either adopts an alternative view on such norms or, for some reason, brackets them, one can again perform that ascription.

From reflective practice to action research and positive change: securing high levels of wellbeing among learners with autism spectrum condition in the mainstream setting

ABSTRACT This article details and reflects on an action research project that explored the in-class wellbeing of children with autism within a mainstream primary school in Wales. It also sets out why reflective practice alone may be insufficient in the process of achieving positive change. Through the iterative reflective cycles of action research, drivers that promoted positive wellbeing in children with additional learning needs were identified, and barriers to these children’s happiness were confronted. Driven by a commitment to effective inclusion of all learners, the initial reconnaissance phase of the research recorded that episodes of in-class low wellbeing experienced by children with autism were higher than those of their fellow classmates in terms of their frequency and severity. This discovery inspired a collaborative process of pedagogic inquiry to find positive change. Teachers working across year groups developed, trialled, and reflected on interventions that aimed to improve the daily lived experiences of children with additional learning needs and enhance educational outcomes. The exponential growth of children identified as having autism makes research into the in-school positive wellbeing of this group both necessary and urgent. It is hoped that this study will inspire others, both in school and in wider contexts, to undertake action research to improve the lives of children with additional learning needs, such as autism.

Rebel without a Cause? Robert de Ferrers III and the Barons’ War in the Midlands, 1263–1265

ABSTRACT Robert de Ferrers III, the sixth earl of Derby, is generally considered an outlier in the events of the civil war in England between 1264 and 1266. His involvement in the rebellion centred on Simon de Montfort, earl of Leicester, has been widely interpreted as driven by self-interest and aggrandisement, defined by unorthodox levels of violence and lawlessness. This paper offers a comprehensive analysis of Robert’s involvement in the rebellion across the Midlands in 1264, and places the surviving evidence within its wider contexts. In doing so, it shows that Ferrers’ activities during 1264 were much more aligned with the baronial faction’s strategic interests than is generally understood, and his behaviour was far from unorthodox. Through this analysis, the paper also illuminates how the chronicler William Rishanger’s influence among modern historians is due a correction.

Appraisal Theory: Can It Be Applied to Visual Images in Isolation to the Text?

The role of women in Saudi society is evolving; however, the process of reform is subject to multiple interpretations. This makes the role of resemiosis when interpreting visual media particularly important, perhaps more than a direct focus on the semiotic modes adopted. Data was collected from a variety of on-line media covering the recent changes. Appraisal Theory was used to capture the judgement process in terms of emotions experienced by the reader/viewer and how the wider context such as the full news article, or even just the headline, forms a part of this process. This posits that in contested situations, resemiosis is a critical part of the process and sometimes the apparent interpretation of a single image (intersemiosis) can be different to the interpretation of the whole. In such instances, different semiotic modes convey different meanings but a focus on one in isolation can be misleading as to the overall intent.

A lead article to go deeper and broader in job insecurity research: Understanding an individual perception in its social and political context

AbstractJob insecurity, that is, the perceived threat of job loss or of valued job features, is a well‐documented stressor with negative consequences for employees. This lead article proposes to advance the field by going both deeper and broader in linking individual job insecurity experiences to their social context on the microlevel (individual characteristics), the mesolevel (the individual's immediate social context such as organizations) and the macrolevel (the wider context such as countries). Going deeper, we discuss theoretical and methodological approaches to investigate how job insecurity affects employees' experience of work but also their identity and life outside work—essentially, how people view themselves and their place in society. Going broader, we review evidence of macrolevel influences as predictors and moderators of job insecurity, as well as the effects of job insecurity on political attitudes and behaviour. Taken together, we discuss these two streams of research as top‐down and bottom‐up mechanisms in the interplay between individual job insecurity experiences and their socio‐political context. We conclude with suggestions for future research and theory development to move the field forward. We hope to provide a fruitful point of departure to delve into the mechanisms between experiences of job insecurity and the broader social context.

Cracks within capitalism: Alternative rental practices and a politics of care among small-building owners in Chicago

ABSTRACT The United States is currently in the fourth decade of an ongoing, and worsening, affordable housing crisis, due in part to neoliberal financialization and the retrenchment of social safety net programs. Research has illuminated the role that landlords play in maintaining, and profiting, from this neoliberal turn in the housing market. Meanwhile, low-income renters and other marginalized people have engaged in strategic resistance and activism, drawing on a politics of community care and collectivism that runs counter to neoliberal market ideology. It is within this wider context—a housing market where neoliberal and collective care politics clash—that I analyze the viewpoints and rental practices of a unique group of housing market actors: resident landlords, or people who live in the same buildings as their tenants. Among a wider sample of 52 owner-occupants, I interviewed 22 owners who held anti-oppression viewpoints, and who attempted to put their politics into practice by adopting atypical rental practices. Drawing on Black radical and feminist traditions in urban political economy, I theorize these activities as political decisions that created sites of opportunity, where building owners and residents attempted to reconfigure their relationships under capitalism, providing a window into possibilities for more caring housing arrangements.

'Caregivers' Experiences of a Singing Training Program to Support Person-Centered Dementia Care.

Music-based interventions are acknowledged to be accessible and beneficial to people living with dementia. As part of an over-arching research project exploring the contributions of person-centered caregiver singing (PCCS) intervention to caregiver's provision of care, this study aimed to explore caregiver's experiences of a PCCS training program. 8 caregivers across 2 care homes in South Africa participated in 4 iterative participatory cycles aimed at refining the training protocol. We completed a thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews of caregivers' experiences of the training. 3 themes emerged: workshop components contributed to positive learning experiences; caregivers' increased knowledge and insight into dementia, music, and personhood; and caregivers' enhanced self-efficacy which encompassed their emotional wellbeing, self-awareness, and confidence. Our study highlights caregivers' self-efficacy, self-hood, and personhood as valuable benefits in person-centered care training. Caregivers experienced training as both professionally and personally beneficial. While PCCS supported a shift toward a person-centered care approach, further research would help establish approaches to support sustainability of PCCS training and use in wider contexts.

Evaluation and Self-Evaluation of Teachers During the Educational Process

The position of teachers in modern teaching and changes related to educational reforms require a high degree of professionalism from teachers themselves, which, as Marentic Pozarnik (2000, p. 4) points out, is essentially “the ability of detailed professional judgment appropriate to the situation (reflection) as well as methods and procedures”. It is important for "trained” teachers to know, in a special, responsible way, to learn from their practice. At the same time, experiential and reflective approaches to learning imply a changed role of teachers, and only in the second step the application of specific methods and techniques are suitable for encouraging experiential learning (Vizek Vidovic & Vlahovic Stetic, 2007, p. 303). In the concept of "critical professional", the teacher in the educational and wider social field implies an awareness of the responsibilities of his profession at an individual level and society as a whole. A critical professional is able to think critically, both about his practical work and about the context of his work. He has developed an implicit understanding of the practical situation and the wider context. Professionals - experts at a higher level of professional activity are able to monitor and reflect, reconstruct and articulate knowledge gained from experience (Valencic Zuljan, 2001, p. 136). The very concept of reflection comes from the Latin reflectere that means reflection, contemplation, judgment. It is a process of experiential learning based on in-depth analysis of one's own practice and cognition, in other words connecting and directing the thinking and actions of an individual (metacognitive process) (Bell et al., 1993, as cited in Skok, 2002, p. 14).

Development of peptides for targeting cell ablation agents concurrently to the Sertoli and Leydig cell populations of the testes: An approach to non-surgical sterilization.

The surgical sterilization of cats and dogs has been used to prevent their unwanted breeding for decades. However, this is an expensive and invasive procedure, and often impractical in wider contexts, for example the control of feral populations. A sterilization agent that could be administered in a single injection, would not only eliminate the risks imposed by surgery but also be a much more cost-effective solution to this worldwide problem. In this study, we sought to develop a targeting peptide that would selectively bind to Leydig cells of the testes. Subsequently, after covalently attaching a cell ablation agent, Auristatin, to this peptide we aimed to apply this conjugated product (LH2Auristatin) to adult male mice in vivo, both alone and together with a previously developed Sertoli cell targeting peptide (FSH2Menadione). The application of LH2Auristatin alone resulted in an increase in sperm DNA damage, reduced mean testes weights and mean seminiferous tubule size, along with extensive germ cell apoptosis and a reduction in litter sizes. Together with FSH2Menadione there was also an increase in embryo resorptions. These promising results were observed in around a third of all treated animals. Given this variability, we discuss how these reagents might be modified in order to increase target cell ablation and improve their efficacy as sterilization agents.

5th Developing Excellence in Medical Education Conference, Education in the wider context - the patient, the team and the global community, Monday 4 - Tuesday 5 December 2023, Manchester Central, Hybrid conference.

5th Developing Excellence in Medical Education Conference, Education in the wider context - the patient, the team and the global community, Monday 4 - Tuesday 5 December 2023, Manchester Central, Hybrid conference.

A Machine's ethos? An inquiry into artificial ethos and trust

Every day we trust other individuals as we engage in social interactions in which various desirable outcomes depend on others acting the way we hope, or they have indicated. Trust extends beyond specific individuals, however, as we might trust unknown others – individuals, institutions, corporations, and governments. Some also say that we trust various artifacts, such as machines. But what is the basis of trust, and can we really trust technology? Trust is intimately connected to the notion ethos from the study of rhetoric and human persuasion, which is often used to describe various characteristics of the speaker, the audience, the relationship between the speaker and the audience, and the wider context in which communication and interaction occurs. In this article I explore to what degree machines can be considered to have ethos, and consequently whether ethos is a useful concept for understanding persuasive and credibility-related situations in HMI and by extension key aspects of human-machine trust. This allows us to draw on a long lineage of research from, for example, rhetoric, communication studies, and cognitive and social psychology to better understand the usefulness – or not – of using the notion of trust to describe our relationship with machines.

Digital Competence Among the Key Components of Future Masters of Primary Education Professional Training: Theoretical Interpretations

The article draws attention to the issue of professional training of future masters of primary education and the role of digital competence in it. It involves addressing various challenges and considerations to ensure that educators are well-equipped to meet the diverse needs of primary school students. The author outlines several aspects in this direction: innovative pedagogical knowledge and skills, active technology integration, proper classroom management, appropriate assessment and evaluation, and professional development. It is proved that integration of technology into the classroom results in digital competence improvement of future educators. Numerous interpretations of digital competence by Ukrainian and foreign researchers are presented. The international scientific findings proved, the concept of “information and communication competence” is not limited to technological or digital spheres only, on the contrary, it is transformed in a wider context and applied in almost all spheres of an individual’s life. In the context of digitalization of the education system, it is assured that the possession of digital competence aims at purposeful and independent use of ICT tools in educational activities, as well as in the process of methodical and research work; maximum use of the potential of digital technologies in the process of identifying and solving pedagogical tasks. The experience of formation of digital competence of future masters of primary education within their professional training at PNU is presented n the article.