Health professions and occupations

This entry focuses on the sociological aspects of health professions and occupations. It outlines five key theoretical perspectives and explores three significant areas of sociological enquiry: science, technology, and the digital; socialization; and interprofessional practice. It argues that the innovations in these three areas, rather than being a threat to the health professions and occupations, can be seen as opportunities to enhance the health professions and occupations and thus the patient experience

Integrating Genomics and Proteomics Technologies in Biological Research:Advantages, Challenges, and Prospects

Introduction: The integration of genomics and proteomics, two cornerstone omics technologies, has transformed our understanding of biological systems, enabling deeper insights into disease mechanisms, biomarker discovery, and the development of personalised medicine. While genomics uncovers genetic blueprints, proteomics reveals functional protein expressions, making their combined use essential for a holistic view of biological processes. This narrative review explores the current state, advantages, challenges, and prospects of integrating genomics and proteomics in biological research, particularly in the context of translational medicine and global health applications.Methods: A systematic literature search was conducted across four databases—PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar, for English-language peer-reviewed articles published between January 2015 and May 2025. A PRISMA-based approach guided article screening and selection. Inclusion criteria focused on studies addressing multi-omics integration, relevant technologies, clinical applications, and associated ethical concerns. The findings were synthesised using thematic analysis.Synthesis: The review highlights the growing synergy between genomics and proteomics in enhancing disease diagnosis, drug discovery, and precision medicine. Advances in next-generation sequencing and mass spectrometry, coupled with computational tools such as MOFA+ and AlphaFold, have improved data integration. However, challenges persist, including high data complexity, computational demands, ethical/legal concerns, and limited access in low-resource settings.Conclusion: Integrated omics approaches hold immense potential to revolutionise healthcare and biological discovery. Addressing current barriers and fostering global collaboration, particularly in underrepresented regions, are critical to realising the full benefits of genomics and proteomics integration

SARchaeological Prospection:Synthetic Aperture Radar for the Reconstruction and Mapping of Temperate Floodplain Environments

Temperate river floodplains present a significant challenge for archaeologists, as cultural and palaeoenvironmental remains are often difficult to locate but can be exceptionally well preserved, especially where groundwater levels are high. In these alluvial environments, the deposition of thick, fine‐grained sediments has potential to deeply bury rich archaeological archives that can be used to reconstruct past environments, but these deposits also render conventional forms of archaeological prospection largely ineffective. Consequently, subsurface mapping techniques have been developed to determine the three‐dimensional spatial distribution of archaeological remains and their relationship to sediment architecture within alluvial environments. These can be generated using a combination of intrusive (boreholes, trial pits, etc.) and nonintrusive (e.g., geophysical survey) investigations augmented by other geological and topographical datasets. Although lidar and other passive remote sensing methods such as multispectral imagery and aerial photography have been utilized to investigate floodplain landscapes, the spaceborne capabilities of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) have yet to be explored within the context of geoarchaeological prospection. This contribution, therefore, examines the capacity of SAR to reconstruct and map landform assemblages within temperate river floodplains by analysing images in a 6‐year time series of (COSMO‐SkyMed) SAR data across two valleys in Herefordshire, United Kingdom. The results demonstrate that SAR can be used to record the spatial extent of recent flood events to outline surface topographic complexity and water table levels to achieve a detailed understanding of subsurface complexity across temperate river floodplains. This information can, in turn, be used to form a ‘model’ of the likely distribution and potential preservation conditions of archaeological resources. Although higher resolution topographic datasets (e.g., lidar, if available) may often be more effective, the integration of SAR within geoarchaeological investigations provides an alternative data source for the reconstruction of alluvial landscapes

COVID-19 and Vaccine Hesitancy

In response to the outbreak of COVID-19 and its subsequent designation as a pandemic, vaccines against the virus were developed and gradually rolled out throughout the world (WHO, 2022). This article focuses upon the emergence of vaccine hesitancy and the likelihood of vaccination, specifically in the context of COVID-19. It is shown that vaccine hesitancy is not a new phenomenon but rather has been manifested to varying degrees since the advent of variolation in Europe in the 18th century. It is within this historical context that the concept of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy should be regarded. The concept of vaccine hesitancy, introduced in order to understand why some people might potentially reject vaccines with the capacity to prevent or reduce the risk of preventable infection, is examined through a social psychological lens. Given its complexity and the inconsistent relationship between attitudes (e.g., vaccination hesitancy) and behavior (e.g., the likelihood that one will actually get vaccinated) (Marcinkowski & Reid, 2019), it is argued that a focus on vaccination likelihood (as a more reliable indicator of whether or not people will get vaccinated) is especially valuable (see Breakwell, Fino & Jaspal, 2021). Vaccination likelihood emerges as a result of many factors operating at distinct levels of analysis. Accordingly, a social psychological model of vaccine likelihood is presented that can enable both researchers and policymakers to understand its determinants