A survey of provinces in the Anglican Communion that have allowed same-sex blessings or same-sex marriages

In October 2022, the Church of England commissioned a study of the likely impacts allowing the blessing or marriage of same-sex couples in church. This paper reports on a survey of key informers (bishops or chief executives officers) in dioceses in the seven provinces of the Anglican Communion that had at that time allowed either same-sex blessings (SSB) or same-sex marriages (SSM). Of 183 provinces or dioceses contacted, 62 (31%) replied to an online survey of which 74% had decided to allow SSB and 55% to allow SSM. While all provinces reported some losses of clergy or congregations, these were not as great as some had expected. Smaller provinces that had spaces and time for those of differing opinions to meet together tended to report more positive outcomes than those where processes were dominated by synodical debates. Quantitative analysis using two scales of internal (church-facing) and external (society-facing) impact showed that dioceses that allowed SSM rather than just SSB reported more positive external impact. Those that had allowed SSM reported better internal and external impact compared with those who allowed only SSB or neither. Open answers offered critical reflections highlighting important lessons learnt in the process of making decisions

Assessing post-operative dietary intake in older adult hip fracture patients: An observational study protocol

Background: Fragility fractures of the hip are a common injury in England. Meeting post-operative resting energy expenditure (REE) needs are fundamental to recovery from trauma that with greater nutritional intake, post-operative complications and length of stay can be reduced. However, dietary intake can be overlooked when the goal is prompt surgery to reduce pain and lower the risks of mortality at 30 days and 1 year. Aims: The primary aim of this study is to observe if post-operative dietary energy intake (kJ/kcal) of older adult hip fracture patients meets their post-operative REE needs to mobilise post-surgery. Secondly, we aim to explore if there is a relationship between length of stay, comorbidity and post-operative complications in relation to dietary intake. Methods and analysis: Using a weighed food method, all food and fluid intake from the day of surgery until post-operative day three inclusive will be recorded for a cohort of 30 older adult hip fracture patients. Dietary intake per day will be compared against REE and macronutrient requirements. Baseline sociodemographic and medical history data will be obtained, along with admission data such as malnutrition screening and type of fracture. Regression analysis will be used to explore associations between dietary intake, post-operative complications and length of stay where indicated and to identify if there are areas for further dietary development in this specific patient group. Ethics and dissemination: The Health Research Authority approved this study (REC 24/NE/0034). Findings will be published in peer-reviewed, scientific journals and presented at academic conferences

Osteomyelitis in complicated bones: the role of FDG PET/CT

Osteomyelitis in infections encompasses heterogeneous group of condition that frequently have high morbidity and comes at a huge cost to healthcare system. Accurate and early diagnosis is important for the proper management of the condition. FDG PET/CT has been found useful in the osteomyelitis of complicated bones, including prosthetic joint infections, fracture related infections and sternal wound infections. The altered anatomy and the replacement of marrow in some cases of metallic implant makes the use of anatomic-based methods less optimal. FDG PET/CT has been found to be useful under these circumstances, however, it also has its own limitation of lack of specificity especially due to inflammation. Recent meta-analysis of the role of FDG PET/CT in complicated osteomyelitis have result in the validation defined the indications for its use. This has led to the publication of best use criteria and recommendations of by joint committees of major nuclear medicine societies. KEY WORDS: Positron emission tomography computed tomography; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; Bone fractures; Osteomyelitis; Joint prosthesi

The Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Organ Retrieval and Transplantation: A Comprehensive Review

This narrative review examines the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in organ retrieval and transplantation. AI and ML technologies enhance donor-recipient matching by integrating and analyzing complex datasets encompassing clinical, genetic, and demographic information, leading to more precise organ allocation and improved transplant success rates. In surgical planning, AI-driven image analysis automates organ segmentation, identifies critical anatomical features, and predicts surgical outcomes, aiding pre-operative planning and reducing intraoperative risks. Predictive analytics further enable personalized treatment plans by forecasting organ rejection, infection risks, and patient recovery trajectories, thereby supporting early intervention strategies and long-term patient management. AI also optimizes operational efficiency within transplant centers by predicting organ demand, scheduling surgeries efficiently, and managing inventory to minimize wastage, thus streamlining workflows and enhancing resource allocation. Despite these advancements, several challenges hinder the widespread adoption of AI and ML in organ transplantation. These include data privacy concerns, regulatory compliance issues, interoperability across healthcare systems, and the need for rigorous clinical validation of AI models. Addressing these challenges is essential to ensuring the reliable, safe, and ethical use of AI in clinical settings. Future directions for AI and ML in transplantation medicine include integrating genomic data for precision immunosuppression, advancing robotic surgery for minimally invasive procedures, and developing AI-driven remote monitoring systems for continuous post-transplantation care. Collaborative efforts among clinicians, researchers, and policymakers are crucial to harnessing the full potential of AI and ML, ultimately transforming transplantation medicine and improving patient outcomes while enhancing healthcare delivery efficiency

Exploring How Soccer Players With Perfectionism Navigate Challenges in Talent Pathways

The study provides a qualitative exploration of how soccer players reporting perfectionism navigate challenges in talent pathways. Eighteen players (10 females, eight males, M age = 16.17 years, SD = 3.47) from talent pathways with higher levels of perfectionism and perfectionistic cognitions (1 SD above the mean of samples from previous studies) participated in semistructured one-to-one interviews. Using semantic thematic analysis, seven themes were identified: cycles of anxiety, sadness at being a substitute, self-criticism and hopelessness during slumps, ruminating on mistakes, worthless when injured, shame in success and intolerance of defeat, and psychological distress. Participants experienced heightened anxiety, especially when substituted, and responded to poor performance, mistakes, and injuries with self-criticism and unhelpful emotions. Postmatch, they ruminated over both success and defeat, with some reporting extreme psychological difficulties. The findings highlight how aspiring soccer players perceived perfectionism as a barrier to overcoming challenges, hindering both their performance and well-being

‘It is a grey area in sport, not just in school’: A figurational analysis of banter in secondary Physical Education in England

This article provides a figurational sociological analysis of how secondary school pupils and teachers perceived, manifested and determined (in)appropriate banter in Physical Education (PE). Generated through lesson observations, pupil focus groups and teacher interviews, ethnographic data is thematically analysed and interpreted through Elias’s (1978, 2012) concepts of figuration and individual civilising process. Banter was increasingly normalised and legitimised amongst most older pupils, who often enjoyed banter’s motivating and competitive functions. Such productive functions were deemed appropriate, whilst judgements on inappropriate banter were fluid, relationally dependent and emotion laden. Within a PE figuration centred on sociality, competitiveness and performance-related commentary, to successfully understand, engage in and navigate (in)appropriate banter, older pupils embodied cognitive foresight, social awareness and emotional intelligence. Given these qualities, social constructions of appropriateness, and policy-based concerns regarding inappropriateness, we recommend educators/pupils and coaches/players develop a localised shared understanding of appropriate banter and agreed mechanism to report inappropriate banter

A figurational analysis of secondary Physical Education gendered changing room procedures and practices in England

This article provides ethnographic insights from one state-funded secondary school in the north of England detailing gendered differences within changing room procedures and practices when changing attire for Physical Education (PE). Attained through participant observations, focus groups with pupils, and individual interviews with PE teachers, the school’s changing rooms were found to encompass multiple spaces, which served dual intended and unintended functions and social consequences. Applying concepts of figuration (Elias, 1978), [gendered] civilised bodies (Elias, 2012), habitus (Elias, 1978), and emotions (Elias, 2001) as theoretical prisms revealed how PE teacher-informed procedures and expectations were gendered. Furthermore, with age, boys’ and girls’ diverging changing room behaviours and emotional navigations became increasingly gendered. This article demonstrates how changing rooms not only serve practical functions, but also evoke social and emotional processes which impacts peer-group dynamics and pupils’ experiences of PE. Given this, participatory action research could be undertaken aimed at creating more equitable, inclusive, and effective localised changing room policies, procedures and practices. This study could also be expanded into investigating policies, practices and experiences of other similar spaces, such as toilets and swimming pools

Workload negotiations for early and mid-career researchers in an Athena Swan gold-awarded department

n the UK academia, the Athena Swan (AS) Charter, established in 2005 is considered a significant innovation to improve women’s representation in senior positions. While several studies claim a measurable improvement in structural and cultural issues faced by women in AS-accredited universities, studies question the legitimacy of these claims considering persistent gender issues in academia. Using a grounded theory approach, the current study addressed this gap by investigating the impact of AS accreditation on the lived experience of early- and mid-career academics in UK Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) subject areas. The findings show the performativity dimension for women who work in these spaces where women are required to undertake additional workload, which disrupts their more rewarding research activities. The added workload for women includes blood work associated with managing emotions, pain, and menstrual bodies in the science lab, as well as mothering responsibilities associated with cleaning and maintaining the lab spaces, and caring and nurturing work associated with pastoral care duties. This study argues that this added workload can have negative implications for women’s careers, which is not reflected in AS workload models

L.A. Motler: a deaf anarchist

There has been little written about disabled anarchists, or consideration of how disability and anarchism intersect. When there has been attention paid to this, disabled anarchists’ disabilities have tended to be downplayed or ignored. In this paper, we write about the politics of Leonard Augustine Motler, a deaf anarchist who was active in the early part of the twentieth century. We place his anarchism and his deafness in the context of the time, showing how Motler’s deafness and experiences living as a deaf man influenced his politics. Taking a narrative enquiry approach, we offer historical context on his life, and offer a preliminary analysis of his written work, published in a range of left-wing and anarchist publications, including his own magazine, Satire. In writing this article we hope to show that disabled people have, and do, contribute to radical political movements, and that exploring and recognising those contributions is vitally important