Who’s in the Room?

This presentation covers: portrayal in graphic medicine publications; and, participation in the graphic medicine community. To view a recording of this presentation and the panel discussion, see Panel B: Minding Graphic Medicine’s Rise

A Comparison of the Kenotic Trinitarian Theology of Hans Urs von Balthasar and Sergei Bulgakov

Vital to Balthasar’s own articulation of the dogmas of the Incarnation and the Trinity is the kenotic Trinitarian theology of Sergei Bulgakov. The ways in which Balthasar both incorporates and modifies Bulgakov\u27s Trinitarian theology provide an insight into his overarching theological agenda. My dissertation argues that Sergei Bulgakov, a 20th century Russian Orthodox theologian, is an important resource for Balthasar, directly and indirectly influencing key doctrinal points as well as the overall shape and direction of his theological project. This dissertation explores how Balthasar employs and adapts the thought of Sergei Bulgakov, with the Trinitarian theology of Thomas Aquinas to form a kenotic Trinitarian theology that is based on the notion of Personhood as a relation of self-donating love. It is a Trinitarian theology that is descriptive of both the Divine life as relation and human nature made in the image of God. The structure of this Trinitarian theology leaves a sphere for genuine human and Divine freedom and agency that can be characterized as a real drama. When we look at Balthasar’s Trinitarian theology in light of Bulgakov, and particularly as a re-reading of Bulgakov in light of a Thomistic Trinitarian theology, we are not only able to more clearly understand the implications of Balthasar’s own Trinitarian theology, but also to highlight the beauty and relevance of Bulgakov’s Trinitarian contribution. Finally, this reading of Balthasar’s Trinitarian theology, read in light of a Thomistic adjustment of Bulgakov, provides an excellent point of integration for an ethics that takes into account, not only individual virtues and perfection, but also the social/relational context of human personhood. This ethics is based in a concept of human nature bearing the imago trinitatis, and fulfilling that nature through sacramental participation and ethical extension of Christ’s self-offering love

Doctors, Death, and Drug Money : A Quantitative Analysis of Direct-to-Physician Pharmaceutical Marketing and Mortality

This thesis examines direct-to-physician pharmaceutical marketing in the United States of America. In 2013, about 78 opioid prescriptions were being written for every 100 people, and 17,000 people in the United States died from an opioid overdose. This study asks, what is the relationship, if any, between contemporary direct-to-physician pharmaceutical marketing practices and opioid mortality in the United States? Contained within an expansive piece of U.S. federal legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is a provision which mandates pharmaceutical manufacturers to report marketing payments made to physicians, hospitals, and other relevant healthcare providers. By connecting marketing payments to mortality data at several geospatial levels, the study finds that there is a plausible relationship between the direct-to-physician pharmaceutical marketing and mortality

Eulerian Video Magnification Adaptation for Live Cell Microscopy Analysis

In this paper an adaptation of the Eulerian Video Magnification technique is described for use with .TIFF files produced by a photo-conversion time lapse protocol for live cell microscopy, specifically for research into Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The tracking and characterisation of a protein found in Human Immunodeficiency Virus, to determine its dynamics and pathways is a key determinant in understanding the protein’s function. The aim of this algorithm is to process an image sequence in the temporal direction with the result being that changes in fluorescence for particular pixel locations, or regions of interest, are tracked and filtered thereby removing noise which is inherent with these types of images. This reduction in noise produced overall clearer results that will aid in further analysis of the live cells. In addition to this, this implementation attempts to adapt the existing EVM algorithm to aid in the analysis of photo-conversion experiments. The algorithm will decompose images into a multi-scale representation, and filter images in the temporal domain, recompose the image with amplifications applied to exaggerate particular motions in the images sequence. This paper also investigates the applicability of this magnification, to determine if it is practical in the situation of tracking protein dynamics. Modification of captured data is to be kept at a minimum to reduce the possibility of misinterpretation of the data

Application of the method of multiple scales to unravel energy exchange in nonlinear locally resonant metamaterials

In this paper, the effect of weak nonlinearities in 1D locally resonant metamaterials is investigated via the method of multiple scales. Commonly employed to the investigate the effect of weakly nonlinear interactions on the free wave propagation through a phononic structure or on the dynamic response of a Duffing oscillator, the method of multiple scales is here used to investigate the forced wave propagation through locally resonant metamaterials. The perturbation approach reveals that energy exchange may occur between propagative and evanescent waves induced by quadratic nonlinear local interaction

Psychosocial Needs of Parents and Children Utilising Paediatric Outpatient Clinics

Abstract When a child is diagnosed with a significant health problem, they and their families are at increased risk of experiencing psychological distress and disorder. The objectives of this study were twofold: firstly, they were to examine the relationships amongst child illness, parental and child distress, quality of life and medical regimen adherence; and secondly, to understand the degree of parent interest in receiving psychological support and paediatricians' perceptions of family psychosocial needs. Participants were 152 parents of children utilising a paediatric outpatient clinic who completed a battery of self-report questionnaires including the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, Quality of Life Scale, and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Information regarding demographics and child health status were collected and paediatricians completed a measure of health status, medication adherence and perceived need for psychosocial support for each participant. Parent ratings of stress symptoms were significantly higher than in normative populations and their children were rated as having a significant degree of emotional, hyperactivity, conduct and peer problems. Increased levels of depression, stress and anxiety in parents were associated with higher ratings of child hyperactivity and peer problems. Parent stress and anxiety levels were also related to emotional symptoms in children. A large proportion of the sample perceived paediatric psychology services as being important and were interested in accessing such support. Parent interest was associated with having an older child, congenital illness, elevated distress scores on the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale and higher mean ratings of quality of life. Paediatricians suggested that many families could benefit from psychosocial input for issues relating to their child's health problem and child's age and quality of life were shown to also account for a large proportion of the variance in these ratings. Implications for the delivery of paediatric health psychology services are discussed

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Childhood: Injury Outcomes, Teacher Perspectives and Educating Educators

Paediatric mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) has the potential to impact on a wide range of developmental functions in childhood. However, the relationship between mTBI and persistent developmental difficulties is controversial, with some suggestion that children’s post-injury difficulties may actually predate the injury. Regardless of cause, however, mTBI seems to be associated with developmental impairment in childhood that may impact on academic performance and overall school functioning. In spite of the high prevalence of mTBI amongst young people, educators and school services may not be aware of the implications of such injuries and how post-concussive symptoms should be managed in educational settings. It seems that the conflicting findings regarding mTBI outcomes in childhood may contribute to a lack of knowledge amongst educators about how to manage mTBI and associated difficulties in primary-school-aged students. There is a need to further clarify the existence and nature of developmental impairments after paediatric mTBI and consider their implications in educational settings. Furthermore, there is a need to understand more regarding the capacities of educators to address issues that may arise as a result of such impairments and consider how teaching practices in this area can be enhanced. In Study 1, the emotional, behavioural, social, intellectual, neuropsychological (comprised of memory, attention, and executive function) and academic functioning of 41 children who had sustained mTBI 14-months prior was investigated. The findings of those assessments were compared with those from a non-injured cohort of children matched on age, gender, ethnicity and school decile. Assessment measures included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) as a measure of emotional, behavioural and social functioning, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) as a measure of executive function, Woodcock Johnson Tests of Cognitive Abilities (WJ III COG) and CNS Vital Signs (CNSVS) as measures of global neuropsychological functioning, a short-form version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV) as a measure of intelligence, the brief battery of the Woodcock Johnson Tests of Academic Achievement (WJ III ACH) as measure of academic achievement, and a teacher questionnaire regarding school functioning. Information obtained from parents and teachers regarding pre-injury diagnoses and learning problems did not reveal significant premorbid difficulties amongst the clinical group. The results of Study 1 showed that children who have sustained mTBI demonstrate higher rates of emotional and behavioural problems than those in a matched cohort, while executive function and social functioning was found to be similar across the two groups. Children with mTBI evidence significantly lower intellectual functioning and academic achievement, and are more likely to demonstrate learning disorders. Given the developmental impairments identified in the sample and the possible implications of such difficulties in school settings, it was considered important to evaluate teachers’ perceptions of childhood TBI and how such impairments might be managed at school. Study 2 looked at the perceptions of educators regarding childhood TBI. Nineteen primary school teachers in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty regions engaged in semi-structured interviews that covered their understanding of TBI, its mechanisms and consequences. Participants also discussed the use of programme adaptations for children with persistent difficulties after mTBI and perceived barriers to uptake. The majority of participants had a limited understanding of mTBI and its implications in childhood. None of the participants had received prior education regarding paediatric TBI and identified this as an area of weakness that they perceived could be addressed by professional development. However, participants were not aware of any available professional development opportunities specifically relating to paediatric TBI. Participants perceived significant barriers to the delivery of appropriate educational approaches for children with developmental impairments, including limited resourcing and funding for special education and poor communication between the education and health sectors, resulting in a lack of information and support for educators. Study 3 involved the development, delivery and evaluation of a professional development workshop and written information resource for teachers. The workshop and written information resource were delivered in three local primary schools to 38 participants. A knowledge quiz regarding mTBI was administered pre- and post-workshop. Participants also completed an evaluation of the workshop and brochure rating the usefulness of and their satisfaction with the materials. A repeated-measures experiment showed that knowledge levels significantly increased following participation in the workshop. The majority of participants were satisfied with the content of the workshop and expected to make changes to their practice with children who had experienced mTBI and were evidencing emotional, behavioural and/or cognitive symptoms. The results of this research indicate that while the cause of post-concussive difficulties may be ambiguous, children who have experienced mTBI are at higher risk of demonstrating developmental problems across a wide range of domains. These problems have the potential to impact on school functioning; however, teachers may not be aware of these issues and thus may not be well-placed to support children who are experiencing difficulties through the post-concussive period and beyond. On the other hand, teachers demonstrate insight into their limitations in this regard and appear keen to address their professional development needs in this area. A brief professional development approach that focuses on the epidemiology and possible consequences of mTBI in childhood, along with a range of programme adaptation strategies that teachers can opt to employ as necessary, may be useful in improving teacher knowledge, educational practice and, ultimately, functional outcomes for children who have experienced mTBI. The need for screening and intervention services for children with mTBI is highlighted, along with a reconceptualisation of how special needs are addressed in school settings

Suffering As Glory In Hans Urs Von Balthasar and James Cone

Based on the paper delivered during the 2012 Annual Meeting, Flipper and Leamy elaborate the implications of the respective reflections on the crucifixion of Christ and his descent into hell in the work of Hans Urs von Balthasar and James H. Cone. They conclude that, together, Balthasar and Cone supply a theological justification for seeing the oppressed and rejected as the privileged media of God’s glorious revelation. Frederic