Global Christian Shifts and Missional Church Movements: Linking the Postcolonial Global South with the Postmodern West

This dissertation engages cunent shifts in global Christianity. The problem we are studying is the movement toward the postmodern emerging church in the West and the postcolonial church emerging in the global South, in order to understand both the past failings in the relationship of the Western and Southern church and their present common context, in order to help postmodern and postcolonial churches repent of previous failures and move forward utilizing a common set of experiences and cultural conditions, so that God\u27s people will love and work with one another as co-heirs, co-equals, and comissionaries of the Kingdom. In order to address this problem, we will propose that although focusing on the specific contexts in which they find themselves is important for the emerging church of the West and the church emerging in the South, by developing relationships of mutual learning and sharing, these two branches of the body of Christ can develop a way forward in accomplishing the mission of God together that subverts present systems of power and control. Chapter one explores global Christian shifts, the importance of local theologies and networks of learning, and present political, economic, and social systems of power, in order to consider challenging them with new ways of moving forward. Chapter two is a review of Christian history, focusing on Christendom as a system of religious dominance, and the related implications for global expressions of Christian faith. Chapter three examines biblical and theological concepts sunounding the missio Dei as a common base for connecting renewal movements in the global South and the West. Chapter four discusses the power systems present in globalization as the context for the outworking of the missio Dei through renewal movements in the West and global South, and some helpful frameworks for understanding the present opportunities. Chapter five explores the emerging church movement in the West, and how it works out the missio Dei within postmodern contexts. In a similar way, chapter six engages missional movements in the global South as a developing response to postcolonial cultural contexts. Chapter seven brings together the conceptual and contextual elements in the previous chapters, in order to propose a model for global connectivity between various renewal movements, that brings about communities of mutual growth and partnership in mission

Discursive Narrative Analysis: A Study of Online Autobiographical Accounts of Self-Injury

This article offers an innovation in narrative analysis afforded by incorporating analytic concepts from discourse analysis. We share some examples from our study of online autobiographical accounts of non - suicidal self - injury (NSSI) to illustrate the various aspects of a discursive narrative approach to research. We show how the participants construct events and experiences as sequentially linked and temporarily related using a range of discursive practices and devices, including producing contrasting descriptions of emotional states, using figurative language, vivid or vague descriptions, and extreme case formulations. The specific way in which experience was constituted as sequentially and causally linked allows narrators to attribute relief from suffering to NSSI and to present NSSI as a reasonable and justifiable behavior to those who may read these autobiographies. This study offers insight into what may be missed when interpretation is focused solely on the content or broad structural elements of stories, as in much narrative analysis, and suggests the critical role of narrators’ social or interactive orientation and their reliance on the micro - details of language in the construction of stories. Methodological and theoretical implications are discusse

Mid-infrared optical sensing using sub-wavelength gratings

Optical sensing has shown great potential for both quantitative and qualitative analysis of compounds. In particular sensors which are capable of detecting changes in refractive index at a surface as well as in bulk material have received much attention. Much of the recent research has focused on developing technologies that enable such sensors to be deployed in an integrated photonic device. In this work we demonstrate experimentally, using a sub-wavelength grating the detection of ethanol in aqueous solution by interrogating its large absorption band at 9.54 μm. Theoretical investigation of the operating principle of our grating sensor shows that in general, as the total field interacting with the analyte is increased, the corresponding absorption is also increased. We also theoretically demonstrate how sub-wavelength gratings can detect changes in the real part of the refractive index, similar to conventional refractive index (RI) sensors

Fertility control as a means of controlling bovine tuberculosis in badger (Meles meles) populations in south-west England: predictions from a spatial stochastic simulation model

A spatial stochastic simulation model was used to assess the potential of fertility control, based on a yet-to-be-developed oral bait-delivered contraceptive directed at females, for the control of bovine tuberculosis in badger populations in south-west England. The contraceptive had a lifelong effect so that females rendered sterile in any particular year remained so for the rest of their lives. The efficacy of fertility control alone repeated annually for varying periods of time was compared with a single culling operation and integrated control involving an initial single cull followed by annually repeated fertility control. With fertility control alone, in no instance was the disease eradicated completely while a viable badger population (mean group size of at least one individual) was still maintained. Near eradication of the disease (less than 1% prevalence) combined with the survival of a minimum viable badger population was only achieved under a very limited set of conditions, either with high efficiency of control (95%) over a short time period (1-3 years) or a low efficiency of control (20%) over an intermediate time period (10-20 years). Under these conditions, it took more than 20 years for the disease to decline to such low levels. A single cull of 80% efficiency succeeded in near eradication of the disease (below 1% prevalence) after a period of 6-8 years, while still maintaining a viable badger population. Integrated strategies reduced disease prevalence more rapidly and to lower levels than culling alone, although the mean badger group size following the onset of control was smaller. Under certain integrated strategies, principally where a high initial cull (80%) was followed by fertility control over a short (1-3 year) time period, the disease could be completely eradicated while a viable badger population was maintained. However, even under the most favourable conditions of integrated control, it took on average more than 12 years following the onset of control for the disease to disappear completely from the badger population. These results show that whilst fertility control would not be a successful strategy for the control of bovine tuberculosis in badgers if used alone, it could be effective if used with culling as part of an integrated strategy. This type of integrated strategy is likely to be more effective in terms of disease eradication than a strategy employing culling alone. However, the high cost of developing a suitable fertility control agent, combined with the welfare and conservation implications, are significant factors which should be taken into account when considering its possible use as a means of controlling bovine tuberculosis in badger populations in the UK

Acute post-disaster medical needs of patients with diabetes: emergency department use in New York City by diabetic adults after Hurricane Sandy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the acute impact of disasters on diabetic patients, we performed a geospatial analysis of emergency department (ED) use by New York City diabetic adults in the week after Hurricane Sandy. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Using an all-payer claims database, we retrospectively analyzed the demographics, insurance status, and medical comorbidities of post-disaster ED patients with diabetes who lived in the most geographically vulnerable areas. We compared the patterns of ED use among diabetic adults in the first week after Hurricane Sandy\u27s landfall to utilization before the disaster in 2012. RESULTS: In the highest level evacuation zone in New York City, postdisaster increases in ED visits for a primary or secondary diagnosis of diabetes were attributable to a significantly higher proportion of Medicare patients. Emergency visits for a primary diagnosis of diabetes had an increased frequency of certain comorbidities, including hypertension, recent procedure, and chronic skin ulcers. Patients with a history of diabetes visited EDs in increased numbers after Hurricane Sandy for a primary diagnosis of myocardial infarction, prescription refills, drug dependence, dialysis, among other conditions. CONCLUSIONS: We found that diabetic adults aged 65 years and older are especially at risk for requiring postdisaster emergency care compared to other vulnerable populations. Our findings also suggest that there is a need to support diabetic adults particularly in the week after a disaster by ensuring access to medications, aftercare for patients who had a recent procedure, and optimize their cardiovascular health to reduce the risk of heart attacks

Resonant gratings with an etch-stop layer and a fabrication-error tolerant design

Sub-wavelength gratings (SWG) have shown much promise for applications such as lightweight high bandwidth reflectors, polarising filters and focusing lenses. Unfortunately, grating performance may be rapidly degraded through variability in grating dimensions. We demonstrate, in particular, how an error in depth of etch can be detrimental to the performance of zero contrast grating reflectors. We mitigate the impact of this fabrication error through the introduction of an etch stop layer and in so doing we experimentally realise a high bandwidth reflector based on this modified structure. Another common fabrication error is variation in the duty-cycle of fabricated gratings. This duty-cycle variation can weaken grating performance, however we demonstrate that grating designs that exhibit tolerance to duty-cycle fluctuation can be identified through simulation. Finally, we discuss the impact of lateral etching and the resulting sidewall concavity. We present our approach for numerically predicting the spectral response from such a grating and also for convenience we outline an approach for quickly approximating grating performance. Good agreement is observed between these numerical predictions and measurements made on a HCG with concave sidewalls. (C) 2018 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreemen

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students at elevated risk of self-injury: The importance of virtual and online resources

Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), which involves deliberate damage to body tissue without suicidal intent, has long been a concern for schools and school staff. Secondary schools are an ideal setting in which to identify, and appropriately refer, students who self-injure as well as implement evidence-based prevention and early intervention programs. However, in the context of the global COVID-19 pandemic, schools have been closed and students sent home to learn online. This may result in the exacerbation of existing anxieties and pose several new stressors that cumulatively may increase risk of NSSI. In this article, we draw on recent research and our collective experience working with schools, as well as digital mental health, to outline some of these potential stressors and offer resources for school staff to help students who are engaging in or at risk of NSSI