On religion and cultural policy: notes on the Roman Catholic Church

This paper argues that religious institutions have largely been neglected within the study of cultural policy. This is attributed to the inherently secular tendency of most modern social sciences. Despite the predominance of the ‘secularisation paradigm’, the paper notes that religion continues to promote powerful attachments and denunciations. Arguments between the ‘new atheists’, in particular, Richard Dawkins, and their opponents are discussed, as is Habermas’s conciliatory encounter with Joseph Ratzinger (later Pope Benedict XVI). The paper then moves to a consideration of the Roman Catholic Church as an agent of cultural policy, whose overriding aim is the promotion of ‘Christian consciousness’. Discussion focuses on the contested meanings of this, with reference to (1) the deliberations of Vatican II and (2) the exercise of theological and cultural authority by the Pope and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). It is argued that these doctrinal disputes intersect with secular notions of social and cultural policy and warrant attention outside the specialist realm of theological discourse

Safety and Feasibility of Thoracic Malignancy Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has decreased surgical activity, particularly in the field of oncology, because of the suspicion of a higher risk of COVID-19–related severe events. This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and safety of thoracic cancer surgery in the most severely affected European and Canadian regions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study investigators prospectively collected data on surgical procedures for malignant thoracic diseases from January 1 to April 30, 2020. The study included patients from 6 high-volume thoracic surgery departments: Nancy and Strasbourg (France), Freiburg (Germany), Milan and Turin (Italy), and Montreal (Canada). The centers involved in this research are all located in the most severely affected regions of those countries. An assessment of COVID-19–related symptoms, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)–confirmed COVID-19 infection, rates of hospital and intensive care unit admissions, and death was performed for each patient. Every deceased patient was tested for COVID-19 by PCR. Results: In the study period, 731 patients who underwent 734 surgical procedures were included. In the whole cohort, 9 cases (1.2%) of COVID-19 were confirmed by PCR, including 5 in-hospital contaminants. Four patients (0.5%) needed readmission for oxygen requirements. In this subgroup, 2 patients (0.3%) needed intensive care unit and mechanical ventilatory support. The total number of deaths in the whole cohort was 22 (3%). A single death was related to COVID-19 (0.14%). Conclusions: Maintaining surgical oncologic activity in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic seems safe and feasible, with very low postoperative morbidity or mortality. To continue to offer the best care to patients who do not have COVID-19, reports on other diseases are urgently needed

Analysis of equatorial rainfall characteristics by drop size distributions and rain rate-radar reflectivity relation

In remote sensing, it is vital to do a proper analysis of rainfall for the retrieval of rain data. The rain-induced attenuation and radar reflectivity mainly rely on drop size distribution (DSD). The rain rate-radar reflectivity (ZR) relation varies broadly over different climatic regions, rainfall regimes, and seasonal characteristics, especially in the tropical region. This study examines a one year of continuous measureements of DSD using ground-based distrometers at three different equatorial locations and investigates the rain types classification based on the microphysical properties of the rainfall. A large variation in the ZR relation parameters was discovered, highlighting the localized climate nature in the region. Additionally, the accumulated rain amounts were mainly influenced by convective rain although lower occurrence time of convective rain in comparison with stratiform rain