Book review: 'Categories: A Study of a Concept in Western Philosophy and Political Thought'

Categories

 

To - Edinburgh University Press. 

Many thanks for this book -

O’Sullivan L. Categories: A Study of a Concept in Western Philosophy and Political Thought. Edinburgh University Press; 2024.

Requested in May, your response was quick. So, my apologies for the delay in picking this up. In mitigation, what I have been learning since, will help my reading of O'Sullivan's text.

As readers of W2tQ will have realised, there is a built in bias to my reading of any text. In short: It's all about the model. 

Categories was spotted in Foyles on a visit to London. It recommended itself instantly: title, Venn diagrams, sets and all.

A larger format paperback of 335 pages, the print quality, font and design match the values and usual care of the publisher. 

Given the subject, there are appropriately distinct indices of subjects and proper names.

At pages 2-3, I have already succumbed (my emphasis):

'As a result, there is widespread contemporary recognition that categories are both important and problematic. A non-exhaustive list of academic fields and disciplines in which issues to do with categories arise includes anthropology, critical theory, cultural studies, feminist studies, history, linguistics, philosophy, political science, political theory, post-colonial studies, post-modernism, post-humanism, psychoanalysis, psychology, rhetoric and sociology. It is clear, moreover, that this recognition reflects the situation in society at large. Popular authors articulate a pervasive feeling that "Things are in the wrong place. Religion is in the box where science used to be. Politics is on the shelf where you thought you left science the previous afternoon." Categorical worries have penetrated public as well as academic discourse.' pp.2-3.

But how did Luke O'Sullivan know? On page 3 having given us the informal uses of the word 'category':

'These, moreover, are only the informal uses; there are also formal, logical and mathematical, senses which we shall largely have to pass over.^'13

For me it is a disappointment that the formal aspects will be passed over. It is also a relief. 

For a model that is situated, as far as nursing theory, and models of nursing/care were concerned in 1997-8; Hodges' model had been left on the shelf - gathering dust.

I recognised a slide from a Youtube video this past week, care of Cheng I think? I'll share soon.

More to follow.

13 Eugenia Cheng, Cakes, Custard, and Category Theory Easy Recipes for Understanding Complex Mathematics (London: Profile Books, 2015) provides an introduction to mathematical category theory.

Sometimes it can take an old model ...

 

'Sometimes it can take an old model, 
to build a new one, 
that makes the existing model obsolete.'

To borrow from Buckminster Fuller.                         

 
Resurgence & Ecologist, Sept/Oct 2020, Issue 322, p.33.

v WCCS26: World Conference on Complex Systems 20-22nd April

Day 2 Tuesday 21st April (Revisiting) Keynote Speaker: Abderrazak El Albani - 
Emergence of Intercellular Cooperation: At the Origins of Eukaryotic Complexity
Session Chair: Khawla Tadist

This keynote was fasacinating. As I begin this post on the 100th birthday of Sir David Attenborough, who would have us all see life in the broadest terms, value life and diverse habits, and Earth as our collective and shared home.

Abderrazak El Albani explained the search for LUCA the last universal common ancestor - 3.8 billion years ago. Many dates in the emergence story of humanity, have been progressively pushed back. The first fire, art, languages, our co-habitation and intimate relationships with Neanderthals.

In healthcare, as a practitioner you have to be aware of your scope of practice. At WCCS, scale (as in iv) was ever present across research in complexity, and complex systems. Not just physical size nano-to-mega but temporal too, as we journeyed billions of years. Several of the slides are presented here:

https://www.synchrotron-soleil.fr/en/news/discovery-oldest-macroscopic-planktonic-eukaryotes-contribution-nanoscopium-beamline (with a reference).

There is a video (French): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh3t26cU7xc

I asked a question, which may have been psychological preparation for own presentation to follow. Listening, I could see how the work Abderrazak El Albani and his team are doing, could be readily translated to the search for life on Mars. There has been a 'routine' interchange of planetary material between Earth and Mars over the aeons. Fitting surely that the sedimentary rocks sought lie in  A key lesson, is that light helps us see, but not all lights are equal. Light sources brighter than the sun become incredible scientific instruments. The longevity of the dinosaurs was highlighted, at least 140 million years. There is no comparison with homo sapiens then, even as those dates have been pushed further back in time. Time defeated me as I tried to make the observation that even the dinosaurs did not make it to their first galactic birthday (c.250 million years - and what a carousel). I like the thought (slide) of 'Earth as Memory'. 

What really counted was the expressed concern about what is happening now: in the Anthropocene.

The second keynote:
Nigel Gilbert - Policy in a Complex World: Towards Complexity-Aware Policymaking
Session Chair: Ali Idri 

Was helpful to me, as the dated conundrum of benefits realisation from our technologies, and evidence-based policy still leaves a gap (for me) within the POLITICAL care/knowledge domain of Hodges' model. The illustration/graphic elements of Prof. Gilbert's slides were a brilliant complement to the content:

Prof. Nigel Gilbert - WCCS26 21st April

I wonder if within policy the constant in the equation is continuity and as a quantity it is an unknown? This seems to the case in health policy, across successive governments. You may (also) find this chart informative: https://www.cecan.ac.uk/news/the-visual-representation-of-complexity/

Perhaps, a key factor in complexity is the fact that nothing stays the same, so continuity is nuanced? Michael Quinn Patton's book Developmental Evaluation was noted re. learning while doing. Now I wish I'd held on to Qualitative Research & Evaluation Methods (4th ed.). The discussion of 'obesity system map' and 'whole systems analysis' was appreciated here.*

Since Marrakech and WCCS, I've noticed acknowledgement in the literature that 'research' is currently flooded with AI tools. I'm sure PRSM - Participatory System Mapper is a welcome addition, (as noted in iv) tools to facilitate participation are much needed:

Collaborative Creativity

The Participatory System Mapper (PRSM) is an app that makes it easy to draw networks (or 'maps') of systems, working together collaboratively.'

I will definitely check this resource out; and CECAN. After Prof. Gilbert, the next Track included my contribution, which I will return to. Rather distracted, I have a somewhat blurred slide, with: 'The global tensor of educational research is' then headed 'Learning poverty. Being unable to read and understsand a simple text; with points 1-4.'. I'm not sure which presentation this was, but zeroed in on the literacy theme, and the word tensor. Another slide refers to '6. Topological substitution for Success'. I think it is (writing this is helping recall!):

Harvey Spencer Sánchez-Restrepo, Jorge Louçã, Martha Belén Carmona-Soto and Sofialeticia Morales-Garza
Topological Patterns of Academic Success: Insights from Complex Network Analysis

'Always Label Your Axes' - Zazzle.

Before that there was another model, as the next keynote speaker: Chris Bauch demonstrated during the conference wearing a t-shirt:

Critical Transitions in Coupled Human-and-Natural Systems and their Early Warning Signals
Session Chair: Mohamed Essaaidi  

Previously: 'nexus'


*Jones P, Wirnitzer K. Hodges’ model: the Sustainable Development Goals and public health – universal health coverage demands a universal framework. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health 2022;5: doi:10.1136/bmjnph-2021-000254

Wirnitzer, KC. et al. (2025) Toward a roadmap for addressing today's health dilemma – The 101-statement consensus report. Frontiers in Nutrition. Volume 12.
https://frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2025.1676080 DOI:10.3389/fnut.2025.1676080

S. Bettiol, P. Jones, H. A. Onyedikachi, and W. G. Kernohan, (2026) Bridging Gaps in Oral Health Frameworks: Mapping With Hodges' Health Career - Care Domains - Model, Journal of Public Health Dentistry. 1–14, https://doi.org/10.1111/jphd.70034

iii WCCS26: World Conference on Complex Systems 20-22nd April

Chaos
Making a New Science 
by James Gleick

When I first learned of WCCS26, I saw a connection, an affinity across the conference themes. This was reinforced when I read the final program for WCCS. Here was a home for the model, a way-point for Hodges' model. For an independent scholar, it was quite a trip to Ben Guerir, to the north of Marrakech; 13 hours (brief by global standards). It was a place to wave wildly, making use of the opportunity to present Hodges' model, to say - "Dear All, can you do anything with this?".

It is almost 40 years since I read James Gleik's, Chaos: Making a New Science. That was in Cornwall I think? Now, something more than book - a complexity conference.  

 After the first two keynotes - two panels: 

 Panel 1 - Complexity, Society & Global Challenges

▪ Carlos Álvarez Pereira - No Limits to Hope: Escaping from the unreasonable effectiveness of Modernity
▪ David Chavalarias - The Artificialization of Cultural Evolution: the Impact of Very Large Digital Infrastructures on Individuals and Society
▪ Louis Klein - Noospheric Singularity and the Mirror of Tamkeen
Panel Chair: Karima Kadaoui

These confirmed I was in the right place. Well, it was bit late if I wasn't! I was reminded of the slow movement, and how in healthcare, specifically client-nurse intereactions you had time to manage your time, that is your caseload to deliver person-centred care. I don't mean time-wasting, as in social chat, tea and custard creams either. This is what being professional is about, truly trying to make a difference - that lasts. So we worked through: What is; (science) what we understand; and (tech and law) what should be. Ecologically, we often refer to the size of our footprints. Panel one considered this individually and collectively - institutionally. Fascinating to reflect upon these themes and how modernity is stamping about in a rather chaotic way? We are seemingly power-less to stop this.

c/o Carlos Álvarez Pereira
No Limits to Hope: Escaping from the unreasonable effectiveness of Modernity

Three reports to the Club of Rome were displayed, spanning 'NO LIMITS TO LEARNING - Bridging the human gap' 1979; 'Limits and Beyond' 2022; 'NO LIMITS TO HOPE - Liberate the potential for Collective Learning' 2026. Should we be troubled, worried even, that the latest followed after a mere four years? There are of course, many reports as per the link above.

David Chavalarias - The Artificialization of Cultural Evolution: the Impact of Very Large Digital Infrastructures on Individuals and Society spoke about the beneficial and malign impacts of social media AI tools. Covid featured as might be expected. Within the sciences, what was worrying, was an innovation slowdown associated with AI, non-AI use, chartered around a central point (centroid). I believe the slide referred to:

Qianyue Hao & Fengli Xu & Yong Li & James Evans, 2026. "Artificial intelligence tools expand scientists’ impact but contract science’s focus," Nature, vol. 649(8099), pages 1237-1243, January. 

There was one slide:

Is this the demise of any efforts to achieve SOCIO-technical synergy? Even to the extent of realising benefits for the human in socio-technical systems? Did Covid not teach us anything about the informational difference technology can make? When so many technologies are muted by a virus? This is what we need: things to think about, question and critique. 

There used to be a series of A3 step-by-step oil painting magazines in the 1970s. One presented a desert campfire, clearly set in the east. I did try it, though not sure were the result is now. ... Such a scenario was presented by Louis Kleinand the Noospheric Singularity and the Tamkeen Process - Regenerative Hermeneutics, with the following reference provided:

Klein, L., & Kadaoui, K. (2024). Realising metamorphic transformation in the mirror of Tamkeen: Growing a shared understanding from co-reflected lived experiences. Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 41(5), 738–749. https://doi.org/10.1002/sres.3058 

There was much I could identify with. And, once again, I cannot continue at this pace. We have only covered (touched!) panel one. Hopefully you now have an idea of the depth of the conference programme. More however, will follow.

See also: thefifthelement.earth

Chaos - cover: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/826080.Chaos

ii WCCS26: World Conference on Complex Systems 20-22nd April

Day 1

Plenary Talk: Reda Benkirane - Lost in Complexity: Welcome to the Real World

A first slide considered Abraham Maslow's book The Psychology of Science and his thought on the "law of the instrument". Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a key primer for new students to many disciplines, including nursing, and psychology. The purpose of Benikrane's focus on instruments concerns the emergence of civilisation and roles of agriculture, and war in the rise of community at several scales from village, to cities, states and nations. In terms of flow the slides highlighted the next speaker Peter Turchin's END TIMES, and two books by Johann Chapoutot, LES IRRESPONSABLES, and FREE TO OBEY.

In response to the slide with Einstein's -

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them":

- may I please class 'health - care' as a world? The thought that the medical, bio-medical, and bio-psycho-social encourages, sees enacted, and sustained a : is this fit for the problems of the 21st century. I like the slide's heading 'Beyond Complexity'. Such is the pace of change, which is labelled 'progress' that each one of us wakes up momentarily stupified and lost in complexity.

Keynote Speaker: Peter Turchin - The Great Holocene
Transformation: What Complexity Science Tells Us About The Evolution of Complex Societies

Turchin's keynote reminded me of Jared Diamond's book Guns, Germs and Steel. Reading GGS I realised there is more to 'axes' than I thought, especially from the individual to collective scales. It appears that whichever label - academia, research or education - you would like to apply, they all need a conceptual framework. Just as, individually, we all need a model of self, others and the world. This was a marvellous journey, through millennia of humanities' evolution, social, and political development, all realised through complexity. While attractors are to the fore, architecture and archaeology are regular distractors for me. Reading Holocene then had me hooked. 

Star Maker

A fellow delegate and speaker I dined with a few times encouraged me to read 'END TIMES'. I will seek it out later this year, (the next Hay-on-Wye visit?). Turchin is seeking to account for how human societies have reached their current state of organisation. The role of self-protection, seeking food, shelter, co-operation are all factors, with the emergence of religions, and agriculture. Several theories to date were covered [including, cultural multilevel selection, see Wilson et al. (2023)], plus a major project on cultural evolution: The Seshat: Global History Databank. For all the current loss and misery, conflict has paid a major role in cultural and political development. The prefix 'macro' features here. There was a social scale (people): FROM 10s - in foraging bands through TO 100,000,000s large nation-states. Mention of levels of scale, took me back to the work of Mario Bunge. The application of the Hertzsprung-Russell 'main sequence' (H-R) diagram is a great idea. I think Olaf Stapleton, author of Star Maker would have approved. 

This itself, for me, is reason enough to read Turchin. There is evolutionary biochemistry too, which is required in terms of a systems account. Is there a reflection of a main sequence construct between the SOCIOLOGICAL and SCIENCES domain of Hodges' model? 

 It is incredible the way new findings are regularly pushing even further the dates of human milestones stepping-stones. Perhaps we should always view progress in this way, and enjoy the 'moment'. There is still the puzzle of ultrasociality, and how to explain it? Turchin is seeking a mathematical history, with a journal Cliodynamics. There is another SF reference here, in Asimov's psychohistory in the Foundation books, but with less emphasis upon maths. This is encouraging for Hodges' model, and the inevitable transdisciplinary approach these questions demand.

More to follow ...

D.S. Wilson, G. Madhavan, M.J. Gelfand, S.C. Hayes, P.W.B. Atkins, & R.R. Colwell, Multilevel cultural evolution: From new theory to practical applications, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 120 (16) e2218222120, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2218222120 (2023).

NEW YEAR: Ongoing support for the 17 SDGs UN

Individual

|

     INTERPERSONAL    :     SCIENCES               

HUMANISTIC  --------------------------------------  MECHANISTIC      

 SOCIOLOGY  :    POLITICAL 

|

Group

security & peace	security & peace
security & peace

See also:
Jones P, Wirnitzer K. Hodges’ model: the Sustainable Development Goals and public health – universal health coverage demands a universal framework. BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health 2022;5: doi:10.1136/bmjnph-2021-000254 
https://nutrition.bmj.com/content/5/2/358

 

Source: https://x.com/UNDP/status/2006591346522599746?s=20

See also: 'SDGs' : 'security' : 'poverty' : 'nutrition' : 'water'

Revisiting the G7 ... G20

'Under the Trump administration, the US is retreating from the global leadership role it has played since the end of the second world war. The world is bedevilled with challenges and there is a desperate need for stability and co-ordinated solutions to global problems. Where will the leadership to solve them come from? 

Some have argued that we are now in a "G zero" world in which no one is in charge. There is great uncertainty and the powerful dictate solutions to smaller players. Others say we are moving to a regional carve up - a G3 where the US. Russia and China have spheres of influence in a modern day version of the Three Emperors League. 

Some version of a new multi-polar order may yet take shape. But it also seems clear that a G minus one world is starting to fill the vacuum in some domains — with countries coming together to find solutions to global problems without the US.' p.11.

 

Individual

|

      INTERPERSONAL    :     SCIENCES               

HUMANISTIC  --------------------------------------  MECHANISTIC      

 SOCIOLOGY  :    POLITICAL 

|

Group

imaginary - *You cast your vote and get the  global leadership we all deserve. ...	- numbers
... Discuss.	G20 G7 G-0? Goto*

My source: 

Minouche Shafik, How to live in a G minus one world, Opinion, FTWeekend. 26-27 July 2025, p.11.

https://www.ft.com/content/7b884f20-e44e-4afe-9c0c-0c602f76b3f6

Previously: 'G7'

Tanzania Health Summit (THS) Conference & Partnership

Warm greetings from the Tanzania Health Summit (THS) Conference:

1 - 3 October 2025
Julius Nyerere International Convention Center (JNICC)
Dar es Salaam

THEME:

"Harnessing Data Utilization and Technologies

to Accelerate Universal Health Coverage"

'Tanzania Health Summit is a non-profit health organization which was founded in May 2014. The aim was to promote healthcare to the underprivileged and vulnerable (70% of the population) who cannot easily access health services in the country. We focus on facilitating health information dissemination to the public taking into account that only 32.9% of the population has adequate literacy level in the country, mostly living in resource poor setting. In addition, we want to support youth (which comprise 32% of the population) to help build a more sustainable future and prevent them from high-risk behaviors and practices.'

THS is also seeking partnership: 

'I am writing to explore the possibility of partnering with your esteemed platform to feature the upcoming Tanzania Health Summit 2025, scheduled for October in Dar es Salaam. As one of the largest independent health conferences in the region, THS brings together government leaders, healthcare professionals, researchers, NGOs, and development partners to discuss key priorities in health systems strengthening and innovation.

With an active and growing portfolio of over ,2,500 participants, including decision-makers and thought leaders across Africa and globally, the Summit offers a unique platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and visibility.

We are seeking media partners to help us amplify our call for abstracts, participation, and partnership opportunities. In return, we are happy to offer media partners: • Logo recognition on our website and Summit program materials • Complimentary access to the conference (virtual and/or in-person) • Acknowledgment in select promotional content • Opportunities to feature your platform during media briefings or side sessions

We believe that a partnership with HIFA.ORG would be mutually beneficial in advancing shared goals of health equity, research dissemination, and stakeholder engagement.

Please let us know if this proposal would be of interest, and we would be happy to provide further details or set up a brief call to discuss how we can collaborate effectively.

Thank you for your time and continued commitment to global health.

Regards, Dr. Omary Chillo President - Tanzania Health Summit Lecturer - Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences Fellow Bernard Lown Scholars in Cardiovascular Health - Havard T. Chan School of Public Health, USA Fellow Scientist Walter Brendel Center for Experimental Medicine - Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, German Member Steering Committee - InterAcademy Partnership, Young Physician Leaders Email: chillo AT ths.or.tz '

My source: HIFA (Edited with conference & background).

AI, Nursing, Safety and presentation - 1st Aug 2-3pm

Hodges' model was not created primarily as a safety tool. It cannot claim to achieve or adhere to an ISO standard. ISO 45001 - health and safety management standard, for example. There is however a relation to clinical risk across healthcare professions, disciplines and clinical fields, including community and public (mental) health. To which of course we must now add planetary health. That said, the question of ISO safety and quality standards for Hodges' model has not been assessed. What exactly would certification entail? Would this process be appropriate for what is a generic - foundational tool?

What this means, however, is that as a situated model for reflection, reflective practice and critical thinking Hodges' model constitutes a deliberative step in the right (formal) direction. As noted previously, in template form, Hodges' model acknowledges the initial personal, professional and organisational standards that (must) shape our clinical encounters. That is, if assessed (as students - and our peers clearly are, and you would expect to be), unconditional positive regard would be observed, supported by the required standards of professional behaviour. 

There is another step here. The ethical and legal edict of 'do no harm' must also be central to care delivery, outcomes and evaluation. So from the outset, implicit in Hodges' model is the (NON-LEGAL) statement:

You, the practitioner - agent (student - and your mentor/supervisor) will not knowingly, or through professional ignorance, or neglect  cause physical, psychological, social (cultural), political (power), or spiritual harm to the patient - subject (or their carer - guardian/proxy).

There is no escape from AI and Large Language Models as I noticed in FTWeekend:

'Jilin University Hospital in the eastern city of Changchun has rolled out a diagnostic tool it claims can produce treatment plans through DeepSeek consulting the hospital's database, medical guidelines and drug efficacy results. Jinxin Women and Children's Hospital in south-western China said it had a tool for patients to track their ovulation cycles, with test results combined with the hospital's patient data to produce personalised fertility plans.

One doctor at public hospital in Hubei province in central China said the institution's leadership had issued a directive that DeepSeek should be used as a third-party arbiter if two doctors have differing views on treatment.

 
There have been rollouts in public hospitals in Chengdu, Hangzhou and Wuhan for less complex applications, such as digital nurses directing patients to the right consulting room or explaining complicated medical reports.

 
Several industry insiders warned against taking all the announcements at face value, as some companies were trying to capture investor enthusiasm around DeepSeek without meaningfully deploying its models. Meanwhile, government bodies are also under political pressure to be seen as aligned with China's AI darling.

 
The SOE tech supplier said "much work still needs to be done to make these models useful" for more complex work such as medical diagnosis. "It must be trained on enough medical data to produce good results. This will take time and needs collaboration from leading AI companies. It is not something hospitals can buld on their own."

Another doctor described a move to deploy DeepSeek last week at a hospital in eastern Zhejiang as a "publicity stunt".

Even if some announcements should be treated with scepticism, experts say the willingness to test out its models still marks a step change.'

Edited for formatting, some text is emphasised. A vast array of conditions can be substituted (parametrised) for 'fertility'. While nursing is mentioned there is little on testing, but for 'plans' we can read nursing assessment, plans, and evaluations. 

Returning to safety. Following an online chat yesterday, I've an online presentation to the Patient Safety Management Network [Patient Safety Hub] pencilled in for 1st August 2-3pm. Comprised of 40 minutes with questions following - I will, as discussed - focus upon:

• Introduction to the model
• How it can be applied in different situations – safety/risk/improvement
• Examples of its use

This is progress - a step to develop Hodges' model and reveal the limits of the bio-psycho-social model.

^soe - state-owned enterprises.

Olcott, E., Ding, W. AI challenger DeepSeek spreads rapidly across China with the blessing of Beijing, FTWeekend, 1-2 March, 2025. p.13.

Webinar: 11 December - Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2024

"The UHC Compass and Social Participation:

empowering patient organisations to hold governments

 accountable for universal health coverage"

Register for the UHC Compass launch!

To mark Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2024, IAPO will officially launch the UHC Compass at an exciting webinar titled "The UHC Compass and Social Participation: empowering patient organisations to hold governments accountable for universal health coverage" on 11 December 2024, from 11:30 to 13:00 GMT via Zoom.

The webinar will be conducted in English with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish.

Panellists include:

• Dani Mothci – International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations (IAPO) 
• Dr Pamela Cipriano – UHC2030 & International Council of Nurses
• Lara Brearley – Special Programme on Primary Health Care Universal Health Coverage - Life Course, World Health Organization
• Dumiso Gatsha – Success Capital NGO & Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC2030 (CSEM)
• Nicola Bedlington – Global Patient Think Tank & Millwater Partners
• Smitha Sadasivan – Global Patient Think Tank, Inclusive Health Policy, Disability Rights India Foundation & CSEM 
• Paul Mendoza – Psoriasis Philippines and Psoriasis Asia Pacific & IAPO

The UHC Compass is a dynamic tool created by patients for patients, empowering local leaders and communities to advance universal health coverage (UHC). In the context of the World Health Assembly resolution on social participation and UHC Day 2024, this session will explore how the Compass can serve as a tool to hold governments accountable for investing in UHC.

Co-created by the Global Patient Think Tank (GPTT), a diverse group amplifying the patient voice in the UHC movement, the Compass is proudly hosted by IAPO. Our mission is to ensure this resource reaches and benefits our global network of patient organisations.

Join us to discover how the UHC Compass can help make UHC a reality for everyone!

Learn more & register [https://www.iapo.org.uk/node/15686] Share https://iapo.cmail19.com/t/d-fb-sfiudt-iuqjytrli-o/ Tweet https://iapo.cmail19.com/t/d-tw-sfiudt-iuqjytrli-b/ Share [https://iapo.cmail19.com/t/d-li-sfiudt-iuqjytrli-h/]

[http://www.iapo.org.uk]

The International Alliance of Patients’ Organizations is registered in England and Wales as charity no.1155577 and company limited by guarantee no.08495711.

Registered office: Hounslow House, 7 Bath Road, Hounslow TW3 3EB, UK.

It is also the IAPO's 25th Anniversary.
More details at:

https://www.iapo.org.uk/node/15687

I will post again in the New Year.

My source: HIFA

Previously: compass : UHC : patients

Invitation for User Evaluation of OntoChat

Dear W3C Semantic Web Community,^

(Sending the below on behalf of one of our PhD students-your help would be very much appreciated!) 

We are a research team at King's College London conducting a study on the user experience of OntoChat, a tool built on large language models and designed to assist ontology engineers in creating user stories for ontology development. If you are currently or have previously been involved in ontology engineering projects, performing tasks such as ontology development, refinement, alignment, extension, or evaluation, we invite you to participate in this study to help improve OntoChat's design.

Participation Details:

• Duration: Approximately 35 - 40 minutes
• Activities:
• Use OntoChat to create an ontology user story relevant to your project while sharing your thoughts
• Answer open-ended questions about your experience
• Complete a brief questionnaire evaluating OntoChat's usefulness

We are flexible and can accommodate your availability within 19th November and 10th December 2024. If you are interested in participating in this study, please indicate your preferred time and agree to the user consent form by completing the registration form at:

https://forms.office.com/e/2wkmugH9v1

Your feedback is invaluable for refining OntoChat to better support ontology engineering processes. Please be assured that all personal data will be kept confidential and anonymised.

Thank you for considering this opportunity to contribute.

Kind regards,
Yihang Zhao
PhD Researcher, King's College London
Contact: yihang.zhao AT kcl.ac.uk

^Via semantic-web mail list.

2025 6th edition of "Seed Projects for Interdisciplinary Research"

Para quem possa ter interesse. / To whom it may concern.

Caros/as Coordenadores/as das Unidades I&D da UC,  

Caros/as Gestores/as de Ciência, 

A pedido do Vice-reitor para a Investigação e Diretor do Instituto de Investigação Interdisciplinar (IIIUC), Professor João Ramalho-Santos, informamos que estão abertas as candidaturas para a 6ª Edição de financiamento dos "Projetos Semente de Investigação Interdisciplinar", com o apoio da Fundação Santander, promovido pelo Núcleo das Áreas Estratégicas da UC (NAE), em colaboração com o Instituto de Investigação Interdisciplinar (IIIUC). 

Com este concurso, a UC pretende continuar a apoiar o desenvolvimento inicial de projetos de investigação originais e interdisciplinares com um financiamento semente que permita aos investigadores e às investigadoras da UC tornarem as suas propostas científicas mais robustas, de forma a assegurar financiamento competitivo no futuro e o desenvolvimento de novas linhas de investigação que cruzam áreas do saber na Universidade de Coimbra. 

Irão ser financiados até cinco projetos de investigação interdisciplinar, uma em cada Área Estratégica da Universidade de Coimbra:  Saúde; Clima, Energia e Mobilidade; Recursos Naturais, Agroalimentar e Ambiente; Digital, Indústria e Espaço; Património, Cultura e Sociedade Inclusiva. 

Poderão concorrer a este financiamento investigadores/as integrados/as nas Unidades I&D (ou noutras estruturas da Universidade de Coimbra) que desenvolvam investigação na UC e que obtiveram o doutoramento após 1 outubro de 2014. A equipa do projeto deve incluir de três a seis Investigadores/as da UC, de pelo menos duas Unidades I&D de domínios científicos distintos. 

As candidaturas podem ser submetidas até 6 de dezembro de 2024, às 17h na página web do concurso: 

https://www.uc.pt/iii/iiiuc-apoia/seedprojects-uc/edicao-2025/  

Estão disponíveis nesta página as normas do concurso, modelo para submissão de candidatura e a lista de júri nomeado para esta edição. 

Atenciosamente, 

O Núcleo das Áreas Estratégicas 

Isabel Neves  

Maria João Neves   

Natacha Leite   

Shiva Saadatian   

*******************

On behalf of the Vice-rector for Research and Director of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC), Professor João Ramalho-Santos, we would like to inform you that applications are now open for the 6^th edition of "Seed Projects for Interdisciplinary Research", with the support of Santander Foundation, promoted by the UC Strategic Areas Unit (NAE), in collaboration with the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research (IIIUC).  

Through this call, the UC intends to provide support for the initial development of original and interdisciplinary research projects with seed funding that will allow UC researchers to make their scientific proposals more robust, ensuring competitive funding in the future and the development of new research lines that cross areas of knowledge at the University of Coimbra.  

There will be funding for up to five interdisciplinary research projects, one in each of the UC Strategic Areas: Health; Climate, Energy and Mobility; Natural Resources, Agri-food and Environment; Digital, Industry and Space; Heritage, Culture and Inclusive Society.  

Researchers of the R&D Units (or other structures of the University of Coimbra), who carry out research at the UC and who obtained their doctorate after 1 October 2014 are eligible to apply for this funding. The project team must include three to six researchers from the UC, from at least two R&D Units in different scientific fields.  

The applications can be submitted until 6 December 2024 at 5pm on the call website:  

https://www.uc.pt/en/iii/iiiuc-supports/seedprojects-uc/2025-edition/  

The call guidelines, proposal template and the list of juries appointed for this edition are available on this page.  

 

Yours sincerely,  

Strategic Areas Unit 

  

Isabel Neves   

Maria João Neves    

Natacha Leite    

Shiva Saadatian 

Universidade de Coimbra • Reitoria • Administração | University of Coimbra • Rectory • Administration

Serviço de Promoção e Gestão da Investigação | Research Management Service

Núcleo das Áreas Estratégicas | Strategic Areas Unit

Polo I | Rua Larga • Edifício da FMUC (1º piso) • 3004-504 COIMBRA • PORTUGAL

Polo II | Casa Costa Alemão • Rua Dom Francisco de Lemos • 3030-789 COIMBRA • PORTUGAL

https://www.uc.pt/spgi/nae/ 

Bridging more than theory |-----| practice

individual

|

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic ------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

|

group

A purpose of Hodges' model  is to help bridge the theory-practice gap. Theory-	' BRIDGES TO PROSPERITY 'We've built more than 500 trail bridges, serving over 1.8 million community members throughout the world. At Bridges to Prosperity, we envision a world where poverty caused by rural isolation no longer exists.'
Practice Communities Histories	BRIDGES to PEACE

https://bridgestoprosperity.org/

Suqi, R. Bridge the GAP, HTSI. Autumn Design Special. FTWeekend, 14 October 2023, p.67.

Dramatherapy 2 - Personal identity

'Dramatherapy helps make sense of the world. Just as Goffman (1971) regards society as dramaturgically constructed, for the social presentation of selves, so Kelly (1955) describes a process in which individuals 'try on for size' various views of themselves as perceived by other people, in order to select the ones which allow them to carry on social relationships with one-another. Understanding of the other person is achieved by the process of construing his or her world, or 'construct system'. Kelly uses the notion of constructs and construct systems to describe cognitive structures. A construct is basically way of registering the degree to which an idea is present in relation to other ideas:

A construct is like a reference axis, a basic dimension of appraisal, often unverbalised, frequently unsymbolised, and occasionally unsignified in any manner except by the elemental processes it governs. Behaviourally it can be regarded as an open channel of movement, and a system of constructs provides each man with his own personal network of action pathways, serving both to limit his movements and to open up to him passages of freedom which otherwise would be psychologically non-existent.
(Kelly, 1955:199)' p.164.

'The multifarious ingredients of dramatherapy, like those of a theatrical event, are not haphazard. They are closely related, either by similarity or difference, to one another. Where there is confusion, this too is distinguished: it is confusion as opposed to order. Structure is employed in a conscious or intentional way, in order to reveal its true identity as the means by which we perform the fundamental action of relating things, in order to plot our movements in the world we live in. By allowing us to distinguish from, structure permits us to relate to. Certainly, the mechanism of perception performs this action without any conscious intention on our part; drama, and dramatherapy, is consciously contrived to assist it in its critical function, helping it to achieve a particular kind of clarity, by providing it with the raw material for involvement with the objects of perception.'
p.167-168.

EVALUATING THE EFFECT OF DRAMATHERAPY ON THOUGHT-DISORDER

Construct Theory rests upon the proposition that ideas hang together in a trustworthy way because people's behaviour is basically consistent. If people behave inconsistently, the thinking which they induce will lose its articulation, because the sense we make of life demands continual validation from the people and events we base it on. Thus, confused experience of relationship is, at its most fundamental level, the same thing as confused thinking; when our ideas begin to lose their coherence this is because, for us, other people have begun to come apart'. When they no longer fit the model we have of reality, the model itself loses its precise definition. At this point, Kelly suggests, we make our model more vague in order to preserve its identity as a model of reality: reality is blurred, so our model is imprecise. Unfortunately, it may become too inexact to function as a means of communication with the world of people and events it is intended to represent. The task of therapy is to provide evidence of the world's conformity to the individual's model, thus validating that individual's constructs. Because a person's disordered thinking is primarily concerned with the way they construe people, it must be done personally; because it is the result of experience over a considerable time, it must be done systematically, or 'serially`.
pp.171- 172.

Note to self: 'It is' :: 'It is - as if ?'. p.166.

individual

|

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic ------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

|

group

I	I
Greek theatre masks	Institutional masking

Grainger, R. Dramatherapy and thought-disorder. Chapter 11. In Jennings, S. (Ed.), (1992) Dramatherapy. Theory and Practice 2. London: Routledge.

(Apologies, punctuation in the above may not be accurate, and I no longer have the text.)

'It takes a village ...

individual

|

INTERPERSONAL : SCIENCES

humanistic ------------------------------- mechanistic

SOCIOLOGY : POLITICAL

|

group

... to raise a child.'

"The artist returned to this subject almost  twenty years after he had drawn his red chalk  studies of children walking and standing,  shown nearby. As was typical in Rembrandt's  later works, facial expressions and gestures  are indicated with sparse and abbreviated  lines. It is remarkable that with such economy  the artist conveys an encouraging atmosphere  from the figures who surround the child, as it  takes its first steps. The British artist David  Hockney described this as 'a perfect drawing' in an interview in 2016." 1912,0416.2'

Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669) A child being taught to walk, around 1656  Pen and brown ink on grey-brown paper.

The British Museum, Room 90. 28th September 2024.
https://www.britishmuseum.org/exhibitions/new-life-rembrandt-and-children

WHO online survey on maternal well-being framework - ENG, FR and SPA translations available

 ------- ENGLISH ------

Dear colleague,

You are invited to participate in the development of the World Health Organization (WHO) maternal well-being framework through an online survey. 

This consultation is one step in a broader process led by the WHO Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing (MCA) towards creating a comprehensive framework that supports maternal well-being across diverse environments and cultures. Based on the results of a scoping review of the literature and an expert consultation held in May 2023, a preliminary framework has been developed including a definition, domains and subdomains. WHO/MCA is now organizing multiple consultations which objectives are listed below. 

What is the purpose of the survey?

• Ensure comprehensive coverage of all critical elements of the framework and identify potential gaps in the definition, domains and framework of maternal well-being.
• Evaluate the framework’s applicability across various settings and cultures.
• Foster collective agreement and consensus among key stakeholders.

Who can take part to this survey?

Any individual or organization who has interest in maternal health and well-being. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Representatives of women's groups
• Health workers (midwives, OBGYN, nurses, neonatal nurses, paediatricians, psychiatrists, psychologists, community health workers...)
• Experts in human and sexual and reproductive rights, public health, health promotion, gender, mental health, economics, humanitarian, etc.
• Academics and researchers 
• Government organizations
• National civil society organizations / NGOs
• International agencies / UN agencies
• Private sector

How to participate in this survey?

Please click on the following link: Survey Link

We expect this survey will not take longer than 15 minutes to complete. It is available in English. 

The survey will be open until 17 August 2024. 

We would be grateful for your response to this survey and your kind help in circulating to your colleagues and networks.

Please reach out to Justine Le Lez - lejus AT who.int with any further questions. 

Best regards,

On the behalf of the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing (WHO/MCA)

------- FRENCH / FRANCAIS ------

 

Bonjour,

Vous êtes invité·e à participer à l'élaboration du cadre conceptuel du bien-être maternel de l'Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS). 

Cette enquête est une étape d'un processus plus large dirigé par le Département de la santé maternelle, néonatale, infantile et de l'adolescent et du vieillissement (MCA) de l'OMS, visant à créer un cadre conceptuel exhaustif soutenant le bien-être maternel dans divers environnements et cultures.

Sur la base des résultats d’une revue de la littérature et d’une consultation d’experts tenue en mai 2023, un cadre conceptuel préliminaire a été élaboré, comprenant une définition, des domaines et sous-domaines. L’OMS/MCA organise actuellement plusieurs consultations, dont les objectifs sont énumérés ci-dessous.

Quel est l’objectif de l’enquête ? 

• Assurer une couverture exhaustive et identifier d'éventuelles lacunes dans le cadre actuellement proposé.
• Évaluer l'applicabilité universelle et l'adaptation du cadre conceptuel à divers contextes et cultures.
• Favoriser un consensus collectif afin que le cadre conceptuel reflète reflètent une large gamme de perspectives et d'idées

Qui peut participer à cette enquête ? 

Toute personne ou organisation intéressée par la santé maternelle et le bien-être. Cela inclut, sans s’y limiter :

• Des représentants de groupes de femmes

• Des professionnels de santé (sages-femmes, gynécologues-obstétriciens, infirmières, infirmières puéricultrices, pédiatres, psychiatres, psychologues, agents de santé communautaires…)

• Des experts en droits humains, droits sexuels et reproductifs, santé publique, promotion de la santé, genre, santé mentale, économie, santé humanitaire, etc.
• Des universitaires et chercheurs
• Des organismes gouvernementaux
• Des organisations nationales de la société civile / des ONG
• Des agences internationales / agences des Nations unies
• Le secteur privé

Comment participer à cette enquête ? 

Veuillez cliquer sur le lien suivant : Lien vers l’enquête

Nous estimons que cette enquête ne prendra pas plus de 15 minutes à compléter.  

L’enquête sera ouverte jusqu’au 25 août 2024.

Nous vous serions reconnaissants de bien vouloir y répondre et de la diffuser auprès de vos collègues et réseaux.

Pour toute question, n'hésitez pas à contacter Justine Le Lez.

 

Cordialement,

Au nom du Département de la santé maternelle, néonatale, infantile et des adolescents et du vieillissement (OMS/MCA)

 

------- SPANISH / ESPANOL -----

Está invitado a participar en la elaboración del marco conceptual del bienestar materno de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). 

Se le invita a participar en el desarrollo del marco de bienestar materno de la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). Esta encuesta es un paso en un proceso más amplio liderado por el Departamento de Salud Materna, del Recién Nacido, del Niño, del Adolescente y del Envejecimiento (MCA) de la OMS hacia la creación de un marco integral que apoye el bienestar materno en diversos entornos y culturas.

Con base en los resultados de una revisión de la literatura y una consulta de expertos realizada en 2023, se ha desarrollado un marco preliminar que incluye una definición, dominios y subdominios del bienestar materno.  La OMS/MCA está organizando actualmente varias consultas, cuyos objetivos se enumeran a continuación. 

 

¿Cuál es el objetivo de la encuesta? 

· Garantizar una cobertura exhaustiva e identificar posibles brechas en el marco propuesto actualmente. 

· Evaluar la aplicabilidad universal y la adaptación del marco conceptual a diversos contextos y culturas. 

· Fomentar un acuerdo colectivo para que el marco conceptual refleje una amplia gama de perspectivas e conocimientos. 

¿Quién puede participar en esta encuesta? 

 

Cualquier persona u organización interesada en la salud materna y el bienestar. Esto incluye, sin limitarse a: 

·  Representantes de grupos de mujeres

· Profesionales de la salud: matronas (parteras profesionales/obstetras/obstetricias/comadronas), ginecólogos-obstetras, enfermeras, enfermeras pediátricas, pediatras, psiquiatras, psicólogos, agentes de salud comunitarios…

· Expertos en derechos humanos, derechos sexuales y reproductivos, salud pública, promoción de la salud, género, salud mental, economía, salud humanitaria, etc.

· Académicos e investigadores

· Organismos gubernamentales

· Organizaciones nacionales de la sociedad civil / ONGs

· Agencias internacionales / agencias de las Naciones Unidas

·  El sector privado

¿Cómo participar en esta encuesta?

 Por favor, haga clic en el siguiente enlace: enlace a la encuesta

Estimamos que esta encuesta no tomará más de 15 minutos para completar. 

La encuesta estará abierta hasta el 25 de agosto de 2024.

Le agradeceríamos que respondiera y difundiera la encuesta entre sus colegas y redes.

Para cualquier pregunta, no dude en ponerse en contacto con Justine Le Lez.

 

Atentamente, 

En nombre del Departamento de Salud Materna, Neonatal, Infantil y del Adolescente y del Envejecimiento (OMS/MCA)