"Blind to the Big Picture" and Parity of Esteem

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Mirrored ...	An art gallery party for Christie's Contemporary during Frieze week 2008 Martin Parr/Magnum
The Decadent Society

My source:

Foroohar, R. (2020) Blind to the big picture. Life&Arts, Financial Times, 23-24 May, p.8.

Ross Douthat, The Decadent Society — has the west run out of ideas? Simon and Schuster

See also:

https://www.magnumphotos.com/photographer/martin-parr/

 - and on W2tQ:

https://hodges-model.blogspot.com/2014/05/international-nurses-week-if-i-live-ill.html

5th Workshop on Visualization for the Digital Humanities

We are happy to announce that the 5th edition of VIS4DH — the Workshop on Visualization for the Digital Humanities — will take place on Sunday, October 25, 2020 in Salt Lake City, Utah, as part of the IEEE VIS2020 conference.

For 4 years now, the VIS4DH workshop has brought together researchers and practitioners from the fields of visualization and the humanities to discuss new research directions at the intersection of visualization and (digital) humanities research. The general aim is to foster productive collaborations that mutually advances all fields involved. Papers and invited talks from previous years can be found here.

Re-Thinking
Re-Defining
Re-Imagining Data

This year, we invite a dialogue on the topic and terminology around “data”, a contested term within and between a range of disciplines. There are varying perspectives on the meaning and use of data that impact how we engage and debate it. “Data” seems core to visualization! Or is it? We invite both theoretical and applied works at the intersection of visualization and (digital) humanities around these and other questions related to the workshop theme.

You can contribute and showcase your work through our paper track (just like in previous years) and/or through our provocations track (new for VIS4DH 2020!) – the official calls for papers and provocations can be found on the Call for Submissions page.

Check back here or follow us on Twitter for the latest updates.

The Greatest Wealth: In Celebration of the NHS

4 Jun – 1970s: Sister Susan, by Moira Buffini, performed by Dervla Kirwan

Which is your decade?

What of the Future ...?

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For you, and you, and you, ... it's your safety net. That's why we should all take  care of it ...	The Greatest Wealth: In Celebration of the NHS
[Video no longer available]	So, for you and you, and you, who Occupy  this space here; the Public  have been  waiting, waiting, waiting ... oft silent minorities suffering, but all are listening, watching and willing for a semblance of rational  leadership with security in national and global  Politics: Now.

Kirigami: Engineering in a World of Friction

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Bioinspired kirigami metasurfaces as assistive shoe grips Abstract Falls and subsequent complications are major contributors to morbidity and mortality, especially in older adults. Here, by taking inspiration from claws and scales found in nature, we show that buckling kirigami structures applied to footwear outsoles generate higher friction forces in the forefoot and transversally to the direction of movement. We identified optimal kirigami designs capable of modulating friction for a range of surfaces, including ice, by evaluating the performance of the dynamic kirigami outsoles through numerical simulations and in vitro friction testing, as well as via human-gait force-plate measurements. We anticipate that lightweight kirigami metasurfaces applied to footwear outsoles could help mitigate the risk of slips and falls in a range of environments. Babaee, S., Pajovic, S., Rafsanjani, A. et al. Bioinspired kirigami metasurfaces as assistive shoe grips. Nat Biomed Eng (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41551-020-0564-3

See also on W2tQ:
RA of Eng - Healthcare challenges needing engineering expertise


My source:
Kirigami keeps your feet on the ground. The Times, News, 2 June, 2020, p.16 and 27.

RA of Eng - Healthcare challenges needing engineering expertise

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The Royal Academy of Engineering is keen to help identify potential solutions and facilitate useful contacts across its national and international engineering networks that could help our governments address problems and assist the public health response. We would like to hear from frontline medics and policymakers who are encountering critical issues, so that we can convene expert teams of engineers to help solve these problems.

Diagnosis vs Formulation in Mental Health

"Should psychological formulation replace diagnosis?"

When Brian Hodges created the model the original purposes (c. 1983-84) were to facilitate:

1. Reflection and reflective practice;
2. Integrated - person-centred care;
3. Holistic care (mental, physical, social, political and spiritual) and;
4. Bridge the Theory - Practice gap.

After learning and applying the model in 1987-88 I quickly recognised the multi-fold purposes and functions to which Hodges' model can be applied. One of these is clinical assessment which are encapsulated in 1-4 above. Importantly this includes assessment across all fields of health and social care; and more specifically case formulation as applied within various psychological therapies and interventions.

Noting a tweet (see below) I knew straight away that here is a blog post, even before being pointed to an associated blog post,

In 1998-9 I started a course on the use of psychosocial intervention and cognitive behaviour therapy in psychoses. From the outset as a student mental health nurse, you are constantly made aware of the politics in psychiatry and mental health nursing:

Clare, A.W. (1976) Psychiatry in Dissent: Controversial Issues in Thought and Practice. London: Tavistock

Even on twitter (and I don't wish to denote surprise) there is often marked debate, critique, even sniping between psychology, psychiatrists and users of mental health services, patients, or survivors whichever nomenclature you prefer.

I have always tried to draw student's attention to coding and classification. Key to this is purpose: clinical diagnosis, epidemiology, research, demographics, national and international reporting and statistics (plus of course - pandemic management). Being a health care professional demands an awareness of diagnosis, the tools available, how they change and their limitations. Even if it is 'not your job' to 'diagnose', that understanding is important to your effectiveness and ability to empathise with patients, carers and families.

Implicit in Hodges' Health Career - Care Domains - Model is time and potential or otherwise for change in and throughout someone's life.

Students will and should become embroiled in the debate of mental illness as a social construct. Although world events at present heighten the view of things being polarised and now in its starkest form - people too and Yes - #BlackLivesMatter. The continuum model of mental health affords another viewpoint. It suggests the gradual way a person's beliefs can become more bizarre over time. Substance harmful use is not some necessary (essential) precipitating factor, but it can accelerate a negative transformation of a person's view of themselves, others, the world and future.

A diagnosis can be constructive, providing renewed certainty and direction. A diagnosis can also be destructive in terms of how a patient, their loved ones, friends and society receive it. There are nursing diagnoses also; and as such Hodges' model provides a means for a nursing, psychological and clinical case formulation.

In response to reference to the 'medical model', I have tweeted many times how the biopsychosocial model, of which the medical model is a part, is incomplete.

Beyond diagnosis and formulation, there is a need to see the model that really does the work,

for the real elephant in the room to reveal itself.

I am of course referring to the bio-psycho-socio-political model.

Appeal to the medical model, without reference to the political is ingenuous. It is the political after all that permits institutions to award degrees and the granting of licensing and registers to 'practice', prescribe drugs and other treatments. Ready incorporation of the political should be acknowledged by the extent of change through the past 40 years of mental health service provision (and more recent stasis?).

Or, perhaps legislation passed in that time does not yet speak volumes?

The role of community mental health nursing has changed profoundly in this time and the accent (as evinced three days a week Nov-Mar 2020) is upon assisting individuals to manage their substance harmful use, financial affairs, strained therapeutic relationships and emotional dysregulation. Very often it is statutory agencies who 'rely' on diagnoses. A psychological formulation would probably have little 'leverage' as part of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) assessment or appeal. It is here that a medical diagnosis - has currency. Consultant Psychiatrists have little enough time so the CPN/CMHN acts as the go-between. Reaching across from the intra- interpersonal domain to the political.

The narrative written on the assessment/appeal form will include content that would no doubt contribute to a psychological formulation (and even psychodynamic) were this is relevant purely for the purpose of the assessment. As such it is the dialogues and narratives that are engendered that can increase self and mutual understanding and awareness. This can in turn provide the opportunity to progress more positively a person's situation within which diagnoses and formulations play a part. There is still a great 'gap' between the formulaic and diagnostic outputs and the therapies that are available.

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Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5) multiaxial? Psychological formulation Psychodynamic formulation Psychiatric diagnosis TI:ME Health career - life chances	Medical diagnosis multiaxial? International Classification of Diseases SNOMED CT TI:ME Health career - life chances

[Recruitment agencies seek mental health nurses as 'disability assessors'. I am a realist. I know some people are beyond the pale, but that doesn't mean we should not try. These assessments can be opportunities to engage anew, but of course that is not what is required?]

My prompt:

Samei Huda - Twitter

https://twitter.com/SameiHuda/status/1266749685915627521?s=20

Book Review: ii Mathematics and Art: A Cultural History

Last time I suggested that philosophy is missing from the title. Architecture is another very welcome theme in the book, the significance of perspective to art being obvious, but not the only focus. As mentioned the preface is an invitation to dive in. The oldest star atlas (xi), Chinese, sets the scientific and global tone to follow. My interest in diagrams, was quickly awoken as there are many in this book. I recalled the lunar cycle depicted on cave walls and bone. The first diagrams from prehistory. The preface works brilliantly as an introduction, such that I couldn't wait for chapter 7: "Scientists describe such symmetries using the mathematics of group theory" (xv).

Mathematics + Art

For young scholars the book plays the role of sign-posting schools and history of thoughts and ideas. [Paraphrasing..] Adorno and Horkheimer ... wrote the first in-depth analysis of the loss of confidence in enlightenment ideals, a condition that came to be called postmodernism (xviii). There's an observation of artists being inspired by mathematics, but not mathematicians drawing upon art - with some rare exceptions. When possible, Gamwell's approach to the personality and intellectual environment of mathematicians and artists is psychological (noting key traumas), at others the author adopts a more sociological and cultural stance. The prose throughout is clear and flows very well, even with some inevitable and necessary cross-referencing.

Chapter 1 Arithmetic and Geometry brings home the relationships and dependencies between maths, arts, belief and changes in our understanding of the Universe. When I learned in my teens of the destruction of the Library of Alexandria, which Ptolemy would have visited, (p.30) I was shocked and still am at this loss. Sadly a loss that is not just an ancient phenomenon.* Interested in astronomy, the loss of Hipparchus's globes and co-ordinate system is a further blow. A cross-cultural perspective is maintained throughout the book, with Islamic mathematics, South America and Asia. Do you know the difference between philosophy and mathematics? There is an opinion here. From the Greeks - Neoplatonism, early Christian and medieval thought and the 'liberal arts', I knew the modern book version of the 'Quad-rivium' on my shelf was of significance:

"In the late Roman and early Christian era, scholars continued to study the ancient texts based on a curriculum - arithmetic geometry, music, and astronomy (the quadrivium, Latin combination of quadri and via meaning "the place where four roads meet") - first described by the Pythagoreans and adopted by Plato for his Academy." (p.37)

An original purpose for Hodges' model, remains curriculum planning and development, the definition of the core disciplines of learning has always been a roll call of sorts. The book can serve all, but younger scholars especially, as it sets out the formulation of scholastic traditions which have a chapter each:

1. logicism (chapter 5): Realism - St Augustine - Platonic realm
2. intuitionism (chapter 6) - Conceptualism - Peter Abel - distinct objects only in the mind
3. formalism - (chapter 4) Nominalism - William of Okham - mere signs or names (p.37)

Even today we must ponder on the status of the seven liberal arts, the quadrivium plus the trivium of grammar, rhetoric and logic. To classics scholars this will be introductory, but invaluable grounding for many learners - young and more senior.

There is an account of eastern and western cultures and the relative development of mathematics. The sciences and theology feature markedly as human reason made progress - increasing certainty only to suffer from doubt with new discoveries. The 'via negativa' (Latin for "negative way", p.47) reminded me of two books on ignorance I purchased in London. I arrived there March 12th and soon thought; "What on Earth (as a nurse too) am I doing here?" Especially, being in the basement for Jazz Live at Pizza Express, Soho. These are indeed uncertain and challenging times.

You may have noticed I have not mentioned the art thus far. Well there is plenty. By page 47 we are up to plate 1.52 'The Cloud of Unknowing' 1998 by Roman Verostko.

Post iii soon.

*In lockdown I followed a conversation on the destruction of libraries from the digital Hay Festival:

https://www.crowdcast.io/e/hayfestival_event32

(This does require a subscription to Hay Player.)

'Space' - 'travel' and aftercare

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'Of Course I Still Love You' "Aftercare"	5 4 3 2 1 0 . MAX Q .. 1st STAGE (MECO) ... 2nd STAGE   (SECO) .... 1st STAGE ENTRY BURN .....
Governments must know there are many spaces to understand and assure  that human rights are upheld for all.	Congratulations USA!

Journal of Community Informatics - new submissions:

Dear CI colleagues,

After a brief pause and transition in editorial leadership, the Journal of Community Informatics is once again accepting new submissions here:

http://ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/information/authors  

It is my honor to lead the Journal as the third Editior-In-Chief since the journal was launched by Michael Gurstein with its first issue published in 2004. I want to thank Eduardo Villanueva-Mansilla for his leadership over these past years. I also want to thank Tom Denison who has joined Eduardo as the Journal’s Associate Editors.

I am also excited to announce our esteemed Editorial Board with both new and returning members: http://ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej/editorialBoard

We are preparing our next issue to be published in Sept/Oct. 2020.  We look forward to receiving your submissions in the months and years ahead.

Warm regards,

Colin

—
Colin Rhinesmith (pronouns: he/him)
Associate Professor and Director
Community Informatics Lab
School of Library and Information Science
Simmons University
web: http://crhinesmith.com

Editor-In-Chief
Journal of Community Informatics
http://ci-journal.net/index.php/ciej

 

COVID-19: Is there a need to separate Science and Politics?

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Individual accountability	"I’ve great respect for scientists who appear at the daily UK briefings but it’s unfair to ask them to appear with ministers."
The public understanding of science.	"After today’s charade we must separate science from politics & have scientists engage with science journalists." Martin McKee

The (re-)integration of truth?

My source:
https://twitter.com/martinmckee/status/1264675733395460096?s=20