scholarly journals A Non-Doxastic Fear of Hell: On the Impact of Negative Factors for an Agnostic Religious Commitment

Religions ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 376
Author(s):  
Carl-Johan Palmqvist

On the standard view, an agnostic might commit non-doxastically to religion because she wants to receive some goods, which might be either natural or supernatural in kind. I broaden the picture by showing how the agnostic must also take negative factors into account. Negative mundane factors should be avoided as far as possible by the agnostic, and in extreme cases, even at the price of giving up supernatural goods. Negative supernatural factors, like eternal torment, work differently. An agnostic who considers an eternity of suffering in hell a live possibility might rationally make a religious commitment in order to avoid it. Non-doxastic religion is commonly conceived as requiring a pro-attitude. If fear can have the impact I suggest, we must broaden the picture to allow for a negatively based commitment as well. To make explicit the kind of attitude relevant here, I offer an analysis of fear as a rational, non-doxastic attitude.

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 1671-1694
Author(s):  
R.M. Mel'nikov

Subject. The article addresses the impact of religious confession on wages and the likelihood of unemployment in Russia. Objectives. The aim is to test the hypothesis that religious faith and high church attendance are accompanied by an increase in employment earnings. Methods. Using the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey data, I estimate the Mincer's extended equation with variables that characterize the respondent’s religious commitment. To assess the impact of religious identity and the activity rate of attendance at religious services on the likelihood of unemployment and life satisfaction, I use probit models. Results. The estimates demonstrate that the Russian labor market rewards men with moderate and high degree of religious commitment; their wage growth reaches seventeen percent of the level of non-believers with comparable education and work experience. However, faithful Muslim women are employed in the lowest paid areas. Religious faith and regular church attendance have a positive effect on satisfaction with life (significant for Orthodox Christian women). Conclusions. Positive impact of religious capital on income and employment can be attributed to the development of business qualities that are rewarded in the labor market, the mutual support of religious network participants. Therefore, it possible to consider religious capital, along with educational capital and health capital, as a component of human capital and a factor of socio-economic development.


2021 ◽  
Vol 108 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Mistry ◽  
B Woolner ◽  
A John

Abstract Introduction Open abdominal surgery confers potentially greater risk of surgical site infections, and local evidence suggests use of drains can reduce this. Our objectives were: Assessing local rates and risk factors of infections and if use of drains can reduce the rates of infections. Method Retrospectively looking from 01/01/2018 to 31/12/2018, at patients following laparotomy or open cholecystectomy. Data collection on demographics, smoking/alcohol status, heart, respiratory or renal disease or diabetes, steroid use and CEPOD status, as well as use of drain and the outcome of infection using inpatient and online patient records. Results 84 patients included, 25 had drains inserted. There were 13 documented cases of surgical site infection, all of whom had no drain post-op. Other parameters shown to be most prevalent in the patients with a surgical site infection include being current/ex-smoker (8/13), having heart disease (9/13), and elective procedures. Conclusions Aiming to reduce the risk of surgical site infections can improve morbidity and potentially mortality outcomes. Our audit data showed that there appears to be a benefit of inserting intra-abdominal or subcutaneous drains. We will create a standard operating procedure of all patient to receive drains post-op and then re-audit to assess the impact this has on infection rates.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. e042140
Author(s):  
Vanessa J Apea ◽  
Yize I Wan ◽  
Rageshri Dhairyawan ◽  
Zudin A Puthucheary ◽  
Rupert M Pearse ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo describe outcomes within different ethnic groups of a cohort of hospitalised patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection. To quantify and describe the impact of a number of prognostic factors, including frailty and inflammatory markers.SettingFive acute National Health Service Hospitals in east London.DesignProspectively defined observational study using registry data.Participants1737 patients aged 16 years or over admitted to hospital with confirmed COVID-19 infection between 1 January and 13 May 2020.Main outcome measuresThe primary outcome was 30-day mortality from time of first hospital admission with COVID-19 diagnosis during or prior to admission. Secondary outcomes were 90-day mortality, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, ICU and hospital length of stay and type and duration of organ support. Multivariable survival analyses were adjusted for potential confounders.Results1737 were included in our analysis of whom 511 had died by day 30 (29%). 538 (31%) were from Asian, 340 (20%) black and 707 (40%) white backgrounds. Compared with white patients, those from minority ethnic backgrounds were younger, with differing comorbidity profiles and less frailty. Asian and black patients were more likely to be admitted to ICU and to receive invasive ventilation (OR 1.54, (95% CI 1.06 to 2.23); p=0.023 and OR 1.80 (95% CI 1.20 to 2.71); p=0.005, respectively). After adjustment for age and sex, patients from Asian (HR 1.49 (95% CI 1.19 to 1.86); p<0.001) and black (HR 1.30 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.65); p=0.036) backgrounds were more likely to die. These findings persisted across a range of risk factor-adjusted analyses accounting for major comorbidities, obesity, smoking, frailty and ABO blood group.ConclusionsPatients from Asian and black backgrounds had higher mortality from COVID-19 infection despite controlling for all previously identified confounders and frailty. Higher rates of invasive ventilation indicate greater acute disease severity. Our analyses suggest that patients of Asian and black backgrounds suffered disproportionate rates of premature death from COVID-19.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1551
Author(s):  
Marta Bodro ◽  
Frederic Cofan ◽  
Jose Ríos ◽  
Sabina Herrera ◽  
Laura Linares ◽  
...  

In the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we aimed to evaluate the impact of anti-cytokine therapies (AT) in kidney transplant recipients requiring hospitalization due to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This is an observational retrospective study, which included patients from March to May 2020. An inverse probability of treatment weighting from a propensity score to receive AT was used in all statistical analyses, and we applied a bootstrap procedure in order to calculate an estimation of the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles of odds ratio (OR). outcomes were measured using an ordinal scale determination (OSD). A total of 33 kidney recipients required hospitalization and 54% of them received at least one AT, mainly tocilizumab (42%), followed by anakinra (12%). There was no statistical effect in terms of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, respiratory secondary infections (35% vs. 7%) or mortality (16% vs. 13%) comparing patients that received AT with those who did not. Nevertheless, patients who received AT presented better outcomes during hospitalization in terms of OSD ≥5 ((OR 0.31; 2.5th, 97.5th percentiles (0.10; 0.72)). These analyses indicate, as a plausible hypothesis, that the use of AT in kidney transplant recipients presenting with COVID-19 could be beneficial, even though multicenter randomized control trials using these therapies in transplanted patients are needed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Kathy Sheppard-Jones ◽  
Lauren Avellone ◽  
Phillip Rumrill ◽  
Hannah Seward

BACKGROUND: The impact of COVID-19 and other health pandemics disproportionately affects individuals with developmental disabilities (DD) across a multitude of life domains including health, work, and education. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to review some of the factors contributing to the unique impact of pandemics on individuals with DD. Not only are individuals with DD at a heightened risk of contracting a pandemic illness but are also more likely to receive inequitable care and thus the potential to experience more fatal outcomes if contracted. Challenges in receiving equitable services in times of a global crisis are observed in business and educational settings, as well. Many individuals with DD require individualized supports to meet learning and vocational needs. If the quality and continuity of those services are disrupted, individuals with DD risk termination from jobs or slowed progress in meeting educational goals. CONCLUSION: Strategies for addressing concerns related to the impact of a pandemic on different life domains for individuals with DD are discussed.


Author(s):  
Feng-Jen Tsai ◽  
Hsiu-Wen Yang ◽  
Chia-Ping Lin ◽  
Jeffrey Zen Liu

This study aims to evaluate acceptance of COVID-19 vaccines and the impact of risk perception on vaccine acceptance and personal health protective behaviors in Taiwan. A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted from 19 to 30 October 2020; 1020 participants were included in the final analysis; chi-square and logistic regression analyses were conducted. In total, 52.7% of participants were willing to receive COVID-19 vaccines, 63.5% perceived the severity of COVID-19 in Taiwan as “not serious”, and nearly 40% were worried about COVID-19 infection. Participants with higher perceived severity of COVID-19 had significantly higher odds of refusing the vaccine (OR = 1.546), while those worried about infection had lower odds of poor health protective behaviors (OR = 0.685). Vaccine refusal reasons included “the EUA process is not strict enough” (48.7%) and “side effects” (30.3%). Those who had previously refused other vaccinations were 2.44 times more likely to refuse the COVID-19 vaccines. Participants’ age had an influence on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. In general, the Taiwanese public’s acceptance of the vaccine was lower than that in other high-income countries. Elderly participants and those with college-level education and above who had previously refused vaccines had lower willingness to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Risk perception was positively associated with personal health protective behaviors but negatively associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.


Author(s):  
Aleksandra Polic ◽  
Tierra L. Curry ◽  
Judette M. Louis

Objective The study aimed to evaluate the impact of obesity on the management and outcomes of postpartum hemorrhage. Study Design We conducted a retrospective cohort study of women who delivered at a tertiary care center between February 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014 and experienced a postpartum hemorrhage. Charts were reviewed for clinical and sociodemographic data, and women were excluded if the medical record was incomplete. Hemorrhage-related severe morbidity indicators included blood transfusion, shock, renal failure, transfusion-related lung injury, cardiac arrest, and use of interventional radiology procedures. Obese (body mass index [BMI] ≥ 30 kg/m2) and nonobese women were compared. Data were analyzed using Chi-square, Student's t-test, Mann–Whitney U test, and linear regression where appropriate. The p-value <0.05 was significant. Results Of 9,890 deliveries, 2.6% (n = 262) were complicated by hemorrhage. Obese women were more likely to deliver by cesarean section (55.5 vs. 39.8%, p = 0.016), undergo a cesarean after labor (31.1 vs. 12.2%, p = 0.001), and have a higher quantitative blood loss (1,313 vs. 1,056 mL, p = 0.003). Both groups were equally likely to receive carboprost, methylergonovine, and misoprostol, but obese women were more likely to receive any uterotonic agent (95.7 vs. 88.9%, p = 0.007) and be moved to the operating room (32.3 vs. 20.4, p = 0.04). There was no difference in the use of intrauterine pressure balloon tamponade, interventional radiology, or decision to proceed with hysterectomy. The two groups were similar in time to stabilization. There was no difference in the need for blood transfusion. Obese women required more units of blood transfused (2.2 ± 2 vs. 2 ± 5 units, p = 0.023), were more likely to have any hemorrhage-related severe morbidity (34.1 vs. 25%, p = 0.016), and more than one hemorrhage related morbidity (17.1 vs. 7.9, p = 0.02). After controlling for confounding variables, quantitative blood loss, and not BMI was predictive of the need for transfusion. Conclusion Despite similar management, obese women were more likely to have severe morbidity and need more units of blood transfused. Key Points


2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 19-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janice Lay Hui Nga

This paper investigates the issue of the global financial crisis and its impacts on philanthropy and civil society organisations (CSOs) in Malaysia. CSOs are popularly known as non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Malaysia. Financial crisis has caused NGOs in many countries to receive less funding. This situation may threaten and discourage voluntary works. Undoubtedly, these beneficial contributions from the NGOs are needful services to the society. This paper examines the impact of financial crisis through the lens of NGOs and philanthropy activities in Malaysia. It utilises primary and secondary data, employs a mixed method approach, and uses quantitative and qualitative data. While there are many influencing factors in this development, this paper presents several significant aspects in the Malaysian context, including the style and nature of giving, culture, religion, and political pressure. This study attempts to seek potential solutions, pathways and possible approaches beneficial to NGOs and philanthropy activities for their sustainability in facing the financial crisis and its consequences. Experiences and lessons learnt in Malaysia may well be useful and applicable to some extent in other countries.


2006 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter A. Fasching ◽  
Gunter von Minckwitz ◽  
Thorsten Fischer ◽  
Manfred Kaufmann ◽  
Beate Schultz-Zehden ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oladiti Olawale

Attachment has been defined as the psychological bond between a growing child and a caregiver. It is a relationship that develops over a period of time between a child and the caregiver, or any other significant person in the life of a child. It is characterized by intimacy, warmth, and continuity thus eventually becoming the hallmark of all other relationships in the life of a human being. Research has shown that when children experienced secure attachment during their early stages of development in life, they are likely to develop capabilities in exploring the world of interpersonal relationships. Some of the factors that contribute to the diminishing of attachment between children and their caregivers include modernism and post-modernism, family crisis, disability in the life of the mother, death of the caregiver and the scourge of debilitating sicknesses and diseases which incapacitate caregivers. And so it is not uncommon to find individuals who experienced insecure attachment in their childhood having difficulties in their interpersonal relationship as adults. Some of the manifestations of interpersonal relationship difficulty and insecure attachment include low self-esteem, anxiety, inability to trust others, unwillingness to receive help from others, dependence syndrome, aggression, and feeling unloved, among others. However, with timely and appropriate psychological interventions, some of these challenges can be overcome although more research is encouraged in the area of attachment especially in Asia and Africa.


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