Religious Mobilisation to Terrorism and Implications for Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism: The Case of Abdullah Azzam

Social mobilisation theory (SMT) remains an underutilised lens in examining how religion can be central to radicalisation processes. This paper provides a novel application of SMT to better appreciate the role played by religious ideologues in mobilising individuals to Salafi-jihadist violence through appeals to group and individual benefits. It also considers the implications for preventing and countering violent extremist efforts. The paper conducts a comprehensive thematic analysis of the messaging of the Salafi-jihadist preacher Abdullah Yusuf Azzam, who was highly influential in the mobilisation of mujahideen foreign fighters to Afghanistan following the 1979 Soviet invasion. Through the structured thematic analysis of 38 of his texts in English translation, a set of key religious themes are identified and mapped. The application of SMT to these themes demonstrates that while Azzam clearly employed religious views in his highly successful propaganda, he also drew on stories of the miraculous, a concept difficult to analyse using SMT. An appreciation of the role that religious ideologues can play in influencing violent extremism has implications for preventing and countering violent extremism practitioners. These include the need for a more nuanced understanding of the specific narratives used by ideologues in appealing to group benefits, and a greater appreciation of the irrational aspects of violent extremist narratives

Cardiogenic shock associated with loco-regional anesthesia rescued with left ventricular assist device implantation

A healthy 53 year old man developed profound cardiogenic shock following instillation of bupivacaine-lidocaine-epinephrine solution as a locoregional anesthetic for elective outpatient shoulder surgery. Intubation, resuscitation, and transfer to the nearby hospital were done: echocardiography showed profound biventricular dysfunction; cardiac catheterization showed normal coronary arteries. Despite placement of an intra-aortic balloon pump and intravenous vasoactive drugs, the patient remained in shock. Stabilization was achieved with emergent institution of cardiopulmonary bypass and placement of a temporary left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Twenty-four hours later, cardiac function normalized and the LVAD was removed. The patient was discharged five days later and remained with normal heart function in three-year follow-up

Left ventricular assist device implantation in high risk destination therapy patients: an alternative surgical approach

Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) for Destination Therapy (DT) is an established therapy for end stage heart failure patients who are not transplant candidates. Many DT patients requiring LVADs have had prior open heart surgery, the majority of whom had prior sternotomy. In addition, DT patients tend to be older and more likely to have more significant co-morbidities than their Bridge-To-Transplant (BTT) counterparts. As such, placement of an implantable LVAD in DT patients can be technically hazardous and potentially prone to more perioperative complications. The purpose of this report is to describe an alternative implantation approach for the implantation of the Heartmate II™ LVAD in high risk DT patients

Systematic review: a resource that allows for the incorporation of evidence into nursing practice

A revisão sistemática é um recurso importante da prática baseada em evidências, que consiste em uma forma de síntese dos resultados de pesquisas relacionados com um problema específico. O presente artigo tem como objetivo oferecer subsídios que proporcionem reflexões para a construção e/ou aplicação de revisões sistemáticas no cenário da enfermagem. Fundamentados na literatura, apresentamos as fases que compõem uma revisão sistemática e aspectos relevantes a serem considerados para a utilização desse recurso.La revisión sistemática es un recurso importante de la práctica basada en evidencias, que consiste en una forma de síntesis de los resultados de las investigaciones relacionadas con un determinado problema. El presente artículo tiene como objetivo ofrecer elementos que permitan reflexionar sobre la construcción y/o aplicación de revisiones sistemáticas en el ámbito de la enfermería. Basados en la literatura, presentamos las etapas que componen una revisión sistemática y los aspectos relevantes que deben ser considerados para la utilización de este recurso.Systematic review is an important resource in evidence-based practice, which consists in a form of synthesizing the research results related to a specific problem. This article aimed to offer subsidies for reflections with a view to the construction and/or application of systematic reviews in the nursing environment. Based on the literature, authors presented the phases comprising a systematic review and the relevant aspects that must be considered for using this resource

Religion in the making: the Lived Ancient Religion approach

For the past five years (2012–2017), the Max Weber Center of Erfurt University has hosted a project on ‘Lived Ancient Religion: Questioning “cults” and “polis religion”’, financed by the European Research Council and embedded in the research group on ‘Religious individualisation in historical perspective’ (see Fuchs and Rüpke. [2015. “Religious Individualisation in Historical Perspective.” Religion 45 (3): 323–329. doi:10.1080/0048721X.2015.1041795]). It was designed to supplement existing accounts of the religious history of the Mediterranean area at the time of the long Roman Empire, accounts traditionally centred upon public or civic institutions. The new model focuses on the interaction of individuals with a variety of religious specialists and traditions, taking the form of material culture, spaces and text. It emphasises religious experience, embodiment and ‘culture in interaction’. On the basis of research into the history of religion of the Roman Empire, this co-authored article sets out to offer new tools for research into religion by formulating three major perspectives, namely religious agency, instantiated religion and narrated religion. We have tried to illustrate their potential value by means of 13 short case studies deriving from different geographical areas of the central and eastern Mediterranean area, and almost all relating to the period 150 BCE to 300 CE. These short descriptions are summarising research pursued by the members of the team of authors, published or to be published in extended form elsewhere, as indicated by the references

Barbarians at the British Museum: Anglo-Saxon Art, Race and Religion

A critical historiographical overview of art historical approaches to early medieval material culture, with a focus on the British Museum collections and their connections to religion