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Bakhtin at the Boundaries: exploring self-positionality in relation to socio-cultural ideologies
No full textYesHistorically, social theorists, such as Marx, have applied ‘ideology’ as a framework to describe the dominant ideas and values within a given socio-cultural context. More specifically, this framework explores how such ideas and values not only produce hegemonic discourses of knowledge across domains like philosophy, science, politics, aesthetics, and religion, but also perpetuate asymmetrical power relations between the self and socio-cultural ideologies. Simultaneously, certain scholarship argues that relations between the Self and socio-cultural ideologies are embedded within power structures, while others advocate for the Self’s autonomous capacities for critical reflection and self-transformation. These two perspectives on the self’s relation to socio-cultural ideologies are often considered incompatible.
While the finality of socio-cultural ideologies has its appeal, the aims of this chapter are two-fold. Firstly, by outlining Bakhtin’s notion of ‘culture, ’ which he understands as the ‘objective domains’ of ‘sense or meaning, ’ we argue that it challenges us to embrace the contradictions, disagreements, alterity and revised understandings that accompany any ideology through the use of parody. Secondly, to contextualise this point, we consider the dialogical relationship between religious ideologies (the text) and their audience.The full text will be available at the end of the publisher's embargo 12 months after publication
Whole-School Physical Activity Conference 2024: Reccomendations for researchers, practitioners and policymakers to prioritise and plan for whole-school physical activity
No full textN
Factors affecting the lifetime cost of myopia and the impact of active myopia treatments in Europe
No full textYesPURPOSE: There are an increasing number of effective myopia control options available; however, their financial impacts are unclear. We estimated lifetime costs of myopia under 5 scenarios in France and the United Kingdom (UK): traditional myopia management (single vision correction), low-dose atropine, anti-myopia spectacles, anti-myopia soft contact lenses, and orthokeratology.
DESIGN: Model-based cost estimate.
METHODS: Each modeled scenario began with an 8-year-old child presenting with −0.75 DS. Natural progression data were used to determine the likelihood of possible refractive outcomes for children predicted to be at risk for faster and slower myopia progression until adulthood followed by an assumed exponential decay to zero progression by age 25 years. Societal care costs (direct and indirect) were collected from published sources, key informants, and informal surveys. Predicted progression rates for those at risk for slower and faster progression, costs, protocols, and risks were used to estimate and compare lifetime cost of myopia and its associated complications under each scenario. All future costs were discounted by 3% per year for sensitivity analysis. The main outcome measures were the lifetime cost of myopia, and cost ratio (myopia control cost divided by traditional care cost).
RESULTS: Estimated lifetime cost of myopia using a traditional approach was US22,606 for those predicted to experience faster/slower myopia progression in France, and US29,664 in the UK. For those at risk for faster progression in France and the UK, cost ratios for the myopia control options ranged from 0.60 to 0.81, and 0.50 to 0.69, respectively. For those at risk for slower progression in France and the UK, the cost ratios ranged from 0.81 to 1.10, and 0.73 to 1.00, respectively. Female individuals incurred higher lifetime costs due to higher contact lens wear rates, prevalence of vision impairment, and longer life expectancy.
CONCLUSIONS: Investment in myopia control during childhood in Europe likely reduces the total lifetime cost of myopia compared to traditional care via reduced refractive progression, need for complex lenses, and risk of pathology and vision loss. Children predicted to experience faster myopia progression derive the greatest economic advantage from myopia control.This project was funded by Thea Pharmaceuticals and Brien Holden Vision Institute , who have interests in myopia control. Finan- cial Disclosures: A.D.-N.: Nevaka, ORA, DopaV, Santen, Thea, Cooper Vision. D.B.G.: Cooper Vision, HOYA Vision Care, Johnson and Johnson, EssilorLuxottica, Santen, Thea, Zeiss. E.M.: Vyluma. K.S.: HOYA Vision Care, EssilorLuxottica, Santen UK Ltd, and Vyluma. L.L.: The Fred Hollows Foundation. N.G.-M.: Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), Alcon, British Contact Lens Association, British and Irish University and College Contact Lens Educators (BUCCLE; Chair), BMJ Open Ophthalmology (Associate Editor), CooperVision, College of Optometrists & Acuity, Eyerising International, Hoya, Menicon,Rodenstock, SILMO Academy. N.L.: Hoya, Essilor, Krys Group. S.R.: Vyluma, Hoya, EssilorLuxottica, Johnson and Johnson, Thea, SightGlass Vision. T.R.F.: Thea, Brien Holden Vision Institute, Victorian Lions Foundation, National Vision Research Institute Trusts
Factors affecting the lifetime cost of myopia and the impact of active myopia treatments in Europe
No full textYesPURPOSE: There are an increasing number of effective myopia control options available; however, their financial impacts are unclear. We estimated lifetime costs of myopia under 5 scenarios in France and the United Kingdom (UK): traditional myopia management (single vision correction), low-dose atropine, anti-myopia spectacles, anti-myopia soft contact lenses, and orthokeratology.
DESIGN: Model-based cost estimate.
METHODS: Each modeled scenario began with an 8-year-old child presenting with −0.75 DS. Natural progression data were used to determine the likelihood of possible refractive outcomes for children predicted to be at risk for faster and slower myopia progression until adulthood followed by an assumed exponential decay to zero progression by age 25 years. Societal care costs (direct and indirect) were collected from published sources, key informants, and informal surveys. Predicted progression rates for those at risk for slower and faster progression, costs, protocols, and risks were used to estimate and compare lifetime cost of myopia and its associated complications under each scenario. All future costs were discounted by 3% per year for sensitivity analysis. The main outcome measures were the lifetime cost of myopia, and cost ratio (myopia control cost divided by traditional care cost).
RESULTS: Estimated lifetime cost of myopia using a traditional approach was US22,606 for those predicted to experience faster/slower myopia progression in France, and US29,664 in the UK. For those at risk for faster progression in France and the UK, cost ratios for the myopia control options ranged from 0.60 to 0.81, and 0.50 to 0.69, respectively. For those at risk for slower progression in France and the UK, the cost ratios ranged from 0.81 to 1.10, and 0.73 to 1.00, respectively. Female individuals incurred higher lifetime costs due to higher contact lens wear rates, prevalence of vision impairment, and longer life expectancy.
CONCLUSIONS: Investment in myopia control during childhood in Europe likely reduces the total lifetime cost of myopia compared to traditional care via reduced refractive progression, need for complex lenses, and risk of pathology and vision loss. Children predicted to experience faster myopia progression derive the greatest economic advantage from myopia control.This project was funded by Thea Pharmaceuticals and Brien Holden Vision Institute , who have interests in myopia control. Finan- cial Disclosures: A.D.-N.: Nevaka, ORA, DopaV, Santen, Thea, Cooper Vision. D.B.G.: Cooper Vision, HOYA Vision Care, Johnson and Johnson, EssilorLuxottica, Santen, Thea, Zeiss. E.M.: Vyluma. K.S.: HOYA Vision Care, EssilorLuxottica, Santen UK Ltd, and Vyluma. L.L.: The Fred Hollows Foundation. N.G.-M.: Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO), Alcon, British Contact Lens Association, British and Irish University and College Contact Lens Educators (BUCCLE; Chair), BMJ Open Ophthalmology (Associate Editor), CooperVision, College of Optometrists & Acuity, Eyerising International, Hoya, Menicon,Rodenstock, SILMO Academy. N.L.: Hoya, Essilor, Krys Group. S.R.: Vyluma, Hoya, EssilorLuxottica, Johnson and Johnson, Thea, SightGlass Vision. T.R.F.: Thea, Brien Holden Vision Institute, Victorian Lions Foundation, National Vision Research Institute Trusts
Labour's new National Risk Register is here - but is it fit for purpose?
No full textNoThere are concerns that the UK is failing to keep up with a rapidly changing world packed with emerging threats
Dynamic radar cross section analysis: effects of pulsed signals and target motion on cylindrical objects
No full textYesThis study examines the Radar Cross Section (RCS) of a cylindrical target, with a focus on the effects of pulsed signal transmission and target motion. Traditional RCS analyses often rely on continuous wave (CW) excitation and assume stationary targets, which may not accurately capture the dynamics encountered in practical radar scenarios. The RCS of the cylindrical target is computed under pulsed signal excitation and compared with the results obtained under CW conditions. To assess the influence of geometry, the model is extended to a disk-shaped target by reducing the height of the cylinder. The impact of target motion is incorporated using Doppler-based modeling, revealing how the interaction between signal characteristics and target dynamics affects the RCS. These results provide valuable insights into improving radar detection accuracy and refining RCS reduction techniques. Key strategies such as scattering control, absorption, and the use of radar-absorbing materials (RAMs) and metasurfaces must account for these dynamic conditions to achieve optimal performance. Although this investigation focuses on cylindrical structures, the methodology presented can be applied to other simple geometries, enhancing its relevance to practical RCS management. Future extensions may include modeling targets with more complex structures and incorporating advanced source modeling techniques, such as different types of pulsed and modulated signals, to further approximate real-world radar environments.Partially supported by the U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) under grant EP/Y035135/1, and HORIZON-MSCA-2022-SE-01-01-ID: 101131501, Marie Skłodowska-Curie, Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE), titled: 6G Terahertz Communications for Future Heterogeneous Wireless Network (6G-TERAFIT)
An Overview of Distributed Firewalls and Controllers Intended for Mobile Cloud Computing
No full textYesMobile cloud computing (MCC) is a representation of the interaction between cloud computing and mobile devices, reshaping the utilisation of technology for consumers and businesses. This level of mobility and decentralisation of devices in MCC necessitates a highly secured framework to facilitate it. This literature review on distributed firewalls and controllers for mobile cloud computing reveals the critical need for a security framework tailored to the dynamic and decentralised nature of MCC. This study further emphasises the importance of integrating distributed firewalls with central controllers to address the unique security challenges in MCC, such as nomadic device behaviour and resource allocation optimisation. Additionally, it highlights the significance of Cloud Access Security Brokers (CASBs) in improving data security and ensuring compliance within mobile cloud applications. This review also addresses specific research questions related to security concerns, scalable framework development, and the effectiveness of distributed firewall and controller systems in MCC. It explores the complexities involved in merging Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Network Function Virtualisation (NFV), and CASB into a cohesive system, focusing on the need to resolve interoperability issues and maintain low latency and high throughput while balancing performance across distributed firewalls and controllers. The review also points to the necessity of privacy-preserving methods within CASB to uphold privacy standards in MCC. Furthermore, it identifies the integration of NFV and SDN as crucial for enhancing security and performance in MCC environments, and stresses the importance of future research directions, such as the incorporation of machine learning and edge computing, to further improve the security and efficiency of MCC systems. To the best of our knowledge, this review is the first to comprehensively examine the integration of these advanced technologies within the context of MCC
Fusion of hand biometrics for border control involving fingerprint and finger vein
No full textYesIn this paper, we proposed an advanced multimodal fusion technique for fingerprint and finger vein recognition algorithms, incorporating novel improvements to established methods. Leveraging Scale-Invariant Feature Transform (SIFT) and Fast Library for Approximate Nearest Neighbors (FLANN), our approach integrates preprocessing enhancements such as Contrast Limited Adaptive Histogram Equalization (CLAHE) and a robust descriptor alignment mechanism to optimize feature extraction and matching. This innovation enhances security, robustness, accuracy, and privacy in biometric systems. Additionally, the fusion of fingerprint and finger vein modalities is implemented at both score-level and feature-level, where feature-level fusion demonstrates superior performance by effectively addressing compatibility issues between modalities and reducing information leakage. Extensive evaluations using databases such as SOCOFing, FVC, CASIA, FV-USM, PLUSVein-FV3, and UTFVP validate the effectiveness of the proposed system. Our results show that feature-level fusion outperforms traditional approaches, achieving higher accuracy and resilience against environmental factors. This study provides a scalable and practical solution for contemporary biometric verification needs, particularly in border control and security applications.European Union's Horizon-MSCA-RISE (2019–2024), Marie Skłodowska-Curie, Research, and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) titled: Secure and Wireless Multimodal Biometric Scanning Device for Passenger Verification Targeting Land and Sea Border Control, under Grant 872878. The work of George Kumi Kyeremeh was supported by Ghana Scholarship Secretariat Funds
Sequence stratigraphy and relative sea level variations in Kaštela Bay, Dalmatian coast, Croatia, and implications for the submerged palaeolandscapes and archaeology of the late Pleistocene, marine isotope stage 3 and marine isotope stage 2
No full textYesRelative sea level, palaeoclimate, and palaeohydrology are critical variables for contextualising past hominin behaviours and the resulting archaeological record. This is especially important in submerged palaeolandscape reconstructions of drowned continental shelves formerly inhabited by past hominin populations. We report significant results of one such palaeolandscape reconstruction along the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, Adriatic Sea, near the city of Split, as part of the Life on the Edge (LOTE) project. The LOTE project aims to develop refined palaeolandscape reconstructions of submerged landscapes in multiple study regions, including along this portion of the Dalmatian coastline. Reconstructed seismic surfaces have been combined with refined relative sea level predictions accounting for isostasy and corrected for sedimentation since these were last subaerial, allowing for a more accurate assessment of the palaeolandscape. The results presented here indicate the presence of a preserved, formerly subaerial landscape likely dating to Marine Isotope Stage 3 (57,000 cal BP to 29,000 cal BP). At
least two hominin species occupied the region during this part of the late Pleistocene epoch. Our findings indicate that the region of Kaˇstela Bay comprised multiple habitats that offered diverse, abundant resources that were likely highly attractive to either, or both, of these hominin populations.The LOTE project is funded by a UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship MR/W007797/1. TAS and TL are supported by the Ministry of Education, Singapore, under its MOE AcRF Tier 3 Award MOE2019-T3-1-004