National University of Ireland, Maynooth
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“I’m so lucky”: narratives of struggle, unfairness and luck in among new entrants to the Irish media industries
No full textThe Irish creative industries have featured in recent cultural policies that have centred on the promotion of Irish culture and heritage and on the economic exploitation of heritage through the development of strong creative sectors. There are policy-led drives for more skilled workers to sustain this creative economy and creative industries policies refer to the need for more training, education and supports for workers to enter the industries. However, new entrants report difficult transitions from education to work and a culture of exploitation should they eventually find work. They feel the need to engage in unpaid affective labour to try to make themselves attractive to potential employers and often are left with low or no pay. Our study reports similar findings, where interviewees report inequalities, precarity and unfairness when seeking entry to media industries. We find a paradoxical narrative that negates inequalities and unfairness and identifies individual confidence and persistence as key to interviewees’ career success. While ‘unfairness’ defined media work for those who struggle to gain it, ‘luck’ used to explain entry into media work
Bayesian generalised additive models for quantifying sea-level change: Methods and Software
No full textRising sea levels pose significant risks to coastal regions worldwide, and the 2021
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change AR6 report emphasised that rates
of sea-level rise are the fastest in at least the last 3000 years. To understand
historical sea-level trends at regional and local scales, it is crucial to analyse the
drivers of sea-level change and their potential impacts. The influence of these
different drivers interact at a range of spatial (global, regional, local level) and
temporal (annual to millennia) scales. The development of a statistical model
that seeks to estimate a number of these characteristics would be of immeasurable
value to the sea level and climate impact communities. These characteristics would
include: exhibiting flexibility in time and space; having the capability to examine
the separate drivers; and taking account of uncertainty.
The aim of our project is to develop statistical models to examine historic sea-level
changes for North America’s Atlantic coast and extend to the North Atlantic region,
incorporating Ireland’s coastline. For our models, we utilise sea-level proxies
and tide gauge data which provide relative sea level estimates with uncertainty.
Proxy data can reconstruct sea-level variations over the late Holocene, spanning the
last 2000 years, providing a valuable pre-anthropogenic context for understanding
historical relative sea-level changes. We study a range of statistical models used to
examine relative sea-level data accounting for uncertainty and varying in space and
time. The statistical approaches employed range from simple linear regressions to
advanced Bayesian Generalised Additive Models (GAMs), which allow separate
components of sea-level change to be modelled individually and efficiently and for
smooth rates of change to be calculated.
Our most advanced models are built in a Bayesian framework which allows for external
prior information to constrain the evolution of sea-level change over space
and time. To investigate the drivers of sea-level change, we use flexible and extended
GAMs and effectively account for the uncertainty associated with proxy
data using the noisy input uncertainty method. Through the integration of statistical
models, proxy data, and tide gauge measurements, our findings reveal a
significant rise in current sea levels along North America’s Atlantic coast, reaching
the highest point in at least the last 15 centuries. The GAMs exhibit a remarkable
capability to examine various drivers of relative sea level change, including geological
processes (e.g. glacial isostatic adjustment; GIA), local factors, and barystatic
influences. Our models provide evidence that GIA primarily drove relative sealevel
change along North America’s Atlantic coast until the 20th century when a
notable rise in the rate of sea-level rise became apparent.
We present the open-source reslr package, which serves as a valuable resource
for the sea level community, offering a diverse range of statistical approaches.
This R package enables Bayesian modeling of relative sea level data, providing a
unified framework for loading data, fitting models, and summarising results. By
incorporating various statistical models, it offers flexibility and versatility in sea
level analysis. Notably, reslr takes into account measurement errors associated
with relative sea-level data in multiple dimensions, enhancing the accuracy and
reliability of the modelling process. With reslr, researchers and practitioners
can explore and compare different statistical methodologies for a comprehensive
understanding of historical sea-level changes, their uncertainties and importantly,
the rate of change of these sea-level variations.
One critical driver of sea-level change is ocean dynamics, commonly referred to
as dynamic sea-level change. Our statistical methodologies offer valuable insights
into dynamic sea-level changes over the last 2,000 years, using both proxy records
and tide gauges at a regional level. To investigate the dynamic sea-level component
along the North Atlantic coastline, we employ an extended noisy input GAM,
effectively decomposing the relative sea-level signal. In our investigation, we focus
on two key components of dynamic sea-level change in the North Atlantic: the
vertical (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation - AMOC) circulation and
the quasi-horizontal circulation, involving surface-enhanced currents and gyres.
Our results highlight a decline in the AMOC over the studied period of 2,000
years with an unprecedented rate of decrease similar to previous studies. Additionally,
the quasi-horizontal circulation exhibits increased variability during the
same timeframe with a notably difference north and south of Cape Hatteras, USA.
This comprehensive analysis sheds light on the complex dynamics driving sea-level
changes in the North Atlantic region, contributing to a better understanding of
the factors influencing sea-level variations. Our approach places the present alterations
in ocean circulation patterns within the extended context of a 2,000-year
timeframe. However, the interpretability of these changes is constrained by the
resolution of the proxy data
The Social Construction of Gender and Leadership and the Impact of these Paradoxical Constructs on the Lived Experience of Women CEOs
No full textThe aim of this study was to explore how the paradoxical concepts of gender and leadership impacted on the lived experience of six women chief executive officers (CEOs) working within intellectual disability, Section 39 organisations in Ireland. A scoping review was conducted to illicit the breadth of research relevant to this topic. The primary analysis of the scoping review was concentrated on the barriers that women experience in relation to advancing or sustaining senior leadership positions. Findings from this review highlighted that women remain underrepresented in senior leadership roles and that the classification of female and male gender as oppositional social constructs maintains this status quo with women assigned a lesser societal status and power value.
To facilitate a greater understanding of these findings a moderate form of social constructionism was applied throughout the research design. This position recognises that one’s ability to perceive and represent social reality is understood in context and influenced by socio-historical experiences known to the individual. A feminist informed narrative inquiry methodology was applied to gain an understanding of how participants gender identities have been shaped and normalised through pervasive cultural ideologies, language, discourse, and everyday social interactions.
Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and Braun and Clarke’s (2006, 2020) reflexive thematic analysis was operationalised in the analysis and coding of data. Findings illustrated that participants were subjected to a gendering process throughout their lives, which was underpinned by a prevailing patriarchal ideology that continues to sustain the oppression of women. Within this ideology positions of power such as the role of CEO is perceived as oppositional to the binary classification of female gender. Findings also highlight the discursive effects of neoliberal ideology on the sustainability of Section 39 organisations which is further compounded by a lack of clarity on appropriate leadership models.
By adopting a social constructionist approach this study offered a different way of exploring the significance of the paradoxical constructs of gender and leadership and presented alternative explanations for the gender disparity that exists at CEO level. Gender was recognised as a fluid and changing construct, suggesting that the co-creation of a model of leadership beyond gender is possible
Examining the dark force consequences of AI as a new actor in B2B relationships
No full textArtificial intelligence (AI) in industrial marketing has seen significant research attention through various theoretical lenses with an emerging thread examining the dark side effects of AI. Thirty-four semi-structured interviews were conducted with buyers and suppliers of AI marketing solutions to investigate the consequences of AI ‘dark forces’ on B2B relationships. We posit AI as a new actor that has blurred the lines of the actors-resources-activities model. Findings show AI is now considered a new actor within B2B networks wielding dark force consequences such as algorithmic gatekeeping, which initiates dehumanization effects. In addition, AI is reliant on access to datasets which drives up resource costs. A lack of accountability of AI marketing solutions leads to opportunistic behaviours compromising actor relationships. Our conceptual model maps our understanding of the dark force consequences underpinning theoretical and managerial implications and recommendations for increased awareness and mitigation of dark forces
Digital placemaking, health & wellbeing and nature-based solutions: A systematic review and practice model
No full textTechnology implementations in the urban environment have the potential to reshape how communities experience places, specifically providing a potential enhancer for nature-based solutions in the city. Urban spaces are facing a number of challenges from climate mitigation to negative effects on communities. In this context, nature-based solutions aim to promote nature as an answer to the current climate challenge, linking positive outcomes for society in a cost-effective way. Urban nature could benefit from the implementation of technology to enhance nature experiences and nature's impact on the community. This study aims to review and synthesise existing literature focusing on the associations between digital placemaking, mental health and wellbeing impact and the use of green and blue spaces while exploring successful case studies. Hundred and seventeen studies met the eligibility criteria, most of them used qualitative methods. The findings provide insights into the potential impact of digital placemaking practices for urban nature on citizens’ wellbeing and mental health. Our results indicated an absence of agreement on the concept of digital placemaking, and a lack of blue space research while nature was presented as a context and passive element. Mental health and wellbeing are mostly approached without specifically examining health indicators or assessing the health impact of these practices. Our study proposes a model offering insights into the broad range of best practices for implementing digital placemaking for nature and wellbeing and represents a key contribution to understanding the innovative application of augmenting NBS through digital placemaking impacting the wellbeing of citizens
Estimating modern contraceptive supply shares at national and subnational administration levels using Demographic and Health Survey data, with an application to the calculation of estimated modern contraceptive use.
No full textQuantifying the public/private-sector supply of contraceptive methods within countries
is vital for effective and sustainable family-planning delivery. However, many low- and
middle-income countries quantify contraceptive supply using out-of-date Demographic
Health Surveys. As an alternative, we propose using a Bayesian, hierarchical, penalizedspline
model, with survey input, to produce annual estimates and projections of contraceptive
supply-share outcomes. Our approach shares information across countries,
accounts for survey observational errors and produces probabilistic projections informed
by past changes in supply shares, as well as correlations between supply-share changes
across different contraceptive methods. Results may be used to evaluate family-planning
program effectiveness and stability
Non-Cryptographic Hash Functions: Focus on FNV
No full textIn this thesis, we will explore the world of hash functions. After a brief overview of the
construction and uses of cryptographic hashes, we will then focus almost exclusively on
non-cryptographic functions. We delve into the FNV family of hash functions in significant
detail, examining their background, structure and motivation. We then introduce
some well-known peer functions, against which FNV can be tested. We lay out our test parameters,
where we will utilise hash tables, a variety of input types, and explain our choice
of load factor, collision management and more. We run rigorous tests measuring distribution,
collision resistance and avalanche effect which highlight some significant differences
in performance. The observed test results are examined in detail, with explanations provided
for the varying performances of the functions. These results also provoked some
interesting questions around the accepted methodology for measuring the performance of
non-cryptographic hash functions, particularly the relevance of the avalanche effect. We
examine published works which reference this metric and discover that, perhaps, its usefulness
has been overstated. We finally consider collision resistance in a more abstract
sense, examining how each function performs when tested with a more challenging input
size
Digital and Physical: The Role of Digital Twins in Praxis
No full textToday’s sustainability and urbanization challenges call for innovative urban solutions around the efficient use of latest technology and experimenting them in an urban living lab environment. 3D modelling technology presents an opportunity to transform the way we plan, build and operate infrastructure within our cities. Dublin City Council through its smart city unit has begun exploring this technology across a variety of topics including energy consumption, urban planning, public engagement, environment, tourism, and infrastructure management. Previously it has procured and released an open-source model of the Docklands Strategic Development Zone for a 3D hackathon to uncover new insights for efficient decision-making. Other models include the ones used by Dublin Fire Brigade for pre-incident planning and Smart DCU for real-time traffic monitoring. Smart Dublin has also been experimenting with state-of-art data-capture technologies such as drones, photogrammetry, LIDAR, mobile street mapper, and Google AirView. Advancing towards a more sophisticated system, Smart Dublin’s Digital Twin programme intends to apply a people-centric approach for effective stakeholder collaboration and explore novel forms of public engagement. While the concept of digital twins has existed for decades, the basis of constructing smart cities has gradually evolved from original static 3D modelling to a dynamic digital twinning using IoT, big urban data, cloud computing, blockchain, and artificial intelligence. One of the potential approaches is to use digital twins as a collaborative tool to engage internal and external stakeholders including citizens for decision-making and co-creating new ideas. The core objective is to ensure that the adoption of digital twin technology meets the needs both of the city, and the citizens who interact not just in technology deployments, but also in processes of engagement. By thinking together towards possible solutions through virtual environments may power new collaborations for future proofing our cities
War exposure, posttraumatic stress disorder, and complex posttraumatic stress disorder among parents living in Ukraine during the Russian war
No full textBackground
High rates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been documented in war-affected populations. The prevalence of Complex PTSD (CPTSD) has never been assessed in an active war zone. Here, we provide initial data on war-related experiences, and prevalence rates of ICD-11 PTSD and CPTSD in a large sample of adults in Ukraine during the Russian war. We also examined how war-related stressors, PTSD, and CPTSD were associated with age, sex, and living location in Ukraine.
Method
Self-report data were gathered from a nationwide sample of 2004 adult parents of children under 18 from the general population of Ukraine approximately 6 months after Russia's invasion.
Results
All participants were exposed to at least one war-related stressor, and the mean number of exposures was 9.07 (range = 1–26). Additionally, 25.9% (95% CI = 23.9%, 27.8%) met diagnostic requirements for PTSD and 14.6% (95% CI = 12.9%, 16.0%) met requirements for CPTSD. There was evidence of a strong dose–response relationship between war-related stressors and meeting criteria for PTSD and CPTSD. Participants who had the highest exposure to war-related stressors were significantly more likely to meet the requirements for PTSD (OR = 4.20; 95% CI = 2.96–5.95) and CPTSD (OR = 8.12; 95% CI = 5.11–12.91) compared to the least exposed.
Conclusions
Humanitarian responses to the mental health needs of the Ukrainian population will need to take account of posttraumatic stress reactions. Education in diagnosing and treating PTSD/CPTSD, especially in the situation of a significant lack of human resources and continuing displacement of the population, is necessary
Measuring positive memories of home and family during childhood: The development and initial validation of the ‘Memories of Home and Family Scale’
No full textThere is a burgeoning evidence base highlighting the positive infuence of benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs), even
in the context of adversity. However, few measures are available to assess BCEs. The current study sought to develop and
validate a measure which assesses positive recollections of experiences and emotions at home and with family during
childhood called the ‘Memories of Home and Family Scale’(MHFS). Confrmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed to
test the latent structure of the preliminary MHFS item scores in a sample of university students from the United Kingdom
(N=624). Following selection of the best-ftting model and fnal items for inclusion in the scale, total and subscale scores
were correlated with a range of mental health outcomes. CFA results indicated that the latent structure of the MHFS items
was best represented by a correlated six-factor first-order model. The final MHFS demonstrated high levels of internal reliability and convergent validit