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Can Crew Onboard Ships Be Incentivised to Go Green? Understanding the Role of Incentives in Nudging Behaviour for Improving Operational Energy Efficiency
No full textThis paper examines the measures available to improve operational energy efficiency from the perspective of onboard crew, the barriers associated with implementing those measures and how crew behaviour can be nudged using incentives. A total of 25 semi-structured interviews and subsequent surveys with 42 onboard crew were carried out to gather qualitative information on two main domains: operational efficiency and incentive schemes. In-depth thematic analysis of interviews showed the central and recurring themes such as stakeholder hierarchy, autonomy and accountability, temporal restrictions, profitability and type of charter. Due to the heterogeneity in interview responses on the topic of incentives, online surveys were conducted. The findings of the study show that whilst speed reduction was seen as the single most important measure to optimise, it was also the most difficult to implement in practice due to several barriers. These include contractual obligations, a complex web of accountability and perverse incentives to increase speed. Other measures such as trim–draft optimisation and auxiliary engine load optimisation have smaller efficiency gains but were found to have more potential for increasing implementation through behavioural changes and encouraged through incentives. Both monetary and non-monetary incentives were perceived to be important and going beyond the status quo of incentivising captains so that rewards are shared equitably amongst the crew. Whilst not generalisable, preliminary findings suggest that there is room to consider alternatives to the current approaches on incentives, which do not take advantage of the importance of acknowledgment and recognition, as well as fostering positive interpersonal relationships
Enabling democratic shifts through climate adaptation: the climate adaptation democracy framework
No full textClimate change adaptation has consequences for democratic life. Climate change, a defining political challenge of our time, is unfolding amid growing pressure on democratic societies. This is marked, for example, by social fragmentation, institutional instability and rising anti-science sentiment, which, in turn, make more difficult the aims of inclusive, equitable, and evidence-based climate policy. Whereas the social, cultural, economic and environmental consequences of climate change policy are recognized, the consequences of adaptation planning and action for political practice, and for democratic life in particular, are not yet systematically accounted for. Considerable work focuses on how democratic institutions frame and enable climate adaptation, including work on political economy and participatory processes. This paper flips the question to ask: how might climate adaptation policy and its delivery, support or hinder democratic practice? The aim is to open research and action for the intentional strengthening of democratic practice through adaptation. Building on a systematic literature review inspired by the PRISMA method we derive a novel evaluative framework to bring structure to this agenda. The Climate Adaptation Democracy (CAD) Framework. The review sits within a macro structure of established traditions of democratic thought – deliberative, procedural and radical traditions – that bound a consideration of democratic practice. Three design workshops with academic experts and policy partners then determined the range of themes, limits and high-level qualities of the Framework to maximize its generality. The resulting CAD Framework offers twelve ‘qualities’ of democratic practice. These are entry points to facilitate policy actor reflection. We offer three vehicles for the active consideration of the consequences of adaptation for local democratic practice: stocktake review, project deep dive, and pathway mapping. By suggesting methods for deployment in addition to establishing an analytical framework for evaluation, the aim is to establish the consequences of adaptation for democracy as a specific area of study and practice
Model Predictive Control with λ–Contractive Terminal Sets
No full textThis article presents a novel model predictive control formulation for discrete–time linear systems subject to polyhedral state
and control constraints. The proposed model predictive control replaces the fixed, time–invariant terminal set of standard
model predictive control with a time–varying strategy: it initiates with a λ–contractive set, shrinks by a factor 0 ≤ λ < 1 at each
time step, and then transitions to a conventional positively invariant terminal set based on a strategically designed switching
condition. The proposed model predictive control also guarantees sequential positive invariance and uniform exponential
stability properties of the controlled dynamics, while potentially achieving infinite horizon optimality. Most importantly, the
resulting domain of attraction is significantly larger than that achieved by standard model predictive control
What Is A Flame? On the Metaphysics of Plato’s Timaeus
No full textMy thesis develops a novel, systematic account of the metaphysics of sensible entities of Plato’s Timaeus, and is structured in two parts. Part I studies the sensibles’ ontological status — what sort of entities are they? I argue that Timaeus conceives of sensible entities as either consisting in, or being token-identical to, non-repeatable property-instances, each existing at a single place and time. Against what most interpreters hold, on my reading, the Receptacle is to be understood in functionalist terms: it is not a constituent of sensibles, but that in virtue of which the property-instances, as abstract images of the Forms, come to be, as sensible. My proposal is informed by a novel interpretation of Timaeus’ puzzle about the elements (49b2–50a4), the analogies he uses to characterise the Receptacle (50a5–51b1), and his final, onto-logical summary (52a1–d1). Part II examines the sensibles’ qualitative profile — what sort of properties do they involve? Against the orthodox view, I argue that their constitutive make-up consists solely in the elements’ causal-perceptual properties, which are constituted by the Forms of the elements. In turn, that all occurrences of the elements in the cosmos involve a specific suite of geometrical properties is the work of the demiurge. Accordingly, I contend, the demiurge establishes a set of non-essentialist relations whereby given powers necessarily co-obtain with given geometries, and he does so to enable the elements to exercise their powers in the most suitable manner. My proposal is grounded in a novel interpretation of the pre-cosmic state (52d4–53b5, 69b2–8), the explanatory role of the geometric theory of the elements (53b7–57d7), and the elemental varieties (58c5–68d8). Overall, my thesis provides a comprehensive re-thinking of the Timaean metaphysics, shedding new light on some of Plato’s chief innovations — the Receptacle, the Forms, and the demiurge
Jurisdemocracy: An Approach to Constitutionalism in the Postcolony
No full textWritten constitutions in Africa set out what may be called jurisdemocracy, a third way between
the two hitherto dominant constitutional paradigms, legal constitutionalism and political
constitutionalism. A thorough examination of the role of written constitutions, their normative
commitments, interpretive approaches, institutional frameworks, and rules of constitutional
change reveals that they offer a new alternative for constitutionalism. By building on and
simultaneously diverging from legal and political constitutionalism, jurisdemocracy reanimates
key constitutional concepts such as democracy, liberalism, constitutional supremacy, separation
of powers, and constitutional rights, making standard constitutional theories unsuitable in
Africa. This article shows how jurisdemocracy better encapsulates the phenomenological reality
of written constitutions and provides more effective normative and institutional resources than
either legal or political constitutionalism for their implementation
Graph-Optimized Graphic Correlation: an automated framework for combining stratigraphical data
No full textQuantitative stratigraphical methods include powerful tools for constructing stratigraphical models that maximize predictive power. Among these, Shaw’s Graphic Correlation method stands out as a widely used technique that underpins many automated stratigraphical correlation tools. A key challenge in Graphic Correlation is to determine the line of correlation (LOC) in an objective manner that remains consistent with geological principles such as the law of superposition. In this study, we present a novel, graph-optimized Graphic Correlation (GOGC) approach that can automatically and quantitatively construct the LOC and generate a composite standard (CS). This method follows the qualitative rule of ‘Splitting Tops and Bases’, which favours the LOC that passes through the maximum number of stratigraphical events—referred to as ‘Longest-path LOC’ in this study. We reformulate this LOC estimation as a longest-path problem on a directed graph, which can be efficiently solved using topological sorting and dynamic programming. The results show that Longest-path LOCs are comparable to those produced by a genetic algorithm but are deterministic and more computationally efficient. The CSs derived from the Longest-path LOC exhibit high precision and are similar to those generated by Constrained Optimization (CONOP), a commonly used quantitative stratigraphical method. Additionally, our approach shows promise as a new method for applying CSs in stratigraphical correlation, refining existing CSs, and enabling the automated construction of age-depth models for stratigraphical sections or drill cores, thereby demonstrating great potential for managing large databases and facilitating quantitative stratigraphy
Towards animate droplets: Active, adaptive, and autonomous
No full textDroplets, sub-millilitre liquid volumes with at least one interface, have traditionally served as compartments for storing, transporting, and delivering materials. Beyond familiar applications in food, coatings, and consumer goods, they find cutting-edge use in energy storage, sensing, and tissue engineering. The next frontier is their integration into animate matter, emerging materials defined by their levels of activity, adaptiveness, and autonomy. Easy to produce and dispense or print into complex structures, and with enormous chemical versatility, droplets are ideal building blocks for animate matter. In this Perspective, we outline a roadmap for advancing animacy in droplets and call for a more concerted effort to integrate novel mechanisms for motility, sensing, and decision-making into droplet design. Although research on active droplets spans more than a century, achieving true autonomy, where droplets process multiple stimuli and respond without external control, remains a central challenge. We hope to inspire interdisciplinary collaboration towards applications in consumer goods, microfluidics, adaptive optics, tissue engineering, and soft robotics
The effects of multimedia education tools on patients' health knowledge
No full textBackground:
Delivering health education and information to people and communities to increase their knowledge is an essential part of shared healthcare decision making. However, not all written materials are easily understood and thus multimedia interventions may be an effective alternative. / /
Aims:
This systematic review aimed to identify quantitative evidence related to the effectiveness of multimedia education tools versus standard of care or written educational materials on adult patients' knowledge and understanding of health information./ /
Methods:
The authors conducted a systematic review following JBI methodological guidance. The Medline, Embase and Emcare databases were searched in February 2024. Some 15 publications were identified for inclusion, 10 with animations and five with videos of people./ /
Results:
The results were synthesised into three topics: (i) the effectiveness of multimedia interventions; (ii) the components of the multimedia interventions; and (iii) health literacy and language. Overall, data from 73.3% (n=11) of the studies indicated that a multimedia approach to information delivery could lead to an increase in knowledge and understanding./ /
Conclusions:
Multimedia interventions can be an effective tool for delivering health information, but special attention is required to health literacy, language barriers and the needs of populations from low- or middle-income countries, particularly where the ability to speak or write English may be limited./ /
Implications for practice:
Community nurses can develop and use multimedia education tools during home visits, group health education sessions, or supporting self-care activities for people with long-term conditions for improved patient outcomes
Procedural justice, social identity and public cooperation in post-Confucian societies - A test of group engagement model in Taiwan
No full textThis study tests the group engagement model (GEM) in Taiwan, examining whether social identity
mediates the relationship between procedural justice, police legitimacy, and public cooperation in
a post-Confucian context. Drawing on a stratified random sample survey of 1,604 Taipei City
residents, the study models pathways from procedural justice and police effectiveness to social
identity, legitimacy (duty to obey and normative alignment), and willingness to cooperate with the
police using structural equation modelling. The analysis shows that procedural justice predicts
duty to obey and, indirectly, cooperation, supporting the canonical legitimacy pathway, but does
not significantly predict social identity. Instead, police effectiveness emerges as the primary
antecedent of social identity, which in turn predicts both dimensions of legitimacy and cooperation.
These findings suggest that identity processes remain central to cooperation in Taiwan, but that
performance-based evaluations of the police, rather than procedural fairness, provide the key
identity-relevant cues in this post-Confucian setting. The study extends procedural justice theory
by demonstrating that while GEM’s core identity mechanisms travel cross-culturally, the sources
of identity-relevant signals are context-dependent, with important implications for policing policy
and the theorization of legitimacy in East Asian democracies