26207 research outputs found
Sort by
Global spillover persistence and market resilience during uncertainty
No full textPurposeThis study explores the persistence of stock market spillovers and the speed of recovery from global financial market uncertainty across different economic cycles.DesignWe analyse daily stock data from 15 countries spanning 2002 to 2024, covering the Dot-com bubble, 2008 Global Financial Crisis, and COVID-19 pandemic. A vector autoregression (VAR) model is employed to examine the dynamics of spillover transmission and the resilience of markets across developed, emerging, and developing economies.FindingsDuring the Dot-com recovery, global markets showed moderate interdependence, with the US, UK, and Switzerland exerting the largest spillover effects. The 2008 financial crisis significantly increased interconnectedness, with Mexico and other emerging markets showing high contagion, while developed markets remained key transmitters. During COVID-19, markets became increasingly sensitive to global shocks. Notably, countries like Thailand, Japan, and Brazil began to exhibit stronger spillover influence, while Russia showed quicker recovery. In the post-pandemic recovery, overall resilience improved, with faster absorption of shocks and stronger internal stability. However, the US, UK, and Switzerland remained primary spillover sources throughout all periods.Originality and contributionThis study adds depth to the literature by offering a comparative analysis of spillover persistence and resilience across various market types under changing economic conditions. It provides evidence of evolving spillover dynamics and highlights the growing importance of emerging markets in global volatility transmission.Practical ImplicationsFindings underscore the need to strengthen economic resilience, especially in vulnerable emerging and developing economies
TEMSET-24K: Densely annotated dataset for indexing multipart endoscopic videos using surgical timeline segmentation
Get PDFIndexing endoscopic surgical videos is vital in surgical data science, forming the basis for systematic retrospective analysis and clinical performance evaluation. Despite its significance, current video analytics rely on manual indexing, a time-consuming process. Advances in computer vision, particularly deep learning, offer automation potential, yet progress is limited by the lack of publicly available, densely annotated surgical datasets. To address this, we present TEMSET-24K, an open-source dataset comprising 24,306 trans-anal endoscopic microsurgery (TEMS) video microclips. Each clip is meticulously annotated by clinical experts using a novel hierarchical labeling taxonomy encompassing “phase, task, and action” triplets, capturing intricate surgical workflows. To validate this dataset, we benchmarked deep learning models, including transformer-based architectures. Our in silico evaluation demonstrates high accuracy (up to 0.99) and F1 scores (up to 0.99) for key phases like “Setup” and “Suturing.” The STALNet model, tested with ConvNeXt, ViT, and SWIN V2 encoders, consistently segmented well-represented phases. TEMSET-24K provides a critical benchmark, propelling state-of-the-art solutions in surgical data science
Doubling down on climate action in highways and transportation
Get PDFCLIMATES (Changing Landscapes for Infrastructure and Mobility: Assessing Transport and Environment Scenarios) is a 2024-25 initiative from the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation (sponsored by Mott MacDonald and Ringway).With engagement from hundreds of highways and transportation professionals through in-person and online workshops and an online research survey, the following question was considered: In an uncertain world, what priority actions in highways and transportation should we double-down on in the next three years to meet the unfolding challenges of climate change as we look out to 2035 and beyond?The initiative has used foresight methods to explore future possibilities and track back to the present to determine our immediate priorities. There is a recognised need to double down on the conditions for change, the processes to drive change and the outcomes needed from change. Seven recommendations have resulted from this work. These address: (1) equipping professionals for climate action; (2) public-focused, positively-oriented storytelling; (3) demonstrating that transport decarbonisation is on track; (4) effective working between professionals and government; (5) reappraising appraisal to prioritise future wellbeing; (6) prioritising climate action in national transport strategies; and (7) pricing to address transport’s true costs to society.The report emphasises the challenge ahead and the extent of concern about climate change and its effects. It also highlights the determination of professionals to play their part in doubling down on climate action
Phenolic profile, fatty acid composition, and antioxidant activity of Italian Riesling grape pomace from two Transylvanian microclimates
Get PDFItalian Riesling is a grapevine (Vitis vinifera) cultivar widely grown in Transylvania vineyards. During the winemaking process, grape pomace (GP) is generated. This study aimed to exploit the potential of the Italian Riesling GP through its composition in polyphenols and fatty acids, as well as its antioxidant activity. Thus, two Italian Riesling GPs from two distinct Transylvanian microclimates (Crăciunelu de Jos and Ciumbrud) were analysed in terms of their phenolic and fatty acid composition and antioxidant activity while considering the influence of their respective microclimates. Every vineyard has unique geographical and meteorological characteristics that significantly influence grape production and consequently the structure of the resultant pomace. For example, Ciumbrud has a warmer, drier microclimate, whereas Crăciunelu de Jos has a colder, more humid environment. Biochemically, GP from Ciumbrud Italian Riesling grapes (RICI) contained greater amounts of gallic acid, total phenolic acids, and procyanidins and presented improved antioxidant activities, as reflected by DPPH˙, ABTS˙+, CUPRAC, and FRAP assays. RICI pomace also possessed a better fatty acid profile with higher oleic and linolenic acid levels, leading to a lower thrombogenicity index (TI) and a better PUFAω-6/PUFA ω-3 ratio. However, GP produced from Crăciunelu de Jos Italian Riesling grapes (RICR) possessed more catechin, epicatechin, epicatechin gallate, total flavanols, and higher COX values. The findings demonstrate that the two GPs have significant and distinct nutritional content, highlighting them as valuable resources for food consumption, providing benefits to consumers’ health
Prescribed performance resilient motion coordination with actor–critic reinforcement learning design for UAV-USV systems
Get PDFIn this paper, we develop a virtual vehicle scheme to solve the coordination control problem under denial-of-service (DoS) attacks for heterogeneous vehicles. This system includes an unmanned surface vessel (USV) in distress, sharing kinematic data, and a helicopter receiving data from the latter through wireless communication. Specifically, we carefully develop an estimator to model the unmeasurable states of the USV in the presence of DoS attacks. The virtual vehicle concept is then utilized to generate a velocity reference output for the helicopter to follow. To achieve preset tracking performances, the cascade structure of the helicopter is exploited, where the backstepping control strategy is used via a barrier Lyapunov function. To handle input constraints, auxiliary systems are built to bridge the association between input saturation errors and performance constraints. Furthermore, to mitigate the saturation effect of bounded inputs and model uncertainties in the attitude dynamics, a fixed-time reinforcement learning (FT-RL) control algorithm is designed according to actor-critic strategy. Stability analysis is thoroughly studied with the help of Lyapunov stability where sufficient conditions for the whole closed-loop system have been obtained. Numerical simulations have been shown to validate the proposed coordination strategy
Exploring participant generated examples of social change: A two-stage, mixed methods, Delphi study
No full textMany of the critical challenges facing our world, especially concerning the climate and ecological emergencies, require social change. Community psychology has a longstanding relationship with social change, but our focus on it, frameworks around it, and ability to bring it about varies. This two-stage, mixed methods, Delphi study explores participant generated examples of and responses to social change to help refocus our praxis at this time. The study gathered both participant generated examples of social change (stage 1, n=190) and ratings of them (stage 2, n=232) in terms of significance and valence. A thematic analysis of the 52 examples from stage 1 produced four themes: i. Legal protections, rights, and equality; ii. Technological impacts; iii. Global and domestic political events and governance; and iv. Societal beliefs and behaviour. In stage 2, all 52 examples were viewed by participants as being significant. While most were viewed as positive, eight were neutral and six, negative. Meaningful differences were found between average scores across themes in terms of significance and valence. The discussion highlights the broad range of social changes, and their significance and valence variations. It then explores how these findings might build the potential contribution of community psychology in the arena of progressive social change against a global backdrop that needs such changes more than ever
Planning and Facilitating Group Learning
No full textThis is an innovative text for teacher educators exploring detailed research and information that novice teachers need to know about group work in school settings. There is more to learn about group work than simply sitting children together and letting them get on with it! Group work across schools is very common and trainee teachers will step into classrooms where small groups are a predominant structure. Research has suggested that there is a great deal more to understand about group work, however there is a tacit presumption in ITE that trainee teachers will simply pick up the expertise associated with organising and managing group work. This book aims to fill in the gaps and educate trainee teachers on the subtleties and complexities of group work to ultimately make their teaching more impactful and effective.In this accessible and informative guide, the authors delve into the existing research on how children learn in collaborative groups and what trainee teachers need to learn and understand about planning and executing group learning. It examines the skills teacher educators should aim to develop in pre-service teachers to help them build expertise in this important area. Following other books within the series, this book is packed with case studies and opportunities for critical thinking
Postnatal bedsharing advice, risk and exploitation: A feminist analysis
No full textBreastfeeding is beneficial to babies and mothers. Postnatal bedsharing is evidenced to support breastfeeding and maternal wellbeing. Advice against bedsharing creates a barrier to breastfeeding. It also frames women as an inherent risk to their baby, something statistically untrue in the absence of known risk factors. Women are advised to both breastfeed, and to not bedshare, which sets up a contradiction. Telling mothers they are simultaneously a risk to, and a resource for, the baby, can lead to exhaustion, shame, confusion and difficulties breastfeeding. To investigate this seeming contradiction in UK breastfeeding and bedsharing advice I examine the risk discourse and Douglas' conception of risk and pollution. To explain why women's bodies are a site of contestation, and why some risks (overlaying) are amplified over others (lower breastfeeding rates or maternal exhaustion) I use radical materialist feminism. I argue that risk discourses and taboos around bedsharing are part of a patriarchal ontology of the sovereign individual which denies the intrinsic interdependence and relationality. Denying the centrality of the mother-baby dyad as a relation is part of the mechanism of exploitation of women. The bedsharing advice reduces the woman's subjectivity and agency, which is to the detriment of mothers and babies because their wellbeing is interdependent. The prevalence of bedsharing advice is explained by an ontology in which individuals are imagined as a risk and/or a resource to one another. The driving force is not the wellbeing and support of the dyad, but exploitation of women and re-enforcement of patriarchal logic. Women-centred feminist postnatal advice would better support the dyad. Advice against postnatal bedsharing positions women as a risk and resource, to the detriment of the mother-baby dyad and breastfeeding, and in service of patriarchal exploitation of women as a resource
Transylvanian grape pomaces as sustainable sources of antioxidant phenolics and fatty acids—A study of white and red cultivars
Get PDFGrape pomace (GP), a significant by-product of winemaking, is gaining increasing recognition for its potential as a source of bioactive compounds with antioxidant and cardioprotective properties. This study aimed to characterize the polyphenolic profile, fatty acid composition, and antioxidant activity of 17 GP samples from Transylvanian cultivars. Polyphenolic content was determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method and high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detection and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC–DAD–ESI MS) analysis. Fatty acid composition was analyzed using gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC–FID). Antioxidant capacity was assessed using five methods, which included the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging, 2,2′-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothialzoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical scavenging, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), and reducing power (RP) assays. Additionally, all extracts were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to identify the presence of functional groups and chemical bonds associated with bioactive compounds. The results showed that Neuburger (NE), Radames (RA), and Regent (RE) cultivars had the highest phenolic concentrations, particularly of catechin, epicatechin, and procyanidin dimers. NE and Feteascǎ Regalǎ (FR) exhibited the greatest radical scavenging and electron transfer activities across multiple antioxidant assays. Rose Blaj (RB) and Astra (AS) displayed the most favorable fatty acid profiles, with high unsaturated-to-saturated fatty acid (UFA/SFA) and hypocholesterolemic-to-hypercholesterolemic fatty acid (H/H) ratios, as well as low atherogenicity (AI) and thrombogenicity (TI) indices, suggesting cardioprotective potential. Additionally, RB and NE cultivars also demonstrated a strong chelation of Cu2+ and Fe2+ ions, enhancing their antioxidant efficacy by mitigating metal-catalyzed oxidative stress. These findings underscore the potential of GP, particularly from NE, RB, RA, and AS cultivars, the last three of which were homologated in Transylvania at SCDVV Blaj, as valuable sources of health-promoting compounds for use in food, nutraceuticals, and other health-related applications
Meeting at the promised place
No full textA report on collaboration with Noriko Suzuki-Bosco of Winchester School of Art and curators Seiji Shinohara at Ashikaga Museum of Art and Akiko Takiguchi at Urawa Art Museum in Japan on a project Dialogue and Expansion: Spaces Created by Book Art, to open new conversations around artists' books. At the Promised Place "evokes a space - both real and imagined - where the works held in the Urawa Art Museum’s collection and those of UK book artists converge and begin to converse, transcending borders of language, culture, and geography. It is a site of resonance, of quiet discovery - where each viewer is invited to stand before the page and dream anew, to envision what “book art” might become in the landscape of their own imagination.