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Native identities after the crusades: the archaeology of ethnicity in medieval Prussia
No full textThis paper explores the transformation of native identities in Prussia following the Teutonic Order's crusades. The conquest of Prussian lands resulted in a new, composite society, where native Prussians coexisted with German and Polish migrants. Over time, cultural assimilation occurred, with native Prussians adopting the language, customs, and religion of the newcomers. Archaeological evidence provides valuable insights into the material dimensions of these transformations, drawing on the evidence of introduced ceramic technologies, burial practices and bodily adornments. The paper examines how material culture was used to maintain or blend ethnic identities and highlights the gradual Germanisation and Polanisation of native Prussian communities. In towns, native Prussians were defined by their religious identity as recent converts, whereas rural communities remained socially and culturally conservative, whilst adopting select elements of the migrant culture. The paper concludes by emphasising the need for further research to understand the nuanced identities of post-crusade Prussian societies, in particular archaeological studies of native rural settlements and biomolecular studies of skeletal remains from existing cemetery sites
Unlocking Islamic finance in Canada: supply-side barriers to innovation
Full text linkIslamic finance has emerged as a significant innovation in the global financial landscape,
offering ethical and Shariah-compliant alternatives to conventional financial products.
Despite its remarkable growth worldwide and the increasing demand among Canada’s
diverse and expanding Muslim population, the development of Islamic finance within the
Canadian financial sector remains limited. This study addresses the critical gap between
market demand and institutional supply by examining the supply side barriers to innovation
that hinder the development and growth of Islamic finance in Canada.
Drawing on a qualitative phenomenological methodology (Moustakas, 1994), this research is
grounded in the barriers-to-innovation framework established by Das et al. (2018) and
supplemented by broader innovation theory. Twenty-two in-depth interviews were conducted
with senior executives and innovation leaders across Canadian banks, credit unions,
boutique firms, asset managers, and insurance companies. The analysis revealed a
complex, interconnected set of obstacles, such as organisational inertia and resistance to
change, risk aversion and perceived risk, complexity and cost of Shariah compliance, as well
as societal factors such as Islamophobia and reputational concerns. It was found that these
barriers are mutually reinforcing, creating self-perpetuating cycles that inhibit the growth of
Shariah-compliant products and services, even as evidence of unmet demand in Canada
persists.
The findings highlight that, while many barriers to Islamic finance mirror those encountered
in other financial contexts, the Canadian case is distinguished by challenges related to
perceived reputational risks and authenticity concerns, as well as fragmented community
engagement. This study provides actionable recommendations for financial institutions,
policymakers, and community stakeholders, including the development of internal expertise,
fostering executive sponsorship, regulatory harmonisation, and enhanced stakeholder
engagement. By addressing these barriers holistically, Canada’s financial sector can
advance innovation and financial inclusion, positioning itself as a leader in ethical and
diverse financial services.
This study makes a significant contribution to the academic literature on financial innovation
and Islamic finance in non-Muslim-majority countries. It offers an empirically grounded,
supply-side perspective on why Canada’s financial institutions have struggled to respond to
the growing demand for Islamic finance, and outlines pathways for overcoming these
challenges. This research has important implications for policy and practice, as well as future
research on inclusive financial innovation in Canada and comparable jurisdictions
Weather Rescue at Sea: recovering historical weather observations from 19th century British naval ships
Full text linkShip logbooks represent a critical source of historical meteorological data, providing valuable observations of barometric pressure, air temperature, sea surface temperature, wind force and direction, and other variables. Substantial quantities of these records are unavailable to climate science as they have not yet been transcribed. We present ‘Weather Rescue at Sea’, a citizen‐science project which transcribed millions of weather observations contained in 19th Century UK Royal Navy ship logbooks. We describe the logbook structure and weather observation‐taking instructions and discuss significant challenges with the translation of handwritten text into accurate data due to errors arising from ambiguous handwriting, historical terminology, and inconsistent metadata. We present the dataset and explore its spatio‐temporal characteristics. The corrected and quality‐assured datasets will enhance climate reanalyses and other historical reconstructions of the pre‐ and early industrial climate by providing more input meteorological data. Furthermore, we highlight emerging tools, such as AI‐driven transcription correction, and outline remaining challenges in fully leveraging these historical records to advance climate science
Energetically consistent rotated diffusion and lateral stirring surfaces in the ocean
Full text linkThe definition of isopycnal surfaces in the ocean has long remained ambiguous, complicating the parameterisation of subgridscale mixing in ocean models and rigorous development of isopycnic-coordinate frameworks. Here we show that balancing sources and sinks of subgridscale turbulent available potential energy (TAPE) constrains isopycnal surfaces to align with the Lorenz reference density (LRD) surfaces that define the reference state in APE theory. Building on this, comparisons in (S,) space confirm that LRD surfaces form the underlying physical basis for empirical approximately neutral surfaces ( and ), except in colder waters. In our theory, deviations from neutrality are the signatures of thermobaric forces rather than ‘errors’. Consequently, constructing rotated (Redi) diffusion tensors using neutral directions is unphysical, as it introduces spurious diapycnal mixing via the Veronis effect — particularly significant in the Southern Ocean. This highlights APE theory as a fundamental framework for developing energetically consistent ocean models and parameterisations, offering a pathway to reduce or eliminate artificial diapycnal mixing in ocean general circulation models (OGCMs)
Conditional demand for lottery-type stocks: information spillovers and asset prices comovement
Full text linkPrevious literature has shown that investors’ demand for lottery-type stocks is conditional on a number of factors, and that these stocks underperform in the long run compared to non-lottery-type stocks. We document that investors’ demand for lottery-type stocks is conditional on days with information spillovers. Specifically, on macroeconomic news days, the demand for lottery-type stocks depends on information content, and their prices more closely follow the market index movements. This comovement tends to persist on FOMC announcement days and for firms without overlapping earnings announcements. We provide an information-based theory to explain the empirical pattern
Augmenting competence in doctors: a biopsychosocial framework for conceptualisation, examination and implementation
No full textBackground: Doctors' health is imperative for competent practice. Although evidence-based
medicine advocates a biopsychosocial approach in patient-centred care, there is minimal
attention to the biopsychosocial determinants of doctors' competence or health behaviour
interventions targeted at augmenting competence. Dehydration can impair cognition; therefore,
this research examined hydration as a buffer for competent practice.
Aims: This thesis implemented a biopsychosocial approach to conceptualise doctor
competence and established the potential of mechanisms of change in an examination of
hydration as a dynamic biological buffer to augment competence.
Methods: This thesis applied a structured, triphasic design of 'Conceptualisation',
'Examination', and 'Implementation' to investigate hydration as a modifiable factor influencing
doctors' competent practice. It comprised four empirical studies: (1) an organisational case
study, (2) an observational study, (3) a qualitative interview study, and (4) a mixed-method
feasibility trial. These were underpinned by three non-empirical components: (1) a theoretical
literature review, (2) a systematic review of competence measures, and (3) intervention
development grounded in behavioural science. Furthermore, this thesis examined the
contextual significance of this research during a pandemic.
Results: Phase One found that multidimensional factors affect competence and proposed a
multi-factor framework for conceptualisation and measurement. Phase Two identified that on
shift dehydration was typical in doctors, with adverse effects on competence; the bidirectional
mechanisms were qualitatively identified through adapted health psychology models as
frameworks for behavioural examination. Phase Three specified health-protective mechanisms
of change for targeted occupationally relevant interventions to promote fluid intake; these
evidenced health-promotive effects.
Conclusions: This research highlights the impact of systemic context and the responsibility of
senior staff for imparting ethos and identity through their modelling of health behaviour.
Transdisciplinary recommendations are proposed to address the interrelationships between
competence and on-shift health-protective behaviour
Effectiveness of an integrated prevention programme (“JoyAge”) for depressive symptoms, anxiety, and loneliness in older adults in Hong Kong: a pragmatic quasi-experimental trial
Full text linkBackground
With population ageing and insufficient mental health workforce, there are huge treatment gaps for late-life depression. Real-world evidence of scalable preventive services is scarce. This study examines the effectiveness of an integrated selective and indicated prevention programme for late-life depression in a large group of older adults in Hong Kong.
Methods
This was a pragmatic quasi-experimental trial of a new service (“JoyAge”) for older people with risk factors for late-life depression or subsyndromal depressive symptoms. Participants were recruited and allocated, based on their district of residence, to receive JoyAge (N = 2975) or usual care (N = 441). The primary outcome was depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) at 12-month follow-up; secondary outcomes were anxiety symptoms (GAD-7) and loneliness (UCLA-3). Analyses were conducted in an intention-to-treat framework using mixed modelling, with subgroup analyses based on baseline depressive symptoms, and sensitivity analyses in a 1:1 (N = 422 each group) propensity score-matched sample.
Results
The JoyAge participants had a greater reduction in depressive symptoms over the 12-month period compared to those assigned to usual care (adjusted mean difference [AMD] = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.24–2.07, p < .001), similarly in anxiety symptoms (AMD = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.01–1.93, p < .001), and loneliness (AMD = 1.29, 95% CI = 0.98–1.60, p < .001). Results were similar in propensity-score matched analyses. Subgroup analysis showed that JoyAge was particularly effective among people with moderate to moderately severe symptoms and those with risk factors only.
Conclusions
Integrated late-life depression prevention can be effectively implemented at scale in rapidly ageing settings with a limited specialist mental health workforce. Economic analyses are needed to support further implementation
Unequal trajectories? An examination of L2 development in a higher education context in Mexico
No full textUnderstanding how second language (L2) proficiency develops in instructional settings remains a central concern within applied linguistics. This two-year longitudinal study examines English language development in a higher education context in Mexico, addressing key methodological and empirical gaps. We tracked L2 development—operationalised as changes in the TOEFL ITP® scores—across three time points and examined a wide range of variables, including the often-neglected factor of socio-economic status (SES). Results from linear mixed effects modelling and sensitivity analyses showed statistically significant, though small, gains in proficiency. Baseline proficiency emerged as a strong predictor of learning trajectories, with lower-proficiency students showing greater relative improvement. SES, contact with English, and age of onset were the most consistent predictors of L2 performance. Mediation analysis indicated that SES influences proficiency both directly and indirectly, primarily through contact with English. However, much of the SES effect remained unexplained, suggesting broader systemic influences. These findings shed light on hidden disparities in language education and offer insights for educational policy, highlighting the need to address structural barriers to equitable L2 development
The royal forest during the reign of Henry III, 1227-72
Full text linkThis thesis addresses a notable gap in the current historiography by presenting the first study of the
royal forest during the personal rule of Henry III (1227-72). While royal abuse of the forest system
generated significant political opposition during John’s reign (1199-1216) and resulted in the issue of
the Forest Charter in 1217, there has to date been no comprehensive study of the subsequent role
of the royal forest in the politics of Henry III’s personal rule. Historians have assumed that the royal
forest was an inevitable and ongoing source of conflict between the crown and the political
community. This thesis argues that this interpretation is the product of a disproportionate focus on
the judicial and revenue-raising functions of the royal forest. Consequently, historians have
interpreted Henry III’s actions concerning the royal forest primarily in terms of enforcement. The
thesis explores previously under-researched aspects of the operation of the royal forest system that
together challenge traditional interpretations. It emphasises the importance of the awards of royal
gifts from the forest and of privileges within its boundaries. These reflected the king’s deep piety,
operated as sources of patronage and were used to secure political and military support. The thesis
also challenges assumptions that revenue-raising was a primary function of the royal forest. It
further highlights the largely cautious approach taken by Henry’s governments to reform of the
management of the forest. The combined results emphasise the importance of concessionary
aspects of the crown’s approach in addition to the traditional focus on themes of enforcement. The
thesis argues that the effect of these concessionary actions was to soften hostility to the royal forest
across the political community to the extent that, when Henry’s rule was fundamentally challenged
in 1258, it was not viewed as a priority for reform as it had been in 1215