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‘I so wanted to be English’: constructing identity and belonging in the diaries and memoirs of Kindertransport refugees
No full textThis article examines how three Kindertransport refugees negotiated notions of identity and belonging throughout their lives. By focusing on the unpublished testimony of Ruth Balint and the diary-memoir narratives of Edith Bown-Jacobowitz and Elisabeth Orsten, this research highlights the complexities of identity formation in the face of exile and displacement. The findings show that belonging transcended national frameworks, manifesting itself in multifaceted attachments to places, communities, religious practices, and social connections that evolved continuously over time. The comparative methodology of analysing both contemporary diary entries and retrospective memoirs written by the same individual highlights processes of memory and identity construction, while also illuminating discrepancies that emerge through temporal distance and changing perspectives. The testimonies demonstrate that Kindertransport refugees were not passive recipients of rescue, but active agents who renegotiated hybrid identities throughout their lifetimes, often developing various attachments. This research contributes to Kindertransport scholarship by revealing how the trauma of displacement manifested itself not just through geographical relocation but as psychological fractures that influenced identity formation well beyond the immediate refugee experience, creating what many experienced as a perpetual cultural limbo that challenges conventional narratives of successful integration or assimilation
Sexualities of trans and non-binary people during transition, a narrative synthesis implementing a post-humanist framework
Get PDFBackground
Sexualities are considered a relevant factor to one’s wellbeing. However, research has often fragmented sexualities into discrete elements. Additionally, research within trans and non-binary (TNB) populations has historically been pathologizing. This systematic literature review is grounded in relational ontology, which prioritizes the interactions between elements, over the analysis of isolated identities
Aim
The aim of this review is to explore how the sexualities of TNB people change during transition and to understand their experiences of these changes.
Methods
The literature search was conducted using the databases Scopus, Ebsco, CHINAL Plus, Open Dissertations, and Google Scholar, employing search terms related to TNB sexualities and transition experiences. The review synthesized data from qualitative and mixed-methods studies. Despite some studies’ methodological limitations, the narrative synthesis provided a comprehensive examination of the subject.
Results
The review found that TNB people’s sexualities are fluid and contextually influenced, often undergoing significant changes during transition. These changes are shaped by complex interactions between individual, social, and relational factors.
Discussion
The findings highlight the need for further research using diverse methodologies and inclusive recruitment strategies to deepen the understanding of TNB sexualities. This research has implications for enhancing sexual health practices and policies to be more inclusive and supportive of TNB individuals, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of their sexual well-being
DuMES: deep reinforcement learning based EV charging scheduling with dual-layer safety modules
No full textDeep reinforcement learning (DRL) has become a promising approach for electric vehicle (EV) charging scheduling. However, its practical deployment poses potential risks to power infrastructure. DRL relies on trial‐and‐error interactions during training to approximate optimal policies, which may lead to unsafe decisions. To address this, a novel framework called dual‐layer safety modules for EV charging scheduling (DuMES) is proposed. This framework introduces a decision‐level safety layer into the conventional DRL architecture that adaptively detects and replaces unsafe actions. Furthermore, by integrating dual safety layers with reward shaping, the framework promotes convergence between raw and safe actions. This enhances training efficiency while ensuring power system stability during both training and deployment phases. The method was evaluated through simulation experiments on a charging station equipped with renewable energy and energy storage system (ESS). Comparative analyses with baseline methods demonstrate that DuMES effectively satisfies user charging demands, reduces operational costs and ensures compliance with safety constraints
Short communication: Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Babesia spp. in ixodid ticks infesting red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Great Britain
Get PDFRed foxes (Vulpes vulpes) are found throughout the United Kingdom (UK), and can reach high population densities in urban areas. They are often infested with ticks which may carry tick-borne pathogens, leading to a risk of transmission to domestic animals and humans. This study investigated the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in ticks sourced from red fox carcasses across Great Britain between 2018 and 2022. Tick species were identified using morphological keys and molecular barcoding, followed by specific pathogen testing using PCR. In total, 227 ticks were collected from 93 foxes. Pooling (n = 2) was undertaken for unengorged nymphs from the same tick species and fox host, with 203 homogenates tested in total (24 pools and 179 individual ticks). Ixodes hexagonus was the most abundant tick species sampled (73 %), of which 59 % were nymphs and 41 % were females. Less common were Ixodes ricinus (12 %) and Ixodes canisuga (15 %), the majority of which were females (73 % and 91 %, respectively). One Ixodes sp. larva was identified. Babesia DNA was identified in seven individual ticks and once in pooled ticks (n = 2); seven detections were in I. hexagonus and one in I. canisuga, with an overall detection rate of 7 % (95 % CI: 6 - 8 %). Sequence analysis confirmed that all Babesia detections in I. hexagonus were Babesia vulpes, with detection of Babesia Badger Type A in I. canisuga. Screening for Anaplasma phagocytophilum DNA through amplification of the msp2 gene yielded an overall detection rate of 4 % (detected in I. hexagonus only). Louping ill virus was not detected by qRT-PCR in any tick RNA tested. The majority of pathogen detections were in ticks from red foxes in rural areas of the UK, although a small number of Babesia detections were in ticks collected from semi-rural or urban red foxes. Additionally, B. vulpes was detected in GB red fox tissues, suggesting a potential role as a reservoir host. This study confirms the detection of tick-borne pathogens in ticks infesting UK red foxes and highlights the involvement of GB tick species in animal or human disease transmission
Comparing 5D BIM costs: stilt housing against conventional housing for flood management
Get PDFPurpose: Sustainable and resilient infrastructure (SRI) projects aim to reduce flooding impacts and
improve community adaptability. For instance, flood-resistant stilts elevate structures, mitigating flood
damage. Comprehensive consideration is crucial when adding elements to housing projects, incurring
costs for all involved parties. This study assesses concrete stilt viability for cost-effective flood
mitigation in Malaysian terrace housing.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The study evaluates cost implications through a comparative 5D
Building Information Modeling (BIM) cost analysis of stilted and conventional (standard) housing
models. This assesses the percentage increase in total cost. Furthermore, a survey of construction
professionals was undertaken. The study utilized the online convenience and stratified sampling
techniques. Out of the 222 emails that were sent, 27 construction professionals located in Johor, Sabah,
and Selangor within Malaysia participated in the research survey. Their perspectives on stilt housing
prospects and factors for costing such structures were analyzed through the descriptive analysis using
SPSS.
Findings: The case study models revealed that the incorporation of stilts could lead to a 21.64% increase
in the overall cost per unit. This cost increase was primarily attributed to the additional reinforcement
required. However, the survey findings highlighted that a majority of construction professionals
perceived the cost increment to fall within the range of 10-20%. Consequently, it becomes imperative
to meticulously consider cost factors such as foundational requirements, staircases, and the extended
construction duration to effectively curtail expenditures. The prospect of heightened costs potentially
posing a threat to profit margins and discouraging developers necessitates careful financial
management. Notwithstanding these challenges, the survey’s insights underscored that professionals in
the construction industry indeed recognize the potential of stilt technology in the realm of flood
mitigation and management, particularly within housing projects.
Practical Implications: This research has significant practical implications. It provides a precise
financial contrast between housing categories using 5D BIM and incorporates construction experts’
viewpoints on raised housing. Enhanced design considerations for raised housing can make it
economically viable, offering a cost-effective, nature-based approach to flood mitigation. This approach
can bring substantial benefits to residents by reducing flood-related damages and enhancing community
resilience.
Originality: One of the notable aspects of this research is its originality. It employs a dual quantitative
methodology involving modeling and survey techniques to address its objectives effectively. This
approach contributes significantly to the relatively limited body of research focused on stilt housing and
the application of 5D BIM. By combining these methodologies, the study explores a relatively
uncharted area, making a valuable contribution to the field
Bankruptcy in the UK: do managers talk the talk before walking the walk?
No full textThis study examines whether managers employ annual report textual disclosures as a conduit to communicate the probability of future corporate bankruptcy or to intentionally mislead stakeholders owing to impression management incentives. We conduct various examinations around the information content of the tone conveyed by textual disclosures in unstructured UK annual reports and the probability of corporate bankruptcy. We document that firms that communicate a more net positive tone are associated with lower bankruptcy risk. Importantly, this association is found to be stronger for firms whose managers have a lower incentive to mislead investors owing to better board monitoring, stringent stock market regulation, and Big 4 audits. We also offer complementary evidence that firms conveying a more net positive tone exhibit higher future performance and earnings persistence, and lower future performance volatility. These firms are also less likely to exhibit extreme corporate policies and to receive a qualified auditor's opinion. Overall, this study sheds light on whether managers tend to inform or misinform (bury their heads in the sand) about corporate bankruptcy
The genomic landscape of 2,023 colorectal cancers
No full textColorectal carcinoma (CRC) is a common cause of mortality 1 , but a comprehensive description of its genomic landscape is lacking 2–9 . Here we perform whole-genome sequencing of 2,023 CRC samples from participants in the UK 100,000 Genomes Project, thereby providing a highly detailed somatic mutational landscape of this cancer. Integrated analyses identify more than 250 putative CRC driver genes, many not previously implicated in CRC or other cancers, including several recurrent changes outside the coding genome. We extend the molecular pathways involved in CRC development, define four new common subgroups of microsatellite-stable CRC based on genomic features and show that these groups have independent prognostic associations. We also characterize several rare molecular CRC subgroups, some with potential clinical relevance, including cancers with both microsatellite and chromosomal instability. We demonstrate a spectrum of mutational profiles across the colorectum, which reflect aetiological differences. These include the role of Escherichia coli pks+ colibactin in rectal cancers 10 and the importance of the SBS93 signature 11–13 , which suggests that diet or smoking is a risk factor. Immune-escape driver mutations 14 are near-ubiquitous in hypermutant tumours and occur in about half of microsatellite-stable CRCs, often in the form of HLA copy number changes. Many driver mutations are actionable, including those associated with rare subgroups (for example, BRCA1 and IDH1 ), highlighting the role of whole-genome sequencing in optimizing patient care
Financial sentiment analysis: techniques and applications
No full textFinancial Sentiment Analysis (FSA) is an important domain application of sentiment analysis that has gained
increasing attention in the past decade. FSA research falls into two main streams. The first stream focuses on
defining tasks and developing techniques for FSA, and its main objective is to improve the performances of
various FSA tasks by advancing methods and using/curating human-annotated datasets. The second stream of
research focuses on using financial sentiment, implicitly or explicitly, for downstream applications on financial markets, which has received more research efforts. The main objective is to discover appropriate market
applications for existing techniques. More specifically, the application of FSA mainly includes hypothesis
testing and predictive modeling in financial markets. This survey conducts a comprehensive review of FSA
research in both the technique and application areas and proposes several frameworks to help understand
the two areas’ interactive relationship. This article defines a clearer scope for FSA studies and conceptualizes
the FSA-investor sentiment-market sentiment relationship. Major findings, challenges, and future research
directions for both FSA techniques and applications have also been summarized and discussed
What does power look like? Women heroes in digital action cinema
No full textThis chapter examines the commonalities between DC's and Marvel's first two solo female superhero movies. The chapter argues that Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel offer highly militarized visions of the solo female action hero, recuperating conventional notions of military power through their visual emphasis on ballistic weapons and jet flight, even as they signal their progressive anti-war and feminist credentials. Digital action cinema's ability to visualise its heroines in innovative ways is here constrained by the longstanding cultural ambivalence about women in possession of great power, and both films reach for conventionally masculinist tropes of military might, and of the fantasy of endless propulsion on which our patriarchal petro-culture has historically been founded. These films also locate whiteness as the seat of unimaginably extensive powers. At the same time, these films' narrativising of the challenges of retaining access to power and energy at least encourages a more critical stance on such issues. The chapter thus demonstrates the ongoing importance of being attentive to the ways in which fantasies of empowerment in cinema are designed and staged, and what this might tell us about wider sociopolitical and cultural contexts
Should philosophical reflection on ethics do without moral concepts?
Get PDFRoger Crisp, in his book Reasons and Goodness, argues in favour of de-moralizing our philosophical reflection on ethics. This paper begins by explaining what ‘de-moralizing’ means. Then the paper assesses Crisp’s argument for de-moralizing and puts forward arguments against de-moralizing