62880 research outputs found
Sort by
Contrasting the Penultimate Glacial Maximum and the Last Glacial Maximum (140 and 21 ka) using coupled climate–ice sheet modelling
Get PDFThe configuration of the Northern Hemisphere ice sheets during the Penultimate Glacial Maximum differed to the Last Glacial Maximum. However, the reasons for this are not yet fully understood. These differences likely contributed to the varied deglaciation pathways experienced following the glacial maxima and may have had consequences for the interglacial sea level rise. To understand the differences between the North American Ice Sheet at the Last and Penultimate glacial maxima (21 and 140 ka), we perform two perturbed-physics ensembles of 62 simulations using a coupled atmosphere–ice sheet model, FAMOUS-ice, with prescribed surface ocean conditions, in which the North American and Greenland ice sheets are dynamically simulated with the Glimmer ice sheet model. We apply an implausibility metric to find ensemble members that match reconstructed ice extent and volumes at the Last and Penultimate glacial maxima. We use a resulting set of “plausible” parameters to perform sensitivity experiments to decompose the role of climate forcings (orbit, greenhouse gases) and initial conditions on the final ice sheet configurations. This confirms that the initial ice sheet conditions used in the model are extremely important in determining the difference in final ice volumes between both periods due to the large effect of the ice–albedo feedback. In contrast to evidence of a smaller Penultimate North American Ice Sheet, our results show that the climate boundary conditions at these glacial maxima, if considered in isolation, imply a larger Penultimate Glacial Maximum North American Ice Sheet than at the Last Glacial Maximum by around 6 m sea level equivalent. This supports the notion that the growth of the ice sheet prior to the glacial maxima is key in explaining the differences in North American ice volume
Geometric isomerization of dietary monounsaturated fatty acids by a cis/trans fatty acid isomerase from Pseudomonas putida KT2440
Get PDFPseudomonas putida KT2440 encodes a defense system that rigidifies membranes by a cytochrome c-type cis/trans fatty acid isomerase (CTI). Despite its potential as an industrial biocatalyst for directly regulating the geometric isomerism of monounsaturated fatty acids, its original catalytic and structural properties have remained elusive. In this study, the catalytic nature of wild-type CTI purified P. putida KT2440 against dietary monounsaturated fatty acids was investigated. It showed substrate preference for palmitoleic acid (C16:1, cis-Δ9), along with substrate promiscuity with chain length and double bond position (palmitoleic acid>cis-vaccenic acid>oleic acid). Under determined optimum reaction conditions, its catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) was evaluated as 5.13 × 102 M–1·sec–1 against palmitoleic acid. Furthermore, computational predictions of the protein structure revealed its monoheme cytochrome c-type domain and a parasol-like transmembrane domain, suggesting its catalytic mode of action. For effective cis/trans isomerization, the ethylene double bond of monounsaturated fatty acids should be precisely positioned at the heme center of CTI, indicating that its substrate specificity can be determined by the alkyl chain length and the double bond position of the fatty acid substrates. These findings shed light on the potential of CTI as a promising biocatalyst for the food and lipid industry
Improving the reliability of cohesion policy databases
Get PDFIn this contribution, we present an innovative data-driven model to reconstruct a reliable temporal pattern for time-lagged statistical monetary figures. Our research cuts across several domains regarding the production of robust economic inferences and the bridging of top-down aggregated information from central databases with disaggregated information obtained from local sources or national statistical offices. Our test bed case study is the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The application we discuss deals with the reported time lag between the local expenditures of ERDF by beneficiaries in Italian regions and the corresponding payments reported in the European Commission database. Our model reconstructs the timing of these local expenditures by back-dating the observed European Commission reimbursements. The inferred estimates are then validated against the expenditures reported from the Italian National Managing Authorities (NMAs) in terms of cumulative monetary difference. The lower cumulative yearly distance of our modelled expenditures compared to the official European Commission payments confirms the robustness of our model. Using sensitivity analysis, we also analyse the relative importance of the modelling parameters on the cumulative distance between the modelled and reported expenditures. The parameters with the greatest influence on the uncertainty of this distance are the following: first, how the non-clearly regionalised expenditures are attributed to individual regions; and second, the number of backward years that the residuals of the yearly payments are spread onto. In general, the distance between the modelled and reported expenditures can be further reduced by fixing these parameters. However, the gain is only marginal for some regions. The present study paves the way for modelling exercises that are aimed at more reliable estimates of the expenditures on the ground by the ultimate beneficiaries of European funds. Additionally, the output databases can contribute to enhancing the reliability of econometric studies on the effectiveness of European Union (EU) funds
Neither relational nor discrete: the ISDA master agreement as a bimodal contract
Get PDFRelational contract theory could, under English law, be considered simply that: an
academic theory, too impractical to implement and too imprecise to fulfil ambitions of
legal certainty. However, even in the face of subsequent judicial reluctance, the cases
of Yam Seng and Bates v Post Office have paved the way for this theoretical
construct to permeate practical considerations of commercial contract law. The theory
posits, inter alia, that there is a spectrum, at one end are discrete contracts, which are
simple exchanges, and at the other end are relational contracts, which depend not
only on the contract between the parties but on the relationship underpinning it.
The original contribution offered by this thesis is to offer a new category of contract -
the bimodal contract - centred around unpacking tangential comments made in the
relational contract literature that many contracts will contain both discrete and relational terms. By using the ISDA Master Agreement - an international, standard form agreement - as a case study, we can begin to understand some of the elements
which could be utilised as part of a discrete/relational contract spectrum analysis -
namely, the composition and intentions of the drafting party, the market in which the
agreement is used, and the technological developments being built to complement,
facilitate, and, in some cases, supplant traditional contract drafting and negotiation -
and how these elements can form part of a macro-level analysis, accompanying any
particular interpretative considerations around party or transactional context. From
this analysis, the aim is to understand where the ISDA Master Agreement fits on, and
to develop a broad framework for how to assess analogous standard-form agreements
within the concept of, the discrete/relational contract spectrum
World cinema and the ethics of realism
No full textThis chapter argues that an ethical engagement with material reality defines world cinema’s most creative peaks. After a survey of the debates surrounding the concepts of “world cinema,” “realism,” and “ethics,” it delves into the study of the consequences of realism within and beyond the realm of cinematic representation. Starting with one of Neorealism’s most iconic films, Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves (1948), it looks at the impression of reality that takes place majorly on the representational realm of verisimilitude and narrative suture, both heavily reliant on humanistic melodrama. In focus are films from Iran, China and Saudi Arabia, all of which draw on De Sica’s foundational masterpiece. It then goes on to define a physical approach to filmmaking through which presentation of reality takes the upper hand over representation, and cinema comes close to merging with real life – and real death. The analysis culminates in some radical examples from China’s independent production, in which the effort towards the decentering of the human being takes the extreme form of self-sacrifice. Setting these trends within a context marked by convergent tropes and recurrent motifs, the chapter proposes realism as an ethical commitment to truth, which binds together peoples across the globe
Ataques nas escolas no Brasil: pesquisa descritiva sobre as características dos incidentes ocorridos entre 2001 e 2024
Get PDFUtilizando um protocolo de coleta de dados de fontes abertas, o artigo examina as características dos ataques em escolas no Brasil entre 2001 e 2024, discutindo semelhanças e diferenças com outros eventos internacionais. A pesquisa ressalta a importância de estudar os ataques nas escolas como uma forma distinta de violência
“Unleash your inner beauty”: a mixed-methods analysis of gendered constructions of a healthy body in popular health and lifestyle magazine ads
No full textIn response to the increasing pressures to attain a healthy body in the contemporary neoliberal
society, this study seeks to investigate the constructions of healthy corporeality as circulated in
cosmetics and food advertising in two of the most popular global health and lifestyle magazines
Women’s Health and Men’s Health published locally in the UK and Poland between 2014-
2021. I am particularly interested in evaluating the extent to which the promoted healthy body
ideals are gendered, that is, perpetuate stereotypical associations around masculinity and
femininity, and whether any changes could be observed in the studied period.
A novel mixed-method approach, which combines 3 interrelated methods, has been adopted to
investigate the issues in question in a systematic empirical manner. First, a Content Analysis
(CA) of all adverts identified in the magazines is performed to establish the significance of
cosmetics and food. Since adverts are multimodal aggregates, the principles and techniques of
a Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) are employed to investigate the visual
representations of the female and male body ideals. To address the textual dimension of
adverts, a Corpus-Assisted Discourse Studies (CADS) approach is used to investigate these
representations in and through language. Finally, an in-depth Multimodal Discourse Analysis
(MDA) of the most prominent type of cosmetics and food adverts is carried out to demonstrate
how both textual and visual resources interact in truly multimodal ways to construct and
disseminate corporeal ‘templates’ and assess the extent to which they are influenced by and
perpetuate gender stereotypes. To add a critical lens for data interpretation, this study is
supported by the principles of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), which acts as an overarching
conceptual framework.
The findings that emerged from all four stages have shown that the cosmetics and food
advertising in the studied health and lifestyle magazines, and moreover in both the UK and
Polish versions, tends to create and reinforce global/universal corporeal ideals that are
grounded in what is stereotypically associated with hegemonic femininity and masculinity. For
example, the CA analysis revealed that not only cosmetics but now also food serves as a vehicle
for gendering, promoting different products depending on the gender of the magazine audience,
such as ‘beauty’ supplements and food for infants/children only promoted in WH and red meat
and alcohol used in MH. Gendering also emerged from the MDA and CADS analyses, where
it was observed that cosmetics and food adverts portray the female body predominantly as
young, thin, and White, and the male body as a mesomorph, especially in the food adverts
where its portrayal became bodybuilder-like. The CADS analysis further revealed the
increasing neoliberal importance of self-maintenance of female and male corporeal health,
which presently also extends to appearance and should be self-maintained not only through the
consumption of cosmetics but now also food. Furthermore, from a novel perspective, this
analysis also demonstrated how gendering occurs through scientific discourse, such as that of
health claims, linking women and men with their stereotypical gender roles and behaviours.
Despite the prevalence of gendered discourses, the studied magazine adverts have also
demonstrated some advances in equality and occasional focus on inclusivity and bodily
positivity. Among these were the increasing portrayal of female muscularity and the ambiguous
sexuality of the male body. Finally, the in-depth multimodal analysis presented meshing of
feminine/masculine hegemony with the liberation and/or empowerment of women and men
from their gendered roles, which indicates an expansion of, rather than liberation from,
hegemonic values. The study also revealed differences between the UK and Polish contexts.
For example, while the UK magazines demonstrated an increase in racial diversity, the Polish
magazines projected ‘Whiteness’ as a measure of ‘Polishness’. Importantly, neither of the
magazines expanded beyond the gender binary to acknowledge the diverse sexual and gender
(LGBTQIA+) identities.
This study makes the following novel contributions to the field of language and gender. First,
it offers a new systematic and replicable mixed-methods framework to study large and diverse
‘multimodal’ datasets, such as adverts. Second, it is one of the first attempts to thoroughly
examine gendered bodily ideals in a hitherto neglected area which has become crucial in the
increasingly neoliberal society, namely the food industry. Third, it provides deeper insights
into ‘glocalised’ gendered corporeality in the post-communist conservative Poland, where
research on gender in advertising is still in a developmental stage.
Given how unrealistic and unattainable the standards set for both female and male body ideals
are, the continuous exposure to these ideals could lead to an increase in negative body image
and associated disordered behaviours. Consequently, the findings from this study stress the
need for media literacy and continuous critical scrutiny of advertising more broadly
Optimising precision agriculture choices for arable farmers in Germany and the UK: the LINKDAPA approach
Get PDFFarmer adoption of so-called Precision Agriculture (PA) or ‘smart’ technologies in the arable sector has grown in the last few decades with a focus on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and variable rate technologies (VRT). This has led to increased generation of large volumes of data about fields and their crop yields which could be used to increase the environmental and financial performance for farmers. However, survey results show that cost and adaptability have been issues for many farmers in the UK and Germany that have held back such adoption. The LINKDAPA (LINKing multi-source Data for Adoption of Precision Agriculture) project's approach sought to minimise both concerns by creating a customisable web platform that incorporates both GNSS and VRT into one, easy to use, affordable option for farmers. The project developed an online cloud-based decision support tool which takes into account different fertiliser strategies based on novel algorithms using soil, historic yield and satellite data. Co-created by researchers, farmers and agricultural technology firms, the LINKDAPA approach offers both economical and easy to implement solutions for farm management to mitigate resource loss-ratios such as in fertiliser use, provide financial performance analyses, and multi-year graphical imagery for soil mapping
Exploring flexible working practices and the digital divide in a post-lockdown era
Get PDFPurpose – This paper explores flexible working practices (FWPs) and takes a critical view that argues a need to
consider not only access to digital technological resources but also the vast array of factors that constrain one’s
ability to use technology for its intended benefits, as constituting the digital divide post-COVID-19 lockdown.
Design/methodology/approach – Using a critical evaluation of the extant literature, we engage in a
conceptual undertaking to develop theoretical propositions that form the basis for future empirical
undertakings. To theoretically ground the arguments raised, we deploy the ontological lens of actor-network
theory to illuminate the socio-technical dimensions of the digital divide in light of FWPs.
Findings – Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to adopt socially distanced work practices has become a
reality for many organisations.We find that the adoption of FWPs, enabled by digital technologies, simultaneously
signals hidden inequalities. We also develop a conceptual framework which depicts user responses in different
technology environments that can either be limiting or enabling for individuals’ work productivity.
Originality/value – With regards to the digital divide, attention has often focused on access to digital
technologies, as the term “digital divide” portrays. The implication is that the array of factors and resources
that individuals are heterogeneously networked to, which also constitute the digital divide, is often taken for
granted. We take a different ontological view that brings to the fore other factors at play within an individual’s
network of relations.
Keywords Flexible working, Remote work, Digital divide, Lockdown, COVID-19, Technology environment
Paper type Conceptual pape
Is it corruption? An institutional logic approach to corruption study in Thailand
Get PDFCorruption is a universal problem, and one that is extremely difficult to eradicate. In
Thailand, corruption is rife, and despite various policy attempts by Thai government, there
remains no solution for alleviating this issue. The aim of this thesis is to understand the meaning
of corruption in Thai context and to recommend an appropriate plan that is suitable within that
context.
20 unstructured interviews were conducted on Thai business owners who shared their
lived experience of corruption, with an institutional logic perspective applied as the method of
analysis. The findings show that there are two prevalent justifications of corruption. First,
corruption get things done. Second, corruption is an act of caring. This study shows that
corruption holds different meanings in different contexts, and that to solve corruption, a
specific anti-corruption campaign, suitable to the aforementioned contexts, is required.
This approach helps examine the underlying principles and mechanisms through which
corruption becomes normalised. In addition, it also challenges the perception that corruption is
practised solely to maximise self-interest by showing that corruption, especially bribery, is not
exclusively done out of pure self-interest, but also out of empathy, gratitude, and responsibility
for one’s well-being