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Unfolding executive coaches' identity work through the social constructivist lens: coach–coachee–organisation
Get PDFThis study responds to a recent call on coaches' professional identity work through a socially contextualised lens. Coaches, as the freelancer, encounter complex working relationships with clients due to multiple contracting entities; yet coaches' identity work has been neglected in the extant training and development courses. A total of 36 semi-structured interviews with coaches and relational others (e.g., coachees and organisational stakeholders) were conducted to understand how coaches develop professional identity as part of their career development in responding to interactions with relational others. The research findings identify that learning facilitator is the core identity of coaches regardless of varied stages of the coaching process. Three layers of sub-identity are distinguished for them to handle a multi-level working relationship with clients. Coaches often ‘travel’ in-and-out between layers of these sub-identities to incorporate micro-personal career interests, meso coaching dyadic working relationships and the macro-level organisational scope into their identity development and negotiation. Accordingly, coaches' learning agility is required to remain identity flexibility for coping with varied coaching scenarios. This study outlines a conceptual framework which illustrates coaches' identity work as a conscious cognitive learning process embedded social and psychological exchanges. This framework offers coaching professional development courses a groundwork to facilitate coaches' identity development
Pre-Hispanic terrace agricultural practices and long-distance transfer of plant taxa in the southern-central Peruvian Andes revealed by phytolith and pollen analysis
Get PDFThe archaeological excavation of two abandoned prehispanic agricultural terraces (Infiernillo and Tocotoccasa) in the Chicha-Soras Valley (Apurimac) in southern-central Peru revealed the presence of palaeosols. The palaeosols represent soil that developed following construction of agricultural terraces during the Middle Horizon. The soil profiles at the current surface developed following reconstruction of the terraces during the Late Intermediate Period. Phytolith analysis revealed an unexpected presence of Arecaceae (palm family) and Marantaceae (arrowroot family) in both terraces, which has been attributed to local cultivation and/or transportation and use of soil, dung, plant material or implements (made of Arecaceae) on the terrace surfaces. Pollen analysis of a nearby wetland (Ayapampa) did not provide evidence for Arecaceae or Marantaceae. Both phytolith and pollen analysis of the terraces and wetland (respectively) indicated that Zea mays was cultivated locally during the Middle Horizon and Late Intermediate Period, although phytoliths of maize are absent from the wetland record during the Middle Horizon. The presence of Solanaceae and Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae pollen in the wetland may be indicative of cultivation of further important taxa during the Middle Horizon and Late Intermediate Period, which continued into the Late Horizon together with Zea mays
What does the agri-food systems transformation agenda mean for agricultural research organisations? Exploring organisational prototypes for uncertain futures
Get PDFAgricultural Research Organisations (AROs) are being urgently called to provide solutions for agri-food system transformation. However, contrasting visions of how transformation should be achieved create difficult choices for AROs. This paper reviews existing transformation narratives to build four scenarios of future AROs: 1. Industry transition-oriented; 2. Technology mission-oriented; 3. The Community innovation-oriented; and 4. Facilitating transformative innovation-oriented. Their analysis uncovers possible risks and trade-offs, and suggests the need for new hybrid organisational forms that incorporate elements from across the scenarios. Besides, the paper highlights that given the broad industry, policy, and societal interests of AROs, decisions about transformation pathways cannot be made unilaterally and without broader discussion around the future shape and aims of innovation systems in which these organisations are embedded
Portfolio management with alternative investments
No full textAlternative assets such as private equity, hedge funds, real estate and infrastructure now form a substantial part of the portfolios of institutional investors, with their popularity having increase very substantially over the past two decades. This is principally due to their perceived diversification benefits. However, the application of portfolio theory to portfolios which include alternative assets presents a number of problems, as they differ in some important ways from more traditional assets such as equities and bonds. Alternative assets usually have a highly non-normal returns distribution, and illiquid alternative assets such as real estate and hedge funds have smoothed measured returns, leading to positive autocorrelation and reduced variances and correlations. Therefore, reported returns are a biased measure of true returns and their riskiness. Since the application of portfolio theory requires forecasts of returns, variances and correlations, the estimation errors for alternative assets are generally larger than for equities and bonds. These issues of non-normality and smoothed reported returns mean that the use of portfolio theory to form portfolios including alternative assets may not lead to an improved performance, and a few studies have found that adding alternative assets to portfolios of equities and bonds can have a negative effect on performance
Filtering dynamical systems using observations of statistics
No full textWe consider the problem of filtering dynamical systems, possibly stochastic, using observations of statistics. Thus, the computational task is to estimate a time-evolving density (p(v,t) given noisy observations of the true density p†; this contrasts with the standard filtering problem based on observations of the state v. The task is naturally formulated as an infinite-dimensional filtering problem in the space of densities p. However, for the purposes of tractability, we seek algorithms in state space; specifically, we introduce a mean-field state-space model, and using interacting particle system approximations to this model, we propose an ensemble method. We refer to the resulting methodology as the ensemble Fokker–Planck filter (EnFPF). Under certain restrictive assumptions, we show that the EnFPF approximates the Kalman–Bucy filter for the Fokker–Planck equation, which is the exact solution to the infinite-dimensional filtering problem. Furthermore, our numerical experiments show that the methodology is useful beyond this restrictive setting. Specifically, the experiments show that the EnFPF is able to correct ensemble statistics, to accelerate convergence to the invariant density for autonomous systems, and to accelerate convergence to time-dependent invariant densities for non-autonomous systems. We discuss possible applications of the EnFPF to climate ensembles and to turbulence modeling
The importance of an informed choice of CO2-equivalence metrics for contrail avoidance
Get PDFOne of the proposed ways to reduce the climate impact of civil aviation is rerouting aircraft to minimise the
formation of warming contrails. As this strategy may increase fuel consumption, it would only be beneficial if the climate impact reduction from the avoided contrails exceeds the negative impact of any additional carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted by the rerouted flight. In this study, we calculate the surface temperature response of almost half-a-million flights that crossed the North Atlantic sector in 2019 and compare it to the temperature response of hypothetical rerouted flights. The climate impacts of contrails and CO2 are assessed through the perspective of CO2-equivalence metrics, represented here as nine
combinations of different definitions and time horizons. We estimate that the total emitted CO2 and the persistent contrails formed will have warmed the climate by 17.2 μK in 2039, 13.7 μK in 2069, and 14.1 μK in 2119. Under an idealised scenario where 1% additional carbon dioxide is enough to reroute all contrail-forming flights and avoid contrail formation completely, total warming would decrease by 4.9 (−28%), 2.6 (−19%), and 1.9 (−13%) μK in 2039, 2069, and 2119, respectively. In most rerouting cases, the results based on the nine different CO2-equivalence metrics agree that rerouting leads to a climate benefit, assuming that contrails are avoided as predicted. But the size of that benefit is very dependent on the choice of CO2-equivalence metrics, contrail efficacy and CO2 penalty. Sources of uncertainty not considered here could also heavily influence the perceived benefit. In about 10% of rerouting cases, the climate damage resulting from contrail avoidance indicated by CO2-equivalence metrics integrated over a 100-year time horizon is not predicted by metrics integrated over a 20-year time horizon. This study highlights, using North Atlantic flights as a case study, the implications of
the choice of CO2-equivalence metrics for contrail avoidance, but the choice of metric implies a focus on a specific climate objective, which is ultimately a political decision
The effect of Asparagopsis taxiformis, Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus vesiculosus on ruminal methanogenesis and metagenomic functional profiles in vitro.
Get PDFThe ruminant-microorganism symbiosis is unique by providing high-quality food from fibrous materials but also contributes to the production of one of the most potent greenhouse gasses - methane. Mitigating methanogenesis in ruminants has been a focus of interest in the past decades. One of the promising strategies to combat methane production is the use of feed supplements, such as seaweeds, that might mitigate methanogenesis via microbiome modulation and direct chemical inhibition. We conducted in vitro investigations of the effect of three seaweeds (Ascophyllum nodosum, Asparagopsis taxiformis, and Fucus vesiculosus) harvested at different locations (Iceland, Scotland, and Portugal) on methane production. We applied metataxonomics (16S rRNA gene amplicons) and metagenomics (shotgun) methods to uncover the interplay between the microbiome’s taxonomical and functional states, methanogenesis rates, and seaweed supplementations. Methane concentration was reduced by A. nodosum and F. vesiculosus, both harvested in Scotland and A. taxiformis, with the greatest effect of the latter. A. taxiformis acted through the reduction of archaea-to-bacteria ratios but not eukaryotes-to-bacteria. Moreover, A. taxiformis application was accompanied by shifts in both taxonomic and functional profiles of the microbial communities, decreasing not only archaeal ratios but also abundances of methanogenesis-associated functions. Methanobrevibacter “SGMT” (high methane yield) to “RO” (low methane yield) clades ratios were also decreased, indicating that A. taxiformis application favored Methanobrevibacter
species that produce less methane. Most of the functions directly involved in methanogenesis were less abundant, while the abundances of the small subset of functions that participate in methane assimilation were increased
Echocardiography for Assessment of Cardiac Hypertrophy in Mice
Get PDFBackground: Multiple diseases, including hypertension, induce stress on the heart,
causing cardiac hypertrophy and eventually heart failure. Associated with these disease
states are altered protein interactions, which modify cardiac function. Hypertension is
estimated to affect 1.28 billion adults worldwide, with heart failure affecting 64 million
people. While preclinical models exist and are used in research, they often focus on late-stage hypertension. This thesis presents a series of studies for which a standardised
echocardiography protocol was developed to assess the roles of different proteins in the
early stages of hypertension-induced cardiac pathology. Aims: To develop a robust,
standardised and reproducible in vivo assessment of the effect of early-stage
hypertension on the hearts of mouse models. This protocol must adhere to the principles
of replacement, reduction, and refinement in animal research. These studies aim to show
that it is possible to study the effects of early-stage hypertension on cardiac function and
protein signalling. This would provide insights into how alterations in protein signalling
contribute to the pathology before significant illness occurs. Methods: An in vivo
echocardiography protocol was developed and performed on genetically altered mouse
models (e.g., STRN, STRN3, PKN2) and their wild-type (WT) littermates, or through
pharmacological inhibition in C57BL/6J mice (e.g. the effect of dabrafenib targeting
BRAF). The protocol was used to assess the effect of AngII treatment on cardiac function,
cardiac dimensions and arterial blood flow. AngII-induced hypertension causes
haemodynamic overload of the heart which induces cardiac hypertrophy.
Echocardiography was performed twice before treatment (for baseline normalisation) and
sequentially post-AngII administration until the end of the experiment-specific timeline.
After the final echocardiography session, tissues were harvested for biochemical and
histological analysis. Results: Three papers are presented in this thesis, summarised by
the following results. Echocardiography provided insights into the differential roles of
STRN, STRN3, and PKN2 genetically altered mice in the cardiac adaptation to AngII-induced hypertension. For the STRN/STRN3 and PKN2 studies, the global heterozygote
offspring were successfully produced and appear phenotypically normal. However,
homozygote gene deletion was embryonic lethal, suggesting a compensatory mechanism
in the heterozygous mice. Consistent with this, the effects of gene deletion or inhibition
appeared to have a minimal effect at baseline. However, under stress, each study
demonstrated that the genes are required for the heart to adapt. Since the global model
affected all cardiac cells other than just cardiomyocytes, it was not clear if these genes
were significant in cardiomyocytes themselves. Conditional cardiomyocyte-specific
knockouts were successfully generated and applied to demonstrate that these genes play
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a significant role in cardiomyocyte adaptation to AngII-induced hypertension.
Echocardiography also helped identify the cardioprotective effects of RAF inhibition by
dabrafenib against AngII-induced hypertrophy. Conclusion: Overall, this thesis
contributes to the understanding of protein kinase signalling pathways in cardiac
remodelling. It demonstrated that early-stage hypertension-associated cardiac
hypertrophy can be assessed, providing insights into potential novel therapeutic
interventions. Each chapter demonstrates the importance of echocardiography for the
non-invasive assessment of these models. Exploring echocardiography, histology and
biochemical analysis further will uncover the full implications of these pathways in the
heart
Woyane women: Tigrayan women’s lives in war, 1974-2022
No full textThis thesis is an interdisciplinary analysis of women’s lives in war in Tigray, Ethiopia. Through
thirty-nine original oral history interviews, it argues that women’s gender identities and roles have
been redesigned through their consuming participation in war over the past fifty years. It disrupts
artificial distinctions between periods of war and post-war for Tigrayan women, demonstrating
that their lived experiences reveal a gendered continuum of violence, peaking and troughing, but
ever-present in women’s personal lives. Through critical analysis of memory, it unpacks the
temporality and spatiality of women’s experiences of war, foregrounding their diverse
participation from beyond the battlefield to challenge the emphasis in conflict studies on armed
actors. It argues that by paying emphatic attention to women’s engagement in war from
‘peripheral’ spaces – in non-armed roles, as militarised civilians, as refugees and diaspora activists
– we can radically rethink the concept of a digital warscape in contemporary conflicts. Drawing
on art, poetry, songs and alternative archival sources from humanitarian actors alongside new oral
histories, this research explores how women frame love and joy as political work, choosing to
perform feminine articulations of resistance and, critically, self-identifying as participants in war
despite non-combatant status. It maps the dynamic roles women have occupied in conflict in
Tigray, addressing the pervasive sidelining of women’s voices in collective discourse by centring
non-exceptional women’s experiences and memories.
This thesis bridges the 1974-1991 civil war in Ethiopia and the 2020-2022 Tigray War to
methodologically disrupt discrete analysis of the interrelated conflicts in women’s lives. It offers
an intervention in the masculine-coded field of war studies through feminist oral history practice,
unpacking layers of memory in women’s narration of past violence through the lens of the present.
This approach allows this thesis to offer an original perspective on the legitimation of women’s
engagement in war, examining the legacies of maternal militancy in Tigray alongside the
reconstruction of binary conflict roles in public memory. It explores intergenerational solidarities
between Tigrayan women negotiating their positions in war, and how cultural constructions of age
and ethnicity are given meaning through conflict engagement. Ultimately, this thesis reorients the
narrative of war in Tigray to actively prioritise women’s voices, contributions, memories,
emotions, and complex identities. In doing so, it argues that their existence is not contiguous to
the history of conflict in the region, but an essential aspect of every facet of it
The moral component of fighting power in the British Army Reserve: a qualitative study
Get PDFThe UK’s Army Reserve has undergone significant investment and transformation over the
last decade under Future Reserves 2020; it now represents around 30% of the UK’s land
forces. However, Reservists have legally enshrined options to defer or avoid mobilisation for
permanent service. This could undermine the Army’s ability to deliver soldiers for
operations. This potential is examined through an analysis of an under-researched
cornerstone of British military doctrine, the Moral Component of Fighting Power, analogous
to the academically contested concept of ‘morale’. Having operationalised the Moral
Component, this thesis examines Army Reserve policy and strategy, as well as two
autoethnographic case studies that illustrate precedent, to understand the demand on the
organisation and the ideal-typical reservist. It then presents qualitative evidence from Focus
Groups to argue that the Army Reserve has a Moral Component of Fighting Power
characterised by Fighting Spirit, Pride and a Spiritual Foundation. Despite a drive toward
professionalisation, the bonds between Reserve soldiers remain primarily social. The
evidence suggests that the Moral Component is moderately well aligned with the needs of
the organisation regarding the relationship between soldier and Army, but it may struggle
where relationships with families and employers impinge upon military
Service. Thematically, the Moral Component presents as more intrinsically than extrinsically
influenced and might be diminished where the Army is perceived to undervalue reservists’
contribution, especially through administrative failings and short notice demands. In
summary, this study finds that the Army Reserve has met the demands placed on it, in part
by ensuring its operational aspirations do not exceed the availability of its soldiers. In
presenting these findings, this thesis expands upon the existing literature on the Army
Reserve and the Moral Component of Fighting Power and examines the prospects for the
organisation in a new epoch of policy and strategy: Reserve Force 2030