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What makes a ‘good’ coach? How stakeholder groups understand the virtues of a coach
Get PDFThis study explores the virtues needed to be a good coach. In contrast to the considerable
focus on competencies, there has been little discussion about what the character traits of a
coach should be. We therefore explored what key stakeholders in coaching understood about
the virtues of coaches. Experienced coaches and clients (predominantly from a workplace
context) were interviewed and the data analysed by reflexive thematic analysis. This identified
six virtues: wisdom, temperance, courage, loyalty, non-judgemental and attentive, which were
made up of 22 components. This provides a helpful framework for professional reflection and
the training and development of coaches, as well as future research
Effects of climate on leaf phenolics, insect herbivory, and their relationship in pedunculate oak (Quercus robur) across its geographic range in Europe
Get PDFAn increase in biotic interactions towards lower latitudes is one of the most consistent patterns in ecology. Higher temperatures and more stable climatic conditions at low latitudes are thought to enhance biotic interactions, accelerating biological evolution and leading to stronger anti-herbivore defences in plants. However, some studies report contradictory findings, highlighting the need for further investigation into the underlying mechanisms. We used a combination of field observations and feeding trials in controlled environments to investigate the effect of climate on chemical defences and insect herbivory in pedunculate oak ( Quercus robur L.) throughout most of its geographic range in Europe, while controlling for physical defences. The concentration of lignin, flavonoids, and total phenolics increased significantly with temperature, whereas both field herbivory and weight of spongy moth ( Lymantria dispar L.) larvae were negatively influenced by temperature. Lignin concentration positively influenced the weight of spongy moth larvae whereas it had no effect on field herbivory. We found no evidence of strong positive relationships between insect herbivory and larvae growth with leaf defences. Our study underscores the complexity of plant–herbivore interactions along climatic gradients and highlights the need for further research to disentangle these intricate relationships
Seaworthiness in the age of emerging technologies
No full textThis thesis examines the evolving concept of seaworthiness within the context of maritime law,
with a particular focus on the new challenges presented by the introduction of Maritime
Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) and the integration of advanced digital systems. As the
industry undergoes rapid and significant technological advancements, traditional legal doctrines
such as seaworthiness, which have historically ensured that vessels are sufficiently fit to encounter
ordinary perils of the seas, are increasingly at risk of falling short. These doctrines, which have long
served as a cornerstone of maritime law, are now facing pressures to adapt to a new era of
technological innovation.
The need for this examination arises from the urgent necessity to reevaluate and potentially expand
the concept of seaworthiness in order to address the unique and complex challenges posed by these
emerging technologies. While these innovations undeniably enhance operational efficiency and
offer numerous benefits to the maritime industry, they simultaneously introduce new and significant
risks, particularly in the realm of cybersecurity. These risks, which were not previously accounted
for under traditional legal frameworks, now demand careful consideration and the development of
new legal standards.
At the core of this thesis is the suggestion of introducing the concept of ‘cyber-worthiness,’ a novel
extension of the traditional seaworthiness doctrine. Cyber-worthiness briefly refers to a vessel’s
readiness and resilience against cyber threats. The thesis argues that in the digital age, ensuring a
vessel’s seaworthiness must include strong cybersecurity measures to guard against potential
disruptions that could endanger the safety and integrity of maritime operations.
The novelty of this thesis lies in its comprehensive approach to incorporating cyber-worthiness into
the existing legal framework of seaworthiness. While previous research has primarily focused on
the physical and human aspects of maritime safety, this thesis systematically address the impact of
cyber threats on seaworthiness and propose specific updates to maritime law. By bridging the gap
between traditional legal doctrines and modern technological challenges, this research offers legal
analysis and practical recommendations essential for maintaining the safety and legal compliance of
maritime operations in the digital era
TVFace: towards large-scale unsupervised face recognition in video streams
No full textRecent advances in deep learning have led to significant improvements in face recognition systems, but face clustering, particularly in video streams, remains a challenging problem. Current video face clustering approaches are primarily tailored for short-form content, such as movies and television shows, that features a limited number of face images and individuals. The few existing large-scale face datasets are derived from web images and do not effectively capture the complexities of the video domain. In view of these limitations, we present TVFace, the first large-scale dataset of face images extracted from long-form video content. TVFace has been sourced from public live streams of international news channels and contains a total of 2.6 million face images of 33 thousand individuals. To address the challenge of identity annotation in unstructured video streams, we design a semi-automatic annotation framework that combines unsupervised face clustering with human validation, ensuring scalable and high-quality labeling. TVFace is well suited to evaluate and advance face representation and identity classification components of face recognition systems across both image and video domains. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of TVFace in evaluating real-time person retrieval systems using a novel tree-search-based Hierarchical Retrieval Index tailored for online face clustering. In conclusion, our work centers around the preparation of TVFace, a dataset poised to reshape the landscape of face recognition in the video domain, making it a crucial resource for the research community
On the blockchain adoption in fisheries and aquaculture supply chains: an empirical study on Indian stakeholders' perceptions and the US consumer preferences for blockchain-enabled shrimp supply chain
Get PDFGlobal seafood supply chains are fragmented, complex, and non-transparent, resulting in a lack
of sufficient traceability and often raising concerns about their integrity. In such diverse supply
chains, several stakeholders lack an integrated view of the whole supply chain. This low
transparency creates various obstacles and intricacies related to food safety, security,
traceability, and verification practices. Among all kinds of seafood, shrimp is one of the most
traded and consumed products. However, complex shrimp supply chains often lack traceability,
and have noted frequent occurrences of contamination frauds and food safety incidents. India is
one of the top shrimp producers and exporters but frequently faces food safety concerns due to
banned antibiotic detection in exports. The lack of visibility in the Indian Shrimp Supply Chain
(ISSC) makes it challenging to address these concerns and comply with export standards,
affecting consumer trust. The existing literature shows a significant gap in exploring innovative
technology in ISSC solutions to address these challenges. Therefore, this thesis investigates the
adoption of Blockchain Technology (BT), which promises to offer end-to-end transparency and
trust with enhanced traceability in the ISSC. Thus, this thesis aims to explore ISSC stakeholder
views on BT adoption and investigate consumer preferences for BT traceable shrimps. First, we
conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with ISSC stakeholders to understand their
perceptions and opinions on the existing sector challenges, solutions, and benefits and costs of
BT adoption in ISSC. The findings revealed that most ISSC stakeholders are enthusiastic about
adopting BT, as it enhances transparency and visibility in the sector by providing immutable
and real-time data availability. Additionally, stakeholders agreed to accept higher initial costs,
which would eventually decrease as BT matures. Second, the US is the top shrimp market for
Indian shrimps, and thus, we used discrete choice experiments to study US consumers'
willingness to pay (WTP) for BT traceable shrimp. Our results indicate a high willingness of
shrimp consumers to pay a premium for BT-certified shrimp. Furthermore, we observed
heterogeneity among consumers, where young consumers from high-income groups with
children under 18 in households showed a higher WTP for BT-certified shrimp. Communication
messages with food safety benefits of BT noted the highest WTP. Lastly, consumers have shown
positive acceptance of and readiness for BT
Tree species selection for ecosystem services and resilience in agroforestry systems
Get PDFContext
Agroforestry systems have generated significant interest from research, policy and practice for their potential to deliver multiple ecosystem services alongside food production. However, information on tree species selection to maximise benefits and minimise risks is highly fragmented.
Objective
This study evaluates how tree species in agroforestry systems influence ecosystem services and resilience to climate change and biotic threats, focussing on a UK context.
Methods
A rapid literature review assessed 33 tree species and 17 attributes related to ecosystem services and resilience, selected with input from 28 stakeholders. We analysed correlations among attributes of tree species relating to ecosystem services and resilience and identified synergies and trade-offs. We used cluster analysis to define functional groups of tree species.
Results and conclusions
Nine species clusters were identified, each with distinct benefits and risks in terms of ecosystem services and resilience attributes. Taxonomically similar species tended to have similar ecosystem service and resilience attributes. Correlation analysis identified trade-offs between the value of tree species to wildlife and projected future range. We identify further research needs to understand and communicate the role of tree species selection for agroforestry systems, particularly with regard to soil-related factors such as acidification, nutrient and organic matter accumulation, and pollution mitigation.
Significance
Species selection at farm and local levels should be guided by local ecosystem service and resilience priorities alongside management objectives. At regional and national levels, we advocate for a taxonomically diverse range of species to support multifunctional, resilient agroforestry systems
The making of a movement (together): how climate activists perceive Greta Thunberg's leadership
Get PDFDrawing on the Social Identity Theory of Leadership, this study explores how Greta Thunberg's influence emerges through group processes where her leadership is sustained among climate activists by perceptions of one of us and doing it for us. Using a qualitative survey of 108 climate activists from the United Kingdom, Turkey and Sweden, we examine how these perceptions are constructed and maintained by climate activists across different socio‐political contexts. Although many activists view Thunberg as central to raising awareness and mobilising action, her leadership is seen as effective when it aligns with collective values and identity. Perceptions of her leadership are dynamic and shaped by her behaviour, rhetoric and evolving relationships with activists, media and political actors. Some participants expressed concern about her dominance in the public narrative and questioned her representativeness due to her privileged background (e.g., middle‐class White European). Notably, identity prototypicality (one of us) and advancement (doing it for us) were closely linked: Activists often cited the same actions or messages as evidence of both. Findings highlight the mutual influence of leadership and movement identity. Although prototypical leaders embody the movement's identity and facilitate collective agency, leaders who inspire mobilisation and organise collective actions for activists to enact their identity are perceived as more prototypical
Temporal variability of the Northern Infrared Aurora of Jupiter as captured by JWST
Get PDFWe present near‐infrared observations of the northern aurora of Jupiter using the NIRSpec
instrument on the James Webb Space Telescope, mapping emissions from H+
3 and CH4 across the polar region.
The data were acquired over a period of ∼4 hr, providing a temporally averaged view of these emissions. From
the H+
3 spectra we derive the temperature of the upper atmosphere and H+
3 ion densities. Temperatures are
elevated along the main auroral oval at both dawn and dusk, though the highest temperatures recorded were
poleward of the main oval at dawn, approaching 1500 K. The highest ion densities were observed dusk‐ward of
the main oval, closely correlating with the observed H+
3 radiance. Using overlapping individual observations (or
dithers) we investigate the temporal variability of the temperatures, which we found change too fast to represent
wholesale changes to the vertical temperature structure of the upper atmosphere. Instead, these fast changes are
likely connected to variable electron precipitation energies, which produce H+
3 at different altitudes that sample
different parts of the thermospheric temperature profile. The 3.3 μm CH4 fundamental and hotband emissions
are brightest at 210°Wclose to the pole, which has been seen previously. However, we also see emission along
the main oval, suggesting excitation of this non‐LTE emission by direct precipitation. Lastly, we suggest that the
CH4 band ratios can be used to trace the penetration depth of the precipitating electrons, and therefore their
energies
Toward a values-driven research culture: passion, collaboration, and decency
Get PDFAn overemphasis on publishing metrics often shifts attention away from the true purpose of research, that is, advancing knowledge and encouraging discovery. This piece explores the potential for a values-driven approach to academia emphasizing (i) passion, (ii) collaboration, and (iii) decency as foundational principles. Given the growing pressure on early-career researchers to meet publication demands, there is an opportunity to consider how academic environments might better support meaningful contributions over sheer output. We reflect on the importance of nurturing genuine curiosity, embracing open science, and fostering collaborative, diverse teams to address complex global challenges relevant to tourism. By contemplating a shift from metric-driven to values-driven priorities, we discuss how academia might more closely align with its core mission of knowledge creation and dissemination
The pathology of sacrifice: dogs from an early Roman ‘ritual’ shaft in southern England
Get PDFObjective
To investigate the health of a large assemblage of Romano-British dogs recovered from the first century CE ritual shaft on the Nescot site in Surrey, England.
Materials
5463 dog bones comprising an MNI of 140 individuals.
Methods
Bone fragments were visually inspected for pathology. In the case of suspected fractures, radiographic images were taken.
Results
Lesions were observed in 2.26 % of skeletal remains and 14.06 % of dentition.
Conclusions
The Nescot dogs have similar rates of skeletal pathology to those recovered from other ‘ritual’ or cemetery contexts but lower rates than those recovered from Romano-British urban contexts.
Significance
Nescot represents one of the largest dog assemblages recovered from a ritual context and thus is a valuable for investigating the treatment of dogs. This study has highlighted the importance of standardised recording and quantification of pathology in zooarchaeology, as well as the importance of specialist involvement during excavation.
Limitations
Limited recording at excavation level and the disarticulated nature of the bone limited examination at an ‘individual’ level. This made comparisons with other Romano-British sites challenging. No comparative data was available to assess the rates of dental pathology.
Suggestions for further research
Given that the majority of zooarchaeological assemblages are disarticulated, the use of prevalence rates by element would greatly expand the amount of comparative data available