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“Floodlights, Camera, Action”: An ethnography of performance cultures and team dynamics in football.
No full textMy presentation plunges into the performative world of characters in non-league football, where my PhD research is situated. Adopting the role of Team Manager as Storyteller, I will give an account of THE VIPERS, who are a sub-set of players within the football team I was immersed in, during an extensive period of fieldwork. Two infographic artworks guide me through the tale; ‘The Last Soccer’ explaining the context of my research, followed by ‘Dressing Room Transitions’ where we discover the masks behind which otherwise mild-mannered individuals find new freedoms to act out their alter-egos whenever they step onto a football pitch. Donning the mask in the dressing room, players get their ‘game face’ on, which for THE VIPERS is licence to elevate physical tackles into physical attack, wherever the ball may be. Infographic 2 is also a pictorial autoethnography of my roles in life, as a researcher and as a professional within the football world. The episode when THE VIPERS revealed themselves came 6 months after my honeymoon period of entering the field, when I was totally lost in the field. Exiting the field was challenging, but now achieved, allows me to tell this tale
Strategy in Multinational Corporations (MNCs) – An exploratory study of the subsidiary perspective in an emerging market
Get PDFDespite the recent growth of the Turkish economy and its success in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) – especially within its banking sector – the context has received little attention in the literature. Moreover, previous studies – including strategy research – tends to focus on narrow operational issues, such as efficiency, profitability, and competitive structure, and in doing so overlooks the influence of context and other nuances which are implicit in strategy formulation. In contrast, this thesis utilises a broader methodology – a qualitative multiple case study – and applies a Practice Theory lens to construct a nuanced and contextualised view of strategy in the field of global banks operating in Istanbul from the subsidiary perspective.
The purpose of this thesis is to explore strategy within the subsidiaries, guided by the research question: What are the key influences on strategy development within the context on MNCs subsidiaries? The research is based on data from 30 semi-structured interviews with practitioners at 5 MNC subsidiaries in Istanbul, supported by secondary data, such as reports produced by the subsidiaries studied. The findings provide insights into the influences on strategy in this particular context and are grouped into insights to strategy, culture and headquarters – subsidiary relations, the latter two facilitated by the use of subsidiaries in an emerging market as vehicle in which to study strategy.
To summarise, the research provides a nuanced understanding of strategy within the chosen context which contributes to knowledge within the field of International Business. Theoretically speaking, the thesis adopts an integrative lens consisting of several strands of Practice Theory and applies it in a largely underexplored context. This subsequently makes a methodological contribution by presenting a qualitative case study in a field dominated by quantitative studies which essentially adds a context bound study in a field which is largely context free. The contribution of the research to practice consists of a series of managerial recommendations, supported by the findings on how to improve strategy formulation processes in MNC subsidiaries.
Like any research, the study has its limitations, and due to its underlying qualitative approach certainly lacks generalisability, although given the focus on context, objectivity is not something that this type of research seeks. Finally, the thesis uncovered some potentially interesting avenues for future research
Everest and the Frontiers of Empire
Get PDFShort essay on the geopolitics of the 1920's British Mount Everest expeditions, published in the Royal Geographical Society-Institute of British Geographers book Everest 24', publication date 2024
Researching gender based violence remotely during a pandemic: challenges, opportunities and methodological implications
Get PDFThere has been increased awareness of the unique challenges faced by those researching gender based violence (GBV) in recent years. While much of the literature has rightly focused on the needs of participants (as victim/survivors), less has been written around the needs of researchers. Yet we know that researching GBV can have both positive and negative impacts on researchers (Nikischer, 2019) and it has recently been recommended that researchers have access to clinical supervision when regularly exposed to traumatic material (Williamson et al, 2020). This article draws on reflections from research carried out during the COVID-19 pandemic regarding the reasons why victims of domestic abuse and/or sexual violence may withdraw from the criminal justice process. The research team were provided with independent clinical supervision by a qualified therapist with expertise in interpersonal abuse throughout the duration of the project. Analysis of the researchers’ reflections suggest that while the move to remote research during the pandemic created opportunities in terms of flexibility there were additional emotional challenges to those experienced pre-pandemic. Importantly, this exploratory article shares reflections on the value of clinical supervision for addressing these challenges and recommends that all GBV researchers have access to this vital resource
Magnetic fields of the starless core L 1512
Get PDFWe present JCMT POL-2 850 um dust polarization observations and Mimir H band stellar polarization observations toward the starless core L1512. We detect the highly-ordered core-scale magnetic field traced by the POL-2 data, of which the field orientation is consistent with the parsec-scale magnetic fields traced by Planck data, suggesting the large-scale fields thread from the low-density region to the dense core region in this cloud. The surrounding magnetic field traced by the Mimir data shows a wider variation in the field orientation, suggesting there could be a transition of magnetic field morphology at the envelope scale. L1512 was suggested to be presumably older than 1.4 Myr in a previous study via time-dependent chemical analysis, hinting that the magnetic field could be strong enough to slow the collapse of L1512. In this study, we use the Davis-Chandrasekhar-Fermi method to derive a plane-of-sky magnetic field strength (Bpos) of 18±7 uG and an observed mass-to-flux ratio (λobs) of 3.5±2.4, suggesting that L1512 is magnetically supercritical. However, the absence of significant infall motion and the presence of an oscillating envelope are inconsistent with the magnetically supercritical condition. Using a Virial analysis, we suggest the presence of a hitherto hidden line-of-sight magnetic field strength of ~27 uG with a mass-to-flux ratio (λtot) of ~1.6, in which case both magnetic and kinetic pressures are important in supporting the L1512 core. On the other hand, L1512 may have just reached supercriticality and will collapse at any time
Fostering Cybersecurity Awareness and Skills Development Through Digital Game-Based Learning
No full textTechnological innovations pose several security, safety, and privacy threats. An array of educational games has been developed to raise cybersecurity awareness and promote secure behaviours and knowledge pertinent to prevalent risks. This study explores both the benefits associated with digital game-based learning and the barriers constraining its exploitation. The exploration takes a holistic approach delving into underlying theories, pedagogical frameworks, current research and development efforts, existing cybersecurity games, and a pilot study to gain direct experience into educational cybersecurity game development. The findings highlight key game design features required to foster cybersecurity awareness and skills development across educational, professional, and social contexts
AGN STORM 2. VI. Mapping Temperature Fluctuations in the Accretion Disk of Mrk 817
Get PDFWe fit the UV/optical lightcurves of the Seyfert 1 galaxy Mrk 817 to produce maps of the accretion disk temperature fluctuations δ T resolved in time and radius. The δ T maps are dominated by coherent radial structures that move slowly (v ≪ c) inward and outward, which conflicts with the idea that disk variability is driven only by reverberation. Instead, these slow-moving temperature fluctuations are likely due to variability intrinsic to the disk. We test how modifying the input lightcurves by smoothing and subtracting them changes the resulting δ T maps and find that most of the temperature fluctuations exist over relatively long timescales (hundreds of days). We show how detrending active galactic nucleus (AGN) lightcurves can be used to separate the flux variations driven by the slow-moving temperature fluctuations from those driven by reverberation. We also simulate contamination of the continuum emission from the disk by continuum emission from the broad-line region (BLR), which is expected to have spectral features localized in wavelength, such as the Balmer break contaminating the U band. We find that a disk with a smooth temperature profile cannot produce a signal localized in wavelength and that any BLR contamination should appear as residuals in our model lightcurves. Given the observed residuals, we estimate that only ∼20% of the variable flux in the U and u lightcurves can be due to BLR contamination. Finally, we discus how these maps not only describe the data but can make predictions about other aspects of AGN variability
Radar-based millimeter-Wave sensing for accurate 3D Indoor Positioning - Potentials and Challenges
Get PDFThe 3D nature of modern smart applications has imposed significant 3D positioning accuracy requirements, especially in indoor environments. However, a major limitation of most existing indoor localization systems is their focus on estimating positions mainly in the horizontal plane, overlooking the crucial vertical dimension. This neglect presents considerable challenges in accurately determining the 3D position of devices such as drones and individuals across multiple floors of a building let alone the cm-level accuracy that might be required in many of these applications. To tackle this issue, millimeter-wave (mmWave) positioning systems have emerged as a promising technology offering high accuracy and robustness even in complex indoor environments. This paper aims to leverage the potential of mmWave radar technology to achieve precise ranging and angling measurements presenting a comprehensive methodology for evaluating the performance of mmWave sensors in terms of measurement precision while demonstrating the 3D positioning accuracy that can be achieved. The main challenges and the respective solutions associated with the use of mmWave sensors for indoor positioning are highlighted, providing valuable insights into their potentials and suitability for practical applications
Improved Disease-Free Survival With Adjuvant Chemotherapy After Nephroureterectomy for Upper Tract Urothelial Cancer: Final Results of the POUT Trial
Get PDFClinical trials frequently include multiple end points that mature at different times. The initial report, typically based on the primary end point, may be published when key planned co-primary or secondary analyses are not yet available. Clinical Trial Updates provide an opportunity to disseminate additional results from studies, published in JCO or elsewhere, for which the primary end point has already been reported. POUT was a phase III, randomized, open-label trial, including 261 patients with muscle-invasive or lymph node–positive, nonmetastatic upper tract urothelial cancer (UTUC) randomly assigned after radical nephroureterectomy to platinum-based chemotherapy (132) or surveillance (129). Primary outcome analysis demonstrated that chemotherapy improved disease-free survival (DFS). At that time, the planned secondary outcome analysis of overall survival (OS) was immature. By February 2022, 50 and 67 DFS events had occurred in the chemotherapy and surveillance groups, respectively, at a median follow-up of 65 months. The 5-year DFS was 62% versus 45%, univariable hazard ratio (HR) = 0.55 (95% CI, 0.38 to 0.80, P = .001). The restricted mean survival time (RMST) was 18 months longer (95% CI, 6 to 30) in the chemotherapy arm. There were 46 and 60 deaths in the chemotherapy and control arms, respectively. The 5-year OS was 66% versus 57%, with univariable HR = 0.68 (95% CI, 0.46 to 1.00, P = .049) and RMST difference 11 months (95% CI, 1 to 21). Treatment effects were consistent across chemotherapy regimens (carboplatin or cisplatin) and disease stage. Toxicities were similar to those previously reported, and there were no clinically relevant differences in quality of life between arms. In summary, although OS was not the primary outcome measure, the updated results add further support for the use of adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with UTUC, suggesting long-term benefits
A feasibility study for the application of AI-generated conversations in pragmatic analysis
Get PDFThis study explores the potential of including AI-generated language in pragmatic analysis– a field that has primarily been conducted on human language use. With the rapid growth of large language models, AI-generated texts and AI-human interactions constitute a growing field where pragmatics research is expanding to. Language data that humans used to hold a full authorship may also involve modifications made by AI. The foremost concern is thus the pragmatic qualities of AI-generated language, such as whether and to which extent AI data mirror the pragmatic patterns we have found in human speech behaviours. In this study, we compare 148 ChatGPT-generated conversations with 82 human-written ones and 354 human evaluations of these conversations. The data are analysed using various methods, including traditional speech strategy coding, four computational methods developed in NLP, and four statistical tests. The findings reveal that ChatGPT performs equally well as human participants in four out of the five tested pragmalinguistic features and five out of six sociopragmatic features. Additionally, the conversations generated by ChatGPT exhibit higher syntactic diversity and a greater sense of formality compared to those written by humans. As a result, our participants are unable to distinguish ChatGPT-generated conversations from human-written ones