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On parameter identifiability in network-based epidemic models
Get PDFModelling epidemics on networks represents an important departure from classical
compartmental models which assume random mixing. However, the resulting models
are high-dimensional and their analysis is often out of reach. It turns out that mean�field models, low-dimensional systems of differential equations, whose variables are
carefully chosen expected quantities from the exact model provide a good approx�imation and incorporate explicitly some network properties. Despite the emergence
of such mean-field models, there has been limited work on investigating whether
these can be used for inference purposes. In this paper, we consider network-based
mean-field models and explore the problem of parameter identifiability when obser�vations about an epidemic are available. Making use of the analytical tractability of
most network-based mean-field models, e.g. explicit analytical expressions for leading
eigenvalue and final epidemic size, we set up the parameter identifiability problem as
finding the solution or solutions of a system of coupled equations. More precisely,
subject to observing/measuring growth rate and final epidemic size, we seek to iden�tify parameter values leading to these measurements. We are particularly concerned
with disentangling transmission rate from the network density. To do this, we give a
condition for practical identifiability and we find that except for the simplest model,
parameters cannot be uniquely determined, that is, they are practically unidentifiable.
This means that there exist multiple solutions (a manifold of infinite measure) which
give rise to model output that is close to the data. Identifying, formalising and analyt�ically describing this problem should lead to a better appreciation of the complexity
involved in fitting models with many parameters to data
Appendices underpinning Usability and User Experience of Mobile Applications A Case of Functional Illiterates in Nigeria-AfriCHI23
Get PDF'Ian Gilmour and One Nation Conservatism'
Get PDFThis article examines the place of Ian Gilmour within the ‘One Nation’ conservative tradition. First, it examines possible definitions of ‘One Nation’ conservatism, rejecting claims that one can fully find its origins in the writings of career of Benjamin Disraeli, or that the ideology is so wide and amorphous that it can encompass Thatcherism as well as those more sympathetic to state aid for the poor. Rather it suggests that to capture the essence of ‘One Nation’, one should examine the original pamphlets of the group, ‘One Nation’ (1950) and ‘Change is Our Ally’ (1954). This reveals that ‘One Nation’ conservatism has four aspects: a desire to accept the welfare state (albeit with more targeting and less universality), a suspicion of central planning (albeit with tolerance of Keynesianism), an emphasis on a distinctive conservative tradition to developing the welfare state, and a set of concerns that are particular to the mid-twentieth century – including underpopulation, a need for migration to the Commonwealth, and worries about lack of resources for the welfare state at a time of austerity. Second, the article stresses that by the 1970s and 1980s, five factors concerning the economy and the welfare state had significantly changed, including the advent of affluence in the 1950s and 1960s, the increasing life expectancy of the population, the end of the economic ‘golden age’ and the undermining of Keynesianism in the 1970s, the rise of ‘New Right’ conservatism, and new constitutional challenges associated with the EEC, Celtic nationalism, and class dealignment. Third, the article argues that one can, nevertheless, make a judgment about how closely Ian Gilmour’s work fits into the ‘One Nation’ conservative tradition, and examines three areas of his work. Firstly, looking at his views on history and the constitution, the article contends he respects the original account of historical development given in ‘One Nation’, but develops it, providing a more detailed account of Conservative Party history to try and prove that the party has been most successful when least ‘ideological’. This is coupled with advocacy of constitutional changes to centralized power – including increased use of referendums and reform of the House of Lords. Secondly, considering economics, Gilmour’s rejection of Thatcherite monetarism and advocacy of Keynesianism arguably remained true to the ‘One Nation’ tradition, but his increasing tendency to uphold all of what he saw as a post-war ‘consensus’ and claim that Thatcherism was entirely unconservative departed from it. Finally, considering social policy, again some of Gilmour’s arguments remained firmly within the ‘One Nation’ tradition – including those lamenting unemployment, criticizing the Thatcherite distinction between ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ poor. But others – such as his strong support for a centralized NHS, advocacy of universal benefits, and support for a universal basic income – departed from it. Overall, the article contends Gilmour was a powerful re-interpreter of the ‘One Nation’ tradition, even if he did not always remain true to its original tenets
'The Origins of West End Theatre' Website and Interactive Digital Map
No full textThis website presents data and research findings from 'The Origins of West End Theatre, 1660-1812' NULab-funded project. It includes an interactive digital map showing the location and key details about all theatres in operation in London in the time period
Which Aspects of Visual Motivation Aid the Implicit Learning of Signs at First Exposure?
Get PDFWe investigated whether sign-naïve learners can infer and learn the meaning of signs after minimal exposure to continuous, naturalistic input in the form of a weather forecast in Swedish Sign Language. Participants were L1-English adults. Two experi�mental groups watched the forecast once (n = 40) or twice (n = 42); a control group
did not (n = 42). Participants were then asked to assign meaning to 22 target signs. We explored predictors of meaning assignment with respect to item occurrence frequency
and three facets of visual motivation: iconicity, transparency, and gesture similarity. Meaning assignment was enhanced by exposure and item frequency, thereby providing
evidence for implicit language learning in a new modality, even under challenging nat�uralistic conditions. Accuracy was also contingent upon iconicity and transparency, but
not upon gesture similarity. Meaning assignment at first exposure is thus visually mo�tivated, although the overall low accuracy rates and further qualitative analyses suggest
that visually motivated meaning assignment is not always successful.
Keywords implicit learning; sign language; iconicity; transparency; gesture; meanin
“Worthless rainbows”? Power and Performance in the Costume Tropes of Sam Selvon and Mustapha Matura
Get PDFThis paper considers ways in which Sam Selvon and Mustapha Matura, in their novels and plays respectively, represent clothing in relation to issues of power. The focus is on their London works of the 1970s and early 80s, and their representations of people of colour in the London of the times. Both authors draw on their Trinidadian heritage in bringing to London carnival tropes, which function at multiple levels. The figures of the trickster and the Carnival King are adept at turning the world on its head and shifting power dynamics; but their ambivalence is disorientating, so that there is no straightforward correction of injustice and moral wrong. Clothing in these authors’ works functions as a carnival trope, which can lead in multiple directions. For Selvon, clothing is bound up with performances of power in both *Moses Ascending* (1975), in which reversals of hierarchy as well as performances of gender and sexuality are figured through trends in fashion; and in *Moses Migrating* (1983), in which reversals become transatlantic as the protagonist becomes the figure of Britannia at the Trinidad Carnival itself. The pioneering plays of Mustapha Matura, meanwhile, use clothing conceits to expose capitalist power dynamics, as in *Play Mas* (1974), in which costume, politics, and the Trinidad Carnival collide, while in *Bread* (1976), set in London, the playwright tries to envisage ways out of capitalism’s pervasive performances. Reading Selvon alongside Matura reveals a politics of fashion and of self-fashioning, in which power and identity are unstably performed
The Lived Experience of Black International Students at a Post-1992 University in England: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Academic Resilience
No full textThroughout the past few decades, there has been a rise in the number of black international students accessing predominantly White-dominated institutions in England, but their experiences have consistently been overlooked. There have been increased awareness calls to make structural changes in institutions nationwide. This issue was brought to the fore again with the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the prevalent incident in June 2020, followed by the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities (Sewell report) published in March 2021. Many increasingly question whether colleges and universities have failed in their stated mission of increasing societal equity. This study uses a multi-faceted framework of Critical Race Theory (CRT), Bourdieusian thinking tools and Yosso’s community cultural wealth (CCW) capitals (aspirational, linguistic, social, navigational, familial and resistant).
The findings of this research analysis demonstrate the subtle but powerful manner in which racial microaggressions can manifest within the university setting and the strategies of resistance via which these minoritised students subsequently navigate the institution daily. Besides, they reveal that negative stereotyping, low expectations by academics and various forms of discrimination prevails in UK higher education environment. Furthermore, there is strong evidence to suggest that there are insufficient Black role models, the Curriculum in English institutions is Eurocentric, and parental involvement is key, in impacting educational experiences and outcomes.
The main contribution of this study is that it considers African and Caribbean students studying at various levels of higher education and adds pertinent information on each aspect of their holistic experiences, such as socio-cultural, learning and language, possessing other forms of capital, as well as financial challenges and coping strategies. The study also confirms the increase in resilience of these students over some time as well as the development of a third culture identity
Classical splitting of parametrized quantum circuits
Get PDFBarren plateaus appear to be a major obstacle for using variational quantum algorithms to simulate large-
scale quantum systems or to replace traditional machine learning algorithms. They can be caused by
multiple factors such as the expressivity of the ansatz, excessive entanglement, the locality of
observables under consideration, or even hardware noise. We propose classical splitting of parametric
ansatz circuits to avoid barren plateaus. Classical splitting is realized by subdividing an N qubit ansatz
into multiple ansätze that consist of O(logN) qubits. We show that such an approach allows for avoiding
barren plateaus and carry out numerical experiments, and perform binary classification on classical and
quantum datasets. Moreover, we propose an extension of the ansatz that is compatible with variational
quantum simulations. Finally, we discuss a speed-up for gradient-based optimization and hardware
implementation, robustness against noise and parallelization, making classical splitting an ideal tool for noisy intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) applications
