NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Optical Modelling and Instrument Calibration for QUBIC, the Q & U Bolometric Interferometer for Cosmology
No full textThe current generation of cosmology experiments aims to detect the B-mode po-
larisation of the cosmic microwave background. The B-modes are experimental
proof for the Inflation theory of the early Universe. This thesis contributes to the
development, integration, and deployment of one of those experiments, QUBIC. A
detailed Physical Optics model of a technical demonstrator optical combiner was
developed using the software package GRASP. This model included measured mir-
ror surfaces and rims as well as the internal sources used for the inter-calibration
of the detectors. The data produced by these models were used for validation and
calibration of the instrument in the laboratory in Astroparticule et Cosmologie in
Paris. The models were then expanded to encompass the full QUBIC instrument
that will later be deployed in Argentina. A contribution was made to the bespoke
QUBIC data analysis software and a project milestone was reached when the
first multi-frequency synthesised beam maps were produced in July 2020, thereby
demonstrating QUBIC’s spectro-imaging capability. Zemax ray-tracing was used
to investigate possible optical causes for artefacts that were found in early beam
maps. A study of the likely characteristics of the artefacts generated by opti-
cal reflections and electronic cross-talk was produced for future reference. Lastly,
the application to QUBIC of redundant baseline self-calibration was investigated.
Originally developed for radio astronomy, aberrations due to the instrument’s
off-axis optics have implications for QUBIC’s implementation of this calibration
technique. At the time of writing, QUBIC has been tested and is being assembled
and commissioned in Salta, Argentina, ready to begin observing in the coming
months
Commoning the City
No full textIn 2015, the citizens’ platform, Barcelona En Comú won the municipal
elections in the city of Barcelona. Emerging out of Spain’s anti-austerity
and 15M movements, this activist led platform advanced a radically
democratic political agenda. Between 2015 and 2019 they introduced a
range of public policies aimed at empowering citizens through an expansion
of participatory and economic democracy. This political programme
included support for digital commons, urban commons and solidarity
economy. Over the past three decades, the commons has featured
increasingly as a subject in the political discourse of social movements. I
argue that in the case of Barcelona, the commons has functioned as a
bridging concept enabling political convergence among local movements.
This anthropological research project set out to investigate the emergence of
the commons as a political subject in the city of Barcelona. It asks a number
of questions. What constitutes the social imaginary (Taylor 2004; Kelty
2008) of the commons? What does it mean to imagine and make the city as
a commons (Foster and Iaione 2015)? Who imagines the city as a
commons? What assemblages and networks of people, communities,
activists, social movements, politicians and civic organisations make such
political projects possible? What conditions of possibility, what social,
institutional, historical and cultural factors lend themselves to imagining the
city as a commons? The thesis explores continuities between the experience
of social movements prior to 2015 and how they informed the policies and
programmes of Barcelona En Comú. It considers how commoning practices
have figured within movement practice and examines how apparently
different social worlds, the worlds of free culture and techno-politics (digital
commons), urban commons, and the solidarity economy, converged with the
municipalist movement, and the political possibilities this afforded. In
conclusion, I consider this convergence as part of a social movement project
(Nilsen and Cox 2013), aimed at advancing a radically democratic vision of
politics and economy
An Investigation of Feasible Logical Depth and Complexity Measures via Automata and Compression Algorithms
No full textWhen presented with a string or sequence of zeros and ones, that is an element of
{0, 1}≤ω, it is often of interest to know how complex the object is. Was it created
from some simple process or was it generated randomly? Kolmogorov Complexity
is a fundamental tool of Algorithmic Information Theory which measures the
complexity of such objects. However, there is one major problem: Kolmogorov
Complexity is uncomputable. As such, the complexity of such objects are often
studied in lower computable settings. This thesis aims to extend the study of
such objects at lower complexity levels via finite-state automata, transducers and
compression algorithms. We pay particular attention to normal sequences.
One measurement which relies on Kolmogorov Complexity is Bennett’s Logical
Depth, which has been described in the past as measuring how useful an object
is. The primary objective of this thesis is to examine feasible notions of Bennett’s
depth. We first extend an already studied infinitely often finite-state notion of
depth to an almost everywhere notion. Secondly, we develop new notions based
on pushdown compressors, the Lempel-Ziv 78 compression algorithm, and pebble
transducers. We demonstrate the existence of deep sequences in each of these
notions, and show which properties of Bennett’s original notion they satisfy. We
also determine the differences between some of the depth notions we examine
as follows: For a pair of depth notions (A, B), we construct a sequence S such
that its A-depth level and B-depth level are unequal, i.e. S is ‘more’ deep in
one notion than the other. This demonstrates that there is not a single unifying
notion of depth.
Our secondary objective is to examine normal sequences at lower complexity
levels. Normal sequences are of interest to us as they are often considered finite-
state random as they cannot be compressed by any information lossless finite-state
compressor. We do this by, when appropriate, identifying normal sequences which
are deep in the depth notions we develop. Furthermore, we prove the existence of
a normal sequence which can be compressed by the PPM* compression algorithm\ud
which is incompressible by the Lempel-Ziv 78 algorithm. This, to our knowledge,
is the first example of a mathematical proof differentiating the two algorithms
on specific inputs as opposed to experimental results. We conclude by giving
examples of normal sequences which have non-maximal automatic complexity, a
complexity measurement based on finite-state automata
An Action Research Investigation into Pedagogies of Enactment in Initial Teacher Education to Support Pre-Service Primary Teachers to teach Mathematics for Relational Understanding.
No full textThe problem of enactment describes a teacher’s inability to translate effective theories of
teaching into practice, and as a result they fail to produce effective classroom learning. It is
common for pre-service teachers (PSTs) to experience the problem of enactment, and
invariably they tend to enact instructional practices that are inconsistent with their beliefs
(Kennedy, 1999).
My practice involves working with primary PSTs to develop their relational understanding of
mathematics to support their classroom teaching. My concern, and motivation for this study,
was my observation that PSTs did not enact their mathematical knowledge in the classroom,
despite having proven competence in the area. Therefore, the objective of this study was to
understand the reasons for this from the perspectives of PSTs enrolled in my content module
(n=67) and make subsequent changes to my practice using Grossman and McDonald’s (2008)
Pedagogies of Enactment model of teacher learning.
The Action Research paradigmatic approach was chosen for this study because it involved
making changes to my practice in a cyclic manner and evaluating if those changes had the
desired effect. The study used two cycles of Action Research carried out over a period of two
academic years. The specific aims of the study were to explore factors that contribute to the
problem of enactment, and how an intervention could be developed to address these factors.
It also aimed to examine PSTs’ beliefs and the role they play in the enactment of mathematical
knowledge.
Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from PSTs using focus groups, classroom
observations, and questionnaires, and analysed using Braun & Clarkes thematic analysis, the
Mathematical Quality of Instruction (MQI) framework (Learning Mathematics for Teaching
Project, 2011), and the ANOVA statistical test respectively.
The findings indicate that the Intervention can be effective in addressing the problem of
enactment, but the model alone is not enough. Teacher educators need to work
collaboratively to create an environment that is supportive of PSTs enacting and practicing
their knowledge. Finally, this study recommends that ITE departments invest in professional
development for teacher educators and reconsider the traditional model of ITE to work
collaboratively with partner schools to improve PSTs’ practical experiences
Meaningful higher education in Kakuma refugee camp: A case study of why context and contextualization matter
No full textIn recent years, higher education in refugee contexts has begun to receive
increasing attention within the humanitarian-development sector. Resource constraints,
coupled with the technology and innovation zeitgeist in international development drives,
have helped to create a higher education space where courses in refugee camps are typi-
cally delivered via online learning platforms directly from Western education providers.
As the space develops, a shift in attention is beginning to occur, such that the legitimacy of
online learning for refugees is now being questioned. At the heart of this question are the
issue of contextualization and a call for greater emphasis to be placed on blended learn-
ing approaches that better reflect the realities of refugee learners. In this case study, the
authors compare and evaluate a contextualized medical studies course that was delivered
via blended learning in the Kakuma refugee camp in 2019 with a non-contextualized ver-
sion of the same course that was delivered in the Dadaab refugee camp in 2018. The study
explores the contextualization process and finds that the contextualized course achieved
better learning outcomes than did the non-contextualized version of the course
Climate Change Policy Narratives and Pastoralism in Ethiopia: New Concerns, Old Arguments?
No full textThis article examines the ways in which discourses and narratives around pastoralism
and climate change have been communicated within policy-making in Ethiopia over
an eleven-year period (2007-2017), the interests of different actors shaping these
policies, as well as some of the consequences of policy solutions for pastoralist
livelihoods. Employing discourse analysis of policy relevant documents, combined
with data drawn from interviews with a cross-section of policy actors, it highlights
how new concerns over climate change – combined with the drive for transformation
and modernisation of pastoral areas – are being used by the state and other powerful
actors as tools in contestations over land and other resources. Predominantly
technocratic policy prescriptions and investments are, in turn, leading to new patterns
of social differentiation and vulnerability for some. The extent and nature of change
in Ethiopia’s drylands call for political responses that address social inequities and
power imbalances, that safeguard pastoralists’ resource rights, and that allow for more
inclusive forms of governance
Queering the pulpit: catholic clergy and media celebrity in the Republic of Ireland
No full textThis article examines the unlikely ways that media celebrity enabled priests and nuns in Ireland to make gay and lesbian identities visible. Despite the fact that sex among men was criminalised in Ireland until 1993, Catholic priests and nuns during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s used their mass media celebrity to make same-sex desire and LGBTQIA+ identities visible in popular media, especially through the public service broadcaster RTÉ. The article examines three case studies in which priests and nuns ‘queered the
pulpit,’ harnessing their public personas to affirm LGBTQIA+ identities across various Irish media platforms in ways that were surprisingly tolerant, given Catholic orthodoxy. The article speaks to the paucity of research regarding religious personalities as celebrities. The omission of religious figures from the celebrity studies literature is noteworthy, particularly in the Irish context, where broadcast media has been a potent site for cultivating clergy celebrity. The article’s focus on religious celebrities who gave voice to LGBTQIA+ lives and concerns in the Irish context also reframes the traditional
narrative of the relationship between media and Catholic clergy, which has often been characterised solely in terms of scanda
The digital divide: A review and future research agenda
No full textThis article provides a systematic review of the digital divide, a phenomenon which refers to disparities in Information and Communications Technology access, usage, and outcomes. It uniquely identifies the factors affecting the digital divide that have emerged in recent years (2017–2021) as well as investigate if there are new forms or levels of the divide that have surfaced in recent literature. The findings, based on 50 included studies, show that the factors affecting the digital divide can be classified into three different segments and nine main categories: sociodemographic, socioeconomic, personal elements, social support, type of technology, digital training, rights, infrastructure, and large-scale events. Out of all factors, education has been linked to the digital divide the most. The majority of recent literature have studied Level 2 of the divide. Also, only one article in the sample has considered the digital divide at the firm level. Findings also show that a new form, type-of-internet access, and two potential new levels of the digital divide, algorithmic awareness and data inequalities, have been identified in the contemporary literature. The results contribute to the understanding and development of the different perspectives of the digital divide concept. They also contribute to the stream of literature on the determinants of the divide and to the social inequalities and digital inclusion literature. This review can be seen as a guide for managers to realize and understand the forms that the divide can take and to delve into their organizational capabilities on the digitalization front and evaluate where further development is needed within their organizations to help diminish the divide
Resource integration and dynamic capability of frontline employee during COVID-19 pandemic: From value creation and engineering management perspectives
No full textThe cornerstone of any successful organizations is the frontline employees. Frontline employees (FLEs) are always in action at the frontline of the business. They do not operate from the office space or from the corporate setting. Frontline employees directly interact with their customers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many frontline employees experienced numerous challenges as most of the places there were full or partial lockdown imposed by the government agencies and the frontline employees could not be able to directly connect with their customers. Not many studies are there which investigated the issue of resource integration, dynamic capabilities, and engineering management abilities of the frontline employees such as technological capability, emotional intelligence, and psychological capability which perceived to influence the frontline employee adaptability and organization performance. In this background, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between frontline employee adaptability and organization performance during COVID-19 pandemic from technological, emotional, and psychological perspectives. With the help of dynamic capability view and different adaptability theories, a theoretical model has been developed conceptually. Later the conceptual model has been validated using partial least square – structural equation modeling technique considering 412 respondents from frontline employees of different organizations in Asia and EMEA. The study found that frontline employees’ dynamic capabilities and engineering management abilities significantly and positively impact employee adaptability which in turn impact the performance of the organization mediating through employee job satisfaction and employee performance
Measurement invariance of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) across four European countries during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textBackground: The Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) are self-report measures of major depressive disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. The primary aim of this study was to test for differential item functioning (DIF) on the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 items based on age, sex (males and females), and country.
Method: Data from nationally representative surveys in UK, Ireland, Spain, and Italy (combined N = 6,054) were used to fit confirmatory factor analytic and multiple-indictor multiple-causes models.
Results: Spain and Italy had higher latent variable means than the UK and Ireland for both anxiety and depression, but there was no evidence for differential items functioning.
Conclusions: The PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were found to be unidimensional, reliable, and largely free of DIF in data from four large nationally representative samples of the general population in the UK, Ireland, Italy and Spain