NUI Maynooth Eprint Archive
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Generalised Braiding of Anyonic Excitations and Topological Quantum Computation.
No full textThis thesis investigates various topological phases of matter in two-dimensional and
quasi one-dimensional systems. These exotic states of matter have applications in
topological quantum computation; which is an inherently fault-tolerant quantum
computation scheme. In these schemes, computations are implemented by braiding
anyonic excitations. In this thesis we examine three aspects of braiding: braiding
of anyonic excitations on graphs, topological lattice models, and non-adiabatic
perturbations of a qubit constructed from Majorana bound states.
In the first part of the thesis we introduce a universal framework to discuss the
braiding of anyonic excitations on graphs as a model of a quantum wire network. We
show that many features of the planar algebraic theory of anyons may be extended
to graphs. In this direction, we introduce graph hexagon equations, a generalisation
of the planar hexagon equations and demonstrate that this framework has several
similarities and differences from its planar counterpart. Notably, depending on the
graph, we find solutions that do not exist in the planar theory. We study this
framework on a variety of graphs and tabulate solutions.
In the second part, we investigated non-adiabatic perturbations of a topological
memory that consists of two p-wave superconducting wires separated by a nontopological
junction. We consider noise in the potential creating the non-trivial
topological phase and also the effect of shuttling the Majoranas, a necessary step in
braiding. We examine a mechanism for bit and phase flip errors where excitations
from one wire tunnel through a junction into another wire, we also outline a scheme
that utilises disorder to minimise such situations.
In the final part of the thesis, we construct a modified toric code from Hopf algebra
gauge theory. We find that introducing a non-trivial quasitriangular structure on the
gauge group changes the identification of braiding statistics in the quantum double,
although it is of the same topological order as the toric code. In particular, when
the gauge group is CZN we can interpret this as a form of flux attachment, where
under exchange, the electric charges behave as if they have fluxes attached
A multidisciplinary microcredential basket for the sustainable transition in cities | Deliverable D2.3
No full textRES4CITY is committed to cultivating a skilled workforce by promoting sustainability and circularity in the field of renewable energy and fuel technologies, specifically in urban contexts. This mission is achieved through a pioneering educational initiative developed in collaboration with stakeholders. This forward-thinking educational program serves as a platform for individuals to develop specialized skills and knowledge, aligning with the European Union's overarching goal of enhancing digital literacy and lifelong learning, in line with the Bologna process. Amidst the evolution of Europe's educational structure, micro-credentials are gaining traction as a student-centred approach to lifelong learning. Generally, micro-credentials are short, focused, and specialized educational programs that provide learners with the opportunity to acquire and demonstrate specific skills and knowledge that are in demand in the workforce. The main pillars of the European approach to micro-credentials can be summarised as follows:
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Micro-credentials must be measurable, comparable, and understandable learning units, with clear learning outcomes, workload, content, level and learning offer.
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They must be modular to allow the possibility of stacking, validating and recognising their learning outcomes across different systems.
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Their design must be carried out with a meet-the-needs approach.
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Micro-credentials are owned by the learner and may be stored and shared safely through secure digital wallets.
Starting from its alignment with the ongoing transformation of the European educational framework under the Bologna process, RES4CITY's educational programs primarily focus on renewable energy and sustainable fuel technologies, with a specific emphasis on creating strategies tailored to urban settings. RES4CITY has assembled a curated selection of diverse multidisciplinary micro-credentials, co-designed with relevant stakeholders. This collection forms the basis of an MCs basket designed to cater to a broad spectrum of learners, including students and professionals, regardless of their STEM or non-STEM background. The main features of RES4CITY approach to micro-credentials are summarised as follows:
Target audience: RES4CITY educational programmes targets two types of audience:
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Students enrolled in accredited university courses at EQF (European Qualification Framework) 6-7-8, corresponding to a Bachelor, Master and PhD courses, in both STEM and NON-STEM disciplines (section 2.2)
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Young professionals working both in energy and non-energy related areas with both STEM and NON-STEM background.
Need assessment and competence definition: RES4CITY implemented a co-design process by leveraging on the Innovation and Stakeholder network. The identified educational needs were translated into specific learning units which forms the MCs. A hierarchical framework for categorizing educational goals based on the Bloom’s taxonomy was used to guide the development of learning objectives and to ensure that the learning objectives span across different levels to promote a comprehensive understanding and application of the subject.
Micro-credential learning units: each MC in the RES4CITY basket was sized according to the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS), adopted by the EHEA, to support the transparency and stackability of the obtained credentials. A size of 2.5 ECTS for each MCs was selected since it allows (i) to correctly define the learning outcomes of each MC, (ii) to ensure a successful delivery of the MC
content, (iii) to organise each MC in week-based subunits with an average student effort (total) between 12-18 hours per subunit and a total duration between 4-6 weeks.
Subject classification: RES4CITY adopted the ISCED-F (International Standard Classification of Education – Fields of education and training) as a reference to classify and organise the micro-credential basket based on its fields of education. The following ISCED-F codes were used to classify RES4CITY micro-credentials:
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031: Social and behavioural science (including economic and finance)
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041: Business and administration
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052: Environmental science
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061: Information and communication technologies (including data science)
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071: Engineering and engineering trades
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072: Manufacturing and material
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073: Architecture and construction
Referencing to the detailed description of the education fields, the ISCED-F codes were selected and used to indicate the main discipline (i.e., primary discipline) of each MC. It is important to highlight that due to the intrinsic multidisciplinary of RES4CITY’s learning programmes, most of the MCs can be related to multiple disciplines. Consequently, secondary ISCED-F codes were assigned to each MC where relevant (i.e., complementary disciplines)
Crime, justice and criminology in the Republic of Ireland
No full textThis country survey examines the core Irish criminal justice institutions; basic trends in crime and punishment over the last 50 years; and critical junctures in the debate over law and order in recent decades. Using an earlier country survey by O’Donnell (2005a) as a baseline, it charts the significant growth of the discipline of criminology within Ireland. The article argues that Irish criminal justice retains a distinctively local flavour and highlights the promise of Irish criminology in many key areas of contemporary interest
The effects of hip- vs. knee-dominant hamstring exercise on biceps femoris morphology, strength, and sprint performance: a randomized intervention trial protocol
No full textBackground
The hamstrings are an important muscle group that contribute to horizontal force during sprint acceleration and are also the most injured muscle group in running-based sports. Given the significant time loss associated with hamstrings injury and impaired sprinting performance following return to sport, identifying exercises that drive adaptations that are both protective of strain injury and beneficial to sprint performance is important for the strength and conditioning professional. This paper describes the study protocol investigating the effects of a 6-week training program using either the hip-dominant Romanian deadlift (RDL) or the knee-dominant Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) on hamstring strain injury risk factors and sprint performance.
Methods
A permuted block randomized (1:1 allocation) intervention trial will be conducted involving young, physically-active men and women. A target sample size of 32 will be recruited and enrolled participants will undergo baseline testing involving extended-field-of-view ultrasound imaging and shear wave elastography of the biceps femoris long head muscle, maximal hamstrings strength testing in both the RDL and NHE, and on-field sprint performance and biomechanics. Participants will complete the 6-week training intervention using either the RDL or NHE, according to group allocation. Baseline testing will be repeated at the end of the 6-week intervention followed by 2 weeks of detraining and a final testing session. The primary outcome will be regional changes in fascicle length with secondary outcomes including pennation angle, muscle cross sectional area, hamstring strength, and maximal sprint performance and biomechanics. An exploratory aim will determine changes in shear wave velocity.
Discussion
Despite extensive research showing the benefits of the NHE on reducing hamstring strain injury risk, alternative exercises, such as the RDL, may offer similar or potentially even greater benefits. The findings of this study will aim to inform future researchers and practitioners investigating alternatives to the NHE, such as the RDL, in terms of their effectiveness in reducing rates of hamstring strain injury in larger scale prospective intervention studies
Snakes and Ladders: Unpacking the Personalisation-Privacy Paradox in the Context of AI-Enabled Personalisation in the Physical Retail Environment
No full textArtificial intelligence (AI) is expected to bring to the physical retail environment the kind of mass personalisation that is
already common in online commerce, delivering offers that are targeted to each customer, and that adapt to changes in the
customer’s context. However, factors related to the in-store environment, the small screen where the offer is delivered, and
privacy concerns, create uncertainty regarding how customers might react to highly personalised offers that are delivered to
their smartphones while they are in a store. To investigate how customers exposed to this type of AI-enabled, personalised
offer, perceive it and respond to it, we use the personalisation-privacy paradox lens. Case study data focused on UK based,
female, fashion retail shoppers exposed to such offers reveal that they seek discounts on desired items and improvement
of the in-store experience; they resent interruptions and generic offers; express a strong desire for autonomy; and attempt
to control access to private information and to improve the recommendations that they receive. Our analysis also exposes
contradictions in customers’ expectations of personalisation that requires location tracking. We conclude by drawing an analogy to the popular Snakes and Ladders game, to illustrate the delicate balance between drivers and barriers to acceptance of
AI-enabled, highly personalised offers delivered to customers’ smartphones while they are in-store
History of the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer Conjecture
No full textIn this thesis, an account of the Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer conjecture and some of its
history are presented. A framework on the theory of elliptic curves is developed from
the ground up. Then, several advanced definitions and results from algebraic geometry
are given. This includes an accessible chapter about the Tate-Shafarevich group. These
results will help illuminate some of the reasoning behind Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer’s
work. Finally, a thorough, up to date report on the progress of the conjecture is included
Digital agency and the authorship of failure
No full textIn this chapter I intentionally problematize popular ways of valuing research and shift
registers for what we might expect to see when reading ‘research.’ Empirical research
assemblages call researchers to inhabit diverse forms of radically different worlds. These
worlds can profoundly dis-organize and re-distribute us as ethnographers and people.
Often, communication across and within worlds relies on algorithmic forms of mediation
or digital platforms.
I contend that we need more academic work unpacking the politics of feeling like a failure
in ethnographic fieldwork and exploring the complex agencies of research assemblages,
which modulate the subjectivity of empirical researchers. I argue that digital agency is
gendered and is part of the algorithmic worlds in which feminist digital researchers work.
As such, we need to develop our own failure archives of the roles played by digital agency
and digital failure in the production of experiences of failure in research assemblages
Historical Gendered Institutional Violence: A Research Agenda for Criminologists
No full textThis article considers the phenomenon of historical gendered institutional harm, examining the widespread incarceration of women and girls in Ireland through the decades following independence in 1922. In this period, thousands of women and girls were confined in a network of sites including Magdalene Laundries and Mother and Baby Homes. The article considers the responses to this history, focusing on those fields which concern themselves with matters of “wrongdoing” and “harm,” responses grounded in law and legalism. We explore both the utility and the limits of these approaches before proposing a criminological research agenda which draws on the centrality of the state in the perpetration of gendered violence. Although Ireland has become a by-word as a case of historical institutional abuse internationally, it remains remarkably understudied by criminologists. The article explores how the Irish example can speak to the discipline of criminology by forcing us to reimagine how we conceive of gendered harms and state-perpetrated harms
Henry Flower Esq. and the Uses of History for Life in Ulysses
No full textThis essay brings two under-discussed aspects of Friedrich Nietzsche's philosophy, including his reflections on "cultural paralysis" and what he calls the "suprahistorical approach," into a productive philosophical dialogue with a comparably under-discussed aspect of Ulysses, that is, the significance of the role performed by Leopold Bloom's alter ego, Henry Flower. I argue that Bloom creates this alter ego using a process that is reminiscent of Nietzsche's suprahistorical approach, which proposes that an individual, or a body politic, might benefit from selective historical remembrance, with a view to overcoming the paralyzing trauma triggered by the death of his infant son, Rudy. Mindful of the temporal vantage point from which Joyce reflects upon the fictionalized events of 16 June 1904, this essay further demonstrates that the creation of Henry Flower completes the kaleidoscopic mode of narration through which Joyce refracts the stifling legacy of Irish history: first through Stephen Dedalus, then through Leopold Bloom, and ultimately through Henry Flower. When viewed from this perspective, it becomes apparent that the creation of Henry Flower allows Bloom to recognize the restorative potential of a surrogate father-son relationship with Stephen. In this way, Henry Flower performs a conciliatory function that establishes a philosophical blueprint for postcolonial nation-building, thereby underscoring the productive potential that resides in even the most disconcerting depths of Nietzsche's philosophical vision
An exploratory analysis of leakage warning behavior in lone-actor terrorists
No full textLeakage is one of the eight warning behaviors referred to in the violence risk and threat assessment literature. Previous research has highlighted the relevance and prevalence of leakage in lone-actor terrorists; however, a more detailed understanding of this phenomenon is lacking. This study sets out to expand our knowledge of this behavior by conducting an exploratory analysis using court records relating to IS-inspired lone-actor terrorism cases in the United States. The general patterns in leakage warning behavior were analyzed, and different types of leakage were examined with regard to from whom they were leaked, how they were leaked, their presence online, and whether or not they occurred before certain types of attacks more than others. It was found that leakage in the form of support tended to be leaked most frequently to members of the public, via written text and online, whilst the leakage of intent and specifics appeared to be more regularly leaked to co-conspirators and through verbal communication that avoided the online world. Significant relationships were also found between leakage, FBI interaction and attack initiation, but no significant relationship was found between leakage and mental health. The implications of these findings are discussed