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Analyzing Pluralized Moral Panics Using Morphological Framing: The Case of the Transgender Debate
Get PDFThis article presents a new theory of pluralized moral panics that can help researchers make sense of the uniquely inflected conflicts that arise in our highly fragmented and mediatized world. Section one expounds and critiques both the classic theory of moral panics developed by Stanley Cohen, and the polarized theory presented by Iwona Zielińska and Barbara Pasamonik. Section two expounds and revises Michael Freeden’s morphological theory of ideologies to present a theory that is applicable to contemporary pluralized moral panics. Section three applies the new theory to the current transgender debate. This pluralized moral panic is shown to have five features that distinguish it from classic and polarized panics: (1) the fragmentation of disputant groups; (2) the proliferation of ideologies and interpretative bubbles; (3) continual reframing and counter-framing; (4) discontinuous moral panics; and (5) ambiguous responsibilities. These features are explored with reference to a range of disputants, including those within the New Christian Right, trans activist groups, Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, gender critical feminists, and pro-trans feminists. The argument concludes in section four by summarizing the argument and its significance
Early career teachers’ identities: polymorphous identities that form, morph, and flex over time
Get PDFThis article focuses on a small part of original doctoral research conducted at the University of Sheffield and presents the perceptions of three Early Career Teachers (ECTs) and how their identities as professionals developed over time in response to personal and professional factors they were exposed to during the first 3 years of teaching. ECTs in this study projected multiple identities that morphed throughout their early careers. Controlling which identities to project at any one time, supported teachers to deal with challenges within three different dynamic primary school environments. ECTs articulated hierarchies of power and recognised a gap between their aspirations and expectations of more experienced others; six aspects were categorised: personal, organisational, social, cultural, political, and historical. This article demonstrates how the six aspects interact dynamically with ECTs’ identities, which morph under pressure and over time in multifaceted circumstances. This research introduces a context-specific historical aspect of teachers’ lives underpinned by tried and tested ways of working ingrained in education systems. Findings further the debates about the importance of supporting ECTs with high-quality ongoing professional development, increasing confidence and competence and sense of professional identity, supporting aspirations to maintain motivation and retaining ECTs in careers for the longer term
The Conducive Environment: Reconceptualising the exploitation of human beings
Get PDFWhere does exploitation start and stop? When does cheap labour become forced labour? Where is the line drawn between destitution and coercion? These questions have never been properly answered and as a result the understanding and response to issues such as modern slavery is trapped in arguments about global inequalities, border control, and interpersonal versus political harm. A new definition of exploitation is developed that delivers an original conceptual framework for understanding why some people in some spaces are more likely to be exploited. Based on ‘tight’ and ‘loose’ social bonds the conducive environment explains the conditions of disruption, isolation, entitlement and desperation in which exploitation flourishes and provides a brand-new model for investigating the exploitation of human beings
Projecting stock market impacts of climate change via rational bubble models
No full textIn this paper we develop a rational bubble model to quantify the susceptibility of global stock markets to future temperature rises. The approach builds on existing theory incorporating the unpredictable timing of future Black-Swan events alongside price risks that increase in line with global temperature. An alternative specification where climate-change risks are instead linked to atmospheric carbon dioxide levels is also given. The approach offers simplicity, transparency and allows national-level effects to be estimated. In the short-term prices are artificially inflated and volatility artificially deflated as temperatures rise. This is in-line with previous work suggesting carbon-related risks are under-priced by markets. We use our model to estimate stock-market exposure to future climate-change risks given future global temperature rises and increases in atmospheric CO2. The potential effects are considerable once global temperatures increases beyond 2°C above pre-industrial levels. We find that climate-change risks are priced in by certain G7 stock markets but not in smaller markets. Estimates of stock-market losses directly attributable to global temperature rises up to 2°C above pre-industrial levels are also given
C-BAss symopsium
No full textOver the last year, the Competence-Based Assessment [C-BAss] team have used our QAA Collaborative Enhancement funding to travel across the country to ask lecturers and students two important questions: ‘What is the purpose of assessment?’ and ‘What makes it effective?’. In this symposium, the C-BAss team will share case studies from their journey into competence-based assessment and invite you to contribute to national discussions on how we can ensure assessment achieves its purpos
Widespread genetic signals of visual system adaptation in deepwater cichlid fishes
Get PDFThe light environment exerts a profound selection pressure on the visual system, driving morphological and molecular adaptations that may also contribute to species diversification. Here, we investigate the evolution and genetic basis of visual system diversification in deepwater cichlid fishes of the genus Diplotaxodon. We find that Diplotaxodon exhibit the greatest eye size variation among Lake Malawi cichlids and that this variation is largely uncoupled from phylogeny, with various nonsister species sharing similar eye sizes. Using a combination of genome-wide association analysis across nine Diplotaxodon species, haplotype-based selection scans, and transcriptome analysis, we uncover consistent and widespread signatures of evolution in visual pathways, centered on green-sensitive opsins and throughout the phototransduction cascade, suggesting coordinated evolution of eye size and visual molecular pathways. Our findings underscore the role of visual system diversification in niche specialization within deepwater habitats and offer new insights into visual system evolution within this extraordinary cichlid radiation
Optimizing Currency Factors
Get PDFWe introduce a novel framework that dynamically optimizes currency factor strategies via trading currency spot and forward. We examine the performance of 24,336 portfolio optimization approaches and find that the optimized currency factors significantly outperform the naïve factors after correcting for data snooping bias. Our framework suits both symmetric factor portfolios, including carry, momentum, and value, and asymmetric factor portfolios, such as time series momentum and return signal momentum. An out-of-sample procedure that aggregates all the outperforming optimization approaches validates the economic significance of our optimized factor portfolio
Optimal design of a hybrid ship energy management system under various sea conditions using Model Predictive Control
Get PDFThis paper introduces an optimal design and control approach for a hybrid ship energy management system under various sea conditions by employing model predictive control. Ship reliability and environmental sustainability can be enhanced by reducing emissions and ecological impact. When a ship navigates, it encounters varying sea conditions, and as a result, the ship’s generator can experience substantial loading stress due to power fluctuations, particularly in unfavorable conditions. These fluctuations can disrupt the generator or even cause it to fail to supply the necessary power to the ship. A model predictive control (MPC) law has been devised to effectively manage the hybrid energy storage system of batteries and supercapacitors, dynamically responding to power variations induced by ocean waves. This study investigates the performance characteristics of the energy storage system across various battery weight configurations (1,5,10,20,30,50). We explore different weightings of batteries and supercapacitors to analyze their impact on system behavior. The numbers related to the battery weight configurations represent different configurations or setups of the hybrid energy storage system within the ship. The significance of these numbers lies in their impact on the performance of the energy management system and consequently, the overall operation of the vessel. By exploring various battery weight configurations, the study aims to understand how different setups affect the behavior and effectiveness of the hybrid energy storage system. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology is demonstrated through MATLAB simulations under varying sea conditions, including light, moderate, and heavy, successfully mitigating power variations and averting generator failure. Interestingly, the findings reveal that saturation occurs in their respective currents when the weightage difference among these energy storage components surpasses 20
TOA and TDOA Based Asynchronous Self-Localization: Three Stage Framework for Simultaneous Localization of Microphones and Audio Sources
Get PDFSelf-localization, a pivotal aspect explored in this research, holds significant relevance across various applications, including human-robot interaction and surveillance for aging individuals. Traditional localization methods relying on GPS signals or visual information face limitations in poorly illuminated environments or areas with obstructed GPS signals. In these situations, audio signals emerge as a promising alternative. When localizing both devices/microphones and ambient objects using audio signals from sources, typically two types of information are used: time of arrival (TOA) and time difference of arrival (TDOA). TOA measures the distance between microphones and sources, while TDOA measures the range difference between pairs of microphones relative to the audio source. However, there are three challenges in localizing both microphones and sources with TOA and TDOA measurements, which limit the efficiency and accuracy of self-localization, regardless of whether the microphones and sources are synchronous or asynchronous.In scenarios where both microphones and sources are asynchronous, both TOA and TDOA contain unknown timing information (UTIm). The unknown start time for the microphones and the emission time for the sources are embedded in the TOA measurements. Additionally, there is an unknown time offset between pairs of microphones in TDOA measurements. Under this scenario, there are at least two challenges for self-localization. Firstly, TOA requires estimation from both microphone and source signals, whereas TDOA requires estimation from microphone signals only. Even if the UTIm in TOA and TDOA is accurately estimated, asynchronous TOA provides range measurements between microphones and sources, while asynchronous TDOA only provides range differences. Range measurements contain richer and more efficient information than range difference measurements for self-localization, as range differences can be derived directly from range measurements. Therefore, when audio source signals are absent, it is crucial to find a way to use microphone signals alone for efficient self-localization before estimating UTIm. Secondly, UTIm in both TOA and TDOA pose significant challenges for self-localization. Traditional methods for estimating UTIm (synchronizing microphones and sources) in TOA/TDOA measurements often get stuck in local minima due to the randomness of UTIm, leading to inaccuracies in range measurements and substantial localization errors. Therefore, it’s paramount to design a method to improve the accuracy of range measurements for self-localization.The third challenge arises in scenarios where both microphones and sources are synchronized, and range measurements between them are available. Traditional methods require a minimum number of microphones and sources to achieve effective self-localization. Typically, at least six, five, or four microphones are required along with four, five, or six sources, respectively. This requirement is based on the principle that the number of equations (known range measurements) should be greater than or equal to the number of unknowns (location variables for microphones and sources). When the number of microphones and sources is below this minimum threshold, traditional state-of-the-art methods fail. Unfortunately, this issue has not been adequately explored, significantly limiting the efficiency of self-localization. This poses the third challenge to find a way to reduce the number of microphones and sources required for self-localization.To address above three challenges, this PhD thesis proposes a three stage framework (TSF) designed to simultaneously localize both microphones and audio sources, improving both accuracy and efficiency for self-localization. The initial stage focuses on developing a mapping function that can transform between TOA and TDOA formulas, demonstrating their potential equivalence for the first time. This breakthrough reveals that microphone signals alone are adequate for self-localization, eliminating the need for source signal waveforms and providing richer information for localization once UTIm is estimated in asynchronous TOA/TDOA measurements. This advancement could revolutionize self-localization techniques, greatly expanding their use in challenging environments. Backed by solid mathematical proof and compelling experimental results, this research makes a significant contribution to the current discourse on audio self-localization. In the second stage, an innovative combined low-rank approximation (CLRA) technique aimed at estimating UTIm is introduced. This involves developing three novel low-rank property (LRP) variants, each of which is backed by mathematical proof, allowing UTIm to utilize a broader range of low-rank structural information. By leveraging this augmented low-rank information from both the LRP and the proposed variants, I formulate four linear constraints on UTIm. Employing the CLRA algorithm, global optimal solutions for UTIm based on these constraints are derived. Experimental results showcase proposed method’s superior performance over current state-of-the-art approaches, as demonstrated by higher recovery numbers and lower estimation errors for UTIm. In the third stage, the proposed TSF relaxes the minimal configurations required for self-localization by presenting a novel numerical method. Based on the laws of cosine, the localization problem is transformed to estimate four unknown pairs of distances pertaining to one pair of microphones and three pairs of sources. Using the triangle inequality, both the lower and upper boundaries of these four unknown pairs of distances can be obtained, enabling the determination of the numerical method by searching for candidates within the corresponding boundaries. This approach shows that self-localization in 3D space is achievable with only four microphones and four sources, relaxing the minimal configurations required by traditional methods, improving the efficiency for self-localization. Both theory and simulation results validate the feasibility of this new numerical method.In summary, the impact of the proposed TSF in this PhD thesis extends to providing a comprehensive understanding of self-localization, enhancing accuracy and efficiency in challenging environments. The proposed methodologies contribute to the advancement of signal and audio processing, paving the way for more intelligent and flexible solutions in real-world scenarios
An Exploration of Factors Affecting Timely Referral of Patients with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischaemia
Get PDFChronic limb-threatening ischaemia (CLTI) is the end-stage of peripheral arterial disease. It is associated with significant risks of limb loss and mortality, which increase with delays to revascularisation. There is currently little understanding of how pathways from the community to vascular surgery assessment work in practice, but there is clear evidence that delays are present throughout the patient journey. This thesis aims to identify, define and prioritise facilitators and barriers to the timely and appropriate referral of patients with CLTI from primary care into vascular surgery services. It explores potential solutions to delay and how they can be effectively applied. Multiple methodologies were used to meet these aims and answer four research questions.The results of this work demonstrated that publicly available guidance regarding referral of patients with suspected CLTI was unclear, used vague wording and rarely involved primary care clinicians or representative groups in the writing or endorsement of guidance documents. Referral pathways in place from the community to vascular surgical assessment varied widely according to local context and resource availability. Qualitative work with hospital and primary care clinicians identified that whilst hospital clinicians were aware of the need for speed in the process, multiple barriers existed, while primary care clinicians struggled with the challenge of delivering care in the current environment and a lack of confidence with regards to CLTI. Rich interview data from patients diagnosed with CLTI generated themes relating to individual behaviours, primary care experiences and vascular surgery processes. Finally, the effectiveness of quality improvement collaboratives in UK surgery was assessed, finding limited data to support their use given weak study design and poor reporting quality.This thesis has identified several overarching factors affecting timely referral and vascular surgery assessment of CLTI. Evidence-based solutions on national and local levels have been suggested