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The calligraphy of the cliff sutra engravings in the late Northern Dynasties (550-581 CE)
Get PDFThis dissertation explores the origin, functions, and stylistic development of cliff sutra carvings in the late Northern Dynasties (550–581 CE), explaining the progress of calligraphy art in the cultural, political, and religious contexts of the Northern Qi (550–577 CE) and Northern Zhou (557–581 CE). This study also analyses the spread of Buddhism from the Northern Wei dynasty to the Northern Qi dynasty, emphasizing the significance of sutra engravings in promoting Buddhism and shaping the spiritual environment. During the period of political division, constant conflict, and social unrest in the late Northern Dynasties, Buddhism provided spiritual comfort and ideological support for leaders and the general public, which was conducive to the creation of cliff-sutra engravings.
A major focus of this study is the analysis of the calligraphy styles found in Northern Dynasties cliff-sutra engravings, which combine elements from clerical script, seal script, and regular script. Through extensive analysis of these calligraphic features, this dissertation assesses how these engraved sutras served both as sacred texts and as expressions of calligraphic artistry. The dissertation further examines the effects of materiality in the preservation of calligraphy, focusing on rubbings as a medium that provided wider access to calligraphy while adding stylistic variants caused by material disparities. The findings indicate that although rubbings aided in the preservation of calligraphy, they also removed texts from their original geographic and environmental context, particularly for Buddhist sutra engravings. By comparing the perspectives of Song and Qing dynasty scholars on Northern Dynasties stone inscriptions, this research explores how historical and political contexts impacted calligraphic assessments. Therefore, this study will examine the calligraphy of engraved sutras from the Northern Dynasties, employing historical documentary research, comparative analysis of stroke characteristics, and theoretical studies of fundamental calligraphic scripts to categorize the styles of engraved sutra calligraphy
The future of Sufism in Saudi Arabia under Salafi–Sufi polemics and vision 2030’s adoption of Wasaṭiyya
Get PDFIn the aftermath of the poor reputation acquired by the government-supported Salafi establishment as the principal source of political Islam’s fundamentalist ideology behind Islamic terrorism, the Saudi government was compelled to rethink its internal socioreligious policies and imposition of the austere Salafism on the heterogenous Saudi society. Societal pluralism was promoted when different groups within society, Sufis, Shīʿa and liberal modernists, were all invited to participate in national dialogue forums. These forums were precursors to major socioreligious reform, as expressed in the country’s Vision 2030.
Pluralism is sought in the controversial Qurʾanic concept of wasaṭiyya (middle way), hoping to provide a solid Islamic foundation for the unprecedented socioreligious change of attitude. Wasaṭiyya would achieve two premises, as advanced in this thesis. First, it would instil an intraIslamic and societal pluralism within the heterogeneous composition of Saudi society. Second, it would promote public acceptance of harmonious coexistence across cultural and religious worlds. The prevailing Salafi establishment’s definition of wasaṭiyya is not conducive to fulfilling the two premises mentioned above. Instead, this thesis proposes that an alternative Sufi-defined wasaṭiyya, grounded in taṣawwuf’s two principles of sulūk (behaviour; conduct) and akhlāq (ethics), would better fulfil the two premises. Yet, in a country known for its deeprooted Salafi abhorrence of taṣawwuf (Sufism), Sufism’s approach to wasaṭiyya cannot be addressed outside the context of the Salafi‒Sufi polemical relationship.
Through a review of the literature and multimedia sources, a comparative analysis was conducted, and Salafi‒Sufi refutations and counter-refutations were identified. The research revealed that the Sufi interpretation of wasaṭiyya was inclusive, promoting pluralistic intraIslamic and a disposition towards modernist schools of thought. Taṣawwuf’s wasaṭiyya underlines a new comprehensive approach to an Islamic philosophy for life that naturally fulfils the two premises of the socioreligious-cum-political aspect of Vision 2030. Although the state of taṣawwuf in Saudi Arabia is far from widely accepted, government-supported intellectual efforts and official public media programmes about taṣawwuf target the country’s intelligentsia. This highlights the intellectual acknowledgement of true Sufism, in contrast to pseudo-Sufism, as essential to Islamic ethics. Consequently, this thesis advocates including Sufism’s two principles, sulūk and aklāq, in the country’s religious education system
Design of a THz-TDS system optimised for high signal-to-noise ratio
No full textThis thesis represents a summary of the activities I performed throughout my PhD, focusing mainly on terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and developing techniques by which the THz-TDS method may be optimised for use with Ytterbium-doped Pottasium Gaddolinium Tungstate (Yb:KGW) laser systems, culminating in the application of quantum metrological methods to improve the sensitivity of the system further.
The THz region of the electromagnetic spectrum holds great promise for sensing, given the strong resonances exhibited by many biological molecules in the region, as well as the ability of THz to penetrate many dielectric materials whilst being non-ionising. This has lead to interest and application in a wide range of fields and industries such as, but certainly not limited to, defense, security, and medicine. Despite the inherent difficulty of generating and detecting coherent THz radiation, the field of THz research, and the filling of the THz gap, has attracted widespread curiosity within the academic optics and electronics communities.
As Yb:KGW laser systems become more commonplace in nonlinear optical laboratories, their use in the generation and detection of THz radiation through THz-TDS has increased. However, in order to make the best use of these laser sources, the inherent challenges that come with using high peak power laser sources such as these must be addressed. Excessive heating of the THz generation medium can result in reabsorption of THz and suboptimal optical conversion efficiency, and challenges in pump light rejection can results in either scattered/stray pump light or loss of THz radiation. These challenges, if unaddressed, result in excess noise, defeating the advantage of the higher THz signals generated by such sources. The temporal pulse duration achieved by Yb:KGWlasers is also longer than those achieved by Titanium Sapphire (Ti:Sapph) laser sources, putting these sources at a disadvantage in terms of temporal resolution, and generation and detection bandwidth. Some groups address some of these concerns through the use of highly customised pulse compressors and cryogenic cooling of nonlinear optical materials. This thesis describes the development of methods by which these Yb:KGW-driven THz-TDS systems may be improved by simpler means, without the need for cryogenic systems or complex pulse compression systems, using instead tools that are readily available in many labs working in nonlinear optics. This results in a more accessible and less complex system, opening the subject of THz-TDS sensing to a wider audience. The experimental design is optimised using simulation tools, cooling of the THz generation medium is achieved through water cooling using pre-existing water-cooling systems used by the laser source itself, and pulse compression is achieved using an optical parametric amplifier, present in many nonlinear optical laboratories already. The additional components required to implement these optimisations are commercially available and do not require custom fabrication. These improvements aim to enhance the performance of THz-TDS, broaden the adoption of the technology in both academic and industrial lab settings, and improve its applicability to industries such as defense, security, and medicine by increasing the achievable sensitivity of the system. Furthermore, these systems could feasibly be applied as remote sensing platforms, reducing or entirely removing the requirement to come into direct contact with the analyte to be measured. This is of special interest in applications that deal with potentially hazardous or unknown substances such as those in defense and security.
The use of quantum metrological techniques to reduce the noise of a system below the classical shot noise limit is also of great interest in the domain of THz-TDS. A further improvement of the measurement sensitivity potentially enables detection of smaller quantities of hazardous substances in security defense applications, allowing for earlier detection of such materials and reduced operator risk. This thesis extends the efforts to improve the performance of THz-TDS systems by implementing amplitude-squeezed twin beams (TWBs) as a probe, successfully pushing the noise performance of the system below the shot noise limit in a modified TDS scheme. While this scheme cannot be applied to the conventional TDS scheme, it represents, to the author’s best knowledge, the first demonstration of a quantum-enhanced THz-TDS measurement that reduces the system noise below the shot noise limit when compared to an analogous scheme using a coherent/classical probe.
Finally, this thesis covers works investigating sensing of turbulent environments. The use of THz-TDS systems within the industries mentioned above will inevitably require application outside a laboratory environment. As such, an experimentwas designed and constructed to assess the applicability of light with orbital angular momentum (OAM) to such problems. These phasestructured states of light show promise in environmental sensing due to their phase-sensitive nature. Therefore there is potential to apply such a scheme to correct for turbulent channels when using THz-TDS systems within such environments
Materiality matters: exploring how archivists engage with, and represent, textile pattern books digitally
Get PDFArchive services devote considerable resources to digitising collections and collection metadata, transforming public access and raising awareness of the wealth of records available for research and enjoyment. However, digital access predominantly focuses on document content and fails to effectively communicate the form, construction and tangibility of records, as well as the physical evidence they embed about their creation and career. Using textile industry pattern books as a case study, this thesis examines why the material features of archives matter and explores how archivists engage with materiality in their practice. It undertakes an analysis of archival theory and methodology to identify reasons why materiality receives limited attention in professional discourse. Through seven institutional case studies and learning from analysis of the Humanities community’s digital practices, the thesis asks how archivists can create effective, material-centred, digital access to pattern books. The research provides compelling insights into the significant contribution physical evidence makes to the interpretation of textile heritage. It highlights that accessible digitisation techniques, such as angled shots or photographing a group of boxes, effectively communicate physicality and context, while linked data supports collection discovery and reveals unexpected relationships. The findings emphasize the digital divide which exists in the archive sector and identify that many services are held back from fulfilling their digital aspirations by a lack of capacity and resources, more so than by access to technology. The thesis adds to the growing body of evidence of the ways in which materiality builds connections, informs the interpretation of function, use, provenance and context, and underpins archival practices in exhibition-making and engagement
Fair group-based exposure of documents in ranked search results
Get PDFThe main objective in the development and deployment of Information Retrieval (IR) systems has traditionally been to ensure that users receive relevant information, for example by ranking documents with respect to the documents’ predicted relevance to the users’ information needs, as represented by the users’ queries. However, retrieval systems that only rank documents by predicted relevance can unintentionally introduce unfairness in the search results. In particular, search results can be unfair when groups of documents that are linked to specific entities such as individuals, organisations, or demographics are systematically ranked lower due to their associated attributes. Groups of documents that are ranked lower in the search results are less exposed to the user and therefore receive less attention. This lack of exposure can amplify biases and create unequal opportunities, thereby raising numerous ethical concerns and challenges.
Therefore, in this thesis, we address the task of ensuring fairness in the search results. In particular, we aim to ensure fairness of exposure over groups of documents. Such groups are formed based on shared characteristics, such as a common associated geographic location, language, or other given attributes.
Since maintaining relevance in the search results remains the main objective of every IR System, we aim to ensure fairness over the groups of documents without compromising the relevance or quality of the rankings. Indeed, search results that are perfectly fair according to a specific fairness definition but lack relevant documents would render an IR system ineffective and unusable. In this thesis, we provide insights into assessing exposure and demonstrate how IR systems using standard retrieval methods can be adapted to distribute exposure more fairly across groups of documents in search results while maintaining the quality of their results. We start our investigation by providing an overview of how exposure is distributed across document groups in search results. Based on our analysis, we argue that when adjustments to exposure distributions are necessary, modifying the ranked search results—by adding or removing documents from certain groups—is more effective than solely relying on re-ranking strategies. Moreover, we show that assessing the expected exposure distribution before implementing fairness-enhancing modifications to IR systems is a critical step. By evaluating how exposure is likely to be allocated among document groups prior to retrieval, potential disparities can be detected and the necessity and type of required fairness interventions can be determined.
Specifically, we introduce a novel approach that predicts the exposure groups will receive prior to executing the retrieval process. Similar to Query Performance Prediction methods, which estimate the relevance of search results, our approach predicts how exposure will be distributed across groups of documents. Through experiments conducted over different document groups, we demonstrate that our proposed Group Exposure Predictor can assess the exposure distributions before traditional retrieval is performed.
To assess or predict the exposure received by document groups, it is necessary to know the labels that define these groups. However, in practice, such labels are often incomplete or entirely unavailable. To address this issue, we propose a robust method for assessing exposure in search results when document labels are missing, through the use of Quantification techniques. Unlike traditional classification methods that infer individual labels, Quantification focuses on estimating the distribution of labels across groups. We argue that this approach is more suitable for group exposure assessment, as it directly provides the aggregate information needed to evaluate group-level disparities, rather than relying on potentially inaccurate individual predictions.
To address unfair exposure distributions in search results, we propose adapting existing retrieval methods. Specifically, we argue that methods designed to increase the recall of search results are the most promising for adaptation, as adding more documents from underrepresented groups has a material impact on improving exposure distribution. To this end, we introduce a novel adaptation of the Graph-Based Adaptive Re-ranking (GAR) method to achieve a more fair exposure allocation over groups of documents in the search results. We propose several policies to adapt the GAR process and demonstrate through our experiments that each policy effectively improves the allocation of exposure across document groups in the search results, without compromising relevance.
Another effective approach to increasing the recall of relevant documents in search results is through query modification. In this thesis, we propose several query modification techniques that adapt and extend existing retrieval methods to improve the representation of underrepresented groups in the search results. These include techniques such as query expansion, where additional terms are added to the original query to retrieve more diverse and relevant documents and pseudo-relevance feedback, where the system analyses an initial set of retrieved documents to refine the query. By incorporating these approaches, we aim to retrieve more relevant documents for groups with a low representation in an initial retrieval, thereby enhancing recall and promoting a more balanced allocation of exposure in final rankings. To successfully modify a user’s query, we propose to use pre-trained large language models to generate query terms and full queries that help retrieve more documents from underrepresented groups. Through our empirical evaluation, we show that all of our techniques are suitable for improving the exposure distribution over groups of documents while maintaining the relevance and quality of the search results.
Overall, this thesis contributes to a growing body of research on fairness in IR systems. By addressing key challenges in balancing relevance and fairness, this work provides novel insights and practical methods for improving the equitable distribution of exposure in search results. Through the development of predictive models, robust measurement techniques, and adaptations of effective retrieval methods, including recent generative AI approaches, this thesis advances both the theoretical understanding and practical implementation of fairness-aware IR systems. These contributions not only enhance the design of more inclusive and socially responsible retrieval systems but also open new avenues for future research in this critical and evolving field
Towards a general theory of consensus: probabilistic distributed fault tolerance consensus, decentralized voting in DAOs, and a unified consensus framework
Get PDFConsensus serves as a foundational mechanism in both social coordination and distributed technical systems. While machine consensus research in engineering focuses on fault tolerance and synchronization, social science emphasizes human deliberation, participation, and governance. However, the increasing convergence of human and machine decision making, exemplified by decentralized autonomous organizations (DAOs), intelligent agents, and cyber-physical social systems, demands a more integrated and theoretically robust understanding of consensus. This thesis addresses this interdisciplinary gap by investigating consensus across three interconnected dimensions: probabilistic fault-tolerant consensus systems, human-driven voting mechanisms in DAOs, and a unified conceptual framework bridging human and machine consensus.
The first part of the thesis focuses on distributed fault-tolerant consensus in uncertain environments. Traditional approaches often rely on deterministic assumptions about node failures and fixed quorum rules. These assumptions may fail to reflect real-world systems where node behaviour is influenced by heterogeneous reliability and probabilistic failures. To address this limitation, a probabilistic modelling framework is proposed, treating node reliability as a stochastic variable. Within this framework, consensus outcomes are classified into three categories: safe, risky, and compromised. A new concept, referred to as the reliability quorum, is introduced to provide a more flexible threshold for achieving consensus based on targeted reliability levels. This model enables system designers to tailor fault tolerance according to specific reliability requirements, providing both analytical clarity and practical adaptability.
The second part investigates consensus in decentralized systems primarily driven by human-oriented agents, using DAO voting as a representative case. In contrast to deterministic coordination among machines, DAO consensus arises from voluntary participation, heterogeneous voting power, and non-uniform approval conditions. To guide the analysis, the thesis introduces the DAO governance triangle alongside the SEED framework, which qualitatively evaluates voting mechanisms across four dimensions: Security, Efficiency, Effectiveness, and Decentralization. Building on this conceptual foundation, the study proceeds to a quantitative investigation of two key SEED dimensions. For decentralization, a stochastic process model is proposed to capture probabilistic participation and power distribution, leading to the formulation of the Consistency Rate and the Decentralization Coefficient as quantitative indicators. For efficiency, the model is further extended to characterize the interactions among participation probability, voting duration, and approval rate, enabling a formal evaluation of voting responsiveness and resource usage. Simulation results support both aspects of the analysis, revealing how power concentration, turnout behaviour, and mechanism design jointly influence decentralization and efficiency in DAO voting.
The third part presents a unifying conceptual framework to analyse consensus across human, machine, and human-machine hybrid systems. Despite disciplinary differences, the thesis identifies three core components of any consensus process: participants (the actors of agreement), communication (the medium of exchange), and state (the evolving representation of agreement). Framing consensus as an entropy-reduction process that resolves cognitive or informational divergence, this abstraction enables comparative analysis across diverse systems. The framework also distinguishes among human consensus, machine consensus, and human-machine hybrid consensus, and offers design guidelines aligned with the characteristics and limitations of each.
Together, these three threads construct a comprehensive theory of consensus that connects distributed computation, social governance, and emerging hybrid collectives. By integrating modelling, evaluation, and abstraction, this thesis contributes a multi-layered foundation for understanding and designing consensus mechanisms that are robust, scalable, and trustworthy in increasingly decentralized and intelligent environments
Forces controlling the dynamics of planetary interiors
Get PDFConvection occurs naturally in the atmospheres of giant planets and within electrically conducting regions of terrestrial planets, such as Earth’s outer core. Over time, increasing attention has been given to these conducting fluid regions in astrophysical and geophysical bodies, as they are believed to generate magnetic fields through dynamo action. Therefore, understanding convection and the dynamo process is fundamental to explaining how magnetic fields are sustained in astrophysical and geophysical bodies.
This thesis investigates convective fluid flows under the influence of rotation and magnetic fields. Numerical simulations are conducted using two models: an annulus model with an imposed magnetic field, and a spherical shell model that allows for the self-excitation of magnetic fields. Throughout this thesis, particular attention is given to the forces governing the flow dynamics. The first part presents a literature review of existing work and outlines the methods used in both models.
New results from nonlinear simulations of an annulus model with an imposed magnetic field are presented. The study examines how varying the strength of magnetic field and convection affects the prevailing force balances and flow patterns. Additionally, the characteristics of zonal flows and multiple jets within the annulus model are investigated, with particular emphasis on the influence of magnetic field strength and the force balances required to sustain these flows. Zonal flows and multiple jet solutions are typically found at weak magnetic field strength where a strong inertial force is present, although some cases of zonal flows and multiple jets are found at strong magnetic field strength where a strong Lorentz force is present. Force balances occur that are similar to those found in the main regimes of dynamo action.
Finally, spherical shell simulations are performed to investigate both forces and solenoidal forces, where flow lengthscales in two distinct directions are examined. Dynamically relevant flow lengthscales are identified by introducing a triple balance point involving key forces characteristic of the main dynamo regimes. These dynamically relevant lengthscales are then successfully compared with energetically dominant scales, highlighting how force balances at particular scales set the size of the flow. The forces and solenoidal forces across different regions of the spherical shell are further analysed. Transitions between the main dynamo regimes are examined, where solenoidal forces are used to explain the mechanisms driving these transition
Evaluating the clinical use of different breathing systems and assessing their effects on respiratory function in small dogs under anaesthesia
Get PDFThere is little consensus on the selection and use of breathing systems in small dogs. There is a wide array of systems available and several factors which govern breathing system selection. The current guidance for the use of breathing systems in 5–10 kg dogs is unclear. There is a trend to advise the use of more economical systems, however, the use of these has not been evaluated.
Survey study
This study aimed to investigate which breathing systems are available and why they are selected in 5–10 kg dogs. This was an anonymous online voluntary open survey. Research was approved by the University of Glasgow College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences Ethics committee (Ref. 200220025).
An online survey, designed following CHERRIES guidelines (Eysenbach, 2004), was advertised through the American College of Veterinary Anesthesiologists - List (ACVA-List), Association of Veterinary Anaesthesia (AVA) and European College of Veterinary Anaesthesia and Analgesia (ECVAA) (February-March 2022). A convenience sample was taken.
Of the 256 responses received, 138 were completed. This included (n responses received) veterinarians (107) and veterinary nurses or technicians (29) actively involved in the anaesthesia of dogs.
The most prevalent breathing systems available to respondents were circle (99%), coaxial Bain (79%) and modified Ayre’s T-piece (with adjustable pressure limiting valve) (72%). When recommending a dog weight range suitable for the use with these systems, respondents advised a median (interquartile range) of 5 (3–10) to 100 (100–100), 3 (0–8) to 20 (10–33) and 0 (0–0) to 10 (7–10) kg, respectively. Respondents agreed or strongly agreed that important factors in selecting a breathing system were the fresh gas flow requirement (92%), dog weight (91%), resistance (83%) and environmental pollution (79%). In clinical scenarios based on 5–10 kg dogs, the circle system was chosen by 58% for a thin and 77% for a keel chested versus 44% for an obese and 66% for a barrel-chested dog, respectively.
The circle system is the most commonly available breathing system. The minimum weight limit used for the circle system is less than previous surveys have reported (Nicholson and Watson, 2001). Several factors influence the choice of breathing system other than dog weight.
Clinical study
This study aimed to compare different breathing systems during spontaneous ventilation in anaesthetised 5–10 kg dogs. This was a randomised, non-blinded, crossover clinical trial. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Glasgow School of Biodiversity One Health and Veterinary Medicine Ethics Committee (Ref EA34/21).
Thirty 5–10 kg dogs were anaesthetised for a range of procedures.
A Mapleson D T-piece system was used as a control in all dogs. The dogs were equally randomised to the test breathing systems: circle or Bain. All dogs received a standard anaesthetic protocol. Respiratory rate (fR), end expired carbon dioxide (PE′CO2), tidal (VT) and minute (V̇E) volume were compared using a paired student’s t test or Wilcoxon rank test.
The circle PE’CO2 (6.04 ± 0.64 kPa), VT (12.1 ± 3.9 ml kg-1) and V̇E (116.7 (97.5–166.0) ml kg-1) were significantly higher (p = <0.001, 0.035 and 0.002 respectively) than the T-piece PE’CO2 (5.31 ± 0.78 kPa), VT (10.6 (7.7–13.3) ml kg-1) and V̇E (107.8 (77.3–131.9) ml kg-1). The Bain PE’CO2 (5.22 ± 0.98 kPa) was significantly lower (p = 0.032) and the VT (7.1 ± 2.7 ml kg-1) significantly higher (p = 0.041) than the T-piece PE’CO2 (5.61 ±0.90 kPa) and VT (6.6 (4.8–7.0) ml kg-1). Between the Bain and T-piece there was no significant difference in V̇E. Neither test system had a significant difference in fR compared with the control.
Whilst differences were found between both test systems and the control, the clinical consequences appear minimal. Both circle and Bain appear suitable for use in healthy 5–10 kg dogs as overall ventilatory function was adequate
Structure and complexity of the student-project allocation problem
Get PDFMatching problems occur in many practical settings where agents from one set need to be assigned to agents or resources in another. This thesis presents new results for a class of matching problems known as the Student-Project Allocation problem (spa). In this problem, we are given a set of students, projects, and lecturers, where each project is offered by a single lecturer. Students have preferences over the projects they find acceptable, while lecturers may have no preferences, preferences over students, or preferences over projects. In the spa model where both students and lecturers have preferences, the goal is to find a stable matching, which means an allocation of students to projects such that no student and lecturer would prefer an alternative assignment involving a different project. This thesis explores the complexity and structure of stable matchings in two variants of spa.
In the Student-Project Allocation problem with lecturer preferences over Projects (spa-p), stable matchings may vary in size, and the problem of finding a maximum-size stable matching (denoted max-spa-p) is known to be NP-hard. Another variant is the Student-Project Allocation problem with lecturer preferences over Students, referred to as spa-s. An extension of spa-s where ties are allowed in the preference lists of both students and lecturers is known as spa-st. Similar to the spa-p model, weakly stable matchings in spa-st may differ in size, and it is known that finding a maximum weakly stable matching (denoted max-spa-st) is NP-hard. In both max-spa-p and max-spa-st, we examine how natural restrictions on the preference structure of students and lecturers affect the computational complexity of finding a maximum stable matching. We identify cases that admit polynomial-time algorithms and others that remain NP-hard. In addition, we study the parameterised complexity of max-spa-p, and prove that the problem is fixed-parameter tractable with respect to a natural structural parameter.
Next, we consider the structural aspects of spa-s. It is well known that a single instance may admit multiple stable matchings, and that the number of such matchings may grow exponentially with the input size. We present two new characterisations of the set of stable matchings for any given spa-s instance. First, we prove that the set of stable matchings forms a distributive lattice under a natural dominance relation, in which the student-optimal and lecturer-optimal matchings correspond to the maximum and minimum elements, respectively. In the second characterisation, we extend the notion of rotations, originally defined for the one-to-one Stable Marriage problem, to the more complex spa-s model. We introduce meta-rotations in spa-s, and use this to develop the meta-rotation poset. We prove that there is a one-to-one correspondence between the stable matchings of a given spa-s instance and the closed subsets of the associated meta-rotation poset
The John Muir Award's role in the complex formation of lasting nature connectedness: a Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping study with Scottish outdoor learning practitioners
Get PDFEvaluations of outdoor learning interventions consistently report improvements in participants’ nature connectedness, yet evidence for sustained impact is scarce. This gap persists because nature connectedness comes from numerous factors interacting over time, frustrating understanding of how to foster strong human-nature bonds for lifelong health and environmental behaviours.
To understand how fixed-duration interventions might contribute to lasting change within complex systems, this study pursued three progressive objectives: mapping the complex system shaping lasting nature connectedness in Scottish children and young people; identifying the most influential concepts where strategic intervention might achieve maximum impact; and exploring how the John Muir Award, may contribute to connectedness under different system conditions. I engaged Scottish outdoor learning practitioners to collaboratively map factors shaping nature connectedness using Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping (FCM).
Through workshops and interviews, practitioners identified key system concepts and assigned numerical weights representing relationship strengths. Degree centrality analysis identified which concepts practitioners view as most influential. Child-led outdoor play emerged as the most critical direct factor, though heavily dependent on parental support and community attitudes. The model showed how key influences change with age: parental guidance is key in childhood while peer influence and community norms grow dominant in adolescence. Simulations explored conditions that support or impede the Award's sustained impact. Practitioners understand the Award's primary impact to be indirect, building leader confidence and motivation to facilitate ongoing outdoor learning. While the Award showed positive impacts across all simulations, improvements were modest and constrained by disabling community norms.
This study concludes that outdoor learning interventions may achieve long-term impact by reinforcing the wider system that sustain engagement. As the first application of FCM to the fields of outdoor learning and nature connectedness, this work provides researchers with a pioneering demonstration for modelling complex nature-human dynamics, and offers practitioners a 'thinking tool' to design interventions for lasting impact
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