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Document clustering with evolved multi-word search queries
Get PDFText clustering holds significant value across various domains due to its ability to identify patterns and group related information. Current approaches rely heavily on a computed similarity measure between documents. We present a novel approach to the problem based on a set of evolved search queries which are generated without reference to the distance between documents. Clusters are formed as the set of documents matched by a single search query in the set of queries. The queries are optimized to maximize the number of documents returned and to minimize the overlap between clusters (documents returned by more than one query). Where queries contain more than one word, we have found it useful to assign one word to be the root and constrain the query construction such that the set of documents returned by any additional query words intersect with the document set returned by the root word. Multiword queries are interpreted disjunctively. We also describe how a gene can be used to determine the number of clusters (k). Not all documents in a collection are returned by any of the search queries in a set. We therefore implement a second stage once the search query evolution is completed whereby a KNN algorithm is applied to assign all unassigned documents to their nearest cluster. We describe the method and present results using 8 text datasets comparing effectiveness with well-known existing algorithms. We note that as well as achieving the highest accuracy on these datasets the search query format provides the qualitative benefits of being interpretable and modifiable whilst providing a causal explanation of cluster construction
Establishing the liminal-liminoid distinction in organization studies:How individuals pursue a liminoid transition in a social venture incubator
No full textWhile the notion of liminality has improved our understanding of individuals going through transition, its widespread use in a variety of organizational contexts has led to a dilution of the concept’s analytical precision. By analysing ‘liminoid’ transitions we simultaneously widen our field of vision and narrow down the precise meaning of the twin terms liminal and liminoid. Following Turner’s original understanding, ‘liminality’ focuses on a pre-planned change of an individual within a conventional organizational structure, whereas liminoid addresses individuals seeking to make changes to the structure itself from ‘outside’. Through an ethnographic study of individuals in a UK-based social venture incubator, we address the question: what practices do individuals engaged in a liminoid transition adopt? Our analysis suggests venturers deploy five practices: detaching and reorienting, exploring, structuring, compromising, and self-evaluating. We make three contributions. First, our empirical account of individuals’ practices provides a deeper insight into the specific social dynamics that unfold in a liminoid transition. Second, we contribute greater analytical precision and conceptual grounding for theorising liminoid transition processes and practices by detailing their distinguishing features from liminal transitions in terms of motivation, context, and conditions. Third, we contribute by discussing how different degrees of detachment from conventional organizational structures may impact the possibilities for social change and the personal lives of the transitioning individual
“There’s a brand new dance”: fashion in English men’s and women’s professional football
No full textThis article explores the intricate and evolving relationship between English football, its male and female professional players, and the fashion industries from the inter-war years of the last century to the present day. Following a historical overview that engages with traditional understandings of classed masculinity, the article argues that some of the most significant aspects of the contemporary football and fashion relationship can be uncovered by exploring the game's dynamic relationships with race and gender. Additionally, the article illuminates the contrasting roles of social media, with digital platforms and social media sites both allowing players to express their styles and create brands, and influencing production and content in relation to neoliberal and gendered economies. The article combines approaches from cultural studies, fashion studies, media studies, history and sociology, and uses key examples both from within football itself and from selected print and digital sources from the fashion industries
Exploring the Potential of a Digital Intervention to Enhance Couple Relationships (the Paired App):Mixed Methods Evaluation
No full textBackground: Despite the effects of poor relationship quality on individuals’, couples’, and families’ well-being, help seeking often does not occur until problems arise. Digital interventions may lower barriers to engagement with preventive relationship care. The Paired app, launched in October 2020, aims to strengthen and enhance couple relationships. It provides daily questions, quizzes, tips, and detailed content and facilitates in-app sharing of question and quiz responses and tagged content between partners.Objective: To explore the potential of mobile health to benefit couple relationships and how it may do this, we examined (1) Paired’s impact on relationship quality and (2) its mechanisms of action.Methods: This mixed methods evaluation invited Paired subscribers to complete (1) brief longitudinal surveys over 3 months (n=440), (2) a 30-item web-based survey (n=745), and (3) in-depth interviews (n=20). For objective 1, survey results were triangulated to determine associations between relationship quality measures and the duration and frequency of Paired use, and qualitative data were integrated to provide explanatory depth. For objective 2, mechanisms of action were explored using a dominant qualitative approach.Results: Relationship quality improved with increasing duration and frequency of Paired use. Web-based survey data indicate that the Multidimensional Quality of Relationship Scale score (representing relationship quality on a 0-10 scale) was 35.5% higher (95% CI 31.1%-43.7%; P=.002), at 7.03, among people who had used Paired for >3 months compared to 5.19 among new users (≤1 wk use of Paired), a trend supported by the longitudinal data. Of those who had used Paired for >1 month, 64.3% (330/513) agreed that their relationship felt stronger since using the app (95% CI 60.2%-68.4%), with no or minimal demographic differences. Regarding the app’s mechanisms of action, interview accounts demonstrated how it prompted and habituated meaningful communication between partners, both within and outside the app. Couples made regular times in their day to discuss the topics Paired raised. Daily questions were sometimes lighthearted and sometimes concerned topics that couples might find challenging to discuss (eg, money management). Interviewees valued the combination of fun and seriousness. It was easier to discuss challenging topics when they were raised by the “neutral” app, rather than during stressful circumstances or when broached by 1 partner. Engagement seemed to be enhanced by users’ experience of relationship benefits and by the app’s design.Conclusions: This study demonstrates proof of concept, showing that Paired may have the potential to improve relationship quality over a relatively short time frame. Positive relationship practices became embedded within couples’ daily routines, suggesting that relationship quality improvements might be sustained. Digital interventions can play an important role in the relationship care ecosystem. The mixed methods design enabled triangulation and integration, strengthening our findings. However, app users were self-selecting, and methodological choices impact our findings’ generalizability.<br/
Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) through the lens of previous studies:social sustainability-inhibiting features
No full textPurpose: This study aims to identify the theoretical linkage between work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) and social sustainability to increase awareness of WRMSDs’ social sustainability-inhibiting features and preventive strategies. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative research adopts a systematic literature review (SLR) approach. Adhering to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 303 documents from the Scopus database (2003–2024) were analysed using bibliometric technique and content analysis. Findings: The study identified key bibliometric metrics such as top journals, most recent authors and publications. The trend shows that documents and citations initially progressed, then stagnated but later rose, and recently, documents have risen independently of citations. Only six journals contribute the most (43 of 85% overall citations; 23 of 73% overall publications), and 13 authors are the most influential. The content analysis revealed that 80% of the recent studies centred on risk assessment (RA) with only 5% on health assessment impact (HAI).Research limitations/implications: The findings are limited to the review period. Social implications: WRMSD is injurious to well-being, impairs performance, and impacts society through reduced productivity, medication use and time off work. Therefore, proactive strategies must be implemented to minimise its occurrence and severity. Originality/value: This study’s novelty lies in text mining WRMSD literature by raising awareness of its social inhibiting features so that occupational ill health is minimised, project health and workers’ well-being are enhanced, and the industry’s social sustainability is raised.</p
A Comprehensive Thematic Analysis of Work Motivation Among IT Professionals in the United Kingdom
Get PDFThis study examines the impact of workplace motivation on IT employees in the UK through a qualitative research approach. Recognizing that motivated employees are critical to organizational success, the research explores various factors influencing motivation, such as financial rewards, recognition, and workplace environment. The study aims to identify the advantages of motivation for IT employees, its effect on productivity and performance, and strategies for improving workplace motivation. Primary data was collected from interviewing IT employees across different UK firms. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns in the data, leading to the development of four key themes that address the research objectives. Findings reveal that workplace motivation significantly enhances employee productivity and performance in the UK IT sector. The validity of these findings was supported by existing literature. The study concludes with recommendations for improving workplace motivation, such as ensuring fair pay, fostering workplace ethics, and promoting transparency. Future research could benefit from investigating these dynamics further
Small boats:the border conundrum
No full textThe official website for Small Boats: The Border Conundrum, a 50-minute documentary examining contrasting British and French perspectives on small boat crossings in the English Channel. Featuring insights from journalists, academics, NGOs, and policymakers, the documentary aims to challenge dominant narratives and promote cross-border understanding. The website includes background to the project, interviewee information, and production context. The film was financially supported by the University of Brighton but independently produced
Mechanical properties of 3D printed concrete:a RILEM TC 304-ADC interlaboratory study — flexural and tensile strength
Get PDFThis paper discusses the flexural and tensile strength properties of 3D printed concrete, based on the results of a RILEM TC 304-ADC interlaboratory study on mechanical properties. These properties are determined using different testing techniques, including 3- and 4-point flexural tests, splitting tests, and uniaxial tension tests, on specimens extracted from large 3D printed elements in accordance with a prescribed study plan. The relationship between compressive and flexural or tensile strengths, cast or printed samples, different types of tests, and different loading orientations, are analysed to understand the influence of 3D printing. As expected, the strength can reduce significantly when the main tensile stress is acting perpendicular to the interface between layers. The role of deviations from the standard study procedure, in terms of the time interval between the placing of subsequent layers, or the adoption of a different curing strategy, are also assessed. While the increased time interval significantly impacts the strength in the critical direction, the use of variable curing conditions does not seem to have a clear-cut effect on the strength ratios of the printed to cast specimens. Additionally, the paper looks at the variability in the results for the printed specimens, in order to emphasize the need for multiple replicates for obtaining a proper result. An extensive insight into the aspects affecting the variability is presented in the paper. Finally, with the limited dataset available for specimens tested at a larger scale, it is difficult to arrive at a clear understanding of the role of specimen size (i.e., greater number of layers)