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select important things (voices)
Get PDFThe voice is a marker of personhood, a deliverer of information, a piece of biometric data. In select important things (voices), knowledge system videos – short videos combining stock footage with anecdote and autotheortical reflections – are arranged as a chorus, straining a single voice’s ability to make sense. What is at stake as voices come together - in crowds of political protest, in the choruses of historical and contemporary performance and in the composites generated by “machine intelligences”? select important things (voices) is part of crowds choruses composites, a series of explorations, artworks and critical reflections that focus on the literal and metaphorical ways a voice is constructed and construed in this context. The project brings together a body of artworks that interrogate knowledge making in the 21st century, responding to the cultural and social shifts brought on by two crises of knowledge that have come to define the last decade: the rise of ‘alternative facts’ that undermine and destabilise expertise, and the increasingly complex AI systems for which datasets operate as intelligence. Thinking technology through performance, the project investigates collective intelligence in an era of mass information. The result is a series of explorations into public masses, aestheticized publics, and the dataset that mechanise, capture and conflate those mass human intelligences
Il mercato deve rapresentare tutti ("The film market must represent everyone")
No full textMagazine Article - No Abstract Available. Article was translated from Italian to English by the Author
Reconfiguring international manufacturing networks in times of uncertainty: towards a new theoretical framework
Get PDFPurpose
Research on multinational enterprises (MNEs) is now more relevant than ever, as the world economy experiences financial stress spilling over into the real sector from the credit-constrained private sector, large trade imbalances from low public saving and high volatility in energy prices. Concerns have emerged regarding supply chain resilience, prompting calls for MNEs to reconfigure their international manufacturing networks (IMNs) to respond to external disruptions. This article addresses two critical research questions: What is the impact of new external systems on IMNs? How can IMNs respond to the new external systems for dealing with the global economic crisis?
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a qualitative case study approach by engaging with three MNEs based in Europe. Following a systematic thematic analysis process, we utilise a Context-Intervention-Mechanism-Outcome framework to develop our propositions.
Findings
The article proposes a new theoretical framework to capture the interactions between IMNs and their external systems, namely, their international business environment. It provides six important IMN network reconfiguration mechanisms – E2E connection, vertical integration, localisation, diversification, simplification and streamlining, and building redundancy, alongside specific operating methods. The functions of the mechanisms result in enhanced IMN controllability, agility, resilience, and sustainability.
Originality/value
In addition to providing important insights into the recent debate in the operations and supply chain management and international business literature. Our case-based approach offers the core guiding/controlling principles for IMNs to deal with uncertainty
Preventive effects of vitamin D on epileptic seizures and its regulation of PTEN and autophagy in acute epilepsy mouse models
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Epilepsy treatments often lead to vitamin D (VitD) deficiency. Although vitamin D₃ (VitD3) has been shown to reduce epileptic symptoms by 43%, its preventive effects remain unclear. This study investigated the potential of VitD pretreatment in two common acute epilepsy mouse models and explored its effects on seizure severity, latency, and molecular mechanisms involving calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), and autophagy.
Methods
Mice were randomly divided into nine groups (n = 15). VitD or vehicle was administered 40 min before pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) or kainic acid (KA) given intraperitoneal injection (i.p). Seizure behavior and electroencephalograms (EEGs) were recorded for 60 min. After 24 h, hippocampal tissues were analyzed histologically and assessed for expression of autophagy-related proteins, CaSR, and PTEN.
Results
Both PTZ and KA induced acute seizures (Racine Grade IV+), with corresponding high-amplitude EEG spikes, neuronal damage, and mossy fiber sprouting. CaSR and autophagy markers were upregulated, while PTEN was downregulated, especially in the KA group. VitD pretreatment reduced seizure frequency, prolonged latency, alleviated hippocampal damage, downregulated CaSR and autophagy markers, and upregulated PTEN. These effects were milder than those of valproate. Combined VitD and Oroxin B treatment further improved outcomes.
Conclusions
(1) PTZ-induced seizures increased CaSR and decreased PTEN, triggering autophagy and worsening symptoms. (2) KA-induced epilepsy caused more severe damage with stronger autophagy activation. (3) VitD pretreatment mitigated seizures by modulating CaSR, PTEN, and autophagy, showing greater efficacy in the PTZ model
Editorial. ASPiH 2025 Conference: Impact of Simulation on Culture, Co-Production, and Creativity
Get PDFEditorial. No Abstract Available
How Computers Create Social Structures: Accidental Collectives
Get PDFThis book introduces the idea of accidental collectives: the grouping of people that occurs as a by-product of the automated work of computers. Software has a growing influence in our lives automating and optimising mundane, time-consuming and repetitive tasks. In doing this, groups of people are automatically created as the result of classification and data analysis. Once grouped by the invisible agency of software, people interact and establish new relationships, generating new collectives and communities. With the support of case studies and real-life examples, this work explores the accidental nature of the generation of new social groups and questions the role of software in social interactions
Claiming disability discrimination: Assessing barriers to justice
No full textOur research objective was to understand if there were indications of barriers to justice for disabled claimant bringing claims for disability discrimination to the Employment Tribunal in England and Wales. To this end we set four sub research questions, which were used to guide the empirical chapters of the book.
1) Do certain features of the claim and characteristics of the claimants indicate barriers to justice and do these affect the outcome of the claim?
2) Is employment in the private sector as opposed to the public sector an indication of a barrier to justice?
3) Do claims for a failure to make a reasonable adjustment fare differently at ET given the need to pass additional legal tests and if so, does that indicate a barrier to justice?
4) Do claims for multiple types of discrimination indicate a barrier to justice for disabled claimants?
To address this research objective and answer the research questions we structured the book as follows:
Chapter 1 sets out the introduction to the book and the key concepts which we draw on throughout the book, such as models of equality and models of disability.
Chapter 2 examines the current labour market position for disabled people. It shows the nature and extent of labour market disadvantage for disabled people and presents the Conservative government’s labour market policies to address this disadvantage. The chapter critiques current policy because it largely focuses on voluntary, supply side measures and largely igrnoes demand side factors.
Chapter 3 presents the legal framework in respect of disability. It starts by outlining the origins of disability legislation post World War Two and charts developments up to the current Equality Act 2010. Throughout the chapter the law is critiqued using the concepts and models presented in chapter one. We then outline the Employment Tribunal process and guide the readers through each stage.
Chapter 4 focuses on a brief summary of relevant socio-legal research methods and a discussion of the merits of undertaking an analysis of Employment Tribunal judgments. The methods and the data used for the study are presented.
Chapter 5 considers what has an impact on the outcome of a disability discrimination claim, for example whether the claimant has legal representation at the Employment Tribunal and the type of impairment, for instance a physical or mental health impairment. Throughout the chapter we draw on the theory of stigma, and hierarchies of impairment.
Chapter 6 presents data on whether the sector in which the claimant is employed plays a role in the outcome of the disability discrimination claim. We contrast the public with the private sector, draw on the literature of representative bureaucracy and consider the differences in legal provision for the private and public sector, namely the Public Sector Equality Duty which applies only to public authorities.
Chapter 7 focuses on claims when a reasonable adjustment has not been provided by the employer. It draws on case law to illustrate how the reasonable adjustment provisions work in practice. The chapter includes data that compares how reasonable adjustment claims fare compared to other forms of disability discrimination.
Chapter 8 focuses on intersectionality, that is cases where multiple types of discrimination are claimed, indicating that the claimant holds multiple minority identities. The Equality Act 2010 does not allow for intersectional discrimination, therefore, separate claims have to be made under different categories, such as race discrimination, sex discrimination and disability discrimination if one is a black disabled woman. We provide insight into the way multiple claims for discrimination fare at Employment Tribunal.
Chapter 9 presents our conclusions. It brings together the themes from the previous chapters and answers the research questions posed above and at various points throughout the book. The chapter then includes proposals for statutory reforms and enforcement reforms, while suggesting other approaches. The chapter ends by noting the limits of the law, the limitations of this research and suggesting future research avenues
Priming bumble bees with caffeine, odour of the target crop, and a food reward, has minimal effects on fruit crop pollination and yield in a semi-commercial setup
Get PDFCaffeine is a widely occurring plant defence chemical that occurs in the nectar of some plants, e.g. Coffea or Citrus spp., where it may influence pollinator behaviour to enhance pollination. Previous laboratory work found inexperienced bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) located new food sources emitting a learned floral odour more consistently if they had been fed caffeine in association with the odour and a food reward. Inexperienced bees primed with caffeine also made more initial visits to target robotic flowers emitting the target odour, compared to control bees or those primed with odour alone.
We tested whether these behaviours could be replicated under semi-field conditions in strawberry crops, to improve crop pollination and hence marketable yield. In three trials in mini-polytunnels, odour/caffeine-primed and control bumblebee colonies were allowed to forage on strawberry crops with nectar-rich distractor flowers present. Some small effects of caffeine priming were observed (a slight increase in the proportion of visits to the target flowers in one trial), but after controlling for polytunnel identity, the priming treatment did not influence crop yield and quality. While caffeine priming of commercial bumblebee colonies may have potential to improve pollination in crops, further research is needed to optimise the system for in-field use
Comparing carbon agronomic footprint and sequestration in Central American coffee agroforestry systems and assessing trade-offs with economic returns
Get PDFAgricultural systems are both emitters of greenhouse gases and have the potential to sequester carbon, especially agroforestry systems. Coffee agroforestry systems offer a wide range of intensities of use of agricultural inputs and densities and management of shade trees. We assessed the agronomic carbon footprint (up to farm gate) and modelled the carbon sequestration of a range of coffee agroforestry systems across 180 farms in Costa Rica and Guatemala. The agronomic carbon footprint included upstream, direct and indirect processes associated with chemical and organic fertiliser use and energy consumption (excluding processing of cherries). Carbon sequestration was modelled using the CAF2021 model a processed based model of the C, N and water dynamics specifically designed for coffee agroforestry systems. The carbon footprint per kg of coffee cherries was significantly and positively related to the level of nitrogen inputs. Modelled changes in C stocks i.e. carbon sequestration was significantly and positively related to the Leaf Area Index (LAI) of the trees, and the levels of nitrogen inputs. Increasing nitrogen inputs per hectare was positively associated with emission per kg as nitrogen efficiency varied significantly across the sample. The net carbon balance, defined as sequestration minus CO2e emissions was also positively related to shade tree LAI but negatively with yield and N application. Carbon positive farms were characterized by shade cover over 60 %, but low yields and low net income. However, farms that were close to carbon neutral had higher yields and higher net income, with shade levels of about 50 % cover, while carbon negative farms which had shade cover averaging 40 %. Nevertheless, farms showed a large variation in performance with all combinations of positive and negative for carbon balance and net income. However, among the farms with a positive net income, those with a positive carbon balance had a significantly lower net income than those that were carbon negative (i.e. net emitters). This confirms the economic trade-off for farmers seeking to maximise these two goals. If farmers are expected to generate positive carbon balances and potentially to offset emissions higher in the supply chain, then they should receive economic support to compensate continued on-farm carbon accumulation
Unraveling the edaphic factors driving organic material decay: insights from long-term manure application studies
Get PDFOrganic material (OM) decomposition is crucial to soil fertility. We evaluated the hypothesis that long-term manure application induces changes in soil properties which affect the decomposition of OM in the first three months. We buried standardized plant litter with different C/N ratios, i.e., green tea (high-quality OM) and rooibos tea (low-quality OM), in five long-term organic fertilization experiments across different soil types in Europe. Intact 100 cm3 soil cores and bulk soil around the buried OM were analyzed for soil properties, including the physicochemical environment (nutrient contents, pore structure, etc) and microbiological properties (biomass of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, saprophytic fungi, actinobacteria, Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and fluorescein diacetate [FDA] enzyme activity). Despite the difference in microbial growth and activity and soil pore structure between treatments and crops, the effect of manure on OM decomposition was inconsistent across the fields and varied with soil texture and standing crop species. Decomposition of high-quality OM was reduced by 5–7% in two sandy fields with manure treatment and that of low-quality OM was reduced by 22% in one silty manured field, while in the other fields, the decomposition was not affected by manure. The decomposition of both OM types was higher in the maize field than in the barley and grass fields in one sandy site. Clay content and electrical conductivity were negatively linked to the mass loss of both OM types. For the high-quality OM, its decomposition was also negatively linked to soil organic carbon and nutrient content, but positively linked to FDA enzyme activity. In contrast, the decomposition of low-quality OM was positively impacted by the bacterial biomass and soil total porosity. In conclusion, the effect of long-term manure application on OM decomposition depends on the soil texture and the standing crop species, and the edaphic drivers for OM decomposition vary with OM quality
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