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Deconstruction
No full textThe emergence of digital technology is transforming our culture in ways that are hard to grasp. New media art and Deconstruction can both be considered as responses to the challenges of computerization and digital technology. The writings of Jacques Derrida, Bernard Stiegler and others connected with Deconstruction offer the most profound engagement with questions of technicity that are particularly pertinent to our current technologized condition, as does art involving new forms of media, networks and technologies. ‘Deconstruction’ in this context refers to the philosophical practice of the close reading of texts to reveal their internal structures and contradictions, exemplified in much of Derrida’s work. ‘Technicity’ is the term for how there is nothing about the human that is not always already technica
The Legal Recognition of Same-Sex Marriage in Sub-Saharan Africa The Barriers to Marriage Equality
No full textOptimising Architectural Studio Spaces : Applying a Psychological Needs Framework to Enhance Student Well-Being
No full textThis study investigates how architectural studio environments influence student well-being through the lens of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). According to SDT, the fulfilment of three core psychological needs, autonomy, competence, and relatedness, is essential for motivation and learning. Using a convergent mixed-methods case study, we examined the lived experiences of undergraduate interior architecture design students at Osmaniye Korkut Ata University (Türkiye). Data were collected through an online survey (n = 114), classroom observations, and a design exercise in which students reimagined their ideal studio space. Survey results revealed consistent concerns about spatial inflexibility, inadequate lighting and insufficient equipment, which students perceived as undermining their autonomy and competence. Observations confirmed these limitations, while design proposals emphasised flexible layouts, individualised workstations, improved lighting, and informal gathering spaces to foster relatedness and collaboration. By triangulating quantitative and qualitative data, the study demonstrates how deficiencies in current studio design hinder learning outcomes while also identifying strategies to create environments that support psychological well-being. The findings provide evidence-based recommendations for aligning architecture studio design with SDT principles, offering practical guidance for institutions seeking to create learning environments that foster student motivation, engagement, and well-being
Deep Reinforcement Learning for Resource Allocation in RIS-Assisted NOMA-MEC Vehicular Networks
Full text linkMobile edge computing (MEC) enables efficient computation offloading for mission-critical applications in resource-constrained vehicles, while reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) help address connectivity challenges for vehicles in urban environments with severe signal blockages. Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) is an appealing technique that improves spectral efficiency while mitigating multi-user interference. This work proposes the RIS-assisted NOMA-MEC in vehicular networks, considering dynamic challenges such as heterogeneous vehicle processing capability, time-varying channel from high-mobility and dynamic task workloads. We formulate a system latency minimization problem by jointly optimizing the task offloading ratio, edge server resource allocation and RIS passive beamforming, while satisfying the task deadline and Signal to Interference plus Noise Ratio (SINR) requirements. To overcome the limitations of conventional optimization methods in such dynamic environments, we propose a soft actor critic (SAC)-based deep reinforcement learning (DRL) framework, which dynamically adapts to real-time channel state information (CSI), task workload and vehicle processing capability of all vehicles. Simulation results demonstrate that our approach achieves lower latency performance compared with the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) baselines. Moreover, the proposed SAC method exhibits robustness and adaptivity to various levels of uncertainty in the CSI
Barriers to Access of Mental Health Services in the UK : Stories of Bangladeshi Women.
No full textThis thesis provides a qualitative exploration of the experiences of immigrant women in high-income countries. Section One presents a scoping review, which includes a thematic synthesis, mapping the available research that considers the risk and protective factors for the femicide of immigrant women and girls who have immigrated from lower-income to high- income countries. A search identified 14 papers that were assessed for quality, the findings of one quantitative paper were stated; the remaining 13 papers were analysed to reveal four themes, and gaps in research were identified. The themes concerned the role of family and spouses; difficulties with immigration and acculturation; the perception and narrative surrounding immigrants in host societies and the impact of this; and psychological processes and mental health vulnerabilities. The identified papers are discussed in relation to the wider literature, clinical implications are considered and future research is suggested. Section Two presents an empirical paper that implemented a narrative design and analysis to explore the barriers first and second-generation Bangladeshi women in the United Kingdom (UK) faced when considering access to mental health services in the UK. Five narrative interviews and two follow-up interviews were conducted and transcribed verbatim. Foucauldian-informed narrative analysis identified four over-arching narrative chapters: “I hear you, but I don’t want to hear it"; “Why did it have to get to that point?”; Lost in the Mental Health Maze; and The Ongoing Journey. The results are discussed in relation to the wider literature, implications for practice, and suggestions for future research. Lastly, Section Three presents a critical appraisal that considers the findings of the scoping review and empirical paper; reflections about decisions; methodology and epistemology
Palliative care in low and middle-income countries to reduce cancer suffering : A systematic review
No full textBackground In low- and middle-income countries, the incidence of cancer is rising, with diagnoses frequently made at advanced stages, limited access to treatments, and high mortality rates. Palliative care may alleviate suffering, enhance quality of life, and reduce costs. In this review, we aimed to explore the development of palliative care in low- and middle-income settings and assess if and how this contributes to mitigating or alleviating the human suffering of people with cancer. Methods A best-fit framework synthesis approach was employed, and seven databases were systematically searched in 2025. Data from eligible studies were extracted and qualitatively synthesized into themes and subthemes, initially using a framework constructed from indicators from the WHO Conceptual Model for Palliative Care Development and the Integrated Palliative Care Oncology Practice Model. The review is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42024511158) Findings Studies (n = 81) were reviewed. Interventions by multidisciplinary teams, combined with a bio-psycho-socio-spiritual approach, led to improved patient outcomes. Palliative care reduced hospital stays, decreased unnecessary end-of-life treatments, and facilitated home deaths. Community-based palliative care empowered patients and families to manage care at home, cope with uncertainties, and lower healthcare costs. Successful implementation relied on a participatory public health system and support from nongovernmental organizations, which provided access to palliative care, telehealth, and training for primary care providers. However, when compared to the indicators from the two models, only a few aligned with core elements. Interpretation Although progress has been made in integrating palliative care in low- and middle-income countries, evidence linking this development to international indicators of palliative care progress is insufficient. It is likely that strengthening patient-family partnerships, promoting shared decision-making, and advocating for patient rights contribute to alleviating the human suffering from cancer. Funding The conduct of this review is supported by an unrestricted grant from the End-of-Life Care in India Task Force (ELICIT). ELICIT supports end-of-life education, research, and policy
The role of freshwater availability and terrestrial land cover change in the distribution of a declining terrestrial, insectivorous bird
Full text linkInsectivorous, Afro-Palearctic migrant birds provide cross-border ecosystem services, but many are declining rapidly. The complex life cycle of migrant birds makes their conservation difficult, but understanding where they spend time during the breeding season can help indicate where those actions will be most effective. We used the spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata), a declining, Afro-Palearctic, migratory insectivore and habitat generalist, as a model to examine how river density and land-cover change were associated with loss and colonization during the breeding season of 2 × 2-km national atlas survey areas from 1990 to 2010. Greater river density was associated with a lower probability of loss (odds ratio [OR] 0.8) between survey periods and a higher probability of colonization (OR 1.25). Loss was associated with increases in urban land cover (OR 1.17), and, unexpectedly, colonization was negatively associated with increases in woodland (OR 0.91) and standing freshwater (OR 0.94). Our results suggest that habitat creation is unlikely to provide sufficient benefits for some insectivorous birds within the time needed for population recovery. Thus, efforts should focus on the protection and improvement of established habitats. River density was strongly associated with the persistence of the spotted flycatcher, and this finding highlights that understanding the benefits of freshwater habitat for terrestrial species should be a priority for conservation management
In Artificial Intelligence (AI) We (Dis)Trust? : Navigating Institutional Pressures for Automation and Augmentation in the Implementation of AI in Organizations
No full textAI brings competing demands to organizations from pressures towards efficiency and standardization versus contextual responsiveness and ethical judgment. These demands become particularly salient when some areas of organizations push for automation while others for augmentation, as two distinct paradigms of AI implementation. It is therefore important to understand how organizations navigate these competing institutional pressures. Drawing on a nested case study of a European airline, we find that the choice between automation and augmentation is not solely a matter of task–technology fit. It is instead also shaped by how actors configure trust and distrust in AI systems in response to two coexisting institutional logics: instrumental–analytic and contextual–normative. We show how these two logics stimulate different trust–distrust configurations, which in turn guide how AI is implemented and adopted within organizations. We identify two reconciliation practices that help organizational actors manage inherent tensions between these competing institutional pressures: mindful evaluation and proactive safeguarding. The research reveals how AI implementation and adoption reflects conflicts between dominant institutional logics and contributes with a novel perspective on the role of institutional logics and trust in projects of AI implementation