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Ethnic conflicts, civil war and economic growth: Region-level evidence from former Yugoslavia
No full textThis paper studies the long-term effects of the Yugoslav civil war (1987-1995) on subnational economic growth across 78 regions in five former Yugoslav republics from 1950 to 2015. We construct counterfactual growth trajectories using a robust region-level donor pool from 32 conflict-free countries. Applying a hybrid synthetic control and difference-in-differences approach, we find that the civil war inflicted significant regional per capita GDP losses estimated at 38 percent relative to the synthetic counterfactual, with substantial regional heterogeneity. The most war-affected regions suffered prolonged and permanent economic declines, while north-western regions and capital cities experienced more transitory effects. Population displacement, ethnic fractionalization and polarization, and economic geography help explain cross-regional variation in GDP losses. Our results are robust to extensive variety of specification tests, placebo analyses, and falsification exercises.</p
Seaweed Pavilion: biiomaterial-based tensegrity structure
No full textAs the construction sector advances towards Net Zero, embodied carbon from materials and construction is increasingly pivotal, as most emissions occur at project outset. This paper investigates seaweed as a low-carbon, renewable biomaterial with rapid renewability, wide availability, and very low mass. Currently, it has little architectural deployment beyond processed insulation. We present the Seaweed Pavilion, an experimental prototype that integrates seaweed within a tensegrity structural system to create an ultra-lightweight, demountable, and easily transported framework. Designed collaboratively by students and academics from the UK, Japan, and Italy, the pavilion was developed and fabricated in Japan, then shipped to Venice for exhibition via standard postal services, demonstrating the practicality of its low-mass construction. To our knowledge, this is the first documented use of seaweed in a tensegrity system. The resulting grid provides a replicable, scalable method for rapid, low-carbon assembly and temporary placemaking. Developed under the DELIGHT Group's mission to create dismountable, mobile pavilions for urban activation, the project positions biomaterials (specifically seaweed) as credible contributors to reducing embodied carbon across the built environment.</p
Quadrirational Yang-Baxter maps and del Pezzo surfaces
No full textThe thesis contains two major objects of study: quadrirational Yang-Baxter maps and (weak) del Pezzo surfaces. We provide a novel link between the geometric construction of quadrirational Yang-Baxter maps given by Adler, Bobenko and Suris and the automorphisms of certain weak del Pezzo surfaces, leading to a new geometric interpretation of these automorphisms. We also provide a complete classification of the automorphism groups of all quartic weak del Pezzo surfaces.</p
The effects of a (poly)phenol‐rich food intervention on markers of exercise‐induced inflammation and oxidative stress: A randomised controlled trial
No full textThis study examined whether consuming a (poly)phenol‐rich food before strenuous muscle‐damaging exercise can modify post‐exercise markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Using a double‐blinded, randomised, placebo‐controlled, between‐subjects design, 26 recreationally active males ( n = 15) and females ( n = 11) consumed higher‐(poly)phenol (H‐POL) foods (dates, dark chocolate, pomegranate; 285.1 mg/day) or lower‐(poly)phenol foods (L‐POL) (cereal bar, milk chocolate, sports drink; 88.3 mg/day) for 3 days before, and then 30 min before, strenuous exercise (100 drop jumps, 50 squat jumps). A range of blood markers associated with inflammation (total and differential leukocytes, interleukin (IL)‐6, IL‐10, IL‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐12, tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α), interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ), monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor), and oxidative stress (glutathione peroxidase (GPX), 4‐hydroxynonenal (4‐HNE), and urinary 8‐hydroxy‐2′‐deoxyguanosine (8‐OHdG)) were quantified pre, immediately post, 1 and 2 h post‐exercise. One hundred and nineteen plasma (poly)phenol metabolites were measured pre, immediately post and 1 h post‐exercise. Total plasma (poly)phenol concentrations were greater in the H‐POL vs. L‐POL intervention, peaking 1 h post‐exercise (H‐POL: 239.5 ± 87.8 µM vs. L‐POL 58.9 ± 33.8 µM; P P P < 0.001). A (poly)phenol food intervention before exercise increased total plasma (poly)phenol concentrations but had limited and inconsistent effects on markers of inflammation and oxidative stress in the 2 h after strenuous exercise.</p
The modulation of human motoneuron discharge patterns with contraction force in resistance- and endurance-trained individuals
No full textMotoneurons adapt to both resistance and endurance training in reduced animal preparations, with adaptations seemingly more apparent in higher threshold neurons, but similar evidence in humans is lacking. We compared identified motor unit (MU) discharge patterns from decomposed electromyography signals acquired during triangular dorsiflexion contractions up to 70% of maximal voluntary force (MVF) between resistance-trained, endurance-trained, and untrained individuals (n=23 per group). We estimated the contribution of intrinsic motoneuron properties and the proportion of excitatory, inhibitory, and neuromodulatory inputs to motoneuron discharge across contraction intensities in each group. Participants also performed a ‘sombrero’ task (triangular contractions superimposed onto sustained ones) designed to challenge inhibitory control of dendritic persistent inward currents (PICs). Both trained groups demonstrated higher MU discharge rates with greater ascending discharge rate modulation during higher contraction forces (≥50% MVF), which were accompanied by more linear MU discharge patterns with steeper slopes after PIC-induced acceleration. The lack of differences in discharge rate hysteresis (triangular contractions) and the discharge rate characteristics during sombrero contractions suggests that neuromodulatory input is not different between groups. Conversely, since resistance- compared to endurance-trained individuals exhibited steeper PIC-induced acceleration during lower contractions forces (≤50% MVF), there is a possibility of enhanced PIC activation at onset. Collectively, the greater discharge rates and more linear but steeper MU discharge patterns in the trained groups suggests a more reciprocal (i.e., push-pull) excitation-inhibition coupling during higher contraction forces, leading to enhanced net excitatory synaptic input to the motor pool, which might underpin greater force production of trained individuals.</p
Storying climate preparedness: the design of sport-based storytelling methodology with climate-displaced community in Bangladesh.
No full textPresentation slides for: "Sport action 4 climate: multi-site work in progress project" presented at 12th International digital storytelling conference.Storytelling and co-designed sport hacks to prepare communities for climate disasters, by identifying and' leveraging participants' embodies knowledge and coping skills and practising them through play to adapt and respond to climate change.</p
Embodied vibrational methodologies: exploring vibration from a multispecies perspective in a co-created summercamp
No full textThe I.N.S.E.C.T. Summercamps are annual gatherings of interdisciplinary scholars and practitioners exploring more-than-human perspectives through creative, embodied, and ecological practices. They take place in a scout camp in Hvalsø, Denmark. This area belongs to the Skoldjungernes Land („Land of the Turtles“) National Park where the Bidstrup forest meets the Særløse Overdrev grasslands. The 2024 Summercamp focused on vibration as a sensory and communicative modality shared among humans, plants, and insects. Building on our established methodology of Mapping Ecologies, Critical Making, and Being/Becoming, we adapted our approach to the local context by engaging with insect and plant species involved in vibrational communication. Our aim was to cultivate a deeper understanding of local multispecies relationships and the role of substrate-borne vibrations within these communities. Participants selected a plant or insect companion, created species profiles, investigated the mechanisms through which insects generate vibrations, engaged in listening and shapeshifting meditations, and produced vibrational probes inspired by these mechanisms. This paper advances the concept of embodied vibrational methodologies by detailing how a group of humans collectively engaged with local insect communication systems. It discusses how our practices and vibrational probes facilitated liminal multispecies connection and critically reflects on the challenges of interpreting and translating scientific knowledge about insect physiology into meaningful human and design contexts, particularly in relation to materials, tools, and scale.</p
Verification of a date in the Gaskell letters: Mrs Glover's original patient case notes
No full text‘Poor Mrs Glover’, wrote Elizabeth Gaskell, ‘[…] the operation is to be today’.1 There are nine letters featuring Mrs Glover and her diagnosis and treatment of a uterine tumour across the edited collections of Gaskell’s correspondence, and an additional undated letter on the subject of Mrs Glover addressed to Gaskell from health and social reformer Florence Nightingale was published by Ross D. Waller in 1935. [...]</p
Multi-scale decomposition and autocorrelation modeling for classical and machine learning-based time series forecasting
No full textEnvironmental time series, such as near-surface air temperature, exhibit strong multi-scale structure and persistent autocorrelation. Accurate forecasting therefore requires careful consideration of both temporal scale separation and serial dependence. In this study, we evaluate a unified framework that integrates Kolmogorov–Zurbenko (KZ) filtering with two classes of models: (i) classical regression with Cochrane–Orcutt autocorrelation correction, and (ii) an autocorrelation-adjusted Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) network that learns an embedded correlation coefficient (ρ). All models are assessed using standardized meteorological predictors of T2M under walk-forward validation. The LSTM trained on raw predictors shows moderate performance (RMSE = 0.73, R2=0.46, DW = 0.79), which improves after KZ filtering (RMSE = 0.59, R2=0.63, DW = 1.84). Classical regression applied to KZ-decomposed predictors and corrected using the Cochrane–Orcutt procedure achieves substantially higher accuracy (RMSE = 0.41, R2=0.89, DW ≈2.0), outperforming the LSTM in both predictive precision and residual behavior. Visual diagnostics further confirm tighter predicted–actual alignment and near-white residuals in the classical models, whereas the LSTM retains small systematic deviations even after filtering. Overall, the results demonstrate that addressing multi-scale structures and autocorrelation had a greater impact than increasing model complexity. Integrating spectral decomposition with autocorrelation correction thus produces more reliable, statistically valid forecasts, demonstrating that classical regression with KZ filtering can surpass LSTM models in both accuracy and interpretability. These findings emphasize the value of combining time series–aware pre-processing with both traditional and neural network approaches for environmental prediction.</p
Exploring the integration of theory and practice to aid design for behaviour change interventions: A case study of young adults' dietary behaviours
No full textThis thesis set out to address two main aims: 1) to identify intervention opportunities for improving young adults' healthy dietary behaviours and 2) to explore the feasibility of integrating academic knowledge into design tools to assist the practice of Design for Sustainable Behaviour (DfSB). The research was composed of four phases: 1) a literature review; 2) a user-centred study to explore young adults' dietary behaviours; 3) a bridging study to design and develop tools for participatory workshops; and, 4) a participatory study to evaluate the feasibility of developed tools and generate ideas to inform the future development of behavioural interventions.This research focused on young adults' eating behaviours. Despite living in an era where health-promotion information and knowledge are accessible and advanced, young adults' eating behaviours are still concerning, with a high prevalence of unhealthy dietary practices being engaged in, which has implications for their current and future health and well-being. Due to the complexity of influencing factors, combined with today's food environment, designing effective interventions for young adults to promote healthier eating is challenging. Additionally, there is a disconnect between relevant cross-disciplinary academic theory and practice-based intervention design, resulting in a lack of cross-fertilisation.A literature review was initially undertaken to establish an up-to-date understanding of young adults' dietary/eating behaviours, current behaviour change solutions to promote healthy eating, and relevant behaviour change theories and models. The literature review was followed by a series of qualitative user-centred studies. A food diary, semi-structured interview and card sorting exercise (Study 1) were conducted with 10 British young adult participants to explore their perceptions of healthy eating and existing interventions around eating well, the barriers and motivations for improving their own dietary behaviours, and their needs and considerations for future interventions. In the bridging study, the findings from Study 1 were then combined with academic theories from behavioural science to inform the development of a set of design tools. These tools were then used in Study 2 in which product, industrial and interaction designers, specialists in diet health, eating behaviour, public health and behaviour change, and British young adults (N=16) each attended one of two participatory workshops and used the tools developed in the bridging study to generate possible intervention concepts for the given target users. Moreover, Study 2 examined the generated concepts against a series of criteria to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of these developed tools in conveying information to different stakeholders through a participatory approach.From the workshops, several possible areas of intervention were suggested for improving the eating behaviours of British young adults who are either at the precontemplation or contemplation stages of changing their behaviours. A set of criteria to evaluate the behaviour-change intervention concepts was also created from the workshops. Outcomes of the workshops also proved the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating academic theories into design tools to assist the practice of DfSB, and provided several practical recommendations for design researchers on how to effectively communicate the research knowledge into design tools and convey it to different stakeholders.Together, the research comprising this PhD thesis has resulted in suggestions for a range of potential interventions, which provides a starting point for designers to develop possible tailored solutions for improving young adults' dietary behaviours. The research also aimed to determine the feasibility of integrating academic theories into design tools to assist the design practice in DfSB. Finally, the researcher's personal reflections on this PhD research process were framed into some suggested recommendations to benefit design researchers in addressing the misalignment between academic research and design practice, which could support and enhance future transdisciplinary design collaboration.</p