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Exploring the work-family balance of key opinion leaders: a qualitative study of Chinese social media influencers
Get PDFFantasie Im(prompt)u co-created by Massimiliano Vizzini and Zubin Kanga
Get PDFFantasie Im(prompt)u. Work co-composed by Massimiliano Vizzini and Zubin Kanga. It features AI-generated text (in a live conversation with Chat GPT) as well as using the Keyscanner (from the Augmented Instruments Lab) to control live video and sound.It was premiered at Gaudeamus Festival in Utrecht to an audience of 120. It had a major impact on Vizzini as a young composer developing multiple programming skills, skills in AI and access to experimental instruments. The work has since been performed at his university (Codarts, Rotterdam) to an audience of 40 students
The Adler Restructuring Saga:Fair Wind for Dissenting Creditors?
Get PDFBesides temporary changes to address the challenges arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, CIGA 2020 introduced a general prohibition on the validity of contractual termination clauses, as well as a new Pt 26A restructuring plan procedure and a Pt A1 statutory moratorium. The government is considering further reforms, including the enactment of the UNCITRAL Model Laws on Enterprise Groups and on Insolvency-related Judgments. The findings in the final report on the implementation of CIGA 2020 support the view that the English corporate restructuring framework provides companies in financial distress with a highly effective toolkit to turn around their businesses.In this context, it is not surprising to learn that, in 2022, the Luxembourg-incorporated and German-centred Adler group decided to rely on the English corporate restructuring framework to reach a compromise with its creditors. This case note focuses on the English restructuring proceeding. Its purpose is to clarify the relevance of this procedure and to provide some guidance on one of the most controversial and unique features of restructuring plans, i.e. the use of cross-class cram-downs against dissenting class(es) of creditors
Factors affecting the foliar endophyte community in the invasive weed, Impatiens glandulifera
Get PDFAll vascular plants contain communities of endophyte fungi within their foliar tissues. These fungi can act as plant bodyguards and disrupt the efficacy of weed biological control agents, yet studies of invasive plant biology hardly ever consider the background endophyte communities. Here, we investigated the factors that affect the structure of cultivable endophyte communities in the highly invasive weed Impatiens glandulifera. We found that community composition varies according to location, but that seasonal accumulation patterns of endophytes are similar between sites. Biotic factors influencing endophytes include arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, insect herbivores and plant pathogens. Endophyte species richness per plant was consistently low compared with other herbaceous plants and communities appear to be a random sub-set of the available species pool, with the plant acting as a strong filter of species. This information should enable community structure to be modelled and manipulated, making biological control of this weed more effectiv
ZKP Enabled Identity and Reputation Verification in P2P Marketplaces
Get PDFIn the realm of Distributed Ledger Technology, privacy and regulatory challenges loom large for marketplaces. Regulation requires to conduct Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures to verify the identity of participants, while privacy concerns necessitate the protection of personal data. Current approaches to KYC are inefficient and are potentially even harmful to privacy due to centralization and data exposure.This paper proposes a zero-knowledge proof enabled KYC scheme, utilizing Soulbound Tokens (SBT) to create a discreet, compliant, and secure KYC process. We present a privacy-preserving mechanism that shares only essential information while adhering to Self-Sovereign Identity (SSI) principles, placing users in the full control of their data. The proposed scheme further introduces the usage of SBTs for reputation to incentivize good conduct and build trust within marketplaces
Societal impact of Brand Public Relations on gender equality:evidence for a mediation-type mechanism
Get PDFPurposeThe purpose of the project was to identify a mechanism of causal relationship between Brand Public Relations (BPR) and societal change in the perception of women gender roles.Design/methodology/approachExperimental evidence was obtained in three countries (N = 378) to examine the mechanism of societal impact of BPR. Effects of spillover of evaluations between two sub-brands of a house of brands company, caused by positive publicity about communication co-created by Public Relations (PR), were analysed.FindingsFindings supported the existence of a positive spillover of evaluations. A mechanism of the societal impact of PR was also captured: an indirect effect of news stories about a non-objectifying portrayal of women in the male reference brand on the typicality of a non-stereotypical women role in society was demonstrated.Research limitations/implicationsExperiments were conducted over a period of three years, during which publics perception of brands' communication about gender portrayal might have changed.Practical implicationsThe paper argues for greater recognition of brand public relations professionals as co-creators of promotional brand communication. It gives evidence that one of the unique competencies of BPR is insight into publics and predicting long-term consequences of brand communication.Social implicationsThe findings of the research project suggest a mediated nature of influence of BPR on the perception of typicality of gender (women) roles in society. PR communicators should learn what areas of practice of PR require specific skills for the function of PR to develop the new competence.Originality/valueThis paper is the first one that aimed at establishing a common terminological framework of the societal impact of public relations
Security and Privacy Issues of Distributed, Complex P2P Smart Grid Marketplace Systems
Get PDFThe development of distributed, complex systems has influenced the design of modern infrastructure. These systems, characterized by networked structures, diverse functionalities, and inherent complexity, drive innovation across various sectors.The energy sector, which is transitioning from conventional power grids to smart grids, demonstrates this paradigm shift. Driven by the need for sustainability, increased system resilience, and rising global energy demand, smart grids embody the distributed systems approach, integrating decentralized energy resources, real-time energy trading, and advanced communication technologies has created a dynamic and complex energy landscape. This transformation presents new challenges in security, privacy, and scalability.In this thesis, we focus on a key component of smart grids: marketplaces. We address these challenges to security, privacy, and scalability by proposing novel models and architectures for application to P2P marketplaces. This thesis proposes a decentralized P2P architecture for energy trading, tackling security and privacy concerns inherent in smart grids and P2P marketplaces. Leveraging the cryptographic properties of distributed ledger technology (DLT), the model ensures transaction integrity and non-repudiation. Additionally, the integration of off-chain state channels further enhances privacy and scalability. We extend on that proposal by conducting a study on off-chain processing, developing a model that balances scalability and security improvements in smart grids while reducing security costs. Our test-driven development and security analysis proves the feasibility of the protocol. Finally, we address privacy risks within marketplaces by researching privacy-preserving techniques for identity verification and reputation-building systems and conclude our research objectives by giving future research directions
The Role of Attachment Style in The Relationship Between Developmental Trauma and Voice-Hearing
Get PDFBackgroundVoice-hearing refers to hearing a voice(s) when no one else is present or that other people cannot hear. Some voice hearers, although not everyone, find their voices distressing. Some people who hear voices are diagnosed with psychosis or schizophrenia, but many people also hear voices without it being part of a mental illness. Identifying whether a person experiences the voices as distressing and whether the voices interfere with daily life is more important than simply whether they are hearing voices or not. People who experience developmental trauma, defined as psychologically traumatic events occurring in childhood or adolescence, are more likely to hear voices in adulthood and find these voices distressing. Understanding what factors cause people to experience distressing voices after trauma is important, because this informs the development of interventions for reducing voice-related distress. Developmental trauma influences how our attachment styles (patterns in relationships) develop. Also, people tend to relate to their voices like they do in their relationships with people, suggesting that these patterns may be similar to how they relate to their voices.Researchers have started investigating how attachment styles influence voice-hearing experiences. Attachment theory argues that how humans are cared for in their early life influences how emotional bonds with others develop and patterns in our relationships throughout life. Research has identified different attachment styles, which are similar across different cultures: • People with high levels of attachment anxiety seek out close relationships but tend to worry about them. • People with high levels of attachment avoidance prefer to rely on themselves and avoid emotional closeness. • People with disorganized attachment styles would like closeness in their relationships but also fear it, and fluctuate between high attachment anxiety and high attachment avoidance. • People with secure attachments feel comfortable getting close to others and feel safe in relationships. They have low levels of attachment anxiety and avoidance. • Some research suggests that insecurely attached people may be more likely to find their voices distressing, but it is not clear whether this is more likely in insecure-avoidant or insecure-anxious attachments. Our ResearchOur research aimed to improve understanding of the relationship between attachment and voice-hearing through two main pieces of research:1. A conceptual review, which reviewed key concepts, models and findings from previous studies of attachment and voice-hearing.2. An empirical study, which was a new piece of research using new data we collected.Paper 1: Conceptual ReviewAims: The first paper reviews how attachment theory has informed theoretical models of voice-hearing and reviews what previous studies have found about how attachment style influences the development and maintenance of voice-hearing, as well as recovery from distressing voices. Key Findings:• The way hearing voices is understood has shifted from viewing voice-hearing as a biological symptom of mental illness to viewing it as an interpersonal experience shaped by trauma and attachment.• There is limited research investigating how attachment style influences the development and maintenance of voices specifically, with most research collecting data from people diagnosed with psychosis. Also, most studies looked at these relationships at one point in time, which doesn’t show cause and effect.• Attachment styles appear to influence recovery from distressing voices, but more research is needed. For example, previous research has focused on how insecure attachment styles are linked to more distress and poorer recovery, with little research studying how secure attachment might protect against distressing voices and/or help with recovery.Conclusions: Attachment theory could help us understand and treat distressing voices better, but more research is needed to fill current gaps. Research questions and designs should be guided by models that combine biological, psychological, and cultural explanations of voice-hearing.Paper 2: Empirical Study Aims: More research is needed to establish how specific attachment styles influence voice-hearing specifically, because previous research has mainly focused on participants with a diagnosis of psychosis. Also, research is needed to determine whether the type of trauma experienced changes this relationship. Interpersonal traumas, such as sexual abuse, are likely to affect how attachment styles develop more than non-interpersonal traumas, such as a car accident. Methods: 33 adult voice hearers with a developmental trauma history completed questionnaires about their experiences of developmental trauma, voice-hearing, and their current attachment style. We recruited participants regardless of whether they had received a mental health diagnosis, to help us understand common factors across different voice-hearing experiences. Key Findings:• Exposure to more types of interpersonal developmental trauma was linked to higher attachment avoidance and more severe voices.• The relationships between interpersonal developmental trauma, attachment anxiety and voice-related distress were more complex and appeared to change at very high levels of interpersonal trauma. • Some exploratory evidence suggests that anxious attachment style might influence the relationship between interpersonal developmental trauma and voice-related distress. Conclusion: The links between trauma, attachment, and hearing voices are complex and might involve other factors like dissociation (feeling disconnected from reality). The study highlighted that it is difficult to accurately measures people’s experiences of developmental trauma and attachment style on questionnaires and this might have affected our results. Learning and Recommendations from Our ResearchBoth papers highlighted the importance of attachment theory in understanding voice-hearing, especially distressing voices occurring after interpersonal developmental trauma. Recommendations for future research include:1. Develop theoretical models of voice-hearing to include the protective role of secure attachment and positive experiences of voice-hearing2. Integrate biological, psychosocial, relational (attachment-informed) and culturally diverse explanations of voice-hearing into a unified model.3. Collaborate with voice-hearers in the design and delivery of research studies.4. Investigate the role of attachment in voice-hearers who experience other mental health difficulties or unusual perceptual experiences, such as visual hallucinations.5. Design studies which track people over time and include larger, more diverse groups.6. Develop questionnaires which more accurately measure attachment style, trauma and voice-hearing experiences in detail.7. Use other methods, such as interviewing people about their experiences, to capture the complexity and richness of voice-hearing experiences
Papal Legates and the Crusader States 1187-1291
Get PDFHaving seen the importance of the legatine office the genesis of this thesis was a desire to establish who the papal legates in the Crusader States were and the practicalities of the role they fulfilled. In this thesis case studies will be examined to provide in-depth analysis of the functions and responsibilities of the office in the East. It seeks to establish exactly what role specific legates were fulfilling and the business they were involved in. The thesis will look at how legates functioned in periods of trouble with a focus on the succession crisis in Antioch and the role of Peter of S. Marcello and Soffred of S. Prassede. In the subsequent chapter the wider role of legates during this same time period will be dealt with by assessing individuals such as Albert of Vercelli. Attention will then turn to the legations of James Pantaleon, Thomas of Lentino and William II of Agen. Finally, the role of legates on crusade and the impact this had will be evaluated with the case study of Eudes of Châteauroux.By selecting case studies from throughout the existence of the Latin Kingdom a picture of how the legatine role developed as well as the fluctuating levels of influence legates possessed will be illuminated. Whilst both the history of papal legates in the West and the narrative of the Church in the East have been thoroughly investigated, in combining these two aspects this study will provide insight into the mechanics of the Eastern church and the impact legates had on governance in the Crusade States. This thesis, as a by-product of its focus on tracking the work of legates in the East, will also show the importance of the expansion of Roman Christendom to the concept and increased power of the legatine office. <br/
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