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Who Cares Dancescreen work - thermal imaging (un)masking the body
No full textArtists Caroline Broadhead and Angela Woodhouse propose their dance-screen work Who Cares as a contribution to the conference theme, specifically the notion of carnival as razzle-dazzle colours offered by thermal imaging, and the consequent (un)masking of the body. There is tension between the unreality of how the body is perceived coupled with the reality of biology accessed through this new technology. We align to the theme here as a point of transformation, of becoming someone or something else, simultaneously revealing intimacy and anonymity. Who Cares is situated between dance and visual arts, innovating through the manipulation of thermal imaging combined with movement/dance, registering the consequences of close contact, that is merging bodies through heat trace, exploring the capture of breath, and the heat transference evident in the exchange of clothes or the thermal residue of touch. Initiated by interviews with ICU nursing staff reflecting on their experiences of touch during the pandemic, these accounts prompted practical explorations using thermal video with dancers Alice Labant and Martina Conti. Focus was on the expanded boundary of the self, made visible, and the creation of potent imagery to communicate the importance of human connection in a dynamic way. It reveals the potential for painterly abstraction through the capture of heat trace and the opportunity to explore a poetic interpretation of the tactile, connecting the worlds of technology, biology and art. The work has been shown in a variety of formats from framed miniatures using iPods to large format projections and extreme wide screen
A novel bio-inspired bird flocking node scheduling algorithm for dependable safety-critical wireless sensor network systems
Get PDFThe Multi-Objective Optimization Problem (MOOP) in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is a challenging issue that requires balancing multiple conflicting objectives, such as maintaining coverage, connectivity, and network lifetime all together. These objectives are important for a functioning WSN safety-critical applications, whether in environmental monitoring, military surveillance, or smart cities. To address these challenges, we propose a novel bio-inspired Bird Flocking Node Scheduling algorithm, which takes inspiration from the natural flocking behavior of birds migrating over long distance to optimize sensor node activity in a distributed and energy-efficient manner. The proposed algorithm integrates the Lyapunov function to maintain connected coverage while optimizing energy efficiency, ensuring service availability and reliability. The effectiveness of the algorithm is evaluated through extensive simulations, namely MATLAB R2018b simulator coupled with a Pareto front, comparing its performance with our previously developed BAT node scheduling algorithm. The results demonstrate significant improvements across key performance metrics, specifically, enhancing network coverage by 8%, improving connectivity by 10%, and extending network lifetime by an impressive 80%. These findings highlight the potential of bio-inspired Bird Flocking optimization techniques in advancing WSN dependability, making them more sustainable and suitable for real-world WSN safety-critical systems
Data reconstruction leverages one-dimensional Convolutional Neural Networks (1DCNN) combined with Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) networks for Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)
Get PDFSHM data collected in systems often face data loss due to transmission errors, sensor damage, or environmental
impacts. Incomplete data can lead to erroneous assessments in evaluating structural safety in complex structures. Although data reconstruction has been studied, challenges are present in data reconstruction: (i) SHM data contains a large amount of noise; (ii) data structure is complex and doesn’t allow for simple linear or nonlinear formulation; (iii) reconstructed data needs to be accurate and reliable. This study proposes a hybrid deep learning approach combining the 1DCNN and LSTM network to reconstruct data within an SHM environment. The proposed model uniquely leverages 1DCNN for efficient spatial feature extraction and LSTM for capturing long-term temporal dependencies. Input data is strategically preprocessed through correlation-based sensor clustering and time-shift enhancement techniques. A hybrid model used the SHM data measurements before data loss to train models. The trained hybrid network can then reconstruct missing or erroneous data. The proposed method is validated on real datasets from different structures in various scenarios and can be applied in practice, achieving better performance and accuracy compared to other neural network-based methods. Quantitative results show that the hybrid model reduces the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) by 10–15% and achieves Modal Assurance Criterion (MAC) values exceeding 0.95, outperforming other baseline neural network models. These results highlight the model’s practical applicability for accurate SHM data reconstruction under both single- and multi-channel sensor failures
Contested cultural heritage (un)be/longings: sensual, embodied, and gendered stories of trauma and healing
Get PDFThis article offers insights into conceptualizing a different angle of cultural heritage in its intangible form and generational inheritance, in relation to migrant community bonds and their impacts on embodied stories of trauma and healing. This article aims to contribute to understanding how cultural and historical knowledge of heritage is passed from one generation to the next, with deep emotional impacts, whether trauma or self-development. While engaging in an interdisciplinary dialogue with Bion’s work, we explore nodes of divergence and convergence in how gendered and embodied migrant sexuality/identity stories of trauma and healing exemplify the call for research to engage with perspectives of social and cultural differences. This understanding of contested cultural heritage and how belonging can be achieved links to ethnic–ancestral/national consciousness, as well as the struggle to belong among first- and second-generation migrants. The empirical data draws from extensive ethnographic, multi-method, multi-sited, comparative, and narrative research conducted with first- and second-generation migrants. The analysis is situated within Bion’s theory and articulated through an interpretative interdisciplinary framework aiming to unravel the complexity of the phenomena of mobility and identity construction. This analysis exemplifies the power dynamics inherent in migrant inter/intragenerational relations shaped by cultural heritage
The right to freedom of thought in the United Kingdom
No full textThe Human Rights Act incorporates Article 9 of the European Convention of Human Rights guaranteeing the right to freedom of thought. Yet, in the absence of any guidance from the European Court of Human Rights and in line with the UK’s legal traditions, the right is protected in a piecemeal fashion akin to liberty and non-interference rather than the positive obligatory rights-based approach. As such, this chapter considers whether the right to freedom of thought exists in the common law. Finding that it does exist but that there is no certainty on its content, scope, or application, it is argued that this does not prevent the courts from determining the right under the common law. Attention is given to legal jurists and philosophers, as well as certain historical developments, which have influenced the UK’s development and protection of the right. The right to freedom of thought, like speech, is the liberty to speak truth to power, to dissent, and to organise an alternative form of governance. Contemporary legislation appears to acknowledge the forum internum (the inner realm of the mind) as a subject necessitating protection, albeit, not under the label of human rights
Addressing contextual pressures and challenges in social care: the prospects of multi-actor engagement with strategic HRM
Get PDFDrawing on an exemplary case of strategic HRM in a nonprofit social care provider responding to a recruitment and retention crisis, this article offers evidence for a multi-actor, recursive model of HRM implementation. We examine how multi-actor engagement with strategic HRM reinforces or modifies intended HRM, and how this engagement is shaped by external and internal contextual pressures in nonprofit social care organizations. Through an in-depth qualitative study, we shed light on the internal process dynamics that not only engender a shared understanding of intended HRM strategy and practice among key organizational actors (convergence) but also allow for local deviation (divergence) that forges a more adequate response to workforce challenges. Our study contributes to theory on the social dynamics of HRM implementation within wider institutional contexts while highlighting the limits of a business-oriented HRM system for delivering a sustainable workforce within social care
Introduction: mapping and implementing legal protection of the right to freedom of thought
No full textThis chapter introduces the reader to the handbook with a particular focus on the methodology employed by contributors to the book. Drawing on the various contributions, the chapter presents a brief comparative overview of the right to freedom of thought before offering some reflections on the scope of the right
Impact of training volume settings between unilateral training and bilateral training on athletic performance: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Get PDFBackground: The unilateral/bilateral dimension refers to whether an action is performed by one side of the body alone or involves both sides simultaneously. Unilateral training (UT) and bilateral training (BT) have been shown to enhance athletic performance. However, there are differences in training volume settings between unilateral and bilateral training, making it essential to understand their characteristics for optimizing training protocols and improving competitive level.
Objective: This systematic review aimed to: 1) explore the effects of training volume settings between unilateral training and bilateral training on improvements in athletic performance (muscle strength, jump performance, sprint time, and change of direction time), and 2) investigate the moderating effects on testing metrics, training frequency, and training protocol on athletic performance.
Methods: Searches were conducted in PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, EBSCOhost, and Web of Science (Core Collection) on June 5, 2024, and updated on April 17, 2025. Included studies were randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of UT versus BT on athletic performance in athlete. Pooled effects for each outcome were summarized using Standardized Mean Difference [Hedges' g (g)] through a three-level meta-analysis model, and subgroup analyses were used to explore moderators. The certainty of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach.
Results: A total of nine high-quality randomized controlled trials were included, involving 225 athletes. The results showed that there was no significant difference in improving athletic performance whether the training volume of UT and BT was the same (g = 0.20 [-1.56, 1.15], I²-2 = 77.8%; I²-3 = 0.0%, low GRADE) or when the UT volume was twice that of BT (-0.04 [-0.14, 0.06], I²-2 = 93.8%; I²-3 = 0.0%, moderate GRADE). When the training volumes of UT and BT were the same, the impact on athletic performance was not significantly moderated by test items, training frequency, or training protocols. Neither unilateral test metrics (g = -0.84) nor bilateral test metrics (g = -0.90) showed significant improvement. There was no significant difference between training twice a week (g = -0.16) and training three times a week (g = -0.19). Similarly, there was no significant difference between conducting plyometric training (g = -0.16) and another instance of plyometric training (g = -0.19). When the UT volume was twice that of BT, it might be significantly moderated by test items, but training frequency and training protocols were likely not significant moderators. Unilateral test metrics (g = -0.39) and bilateral test metrics (g = 0.64) both showed significant improvements. There was still no significant difference between training twice a week (g = -0.14) and training three times a week (g = 0.13). Furthermore, there was no significant difference between conducting plyometric training (g = -0.01) and another instance of plyometric training (g = -0.21).
Conclusion: The training volume settings between unilateral and bilateral training may not have a significant impact on athletic performance. The testing metrics might be the significant moderating factors, whereas training frequency and training protocol are likely not significant moderators
Learning to walk lightly through the world: lessons from Amazonian Indigenous praxis
Get PDFIn an attempt to break with both the hegemonic and cooptive nature of modernity, we set out to provide a provocative reflection on the teaching of indigenous peoples. The message of this conceptual contribution is simple: To have a future, we need to quickly learn, but also unlearn. The ‘we’ here refers first and foremost to polluter elites in the so-called Global North as well as those in the Global South who have greater access to resources and emit more carbon. The process will need to entail, learning from and with those whose lives are more aligned with the more-than-human world; and unlearn behaviours and practices that brought us to where we are: A situation where we experience the unprecedented loss of species, extractive practices depleting the natural environment, a societal meaning crisis despite being hyper-connected and yet disconnected simultaneously. What seems necessary is no less than a rapid decolonisation of harmful, unsustainable thinking and a fundamental breaking of our unsustainable lifestyles and the behaviours and practices underpinning them to move towards a caring, resonant and sustainable way of being
Transdisciplinary ecopedagogies [Editorial]
Get PDFThis Special Issue critically and collectively considers what transdisciplinary ecopedagogy might mean in the context of children’s education in a time of planetary crisis. Inspired by Angela Antunes and Moacir Gadotti’s (2005) conviction that ecopedagogies are the pedagogies needed to meet the Earth Charter, this Special Issue proposes ways to pursue a new set of pedagogies that are not solely shaped by or founded upon western imaginaries of education, curricula, teaching and learning, and are inclusive of diverse perspectives, including those of the Global South, drawing on an international diversity of ecopedagogic thinking applied to curriculum, teaching, educational and thoughtful practice. Global warming and the climate crisis threaten our very existence in myriad urgent ways and therefore merits an intense focus on pedagogic practices. ‘Ecopedagogies’ is a term in use since the twentieth century, but it is in the twenty-first that the need to consider it has become crucial. Teaching ecocritically, to understand and take issue with human exceptionalism and the complex aspects of environmental issues from local to global perspectives and knowledges, as well as through the scholarship of multiple disciplines, is essential to determine actions for lasting changes toward environmental wellbeing and planetary survival