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Look back in unease: Nigel Kneale and social realist horror
No full textAs well as his work in the horror and science-fiction genres, Nigel Kneale was also the screenwriter for two social realist films based on plays by John Osborne: Look Back in Anger (1958, based on 1956 play) and The Entertainer (1959, based on 1957 play). Critics have tended to view these as outliers within Kneale's work. My contention is that they share many characteristics with his genre work, which is in a tradition that I refer to as social realist horror
Corporate social responsibility and AI and their impact on smart cities
Get PDFDue to increasing urbanization, smart cities have developed rapidly, and they focus on technology driven infrastructure and sustainable development. With cities becoming more digital, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are key issues in determining the urban habitat of the future. This work investigates the relationship between CSR, AI and smart cities, and their implications for urban development. Aiming from the perspective of the role of AI in smart city making and the responsibility of corporations in enhancing sustainable city environment, this chapter discusses the opportunities and difficulties in combining CSR and AI in building more liveable, efficient, and sustainable cities. More specifically, this study aims to help extend understanding of entanglement between corporate responsibility, technological innovation, and urban sustainability to guide the development of more resilient and just cities of the future
Exploring enhanced data quality assessment: a framework for asset data management of the built environment
Get PDFThe built environment is undergoing a significant shift toward digital practices, driven by the global momentum of digital transformation. Consequently, asset managers in the built environment are now responsible for handling significantly larger volumes of data to support the operational phase of asset management. This increasing pressure has made it imperative for asset managers to not only manage the influx of data but also ensure its inherent quality. Although industry guidance on data management and quality exists, it primarily emphasises the importance of assessing data requirements and ensuring that datasets are fit for purpose. However, there remains a lack of detailed, practical guidance on how to implement these principles effectively.
This research addresses critical gaps in the domain of asset management within the built environment, focusing specifically on the unique characteristics of this discipline. It emphasises the significance of physical, real-world assets and their associated data, introducing solutions for evaluating their importance in alignment with strategic organisational functions. This evaluation is established as a prerequisite for conducting effective data quality assessments. The study explores industry perceptions and attitudes toward existing data quality while drawing conclusions from an in-depth investigation of data quality dimension concepts. The research process is deeply embedded within the domain, incorporating continuous feedback and expert validation from industry practitioners leading to the development of theoretical framework and proof-of-value application.
This research addresses a critical gap in the existing literature and investigations related to asset management within the built environment and inherent poor data quality. It introduces practical methods that asset managers can apply to support data enhancement initiatives. By providing essential domain context, the study also explores the implications of emerging technologies and concepts such as artificial intelligence
Investigating the interplay of different recommendation sources and social closeness on consumer behaviour in the context of gift purchase
No full textGift giving is a socially and psychologically rich activity influenced by relational closeness and the credibility of recommendation sources. This thesis explores how recommendation source (AI vs. human) and social closeness (close vs. distant relationships) affect recommendation acceptance and gift choice behaviour.
Using a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, the study combines quantitative lab experiments (n = 459) with qualitative interviews (n = 12). Grounded in Social Exchange Theory (SET), the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model, and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), it investigates mediators such as trust and emotional resonance, and moderators including age, gender, and occupation.
Quantitative findings revealed no significant main effects due to contrasting individual preferences—some consistently favoured AI, while others preferred human input. These opposing tendencies cancelled out the anticipated effects.
Qualitative insights added depth, showing that preferences were shaped by context. Participants tended to favour AI for functional and human advice for symbolic or emotionally significant ones. Influencing factors included decision-making autonomy, emotional value, cultural expectations, and individual differences such as personality and cognitive style. Gender showed no consistent pattern.
Theoretically, the study extends SET, SOR, and ELM into emotionally and relationally complex contexts, and reconceptualises social closeness as a multidimensional construct. Practically, it supports the development of hybrid recommendation systems that combine AI’s analytical power with the emotional intelligence of human input, advocating for inclusive, transparent, and human-centric digital decision-making
Influence of religion on the entrepreneurial mindset and the mediating role of entrepreneurial self-confidence: a study of the restaurant industry
No full textThis study seeks to bridge a gap in the existing literature by exploring the role of religion in entrepreneurship among Christians and Buddhists, specifically within the restaurant industry. We use entrepreneurial orientation (EO), proposed as a critical component of high-performing organizations, to examine how religion affects the entrepreneurial mindset. Our findings show that religion has a significant and positive effect on EO dimensions such as autonomy, risk-taking, innovativeness, and proactiveness in the restaurant industry. Additionally, the relationship between religion and these EO dimensions is mediated by entrepreneurial self-confidence, which refers to entrepreneurs’ confidence in business competition
The soft power of inter-religious learning: negotiating transregional exchanges at the fifth/eleventh-century Fāṭimid court*
Get PDFWhile firmly ruling over Egypt (358/969–567/1171) the Fāṭimids’ hold on Syria and Palestine remained intermittent. Owing to limited extant sources, the history of their administration of that region is fragmentarily known. For the period before 462/1070, the religious contours of the relationship between the Fāṭimids and local qāḍīs who governed on their behalf remain little investigated. Here I shed light on this facet of interregional, cross-denominational ruling arrangements as experience by a Twelver Shī‘ī scholar from Ṭarābulus, Abū al-Fatḥ Muḥammad b. ‘Alī al-Karājikī (d. 449/1057). Al-Karājikī, who travelled to Egypt between 407/1016 and 426/1034–5, emerges as a well-informed participant in and observer of the intellectual and administrative history of his time. His participation in religious learning and debate while in Fāṭimid Egypt helped him after returning to Syria and Palestine to navigate his way across the spectrum of convenient patrons
Early detection of lung cancer using a convolutional neural network integrating multidimensional clinical information
Get PDFLung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, primarily due to late-stage detection. Early diagnosis significantly improves survival rates, yet current screening methods face limitations in cost, accessibility, and predictive accuracy. This study leverages the comprehensive data from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) to develop a predictive model for early lung cancer detection. We propose a novel approach that integrates multidimensional clinical information, including diagnostic records, medication histories, and laboratory test results from the past three years, into a Multi-channel Convolutional Neural Network (MC-CNN). This architecture is designed to efficiently extract and analyze temporal and contextual patterns across diverse data modalities. Our model outperforms several comparative methods with a F1-score of 64%. These results underscore the potential of using advanced AI-driven approaches to facilitate early detection of lung cancer, enabling timely intervention and improved patient outcomes. This study not only demonstrates the efficacy of integrating multidimensional clinical data but also highlights the practical application of AI in addressing pressing challenges in healthcare
Insensitive games: game semantics for modal insensitivity
No full textIn this paper, we introduce a game theoretical semantics for a reflexive insensitive logic, and observe how classical semantic games needs to be altered to allocate reflexive insensitivity. Following, we extend semantic games to develop new games and new modalities. We prove the correctness theorems in each case
The role of EdTechs in the commodification of knowledge
No full textThe role of Education Technology Startups (EdTechs) and neoliberalism in commodifying knowledge within higher education is examined, with a focus on the UK and India during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study explores how the pandemic accelerated EdTech adoption, transforming academic content into marketable commodities aligned with neoliberal ideals of privatisation and competition. While commodification is presented as a pathway to financial viability and enhanced accessibility, infrastructural and socioeconomic inequalities remain significant barriers. EdTechs’ innovative business models have reshaped educational access, equity, and content quality, often exacerbating pre-existing disparities. Ethical concerns, including data privacy and the erosion of academic autonomy, are also discussed. Through a comparative analysis of the UK and India, the paper highlights initiatives addressing the digital divide and challenges related to digital poverty. While EdTechs offer potential benefits in broadening educational access, the study stresses the importance of balancing technological innovation with core educational values of equity and quality, ensuring that education remains a public good
Understanding marital rape perception in MENA and South Asia: the role of resistance, sexual deprivation, and jealousy
Get PDFExploring perceptions of marital rape (MR) across diverse regions, including the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and South Asia, this study recruited participants (N = 576, Mage = 24.88, SDage = 9.36) via convenience and snowball sampling for online surveys. Participants engaged with nine MR scenario vignettes, varying in perpetrator justification (no justification, sexual deprivation, jealousy) and victim resistance (passive, verbal, verbal, and physical). Results from nine 3 × 3 factorial ANOVAs revealed significant effects of justification type and resistance level on perception of MR. Cultural differences emerged, with MENA respondents emphasizing jealousy-justified rape seriousness, while South Asian respondents were influenced by resistance level. Understanding these regional nuances is crucial for tailored interventions and legal reforms addressing MR