Elite Set Research Articles

Negotiating caste, gendered and colonial subjectivities in the neoliberal academy

This paper highlights how researchers are subjugated through hegemonic academic norms and how they simultaneously recognize the privileges attached to their subject positions. I illustrate difficulties in negotiating my privileges, particularly of caste, and my experiences of marginalisation as a ‘third world woman’ in the European academy. Such competitive insecurity is illustrative of both neoliberal logics of enterprise and responsibility as well as caste-based logics of merit and deservingness. Academia as a field of knowledge production historically consolidates power in the hands of a shrinking set of elites. Attitudes of competition and uncertainty produce subjects that turn to selfinterested modes of acquiring and analysing data, thereby producing hegemonic knowledges, which ignores the situatedness and politics of the research context. Caste is addressed together with gender, coloniality, ability, sexuality and ethnicity (among other subjectivities) as an intersectional co-producer of exclusion. Invoking caste-based imperialist logics is essential for unpacking the privileged subjectivities that produce elitism and exclusion in academia and in knowledge production.

Adaptation, change and reaffirmation: investigating the limits of young working-class men adapting to elite higher education institutions

ABSTRACT Historically, and in contemporary society, the pursuit of higher education remains an integral part of social mobility. The research presented in this article aligns with previous research capturing the complexities many students from non-traditional backgrounds face in transitioning to tertiary education. We focus on a small cohort of young men from working-class backgrounds who were able to access elite higher education institutions. Statistically, this population is the least likely to attend university or engage in post-secondary education and training. We explore how they adjust aspects of their identities to align with their perception of an elite university context. We see their journeys as a process of negotiation, of identifying with certain aspects associated with elite settings while rebuffing others often through reference of historically embedded aspects of working-class culture. To decipher these negotiations, we focus specifically on four key themes present in the data: a sense of exceptionalism; confronting the competitive culture; fitting in; and reaffirmations of working-class culture.

Genotypic Selection Using Quantitative Trait Loci for Better Productivity under High Temperature Stress in Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.)

High temperature stress affects tomato production both in tropical and sub-tropical environments worldwide. To explore genetic variation for heat tolerance in tomato, 329 transcontinental tomato genotypes were evaluated at the Ministry of Municipality and Environment (MME) greenhouses near Doha, Qatar, where the average daytime temperature was 38 °C with a big fluctuation during the tomato growth season. A preliminary phenotypic analysis identified a panel of 71 hybrid and pure-line tomato genotypes for more detailed studies. The selected subset was examined in the greenhouse using a randomized complete block design under heat stress. The materials were phenotyped for fruit size, fruit weight, fruit hardness, fruit locules, fruit set, total soluble solids (TSS), and fruit yield. Significant phenotypic differences among genotypes were observed for all the traits assessed. To explore the genetic basis of the variation among the examined genotypes, the subset was genotyped using 104 SNP markers identified in previous heat-tolerance genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Nineteen QTL-associated SNP markers could reliably select heat-tolerant genotypes in terms of better fruit yield, fruit set, and TSS. These markers are located on chromosome 1, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 12. Interestingly, two clusters of markers on chromosome 6 were linked to significant effects on yield, fruit set, and TSS under high temperature. Eighteen out of nineteen SNP markers were mapped within a gene body. Based on the phenotypic and the genotypic analysis, an elite set of five genotypes was selected for approval for heat stress environments in Qatar. The aim of the present work is to provide significant results that are exploitable not only in the Qatar region but also worldwide. Specifically, the 19 molecular markers identified in this study can serve as useful tools for breeders in selecting heat-tolerant material.

Generating views from Elsewhere: UIS and the global project of SDG4 indicators

ABSTRACT The declaration of the UNESCO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015 brought together 193 nations to commit to a common set of 17 critical, highly ambitious global goals. This paper analyses how the Technical Cooperation Group of the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) develops consensus on measuring and monitoring SDG4. We empirically examine the processes of collecting, connecting and compounding various views through its meetings, consultations and roundtables. We call this resulting cosmopolitan view a view from elsewhere – noting that despite the desire to be inclusive, the views elicited through the compounding of political, technical and sociomoral representations are always framed by and enacted through processes that are determined by a small set of global elites. In making this argument through an empirical demonstration, we disrupt the depoliticised narrative of global consensus and call attention to the epistemic processes involved in the forging of global indicators and reform agendas.

An adaptive evolutionary search-based method for efficiently tackling the set-union knapsack problem

This paper tackles the NP-hard set-union knapsack problem using a novel adaptive evolutionary algorithm. Such a problem has applications in database query optimization, network design, and project portfolio management. The method starts by creating an archive set with elite and diversified solutions, employing a customized procedure based on item scores and Hamming max-min distance for diversity. Various operators are added to enhance solution quality in the elite set and refine the search process. To counteract premature convergence, combination and subset reference update methods are used. The fusion strategy serves as an exploration mechanism, generating new solutions and preventing premature convergence. Finally, the effectiveness and performance of the proposed method is evaluated on a set of benchmark instances taken from existing literature and by conducting a thorough statistical analysis of all achieved results. All obtained results are systematically compared against those achieved by state-of-the-art methods, indicating a substantial improvement of 50% for the large-sized instances, outperforming those published in the literature.

Modeling and diagnosis of water quality parameters in wastewater treatment process based on improved particle swarm optimization and self-organizing neural network

The study designs a strategy to predict water quality parameters and identify faults in the activated sludge process. The proposed method combines the improved beetle antennae search (IBAS) with the dynamic particle swarm multi-objective optimization algorithm based on crowding distance (DMOPSO-CD), named DMOPSO-CD-IBAS. The fault diagnosis prediction interval of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5) and total suspended substance (TSS) was conducted by self-organizing fuzzy neural network with an efficient scheme for parsimonious (SOFNN-ESP). DMOPSO-CD enhances the efficiency of the beetle antenna search by adjusting inertia weights and acceleration factors, reaching the optimal state with a fitness value of 0.0961. Furthermore, the crowding distance sorting preserve the external elite set and update the global optimal values, upgrading the individual search mechanism of beetle antenna search to a group search mechanism to enhance population diversity. The proposed fault diagnosis method's effectiveness is validated through three specific faults (sensor fault of COD and BOD5, and the index of sludge expansion) during the sewage treatment process. The results of the prediction mean square error, root mean square error, and average absolute error of the proposed model were kept at about 0.011, 0.15 and 0.524, respectively, having better tracking performance and stronger robustness than SOFNN-ESP and backpropagation.

Elite cohesion and resilience of the Russian regions: the case of Belgorod Oblast

ABSTRACT What accounts for the ability of regional elites to respond to the challenges posed by the Russian war against Ukraine? This study argues that elite cohesion elevates the ability of subnational elites to cope and adapt to crises. It employs social network analysis of a novel biographical data set of elites’ connections in Belgorod Oblast, the border region that has been severely affected by the war. The analysis reveals that the war has made a relatively minor impact on the structure of the elite network as it has retained its original characteristics. Furthermore, it shows that the outsider governor has not only managed to strengthen his own position among the elites but also to reinforce elite cohesion. By bringing together different elite groups, the governor has enhanced their ability to perform under substantial stress. These findings advance our understanding of the sources of resilience in personalist autocracies.

A novel evolutionary algorithm for structural model updating with a hybrid initialization and multi-stage update strategy

Measurement errors, spatial incompleteness, and parameter uncertainties frequently lead to significant deviations between the estimated correction coefficients of structural model updating and their actual values. To address the limitations, a novel multi-objective evolutionary algorithm called MOEA-HiMs is proposed for structural model updating, which incorporates a hybrid initialization and multi-stage update strategy. Two main contributions are summarized: (a) the introduction of optimal point and elite set initialization to enhance population diversity, which is achieved through the use of Latin hypercube sampling and a regularization technique, respectively; (b) the division of the optimization process into multiple stages, where solutions are corrected to improve converging efficiency using an appropriate update strategy. Additionally, the elite set is selected through the execution of sensitivity classification using a novel mathematical sensitivity index. The effectiveness and robustness of the MOEA-HiMs are demonstrated by the numerical offshore jacket platform and an experimentally-scaled platform structure. Both numerical and experimental results prove that the novel proposed MOEA-HiMs is more effective and robust than the traditional MOEA when using limited information, even under heavy noise conditions. The algorithm can serve as preliminary methods for online structural model updating of offshore platforms.

‘It’s like two Europes here, the West and the East’. Belonging and fitting in at an elite graduate school

ABSTRACT While there has been a proliferation of research on the experiences of nonelite students in elite settings, scholarly attention has predominantly focused on institutions like the Ivy League or Oxbridge, leaving other geographical locales, notably in Europe, understudied. Past research has primarily concentrated on the initial entry to higher education, with limited attention given to postgraduate levels, which this study aims to remedy. Through interviews with a cohort of final-year Ph.D. students at a highly prestigious European graduate school, this paper specifically delves into the social integration of Eastern European students navigating their fit among a predominantly Western European, elite-university-educated student body. Employing the concept of ‘segregated inclusion,’ the study illustrates how cultural and socio-economic differences contribute to stratified social relationships, ultimately impacting the extent to which Eastern European students can leverage their membership in an elite university.

THE FORM AND CHARACTER OF CIRCULATING GOVERNING ELITE IN NIGERIA: PAST AND PRESENT

This paper is basically an application of the famous elite perspective to the Nigerian government and politics to test whether it is a theory that can be confirmed or infirmed. The observable phenomenon which is similar to virtually all regions and climes of the world is the emergence of very few people circulating in the political space over time. From pre-colonial, to colonial and post-colonial Nigerian state, a number of elites from diverse sectors of the society – the military, politicians, civil society, business tycoons, religious leaders and traditional elites kept circulating in the political firmament of Nigeria. The paper is a confirmation of the elite theory paradigm or construct to the understanding of Nigerian government and politics. The paper however noted that if nothing changes the required leap from a developing status of Nigeria as a country to developed one may take time after all more so that the country needs new thinking and perspectives to be able to adapt to modern technological era. The paper infers that there is an imperatival need to opening up of the political space to accommodate vibrant youths and new set of elites that can drive the polity to a greater height with new innovative thinking.

OTHER-01 INTERNATIONAL CLASSIFICATION, BRAIN TUMOURS AND CARE: ACCOUNTING FOR THE DIAGNOSTIC POTENTIAL OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICA

Abstract International cancer classification is fundamental to oncology. It structures diagnostic routines, research programmes, treatment pathways, and grounds for correspondence and comparison across settings. It is vital to cancer epidemiology, which influences national and global health investment and policy. However, the process of classification is not straightforward and often poorly understood. Importantly, classification is not simply a matter of discerning biological difference. It also demands ethical and political choices, which have major social consequences around the world. These choices are made largely by classification experts in elite settings in high-income countries and overseen by the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer. Decision-making is therefore rooted in particular frameworks and assumptions about technical capabilities for diagnosis, which might not be appropriate to the situations of practitioners (and patients) in low- and middle-income countries, who often face the challenges of severely limited resources and compromised healthcare infrastructures. These issues have been made starkly apparent in the field of neuro-oncology in recent years. A key concern is the progressive integration of new molecular genetic and epigenetic biomarkers in brain and CNS tumour diagnosis. Although such markers have been welcomed by many as a powerful way to distinguish between brain tumour subtypes, others caution that parts of the world without access to molecular pathology—including many parts of Africa—will be “left behind”. This presentation will introduce a new 5-year social science research project about brain tumour classification and care in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project aims to: 1) document the various “on-the-ground realities” of brain tumour diagnosis and care in Sub-Saharan Africa, and 2) examine how the diagnostic contexts of low- and middle-income countries are considered by brain tumour classifiers. The presentation will reflect on the role that the social sciences might play in the process of cancer classification, which is, arguably, thoroughly social.

Enhanced iterated local search for the technician routing and scheduling problem

Most public facilities in the European countries, including France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, were built during the reconstruction projects between 1950 and 1980. Owing to the deteriorating state of such vital infrastructure, its maintenance has become relatively expensive in the recent decades. A significant part of the maintenance operation costs is spent on the technical staff. Therefore, the optimal use of the available workforce is essential to minimize the overall costs. This includes planning technical interventions, workload balancing, productivity improvement, etc. In this paper, we focus on the routing of technicians and the scheduling of their tasks. We address for this purpose a variant of the workforce scheduling problem called the Technician Routing and Scheduling Problem. This problem has applications in different fields, such as maintenance of transportation infrastructure (rail and road networks), telecommunications, and sewage facilities. To solve the problem, we propose an enhanced iterated local search approach. The enhancement of the iterated local search firstly includes an intensification procedure that incorporates a set of local search operators and removal-repair heuristics adapted for the studied problem. Next, four different mechanisms are used in the perturbation phase. Finally, an elite set of solutions is used to extensively explore the neighborhood of local optima as well as to enhance diversification during search space exploration. To measure the performance of the proposed method, experiments were conducted based on benchmark instances from the literature, and the results obtained were compared with those of an existing method. Our method achieved very good results, since it reached the best overall gap, which is almost three times lower than that of the literature. Furthermore, eILS improved the best-known solution for 31 instances among a total of 56 while maintaining reasonable computational times.

Importance of training volume during intensified training in elite cyclists: Maintained vs. reduced volume at moderate intensity.

Male elite cyclists (average VO2 -max: 71 mL/min/kg, n = 18) completed 7 weeks of high-intensity interval training (HIT) (3×/week; 4-min and 30-s intervals) during the competitive part of the season. The influence of a maintained or lowered total training volume combined with HIT was evaluated in a two-group design. Weekly moderate-intensity training was lowered by ~33% (~5 h) (LOW, n = 8) or maintained at normal volume (NOR, n = 10). Endurance performance and fatigue resistance were evaluated via 400 kcal time-trials (~20 min) commenced either with or without prior completion of a 120-min preload (including repeated 20-s sprints to simulate physiologic demands during road races). Time-trial performance without preload was improved after the intervention (p = 0.006) with a 3% increase in LOW (p = 0.04) and a 2% increase in NOR (p = 0.07). Preloaded time-trial was not significantly improved (p = 0.19). In the preload, average power during repeated sprinting increased by 6% in LOW (p < 0.01) and fatigue resistance in sprinting (start vs end of preload) was improved (p < 0.05) in both groups. Blood lactate during the preload was lowered (p < 0.001) solely in NOR. Measures of oxidative enzyme activity remained unchanged, whereas the glycolytic enzyme PFK increased by 22% for LOW (p = 0.02). The present study demonstrates that elite cyclists can benefit from intensified training during the competitive season both with maintained and lowered training volume at moderate intensity. In addition to benchmarking the effects of such training in ecological elite settings, the results also indicate how some performance and physiological parameters may interact with training volume.

Integrated scheduling for remanufacturing system considering component commonality using improved multi-objective genetic algorithm

The existing researches on scheduling for remanufacturing system explicitly or implicitly subjects to the component matching requirements while ignoring the repaired component commonality, which is inconsistent with reality. Thus, this paper proposes a novel integrated scheduling method for remanufacturing system with disassembly-reprocessing-reassembly considering component commonality, where components obtained by reprocessing no longer only be used to reassemble their original product, but also be used to reassemble other remanufacturing products. And a mathematic model is formulated to simultaneously minimize the completion time and total energy consumption. Then, an improved multi-objective genetic algorithm (IMOGA) with a new double-layer representation scheme is developed to handle the considered problem. In the IMOGA, a left-shift strategy is developed to utilize workstation idle time and a component-relink strategy is designed to solve the reassembly decision with component commonality. In addition, the crossover and mutation operators based on grouping strategy are designed to enhance algorithm search ability. After, a local search with two heuristic strategies is proposed to further improve the quality of solutions in the elite set. Finally, a series of comparative experiments are carried out and the results show that IMOGA can tackle this scheduling problem effectively.

Modified ADRC Design of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor Based on Improved Memetic Algorithm

In this paper, a novel modified auto disturbance rejection control (ADRC) design of a permanent magnet synchronous motor based on the improved memetic algorithm (IMA) is proposed. Firstly, there is an obvious system ripple caused by the defect that the optimal control function used in traditional ADRC cannot be differentiable and smooth at the segment point; aiming at weakening the system ripple effectively, the proposed method constructs a novel differentiable and smooth optimal control function to modify the ADRC design. Furthermore, aiming at improving the integration parameters optimization effect effectively, a novel improved memetic algorithm is proposed for obtaining the optimal parameters of ADRC. Specifically, an IMA with high-quality balance based on an adaptive nonlinear decreasing strategy for the convergence factor, Gaussian mutation mechanism, improved learning mechanism with the high-quality balance between competitive and opposition-based learning (OBL) and an elite set maintenance mechanism based on fusion distance is proposed so that these strategies can improve the optimization precision by a large margin. Finally, the experiment results of the PMSM speed control practical cases show that the ADRC based on IMA has an apparent better optimization effect than that of fuzzy PI, traditional ADRC based on the genetic algorithm and an improved ADRC based on improved moth-flame optimization.

Impact of the number and rank of coauthors on h-index and π-index. The part-impact method

The publication activity of 20 Price-medallists was analysed by calculating several scientometric indices from data of elite sets of their publications. The following elite sets (i.e. most cited papers within the total) were obtained: π-set (where the number of papers is equal to √P, and P is the number of total papers), h-set (in which the number of papers equals to the Hirsch index), 2π-set, 2h-set, and the set of papers (ECP) which are cited more frequently than the average. The percentage share of papers and citations was found to increase in the mentioned rank of the elite sets, except ECP-set. The number of publications and citations in the elite sets was calculated also by different part-impact methods for sharing credit among the coauthors. The applied methods take into account the number or number and rank of coauthors in the by-line of the papers. It was demostrated that any of the methods changes both π and h-index significantly related to the value calculated by attributing total credit to the evaluated individual. The changes strongly depend on the number of coauthors and rank of the studied author in the by-line of the papers. Consequently, in assessing personal contribution of scientists by scientometric indices, sharing credit of publications and citations among the coauthors of publications seems to be highly relevant. Selecting the appropriate impact sharing method depends on the purpose of the evaluation.

Genome Wide Association Study of Yield and Yield-Related Traits in Elite Spring Bread Wheat Genotypes Grown under High Temperature Environment in Sudan

Genetic improvement of wheat for heat tolerance is the main breeding objective in Sudan as it is the principal limiting factor for wheat production. To this end, the availability of wheat genetic diversity is key for success. Genetic diversities and genome-wide association studies were conducted to parse the complex genetic composition of yield-related traits of 250 bread wheat genotypes which were selected from ICARDA’s advanced materials. The genotypes were evaluated under heat stress environment for two seasons (2016/17 and 2017/18) in two sowing dates (optimum and late) at the Gezira Research Farm (GRF), of the Agricultural Research Corporation (ARC), Wad Medani, Sudan. Yield levels ranged from 4016 - 5120 kg/ha for optimum and late sowing dates respectively in the first season and from 5386 - 3926 kg/ha for optimum and late sowing dates respectively in the second season. The top 20 genotypes were better than the best check in the two seasons except, Imam which ranked number 18 in the second season. Two genotypes, genotypes 27 and 37, produced high grain yield in both seasons. Wide ranges of variations among genotypes were found for yield and yield-related traits, including days to heading and maturity, plant height, number of seeds/spike, 1000 seed weight, biomass and harvest index. Genome wide association analyses were performed using 15 kSNPmarkers and the phenotypic data. A total of 282, 355 and 475 significant (P served in the first season, second season and across seasons, respectively. Markers (6B/Kukri_ c27662, 6B/.BobWhite_c23771_525, 6B/Excalibur_c32219_491, 6B/RAC875_c31299_13021302, 6B/BS00046264_51,6A/wsnp_Ex_rep_c69373_68312188, 6A/Tdurum contig12123_1650, 6BKukri_c27662_675 and 6A/BobWhite_c15802_72) on chromosomes 6B and 6A for grain yield were highly significantly associated and stable in every season and across seasons. Highly significant Marker-traits associations (MTAs) were observed for many traits including days to heading and maturity, plant height, number of seeds/spike, 1000 seed weight, biomass and harvest index. The currently identified MTAs should be further validated using other elite sets of genotypes so that they can be used for MAS in the breeding program. The high yielding and heat tolerant genotypes identified in this study will be evaluated across key locations in Sudan for potential release in Sudan. Furthermore, they will be used as parents in the breeding program for heat tolerance.

Resource allocation in power-sharing arrangements – evidence from Lebanon

Power-sharing arrangements allocate not only political power but also economic resources from valuable state functions among powerful elites. Two broad hypotheses emerge from the existing literature regarding how elites allocate such resources: elites either distribute the control over valuable institutions or share the rents they generate. This article investigates which mechanism prevails by focusing on a major source of such resources: public procurement of large infrastructure projects. We analyse an original data set of infrastructure procurement contracts in Lebanon and investigate which politically connected firms receive larger contracts than non-connected firms. We find that firms receive inflated contracts only when they are connected to elites with a ‘seat at the table’ at the board of the implementing agency, rather than the wider set of powerful political elites. We argue that resource distribution depends on elites’ access to important institutional functions, rather than other conceivable mechanisms of resource sharing. By penetrating key positions with loyal personnel, elites serve as brokers in collusive networks, or cartels, that succeed in undermining a process as complex as infrastructure procurement.

Will wonders never cease? The viola bastarda at the Ferrarese court

Abstract Music for the viola bastarda was composed over a period of approximately one hundred years, from the mid 16th to mid 17th century. Initially arising in Italy, it was later transferred to regions north of the Alps in German and Polish regions and across the English Channel. There is interesting variety to the music, with details that prove challenging to modern players and that do not easily align with the previously accepted definition. A particularly large and influential group of composers, performers and patrons coalesced in the second half of the 16th century, centred on the Este court in the Duchy of Ferrara. In exclusive and elite settings, it was sometimes women of high rank who performed this virtuosic music that was composed specially for them, in some cases using particularly large instruments. The nature of this repertory conveyed a true sense of maraviglia and was considered extremely ‘affective’.

Injury surveillance in community cricket: A new inning for South Africa.

Published injury rates amongst elite and club-level youth cricketers highlight the need to implement injury risk-reducing strategies amongst the youth cricketing population. Data from sports injury surveillance systems are a prerequisite for the development and evaluation of strategies to reduce injury risk. Therefore, collecting injury surveillance data is a positive move towards reducing injuries in cricket. In South Africa, a systematic, standardised, evidence-informed injury surveillance system currently does not exist for community levels of play, namely, in cricket-playing high schools and cricket clubs. Although injury surveillance systems exist at elite levels, the obvious differences in elite versus community cricket settings mean that these systems cannot be implemented in their current form at community-level cricket. An innovative model is required to implement an injury surveillance system in community cricket.Clinical implicationsThis article proposes and describes a new research–practice partnership model to implement a systematic, standardised, evidence-informed injury surveillance system at cricket-playing high schools or cricket clubs within South Africa. Once this model has been employed, database systems will need to be established to allow long-term data management and sharing.