Superposition frames for adaptive time-frequency analysis and fast reconstruction

In this article we introduce a broad family of adaptive, linear time-frequency representations termed superposition frames, and show that they admit desirable fast overlap-add reconstruction properties akin to standard short-time Fourier techniques. This approach stands in contrast to many adaptive time-frequency representations in the extant literature, which, while more flexible than standard fixed-resolution approaches, typically fail to provide efficient reconstruction and often lack the regular structure necessary for precise frame-theoretic analysis. Our main technical contributions come through the development of properties which ensure that this construction provides for a numerically stable, invertible signal representation. Our primary algorithmic contributions come via the introduction and discussion of specific signal adaptation criteria in deterministic and stochastic settings, based respectively on time-frequency concentration and nonstationarity detection. We conclude with a short speech enhancement example that serves to highlight potential applications of our approach.Comment: 16 pages, 6 figures; revised versio

Compensating Wage Differentials and the Duration of Wage Loss

Several reasons are offered why workers will receive larger compensating wage differentials for increases in the duration of wage losses than for increases in the probability of loss that produce the same expected loss. A formal model of occupational choice is developed that shows the extent to which the compensation for increased duration exceeds that for increased risk. Using Panel Study of Income Dynamics data linked to industry data on injuries and unemployment, we find:1) Nearly all the compensating wage differential for losses due to workplace injuries is compensation for increases in the duration of loss; 2) Similarly, nearly all the compensation for losses due to cyclical unemployment is compensation for increases in duration, especially for increases in duration beyond the 26 weeks of unemployment that are usually compensated by unemployment insurance. The compensating differentials for risk of injury are larger for union than for nonunion workers, while those for cyclical unemployment are smaller for union workers.

‘For the benefit of our nation': unstable soft power in the 2018 men's World Cup in Russia

Situated at the intersection of the literatures on soft power and mega- events, this paper explains the production and evolution of the dominant narratives behind the 2018 Men’s Football World Cup in Russia. It begins from the premise that there are multiple unexplored dimensions to the concept of soft power and proposes three advancements: the existence of multiple audiences for soft power narratives, the necessity of examining soft power aspirations in the context of hard power constraints, and the investigation of both of these dimensions with a view that acknowledges the role of time. Exploring both externally and internally targeted narra- tives, this paper demonstrates not only the attempts by Russian autho- rities to construct hegemonic ideology among the domestic population, but also reveals how the interplay of hard power and soft power concerns changed these narratives over time

Blurry Microgeographies of the New Normal: Grappling with COVID-19 Disruptions, Disgust and Despair in Switzerland

This paper investigates the adjustments to everyday life among ordinary Swiss residents from a variety of backgrounds after a year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grounded in an appreciation of the quotidian, the paper explores how pandemic-related disruptions have destabilized the traditional boundaries between work and leisure, producing a blurry everyday life that combines labor with home time and, subsequently, results in confused and uncertain reactions to the challenges of prolonged lockdown. This has been exacerbated by a fragmented government response due to Swiss federalism, combined with a climate of poor communication from authorities. The paper highlights how respondents from all corners of this small but diverse country experience feelings of fatigue, frustration, and isolation that transcend linguistic, cultural, and socio-economic divides

Building a better host city? Reforming and contesting the Olympics in Paris 2024

Many cities have abandoned plans for hosting the Olympics due to crises of high costs, unnecessary infrastructures, and a range of socio-spatial exclusions. These problems stem from conflicts between the short-term needs of the event and the long-term needs of the city. In response, Olympic organizers launched a series of reforms to improve alignment between the Games and the host city. This paper examines these reforms, identifies urban development agendas in preparation for Paris 2024, and explores their implications on selected spaces of urban intervention within Paris. Thinking through rhizomatic philosophy, the paper advocates for a more nuanced approach to exploring the problems and potential of mega-event-led urban development. In so doing, the paper maps organizer and activist assemblages, and posits that efforts at reform are stymied by a too-narrow interpretation of who counts as a stakeholder. Subsequently, the spatial articulations of the mega-event risk perpetuating the exclusions that reform intended to resolve. Ensuring a wider representation of resident voices could help minimize the distance between word and deed in the latest rounds of Olympic reform