Edge excitations of the Chern Simons matrix theory for the FQHE

We study the edge excitations of the Chern Simons matrix theory, describing the Laughlin fluids for filling fraction $\nu=\frac{1}{k}$, with $k$ an integer. Based on the semiclassical solutions of the theory, we are able to identify the bulk and edge degrees of freedom. In this way we can freeze the bulk of the theory, to the semiclassical values, obtaining an effective theory governing the boundary excitations of the Chern Simons matrix theory. Finally, we show that this effective theory is equal to the chiral boson theory on the circle.Comment: 22 pages. Section 3.2. improved. 2 Appendices added. Accepted for publication in JHE

λ\lambda-symmetries for discrete equations

Following the usual definition of $\lambda$-symmetries of differential equations, we introduce the analogous concept for difference equations and apply it to some examples.Comment: 10 page

Entanglement entropy of integer Quantum Hall states

We compute the entanglement entropy, in real space, of the ground state of the integer Quantum Hall states for three different domains embedded in the torus, the disk and the sphere. We establish the validity of the area law with a vanishing value of the topological entanglement entropy. The entropy per unit length of the perimeter depends on the filling fraction, but it is independent of the geometry.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, minor changes, one reference adde

A qualitative analysis of John Bowlby’s last interview

John Bowlby gave his final interview on attachment theory over twenty five years ago to psychoanalyst Virginia Hunter, just a few months before his death. A qualitative analysis, specifically an inductive thematic analysis, has been applied to Bowlby’s last interview so as to gain some insight in a systematic and rigorous manner as to what the main issues in attachment theory were for Bowlby at that stage of his life and career. A main theme ‘Real Life Events’ emerged, comprised of three subthemes ‘Dismissal,’ ‘Recognition,’ and ‘Supporting Patients;’ each of these findings are discussed in turn. Although attachment theory has developed enormously over the past twenty five years since Bowlby’s death, his main concern on the significance of real life events remains salient; Bowlby’s legacy continues to live on strongly

Leveraging Intermediate Artifacts to Improve Automated Trace Link Retrieval

Software traceability establishes a network of connections between diverse artifacts such as requirements, design, and code. However, given the cost and effort of creating and maintaining trace links manually, researchers have proposed automated approaches using information retrieval techniques. Current approaches focus almost entirely upon generating links between pairs of artifacts and have not leveraged the broader network of interconnected artifacts. In this paper we investigate the use of intermediate artifacts to enhance the accuracy of the generated trace links – focus- ing on paths consisting of source, target, and intermediate artifacts. We propose and evaluate combinations of techniques for computing semantic similarity, scaling scores across multiple paths, and aggregating results from multiple paths. We report results from five projects, including one large industrial project. We find that leverag- ing intermediate artifacts improves the accuracy of end-to-end trace retrieval across all datasets and accuracy metrics. After further analysis, we discover that leveraging intermediate artifacts is only helpful when a project’s artifacts share a common vocabulary, which tends to occur in refinement and decomposition hierarchies of artifacts. Given our hybrid approach that integrates both direct and transitive links, we observed little to no loss of accuracy when intermediate artifacts lacked a shared vocabulary with source or target artifacts

“We’re both in the trenches together”: a pluralistic exploration of attachment behaviour dynamics in a heterosexual couple relationship across the transition to second-time parenthood

Attachment theory provides a framework for categorising behaviours in close relationships by individuals during times of stress. Attachment behaviours are commonly thought to be determined in early childhood experiences and assumed to hold through to adulthood. Further, these behaviours become particularly salient across life events, such as the transition to parenthood. Attachment styles range from security-based, in which individuals seek to alleviate distress by seeking and receiving proximity to an attachment figure, to insecurity-based styles in which attachment figures are viewed as insufficiently available. These styles have been identified primarily through the use of quantitative methods. However, this risks reducing the intricacy of relational behaviours to discrete and exclusive styles. The use of qualitative methods offers one way to preserve the complexity of relational experiences but there are a limited amount of studies which use this approach. The use of pluralistic qualitative methods allows for more holistic insight by viewing the complexities of attachment from multi-dimensional perspectives and is the methodological focus of this study. The research presents a longitudinal single case study which explores the attachment behaviours of a couple during their transition to second-time parenthood. It uses multiple methods of data collection, including individual semi-structured interviews to gather accounts of experience, diaries to gather accounts of everyday practices and behaviours, and joint unstructured interviews to gather collaborative accounts of the couple relationship. Narrative analysis is used to understand how identities are formed and reformed over the longitudinal period, and gives insight to how the participants make sense of their feelings and emotions. A psycho-social reading of the data enables understanding of some of the internal and external conflicts that the participants negotiate during this period. The plurality of epistemological and ontological paradigms brought by the different methods highlights the complex variation and intricate manners in which the couple’s emotion regulation strategies affect the dynamics of their relationship. Key findings of the research illustrate that individuals engage with a variety of attachment behaviours at any given point suggesting that attachment is not a fixed feature; attachment history becomes more salient after the transition to second-time parenthood; insecure attachment behaviours (mainly avoidant ones) tend to be more marked; relationship satisfaction decreases following the birth of the second child; and the parenting relationship becomes the couple relationship after the birth of the second child. The research shows how pluralistic methods challenge traditional views of attachment as fixed and brings new insight to relational experiences by considering them as fluid and dynamic processes, informed by context, subjective meaning-making and external events across the transition to second-time parenthood

Qualitatively-driven mixed methods approaches to counselling and psychotherapy research

Many researchers and clinicians take an ‘either, or’ position regarding factors responsible for change when conducting research. Qualitatively-driven mixed methods privilege the qualitative approach and offers the opportunity to generate multi-dimensional material, permitting a more holistic insight into experiences that can be understood from a combination of epistemological and ontological stances. A qualitatively-driven mixed methods applies a ‘both, and’ position when exploring the elements that produce change or that are under investigation, which can be of particular value to counselling and psychotherapy research. There are various ways of engaging with qualitatively-driven mixed methods. Some designs include both qualitative and quantitative components, where the former is the core element. The secondary component may also be qualitative, known as a multimethod design. Yet other designs mix different qualitative approaches, through the application of different qualitative analyses to the same data (pluralistic qualitative research). This paper discusses the application and value of qualitatively-driven mixed methods in counselling and psychotherapy research through the presentation of two research case studies; one which mixes both qualitative and quantitative components to investigate the experiences of pain alleviation following a CBT pain management programme; and one which applies a pluralistic approach to a counselling psychology doctorate exploring the experiences and meanings attached to self-harming. Through illustration and discussion of the case studies’ mixed methods approaches, this paper demonstrates that qualitatively-driven mixed methods produce a more enhanced and holistic understanding into phenomena, and therefore a more balanced perspective to counselling and psychotherapy research