University of Essex

The Challenges of Hyperparameter Tuning for Accurate Causal Effect Estimation

Abstract ML is playing an increasingly crucial role in estimating causal effects of treatments on outcomes from observational data. Many ML methods (‘causal estimators’) have been proposed for this task. All of these methods, as with any ML approach, require extensive hyperparame...

Interventions to Support Parents Whose Babies Cry Excessively: Systematic Review

CONTEXT: Parents report that around 10% to 20% of babies cry a lot without an apparent reason during early infancy. This "excessive" infant crying can lead to adverse outcomes, including parental depression, breastfeeding cessation, impaired parent-child relationships, and, in ex...

Script Reform, Human Capital and Social Change: Evidence From Uzbekistan's Latin Alphabet Transition

ABSTRACT Script reforms are common nation‐building tools, yet rigorous evidence on their effects is scarce. This paper examines Uzbekistan's transition from Cyrillic to Latin script, mandated in 1993 and implemented in schools from 1996. I study heterogeneous effects across initi...

Representativeness of training activities in competitive sports: A systematic review

This study aimed to systematically review the scientific literature evaluating the representativeness of training activities in sports. A systematic search of electronic databases was conducted in September 2024 and May 2026, with keywords relating to representative learning desi...

Factors affecting adolescent participation in HIV/AIDS prevention services provided by Non-Governmental Organizations in Iran

One of the best ways to reach teenagers with high-risk behaviors and encourage them to use HIV/AIDS prevention services is to seek help from non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Therefore, in Iran, some NGOs active in this field were formed under the name of Adolescent Well-bei...

Seen but not heard? Children’s rights, risk and governance in social media content

Children are increasingly visible in social media content but may not always meaningfully participate in decisions that produce, circulate and monetise their visibility. This article examines governance challenges for early years content in the UK, where young children appear onl...

Hazard or ‘hack’? Exploring risk perceptions of intended and unintended product use among UK regulators and consumers

Consumers frequently engage in unintended uses of products—referred to as ‘hacks’—such as using an oven to heat a room. While these practices are widely shared within consumers, they may introduce significant risks. This quantitative study (N = 206) examined differences in risk p...

Mental health effects of the universal credit rollout 2009–2019 on adults with dependent children: evidence from the UK household longitudinal survey

Background: Universal Credit (UC) is the UK’s largest recent welfare reform intended to streamline the benefits system and improve work incentives. However, UC features, including sanctions and work-related conditionality, may undermine financial security and harm mental health....

Just transition, profit margins and investment protection

Abstract This article assesses whether the interpretation and treatment of profit margins in investment treaty renewable energy disputes may interfere with just transition goals by safeguarding strong profit margins as legal entitlements for ‘green’ investments. There is an ongoi...

Federated and Differentially Private Learning for Root Cause Classification Across Heterogeneous Semiconductor Fabs

Federated learning (FL) can train a shared model without pooling client records, but it does not by itself provide differential privacy (DP). We compare centralized training, local-only training, federated averaging (FedAvg), and client-level DP-FedAvg on a fully released synthet...

From genetics to migration: emerging insights into salmonid responses to environmental change from NoWPaS 2026

The International Workshop of PhDs and Post-doctoral Fellows on Anadromous Salmonids (NoWPaS) provides a platform for early-career researchers to present and discuss emerging research on salmonid biology. The 2026 meeting, held in Iceland, brought together contributions spanning...

Alzheimer’s disease classification using dynamic geometric pattern map: A novel image representation of EEG signals

Electroencephalography (EEG) offers a non-invasive and low-cost basis for computer-aided dementia detection, but existing systems face limitations: data-dependent feature representations, deep models that process channels independently and discard inter-channel spatial topology,...

Influence by omission: The IMF’s lending capacity and central bank design

Abstract A large literature explores how loan conditionalities and policy recommendations embedded in International Monetary Fund lending programs influence country behavior and policy choices. We argue that the IMF’s influence extends beyond these intentional efforts. This paper...

Digital Populism and EU Regulatory Responses: An Ecosystem Analysis

Abstract A novel form of populism has emerged from the power of online platforms and the piecemeal regulation of the internet; it is digital in nature. Populist leaders have exploited the opportunities afforded by social media platforms to enlarge their audience. The digital mani...

Parent-Youth Acculturation Gaps and Well-Being of Immigrant Youth and Families in the UK: Differential Roles of Mothers and Fathers

According to the acculturation gap-distress model, the acculturation gap between immigrant parents and their offspring is a risk factor for immigrant members and family well-being. Most studies, however, focus on either an acculturation gap between offspring and mothers or a gap...

Lightweight online offline authenticated encryption for secure UAV systems

Abstract Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are rapidly being used for surveillance, environmental monitoring, disaster response, and intelligent transportation systems. However, protecting their connection remains a significant issue due to open wireless channels, severe energy lim...

Supporting participatory PhDs: a call to action

Abstract There has been sustained and growing interest in public policy, professional practice, and research, in what has come to be called patient and public, or service user, involvement. Requirements for such involvement are now embedded within health and care legislation, pro...

Association between health-related quality of life and health behaviors among men who have sex with men in the United States: a nationwide population-based study

Sexual minority men may experience distinct health-related quality of life (HRQoL) patterns and health-related behavioural risks compared with heterosexual men in the United States. This study examined differences in HRQoL and health-related behaviours between sexual minority and...

The pitfalls of AI detection in academic writing: bias, false positives, and the need for inclusive assessment

Abstract AI-text detectors are increasingly used to police authorship in student assessment and scholarly publishing. This paper argues that they are the wrong instrument for that task. Its design combines a critical synthesis of empirical, information-theoretic, and policy evide...

Evaluating the impact of a Sigma Action Learning Set on leadership development among nurse leaders

Background: Leadership capability is essential for nursing practice, influencing patient care, staff well-being and organisational effectiveness. Inclusive leadership valuing diversity, equity and shared learning are increasingly recognised as vital in complex healthcare systems....