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Circular Aesthetics: Designing for Longevity and Emotional Durability in the Post-Fast-Fashion Era
No full textThis paper examines the intersection of circular design and emotional aesthetics in contemporary fashion, proposing the concept of “circular aesthetics” as a design philosophy that prioritizes longevity, repairability, and emotional attachment over disposability. Moving beyond the limitations of fast fashion, the study explores how designers can cultivate deeper affective connections between users and garments by integrating material authenticity, narrative symbolism, and participatory design processes. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of Jonathan Chapman’s Emotionally Durable Design (2005), Kate Fletcher’s Sustainable Fashion and Textiles (2014), and Tim Ingold’s Making (2013), the research emphasizes fashion’s potential to evoke empathy, memory, and care as sustainable values. The methodology combines case study analysis and reflective design practice, evaluating examples from contemporary circular fashion initiatives and experimental ateliers. The paper argues that emotional durability—understood as the ability of a garment to retain meaning and relevance over time—is the missing dimension in the transition toward a truly sustainable fashion system
From Advertising to Reality: A Visual Analysis of Fast-Food Products and Their Impact on Consumer Perceptions
No full textFast food restaurant chains place great emphasis on presenting their products in advertisements through highly visually appealing images. However, there is an ongoing concern regarding the mismatch between the product shown in advertisements and the one that consumers actually receive. This study aims to identify the visual differences between the advertised product and the real one, as well as to analyze the impact of these discrepancies on consumer perception, brand credibility, and purchasing behavior. A comparative method and visual analysis were applied; statistical data were collected through questionnaires distributed across local and international fast-food chains. A total of 200 questionnaires were gathered from high school students, as this age group consumes such products the most. The results indicate that there are significant differences between the real products and those presented in advertisements, which directly influence consumer perception. The study provides an overview of fast-food products, the credibility of their visual representation in marketing, and suggests important implications for brand strategies
Multi-Agent and Retrieval-Augmented Techniques for Data Quality: A Systematic Literature Review
No full textIn the era of ever-growing amounts of data and enterprise analytics, managing data quality by ensuring accuracy, completeness, and consistency has become a critical prerequisite for reliable insights and decision-making. Traditional techniques such as rule-based validation, anomaly detection, and data profiling remain essential foundations for identifying and addressing common data issues in analytics warehouses. However, the increasing volume, variety, and velocity of modern data environments demand more adaptive and intelligent solutions. Recent advances in artificial intelligence, including Large Language Models, Retrieval-Augmented Generation, and multi-agent systems, introduce new opportunities for automating anomaly detection, contextual validation, and data repair. These approaches combine external knowledge retrieval, and coordinated agent-based workflows to improve the detection of data anomalies and enhance data completeness and consistency. This systematic literature review focuses on synthesizing and comparing different practices and methods recommended by researchers and practitioners, with the purpose of preparing a comprehensive view of the recent modern AI-driven approaches suggested for data quality in analytics warehouses
Hedonism in the digital age: An analysis of the use of social networks as a source of pleasure
No full textThis paper addresses the relationship between hedonism and the use of social networks in the context of the digital age. In a society increasingly dependent on technology and virtual communication, social networks have become powerful tools for fulfilling the emotional and psychological needs of individuals, including immediate gratification, attention and social recognition. Drawing on theories such as Cultivation Theory (George Gerbner), and Framing (Goffman), the study explores the hedonic motivations behind users\u27 behavior on digital platforms. To analyze this phenomenon, an empirical study was conducted. The data show that most young people experience the use of social networks as a source of immediate gratification, especially in relation to receiving likes, sharing personal content and social interactions. However, a significant proportion of respondents also reported feelings of emptiness, decreased self-esteem and emotional dependence on these platforms. The results suggest that social media functions as a powerful mechanism for fulfilling hedonic needs, but also raise concerns about the long-term impacts on psychological well-being. The paper concludes with suggestions for media awareness and more conscious use of technology and social media
The Impact of Social Media Effects on Women’s Rights in Kosovo
No full textThis paper explores the impact of social media on women\u27s rights in Kosovo, focusing both on fundamental issues and more serious concerns that often remain unresolved or fail to receive adequate institutional and media attention. In recent years, Kosovo has seen a notable increase in reports related to the challenges and violations faced by women, particularly through social media. These reports have varied in quality - some accurate and professionally handled, others misleading or distorted, resulting in disinformation and misrepresentation of reality. One critical aspect this study seeks to examine is whether there exists a degree of hesitation on the part of the media to respond to cases affecting women\u27s rights. Additionally, the analysis places special emphasis on the potential negative impact of inaccurate reporting on public perception and the further marginalization of women across different spheres of social life. The paper aims to provide a clear overview of the role social media plays in shaping the discourse around women\u27s rights, and in either advancing or hindering gender equality in Kosovo
Contract for Delivery and Division of Property: Doctrine, CrossJurisdictional Parallels, and Regulatory Implications
No full textBased on the ban on inter vivos inheritance, this paper outlines the Contract for Delivery and Division of Property as a legitimate inter vivos family settlement in Kosovo. Through a single, genuine deed, the instrument distributes only currently owned assets among descendants with their unanimous, informed approval. The analysis identifies the primary challenges: time-sensitive unanimity (subsequent or reemerging heirs), stringent formal and registration prerequisites (notarial validation; registry entry for immovables), restriction to current assets, the marital-property overlay (spousal consent), and clear delineation concerning wills, forbidden agreements on future succession, and lifelong-maintenance contracts. The paper proposes measurable implementation metrics and distills transposable drafting and procedural techniques for Kosovo by leveraging comparative practice (donation partage and anticipated-succession tools) and conducting a longitudinal survey of notarial practice to establish a forward research agenda
Contract of Lifelong Maintenance in Kosovo: Legal Regulation, Legal Consequences, and Practical Challenges
No full textThe contract of lifelong maintenance represents one of the most distinctive types of contracts under the law of obligations, which, although originating from obligations law, also produces effects in the field of inheritance. This study aims to analyze the legal nature of this contract, the conditions for its conclusion, the legal consequences it produces, and the circumstances under which it may be declared null or voidable. The study also examines the impact of this contract on inheritance law, with particular emphasis on the fact that the provisions guaranteeing compulsory inheritance cannot be applied to it, thus excluding the right of compulsory heirs to claim their legally protected share. Through the analysis of applicable legislation and the examination of practical cases of lifelong maintenance contracts, the study seeks to identify how this contract is implemented in practice in Kosovo. The findings reveal that the contract of lifelong maintenance is clearly and comprehensively regulated under Kosovo law as an obligations-based contract that creates binding legal relationships between the parties. The Constitutional Court of Kosovo has confirmed in its jurisprudence that this contract falls within the scope of obligations law and that compulsory heirs cannot claim their reserved share under it. Despite its importance in practice, this contract has been insufficiently addressed in domestic legal doctrine, making this research necessary to enrich the literature and provide a more in-depth understanding of its legal effects
Multispectral Pedestrian Detection in Low-Light Conditions: Infrared, Visible, and Fusion-Based Approaches for CCTV Applications
No full textReliable pedestrian detection under low-light conditions remains a big challenge for intelligent surveillance and autonomous monitoring systems. Visible (VIS) or RGB sensor fail in darkness due to limited illuminations, while in the other hand infrared (IR) camera lack fine visual texture. This paper presents an adaptive multispectral pedestrian detection framework to address these limitations that combines the strengths of VIS and IR modalities through Weighted Boxes Fusion (WBF) applied to separately trained YOLOv8 models. Three variants of YOLOv8 the nano, small and medium models were trained independently on the LLVIP dataset. During inference, their outputs were merged using WBF with adaptive modality weighting determined by the mean brightness of each image. The models and fusions were evaluated using Precision, Recall, [email protected] and [email protected]:0.95 as performance metrics. Results demonstrate that the adaptive fusion outperforms both single-modality detectors achieving up to 0.97 precision and 0.914 recall. Also, the correlation between image brightness and detection confidence is negligibly negative (−0.03 ≤ r ≤ −0.06), confirming that the adaptive weighting successfully neutralizes the influence of illumination on detection reliability. Providing a lightweight and scalable solution for real-time CCTV and smart-city surveillance application these findings validate the effectiveness of brightness-guided late fusion in achieving illumination-invariant multispectral pedestrian detection
Imperial Projects and Anti-Balkanization: A Formal Model of Countries’ Conquest and Unification in a Post-Hegemonic World
No full textThe post-Cold War era has seen a balkanization of the world stage, increasing the UN membership with 34 new states, but also with 10 other functional states that have not acquired yet UN membership. The globalist character of the current world order and the hegemonic role of its single superpower, the US, may have encouraged such geopolitical fragmentation. However, this world order is being challenged increasingly more by emerging new powers, and a shift toward a multipolar world order and its security challenges may spell reverting to military blocks, re-unification and even outright imperialism. In such conditions, countries may need to voluntarily join economies and security resources in a single country or just occupy parts or entire other countries to maximize their security. I build a formal model that analyzes how three factors, economy, security and popular psychology affect each other, and test it with simulated data. The data range of the psychological factor (from – to +), ensures that the model captures a wide range of cases, from brute military occupation (and the subsequent popular opposition) to willful unification (and the subsequent wide popular support)
Insights on the Sexual Health of the Lgbti+ Community in Kosovo
No full textThe sexual and reproductive health of the LGBTI+ community in Kosovo faces numerous challenges stemming from stigma, discrimination, and a lack of tailored services. These barriers negatively impact access to healthcare and increase the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and mental health issues. This study aims to deepen understanding of sexual practices and the use of protective measures within this community. Objective: To analyze various issues related to the sexual health and sexual experience of LGBTI+ individuals in Kosovo. Methodology: The study was conducted through a structured questionnaire, distributed in close collaboration with organizations that provide services to the LGBTI+ community. A total of 99 respondents from across Kosovo participated. Data were processed using statistical analysis and qualitative interpretation to provide a comprehensive overview of the community\u27s practices and challenges. Results: Findings indicate a diversity in sexual practices and a moderate level of awareness about STIs. However, the use of protective measures—such as condoms and preventive methods like PrEP and PEP—is limited and inconsistent. Testing for STIs remains low, particularly in rural areas. Participants reported experiences of discrimination and a lack of adapted healthcare services, which negatively influenced both access to and satisfaction with healthcare. Moreover, there was a strong interest in participating in awareness-raising and educational initiatives, which can serve as a foundation for inclusive policies and improved healthcare for the LGBTI+ community. Conclusion: This study highlights the urgent need for coordinated efforts in education, inclusive policies, and sensitive services that genuinely address the needs of the LGBTI+ community— paving the way for more equitable and stigma-free healthcare