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Zgodovina in praksa pogodbene arheologije v Namibiji
No full textThis article traces how contract archaeology in Namibia emerged and consolidated after 1990 at the intersection of environmental regulation, donor requirements, and large-scale development – especially mining and energy infrastructure. It shows that, for decades, practice was largely self-regulated in the absence of national guidelines, drawing authority from Environmental Impact Assessments and the National Heritage Act. Comparing regional standards (e.g. SAHRA, ASAPA), the paper argues for clear standard operating procedures, professional accreditation, and capacity building to ensure ethical, consistent work that contributes to scholarship and community engagement. It concludes that Namibia now has an opportunity to professionalise the field, leverage ‘grey literature’ for research, and align heritage protection with sustainable development.Članek oriše nastanek in utrditev pogodbene arheologije v Namibiji po letu 1990 na presečišču okoljskih predpisov, zahtev donatorjev in obsežnih razvojnih projektov – zlasti v rudarstvu in energetiki. Pokaže, da se je praksa dolgo opirala na samoregulacijo ter na postopke presoje vplivov na okolje in Nacionalni zakon o dediščini, saj nacionalnih smernic ni bilo. V primerjavi z regionalnimi standardi (npr. SAHRA, ASAPA) avtor zagovarja jasne postopke, profesionalno akreditacijo in krepitev zmogljivosti za etično, usklajeno delo, ki prispeva k znanosti in vključevanju skupnosti. Zaključi, da ima Namibija priložnost za profesionalizacijo področja, raziskovalno rabo »sive« literature in boljše usklajevanje varstva dediščine s trajnostnim razvojem
Poetični dokumentarec kot afektivna struktura mišljenja bližine
No full textThis article considers the poetic documentary as a dispositif that does not think in language, but in touch-in rhythms, in auditory tensions, in visual suspensions where the image does not speak but endures. Taking Vid Hajnšek’s A Tree Grows in My Dreams Every Night (V mojih sanjah rase vsako noč drevo, 2024) as its central case study, the article explores how a film – when it relinquishes narration and representation – can create the conditions in which thought no longer unfolds as conceptual reflection, but as an embodied orientation in a world that emerges within the frame. Perception is not treated as mediation between subject and object, but as a mode of being in which the body lingers in affect. The key concept is hesitation – as a tension that does not interrupt, but reconfigures the relation between image and body. The film does not ask what truth is, but how it might act – not as explanation, but as presence. Merging a phenomenological framework (Merleau-Ponty, Sobchack, Marks, Massumi, Sontag) with formal analysis (of framing, rhythm, sound, and texture), the article proposes that the poetic documentary does not produce knowledge, but generates the conditions in which thinking can happen – as affect, as duration, as proximity.Prispevek razmišlja o poetičnem dokumentarcu kot dispozitivu, ki mišljenja ne utemeljuje v jeziku, temveč v dotiku – v ritmih, zvočnih napetostih, vizualnih zadržkih, kjer podoba ne govori, ampak traja. Na primeru filma V mojih sanjah raste vsako noč drevo (2024) Vida Hajnška analizira, kako lahko film – kadar se odpove naraciji in reprezentaciji – vzpostavi pogoje, v katerih mišljenje ni več konceptualna refleksija, temveč telesna orientacija v svetu, ki se šele vzpostavlja. Zaznava tu ni posrednica med subjektom in objektom, temveč način, kako telo vztraja v afektu. Osrednji koncept je zadržek – napetost, ki ne prekine, temveč vzpostavi novo konfiguracijo razmerja med telesom in podobo. Film se v tem okviru ne sprašuje, kaj je resnica, temveč, kako lahko resnica učinkuje – ne kot razlaga, temveč kot prisotnost. Prispevek združuje fenomenološki miselni okvir (Merleau-Ponty, Sobchack, Marks, Massumi, Sontag) z analizo formalnih elementov filma (kadra, ritma, zvoka, teksture), pri čemer poudari, da poetični film ne proizvaja vednosti, temveč pogoje, v katerih se mišljenje lahko zgodi – kot afekt, kot trajanje, kot bližina
Moisture-activated set-recovery of thermo-hydro-mechanically densified hardwood dowels for high-tolerance timber connections
No full textConventional wooden dowel connections in timber structures rely on tight press-fit installation, which requires high insertion forces and often loosens over time due to stress relaxation. This study investigates an alternative approach that exploits the moisture-activated set-recovery of thermo-hydro-mechanically (THM) densified hardwood dowels to enable slip-fit assembly followed by self-tightening in service. To this end, European beech and black poplar were densified radially and tangentially at different compression ratios. They were then evaluated for swelling kinetics, swelling pressure, bending performance, and moisture-activated expansion using in-situ X-ray CT in water at 20 °C and 100 °C. Results show that activation kinetics can be controlled by temperature. Expansion was rapid within minutes in hot water and slower but equivalent in magnitude at room temperature. Beech outperformed poplar, with radial densification at 35 % compression ratio producing a peak swelling pressure of 5.7 MPa and a modulus of rupture of 268 MPa after activation. Poplar generated higher free expansion but significantly lower pressure due to its lower stiffness. Radial densification was consistently more effective than tangential, enhancing both expansion magnitude and pressure generation. Capillary uptake triggered expansion along the dowel length (∼30 mm in 1 h) and produced an elliptical expansion profile. Importantly, mechanical strength was retained post-activation, which confirms structural suitability. These results demonstrate that THM-densified beech dowels can offer a robust self-tightening mechanism, combining low-force installation with durable pressure generation and stable mechanical performance. This provides a viable path toward adhesive-free, metal-free, high-tolerance timber connections
Designing the ideal political identity questionnaire using machine learning and ideology scales
No full textPolitical ideology shapes beliefs, behavior and attitudes toward society. Many existing questionnaires for measuring ideology are lengthy, repetitive, and misaligned with self-perception. This paper investigates whether a shorter, reliable, two-dimensional political identity questionnaire can be created using machine learning and psychometric methods. Sixty participants completed four ideological instruments (MFQ, SDO, RWA and 8values). Lasso regression and Random Forest with nested cross-validation identified predictive items, while psychometric evaluation included CFA and Cronbach’s alpha. Random Forest outperformed Lasso. Internal reliability was excellent and factor loadings supported a two-factor structure despite moderate model it. Findings show that ideology can be measured efficiently with reduced items, supporting applications in research, digital platforms and political psychology
NERVIS
No full textWe present an interactive visualization system for exploring named entities and their relationships across document collections. The system is designed around a graph-based representation that integrates three types of nodes: documents, entity mentions, and entities. Connections capture two key relationship types: (i) identical entities across contexts, and (ii) co-locations of mentions within documents. Multiple coordinated views enable users to examine entity occurrences, discover clusters of related mentions, and explore higher-level entity group relationships. To support flexible and iterative exploration, the interface offers fuzzy views with approximate connections, as well as tools for interactively editing the graph by adding or removing links, entities, and mentions, as well as editing entity terms. Additional interaction features include filtering, mini-map navigation, and export options to JSON or image formats for downstream analysis and reporting. This approach contributes to human-centered exploration of entity-rich text data by combining graph visualization, interactive refinement, and adaptable perspectives on relationships
Transparent Persona Generation With LLMs
No full textPersonas are a cornerstone of user-centred design, but traditional methods for developing them are difficult to validate, prone to bias and labour-intensive. Data-driven approaches have improved scalability, but often lack the narrative richness and empathy that make personas effective. We present a methodology that uses large language models (LLMs) to accelerate the creation of personas while underpinning and constraining the results with contextual and empirical data. Our approach emphasises transparency and traceability: each generated persona attribute can be linked to its source material, including project documentation, workshop transcripts, survey results or other contextual corpora. By combining the narrative strengths of LLMs with the rigour of an evidence-based foundation, the method generates personas that are both descriptive and verifiable. We present a five-step workflow methodology: (1) generation of persona candidates from contextual data using LLMs, (2) iterative refinement to ensure representativeness of personas, (3) selection of the most relevant profiles through expert evaluation, (4) design of detailed persona profiles, and (5) enrichment with empirical evidence to ensure traceability and validation. The methodology is illustrated with a case study from the field of soil health, but can also be applied to other design contexts where alignment between different stakeholders is crucial. We argue that this approach positions LLMs not as a substitute for human expertise, but as an accelerator of persona work that improves accountability, reduces bias and facilitates communication in collaborative design processes
