DOAB - Directory of Open Access Books
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Legal Responses to Mass Migration
No full textThis volume explores the legal history of migration and the role played by legal theories, case law, practices, customary laws, and legislations in shaping and governing mobility between the 19th century and the Second World War. Based on different methodological approaches and sources, including archival documents, special courts’ decisions, diplomatic materials, legal journals and books, and international treaties, the chapters focus on countries of departure and destination both in Western and Eastern regions. Confronted with mass migration, Western legal science has been forced to rethink concepts and institutions such as borders, citizenship and the principle of territoriality. Special courts and administrative bodies were created to govern and control this new complex social phenomenon. This work, related to the national research project Legal History and Mass Migration: Integration, Exclusion, and Criminalization of Migrants in the 19th and 20th Century (Prin 2017), contributes to the investigation of the historical tensions between individual freedom of mobility and state sovereignty over border control. It contributes to the current public debate on ius migrandi – freedom of movement, or the right to migrate – showing the complexity of its historical dimension. The book will be of interest to scholars in the fields of Legal History, Legal Theory, Sociology of Law, International Migration Law, Labor Law and Criminology, as well as those working on themes related to Forced Migration and Refugee Studies. Chapter 16 of this book is available for free in PDF format as Open Access from the individual product page at www.taylorfrancis.com. It has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license
DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEMS: MATHEMATICAL SUPPORT
No full textThe high dynamism of the development of social processes and phenomena determines the formation of a new system of the worldview of mankind, the modification (change) of the hierarchy of needs and values, challenges to the pace and quality of development.
Solving complex problems associated with meeting the requirements of our time requires the use of innovative scientific approaches. Today, the use of modern intellectual technologies, such as neural networks, deep learning and artificial intelligence, is a prerequisite for the proactive development of all spheres of human activity: medicine, technology, business, environmental protection, education, transport and communication, etc. Thus, the intellectualization of technical and managerial systems can be considered one of the key foundations of the new paradigm of science and technology. The phrase "artificial intelligence systems" today is understandable to everyone. The context of this term is associated with such concepts as robotics, forecasting, processing of large information flows, expert systems, diagnostics, smart home or smart tools projects, cyberphysical space and cyberphysical systems, computer translation, etc.
There is a positive dynamics of the development and implementation of artificial intelligence elements in most types of software: mobile applications, information systems, electronic devices, etc.
This process of "intellectualization" allows us to talk about a gradual increase in the intelligence of modern computer systems capable of performing functions that are traditionally considered intellectual: understanding language, logical inference, using the accumulated knowledge, learning, pattern recognition, as well as learning and explaining their decisions.
The monograph presents the scientific and methodological apparatus of intellectual assessment of the state of complex systems. During the study, the authors proposed: a methodological approach to assess the state of hierarchical systems using a metaheuristic algorithm; a technique for analyzing and predicting the state of multidimensional objects using a metaheuristic algorithm and a technique for increasing the reliability of estimating the state of an object.
A separate section presents a comprehensive model for processing diverse data in intelligent decision support systems; method of processing different types of data in intelligent network and server architecture management systems, as well as a technique for increasing the efficiency of processing different types of data in intelligent network and server architecture management systems.
The next section of this monograph proposes a set of methods for improving the efficiency of information processing in intelligent decision support systems. During the study, the authors proposed: a method for managing information flows in intelligent decision support systems using a population algorithm; method of evaluating the efficiency of processing different types of data in decision support systems; method of evaluation and forecasting in intelligent decision support systems.
A separate section of the study proposes a scientific and methodological apparatus for processing various types of data in automated control systems. feasibility of using artificial intelligence theory for processing different types of data in automated control systems is substantiated; developed a method of data distribution in automated control systems; a model of the process of evaluating the processing of different types of data in automated command and control systems using expert information has been developed, and the methodology for setting up an information system for evaluating the process of processing different types of data in automated control systems under conditions of uncertainty has been improved.
The next section of the monograph is devoted to intellectual methods for assessing the state of channels of unmanned aerial vehicles. In the course of the study, the authors proposed: the method of intellectual assessment of the state of channels of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), based on the use of fuzzy sets and artificial neural networks, allows, with its sufficient simplicity, to obtain sufficiently accurate solutions and methods for identifying the state of control channels and data transmission UAV.
The monograph also offers intellectual methods for assessing the state of hierarchical systems. In the course of this study, the authors: the analysis of knowledge representation models was carried out, the advantages of using the production representation of knowledge in expert systems were substantiated; method of evaluation and prediction using fuzzy cognitive maps was developed. The study developed a method of visualizing the states of a hierarchical system. A method of evaluating complex hierarchical systems based on an improved swarm of particles has been developed. The presented estimation method is based on a combination of particle swarm methods and coordinate averaging and its modification using several particle swarms and the inclusion of the Hook-Jeeves procedure and corresponding correction coefficients.
The monograph will be useful for researchers involved in solving optimization problems, using the theory of artificial intelligence, developing new (improving existing) approaches to solving complex technical problems in various fields of human activity.
The monograph is also useful for practitioners - designers, developers implementing modern solutions in the field of information technology, engaged in the development of information, information and analytical, as well as automated systems in order to create new schemes and algorithms, their adaptation to non-stereotypical conditions of use, including for the implementation of artificial intelligence methods in the conditions of autonomous work, limitation of computing resources, remote control, etc.Publishe
Chapter Państwowe fundusze celowe. Rozwój czy zmierzch instytucji? Próba oceny
No full textPaństwowe fundusze celowe od przeszło 50 lat są stałym elementem publicznej gospodarki finansowej państwa. Są one zasadniczym narzędziem rozliczeń i transferów pozabudżetowych oraz źródłem finansowania zróżnicowanych zadań publicznych. Celem opracowania jest ocena obecnego statusu państwowych funduszy celowych i kierunków zmian dokonywanych w gospodarce funduszowej, ocena zasadności tworzenia nowych funduszy celowych w kontekście realizowanych przez nie zadań publicznych i źródeł ich finansowania, a także analiza zasad i warunków redystrybucji środków publicznych przez dysponentów wybranych funduszy i zasygnalizowanie problemu obchodzenia konstrukcji normatywnej tej instytucji w praktyce funkcjonowania finansów publicznych
Chapter 1 Critically Writing and Sketching Social Inequalities and Polarisation in the Brexit Pandemic Era in Britain
No full textThis is the first interdisciplinary edited collection that examines the manifestation of social inequalities and polarisations in Britain throughout the dual crises of the Brexit vote and the Covid-19 pandemic. The volume demonstrates that Brexit and the pandemic are not self-contained events but rather are major ongoing processes that have impacted all aspects of British social and political life. Drawing on an array of empirical case studies conducted in the wake of the Brexit vote and during pandemic lockdowns, chapters trace how these processes illuminate, consolidate, and amplify existing and entrenched social inequalities and polarisations that shape the fabric of British society, including racial, ethnic, class, migrant, national, and gendered inequalities. The volume is divided into three parts centred on (a) the nation; (b) the community; and (c) the media. Each section draws on diverse analytical frameworks and methodological approaches from across the social sciences, arts, and humanities to provide empirically grounded critiques of reductive media-led narratives with the goal of accounting for and explaining the reproduction of social inequalities and emergence of polarisations in these Brexit pandemic times. In so doing, the case studies include critical analysis of lockdown novels; the speeches of political elites from across the political spectrum; ‘ordinary’ people’s everyday traditional and social media practices; as well as their opinions based on the findings of large-scale surveys and in-depth place-based ethnographic fieldwork conducted across rural, urban, and suburban areas of England. Each chapter also includes artwork by contemporary artist Helen Snell that complements, develops, and extends the book’s core themes and arguments.This collection will be insightful reading for students and academics across the social sciences, arts, and humanities (especially from the disciplines of sociology, politics, social anthropology, human geography, sociolinguistics, contemporary art, and literature) concerned with questions of social inequality and polarisation
Im Sog der Fiktionen
No full textDie Mondlandung wurde in Hollywood gefilmt und pädophile Satanisten verlängern ihr Leben mit Kinderblut – Verschwörungstheorien behaupten Unglaubliches. Aber was sind Verschwörungstheorien überhaupt und was geht in den Köpfen von Verschwörungstheoretiker*innen vor? David Heering bietet eine radikale philosophische Antwort auf diese Fragen an: Verschwörungstheorien sind keine Theorien, sondern Erzählungen. Sie werden nicht wirklich geglaubt, sondern als Fiktionen rezipiert und sind Auswüchse der Fantasie und nicht der Unvernunft. Diese Sichtweise ermöglicht neue Perspektiven auf die Popularität von Verschwörungstheorien sowie das Verhalten von und den Umgang mit Verschwörungstheoretiker*innen
Conversos, Power and the Intermediate Groups in Golden Age Spain
No full textMost recent studies have revealed the existence of a huge social mobility in Spain in the 16th and 17th centuries, despite what had been believed according to the previous historiographical consensus. The archive research carried out by various specialists –and above all by Dr. Enrique Soria Mesa and his team– has been decisive in this discovery. Therefore, since the last two decades, the existence of a system based on great mobility has been established as a new historiographical paradigma. The newly discovered system, however, kept intact the appearance of eternity and statism that the current ideological order required to perpetuate itself. However, not all this social progression was aimed directly and quickly towards the achievement of the integration within the nobility. Quite often, under the mask of the aristocratic or noble appearances, impressive artisanal and mercantile activities were developed along extensive periods. Those activities were in fact closely related with the economic boost that for more than a century converted a large part of Spain –Andalusia among them– into a first-rate economic power.This book aims to rescue the history of a powerful intermediate category –formerly referred to as bourgeoisie–, that we have been detecting in our research in national and local archives for more than twenty years. Based on that evidence, we prefer to use here the term mesocracy since all these groups occupied intermediate spaces of power while they slowly tried to move upwards in the social ladder. A movement developed by resorting to long-term family strategies that created sagas of officials that ranged from middle municipal positions (jurados or jurors) to public notaries, also including merchants, artisans, doctors, and lawyers. In addition, in all these groups we noticed a very relevant presence of Jewish-converts –the conversos–, since it was there where the descendants of Hebrews settled professionally, thus achieving not only socioeconomic success but also definitive assimilation, despite the repressive effects of the Inquisition and the racist rejection of blood purity statutes. Therefore, the long term chronology, before and after the time under our scrutiny, in which we incardinate our study would be that: a fall from prominent power status in many cities of Castile in the 15th century for most of the Jews and conversos, followed by a slow recovery using a variety of means (such as institutional minor positions –like the jurors in the city councils–, professional associations –merchant guilds, for instance– or some relevant professions –doctors, notaries or prominent servants of the aristocracy–) in the 16th and 17th centuries, ending up in a period of blur and oblivion in the 18th century. We focus on the time corresponding to the Early Modern times, in which for many conversos the mesocratic stages seem to have performed as an acceptable, though discrete, solution. Nonetheless, we don’t want to give nothing for granted, so when posisble we will check the importance of the converso condition within the groups under study. All seven contributions are based on a great variety of primary sources; all together allow us to speak of a massive number of documents as the solid basis for the book’s claims
Chapter Introduction
No full textThis book provides an overview of the diverse multidisciplinary field of more-than-human design, offering a philosophical grounding of more-than-human design in posthumanism while putting practical design examples and methods to the forefront. There is an urgent need to radically re-imagine design, as its current processes are contributing to global warming, pollution, deforestation, ocean acidification, ozone layer depletion, loss of biodiversity and species extinction. Given this need, ‘more-than-human design’ has emerged as a perspective that widens our thinking beyond solely human-oriented considerations and needs, such as animals, plants and microbes. The book explores the relationship between sustainability and design, touching on topics such as AI, systems thinking, futures studies and pedagogy, and discusses a range of case study projects that are grounded in more-than-human thinking, demonstrating how this can be incorporated into practice. This easily accessible and theoretically grounded book will provide design researchers and educators an excellent introduction to more-than-human thinking. It will also be of interest to students and scholars studying design more broadly, sustainability, environmental studies and service design, as well as to practicing designers interested in sustainability
Towards Sustainable Good Health and Well-being
No full textThe purpose of this open access book is threefold. The first is to shed light on patient participation and health literacy for Good Health and Well-being, which is one of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Health literacy is considered a prerequisite for patients to be able to participate in shared decisions on their own treatment (WHO,1998). Health literacy has received increased international attention: the concept is linked to person-centred health services, sustainable resource utilization, health-promoting and preventive health work, treatment of chronic diseases and social inequality (WHO, 2016). The second purpose is to provide health professionals and students with educational models for building health literacy for patients and relatives. This purpose is linked to Quality Education, one of the UN's sustainability goals. The third purpose is to present critical perspectives on the demand for sustainability in healthcare services. Both ethical dilemmas and philosophical reflections on patient participation, health literacy and sustainability are presented. The Norwegian definition of health literacy is as follows: “Health competence is a person's ability to understand, assess and apply health information to be able to take knowledge-based decisions related to one's own health. This applies to both decisions related to lifestyle choices, disease prevention measures, self-management of disease and use of the health and care service” (Helsedireektoratet, 2020). The sustainability goal is clearly outlinedin this definition, although the organisational perspective on health literacy is lacking. Patient participation leads to improved patient satisfaction and safety (Castro, Van Regenmortel, Vanhaecht, Sermeus, & Van Hecke, 2016; Collins, Britten, Ruusuvuori, & Thompson, 2007; Vahdat, Hamzehgardeshi, Hessam, & Hamzehgardeshi, 2014), efficient co-operation between patients and healthcare professionals, and enhanced management ofthe disease (Collins et al., 2007; Vahdat et al., 2014). Health literacy as well as patient participation are important aspects for sustainable development and good and effective healthcare services in the future
Fences and Biosecurity
No full textFences and Biosecurity explores the role of fencing as a mechanism of control, exclusion, and power in the name of biosecurity. While biosecurity is broadly understood as the set of measures taken to prevent the introduction and spread of harmful organisms – thereby protecting humans, animals, and plants – this volume critically examines how fencing has become a key tool in these efforts. Through an interdisciplinary lens, the chapters reveal the ways in which fences, both physical and symbolic, shape social, political, and ecological landscapes.
This volume brings together scholars from different regions to investigate the ways in which biosecurity fencing is deployed across different contexts in Europe and North America. As fencing practices increase in scope and intensity, it becomes imperative to assess their effects – both intended and unintended – on human and non-human life. More than passive structures, fences actively participate in the governance of space, reinforcing borders, and regulating mobility. They embody biosecurity concerns, turning abstract discourses into tangible barriers that impact everyday life. Yet, fences are not merely practical tools; they also serve as powerful symbols of fear, control, and exclusion. While they may provide protection, they also create division, evoking a range of intellectual and emotional reactions and raising questions about their long-term implications.
Fences and Biosecurity highlights how fencing, as a manifestation of biosecurity anxieties, is not only about managing biological threats but also about organizing the world into hierarchies of value. By delineating spatial boundaries, fences impose distinctions between what is considered safe and what is framed as dangerous or invasive. This separation of differently valued species and biological matter is not neutral; rather, it is deeply entangled with political imaginaries, economic interests, and global trade dynamics. Fences facilitate the circulation of capital while simultaneously restricting the movement of certain species and populations, making them instruments of governance rather than mere physical barriers. While fences physically separate spaces, they also reshape cultural understandings of risk, security, and belonging. By shifting the focus from biosecurity as an abstract policy concern to fencing as a material and discursive practice, this volume reveals the ways in which security measures are enacted on the ground
Nachbarsprachen – Sprachnachbarn
No full textThis volume provides a broad picture of multilingualism and language policy in Germany's border regions; focusing on French; Dutch; Danish; Polish; and Czech. How are these languages represented in society; how are they promoted; what are the challenges and successes? By way of comparison; the articles in this volume also deal with the role of German in the border regions outside Germany and the position of neighbouring languages in French language policy. In addition to educational aspects; the contributions also discuss the relevance of other actors and fields of language policy; such as the labour market and the economy; the media; municipalities or associations. Steffen Höder and Philipp Krämer are linguists with a research profile in multilingualism and language contact in Northern Europe and the French-speaking world. With contributions by Ute K. Boonen | Sabine Ehrhart | Steffen Höder | Sabine Jentges | Philipp Krämer | Karoline Kühl | Marek Nekula | Claudia Polzin-Haumann | Nicole Richter | Dagna Zinkhahn Rhobode