DOAB - Directory of Open Access Books
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Active Flow Control
No full textActive flow control (AFC) has emerged as a vibrant research field with significant potential to address a broad spectrum of academic and industrial challenges. Recent developments in actuation technologies and computational/experimental methods, together with the resurgence of machine learning, have positioned AFC to achieve enhanced effectiveness, efficiency, robustness, and intelligence. The following reprint compiles fundamental studies and practical applications of AFC, encompassing the design and development of novel actuators, innovative control strategies, and advances in theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches, alongside explorations of related interdisciplinary topics
Negocios inclusivos en la industria bananera
No full textInclusive business as a model at the base of the pyramid is a relatively recent area of study. From an institutional perspective, companies are influenced by norms, processes, and moral and ethical standards, which have not been extensively examined in the development of inclusive business models involving agricultural cooperatives. This research aims to identify institutions that can contribute to the development of inclusive agribusiness models. The study focuses on banana-producing agricultural cooperatives in Magdalena, Colombia, as the unit of analysis to identify such institutions. The methodological approach involves a multiple-case study (six banana cooperatives) with a single unit of analysis, applying a deductive approach to review institutional factors. The findings reveal that both formal institutions (such as certifications, quality standards, social responsibility policies, and incentives) and informal institutions (including cooperation, quality-of-life improvement, and social capital generation) promote the development of inclusive businesses within cooperatives at the base of the pyramid. This study serves as a foundational step for potential replication in other agricultural industries and economic sectors
Authoritarian Actors and Strategic Digital Information Operations
No full textThis book explores the complex web of Strategic Digital Information Operations (SDIOs) – defined as deliberate efforts by state and non-state actors to manipulate public opinion and emotions using digital technologies – that intersect with political ambitions to create a complex environment ripe for manipulation. Drawing from extensive research and case studies, the book examines how actors ranging from authoritarian regimes to extremist groups such as ISIS, and even political entities in democratic countries, leverage digital platforms to further their agendas. As such, it provides a comprehensive overview of SDIOs, their evolving tactics, and implications for democracy, governance, and international relations. It examines the diverse tactics employed by these actors, from spreading half-truths and distractions to leveraging historical and religious narratives in the form of conspiracy theories or non-conspiracy narratives, aiming to control the discourse and shape the online environment to their advantage. This research challenges the conventional focus on disinformation, highlighting the shift toward more sophisticated and less discernible means of digital manipulation globally, and argues that SDIOs have become a pivotal tool for influencing public opinion, shaping political narratives, and even undermining democratic processes. This book will be of key interest to scholars, students, and practitioners in communications/media studies, political sociology, comparative politics, security studies, political science, and international politics. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 International license
Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatments of Early-Stage NSCLC
No full textThe following Special Issue on the “Prevention, Diagnosis and Treatments of Early-Stage NSCLC: New Advances and Future Prospective” forms a collection of articles showcasing the latest scientific progress in this field, focusing particular attention on minimally invasive techniques such as video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) and robotic-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS) compared to open surgery both for early and long-term outcomes in addition to the role of sublobar resection for the treatment of early-stage NSCLC compared to lobectomy. Moreover, we also focus on the importance of recently identified potential biomarkers such as TLR expression to be used for future prognostic purposes in NSCLC and the importance of enhancing immune response in NSCLC patients with the use of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13)
Urban Micro-Segregation
No full textThis Special Issue (SI) focuses on urban micro-segregation, an emerging, but traditionally neglected, topic in Urban Studies. It provides evidence of micro-segregation forms from diverse metropolitan contexts across the globe. In addition to providing evidence, part of the scope of this SI is to investigate the ways urban micro-segregation is shaped by global and local forces, which should aid in paving the way to assessing its impact on socio-spatial reproduction across different urban contexts. Moreover, mapping micro-segregation in different cities is also an essential element of capturing and exploring the significance of the provided evidence. These factors bring this SI closer to the heuristic use of spatial structures to better understand, explain, and communicate social processes in urban areas
Recent Advances and New Challenges in Coupled Systems and Networks
No full textThis Special Issue is in honor of Professor Roderick Melnik, who has pioneered many advanced mathematical models and has significantly contributed to this field over the past few decades. This Reprint is dedicated to the recent advancements, developments, and challenges pertaining to the development of current state-of-the-art models focused on mathematical and computational sciences, with their applications in relation to modeling natural, social, and engineering systems. We believe that this Reprint will provide the readers with ample knowledge and lead to the generation of novel ideas for future advancement, pushing the boundaries of knowledge in mathematical and computational sciences and their multifaceted applications
Afterimages of Apartheid
No full textAfterimages of Apartheid shows how photographs of the past can be mobilised as a critical tool for understanding the ongoing effects of apartheid in contemporary South Africa. Through close readings of significant images made during and after apartheid, the book shows how photography works as a means of documentation, commemoration, and resistance. Written by one of South Africa’s leading scholars of visual history, the book considers the ways in which photographs can be used to contest impunity for state violence. Afterimages includes chapters on the Sharpeville and Marikana massacres, on the re-opening of cases of human rights violations that remain unresolved in the aftermath of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and on contemporary protests against the post-apartheid state. The book makes a powerful case for the role of photographs in drawing the viewer into the past time they represent, issuing a call to the living to remember, respond, and react. This vivid account of the photography of apartheid will be of interest to students and researchers across the fields of South African history, visual studies, memory studies, art history, photography studies and transitional justice
Die Tätigkeit der IT-Sachverständigen im deutschen Strafverfahren
No full textThis thesis examines the role of IT expert witnesses in criminal proceedings. The German Code of Criminal Procedure is appropriate for dealing with the challenges of IT expert witnesses. The decisive factor is that those involved in the proceedings must exercise the authority assigned to them. This is the only way to ensure a fair trial and avoid a perceived loss of decision authority on the part of judges. A systematic review of the comprehensibility of expert opinions is essential for evaluation of evidence.PublishedDie Arbeit untersucht die Rolle von IT-Sachverständigen im Strafverfahren. Sie zeigt, dass die Normen der StPO geeignet sind, die Probleme im Umgang mit dem IT-Sachverständigenbeweis zu lösen, die sich aufgrund der Besonderheit der forensischen Informatik ergeben. Die Verfahrensbeteiligten müssen jedoch die ihnen zugewiesenen Autoritäten ernst nehmen. Zum einen kann ein prozessuales Gleichgewicht nur sichergestellt werden, wenn die Einflussmöglichkeiten durch umfassende Akteneinsicht, Beweisanträge und das Fragerecht wahrgenommen werden; zum anderen ist auch nur durch eine konsequente Leitung (§ 78 StPO) wie etwa klar formulierte Untersuchungsaufträge und eine transparente Beweiswürdigung (§ 261 StPO) in Form einer systematischen Nachvollziehbarkeitsprüfung der gefühlte Kompetenzverlust der Richter:innen, nicht mehr selbst über Schuld und Unschuld entscheiden zu können, zu verhindern. Dafür ist ein Grundverständnis der jeweils anderen Disziplin Strafjustiz und IT unerlässlich
Berufsbildung in Zeiten des Mangels
No full textBerufsbildung in Zeiten des Mangels - Handlungserfordernisse neu denken: Unter diesem Leitthema stand die 9. Österreichische Berufsbildungsforschungskonferenz (BBFK), die vom 03. bis 05. Juli 2024 erstmals in Innsbruck stattfand. Veranstaltet von der Sektion Berufs- und Erwachsenenbildung in der ÖFEB, bot die Konferenz einen interdisziplinären Austausch zwischen Wissenschaft, Bildungsadministration, Sozialpartnern, Praxisakteur:innen und der interessierten Öffentlichkeit. Im Zentrum der Diskussion standen aktuelle Herausforderungen der Berufsbildung angesichts zunehmender Mangellagen - insbesondere der rückläufigen Ausbildungszahlen und struktureller Passungsprobleme am Ausbildungsmarkt. Diese Entwicklungen werden im Kontext der tiefgreifenden gesellschaftlichen Transformationen durch Demografie, Digitalisierung und Dekarbonisierung analysiert. Es wurde nicht nur die Problemdiagnose vertieft, sondern auch neue Handlungsspielräume für berufliche Bildung aufgezeigt. Der 9. Tagungsband dokumentiert zentrale Ergebnisse der Konferenz und vereint 18 Fachbeiträge aus Vorträgen und Foren, ergänzt um drei Keynotes sowie Kurzbeiträge der beiden Preisträgerinnen des Berufsbildungsforschungspreises 2024. Der Band bietet Einblicke in aktuelle empirische Forschung, theoretische Perspektiven und praxisorientierte Ansätze der Berufsbildungsforschung und richtet sich an Forschende, Lehrende, Entscheidungsträger:innen in Bildungspolitik und -praxis sowie an alle, die an fundierten Analysen und zukunftsorientierten Impulsen zur Berufsbildung interessiert sind
Hunting and Extinctions in Southwest Asia and North America
No full textHunting and Extinctions in Southwest Asia and North America: The Silent Testimony of Communal Game Traps explores communal game traps for harvesting ungulate herds in two continents, utilizing a comparative approach addressing settings, species, and the hunters’ societies. The kites of Southwest Asia have been known to archaeologists for almost one hundred years but with the advent of high‑resolution satellite images, thousands of sites have been found. Using the rich data from the Southwest and Central Asia and North America, this book addresses some of the important questions that arise concerning the social, economic and environmental implications of ancient and recent use of large game traps. This book has four major parts. The first introduces the book and reviews the evolution of human hunting. The second part presents examples of desert kites from various areas of Southwest and Central Asia. Detailed case studies are included that use a variety of evidence such as aerial surveys, field surveys, excavations, eye witnesses accounts, and petroglyph depictions. Environmental and geographical settings of the isolated traps, the clusters of traps, and the long chains are explored to provide conceptual models regarding past herd behavior and their seasonal migrations. The third part presents examples of communal game traps in various regions in North America, addressing the same issues discussed in the second part. The fourth part provides a comparative study of game traps in North America with the kites of Southwest Asia, focusing on the settings, species, and social organization of the hunters. With the research on communal game traps increasing rapidly, this book provides the first inclusive synthesis on the subject and is for archaeologists, anthropologists, zoologists, ecologists, and environmentalists who are interested in past interactions between humans and their environments, and the impact of past human communities on the landscape and on target game populations, as well as the consequences that are still relevant today