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Working from home and well-being during the pandemic and beyond. A longitudinal analysis in five countries.
Full text linkpeer reviewe
ALBLA: an adaptive load balancing approach in edge-cloud networks utilizing learning automata
Full text linkpeer reviewedIn the Internet of Things (IoT) era, the demand for efficient and responsive computing systems has surged. Edge computing, which processes data closer to the source, has emerged as a promising solution to address the challenges of latency and bandwidth limitations. However, the dynamic nature of edge environments necessitates intelligent load-balancing strategies to optimize resource utilization and minimize service latency. This paper proposes a novel load-balancing approach that leverages learning automata (LA) to distribute real-time tasks between edge and cloud servers dynamically. By continuously learning from past experiences, the algorithm adapts to changing workloads and network conditions, ensuring optimal task allocation. The proposed algorithm employs a Service Time Measurement (STM) metric to evaluate servers' performance and make informed decisions about task distribution. The algorithm effectively balances the workload between edge and cloud servers by considering factors such as task complexity, server capacity, and network latency. Through extensive simulations, we demonstrate the superior performance of our proposed algorithm compared to existing techniques. Our approach significantly reduces average service time, minimizes task waiting time, optimizes network traffic, and increases the number of successful task executions on edge servers. Compared to previous approaches that partially addressed workload balancing, ALBLA offers a more comprehensive solution that optimizes resource utilization and minimizes energy consumption. Additionally, ALBLA's adaptive nature makes it well-suited for dynamic edge-cloud environments with fluctuating workloads. Our proposed approach contributes to developing more efficient, responsive, and scalable IoT systems by addressing the challenges inherent in edge computing environments
The Luxembourg-Chicago experience: cultural heritage and integration at the fair
No full textIn this presentation, I explored the “Schobermesse” parade in Chicago from the perspective of how the Luxembourg-American community navigated integration into their new host country while pre-serving their cultural heritage in the 19th and 20th century. The study highlights how cultural practices, like parades, serve as dynamic spaces for identity negotiation and heritage continuity in migrant com-munities. Originating from Luxembourg, the Schobermesse funfair was adapted by Luxembourgish immigrants in Chicago in the early 20th century to maintain their cultural identity while integrating into American society. The parade, inspired by Luxembourg’s traditional fair, became a key event, blending Luxembourgish traditions with American public performance practices. Over time, the event evolved to reflect changing social dynamics and the community’s desire to adapt while preserving their heritage
Towards Complexity Thinking in Border Wall Studies
No full textBorder studies increasingly speak of borders as complex entities that, beyond their supposedly one-dimensional, linear material and territorial manifestations, depend on the interplay of different practices, discourses, artifacts, bodies, and knowledges in order to become effective as emergent borders. In our paper, we discuss a perspective on border complexities and, using the example of the COVID-19 pandemic, ask about the methodological consequences for border wall studies. The argument is that it is complex processes that make walls and fences an ordered and orderly instrument of power in the first place.
Our paper traces the development towards complexity thinking within border studies and shows that current approaches not only differ in their consistency in implementing complexity-theoretical insights but also circulate different versions of what is referred to as border complexities. In terms of conceptual synthesis, we outline through a consistent perspective inspired by complexity theory, the central principles of which we outline using empirical observations. In the unique situation of the global COVID-19 pandemic, in which border closures were seen as an effective means of combating the pandemic, key characteristics of border complexities emerged: emergent multi-scalar linkages, dispersed discursive and material border practices, or unpredictable temporal and social developments mark self-dynamic entanglements in which the border is assigned a quality that goes far beyond the significance of its individual parts.
The paper concludes with a set of methodological principles that can guide empirical studies of border walls, which are confronted with the increasing complexity of their research objects. Thus, a complexity perspective calls for methodological border introspection that allows us to uncover the order of the border itself, thus making it possible to understand how or what makes walls and fences into “border walls and border fences”.10. Reduced inequalitie
The challenges of searching for women in the COVID-19 web archive collections: Promises, achievements, and pitfalls
No full textpeer reviewedThis chapter considers the presence, retrievability, and analysis relating to women, gender, and COVID-19 in web archives, based on research in the international “novel coronavirus IIPC collection”. It focuses on challenges raised by the huge IIPC collection regarding multilingualism, “big data”, access and searchability, silence and noise, duplicates and loss of information, and the use of the Archives Research Compute Hub (ARCH) interface, developed by the Archives Unleashed Team. It shares the debates and technical challenges we faced, specifically in selecting computational tools and algorithms for conducting text mining and topic modeling. It also investigates issues relating to transnational studies, digital methods, collaborative work, scalable reading, and gender studies, while reflecting on asymmetries, invisibility, and inclusiveness in web archives
Hoxha, Enver
No full textpeer reviewedEnver Hoxha (1908–1985) was an international figure whose Cold War significance extended well beyond the borders of Albania. To many Maoists around the world his forty-one-year rule of Albania transformed the county into ‘the only socialist country in Europe.’ Throughout the Cold War, Radio Tirana broadcast in nineteen languages while Hoxha’s many books appeared in at least twenty-seven. But Enver Hoxha was also the leader of a small Balkan nation, which he ruled through his state positions and his role as the First Secretary of the ruling communist party, the Party of Labor of Albania (PPSh). As Albania’s unchallenged leader, Hoxha turned the country into a pariah. In our historiography, Hoxha, the leader of an underdeveloped communist state in the Balkans and Hoxha, the dogmatic Marxist ideologue seem worlds apart. But they are the same person. His forty-one-year rule cannot be explained without referencing his ideology while his ideology cannot be explained without referencing Albania’s place in Cold War politics
BLOCKCHAIN GOVERNANCE: PROMISES, MECHANISMS, AND BROKEN IDEALS
Full text linkThe rapid advancement and adoption of blockchain technology have fundamentally
transformed various aspects of digital interaction, leading to the emergence
of novel governance frameworks that challenge traditional centralized models. At
the forefront of this transformation are decentralized autonomous organizations
(DAOs) and an array of other governance structures applied in both permissionless
and permissioned blockchain environments. Unlike conventional organizations
that rely on hierarchical authority, DAOs within permissionless systems strive
to operate through decentralized networks where decision-making power is distributed
among all members, facilitated by smart contracts and governance tokens.
In parallel, permissioned blockchain applications, often employed by consortia
or enterprises, experiment with more structured membership and delegated
authority, blending decentralized principles with selective participation to maintain
compliance, accountability, and operational efficiency.
These governance mechanisms, whether in DAOs or permissioned networks, are
envisioned to enhance transparency, inclusivity, and autonomy. Yet, despite their
idealistic promises, practical implementations have revealed significant challenges.
Within DAOs, governance tokens intended to promote equitable decision-making
often lead to power concentration and stakeholder inequality. Moreover, vulnerabilities
in smart contract design and the absence of robust accountability
frameworks have produced notable failures. In permissioned contexts, while
governance structures can mitigate some of these issues through established roles
and clearer recourse mechanisms, complexities arise in balancing decentralized
ideals with enterprise-grade stability and oversight.
This thesis critically examines the foundational principles of blockchain-based
governance—spanning from permissionless DAOs to permissioned consortia—
alongside their operational realities and limitations. It explores the effectiveness
of governance tokens and the vulnerabilities undermining participatory ideals.
It further examines whether emerging innovations, such as quadratic voting,
market-based, and NFT-based voting mechanisms, mitigate any of the identified
issues.U-AGR-7110 - C21/IS/16326754/PABLO - FRIDGEN GilbertU-AGR-7500 - NCER22/IS/16570468/NCER-FT_GEN.ORG_UL - FRIDGEN GilbertR-AGR-3728 - PEARL/IS/13342933/DFS - FRIDGEN Gilbert9. Industry, innovation and infrastructur
Mental health stigma in Ukraine over time: A cross-sectional study
Full text linkpeer reviewedBackground and study objectives. This study aimed to identify changes in public
knowledge and attitudes in Ukraine. This was done with a focus on: (1) public
knowledge of mental health disorders and the treatment of these; (2) public attitudes
towards individuals with mental health disorders and the treatment of these
individuals within the community; and (3) intended behaviours in the public towards
individuals with mental health disorders.
Methodology. A repeated cross-sectional nationwide survey was used to gather data from Ukrainian adults aged 18-60; this data was then compared to similar data
gathered by Quirke et al. (2021) to form a comparison study. The survey was comprised of the same measures as the original study, which included the Mental Health Knowledge Schedule, the Community Attitudes towards Mental Illness Scale and the Reported Intended Behaviour scale. Results. Measures of knowledge and attitudes towards individuals with mental disorders reflected a small reduction of knowledge (r= 0.13, p< .001) and large reduction in benevolent attitudes (r= 0.96, p< .001). Conversely, measures of attitudes towards individuals with mental disorders also showed a large decrease in
authoritarian attitudes (r= -0.50, p< .001). Measures of behaviour reflected a medium
positive increase in past and present (r= 0.33, p< .001) behaviour and a small
positive increase in intended future behaviour towards individuals with mental illness
(r= 0.24, p< .001).
Conclusions.
Overall, the study provides a snapshot of changes in attitudes, knowledge and
behaviours of the general public towards those with mental health disorders in
Ukraine. Most importantly, it highlights the growing need for evidence-based anti stigma interventions and the monitoring of their impact3. Good health and well-bein
