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How can we transition from lab to the real world with our HCI and HRI setups?
No full textIn this position paper, we present the issues we and others have found when moving from the controlled lab space into the field. We therefore recommend some dos and don'ts for facing the challenge of transferring your research prototype from the lab to the real world. During this transfer, we often encounter crucial disconnects between our envisaged evaluation protocol and real life, often related to differing user expectations outside controlled experimental interactions. The redeployment of complex systems in unfamiliar (and often dissimilar) environments presents additional challenges.In this paper, we present some example transitions in the fields of mobile HCI and HRI. Based on these experiences, we list the possible roadblocks that other researchers might encounter and provide guidelines and suggestions for dealing with frequently encountered issues. We hope that with this paper we can help stimulate the discussion on the pathway to undertaking scientifically reproducible evaluations in the wild
Development of the Skills and Materials Used in the Scottish Glass Industry from 1750
No full textGlass requires two key elements for its manufacture: raw materials and skilled labourers. The sourcing of both is considered in the context of the Scottish glass industry from 1750 to the late 20th century, with particular reference to the Alloa glassworks which were formed in Clackmannanshire in 1750.For most of the history of the glassworks, raw materials were both imported from overseas and sourced locally. The late 20th century saw something of a shift towards indigenous materials, with sand quarrying close to Alloa and an increased use of recycled glass. Similarly, for much of the history of the Alloa glassworks labour was sourced from overseas to fill gaps in the workforce and to drive technological advancements. Local training of the workforce slowly emerged, with workers being sent to Glasgow for training in the early 1800s. By the late 20th century on-site training was a routine function at Alloa. The mechanisation in the 20th century impacted not only the duties carried out by glass workers but their salaries also. Victorian glassblowers in Scotland earned salaries that were well above the national average. By the late 20th century the salary of machine operators was on a par with the national average. Evidence is presented that demonstrates the Alloa glassworks was manufacturing crown glass from 1832-1839 using kelp as the alkali flux. This impacts on the currently established dating model for Scottish glass, and an updated model is presented here
The Directive on the Credit Agreements for Consumers relating to Residential Immovable Property (Directive 2014/17): a Regulatory Explanation and a Private Law Analysis’
No full textWith the devastation wrought by the 2008 ‘property market bubble’ still fresh in the mind on one hand, and a spate of recent enthusiasm manifested in the ‘rush to the property ladder’ on the other, the newly enacted Directive 2014/17 seeks to strike a middle ground of reasonableness in the delicate and sensitive matter of the security granted by the buyer of a residential property. Against this background, the present contribution analyses, first and foremost, the norms of a regulatory nature introduced by the new EU piece of legislation and the attempt to shape a new category of consumer. Among these precepts, attention is particularly afforded to the principle, of a public nature, prescribing that the bank’s assessment to grant a mortgage shall be prevailingly based on the ability of the mortgagor to repay the debt, rather than on the expected (but undemonstrated) burgeoning future value of the property. Furthermore, the discussion focuses on the private law principles introduced by the Directive. Among these is the onus lying on the bank to provide adequate information about the terms and conditions of the mortgage. More interestingly, the directive at stake derogates from, and goes beyond, the notion of prohibition of ‘agreement of forfeiture’ existing in some civil law jurisdictions. This novelty, the ancillary legal provisions of art 28 of Directive 2014/17 as well as their impact on the system of civil proceedings and foreclosure existing in each country, provide fertile ground for a legal and comparative analysis
Towards automated Physical Internet system: Simulations of two privacy-protecting routing protocols
No full textThe purpose of this paper is to address the trust issue that leads to reluctance to share data within the logistics sector. This paper leverages the latest logistics paradigm concept Physical Internet (PI), and introduces two decentralised routing protocols for PI, focusing on their performance and impact on privacy by minimising data sharing. We use Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) and Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to evaluate the effectiveness of the protocols in optimising route quality, monetary costs and external costs in a realistic business setup on the Belgian scale. In addition, a sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the impact of response delays in a logistics network. Our research demonstrates the possibility of sharing less data without compromising the optimality of routes. We find that at our problem scale, trucks are the preferred mode when only considering monetary costs. Our findings also illustrate the significant impact of response delays and the handling capacity of intermodal hubs on the efficiency of route planning and the need for automation to improve PI systems’ reliability. We further suggest that trust issues should become one of the primary focuses for the current stage of PI research
Development of the Skills and Materials Used in the Scottish Glass Industry from 1750
No full textGlass requires two key elements for its manufacture: raw materials and skilled labourers. The sourcing of both is considered in the context of the Scottish glass industry from 1750 to the late 20th century, with particular reference to the Alloa glassworks which were formed in Clackmannanshire in 1750.For most of the history of the glassworks, raw materials were both imported from overseas and sourced locally. The late 20th century saw something of a shift towards indigenous materials, with sand quarrying close to Alloa and an increased use of recycled glass. Similarly, for much of the history of the Alloa glassworks labour was sourced from overseas to fill gaps in the workforce and to drive technological advancements. Local training of the workforce slowly emerged, with workers being sent to Glasgow for training in the early 1800s. By the late 20th century on-site training was a routine function at Alloa. The mechanisation in the 20th century impacted not only the duties carried out by glass workers but their salaries also. Victorian glassblowers in Scotland earned salaries that were well above the national average. By the late 20th century the salary of machine operators was on a par with the national average. Evidence is presented that demonstrates the Alloa glassworks was manufacturing crown glass from 1832-1839 using kelp as the alkali flux. This impacts on the currently established dating model for Scottish glass, and an updated model is presented here
Nature Connectedness and Well-Being: Evidence from a Multi-National Investigation Across 75 Countries
No full textNature connectedness, a widely used psychological construct which encompasses affective and cognitive aspect of the relationship a person has with nature, has become a central variable of interest in environmental psychology literature. This interest is motivated partially by its enhancing effects on well-being outcomes. However, comprehensive international evaluations of the link between nature connectedness and well-being remain sparse. In this registered report, we propose a secondary analysis of previously collected data to examine how individual differences in nature connectedness relate to multiple aspects of well-being (i.e., purpose in life, hope, mindfulness, life satisfaction, and optimism) across 75 countries (N = 36,803). Within-country and between-country analyses (linear and mixed regressions) suggested that nature connectedness is a robust positive predictor of well-being. Our findings highlight the importance of nature connected for well-being globally, especially for communities with low access to nature and social resources
Understanding perceived COVID-19 changes, collectivism, and social exclusion: A cross-cultural study in 32 countries
No full textThis cross-cultural study examines the relationship between perceived COVID-19 changes due to the impacts on everyday life by the pandemic with social exclusion and across 32 cultures and their levels in collectivism. With data from the start of the first outbreak from March 2020 to June 2020 (N = 9245), multilevel analysis indicated that as individuals perceive greater daily life changes induced by the pandemic, they experience heightened levels of social exclusion, with this association being particularly pronounced in less collectivistic cultures. These findings underscore the importance of considering cultural context in understanding responses to crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, with implications for culturally sensitive interventions aimed at promoting social inclusion across diverse cultural contexts
New tools in hierarchical hyperbolicity: A survey
No full textThe aim of this short survey is to advertise various tools that have been developed to study hierarchically hyperbolic spaces (HHSs) in recent years, with particular emphasis on those that require little to no knowledge of the HHS machinery to be used
Pattern-free, Thermally Stable, Broadband ZrN/GZO Metasurface Solar Absorber for High Temperature Applications
No full textThis work presents a wideband, thermally stable, and high-emissivity solar absorber to operate under the high-temperature conditions. The periodic nanostructure of the device comprises square-shaped stacking layers made of high-temperature materials GZO and ZrN deposited on a SiO2 substrate backed with a tungsten (W) reflecting layer. The developed device exhibits a total emissivity of greater than 90% across the wavelength range of 400 to 2400 nm and thermal radiation efficiency of 94% at 1500°C. The proposed structure has demonstrated exceptional performance at high-temperature operating conditions as a thermal emitter. Besides that, the proposed device shows excellent solar energy capturing ability, exhibits its solar spectra, and shows a nearly perfect match with the standard solar AM 1.5 model that makes it potentially useful for solar cell-based applications. Furthermore, the physics behind the high percentage of solar energy absorption in the structure was analyzed in terms of the surface electric field at selective wavelengths. Additionally, the proposed structure is insensitive to the polarization of the light due to its symmetric structure. Furthermore, it shows wide angular stability, which makes the proposed emitter useful for industrial applications such as seawater distillation, water distillation in remote areas, energy storage, and thermal applications, including solar photovoltaic-thermal (SPVT) systems
Cohesion at 40: A Commentary on (Re)conceptualizing Cohesion Through Identity, Interdependence, and Teamwork in Sport and Exercise
No full textWe provide a brief commentary to accompany Eys and Beauchamp’s (2025) work, (Re)conceptualizing cohesion: A theoretical realignment and roadmap for future research. We emphasize and extend the conceptual advances offered in the paper around four focal areas: the revised definition of cohesion (Propositions 1–2), the repositioning of individual attractions within a social identity framework (Proposition 3), the roles of task and outcome interdependence (Propositions 4, 5, 7) and teamwork processes (Proposition 6). Building on these propositions, we contribute to their conversation on theoretical refinement and methodological rigor. Specifically, we highlight cohesion theory can be further strengthened with dedicated research on social cohesion and more precisely placing (group) goals within cohesion theory. As mentioned by the authors, there is a need to conduct targeted studies in individual-sport contexts and utilize multilevel modeling to capture nested team dynamics in any group setting. We further consider that framing interdependence as a subjective, dynamic state offers novel insights into its relationship with cohesion. To enhance knowledge about cohesion and teamwork, we suggest measuring observable teamwork behaviors in combination with survey-based methods. We offer this commentary to enrich the paper’s conceptual foundation and support the evolution of cohesion research in the coming 40 years
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