692 research outputs found

    Functional Nanomaterials and Polymer Nanocomposites: Current Uses and Potential Applications

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    This book covers a broad range of subjects, from smart nanoparticles and polymer nanocomposite synthesis and the study of their fundamental properties to the fabrication and characterization of devices and emerging technologies with smart nanoparticles and polymer integration

    Conversations on Empathy

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    In the aftermath of a global pandemic, amidst new and ongoing wars, genocide, inequality, and staggering ecological collapse, some in the public and political arena have argued that we are in desperate need of greater empathy — be this with our neighbours, refugees, war victims, the vulnerable or disappearing animal and plant species. This interdisciplinary volume asks the crucial questions: How does a better understanding of empathy contribute, if at all, to our understanding of others? How is it implicated in the ways we perceive, understand and constitute others as subjects? Conversations on Empathy examines how empathy might be enacted and experienced either as a way to highlight forms of otherness or, instead, to overcome what might otherwise appear to be irreducible differences. It explores the ways in which empathy enables us to understand, imagine and create sameness and otherness in our everyday intersubjective encounters focusing on a varied range of "radical others" – others who are perceived as being dramatically different from oneself. With a focus on the importance of empathy to understand difference, the book contends that the role of empathy is critical, now more than ever, for thinking about local and global challenges of interconnectedness, care and justice

    Modernising European Legal Education (MELE) : Innovative Strategies to Address Urgent Cross-Cutting Challenges

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    This open access book presents innovative strategies to address cross-cutting topics and foster transversal competences. The modernization of European legal education presents a compelling challenge that calls for enhanced interdisciplinary collaboration among academic disciplines and innovative teaching methods. The volume introduces venues towards education innovation and engages with complex and emerging topics such as datafication, climate change, gender, and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The insights presented not only emphasize the importance of preserving traditional approaches to legal disciplines and passing them on to future generations, but also underscore the need to critically reassess and revolutionize existing structures. As our societies become more diverse and our understanding of legitimacy, justice, and values undergoes transformations, it is imperative to reconsider the role of traditional values while exploring promising alternative approaches

    Automatic Generation of Personalized Recommendations in eCoaching

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    Denne avhandlingen omhandler eCoaching for personlig livsstilsstøtte i sanntid ved bruk av informasjons- og kommunikasjonsteknologi. Utfordringen er å designe, utvikle og teknisk evaluere en prototyp av en intelligent eCoach som automatisk genererer personlige og evidensbaserte anbefalinger til en bedre livsstil. Den utviklede løsningen er fokusert på forbedring av fysisk aktivitet. Prototypen bruker bærbare medisinske aktivitetssensorer. De innsamlede data blir semantisk representert og kunstig intelligente algoritmer genererer automatisk meningsfulle, personlige og kontekstbaserte anbefalinger for mindre stillesittende tid. Oppgaven bruker den veletablerte designvitenskapelige forskningsmetodikken for å utvikle teoretiske grunnlag og praktiske implementeringer. Samlet sett fokuserer denne forskningen på teknologisk verifisering snarere enn klinisk evaluering.publishedVersio

    Proceedings of the 8th Workshop on Detection and Classification of Acoustic Scenes and Events (DCASE 2023)

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    This volume gathers the papers presented at the Detection and Classification of Acoustic Scenes and Events 2023 Workshop (DCASE2023), Tampere, Finland, during 21–22 September 2023

    INSAM Journal of Contemporary Music, Art and Technology 10 (I/2023)

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    Having in mind the foundational idea not only of our Journal but also the INSAM Institute itself, the main theme of this issue is titled “Technological Aspects of Contemporary Artistic and Scientific Research”. This theme was recognized as important, timely, and necessary by a number of authors coming from various disciplines. The (Inter)Views section brings us three diverse pieces; the issue is opened by Aida Adžović’s interview with the legendary Slovene act Laibach regarding their performance of the Wir sing das Volk project at the Sarajevo National Theater on May 9, 2023. Following this, Marija Mitrović prepared an interview with media artist Leon Eckard, concerning this artist’s views on contemporary art and the interaction between technology and human sensitivity. An essay by Alexander Liebermann on the early 20th-century composer Erwin Schulhoff, whose search for a unique personal voice could be encouraging in any given period, closes this rubric. The Main theme section contains seven scientific articles. In the first one, Filipa Magalhães, Inês Filipe, Mariana Silva and Henrique Carvalho explore the process and details of technological and artistic challenges of reviving the music theater work FE...DE...RI...CO... (1987) by Constança Capdeville. The second article, written by Milan Milojković, is dedicated to the analysis of historical composer Vojislav Vučković and his ChatGPT-generated doppelganger and opera. The fictional narrative woven around the actual historical figure served as an example of the current possibilities of AI in the domain of musicological work. In the next paper, Luís Arandas, Miguel Carvalhais and Mick Grierson expand on their work on the film Irreplaceable Biography, which was created via language-guided generative models in audiovisual production. Thomas Moore focuses on the Belgium-based Nadar Ensemble and discusses the ways in which the performers of the ensemble understand the concept of the integrated concert and distinguish themselves from it, specifying the broadening of performers’ competencies and responsibilities. In her paper, Dana Papachristou contributes to the discussion on the politics of connectivity based on the examination of three projects: the online project Xenakis Networked Performance Marathon 2022, 2023Eleusis Mystery 91_Magnetic Dance in Elefsina European Capital of Culture, and Spaces of Reflection offline PirateBox network in the 10th Berlin Biennale. The penultimate article in the section is written by Kenrick Ho and presents us with the author’s composition Flou for solo violin through the prism of the relationship between (historically present) algorithmic processes, the composer, and the performer. Finally, Rijad Kaniža adds to the critical discourse on the reshaping of the musical experience via technology and the understanding of said technology using the example of musique concrète. In the final Review section, Bakir Memišević gives an overview of the 13th International Symposium “Music in Society” that was held in Sarajevo in December 2022

    Territorial Cohesion in Peripheralised Contexts: A Comparative Study of Integrated Territorial Development Instruments and Strategies in Germany and Romania

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    This dissertation offers insights into the use of ideas in policies designed to address uneven territorial development in regions outside metropolitan areas in the European Union (EU). The focus is on integrated territorial development policies which draw on the notion of territorial cohesion in two different national contexts within the EU: Germany and Romania. The theoretical background of the thesis traces how territorial disparities are addressed in key theoretical paradigms which have influenced regional development thinking. Integrated territorial development is singled out as a key policy approach designed to overcome development disparities by tapping into underutilised endogenous assets and knowledge as part of a cross-sectoral vision within a defined space (be it an urban, rural, or regional context). Forward-thinking as this approach strives to be, it faces fundamental challenges in places which have been grappling with a rise of economic, social, and political disparities for many years. Understanding these processes through the relational concept of peripheralisation steers research towards engaging with people’s perceptions of spatial disparities and policies designed to address them. The conceptual framework of the thesis is designed around principles which enable an interpretive analysis of public policy. This mode of inquiry is based on an anti-foudnationalist ontology and a constructivist epistemology. The cornerstone of this approach is understanding policy actions as indeterminate, prone to unintended consequences, and fundamentally shaped by the backtalk of the complex social system it seeks to influence. Policy-making and implementing is hence viewed as a setting in which disparate and contingent beliefs and actions of individuals come together to shape a temporarily concerted course of actions. Different types of policy ideas (in many cases belonging to different schools of thought) hence come together in a process of policy framing where policy substance, actors’ identities and relationships, and the policy process are shaped. To operationalise this framework, the methodological design of this research follows an abductive mode of scientific inquiry which pursues an iterative engagement with the field and the theory. The empirical research is designed around two case study regions – the Chemnitz Region in The Free State of Saxony (one of Germany’s 16 federal states) and the North-West Region in Romania. The rationale behind the selection of the case studies was to choose regions in starkly different policy contexts, yet which are as similar as possible in terms of their socio-economic development trajectories. The study analyses three policy instruments: integrated urban development funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), integrated rural development funded through the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and regional development planning initiatives. The primary data stems from 43 semi-structured expert interviews conducted with 46 policy practitioners and experts. Policy documents, local and regional strategies, and statistics have served as a source of secondary data. The analytical approach draws on principles of grounded theory for inductively developing theoretical categories and establishing causal explanations in the form of mid-level, provisional theories. The first block of the analysis engages with the substance of integrated territorial development policies and strategies, showcasing different interpretations of territorial cohesion in national contexts. Governments in both contexts view territorial cohesion as a means of strengthening the governance and coordination of policies, with a focus on local development conditions. Nonetheless, little emphasis is put on the competitive polycentric development approach, balanced development, and the environmental dimensions. In both studied contexts, polarised development is grasped as an inevitable approach for overcoming broad regional structural weaknesses. The second analytical block engages with policy processes which underpin the implementation of integrated territorial development strategies. This serves to highlight the settings in which policy-relevant actors apply the integrated instruments available to them. The analysis centres on the separation of urban from rural development, the ownership of the goals pursued through integrated development and the ensuing impact on actors’ motivation to engage with complex policy procedures, and the role of experts in guiding policy beneficiaries The final block of the analysis touches on the problematisation of peripheralisation in relation to integrated development instruments in four domains: demographic change, structural economic shifts, infrastructures and services of general interest, and place identity and marketing. These domains are not tied to any specific policies, but have rather emerged as salient in the inductive analysis. The research concludes with a number of open questions and suggestions for policy makers. A key observation is that the notion of territorial cohesion itself tends to bring little value added to policy programmes, as many topics are already addressed in bespoke national normative concepts and policy programmes. Far from being an end-state, territorial cohesion comes across as a process which is shaped by contrasting perceptions on competitive and balanced development; by centralised and devolved modes of governance; by functional territorial planning or network-based development windows of opportunity. The added value of policies which draw on territorial cohesion to address territorial disparities may lay in bringing the perspective of peripheralised policy communities to the forefront of the debate and enabling innovative forms of cooperation.:Preface and acknowledgments – iii Table of contents – vii List of figures and tables – xi Abbreviations – xv Introduction – 1 PART I: THEORETICAL, CONCEPTUAL, AND METHODOLOGICAL GROUNDS 1. Theoretical insights into territorial cohesion and disparities in the EU – 15 1.1. Key shifts in regional development policy thinking – 15 1.1.1. The neoliberalisation of regional and local development – 16 1.1.2. The neoliberalising logic of strategic spatial planning – 23 1.1.3. New approaches towards development policies – 24 1.2. Normative and policy dimensions of territorial cohesion – 26 1.2.1. Establishing European planning concepts – 27 1.2.2. Dimensions of territorial cohesion and its integrative role – 30 1.3. Towards a relational understanding of territorial disparities – 36 1.3.1. Understanding territorial disparities through peripheralisation – 36 1.3.2. Ideational dependency in development policies – 39 1.4. Territorial cohesion and peripheralisation: research perspectives – 40 2. Conceptual framework – 43 2.1. Policy analysis: a constructivist perspective – 44 2.1.1. The case for an anti-foundationalist ontology of public policy – 45 2.1.2. Policy analysis in an interpretive epistemology – 49 2.2. Understanding the role of prominent policy ideas – 52 2.2.1. Decentering political science – 53 2.2.2. Prominent policy ideas: an interpretive perspective – 54 2.3. Reflexive agency in public policy – 56 2.3.1. Putting travelling ideas to use in policy design processes – 56 2.3.2. Policy frames and policy framing – 61 2.4. Guiding principles – 64 3. Methodology – 67 3.1. Interpretive analysis in spatial policy research – 68 3.2. Research design – 72 3.2.1. Key principles – 72 3.2.2. Comparing two case studies – 75 3.2.3. Generating theory: principles and quality criteria – 79 3.3. Methods – 85 3.3.1. Qualitative interviewing – 85 3.3.2. Policy and document analysis – 90 3.4. Case and respondent selection – 91 3.4.1. Selecting regions in Germany and Romania – 91 3.4.2. Selecting respondents – 95 PART II: CONTEXT 4. The administrative context of integrated territorial development policies – 105 4.1. The ESI funds and the Cohesion Policy: a brief overview – 106 4.1.1. The key aims of the ESI funds – 107 4.1.2. EU priorities for the Cohesion Policy – 108 4.1.3. Integrated territorial development – 110 4.2. Planning and regional development in Saxony and Romania – 112 4.2.1. Saxony – 113 4.2.2. Romania – 114 4.3. Policy instruments for integrated territorial development – 115 4.3.1. Saxony – 115 4.3.2. Romania – 120 4.4. Policy directions – 125 5. Territorial structures of, and development trends in the studied regions – 127 5.1. Territorial structures – 127 5.1.1. The Chemnitz region in Saxony – 127 5.1.2. The North-West region in Romania – 130 5.2. Population and demography – 133 5.3. Transport infrastructure – 135 5.4. Economic profiles – 139 5.4.1. Employment concentration – 139 5.4.2. Commuting – 142 5.4.3. Economic sectors - 142 PART III: EMPIRICAL FINDINGS 6. The substance of integrated territorial development policies and strategies – 149 6.1. Normative positions on territorial cohesion – 149 6.1.1. Normative Positions – 150 6.1.2. Linking the storylines – 152 6.1.3. Key remarks – 153 6.2. The substance of governmental policies – 155 6.2.1. Categorising space: the inevitability of polarised development – 157 6.2.2. The role of integrated territorial development policies – 163 6.3. The substance of local and regional strategies – 169 6.3.1. Integrated Rural Development Plans – 169 6.3.2. Integrated Urban Development Plans – 174 7. Ideas in action: making sense of integrated territorial development – 189 7.1.Practical constraints and affordances of using integrated instruments – 189 7.1.1. The urban-rural split in ESI-funded instruments – 189 7.1.2. Centralising the ownership of European goals – 196 7.2. The role of experts in framing integrated responses – 203 7.2.1. Experts’ roles beyond bureaucracies – 204 7.2.2. Attuning expertise to local conditions – 204 7.2.3. Conveying expertise at a regional level and beyond – 208 7.3. From ideas to action – 210 7.3.1. Fostering motivation – 210 7.3.2. Eroding trust through complex bureaucracies – 215 8. Problematising integrated development: a local-regional perspective – 219 8.1. Demographic change – 219 8.2. Structural economic shifts – 225 8.2.1. Regional economies in transition – 226 8.2.2. Towards competitive territories – 231 8.3. Infrastructures and public services – 235 8.3.1. In-between adaptation and expansion – 236 8.3.2. Key remarks – 240 8.4. Place identity and marketing – 240 8.5. From problems to perceptions of cumulative disadvantages – 247 PART IV: CONCLUSIONS 9. Conclusions and implications – 255 9.1. Summary of the research approach. Key findings – 255 9.1.1. Research approach and theoretical anchors – 255 9.1.2 Policy ideas and their role in policy framing 258 9.2. Reflections and implications – 264 9.2.1. Methodological reflections – 265 9.2.2. Policy implications – 266 9.2.3. Perspectives for further research – 269 References – 271 APPENDICES Appendix 1: Analysed policy documents – 301 Appendix 2: Analysed strategies – 303 Appendix 3: Details about the interviews – 305 Appendix 4: List of original quotes – 31

    Cognition-Based Evaluation of Visualisation Frameworks for Exploring Structured Cultural Heritage Data

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    It is often claimed that Information Visualisation (InfoVis) tools improve the audience’s engagement with the display of cultural heritage (CH) collections, open up CH content to new audiences and support teaching and learning through interactive experiences. But there is a lack of studies systematically evaluating these claims, particularly from the perspective of modern educational theory. As far as the author is aware no experimental investigation has been undertaken until now, that attempts to measure deeper levels of user engagement and learning with InfoVis tools. The investigation of this thesis complements InfoVis research by initiating a human-centric approach since little previous research has attempted to incorporate and integrate human cognition as one of the fundamental components of InfoVis. In this thesis, using Bloom’s taxonomy of learning objectives as well as individual learning characteristics (i.e. cognitive preferences), I have evaluated the visitor experience of an art collection both with and without InfoVis tools (between subjects design). Results indicate that whilst InfoVis tools have some positive effect on the lower levels of learning, they are less effective for higher levels. In addition, this thesis shows that InfoVis tools seem to be more effective when they match specific cognitive preferences. These results have implications for both the designers of tools and for CH venues in terms of expectation of effectiveness and exhibition design; the proposed cognitive based evaluation framework and the results of this investigation could provide a valuable baseline for assessing the effectiveness of visitors’ interaction with the artifacts of online and physical exhibitions where InfoVis tools such as Timelines and Maps along with storytelling techniques are being used

    Accessibility of Health Data Representations for Older Adults: Challenges and Opportunities for Design

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    Health data of consumer off-the-shelf wearable devices is often conveyed to users through visual data representations and analyses. However, this is not always accessible to people with disabilities or older people due to low vision, cognitive impairments or literacy issues. Due to trade-offs between aesthetics predominance or information overload, real-time user feedback may not be conveyed easily from sensor devices through visual cues like graphs and texts. These difficulties may hinder critical data understanding. Additional auditory and tactile feedback can also provide immediate and accessible cues from these wearable devices, but it is necessary to understand existing data representation limitations initially. To avoid higher cognitive and visual overload, auditory and haptic cues can be designed to complement, replace or reinforce visual cues. In this paper, we outline the challenges in existing data representation and the necessary evidence to enhance the accessibility of health information from personal sensing devices used to monitor health parameters such as blood pressure, sleep, activity, heart rate and more. By creating innovative and inclusive user feedback, users will likely want to engage and interact with new devices and their own data
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