3,228 research outputs found
Mobile heritage practices. Implications for scholarly research, user experience design, and evaluation methods using mobile apps.
Mobile heritage apps have become one of the most popular means for audience
engagement and curation of museum collections and heritage contexts. This
raises practical and ethical questions for both researchers and practitioners, such
as: what kind of audience engagement can be built using mobile apps? what are
the current approaches? how can audience engagement with these experience
be evaluated? how can those experiences be made more resilient, and in turn
sustainable? In this thesis I explore experience design scholarships together with
personal professional insights to analyse digital heritage practices with a view to
accelerating thinking about and critique of mobile apps in particular. As a result,
the chapters that follow here look at the evolution of digital heritage practices,
examining the cultural, societal, and technological contexts in which mobile
heritage apps are developed by the creative media industry, the academic
institutions, and how these forces are shaping the user experience design
methods. Drawing from studies in digital (critical) heritage, Human-Computer
Interaction (HCI), and design thinking, this thesis provides a critical analysis of
the development and use of mobile practices for the heritage. Furthermore,
through an empirical and embedded approach to research, the thesis also
presents auto-ethnographic case studies in order to show evidence that mobile
experiences conceptualised by more organic design approaches, can result in
more resilient and sustainable heritage practices. By doing so, this thesis
encourages a renewed understanding of the pivotal role of these practices in the
broader sociocultural, political and environmental changes.AHRC REAC
Flood dynamics derived from video remote sensing
Flooding is by far the most pervasive natural hazard, with the human impacts of floods expected to worsen in the coming decades due to climate change. Hydraulic models are a key tool for understanding flood dynamics and play a pivotal role in unravelling the processes that occur during a flood event, including inundation flow patterns and velocities. In the realm of river basin dynamics, video remote sensing is emerging as a transformative tool that can offer insights into flow dynamics and thus, together with other remotely sensed data, has the potential to be deployed to estimate discharge. Moreover, the integration of video remote sensing data with hydraulic models offers a pivotal opportunity to enhance the predictive capacity of these models.
Hydraulic models are traditionally built with accurate terrain, flow and bathymetric data and are often calibrated and validated using observed data to obtain meaningful and actionable model predictions. Data for accurately calibrating and validating hydraulic models are not always available, leaving the assessment of the predictive capabilities of some models deployed in flood risk management in question. Recent advances in remote sensing have heralded the availability of vast video datasets of high resolution. The parallel evolution of computing capabilities, coupled with advancements in artificial intelligence are enabling the processing of data at unprecedented scales and complexities, allowing us to glean meaningful insights into datasets that can be integrated with hydraulic models. The aims of the research presented in this thesis were twofold. The first aim was to evaluate and explore the potential applications of video from air- and space-borne platforms to comprehensively calibrate and validate two-dimensional hydraulic models. The second aim was to estimate river discharge using satellite video combined with high resolution topographic data. In the first of three empirical chapters, non-intrusive image velocimetry techniques were employed to estimate river surface velocities in a rural catchment. For the first time, a 2D hydraulicvmodel was fully calibrated and validated using velocities derived from Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle (UAV) image velocimetry approaches. This highlighted the value of these data in mitigating the limitations associated with traditional data sources used in parameterizing two-dimensional hydraulic models. This finding inspired the subsequent chapter where river surface velocities, derived using Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry (LSPIV), and flood extents, derived using deep neural network-based segmentation, were extracted from satellite video and used to rigorously assess the skill of a two-dimensional hydraulic model. Harnessing the ability of deep neural networks to learn complex features and deliver accurate and contextually informed flood segmentation, the potential value of satellite video for validating two dimensional hydraulic model simulations is exhibited. In the final empirical chapter, the convergence of satellite video imagery and high-resolution topographical data bridges the gap between visual observations and quantitative measurements by enabling the direct extraction of velocities from video imagery, which is used to estimate river discharge. Overall, this thesis demonstrates the significant potential of emerging video-based remote sensing datasets and offers approaches for integrating these data into hydraulic modelling and discharge estimation practice. The incorporation of LSPIV techniques into flood modelling workflows signifies a methodological progression, especially in areas lacking robust data collection infrastructure. Satellite video remote sensing heralds a major step forward in our ability to observe river dynamics in real time, with potentially significant implications in the domain of flood modelling science
Vegetable oils epoxidation : from batch to continuous process
Epoxides are a class of compounds characterized by the oxirane functional group, a polar three-terms strain ring composed by two carbon atoms and an oxygen atom. These two properties make the oxirane ring a highly reactive moiety. For this reason, epoxides are important and valuable industrial building blocks for the synthesis of several organic compounds, e.g., di- or polyalcohols, lactones, β-hydroxesters, carbonates etc. In this scenario, Epoxidized Vegetable Oils (EVOs), which are obtained from renewable feedstock, represent noteworthy green platforms to produce chemicals and biomaterials. Epoxides originating from vegetable oils, as well as from derivates of vegetable oils, have already been successfully applied, among others, as plasticizers in the poly(vinyl-chloride) resins, partially replacing phthalates, as intermediates to produce polyurethane, representing an environmentally friendly route compared to the toxic isocyanate process, and as bio-lubricants. Thus, it is possible to understand the ongoing interest, in both academic and industrial research, to this class of value-added chemical compounds. Nevertheless, the industrial synthesis still relies on a semibatch technology, limiting the productivity and selectivity to this platform chemical.
The epoxidation via the Prilezhaev reaction method is the synthesis pathway studied in the present work to produce of epoxides from vegetable oils, both edible and not. The choice of studying this synthesis path is because it is the only one with relevant current industrial application in the epoxidation of this promising feedstock and, more importantly, it belongs to the category of green chemistry and green process technology. The reaction system is composed of two immiscible liquid phases and consecutive reactions take place in the two phases and at the interphase between them. The work was mainly focused in the study of the different reaction steps of the Prilezhaev reaction method in order to efficiently shift to a continuous operation.
A new and fast analytical method based on protonic nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) was developed in alternative to the traditional volumetric analytical methods to evaluate the double bond conversion and the selectivity to the target product. At first, the system was studied in semibatch operation in the presence of linseed oil to evaluate the reactivity of this highly unsaturated organic substrate. The aim was to develop a biphasic kinetic model able to predict the behavior of organic substrates with different amounts of double bonds, in a backmixed reactor, in terms of conversion, selectivity and, more importantly, thermal profile. Next, the research was focused on the kinetic study of the percarboxylic acid formation and its decomposition. The former reaction, indeed, is the preliminary reaction step before the epoxidation reaction. An important aspect of the reaction system, because of the immiscibility of the two phases, is the partition of the species, especially the oxygen donor. For this reason, the partition coefficients of formic acid, the precursor of the oxygen donor, were experimentally determined. Finally, the epoxidation reaction via the Prilezhaev concept was successfully carried out in a continuous device obtaining satisfactory results in terms of conversion and selectivity adopting milder conditions than the semibatch process.Epoxider är kemiska komponenter som karakteriseras av funktionella oxirangrupper, Oxiran är en triangulär ring, som består av två kolatomer och en syreatom. Denna struktur innebär att oxiranringen är synnerligen reaktiv. På grund av den höga reaktiviteten är epoxiderna viktiga och värdefulla byggstenar i industriell syntes av flera organiska komponenter, t.ex. di- och polyalkoholer, β-hydroxiestrar och karbonater. I detta scenario representerar epoxiderade växtoljor, som erhålls från förnyelsebar råvara, en betydelsefull grön plattform för produktion av kemikalier och biomaterial. Epoxider som härstammar från växtoljor samt oljederivat har redan tillämpats bl.a. som biosmörjmedel, som mjukgörare i polyvinylkloridhartser, som ersättare av ftalater, och som intermediärer för framställning av polyuretan, där användning av epoxider möjliggör en miljövänlig reaktionsrutt jämfört med den giftiga isocyanatreaktionen. På grund av detta är det lätt att förstå det intensiva akademiska och industriella forskningsintresset för dessa mycket värdefulla kemiska komponenter. Beklagligtvis baserar sig den industriella syntesmetoden av epoxiderade växtoljor fortfarande på halvkontinuerlig teknologi, vilket begränsar både produktiviteten och selektiviteten av dessa eftertraktade plattformkemikalier.
Epoxidering av växtoljor enligt Prilezhaevmetoden är den syntesrutt som studerades i detta doktorsarbete för produktion av epoxider utgående från ätbara och icke-ätbara växtoljor. Valet av syntesmetoden baserade sig på det faktum att Prilezhaevmetoden är hittills den enda industriellt relevanta tillämpningen för epoxidering av den miljövänliga råvaran och metoden hör definitivt till kategorierna grön kemi och grön processteknologi. Reaktionssystemet består av två icke-blandbara vätskefaser, där konsekutiva perhydrolys-, epoxiderings- och ringöppningsreaktioner pågår inne i dessa faser och vid fasgränsytan. Arbetet fokuserades huvudsakligen på studier av de olika reaktionsstegen i Prilezhaevmetoden för att effektivt kunna övergå från den nuvarande prekära halvkontinuerliga produktionsprocessen till en kontinuerlig process, som skulle innebära en snabbare syntes och förbättad processäkerhet.
En ny och snabb analysmetod baserad på kärnmagnetisk resonansspektroskopi (1H-NMR) utvecklades som alternativ till traditionella volymetriska metoder för att bestämma dubbelbindningarnas omsättning och produktselektivitet. Först studerades den halvkontinuerliga reaktorteknologin i närvaro av linfröolja för att evaluera reaktiviteten av denna i högsta grad omättade organiska råvara. Målet var att utveckla en kinetisk modell för reaktionshastigheterna i tvåfassystemet så att beteendet av organiska molekyler med olika antal dubbelbindningar kan kartläggas i avseende på råvarans omsättning, produktens selektivitet och värmeeffekter. I följande steget fokuserades forskningen på kinetiska studier av bildningen och sönderfallet av perkarboxylsyror. Bildningen av perkarboxylsyra ur tillsatt karboxylsyra, t.ex. myrsyra och väteperoxid är de facto det första reaktionssteget före själva epoxideringsreaktionen. En speciellt viktig aspekt beträffande själva reaktionssystemet är att vatten- och oljefaserna är icke-blandbara, vilket innebär att komponenternas fördelning mellan faserna är av oerhört stor betydelse. Därför bestämdes fördelningskoefficienten av syrekällan, myrsyra experimentellt. I sista skedet kulminerade arbetet i utvecklingen av en helt ny kontinuerlig reaktorteknologi för att uppnå tillfreds-ställande resultat för reaktantomsättningen och produktselektiviten. Den kontinuerliga teknologin som baserar sig på en eller flera seriekopplade kolonnreaktorer visade sig vara överlägsen jämfört med det existerande halvkontinuerliga förfarandet: en klart högre reaktantomsättning och produktselektivitet uppnåddes i den kontinuerliga reaktoranläggningen som också modellerades matematiskt.Gli epossidi sono una classe di composti caratterizzati da un gruppo funzionale ossiranico, un anello a tre termini rigido e polare, composto da due atomi di carbonio ed un atomo di ossigeno. Tali caratteristiche fanno dell’anello ossiranico un gruppo altamente reattivo. Per questa ragione, gli epossidi sono importanti e preziosi intermedi industriali per la sintesi di un’ampia gamma di composti organici, i.e. di- o polialcoli, lattoni, β-idrossiesteri, carbonati etc. A tal proposito, gli oli vegetali epossidati, ottenuti a partire da fonti rinnovabili, rappresentano materiali di partenza notevoli e sostenibili per la produzione di agenti chimici e biomateriali. Gli epossidi ottenuti da oli vegetali, così come dai derivati degli oli vegetali, sono già stati ampiamente utilizzati come plasticizzanti nelle resine poliviniliche, sostituendo parzialmente gli ftalati, come intermedi per la produzione di poliuretano, rappresentando una via di sintesi ecosostenibile rispetto il processo via isocianato, e come biolubrificanti. Quindi, è possibile capire l’attuale interesse, sia da un punto di vista accademico che industriale, verso questa classe di composti chimici. Ciononostante, la sintesi industriale fa ancora affidamento su un processo semicontinuo, limitandone produttività e selettività .
Nel presente lavoro di tesi è stata studiata nel dettaglio la reazione di epossidazione, condotta secondo il metodo Prilezhaev, attualmente considerata la via più comune di sintesi per la produzione di epossidi a partire da oli vegetali, edibili e non. La scelta nello studiare tale processo risiede nel fatto che quest’ultimo è l’unico metodo con ampia applicazione nell’attuale pratica industriale per la produzione di epossidi a partire da materiali di partenza promettenti quali gli oli e, molto più importante, tale sintesi appartiene alla categoria della chimica verde e dei processi ecosostenibili. Il sistema di reazione si compone di due liquidi immiscibili e alcune reazioni consecutive che avvengono sia nelle due fasi che all’interfaccia tra le stesse. Il lavoro è stato prevalentemente focalizzato sullo studio dei differenti passaggi nella reazione secondo il metodo Prilezhaev, con lo scopo di trasferire efficientemente il processo in continuo.
Un metodo di analisi nuovo e rapido incentrato sulla risonanza magnetica protonica (1H-NMR) è stato sviluppato come alternativa ai tradizionali metodi volumetrici per la valutazione della conversione dei doppi legami e selettività del prodotto desiderato. Inizialmente, il sistema reattivo è stato studiato in presenza di olio di lino in un reattore semicontinuo per valutare la reattività di un substrato organico ad alto contenuto di doppi legami. Lo sviluppo di un modello reattoristico in grado di predire il comportamento di substrati organici a diverso contenuto di doppi legami in un reattore miscelato, in termini di conversione, selettività e, molto più importante, profilo termico, ero lo scopo principale dell’investigazione. Successivamente, la ricerca si è focalizzata sullo studio della cinetica della reazione di formazione e decomposizione dell’acido percarbossilico. La prima reazione infatti è propedeutica all’epossidazione. Un aspetto importante del sistema reattivo, a causa dell’immiscibilità delle due fasi, è la ripartizione delle specie, specialmente la specie ossidante. Per questa ragione, il coefficiente di partizione dell’acido formico, precursore della specie ossidante, è stato determinato sperimentalmente. Infine, il processo di epossidazione secondo il metodo Prilezhaev è stato condotto con successo in un’apparecchiatura operante in continuo, ottenendo eccellenti valori di conversione e selettività in condizioni meno severe rispetto al processo semicontinuo
Planetary Hinterlands:Extraction, Abandonment and Care
This open access book considers the concept of the hinterland as a crucial tool for understanding the global and planetary present as a time defined by the lasting legacies of colonialism, increasing labor precarity under late capitalist regimes, and looming climate disasters. Traditionally seen to serve a (colonial) port or market town, the hinterland here becomes a lens to attend to the times and spaces shaped and experienced across the received categories of the urban, rural, wilderness or nature. In straddling these categories, the concept of the hinterland foregrounds the human and more-than-human lively processes and forms of care that go on even in sites defined by capitalist extraction and political abandonment. Bringing together scholars from the humanities and social sciences, the book rethinks hinterland materialities, affectivities, and ecologies across places and cultural imaginations, Global North and South, urban and rural, and land and water
Climate Change and Critical Agrarian Studies
Climate change is perhaps the greatest threat to humanity today and plays out as a cruel engine of myriad forms of injustice, violence and destruction. The effects of climate change from human-made emissions of greenhouse gases are devastating and accelerating; yet are uncertain and uneven both in terms of geography and socio-economic impacts. Emerging from the dynamics of capitalism since the industrial revolution — as well as industrialisation under state-led socialism — the consequences of climate change are especially profound for the countryside and its inhabitants. The book interrogates the narratives and strategies that frame climate change and examines the institutionalised responses in agrarian settings, highlighting what exclusions and inclusions result. It explores how different people — in relation to class and other co-constituted axes of social difference such as gender, race, ethnicity, age and occupation — are affected by climate change, as well as the climate adaptation and mitigation responses being implemented in rural areas. The book in turn explores how climate change – and the responses to it - affect processes of social differentiation, trajectories of accumulation and in turn agrarian politics. Finally, the book examines what strategies are required to confront climate change, and the underlying political-economic dynamics that cause it, reflecting on what this means for agrarian struggles across the world. The 26 chapters in this volume explore how the relationship between capitalism and climate change plays out in the rural world and, in particular, the way agrarian struggles connect with the huge challenge of climate change. Through a huge variety of case studies alongside more conceptual chapters, the book makes the often-missing connection between climate change and critical agrarian studies. The book argues that making the connection between climate and agrarian justice is crucial
LIPIcs, Volume 251, ITCS 2023, Complete Volume
LIPIcs, Volume 251, ITCS 2023, Complete Volum
Proceedings of SIRM 2023 - The 15th European Conference on Rotordynamics
It was our great honor and pleasure to host the SIRM Conference after 2003 and 2011 for the third time in Darmstadt. Rotordynamics covers a huge variety of different applications and challenges which are all in the scope of this conference. The conference was opened with a keynote lecture given by Rainer Nordmann, one of the three founders of SIRM “Schwingungen in rotierenden Maschinen”. In total 53 papers passed our strict review process and were presented. This impressively shows that rotordynamics is relevant as ever. These contributions cover a very wide spectrum of session topics: fluid bearings and seals; air foil bearings; magnetic bearings; rotor blade interaction; rotor fluid interactions; unbalance and balancing; vibrations in turbomachines; vibration control; instability; electrical machines; monitoring, identification and diagnosis; advanced numerical tools and nonlinearities as well as general rotordynamics. The international character of the conference has been significantly enhanced by the Scientific Board since the 14th SIRM resulting on one hand in an expanded Scientific Committee which meanwhile consists of 31 members from 13 different European countries and on the other hand in the new name “European Conference on Rotordynamics”. This new international profile has also been
emphasized by participants of the 15th SIRM coming from 17 different countries out of three continents. We experienced a vital discussion and dialogue between industry and academia at the conference where roughly one third of the papers were presented by industry and two thirds by academia being an excellent basis to follow a bidirectional transfer what we call xchange at Technical University of Darmstadt. At this point we also want to give our special thanks to the eleven industry sponsors for their great support of the conference. On behalf of the Darmstadt Local Committee I welcome you to read the papers of the 15th SIRM giving you further insight into the topics and presentations
NEMISA Digital Skills Conference (Colloquium) 2023
The purpose of the colloquium and events centred around the central role that data plays
today as a desirable commodity that must become an important part of massifying digital
skilling efforts. Governments amass even more critical data that, if leveraged, could
change the way public services are delivered, and even change the social and economic
fortunes of any country. Therefore, smart governments and organisations increasingly
require data skills to gain insights and foresight, to secure themselves, and for improved
decision making and efficiency. However, data skills are scarce, and even more
challenging is the inconsistency of the associated training programs with most curated for
the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Nonetheless, the interdisciplinary yet agnostic nature of data means that there is
opportunity to expand data skills into the non-STEM disciplines as well.College of Engineering, Science and Technolog
University bulletin 2023-2024
This catalog for the University of South Carolina at Beaufort lists information about the college, the academic calendar, admission policies, degree programs, faculty and course descriptions
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