Presentation

The figure of the University Ombudsperson was created in Spain by means of the 14th section of the University Law, as a guarantor, who must “take care for the respect of the rights and freedom of teachers, students and staff, to act before the actions of different parts and/or university services”. In, some cases, his/her competence on members of the university goes farther, as the Ombudsperson also guards people who arrive or approach the University in a direct or indirect way (e.g. students who have denied their access to University) or other people enrolled in it by means of successive subcontracting (e.g. staff from coffee shops or copy shops, cleaning or computer services, security service, etc.)

Self presentation

At the beginning of the interview, the interviewee made it clear that he was a repository of a very special, secret knowledge that no other researcher could reveal and that he was worried about “people tapping and stealing” his knowledge.The Verba Africana series publishes video recording of African verbal arts on CDRom's, DVD’s and the Internet. This series responds to the increasing need for new electronic tools that integrate the written and audio-visual materials for research, teaching and learning of African languages and oral literatures. The video recording of oral genres, such as poems, songs and tales, is integrated into the presentation of relevant aspects (language, form, content, performance, literary, social and historical context). The videos and the accompanying material (short information and full articles) allow researchers and the interested public to approach oral literary productions as ‘total event’.NWO, The Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Researc

NSF presentation

Wind energy conversion research is considered in the framework of the national energy problem. Research and development efforts for the practical application of solar energy -- including wind energy -- as alternative energy supplies are assessed in: (1) Heating and cooling of buildings; (2) photovoltaic energy conversion; (3) solar thermal energy conversion; (4) wind energy conversion; (5) ocean thermal energy conversion; (6) photosynthetic production of organic matter; and (7) conversion of organic matter into fuels

COMP1205 Presentation topic briefs

Topic briefs. Includes marked up topic list which can be used for exam revision purposes

Comparing stochastic design decision belief models : pointwise versus interval probabilities.

Decision support systems can either directly support a product designer or support an agent operating within a multi-agent system (MAS). Stochastic based decision support systems require an underlying belief model that encodes domain knowledge. The underlying supporting belief model has traditionally been a probability distribution function (PDF) which uses pointwise probabilities for all possible outcomes. This can present a challenge during the knowledge elicitation process. To overcome this, it is proposed to test the performance of a credal set belief model. Credal sets (sometimes also referred to as p-boxes) use interval probabilities rather than pointwise probabilities and therefore are more easier to elicit from domain experts. The PDF and credal set belief models are compared using a design domain MAS which is able to learn, and thereby refine, the belief model based on its experience. The outcome of the experiment illustrates that there is no significant difference between the PDF based and credal set based belief models in the performance of the MAS

I'll be dead by the time it happens: Children's Perceptions of Climate Change in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam

The Mekong Delta in Southern Vietnam is one of the most at risk places globally to the effects of climate change and sea level rise, specifically in terms of flooding. It is predicted to change drastically over the next 100 years, with additional human-driven actions (such as sand mining and groundwater extraction) expected to exasperate the speed and severity of said change. Understanding the existing perceptions of those that will face these future challenges, and what contributes to forming those perceptions, is a critical underpinning required for the success of any future resilience and mitigation initiatives. A holistic view that takes account of these varying influences on societal perceptions, resilience and education needs to be taken. One of the most vulnerable groups to the consequences of climate change, and indeed the citizens that will go on to tackle the majority of challenges we are predicted to face in the future, is children. For this reason alone, ascertaining their perceptions and understandings, along with the influences and sources that shape their views, is paramount.This paper will present the findings from a project that explored local children’s perceptions of climate change in the heart of the Mekong Delta. Creative and arts-based methods enabled children’s voices to be heard. Combined with further policy analysis and interviews with parents, teachers and government officials, these voices have been further contextualised within their socio-cultural context and environment. Through developing an understanding of these perceptions and the influencing factors, a more effective and holistic approach to shaping children’s climate change resilience can be executed, which will ultimately enhance a society’s ability to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change into the future

Historic rammed earth structures in Spain : construction techniques and a preliminary classification.

Conservation and repair of historic rammed earth sites should only be undertaken if there is a good understanding of the consequences of any intervention technique. Until recently there has been little interest in the characterisation of historic rammed earth construction, yet it is only with this understanding that successful conservation strategies can be adopted. A survey of around 60 historic rammed earth sites in Spain constructed between 967AD and 1837AD has recently been undertaken. While all the sites are built primarily in rammed earth, the construction techniques and state of repair vary greatly. The high density of historic rammed earth structures in the Iberian peninsula is likely due to the Muslim presence there from the 8th century onwards. Initial expansion, a period of civil war and eventual defeat by Christians led to the construction of a large number of fortifications, many constructed in rammed earth. A famous example is the Alhambra at Granada, but there are hundreds of smaller sites throughout Spain. By the end of the 15th century Christians had replaced Muslims through most of Spain, but rammed earth continued to be used in both vernacular and monumental architecture. Examples of historic construction techniques are presented and common features of historic rammed earth construction are identified. A classification is outlined and a clear development of the rammed earth technique is observed