5,852 research outputs found

    Digitalization and real-time control to mitigate environmental impacts along rivers: Focus on artificial barriers, hydropower systems and European priorities

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    Hydropower globally represents the main source of renewable energy, and provides several benefits, e.g., water storage and flexibility; on the other hand, it may cause significant impacts on the environment. Hence sustainable hydropower needs to achieve a balance between electricity generation, impacts on ecosystems and benefits on society, supporting the achievement of the Green Deal targets. The implementation of digital, information, communication and control (DICC) technologies is emerging as an effective strategy to support such a trade-off, especially in the European Union (EU), fostering both the green and the digital transitions. In this study, we show how DICC can foster the environmental integration of hydropower into the Earth spheres, with focus on the hydrosphere (e.g., on water quality and quantity, hydropeaking mitigation, environmental flow control), biosphere (e.g., improvement of riparian vegetation, fish habitat and migration), atmosphere (reduction of methane emissions and evaporation from reservoirs), lithosphere (better sediment management, reduction of seepages), and on the anthroposphere (e.g., reduction of pollution associated to combined sewer overflows, chemicals, plastics and microplastics). With reference to the abovementioned Earth spheres, the main DICC applications, case studies, challenges, Technology Readiness Level (TRL), benefits and limitations, and transversal benefits for energy generation and predictive Operation and Maintenance (O&M), are discussed. The priorities for the European Union are highlighted. Although the paper focuses primarly on hydropower, analogous considerations are valid for any artificial barrier, water reservoir and civil structure which interferes with freshwater systems.Digitalization and real-time control to mitigate environmental impacts along rivers: Focus on artificial barriers, hydropower systems and European prioritiespublishedVersio

    Removing the Obstacles that Confront: The Impact of a Nontraditional School Reform Model on the Graduation Rate in an Urban School District

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    Although access to education in the United States has improved for students across race, class, ethnicity, and gender, not all demographic groups’ progress has kept pace with access (Mujic, 2015). Over the past two decades, more high school dropouts have been enrolled in public schools serving predominantly African American and Hispanic students of low socioeconomic status (Mujic, 2015). This portraiture study involved interviewing and observing six participants in an established nontraditional educational setting. The study aimed to examine educators’ perceptions regarding using a nontraditional school reform model to improve graduation rates in an identified urban school district serving predominantly African American and Hispanic students of low socioeconomic status. National, state, and local education may benefit from these findings to improve graduation rates nationwide. School districts and individual schools may also benefit from these findings and adopt the strategies employed to increase the graduation rates for the students they serve.Ruttencutter, Gwen S.Gunn, Nicole P.Ed.D.Educational leadershi

    Frivolous Floodgate Fears

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    When rejecting plaintiff-friendly liability standards, courts often cite a fear of opening the floodgates of litigation. Namely, courts point to either a desire to protect the docket of federal courts or a burden on the executive branch. But there is little empirical evidence exploring whether the adoption of a stricter standard can, in fact, decrease the filing of legal claims in this circumstance. This Article empirically analyzes and theoretically models the effect of adopting arguably stricter liability standards on litigation by investigating the context of one of the Supreme Court’s most recent reliances on this argument when adopting a stricter liability standard for causation in employment discrimination claims. In 2013, the Supreme Court held that a plaintiff proving retaliation under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act must prove that their participation in a protected activity was a but-for cause of the adverse employment action they experienced. Rejecting the arguably more plaintiff-friendly motivating-factor standard, the Court stated, “[L]essening the causation standard could also contribute to the filing of frivolous claims, which would siphon resources from efforts by employer[s], administrative agencies, and courts to combat workplace harassment.” Univ. of Tex. Sw. Med. Ctr. v. Nassar, 570 U.S. 338, 358 (2013). And over the past ten years, the Court has overturned the application of motivating-factor causation as applied to at least four different federal antidiscrimination statutes. Contrary to the Supreme Court’s concern that motivating-factor causation encourages frivolous charges, many employment law scholars worry that the heightened but-for standard will deter legitimate claims. This Article empirically explores these concerns, in part using data received from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Specifically, it empirically tests whether the adoption of the but-for causation standard for claims filed under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and by federal courts of appeals under the Americans with Disabilities Act has impacted the filing of discrimination claims and the outcome of those claims in federal court. Consistent with theory detailed in this Article, the empirical analysis provides evidence that the stricter standard may have increased the docket of the federal courts by decreasing settlement within the EEOC and during litigation. The empirical results weigh in on concerns surrounding the adoption of the but-for causation standard and provide evidence that the floodgates argument, when relied on to deter frivolous filings by changing liability standards, in fact, may do just the opposite by decreasing the likelihood of settlement in the short term, without impacting the filing of claims or other case outcomes

    Transition 2.0: Re-establishing Constitutional Democracy in EU Member States

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    The central question of Transition 2.0 is this: what (and how) may a new government do to re-establish constitutional democracy, as well as repair membership within the European Union, without breaching the European rule of law? This volume demonstrates that EU law and international commitments impose constraints but also offer tools and assistance for facilitating the way back after rule of law and democratic backsliding. The various contributions explore the constitutional, legal, and social framework of 'Transition 2.0'.Dieser Band zeigt, dass das EU-Recht und die internationalen Verpflichtungen zwar ZwĂ€nge auferlegen, aber auch Instrumente und Hilfestellungen bieten, um den Weg zurĂŒck in die EuropĂ€ische Union nach Rechtsstaatlichkeitsdefiziten und demokratischen RĂŒckschritten zu erleichtern. Die verschiedenen BeitrĂ€ge untersuchen den verfassungsrechtlichen, rechtlichen und sozialen Rahmen des "Übergangs 2.0"

    October 2023 news releases

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    New perspectives on A.I. in sentencing. Human decision-making between risk assessment tools and protection of humans rights.

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    The aim of this thesis is to investigate a field that until a few years ago was foreign to and distant from the penal system. The purpose of this undertaking is to account for the role that technology could plays in the Italian Criminal Law system. More specifically, this thesis attempts to scrutinize a very intricate phase of adjudication. After deciding on the type of an individual's liability, a judge must decide on the severity of the penalty. This type of decision implies a prognostic assessment that looks to the future. It is precisely in this field and in prognostic assessments that, as has already been anticipated in the United, instruments and processes are inserted in the pre-trial but also in the decision-making phase. In this contribution, we attempt to describe the current state of this field, trying, as a matter of method, to select the most relevant or most used tools. Using comparative and qualitative methods, the uses of some of these instruments in the supranational legal system are analyzed. Focusing attention on the Italian system, an attempt was made to investigate the nature of the element of an individual's ‘social dangerousness’ (pericolosità sociale) and capacity to commit offences, types of assessments that are fundamental in our system because they are part of various types of decisions, including the choice of the best sanctioning treatment. It was decided to turn our attention to this latter field because it is believed that the judge does not always have the time, the means and the ability to assess all the elements of a subject and identify the best 'individualizing' treatment in order to fully realize the function of Article 27, paragraph 3 of the Constitution

    When giving up is not an option, out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls: Coping, meaning making, and adversarial growth among young adults with refugee backgrounds

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    The main focus in psychological research about refugees has been on trauma and psychopathology, and researchers and practitioners have called for more holistic and strength based approaches to post-trauma development (e.g., Keles et al., 2018; Oppedal et al., 2013). Theories about posttraumatic or adversarial growth, broadly defined as positive psychological changes resulting from the struggle with highly challenging life circumstances (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004, p.1), builds on existential, humanistic and positive psychology, and were developed to account for positive changes following adversity (Joseph & Linley, 2005). The last 20+ years, research on adversarial growth among survivors of various forms of trauma show that at least 70% report some positive change in at least one domain of life (Linley & Joseph, 2004). However, adversarial growth among refugees has received less research attention (Chan et al., 2016; Sims & Pooley, 2017). The main aim of this study was to explore the role of coping, meaning making, and adversarial growth in explaining how many young refugees show healthy functioning and manage to adapt successfully in their new lives, despite their experiences of trauma and adversity. Data was collected through qualitative in-depth interviews with 15 young men and women (age 20-28) who had received protection as refugees, and lived in Norway for on average 7 years. The interview material was analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings lend support to explanations from growth theories and humanistic and existential psychology concerning the how and the why of positive adaption. The participants emphasized the learning value of adversity and that giving up is not an option, perceived themselves as survivors, drew on cultural strengths, and were optimistic and open to experience – all of which facilitated coping. Despite previous trauma, and challenges related to asylum policies, stigma and stereotypes, the participants displayed several characteristics of growth. They were feeling stronger, wiser, and had changed their perspectives, and were giving meaning to their experiences through helping others. Taken together, the findings stand in contrast to portrayals of refugees as singularly vulnerable, and make up an impressive account of the human capacity for coping and growth. This often co-existed with distress and suffering, and the findings highlight the importance of applying a broadened, curious, contextual, and strengths-based psychological approach that acknowledges the complexity of post-trauma outcomes, and how these are shaped by interplay between individual, cultural, social, and structural factors.Sammendrag Hovedfokuset i psykologisk forskning om flyktninger har vĂŠrt pĂ„ traumer og psykopatologi, og forskere og praktikere har etterlyst mer bruk av helhetlige og styrkebaserte tilnĂŠrminger (f.eks. Keles et al., 2018; Oppedal et al., 2013). Teorier om posttraumatisk vekst, definert som positive psykologiske endringer som fĂžlge av prosesser med Ă„ hĂ„ndtere svĂŠrt utfordrende livsomstendigheter (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 2004, s.1), bygger pĂ„ eksistensiell, humanistisk og positiv psykologi, og ble utviklet for Ă„ gjĂžre rede for positive endringer etter motgang (Joseph & Linley, 2005). Forskning pĂ„ posttraumatisk vekst de siste 20+ Ă„rene blant overlevende etter ulike former for traumer viser at minst 70 % rapporterer positive endringer i minst ett livsdomene (Linley & Joseph, 2004). Imidlertid har posttraumatisk vekst blant flyktninger fĂ„tt mindre oppmerksomhet i forskning (Chan et al., 2016; Sims & Pooley, 2017). HovedformĂ„let med denne studien var Ă„ utforske hvilken rolle mestring, meningsskaping og vekst spiller i Ă„ forklare at mange unge flyktninger fungerer godt helsemessig og lykkes i sin nye tilvĂŠrelse, til tross for opplevelser av traumer og motgang. Data ble samlet inn gjennom kvalitative dybdeintervjuer med 15 unge menn og kvinner (alder 20-28) med flyktningbakgrunn, som i gjennomsnitt har bodd i Norge i 7 Ă„r. Intervjumaterialet ble analysert ved bruk av tematisk analyse. Funnene stĂžtter forklaringer fra vekstteorier og humanistisk og eksistensiell psykologi vedrĂžrende hvordan og hvorfor positiv tilpasning skjer. Deltakerne la vekt pĂ„ lĂŠringsverdien av motgang og at det Ă„ gi opp ikke er et alternativ, beskrev seg selv som overlevere, trakk pĂ„ kulturelle styrker og ressurser, og var optimistiske og Ă„pne for nye opplevelser – faktorer som sammen bidro til mestring. Det var ogsĂ„ flere kjennetegn pĂ„ vekst i deltakernes fortellinger, til tross for opplevelser av traumer og motgang bĂ„de fĂžr og etter ankomst til Norge. Eksempelvis beskrev at de fĂžlte seg sterkere, klokere, og hadde endret perspektiver og verdier, og ga mening til sine opplevelser gjennom Ă„ hjelpe andre. Samlet stĂ„r funnene stĂ„r i kontrast til fremstillinger av flyktninger som ensidig sĂ„rbare, og ikke minst utgjĂžr de en imponerende beretning om menneskers kapasitet for mestring og vekst. Styrker og vekst sameksisterte ofte med vansker og stress, og funnene peker pĂ„ viktigheten av Ă„ bruke en kontekstuell og styrkebasert psykologisk tilnĂŠrming som anerkjenner nyanser og kompleksitet, samt at helse og fungering formes i samspill mellom individuelle, kulturelle, sosiale og strukturelle faktorer.publishedVersio
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