Humanities Research Centre

Humanities; Research; Histor

Predictive biometrics: A review and analysis of predicting personal characteristics from biometric data

Interest in the exploitation of soft biometrics information has continued to develop over the last decade or so. In comparison with traditional biometrics, which focuses principally on person identification, the idea of soft biometrics processing is to study the utilisation of more general information regarding a system user, which is not necessarily unique. There are increasing indications that this type of data will have great value in providing complementary information for user authentication. However, the authors have also seen a growing interest in broadening the predictive capabilities of biometric data, encompassing both easily definable characteristics such as subject age and, most recently, `higher level' characteristics such as emotional or mental states. This study will present a selective review of the predictive capabilities, in the widest sense, of biometric data processing, providing an analysis of the key issues still adequately to be addressed if this concept of predictive biometrics is to be fully exploited in the future

The Faculty Notebook, October 2009

The Faculty Notebook is published periodically by the Office of the Provost at Gettysburg College to bring to the attention of the campus community accomplishments and activities of academic interest. Faculty are encouraged to submit materials for consideration for publication to the Associate Provost for Faculty Development. Copies of this publication are available at the Office of the Provost

Identifying of the fuel-air mixing, mixture formation, ignition and combustion characteristic in the combustion chamber

The area within the cylinder where the fuel/air mix is ignited is known as combustion chamber. As the piston compresses the fuel/air mixture and makes contact with the spark plug, the mixture is combusted in the form of energy and pushed out of the combustion chamber. The purpose of this technical paper is basically discussing about the combustion chamber which is more specific to injection fuel. This paper represents the identifying of the fuel-air mixing, mixture formation, ignition and combustion characteristic in the combustion chamber. The methodology used were by choosing the best article with the outcome related to this study and related to this research parameter. There are included the ignition system which are ignition system in combustion system (plasma) and ignition system in combustion system (laser) plasma is a new compact generator of high-voltage nanosecond pulses on the basis of the drift step recovery diodes combined with a control unit. Laser ignition is considered to be one of the most promising future ignition concepts for internal combustion engines. It not only combines requirement of reduction of pollutant emissions but also improves engine efficiencies

Virtuous Circles: New Expressions of Collective Philanthropy in Asia

This is the third paper of the Entrepeneurial Social Finance in Asia series, and it addresses the Giving Circles, its importance and their context in Asia." The theme of entrepreneurial philanthropy focused largely on the practices of venture philanthropy and impact investing organisations -- institutionalised funds that offer a blend of finance and advisory services to social entrepreneurs in support of their ambitions to strengthen their organisations and grow social impact. We were intrigued by a variant of venture philanthropy whereby individuals pooled their resources and together selected a small number of non-profit organisations to support with grants and advice.Our earlier study profiled several such giving circles in India, Hong Kong and Tokyo but we felt that such an innovation in collective philanthropy will grow in scale and importance in the coming decade to become a key part of the philanthropy landscape in Asia and thus warranted further study. In the next chapter we will look at how research evidence from North America supports a dual objective for the giving circle methodology -- to provide resources for non-profits; and to educate and motivate donors. Giving circles can provide a learning experience for people who want to better understand philanthropy, such as how to create social value by donating their money and skills in a socialised context.When philanthropy is described as a journey that individuals embark upon throughout life, it is not simply about giving more money over time. Giving should be made more intelligently and strategically; it can involve leveraging non-financial resources; and it understands and measures the impact created. Collaborating with others on the philanthropy journey holds the potential to make giving a more impactful and personally fulfilling experience. Giving circles make it easier for individuals to enter into larger scale and more sophisticated philanthropy and share the risks and rewards with others.

Diversity in leadership: Australian women, past and present

This book provides a new understanding of the historical and contemporary aspects of Indigenous and non-Indigenous women’s leadership in a range of local, national and international contexts. Overview While leadership is an over-used term today, how it is defined for women and the contexts in which it emerges remains elusive. Moreover, women are exhorted to exercise leadership, but occupying leadership positions has its challenges. Issues of access, acceptable behaviour and the development of skills to be successful leaders are just some of them. Diversity in Leadership: Australian women, past and present provides a new understanding of the historical and contemporary aspects of Indigenous and non-Indigenous women’s leadership in a range of local, national and international contexts. It brings interdisciplinary expertise to the topic from leading scholars in a range of fields and diverse backgrounds. The aims of the essays in the collection document the extent and diverse nature of women’s social and political leadership across various pursuits and endeavours within democratic political structures

Network power: an international study of strengthening housing association capacity

Operating in the space between state, market and society, nonprofit housing associations are part of a new generation of hybrid organisations. Unlike traditional organisations delivering publicly subsidised affordable rental accommodation, governance is networked not hierarchical. The state can influence - through subsidy, regulation and direct intervention - though seldom chooses to directly control. Housing associations regularly partner with public sector agencies, private developers and other nonprofit or hybrid organisations. Networking is used to share resources, build local coalitions and increase institutional learning. This thesis uses a cross-national case study approach to develop frameworks leading to a deeper understanding of what housing associations are becoming. The topic is addressed through the research focus on how to strengthen housing association capacity, taken to be ‘the capability of an organisation to achieve goals’. Nine associations of three organisation types, selected from the city regions of San Francisco, Melbourne and Manchester, provided rich documentary and interview information. This was supplemented by interviews with senior staff at networked organisations identified through snowballing techniques. Organisational capacity is often seen as a set of attributes that housing associations possess, such as a mission statement and governance procedures. This has led to a narrow focus on capacity building through professionalisation, introducing management approaches from the private sector. The research findings suggest the importance of broader approaches to strengthening organisational capacity, for example though collaboration between associations by merger, group structure, or procurement partnerships. Capacity can also be built with assistance from both traditional and emerging networked support organisations. Trade and professional bodies, together with consultants, lobby organisations, researchers and community groups form part of a broader web. The success of contemporary housing associations depends not only on the skills of individuals working for the organisation, but their ability to make connections across the wider environment - organisational capacity strengthened through network power