Cultural and Media Identity Among Latvian Migrants in Germany

This chapter explores how transnational media and culture impacts on the identity formation of recent Latvian migrants in Germany. In the context of the EU, Germany opened its labour market to the new EU countries rather late, when compared to other ‘old’ EU countries. This has had an effect on the composition of the group of Latvian migrants going to Germany, and their identities. In the light of this, this chapter examines how Latvian migrants in Germany feel and experience their belonging to Latvia and its culture. It analyses the social and communicative practices crucial for the development of belonging, including the rootedness in the country where they live and the cultural references that are important for them. The evidence for the analysis in this chapter comes from in-depth interviews, open media diaries and network maps of Latvian migrants in Germany. The chapter situates the description of evidence in the framework of cultural identity concepts and discusses the role of culture and media in the process of building migrant identity. The chapter argues that culture is shaping the transnational self-perception of Latvian migrants in Germany – as it provides collective narratives of imagined common frames of references, and confirms feelings of belonging and distinction

Group support systems features and their contribution to technology strategy decision-making: A review and analysis

Collective decision-making processes require careful design considerations in organizations. On one hand, the inclusion of a greater number of actors contribute to a wider knowledge base, on the other, it can become a diffuse process and be distorted from the principles initially established. This paper observes a specific collective decision making process in organizations—technology strategy formulation—and, through a critical review of the literature, analyzes how the advances in features of group support systems support improvements in different stages of this process. This paper also discusses the implications of GSS appropriation in group dynamics.This research was supported by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (SFRH/ BD/ 33727/ 2009), within the framework of the MIT Portugal Program.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Fit between humanitarian professionals and project requirements: hybrid group decision procedure to reduce uncertainty in decision-making

Choosing the right professional that has to meet indeterminate requirements is a critical aspect in humanitarian development and implementation projects. This paper proposes a hybrid evaluation methodology for some non-governmental organizations enabling them to select the most competent expert who can properly and adequately develop and implement humanitarian projects. This methodology accommodates various stakeholders’ perspectives in satisfying the unique requirements of humanitarian projects that are capable of handling a range of uncertain issues from both stakeholders and project requirements. The criteria weights are calculated using a two-step multi-criteria decision-making method: (1) Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process for the evaluation of the decision maker weights coupled with (2) Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to rank the alternatives which provide the ability to take into account both quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Sensitivity analysis have been developed and discussed by means of a real case of expert selection problem for a non-profit organisation. The results show that the approach allows a decrease in the uncertainty associated with decision-making, which proves that the approach provides robust solutions in terms of sensitivity analysis

Planned Products of the Mars Structure Service for the InSight Mission to Mars

Abstract The InSight lander will deliver geophysical instruments to Mars in 2018, including seismometers installed directly on the surface (Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure, SEIS). Routine operations will be split into two services, the Mars Structure Service(MSS) and Marsquake Service (MQS), which will be responsible, respectively, for defining the structure models and seismicity catalogs from the mission. The MSS will deliver a series of products before the landing, during the operations, and finally to the Planetary Data System (PDS) archive. Prior to the mission, we assembled a suite of a priori models of Mars, based on estimates of bulk composition and thermal profiles. Initial models during the mission will rely on modeling surface waves and impact-generated body waves independent of prior knowledge of structure. Later modeling will include simultaneous inversion of seismic observations for source and structural parameters. We use Bayesian inversion techniques to obtain robust probability distribution functions of interior structure parameters. Shallow structure will be characterized using the hammering of the heatflow probe mole, as well as measurements of surface wave ellipticity. Crustal scale structure will be constrained by measurements of receiver function and broadband Rayleigh wave ellipticity measurements. Core interacting body wave phases should be observable above modeled martian noise levels, allowing us to constrain deep structure. Normal modes of Mars should also be observable and can be used to estimate the globally averaged 1D structure, while combination with results from the InSight radio science mission and orbital observations will allow for constraint of deeper structure

An assessment of deterioration in cultural heritage: the unique case of Eflatunpınar Hittite Water Monument in Konya, Turkey

Stone monuments are important symbols of cultural heritage of countries. However, many environmental factors negatively affect these monuments. The increasing damage on the stone monuments and the danger of irreversible loss of cultural heritage have resulted in growing efforts for the preservation of the monuments. Eflatunpınar Hittite Water Monument in Beyşehir, Konya, Turkey, is a unique Hittite cultural monument that has survived for nearly 3200 years even though it has been exposed to many environmental effects. In this study, non-destructive testing (NDT) was used to detect the degradation on the building stones of the Eflatunpınar Hittite Water Monument and change-deterioration maps were prepared subsequently. It was also investigated whether the chemistry of the Eflatunpınar spring water may cause deterioration. Additionally, the petrographic, chemical, and physico-mechanical properties of the rocks taken from the ancient stone quarry were determined in order to compare with the properties of the monument’s building stones. Based on the physico-chemical characteristics of the Eflatunpınar spring water and XRD results of crusts in building stone surface of the monument, it was identified that water can be effective on the formation of calcite and gypsum crusts especially in the lower parts of the monument. However, applied NDT methods and change-deterioration maps indicated that the deterioration as well as neglect and abandonment in the monument are mostly associated with the capillary effect of the flowing water through the structure and the deterioration effect is more apparent in contact points between the building stone and the flowing water. Additionally, in the building stones above the capillary front, the conservation condition is significantly better. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

Accessibility analysis for the elderly in an urban area from Turkey

An increasing population as a result of urbanization brings with it the need for an urban regeneration process. This process is particularly crucial to ensure that elderly people with limited mobility are able to meet their own needs as well as participate in the social dynamics of the city. Depending on their mobility, the accessibility capability of elderly people is one of the key dynamics of the urban planning process, and accessibility is particularly important for elderly people with regard to covering their needs. The aim of this study was to examine the capability of elderly people, whose needs are typically neglected in the urban planning process, in accessing spatial services in Niğde, a city located in the Central Anatolian region of Turkey. The literature was reviewed to identify areas frequented by elderly users, as well as the level of accessibility of such areas. A survey was then conducted to determine the level of importance attached by the elderly to the accessibility of these spatial services. Based on the findings of the survey, a spatial analysis was conducted for the city using the Geographical Information System (GIS), and accessibility impact areas were identified. The inadequacies of urban areas in Niğde were identified, and various recommendations were proposed in order to resolve them. © 2017, Universitatea Babes-Bolyai. All rights reserved

Cytogenetic effects of c6h4 (Ch3)2 (xylene) on meristematic cells of root tips of vicia faba l. and mathematical analysis

Xylene is a readily flammable and poisonous liquid with a chemical formula of C6H4 (CH3)2. It is used as raw material or auxiliary raw material in many industrial products such as dye, pencil, agricultural chemicals, rubber, fiber, glue and diaper. In this study, cytogenetic effects of xylene, on the meristematic cells of root tips of V. faba L. used as food have been investigated. For this purpose, the seeds of the plant have been treated with xylene solutions prepared in different concentrations for different time periods. Chromosomes at the root tips have been looked and the effect of xylene has been determined. The abnormalities as chromosome breaking, chromosome dispersion, bridge chromosome, chromosome adherence, ring chromosome have been observed. Abnormalities have been seen at each treatment depended on the time periods. In addition to these visible damages of xylene in the study, possible damages on chromosomes carrying genetic codes of living beings to future generations have been investigated and mathematical analyzes has been made. The results obtained have been evaluated statistically. © 2020 C. Alaca, A. Özdemir, B. Bozdağ, C. Özdemir