Echoes of decolonization | From North Africa to Europe: questioning the trip back home

The Colonial Modern enterprise in North Africa produced unique architectural responses in the twentieth century, oscillating between rupture with the past and continuity of the tradition, negotiation of indigenous expression in the “Villes Nouvelles” and imposition of European forms of settlement. The colonial years thus led to the formation of new spatial imaginaries and novel aesthetics regimes in Morocco, most of them being experiments of European theories. The descriptive content relative to the latter portion of the narrative is abundant. Nevertheless, seldom has the subsequent era been studied as a catalyst for the dissemination of Modernity in Europe. This thesis builds a critical discourse on the available body of knowledge on colonial modernity, following the “travel back” forms and dynamics in the mid-twentieth century, in to order to unveil the role of North African colonial experience in the overall Modern Movement. The first level of investigation is an expansive literature review that has permitted a holistic understanding of the discourse and confirmed the rarity of scholarly knowledge on the echoes of decolonization from post-colonial Morocco to metropolitan France. The second is the study - through the in-depth analysis of ATBAT-Afrique’s experience in both Morocco and France - of the vehicles of motion of Colonial Modern ideas and theories between both contexts, from 1951 on through the 1970s. Relying on new forms of evidence, this work thus sparks an interdisciplinary debate on the understanding of Colonial Modernism as a real-life experiment whose results are critical in piecing together the contemporary relationship of Europe to the non-European space; such space being present on European lands in the form of mass housing complexes originated in postwar French government-led programs, among others

Extending the Field of Extended Language: A Literature Review on Figurative Language Processing in Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Figurative and extended uses of language are nonliteral utterances such as irony, sarcasm, and idioms and comprise a core part of social interaction. Children with typical development (TD) show a progressive adultlike understanding of figurative language around the age of ten. In contrast, individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or developmental language disorder often display difficulties with figurative language. However, these difficulties are a puzzle in that the actual underlying causes remain unclear. Those individuals who struggle with understanding figurative language need support through effective interventions. These should be based on solid research findings, which is often problematic as research in this field is characterized by conflicting and incomplete findings. The intention of this study is to conduct a literature review of both available studies and those intervention programs that seek to improve figurative language abilities in these atypical populations. This review will not only provide an overview of available intervention programs but also reveal the research gaps through critically appraising earlier studies. This is done as, in a manner of speaking, research reflects our theoretical understanding of the topic at hand, while interventions reflect the ways in which they are manifested into practice. This will serve to give the reader a more complete overview of the state of knowledge on figurative language and neurodevelopmental disorders. This article may be read for an overview of the field, but it also aims to point out the areas where additional research is needed. For instance, while figurative language takes many forms, there is a disproportionate scholarly focus on metaphors compared to other types. We will ultimately highlight promising approaches and make suggestions for future directions in terms of research and practice.publishedVersio

Purity or perversion? from taboo to fact: kindergarten teachers’ reflections on age-normal sexuality

Many educators and pedagogues around the world face challenging situations in their everyday work. Being caught off guard when children begin to explore their bodies and show curiosity about body parts and sexual issues is one of the most uncomfortable realities in the work of educating our children and can generate a series of worrying questions, such as, “Is this child* normal? Should I stop him/ her from masturbating? What should I tell him/her?. Although talking to children about body changes and sexual matters may seem strange or embarrassing, providing correct and age-appropriate information is one of the most important things kindergarten employees can do to ensure that children grow up protected, healthy and safe in their bodies. The current study is based on empirical evidence from focus group interviews with 18 kindergarten teachers from four different kindergartens. The aim is to provide a real overview regarding kindergarten employees’ experiences when it comes to their work with sexual development in small children. The findings show that sexuality is still a taboo even in western societies, as it is usually linked to abuse or pathological behavior. Additionally, key information about lack of focus on these topics in pedagogical educational programs is provided. Furthermore, the informants highlight the importance of knowledge and resources for them to feel in control and in confidence to face these challenges. Future directions and tips are provided to improve the educational field and ensure a healthy and balanced development which is after all part of all children’s rights.Purity or perversion? from taboo to fact: kindergarten teachers’ reflections on age-normal sexualitypublishedVersio

Cubist Regression, Random Forest and Support Vector Regression for Solar Power Prediction

At a time when the energy transition is inescapable and artificial intelligence is rapidly advancing in all directions, solar renewable energy output forecasting is becoming a popular concept, especially with the availability of large data sets and the critical requirement to forecast these energies, known to have a random nature. Therefore, the main goal of this study is to investigate and exploit artificial intelligence's revolutionary potential for the prediction of the electricity generated by solar photovoltaic panels. The main algorithms that will be studied in this article are cubist regression, random forest and support vector regression. This forecast is beneficial to both providers and consumers, since it will enable for more efficient use of solar renewable energy supplies, which intermittency makes their integration into the existing electrical networks a challenging task

Study of Au/n- ZnSe contact by ballistic electron emission microscopy

Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy (BEEM) has been used to characterise the Au/n-ZnSe contact. A mean statistical BEEM threshold of 1.63eV is in good agreement with literature. Metal - Insulator- Semiconductor (MIS) structures are invoked to explain the Schottky barrier height dispersion and the observed shift of BEEM thresholds to higher values.Ballistic Electron Emission Microscopy (BEEM) has been used to characterise the Au/n-ZnSe contact. A mean statistical BEEM threshold of 1.63eV is in good agreement with literature. Metal - Insulator- Semiconductor (MIS) structures are invoked to explain the Schottky barrier height dispersion and the observed shift of BEEM thresholds to higher values

u/n-Si(100) contact homogeneity studied by direct and reverse ballistic electron emission microscopy and spectroscopy

The Au/n-Si(100) contact has been studied using reverse ballistic electron emission microscopy and spectroscopy. Two types of localised collector currents have been observed; one, positive corresponding to electron injection into Si, and the other, negative, associated with hole injection into the semiconductor. The comparative trial of BEEM and reverse BEEM images from the same area shows this difference to be linked to the interface structure. Effects of surface roughness on the observed contrasts are also discussed.The Au/n-Si(100) contact has been studied using reverse ballistic electron emission microscopy and spectroscopy. Two types of localised collector currents have been observed; one, positive corresponding to electron injection into Si, and the other, negative, associated with hole injection into the semiconductor. The comparative trial of BEEM and reverse BEEM images from the same area shows this difference to be linked to the interface structure. Effects of surface roughness on the observed contrasts are also discussed

Principal Component Analysis and Artificial Intelligence Approaches for Solar Photovoltaic Power Forecasting

In recent years, renewable energy sources have experienced remarkable growth. However, their spatial and temporal diversity makes their large-scale integration into the current power grids difficult, as the balance between the electricity output and the consumption must be maintained at all times. Therefore, it is important to focus on the resources forecast to enhance the integration of renewable energy sources, such as solar in this study. In this article, a comparative analysis of two main machine learning methods was conducted for the prediction of the hourly photovoltaic output power. Furthermore, since various factors, such as climate variables, can impact the solar photovoltaic power and complicate the prediction process, the principal component analysis was employed to investigate the interactions between the multiple predictors and minimize the dimensionality of the datasets. The prevalent factors were then used in the predictive models as inputs. This field research is very crucial because the higher the prediction accuracy, the greater the profit for energy dealers and the lower the costs for customers

Reading and writing direction effects on the aesthetic appreciation of photographs

Does reading and writing direction (RWD) influence the aesthetic appreciation of photography? Pérez González showed that nineteenth-century Iranian and Spanish professional photographers manifest lateral biases linked to RWD in their compositions. The present study aimed to test whether a population sample showed similar biases. Photographs with left-to-right (L-R) and right-to-left (R-L) directionality were selected from Pérez González's collections and presented in both original and mirror-reversed forms to Spanish (L-R readers) and Moroccan (R-L readers) participants. In Experiment 1, participants rated each picture for its aesthetic pleasingness. The results showed neither effects of lateral organization nor interactions with RWD. In Experiment 2, each picture and its mirror version were presented together and participants chose the one they liked better. Spaniards preferred rightward versions and Moroccans preferred leftward versions. RWD therefore affects aesthetic impressions of photography in our participants when people pay attention to the lateral spatial dimension of pictures. The observed directional aesthetic preferences were not sensitive to the sex of the model in the photographs, failing to support expectations from the hypotheses of emotionality and agency. Preferences were attributable to the interaction between general scanning strategies and scanning habits linked to RWD

Survey of Radon Concentrations in the University of Granada in Southern Spain

The objective of this pilot study was to gather and analyze data on radon concentrations in workplaces in three buildings of Granada University (Southern Spain) constructed in different centuries. All measurements were made at basement or ground floor level under normal use conditions except for one space (mineral store), in which measurements were compared between the door closed and open. Measurements were conducted during different time periods between October 2013 and March 2019 with a Radon-Scout PLUS portable Radonmonitor. The duration of continuous recordings at different sites ranged between 42 and 1104 h. Mean accumulated radon concentrations ranged between 12 and 95 Bq/m3 , below the maximal level of 300 Bq/m3 set by the World Health Organization (WHO). Relatively high values were recorded in the oldest building (15th century), which was also poorly ventilated. Ventilation appeared to be an important factor in reducing radon levels, especially in areas less exposed to radon, such as Southern Spain

The changing faces of autism: The fluctuating international diagnostic criteria and the resulting inclusion and exclusion—A Norwegian perspective

The common understanding of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has gone through a number of permutations since the first description in 1943. Throughout these shifting understandings, there have been a number of behaviors and diagnostic criteria associated with the condition, many of which are missing in the most recent classifications. The rates of diagnoses of autism have increased greatly. However, there is no reason to think there has been any change in occurrence over the last 70 years, suggesting rather an increase in our knowledge and awareness. Autism has been the subject of several misapprehensions and misrepresentations throughout history. This might be due to heterogeneity of the cases. In addition, the diagnosing of autism spectrum disorders is mainly based on observation and behavioral interpretation, and thus dependent on subjective perceptions of the clinicians themselves. This current scoping review article intends to provide a view on the evolution of the concept of autism and the current stance within Norwegian scholarship, and how it is shaped by international discourses and cultural diversities Such changing concepts especially impacts people with the diagnosis, as it can affect their access to social services, as well as their self-identification as people with ASD