Embodiment and the senses in travelogue filmmaking

This practice-based research presents an analysis of the representation of embodied experience in the travelogue film genre. It reflects upon the embodied and synaesthesic nature of the cinematic experience by tracing a shift in travelogue filmmaking from the ocular realism characteristic of early travelogue films to the emergence and proliferation of subjective approaches. Moreover, it analyses experimental travelogue films and the capacity of non-linear and non-narrative structures to express sensuous, embodied perception. 9 Meditations is the practice component of this thesis. It is an experimental travelogue film. Through its production this research explores the translation of embodied experience as a multi-sensory process into filmmaking practice. In the field of film studies, the travelogue has not been widely discussed outside historical approaches, and it has certainly never been discussed in relation to phenomenology and embodied sensation. This research articulates a new conceptual framework for both the production and theorisation of the travelogue film, as a form that is intrinsically related to performance, subjectivity and embodied perception. Moreover, this research concerns both the production process in filmmaking practice and the cinematic experience as grounded in synaesthesic, embodied perception. This approach brings to the forefront the capacity of audiovisual practice to both encode and produce sensuous knowledge

Local well-posedness of the generalized Cucker-Smale model

In this paper, we study the local well-posedness of two types of generalized Cucker-Smale (in short C-S) flocking models. We consider two different communication weights, singular and regular ones, with nonlinear coupling velocities $v|v|^{\beta-2}$ for $\beta > \frac{3-d}{2}$. For the singular communication weight, we choose $\psi^1(x) = 1/|x|^{\alpha}$ with $\alpha \in (0,d-1)$ and $\beta \geq 2$ in dimension $d > 1$. For the regular case, we select $\psi^2(x) \geq 0$ belonging to (L_{loc}^\infty \cap \mbox{Lip}_{loc})(\mathbb{R}^d) and $\beta \in (\frac{3-d}{2},2)$. We also remark the various dynamics of C-S particle system for these communication weights when $\beta \in (0,3)$

Planning and implementation of effective collaboration in construction projects

The 21st century is now seen as the time for the construction industry to embrace new ways of working if it is to continue to be competitive and meet the needs of its ever demanding clients. Collaborative working is considered by many to be essential if design and construction teams are to consider the whole lifecycle of the construction product. Much of the recent work on collaborative working has focused on the delivery of technological solutions with a focus on web (extranets), CAD (visualisation), and knowledge management technologies. However, it is now recognised that good collaboration does not result from the implementation of information technology solutions alone. The organisational and people issues, which are not readily solved by pure technical systems, need to be resolved. However, approaches that exclusively focus on organisational and people issues will not reap the benefits derived from the use of technology, especially in the context of distributed teams which are the norm in construction. Work currently being undertaken at Loughborough University aims to bring together the benefits enabled by the technology, with the organisational, and its people issues to provide a framework enabling high level strategic decisions to be made to implement effective collaboration. This paper reports on the initial stages of the project: the background to the project, the methodology used, and findings from the literature survey and the requirements capture survey conducted as part of the project

Framework for effective collaborative working in construction

The potential benefits of collaborative working in construction projects have yet to be fully realised in the sector. This is in part due to the misunderstanding of the use of the information and communication technologies (ICT) and tools associated with working collaboratively. There are, however, isolated pockets of experts that have realised that in order to fully embrace the potential of collaborative working in their businesses, the role of ICT has to be closely aligned with the people that use it, and should relate to the overall goals of the business. The aim of the Planning and Implementation of Effective Collaboration in Construction (PIECC) project is to develop a decision-making framework that enables organisations to fully integrate ICT and its associated people and business issues into their projects and individual businesses. This paper reports on the development processes used to develop the framework, and its evaluation and testing within the UK construction sector. The paper presents the different processes that should be followed to develop a joint collaboration strategy, and the results and implications of using the PIECC framework to manage collaborative working

On the Long Time Behavior of the Quantum Fokker-Planck equation

We analyze the long time behavior of transport equations for a class of dissipative quantum systems with Fokker-planck type scattering operator, subject to confining potentials of harmonic oscillator type. We establish the conditions under which there exists a thermal equilibrium state and prove exponential decay towards it, using (classical) entropy-methods. Additionally, we give precise dispersion estimates in the cases were no equilibrium state exists