The pixel as property

The Pixel as Property is an examination of graphic design as a mode of production and its relations to three subjects: copyright, representation and ownership. My major research project in the Graphic Design program at OCAD U involved the investigation of these three topics through the activity of graphic design production. The first subject, copyright, was the catalyst for most of my formal work over the year. As a property relation, copyright is unique because it is treated as a default. As soon as a work is created and fixed in a tangible form it is automatically copyrighted. The ubiquity of copyright, as a status that is frequently overlooked or taken for granted, warrants greater scrutiny and attention

Probing the Accretion Geometry of Black Holes with X-Ray Polarization

In the coming years, new space missions will be able to measure X-ray polarization at levels of 1% or better in the approx.1-10 keV energy band. In particular, X-ray polarization is an ideal tool for determining the nature of black hole (BH) accretion disks surrounded by hot coronae. Using a Monte Carlo radiation transport code in full general relativity, we calculate the spectra and polarization features of these BH systems. At low energies, the signal is dominated by the thermal flux coming directly from the optically thick disk. At higher energies, the thermal seed photons have been inverse-Compton scattered by the corona, often reflecting back off the disk before reaching the observer, giving a distinctive polarization signature. By measuring the degree and angle of this X-ray polarization, we can infer the BH inclination, the emission geometry of the accretion flow, and also determine the spin of the black hole

‘The Hole’ Exposed: Voices on Solitary Confinement in the American Prison System

Solitary confinement, as practiced within the United States penal system, is a form of imprisonment that is rarely studied within the field of anthropology due to the nature of isolated prisoners as highly inaccessible subjects. Details about the physical appearance of such isolation units and the range of effects reported over the years by inmates and activist organizations have been largely veiled to the general public. However, scholars, political bodies, and the press began to pick up conditions of solitary confinement as an issue of inhumane treatment and torture. Although forms of isolated imprisonment have been used in the United States since the late nineteenth century, solitary confinement has grown to be a highly disputed practice within the last forty years. This thesis takes an indepth look into the goals and efforts of people within a growing national community who are connected by a shared aim of abolishing solitary confinement. This community seeks to spread awareness about what it believes to be a brutal and antiquated violation of human rights as its support base grows within the larger social justice movement of prison reform. I argue for the importance of bringing to light a new body of stories to better understand the parallel activism work undertaken in multiple fields in opposition to solitary confinement. This study exposes the practice through the lens of ex-prisoners, activists, filmmakers, lawyers, professors, and architects. These individuals are based in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Arizona, and California. Their voices echo the wider range of impact that solitary confinement can have on individuals both on the inside and outside of prison walls, demonstrating that both perspectives merit attention

Mediação pedagógica o sucesso de uma experiência educacional online

Considerando que toda interação da educação online ocorre através de interfaces digitais, pode-se supor que a mediação pedagógica seja um importante fator para o sucesso de uma experiência educacional on-line. O desafio se estabelece quando este princípio é confrontado por projetos educacionais pautados na educação de massa. As características de uma educação em larga escala se chocam e podem até mesmo ameaçar, propostas educacionais que preconizem a mediação pedagógica como princípio educacional básico. Tendo em vista esta perspectiva, buscou-se examinar se existiu uma relação de dependência entre o sucesso de uma experiência educacional online e diferenças na interação pedagógica mediada de docentes on-line. A fim de examinar esta questão, foram coletadas informações sobre os resultados de uma disciplina online de orientação de Trabalho de Conclusão de Cursos (TCC), em um curso de Pós-Graduação a distância. Utilizando parâmetros relacionados: a situação e resultados da orientação e ao grau de interação estabelecido pelos professores orientadores, foi aplicado o teste estatístico Chi Quadrado, que revelou que a interação pedagógica mediada é estatisticamente significante para o sucesso de uma experiência educacional online.Considering that the whole online education is experienced through the intermediation of a digital interface, one can infer that the pedagogical mediation is an important factor for the success of an on-line education experience. The challenge resides when this principle is confronted by large-scale educational projects. The mass education characteristics collide, or might even threaten, educational projects that envision the pedagogical mediation as a basic pedagogical principle of a learning experience. Considering that, this research attempted to examine if the success of an online educational experience could be, in fact, related to the differences between the interactions pedagogically mediated of online teachers. To examine this question data was collected from the results of an on-line course focused on preparing students to defend their course final project, using parameters related to: the situation and results of the orientation and the level of interaction established by the advisors. Based on those factors, a statistical test Chi Square was used and revealed that the interaction pedagogically mediated is statically significant to the results of on online course

Prácticas dialógicas generativas en el trabajo con familias

Este artículo presenta un abordaje para el trabajo con familias mediante prácticas dialógicas generativas que utiliza los recursos, valores y habilidades de las personas para innovar frente a desafíos, necesidades, dificultades, y desplazarse desde los problemas a la creatividad. Esta perspectiva encuentra en el construccionismo social, el dialogismo y los nuevos paradigmas una teoría y una epistemología sobre la cual sostener su práctica. Enfatiza el diálogo reflexivo y el aprendizaje dialógico como medios para construir alternativas, se aleja del déficit y trabaja dentro de un marco positivo basado en los recursos, el aprendizaje y la innovación. Facilita la emergencia de nuevos significados en acción y sostiene que dichos significados pueden abrir/desplegar nuevas relaciones y posibilidades para la acción futura y su implementación. Gira alrededor de las oportunidades que emergen de eventos únicos, diálogos, aprendizaje e innovación en relaciones colaborativas en diversas prácticas con familias. Propone un conjunto de prácticas para el trabajo con familias y otras para coordinar acciones entre personas, familias, operadores, organizaciones y sus interfases. Se ocupa de los momentos y procesos de transformación en el diálogo y los tipos de saberes que se ponen en juego. Ilustra diversas herramientas desarrolladas por el modelo para su utilización en diferentes contextos, entre otras, los ciclos relacionales, las preguntas y matrices generativas

An Implementable and Stabilizing Model Predictive Control Strategy for Inverted Pendulum-Like Behaved Systems

In control theory, the inverted pendulum is a class of dynamic systems widely used as a benchmarking for evaluating several control strategies. Such a system is characterized by an underactuated behavior. It is also nonlinear and presents open-loop unstable and integrating modes. These dynamic features make the control more difficult, mainly when the controller synthesis seeks to include constraints and the guarantee of stability of the closed-loop system. This chapter presents a stabilizing model predictive control (MPC) strategy for inverted pendulum-like behaved systems. It has an offset-free control law based on an only optimization problem (one-layer control formulation), and the Lyapunov stability of the closed-loop system is achieved by adopting an infinite prediction horizon. The controller feasibility is also assured by imposing a suitable set of slacked terminal constraints associated with the unstable and integrating states of the system. The effectiveness of the implementable and stabilizing MPC controller is experimentally demonstrated in a commercial-didactic rotary inverted pendulum prototype, considering both cases of stabilization of the pendulum in the upright position and the output tracking of the rotary arm angle

Perspectiva generativa en la gestión de conflictos sociales

En situaciones de conflictos político-armados la población civil resulta afectada de maneras muy dolorosas por el impacto de la violencia, que también fragmenta el tejido social. Este artículo presenta algunas aplicaciones del modelo generativo y sus metodologías para el afrontamiento de crisis y conflictos que pueden contribuir a que las personas recuperen sus recursos, significados y relaciones, reorienten sus vidas y restauren su integridad personal y social. Si bien el artículo reconoce el impacto de las situaciones traumáticas, entiende que las víctimas de la violencia tuvieron también la condición de personas capaces de sobrevivir y sostenerse frente a la adversidad –y en muchos casos afrontarla– apelando a sus recursos, su capacidad para detectar y aceptar los encuentros y colaboraciones disponibles, para encontrar o construir las condiciones y redes sociales que les permitieron reorientar sus vidas. Sugiere que este énfasis en los recursos y la construcción conjunta de alternativas ofrece una aproximación para estudiar estos procesos y posibilitar espacios de recuperación y convivencia. Propone que esta estrategia de supervivencia –cuando es reconocida como tal– puede expandirse promoviendo transformaciones de identidad y vínculos sociales para avanzar más allá de los recursos con los que cuentan las personas hacia su transformación en ciudadanos con derecho pleno, impactando no sólo sus condiciones de vida sino también las agendas sociales y políticas.The effects of armed political conflict on civilian populations are very painful and involve not only the direct impact of violence but also the fragmentation it wages on the social tissue. This article presents some applications of the generative model and its methodologies for facing crisis and conflict. These applications can help people recover their resources, meanings and relationships, re-orient their lives and restore personal and social integrity. While the article recognizes the impact of traumatic situations, it understands that victims of violence were also capable of surviving and carrying on in the face of adversity. Indeed, they were often able to confront such adversity, appealing to their resources, and to detect and accept alliances and collaborations in order to find or build social conditions and networks that allowed them to re-orient their lives. This article suggests that this emphasis on resources and the joint construction of alternatives provides an approach to the study of these processes and facilitates spaces of recovery and coexistence. The article proposes that, when recognized as such, these survival strategies can be expanded to promote the transformation of identity and social bonds that go beyond that initial resources of these survivors to facilitate their transformation into citizens with full rights, and have an impact not only on their living conditions but also social and political agendas.Em situações de conflito político-armados, a população civil termina afetada de maneiras muito dolorosas pelo impacto da violência, que também fragmenta o tecido social. Este artigo apresenta algumas aplicações do modelo generativo e suas metodologias para o enfrentamento da crise e conflitos que podem contribuir para que as pessoas recuperem seus recursos, significados e relações, reorientem suas vidas e restaurem sua integridade pessoal e social. Embora o artigo reconheça o impacto das situações traumáticas, entende que as vítimas da violência tiveram também a condição de pessoas capazes de sobreviver e se manter frente à adversidade – e, em muitos casos, enfrentá-la – apelando a seus recursos, sua capacidade para detectar e aceitar os encontros e colaborações disponíveis, para encontrar ou construir as condições e redes sociais que lhes permitiram reorientar suas vidas. Sugere-se que esta ênfase nos recursos e a construção conjunta de alternativas ofereça uma aproximação para estudar esses processos e possibilitar espaços de recuperação e convivência. Propõe-se que esta estratégia de sobrevivência – quando reconhecida como tal – pode se expandir, promovendo transformações de identidade e vínculos sociais para avançar mais além dos recursos com os que contam as pessoas rumo a sua transformação em cidadãos com direitos plenos, impactando não apenas suas condições de vida, mas também as agendas sociais e políticas

Afrontamiento generativo de crisis y conflictos en organizaciones

Este artículo entiende el análisis y la gestión generativa de conflictos y crisis como un nuevo paradigma en comunicación, y como una transformación cultural orientada a promover un abordaje productivo. Para ello presenta las nociones de conflicto, crisis y afrontamiento, los diferentes tipos de conflictos y crisis, las etapas de un proceso de crisis, las respuestas de las personas a los conflictos y crisis. Entiende el afrontamiento como una forma de coordinación social que requiere disposición a trabajar con otro(s). Implica que las personas puedan vincularse entre sí, escuchar lo que cada uno puede aportar, clarificar contextos y propósitos, poner el foco en los temas a resolver, expresarlos de manera adecuada y construir posibilidades que promuevan recursos para acciones específicas