Humanities & Social Sciences

This miscellaneous volume aims to present for the first time, in Italian language, the collection of short stories A China fica ao lado / La Cina è accanto by the Portuguese writer Maria Ondina Braga, concerning the Chinese migration flows to Macao in the ’60s of the past century. The collection was published for the first time in Lisbon in 1968 and translated for the first time in Chinese language in Macao in 1991.

Databases; Software development; Computer programming; Business applications; Computer networking and communications; Operating systems; Telecommunications; Communications engineering

The map highlights the share of online work supply in 2021, showing the countries in which it is mostly implemented.

This open access book discusses “slow electronics”, the study of devices processing signals with low frequencies. Computers have the remarkable ability to process data at high speeds, but they encounter difficulties when handling signals with low frequencies of less than ~100Hz. They unexpectedly require a substantial amount of energy. This poses a challenge for such as biomedical wearables and environmental monitors that need real-time processing of slow signals, especially in energy-limited 'edge’ environments with small batteries. One possible solution to this issue is event-driven processing, which entails the use of non-volatile memory to read/write data and parameters every time a slow (sporadic) signal is detected. However, this approach is highly energy-consuming and unsuitable for the edge environments. To address this challenge, the authors propose “slow electronics” by developing electronic devices and systems that can process low-frequency signals more efficiently. The biological brain is an excellent example of the slow electronics, as it processes low-frequency signals in real time with exceptional energy efficiency. The authors have employed reservoir computing with a spiking neural network (SNN) to simulate the learning and inference of the brain. The integration of slow electronics with SNN reservoir computing allows for real-time data processing in edge environments without an internet connection. This will reveal the determinism or periodicity behind unconscious behaviours and habits that have been difficult to explore due to privacy barriers thus far. Moreover, it may provide a more profound understanding of a craftsman's skills, which they may not even be aware of. This book emphasises the most recent concepts and technological developments in slow electronics. Discussion on the captivating subject of slow electronics are given by delving into the complexities of reservoir calculation, analogue CMOS circuits, artificial neuromorphic devices, and numerical simulation with extended time constants, paving the way for more people-friendly devices in the future.

So far, human-machine encounters have primarily been tested and monitored in controlled laboratory settings. However, the first robots that are used in care, service and education are already being sold commercially. The contributors grapple with methodological challenges in investigating communicative AI systems in (inter-)action. They investigate how these studies can be composed and what kinds of insights such research can provide. With this, the anthology brings together contributions from a growing community of researchers who are committed to exploring communicative AI »in (inter-)action« by using and adapting qualitative (and mostly ethnographic) methods.

Statistics and probability are fascinating fields, tightly interwoven with the context of the problems which have to be modelled. The authors demonstrate how investigations and experiments provide promising teaching strategies to help high-school students acquire statistical and probabilistic literacy. In the first chapter the authors put into practice the following educational principles, reflecting their views of how these subjects should be taught: a focus on the most relevant ideas and postpone extensions to later stages; illustrating the complementary/dual nature of statistical and probabilistic reasoning; utilising the potential of technology and show its limits; and reflecting on the different levels of formalisation to meet the wide variety of students’ previous knowledge, abilities, and learning types. The remaining chapters deal with exploratory data analysis, modelling information by probabilities, exploring and modelling association, and with sampling and inference. Throughout the book, a modelling view of the concepts guides the presentation. In each chapter, the development of a cluster of fundamental ideas is centred around a statistical study or a real-world problem that leads to statistical questions requiring data in order to be answered. The concepts developed are designed to lead to meaningful solutions rather than remain abstract entities. For each cluster of ideas, the authors review the relevant research on misconceptions and synthesise the results of research in order to support teaching of statistics and probability in high school. What makes this book unique is its rich source of worked-through tasks and its focus on the interrelations between teaching and empirical research on understanding statistics and probability.

The Anthropological Papers of the University of Arizona is a peer-reviewed monograph series sponsored by the School of Anthropology. Established in 1959, the series publishes archaeological and ethnographic papers that use contemporary method and theory to investigate problems of anthropological importance in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and related areas.

This collection brings together activism-informed disability research conducted both IN and FROM the region by scholars and activists representing local communities and languages. Disability in Central and Eastern Europe is situated between ethnic and national identities and languages, socialist/communist and harshly capitalist and neoliberal orders, shifting state borders, policies and regimes, and the fact that disability studies is not yet an academically institutionalised field that manoeuvres between different disciplines. This inherent inbetweenness fuels disability studies in CEE with the diversity of the rich and diverse systems of knowledge and experience. A carefully curated selection of chapters is centred around three main themes that animate contemporary disability studies in CEE: local disability histories that contribute to global disability history disability activism and (auto-)biographical methods in disability studies the impact of artistic practices and texts, and accessibility of technology Bringing together a diverse group of researchers working in Bosnian, Bulgarian, Croatian, Czech, Hungarian, Latvian, Polish, Polish Sign Language, Serbian and Slovenian, it will be of interest to all scholars and students of disability studies, sociology, social policy, cultural studies and regional studies more broadly.

This book offers a synthesis of social science and evolutionary approaches to the study of intergenerational relations, using biological, psychological and sociological factors to develop a single framework for understanding why kin help one another across generations. With attention to both biological family relations as well as in-law and step-relations, it provides an overview of existing studies centred on intergenerational relations – particularly grandparenting – that incorporate social science and evolutionary family theories. This evolutionary social science approach to intergenerational family relations goes well beyond the traditional nature versus nurture distinction. As such, it will appeal to scholars across a range of disciplines with interests in relations of kinship, the lifecourse and the sociology of the family.

This chapter presents an overview of the period of transition in British India which led to the Indianisation of the Civil Services and saw the emergence of Indian administrators who represented India in International forums and led diplomatic missions overseas. It reflects on the strong impressions left by the first Indian prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru on global affairs and the prominent diplomats who shaped the course of Indian foreign affairs and diplomatic ties with other nations post-independence.

This book explains how Food Policy Councils solve critical food systems problems by creating just and resilient ways of producing, harvesting, manufacturing, distributing, and consuming food and managing food waste, using methods that encourage civic engagement and strengthen democratic processes. Although there are over 300 Food Policy Councils operating all across the United States, and scores in other countries, their critical work is not widely known. Due to the universal importance of food in people’s lives, Food Policy Councils represent an underutilized and underestimated tool to build community power and strengthen democratic engagement. The book presents a path forward for existing Food Policy Councils to grow their impact and shares tips for advocates planning to start new food policy councils. Success depends on several important skills: understanding how to bring people together across differences to find common ground, raising funds successfully for yourself and your stakeholders, and increasing community members’ abilities to advocate for changes in public policy and regulations. There are more and less successful ways to work to change the food system. This book will help food system leaders focus on the ones that work best, so Food Policy Councils can make a sustainable, significant impact. This book will appeal to professionals and researchers in the fields of food policy, food systems, governance and consumption, and anyone who is interested in civic engagement on matters involving food, nutrition and public health.

Verpackungen sind ambivalent: Einerseits erfüllen sie vielseitige Funktionen und prägen dadurch unsere Versorgungs- und Ernährungsmuster, andererseits sind sie mit ihrer sehr kurzen Lebensdauer das Wegwerfprodukt schlechthin. Als Abfall verschmutzen sie nicht nur Ökosysteme, auch ihre Entsorgung oder ihr Recycling sind äußerst ressourcenintensiv. »Precycling«, also die Vermeidung von Verpackungsabfällen, ist daher ein wichtiges Anliegen in Wissenschaft und Praxis. Die Beiträger*innen geben einen Einblick in das komplexe Thema und fächern die Spannungsfelder auf. Dabei wird deutlich: Technische, soziale, ökonomische und regulative Ansätze müssen beim Precycling ineinandergreifen, um Verpackungsabfälle effektiv und nachhaltig zu reduzieren.

How Democracy Survives explores how liberal democracy can better adapt to the planetary challenges of our time by evolving beyond the Westphalian paradigm of the nation state. The authors bring perspectives from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America, their chapters engaging with the concept of transnational democracy by tracing its development in the past, assessing its performance in the present, and considering its potential for survival in this century and beyond. Coming from a wide array of intellectual disciplines and policymaking backgrounds, the authors share a common conviction that our global institutions—both governments and international organizations—must become more resilient, transparent, and democratically accountable in order to address the cascading political, economic, and social crises of this new epoch, such as climate change, mass migration, more frequent and severe natural disasters, and resurgent authoritarianism. This book will be relevant for courses in international relations and political science, environmental politics, and the preservation of democracy and federalism around the world. The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 license. Thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched www.knowledgeunlatched.org

Background: A growing body of scientific literature points to the consequences of various factors related to housing status on the well-being of individuals, particularly the elderly. This project aims to develop models that guarantee high-quality care for older people living in the province of Bolzano based on quantitative data analysis. Current changes within the family structure make it increasingly necessary to find new answers to the needs of the elderly. Based on these assumptions, we will investigate which support options encourage older people to live longer in their own homes. Methods: The sample is characterized by individuals residing in South Tyrol, living in their own homes and over 60 years of age. A 14-page questionnaire was administered in 2020 in German and Italian to 536 individuals. Utilizing a latent class model, we first tried to identify which factors act as resources and which as barriers for older people. In addition, using a quantile model, we investigated some aspects of satisfaction with the neighbourhood, measured with a 10-point scale. Results: The study shows that architectural barriers and harmful sanitary conditions are negatively associated with housing satisfaction. At the same time, social activities, a good relationship with the neighbourhood and safe living conditions act as resources. The role of neighbours and voluntary work increase housing satisfaction and ensure that older people stay in their homes as long as possible, playing a crucial role in this respect. With regards to the satisfaction with the neighbourhood, we can observe that the effect tends to be much stronger and more negative for individuals with an overall low neighbourhood frequency. Discussion: as in previous research, the objective indicators showed a more significant impact, while the positive results regarding some subjective factors deserve further investigation.

This open access book investigates the transnationally connected history of Arab Christian communities in Palestine during the British Mandate (1918-1948) through the lens of the birth of cultural diplomacy. Relying predominantly on unpublished sources, it examines the relationship between European cultural agendas and local identity formation processes and discusses the social and religious transformations of Arab Christian communities in Palestine via cultural lenses from an entangled perspective. The 17 chapters reflect diverse research interests, from case studies of individual archives to chapters that question the concept of cultural diplomacy more generally. They illustrate the diversity of scholarship that enables a broad-based view of how cultural diplomacy functioned during the interwar period, but also the ways in which its meanings have changed. The book considers British Mandate Palestine as an internationalized node within a transnational framework to understand how the complexity of cultural interactions and agencies engaged to produce new modes of modernity.