Open Access Books

To communicate, speakers need to make it clear what they are talking about. Referring expressions play a crucial part in achieving this, by anchoring utterances to things. Examples of referring expressions include noun phrases such as “this phenomenon”, “it” and “the phenomenon to which this Topic is devoted”. Reference is studied throughout the Cognitive Sciences (from philosophy and logic to neuro-psychology, computer science and linguistics), because it is thought to lie at the core of all of communication. Recent years have seen a new wave of work on models of referring, as witnessed by a number of recent research projects, books, and journal Special Issues. The Research Topic “Models of Reference” in Frontiers in Psychology is a new milestone, focusing on contributions from Psycholinguistics and Computational Linguistics. The articles in it are concerned with such issues as audience design, overspecification, visual perception, and variation between speakers.

Accountability is crucial to every successful democratic system. The failure to develop functioning mechanisms of accountability has undermined democratic consolidation worldwide. Reliable tools that hold officials accountable are essential for democratic governance; one of the key threats to accountability comes from corrupt practices, especially when they are integrated—or normalized—in the day-to-day activities of institutions. This book focuses on the experiences of contemporary Ukraine to evaluate the successes and failures of institutions, politicians, political parties, bureaucracies, and civil society. Yet, the topic is directly relevant to countries that have experienced democratic backsliding, and especially those countries that are at risk. Normalizing Corruption addresses several interconnected questions: Under what circumstances do incumbents lose elections? How well do party organizations encourage cohesive behavior? Is executive authority responsive to inquiries from public organizations and other government institutions? How can citizens influence government actions? Do civil servants conduct their duties as impartial professionals, or are they beholden to other interests? The research builds upon extensive fieldwork, data collection, and data analysis that Erik S. Herron has conducted since 1999.

Ecuador's judicial system is facing a crisis that questions the effectiveness of jurisdictional guarantees, such as habeas corpus and the right to a fair trial. These tools, designed to protect fundamental rights, have been manipulated by high-profile criminals, thanks to corruption in the judicial system. Recent cases, such as the arrest of judges and police officers in 2024 for collaborating with criminals, show how these guarantees are distorted to provide impunity. The Constitutional Court has pointed out that legal mechanisms, such as the right to medical treatment and due process, have been used to free convicted criminals. This situation has generated a parallel system where citizens' rights are applied unequally, favoring those with resources and connections. Given this reality, it is crucial to reflect on the role of jurisdictional guarantees in Ecuador. Although they are essential for the protection of rights, their abuse raises serious questions about their implementation. This book invites readers to explore the challenges facing the justice system and to propose reforms that strengthen both the guarantees and the judicial system itself. It seeks to ensure that these tools fulfill their mission of protecting the rights of all, promoting a fair and equitable rule of law.

Jones, Barry Owen (1932– ). Australian politician, writer and lawyer, born in Geelong. Educated at Melbourne High School and Melbourne University, he was a public servant, high school teacher, television and radio performer, university lecturer and lawyer before serving as a Labor MP in the Victorian Parliament 1972–77 and the Australian House of Representatives 1977–98. He took a leading role in reviving the Australian film industry and abolishing the death penalty in Australia, and was the first politician to raise public awareness of global warming, the 'post‑industrial' society, the IT revolution, biotechnology, the rise of ‘the Third Age’ and the need to preserve Antarctica as a wilderness. In the *Hawke Government, he was Minister for Science 1983–90, Prices and Consumer Affairs 1987, Small Business 1987–90 and Customs 1988–90. He became a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO, Paris 1991–95 and National President of the Australian Labor Party 1992–2000, 2005–06. He was Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Convention 1998. His books include Decades of Decision 1860– (1965), Joseph II (1968) and Age of Apocalypse (1975), and he edited The Penalty Is Death (1968, revised and expanded 2022). Sleepers, Wake! Technology and the Future of Work was published by Oxford University Press in 1982, became a bestseller and has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Swedish and braille. The fourth edition was published in 1995. Knowledge Courage Leadership: Insights & Reflections, a collection of speeches and essays, appeared in 2016. He received a DSc in 1988 for his services to science and a DLitt in 1993 for his work on information theory. Elected FTSE (1992), FAHA (1993), FAA (1996) and FASSA (2003), he is the only person to have become a Fellow of four of Australia’s five learned Academies. Awarded an AO in 1993, named as one of Australia’s 100 ‘living national treasures’ in 1997, he was elected a Visiting Fellow Commoner of Trinity College, Cambridge in 1999. His autobiography, A Thinking Reed, was published in 2006 and The Shock of Recognition, about music and literature, in 2016. In 2014 he received an AC for services ‘as a leading intellectual in Australian public life’. What Is to Be Done was published by Scribe in 2020. ; Jones, Barry Owen (1932– ). Australian politician, writer and lawyer, born in Geelong. Educated at Melbourne University, he was a public servant, high school teacher, television and radio performer, university lecturer and lawyer before serving as a Labor MP in the Victorian Parliament 1972–77 and the Australian House of Representatives 1977–98. He took a leading role in reviving the Australian film industry, abolishing the death penalty in Australia, and was the first politician to raise public awareness of global warming, the ‘post-industrial’ society, the IT revolution, biotechnology, the rise of ‘the Third Age’ and the need to preserve Antarctica as a wilderness. In the Hawke Government, he was Minister for Science 1983–90, Prices and Consumer Affairs 1987, Small Business 1987–90 and Customs 1988–90. He became a member of the Executive Board of UNESCO, Paris 1991–95 and National President of the Australian Labor Party 1992–2000, 2005–06. He was Deputy Chairman of the Constitutional Convention 1998. His books include Decades of Decision 1860– (1965), Joseph II (1968), Age of Apocalypse (1975), and he edited The Penalty is Death (1968). Sleepers, Wake!: Technology and the Future of Work was published by Oxford University Press in 1982, became a bestseller and has been translated into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Swedish and braille. The fourth edition was published in 1995. Knowledge Courage Leadership, a collection of speeches and essays, appeared in 2016. He received a DSc for his services to science in 1988 and a DLitt in 1993 for his work on information theory. Elected FTSE (1992), FAHA (1993), FAA (1996) and FASSA (2003), he is the only person to have been elected to all four Australian learned Academies. Awarded an AO in 1993, named as one of Australia’s 100 ‘living national treasures’ in 1998, he was elected a Visiting Fellow Commoner of Trinity College, Cambridge in 1999. His autobiography, A Thinking Reed, was published in 2006 and The Shock of Recognition, about music and literature, in 2016. In 2014 he received an AC for services ‘as a leading intellectual in Australian public life’.

William Shakespeare’s King Lear has long received considerable attention for textual, philological and theatrical reasons. This monograph combines academic research and the close reading of the 1608 Quarto to find answers to the question what makes this play an outstanding and exceptional work of art. Written to be performed to a courtly audience, the text bears traces of the dramaturgical heritage of Tudor interludes as well as the tropes of early Jacobean public discourses. Relying on George Puttenham’s contemporaneous handbook of rhetorical and poetic conventions, the monograph argues that the corporeal image cluster of the text corresponds to the rhetoric of royal discourses based on the tropes of the body politic. Thus the 1608 King Lear Quarto stands as a dramatic response to royal propaganda and holds a mirror of governance to both the royal court and to King James, who supposedly was present at the first performance of the play in Whitehall.

El libro surge como resultado de la investigación, titulada ‘Conocimientos y prácticas en salud sexual y reproductiva en migrantes venezolanas con intención de permanencia en el municipio de Pasto’, a partir del cual se analizó una de las problemáticas que mayor impacto ha generado en las migrantes venezolanos, planteándose la necesidad de indagar la difícil situación que atraviesan estas personas en lo que respecta a su salud sexual y reproductiva y su incidencia en su calidad de vida.

Rechtsförmige Praktiken produzieren in der Praxis mit, was als Religion gilt, und bearbeiten das dynamische Verhältnis zu anderen normativen Ordnungen. Dieses Buch untersucht die Wirkungsweisen von Rechtspraktiken in religiösen Organisationen anhand der Presbyterian Church of the Gold Coast (1954-55). Empirische Grundlagen sind bisher unerforschte, von lokalen christlichen Mitarbeitern verfasste Protokollbücher von Ältestenrats-Sitzungen – der Basis der kirchlichen Organisations- und Rechtsstruktur. Die Fallanalysen zeigen die Protokolle als reichhaltige Dokumente afrikanischer Religions- und Alltagsgeschichte und arbeiten ein Set von Rechtspraktiken heraus.

This reprint focuses on the concepts, fundamentals, and definitions of the concept of nearly/net/zero, positive energy buildings/communities/districts, and their impact on built communities. It also provides details on the energy efficiency of buildings in communities and districts, the HVAC systems, short and long term energy storages, and renewable energy integration and controls. Built environments and businesses are moving towards energy efficiency, flexibility, and self-sufficiency, and this is discussed in detail. In addition to this, while looking at the present energy crises situation resulting from economic crises, climate change, and policy changes, the concept of energy resilience is also discussed. The development of future-proof buildings and built environments are of particular interest. Finally, the economical, social, and policy-related aspects are included in the reprint in order to provide solutions for various interested stakeholders, parties, and, in general, to society.

This reprint comprises a collection of 20 articles that were accepted and published in the Special Issue titled " Recent Advances in Swarm Intelligence Algorithms and Their Applications" of the MDPI journal Mathematics. These articles cover a wide range of topics related to swarm intelligence algorithms and their theories. The topics include improvements in algorithm mechanisms, fusion algorithms, multiobjective optimization, and the optimization of large-scale problems, as well as the application of swarm intelligence in various fields such as engineering optimization problems, vehicle swarm motion, viscoelastic Maxwell-type DVA, and deep learning. It is hoped that this reprint will be helpful for scholars engaged in the field of swarm intelligence and also suitable for researchers interested in staying updated with the latest advancements in swarm intelligence algorithms and their applications. Nowadays, swarm intelligence is closely intertwined with various aspects of life. This reprint aims to provide readers with an understanding of these developments and further expand the application boundaries of such algorithms.

Contemporary Spain reflects broader patterns of globalization and has been the site of tensions between nationalists and immigrants. This case study examines a rural town in Spain’s Andalucía in order to shed light on the workings of coexistence. The town of Órgiva’s diverse population includes hippies from across Europe, European converts to Sufi Islam, and immigrants from North Africa. Christina Civantos combines the analysis of written and visual cultural texts with oral narratives from residents. In this book, we see that although written and especially televisual narratives about the town highlight tolerance and multiculturalism, they mask tensions and power differentials. Toleration is an ongoing negotiation, and this book shows us how we can identify the points of contact that create robust, respect-based tolerance.

The book is part of an action-research project (MinViTI) dedicated to the accompaniment and support of youngsters who have a family member hospitalized in ICU. The book is designed for children aged 6 to 10 and their parents, so that, through the story of the Leo bear and his mother - cared for by the animals in the cave in the forest - they can find a way to recognize and share their emotions, activate resources and prepare for a possible visit to the Intensive Care Unit. The book is promoted in collaboration with the Intensive project, it, a scientific initiative supported by SIAARTI, ANIARTI, AAROI-EMAC, dedicated to the humanization of ICU care.

This book analyses differentiation in European integration from a Nordic perspective. Following an interdisciplinary approach and focusing on the idea of the Nordics as a laboratory of differentiation, the book explores specific Nordic concerns in policy fields such as the labour market, security and Justice and Home Affairs (JHA), EU institutions such as the European Commission and the Eurogroup, and legal issues such as the European Economic Area (EEA) law and European patent law. It discusses differentiation, particularly from the Nordic experiences, examines the lessons that can be learnt from them, and suggests more 'hidden' and less researched cases. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of European studies, European integration, Nordic studies, differentiated integration and more broadly to comparative politics.

After years of indiscriminate exploitation, the Anthropocene period is giving us back a nature whose reactions make the Earth less and less habitable: reversing the route has now become a urgent priority. The paradigm of ecosystem services is moving a step in the right direction in considering the multiplicity of benefits offered to mankind by the environment, but lends itself to quantitative drifts that risk extending commodification to the world of nature. This book investigates the consistency and usefulness for the sciences of the territory of the paradigm of ecosystem services from multiple disciplinary horizons, advancing the proposal to bring it back within a bioregional approach, with the introduction of the concept of eco-territorial services.

Saliva, as an innovative and accessible diagnostic fluid, is transforming research and clinical practice in both dentistry and medicine. This volume offers a comprehensive overview of advances in the use of salivary biomarkers and the evolving characteristics of this fluid, emphasizing their value in early diagnosis, monitoring, therapeutic response, and the prevention of a wide range of oral and systemic diseases. Key topics include the oxidant–antioxidant balance, xerostomia, hyposalivation, periodontal disease, glandular disorders, and the detection of potentially malignant lesions. The book also explores emerging approaches such as nanoparticle-based biosensors and novel technologies in salivary gland surgery. In addition, it presents new perspectives on the role of neuropeptides and cytokines in assessing stress and resilience, underscoring the significance of saliva as a window into complex biological processes. By bringing together the most up-to-date evidence and practical applications in a single volume, this book highlights the non-invasive, safe, and increasingly reliable nature of saliva as a source of clinical information. Aimed at researchers, health professionals, and students, this book serves as an essential guide to understanding the expanding potential of saliva as a diagnostic fluid and as a cornerstone in the future of personalized medicine and preventive dentistry.

Cette étude a pour terrain Saïda, principale ville du sud du Liban. Elle porte sur la façon dont Rafic Hariri (devenu premier ministre en 1992) est parti à la conquête d'une crédibilité politique qui lui faisait initialement défaut : pour construire son leadership, celui-ci a mis en place dans sa ville un réseau clientélaire, en y menant une action sociale et culturelle soutenue par un capital économique et un savoir-faire qu'il avait acquis en dehors de son pays. Ce processus, s'il s'inscrit...