Open Access Books

This book examines authoritarian practices in relation to humanitarian negotiations. Utilising a wide variety of perspectives and examining a range of contexts, the book considers how humanitarians assess and engage with authoritarian practices and negotiate access to populations in danger. Chapters provide insights at the macro, meso, and micro levels through case studies on the international and domestic legal and political framing of humanitarian contexts (Xinjiang, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Russia, and Syria), as well as the actual practice of negotiating with authoritarian regimes (Ethiopia). A theoretical grounding is provided through chapters elaborating on the ethics and trust-building dimensions of humanitarian negotiations, and an overview chapter provides a theoretical framework through which to analyse humanitarian negotiations against the backdrop of different types of authoritarian practices. This book provides a wide-ranging view which broadens the frame of reference when considering how humanitarians view and engage with authoritarian practices. The objective is to both put these contexts into conceptual order and provide a firm theoretical basis for understanding the politics of humanitarian negotiations in such difficult contexts. This book is useful for those studying international politics and humanitarian studies, as well as for practitioners seeking to better systematise their humanitarian negotiations.

"Living Earth Community: Multiple Ways of Being and Knowing is a celebration of the diversity of ways in which humans can relate to the world around them, and an invitation to its readers to partake in planetary coexistence. Innovative, informative, and highly accessible, this interdisciplinary anthology of essays brings together scholars, writers and educators across the sciences and humanities, in a collaborative effort to illuminate the different ways of being in the world and the different kinds of knowledge they entail – from the ecological knowledge of Indigenous communities, to the scientific knowledge of a biologist and the embodied knowledge communicated through storytelling. This anthology examines the interplay between Nature and Culture in the setting of our current age of ecological crisis, stressing the importance of addressing these ecological crises occurring around the planet through multiple perspectives. These perspectives are exemplified through diverse case studies – from the political and ethical implications of thinking with forests, to the capacity of storytelling to motivate action, to the worldview of the Indigenous Okanagan community in British Columbia. Living Earth Community: Multiple Ways of Being and Knowing synthesizes insights from across a range of academic fields, and highlights the potential for synergy between disciplinary approaches and inquiries. This anthology is essential reading not only for researchers and students, but for anyone interested in the ways in which humans interact with the community of life on Earth, especially during this current period of environmental emergency. "

The continuous miniaturization of products and the growing complexity of their embedded multifunctionalities necessitates continuous research and development efforts regarding micro components and related micro manufacturing technologies. Highly miniaturized systems, manufactured using a wide variety of materials, have found application in key technological fields, such as healthcare devices, micro implants, mobility, communications, optics, and micro electromechanical systems. Innovations required for the high-precision manufacturing of micro components can specifically be achieved through optimizations using post-process (i.e., offline) and in-process (i.e., online) metrology of both process input and output parameters, as well as geometrical features of the produced micro parts. However, it is of critical importance to reduce the metrology and optimization efforts, since process and product quality control can represent a significant portion of the total production time in micro manufacturing. To solve this fundamental challenge, research efforts have been undertaken in order to define, investigate, implement, and validate the so-called “product/process manufacturing fingerprint” concept. The “product manufacturing fingerprint” concept refers to those unique dimensional outcomes (e.g., surface topography, form error, critical dimensions, etc.) on the produced component that, if kept under control and within specifications, ensure that the entire micro component complies to its specifications. The “process manufacturing fingerprint” is a specific process parameter or feature to be monitored and controlled, in order to maintain the manufacture of products within the specified tolerances. By integrating both product and process manufacturing fingerprint concepts, the metrology and optimization efforts are highly reduced. Therefore, the quality of the micro products increases, with an obvious improvement in production yield. Accordingly, this Special Issue seeks to showcase research papers, short communications, and review articles that focus on novel methodological developments and applications in micro- and sub-micro-scale manufacturing, process monitoring and control, as well as micro and sub-micro product quality assurance. Focus will be on micro manufacturing process chains and their micro product/process fingerprint, towards full process optimization and zero-defect micro manufacturing.

Two exceptionally well preserved sites were discovered in 2000 on the backshore of Baie Orientale on the island of Saint Martin, Lesser Antilles: Mesoindian camps (800 BC — 100 AD), where subsistence activities were associated with stone, shell and coral tool manufacturing, which was previously unknown for the Preceramic period, and a Early Neoindian site (740-960 AD) interpreted as a specialized satellite camp of the village of Pointe du Canonnier, thus corresponding to a territorial settlement pattern that is characteristic of this period. The innovative and original study proposed by Dominique Bonnissent sheds light on the complex lifestyle of the nomadic Preceramic populations that moved about the Caribbean Ocean. This work henceforth provides an indispensible resource for Caribbean Pre-Columbian archaeology. At the beginning of each chapter, a substantial summary with bibliographic references and figure citations allow English and Spanish speaking readers to consult the essential data and arguments.

Les parcours sociaux se trouvent aujourd'hui bouleversés. Ils ont été transformés en profondeur par un ensemble de dynamiques sociales puissantes : allongement de l'existence, désinstitutionnalisation du cours de vie, globalisation, processus de singularisation, accélération des changements sociaux. Aussi sont-ils désormais plus complexes, moins linéaires, moins standardisés, plus réversibles qu'ils ne l'étaient il y a quelques décennies. Fort de ce constat, cet ouvrage se propose de contribuer aux réflexions actuelles sur le concept de parcours social en donnant à voir comment les parcours sociaux contemporains se construisent à la croisée des contraintes sociétales et des choix individuels. Réunissant de riches études de cas, il approfondit l'analyse de trois dimensions clés des parcours sociaux – leurs dynamiques temporelle, résidentielle et professionnelle – tout en s'interrogeant sur les interactions entre ces différentes dimensions.

Dos cambios macroestructurales centrales se ven reflejados en los trabajos sociológicamente relevantes de la década pasada sobre América Latina: primero, la larga ola de regresión económica que se inició en los años 1970, y que ha fluctuado entre altas y bajas durante las dos décadas que siguieron, y que desestructuró los mercados laborales, abriendo cauces a la informalidad y la entrada de la mujer en el mundo del trabajo remunerado; segundo, la desaparición paulatina de los gobiernos de excepción y su reemplazo por gobiernos elegidos. Ambos fenómenos han cambiado profundamente las concepciones que se tuvieron en periodos anteriores sobre las consecuencias económicas del desarrollo capitalista y la génesis de la democracia en los países del tercer mundo. Este volumen ofrece al lector una mirada crítica sobre las mutaciones en la forma de analizar a estas dos transformaciones sociales cruciales de final del siglo XX.

Epoxy resins are versatile, high-performance materials essential to modern industry, used in coatings, adhesives, composites, and advanced technologies. This book offers a concise and comprehensive overview of recent developments in epoxy science, from conventional systems to sustainable, bio-based, and nanostructured materials. It highlights their exceptional mechanical, thermal, and dielectric properties, as well as innovations to improve performance and environmental compatibility. Combining scientific fundamentals with practical insights, the volume serves as a valuable reference for researchers, engineers, and students interested in the design and application of next-generation epoxy materials.

The book is an analysis of Greek Hellenistic literature with the help of conceptual tools of cultural studies and media theory. Its main aim is to describe the cultural process during which Greek authors in the 4th and 3rd centuries B.C. made the “textualization of experience", that is, transferred phenomenalistically understood qualities of human sensory experience to the categories characteristic for textual description – as far as possible for them. This process is shown by examples from the works of Xenophon, Aristotle, Theophrastus, Philitas of Kos and Archimedes. The author also tries to show some of the consequences that the phenomenon of the Hellenistic textualization of experience had for the later epochs of European culture.

This book examines innovative methodologies and educational strategies aimed at fostering health and wellbeing in the classroom across different educational levels. Throughout seven chapters, the authors present interdisciplinary approaches that integrate emotional education, values-based learning, art, dance, role-playing, and virtual environments as tools for the holistic development of students. The contributions address key aspects such as emotional intelligence, cognitive and emotional learning, academic performance, and preparation for the professional and social challenges of the 21st century. Drawing on empirical studies, case analyses, and applied educational projects, the book highlights the importance of creating emotionally healthy learning environments that promote personal growth, social responsibility, and mental health. The combination of theoretical perspectives and practical experiences makes this book a valuable resource for teachers, researchers, and education professionals committed to student wellbeing and pedagogical innovation.

This volume is an excellent reference work for readers interested in the theoretical dimensions of the work of international courts and in the reasoning and interpretation by international courts and tribunals. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.

Published

The paper deals with the problem of transition in argumentation from a statement that everything except one is permitted to the conclusion that nothing is permitted; the motivation of the analysis is a story of the biblical serpent from Genesis 2-3. We suppose that the reasoning of the serpent is an example of nonconclusive argumentation, i.e.. an argument pars pro toto (apparent enthymeme) which can be often found in contemporary argumentations.

Ces dernières années, certains événements spectaculaires ont révélé au grand public l'existence d'une dimension islamique des relations internationales. Mais cette « révélation » n'a pas été suivie par un effort de réflexion systématique sur le sens, les origines, les aspirations de cette diplomatie islamique qui semble défier l'ordre international. L'objet de cet ouvrage est précisément de pallier, dans la mesure du possible, cette carence. Il cherche à montrer que cette action diplomatique...

Heusler type magnetic shape memory alloys (MSMAs) have gained a strong academic and practical importance during recent decades due to the giant effects they exhibit, particularly magnetostrain produced by magnetic field-induced twin boundaries motion and magneto(elasto)-caloric effects resulting from the magnetic field-induced martensitic transformation. This Special Issue intends to communicate the latest advances in R&D and theory of MSMAs. This book consists of a collection of eleven invited peer-reviewed papers, each detailing a particular aspect in the fundamental and/or applied investigation of MSMAs and related phenomena. The papers are a corpus of up-to-date information on the ongoing studies of MSMAs. It is hoped that this reprint will be useful to physicists and materials scientists, both specialists and graduate students, and enable future technological breakthroughs in engineering.