Open Access Books

Maya sacbeob, or raised “white roads,” are often considered a single class of features, with a sole purpose. In this first systematic examination of their functions, meanings, arrangements, and construction styles, Justine Shaw reveals that these causeways served a variety of cultural and natural functions. In White Roads of the Yucatán, author Justine Shaw presents original field data collected with the Cochuah Regional Archaeological Survey at two ancient Maya sites, Ichmul and Yo’okop. Both centers chose to invest enormous resources in the construction of monumental roadways during a time of social and political turmoil in the Terminal Classic period. Shaw carefully examines why it was at this point—and no other—that the settlements made such a decision. She argues that both settlements used the sacbeob as a method of socially integrating the largest, most diverse and dispersed population in the Cochuah region. She further demonstrates that their use of the sacbeob, in concert with other innovative strategies, allowed Ichmul and Yo’okop to outlast many of the sites that they may have sought to emulate and to flourish during a time of tremendous sociopolitical and economic change. In addition to her detailed discussion of these two sites, Shaw provides an exhaustive review of the literature of Maya sacbeob archaeology, describing various interpretations of construction, features, and variability. This synthetic and interpretive treatment will aid researchers working on a variety of complex civilizations with road systems, as well as those interested in core-periphery relationships, cultural collapse, and social integration.

This study provides readers with valuable insights into the local adaptation processes of Turkey's migration regime since 2011, particularly in the context of Syrian refugee migration. Through innovative methodological triangulation of text mining, Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), and interviews, local migration policies and the role of international NGOs are comprehensively analysed. The research includes 1,118 administrative documents and numerous interviews to identify changes and patterns in migration governance. An indispensable work for scholars, policymakers, and NGOs, it sheds light on the complex dynamics and political transformations in host countries. The author is an expert on migration policy and local governance in Germany.

Magnetic skyrmionics is an advanced and active research field, which involves fundamental physics, the creation of efficient next-generation high-density information devices, the formation and manipulation of nanometer-size skyrmions in devices, and the development of compatible materials at room temperature. The magnetic skyrmions found in magnetic materials exhibit spiral magnetism. This book presents a basic overview of magnetic skyrmions along with current research on magnetic skyrmions, emphasizing formation mechanisms and materials design strategies. This book is suitable for an interdisciplinary audience of undergraduates, graduates, engineers, scientists, and researchers in the development of the next generation of spintronic devices.

Domestic devotion has become an increasingly important area of research in recent years, with the publication of a number of significant studies on the early modern period in particular. This Special Issue aims to build on these works and to expand their range, both geographically and chronologically. This collection focuses on lived religion and the devotional practices found in the domestic settings of late medieval and early modern Europe. More particularly, it investigates the degree to which the experience of personal or familial religious practice in the domestic realm intersected with the more public expression of faith in liturgical or communal settings. Its broad geographical range (spanning northern, southern, central and eastern Europe) includes practices related to Christianity, Judaism and Islam. This Special Issue will be of interest to historians, art historians, medievalists, early modernists, historians of religion, anthropologists and theologians, as well as those interested in the history of material religious culture. It also offers important insights into research areas such as gender studies, histories of the emotions and histories of the senses.

Available Open Access under CC-BY-NC-ND licence We live in a society that is increasingly preoccupied with allocating blame: when something goes wrong someone must be to blame. Bringing together philosophical, psychological, and sociological accounts of blame, this is the first detailed criminological account of the role of blame in which the authors present a novel study of the legal process of blame attribution, set in the context of criminalisation as a social and political process. This timely and topical book will be essential reading for anyone working or researching in the criminal justice field. It will also be of wider interest to anyone wishing to discover the role of blame in modern society.

Die axiomatisierte Darstellung einer mathematischen Theorie gilt traditionell als ein Ideal der Wissenschaftlichkeit. Euklids 'Elemente' und Newtons 'Mathematische Prinzipien der Naturphilosophie' werden oft als epochale Werke der Axiomatik genannt. Von vorerst unbewiesenen Prinzipien oder Axiomen, die in materieller wie auch formaler Hinsicht tragende Säulen des jeweiligen Wissensgebäudes bilden, werden weitere Gesetze und Theoreme über logische Beziehungen und sachbezogene Zusatzannahmen gefolgert. Man gewinnt den Eindruck, die ganze Theorie im Blick zu haben, ohne dabei das einzelne Phänomen zu verlieren. Heute hat die axiomatisierte Darstellung einer wissenschaftlichen Theorie allerdings nicht mehr diejenige Selbstverständlichkeit, die ihr bis ins 20. Jahrhundert hinein zugekommen ist. Das gilt besonders für die Repräsentation von naturwissenschaftlichen Theorien. Von Seiten vieler Physiker und Wissenschaftstheoretiker findet man immer wieder den Vorwurf der gedanklichen Starre und Unangemessenheit, die bei der Entdeckung von neuartigen Gesetzen sogar hinderlich sein könne. Das eben angedeutete Spannungsfeld zwischen logischer Analyse und empirischer Gesetzmäßigkeit in der Beurteilung von axiomatisierten Theorien ist der Ausgangspunkt, von dem aus diese Untersuchung ansetzt. Das Buch konzentriert sich dabei auf eine systematische Betrachtung der Klassischen Mechanik des 20. Jahrhunderts, als diese einerseits zu einer bewährten, umfassend mathematisierten Naturwissenschaft herangewachsen war und andererseits durch neuere Mechaniken (Quantentheorie und Relativitätstheorie) eingeschränkt wurde. Entsprechend gibt es erkenntnistheoretische Gründe für die gewandelte Auffassung über Axiomatik, die im Buch beleuchtet werden. Verfehlte Kritiken wie auch echte Repräsentationsprobleme von Axiomatisierungen, die bei empirischen Gesetzen auftreten, stehen im Vordergrund. Dabei wird vor allem die neuere, wegweisende Variante eines Begründungsversuchs betrachtet, die als 'axiomatische Methode' nach dem Göttinger Mathematiker David Hilbert (1862-1943) bekannt ist. Entscheidend ist hierbei, dass nur systematische Kennzeichnungen der konstitutiven Begriffe und Gesetze im axiomatischen Aufbau betrachtet werden. Ausgeklammert werden axiomatische Aussagen darüber, woraus die Objekte 'materiell' bestehen, was sie 'sind'. Das eröffnet die Möglichkeit, allein Systemmerkmale zur logischen Beurteilung der wissenschaftlichen Theorie heranzuziehen. In dem Buch wird die Umsetzung der axiomatischen Methode auf dem Gebiet der Klassischen Mechanik durch den Mechanik-Experten Georg Hamel (1877-1954) untersucht. Eines von Hamels Hauptwerken, die 'Axiome der Mechanik' von 1927, stellt ein umfassendes Axiomensystem der Klassischen Mechanik dar. Der Titel des Buches orientiert sich entsprechend an Hamels Schrift, um die These zu unterstreichen, dass Hamel den vereinheitlichenden wie regressiven Anspruch der axiomatischen Methode tatsächlich auf dem Gebiet der Mechanik aufzeigen konnte. Als wesentliche Besonderheit werden nach Hamel mehrere traditionelle 'Zugänge' zur Klassischen Mechanik nebeneinander gestellt, die in ihrer formalen Struktur deutliche Unterschiede aufweisen: die Punktmechanik, die Mechanik starrer Körper, die Kontinuumsmechanik und die analytische Mechanik. Es werden erstmals Grenzübergänge zwischen diesen verschiedenen Zugängen zur Klassischen Mechanik aufgezeigt, eine Analyse, die mit dem so genannten sechsten Problem Hilberts maßgeblich identifiziert wird. Im Resultat wird illustriert, dass es übertrieben formalistische Vorstellungen vom logischen Ideal einer Axiomatisierung waren und sind, die zu ihrer Ablehnung in wissenschaftlichen Kreisen geführt haben. Gemeint ist vor allem die aktuell diskutierte 'semantische Sichtweise' auf wissenschaftliche Theorien. In einer Rückbesinnung auf informelle Axiomatisierungen nach Hilbert und Hamel werden schließlich die entscheidenden Impulse für ein modernes und vielseitiges Theorieverständnis der Klassischen Mechanik gesehen.

Since the liberal turn of the 1990s, psychotherapies have been booming in Indian society. This book, devoted to the particular case of psychoanalysis in Delhi, describes how this new practice is becoming part of of new lifestyles. Why is therapy becoming an increasingly common practice? What need does it meet? How does the social structure of the Indian world influence therapy and what are the particularities of Indian-style therapy, compared to its other variations (European or North American in particular)? Based on a rich ethnography and many case studies, Anne Gagnant de Weck shows how the contemporary experience of therapy reflects the tensions caused by the highly contested progression of individualistic values (of autonomy, choice and personal happiness) in a caste society reputed to sanctify the group and deny any value to the individual. By articulating a question about the meaning of therapy in individual lives with a question about the form of its device, the author offers a rich and nuanced description, through the prism of intimacy, of the mental universe of the “new middle class” in India and allows us to advance our own knowledge of psychoanalysis.

This book presents a selection of papers representing current research on using field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for realising image processing algorithms. These papers are reprints of papers selected for a Special Issue of the Journal of Imaging on image processing using FPGAs. A diverse range of topics is covered, including parallel soft processors, memory management, image filters, segmentation, clustering, image analysis, and image compression. Applications include traffic sign recognition for autonomous driving, cell detection for histopathology, and video compression. Collectively, they represent the current state-of-the-art on image processing using FPGAs.

Heart valves are the basic functional structure of the heart to obtain, sustain, and maintain blood circulations in the body without energy loss, allowing blood regurgitation or obstructing blood flow. There are two basic designs of heart valves: actively protected via subvalvular apparatus (atrioventricular valves) and passively strengthened (ventriculoarterial valves). The embryologic and morphologic development of heart valves is the key stage to continue normofunctional structure and physiological behavior. Fetal anomalies, embryologic defects, or non-development pathologies may damage the structure of heart valves and cause functional deterioration at different grades. In this book, we have focused on specific pathologies, which require special knowledge and treatment modalities.

Aunque resulte tan poco conocido como enormemente olvidado, fue el libro Cuba revolucionaria quien inició una teorización marxistafeminista del trabajo doméstico. Desde La Habana, Isabel Larguía y John Dumoulin comenzaron a difundir su primer manuscrito titulado “Por un feminismo cientíco", editado en 1971 por Casa de Las Américas. Sus esfuerzos intelectuales estaban dirigidos a comprender las modalidades de explotación que atañen a las mujeres, así como las posibles alternativas emancipatorias. Su objetivo no era tanto el de agregar una nota al pie a los escritos de Karl Marx y Friedrich Engels sino poner en tensión los límites del marxismo y el feminismo a la hora de interceptar la opresión de las mujeres. La contribución de Larguía-Dumoulin constituye un modo de adentrarnos a los complejos y no siempre armoniosos vínculos entre el feminismo y marxismo, introduciéndonos histórica y políticamente en las tensiones y acercamientos que se produjeron entre feministas y otras organizaciones de izquierda en América Latina y El Caribe. Este ensayo -merecedor del Premio Fondo nacional de las Artes de Argentina- es decididamente polifónico. Está hecho de retazos de memorias, de escritura feminista que actualmente goza el estatuto de archivo, discursos historiográficos, análisis teóricos, declaraciones sociales y renovados estudios cubanos sobre las mujeres. Mabel Bellucci y Emmanuel Theumer

Pendant longtemps, l'histoire n'a retenu de la Première Guerre mondiale en Orient que le rôle de son brillant agent Lawrence d'Arabie. Le succès mondial des Sept piliers de la Sagesse a fortement contribué à répandre la vision d'une nation arabe en quelque sorte créée par les Britanniques et à l'inverse repoussée avec virulence par les Français. S'appuyant sur des fonds d'archives français en grande partie inédits, Vincent Cloarec entreprend ici une relecture non seulement de l'action britannique mais également des rapports entre Français et Arabes au début du xxe siècle. Il montre que la France tient une place prépondérante en Orient jusqu'à la guerre, grâce à la mise en place par la IIIe République d'une véritable « civilisation levantine ». Il souligne la vigueur d'une politique partagée entre maintien des formes d'influence traditionnelles et volonté d'accompagner les changements identitaires en cours : la France est à l'origine des principales initiatives prises en Orient durant la guerre, notamment celle aboutissant à la révolte arabe de 1916 et, au milieu de la guerre, elle amorce une véritable politique arabe qui annonce la diplomatie gaullienne des années 1960. L'auteur analyse également les contradictions de son action, fondées essentiellement sur l'absence d'une vision claire de la Syrie et des Syriens, ainsi que sur la crainte de l'émergence d'une nation arabe. Ces incohérences aboutissent à la fin de la guerre - puis à travers les traités de 1919-1923 - à cette aberration que sont les mandats de Syrie et du Liban. Vincent Cloarec, dans la tradition des grands travaux de l'histoire des relations internationales, s'attache à démonter tous les ressorts d'une politique de puissance en redonnant pleinement sa place à l'un des axes majeurs des relations franco-arabes depuis un siècle : la politique culturelle.

Quatrième et dernier volume d’une série consacrée aux géographes arabes du haut Moyen Âge, ce livre se propose d’étudier à travers eux la vie des hommes de l’Islam en un des moments les plus intenses de sa civilisation. Non pas tant, à vrai dire, la vie décrite par l’histoire au sens strict, que celle que ces hommes ont regardée, interrogée, rêvée peut-être. Le temps dans lequel elle s’inscrit, les héritages assumés par l’Islam, l’organisation de l’espace, les formes de la vie sociale, notamment la ville, cette expression privilégiée de la civilisation arabo-musulmane, les échanges noués entre les pays et les gens, l’économie, la vie au jour le jour : autant d’occasions de regards sur soi-même. Et pour nous, autant d’occasions de regarder ce regard.

This is the latest book in a series of cardiovascular-related texts from IntechOpen Publishing. The present volume considers general aspects of cardiac disease and is divided into three distinct sections covering cardiac risk, cardiorenal pathology, and novel interventional surgical techniques. The chapters offer insight into the current state of the art with respect to the risks of developing cardiovascular diseases, maintenance of patent vascular access in patients with the cardiorenal syndrome, and a plethora of novel interventional technologies all aimed at salvaging damaged tissue and improving prognosis and reducing mortality. This volume of 18 chapters is intended for general medical and biomedical students at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. It also offers insightful updates on recent advances in the understanding of the pathophysiology of cardiac diseases and the new techniques added to the medical armamentarium to improve the outcomes and prevent mortality and would be of interest to those working in academia and healthcare science.

This grammar provides a synchronic grammatical description of Mauwake, a Papuan Trans-New Guinea (TNG) language of about 2000 speakers on the north coast of the Madang Province in Papua New Guinea. It is the first book-length treatment of the Mauwake language and the only published grammar of the Kumil subgroup to date. Relying on other existing published and unpublished grammars, the author shows how the language is similar to, or different from, related TNG languages especially in the Madang province. The grammar gives a brief introduction to the Mauwake people, their environment and their culture. Although the book mainly covers morphology and syntax, it also includes ashort treatment of the phonological system and the orthography. The description of the grammatical units proceeds from the words/morphology to the phrases, clauses, sentence types and clause combinations. The chapter on functional domains is the only one where the organization is based on meaning/function rather than structure. The longest chapter in the book is on morphology, with verbs taking the central stage. The final chapter deals with the pragmatic functions theme, topic and focus. 13 texts by native speakers, mostly recorded and transcribed but some originally written, are included in the Appendix with morpheme-by-morpheme glosses and a free translation. The theoretical approach used is that of Basic Linguistic Theory. Language typologists and professional Papuanist linguists are naturally one target audience for the grammar. But also two other possible, and important, audiences influenced especially the style the writing: well educated Mauwake speakers interested in their language, and those other Papua New Guineans who have some basic training in linguistics and are keen to explore their own languages.

The 43rd UID conference, held in Genova, takes up the theme of ‘Dialogues’ as practice and debate on many fundamental topics in our social life, especially in these complex and not yet resolved times. The city of Genova offers the opportunity to ponder on the value of comparison and on the possibilities for the community, naturally focused on the aspects that concern us, as professors, researchers, disseminators of knowledge, or on all the possibile meanings of the discipline of representation and its dialogue with ‘others’, which we have broadly catalogued in three macro areas: History, Semiotics, Science / Technology. Therefore, “dialogue” as a profitable exchange based on a common language, without which it is impossible to comprehend and understand one another; and the graphic sign that connotes the conference is the precise transcription of this concept: the title ‘translated’ into signs, derived from the visual alphabet designed for the visual identity of the UID since 2017. There are many topics which refer to three macro sessions: - Witnessing (signs and history) - Communicating (signs and semiotics) - Experimenting (signs and sciences) Thanks to the different points of view, an exceptional resource of our disciplinary area, we want to try to outline the prevailing theoretical-operational synergies, the collaborative lines of an instrumental nature, the recent updates of the repertoires of images that attest and nourish the relations among representation, history, semiotics, sciences.