Open Access Books

This book is a collection of works dealing with the important technologies and mathematical concepts behind today's optical fiber communications and devices. It features 17 selected topics such as architecture and topologies of optical networks, secure optical communication, PONs, LANs, and WANs and thus provides an overall view of current research trends and technology on these topics. The book compiles worldwide contributions from many prominent universities and research centers, bringing together leading academics and scientists in the field of photonics and optical communications. This compendium is an invaluable reference edited by three scientists with a wide knowledge of the field and the community. Researchers and practitioners working in photonics and optical communications will find this book a valuable resource.

The ROTOЯ partnership between Huddersfield Art Gallery and the University of Huddersfield was established in 2011. ROTOЯ I and II was a programme of eight exhibitions and accompanying events that commenced in 2012 and was completed in 2013. ROTOЯ continues into 2014 and the programme for 2015 and 2016 is already firmly underway. In brief, the aim of ROTOЯ is to improve the cultural vitality of Kirklees, expand audiences, and provide new ways for people to engage with and understand academic research in contemporary art and design. Why ROTOЯ , Why Now? As Vice Chancellors position their institutions’ identities and future trajectories in context to national and international league tables, Professor John Goddard1 proposes the notion of the ‘civic’ university as a ‘place embedded’ institution; one that is committed to ‘place making’ and which recognises its responsibility to engaging with the public. The civic university has deep institutional connections to different social, cultural and economic spheres within its locality and beyond. A fundamental question for both the university sector and cultural organisations alike, including local authority, is how the many different articulations of public engagement and cultural leadership which exist can be brought together to form one coherent, common language. It is critical that we reach out and engage the community so we can participate in local issues, impact upon society, help to forge well-being and maintain a robust cultural economy. Within the lexicon of public centered objectives sits the Arts Council England’s strategic goals, and those of the Arts and Humanities Research Council – in particular its current Cultural Value initiative. What these developments reveal is that art and design education and professional practice, its projected oeuvre as well as its relationship to cultural life and public funding, is now challenged with having to comprehensively audit its usefulness in financially austere times. It was in the wake of these concerns coming to light, and of the 2010 Government Spending Review that ROTOЯ was conceived. These issues and the discussions surrounding them are not completely new. Research into the social benefits of the arts, for both the individual and the community, was championed by the Community Arts Movement in the 1960s. During the 1980s and ‘90s, John Myerscough and Janet Wolff, amongst others, provided significant debate on the role and value of the arts in the public domain. What these discussions demonstrated was a growing concern that the cultural sector could not, and should not, be understood in terms of economic benefit alone. Thankfully, the value of the relationships between art, education, culture and society is now recognised as being far more complex than the reductive quantification of their market and GDP benefits. Writing in ‘Art School (Propositions for the 21st Century)’, Ernesto Pujol proposes:‘…it is absolutely crucial that art schools consider their institutional role in support of democracy. The history of creative expression is linked to the history of freedom. There is a link between the state of artistic expression and the state of democracy.’ When we were approached by Huddersfield Art Gallery to work collaboratively on an exhibition programme that could showcase academic staff research, one of our first concerns was to ask the question, how can we really contribute to cultural leadership within the town?’ The many soundbite examples of public engagement that we might underline within our annual reports or website news are one thing, but what really makes a difference to a town’s cultural identity, and what affects people in their daily lives? With these questions in mind we sought a distinctive programme within the muncipal gallery space, that would introduce academic research in art, design and architecture beyond the university in innovative ways.

This work offers a comprehensive perspective on inclusive education in early childhood, highlighting teacher attitudes as a determining factor in the construction of inclusive classrooms. Educational inclusion is not limited to regulations or the implementation of policies; rather, it constitutes a philosophy that recognizes and values human diversity in its cultural, social, emotional, and cognitive dimensions. From the earliest years of schooling, the way teachers perceive and respond to individual differences shapes each child’s socioemotional development, self-esteem, and disposition toward learning, laying the foundations for educational equity and the construction of more just societies. The book explores how teachers’ lived experiences, their initial and ongoing training, institutional support, and family and community contexts influence their attitudes toward inclusion. It also analyzes the everyday challenges of pedagogical practice, such as workload overload, stress, and resource limitations, showing how teachers’ sensitivity, commitment, and creativity can transform obstacles into learning opportunities. Concrete pedagogical strategies are highlighted, including active methodologies, collaborative projects, and curricular flexibility, which make it possible to address diversity effectively and promote essential socioemotional competencies. The work also emphasizes the ethical and social dimension of inclusive education, positioning teachers as agents of change who contribute to more cohesive, empathetic, and equitable societies. Overall, this text provides evidence, reflection, and practical tools to strengthen inclusive education from early childhood, inspiring action and transforming the educational experience into a pathway toward equity and the genuine appreciation of diversity.

This edited volume offers a global overview of the immediate impacts the COVID pandemic had on local and national film, television, streaming, and social media industries—examining in compelling detail how these industries managed the crisis. With accounts from the frontlines, Media Industries in Crisis provides readers with a stakeholder framework, management lessons, and urgent commentaries to unpack the nature of crisis management and communications. The authors show how these industries have not only survived, but often thrive amidst a backdrop of critical national and regional emergencies, wars, financial meltdowns, and climate disasters. This international collection—featuring case studies from 16 countries—examines how media industries managed all of these crises, successfully rebranding themselves as “essential” while making power plays in politics, economics, and culture. The chapters reveal key lessons for the meltdowns, tectonic shifts, and struggles ahead. This collection will be of interest to media and communication students, particularly those focused on media industries, crisis communications, and management, as well as to practitioners working in media industries.

Des de fa un temps, la societat catalana viu immersa en el debat sobre quin ha de ser l’encaix de Catalunya a l’Estat espanyol, i les diferents posicions s’han polaritzat per la complexitat d’un moment polític marcat pels esdeveniments dels darrers anys. En aquest context, la col·lecció Debats UB aporta una visió acadèmica a les qüestions que més preocupen la ciutadania, així com elements d’anàlisi que fomentin la reflexió col·lectiva. Aquest tercer volum recull les aportacions de deu autors de diverses universitats i institucions que, des del seu compromís amb la llibertat i l’honestedat intel·lectual, analitzen alguns aspectes cabdals de la relació entre Catalunya i Espanya: la sentència dictada pel Tribunal Suprem en el judici als líders independentistes, el paper dels mitjans de comunicació en les democràcies actuals, i les fórmules per evitar la fractura de la societat catalana i reforçar el caràcter plural que la caracteritza.

Published

O livro Brasil nas Ondas do Mundo, organizado por Álvaro Vasconcelos, é mais uma tentativa para tentar compreender qual o papel que o Brasil é chamado a representar no mundo, questão nada displicente para nós, portugueses, e diriamos mesmo que para a Europa e a ordem internacional. A obra aparece num momento em que as interrogações sobre o presente do Brasil, atravessado por uma grave crise, podem pôr em questão algumas das conclusões a que tínhamos chegado, com base nas tendências que atravessam a sociedade brasileira. Por isso aos autores foi pedido que tivessem em consideração a crise brasileira e o que ela pode significar para a disfunção das tendências das últimas décadas. Será o perigo de regressão democrática real? Os progressos no Estado de direito irão aprofundar-se? Como é que a crise afeta a diplomacia brasileira e o seu soft power? Num mundo onde o protecionismo comercial se reforça, com a propagação do nacionalismo económico, quais são os caminhos para a inserção comercial do Brasil?

This book describes the recent evolution of rare earth elements and their mineralogy, both natural and synthetic analogues. Authors review and document rare earth element chemistry in the aqueous environment and the petrology of the rare earth element-bearing mineral Allanite. Synthetic rare earth minerals and their applications is a rapidly evolving discipline important to medicine, advanced digital technologies, and solid-state physics. Authors report on the synthesis of a macrocyclic gadolinium complex and also gadolinium complexes and their applications in medicine. Authors present compelling advances in gadolinium isotopes and oxides as substrates for induced excitation and luminescent material sciences.

Charles Noble's long poem playfully connects autobiography, narrative, philosophy, history, and satire and experiments with language and structure in a way that pushes the limits of contemporary poetry. Noble leaves no leaf unturned as he touches on issues related to contemporary Western society, including mass media culture, gender politics, postindustrial technology, and the politics of postmodern culture.

Hazardous waste poses one of the most complex and risky pollution challenges worldwide. As industrialization accelerates globally, volumes of toxic byproducts and emissions continue to grow, requiring urgent solutions. This book provides a practical overview of hazardous waste management approaches, technologies, and policies to reduce environmental and human health damage. The text begins by outlining Pakistan's current hazardous waste situation, including crucial pollution sources like the textile, fertilizer, and leather industries. It summarizes reduction efforts and persisting challenges around enforcement, technology capabilities, and lack of recycling infrastructure. The following chapters delve into biological waste management techniques and an innovative fertilizer production process utilizing steel slag waste. Case studies demonstrate the potential to convert industrial byproducts into economic resources. Several chapters focus on electronic waste (e-waste), examining landfill contamination risks in Africa and the push to transform these sites into urban mining operations. Technical contributions analyze tools like activated carbon filters to reduce toxic e-waste emissions. The book concludes with a look at winery waste recycling and closes with a chapter connecting hazardous waste management to broader sustainable development goals. Together, the chapters in this volume provide a multifaceted look at hazardous waste management strategies, current limitations, and the work still required to reduce ecological damage. The text is valuable for researchers of dangerous waste, industry operators, and policymakers looking to improve abatement practices. With its detailed case studies and technical analyses, the book offers both practical and big-picture insights to support the critical work of sustainable, effective hazardous waste management worldwide.

This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact

Trauma surgery is a surgical specialty that utilizes both operative and non-operative management to treat traumatic injuries, typically in an acute setting. The trauma surgeon is responsible for initially resuscitating and stabilizing and later evaluating and managing the patient. Emergency surgery is surgery to treat trauma or acute illness after an emergency presentation. This book examines trauma and emergency surgery for abdominal, aortic, chest, brain, and burn injuries.

La voix et la mémoire sont deux figures essentielles de l'œuvre de Rousseau, liées dans l'intimité de l'écrit. La première sera souvent associée à l'émotion, la seconde au bonheur, jusqu'à se retrouver pour interroger le passé dans une langue qui « parle au cœur », forger le souvenir à la lueur d'une vérité anthropologique et en définitive mettre au jour « la vie comme elle devrait être ». C'est à l'aune de ces deux termes que les lectures ici réunies retracent l'évolution des études rousseauistes depuis plus de vingt ans, livrant un florilège de réflexions sur le processus de création de Rousseau, dans son temps (Pierre Saby), dans sa quête de la vérité (Yves Citton, Denis Reynaud, Jean-François Perrin), dans ses modes d'expression du temps vécu (Pierre Rétat) et de la géographie intime (Jean Sgard). Les écrits autobiographiques et épistolaires témoignent aussi des rapports complexes qu'il entretient avec l'autre, qu'il soit simple lecteur (Claude Labrosse), ami (Christophe Cave), détracteur (Anne-Marie Mercier-Faivre) ou Jean-Jacques lui-même (Michael O'Dea).

The Syrian regime unleashed unprecedented violence to suppress large-scale non-violent protests amid the Arab uprisings. Hundreds of armed groups formed throughout the country to defend the protesters and fight back. However, in contrast to other conflicts previously dominated by al-Qaeda and Islamic State, the two largest Syrian Jihadi groups, Ahrar al-Sham and then Jabhat al-Nusra, rejected global jihad and began to cultivate new ties with the population, other armed opposition groups, and even foreign states. This strategic shift is a response to the Jihadi paradox--a realization that while Jihadis excel at leading insurgencies, they fail to achieve political victories. In From Jihad to Politics, Jerome Drevon offers an examination of the Syrian armed opposition, tracing the emergence of Jihadi groups in the conflict, their dominance, and their political transformation. Drawing upon field research and interviews with Syrian insurgents in northwestern Syria and Turkey, Drevon demonstrates how the context of a local conflict can shape armed groups' behavior in unexpected ways. Further, he marshals unique evidence from the Arab world's most intense conflict to explain why the trajectory of the transnational Jihadi movement has altered course in recent years.

Rickets and osteomalacia are associated with impaired mineralization in growth plate cartilage and the bone osteoid. Vitamin D deficiency has been one of the major causes for rickets and osteomalacia. In addition, it has been also known that there are diseases called vitamin D-resistant rickets/osteomalacia which cannot be cured by native vitamin D. Since the cloning of FGF23 in 2000, it has become clear that most cases of vitamin D-resistant rickets/osteomalacia are caused by excessive actions of FGF23. X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is the most common cause of inherited FGF23-reltated hypophosphatemic rickets. Patients with XLH suffer from life-long morbidity of bone, cartilage, ligament, joint, tooth and muscle which significantly affects quality of life. Since FGF23 was shown to be the humoral factor causing hypophosphatemia in patients with XLH, anti-FGF23 antibody that blocks the actions of FGF23 has been developed and become clinically available in several countries. The introduction of this new drug together with advanced knowledge concerning physiological and pathophysiological significance of FGF23 has further stimulated research and promoted dissemination of fruits of the studies in this field. From these backgrounds, a variety of both basic and clinical topics concerning XLH are covered in this special issue to provide up-to-date summaries of the current understanding.