Open Access Books

BiAS 28/ ERA 6 captures the experiences of single women in Zimbabwe. It brings out the indigenous cultural socialisations that negatively impact on them. The vibrancy of Pentecostalism did not save them from stigma and negative perceptions but rather fuels their challenges and misery. The over-glorification of marriage over and above singlehood and in extreme cases denunciation of singlehood, has implications for single women, especially for those who have divorced. The attitudes and perceptions towards single women in the families, society and Church are largely adversarial and do not attach dignity and value, in a nation where marriage and motherhood remain important and cherished statuses. Therefore, the author adopts a multi-dimensional approach in analysing and critiquing the pitfalls of Shona indigenous cultures, limitations of Pentecostal gender ideology and proffers avenues that can create safe spaces for single women.

The contribution illustrates the role of relationship and sexuality education in promoting health and well-being among young people and preventing gender-based violence and homophobia.

The open access book analyzes cross-border cooperation (CBC) in Central Asia from a comparative perspective. It provides new insights into four main areas: (1) It highlights international experiences in CBC to identify best practices for Central Asian states; (2) it discusses various policies of Central Asian states towards CBC, specifically those policies that impact Central Asian CBC either positively or negatively; (3) it identifies best practices and actors for successful CBC in Central Asia, including the role of non-governmental entities; (4) it provides recommendations for enhancing Central Asian CBC, drawing upon both international experiences and a thorough analysis of Central Asian contexts. The authors proceed from the assumption that effective cross-border cooperation is one of the essential conditions for successful regional integration, as it acts as a connective seam between participating states. Unfortunately, at present, no Central Asian country excels in CBC; in every case, CBC is impeded by highly centralized political systems, and lack of funding. To enhance CBC in Central Asia, it is crucial to examine the relevant experiences of other countries and regions, incorporating lessons from both successful and unsuccessful endeavors.

Uses cutting edge and multidisciplinary approaches to analyse the politics of service provision and serves as a model for how similar research can be conducted in other countries and sectors - An in-depth, microlevel analysis that develops the high-profile South African discourse on the interaction between governance and policy - Systematically anchored in innovative thinking on how to achieve gains in politically complex settings

This book offers a unique look at historical policymaking to explore how nineteenth-century fiction writers influenced the creation of public-school systems in Denmark and Great Britain. This title is part of the Flip it Open Programme and may also be available Open Access. Check our website Cambridge Core for details.

Temperature is the most often-measured environmental quantity and scientists are continuously improving ways of sensing it. To present their work in the field of temperature sensing, researchers from distant parts of the world have joined their efforts and contributed their ideas according to their interest and engagement. Their articles will give you the opportunity to understand concepts and uses of fiber-optic sensing technology. The optical fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer for temperature sensing is presented, as well as the optical fiber-distributed temperature sensor and fiber Bragg grating-based sensor. You can learn about tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy and its various industrial applications. Last but not least, cutting temperature measurements during the machining of aluminum alloys provides us with an insight into the correlation between cutting conditions, mechanical strength of the aluminum alloy, and the cutting temperature measured using the tool-workpiece thermocouple system. The editors hope that the presented contributions will allow both professionals and readers not involved in the immediate field to understand and enjoy the topic.

This new approach to the history of motherhood examines the role the female body played in defining motherhood from the mid-eighteenth century through the first half of the nineteenth century, demonstrating that physical representations or perceptions of the body were crucial to defining motherhood in different ways both for mothers themselves and for American culture at large.

In this work, an approach for adaptive world modeling is proposed. World models for cognitive systems often employ predefined domain models, which may become insufficient when encountering unforeseen entities. The presented approach addresses an adaptive extension of such domain models, considering the relevance of proposed model adaptations. As a basis, a quantitative model evaluation is devised, rating the ability of a domain model to represent the currently observed environment state.

Die Studie bietet einen Einblick in die wirtschaftlichen und sozialen Gegebenheiten einer Bergregion in den westlichen Dolomiten, wo der Holzverkauf für das Auskommen der Bevölkerung wichtig war. Die Nähe zur Stadt Bozen ermöglichte den Verkauf von Brenn- und Weinbauholz, was Stadt und Umland in eine enge wirtschaftliche Beziehung zueinander rückte. Im Laufe des 16. Jahrhunderts bahnten sich Veränderungen durch die Territorialisierung, die zunehmende Schriftlichkeit sowie die steigende Nachfrage Venedigs nach Bauholz an. Der Holzmarkt nahm überregionalen Charakter an, was zur Folge hatte, dass auch gesellschaftliche Interessenskonflikte nicht ausblieben. Veränderte Nutzungsformen und Nutzungsrechte kristallisierten sich heraus, allerdings nicht immer zur Zufriedenheit der Beteiligten. Dank der gegenseitigen Abhängigkeit und schwierigen logistischen Bedingungen blieb eine völlige Ausbeutung der Ressource aus.

The essay analyzes the identity changes that the religious complex of San Miniato al Monte experienced in the modern age, covering both the civil plot that leads the place back to a symbol of the struggles for Risorgimento freedoms, and the spiritual and religious one. Through the transformations from monastery to fortress and then into a public utility shelter, the reconstruction investigates the new presence of the Jesuits, the conversion into a home for spiritual exercises and the new related devotional practices.

Le présent ouvrage apporte une contribution à l’histoire des arts du spectacle à Rome entre l’avènement en 1644 du pape Innocent X, issu de la famille des Pamphilj, et la mort du cardinal mécène Pietro Ottoboni en 1740, qui marqua la fin de l’époque du népotisme. Les innombrables spectacles organisés à l’époque par les familles de la haute aristocratie ont laissé des traces de leur exécution et de leur appréciation par le public dans des archives encore peu exploitées. En analysant, sous l’angle du concept de performance, l’événement spectaculaire dans toutes ses dimensions (mécénat, financement, livrets, partitions, enjeux socio-politiques, collaborations artistiques, exécution singulière ou réitérée, réception par le public, mémorialisation), il devient possible de resituer ces entreprises artistiques dans le cadre d’une histoire sociale et culturelle de l’époque. À partir de l’exploration des archives de plusieurs grandes familles aristocratiques de Rome, des actes notariés et des archives institutionnelles, comme celles des académies, des établissements d’enseignement ou des théâtres, une vingtaine de spécialistes appartenant à des disciplines diverses s’interrogent sur l’existence, à l’époque, d’un modèle d’organisation commun aux différentes familles en matière d’arts du spectacle, un modèle qui est le signe d’une culture collective ainsi que d’un système de normes et de valeurs largement partagé.

This open access book unveils Hong Kong’s pivotal role in the realm of international economic law. Unique to this book is its focus on the interplay between Hong Kong’s historical roots and institutional contexts, integrated into its exploration of unilateral, bilateral, and multilateral economic approaches. What sets this book apart is its in-depth treatment of Hong Kong’s distinct position as China’s Special Administrative Region. It showcases the balance the territory maintains: the autonomy it enjoys, its own robust legal and economic systems, all while being intertwined with broader global interests. Hong Kong’s position as China’s economic gateway, coupled with its adaptability amidst technological evolutions and international tensions, positions it uniquely in the global economic arena. With the Asia-Pacific economy’s rapid evolution and the Greater Bay Area’s development, Hong Kong’s role is illuminated as increasingly pivotal. This book exposes challenges confronting Hong Kong, from political changes to the ramifications of the National Security Law, while emphasising its continued relevance and growing influence. As Hong Kong threads its path in a globalised world, its prowess in international economic law remains a cornerstone of its identity. Will the territory sustain its prominence amidst evolving challenges and global shifts? The answers lie within, and further research awaits as we track its unfolding narrative. Specifically tailored for academics, diplomats, and researchers in international law, relations, economics and finance, this book offers a vital perspective. Anyone with a vested interest in international economic law and policy will find this comprehensive exploration invaluable. The ebook editions of this book are available open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence on bloomsburycollections.com.

Dû à l’initiative de Théories et Pratiques Scientifiques (TPS), groupe de travail de la Société Française des Sciences de l’Information et de la Communication (SFSIC) dirigé par Robert Boure, cet ouvrage collectif s’intéresse aux origines (années 1970-1980) des sciences de l’information et de la communication (SIC), question largement inédite tant dans le champ de cette discipline que dans celui de l’histoire des sciences sociales. Il s’adresse aussi bien aux étudiants, aux enseignants et aux chercheurs de la 71e section du Conseil National des Universités, qu’aux praticiens de l’information et de la communication qui souhaitent en savoir davantage sur « l’invention » d’une discipline d’où ils sont de plus en plus nombreux à être issus. Les auteurs ont entendu produire une histoire non hagiographique et non rétrospective, et par conséquent une histoire éloignée des vérités officielles, des « grands récits » et de la glorification des « Pères fondateurs » ou prétendus tels, tout en s’intéressant plus particulièrement aux dimensions institutionnelles - mal connues - ainsi qu’à leurs articulations avec la production intellectuelle et avec les principaux débats du champ. Ils ont choisi d’éclairer les origines des SIC à partir tantôt de « temps forts » analysés de façon synchronique ou diachronique, tantôt de questions récurrentes qui ont fortement marqué leurs premières années d’existence et qui restent très prégnantes dans une discipline dont la construction institutionnelle et cognitive est loin d’être achevée (professionnalisation des formations, carrière des enseignants-chercheurs, gestion des transfuges, organisation de la recherche, légitimation, rapports avec les autres disciplines...).

From ancient cave paintings to modern research labs, equine locomotion remains a source of fascination. Recent developments in computerization, artificial intelligence (AI), and wearable sensor technologies mean that researchers, veterinarians, and equestrians can now acquire high-quality data from horses in motion during clinical evaluations or athletic pursuits. This Special Issue is dedicated to showcasing these advancements in the field of equine biomechanics. The broad spectrum of topics covered in this reprint includes characterizations of gait type and quality of movement; the harnessing of artificial intelligence for lameness detection; the electromyographic evaluation of muscle function during canter; and the evaluation of limb–arena surface interactions during jumping, thresholds for upper body asymmetry parameters during straight and circular motion, axial and limb asymmetries of high-level dressage horses, and the effect of tack design on performance. Some of these studies contribute new knowledge using well-established techniques, such as videography, used with or without dedicated software to aid in data reduction. Other studies make use of novel, emerging techniques—made possible through the development of wearable sensors and apps—that utilize built-in smartphone cameras and AI to quantify gait asymmetries. Applications of AI and markerless motion capture are undoubtedly only the tip of an emerging iceberg in the transference of science into the hands of practitioners and equestrians via field-deployable and user-friendly applications for analyzing equine gait. The future in this arena of research is promising.

Dogma95 has been heralded as the European alternative to the Hollywood Blockbuster. For many critics and film lovers, Dogma95 and Von Trier's films have become synonymous with the notions usually associated with independent film making: low budgets and realism. Von Trier's approach to film making, however, takes cinema beyond the traditional confines of film aesthetics and radically transposes the practice of film making and film itself right into what has become the paramount genre of new media: games and gaming. Dogma 95, this book argues, is not an exceptional phase in Von Trier's carreer - as it was for his cofounders - but the most explicit formulation of Von Trier's cinematic games aesthetics, that has guided the conception and production of all of his films. The launching of Dogma95 and the infamous Dogma Manifesto was a game; Von Trier redefines the practice of film making as a rule bound activity, he brings forms and structures of games to bear on his films, and he draws some sobering lessons from economic and evolutionary game theory. Von Trier's films can be better understood from the perspective of games studies and game theory than from the point of view of traditional film theory and film aesthetics. This title is available in the OAPEN Library - http://www.oapen.org.