Open Access Books

This monograph presents the results of a study of orientations in prehispanic architecture of western and northern Mesoamerica. Analyzing the alignment data collected with field measurements for a number of civic and ceremonial buildings at 21 archaeological sites, we have been able to conclude that they were largely oriented on astronomical grounds. Since the study area is extensive and culturally diverse, while the data sample is relatively small, the orientations that have been analyzed exhibit considerable variability.

Reception of Russian Literature of the Silver Age in China. In the late 20th century, there emerged a significant cultural fervor for the Russian literature of the Silver Age within Chinese academic circles, primarily focused on literary studies. This article examines the history of translating Russian literature of the Silver Age in China and its level of research development. It is revealed that, on one hand, the initial attempts at translating literary works of the Silver Age into Chinese began in the first half of the 20th century, with notable activity during the May Fourth Movement and towards the end of the 20th century. Consequently, works by well-known writers had more opportunities to be translated into Chinese and gain attention from the academic community, while many works by lesser-known authors remained overlooked. On the other hand, Chinese scholars’ research on Russian literature of the Silver Age encompasses various literary genres such as poetry, novels, and dramas, with a focus on individual writers and their works. However, comprehensive and systematic studies in this field are still lacking. The examination of the history of translation and the level of research on Russian literature of the Silver Age in China contributes to academic progress, facilitates exchange and collaboration among scholars, provides reference materials and recommendations, and establishes a foundation for further in-depth research.

Published

Marine ecosystems, a very wide topic, includes many different processes, groups of organisms and geographical peculiarities. The objective of this book is to present various topics of great importance for understanding the marine ecosystems, what they are, how they work and how we can model them in order to forecast their behaviour under changing conditions. They have been thoroughly reviewed and accepted for publication. The chapters cover aspects such as: Threats to ultraoligotrophic marine ecosystems (Ch. 1); Modelling the pelagic ecosystem dynamics: the NW Mediterranean (Ch. 2); The marine ecosystem of the Sub-antarctic, Prince Edward Islands (Ch. 3); Meiofauna as a tool for marine ecosystem biomonitoring (Ch. 4); Chemical interactions in Antarctic marine benthic ecosystems (Ch. 5); An Interdisciplinary Approach on Erosion Mitigation for Coral Reef Protection- A Case Study from the Eastern Caribbean (Ch. 6); A revisit to the evolution and ecophysiology of the Labyrinthulomycetes (Ch. 7); Seabed mapping and marine spatial planning: a case-study from a Swedish marine protected area (Ch. 8); Management strategies to limit the impact of bottom trawling on VMEs in the High Seas of the SW Atlantic (Ch. 9); Hydrocarbon contamination and the swimming behavior of the estuarine copepod Eurytemora affinis (Ch. 10), and Interactions between marine ecosystems and tourism on the Adriatic and Mediterranean (Ch. 11).

Black feminist mothering can birth new worlds. As today’s world becomes increasingly hostile—with the rising cost of food coupled with global warming’s devastating impact—we are in need of a feminism bold enough to imagine new pathways for survival. Black feminist mothering may well be the remedy. This volume positions Black feminist mothering as much more than a biological or caregiving role. Building on key Black feminist tenets, Carr examines Black women’s maternal labors as a practice and proclamation for mothering ourselves, tending to each other, and nourishing our communities. Far too often, Black women’s maternal, intellectual, and political labors are recognized only in service to white supremacist capitalism. Mammy. Breeder. Welfare queen. This text counters these dehumanizing iconographies to focus instead on the Black maternal’s imaginitive possibilities. Not only does Carr address Black women’s resistance to white supremacist power plays, but she also attends to Black heteropatriarchy and the burdens racial solidarity imposes on Black women. The Black maternal, Carr argues, is a cradle for Black revolution. As Assata Shakur famously declared, “We are pregnant with freedom.”

Electrospinning - Theory, Applications, and Update Challenges is a comprehensive guide that delves into the principles, techniques, and applications of this cutting-edge technology. Electrospinning, a versatile and innovative process, has revolutionized industries such as health care, textiles, and materials science. The first section presents a detailed overview of electrospinning, covering topics ranging from the fundamentals of electrostatics and polymer science to advanced electrospinning techniques and industrial applications. The second section covers the intricacies of fiber formation, the influence of process parameters, and the wide array of materials that can be spun into fibers. The book provides valuable insights into the latest developments and future prospects of electrospinning.

This open access book paves the way for transformative strategies that increase the role of railway stations and other related transit environments in contributing to the global goals for sustainable development (the UN’s sustainability goals in Agenda 2030). Drawing on insights from a Swedish case, this book adopts a systems thinking approach to investigate how environments impact transit safety and provide strategies to address the diverse safety needs of users. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, including field inspections, analysis of official data, questionnaire surveys, and interviews. These data sources are analysed using statistical techniques, GIS mapping, and regression modelling. Building on these findings, the book also critically examines how future railway station designs are currently being planned to enhance accessibility and safety. This book answers the following questions: Why are certain station environments perceived as more unsafe than others, even though fewer crimes are committed there? Why do different groups of travelers differ about victimization and safety? From a governance perspective, what would make these places safer? What are the patterns of victimization of vulnerable groups, such as women and individuals with disabilities? The findings have international resonance as this book demonstrates the connection between safety and sustainability, offering useful insights and recommendations for researchers, practitioners and policymakers committed to shaping safer, more inclusive transit environments.

This collective work provides a reflexive reading of environmental democracy as a new method of governance of the contemporary ecological issues that declining biodiversity, climate change and sustainable development present. The authors examine the links between the environment and democracy by questioning the status of actors, the manner of their involvement, the various ways of mobilising knowledge and the mechanisms of dialogue and decision-making based on study cases observed in different national contexts (Italy, France, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Russia, Canada and Brazil). This international approach sheds light on the means of appropriation of environmental democracy on a local level and its ability to promote universal characteristics or to standardise the connection to the environment and politics. The originality of this work comes, among other things, from its transversality, associating texts with differing theoretical outlooks and methodology in an innovative way. Through this perspective on-going processes of redefining environmental problems are revealed via the prisms of risks and uncertainty, thus assigning them a new role in aiding decision-making in a sociology that is in turn critical and committed.

Multiple diseases like diabetes mellitus, hypertension or autoimmune diseases may be associated with a wide spectrum of microvascular dysfunctions, microangiopathies and microcirculatory disorders. It can thus be assumed that monitoring the microcirculation could be useful to diagnose various local and systemic circulatory disorders and could be used to monitor critically ill patients. A stand-alone measurement method that allows a reliable detection of impending or manifest local or systemic circulatory malfunctions would be of great value. In this context, shifted position-diffuse reflectance imaging (SP-DRI) offers a promising approach. It is an optical and thus non-invasive method based on the diffuse reflected light. In this doctoral thesis, the SP-DRI method is developed and presented and the algorithms behind it are explained in detail. The method is set in relation to already existing diagnostic approaches for the assessment of the microcirculatory function. The current state of research on SP-DRI is described along with an outline of the future potential of this imaging technique. The SP-DRI approach proved to be highly functional both simulatively and experimentally. Reliable information can be obtained in real time with an easy to implement setup. SP-DRI may thus be an important milestone on the way to early and conveniently diagnosing diseases associated with the constriction or dilation of the arterioles, venules or the capillary bed itself.

Between 1977 and 1992, practically all Ethiopian Jews migrated to Israel. This mass move followed the 1974 revolution in Ethiopia and its ensuing economic and political upheavals, compounded by the brutality of the military regime and the willingness-after years of refusal-of the Israeli government to receive them as bona fide Jews entitled to immigrate to that country. As the sole Jewish community from sub-Sahara Africa in Israel, the Ethiopian Jews have met with unique difficulties. Based on fieldwork conducted over several years, For Our Soul describes the ongoing process of adjustment and absorption that the Ethiopian Jewish immigrants, also known as Falasha or Beta Israel, experienced in Israel.

SiC and GaN devices have been around for some time. The first dedicated international conference on SiC and related devices, "ICSCRM," was held in Washington, DC, in 1987. But only recently, the commercialization of SiC and GaN devices has happened. Due to its material properties, Si as a semiconductor has limitations in high-temperature, high-voltage, and high-frequency regimes. With the help of SiC and GaN devices, it is possible to realize more efficient power systems. Devices manufactured from SiC and GaN have already been impacting different areas with their ability to outperform Si devices. Some of the examples are the telecommunications, automotive/locomotive, power, and renewable energy industries. To achieve the carbon emission targets set by different countries, it is inevitable to use these new technologies. This book attempts to cover all the important facets related to wide bandgap semiconductor technology, including new challenges posed by it. This book is intended for graduate students, researchers, engineers, and technology experts who have been working in the exciting fields of SiC and GaN power devices.

The thesis examines the extent to which court decisions have cross-jurisdictional binding effects. The focus is on res judicata (›Rechtskraft‹). As a basic condition, a uniform concept of the subject matter (›Streitgegenstand‹) is developed for the different types of jurisdiction (›Rechtswege‹) in Germany. The findings are examined in some typical cross-jurisdictional problems, namely cross-jurisdictional offsetting, adhesion proceedings and various forms of cross-jurisdictional security rights.

In three parts, this anthology is dedicated to school teaching as a subject area of documentary school research. In the first part, basic theoretical considerations are made and focal points and gaps in the field of research are identified, before the other two parts provide insights into current research projects in empirical contributions. While the studies in the second part focus on speaking and acting in school lessons themselves, the studies in the third part examine speaking about or in relation to school lessons. School pedagogical, didactic and professional issues are discussed. The volume is part of a series of anthologies produced in the context of the DFG-funded network "Documentary School Research" (NeDoS).

Nowadays, renewable energy plays an important role in our daily lives. This Special Issue addresses the current trend in the use of renewable energy in South Korea. The first aspect is a renewable-based power system, where both main and ancillary supplies are sourced from renewable energies; the second aspect is a distribution network for renewable energy; and the last aspect is a nanogrid network technology. Renewable energy requires many innovations over existing power infrastructure and regulation. These articles show the changing trend in various sectors in Korea.

Pendant près de deux décennies, Sylvie Granger (1955-2022) a joué un rôle central dans la création et l’enrichissement de la base de données sur les « Musiciens d’église dans la France de l’époque moderne » (Muséfrem). Très active dans le dépouillement des archives et la mise en forme de la documentation recueillie, elle a surtout assuré avec dynamisme l’animation de l’équipe de chercheurs du programme. Ces derniers lui témoignent ici leur gratitude par un bouquet d’articles dédiés aux thématiques qu’ils ont partagées avec elle. Le livre offre ainsi une série d’éclairages sur les professionnels de la musique au service du culte catholique en France aux xviie et xviiie siècles, mais aussi sur leur environnement institutionnel, social et culturel.