Open Access Books

Conflict over information has become a central part of modern politics and culture. The sites of struggle are numerous, the actors beyond count. Currents of liberation and exploitation course through the debates about Edward Snowden and surveillance, Anonymous, search engines and social media. In Information Politics, Tim Jordan identifies all these issues in relation to a general understanding of the nature of an information politics that emerged with the rise of mass digital cultures and the internet. He locates it within a field of power and rebellion that is populated by many interwoven social and political conflicts including gender, class and ecology. The exploitations both facilitated by, and contested through increases in information flows; the embedding of information technologies in daily life, and the intersection of network and control protocols are all examined.

The book investigates the complex articulations of epigraphic forgery, a phenomenon widely attested in Italy between the late Middle Ages and the 18th century. Non-genuine inscriptions or falsae, as Theodor Mommsen called them, are those that present themselves as ancient, but in reality are not. They can be produced either on material support or simply on paper. Within them, different types of documents can be distinguished: forgeries made for malicious purposes, replicas of ancient inscriptions, and texts or monuments inspired by classical epigraphic models. The book brings together fifteen scholarly essays, which examine individual cases of forgery, reconstruct the epistemology of forgery criticism and rehabilitate numerous epigraphs mistakenly believed to be forgeries, while confirming their actual antiquity.

Chapter 9 - The heterogeneous Fenton process can generate a large number of compounds that can be toxic to the environment, and more toxic by-products than the parent compounds can appear after the treatment process. The heterogeneous Fenton process is used to decompose contaminants by rapid oxidation in the presence of a catalyst. Iron oxides, commonly used as catalysts, are considered to be non-toxic, but there are reports of toxicity towards certain organisms. Therefore, studies on the stability of the catalysts used in the process and their potential threats to living organisms are necessary. It is essential to constantly work on the stability of the catalyst. The toxicity of the by-products is also crucial. According to the reports, the decrease in viability of organisms is organism-specific and dose-dependent, and the lethal effect is strictly related to the size of particles. Incomplete mineralization can also result in hazardous, potentially toxic compounds in the effluent. Thus, the toxicity of effluent also needs to be studied, and biodegradability needs to be increased to reduce the toxicity of the process.

Il C.I.R.B. (Centro Interuniversitario di Ricerca Bioetica), cui aderiscono tutte le Università campane, è un organismo di ricerca nel quale - con metodo rigorosamente scientifico, grazie al concorso di qualificati cultori delle varie discipline interessate e in un clima di costante e costruttivo dialogo con i rappresentanti delle diverse posizioni culturali - è possibile delineare le trame di una serena e ponderata riflessione comune su tematiche che coinvolgono l’identità stessa della persona umana e il destino delle generazioni future.

The key importance of radar remote sensing for civil applications has been recognized for decades, and enormous scientific and technical developments have been carried out to further improve SAR sensors and SAR data processing. In recent years, SAR satellite constellations, consisting of two or more satellites, are becoming the “new normal” in SAR remote sensing. The present availability of SAR sensor constellations, such as Cosmo SkyMed, TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X, and the new Copernicus sensors Sentinel-1A and 1B, supply a continuous stream of imagery with a unique short revisit cycle of only six days. Together with many more operational and planned SAR satellite systems, such as Geo-Fen 3 or NASA ISRO SAR (NISAR), this unprecedented amount of high-quality SAR data is suitable for a variety of applications, provided proper data processing methodology are applied. In "Advances in SAR: Sensors, Methodologies, and Applications" advancements in the field of hardware, software, and applications are presented, covering a wide range of topics.

Poetic, witty, and ever so faintly surreal, Sefer delicately explores the legacy of the Holocaust for the postwar generation, a generation for whom a devastating history has grown distant, both temporally and emotionally. The novel’s protagonist, Jan Sefer, is a psychotherapist living in Vienna—someone whose professional life puts him in daily contact with the traumas of others but who has found it difficult to address his own family background, especially his memories of his father. During a two-week trip to his father’s birthplace, Kraków—a visit he has long postponed—he begins to sort out some of his feelings and to connect with a past the memory of which is swiftly disintegrating. Much like memory itself, Sefer speaks to us obliquely, through the juxtaposition of images and vignettes rather than through the construction of a linear narrative. With its fragmentary structure and its preference for hints rather than explanations, the novel belongs to the realm of the postmodern, while it also incorporates subtle elements of magical realism. One of Poland’s best-known poets, Ewa Lipska is today a major figure in European literature. In their translation of Sefer, Lipska’s first novel, translators Barbara Bogoczek and Tony Howard deftly capture the poet’s unmistakable voice—cool and precise, gently ironic, and deeply humane.

This book contains 20 chapters about the impact, environmental fate, modes of action, efficacy, and non-target effects of insecticides. The chapters are divided into 7 parts. Part 1 covers the non-target effects of insecticides, whereas part 2 is dedicated to integrated methods for pest control, in which insecticides are an important element for diminishing the populations of insect pests. Part 3 includes chapters about the non-chemical alternatives to insecticides, such as metabolic stress and plant extracts. Insecticides and human health are the main topic of part 4, and the interactions between insecticides and environment are discussed in part 5. Part 6 includes the chapters about insecticides against pests of urban areas, forests and farm animals, whereas biotechnology and other advances in pest control are discussed in part 7.

Humanity has not succeeded in securing the basis of life for all people. A major reason is the dominant global capitalist economy, which is based on the exploitation and use of nature—but this state of affairs is not accepted by everyone. This book provides a close socio-analytical look at how states, social movements, and civil society actors deal with this polycrisis.

Non-Intrusive Methodologies for Large Area Urban Research brings together contributions from a conference held in 2021 in association with the ERC-funded ‘Rome Transformed’ research project. The papers address a major challenge in archaeology. Non-intrusive research in pursuit of a deeper understanding of urban areas can be both richly informative and cost-effective. Multiple successes in the field have led to an impressive array of innovative methodologies, methodologies that are frequently combined for still greater insight and impact. Geophysical surveys, the use of UAVs, the study of exposed historic structures and the exhaustive examination of archival records can all play a vital role, and the development of these data capture methodologies is of the utmost importance for the future of research. As well as advances in data capture methodologies, however, the papers also present case studies in the management of the big data generated and in the integration of different methodologies. A further strength of this collection lies in the range of site types considered. While many projects have historically pursued non-intrusive research in areas relatively clear of modern buildings, a growing number of research initiatives, such as ‘Rome Transformed’ are seeking to advance them in areas which remain densely occupied. Accordingly the material presented here will also be of interest to non-archaeologists working in such diverse fields as civil engineering, urban planning and physical geography.

By analysing various conflicts, this book discusses the social, political, economic and legal attributes that are attached to the practice of traditional (communal) marine tenure. Selling the Sea pushes the discourse beyond the conventional approach which looks at marine tenure only as a means of resource management, and offers a more comprehensive understanding of what marine tenure is. For those working in the areas of marine resource management and fisheries, this book is a critical but also complementary reading to the conventional discourse on the issue.

Quel est l’avenir de notre mémoire à l’ère du numérique ? Notre passé, revisité par la séquence binaire, est-il toujours intelligible ? Tout semble désormais accessible dans ce nouvel environnement technologique, mais cette disponibilité assure-t-elle une véritable compréhension des contenus anciens ? À partir d’un cas précis, celui de l’archive audiovisuelle diffusée sur la toile, Matteo Treleani pose une série de questions sur la mise en ligne de notre mémoire et la reconfiguration - ou recontextualisation - de celle-ci. Appuyé par une riche variété d’exemples parfois cocasses, il jette un regard critique sur la gestion du passé, qui relève autant de la philosophie que de l’histoire des médias et de l’archivistique.

The Romans took Sardinia away-at least according to Polybius-with deception and unacceptable justifications: they occupied a vast, populous, and fertile island, unprovoked, many months after the treaty closing the First Punic War. This would be the main cause of the Hannibalic war, after the prodigious occupation of cities, lands, and mines by mercenaries on behalf of the Romans, on the eve of the Hampsicora revolt. From this moment on, the myriad cultural, linguistic, institutional, legal, economic Paleo-Sardinian and Carthaginian legacies in Sardinia confronted, even militarily, Rome, demonstrating a complexity and dignity that went far beyond the Punic experience alone. It was the populares, particularly Caesar and then Augustus, who initiated a process of "Romanization" of what Cicero still knows as the natio Sarda, a process that never completely overshadowed local culture but became unstoppable and was accompanied by the new imagery of the happy island (eudàimon), which enjoyed a mythical abundance of produce and was inhabited by the Nymphs of the sea and land. This volume seeks to attempt to overturn the perspective of interpreting the history of Sardinia, no longer as isolated, but actively included in the Roman world, harking back to the great masters who have studied the decisive importance of the Roman phase up to Constantine and well beyond. Behind this book is the passionate fieldwork of generations of scholars courageously engaged in large and increasingly international undertakings, with a wide gaze and a finally open horizon: to them we are indebted for so many discoveries, so many insights, so many exchanges and comparisons within the Roman ecuméne.

This book is dedicated to all the people interested in the CoRoT mission and the beautiful data that were delivered during its six year duration. Either amateurs, professional, young or senior researchers, they will find treasures not only at the time of this publication but also in the future twenty or thirty years. It presents the data in their final version, explains how they have been obtained, how to handle them, describes the tools necessary to understand them, and where to find them. It also highlights the most striking first results obtained up to now. CoRoT has opened several unexpected directions of research and certainly new ones still to be discovered.

This open access book provides a comprehensive overview of the European Electricity Market Coupling. Tracing the evolution of the EU’s efforts to create an Internal Energy Market, it explores the history, principles and roles of all key actors from Transmission System Operators (TSOs) to service providers to National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) in Single Day-ahead and Intraday Coupling. Key topics include the framework of market coupling, the day-ahead and intraday algorithms, procedures, financial settlement, and the viewpoints from traders to interested countries to join the European Electricity Market Coupling in the future. An essential read for industry professionals and scholars alike, this book offers first-hand insights into the practical processes and fundamentals of electricity trading in Europe.

Comparative analysis of gender equality reforms enacted in ten post-communist states who became members of the European Union.Between 2004 and 2007, ten post-communist Eastern European states became members of the European Union (EU). To do so, these nations had to meet certain EU accession requirements, including antidiscrimination reforms. While attaining EU membership was an incredible achievement, many scholars and experts doubted the sustainability of accession-linked reforms. Would these nations comply with EU directives on gender equality? To explore this question, Defending Women’s Rights in Europe presents a unique analysis of detailed original comparative data on state compliance with EU gender equality requirements. It features a comprehensive quantitative analysis combined with rigorous insightful case studies of reforms in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Lithuania. Olga A. Avdeyeva reveals that policy and institutional reforms developed furthest in those states where women’s advocacy NGOs managed to form coalitions with governing political parties. After becoming members of the EU, the governments did not abolish these policies and institutions despite the costs and lack of popular support. Reputational concerns prevented state elites from policy dismantling, but gender equality policies and institutions became marginalized on the state agenda after accession.Olga A. Avdeyeva is Associate Professor of Political Science at Loyola University Chicago.