Open Access Books

This book offers a comprehensive introduction to the vast field of 'oral poetry,' encompassing everything from American folksongs, contemporary pop songs, and Inuit lyrics, to the heroic epics of Homer, biblical psalms, and epic traditions in Asia and the Pacific. Taking a broad comparative approach, it explores oral poetry across Africa, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and the Americas. Drawing on global research, Ruth Finnegan, the author of the seminal Oral Literature in Africa, sheds light on key debates such as the nature of oral tradition, the relationship between poetry and society, the differences between oral and written forms, and the role of poets in predominantly non-literate contexts. Written from a primarily anthropological and literary perspective, this study contributes to the socio-cultural aspects of verbal art while also engaging with the literary dimensions of poetry which happens at any given moment to be unwritten. Finnegan's clear, non-technical language and extensive use of translated examples make this work accessible to a wide audience, appealing not only to sociologists and anthropologists but also to those with an interest in poetry, in comparative literature, and in global folk traditions. The re-issue of this classic study is now augmented by further illustrations and a newly written Introduction and Conclusion, situating it in the context of the contemporary study of literature.

The Internet is the most important global infrastructure in the digital economy era. Its role has shifted from simple information exchange to support all kinds of novel scenarios and applications. Considering the diverse communication requirements, the development trend of the future network should support various addressing methods, such as IP address, identity, service, content, geographical location, and other potential communication modes. Therefore, a co-governed, secure, and evolvable novel network architecture is indispensable. This Open Access book focuses on Co-Governed Multi-Identifier Network (CoG-MIN), a promising future network architecture that provides an ecological solution for the sustainable evolution of packet networks. The design of CoG-MIN follows three main principles: blockchain-based global co-governed among top-level domains, endogenous network security, and sustainable evolution. CoG-MIN aims to promote peaceful, orderly, secure, and sustainable development for the global computer network. It will end the gridlock in which network systems need to be continuously upgraded due to the exponential scale expansion of addressing and routing on the current network layer. In other words, CoG-MIN enables a variety of networks to coexist and transition naturally. This will save countless establishment costs and take advantage of existing network equipment and devices. This book provides important reference materials about the mentioned topic for the research of computer network, network security, network communication, and other disciplines.

Our structures of democratic governance are often characterized by 'dysfunctionality', 'hollowing out', and 'gridlock'. This volume proposes an approach grounded in five different modes of democratic praxis. In exploring various democratic traditions, it recognizes that addressing eco-social crises requires coordination and cooperation among them.

This open access book addresses the complex interrelations between education policy and education practice developed under new ways of governance. It illuminates the nexuses of the interrelated fields of education policy and education practice including the characteristics of these relationships. The book offers a selection of cases with varied approaches to the question of how different actors and stakeholders are situated in contemporary policy and practice nexuses. The cases presented includes theoretical and conceptual studies; historical studies; ethnographic studies; and studies combining empirical interview data and quantitative data. The book shows what constitutes the contemporary nexuses in education and discusses the need to re-consider how we in education research approach policy and practice in the interface between structure and agency for the future developments in the education policy-practice nexus.

Perspektivenübernahme gilt als unerlässlich für die gemeinsame Verständigungin Interaktionen. Dabei setzt eine Person gezielt ihre eigene Sichtweise zu der ihrer Interaktionspartnerin bzw. ihres Interaktionspartners in Beziehung. Durch Perspektivenübernahme kann eine Lehrkraft ihre Unterrichtsplanung auf die Perspektiven der Lernenden abstimmen. In dieser Arbeit wird das Thema Perspektivenübernahme im Unterricht untersucht. Auf theoretischer Ebene findet es in bestehenden Modellen der (Physik-)Didaktik und Unterrichtsforschung meist indirektBeachtung.In einer explorativen Interviewstudie wurde untersucht, wie Studierende desLehramts Physik (N=21) im Rahmen eines Seminars diePerspektivenübernahme bei der Planung realen Physikunterrichts umsetzen.Zusammen mit einem Fachwissenschaftler, mit Lehrkräften sowie Schülerinnenund Schülern entwickelten und erprobten sie eine Lernumgebung. Ihresubjektiven Erfahrungen im Seminar wurden mithilfe einer qualitativenInhaltsanalyse induktiv-deduktiv zusammengefasst und in einem mehrstufigenInterpretationsverfahren auf Elemente der Perspektivenübernahme bezogen.Die Ergebnisse der Studie deuten darauf hin, dass den Studierenden vor allemGespräche mit unterschiedlichen Akteurinnen und Akteuren im Seminar die Wahrnehmung verschiedener Lernenden- und Lehrkräfteperspektiven auf den Unterricht erleichtern. Insbesondere der wechselseitige Austausch scheint das Nachvollziehen anderer Sichtweisen zu begünstigen. Die Studie zeigt konkrete Herangehensweisen für die Perspektivenübernahme bei der Unterrichtsplanung.

From Édith Piaf and Madonna to Taylor Swift, BTS, and Kanye West, all the way to Elon Musk and Gisèle Pelicot: the book »Reading the Stars« explores how celebrity originates today. It shows how fame forms from the interplay of viral visibility, emotional connections, and media power. In this context, stars appear less as stable icons and more as intersection of collective emotions, projections, and social negotiations through which the present can be interpreted. Drawing on an original synthesis of literary, media, and cultural studies, »Reading the Stars« develops a new practice of reading that conceives of visibility, affect, and cultural interpretation as effects of media, historical, and political conditions.

Illicit Enrichment by Andrew Dornbierer provides a comprehensive guide to illicit enrichment laws and their application to target unexplained wealth and recover proceeds of corruption and other crimes. The book covers both criminal and civil-based laws from around the world. Investigators, prosecutors, legislators and academics alike will benefit from the clear descriptions and practical guidance on different approaches to targeting unexplainable increases in wealth, how to establish cases in court, and common legal challenges to illicit enrichment laws.Features:•Extensive analysis of jurisprudence and cases around the world•Tables, flow charts and graphics explaining key concepts•Discussion of common questions and challenges•A collection of laws from 103 jurisdictions, also as an online database•A step-by-step guide to financial investigation and source and application analysis to support illicit enrichment casesIllicit Enrichment was developed and published by the Basel Institute on Governance through its International Centre for Asset Recovery, with research support from the NYU School of Law.See: illicitenrichment.baselgovernance.org

Carpe diem – 'eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die!' – is a prominent motif throughout ancient literature and beyond. This wide-ranging, interdisciplinary study reveals its significance in ancient poetry and art, especially in creating the almost magical impression that something is happening here and now.

Technologies such as synthetic biology, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, and geoengineering promise to address many of our most serious problems, yet they also bring environmental and health-related risks and uncertainties. Moreover, they can come to dominate global production systems and markets with very little public input or awareness. Existing governance institutions and processes do not adequately address the risks of new technologies, nor do they give much consideration to the concerns of persons affected by them. Instead of treating technology, health, and the environment as discrete issues, Albert C. Lin argues that laws must acknowledge their fundamental relationship, anticipating both future technological developments and their potential adverse effects. Laws should encourage international cooperation and the development of common global standards, while allowing for flexibility and reassessment.

Wie gestalten und konstruieren Migrant*innen als Akteur*innen in globalen Bewegungsprozessen ihr Leben und ihr Selbst über territoriale Grenzen hinweg? Welche Rolle spielen digitale Kommunikationstechnologien als Brücke zwischen Herkunfts- und Migrationsland und wie kommen Musik, Theater und Film bei der Bearbeitung von Migrationserfahrungen zum Einsatz? Christina Schachtner untersucht anhand von Gesprächen mit Migrant*innen in Deutschland und Österreich die gesellschaftsverändernde Kraft von Migration. Ihre transdisziplinäre Forschung nimmt insbesondere die Mediennutzung von Migrant*innen in den Blick und umfasst soziologische, psychologische, medien- und kulturwissenschaftliche sowie geschlechtersensible Perspektiven.

Dongbaism and Dabaism are indigenous religions of the Moso people, who live on the cultural border between Han and Tibetan traditions in Southwest China. Besides their original cultural foundations, it is possible to notice Tibetan elements introduced into Dongbaism and Dabaism. The present study aims at an etymological analysis of the names of five representative symbols of Dongba and Daba doctrines, including: Tonpa Shenrab, Yung-Drung, Purzzee Samei, Haishee Bamei, and Garuda. Through the analysis of morphological structures, the author explains the assimilation of Tibetan linguistic elements in Dongba and Daba cultures and depicts the differences between the two branches of the Moso people’s religious traditions. Through an etymological interpretation of some local spirits’ names, the present research reconstructs the roots of local folklore beliefs in the light of a broader context. This philological work unveils the origin of the figures of mythical deities – and of their names – believed by local people to be the first Dongba/Daba priests from the Bon religion and suggests the possibility of a pan-ethnic belief in more remote times. This research also analyses the multiple linguistic layers in the different forms for Garuda, which reveal their ancestral links to the extinct Zhang-Zhung civilization.

Statins are now the most widely used agents in patients with dyslipidemia, atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. However, their effects and mechanisms have not been fully investigated, and research continues to reveal new aspects of statins. The up-to-date content of this book will be useful to physicians in cardiovascular disease and geriatrics, and to academics conducting research on statins. It includes novel perspectives leading to new insights and advancing existing knowledge on statins.

The automobile industry is tremendously peculiar due to several strict requirements regarding functional reliability, safety standards, comfort level, high-volume production, and environmental limits. In addition, the industry is experiencing a disruptive evolution of modern vehicle research and design: electrification, connectivity, and autonomous driving. This book provides a robust overview of automotive engineering, including new proposals and the latest trends in road vehicle systems and sub-systems. Each chapter presents a rigorous analysis or a new solution in a clear and concise manner, such that professional and academic readers will appreciate both the theory dissertation and the industrial application.

From their initial focus in manufacturing, the industrial engineering principles, tools, and techniques have spread across a spectrum of application areas. Topics covered in this book apply to this continuum of application, including operations planning, safety, quality, production control, inventory management, operations research, supply chain management, and continuous improvement. This edited book comes at an opportune time. It incorporates new knowledge and expertise in a rapidly changing engineering discipline that is a vital force in a wide range of manufacturing, service, educational, and government organizations. Such concepts as lean systems, sustainability, systems thinking, data analytics, and additive manufacturing, as well as utilization of advanced computer software, have further expanded industrial engineering’s breadth. Each chapter reflects important aspects of these advances.

The energy transition is one of the most important political and social challenges of our time. But why is the necessary change often so slow to materialise? In her study; the author provides interesting insights into how political decision-making processes on hydro-gen production are organised in Thuringia and which ideological; economic and strategic factors play a role. The underlying dynamics and influencing factors are analysed on the basis of expert interviews with political decision-makers. The results provide valuable insights into the political mechanisms of sustainable transfor-mation processes and perspectives for the regional energy transition.