Open Access Books

There is a growing concern about fluctuating energy prices, energy security, and the impact of climate change. Buildings are amongst the primary energy consumers in the world. This fact underlines the importance of targeting building energy use as a key to decreasing any nation's energy consumption. According to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Research Strategic Plan 2010-2015, even limited deployment of Net-Zero-Energy buildings within this timeframe will have a beneficial effect by reducing the pressure for additional energy and power supply and the reduction of GHG emissions. The building sector is poised to significantly reduce energy use by incorporating energy-efficient strategies into the design, construction, and operation of new buildings and retrofits to improve the efficiency of existing buildings.

Indigenous Fijians were singularly fortunate in having a colonial administration that halted the alienation of communally owned land to foreign settlers and that, almost for a century, administered their affairs in their own language and through culturally congenial authority structures and institutions. From the outset, the Fijian Administration was criticised as paternalistic and stifling of individualism. But for all its problems it sustained, at least until World War II, a vigorously autonomous and peaceful social and political world in quite affluent subsistence — underpinning the celebrated exuberance of the culture exploited by the travel industry ever since.

Die aktuelle Ausgabe des Versorgungs-Reports greift die versorgungswissenschaftliche Diskussion um Chancen und Risiken der Früherkennung auf. Namhafte Expertinnen und Experten beleuchten aktuelle Entwicklungen und Herausforderungen bei der Früherkennung von Krankheiten. Im Fokus stehen: - gesundheitswissenschaftliche Konzepte und Methoden der Früherkennung - wissenschaftliche Erkenntnisse über Nutzen und Risiken ausgewählter Screenings - Entwicklung und Anforderungen an ausgewogene, evidenzbasierte Informationsangebote - empirische Analysen zur Akzeptanz und Inanspruchnahme von Früherkennungsuntersuchungen in der GKV Der Teil „Daten und Analysen“ informiert auf der Grundlage von AOK-Abrechnungsdaten über die Häufigkeit von Erkrankungen und Behandlungen in Deutschland: - Behandlungsprävalenzen und Hospitalisierungsraten für die häufigsten Erkrankungen, differenziert nach Alter und Geschlecht - Krankenhausbehandlungen, Arznei- und Heilmittelverordnungen sowie ärztliche Inanspruchnahme

En la segunda mitad del siglo xiii se concibe en torno a Alfonso X un nuevo arte de historiar. Nutrido por un conocimiento exhaustivo de las tradiciones historiográficas con incidencias culturales en el Occidente medieval, está tan eficazmente adaptado al ideal monárquico que, a pesar de los profundos disturbios con los que se enfrentará la realeza castellana, el modelo alfonsí seguirá rigiendo la técnica de los historiadores y configurando la visión histórica de las élites españolas hasta fi...

The author examines the institution of the employee’s illness which, although it entails the temporary impossibility to work, it also guarantees the worker the continuation of the employment relationship and the right to remuneration. The absence due to illness creates a conflict between the productivity needs of the companies and the worker’s health protection. The resolution of this conflict, according to the article 32 of the Constitution and the article 2110 of the Civil Code, provides that a temporary suspension from work is justified in case of disease: the worker’s right to health prevails over the employer’s interest in receiving the duties performed by the employee. The employer cannot terminate the contract until the employee has recovered and only after a period of time established by law.

The thirty chapters in this book are based on the work of an international, multidisciplinary team of researchers and archivists brought together for the PerformArt project, funded by the European Research Council from 2016 to 2022. This project investigated the artistic patronage of the great Roman aristocratic families of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries through research in the extant archives.After the accession to the papal throne of Innocent X in 1644, and more so after the Peace of the Pyrenees in 1659 – which led to a greater loss of power for the pope in his relations with other European states – the Roman families stepped up their efforts to assert their social preeminence not only through architecture and the fine arts, but also through the ephemeral performing arts: music, theatre, and dance, which were omnipresent throughout the year and especially during the intense period of artistic production that was the Roman Carnival. The search for traces of these spectacles in the archives of these families reveals that their desire to display their magnificence – an ideal well documented in the literature of the period – gave rise to lavish expenditure on a scale that could only be justified by the benefits (if not tangible, then at least symbolic) they hoped to gain.The essays in this book, which draw on social economic history, the history of ideas, and the evolving artistic practices of the time, make a major contribution to our knowledge of courtly societies in Ancien Régime Europe by integrating the performing arts into their analyses in innovative ways.

Climate, God and Uncertainty moves beyond Bruno Latour’s thought to understand what climate change means for philosophical anthropology and wider culture. What are, for example, the philosophical implications of climate change and its associated uncertainties? Referring mainly to works by Latour, William James and Heinrich Rickert, Petersen develops ‘transcendental naturalism’ to reinterpret the interface between science and politics in the context of climate change. He highlights, for instance, issues such as the religious disenchantment of nature, the scientific disbelief in a plurality of value-laden perspectives, and the disregard for non-modern worldviews in politics. In developing its argument, the book makes a methodological intervention on the sort of naturalism that guides both Latour’s work and a large part of the academic field called ‘science and religion’. Praise for Climate, God and Uncertainty 'The challenges of a changing climate raise disturbing questions about being human in the world, ones that cannot adequately be answered through scientific inquiry. In this original interrogation and extension of the work of Bruno Latour, Petersen constructs a philosophical position that takes seriously the realities of a changing natural world, the human search to ground our sense of value, and the possibility of God. Climate, God and Uncertainty is an exciting new addition to the small, but growing, literature on climate change, religion and philosophy.' Mike Hulme, University of Cambridge ‘This innovative and exciting work explores the rich potential of “transcendental naturalism” as a bridge between science and religion. Drawing on the work of William James, Heinrich Rickert and Bruno Latour, Petersen maps out a fresh approach that goes beyond current accounts of naturalism, opening up a deeply satisfying account of our engagement with the natural world.’ Alister McGrath, Emeritus Andreos Idreos Professor of Science and Religion, University of Oxford ‘How to live with the pervasive reality of uncertainty and a plurality of perspectives in science, religion and politics without playing down the sciences and our responsibilities? The “transcendental naturalism” Arthur Petersen articulates in this book respects science while leaving room for other elements: wonder, judgements and values, and the way we construct provisional models of reality. These issues are especially acute in the context of climate change, when we face the interplay of science and policy. Petersen stresses the importance of imagination to articulate meaning and of recognising a plurality of value-laden perspectives, striving for responsible action and sensitivity to that which may escape planning and policy. This book can be read fruitfully in at least two ways, as a highly relevant reflection on religion and science in the face of climate change and as a profound philosophical analysis of pluralism and provisionality, and hence of living with uncertainty.’ Willem B. Drees, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy of Religion and Ethics, Leiden University and of Philosophy of the Humanities, Tilburg University

Fluid transport in narrow pores is central to the design and optimization of nanoporous materials in industrial applications, such as catalysis, nanofluids, electrochemical batteries, and membrane separation. However, due to the strong potential field in nanopores, conventional models and methods have become inadequate for predicting the transport behavior of molecules confined in the pore space. In addition, the inherent complexity of the pore structure in nanomaterials requires consideration of local or nanoscale transport at the single pore level, and averaging over the macroscale, which further impedes the application and validation of the formulated mechanical models. To solve the problem of fluid transport in narrow nanopores beyond Knudsen limits, experimental characterizations should be combined to molecular simulations in order to probe the fluid movement under realistic conditions. This book provides comprehensive perspectives on the current research in the investigation of fluid transport processes in nanomaterials. The articles from leading scholars in this field are conveniently arranged according to three categories based on the approaches used in the papers: modeling and simulation, nanomaterial manipulation and characterization, and practical application. The 14 contributions not only demonstrate the importance of fluid behavior in different applications but also address the main theories and simulations to model the fluid transport behavior in nanoporous materials. This collection shows that “fluid transport in nanomaterials” remains a versatile and vibrant topic in terms of both theories and applications.

La chiesa di San Zulian sorge a pochi passi da piazza San Marco forse già nel lontano IX secolo. Interamente ricostruita dopo il 1105, quando un incendio l’aveva letteralmente devastata, l’edificio è di nuovo in rovina nel 1553. Interviene allora il celebre medico Tommaso Rangone da Ravenna, in cerca di un luogo – un altro – che potesse perpetuarne la memoria presso i posteri. Grazie alle ingenti donazioni messe a disposizione dal generoso finanziatore, cui sarà concesso in cambio il diritto di sepoltura presso la cappella maggiore, la facciata e poi l’edificio tutto quanto vengono interamente ricostruiti su progetto di Jacopo Sansovino. Così la statua bronzea di Tommaso, opera di Alessandro Vittoria, con in mano un ramo di salsapariglia e uno di guaiaco (le piante medicinali deputate, secondo le sue scoperte, alla cura della sifilide), finisce per trionfare sul portale maggiore di San Zulian. Se di queste vicende si sono occupati in molti, quasi nulla si sapeva del contesto socio-culturale in cui rinacque uno degli edifici più interessanti della Venezia del Cinquecento. Chi erano i membri della comunità di San Zulian? Chi sedeva tra i banchi del Santissimo Sacramento o della scuola dei Merciai? Chi fra i «zentilhomeni» e «i più i vechi et degni» cittadini della parrocchia era stato prescelto per la carica a vita di procuratore di chiesa? Chi contribuì alle vaste imprese decorative che videro attivi alcuni tra i più importanti pittori, scultori e architetti dell’epoca? E chi tenne le fila di questa gigantesca «opera corale», in cui la pittura sembra talvolta relegata a un rango inferiore? Grazie a uno spoglio meticoloso dell’archivio parrocchiale di San Zulian e grazie ad alcune preziose carte dell’Archivio di Stato di Venezia, grazie a una lettura attenta delle opere d’arte ancora in situ, capaci spesso di rivelare ciò che i documenti tacciono, sono stati ricostruiti nel dettaglio il contesto di alcune delle confraternite presenti in chiesa, il funzionamento dell’immenso cantiere che occupò la comunità parrocchiale per almeno una trentina d’anni, i meccanismi di finanziamento delle imprese artistiche, il ruolo della comunità bergamasca e quello di almeno un altro praticamente sconosciuto mecenate, che da quella comunità proveniva: il merciaio/mercante/assicuratore di navi Gerolamo Vignola.

The paper reports my research efforts to reveal emotional aspects of climbing activity. The base of my considerations is ethnographic research on the social world of climbing. I consider possible ways of tracking emotional aspects of climbing activity using observations of climbing situations, video materials, autobiographical existed data, interviews with climbers, but also autoethnography. The subjects of my interest are emotions experienced by climbers at the moment of ascending. Especially I am interested in fear being immanent and inseparable part of climbing activity. Inspired by observed scene of initial climbing of young boy, I have started to recall my own experiences with fear and re-collect them using autoethnography ex-post and fieldnotes from the beginning of my climbing practices. This new path of analysis was supported with intensive searching for similar instances in interviews, documentary movies and other data sources. The investigation process confirmed the importance of fear theme in climbing activities and helped me to re-construct the climbers’ ways of overcoming the fear and conditions of this process on the path I had been attending — situation of climbing course. I rich a conclusion that using own body experience and autoethnographic approach is very helpful in reporting on emotional aspects of studied activity.

The book is a collection of texts about the city. The city appears in them as a dynamic spatial figure and a multidimensional cultural and social idea. The authors: ethnographers, cultural anthropologists, sociologists, and historians, create an urban mosaic. They present various adjacent, interpenetrating, and sometimes conflicting strategies for getting to know the city and including it in scientific reflection. Sometimes they do it, for instance, on the margins of discussions on the relation between cultural anthropology and history. The city inspiration is a challenge for them, which they try to harness by describing and interpreting changing urban landscapes and local history that builds local heritage, or tracking “urban threads” in various cultural texts. This volume is dedicated to Professor Grażyna Ewa Karpińska – an ethnographer and cultural anthropologist associated with the Institute of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology of the University of Łódź. THE CITY – herein described and interpreted in various ways – is the dominant topic and area of her research, publication, teaching and expert activity. Her scientific achievements include, among others, studies on the culture of industrial workers, as well as ethnographic explorations and anthropological reflection on such categories as urban everyday life or the past in the landscape of cities and towns.

Chronic diseases represent one of the most pressing global health challenges, placing an immense burden on individuals and posing significant challenges to healthcare systems. While their development is influenced by multiple factors, an increasing amount of evidence highlights the pivotal role of diet and lifestyle in both prevention and management. Understanding how dietary interventions mitigate chronic conditions is essential for developing effective, sustainable health strategies. A balanced diet is widely recognized as a key factor in reducing the risk of chronic metabolic diseases, offering a sustainable and accessible approach to disease prevention and health promotion. While the etiology of chronic disease is complex, many chronic conditions can be mitigated through lifelong adherence to healthy lifestyle practices. Effective management strategies are inherently multidimensional, integrating dietary interventions, regular physical activity, and broader lifestyle modifications. Among these, nutrition plays a pivotal role as it represents a modifiable risk factor for the onset and progression of numerous chronic diseases, whether occurring as isolated conditions or in comorbid states. This Special Issue garners selected contributions that not only explore the scientific underpinnings of dietary interventions but also emphasize the translation of experimental findings into practical, real-world applications. By bridging scientific research with practical applications, this Special Issue will provide significant insights into the development of evidence-based strategies for chronic disease prevention and management.

Encontram-se reunidos neste livro ensaios diretamente relacionados com o projeto de investigação “Figuras da Ficção” (Centro de Literatura Portuguesa da Faculdade de Letras de Coimbra), com extensão ao blogue homónimo (www.figurasdaficcao.wordpress.com). Centrando-se na personagem, nos seus modos de existência ficcional e paraficcional, nas suas figurações e nos seus avatares, os ensaios que aqui se encontram tratam de revalorizar uma categoria narrativa que durante décadas foi relegada para as margens dos estudos literários.Nos últimos vinte anos, os estudos narrativos, tendo colhido muitas das conquistas conceptuais e metodológicas da narratologia dos anos 80 do século passado, redescobriram na personagem um apreciável potencial de investimento semântico, de dinamismo transficcional e de articulação intercultural. É isso que está confirmado nos estudos em que aqui são tratados temas e subtemas como a figuração da personagem realista, a refiguração de personalidades históricas, a questão do insólito ou a representação paraficcional de figuras do chamado universo mediático.

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"This book casts a light on the daily struggles and achievements of ‘gender experts’ working in environment and development organisations, where they are charged with advancing gender equality and social equity and aligning this with visions of sustainable development. Developed through a series of conversations convened by the book’s editors with leading practitioners from research, advocacy and donor organisations, this text explores the ways gender professionals – specialists and experts, researchers, organizational focal points – deal with personal, power-laden realities associated with navigating gender in everyday practice. In turn, wider questions of epistemology and hierarchies of situated knowledges are examined, where gender analysis is brought into fields defined as largely techno-scientific, positivist and managerialist. Drawing on insights from feminist political ecology and feminist science, technology and society studies, the authors and their collaborators reveal and reflect upon strategies that serve to mute epistemological boundaries and enable small changes to be carved out that on occasions open up promising and alternative pathways for an equitable future. This book will be of great relevance to scholars and practitioners with an interest in environment and development, science and technology, and gender and women’s studies more broadly."