scholarly journals Further refinement of the Corbelling Theory for the equilibrium analysis of corbelled domes

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-40
Author(s):  
Aguinaldo Fraddosio ◽  
Nicola Lepore ◽  
Mario Daniele Piccioni

Abstract The aim of this paper is to present a further development of the Corbelling Theory [1] for assessing the structural safety of “false domes” constructions like Trulli, and more generally for corbelled domes. In particular, it is well-known that a corbelled dome of a Trullo is a layered thick shell and that only the thin inner layer (candela) has a structural role. The proposed procedure extends the capabilities of the approach proposed in [2] to more general load conditions, including the infill. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is discussed through the analysis of a paradigmatic case study of a Trullo located in Alberobello. Since the geometry of the construction plays a fundamental role in the structural behavior, the starting point of the analysis was an accurate 3D-laser scanner survey of the dome. The obtained results give some interesting insights about the role of the infill load on the equilibrium of such kind of corbelled domes.

Author(s):  
Lisa Bode

On July 14, 2019, a 3-minute 36-second video titled “Keanu Reeves Stops A ROBBERY!” was released on YouTube visual effects (VFX) channel, Corridor. The video’s click-bait title ensured it was quickly shared by users across platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Reddit. Comments on the video suggest that the vast majority of viewers categorised it as fiction. What seemed less universally recognised, though, was that the performer in the clip was not Keanu Reeves himself. It was voice actor and stuntman Reuben Langdon, and his face was digitally replaced with that of Reeves, through the use of an AI generated deepfake, an open access application, Faceswap, and compositing in Adobe After Effects. This article uses Corridor’s deepfake Keanu video (hereafter shorted to CDFK) as a case study which allows the fleshing out of an, as yet, under-researched area of deepfakes: the role of framing contexts in shaping how viewers evaluate, categorise, make sense of and discuss these images. This research draws on visual effects scholarship, celebrity studies, cognitive film studies, social media theory, digital rhetoric, and discourse analysis. It is intended to serve as a starting point of a larger study that will eventually map types of online manipulated media creation on a continuum from the professional to the vernacular, across different platforms, and attending to their aesthetic, ethical, cultural and reception dimensions. The focus on context (platform, creator channel, and comments) also reveals the emergence of an industrial and aesthetic category of visual effects, which I call here “platform VFX,” a key term that provides us with more nuanced frames for illuminating and analysing a range of manipulated media practices as VFX software becomes ever more accessible and lends itself to more vernacular uses, such as we see with various face swap apps


Author(s):  
V Shinju ◽  
Aswathi Prasad

The natural resources are repository for the survival of all of us, so they must be used efficiently to meet the present needs while conserving them for future generations. An action to develop capacities from global to household levels for their sustainable management and regulation is required henceforth. Of these natural resources, water resources are most precious. If there is no water; there would be no life on earth. Since ‘water is the elixir of life’, water resource management has been considered as one of the most relevant areas of intervention. Understanding the gender dimensions of water resource management is a starting point for reversing the degradation of water resources. Women play an important role here since they have to access the water resources for almost all the activities on a daily basis. As the women are the strong social agents, effective and improved water preservation techniques could be achieved through their empowerment that may eventually lead to the well-being of the households in particular and of the community in general. Therefore, the major research question posed in this study is to analyze the role of women in the preservation and management of water, an inevitable, precious but diminishing natural resource. The study also intends to describe the relationship between the three ‘W's-Women, Water & Well-being. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches are essential here as it is a contingent issue in the present scenario. Psychological dimensions were also explored since the issue is affecting the routine life of the community. The case study of women belonging to the Kuttadampadam region was done to explain the role of women in preserving water resources in the areas affecting severe water scarcity.


Author(s):  
Holly M. Mikkelson

This chapter traces the development of the medical interpreting profession in the United States as a case study. It begins with the conception of interpreters as volunteer helpers or dual-role medical professionals who happened to have some knowledge of languages other than English. Then it examines the emergence of training programs for medical interpreters, incipient efforts to impose standards by means of certification tests, the role of government in providing language access in health care, and the beginning of a labor market for paid medical interpreters. The chapter concludes with a description of the current situation of professional medical interpreting in the United States, in terms of training, certification and the labor market, and makes recommendations for further development.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Palmieri ◽  
Kerryn Baker

Abstract In this article, we extend empirical understandings of feminist institutionalism by outlining a new methodological approach to the study of parliament as a gendered workplace. We argue that while a localised approach to studying institutional change allows a more nuanced appreciation of the role of local cultural context, internationalised norms can be an interesting starting point to work back from. A case study of the New Zealand parliament’s ‘family-friendly’ workplace practices illustrates this methodological approach. By tracing the establishment of family-friendly practices in this parliament, our study shines a light on the intractable nature of local institutional context in global norm diffusion and hints at the next phase of work required to further the agenda of transformational gender-sensitive parliaments.


Author(s):  
Shang Gao ◽  
John Krogstie

In this paper, a case study is used to evaluate the business process characterizing modeling (BPCM) language. The BPCM-framework is meant to guide both business stakeholders and model developers during model-based development. The focus of the approach is the use of BPCM as a starting point for capturing process knowledge when planning and developing information system support. Based on information within the BPCM models, goal models and process models can be developed and used for further development of the BPCM model. The approach in this paper is evaluated using a case study related to the arrangement of a conference series. Through the case study, the authors have confirmed the potential usability and usefulness of BPCM for early stage knowledge capture, getting input for further improvement of the approach.


Ecocycles ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-18
Author(s):  
Zoltán Bujdosó ◽  
Béla Benkő ◽  
Csaba Patkós

The current study's topic is the summary of the roles of art colonies in the local example. The theoretical basis of the study was given by the international scientific literature of art colonies and the role of culture in the life of settlements. The matter of research is relevant as an investigation based on a case study has not been made yet on this topic; moreover, it consists of important results for the professionals. On this basis, it can be determined that which factors affect positively the human and natural environment through an art colony. A further advantage of the study can conclude to the possible development ways of culture in the life of villages. The current research, regarding the future, is an ideal starting point to know the role of art in local (and regional) development. The main results of the case study are the tangible effects of the colony on the (natural and human) environment.


Languages ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 202
Author(s):  
Magdalini Liontou

Assessment is viewed as an internal and pivotal part of learning, where cultural factors, previous experiences, and future aspirations affect learners’ perceptions. In recent years, an increasing number of western universities have established their campuses or “dual” programmes in China. In the first Sino–Finnish programme, 293 Finnish and Chinese students participated in the same English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course. This study investigated students’ perceptions of assessment through an adapted version of the “Students’ Conceptions of Assessment” inventory, and it explored if the responses on each conception differ between the groups. The self-report inventory included statements based on four main conceptions of assessment: improvement, external factors, affect/benefit, and irrelevance, while open-ended questions were also included. The analysis of the open-ended questions raised the issues of teacher fairness, learner autonomy, and feedback. Additionally, differences appeared between the role of assessment and its relation to future aspirations, as well as the role of the parents. This study is a starting point for exploring the conceptions for distinct groups of students regarding assessment, providing a better understanding of students’ perceptions and discussing the implications for the language classroom.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 286-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Tam ◽  
Anupma Wadhwa ◽  
Maria Athina Martimianakis ◽  
Oshan Fernando ◽  
Glenn Regehr

Abstract Introduction The clinical competency committee (CCC) comprises a group of clinical faculty tasked with assessing a medical trainee’s progress from multiple data sources. The use of previously undocumented data, or PUD, during CCC deliberations remains controversial. This study explored the use of previously undocumented data in conjunction with documented data in creating a meaningful assessment in a CCC. Methods An instrumental case study of a CCC that uses previously undocumented data was conducted. A single CCC meeting was observed, followed by semi-structured individual interviews with all CCC members (n = 7). Meeting and interview transcripts were analyzed iteratively. Results Documented data were perceived as limited by inaccurate or superficial data, but sometimes served as a starting point for invoking previously undocumented data. Previously undocumented data were introduced as summary impressions, contextualizing factors, personal anecdotes and, rarely, hearsay. The purpose was to raise a potential issue for discussion, enhance and elaborate an impression, or counter an impression. Various mechanisms allowed for the responsible use of previously undocumented data: embedding these data within a structured format; sharing relevant information without commenting beyond one’s scope of experience; clarifying allowable disclosure of personal contextual factors with the trainee pre-meeting; excluding previously undocumented data not widely agreed upon in decision-making; and expecting these data to have been provided as direct feedback to trainees pre-meeting. Discussion Previously undocumented data appear to play a vital part of the group conversation in a CCC to create meaningful, developmentally focused trainee assessments that cannot be achieved by documented data alone. Consideration should be given to ensuring the thoughtful incorporation of previously undocumented data as an essential part of the CCC assessment process.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Bomhauer-Beins ◽  
Corinna de Guttry ◽  
Beate Ratter

The concept of resilience has greatly contributed to the scientific discussion on human–nature interactions by analysing the dynamics, relationships and feedbacks between society and the natural environment at different levels. In this paper, we analyse how culture and societal dynamics influence those connections and, at the same time, have the potential to eventually hinder or foster social-ecological resilience. In order to do so, we take the example of a natural element which is also a cultural icon: the Conch (pronounced ‘konk’). Conch is a marine mollusc with significant social and cultural value for the islands’ society of The Bahamas. In the last decade, a decline in several Conch stocks has been documented, calling for an urgent sustainable management strategy. Nevertheless, only little efforts are happening. This case study offers an innovative understanding of resilience by introducing an aspect which is too often overseen: the role of culture in shaping social-ecological resilience. In this case study, the role of culture proved to be crucial as the cultural significance and embeddedness of Conch has made the management process challenging. But at the same time, culture can be used as a positive impulse towards adaptive management and as a starting point for sustainability. When culture materializes, it affects not only societal dynamics but also the vulnerability and the resilience process of the entire social-ecological system.


1983 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-291
Author(s):  
Paul Bennell

While the importance of the rôle of formally qualified high- and middle-level technical personnel in the development process in Africa has been repeatedly underlined since the early 1950s, relatively little empirical research has focused on the historical evolution and present constitution of the occupations which embody these skills. As a contribution to such an analysis, this case-study examines the determinants of the institutional provision of Kenyans with engineering technician qualifications, and their subsequent employment and utilisation. In other words, we are concerned with the relationship between the supply of, and demand for, one group of skilled individuals. Although formulating the problem in this way may, at first sight, appear to be narrowly economistic, this framework provides a methodologically useful starting point for a multi-disciplinary analysis.


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