scholarly journals Sustainable Lighting and Light Pollution: A Critical Issue for the Present Generation, a Challenge to the Future

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 4552 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georges Zissis

Human beings’ poor night vision and primitive fear of the dark are reflected in an imperative need to use artificial light to illuminate their environment. Outdoor illumination undoubtedly contributes to the enhancement of practical opportunities for social and economic developments. Considered as a necessity, a means of security, and an attraction or valorization, city lighting growth has been literally exponential in the last half century. Beyond the financial and energy resources that it absorbs, the artificial lighting of urban spaces overflows its objective by polluting our nights to the point that, in our modern megacities, the stars disappear. Apart from the fact that stars are no longer visible, the scientific community is increasingly interested in the direct and indirect impacts of artificial lighting on biodiversity. In parallel, some studies have shown recently that stray light may have direct or indirect effects on human health and mood. The scope of this Special Issue, dedicated to the memory of Prof. Abraham Haim and Dr. Thomas Posch, is to put together a series of high-level papers treating light pollution in a holistic manner that goes from technological advances to policies, passing through impacts on biotopes and human health. Beyond its evident scientific interest, this Special Issue is also contributing to awareness raising, aimed at decision- and policy-makers.

Author(s):  
Stefanie Evelyn ◽  
Sutrisnowati Machdijar

BSD City is an area that is planned to be a pioneer of the Integrated Smart Digital City, triggered by the population of BSD which is dominated by millennials and alpha generations who grow up following technological developments. Millennials have a high level of anxiety, stress and depression. To reduce high levels of stress art has an important role where art can change one's emotions and behavior, have a positive impact on stress management, reduce anxiety levels and improve mood. Digital technology has allowed art to go beyond existing boundaries, so that art in the present and in the future will be more dynamic, flexible in accordance with the character of the millennials generation. Therefore, this design aims to provide a forum for interaction between art and humans and among fellow human beings from various groups by utilizing technological advances to maximize the interactions that occur and foster creative thinking and self-expression through digital art. The design is done by survey method and shape grammar. A museum where visitors can explore digital art and interact directly with the artwork and express their emotions freely into a museum, is needed by the Millennials at this time. AbstrakKota BSD merupakan suatu kawasan yang direncanakan akan menjadi pionir Integrated Smart Digital City, dipicu oleh penduduk BSD yang didominasi oleh generasi milenial dan generasi alfa yang tumbuh dengan mengikuti perkembangan teknologi. Generasi  milenial memiliki  tingkat kecemasan, stress, dan depresi yang tinggi. Untuk mengurangi tingkat stress yang tinggi itu seni memiliki peran yang penting dimana seni dapat mengubah emosi dan perilaku seseorang, memberi dampak positif pada manajemen stress, mengurangi tingkat kecemasan dan meningkatkan mood.[1] Teknologi digital telah memungkinkan seni untuk melampaui batasan-batasan yang ada, sehingga seni di masa sekarang dan di masa yang akan datang menjadi lebih dinamis, fleksibel sesuai dengan karakter generasi millennials. Oleh karena itu, perancangan ini bertujuan untuk menyediakan wadah interaksi antara seni dengan manusia dan antara sesama  manusia dari berbagai golongan dengan memanfaatkan kemajuan teknologi untuk memaksimalkan interaksi yang terjadi serta menumbuhkan pemikiran kreatif dan ekspresi diri melalu seni digital. Perancangan dilakukan dengan metode survei dan shape grammar. Museum dimana pengunjung dapat mengeksplorasi seni digital dan berinteraksi langsung dengan karya seni tersebut serta mengekspresikan emosinya secara bebas menjadi museum yang dibutuhkan generasi milenial di masa ini.[1] Sabine C. Koch & Fuchs T, Embodied Arts Therapies, (Arts Psychother, 2011)


IKESMA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 12
Author(s):  
Jeni Martiyanti Fitriana

The high rate of drug abuse in Indonesia has spread to high school adolescents. 183 million people consume marijuana, 35 million opioids, 37 million amphetamines and drug stimuli, 22 million ecstasy, 18 million opiates, 17 million kokai (BNN, 2017). East Java is one of the provinces where the population is at risk of experiencing drug abuse. Surabaya occupies a position as a metrapolitan city which has a high level of modernity both from technology and infrastructure. The high level of population and technological advances have made this region vulnerable to drug abuse. The role of the School is to develop capabilities and shape dignified national character and civilization in order to educate the life of the nation and the state aimed at developing potential students to become human beings who believe and fear God Almighty, noble, healthy, knowledgeable, capable, creative , be independent, and become a democratic and responsible citizen. For this reason, schools have an important role related to the prevention of drug abuse. Based on the data and policies obtained, the researchers aimed to identify the atmosphere development strategy in schools in an effort to prevent drug abuse in schools. This research was conducted using in-depth interviews with 14 informants who held positions as teachers. The research conducted will later use the WHO 1984 Health Promotion Strategy approach by using atmosphere development variables. The results of the study stated that the community development activities carried out in North Surabaya's high schools were in the form of peer counselors, teaching and learning activities, inspection, urine tests and counseling facilities.


Energies ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 514
Author(s):  
Juan-José González de-la-Rosa ◽  
Manuel Pérez-Donsión

We are immersed in the so-called digital energy network, continuously introducing new technological advances for a better way of life. As a consequence, numerous emerging words are relevant to this point: Internet of Things (IoT), big data, smart cities, smart grid, industry 4.0, etc. To achieve this formidable goal, systems should work more efficiently, a fact that inevitably leads to power quality (PQ) assurance. Apart from its economic losses, a bad PQ implies serious risks for machines and, consequently, for people. Many researchers are endeavouring to develop new analysis techniques, instruments, measurement methods, and new indices and norms that match and fulfil the requirements regarding the current operation of the electrical network. This book, and its associated Special Issue, offer a compilation of some of the recent advances in this field. The chapters range from computing to technological implementation, going through event detection strategies and new indices and measurement methods that contribute significantly to the advance of PQ analysis and regulation. Experiments have been developed within the frameworks of research units and projects and deal with real data from industry practice and public buildings. Human beings have an unavoidable commitment to sustainability, which implies adapting PQ monitoring techniques to our dynamic world, defining a digital and smart concept of quality for electricity.


Author(s):  
Georgi Derluguian

The author develops ideas about the origin of social inequality during the evolution of human societies and reflects on the possibilities of its overcoming. What makes human beings different from other primates is a high level of egalitarianism and altruism, which contributed to more successful adaptability of human collectives at early stages of the development of society. The transition to agriculture, coupled with substantially increasing population density, was marked by the emergence and institutionalisation of social inequality based on the inequality of tangible assets and symbolic wealth. Then, new institutions of warfare came into existence, and they were aimed at conquering and enslaving the neighbours engaged in productive labour. While exercising control over nature, people also established and strengthened their power over other people. Chiefdom as a new type of polity came into being. Elementary forms of power (political, economic and ideological) served as a basis for the formation of early states. The societies in those states were characterised by social inequality and cruelties, including slavery, mass violence and numerous victims. Nowadays, the old elementary forms of power that are inherent in personalistic chiefdom are still functioning along with modern institutions of public and private bureaucracy. This constitutes the key contradiction of our time, which is the juxtaposition of individual despotic power and public infrastructural one. However, society is evolving towards an ever more efficient combination of social initiatives with the sustainability and viability of large-scale organisations.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Souresh Bhattacharya ◽  
D. Mukhopadhyay ◽  
Sunil Giri

Indian automotive industry has increasingly adopted global supply chain best practices including supplier relationship as a management imperative, in the last two decades. Increased competition, globalization, wide-spread outsourcing, use of information technology and rapid technological advances have contributed in supplier relationship development with the objective to achieve competitive advantage and a high level of performance. It is evident that only if mutual benefits accrue to both Vehicle Assemblers (VA) and their suppliers, the partnership between them would be meaningful and effective. Also, VAs have necessarily, to invest considerable resources and effort in achieving collaboration with their suppliers and cost-effectiveness becomes an issue which leads to supply base rationalization and a segmented approach. Therefore understanding the issues involved and identifying focus areas for successful supplier relationships becomes an imperative. This paper, based on an exploratory study, delves into the VA-supplier interface in Indian automobile supply chains, examines various theoretical and practical dimensions, in order to identify strategic imperatives (key impact drivers), Supplier Management Orientation (SMO) of VAs, adoption of Supplier Development Practices, extent of VA-supplier partnerships and mutual benefits accruing to both entities. Based on this a framework for holistically studying the VA-supplier interface is proposed.


Journalism ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (8) ◽  
pp. 985-993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Cushion ◽  
Daniel Jackson

This introduction unpacks the eight articles that make up this Journalism special issue about election reporting. Taken together, the articles ask: How has election reporting evolved over the last century across different media? Has the relationship between journalists and candidates changed in the digital age of campaigning? How do contemporary news values influence campaign coverage? Which voices – politicians, say or journalists – are most prominent? How far do citizens inform election coverage? How is public opinion articulated in the age of social media? Are sites such as Twitter developing new and distinctive election agendas? In what ways does social media interact with legacy media? How well have scholars researched and theorised election reporting cross-nationally? How can research agendas be enhanced? Overall, we argue this Special Issue demonstrates the continued strength of news media during election campaigns. This is in spite of social media platforms increasingly disrupting and recasting the agenda setting power of legacy media, not least by political parties and candidates who are relying more heavily on sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to campaign. But while debates in recent years have centred on the technological advances in political communication and the associated role of social media platforms during election campaigns (e.g. microtargeting voters, spreading disinformation/misinformation and allowing candidates to bypass media to campaign), our collection of studies signal the enduring influence professional journalists play in selecting and framing of news. Put more simply, how elections are reported still profoundly matters in spite of political parties’ and candidates’ more sophisticated use of digital campaigning.


Author(s):  
Pushpa Raj Jaishi

Vanishing Herds (2011) is Henry Ole Kulet’s novel that hovers around the ecological depletion caused by the anthropocentric attitude of the human beings. Set in the East African Savannah, the novel grapples with the critical issue of anthropogenic environmental degradation. The novel is based on the tribulations of a young Maasai couple –Kedoki and Norpisia whose epic journey through the wilderness provides a window through which the destruction of the physical environment can be viewed. Additionally, the text catalogues the challenges faced by a pastoralist community’s attempt to come to terms with the socio-economic realities of a fast-evolving contemporary society. The paper is an attempt to study this novel under the surveillance of green lens and throw light on the ecological destruction especially the clearing of the forest by human self centered endeavors and to critique the anthropocentric attitude of the human beings that render the environment at the verge of destruction.


Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 462
Author(s):  
Manousos-Ioannis Manousakas

Research related to ambient particulate matter (PM) remains very relative today due to the adverse effects PM have on human health. [...]


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 596
Author(s):  
David Vint ◽  
Matthew Anderson ◽  
Yuhao Yang ◽  
Christos Ilioudis ◽  
Gaetano Di Caterina ◽  
...  

In recent years, the technological advances leading to the production of high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images has enabled more and more effective target recognition capabilities. However, high spatial resolution is not always achievable, and, for some particular sensing modes, such as Foliage Penetrating Radars, low resolution imaging is often the only option. In this paper, the problem of automatic target recognition in Low Resolution Foliage Penetrating (FOPEN) SAR is addressed through the use of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) able to extract both low and high level features of the imaged targets. Additionally, to address the issue of limited dataset size, Generative Adversarial Networks are used to enlarge the training set. Finally, a Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC)-based post-classification decision approach is used to reduce classification errors and measure the capability of the classifier to provide a reliable output. The effectiveness of the proposed framework is demonstrated through the use of real SAR FOPEN data.


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