Academic literature on the topic 'Beach situation'

The aim of this research is to identify the management strategy done by star hotels in Bali in dealing with pandemi situation of Covid 19. It is descriptive qualitative research with virtual interview techniques and literature review. The reseach found out some similarities and differences held by star hotel management in facing the covid 19 situatioan. Both The Westin Resort Nusa Dua and Wyndham Garden Kuta Beach Bali apply the hotel management internal strategy carried out in facing the pandemi situation. They also implement efficiency and effectiveness in order to survive. These hotels are different in generic strategy. The Westin Resort Nusa Dua uses generic strategy based on Poster theory (1985), and functional strategy. Meanwhile Wyndham Garden Kuta Beach uses a Strategic Recovery Plan which inspired by the theory of Business Continuity or Disaster Recovery Plan that consists of 6 phases and 3 strategy steps to ensure the plan is implemented properly.

Beach nourishment represents a type of coastal defense intervention, keeping the beach as a natural coastal defense system. Altering the cross-shore profile geometry, due to the introduction of new sediments, induces a non-equilibrium situation regarding the local wave dynamics. This work aims to increase our knowledge concerning 3D movable bed physical modeling and beach nourishment impacts on the hydrodynamics, sediment transport, and morphodynamics. A set of experiments with an artificial beach nourishment movable bed model was prepared. Hydrodynamic, sediment transport, and morphological variations and impacts due to the presence of the nourishment were monitored with specific equipment. Special attention was given to the number and positioning of the monitoring equipment and the inherent constraints of 3D movable beds laboratory tests. The nourishment induced changes in the beach dynamics, leading to an increase in the flow velocities range and suspended sediment concentration, and effectively increasing the emerged beach width. Predicting and anticipating the morphological evolution of the modeled beach has a major impact on data accuracy, since it might influence the monitoring equipment’s correct position. Laboratory results and constraints were characterized to help better define future laboratory procedures and strategies for increasing movable bed models’ accuracy and performance.

In a development of tourist destination area has several stages that can show the position and situation of development in that tourist destination area. Dreamland Beach is located in the south of Bali precisely in the Pecatu area. This research aims to provide an overview of the existing conditions of Dreamland Beach in terms of tourism product components and the development of Dremland Beach, also explore suitable strategies for Dreamland Beach development. This research used qualitative descriptive data analysis and analysis using SWOT. Theories and concepts that used are the concept of beach, touris destination area, development and theory of Butler or tourism area life cycle. The result of this study is indicate the existing condition of Dreamland Beach that viewed from the components of tourist attraction products. The Facilities and infrastructure is support but still lacking. The acces road to Dreamland Beach is nice and easy to reach and additional service are still overlapping and not yet comprehensive. The development of Dreamland Beach is still in the stage involvement. As well as a suitable develompmet of Dreamland Beach is to maintain the cleanliness of the beach and open new access to attract tourists, providing easy access to the location of Dreamland Beach to overcome the competition with other tourist destination, open new access and do promotion more vigorously to attract more tourists to visit Dreamland Beach. Keywords : existing conditions, components of tourism products, the development of tourist destination areas, the development of tourist destinations

The morphodynamics of an artificial gravel beach in the Bay of Rijeka (Ploče Beach) was analyzed. The morphological changes of the beach face were monitored through an intense situation of gravitational surface wind waves from the incident SSW direction. A numerical modeling technique was applied, after initially establishing a numerical model for wave deformation. A model for sediment transport was established based on its results. Both models were based on the finite volume method. In addition, the partial contribution of the longshore component of sediment transport was analyzed based on empirical formulae. The modeling results were verified by comparing the positions and amounts of eroded/accumulated material along the beach with the processing of terrain images in the form of point clouds. The erosion and accumulation positions of the beach sediment material, obtained by numerical model simulations, corresponded to the surveyed positions. The total volume of eroded and accumulated material based on terrain image processing corresponded to the model values.

The first steps have been taken to study microplastics in the beach areas of the Arctic seas and the southern part of the Far East. Researches have shown that the average concentration in the areas studied is about 1 particle per kilogram of beach ground which is significantly lower than in other regions of the world. However due to the difficult access and irregular nature of the work an objective situation cannot be presented yet.

In view of the persistent increase m traffic density on the Croisette and the restrictions caused by a one-way system which had to be introduced, the Cannes municipality decided to ease the situation by widening the road to handle two-way traffic. Numerous schemes for widening the road on the seaward side were proposed but none were satisfactory for the resulting gains were minimal, and the beach, which is at present very narrow and even non-existent at certain places (see fig. 2), would have suffered accordingly. Consulted on this problem, Sogreah decided to examine the possibility of rebuilding the beach to start with, to be followed by the construction of a new, wide promenade, the net effect being a wider beach than the existing one. Since the beach could not be expected to extend naturally, this involved the construction of a completely man-made beach. This artificial beach building is extremely attractive from a technical point of view, since it presents no snags but it was nevertheless considered advisable to verify that this method could be applied to the Croisette beach. The Cannes Council Technical Department commissioned Sogreah to do a study, the aim of which was to discover whether the artificial beach would be sufficiently stable without extensive maintenance. This report is a record of these studies and the practical achievements they made possible.

Abstract The beach profile survey in the intertidal zone is crucial for a temporal variability study of shoreline and beach profile change for coastal management. The combination of numerical modelling and field data has proven to be successful in identifying the primary hydrodynamic and sediment transport processes such as littoral and cross-shore drift. Those parameters are relevant to the sandbar migration process and shoreline changes. The purpose of the present study is to analyse the littoral drift that caused temporal variability shoreline change in mesotidal beach for coastal retreat mitigation. Beach profile data of Kuta Beach was analyzed by 7 years of long-term field observation data both east monsoon and west monsoon situation. The shoreline definition used mean sea level (MSL)1.3 m and high water level (HWL) 2.6 m as reference. By using the MeEPASoL program as a graphical user interface program, shoreline changes converging to an equilibrium state can be simulated by taking into account the existing breakwater. Temporal shoreline position resulting from littoral drift and beach width change from its initial position is estimated for coastal erosion analysis. The result showed that dominantly, the littoral drift pattern moved from south to north. Furthermore, this study can be used in the process of identifying the primary hydrodynamic analysis in erosion disaster management as assessment of the beach erosion.

The coast of Ibaraki Prefecture, facing the Pacific Ocean, has an alongshore stretch of 181 km. On this coast many structures associated with harbors have been constructed since early 1960s. Since then 25 years have passed, and some notable beach changes due to the influence of the construction of the coastal structures have been observed. This study aims to examine the actual situation of the beach change around large-scale structures and the damages of the coastal structures selecting the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture as the study area. For the purpose aerial photographs were taken along the coast, and the topographic surveys and measurements of median diameter of beach-face materials were made. Data of the soundings having been conducted once a year since 1975 around Oharai Port and Hazaki Fishery Harbor were collected in order to study the beach changes around the large-scale coastal structures. For the analysis of these data the comparison of the shoreline changes were performed by using four sets of aerial photographs since 1947 to the present. Moreover, temporal and spatial changes of the beach topography were investigated by the sounding data.

Barrier beaches often overlie backbarrier deposits composed of poorly consolidated sediments. Hence, they can consolidate significantly if loaded. A retreating barrier beach provides such a load. In the static situation of beach nourishment, the increased load of the raised beach volume will also cause increased consolidation. These can lower beach elevation promoting wave overtopping, overwashing and retreat. However, there is limited research concerning the role of consolidation on the stability of barrier beaches worldwide. This paper focuses on this issue using Hurst Spit on the UK south coast as a study site where consolidation is a known significant process (Nicholls, 1985; Burt et al., 2018). It is a storm beach composed of shingle (pebble and cobble) sediments and formerly retreated at 2 to 3 m/yr, Since the later 1990s it has been more stabilized by a major nourishment (Bradbury and Kidd, 1998), but continues to retreat slowly (Figure 1). A second nourishment phase is now being actively assessed following major damage in the large storm of 14 February 2014. In this context, the role of consolidation has been analyzed via new data collection, consolidation modelling and morphodynamic modelling. This paper presents these results and their implications.

Flooding in a sediment-laden floodplain is affected by riverine beach vegetation and the shape of a meandering compound channel. The laws of water and sediment exchange and the deposition distribution in beach troughs are very complex. These factors play a significant role in the formation and development of secondary suspended rivers, in the adjustment of the beach horizontal gradient, and even in the evolution of the flood control situation. In this study, we used a combination of experimental simulation and theoretical research to carry out a generalized model test of floodplain flooding evolution, analyzed the lateral distribution characteristics of sediment-laden flow and sediment factors in a meandering compound channel under the conditions of beach vegetation, and revealed the pros and cons of beach vegetation on the adjustment of the beach and channel siltation. The model test results of the flooding in the floodplain in the compound channel with meandering vegetation showed that the main stream was not only concentrated in the main channel but also appeared near the foot of the left and right bank levees and formed flood discharges along the embankment. As the riverine beach siltation was mainly concentrated at the riverine beach lip, the vegetation on the riverine beach had a significant effect on slowing down the flow velocity. Whether it was a row or full vegetation on both sides of the bank, this played an important role in the stability of the main channel. When there was no vegetation on the riverine beach, the main channel was easy to move. The arrangement of full vegetation on the riverine beach had a uniform effect on the velocity distribution of the riverine beach, which reduced the phenomenon of excessive velocity at the foot of the riverine beach and increased the velocity effect in the main channel. These results will provide a theoretical basis for the utilization of riverine beach areas and river management in the lower Yellow River and have a great significance for enriching the basic theory of water and sediment movement and promoting the integration of hydraulics, river dynamics, and ecology.

Notre recherche porte sur « plages urbaines spontanées » des villes non balnéaires, à savoir, les espaces publics contemporains où les citadins adoptent des comportements habituellement réservés à la plage, dans des lieux a priori non aménagés à cette fin. En effet, dans un contexte où le loisir et l’oisiveté détiennent une place grandissante dans la vie des citadins, certains lieux, par leur ambiance et leurs caractéristiques spatiales et sensibles, invitent à l’arrêt et deviennent les espaces privilégiés du relâchement et du dévoilement des corps. Ces situations de plages urbaines inattendues, émergeant dans certains espaces publics urbains contemporains, souvent au bord de l’eau et permettant aux citadins de se relâcher et d’exposer leurs corps au soleil, au sol, au vent et à l’altérité, sans que le lieu ne soit aménagé à l’image d’une plage, sont peu étudiées. Notre travail de thèse porte sur le phénomène de plage urbaine spontanée prenant place dans le milieu urbain. L’objectif de notre recherche est de comprendre la manière dont l’architecture appréhende le besoin d’éprouver le dépaysement en ville, en discernant les conditions spatiales et ambiantales entourant l’existence d’une situation de plage urbaine. Nous nous attachons également à identifier les conditions temporelles, socioculturelles et sensibles qui définissent celle-ci
Our research focuses on “spontaneous urban beaches” in non-seaside towns, i.e., contemporary public spaces in which citizens behave in a way usually reserved for the beach, in places that are not a priori adapted to this end. Indeed, in a context where entertainment and idleness are playing a growing role in citizens’ life, certain places, due to their ambiance or their spatial and sensitive characteristics, invite them to pause. They become privileged spaces for the relaxation and uncovering of bodies in copresence.These unexpected beach situations appear in certain contemporary urban public spaces, often near water, and they allow citizens to relax and expose their bodies to the sun, the ground, the wind and others in places that have not been planned to this end. Such situations are little studied. This thesis work deals with the phenomenon of spontaneous urban beaches taking place in urban areas. This research aims to understand the way architecture apprehends the need to experience a change of scenery in the city by perceiving the spatial and ambient conditions surrounding the existence of these situations.We will also identify the temporal, sociocultural and sensitive conditions that define them

碩士
國立虎尾科技大學
休閒遊憩系碩士班
106
The purpose of this research is to review whether straight style park benches meet the users’ requirement, we generalize 29 bench using behaviors by 123 samples which is from literature and fieldwork and convert these 29 behaviors into various scenarios. Users will choose a preferred style of bench in following 4 general scenarios: A. Non-interaction& unoccupied B. Non-interaction& occupied C. Interaction& unoccupied D. Interaction& occupied; There are basic 3 styles of bench: Straight, Centripetal& Centrifugal. Meanwhile, based on 3 basic styles, we could give different profile changings to them, such as forth& rear, up &down and square& round. Those settings can form 7 types of bench in total. There are 391 effective samples from this research. In resulting from the cross analysis, the most responses we got is 8 of straight type, then is 4 of convex type in scenario A. In Scenario B, the most responses we had is 6 of straight type, 12 in scenario C and scenario D. In the perspective of background attribute, gender, age and monthly revenue will lead a significant difference of benches preference. In the occupied/unoccupied conditions, there’s an apparently difference in non-interaction, e.g. Jogging, biking, stroll, scenery enjoying, bird watching, spacing out, being a phubber, picnic, reading, and sketching.

Politics is about conflict, struggle, decision-making, power and influence. But not every conflict and not every situation in which power is exercised is widely regarded as politics. A football coach who decides to leave a player on the bench because he has given him a bit of lip, is exerting power, and there is conflict here, too. However, few people would consider this a political issue. The same applies to a mother who quarrels with her adolescent daughter about going to a house party, a schoolteacher who gives a student detention, and so on. But if we were to limit our understanding of politics to official decisions that are taken by governments, in parliaments or on municipal councils, we would fail to recognise the political meaning of trade unions, lobbyists, protest groups, corporations and other more-or-less organised groups that influence collective decision-making.

Direct experience, scientific reports, and international media coverage make clear that the breadth, severity, and multiple consequences from climate change are far-reaching and increasing. Like many places globally, the northeastern United States is already experiencing climate change, including one of the world’s highest rates of ocean warming, reduced durations of winter ice cover on lakes, a marked increase in the frequency of extreme precipitation events, and climate-mediated ecological disruptions of invasive species. Given current and projected changes in ecosystems, communities, and economies, it is essential to find ways to anticipate and reduce vulnerabilities to change and, at the same time, promote sustainable economic development and human well-being.The emerging field of sustainability science offers a promising conceptual and analytic framework for accelerating progress towards sustainable development. Sustainability science aims to be use-inspired and to connect basic and applied knowledge with solutions for societal benefit. This approach draws from diverse disciplines, theories, and methods organized around the broad goal of maintaining and improving life support systems, ecosystem health, and human well-being. Partners in New England have been using sustainability science as a framework for stakeholder-engaged, interdisciplinary research that has generated use-inspired knowledge and multiple solutions for more than a decade. Sustainability science has helped produce a landscape-scale approach to wetland conservation; emergency response plans for invasive species that threaten livelihoods and cultures; decision support tools for improved water quality management and public health for beach use and shellfish consumption; and the development of robust partnership networks across disciplines and institutions. Understanding and reducing vulnerability to climate change is a central motivating factor in this portfolio of projects because linking knowledge about social-ecological systems with effective policy action requires a holistic view that addresses complex intersecting stressors.One common theme in these varied efforts is the way that communication fundamentally shapes collaborative research and social, technical, and policy outcomes from sustainability science. Communication as a discipline has, for more than two thousand years, sought to understand how environments and symbols shape human life, forms of social organization, and collective decision making. The result is a body of scholarship and practical techniques that are diverse and well adapted to meet the complexity of contemporary sustainability challenges. The complexity of the issues that sustainability science aspires to solve requires diversity and flexibility to be able to adapt approaches to the specific needs of a situation. Long-term, cross-scale, and multi-institutional sustainability science collaborations show that communication research and practice can help build communities and networks, and advance technical and policy solutions to confront the challenges of climate change and promote sustainability now and in future.

The aim of the paper was to determine the influence of root systems of chosen tree species found in the Polish Flysch Carpathians on the increase of soil shear strength (root cohesion) in terms of slope stability. The paper's goal was achieved through comprehensive tests on root systems of eight relatively common in the Polish Flysch Carpathians tree species. The tests that were carried out included field work, laboratory work and analytical calculations. As part of the field work, the root area ratio (A IA) of the roots was determined using the method of profiling the walls of the trench at a distance of about 1.0 m from the tree trunk. The width of the. trenches was about 1.0 m, and their depth depended on the ground conditions and ranged from 0.6 to 1.0 m below the ground level. After preparing the walls of the trench, the profile was divided into vertical layers with a height of 0.1 m, within which root diameters were measured. Roots with diameters from 1 to 10 mm were taken into consideration in root area ratio calculations in accordance with the generally accepted methodology for this type of tests. These measurements were made in Biegnik (silver fir), Ropica Polska (silver birch, black locust) and Szymbark (silver birch, European beech, European hornbeam, silver fir, sycamore maple, Scots pine, European spruce) located near Gorlice (The Low Beskids) in areas with unplanned forest management. In case of each tested tree species the samples of roots were taken, transported to the laboratory and then saturated with water for at least one day. Before testing the samples were obtained from the water and stretched in a. tensile testing machine in order to determine their tensile strength and flexibility. In general, over 2200 root samples were tested. The results of tests on root area ratio of root systems and their tensile strength were used to determine the value of increase in shear strength of the soils, called root cohesion. To this purpose a classic Wu-Waldron calculation model was used as well as two types of bundle models, the so called static model (Fiber Bundle Model — FIRM, FBM2, FBM3) and the deformation model (Root Bundle Model— RBM1, RBM2, mRBM1) that differ in terms of the assumptions concerning the way the tensile force is distributed to the roots as well as the range of parameters taken into account during calculations. The stability analysis of 8 landslides in forest areas of Cicikowicleie and Wignickie Foothills was a form of verification of relevance of the obtained calculation results. The results of tests on root area ratio in the profile showed that, as expected, the number of roots in the soil profile and their ApIA values are very variable. It was shown that the values of the root area ratio of the tested tree species with a diameter 1-10 ram are a maximum of 0.8% close to the surface of the ground and they decrease along with the depth reaching the values at least one order of magnitude lower than close to the surface at the depth 0.5-1.0 m below the ground level. Average values of the root area ratio within the soil profile were from 0.05 to 0.13% adequately for Scots pine and European beech. The measured values of the root area ratio are relatively low in relation to the values of this parameter given in literature, which is probably connected with great cohesiveness of the soils and the fact that there were a lot of rock fragments in the soil, where the tests were carried out. Calculation results of the Gale-Grigal function indicate that a distribution of roots in the soil profile is similar for the tested species, apart from the silver fir from Bie§nik and European hornbeam. Considering the number of roots, their distribution in the soil profile and the root area ratio it appears that — considering slope stability — the root systems of European beech and black locust are the most optimal, which coincides with tests results given in literature. The results of tensile strength tests showed that the roots of the tested tree species have different tensile strength. The roots of European beech and European hornbeam had high tensile strength, whereas the roots of conifers and silver birch in deciduous trees — low. The analysis of test results also showed that the roots of the studied tree species are characterized by high variability of mechanical properties. The values Of shear strength increase are mainly related to the number and size (diameter) of the roots in the soil profile as well as their tensile strength and pullout resistance, although they can also result from the used calculation method (calculation model). The tests showed that the distribution of roots in the soil and their tensile strength are characterized by large variability, which allows the conclusion that using typical geotechnical calculations, which take into consideration the role of root systems is exposed to a high risk of overestimating their influence on the soil reinforcement. hence, while determining or assuming the increase in shear strength of soil reinforced with roots (root cohesion) for design calculations, a conservative (careful) approach that includes the most unfavourable values of this parameter should be used. Tests showed that the values of shear strength increase of the soil reinforced with roots calculated using Wu-Waldron model in extreme cases are three times higher than the values calculated using bundle models. In general, the most conservative calculation results of the shear strength increase were obtained using deformation bundle models: RBM2 (RBMw) or mRBM1. RBM2 model considers the variability of strength characteristics of soils described by Weibull survival function and in most cases gives the lowest values of the shear strength increase, which usually constitute 50% of the values of shear strength increase determined using classic Wu-Waldron model. Whereas the second model (mRBM1.) considers averaged values of roots strength parameters as well as the possibility that two main mechanism of destruction of a root bundle - rupture and pulling out - can occur at the same. time. The values of shear strength increase calculated using this model were the lowest in case of beech and hornbeam roots, which had high tensile strength. It indicates that in the surface part of the profile (down to 0.2 m below the ground level), primarily in case of deciduous trees, the main mechanism of failure of the root bundle will be pulling out. However, this model requires the knowledge of a much greater number of geometrical parameters of roots and geotechnical parameters of soil, and additionally it is very sensitive to input data. Therefore, it seems practical to use the RBM2 model to assess the influence of roots on the soil shear strength increase, and in order to obtain safe results of calculations in the surface part of the profile, the Weibull shape coefficient equal to 1.0 can be assumed. On the other hand, the Wu-Waldron model can be used for the initial assessment of the shear strength increase of soil reinforced with roots in the situation, where the deformation properties of the root system and its interaction with the soil are not considered, although the values of the shear strength increase calculated using this model should be corrected and reduced by half. Test results indicate that in terms of slope stability the root systems of beech and hornbeam have the most favourable properties - their maximum effect of soil reinforcement in the profile to the depth of 0.5 m does not usually exceed 30 kPa, and to the depth of 1 m - 20 kPa. The root systems of conifers have the least impact on the slope reinforcement, usually increasing the soil shear strength by less than 5 kPa. These values coincide to a large extent with the range of shear strength increase obtained from the direct shear test as well as results of stability analysis given in literature and carried out as part of this work. The analysis of the literature indicates that the methods of measuring tree's root systems as well as their interpretation are very different, which often limits the possibilities of comparing test results. This indicates the need to systematize this type of tests and for this purpose a root distribution model (RDM) can be used, which can be integrated with any deformation bundle model (RBM). A combination of these two calculation models allows the range of soil reinforcement around trees to be determined and this information might be used in practice, while planning bioengineering procedures in areas exposed to surface mass movements. The functionality of this solution can be increased by considering the dynamics of plant develop¬ment in the calculations. This, however, requires conducting this type of research in order to obtain more data.

From 1988 to the present the Institute of Marine Biology and Ecology of Piombino has studied the marine environmental situation of the Gulf of Follonica (Italy), in collaboration with the Universities of Siena, Pisa, Urbino, Sassari, Corte (FR) and the CNR of Pisa. In recent years erosion has drastically changed the sandy beaches mainly as a consequence of the constant retreat of the P. oceanica meadows whose possible causes have been studied. Also in the Gulf of Baratti the methods adopted for the defense of the beach have been inadequate.

This chapter discusses how contextualizing facts can alter judicial outcomes, arguing for the necessity of developing a sociological theory about the facts of a case in order to ascribe responsibility in a court. Judges in international courts have very sparse access to information when they have to judge foreign situations from abroad. Thus, judges elaborate what can be called ‘folk sociological theories’ (FST), which are sociological narratives that can provide them with a grasp of the situation and a guide for the selection of facts that can demonstrate responsibility or guilt in the accomplishment of crimes. The chapter applies FSTs to the Germain Katanga and Mathieu Ngudjolo cases, suggesting that they raise important conceptual implications for understanding the epistemological limitations of international criminal proceedings. It also considers the production of FSTs through a pragmatic approach, showing when FSTs successfully produce the irrelevance of facts in fact-finding processes, and when they fail the reality tests of legal procedure.

Forty- five years after the passage of the Clean Water Act (CWA), water pollution remains a profound problem. More than forty- seven thousand US waters are impaired. At the rate these lakes, rivers, and estuaries are being cleaned up, it will take more than five hundred years to make them all safe for swimming and fishing. Oliver Houck, a professor of law at Tulane University who has focused on environmental protection since the 1970s, sums up the situation: “We have not had clean water in America,” he writes, “in the lifetime of anyone living.” The major source of pollution in the waters of the US, as in other developed countries, is now runoff from farm fields and city streets. These nonpoint sources remain difficult to control. More than 75 percent of the rivers and lakes that fail to meet water quality standards are tainted by nonpoint sources. In terms of nutrient pollution, agricultural runoff is by far the dominant source, triggering harmful algal blooms from Chesapeake Bay to Puget Sound. The CWA of 1972 addressed point sources of pollution in a decisive and radical way. Section 402 of the CWA applies effluent standards based on the best available treatment technology to city sewage and industrial wastewaters, and puts regulatory power in the hands of the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Regulation under this scheme has brought dramatic improvement in water quality. Before the CWA was enacted, major urban river systems throughout the country had such low levels of dissolved oxygen that fish kills became routine, and urban beaches were often closed due to fecal contamination. By the late 1990s, dissolved oxygen levels had improved in about 70 percent of river reaches and watersheds studied by the EPA, and fish had returned to many waters. Beach closures decreased. Problems remain, especially in cities like Chicago and Baltimore, where heavy rains can overwhelm treatment systems, releasing raw sewage downstream. Still, in terms of curbing point source pollution, the CWA has made a critical difference. The rise of pollution from unregulated nonpoint sources has eaten away at these water quality gains. The Mississippi River basin, whose waters flow into the northern Gulf of Mexico, may be the most dramatic example. In August 2017, the Gulf’s dead zone grew to an unprecedented 8,776 square miles, about the size of New Jersey.

Against the background of the diversity of international judicial institutions and of the criteria for the selection of judges, this chapter sketches recurrent common considerations in the practice of States as regards elections to the international bench. The observations are drawn from the perspective of a government representative who has been engaged in the international settlement of disputes. The exacting requirements of campaigning by States, in addition to the personal experience-based qualifications required of candidates, speak in favour of scrutiny of any early obstacles for the qualification of women to qualifying positions with international exposure. Gender-sensitiveness and mainstreaming are considered in relevant decision-making at domestic levels. The question is raised as to the importance of the practical choice of language in actual situations of national decision-making. In this regard, incentives for more appointments of women on the international bench may include not only arguments of fairness, but also of utility. Recalling basic premises expressed in agreed language at the international level as regards peace and security as well as sustainable development, may also promote dialogue to bridge cultural differences.

This chapter explores situations in which “place” is the site of contestation, and where history plays a central role in that contestation. It highlights and considers the connection between the existential sense of right attached to one's bodily existence, the values associated with dwelling and home, and the political and ecological consequences of the ways in which the scope of this sense of right is interpreted. Place and its history and promise are central to these issues. Here then is the argument: People take for granted as the ground of every other right and privilege their individual right to exist, to have their “place in the sun.” This is rarely contested, and it is undoubtedly defensible. The image of “my place in the sun” makes it clear that one is not talking about a privileged spot on a private beach but a place on earth that does not deprive others of what is theirs. The chapter then looks at the historical constitution of place.

The phenomena of the re-materialisation of the art object is presented through the shift in art-thinking since mid-last century, derived from the impact of earlier art. This shift is marked by Lippard’s seminal book on the disappearance of the art object, as reflected in the title above, with reference to the Duchampian Readymade and Greenbergian Modernism. The chapter then reviews the current situation via contemporary understandings and the writings of Beech who challenges Lippard’s view of immateriality within Conceptual art. This is followed by examples of recent practice where new technologies have allowed for a re-materialisation of the art object to include artists such as Intersculpt, Michael Eden, and those in the Second Life Kriti Island exhibition, where virtual objects solidified into physical forms. This re-positioning of the art object allows a return to the initial formative conceptual framework, and offers a way through to a cutting-edge form of postconceptual art practice.

The material for the research of the dacha-related theme in the Russian and Latvian literature of Latvia consists of various publications in the Latvia’s periodicals of the 1920s–1930s — in the newspapers “Vechernee vremja” (Evening Time), “Segodnja” (Today), “Segodnja vecherom” (Today in the evening), in the magazines “Dlja vas” (For you), “Svari” (Libra), as well as of the materials of the archive of Riga’s Russian Drama Theatre. The researched texts, composed by Guslar/Soserzcatel (L. Korol-Purashevich), Leri (V. Klopotovskiy), Lentyay (P. Pilskiy), Kuri-Beri (A. Valdmanis) and others, are considered as a peculiar “dacha-related plot” with the following representatives: the chronotope characteristic of mythological plots — the cyclic time and the space of the cultural in-between (between nature and culture, urban and rural); specific eventfulness that rises to the mythological first events or to the events of history and literature; recurring plot-related situations and conflicts — the stories of success and failure. The following oppositions that form the cultural paradigm of the phenomenon of a dacha on the Riga coast have been specified: mythical — carnival, idyllic — ironic, female — male, adultrelated — child-related. The materials in the Latvian language, selected for the research, made it possible to challenge the concept of dacha as of uniquely Russian phenomenon.

A guild of forest owls was evaluated in 1989 − 2021 in a 5.2 km2 site in Slovakian Volovské mountains in Western Carpathians. Only the Eurasian Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium passerinum) declined in this near 30 year period from 8 to 5 territories and that local decline is referred to the increased presence of Tawny Owl (Strix aluco). Clear decline of calling activity of Eurasian Pygmy Owl in sympatric areas with Tawny Owls was also noted. Tawny Owl almost doubled its population from 3 to 5 territories occupied in 2017–2021 and the Boreal Owl (Aegolius funereus) was almost absent during 1989–1994 but occupied 8 breeding territories in years 2017–2021. Tawny Owl has a tendency of spreading to higher elevations, while Boreal Owl has an opposite tendency. Boreal Owl seeks suitable breeding habitats in old fir-beech forests with fir and oak stands and Black Woodpecker (Dryocopus martius) holes in old beeches as low as below 500 m a.s.l. Due to good populations of small mammals, Ural Owl (Strix uralensis) has been able to maintain stable populations with ca. 8 pairs in the study area between years 1989–2021. Good food situation also attracted some Boreal Owls to lowest known elevation limit of the species in Slovakia. Further research is needed, on a larger scale, to support the population trends documented in this paper.

In recent years, the concept of situational-awareness has been exploredby the information systems areas in order to analyze contextsensitivedata. This approach seeks to detect a particular state ofinterest in reality, that is, a contextual situation and react accordingly,helping to improve adaptability to changing domain conditions.In this paper, we describe a conceptual architecture focused onthe representation of contextual situations through business rulesand their integration with business processes. As a proof of concept,an application for real-time monitoring of medical deviceswas implemented. This work has shown that bringing situationalawareness to information systems can reduce the complexity ofbusiness processes as well as increase the reliability of the domainrepresentation model.

Each new generation, games present physics and ambiance closerto their inspirations in the external world (non-virtual reality).However, the non-playable human characters in these games sometimesdo not simulate the attitudes that a person would normallyperform in front of a certain situation. This case goes against theproposal of a physical and graphically realistic environment, withbehaviors and decision making not appropriate to the circumstancespresented. To solve the problem, it is proposed the developmentof a Human Behavior Simulation Model, planned to be used onnon-playable characters that will have constant contact with theplayer. This model was created based on concepts of Psychology,which were used to develop a personality that will be implementedin a character. To test the efficiency of the proposed model, it wasused in the development of Carlos, a character of a game prototype.Carlos went through a series of controlled situations, used as teststo validate the applicability of the model in non-playable characters.The result was a coherent simulation of human behavior, at the costof complexity in the application of the characteristics, described byCarlos’ personality, to the character inside the game.

In the Cooperative Targets Observation (CTO) problem, a groupof observing agents with limited vision should be commanded inorder to keep the observation of multiple target agents in motion inorder to maximize the average number of targets observed duringthe period under consideration. Targets are cooperative in the sensethat they do not run away from observers. This article describes andevaluates the application of a modified Hill-Climbing algorithm tothe CTO problem when the movement of the targets is restricted to aplanar graph. It is argued howthis newconfiguration of the problemcan be representative of a practical situation. The performance ofthe proposed algorithm surpasses that of two other algorithmswidely applied to the problem that are classic Hill-Climbing andK-Means.

Speech recognition allows natural communication between the humansand machines. With Industry 4.0 there is a great demand forsystems that perform this task, since human-machine integrationsare increasingly attractive. Currently, there are several tools and resourcesthat perform this activity, with some companies providingtheir audio recognition services through the Application ProgrammingInterface, such as Microsoft, Google, IBM and Wit. On theother hand, there are offline libraries and open source that can alsobe explored like Vosk. Each company has its business rule and itsspecificity, in this sense it is difficult to know which is the most interestingfor each situation. Thus, a comparison was made betweenspeech recognition services in terms of usability, limitation andprecision. In the comparison, speech recognition performance metricswere used in a set of audios, using the programming languagePython.

Pressure injuries (LPP) are one of the biggest adverse events foundin health services and consist of damage to the body tissues ofbedridden patients, resulting from prolonged pressure on the skin.This situation impacts on the quality of life of people who developthe condition, causing physical and emotional damage to the bedridden,in addition to increasing the time and costs of hospitalization.Based on this problem, software was developed that shows thepoints of greatest pressure between the body of a bedridden patientand the bed in which he is. This software receives information fromhardware, under development, built specifically for this project.The points of greatest pressure are made available on the screenof a monitoring application, in an organized and intuitive manner.For each person, a pressure map image is generated with the valuesread and decubitus change times are suggested through alarms. Inaddition, this image can be analyzed by a health professional whocan take steps to relieve pressure points and prevent the appearanceof LPP. As a result, in tests carried out during the research, the systembuilt showed the information successfully and the objectiveswere achieved.

Several sectors, and especially the industrial environment, havebecome increasingly automated. Their processes end up need moresophisticated applications and, through a feedback control system,they seek to obtain a better performance, as in the case of servomechanisms.In addition, in certain applications, it is necessary to generate movements to provide a desired behavior in the mechanical axis, simplifying the operation of the controller. In this sense, trajectory generating algorithms assist in the configuration and implementation of the position, speed and acceleration profilewith unique characteristics for each situation. Considering the relevance of this theme, this work describes the development of a trajectory generating module, responsible for the generation of the movements of a servomechanism. The trajectory generation algorithms, known as cubic polynomial, fifth order polynomial and trapezoidal, were studied and implemented. A hardware based on the Arduino Mega, a power driver and a servomotor, was designedto validate these algorithms. The position, speed and acceleration profiles generated for a one axis servosystem and the feedback obtained by an encoder, allowed to validate the proposed strategy. It is hoped that the designed platform would become an important resource in a discipline of Robotics.

We investigated types, amounts and sources of marine debris and microplastics, and compared how tourism, by means of different levels of beach cleanup, affecting them. We collected marine debris and microplastics at three beaches based on frequencies of beach cleanup: high (Chaweng Beach), intermediate (Lamai Beach) and no beach cleaning (Hua Thanon Beach). Marine debris was counted from a ground survey using the applied Trash Free Sea® data card and the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) method. Microplastics with a size larger than 1 mm were examined and photographed using a clip-type mobile phone microscope. The Clean Coast Index (CCI) was used for the assessment of beach cleanliness. Over 95% of the marine debris was plastic, and microplastics were ubiquitous, which calls for classification of the plastics as hazardous materials. Hua Thanon Beach had the highest (CCI> 20) (extremely dirty), followed by Lamai Beach (2-5 CCI) and the least CCI was at Chaweng Beach (CCI<2) (clean beach). This is because the popular tourism beach (Chaweng Beach) had the highest beach cleaning frequencies even during the 3-month lockdown of the covid-19 situation. This rapid-survey method could be developed and applied for a citizen-science project on the survey of marine debris and microplastics and on monitoring the condition of our beaches.

Oil & Natural Gas Corporation Ltd. (ONGC) operates a 42” gas pipeline that originates from an offshore platform and terminates at an onshore plant. The pipeline has operated for two decades and transmits 17% of India’s gas needs. Unfortunately, the buried pipeline became exposed at Landfall Beach, likely due to the unpredictable impact of natural forces over a period of time. The shifting shoreline eroded resulting in the pipeline being exposed, which threatened its integrity. Stopgap arrangments were made to protect the pipeline from being hit and moved by continual tides, but that temporary measure also proved ineffective against the forces of the nature. The seasonal tropical storms worsened the situation. ONGC rose to the challenge and decided to carry out permanent remedial measures, including re-routing of the affected segment of the pipeline and its associated station valve. The situation presented several challenges. Because the pipeline was responsible for a large percentage of India’s gas needs, it was important to keep the pipeline live. Additionally, the worksite was a popular beach recreation area, so safety was a top priority. ONGC contacted T.D. Williamson India Private Ltd. (TDW) for an isolation solution using double block and bleed methodogy to meet both of these concerns.

During the last few years there has been a strong growth in the availability and capabilities of numerical wave tanks. In order to assess the accuracy of such methods, a validation study was carried out. The study focuses on two types of numerical wave tanks: 1. A numerical wave tank based a non-linear potential flow algorithm. 2. A numerical wave tank based on a Volume of Fluid algorithm. The first algorithm uses a structured grid with triangular elements and a surface tracking technique. The second algorithm uses a structured, Cartesian grid and a surface capturing technique. Validation material is available by means of waves measured at multiple locations in two different model test basins. The first method is capable of generating waves up to the break limit. Wave absorption is therefore modeled by means of a numerical beach and not by mean of the parabolic beach that is used in the model basin. The second method is capable of modeling wave breaking. Therefore, the parabolic beach in the model test basin can be modeled and has also been included. Energy dissipation therefore takes place according to physics which are more related to the situation in the model test basin. Three types of waves are generated in the model test basin and in the numerical wave tanks. All these waves are generated on basin scale. The following waves are considered: 1. A scaled 100-year North-Sea wave (Hs = 0.24 meters, Tp = 2.0 seconds) in deep water (5 meters). 2. A scaled operational wave (Hs = 0.086 meters, Tp = 1.69 seconds) at intermediate water depth (0.86 meters) generated by a flap-type wave generator. 3. A scaled operational wave (Hs = 0.046 meters, Tp = 1.2 seconds) in shallow water (0.35 meters) generated by a piston-type wave generator. The waves are generated by means of a flap or piston-type wave generator. The motions of the wave generator in the simulations (either rotational or translational) are identical to the motions in the model test basin. Furthermore, in the simulations with intermediate water depth, the non-flat contour of the basin bottom (ramp) is accurately modeled. A comparison is made between the measured and computed wave elevation at several locations in the basin. The comparison focuses on: 1. Reflection characteristics of the model test basin and the numerical wave tanks. 2. The accuracy in the prediction of steep waves. 3. Second order effects like set-down in intermediate and shallow water depth. Furthermore, a convergence study is presented to check the grid independence of the wave tank predictions.

The Wireless Body Area Networks (WBANs) are a special case ofthe Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) and, in general, are responsiblefor gathering and transmitting biometric data from a givenpatient. One of the features of the WSNs is the self–configuration;i.e., the capability that a given parameter can be adjusted regardingsome occurrence in execution time. As stated, the objective of theWBANs is the gathering, through several sensors, of biometric dataof a patient. In general, because of possible daily activities and/orpathologies, some sensors can be more demanded (or required) incertain periods of the day. In these situations, information of thesementioned sensors are more relevant and require larger data deliverypriority. Thus, we propose QoSBody-AODV, a variation of theAODV routing protocol, which performs the dynamic adjustmentof the message’s priority, turning the network functioning to besensitive to the physical activities performed by the patient, as wellas pathological information.

The purpose of this study was to understand the status quo of quality sample testing in the laboratory unit. A quantitative research method was used. An extensive laboratory documents (protocol, worksheets, laboratory analytical plan, standard operating procedures and manuals) review was performed and a networking approach to both management and lab staff at all levels was reviewed in order to identify all non-conformities occurred in the past three years. Results identified 36 number of results deviated from reference standards among different test performed, 400 number of samples lost, the number of laboratory personnel who were not sufficiently trained to take the task properly decreased from 16 in 2016 to 6 in 2018 after conducting training on laboratory quality management system, 36 controlled documents including sample management standard operating procedure, bench job aids were missing and 8 customer complains about the delay of results and quality laboratory of services have been identified.