scholarly journals Accessibility Index for Smart Cities

Proceedings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (19) ◽  
pp. 1219 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Alejandro Mollá-Sirvent ◽  
Higinio Mora ◽  
Virgilio Gilart-Iglesias ◽  
Raquel Pérez-delHoyo ◽  
María Dolores Andújar-Montoya

There is a growing social awareness about accessibility. The accessibility in cities and public spaces has become in an important issue in official agendas due to recent European directives. There are several studies on the way to improve accessibility in cities but they do not offer the possibility of view if solutions applied are valid over time. This paper proposes a method to measure the degree of accessibility of a city or urban area by using data from conflicting accessibility points collected by the own citizens. It will allow us to visualize in a concise way how accessible a city is and its progression in the time.

Author(s):  
Krystian Banet

Bike-sharing systems are an important element in development of the smart cities and datasets from these systems are one of the ways to obtain large amount of information on bicycle traffic. These usually contain data on the origin and destination of each trip, as well as its time and duration. Alongside the basic data, some operators also provide information on the exact route picked by each user. This allows researchers to study stopovers, which may serve as a source of interesting information on human behaviour in public spaces and, as a consequence, help improve its analysis and design. However, using the raw data may lead to important errors because most stops occur in the vicinity of bike stations or are related to traffic problems, as evidenced by the case study of Cracow. The data filtering method proposed below opens up the possibility for using such datasets for further research on bike user behaviour and public spaces.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-169
Author(s):  
Gloria Ori Eke ◽  
Anthony Njoku

AbstractMany variants of feminism have been branded over time and that has given feminism a multiple identity. One of the new revelations of feminism in recent times is “Afropolitan Feminism”, a branch of African feminism conceived in this research to deal with the story of African women in the homeland and the Diaspora trying to assume the status of world citizens (Metropolites) to de-emphasize their origins. What is the nature of Afropolitan Feminism? What is the link between Feminism and Afropolitanism? To what extent do Adichie’s characters show the attributes of Afropolitans? This paper illuminates the concepts of feminism and Afropolitanism and the latter’s traits in Adichie’s characters in Americanah and The Thing Around Your Neck. It deals with Diaspora issues and the way African women in literary fictions try to stem the effects of global maladies like African patriarchy, Western racism and sexism. The paper further discusses social awareness and feminist tendencies displayed by the characters. It ends by noting that feminism which assumes the dimension of Afropolitanism in Adichie’s works is a becoming trend rather than a fixed norm.


Author(s):  
Manuel Fröhlich ◽  
Abiodun Williams

The Conclusion returns to the guiding questions introduced in the Introduction, looking at the way in which the book’s chapters answered them. As such, it identifies recurring themes, experiences, structures, motives, and trends over time. By summarizing the result of the chapters’ research into the interaction between the Secretaries-General and the Security Council, some lessons are identified on the changing calculus of appointments, the conditions and relevance of the international context, the impact of different personalities in that interaction, the changes in agenda and composition of the Council as well as different formats of interaction and different challenges to be met in the realm of peace and security, administration, and reform, as well as concepts and norms. Taken together, they also illustrate the potential and limitations of UN executive action.


Author(s):  
Philip James

Beginning in the Far East over 2000 years ago the discussion in this chapter charts the movement of species found in contemporary urban environments around the globe. A city is dependent on trade for the resources required by the inhabitants to live and work. Some items of trade are plants and animals, and over time, many species have been introduced intentionally, and many others unintentionally (perhaps as a result of hitching a lift in or on items being traded between countries and continents) to become part of the urban flora and fauna. All the time that such global dispersal has been occurring, some floral and faunal species originally present in an urban area have become locally extinct. These processes of invasion and extinction are controlled by filters and process, and there are certain traits, the possession of which is seemingly beneficial to organisms in urban environments.


Author(s):  
Laura J. Shepherd

Chapter 5 outlines the ways in which civil society is largely associated with “women” and the “local,” as a spatial and conceptual domain, and how this has implications for how we understand political legitimacy and authority. The author argues that close analysis reveals a shift in the way in which the United Nations as a political entity conceives of civil society over time, from early engagement with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to the more contemporary articulation of civil society as consultant or even implementing partner. Contemporary UN peacebuilding discourse, however, constitutes civil society as a legitimating actor for UN peacebuilding practices, as civil society organizations are the bearers/owners of certain forms of (local) knowledge.


Author(s):  
Benjamin Shao ◽  
Robert D. St. Louis

Many companies are forming data analytics teams to put data to work. To enhance procurement practices, chief procurement officers (CPOs) must work effectively with data analytics teams, from hiring and training to managing and utilizing team members. This chapter presents the findings of a study on how CPOs use data analytics teams to support the procurement process. Surveys and interviews indicate companies are exhibiting different levels of maturity in using data analytics, but both the goal of CPOs (i.e., improving performance to support the business strategy) and the way to interact with data analytics teams for achieving that goal are common across companies. However, as data become more reliably available and technologies become more intelligently embedded, the best practices of organizing and managing data analytics teams for procurement will need to be constantly updated.


Author(s):  
Konrad Huber

The chapter first surveys different types of figurative speech in Revelation, including simile, metaphor, symbol, and narrative image. Second, it considers the way images are interrelated in the narrative world of the book. Third, it notes how the images draw associations from various backgrounds, including biblical and later Jewish sources, Greco-Roman myths, and the imperial cult, and how this enriches the understanding of the text. Fourth, the chapter looks at the rhetorical impact of the imagery on readers and stresses in particular its evocative, persuasive, and parenetic function together with its emotional effect. And fifth, it looks briefly at the way reception history shows how the imagery has engaged readers over time. Thus, illustrated by numerous examples, it becomes clear how essentially the imagery of the book of Revelation constitutes and determines its theological message.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Ganczak ◽  
Oskar Pasek ◽  
Łukasz Duda – Duma ◽  
Dawid Świstara ◽  
Marcin Korzeń

Abstract Background Face masks have been employed in the COVID-19 pandemic plans as a public and personal health control measure against the spread of SARS-CoV-2. In Poland, obligatory wearing of masks in public spaces was introduced on April 10th, 2020; a relaxation of previous universal measures was announced on May 29th, 2020, limiting use to indoor public places. Objective To assess use of masks or other protective devices in public spaces in Poland during the SARS-Cov-2 epidemic. Methods A non-participatory covert observational study was conducted on three dates, (10.05/18.05/25.05.2020) at public spaces in 13 regions with different risks. Ten consecutive individuals were observed by each of 82 medical students (n = 2460 observations), using a structured checklist. Results Among 2353 observed persons, the female/male ratios were 1.0, 1.1, and 1.0 on the three dates. Almost three quarters - 73.6% (n = 552/750) were using masks on date 1, 66.5% (544/818) on date 2; and 65.7% (516/785) on date 3. Cloth masks predominated on all dates (64.7–62.3%-62.6%), followed by medical (23.4–28.5%-26.9%). Being female (OR = 1.77–1.47-1.53 respectively) and location in a closed space (OR = 2.60–2.59-2.32) were each associated with higher usage. Participants in sports were about two times less likely to use masks (OR = 0.64–0.53-0.53) as compared to other activities. The proportion using masks correctly decreased gradually over time (364/552; 65.9%; 339/544; 62.3% and 304/516; 58.9%). More females wore masks correctly (date 1: 205/294; 69.7% vs 159/258; 61.6%, and date 3: 186/284; 65.5% vs 118/232; 50.9%; p = 0.045; p = 0.0008 respectively). Uncovered noses (47.3–52.7%) and masks around the neck (39.2–42.6%) were the most frequent incorrect practices. Conclusions Practices were not in line with official recommendations, especially among males, and deteriorated over time. Cloth masks were predominantly used in public spaces. Health promotion, through utilizing all available communication channels, would be helpful to increase compliance.


2021 ◽  
pp. 095679762097056
Author(s):  
Morgana Lizzio-Wilson ◽  
Emma F. Thomas ◽  
Winnifred R. Louis ◽  
Brittany Wilcockson ◽  
Catherine E. Amiot ◽  
...  

Extensive research has identified factors influencing collective-action participation. However, less is known about how collective-action outcomes (i.e., success and failure) shape engagement in social movements over time. Using data collected before and after the 2017 marriage-equality debate in Australia, we conducted a latent profile analysis that indicated that success unified supporters of change ( n = 420), whereas failure created subgroups among opponents ( n = 419), reflecting four divergent responses: disengagement (resigned acceptors), moderate disengagement and continued investment (moderates), and renewed commitment to the cause using similar strategies (stay-the-course opponents) or new strategies (innovators). Resigned acceptors were least inclined to act following failure, whereas innovators were generally more likely to engage in conventional action and justify using radical action relative to the other profiles. These divergent reactions were predicted by differing baseline levels of social identification, group efficacy, and anger. Collective-action outcomes dynamically shape participation in social movements; this is an important direction for future research.


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