2011 | Action Number: E47

Forest Vegetation Management in the 21st century – current practices and future challenges

• Author(s): N. McCarthy, N. Scott Bentsen, I. Willoughby and P. Balandier (Eds)
• Publisher(s): Springerlink
• Download from external website

Action E47, European Network for Forest Vegetation Management—Towards Environmental Sustainability was formed in 2005 and gathered scientists and practitioners from eighteen European countries with the objective of sharing current scientific advances and best practice in the field of forest vegetation management to identify common knowledge gaps and European research potentials. This paper summarizes the work of the COST action and concludes that although diverse countries have by necessity adopted different means of addressing the challenges of forest vegetation management in Europe in the 21st century, some common themes are still evident. In all countries, there is a consensus that vegetation management is a critical silvicultural operation to achieve forest establishment, regeneration, growth and production. It appears that herbicides are still in use to some degree in all the countries reviewed, although at a lower intensity in many of the northern countries compared to other regions. The most common alternatives to herbicides adopted are the use of mechanical methods to cut vegetation and achieve soil cultivation; overstorey canopy manipulation to control vegetation by light availability; and in some instances the use of mulches or biological control. Any reductions in herbicide use achieved do not seem to have been driven solely by participation in forest certification schemes. Other factors, such as national initiatives or the availability of additional resources to implement more expensive non-chemical approaches, may be equally important. The development of more cost-effective and practical guidance for managers across Europe on non-chemical control methods can best be brought about by future collaborative research into more sustainable and holistic methods of managing forest vegetation, through the identification of silvicultural approaches to reduce or eliminate pesticide use and through gaining a better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms and impacts of competition.

2011 | Action Number: 298

Cultures of Participation - Media Practices, Politics and Literacy

• Pages: 249
• Author(s): H. Greif, L. Hjorth, A. Lasén & C. Lobet-Maris (Eds.)
• Publisher(s): Peter Lang
• http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?event=cmp.ccc.seitenstruktur.detailseiten&seitentyp=produkt&pk=56174&cid=5&concordeid=59674
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-3-631-59674-6

To speak of participation today raises a series of questions on how the presence and use of new media affect modes of social participation. From a variety of theoretical, empirical and methodological perspectives, the contributions in this volume explore participation in different social realms - from everyday life, interpersonal relationships, work and leisure activities to collective and political action. This collection demonstrates that participation is a localised notion, assuming a multitude of shapes under a variety of technological, political, socio-economic, linguistic and cultural conditions.

2011 | Action Number: 298

The Contemporary Internet: National and cross-national comparative European studies

• Pages: 210
• Author(s): Leslie Haddon (Ed)
• Publisher(s): Peter Lang
• http://www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?event=cmp.ccc.seitenstruktur.detailseiten&seitentyp=produkt&pk=53156&cid=5&concordeid=260098
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-3-631-60098-6

This book focuses on user experiences of more recent developments of the internet, specifically with the spread of broadband (itself a moving target), the audio-visual applications it has enabled, Web2.0 uptake more generally and the growth of eGovernment. In addition, it considers contemporary representations of the internet in the media.

The contemporary Internet is comparative in two senses. The first is at the cross-national level, examining factors affecting different national experiences of the internet, with a particular but not sole interest in what may be termed ‘cultural’ influences on perceptions, adoption and use. These cultural factors are explicitly addressed in the first section of the book, providing examples, summarising evidence and taking as a particular case study diverse representations of the internet in different national media. All the other chapters have a cross-national element in them at some level, whether showing different ways in which we can use this comparative approach or discussing the methodological issues associated with it.

Second, the book is comparative within countries, examining the, sometimes very, uneven experiences of the internet’s possibilities. One major debate both across countries and within them, concerns the ‘digital divide’. The terms of this debate were first set up when most people still used narrowband, and consequently used a narrower range of applications. Consequently, one question which pervades several chapters is how the digital divide is evolving in the light of the more contemporary developments outlined above. The diversity within counties is explored specifically in the second section, reflecting on the technical considerations at work, where narrowband vs. broadband differences matter, the implications of eGovernment and the spread of experiences relating to an example of Web2.0 developments: eMusic. Once again, methodological issues relating to the digital divide are considered in the final methods section.

2011 | Action Number: C25

Volume 2: Integrated Approach to Life-Time Structural Engineering - Summary Report of the Cooperative Activities of COST Action C25

• Pages: 398
• Author(s): L. Bragança, H. Koukkari, R. Landolfo, V. Ungureanu, E. Vesikari, O. Hechler (Eds.)
• Publisher(s): University of Malta
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-99957-816-2-0

COST Action C25 is a large network of researchers aiming at advanced integrated methods for life-time engineering and sustainable construction. The publication of the Action compiles the achievements of the research activities in 28 participating countries and an EU Joint Research Centre in the broad field of sustainability of constructions. Volume 2 covers the methods of life-time structural engineering, design for durability, life-cycle performance, maintenance and deconstruction.

2011 | Action Number: C25

Volume 1: Integrated Approach Towards Sustainable Constructions - Summary Report of the Cooperation Activities of COST Action C25

• Pages: 570
• Author(s): L. Bragança, H. Koukkari, R. Blok, H. Gervásio, M. Veljkovic, Z. Plewako, R.P. Borg (Eds.)
• Publisher(s): University of Malta
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-99957-816-1-3

COST Action C25 is a large network of researchers aiming at advanced integrated methods for life-time engineering and sustainable construction. The publication of the Action compiles the achievements of the research activities in 28 participating countries and an EU Joint Research Centre in the broad field of sustainability of constructions. Volume 1 covers reports, recommendations, datasheets and case-studies emerging from research on life cycle assessment and eco-efficiency of constructions.

2011 | Action Number: C25

Sustainability of Constructions: Towards a better built environment - Proceedings of the Final Conference of COST Action C25

• Pages: 580
• Author(s): L. Bragança, H. Koukkari, R. Blok, H. Gervásio, M. Veljkovic, R.P. Borg, R. Landolfo, V. Ungureanu, C. Schaur (Eds.)
• Publisher(s): University of Malta
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-99957-816-0-6

The built environment has evolved to frame and facilitate nearly all human activities. Simultaneously, its constant expansion has become more and more harmful to the natural environment. In order to turn the global trends toward the optimistic transition scenario of the sustainable development, the built environment needs to be rethought. The construction and building sector play a key role in creating a better future. This publication is the Proceedings of the Final Conference of the COST Action C25. The Action C25 'Sustainability of Constructions - Integrated Approach to Life-time Structural Engineering' was established to promote science- and research-based approaches for life-cycle building technologies.

2011 | Action Number: E51

Innovation in Forestry - Territorial and Value Chain Relationships

• Pages: 319
• Author(s): G. Weiss, D. Pettenella, P. Ollonqvist and B. Slee (Eds)
• Publisher(s): Cabi
• http://bookshop.cabi.org/?site=191&page=2633&pid=2268
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-1-84593-689-1

Innovation is increasingly recognised as a key factor in environmental protection and sustainable development in forestry and forest-based industries. This volume provides a comprehensive theoretical foundation for the analysis of innovation processes and policies in a traditional, rural sector as well as presenting empirical analyses of innovation processes from major innovation areas. This book is essential reading for researchers and policy makers in forestry and environmental sciences.

2011 | Action Number: E54

Fine Structure of Papermaking Fibres - The Final Report of COST Action E54

• Author(s): P. Ander, W. Bauer, S. Heinemann, P. Kallio, R. Passas & A. Treimanis (Eds)
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-91-576-9007-4

The main objective of COST Action E54 was to generate new knowledge on the micro- and nanostructure of papermaking fibres and relevant properties required for the efficient and sustainable use of fibres in traditional, advanced and future products. Action E54 comprised three working groups:

• WG1: Structure and chemical composition of papermaking fibres after different types of treatment. The objectives of this WG were to develop methods for the characterisation of pulp fibres, and to generate new data on the fine structure of fibres for papermaking, and other important purposes.

• WG2: Treatment and characterisation of individual fibres by microsystem technologies. This WG focused on the development of new instruments, namely, microrobotic platforms, by which individual fibres can be treated and investigated. Using these platforms new possibilities for testing of single fibres have been created.

• WG3: The impact of the fine structure of fibres on their papermaking properties and their chemical and enzymatic reactivity. The participants of the WG exchanged their experience with respect to the impact of the fine structure of fibres and their modification on the quality of paper and handsheets. The fibre and paper properties were assessed mainly by strength and optical indices as well as interfibre bonding.

Chapters in this Book are:

• Advanced analyses of wood pulp fibres

• New and emerging methods such as microrobotics and microscopic techniques

• Results of standard pulp and paper tests on Common pulps I and II and other fibre material

The 23 articles in the book written by renown scientists are of interest for chemists, physicists,biologists and technologists working with papermaking fibres. It is also hoped that the book will be useful for undergraduate and graduate students.

2011 | Action Number: C26

Urban Habitat Constructions Under Catastrophic Events - Proceedings of the Final Conference

• Pages: 1051
• Author(s): Federico M. Mazzolani (Ed)
• Publisher(s): CRC Press
• http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9780415606851
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-0-415-60685-1

2011 | Action Number: C26

Urban Habitat Constructions Under Catastrophic Events - Final Report

• Pages: 471
• Author(s): Federico M. Mazzolani (Ed)
• Publisher(s): CRC Press
• http://www.crcpress.com/product/isbn/9780415606868
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-0-415-60686-8

The activity of COST C26 Action was developed by four Working Groups (WGs), each dealing with the main issues related to catastrophic events: WG1 "Fire resistance"; WG2 "Earthquake resistance"; WG3 "Impact and explosion resistance"; WG4 "Risk assessment for catastrophic scenarios in urban areas". In addition an "ad hoc" Working Group on "Lexicon" was created. The Final Report represents the results of the COST C26 Action, summarised in five chapters.

2011 | Action Number: IS0601

Governance of Public Sector Organizations - Proliferation, Autonomy and Performance

• Author(s): P. Laegreid & K. Verhoest (Eds)
• Publisher(s): Palgrave Macmillan
• http://www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=380589
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-0-230-23820-6

Governance of Public Sector Organizations examines recent changes in central governmental administration in contemporary democracies by focusing on organizational forms and their effects. There is a considerable need for such knowledge in a period when governments are constantly restructuring their administration. This book studies and explains how New Public Management (NPM) and post-NPM reforms affect the organizational proliferation and specialization, as well as the autonomy and control of central agencies. New empirical data sheds light on the effects of these changes on organizational performance. The book describes how 'whole-of-government' initiatives with emphasis on reassertion of the centre and horizontal coordination supplement NPM reforms, producing increased layering and complexity in government organizations.
The contributors to this volume examine agencies in Australia, Canada, the UK, Hong Kong, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Belgium, Italy and Hungary. By combining survey, mapping and case study methodologies, they show that structural, cultural, task-related and historical features interact in shaping organizational reforms.

2011 | Action Number: 2102

Towards Autonomous, Adaptive, and Context-Aware Multimodal Interfaces. Theoretical and Practical Issues

• Author(s): A. Esposito, A. M. Esposito, R. Martone, V. C. Müller & G. Scarpetta (Eds)
• Publisher(s): Springer
• Download from external website
• http://www.springer.com/computer/hci/book/978-3-642-18183-2
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-3-642-18183-2

This volume brings together, through a peer-revision process, the advanced research results obtained by the European COST Action 2102: “Cross Modal Analysis of Verbal and Nonverbal Communication”. The research published in this book was discussed for the first time at the 3rd jointly EUCOGII-COST 2102 International Training School on “Towards Autonomous, Adaptive, and Context-Aware Multimodal Interfaces: Theoretical and Practical Issues ” held in Caserta, Italy, March 15-19, 2010.

The school afforded a change of perspective in verbal and nonverbal communication, where the research focus moved from “communicative tools” to “communicative instances” and asked for investigations that, in modeling interaction, will take into account not only the verbal and nonverbal signals but also the internal and external environment, the context, and the cultural specificity in which communicative acts take place.

The consequences, in Information Communication Technology (ICT) research, should result in the development of autonomous, adaptive, and context-aware multimodal interfaces able to act by exploiting instantiated contextual and environmental signals and process them by combining previous experience (memory) adapted to the communicative instance. This new approach will foster artificial cognitive research by creating a bridge between the most recent research in multimodal communication (taking into account gestures, emotions, social signal processing etc) and computation models that exploit these signals being aware of the context in which these signals are instantiated and of the internal and external environmental background. Human behavior exploits this information and adapts. Artificial cognitive systems must account of this human ability for implementing a friendly and emotionally colored human machine interaction. In order to do this, investigations in cognitive computation must move from purely data driven systems to behavioral systems able to “interact with human to achieve their goals” (see the first chapter of this book by V.C. Müller), i.e. able to manifest intentions and goals through “resistance” to other intentions and goals. In summary, cognitive models of “resistance” must be developed such that the current interactive dialogue systems, robots, and intelligent virtual avatars graphically embodied in a 2D and/or 3D interactive virtual world, are able to interact intelligently with the environment, other avatars, and particularly with human users.

The themes of the papers presented in this book emphasize theoretical and practical issues for modelling cognitive behavioural systems, ranging from the attempts to describe Brain Computer Interface (BCI) applications, context-based approach to the interpretation and generation of dialogue acts, close synchronization among both speakers and listeners, mutual ratification, interaction and resistance, embodiment, language and multimodal cognition, timing effects on perception, action, and behaviours.

2011 | Action Number: TU0602

Land Management and Mobilization in Europe: Regimes, Policies and Processes. A Comparison Framework Applied to Gland, Switzerland

• Author(s): N. Lachance-Bernard, N. Norte Pinto, B. Havel & H. Ploegmakers (Eds)
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-972-96524-4-8

2011 | Action Number: TU0602

Urban Containment: The Italian Approach in the European Perspective

• Author(s): Barbara Badiani & Maurizio Tira
• ISBN/ISSN: 978-88-387-4363-4

The book collects the contributions of the speakers and the participants at the conference "Urban containment. The Italian approach" (Brescia, 8th May 2008).