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Item Metadata only Dis_place: Reflections on Creating Mixed Reality Performance using Virtual Reality Technologies(International Journal of Creative Media Research, 2021-10) Wise, KerrynDis_place is a mixed reality performance that takes audiences on a journey using a range of virtual reality (VR) technologies, immersive sound, and live dance performance. Through close analysis of my practice as research project, this article presents reflections on the developing creative strategies and approaches to making VR-based mixed reality performance. It traces the creative process in the making of the work, combining links to the VR artwork, video footage of the live performance, and images from the project. This is combined with my observations and analysis of audience feedback. Through this analysis, the writing assesses the affordances of using VR technologies within immersive performance practices, addressing some of the technological, practical, choreographic, and conceptual concerns. Concluding that these technologies have huge potential for offering audiences new embodied encounters that can shift perspectives and produce transformational, intimate, emotive, and unsettling experiences.Item Open Access Towards built environment Decarbonisation: A review of the role of Artificial intelligence in improving energy and Materials’ circularity performance(Elsevier, 2024-06-28) Awuzie, Bankole Osita; Alfred Ngowi; Aghimien, DouglasMitigating climate change challenges in the built environment through the decarbonisation of energy and construction materials remains a pressing challenge. The circular economy (CE) has been identified as a critical pathway to achieving this objective. CE promotes the efficient use of resources, extending their lifecycle and minimising their environmental impact using a plethora of methods. The link between CE and decarbonisation becomes evident when the intertwined relationship between materials, energy, and the environment is considered. By reducing waste and ensuring the continuous use of materials and energy resources, CE significantly lowers carbon emissions. This approach is inherently aligned with the overarching goals of the decarbonisation agenda. The emergence of digital technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) has continued to transform how the built environment activities are conducted and improved. However, the utility of AI models in engendering the actualisation of the decarbonisation agenda through improved circular economy performance within the built environment context remains under-researched. This study addresses this knowledge-practice gap, using a scientometric and scoping analysis of relevant peer-reviewed and grey literature. Findings from the scientometric analysis revealed AI has been explored separately in circular economy and decarbonisation. Yet, studies exploring AI in relation to the circularity performance of the built environment for improved decarbonisation remain scant. The narrative review from the scoping analysis further revealed the usefulness of AI in driving optimal decarbonisation and levels through improved circularity performance of materials and energy across various economic sectors, including the built environment for optimal decision making which in turn, encourages responsible producer and consumer behaviour for improved CE performance.Item Metadata only The role of emotional appeal in water conservation communication: a framework for social media engagement(Springer, 2024-07-17) Proverbs, David; Abu Bakar, Mohammad Fahmi; Wu, Wenyan; Mavritsaki, EiriniAmidst growing concerns about water shortages, harnessing the potential of social media emerges as a crucial strategy in attempts to conserve consumption While informative messaging in environmental communication has been widely acknowledged, the role of emotional appeal remains underexplored. This study aims to bridge this gap by proposing a comprehensive framework that integrates emotional appeal, evoked through video creativity and multimedia effects. Focusing on the UK context and informed by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), the study highlights the complex interplay between cognitive and affective factors in water conservation communication. By applying Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to a dataset containing 443 responses, the analysis reveals that emotional appeal, when evoked through creativity, not only positively influences individuals’ attitudes but also extends to shape perceived behavioural control. These findings further emphasise the ability of emotional appeal to serve as a complementary aspect that enriches individuals’ motivational framework and influences their inclination towards engaging in the intended behaviour. The study has important implications for improving current marketing efforts and encouraging behavioural shifts among water consumers. By including emotional appeal in social media communication strategies, environmental communicators can build empathy and promote sustainability more effectively. Additionally, this study offers a valuable understanding of the complex nature of water conservation communication, providing practical strategies for enhancing environmental messaging and encouraging positive behaviour changes.Item Open Access The Resilience of the Construction Supply Chain to Urban Flooding(Emerald, 2024-08-05) Proverbs, David; Xu, W.; Du, W.Flooding is one of the most destructive natural hazards and major flooding events are happening more frequently in many parts of the world due to climate change and urbanisation. Generally, the occurrence of urban flooding is known to impact supply chains, with the supply chain in the construction sector being more vulnerable due to its particular characteristics. As such is important that the supply chain in construction is resilient to the complexity, suddenness and destructiveness of flooding. Drawing on a synthesis of the literature and the views of experts, this study identifies and then evaluates the key factors affecting the resilience of the construction supply chain based on the five dimensions of prediction, resistance, adaptation, recovery and optimization. Taking three cities affected by flooding in 2021 as examples, based on a combination of analytical techniques, the resilience of the urban construction supply chain in each city was calculated. The results of the study show that the three cities are ranked from the high to low in order of Hangzhou, Hefei and Zhengzhou. The findings provide robust insights into the factors that influence the resilience of the urban construction supply chain. The study provides improved clarity regarding the future improvement of urban construction supply chain resilience, which if implemented could lead to improvements in risk awareness and resilience, thereby reducing losses.Item Metadata only Maps of War and Peace: Rethinking Geography in International Affairs(2019) da Vinha, LuisItem Metadata only Embracing the Maverick: The Evolution of President Donald Trump’s Management of Foreign Policy-Making(2022) da Vinha, Luis; Dutton, AnthonyResearch on the American presidency reveals that all presidential advisory systems follow a similar pattern of change over time from standard, formal interagency structures to informal structures in which decisions are made outside the traditional interagency processes. We employ a longitudinal comparative case design to analyze the dynamics of the Trump administration’s foreign policy-making to explain how Trump’s management of foreign policy decision-making evolved over his tenure in office. By using a focused-structured comparison to analyze five foreign policy case studies, we argue that Trump confirms the main tenets of the evolution model of presidential policy-making which claims that, over time, presidents increasingly rely on informal and ad hoc decision-making structures and processes. However, rather than adopt structures and processes that assured a broad deliberation of options, Trump increasingly sought information and policy options that confirmed his pre-existing beliefs or preferences, replacing individuals in his administration who challenged his views and consolidating the decades-long trend of the personalization of foreign policy decision-making in the hands of the president.Item Open Access The Sino-American Rivalry and Arabian Gulf Security(World Scientific, 2023-03-09) da Vinha, LuisOver the decades, Middle Eastern security has been influenced by both strong regional and global security interdependence. Since the end of the Cold War, Washington has played a leading security role in the region, providing an extended nuclear umbrella for its allies in the Gulf Cooperation Council organization. However, the U.S. strategic pivot to the Asia-Pacific region and China’s rising profile as a global power has set the Middle East’s security dynamics again into flux. This article employs a regional security complex framework, paired with a realist theoretical lens, to analyze how the growing Sino-American rivalry is affecting Arabian Gulf security by identifying the regional interests of these two powers and examining the emerging regional security dynamics.Item Open Access Uma Relação Complexa: O Multilateralismo e a Política Externa Norte-Americana no Século XXI(Coimbra University Press, 2019) da Vinha, LuisThe election of Donald Trump came as a shock to the international community. His election represented the culmination of a movement of growing distrust and disenchantment with US involvement in international institutions. In his first year at the helm of the US presidency, Trump rejected a number of multilateral agreements in the name of (re)imposing national sovereignty. Although Trump's policies have provoked widespread international condemnation, they do not represent a singular impulse in US foreign policy. The US has played a key role in the construction of the liberal order, designing and constituting a set of international institutions. However, the US has always maintained a complex relationship with these same institutions. This chapter analyzes the US relationship with international institutions, highlighting the dynamics of cooperation and tension, particularly since the end of the Cold War. In particular, the chapter emphasizes the domestic political context and how it conditions US international action. The current political moment presents increased challenges for the US, as the international system is in flux and the US no longer has hegemonic status. In this sense, the chapter also reflects on the future challenges facing the US and the political alternatives available to American leaders.Item Metadata only Fostering Active Learning Online Using Interactive Lecture Videos(Libri Publishing, 2022) da Vinha, LuisItem Metadata only Dangers on the Edge of the Map: Geographic Mental Maps and the Emergence of the Carter Doctrine(Brill Publishing, 2021) da Vinha, LuisItem Metadata only Three Approaches to Presidential Foreign Policy-Making in the Twenty First Century: The Executive, the Magistrate, and the Maverick(Peter Lang, 2021) da Vinha, Luis; Dutton, AnthonyPolitical scientists have long determined that a president’s relationships with his advisors is crucial in determining an administration’s policies. Over the last several decades, scholars of the presidency have paid particular attention to the advisory structures and processes involved in foreign policy decision-making. Their work has contributed to the development and refinement of three presidential management models to help frame the analysis of foreign policy-making: (1) formalistic model, (2) collegial model, and (3) competitive model. This book analyzes the management models employed by presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump throughout their presidencies by employing a structured-focus comparison method that is framed on a set of general and standardized questions used to analyze a series of case studies involving their Middle East policies. The book offers the first systematic comparative analysis of presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump’s management of foreign policy crises.Item Metadata only From ‘Nipple’ to ‘Nambia’ and Everything In-Between: Donald Trump’s Mental Maps and the Unraveling of the Liberal World (Dis)Order(Springer, 2023) da Vinha, Luis; Dutton, A.Item Metadata only Searching for the Elusive Trump Doctrine(Springer, 2023) da Vinha, LuisItem Metadata only Political Geography(Routledge, 2023-12-15) da Vinha, LuisPolitical Geography has a long and complex history. It has oscillated between being the central focus of geographical inquiry and being an academic chagrin that faded into scholarly obscurity. In recent decades, Political Geography has again captured the interest of geographers and political scientists alike, encompassing a broad array of conceptual, theoretical, and methodological approaches. This chapter provides an overview of how Political Geography has engaged with foreign policy issues over time, detailing the historical relationship between political geography and foreign policy, as well as assessing the main conceptual and methodological issues contributing to the development of the discipline. The chapter also offers an empirical example using geographical mental maps as an analytical concept to illustrate how Political Geography can contribute to improving our understanding of foreign policy decision-making.Item Open Access A Scientometric Review of Present and Future Trends of Embedded Systems in the Built Environment(Springer, 2023-11-08) Ikuabe, M.; Aigbavboa, C.; Oke, A.; Aghimien, DouglasThis study presents a scientometric review conducted to define and delineate utilization of embedded systems in construction project delivery. This was done with the view of providing directions for future studies as well as stimulating a wider debate among construction stakeholders on the use of embedded systems in the industry. The study adopted an interpretivist philosophical view using an inductive approach and a grounded theory strategy. The data used were secondary in nature and were gathered from the Scopus database using specific related keywords. Co-occurrence maps were further created based on the bibliographic data gathered using the VOSviewer text mining software. Three clusters of co-occurring keywords were formed from the analysis, and these are labelled as sensor network systems and models, real-time systems and designs, and construction process automation. The study opens a new vista in the deliberations of the studies on technological innovations in the built environment.Item Metadata only Anarchism: war, violence and scapegoating(Springer Link, 2024-06-22) Stevens, Simon; Kinna, RuthThis article gives an anarchist account of politics as war to theorise an anarchist Realpolitik. Mikhail Vereshchagin’s killing in War and Peace provides the springboard to review the claim that sovereign power secures peace and to explore the merit of scapegoating. We elaborate the anarchist account of politics as war by juxtaposing Foucault’s and Proudhon’s interpretations of Hobbes’ sovereign and adopt the term ‘reverse ethics’ to describe the proposal that citizens retain the philosophical right to forcefully disrupt the state’s supposed peace. The anarchist embrace of war conflicts with the common view that anarchism’s alignment of the means and ends of political action commits anarchists to reject violence. To meet this objection, we discuss Frazer and Hutchings’ theorisation of anarchist ambivalence. We argue that reverse ethics complicates tensions between the presumption of non-violence and the critique of state violence. To consider the use of force in liberal democracy, we connect reverse ethics to Hyams’ anarchist defence of upward scapegoating and targeted assassination. Considering applications in contemporary politics, we argue that reverse ethics constructively redirects attention from the need to justify political violence to the demand to hold sovereign power to its contractual obligation. This is anarchist Realpolitik.Item Open Access Daylighting through Electrochromic Glazing under Overcast Skies: Impacts on Visual Task Performance and Perception(Taylor and Francis, 2024-06-21) Abdelwahab, Sahar; Altomonte, SergioElectrochromic (EC) glazing allows modulating the intensity of visual and solar transmission by dynamically switching between bleached (clear) and tinted (coloured) states, leading to changes in spectral power distribution (SPD), correlated colour temperature (CCT), and illuminance of the incoming daylight. In this experimental study, we investigated the impact of spectral composition of daylight filtered through a 6-pane EC façade on visual task performance and visual perception. In a semi-controlled test room, nineteen subjects were exposed to five setting scenarios of the EC façade (fully bleached, mixed setting after fully bleached, fully tinted, mixed setting after fully tinted, and user-controlled). Test subjects performed a series of visual tasks, and their assessments of the indoor environment and of the outside view were collected along with luminous and spectral measurements under each condition. The analysis provided statistical evidence that the changes in spectral composition of daylight do not have a practically relevant effect on visual task performance in terms of visual acuity and colour naming accuracy. However, the daylight filtered through the fully tinted glazing had a substantive impact on visual perception, evoking negative responses to the colour rendering of the indoor environment and of the outside view. A mixed settings of the EC façade could improve a natural assessment of the incoming light compared to the fully tinted state, achieving better ratings in terms of perception of the indoor and outdoor environments. When given control of the EC glazing, subjects expressed higher acceptance and satisfaction compared to the tinted and mixed scenarios.Item Metadata only The Disobedient Body(Finnish Museum of Photography, 2024-01) Morris-Cafiero, HaleyThe body has historically been the site of societal control, discipline and political resistance in the West. In our current attention economy, an “ideal” body is not only a source of social capital. In addition, striving for, obtaining and maintaining an ideal body seems to have become a virtue. Haley Morris-Cafiero uses her photography as a form of activism in the struggle against discrimination and social invisibility. The exhibition invites us to contemplate how our societal norms construct and affect the way in which we see and ignore not only certain people, but the actions directed at them.Item Metadata only Proposals on Enchantment(Glasgow School of Art, 2021-08-21) Streffen, IsabellaPrepare for the closest of all readings, the reading where we crawl over the text; the intravenous reading, the leaky, intimate encounter with a text that flows into and through, gathering molecules, flavours, filters and frameworks before story and myth fountain out. Prepare for the performance of words of intent, of words of power, of things which slip into speech, of where speech does things beyond gesture. Here, I will endeavour to make something that does not speak of enchantment, but manifests enchantment, and maybe we’ll find out what it means to be enchanted through the doing of it; and maybe we’ll free ourselves from being enchanted by the doing of it; and maybe we’ll just re-enchant ourselves by the doing of it. As though the word brings on the event, as though the fact of the word is the destiny, as if the act of swapping is meaning itself emerging, as if the swapping is the precondition. Where does this activation take place? In the neurological flicker that runs from brain to finger, in the reading, or the re-reading, or the re-writing, where the words slip from tongue to lip, from unsaid to spoken, from hiatus to realisation, from precursor to utterance, from nothing to something, from haunting to performance?Item Metadata only Fabulae: How It Begins(Ma Bibliothèque, 2022-07) Streffen, IsabellaFABULAE is an experiment in close reading, responding to the question of beginning with a challenge to the philosophy of myth. With Roberto Calasso as her intimate companion, Isabella Streffen appropriates Calasso’s Marriage of Cadmus & Harmony, using his methods to counter his text by foregrounding re-reading, inserting the silent, absent voices of women, connecting the foundation of narrative to contemporary discussions of structural violence, gender, and consent. FABULAE interrogates semiotics, gambles with theology, questions beauty, necessity, mortality, consciousness, form, possession, truth, and art. It reframes mythic gesture, authority, ceremony, paradise, and the birth of language. The reader meets a complicated man, wanders through Ariadne’s fates, encounters the Pythia, the Atreidae, Persephone, the Gods of the Silent Pact, and the doubling of Athena and Helen. The telling of stories begins with a dispute over a girl, a slip of tense, a distraction, a switch. Its characters change and the exchange is the condition of narrative. The rest is slippery radiance.