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Smart Multimedia
by Guan-Ming Su and Stefano BerrettiThis book constitutes the proceedings of the Third International Conference on Smart Multimedia, ICSM 2022, which was held in Marseille, France, during August 25–27, 2022.The 30 full papers and 4 short paper presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 68 submissions. The contributions were organized in topical sections as follows: Machine Learning for Multimedia; Image Processing; Multimedia Applications; Multimedia for Medicine and Health-Care; Smart Homes; Multimedia Environments and Metaverse; Deep Learning on Video and Music; Haptic; Industrial.
Smart Multimedia
by Guan-Ming Su and Stefano BerrettiThis book constitutes the proceedings of the Third International Conference on Smart Multimedia, ICSM 2022, which was held in Marseille, France, during August 25–27, 2022.The 30 full papers and 4 short paper presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 68 submissions. The contributions were organized in topical sections as follows: Machine Learning for Multimedia; Image Processing; Multimedia Applications; Multimedia for Medicine and Health-Care; Smart Homes; Multimedia Environments and Metaverse; Deep Learning on Video and Music; Haptic; Industrial.
Ex-Combatants’ Voices
by John D. Brewer and Azrini WahidinThis book develops the discourse on the experiences of ex-combatants and their transition from war to peace, from the perspective of scholars across disciplines. Ex-combatants are often overlooked and ignored in the post-conflict search for memory and understanding, resulting in their voice being excluded or distorted. This collection seeks to disclose something of the lived experience of ex-combatants who have made the transition from war to peace to help to understand some of the difficulties they have encountered in social and emotional reintegration in the wake of combat. These include: motivations and mobilizations to participation in military struggle; the material difficulties experienced in social reintegration after the war; the emotional legacies of conflict; the discourses they utilize to reconcile their past in a society moving forward from conflict toward peace; and ex-combatants’ subsequent engagement – or not – in peacebuilding. It also examines the contributions that former combatants have made to post-conflict compromise, reconciliation and peacebuilding. It focusses on male non-state actors, women, child soldiers and, unusually, state veterans, and complements previous volumes which captured the voices of victims in Northern Ireland, South Africa and Sri Lanka. This volume speaks to those working in the areas of sociology, criminology, security studies, politics, and international relations, and professionals working in social justice and human rights NGOs.
Ex-Combatants’ Voices
by John D. Brewer and Azrini WahidinThis book develops the discourse on the experiences of ex-combatants and their transition from war to peace, from the perspective of scholars across disciplines. Ex-combatants are often overlooked and ignored in the post-conflict search for memory and understanding, resulting in their voice being excluded or distorted. This collection seeks to disclose something of the lived experience of ex-combatants who have made the transition from war to peace to help to understand some of the difficulties they have encountered in social and emotional reintegration in the wake of combat. These include: motivations and mobilizations to participation in military struggle; the material difficulties experienced in social reintegration after the war; the emotional legacies of conflict; the discourses they utilize to reconcile their past in a society moving forward from conflict toward peace; and ex-combatants’ subsequent engagement – or not – in peacebuilding. It also examines the contributions that former combatants have made to post-conflict compromise, reconciliation and peacebuilding. It focusses on male non-state actors, women, child soldiers and, unusually, state veterans, and complements previous volumes which captured the voices of victims in Northern Ireland, South Africa and Sri Lanka. This volume speaks to those working in the areas of sociology, criminology, security studies, politics, and international relations, and professionals working in social justice and human rights NGOs.
Smart Multimedia
by Stefano Berretti and Anup Basu and Troy McDaniel and Igor D. D. CurcioThis book constitutes the proceedings of the Second International Conference on Smart Multimedia, ICSM 2019, which was held in San Diego, CA, USA, in December 2019. The 45 papers presented were selected from about 100 submissions and are grouped in sections on 3D mesh and depth image processing; image understanding; miscellaneous; smart multimedia for citizen-centered smart living; 3D perception and applications; video applications; multimedia in medicine; haptics and applications; smart multimedia beyond the visible spectrum; machine learning for multimedia; image segmentation and processing; biometrics; 3D and image processing; and smart social and connected household products.
Smart Multimedia
by Stefano Berretti and Anup Basu and Troy McDaniel and Igor D. D. CurcioThis book constitutes the proceedings of the Second International Conference on Smart Multimedia, ICSM 2019, which was held in San Diego, CA, USA, in December 2019. The 45 papers presented were selected from about 100 submissions and are grouped in sections on 3D mesh and depth image processing; image understanding; miscellaneous; smart multimedia for citizen-centered smart living; 3D perception and applications; video applications; multimedia in medicine; haptics and applications; smart multimedia beyond the visible spectrum; machine learning for multimedia; image segmentation and processing; biometrics; 3D and image processing; and smart social and connected household products.
Systems Modelling and Management
by Birgit Vogel-Heuser and Önder Babur and Joachim DenilThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the First International Conference on Systems Modelling and Management, ICSMM 2020, planned to be held in Bergen, Norway, in June 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the conference did not take place physically or virtually. The 10 full papers and 3 short papers were thoroughly reviewed and selected from 19 qualified submissions. The papers are organized according to the following topical sections: verification and validation; applications; methods, techniques and tools.
Systems Modelling and Management
by Birgit Vogel-Heuser and Önder Babur and Joachim DenilThis book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the First International Conference on Systems Modelling and Management, ICSMM 2020, planned to be held in Bergen, Norway, in June 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the conference did not take place physically or virtually. The 10 full papers and 3 short papers were thoroughly reviewed and selected from 19 qualified submissions. The papers are organized according to the following topical sections: verification and validation; applications; methods, techniques and tools.
Smart Multimedia
by Stefano Berretti and Anup BasuThis book constitutes the proceedings of the First International Conference on Smart Multimedia, ICSM 2018, which was held in Toulon, France, in August 2018. The 39 papers presented were selected from about 100 submissions and are grouped in sections on social, affective and cognition analysis, person-centered smart multimedia: serving people with disabilities to the general population, haptic and robots for smart multimedia applications, MR, 3D, underwater image processing, smart signal processing meets smart sensing, visual behavior analysis: methods and applications, video analysis, learning, low-level vision, miscellaneous.
Smart Multimedia
by Stefano Berretti and Anup BasuThis book constitutes the proceedings of the First International Conference on Smart Multimedia, ICSM 2018, which was held in Toulon, France, in August 2018. The 39 papers presented were selected from about 100 submissions and are grouped in sections on social, affective and cognition analysis, person-centered smart multimedia: serving people with disabilities to the general population, haptic and robots for smart multimedia applications, MR, 3D, underwater image processing, smart signal processing meets smart sensing, visual behavior analysis: methods and applications, video analysis, learning, low-level vision, miscellaneous.
Advanced Computational Methods for Knowledge Engineering
by Ngoc Thanh Nguyen and Tien Van Do and Hoai An Le Thi and Nguyen-Thinh LeThe proceedings consists of 30 papers which have been selected and invited from the submissions to the 2nd International Conference on Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Applications (ICCSAMA 2014) held on 8-9 May, 2014 in Budapest, Hungary. The conference is organized into 7 sessions: Advanced Optimization Methods and Their Applications, Queueing Models and Performance Evaluation, Software Development and Testing, Computational Methods for Mobile and Wireless Networks, Computational Methods for Knowledge Engineering, Logic Based Methods for Decision Making and Data Mining and Nonlinear Systems and Applications, respectively. All chapters in the book discuss theoretical and practical issues connected with computational methods and optimization methods for knowledge engineering. The editors hope that this volume can be useful for graduate and Ph. D. students and researchers in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics. It is the hope of the editors that readers of this volume can find many inspiring ideas and use them to their research. Many such challenges are suggested by particular approaches and models presented in individual chapters of this book.
Advanced Computational Methods for Knowledge Engineering
by Ngoc Thanh Nguyen and Tien Van Do and Nguyen-Thinh Le and Hoai An ThiThese proceedings consist of 19 papers, which have been peer-reviewed by international program committee and selected for the 5th International Conference on Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Applications (ICCSAMA 2017), which was held on June 30–July 1, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. The respective chapters discuss both theoretical and practical issues in connection with computational methods and optimization methods for knowledge engineering. The broad range of application areas discussed includes network computing, simulation, intelligent and adaptive e-learning, information retrieval, sentiment analysis, autonomous underwater vehicles, social media analysis, natural language processing, biomimetics in organizations, and cash management. In addition to pure content, the book offers many inspiring ideas and suggests new research directions, making it a valuable resource for graduate students, Ph.D. students, and researchers in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics alike.
Advanced Computational Methods for Knowledge Engineering
by Ngoc Thanh Nguyen and Thanh Binh Nguyen and Tien Van Do and Hoai An Le ThiThis proceedings consists of 20 papers which have been selected and invited from the submissions to the 4th International Conference on Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Applications (ICCSAMA 2016) held on 2-3 May, 2016 in Laxenburg, Austria. The conference is organized into 5 sessions: Advanced Optimization Methods and Their Applications, Models for ICT applications, Topics on discrete mathematics, Data Analytic Methods and Applications and Feature Extractio, respectively. All chapters in the book discuss theoretical and practical issues connected with computational methods and optimization methods for knowledge engineering. The editors hope that this volume can be useful for graduate and Ph.D. students and researchers in Applied Sciences, Computer Science and Applied Mathematics.
Advanced Computational Methods for Knowledge Engineering
by Ngoc Thanh Nguyen and Thanh Binh Nguyen and Tien Van Do and Hoai An Le ThiThis proceedings consists of 20 papers which have been selected and invited from the submissions to the 4th International Conference on Computer Science, Applied Mathematics and Applications (ICCSAMA 2016) held on 2-3 May, 2016 in Laxenburg, Austria. The conference is organized into 5 sessions: Advanced Optimization Methods and Their Applications, Models for ICT applications, Topics on discrete mathematics, Data Analytic Methods and Applications and Feature Extractio, respectively. All chapters in the book discuss theoretical and practical issues connected with computational methods and optimization methods for knowledge engineering. The editors hope that this volume can be useful for graduate and Ph.D. students and researchers in Applied Sciences, Computer Science and Applied Mathematics.
Female Ex-Combatants, Empowerment, and Reintegration
by Michanne SteenbergenFemale Ex-Combatants, Empowerment, and Reintegration investigates the role of United Nations-led Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs in undermining female ex-combatants’ empowerment. The participation of female combatants in conflict has increasingly been recognized in feminist literatures and in policies and programs concerned with reintegrating ex-combatants and building peace. This has illustrated that female ex-combatants often experience "empowerment" through their role as combatant; however, this empowerment is often lost upon reintegration. UN-led DDR plays an important role in the broader peacebuilding process, as it is one of the largest interventions and directly aims to reintegrate ex-combatants into civilian life. This book draws on extensive field research and interviews with female ex-combatants and DDR officials in Liberia and Nepal to develop a nuanced and comprehensive picture of female ex-combatants’ empowerment and how this is undermined by DDR. Through reconceptualized frameworks of empowerment and an emancipatory peace, the book explores the pivotal role that DDR programs play in undermining female ex-combatants’ empowerment. The author argues that this is detrimental to peacebuilding, because DDR officials and documentation narrate female ex-combatants in limited and gendered ways, which reproduces gendered inequalities and define how female ex-combatants should behave. This book will be of great interest to scholars and practitioners working on gender, conflict, peace, security, and development.
Female Ex-Combatants, Empowerment, and Reintegration
by Michanne SteenbergenFemale Ex-Combatants, Empowerment, and Reintegration investigates the role of United Nations-led Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) programs in undermining female ex-combatants’ empowerment. The participation of female combatants in conflict has increasingly been recognized in feminist literatures and in policies and programs concerned with reintegrating ex-combatants and building peace. This has illustrated that female ex-combatants often experience "empowerment" through their role as combatant; however, this empowerment is often lost upon reintegration. UN-led DDR plays an important role in the broader peacebuilding process, as it is one of the largest interventions and directly aims to reintegrate ex-combatants into civilian life. This book draws on extensive field research and interviews with female ex-combatants and DDR officials in Liberia and Nepal to develop a nuanced and comprehensive picture of female ex-combatants’ empowerment and how this is undermined by DDR. Through reconceptualized frameworks of empowerment and an emancipatory peace, the book explores the pivotal role that DDR programs play in undermining female ex-combatants’ empowerment. The author argues that this is detrimental to peacebuilding, because DDR officials and documentation narrate female ex-combatants in limited and gendered ways, which reproduces gendered inequalities and define how female ex-combatants should behave. This book will be of great interest to scholars and practitioners working on gender, conflict, peace, security, and development.
Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration of Ex-Combatants in Africa
by Ibrahim BanguraThis book critically examines the approaches to Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) of ex-combatants programming in Africa. Drawing on empirical evidence from across the continent, the book investigates the different theories, contextual realities and approaches that have informed the establishment and implementation of such programmes, the opportunities they have provided for stability, peace and security, and the challenges with which they have contended. The book combines broader theoretical analysis with country-specific case studies, including Nigeria, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Somalia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Overall, the book asks how DDR programming has evolved in Africa, what factors have contributed to the success or failure of DDR processes, and what we can expect for DDR in Africa in the future. This book will be a useful guide for students and researchers across the fields of Peace and Conflict Studies, Security Studies, History, Political Science, Sociology, and African Studies.
Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration of Ex-Combatants in Africa
by Ibrahim BanguraThis book critically examines the approaches to Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) of ex-combatants programming in Africa. Drawing on empirical evidence from across the continent, the book investigates the different theories, contextual realities and approaches that have informed the establishment and implementation of such programmes, the opportunities they have provided for stability, peace and security, and the challenges with which they have contended. The book combines broader theoretical analysis with country-specific case studies, including Nigeria, the Central African Republic, South Sudan, Somalia, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Burundi, Zimbabwe, South Africa, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Overall, the book asks how DDR programming has evolved in Africa, what factors have contributed to the success or failure of DDR processes, and what we can expect for DDR in Africa in the future. This book will be a useful guide for students and researchers across the fields of Peace and Conflict Studies, Security Studies, History, Political Science, Sociology, and African Studies.
Transitional Justice and Peacebuilding on the Ground
by Chandra Lekha Sriram and Olga Martin-Ortega and Johanna Herman and Jemima Garcia-GodosThis book seeks to refine our understanding of transitional justice and peacebuilding, and long-term security and reintegration challenges after violent conflicts. As recent events following political change during the so-called 'Arab Spring' demonstrate, demands for accountability often follow or attend conflict and political transition. While traditionally much literature and many practitioners highlighted tensions between peacebuilding and justice, recent research and practice demonstrates a turn away from the supposed 'peace vs justice' dilemma. This volume examines the complex relationship between peacebuilding and transitional justice through the lenses of the increased emphasis on victim-centred approaches to justice and the widespread practices of disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) of excombatants. While recent volumes have sought to address either DDR or victim-centred approaches to justice, none has sought to make connections between the two, much less to place them in the larger context of the increasing linkages between transitional justice and peacebuilding. This book will be of great interest to students of transitional justice, peacebuilding, human rights, war and conflict studies, security studies and IR.
Peacebuilding and Ex-Combatants
by Johanna SöderströmThe book examines how ex-combatants in post-war and peacebuilding settings engage in politics, as seen in the case of Liberia. The political mobilization of former combatants after war is often perceived as a threat, ultimately undermining the security and stability of the state. This book questions this simplified view and argues that understanding the political voice of former combatants is imperative. Their post-war role is not black and white; they are not just bad or good citizens, but rather engage in multiple political roles: spoilers, victims, disengaged, beneficiaries, as well as motivated and active citizens. By looking at the political attitudes and values of former combatants, and their understanding of how politics functions, the book sheds new light on the political reintegration of ex-combatants. It argues that political reintegration needs to be given serious attention at the micro-level, but also needs to be scrutinized in two ways: first, through the level of political involvement, which reflects the extent and width of the ex-combatants’ voice. Second, in order to make sense of political reintegration, we also need to uncover what values and norms inform their political involvement. The content of their political voice is captured through a comparison with democratic ideals. Based on interviews with over 100 Liberian ex-combatants, the book highlights that their relationship with politics overall should be characterized as an expression of a 'politics of affection'. This book will be of much interest to students of peacebuilding, African politics, democratization, political sociology, conflict resolution and IR/Security Studies in general.
Peacebuilding and Ex-Combatants
by Johanna SöderströmThe book examines how ex-combatants in post-war and peacebuilding settings engage in politics, as seen in the case of Liberia. The political mobilization of former combatants after war is often perceived as a threat, ultimately undermining the security and stability of the state. This book questions this simplified view and argues that understanding the political voice of former combatants is imperative. Their post-war role is not black and white; they are not just bad or good citizens, but rather engage in multiple political roles: spoilers, victims, disengaged, beneficiaries, as well as motivated and active citizens. By looking at the political attitudes and values of former combatants, and their understanding of how politics functions, the book sheds new light on the political reintegration of ex-combatants. It argues that political reintegration needs to be given serious attention at the micro-level, but also needs to be scrutinized in two ways: first, through the level of political involvement, which reflects the extent and width of the ex-combatants’ voice. Second, in order to make sense of political reintegration, we also need to uncover what values and norms inform their political involvement. The content of their political voice is captured through a comparison with democratic ideals. Based on interviews with over 100 Liberian ex-combatants, the book highlights that their relationship with politics overall should be characterized as an expression of a 'politics of affection'. This book will be of much interest to students of peacebuilding, African politics, democratization, political sociology, conflict resolution and IR/Security Studies in general.
Competency-Based Human Resource Management
by William J. Rothwell and Linda K. Kemp and David D. Dubois and Deborah Jo SternForce-fitting employees to job descriptions leads to unhappy people and substandard performance. For years, HR professionals have struggled with this dilemma. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Competency-Based Human Resource Management describes a new model of performance management that matches employee talents to the work that must be done. By focusing on the critical competencies that distinguish star performers, HR professionals can transform the way they recruit, select, train, develop, and compensate top-performing employees.
Competency-Based Human Resource Management
by William J. Rothwell and Linda K. Kemp and David D. Dubois and Deborah Jo SternForce-fitting employees to job descriptions leads to unhappy people and substandard performance. For years, HR professionals have struggled with this dilemma. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Competency-Based Human Resource Management describes a new model of performance management that matches employee talents to the work that must be done. By focusing on the critical competencies that distinguish star performers, HR professionals can transform the way they recruit, select, train, develop, and compensate top-performing employees.
Ex-Combatants, Gender and Peace in Northern Ireland
by Azrini WahidinThis book explores the contours of women's involvement in the Irish Republican Army, political protest and the prison experience in Northern Ireland. Through the voices of female and male combatants, it demonstrates that women remained marginal in the examination of imprisonment during the Conflict and in the negotiated peace process. However, the book shows that women performed a number of roles in war and peace that placed constructions of femininity in dissent.Azrini Wahidin argues that the role of the female combatant is not given but ambiguous. She indicates that a tension exists between different conceptualisations of societal security, where female combatants both fought against societal insecurity posed by the state and contributed to internal societal dissonance within their ethno-national groups. This book tackles the lacunae that has created a disturbing silence and an absence of a comprehensive understanding of women combatants, which includes knowledge of their motivations, roles and experiences. It will be of particular interest to scholars of criminology, politics and peace studies.
Ex-Combatants, Gender and Peace in Northern Ireland
by Azrini WahidinThis book explores the contours of women's involvement in the Irish Republican Army, political protest and the prison experience in Northern Ireland. Through the voices of female and male combatants, it demonstrates that women remained marginal in the examination of imprisonment during the Conflict and in the negotiated peace process. However, the book shows that women performed a number of roles in war and peace that placed constructions of femininity in dissent. Azrini Wahidin argues that the role of the female combatant is not given but ambiguous. She indicates that a tension exists between different conceptualisations of societal security, where female combatants both fought against societal insecurity posed by the state and contributed to internal societal dissonance within their ethno-national groups. This book tackles the lacunae that has created a disturbing silence and an absence of a comprehensive understanding of women combatants, which includes knowledge of their motivations, roles and experiences. It will be of particular interest to scholars of criminology, politics and peace studies.