In our time, professions are passed on form father to child less and less, and some professions related to craftsmanship are disappearing, being replaced by industrial production. I come from a family of wooden artisan, and I witness what happened to my grandfather when he could not work anymore: deprived …

Although many countries have shown a distinct drop in crime over the last decades, the criminological literature suggests that fear of crime in those countries remained relatively stable. Research on this issue is sparse however, mostly confined to a single country, a few indicators and/or a relatively …

Existing unreinforced masonry buildings in seismically active regions are in urgent need of consolidation and preservation against seismic action to prevent damage and loss of financial resources. In this research, an experimental study of externally confined brick masonry piers, which are frequently …

Coupling beams between shear walls are one of the key elements for energy dissipation in tall buildings. A representative mathematical model of coupling beam should represent flexure, shear and interface slip/extension mechanisms simultaneously. This goal can be achieved by using either detailed finite …

The Bawean warty pig (Sus blouchi) is an endemic confined to the 192 km2 Bawean island in the Javasea. Due to a lack of quantitative ecological research, population assessments have so far been based solely on interviews with local inhabitants. Hunting and habitat degradation in Bawean’s protected areas …

This chapter deals with a fascinating, and for some disturbing, phenomenon in the domain of the media and entertainment industries: unauthorised file sharing, in some cases also referred to as piracy. The latter term, however, was originally used to refer to the organised production of a counterfeit …

The position of non-EU migrants in social security is problematic. Many European states reduce access to social benefits for categories of migrants whose presence is not desired. At the same time the scope of application of the national systems is becoming more confined to the national borders, as, for …

Setting up strategic alliances and trying to attain the intended goals is a highrisk venture. Most research into this topic is confined to already established alliances. This research will focus on perceived performance risks by organizations considering a possible strategic venture. Following other …

The EU and national governments rely on expert panels and opinions for their policies (EU, 2003; EU, 2006a; EU, 2006b) on SME ownership transfers. Also entrepreneurs depend on expert opinions and advice. We know from expert studies that expert judgment may lead to confusion and conflicting results. …

The author investigates how acoustic information about the seabed can be obtained from bottom-reflected shipping noise. An innovative idea is the use of sound sources of opportunity. When expeditionary forces enter shallow or confined waters, the environment has a great influence on the performance of …