Games Without Frontiers? : Socio-historical Perspectives at the Gaming/Gambling Intersection
This book focuses on how and why digital games and gambling are increasingly intertwined and asks “does this matter?” Looking at how “loot boxes” became the poster child for the convergence of gambling and gaming, Wardle traces how we got here. She argues that the intersection between gambling and gaming cultures has a long lineage, one that can be traced back throughout the 20th century but also incorporates more recent trends like the poker boom of the 1990s, the development of social media gambling products and the development of skin betting markets.
Forest Policies and Social Change in England
The book stresses how values and perceptions shape policies, and conversely how policies can modify perceptions, and also how policies can fail if they do not take perceptions into account. She concludes that many of the issues facing English forestry in the 21st century – from leisure, health and amenity provision, through education and rural as well as urban regeneration, to biodiversity conservation – go well beyond both national borders and the scope of forestry. This novel synthesis provides a valuable resource for advanced students and researchers from all areas of natural resource studies, including those interested in social history, socio-economics, cultural geography and environmental psychology, as well as those studying landscape ecology, environmental history, policy analysis and natural resource management.
Equestrain and Horse Care Club = نادي الفروسية و رعاية الخيول
يهدف المشروع إلى تصميم وإنشاء نادٍ متكامل للفروسية يُعنى برعاية الخيول وتدريبها وفق أعلى المعايير الحديثة. يوفر النادي بيئة مناسبة لمحبَي رياضة الفروسية، حيث يجمع بين الجانب الرياضي والترفيهي والتعليمي. يتضمن المشروع دراسة متكاملة لتخطيط المساحات، تصميم الإسطبلات، الميادين التدريبية، مرافق الرعاية البيطرية، والمناطق الخصصة للزوار. كما يهدف إلى تعزيز ثقافة الفروسية في المجتمع، والمحافظة على الخيل العربي الأصيل، وتوفير تجربة آمنة وممتعة للمشتركين والزوار. يعتمد المشروع على معايير الاستدامة في التصميم والمواد المستخدمة بما يحقق التوازن بين الجمال والوظيفة. تمت دراسة احتياجات الخيول من حيث التغدية، الإيواء، والنظافة بما يضمن سلامتها وصحتها الجسدية والنفسية، مع تخصيص مرافق بيطرية مجهزة بأحدث الأدوات لخدمتها على مدار الساعة. كما تم الآخد بعين الاعتبار تطبيق معايير الأمان للخيول والفرسان على حدٍ سواء. ويعد المشروع نموذجاً متكاملاً يجمع بين الجمال المعماري والوظائف العملية، مسهماً في دعم السياحة الداخلية وتطوير البيئة التحتية الرياضية في المنطقة، إضافةً إلى خلق فرص تدريب وتشغيل ضمن قطاع الفروسية في المجتمع المحلي.
Contemporary family lifestyles in Central and Western Europe : Selected cases
This introductory chapter approaches two basic categories of the whole monography which is a family and a lifestyle. The first subchapter deals with the complexity around the definition of the term family nowadays and difficulties with its definition.
Computational intelligence and bioinspired systems ; 8th International Work-conference on artificial neural networks, IWANN 2005, Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain, June 8-10, 2005, Proceedings
We present in this volume the collection of finally accepted papers of the eighth edition of the “IWANN” conference (“International Work-Conference on Artificial Neural Networks”). This biennial meeting focuses on the foundations, theory, models and applications of systems inspired by nature (neural networks, fuzzy logic and evolutionary systems). For scientists, engineers and professionals working in the area, this is a very good way to get solid and competitive applications. We are facing a real revolution with the emergence of embedded intelligence in many artificial systems (systems covering diverse fields: industry, domotics, leisure, healthcare, … ). So we are convinced that an enormous amount of work must be, and should be, still done. Many pieces of the puzzle must be built and placed into their proper positions, offering us new and solid theories and models (necessary tools) for the application and praxis of these current paradigms. The above-mentioned concepts were the main reason for the subtitle of the IWANN 2005 edition: “Computational Intelligence and Bioinspired Systems.” papers was addressing the following topics: 1. Mathematical and theoretical methods in computational intelligence.
Coastal architectures and politics of tourism : Leisurescapes in the global sunbelt
Offers a critical and complicated picture of how leisure tourism connected the world after the World War II, transforming coastal lands, traditional societies, and national economies in new ways. Analyzes selected case studies of architectures and landscapes around the world, contextualizing them within economic geographies of national development, the geopolitics of the Cold War, the legacies of colonialism, and the international dynamics of decolonization. Postwar leisure tourism evokes a rich array of architectural spaces and altered coastal landscapes, which is explored in this collection through discussions of tourism developments in the Mediterranean littoral, such as Greece, Turkey, and southern France, as well as compelling analyses of Soviet bloc seaside resorts along the Black Sea and Baltic coasts, and in beachscapes and tourism architectures of western and eastern hemispheres, from Southern California to Sri Lanka, South Korea, and Egypt.
Marketing the Arts : Breaking Boundaries
"The importance of arts consumption and its socio-cultural, political, and economic dimensions / The impact of new technologies, platforms, and alternative artforms on the art market / The importance of the aesthetic experience itself and how to research it / The value of arts-based methods / The art versus commerce debate / The artist as entrepreneur / The role of the arts marketer as market-maker"
Marijuana and the Cannabinoids
Although primarily used today as one of the most prevalent illicit leisure drugs, the use of Cannabis sativa L., commonly referred to as marijuana, for medicinal purposes has been reported for more than 5000 years. Marijuana use has been shown to create numerous health problems, and, consequently, the expanding use beyond medical purposes into recreational use (abuse) resulted in control of the drug through international treaties. Much research has been carried out over the past few decades following the identification of the chemical structure of THC.The purpose of Marijuana and the Cannabinoids is to present in a single volume the comprehensive knowledge and experience of renowned researchers and scientists. Each chapter is written independently by an expert in his/her field of endeavor, ranging from the botany, the constituents, the chemistry and pharmacokinetics, the effects and consequences of illicit use on the human body, to the therapeutic potential of the cannabinoids.
Macrophytes in Aquatic Ecosystems : from Biology to Management ; Proceedings of the 11th International Symposium on Aquatic Weeds, European Weed Research Society
Macrophytes and macrophytes ecology have gained an added importance with the introduction of, and legal requirement to implement, the European Water Framework Directive. This reflects the valuable role that aquatic plant communities play in assessing the ecological status of water bodies. Significant changes in the status and general abundance of these communities has been recorded in the last three decades, consequent on such factors as global warming and, increasingly, on the spread of aggressive alien species. These changes have been most felt in those waters that are exploited for amenity and recreational pursuits. The increased biomass of aquatic vegetation in water bodies has adversely impacted on leisure use of these systems but has also impacted on their use for agricultural, flood relief, municipal and domestic purposes. The loss to national economies resulting from this excessive plant biomass has been appreciable and has put pressure on water managers to develop weed control procedures that are efficient, environmentally sensitive and cost-effective.
Los Angeles and the Summer Olympic Games : Planning Legacies
This book describes the three planning approaches and legacy impacts for the Olympic Games in one locale: the city of Los Angeles, USA.
Barriers and Biases in Computer-Mediated Knowledge Communication : And How They May Be Overcome
This books deals with computer-mediated cooperation and communication scenarios in teaching and learning situations, leisure activities (e.g. laypersons looking for expert information on the internet), and net-based communication at work. Such scenarios will become increasingly important. But the successful use of such computer-mediated settings is not trivial. Cooperative learning and work itself requires special skills and strategies. And the technical settings with sometimes restricted, sometimes new possibilities for communication add problems on top of the cooperation itself. What are the barriers in computer-mediated communication for cooperative learning and work? Which are the most relevant biases in computer-mediated information processing? Based on empirical research the contributors from psychology, education and computer sciences offer different perspectives on the nature and causes of such barriers.
A Course in Enumeration
Leads the reader in a leisurely way from the basic notions to a variety of topics, ranging from algebra to statistical physics. Its aim is to introduce the student to a fascinating field, and to be a source of information for the professional mathematician who wants to learn more about the subject.











