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Following the Grand Bargain, there has been increasing focus on aid localisation and partnerships between international and local aid agencies. Yet there has been less scholarly attention on how and why international agency policies and partnerships can cause unintended harm to civil society organisations and their staff. Drawing on James Scott's seminal work Seeing like a State, and interviews with Myanmar civil society organisation leaders in 2023, this article argues that international agencies often attempt to render civil society "legible" through processes of systematisation and codification. However, these processes can in turn sideline accrued experiential and contextual knowledge, or metis, which is necessary for local organisations' survival, especially in times of instability. The article highlights several instances in Myanmar where the marginalisation of this more contextual knowledge results in unintended harms. The article concludes that international agencies' acknowledgement of metis is a crucial and yet still under-recognised pillar of aid localisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minimum circle circumnavigation is proposed in this paper, which is of special value in target monitoring, capturing and/or attacking. With this new pattern, our goal is to steer one agent to enclose multiple targets along a safe and minimum circular orbit with the desired tangential speed. This is achieved by a control protocol with dynamic compensators, which is also capable of avoiding collision between the agent and the multiple targets during the whole operational process. The control protocol is further extended to the scenarios of multiple agents circulating a group of targets by adding a coordination mechanism into the tangential velocity term, which allows the agents to distribute evenly on each expected circular orbit with the same or different radius. Simulations results illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In light of the growing demand for audio description (AD) in China, both in quantitative and qualitative terms, coupled with the persistent shortage of qualified AD scriptwriters, this article advocates for AD translation from Spanish to Chinese, a type of indirect translation, as an alternative approach to addressing this issue, potentially benefiting from localisation techniques (Jankowska et al., 2017; Remael & Vercauteren, 2010). This article presents the development of a set of guidelines for localising AD scripts from Spanish into Chinese, resulting from triangulating a corpus study comparing Chinese and Spanish ADs, interviews with Chinese AD providers, a reception study with end-users, and participant observation through a field study. Additionally, it discusses three controversial elements related to AD scriptwriting, along with four norms that guide the script writers' decision-making process, which must be considered when localising AD scripts in Chinese. It concludes with a summary of the localisation guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Development Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Management and localisation strategies to remove nonpalpable contraceptive implants may be difficult. We aimed to evaluate our imaging modalities to identify deep implant and patient outcomes related to removal. In this retrospective study, we reviewed all cases referred to our specialised centre for nonpalpable contraceptive implants from January 2018 to August 2022. Out of the cohort studied, 47 female subjects exhibited nonpalpable implants. The implant was nonpalpable for thirty-six patients (76,6%) immediately after the insertion whereas it was not palpable several months after the insertion for eleven patients (23.4%). Twelve patients (25.5%) had one or more failed removal attempts before referral. All 47 implants were successfully visualised via ultrasound in the upper arm: 40 implants (85.1%) were located in the subdermal tissue, 4 (8.5%) were intrafascial and 3 (6.4%) were intramuscular. Depth of the implant was 4.0 mm [1.7 − 12.0]. No clinical factors were statistically associated with differences in depth or location (subdermal vs subfascial). Removal procedures were mainly under local anaesthesia in 74.5% of cases in an outpatient setting. There were two Clavien-Dindo grade 1 complications (one case of cutaneous scar dehiscence and one transient postoperative neuropathic complaint in the upper arm resolved within 3 months under analgetics) Identification of deep implants requires following the ultrasound modality protocol. Ultrasound detection makes easy and safe implant removal. Training programs for the insertion as well as for the removal of correct and incorrect inserted implants should be continued and developed all around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qatar's transition from a hydrocarbon-based to a knowledge-based economy spurred the development of Education City, which houses several International Branch Campuses and one home-grown university, Hamad bin Khalifa University. Through the case study of EC, this paper seeks to improve our understanding of higher education policy borrowing and the complex process of indigenisation. Using secondary data from prior studies, it offers a discussion on the key stages and challenges in Qatar's effort to indigenise higher education and outlines areas for further research. This paper uses Phillips and Ochs four-stage Model of Policy Borrowing in Education, as a guiding conceptual model. The paper is constructed as follows: first, a discussion on international branch campuses in Education City; second, outlining the conceptual model; third, a discussion on Education City through the conceptual model; and finally, the case of the home-grown university, Hamad bin Khalifa University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research from displacement contexts globally has shown that refugees actively collaborate to establish learning centres in order to address educational service gaps facing their communities, such as lack of access or low-quality education. However, much of the existing research focuses on refugee-led educational initiatives that lack national accreditation. Less is known about nationally accredited refugee-led education initiatives – independently established, funded, and managed solely by refugees, especially in refugee camps. With this study, I contribute to the understanding of this lesser-known phenomenon. I examine the conditions underlying the emergence of nationally accredited refugee-led schools in Kenya's Dadaab camps and what these schools do to improve education quality and their students' performance in national exams. I draw on six months of ethnographic research and virtual follow-ups between 2020 and 2022. In the context of the evolving localisation of humanitarian aid discourse, this study broadens insights into governance practices that yield effective service delivery, good quality education, and better results in national examinations. The case of the nationally accredited refugee-led schools in Dadaab camps teaches us that direct support to the state and refugees, rather than intermediary INGOs, can improve students' results in national exams and the quality of education overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localisation is an important task and is complex in 3D WSNs in comparison to 2D. The presence of obstacles or irregular terrain makes the localisation task more challenging due to the lack of network connectivity. Few approaches proposed have considered irregular topology but for limited structures like C, H, valley, mountainous areas, etc. This paper investigates the localisation error of sensor nodes deployed in four different 3D real terrains. The network area is divided into grids and a mobile anchor node broadcasts a signal from each grid. This network division provides sufficient anchor signal to each sensor node and found that more than 95% of sensor nodes have been localised with an average localisation error of 19 m. The use of a mobile anchor node eliminates the requirement for many fixed-grounded anchor nodes. The results obtained demonstrate that the localisation error is dependent on terrain topography, grid size and UAV height. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘Vulnerability’ saturates contemporary humanitarian discourse and practice in English. But how is ‘vulnerability’ operationalised and translated – both literally and figuratively – and what can these dynamics tell us about the humanitarian system? Drawing on an extensive engagement with humanitarianism in Jordan, this article explores how ‘vulnerability’ is turned from a ubiquitous designator of need to an operationalizable indicator in humanitarian assessments, how ‘vulnerability’ overlaps and collides with national systems for determining need and targeting, and how the idea of ‘vulnerability’ is communicated in Arabic. I argue that, despite ‘vulnerability’s’ unquestioned centrality in humanitarianism, there is a pervasive unclarity about how it should be understood, with parallel and largely disconnected debates, using strikingly different frameworks and terminology, happening in English and Arabic. This Anglo-centric system both expresses and reinforces the humanitarian sector’s intersecting hierarchies of race and labour, as ‘local’ humanitarian workers take on the work of translating ‘vulnerability,’ while ‘international’ colleagues centre their work on concepts that have very little meaning to those they are ostensibly for and about. If localisation is to involve a meaningful transfer of power to local and national actors, humanitarianism’s Anglo-centrism must be dismantled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aid localisation is a decades-old endeavour recently catalysed by the 2016 Grand Bargain agreement. However, localisation's unintended effects have yet to be assessed systematically. This study typologises five unintended effects in the context of Cordaid's partnerships within the Just Future program: competition, administration, value, civic space, and climate effects. Through literature reviews and 15 key informant interviews, it finds most frequently and impactfully that localisation risks perpetuating hierarchies, as international NGOs favour partnerships with larger local NGOs that manage to meet donor requirements at the expense of community-based organisations (competition effect). In addition, it risks disproportionately increasing local administrative burdens due to donors' low risk appetite and mistrustful perceptions of local capacities (administration effect). Localisation furthermore risks diverging from certain values, such as gender-related and LGBTQ+ rights, which are a priority for many international NGOs (value effect). Recommendations focus on adaptive management and providing technical assistance to smaller local NGOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tinnitus spatial localisation is an essential attribute of tinnitus perception and how it is separated from other ongoing neural activity. A scoping review was undertaken to determine how tinnitus localisation is reported, the role of the perceived spatial location of tinnitus on neurophysiology and if sound presented spatially can change tinnitus perception. Following reading of the full-text articles and including articles from reference lists, 46 articles were included for review. Six themes emerged from the results. 1. Where tinnitus was localised. 2. The effects of tinnitus on localisation. 3. The mechanisms underpinning tinnitus spatial location. 4. Masking. 5. Auditory training. 6. Multisensory training and virtual reality (VR). Tinnitus is much more complex than the often-used description of ‘ringing in the ears’. Tinnitus can be heard anywhere in and around the head. Spatial sound presentation and perceptual training approaches may disrupt spatial selective attention to tinnitus and appear as changes in some of the neural networks involved in sound localisation. Where tinnitus is heard is a critical aspect of its perception, but its report, even in studies purporting to study localisation, is too general. A matrix for standardised minimum reporting of tinnitus location is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we compile a new data set of firms in the Thai automotive industry and discuss the localisation of both automotive parts suppliers and assemblers in Thailand. We first review the factors affecting the development and location of the Thai automotive industry and examine how Thailand came up with the strategy to promote one-ton pickup trucks as the first 'product champion'. We argue that the government played a significant role in creating a 'sizable' domestic market and building the essential infrastructure, resulting in the promotion of dynamic growth and a vibrant productive capacity. Then, applying Duraton and Overman's continuous approach, this paper examines the localisation of automotive firms. Using the spatial distribution of manufacturing establishments as a benchmark, this study finds that all categories of parts suppliers were significantly localised. Moreover, it is revealed that statistically significant localisation takes place only within 150 kilometers with respect to the bilateral distances between suppliers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We model the spatial characteristics of technological knowledge flows in the UK. Using a novel and highly accurate dataset of inventor locations, we test for localisation of knowledge spillovers in citations between UK patent applications from 1982 to 2015. We apply continuous distance localisation tests separately to patent citations in 313 technologies and find that spillovers are localised in far fewer technologies and at shorter distances than previous studies have suggested. Only 30% of technologies in the UK display localisation, knowledge spillovers decay rapidly at distances between 30 and 80 km, and spillovers within technologies are twice as frequently localised as spillovers between technologies. Our results suggest that technological and geographical proximity are important determinants of knowledge spillovers in the UK and that close physical proximity is particularly relevant for industrial sectors that are more reliant on tacit knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The China-Pakistan Transportation Corridor (CPTC) has long faced great challenges in natural disasters and sustainable development. This study develops a localised indicator evaluation system for the CPTC sustainable development. It contains 27 Tier I and 8 Tier II indicators, covering 11 sustainable development goals. Based on this evaluation system, a single-goal, multidimensional, and comprehensive evaluation of the CPTC sustainable development level is conducted for 2015, 2017 and 2020. The results show that, in terms of single goals, Xinjiang has the highest sustainable development level. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has the poorest level of sustainable development. The Islamabad Capital Territory is better developed for all goals, especially in SDG5, SDG8 and SDG9. Besides these three goals, SDG6, and SDG11 are more prominent in Punjab, whereas SDG2 and SDG3 performed worst. From a multidimensional evaluation, the CPTC sustainable development level has been steadily increasing. However, the social and environmental dimensions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have experienced a 'regression'. The comprehensive evaluation results show that the level of sustainable development in all provinces of the CPTC increase, except for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. This study identifies CPTC sustainability issues and proposes targeted recommendations for sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments across the Arabian Gulf aim to reduce their dependence on expatriates by implementing localisation policies. Building on institutional and legitimacy theories, we seek to advance our understanding of the effects of such policies on multinational enterprises (MNEs). We used data from 157 MNEs operating in Saudi Arabia and found the indigenisation of the human resource management (HRM) function is closely correlated with the level of workforce localisation: key factors empowering localisation, defined as recruitment and training practices geared towards the needs of locals, include the demographics and role of the HRM Director. Theoretically, we contribute to the literature on institutionalism and legitimacy by revealing how various institutional forces influence the process of selection and transfer of HRM practices to adapt to the institutional environment of a given context. Our research also shows that if MNEs follow government recommendations, develop links with local educational institutions to target suitable job candidates, and adapt to shortages in local skills and competencies by investing in the training and development of local workers, they will be more likely to achieve success in workforce localisation and legitimacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the experience of Vietnamese game companies in operating and localising online games in Vietnam. The findings were retrieved by analysing the interview results with leaders and experts of notable game companies in Vietnam who know profoundly and broadly about the industry. The main themes include the operational flow of the industry and the localisation process. The analysis reveals that another factor that can be added to the value chain in the current intra-Asian market is Vietnam since this country has deeply engaged with the process of producing and distributing online games. Their operational procedure and localising process also display some distinctive patterns that are analysed in depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the past two decades, international development agencies have supported establishing and developing Local Peace Committees (LPCs) in conflict-affected countries. These committees typically have two objectives. First, to serve as a local conflict resolution and decision-making mechanism in conflict arbitration at the community level. Second, to empower groups traditionally excluded from decision-making, such as minorities, marginalised youth, housewives, and female religious leaders. Although these two goals might facilitate preventing and countering violent and hateful extremism (PVHE), such a purpose was different from the specific objectives of the Local Peace Committees. Based on more than 30 interviews with members of Peace Committees, UN, local and international NGOs and secondary data, including data gathered through independent evaluations of programmes supported by the organisations the authors work for, the first section of this analysis evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of LPCs in Nigeria, Somalia and Mali, and their role in PVHE. In the second section of this article, the authors assess trends and make recommendations on ways to strengthen LPCs to increase their ability to contribute to PVHE over the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between auditory deprivation and sound lateralisation. This study consisted of a control group (6 female, 4 male) and four study groups (17 female, 19 male) classified according to the participant's speech discrimination scores (Group 1, above 80%; Group 2, 60–80%; Group 3, 40-60%; and Group 4, below 40%). The lateralisation acuity of the participants was evaluated in a sound-booth room using two loudspeakers. First, the sounds were given equally from both loudspeakers. Later, the point where participants noticed the sound asymmetry between the two speakers was investigated for 250–8000 Hz. There was no significant difference in lateralisation thresholds of the participants between groups 1 and group 2 compared to the control group while there was in groups 3 and 4 (p < 0.001). In addition, only the difference between group 4 and the control group was statistically significant (p < 0.05) in the effect of the mental state on test performance. Pearson's correlation test results showed a medium correlation between the mental test and lateralisation thresholds with speech stimuli and at all frequencies (min-max:44.6 − 51.3%). A strong correlation was observed between the auditory discrimination scores and lateralisation thresholds at all frequencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decade, the international aid system has failed to translate its commitments to "conflict sensitivity" into action. Instead, this article suggests that conflict sensitivity risks becoming a box-ticking exercise – one that perpetuates rather than challenges the fundamental flaws in the aid system. It argues that by focusing on technical support to address problems at the programme level has obscured systemic inequalities and incentives that prevent aid from responding to conflict more effectively. For conflict sensitivity to play a role in shaping an effective and equitable aid system, it must focus on the aid system at large. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the 2016 Habitat III conference, the global urban policy framework based on the New Urban Agenda and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDG11) has been adopted in an increasing number of countries worldwide. Through a comparative methodological approach, the paper analyses the making process of the Ecuadorian National Urban Agenda and the Bolivian National Urban Policy from the perspective of the involved international agents, to reflect upon the role of the time dimension in the localisation of global urban policy and its relationship with the policy transfer space. In doing so, the analysis sheds light on the role played by sequence and timing in influencing the outcomes of the localisation process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a great demand for vision-based robotics solutions that can operate using Global Positioning Systems (GPS), but are also robust against GPS signal loss and gyroscope failure. This paper investigates the estimation and tracking control in application to a Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) in six degrees of freedom (6 DoF). A full state observer for the estimation of VTOL-UAV motion parameters (attitude, angular velocity, position, and linear velocity) is proposed on the Lie Group of S E 2 (3) × R 3 = S O (3) × R 9 with almost globally exponentially stable closed-loop error signals. Thereafter, a full state observer-based controller for the VTOL-UAV motion parameters is proposed on the Lie Group with a guaranteed almost global exponential stability. The proposed approach produces good results without the need for angular and linear velocity measurements (without a gyroscope and GPS signals) utilising only a set of known landmarks obtained by a vision-aided unit (monocular or stereo camera). The equivalent quaternion representation on S 3 × R 9 is provided in the Appendix. The observer-based controller is presented in a continuous form while its discrete version is tested using a VTOL-UAV simulation that incorporates large initial error and uncertain measurements. The proposed observer is additionally tested experimentally on a real-world UAV flight dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a growing literature studying the 'non-traditional' type of international schools. However, a less explored and under-theorised area is the changing dynamics of the global-local interactions in the way these international schools are being redefined and shaped by local processes, regimes of control, and mechanisms. Drawing on empirical evidence from sixteen 'non-traditional' international schools in urban China, our paper contributes to the literature in three ways. Theoretically, we developed the notion of 'reining in the international' to draw analytic attention to the state power and social agency in controlling and directing the global flows of international schooling. Empirically, our paper provides concrete evidence to show the disjuncture occurring when the global/international is interrupted and transformed by local/national conditions. Third, we argue that in the case of China, the local has taken charge as the 'content supplier and negotiator' in the global-local confluence of forms adopted by international schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender-based harms experienced in conflict constitute a threat to the right of women and girls to live with dignity. However, transitional justice processes to manage the delicate nexus between peace and justice often do not consider these harms, resulting in adverse outcomes for women and girls in post-conflict societies. At the frontlines of the fight to address gender-based harms through transitional justice, women's rights organisations (WROs) are uniquely placed to identify and advocate for the needs of women experiencing conflict and to provide integral services in conflict contexts. Despite this critical dual role, WROs in conflict settings are systematically excluded from transitional justice processes and chronically underfunded. Moreover, current literature lacks a nuanced understanding of how WROs work in transitional contexts and how international institutions can best foster their engagement and leadership. Expanding on the evidence base for the inclusion of WROs in transitional justice processes, this paper mobilises the concept of hybrid peace to analyse the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and understand the role of WROs in negotiating the interactions between internationalised peace-building processes and local realities. Research methods include a literature review and analysis of public statements from relevant WROs. This paper argues that WROs engaged with the ICTY played a critical role in building positive hybrid peace by: (1) advocating for and supporting the inclusion of gender-based harms in the internationalised transitional justice process; and (2) implementing localised peace formation and fostering positive gender relations at the community level. The research contributes to broader literature defining the role of WROs in the localisation of development and human rights norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organ trafficking is widely recognised as a human rights concern. Medical professionals play a decisive role in bringing international norms regarding organ trafficking into the local context as translators and localisers. In Israel, this localisation reflects the tensions and gaps between global and local values, moralities and beliefs. Based on in-depth interviews with 92 stakeholders, this article examines the Israeli medical professionals' approach toward organ trafficking, the moral conflicts, challenges and dilemmas they faced given these tensions and gaps, and their attempts to address them in practice. The findings reveal that many Israeli healthcare professionals subscribed to an ambivalent stance on organ trafficking and a non-judgmental approach towards patients who engage in organ trafficking, preferring to turn a blind eye to this phenomenon. They internalised key aspects of the deeply rooted local ethical perceptions regarding organ trafficking. This internalisation points to the limitations of translators' freedom of operation between transnational and domestic languages. Localisation is not merely a result of pragmatic compromises but stems from the localisers' identification with local moralities. This study contributes to understanding the role of professionals in processes of societal change and the complex ramifications of this role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Development Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Development Studies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Since August 2017, more than 700,000 Rohingya have sought refuge in Bangladesh from neighbouring Myanmar, resulting in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. A significant endeavour is taking place involving various humanitarian actors for the provision and overall management of the humanitarian activities in Rohingya refugee camps. The article studies the configuration and evolution of the humanitarian operations with the aim of identifying the extent of localisation, ie the involvement of the Bangladeshi actors in the management of the camps in the early stage (1–2 years) of the crisis. It employs a quantitative method by analysing the 4W data of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Segregation of humanitarian operators by national and international non-governmental organisations and a network analysis suggest that the humanitarian operations are dominated by international actors, and localisation was not achieved in the early stage of the crisis. Additionally, the article provides a profile of the humanitarian operation along with the context and background of the crisis; as such, it can be utilised by both academic and non-academic audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sinicization of religions has been a hot topic in China's religious communities for several years; from the perspective of Christianity, Sinicization, especially the fusion of Christianity and Chinese culture, has also been a key point of discussion between Chinese churchmen recently. Cultural integration under local conditions is a relatively easy starting point for considering the issues, while political identity and social adaptation are usually based on cultural integration which remains an urgent issue that needs to be solved in the Christian community in China today. This paper discusses cultural integration during the localisation of religion, the integration of Christianity with Chinese traditional culture and the contemporary socialist context, to provide some advice and ideas about the promotion of the localisation of Christianity in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Localisation technology is one of the most important challenges of underwater vehicle applications that accomplish any scheduled mission in the complex underwater environment. Currently, the Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping (SLAM) of the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) is becoming a hotspot research. AUVs have, only recently, received more attention and underwater platforms continue to dominate the research. To ensure the success of an accurate AUV localisation mission, the problem of drift on the estimated trajectory must be overcome. In order to improve the positioning accuracy of the AUV localisation, a new filter referred to as the Adaptive Smooth Variable Structure Filter (ASVSF) based SLAM positioning algorithm is proposed. To verify the improvement of this filter, the combined SVSF and the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) are presented. Experimental results based on dataset for underwater SLAM algorithm show the accuracy and stability of the ASVSF AUV localisation position. Several experiments were tested under real-life conditions with an autonomous underwater vehicle based on different filters. The results of these filters have been compared based on Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) and in terms of localisation and map building errors. It is shown that the adaptive SVSF-SLAM strategy obtains the best performance compared to other algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the reasons behind local aid workers' asymmetrical exposure to violence in contemporary humanitarian action. Taking Judith Butler's theorisation of 'interpretive frames' as its analytical starting point, the article traces the process by which the humanitarian system distinguishes between lives that are to be protected and those that are dispensable. Drawing on in-depth interviews with Syrian aid workers and other experts, the article shows how the humanitarian frame makes it difficult to correctly recognise local actors' security needs and vulnerabilities. Moreover, the normative and temporal limits of the humanitarian security project exclude certain types of threats from the view and make it difficult for local aid actors to articulate their need for protection. To address these issues, the article calls for more critical reflection regarding the marginalising and silencing effects of the existing security framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of symmetrical and asymmetrical directional microphone settings on speech recognition, localisation and microphone preference in listening conditions with on- and off-axis talkers. A within-subjects repeated-measure evaluation of three hearing aid microphone settings (bilateral omnidirectional, bilateral directional, asymmetrical directional) was completed in a moderately reverberant laboratory. An exploratory analysis of the potential relationship between microphone preference and unaided measures was also completed. Twenty adult listeners with mild to moderately severe bilateral hearing loss participated. The directional and asymmetric microphone settings resulted in equivalent benefits for sentence recognition in noise, word recall, and localisation speed regardless of the speech loudspeaker location (on- or off-axis). However, localisation accuracy was significantly worse with the asymmetric fitting than the directional setting when speech was presented from the rear hemisphere. Listeners who always preferred directional microphones had significantly poorer unaided speech recognition than those who preferred the omnidirectional setting for one or more listening condition. Benefits from directional and asymmetric processing were small in the current study, but generally similar to each other. Unaided speech recognition in noise performance may have utility as a clinical predictor of preference for directional processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This discussion paper aims to set out the key challenges and opportunities emerging from distributed manufacturing (DM). We begin by describing the concept, available definitions and consider its evolution where recent production technology developments (such as additive and continuous production process technologies), digitisation together with infrastructural developments (in terms of IoT and big data) provide new opportunities. To further explore the evolving nature of DM, the authors, each of whom are involved in specific applications of DM research, examine through an expert panel workshop environment emerging DM applications involving new production and supporting infrastructural technologies. This paper presents these generalisable findings on DM challenges and opportunities in terms of products, enabling production technologies and the impact on the wider production and industrial system. Industry structure and location of activities are examined in terms of the democratising impact on participating network actors. The paper concludes with a discussion on the changing nature of manufacturing as a result of DM, from the traditional centralised, large-scale, long lead-time forecast-driven production operations to a new DM paradigm where manufacturing is a decentralised, autonomous near end user-driven activity. A forward research agenda is proposed that considers the impact of DM on the industrial and urban landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The New Urban Agenda (NUA) and Agenda 2030's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) recognise the key role of 'sub-national entities', including cities, in achieving sustainable development. However, since these global policy agendas were agreed and signed by national governments, implementing them at the local level requires a process of localisation to fit local realities. This paper analyses the national guidance (or lack of) and the resultant collaborations emerging between various levels of government in the implementation of these agendas in African cities, namely Kisumu, Kenya and Cape Town, South Africa. It argues that effective implementation of the SDGs requires a strong framework for multi-stakeholder engagement and coordination at all levels of governance, which is possible if both top-down and bottom-up approaches are used concurrently and harmonised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have developed a method of animal localisation that detects the angle from a sensor towards the direction of an animal call. The method is as simple to use as deploying a conventional static sound recorder, but provides tracking information as well as sound recordings. The principal of operation is to detect the phase difference between microphones positioned closely together. The phase is detected by converting the signals to their analytic form with a Hilbert transform. The angle is then calculated from the phase difference, frequency and microphone separation. Angular measurements provide an indication of flight paths above the sensor, and can give details of activity and behaviour that are not possible with a single channel static recorder. We recorded flight paths for 5 bat species at a site in Denmark (Pipistrellus nathusii, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Eptesicus serotinus, Myotis daubentonii and Nyctalus noctula). The median error in angular measurement for the species was between 3 and 7 degrees. Calls at high angles from normal, corresponding with a poor sensor sensitivity, had larger errors compared to calls recorded in the centre of the field of view. Locations in space could be estimated by combining angular measurements from two or more sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent shifts in energy infrastructure siting have seen movement toward more procedurally just participatory decision-making processes. The energy justice literature emphasises both the normative need for fairness and justice in energy decision-making, while recognising the instrumental value of procedural justice for more favourable siting outcomes. Against a global nuclear backdrop of historically closed decision-making and public controversy, Canada's high-level nuclear waste siting process has sought to offer a more participatory and community-driven process. Drawing from ethnographic observation and interviews in Ontario, Canada, this paper seeks to evaluate the NWMO's siting process according to principles of energy justice, focusing on how local context and nuclear landscape may problematise normative applications of procedural justice. Through this analysis, I address a perceived deficit in studies of the spatial implications of procedural justice, examining how local geography can shape how procedurally just a process is, at times translating well-intended policy into unintended outcomes. Ultimately, I argue that effective mobilisation of local knowledge for more localised practices is key to informing fairer and more just siting processes and eventual outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RFID technology has been widely used for object tracking in the industry. Very high accuracy (centimetre level) positioning based on RFID carrier phase measurement has been reported. However, most of the proposed fine-grained tracking methods can only work with very strict preconditions. For example, some methods require either the reader or the tag to move along a certain one dimensional track at constant speed, while other methods need pre-deployed tags at known locations as reference points. This paper proposes a new approach which can track RFID tags without knowing the speed, the track and the initial location of the tag, and requiring only the antenna coordinates. The experiment results show that the algorithm can converge within 10 seconds and the average positioning accuracy can be at the centimetre level or even sub-centimetre level under different preconditions. The algorithm has also been optimised with a prediction-updating procedure to meet the requirements of post-processing and real-time tracking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present an investigation of the convergence behaviour of the local second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) correlation energy toward the canonical result for three insulating crystals with either projected atomic orbitals (PAOs) or various orthonormal representations of the virtual orbital space. Echoing recent results for finite molecular systems, we find that significantly fewer PAOs than localised orthonormal virtual orbitals are required to reproduce the canonical correlation energy. We find no clear-cut correlation between conventional measures of orbital locality and the ability of the representation to span the excitation space of local domains. We show that the PAOs of the reference unit cell span parts of the excitation space that can only be reached with distant local orthonormal virtual orbitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ras GTPases convey signals from different types of membranes. At these locations, different Ras isoforms, interactors and regulators generate different biochemical signals and biological outputs. The study of Ras localisation-specific signal transduction networks has been hampered by our inability to specifically activate each of these Ras pools. Here, we describe a new set of site-specific tethered exchange factors, engineered by fusing the RasGRF1 CDC25 domain to sub-localisation-defining cues, whereby Ras pools at specific locations can be precisely activated. We show that the CDC25 domain has a high specificity for activating HRas but not NRas and KRas. This unexpected finding means that our constructs mainly activate endogenous HRas. Hence, their use enabled us to identify distinct pathways regulated by HRas in endomembranes and plasma membrane microdomains. Importantly, these new constructs unveil different patterns of HRas activity specified by their subcellular localisation. Overall, the targeted GEFs described herein constitute ideal tools for dissecting spatially-defined HRas biochemical and biological functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main challenges that faces the monitoring of maritime structures and ports is related to constantly changing weather and surrounding conditions. These conditions make manual actions very expensive, unreliable and imprecise. To overcome these problems, using Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASV) is the best option. In this research, as part of a research project, a stereo vision system was implemented on an ASV to detect and track static and dynamic obstacles. In order to examine the proposed algorithm, two sets of experiments have been designed; first, the ASV moves toward stationary objects to localise all static and dynamic objects. Second, the ASV tracks a target boat, which equipped with an RTK-GPS and estimates relative and absolute positions. The accuracy of the tracking algorithm was evaluated in the digital elevation map, with the lowest RMSE of 1.575, and 0.6621 (m) using raw and EKF data, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calls for a greater inclusion of local actors have featured for some time in debates on how to make humanitarian action more efficient and address unequal power relations within the humanitarian system. Though the localisation agenda is at the core of current reform efforts in the humanitarian sector, the debate lacks a critical discussion of underlying assumptions – most strikingly, the very conceptualisation of the local itself. It is argued that the current discourse is dominated by a problematic conceptualisation of the local in binary opposition to the international, leading to blind spots in the analysis of exclusionary practices of the humanitarian sector. As such the localisation agenda risks perpetuating the very issues it wants to redress. A critical localism is thus proposed as a framework for much needed research on the localisation agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing demands on precision manufacturing of parts with freeform surfaces have been observed in the last several years. Although significant progress has been made in precision machining of freeform surfaces, inspection of such surfaces remains a difficult problem. A crucial issue in surface inspection is localisation of the design coordinate frame on a measurement machine frame. This paper presents a cyclic optimisation, where a closed-form solution is obtained in each iteration, for the localisation. The computational efficiency, robustness to the initial conditions and accuracy of the algorithm are assessed via experiments, and in the localisation process, the computation of the closest point is a vital step. The data structures of approximated nearest nodes and topological neighbour facets are combined to speed up the closest point calculation. The simulation experiments indicate that the presented method is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The approval of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has generated intense debates in the aid sector at the global, national and subnational levels. A key question is whether they can address structural problems in development aid policies and practices, such as the lack of accountability and coherence, unequal power relations, or depoliticisation. It seems that this will depend on how the agenda is adopted in the various territories as well as on the different interests at play. We address this question by studying the case of the Valencian Autonomous region. This is the territory in Spain where institutions have been the most active in establishing the SDGs at the core of the political discourses. We follow a qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews with key respondents from the public, civil society and university sectors, participant observation, and the analysis of secondary information. Inspired by critical discourse analysis, we explore the varying and conflicting discourses regarding the potential of SDGs to address the problems of aid, and on the impacts that its adoption are producing. We illustrate that the introduction of SDGs in aid policies is a conflictive process modelled by the power dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human rights are an increasingly common language of advocacy for civil society organisations, but are these groups using the same words to mean different things? Although the spread of human rights has been well examined, little attention has been paid to the content of these rights as understood by civil society actors in diverse settings. Focusing on this gap in the literature, this paper examines how personnel in human rights-based non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Botswana and neighbouring South Africa perceive human rights. Drawing on interview-based case studies of two human rights-based organisations operating at the national level, I analyse how activists draw on domestic context to interpret human rights. This paper argues that personnel in these NGOs understand and articulate human rights in distinct ways that are shaped by and responsive to the contexts in which they live and work. Emerging from a more homogenous consensus-based culture, Botswana respondents are more likely to integrate cultural concepts, emphasise inclusion and understand human rights as timeless and innate. Reflecting South Africa's progressive constitution, unequal society and a history of struggle, South African respondents highlight contrast, agency, change over time and the law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the practice of adaptation and translation (localisation) of Open Educational Resources (OER). It employs a sociocultural perspective to focus on the experiences of practitioners (localisers) who undertook the localisation of a suite of 125 OER created as part of a teacher professional development programme in India. This localisation process generated eight unique versions of the OER in five languages. Drawing on project reports, practitioner interviews and analysis of the adapted OER, the study explores how localisers created meaning for the task, the situational and linguistic factors that influenced and mediated their decisions to adapt the materials – or not – and the skills and experiences that emerged through the process. Although the findings revealed that changes to the materials were limited, suggesting that enacting localisation is more difficult than perhaps suggested by OER proponents, the analysis indicated forms of localisers' emerging professional agency through this endeavour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The time reversal (TR) method is applied to the localisation of microcrack based on the vibro-acoustic modulation (VAM) which is one of the effective non-linear ultrasonic testing approaches in this paper. The principle of the localisation combining the VAM and TR was analysed and deduced in theory. Then, the VAM experimental system was established and used to detect the aluminium plate and tube containing microcrack. The signals which were produced when the ultrasonic wave and vibration wave interact with the microcrack were received from different positions using the numbers of piezoelectric ceramic pieces. The non-linear components were extracted from the received signals by empirical mode decomposition method. Finally, the non-linear components were reversed in time domain and reloaded into the finite element model of the aluminium plate and tube. The location information of microcrack could be represented in the cloud image of aluminium plate and tube by focusing reversed non-linear signals. The experiment results have been shown that the obtained microcrack location information is closed to the actual location of microcrack in the tested specimen and the localisation method for microcrack is effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hybrid indoor and outdoor localisation system has generated substantial interest from researchers due to its potential use in many fields. Many research papers on hybrid localisation were focused on localisation accuracy and computation time instead of the process for seamless switching during the subject's indoor-outdoor movement. Seamless and stable switching can improve the usability and practicality of a system in an ever-changing scenario. This paper presents a hybrid localisation system that can adapt to the changes in the environment. Two hybrid systems – Enhanced Fusion Hybrid (EFH) and Enhanced Unified Hybrid (EUH), and novel signal selection and switching algorithms suitable for dynamic environment where signal fluctuations and transient condition frequently occur, i.e. the Clean Radio Signal Label (CRSL) classification algorithm and the Adaptive Signal Thresholding (AST) algorithm are proposed. From the experimental results of EFH and EUH methods, the GPS and Wi-Fi combination produces the best results as compared to the combinations of GPS and GSM or GSM and Wi-Fi. The accuracy of estimates was improved to 2.0 m to 5.0 m. Further work shown that an accuracy of 2.0 m or less could be achieved with an increase in Wi-Fi nodes from three to four for the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent decades, the goals of education worldwide have included preparing students for the changing role of citizenship in a globally integrated world. With particular reference to Taiwan's education, this paper will adopt a qualitative content analysis of official documents, selected music textbooks, and other relevant literatures to demonstrate the transmission of music cultures and extra-musical learning of song singing in Taiwan as it relates to citizenship in the local-global context. Despite the inclusion of traditional Chinese music and other world music in the school curriculum, music education for citizenship has placed more emphasis on the Taiwanese-centred narrative in line with the shifting cross-strait relationship between Taiwan and Mainland China. Given this complex context of the dynamics of local and global citizenship, songs from both local and foreign literatures have been selected for the learning of love, religion, and multiple relationships with family, friends, schoolmates, the local community, and the planet to demonstrate the development of citizenship education in a liberal and communitarian construction in the music curriculum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article shares the experiences of Women Now for Development, a women's organisation working with Syrian women in Syria and neighbouring countries. The key questions under consideration are whether important policy commitments to empower local actors are bearing fruit in practice and identify some of the challenges that still frustrate working with women and girls in humanitarian settings. This article aims to consider whether localisation is more than a current 'buzz-word'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In uncertain times for higher education learning communities, the risks of societal and epistemic dependence on a single globally dominant set of academic knowledge practices are evident. Nonetheless, many higher education institutions in developing nations struggle to achieve international presence unless they uncritically adopt these dominant practices, even where they recognise the need to use and promote local knowledge systems. We explore these dynamics in postcolonial Papua New Guinea, through an assessment of the intentions for internationalisation of the six PNG universities and barriers to agency. Our approach recognises the dialectical relationship between ‘internationalisation’ and ‘indigenisation’. We suggest that a pervasive but narrow view of indigenisation, emphasising the localisation of university staff, has hampered other forms of both indigenisation and internationalisation, producing more stasis than synthesis within PNG’s universities. Effective international agency by PNG universities, and their partners, requires more critical and continuous discourse between the international and the indigenous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shortcomings in natural resource governance leading to economic mismanagement, political clientelism, underdevelopment and civil conflict, have caused an increase in global norms of ‘good governance’ of natural resource sectors. As a result, a growing number of global governance initiatives are targeting conflict-prone natural resource sectors. Whether these regulatory efforts stand a chance of being successful depends on their implementation in producer countries. As the transnational regulatory framework aimed at curbing the trade in conflict minerals is expanding, this article investigates the local translation of global norms of resource governance. Drawing on the ‘local-to-global’ research perspective developed in this special issue and norm diffusion theories, the article examines one of the most prominent cases of governance reform targeting conflict-affected natural resource sectors: The Sierra Leonean diamond market. Based on extensive field research, the article analyses the implementation of KPCS requirements on the national and subnational level of governance institutions. It evaluates the accomplishments, the challenges and the local adaption to and (formal and informal) interpretation of KPCS norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]