This book collects contributions which showcase the impact of new augmented reality (AR) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies considered jointly in the fields of cultural heritage and innovative design. AR is an alternative path of analysis and communication if applied to several fields of research, in particular if related to space and artifacts in it. This happens because the neural network development strengthens the relationship between augmented reality and artificial intelligence, creating processes close to human thought in shorter times. In the last years, the AR/AI expansion and the future scenarios have raised a deep trans-disciplinary speculation. The disciplines of representation (drawing, surveying, visual communication), as a convergence place of multidisciplinary theoretical and applicative studies related to architecture, city, environment, tangible and intangible cultural heritage, are called to contribute to the international debate. The book chapters deal with augmented reality and artificial intelligence, analyzing their connections as research tools for knowing the environment. In particular, the topics focus on the intersection between real and virtual world and on the heuristic role of drawing in the enhancement and management of cultural heritage, in planning and monitoring the architecture, the environment, or the infrastructures. Scientists involved in AR and AI research applied separately or together in the field of cultural heritage, architectural design, urban planning, and infrastructures analysis, as well as members of public and private organizations make up interdisciplinary groups that fuel the discussion focusing on the priorities and aims of the research related to the disciplines of representation.

Between the Vesuvio slopes and the front coastline, there are several archaeological sites of significant cultural and landscape interest, far less popular than Pompei but not less fascinating. These sites, including the ancient towns of Stabiae and Oplontis up until the coastal city of Sorrento, resemble a constellation surrounded by the metropolitan sprawl and lay in the country of the Campania Region like hidden pearls, as the lack of efficient public transport connections makes these destinations difficult to reach for international tourists. This paper, therefore, discusses different ideas for the design of a Cultural and Touristic District, which may improve their accessibility by linking all these archeological sites together with both physical and ICT networks. Back in 2010, such ideas were presented in Castellammare di Stabia International Workshop “Restoring Ancient Stabiae” by a number of scholars from seven Schools of Architecture of both USA and Italian Universities (Maryland UMD, Miami, Oregon, Cornell Univ.; Napoli Federico II, Bari Politecnico, Roma-Sapienza). The main aim of the workshop was to allow actual team working for designing urban requalification and projects of touristic and cultural development, as well as to stimulate debate between local administrators and experts of urban studies, landscape and archaeology. The results achieved by combination of these objectives paved the way for an ambitious goal, that is presenting a realistic scenario of sustainable development based on recovering and exploitation of archeological sites. ANTONIO FRANCO MARINIELLO (1948) is Architect and Full Professor of Architectural and Urban Design at the Departement of Architecture - University of Naples Federico II, Research Director at L.U.P.T. and past member of the PhD board Architectural Composition at the same Faculty of Architecture. He is autor of many works in Architectural Theory and Criticism; furthermore he has published: Questioni di Forma (Napoli 1985), Variazioni-13 esperimenti di Composizione (Napoli 1996), Pre.Testi - sussidiario di Composizione (Napoli 2005).

This book opens with an overview of dieting and its relationship to self-esteem and body image. Here, the author explores the negative and destructive side effects frequently experienced by obese women as a result of dieting. Alternative interventions to dieting are then explored and the weekly Beyond Dieting programme, the core of this volume, is introduced. Subsequent chapters present an evaluation of the Beyond Dieting program (purpose, analyses, comparisons and variables of outcome) and a discussion of the characteristics of the sample study. The overall effects of the intervention and implications of the findings provide an illuminating perspective on the treatment of obesity – one that suggests striving for positive self-image rather than thinness as the key to well-being for obese women. For the many health practitioners caring for obese women, this perspective, with its practical application, will prove to be an invaluable resource.

This book is available as open access through the Bloomsbury Open Access programme and is available on www.bloomsburycollections.com. This book examines, through a multi-disciplinary lens, the possibilities offered by relationships and family forms that challenge the nuclear family ideal, and some of the arguments that recommend or disqualify these as legitimate units in our societies.That children should be conceived naturally, born to and raised by their two young, heterosexual, married to each other, genetic parents; that this relationship between parents is also the ideal relationship between romantic or sexual partners; and that romance and sexual intimacy ought to be at the core of our closest personal relationships - all these elements converge towards the ideal of the nuclear family. The authors consider a range of relationship and family structures that depart from this ideal: polyamory and polygamy, single and polyparenting, parenting by gay and lesbian couples, as well as families created through assisted human reproduction.

This volume celebrates John M. Najemy and his contributions to the study of Florentine and Italian Renaissance history. Over the last three decades, his books and articles on Florentine politics and political thought have substantially revised the narratives and contours of these fields. They have also provided a framework into which he has woven innovative new threads that have emerged in Renaissance social and cultural history. Presented by his many students and friends, the essays aim to highlight his varied interests and to suggest where they may point for future studies of Florence and, indeed, beyond. -- Amazon.com.

There's a strong interest in reading for pleasure or self-improvement in America, as shown by the popularity of Harry Potter, and book clubs, including Oprah Winfrey's. Although recent government reports show a decline in recreational reading, the same reports show a strong correlation between interest in reading and academic acheivement. This set provides a snapshot of the current state of popular American literature, including various types and genres. The volume presents alphabetically arranged entries on more than 70 diverse literary categories, such as cyberpunk, fantasy literature, flash fiction, GLBTQ literature, graphic novels, manga and anime, and zines. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a definition of the genre, an overview of its history, a look at trends and themes, a discussion of how the literary form engages contemporary issues, a review of the genre's reception, a discussion of authors and works, and suggestions for further reading. Sidebars provide fascinating details, and the set closes with a selected, general bibliography. Reading in America for pleasure and knowledge continues to be popular, even while other media compete for attention. While students continue to read many of the standard classics, new genres have emerged. These have captured the attention of general readers and are also playing a critical role in the language arts classroom. This book maps the state of popular literature and reading in America today, including the growth of new genres, such as cyberpunk, zines, flash fiction, GLBTQ literature, and other topics. Each entry is written by an expert contributor and provides a definition of the genre, an overview of its history, a look at trends and themes, a discussion of how the literary form engages contemporary issues, a review of the genre's critical reception, a discussion of authors and works, and suggestions for further reading. Sidebars provide fascinating details, and the set closes with a selected, general bibliography. Students will find this book a valuable guide to what they're reading today and will appreciate its illumination of popular culture and contemporary social issues.