This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management in Mediterranean Countries, ISCRAM-med 2017, held in Xanthi, Greece, in October 2017. ISCRAM-med conferences aim to enhance the collaboration and solidarity between Mediterranean countries in issues related to crisis management. They offer an outstanding opportunity to address and discuss new trends and challenges in the area of Information systems and Technologies for Crisis Response and Management (ISCRAM). The 12 full and 5 short papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 39 submissions. They were organized in topical sections named: social networking and big data analytics; robotic systems for crisis management; decision making in the context of crisis management; serious games and simulations; and collaboration and information sharing.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the Third International Conference on Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management in Mediterranean Countries, ISCRAM-med 2016, held in Madrid, Spain, in October 2016. Information systems and technologies can play a key role in crisis management in order to support preparation, response, mitigation and recovery processes. Yet technology is not enough to guarantee a better management process, and therefore the conference does not only focus on engineering technologies, but also on their application and practical experiences. The 12 full and 8 short papers presented in this volume were carefully reviewed and selected from 36 submissions. They are organized in topical sections on mobile apps for citizens, modeling and simulation, development of information systems, information and knowledge management, collaboration and coordination, social computing, and issues in humanitarian crisis.

This book aims at guiding the educators from a variety of available technologies to support learning and teaching by discussing the learning benefits and the challenges that interactive technology imposes. This guidance is based on practical experiences gathered through developing and integrating them into varied educational settings. It compiles experiences gained with various interactive technologies, offering a comprehensive perspective on the use and potential value of interactive technologies to support learning and teaching. Taken together, the chapters provide a broader view that does not focus exclusively on the uses of technology in educational settings, but also on the impact and ability of technology to improve the learning and teaching processes. The book addresses the needs of researchers, educators and other stakeholders in the area of education interested in learning how interactive technologies can be used to overcome key educational challenges.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on End-User Development, IS-EUD 2015, held in Madrid, Spain, in May 2015. The 10 full papers and 13 short papers were presented at the event. Additionally, the volume contains 2 keynote speeches, 3 doctoral consortia papers, 1 workshop paper and 6 EUD-playground papers. The papers provide a broad overview of the current state of End-User Development research.

Here, in a single volume, is the first comprehensive history in English of the Sephardim - descendants of the Jews expelled from Spain in 1492 by Ferdinand and Isabella. Writing for the general reader as well as for the specialist, Paloma Diaz-Mas provides a superbly organized and up-to-date account of Sephardic culture, history, religious practice, language, and literature. Most of the Sephardim originally settled in Mediterranean Europe, the Low Countries, North Africa, and the Turkish Empire. In the nineteenth century, however, a second diaspora brought the Sephardim to the United States, South America, Israel, and Western Europe. Diaz-Mas begins with a brief overview of Jewish religion and culture, discussing the calendar, holidays, dietary laws, and life-cycle ceremonies. Next, she traces the history of the Jews in Spain through the 1492 expulsion. She succinctly describes their subsequent wanderings, settlements, and achievements up to the nineteenth century, when false messiahs caused crises that had a profound impact on Sephardic communities. After detailing the various causes of the second diaspora, Diaz-Mas addresses the effect of the Holocaust specifically on the Sephardim - an issue almost entirely overlooked elsewhere. She also reviews the involvement of the Sephardim in Spanish politics through the Moroccan Protectorate and into Franco's time and the present. The final chapter focuses on the situation of the Sephardim throughout the world today. Diaz-Mas's treatment of the language of the Sephardim - often called Ladino or Judeo-Spanish - shows how it diverged from "mainstream" Spanish in the 1500s, how it developed regional dialects, and why it is now disappearing as aneveryday language. In addition to traditional Sephardic literature - religious works, coplas (verses), popular stories - newer genres like journalism and theater are also examined. Authoritative and completely accessible, Sephardim will appeal to anyone interested in Spanish culture and Jewish civilization. Each chapter ends with a list of recommended reading, and the book includes an extensive bibliography of works in Spanish, French, and English. Fully updated by the author since its publication in Spanish, Sephardim also features notes by the translator that illuminate references which might otherwise be obscure to an English-speaking reader.