This open access book covers the main topics for a course on the differential geometry of curves and surfaces. Unlike the common approach in existing textbooks, there is a strong focus on variational problems, ranging from elastic curves to surfaces that minimize area, or the Willmore functional. Moreover, emphasis is given on topics that are useful for applications in science and computer graphics. Most often these applications are concerned with finding the shape of a curve or a surface that minimizes physically meaningful energy. Manifolds are not introduced as such, but the presented approach provides preparation and motivation for a follow-up course on manifolds, and topics like the Gauss-Bonnet theorem for compact surfaces are covered.
Freshwater and Marine Ecology is an introduction to the field of aquatic ecology, integrating the conceptually and methodologically widely overlapping fields of limnology and biological oceanography. It is structured like most textbooks of general ecology, leading from more elemental entities (individuals having to cope with their environment) to increasingly overarching entities, from populations over communities and ecosystems to the biogeochemistry of the entire planet and, finally, an overview over the major human impacts on the aquatic components of the earth system. The book provides examples for all major theoretical concepts of general ecology while the usual ecology textbooks have a strong terrestrial bias and rely only on few aquatic examples. This book takes the contrasting approach, motivated by the fact the fact that life originated from aquatic systems and that surface waters cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface. The choice of studies used as examplesin Freshwater and Marine Ecology provides a balanced mix of freshwater and marine studies, of field observations, experimental and modeling studies. The readers are confronted with very recent work leading to the forefront of contemporaneous research but also with classic studies which laid the foundations of theory development in the field. Freshwater and Marine Ecology is a comprehensive text ideally serving for undergraduate courses in biological oceanography, limnology, and ecology, but also for advanced students, teachers and scientists who had limited exposure to aquatic sciences and/or ecology during their studies.
Freshwater and Marine Ecology is an introduction to the field of aquatic ecology, integrating the conceptually and methodologically widely overlapping fields of limnology and biological oceanography. It is structured like most textbooks of general ecology, leading from more elemental entities (individuals having to cope with their environment) to increasingly overarching entities, from populations over communities and ecosystems to the biogeochemistry of the entire planet and, finally, an overview over the major human impacts on the aquatic components of the earth system. The book provides examples for all major theoretical concepts of general ecology while the usual ecology textbooks have a strong terrestrial bias and rely only on few aquatic examples. This book takes the contrasting approach, motivated by the fact the fact that life originated from aquatic systems and that surface waters cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface. The choice of studies used as examplesin Freshwater and Marine Ecology provides a balanced mix of freshwater and marine studies, of field observations, experimental and modeling studies. The readers are confronted with very recent work leading to the forefront of contemporaneous research but also with classic studies which laid the foundations of theory development in the field. Freshwater and Marine Ecology is a comprehensive text ideally serving for undergraduate courses in biological oceanography, limnology, and ecology, but also for advanced students, teachers and scientists who had limited exposure to aquatic sciences and/or ecology during their studies.
Jeder Kataraktchirurg fürchtet sich vor Komplikationen, aber auch wenn sich diese nicht völlig vermeiden lassen, kann man lernen, sie zu beherrschen. In diesem praktischen Buch wird klar und deutlich erklärt, wie man mit den verschiedenen Komplikationen umgeht, die bei einer Kataraktoperation auftreten können, von einer subluxierten Intraokularlinse bis hin zu einem heruntergefallenen Nukleus. Es gibt dem Chirurgen klare Anweisungen, wie er am besten vorgeht, und zwar in der Art eines Kochbuchs, indem zunächst die Zutaten (Ausrüstung) und die Vorbereitung (Planung) beschrieben werden und dann die Technik Schritt für Schritt mit Hilfe zahlreicher hilfreicher Farbabbildungen erläutert wird.Komplikationen während und nach der Kataraktoperation: Von der Phakoemulsifikation über die sekundäre IOL-Implantation bis hin zum Kerntropfen, 2. Auflage, enthält vollständig überarbeitete Kapitel, in denen die technischen Entwicklungen dargestellt werden, sowie neue Kapitel über die Trokar-Chirurgie von der Pars plana und die chirurgische Behandlung eines Kerntropfens mit einer Kataraktmaschine. Leser, die Techniken zum Umgang mit einer ganzen Reihe potenzieller Komplikationen erlernen möchten, werden in diesem Buch ein unverzichtbares Hilfsmittel finden.
This book offers a fresh perspective on how science and religion are connected, and how prayer aligns with the laws of nature. It explores a holistic worldview where science and religion complement each other, shedding light on life, society, and philosophical and societal concerns. We are born into a world full of mysteries that we only partially understand. We don’t know where we are coming from, we don’t know why we live, and we don’t know where we will go. We don’t know how everything started; we even don’t know what “everything” really is. We are living in an era of rapid change marked by disruptive technologies, like artificial intelligence and computers. Combined with a perception that the old wisdom transferred to us by religion is outdated, traditional values and institutions that had worth and power over many centuries are now losing their appeal. Science has made remarkable progress but can't answer life's most profound questions about our origins, purpose, and destination – why do we live and what should we do? In this book, the author begins with an overview of science, our understanding of the universe, highlighting gaps in our knowledge, like what started the Big Bang, followed by examples of successful scientific achievements and insights into the limits of science. In the subsequent chapters, the author examines topics such as mind over matter and the coexistence of evolution, creation, natural laws, and miracles. An attempt to answer the theodicy question is also provided in this book, where the author connects new scientific discoveries with ancient religious wisdom. The book concludes with a chapter devoted to innovation and a call for building a better world. This book is a compelling read for scholars, professionals, and curious laymen alike, ready to expand their horizons.
Süßwasser- und Meeresökologie bietet eine umfassende Einführung in die aquatische Ökologie, indem es die Fachgebiete Limnologie und biologische Ozeanographie integriert. Strukturiert wie allgemeine Ökologie-Lehrbücher, entwickelt es den Gegenstand von grundlegenden Einheiten wie Individuen bis hin zu komplexen Ökosystemen und globalen Biogeochemieprozessen. Das Buch hebt sich durch seine ausgewogene Auswahl an Beispielen aus Süßwasser- und Meeresstudien hervor, die Feldbeobachtungen, experimentelle Studien und Modelle umfassen. Es bietet nicht nur Einblicke in aktuelle Forschungsentwicklungen, sondern würdigt auch klassische Studien, die die theoretischen Grundlagen des Fachgebiets gelegt haben. Süßwasser- und Meeresökologie ist somit nicht nur ideal für grundlegende Kurse in biologischer Ozeanographie, Limnologie und Ökologie geeignet, sondern bietet auch fortgeschrittenen Studierenden, Lehrkräften und Wissenschaftlern mit unterschiedlichem Erfahrungshintergrund einen wertvollen Zugang zu den aquatischen Wissenschaften.
This book presents philosophy as a historical series of answers to two questions: the meaning question (what does it all mean?) and the reality question (what is real rather than illusory?). Presenting philosophy as a historical series of answers to these two questions gives a new view of philosophy. It reveals a coherence between the disparate problems of philosophy which is not apparent when philosophy is approached in a systematic and timeless manner. On the basis of this historical approach, the book argues that philosophy was initially concerned primarily with the nature of reality but changed its focus when science was established as a separate discipline in the 17th century. Philosophy’s main concern is now the meaning question with a focus on questions of value as discussed in moral and political philosophy and in aesthetics. This book is essential reading for all scholars and researchers in philosophy and especially those interested in the history of philosophy.
Dieses Buch bietet eine erfrischend neue Perspektive auf existentielle Fragen und setzt die Erkenntnisse moderner Wissenschaft widerspruchsfrei mit traditionellen Weisheiten der Weltreligionen in einen holistischen Kontext. Es entwickelt eine ganzheitliche Weltanschauung, in der Wissenschaft und Religion sich ergänzen und spart dabei auch kontroverse Themen wie die Frage nach dem Bösen in der Welt oder die Vereinbarkeit von Wundern und Naturgesetzen nicht aus. Wir alle werden in eine Welt voller Geheimnisse geboren, die wir nur partiell durchdringen. Wir wissen nicht, woher wir kommen, warum wir leben oder wohin wir gehen. Wir wissen nicht, wie alles begann; wir wissen nicht einmal, was „alles“ wirklich bedeutet. Dabei erfahren wir derzeit eine Ära des raschen Wandels, geprägt von disruptiven Technologien wie künstlicher Intelligenz oder synthetischer Biologie, die die Welt irreversibel verändern. Gleichzeitig breitet sich das trügerische Gefühl aus, alte Weisheiten der Religion wären überholt und traditionelle Werte und Institutionen, die über Jahrtausende bedeutend waren, verlieren ihre Anziehungskraft. Obwohl die Wissenschaft im Laufe der Jahrhunderte beeindruckende Fortschritte erzielt hat, kann sie dennoch die wichtigste Frage des Lebens nicht beantworten – warum leben wir und was sollen wir tun? Der Autor beginnt mit einem Überblick über die Wissenschaft und unser Verständnis des Universums, zeigt Beispiele erfolgreicher wissenschaftlicher Errungenschaften auf und liefert beeindruckende Einblicke in die Grenzen der Wissenschaft. In den nachfolgenden Kapiteln untersucht der Autor Themen wie die Geheimnisse der Quantenmechanik, die Frage nach dem freien Willen, Bewusstsein, Geist und Seele und wagt sich schließlich an eine Erklärung der Koexistenz von Evolution und Schöpfung, die Vereinbarkeit von Naturgesetzen und Wundern und versucht schließlich die Theodizee-Frage zu beantworten, die Frage wie ein guter und allmächtiger Gott all das Böse und Leid in der Welt zulassen kann. In einzigartiger Weise verbindet er neue wissenschaftliche Entdeckungen mit jahrtausendealten religiösen Weisheiten. Er schließt mit einem Kapitel über Innovation und einem Aufruf, gemeinsam eine bessere Welt zu schaffen. Dieses Buch ist eine fesselnde Lektüre für alle die bereit sind sich auf eine faszinierende intellektuelle Reise einzulassen, vermeintliche Gegensätze zu überbrücken und ihren Horizont zu erweitern.
This book is devoted to the art and science of web mining — showing how the world's largest information source can be turned into structured, research-ready data. Drawing on many years of teaching graduate courses on Web Mining and on numerous large-scale research projects in web mining contexts, the author provides clear explanations of key web technologies combined with hands-on R tutorials that work in the real world — and keep working as the web evolves. Through the book, readers will learn how to - scrape static and dynamic/JavaScript-heavy websites - use web APIs for structured data extraction from web sources - build fault-tolerant crawlers and cloud-based scraping pipelines - navigate CAPTCHAs, rate limits, and authentication hurdles - integrate AI-driven tools to speed up every stage of the workflow - apply ethical, legal, and scientific guidelines to their web mining activities Part I explains why web data matters and leads the reader through a first “hello-scrape” in R while introducing HTML, HTTP, and CSS. Part II explores how the modern web works and shows, step by step, how to move from scraping static pages to collecting data from APIs and JavaScript-driven sites. Part III focuses on scaling up: building reliable crawlers, dealing with log-ins and CAPTCHAs, using cloud resources, and adding AI helpers. Part IV looks at ethical, legal, and research standards, offering checklists and case studies, enabling the reader to make responsible choices. Together, these parts give a clear path from small experiments to large-scale projects. This valuable guide is written for a wide readership — from graduate students taking their first steps in data science to seasoned researchers and analysts in economics, social science, business, and public policy. It will be a lasting reference for anyone with an interest in extracting insight from the web — whether working in academia, industry, or the public sector.
The successful combination of a regional building style of sophisticated simplicity with sustainable construction methods has made the architecture of Vorarlberg (Austria) a model for the rest of the world. This book presents particularly successful projects from recent years involving various building types and portrays their development from design idea to built detail. The documented structures by Cukrowicz Nachbaur, Christian Lenz, Oskar Leo Kaufmann + Albert Rüf, Hermann Kaufmann, Dietrich Untertrifaller, Baumschlager Eberle, Marte.Marte, and Martin Rauch place the focus on their energy strategy and formally ambitious construction methods. All of the plans and detail drawings were specially prepared for the book, which makes it easy to compare the projects.
Facades determine the appearance of a building. Thus they have a very important role to play in architecture. At the same time, the building envelope has important functions to fulfill, including lighting, weatherproofing, thermal isolation, load distribution, and sound insulation, to name only the most important. In the last fifteen years, facades have become significantly more complex. For example, "intelligent," climate-active facades use self-regulating systems to respond to changing light and weather conditions.This book demonstrates the principles of facade construction. Guidelines are suggested for good detailing. The installation procedures are described for the most common materials –glass, wood, steel, concrete, and aluminum. Numerous drawings made specially for the book explain the principles of the individual types of facade which are then illustrated with built examples.
Faced with man-made climate change and the need to provide housing for a growing world population, society needs to rethink the way future buildings are made. Wood is a truly renewable building material that is unlimited in supply if its growth and harvest are sustainably managed. Recent technological advancements in engineering allow the use of timber for the construction of multi-story structures, turning our buildings into carbon sinks rather than becoming sources for CO2-emissions.The book presents convincing arguments for the increased use of wood as an alternative to more fossil fuel intensive building materials, with the goal of demonstrating that an integrated approach can have the potential for positive impact on the environment, local economies, and the building culture at large.
Faced with man-made climate change and the need to provide housing for a growing world population, society needs to rethink the way future buildings are made. Wood is a truly renewable building material that is unlimited in supply if its growth and harvest are sustainably managed. Recent technological advancements in engineering allow the use of timber for the construction of multi-story structures, turning our buildings into carbon sinks rather than becoming sources for CO2-emissions.The book presents convincing arguments for the increased use of wood as an alternative to more fossil fuel intensive building materials, with the goal of demonstrating that an integrated approach can have the potential for positive impact on the environment, local economies, and the building culture at large.
Architecture does not consist of two-dimensional drawings – it is built space. The volume Basics Spatial Design focuses on what underlies the perception and design of space and helps to create a deep understanding of the conscious design of three-dimensional relationships. It presents possibilities for spatial design clearly and in a manner that is easily adaptable for one’s own work. Topics: What is space? How do I perceive space? Design parameters – elements of space Repertoire – using the tools
Prof. Dr. iur. Ulrich Meyer, F rsprecher, wurde 1986 als Bundesrichter ans Eidgen ssische Versicherungsgericht gew hlt und geh rte dem Bundesgericht w hrend fast 34 Jahren an. Zum Ende seiner Justizkarriere war er von 2013 bis 2016 dessen Vizepr sident und von 2017 bis 2020 dessen Pr sident. Die letztere Funktion hatte er als erster Vertreter des Bundesgerichtsstandorts Luzern inne, was sich auch im Titel des Bandes widerspiegelt. Aus Anlass des 70. Geburtstags von Prof. Meyer sind im vorliegenden Band Beitr ge von, mit und auch ber ihn zusammengestellt, die nicht nur sein fortdauerndes wissenschaftliches Wirken dokumentieren, sondern auch vertiefte Einblicke in die richterliche T tigkeit sowie die justizpolitischen Entwicklungen des vergangenen Jahrzehnts vermitteln. Es geht einerseits um grundlegende Tendenzen im Sozialversicherungsrecht, dem Stammgebiet des Geehrten, anderseits um die Auseinandersetzung mit den Funktionen der Justiz im modernen Rechtsstaat. Zudem finden sich pers nlich gef rbte Betrachtungen ber die langj hrige T tigkeit am obersten Gericht.
Prof. Dr. iur. Ulrich Meyer, F rsprecher, wurde 1986 als Bundesrichter ans Eidgen ssische Versicherungsgericht gew hlt und geh rte dem Bundesgericht w hrend fast 34 Jahren an. Zum Ende seiner Justizkarriere war er von 2013 bis 2016 dessen Vizepr sident und von 2017 bis 2020 dessen Pr sident. Die letztere Funktion hatte er als erster Vertreter des Bundesgerichtsstandorts Luzern inne, was sich auch im Titel des Bandes widerspiegelt. Aus Anlass des 70. Geburtstags von Prof. Meyer sind im vorliegenden Band Beitr ge von, mit und auch ber ihn zusammengestellt, die nicht nur sein fortdauerndes wissenschaftliches Wirken dokumentieren, sondern auch vertiefte Einblicke in die richterliche T tigkeit sowie die justizpolitischen Entwicklungen des vergangenen Jahrzehnts vermitteln. Es geht einerseits um grundlegende Tendenzen im Sozialversicherungsrecht, dem Stammgebiet des Geehrten, anderseits um die Auseinandersetzung mit den Funktionen der Justiz im modernen Rechtsstaat. Zudem finden sich pers nlich gef rbte Betrachtungen ber die langj hrige T tigkeit am obersten Gericht.
Introduction to building façades as revised editionFaçades determine the appearance of a building. Hence, they constitute a major element in architecture. At the same time, the building’s envelope has important functions to fulfil, such as lighting, weatherproofing, thermal insulation, load transfer and sound insulation. Over the past 15 years, façades have become increasingly complex – ‘intelligent’ facades, for instance, adapt to changing climate and lighting conditions. Newly developed materials and technologies have broadened the scope of façade functions. This book demonstrates the principles of façade construction. It systematically describes the most common types, such as post-and-beam façade, curtain wall, corridor façade or double façade, and provides guidelines for appropriate detailing. Numerous drawings made especially for the book explain the principles of different types of facades, which are then illustrated with built examples. For this second edition, all chapters were revised and all four examples in the case studies chapter were replaced by new material. The new chapter “Future Façades” offers insights into what’s next.
Façades determine the appearance of a building. Hence, they constitute a major element in architecture. At the same time, the building’s envelope has important functions to fulfil, such as lighting, weatherproofing, thermal insulation, load transfer and sound insulation. Over the past 15 years, façades have become increasingly complex – ‘intelligent’ facades, for instance, adapt to changing climate and lighting conditions. Newly developed materials and technologies have broadened the scope of façade functions. This book demonstrates the principles of façade construction. It systematically describes the most common types, such as post-and-beam façade, curtain wall, corridor façade or double façade, and provides guidelines for appropriate detailing. Numerous drawings made especially for the book explain the principles of different types of facades, which are then illustrated with built examples. For this second edition, all chapters were revised and all four examples in the case studies chapter were replaced by new material. The new chapter “Future Facades” offers insights into what’s next.
