Open Access Books

Here, for the first time in English, is Georges Cuvier’s extraordinary “History of the Natural Sciences from Its Origin to the Present Day.” Based on a series of public lectures presented by Cuvier from 1829 to 1832, this first of a five-volume series, translated from the original French and heavily annotated with commentary, is a detailed chronological survey of the natural sciences spanning more than three millennia. It is truly astonishing in its detail and scope. Cuvier was fluent in many languages, English, German, Spanish, and certainly Latin, in addition to French. He was therefore well prepared to investigate and interpret firsthand the scientific literature of Europe as a whole. The work is an affirmation of Cuvier’s vast encyclopedic knowledge, his complete command of the scientific and historical literature, and his incomparable memory. This history is remarkable also for providing in one place a large set of useful references to a vast ancient literature that is not easily found anywhere else. This huge body of information provides us furthermore with unique insight into Cuvier’s concept of the natural sciences, and to the vast breadth and progress of this human endeavor. With this work, Cuvier fills an important gap in philosophical thought between the time of Carl Linnaeus and Charles Darwin.

The Department of Defense has long played a major role in humanitarian assistance/disaster response (HA/DR) operations due to its unique capabilities, manpower, and forward-deployed resources. The Asia-Pacific region is of particular importance because it bears the brunt of the majority of the world’s natural disasters and is home to key U.S. allies. In an effort to improve the effectiveness of such operations, this report analyzes recent HA/DR operations in Burma, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Japan, and identifies lessons that can be applied in the future.

Motor functions such as muscle strength and joint range of motion as well as somatosensory functions that enable a person to interpret bodily sensation are necessary and important for physical activity and exercise. Somatosensory and Motor Research is divided into three sections: “Somatosensory Research,” “Motor Research,” and “Relationship between Somatosensory and Motor Research.” Written by researchers and experts in the field, chapters in this volume address basic anatomy and physiology, treatment of sensory disorders, motor function, and somatic sensations. This book contributes to the understanding of both motor nerve and sensory nerve function and their involvement in the acquisition of movement.

The exhibition Venezia and Suzhou. Water Cities along the Silk Roads explores the past, present and future of two water cities such as Venice and Suzhou, whose territory is the result of an artificial balance between nature and human ambition. As part of the Silk Roads, the two cities demonstrate the importance of waterways in connecting peoples and cultures. The exhibition takes place in Virtual Tour mode, as a new proposal for the enhancement of temporary exhibitions, an interdisciplinary platform to encourage a global dialogue on the historical, cultural and economic exchanges between water cities along the maritime silk routes in the Afro-Eurasian continent.

This SI reprint comprehensively explores the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, addressing various facets, from treatment protocols to global health implications. This 30-article reprint reflects the breadth and depth of the medical community's response to this unprecedented health crisis. Each article brings a unique perspective, contributing to a multifaceted understanding of the pandemic. Topics range from innovative therapeutics and vaccine development to the impact of COVID-19 on different patient populations and healthcare systems globally. This SI includes research articles, reviews, and communications that highlight the rapid advancements in understanding and managing COVID-19 and the challenges faced by healthcare professionals and researchers. One of the notable features of this SI is its focus on the evolving nature of the disease and responses to it. Articles discuss the efficacy of various treatment methods against emerging virus variants, providing crucial insights for ongoing and future pandemic preparedness. This SI also sheds light on the real-world experiences of healthcare providers, patients, and policymakers, offering a holistic view of the pandemic's impact. It is an essential resource for healthcare professionals, researchers, and policymakers. It underscores the importance of high-quality, rapid research in response to global health emergencies and fosters a collaborative approach to overcoming the challenges posed by COVID-19. These articles contribute to the current understanding of the pandemic and lay a foundation for future research and response strategies in the face of similar global health threats.

This book covers the recent development and progress of the wind energy conversion system. The chapters are contributed by prominent researchers in the field of wind energy and cover grid integration issues, modern control theories applied in wind energy conversion system, and dynamic and transient stability studies. Modeling and control strategies of different variable speed wind generators such as switched reluctance generator, permanent magnet synchronous generator, doubly-fed induction generator, including the suitable power electronic converter topologies for grid integration, are discussed. Real time control study of wind farm using Real Time Digital Simulator (RTDS) is also included in the book, along with Fault ride through, street light application, integrated power flow solutions, direct power control, wireless coded deadbeat power control, and other interesting topics.

This book gathers pioneering experiences based on the same concept: innovation. According to Schumpeter's research, there would be four types of innovations: product or service innovation (market introduction of a new type of good), process innovation (introduction of a new type of production), market innovation (introduction of a new market in a country or a new market structure), and innovation of matter (introduction of a new raw material). This book contains ten chapters organized in four main sections: (a) "Strategic Issues," (b) "Risk Management in Innovative Projects," (c) "Economic Issues and Financing Innovation," and (d) "Leadership and Teamwork."

Published

The aim of the text is to present Poland's influence on the European Neighborhood Policy in 2002-2009, when Poland submitted two initiatives concerning this issue. Polish diplomacy also actively participated in discussions on other Neighborhood Policy projects presented and on the direction that the European Union should take in its implementation. At the same time, Poland favored the area of Eastern Europe, which has been one of the main areas of interest of Polish foreign policy for centuries. Its stabilization shapes the Polish national interest not only because of its close proximity, but also because of the imperial policy of the Russian Federation, which is invariably perceived in Poland as the main threat. The analysis of the collected materials showed that the initiatives proposed by the Polish diplomacy were implemented by the European Union, which in the period 2002-2009 led the European Neighborhood Policy to Eastern Europe.

Gesture recognition (GR) aims to interpret human gestures, having an impact on a number of different application fields. This Special Issue is devoted to describing and examining up-to-date technologies to measure gestures, algorithms to interpret data, and applications related to GR. These technologies involve camera-based systems (e.g., ground truth system, GTS; Azura Kinect), wearable sensors (e.g., inertial measurement units, IMUs; micro electro-mechanical systems, MEMS; angular displacement sensors, ADS; resistive flex sensors, RFSs), electromagnetic field measurements (e.g., leap motion sensor), acoustic-based inputs (e.g., microphone, stethoscope), radar systems (e.g., continuous wave), and tactile sensors (e.g., pressure sensitive transistors). Data interpretations are detailed by means of classifiers (e.g., neural networks, NN; convolutional neural network, CNN; hidden Markov models, HMM; and k-nearest neighbors, kNN). The applications are for medical purposes (e.g., to provide physiotherapy solutions, to assess Parkinson’s disease, and to electrocardiogram detection), for social inclusion (e.g., sign language recognition: British, American, and Italian ones), for sport activity scoring (e.g., taekwondo), for machine interaction (e.g., to control a holographic display), and for safety purposes (e.g., to drowsiness recognition). This Special Issue is addressed to all the researchers, professionals, and designers interested in GR and to all the users driven by curiosity and passion. The Guest Editors would like to acknowledge and express their gratitude to all of the authors involved.

Otto Jespersen's landmark study of negation provides a wide-ranging analysis of how languages express negative meaning. Drawing on an impressive array of historical texts and comparative examples, primarily from Germanic and Romance languages, Jespersen examines the forms, functions, and historical development of negative expressions. The work traces the evolution of negative markers, analyzes how negative prefixes modify word meanings, and reveals coherent patterns in how languages structure negative expressions.Through meticulous analysis of authentic examples, Jespersen documents both common patterns and language-specific variations in negative expressions. His treatment of topics such as double negation, the distinction between special and nexal negation, and the various forms of negative particles provides a methodical account of negation's complexity. The work's enduring importance stems not only from its analysis of the cyclical renewal of negative markers (later termed “Jespersen's Cycle”) but from its comprehensive scope and detailed examination of negative expressions across multiple languages and historical periods.This new critical edition makes this classic work accessible to modern readers while preserving its scholarly depth. The text has been completely re-typeset, with examples presented in contemporary numbered format and non-English examples given Leipzig-style glosses. A new introduction contextualizes Jespersen's achievement and demonstrates its continued significance for current linguistic research.

Klavier plus Streichquartett. Im vierstelligen Bereich sind Werke bekannt. In mittlerer dreistelliger Zahl als Tonaufnahme zugänglich. Über 200 Jahre kontinuierliche Produktion. Bis heute. Und doch fehlt das Genre weitgehend in den Leitmedien Klassischer Musik. In den meinungsführenden Feuilletons und Musikgeschichtswerken. Und in den Programmen der prestigeträchtigen Rundfunksender und Labels, Konzertsäle, Festivals und Ensembles. Bis auf die Handvoll Werke berühmter Komponisten, von Schumann über Brahms bis Schostakowitsch. Frédéric Döhl präsentiert ein Nachdenken über Musikgeschichtsschreibung in Zeiten der Digital Humanities – und über die Rolle des eigenen ästhetischen Erlebens dabei.

Trotz des immensen Beitrags, den das Werk des Soziologen Max Webers zum Verstehen moderner Individualität unter den Bedingungen gesellschaftlicher Rationalisierung geleistet hat, wurde sein Verhältnis zur Nachbardisziplin Psychologie bisher wenig beleuchtet. Die Erträge von Webers Auseinandersetzung mit den affektiven, irrationalen und idiosynkratischen Kehrseiten des Zivilisationsprozesses stehen im Mittelpunkt dieses Bandes. Die hier zusammengefassten Aufsätze loten diese Position aus, indem sie Webers Rezeption der Psychologie seiner Zeit untersuchen, seine eigene Theorie des psychologischen Verstehens rekonstruieren, die biographische Dimension des depressiven Leidens an der Rationalisierung in Webers Leben und Krankheit ergründen und schließlich auch die Erträge einsammeln, die sich aus Webers Theorie des psychologischen Verstehens für Berufspraxis und Forschungsmethodik psychiatrischen, psychotherapeutischen und psychoanalytischen Handelns gewinnen lassen. Despite the tremendous contribution the sociologist Max Weber’s made on the understanding of modern individuality under the conditions of social rationalisation, his relationship with the neighbouring discipline psychology has poorly been highlighted. This volume focuses on Weber’s debate with the affective, irrational and idiosyncratic flip side of the civilisation process. The essays included, analyse Weber’s reception of the psychology of his time, reconstruct his own theory of psychological understanding, discuss the biographic dimension of his depressive crisis with the rationalisation in Weber’s life and sickness, and eventually summarise the influence of Weber’s theory of psychological understanding for professional practice and research methods as well as psychiatric psychotherapeutic and psychoanalytic handling.

Anton Lange (1861-1929) gehörte zu den interessanteren Persönlichkeiten in der Lyrikerplejade des polnischen Modernismus, wie T.Weiss aus dem zeitlichen Abstand von nunmehr fast einem Jahrhundert feststellt. Er war ein ungewöhnlich vielseitiges Talent, ein fast renaissancehaftes Geistesphanomen. Die Richtigkeit dieser Urteile zu untermauern, soll - quasi en passant - eines der Anliegen dieser Arbeit sein.

Acts of Gaiety explores the mirthful modes of political performance by LGBT artists, activists, and collectives that have inspired and sustained deadly serious struggles for revolutionary change. The book explores antics such as camp, kitsch, drag, guerrilla theater, zap actions, rallies, manifestos, pageants, and parades alongside more familiar forms of "legitimate theater." Against queer theory's long-suffering romance with mourning and melancholia and a national agenda that urges homosexuals to renounce pleasure if they want to be taken seriously by mainstream society, Acts of Gaiety seeks to reanimate notions of "gaiety" as a political value for LGBT activism.