Open Access Books

In the second half of the twentieth century, studies in Chinese painting history have been greatly aided by several major lists of Chinese artists and their works. Published between 1956 and 1980, these lists were limited to Imperial China. The current index covers the period from 1912 to around 1980. It includes the names of approximately 3,500 traditional-style artists along with lists of their works, reproduced in some 264 monographs, books, journals, and catalogs published from the 1920s to around 1980. With a few exceptions, artists working after 1949 outside continental China are excluded. Revised Edition, 1998; first published by the Asian Studies Program, University of Oregon, 1984.

The text concerns the possibilities to employ the auto/biographical approach in research on education. The researcher’s personal biography may not only define the perspective for scholarly cognition but also become the research object itself. The author ponders about how to mark and place the biography of the cognitive subject in the research process. The presented text is an attempt to answer this question and find a methodological justification for such research practices. In order to achieve that the author describes selected approaches: the biographical and ethnographic approach as well as action research, which allow incorporating the researcher’s “self” in their research. The author then proposes some methods for researchers to write about themselves which give them the ability to present their own autobiographical account.

This Reprint brings together selected research articles from the Special Issue “Cutting-Edge Concepts in Knee Surgery” published in Medicina. It covers a broad range of contemporary topics in knee surgery, including joint preservation, ligament reconstruction, meniscal repair, and arthroplasty. The contributions address both technical and clinical dimensions of knee surgery, integrating biomechanical principles with patient-related factors and clinical outcomes. By presenting these perspectives together, the Reprint provides a balanced and clinically relevant overview of current approaches to knee interventions. This volume is intended as a practical reference for orthopedic surgeons and sports medicine specialists seeking evidence-based insights into modern knee surgery.

Some marine propulsion systems are based on thermal machines that operate under the diesel cycle. Their main advantages, compared to other propulsion systems based on thermal machines, are low specific fuel consumption and greater thermal efficiency. However, their main disadvantages lie in the emissions produced by combustion, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfur oxide (SOx), and nitrogen oxide (NOx). Over the last decade, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted a series of regulations to reduce these emissions based on the introduction of several energy efficiency designs and operational indicators. In this context, this book focuses on the design and operation efficiency of ships through an analysis of the main propulsion systems. It discusses the use of alternative fuels as well as the integration of hybrid and fully electric propulsion systems.

Epidural analgesia is a form of pain relief administered through the space surrounding the dural sheath either by direct injection or via catheter. The agent, when administered, can cause both a loss of sensation (anesthesia) and a loss of pain (analgesia), by reversibly interrupting the transmission of signals through nerves in or near the spinal cord. This form of pain relief has been found useful in many clinical situations. This book intends to provide an in-depth review of the current knowledge on epidural analgesia. The use of this form of analgesia is explored by contributors from different perspectives, including labor and delivery, postoperative analgesia in both pediatric and geriatric patients, and its role during anesthesia and surgery. In order to provide a balanced medical view this book was edited by an obstetric anesthesiologist.

Swiss citizens approve of their government and the way democracy is practiced; they trust the authorities and are satisfied with the range of services Swiss governments provide. This is quite unusual when compared to other countries. This open access book provides insight into the organization and the functioning of the Swiss state. It claims that, beyond politics, institutions and public administration, there are other factors which make a country successful. The authors argue that Switzerland is an interesting case, from a theoretical, scientific and a more practice-oriented perspective. While confronted with the same challenges as other countries, Switzerland offers different solutions, some of which work astonishingly well.

The chronic occurrence of toxic pollutants in water, such as heavy metals, dyes, pesticides, and organic contaminants, is a significant environmental concern due to their persistence, toxicity, and potential risks to humans and ecosystems. The presence of these toxic pollutants in industrial effluents is a problem for various industries, such as textiles, leather and tanning, plastics, printing, pharmaceuticals, batteries, and agrochemicals. This Reprint on “Toxic Pollutants in Water; Health Risk Assessment and Removal” explores and advances the understanding of toxic pollutant contamination in water environments while focusing on effective assessment techniques and innovative approaches for remediation and removal to safeguard ecological health. This Reprint collates multidisciplinary research and consolidates knowledge and expertise from diverse fields, covering the synthesis and characterization of environmental composites/nanoparticles for toxic pollutant removal and other pollutant removal and water treatment techniques. Removal technologies covered in this Reprint include adsorption, desalination, catalytic reduction, advanced oxidation, and bioremediation. This Reprint consists of ten chapters that cover a range of topics related to toxic substance contamination in water, the assessment and fate of these toxic substances, and their health risk assessment.

Parti pour faire fortune, mais contraint par les circonstances de s’adapter aux modes de vie de diverses contrées étrangères, Gulliver semble y retrouver toujours, d’une façon ou d’une autre, les problèmes qui se posaient déjà dans les mères patries qu’il a laissées derrière lui : l’Angleterre où il est né ; l’Irlande où vit son géniteur spirituel ; l’Europe, qui fait l’objet des critiques du narrateur aux multiples visages. Cependant, le lecteur se rend très vite compte que si le navigateur-...

Dominant representations depict outdoor markets in Switzerland and beyond as typically local. Not only are they presented and promoted by different actors as being local in terms of the products sold on a market day, but also the traders are imagined as being locals. Applying a ‘mobility lens’, this chapter looks at marketplaces at the intersections of mobile traders, performance of local anchorage and mobilization of transnational networks. Starting from fieldwork on two markets in Switzerland, this chapter explores how the local character of outdoor markets is produced by different market participants such as customers, farmers, vendors and local authorities. We delve into the different meanings of ‘local’ and show that locality is entwined with mobility and transnationality. We illustrate that mobility, transnationality and nationalism play a crucial role for the economic success of markets and suggest that vendors are embedded in a global identity politics. Thus, we argue that markets can be analysed as expressions of national forms of identification.

Jesuit missions in coastal and South India were among the first foundations of the Society of Jesus in the world. They represented models of apostolic action imitated, debated and reformulated in other parts of the world. This book traces the history of the Jesuit missionary activities in the early modern period and shows how the Jesuits navigated European colonial interests and local conversion to Christianity through proselytizing and accommodation. Jesuit missionary efforts were pragmatically divided between disciplining Portuguese and, later on, French colonial communities and attracting converts living among regional polities under Muslim and Hindu rulers.

Identifying discursive features of hate speech is a complex process which could be affected by digital practices. On the one hand, it is relatively easy to analyse what we have called “discours de haine directe” (direct hate speech) which relies on three concomitant conditions: the pathemic discursive dimension, the negation of otherness and judgement speech acts (provocation, offence, threat…). But the “discours de haine dissimulée” (covert hate speech) is to be viewed from the perspective of the role played by power relations and ideologies in determining hate speech through rhetorical figures such as argument ad hominem, indirect speech acts (blame, contempt, guilt…) and the concepts of preserved ethos and “discursive memory”. In this sense, data analyses also involve a critical argumentative and sociolinguistic approach to discourse. Hate speech resorts to numerous rhetorical features that need to be clarified. Based on current events, explored through argumentative or discursive analyses that illustrate the theoretical propositions developed, this book presents concepts linked to the diversity of hate speech. Among other notions, let us mention: performativity, the figure of the enemy, disqualification, gender-bias, the “fascist-sphere” or prevention. The papers, which are relatively short and echo each other, offer an insight into what is at work within hate or radicalization speech.

Energy transformation significantly redefines the business models of enterprises in the energy sector, putting difficult decisions before them in terms of both strategy and operationalization. This shift aligns with climate protection policies, Industry 4.0 principles, and advanced technologies like artificial intelligence, blockchain, and IoT. The technological revolution is set to significantly alter lifestyles and business operations in energy production, supply, and distribution. This revolution demands that managers equip their companies and staff for upcoming challenges, emphasizing customer relations, networking, eco-development, and energy efficiency. In addition, companies from the energy sector are particularly susceptible to macroeconomic and environmental factors, such as government regulations, fluctuations in demand, price pressure on commodity exchanges, and measures to prevent global warming and engage in the creation of renewable energy. Furthermore, the situation related to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has forced many companies to rethink their actions. However, some recorded a significant slowdown in technology implementation and research and development. We do not know whether the long-term effect will influence the energy paradigm. This work aims to create new theoretical and empirical works on changes to energy sector management, including new business models and the use of Industry 4.0 technology, and their impact on organizations, digitization, companies’ energy self-sufficiency, and investments supporting the so-called green economy.

Focusing on navigation, port design, and security, this collection of research papers comprehensively examines the latest advances and challenges in the maritime industry. As the maritime sector evolves with the introduction of larger vessels and advanced technologies, this book addresses critical topics such as navigational safety, efficient port logistics, and the integration of cybersecurity measures. Topics covered include real-time simulation methods for ship maneuvers, the impact of environmental factors on navigation, and the role of human factors in maritime decision-making. By summarizing the results of various studies, this book provides valuable insights for marine engineers, naval architects, maritime safety professionals, and researchers. Intended for both academic discourse and practical application, this collection is an important resource for anyone working in the maritime field. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a newcomer to the industry, the research presented here will deepen your understanding of the complexities and opportunities of maritime operations, while keeping the reader informed of current developments and requirements, the most challenging development being the increasing role of the industry in adjusting to the ever expanding sizes of vessels, which adds to the challenge of maintaining safety in virtually all topics of research into the industry.

In diesem Open-Access-Buch werden die politischen Ziele der Ambulantisierung und der sektorengleichen Vergütung den aktuellen Herausforderungen in der Chirurgie gegenübergestellt. Die unzureichend an die steigenden Kosten angepasste Vergütung spiegelt sich in einem signifikanten Rückgang des Reinertrags chirurgischer Einzelpraxen wider. Als Folge sinkt die Zahl ambulanter Operationen (AOPs). Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Studie zeigen, dass die Besondere Versorgung den Herausforderungen begegnen, die Ergebnisqualität verbessern und Sektorengrenzen aufbrechen sowie die Ambulantisierung bei geringerer Einflussnahme auf medizinische Entscheidungen und deutlich höherer Vergütung ausbauen kann. Als Handlungsempfehlung resultiert ein Ersatz der auf Soll-Werten basierenden Einzelleistungsvergütungen durch modifizierte Hybrid-DRGs mit regelmäßig aufwandsorientierten Vergütungsanpassungen für Krankenhäuser und Vertragsärzte mit/ohne Krankenhausanbindung. Findet eine Umsetzung in der Regelversorgung nicht statt und bestehen weiterhin keine finanziellen Anreize, können laufende Projekte der Besonderen Versorgung weiter ausgebaut werden.