Richard T. Gray, About Face. German Physiognomic Thought from Lavater to Auschwitz. 2004

Die Geschichte der Physiognomik und ihrer vielfältigen und weitreichenden Einflüsse beziehungsweise Reflexe in der Kultur der Moderne seit dem ausgehenden 18. Jahrhundert haben sich in den letzten 15 Jahren eines regen Forschungsinteresses erfreut. Vor allem kulturanthropologische, aber auch wissenschaftsgeschichtliche Studien haben physiognomische Praxis und Denken als mit grundlegenden Strukturen westlicher Kultur verbunden erwiesen. Dies gilt sowohl für Sammelbände, die eher literaturwissenschaftlich ausgerichtet sind, als auch für solche, die dezidiert einen allgemeineren kulturwissenschaftlichen Fokus aufweisen beziehungsweise sich den Verflechtungen mit den Wissenschaften verschrieben haben. In dieses detailliert und gut erschlossene Forschungsfeld hat sich Richard T. Gray mit seiner umfangreichen Studie begeben, welche die Reihe der prominenten Arbeiten aus dem angloamerikanischen Raum zur Problematik der Physiognomik fortsetzt. Gray umreißt dabei mit seiner Monographie zeitlich fast vollständig den Bereich der modernen Physiognomik, indem er ihren Weg im "German Physiognomic Thought from Lavater to Auschwitz" beschreibt. Ihn leitet das spezifische Interesse an der Frage, "why physiognomic theory enjoyed such uncommon vitality in the sociocultural and intellectual atmosphere of modern Germany in particular" (S. XIX). Dabei erkennt er die strategische Funktion der Physiognomik in ihrer Eignung als angewandte Hermeneutik, also als spezifische interpretative Praxis im Dienste von Nationalismus und Rassismus (S. XXII

Snapshot Semantics for Temporal Multiset Relations (Extended Version)

Snapshot semantics is widely used for evaluating queries over temporal data: temporal relations are seen as sequences of snapshot relations, and queries are evaluated at each snapshot. In this work, we demonstrate that current approaches for snapshot semantics over interval-timestamped multiset relations are subject to two bugs regarding snapshot aggregation and bag difference. We introduce a novel temporal data model based on K-relations that overcomes these bugs and prove it to correctly encode snapshot semantics. Furthermore, we present an efficient implementation of our model as a database middleware and demonstrate experimentally that our approach is competitive with native implementations and significantly outperforms such implementations on queries that involve aggregation.Comment: extended version of PVLDB pape

Leveraging range joins for the computation of overlap joins

Joins are essential and potentially expensive operations in database management systems. When data is associated with time periods, joins commonly include predicates that require pairs of argument tuples to overlap in order to qualify for the result. Our goal is to enable built-in systems support for such joins. In particular, we present an approach where overlap joins are formulated as unions of range joins, which are more general purpose joins compared to overlap joins, i.e., are useful in their own right, and are supported well by B+-trees. The approach is sufficiently flexible that it also supports joins with additional equality predicates, as well as open, closed, and half-open time periods over discrete and continuous domains, thus offering both generality and simplicity, which is important in a system setting. We provide both a stand-alone solution that performs on par with the state-of-the-art and a DBMS embedded solution that is able to exploit standard indexing and clearly outperforms existing DBMS solutions that depend on specialized indexing techniques. We offer both analytical and empirical evaluations of the proposals. The empirical study includes comparisons with pertinent existing proposals and offers detailed insight into the performance characteristics of the proposals

Leveraging range joins for the computation of overlap joins

Joins are essential and potentially expensive operations in database management systems. When data is associated with time periods, joins commonly include predicates that require pairs of argument tuples to overlap in order to qualify for the result. Our goal is to enable built-in systems support for such joins. In particular, we present an approach where overlap joins are formulated as unions of range joins, which are more general purpose joins compared to overlap joins, i.e., are useful in their own right, and are supported well by B+-trees. The approach is sufficiently flexible that it also supports joins with additional equality predicates, as well as open, closed, and half-open time periods over discrete and continuous domains, thus offering both generality and simplicity, which is important in a system setting. We provide both a stand-alone solution that performs on par with the state-of-the-art and a DBMS embedded solution that is able to exploit standard indexing and clearly outperforms existing DBMS solutions that depend on specialized indexing techniques. We offer both analytical and empirical evaluations of the proposals. The empirical study includes comparisons with pertinent existing proposals and offers detailed insight into the performance characteristics of the proposals

A new framework for high-resolution pedestrian data processing using rule-based algorithms and real-time alarm systems

Pedestrian flows and densities have increased in recent years within transport-related public facilities such as train stations, as well as in private buildings such as shopping centers, event halls or convention centers. Increasing flows and high densities often raise comfort, safety, operational and delay issues; and therefore, require pedestrian flow optimization, intervention or even revised regulation. Recent technological advances enhanced pedestrian sensing; however, they disregard adaptive data capture, processing, and strategic communication within reasonable time, or real-time, such as tactic occupancy or density alarms trigger rules. Content of this research is twofold. First, new data capturing and processing advances of recent technological developments are combined in an integral software and hardware-based framework. Second, applied methods highlight projects and experiences on both pedestrian research and on existing and operating pedestrian facilities. Based on the described, two-sided approach, proposed framework is able to fulfil high safety and comfort standards of facilities such as train stations, retail facilities or event halls. In this research, past semi-automatic video analysis processing of pedestrian behavioral studies is replaced with combined sensor and data processing system within proposed framework. In train stations of major operators, real-time pedestrian observation increases safety levels on station platforms. Tactic algorithms and alarm trigger schemes enable on-time surveillance, e.g. at overcrowded floor levels in shopping centers for escalator or door closure. Sensor data is used to train models for underpass pedestrian flow regarding path choice and fundamental diagram. In retail, queue length, trajectory analysis and floor occupancy are determined for economic, comfort as well as safety evaluation. Using trajectory classification, movement and dwell time is analyzed for staff and visitors separately (see Figure 1)

Topological Phases: An Expedition off Lattice

Motivated by the goal to give the simplest possible microscopic foundation for a broad class of topological phases, we study quantum mechanical lattice models where the topology of the lattice is one of the dynamical variables. However, a fluctuating geometry can remove the separation between the system size and the range of local interactions, which is important for topological protection and ultimately the stability of a topological phase. In particular, it can open the door to a pathology, which has been studied in the context of quantum gravity and goes by the name of `baby universe', Here we discuss three distinct approaches to suppressing these pathological fluctuations. We complement this discussion by applying Cheeger's theory relating the geometry of manifolds to their vibrational modes to study the spectra of Hamiltonians. In particular, we present a detailed study of the statistical properties of loop gas and string net models on fluctuating lattices, both analytically and numerically.Comment: 38 pages, 22 figure

Self-reported sexual health: breast cancer survivors compared to women from the general population - an observational study

BACKGROUND: Cancer survivorship is of increasing importance in post-treatment care. Sexual health (SH) and femininity can be crucial issues for women surviving cancer. We aimed to determine a more complete understanding of the contribution that a breast cancer (BC) diagnosis and its treatment exert on patients' follow-up SH. For this purpose, self-reported levels and predictors of SH in breast cancer survivors (BCS) were compared with those of women with no previous or current BC (WNBC). METHODS: BCS and WNBC underwent a comprehensive, cross-sectional patient-reported outcome (PRO) assessment. Validated PRO instruments were used to measure SH, body image, anxiety and depression and menopausal symptoms. Assessments were performed within the routine clinical setting. Instruments used were the Sexual Interest and Desire Inventory - Female, Sexual Activity Questionnaire, Body Image Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire. RESULTS: One hundred five BCS (average time since diagnosis of 3 years) and 97 WNBC with a mean age of 49 years completed the assessment. SH was significantly worse in BCS compared to WNBC (p = 0.005; BCS SIDI-F mean = 24.9 vs. WNBC mean = 29.8). 68.8% of BCS and 58.8% of WNBC met criteria of a hypo-active sexual desire disorder. Higher depressive symptoms, higher age and lower partnership satisfaction were predictive for poorer SH in BCS. CONCLUSION: SH problems are apparent in BCS and differ significantly from those seen in the general population. Consequently, BC survivorship care should include interventions to ameliorate sexual dysfunction and provide help with depressive symptoms and partnership problems, which are associated with poor BCS SH