158 research outputs found
Taming the torrent: changes in flood protection at the GĂŒrbe River (Switzerland) from the nineteenth century until today.
This paper analyses the flood protection history of the GĂŒrbe River (Switzerland), a 29-km-long tributary of the Aare River. The upper reach of the river has the character of a mountain torrent and an exceptionally difficult flooding situation. For centuries, riparian communities were only able to take small protective measures. In the mid-nineteenth century, the flood protection strategy changed: between 1855 and 1881, the GĂŒrbe River was channelised and stabilised by a torrent control system. Although the situation improved, flood damage could not be prevented as intended. Therefore, dozens of consecutive projects were implemented-without interruption until today. This paper examines why small watercourses are useful case studies, which protection measures were taken at the GĂŒrbe River, how they corresponded to the prevailing flood protection philosophy, whether they were linked to floods and how flood protection influenced land use. The GĂŒrbe regulation, its consecutive projects and the connected drainages had far-reaching effects: They allowed an intensive agricultural use of the valley floor, the construction of roads, a railway, and new settlements. Consequently, the social and economic pressure on the hazard area increased steadily over the decades. It created a vicious circle: the more that protective structures were built, the more important and profitable flood prevention became, and the more structures were raised. A reevaluation finally took place in the late twentieth century, based on increasing environmental awareness, and fostered by a catastrophic flood. However, the implementation of new projects proved to be difficult due to conflicting interests
Einsatz von Drohnen zur Beurteilung von LebensrÀumen auf der Alp Muotselvas
Zum Erhalt und Förderung der BiodiversitĂ€t und des Schweizer Naturkapitals werden BiodiversitĂ€tsförderflĂ€chen (BFF) in Sömmerungsgebieten inventarisiert und regelmĂ€ssig kontrolliert. Diese Arbeit versucht am Beispiel der Alp Muotselvas zu prĂŒfen, ob mit dem Einsatz von Drohnen LebensrĂ€ume abgegrenzt werden können. Zudem stellt sich die Frage, ob jeder dieser LebensrĂ€ume ein spezifisches Farbspektrum aufweist. Das Untersuchungsgebiet befindet sich im Val Fex im schweizerischen Oberengadin, betrĂ€gt ungefĂ€hr 46ha und liegt ca. zwischen 2100 und 2400 m.ĂŒ.M.. Ein RGB (rot, grĂŒn, blau) sowie ein multispektraler (Nahinfrarot) Sensor wurden auf eine Sensefly eBee plus Drohne montiert. Anhand der Methode âStructure from Motionâ aus der Luftbildphotogrammetrie wurden in Pix4D Orthomosaike, Höhenmodelle und Reflektionskarten erstellt. Eine ĂŒberwachte, Objekt-basierte Bildklassifizierung mit dem Algorithmus âSupport Vector Machineâ generiert in ArcGIS Pro eine thematische Lebensraumkarte. Der RGB Datensatz eignete sich wegen besserer Bildauflösung fĂŒr die Erstellung einer Lebensraumkarte sowie die Ermittlung der produktiven WeideflĂ€chen mit futterwert besser als der multispektrale. Die Extraktion des Höhenmodells und der Vegetationsindizes (NDVI, ExG) haben die Ergebnisse allgemein wesentlich verbessert. Ein spezifisches Spektralprofil der LebensrĂ€ume konnte mit dieser Methode nicht ermittelt werden. WĂ€hrend der Einsatz von Drohnen bei der Erfassung und Kontrolle der BFF hilfreich ist, blieb eine initiale, ausfĂŒhrliche terrestrische Begehung dennoch notwendig. Multispektrale und hyperspektrale Sensoren sind ein vielversprechendes Mittel zur Untersuchung von LebensrĂ€umen und die Verbreitung von
Arten. Ihr Drohnen-gestĂŒtzter Einsatz sollte weiterhin erforscht werden
Neue Kenngrössen zur Schweizer Stellenmarktentwicklung
Der Stellenmarkt-Monitor Schweiz am Soziologischen Institut der UniversitĂ€t ZĂŒrich beobachtet kontinuierlich Umfang und Zusammensetzung des Stellenangebots in der Schweiz. Mit dem im letzten November lancierten Adecco Swiss Job Market Index steht nun erstmals eine quartalsweise Messung des gesamtwirtschaftlichen Stellenangebots zur VerfĂŒgung. JĂ€hrliche Stichprobenerhebungen von Stellenangeboten aus Presse und Internet ermöglichen zudem Aussagen ĂŒber langfristige Verschiebungen in der Struktur des betrieblichen Personalbedarfs von 1950 bis in die Gegenwart
Rezension zu: Mathieu, Jon; Backhaus, Norman; HĂŒrlimann, Katja; BĂŒrgi, Matthias: Geschichte der Landschaft in der Schweiz. Von der Eiszeit bis zur Gegenwart. ZĂŒrich 2016
Better Loop Fusion for LMS
This is my master thesis done at PPL in Stanford under the supervision of Prof. Kunle Olukotun. It improved LMS, a framework for embedding DSLs (domain-specific languages) into Scala which features many general optimizations that can be used by any DSLs for free. I implemented a more powerful and cleaner version of the loop fusion optimization from the compiler world. Loop fusion is an important performance optimization for all languages that feature list comprehensions and translate their high-level operations into loop-based representations. It can decrease runtime, memory footprint and code size through two different fusion cases: The simpler one is called horizontal or side-by-side fusion and fuses adjacent loops iterating over the same range, enabling further optimizations. The second one is vertical or pipeline fusion, where a producer and a consumer of data are fused, removing the need for the intermediate data structure
Sexual function after sacrospinous fixation for vaginal vault prolapse: bad or mad?
Background: The main indication for sacrospinous ligament suspension is to correct either total procidentia, a posthysterectomy vaginal vault prolapse with an associated weak cardinal uterosacral ligament complex, or a posthysterectomy enterocele. This study aimed to evaluate sexual function and anatomic outcome for patients after sacrospinous ligament suspension. Methods: For this study, 52 patients who had undergone sacrospinous ligament fixation during the preceding 5years were asked to complete the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire. The patients were vaginally examined using the ICS POP score, and the results were compared with their preoperative status. For statistical analysis, GraphPad for Windows, version 4.0, was used. Results: The 52 patients were examined during a follow-up period of 38months. No major intraoperative complications were noted. Recurrence of symptomatic apical descent was noted in 6% of the patients and de novo prolapse in 13.5%. Only one patient was symptomatic. Three patients experienced de novo dyspareunia, which resolved in two cases after stitch removal. Sexual function was good, rating higher than three points for each of the domains including satisfaction, lubrication, desire, orgasm, and pain. Conclusion: Sacrospinous ligament fixation still is a valuable option for the treatment of vaginal vault prolapse. Sexual function is satisfactory, with few cases of de novo dyspareuni
Sozialkompetenzen und arbeitsmarktliche Ungleichheitsstrukturen
"Der Arbeitsmarkt ist ein zentraler Ort, an dem soziale Ungleichheit generiert wird. Deshalb haben die Bewertungskriterien, welche die Arbeitgeber bei der Stellenbesetzung heranziehen, eine eminente Bedeutung nicht nur fĂŒr den individuellen Arbeitsmarkterfolg, sondern auch fĂŒr die Ungleichheitstrukturen im Ganzen. Neben zugeschriebenen GröĂen spielen dabei die erworbenen Qualifikationen eine zentrale Rolle. Dazu gehören sowohl die formalen Ausbildungsanforderungen, als auch 'weiche' QualitĂ€ten (Soft Skills), welche in zunehmendem Masse die arbeitsmarktliche Zuteilung von Chancen prĂ€gen. Der vorliegende Beitrag fragt vor diesem Hintergrund danach, ob und in welchen Bereichen die wachsende Bedeutung von Sozialkompetenzen als arbeitsmarktrelevante Kriterien das traditionelle, durch zertifizierte Ausbildungen und Berufserfahrung definierte QualifikationsgefĂŒge auszudifferenzieren vermag. Als Datengrundlage fĂŒr die Beantwortung dieser Frage steht eine fĂŒr den Zeitraum seit 1950 reprĂ€sentative Stichprobe von rund 35.000 Stelleninseraten aus der deutschsprachigen Schweiz zur VerfĂŒgung. Die in Stelleninseraten geforderten Hard und Soft Skills reprĂ€sentieren unmittelbar das Idealbild des fĂŒr die jeweils ausgeschriebene Stelle in Frage kommenden Bewerbers. Die auf dieser Basis durchgefĂŒhrte Analyse der Entwicklung der Nachfrageseite des Arbeitsmarktes zeigt ĂŒber die letzten 50 Jahre eine deutliche Zunahme sowohl bei den Voraussetzungen an die formale Ausbildung, als auch bei den geforderten Sozialkompetenzen. Bei diesen zeigen die Dimensionen 'Kooperation', 'Kommunikation' und 'FĂŒhrung' zudem einen starken und ĂŒber die Zeit wachsenden Zusammenhang sowohl mit dem Ausbildungsniveau als auch dem Berufsstatus. Es sind die formal anspruchsvollen und statusmĂ€Ăig hochbewerteten Stellen, die durch die verlangten sozialen Kompetenzen noch anspruchsvoller werden. Die zusĂ€tzliche Differenzierung erfolgt also primĂ€r innerhalb dieses Segments. Im Gegensatz zu den genannten drei Dimensionen von Sozialkompetenzen wird 'UmgĂ€nglichkeit' in erster Linie bei den von der formalen Ausbildung her anspruchslosen Stellen gefordert, gewinnt aber in den letzten Jahren auch darĂŒber hinaus an Bedeutung." (Autorenreferat
Flood risk management based on 2D TELEMAC computations: an example with Swiss hazard map
A case study in Switzerland is considered, where
hazard/flood maps are established as part of the planning of
flood protection measures. Due to the communeâs location
within a flat plain divided by a railway dike, it could be shown
that the settlements an d infrastructures are much more
endangered by floods than originally thought. Using the theme
âland coverâ of the digital cadastral survey , a digital terrain
model (DTM) and bathymetry data, break lines were generated
to build a triangular mesh . Culverts, tubes and bridges are a n
important element of hazard mapping, as they can alter or
create new flow paths not only as common bottlenecks in the
channel ( overflow), but also outside in flooded settlement areas
where pedestrian/road underpasses and tunnels a re present
However, the modelling of culverts and tubes has revealed that
they are no longer suitable from a certain size of the channel, as
the flow passes by the point which define s the culvert. Thus,
several workarounds were tested to improve the relia bility of
the culverts/tubes Recorded floods have shown that buildings
are not necessarily an impermeable obstacle for the flowing
water. An approach was developed to consider buildings as
floodable as well as impermeable, as it could be observed that
lar ger building complexes may by traversed by floods and alter
the flow paths in this way. If these aspects are taken into
account, an informative hazard map may be established
Health of neonates born in the maternity hospital in Bern, Switzerland, 1880-1900 and 1914-1922.
The identification of factors impeding normal fetal development and growth is crucial for improving neonatal health. Historical studies are relevant because they show which parameters have influenced neonatal health in the past in order to better understand the present. We studied temporal changes of neonatal health outcomes (birth weight, gestational age, stillbirth rate) and the influence of different cofactors in two time periods. Moreover, we investigated particularly neonatal health in the wake of the 1918/19 influenza pandemic. Data were transcribed from the Bern Maternity Hospital and consists of two time periods: A) The years 1880, 1885, 1890, 1895 and 1900 (N = 1530, births' coverage 20%); B) The years 1914-1922 (N = 6924, births' coverage 40-50%). Linear regression models were used to estimate the effect of birth year on birth weight, and logistic regression models to estimate the effect of birth year and of the exposure to the pandemic on premature birth, stillborn and low birth weight (LBW). Mean birth weight increased only minimally between the two datasets; whereas, in the years 1914-1922, the preterm birth and stillbirth rates were markedly reduced compared with the years 1880-1900. Sex, parity, gestational age and maternal age were significantly associated with birth weight in both time periods. The probability of LBW was significantly increased in 1918 (OR 1.49 (95% CI 1.00-2.23)) and in 1919 (OR 1.55 (95% CI 1.02-2.36)) compared to 1914. Mothers who were heavily exposed to the influenza pandemic during pregnancy had a higher risk of stillbirth (OR 2.27 (95% CI 1.32-3.9)). This study demonstrated that factors influencing neonatal health are multifactorial but similar in both time periods. Moreover, the exposure to the 1918/19 pandemic was less associated with LBW and more associated with an increased risk of stillbirth. If this trend is confirmed by further studies, it could indicate some consistency across pandemics, as similar patterns have recently been shown for COVID-19
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