Search

One of the most important names in the history of classical music is the Flemish-born German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven. Op.57 No.23 "Appassionata", composed by the composer, one of the Viennese classics, in the second period of his musical life, which was divided into three, is a magnificent work that takes a different place in piano literature. This study, it is aimed to reveal the similarities and differences of the teaching approaches towards this sonata with the masterclass study conducted by three expert piano educators who have been trained in different schools and schools with a piano student who received proficiency in the art. In line with this purpose, the verbal and nonverbal behaviors of the experts in general, similar, and different aspects in terms of teaching the work, styles-technical, etc. approaches motivation of the student, relieving anxiety and stress, verbal and non-verbal behaviors towards the composer, the piece, the period, the interpretation of the work and the use of time. It was tried to observe their approach towards the subject and other behaviors that they paid attention to during the Masterclass. In the qualitative and descriptive study, the data were collected according to the observation and content analysis technique and analyzed according to the qualitative research methods. It is thought that the study is important and original in terms of revealing the different approaches of expert piano educators in teaching the piece, and examining these differences, in terms of contributing to a pianist's thoughts about the piece and enabling them to synthesize, and it will be a source for similar studies.

Energy transition is crucial for sustainable development, but its drivers have been neglected due to data limitations. Germany has adopted a low-carbon, secure, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly energy transition policy to achieve its 2050 carbon-neutrality goals. Despite the fact that the sub-components of energy have often been considered, to the author's knowledge, there is currently no study available that empirically examines the drivers of the energy transition in Germany. Therefore, the investigation examines the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT), research and development (R&D) investments in nuclear (NRD) and renewable (RRD) energy, and urbanization on the energy transition in Germany for the period 2000/Q1-2022/Q4. The results show that ICT, NRD, and RRD have an increasing impact, while urbanization hinders the energy transition. Accordingly, German policymakers make greater use of the increasing impacts of ICT and R&D investments to improve the energy transition and implement an urbanization plan to expand the use of green energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Germany has set an ambitious goal of meeting the recommendations of COP‐26 and reducing its carbon intensity to zero by 2045. Germany is a leader in environmental patents after the United States, Japan, and South Korea, and the environmental implications of Germany's leadership in eco‐innovation hold important clues for achieving net zero goals. In particular, the European Union is one of the global communities making the greatest efforts to combat emissions, and the success of the leading role of environmental patents in this Union in reducing CO2 emissions is an important research topic for scholars. Therefore, this study investigates the impact of environmental patents on CO2 emissions under the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis in Germany. To this end, the study applies Bayer–Hanck and Fourier ADL approaches from 1970 to 2019. The main findings do not confirm the EKC hypothesis, while environmental patents play an active role in CO2 reduction. Based on these outcomes, Germany should consider a long‐term green policy to decouple economic growth and emissions. At the same time, German policy should promote the development and application of environmental patents to achieve the net zero targets for 2045. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several researchers have focused on the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis to analyze environmental degradation using carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and ecological footprint as dependent variables. However, analyzes based on these variables neglect the supply side of environmental sustainability. To address this shortcoming, this study aims to examine the determinants of the ecological footprint pressure index (EFPI) in the context of the EKC hypothesis. The EFPI provides a more detailed picture of environmental issues by considering both ecological footprint and biocapacity. Thus, the study aims to add scientific value to the existing literature by analyzing the EFPI under the EKC hypothesis for the first time. Building on this, our research investigates the effects of economic complexity (ECX), per capita income, and renewable energy consumption (REC) on the EFPI by adopting a novel econometric approach. The results of the Fourier autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) method show a cointegration relationship between income, ECX, renewable energy and EFPI in Germany, Switzerland and Sweden. The long-term elasticities indicate that ECX reduces the EFPI in Germany and Switzerland, while renewable energy mitigates environmental pressure in Switzerland and Sweden. Our findings also confirm the validity of the EKC hypothesis for Germany and Sweden. Based on these findings, the study suggests that ECX, renewable energy and economic growth can all be used as policy instruments to reduce environmental pressure in the three member states of the European Union. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate wind power forecasting is essential for (i) the management of wind energy, (ii) increasing the integration of generated power into the electrical grid, and (iii) enhancing maintenance efficiency. This paper proposes a novel hybrid model for short-term (1-hour ahead) wind power forecasting. The model integrates the echo-state network (ESN) architecture with empirical mode decomposition (EMD) to improve forecast accuracy. Unlike existing approaches that use separate models for each decomposed signal after EMD method, proposed model uses a single ESN structure to predict wind power by incorporating all decomposed signals and their past values. The main advantage of this architecture is that it eliminates the need to train multiple models, thereby streamlining the forecasting process. To evaluate the performance of the proposed model, one year of data from the West of Duddon Sands, Barrow, and Horns Power offshore wind farms is utilized. Firstly, the classical ESN model and the EMD-ESN hybrid model are compared for the three datasets. Then, a comprehensive evaluation is performed by comparing the results of the proposed model with commonly used standalone and hybrid forecasting models such as Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Adaptive-Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), Bidirectional LSTM (BiLSTM), EMD-LSTM, EMD-BiLSTM, Variational Mode Decomposition based ESN (VMD-ESN), and Wavelet Decomposition based ESN (WD-ESN). The results show that the EMD-ESN hybrid model outperforms implemented models in predicting wind power in all three datasets. Furthermore, the proposed EMD-ESN model for an onshore wind turbine power data in Germany is compared with the SOTA models, such as Transformer, Informer, Autoformer, and Graph Patch Informer (GPI), in the literature. This study highlights the superior predictive capabilities of proposed model, making it a valuable tool for enhancing the accuracy of wind power forecasts, thereby contributing to the reliable integration of wind energy into the power grid. [Display omitted] • This study applies EMD to enhance wind data and improve accuracy. • EMD aids forecasting by effectively preserving data characteristics. • ESN simplifies wind power forecasting with its unified structure. • The ESN model facilitates forecasts by integrating signals. • Hybrid EMD-ESN model improves onshore and offshore wind power forecasting accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Swiss Political Science Review is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Rapidly evolving floods are rare but powerful drivers of landscape reorganisation that have severe and long-lasting impacts on both the functions of a landscape's subsystems and the affected society. The July 2021 flood that particularly hit several river catchments of the Eifel region in western Germany and Belgium was a drastic example. While media and scientists highlighted the meteorological and hydrological aspects of this flood, it was not just the rising water levels in the main valleys that posed a hazard, caused damage, and drove environmental reorganisation. Instead, the concurrent coupling of landscape elements and the wood, sediment, and debris carried by the fast-flowing water made this flood so devastating and difficult to predict. Because more intense floods are able to interact with more landscape components, they at times reveal rare non-linear feedbacks, which may be hidden during smaller events due to their high thresholds of initiation. Here, we briefly review the boundary conditions of the 14–15 July 2021 flood and discuss the emerging features that made this event different from previous floods. We identify hillslope processes, aspects of debris mobilisation, the legacy of sustained human land use, and emerging process connections and feedbacks as critical non-hydrological dimensions of the flood. With this landscape scale perspective, we develop requirements for improved future event anticipation, mitigation, and fundamental system understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) is one of the treatment modalities used in end‐stage renal disease. The most common cause of failure is catheter‐related complications. Dialysate leak represents a major noninfectious complication of PD. Here, we aimed to present the results of patients who had pericatheter dialysate leak following PD catheterization and who were administered a hemostatic agent (HaemoCer Plus, BioCer, Germany) around the catheter and the tunneled segment under the subcutaneous tissue under local anesthesia. We performed a local procedure on six patients in total. No major complications developed in any of the patients at postoperative follow‐up. Five patients started to receive PD uneventfully within postoperative 3 days with no dialysate leak. We believe that this practice is effective in the management of peritoneal dialysate leak. The hemostatic agents administered in the present study can manage dialysate leak and ensure safe use of the catheter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between seven important H. pylori virulence factors and antibiotic resistance in patients with gastritis. H. pylori strains isolated from 33 patients with gastritis were examined. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were tested by GenoType® HelicoDR (Hain Life Science, Germany) test kit and RT-PCR. The virulence-factors were determined using conventional PCR. 39% of patients were resistant for clarithromycin and 27% of patients were resistant for fluoroquinolone. 15% of patients were resistant to both clarithromycin and fluoroquinolone. The H. pylori vacA m1/s2 genotype was the most frequent allelic combination. Patients were possessed the vacA s1, m1 (6.1%); s1, m2 (6.1%); s2, m1 (15.1%); and s2, m2 (3.0%) genotypes. 94% of patients with gastritis were positive for H. pylori napA gene. Also, there were no dupA gene-positive gastritis patients. There was no significant correlation between the vacA, cagA, oipA, hpaA, babA, napA, dupA, ureA, ureB virulence genes, clarithromycin, and fluoroquinolone resistance. Herein, we report that the relationship between the H. pylori napA gene and gastritis. Although we found a correlation between H. pylori virulence factor and clinical outcome, there is a need for further studies to enlighten the relation between H. pylori virulence genes and antibiotic resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrometric networks play a vital role in providing information for decision-making in water resource management. They should be set up optimally to provide as much information as possible that is as accurate as possible and, at the same time, be cost-effective. Although the design of hydrometric networks is a well-identified problem in hydrometeorology and has received considerable attention, there is still scope for further advancement. In this study, we use complex network analysis, defined as a collection of nodes interconnected by links, to propose a new measure that identifies critical nodes of station networks. The approach can support the design and redesign of hydrometric station networks. The science of complex networks is a relatively young field and has gained significant momentum over the last few years in different areas such as brain networks, social networks, technological networks, or climate networks. The identification of influential nodes in complex networks is an important field of research. We propose a new node-ranking measure – the weighted degree–betweenness (WDB) measure – to evaluate the importance of nodes in a network. It is compared to previously proposed measures used on synthetic sample networks and then applied to a real-world rain gauge network comprising 1229 stations across Germany to demonstrate its applicability. The proposed measure is evaluated using the decline rate of the network efficiency and the kriging error. The results suggest that WDB effectively quantifies the importance of rain gauges, although the benefits of the method need to be investigated in more detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its strong ties to the European Union, Germany is well-positioned to assist many countries achieve sustainability goals. Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to examine how renewable energy intensity and renewable energy share improve environmental sustainability, the load capacity factor (LCF) in Germany from 1970 to 2018. To this end, the study uses the autoregressive distributed lag model, with the effects of the Kyoto Protocol included as a dummy variable. The study contributes to the literature by considering and testing for the first time the impact of renewables on the LCF in terms of intensity and share for Germany. The empirical results show that (i) economic growth lowers the LCF faster in the early stages of economic development than in later periods; therefore, the environmental Kuznets curve hypothesis is valid in Germany. (ii) A 1% upsurge in renewable energy intensity has no statistically significant effect on the LCF, while a 1% rise in the share of renewables in the total energy mix increases LCF by 0.48%. (iii) A 1% rise in urbanization reduces the LCF by 6.52%. (iv) A 1% augment in human capital enhances the LCF by 3.49%. These outcomes suggest that the German government should use human capital development and increasing the share of renewable energy as policy instruments to achieve the sustainable development goals. [Display omitted] • The EKC hypothesis is valid for Germany. • Renewable energy intensity has no influence on the load capacity factor. • A higher renewable share in the energy mix is associated with an improvement in LCF. • Human capital plays a key role in solving environmental challenges. • The urbanization process has a devastating effect on the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Examines the environmental impact of renewable and nuclear energy R&D expenditures. • Focuses on Germany using three environmental indicators from 1974 to 2018. • Nuclear energy-related R&D expenditures are not effective on the environment. • Renewable energy-related R&D expenditures reduce CO 2 emissions. • The EKC hypothesis is valid, whereas the LCC hypothesis is not. This study analyzes the effect of renewable energy research & development (RRD) and nuclear energy research & development (NRD) expenditures on environmental quality by considering Germany's goal of achieving carbon neutrality until 2045. Hence, the study uses various environmental indicators (carbon dioxide (CO 2) emissions, ecological footprint-EF, and load capacity factor-LCF) to investigate the effects of RRD and NRD on the environmental quality controlling also a gross domestic product (GDP) and test the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) and recently proposed load capacity curve (LCC) hypotheses. Also, the study includes yearly data from 1974 to 2018, uses fractional frequency Fourier autoregressive distributive lag (FADL) based FMOLS approach as the main model, and applies FADL based DOLS approach and Fourier wavelet causality test for the robustness. The empirical results reveal that (i) the explanatory variables have a cointegration link with CO 2 emissions and EF; (ii) the EKC hypothesis is valid for Germany, while the LCC hypothesis is invalid; (iii) RRD expenditures are effective only in reducing CO 2 emissions; (iv) RRD and NRD expenditures have no significant effect on the EF. Considering the results, German policymakers could utilize RRD more effectively and efficiently to improve environmental quality and reduce the EF. In this way, Germany could achieve its carbon neutrality goal until the middle of the century by benefiting from RRD facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The study was a collaboration between Lifting The Burden (LTB) and the European Headache Federation (EHF). Its aim was to evaluate the implementation of quality indicators for headache care Europe-wide in specialist headache centres (level-3 according to the EHF/LTB standard). Methods: Employing previously-developed instruments in 14 such centres, we made enquiries, in each, of health-care providers (doctors, nurses, psychologists, physiotherapists) and 50 patients, and analysed the medical records of 50 other patients. Enquiries were in 9 domains: diagnostic accuracy, individualized management, referral pathways, patient's education and reassurance, convenience and comfort, patient's satisfaction, equity and efficiency of the headache care, outcome assessment and safety. Results: Our study showed that highly experienced headache centres treated their patients in general very well. The centres were content with their work and their patients were content with their treatment. Including disability and quality-of-life evaluations in clinical assessments, and protocols regarding safety, proved problematic: better standards for these are needed. Some centres had problems with follow-up: many specialised centres operated in one-touch systems, without possibility of controlling long-term management or the success of treatments dependent on this. Conclusions: This first Europe-wide quality study showed that the quality indicators were workable in specialist care. They demonstrated common trends, producing evidence of what is majority practice. They also uncovered deficits that might be remedied in order to improve quality. They offer the means of setting benchmarks against which service quality may be judged. The next step is to take the evaluation process into non-specialist care (EHF/LTB levels 1 and 2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent of congruence between service providers' perceptions of customer satisfaction and customer-reported satisfaction in the context of optometric services. Design/methodology/approach - Data were collected via mail surveys from a sample of German optometrists and their customers. Usable responses were obtained from 388 optometrists and 2,237 customers. Findings - Results show that the underlying configurations of satisfaction attributes decompose into eight factors in the case of optometrists and five factors in the case of customers. The extent of congruence between the two groups is weak. Research limitations/implications - Replications among other optometrist and customer samples are needed to validate the current findings. Also to gain more pointed insights into the similarities and disparities between service providers' perceptions of their customers' satisfaction and customer-reported satisfaction, extension of research to other service sectors would be fruitful. Practical implications - The overall inconsistencies between the optometrists and customers underscore the need for accurate assessment of customer perceptions for business success. For stronger business performance, service providers should be trained to look at satisfaction from the perspective of customers by using customers' definitions. Originality/value - The study used a dyadic approach in collecting the data. The factor congruency technique was employed to determine the extent of similarities and disparities between the two groups. A general lack of customer knowledge has implications for service providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The study first seeks to determine the underlying configurations of service quality perceptions between Turkish and German bank customers and then tries to ascertain the extent of cross-cultural congruence. Design/methodology/approach - Samples of Turkish and German bank customers serve as the study setting. Usable responses were obtained from 156 Turkish and 226 German customers. Findings - Results show that the underlying configurations of service quality items decompose into three factors for both groups. The extent of congruence between the two groups is strong. Research limitations/implications - Replications among other samples are needed to validate the current findings. Practical implications - The overall consistencies between the Turkish and German consumers suggest that a standardized approach is feasible for multinational banks operating in the two countries. Originality/value - The factor congruency technique was employed to determine the extent of similarities and disparities between the two groups. Emergence of cross-cultural similarities carries implications for bank managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study first investigates the extent of congruence between service providers' perceptions of customer satisfaction with various aspects of optometric services and customer-reported satisfaction with these services, and then examines whether a high degree of congruence results in better business performance. A survey of optometricians and customers of optometric services in Germany serves as the study set- ting. Results are presented and their implications are discussed. Avenues for futures research are offered. This study first investigates the extent of congruence between service providers' perceptions of customer satisfaction with various aspects of optometric services and customer-reported satisfaction with these services, and then examines whether a high degree of congruence results in better business performance. A survey of optometricians and customers of optometric services in Germany serves as the study setting. Results are presented and their implications are discussed. Avenues for future research are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the nature of relationships between service quality, background characteristics, and satisfaction and selected behavioral outcomes by using retail banking in Germany as its setting Study results show that service quality is ht the root of customer satisfaction and is' linked to such behavioral outcomes as word of mouth, complaint, recommending and switching. However, different aspects of service quality and different consumer characteristics seem to be associated with different outcomes. For instance, the results suggest that tangible elements of service quality and being a female are more closely associated with positive word of mouth and commitment. On the other hand, "timeliness" aspects of service delivery are more closely related to customer satisfaction, and complaint and switching behaviors. Implications of these results to induce greater customer satisfaction, to attain higher levels of favorable outcomes and/or to alleviate negative outcomes are discussed . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The surface nuclear magnetic resonance (SNMR) method has been tested at a site in Haldensleben, northern Germany, to assess the suitability of this new method for groundwater exploration and environmental investigations. More information is obtained by SNMR, particularly with respect to aquifer parameters, than with other geophysical techniques. SNMR measurements were carried out at three borehole locations, together with 2D and 1D direct current geoelectrics, as well as ground-penetrating radar, and well logging (induction log, gamma-ray log and pulsed neutron-gamma log). Permeabilities were calculated from the grain-size distributions of core material determined in the laboratory. It is demonstrated that the SNMR method is able to detect groundwater and the results are in good agreement with other geophysical and hydrogeological data. Using the SNMR method, the water content of the unsaturated and saturated zones (i.e. porosity of an aquifer) can be reliably determined. This information and resistivity data permit in situ determination of other aquifer parameters. Comparison of the SNMR results with borehole data clearly shows that the water content determined by SNMR is the free or mobile water in the pores. The permeabilities estimated from the SNMR decay times are similar to those derived from sieve analysis of core material. Thus, the combination of SNMR with geoelectric methods promises to be a powerful tool for studying aquifer properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Myeloid leukaemic blasts can be converted into leukaemia-derived dendritic cells (DCleu), characterised by the simultaneous expression of dendritic- and leukaemia-associated antigens, which have the competence to prime and enhance (leukaemia-specific) immune responses with the whole leukaemic antigen repertoire. To display and further specify dendritic cell (DC)- and DCleu-mediated immune responses, we analysed the interferon gamma (IFNy) secretion of innate and adaptive immune cells. Methods: DC/DCleu were generated from leukaemic whole blood (WB) with (blast)modulatory Kit-I (granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF] + Picibanil [OK-432]) and Kit-M (GM-CSF + prostaglandin E1) and were used to stimulate T cell-enriched immunoreactive cells. Initiated anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity was investigated with a cytotoxicity fluorolysis assay. Initiated IFNy secretion of T, NK, CIK, and iNKT cells was investigated with a cytokine secretion assay (CSA). IFNy positivity was additionally evaluated with an intracellular cytokine assay (ICA). Recent activation of leukaemia-specific cells was verified through addition of leukaemia-associated antigens (LAA; WT-1 and Prame) Results: We found Kit-I and Kit-M competent to generate mature DC and DCleu from leukaemic WB without induction of blast proliferation. Stimulation of immunoreactive cells with DC/DCleu regularly resulted in an increased anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity and increased IFNy secretion of T, NK, and CIK cells, pointing to the significant role of DC/DCleu in leukaemia-specific alongside anti-leukaemic reactions. Interestingly, an addition of LAA did not further increase IFNy secretion, suggesting an efficient activation of leukaemia-specific cells. Here, both the CSA and ICA yielded comparable frequencies of IFNy-positive cells. Remarkably, the anti-leukaemic cytotoxicity positively correlated with the IFNy secretion in TCD3+, TCD4+, TCD8+, and NKCD56+ cells. Conclusion: Ultimately, the IFNy secretion of innate and adaptive immune cells appeared to be a suitable parameter to assess and monitor the efficacy of in vitro and potentially in vivo acute myeloid leukaemia immunotherapy. The CSA in this regard proved to be a convenient and reproducible technique to detect and phenotypically characterise IFNy-secreting cells. In respect to our studies on DC-based immunomodulation, we were able to display the potential of DC/DCleu to induce or improve leukaemia-specific and anti-leukaemic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights the Conference of the German Geophysical Society. Anniversary of the Deutsche Geophysikalische Gesellschaft; Host of the conference; Speakers.

The flash-flood in Braunsbach in the north-eastern part of Baden-Wuerttemberg/Germany was a particularly strong and concise event which took place during the floods in southern Germany at the end of May/early June 2016. This article presents a detailed analysis of the hydro-meteorological forcing and the hydrological consequences of this event. A specific approach, the “forensic hydrological analysis” was followed in order to include and combine retrospectively a variety of data from different disciplines. Such an approach investigates the origins, mechanisms and course of such natural events if possible in a “near real time” mode, in order to follow the most recent traces of the event. The results show that it was a very rare rainfall event with extreme intensities which, in combination with catchment properties, led to extreme runoff plus severe geomorphological hazards, i.e. great debris flows, which together resulted in immense damage in this small rural town Braunsbach. It was definitely a record-breaking event and greatly exceeded existing design guidelines for extreme flood discharge for this region, i.e. by a factor of about 10. Being such a rare or even unique event, it is not reliably feasible to put it into a crisp probabilistic context. However, one can conclude that a return period clearly above 100 years can be assigned for all event components: rainfall, peak discharge and sediment transport. Due to the complex and interacting processes, no single flood cause or reason for the very high damage can be identified, since only the interplay and the cascading characteristics of those led to such an event. The roles of different human activities on the origin and/or intensification of such an extreme event are finally discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flash-Floods are triggered by high-intense rainfall, propagated by wide-spread infiltration excess overland flow and fast runoff concentration, yielding extreme discharge rates and inundation. Furthermore, the extreme discharge may cause severe erosion processes, both in the catchment and the channel network, which again might trigger landslides and the mobilization and further transport of scree, muddy and woody debris. In case vulnerable areas, such as settlements, are affected by such events, there is a high risk for damage and danger for health and life of the population. Thus, such incidents are typical compound events, which have to be analyzed by a cascading and interdisciplinary approach.We have followed such an approach conducting a detailed forensic case study analysis. We have taken the flash-flood in Braunsbach in SW-Germany as an example, where a particularly concise flash flood event occurred at the end of May 2016. This extreme compound event led to an immense damage in this particular village. The event has been retrospectively analyzed with regard to meteorology, hydrology, geomorphology and damage to obtain a quantitative assessment of the processes and their development. The results show that it was a very rare rainfall event with extreme intensities, which in combination with catchment properties and altered environmental conditions led to extreme runoff, extreme debris flow and immense damages. Due to the complexity of the interacting processes, no single flood cause can be identified, since only the interplay of those lead to such an event. We have shown that environmental changes (climate change, agricultural land-use, river and geomorphological engineering) are important, but – at least for this case study – even natural weather and hydrologic conditions would have resulted in an extreme flash flood event, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]