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Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, such as machine learning or deep learning, have been predicted to highly impact future organizations and radically change the way how projects are managed. The Project Management Institute (PMI), the network of around 1.1 million certified project managers, ranked AI as one of the top three disruptors of their profession. In an own study on the effect of AI, 37% of the project management processes can be executed by machine learning and other AI technologies. In addition, Gartner recently postulated that 80% of the work of today's project managers may be eliminated by AI in 2030.
This editorial aims to outline today's project and portfolio management in context of pharmaceutical research and development (R&D), followed by an AI-vision and a more tangible mission, and illustrate what the consequences of an AI-enabled project and portfolio management could be for pharmaceutical R&D.
The digital transformation is today’s dominant business transformation having a strong influence on how digital services and products are designed in a service-dominant way. A popular underlying theory of value creation and economic exchange that is known as the service-dominant (S-D) logic can be connected to many successful digital business models. However, S-D logic by itself is abstract. Companies cannot directly use it as an instrument for business model innovation and design in an easy way. To address this a comprehensive ideation method based on S-D logic is proposed, called service-dominant design (SDD). SDD is aimed at supporting firms in the transition to a service- and value-oriented perspective. The method provides a simplified way to structure the ideation process based on four model components. Each component consists of practical implications, auxiliary questions and visualization techniques that were derived from a literature review, a use case evaluation of digital mobility and a focus group discussion. SDD represents a first step of having a toolset that can support established companies in the process of service- and value-orientation as part of their digital transformation efforts.
Enterprises are currently transforming their strategy, processes, and their information systems to extend their degree of digitalization. The potential of the Internet and related digital technologies, like Internet of Things, services computing, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, big data with analytics, mobile systems, collaboration networks, and cyber physical systems both drives and enables new business designs. Digitalization deeply disrupts existing businesses, technologies and economies and fosters the architecture of digital environments with many rather small and distributed structures. This has a strong impact for new value producing opportunities and architecting digital services and products guiding their design through exploiting a Service-Dominant Logic. The main result of the book chapter extends methods for integral digital strategies with value-oriented models for digital products and services which are defined in the framework of a multi-perspective digital enterprise architecture reference model.
Due to digitalization, constant technological progress and ever shorter product life cycles, enterprises are currently facing major challenges. In order to succeed in the market, business models have to be adapted more often and more quickly to changing market conditions than they used to be. Fast adaptability, also called agility, is a decisive competitive factor in today’s world. Because of the ever-growing IT part of products and the fact that they are manufactured using IT, changing the business model has a major impact on the enterprise architecture (EA). However, developing EAs is a very complex task, because many stakeholders with conflicting interests are involved in the decision-making process. Therefore, a lot of collaboration is required. To support organizations in developing their EA, this article introduces a novel integrative method that systematically integrates stakeholder interests into decision-making activities. By using the method, collaboration between stakeholders involved is improved by identifying points of contact between them. Furthermore, standardized activities make decision-making more transparent and comparable without limiting creativity.
This research-oriented book presents key contributions on architecting the digital transformation. It includes the following main sections covering 20 chapters: · Digital Transformation · Digital Business · Digital Architecture · Decision Support · Digital Applications Focusing on digital architectures for smart digital products and services, it is a valuable resource for researchers, doctoral students, postgraduates, graduates, undergraduates, academics and practitioners interested in digital transformation.
This chapter presents an introduction to the emerging trends for architecting the digital transformation having a strong focus on digital products, intelligent services, and related systems together with methods, models and architectures. The primary aim of this book is to highlight some of the most recent research results in the field. We are providing a focused set of brief descriptions of the chapters included in the book.
Gelatin is one of the most prominent biopolymers in biomedical material research and development. It is frequently used in hybrid hydrogels, which combine the advantageous properties of bio‐based and synthetic polymers. To prevent the biological component from leaching out of the hydrogel, the biomolecules can be equipped with azides. Those groups can be used to immobilize gelatin covalently in hydrogels by the highly selective and specific azide–alkyne cycloaddition. In this contribution, we functionalized gelatin with azides at its lysine residues by diazo transfer, which offers the great advantage of only minimal side‐chain extension. Approximately 84–90% of the amino groups are modified as shown by 1H‐NMR spectroscopy, 2,4,6‐trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid assay as well as Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy, rheology, and the determination of the isoelectric point. Furthermore, the azido‐functional gelatin is incorporated into hydrogels based on poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEG‐DA) at different concentrations (0.6, 3.0, and 5.5%). All hydrogels were classified as noncyctotoxic with significantly enhanced cell adhesion of human fibroblasts on their surfaces compared to pure PEG‐DA hydrogels. Thus, the new gelatin derivative is found to be a very promising building block for tailoring the bioactivity of materials.
This book is about the challenges that emerge for organizations from an ever faster changing world. While useful at their time, several management tools, including classic strategic planning processes, will no longer suffice to address these challenges in a timely and comprehensive fashion. While individual management tools are still valid to solve specific problems, they need to be employed based on a clear understanding of what the greater challenge is and how they need to be combined and prioritized with other approaches. In order to do so, companies can apply the clarity of thinking from the military with regard to which leadership level is responsible for what and how these levels need to interact in order to produce a single aligned response to an outside opportunity or threat. Finally, the tool of business wargaming, while known for some time, proves to be an ideal approach to quickly and effectively bring all leadership levels together, align them around a common objective and lay the groundwork for effective implementation of targeted responses that will keep the organization competitive and in the game for the long run. The book offers a comprehensive introduction to business wargaming, including a historical account, a classification of different types of games and a number of specific real-world examples. This book is targeted at practicing managers dealing with the aforementioned challenges, as well as for students of business and strategy at every level.
Uncontrolled movements of laparoscopic instruments can lead to inadvertent injury of adjacent structures. The risk becomes evident when the dissecting instrument is located outside the field of view of the laparoscopic camera. Technical solutions to ensure patient safety are appreciated. The present work evaluated the feasibility of an automated binary classification of laparoscopic image data using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) to determine whether the dissecting instrument is located within the laparoscopic image section. A unique record of images was generated from six laparoscopic cholecystectomies in a surgical training environment to configure and train The CNN. By using a temporary version of the neural network, the annotation of the training image files could be automated and accelerated. A combination of oversampling and selective data augmentation was used to enlarge the fully labelled image data set and prevent loss of accuracy due to imbalanced class volumes. Subsequently the same approach was applied to the comprehensive, fully annotated Cholec80 database. The described process led to the generation of extensive and balanced training image data sets. The performance of the CNN-based binary classifiers was evaluated on separate test records from both databases. On our recorded data, an accuracy of 0.88 with regard to the safety-relevant classification was achieved. The subsequent evaluation on the Cholec80 data set yielded an accuracy of 0.84. The presented results demonstrate the feasibility of a binary classification of laparoscopic image data for the detection of adverse events in a surgical training environment using a specifically configured CNN architecture.
Context: Nowadays, companies are challenged by increasing market dynamics, rapid changes and disruptive participants entering the market. To survive in such an environment, companies must be able to quickly discover product ideas that meet the needs of both customers and the company and deliver these products to customers. Dual-track agile is a new type of agile development that combines product discovery and delivery activities in parallel, iterative, and cyclical ways. At present, many companies have difficulties in finding and establishing suitable approaches for implementing dual-track agile in their business context.
Objective: In order to gain a better understanding of how product discovery and product delivery can interact with each other and how this interaction can be implemented in practice, this paper aims to identify suitable approaches to dual-track agile.
Method: We conducted a grey literature review (GLR) according to the guidelines to Garousi et al.
Results: Several approaches that support the integration of product discovery with product delivery were identified. This paper presents a selection of these approaches, i.e., the Discovery-Delivery Cycle model, Now-Next-Later Product Roadmaps, Lean Sprints, Product Kata, and Dual-Track Scrum. The approaches differ in their granularity but are similar in their underlying rationales. All approaches aim to ensure that only validated ideas turn into products and thus promise to lead to products that are better received by their users.
Selecting a suitable development method for a specific project context is one of the most challenging activities in process design. To extend the so far statistical construction of hybrid development methods, we analyze 829 data points to investigate which context factors influence the choice of methods or practices. Using exploratory factor analysis, we derive five base clusters consisting of up to 10 methods. Logistic regression analysis then reveals which context factors have an influence on the integration of methods from these clusters in the development process. Our results indicate that only a few context factors including project/product size and target application domain significantly influence the choice. This summary refers to the paper “Determining Context Factors for Hybrid Development Methods with Trained Models”. This paper was published in the proceedings of the International Conference on Software and System Process in 2020.
Context: Currently, most companies apply approaches for product roadmapping that are based on the assumption that the future is highly predicable. However, nowadays companies are facing the challenge of increasing market dynamics, rapidly evolving technologies, and shifting user expectations. Together with the adaption of lean and agile practices it makes it increasingly difficult to plan and predict upfront which products, services or features will satisfy the needs of the customers. Therefore, they are struggling with their ability to provide product roadmaps that fit into dynamic and uncertain market environments and that can be used together with lean and agile software development practices.
Objective: To gain a better understanding of modern product roadmapping processes, this paper aims to identify suitable processes for the creation and evolution of product roadmaps in dynamic and uncertain market environments.
Method: We performed a Grey Literature Review (GLR) according to the guidelines from Garousi et al.
Results: 32 approaches to product roadmapping were identified. Typical characteristics of these processes are the strong connection between the product roadmap and the product vision, an emphasis on stakeholder alignment, the definition of business and customer goals as part of the roadmapping process, a high degree of flexibility with respect to reaching these goals, and the inclusion of validation activities in the roadmapping process. An overall goal of nearly all approaches is to avoid waste by early reducing development and business risks. From the list of the 32 approaches found, four representative roadmapping processes are described in detail.
A systematic study using a central composite design of experiments (DoE) was performed on the oxygen plasma surface modifications of two different polymers—Pellethane 2363-55DE, which is a polyurethane, and vinyltrimethoxysilane-grafted ethylene-propylene (EPR-g-VTMS), a cross-linked ethylene-propylene rubber. The impacts of four parameters—gas pressure, generator power, treatment duration, and process temperature—were assessed, with static contact angles and calculated surface free energies (SFEs) as the main responses in the DoE. The plasma effects on the surface roughness and chemistry were determined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Through the sufficiently accurate DoE model evaluation, oxygen gas pressure was established as the most impactful factor, with the surface energy and polarity rising with falling oxygen pressure. Both polymers, though different in composition, exhibited similar modification trends in surface energy rise in the studied system. The SEM images showed a rougher surface topography after low pressure plasma treatments. XPS and subsequent multivariate data analysis of the spectra established that higher oxidized species were formed with plasma treatments at low oxygen pressures of 0.2 mbar.
Der Masterstudiengang Human-Centered Computing der Hochschule Reutlingen ist geprägt durch die Zusammenarbeit von Mensch und Computer. Eine wichtige Rolle an der Schnittstelle spielt die Sensorik, die der diesjährigen Konferenz Informatics Inside das Motto „perceive(it)“ verleiht. Dabei hebt das Wortspiel „it“ für die Informationstechnologie und die englische Übersetzung des Personalpronomens „es“ die Dualität der Wahrnehmung der Informationstechnologie durch den Menschen und der Realität durch den Computer hervor. Das Spannungsfeld zwischen künstlichen Sinneserweiterungen und der intelligenten Verarbeitung von Sensordaten ermöglicht unzählige Anwendungen für digitale Medien, virtuelle Welten, realitätsnahe Simulationen, computergestützte Arbeitsprozesse sowie intelligente Assistenzsysteme in der Produktion, im Haushalt, in der Medizin und in der Mobilität. Meine Aufmerksamkeit gilt hierbei der praxisnahen Forschung als Motor für diesen technischen Fortschritt.
Mit diesem Strategiepapier formulieren die Universitäts-, Landes- und Hochschulbibliotheken des Landes Baden-Württemberg die aus ihrer Sicht zentralen Entwicklungsfelder und Herausforderungen der kommenden Jahre. Die Bibliotheken und das Bibliotheksservice-Zentrum Baden-Württemberg (BSZ) sorgen als Wissenschafts- und Kultureinrichtungen gemeinsam für die akademische Informationsinfrastruktur. Sie nehmen die Herausforderungen der Digitalisierung an und gestalten den Wandel im Dialog mit Forschenden, Lehrenden und Studierenden aktiv mit.
Unternehmen wenden insbesondere bei IT-nahen Projekten seit einigen Jahren auch im Controlling verstärkt ein agiles Vorgehen an. Erfahrungen zeigen jedoch, dass dies nicht bei allen Projekten in jedem Unternehmen funktioniert. Hybride Ansätze, die agile mit klassischen Projekt-Management-Methoden verbinden, bieten eine Lösung.
Direct observation of structural heterogeneity and tautomerization of single hypericin molecules
(2021)
Tautomerization is a fundamental chemical reaction which involves the relocation of a proton in the reactants. Studying the optical properties of tautomeric species is challenging because of ensemble averaging. Many molecules, such as porphines, porphycenes, or phenanthroperylene quinones, exhibit a reorientation of the transition dipole moment (TDM) during tautomerization, which can be directly observed in single-molecule experiments. Here, we study single hypericin molecules, which is a prominent phenanthroperylene quinone showing antiviral, antidepressive, and photodynamical properties. Observing abrupt flipping of the image pattern combined with time-dependent density functional theory calculations allows drawing conclusions about the coexistence of four tautomers and their conversion path. This approach allows the unambiguous assignment of a TDM orientation to a specific tautomer and enables the determination of the chemical structure in situ. Our approach can be applied to other molecules showing TDM reorientation during tautomerization, helping to gain a deeper understanding of this important process.
Im IGF-Projekt Nr. 19617 N wurden stickstoff- und phosphorsubstituierte Alkoxysilane hergestellt und ihre flammhemmenden Eigenschaften für Textilien untersucht. Die Synthesen erfolgten nach unterschiedlichen Strategien wie der Klick-Chemie und der nukleophilen Substitution kommerziell erhältlicher Organophosphorverbindungen mit aminobasierten Trialkoxysilanen und/oder Cyanurchlorid. Diese neuartigen, halogen- und aldehydfreien Flammschutzmittel wurden auf Stoffe aus Baumwolle (BW), Polyethylenterephthalat (PET), Polyamid (PA), sowie Mischgeweben daraus mit der industriell etablierten Pad-Dry-Cure-Technik und mittels Sol-Gel-Verfahren aufgetragen. Die flammhemmenden Eigenschaften wurden mit den Prüfverfahren nach EN ISO 15025 (Schutzkleidung – Schutz gegen Hitze und Flammprüfverfahren für begrenzte Flammenausbreitung= bewertet. Eine gute Schwerentflammbarkeit der hybriden organisch-anorganischen Materialien wurde bei einer geringen Menge von 3-5 Gew.% auf Baumwollgeweben erreicht. Darüber hinaus konnten die Wasserlöslichkeit und die Waschbeständigkeit durch die an das Phosphoratom gebundenen funktionellen Gruppen und durch die Optimierung der Härtungstemperatur kontrolliert werden. Insgesamt zeigte das Forschungsprojekt, dass N-P-Silane sehr gute permanente Flammschutzmittel für Textilien sind.
Warum haben wir ausgerechnet einen Roboter für unseren Titel ausgesucht, der starke Ähnlichkeit hat mit Robbi aus „Robbi, Tobbi und das Fliewatüüt“. Ein Roboter aus den 80ern als Sinnbild für die Zukunft der Arbeit? Nicht ganz. Er steht vielmehr für die Anfänge der Automatisierung, mit der das Ende der Arbeit prophezeit wurde. Heute schaut sein moderner, agiler Nachfolger keck ums Eck. Der „Robbi“ von heute ist hervorgegangen aus einer ständigen technologischen Entwicklung, die unsere Arbeitswelt in erheblichem Maße verändert hat und noch verändern wird. Wie Sie sehen werden, war „Robbi“ sehr wandlungsfähig. Doch was bedeutet das für uns? Wie könnte sie aussehen, die Zukunft der Arbeit? Und was verändert sich dadurch für jeden Einzelnen von uns? Diese Fragen haben wir Professorinnen und Professoren aller Fakultäten gestellt. Sie beschäftigen sich in ihrer Forschung mit digitalen Arbeitsmodellen und zukunftsfähigen Bildungskonzepten, mit Krankenhäusern der Zukunft und Künstlicher Intelligenz. Vieles unterscheidet sich, doch vieles ist auch gleich: Es geht um Vertrauen. Was bedeutet die zunehmende Digitalisierung für unsere Arbeitskultur? Es geht um Verantwortung, uns selbst und anderen gegenüber. Es geht um Vielfalt. Wer sind sie, die Arbeitskräfte von morgen? Es geht um Vernetzung, denn die ist in einer digitalen Welt allgegenwärtig. Für uns als Hochschule ist die „Zukunft der Arbeit“ ein besonders wichtiges Thema, denn unsere Studierenden heute werden sich morgen in dieser neuen Arbeitswelt bewegen und sie gestalten. Welche Kompetenzen müssen wir Ihnen vermitteln? Das ist eine Frage, die wir uns immer wieder neu stellen.
Im Lernzentrum der Hochschule Reutlingen werden die Dienste und Services der Hochschulbibliothek und des Rechen- und Medienzentrums unter einem Dach angeboten. Das Lernzentrum ist ein Ort zum Lernen und zum gemeinsamen Arbeiten in bestens ausgestatteten Räumen. Das Spektrum reicht von Einzelarbeitsplätzen, Gruppenräumen, Kabinen und Arbeitsinseln bis zu PC-Räumen, einer Lounge und einer Cafeteria.
Mit Auskunfts-, Beratungs- und Schulungsangeboten unterstützen SupportmitarbeiterInnen aus verschiedenen Abteilungen der Hochschule Studierende, Lehrende, Forschende, AnwärterInnen und MitarbeiterInnen dabei, ihren Studien- und Berufsalltag zu meistern.
Nanocoatings based on sol–gel coatings are presented as suitable tool to modify materials based on polymers. The main focus is set onto textiles as the most common polymer materials. It presents which types of functionalization can be reached by modified sol–gel processes. Also a suitable categorization of functions is given and set into relation to common applications. A special focus is set on the functional properties, antimicrobial, UV protective, and flame retardant. The concept of bifunctional coatings is discussed and especially the combination of water-repellent and antistatic is presented.
Given the increasing internationalisation of higher education, universities compete more and more not only for national but even more for international students. Selecting the best candidates from the pool of international applicants is a challenge. In our study, we analysed which criteria are best to predict the academic performance of students coming from different countries with different education systems, using different grade point average (GPA) standards. Using an administrative data set from an International Business programme at a German university of applied sciences, we explored the predictive power of adjusted high school GPA, IQ test result, interview score and first year grades in English, maths, and statistics.
Annotations of character IDs in news images are critical as ground truth for news retrieval and recommendation system. Universality and accuracy optimization of deep neural network models constitutes the key technology to improve the precision and computing efficiency of automatic news character identification, which is attracting increased attention globally. This paper explores the optimized deep neural network model for automatic focus personage identification in multi-lingual news. First, the face model of the focus personage is trained by using the corresponding face images from German news as positive samples. Next, the scheme of Recurrent Convolutional Neural Network (RCNN) + Bi-directional Long-Short Term Memory (Bi-LSTM) + Conditional Random Field (CRF) is utilized to label the focus name, and the RCNN-RCNN encoder–decoder is applied to translate names of people into multiple languages. Third, face features are described by combining the advantages of Local Gabor Binary Pattern Histogram Sequence (LGBPHS) and RCNN, and iterative quantization (ITQ) is used to binarize codes. Finally, a name semantic network is built for different domains. Experiments are performed on a dataset which comprises approximately 100,000 news images. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a significant improvement over other algorithms.
Durch Design Thinking lassen sich radikale Innovationen schaffen. Es findet jedoch immer in einer bestimmten Unternehmenskultur statt, die wiederum in eine nationale Kultur eingebettet ist. Das hat Auswirkungen auf die Implementierung, da dieses Umfeld förderlich oder hinderlich sein kann. Umgekehrt kann die Unternehmenskultur vom Design Thinking beeinflusst werden.
Viele von uns saßen sicher schon einmal in einer Weiterbildungsveranstaltung, die gefühlt wenig brachte. Erfolgreiche Weiterbildung gelingt, indem Veranstaltungen gezielt an den Wünschen und Bedürfnissen der Nutzer ausgerichtet und geplant werden. Doch wie können persönliche Bedürfnisse der Nutzer von Weiterbildungsangeboten ermittelt und systematisch in die Gestaltung des Angebotes einbezogen werden?
Das Handbuch hilft dabei Weiterbildungsveranstaltungen zu entwickeln, die Teilnehmer motivieren und Wissens- und Kompetenzvermittlung sicherstellen. Die AutorInnen haben ein Methodenset entwickelt, dass die Teilnehmer schon bei der Entwicklung von Bildungsangeboten miteinbezieht und so eine effektive Umsetzung der Teilnehmerorientierung in der Weiterbildung ermöglicht. Im Buch beschreiben sie ihr Vorgehen und geben eine zusammenfassende Anleitung an die Hand.
Der hohe Stellenwert von Energiedienstleistungen steht für Energieversorger außer Zweifel. Der Handlungsbedarf bleibt aber nach wie vor immens, erforderliche Change-Prozesse werden erst in wenigen Fällen aktiv und gezielt gestaltet. Dies sind die zentralen Ergebnisse einer gemeinsamen empirischen Studie vom "Reutlinger Energiezentrum für Dezentrale Energiesysteme und Energieeffizienz (REZ) an der Hochschule Reutlingen und der international tätigen Unternehmensberatung kwp consulting group.
Initial Coin Offering (ICO) und damit verbundene Token spielen bei der Unternehmensfinanzierung eine immer bedeutsamere Rolle. Dies gilt insbesondere im Fall von Start-ups, deren Geschäftsmodell auf der Blockchain-Technologie basiert. Dieser Beitrag stellt die verschiedenen Tokenvarianten im Rahmen eines ICO vor und gibt einen Überblick über den aktuellen rechtlichen Hintergrund.
This paper intends to give an insight on how to develop a customer loyalty-focused gamification concept, that will trigger intrinsic motivation and hence strengthen customer loyalty, using the mobility industry as an example. The authors conducted explorative expert interviews to create a cross-industry process chart that guides the generic development of a customer loyalty-focused gamification concept.
Effektives Risiko-Management sollte neben quantifizierbaren, bekannten Risiken auch Ereignisse berücksichtigen, die entweder in ähnlicher Art bereits eingetreten oder grundsätzlich vorstellbar sind. Für eine Identifikation dieser "Grauen Schwäne" müssen institutionell-organisatorische Voraussetzungen geschaffen und analytisch-konzeptionelle Instrumente bereitgestellt werden.
Bedarfe gezielt erheben
(2021)
Supply chains have become increasingly complex, making it difficult to ensure transparency throughout the whole supply chain. In this context, first approaches came up, adopting the immutable, decentralised, and secure characteristics of the blockchain technology to increase the transparency, security, authenticity, and auditability of assets in supply chains. This paper investigates recent publications combining the blockchain technology and supply chain management and classifies them regarding the complexity to be mapped on the blockchain. As a result, the increase of supply chain transparency is identified as the main objective of recent blockchain projects in supply chain management. Thereby, most of the recent publications deal with simple supply chains and products. The few approaches dealing with complex parts only map sub-areas of supply chains. Currently no example exists which has the aim of increasing the transparency of complex manufacturing supply chains, and which enables the mapping of complex assembly processes, an efficient auditability of all assets, and an implementation of dynamic adjustments.
Innovation-HUBs sind aktuell in Mode. Allerdings beklagen viele Unternehmen, dass der nachhaltige Erfolg aus verschiedenen Gründen nicht ausreichend erzielt wird. Eine Tischtennisplatte und ein Basketballkorb sind eben keine Innovationsgaranten, sondern viel mehr die Mitarbeiter selbst, die ins Zentrum des Innovation-HUBs gestellt werden müssen. Es wird ein Qualifizierungsmodell für die Arbeit in Innovation-HUBs vorgestellt, das auf einem Innovation-HUB-Trainingscenter basiert, das an der Hochschule Reutlingen in der Ausbildung von Studierenden betrieben wird. Hier lernen die Studierenden, wie Sie durch Ihr Verhalten Innovationen treiben oder hemmen und wie sie nachhaltig den Erfolg eines Innovation-HUBs gestalten.
In Deutschland gilt für Abschlussprüfer von Unternehmen des öffentlichen Interesses eine um sogenannte Key Audit Matters erweiterte Berichtspflicht im Bestätigungsvermerk, und zwar bei der Prüfung von Abschlüssen von Geschäftsjahren, die nach dem 16.06.2016 beginnen. Die vorliegende Untersuchung beschäftigt sich mit den Einflussfaktoren für die Anzahl an Key Audit Matters und fokussiert sich dabei auf die Berichtspraxis im Zeitverlauf, indem neben dem Erstanwendungsjahr auch das Folgejahr betrachtet wird. Im Mittelpunkt steht eine multivariate Analyse, sie zeigt, dass die Zugehörigkeit zu bestimmten Branchen, bestimmt beauftragte Abschlussprüfer. Die Unternehmensgröße, die Erstanwendung neuer IFRS-Regelungen und die im Vorjahr berichtete Anzahl an Key Audit Matters im Vergleich zum Branchendurchschnitt des Vorjahres signifikanten Einfluss auf die Veränderung der Anzahl der Key Audit Matters im Zeitablauf haben. Dabei werden die im DAX 30, MDAX und SDAX notierten Unternehmen betrachtet.
Public enterprises find themselves in increasingly competitive markets, a situation that makes having an entrepreneurial orientation (EO) an urgent need, given that EO is an indispensable driver of performance. Research describes politicians delaying the strategic change of public enterprises when serving as board members, but empirical evidence of the impact of board behavior on EO in public enterprises is lacking. We draw on stakeholder-agency theory (SAT) and resource dependence theory (RDT) and use structural equation modeling (SEM) to investigate survey data collected from 110 German energy suppliers that are majority government owned. Results indicate that board strategy control and board networking do not seem to predict EO on first sight. Closer analysis reveals a board networking–EO relationship depending on ownership structure. Remarkably, we find that it is not the usually suspected local municipal owner who hinders EO in our sample organizations but minority shareholders engaging in board networking activities. The results shed light on the intersection of governance and entrepreneurship with special reference to the fine-grained conceptualization of RDT.
Der betriebswirtschaftlichen Forschung in der Textil- und Bekleidungsindustrie gelingt es nicht, Lösungen zu erarbeiten, die das Nachhaltigkeitsproblem der Branche lösen. Dies liegt primär an der Art und Weise, wie in unserem Fachbereich geforscht wird. In Anbetracht der Problemstellung kann der starke Fokus auf empirische Arbeiten nur eine begrenzte Hilfestellung leisten. Denn empirische Forschung erfolgt innerhalb der bestehenden Denkmuster und ist tendenziell gegenwarts- oder vergangenheitsorientiert. Für die Lösung zukunftsorientierter Fragestellungen werden jedoch völlig neue Parameter und Logiken benötigt. Ein Umdenken ist gefragt.
The situation in the markets is changing rapidly and competition in the business sector is increasing rapidly. As a result, corporate marketing decisions are based on creating greater value for the consumer, which creates competitiveness and provides an advantage in competing for future customer loyalty. The purpose of this study is to determine whether there is a link between marketing communication tools and consumer perceived value in pursuit of consumer loyalty. Qualitative (observational research) and quantitative (a questionnaire survey) research methods were used to investigate the problem empirically. The observational research elucidated the value provided to the consumer by the research objects through marketing communication tools, supplementing the key questions for the quantitative study. Correlation and regression analysis were used in the study, with the results showing a statistically significant relationship between marketing communication tools and consumer perceived value in terms of user loyalty. It has also been determined that the greatest and strongest relationship in consumer value creation through marketing communication tools is the appropriate, mutually coordinated and complementary use of a package of marketing communication tools to achieve synergies that create the preconditions for increasing consumer loyalty in a competitive market.
Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) haben in jüngerer Vergangenheit ein bedeutsames Volumen im Rahmen der Emissionsfinanzierung erlangt. Sie basieren im Wesentlichen auf der Blockchain-Technologie, besitzen aber gleichzeitig typische Charakteristika von Finanzierungsinstrumenten aus der „analogen Welt“. Dieser Beitrag stellt die Varianten von Coins bzw. Token zunächst dar und zeigt darauf aufbauend die inhaltliche Verbindung zu analogen Finanzierungsinstrumenten und deren Systematisierung im Kontext der Unternehmensfinanzierung auf. Dies ermöglicht sowohl Investoren als auch Emittenten einen Vergleich zwischen diesen neuartigen Finanzierungsalternativen und den klassischen Finanzierungsinstrumenten. Unser Beitrag zeigt, dass auch in der Welt der Token der Dreigliederung aus Eigen-, Fremd- und Mezzaninfinanzierung im Hinblick auf ihre Ausgestaltung gefolgt werden kann, die Instrumente jedoch durchgehend der Außenfinanzierung zuzuordnen sind. Eine besondere hybride Stellung nehmen Nutzungstoken ein, die bereits aufgrund Ihrer Grundstruktur im Vorhinein nicht eindeutig einer Kapitalart zugeordnet werden können.
Access to clinical information during interventions is an important aspect to support the surgeon and his team in the OR. The OR-Pad research project aims at displaying clinically relevant information close to the patient during surgery. With the OR-Pad system, the surgeon shall be able to access case-specific information, displayed on a sterile-packaged, portable display device. Therefore, information shall be prepared before surgery and also be available afterwards. The project follows an user-centered design process. Within the third iteration, the interaction concept was finalized, resulting in an application that can be used in two modes, mobile and intraoperative, to support the surgeon before/after and during surgery, respectively. By supporting the surgeon perioperatively, it is expected to improve the information situation in the OR and thereby the quality of surgical results. Based on this concept, the system architecture was designed in detail, using a client-server architecture. Components, communication interfaces, exchanged data, and intended standards for data exchange of the OR-Pad system including connecting systems were conceived. Expert interviews by using a clickable prototype were conducted to evaluate the concepts.
In the IGF project No. 19617 N, nitrogen and phosphorous substituted alkoxysilanes were prepared and their ability to inhibit fire growth and spread for fabrics was explored. To this end, a series of flame retardants were synthesized using different strategies including click chemistry and nucleophilic substitution of commercial organophosphorus compounds with amino-based trialkoxysilanes and/or cyanuric chloride. The new halogen-free and aldehyde-free flame retardants were applied to different fabrics such as cotton (CO), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyamide (PA) and their blends using the well-known pad-dry-cure technique and sol-gel method. The flame-retarding efficiencies were evaluated by EN ISO 15025 test methods (protective clothing-protection against heat and flame method of test for limited flame spread). Good flame retardancy of the hybrid organic-inorganic materials was achieved with the addition of as small amount as 3-5 wt.% for cotton fabrics. Moreover, the water solubility and the washing resistance could be controlled through the functional groups attached to the phosphor atom or through the optimization of the curing temperature. Overall, the research project demonstrated that N-P-silanes are very good permanent flame retardants for textiles.
Knochenleitungshörgerät
(2021)
Bei einem Knochenleitungshörgerät (1) umfassend eine Audioeinheit (2) und einen Hautkontaktteil (3), wobei der Hautkontaktteil (3) eine Klebeschicht (4) zur Befestigung auf der Haut (5) eines Benutzers, ein erstes Kupplungsstück (6) zum Verbinden mit einem gegengleichen zweiten Kupplungsstück (7) der Audioeinheit (2), und einen Schwingungsübertragungsteil (8) mit einer Kontaktfläche (9) zum direkten Kontakt mit der Haut (5) aufweist, wird vorgeschlagen, dass das Schwingungsübertragungsteil (8) in einem Anpassungszustand durch Andrücken an die Haut (5) mit einer ersten Anpresskraft plastisch verformbar ist, dass das Schwingungsübertragungsteil (8) in einem Betriebszustand im Wesentlichen formstabil ist, und dass das Schwingungsübertragungsteil (8) durch einen Verfestigungsschritt von dem Anpassungszustand in den Betriebszustand verbringbar ist.
Adaptation of the business model canvas template to develop business models for the circular economy
(2021)
The Business Model Canvas as a template for strategic management serves the development of new or the documentation of existing linear business models. However, the change towards a Circular Economy requires new value creation structures and thus changed business models. To develop business models for circular economies, it is necessary to adapt the existing template, since the actors involved along the value chain take on changed roles. In the context of this paper, a template is presented, based on the existing Business Model Canvas, which allows to develop and document business models for a Circular Economy.
The incudo-malleal joint (IMJ) in the human middle ear is a true diarthrodial joint and it has been known that the flexibility of this joint does not contribute to better middle-ear sound transmission. Previous studies have proposed that a gliding motion between the malleus and the incus at this joint prevents the transmission of large displacements of the malleus to the incus and stapes and thus contributes to the protection of the inner ear as an immediate response against large static pressure changes. However, dynamic behavior of this joint under static pressure changes has not been fully revealed. In this study, effects of the flexibility of the IMJ on middle-ear sound transmission under static pressure difference between the middle-ear cavity and the environment were investigated. Experiments were performed in human cadaveric temporal bones with static pressures in the range of +/- 2 kPa being applied to the ear canal (relative to middle-ear cavity). Vibrational motions of the umbo and the stapes footplate center in response to acoustic stimulation (0.2-8 kHz) were measured using a 3D-Laser Doppler vibrometer for (1) the natural IMJ and (2) the IMJ with experimentally-reduced flexibility. With the natural condition of the IMJ, vibrations of the umbo and the stapes footplate center under static pressure loads were attenuated at low frequencies below the middle-ear resonance frequency as observed in previous studies. After the flexibility of the IMJ was reduced, additional attenuations of vibrational motion were observed for the umbo under positive static pressures in the ear canal (EC) and the stapes footplate center under both positive and negative static EC pressures. The additional attenuation of vibration reached 4~7 dB for the umbo under positive static EC pressures and the stapes footplate center under negative EC pressures, and 7~11 dB for the stapes footplate center under positive EC pressures. The results of this study indicate an adaptive mechanism of the flexible IMJ in the human middle ear to changes of static EC pressure by reducing the attenuation of the middle-ear sound transmission. Such results are expected to be used for diagnosis of the IMJ stiffening and to be applied to design of middle-ear prostheses.
Die zunehmende Technologie- und Produktkomplexität führen dazu, dass sich immer mehr Unternehmen für ihre F&E mit externen Organisationen vernetzen. So entstehen interorganisationale F&E-Projekte, welche temporäre Organisationen darstellen. Forschungsfragen zu diesen Projekten sind u.a. hinsichtlich der Praktiken und Verhaltensregeln offen. Über ein kulturbewusstes Projektmanagement können kooperations- und innovationsförderliche Praktiken und Verhaltensregeln aufgebaut werden, die für diese F&E-Projekte essenziell sind. So ist die Forschungsfrage dieses Beitrags, wie ein projektkulturbewusstes Management interorganisationaler F&E-Projekte erfolgen kann. Dafür wird auf Basis der theoretischen Grundlagen zum F&E-Projektmanagement, zu menschlichen Handlungssystemen und Ebenen der Zusammenarbeit, zu Kultur und Verhalten ein projektkulturbewusstes Management-Modell entwickelt. Das Modell umfasst zwei Teile. Im ersten Teil wird der Bereich aufgezeigt, in welchem sich die Projektkultur entwickelt. Im zweiten Teil wird aufgezeigt, wie die Faktoren für ein wahrscheinlich kooperatives und innovatives Verhalten innerhalb dieses Bereiches gestaltet werden sollten.
The paper explains a workflow to simulate the food energy water (FEW) nexus for an urban district combining various data sources like 3D city models, particularly the City Geography Markup Language (CityGML) data model from the Open Geospatial Consortium, Open StreetMap and Census data. A long term vision is to extend the CityGML data model by developing a FEW Application Domain Extension (FEW ADE) to support future FEW simulation workflows such as the one explained in this paper. Together with the mentioned simulation workflow, this paper also identifies some necessary FEW related parameters for the future development of a FEW ADE. Furthermore, relevant key performance indicators are investigated, and the relevant datasets necessary to calculate these indicators are studied. Finally, different calculations are performed for the downtown borough Ville-Marie in the city of Montréal (Canada) for the domains of food waste (FW) and wastewater (WW) generation. For this study, a workflow is developed to calculate the energy generation from anaerobic digestion of FW and WW. In the first step, the data collection and preparation was done. Here relevant data for georeferencing, data for model set-up, and data for creating the required usage libraries, like food waste and wastewater generation per person, were collected. The next step was the data integration and calculation of the relevant parameters, and lastly, the results were visualized for analysis purposes. As a use case to support such calculations, the CityGML level of detail two model of Montréal is enriched with information such as building functions and building usages from OpenStreetMap. The calculation of the total residents based on the CityGML model as the main input for Ville-Marie results in a population of 72,606. The statistical value for 2016 was 89,170, which corresponds to a deviation of 15.3%. The energy recovery potential of FW is about 24,024 GJ/year, and that of wastewater is about 1,629 GJ/year, adding up to 25,653 GJ/year. Relating values to the calculated number of inhabitants in Ville-Marie results in 330.9 kWh/year for FW and 22.4 kWh/year for wastewater, respectively.
Successful transitions to a sustainable bioeconomy require novel technologies, processes, and practices as well as a general agreement about the overarching normative direction of innovation. Both requirements necessarily involve collective action by those individuals who purchase, use, and co-produce novelties: the consumers. Based on theoretical considerations borrowed from evolutionary innovation economics and consumer social responsibility, we explore to what extent consumers’ scope of action is addressed in the scientific bioeconomy literature. We do so by systematically reviewing bioeconomy-related publications according to (i) the extent to which consumers are regarded as passive vs. active, and (ii) different domains of consumer responsibility (depending on their power to influence economic processes). We find all aspects of active consumption considered to varying degrees but observe little interconnection between domains. In sum, our paper contributes to the bioeconomy literature by developing a novel coding scheme that allows us to pinpoint different aspects of consumer activity, which have been considered in a rather isolated and undifferentiated manner. Combined with our theoretical considerations, the results of our review reveal a central research gap which should be taken up in future empirical and conceptual bioeconomy research. The system-spanning nature of a sustainable bioeconomy demands an equally holistic exploration of the consumers’ prospective and shared responsibility for contributing to its coming of age, ranging from the procurement of information on bio-based products and services to their disposal.
Comparative analysis of the R&D efficiency of 14 leading pharmaceutical companies for the years 1999–2018 shows that there is a close positive correlation between R&D spending and the two investigated R&D output parameters, approved NMEs and the cumulative impact factor of their publications. In other words, higher R&D investments (input) were associated with higher R&D output. Second, our analyses indicate that there are "economies of scale" (size) in pharmaceutical R&D.
The isothermal curing of melamine resin is investigated by in-line infrared spectroscopy at different temperatures. The infrared spectra are decomposed into time courses of characteristic spectral patterns using Multivariate Curve Resolution (MCR). It was found that depending on the applied curing temperature, melamine films with different spectral fingerprints and correspondingly different chemical network structures are formed. The network structures of fully cured resin films are specific for the applied curing temperatures used and cannot simply be compensated by changes in the curing time. For industrial curing processes, this means that cure temperature is the main system determining factor at constant M:F ratio. However, different MF resin networks can be specifically obtained from one and the same melamine resin by suitable selection of the curing time and temperatures profiles to design resin functionality. The spectral fingerprints after short curing time as well as after long curing time reflect the fundamental differences in the thermoset networks that can be obtained with industrial short-cycle and multi-daylight presses.
Towards Automated Surgical Documentation using automatically generated checklists from BPMN models
(2021)
The documentation of surgeries is usually created from memory only after the operation, which is an additional effort for the surgeon and afflicted with the possibility of imprecisely, shortend reports. The display of process steps in the form of checklists and the automatic creation of surgical documentation from the completed process steps could serve as a reminder, standardize the surgical procedure and save time for the surgeon. Based on two works from Reutlingen University, which implemented the creation of dynamic checklists from Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) models and the storage of times at which a process step was completed, a prototype was developed for an android tablet, to expand the dynamic checklists by functions such as uploading photos and files, manual user entries, the interception of foreseeable deviations from the normal course of operations and the automatic creation of OR documentation.
Purpose
Computerized medical imaging processing assists neurosurgeons to localize tumours precisely. It plays a key role in recent image-guided neurosurgery. Hence, we developed a new open-source toolkit, namely Slicer-DeepSeg, for efficient and automatic brain tumour segmentation based on deep learning methodologies for aiding clinical brain research.
Methods
Our developed toolkit consists of three main components. First, Slicer-DeepSeg extends the 3D Slicer application and thus provides support for multiple data input/ output data formats and 3D visualization libraries. Second, Slicer core modules offer powerful image processing and analysis utilities. Third, the Slicer-DeepSeg extension provides a customized GUI for brain tumour segmentation using deep learning-based methods.
Results
The developed Slicer-DeepSeg was validated using a public dataset of high-grade glioma patients. The results showed that our proposed platform’s performance considerably outperforms other 3D Slicer cloud-based approaches.
Conclusions
Developed Slicer-DeepSeg allows the development of novel AI-assisted medical applications in neurosurgery. Moreover, it can enhance the outcomes of computer-aided diagnosis of brain tumours. Open-source Slicer-DeepSeg is available at github.com/razeineldin/Slicer-DeepSeg.
Die Bereitstellung klinischer Informationen im Operationssaal ist ein wichtiger Aspekt zur Unterstützung des chirurgischen Teams. Die roboter-assistierte Ösophagusresektion ist ein besonders komplexer Eingriff, der Potenzial zur workflowbasierten Unterstützung bietet. Wir präsentieren erste Ergebnisse der Entwicklung eines Checklisten-Tools mit der zugrundeliegenden Modellierung des chirurgischen Workflows und Informationsbedarf der Chirurgen. Das Checklisten-Tool zeigt hierfür die durchzuführenden Schritte chronologisch an und stellt zusätzliche Informationen kontextadaptiert bereit. Eine automatische Dokumentation von Start- und Endzeiten einzelner OP-Phasen und Schritte soll zukünftige Prozessanalysen der Operation ermöglichen.
Flexible KWK – aber wie?
(2021)
Es ist mittlerweile unstrittig, dass Kraft-Wärme-Kopplungs-Anlagen (KWK-Anlagen) zunehmend flexible betrieben werden müssen. Nur so kann es gelingen, die Anlagen optimal in das elektrische Energiesystem einzubinden, beispielsweise zur Deckung der Residuallast oder zur Unterstützung der Verteilnetze, und damit zur Umsetzung der Energiewende beizutragen. Auch der Gesetzgeber fordert den flexiblen Betrieb durch die Absenkung der förderfähigen Betriebsstunden im KWK-Gesetz ein. Um vor diesem Hintergrund jedoch parallel die Deckung des erforderlichen Wärmebedarfs unter Gewährleistung der hohen Effizienz der KWK sicherzustellen, ist eine intelligente Steuerung der Geräte erforderlich. Zu diesem Zweck ist an der Hochschule Reutlingen ein vorausschauender Steuerungsalgorithmus zum „stromoptimierten“ und netzdienlichen“ Betrieb von KWK-Anlagen bei voller Nutzung der KWK-Wärme als Alternative zum standardmäßig anzutreffenden wärmegeführten Betrieb entwickelt worden.
Für die erfolgreiche Umsetzung der Energiewende in Deutschland ist die Kraft-Wärme-Kopplung (KWK) aufgrund ihrer hohen Effizienz und Flexibilität nicht mehr wegzudenken. Um die verfügbare Flexibilität einer KWK-Anlage unter Gewährleistung ihrer hohen Effizienz optimal nutzen zu können, ist an der Hochschule Reutlingen in mehrjährigen Forschungsarbeit ein prognosebasierter Steuerungsalgorithmus für Blockheizkraftwerke (BHKW) in Verbindung mit Wärmespeichern entwickelt worden.
Unprecedented formation of sterically stabilized phospholipid liposomes of cuboidal morphology
(2021)
Sterically stabilized phospholipid liposomes of unprecedented cuboid morphology are formed upon introduction in the bilayer membrane of original polymers, based on polyglycidol bearing a lipid-mimetic residue. Strong hydrogen bonding in the polyglycidol sublayers creates attractive forces, which, facilitated by fluidization of the membrane, bring about the flattening of the bilayers and the formation of cuboid vesicles.
Die vorliegende Aufgabensammlung beinhaltet Übungsaufgaben, die im Rahmen der Vorlesung Fluidmechnik (4 Semesterwochenstunden einschließlich der Übungsveranstaltungen) im 3. Semester des Bachelorstudiengangs Maschinenbau an der Fakultät Technik der Hochschule Reutlingen behandelt werden. Im Bachelorstudiengang Maschinenbau ist keine Spezialisierung vorgesehen und daher erfolgt die Vermittlung von Lehrinhalten aus allen wesentlichen Bereichen des Maschinenbaus.
Automotive technology is in a state of upheaval. IN the field of human machine interface (HMI), the increasing interaction between vehicles, users, and the Internet results in an increment of controls needed, which ultimately has a negative impact on usability and overall car weight. An interdisciplinary team of researchers has been developing for the past two years more intuitive and lighter in-car user interfaces through smart textiles at Reutlingen University. With the newly developed operating and feedback properties, a 1:1 demonstrator was realized and then integrated into a car driving simulator.
Aufgrund der zunehmenden Individualisierung von Produkten mit hoher Variantenvielfalt stellt die aktive Integration von intelligenten Produkten in die Prozesssteuerung eine hilfreiche Möglichkeit zur Nutzung von Flexibilisierungs- und Rationalisierungspotenzialen in der Fertigung dar. In diesem Beitrag wird eine Methode zur Analyse und Bewertung der Einsatzpotenziale von Produktklassen mit unterschiedlichen Fähigkeiten vorgestellt und anhand eines praktischen Anwendungsfall evaluiert.
Lehre und Lernen unterliegt einem stetigen Wandel, wobei Interaktion als ein zentrales Element der Motivationssteigerung im Lernkontext angesehen wird. Der vorliegende Beitrag zeigt verschiedene Ansätze zur Gestaltung von interaktivem und kollaborativem Lehren und Lernen in einem virtuellen Klassenzimmer auf und stellt ein Beispiel für die Umsetzung und den Einsatz eines solchen Systems vor. Die Mehrwerte und Erfolgsfaktoren, die sich beim Einsatz virtueller Klassenzimmer und deren Gestaltung in Form einer interaktiven blended-learning Umgebung ergeben, werden dargestellt und diskutiert. Mit dem System Accelerator wird eine CSILT (Computer Supported Interactive Learning and Teaching)-Umgebung vorgestellt, in der diese Faktoren zum Einsatz kommen.
Avatars are in use when interacting in virtual environments in different contexts, in collaborative work, as well as in gaming and also in virtual meetings with friends. Therefore it is important to understand how the relationship between user and avatar works. In this study, an online survey is used to determine how the perception of an avatar changes in different contexts by relating it to existing avatar relationship typologies. Additionally, it is determined whether in each context a realistic, abstract or comic-like representation is preferred by the participants. One result was a preference of low poly representations in the work context, which are associated with the perception of the avatar as a tool. In the context of meeting friends, a realistic representation is perceived as more appropriate, which is perceived as an accurate self-representation. In the gaming context, the results are less clear, which can be attributed to different gaming preferences. Here, unlike in the other contexts, a comic-like representation is also perceived as appropriate, which is associated with the perception of the avatar as a friend. A symbiotic user-avatar relationship is not directly related to any form of representation, but always lies in the midfield, which is attributed to the fact that it represents a whole spectrum between other categories.
This study determines the correlation between industry-specific success patterns of Germany’s engineering industry and the business models applied within. In order to identify this correlation, the following objectives are addressed within the framework of this paper: (1) identification and description of business models used by Germany’s engineering industry; (2) analysis of industry-specific success patterns of Germany’s engineering industry by the usage of Key-Performance-Indicators (KPIs); and (3) determination of correlation between the KPIs and Germany’s engineering industry’s business models’ effectiveness. These objectives are mainly achieved by literature research and expert surveys. The findings highlight the KPIs (overall 41) that are relevant for the respective business models. This enables a better understanding of the interrelationships of the business model, in order to derive relevant conclusions. The paper contributes to the literature as it advances this field of research in Germany, and it is one of the first studies to examine the relationship between business models and industry-specific success patterns with relevant KPIs.
Reacting to ever-changing business environments, in the last decade complex systems of systems accomplished giant leaps forward leading to great technological flexibility. However, this dimension of flexibility is often limited by the rigidity of super-ordinated planning systems. Especially when hybrid teams of automated and human resources are in place, the dynamic assignment of tasks taking into account ergonomics remains a challenge. After exposing a gap in the state of the art on the topic, this paper presents an approach to include ergonomics in dynamic resource allocation models. Combining and complementing existing approaches, the presented method monitors the actual ergonomic burden of the resources during a shift and it provides a linear optimization model to steer the resource allocation process.
Autonomisierung von Shopfloor Management : Der Weg vom analogen zum autonomen Shopfloor Management
(2021)
Neue Technologien der Digitalisierung, Vernetzung und künstlichen Intelligenz werden zunehmend auch im Shopfloor Management (SFM) Einzug halten. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt in vier Stufen, wie sich das klassische SFM über das digitale SFM hin zu einem smarten und autonomen SFM entwickeln könnte. Darauf aufbauend wird diskutiert, welche Auswirkungen der Einsatz dieser neuen Technologien auf die operative Gestaltung der Durchführung eines SFM hätte und welche Konsequenzen somit auf Mitarbeiter und Führungskräfte zukommen würden.*)
Silicon photonic micro-ring resonators (MRR) developed on the silicon-on-insulator (SOI) platform, owing to their high sensitivity and small footprint, show great potential for many chemical and biological sensing applications such as label-free detection in environmental monitoring, biomedical engineering, and food analysis. In this tutorial, we provide the theoretical background and give design guidelines for SOI-based MRR as well as examples of surface functionalization procedures for label-free detection of molecules. After introducing the advantages and perspectives of MRR, fundamentals of MRR are described in detail, followed by an introduction to the fabrication methods, which are based on a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technology. Optimization of MRR for chemical and biological sensing is provided, with special emphasis on the optimization of waveguide geometry. At this point, the difference between chemical bulk sensing and label-free surface sensing is explained, and definitions like waveguide sensitivity, ring sensitivity, overall sensitivity as well as the limit of detection (LoD) of MRR are introduced. Further, we show and explain chemical bulk sensing of sodium chloride (NaCl) in water and provide a recipe for label-free surface sensing.
Interkulturelles Management
(2021)
Kultur lässt sich beschreiben als „kollektive Programmierung des Geistes, die die Mitglieder einer Gruppe oder Kategorie von Menschen von anderen unterscheidet“ (Hofstede/Hofstede/Minkov, S.6). Die Muster des Glaubens, Denkens, Fühlens und Handelns, die diese mentalen Programme oder kulturellen Denkweisen ausmachen, werden von den Gruppenmitgliedern im Rahmen ihres Sozialisierungsprozesses erlernt. Sie sind die gemeinsamen „ungeschriebenen Regeln“, wie Dinge in diesem sozialen Umfeld gehandhabt werden (vgl. Hofstede/Hofstede/Minkov, S.6). Die Art und Weise, wie sich Menschen in einer bestimmten Kultur verhalten, ihre Praktiken und Normen, ist daher nicht willkürlich, sondern wird in hohem Maße von diesen erlernten Prinzipien und Werten beeinflusst. Das Wissen über eine Kultur ermöglicht es, Reaktionen ihrer Mitglieder zu erklären und vorherzusagen (vgl. Lewis, S. XII).
Already more than 75 countries pledged to become climate neutral by 2050 and the share of global emissions falling into an emission pricing scheme has steeply increased over the past two years. Even where there are no direct implications for industry (yet), there is a series of subtle pressure points driving an increasing number of companies across the globe to work towards climate neutrality and pledging ambitious carbon reduction goals.
This article sheds light on what the pressure points are, what the subtle triggers and what the underlying considerations, as well as hoped-for benefits of industrial companies to achieve decarbonisation. The observations and ideas presented in this paper are derived from quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative data was collected within the framework of Energy Efficiency Index of German Industry (EEI). The qualitative data has been collected from interviews in industrial organisations and media documents as well as from professional practice.
Not only societal, work force, supply chain and investor expectations play a large role, but also many strategic considerations which have the potential to make the business more resilient and profitable. Those companies that do not move towards decarbonisation on the other hand may face a costly late mover disadvantage.
This piece uncovers subtle interconnections helping stakeholders from industry and beyond to grasp opportunities and challenges ahead. Taking account of these calls for rethinking economic viability calculations and investment decision making. Doing so may subsequently lead to on-site carbon reduction measures being prioritised to decarbonise effectively.
The disruptive potential of digital transformation (DT) has been widely discussed in scholarly literature and practitioner-oriented discourses. The management control (MC) function is an important corporate function, as it provides transparency on the economic situation of a firm. DT challenges MC in a two-fold and reciprocal nature as it (i) changes the MC function itself as well as (ii) the entire firm and its business models, which needs to be accompanied by the MC function. Given the complexity and variety of phenomena within the developments in the context of DT, a comprehensive management approach is essential. Surprisingly, there exist few convincing approaches, which support a comprehensive management of the DT. The objectives of this paper are therefore to discuss the impact of DT on MC, as well as, to develop a framework to control DT of an organization from a MC perspective. Based on a literature review and conceptual research, our study contributes to knowledge by proposing an initial, preliminary conceptual framework to manage DT, from a MC perspective. The framework highlights important dimensions that should be considered in the management of DT, for example related to processes and MC instruments.
Covid-19 und die Maßnahmen zu Eindämmung der Pandemie wirkten für viele Menschen lebensverändernd und zwangen Unternehmen zu teilweise substantiellen Anpassungen ihrer gewohnten Praktiken. Sie führten jedoch auch zu Veränderungen, die sich weitgehend außerhalb der öffentlichen Wahrnehmung vollzogen haben. Ein Beispiel hierfür ist die deutliche Verschiebung der Kraftverhältnisse im Markt für Bannerwerbung, auf dem sich sowohl für Werbetreibende, als auch für Vermarkter zu deutlichen Veränderungen kam. Gleichzeitig verändert sich der Markt strukturell. Es kommt derzeit zu einer Professionalisierung, bei der Werbetreibende heute die richtigen Weichen stellen müssen, um in Zukunft zu den Gewinnern in diesem Markt zu zählen. Dieser Report fasst die wichtigen strukturellen und Corona-bedingten Veränderungen zusammen und erklärt die Implikationen für Werbetreibende.
In diesem Buch erfahren Sie eine neue wirkungsvolle Lernmethode, um auf eine realitätsnahe und nachhaltige Art Inhalte zu vermitteln, Teilnehmende zu begeistern und sich von anderen Anbietern zu unterscheiden.
Begeistern Sie Ihre Teilnehmenden und Coachees durch prototypische Strukturaufstellungen in Ihren Trainings und Beratungen. Mit dieser modernen Methode erreichen Sie wirkungsvolle und nachhaltigere Lernfortschritte bei den Teilnehmenden. Der Transfer in die Praxis beginnt bereits während des Lernprozesses.
Prototypische Strukturaufstellungen simulieren typische Situationen in Organisationen. Dabei werden Themen aufgegriffen und aufgestellt, die mehrere Teilnehmende im Berufsalltag betreffen. Diese Methode wird für eine lebendige Simulation genutzt, um Verbindungen aufzuzeigen sowie Verhaltensweisen und Handlungsoptionen auszuprobieren und zu reflektieren: ähnlich wie in einem Flugsimulator. Dabei haben die Teilnehmenden die Möglichkeit, aktive und realitätsnah zu lernen. Erkenntnisse und Lösungen werden auf eine überraschende und nachhaltige Art gewonnen.
The seamless fusion of the virtual world of information with the real physical world of things is considered the key for mastering the increasing complexity of production networks in the context of Industry 4.0. This fusion, widely referred to as the Internet of Things (IoT), is primarily enabled through the use of automatic identification (Auto-ID) technologies as an interface between the two worlds. Existing Auto-ID technologies almost exclusively rely on artificial features or identifiers that are attached to an object for the sole purpose of identification. In fact, using artificial features for the purpose of identification causes additional efforts and is not even always applicable. This paper, therefore, follows an approach of using multiple natural object features defined by the technical product information from computer-aided design (CAD) models for direct identification. By extending optical instance-level 3D-Object recognition by means of additional non-optical sensors, a multi-sensor automatic identification system (AIS) is realised, capable of identifying unpackaged piece goods without the need for artificial identifiers. While the implementation of a prototype confirms the feasibility of the approach, first experiments show improved accuracy and distinctiveness in identification compared to optical instance-level 3D-Object recognition. This paper aims to introduce the concept of multisensor identification and to present the prototype multi-sensor AIS.
Classification model of supply chain events regarding their transferability to blockchain technology
(2021)
The blockchain technology represents a decentralized database that stores information securely in immutable data blocks. Regarding supply chain management, these characteristics offer potentials in increasing supply chain transparency, visibility, automation, and efficiency. In this context, first token-based mapping approaches exist to transfer certain supply chain events to the blockchain, such as the creation or assembly of parts as well as their transfer of ownership. However, the decentralized and immutable structure of blockchain technology also creates challenges. In particular, the scalability, storage capacity, and the special requirements for storage formats make it currently impossible to map all supply chain events unrestrictedly on the blockchain. As a first step, this paper identifies important supply chain events for different use cases combining blockchain technology and supply chain management. Secondly, the supply chain events are classified in terms of their expected technical properties and their relevance for the respective use case. Finally, the identified supply chain events are evaluated regarding their transferability to blockchain technology and a classification model is introduced.
This paper covers test and verification of a forecast-based Monte Carlo algorithm for an optimized, demand-oriented operation of combined heat and power (CHP) units using the hardware-in-the-loop approach. For this purpose, the optimization algorithm was implemented at a test bench at Reutlingen University for controlling a CHP unit in combination with a thermal energy storage, both in real hardware. In detail, the hardware-in-the-loop tests are intended to reveal the effects of demand forecasting accuracy, the impact of thermal energy storage capacity and the influence of load profiles on demand-oriented operation of CHP units. In addition, the paper focuses on the evaluation of the content of energy in the thermal energy storage under practical conditions. It is shown that a 5-layer model allows to determine the energy stored quite accurately, which is verified by experimental results. The hardware-in-the-loop tests disclose that demand forecasting accuracies, especially electricity demand forecasting, as well as load profiles strongly impact the potential for CHP electricity utilization on-site in demand-oriented mode. Moreover, it is shown that a larger effective capacity of the thermal energy storage positively affects demand-oriented operation. In the hardware-in-the-loop tests, the fraction of electricity generated by the CHP unit utilized on-site could thus be increased by a maximum of 27% compared to heat-led operation, which is still the most common modus operandi of small-scale CHP plants. Hence, the hardware-in-the-loop tests were adequate to prove the significant impact of the proposed algorithm for optimization of demand-oriented operation of CHP units.
The main aim of presented in this manuscript research is to compare the results of objective and subjective measurement of sleep quality for older adults (65+) in the home environment. A total amount of 73 nights was evaluated in this study. Placing under the mattress device was used to obtain objective measurement data, and a common question on perceived sleep quality was asked to collect the subjective sleep quality level. The achieved results confirm the correlation between objective and subjective measurement of sleep quality with the average standard deviation equal to 2 of 10 possible quality points.
Health monitoring in a home environment can have broader use since it may provide continuous control of health parameters with relatively minor intrusiveness into regular life. This work aims to verify if it is possible to replace the typical in some sleep medicine areas subjective questioning by an objective measurement using electronic devices. For this purpose, a study was conducted with ten subjects, in which objective and subjective measurement of relevant sleep parameters took place. The results of both measurement methods were evaluated and analyzed. The results showed that while for some measures, such as Total Time in Bed, there is a high agreement between objective and subjective measurements, for others, such as sleep quality, there are significant differences. For this reason, currently, a combination of both measurement methods may be beneficial and provide the most detailed results, while a partial replacement can already reduce the number of questions at the subjective measurement by measurement through electronic devices.
The present work proposes the use of modern ICT technologies such as smartphones, NFCs, internet, and web technologies, to help patients in carrying out their therapies. The implemented system provides a calendar with a reminder of the assumptions, ensures the drug identification through NFC, allows remote assistance from healthcare staff and family members to check and manage the therapy in real-time. The system also provides centralized information on the patient's therapeutic situation, helpful in choosing new compatible therapies.
Preliminary results of homomorphic deconvolution application to surface EMG signals during walking
(2021)
Homomorphic deconvolution is applied to sEMG signals recorded during walking. Gastrocnemius lateralis and tibialis anterior signals were acquired according to SENIAM recommendation. MUAP parameters like amplitude and scale were estimated, whilst the MUAP shape parameter was fixed. This features a useful time-frequency representation of sEMG signal. Estimation of scale MUAP parameter was verified extracting the mean frequency of filtered EMG signal, extracted from the scale parameter estimated with two different MUAP shape values.
Normal breathing during sleep is essential for people’s health and well-being. Therefore, it is crucial to diagnose apnoea events at an early stage and apply appropriate therapy. Detection of sleep apnoea is a central goal of the system design described in this article. To develop a correctly functioning system, it is first necessary to define the requirements outlined in this manuscript clearly. Furthermore, the selection of appropriate technology for the measurement of respiration is of great importance. Therefore, after performing initial literature research, we have analysed in detail three different methods and made a selection of a proper one according to determined requirements. After considering all the advantages and disadvantages of the three approaches, we decided to use the impedance measurement-based one. As a next step, an initial conceptual design of the algorithm for detecting apnoea events was created. As a result, we developed an activity diagram on which the main system components and data flows are visually represented.
Respiratory diseases are leading causes of death and disability in the world. The recent COVID-19 pandemic is also affecting the respiratory system. Detecting and diagnosing respiratory diseases requires both medical professionals and the clinical environment. Most of the techniques used up to date were also invasive or expensive.
Some research groups are developing hardware devices and techniques to make possible a non-invasive or even remote respiratory sound acquisition. These sounds are then processed and analysed for clinical, scientific, or educational purposes.
We present the literature review of non-invasive sound acquisition devices and techniques.
The results are about a huge number of digital tools, like microphones, wearables, or Internet of Thing devices, that can be used in this scope.
Some interesting applications have been found. Some devices make easier the sound acquisition in a clinic environment, but others make possible daily monitoring outside that ambient. We aim to use some of these devices and include the non-invasive recorded respiratory sounds in a Digital Twin system for personalized health.
This paper presents a machine learning powered, procedural sizing methodology based on pre-computed look-up tables containing operating point characteristics of primitive devices. Several Neural Networks are trained for 90nm and 45nm technologies, mapping different electrical parameters to the corresponding dimensions of a primitive device. This transforms the geometric sizing problem into the domain of circuit design experts, where the desired electrical characteristics are now inputs to the model. Analog building blocks or entire circuits are expressed as a sequence of model evaluations, capturing the sizing strategy and intention of the designer in a procedure, which is reusable across different technology nodes. The methodology is employed for the sizing of two operational amplifiers, and evaluated for two technology nodes, showing the versatility and efficiency of this approach.
Das Weltwirtschaftswachstum der vergangenen Jahrzehnte war durch die Dynamik der Digitalisierung und Globalisierung in den Lieferketten geprägt. Die Corona-Pandemie hat die Abhängigkeit und Verletzlichkeit der Lieferketten offengelegt. Trotz einer Vielzahl verbindlicher Standards haben Unternehmen die Digitalisierung und Arbeitsteilung auch für regulatorische Arbitrage genutzt. Einerseits erhöht das die Effizienz der Wirtschaft - was mithin ökologische Ressourcen schont - andererseits werden damit internationale Standards konterkariert. Globalisierung und Digitalisierung sind Segen und Fluch zugleich.
In this paper, we examine the political gridlock in reforming the Economic and Monetary Union. We utilize a two–stage game with imperfect information in order to study the optimal sequencing. The main results are: first, optimal sequencing requires for incompliant Member States a default option in stage–two, which in principle is related to the today's fiscal architecture (EMU-I). Second, we show that compliant countries prefer a reform equilibrium today if and only if they have a free choice about the preferred fiscal architecture at the end — either EMU-II with binding European coordination or EMU-I related to Maastricht. Noteworthy, our sequencing approach works for any design of the EMU-II architecture.
Das aufsehenerregende Urteil des Bundesverfassungsgerichts in Sachen Staatsanleiheankäufe der Europäischen Zentralbank verlangt eine ökonomische und verfassungsrechtliche Gesamtschau. Vor allem im interdisziplinären Kontext erschließt sich die herausfordernde Abgrenzung der supranationalen Währungspolitik von der nationalen Wirtschaftspolitik. Der im Urteil neuentwickelte Standpunkt ist in der wissenschaftlichen Literatur unterschätzt, obzwar tradierte und neue rechtspolitische Grundsätze für die zukünftige Ausformung der Europäischen Wirtschafts- und Währungsunion subsumiert werden.
Die leistungsfähigen Verfahren des maschinellen Lernens halten unaufhaltsam Einzug in die verschiedensten Anwendungsbereiche im Finanzsektor. Während sie von einer großen Gemeinschaft von Forschern und Anwendern laufend weiterentwickelt werden, nimmt sich auch die Bankenaufsicht dieses Themas aktiv an und bezieht in Richtlinien und Diskussionspapieren Stellung.
The energy sector in Germany, as in many other countries, is undergoing a major transformation. To achieve the climate targets, numerous measures to implement smart energy and resource efficiency are necessary. Therefore, energy companies are experiencing increasing pressure from politics and society to transform their business areas in a sustainable manner and implement smart and sustainable business models. Consequently, numerous resources are expected to flow into the development and implementation of new business models. But often these efforts remain unsuccessful in practice. There is a large amount of literature on barriers and drivers of smart and sustainable business models in the energy sector. But what are the factors that companies struggle with most when developing and implementing new business models in practice? To answer this question, the results of a systematic literature review were evaluated by conducting semi-structured interviews with experts of the German energy sector. Six categories of transformation barriers were identified: Organizational, Financial, Legal, Partner-Network, Societal and Technological barriers. To overcome these barriers, recommendations for action and key success factors are outlined by the experts interviewed. The interview study validates key barriers and drivers in terms of their significance in practice in the German energy sector and makes recommendations to advance the smart and sustainable transformation of the energy sector.
Human bestrophin-1 protein (hBest1) is a transmembrane channel associated with the calcium-dependent transport of chloride ions in the retinal pigment epithelium as well as with the transport of glutamate and GABA in nerve cells. Interactions between hBest1, sphingomyelins, phosphatidylcholines and cholesterol are crucial for hBest1 association with cell membrane domains and its biological functions. As cholesterol plays a key role in the formation of lipid rafts, motional ordering of lipids and modeling/remodeling of the lateral membrane structure, we examined the effect of different cholesterol concentrations on the surface tension of hBest1/POPC (1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) and hBest1/SM Langmuir monolayers in the presence/absence of Ca2+ ions using surface pressure measurements and Brewster angle microscopy studies. Here, we report that cholesterol: (1) has negligible condensing effect on pure hBest1 monolayers detected mainly in the presence of Ca2+ ions, and; (2) induces a condensing effect on composite hBest1/POPC and hBest1/SM monolayers. These results offer evidence for the significance of intermolecular protein–lipid interactions for the conformational dynamics of hBest1 and its biological functions as multimeric ion channel.
Dieser Beitrag entwickelt ein Managementmodell, das Unternehmen dabei unterstützt, relevante Aktionsfelder zur nachhaltigen Steuerung von Konsumenten entlang der eigenen Customer Journey zu identifizieren. Aufbauend auf dem SHIFT-Modell, als strukturelle Abbildung des nachhaltigen Käuferverhaltens, wird die Customer Journey entlang der owned, paid und earned Touchpoints aufgezogen. Mithilfe des faktisch analytischen Ansatzes, der die Integration neuer Erkenntnisse in die Forschungsstrategie unterstützt, werden Aktionsfelder identifiziert, die als grundlegende Logik Unternehmen dazu anleiten sollen, bei der Ausgestaltung der eigenen nachhaltigen Customer Journey dieses Strukturraster anzunehmen.
This paper illustrates the implementation of series connected hardware modules as part of a scalable and modular power electronics device, which is ideally suited in the field of electric vehicles using wide bandgap semiconductor devices. The main benefit of the modular concept is that different current or voltage requirements can be satisfied based on the appropriate series or parallel connection of single modules. The particular design is based on the fact that the single modules generate a continuous and specified output voltage from a given dc voltage. The current work focuses on a brief classification of this work in different series connected concepts of power converters and in particular on an active damping approach for the series connected LC output filters based on inductor current feedback.
A hybrid deep registration of MR scans to interventional ultrasound for neurosurgical guidance
(2021)
Despite the recent advances in image-guided neurosurgery, reliable and accurate estimation of the brain shift still remains one of the key challenges. In this paper, we propose an automated multimodal deformable registration method using hybrid learning-based and classical approaches to improve neurosurgical procedures. Initially, the moving and fixed images are aligned using classical affine transformation (MINC toolkit), and then the result is provided to the convolutional neural network, which predicts the deformation field using backpropagation. Subsequently, the moving image is transformed using the resultant deformation into a moved image. Our model was evaluated on two publicly available datasets: the retrospective evaluation of cerebral tumors (RESECT) and brain images of tumors for evaluation (BITE). The mean target registration errors have been reduced from 5.35 ± 4.29 to 0.99 ± 0.22 mm in the RESECT and from 4.18 ± 1.91 to 1.68 ± 0.65 mm in the BITE. Experimental results showed that our method improved the state-of-the-art in terms of both accuracy and runtime speed (170 ms on average). Hence, the proposed method provides a fast runtime for 3D MRI to intra-operative US pair in a GPU-based implementation, which shows a promise for its applicability in assisting the neurosurgical procedures compensating for brain shift.
Bausparverträge sind kombinierte Spar- und Finanzierungsinstrumente, die für die breite Bevölkerung ausgelegt sind. Im Jahr 2020 umfasste der Bestand an Bausparverträgen in Deutschland ca. 25 Mio. Verträge. Ein wesentlicher Teil der Attraktivität des Bausparvertrags für Kunden liegt in der hohen Flexibilität dieser Finanzprodukte, die im Vertragsablauf eine flexible Anpassung an individuelle Finanzierungsbedingungen ermöglicht. In der Sparphase sind das insbesondere Möglichkeiten zur Erhöhung, Ermäßigung und Teilung der Verträge sowie zur relativ flexiblen Anpassung der Sparrate. Bei einem zuteilungsreifen Vertrag kann die Sparphase innerhalb bestimmter zeitlicher Grenzen fortgesetzt werden. In der Darlehensphase sind flexible Sondertilgungen jederzeit und ohne Vorfälligkeitsentschädigung möglich.
Die Vielzahl eingebetteter Optionen beeinflussen sich wechselseitig und müssen in ihrer Wirkungsweise immer gesamthaft betrachtet und gesteuert werden. Die empirische Erfahrung der letzten Jahrzehnte zeigt bezüglich der Optionsausübung ein Kundenverhalten, das sich zwar an finanzmathematischen Überlegungen orientiert, aber nicht vollständig finanzrational abläuft.
Distributed ledger technologies such as the blockchain technology offer an innovative solution to increase visibility and security to reduce supply chain risks. This paper proposes a solution to increase the transparency and auditability of manufactured products in collaborative networks by adopting smart contract-based virtual identities. Compared with existing approaches, this extended smart contract-based solution offers manufacturing networks the possibility of involving privacy, content updating, and portability approaches to smart contracts. As a result, the solution is suitable for the dynamic administration of complex supply chains.
To correctly assess the cleanliness of technical surfaces in a production process, corresponding online monitoring systems must provide sufficient data. A promising method for fast, large-area, and non-contact monitoring is hyperspectral imaging (HSI), which was used in this paper for the detection and quantification of organic surface contaminations. Depending on the cleaning parameter constellation, different levels of organic residues remained on the surface. Afterwards, the cleanliness was determined by the carbon content in the atom percent on the sample surfaces, characterized by XPS and AES. The HSI data and the XPS measurements were correlated, using machine learning methods, to generate a predictive model for the carbon content of the surface. The regression algorithms elastic net, random forest regression, and support vector machine regression were used. Overall, the developed method was able to quantify organic contaminations on technical surfaces. The best regression model found was a random forest model, which achieved an R2 of 0.7 and an RMSE of 7.65 At.-% C. Due to the easy-to-use measurement and the fast evaluation by machine learning, the method seems suitable for an online monitoring system. However, the results also show that further experiments are necessary to improve the quality of the prediction models.
Employing diffuse reflection ultraviolet visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy we developed an approach that is capable to quantitatively determine flux residues on a technical copper surface. The technical copper surface was soldered with a no-clean flux system of organic acids. By a post-solder cleaning step with different cleaning parameters, various levels of residues were produced. The surface was quantitatively and qualitatively characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Auger electron spectroscopy (AES), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and diffuse reflection UV–Vis spectroscopy. With the use of a multivariate analysis (MVA) we examined the UV–Vis data to create a correlation to the carbon content on the surface. The UV–Vis data could be discriminated for all groups by their level of organic residues. Combined with XPS the data were evaluated by a partial least squares (PLS) regression to establish a model. Based on this predictive model, the carbon content was calculated with an absolute error of 2.7 at.%. Due to the high correlation of predictive model, the easy-to-use measurement and the evaluation by multivariate analysis the developed method seems suitable for an online monitoring system. With this system, flux residues can be detected in a manufacturing cleaning process of technical surfaces after soldering.
Ambitious goals set by the European Union strategy towards the emission reduction of multimodal logistic chains and new requirements for intermodal terminals set by the evolution of customer needs, contribute to a shift in the driver for the infrastructure development: from economy of scale to economy of density. This paper aims to present an innovative method for designing a process oriented technology chain for intermodal terminals in order to fulfill these new demanding requirements. The results of the case study of the Zero Emission Logistic Terminal Reutlingen are presented, highlighting how this particular context enables the design and development of a modular concept, paving the way for the generalization of the findings towards the transfer to similar contexts of other European cities.
Sustainability is a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Business Model is a plan for the successful operation of a business, identifying sources of revenue, the intended customer base, products, and details of financing.
Circular economy is an approach of how a company creates, captures and delivers value, with a value creation logic designed to improve resource efficiency through contributing to extending the useful life of products and parts (e.g., through long-life design, repair and remanufacturing) and closing material loops.
Stetiger Wandel macht auch vor dem Vertriebsprozess deutscher KMU nicht Halt. Evolutive Umwelteinflüsse sowie revolutionäres Handeln stehen im Zentrum eines Umbruchs im Vertrieb. Ergebnisse aus einem quantitativen Stimmungsbarometer deutscher KMU ermöglichen das Ableiten unternehmerischer Handlungsempfehlungen für Vertriebsorganisationen.
This contribution presents a three-phase power stage for motor control with continuous output voltages using wide bandgap semiconductors and an asynchronous delta-sigma based switching signal generation. The focus of the paper is on an active damping approach for the LC output filter based on inductor current feedback.
Purpose
Injury or inflammation of the middle ear often results in the persistent tympanic membrane (TM) perforations, leading to conductive hearing loss (HL). However, in some cases the magnitude of HL exceeds that attributable by the TM perforation alone. The aim of the study is to better understand the effects of location and size of TM perforations on the sound transmission properties of the middle ear.
Methods
The middle ear transfer functions (METF) of six human temporal bones (TB) were compared before and after perforating the TM at different locations (anterior or posterior lower quadrant) and to different degrees (1 mm, ¼ of the TM, ½ of the TM, and full ablation). The sound-induced velocity of the stapes footplate was measured using single-point laser-Doppler-vibrometry (LDV). The METF were correlated with a Finite Element (FE) model of the middle ear, in which similar alterations were simulated.
Results
The measured and calculated METF showed frequency and perforation size dependent losses at all perforation locations. Starting at low frequencies, the loss expanded to higher frequencies with increased perforation size. In direct comparison, posterior TM perforations affected the transmission properties to a larger degree than anterior perforations. The asymmetry of the TM causes the malleus-incus complex to rotate and results in larger deflections in the posterior TM quadrants than in the anterior TM quadrants. Simulations in the FE model with a sealed cavity show that small perforations lead to a decrease in TM rigidity and thus to an increase in oscillation amplitude of the TM mainly above 1 kHz.
Conclusion
Size and location of TM perforations have a characteristic influence on the METF. The correlation of the experimental LDV measurements with an FE model contributes to a better understanding of the pathologic mechanisms of middle-ear diseases. If small perforations with significant HL are observed in daily clinical practice, additional middle ear pathologies should be considered. Further investigations on the loss of TM pretension due to perforations may be informative.
The integration of renewable energy sources in single family homes is challenging. Advance knowledge of the demand of electrical energy, heat, and domestic hot water (DHW) is useful to schedule projectable devices like heat pumps. In this work, we consider demand time series for heat and DHW from 2018 for a single family home in Germany. We compare different forecasting methods to predict such demands for the next day. While the 1-day-back forecast method led to the prediction of heat demand, the N-day-average performed best for DHW demand when Unbiased Exponentially Moving Average (UEMA) is used with a memory of 2.5 days. This is surprising as these forecasting methods are very simple and do not leverage additional information sources such as weather forecasts.
Hyperspectral imaging and reflectance spectroscopy in the range from 200–380 nm were used to rapidly detect and characterize copper oxidation states and their layer thicknesses on direct bonded copper in a non-destructive way. Single-point UV reflectance spectroscopy, as a well-established method, was utilized to compare the quality of the hyperspectral imaging results. For the laterally resolved measurements of the copper surfaces an UV hyperspectral imaging setup based on a pushbroom imager was used. Six different types of direct bonded copper were studied. Each type had a different oxide layer thickness and was analyzed by depth profiling using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. In total, 28 samples were measured to develop multivariate models to characterize and predict the oxide layer thicknesses. The principal component analysis models (PCA) enabled a general differentiation between the sample types on the first two PCs with 100.0% and 96% explained variance for UV spectroscopy and hyperspectral imaging, respectively. Partial least squares regression (PLS-R) models showed reliable performance with R2c = 0.94 and 0.94 and RMSEC = 1.64 nm and 1.76 nm, respectively. The developed in-line prototype system combined with multivariate data modeling shows high potential for further development of this technique towards real large-scale processes.
A laboratory prototype for hyperspectral imaging in ultra-violet (UV) region from 225 to 400 nm was developed and used to rapidly characterize active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in tablets. The APIs are ibuprofen (IBU), acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) and paracetamol (PAR). Two sample sets were used for a comparison purpose. Sample set one comprises tablets of 100% API and sample set two consists of commercially available painkiller tablets. Reference measurements were performed on the pure APIs in liquid solutions (transmission) and in solid phase (reflection) using a commercial UV spectrometer. The spectroscopic part of the prototype is based on a pushbroom imager that contains a spectrograph and charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. The tablets were scanned on a conveyor belt that is positioned inside a tunnel made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in order to increase the homogeneity of illumination at the sample position. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to differentiate the hyperspectral data of the drug samples. The first two PCs are sufficient to completely separate all samples. The rugged design of the prototype opens new possibilities for further development of this technique towards real large-scale application.
A lens-based Raman spectrometer is characterized by studying the optical elements in the optical path and we study the measure of aberration–diffraction effects. This is achieved by measuring the spectral resolution (SR) thus encompassing almost all optical elements of a spectrometer that are mostly responsible for such effects. An equation for SR is used to determine the quality factor Q which measures aberration/diffraction effects occurring in a spectrometer. We show how the quality factor changes with different spectrometer parameters such as grating groove density, the wavelength of excitation, pinhole width, charge-coupled device (CCD) pixel density, etc. This work provides an insight into the quality of a spectrometer and helps to monitor the performance of the spectrometer over a certain period. Commercially available spectrometers or home-built spectrometers are prone to misalignment in optical elements and can benefit from this work that allows maintaining the overall quality of the setup. Performing such experiments over a period helps to minimize the aberration/ diffraction effects occurring as a result of time and maintaining the quality of measurements.