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In the upcoming years, huge benefits are expected from Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, there are also risks involved in the technology, such as accidents of autonomous vehicles or discrimination by AI-based recruitment systems. This study aims to investigate public perception of these risks, focusing on realistic risks of Narrow AI, i.e., the type of AI that is already productive today. Based on perceived risk theory, several risk scenarios are examined using data from an exploratory survey. This research shows that AI is perceived positively overall. The participants, however, do evaluate AI critically when being confronted with specific risk scenarios. Furthermore, a strong positive relationship between knowledge about AI and perceived risk could be shown. This study contributes to knowledge by advancing our understanding of the awareness and evaluation of the risks by consumers and has important implications for product development, marketing and society.
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.
Although spiral antennas have undergone continuous development and refinement since Edwin Turner conceived them in 1954, only a few compact planar arrays exist. The shortcoming is even more significant when it comes to spiral antenna arrays in mode M2 operation. The present work addresses this issue, among other things. It presents two planar arrays of spiral antennas operating in the same frequency band and radiating for the first one an axial mode M1 and a conical mode M2 for the second. Both arrays are modeled, simulated, and fed with a corporate feeding network embedded in a dielectric substrate. It is shown that keeping the same topology, the array for conical M1 mode can be obtained from the array for mode M2 by a simple introduction of a phase shift on one branch of the feed and vice versa, providing thus the possibility to obtain in the same structure a spiral antenna array operating in both modes in the same frequency band simultaneously. Comparison between simulated and measured data shows good agreement.
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.
In today’s marketplace, the consumption of luxury goods is at a peak due to increasing global wealth and low interest rates, resulting in a vast supply of goods and services to which customer experiences are more relevant than ever before. One of the most recent developments in this field shows that consumers no longer simply purchase a product or service based on the fact sheet; they are also interested in the experience around the product. Successful brands must develop and maintain individual images to sustain their competitive advantage and build brand equity that is beneficial for customers and firms. Ideally, these will lead to satisfaction and loyalty between a brand, its products, and its customers. Existing research about brand experience and brand equity has mainly focused on functional aspects, which seem to differ for high-value luxury goods. Most studies have focused on industries like retail and fashion brands, sampling university students or visitors to shopping malls, and some have even mixed different types of industries together. This underpins the need for research within a single luxury industry with actual luxury customers who have a solid background with brand experiences.
The purpose of this study was to explore the brand experience spectrum within the automotive industry in Germany, particularly in the affordable luxury sport car sector. Identifying the factors and components that constitute, influence, or leverage/drive a brand experience from their perspective was a clear aim of the study. To achieve this, the study collected data from indepth interviews with German (n=60) respondents who had experience with affordable and luxury sport cars. The conceptual framework was based on two empirically tested models guiding this exploratory consumer research. The first model to build on was the consumerbased brand equity model, empirically tested by Çifci et al. (2016) and Nam et al. (2011). The second conceptual framework was Lemon and Verhoef’s (2016) customer journey model consisting of relevant touchpoints along the following three stages: pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase.
The findings of the research demonstrate that, although the six brand equity concepts – brand awareness, physical quality, staff behaviour, self-congruence, brand identification, and lifestyle – are broadly applicable in understanding customer experience in the affordable luxury car industry, the content of these dimensions differs from that suggested by the previous authors. The research established that cognitive and affective (or symbolic) components build the foundation of customer brand experience and supports Çifci et al.’s (2016) and Nam et al.’s (2011) study results. The study also identified brand trust as an important and highly relevant concept for customer brand experience in the luxury automotive car industry. Brand trust influences customer satisfaction and loyalty, therefore improving and complementing the existing model. Furthermore, the study confirmed Lemon and Verhoef’s (2016) process model of the customer journey and experience; however, it suggested two different customer journeys depending on the customers’ previous experience (first-time and experienced buyers). The differences between the two groups and the relevance of the journey touchpoints within the three purchase stages vary significantly in terms and are distinct. Identified key touchpoints for both groups are the contact to a dealer as well as information gathering online. Differences have been found in the length of purchase stages and across the customer journey. The study highlights the importance of trust, identification, and product quality for customer brand experience. Moreover, the findings of this study complement the brand equity model of Çifci et al. (2016) by adding the new concept of trust, which is highly relevant. The current knowledge is complemented by a new understanding and mapping of the customer journey for luxury sports cars in Germany. This study can assist practitioners and managers by providing a compass indicating which touchpoints are relevant to which customer group. Social value can be achieved by encouraging interactions between brand and consumer (e.g. central product launch events) and through brand-oriented interactions among consumers (e.g. dealer events, clubs, or communities). Customers are motivated to express their distinctiveness through product experience and brand identification (belonging/distinction) and to develop a loyal link to brands.
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.
Introduction
Despite its high accuracy, polysomnography (PSG) has several drawbacks for diagnosing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Consequently, multiple portable monitors (PMs) have been proposed.
Objective
This systematic review aims to investigate the current literature to analyze the sets of physiological parameters captured by a PM to select the minimum number of such physiological signals while maintaining accurate results in OSA detection.
Methods
Inclusion and exclusion criteria for the selection of publications were established prior to the search. The evaluation of the publications was made based on one central question and several specific questions.
Results
The abilities to detect hypopneas, sleep time, or awakenings were some of the features studied to investigate the full functionality of the PMs to select the most relevant set of physiological signals. Based on the physiological parameters collected (one to six), the PMs were classified into sets according to the level of evidence. The advantages and the disadvantages of each possible set of signals were explained by answering the research questions proposed in the methods.
Conclusions
The minimum number of physiological signals detected by PMs for the detection of OSA depends mainly on the purpose and context of the sleep study. The set of three physiological signals showed the best results in the detection of OSA.
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.
Hypericin has large potential in modern medicine and exhibits fascinating structural dynamics, such as multiple conformations and tautomerization. However, it is difficult to study individual conformers/tautomers, as they cannot be isolated due to the similarity of their chemical and physical properties. An approach to overcome this difficulty is to combine single molecule experiments with theoretical studies. Time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations reveal that tautomerization of hypericin occurs via a two-step proton transfer with an energy barrier of 1.63 eV, whereas a direct single-step pathway has a large activation energy barrier of 2.42 eV. Tautomerization in hypericin is accompanied by reorientation of the transition dipole moment, which can be directly observed by fluorescence intensity fluctuations. Quantitative tautomerization residence times can be obtained from the autocorrelation of the temporal emission behavior revealing that hypericin stays in the same tautomeric state for several seconds, which can be influenced by the embedding matrix. Furthermore, replacing hydrogen with deuterium further proves that the underlying process is based on tunneling of a proton. In addition, the tautomerization rate can be influenced by a λ/2 Fabry–Pérot microcavity, where the occupation of Raman active vibrations can alter the tunneling rate.
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.
Porous silica materials are often used for drug delivery. However, systems for simultaneous delivery of multiple drugs are scarce. Here we show that anisotropic and amphiphilic dumbbell core–shell silica microparticles with chemically selective environments can entrap and release two drugs simultaneously. The dumbbells consist of a large dense lobe and a smaller hollow hemisphere. Electron microscopy images show that the shells of both parts have mesoporous channels. In a simple etching process, the properly adjusted stirring speed and the application of ammonium fluoride as etching agent determine the shape and the surface anisotropy of the particles. The surface of the dense lobe and the small hemisphere differ in their zeta potentials consistent with differences in dye and drug entrapment. Confocal Raman microscopy and spectroscopy show that the two polyphenols curcumin (Cur) and quercetin (QT) accumulate in different compartments of the particles. The overall drug entrapment efficiency of Cur plus QT is high for the amphiphilic particles but differs widely between Cur and QT compared to controls of core–shell silica microspheres and uniformly charged dumbbell microparticles. Furthermore, Cur and QT loaded microparticles show different cancer cell inhibitory activities. The highest activity is detected for the dual drug loaded amphiphilic microparticles in comparison to the controls. In the long term, amphiphilic particles may open up new strategies for drug delivery.
Corporate entrepreneurship in the public sector: exploring the peculiarities of public enterprises
(2021)
Entrepreneurship is predominantly treated as a private-sector phenomenon and consequently its increasing importance in the public sector goes largely unremarked. That impedes the research field of entrepreneurship being capable of spanning multiple sectors. Accordingly, recent research calls for the study of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) as it manifests in the public sector where it can be labeled public entrepreneurship (PE). This dissertation considers government an essential entrepreneurial actor and is led by the central research question: What are the peculiarities of the public sector and how do they impact public enterprises’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO)?
Accordingly, this dissertation includes three studies focusing on public enterprises. Two of the studies set the scope of this thesis by investigating a specific type of organization in a specific context—German majority-government-owned energy suppliers. These enterprises operate in a liberalized market experiencing environmental uncertainties like competitiveness and business transformation.
The aims and results of the studies included in this dissertation can be summarized as follows: The systematic literature review illuminates the stimuli of and barriers to entrepreneurial activities in public enterprises and the potential outcomes of such activities discussed so far. The review reveals that research on EO has tended to focus on the private sector and consequently that barriers to and outcomes of entrepreneurial activities in the public sector remain under-researched. Building on these findings, the qualitative study focuses on the interrelated barriers affecting entrepreneurship in public enterprises and the outcomes of entrepreneurial activities being inhibited. The study adopts an explorative comparative causal mapping approach to address the above-mentioned research goal and the lack of clarity around how barriers identified in the public sphere are interrelated. Furthermore, the study bases its investigation on the different business segments of sales (competitive market) and the distribution grid (natural monopoly) to account for recent calls for fine-grained research on PE. Results were compared with prior findings in the public and private sector. That comparison indicates that the barriers revealed align with aspects discussed in prior research findings relating to both sectors. Examples include barriers associated with the external environment such as legal constraints and barriers originating from within the organization such as employee behavior linked to a value system that hampers entrepreneurial action. However, the most important finding is that a public enterprise’s supervisory board can hinder its progress, a finding running counter to those of previous private-sector research and one that underscores the widespread prejudice that the involvement of a public shareholder and its nominated board of directors has a negative effect on EO. The third study is quantitative (data collection via a questionnaire) and builds on both its predecessors to examine the little understood topic of board behavior and public enterprises’ social orientation as predictors of EO. The study’s results indicate that social orientation represses EO, whereas board strategy control (BSC) does not seem to predict EO. Regarding BSC, we find that the local government owners in our sample are less involved in BSC. The third study also examines board networking and finds its relationship with EO depends on the ownership structure of the public-sector organization. An important finding is that minority shareholders, such as majority privately-owned enterprises and hub firms, repress EO when engaging in board networking.
In summary, this doctoral thesis contributes to the under-researched topic of CE in the public sector. It investigates the peculiarities of this sector by focusing on the supervisory board and social oriented activities and their impact on the enterprise’s EO in the quantitative study. The thesis addresses institutional questions regarding ownership and the last study in particular contributes to expanding resource dependence theory, and invites a nuanced perspective: The original perspective suggests that interorganizational arrangements like interfirm network ties and equity holdings reduce external resource dependency and consequently improve firm performance. The findings within this thesis expose resource delivery to potential contrary effects to extend the understanding of interorganizational action with important implications for practice.
This paper presents an improvement in usability and integrity of simulation-based analog circuit sizing. Instead of using geometrical sizing parameters (width, length), a transformed design-space, consisting exclusively of electrical parameters (branch currents, efficiencies and speed) is utilized. This design-space is explored more efficiently by optimizers. Moreover, this design-space can be reduced without affecting the quality of the result. The method is illustrated on two application examples, a symmetrical and a miller operational amplifier. Sizing the circuits using the transformed design-space showed significant reduction in required circuit simulations (up to 11x faster), better convergence, without loss in quality.
Electronic design automation approaches can roughly be divided into optimizers and procedures. While the former have enabled highly automated synthesis flows for digital integrated circuits, the latter play a vital (but mostly underestimated role) in the analog domain. This paper describes both automation strategies in comparison, identifying two fundamentally different automation paradigms that reflect the two basic design practices known as “top-down” and “bottom-up”. Then, with a focus on the latter, the history of procedural approaches is traced from their
early beginnings until today’s evolvements and future prospects to underline their practical importance and to accentuate their scientific value, both in itself and in the overall context of EDA.
Wenn Unternehmen den Schritt in die digitale Arbeitswelt gehen wollen, stehen sie vor der Herausforderung, konkrete Vorstellungen, Ziele und Maßnahmen zu entwickeln und umzusetzen. Häufig fehlt es Unternehmen an Wissen, ihre Transformation der Arbeitswelt strategisch zu gestalten und zu planen. Das Projekt DigiTraIn 4.0 setzt hier an und bietet mit dem Digitalisierungskompass ein Instrument, welches Unternehmen dabei unterstützt, eine Vision und spezifische Ziele für die Digitalisierung ihrer eigenen Arbeitswelt zu entwickeln. Im Anschluss daran unterstützt die Transformationsagenda Unternehmen dabei, konkrete Handlungsmaßnahmen zu entwickeln und deren Ablauf zu planen.
Die digitale Arbeitswelt in ihrer Mehrdimensionalität verstehen: Digitalisierungsatlas und -index
(2021)
Die digitale Transformation der Arbeitswelt ist deshalb so herausfordernd, da die Arbeitswelt für sich bereits ein komplexes mehrdimensionales System ist, das sich kaum überblicken lässt. Für Unternehmen ist es deshalb wichtig, die Mehrdimensionalität und Komplexität der digitalen Arbeitswelt zu verstehen, hierfür ein gemeinsames Sprachspiel zu entwickeln und auf dieser Basis eine gemeinsame Einschätzung des Status quo der eigenen Arbeitswelt zu beschreiben. Mithilfe von zwei Instrumenten, dem Digitalisierungsatlas und dem Digitalisierungsindex, kann dies gelingen. In diesem Beitrag werden diese Instrumente im Detail dargestellt und es wird erklärt, wie sie Organisationen dabei helfen, zu beschreiben und zu verstehen, wo sie selbst in der digitalen Transformation der Arbeitswelt stehen.
Technologische, sozioökonomische und kulturelle Entwicklungen der letzten Jahrzehnte sowie zuletzt die Covid-19-Pandemie führten zu einer erhöhten Nachfrage nach flexiblen Arbeitsformen wie Homeoffice. In der Forschung wird danach gefragt, welche Faktoren die Umsetzung von flexiblen Arbeitsmodellen in Unternehmen beeinflussen und wie die Faktoren miteinander zusammenhängen. Bisher bietet die Forschung allerdings zu wenige Ansatzpunkte, um relevante Handlungsempfehlungen für eine erfolgreiche Umsetzung von Homeoffice für die Praxis abzuleiten. In dieser Fallstudie können auf organisationaler Ebene technologische, formelle und informelle Rahmenbedingungen, auf interaktionaler Ebene das Team und die Kommunikation sowie auf individueller Ebene Präferenzen, Kompetenzen und personenbezogene Rahmenbedingungen der Beschäftigten als relevante Einflussfaktoren identifiziert werden. Die Themenfelder sind eng miteinander verbunden, wobei sich vor allem stark vernetzte und einflussreiche Faktoren, wie formelle und technologische Rahmenbedingungen sowie Kommunikation, als Ansatzpunkte für die Gestaltung von Homeoffice eignen.
Die Corona-Pandemie hat zu einer Einschränkung des Alltags der medizinischen Versorgung geführt. Das zeigt sich u.a. in zum Teil erheblichen Zugangsbeschränkungen zu Krankenhäusern und Praxen mit stark reduzierter Einbestellung von Patienten, der Einhaltung von gesteigerten Hygienemaßnahmen mit entsprechend längeren Wartezeiten, dem Zugangsverbot für Begleitpersonen und nicht zuletzt der Angst vieler Patienten vor einer Ansteckung bei einem Aufenthalt in medizinischen Bereichen. Folge dessen war und ist, dass ein deutlich wahrnehmbarer Rückgang der Patientenzahlen in den Krankenhausambulanzen und Praxen zu verzeichnen war. Davon war die Augenheilkunde als Fachdisziplin mit einem hohen Anteil an ambulanten und geplanten, chirurgischen Eingriffen in besonderem Maße betroffen.
Das Projekt DigiTraIn 4.0 hat ein Beratungskonzept entwickelt und erprobt, das Unternehmen bei der erfolgreichen Digitalisierung ihrer Arbeitswelt unterstützt. Das Beratungskonzept basiert auf vier anwendungsorientierten Instrumenten: Der Digitalisierungsatlas bildet die Digitalisierung der Arbeitswelt in all ihren Dimensionen ab und ermöglicht es, die Notwendigkeit sowie Chancen und Risiken der Veränderungen zu verstehen. Hierauf aufbauend können Unternehmen mit dem Digitalisierungsindex ihren aktuellen Ist-Digitalisierungsgrad der Arbeitswelt individuell bestimmen. Der individuelle Digitalisierungsgrad dient als Ausgangspunkt für den Digitalisierungskompass, der es dem Unternehmen ermöglicht, die Soll-Vorstellung der digitalen Arbeitswelt zu illustrieren und eine unternehmensspezifische Transformationsagenda abzuleiten. Der Beratungsprozess und die Entwicklung der zentralen Instrumente werden in diesem Beitrag dargestellt.
Kontrolle bei New Collaboration Work: Über die Fantasien von Purpose, Wachstum und Zugehörigkeit
(2021)
Derzeit geht es in vielen Unternehmen darum, Zusammenarbeit zukunftsfähig zu gestalten: Hierarchien werden flacher, Teams stärker selbstorganisiert, und Prozesse wie agile Frameworks regeln die Abläufe.
Was aber passiert in solchen kollaborativen Arbeitskontexten, wenn es um Kontrolle geht? In hierarchischen Organisationen ist das Thema vergleichsweise einfach zu greifen: Führungskräfte kontrollieren Arbeitsprozesse über Arbeitsteilung und -zuweisung, über disziplinarische Hoheit und motivierendes Führungsverhalten (Mitarbeitergespräche, Kritik, Lob).
Experimentelle Organisationsentwicklung : Perspektiven eines zukunftsfähigen Veränderungsansatzes
(2021)
Die Organisationsentwicklung selbst verändert sich und wird “zukunftsoffener”. In diesem Beitrag argumentieren die Autoren, dass die Idee des Experimentierens als zukunftsfähige Veränderungsmethode angewandt werden kann. Sie stellen zentrale Prämissen einer "experimentellen Organisationsentwicklung" und zeigen die Eckpunkte eines spezifischen Interventionsdesigns auf.
Organisationale Identität in digitalisierten Arbeitswelten: Grundlagen für gelingende Kooperation
(2021)
Organisationen bilden Identitäten aus und beantworten dabei die Fragen „Wer sind wir? Und wer sind wir nicht?“. Vorstellungen zur organisationalen Identität gehen zunächst von traditionellen Organisationen aus. Durch die Digitalisierung können bisher integrierte Aufgaben stärker modularisiert werden, sodass die Koordination der organisatorischen Gesamtaufgabe stärker sach- und weniger personenorientiert erfolgt. Zudem lassen sich organisationale Aufgaben zunehmend projektorientiert und virtuell abbilden, sodass externe Aufgabenträger leichter integriert werden können. Unsere Vorstellungen zu Organisationsgrenzen und -mitgliedschaften verändern sich dadurch. Dies wirft die Frage auf, inwiefern sich in solchen sach- und projektorientierten, grenzaufgelösten Organisationen eine gemeinsame organisationale Identität ausbildet. Im Beitrag wird argumentiert, dass sich die Wege der Identitätsentwicklung verändern, die Funktionen der organisationalen Identität für gelingende Kooperation aber erhalten bleiben.
Die digitale Transformation und gesellschaftliche Entwicklungen verändern die Arbeitswelt nicht erst seit der Corona-Pandemie. Kommunikation, Kreativität und agile Vorgehensweisen in der Arbeitsorganisation rücken in den Vordergrund und werden gerade in Krisenzeiten zu wichtigen Stärken von Unternehmen. Der Grad der Selbstorganisation von Teams steigt und erfordert mehr individuelle Selbstorganisation der Beschäftigten. Dies birgt neben vielen Chancen auch Gesundheitsrisiken.
Der Report beleuchtet die agile Organisation und weitere moderne Organisationsmodelle wie die Soziokratie, die Holokratie und die evolutionäre Organisation unter dem Gesundheitsaspekt. All diese Organisationsmodelle sind gekennzeichnet durch die Abflachung von Hierarchien, eine stärkere Sinnorientierung, mehr Flexibilität sowie die Integration von Leistungspotentialen der Beschäftigten. Die Gemeinsamkeiten, aber auch Unterschiede und Konfliktpotenziale werden ausführlich erklärt.
Mit diesem Hintergrundwissen können Beratende Gesundheitsthemen besser in Phasen gesundheitlicher Belastungen einbringen und richtig adressieren. Der iga.Report 44 gibt einen Überblick zum noch jungen Stand der Forschung und liefert zahlreiche Ansatzpunkte für die Präventionsarbeit und die Betriebliche Gesundheitsförderung in einer neuen Arbeitswelt.
We report on the cure characterization, based on inline monitoring of the dielectric parameters, of a commercially available epoxy phenol resin molding compound with a high glass transition temperature (>195 °C), which is suitable for the direct packaging of electronic components. The resin was cured under isothermal temperatures close to general process conditions (165–185 °C). The material conversion was determined by measuring the ion viscosity. The change of the ion viscosity as a function of time and temperature was used to characterize the cross-linking behavior, following two separate approaches (model based and isoconversional). The determined kinetic parameters are in good agreement with those reported in the literature for EMCs and lead to accurate cure predictions under process-near conditions. Furthermore, the kinetic models based on dielectric analysis (DEA) were compared with standard offline differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) models, which were based on dynamic measurements. Many of the determined kinetic parameters had similar values for the different approaches. Major deviations were found for the parameters linked to the end of the reaction where vitrification phenomena occur under process-related conditions. The glass transition temperature of the inline molded parts was determined via thermomechanical analysis (TMA) to confirm the vitrification effect. The similarities and differences between the resulting kinetics models of the two different measurement techniques are presented and it is shown how dielectric analysis can be of high relevance for the characterization of the curing reaction under conditions close to series production.
Melamine-formaldehyde (MF) resins are widely used as surface finishes for engineered wood-based panels in decorative laminates. Since no additional glue is applied in lamination, the overall residual curing capacity of MF resins is of great technological importance. Residual curing capacity is measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as the exothermic curing enthalpy integral of the liquid resin. After resin synthesis is completed, the resulting pre-polymer has a defined chemical structure with a corresponding residual curing capacity. Predicting the residual curing capacity of a resin batch already at an early stage during synthesis would enable corrective measures to be taken by making adjustments while synthesis is still in progress. Thereby, discarding faulty batches could be avoided. Here, by using a batch modelling approach, it is demonstrated how quantitative predictions of MF residual curing capacity can be derived from inline Fourier Transform infrared (FTIR) spectra recorded during resin synthesis using partial least squares regression. Not only is there a strong correlation (R2 = 0.89) between the infrared spectra measured at the end of MF resin synthesis and the residual curing capacity. The inline reaction spectra obtained already at the point of complete dissolution of melamine upon methylolation during the initial stage of resin synthesis are also well suited for predicting final curing performance of the resin. Based on these IR spectra, a valid regression model (R2 = 0.85) can be established using information obtained at a very early stage of MF resin synthesis.
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.
Ziel des Forschungsvorhabens war es, unter Verwendung von photokatalytisch aktiven Zinkoxid- und/oder Titandioxid-Partikeln Kombinationsausrüstungen für die Textilindustrie zu entwickeln, welche einen hohen UV-Schutz (UPF-Wert: 50+), eine hohe antimikrobielle Wirksamkeit und selbsteinigende Eigenschaften garantieren, um so neue hygienischere Textilien zu schaffen. Hierzu sollten wässrige Ausrüstungen entwickelt werden, die über konventionelle Veredlungstechniken – „pad-dry-cure“ – appliziert werden können. Die Aktivität der Partikel sollte unter Einstrahlung von Raumlicht gegeben sein. Daher sollten die Partikel so modifiziert werden, dass ihre Absorption im Wellenlängenbereich des sichtbaren Lichtes liegt.
Für die Erfüllung der Projektziele wurden verschiedene dotierte TiO2- und ZnO-Nanopartikel synthetisiert, die durch das Einbringen von Dotanden eine Verschiebung der Absorption elektromagnetischer Strahlung erfahren haben. Ein Aktivitätsscreening geeigneter Kandidaten zeigte, dass einige einen Abbau organischer Referenzmaterialien katalysierten und eine antibakterielle Aktivität vorwiesen. Eisendotiertes Zinkoxid (Fe-ZnO) vereinte die beiden gewünschten Eigenschaften in ausreichendem Maße und verfügte zudem über eine hohe Absorption von UV-Strahlung, sodass damit auch das dritte Projektziel - ein ausreichender UV-Schutz - erreicht werden konnte.
Die wiederholte Synthese von Fe-ZnO gelang im Labormaßstab. Die Partikel konnten durch das Sol-Gel-Verfahren mittels anorganischem Tetraethoxysilan, sowie über einen organischen Polyurethanbasierten Binder durch Foulardierverfahren an verschiedenen Textilien immobilisiert werden. Die Waschstabilität war gegeben und eine Photodegradation des Binders und der Textilien konnte zumindest für das TEOS-System ausgeschlossen werden. Das Aktivitätsscreening der ausgerüsteten Textilien zeigte, dass immobilisierte Nanopartikel zwar zum Erreichen der anvisierten
Projektziele genügen, jedoch konnte die Aktivität des als Referenz verwendeten TiO2 nicht übertroffen werden.
Insgesamt ergab sich ein Einblick in den Nutzen von Nanopartikeln als katalytisch aktive Substanz, die zur Ausrüstung von Textilien geeignet ist. Um eine genügende Aktivität im sichtbaren Wellenlängenbereich zu erzielen und damit einen Nutzen für eine Innenraumanwendung zu generieren, müssen jedoch deutlich besser die Grundlagen der Dotierung und ihre Auswirkung auf die ROS-Generierung verstanden werden.
Die Ziele des Forschungsvorhabens wurden zum Teil erreicht.
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.
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 paper studies the power of online search intensity metrics, measured by Google, for examining and forecasting exchange rates. We use panel data consisting of quarterly time series from 2004 to 2018 and ten international countries with the highest currency trading volume. Newly, we include various Google search intensity metrics to our panel data. We find that online search improves the overall econometric models and fits. First, four out of ten search variables are robustly significant at one percent and enhance the macroeconomic exchange rate models. Second, country regressions corroborate the panel results, yet the predictive power of search intensity with regard to exchange rates vary by country. Third, we find higher prediction performance for our exchange rate models with search intensity, particularly in regard to the direction of the exchange rate. Overall, our approach reveals a value-added of search intensity in exchange rate models.
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.
This article studies the effects of reverse factoring in a supply chain when the buyer company facilitates its lower short-term borrowing rates to the supplier corporation in return for extended payment terms. We explore the role of interest rate changes, rating changes, and the business cycle position on the cost and benefit trade-off from a supplier perspective. We utilize a combined empirical approach consisting of an event study in Step 1 and a simulation model in Step 2. The event study identifies the quantitative magnitude of central bank decisions and rating changes on the interest rate differential. The simulation computes with a rolling-window methodology the daily cost and benefits of reverse factoring from 2010 to 2018 under the assumption of the efficient market hypothesis. Our major finding is that changes of crucial financial variables such as interest rates, ratings, or news alerts will turn former win-win into win-lose situations for the supplier contingent to the business cycle. Overall, our results exhibit sophisticated trade-offs under reverse factoring and consequently require a careful evaluation in managerial decisions.
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.
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.
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.
Background: One of the most promising health care development areas is introducing telemedicine services and creating solutions based on blockchain technology. The study of systems combining both these domains indicates the ongoing expansion of digital technologies in this market segment.
Objective: This paper aims to review the feasibility of blockchain technology for telemedicine.
Methods: The authors identified relevant studies via systematic searches of databases including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, IEEE Xplore, and Google Scholar. The suitability of each for inclusion in this review was assessed independently. Owing to the lack of publications, available blockchain-based tokens were discovered via conventional web search engines (Google, Yahoo, and Yandex).
Results: Of the 40 discovered projects, only 18 met the selection criteria. The 5 most prevalent features of the available solutions (N=18) were medical data access (14/18, 78%), medical service processing (14/18, 78%), diagnostic support (10/18, 56%), payment transactions (10/18, 56%), and fundraising for telemedical instrument development (5/18, 28%).
Conclusions: These different features (eg, medical data access, medical service processing, epidemiology reporting, diagnostic support, and treatment support) allow us to discuss the possibilities for integration of blockchain technology into telemedicine and health care on different levels. In this area, a wide range of tasks can be identified that could be accomplished based on digital technologies using blockchains.
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.
This article describes the concept and the implementation of an interdisciplinary seminar that was held at the University of Education in Freiburg, Germany. Student teachers for elementary school subjects were first taught in Design Thinking. Then they used their acquired knowledge to create learning scenarios for the subjects Art/Crafts and General Science and Social Studies. The article highlights the results and offers the opportunity to discuss the potentials of Design Thinking with regard to its transfer to classroom and teacher education against the background of fostering children’s creativity, problem-solving skills, and collaborative work.
Purpose: To develop a method for synthesizing a fuzzy automatic control system for a shearer drum in terms of coal seam hypsometry basing on the information criterion of the beginning of rock cutting-off by the drum to reduce ash content of the extracted coal.
Methodology: Taking into consideration peculiarities of determining a distinct information criterion of the beginning of rock cutting-off by the drum and regularities of its variations during the shearer operation, a fuzzy inference algorithm is developed for a system of fuzzy automatic drum control in terms of seam hypsometry. In this context, rules of fuzzy productions, parameters of the membership functions of terms of the output linguistic variable system, and fuzzy operations are substantiated according to the recommendations of a classic Mamdani fuzzy inference algorithm. Studies are carried out to analyze the effi¬ciency of the proposed fuzzy inference algorithm basing on the introduced relative parameter of the number of effective control actions formed by the fuzzy control system. Simulation modeling makes it possible to perform comparative analysis of the efficiency of the drum control.
Findings: In the course of research, an algorithm of fuzzy control of the shearer’s upper drum in terms of coal seam hypsometry has been developed basing on the determination of direct and inverse transfer from coal breaking near the seam roof by the shearer drum to rock breaking with the help of statistical analysis of the stator power of a cutting drive motor.
Originality: For the first time, a method of synthesis of fuzzy automatic control of the drum in terms of seam hypsometry has been proposed.
Practical value: The proposed method is the theoretical basis to solve important scientific and applied problem of the automation of the coal shearer drum in terms of seam hypsometry to reduce ash content of the produced coal.
This article studies the hidden blemishes of two benchmark rulings of the European Court of Justice (ECJ). In 2015 and 2018, the ECJ approved two unconventional monetary instruments, among others ‘Outright Monetary Transactions’ and the ‘Public Sector Purchase Program’. Yet, there is a vigorous debate about both monetary operations in law and economics. In this interdisciplinary article, we address law and economic arguments in order to elucidate insights to the legal community. In particular, we elaborate on the legal implications of a variety of concerning issues such as public policy interference, effect on wealth redistribution, erosion of democratic legitimacy and lack of effectiveness of monetary policy. These topics remain disregarded in the ECJ rulings. Consequently, the verdicts do not identify the economic boundaries of the European Central Bank’s mandate appropriately.
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.
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.
Fast pyrolysis as a valorization mechanism for banana rachis and low-density polyethylene waste
(2021)
Banana rachis and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were selected as secondary feedstocks for the study of fast pyrolysis in a free-fall reactor. The experiments were performed at 600 °C for banana rachis and 450 °C for LDPE, based on literature and thermogravimetric analysis. The gaseous products of both feedstocks present similar composition in the C1-C2 compounds, while C3 compounds are only found in LDPE. The liquid products from banana and LDPE correspond to functional groups and shorter hydrocarbons, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analyses of the char showed important morphological changes to spheres in LDPE and structural changes due to thermal decomposition in the biomass. The pyrolysis char has high potential as adsorbent, encapsulation, or catalyst.
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.
An advanced ‘clickECM’ that can be modified by the inverse-electron demand Diels-Alder reaction
(2021)
The extracellular matrix (ECM) represents the natural environment of cells in tissue and therefore is a promising biomaterial in a variety of applications. Depending on the purpose, it is necessary to equip the ECM with specific addressable functional groups for further modification with bioactive molecules, for controllable cross-linking and/or covalent binding to surfaces. Metabolic glycoengineering (MGE) enables the specific modification of the ECM with such functional groups without affecting the native structure of the ECM. In a previous approach (S. M. Ruff, S. Keller, D. E. Wieland, V. Wittmann, G. E. M. Tovar, M. Bach, P. J. Kluger, Acta Biomater. 2017, 52, 159–170), we demonstrated the modification of an ECM with azido groups, which can be addressed by bioorthogonal copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC). Here, we demonstrate the modification of an ECM with dienophiles (terminal alkenes, cyclopropene), which can be addressed by an inverse-electron-demand Diels-Alder (IEDDA) reaction. This reaction is cell friendly as there are no cytotoxic catalysts needed. We show the equipment of the ECM with a bioactive molecule (enzyme) and prove that the functional groups do not influence cellular behavior. Thus, this new material has great potential for use as a biomaterial, which can be individually modified in a wide range of applications.
Guerrilla marketing is the selection of atypical and non-dogmatic marketing activities that aim to achieve the greatest possible impact – in the ideal case with a comparable minimum investment. Guerrilla marketing has developed into a basic strategy overarching the marketing mix, a basic marketing policy attitude for market development that goes off the beaten track to consciously seek new, unconventional, previously disregarded, possibly even frown-upon possibilities for the deployment of tools. Digital marketing tools such as social media provide new ways and promising opportunities for innovative guerrilla marketing. This article provides an overview of innovative digital guerrilla marketing. It describes and structures guerrilla marketing in a novel form and shows illustrating examples as well as developmental trends.
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.
The halo effect is a cognitive bias known from social psychology. A halo effect occurs when a global impression or information about a salient characteristic shapes the evaluation of other characteristics. In a sports-related context, the halo effect has hardly been researched so far, although this could contribute significantly to understanding the thinking and behavior of sports fans. In this research paper, the following questions are investigated: Is there a halo effect in soccer? Does the sporting success or failure of a club outshine other sporting aspects? Does sporting success or failure possibly even distort fans' perception of non-sporting aspects? The research paper reflects the current state of halo research and presents the results of an empirical study in which fans of soccer clubs from the German Bundesliga were interviewed. The results of the analyses substantiate the distortion of the fans’ perception with regard to a very diverse range of aspects that is triggered by the sporting success or failure of their favorite club.
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.
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.
The article analyzes experimentally and theoretically the influence of microscope parameters on the pinhole-assisted Raman depth profiles in uniform and composite refractive media. The main objective is the reliable mapping of deep sample regions. The easiest to interpret results are found with low magnification, low aperture, and small pinholes. Here, the intensities and shapes of the Raman signals are independent of the location of the emitter relative to the sample surface. Theoretically, the results can be well described with a simple analytical equation containing the axial depth resolution of the microscope and the position of the emitter. The lower determinable object size is limited to 2–4 μm. If sub-micrometer resolution is desired, high magnification, mostly combined with high aperture, becomes necessary. The signal intensities and shapes depend now in refractive media on the position relative to the sample surface. This aspect is investigated on a number of uniform and stacked polymer layers, 2–160 μm thick, with the best available transparency. The experimental depth profiles are numerically fitted with excellent accuracy by inserting a Gaussian excitation beam of variable waist and fill fraction through the focusing lens area, and by treating the Raman emission with geometric optics as spontaneous isotropic process through the lens and the variable pinhole, respectively. The intersectional area of these two solid angles yields the leading factor in understanding confocal (pinhole-assisted) Raman depth profiles.
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.
Arbeitswelten strategisch entwicklen: mit den DigiTraIn-Instrumenten zur digitalen Transformation
(2021)
Der Weg in die digitale Arbeitswelt ist für viele Unternehmen eine herausfordernde und komplexe Transformation. Um diesen Weg erfolgreich zu beschreiten, benötigen Unternehmen funktionierende Managementinstrumente. Im Projekt DigiTraIn 4.0 wurden vier Instrumente für eine gelingende Transformation in das digitale Arbeiten entwickelt und in der Unternehmenspraxis erprobt. Diese Instrumente werden im vorliegenden Beitrag, ausgehend von der Zielsetzung des Projekts, einführend dargestellt. Zudem wird ein Überblick über die weiteren Beiträge in diesem Buch gegeben, in denen die Instrumente im Detail erläutert werden und spezifische Aspekte des Wandels in die digitale Arbeitswelt im Fokus stehen.
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.
Die Annexion der Krim, die Kriegsführung in Syrien, das finanzielle Engagement in Zypern, das Tauziehen um die Ukraine und Weißrussland oder die Namensgebung Sputnik 5 für den Impfstoff gegen die Corona Epidemie sind eindeutige Belege für das aktuelle russische Machtstreben – und seine Expansionspolitik. Deshalb ist es nicht uninteressant zu fragen, welches Meinungsbild Friedrich List (1789–1846) von Russland hatte, zumal es heute noch so aktuell, wie vor 180 bis 190 Jahren erscheint und in seinen Schriften dargelegt ist. Dieses Meinungsbild wird in diesem Aufsatz erstmals untersucht und umfassend dargestellt.
Sustainable technologies are being increasingly used in various areas of human life. While they have a multitude of benefits, they are especially useful in health monitoring, especially for certain groups of people, such as the elderly. However, there are still several issues that need to be addressed before its use becomes widespread. This work aims to clarify the aspects that are of great importance for increasing the acceptance of the use of this type of technology in the elderly. In addition, we aim to clarify whether the technologies that are already available are able to ensure acceptable accuracy and whether they could replace some of the manual approaches that are currently being used. A two-week study with people 65 years of age and over was conducted to address the questions posed here, and the results were evaluated. It was demonstrated that simplicity of use and automatic functioning play a crucial role. It was also concluded that technology cannot yet completely replace traditional methods such as questionnaires in some areas. Although the technologies that were tested were classified as being “easy to use”, the elderly population in the current study indicated that they were not sure that they would use these technologies regularly in the long term because the added value is not always clear, among other issues. Therefore, awareness-raising must take place in parallel with the development of technologies and services.
In this paper we describe an interactive web-based tool for visual analysis of Formula 1 data. A calendar-like representation provides an overview of all races on a yearly basis, either in absolute or normalized time. After selecting a dedicated race more details about this race can be explored. Furthermore it is possible to compare up to three different races. Beside visualizing details on dedicated races it is also possible to analyse driver and team performance over time. A user study was applied to get feedback about the usage of the application and decide between different visualization options.
Für die digitale 3D-VR-Fabrikplanung sind unterschiedliche Soft- und Hardwaresysteme am Markt verfügbar, die teilweise erhebliche Kompatibilitätsprobleme aufweisen. Für die Bewertung der Hardwareeignung für die 3D-VR-Fabrikplanung wird ein Bewertungssystem vorgestellt, das anhand konkreter Softwareapplikationen und einem passiven 3D-Stereo-Monitor mit Head-Tracking erläutert wird. Es wird dazu auch die Notwendigkeit des Einsatzes von Software-Middleware zur Nutzungssteigerung diskutiert.
Business opportunities for energy providers to utilize flexible industrial demand are platform-based, connecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to a virtual power plant (VPP) in complex ecosystems. Unlike in other VPPs, the focus is on participation, data, and control sovereignty for the SMEs. An exemplary application for an existing cement mill demonstrates positive margins. Viable VPP business models for small and medium-sized utilities include the “orchestrator,” i.e., adding value by linking services of specialized providers, the “integrator,” i.e., incorporating internal and external processes and resources, as well as the “white label user,” i.e., using a turn-key VPP from an exclusive cooperation partner.
Context
Microservices as a lightweight and decentralized architectural style with fine-grained services promise several beneficial characteristics for sustainable long-term software evolution. Success stories from early adopters like Netflix, Amazon, or Spotify have demonstrated that it is possible to achieve a high degree of flexibility and evolvability with these systems. However, the described advantageous characteristics offer no concrete guidance and little is known about evolvability assurance processes for microservices in industry as well as challenges in this area. Insights into the current state of practice are a very important prerequisite for relevant research in this field.
Objective
We therefore wanted to explore how practitioners structure the evolvability assurance processes for microservices, what tools, metrics, and patterns they use, and what challenges they perceive for the evolvability of their systems.
Method
We first conducted 17 semi-structured interviews and discussed 14 different microservice-based systems and their assurance processes with software professionals from 10 companies. Afterwards, we performed a systematic grey literature review (GLR) and used the created interview coding system to analyze 295 practitioner online resources.
Results
The combined analysis revealed the importance of finding a sensible balance between decentralization and standardization. Guidelines like architectural principles were seen as valuable to ensure a base consistency for evolvability and specialized test automation was a prevalent theme. Source code quality was the primary target for the usage of tools and metrics for our interview participants, while testing tools and productivity metrics were the focus of our GLR resources. In both studies, practitioners did not mention architectural or service-oriented tools and metrics, even though the most crucial challenges like Service Cutting or Microservices Integration were of an architectural nature.
Conclusions
Practitioners relied on guidelines, standardization, or patterns like Event-Driven Messaging to partially address some reported evolvability challenges. However, specialized techniques, tools, and metrics are needed to support industry with the continuous evaluation of service granularity and dependencies. Future microservices research in the areas of maintenance, evolution, and technical debt should take our findings and the reported industry sentiments into account.
Um den Übergang von der Schule zur Hochschule zu erleichtern, brauchen Studierende technischer Fächer häufig eine Auffrischung ihrer Kenntnisse in Mathematik und Physik. Ein Online-Lernsystem für Physik kann Studierende bei der Beschäftigung mit physikalischen Inhalten unterstützen. Zudem kann ein Physik-Wissenstest Lücken im individuellen Wissensstand aufzeigen und zum Lernen der fehlenden Themen motivieren. Die Arbeitsgruppe "eLearning in der Physik" der Hochschulföderation Süd-West (HfSW) bestehend aus den baden-württembergischen Hochschulen Aalen, Esslingen, Heilbronn, Mannheim und Reutlingen hat einen Aufgabenpool von über 200 Physikaufgaben für Erstsemester erarbeitet. Sie stehen den Studierenden mit Lösungen in Lernmanagementsystemen zum Selbststudium und jetzt auch im "Zentralen Open Educational Resources Repositorium der Hochschulen in Baden-Württemberg" (ZOERR) zur Verfügung. In diesem Beitrag wird über den Einsatz der Online-Übungsaufgaben in 2020/2021 berichtet, über die Ergebnisse der Wissenstests und über die in der Corona-Zeit neu eingerichteten eTutorien.
High moisture permeability, excellent mechanical properties in a wet state, high water-holding capability, and high exudate absorption make bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) a favorable candidate for biomedical device production, especially wound dressings. The lack of antibacterial activity and healing-promoting ability are the main drawbacks that limit its wide application. Pullulan (Pul) is a nontoxic polymer that can promote wound healing. Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) are well-known as a safe antibacterial agent. In this study, aminoalkylsilane was chemically grafted on a BNC membrane (A-g-BNC) and used as a bridge to combine BNC with Pul-ZnO-NPs hybrid electrospun nanofibers. FTIR results confirmed the successful production of A-g-BNC/Pul-ZnO. The obtained dressing demonstrated blood clotting performance better than that of BNC. The dressing showed an ability to release ZnO, and its antibacterial activity was up to 5 log values higher than that of BNC. The cytotoxicity of the dressing toward L929 fibroblast cells clearly showed safety due to the proliferation of fibroblast cells. The animal test in a rat model indicated faster healing and re-epithelialization, small blood vessel formation, and collagen synthesis in the wounds covered by A-g-BNC/Pul-ZnO. The new functional dressing, fabricated with a cost-effective and easy method, not only showed excellent antibacterial activity but could also accelerate wound healing.
Forschungsfrage: Was sind Motivationen, Bedenken und Karriereerwartungen von Hochschulabsolventen, die sich für eine selbstinitiierte Auslandsentsendung direkt nach dem Studienabschluss entscheiden?
Methodik: Quantitative Befragung unter Absolventen deutscher Hochschulen
Praktische Implikationen: Aus den Ergebnissen lassen sich Maßnahmen zur Gewinnung und Bindung von Hochschulabsolventen als selbstinitiierte Entsandte und damit zur Nutzung des Potenzials der selbstinitiierten Entsendung ableiten.
In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has increasingly become a relevant technology for many companies. While there are a number of studies that highlight challenges and success factors in the adoption of AI, there is a lack of guidance for firms on how to approach the topic in a holistic and strategic way. The aim of this study is therefore to develop a conceptual framework for corporate AI strategy. To address this aim, a systematic literature review of a wide spectrum of AI-related research is conducted, and the results are analyzed based on an inductive coding approach. An important conclusion is that companies should consider diverse aspects when formulating an AI strategy, ranging from technological questions to corporate culture and human resources. This study contributes to knowledge by proposing a novel, comprehensive framework to foster the understanding of crucial aspects that need to be considered when using the emerging technology of AI in a corporate context.
Conventional production systems are evolving through cyber-physical systems and application-oriented approaches of AI, more and more into "smart" production systems, which are characterized among other things by a high level of communication and integration of the individual components. The exchange of information between the systems is usually only oriented towards the data content, where semantics is usually only implicitly considered. The adaptability required by external and internal influences requires the integration of new or the redesign of existing components. Through an open application-oriented ontology the information and communication exchange are extended by explicit semantic information. This enables a better integration of new and an easier reconfiguration of existing components. The developed ontology, the derived application and use of the semantic information will be evaluated by means of a practical use case.
While there has been increased digitization of private homes, only little has been done to understand these specific home technologies, how they serve consumers, among other issues. “Smart home technology” (SHT) refer to a wide range of artifacts from cleaning aids to energy advisors. Given this breadth, clarity surrounding the key characteristics and the multi-faceted impact of SHT is needed to conduct more directed research on SHT. We propose a taxonomy to help outline the salient intended outcomes of SHT. Through a process involving five iterations, we analyzed and classified 79 technologies (gathered from literature and industry reports). This uncovered seven dimensions encompassing 20 salient characteristics. We believe these dimensions/characteristics will help researchers and organizations better design and study the impacts of these technologies. Our long-term agenda is to use the proposed taxonomy for an exploratory inquiry to understand tensions occurring when personal and sustainability-related outcomes compete.
Trotz Niedrigzinsphase bleibt das Working Capital Management ein wichtiger Treiber für Wertgrößen in Unternehmen und wichtiges Managementinstrument. Unsere Ergebnisse über 115 Unternehmen aus den wichtigsten deutschen Indizes in den Jahren 2011 bis 2017 zeigen, dass effektives Working Capital Management einen positiven Einfluss auf die Rentabilität und den Unternehmenswert haben kann. Gleichzeitig zeigen unsere Ergebnisse aber auch, dass dem Working Capital Management jüngst weniger Aufmerksamkeit zuteilgeworden ist und digitale Innovationen vermutlich noch nicht in dem Umfang zur Effizienzsteigerung eingesetzt werden, wie dies möglich erscheint. Selbst vor dem Hintergrund andauernd niedriger Kapitalmarktzinsen ist dies kritisch zu sehen.
It has always been interesting for scientists to look at economic indicators in order to explain current economic developments and to forecast a boom or a recession. In addition to classic, hard economic indicators such as the Gross National Product or the Ifo index, there are also a number of psychological and soft indicators that economists consult. The lipstick effect is one of these psychological indicators. The paper introduces the lipstick effect, explains the causes behind the phenomenon, shows the connection to brand management and provides references to the current Corona pandemic.
This paper presents a generic method to enhance performance and incorporate temporal information for cardiorespiratory-based sleep stage classification with a limited feature set and limited data. The classification algorithm relies on random forests and a feature set extracted from long-time home monitoring for sleep analysis. Employing temporal feature stacking, the system could be significantly improved in terms of Cohen’s κ and accuracy. The detection performance could be improved for three classes of sleep stages (Wake, REM, Non-REM sleep), four classes (Wake, Non-REM-Light sleep, Non-REM Deep sleep, REM sleep), and five classes (Wake, N1, N2, N3/4, REM sleep) from a κ of 0.44 to 0.58, 0.33 to 0.51, and 0.28 to 0.44 respectively by stacking features before and after the epoch to be classified. Further analysis was done for the optimal length and combination method for this stacking approach. Overall, three methods and a variable duration between 30 s and 30 min have been analyzed. Overnight recordings of 36 healthy subjects from the Interdisciplinary Center for Sleep Medicine at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin and Leave-One-Out-Cross-Validation on a patient-level have been used to validate the method.
Enterprise architecture (EA) is useful for promoting digital transformation in global companies and information societies. In this paper, the authors investigated and analyzed the process for digital transformation in global companies, together with related work in using and applying an enterprise architecture framework for the digital era named the adaptive integrated digital architecture framework (AIDAF). Moreover, they position the AIDAF framework for processing digital transformation in global companies. Based on this analysis, the authors propose and describe a new enterprise architecture process for promoting digital transformation in global companies. Furthermore, the authors propose an adaptive EA cycle-based architecture board framework on digital platforms, while verifying them with case studies in global companies. Finally, the authors clarify the challenges and critical success factors of the process and framework for digital transformation with architecture board reviews in the adaptive EA cycle to assist EA practitioners with its implementation.
Enterprise architecture (EA) is useful for effectively structuring digital platforms with digital transformation in information societies. Moreover, digital platforms in the healthcare industry accelerate and increase the efficiency of drug discovery and development processes. However, there is the lack of knowledge concerning relationships between EA and digital platforms, in spite of the needs of it. In this paper, we investigated and analyzed the process of drug design and development within the healthcare industry, together with related work in using an enterprise architecture framework for the digital era named the Adaptive Integrated Digital Architecture Framework (AIDAF), specifically supporting the design of digital platforms there. Based on this analysis, we evaluate a method and propose a new reference architecture for promoting digital platforms in the healthcare industry, with future specific aspects of them making effective use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The practical and theoretical contributions include: (1) Streamlined processes through digital platforms in organizations. (2) Informal knowledge supply and sharing among organizational members through digital platforms. (3) Efficiency and effectiveness in planning production and business for drug development. The findings indicate that EA with digital platforms using the AIDAF contribute to digital transformation with effectiveness for new drugs in the healthcare industry.
Theory and practice of implementing a successful enterprise IoT strategy in the industry 4.0 era
(2021)
Since the arrival of the internet and affordable access to technologies, digital technologies have occupied a growing place in industries, propelling us towards a 4th industrial revolution: Industry 4.0. In today’s era of digital upheaval, enterprises are increasingly undergoing transformations that are leading to their digitalization. The traditional manufacturing industry is in the throes of a digital transformation that is accelerated by exponentially growing technologies (e.g., intelligent robots, Internet of Things, sensors, 3D printing). Around the world, enterprises are in a frantic race to implement solutions based on IoT to improve their productivity, innovation, and reduce costs and improve their markets on the international scene. Considering the immense transformative potential that IoTs and big data have to bring to the industrial sector, the adoption of IoT in all industrial systems is a challenge to remain competitive and thus transform the industry into a smart factory. This paper presents the description of the innovation and digitalization process, following the Industry 4.0 paradigm to implement a successful enterprise IoT strategy.
Enterprises and information societies confront crucial challenges currently, while Industry 4.0 becomes important in the global manufacturing industry and Society 5.0 should contribute to a supersmart society, especially for healthcare. Physical activity monitoring digital platforms are architected to improve the healthcare status of patients with diabetes and other lifestyle-related diseases. Furthermore, digital platforms are expected to generate profits for health technology companies and help control costs in the healthcare ecosystem. However, current digital enterprise architecture approaches are not well-established, and the potentials have not yet been realized. Design thinking approach and agile software development methodologies can overcome these limitations, beginning with proof of concept and pilot projects and then scaling to the production environment. In this paper, we describe how that the adaptive integrated digital architecture framework (AIDAF) for Design Thinking approach is proposed and verified in a case of a university hospital in the Americas. In addition, challenges and future activities for this area are discussed that cover the directions for Society 5.0.
Metalworking fluids (MWFs) are widely used to cool and lubricate metal workpieces during processing to reduce heat and friction. Extending a MWF’s service life is of importance from both economical and ecological points of view. Knowledge about the effects of processing conditions on the aging behavior and reliable analytical procedures are required to properly characterize the aging phenomena. While so far no quantitative estimations of ageing effects on MWFs have been described in the literature other than univariate ones based on single parameter measurements, in the present study we present a simple spectroscopy-based set-up for the simultaneous monitoring of three quality parameters of MWF and a mathematical model relating them to the most influential process factors relevant during use. For this purpose, the effects of MWF concentration, pH and nitrite concentration on the droplet size during aging were investigated by means of a response surface modelling approach. Systematically varied model MWF fluids were characterized using simultaneous measurements of absorption coefficients µa and effective scattering coefficients µ’s. Droplet size was determined via dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements. Droplet size showed non-linear dependence on MWF concentration and pH, but the nitrite concentration had no significant effect. pH and MWF concentration showed a strong synergistic effect, which indicates that MWF aging is a rather complex process. The observed effects were similar for the DLS and the µ’s values, which shows the comparability of the methodologies. The correlations of the methods were R2c = 0.928 and R2P = 0.927, as calculated by a partial least squares regression (PLS-R) model. Furthermore, using µa, it was possible to generate a predictive PLS-R model for MWF concentration (R2c = 0.890, R2P = 0.924). Simultaneous determination of the pH based on the µ’s is possible with good accuracy (R²c = 0.803, R²P = 0.732). With prior knowledge of the MWF concentration using the µa-PLS-R model, the predictive capability of the µ’s-PLS-R model for pH was refined (10 wt%: R²c = 0.998, R²p = 0.997). This highlights the relevance of the combined measurement of µa and µ’s. Recognizing the synergistic nature of the effects of MWF concentration and pH on the droplet size is an important prerequisite for extending the service life of an MWF in the metalworking industry. The presented method can be applied as an in-process analytical tool that allows one to compensate for ageing effects during use of the MWF by taking appropriate corrective measures, such as pH correction or adjustment of concentration.