Hybrid Open Access - OA-Veröffentlichung in einer Subskriptionszeitschrift/-medium
Refine
Year of publication
Document Type
- Article (143)
- Part of a Book (1)
- conference proceeding (article) (1)
- conference talk (1)
- conference proceeding (volume) (1)
- Review (1)
Is part of the Bibliography
- no (148)
Keywords
- Shotcrete (4)
- 3D volumetry (3)
- Artificial Intelligence (3)
- Biomechanik (3)
- Durability (3)
- Maschinelles Lernen (3)
- Medical Image Computing (3)
- Photoacoustic spectroscopy (3)
- Acetone breath analysis (2)
- Acetone detection (2)
Institute
- Fakultät Informatik und Mathematik (47)
- Fakultät Maschinenbau (44)
- Regensburg Center of Biomedical Engineering - RCBE (22)
- Fakultät Elektro- und Informationstechnik (18)
- Regensburg Center of Health Sciences and Technology - RCHST (18)
- Fakultät Angewandte Sozial- und Gesundheitswissenschaften (16)
- Regensburg Medical Image Computing (ReMIC) (15)
- Fakultät Bauingenieurwesen (14)
- Fakultät Angewandte Natur- und Kulturwissenschaften (13)
- Labor Biomechanik (LBM) (12)
Begutachtungsstatus
- peer-reviewed (137)
Im Betrieb von Förderbändern auftretende Phänomene sind das Bandwandern in Achsrichtung der Walzen und die Bandverformung in der Bandebene [1, S. 142]. Das Bandwandern ist bisher detailliert untersucht [2–4], während die Bandverformung Gegenstand weniger Veröffentlichungen ist. Deshalb wird in diesem Artikel eine Methode zur Berechnung der sich im dynamischen Betrieb einstellenden Verformung eines elastischen Förderbandes vorgestellt. Dazu wird ein Mehrkörpersimulations-Modell basierend auf der Lumped-Mass-Modellierung verwendet. Als Untersuchungsbeispiel dient ein Zwei-Walzensystem mit flexiblen und zylindrischen Walzen, sowie ein flexibles Förderband. Es zeigt sich, dass mit der Lumped-Mass-Modellierung eine dynamische Bandverformung, die von der gewählten Diskretisierung abhängt, berechnet werden kann. Aufgrund dieser Abhängigkeit ist es notwendig eine Konvergenzanalyse durchzuführen. Zusätzlich ist darauf zu achten, dass die künstliche Anregung aufgrund der Lumped-Mass-Modellierung nicht mit einer Eigenfrequenz des Modells zusammenfällt.
Generative deep learning approaches for the design of dental restorations: A narrative review
(2024)
Objectives:
This study aims to explore and discuss recent advancements in tooth reconstruction utilizing deep learning (DL) techniques. A review on new DL methodologies in partial and full tooth reconstruction is conducted.
Data/Sources:
PubMed, Google Scholar, and IEEE Xplore databases were searched for articles from 2003 to 2023.
Study selection:
The review includes 9 articles published from 2018 to 2023. The selected articles showcase novel DL approaches for tooth reconstruction, while those concentrating solely on the application or review of DL methods are excluded. The review shows that data is acquired via intraoral scans or laboratory scans of dental plaster models. Common data representations are depth maps, point clouds, and voxelized point clouds. Reconstructions focus on single teeth, using data from adjacent teeth or the entire jaw. Some articles include antagonist teeth data and features like occlusal grooves and gap distance. Primary network architectures include Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Transformers. Compared to conventional digital methods, DL-based tooth reconstruction reports error rates approximately two times lower.
Conclusions:
Generative DL models analyze dental datasets to reconstruct missing teeth by extracting insights into patterns and structures. Through specialized application, these models reconstruct morphologically and functionally sound dental structures, leveraging information from the existing teeth. The reported advancements facilitate the feasibility of DL-based dental crown reconstruction. Beyond GANs and Transformers with point clouds or voxels, recent studies indicate promising outcomes with diffusion-based architectures and innovative data representations like wavelets for 3D shape completion and inference problems.
Clinical significance:
Generative network architectures employed in the analysis and reconstruction of dental structures demonstrate notable proficiency. The enhanced accuracy and efficiency of DL-based frameworks hold the potential to enhance clinical outcomes and increase patient satisfaction. The reduced reconstruction times and diminished requirement for manual intervention may lead to cost savings and improved accessibility of dental services.
Background
This study evaluated the effect of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based clinical decision support system on the performance and diagnostic confidence of endoscopists in their assessment of Barrett’s esophagus (BE).
Methods
96 standardized endoscopy videos were assessed by 22 endoscopists with varying degrees of BE experience from 12 centers. Assessment was randomized into two video sets: group A (review first without AI and second with AI) and group B (review first with AI and second without AI). Endoscopists were required to evaluate each video for the presence of Barrett’s esophagus-related neoplasia (BERN) and then decide on a spot for a targeted biopsy. After the second assessment, they were allowed to change their clinical decision and confidence level.
Results
AI had a stand-alone sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 92.2%, 68.9%, and 81.3%, respectively. Without AI, BE experts had an overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 83.3%, 58.1%, and 71.5%, respectively. With AI, BE nonexperts showed a significant improvement in sensitivity and specificity when videos were assessed a second time with AI (sensitivity 69.8% [95%CI 65.2%–74.2%] to 78.0% [95%CI 74.0%–82.0%]; specificity 67.3% [95%CI 62.5%–72.2%] to 72.7% [95%CI 68.2%–77.3%]). In addition, the diagnostic confidence of BE nonexperts improved significantly with AI.
Conclusion
BE nonexperts benefitted significantly from additional AI. BE experts and nonexperts remained significantly below the stand-alone performance of AI, suggesting that there may be other factors influencing endoscopists’ decisions to follow or discard AI advice.
Transient surrogate modeling of modally reduced structures with discontinuous loads and damping
(2024)
In this work, a surrogate model for structural, transient and discontinuously excited finite element method simulations is developed. This allows to reduce the computational effort of repeated calculations of identical models under different load cases. The architecture of the surrogate combines fully connected neural network layers with long short-term memory layers. For the reproduction of different damping ratios, a categorical variable is added to the continuous input data. Based on a recursive flow of the predicted data back to the input layer, long-term dependencies do not vanish due to short-input sequences. The system dimension is reduced by applying the model-order reduction technique for modal decomposition. The high accuracy of the surrogate and the reduction of computational costs are shown on an academic example of a cantilever beam and a real-world example of a robot. The advantages of our approach are illustrated in comparison with state-of-the-art surrogates for transient finite element analysis. By using the surrogate proposed in this study, oscillations due to discontinuous excitation of mechanical structures can be reproduced. For this purpose, only short-input sequences are necessary since the excitation of the oscillations does not have to be part of the input sequence during the whole duration of the oscillations. Due to the categorical variable for the damping ratio, the surrogate can account for the influence of different damping in parameter studies.
Case study research is one of the most widely used research methods in Information Systems (IS). In recent years, an increasing number of publications have used case studies with few sources of evidence, such as single interviews per case. While there is much methodological guidance on rigorously conducting multiple case studies, it remains unclear how researchers can achieve an acceptable level of rigour for this emerging type of multiple case study with few sources of evidence, i.e., multiple mini case studies. In this context, we synthesise methodological guidance for multiple case study research from a cross-disciplinary perspective to develop an analytical framework. Furthermore, we calibrate this analytical framework to multiple mini case studies by reviewing previous IS publications that use multiple mini case studies to provide guidelines to conduct multiple mini case studies rigorously. We also offer a conceptual definition of multiple mini case studies, distinguish them from other research approaches, and position multiple mini case studies as a pragmatic and rigorous approach to research emerging and innovative phenomena in IS.
Academic self-regulation is a key factor for motivation and learning achievement. Yet with the large range of individual factors, this is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. This study of L2 Technical English students at two German universities explored learners’ expectations and motivations, in particular regarding self-regulation and self-efficacy via the individual’s time investment in self-led study. In an initial survey, learners (N=1646) reported on their English skill levels and anticipated learning habits. Complementarily, the retrospective survey investigated learners’ (N=796) actual behavior during the course, their perceptions of language skill improvement, and their satisfaction. The initial survey indicates a clear understanding that time investment in self-regulated study will lead to greater improvement, an outcome confirmed in the retrospective survey. Additionally, students who invested more time in their coursework were more satisfied with their achievement, although most learners acknowledge they should have studied more. The results verify that learners recognize the nexus between self-regulation and language skill improvement, yet university students are not satisfied with their capacity to self-regulate their language learning strategies. While differences in students’ skill levels and academic self-efficacy result in divergent degrees of progress, students of all types report benefits to their language skills when motivated to self-regulated study.
Effect of AI on performance of endoscopists to detect Barrett neoplasia: A Randomized Tandem Trial
()
Background and study aims
To evaluate the effect of an AI-based clinical decision support system (AI) on the performance and diagnostic confidence of endoscopists during the assessment of Barrett's esophagus (BE).
Patients and Methods
Ninety-six standardized endoscopy videos were assessed by 22 endoscopists from 12 different centers with varying degrees of BE experience.
The assessment was randomized into two video sets: Group A (review first without AI and second with AI) and group B (review first with AI and second without AI). Endoscopists were required to evaluate each video for the presence of Barrett's esophagus-related neoplasia (BERN) and then decide on a spot for a targeted biopsy. After the second assessment, they were allowed to change their clinical decision and confidence level.
Results
AI had a standalone sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 92.2%, 68.9%, and 81.6%, respectively. Without AI, BE experts had an overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 83.3%, 58.1 and 71.5%, respectively. With AI, BE nonexperts showed a significant improvement in sensitivity and specificity when videos were assessed a second time with AI (sensitivity 69.7% (95% CI, 65.2% - 74.2%) to 78.0% (95% CI, 74.0% - 82.0%); specificity 67.3% (95% CI, 62.5% - 72.2%) to 72.7% (95 CI, 68.2% - 77.3%). In addition, the diagnostic confidence of BE nonexperts improved significantly with AI.
Conclusion
BE nonexperts benefitted significantly from the additional AI. BE experts and nonexperts remained below the standalone performance of AI, suggesting that there may be other factors influencing endoscopists to follow or discard AI advice.
We investigate the influence of the geometry and doping level on the performance of n-type silicon nanowire field emitters on silicon pillar structures. Therefore, multiple cathodes with 50 by 50 pillar arrays (diameter: 5 μm, height: 30 μm, spacing: 50 μm) were fabricated and measured in diode configuration. In the first experiment, we compared two geometry types using the same material. Geometry 1 is black silicon, which is a highly dense surface covering a forest of tightly spaced silicon needles resulting from self-masking during a plasma etching process of single crystal silicon. Geometry 2 are silicon nanowires, which are individual spaced-out nanowires in a crownlike shape resulting from a plasma etching process of single crystal silicon. In the second experiment, we compared two different silicon doping levels [n-type (P), 1–10 and <0.005 Ω cm] for the same geometry. The best performance was achieved with lower doped silicon nanowire samples, emitting 2 mA at an extraction voltage of 1 kV. The geometry/material combination with the best performance was used to assemble an integrated electron source. These electron sources were measured in a triode configuration and reached onset voltages of about 125 V and emission currents of 2.5 mA at extraction voltages of 400 V, while achieving electron transmission rates as high as 85.0%.
AbstractRegularized static friction models have been used successfully for many years. However, they are unable to maintain static friction in detail. For this reason, dynamic friction models have been developed and published in the literature. However, commercial multibody simulation packages such as Adams, RecurDyn, and Simpack have developed their own specific stick-slip models instead of adopting one of the public domain approaches. This article introduces the fundamentals of these commercial models and their behavior from a practical point of view. The stick-slip models were applied to a simple test model and a more sophisticated model of a festoon cable system using their standard parameters.
The human nose serves as the primary gateway for air entering the respiratory system and plays a vital role in breathing. Nasal breathing difficulties are a significant health concern, leading to substantial healthcare costs for patients. Understanding nasal airflow dynamics is crucial for comprehending respiratory mechanisms. This article presents a detailed study using tomo-Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to investigate nasal airflow dynamics while addressing its accuracy. Embedded in the OpenNose project, the work described aims to provide a validation basis for different numerical approaches to upper airway flow. The study includes the manufacturing of a transparent silicone model based on a clinical CT scan, refractive index matching to minimize optical distortions, and precise flow rate adjustments based on physiological breathing cycles. This method allows for spatial high-resolution investigations in different regions of interest within the nasopharynx during various phases of the breathing cycle. The results demonstrate the accuracy of the investigations, enabling detailed analysis of flow structures and gradients. This spatial high-resolution tomo-PIV approach provides valuable insights into the complex flow phenomena occurring during the physiological breathing cycle in the nasopharynx. The study's findings contribute to advancements in non-free-of-sight experimental flow investigation of complex cavities under nearly realistic conditions. Furthermore, reliable and accurate experimental data is crucial for properly validating numerical approaches that compute this patient-specific flow for clinical purposes.
Increasingly stringent emission limits have made particulate filters necessary for gasoline engines. Similar to diesel applications, gasoline particulate filters (GPFs) can be monitored by differential pressure measurement or by the radio-frequency-based filter diagnosis (RF sensor). In addition to measuring the soot loading, ash detection is critical for monitoring the GPF over the entire vehicle lifetime. Because the RF sensor detects the filter loading through a change in the dielectric properties of the GPF, it can detect not only soot but also ash. In diesel applications, the RF sensor has already demonstrated its potential for ash detection. To verify the feasibility of simultaneous ash and soot monitoring for GPFs, filters were loaded with ash on an engine test bench and measured on a lab test bench under defined synthetic exhaust gas conditions. By evaluating resonant modes, soot and ash could be clearly distinguished, as ash mainly affects the resonant frequency, while soot also changes the quality factor due to its high dielectric losses. However, higher soot loadings could not be detected by the resonant parameters, but instead by a frequency-averaged transmission signal. While the presence of ash caused an offset in this signal, its sensitivity to soot was not affected. Thus, the influence of ash can be corrected if the signal in the soot-free filter state is known, e.g., from the behavior of the resonant parameters. Therefore, even with a continuously increasing ash loading over the lifetime of a vehicle, an accurate soot detection is possible with the RF sensor.
In the field of computer- and robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery, enormous progress has been made in recent years based on the recognition of surgical instruments in endoscopic images and videos. In particular, the determination of the position and type of instruments is of great interest. Current work involves both spatial and temporal information, with the idea that predicting the movement of surgical tools over time may improve the quality of the final segmentations. The provision of publicly available datasets has recently encouraged the development of new methods, mainly based on deep learning. In this review, we identify and characterize datasets used for method development and evaluation and quantify their frequency of use in the literature. We further present an overview of the current state of research regarding the segmentation and tracking of minimally invasive surgical instruments in endoscopic images and videos. The paper focuses on methods that work purely visually, without markers of any kind attached to the instruments, considering both single-frame semantic and instance segmentation approaches, as well as those that incorporate temporal information. The publications analyzed were identified through the platforms Google Scholar, Web of Science, and PubMed. The search terms used were “instrument segmentation”, “instrument tracking”, “surgical tool segmentation”, and “surgical tool tracking”, resulting in a total of 741 articles published between 01/2015 and 07/2023, of which 123 were included using systematic selection criteria. A discussion of the reviewed literature is provided, highlighting existing shortcomings and emphasizing the available potential for future developments.
In fatigue strength assessment, the methods based on ideal elastic stresses according to Basquin and the less established method based on elastic-plastic stress quantities according to Manson, Coffin and Morrow are applied. The former calculates loads using linear-elastic stresses, the latter requires elasticplastic evaluation parameters, such as stresses and strains. These can be determined by finite element analysis (FEA) with a linear-elastic constitutive law, and subsequent conversion to elastic-plastic loads, using the macro support formula by Neuber. In this contribution, an alternative approach to approximate elastic-plastic parameters proposed by Glinka is compared to the the strain-life method using Neuber's formula, as well as the stress-life method of Basquin. Several component tests on 42CrMoS4-QT specimens are investigated. To determine the input data for the fatigue strength evaluations, the entire test setup is computed by FEA. The nodal displacements from these validated full-model simulations are used as boundary conditions for a submodel simulation of a notch, whose results serve as input for the fatigue strength assessments. It is shown that all approaches provide a reliable assessment of components. Our key result is that the strain-life method using the concept by Glinka for notch stress computation, yields improved results in fatigue strength assessments.
Although magnesium and its alloys are promising candidates as biodegradable implant materials, the tendency for localized corrosion mechanism in physiological environment limit their biomedical application. Electropolishing is an attractive strategy for improving the corrosion behaviour of metals, but it is still largely unexplored in magnesium materials. In this study, the characterization of electropolished surfaces of AM50 and pure magnesium was performed, focussing on their in vitro degradation behaviour in cell medium. Corrosion rates were evaluated using potentiodynamic polarisation. The surface morphology before and after the onset of corrosion was investigated by scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. The presented electropolishing process led to improved surface performances, observable by significantly lower corrosion rates (0.08 mm·year-1 in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium), lower arithmetical mean height (0.05 µm), lower water contact angle (25-35°) and lower micro hardness (35-50 HV 0.1) compared to mechanically and chemically treated surfaces. MgO/Mg(OH)2 could be detected on electropolished surfaces. The localized corrosion mode could be reduced, but not entirely prevented. Electropolishing shows great potential as post-treatment of magnesium-based components, but detailed tests of the long-term corrosion behaviour are an important area of future research.
Commercially available contact angle (CA) measuring devices usually do not allow for the application of magnetic fields to the sample under test. A setup for measuring the CA of liquids on magnetosensitive surfaces has been developed specifically for investigating the surfaces of magnetoactive elastomers (MAEs). The addition of a programmable linear stage, which moves a permanent magnet, allows for fine control of the magnetic field applied to the MAE without the need for large and power-consuming electromagnets. Paired with a custom control and evaluation software, this measurement setup operates semiautomatically, limiting operator error and increasing precision, speed, as well as repeatability of static and dynamic CA measurements for different magnetoactive materials. The software is equipped with robust droplet fitting algorithms to avoid experimental challenges arising with soft magnetoactive materials, such as the curling of sample edges or diffuse non-reflective surfaces. Several application examples on MAE surfaces, both processed and unprocessed, are presented.
Eine Herausforderung performancebasierter Prüfverfahren zur Bewertung der Dauerhaftigkeit ist die Beschleunigung natürlicher Mechanismen. Dies ist notwendig, um innerhalb kurzer Zeit die Langzeit-Leistungsfähigkeit ermitteln zu können. Die Bestimmung der Frost-Tausalzbeständigkeit von Beton kann durch den CDF-Test erfolgen, welcher für Betone mit ausreichendem Frost-Tausalz-Widerstand sehr gut funktioniert. Bei Proben mit einer unzureichenden bzw. unbekannten Performance können erhöhte Randabwitterungen auftreten, welche durch das Ablösen des seitlichen Abdichtbands entstehen. Der zunehmende Randeinfluss führt so zu einer Verfälschung der Ergebnisse und zu einer Unterschätzung der tatsächlichen Performance des Bauteils. In diesem Beitrag werden Mörtel- und Betonprobekörper mit unterschiedlichen Abwitterungsraten in Anlehnung an das CDF-Verfahren untersucht. Zusätzlich wird die Oberflächenschädigung der Proben anhand einer neuartigen Messmethode mittels hochauflösendem 3D-Laserscanning ausgewertet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Randeffekte mit der Laserscan-Methode umgangen und vergleichbare Ergebnisse zu den CDF-Untersuchungen erzielt werden können. Somit können Betone ohne Randeinflüsse charakterisiert und eine präzise Prognose der Langzeitbeständigkeit getroffen werden.
Die Carbonatisierung von Beton kann einerseits zu Schäden bei Stahlbetonbauwerken führen, andererseits kann der Beton so CO2 speichern und damit seinen CO2-Fußabdruck verringern. In diesem Beitrag wird dargestellt, wie eine effiziente Beschleunigung der Carbonatisierung durch Anlegen eines geringen äußeren Drucks erreicht werden kann. Damit wird neben der Diffusion der wesentlich schneller ablaufende Transportmechanismus der Permeation ausgenutzt, der das CO2 tiefer in das Probeninnere transportiert und damit in kurzer Zeit die Bestimmung des Carbonatisierungswiderstand zementgebundener Materialien ermöglicht. Hierzu wurde eine Prüfeinrichtung entwickelt, die es ermöglicht, die CO2-Konzentration und in gewissen Grenzen auch relative Luftfeuchte sowie die Temperatur gezielt einzustellen und zu steuern, um so Mörtel- und Betonproben schnell und präzise zu carbonatisieren. Der Einfluss verschiedener Druckstufen und Wechselzyklen wird dargelegt und die resultierenden chemischen und physikalischen Veränderungen der Proben bestimmt. Als besonders effizient und gleichzeitig realitätsnah erwies sich die konstante CO2-Beaufschlagung mit 3 Vol.-% CO2 mit zusätzlichem, moderatem Gasdruck. Das hier entwickelte Verfahren kann daher genutzt werden, um Betone schnell und effizient in zeitraffenden Materialtests hinsichtlich Carbonatisierungswiderstand zu charakterisieren.
Review of elasto-static models for three-dimensional analysis of thick-walled anisotropic tubes
(2023)
Most shell or beam models of anisotropic tubes under bending have no validity for thick-walled structures. As a result, the need to develop three-dimensional formulations which allow a change in the stress, strain and displacement distributions across the radial component arises. Basic formulations on three-dimensional anisotropic elasticity were made either stressor displacement-based by Lekhnitskii or Stroh on plates. Lekhnitskii also was the first to expand these analytical formulations to tubes under various loading conditions. This paper presents a review of the stress and strain analysis of tube models using three-dimensional anisotropic elasticity. The focus lies on layered structures, like fiber-reinforced plastics, under various bending loads, although the basic formulations and models regarding axisymmetric loads are briefly discussed. One section is also dedicated to the determination of an equivalent bending stiffness of tubes.
BACKGROUND: Thrombosis remains a critical complication during venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV ECMO). The involvement of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in thrombogenesis has to be discussed. The aim was to verify NETs in the form of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the plasma of patients during ECMO.
METHODS: A fluorescent DNA-binding dye (QuantifFluor®, Promega) was used to detect cell-free DNA in plasma samples. cfDNA concentrations from volunteers (n = 21) and patients (n = 9) were compared and correlated with clinical/technical data before/during support, ECMO end and time of a system exchange.
RESULTS: Before ECMO, patients with a median (IQR) age of 59 (51/63) years, SOFA score of 11 (10/15), and ECMO run time of 9.0 (7.0/19.5) days presented significantly higher levels of cfDNA compared to volunteers (6.4 (5.8/7.9) ng/μL vs. 5.9 (5.4/6.3) ng/μL; p = 0.044). Within 2 days after ECMO start, cfDNA, inflammatory, and hemolysis parameters remained unchanged, while platelets decreased (p = 0.005). After ECMO removal at the end of therapy, cfDNA, inflammation, and coagulation data (except antithrombin III) remained unchanged. The renewal of a system resulted in known alterations in fibrinogen, d-dimers, and platelets, while cfDNA remained unchanged.
CONCLUSION: Detection of cfDNA in plasma of ECMO patients was not an indicator of acute and circuit-induced thrombogenesis.
Hintergrund/Zielsetzung
Der Beitrag befasst sich mit dem Wissenstand und der Einstellung der Bevölkerung. Betrachtet werden die Übermittlung und Verfügbarkeit von Gesundheitsdaten, Gesundheitsregister, die elektronische Patientenakte, Einwilligungsverfahren für die Übermittlung von Daten und der Zugriff auf Gesundheitsdaten zu Forschungszwecken.
Methoden
Die Studie basiert auf einer computergestützten Telefonbefragung (Dual-Frame) bei einer Zufallsstichprobe der Bevölkerung in Deutschland im Zeitraum 01.-27.06.2022 (n = 1.308).
Ergebnisse
Der Wissensstand zur Übermittlung von Gesundheitsdaten an Krankenkassen ist hoch, wohingegen das Vorhandensein zentraler Sterbe-, Impf- und Gesundheitsregister sowie der Zugriff auf Gesundheitsdaten durch behandelnde Ärztinnen und Ärzte überschätzt werden. Die Akzeptanz medizinischer Register ist sehr hoch. Die elektronische Patientenakte ist bei der Hälfte der Bevölkerung unbekannt, die Nutzungsbereitschaft ist eher gering ausgeprägt; bei der Übertragung von Daten wird eine Zustimmungsoption bevorzugt, und über achtzig Prozent würden die Daten der elektronischen Patientenakte zur Forschung freigeben. Drei Viertel würden ihre Gesundheitsdaten allgemein zur Forschung freigeben, insbesondere an Universitäten in Deutschland, wobei meist Anonymität Bedingung ist. Die Bereitschaft zur Datenfreigabe steigt mit der Höhe des Vertrauens in die Presse sowie in Universitäten und Hochschulen, und sie sinkt, wenn ein Datenleck als schwerwiegend erachtet wird.
Diskussion und Schlussfolgerung
In Deutschland besteht, wie in anderen europäischen Ländern, eine große Bereitschaft zur Freigabe von Gesundheitsdaten zu Forschungszwecken. Dagegen ist der Wunsch zur Nutzung der elektronischen Patientenakte eher gering. Ebenso niedrig ist die Akzeptanz einer Widerspruchsoption, die jedoch als Voraussetzung für eine erfolgreiche Einführung einer elektronischen Patientenakte gilt. Vertrauen in die Forschung und staatliche Stellen, die Gesundheitsdaten verarbeiten, sind zentrale Faktoren.
In the field of software engineering, graph-based models are used for a variety of applications. Usually, the layout of those graphs is determined at the discretion of the user. This article empirically investigates whether different layouts affect the comprehensibility or popularity of a graph and whether one can predict the perception of certain aspects in the graph using basic graphical laws from psychology (i.e., Gestalt principles). Data on three distinct layouts of one causal graph is collected from 29 subjects using eye tracking and a print questionnaire. The evaluation of the collected data suggests that the layout of a graph does matter and that the Gestalt principles are a valuable tool for assessing partial aspects of a layout.
LuGre or not LuGre
(2023)
The LuGre model is widely used in the analysis and control of systems with friction. Recently, it has even been made available in the commercial multibody dynamics simulation software system Adams. However, the LuGre model exhibits well-known drawbacks like too low and force rate-dependent break-away forces, drift problems during sticking periods, and significant differences in non-stationary situations between the pre-defined friction law and the one produced by the LuGre model. In the present literature, these problems are supposed to come from the model dynamics or its nonlinear nature. However, most of these drawbacks are not simple side effects of a dynamic friction model but are caused in the LuGre approach, as shown here, by a too simple and inconsistent model of the bristle dynamics. Standard examples and a more practical application demonstrate that the LuGre model is not a “what you see is what you get” approach. A dynamic friction model with accurate bristle dynamics and consistent friction force is set up here. It provides insight into the physical basis of the LuGre model dynamics. However, it results in a nonlinear and implicit differential equation, whose solution will not be easy because of the ambiguity of the friction characteristics. The standard workaround, a static model based on simple regularized characteristics, produces reliable and generally satisfactory results but definitely cannot maintain a stick. The paper presents a second-order dynamic friction model, which may serve as an alternative. It can maintain a stick and produces realistic and reliable results.
BACKGROUND
Surgeons have historically used age as a preoperative predictor of postoperative outcomes. Sarcopenia, the loss of skeletal muscle mass due to disease or biological age, has been proposed as a more accurate risk predictor. The prognostic value of sarcopenia assessment in surgical patients remains poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to synthesize the available literature and investigate the impact of sarcopenia on peri- and postoperative outcomes across all surgical specialties.
METHODS
We systematically assessed the prognostic value of sarcopenia on postoperative outcomes by conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, searching the PubMed/MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from inception to 1st October 2022. Our primary outcomes were complication occurrence, mortality, length of operation and hospital stay, discharge to home, and postdischarge survival rate at one, three, and five years. Subgroup analysis was performed by stratifying complications according to the Clavien-Dindo classification system. Sensitivity analysis was performed by focusing on studies with an oncological, cardiovascular, emergency, or transplant surgery population, and on those of higher quality or prospective study design.
RESULTS
A total of 294 studies comprising 97,643 patients, of which 33,070 had sarcopenia, were included in our analysis. Sarcopenia was associated with significantly poorer postoperative outcomes including greater mortality, complication occurrence, length of hospital stay, and lower rates of discharge to home (all P<0.00001). A significantly lower survival rate in patients with sarcopenia was noted at one, three, and five years (all P<0.00001) after surgery. Subgroup analysis confirmed higher rates of complications and mortality in oncological (both P<0.00001), cardiovascular (both P<0.00001), and emergency (P=0.03 and P=0.04, respectively) patients with sarcopenia. In the transplant surgery cohort, mortality was significantly higher in patients with sarcopenia (P<0.00001). Among all patients undergoing surgery for inflammatory bowel disease, the frequency of complications was significantly increased among sarcopenic patients (P=0.007). Sensitivity analysis based on higher-quality studies and prospective studies showed that sarcopenia remained a significant predictor of mortality and complication occurrence (all P<0.00001).
CONCLUSION
Sarcopenia is a significant predictor of poorer outcomes in surgical patients. Preoperative assessment of sarcopenia can help surgeons to identify patients at risk, critically balance eligibility, and refine perioperative management. Large-scale studies are required to further validate the importance of sarcopenia as a prognostic indicator of perioperative risk, especially in surgical sub-specialties.
Efficient transportation of droplets (∽10 ¹ ̶̶̶̶ 10 ² µl) and small solid objects (∽10 ¹ ̶ 10 ² mm ³ ) have important applications in many fields, such as microfluidics, lab‐on‐a‐chip devices, drug delivery, etc. A novel multifunctional surface consisting of a periodic array of micro‐lamellae from a soft magnetoactive elastomer (MAE) on a plastic substrate is reported for these purposes. The physical origin of the propulsion is the bending of soft magnetic lamellae in non‐uniform magnetic fields, which is also observed in uniform magnetic fields. The magnetoactive surface is fabricated using a facile and rapid method of laser ablation. The propulsion of items is realized using a four‐pole rotating magnet. This results in a cyclic lamellar fringe motion over the micro‐structured surface and brings an advantage of easy reciprocation of transport by rotation reversal. Two modes of object transportation are identified: “pushing” mode for precise control of droplet and solid positioning and “bouncing” mode for heavier solid objects transportation. A water droplet of 5 μl or a glass sphere with a 2.1 mm diameter can be moved at a maximum speed of 60 mm s ⁻¹ . The multifunctionality of the proposed mechatronic platform is demonstrated on the examples of selective solid‐liquid separation and droplet merging.
Auch kleine und mittlere Unternehmen (KMUs) benötigen zunehmend ein effektives Informationstechnologie- (IT)-Management, um wettbewerbsfähig zu bleiben. Im Vergleich zu großen Unternehmen verfügen KMUs jedoch oft nicht über die Ressourcen, die Arbeitgeberattraktivität oder den Bedarf, um einen Chief Information Officer (CIO) in Vollzeit zu beschäftigen. Um diese Lücke zu schließen, hat eine wachsende Zahl von Expertinnen und Experten weltweit damit begonnen, CIO-Dienste in Teilzeit anzubieten. Auf diese Weise erhalten KMUs Zugang zu erfahrenen und kompetenten IT-Führungskräften zu einem Bruchteil der Kosten und ohne langfristige Verpflichtungen. Während diese so genannten „Fractional CIOs“ in der Praxis bereits einen Mehrwert schaffen, gibt es noch kaum wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zu diesem neuen Phänomen. In einem größeren Forschungsprojekt mit insgesamt 62 Fractional CIOs aus 10 Ländern wurden daher eine Definition, Typen verschiedenartiger Engagements und Erfolgsfaktoren abgeleitet. Die vorliegende Studie fasst die Ergebnisse zusammen und setzt sie in Bezug zum deutschen Markt, indem sie drei Fractional CIOs/CTOs aus Deutschland befragt. Es zeigt sich, dass die folgenden vier Engagement-Typen von Fractional CIOs für KMUs in verschiedenen Situationen von Nutzen sind: Strategisches IT-Management, Restrukturierung, Skalierung und Hands-on Support. Darüber hinaus zeigt die Studie, dass Vertrauen, die Unterstützung durch das Top-Management-Team und die Integrität des Fractional CIOs Schlüsselfaktoren für den Erfolg von Fractional CIO-Engagements sind. Für den deutschen Markt werden die Ergebnisse durch drei befragte Fractional CIOs/CTOs weitgehend bestätigt. Die Fractional CIOs/CTOs können zwar keine genauen Gründe für die geringe Akzeptanz der Rolle nennen, betonen aber ihr Wertpotenzial für den deutschen Markt.
A comparative analysis of two different approaches developed to deal with molecular relaxation in photoacoustic spectroscopy is here reported. The first method employs a statistical analysis based on partial least squares regression, while the second method relies on the development of a digital twin of the photoacoustic sensor based on the theoretical modelling of the occurring relaxations. Methane detection within a gas matrix of synthetic air with variable humidity level is selected as case study. An interband cascade laser emitting at 3.345 µm is used to target methane absorption features. Two methane concentration ranges are explored targeting different absorptions, one in the order of part-per-million and one in the order of percent, while water vapor absolute concentration was varied from 0.3 % up to 2 %. The results achieved employing the detection techniques demonstrated the possibility to efficiently retrieve the target gas concentrations with accuracy > 95 % even in the case of strong influence of relaxation effects.
Für Fußballer:innen stellen muskuläre Verletzungen der unteren Extremitäten ein großes Problem dar. Ein Beispiel hierfür liefert die Nationalmannschaftsstürmerin Alexandra Popp, die aufgrund muskulärer Probleme das EM-Finale 2022 in Wembley kurzfristig verpasste. Oftmals stehen gerade hohe Anspannungssituationen in zeitlichem Zusammenhang mit Verletzungen, der Einfluss der psychischen Beanspruchung auf die biomechanischen Belastungen wird jedoch meist nur wenig beachtet.
To avoid dislocation of the shoulder joint after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, it is important to achieve sufficient shoulder stability when placing the implant components during surgery. One parameter for assessing shoulder stability can be shoulder stiffness. The aim of this research was to develop a temporary reverse shoulder implant prototype that would allow intraoperative measurement of shoulder stiffness while varying the position of the implant components. Joint angle and torque measurement techniques were developed to determine shoulder stiffness. Hall sensors were used to measure the joint angles by converting the magnetic flux densities into angles. The accuracy of the joint angle measurements was tested using a test bench. Torques were determined by using thin-film pressure sensors. Various mechanical mechanisms for variable positioning of the implant components were integrated into the prototype. The results of the joint angle measurements showed measurement errors of less than 5° in a deflection range of ±15° adduction/abduction combined with ±45° flexion/extension. The proposed design provides a first approach for intra-operative assessment of shoulder stiffness. The findings can be used as a technological basis for further developments.
Die Situation von Menschen im Pflegeheim, die besonders dem Risiko der „pflegebedingten Verarmung“ ausgesetzt sind, ist in der Forschung wenig präsent. Der Beitrag befasst sich mit dem Erleben von Unsicherheiten, Armut und prekären Lebenslagen älterer Menschen im Heim. Grundlage liefern Daten einer ethnographischen Studie zum Älterwerden und zum Leben mit chronischen Erkrankungen. Anhand von Fällen wird ein Spektrum prekärer Lebenslagen skizziert. Deutlich wird u. a.: Menschen mit diversen soziobiografischen Hintergründen können im Zuge von Hilfebedürftigkeit und Heimübergängen von Unsicherheiten, Armut und prekären Lebenslagen betroffen sein. Nicht zu wissen, ob das verfügbare Geld genügt, um Kostensteigerungen bis zum Lebensende zu decken, kennzeichnet eine häufig erlebte Zukunftsunsicherheit; drohende Armut bzw. die Abhängigkeit von Sozialhilfe können pflege- und institutionell bedingte Verlusterfahrungen von Autonomie, Teilhabe und Lebensgestaltung verschärfen und den Gesamtzustand weiter destabilisieren. Das Erleiden bleibt weitgehend unsichtbar; strukturelle Probleme werden individualisiert.
Ziel der Studie:
Ziel der Studie ist die Messung des Stands der Digitalisierung und die mit einer Anbindung an die Telematikinfrastruktur verbundenen Chancen und Herausforderungen für Rehabilitationseinrichtungen.
Methodik:
Teilstandardisierte Online-Befragung bei Trägern von Rehabilitationseinrichtungen in Bayern (n=33). Der Fragebogen mit 36 Fragen beinhaltet eine leicht veränderte Skala auf Basis des „Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM)“.
Ergebnisse:
Der Digitalisierungsgrad wurde in 70 Prozent der Rehabilitationseinrichtungen mit Stufe 0 angegeben (Stufenmodell bis 7). Die Übermittlung patientenbezogener Daten (Eingang und Ausgang) erfolgt häufig analog, wohingegen die Verarbeitung innerhalb der Einrichtung in vielen Fällen bereits überwiegend digital ist. Beim Anschluss an die Telematikinfrastruktur wird hoher Aufwand bei der Installation, aber auch der Schulung des Personals und der Anpassung der Arbeitsorganisation gesehen.
Schlussfolgerung:
Durch Änderung der gesetzlich-finanziellen Lage in Deutschland eröffnen sich für Rehabilitationseinrichtungen neue Möglichkeiten einer verstärkten Digitalisierung. Hürden hängen mit Anforderungen an IT-Sicherheit, Schulung des Personals und sowie dem ebenfalls geringen Digitalisierungsstand bei Krankenhäusern und Ärzt*innen sowie Patient*innen zusammen, die eine digitale Datenübermittlung erschweren.
New structural sheet metal parts are developed in an iterative, time-consuming manner. To improve the reproducibility and speed up the iterative drawability assessment, we propose a novel low-dimensional multi-fidelity inspired machine learning architecture. The approach utilizes the results of low-fidelity and high-fidelity finite element deep drawing simulation schemes. It hereby relies not only on parameters, but also on additional features to improve the generalization ability and applicability of the drawability assessment compared to classical approaches. Using the machine learning approach on a generated data set for a wide range of different cross-die drawing configurations, a classifier is trained to distinguish between drawable and non-drawable setups. Furthermore, two regression models, one for drawable and one for non-drawable designs are developed that rank designs by drawability. At instantaneous evaluation time, classification scores of high accuracy as well as regression scores of high quality for both regressors are achieved. The presented models can substitute low-fidelity finite element models due to their low evaluation times while at the same time, their predictive quality is close to high-fidelity models. This approach may enable fast and efficient assessments of designs in early development phases at the accuracy of a later design phase in the future.
As use of digital fabrication increases in architecture, engineering and construction, the industry seeks appropriate management and processes to enable the adoption during the design/planning phase. Many enablers have been identified across various studies; however, a comprehensive synthesis defining the enablers of design for digital fabrication does not yet exist. This work conducts a systematic literature review of 59 journal articles published in the past decade and identifies 140 enablers under eight categories: actors, resources, conditions, attributes, processes, artefacts, values and risks. The enablers' frequency network is illustrated using an adjacency matrix. Through the lens of actor-network theory, the work creates a relational ontology to demonstrate the linkages between different enablers. Three examples are presented using onion diagrams: circular construction focus, business model focus and digital twin in industrialisation focus. Finally, this work discusses the intersection of relational ontology with process modelling to design future digital fabrication work routines.
Appropriate climate change mitigation requires solutions for all actors of the energy system. The residential sector is a major part of the energy system and solutions for the implementation of a seasonal hydrogen storage system in residential houses has been increasingly discussed. A global analysis of prosumer systems including seasonal hydrogen storage with water electrolyser, hydrogen compressor, storage tank, and a fuel cell studying the role of such a seasonal household storage in the upcoming decades is not available. This study aims to close this research gap via the improved LUT-PROSUME model, which models a fully micro sector coupled residential photovoltaic prosumer system with linear optimisation for 145 regions globally. The modelling of the cost development of hydrogen storage components allows for the simulation of a residential system from 2020 until 2050 in 5-year steps in hourly resolution. The systems are cost-optimised for either on- or off-grid operation in eight scenarios including battery electric vehicles, which can act as an additional vehicle-to-home electricity storage for the system. Results show that implementation of seasonal hydrogen systems only occurs in least cost solutions in high latitude countries when the system is forced to run in off-grid mode. In general, a solar photovoltaic plus battery system including technologies that can cover the heat demand is the most economic choice and can even achieve lower cost than a full grid supply in off-grid operation for most regions until 2050. Additional parameters including the self-consumption ratio, the demand cover ratio, and the heat cover ratio can therefore not be improved by seasonal storage systems if economics is the main deciding factor for a respective system. Further research opportunities and possible limitations of the system are then identified.
Die Bedeutung von Zeit für Bildungsprozesse im Kontext der Sozialen Arbeit ist bisher wenig erforscht. Um sich dieser Fragestellung anzunähern, werden in diesem Beitrag theoretische Überlegungen im Anschluss an Diskurse zu Bildung und Zeit in der Pädagogik angestellt. Dabei wird Zeit als ermöglichender, ökonomischer und politischer Faktor diskutiert, um die Perspektive der Sozialen Arbeit auf Bildungsprozesse zu erweitern.
Multi-fidelity optimization of metal sheets concerning manufacturability in deep-drawing processes
(2023)
Multi-fidelity optimization, which complements an expensive high-fidelity function with cheaper low-fidelity functions, has been successfully applied in many fields of structural optimization. In the present work, an exemplary cross-die deep-drawing optimization problem is investigated to compare different objective functions and to assess the performance of a multi-fidelity efficient global optimization technique. To that end, hierarchical kriging is combined with an infill criterion called variable-fidelity expected improvement. Findings depend significantly on the choice of objective function, highlighting the importance of careful consideration when defining an objective function. We show that one function based on the share of bad elements in a forming limit diagram is not well suited to optimize the example problem. In contrast, two other definitions of objective functions, the average sheet thickness reduction and an averaged limit violation in the forming limit diagram, confirm the potential of a multi-fidelity approach. They significantly reduce computational cost at comparable result quality or even improve result quality compared to a single-fidelity optimization.
Let G⊊C be a bounded, simply connected domain in C, and denote by
Q(G):={f:G⟶G | f is a quasiconformal mapping of G onto G } the quasiconformal automorphism group of G. In a canonical manner, the set Q(G) carries the structure of a (non–abelian) group with respect to composition of mappings. Moreover, we endow the set Q(G) with the topology of uniform convergence by the supremum metric dsup(f,g):=supz∈G|f(z)−g(z)|,f,g∈Q(G).
In this paper, we present results concerning topological properties of Q(G) such as completeness, separability, path–connectedness, discreteness and compactness.
Although the number and size of interconnected pores have been identified as the most important aspects of concrete microstructure, comprehensive datasets on shotcrete porosity and pore size distributions are still scarce and their key controls are poorly investigated. In this study we investigate the effects of the spraying process, setting accelerator addition and mix design on the microstructure of real-scale dry- and wet-mix shotcrete and hand-mixed and sprayed accelerated pastes. A newly proposed deconvolution analysis of the pore size distributions, measured by mercury intrusion porosimetry, offers increased precision in determining the critical and median pore diameter parameters. In total >50 samples were analysed. Results show that the dry-mix shotcrete exhibits a shift towards coarser pore sizes (∼100–1 μm) than wet-mix shotcrete. Combinations of different supplementary cementitious materials are favourable for producing wet-mix shotcretes with refined pore structures. The addition of setting accelerators, up to 10 wt-% of binder mass, and the spraying process cause systematic variations in the pore volume and pore structure of (sprayed) paste and shotcrete.
This communication presents an experimental and analytical study on the evaporation mechanism in a closed-structured asymmetric plate heat exchanger (PHE) employed as a stagnant water evaporator for the application in an adsorption heat transformation appliance. To this aim, an experimental unit is constructed, which comprises two identical PHEs, one acting as an vaporator/condenser and the second, as an adsorber/desorber. Two endoscopes are mounted inside the investigated evaporator to visualize the evaporation mechanism when performing adsorption-evaporation processes under different boundary conditions. It turned out that the evaporation mechanism is a partially covered, thin film evaporation. A heat transfer analysis is performed to evaluate the heat transfer coefficient of the thin film evaporation () inside the investigated evaporator, resulting in -values between 1330 and 160 [W∙m−2∙K−1] over the investigated adsorption-evaporation time. Correlating the obtained () to the film thickness and the wetted area results in -values between 0.34 and 0.78 [mm] and wetted to total area ratios of 0.78 to 0.16. Besides, an analytical model has been developed and introduced to correlate the overall evaporator heat transfer coefficient with the adsorption potential and the time rate of change of the water uptake.
The use of robotics in construction projects is still in its infancy despite the opportunities that robots can present for the improvement of construction practices. One of the strategies to effectively increase the reliance on robots in construction is increasing the knowledge and improving the educational programs about robotics for university students. This paper contributes to the ongoing efforts worldwide to improve the teaching methods about construction robotics through the presentation of a novel method called “Imagine and Make”, in which students learn how to integrate robotics in different aspects and practices in construction projects. The method has been applied at Centrale Lille in France since 2018. The results of the application of “Imagine and Make” in the first semester of 2021–2022, evaluation by students, and teaching outcomes are reported in this paper.
Im Rahmen des Projektes AUT-1A wurden 123 Arbeitgeber*innen mittels Fragebogen zu ihren Erfahrungen mit der Beschäftigung von autistischen Mitarbeiter*innen befragt. Ziel war es, die beschäftigungsfördernden und -hindernden Faktoren herauszuarbeiten. Die Studie deutet darauf hin, dass sich die berufliche Qualifizierung in den Berufsbildungswerken positiv auf die nachhaltige Beschäftigung von Menschen mit Autismus-Spektrum-Diagnose (ASD) auswirkt, die Unterstützungsleistungen für Betriebe aber noch nicht hinreichend sind. Auch konnte eine mangelnde Aufklärung in Bezug auf eine autismusfreundliche Umgebungsgestaltung sowie eine mangelnde Aufklärung über die Diagnose Autismus der direkten Kolleg*innen herausgearbeitet werden.
Stimuli responsive materials are key ingredients for any application that requires dynamically tunable or on-demand responses. In this work we report experimental and theoretical investigation of magnetic-field driven modifications of soft-magnetic elastomers whose surface was processed by laser ablation into lamellar microstructures that can be manipulated by a uniform magnetic field. We present a minimal hybrid model that elucidates the associated deflection process of the lamellae and explains the lamellar structure frustration in terms of dipolar magnetic forces arising from the neighbouring lamellae. We experimentally determine the magnitude of the deflection as a function of magnetic flux density and explore the dynamic response of lamellae to fast changes in a magnetic field. A relationship between the deflection of lamellae and modifications of the optical reflectance of the lamellar structures is resolved.
Although many composite structures are inconsistently curved, such as the leading edges of aircraft wings, the variety of research in impact engineering is almost limited to the impact performance of plates or cylindrically curved specimens. It is not known whether the findings obtained from standardized tests can be transferred to curved structures or which adaptions are required. Therefore, a deeper understanding of the deformation and damage behavior of inconsistently curved structures is essential to transfer the observed impact behavior of flat specimens to general curved structures and therefore to utilize the full lightweight potential of a load-specific design. An accurate description of the procedure as well as the results of the experimental and numerical study of the low-velocity impact behavior of differently single-curved elliptic specimens is presented. To close the research gap of the impact behavior of geometries with curvatures between the plates and simplified leading edges, novel specimens geometries have been derived from established impact test standards. Glassfiber-reinforced specimens are subjected to an instrumented impact test at constant impact energy. This is numerically investigated by a stacked-layer model, which used cohesive zone modeling to enable the simulation of matrix cracking, fiber fracture and delamination. The resulting projected damage areas, as well as the force and deflection histories, were evaluated and section cuts were examined to discuss the damage morphology, formation and propagation process. Significant effects on maximum deflection, compliance and dynamic behavior on the size and morphology of damage were found.
Transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) nanotubes complement the field of low-dimensional materials with their quasi-1D morphology and a wide set of intriguing properties. By introducing different transition metals into the crystal structure, their properties can be tailored for specific purpose and applications. Herein, the characterization and a subsequent preparation of single-nanotube field emission devices of MoxWx-1S2 nanotubes prepared via the chemical vapor transport reaction is presented. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction indicate that the molybdenum and tungsten atoms are randomly distributed within the crystal structure and that the material is highly crystalline. High resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction (ED) patterns further corroborate these findings. A detailed analysis of the ED patterns from an eight-layer nanotube reveal that the nanotubes grow in the 2H structure, with each shell consists of one bilayer. The work function of the nanotubes is comparable to that of pure MoS2 and lower of pure WS2 NTs, making them ideal candidates for field emission applications. Two devices with different geometrical setup are prepared and tested as field emitters, showing promising results for single nanotube field emission applications.
Clot formation within membrane oxygenators (MOs) remains a critical problem during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). The composition of the clots-in particular, the presence of von Willebrand factor (vWF)-may be an indicator for prevalent nonphysiological flow conditions, foreign body reactions, or coagulation abnormalities in critically ill patients. Mats of interwoven gas exchange fibers from randomly collected MOs (PLS, Maquet, Rastatt, Germany) of 21 patients were stained with antibodies (anti-vWF and anti-P-selectin) and counterstained with 4 ',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole. The extent of vWF-loading was correlated with patient and technical data. While 12 MOs showed low vWF-loadings, 9 MOs showed high vWF-loading with highest accumulations close to crossing points of adjacent gas fibers. The presence and the extent of vWF-fibers/"cobwebs," leukocytes, platelet-leukocyte aggregates (PLAs), and P-selectin-positive platelet aggregates were independent of the extent of vWF-loading. However, the highly loaded MOs were obtained from patients with a significantly elevated SOFA score, severe thrombocytopenia, and persistent liver dysfunction. The coagulation abnormalities of these critically ill patients may cause an accumulation of the highly thrombogenic and elongated high-molecular-weight vWF multimers in the plasma which will be trapped in the MOs during the ECMO therapy.
Semantic segmentation is an essential task in medical imaging research. Many powerful deep-learning-based approaches can be employed for this problem, but they are dependent on the availability of an expansive labeled dataset. In this work, we augment such supervised segmentation models to be suitable for learning from unlabeled data. Our semi-supervised approach, termed Error-Correcting Mean-Teacher, uses an exponential moving average model like the original Mean Teacher but introduces our new paradigm of error correction. The original segmentation network is augmented to handle this secondary correction task. Both tasks build upon the core feature extraction layers of the model. For the correction task, features detected in the input image are fused with features detected in the predicted segmentation and further processed with task-specific decoder layers. The combination of image and segmentation features allows the model to correct present mistakes in the given input pair. The correction task is trained jointly on the labeled data. On unlabeled data, the exponential moving average of the original network corrects the student’s prediction. The combined outputs of the students’ prediction with the teachers’ correction form the basis for the semi-supervised update. We evaluate our method with the 2017 and 2018 Robotic Scene Segmentation data, the ISIC 2017 and the BraTS 2020 Challenges, a proprietary Endoscopic Submucosal Dissection dataset, Cityscapes, and Pascal VOC 2012. Additionally, we analyze the impact of the individual components and examine the behavior when the amount of labeled data varies, with experiments performed on two distinct segmentation architectures. Our method shows improvements in terms of the mean Intersection over Union over the supervised baseline and competing methods. Code is available at https://github.com/CloneRob/ECMT.
Background and aims
Celiac disease with its endoscopic manifestation of villous atrophy is underdiagnosed worldwide. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) for the macroscopic detection of villous atrophy at routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy may improve diagnostic performance.
Methods
A dataset of 858 endoscopic images of 182 patients with villous atrophy and 846 images from 323 patients with normal duodenal mucosa was collected and used to train a ResNet 18 deep learning model to detect villous atrophy. An external data set was used to test the algorithm, in addition to six fellows and four board certified gastroenterologists. Fellows could consult the AI algorithm’s result during the test. From their consultation distribution, a stratification of test images into “easy” and “difficult” was performed and used for classified performance measurement.
Results
External validation of the AI algorithm yielded values of 90 %, 76 %, and 84 % for sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, respectively. Fellows scored values of 63 %, 72 % and 67 %, while the corresponding values in experts were 72 %, 69 % and 71 %, respectively. AI consultation significantly improved all trainee performance statistics. While fellows and experts showed significantly lower performance for “difficult” images, the performance of the AI algorithm was stable.
Conclusion
In this study, an AI algorithm outperformed endoscopy fellows and experts in the detection of villous atrophy on endoscopic still images. AI decision support significantly improved the performance of non-expert endoscopists. The stable performance on “difficult” images suggests a further positive add-on effect in challenging cases.
The prospect of achieving computational speedups by exploiting quantum phenomena makes the use of quantum processing units (QPUs) attractive for many algorithmic database problems. Query optimisation, which concerns problems that typically need to explore large search spaces, seems like an ideal match for the known quantum algorithms. We present the first quantum implementation of join ordering, which is one of the most investigated and fundamental query optimisation problems, based on a reformulation to quadratic binary unconstrained optimisation problems. We empirically characterise our method on two state-of-the-art approaches (gate-based quantum computing and quantum annealing), and identify speed-ups compared to the best know classical join ordering approaches for input sizes that can be processed with current quantum annealers. However, we also confirm that limits of early-stage technology are quickly reached.
Current QPUs are classified as noisy, intermediate scale quantum computers (NISQ), and are restricted by a variety of limitations that reduce their capabilities as compared to ideal future quantum computers, which prevents us from scaling up problem dimensions and reaching practical utility. To overcome these challenges, our formulation accounts for specific QPU properties and limitations, and allows us to trade between achievable solution quality and possible problem size.
In contrast to all prior work on quantum computing for query optimisation and database-related challenges, we go beyond currently available QPUs, and explicitly target the scalability limitations: Using insights gained from numerical simulations and our experimental analysis, we identify key criteria for co-designing QPUs to improve their usefulness for join ordering, and show how even relatively minor physical architectural improvements can result in substantial enhancements. Finally, we outline a path towards practical utility of custom-designed QPUs.
We consider the reconstruction problem for limited angle tomography using filtered backprojection (FBP) and lambda tomography. We use microlocal analysis to explain why the well-known streak artifacts are present at the end of the limited angular range. We explain how to mitigate the streaks and prove that our modified FBP and lambda operators are standard pseudodifferential operators, and so they do not add artifacts. We provide reconstructions to illustrate our mathematical results.
Background
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of Cone Beam CT (CBCT) based setup correction on total dose distributions in fractionated frameless stereotactic radiation therapy of intracranial lesions.
Methods
Ten patients with intracranial lesions treated with 30 Gy in 6 fractions were included in this study. Treatment planning was performed with Oncentra® for a SynergyS® (Elekta Ltd, Crawley, UK) linear accelerator with XVI® Cone Beam CT, and HexaPOD™ couch top. Patients were immobilized by thermoplastic masks (BrainLab, Reuther). After initial patient setup with respect to lasers, a CBCT study was acquired and registered to the planning CT (PL-CT) study. Patient positioning was corrected according to the correction values (translational, rotational) calculated by the XVI® system. Afterwards a second CBCT study was acquired and registered to the PL-CT to confirm the accuracy of the corrections. An in-house developed software was used for rigid transformation of the PL-CT to the CBCT geometry, and dose calculations for each fraction were performed on the transformed CT. The total dose distribution was achieved by back-transformation and summation of the dose distributions of each fraction. Dose distributions based on PL-CT, CBCT (laser set-up), and final CBCT were compared to assess the influence of setup inaccuracies.
Results
The mean displacement vector, calculated over all treatments, was reduced from (4.3 ± 1.3) mm for laser based setup to (0.5 ± 0.2) mm if CBCT corrections were applied. The mean rotational errors around the medial-lateral, superior-inferior, anterior-posterior axis were reduced from (−0.1 ± 1.4)°, (0.1 ± 1.2)° and (−0.2 ± 1.0)°, to (0.04 ± 0.4)°, (0.01 ± 0.4)° and (0.02 ± 0.3)°. As a consequence the mean deviation between planned and delivered dose in the planning target volume (PTV) could be reduced from 12.3% to 0.4% for D95 and from 5.9% to 0.1% for Dav. Maximum deviation was reduced from 31.8% to 0.8% for D95, and from 20.4% to 0.1% for Dav.
Conclusion
Real dose distributions differ substantially from planned dose distributions, if setup is performed according to lasers only. Thermoplasic masks combined with a daily CBCT enabled a sufficient accuracy in dose distribution.
Exoskeletons were invented over 100 years ago but have only become popular in the last two decades, especially in the working industry as they can decrease work-related loads significantly. The most often used exoskeletons are for the lower back and shoulder since these are commonly affected body regions. All devices have in common that their purpose is to reduce internal loads of vulnerable body regions. Nevertheless, there is still little understanding on how biomechanical loading in the human body changes when exoskeletons are used. Therefore, further analyses are needed. A promising candidate for these are musculoskeletal models, which are based on an inverse dynamics approach and can calculate external parameters such as ground reaction forces or other interaction forces as well as internal parameters such as joint reaction forces or muscle activities. The various examples in the literature show that these models are increasingly used for assessing the biomechanical effects of exoskeletons on the human body. Furthermore, musculoskeletal models can calculate biomechanical loadings of humans with and without exoskeletons for all kinds of applications and allow an evaluation of their purpose.
Practical Relevance: This article highlights the possibilities of musculoskeletal models for assessing the design and efficiency of occupational exoskeletons. Several practical use cases are described along with distinct descriptions of common implications of musculoskeletal and exoskeleton modeling.
In der Vergangenheit wurde beklagt, dass in der empirischen Forschung zur Bildungsbeteiligung Erwachsener selten eine Integration von Theorie und Empirie erfolge und die mangelnde empirische Prüfung eine theoretische Weiterentwicklung des Forschungsfeldes erschwere. Mittels einer Qualitativen Inhaltsanalyse von Beiträgen ausgewählter Fachzeitschriften der Erwachsenen‑/Weiterbildungsforschung wurde versucht, die Aktualität dieser Feststellung empirisch zu überprüfen. Dazu wurden 38 empirische Forschungsbeiträge zur Bildungsbeteiligung der Jahrgänge 2018 bis 2020 von neun Fachzeitschriften mit Peer-Review untersucht. Die Einschätzung der Beiträge erfolgte hinsichtlich des Grades der Theorieeinbindung. Die Ergebnisse der Analyse zeigen ein gemischtes Bild: neun Beiträge (24 %) binden keine Theorie in den Forschungsprozess ein, ein Beitrag (3 %) zitiert Theorie lediglich, ohne sie weiter einzubinden. Am häufigsten ist eine Einbindung zum theoriegeleiteten Vorgehen (16 Beiträge, 42 %). Eine tiefergehende Theorieanwendung findet sich in sechs Beiträgen (16 %). Eine theorieprüfende oder -bildende Einbindung liegt mit je drei Beiträgen (je 8 %) seltener vor. Die rezipierten Theorien sind vielfältig: es werden 20 verschiedene Theorieansätze festgestellt. Den Forderungen nach einer verstärkten Einbindung von Theorie in den Forschungsprozess kann somit weiterhin Gültigkeit attestiert werden: ein substanzieller Teil der Beiträge berichtet keine Theorieeinbindung, eine empirische Prüfung oder Weiterentwicklung findet relativ selten statt.
As use of digital fabrication increases in architecture, engineering and construction, the industry seeks appropriate management and processes to enable the adoption during the design/planning phase. Many enablers have been identified across various studies; however, a comprehensive synthesis defining the enablers of design for digital fabrication does not yet exist. This work conducts a systematic literature review of 59 journal articles published in the past decade and identifies 140 enablers under eight categories: actors, resources, conditions, attributes, processes, artefacts, values and risks. The enablers’ frequency network is illustrated using an adjacency matrix. Through the lens of actor-network theory, the work creates a relational ontology to demonstrate the linkages between different enablers. Three examples are presented using onion diagrams: circular construction focus, business model focus and digital twin in industrialisation focus. Finally, this work discusses the intersection of relational ontology with process modelling to design future digital fabrication work routines.
Special issue ISARC 2021
(2022)
The research filed of construction robotics broadens increasingly in terms of complexity, approaches, technologies used, active stakeholders, and application areas. Worldwide labour and resource shortages, the need to increase circularity and resource efficiency, new materials and the increasing utilisation of digital construction tools in the planning and construction industry massively spur the uptake of robotic solutions for on-site construction.
The initial boom of construction robots happened in the 1970s, driven by the Japanese construction industry. In the 1980s, a combination with parallel developments was supposed to achieve complete, integrated robotic on-site factories. From the mid-1980s onwards, the global interest in construction robots decreased gradually. Bulky and expensive systems, complex on-site navigation and logistics approaches, a narrow scope of tasks, inflexibility, incompatibility with on-site work organisation and professional qualification, low usability and insufficient inter-robot coordination capabilities revealed the immaturity of the systems. Only a few organisations predominantly situated in Asia such as Takenaka, Obayashi, Kajima Corporation, Nihon Bisho Co., Samsung, and Hitachi maintained development activities.
However, since the mid-2010s, development activities are gaining traction again. On the application side, this is mainly driven by trends such as the need to upgrade the energy performance of buildings in Europe, a global necessity to remove asbestos from existing structures, and a demand for enormous quantities of high-rise buildings all over East Asia. On the system side, the renewed interest stems from major advances in physical–mechanical robot technology in other automation-driven industries such as the automotive industry. Robots became lighter, more flexible, their parts modular and interchangeable, more user friendly as well as significantly cheaper. On the digital side, the BIM-to-Robot pipeline was subject of intensive reserach and development. More and more methods and tools help to increase the usability of robots and facilitate the simulation and optimisation of robot-driven construction processes.
In the last 4–5 years, the worldwide growing need and interest in construction robotics became highly evident. More than 200 robot systems are pushed by start-ups and spin-offs and their investors to the market. This is backed by an enormous number of activities and projects carried out in the academic area pushing to the boundaries of what is technologically possible.
Major associations and their conferences increase significantly in popularity such as ISARC (International Association for Automation and Robotics in Construction), EC3 (European Council of Computing in Construction), and Robots in Architecture. Competency in digital construction, automation and robotics becomes a key for all stakeholders in the construction industry and many universities worldwide launch dedicated interdisciplinary programs. Powerful governments (China) and major funding programs such as Horizon Europe (Europe) massively request and fund the development of robotic solutions for construction such as drones, mobile robots, 3D-printing solutions, cable-driven robots, and exoskeletons. Regulators and standardisation organisation start to develop the first certification and standardisation schemes for construction robots and large software companies make attempts to allow to simulate and program robotic construction processes efficiently and robustly based on digital building and construction data.
To showcase the diversity of cutting-edge research in the area, this special issue invited eight extended versions of selected papers from the ISARC 2021 conference. As such, this issue covers digital approaches to embed fabrication and robot information in BIM and IFC and program robots directly from digital building models. New robot systems spur novel robotic production processes, and machine learning enable novel logistics approaches for building components that may ultimately lead to robotic cranes and other robotic on-site logistics and handling solutions (including autonomous construction machines). In parallel, systematic evaluation and robot development methods are developed that allow to shed light on their performance in the construction process.
Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) is a well-known similarity measure for time series. The standard dynamic programming approach to compute the DTW distance of two length-n time series, however, requires O(n2) time, which is often too slow for real-world applications. Therefore, many heuristics have been proposed to speed up the DTW computation. These are often based on lower bounding techniques, approximating the DTW distance, or considering special input data such as binary or piecewise constant time series. In this paper, we present a first exact algorithm to compute the DTW distance of two run-length encoded time series whose running time only depends on the encoding lengths of the inputs. The worst-case running time is cubic in the encoding length. In experiments we show that our algorithm is indeed fast for time series with short encoding lengths.
Green hydrogen via renewable powered electrolysis has a high relevance in decarbonization and supply security. Achieving economically competitive hydrogen production costs is a major challenge in times of an energy price crisis. Our objective is to show the economically optimal installed capacity of electrolysers in relation to wind and solar power so swift and credible statements can be made regarding the system design. The ratio between renewable generation and electrolysis power as well as scaling effects, operating behaviour and development of costs are considered. Hydrogen production costs are calculated for four exemplary real PV and wind sites and different ratios of electrolysis to renewable power for the year 2020. The ideal ratio for PV systems is between 14% and 73% and for wind between 3.3% and 143% for low and high full load hours. The lowest hydrogen production costs are identified at 2.53 €/kg for 50 MW wind power and 72 MW electrolysis power. The results provide plant constructors the possibility to create a cost-optimized design via an optimum ratio of electrolysis to renewable capacity. Therefore, the procedures for planning and dimensioning of selected systems can be drastically simplified.
Improvements for building-performance simulations by a comparative finite-element method analysis
(2023)
This paper presents a method to improve building-performance simulations (BPS) by the comparison and analysis of different approaches based on finite-element method (FEM) models. The lumped parameter method (LPM) is used in several BPS programs and tools. It has the advantage of fast computing times and comparably good accuracy for thermal and energy loads. With the help of detailed FEM simulations, it is possible to further improve the degree of detail and accuracy while maintaining the high simulation speed.
In this work, we compare time-dependent results for local temperatures in a generic reference room within a given periode of time. In a second step, the differences between the models with respect to various physical effects are analyzed and used to introduce additional equations into the LPM model in order to improve its accuracy. Thus, we discuss potentials for improvement for BPS and demonstrate a method of a practical implementation.
The results show minor differences of less than 0.1 K for radiation and heat transfer, so their level of detail in BPS is appropriate. In these terms, no improvements were pursued within the work. However, the FEM simulation is capable of calculating the internal convective heat transfer and thermal bridges more accurately due to the use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and the geometrically precise representation of the FEM model. Here, deviations of up to 1 K in room temperature (convective heat transfer) and up to 0.5 K in wall temperatures (thermal bridges) were pointed out.
By improving the LPM with equations obtained from the FEM, these deviations can be reduced to less than 0.2 K, which is a considerable improvement in accuracy.
The application process, which gives shotcrete its name is a robust and established method, dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, the spraying process has been significantly enhanced. However, during the last decades no major technical changes have been made. In this study the wet - mix shotcrete process including the dosing of accelerator was investigated. For this, we monitored the concrete and accelerator pressure with 5 sensors in the pumps and pipes, and analysed the accelerator distribution in the hardened shotcrete matrix. The recorded pressure fluctuations clearly indicated that the pumping of the concrete with a double-piston pump led to flow pulsations. The pressure along the accelerator pipes, controlled by a peristaltic pump, was not steady either. However, the accelerator flow pulsation had a higher frequency than that of the concrete flow. This misalignment led to changes in the accelerator to concrete ratio during the spraying process. The impact of these incongruent concrete and accelerator flows on the resulting hardened shotcrete was visually analysed with the use of 0.02 % uranin as fluorescent tracer added to the accelerator. The tracer distribution showed that changes in the accelerator/concrete ratio led to the formation of ‘accelerator layers’, layers with higher accelerator concentrations in the hardened shotcrete. These layers show differences in chemistry, mineralogy and open porosity compared to the rest of the shotcrete matrix. The presence of accelerator enriched layers can have detrimental effects on the shotcrete properties, especially affecting the durability and mechanical performance. In consequence, we recommend a revision of the shotcrete process to eliminate these inhomogeneities.
On analytic properties of the standard zeta function attached to a vector-valued modular form
(2022)
We proof a Garrett–Böcherer decomposition of a vector-valued Siegel Eisenstein series E2l,0 of genus 2 transforming with the Weil representation of Sp2(Z) on the group ring C[(L′/L)2]. We show that the standard zeta function associated to a vector-valued common eigenform f for the Weil representation can be meromorphically continued to the whole s-plane and that it satisfies a functional equation. The proof is based on an integral representation of this zeta function in terms of f and E2l,0.
Elbow stability is derived from a combination of muscular, ligamentous, and bony structures. After an elbow trauma the stability of the joint is an important decision criterion for the subsequent treatment. The decision regarding non-operative/operative care depends mostly on subjective assessments of medical experts. Therefore, the aim of this study is to use musculoskeletal simulations as an objective assessment tool to investigate the extent to which failure of different stabilizers affects the elbow stability and how these observations correspond to the assessment from clinical practice. A musculoskeletal elbow simulation model was developed for this aim. To investigate the stability of the elbow, varus/valgus moments were applied under 0°, 45°and 90° flexion while the respective cubital angle was analyzed. This was performed for nine different injury scenarios, which were also evaluated for stability by clinical experts. With the results, it can be determined by which injury pattern and under which flexion angle the elbow stability is impaired regarding varus/valgus moments. The scenario with a complete failure of the medial and lateral ligaments and a fracture of the radial head was identified as having the greatest instability. The study presented a numerical determination of elbow stability against varus/valgus moments regarding clinical injury patterns, as well as a comparison of the numerical outcome with experience gained in clinical practice. The numerical predictions agree well with the assessments of the clinical specialists. Thus, the results from musculoskeletal simulation can make an important contribution to a more objective assessment of the elbow stability.
Purpose
Lipofilling has been established as a standard technique for contour enhancement following breast reconstruction. However, there is a paucity in current literature regarding the use of this technique for complete reconstruction of the female breast as an alternative to conventional techniques, such as expander or flap-based procedures. In particular, the influence of pre-operative irradiation for successful reconstruction has rarely been examined in published studies. Here, the authors describe their experience with successful fat injection in pre-radiated breasts in comparison with non-pre-radiated patients.
Methods
In this retrospective study, we examined a total of 95 lipofilling treatments on 26 patients (28 breasts). All of them experienced mastectomy following breast cancer; local breast defects after partial resection of the gland were not included in this study. In total, 47 lipofilling procedures in 12 non-irradiated patients (14 breasts) and 48 procedures in 14 irradiated women (also 14 breasts) were performed. Per session, approximately 297 +/- 112 cc of adipose tissue was grafted in group A (no radiotherapy) and approximately 259 +/- 93 cc was grafted in group B (radiotherapy).
Results
Among the group of women without pre-operative radiation, 71% of breast reconstructions limited to lipofilling only showed constant engraftment of fat tissue with a successful reconstructive result, whereas only 21% of the patients with pre-radiated breasts showed complete reconstruction of the breast with a permanent fat in-growth.
Conclusion
Preoperative radiotherapy significantly impedes successful completion of breast reconstructions planned only by autologous fat transfer. Patients should be selected individually and carefully for complete breast reconstruction using lipofilling only.
In this study, we aimed to develop an artificial intelligence clinical decision support solution to mitigate operator-dependent limitations during complex endoscopic procedures such as endoscopic submucosal dissection and peroral endoscopic myotomy, for example, bleeding and perforation. A DeepLabv3-based model was trained to delineate vessels, tissue structures and instruments on endoscopic still images from such procedures. The mean cross-validated Intersection over Union and Dice Score were 63% and 76%, respectively. Applied to standardised video clips from third-space endoscopic procedures, the algorithm showed a mean vessel detection rate of 85% with a false-positive rate of 0.75/min. These performance statistics suggest a potential clinical benefit for procedure safety, time and also training.
Thinking like a Lawyer - Human Rights and Their Association with the Plastic Surgeon of Today
(2022)
Plastic surgeons are trained to perform a wide repertoire of surgeries-ranging from standard local procedures to highly specialized operations. Therefore, plastic surgeons treat a plethora of clinical presentations and address multiple patient needs. Their daily workflow is increasingly entwined with legal topics. The concrete legal
interpretation falls within the remit of legal experts.
However, by understanding the legal basics of selected surgical procedures, plastic surgeons may generate synergies in patient care and clinical practice. The legal situation is to be elucidated based on the German Basic Law (GBL) and the European Convention on Human Rights
(ECHR).
We conceptualize the new phenomenon of the Fractional Chief InformationOfficer (CIO) as a part-time executive who usually works for more than one pri-marily small- to medium-sized enterprise (SME) and develop promising avenuesfor future research on Fractional CIOs. We conduct an empirical study by drawingon semi-structured interviews with 40 individuals from 10 different countries whooccupy a Fractional CIO role. We derive a definition for the Fractional CIO, dis-tinguish it from other forms of employment, and compare it with existing researchon CIO roles. Further, we find four salient engagement types of Fractional CIOsoffering value for SMEs in various situations: Strategic IT management, Restruc-turing, Rapid scaling, and Hands-on support. The results reveal similarities withexisting CIO roles as well as novel insights concerning the different engagementtypes. Lastly, we propose a research agenda for the Fractional CIO field, based onfour research themes derived from existing CIO research and insights from theinterviews.
Herein, the effect of an applied moderate (~240 mT) magnetic field on the work of adhesion (WoA) of mechanically soft (the shear modulus ~10 kPa) magnetoactive elastomer (MAE) samples with two different mass fractions (70 and 80 wt%) of carbonyl iron powder (CIP) is concerned. The unfilled elastomer sample is used for comparison. Due to some sedimentation of filling particles, the concentration of inclusions in thin (~10 μm) subsurface layers is different. It is shown that the WoA increases (up to 1.8-fold) on the particle-enriched side (PES) in the magnetic field and its value is higher for higher filler concentration. On the particle-depleted side (PDS), WoA does not depend on particle concentration and on the magnetic field. Adhesion and friction are coupled in MAEs. No statistically significant difference in the friction coefficient, determined from the extended Amontons´ law, depending on sample side, CIP concentration, or presence of magnetic field is found. However, the PDS in the magnetic field demonstrates significantly higher critical shear stress compared to that for the PES or PDS in the absence of magnetic field. Correlations between different surface properties are discussed. Obtained results are useful for the development of magnetically controllable soft robots.
Dieser Beitrag enthält Überlegungen zum Rechtspopulismus als (komplexe) Problemstellung der Sozialen Arbeit. Eine theoretisch-reflexive Analyse pädagogischer und didaktischer Ansätze, eine qualitative Analyse zu Herausforderungen und Bewältigungsstrategien von Fachkräften in der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe sowie eine Analyse aktueller Veröffentlichungen und Stellungnahmen im Kontext des Rechtspopulismus legen die Vermutung nahe, dass sich die Soziale Arbeit aufgrund der Komplexität dieses gesellschaftlichen und politischen Phänomens in einer Suchbewegung befindet.
Blended cements, where Portland cement clinker is partially replaced by supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), provide the most feasible route for reducing carbon dioxide emissions associated with concrete production. However, lowering the clinker content can lead to an increasing risk of neutralisation of the concrete pore solution and potential reinforcement corrosion due to carbonation. carbonation of concrete with SCMs differs from carbonation of concrete solely based on Portland cement (PC). This is a consequence of the differences in the hydrate phase assemblage and pore solution chemistry, as well as the pore structure and transport properties, when varying the binder composition, age and curing conditions of the concretes. The carbonation mechanism and kinetics also depend on the saturation degree of the concrete and CO2 partial pressure which in turn depends on exposure conditions (e.g. relative humidity, volume, and duration of water in contact with the concrete surface and temperature conditions). This in turn influence the microstructural changes identified upon carbonation. This literature review, prepared by members of RILEM technical committee 281-CCC carbonation of concrete with supplementary cementitious materials, working groups 1 and 2, elucidates the effect of numerous SCM characteristics, exposure environments and curing conditions on the carbonation mechanism, kinetics and structural alterations in cementitious systems containing SCMs.
Ductile failure of structural metals is relevant to a wide range of engineering scenarios. Computational methods are employed to anticipate the critical conditions of failure, yet they sometimes provide inaccurate and misleading predictions. Challenge scenarios, such as the one presented in the current work, provide an opportunity to assess the blind, quantitative predictive ability of simulation methods against a previously unseen failure problem. Rather than evaluate the predictions of a single simulation approach, the Sandia Fracture Challenge relies on numerous volunteer teams with expertise in computational mechanics to apply a broad range of computational methods, numerical algorithms, and constitutive models to the challenge. This exercise is intended to evaluate the state of health of technologies available for failure prediction. In the first Sandia Fracture Challenge, a wide range of issues were raised in ductile failure modeling, including a lack of consistency in failure models, the importance of shear calibration data, and difficulties in quantifying the uncertainty of prediction [see Boyce et al. (Int J Fract 186:5-68, 2014) for details of these observations]. This second Sandia Fracture Challenge investigated the ductile rupture of a Ti-6Al-4V sheet under both quasi-static and modest-rate dynamic loading (failure in 0.1 s). Like the previous challenge, the sheet had an unusual arrangement of notches and holes that added geometric complexity and fostered a competition between tensile- and shear-dominated failure modes. The teams were asked to predict the fracture path and quantitative far-field failure metrics such as the peak force and displacement to cause crack initiation. Fourteen teams contributed blind predictions, and the experimental outcomes were quantified in three independent test labs. Additional shortcomings were revealed in this second challenge such as inconsistency in the application of appropriate boundary conditions, need for a thermomechanical treatment of the heat generation in the dynamic loading condition, and further difficulties in model calibration based on limited real-world engineering data. As with the prior challenge, this work not only documents the 'state-of-the-art' in computational failure prediction of ductile tearing scenarios, but also provides a detailed dataset for non-blind assessment of alternative methods.
Silicon micro venturi nozzles for cost-efficient spray coating of thin organic P3HT/PCBM layers
(2017)
Improvements on spray coating are of particular interest to different fields of technology as it is a scalable deposition method and processing from solutions offer various application possibilities outside of typical facilities. When it comes to the deposition of expensive and film-forming media such as organic semiconductors, consumption and nozzle cleaning issues are of particular importance. We demonstrate the simple steps to design and fabricate micro venturi nozzles for economical spray coating with a consumption as low as 30-50 mu l.min(-1). For spray coating an active area of 25 cm(2) a 2.45-4.01 fold coating efficiency is observed compared to a conventional airbrush nozzle set. The electrical characterization of first diodes sprayed with an active layer thickness of similar to 750 nm using a single micronozzle at a coating speed of 1.7 cm(2).min(-1) reveals a good external quantum efficiency of 72.9% at 532 nm and a dark current of similar to 7.4.10(-5) mA.cm(-2), both measured at -2 V. Furthermore, the high resistance of the micronozzles against solvents and most acids is provided through realization in a silicon wafer with silicon dioxide encapsulation, therefore allowing easy and effective cleaning.
Trotz der Relevanz und des Reifegrads des Forschungsbereichs Chief Information Officer (CIO) gibt es nur wenige Studien, die den aktuellen Wissensstand objektiv und umfänglich zusammenfassen. Die vorliegende Arbeit schließt diese Forschungslücke und präsentiert eine umfassende Literaturübersicht über das CIO-Forschungsfeld unter Verwendung der Hauptpfadanalyse. Anhand einer quantitativen und qualitativen Analyse von 438 Forschungsbeiträgen werden die zentralen Arbeiten in der CIO-Forschung und verschiedene Forschungsrichtungen identifiziert. Es zeigt sich, dass sowohl etablierte Forschungsrichtungen, wie z. B. ‚Entwicklung der CIO-Rolle‘ und ‚Hierarchische Position und Beziehungen des CIOs‘, als auch neu entstehende Forschungsrichtungen, wie z. B. ‚CIO als Business Enabler‘, wachsende Aufmerksamkeit auf sich ziehen. Auf der Grundlage der Ergebnisse werden vielversprechende weitere Wege auf dem Gebiet der CIO-Forschung aufgezeigt, z. B. solche, die den Einfluss neuerer Technologien untersuchen.
Algorithm selection (AS) tasks are dedicated to find the optimal algorithm for an unseen problem instance. With the knowledge of problem instances’ meta-features and algorithms’ landmark performances, Machine Learning (ML) approaches are applied to solve AS problems. However, the standard training process of benchmark ML approaches in AS either needs to train the models specifically for every algorithm or relies on the sparse one-hot encoding as the algorithms’ representation. To escape these intermediate steps and form the mapping function directly, we borrow the learning to rank framework from Recommender System (RS) and embed the bi-linear factorization to model the algorithms’ performances in AS. This Bi-linear Learning to Rank (BLR) has proven to work with competence in some AS scenarios and thus is also proposed as a benchmark approach. Thinking from the evaluation perspective in the modern AS challenges, precisely predicting the performance is usually the measuring goal. Though approaches’ inference time also needs to be counted for the running time cost calculation, it’s always overlooked in the evaluation process. The multi-objective evaluation metric Adjusted Ratio of Root Ratios (A3R) is therefore advocated in this paper to balance the trade-off between the accuracy and inference time in AS. Concerning A3R, BLR outperforms other benchmarks when expanding the candidates range to TOP3. The better effect of this candidates expansion results from the cumulative optimum performance during the AS process. We take the further step in the experimentation to represent the advantage of such TOPK expansion, and illustrate that such expansion can be considered as the supplement for the convention of TOP1 selection during the evaluation process.
Within many real-world networks, the links between pairs of nodes change over time. Thus, there has been a recent boom in studying temporal graphs. Recognizing patterns in temporal graphs requires a proximity measure to compare different temporal graphs. To this end, we propose to study dynamic time warping on temporal graphs. We define the dynamic tem- poral graph warping (dtgw) distance to determine the dissimilarity of two temporal graphs. Our novel measure is flexible and can be applied in various application domains. We show that computing the dtgw-distance is a challenging (in general) NP-hard optimization problem and identify some polynomial-time solvable special cases. Moreover, we develop a quadratic programming formulation and an efficient heuristic. In experiments on real-world data, we show that the heuristic performs very well and that our dtgw-distance performs favorably in de-anonymizing networks compared to other approaches.
The world’s population is aging at an unprecedented pace. Aging society is not only a severe crisis in the developed world, but also a rigorous challenge in emerging economies. Many age-related diseases are fostered by the lack of physical, cognitive, and social activities. Increasing the activity level has many benefits for the elderly and can improve their independence. Based on the analysis of the state-of-the-art and shortcomings of the current smart home solutions, the EU-funded research project REACH aims to develop a service system that will turn clinical and care environments into personalized modular sensing, prevention, and intervention systems that encourage the elderly to become healthy through various activities. To achieve that goal, the research team developed a series of smart furniture (PI2Us) that materialize the research concepts and functionality seamlessly into the various environments. Specifically, the development process and the functionality testing results of the PI2Us are reported in detail. In addition, a simulated smart home solution concept (TRACK) integrating key assistive technologies developed is proposed to create a comprehensive interior living and care environment for elderly users. Due to its modularity and flexibility, the partial or entire solution can be easily adapted and rapidly deployed in different use case settings in Europe, which allows the project consortium to execute different testing activities. In the next phase, the research team will focus on enhancing the usability and performance of the prototypes in order to eventually push them to the market. In conclusion, this research provides an innovative smart home solution for the industry to mitigate the impact of aging society.
Software engineering in open source projectsfaces similar challenges as in traditional software development(coordination of and cooperation between contributors, changeand release management, quality assurance, . . .), but often usesdifferent means of solving them. This leads to some salientdistinctions between both worlds, especially with respect tocommunication and how technical issues are addressed. Thevariations within open source software (OSS) communities areconsiderable, and many different approaches are currently inuse, ranging from informal conventions to highly systematic,formally specified and rigidly applied processes. We discussthe archetypal best practises in the field, illustrate them bypresenting example projects, and provide a comparison to tradi-tional approaches.
REACH stands for “Responsive Engagement of the Elderly Promoting Activity and Customized Healthcare”. Sustained physical activity matters greatly to the health and well-being of older people and significantly improves their chance of maintaining independent living. It can make a difference across the whole care continuum as well as in almost every setting. Therefore, REACH solutions focus on the systematic, target-oriented increase of physical activity of older people, and tackle the whole prevention spectrum (primary, secondary, and tertiary). It seeks to empower older people and their formal and informal caregivers, and works towards viable solutions for both the formal and in-formal care sector. Technology-based personalization of prevention, activation, and care services provided in various living and care settings is at the center of the developed solutions. Ideally toolkit approach would allow for the tailoring of solutions that create value for end-users, care providers and health care payers alike through the combination, integration and adaptation/re-design elements towards the different contexts of different countries, different payment and reimbursement structures. This Special Issue sheds light on such solutions, their conception, their development, and their testing.
Die vorliegende Studie untersucht Schlüsselfaktoren erfolgrei-
cher CIOs in deutschen Großunternehmen. Mit einer mittleren Verweildauer (Median) von 4,0 Jahren weisen deutsche CIOs, die mit 43 % noch überwiegend an den CFO berichten, im Vergleich zu anderen C-Level-Positionen eine deutlich kürzere Verweildauer im Amt auf. Die Ergebnisse aus 60 Interviews mit erfolgreichen deutschsprachigen CIOs, die primär über eine überdurchschnittlich lange Verweildauer verfügen, lassen verschiedene Schlüsselfaktoren für den Erfolg erkennen: Grundvoraussetzung ist stets die Gewährleistung eines sicheren und effizienten IT-Betriebs. Über effektive und innovative Change-Projekte machen die interviewten CIOs den IT-Mehrwert transparent und agieren als Brückenbauer zwischen IT und Fachbereichen. Dadurch wirken sie positiv auf die Firmenkultur ein und etablieren die IT nachhaltig in den Fachbereichen als Erfolgsfaktor. Erfolgreiche CIOs selbst sind keine „Techies“, sondern zeichnen sich durch hohe Führungskompetenz und ein hohes Geschäftsverständnis, gepaart mit visionärem Denken aus. Dadurch gelingt es ihnen, die IT zukunftsorientiert auszurichten und Anforderungen und Potenziale für und aus den Fachbereichen frühzeitig zu antizipieren. Die zukünftige Entwicklung der CIO-Organisation und der Paradigmen in der IT wird durch die Studienteilnehmer hingegen teilweise kontrovers diskutiert – so gibt es beispielsweise bei der Beurteilung der Sinnhaftigkeit und Relevanz der CDO-Position noch kein einheitliches Meinungsbild.
In recent years, substantial progress has been made in the field of reverberant speech signal processing, including both single- and multichannel dereverberation techniques and automatic speech recognition (ASR) techniques that are robust to reverberation. In this paper, we describe the REVERB challenge, which is an evaluation campaign that was designed to evaluate such speech enhancement (SE) and ASR techniques to reveal the state-of-the-art techniques and obtain new insights regarding potential future research directions. Even though most existing benchmark tasks and challenges for distant speech processing focus on the noise robustness issue and sometimes only on a single- channel scenario, a particular novelty of the REVERB challenge is that it is carefully designed to test robustness against reverberation, based on both real, single- channel, and multichannel recordings. This challenge attracted 27 papers, which represent 25 systems specifically designed for SE purposes and 49 systems specifically designed for ASR purposes. This paper describes the problems dealt within the challenge, provides an overview of the submitted systems, and scrutinizes them to clarify what current processing strategies appear effective in reverberant speech processing.
Rendering in real time for virtual reality headsets with high user immersion is challenging due to strict framerate constraints as well as due to a low tolerance for artefacts. Eye tracking-based foveated rendering presents an opportunity to strongly increase performance without loss of perceived visual quality. To this end, we propose a novel foveated rendering method for virtual reality headsets with integrated eye tracking hardware. Our method comprises recycling pixels in the periphery by spatio-temporally reprojecting them from previous frames. Artefacts and disocclusions caused by this reprojection are detected and re-evaluated according to a confidence value that is determined by a newly introduced formalized perception-based metric, referred to as confidence function. The foveal region, as well as areas with low confidence values, are redrawn efficiently, as the confidence value allows for the delicate regulation of hierarchical geometry and pixel culling. Hence, the average primitive processing and shading costs are lowered dramatically. Evaluated against regular rendering as well as established foveated rendering methods, our approach shows increased performance in both cases. Furthermore, our method is not restricted to static scenes and provides an acceleration structure for post-processing passes.
Deep Reinforcement Learning (RL) has considerably advanced over the past decade. At the same time, state-of-the-art RL algorithms require a large computational budget in terms of training time to converge. Recent work has started to approach this problem through the lens of quantum computing, which promises theoretical speed-ups for several traditionally hard tasks. In this work, we examine a class of hybrid quantumclassical RL algorithms that we collectively refer to as variational quantum deep Q-networks (VQ-DQN). We show that VQ-DQN approaches are subject to instabilities that cause the learned policy to diverge, study the extent to which this afflicts reproduciblity of established results based on classical simulation, and perform systematic experiments to identify potential explanations for the observed instabilities. Additionally, and in contrast to most existing work on quantum reinforcement learning, we execute RL algorithms on an actual quantum processing unit (an IBM Quantum Device) and investigate differences in behaviour between simulated and physical quantum systems that suffer from implementation deficiencies. Our experiments show that, contrary to opposite claims in the literature, it cannot be conclusively decided if known quantum approaches, even if simulated without physical imperfections, can provide an advantage as compared to classical approaches. Finally, we provide a robust, universal and well-tested implementation of VQ-DQN as a reproducible testbed for future experiments.
Background:
Over the past ten years, we carried out several comprehensive studies in the area of entrepreneurship education using business games that simulate the business processes of startups. The studies researched the learning effects of these games on German university students.
Aim:
The studies we present investigated if the simulation game-based educational entrepreneurship programs in Germany reached their goals. These goals included the fostering of participants’ entrepreneurial competencies and desire to create a startup.
Method:
We show traditional summative output-oriented results and more profound results based on our theory-based evaluation approach. A so-called logic model provides a framework for the interpretation of what takes place during the entrepreneurship business simulations. Currently, we have conducted research on more than 50 regular university courses with more than 1000 students. Another part of our studies is the evaluation of entrepreneurship education in the German national business game-based competition, EXIST priME Cup (further called EPC). More than 12,000 students attended more than 500 of these cup seminars. We also show new results from an online survey that was carried out to measure the long-term effects of the startup simulation-based seminars.
Results:
The results of five studies are summarized, and show an overall increase in the participants’ knowledge of business administration and business plan preparation skills (required in start-up context). Apart from other results, significant gender-based differences are identified. The differences relate to entrepreneurial attitudes and motivation. Some test scenarios with cup seminars for women only with extended debriefing seem to reduce this decrease in the motivation of women; further research with larger samples is necessary. A new study on the long-term effects shows a very high acceptance rate and demonstrates the satisfaction of former students. The simulation game-based program resulted in participants starting startups at a rate that is approximately twice as high (around 16%) as the normal rate in Germany.
In this paper, we consider the reconstruction problem of photoacoustic tomography (PAT) with a flat observation surface. We develop a direct reconstruction method that employs regularization with wavelet sparsity constraints. To that end, we derive a wavelet-vaguelette decomposition (WVD) for the PAT forward operator and a corresponding explicit reconstruction formula in the case of exact data. In the case of noisy data, we combine the WVD reconstruction formula with soft-thresholding, which yields a spatially adaptive estimation method. We demonstrate that our method is statistically optimal for white random noise if the unknown function is assumed to lie in any Besov-ball. We present generalizations of this approach and, in particular, we discuss the combination of PAT-vaguelette soft-thresholding with a total variation (TV) prior. We also provide an efficient implementation of the PAT-vaguelette transform that leads to fast image reconstruction algorithms supported by numerical results.
Aims
Congenital breast asymmetry represents a particular challenge to the classic techniques of plastic surgery given the young age of patients at presentation. This study reviews and compares the long-term results of traditional breast augmentation using silicone implants and the more innovative technique of lipografting.
Methods
To achieve this, we not only captured subjective parameters such as satisfaction with outcome and symmetry, but also objective parameters including breast vol-ume and anthropometric measurements. The objective examination was performed manually and by using the Vectra H2 photogrammetry scanning system.
Results
Differences between patients undergoing either implant augmentation or lipograft were revealed not to be significant with respect to patient satisfaction with surgical outcome (p= 0.55) and symmetry (p= 0.69). Furthermore, a breast symmetry of 93 % was reported in both groups. Likewise, no statistically significant volume difference between the left and right breasts was observed in both groups (p\0.41). However, lipograft patients needed on average 2.9 procedures to achieve the desired result, compared with 1.3 for implant augmentation. In contrast, patients treated with implant augmentation may require anumber of implant changes during their lifetime.
Conclusion
Both methods may be considered for patients presenting with congenital breast asymmetry.
The recent surge of interest in electrostatic actuators, particularly for soft robotic applications, has placed increasing demands on high voltage control technology. In this respect, optoelectronic bidirectional switching and analogue regulation of high voltages is becoming increasingly important. One common problem is the leakage current due to dark resistance of the material or device used. Another is the physical size of such elements. However, their ability to provide galvanic separation makes them a very attractive alternative to conventional (wired) semiconductor elements. This paper gives an overview of available methods and devices before introducing a concept based on the combination of photoresistive and magnetoresistive effects in Gallium Arsenide that are potentially applicable to other semiconductor materials.
We present the Regensburg Breast Shape Model (RBSM)—a 3D statistical shape model of the female breast built from 110 breast scans acquired in a standing position, and the first publicly available. Together with the model, a fully automated, pairwise surface registration pipeline used to establish dense correspondence among 3D breast scans is introduced. Our method is computationally efficient and requires only four landmarks to guide the registration process. A major challenge when modeling female breasts from surface-only 3D breast scans is the non-separability of breast and thorax. In order to weaken the strong coupling between breast and surrounding areas, we propose to minimize the variance outside the breast region as much as possible. To achieve this goal, a novel concept called breast probability masks (BPMs) is introduced. A BPM assigns probabilities to each point of a 3D breast scan, telling how likely it is that a particular point belongs to the breast area. During registration, we use BPMs to align the template to the target as accurately as possible inside the breast region and only roughly outside. This simple yet effective strategy significantly reduces the unwanted variance outside the breast region, leading to better statistical shape models in which breast shapes are quite well decoupled from the thorax. The RBSM is thus able to produce a variety of different breast shapes as independently as possible from the shape of the thorax. Our systematic experimental evaluation reveals a generalization ability of 0.17 mm and a specificity of 2.8 mm. To underline the expressiveness of the proposed model, we finally demonstrate in two showcase applications how the RBSM can be used for surgical outcome simulation and the prediction of a missing breast from the remaining one. Our model is available at https://www.rbsm.re-mic.de/.
At risk of reproductive disadvantage? Exploring fertility awareness among migrant women in Germany
(2022)
This study examined awareness about fertility among immigrant women and non-migrants in Germany. The social relevance of infertility and fertility treatment is increasing in Western countries due to continually low overall birth rates, a high rate of childlessness, and a gap between the desired and actual numbers of children. While there is growing interest in infertility and reproductive medicine in general, previous studies have rarely included immigrant or ethnic minorities in Europe. This study investigated whether knowledge on the age-related fertility decline (ARFD) varies between migrant groups and the majority group, and the role of education. Working hypotheses were drawn from theoretical considerations on frameworks of migrant assimilation. The analysis was based on data collected in a social science pilot study on reproductive medicine, representative of the general population (‘NeWiRe’ 2014–2015). The sample included 962 women aged 18–50 years living in Germany. Approximately 81% of the sample were immigrants who originated from Turkey, Poland, the Balkan countries or countries of the (post-Soviet) Commonwealth of Independent States. While rather poor overall, knowledge on ARFD was found to be significantly lower in the migrant groups compared with the majority group. This minority-group disadvantage cannot be explained by sociodemographic or cultural variables. Future research should include minority groups in empirical studies on awareness about fertility in order to better understand the causes of this disadvantage, and the potential reproductive needs of migrants.
The reduction of clinker use is mandatory to lower the negative environmental impact of concrete. In shotcrete mixes, similarly to the case of conventional concrete, the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) and proper mix design allow for the substitution of clinker without compromising the mechanical properties. However, the impact of the substitution on the durability of shotcrete needs to be further assessed and understood. The results from the present study, obtained from real-scale sprayed concrete applications, show a reduction of the Ca2+ leaching and sintering potential of clinker-reduced shotcrete mixes due to the presence of SCMs. This positive effect, crucial for low maintenance costs of tunnels, is mainly related to a reduced portlandite content, which on the other hand negatively affects the carbonation resistance of shotcrete. Additionally, the hydration of SCMs positively influences the chloride penetration resistance presumably due to a combination of microstructural changes and changes in the chloride binding capacity. Differences found in the pore size distribution of the various mixes have low impact on the determined durability parameters, in particular compared to the effect of inhomogeneities produced during shotcrete application.
Mit PowerPoint oder LaTeX Beamer erstellte Vorlesungsfolien sind meist statisch und dienen hauptsächlich der Präsentation von Lehrinhalten. Als Alternative dazu werden drei Erweiterungen für das HTML- und JavaScript-basierte Präsentationsframework reveal.js vorgestellt, die für mehr Interaktion in der Datenbankenlehre sorgen sollen: (1) Eine Live-Ausführung von SQL-Anfragen und eine Darstellung des Anfrageergebnisses direkt auf der Folie; mit Möglichkeit zur Anpassung der Anfrage im Präsentationsbetrieb, (2) eine JSON-basierte Beschreibung von ER-Diagrammen, welche graphisch auf den Folien dargestellt werden sollen und (3) eingebettete Smartphone-Umfragen, um zwischendurch – ohne einen Kontextwechsel – Quiz-Fragen zu stellen.
Metadata management constitutes a key prerequisite for enterprises as they engage in data analytics and governance. Today, however, the context of data is often only manually documented by subject matter experts, and lacks completeness and reliability due to the complex nature of data pipelines. Thus, collecting data lineage—describing the origin, structure, and dependencies of data—in an automated fashion increases quality of provided metadata and reduces manual effort, making it critical for the development and operation of data pipelines. In our practice report, we propose an end-to-end solution that digests lineage via (Py‑)Spark execution plans. We build upon the open-source component Spline, allowing us to reliably consume lineage metadata and identify interdependencies. We map the digested data into an expandable data model, enabling us to extract graph structures for both coarse- and fine-grained data lineage. Lastly, our solution visualizes the extracted data lineage via a modern web app, and integrates with BMW Group’s soon-to-be open-sourced Cloud Data Hub.
We present a sensitive and compact interband cascade laser (ICL) based photoacoustic setup for the detection of gaseous hydrocarbons and discuss its applicability towards trace gas analysis. We investigated the performance of the sensor for trace concentrations of methane, ethane and acetylene diluted in nitrogen. The excitation of methane and ethane was accomplished using one tunable diode laser, covering a range from 3360 to 3372 nm, which was replaced by a separate ICL at 3025 nm for acetylene detection. The influence of ambient parameters such as temperature, flow rate and pressure as well as potential cross-sensitivities towards O2 and H2O have been examined in terms of methane and acetylene detection. A series of simulations proved several of these influences to be attributed to relaxation effects. With a 3σ limit of detection (LoD) of 6.8 parts per billion (ppbV) in case of methane, 2.3 ppbV regarding ethane and 3.6 ppbV in terms of acetylene, the sensor demonstrates a great potential for applications in the field of trace gas analysis.
"Topographic Shift": a new digital approach to evaluating topographic changes of the female breast
(2021)
Purpose
To assess precise topographic changes of the breast, objective documentation and evaluation of pre- and postoperative results are crucial. New technologies for mapping the body using digital, three-dimensional surface measurements have offered novel ways to numerically assess the female breast. Due to the lack of clear demarcation points of the breast contour, the selection of landmarks on the breast is highly dependent on the examiner, and, therefore, is prone to error when conducting before-after comparisons of the same breast. This study describes an alternative to volumetric measurements, focusing on topographic changes of the female breast, based on three-dimensional scans.
Method
The study was designed as an interventional prospective study of 10 female volunteers who had planned on having aesthetic breast augmentation with anatomical, textured implants. Three dimensional scans of the breasts were performed intraoperatively, first without and then with breast implants. The topographic change was determined as the mean distance between two three-dimensional layers before and after augmentation. This mean distance is defined as the Topographic Shift. Results The mean implant volume was 283 cc (SD = 68.6 cc, range = 210-395 cc). The mean Topographic Shift was 7.4 mm (SD = 1.9 mm, range = 4.8-10.7 mm). The mean Topographic Shifts per quadrant were: I: 8.0 mm (SD = 3.3 mm); II: 9.2 mm (SD = 3.1 mm); III: 6.9 mm (SD = 3.5 mm); IV: 1.9 mm (SD = 4.3 mm).
Conclusion
The Topographic Shift, describing the mean distance between two three-dimensional layers (for example before and after a volume changing therapy), is a new approach that can be used for assessing topographic changes of a body area. It was found that anatomical, textured breast implants cause a topographic change, particularly on the upper breast, in quadrant II, the decollete.
The growing efforts for the development of clean and efficient energy systems require the use of a multi-disciplinary approach and the integration of multiple generation appliances. Among the fields that can be considered enabling technologies, adsorption systems for air conditioning and thermal energy storages, are constantly increasing their maturity. However, for a proper design and integration of such systems, there is the need for a simulation framework that is reliable and computationally convenient. In the present paper, the implementation of a dynamic model for adsorption systems is presented, which includes different components (adsorber, phase changer, sorption materials) and is structured as a library. Modelica language and the commercial software Dymola (R) are used for the analysis. Data for different heat exchangers and working pairs are calibrated using experimental results and the calibrated model is subsequently used for the design of an adsorber based on a plate heat exchanger for thermal energy storage applications. The results proved that the model is fast and can reproduce experimental results with good accuracy, thus being a useful tool for the design and optimization of the different components of sorption systems.
Academic self-regulation is a key factor for motivation and learning achievement. Yet with the large range of individual factors, this is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. This study of L2 Technical English students at two German universities explored learners’ expectations and motivations, in particular regarding self-regulation and self-efficacy via the individual’s time investment in self-led study. In an initial survey, learners (N=1646) reported on their English skill levels and anticipated learning habits. Complementarily, the retrospective survey investigated learners’ (N=796) actual behavior during the course, their perceptions of language skill improvement, and their satisfaction. The initial survey indicates a clear understanding that time investment in self-regulated study will lead to greater improvement, an outcome confirmed in the retrospective survey. Additionally, students who invested more time in their coursework were more satisfied with their achievement, although most learners acknowledge they should have studied more. The results verify that learners recognize the nexus between self-regulation and language skill improvement, yet university students are not satisfied with their capacity to self-regulate their language learning strategies. While differences in students’ skill levels and academic self-efficacy result in divergent degrees of progress, students of all types report benefits to their language skills when motivated to self-regulated study.
To reduce particulate emissions, the use of particulate filters in diesel engines is meanwhile state of the art, while the integration of such systems in gasoline engines is now also necessary in order to comply with today's regulations. Over its lifetime, a gasoline particulate filter (GPF) collects ash components of fuel, lubrication oil, and materials originating from the catalytic coating and from engine abrasion. In the development and application process, synthetic ashing from GPFs is challenging. The ash of the lubrication oil can be increased in various ways, like oil-doped fuel, a separate oil burner, or changes in the piston-cylinder system of the engine. However, these methods show major disadvantages. For this reason, an improved approach is presented in this study, which allows a quick response to changes in combustion (e.g., engine knocking) and producing ash, which is more realistic due to its primary particle size and the density of ash plugs, in a shorter time. Therefore, an approach to accelerate ash loading by active oil injection using a multi-point injection (MPI) system is introduced. With the help of this methodology, an ashing capacity of 1.21 g/h is implemented, which is a high rate compared to other investigations. The primary particle size (evaluated by means of a transmission electron microscope), is in the same size range as those detected at the full-load curve during regular operation. A computer tomographic (CT) analysis of the incinerated particulate filter also shows that a very high density of ash plugs can be realized, which has also been found in the literature for real applications. In addition, with the help of a mass spectrometer (MS) and an intermediate weighing of the particulate filter, the current ash loading of the GPF could be determined with an accuracy of 1%.
This review gives a worldwide overview on Power-to-Gas projects producing hydrogen or renewable substitute natural gas focusing projects in central Europe. It deepens and completes the content of previous reviews by including hitherto unreviewed projects and by combining project names with details such as plant location. It is based on data from 153 completed, recent and planned projects since 1988 which were evaluated with regards to plant allocation, installed power development, plant size, shares and amounts of hydrogen or substitute natural gas producing examinations and product utilization phases. Cost development for electrolysis and carbon dioxide methanation was analyzed and a projection until 2030 is given with an outlook to 2050. The results show substantial cost reductions for electrolysis as well as for methanation during the recent years and a further price decline to less than 500 euro per kilowatt electric power input for both technologies until 2050 is estimated if cost projection follows the current trend. Most of the projects examined are located in Germany, Denmark, the United States of America and Canada. Following an exponential global trend to increase installed power, today's Power-to-Gas applications are operated at about 39 megawatt. Hydrogen and substitute natural gas were investigated on equal terms concerning the number of projects.
esearch was and still is involved in the controversial issue about innate talent or extensive practice as the determinants of excellent performance in a range of domains. This study aims to contribute by presenting an analysis of practice activities in a domain that appears to be particularly suitable—orchestral conducting. Most conductors usually attain expertise in instrument playing prior to commencing conducting studies. Twenty-seven students of German study programs of orchestral conducting (approximately 18.7% of the population) responded to a questionnaire about their practice activities in conducting programs and their instrumental experiences. Descriptive results show the wealth of prestudy experiences conducting students have. A clear influence on practice activities cannot be stated. During study, students rated conducting-specific practice activities as more demanding and devoted more time to them than to general music practice activities. Therefore, conducting-specific practice activities might have been practiced more deliberately than general music practice activities.
Shotcrete is a material frequently used in underground constructions such as tunnels, where Ca leaching and sulfate attack are important durability issues. In this study, two test methods were employed to investigate the sulfate resistance and leaching behaviour of dry- and wet-mix shotcretes in sulfate solutions on a time-resolved basis. Tests on powdered samples showed the dissolution of AFm, portlandite and C-A-S-H, subsequently followed by the precipitation of calcite and ettringite. The extent of sulfate expansion of drill cores corresponded to the chemical response of the powder materials, particularly on the reactivity of Ca- and Al-containing hydrated cement phases. The use of high-purity metakaolin (7-10 wt%) in the shotcrete binder significantly decreased the sulfate durability, while high amounts of other SCMs such as blast-furnace slag and silica fume (> 20 wt%) had a positive effect on the durability of shotcrete.