TY - THES A1 - Chng, Ci Ern Katelyn T1 - Effects of Sewage Sludge Biochar as a Growing Media Component and Phosphate Fertiliser on the Cultivation of Potted Ornamental Plants N2 - There is increasing pressure from the German government on its citizens to reduce dependency on phosphate rock and peat, in agriculture and horticulture. This is due to the phosphate rock oligopoly with associated political instabilities, and the environmental consequences of peat harvesting. Past studies on soilless crop cultivation have shown promising outcomes for the phosphorus (P)-rich sewage sludge biochar (SSB) as an answer to these issues. However, SSB remains as one of the least studied biochar types in soilless ornamental cultivation. The objectives of this study were to investigate the viability of SSB as a P fertiliser and growing media component in pot cultivation of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) and poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). The addition of SSB at a 10% (v/v) rate to coco peat (SSB 10) was determined as the best composition. Although it did not outperform the control, SSB 10 plants were not significantly lower than the control plants in height, dry aboveground biomass, and number of poinsettia stems across all three species – except in poinsettia biomass. Other rates (5%, 15%, 20%) had significantly lower values in more than one parameter. Physicochemical characterisation also revealed increased P with increasing SSB rates in the growing media. Contrary to other studies, the pH of all growing media did not exceed ideal growing media pH values (5.3-6.5), further solidifying SSB’s viability as a growing media component. The reliability of our results could be improved by recording water uptake of the media, and selection of species with quantifiable aesthetics. KW - Biochar KW - P recovery KW - Sewage sludge KW - Pyrolysis KW - Ornamentals KW - Substrate KW - Growing media KW - Peat reduction Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-22189 ER - TY - THES A1 - Rigotti, Roberta T1 - Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) and climate change: Assessing the potential in German agriculture with insights from Italian practices N2 - Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) is a crop loved in the Mediterranean, particularly in Italy, where it has a long tradition holding both cultural and economic value. It has many different uses, from fresh consumption to medicinal use and potential in the energy and cheese-making industry. In northern European countries, such as Germany, artichoke cultivation has not been largely present up until now, mostly due to climate limitations, like very cold winters. However, climate change may offer new opportunities for its introduction. This study wants to assess the viability and potential of artichoke cultivation in Germany under current and future climate conditions, with the support of climate reports and literature sources. Past German trials, together with insights from the Italian artichoke cultivation, are integrated into the analysis to offer a better understanding of potential practices and implications for a future cultivation of the crop in Germany. The study concludes that winter cultivation is unfeasible without proper winter protection practices or the development of reliable frost-resistant varieties. However, annual cultivation with harvest within the same season represents a promising option in most German states. Locally grown artichokes could translate into economic and environmental advantages by answering the increasing interest in fresh, healthy, and regionally sourced products. It would also presents an opportunity for diversifying agricultural production in response to climate change and shifting market demands while also filling a gap in the artichoke offer on the market. KW - Artichoke KW - Cynara scolymus KW - Climate change KW - Climate adaptation KW - Agriculture in Germany KW - Agriculture in Italy KW - Crop cultivation KW - Cultivation potential KW - Sustainable agriculture KW - Carciofo KW - RCP Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-22178 ER - TY - THES A1 - Yankouski, Matsvei T1 - Simulation of Satellite Flares and their Impact on Ground-Based Observations N2 - With a growing number of satellites on Low Earth Orbit (LEO) the problem of light pollution arises, which is caused by the light reflected from satellite modules and directed to the ground-based observatories. This phenomenon is called satellite “flares” or “glints”. The goal of this work is to create a physical simulation model, which can recreate the conditions when the satellite flare is visible. The model is made in Python and uses a simplified geometry of reflection, orbit, solar panel parameters, and real-time TLE data. With the developed model it is possible to evaluate a variety of scenarios: single satellite, constellation and global maps of flare distribution with the given parameters. The simulation model allows for analysing the distribution of flares of time and space and checking the effectiveness of technical and legal norms. In the flow of the work numerical simulations are performed, heat maps are created, analysis and comparison with real data are made. The obtained results demonstrate the potential of this model as an instrument for planning and scheduling observations, developing less bright satellites and creating policy measures to decrease light pollution of the night sky. The results of this thesis are fundamental for expanding the model and integrating real data of all satellites. KW - Satellite flares KW - Light pollution KW - Astronomical observations KW - Satellite simulation KW - Satellite constellation KW - Specular reflection KW - Python modelling KW - Observation impact. Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-22166 ER - TY - GEN A1 - Kudla, Matthias A1 - Tewes, Thomas A1 - Gibbin-Lameira, Emma A1 - Harcq, Laurence A1 - Bockmühl, Dirk T1 - Unlocking the Power of Short Cycles: Enhancing Hygiene in Domestic Dishwashers N2 - This study investigated how factors associated with Sinner’s principle—namely temperature, time and the chemical composition of detergents—affected the antimicrobial efficacy of domestic dishwashers, particularly during short cycles. We chose a range of bacterial strains, including standard test strains such as Micrococcus luteus and Enterococcus faecium, as well as important foodborne pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella Typhimurium. To account for the complexity of dishwasher cycles, we correlated hygiene efficacy with area under the curve (AUC) measurements derived from the respective cycle profiles. Our findings revealed that the reductions in M. luteus and E. faecium were minimally affected by the reference detergent. In contrast, a high-tier market detergent demonstrated a significant decrease in bacterial counts. Notably, both strains exhibited reduced efficacy at a main cycle temperature of 45 °C, suggesting that temperatures below 50 °C might represent a critical threshold at which the hygiene efficacy of domestic dishwashing processes declines. However, since food-related pathogens were more susceptible to the dishwashing process, even lower temperatures might deliver a sufficient level of hygiene. Plotting the logarithmic reduction/AUC ratio against the AUC indicated that the main cycle contributed approximately 10-fold more to microbial reduction than the rinse cycle. Furthermore, the antimicrobial impact of detergents was greatest at the lowest AUC values (i.e. during short cycles). Taken together, our results suggest that the main wash temperature, the type of detergent, and the specific strain tested all impact bacterial hygiene performance. Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-22153 ER - TY - THES A1 - Pogrebnyak, Anna T1 - Application of the Ant Colony Algorithm for solving routing optimization problem in logistics N2 - In logistics there are different options of how the Traveling Salesman Problem can be solved. For that purpose, the Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) may be used. In the thesis, the method is implemented in order to solve the routing optimization problem. In that case, the mathematical application is observed and analyzed. ACO parameters that affecting the working principles were researched in the thesis with the corresponding graphical representation. Based on the theoretical logic the Java language program is written for the purpose of realizing the ACO algorithm. In order to grade the effectiveness of the obtained results the additional model the Greedy method was applied. The developed program tool demonstrates the practical applications and a solution of the routing problem based on the real data in Wesel region. The thesis is focused on the route length optimization and cost reduction in terms of ACO implementation. KW - Ant Colony Optimization KW - Traveling Salesman Problem KW - Routing problem KW - Cost reduction KW - Route length optimization KW - Java software program Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-22135 ER - TY - THES A1 - Torabizadeh, Mohammad T1 - Evaluating Tool Support for User-Centric Requirements Engineering in Software Development: A Jira-Based Approach N2 - User requirements are important for a successful software development process, yet their effective integration throughout the development lifecycle remains challenging. This study evaluates requirements engineering (RE) tools and addresses the gap in the requirements engineering process and the systematic integration of user requirements into development processes. After literature review and expert evaluations, a framework was established for the evaluation of RE tools across key dimensions. This evaluation revealed significant limitations in requirements management and analysis capabilities. A Jira-based prototype was developed using Atlassian Forge, consisting of an Issue Panel for requirement-to-issue linkage and a Global Page for the rest of the requirement engineering process, with its main goal being to integrate user requirements in the software development lifecycle. Testing with 16 participants proved high satisfaction (mean of 4.382/5) and effectiveness in integrating requirements into development workflows (mean of 4.438/5). The study also provides areas for future improvements, useful for the future work to be done in the field. KW - Usability engineering KW - Requirement engineering KW - Jira KW - User requirements Y1 - 2025 ER - TY - RPRT T1 - One Mission. Mission Statement (Version 1) N2 - Das Mission Statement der Arbeitsgruppe 04, „One Mission“, zum Hochschulentwicklungsplan (HEP) 2026–2030 der Hochschule Rhein-Waal leistet dreierlei: Erstens erfolgt eine Definition der „One Mission“ als Interpretation der Einheit von Studium, Lehre, Forschung und Transfer, dadurch versteht sich „One Mission“ auch als Beitrag zum Humboldt'schen Bildungsideal. Zweitens wird die Vision für die angestrebte Zielerreichung im Jahr 2030 beschrieben, wobei die „One-Mission“-Profilierung in Kombination mit weiteren identitären Eckpfeilern der Hochschule (Regionalität und Internationalität, Diversität und Nachhaltigkeitstransformation) als Alleinstellungsmerkmale projektiert wird. Drittens werden Gelingensbedingungen für „One-Mission“-Vorhaben in verschiedenen Skalierungen (vom Ad-hoc-Projekt bis zum transdisziplinären Studiengang) und Statusgruppen (Studierende, Lehrende, Forschende, Mitarbeitende) vorgeschlagen. Die fortlaufende Ergänzung und kontinuierliche Infragestellung der Inhalte, insbesondere der Gelingensbedingungen, ist dabei als work in progress ausdrücklich gewünscht. Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-22108 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - 14/2025 Vierte Änderungssatzung zur Prüfungsordnung für den Masterstudiengang Economics and Finance der Fakultät Gesellschaft und Ökonomie vom 24.03.2025 T3 - Amtliche Bekanntmachungen der Hochschule Rhein-Waal - 2025-14 Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-22119 VL - 2025 IS - 14 ER - TY - THES A1 - de Carvalho, Ben T1 - Assessment of Emissions from Pig Transportation using the GLEC-Framework N2 - With the implementation of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive and the EU-Taxonomy, the European Union has introduced mandatory sustainability reporting for certain companies to which slaughterhouses and food retailers belong to. Any emission causing practices along the complete supply chain have to be reported on, so that stakeholders and investors have better access to information for their assessment of the respective companies. In the area of animal production, the current literature deems emissions from live-animal transports as negligible, thus the majority of research focused mainly on assessing emission from on-farm operations. In conjunction with the development of an emissions calculator for live-animal transports, this paper deployed the in 2023 released Global-Logistics-Emissions-Council-Framework v3 for the first time to different exemplary transportation scenarios of live-pigs (Sus scrof domesticus) in Germany. The results showed that indeed the contribution of live-animal transport to the total emissions of animal products is significantly low. However, the assessed emissions are still a valuable parameter for sustainability reports as more data enables more accurate evaluations by stakeholders. KW - GLEC KW - Emissions KW - Emission calculation KW - Animal transport emissions KW - Carbon footprint Y1 - 2024 ER - TY - THES A1 - Kapinos, Noah Joel T1 - The impact of Social Media Advertisements on the Buying Behavior of Gen Z N2 - Social media has changed digital marketing, which makes it possible for businesses to engage with consumers through targeted advertising. Generation Z is an important demographic because they spend a high amount of time on social media platforms and have strong purchasing power. This study explores the impact of social media advertisements on the buying behavior of Generation Z by investigating key factors such as platform preferences, ad effectiveness, trust in social media advertisements, and purchasing motivations. By using a mixed method approach, this study gives insights into the impact of social media advertisements from 200 participants with a survey. The findings show that Instagram and TikTok are the most influential social media platforms in driving purchasing decisions, while Facebook does not have a strong impact on this generation. In addition, this study emphasizes that specific advertising formats, such as Instagram Stories and TikTok In-Feed ads, are the most effective in catching attention and influencing purchases. Furthermore, this study shows that trust plays an important role in social media advertising and many consumers from this generation are skeptical toward social media advertisements over traditional stores emphasizing that companies need to prioritize authenticity, transparency, and influencer marketing. This research provides important insights for businesses to improve their digital marketing strategies and improve engagement with Generation Z. Companies can have higher conversion rates and enhance their advertising effectiveness by focusing on platform-specific ad formats, personalized advertisements, and trust building to influence this generation. KW - Social Media KW - Generation Z KW - Buying Behavior KW - Consumer Trends KW - Social Media Advertising Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-21949 ER - TY - THES A1 - Besliu, Stas T1 - Emulsion splitting by applying CO2 and pressure N2 - This investigation is focused on analysing pressurized CO2 injection as a technique for breaking oil-in-water emulsions and proposing an efficient substitute for conventional methods. The destabilisation mechanisms, flotation rate acceleration, and segregation of phases in the system undergo considerable improvement through CO2 microbubbles formation. The ability to effectively separate and isolate aqueous and oil phases is important for treating industrial wastewater, hence optimizing waste reduction and resource recovery. The laboratory studies explore various operational parameters, such as CO₂ consumption efficiency, pressure variations, and residence time, in order to optimize splitting in various emulsion mixtures. The studies proved to effectively provide up to 95% total organic carbon (TOC) reduction, particularly achieved in combination with prolonged flotation and settling. Significantly, treatment by CO2-induced separations proved to have most efficiency in synthetic Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SDS)-based emulsions and in industrial scenarios such as in cooling lubricants. In addition, prolonging flotation time to an overnight timeframe significantly increased TOC reduction in the case of the SDS emulsion. The presented results offer a new look over the experimental development of separation technologies, demonstrating the effective splitting of emulsions by injecting CO2 without additional pressure input and thus its feasibility in an industrial setting. In addition to providing a chemical-free separation alternative, this method offers the advantage of reduced energy input and the potential for CO2 recapture and reuse as well as oil recovery. KW - Emulsion splitting KW - oil-in-water emulsion KW - flotation KW - oil recovery. Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-21931 ER - TY - THES A1 - Sund, Louiza T1 - The potential of direct marketing within the transformation process to sustainable farming in Lower Saxony, Germany N2 - Family farms present the majority of farms worldwide, and their survival is crucial to support the growing world population. Preventing those farms from disappearing is therefore very important. These family farms face many challenges like high investments and high price volatility. Diversification in form of direct marketing can be one way to reduce these risks. Objective was to determine the state of direct marketing usage, faced challenges in a direct marketing system, which role counselling services play in that scenario and how farmers perceive sustainability in general and in context with direct marketing. These objectives were reviewed with a quantitative study conducted by an anonymous online survey. Provided to farmers of Lower Saxony by counselling rings, network “LandTouristik Niedersachsen”, network “Kompetenzzentrum Ökolandbau Niedersachsen” and the Chamber of Agriculture. Direct marketing usage had increased over the last years and did not depend on the way of farming. On farm direct marketing solutions like a farm shop were most popular, most likely because it can be a low-cost solution. Bureaucracy, marketing and economic viability are the major challenges in direct marketing systems and correlate with reasons why direct marketing was not used. These presented a clear work order for government, science and counselling services, and show a high potential in increasing farm sustainability. Counselling services presented to be only used if free options were exploited, which emphasized the importance of high quality counselling offers. Overall, on-farm factors stood in favor for diversification and in combination with the as important stated status of sustainability for farmers, direct marketing most likely holds potential to positively impact the transformation to sustainable farming in Lower Saxony. Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-21921 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - 13/2025 Zweite Änderungssatzung zur Zugangsordnung für die Masterstudiengänge Mechanical Engineering und Bionics der Fakultät Technologie und Bionik an der Hochschule Rhein-Waal vom 08.01.2025 T3 - Amtliche Bekanntmachungen der Hochschule Rhein-Waal - 2025-13 Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-21901 VL - 2025 IS - 13 ER - TY - THES A1 - Tayebi Jazayeri, Seyed Omid A1 - Abou Dargham, Karim T1 - The Impact of Corporate Taxation on Social Inequality: A Case Study of selected OECD Countries N2 - The relevance of corporate taxation in the context of redistribution has recently been undermined, meanwhile, income and wealth inequality are globally on the rise. Profit shifting, tax avoidance, deductions, and exemptions in current international tax practices have contributed to lower tax revenues worldwide, splitting the consideration of corporate tax rates into two: statutory vs effective. In light of this, this thesis examines the relationship between corporate taxation and social inequality. The effects of statutory and effective tax rates on both income and wealth inequality (measured by their respective Gini-coefficients) are compared. A panel data regression model was carried out using SPSS. The model was applied to a selection of 10 OECD countries, spanning over a 6-year period from 2017 to 2022. The regression model indicates a significant relationship between income inequality (income Gini-coefficient) and the two corporate tax rates (estimates of -0.332 for statutory and -0.311 for effective). However, a significant relationship between wealth inequality (wealth Gini-coefficient) and the two tax rates was not identified. In addition, limitations regarding heteroscedasticity, potential endogeneity issues, and the small data set were addressed in detail but not completely ruled out. Implications include the effectiveness of progressive corporate taxation as a redistributive tool in the case of income inequality and the investigation of alternative taxes for tackling wealth inequality. The need for policies that push for easier attainment of data on wealth inequality is crucial for future research on the matter. KW - Corporate tax rates KW - Social inequality KW - Gini-coeffcient KW - Income inequality KW - Wealth inequality KW - Profit-shifting KW - Effective tax rates KW - Statutory tax rates KW - OECD Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-21875 ER - TY - JOUR T1 - 12/2025 Gebührenordnung der Bibliothek der Hochschule Rhein-Waal vom 30.01.2025 T3 - Amtliche Bekanntmachungen der Hochschule Rhein-Waal - 2025-12 Y1 - 2025 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:hbz:1383-opus4-21854 VL - 2025 IS - 12 ER - TY - THES A1 - Muthyapaga, Sujit Kumar T1 - Enhancing Plastic Degradation in Anaerobic Environments Using Biodigesters and qualitative quantitative analysis of biogas. N2 - Plastic pollution has been one of the significant challenges worldwide. We must develop innovations and recycling technologies with millions of tons of plastic produced annuallyThe amount of plastic waste in landfills, seas, and ecosystems has been seriously degrading the environment. New innovative ideas for reducing plastic waste, such as biodigesters and composting methods, are being utilized worldwide. This research examines options such as anaerobic biodigesters and composting techniques to improve plastic breakdown in controlled atmosphere conditions. In anaerobic digestion, digestion happens with the help of microbial organisms as they help break down the organic materials without oxygen and break down the plastics, simultaneously generating renewable energy resources. This research evaluates polymers developed through a blown film extrusion process at different temperatures, such as Polylactic Acid (PLA), Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate (PBAT), Polyhydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxy hexanoate(PHBH), Bioplast GF 106, and Ecovio, under anaerobic conditions. The degradation results of polymers after a specific period were analyzed based on their mechanical and chemical properties. The research aimed to assess the rates and effectiveness of plastic decomposition in biodigesters compared to conventional degradation methods while also exploring the viability and scalability of biodigesters for managing plastic waste. This research provides information on the degradation of polymers under anaerobic conditions and how the temperature produced affects their degradation, along with methane production. This information could inform future strategies and regulations focused on decreasing plastic pollution and improving sustainability. KW - PLA KW - PBAT KW - GF 106 KW - Ecovio KW - Plastic degradation KW - Anaerobic digestion KW - Biodigesters KW - SEM KW - FTIR analysis KW - Composting KW - Blown film. Y1 - 2025 ER -