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Background
To date, targeted tyrosine kinase inhibitors have been approved for FGFR2 and FGFR3 fusions (pemigatinib and erdafitinib, respectively), but the importance of FGFR2 mutations for transformation activity and as a druggable gene variant with response to different FGFR inhibitors is poorly understood. FGFR2 inhibitors present a mainstay of treatment for locally advanced or metastatic intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma (iCCA).
Methods
A 74-year-old male was diagnosed with iCCA in liver segments seven and eight with infiltration of the hepatic veins and inferior vena cava revealed a C382R mutation of the intramembrane domain of FGRR2 receptor. We performed an in-silico study to understand the potential mode-of-action of the mutant FGFR2 targets. Based on experimentally determined structures we then used a structure generated by AlphaFold2 as the variation in question is located at a position not determined well in the experiments. This revealed that the C382R mutation is located in the trans-membranal domain at a position crucial for signal transduction, both for activation and inhibition of downstream-signaling. The Molecular Tumor Board decided to start the treatment with 13.5 mg pemigatinib once daily for 14 days, followed by 7 days of free therapy interval resulting in a sustained partial response. The patient continues to be treated of 13.5 mg as described above.
Results
In our case report, we were able to show that the patient in whom an C382R mutation was detected responded to the therapy with pemigatinib. This shows that real-world scenarios differ from the data of the approval studies, thereby illustrating how complex data on patients with FGFR mutations is. One of the main problems of large approval studies is that the functionality of the respective alterations is often disregarded.
Conclusions
Our results suggest that respective mutation may be successfully targeted by FGFR-selective tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, demonstrating the importance of the functional characterization of mutations.
no conflicts of interest.
Purpose: This study aimed to gain knowledge about environmental factors (EFs) that impact work and social life participation of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) in Austria and Switzerland to extend the knowledge of participation and to identify key areas for measuring participation.
Method: A three-round Delphi study was conducted defining patients as experts. In the 1st round, qualitative data was gathered through questionnaires, analyzed with content analysis, and factors were assigned to EFs as classified in the ICF. In the 2nd and 3rd round, experts judged EFs according to its relevance to obtain consensus (cut-off 75%). Categories were ranked on a scale from mostly important to important.
Results: One hundred and twelve Austrian and 109 Swiss experts were recruited. The content analysis revealed 768 EFs. The study resulted in a list of 176 consensus factors for Austria and 177 Switzerland. Five categories revealed to be highly important, 12 moderately important, 6 fairly important, and 10 important.
Conclusions: This study indicates that participation in work or social life is influenced by physical, social, attitudinal, and policy factors. Consensus factors afford insights into areas for consideration in the development of participation outcome measurements and support a comprehensive and inclusive rehabilitation approach.
A quantitative physical model for potential induced degradation of the shunting type (PID-s) in solar modules is introduced. Based on a drift and diffusion approach for sodium ions and atoms, it gives insight into the kinetics of degradation and the corresponding regeneration. A simple drift/source term is used to describe the time-dependent flux of Na-ions towards stacking faults at the surface of the solar cell. The assumed transport mechanism for Na+ ions through the SiN-layer uses the modified Stern-Eyring rate theory but our approach can also be adapted to other mechanisms. Several PID-s and regeneration curves of one-cell solar modules at T = 49°C and T = 90°C with 1000V potential difference between modul frame and cell were measured and least-square fits of the in-situ measured parallel resistance Rsh to the model were performed giving very good accordance.
Based on a few measurements, the model can predict PID-s and regeneration characteristics of solar modules under different conditions.
A high-order finite element model for vibration analysis of cross-laminated timber assemblies
(2017)
The vibration behavior of cross-laminated timber components in the low-frequency range can be predicted with high accuracy by the finite element method. However, the modeling of assembled cross-laminated timber components has been studied only scarcely. The three-dimensional p-version of the finite element method, which is characterized by hierarchic high-order shape functions, is well suited to consider coupling and support conditions. Furthermore, a small number of degrees of freedom can be obtained in case of thin-walled structures using p-elements with high aspect ratios and anisotropic ansatz spaces. In this article, a model for cross-laminated timber assemblies made of volumetric high-order finite elements is presented. Two representative types of connections are investigated, one with an elastomer between the cross-laminated timber components and the other without. The model is validated, and suitable ranges for the stiffness parameters of the finite elements which represent the junctions are identified.
Environmental regulations force car manufacturers to renew the powertrain technology portfolio offered to the customer to comply with greenhouse gas (GHG) emission targets. In turn, automotive companies face the task of identifying the “right” powertrain technology portfolio consisting of, for example, internal combustion engines and electric vehicles, because the selection of a particular powertrain technology portfolio affects different company targets simultaneously. What makes this decision even more challenging is that future market shares of the different technologies are uncertain. Our research presents a new decision-support approach for assembling optimal powertrain technology portfolios while making decision-makers aware of the trade-offs between the achievable profit, the achievable market share, the market share risk, and the GHG emissions generated by the selected vehicle fleet. The proposed approach combines “a posteriori” decision-making with multi-objective optimization. In an application case, we feed the outlooks of selected market studies into the proposed decision-support system. The result is a visualization and analysis of the current real-world decision-making problem faced by many automotive companies. Our findings indicate that for the proposed GHG restriction at work in 2030 in the European Union, no optimal powertrain technology portfolio with less than 35% of vehicles equipped with an electric motor exists.
A new approach for the friction and wear characterisation of polymer fibres under dry, mixed, and hydrodynamic sliding conditions is developed. The production process of the tested polymer fibres is described and an introduction in fibre-reinforced concrete is given. Tribotesting is done on an optimised tribometer capable of measuring the friction and wear behaviour of polymer fibres with diameters of a few 100 µm under lubricated conditions. Three extruded polypropylene macro fibres with varying diameters are characterised under tribological conditions found in an industrial concrete mixing process. It is shown that detailed friction and wear data of polymer fibres can be gathered.
Point mutations of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)2 receptor in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCC) are mainly of unknown functional significance compared to FGFR2 fusions. Pemigatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, is approved for the treatment of cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusion/rearrangement. Although it is hypothesized that FGFR2 mutations may cause uncontrolled activation of the signaling pathway, the data for targeted therapies for FGFR2 mutations remain unclear. In vitro analyses demonstrated the importance of the p.C382R mutation for ligand-independent constitutive activation of FGFR2 with transforming potential. The following report describes the clinical case of a patient diagnosed with an iCC carrying a FGFR2 p.C382R point mutation which was detected in liquid, as well as in tissue-based biopsies. The patient was treated with pemigatinib, resulting in a sustained complete functional remission in fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography over 10 months to date. The reported case is the first description of a complete functional remission under the treatment with pemigatinib in a patient with p.C383R mutation.
The effectiveness of hot-melt coating depends on its uniformity and the extent to which the surface is completely covered. Compared with solvent-based coating, spreading is more limited in hot-melt coating; thus, the coating uniformity is more affected by the process parameters. This study presents a new method for identifying and quantifying factors influencing coating uniformity. The proposed method facilitates the determination of coating-thickness distribution and non-covered surface proportion based on micro-computed tomography measurements. The proposed method is based on particles that have undergone hot-melt coating in a fluidized bed, and it is compared to common methods for layer-thickness determination. The influencing factors are quantified in terms of the dependency of coating uniformity on the coating amount and material. Material properties have a significant impact because stearin and palm fat create different coating layers. The proposed method is confirmed to be well suited for analyzing coating qualities.
The objective of this research project is to develop a solar-powered refrigerator in the lower capacity range of up to 5 kW of cooling power. With the use of liquid pistons and one of the most efficient thermodynamic cycles known, the Stirling cycle, this product has the potential to outperform rival solar cooling technologies while providing inexpensive, reliable, quiet, environmentally-friendly, and efficient solar cooling for residential use, due to its straightforward manufacturing, simple design and inert working gas. Presented in this paper are the newest results of the theoretical and experimental investigation into deducing the key design parameters and system configuration of the so-called Liquid Piston Stirling Cooler (LPSC), which will help lead to optimal performance. Computer models of the complex unconstrained system have been constructed and validated using the modelling software Sage and shown to replicate system behavior with reasonable accuracy in experiments. The models have been used to predict system improvements and identify limitations imposed by the use of liquid pistons. The results to date provide a unique insight into a relatively little studied area in Stirling cycle research.
Predictive Modeling (PM) techniques are gaining importance in the worldwide health insurance business. Modern PM methods are used for customer relationship management, risk evaluation or medical management. This article illustrates a PM approach that enables the economic potential of (cost-)effective disease management programs (DMPs) to be fully exploited by optimized candidate selection as an example of successful data-driven business management. The approach is based on a Generalized Linear Model (GLM) that is easy to apply for health insurance companies. By means of a small portfolio from an emerging country, we show that our GLM approach is stable compared to more sophisticated regression techniques in spite of the difficult data environment. Additionally, we demonstrate for this example of a setting that our model can compete with the expensive solutions offered by professional PM vendors and outperforms non-predictive standard approaches for DMP selection commonly used in the market.
A DDR2 SDRAM test setup implemented on the Griffin III ATE test system from HILEVEL Technologies is used to analyse the row hammer bug. Row hammer pattern experiments are compared to standard retention tests.
The analysis confirms that the row hammer effect is caused by a charge excitation process depending on the number of stress activation cycles. The stress has to occur in the local neighborhood of the cells under test.
Shallow impurity levels support the responsible charge carrier transport process in the used DDR2 SDRAM technology
The International Spinal Cord Injury (InSCI) community survey has been developed to collect internationally comparable data on the lived experience of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) in all 6 WHO regions.
The InSCI survey provides a crucial first step to generate evidence on functioning, health maintenance, and subjective well-being in persons with SCI globally.
A major challenge in setting up the InSCI community survey was to develop a data model and questionnaire that comprehensively captures what matters to people and, at the same time, is feasible and parsimonious in terms of participant’s burden.
This paper outlines the components of the InSCI data model and presents the question selection to operationalize the data model along the 4 guiding principles of efficiency, feasibility, comparability, and truth and discrimination.
The data model consists of 6 components operationalized with 125 questions including functioning (n = 28 body functions and structures; n = 42 activities and participation), contextual factors (n = 26 environmental; n = 19 personal factors), lesion characteristics (n = 2), and appraisal of health and well-being (n = 8).
The InSCI questionnaire presents an efficient and feasible solution with satisfying comparability to other populations; however, its validity and reliability still needs to be confirmed.
This study investigates the impact of generative AI systems like ChatGPT on semi-structured decision-making, specifically in evaluating undergraduate dissertations. We propose using Davis’ technology acceptance model (TAM) and Schulz von Thun’s four-sides communication model to understand human–AI interaction and necessary adaptations for acceptance in dissertation grading. Utilizing an inductive research design, we conducted ten interviews with respondents having varying levels of AI and management expertise, employing four escalating-consequence scenarios mirroring higher education dissertation grading. In all scenarios, the AI functioned as a sender, based on the four-sides model. Findings reveal that technology acceptance for human–AI interaction is adaptive but requires modifications, particularly regarding AI’s transparency. Testing the four-sides model showed support for three sides, with the appeal side receiving negative feedback for AI acceptance as a sender. Respondents struggled to accept the idea of AI, suggesting a grading decision through an appeal. Consequently, transparency about AI’s role emerged as vital. When AI supports instructors transparently, acceptance levels are higher. These results encourage further research on AI as a receiver and the impartiality of AI decision-making without instructor influence. This study emphasizes communication modes in learning-ecosystems, especially in semi-structured decision-making situations with AI as a sender, while highlighting the potential to enhance AI-based decision-making acceptance.
Functioning information constitutes a relevant component for determining patients’ service needs and respective resource use. Diagnosis-Related Group (DRG) systems can be optimized by integrating functioning information.
First steps toward accounting for functioning information in the German DRG (G-DRG) system have been made; yet, there is no systematic integration of functioning information. The G-DRG system is part of the health system; it is embedded in and as such dependent on various stakeholders and vested interests.
This study explores the stakeholder’s perspective on integrating functioning information in the G-DRG system. A qualitative interview study was conducted with national stakeholders in 4 groups of the G-DRG system (health policy, administration, development, and consultations).
Interviews were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. In total, 14 interviews were conducted (4 administration and 10 consultation group). Three main themes were identified: (1) functioning information in the G-DRG system: opportunities and obstacles, (2) general aspects concerning optimizing G-DRG systems by integrating additional information, and (3) ideas and requirements on how to proceed.
The study offers insights into the opportunities and obstacles of integrating functioning information in the G-DRG system. The relevance of functioning information was evident. However, the value of functioning information for the G-DRG system was seen critically. Integrating functioning information alone does not seem to be sufficient and a systems approach is needed.
Outdoor performance analyses of photovoltaic modules can be advantageous compared to indoor investigations, as they take into account the influences of natural test conditions on the modules. However, such outdoor performance assessments usually suffer from poor accuracies due to undefined test conditions for the modules. This paper reports on a comprehensive concept for improved outdoor analysis which results in performance data with indoor laboratory precision. The approach delivers current-voltage characteristics for even more test conditions than required by the standard IEC 61853-1. Hence, curves of modules’ electrical parameters above irradiance can be deduced for any temperatures. The concept allows precise determination of temperature coefficients for user-defined irradiances taking into account outdoor effects like light-soaking or light-induced degradation. The calibration and measurement uncertainty of the presented outdoor analysis method is evaluated quantitatively. For the measurements an advanced outdoor set-up was used.
Evolutionary psychologists propose that human cognition evolved through natural selection to solve adaptive problems related to survival and reproduction, with its ultimate function being the enhancement of reproductive fitness. Following this proposal and the evolutionary-developmental view that ancestral selection pressures operated not only on reproductive adults, but also on pre-reproductive children, the present study examined whether young children show superior memory for information that is processed in terms of its survival value. In two experiments, we found such survival processing to enhance retention in 4- to 10-year-old children, relative to various control conditions that also required deep, meaningful processing but were not related to survival. These results suggest that, already in very young children, survival processing is a special and extraordinarily effective form of memory encoding. The results support the functional-evolutionary proposal that young children’s memory is “tuned” to process and retain fitness-related information.
Circular hollow sections of beech-laminated veneer lumber (LVL) for the use as temporary geotechnical soil nailing systems are currently being developed. Due to their permanent subsoil cement embedment, investigations of the bond line quality of the timber sections are essential. This paper presents the bonding properties of flat and curved beech LVL after cyclic conditioning in a water–cement grout solution aimed at inducing short- and long-term alkaline attack of the timber. In total, 409 and 69 samples were tested in tensile shear tests after short-term and long-term conditioning, respectively.
Three different adhesive systems, a one-component polyurethane adhesive, a melamine–urea–formaldehyde adhesive and a melamine–urea–formaldehyde adhesive modified by means of (polyvinyl)-acetate adhesive were investigated and compared. Short-term conditioning by submersion in boiling cement suspension was found to be a reliable method for testing the bonding performance rather than long-term conditioning. In the case of tensile shear tests of samples subjected to long-term treatment, wood material strength was the decisive criterion. Generally, tensile shear test samples of all investigated adhesives achieved reliable bonding for a pressing force up to 1.0 MPa. No relationship was recognised between the determined bonding failure and the wood properties tensile shear strength, wood failure percentage, fracture pattern and bulk density of veneers adjacent to the bond line.
For the determination of the bond line integrity of curved veneer poles, it was necessary to test bonding quality in a combined test using curved and flat samples and to compare tensile shear strength with data determined on reference samples in the same veneer population without bond line.
Innovative circular, hollow, laminated veneer lumber (LVL) beech sections for use as temporary geotechnical soil reinforcement members are currently being developed. Appropriate surface gluing quality between the veneers is fundamental to this subsoil application of the permanently cement-embedded, engineered timber product. The circular cross-section geometry and the permanently high-alkaline environment of the structural member is not covered by presently standardized testing and conditioning methods for examining LVL surface bond line quality. The sample conditioning and tensile shear test method compliant with EN 302-1 (Adhesives for load-bearing timber structures—test methods—part 1: determination of longitudinal tensile shear strength, European Committee for Standardization, Brussels, 2013) was modified to determine bonding parameters for circular, hollow LVL sections. Bond line curvature, groove cutting depth and sample geometry were found to greatly influence stress distribution, percentage of wood failure and tensile shear strength.
Short-term alkaline treatment of test samples did not significantly influence the bonding performance, wood failure percentage, tensile shear strength and fracture patterns. To improve tensile shear strength, adhesives with different material rigidities were used and compared. An orthotropic, elastic numerical analysis revealed a greater influence of adherent elasticity than adhesive elasticity on the stress distribution within the bond line. With regard to determining the bond line integrity of curved veneer poles, a sample geometry compliant with EN 302-1 (2013) was developed and numerically evaluated.
Objectives
To examine which professionals administered which assessment instruments in which patient in clinical practice during first rehabilitation after newly acquired spinal cord injury (SCI) and the differences in the frequencies of different assessments between patient groups.
Setting
Specialized SCI acute care and rehabilitation clinic.
Methods
Patients after SCI, aged 18 years and above, admitted for first rehabilitation between December 2014 and December 2015 were analyzed. Descriptive statistics of 54 selected assessments. p values based on the χ 2 test were calculated for assessments used in both paraplegic and tetraplegic patients.
Results
One hundred and nineteen patients were screened. Forty-one assessments were administered, of which 10 on average more than once per patient. The most frequently used assessments were Spinal Cord Independence Measure III (7.7 times per patient), Skin Assessment (3.6 times), and Manual Muscle Test (3.2 times for Lower Extremities; 2.5 times for Upper Extremities). The American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale was administered on average 1.9 times per patient. More variation in the number of assessments per patient was observed in patients with complete and incomplete lesions compared to patients with paraplegia and tetraplegia.
Conclusion
Assessments covering neurological functioning, mobility, and self-care are used in clinical practice during first rehabilitation of patients with SCI, while others covering autonomic functioning, pain, participation, or quality of life are still missing. Based on these observations and national and international requirements, a meaningful standard for an assessment toolkit, applicable in general and in specific subgroups, needs to be defined and implemented.
Objective: Many studies published in the journal WORK in the recent decades have discussed work and employment trends. However, the dimensions of these contributions over time have not been reviewed. The main objective of this study was to investigate the knowledge development in regard to work-related rehabilitation in WORK over the last two decades.
Methods: A scoping review was conducted using the following five stages: (i) identifying research question, (ii) identifying relevant studies, (iii) study selection, (iv) charting, summarizing, and collating the data, and (v) reporting the results. Studies were selected from the WORK Article Database.
Results: Seventy-five relevant studies were identified. The findings reflect that WORK has published papers from across the world, with most of the studies from the United States, Sweden, Canada, and Hong Kong. The complexity and multi-factorial nature of work-related rehabilitation was reflected in the application of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed method research approaches, as well as case studies. Study participants were characterized by work, and non-work related injuries, systematic diseases/chronic illness, fulfilled certain socio-demographic characteristic, and represented various stakeholders. Fewer studies drew on secondary resources. In the findings one re-occurring theme has been noted: 'maintaining/obtaining/returning to secure and stable employment/work'.
Conclusions: Four key-reflections evolved from this scoping review that provide potential avenues for future research. These key-reflections include (i) the national, transnational and international dimension of the reviewed studies, (ii) the various societal levels informing work-related rehabilitation practices, (iii) the diversity of methodologies applied in current research, and (iv) the variability of terminology used within the reviewed studies. The journal WORK has published a variety of research over the last two decades and contributed significantly to our current understanding of work-related rehabilitation. However, further research in these reflective areas would expand the current knowledge base.
Providing a subset of previously studied information as a retrieval cue can impair memory for the remaining information. Previous work with adults has shown that such part-list cuing impairment (PLCI) can be transient or lasting, depending on study condition. Here, we investigated the persistence of PLCI in children. Three age groups (7- and 8-year-olds, 9- and 10-year-olds, and 12- to 14-year-olds) learned a list of items, either through a single study trial (1-study condition) or through two study-test cycles (2-study-test condition). Subsequently, two recall tests were administered, with part-list cues being provided in the first (critical) test but not in the second (final) test. Of primary interest was whether the detrimental effect of part-list cuing induced in the critical test would persist to the uncued final test. In 12- to 14-year-olds, we found an adult-like pattern of results, with lasting impairment in the 1-study condition but transient impairment in the 2-study-test condition. In contrast, in the two younger age groups, we found PLCI to be lasting in both study conditions, suggesting age differences in the persistence of PLCI. The results are discussed in light of a recently proposed two-mechanism account of PLCI that attributes lasting impairment to retrieval inhibition and transient impairment to strategy disruption. Following this account, the results suggest that whereas 12- to 14-year-olds’ PLCI was caused by (lasting) retrieval inhibition in the 1-study condition and by (transient) strategy disruption in the 2-study-test condition, 7- and 8-year-olds’ and 9- and 10-year-olds’ PLCI was caused by (lasting) retrieval inhibition in both study conditions.
Objective: To examine the use of the term ‘metric’ in health and social sciences’ literature, focusing on the interval scale implication of the term in Modern Test Theory (MTT).
Materials and methods: A systematic search and review on MTT studies including ‘metric’ or ‘interval scale’ was performed in the health and social sciences literature. The search was restricted to 2001–2005 and 2011–2015. A Text Mining algorithm was employed to operationalize the eligibility criteria and to explore the uses of ‘metric’. The paradigm of each included article (Rasch Measurement Theory (RMT), Item Response Theory (IRT) or both), as well as its type (Theoretical, Methodological, Teaching, Application, Miscellaneous) were determined. An inductive thematic analysis on the first three types was performed.
Results: 70.6% of the 1337 included articles were allocated to RMT, and 68.4% were application papers. Among the number of uses of ‘metric’, it was predominantly a synonym of ‘scale’; as adjective, it referred to measurement or quantification. Three incompatible themes ‘only RMT/all MTT/no MTT models can provide interval measures’ were identified, but ‘interval scale’ was considerably more mentioned in RMT than in IRT.
Conclusion: ‘Metric’ is used in many different ways, and there is no consensus on which MTT metric has interval scale properties. Nevertheless, when using the term ‘metric’, the authors should specify the level of the metric being used (ordinal, ordered, interval, ratio), and justify why according to them the metric is at that level.
Logistic activity, in particular transportation, produces green house gases (GHG). For different purposes GHG need to be allocated to objects. This paper studies how to allocate the GHG volume of a transportation process (delivery tour) to the single shipments moved by the process. First, it identifies classes of generic allocation schemes and presents 15 allocation methods. Second, since the majority of these methods has not been designed for allocating GHG, we apply and compare them in the short distance transport context within a numerical example. The aim is to study how the schemes perform according to criteria. We suggest using causality, efficiency, empty core robustness, symmetry, individual rationality, coalition stability, ease of application, and set robustness as appraisal criteria and attempt to mainstream the discussion by recommending selected allocation methods.
The European Norm EN 16258 was published in 2012 to provide a common methodology for the calculation and declaration of energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions related to any transport operation. The objective was to offer a pragmatic and scientifically-acceptable approach that allows a wide group of users to prepare standardized, accurate, credible, comparable, and verifiable energy consumption and emission declarations. However, in its current form, EN 16258 contains gaps and ambiguities, and leaves room for interpretation, which makes comparisons of supply chains difficult. This research aims to overcome the shortcomings in the domain of allocating emissions from road freight transport operations to single shipments. Based on a discussion of emission drivers and the results of numerical experiments comparing the allocation vectors created by the EN 16258 allocation rules with those generated by the Shapley value, which is claimed to be the benchmark, ‘distance’ is identified as the single most useful unit for bridging the trade-off between accuracy and simplicity better than the other recommended allocation schemes. Thus, this paper claims that future versions of EN 16258 should only allow the allocation unit ‘distance.’ This will promote the accurateness, simplicity, consistency, transparency, and comparability of emission declarations.
This research presents a novel, state-of-the-art methodology for solving a multi-criteria supplier selection problem considering risk and sustainability. It combines multi-objective optimization with the analytic network process to take into account sustainability requirements of a supplier portfolio configuration. To integrate ‘risk’ into the supplier selection problem, we develop a multi-objective optimization model based on the investment portfolio theory introduced by Markowitz. The proposed model is a non-standard portfolio selection problem with four objectives: (1) minimizing the purchasing costs, (2) selecting the supplier portfolio with the highest logistics service, (3) minimizing the supply risk, and (4) ordering as much as possible from those suppliers with outstanding sustainability performance. The optimization model, which has three linear and one quadratic objective function, is solved by an algorithm that analytically computes a set of efficient solutions and provides graphical decision support through a visualization of the complete and exactly-computed Pareto front (a posteriori approach). The possibility of computing all Pareto-optimal supplier portfolios is beneficial for decision makers as they can compare all optimal solutions at once, identify the trade-offs between the criteria, and study how the different objectives of supplier portfolio configuration may be balanced to finally choose the composition that satisfies the purchasing company's strategy best. The approach has been applied to a real-world supplier portfolio configuration case to demonstrate its applicability and to analyze how the consideration of sustainability requirements may affect the traditional supplier selection and purchasing goals in a real-life setting.
In this contribution the frequency domain fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FD-FLIM) technique is evaluated for post-consumer wood sorting. The fluorescence characteristics of several wood samples were determined, whereby two excitation wavelengths (405 and 488 nm) were used. The measured data were processed using algorithmic methods to identify the wood species and post-consumer wood category. With the excitation wavelength of 405 nm, 16 out of 19 samples could be correctly assigned to the corresponding post-consumer wood category by means of the fluorescence lifetimes. Thus, the experimental results revealed the high potential of the FD-FLIM technique for automated post-consumer wood sorting.
Environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) and complementary methods were employed to study the time dependent film formation of a latex dispersion in water and cement pore solution. First, a model carboxylated styrene/n-butyl acrylate latex dispersion possessing a minimum film forming temperature (MFFT) of 18 °C was synthesized in aqueous media via emulsion polymerization. Its film forming property was at a temperature of 40 °C, studied under an ESEM. The analysis revealed that upon removal of water, film formation occurs as a result of particle packing, particle deformation and finally particle coalescence. Film formation is significantly retarded when the latex dispersion is present in cement pore solution. This effect can be ascribed to adsorption of Ca2+ ions onto the surface of the anionic latex particles and to interfacial secondary phases. This layer of adsorbed Ca2+ ions hinders interdiffusion of the macromolecules and subsequent film formation of the latex polymer.
Zielsetzung
Seit 2011 werden in Deutschland neuartige Arzneimittel zum Zeitpunkt der Markteinführung einer frühen Nutzenbewertung (FNB) mit anschließender Preisverhandlung unterzogen (AMNOG). Zu diesem Zeitpunkt ist die Evidenz zum Nutzen des Arzneimittels limitiert. Eine erneute Nutzenbewertung (ENB) im gleichen Anwendungsgebiet auf Basis neuerer Evidenz ist allerdings nicht regelhaft, sondern nur in Einzelfällen vorgesehen. Ziel ist, die Ergebnisse von ENB im gleichen Anwendungsgebiet zu untersuchen.
Methodik Analyse sämtlicher Verfahren mit abgeschlossener ENB in den Jahren 2011–2016.
Ergebnisse
Unter den 228 Nutzenbewertungsverfahren sind 52 zu 26 Arzneimitteln mit FNB und ENB im gleichen Anwendungsgebiet. Überproportional viele ENB wurden bei Onkologika und Antidiabetika durchgeführt. Bei 15 Arzneimitteln mit nachgewiesenem Zusatznutzen hatte der G-BA den FNB-Beschluss befristet wegen unzureichender Datenlage zur Markteinführung, teils begründet durch bedingte Zulassungen. Die ENB fand nach 2,6 Jahren statt. Sie führte in 4 Fällen zu einer höheren und in 5 Fällen zu einer niedrigeren Nutzenbewertung. Für 7 Arzneimittel ohne Zusatznutzen beantragten die Hersteller eine ENB auf Basis neuer Evidenz nach ca. 1,7 Jahren. Drei dieser Arzneimittel konnten in der ENB einen Zusatznutzen nachweisen. 4 Orphan Drugs wurden gemäß gesetzlicher Vorgabe erneut bewertet, nachdem sie die Jahresumsatzschwelle von 50 Mio. € überschritten. Bei einem Orphan Drug kam es zu einer besseren, bei 2 zu einer schlechteren Nutzenbewertung. Die durchschnittliche Verbesserung beträgt 1,5 Punkte auf einer Bewertungsskala von −3 (Beleg für geringeren Zusatznutzen) bis 9 (Beleg für erheblichen Zusatznutzen) und ist begründet durch neue Datenschnitte und Studien. Die Verschlechterung beträgt durchschnittlich −1,4 Punkte. Es zeigt sich eine signifikante Korrelation der Veränderung der Nutzenbewertung mit der Veränderung des verhandelten Preises.
Schlussfolgerungen
Die ENB auf Basis einer breiteren Evidenzgrundlage führt nicht zu einer wesentlichen Änderung der Nutzenbewertung und kann die Aussagesicherheit auch nur geringfügig erhöhen. Eine generelle ENB erscheint daher vor dem Hintergrund des administrativen Aufwands nicht gerechtfertigt. Das selektive Verfahren, erneute Nutzenbewertungen durchzuführen, ist hinreichend für Adjustierungen der Nutzenbewertung, wenn die Datenlage zur Markteinführung unzureichend erscheint.
Online-Navigationsdienste ermöglichen die Planung einer Reise von einem Start- zu einem Ziel-Ort. Die Berechnung von Reisedauer und Streckenlänge erfolgt auf Grundlage eines detaillierten Straßennetzes und unter Berücksichtigung Orts- und Zeit-typischer Verkehrsaufkommen. Dieser Beitrag zeigt, inwiefern Online-Navigationsdienste die Planung und Analyse logistischer Systeme unterstützen können. Er thematisiert insbesondere die Qualität der zur Verfügung gestellten Verkehrsinfrastrukturdaten und hebt die komparativen Vorteile des Einsatzes von Online-Navigationsdiensten im Vergleich zu ‚herkömmlichen‘ Verkehrsinformationsquellen hervor. Ein Anwendungsfall, bei dem die durch Transportaktivitäten verursachten CO2-Emissionen eines Güternahverkehrsnetzes untersucht werden, verdeutlicht die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse.
Both the subthreshold slope and the threshold voltage in inverted-staggered amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (a-Si:H TFTs) are vulnerable to metastable changes in the density of states (DOS) due to Fermi level displacement. In previous work, we have used passivated and unpassivated TFTs to distinguish between the effects of bulk states and interface states at the top passivating nitride interface. Here we report the results of experimental measurements and two-dimensional (2-D) simulations on unpassivated TFTs. Since there are no top interface states, all the observed changes are due solely to the bulk DOS. The subthreshold current activation energies in a-Si:H TFTs are compared for n-channel nonpassivated TFTs before and after bias stress. The experimental results agree well with the 2-D simulations, confirming that the dependence of subthreshold current activation energy on gate bias reveals the distribution of the DOS in energy but cannot resolve the magnitude of features in the DOS. This type of analysis is not accurate for TFTs with a top passivating nitride, since the activation energies in such devices are affected by the interfere states.
Increasing demand for energy-efficient means of transport has steadily intensified the trend towards lightweight components. Thermoplastic glass fiber composites (organo sheets) play a major role in the production of functional automotive components. Organo sheets are cut, shaped and functionalized by injection molding to produce hybrid components, such as those used in car door modules. The cutting process produces a considerable amount of production waste, which has thus far been thermally recycled. This study develops a closed mechanical recycling process and analyzes the different steps of the process. The offcuts were shredded using two shredding methods and implemented directly in the injection-molding process. Using tensile tests and impact bending tests, the material properties of the recycled materials were compared with the virgin material. In addition, fiber length degradation via the injection-molding process and the influence of the waterjet-cutting process on the mechanical properties are investigated. Recycled offcuts are both comparable to new material in terms of mechanical properties and usability, and are also economically and ecologically advantageous. Recycling polypropylene waste with glass fiber reinforcement in a closed loop is an effective way to reduce industrial waste in a sustainable and economical production process.
Analytical Models for Amorphous Silicon and Polysilicon TFTs for High Definition Display Technology
(1996)
With the rapid improvements in machine learning and deep learning, decisions made by automated decision support systems (DSS) will increase. Besides the accuracy of predictions, their explainability becomes more important. The algorithms can construct complex mathematical prediction models. This causes insecurity to the predictions. The insecurity rises the need for equipping the algorithms with explanations. To examine how users trust automated DSS, an experiment was conducted. Our research aim is to examine how participants supported by an DSS revise their initial prediction by four varying approaches (treatments) in a between-subject design study. The four treatments differ in the degree of explainability to understand the predictions of the system. First we used an interpretable regression model, second a Random Forest (considered to be a black box [BB]), third the BB with a local explanation and last the BB with a global explanation. We noticed that all participants improved their predictions after receiving an advice whether it was a complete BB or an BB with an explanation. The major finding was that interpretable models were not incorporated more in the decision process than BB models or BB models with explanations.
Introduction:
Occupational therapists' intention of enabling women with rheumatoid arthritis to participate in everyday life is fraught with challenges in everyday practice.
Method:
Inspired by institutional ethnography, this paper aims to make explicit how the work of occupational therapists in an outpatient rheumatology hospital setting is governed within invisible, ruling relations. An analytical description of the first author's clinical experience was a standpoint from which to explicate how occupational therapy is coordinated to the ruling relations of the Austrian health care system.
Findings:
Occupational therapy practice and research are ruled within a positivist, body-focused, medical apparatus, which renders largely invisible occupational therapists' knowledge of enabling people to engage in occupations that are meaningful to them.
Conclusion:
Occupational therapists have professional power that can be asserted by strategically using occupational therapy specific knowledge and language in textually mediated practices, from assessments and case files to media images, to give greater visibility and influence to the profession's work of enabling occupation.
Artificial Intelligence in Business Communication: The Changing Landscape of Research and Teaching
(2022)
The rapid, widespread implementation of artificial intelligence technologies in workplaces has implications for business communication. In this article, the authors describe current capabilities, challenges, and concepts related to the adoption and use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in business communication. Understanding the abilities and inabilities of AI technologies is critical to using these technologies ethically. The authors offer a proposed research agenda for researchers in business communication concerning topics of implementation, lexicography and grammar, collaboration, design, trust, bias, managerial concerns, tool assessment, and demographics. The authors conclude with some ideas regarding how to teach about AI in the business communication classroom.
Background:
Care pathways (CPWs) are complex interventions that have the potential to reduce treatment errors and optimize patient outcomes by translating evidence into local practice. To design an optimal implementation strategy, potential barriers to and facilitators of implementation must be considered.
The objective of this systematic review is to identify barriers to and facilitators of the implementation of CPWs in primary care (PC).
Methods:
A systematic search via Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and MEDLINE via PubMed supplemented by hand searches and citation tracing was carried out. We considered articles reporting on CPWs targeting patients at least 65 years of age in outpatient settings that were written in the English or German language and were published between 2007 and 2019. We considered (non-)randomized controlled trials, controlled before-after studies, interrupted time series studies (main project reports) as well as associated process evaluation reports of either methodology. Two independent researchers performed the study selection; the data extraction and critical appraisal were duplicated until the point of perfect agreement between the two reviewers. Due to the heterogeneity of the included studies, a narrative synthesis was performed.
Results:
Fourteen studies (seven main project reports and seven process evaluation reports) of the identified 8154 records in the search update were included in the synthesis. The structure and content of the interventions as well as the quality of evidence of the studies varied.
The identified barriers and facilitators were classified using the Context and Implementation of Complex Interventions framework. The identified barriers were inadequate staffing, insufficient education, lack of financial compensation, low motivation and lack of time. Adequate skills and knowledge through training activities for health professionals, good multi-disciplinary communication and individual tailored interventions were identified as facilitators.
Conclusions:
In the implementation of CPWs in PC, a multitude of barriers and facilitators must be considered, and most of them can be modified through the careful design of intervention and implementation strategies. Furthermore, process evaluations must become a standard component of implementing CPWs to enable other projects to build upon previous experience.
Objective: Research has shown that comparatively few adults with Asperger Syndrome (AS) participate in the competitive work force. The purpose of this study was to gain in-depth knowledge about contextual factors, which contribute to successful labor market participation in some adults with AS. Participants: This study was conducted by indepth-interviewing six adults with AS working in the competitive job market in Switzerland. Methods: A developmental and hermeneutic narrative approach was used for data collection and analysis. Two in-depth narrative interviews were conducted with each participant. A narrative analysis according to the theories of Paul Ricoeur was performed. Results: Results showed that participants received pre-vocational requisites during their childhood through parents and friends that provided a feeling of security in social contexts. For participants, a supportive school setting resulted in academic achievements. The narratives reveal participants' capacities for understanding and adapting to social norms. Participants' understanding of their own needs was essential to the successful labor market participation. However, disclosure is rare and social stigma is still present. Conclusions: This study showed that successful labor participation of adults with AS can be enhanced through adequate social support already in the early stages of an individual's lifetime.
We report temperature measurements of inverted staggered amorphous silicon thin film transistor subthreshold conductance for devices with and without a top silicon nitride passivating layer. Subthreshold conductance activation energies clearly show the different conductance paths in the active layer of these devices. Transistors with no top nitride layer conduct in the bulk amorphous silicon, whereas the devices with a top nitride layer conduct at the interface between the amorphous silicon and the top nitride (a ‘‘back’’ channel). Gate bias stressing and light soaking experiments uphold the existence of the back channel. We also present two‐dimensional simulations that support our interpretation of the experimental data.
Die Rohstoffknappheit sowie geopolitische und strukturell-technische Faktoren führen zu Rohstoffversorgungs- und Preisrisiken bei produzierenden Unternehmen. Darüber hinaus werden Unternehmen für soziale und ökologische Bedingungen der Rohstoffförderung und -aufbereitung in die Verantwortung genommen. In der Produktentwicklung werden die Eigenschaften eines Produktes und damit die verwendeten Rohstoffe definiert. Daher sind Methoden erforderlich, mit denen ökonomische, ökologische und soziale Risiken der Rohstoffversorgung in der Produktentwicklung analysiert werden können. Es existieren weder standardisierte Methoden, noch gibt es Erfahrung über die Bewertung von Rohstoffrisiken im Produktentwicklungsprozess. Die VDI 4800 stellt eine genormte Methode zur Bewertung der Rohstoffkritikalität zur Verfügung. Daher wird die Anwendbarkeit der Methode im Produktentwicklungsprozess der Automobilindustrie untersucht. Anfangs werden verschiedene Ansätze zur Bewertung der Rohstoffkritikalität verglichen, um die Bewertungskriterien der VDI 4800 zu validieren. Basierend auf der Fallstudie eines Elektrischen Antriebssystems für ein Fahrzeug wird die Akzeptanz, Effizienz, Verlässlichkeit, Güte und Effektivität der Methode bewertet. Die VDI 4800 empfiehlt sich als geeignete Methode in der Produktentwicklung, zeigt indes Weiterentwicklungspotential hinsichtlich der Klassifizierung von kurz- bis langfristigen Rohstoffrisiken sowie der Entwicklung von sozial-gesellschaftlichen und ökologischen Bewertungskriterien in der Rohstoffgewinnung und -aufbereitung auf.
This study investigates for the first time how public charging infrastructure usage differs under the presence of diverse pricing models. About 3 million charging events from different European countries were classified according to five different pricing models (cost-free, flat-rate, time-based, energy-based, and mixed) and evaluated using various performance indicators such as connection duration; transferred energy volumes; average power; achievable revenue; and the share of charging and idle time for AC, DC, and HPC charging infrastructure. The study results show that the performance indicators differed for the classified pricing models. In addition to the quantitative comparison of the performance indicators, a Kruskal–Wallis one-way analysis of variance and a pairwise comparison using the Mann–Whitney-U test were used to show that the data distributions of the defined pricing models were statistically significantly different. The results are discussed from various perspectives on the efficient design of public charging infrastructure. The results show that time-based pricing models can improve the availability of public charging infrastructure, as the connection duration per charging event can be roughly halved compared to other pricing models. Flat-rate pricing models and AC charging infrastructure can support the temporal shift of charging events, such as shifting demand peaks, as charging events usually have several hours of idle time per charging process. By quantifying various performance indicators for different charging technologies and pricing models, the study is relevant for stakeholders involved in the development and operation of public charging infrastructure.
The Bode catchment (Germany) shows strong land use gradients from forested parts of the National Park (23 % of total land cover) to agricultural (70 %) and urbanised areas (7 %). It is part of the Terrestrial Environmental Observatories of the German Helmholtz association. We performed a biogeochemical analysis of the entire river network. Surface water was sampled at 21 headwaters and at ten downstream sites, before (in early spring) and during the growing season (in late summer). Many parameters showed lower concentrations in headwaters than in downstream reaches, among them nutrients (ammonium, nitrate and phosphorus), dissolved copper and seston dry mass. Nitrate and phosphorus concentrations were positively related to the proportion of agricultural area within the catchment. Punctual anthropogenic loads affected some parameters such as chloride and arsenic. Chlorophyll a concentration and total phosphorus in surface waters were positively related. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was higher in summer than in spring, whereas the molecular size of DOC was lower in summer. The specific UV absorption at 254 nm, indicating the content of humic substances, was higher in headwaters than in downstream reaches and was positively related to the proportion of forest within the catchment. CO2 oversaturation of the water was higher downstream compared with headwaters and was higher in summer than in spring. It was correlated negatively with oxygen saturation and positively with DOC concentration but negatively with DOC quality (molecular size and humic content). A principle component analysis clearly separated the effects of site (44 %) and season (15 %), demonstrating the strong effect of land use on biogeochemical parameters.
Zehn neue p‐Dotanden für die Leitfähigkeitsdotierung von organischen Halbleitern wurden identifiziert. Der wesentliche Vorteil der elektrophilen Tris(carboxylato)‐Bismut(III)‐Verbindungen ist die niedrige Absorption der damit dotierten Schichten. Diese Eigenschaft zusammen mit ihren niedrigen Herstellungskosten sowie der guten Verdampfbarkeit und Stabilität macht diese Dotanden sehr attraktiv für Anwendungen in der organischen Elektronik.
Objective: To identify candidate categories for brief International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Sets for the reporting and measurement of functioning in patients in the acute hospital.
Design: Prospective multi-centre cohort study.
Patients: Patients receiving rehabilitation interventions for musculoskeletal, neurological or cardiopulmonary injury or disease in acute hospitals.
Methods: Functioning and contextual factors were coded using the ICF. The criterion for selecting candidate categories for the brief ICF Core Sets was based on their ability to discriminate between patients with high or low functioning status. Discrimination was assessed using multivariable regression models, the independent variables being all of the ICF categories of the respective comprehensive ICF Core Set. Analogue ratings of overall functioning as reported by patients and health professionals were used as dependent variables.
Results: A total of 391 patients were included in the study (91 neurological, 109 cardiopulmonary, 191 musculoskeletal), mean age 63.4 years, 50.1% female. Selection yielded 33 categories for neurological, 31 for cardiopulmonary, and 30 for musculoskeletal.
Conclusion: The present selection of categories can be considered an initial proposal, serving to identify the ICF categories most relevant for the practical assessment and monitoring of functioning in patients with acute neurological, cardiopulmonary, and musculoskeletal conditions.