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On the basis of bivariate data, assumed to be observations of independent copies of a random vector (S,N), we consider testing the hypothesis that the distribution of (S,N) belongs to the parametric class of distributions that arise with the compound Poisson exponential model. Typically, this model is used in stochastic hydrology, with N as the number of raindays, and S as total rainfall amount during a certain time period, or in actuarial science, with N as the number of losses, and S as total loss expenditure during a certain time period. The compound Poisson exponential model is characterized in the way that a specific transform associated with the distribution of (S,N) satisfies a certain differential equation. Mimicking the function part of this equation by substituting the empirical counterparts of the transform we obtain an expression the weighted integral of the square of which is used as test statistic. We deal with two variants of the latter, one of which being invariant under scale transformations of the S-part by fixed positive constants. Critical values are obtained by using a parametric bootstrap procedure. The asymptotic behavior of the tests is discussed. A simulation study demonstrates the performance of the tests in the finite sample case. The procedure is applied to rainfall data and to an actuarial dataset. A multivariate extension is also discussed.
FEM shakedown analysis of structures under random strength with chance constrained programming
(2022)
Direct methods, comprising limit and shakedown analysis, are a branch of computational mechanics. They play a significant role in mechanical and civil engineering design. The concept of direct methods aims to determine the ultimate load carrying capacity of structures beyond the elastic range. In practical problems, the direct methods lead to nonlinear convex optimization problems with a large number of variables and constraints. If strength and loading are random quantities, the shakedown analysis can be formulated as stochastic programming problem. In this paper, a method called chance constrained programming is presented, which is an effective method of stochastic programming to solve shakedown analysis problems under random conditions of strength. In this study, the loading is deterministic, and the strength is a normally or lognormally distributed variable.
Purpose
In the determination of the measurement uncertainty, the GUM procedure requires the building of a measurement model that establishes a functional relationship between the measurand and all influencing quantities. Since the effort of modelling as well as quantifying the measurement uncertainties depend on the number of influencing quantities considered, the aim of this study is to determine relevant influencing quantities and to remove irrelevant ones from the dataset.
Design/methodology/approach
In this work, it was investigated whether the effort of modelling for the determination of measurement uncertainty can be reduced by the use of feature selection (FS) methods. For this purpose, 9 different FS methods were tested on 16 artificial test datasets, whose properties (number of data points, number of features, complexity, features with low influence and redundant features) were varied via a design of experiments.
Findings
Based on a success metric, the stability, universality and complexity of the method, two FS methods could be identified that reliably identify relevant and irrelevant influencing quantities for a measurement model.
Originality/value
For the first time, FS methods were applied to datasets with properties of classical measurement processes. The simulation-based results serve as a basis for further research in the field of FS for measurement models. The identified algorithms will be applied to real measurement processes in the future.
The European Union's aim to become climate neutral by 2050 necessitates ambitious efforts to reduce carbon emissions. Large reductions can be attained particularly in energy intensive sectors like iron and steel. In order to prevent the relocation of such industries outside the EU in the course of tightening environmental regulations, the establishment of a climate club jointly with other large emitters and alternatively the unilateral implementation of an international cross-border carbon tax mechanism are proposed. This article focuses on the latter option choosing the steel sector as an example. In particular, we investigate the financial conditions under which a European cross border mechanism is capable to protect hydrogen-based steel production routes employed in Europe against more polluting competition from abroad. By using a floor price model, we assess the competitiveness of different steel production routes in selected countries. We evaluate the climate friendliness of steel production on the basis of specific GHG emissions. In addition, we utilize an input-output price model. It enables us to assess impacts of rising cost of steel production on commodities using steel as intermediates. Our results raise concerns that a cross-border tax mechanism will not suffice to bring about competitiveness of hydrogen-based steel production in Europe because the cost tends to remain higher than the cost of steel production in e.g. China. Steel is a classic example for a good used mainly as intermediate for other products. Therefore, a cross-border tax mechanism for steel will increase the price of products produced in the EU that require steel as an input. This can in turn adversely affect competitiveness of these sectors. Hence, the effects of higher steel costs on European exports should be borne in mind and could require the cross-border adjustment mechanism to also subsidize exports.
Unternehmen sind in der Regel überzeugt, dass sie die Bedürfnisse ihrer Kunden in den Mittelpunkt stellen. Aber in der direkten Interaktion mit dem Kunden zeigen sie häufig Schwächen. Der folgende Beitrag illustriert, wie durch eine konsequente Ausrichtung der Wertschöpfungsprozesse auf die zentralen Kundenbedürfnisse ein Dreifacheffekt erzielt werden kann: Nachhaltig erhöhte Kundenzufriedenheit, gesteigerte Effizienz und eine Differenzierung im Wettbewerb.
Kundenanforderungen an Netzwerke haben sich in den vergangenen Jahren stark verändert. Mit NFV und SDN sind Unternehmen technisch in der Lage, diesen gerecht zu werden. Die Provider stehen jedoch vor großen Herausforderungen: Insbesondere Produkte und Prozesse müssen angepasst und agiler werden, um die Stärken von NFV und SDN zum Kundenvorteil auszuspielen.
Die Durchführung einer systematischen Literaturrecherche ist eine zentrale Kompetenz wissenschaftlichen Arbeitens und bildet daher einen festen Ausbildungsbestandteil von Bachelor- und Masterstudiengängen. In entsprechenden Lehrveranstaltungen werden Studierende zwar mit den grundlegenden Hilfsmitteln zur Suche und Verwaltung von Literatur vertraut gemacht, allerdings werden die Potenziale textanalytischer Methoden und Anwendungssysteme (Text Mining, Text Analytics) dabei zumeist nicht abgedeckt. Folglich werden Datenkompetenzen, die zur systemgestützten Analyse und Erschließung von Literaturdaten erforderlich sind, nicht hinreichend ausgeprägt. Um diese Kompetenzlücke zu adressieren, ist an der Hochschule Osnabrück eine Lehrveranstaltung konzipiert und projektorientiert umgesetzt worden, die sich insbesondere an Studierende wirtschaftswissenschaftlicher Studiengänge richtet. Dieser Beitrag dokumentiert die fachliche sowie technische Ausgestaltung dieser Veranstaltung und zeigt Potenziale für die künftige Weiterentwicklung auf.
Zur Anwendung des Eurocode 3 Teil 1-2 für die Heißbemessung und Anregungen für dessen Novellierung
(2016)
Die Eurocodes werden bis zum Jahr 2020 im Europäischen Komitee für Normung (CEN), Technisches Komitee TC 250, überarbeitet. In Vorbereitung auf die Eurocode-Novellierung haben engagierte Ingenieure im Rahmen der Initiative PraxisRegeln Bau (PRB) die für die praktische Anwendung häufig genutzten Teile des Eurocode 3 untersucht. Mit dem Ziel, die Praxistauglichkeit des Eurocode 3 für die Heißbemessung zu verbessern, wurden die bestehende Norm EN 1993 Teil 1-2 insbesondere in Bezug auf die Anwenderfreundlichkeit analysiert und Vorschläge für die europäische Novellierung erarbeitet. Die Analysen zeigen, dass durch Umstrukturierungen und durch die Einführung von Tabellen die Verständlichkeit und Anwenderfreundlichkeit der Regeln für die Heißbemessung bedeutend erhöht werden können.
Stützen und Träger aus Stahlprofilen können in Fundamente oder Wände aus Stahlbeton einbetoniert werden. Diese Anschlüsse wirken in der Regel wie Einspannungen, die eine ausreichende Einspanntiefe erfordern. Im Folgenden wird eine verallgemeinerte Berechnungsmethode für in Stahlbetonkonstruktionen eingespannte Stahlprofile aus gewalzten I-Profilen, geschweißten I-Profilen, runden Hohlprofilen, eckigen Hohlprofilen und einzelligen Kastenquerschnitten vorgestellt. Für Beanspruchungen infolge einachsiger Biegung um die starke und schwache Profilachse werden der profilabhängige Ansatz der Betondruckspannungen im Einspannbereich und die Ermittlung der Einspanntiefe behandelt. Unter Berücksichtigung der Normalkraft werden an den maßgebenden Stellen Tragfähigkeitsnachweise für die Stahlprofile geführt. Als Ergänzung zu den Berechnungsformeln werden Bemessungshilfen zur Verfügung gestellt, die die Wahl der mitwirkenden Breiten und der Einspanntiefen erleichtert.
In der Praxis bestehen vielfältige Einsatzbereiche für Verkehrsnachfragemodelle. Mit ihnen können Kenngrößen des Verkehrsangebots und der Verkehrsnachfrage für den heutigen Zustand wie auch für zukünftige Zustände bereitgestellt werden, um so die Grundlagen für verkehrsplanerische Entscheidungen zu liefern. Die neuen „Empfehlungen zum Einsatz von Verkehrsnachfragemodellen für den Personenverkehr“ (EVNM-PV) (FGSV 2022) veranschaulichen anhand von typischen Planungsaufgaben, welche differenzierten Anforderungen daraus für die Modellkonzeption und -erstellung resultieren. Vor dem Hintergrund der konkreten Aufgabenstellung sowie deren spezifischer planerischer Anforderungen bildet die abzuleitende Modellspezifikation die verabredete Grundlage zwischen Auftraggeber und Modellersteller für die konkrete inhaltliche, fachliche Ausgestaltung des Verkehrsmodells.
Die neu erschienenen „Empfehlungen zum Einsatz von Verkehrsnachfragemodellen für den Personenverkehr“ liefern erstmals als Empfehlungspapier der Forschungsgesellschaft für Straßen- und Verkehrswesen einen umfassenden Überblick zu den verschiedenen Aspekten der Modellierung und geben dem Fachplaner konkrete Hilfestellung für die Konzeption von Nachfragemodellen. Das Empfehlungspapier zielt unter anderem darauf ab, die Erwartungen und das Anspruchsniveau in Hinblick auf Sachgerechtigkeit der Modelle, die erzielbare Modellqualität und den Detaillierungsgrad der Modellaussagen zu harmonisieren.
The potential of electronic markets in enabling innovative product bundles through flexible and sustainable partnerships is not yet fully exploited in the telecommunication industry. One reason is that bundling requires seamless de-assembling and re-assembling of business processes, whilst processes in telecommunication companies are often product-dependent and hard to virtualize. We propose a framework for the planning of the virtualization of processes, intended to assist the decision maker in prioritizing the processes to be virtualized: (a) we transfer the virtualization pre-requisites stated by the Process Virtualization Theory in the context of customer-oriented processes in the telecommunication industry and assess their importance in this context, (b) we derive IT-oriented requirements for the removal of virtualization barriers and highlight their demand on changes at different levels of the organization. We present a first evaluation of our approach in a case study and report on lessons learned and further steps to be performed.
As the potential of a next generation network (NGN) is recognised, telecommunication companies consider switching to it. Although the implementation of an NGN seems to be merely a modification of the network infrastructure, it may trigger or require changes in the whole company, because it builds upon the separation between service and transport, a flexible bundling of services to products and the streamlining of the IT infrastructure. We propose a holistic framework, structured into the layers ‘strategy’, ‘processes’ and ‘information systems’ and incorporate into each layer all concepts necessary for the implementation of an NGN, as well as the alignment of these concepts. As a first proof-of-concept for our framework we have performed a case study on the introduction of NGN in a large telecommunication company; we show that our framework captures all topics that are affected by an NGN implementation.
Der Telekommunikationsmarkt erfährt substanzielle Veränderungen. Neue Geschäftsmodelle, innovative Dienstleistungen und Technologien erfordern Reengineering, Transformation und Prozessstandardisierung. Mit der Enhanced Telecom Operation Map (eTOM) bietet das TM Forum ein international anerkanntes de facto Referenz-Prozess-Framework basierend auf spezifischen Anforderungen und Ausprägungen der Telekommunikationsindustrie an. Allerdings enthält dieses Referenz-Framework nur eine hierarchische Sammlung von Prozessen auf unterschiedlichen Abstraktionsebenen. Eine Kontrollsicht verstanden als sequenzielle Anordnung von Aktivitäten und daraus resultierend ein realer Prozessablauf fehlt ebenso wie eine Ende-zu-Ende-Sicht auf den Kunden. In diesem Artikel erweitern wir das eTOM-Referenzmodell durch Referenzprozessabläufe, in welchen wir das Wissen über Prozesse in Telekommunikationsunternehmen abstrahieren und generalisieren. Durch die Referenzprozessabläufe werden Unternehmen bei dem strukturierten und transparenten (Re-)Design ihrer Prozesse unterstützt. Wir demonstrieren die Anwendbarkeit und Nützlichkeit unserer Referenzprozessabläufe in zwei Fallstudien und evaluieren diese anhand von Kriterien für die Bewertung von Referenzmodellen. Die Referenzprozessabläufe wurden vom TM Forum in den Standard aufgenommen und als Teil von eTOM Version 9 veröffentlicht. Darüber hinaus diskutieren wir die Komponenten unseres Ansatzes, die auch außerhalb der Telekommunikationsindustrie angewandt werden können.
Das anhaltende Wachstum wissenschaftlicher Veröffentlichungen wirft die Fragestellung auf, wie Literaturana-lysen im Rahmen von Forschungsprozessen digitalisiert und somit produktiver realisiert werden können. Insbesondere in informationstechnischen Fachgebieten ist die Forschungspraxis durch ein rasant wachsendes Publikationsaufkommen gekennzeichnet. Infolgedessen bietet sich der Einsatz von Methoden der Textanalyse (Text Analytics) an, die Textdaten automatisch vorbereiten und verarbeiten können. Erkenntnisse entstehen dabei aus Analysen von Wortarten und Subgruppen, Korrelations- sowie Zeitreihenanalysen. Dieser Beitrag stellt die Konzeption und Realisierung eines Prototypen vor, mit dem Anwender bibliographische Daten aus der etablierten Literaturdatenbank EBSCO Discovery Service mithilfe textanalytischer Methoden erschließen können. Der Prototyp basiert auf dem Analysesystem IBM Watson Explorer, das Hochschulen lizenzkostenfrei zur Verfügung steht. Potenzielle Adressaten des Prototypen sind Forschungseinrichtungen, Beratungsunternehmen sowie Entscheidungsträger in Politik und Unternehmenspraxis.
Im Rahmen der Digitalisierung ist die zunehmende Automatisierung von bisher manuellen Prozessschritten ein Aspekt, der massive Auswirkungen auf die zukünftige Arbeitswelt haben wird. In diesem Kontext werden an den Einsatz von Softwarerobotern zur Prozessautomatisierung hohe Erwartungen geknüpft. Bei den Implementierungsansätzen wird die Diskussion aktuell insbesondere durch Robotic Process Automation (RPA) und Chatbots geprägt. Beide Ansätze verfolgen das gemeinsame Ziel einer 1:1-Automatisierung von menschlichen Handlungen und dadurch ein direktes Ersetzen von Mitarbeitern durch Maschinen. Bei RPA werden Prozesse durch Softwareroboter erlernt und automatisiert ausgeführt. Dabei emulieren RPA-Roboter die Eingaben auf der bestehenden Präsentationsschicht, so dass keine Änderungen an vorhandenen Anwendungssystemen notwendig sind. Am Markt werden bereits unterschiedliche RPA-Lösungen als Softwareprodukte angeboten. Durch Chatbots werden Ein- und Ausgaben von Anwendungssystemen über natürliche Sprache realisiert. Dadurch ist die Automatisierung von unternehmensexterner Kommunikation (z. B. mit Kunden) aber auch von unternehmensinternen Assistenztätigkeiten möglich. Der Beitrag diskutiert die Auswirkungen von Softwarerobotern auf die Arbeitswelt anhand von Anwendungsbeispielen und erläutert die unternehmensindividuelle Entscheidung über den Einsatz von Softwarerobotern anhand von Effektivitäts- und Effizienzzielen.
Am Beispiel der Telekommunikationsindustrie zeigt der Beitrag eine konkrete Ausgestaltung anwendungsorientierter Forschung, die sowohl für die Praxis als auch für die Wissenschaft nutzen- und erkenntnisbringend ist. Forschungsgegenstand sind die Referenzmodelle des Industriegremiums TM Forum, die von vielen Telekommunikationsunternehmen zur Transformation ihrer Strukturen und Systeme genutzt werden. Es wird die langjährige Forschungstätigkeit bei der Weiterentwicklung und Anwendung dieser Referenzmodelle beschrieben. Dabei wird ein konsequent gestaltungsorientierter Forschungsansatz verfolgt. Das Zusammenspiel aus kontinuierlicher Weiterentwicklung in Zusammenarbeit mit einem Industriegremium und der Anwendung in vielfältigen Praxisprojekten führt zu einer erfolgreichen Symbiose aus praktischer Nutzengenerierung sowie wissenschaftlichem Erkenntnisgewinn. Der Beitrag stellt den gewählten Forschungsansatz anhand konkreter Beispiele vor. Darauf basierend werden Empfehlungen und Herausforderungen für eine gestaltungs- und praxisorientierte Forschung diskutiert.
The molecular weight properties of lignins are one of the key elements that need to be analyzed for a successful industrial application of these promising biopolymers. In this study, the use of 1H NMR as well as diffusion-ordered spectroscopy (DOSY NMR), combined with multivariate regression methods, was investigated for the determination of the molecular weight (Mw and Mn) and the polydispersity of organosolv lignins (n = 53, Miscanthus x giganteus, Paulownia tomentosa, and Silphium perfoliatum). The suitability of the models was demonstrated by cross validation (CV) as well as by an independent validation set of samples from different biomass origins (beech wood and wheat straw). CV errors of ca. 7–9 and 14–16% were achieved for all parameters with the models from the 1H NMR spectra and the DOSY NMR data, respectively. The prediction errors for the validation samples were in a similar range for the partial least squares model from the 1H NMR data and for a multiple linear regression using the DOSY NMR data. The results indicate the usefulness of NMR measurements combined with multivariate regression methods as a potential alternative to more time-consuming methods such as gel permeation chromatography.
In this study, a recently proposed NMR standardization approach by 2H integral of deuterated solvent for quantitative multicomponent analysis of complex mixtures is presented. As a proof of principle, the existing NMR routine for the analysis of Aloe vera products was modified. Instead of using absolute integrals of targeted compounds and internal standard (nicotinamide) from 1H-NMR spectra, quantification was performed based on the ratio of a particular 1H-NMR compound integral and 2H-NMR signal of deuterated solvent D2O. Validation characteristics (linearity, repeatability, accuracy) were evaluated and the results showed that the method has the same precision as internal standardization in case of multicomponent screening. Moreover, a dehydration process by freeze drying is not necessary for the new routine. Now, our NMR profiling of A. vera products needs only limited sample preparation and data processing. The new standardization methodology provides an appealing alternative for multicomponent NMR screening. In general, this novel approach, using standardization by 2H integral, benefits from reduced sample preparation steps and uncertainties, and is recommended in different application areas (purity determination, forensics, pharmaceutical analysis, etc.).
The investigation of the possibility to determine various characteristics of powder heparin (n = 115) was carried out with infrared spectroscopy. The evaluation of heparin samples included several parameters such as purity grade, distributing company, animal source as well as heparin species (i.e. Na-heparin, Ca-heparin, and heparinoids). Multivariate analysis using principal component analysis (PCA), soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA), and partial least squares – discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) were applied for the modelling of spectral data. Different pre-processing methods were applied to IR spectral data; multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) was chosen as the most relevant.
Obtained results were confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Good predictive ability of this approach demonstrates the potential of IR spectroscopy and chemometrics for screening of heparin quality. This approach, however, is designed as a screening tool and is not considered as a replacement for either of the methods required by USP and FDA.
Quantitative nuclear magnetic resonance (qNMR) is routinely performed by the internal or external standardization. The manuscript describes a simple alternative to these common workflows by using NMR signal of another active nuclei of calibration compound. For example, for any arbitrary compound quantification by NMR can be based on the use of an indirect concentration referencing that relies on a solvent having both 1H and 2H signals. To perform high-quality quantification, the deuteration level of the utilized deuterated solvent has to be estimated.
In this contribution the new method was applied to the determination of deuteration levels in different deuterated solvents (MeOD, ACN, CDCl3, acetone, benzene, DMSO-d6). Isopropanol-d6, which contains a defined number of deuterons and protons, was used for standardization. Validation characteristics (precision, accuracy, robustness) were calculated and the results showed that the method can be used in routine practice. Uncertainty budget was also evaluated. In general, this novel approach, using standardization by 2H integral, benefits from reduced sample preparation steps and uncertainties, and can be applied in different application areas (purity determination, forensics, pharmaceutical analysis, etc.).
Heparin is a natural polysaccharide, which plays essential role in many biological processes. Alterations in building blocks can modify biological roles of commercial heparin products, due to significant changes in the conformation of the polymer chain. The variability structure of heparin leads to difficulty in quality control using different analytical methods, including infrared (IR) spectroscopy. In this paper molecular modelling of heparin disaccharide subunits was performed using quantum chemistry. The structural and spectral parameters of these disaccharides have been calculated using RHF/6-311G. In addition, over-sulphated chondroitin sulphate disaccharide was studied as one of the most widespread contaminants of heparin. Calculated IR spectra were analyzed with respect to specific structure parameters. IR spectroscopic fingerprint was found to be sensitive to substitution pattern of disaccharide subunits. Vibrational assignments of calculated spectra were correlated with experimental IR spectral bands of native heparin. Chemometrics was used to perform multivariate analysis of simulated spectral data.
Lignin is a promising renewable biopolymer being investigated worldwide as an environmentally benign substitute of fossil-based aromatic compounds, e.g. for the use as an excipient with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties in drug delivery or even as active compound. For its successful implementation into process streams, a quick, easy, and reliable method is needed for its molecular weight determination. Here we present a method using 1H spectra of benchtop as well as conventional NMR systems in combination with multivariate data analysis, to determine lignin’s molecular weight (Mw and Mn) and polydispersity index (PDI). A set of 36 organosolv lignin samples (from Miscanthus x giganteus, Paulownia tomentosa and Silphium perfoliatum) was used for the calibration and cross validation, and 17 samples were used as external validation set. Validation errors between 5.6% and 12.9% were achieved for all parameters on all NMR devices (43, 60, 500 and 600 MHz). Surprisingly, no significant difference in the performance of the benchtop and high-field devices was found. This facilitates the application of this method for determining lignin’s molecular weight in an industrial environment because of the low maintenance expenditure, small footprint, ruggedness, and low cost of permanent magnet benchtop NMR systems.
NMR standardization approach that uses the 2H integral of deuterated solvent for quantitative multinuclear analysis of pharmaceuticals is described. As a proof of principle, the existing NMR procedure for the analysis of heparin products according to US Pharmacopeia monograph is extended to the determination of Na+ and Cl- content in this matrix. Quantification is performed based on the ratio of a 23Na (35Cl) NMR integral and 2H NMR signal of deuterated solvent, D2O, acquired using the specific spectrometer hardware. As an alternative, the possibility of 133Cs standardization using the addition of Cs2CO3 stock solution is shown. Validation characteristics (linearity, repeatability, sensitivity) are evaluated. A holistic NMR profiling of heparin products can now also be used for the quantitative determination of inorganic compounds in a single analytical run using a single sample. In general, the new standardization methodology provides an appealing alternative for the NMR screening of inorganic and organic components in pharmaceutical products.
Although several successful applications of benchtop nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in quantitative mixture analysis exist, the possibility of calibration transfer remains mostly unexplored, especially between high- and low-field NMR. This study investigates for the first time the calibration transfer of partial least squares regressions [weight average molecular weight (Mw) of lignin] between high-field (600 MHz) NMR and benchtop NMR devices (43 and 60 MHz). For the transfer, piecewise direct standardization, calibration transfer based on canonical correlation analysis, and transfer via the extreme learning machine auto-encoder method are employed. Despite the immense resolution difference between high-field and low-field NMR instruments, the results demonstrate that the calibration transfer from high- to low-field is feasible in the case of a physical property, namely, the molecular weight, achieving validation errors close to the original calibration (down to only 1.2 times higher root mean square errors). These results introduce new perspectives for applications of benchtop NMR, in which existing calibrations from expensive high-field instruments can be transferred to cheaper benchtop instruments to economize.
Retinal vessels are similar to cerebral vessels in their structure and function. Moderately low oscillation frequencies of around 0.1 Hz have been reported as the driving force for paravascular drainage in gray matter in mice and are known as the frequencies of lymphatic vessels in humans. We aimed to elucidate whether retinal vessel oscillations are altered in Alzheimer's disease (AD) at the stage of dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Seventeen patients with mild-to-moderate dementia due to AD (ADD); 23 patients with MCI due to AD, and 18 cognitively healthy controls (HC) were examined using Dynamic Retinal Vessel Analyzer. Oscillatory temporal changes of retinal vessel diameters were evaluated using mathematical signal analysis. Especially at moderately low frequencies around 0.1 Hz, arterial oscillations in ADD and MCI significantly prevailed over HC oscillations and correlated with disease severity. The pronounced retinal arterial vasomotion at moderately low frequencies in the ADD and MCI groups would be compatible with the view of a compensatory upregulation of paravascular drainage in AD and strengthen the amyloid clearance hypothesis.
Edge-based and face-based smoothed finite element methods (ES-FEM and FS-FEM, respectively) are modified versions of the finite element method allowing to achieve more accurate results and to reduce sensitivity to mesh distortion, at least for linear elements. These properties make the two methods very attractive. However, their implementation in a standard finite element code is nontrivial because it requires heavy and extensive modifications to the code architecture. In this article, we present an element-based formulation of ES-FEM and FS-FEM methods allowing to implement the two methods in a standard finite element code with no modifications to its architecture. Moreover, the element-based formulation permits to easily manage any type of element, especially in 3D models where, to the best of the authors' knowledge, only tetrahedral elements are used in FS-FEM applications found in the literature. Shape functions for non-simplex 3D elements are proposed in order to apply FS-FEM to any standard finite element.
The mechanical behavior of the large intestine beyond the ultimate stress has never been investigated. Stretching beyond the ultimate stress may drastically impair the tissue microstructure, which consequently weakens its healthy state functions of absorption, temporary storage, and transportation for defecation. Due to closely similar microstructure and function with humans, biaxial tensile experiments on the porcine large intestine have been performed in this study. In this paper, we report hyperelastic characterization of the large intestine based on experiments in 102 specimens. We also report the theoretical analysis of the experimental results, including an exponential damage evolution function. The fracture energies and the threshold stresses are set as damage material parameters for the longitudinal muscular, the circumferential muscular and the submucosal collagenous layers. A biaxial tensile simulation of a linear brick element has been performed to validate the applicability of the estimated material parameters. The model successfully simulates the biomechanical response of the large intestine under physiological and non-physiological loads.
Image reconstruction analysis for positron emission tomography with heterostructured scintillators
(2022)
The concept of structure engineering has been proposed for exploring the next generation of radiation detectors with improved performance. A TOF-PET geometry with heterostructured scintillators with a pixel size of 3.0×3.1×15 mm3 was simulated using Monte Carlo. The heterostructures consisted of alternating layers of BGO as a dense material with high stopping power and plastic (EJ232) as a fast light emitter. The detector time resolution was calculated as a function of the deposited and shared energy in both materials on an event-by-event basis. While sensitivity was reduced to 32% for 100 μm thick plastic layers and 52% for 50 μm, the CTR distribution improved to 204±49 ps and 220±41 ps respectively, compared to 276 ps that we considered for bulk BGO. The complex distribution of timing resolutions was accounted for in the reconstruction. We divided the events into three groups based on their CTR and modeled them with different Gaussian TOF kernels. On a NEMA IQ phantom, the heterostructures had better contrast recovery in early iterations. On the other hand, BGO achieved a better contrast to noise ratio (CNR) after the 15th iteration due to the higher sensitivity. The developed simulation and reconstruction methods constitute new tools for evaluating different detector designs with complex time responses.
Biomedical applications of magnetic nanoparticles (MNP) fundamentally rely on the particles’ magnetic relaxation as a response to an alternating magnetic field. The magnetic relaxation complexly depends on the interplay of MNP magnetic and physical properties with the applied field parameters. It is commonly accepted that particle core size is a major contributor to signal generation in all the above applications, however, most MNP samples comprise broad distribution spanning nm and more. Therefore, precise knowledge of the exact contribution of individual core sizes to signal generation is desired for optimal MNP design generally for each application. Specifically, we present a magnetic relaxation simulation-driven analysis of experimental frequency mixing magnetic detection (FMMD) for biosensing to quantify the contributions of individual core size fractions towards signal generation. Applying our method to two different experimental MNP systems, we found the most dominant contributions from approx. 20 nm sized particles in the two independent MNP systems. Additional comparison between freely suspended and immobilized MNP also reveals insight in the MNP microstructure, allowing to use FMMD for MNP characterization, as well as to further fine-tune its applicability in biosensing.
Frequency mixing magnetic detection (FMMD) has been widely utilized as a measurement technique in magnetic immunoassays. It can also be used for the characterization and distinction (also known as “colourization”) of different types of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) based on their core sizes. In a previous work, it was shown that the large particles contribute most of the FMMD signal. This leads to ambiguities in core size determination from fitting since the contribution of the small-sized particles is almost undetectable among the strong responses from the large ones. In this work, we report on how this ambiguity can be overcome by modelling the signal intensity using the Langevin model in thermodynamic equilibrium including a lognormal core size distribution fL(dc,d0,σ) fitted to experimentally measured FMMD data of immobilized MNPs. For each given median diameter d0, an ambiguous amount of best-fitting pairs of parameters distribution width σ and number of particles Np with R2 > 0.99 are extracted. By determining the samples’ total iron mass, mFe, with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), we are then able to identify the one specific best-fitting pair (σ, Np) one uniquely. With this additional externally measured parameter, we resolved the ambiguity in core size distribution and determined the parameters (d0, σ, Np) directly from FMMD measurements, allowing precise MNPs sample characterization.
Contemporary research appreciates a diverse workforce as a potential source of innovation. Researchers explore the fine details of why diversity management is central for generating innovations in heterogeneous research groups and how it could be effectively implemented into organizations. Complex research associations that discuss topics with a high impact on society increasingly address the necessity of establishing a diverse workforce to confront the challenges of tomorrow. Characterized by complex management structures as well as hierarchies, research associations have not been a subject of investigation until now. For this reason, the presented research project aims to develop a diversity and innovation management strategy with the ultimate goal of inducing change in the corporate culture. The proposed approach consisted of six phases; the first two phases investigated the status quo of diversity in the existing organizational structures of member institutes and the variety of particular working cultures within the research association. The third and the fourth phases utilized qualitative and quantitative studies. The third phase focused on the connection of management level to diversity and innovation, and the need for diversity and innovation management, and tailor-made methods of implementing them. The first three phases have been accomplished successfully; preliminary results are already available. The fourth phase will mainly focus on exploring the mind-set of the employees. The fifth phase will consolidate the findings in the first four phases into an implementable strategy. The final phase will address the implementation of this strategy into the organization. Phases 4 to 6 have not yet been undertaken
Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometric methods for the quantitative analysis of pure heparin in crude heparin is proposed. For quantification, a two-step routine was developed using a USP heparin reference sample for calibration and benzoic acid as an internal standard. The method was successfully validated for its accuracy, reproducibility, and precision. The methodology was used to analyze 20 authentic porcine heparinoid samples having heparin content between 4.25 w/w % and 64.4 w/w %. The characterization of crude heparin products was further extended to a simultaneous analysis of these common ions: sodium, calcium, acetate and chloride. A significant, linear dependence was found between anticoagulant activity and assayed heparin content for thirteen heparinoids samples, for which reference data were available. A Diffused-ordered NMR experiment (DOSY) can be used for qualitative analysis of specific glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in heparinoid matrices and, potentially, for quantitative prediction of molecular weight of GAGs. NMR spectrometry therefore represents a unique analytical method suitable for the simultaneous quantitative control of organic and inorganic composition of crude heparin samples (especially heparin content) as well as an estimation of other physical and quality parameters (molecular weight, animal origin and activity).
Biocompatibility, flexibility and durability make polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) membranes top candidates in biomedical applications. CellDrum technology uses large area, <10 µm thin membranes as mechanical stress sensors of thin cell layers. For this to be successful, the properties (thickness, temperature, dust, wrinkles, etc.) must be precisely controlled. The following parameters of membrane fabrication by means of the Floating-on-Water (FoW) method were investigated: (1) PDMS volume, (2) ambient temperature, (3) membrane deflection and (4) membrane mechanical compliance. Significant differences were found between all PDMS volumes and thicknesses tested (p < 0.01). They also differed from the calculated values. At room temperatures between 22 and 26 °C, significant differences in average thickness values were found, as well as a continuous decrease in thicknesses within a 4 °C temperature elevation. No correlation was found between the membrane thickness groups (between 3–4 µm) in terms of deflection and compliance. We successfully present a fabrication method for thin bio-functionalized membranes in conjunction with a four-step quality management system. The results highlight the importance of tight regulation of production parameters through quality control. The use of membranes described here could also become the basis for material testing on thin, viscous layers such as polymers, dyes and adhesives, which goes far beyond biological applications.
Dieser Artikel befasst sich mit dem Investitionsdilemma in der Stromerzeugung, welches in unzureichend ausgestalteten liberalisierten Strommärkten zu einem gesamtwirtschaftlich unerwünscht geringen Niveau an Versorgungssicherheit führt. Die originären Ursachen im deutschen Strommarkt liegen in einer eingeschränkten Schadenersatzpflicht der Lieferanten im Falle eines kapazitätsbedingten Stromausfalls und in der zeitlichen Differenz zwischen letzter Handelsmöglichkeit und Lieferung. Letzteres verhindert ein jederzeitiges individuelles Glattstellen von unerwartet auftretenden Ein- bzw. Ausspeiseänderungen. Des Weiteren führen Faktoren wie die fehlende Partizipation der Endverbraucher am Großhandelsmarkt, die nur undifferenziert mögliche Abschaltung von Endverbrauchern oder time lags durch lange Bau- und Genehmigungszeiten von Erzeugungskapazitäten in Verbindung mit über lange Zeiträume nicht versicherbaren Risiken bezüglich Brennstoff-, CO2-Zertifikate- und Strompreisen zu einer Verschärfung der Problematik. Sinnvolle Lösungsansätze sind zum einen die Erhöhung der Intraday-Handelsliquidität zur Verbesserung der Markträumungsfunktion bis möglichst kurz vor Stromlieferung, was z. B. durch eine Förderung der Direktvermarktung Erneuerbarer Energien erreicht werden kann. Zum anderen trägt ein verstärkter Ausbau von smart metern bei Endverbrauchern zu einer höheren Versorgungssicherheit bei, da dies die Glättung von Lastspitzen und die Artikulation der tatsächlichen Zahlungsbereitschaft von Endverbrauchern am Großhandelsmarkt ermöglicht.
Nach der Bundestagswahl am 27. September 2009 steht der Atomausstieg in Deutschland wieder ganz oben auf der politischen Agenda. Eine aktuelle Bestandsaufnahme aller ma\geblichen Argumente erscheint somit zwingend notwendig. Dabei sollte der Blickwinkel nicht national beschränkt bleiben, sondern vor allem der Einfluss der europäischen Dimension dieser Thematik miteinbezogen werden. Auf europäischer Ebene zeigt sich eine Position zu Gunsten der Kernenergie. Unter den 27 EU-Staaten findet gerade eine Renaissance der Atomkraft statt. Die drei europäischen Organe befürworten den umfangreichen Einsatz der Kernenergie als langfristigen Bestandteil des Energieträgermix. Deutschland gehört mit seinem Beschluss zum Atomausstieg einer Minderheit an. Als Teil eines immer stärker zusammen wachsenden und letztendlich vollständig integrierten europäischen Strommarktes wird Deutschland langfristig stets mit Atomstrom versorgt werden. Dies gilt losgelöst von dem Einsatz von Kernkraftwerken im Inland. Eine Abschaltung der Anlagen führt damit nicht zur Zielerreichung der Atomkraftgegner, sondern lediglich zu zusätzlichen energietechnischen Herausforderungen bei der Sicherstellung der deutschen Stromversorgung. Der deutsche Atomausstieg sollte aus diesem Grund von der neuen Bundesregierung zurück genommen werden.
Schlafspindeln – Funktion, Detektion und Nutzung als Biomarker für die psychiatrische Diagnostik
(2022)
Hintergrund:
Die Schlafspindel ist ein Graphoelement des Elektroenzephalogramms
(EEG), das im Leicht- und Tiefschlaf beobachtet werden kann. Veränderungen der
Spindelaktivität wurden für verschiedene psychiatrische Erkrankungen beschrieben. Schlafspindeln zeigen aufgrund ihrer relativ konstanten Eigenschaften Potenzial als Biomarker in der psychiatrischen Diagnostik.
Methode:
Dieser Beitrag liefert einen Überblick über den Stand der Wissenschaft
zu Eigenschaften und Funktionen der Schlafspindeln sowie über beschriebene
Veränderungen der Spindelaktivität bei psychiatrischen Erkrankungen. Verschiedene methodische Ansätze und Ausblicke zur Spindeldetektion werden hinsichtlich deren Anwendungspotenzial in der psychiatrischen Diagnostik erläutert.
Ergebnisse und Schlussfolgerung:
Während Veränderungen der Spindelaktivität
bei psychiatrischen Erkrankungen beschrieben wurden, ist deren exaktes Potenzial für die psychiatrische Diagnostik noch nicht ausreichend erforscht. Diesbezüglicher Erkenntnisgewinn wird in der Forschung gegenwärtig durch ressourcenintensive und fehleranfällige Methoden zur manuellen oder automatisierten Spindeldetektion ausgebremst. Neuere Detektionsansätze, die auf Deep-Learning-Verfahren basieren, könnten die Schwierigkeiten bisheriger Detektionsmethoden überwinden und damit neue Möglichkeiten für die praktisch
Upcoming gasoline engines should run with a larger number of fuels beginning from petrol over methanol up to gas by a wide range of compression ratios and a homogeneous charge. In this article, the microwave (MW) spark plug, based on a high-speed frequency hopping system, is introduced as a solution, which can support a nitrogen compression ratio up to 1:39 in a chamber and more. First, an overview of the high-speed frequency hopping MW ignition and operation system as well as the large number of applications are presented. Both gives an understanding of this new base technology for MW plasma generation. Focus of the theoretical part is the explanation of the internal construction of the spark plug, on the achievable of the high voltage generation as well as the high efficiency to hold the plasma. In detail, the development process starting with circuit simulations and ending with the numerical multiphysics field simulations is described. The concept is evaluated with a reference prototype covering the frequency range between 2.40 and 2.48 GHz and working over a large power range from 20 to 200 W. A larger number of different measurements starting by vector hot-S11 measurements and ending by combined working scenarios out of hot temperature, high pressure and charge motion are winding up the article. The limits for the successful pressure tests were given by the pressure chamber. Pressures ranged from 1 to 39 bar and charge motion up to 25 m/s as well as temperatures from 30◦ to 125◦.
Eye movement modelling examples (EMME) are instructional videos that display a
teacher’s eye movements as “gaze cursor” (e.g. a moving dot) superimposed on the
learning task. This study investigated if previous findings on the beneficial effects of EMME would extend to online lecture videos and compared the effects of displaying the teacher’s gaze cursor with displaying the more traditional mouse cursor as a tool to guide learners’ attention. Novices (N = 124) studied a pre-recorded video lecture on how to model business processes in a 2 (mouse cursor absent/present) × 2 (gaze cursor absent/present) between-subjects design. Unexpectedly, we did not find significant effects of the presence of gaze or mouse cursors on mental effort and learning. However, participants who watched videos with the gaze cursor found it easier to follow the teacher. Overall, participants responded positively to the gaze cursor, especially when the mouse cursor was not displayed in the video.
his report summarizes the results of a workshop on Groupware related task design which took place at the International Conference on Supporting Group Work Group'99, Arizona, from 14 th to 17 th November 1999.
The workshop was addressed to people from different
viewpoints, backgrounds, and domains:
- Researchers dealing with questions of task analysis
and task modeling for Groupware application from an
academic point of view. They may contribute modelbased design
approaches or theoretically oriented
work
- Practitioners with experience in the design and
everyday use of groupware systems. They might refer
to the practical side of the topic: "real" tasks, "real"
problems, "real" users, etc.
Orthodontic treatments are concomitant with mechanical forces and thereby cause teeth movements. The applied forces are transmitted to the tooth root and the periodontal ligaments which is compressed on one side and tensed up on the other side. Indeed, strong forces can lead to tooth root resorption and the crown-to-tooth ratio is reduced with the potential for significant clinical impact. The cementum, which covers the tooth root, is a thin mineralized tissue of the periodontium that connects the periodontal ligament with the tooth and is build up by cementoblasts. The impact of tension and compression on these cells is investigated in several in vivo and in vitro studies demonstrating differences in protein expression and signaling pathways. In summary, osteogenic marker changes indicate that cyclic tensile forces support whereas static tension inhibits cementogenesis. Furthermore, cementogenesis experiences the same protein expression changes in static conditions as static tension, but cyclic compression leads to the exact opposite of cyclic tension. Consistent with marker expression changes, the singaling pathways of Wnt/ß-catenin and RANKL/OPG show that tissue compression leads to cementum degradation and tension forces to cementogenesis. However, the cementum, and in particular its cementoblasts, remain a research area which should be explored in more detail to understand the underlying mechanism of bone resorption and remodeling after orthodontic treatments.
Introduction
In regard of surgical training, the reproducible simulation of life-like proximal humerus fractures in human cadaveric specimens is desirable. The aim of the present study was to develop a technique that allows simulation of realistic proximal humerus fractures and to analyse the influence of rotator cuff preload on the generated lesions in regards of fracture configuration.
Materials and methods
Ten cadaveric specimens (6 left, 4 right) were fractured using a custom-made drop-test bench, in two groups. Five specimens were fractured without rotator cuff preload, while the other five were fractured with the tendons of the rotator cuff preloaded with 2 kg each. The humeral shaft and the shortened scapula were potted. The humerus was positioned at 90° of abduction and 10° of internal rotation to simulate a fall on the elevated arm. In two specimens of each group, the emergence of the fractures was documented with high-speed video imaging. Pre-fracture radiographs were taken to evaluate the deltoid-tuberosity index as a measure of bone density. Post-fracture X-rays and CT scans were performed to define the exact fracture configurations. Neer’s classification was used to analyse the fractures.
Results
In all ten cadaveric specimens life-like proximal humerus fractures were achieved. Two III-part and three IV-part fractures resulted in each group. The preloading of the rotator cuff muscles had no further influence on the fracture configuration. High-speed videos of the fracture simulation revealed identical fracture mechanisms for both groups. We observed a two-step fracture mechanism, with initial impaction of the head segment against the glenoid followed by fracturing of the head and the tuberosities and then with further impaction of the shaft against the acromion, which lead to separation of the tuberosities.
Conclusion
A high energetic axial impulse can reliably induce realistic proximal humerus fractures in cadaveric specimens. The preload of the rotator cuff muscles had no influence on initial fracture configuration. Therefore, fracture simulation in the proximal humerus is less elaborate. Using the presented technique, pre-fractured specimens are available for real-life surgical education.
Introduction: In peripheral percutaneous (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) procedures the femoral arteries perfusion route has inherent disadvantages regarding poor upper body perfusion due to watershed. With the advent of new long flexible cannulas an advancement of the tip up to the ascending aorta has become feasible. To investigate the impact of such long endoluminal cannulas on upper body perfusion, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study was performed considering different support levels and three cannula positions.
Methods: An idealized literature-based- and a real patient proximal aortic geometry including an endoluminal cannula were constructed. The blood flow was considered continuous. Oxygen saturation was set to 80% for the blood coming from the heart and to 100% for the blood leaving the cannula. 50% and 90% venoarterial support levels from the total blood flow rate of 6 l/min were investigated for three different positions of the cannula in the aortic arch.
Results: For both geometries, the placement of the cannula in the ascending aorta led to a superior oxygenation of all aortic blood vessels except for the left coronary artery. Cannula placements at the aortic arch and descending aorta could support supra-aortic arteries, but not the coronary arteries. All positions were able to support all branches with saturated blood at 90% flow volume.
Conclusions: In accordance with clinical observations CFD analysis reveals, that retrograde advancement of a long endoluminal cannula can considerably improve the oxygenation of the upper body and lead to oxygen saturation distributions similar to those of a central cannulation.