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Zu Beginn wurde im eigenen beruflichen Umfeld beobachtet, dass Informationen und Wissen, die heutzutage im Arbeitsalltag in Fülle ausgetauscht werden, häufig nicht die gewünschte Aufmerksamkeit und Offenheit erhalten. Diese Masterarbeit untersucht, wie bei dieser Art von Beobachtungen, deren komplexe Natur die Identifizierung von Lösungsansätzen erschwert, das eigentliche Problem erkannt werden kann. Frederic Vester zufolge ermöglicht ein vernetztes Denken dabei, Erkenntnisse vor allem aus den miteinander verknüpften Faktoren zu gewinnen. Diese Denkweise lässt sich in einer systemischen wie auch einer transdisziplinären Betrachtungsweise finden, wobei diese der Herausforderung gegenüberstehen vielfältige Perspektiven auf das Problem miteinander in Einklang zu bringen. Dies wirft die Frage auf, inwiefern eine gestalterische Zwischeninstanz dazu beitragen kann, einen gemeinsamen Denkraum zu eröffnen. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist, einen Entwurfsvorschlag für die Gestaltung eines Erkenntnisprozesses zu erarbeiten. Der Forschungsansatz dieser Arbeit – (FÜR+ÜBER)DURCH – leitet sich aus Christopher Fraylings Kategorien zur Designforschung ab. Die ‚Recherche FÜR‘ führt dazu, ein Problem als ein System zu betrachten, für das Wolfgang Jonas ein Problem-Design vorschlägt. In der ‚Recherche ÜBER‘ zeigt sich, dass es explizites wie auch implizites Wissen für eine umfassende Problembetrachtung braucht. Dafür wurde die Spuren-sicherung der Kunst auf das Design übertragen, um vorhandenes Wissen visuell zu dokumentieren. Mit Charles S. Peirce visuelles Entwurfs- und Erkenntnisverfahren lässt sich zudem ein anschauliches Denken durch diagrammatisches Schlussfolgern fördern. Die theoretischen Erkenntnisse münden in der ‚Transformation DURCH‘ in einen Vorschlag für ein diagrammatisches Problem-Design. Diesen gilt es in Bezug zu dem praxisbasierten Gestaltungsentwurf aus dem Masterprojekt zu reflektieren. In einer Werkshalle wurden Prototypische Beobachtungen zum ‚Zusammenspiel von Aufmerksamkeit und Offenheit‘ physisch in Beziehung gesetzt und anschließend mit zwei Testgruppen daraufhin untersucht, ob sich daraus neue Erkenntnisse ergeben. Es zeigte sich, das Design auf diese Weise einen gemeinsamen Austausch fördern kann. Gleichzeitig wurde deutlich, dass der Gestaltungsprozess die Vernetztheit eines Problems darstellen kann, jedoch ein vernetztes Denken aktiv initiiert werden muss, wofür im Entwurfsvorschlag dieser Arbeit ein visuelles Verfahren vorgestellt wird.
Power plant operators increasingly rely on predictive models to diagnose and monitor their systems. Data-driven prediction models are generally simple and can have high precision, making them superior to physics-based or knowledge-based models, especially for complex systems like thermal power plants. However, the accuracy of data-driven predictions depends on (1) the quality of the dataset, (2) a suitable selection of sensor signals, and (3) an appropriate selection of the training period. In some instances, redundancies and irrelevant sensors may even reduce the prediction quality.
We investigate ideal configurations for predicting the live steam production of a solid fuel-burning thermal power plant in the pulp and paper industry for different modes of operation. To this end, we benchmark four machine learning algorithms on two feature sets and two training sets to predict steam production. Our results indicate that with the best possible configuration, a coefficient of determination of R^2 = 0.95 and a mean absolute error of MAE=1.2 t/h with an average steam production of 35.1 t/h is reached. On average, using a dynamic dataset for training lowers MAE by 32% compared to a static dataset for training. A feature set based on expert knowledge lowers MAE by an additional 32 %, compared to a simple feature set representing the fuel inputs. We can conclude that based on the static training set and the basic feature set, machine learning algorithms can identify long-term changes. When using a dynamic dataset the performance parameters of thermal power plants are predicted with high accuracy and allow for detecting short-term problems.
Highly-sensitive single-step sensing of levodopa by swellable microneedle-mounted nanogap sensors
(2023)
Microneedle (MN) sensing of biomarkers in interstitial fluid (ISF) can overcome the challenges of self-diagnosis of diseases by a patient, such as blood sampling, handling, and measurement analysis. However, the MN sensing technologies still suffer from poor measurement accuracy due to the small amount of target molecules present in ISF, and require multiple steps of ISF extraction, ISF isolation from MN, and measurement with additional equipment. Here, we present a swellable MN-mounted nanogap sensor that can be inserted into the skin tissue, absorb ISF rapidly, and measure biomarkers in situ by amplifying the measurement signals by redox cycling in nanogap electrodes. We demonstrate that the MN-nanogap sensor measures levodopa (LDA), medication for Parkinson disease, down to 100 nM in an aqueous solution, and 1 μM in both the skin-mimicked gelatin phantom and porcine skin.
Organic acidurias (OAs), urea-cycle disorders (UCDs), and maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) belong to the category of intoxication-type inborn errors of metabolism (IT-IEM). Liver transplantation (LTx) is increasingly utilized in IT-IEM. However, its impact has been mainly focused on clinical outcome measures and rarely on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Aim of the study was to investigate the impact of LTx on HrQoL in IT-IEMs. This single center prospective study involved 32 patients (15 OA, 11 UCD, 6 MSUD; median age at LTx 3.0 years, range 0.8–26.0). HRQoL was assessed pre/post transplantation by PedsQL-General Module 4.0 and by MetabQoL 1.0, a specifically designed tool for IT-IEM. PedsQL highlighted significant post-LTx improvements in total and physical functioning in both patients' and parents' scores. According to age at transplantation (≤3 vs. >3 years), younger patients showed higher post-LTx scores on Physical (p = 0.03), Social (p < 0.001), and Total (p =0.007) functioning. MetabQoL confirmed significant post-LTx changes in Total and Physical functioning in both patients and parents scores (p ≤ 0.009). Differently from PedsQL, MetabQoL Mental (patients p = 0.013, parents p = 0.03) and Social scores (patients p = 0.02, parents p = 0.012) were significantly higher post-LTx. Significant improvements (p = 0.001–0.04) were also detected both in self- and proxy-reports for almost all MetabQoL subscales. This study shows the importance of assessing the impact of transplantation on HrQoL, a meaningful outcome reflecting patients' wellbeing. LTx is associated with significant improvements of HrQol in both self- and parentreports. The comparison between PedsQL-GM and MetabQoL highlighted that MetabQoL demonstrated higher sensitivity in the assessment of diseasespecific domains than the generic PedsQL tool.
Long-Term outcome of infantile onset pompe disease patients treated with enzyme replacement therapy
(2024)
Background: Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant human alglucosidase alfa (rhGAA) was approved in Europe in 2006. Nevertheless, data on the long-term outcome of infantile onset Pompe disease (IOPD) patients at school age is still limited.
Objective: We analyzed in detail cardiac, respiratory, motor, and cognitive function of 15 German-speaking patients aged 7 and older who started ERT at a median age of 5 months.
Results: Starting dose was 20 mg/kg biweekly in 12 patients, 20 mg/kg weekly in 2, and 40 mg/kg weekly in one patient. CRIM-status was positive in 13 patients (86.7%) and negative or unknown in one patient each (6.7%). Three patients (20%) received immunomodulation. Median age at last assessment was 9.1 (7.0–19.5) years. At last follow-up 1 patient (6.7%) had mild cardiac hypertrophy, 6 (42.9%) had cardiac arrhythmias, and 7 (46.7%) required assisted ventilation. Seven patients (46.7%) achieved the ability to walk independently and 5 (33.3%) were still ambulatory at last follow-up. Six patients (40%) were able to sit without support, while the remaining 4 (26.7%) were tetraplegic. Eleven patients underwent cognitive testing (Culture Fair Intelligence Test), while 4 were unable to meet the requirements for cognitive testing. Intelligence quotients (IQs) ranged from normal (IQ 117, 102, 96, 94) in 4 patients (36.4%) to mild developmental delay (IQ 81) in one patient (9.1%) to intellectual disability (IQ 69, 63, 61, 3x < 55) in 6 patients (54.5%). White matter abnormalities were present in 10 out of 12 cerebral MRIs from 7 patients.
Measuring what matters
(2023)
Patient reported outcomes (PROs) are generally defined as ‘any report of the status of a patient's health condition that comes directly from the patient, without interpretation of the patient's response by a clinician or anyone else’. A broader definition of PRO also includes ‘any information on the outcomes of health care obtained directly from patients without modification by clinicians or other health care professionals’. Following this approach, PROs encompass subjective perceptions of patients on how they function or feel not only in relation to a health condition but also to its treatment as well as concepts such as health-related quality of life (HrQoL), information on the functional status of a patient, signs and symptoms and symptom burden. PRO measurement instruments (PROMs) are mostly questionnaires and inform about what patients can do and how they feel. PROs and PROMs have not yet found unconditional acceptance and wide use in the field of inborn errors of metabolism. This review summarises the importance and usefulness of PROs in research, drug legislation and clinical care and informs about quality standards, development, and potential methodological shortfalls of PROMs. Inclusion of PROs measured with high-quality, well-selected PROMs into clinical care, drug legislation, and research helps to identify unmet needs, improve quality of care, and define outcomes that are meaningful to patients. The field of IEM should open to new methodological approaches such as the definition of core sets of variables including PROs to be systematically assessed in specific metabolic conditions and new collaborations with PRO experts, such as psychologists to facilitate the systematic collection of meaningful data.
Zu Beginn des Forschungsprojektes „Neue Museumswelten“ wollten wir von Studierenden der Studiengänge Bachelor und Master InterMedia an der Fachhochschule Vorarlberg wissen, was sie mit dem Begriff „Museum“ verbinden. „Museum? Da gehe ich nur im Urlaub hin. Aber hier in Vorarlberg nicht“, war eine geläufige Aussage, die auf ein bestimmtes mentales Modell von Museum verweist. Viele Studierenden gehören also der Gruppe der Gelegenheits- oder Nichtbesucher:innen an. Wie sich in weiterer Folge herausstellte, handelt es sich dabei um eine durchaus heterogene Gruppe, die jedoch auch Gemeinsamkeiten aufweist: Alle Menschen, mit denen wir bisher im Zuge des Forschungsprojekts im Stadtraum, auf Events und im Museum sprachen, spielten und Zukunftsvisionen entwickelten, brachten ihre eigenen Bilder, Vorstellungen und Ideen zu Museen und möglichen Museumszukünften mit. Der Untersuchung genau dieser Bilder und Vorstellungen – der mentalen Modelle von Museum also –, widmet sich das von Interreg geförderte Forschungsprojekt unter Einbindung vielfältiger Perspektiven und Methoden aus Sozialforschung und Design. Es verfolgt den innovativen Weg, „Designerly Ways of Knowing“0 von Beginn an konsequent in den Forschungsprozess zu integrieren, um anstrebenswerte Museumszukünfte gemeinsam mit den Menschen auszuloten...
X-ray microtomography is a nondestructive, three-dimensional inspection technique applied across a vast range of fields and disciplines, ranging from research to industrial, encompassing engineering, biology, and medical research. Phasecontrast imaging extends the domain of application of x-ray microtomography to classes of samples that exhibit weak attenuation, thus appearing with poor contrast in standard x-ray imaging. Notable examples are low-atomic-number materials, like carbon-fiber composites, soft matter, and biological soft tissues.We report on a compact and cost-effective system for x-ray phase-contrast microtomography. The system features high sensitivity to phase gradients and high resolution, requires a low-power sealed x-ray tube, a single optical element, and fits in a small footprint. It is compatible with standard x-ray detector technologies: in our experiments, we have observed that single-photon counting offered higher angular sensitivity, whereas flat panels provided a larger field of view. The system is benchmarked against knownmaterial phantoms, and its potential for soft-tissue three-dimensional imaging is demonstrated on small-animal organs: a piglet esophagus and a rat heart.We believe that the simplicity of the setupwe are proposing, combined with its robustness and sensitivity, will facilitate accessing quantitative x-ray phase-contrast microtomography as a research tool across disciplines, including tissue engineering, materials science, and nondestructive testing in general.
Pooled data from published reports on infants with clinically diagnosed vitamin B12 (B12) deficiency were analyzed with the purpose of describing the presentation, diagnostic approaches, and risk factors for the condition to inform prevention strategies. An electronic (PubMed database) and manual literature search following the PRISMA approach was conducted (preregistration with the Open Science Framework, accessed on 15 February 2023). Data were described and analyzed using correlation analyses, Chi-square tests, ANOVAs, and regression analyses, and 102 publications (292 cases) were analyzed. The mean age at first symptoms (anemia, various neurological symptoms) was four months; the mean time to diagnosis was 2.6 months. Maternal B12 at diagnosis, exclusive breastfeeding, and a maternal diet low in B12 predicted infant B12, methylmalonic acid, and total homocysteine. Infant B12 deficiency is still not easily diagnosed. Methylmalonic acid and total homocysteine are useful diagnostic parameters in addition to B12 levels. Since maternal B12 status predicts infant B12 status, it would probably be advantageous to target women in early pregnancy or even preconceptionally to prevent infant B12 deficiency, rather than to rely on newborn screening that often does not reliably identify high-risk children.
Grey Box models provide an important approach for control analysis in the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) sector. Grey Box models consist of physical models where parameters are estimated from data. Due to the vast amount of component models that can be found in literature, the question arises, which component models perform best on a given system or dataset? This question is investigated systematically using a test case system with real operational data. The test case system consists of a HVAC system containing an energy recovery unit (ER), a heating coil (HC) and a cooling coil (CC). For each component, several suitable model variants from the literature are adapted appropriately and implemented. Four model variants are implemented for the ER and five model variants each for the HC and CC. Further, three global optimization algorithms and four local optimization algorithms to solve the nonlinear least squares system identification are implemented, leading to a total of 700 combinations. The comparison of all variants shows that the global optimization algorithms do not provide significantly better solutions. Their runtimes are significantly higher. Analysis of the models shows a dependency of the model accuracy on the number of total parameters.
Akademisierung der Pflege
(2023)
Akademisierung der Pflege
Überführungsprozess der sekundären Pflegeausbildung in den tertiären Bildungssektor
Hintergrund:
In der Entwicklung von tertiären Bildungsangeboten in der Pflege gelten angloamerikanische und
nordeuropäische Länder als Vorreiter. Im Vergleich dazu setzte die Tertiärisierung der Pflegeausbildung im deutschsprachigen Raum erst verzögert ein. In Österreich waren, ähnlich der Schweiz und Deutschland, berufsqualifizierende Abschlüsse der Pflegeausbildung traditionell nicht im Hochschulbereich verankert, sondern Gesundheits- und Krankenpflege-Schulen übernahmen die berufsqualifizierende Pflegeausbildung auf sekundärem Bildungsniveau. Mit der Novellierung des Gesundheits- und Krankenpflegegesetztes im Jahr 2016 dekretierte Österreich im Rahmen einer umfassenden Ausbildungsreform und mit einer Übergangsfrist bis 2024 die vollständige Ausbildungsüberführung der sekundären Pflegeausbildung (gehobener Dienst) in den tertiären Hochschulsektor. Bei diesem Transformationsprozess treffen nicht nur unterschiedliche Institutionen, Organisationen und Ausbildungskulturen aufeinander, sondern auch verschiedene Systempartner*innen mit divergierenden Interessen, Motiven und Erwartungshaltungen, die zur Dynamik und Komplexität der Ausbildungsüberführung beitragen.
Ziel:
Vor dem theoretischen Hintergrund der Professionssoziologie konzentriert sich diese Dissertation auf das empirische Phänomen des Überführungsprozesses der sekundären Pflegeausbildung (gehobener Dienst) in den tertiären Bildungssektor am Beispiel der Entwicklung in Vorarlberg (Österreich). Für die theoretische Einbettung bzw. Interpretation des empirischen Praxisbeispiels dient der professionstheoretische Ansatz von Andrew Abbott, um die Ausbildungstransformation als komplexen und dynamischen Prozess mit unterschiedlichen Perspektiven, Interessen und Ansprüchen jener Systempartner*innen zu verstehen, die den Transformationsprozess verantworten und intensiv in die Umsetzung der Ausbildungsüberführung involviert sind. Durch die Anwendung von Abbotts Theorieansatz auf den Fall der Akademisierung der Pflegeausbildung leistet diese Studie einen Beitrag zur Fachliteratur der Professionalisierung der Pflege.
Methodik:
Zur Exploration dient eine qualitative Einzelfallstudie, die sich über fünf Jahre erstreckt und multiple Datenquellen (Datentriangulation) nutzt, um unterschiedliche Daten, Informationen und Perspektiven aus Einzel- und Gruppeninterviews, Dokumenten und Forschungstagebuch zusammenzuführen. Die Verwendung unterschiedlicher Datenquellen dient der Strategie, ein tiefes und fundiertes Verständnis des untersuchten Forschungsphänomens zu erlangen.
Ergebnis:
Als Beitrag zur bestehenden Fachliteratur erläutert diese Studie nicht nur den Prozessverlauf mit seinen Meilensteinen, Merkmalen und Ereignissen, sondern zeigt, dass unterschiedliche Interessen, Ansprüche und Hintergründe der verantwortlichen Systempartner*innen den Transformationsprozess und dessen Ausrichtung wesentlich beeinflussen. Divergierende Erwartungshaltungen, Motive und Ansprüche prägen nicht nur Verlauf und Ausrichtung der Überführung, sondern dienen auch als Erklärungsansatz, wie die beteiligten Systempartner*innen agieren, ihre Entscheidungen bzw. Handlungen im Transformationsprozess verantworten und somit zur Dynamik und Komplexität der Ausbildungsüberführung beitragen. Des Weiteren zeigt diese Studie in Anbetracht des österreichischen Bildungskontextes, dass sich der Transformationsprozess der Bachelor-Einführung nicht nur isoliert, sondern eingebettet als Teil einer übergreifenden Ausbildungsreform analysieren lässt, da die Tertiärisierung der Pflegeausbildung weitere Mechanismen und Reaktionen auslöst, die den Ausbildungs- und Berufssektor der Pflege gesamthaft und langfristig betreffen.
Schlussfolgerung:
Die Tertiärisierung der Pflegeausbildung stellt einen langfristigen Transformationsprozess dar, der nicht mit dem Berufseinstieg der Bachelor-Absolvent*innen oder mit einer gesetzlich definierten Überführungsfrist abgeschlossen ist. Die Ausbildungsüberführung sollte im Sinne Abbotts als komplexen und dynamischen Transformationsprozess verstanden werden, der auf verschiedenen Handlungsebenen und mit unterschiedlichen Interessen, Motiven und Ansprüchen stattfindet. Die Akademisierung der Pflegeausbildung erfordert daher einen langfristigen Zeithorizont in der Umsetzung und Prozessbegleitung, um den Systemwechsel auf mehreren Ebenen im Bildungs- und Berufssektor umzusetzen und einen Bewusstseinswandel bei den involvierten Stakeholdergruppen zu erreichen. Dadurch zeichnen sich weiterführende Forschungspotenziale ab.
Schlagwörter:
Akademisierung, Akademisierungsprozess, Transformation, Überführung, Prozess Pflege, Pflegeausbildung, Pflegestudium, Professionalisierung, Professionssoziologie, Professionstheorien, Andrew Abbott,
Einzelfallstudie, Datentriangulation
The production of liquid-gas mixtures with desired properties still places high demands on process technology and is usually realized in bubble columns. The physical calculation models used have individual dimensionless factors which, depending on the application, are only valid for small ranges consisting of flow velocity, nozzle geometry and test setup. An iterative but time-consuming design of such dispersion processes is used in industry for producing a liquid-gas mixture according to desired requirements. In the present investigation, we accelerate the necessary design loops by setting up a physical model, which consists of several subsystems that are enriched by dedicated experiments to realize liquid-gas dispersions with low volume fraction and small air bubble diameters in oil. Our approach allows the extraction of individual dimensionless factors from maps of the introduced subsystems. These maps allow for targeted corrective measures of a production process for keeping the quality. The calculation-based approach avoids the need for performing iterative design loops. Overall, this approach supports the controlled generation of liquid-gas mixtures.
Creating a schedule to perform certain actions in a realworld environment typically involves multiple types of uncertainties. To create a plan which is robust towards uncertainties, it must stay flexible while attempting to be reliable and as close to optimal as possible. A plan is reliable if an adjustment to accommodate for a new requirement causes only a few disruptions. The system needs to be able to adapt to the schedule if unforeseen circumstances make planned actions impossible, or if an unlikely event would enable the system to follow a better path. To handle uncertainties, the used methods need to be dynamic and adaptive. The planning algorithms must be able to re-schedule planned actions and need to adapt the previously created plan to accommodate new requirements without causing critical disruptions to other required actions.
Das Forschungsprojekt Data Sharing Framework untersuchte Data Sharing im Kontext von datenbasierten Services und Produkten in Ökosystemen aus fünf Perspektiven: Kultur, Vertrauen, Wert, Recht & Governance, Sicherheit. Die Forschungsergebnisse bestätigen die Relevanz dieser Perspektiven und es hat sich gezeigt, dass diese Aspekte sowohl Barrieren als auch Treiber für Datennutzung und -austausch zwi- schen Unternehmen darstellen.
Ausgangspunkt waren die folgenden forschungs- und praxisleitenden Annahmen:
• These 1: KMU können durch die Nutzung und das
Teilen von Daten Mehrwerte in Form neuer Produkte und Services generieren. Aus wissenschaftlicher Sicht liegt der Fokus des Themas Daten und Data Science bisher überwiegend auf der technischen Umsetzung datenintensiver Geschäftsmodelle und Kooperationen durch die Unternehmen.
• These 2: Die technische Umsetzung ist eine notwendige Bedingung für die datenbasierte Leistun- gen, sie reicht jedoch nicht aus, um eine Kooperations- und Teilbereitschaft bei KMU hinsichtlich ihrer Daten (Daten-Teilbereitschaft) auszulösen. Zahlreiche Stakeholder zögern, Daten zu teilen, vor allem in einem grenzüberschreitenden Kontext, wie z.B. in der Programmregion.
• These 3: KMU benötigen Data Access und Data Trust Strukturen, um mögliche Kooperationspotenziale tatsächlich zu heben. Dies erfordert u.a. gemeinsa- me Standards, ein annäherndes Verständnis vom Wert der Daten, Data-Governance in Kombination mit zu definierenden Trust-Standards, welche die erforderliche formelle und informelle Sicherheit bieten.
Nachfolgend wird ein Überblick über die hieraus hervorgegangenen Ergebnisse gegeben:
Kultur
Die Perspektive der Organisationskultur stellt das Denken und Handeln im Unternehmen und im Ökosystem in den Mittelpunkt. Eine Organisationskultur, welche die Arbeit mit Daten, Data Science Praktiken und vor allem das Teilen von Daten ermöglicht, stellt Daten in den Mittelpunkt des Wertschöpfungsprozesses. Dies erfordert eine generelle Sensibilisierung
für das Thema Daten, durchlässige Grenzen im und zwischen Unternehmen, ebenso wie ein neues Verständnis von Rollen, Strukturen und Prozessen im Unternehmen.
Vertrauen
Das Vertrauen ist im Ökosystem von großer Bedeutung. Das Einbeziehen von internen Stakeholdern und das Starten mit kleineren Pilotprojekten wird vorgeschlagen, um Vertrauen innerhalb der Organisation und mit externen Partnern zu schaffen.
Wert
Als notwendige Voraussetzung wird der Wert der Daten hervorgehoben. Unternehmen sollten den potenziellen Wert der Datenflüsse kennen, bevor sie sich entscheiden, ob sie diese Daten teilen und nutzen möchten. Es wird empfohlen, eine grobe Quanti- fizierung des Wertflusses vorzunehmen oder gegebe- nenfalls eine detailliertere Analyse durchzuführen.
Recht & Governance
Für die Berücksichtigung rechtlicher Rahmenbedingungen gemeinsamer Datennutzung sollten Organisationen zunächst eine interne Data Governance etablieren, um auf neue regulatorische Entwicklungen reagieren zu können. Die Einrichtung von Data-Asset-Management, Data-IP und -Compliance-Ma-nagement und Data-Contract-Management wird hier empfohlen.
Datensicherheit
Im Sicherheitskontext sind Methoden zur Gewährleistung der Datenintegrität, Privatsphäre und Sicherheit entscheidend. Es wird empfohlen, einen kollaborativen Ansatz zur Implementierung von Sicherheitsstandards zu verfolgen und dabei IKT-Experten einzubeziehen. Anfänglich können Best Practices ausreichen, aber längerfristig sollte eine kontinuierliche Sicherheitsrisikobewertung und Ge- schäftsprozessintegration angestrebt werden.
A model is presented that allows for the calculation of the success probability by which a vanilla Evolution Strategy converges to the global optimizer of the Rastrigin test function. As a result a population size scaling formula will be derived that allows for an estimation of the population size needed to ensure a high convergence security depending on the search space dimensionality.
Das Modellprojekt „Caritas Care – Betreuung zuhause“ wurde 2012 in einer Kooperation der Caritas Schweiz und der Caritas Alba Iulia (Transsylvanien/Rumänien) ins Leben gerufen. Damit sollte ein Modell geschaffen werden, welches einerseits dem wachsenden Markt der „Betreuung zuhause“ in der Schweiz entgegenkommt, aber andererseits fairere Arbeitsbedingungen für die Betreuungspersonen vorsieht. Fairness sollte durch einen Versicherungsschutz der Arbeitskräfte, Weiterbildungsmöglichkeiten und ein Entgelt, das mit anderen Arbeitsverhältnissen vergleichbar ist, sowie dank klar abgegrenzter Arbeits-, Präsenz- und Freizeit erreicht werden. Die Umsetzung erfolgt folgendermaßen: Angestellte Betreuungs- und Pflegefachkräfte der Caritas Alba Iulia können für sechs Wochen bis zu drei Monaten in die Schweiz gehen, um dort in Privathaushalten hilfsbedürftige Menschen zu unterstützen (Live-in-Betreuungen). Sie werden während dieser Zeit von der Caritas Schweiz angestellt. Danach kehren die Betreuenden wieder in ihr Anstellungsverhältnis bei der Caritas Alba Iulia zurück. Es wird sozusagen Personal „verliehen“. Damit soll einem Verlust von qualifiziertem Betreuungs- und Pflegepersonal durch Abwanderung aus Rumänien entgegengewirkt werden. Im Rahmen des studiengangsübergreifenden, interdisziplinären Kontextstudiums der Masterstudiengänge der Fachhochschule Vorarlberg (Österreich) hat sich eine Gruppe Forschender zum Ziel gesetzt, dieses Modellprojekt forscherisch zu erkunden. Wir wollten wissen, wie dieses Live-in-Betreuungsangebot nach zehn Jahren Laufzeit funktioniert. Insbesondere interessierten uns die Erfahrungen der rumänischen Betreuer:innen und ihrer Angehörigen sowie der projektverantwortlichen Leitungspersonen in der Caritas Alba Iulia und der Caritas Schweiz. Im Rahmen einer Feldforschungswoche im Juli 2022 in Transsylvanien/Siebenbürgen wurden 28 formelle Interviews mit Projektverantwortlichen, Betreuern/Betreuerinnen und deren Angehörigen durchgeführt. Zusätzlich wurden Dokumente und Feldnotizen sowie Gedächtnisprotokolle von informellen Gesprächen mit Personen der extramuralen Einrichtungen in Rumänien in die Auswertung integriert. Die Auswertung erfolgte inhaltsanalytisch.
Praxisanleiter:innen nehmen eine entscheidende Rolle in der Ausbildung von Pflegepersonen wahr. Die Tätigkeit fordert eine Vielzahl von Kompetenzen. Die Weiterbildung Praxisanleitung bietet eine wichtige Grundlage für die Entwicklung dieser Kompetenzen – deren Rahmenbedingungen, Methoden und Inhalte in Österreich werden in dieser Studie untersucht.
Activation of heat pump flexibilities is a viable solution to support balancing the grid via Demand Side Management measures and fulfill the need for flexibility options. Aggregators as interface between prosumers, distribution system operators and balance responsible parties face the challenge due to data privacy and technical restrictions to transform prosumer information into aggregated available flexibility to enable trading thereof. Thereby, literature lacks a generic, applicable and widely accepted flexibility estimation method for heat pumps,which incorporates reduced sensor and system information, system- and demand-dependent behaviour. In this paper, we adapt and extend a method from literature, by incorporating domain knowledge to overcome reduced sensor and system information. We apply data of five real-world heat pump systems, distinguish operation modes, estimate power and energy flexibility of each single heat pump system, proof transferability of the method, and aggregate the flexibilities available to showcase a small HP pool as a proof of concept.
Open tracing tools
(2023)
Background: Coping with the rapid growing complexity in contemporary software architecture, tracing has become an increasingly critical practice and been adopted widely by software engineers. By adopting tracing tools, practitioners are able to monitor, debug, and optimize distributed software architectures easily. However, with excessive number of valid candidates, researchers and practitioners have a hard time finding and selecting the suitable tracing tools by systematically considering their features and advantages. Objective: To such a purpose, this paper aims to provide an overview of popular Open tracing tools via comparison. Methods: Herein, we first identified 30 tools in an objective, systematic, and reproducible manner adopting the Systematic Multivocal Literature Review protocol. Then, we characterized each tool looking at the 1) measured features, 2) popularity both in peer-reviewed literature and online media, and 3) benefits and issues. We used topic modeling and sentiment analysis to extract and summarize the benefits and issues. Specially, we adopted ChatGPT to support the topic interpretation. Results: As a result, this paper presents a systematic comparison amongst the selected tracing tools in terms of their features, popularity, benefits and issues. Conclusion: The result mainly shows that each tracing tool provides a unique combination of features with also different pros and cons. The contribution of this paper is to provide the practitioners better understanding of the tracing tools facilitating their adoption.
Immersive educational spaces
(2023)
"If only we had had such opportunities to grasp history like this when I was young" – words by an almost 80-year-old woman holding an iPad on which both, the buildings in the background and a tower in the form of a virtual 3D object, appear within reach. To "grasp" history - what an apt use of this action-oriented word for an augmented reality application built on considerations of thinking and acting in history. This telling image emerged during the first test run of the app i.appear which will be the focus of this article's considerations on the use of immersive learning environments. The application i.appear has been used in the city of Dornbirn (Austria) for a year now to teach historical content through location-based augmented reality and other interactive and multimedia technologies. After a brief description of the potential of such applications, the epistemological structure of the hosting app i.appear and its functionality will be outlined. This article will focus on the “Baroque Master Builders” tour of the hosting app that was created and tested as part of the current research.
The production of liquid-gas dispersions places high demands on the process technology, which requires knowledge of the bubble formation mechanisms, as well as the phase parameters of the media combinations used. To obtain the bubble sizes introduced to a flow not knowing the phase parameters, different process parameters are investigated. Their quality and applicability are evaluated. The results obtained make it possible to simplify long design processes of dispersion processes in manufacturing plants and to ensure the product quality of the products manufactured, by reducing waste.
In previous studies of linear rotary systems with active magnetic bearings, parametric excitation was introduced as an open-loop control strategy. The parametric excitation was realized by a periodic, in-phase variation of the bearing stiffness. At the difference between two of the eigenfrequencies of the system, a stabilizing effect, called anti-resonance, was found numerically and validated in experiments. In this work, preliminary results of further exploration of the parametric excitation are shared. A Jeffcott rotor with two active magnetic bearings and a disk is investigated. Using Floquet theory, a deeper insight into the dynamic behavior of the system is obtained. Aiming at a further increase of stability, a phase difference between excitation terms is introduced.
Arbeitspaket 3: Ausschöpfung des Innovationspotentials von smarten Technologien - FH Vorarlberg
(2022)
Hallo. Ich bin Lio.
(2022)
Von Assistenzrobotern im Pflegebereich erhofft man sich Unterstützung in vielfacher Weise: Sie sollen zur Erleichterung für das Pflegepersonal führen (z.B. durch Handreichung von Gegenständen), mehr Sicherheit bringen (z.B. indem sie Nachschauen, sobald Auffälliges registriert wird) und zu einem gesunden Altern (z.B. körperliche Aktivierung) und zu mehr Teilhabe (z.B. psychosoziale Aktivierung) beitragen. Ihre Funktionen versprechen daher einerseits Assistenz für Pflege- und Betreuungspersonal (z.B. Transport- und Serviceaufgaben) und andererseits soziale Assistenz für Senior:innen in Pflegesituationen (z.B. Unterhaltung, Aktivierung).
In dem Projekt PUR (Pflegeunterstützende Robotik) wurde der Roboter Lio der Firma F&P Robotics AG über einen Zeitraum von 22 Monaten in Wohnbereichen in zwei Pflegeeinrichtungen in Konstanz und Schaffhausen getestet und situationsangepasst weiterentwickelt. Mit Unterstützung des Personals und der Bewohner:innen vor Ort wurde Lio anhand der Kriterien Usability, User Experience, Akzeptanz sowie seinen Nutzen für die Organisation evaluiert. Neben den Befragungen der Akteur:innen in den beiden Einrichtungen erfolgte eine systematische Erfassung und Analyse von Informationen und Daten anhand von Logfiles und Dokumenten in welchen Nutzungsdauer und -häufigkeit sowie Fehlerraten erfasst wurden.
Es wurde deutlich, dass Lio sich noch hinsichtlich aller Kriterien verbessern muss um die hohen Erwartungen bezüglich einer wahrnehmbaren Entlastung des Pflegepersonals bei gleichzeitiger Aufrechterhaltung oder Verbesserung der Lebensqualität der Bewohner:innen erfüllen zu können. Als Schlüsselfunktion für eine optimierte Usability und User Experience wird die Bedienbarkeit über Sprache betrachtet. Zum einen aus Sicht der Pflege- und Betreuungskräfte die Lio z.B. in hektischen Situationen in der Nachtschicht schnell und einfach in seinem Autonomiemodus (z.B. Desinfizieren von Türen) unterbrechen müssen. Zum anderen aus Sicht der Bewohner:innen die ihn ansprechen, aber nicht verstanden werden, womit das aktivierende Potential, das in Lio steckt, nicht ausgeschöpft wird.
Eine routinemäßige Einbindung von Assistenzrobotern wie Lio in die Pflege- und Betreuungspraxis erfordert neben der Lösung von technischen Problemen (wie zuverlässige Navigation, Sprachinteraktion) auch geeignete Beteiligungsansätze der Akteuer:innen. Diese sind so zu gestalten, dass nicht nur die technikaffinen Personen abgeholt werden, sondern allen ein entsprechendes Angebot gemacht wird, den Umgang mit dem technischen System zu erproben und in der Kontrolle und Bedienung Sicherheit zu erlangen.
Die befragten Akteur:innen sehen eine Zukunft für Assistenzroboter sofern sie autonom, zuverlässig und jederzeit gut kontrollierbar funktionieren und stehen dem digitalen Transformationsprozess in der Pflege größtenteils sehr offen gegenüber.
Trotz der Relevanz von Partizipationsprozessen in Unternehmen und deren belegte Auswirkungen zeigt sich ein deutliches Ungleichgewicht zwischen der aufgezeigten Bedeutung von Beteiligungsprozessen und dem gleichzeitig geringen Umsetzungsstand in Betrieben. Deshalb soll geprüft werden, inwiefern sich die Erwartungen jüngerer Mitarbeiter:innen mit ihrer erlebten Arbeitsrealität decken. Dazu wurden 459 Personen (59,5% Frauen) im Alter zwischen 16 und 35 Jahren zu allgemeinen Partizipationsmöglichkeiten und zu flexiblen Arbeitsbedingungen befragt. Es zeigen sich signifikante Unterschiede in beiden Teilbereichen der Partizipation zwischen den Erwartungen der Arbeitnehmer:innen und deren erlebter Realität in den Unternehmen. Über Angleichung der betrieblichen Realitäten der Partizipation könnten Unternehmen und Mitarbeiter:innen auf verschiedenen Ebenen gewinnen.
Gewalt in der Pflege
(2021)
Studien zeigen, dass das medizinisch/pflegerische Personal nach Polizei und Sicherheitsleuten unter allen Berufen am zweithäufigsten am Arbeitsplatz von Aggressions- und Gewaltereignissen betroffen sind und dies hat einen negativen Einfluss auf die Berufszufriedenheit und die Gesundheit der betroffenen Mitarbeiter:innen.
Die Studie „Gewalt in der Pflege“ begründet auf repräsentativer Basis ein Monitoring über das Ausmaß von Gewalt gegenüber Pflegenden in Vorarlberger Pflege- und Betreuungseinrichtungen. Für die Analyse wurde in Anlehnung an bestehende Erhebungsinstrumente in verbale Gewalt (inkl. Drohungen), körperliche Gewalt und sexuelle Gewalt unterschieden.
80 % der Befragten gaben an bereits mindestens einmal in ihrem Berufsleben mit Gewalt konfrontiert gewesen zu sein. 44,1 % von ihnen waren Opfer körperlicher Gewalt in verschiedenen Schweregraden. Auch die Prävalenz von sexueller Gewalt ist in den Pflegeheimen als hoch einzustufen, wobei der Großteil der betroffenen Mitarbeiter:innen Frauen sind. Die Hauptquelle der Gewalt sind die Bewohner:innen, gefolgt von den Angehörigen. Es können verschiedene Gründe und Ursachen für die Gewalt ausgemacht werden. Da sind zunächst gesellschaftliche Entwicklungen, wie ein gesteigerter Erwartungsdruck an die Pflegequalität bei gleichbleibenden Rahmenbedingungen, das zunehmende schwerere Krankheitsbild Bewohner:innen von Alters- und Pflegeheimen, sowie eine hohe Belegungszahl zu nennen. Gewalterfahrungen egal welcher Art sind eine Belastung für das Pflegepersonal.
Vast amounts of oily wastewater are byproducts of the petrochemical and the shipping industry and to this day frequently discharged into water bodies either without or after insufficient treatment. To alleviate the resulting pollution, water treatment processes are in great demand. Bubble column humidifiers (BCHs) as part of humidification–dehumidification systems are predestined for such a task, since they are insensitive to different feed liquids, simple in design and have low maintenance requirements. While humidification in a bubble column has been investigated plentiful for desalination, a systematic investigation of oily wastewater treatment is missing in literature. We filled this gap by analyzing the treatment of an oil–water emulsion experimentally to derive recommendations for future design and operation of BCHs. Our humidity measurements indicate that the air stream is always saturated after humidification for a liquid height of only 10 cm. A residual water mass fraction of 3.5 wt% is measured after a batch run of six hours. Furthermore, continuous measurements show that an increase in oil mass fraction leads to a decrease in system productivity especially for high oil mass fractions. This decrease is caused by the heterogeneity of the liquid temperature profile. A lower liquid height mitigates this heterogeneity, therefore decreasing the heat demand and improving the overall efficiency. The oil content of the produced condensate is below 15 ppm, allowing discharge into various water bodies. The results of our systematic investigation prove suitability and indicate a strong future potential for the use of BCHs in oily wastewater treatment.
Industrial demand side management has shown significant potential to increase the efficiency of industrial energy systems via flexibility management by model-driven optimization methods. We propose a grey-box model of an industrial food processing plant. The model relies on physical and process knowledge and mass and energy balances. The model parameters are estimated using a predictive error method. Optimization methods are applied to separately reduce the total energy consumption, total energy costs and the peak electricity demand of the plant. A viable potential for demand side management in the plant is identified by increasing the energy efficiency, shifting cooling power to low price periods or by peak load reduction.
A trend from centralized to decentralized production is emerging in the manufacturing domain leading to new and innovative approaches for long-established production methods. A technology supporting this trend is Cloud Manufacturing, which adapts technologies and concepts known from cloud computing to the manufacturing domain. A core aspect of Cloud Manufacturing is representing knowledge about manufacturing, e.g., machine capabilities, in a suitable form. This knowledge representation should be flexible and adaptable so that it fits across various manufacturing domains, but, at the same time, should also be specific and exhaustive. We identify three core capabilities that such a platform has to support, i.e., the product, the process and the production.We propose representing this knowledge in semantically specified knowledge graphs, essentially creating three through features interconnected ontologies each representing a facet of manufacturing. Finally, we present an exemplary implementation of a Cloud Manufacturing platform using this representation and its advantages.
Bubble column humidifiers (BCHs) are frequently used for the humidification of air in various water treatment applications. A potential but not yet profoundly investigated application of such devices is the treatment of oily wastewater. To evaluate this application, the accumulation of an oil-water emulsion using a BCH is experimentally analyzed. The amount of evaporating water vapor can be evaluated by measuring the humidity ratio of the outlet air. However, humidity measurements are difficult in close to saturated conditions, as the formation of liquid droplets on the sensor impacts the measurement accuracy. We use a heating section after the humidifier, such that no liquid droplets are formed on the sensor. This enables us a more accurate humidity measurement. Two batch measurement runs are conducted with (1) tap water and (2) an oil-water emulsion as the respective liquid phase. The humidity measurement in high humidity conditions is highly accurate with an error margin of below 3 % and can be used to predict the oil concentration of the remaining liquid during operation. The measured humidity ratio corresponds with the removed amount of water vapor for both tap water and the accumulation of an oil-water emulsion. Our measurements show that the residual water content
in the oil-water emulsion is below 4 %.
Grid-scale electrical energy storage (EES) is a key component in cost-effective transition scenarios to renewable energy sources. The requirement of scalability favors EES approaches such as pumped-storage hydroelectricity (PSH) or compressed-air energy storage (CAES), which utilize the cheap and abundant storage materials water and air, respectively. To overcome the site restriction and low volumetric energy densities attributed to PSH and CAES, liquid-air energy storage (LAES) has been devised; however, it suffers from a rather small round-trip efficiency (RTE) and challenging storage conditions. Aiming to overcome these drawbacks, a novel system for EES is developed using solidified air (i.e., clathrate hydrate of air) as the storable phase of air. A reference plant for solidified-air energy storage (SAES) is conceptualized and modeled thermodynamically using the software CoolProp for water and air as well as empirical data and first-order approximations for the solidified air (SA). The reference plant exhibits a RTE of 52% and a volumetric storage density of 47 kWh per m3 of SA. While this energy density relates to only one half of that in LAES plants, the modeled RTE of SAES is comparable already. Since improved thermal management and the use of thermodynamic promoters can further increase the RTEs in SAES, the technical potential of SAES is in place already. Yet, for a successful implementation of the concept - in addition to economic aspects - questions regarding the stability of SA must be first clarified and challenges related to the processing of SA resolved.
The impact of global warming and climate change has forced countries to introduce strict policies and decarbonization goals toward sustainable development. To achieve the decarbonization of the economy, a substantial increase of renewable energy sources is required to meed energy demand and to transition away from fossil fuels. However, renewables are sensitive to environmental conditions, which may lead to imbalances between energy supply and demand. Battery energy storage systems are gaining more attention for balancing energy systems in existing grid networks at various levels such as bulk power management, transmission and distribution, and for end-users. Integrating battery energy storage systems with renewables can also solve reliability issues related to transient energy production and be used as a buffer source for electrical vehicle fast charging. Despite these advantages, batteries are still expensive and typically built for a single application – either for an energy- or power-dense application – which limits economic feasibility and flexibility. This paper presents a theoretical approach of a hybrid energy storage system that utilizes both energy- and power-dense batteries serving multiple grid applications. The proposed system will employ second use electrical vehicle batteries in order to maximise the potential of battery waste. The approach is based on a survey of battery modelling techniques and control methods. It was found that equivalent circuit models as well as unified control methods are best suited for modelling hybrid energy storages for grid applications. This approach for hybrid modelling is intended to help accelerate the renewable energy transition by providing reliable energy storage.
Increasing electric vehicle penetration leads to undesirable peaks in power if no proper coordination in charging is implemented. We tested the feasibility of electric vehicles acting as flexible demands responding to power signals to minimize the system peaks. The proposed hierarchical autonomous demand side management algorithm is formulated as an optimal power tracking problem. The distribution grid operator determines a power signal for filling the valleys in the non-electric vehicle load profile using the electric vehicle demand flexibility and sends it to all electric vehicle controllers. After receiving the control signal, each electric vehicle controller re-scales it to the expected individual electric vehicle energy demand and determines the optimal charging schedule to track the re-scaled signal. No information concerning the electric vehicles are reported back to the utility, hence the approach can be implemented using unidirectional communication with reduced infrastructural requirements. The achieved results show that the optimal power tracking approach has the potential to eliminate additional peak demands induced by electric vehicle charging and performs comparably to its central implementation. The reduced complexity and computational overhead permits also convenient deployment in practice.
Violation-mitigation-based method for PV hosting capacity quantification in low voltage grids
(2022)
Hosting capacity knowledge is of great importance for distribution utilities to assess the amount of PV capacity possible to accommodate without troubling the operation of the grid. In this paper, a novel method to quantify the hosting capacity of low voltage grids is presented. The method starts considering a state of fully exploited building rooftop solar potential. A downward process is proposed - from the starting state with expected violations on the grid operation to a state with no violations. In this process, the installed PV capacity is progressively reduced. The reductions are made sequentially and selectively aiming to mitigate specific violations: nodes overvoltage, lines overcurrent and transformer overloading. Evaluated on real data of fourteen low voltage grids from Austria, the method proposed exhibits benefits in terms of higher hosting capacities and lower computational costs compared to stochastic methods. Furthermore, it also quantifies hosting capacity expansions achievable by overcoming the effect of the violations. The usage of a potential different from solar rooftops is also presented, demonstrating that a user-defined potential allows to quantify the hosting capacity in a more general setting with the method proposed.
Der Forschungsbericht gibt Antworten auf folgende Forschungsfrage: "Wie gestalten sich die interkulturellen Lebenswelten im Jahre 2021 im Orden der Steyler Missionare in St. Gabriel?" Das Erkenntnisinteresse dieser Studie ist, wie eine Ordensgemeinschaft in der heutigen Zeit funktioniert. Wie die veränderten gesellschaftlichen Werte, Normen und Regeln sich auswirken und wie sich ein normaler Alltag für ein Ordensmitglied gestaltet. Was es heißt zu missionieren und welche Erfahrungen Steyler Missionare hinsichtlich eines gelingenden interkulturellen Zusammenlebens haben, werden in dieser Studie beleuchtet. Die Recherchen zum Forschungsstand ergaben, dass es kaum Studien zum Ordensleben aus sozialwissenschaftlicher Sicht gibt. Die Lebenswelten der Ordensmitglieder werden mit Hilfe des lebensweltorientierten Ansatzes nach Thiersch und der Bedürfnistheorie nach Obrecht theoretisch fundiert. Das Sampling erfolgte mittels eines qualitativen Stichprobenplans. Die Datenerhebung erfolgte im Juli 2021. Die Auswertung erfolgte inhaltsanalytisch nach Mayring. Die Steyler Missionare können als weltoffene Ordensgemeinschaft betrachtet werden, deren Handeln wesentlich von den unterschiedlichen Missionserfahrungen geprägt ist. Ordensstrukturen unterscheiden sich deutlich von Strukturen der übrigen Gesellschaft. Diese Strukturen haben eine positive Wirkung auf die Ordensmitglieder. Diese, als auch eine sinnstiftende und erfüllende Tätigkeit sowie ein gewisses Maß an Freizeit ist anscheinend das Rezept für ein zufriedenes Leben. Die Mission hat für den Orden einen zentralen Stellenwert. Integration, Rassismus und Kolonialismus sind permanente Herausforderungen auch im Zusammenleben und werden aus verschiedenen Perspektiven diskutiert. In der Ordensgemeinschaft hat es viele Veränderungen gegeben, die Auswirkungen von diesen und der Umgang hiermit werden beschrieben sowie ein Blick in die Zukunft gewagt.
Traditional power grids are mainly based on centralized power generation and subsequent distribution. The increasing penetration of distributed renewable energy sources and the growing number of electrical loads is creating difficulties in balancing supply and demand and threatens the secure and efficient operation of power grids. At the same time, households hold an increasing amount of flexibility, which can be exploited by demand-side management to decrease customer cost and support grid operation. Compared to the collection of individual flexibilities, aggregation reduces optimization complexity, protects households’ privacy, and lowers the communication effort. In mathematical terms, each flexibility is modeled by a set of power profiles, and the aggregated flexibility is modeled by the Minkowski sum of individual flexibilities. As the exact Minkowski sum calculation is generally computationally prohibitive, various approximations can be found in the literature. The main contribution of this paper is a comparative evaluation of several approximation algorithms in terms of novel quality criteria, computational complexity, and communication effort using realistic data. Furthermore, we investigate the dependence of selected comparison criteria on the time horizon length and on the number of households. Our results indicate that none of the algorithms perform satisfactorily in all categories. Hence, we provide guidelines on the application-dependent algorithm choice. Moreover, we demonstrate a major drawback of some inner approximations, namely that they may lead to situations in which not using the flexibility is impossible, which may be suboptimal in certain situations.
Bubble columns are recently used for the humidification of air in water treatment systems and fuel cells. They are well applicable due to their excellent heat and mass transfer and their low technical complexity. To design and operate such devices with high efficiency, the humidification process and the impact of the operating parameters need to be understood to a sufficient degree. To extend this knowledge, we use a refined and novel method to determine the volumetric air–liquid heat and mass transfer coefficients and the humidifier efficiency for various parametric settings. The volumetric transfer coefficients increase with both of the superficial air velocity and the liquid temperature. It is further shown that the decrease of vapor pressure with an increase of the salinity results in a corresponding decrease in the outlet humidity ratio. In contrast to previous studies, liquid heights smaller than 0.1 m are investigated and significant changes in the humidifier efficiency are seen in this range. We present the expected humidifier efficiency with respect to the superficial air velocity and the liquid height in an efficiency chart, such that optimal operating conditions can be determined. Based on this efficiency chart, recommendations for industrial applications as well as future scientific challenges are drawn.
If left uncontrolled, electric vehicle charging poses severe challenges to distribution grid operation. Resulting issues are expected to be mitigated by charging control. In particular, voltage-based charging control, by relying only on the local measurements of voltage at the point of connection, provides an autonomous communication-free solution. The controller, attached to the charging equipment, compares the measured voltage to a reference voltage and adapts the charging power using a droop control characteristic. We present a systematic study of the voltage-based droop control method for electric vehicles to establish the usability of the method for all the currently available residential electric vehicle charging possibilities considering a wide range of electric vehicle penetrations. Voltage limits are evaluated according to the international standard EN50160, using long-term load flow simulations based on a real distribution grid topology and real load profiles. The results achieved show that the voltage-based droop controller is able to mitigate the under voltage problems completely in distribution grids in cases either deploying low charging power levels or exhibiting low penetration rates. For high charging rates and high penetrations, the control mechanism improves the overall voltage profile, but it does not remedy the under voltage problems completely. The evaluation also shows the controller’s ability to reduce the peak power at the transformer and indicates the impact it has on users due to the reduction in the average charging rates. The outcomes of the paper provide the distribution grid operators an insight on the voltage-based droop control mechanism for the future grid planning and investments.
In recent years, ultrashort pulsed lasers have increased their applicability for industrial requirements, as reliable femtosecond and picosecond laser sources with high output power are available on the market. Compared to conventional laser sources, high quality processing of a large number of material classes with different mechanical and optical properties is possible. In the field of laser cutting, these properties enable the cutting of multilayer substrates with changing material properties. In this work, the femtosecond laser cutting of phosphor sheets is demonstrated. The substrate contains a 230 micrometer thick silicone layer filled with phosphor, which is embedded between two glass plates. Due to the softness and thermal sensitivity of the silicone layer in combination with the hard and brittle dielectric material, the separation of such a material combination is challenging for both mechanical separation processes and cutting with conventional laser sources. In our work, we show that the femtosecond laser is suitable to cut the substrate with a high cutting edge quality. In addition to the experimental results of the laser dicing process, we present a universal model that allows predicting the final cutting edge geometry of a multilayer substrate.
Mit der Aufforderung «Eidgenossen helft euren Brüdern in Not!» machte 1919 ein Pro Vorarlberg Komitee in der Schweiz Werbung für einen Beitritt des bei Ende des Ersten Weltkrieges neu gegründeten österreichischen Bundeslandes Vorarlberg zur Eidgenossenschaft. Am 11. Mai 1919 hatte ein Plebiszit eine Zustimmung von 80% für die Aufnahme von Verhandlungen mit Blick auf einen möglichen Beitritt zur Schweiz ergeben. Die in diesem Band versammelten Dokumente aus den nationalen Archiven in Bern, London und Wien sowie aus Regionalarchiven links und rechts des Rheins ermöglichen die Rekonstruktion der sog. Vorarlberger Frage der Jahre 1918–1922 und geben zudem Antwort auf die Frage, wie es den «Schwestern in Not» im alemannischen österreichischen Landesteil erging.
Entangled photon generation at 1550 nm in the telecom C-band is of critical importance as it enables the realization of quantum communication protocols over long distance using deployed telecommunication infrastructure. InAs epitaxial quantum dots have recently enabled on-demand generation of entangled photons in this wavelength range. However, time-dependent state evolution, caused by the fine-structure splitting, currently limits the fidelity to a specific entangled state. Here, we show fine-structure suppression for InAs quantum dots using micromachined piezoelectric actuators and demonstrate generation of highly entangled photons at 1550 nm. At the lowest fine-structure setting, we obtain a maximum fidelity of 90.0 ± 2.7% (concurrence of 87.5 ± 3.1%). The concurrence remains high also for moderate (weak) temporal filtering, with values close to 80% (50%), corresponding to 30% (80%) of collected photons, respectively. The presented fine-structure control opens the way for exploiting entangled photons from quantum dots in fiber-based quantum communication protocols.
Today, optics and photonics is widely regarded as one of the most important key technologies for this century. Many experts even anticipate that the 21st century will be century of photon much as the 20th century was the century of electron. Optics and photonics technologies affect almost all areas of our life and cover a wide range of applications in science and industry, e.g. in information and communication technology, in medicine, life science engineering as well as in energy and environmental technology. However even so attractive, the photonics is not well known by most people. To motivate especially young generation for optics and photonics we worked out a lecture related to the “light” for children aged eight to twelve years. We have prepared many experiments to explain the nature of light and its applications in our everyday life. Finally, we focused on the optical data transmission, i.e. how modern communication over optical networks works. To reach many children at home we recorded this lecture and offered it as a video online in the frame of children’s university at Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences. By combining the hands-on teaching with having a fun while learning about the basic optics concepts we aroused interest of many children with a very positive feedback.
The increasing digitalisation of daily routines confronts people with frequent privacy decisions. However, obscure data processing often leads to tedious decision-making and results in unreflective choices that unduly compromise privacy. Serious Games could be applied to encourage teenagers and young adults to make more thoughtful privacy decisions. Creating a Serious Game (SG) that promotes privacy awareness while maintaining an engaging gameplay requires, however, a carefully balanced game concept. This study explores the benefits of an online role-playing boardgame as a co-designing activity for creating SGs about privacy. In a between-subjects trial, student groups and educator/researcher groups were taking the roles of player, teacher, researcher and designer to co-design a balanced privacy SG concept. Using predefined design proposal cards or creating their own, students and educators played the online boardgame during a video conference session to generate game ideas, resolve potential conflicts and balance the different SG aspects. The comparative results of the present study indicate that students and educators alike perceive support from role-playing when ideating and balancing SG concepts and are happy with their playfully co-designed game concepts. Implications for supporting SG design with role-playing in remote collaboration scenarios are conclusively synthesised.
With the digitalisation, and the increased connectivity between manufacturing systems emerging in this context, manufacturing is shifting towards decentralised, distributed concepts. Still, for manufacturing scenarios manual input or augmentation of data is required at system boundaries. Especially in distributed manufacturing environments, like Cloud Manufacturing (CMfg) systems, constant changes to the available manufacturing resources and products pose challenges for establishing connections between them. We propose a feature-oriented representation of concepts, especially from the manufacturing domain, which serves as the basis for (semi-) automatically linking, e.g., manufacturing resources and products. This linking methodologies, as well as knowledge inferred using it, is then used to support distributed manufacturing, especially in CMfg environments, and enhance product development. The concepts and methodologies are to be evaluated in a real world learning factory.
Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common and severe disease with a highly increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Through the circulatory disorder and the linked undersupply of oxygen carriers in the lower limbs, the ongoing decrease of the pain-free walking distance occurs with a significant reduction in patients’ quality of life. Studies including activity monitoring for patients with PAD are rare and digital support to increase activity via mobile health technologies is mainly targeted at patients with cardiovascular disease in general. The special requirement of patients with PAD is the need to reach a certain pain level to improve the pain-free walking distance. Unfortunately, both poor adherence and availability of institutional resources are major problems in patient-centered care.
Objective: The objective of this trackPAD pilot study is to evaluate the feasibility of a mobile phone–based self tracking app to promote physical activity and supervised exercise therapy (SET) in particular. We also aim for a subsequent patient centered adjustment of the app prototype based on the results of the app evaluation and process evaluation.
Methods: This study was designed as a closed user group trial, with assessors blinded, and parallel group study with face-to-face components for assessment with a follow-up of 3 months. Patients with symptomatic PAD (Fontaine stage IIa or IIb) and possession of a mobile phone were eligible. Eligible participants were randomly assigned into study and control group, stratified by their distance covered in the 6-min walk test, using the software TENALEA. Participants randomized to the study group received usual care and the mobile intervention (trackPAD) for the follow-up period of 3 months, whereas participants randomized to the control group received only usual care. TrackPAD records the frequency and duration of training sessions and pain level using manual user input. Clinical outcome data were collected at the baseline and after 3 months via validated tools (6-min walk test, ankle-brachial index, and duplex ultrasound at the lower arteries) and self-reported quality of life. Usability and quality of the app was determined using the user version of the Mobile Application Rating Scale.
Results: The study enrolled 45 participants with symptomatic PAD (44% male). Of these participants, 21 (47%) were randomized to the study group and 24 (53%) were randomized to the control group. The distance walked in the 6-min walk test was comparable in both groups at baseline (study group: mean 368.1m [SD 77.6] vs control group: mean 394.6m [SD 100.6]).
Conclusions: This is the first trial to test a mobile intervention called trackPAD that was designed especially for patients with PAD. Its results will provide important insights in terms of feasibility, effectiveness, and patient preferences of an app-based mobile intervention supporting SET for the conservative treatment of PAD.
Background: The development of mobile interventions for noncommunicable diseases has increased in recent years. However, there is a dearth of apps for patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), who frequently have an impaired ability to walk.
Objective: Using a patient-centered approach for the development of mobile interventions, we aim to describe the needs and requirements of patients with PAD regarding the overall care situation and the use of mobile interventions to perform supervised exercise therapy (SET).
Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted in addition to a clinical examination at the vascular outpatient clinic of the West-German Heart and Vascular Center of the University Clinic Essen in Germany. Patients with diagnosed PAD were asked to answer questions on sociodemographic characteristics, PAD-related need for support, satisfaction with their health care situation, smartphone and app use, and requirements for the design of mobile interventions to support SET.
Results: Overall, a need for better support of patients with diagnosed PAD was identified. In total, 59.2% (n=180) expressed their desire for more support for their disease. Patients (n=304) had a mean age of 67 years and half of them (n=157, 51.6%) were smartphone users. We noted an interest in smartphone-supported SET, even for people who did not currently use a smartphone. “Information,” “feedback,” “choosing goals,” and “interaction with physicians and therapists” were rated the most relevant components of a potential app.
Conclusions: A need for the support of patients with PAD was determined. This was particularly evident with regard to disease literacy and the performance of SET. Based on a detailed description of patient characteristics, proposals for the design of mobile interventions adapted to the needs and requirements of patients can be derived.
Background: Mobile health interventions are intended to support complex health care needs in chronic diseases digitally, but they are mainly targeted at general health improvement and neglect disease-specific requirements. Therefore, we designed TrackPAD, a smartphone app to support supervised exercise training in patients with peripheral arterial disease.
Objective: This pilot study aimed to evaluate changes in the 6-minute walking distance (meters) as a primary outcome measure. The secondary outcome measures included changes in physical activity and assessing the patients’ peripheral arterial disease–related quality of life.
Methods: This was a pilot two-arm, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial. Patients with symptomatic PAD (Fontaine stage IIa/b) and access to smartphones were eligible. Eligible participants were randomly assigned to the study, with the control group stratified by the distance covered in the 6-minute walking test using the TENALEA software. Participants randomized to the intervention group received usual care and the mobile intervention (TrackPAD) for the follow-up period of 3 months, whereas participants randomized to the control group received routine care only. TrackPAD records the frequency and duration of training sessions and pain levels using manual user input. Clinical outcome data were collected at the baseline and after 3 months via validated tools (the 6-minute walk test and self-reported quality of life). The usability and quality of the app were determined using the Mobile Application Rating Scale user version.
Results: The intervention group (n=19) increased their mean 6-minute walking distance (83 meters, SD 72.2), while the control group (n=20) decreased their mean distance after 3 months of follow-up (–38.8 meters, SD 53.7; P=.01). The peripheral arterial disease–related quality of life increased significantly in terms of “symptom perception” and “limitations in physical functioning.” Users’ feedback showed increased motivation and a changed attitude toward performing supervised exercise training.
Conclusions: Besides the rating providing a valuable support tool for the user group, the mobile intervention TrackPAD was linked to a change in prognosis-relevant outcome measures combined with enhanced coping with the disease. The influence of mobile interventions on long-term prognosis must be evaluated in the future.
In this paper, we propose and simulate a new type of three-dimensional (3D) optical splitter based on multimode interference (MMI) for the wavelength of 1550 nm. The splitter was proposed on the square basis with the width of 20 x 20 µm2 using the IP-Dip polymer as a standard material for 3D laser lithography. We present the optical field distribution in the proposed MMI splitter and its integration possibility on optical fiber. The design is aimed to the possible fabrication process using the 3D laser lithography for forthcoming experiments.
The goal of this paper is to design a low-loss 1 x 32 Y-branch optical splitter for optical transmission systems, using two different design tools employing Beam Propagation Method. As a first step, a conventional 1 x 32 Y-branch splitter was designed and simulated in two-dimensional environment of OptiBPM photonic tool. The simulated optical properties feature high loss, high asymmetric splitting ratio and a large size of the designed structure, too. In the second step of this work we propose an optimization of the conventional splitter design leading to suppression of the asymmetric splitting ratio to one-third of its initial value and to the improvement of the losses by nearly 2 dB. In addition, 50% size reduction of the designed structure was also achieved. This length-optimized low-loss splitter was then modelled in a three-dimensional environment of RSoft photonic tool and the simulated results confirm the strong improvement of the optical properties.
In this paper, low-loss Y-branch splitters up to 128 splitting ratio are designed, simulated, and optimized by using 2D beam propagation method in OptiBPM tool by Optiwave. For an optical waveguide, a silica-on-silicon material platform is used. The splitters were designed as a planar structure for a telecommunication operating wavelength of 1.55 m. According to the minimum insertion loss and minimum non-uniformity, the optimum length for each Y-branch is determined. The influence of the pre-defined S-Bend waveguide shapes (Arc, Cosine, Sine) and of the waveguide core size reduction on the splitter performance has been also studied. The obtained simulation results of all designed splitters with different S-Bend shape waveguides together with the different waveguide core sizes are discussed and compared with each other.
In the regime of incentive-based autonomous demand response, time dependent prices are typically used to serve as signals from a system operator to consumers. However, this approach has been shown to be problematic from various perspectives. We clarify these shortcomings in a geometric way and thereby motivate the use of power signals instead of price signals. The main contribution of this paper consists of demonstrating in a standard setting that power tracking signals can control flexibilities more efficiently than real-time price signals. For comparison by simulation, German renewable energy production and German standard load profiles are used for daily production and demand profiles, respectively. As for flexibility, an energy storage system with realistic efficiencies is considered. Most critically, the new approach is able to induce consumptions on the demand side that real-time pricing is unable to induce. Moreover, the pricing approach is outperformed with regards to imbalance energy, peak consumption, storage variation, and storage losses without the need for additional communication or computation efforts. It is further shown that the advantages of the optimal power tracking approach compared to the pricing approach increase with the extent of the flexibility. The results indicate that autonomous flexibility control by optimal power tracking is able to integrate renewable energy production efficiently, has additional benefits, and the potential for enhancements. The latter include data uncertainties, systems of flexibilities, and economic implementation.
One goal of the project described in this paper is to create learning algorithms for machines and robots that lack a precise virtual controller for correct simulations. Using a digital twin approach, the developed mixed reality application aims for an overlay of a virtual robot model with the real world counterpart using Microsoft HoloLens 2 smart glasses. The application should help users to have an inside look into the results of the learning algorithm and therefore supervise and improve those results. The main focus of this paper is the visual representation of the digital twin on the smart glasses. One of the challenges is the level of abstraction and specific use of shaders (program code defining material attributes) to help the user differentiating between virtual and real objects. Therefore different presentation methods are described and evaluated. Study results with 48 persons show that the most abstract representation (wireframe) scores lowest, whereas a half-transparent model works best.
Mobility choices - an instrument for precise automatized travel behavior detection & analysis
(2021)
The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is a human rights framework in the context of multi-level governance child protection policies central to social work education and practice (United Nations, 1989). In line with this statement, children’s rights-based education introduces undergraduate social work students to the principles of the CRC, namely participation, protection, harm prevention and provision, to facilitate knowledge acquisition by building core competencies for critical practice (IFSW, 2002). It equips social workers with analytical and advocacy skills that foster critical thinking and creativity in the juxtaposition between child protection, autonomy and self-determination.
This chapter provides insights for social work education to locate and analyse the underlying casualties of social problems using a problem and resource framework, the w-questions (Geiser, 2015). The framework is used to develop theory driven social work interventions as illustrated against the backdrop the anonymised case study, Amira, an accompanied child asylum seeker in Austria (Fritsche, Glawischnig, & Wolfsegg, 2019). Correspondingly, CRC is addressed along a continuum between human needs fulfilment and human right entitlements (Obrecht, 2009; IFSW, 2002; Ife, 2012). The concept of need is understood as tension in our concrete biological and psychological bio-values and states (Obrecht, 2009, p. 27). The assertion is that when children lack support or are obstructed from achieving their equal right to education due to social, cultural or economic barriers, this exacerbates social marginalisation because it deprives them of membership in the school social system. Social marginalisation thwarts the fulfilment of needs and weakens social cohesion by causing alienation and anomie (Mayrhofer, 2015). The tentative conclusion is that knowledge and practice models that link human needs and children’s rights equip social workers with the expertise to reduce children’s vulnerability whilst strengthening their protection, autonomy and self-determination.
Im Rahmen eines Forschungsprojektes gingen die Autorinnen folgender Frage nach: Welche identitätsstiftenden Werte der Siebenbürger Sachsen/Sächsinnen sind heute in Oberösterreich noch wahrnehmbar? Es wurde dazu ein qualitatives Forschungsdesign gewählt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Auswanderung, Fluchterfahrung und die Ankunft in Österreich wesentlich die Identitäten dieser Personengruppe bestimmte und noch immer beeinflusst. Es wird aufgezeigt, wie sich die Identitäten über drei Generationen verändert haben und was noch als identitätsstiftend erfahrbar ist. Die Ergebnisse leisten einen Beitrag zur Identitätsforschung und bieten eine gute Möglichkeit Erkenntnisse über die beforschte Zielgruppe hinaus zu generieren.
For a given set of banks, how big can losses in bad economic or financial scenarios possibly get, and what are these bad scenarios? These are the two central questions of stress tests for banks and the banking system. Current stress tests select stress scenarios in a way which might leave aside many dangerous scenarios and thus create an illusion of safety; and which might consider highly implausible scenarios and thus trigger a false alarm. We show how to select scenarios systematically for a banking system in a context of multiple credit exposures. We demonstrate the application of our method in an example on the Spanish and Italian residential real estate exposures of European banks. Compared to the EBA 2016 stress test our method produces scenarios which are equally plausible as the EBA stress scenario but yield considerably worse system wide losses.
Wir untersuchen Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede partizipativer Projekte auf Gemeindeebene in der Bodenseeregion. Ziel dabei ist es, einerseits Chancen und Stolpersteine von partizipativen Projekten für Gemeinden zu identifizieren. Andererseits entwickeln wir den Resilienzbegriff aus Psychologie und BWL weiter für Gemeinden und fragen uns, wie Partizipation die Resilienz einer Gemeinde beeinflusst.
Recently the use of microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers for a multitude of diseases has gained substantial significance for clinical as well as point-of-care diagnostics. Amongst other challenges, however, it holds the central requirement that the concentration of a given miRNA must be evaluated within the context of other factors in order to unambiguously diagnose one specific disease. In terms of the development of diagnostic methods and devices, this implies an inevitable demand for multiplexing in order to be able to gauge the abundance of several components of interest in a patient’s sample in parallel. In this study, we design and implement different multiplexed versions of our electrochemical microfluidic biosensor by dividing its channel into subsections, creating four novel chip designs for the amplification-free and simultaneous quantification of up to eight miRNAs on the CRISPR-Biosensor X (‘X’ highlighting the multiplexing aspect of the device). We then use a one-step model assay followed by amperometric readout in combination with a 2-minute-stop-flow-protocol to explore the fluidic and mechanical characteristics and limitations of the different versions of the device. The sensor showing the best performance, is subsequently used for the Cas13a-powered proof-of-concept measurement of two miRNAs (miRNA-19b and miRNA-20a) from the miRNA-17∼92 cluster, which is dysregulated in the blood of pediatric medulloblastoma patients. Quantification of the latter, alongside simultaneous negative control measurements are accomplished on the same device. We thereby confirm the applicability of our platform to the challenge of amplification-free, parallel detection of multiple nucleic acids.
In this work, we present a significant step toward in vivo ophthalmic optical coherence tomography and angiography on a photonic integrated chip. The diffraction gratings used in spectral-domain optical coherence tomography can be replaced by photonic integrated circuits comprising an arrayed waveguide grating. Two arrayed waveguide grating designs with 256 channels were tested, which enabled the first chip-based optical coherence tomography and angiography in vivo three-dimensional human retinal measurements. Design 1 supports a bandwidth of 22 nm, with which a sensitivity of up to 91 dB (830 µW) and an axial resolution of 10.7 µm was measured. Design 2 supports a bandwidth of 48 nm, with which a sensitivity of 90 dB (480 µW) and an axial resolution of 6.5 µm was measured. The silicon nitride-based integrated optical waveguides were fabricated with a fully CMOS-compatible process, which allows their monolithic co-integration on top of an optoelectronic silicon chip. As a benchmark for chip-based optical coherence tomography, tomograms generated by a commercially available clinical spectral-domain optical coherence tomography system were compared to those acquired with on-chip gratings. The similarities in the tomograms demonstrate the significant clinical potential for further integration of optical coherence tomography on a chip system.
Seit einigen Jahren beschäftigen sich immer mehr Autor*innen mit der Frage, welche Handreichungen Mitarbeitende im Gesundheitssystem brauchen, um adäquater auf die Bedürfnisse älterer LGBTQI* Personen einzugehen, deren (pflegerische) Anliegen nicht erkannt werden, von schwer zu überwindenden Barrieren im Gesundheitssystem berichten und die sich diskriminiert fühlen. Der Fokus der Publikationen liegt auf der sexuellen Orientierung und / oder der Genderidentität, einem Teilaspekt der Identität einer Person. Je nach Kontext und Personen sind andere Teilidentitäten, wie z.B. Familienstatus, Alter, Ethnizität, Teilhabe an sozialen Gruppen unterschiedlich stark berücksichtigt. In einer qualitativen Studie wurden, unter Integration der autoethnographischen Methode, acht Männer zwischen 53 und 75 Jahren aus den Niederlanden und Deutschland in autobiografischen-narrativen Interviews befragt, inwiefern die Coronapandemie ihre Vorstellungen vom gesunden Altern verändert hat. Alle Männer hatten komplexe Biografien, gekennzeichnet von Partnerverlust, Arbeitslosigkeit, Altersfragen, familiären und gesundheitlichen Herausforderungen neben anderen identitätsstiftenden Faktoren. Aber alle identifizierten sich seit ihrer Jugend mit ihrer sexuellen oder Genderidentität, hatten aus vielen Krisen gelernt und sorgten mit einem für sich klaren Management, dass sie auch im Alter gesund bleiben würden – Autonomie stand hoch im Kurs! Die Person nicht nur auf die Zugehörigkeit zur LGBTQI* Gruppe zu reduzieren, sondern in ihrer gesamten Identität in den Gesundheitseinrichtungen zu berücksichtigen kennzeichnet eine adäquate Pflege.
Electric cell-substrate impedance spectroscopy (ECIS) enables non-invasive and continuous read-out of electrical parameters of living tissue. The aim of the current study was to investigate the performance of interdigitated sensors with 50 μm electrode width and 50 μm inter-electrode distance made of gold, aluminium, and titanium for monitoring the barrier properties of epithelial cells in tissue culture. At first, the measurement performance of the photolithographic fabricated sensors was characterized by defined reference electrolytes. The sensors were used to monitor the electrical properties of two adherent epithelial barrier tissue models: renal proximal tubular LLC-PK1 cells, representing a normal functional transporting epithelium, and human cervical cancer-derived HeLa cells, forming non-transporting cancerous epithelial tissue. Then, the impedance spectra obtained were analysed by numerically fitting the parameters of the two different models to the measured impedance spectrum. Aluminium sensors proved to be as sensitive and consistent in repeated online-recordings for continuous cell growth and differentiation monitoring assensors made of gold, the standard electrode material. Titanium electrodes exhibited an elevated intrinsic ohmic resistance incomparison to gold reflecting its lower electric conductivity. Analysis of impedance spectra through applying models and numerical data fitting enabled the detailed investigation of the development and properties of a functional transporting epithelial tissue using either gold or aluminium sensors. The result of the data obtained, supports the consideration of aluminium and titanium sensor materials as potential alternatives to gold sensors for advanced application of ECIS spectroscopy.
Over the last years, polymers have gained great attention as substrate material, because of the possibility to produce low-cost sensors in a high-throughput manner or for rapid prototyping and the wide variety of polymeric materials available with different features (like transparency, flexibility, stretchability, etc.). For almost all biosensing applications, the interaction between biomolecules (for example, antibodies, proteins or enzymes) and the employed substrate surface is highly important. In order to realize an effective biomolecule immobilization on polymers, different surface activation techniques, including chemical and physical methods, exist. Among them, plasma treatment offers an easy, fast and effective activation of the surfaces by micro/nanotexturing and generating functional groups (including carboxylic acids, amines, esters, aldehydes or hydroxyl groups). Hence, here we present a systematic and comprehensive plasma activation study of various polymeric surfaces by optimizing different parameters, including power, time, substrate temperature and gas composition. Thereby, the highest immobilization efficiency along with a homogenous biomolecule distribution is achieved with a 5-min plasma treatment under a gas composition of 50% oxygen and nitrogen, at a power of 1000 W and a substrate temperature of 80 C. These results are also confirmed by different surface characterization methods, including SEM, XPS and contact angle measurements.
Design and optimization of 1x2N Y-branch optical splitters for telecommunication applications
(2020)
This paper presents the design and optimization of 1x2N Y-branch optical splitters for telecom applications. A waveguide channel profile, used in the splitter design, is based on a standard silica-on-silicon material platform. Except for the lengths of the used Y-branches, design parameters such as port pitch between the waveguides and simulation parameters for all splitters were considered fixed. For every Y-branch splitter, insertion loss, non-uniformity, and background crosstalk are calculated. According to the minimum insertion loss and minimum non-uniformity, the optimum length for each Y-branch is determined. Finally, the individual Y-branches are cascade joined to design various Y-branch optical splitters, from 1x2 to 1x64.
We have demonstrated micromachining of bulk 3C silicon carbide (3C- SiC) wafers by employing 1028nm wavelength femtosecond laser pulses of energy less than 10 nJ directly from a femtosecond laser oscillator, thus eliminating the need for an amplified system and increasing the micromachining speed by more than four orders of magnitude.
We have investigated the ablation behaviour of single crystal SrTiO3 <100> with focus on the influence of the pulse duration at a wavelength of 248 nm. The experiments were performed with KrF-excimer lasers with pulse durations of 34 ns and 500 fs, respectively. Femtosecond-ablation turns out to be more efficient by one order of magnitude and to eliminate the known problem of cracking of SrTiO3 during laser machining with longer pulses. In addition, the cavities ablated with femtosecond pulses display a smoother surface with no indication of melting and well-defined, sharp edges. These effects can be explained by the reduced thermal shock effect on the material by using ultrashort pulses.
Clathrate hydrates, or hydrates for short, are inclusion compounds in which water molecules form a hydrogen-bonded host lattice that accommodates the guest molecules. While vast amounts of hydrates are known to exist in seafloor sediments and in the permafrost on Earth, these occurrences might be dwarfed by the amounts of hydrates occurring in space and on celestial bodies. Since methane is the primary guest molecule in most of the natural occurrences on Earth, hydrates are considered a promising source of energy. Moreover, the ability of one volume of hydrate to store about 170 volumes of gas, make hydrates a promising functional material for various industrial applications. While the static properties of hydrates are reasonably well known, the dynamics of hydrate formation and decomposition are insufficiently understood. For instance, the stochastic period of hydrate nucleation, the memory effect, and the self-preservation phenomenon complicate the development of predictive models of hydrate dynamics. Additionally, the influence of meso- and macroscopic defects as well as the roles of mass and heat transport on different length scales remain to be clarified.
Due to its non-invasive and non-destructive nature and the high spatial resolution of approx. 1µm or even less, micro-computed X-ray attenuation tomography ( µCT ) seems to be the perfect method for the study of the evolving structures of forming or decomposing hydrates on the meso- and macroscopic length scale. However, for the naturally occurring hydrates of low atomic number guests the contrast between hydrate, ice, and liquid water is typically very weak because of similar X-ray attenuation coefficients. So far, good contrast was only restricted to synchrotron beamline experiments which utilize the phase information of monochromatic X-rays.
In this thesis it is shown that with the help of a newly developed sample cell, a contrast between the hydrate and the ice phase sufficiently good for the reliable segmentation of the materials can also be achieved in conventional tube-based µCT. An accurate pressure and temperature management, i.e., the added functionality of the cell, further allows for cross-correlation of structural and thermodynamic data. The capability of this µCT setup is demonstrated in a series of studies on the formation and decomposition of hydrates which yield new insights for the development of a novel route to hydrate synthesis. At last, this thesis points towards possibilities how better models of hydrate formation and decomposition can be developed with the aid of µCT and computer simulations.
Post-operative isoflurane has been observed to be present in the end-tidal breath of patients who have undergone major surgery, for several weeks after the surgical procedures. A major new noncontrolled, non-randomized, and open-label approved study will recruit patients undergoing various surgeries under different inhalation anaesthetics, with two key objectives, namely to record the washout characteristics following surgery, and to investigate the influence of a patient’s health and the duration and type of surgery on elimination. In preparation for this breath study using proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-TOF-MS), it is important to identify first the analytical product ions that need to be monitored and under what operating conditions. In this first paper of this new research programme, we present extensive PTR-TOF-MS studies of three major
anaesthetics used worldwide, desflurane (CF3CHFOCHF2), sevoflurane ((CF3)2CHOCH2F), and isoflurane (CF3CHClOCHF2) and a fourth one, which is used less extensively, enflurane (CHF2OCF2CHFCl), but is of interest because it is an isomer of isoflurane. Product ions are identified as a function of reduced electric field (E/N) over the range of approximately 80 Td to 210 Td, and the effects of operating the drift tube under ‘normal’ or ‘humid’ conditions on the intensities of the product ions are presented. To aid in the analyses, density functional theory (DFT) calculations of the proton affinities and the gas-phase basicities of the anaesthetics have been determined. Calculated energies for the ion-molecule reaction pathways leading to key product ions, identified as ideal for monitoring the inhalation anaesthetics in breath with a high sensitivity and selectivity, are also presented.
Wer wünscht ihn nicht: den intelligenten, effizienten und wirtschaftlichen Herstellungsprozess? Viele Firmen setzten aktuell auf die Digitalisierung und verbessern so die eigene sowie die mit externen Stellen vernetzte Produktion. Die Digitalisierung bringt einerseits Fortschritt, zeigt aber auch die zunehmende Komplexität der heutigen Produktionsnetzwerke auf. Zahlreiche Entscheidungen sind zu fällen, um einen effizienten und sicheren Austausch mit verschiedenen Betrieben zu gewährleisten.
Ein Blick auf vorhandene Modelle kann da weiterhelfen: Im Projekt i4Production des IBH-Labs KMUdigital haben Teams an drei Standorten in den drei Nachbarländern Deutschland (HTWG Konstanz), Österreich (FH Vorarlberg) und der Schweiz (NTB Buchs, RhySearch) an einer vernetzten Prozesslandschaft gearbeitet. In einem gemeinsamen, standardisierten Automatisierungskonzept wird in der international vernetzten Modellfabrik ein cyberphysisches System (CPS) in Form eines kundenindividualisierten Modellfahrzeuges produziert, das durch den Kunden in diversen Varianten zusammengestellt oder individuell konstruiert werden kann. Die dezentrale Produktion erlaubt eine Datenweitergabe über die Landesgrenzen in Echtzeit und bildet die Simulation eines länderübergreifenden Business-Eco-Systems ab.
Die Erkenntnisse des Projekts i4Production zeigen wie in kleineren und mittleren Unternehmen (KMU) eine verteilte Produktion, inklusive der Einbindung von Mitarbeitenden und Kunden in eine digitalisierte, hochautomatisierte und kundenindividuelle Produktion, organisiert werden kann.
Für Unternehmen wird diese Industrie 4.0-Prozesslandschaft als Modell für die eigene Fertigung in dem neu aufgebauten CNC Präzisionsfertigungslabor „Werkstatt4“ bei RhySearch öffentlich zur Verfügung gestellt. Die „Werkstatt4“ bietet KMU ein digitales Prozessumfeld, in dem getestet werden kann, mit welchen Maßnahmen der eingangs gestellte Wunsch zur optimierten Herstellung, seinen Weg in die Realität finden kann.
Im Folgenden stellen wir Ihnen das Konzept der internationalen Musterfabrik i4Production, die diversen Arbeitsschritte an den beteiligten Hochschulen sowie die wichtigsten Erkenntnisse für KMU der Bodenseeregion vor. Gerne unterstützen wir Sie bei der Gestaltung des Wandels hin zum Unternehmen 4.0: Sprechen Sie uns an.
The importance of Agent-Based Simulation (ABS) as scientific method to generate data for scientific models in general and for informed policy decisions in particular has been widely recognised. However, the important technique of code testing of implementations like unit testing has not generated much research interested so far. As a possible solution, in previous work we have explored the conceptual use of property-based testing. In this code testing method, model specifications and invariants are expressed directly in code and tested through automated and randomised test data generation. This paper expands on our previous work and explores how to use property-based testing on a technical level to encode and test specifications of ABS. As use case the simple agent-based SIR model is used, where it is shown how to test agent behaviour, transition probabilities and model invariants. The outcome are specifications expressed directly in code, which relate whole classes of random input to expected classes of output. During test execution, random test data is generated automatically, potentially covering the equivalent of thousands of unit tests, run within seconds on modern hardware. This makes property-based testing in the context of ABS strictly more powerful than unit testing, as it is a much more natural fit due to its stochastic nature.
Real-time measurements of the differences in inhaled and exhaled, unlabeled and fully deuterated acetone concentration levels, at rest and during exercise, have been conducted using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry. A novel approach to continuously differentiate between the inhaled and exhaled breath acetone concentration signals is used. This leads to unprecedented fine grained data of inhaled and exhaled concentrations. The experimental results obtained are compared with those predicted using a simple three compartment model that theoretically describes the influence of inhaled concentrations on exhaled breath concentrations for volatile organic compounds with high blood:air partition coefficients, and hence is appropriate for acetone. An agreement between the predicted and observed concentrations is obtained. Our results highlight that the influence of the upper airways cannot be neglected for volatiles with high blood:air partition coefficients, i.e. highly water soluble volatiles.
Business Analytics zählt zu den Zukunftsthemen im Controlling. In der Controllinglehre spielt Analytics bisher aber nur eine untergeordnete Rolle. Der Beitrag beschreibt ein innovatives Lehrprojekt, das Studierende im Masterstudium Accounting, Controlling & Finance an der FH Vorarlberg befähigt, controllingrelevante Fragestellungen im Kontext von Business Analytics eigenständig zu beantworten. Gleichzeitig erlernen die Studierenden den Umgang mit der Open-Source-Software R.
Gas hydrates are usually synthesized by bringing together a pressurized gas and liquid or solid water. In both cases, the transport of gas or water to the hydrate growth site is hindered once an initial film of hydrate has grown at the water–gas interface. A seemingly forgotten gas-phase technique overcomes this problem by slowly depositing water vapor on a cold surface in the presence of the pressurized guest gas. Despite being used for the synthesis of low-formation-pressure hydrates, it has not yet been tested for hydrates of CO 2 and CH 4 . Moreover, the potential of the technique for the study of hydrate decomposition has not been recognized yet. We employ two advanced implementations of the condensation technique to form hydrates of CO 2 and CH 4 and demonstrate the applicability of the process for the study of hydrate decomposition and the phenomenon of self-preservation. Our results show that CO 2 and CH 4 hydrate samples deposited on graphite at 261–265 K are almost pure hydrates with an ice fraction of less than 8%. Rapid depressurization experiments with thin deposits (approx. 330 mm thickness) of CO 2 hydrate on an aluminum surface at 265 K yield identical dissociation curves when the deposition is done at identical pressure. However, hydrates deposited at 1 MPa almost completely withstand decomposition after rapid depressurization to 0.1 MPa, while samples deposited at 2 MPa decompose 7 times faster. Therefore, this synthesis technique is not only applicable for the study of hydrate decomposition but can also be used for the controlled deposition of a super-preserved hydrate.
Greater specific energy densities in lithium-ion batteries can be achieved by using three-dimensional (3D) porous current collectors, which allow for greater areal mass loadings of the electroactive material. In this paper, we present the use of embroidered current collectors for the preparation of thick, pouch-type Li-ion batteries. Experiments were performed on LiFePO 4 (LFP) water-based slurries using styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) as binder and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) as thickener, and formulations of different rheological characteristics were investigated. The electrochemical performance (cyclic voltammetry, rate capability) and morphological characteristics of the LFP half-pouch cells (X-ray micro computed tomography and scanning electron microscopy) were compared between the formulations. An optimum electrode formulation was identified, and a mechanism is proposed to explain differences between the formulations. With the optimum electrode formulation, 350 µm casted electrodes with high mechanical stability were achieved. Electrodes exhibited 4–6 times greater areal mass loadings (4–6 mAh cm −2 ) and 50% greater electroactive material weight than with foils. In tests of half- and full-pouch embroidered cells, a 50% capacity utilization at 1C-rate and 11% at 2C-rate were observed, with a full recovery at C/5-rate. The cycling stability was also maintained over 55 cycles.
The humidification-dehumidification process (HDH) for desalination is a promising technology to address water scarcity issues in rural regions. However, a low humidifier efficiency is a weakness of the process. Bubble column humidifiers (BCH) are promising for HDH, as they provide enhanced heat and mass transfer and have low maintenance requirements. Previous studies of HDH-systems with BCHs draw different conclusions regarding the impact of superficial air velocity and liquid height on the humidification. Furthermore, the impact of flow characteristics has never been investigated systematically at all. In this study, an optimized BCH test setup that allows for optical analysis of the humidifier is used and evaluated. Our test setup is validated, since the influence of water temperature on the humidification, which is exponential, is reproduced. Measurements with seawater show that the normalised system productivity is increased by about 56 % with an increase in superficial air velocity from 0.5 to 5 cm/s. Furthermore, the system productivity is increased by around 29 % with an increase in liquid height from 60 to 378 mm. While the impact of superficial air velocity can be traced back to temperature changes at the humidifier and dehumidifier outlets, the impact of liquid height is shown to be caused by a smaller heat loss surface in the humidifier with an increase in liquid height. For the impact of sieve plate orifice diameter, a clear influence on the humidification is not apparent, this parameter needs to be investigated further. Finally, our new test setup allows for analysing the humidification of air (1) in a systematic way, (2) in relevant measurement ranges and (3) in comparison with optical analyses of the flow characteristics.
Investigation of non-uniformly emitting optical fiber diffusers on the light distribution in tissue
(2020)
Daten werden heute oft auch als das «neue Gold» bezeichnet. Denn die letzten Jahre haben gezeigt, dass Daten die Grundlage erstaunlicher unter- nehmerischer Erfolgsgeschichten sein können. Dabei ist die Arbeit mit Daten nicht grundlegend neu. Vielmehr geht es heute im Vergleich zu früher um nahezu unendlich grossen Mengen an Daten, die im Rahmen nahezu aller denkbaren Prozesse oder Schnittstellen gesammelt, gespeichert und ausgewertet werden können. Unter anderem beinhaltet dies Maschinendaten, unternehmens- interne Prozesse oder Daten über Kunden und den Markt, welche die Grundlage für lernende Systeme (Künstliche Intelligenz) bilden. Wir können heute davon ausgehen, dass künftig nicht mehr die technische Machbarkeit, sondern die mensch- liche Vorstellungskraft die Grenzen des Möglichen definiert.
Bekannt sind vor allem etliche Erfolgsgeschichten von Grossunternehmen, die ihr Geschäft auf Daten aufbauen. Etablierte KMU sind hingegen noch zögerlicher, mit Daten zu arbeiten und diese wertschöpfend einzusetzen. Diese Broschüre geht auf die besondere Situation von KMU im Umgang mit Daten und Data Science ein. Denn auch für KMU kann es lohnend oder sogar zwingend notwendig sein, sich mit dem Thema «Data Science» zu beschäftigen. Daten und Data Science bieten grosse
Chancen, sie können aber auch zu einer Bedrohung im Wettbewerb werden. Und, zu lange warten sollten KMU nicht, die Zeit drängt. Denn Geschwindigkeit ist einer der zentralen Wettbewerbsfaktoren im digitalen Zeitalter. Das IBH-Lab KMUdigital unter- stützt KMU dabei, den herausfordernden Weg in eine digitale Zukunft schneller und einfacher zu gehen.
Diese Broschüre geht daher insbesondere auf die Rolle von Daten und Data Science für KMU in der Bodenseeregion ein. Sie stellt eine Zusammen- fassung ausgewählter Erkenntnisse und Handlungs- empfehlungen dar, die wir in einem zweijährigen Forschungsprojekt gemeinsam mit 16 Unternehmen aus der Bodenseeregion gewinnen konnten. Die Erkenntnisse sollen KMU bei der Nutzung von Daten anhand von Data Science unterstützen. Dabei ist es kein Ziel, dass KMU zu einem «kleinen Google» werden. Vielmehr braucht es KMU- spezifische Lösungen und Überlegungen, wie mit Daten sinnvoll, zielorientiert und ressourcen- schonend umgegangen werden kann. Wie kann das aussehen? Welche Chancen, Herausforderungen und Lösungen bieten sich KMU vor dem Hinter- grund ihrer besonderen Situation? Was muss dazu im Unternehmen verändert werden? Welche Unterschiede bestehen im Vergleich zu Gross- unternehmen auf diesem Weg?
Diese und weitere Fragen stehen im Mittelpunkt des vorliegenden Projektberichts zum Einzelprojekt «Data Science für KMU leicht gemacht» oder kurz «Data Science 4 KMU» bzw. «Data4KMU», welches unter dem Dach des IBH-Labs KMUdigital in den Jahren 2018 bis 2019 durchgeführt wurde. Dazu werden Daten und Data Science aus mehreren Perspektiven betrachtet, die nicht unabhängig voneinander sind: Strategie und Geschäftsmodell, Services und Prozesse, Leadership, HRM und
Organisation, Organisationskultur und Ganzheitichkeit, sowie Technologie. Diese Perspektiven greifen wir in den nachfolgenden Kapiteln auf.
Die vorliegende Broschüre wäre ohne die wertvolle Unterstützung der Praxispartner des Projektes, des Managements des IBH-Labs KMUdigital sowie ohne die finanzielle Projektförderung durch die Inter- nationale Bodenseehochschule (IBH) und Interreg nicht möglich gewesen. Ihnen allen gilt unser ganz besonderer Dank!
The Digital Factory Vorarlberg is the youngest Research Center of Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences. In the lab of the research center a research and learning factory has been established for educating students and employees of industrial partners. Showcases and best practice scenarios for various topics of digitalization in the manufacturing industry are demonstrated. In addition, novel methods and technologies for digital production, cloud-based manufacturing, data analytics, IT- and OT-security or digital twins are being developed. The factory comprises only a minimum core of logistics and fabrication processes to guarantee manageability within an academic setup. As a product, fidget spinners are being fabricated. A webshop allows customers to individually design their products and directly place orders in the factory. A centralized SCADA-System is the core data hub for the factory. Various data analytic tools and methods and a novel database for IoT-applications are connected to the SCADA-System. As an alternative to on premise manufacturing, orders can be pushed into a cloud-based manufacturing platform, which has been developed at the Digital Factory. A broker system allows fabrication in distributed facilities and offers various optimization services. Concepts, such as outsourcing product configuration to customers or new types of engineering services in cloud-based manufacturing can be explored and demonstrated. In this paper, we present the basic concept of the Digital Factory Vorarlberg, as well as some of the newly developed topics.
Introducing 3D sub-micrometer technologies based on polymers opened new possibilities of design and fabrication of photonic devices and components in 3D arrangement. 3D laser lithography is direct writing process based on two photon polymerization exhibiting high accuracy and versatility, where numerous resists and even polymer ceramic mixtures can be used. We present design and simulation of polymer based photonic components with a focus on arrayed waveguide gratings (AWG) based on optical multiplexers/demultiplexers and optical splitters. All optical components were designed for 1550 nm operating wavelength, applying two commercial photonics tools. This study creates a basis for the design of optical components in 3D arrangement, which will be fabricated by 3D laser lithography.
Lead–magnesium niobate lead titanate (PMN-PT) has been proven as an excellent material for sensing and actuating applications. The fabrication of advanced ultra-small PMN-PT-based devices relies on the availability of sophisticated procedures for the micro-machining of PMN-PT thin films or bulk substrates. Approaches reported up to date include chemical etching, excimer laser ablation, and ion milling. To ensure an excellent device performance, a key mandatory feature for a micro-machining process is to preserve as far as possible the crystalline quality of the substrates; in other words, the fabrication method must induce a low density of cracks and other kind of defects. In this work, we demonstrate a relatively fast procedure for the fabrication of high-quality PMN-PT micro-machined actuators employing green femtosecond laser pulses. The fabricated devices feature the absence of extended cracks and well-defined edges with relatively low roughness, which is advantageous for the further integration of nanomaterials onto the piezoelectric actuators.