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Stabilization exercise (SE) is evident for the management of chronic non-specific low back pain (LBP). The optimal dose-response-relationship for the utmost treatment success is, thus, still unknown. The purpose is to systematically review the dose-response-relationship of stabilisation exercises on pain and disability in patients with chronic non-specific LBP. A systematic review with meta-regression was conducted (Pubmed, Web of Knowledge, Cochrane). Eligibility criteria were RCTs on patients with chronic non-specific LBP, written in English/German and adopting a longitudinal core-specific/stabilising/motor control exercise intervention with at least one outcome for pain intensity and/or disability. Meta-regressions (dependent variable = effect sizes (Cohens d) of the interventions (for pain and for disability), independent variable = training characteristics (duration, frequency, time per session)), and controlled for (low) study quality (PEDro) and (low) sample sizes (n) were conducted to reveal the optimal dose required for therapy success. From the 3,415 studies initially selected, 50 studies (n = 2,786 LBP patients) were included. N = 1,239 patients received SE. Training duration was 7.0 ± 3.3 weeks, training frequency was 3.1 ± 1.8 sessions per week with a mean training time of 44.6 ± 18.0 min per session. The meta-regressions’ mean effect size was d = 1.80 (pain) and d = 1.70 (disability). Total R2 was 0.445 and 0.17. Moderate quality evidence (R2 = 0.231) revealed that a training duration of 20 to 30 min elicited the largest effect (both in pain and disability, logarithmic association). Low quality evidence (R2 = 0.125) revealed that training 3 to 5 times per week led to the largest effect of SE in patients with chronic non-specific LBP (inverted U-shaped association). In patients with non-specific chronic LBP, stabilization exercise with a training frequency of 3 to 5 times per week (Grade C) and a training time of 20 to 30 min per session (Grade A) elicited the largest effect on pain and disability.
Introduction: Annually, 2 million sports-related injuries are reported in Germany of which athletes contribute to a large proportion. Multiple sport injury prevention programs designed to decrease acute and overuse injuries in athletes have been proven effective. Yet, the programs’ components, general or sports-specific, that led to these positive effects are uncertain. Despite not knowing about the superiority of sports-specific injury prevention programs, coaches and athletes alike prefer more specialized rather than generalized exercise programs. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to present the available evidence on how general and sports-specific prevention programs affect injury rates in athletes.
Methods: PubMed and Web of Science were electronically searched throughout April 2018. The inclusion criteria were publication dates Jan 2006–Dec 2017, athletes (11–45 years), exercise-based injury prevention programs and injury incidence. The methodological quality was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration assessment tools.
Results: Of the initial 6619 findings, 15 studies met the inclusion criteria. In addition, 13 studies were added from reference lists and external sources making a total of 28 studies. Of which, one used sports-specific, seven general and 20 mixed prevention strategies. Twenty-four studies revealed reduced injury rates. Of the four ineffective programs, one was general and three mixed.
Conclusion: The general and mixed programs positively affect injury rates. Sports-specific programs are uninvestigated and despite wide discussion regarding the definition, no consensus was reached. Defining such terminology and investigating the true effectiveness of such IPPs is a potential avenue for future research.
Freedom of trade, occupation and profession in times of the Covid-19 pandemic in South Africa
(2022)
This paper evaluates the freedom of trade, occupation, and profession in South Africa from a Covid-19 pandemic context. It does that by focusing on the pertinent provisions and rights contained in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (the Constitution) and relevant international and regional human rights instruments. It proceeds by discussing the interlinkage between (the freedom of trade, occupation, and profession and other pertinent fundamental) rights, limitation, enforcement, and interpretation of rights. This is followed by some final observations.
Purpose: The well-to-wheel (WTW) methodology is widely used for policy support in road transport. It can be seen as a simplified life cycle assessment (LCA) that focuses on the energy consumption and CO2 emissions only for the fuel being consumed, ignoring other stages of a vehicle’s life cycle. WTW results are therefore different from LCA results. In order to close this gap, the authors propose a hybrid WTW+LCA methodology useful to assess the greenhouse gas (GHG) profiles of road vehicles.
Methods: The proposed method (hybrid WTW+LCA) keeps the main hypotheses of the WTW methodology, but integrates them with LCA data restricted to the global warming potential (GWP) occurring during the manufacturing of the battery pack. WTW data are used for the GHG intensity of the EU electric mix, after a consistency check with the main life cycle impact (LCI) sources available in literature.
Results and discussion: A numerical example is provided, comparing GHG emissions due to the use of a battery electric vehicle (BEV) with emissions from an internal combustion engine vehicle. This comparison is done both according to the WTW approach (namely the JEC WTW version 4) and the proposed hybrid WTW+LCA method. The GHG savings due to the use of BEVs calculated with the WTW-4 range between 44 and 56 %, while according to the hybrid method the savings are lower (31–46 %). This difference is due to the GWP which arises as a result of the manufacturing of the battery pack for the electric vehicles.
Conclusions: The WTW methodology used in policy support to quantify energy content and GHG emissions of fuels and powertrains can produce results closer to the LCA methodology by adopting a hybrid WTW+LCA approach. While evaluating GHG savings due to the use of BEVs, it is important that this method considers the GWP due to the manufacturing of the battery pack.
Innovative biogas multi-stage biogas plant and novel analytical system: First project experiences
(2012)
The here presented applied research and development project is targeted to the development and application of new and improved techniques in plant design, performance analysis and process control. Hereto following the required steps are illustrated and the goals are outlined. The project covers the development of a previously patented anaerobic digestion process, adaption of flow cytometry as an analytical instrument and investigation of innovative ways of disposal of solid fermentation wastes. The preliminary experiences with a newly built research plant employing a novel anaerobic biogas digestion technique are discussed. In this paper the first outcomes concerning the construction and operation are discussed. A novel method of disposal of the fermentation wastes is also discussed and first results are shown.
In the last decades, there has been a widespread implementation of Green Infrastructures worldwide. Among these, green roofs appear to be particularly flexible sustainable drainage facilities. To predict their effectiveness for planning purposes, a tool is required that provides information as a function of local meteorological variables. Thus, a relatively simple daily scale, one-dimensional water balance approach has been proposed. The crucial evapotranspiration process, usually considered as a water balance dependent variable, is replaced here by empirical relationships providing an a-priori assessment of soil water losses through actual evapotranspiration. The modelling scheme, which under some simplification can be used without a calibration process, has been applied to experimental runoff data monitored at a green roof located near Bernkastel (Germany), between April 2005 and December 2006. Two different empirical relationships have been used to model actual evapotranspiration, considering a water availability limited and an energy limited scheme. Model errors quantification, ranging from 2% to 40% on the long-term scale and from 1% to 36% at the event scale, appear strongly related to the particularly considered relationship.
Since operational managers often monitor large numbers of wind turbines (WTs), they depend on a toolset to provide them with highly condensed information to identify and prioritize low performing WTs or schedule preventive maintenance measures. Power curves are a frequently used tool to assess the performance of WTs. The power curve health value (HV) used in this work is supposed to detect power curve anomalies since small deviations in the power curve are not easy to identify. It evaluates deviations in the linear region of power curves by performing a principal component analysis. To calculate the HV, the standard deviation in direction of the second principal component of a reference data set is compared to the standard deviation of a combined data set consisting of the reference data and data of the evaluated period. This article examines the applicability of this HV for different purposes as well as its sensitivities and provides a modified HV approach to make it more robust and suitable for heterogeneous data sets. The modified HV was tested based on ENGIE's open data wind farm and data of on- and offshore WTs from the WInD-Pool. It proved to detect anomalies in the linear region of the power curve in a reliable and sensitive manner and was also eligible to detect long term power curve degradation. Also, about 7 % of all corrective maintenance measures were preceded by high HVs with a median alarm horizon of three days. Overall, the HV proved to be a promising tool for various applications.
Species distribution models (SDMs) are key tools in biodiversity and conservation, but assessing their reliability in unsampled locations is difficult, especially where there are sampling biases. We present a spatially-explicit sensitivity analysis for SDMs – SDM profiling – which assesses the leverage that unsampled locations have on the overall model by exploring the interaction between the effect on the variable response curves and the prevalence of the affected environmental conditions. The method adds a ‘pseudo-presence’ and ‘pseudo-absence’ to unsampled locations, re-running the SDM for each, and measuring the difference between the probability surfaces of the original and new SDMs. When the standardised difference values are plotted against each other (a ‘profile plot’), each point's location can be summarized by four leverage measures, calculated as the distances to each corner. We explore several applications: visualization of model certainty; identification of optimal new sampling locations and redundant existing locations; and flagging potentially erroneous occurrence records.
Artificial light at night (ALAN) is a widespread alteration of the natural environment that can affect the functioning of ecosystems. ALAN can change the movement patterns of freshwater animals that move into the adjacent riparian and terrestrial ecosystems, but the implications for local riparian consumers that rely on these subsidies are still unexplored. We conducted a 2-year field experiment to quantify changes of freshwater-terrestrial linkages by installing streetlights in a previously light-naïve riparian area adjacent to an agricultural drainage ditch. We compared the abundance and community composition of emerging aquatic insects, flying insects, and ground-dwelling arthropods with an unlit control site. Comparisons were made within and between years using two-way generalized least squares (GLS) model and a BACI design (Before-After Control-Impact). Aquatic insect emergence, the proportion of flying insects that were aquatic in origin, and the total abundance of flying insects all increased in the ALAN-illuminated area. The abundance of several night-active ground-dwelling predators (Pachygnatha clercki, Trochosa sp., Opiliones) increased under ALAN and their activity was extended into the day. Conversely, the abundance of nocturnal ground beetles (Carabidae) decreased under ALAN. The changes in composition of riparian predator and scavenger communities suggest that the increase in aquatic-to-terrestrial subsidy flux may cascade through the riparian food web. The work is among the first studies to experimentally manipulate ALAN using a large-scale field experiment, and provides evidence that ALAN can affect processes that link adjacent ecosystems. Given the large number of streetlights that are installed along shorelines of freshwater bodies throughout the globe, the effects could be widespread and represent an underestimated source of impairment for both aquatic and riparian systems.
Online Learning algorithms and Indoor Positioning Systems are complex applications in the environment of cyber-physical systems. These distributed systems are created by networking intelligent machines and autonomous robots on the Internet of Things using embedded systems that enable the exchange of information at any time. This information is processed by Machine Learning algorithms to make decisions about current developments in production or to influence logistics processes for optimization purposes. In this article, we present and categorize the further development of the prototype of a novel Indoor Positioning System, which constantly adapts its knowledge to the conditions of its environment with the help of Online Learning. Here, we apply Online Learning algorithms in the field of sound-based indoor localization with low-cost hardware and demonstrate the improvement of the system over its predecessor and its adaptability for different applications in an experimental case study.
In der seit 2009 andauernden Niedrigzinsphase ging der Anteil der Kapitaleinkommen am Volkseinkommen zurück. Da sich der Anteil des Faktors Arbeit nicht wesentlich veränderte, gewann der Produktionsfaktor Boden an Bedeutung. In der Volkswirtschaftlichen Gesamtrechnung spiegelt sich dies jedoch nicht wider, da der Boden dort nicht gesondert ausgewiesen wird. Mithilfe des Henry-George-Theorems wird versucht, eine Methode zu entwickeln, die den Anteil des Faktors Boden quantifiziert. Der explizite Ausweis des Bodeneinkommens in der Volkswirtschaftlichen Gesamtrechnung könnte dazu beitragen, die Rolle dieses vernachlässigten Faktors zu korrigieren.
Erbbaurechte werden in den letzten Jahren zwar wieder verstärkt verwendet, führen aber immer noch ein Nischendasein. Bei Erbbaurechten findet eine Aufspaltung der Eigentumsrechte an der Immobilie statt. Hierdurch entstehen einerseits zusätzliche Kontroll- und Durchsetzungskosten, andererseits auch Eingriffe in die Verfügungsrechte des Erbbauberechtigten. Beides führt zu Wertabschlägen, mit denen Volleigentum nicht belastet ist. Dies belastet sowohl die Rendite als auch die Möglichkeiten, bezahlbaren Wohnraum über Erbbaurechte zur Verfügung zu stellen. Hinzu kommen Nachteile bei der Veräußerbarkeit und der Beleihbarkeit von Erbbaurechten. Auf der anderen Seite können Erbbaurechte als ein Instrumentarium zur Reallokation von Investitionsrisiken auf den Erbbaurechtnehmer verstanden werden. Marktgerechtigkeit vorausgesetzt, sinken die Renditeforderungen der Erbbaurechtgeber stärker ab, als die Renditeforderungen der Erbbaurechtgeber ansteigen. Hierdurch entstehen u. U. beträchtliche Diskontierungsgewinne, die bei Volleigentum nicht generiert werden und die eine Überkompensation der Nachteile des Erbbaurechts bewirken können. Allerdings erlaubt es die Art und Weise, wie in Deutschland Erbbaurechte angewandt werden aber nicht, diesen potenziellen Mehrwert tatsächlich auszuschöpfen. Es werden Modelle aufgezeigt, die diese Anwendungsprobleme auf einfache Weise beheben.
Das Ziel der Bundesregierung von jährlich 400.000 neuen Wohnungen (davon 100.000 mit Sozialbindung) ist gefährdet. Deutschland steht nämlich möglicherweise eine längere Stagflationsphase bevor, die nicht zuletzt durch den Abriss von Lieferketten und den Anstieg der Energiepreise bedingt ist. Investoren von Wohnungen geraten dabei wirtschaftlich in die Zange: Einerseits sind die Möglichkeiten, weitere Mieterhöhungen durchzusetzen, aufgrund sinkender Realeinkommen beschränkt. Auf der anderen Seite explodiert aufgrund steigender Baukosten und Zinsen die Kostenseite. Dies alles dürfte sich auf die Investitionsbereitschaft sehr negativ auswirken, zumal derzeit noch keine Erleichterung in Gestalt eines deutlichen Absinkens der Bodenpreise zu erkennen ist. Letzteres ist allerdings ein Argument für den verstärkten Einsatz von öffentlich ausgegebenen Erbbaurechten, über die auch Sozialbindungen für die gesamte Vertragslaufzeit auferlegt werden können.
Allerdings können u. U. in der sich abzeichnenden wirtschaftlichen Situation durchaus auch Erbbaurechtnehmer mit Bestandsverträgen in Probleme geraten. Die Ursache hierfür sind Anpassungen der Erbbauzinsen, deren Entwicklung an die Inflationsrate gekoppelt ist. Zwar existiert eine gesetzliche Billigkeitsprüfung. Diese setzt in ihrer gegenwärtigen Ausgestaltung aber möglicherweise zu geringe Hürden bei inflationsbedingt starken Erhöhungen der Erbbauzinsen. Diese Hürden könnte einerseits aber erhöht werden, indem neben den Bruttoverdiensten der Arbeitnehmer auf die Kerninflationsrate anstatt der Verbraucherpreissteigerungen Bezug genommen wird. Eine Alternative besteht in der Bezugnahme der Kappungsgrenze auf den Wohnungsmietindex, was allerdings einen Bruch mit der bisherigen wirtschaftlichen Logik der Kappungsgrenze bedeutet.
Bei von der öffentlichen Hand ausgegebenen Erbbaurechten würde sich ebenfalls eine freiwillige Bezugnahme der Anpassung der Erbbauzinsen im Rahmen von Gleitklauseln an der Kerninflationsrate empfehlen.
Die erstmalige Ausgabe von Erbbaurechten durch die öffentliche Hand sollte orientiert an langfristigen Baufinanzierungszinsen erfolgen. Dabei wäre jedoch ein Abschlag mit Blick auf die erwartete (Kern-) Inflation vorzunehmen, die bei Erbbaurechtsverträgen wegen der hier möglichen Wertsicherungsklauseln deutlich weniger auf die Rendite als bei Baufinanzierungen durchschlägt. Die Länder sind hier v. a. dahingehend gefordert, in den Gemeindeordnungen klarzustellen, dass ein derartiges Vorgehen nicht gegen das Gebot der Abgabe von Vermögenswerten zum „vollen Wert“ verstößt.
Ebenfalls vornehmlich den Aufgabenbereich der Länder (aber auch der Gemeinden) betrifft die Notwendigkeit, eine eigenständige Förderkulisse für bezahlbaren Wohnraum über Erbbaurechte aufzustellen, die perspektivisch die gesamte Vertragslaufzeit umfasst. Eine weitere Absenkung der Erbbauzinsen über das oben diskutierte Niveau (Orientierung an inflationsadjustierten langfristigen Baufinanzierungszinsen) stellt i.d.R. nur eine zweitbeste Lösung dar.
A common answer to the financial challenges of green transformation and the shortcomings of the current taxation system is the “double dividend approach”. Environmental taxes should either feed the public purse in order to remove other distorting taxes, or directly contribute to financing green transformation. Germany adopted the former approach. However, this article argues, by using the example of Germany, that “good taxes” in terms of public finance should be neutral in terms of environmental protection and vice versa. Neutral taxation in terms of environmental impacts can be best achieved by applying the “Henry George principle”. Additionally, neutral taxation in terms of public finance is best achieved if the revenues from environmental taxes are redistributed to the citizens as an ecological basic income. Thus, distortive effects of environmental charges in terms of distribution and political decision-making might be removed. However, such a financial framework could be introduced step by step, starting with a tax shift.
Most of the land reforms of recent decades have followed an approach of “formalization and capitalization” of individual land titles (de Soto 2000). However, within the privatization agenda, benefits of unimproved land (such as land rents and value capture) are reaped privately by well-organized actors, whereas the costs of valorization (e.g., infrastructure) or opportunity costs of land use changes are shifted onto poorly organized groups. Consequences of capitalization and formalization include rent seeking and land grabbing. In developing countries, formal law often transpires to work in favor of the winners of the titling process and is opposed by the customary rights of the losers. This causes a lack of general acknowledgement of formalized law (which is made responsible for deprivation of livelihoods of vulnerable groups) and often leads to a clash of formal and customary norms. Countries may fall into a state of de facto anarchy and “de facto open access”. Encroachment and destruction of natural resources may spread. A reframing of development policy is necessary in order to fight these aberrations. Examples and evidence are provided from Cambodia, which has many features in common with other countries in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa in this respect.
Die umlagefinanzierte gesetzliche Rentenversicherung kann angesichts der demografischen Entwicklung eine auskömmliche Versorgung im Alter bald nicht mehr sichern. Indem die Bürger:innen über eine kapitalgedeckte Alterssicherung am Unternehmensvermögen mittelbar beteiligt werden, könnte die Rentenlücke zumindest teilweise geschlossen werden. Das Unternehmensvermögen sollte bei einem neuen Reformanlauf auch vollständig in die Erbschaftsteuer einbezogen werden; dabei darf aber der Fortbestand der Unternehmen nicht gefährdet werden. Die Erbschaftsteuer auf Unternehmensvermögen könnte dabei als Finanzierungsquelle für eine kapitalgedeckte Altersgrundsicherung dienen.
Der Erbbauzins ist bei kommunalen Erbbaurechten sowohl eine zentrale Stellgröße für die Wirtschaftlichkeit als auch von kommunalwirtschafts- und beihilferechtlicher Relevanz. Er wird zumeist ermittelt, indem ein geeigneter Erbbauzinssatz auf den Bodenwert angelegt wird. Der Erbbauzinssatz sollte dabei marktgerecht sein. Sowohl die Ableitung des Erbbauzinssatzes aus dem Primärmarkt (erstmalige Ausgabe von Erbbaurechten) wie aus dem Sekundärmarkt (Weiterverkäufe) ist aber zumindest bei Erbbaurechten für Mehrfamilienhäuser derzeit kaum sinnvoll zu diesem Zwecke durchzuführen. Auch der Liegenschaftszinssatz ist ungeeignet, da er aus einem Modell für Volleigentum mit einer vollkommen anderen Risiko-/Rendite-Konstellation abgeleitet wird. Daher wird für eine stärkere Anwendung ökonomisch basierter Verfahren plädiert und hierbei ein kapitalmarktorientiertes Mark-to-Model-Verfahren dargestellt. Erste überschlägige Ermittlungen legen zudem die Orientierung an langfristigen Baufinanzierungssätzen als Daumenregel nahe. Regelmäßig dürften von Kommunen für die Ermittlung von marktgerechten Erbbauzinssätzen öffentlich bestellte und vereidigte oder zertifizierte Grundstückssachverständige betraut werden, denen die betreffenden Verfahren jedoch oftmals fremd sind. Auch stellt sich die Frage nach der Zulässigkeit, da sie sich als Best Practice-Verfahren bislang nicht etabliert haben. Daher wäre dem Gesetz- bzw. Verordnungsgeber anzuraten, die Ermittlung marktgerechter Erbbauzinssätze ausdrücklich zu regeln und dabei jenseits von Mark-to-Market-Verfahren weitere geeignete ökonomisch gestützte Methoden wie auch empirisch abgesicherte „Daumenregeln“ zuzulassen.
In Deutschland findet die Gestaltung von Erbbaurechtsverträgen sehr oft unter politischen Gesichtspunkten, aber wenig am Markt orientiert statt. Die Akzeptanz des Erbbaurechts leidet hierunter. Eine wichtige Rolle spielt dabei die Festlegung des Erbbauzinses, der angesichts des niedrigen Zinsniveaus oft als unangemessen empfunden wird. Andererseits stellt sich die Ableitung „marktgerechter“ Erbbauzinsen im Vergleichswege schwierig dar. Im Beitrag wird daher ein praxisbezogener, auf der Kapitalmarkttheorie basierender Ansatz für die Festlegung marktgerechter Erbbauzinsen dargestellt. Wichtig ist dabei die Verschiebung der Rendite/Risiko-Position, die sich aufgrund der Bestellung von Erbbaurechten gegenüber Volleigentum ergibt. Sowohl der Erbbauverpflichtete wie auch der Erbbauberechtigte dürfen sich diesbezüglich nicht schlechter als bei Volleigentum stellen. Diese Anforderung wird durch die Sharpe Ratio konkretisiert. Damit sich der Erbbauberechtigte nicht gegenüber Volleigentum verschlechtert, bedarf es einer „Subventionierung“ seiner Rendite. Es wird gezeigt, dass dies durch den Erbbauberechtigten ohne Einbußen in seiner Rendite/Risiko-Position gegenüber Volleigentum geschehen kann. Auf Grundlage dieser Überlegungen werden Mindestrenditeforderungen für den Erbbauberechtigten und Höchstsätze für den Erbbauverpflichteten kalkuliert, die sich auf die Bodenwerte beziehen.
E-commerce live streaming - An emerging industry in China and a potential future trend in the world
(2021)
With the widespread use of the Internet, many industries have developed rapidly. The economy based on the Internet poses a significant threat to the traditional economy. Live streaming plus e-commerce, which is acknowledged as the current global economic status, is the result of combing live streaming and various industries through the Internet. E-commerce live streaming is one of the most essential types of online live streaming. In this article, it is defined as the live streaming of the e-commerce platform used by Key Opinion Leaders or product sellers through the built-in live streaming function of the platform to propagate goods, brands, events, etc. to achieve goals of brand exposure and product sales. Compared with the traditional economic model, the combined model of e-commerce and live streaming has its advantages and characteristics. This kind of marketing tool is now prevalent. However, there are many deficiencies in e-commerce live streaming that need to be improved since the development of e-commerce is immature and supervision of Internet use is ongoing.
This scientific paper aims to collect and analyze various digital technologies connected to pharmacies and Health 4.0. Thus, the goal is to give basic recommendations for actions for pharmacies to remain successful businesses in the digital future of healthcare. While the total health sector is growing continuously, the total number of pharmacies is shrinking. To be able to face the competitive pressure on the pharmaceutical market, pharmacies have to integrate more efficient digital technologies to be able to increase customers’ experience. Hence, the acceptance and attitude of the German society towards digital health solutions are examined using a short survey and a precise questionnaire. After a detailed analysis of the survey results and the questionnaire answered by a pharmacist, specific digital methods and technologies which make sense for pharmacies can be elaborated. As the future of pharmacies is still quite unexplored, while the health market is shifting to more efficient digital solutions, pharmacies have to adapt to current developments fast. Therefore, this paper can serve as a guideline for pharmacies in the rapid changes toward more digital markets.
In this paper, the radio frequency (RF) behavior of mechanically stressed coaxial and for the first time also twisted-pair transmission lines is investigated over their service life. The main goal is to enable predictive maintenance for cables in moving applications and avoid preventive replacement. This also reduces the use of high-cost resources. For this purpose, stranded and solid-core variants of coaxial and twisted-pair type cables are mechanically loaded on the two-pulley apparatus according to EN 50396. Their RF transmission (S21) behavior is measured using a vector network analyzer and presented over bending cycles. For the first time, the phase response of mechanically loaded transmission lines is evaluated with respect to their service life. Two significant causes for the increasing attenuation and altered phase response are identified: breakage in foil screen and increasing surface roughness on the copper conductors. The identified causes are supported with literature evidence. Through measurements and theoretical calculations, it is proven that the phase is much more suitable for an assessment of the remaining service life than the amplitude. The findings can be used to implement a cable monitoring system in industrial environments which monitors the lines in-situ and reminds the user to replace them, whenever a certain wear-level is reached.
Research in global change ecology relies heavily on global climatic grids derived from estimates of air temperature in open areas at around 2 m above the ground. These climatic grids do not reflect conditions below vegetation canopies and near the ground surface, where critical ecosystem functions occur and most terrestrial species reside. Here, we provide global maps of soil temperature and bioclimatic variables at a 1-km2 resolution for 0–5 and 5–15 cm soil depth. These maps were created by calculating the difference (i.e. offset) between in situ soil temperature measurements, based on time series from over 1200 1-km2 pixels (summarized from 8519 unique temperature sensors) across all the world's major terrestrial biomes, and coarse-grained air temperature estimates from ERA5-Land (an atmospheric reanalysis by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). We show that mean annual soil temperature differs markedly from the corresponding gridded air temperature, by up to 10°C (mean = 3.0 ± 2.1°C), with substantial variation across biomes and seasons. Over the year, soils in cold and/or dry biomes are substantially warmer (+3.6 ± 2.3°C) than gridded air temperature, whereas soils in warm and humid environments are on average slightly cooler (−0.7 ± 2.3°C). The observed substantial and biome-specific offsets emphasize that the projected impacts of climate and climate change on near-surface biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are inaccurately assessed when air rather than soil temperature is used, especially in cold environments. The global soil-related bioclimatic variables provided here are an important step forward for any application in ecology and related disciplines. Nevertheless, we highlight the need to fill remaining geographic gaps by collecting more in situ measurements of microclimate conditions to further enhance the spatiotemporal resolution of global soil temperature products for ecological applications.
Gait analysis is a systematic study of human movement. Combining wearable foot pressure sensors and machine learning (ML) solutions for a high-fidelity body pose tracking from RGB video frames could reveal more insights into gait abnormalities. However, accurate detection of heel strike (HS) and toe-off (TO) events is crucial to compute interpretable gait parameters. In this work, we present an experimental platform to study the timing of gait events using a new wearable foot pressure sensor (ActiSense System, IEE S.A., Luxembourg), and Google’s open-source ML solution MediaPipe Pose. For this purpose, two StereoPi systems were built to capture stereoscopic videos and images in real time. MediaPipe Pose was applied to the synchronized StereoPi cameras, and two algorithms (ALs) were developed to detect HS and TO events for gait and analysis. Preliminary results from a healthy subject walking on a treadmill show a mean relative deviation across all time spans of less than 4% for the ActiSense device and less than 16% for AL2 (33% for AL1) employing MediaPipe Pose on StereoPi videos. Finally, this work offers a platform for the development of sensor- and video-based ALs to automatically identify the timing of gait events in healthy individuals and those with gait disorders.
Since tangible assets of companies are becoming increasingly insignificant, emphasis should rather be placed on human capital as an essential source of competitive edge. This paper, accordingly, pursues the purpose to shed light on the major demands that the Millenials place on their prospective employers. In consequence, the work aims to identify attractiveness factors that German retailers should particularly promote in order to succeed in the war for talents and attract the most promising candidates among the German Gen Y. This work is based on a mixed-methods approach. First, interviews with German retail experts as well as generational keynote speakers were conducted in order to obtain a deep understanding and assessment of the German retail landscape from a professional perspective. The insights gained were subsequently used to design a questionnaire, which distribution led to a final sample of 216 useable responses by Millenials. Furthermore, the data obtained by interviewing experts and the survey was subsequently compared in order to evaluate to what extent the expectations of the Millenials correspond to the experts’ assessment. This study reveals Millenials to be driven by the need for growth, such as wide offers of development opportunities or scope for decision when choosing an employer. Among the relatedness needs, a harmonious working environment is particularly important, whereas a weekend off ranks first among the existential needs. Moreover, male Millenials consider Media Markt being the most popular employer in the German retail sector, while dm is preferred from a female perspective. Overall, employers of the German retail sector provide the majority of factors required by the Millenials, yet are only considered the 4th most popular industry behind the automotive, IT, art and entertainment industries. Our findings provide valuable practical implications as the research results might serve companies to build up a target group specific employer brand. Marketing strategies can be aligned with the identified attractiveness factors to efficiently and cost-effectively attract and bind Millenials to the company. Customized recruiting campaigns enhance the appeal as well as the attractiveness of an employer driving the likelihood of obtaining the strived status: Employer of Choice. To the best of the author’s knowledge, no study has yet dealt specifically with the attractiveness factors demanded by the Millenials in the context of the German retail sector as well as their most aspired employers in this industry. Furthermore, the attractiveness factors identified in the literature were embedded in Aldefer’s ERG theory. This work also offers a bilateral perspective through the widely conducted survey carried out among Millenials, which was additionally expanded through the lens of experts.
Purpose: Grounded in the theoretical concepts of utilitarianism and deontology, this paper aims to evaluate the issue of child labour from an ethics perspective. By linking utilitarianism with normative stakeholder theory, relevant stakeholder groups are being identified in order to examine their influence on and role in the occurrence of child labour allowing for a practical reference. The findings may serve companies in particular as a basis for decision-making in the development of their value chains.
Design/Methodology/Approach: The author uses a literature review in order to analyze the findings of existing literature on the topic of child labour in an ethics context, thereby drawing on literature, indexed in Web of Science and Google Scholar by employing forward and backward citation analysis.
Findings: The investigation of child labour in terms of ethics yields conflicting results. From a deontological perspective, child labour can never be ethical and should always be rejected as it is not wanted to become a general law. In contrast, according to a utilitarian sentiment, child labour is ethically justifiable as long as the beneficiaries of the labour are greater in number than the children working or suffering.
Originality/Value: The examination of child labour from the perspective of deontology and utilitarianism in conjunction with normative stakeholder theory constitutes a novelty in the ethics literature. The integration of theoretical findings into a practical business context provides additional value for managers and global supply chain managers.
The dark side of Samsung’s value chain: The human costs of cobalt mining “BLOOD, SWEAT AND COBALT”
(2021)
Samsung has been implicitly linked to human rights abuses and wider social downgrading propagated within the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Reports by different studies have shown artisanal cobalt mines (ASM) to exploit child labour and subject workers to perilous conditions. The IT multinational is dependent upon Congolese cobalt as a key element in lithiumion batteries used to produce their array of electronics. However, irresponsible cobalt sourcing practices undertaken by Tier 1 suppliers, Glencore and Huayou, have resulted in ASM operations being incorporated into Samsung’s global value chain, as Tier 2 suppliers. Analysis of the relationships underpinning Samsung’s cobalt value chain theoretical framework, highlights the presence of a relational governance structure, with captive elements among upstream Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers. Samsung is thereby reliant upon both Glencore and Huayou to transmit and enforce private codes of conduct down the value chain to expel human rights abuses. In conjunction, the DRC’s weak and unstable institutional environment has facilitated corruption and the improper enforcement of laws across the ASM industry. It is thereby imperative that Samsung takes ownership of the issues present within its value chain, as both Tier 1 suppliers and the Congolese government have failed to ensure responsible cobalt sourcing practices to date. This report recommends that Samsung adopt a holistic action plan, not only utilising their own resources and capabilities, but also those of critical stakeholders including Tier 1 suppliers, NGOs and the DRC and South Korean governments. Most prominently, this report suggests that supply chain transparency can be improved using certificates of origin and blockchain technology. Furthermore, it is recommended that poverty alleviation is targeted as a key measure through “Cobalt for Development”, an action plan designed to instigate both social and economic upgrading within ASM operations and the wider community. By employing a multi-scalar approach and addressing the issues inherent across multiple governance levels, Samsung can ensure a responsible source of cobalt be sustained.
Containerization is one of the most important topics for modern data centers and web developers. Since the number of containers on one- and multi-node systems is growing, knowledge about the energy consumption behavior of single web-service containers is essential in order to save energy and, of course, money. In this article, we are going to show how the energy consumption behavior of single containerized web services/web apps changes while creating replicas of the service in order to scale and balance the web service.
Context: In the framework of studying cosmic microwave background polarization and characterizing its Galactic foregrounds, the angular power spectrum analysis of the thermal dust polarization map has led to intriguing evidence of an E/B asymmetry and a positive TE correlation. The interpretation of these observations is the subject of theoretical and simulation-driven studies in which the correlation between the density structure of the interstellar medium (ISM) and the magnetic field appears to be a key aspect. In this context, and when the magnetized ISM structures are modeled in three dimensions, dust clouds are generally considered to be filamentary structures only, but both filamentary and sheet-like shapes are supported by observational and theoretical evidence.
Aims: We aim to study the influence of the cloud shape and its connection to the local magnetic field, as well as the influence from the viewing angle, on the angular power spectra measured on thermal dust polarization maps; we specifically focus on the dependence of the E/B power asymmetry and TE correlation.
Methods: To this end, we simulated realistic interstellar clouds with both filament-like and sheet-like shapes using the software ASTERION, which also allowed us to generate synthetic maps of thermal dust polarized emission with an area of 400 square degrees. Then, we computed their polarization power spectra in the multipole range ℓ ϵ [100, 500] and focused on the E/B power asymmetry, quantified through the ℛEB ratio, and the correlation coefficient rTE between Τ and Ε modes. We quantified the dependence of ℛEB and rTE values on the offset angle (between the longest cloud axis and local magnetic field lines) and inclination angle (between the line of sight and the magnetic field) for both types of cloud shapes, either embedded in a regular magnetic field or coupled to a nonregular field to mimic turbulence.
Results: We find that both types of cloud shapes cover the same regions of the (ℛEB, rTE) parameter space. The dependence on the inclination and offset angles is similar for both shapes, although sheet-like structures generally show larger scatter than filamentary structures. In addition to the known dependence on the offset angle, we find a strong dependence of ℛEB and rTE on the inclination angle.
Conclusions: The very fact that filament-like and sheet-like structures may lead to polarization power spectra with similar (ℛEB,rTE) values complicates their interpretation. We argue that interpreting them solely in terms of filament characteristics is risky, and in future analyses, this degeneracy should be accounted for, as should the connection to the magnetic field geometry. Our results based on maps of 400 square degrees clarify that the overall geometrical arrangement of the magnetized ISM surrounding the observer leaves its marks on polarization power spectra.
For the assessment of human reaction time, a test environment was developed. This system consists of an embedded device with organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays with push buttons for the combined presentation of visual stimulation and registration of the haptic human reaction. The test leader can define the test sequence with the aid of a graphical user interface (GUI) on a personal computer (PC). The validation of the system was proved by measuring the latency times of the whole system, which are conditioned by the specific hard- and software constellation. Through the investigation of the display’s light radiation by a photodiode and the recorded current consumption, latency times and their variance were specified. In the fastest mode the system can reach an error limit of 60 μs.
The photo-Dember effect is a source of impulsive THz emission following femtosecond pulsed optical excitation. This emission results from the ultrafast spatial separation of electron-hole pairs in strong carrier gradients due to their different diffusion coefficients. The associated time dependent polarization is oriented perpendicular to the excited surface which is inaptly for efficient out coupling of THz radiation. We propose a scheme for generating strong carrier gradients parallel to the excited surface. The resulting photo-Dember currents are oriented in the same direction and emit THz radiation into the favorable direction perpendicular to the surface. This effect is demonstrated for GaAs and In(0.53)Ga(0.47)As. Surprisingly the photo-Dember THz emitters provide higher bandwidth than photoconductive emitters. Multiplexing of phase coherent photo-Dember currents by periodically tailoring the photoexcited spatial carrier distribution gives rise to a strongly enhanced THz emission, which reaches electric field amplitudes comparable to a high-efficiency externally biased photoconductive emitter.
Global vernetzte Supply Chains (SC) führen bei den Unternehmen zu geringeren Kosten, aber zugleich erhöhen diese auch die Abhängigkeit ggü. den Lieferanten und die Störanfälligkeit der SCs wird erhöht. In den vergangenen Jahren haben zudem die Unsicherheiten für die SCs stark zugenommen. Treiber waren hier u.a. der Brexit, Handelskonflikte oder auch die Corona-Pandemie. In diesem Zusammenhang steht verstärkt die Entwicklung neuer SC-Strategien im Fokus der Unternehmen. Dabei wird stark auf die Verbesserung der Resilienz der SCs geachtet, um dadurch u.a. die Risiken für die SCs zu reduzieren. Die Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit den Auswirkungen steigender Unsicherheiten auf das Design sowie die Resilienz von SCs und hat das Ziel zu ermitteln, ob es Änderungen in der SC bedarf, um auf die Auswirkungen steigender Unsicherheiten zu reagieren und wie die Resilienz zukünftig sichergestellt werden kann (Trade-off zwischen Resilienz und Kosteneffizienz). Im Rahmen der Untersuchung erfolgte eine qualitative Forschung in Form von Experteninterviews, da so u.a. spezifische Meinungen oder auch Begründungen und Einstellungen von bestimmten Personen zu den vorliegenden Thematiken ermittelt werden können. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Kosten weiterhin meist der entscheidende Aspekt sind und es mehr Transparenz, Flexibilität sowie ein besseres Risikomanagement nötig ist. Des Weiteren bedarf es zukünftig u.a. einer größeren Berücksichtigung von Unsicherheiten, eine Erhöhung von Sicherheitsbeständen sowie eine Verringerung der Komplexität der SCs und u.U. mehr Local Sourcing. Es empfiehlt sich eine weitere Untersuchung hinsichtlich der Kosten, die durch Resilienz-Instrumente sowie durch fehlende Resilienz entstehen können, durchzuführen.
Companies have made considerable progress in assessing the sustainability of their processes and products, including the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. However, it is surprising that little attention has been given to the sustainability performance of software products. For this article, we chose a case study approach to explore the extent, to which software manufacturers have considered sustainability criteria for their products. We selected a manufacturer of sustainability management software on the assumption that they would be more likely to integrate elements of sustainability performance in their products. In the case study, we applied a previously developed set of criteria for sustainable software (SCSS) using a questionnaire and experiments, to assess a web-based sustainability management software product regarding its sustainability performance. The assessment finds that despite a sustainability conscious manufacturer, a systematic assessment of sustainability regarding software products is missing in the case study. This implies that sustainability assessment for software products is still novel, corresponding knowledge is missing and suitable tools are not yet being widely applied in the industry. The SCSS presents a suitable approach to close this gap, but it does require further refinement, for example regarding its applicability to web-based software on external servers.
Sustainable software products - Towards assessment criteria for resource and energy efficiency
(2018)
Many authors have proposed criteria to assess the “environmental friendliness” or “sustainability” of software products. However, a causal model that links observable properties of a software product to conditions of it being green or (more general) sustainable is still missing. Such a causal model is necessary because software products are intangible goods and, as such, only have indirect effects on the physical world. In particular, software products are not subject to any wear and tear, they can be copied without great effort, and generate no waste or emissions when being disposed of. Viewed in isolation, software seems to be a perfectly sustainable type of product. In real life, however, software products with the same or similar functionality can differ substantially in the burden they place on natural resources, especially if the sequence of released versions and resulting hardware obsolescence is taken into account. In this article, we present a model describing the causal chains from software products to their impacts on natural resources, including energy sources, from a life-cycle perspective. We focus on (i) the demands of software for hardware capacities (local, remote, and in the connecting network) and the resulting hardware energy demand, (ii) the expectations of users regarding such demands and how these affect hardware operating life, and (iii) the autonomy of users in managing their software use with regard to resource efficiency. We propose a hierarchical set of criteria and indicators to assess these impacts. We demonstrate the application of this set of criteria, including the definition of standard usage scenarios for chosen categories of software products. We further discuss the practicability of this type of assessment, its acceptability for several stakeholders and potential consequences for the eco-labeling of software products and sustainable software design.
The number of additive manufacturing methods and materials is growing rapidly, leaving gaps in the knowledge of specific material properties. A relatively recent addition is the metal-filled filament to be printed similarly to the fused filament fabrication (FFF) technology used for plastic materials, but with additional debinding and sintering steps. While tensile, bending, and shear properties of metals manufactured this way have been studied thoroughly, their fatigue properties remain unexplored. Thus, the paper aims to determine the tensile, fatigue, and impact strengths of Markforged 17-4 PH and BASF Ultrafuse 316L stainless steel to answer whether the metal FFF can be used for structural parts safely with the current state of technology. They are compared to two 316L variants manufactured via selective laser melting (SLM) and literature results. For extrusion-based additive manufacturing methods, a significant decrease in tensile and fatigue strength is observed compared to specimens manufactured via SLM. Defects created during the extrusion and by the pathing scheme, causing a rough surface and internal voids to act as local stress risers, handle the strength decrease. The findings cast doubt on whether the metal FFF technique can be safely used for structural components; therefore, further developments are needed to reduce internal material defects.
Railroads, roads, rivers, and airways are the most common modes of transportation for people and commodities. The cost of different ways of transportation varies according to distance, luxury, size, fragility, and other factors. When the following factors are accounted for, the vehicle might become prohibitively expensive for many individuals. A new means of conveyance has been developed. Elon Musk initially proposed it as the fifth mode of transportation in 2012. For commuters and goods, Hyperloop offers a quick and cost-effective way of transportation. The Hyperloop is essentially a vacuum tube train that transports people or products at incredible speeds while efficiently. Compared to traditional forms of transportation, the Hyperloop is ideal since it is highly energy-efficient, quiet, and self-contained. Increased cargo delivery speeds will be the most evident benefit of this idea to the industry. Hyperloop also has the potential to make a significant contribution to green supply chains. It is a carbon-free form of transportation that has changed inland freight transportation and maritime and air freight transit. It can move freight below, above ground, and under-water. The aim of this paper is to explain this new innovative technology as a development for logistic concepts.
Background: The STarT-MSK-Tool is an adaptation of the well established STarT-Back-Tool, used to risk-stratify patients with a wider range of musculoskeletal presentations.
Objective: To formally translate and cross-culturally adapt the Keele STarT-MSK risk stratification tool into German (STarT-MSKG) and to establish its reliability and validity.
Methods: A formal, multi-step, forward and backward translation approach was used. To assess validity patients aged ≥18 years, with acute, subacute or chronic musculoskeletal presentations in the lumbar spine, hip, knee, shoulder, or neck were included. The prospective cohort was used with initial data collected electronically at the point-of-consultation. Retest and 6-month follow-up questionnaires were sent by email. Test-retest reliability, construct validity, discriminative ability, predictive ability and floor or ceiling effects were analysed using intraclass correlation coefficient, and comparisons with a reference standard (Orebro-Musculoskeletal-Pain-Questionnaire: OMPQ) using correlations, ROC-curves and regression models.
Results: The participants’ (n = 287) mean age was 47 (SD = 15.8) years, 51% were female, with 48.8% at low, 43.6% at medium, and 7.7% at high risk. With ICC = 0.75 (95% CI 0.69; 0.81) test-retest-reliability was good. Construct validity was good with correlations for the STarT-MSKG-Tool against the OMPQ-Tool of rs = 0.74 (95% CI 0.68, 0.79). The ability of the tool [comparison OMPQ] to predict 6-month pain and disability was acceptable with AUC = 0.77 (95% CI 0.71, 0.83) [OMPQ = 0.74] and 0.76 (95% CI 0.69, 0.82) [OMPQ = 0.72] respectively. However, the explained variance (linear/logistic regression) for predicting 6-month pain (21% [OMPQ = 17%]/logistic = 29%) and disability (linear = 20%:[OMPQ = 19%]/logistic = 26%), whilst being comparable to the existing OMPQ reference standard, fell short of the a priori target of ≥30%.
Conclusions: The German version of the STarT-MSK-Tool is a valid instrument for use across multiple musculoskeletal conditions and is availabe for use in clinical practice. Comparison with the OMPQ suggests it is a good alternative.
Stratified care for low back pain (LBP) has been shown to be clinically- and cost-effective in the UK, but its transferability to the German healthcare system is unknown. This study explores LBP patients’ perspectives regarding future implementation of stratified care, through in-depth interviews (n = 12). The STarT-Back-Tool was completed by participants prior to interviews. Interview data were analysed using Grounded Theory. The overarching theme identified from the data was ‘treatment-success’, with subthemes of ‘assessment and treatment planning’, ‘acceptance of the questionnaire’ and ‘contextual factors’. Patients identified the underlying cause of pain as being of great importance (whereas STarT-Back allocates treatment based on prognosis). The integration of the STarT-Back-Tool in consultations was considered helpful as long as it does not disrupt the therapeutic relationship, and was acceptable if tool results are handled confidentially. Results indicate that for patients to find STarT-Back acceptable, the shift from a focus on identifying a cause of pain and subsequent diagnosis, to prediction-orientated treatment planning, must be made clear. Patient ‘buy in’ is important for successful uptake of clinical interventions, and findings can help to inform future strategies for implementing STarT-Back in the Germany, as well as having potential implications for transferability to other similar healthcare systems.
Background: The STarT-Back-Approach (STarT: Subgroups for Targeted Treatment) was developed in the UK and has demonstrated clinical and cost effectiveness. Based on the results of a brief questionnaire, patients with low back pain are stratified into three treatment groups. Since the organisation of physiotherapy differs between Germany and the UK, the aim of this study is to explore German physiotherapists’ views and perceptions about implementing the STarT-Back-Approach.
Methods: Three two-hour think-tank workshops with physiotherapists were conducted. Focus groups, using a semi-structured interview guideline, followed a presentation of the STarT-Back-Approach, with discussions audio recorded, transcribed and qualitatively analysed using content analysis.
Results: Nineteen physiotherapists participated (15 female, mean age 41.2 (SD 8.6) years). Three main themes emerged, each with multiple subthemes: 1) the intervention (15 subthemes), 2) the healthcare context (26 subthemes) and 3) individual characteristics (8 subthemes). Therapists’ perceptions of the extent to which the STarT-Back intervention would require changes to their normal clinical practice varied considerably. They felt that within their current healthcare context, there were significant financial disincentives that would discourage German physiotherapists from providing the STarT-Back treatment pathways, such as the early discharge of low-risk patients with supported self-management materials. They also discussed the need for appropriate standardised graduate and post-graduate skills training for German physiotherapists to treat high-risk patients with a combined physical and psychological approach (e.g., communication skills).
Conclusions: Whilst many German physiotherapists are positive about the STarT-Back-Approach, there are a number of substantial barriers to implementing the matched treatment pathways in Germany. These include financial disincentives within the healthcare system to early discharge of low-risk patients. Therapists also highlighted the need for solutions in respect of scalable physiotherapy training to gain skills in combined physical and psychological approaches.
Background: Stratified care is an up-to-date treatment approach suggested for patients with back pain in several guidelines. A comprehensively studied stratification instrument is the STarT Back Tool (SBT). It was developed to stratify patients with back pain into three subgroups, according to their risk of persistent disabling symptoms. The primary aim was to analyse the disability differences in patients with back pain 12 months after inclusion according to the subgroups determined at baseline using the German version of the SBT (STarT-G). Moreover, the potential to improve prognosis for disability by adding further predictor variables, an analysis for differences in pain intensity according to the STarT-Classification, and discriminative ability were investigated.
Methods: Data from the control group of a randomized controlled trial were analysed. Trial participants were members of a private medical insurance with a minimum age of 18 and indicated as having persistent back pain. Measurements were made for the risk of back pain chronification using the STarT-G, disability (as primary outcome) and back pain intensity with the Chronic Pain Grade Scale (CPGS), health-related quality of life with the SF-12, psychological distress with the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) and physical activity. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple linear regression, and area under the curve (AUC) analysis were conducted.
Results: The mean age of the 294 participants was 53.5 (SD 8.7) years, and 38% were female. The ANOVA for disability and pain showed significant differences (p < 0.01) among the risk groups at 12 months. Post hoc Tukey tests revealed significant differences among all three risk groups for every comparison for both outcomes. AUC for STarT-G’s ability to discriminate reference standard ‘cases’ for chronic pain status at 12 months was 0.79. A prognostic model including the STarT-Classification, the variables global health, and disability at baseline explained 45% of the variance in disability at 12 months.
Conclusions: Disability differences in patients with back pain after a period of 12 months are in accordance with the subgroups determined using the STarT-G at baseline. Results should be confirmed in a study developed with the primary aim to investigate those differences.
The integration of genetic algorithms to optimize the networks of value chains could enormously improve the performance of supply chains. For this reason, this paper describes in more detail the application of genetic algorithms in the value chains of the automotive industry. For this purpose, a theoretical model is built up to evaluate whether the application of the model can optimize the value chain. This option is described, analyzed and its restrictions are shown. Instead of looking at the entire network, individual finished goods and their bill of material are used as a basis for optimization, which greatly reduces the complexity of the original problem. The original complexity of the supply chain networks can thus be reduced and considered based on the bill of material.
Fuzzy system based on two-step cascade genetic optimization strategy for tobacco tar prediction
(2019)
There are many challenges in accurately measuring cigarette tar constituents. These include the need for standardized smoke generation methods related to unstable mixtures. In this research were developed algorithms using fusion of artificial intelligence methods to predict tar concentration. Outputs of development are three fuzzy structures optimized with genetic algorithms resulting in genetic algorithm (GA)-FUZZY, GA-adaptive neuro fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), GA-GA-FUZZY algorithms. Proposed algorithms are used for the tar prediction in the cigarette production process. The results of prediction are compared with gas chromatograph (high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)) readings.
One key for successful and fluent human-robot-collaboration in disassembly processes is equipping the robot system with higher autonomy and intelligence. In this paper, we present an informed software agent that controls the robot behavior to form an intelligent robot assistant for disassembly purposes. While the disassembly process first depends on the product structure, we inform the agent using a generic approach through product models. The product model is then transformed to a directed graph and used to build, share and define a coarse disassembly plan. To refine the workflow, we formulate "the problem of loosening a connection and the distribution of the work" as a search problem. The created detailed plan consists of a sequence of actions that are used to call, parametrize and execute robot programs for the fulfillment of the assistance. The aim of this research is to equip robot systems with knowledge and skills to allow them to be autonomous in the performance of their assistance to finally improve the ergonomics of disassembly workstations.
Irrigated paddy rice agriculture accounts for a major share of Asia Pacific’s total water withdrawal. Furthermore, climate change induced water scarcity in the Asia-Pacific region is projected to intensify in the near future. Therefore, methods to reduce water consumption through efficiency measures are needed to ensure the long-term (water) sustainability. The irrigation systems, subak of Karangasem, Indonesia, and the tameike of Kunisaki, Japan, are two examples of sustainable paddy rice irrigation. This research, through interviews and an extensive survey, comparatively assessed the socio-environmental sustainability of the two irrigation management systems with special reference to the intensity and nature of social capital, equity of water distribution, water demand, water footprint, and water quality, etc. The prevailing social capital paradigm of each system was also compared to its overall managerial outcomes to analyze how cooperative action contributes to sustainable irrigation management. Both systems show a comparable degree of sustainable irrigation management, ensuring an equitable use of water, and maintain relatively fair water quality due to the land-use practices adapted. However, the systems differ in water demand and water efficiency principally because of the differences in the irrigation management strategies: human and structural. These findings could help devise mechanisms for transitioning to sustainable irrigation management in the commercially-oriented paddy rice agricultural systems across the Asia-Pacific region.
This study will describe how the robotics industry evolved increasingly and a new phase of advanced robotics has emerged, and the relation between humans and robots in the same workplace. Problems of designing safer robots in human-machine interaction systems are urgent research topics in the field of industrial robotics. Many of the problems in industrial robotics are related not just to technological issues, but also to human-robot collaboration also will be discussed as an effective method to tackle this issue is the invention of Collaborative robots.
Background: To facilitate access to evidence-based care for back pain, a German private medical insurance offered a health program proactively to their members. Feasibility and long-term efficacy of this approach were evaluated.
Methods: Using Zelen’s design, adult members of the health insurance with chronic back pain according to billing data were randomized to the intervention (IG) or the control group (CG). Participants allocated to the IG were invited to participate in the comprehensive health program comprising medical exercise therapy and life style coaching, and those allocated to the CG to a longitudinal back pain survey. Primary outcomes were back pain severity (Korff’s Chronic Pain Grade Questionnaire) as well as health-related quality of life (SF-12) assessed by identical online questionnaires at baseline and 2-year follow-up in both study arms. In addition to analyses of covariance, a subgroup analysis explored the heterogeneity of treatment effects among different risks of back pain chronification (STarT Back Tool).
Results: Out of 3462 persons selected, randomized and thereafter contacted, 552 agreed to participate. At the 24-month follow-up, data on 189 of 258 (73.3%) of the IG were available, in the CG on 255 of 294 (86.7%). Significant, small beneficial effects were seen in primary outcomes: Compared to the CG, the IG reported less disability (1.6 vs 2.0; p = 0.025; d = 0.24) and scored better at the SF-12 physical health scale (43.3 vs 41.0; p < 0.007; d = 0.26). No effect was seen in back pain intensity and in the SF-12 mental health scale. Persons with medium or high risk of back pain chronification at baseline responded better to the health program in all primary outcomes than the subgroup with low risk at baseline.
Conclusions: After 2 years, the proactive health program resulted in small positive long-term improvements. Using risk screening prior to inclusion in the health program might increase the percentage of participants deriving benefits from it.
The data presented here contain information on cheating behavior from experiments and general self-reported attitudes related to honesty-related social norms and trust, together with individual-level demographic variables. Our sample included 493 university students in five countries, namely, Germany, Vietnam, Taiwan, China, and Japan. The experiment was monetarily incentivized based on the performance on a matrix task. The participants also answered a survey questionnaire. The dataset is valuable for academic researchers in sociology, psychology, and economics who are interested in honesty, norms, and cultural differences.
Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical intervention where electrodes are permanently implanted into the brain in order to modulate pathologic neural activity. The post-operative reconstruction of the DBS electrodes is important for an efficient stimulation parameter tuning. A major limitation of existing approaches for electrode reconstruction from post-operative imaging that prevents the clinical routine use is that they are manual or semi-automatic, and thus both time-consuming and subjective. Moreover, the existing methods rely on a simplified model of a straight line electrode trajectory, rather than the more realistic curved trajectory. The main contribution of this paper is that for the first time we present a highly accurate and fully automated method for electrode reconstruction that considers curved trajectories. The robustness of our proposed method is demonstrated using a multi-center clinical dataset consisting of N = 44 electrodes. In all cases the electrode trajectories were successfully identified and reconstructed. In addition, the accuracy is demonstrated quantitatively using a high-accuracy phantom with known ground truth. In the phantom experiment, the method could detect individual electrode contacts with high accuracy and the trajectory reconstruction reached an error level below 100 μm (0.046 ± 0.025 mm). An implementation of the method is made publicly available such that it can directly be used by researchers or clinicians. This constitutes an important step towards future integration of lead reconstruction into standard clinical care.
Agility and digital trends go hand in hand, but the advantages of digitalization perform a high pressure on the established automotive companies. For years now, automotive groups have no longer been innovation drivers in the industry. This status is reserved for radical companies like Tesla. But is there any chance that conservative companies will reinvent themselves, establish leaner structures and thus regain market dominance and innovation?
Concerns over climate change, air pollution, and oil supply have stimulated the market for battery electric vehicles (BEVs). The environmental impacts of BEVs are typically evaluated through a standardized life-cycle assessment (LCA) methodology. Here, the LCA literature was surveyed with the objective to sketch the major trends and challenges in the impact assessment of BEVs. It was found that BEVs tend to be more energy efficient and less polluting than conventional cars. BEVs decrease exposure to air pollution as their impacts largely result from vehicle production and electricity generation outside of urban areas. The carbon footprint of BEVs, being highly sensitive to the carbon intensity of the electricity mix, may decrease in the nearby future through a shift to renewable energies and technology improvements in general. A minority of LCAs covers impact categories other than carbon footprint, revealing a mixed picture. Up to date little attention is paid so far in LCA to the efficiency advantage of BEVs in urban traffic, the gap between on-road and certified energy consumption, the local exposure to air pollutants and noise and the aging of emissions control technologies in conventional cars. Improvements of BEV components, directed charging, second-life reuse of vehicle batteries, as well as vehicle-to-home and vehicle-to-grid applications will significantly reduce the environmental impacts of BEVs in the future.
Background: Electric vehicles have been identified as being a key technology in reducing future emissions and energy consumption in the mobility sector. The focus of this article is to review and assess the energy efficiency and the environmental impact of battery electric cars (BEV), which is the only technical alternative on the market available today to vehicles with internal combustion engine (ICEV). Electricity onboard a car can be provided either by a battery or a fuel cell (FCV). The technical structure of BEV is described, clarifying that it is relatively simple compared to ICEV. Following that, ICEV can be ‘e-converted’ by experienced personnel. Such an e-conversion project generated reality-close data reported here.
Results: Practicability of today's BEV is discussed, revealing that particularly small-size BEVs are useful. This article reports on an e-conversion of a used Smart. Measurements on this car, prior and after conversion, confirmed a fourfold energy efficiency advantage of BEV over ICEV, as supposed in literature. Preliminary energy efficiency data of FCV are reviewed being only slightly lower compared to BEV. However, well-to-wheel efficiency suffers from 47% to 63% energy loss during hydrogen production. With respect to energy efficiency, BEVs are found to represent the only alternative to ICEV. This, however, is only true if the electricity is provided by very efficient power plants or better by renewable energy production. Literature data on energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission by ICEV compared to BEV suffer from a 25% underestimation of ICEV-standardized driving cycle numbers in relation to street conditions so far. Literature data available for BEV, on the other hand, were mostly modeled and based on relatively heavy BEV as well as driving conditions, which do not represent the most useful field of BEV operation. Literature data have been compared with measurements based on the converted Smart, revealing a distinct GHG emissions advantage due to the German electricity net conditions, which can be considerably extended by charging electricity from renewable sources. Life cycle carbon footprint of BEV is reviewed based on literature data with emphasis on lithium-ion batteries. Battery life cycle assessment (LCA) data available in literature, so far, vary significantly by a factor of up to 5.6 depending on LCA methodology approach, but also with respect to the battery chemistry. Carbon footprint over 100,000 km calculated for the converted 10-year-old Smart exhibits a possible reduction of over 80% in comparison to the Smart with internal combustion engine.
Conclusion: Findings of the article confirm that the electric car can serve as a suitable instrument towards a much more sustainable future in mobility. This is particularly true for small-size BEV, which is underrepresented in LCA literature data so far. While CO2-LCA of BEV seems to be relatively well known apart from the battery, life cycle impact of BEV in categories other than the global warming potential reveals a complex and still incomplete picture. Since technology of the electric car is of limited complexity with the exception of the battery, used cars can also be converted from combustion to electric. This way, it seems possible to reduce CO2-equivalent emissions by 80% (factor 5 efficiency improvement).