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Females are influenced more than males by visual cues during many spatial orientation tasks; but females rely more heavily on gravitational cues during visual-vestibular conflict. Are there gender biases in the relative contributions of vision, gravity and the internal representation of the body to the perception of upright? And might any such biases be affected by low gravity? 16 participants (8 female) viewed a highly polarized visual scene tilted ±112° while lying supine on the European Space Agency's short-arm human centrifuge. The centrifuge was rotated to simulate 24 logarithmically spaced g-levels along the long axis of the body (0.04-0.5g at ear-level). The perception of upright was measured using the Oriented Character Recognition Test (OCHART). OCHART uses the ambiguous symbol "p" shown in different orientations. Participants decided whether it was a "p" or a "d" from which the perceptual upright (PU) can be calculated for each visual/gravity combination. The relative contribution of vision, gravity and the internal representation of the body were then calculated. Experiments were repeated while upright. The relative contribution of vision on the PU was less in females compared to males (t=-18.48, p≤0.01). Females placed more emphasis on the gravity cue instead (f:28.4%, m:24.9%) while body weightings were constant (f:63.0%, m:63.2%). When upright (1g) in this and other studies (e.g., Barnett-Cowan et al. 2010, EJN, 31,1899) females placed more emphasis on vision in this task than males. The reduction in weight allocated by females to vision when in simulated low-gravity conditions compared to when upright under normal gravity may be related to similar female behaviour in response to other instances of visual-vestibular conflict. Why this is the case and at which point the perceptual change happens requires further research.
Analytical redundancy relations are fundamental in model-based fault detection and isolation. Their numerical evaluation yields a residual that may serve as a fault indicator. Considering switching linear time-invariant system models that use ideal switches, it is shown that analytical redundancy relations can be systematically deduced from a diagnostic bond graph with fixed causalities that hold for all modes of operation. Moreover, as to a faultless system, the presented bond graph–based approach enables to deduce a unique implicit state equation with coefficients that are functions of the discrete switch states. Devices or phenomena with fast state transitions, for example, electronic diodes and transistors, clutches, or hard mechanical stops are often represented by ideal switches which give rise to variable causalities. However, in the presented approach, fixed causalities are assigned only once to a diagnostic bond graph. That is, causal strokes at switch ports in the diagnostic bond graph reflect only the switch-state configuration in a specific system mode. The actual discrete switch states are implicitly taken into account by the discrete values of the switch moduli. The presented approach starts from a diagnostic bond graph with fixed causalities and from a partitioning of the bond graph junction structure and systematically deduces a set of equations that determines the wanted residuals. Elimination steps result in analytical redundancy relations in which the states of the storage elements and the outputs of the ideal switches are unknowns. For the later two unknowns, the approach produces an implicit differential algebraic equations system. For illustration of the general matrix-based approach, an electromechanical system and two small electronic circuits are considered. Their equations are directly derived from a diagnostic bond graph by following causal paths and are reformulated so that they conform with the matrix equations obtained by the formal approach based on a partitioning of the bond graph junction structure. For one of the three mode-switching examples, a fault scenario has been simulated.
This paper introduces a random number generator (RNG) based on the avalanche noise of two diodes. A true random number generator (TRNG) generates true random numbers with the use of the electronic noise produced by two avalanche diodes. The amplified outputs of the diodes are sampled and digitized. The difference between the two concurrently sampled and digitized outputs is calculated and used to select a seed and to drive a pseudo-random number generator (PRNG). The PRNG is an xorshift generator that generates 1024 bits in each cycle. Every sequence of 1024 bits is moderately modified and output. The TRNG delivers the next seed and the next cycle begins. The statistical behavior of the generator is analyzed and presented.
Die vergangene Forschung zeigte, dass Werte und Persönlichkeitseigenschaften von (potentiellen) Arbeitnehmern die wahrgenommene Attraktivität bestimmter Arbeitgebermerkmale wie der Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) beeinflussen. Weitere Forschung wird hingegen benötigt, um die in diesem Zusammenhang relevanten Persönlichkeitsmerkmale zu identifizieren. Diese Studie zielt darauf ab, die Werte und Persönlichkeitseigenschaften zu ermitteln, welche die unterschiedliche Attraktivität von CSR und weiteren Arbeitgebermerkmalen, die sich nicht auf die CSR beziehen, erklären können. Dazu bewerteten (potentielle) Arbeitnehmer (N = 145) auf zwei eigenentwickelten Skalen sowohl CSR-basierte Faktoren der Arbeitgeberattraktivität (z.B. Wassersparen) als auch Nicht-CSR-basierte Faktoren der Arbeitgeberattraktivität (z.B. erwünschte Unternehmenslage) hinsichtlich ihrer Wichtigkeit. Für die CSR-basierte Arbeitgeberattraktivität konnten unter Kontrolle der Big-Five hypothesenkonform die Wertedimension Selbst-Überwindung, die Persönlichkeitsdimension Communion und die prosoziale Persönlichkeit als Prädiktoren identifiziert werden. Die Wertedimensionen Selbst-Erhöhung und Selbst-Überwindung sowie die Persönlichkeitsdimensionen Agency und Communion leisten – ebenfalls über die Big-Five hinaus – einen bedeutenden Beitrag zur Vorhersage der Nicht-CSR-basierten Arbeitgeberattraktivität.
In 2018, in the US alone, it is estimated that 268,670 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and that 41,400 will die from it. Since breast cancers often become resistant to therapies, and certain breast cancers lack therapeutic targets, new approaches are urgently required. A cell-stress response pathway, the unfolded protein response (UPR), has emerged as a promising target for the development of novel breast cancer treatments. This pathway is activated in response to a disturbance in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) homeostasis but has diverse physiological and disease-specific functions. In breast cancer, UPR signalling promotes a malignant phenotype and can confer tumours with resistance to widely used therapies. Here, we review several roles for UPR signalling in breast cancer, highlighting UPR-mediated therapy resistance and the potential for targeting the UPR alone or in combination with existing therapies.
Seit 2012 wird an der Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg die Studieneingangsphase im Qualitätspakt Lehre gefördert. Ein wesentliches Anliegen im Projekt „Pro-MINT-us“ ist die Einbeziehung der gesamten Hochschule, um keine isolierten Maßnahmen anzubieten, sondern die im Projekt entwickelten Lehrideen nachhaltig zu verankern.
Innovations in the mobility industry such as automated and connected cars could significantly reduce congestion and emissions by allowing the traffic to flow more freely and reducing the number of vehicles according to some researchers. However, the effectiveness of these sustainable product and service innovations is often limited by unexpected changes in consumption: some researchers thus hypothesize that the higher comfort and improved quality of time in driverless cars could lead to an increase in demand for driving with autonomous vehicles. So far, there is a lack of empirical evidence supporting either one or other of these hypotheses. To analyze the influence of autonomous driving on mobility behavior and to uncover user preferences, which serve as indicators for future travel mode choices, we conducted an online survey with a paired comparison of current and future travel modes with 302 participants in Germany. The results do not confirm the hypothesis that ownership will become an outdated model in the future. Instead they suggest that private cars, whether conventional or fully automated, will remain the preferred travel mode. At the same time, carsharing will benefit from full automation more than private cars. However, the findings indicate that the growth of carsharing will mainly be at the expense of public transport, showing that more emphasis should be placed in making public transport more attractive if sustainable mobility is to be developed.
Antioxidant activity is an essential aspect of oxygen-sensitive merchandise and goods, such as food and corresponding packaging, cosmetics, and biomedicine. Technical lignin has not yet been applied as a natural antioxidant, mainly due to the complex heterogeneous structure and polydispersity of lignin. This report presents antioxidant capacity studies completed using the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The influence of purification on lignin structure and activity was investigated. The purification procedure showed that double-fold selective extraction is the most efficient (confirmed by ultraviolet-visible (UV/Vis), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), heteronuclear single quantum coherence (HSQC) and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, size exclusion chromatography, and X-ray diffraction), resulting in fractions of very narrow polydispersity (3.2⁻1.6), up to four distinct absorption bands in UV/Vis spectroscopy. Due to differential scanning calorimetry measurements, the glass transition temperature increased from 123 to 185 °C for the purest fraction. Antioxidant capacity is discussed regarding the biomass source, pulping process, and degree of purification. Lignin obtained from industrial black liquor are compared with beech wood samples: antioxidant activity (DPPH inhibition) of kraft lignin fractions were 62⁻68%, whereas beech and spruce/pine-mixed lignin showed values of 42% and 64%, respectively. Total phenol content (TPC) of the isolated kraft lignin fractions varied between 26 and 35%, whereas beech and spruce/pine lignin were 33% and 34%, respectively. Storage decreased the TPC values but increased the DPPH inhibition.
Renewable resources gain increasing interest as source for environmentally benign biomaterials, such as drug encapsulation/release compounds, and scaffolds for tissue engineering in regenerative medicine. Being the second largest naturally abundant polymer, the interest in lignin valorization for biomedical utilization is rapidly growing. Depending on resource and isolation procedure, lignin shows specific antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Today, efforts in research and industry are directed toward lignin utilization as renewable macromolecular building block for the preparation of polymeric drug encapsulation and scaffold materials. Within the last five years, remarkable progress has been made in isolation, functionalization and modification of lignin and lignin-derived compounds. However, literature so far mainly focuses lignin-derived fuels, lubricants and resins. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current state of the art and to highlight the most important results in the field of lignin-based materials for potential use in biomedicine (reported in 2014–2018). Special focus is drawn on lignin-derived nanomaterials for drug encapsulation and release as well as lignin hybrid materials used as scaffolds for guided bone regeneration in stem cell-based therapies.
Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacks targeted therapies and has a worse prognosis than other breast cancer subtypes, underscoring an urgent need for new therapeutic targets and strategies. IRE1 is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress sensor, whose activation is predominantly linked to the resolution of ER stress and, in the case of severe stress, to cell death. Here we demonstrate that constitutive IRE1 RNase activity contributes to basal production of pro-tumorigenic factors IL-6, IL-8, CXCL1, GM-CSF, and TGFβ2 in TNBC cells. We further show that the chemotherapeutic drug, paclitaxel, enhances IRE1 RNase activity and this contributes to paclitaxel-mediated expansion of tumor-initiating cells. In a xenograft mouse model of TNBC, inhibition of IRE1 RNase activity increases paclitaxel-mediated tumor suppression and delays tumor relapse post therapy. We therefore conclude that inclusion of IRE1 RNase inhibition in therapeutic strategies can enhance the effectiveness of current chemotherapeutics.
The curricula of all degree programs at H-BRS have many different practice-oriented activities and focus on hands-on learning. In labs and small classrooms (30–60 persons), students get a personalized learning environment which is complemented with many individual and group projects that foster collaborative work situations. There are several main areas that students learn from working with industry, local organizations or public institutions.
The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach is the most important tool in the evaluation of environmental (sustainability) impacts of products and processes. We used the method to conduct an impact analysis with regard to raw material inputs (pulp) for the German paper production industry. In our analysis, we compare the environmental effects of primary sulphate pulp, scrap paper pulp and grass-based pulp and estimate their impacts in the impact categories "greenhouse gas emissions", "eutrophication" as well as "energy and water consumption". Furthermore, we discuss the opportunities of the methodical approach and some general problems and limits of the application of a LCA. In conclusion, we found environmental advantages for the use of grass as an alternative resource in the German paper production industry, especially in the fields of transport and water consumption.
Renewable resources are gaining increasing interest as a source for environmentally benign biomaterials, such as drug encapsulation/release compounds, and scaffolds for tissue engineering in regenerative medicine. Being the second largest naturally abundant polymer, the interest in lignin valorization for biomedical utilization is rapidly growing. Depending on its resource and isolation procedure, lignin shows specific antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Today, efforts in research and industry are directed toward lignin utilization as a renewable macromolecular building block for the preparation of polymeric drug encapsulation and scaffold materials. Within the last five years, remarkable progress has been made in isolation, functionalization and modification of lignin and lignin-derived compounds. However, the literature so far mainly focuses lignin-derived fuels, lubricants and resins. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current state of the art and to highlight the most important results in the field of lignin-based materials for potential use in biomedicine (reported in 2014⁻2018). Special focus is placed on lignin-derived nanomaterials for drug encapsulation and release as well as lignin hybrid materials used as scaffolds for guided bone regeneration in stem cell-based therapies.
The most prominent education reform in Europe started in Bologna, Italy, in 1999, when the European Ministers responsible for higher education met to set the foundation for the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The following process to reform and unify higher education and its systems in Europe is therefore known as the Bologna Process.
Evaluation is of crucial importance and should meet professional standards in its design. In practice, organizational peculiarities and available resources characterize the search for the "right" approach. When used as a quality development tool, internal or self-evaluation should primarily be useful. It should generate information to answer organizational questions and provide results as a basis for discussion in decision-making processes.
A Method for the Sustainable Documentation of Operations Processes in Parcel Distribution Centers
(2018)
There is often no common understanding on operational processes in logistics companies as they are not properly documented. Hence, people execute the same process differently and training is conducted by experienced operators on an ad-hoc basis. Furthermore, continuous process improvement is hampered as neither the ideal process nor current issues in as-is processes are visible. A major reason for the missing documentation is the complexity of existing business process modelling languages. Modelling experts are required for initially describing the processes and also for updating the models after process changes. Furthermore, operations people are usually not used to read complex process models in EPCs or BPMN diagrams. In order to overcome these limitations, a domain-specific modelling language which facilitates maintaining up-to-date process models has been designed with a large logistics company in Germany. The paper at hand briefly describes this language and illustrates the method on how to apply it in operations environments.
The main objective of this chapter is to give insights into how H-BRS as a German University of Applied Sciences supports small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in exploring African markets. The university achieves this objective by engaging its Bachelor and Master level students in applied market research. Students engage in this research as part of their final thesis writing. This chapter lays out a process for successful marketing research projects for German SMEs in nine steps.
Due to regionalization and global competition, many companies have turned their attention to other markets outside the domestic ones in anticipation of securing profitable market(s) for their products. Cormart (Nigeria) Limited is one of such companies, seeking to expand beyond its domestic borders. Cormart is a Nigerian trading company specializing in Industrial Raw Materials and Chemicals. It represents the business interests of top Multinational Companies that wish to do business in Nigeria. In line with its expansion strategy, Cormart seeks to introduce its newly developed spray starch product (RENEW) into the Ghanaian market.
While Anglo-Saxon HEIs focus on a strong educational background and personal development of students, the German system, in particular Universities of Applied Sciences, emphasize employability through the transfer of job-related professional and soft skills. In this context, learning by practical application of skills has become an important instrument. Concepts for linking theory and application include research-based learning, practical internships or service learning – methods, which also maintain high standards of academic education.
This case study is based on Azuri Health Ltd, a small company in Kenya that specializes mainly in the manufacture of dried fruit and flours. The company was started in 2010 and currently has 15 employees. It buys fruits, especially mangoes from farmers, processes them and markets them in- and outside of Kenya as dried fruits. This value addition enhances the shelf life of the products which would otherwise spoil within a few days after ripening.
Introduction
(2018)
This handbook describes the processes and success factors of marketoriented university services to the non-academic world, and the processes to integrate these services into teaching. It aims to highlight benchmark examples from Africa and Germany in order to outline motivational factors, influencing aspects, as well as drivers and barriers to applied university services in developing countries.
Internships and professional experience are becoming more and more important requisites for students and graduates and are almost taken for granted by many HR officials. In opposition to this, many newly created Bachelor and Master programmes make it difficult for students to integrate internships into their studies without having to add another semester and thereby "losing" valuable time. This becomes all the more relevant with private universities or universities generally that charge considerable tuition fees.
Project Overview
(2018)
The project "German-African University Partnership Platform for the Development of Entrepreneurs and Small/Medium Enterprises" started in 2015 within the framework of the program "University-Business-Partnerships between Higher Education Institutions and Business Partners in Germany and in Developing Countries", funded by the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). It is carried out by Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg, University of Applied Sciences in Germany (H-BRS), the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana, and the University of Nairobi (UoN) in Kenya.
Through the “Act to Strengthen the Non-financial Reporting by Corporations in their Management and Group Management Reports” (Gesetz zur Stärkung der nichtfinanziellen Berichterstattung der Unternehmen in ihren Lage- und Konzernlageberichten) (CSR Directive Transposition Act, „CSR-RUG“) of 11 April 2017[1], the German Bundestag implemented Directive 2014/95/EU (“CSR Directive”)[2] into German law. Following the European impetus, the CSR-RUG enriches the traditional repertoire of forms of action under environmental law by a further instrument. Already the regulatory context gives an idea of its atypical nature: The centrepiece of the CSR-RUG is the amendment of and addition to the Third Book of the German Commercial Code (Handelsgesetzbuch, “HGB”), which deals with the “trading books” of undertakings, i.e., accounting and reporting requirements. Since the reporting year 2017, large capital market-oriented corporations must report extensively within the framework of their annual management reports on their activities and effects in certain areas of “Corporate Social Responsibility”. This also includes environmental matters. The transparency and publicity this entails is intended to generate positive stimuli for more responsible, sustained and not least of all environmentally friendly entrepreneurial action.
Following a brief presentation of the European legal bases and their implementation in Germany (I.), we will classify the provisions within the underlying concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (II.) and analyse and systemise the governance effects of non-financial reporting (III.). A few remarks on selected aspects of the chosen approach and its implementation (IV.) as well as an outlook summarising our conclusions (V.) will complete this article. By detailing the German approach to transposing the CSR Directive, this paper intends to provide an example of the challenges member state legislators face when complying with modern governance concepts such as Corporate Social Responsibility by way of non-financial reporting obligations.
[1] Federal Law Gazette, Part I 2017, 802 et seq.
[2] Directive 2014/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council 22 October 2014 amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of non-financial and diversity information by certain large undertakings and groups, OJ EU No. L 330, p. 1.