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Faculty
The EGU Journal of Renewable Energy Short Reviews (EGUJRenEnRev) is a teaching project rather that a regular scientific journal. To publish in this journal, it is a premise to take part in the master course wind power, hydro power and biomass usage at the faculty of Energy, Building Services and Environmental Engineering of the Münster University of Applied Sciences.
Students receive an equivalent of 2.5 credit points (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System - ECTS) for their engagement in the course and for publishing a short review article of at most 3000 words in this periodical. The publication process closely mimics the typical publication procedure of a regular journal. The peer-review process, however, is conducted within the group of course-participants.
Although being just an exercise, we think that publishing the outcome of this course in a citable manner is not only promoting the motivation of our students, but may also be a helpful source of introductory information for researchers and practitioners in the field of renewable energies. We encourage students to write their articles in English, but this is not mandatory. The reader will thus find a few articles in German language. To further encourage students practicing English writing, perfect grammar is not part of the assessment.
We especially thank our students for working with LaTeX on Overleaf, although LaTeX is new to some of them. In this way, the editorial workload was reduced to a minimum. We also thank our students for sharing their work under the creative commons attribution licence (CC-BY). I appreciate their contribution to scientific information, being available to every person of the world, almost without barriers. I also thank the corresponding authors and publishers of the cited work, for granting permission to reuse graphics free of charge. All other figures had to be replaced or removed prior to publication.
The Internationalisation of Higher Education - Perspectives from the THEA Ukraine Project and Beyond
(2021)
The Ukrainian higher education system has undergone a number
of developments since Ukraine committed itself to the Bologna
Process in 2005. Internationalisation and quality assurance in higher
education have thus become two core policy issues to aid Ukraine’s
efforts in becoming a full member of the European Higher
Education Area.
Within the THEA Ukraine project (October 2019 – September 2021),
32 Ukrainian Higher Education Administrators received training
in the field of internationalisation in higher education and science
management. The participants worked on individual application
projects to foster the international orientation of their home
institutions, which are located all over Ukraine.
The implementation of this project has provided material for a
number of case study descriptions of projects undertaken in the
THEA Ukraine framework, as well as general perspectives on
internationalisation in higher education; this anthology covers
both of these aspects.
The Educational Journal of Renewable Energy Short Reviews (EduJRESR, formally published as `EGU Journal of Renewable Energy Short Reviews') is a teaching project rather than a regular scientific journal. To publish in this journal, it is a premise to take part in the master course wind power, hydro power and biomass usage at the department of Energy, Building Services and Environmental Engineering of the Münster University of Applied Sciences.
Students receive an equivalent of 2.5 credit points (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System - ECTS) for their engagement in the course and for publishing a short review article of at most 3000 words in this periodical. The publication process closely mimics the typical publication procedure of a regular journal. The peer-review process, however, is conducted within the group of course-participants.
Although being just an exercise, we think that publishing the outcome of this course in a citable manner is not only promoting the motivation of our students, but may also be a helpful source of introductory information for researchers and practitioners in the field of renewable energies. We encourage students to write their articles in English, but this is not mandatory. The reader will thus find a few articles in German language. To further encourage students practicing English writing, perfect grammar is not part of the assessment.
We especially thank our students for working with LaTeX on Overleaf, although LaTeX is new to some of them. In this way, the editorial workload was reduced to a minimum. We also thank our students for sharing their work under the creative commons attribution licence (CC-BY). We appreciate their contribution to scientific information, being available to every person of the world, almost without barriers. We also thank the corresponding authors and publishers of the cited work, for granting permission to reuse graphics free of charge. All other figures had to be replaced or removed prior to publication.
The Educational Journal of Renewable Energy Short Reviews (EduJRESR, formally published as ‘EGU Journal of Renewable Energy Short Reviews’) is a teaching project rather than a regular scientific journal.
To publish in this journal, it is a premise to take part in the master course wind power, hydro power and biomass usage at the department of Energy, Building Services and Environmental Engineering of the Münster University of Applied Sciences.
Students receive an equivalent of 2.5 credit points (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System – ECTS) for their engagement in the course and for publishing a short review article of at most 3 000 words in this periodical. The publication process closely mimics the typical publication procedure of a regular journal.
The peer-review process, however, is conducted within the group of course-participants.
Although being just an exercise, we think that publishing the outcome of this course in a citable manner is not only promoting the motivation of our students, but may also be a helpful source of introductory information for researchers and practitioners in the field of renewable energies. We encourage students to write their articles in English, but this is not mandatory. The reader will thus find a few articles in German language.
To further encourage students practicing English writing, perfect grammar is not part of the assessment.
We especially thank our students for working with LATEX on Overleaf, although LATEX is new to some of them. In this way, the editorial workload was reduced to a minimum. We also thank our students for sharing their work under the creative commons attribution licence (CC-BY). We appreciate their contribution to scientific information, being available to every person of the world, almost without barriers. We also thank the corresponding authors and publishers of the cited work, for granting permission.
Präambel
Ausgangslage
Seit Einführung der Modellklausel im Jahr 2009 befindet sich die Logopädie als Gesundheitsfachberuf im Prozess der Akademisierung und Professionalisierung (Klotz, 2018). Dabei wird ein Wandel der einstigen Heilhilfsberufe zu Professionen angestrebt, „die in einem gesellschaftlich relevanten Problemfeld wissenschaftlich begründbare Leistungen erbringen“ (Klotz, 2018, S. 4). Wesentlicher Bestandteil einer solchen Professionalisierung ist eine akademische Ausbildung sowie wissenschaftlich fundiertes Spezialwissen.
Neben Aspekten der Weiterentwicklung der Ausbildung wurde schon 2012
der Auf- und Ausbau von Forschung als bedeutsame Herausforderung benannt (Gesundheitsforschungsrat, 2012). Dabei hob der Wissenschaftsrat (2012) die Sonderrolle der Logopädieforschung innerhalb der Therapiewissenschaft heraus, da enge Bezüge zu den traditionell universitären Disziplinen wie den Sprachwissenschaften oder der Neurolinguistik bestünden und damit bereits eine breite Forschungsbasis vorhanden sei. Auf der anderen Seite besteht für die Disziplinentwicklung der Logopädie/ Sprachtherapie die Herausforderung, dass dieser unterschiedliche Berufsgruppen wie LogopädInnen, SprachheilpädagogInnen, klinische LinguistInnen, PatholinguistInnen und weitere Berufsgruppen angehören.
Obwohl in der Praxis die gleichen Störungsbilder behandelt werden, ist
das Selbstverständnis nicht identisch: während in der Sprachheilpädagogik
die (sonder)pädagogische Ausrichtung wesentlich ist, ist die Logopädie
eher medizinisch orientiert und die klinische Linguistik sprachwissenschaftlich ausgerichtet. Grohnfeldt (2018) fordert dementsprechend eine weiterführende Diskussion zur Wissenschaftlichkeit in der Logopädie/ Sprachtherapie mit der Betonung einer eigenen, gemeinsamen Identitätsentwicklung.
Die HerausgerInnen dieses Tagungsbandes widmen sich seit 2019 dieser
Thematik und haben einen Diskurs zum forschungsmethodischen Grundverständnis in der Logopädie/Sprachtherapie angestoßen (Kohler, 2019 und 2021; Kohler et al. 2020a&b, 2021, 2022). Hintergrund ist die seit Jahren zunehmende Forderung nach evidenzbasiertem Arbeiten in der Logopädie/ Sprachtherapie. Dabei wird eine unreflektierte Übertragung der Ansprüche an Wirksamkeitsnachweise, wie sie im medizinischen Bereich vorzufinden sind, für die Logopädie/Sprachtherapie kritisch gesehen. Der sprachtherapeutische Alltag zeichnet sich nämlich durch stark individualisierte, komplexe Interventionen über einen längeren Zeitraum aus.
Zahlreiche Einflussfaktoren innerhalb und außerhalb der Therapie spielen für den Therapieerfolg eine bedeutsame Rolle und sollten somit in Wirksamkeitsstudien mit einfließen können. Stark kontrollierte Studien, wie sie in der Medizin als Goldstandard gelten, können nur bedingt Aussagen darüber bieten, wie wirksam eine Intervention im klinischen Alltag tatsächlich ist.
Für einen breiten Diskurs über die forschungsmethodische Ausrichtung
der Logopädie/Sprachtherapie initiierten die HerausgeberInnen 2022 ein
von der VW-Stiftung gefördertes, dreitägiges Symposium zum Thema
„Einzelfallorientierte Forschung in Sprachtherapie/Logopädie“. Ziel war es einerseits die bereits bestehende Expertise der 30 Teilnehmenden in diesem Forschungsfeld zusammenzuführen, methodische Bedarfe aufzudecken und ein gemeinsames Methodenverständnis für eine Evidenzbasierung in Logopädie/Sprachtherapie zu entwickeln. Das vorliegende Herausgabewerk spiegelt das Geschehen dieses Symposiums wider und versteht sich als Auftakt zu einem kontinuierlichen Diskurs. Der Wissenschaftsrat betonte 2023 erneut die Relevanz der Weiterentwicklung der Gesundheitsfachberufe als wissenschaftliche Disziplin (WR, S. 5-6) und konstatierte: «Wichtig für die Disziplinbildung sind insbesondere gemeinsame Forschungs- und Lehrgegenstände, Erkenntnisperspektiven sowie Methoden und Qualitätsstandards. In sozialer Hinsicht besteht eine Disziplin
aus einer Gemeinschaft von Expertinnen und Experten, die ihre Forschung auf das Gebiet der Disziplin konzentrieren und deren disziplinspezifische Kommunikation über Publikationen, Fachtagungen und Fachzeitschriften erfolgt.» (WR, S. 49). Damit sollte das Ziel verfolgt werden, eine eigenständige Disziplin der „Gesundheitsfachberufe“ und damit inbegriffen
der Logopädie/Sprachtherapie neben der Medizin und anderen Fächern
zu etablieren, um derer zu stärken. Zudem wurde die Logopädie im
Mai 2023 in das Portal «Kleine Fächer» des Bundesministeriums für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) aufgenommen. Auch damit wird das Ziel verfolgt, die Logopädie/Sprachtherapie in der Hochschullandschaft sichtbarer zu machen.
Das vorliegende Handbuch ist im Rahmen des EU-Projektes "Energyducation" (Förderkennzeichen KA2 2018-1-ES01-KA202-050327) entstanden und von Berufspädagogen, überwiegend praktizierenden Berufsschullehrerinnen und -lehrern, aus Deutschland (Institut für Berufliche Lehrerbildung an der FH Münster), den Niederlanden (Alfa-college in Groningen), Norwegen (NTI-MMM AS in Oslo) und Spanien (CIFP USURBIL LHII in Usurbil) verfasst worden. Vorlage war eine englische Fassung die umfangreich überarbeitet und im Hinblick auf die im deutschen Sprachraum vorherrschenden Begrifflichkeiten und Konzepte hin geschärft wurde.
Es dokumentiert die mit dem projektbasierten Lernen gesammelten Erfahrungen aus der Sicht von Praktikern. Die Besonderheit ist, dass die Erfahrungen untereinander abgeglichen wurden und damit länderübergreifende Erkenntnisse zusammengeführt wurden. Das vorliegende Handbuch versteht sich dabei nicht als wissenschaftliches Werk, greift aber Erkenntnisse aus der Lehreraus- und -fortbildung auf und stellt diese vor dem Hintergrund der gesammelten Erfahrungen dar.
Die klimabedingte Zunahme extremer Wetterereignisse ist eine der Herausforderungen in der gegenwärtig durch Krisen geprägten Zeit. Gefahren gehen von großräumigen Hochwasserereignissen und von kleinräumigen Überflutungen innerhalb besiedelter Bereiche aus. Ursache sind ausgeprägte Extremniederschläge. Das Schadpotenzial hängt maßgeblich von den lokalen Bedingungen ab. Ein Starkregen richtet im Flachland mit versickerungsfähigen Böden wesentlich weniger Schäden an als im Bereich eines Kerbtalgewässers, wenn dort die Hochwasserwelle auf bebaute Talbereiche trifft. Auch sind die Folgen einer als urbane Sturzflut bezeichneten Überflutung in dicht besiedelten Räumen in der Regel dramatischer als bei ländlich geprägten Siedlungsstrukturen. Aber nicht nur dem Problem „zu viel Wasser“, sondern auch der zunehmenden Herausforderung „zu wenig Wasser“ muss sich die Wasserwirtschaft stellen. Trockenheit und Hitze führen vor allem in Innenstädten immer häufiger zu Bedingungen, in denen das Leben und Arbeiten zur Belastung wird. Vielerorts sinkende Grundwasserspiegel stellen die Bewirtschaftung natürlicher Wasserressourcen und nicht zuletzt die öffentliche Wasserversorgung in Deutschland vor bislang weitgehend unbekannte Herausforderungen. Einen absoluten Schutz gegen Überflutungen und vor Hitzeperioden gibt es nicht. Wir müssen Vorsorge betreiben, um die Belastungen zu begrenzen. In der letzten Zeit hat dafür der Begriff der „Resilienz“ im wasserwirtschaftlichen Kontext eine besondere Bedeutung gewonnen. Dazu erforderliche Konzepte greifen die Wassertage Münster im Jahr 2023 auf. Zu den Maßnahmen der wasserbewussten Stadtentwicklung zählen beispielsweise die gezielte Versickerung und Verdunstung von Niederschlagswasser oder die Ableitung von Oberflächenabflüssen bei seltenen Starkregen in weniger kritische Bereiche. Thematisiert wird auch der Umgang mit (Ab-)Wasser als Ressource. Hierbei werden die Bedeutung und Chancen der Wasserwiederverwendung betrachtet.
This report examines the strength of young and early age concrete that has been systematically exposed to horizontal, sinusoidal vibrations with varying vibration parameters. Specimens were subjected to vibrations of predefined vibration times (4–14 h) and the compressive strength was determined after a period of 28 days. It was found that the different parameters have no critical influence on compressive strength and that vibration prior to initial setting of the concrete can increase its strength. Additional information to examine the reasons for this increase was obtained by further investigations (nuclear magnetic resonance, x-ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis).
Background. Ketone bodies are a highly relevant topic in nutrition and medicine. -e influence of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) on ketogenesis is well known and has been successfully used in ketogenic diets for many years. Nevertheless, the effects of MCTs and coconut oil on the production of ketone bodies have only partially been investigated. Furthermore, the increased mobilisation of free fatty acids and release of catabolic hormones by caffeine suggest an influence of caffeine on ketogenesis.
Methods. In a controlled, double-blind intervention study, seven young healthy subjects received 10mL of tricaprylin (C8), tricaprin (C10), C8/C10 (50% C8, 50% C10), or coconut oil with or without 150 mg of caffeine, in 250mL of decaffeinated coffee, over ten interventions. At baseline and after every 40 minutes, for 4 h, ßHB and glucose in capillary blood as well as caffeine in saliva were measured. Furthermore, questionnaires were used to survey sensory properties, side effects, and awareness of hunger and satiety. Results. -e interventions with caffeine caused an increase in ßHB levels—in particular, the interventions with C8 highly impacted ketogenesis. -e effect decreased with increased chain lengths. All interventions showed a continuous increase in hunger and diminishing satiety. Mild side effects (total � 12) occurred during the interventions. Conclusions. -e present study demonstrated an influence of caffeine and MCTon ketogenesis. -eaddition of caffeine showed an additive effect on the ketogenic potential of MCT and coconut oil. C8 showed the highest ketogenicity.
Programmierung von Open Source Software in der Energiewirtschaft nimmt seit Beginn der 2000er stetig zu. Dies gilt sowohl für den Bereich der Forschung und Entwicklung, als auch für die Industrie und Wirtschaft. So werden beispielsweise Modelle zur Planung und Optimierung von Energiesystemen umgesetzt. Eine Open Source Veröffentlichung ist in diesem Forschungsfeld besonders wichtig, um die Überprüfbarkeit von Modellannahmen sowie der Vergleichbarkeit verschiedener Modellansätze zu garantieren. Einer Open-Source Veröffentlichung stehen jedoch häufig die Hürden von hohem Fristendruck, fehlender Finanzierung und fehlendem Detailwissen der Publizierenden entgegen. Deshalb bleiben diese Softwareprodukte meist im Entwurfsstadium und sind daher schwierig wieder zu verwenden.
Mithilfe des neu erarbeiteten Schritt-für-Schritt Leitfadens zur standardisierten Implementierung einer Open Source Software, wird die Hürde und der zeitliche Aufwand zur Standardisierung von Open Source Repositories weitestgehend reduziert. Hierbei wird für jedem Bestandteil des zu standardisierenden Repositorys eine umfassende Erklärung der üblichen Standards sowie eine Empfehlung für unterstützende Softwarelösungen ausgesprochen.
Der Leitfaden orientiert sich an den aus der ISO 12207 resultierenden Phasen des Softwarelebenszyklus und ermöglicht einen Einstieg zu jedem Entwicklungsstand der Software. Seine grafische Aufbereitung in Form eines Prozessablaufplans erleichtert die Einschätzung des individuellen Status der Standardisierung eines vorliegenden Open Source Projektes. Als Treiber der Standardisierung eines Open Source Projektes sind insbesondere die bessere Lesbarkeit, Wartbarkeit und Testbarkeit der standardisierten Open Source Software wichtig.
Bei der Anwendung auf das bereits bestehende Open Source Projekt des Spreadsheet Energy System Model Genarators fiel auf, dass ein verspäteter Einstieg in ein systematisches Vorgehen (wie er mit dem Leitfaden dieser Arbeit gegeben wird) zu erheblichen Mehraufwand bei der Standardisierung führen kann. Dennoch konnten im Zuge der Umsetzung des erarbeiteten Leitfadens weitreichende Verbesserungen des Projektes vor dem Hintergrund der Standardisierung erreicht werden (z. B. Versionierung & Wartbarkeit).
Insgesamt lässt sich festhalten, dass eine frühestmögliche Standardisierung der Open Source Repositories durchgeführt werden sollte, um spätere Mehrarbeit zu vermeiden und die frühstmögliche Wiederverwendbarkeit für Dritte zu gewährleisten.
Die Planung urbaner Energiesysteme wird durch die zunehmende Verbreitung sektorgekoppelter Technologien und neuer Verbrauchssektoren immer komplexer. Klassische Planungsmethoden kommen an ihre Grenzen. Die Energiesystemmodellierung (ESM) bietet eine Möglichkeit, ein Energiesystem hinsichtlich der Kosten und der Treibhausgas (THG)- Emissionen zu optimieren. Gleichzeitig ergibt sich aus der Energiewende und angestrebten THG-Neutralität ein akuter Handlungsbedarf. Dies gilt auch für die 1 500 Kasernen in Deutschland. Im Rahmen dieser Arbeit werden der bestehende Modellierungsprozess des Spreadsheet Energy System Model Generator (SESMG) erweitert, indem Herausforderungen der Modellierung und Optimierung von Kasernen identifiziert und Lösungsansätze hierzu entwickelt werden.
Diese Arbeit basiert auf der ESM einer realen Kaserne. Es kann das Urban District Upscaling Tool zur Erstellung der für den SESMG benötigten Modelldefinition verwendet werden. Die Open-Source Datenbank SESMG-Data, kann automatisch die benötigte Standard Parameter Tabelle mit zugehörigem Bericht generieren. Weiterhin wurde ein Energieaustauschmodell vorgestellt, das den Energieaustausch zwischen Kasernen eines Bilanzkreises ermöglicht. Ein Fokus liegt auf der Abbildung zukünftiger Ausbaupläne.
Dazu wurden kasernenspezifische Gebäudeprofile entwickelt, die gemittelte spezifische Energiebedarfe und weitere Parameter zur Berechnung der Wand-, Fenster-, und Dachfläche enthalten. Der spezifische Wärmebedarf kann durch einen Faktor an die Baualtersklasse angepasst werden. Mit Hilfe statistischer Kennwerte lässt sich ein geeignetes Standardlastprofil für verschiedene Gebäudeprofile auswählen. Zur Reduktion der Komponenten im Energiesystemoptimierungsmodell (ESOM) können die Dachflächenpotenziale von Photovoltaikanlagen zusammengefasst werden. Da Kasernen nur eine Bilanzgrenze besitzen, können zudem auch die Strombedarfe der einzelnen Gebäude zusammengefasst werden. Damit lassen sich gleichzeitig dezentrale Batteriespeicher als Komponente des ESOMs ausschließen. Die Potenzialflächen von Erdwärmepumpen können zusammengefasst werden, wobei Abstands- und Belastbarkeitsgrenzen eingehalten werden müssen.
Kasernen verfügen häufig über Bestandswärmenetze, die im ESOM gesondert berücksichtigt werden müssen. Um dieses Bestandswärmenetz abzubilden, können die Verteilleitungen manuell nachgezeichnet werden und in einer Vormodellierung mit dem SESMG mit geringeren Kosten angesetzt werden. Die in dieser Arbeit entwickelten Methoden sind allgemeingültig für Kasernen. Die Übertragbarkeit der kasernenspezifischen Gebäudeprofile ist aufgrund der unterschiedlichen Nutzung von Kasernen nur eingeschränkt möglich. Der bestehende Modellierungsprozess wurde um kasernenspezifische Prozessschritte erweitert und visualisiert. Zukünftige Modellierungen von Kasernen können zur Validierung der Ergebnisse und für weitere Anpassungen, wie z. B. die Erstellung einer kasernenspezifischen Datenbank, genutzt werden.
This study investigates the role of individual differences in channel choice and switching behavior in a multichannel environment using latent class analysis on data from 1512 customers. Psychographic variables from five domains (risk attitudes, cognitive ability, motivation, personality, and decision-making style) serve as covariates for multichannel customer behavior. We identify six segments that differ significantly on six psychographic variables (readiness to take risks, need for cognition, autotelic and instrumental need for touch, and rational and intuitive decision-making styles). The results advance the theory-building of multichannel customer behavior and present insights for proactively managing customer journeys of distinct segments.
Basics of Project Management
(2022)
Organic food quality is based on processing. While the EU organic production regulation focuses on agricultural production, private standards provide more detailed information about further processing. For the development of organic processing, practitioner perspectives can provide valuable input. To get insight into practitioner perspectives, we conducted semi-structured expert interviews with nine employees of seven partly organic juice processing companies from Germany and Austria. Interview topics were (i) quality of organic juice processing in general, (ii) assessment of specific processing techniques, (iii) product quality of organic juice and (iv) flow of information between producer and consumer. We conducted a thematic analysis. We found that the experts’ understanding of process quality mostly includes more aspects than the EU organic production regulation. It covers the whole food chain plus aspects of social and environmental sustainability. The experts prefer directly bottled juice of local raw materials but chiefly accept juice made from concentrate of exotic raw materials because of environmental concerns. Organic juice is preferred when it is cloudy and natural fluctuations are interpreted as an indicator of natural quality. The experts report that consumer information is challenging because of low food literacy. Raising this might help reduce the number of processed juices on the market.
Purpose: Organic food processing must include organic principles to be authentic. This qualitative study aims to understand the processors' understanding of organic food processing quality.
Design/methodology/approach: This study is based on semi-structured expert interviews with eight employees of six purely or partly organic dairies from Germany and Switzerland. Interview themes are (1) quality of organic milk processing in general, (2) assessment of specific processing techniques, (3) product quality of organic milk and (4) flow of information between producer and consumer. The interviews have been audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed.
Findings: (1) Experts prefer minimal processing; some prefer artisanal processing, whilst others stress the advantages of mechanisation. (2) High temperature short time (HTST) pasteurisation and mechanical processing techniques are accepted; ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk processing is partly rejected. (3) Traditional taste and valuable ingredients should be present in the final product. Natural variances are judged positively. (4) Consumers' low level of food technology literacy is challenging for communication.
Research limitations/implications: The results cannot be generalised due to the qualitative study design. Further studies, e.g. qualitative case analyses and studies with a quantitative design, are necessary to deepen the results.
Practical implications: The paper shows which processing technologies experts consider suitable or unsuitable for organic milk. The paper also identifies opportunities to bridge the perceived gap between processors' and consumers' demands.
Originality/value: The study shows the challenges of processors in expressing the processors' understanding of process quality.
Die Studie untersucht den didaktischen Mehrwert partizipativer Medien in der hochschulischen Lehrerbildung. Die hier entwickelten Gestaltungsgrundsätze für die Planung von Lernarrangements mit Social Media sollen dazu beitragen, die Besonderheiten dieser Medien in die didaktische Konzeption einzubinden. Auf diese Weise soll ein Beitrag dazu geleistet werden, den didaktischen Mehrwert von Social Media in Lernarrangements zu entfalten.
Meanwhile, renewable energy sources such as hydropower, solar and wind energy and biomass are increasingly being used to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and thus counteract the ongoing global warming. However, these are also associated with environmental impacts. To that effect, this article takes a closer look at tidal power plants, which are classified as hydroelectric power plants, by conducting a systematic literature review. The results show that the strength and form of the environmental impact depends on the specific location and type of plant. Tidal power plants have an impact on the habitats of marine animals and thus influence their behavior and population. In addition, the operation of tidal power plants changes the sediment distribution, causes a reduction in current velocities and a change in current direction in the surrounding area and leads to a change in wave height. The construction of the power plants is associated with noise, which primarily causes changes in the behavior of some species. Furthermore, the electromagnetic fields generated can also affect marine life. In order to assess the environmental impact of tidal power plants in comparison to other renewable energies, further studies should focus on the environmental impact of the different technologies in relation to the energy yield.
This article discusses the use of artificial intelligence
in the wind energy industry, particularly in addressing
challenges and optimizing the expansion of renewable
energies in Germany. It highlights the application
of artificial intelligence in wind forecasts and yield
predictions, bird detection, wind turbine and farm
design, condition monitoring, and predictive maintenance.
Additionally, it introduces the “WindGISKI”
research project, which aims to use artificial intelligence
to identify new areas for wind turbines. The
project utilizes a neural network to analyze and predict
flight routes, potentially reducing bird mortality.
The document also emphasizes the potential broader
applications of “WindGISKI” in other fields of activity,
such as land use planning and city development.
Overall, it underscores the significant role of artificial
intelligence in addressing challenges in wind energy
and outlines the potential for artificial intelligence
to drive the expansion of renewable energies while
addressing key obstacles.
A new approach to determine the elements carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen (CHNO) in polymers by wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis (WDXRF) in combination with partial least squares (PLS) regression was explored. The quantification of CHNO was achieved by using the Rayleigh and Compton scattering spectra of an Rh X-ray tube from 84 different polymers. Concealed differences of the corresponding scattering spectra could be utilized to quantify CHNO in a multivariate manner. It was shown that the developed model was capable of determining these commonly non-measurable matrix elements in polymers using WDXRF. Furthermore, the influence of spectral resolution, which is given by the collimator and the crystal, on the prediction of CHNO was explored in this study. It was found that minimal spectral resolution led to the most accurate CHNO predictions. Information about matrix composition could be used to improve so-called semi-quantitative XRF methods based on fundamental parameters (FP) for the analysis of plastics, soil or other samples with high organic content.
Wind turbine structures take a major role in the
modern conversion to renewable energy sources and
contribute to the creation of a greener world. In recent
years, the development and installation of wind
turbines have seen rapid growth. However, with the
increasing capacity and size of wind farms worldwide,
there are growing concerns about the safety and reliability
of these installations. Therefore, structural
health monitoring and the detection of damage to
wind turbines have gained considerable importance in
research. Wind turbine blades are particularly susceptible
to various types of damage due to environmental
influences. This article provides an overview of signal
responses, sensors used and non-destructive testing
techniques in the field of damage detection on wind
turbine blades. The intention of the article is to give
an insight into the possibilities of structural health
monitoring and at the same time to point out unsolved
problems in this field.
The global salinity gradient power (SGP) potential is between 1650 - 2000 TWH/a and can be converted by mixing two solutions with different salinities. The harnessing of SGP for conversion into power can be accomplished by means of pressure retarded osmosis (PRO) and reverse electrodialysis (RED). PRO and RED are membrane-based technologies and have different working principles. PRO uses a semipermeable membrane to seperate a concentrated salt solution from a diluted solution. The diluted solution flows through the semipermeable membrane towards the concentrated solution, which increases the pressure within the concentrated solution chamber. The pressure is balanced by a turbine and electricity is generated. RED uses the transport of ions through cation and anion exchange membranes. The chambers between the membranes are alternately filled with a concentrated and diluted solution. The salinity gradient difference is the driving force in transporting ions that results in an electric potential, which is then converted to electricity. The comparison shows that there are two different fields of application for PRO and RED. PRO is especially suitable at extracting salinity energy from large concentration differences. In contrast, RED are not effect by increasing concentration differences. So PRO are supposed to focus on applications with brines or waste water and RED on applications with river water and seawater. Moreover, just a few measured values from processes under real conditions are available, which makes it difficult to compare PRO and RED.
The energy demand of the residential sector contributed to about 29 % of Germany’s final energy consumption in 2020. For the planning and optimization of energy systems, an understanding of the temporal energy consumption is necessary. This paper discusses tools for estimating these load profiles. Load profiles for electricity, space heating and domestic hot water (DHW) are investigated. A total of ten tools were applied. It turns out that the selected load profiles are dependent on the field of application. Load profiles influence the results of energy system modeling and therefore it is important to differentiate load profile tools. Standardized load profiles are well suited when a large number of buildings are considered. Stochastic load profiles, behavioral load profiles and the reference load profiles are well suited for building-specific simulations. Physical load pro- files are well suited for single building models, but as soon as several buildings are considered, the input effort for a sufficient accuracy is high.
A numerical analysis of laser resonators with aberrations is presented. {T}he analysis shows that aberrations lead to large diffraction losses of laser resonators which are laid out to produce diffraction-limited beam quality. {S}tatic or dynamic compensation of the aberrations is possible and would yield much higher output power.
Background: Pediatric palliative care (PPC) patients experience years of multisectoral and professional care. An electronic cross-facility health record (ECHR) system can support the immediate exchange of information among PPC professionals. Based on a needs assessment, a prototype ECHR system was developed. Methods: To evaluate potential users’ perspective regarding the system, a qualitative observational study was conducted consisting of a concurrent think-aloud session and a semi-structured qualitative interview. Results: Twenty PPC professionals (nurses, physicians) from specialized outpatient PPC teams, a PPC unit, and medical offices rated the ECHR system as a helpful tool to improve the exchange and collection of information, communication between PPC professionals, and treatment planning. From the user’s point of view, the basic logic of the ECHR system should be further adapted to improve the interaction of data remirrored from patient records of outpatient and inpatient care with those entered via the system. The users wished for further functions (text search) and content (information on therapies). Some content, such as the treatment process, needs to be further adapted. Conclusion: The developed ECHR system needs to be more specific in some features by offering all available information; while for other features, be less specific to offer a quick overview. The ability to share information promptly and automatically was seen as a tremendous improvement to the quality of care for PPC patients.
Background: Pediatric palliative care (PPC) is characterized by years of multisectoral and multi-professional care. Sharing information between PPC professionals is, therefore, essential for quality care. The evidence shows that electronic cross-facility health records (ECHRs) provide useful support in this context. To our knowledge, no ECHRs have been developed through a user-centered approach for this specific setting in Germany. Methods: Guided by design thinking, first, qualitative interviews were conducted to assess the needs of PPC professionals. Second, the elicited needs were specified in focus groups (FGs). Based on the needs stated in the interviews, prototypes of the ECHR were developed and discussed in the FGs. The indicated needs were supplemented and specified in an iterative process. The prototypes were further adapted according to these results. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology was the basic model in the evaluation of needs. Results: Across seven main categories, past and current medication, emergency view, and messaging functions were identified as the participants’ desired core components of an ECHR. Utilizing design thinking facilitated the explicit articulation of user needs. Conclusions: Developing an ECHR with the content identified would allow for real-time data during emergencies, tracking what other PPC professionals have done, and making the applied treatments visible to others. This would offer a broader picture of the complex conditions common to PPC.
Steigerung der Versorgungsqualität in der Palliativversorgung durch elektronische Gesundheitsakten
(2021)
Involving Health Care Professionals in the Development of Electronic Health Records: Scoping Review
(2023)
Electronic health records (EHRs) are a promising approach to document and map (complex) health information gathered in health care worldwide. However, possible unintended consequences during use, which can occur owing to low usability or the lack of adaption to existing workflows (eg, high cognitive load), may pose a challenge. To prevent this, the involvement of users in the development of EHRs is crucial and growing. Overall, involvement is designed to be very multifaceted, for example, in terms of the timing, frequency, or even methods used to capture user preferences. Setting, users and their needs, and the context and practice of health care must be considered in the design and subsequent implementation of EHRs. Many different approaches to user involvement exist, each requiring a variety of methodological choices. The aim of the study was to provide an overview of the existing forms of user involvement and the circumstances they need and to provide support for the planning of new involvement processes. We conducted a scoping review to provide a database for future projects on which design of inclusion is worthwhile and to show the diversity of reporting. Using a very broad search string, we searched the PubMed, CINAHL, and Scopus databases. In addition, we searched Google Scholar. Hits were screened according to scoping review methodology and then examined, focusing on methods and materials, participants, frequency and design of the development, and competencies of the researchers involved. In total, 70 articles were included in the final analysis. There was a wide range of methods of involvement. Physicians and nurses were the most frequently included groups and, in most cases, were involved only once in the process. The approach of involvement (eg, co-design) was not specified in most of the studies (44/70, 63%). Further qualitative deficiencies in the reporting were evident in the presentation of the competences of members of the research and development teams. Think-aloud sessions, interviews, and prototypes were frequently used. This review provides insights into the diversity of health care professionals’ involvement in the development of EHRs. It provides an overview of the different approaches in various fields of health care. However, it also shows the necessity of considering quality standards in the development of EHRs together with future users and the need for reporting this in future studies.
BACKGROUND Interest in digital technologies in the health care sector is growing and can be a way to reduce the burden on professional caregivers while helping people to become more independent. Social robots are regarded as a special form of technology that can be usefully applied in professional caregiving with the potential to focus on interpersonal contact. While implementation is progressing slowly, a debate on the concepts and applications of social robots in future care is necessary. OBJECTIVE In addition to existing studies with a focus on societal attitudes toward social robots, there is a need to understand the views of professional caregivers and patients. This study used desired future scenarios to collate the perspectives of experts and analyze the significance for developing the place of social robots in care. METHODS In February 2020, an expert workshop was held with 88 participants (health professionals and educators; [PhD] students of medicine, health care, professional care, and technology; patient advocates; software developers; government representatives; and research fellows) from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Using the scenario methodology, the possibilities of analog professional care (Analog Care), fully robotic professional care (Robotic Care), teams of robots and professional caregivers (Deep Care), and professional caregivers supported by robots (Smart Care) were discussed. The scenarios were used as a stimulus for the development of ideas about future professional caregiving. The discussion was evaluated using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS The majority of the experts were in favor of care in which people are supported by technology (Deep Care) and developed similar scenarios with a focus on dignity-centeredness. The discussions then focused on the steps necessary for its implementation, highlighting a strong need for the development of eHealth competence in society, a change in the training of professional caregivers, and cross-sectoral concepts. The experts also saw user acceptance as crucial to the use of robotics. This involves the acceptance of both professional caregivers and care recipients. CONCLUSIONS The literature review and subsequent workshop revealed how decision-making about the value of social robots depends on personal characteristics related to experience and values. There is therefore a strong need to recognize individual perspectives of care before social robots become an integrated part of care in the future.
Approaches to Improvement of Digital Health Literacy (eHL) in the Context of Person-Centered Care
(2022)
The skills, knowledge and resources to search for, find, understand, evaluate and apply health information is defined as health literacy (HL). If individuals want to use health information from the Internet, they need Digital Health Literacy (eHL), which in addition to HL also includes, for example, media literacy. If information cannot be found or understood by patients due to low (e)HL, patients will not have the opportunity to make informed decisions. In addition, many health apps for self-management or prevention also require (e)HL. Thus, it follows that active participation in healthcare, in terms of Person-Centered Care (PCC) is only possible through (e)HL. Currently, there is a great need to strengthen these competencies in society to achieve increased empowerment of patients and their health. However, at the same time, there is a need to train and improve competencies in the field of healthcare professionals so that they can counsel and guide patients. This article provides an overview with a focus on HL and eHL in healthcare, shows the opportunities to adapt services and describes the possible handling of patients with low (e)HL. In addition, the opportunities for patients and healthcare professionals to improve (e)HL are highlighted.
Objectives: In recent years, the European Union has revised its regulatory framework for medical devices, primarily to improve patient safety and public health. The Medical Device Regulation (MDR) is fully applicable since May 2021, strengthening the requirements for all stakeholders. As a result, many companies are facing enormous challenges. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the MDR on the orthopaedic aids industry.
Methods: Two surveys were conducted: one shortly before the MDR became applicable (146 respondents) and a second survey almost two years later (233 respondents).
Results: Both surveys revealed that all businesses in the orthopaedic aids sector, regardless of size, have difficulty implementing the MDR. Key challenges include additional workload for technical documentation, increased resource expenditure and cost, and lack of clarity regarding the new requirements. Many companies are downsizing their product portfolio, resulting in potential supply shortages and a loss of competitive advantage and innovation for the medical device industry in Europe.
Conclusions: The full extent of the MDR’s impact on clinical practice is still unclear. However, many companies lack the necessary resources. The MDR can potentially be a bottleneck in the availability of medical devices.
The use of computational modeling and simulation (CMS) as a tool for gaining insight into the technical performance and safety of medical devices has emerged continuously over the past years. However, to rely on information and decisions derived from model predictions, it is essential to establish model credibility for the specific context of use. Limited regulatory requirements and lack of consensus on the level of verification and validation activities required result in rare use of CMS as a source of evidence in the medical device approval process. The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) developed a risk-informed framework to establish appropriate credibility requirements of a computational model: the ASME V&V 40?2018 standard. This paper aims to outline the concepts of this standard and to demonstrate its application using an example from the orthotics field. The necessary steps to establish model credibility for a custom?made 3D printed wrist hand orthosis (WHO) are presented. It is shown that the credibility requirements of each verification and validation activity depend on model risk by applying two different contexts of use to the same computational model.
This study investigated the ability of electrically conductive carbon rovings to detect cracks in textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) structures. The key innovation lies in the integration of carbon rovings into the reinforcing textile, which not only contributes to the mechanical properties of the concrete structure but also eliminates the need for an additional sensory system, such as strain gauges, to monitor the structural health. Carbon rovings are integrated into a grid-like textile reinforcement that differs in binding type and dispersion concentration of the styrene butadiene rubber (SBR) coating. Ninety final samples were subjected to a four-point bending test in which the electrical changes of the carbon rovings were measured simultaneously to capture the strain. The mechanical results show that the SBR50-coated TRC samples with circular and elliptical cross-sectional shape achieved, with 1.55 kN, the highest bending tensile strength, which is also captured with a value of 0.65 Ω by the electrical impedance monitoring. The elongation and fracture of the rovings have a significant effect on the impedance mainly due to electrical resistance change. A correlation was found between the impedance change, binding type and coating. This suggests that the elongation and fracture mechanisms are affected by the number of outer and inner filaments, as well as the coating.
(1) Background: Schools report a high number of schoolchildren with poor attention and hyperactive behavior, with 5% being diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This causes specific problems during homework and classroom times, and the extension of all-day schooling in German primary schools makes this a challenge for support staff working in the after-school programs. Such staff have a very wide variety of qualifications, ranging from no formal teacher training to full teaching qualifications. (2) Methods: This study documents the knowledge of 196 support staff working in all-day primary schools about ADHD, and their subjective view of whether they feel competent with regard to homework situations in general and ADHD in particular. (3) Results: Those with an educational background have significantly more knowledge than those without such a background, staff feel less prepared to supervise children with ADHD, and there is a small but significant correlation here with knowledge about ADHD. (4) Conclusions: The importance of trained pedagogical staff in the supervision of children with concentration problems is emphasized.
For the increasingly important storage of renewably generated electricity, this review explains the construction of a surface and underground pumped storage
power plant. The problems for the construction of an underground pumped storage power plant are further listed. These are geological, environmental and
economic problems as well as a low acceptance by the population. The geological problems are concerns about leaching of minerals and heavy metals as well as the statics of the cavities. Mining companies in Germany are obligated to renaturalize the landscape areas again, which could be realised by a lake. Furthermore, care must be taken to ensure that the mine water does not come into contact with the groundwater. According to a survey by RISP on the subsequent use of the mine areas for an underground pumped
storage power plant, the acceptance of the population is over 70 percent. The economic consideration concludes that the arbitrage profit for a difference between off-peak and peak of 10 €/MWh is about 2.7 M€/a and for 100 €/MWh about 27.3 M€/a. With investment costs of about 630 M€, despite the assumption of 100 €/MWh, more than 20 years are needed for an underground pumped storage power plant to be amortized. The acceptance could be increased by creating a lake as a recreation area as well as being used as an upper storage reservoir. Thus, the cost of renaturation decrease when combined with the creation of the storage basin. The problem of ground conditions can be solved by creating new cavities by means of tunnel boring at an inclination. For static safety as well as against leaching of minerals and heavy metals, the cavity walls can be sealed with reinforced concrete. The technology of underground pumped storage power plants can be used for better utilisation of renewable energies. This is especially in flat and densely populated regions a possibility to store energy, because the main part of the power plant is underground.
Entwicklung eines Konzeptes zur Nachrüstung von Regenklärbecken mit technischen Regenwasserfiltern
(2023)
This paper presents a seminar concept for the development of communication competence in pre-service vocational education teachers with the aid of video annotations, feedback, and peer microteaching. The seminar is offered within a teacher training program for students taking a master’s degree (MEd) in vocational education at the FH Münster University of Applied Sciences, Germany, and has been conducted three times. The advantages of the seminar concept are manifold. On the one hand, we create a learning environment in which students individually prepare and conduct five peer microteaching lessons in a row and receive prompt and constructive peer feedback on every performance. On the other hand, the quality of feedback improves so that our students are professional feedback providers by the end of the seminar. The provision of teacher feedback alone does not help our students become successful feedback providers. Nor, given the resources available at the university, is it a realistic alternative in terms of time constraints. In addition, due to recordings, the students gain a better insight into their teaching skills since their lessons can be observed and approached from an outside perspective.
The preservation of water bodies continuity is fundamental
for aquatic communities, particularly for fish
populations. Various structures impede watercourse
continuity, impacting fish migration and habitat distribution.
Conventional fish passages often fall short
in diverse scenarios, prompting the development of
specialized solutions. This article proposes a criteria
catalog for these special fish passage solutions based
on DWA leaflet DWA-A 509. It discusses the need
for these solutions, presents a selection of specialized
options, and outlines criteria from DWA-M 509, construction
guidelines, and economic perspectives. It
scrutinizes criteria ranging from target fish species to
cost considerations. Three examples, including the
Runserau fish lift, the bristle ramp fish lock, and the
Fishcon sluice, illustrate these specialized solutions,
their functionalities, advantages, and drawbacks. Additionally,
the article compiles criteria from industry
standards and guidelines into a comprehensive evaluation
catalog. The criteria, when applied, assist in the
selection of suitable fish passage solutions based on
specific site conditions and fish species requirements.
This holistic approach aims to optimize fishway selection,
fostering the ecological sustainability of watercourses.
However, this catalog remains dynamic
and open to expansion with evolving research and
practical application, urging further exploration and
validation of these criteria through diverse case studies
and technological advancements in the field.
Consumption Corridors: Living a Good Life within Sustainable Limits
explores how to enhance peoples’ chances to live a good life in a world of ecological and social limits.
Rejecting familiar recitations of problems of ecological decline
and planetary boundaries, this compact book instead offers a spirited explication of what everyone desires: a good life. Fundamental
concepts of the good life are explained and explored, as are forces
that threaten the good life for all. The remedy, says the book’s seven
international authors, lies with the concept of consumption corridors, enabled by mechanisms of citizen engagement and deliberative
democracy.
Across fve concise chapters, readers are invited into conversation about how wellbeing can be enriched by social change that joins
“needs satisfaction” with consumerist restraint, social justice, and
environmental sustainability. In this endeavour, lower limits of consumption that ensure minimal needs satisfaction for all are important, and enjoy ample precedent. But upper limits to consumption,
argue the authors, are equally essential, and attainable, especially in those domains where limits enhance rather than undermine essential
freedoms.
The use of wind power is rapidly expanding worldwide. It is important to examine the impact of wind turbines on the environment to see if they provide a net benefit and to identify potential for improving. Therefore life cycle assessments (LCA) of different wind turbine types are compared in this short review. The results are then shown side by side in tables for comparison. Overall the LCAs show that wind turbines compensate the required energy and emitted pollutants after approx. 6-16 months. The energy payback period (EPP) for 2 MW onshore wind turbines remained roughly the same since 2009 with approximately 7 months. Onshore wind turbines have a higher impact due to emissions but a shorter EPP than offshore wind turbines. The estimated service life of 20 years should be maximized to ensure a high energy yield ratio. The biggest impact on the environment results from the processes to provide the building material e.g. steel and cement. That impact could be reduced by 20 % if recycled steel would be used. It is shown that wind power is one of the cleanest energy sources. But further investigations in material processing and recycling are important to improve the eco-balance of wind turbines.
In order to avoid optical damage and non-linear effects, high-power, high-energy lasers of the petawatt class like PHELIX (petawatt high-energy laser for heavy-ion experiments) use large-aperture optics. Usually, chromatic aberration associated with these optical elements is neglected. By means of numerical simulations, we show how the chromatic aberration affects the focal intensity pattern. In particular, we make quantitative predictions of how chromatic aberration decreases the focused peak intensity. Furthermore, we prove the feasibility of a new interferometer that measures the temporal pulse front distortions which arise from expansion telescopes. We also propose a scheme that pre-compensates these distortions.
The first oscillating water column was invented in 1940. In the past decades the need of wave energy systems has significantly increased. This article quickly describes the Wells turbine and possibilities to enhance its performance and should answer the question: what are the design parameters that can be optimized?
Furthermore it gives a small outlook about the history of oscillating Water Columns.
Because of the rapid expansion and widespread application of wind energy the overall environmental impacts of wind power plants have increased as well. For the further development of wind power, methods to lessen the adverse effects wind power has on avian populations have to be implemented. This review aims to find effective methods to reduce avian collision rates with wind turbines and that therefore can reduce bird fatality rates.
For the assessment the different mitigation methods, for which concrete data was found, are compared with each other regarding the hypothetical effort of implementation and effectiveness in reducing avian collision rates with wind turbines.
These methods are:
(a) Coloring of rotor blades
(b) Coloring of the tower base
(c) Ultraviolet/violet lightning
(d) Temporary shut-down of wind turbines
(e) Auditory warning signals
(f) Repowering
All of the mentioned methods report influence on reducing avian collision rates or at least the behavior of birds in flight.
This review found the following three methods to be most effective:
(a) Coloring of rotor blades
(b) Temporary shut-downs of wind turbines
(c) Repowering
The most effective method to reduce avian collision rates at horizontal axis wind turbines is to paint one of the rotor blades black and consequently increasing the visibility of the rotor blades. The presented study reports 71,9 percent reduction of found carcasses of birds at the treated turbines. For this method the effort of implementation is low while the effectiveness is high.
The effectiveness of the found mitigation methods has been proven and they are suited for application. The method of using lightning or sound fields require more testing to determine their effectiveness. Another topic for research could be how different mitigation methods interact with each other. Is there a significant advantage to be had if multiple mitigation methods are applied at the same wind power plant or turbine? Furthermore the environmental impacts of wind turbines are not limited to birds. Other animals like bats are affected too and might require different methods of mitigation.
Oxidative stress plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases. Therefore, improvement of oxidative stress status through lifestyle intervention can play a vital role in preventing and treating chronic diseases. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of articles published in the last decade examining the association between lifestyle intervention and oxidative stress biomarkers in the context of non-communicable diseases. The electronic databases PubMed and Web of Science were searched for relevant studies, following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting of Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. This systematic review focused on the four important oxidative stress biomarkers; glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and malondialdehyde. 671 articles were identified, of which nine met the inclusion criteria. A trend emerged, showing that lifestyle modifications that focus on diet and physical health can improve oxidative stress in the form of an increase in superoxide dismutase and CAT levels and a decrease in Malondialdehyde levels in participants with non-communicable diseases (NCDs), GSH levels were not affected. However, the results are difficult to compare because of the heterogeneity of the methods of the biomarkers studied. Our review indicates that oxidative stress can be influenced by lifestyle modifications and may be an effective tool for the prevention and management of non-communicable diseases. This review also elucidated the importance of analyzing multiple oxidative stress biomarkers to evaluate oxidative stress, it further highlights the need to conduct long-term lifestyle intervention studies on oxidative stress biomarkers to understand the connection between oxidative stress biomarkers, NCDs and Lifestyle intervention.
Diese Arbeit befasst sich mit Kostentrends in Zusammenhang mit technologischem Lernen von Windenergie an Land in den USA, in Deutschland und weltweit. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, eine Lernkurve für Windenergie an Land zu bestimmen. Dafür wurden Daten zu Stromgestehungskosten (LCOE) und Kosten für die Installation (COP) von Windenergieanlagen (WEA) im Zeitraum von 1983 bis einschließlich 2020 gesammelt, grafisch dargestellt und weitergehend ausgewertet. Die grafische Darstellung der Datenlage verdeutlicht die zeitliche Entwicklung der Technologie. Zur Beschreibung dieser Lernkurven wurden die Progress Ratio (PR) und Learning Rate (LR) in fünf unterschiedlichen Modellen bestimmt. Anhand derer sich in Kombination mit der zukünftig installierten Leistung von WEA eine Prognose über zukünftige Kosten ableiten lässt. Die ermittelten LR bewegen sich zwischen 13 % und 28 %, woraus sich LCOE im Jahr 2030 zwischen 44,03 US$/MWh und 61 US$/MWh ergeben.
In Germany, the current sectoral urban planning often leads to inefficient use of resources, partly because municipalities lack integrated planning instruments and argumentation strength toward politics, investors, or citizens. The paper develops the ResourcePlan as (i) legal and (ii) a planning instrument to support the efficient use of resources in urban neighborhoods. The integrative, multi-methodological approach addresses the use of natural resources in the building and infrastructural sectors of (i) water (storm- and wastewater) management, (ii) construction and maintenance of buildings and infrastructure, (iii) urban energy system planning, and (iv) land-use planning. First, the development as legal instrument is carried out, providing (i) premises for integrating resource protection at all legal levels and (ii) options for implementing the ResourcePlan within German municipal structures. Second, the evaluation framework for resource efficiency of the urban neighborhoods is set up for usage as a planning instrument. The framework provides a two-stage process that runs through the phases of setting up and implementing the ResourcePlan. (Eco)system services are evaluated as well as life cycle assessment and economic aspects. As a legal instrument, the ResourcePlan integrates resource protection into municipal planning and decision-making processes. The multi-methodological evaluation framework helps to assess inter-disciplinary resource efficiency, supports the spatial identification of synergies and conflicting goals, and contributes to transparent, resource-optimized planning decisions.
Experimental results are presented of a test of the theory of local turbulent heat transfer measurements proposed by Mocikat and Herwig in 2007. A miniaturized multi-layer heat transfer sensor was developed and employed in this study. The new heat transfer sensor was designed to work in air and liquids, and this capability enabled the simultaneous investigation of different Prandtl numbers. Two basic configurations, namely the flow past a blunt plate and the flow past an inclined square cylinder, were investigated in test sections of wind and water tunnels. Convective heat transfer coefficients were obtained through conventional testing (i.e., employing thoroughly heated test objects) and using the new miniaturized sensor approach (i.e., utilizing cold test objects without heating). The main prediction of the Mocikat-Herwig theory that a specific thermal adjustment coefficient of the employed actual miniaturized heat transfer sensor should exist in the fully turbulent flow regime was proven for developed two-dimensional flow. The observed effect of the Prandtl number on this coefficient was in good agreement with the prediction of the asymptotic expansion method. The square cylinder results indicated the inherent limits of the local turbulent heat transfer measurement approach, as suggested by Mocikat and Herwig.
Adhärenz digitaler Interventionen im Gesundheitswesen: Definitionen, Methoden und offene Fragen
(2021)
AbstractMany digital interventions rely on the participation of their users to have a positive impact. In various areas it can be observed that the use of digital interventions is often reduced or fully discontinued by the users after a short period of time. This is seen as one of the main factors that can limit the effectiveness of digital interventions. In this context, the concept of adherence to digital interventions is becoming increasingly important. Adherence to digital interventions is roughly defined as “the degree to which the user followed the program as it was designed,” which can also be paraphrased as “intended use” or “use as it is designed.” However, both the theoretical–conceptual and practical discussions regarding adherence to digital interventions still receive too little attention.The aim of this narrative review article is to shed more light on the concept of adherence to digital interventions and to distinguish it from related concepts. It also discusses the methods and metrics that can be used to operationalize adherence and the predictors that positively influence adherence. Finally, needs for action to better address adherence are considered critically.
Background: Paediatric palliative care (PPC) is a noncurative approach to the care of children and adolescents with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses. Electronic medical records (EMRs) play an important role in documenting such complex processes. Despite their benefits, they can introduce unintended consequences if future users are not involved in their development. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptance of a novel module for nursing documentation by nurses working in the context of PPC. Methods: An observational study employing concurrent think-aloud and semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 11 nurses working in PPC. Based on the main determinants of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results: The main determinants of UTAUT were found to potentially influence acceptance of the novel module. Participants perceived the module to be self-explanatory and intuitive. Some adaptations, such as the reduction of fragmentation in the display, the optimization of confusing mouseover fields, and the use of familiar nursing terminology, are reasonable ways of increasing software adoption. Conclusions: After adaptation of the modules based on the results, further evaluation with the participation of future users is required.
Background: Electronic medical records (EMRs) offer a promising approach to mapping and documenting the complex information gathered in paediatric palliative care (PPC). However, if they are not well developed, poorly implemented EMRs have unintended consequences that may cause harm to patients. One approach to preventing such harm is the involvement of users in the participatory design to ensure user acceptance and patient safety. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the acceptance of a novel patient chart module (PCM) as part of an EMR from the perspective of potential users in PPC and to involve these professionals in the design process. Methods: A qualitative observational study with N = 16 PPC professionals (n = 10 nurses, n = 6 physicians) was conducted, including concurrent think aloud (CTA) and semi-structured interviews. A structured content analysis based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology was applied. Results: The results can be summarized in terms of general observations, performance expectancy, effort expectancy and facilitating conditions, all of which are likely to have a positive influence on acceptance of the PCM from the user perspective in the context of PPC. Conclusions: The involvement of users in the development of EMRs is important for meeting the requirements in PPC. Further software adaptations are necessary to implement these requirements.
BACKGROUND Despite the enormous number of assistive technologies (ATs) in dementia care, the management of challenging behavior (CB) of persons with dementia (PwD) by informal caregivers in home care is widely disregarded. The first-line strategy to manage CB is to support the understanding of the underlying causes of CB to formulate individualized nonpharmacological interventions. App- and sensor-based approaches combining multimodal sensors (actimetry and other modalities) and caregiver information are innovative ways to support the understanding of CB for family caregivers. OBJECTIVE The main aim of this study is to describe the design of a feasibility study consisting of an outcome and a process evaluation of a newly developed app- and sensor-based intervention to manage CB of PwD for family caregivers at home. METHODS In this feasibility study, we perform an outcome and a process evaluation with a pre-post descriptive design over an 8-week intervention period. The Medical Research Council framework guides the design of this feasibility study. The data on 20 dyads (primary caregiver and PwD) are gathered through standardized questionnaires, protocols, and log files as well as semistructured qualitative interviews. The outcome measures (neuropsychiatric inventory and Cohen-Mansfield agitation inventory) are analyzed by using descriptive statistics and statistical tests relevant to the individual assessments (eg, chi-square test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test). For the analysis of the process data, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology is used. Log files are analyzed by using descriptive statistics, protocols are analyzed by using documentary analysis, and semistructured interviews are analyzed deductively using content analysis. RESULTS The newly developed app- and sensor-based AT has been developed and was evaluated until July in 2018. The recruitment of dyads started in September 2017 and was concluded in March 2018. The data collection was completed at the end of July 2018. CONCLUSIONS This study presents the protocol of the first feasibility study to encompass an outcome and process evaluation to assess a complex app- and sensor-based AT combining multimodal actimetry sensors for informal caregivers to manage CB. The feasibility study will provide in-depth information about the study procedure and on how to optimize the design of the intervention and its delivery. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR DERR1-10.2196/11630
Despite the enormous number of assistive technologies (ATs) in dementia care, the management of challenging behavior (CB) of persons with dementia (PwD) by informal caregivers in home care is widely disregarded. The first-line strategy to manage CB is to support the understanding of the underlying causes of CB to formulate individualized nonpharmacological interventions. App- and sensor-based approaches combining multimodal sensors (actimetry and other modalities) and caregiver information are innovative ways to support the understanding of CB for family caregivers. The main aim of this study is to describe the design of a feasibility study consisting of an outcome and a process evaluation of a newly developed app- and sensor-based intervention to manage CB of PwD for family caregivers at home. In this feasibility study, we perform an outcome and a process evaluation with a pre-post descriptive design over an 8-week intervention period. The Medical Research Council framework guides the design of this feasibility study. The data on 20 dyads (primary caregiver and PwD) are gathered through standardized questionnaires, protocols, and log files as well as semistructured qualitative interviews. The outcome measures (neuropsychiatric inventory and Cohen-Mansfield agitation inventory) are analyzed by using descriptive statistics and statistical tests relevant to the individual assessments (eg, chi-square test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test). For the analysis of the process data, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology is used. Log files are analyzed by using descriptive statistics, protocols are analyzed by using documentary analysis, and semistructured interviews are analyzed deductively using content analysis. The newly developed app- and sensor-based AT has been developed and was evaluated until July in 2018. The recruitment of dyads started in September 2017 and was concluded in March 2018. The data collection was completed at the end of July 2018. This study presents the protocol of the first feasibility study to encompass an outcome and process evaluation to assess a complex app- and sensor-based AT combining multimodal actimetry sensors for informal caregivers to manage CB. The feasibility study will provide in-depth information about the study procedure and on how to optimize the design of the intervention and its delivery. DERR1-10.2196/11630
Background: Electronic medical records (EMRs) play a key role in improving documentation and quality of care in paediatric palliative care (PPC). Inadequate EMR design can cause incorrect prescription and administration of medications. Due to the fact of complex diseases and the resulting high level of medical complexity, patients in PPC are vulnerable to medication errors. Consequently, involving users in the development process is important. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptance of a medication module from the perspective of potential users in PPC and to involve them in the development process. Methods: A qualitative observational study was conducted with 10 nurses and four physicians using a concurrent think-aloud protocol and semi-structured qualitative interviews. A qualitative content analysis was applied based on a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Results: Requirements from the user’s perspective could be identified as possible influences on acceptance and actual use. Requirements were grouped into the categories “performance expectancies” and “effort expectancies”. Conclusions: The results serve as a basis for further development. Attention should be given to the reduction of display fragmentation, as it decreases cognitive load. Further approaches to evaluation should be taken.
Background: Electronic medical records (EMRs) play a key role in improving documentation and quality of care in paediatric palliative care (PPC). Inadequate EMR design can cause incorrect prescription and administration of medications. Due to the fact of complex diseases and the resulting high level of medical complexity, patients in PPC are vulnerable to medication errors. Consequently, involving users in the development process is important. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptance of a medication module from the perspective of potential users in PPC and to involve them in the development process. Methods: A qualitative observational study was conducted with 10 nurses and four physicians using a concurrent think-aloud protocol and semi-structured qualitative interviews. A qualitative content analysis was applied based on a unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. Results: Requirements from the user’s perspective could be identified as possible influences on acceptance and actual use. Requirements were grouped into the categories “performance expectancies” and “effort expectancies”. Conclusions: The results serve as a basis for further development. Attention should be given to the reduction of display fragmentation, as it decreases cognitive load. Further approaches to evaluation should be taken.
The Spreadsheet Energy System Model Generator (SESMG) is a tool for modeling and optimizing energy systems with a focus on urban systems. The SESMG is easily accessible as it comes with a browser-based graphical user interface, spreadsheets to provide data entry, and detailed documentation on how to use it. Programming skills are not required for the installation or application of the tool. The SESMG includes advanced modeling features such as the application of the multi-energy system (MES) approach, multi-objective optimization, model-based methods for reducing computational requirements, and automated conceptualization and result processing of urban energy systems with high spatial resolution. Due to its accessibility and the applied modeling methods, urban energy systems can be modeled and optimized with comparatively low effort.
This study identifies supply options for sustainable urban energy systems, which are robust to external system changes. A multi-criteria optimization model is used to minimize greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and financial costs of a reference system. Sensitivity analyses examine the impact of changing boundary conditions related to GHG emissions, energy prices, energy demands, and population density. Options that align with both financial and emission reduction and are robust to system changes are called “no-regret” options. Options sensitive to system changes are labeled as “potential-risk” options.
There is a conflict between minimizing GHG emissions and financial costs. In the reference case, the emission-optimized scenario enables a reduction of GHG emissions (-93%), but involves higher costs (+160%) compared to the financially-optimized scenario.
No-regret options include photovoltaic systems, decentralized heat pumps, thermal storages, electricity exchange between sub-systems and with higher-level systems, and reducing energy demands through building insulation, behavioral changes, or the decrease of living space per inhabitant. Potential-risk options include solar thermal systems, natural gas technologies, high-capacity battery storages, and hydrogen for building energy supply.
When energy prices rise, financially-optimized systems approach the least-emission system design. The maximum profitability of natural gas technologies was already reached before the 2022 European energy crisis.
Indicators for the optimization of sustainable urban energy systems based on energy system modeling
(2022)
Background: Urban energy systems are responsible for 75 % of the world's energy consumption and for 70 % of the worldwide greenhouse gas emissions. Energy system models are used to optimize, benchmark and compare such energy systems with the help of energy sustainability indicators. We discuss several indicators for their basic suitability and their response to changing boundary conditions, system structures and reference values. The most suitable parameters are applied to four different supply scenarios of a real-world urban energy system.
Results: There is a number of energy sustainability indicators, but not all of them are suitable for the use in urban energy system optimization models. Shortcomings originate from the omission of upstream energy supply chains (secondary energy efficiency), from limited capabilities to compare small energy systems (energy productivity), from excessive accounting expense (regeneration rate), from unsuitable accounting methods (primary energy efficiency), from a questionable impact of some indicators on the overall system sustainability (self-sufficiency), from the lack of detailed information content (share of renewables), and more. On the other hand, indicators of absolute greenhouse gas emissions, energy costs, and final energy demand are well suitable for the use in optimization models. However, each of these indicators only represents partial aspects of energy sustainability; the use of only one indicator in the optimization process increases the risk that other important aspects will deteriorate significantly, eventually leading to suboptimal or even unrealistic scenarios in practice. Therefore, multi-criteria approaches should be used to enable a more holistic optimization and planning of sustainable urban energy systems.
Conclusion: We recommend multi-criteria optimization approaches using the indicators of absolute greenhouse gas emissions, absolute energy costs, and absolute energy demand. For benchmarking and comparison purposes, specific indicators should be used and therefore related to the final energy demand, respectively the number of inhabitants. Our example scenarios demonstrate modeling strategies to optimize sustainability of urban energy systems.
Local and regional energy systems are becoming increasingly entangled. Therefore, models for optimizing these energy systems are becoming more and more complex and the required computing resources (run-time and random access memory usage) are increasing rapidly. The computational requirements can basically be reduced solver-based (mathematical optimization of the solving process) or model-based (simplification of the real-world problem in the model). This paper deals with identifying how the required computational requirements for solving optimization models of multi-energy systems with high spatial resolution change with increasing model complexity and which model-based approaches enable to reduce the requirements with the lowest possible model deviations. A total of 12 temporal model reductions (reduction of the number of modeled time steps), nine techno-spatial model reductions (reduction of possible solutions), and five combined reduction schemes were theoretically analyzed and practically applied to a test case. The improvement in reducing the usage of computational resources and the impact on the quality of the results were quantified by comparing the results with a non-simplified reference case. The results show, that the run-time to solve a model increases quadratically and memory usage increases linearly with increasing model complexity. The application of various model adaption methods have enabled a reduction of the run-time by over 99% and the memory usage by up to 88%. At the same time, however, some of the methods led to significant deviations of the model results. Other methods require a profound prior knowledge and understanding of the investigated energy systems to be applied. In order to reduce the run-time and memory requirements for investment optimization, while maintaining good quality results, we recommend the application of (1) a pre-model that is used to (1a) perform technological pre-selection and (1b) define reasonable technological boundaries, (2) spatial sub-modeling along network nodes, and 3) temporal simplification by only modeling every nth day (temporal slicing), where at least 20% of the original time steps are modeled. Further simplifications such as spatial clustering or larger temporal simplification can further reduce the computational effort, but also result in significant model deviations.
Introduction: Moving towards a more plant-based dietary pattern would likely be beneficial in terms of a variety of sustainability dimensions.
Methodology: We conducted a 2-year intervention study with six measurement time points (baseline, 10 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, 1½ years, 2 years) in rural northwest Germany. The intervention consisted of a lifestyle programme, and dietary recommendations were to move towards a healthy, plant-based diet. The control group received no intervention. Diet quality was assessed with the healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI).
Results: In the intervention group (n = 67), the 2-year trajectory of hPDI was significantly higher compared to control (n = 39; p 0.001; between-group difference: 5.7 (95% CI 4.0, 7.3) food portions/day; adjusted for baseline). The 2-year trajectory of meat intake was significantly lower in the intervention group (n = 79) compared to control (n = 40; p 0.001; between-group difference: -0.7 (95% CI -0.9, -0.5) portions/day; adjusted for baseline).
Conclusion: Our study confirms that plant-based nutrition education in the general population is likely to result in at least modest dietary improvements in terms of general healthfulness and meat reduction.
When simulating and optimizing urban energy systems, the focus is usually on minimizing financial costs or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. As energy systems transition towards a growing share of renewable energy sources and technological complexity, environmental impacts that affect more than just GHG emissions, such as resource extractions, water and land use impacts or impacts on human health, are becoming increasingly relevant.
To address this gap, this thesis introduces an automated coupling procedure for energy system modeling (ESM) and life cycle assessment (LCA). The implementation includes general recommendations and a practical coupling of the Open Energy Modelling Framework (oemof) based Spreadsheet Energy System Model Generator (SESMG) with a suitable LCA software.
The LCA procedure involves goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, impact assessment, and interpretation. To adapt these steps to different energy system models, the LCA should be attributional, process-based and territorial. Further, the openLCA software by Green-Delta serves as a suitable soft-linking tool. The main challenge of the coupling procedure is the inventory analysis. Data collection faces limitations, reasoned by the commercialization and high maintenance efforts in open-source databases. After evaluating free databases, the Prozessorientierte Basisdaten für Umweltmanagement-Instrumente (ProBas) database of the Umweltbundesamt emerged as the most suitable choice for the coupling. However, also this database lacks traceability of datasets or compatibility with a comprehensive impact assessment.
A generalized framework for the LCA application of energy systems was developed. The framework is based on an ex-post LCA assessment that considers the combination of the two approaches within every step of the procedure. Main considerations of this framework include automatic calculations of the inventory analysis and the impact assessment for different energy technologies, as well as calculations summed up for all technologies of energy system scenarios. Further, technology mapping and data harmonization are essential considerations for the automatic coupling and double counting of impacts needs to be avoided.
Subsequently, the framework is realized with the adaption of the SESMG. Its database-independent realization allows compatibility with different databases in openLCA. For the selected ProBas database, the tool can be used with different available energy technologies. The use of unit processes is encouraged for data harmonization. Result interpretation of the LCA (in general or with the SESMG) should not solely focus on the absolute values of the impact categories, but rather on the comparative strengths among scenarios and technologies.
The successful application to a reference single-family building using the ProBas database revealed varied environmental impacts, in relation with a higher reduction in GHG emissions, with an increase of 11 % in terrestrial acidification impacts in the emission-optimized scenario. These findings emphasize a more comprehensive perspective on environmental impacts and provide a valuable validation of the developed methodology.
Future research should include the improvement of data harmonization, the inclusion of more datasets for a more customized analysis of energy systems and more applications. The coupled approach offers a promising avenue for gaining deeper insights into optimizing urban energy systems.
Purpose: This study investigated the effectiveness of the stuttering modification intervention Kinder Dürfen Stottern (KIDS) in school-age children who stutter.
Method: Seventy-three children who stutter were included in this multicenter, two-group parallel, randomized, wait-list controlled trial with a follow-up of 12 months. Children aged 7–11 years were recruited from 34 centers for speech therapy and randomized to either the immediate-treatment group or the 3 months delayed-treatment group. KIDS was provided by 26 clinicians who followed a treatment manual. Although the primary outcome measure was the impact of stuttering (Overall Assessment of the Speaker’s Experience of Stuttering–School-Age [OASES-S]), the secondary outcomes included objective and subjective data on stuttering severity.
Results: At 3 months postrandomization, the mean score changes of the OASESS differed significantly between the experimental (n = 33) and control group (n = 29; p = .026). Furthermore, treatment outcomes up to 12 months were analyzed (n = 59), indicating large effects of time on the OASES-S score (p < .001, partial η2 = .324). This was paralleled by significant improvements in parental ratings and objective ratings (stuttering severity, frequency, and physical concomitants).
Conclusions: The significant short-term treatment effects in the OASES-S are in line with the (initial) focus of KIDS on cognitive and affective aspects of stuttering.
Over 12 months, these changes were maintained and accompanied by
behavioral improvements. The results suggest that individual treatment with KIDS is an adequate treatment option for this age group.
This survey study investigates surgical patients’ use and perception of digital health technologies in Germany in the pre–COVID-19 era. The objective of this study was to relate surgical patients’ characteristics to the use and perception of several digital health technologies. In this single-center, cross-sectional survey study in the outpatient department of a university hospital in Germany, 406 patients completed a questionnaire with the following three domains: general information and use of the internet, smartphones, and general digital health aspects. Analyses were stratified by age group and highest education level achieved. We found significant age-based differences in most of the evaluated aspects. Younger patients were more open to using new technologies in private and medical settings but had more security concerns. Although searching for information on illnesses on the web was common, the overall acceptance of and trust in web-based consultations were rather low, with <50% of patients in each age group reporting acceptance and trust. More people with academic qualifications than without academic qualifications searched for information on the web before visiting physicians (73/121, 60.3% and 100/240, 41.7%, respectively). Patients with academic degrees were also more engaged in health-related information and communication technology use. These results support the need for eHealth literacy, health literacy, and available digital devices and internet access to support the active, meaningful use of information and communication technologies in health care. Uncertainties and a lack of knowledge exist, especially regarding telemedicine and the use of medical and health apps. This is especially pronounced among older patients and patients with a low education status.
The annual wastewater flow that is treated by public
wastewater treatment plants in Germany amounts
to approx. 10 ∗ 10^9 m3/a and forms an ”artificial” hydropower
potential that can be used for energy generation
or recovery. In the context of this paper, energy
recovery in the outlet of wastewater treatment plants
is examined using the specific example of the water
wheel at the Warendorf central wastewater treatment
plant. The ”artificial” hydropower potential can be
roughly estimated at up to 20 to 105 GWh/a , whereby
this is largely dependent on the hydraulic gradient.
The strong variance results, among other things, from
the findings of the water wheel operation in Warendorf.
The decisive aspect here is the differential factor,
which describes the deviation between the theoretical
and actual energy yield of the water wheel. The
factor includes maintenance work, downtimes and insufficient
inflows, which are associated with a loss of
output. In the case study, the annual energy recovery
amounts to approx. 2 % of the annual electricity consumption
of the wastewater treatment plant and can
be estimated to 23,500 kWh (2022). In the context
of the economic analysis, it can be seen that despite
the ”low” yield, economic operation is possible if the
system is viewed as a long-term investment - payback
period of the example is approx. 14,5 years. The
27-year operation (1996 - 2023) of the water wheel
at the Warendorf central wastewater treatment plant
confirms this and important findings on successful
practical operation can be shown in the context of
this paper.
Background: Establishing a healthy lifestyle has a great potential to reduce the prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and their risk factors. NCDs contribute immensely to the economic costs of the health care system arising from therapy, medication use, and productivity loss.
Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the Healthy Lifestyle Community Program (cohort 2; HLCP-2) on medication use and consequently on medication costs for selected NCDs (diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia).
Methods: Data stem from a 24-month non-randomised, controlled intervention trial aiming to improve risk factors for NCDs. Participants completed questionnaires at six measurement time points assessing medication use, from which costs were calculated. The following medication groups were included in the analysis as NCD medication: glucose-lowering medications (GLM), antihypertensive drugs (AHD) and lipid-lowering drugs (LLD). Statistical tests for inter- and intra-group comparison and multiple regression analysis were performed.
Results: In total, 118 participants (intervention group [IG]: n = 79; control group [CG]: n = 39) were considered. Compared to baseline medication use decreased slightly in the IG and increased in the CG. Costs for NCD medication were significantly lower in the IG than in the CG after 6 (p = 0.004), 12 (p = 0.040), 18 (p = 0.003) and 24 months (p = 0.008). After multiple regression analysis and adjusting for confounders, change of costs differed significantly between the groups in all final models.
Conclusion: The HLCP-2 was able to moderately prevent an increase of medication use and thus reduce costs for medication to treat NCDs with the greatest impact on AHD.
Non-communicable diseases (NCD) are associated with high costs for healthcare systems. We evaluated changes in total costs, comprising direct and indirect costs, due to a 24-month non-randomized, controlled lifestyle intervention trial with six measurement time points aiming to improve the risk profile for NCDs. Overall, 187 individuals from the general population aged ≥18 years were assigned to either the intervention group (IG; n = 112), receiving a 10-week intensive lifestyle intervention focusing on a healthy, plant-based diet; physical activity; stress management; and community support, followed by a 22-month follow-up phase including monthly seminars, or a control group (CG; n = 75) without intervention. The complete data sets of 118 participants (IG: n = 79; CG: n = 39) were analyzed. At baseline, total costs per person amounted to 67.80 ± 69.17 EUR in the IG and 48.73 ± 54.41 EUR in the CG per week. The reduction in total costs was significantly greater in the IG compared to the CG after 10 weeks (p = 0.012) and 6 months (p = 0.004), whereas direct costs differed significantly after 10 weeks (p = 0.017), 6 months (p = 0.041) and 12 months (p = 0.012) between the groups. The HLCP-2 was able to reduce health-related economic costs, primarily due to the reduction in direct costs.
This document presents a comparative analysis of
horizontal and vertical small wind turbines for urban
areas in three power classes up to 10 kW in different
categories. The main objective was to conduct a market
analysis to assess the marketability of these wind
energy systems. The aim was to make it easier for
potential customers to make a decision. However, due
to the limited availability of data, the project encountered
considerable difficulties. As a result, the study
became a comparative assessment, which led to results
that may not be readily transferable to urban environments,
slightly missing the original objective of the
study. The results underline the difficulties associated
with conducting a comprehensive market analysis in
this sector and highlight the need for an independent
series of tests under specific conditions. The paper
concludes with a plea for future research efforts to
adapt data collection methods to urban conditions in
order to improve the relevance and applicability of
such studies in practice.
Food-processing companies are controlled by societal influences and economic interests, but their efforts with regard to reducing food loss and waste are very different. This qualitative study aims to identify basic recommendations of good practice for the food-processing industry in order to prevent and handle food loss and waste. For this purpose, a comprehensive literature review was conducted in the field of food waste prevention and data was collected from thirteen German companies. The findings summarize the recommendations of good practice, which cover the entire supply chain from supplier to consumer and beyond. The analysis showed that the participating companies are already partially aware of operational measures, even if they are applied or mentioned without a systematic approach. Furthermore, the analysis revealed that most activities relate to internal matters, like processing, employees and utilization. However, the responsibility of foodprocessing companies does not end with internal processes to reduce food waste. The results show that some companies are already aware of their responsibility to be involved along the entire supply chain. Finally, the results show that the needs of consumers and suppliers must also be considered in order to reduce food waste, in addition to direct reduction measures. This paper highlights nine important stages and 53 basic recommendations for companies to address food loss and waste in order to improve their practices.
Ob Nachhaltigkeit zum selbstverständlichen Bestandteil der Ausbildung wird, hängt vor allem
vom Engagement und der Qualifikation des Berufsbildungspersonals ab. Denn als Fachleute kennen Ausbilderinnen und Ausbilder die beruflichen Tätigkeiten und betrieblichen Prozesse, und als Pädagoginnen und Pädagogen sind sie es, die Lernsituationen gestalten und Lerninhalte vermitteln. Vor diesem Hintergrund richtet sich der vorliegende Leitfaden insbesondere an das betriebli-
che und überbetriebliche Ausbildungspersonal, aber auch an Lehrkräfte in Berufsschulen. Er zeigt
auf, wie nachhaltigkeitsbezogene Lehr-/Lernarrangements entwickelt und umgesetzt werden können. Mit Blick auf die lebensmittelproduzierenden Berufe werden dem Ausbildungspersonal Tipps zur Gestaltung entsprechender Lernaufgaben und damit zur betrieblichen Umsetzung der
Standardberufsbildposition gegeben.
Welche Umweltbelastungen verursacht der Betrieb? Wie lässt sich Nachhaltigkeit im betrieblichen Handeln stärker verankern und wie können etwaige Zielkonflikte konstruktiv thematisiert
werden? Ausbilderinnen und Ausbilder müssen sich heute darauf einlassen, diese komplexen und zum Teil auch unbequemen Fragen gemeinsam mit den Auszubildenden zu diskutieren. Dieser Leitfaden gibt hierzu ein Rüstzeug an die Hand, mit dem eine nachhaltigkeitsorientierte didaktische Berufsbildungsarbeit in Betrieb und Schule sofort und ganz konkret umgesetzt werden kann.
Originally this article was supposed to be a comparison between the technological differences of bottom-fixed offshore wind turbines (BOWT) and floating offshore wind turbines (FOWT). However, several authors already contributed to this topic and came to the conclusion that the higher levelized costs of energy (LCOE) prevent FOWTs from successfully entering the energy market. Multiple sources seem to agree on this conclusion but often do not provide the reader with further information regarding the LCOE. This is the reason why this article understands itself as an in depth cost comparison between BOWTs and FOWTs. For this purpose, individual LCOE are calculated for the upcoming FOWT technologies such as spar-buoy (SPAR), tension-leg platform (TLP) and semi-submersible platform (semi-sub) as well as conventional BOWTs using the wind turbines hours of full utilization (HOFU). The resulting functions are visualized graphically in order to determine break-even points between BOWTs and FOWTs. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to determine the influence of the weighted average costs of capital (WACC).