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Institute
- Fakultät Elektrotechnik, Medizintechnik und Informatik (EMI) (ab 04/2019) (47)
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Open Access
- Open Access (131) (remove)
Modern society is more than ever striving for digital connectivity -- everywhere and at any time, giving rise to megatrends such as the Internet of Things (IoT). Already today, 'things' communicate and interact autonomously with each other and are managed in networks. In the future, people, data, and things will be interlinked, which is also referred to as the Internet of Everything (IoE). Billions of devices will be ubiquitously present in our everyday environment and are being connected over the Internet.
As an emerging technology, printed electronics (PE) is a key enabler for the IoE offering novel device types with free form factors, new materials, and a wide range of substrates that can be flexible, transparent, as well as biodegradable. Furthermore, PE enables new degrees of freedom in circuit customizability, cost-efficiency as well as large-area fabrication at the point of use.
These unique features of PE complement conventional silicon-based technologies. Additive manufacturing processes enable the realization of many envisioned applications such as smart objects, flexible displays, wearables in health care, green electronics, to name but a few.
From the perspective of the IoE, interconnecting billions of heterogeneous devices and systems is one of the major challenges to be solved. Complex high-performance devices interact with highly specialized lightweight electronic devices, such as e.g. smartphones and smart sensors. Data is often measured, stored, and shared continuously with neighboring devices or in the cloud. Thereby, the abundance of data being collected and processed raises privacy and security concerns.
Conventional cryptographic operations are typically based on deterministic algorithms requiring high circuit and system complexity, which makes them unsuitable for lightweight devices.
Many applications do exist, where strong cryptographic operations are not required, such as e.g. in device identification and authentication. Thereby, the security level mainly depends on the quality of the entropy source and the trustworthiness of the derived keys. Statistical properties such as the uniqueness of the keys are of great importance to precisely distinguish between single entities.
In the past decades, hardware-intrinsic security, particularly physically unclonable functions (PUFs), gained a lot of attraction to provide security features for IoT devices. PUFs use their inherent variations to derive device-specific unique identifiers, comparable to fingerprints in biometry.
The potentials of this technology include the use of a true source of randomness, on demand key derivation, as well as inherent key storage.
Combining these potentials with the unique features of PE technology opens up new opportunities to bring security to lightweight electronic devices and systems. Although PE is still far from being matured and from being as reliable as silicon technology, in this thesis we show that PE-based PUFs are promising candidates to provide key derivation suitable for device identification in the IoE.
Thereby, this thesis is primarily concerned with the development, investigation, and assessment of PE-based PUFs to provide security functionalities to resource constrained printed devices and systems.
As a first contribution of this thesis, we introduce the scalable PE-based Differential Circuit PUF (DiffC-PUF) design to provide secure keys to be used in security applications for resource constrained printed devices. The DiffC-PUF is designed as a hybrid system architecture incorporating silicon-based and inkjet-printed components. We develop an embedded PUF platform to enable large-scale characterization of silicon and printed PUF cores.
In the second contribution of this thesis, we fabricate silicon PUF cores based on discrete components and perform statistical tests under realistic operating conditions. A comprehensive experimental analysis on the PUF security metrics is carried out. The results show that the silicon-based DiffC-PUF exhibits nearly ideal values for the uniqueness and reliability metrics. Furthermore, the identification capabilities of the DiffC-PUF are investigated and it is shown that additional post-processing can further improve the quality of the identification system.
In the third contribution of this thesis, we firstly introduce an evaluation workflow to simulate PE-based DiffC-PUFs, also called hybrid PUFs. Hereof, we introduce a Python-based simulation environment to investigate the characteristics and variations of printed PUF cores based on Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. The simulation results show, that the security metrics to be expected from the fabricated devices are close to ideal at the best operating point.
Secondly, we employ fabricated printed PUF cores for statistical tests under varying operating conditions including variations in ambient temperature, relative humidity, and supply voltage. The evaluations of the uniqueness, bit aliasing, and uniformity metrics are in good agreement with the simulation results. The experimentally determined mean reliability value is relatively low, which can be explained by the missing passivation and encapsulation of the printed transistors. The investigation of the identification capabilities based on the raw PUF responses shows that the pure hybrid PUF is not suitable for cryptographic applications, but qualifies for device identification tasks.
The final contribution is to switch to the perspective of an attacker. To judge on the security capabilities of the hybrid PUF, a comprehensive security analysis in the manner of a cryptanalysis is performed. The analysis of the entropy of the hybrid PUF shows that its vulnerability against model-based attacks mainly depends on the selected challenge building method. Furthermore, an attack methodology is introduced to assess the performances of different mathematical cloning attacks on the basis of eavesdropped challenge-response pairs (CRPs). To clone the hybrid PUF, a sorting algorithm is introduced and compared with commonly used supervised machine learning (ML) classifiers including logistic regression (LR), random forest (RF), as well as multi-layer perceptron (MLP).
The results show that the hybrid PUF is vulnerable against model-based attacks. The sorting algorithm benefits from shorter training times compared to the ML algorithms. If the eavesdropped CRPs are erroneous, the ML algorithms outperform the sorting algorithm.
Im Rahmen der weiter voranschreitenden Globalisierung des internationalen Waren- und Handelsverkehrs wächst auch der weltweit virtuelle Zahlungsverkehr. Die Entwicklung eines derartigen Waren- und Zahlungsverkehrs wurde durch den Stand der jeweils vorliegenden Möglichkeiten des Zahlungsverkehrs fundiert, oftmals auch gefördert. Dabei hat gleichzeitig das interregional und international tätige Handelsmanagement selbst nützliche Formen eines Zahlungsverkehrs geschaffen und initiiert. Dieses gilt vor allem auch für das 19. Jahrhundert. Der Beitrag1 verfolgt insbesondere das Ziel, die Entwicklung, Organisation und Technik des vor allem von privaten Bankhäusern getragenen interregionalen und internationalen Zahlungsverkehrs im 19. Jahrhundert zu analysieren.
Die angestrebten Klimaschutzziele erfordern, dass Erneuerbare Energien längerfristig zur Hauptenergiequelle der Energieversorgung werden. Um dieses ehrgeizige Ziel zu erreichen, ist es angebracht konventionelle und erneuerbare Energie oder noch besser nachhaltige Einzelprozesse intelligent miteinander zu verknüpfen.
Das Projekt EBIPREP wird von einer interdisziplinären Forschergruppe bestehend aus Chemikern, Prozessingenieuren und Bioprozessingenieuren sowie Physikern, die auf Sensoren und Prozesssteuerung spezialisiert sind durchgeführt. Das Ziel ist es, neue Lösungen für die Nutzungswege von Holzhackschnitzeln und den bei der mechanischen Trocknung anfallenden Holzpresssaft zu entwickeln. Neben der Hackschnitzelvergasung und der katalytischen Reinigung des Holzgases steht die Nutzung des Holzpresssafts in Biogasanlagen und bei der biotechnologischen Wertstofferzeugung, z.B. bei der Enzymherstellung, im Vordergrund.
Was wir tun?
Das EBIPREP-Projekt wird von einer interdisziplinären Forschungsgruppe durchgeführt, die sich aus Chemikern, Prozessingenieuren, Bioprozessingenieuren und Physikern zusammensetzt. Ziel ist es, neue Lösungen für den Einsatz von Hackschnitzeln und Holzpresssaft zu entwickeln, die durch ein innovatives mechanisches Trocknungsverfahren gewonnen werden. Neben der Holzvergasung und katalytischen Reinigung des Holzgases ist der Einsatz von Holzpresssaft in Biogasanlagen und in biotechnologischen Produktionsprozessen von Wertstoffen vorgesehen. Holzhackschnitzel werden thermisch vergast. Es werden Online-Sensoren entwickelt, um die relevanten Parameter der stabilisierten und optimierten Einzelprozesse auszuwerten. Die Verknüpfung von thermischen und biotechnologischer Konversionsprozessen könnte dazu beitragen, die Dimension von Biogasreaktoren erheblich zu reduzieren. Diese Tatsache wird folglich zu einer spürbaren Kostensenkung führen.
Ziele des EBIPREP-Projekts
• die Vorteile der thermischen und biologischen Umwandlung von Biomasse zu kombinieren;
• Entwicklung eines Verfahrens zur Reduzierung von Schadstoffemissionen mit innovativen Sensoren und katalytische Behandlung von Synthesegasen;
• nachhaltige Produktion biotechnologischer wertvoller Produkte
• wirtschaftliche und ökologische Analyse des Gesamtprozesses im Vergleich zu den Einzelprozessen
• Einsatz von Prozessabwässern zur Erzeugung regenerativer Energie oder biotechnologischer Wertstoffe
• Erwerb neuer Kenntnisse auf dem Gebiet der Rückgewinnungstechnik von Rückständen
• und Energieerzeugung;
• Erweiterung neuer Anwendungsfelder für innovative Sensoren und Keramik
• Schäume für Katalysatoren;
• Senkung der Kosten für die Biogasproduktion
Im geplanten Übersichtsvortrag werden die vernetzten Strukturen des Projekts EBIPREP und deren zentralen Ergebnisse vorgestellt.
While prospect of tracking mobile devices' users is widely discussed all over European countries to counteract COVID-19 propagation, we propose a Bloom filter based construction providing users' location privacy and preventing mass surveillance.
We apply a solution based on Bloom filters data structure that allows a third party, a government agency, to perform some privacy-preserving set relations on a mobile telco's access logfile.
By computing set relations, the government agency, given the knowledge of two identified persons, has an instrument that provides a (possible) infection chain from the initial to the final infected user no matter at which location on a worldwide scale they are.
The benefit of our approach is that intermediate possible infected users can be identified and subsequently contacted by the agency. With such approach, we state that solely identities of possible infected users will be revealed and location privacy of others will be preserved. To this extent, it meets General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)requirements in this area.
In der Forschungsgruppe um Prof. Dr. Thomas Wendt werden Themen in unterschiedlichsten Bereichen von Automatisierungstechnik über funktionale Sicherheit bis hin zur 3D-gedruckten Elektronik / Sensorik behandelt. Insgesamt arbeiten vier Doktoranden und vier Mitarbeiter an der Weiterentwicklung der verschiedenen Technologien, die in diesem Artikel zusammengefasst dargestellt sind.
Schlussbericht IntelliKOMP
(2020)
Im Rahmen des Verbundprojektes IntelliKOMP sollten smarte Werkzeughalter und Spannfutter für Werkzeugmaschinen im Hinblick auf Industrie 4.0 entwickelt werden. Durch eine hochintegrierte Elektronik in den peripheren Maschinenkomponenten soll mittels Sensoren eine Datenerfassung, -verarbeitung und drahtlose -übertragung erfolgen. Durch diese Daten soll bspw. eine prädiktive Wartung ermöglicht werden.
Um medizinische Behandlungsverfahren in der Praxis besser verstehen und anwenden zu können, gewinnt die Visualisierung der Prozesse an immer größerer Bedeutung. Durch Anwendung der Computer-Simulationssoftware CST können elektromagnetische und thermische Simulationen zur Analyse verschiedener Herzrhythmusstörungen durchgeführt werden. Eine weitere Form der Visualisierung erfolgt durch haptische, dreidimensionale Druckmodelle. Diese Modelle können mit einem generativen Herstellungsverfahren, wie z. B. einem 3D-Drucker, in kürzester Zeit hergestellt werden.
Strings
(2020)
This article presents the currently ongoing development of an audiovisual performance work with the title Strings. This work provides an improvisation setting for a violinist, two laptop performers, and two generative systems. At the core of Strings lies an approach that establishes a strong correlation among all participants by means of a shared physical principle. The physical principle is that of a vibrating string. The article discusses how this principle is used in both natural and simulated forms as main interaction layer between all performers and as natural or generative principle for creating audio and video.
Short-term load forecasting (STLF) has been playing a key role in the electricity sector for several decades, due to the need for aligning energy generation with the demand and the financial risk connected with forecasting errors. Following the top-down approach, forecasts are calculated for aggregated load profiles, meaning the sum of singular loads from consumers belonging to a balancing group. Due to the emerging flexible loads, there is an increasing relevance for STLF of individual factories. These load profiles are typically more stochastic compared to aggregated ones, which imposes new requirements to forecasting methods and tools with a bottom-up approach. The increasing digitalization in industry with enhanced data availability as well as smart metering are enablers for improved load forecasts. There is a need for STLF tools processing live data with a high temporal resolution in the minute range. Furthermore, behin-the-meter (BTM) data from various sources like submetering and production planning data should be integrated in the models. In this case, STLF is becoming a big data problem so that machine learning (ML) methods are required. The research project “GaIN” investigates the improvement of the STLF quality of an energy utility using BTM data and innovative ML models. This paper describes the project scope, proposes a detailed definition for a benchmark and evaluates the readiness of existing STLF methods to fulfil the described requirements as a reviewing paper.
The review highlights that recent STLF investigations focus on ML methods. Especially hybrid models gain more and more importance. ML can outperform classical methods in terms of automation degree and forecasting accuracy. Nevertheless, the potential for improving forecasting accuracy by the use of ML models depends on the underlying data and the types of input variables. The described methods in the analyzed publications only partially fulfil the tool requirements for STLF on company level. There is still a need to develop suitable ML methods to integrate the expanded data base in order to improve load forecasts on company level.
Communication protocols enable information exchange between different information systems. If protocol descriptions for these systems are not available, they can be reverse-engineered for interoperability or security reasons. This master thesis describes the analysis of such a proprietary binary protocol, named the DVRIP or Dahua private protocol from Dahua Technology. The analysis contains the identification of the DVRIP protocol header format, security mechanisms and vulnerabilities inside the protocol implementation. With the revealing insights of the protocol, an increase of the overall security is achieved. This thesis builds the foundation for further targeted security analyses.
In the work at hand, we state that privacy and malleability of data are two aspects highly desired but not easy to associate. On the one hand, we are trying to shape data to make them usable and editable in an intelligible way, namely without losing their initial information. On the other hand, we are looking for effective privacy on data such that no external or non-authorized party could learn about their content. In such a way, we get overlapping requirements by pursuing different goals; it is trivial to be malleable without being secure, and vice versa. We propose four “real-world” use cases identified as scenarios where these two contradictory features are required and taking place in distinct environments. These considered backgrounds consist of firstly, cloud security auditing, then privacy of mobile network users and industry 4.0 and finally, privacy of COVID-19 tracing app users. After presenting useful background material, we propose to employ multiple approaches to design solutions to solve the use cases. We combine homomorphic encryption with searchable encryption and private information retrieval protocol to build an effective construction for the could auditing use case. As a second step, we develop an algorithm to generate the appropriate parameters to use the somewhat homomorphic encryption scheme by considering correctness, performance and security of the respective application. Finally, we propose an alternative use of Bloom filter data structure by adding an HMAC function to allow an outsourced third party to perform set relations in a private manner. By analyzing the overlapping bits occurring on Bloom filters while testing the inclusiveness or disjointness of the sets, we show how these functions maintain privacy and allow operations directly computed on the data structure. Then, we show how these constructions could be applied to the four selected use cases. Our obtained solutions have been implemented and we provide promising results that validate their efficiency and thus relevancy.
Silicon (Si) has turned out to be a promising active material for next‐generation lithium‐ion battery anodes. Nevertheless, the issues known from Si as electrode material (pulverization effects, volume change etc.) are impeding the development of Si anodes to reach market maturity. In this study, we are investigating a possible application of Si anodes in low‐power printed electronic applications. Tailored Si inks are produced and the impact of carbon coating on the printability and their electrochemical behavior as printed Si anodes is investigated. The printed Si anodes contain active material loadings that are practical for powering printed electronic devices, like electrolyte gated transistors, and are able to show high capacity retentions. A capacity of 1754 mAh/gSi is achieved for a printed Si anode after 100 cycles. Additionally, the direct applicability of the printed Si anodes is shown by successfully powering an ink‐jet printed transistor.
Purpose
This work presents a new monocular peer-to-peer tracking concept overcoming the distinction between tracking tools and tracked tools for optical navigation systems. A marker model concept based on marker triplets combined with a fast and robust algorithm for assigning image feature points to the corresponding markers of the tracker is introduced. Also included is a new and fast algorithm for pose estimation.
Methods
A peer-to-peer tracker consists of seven markers, which can be tracked by other peers, and one camera which is used to track the position and orientation of other peers. The special marker layout enables a fast and robust algorithm for assigning image feature points to the correct markers. The iterative pose estimation algorithm is based on point-to-line matching with Lagrange–Newton optimization and does not rely on initial guesses. Uniformly distributed quaternions in 4D (the vertices of a hexacosichora) are used as starting points and always provide the global minimum.
Results
Experiments have shown that the marker assignment algorithm robustly assigns image feature points to the correct markers even under challenging conditions. The pose estimation algorithm works fast, robustly and always finds the correct pose of the trackers. Image processing, marker assignment, and pose estimation for two trackers are handled in less than 18 ms on an Intel i7-6700 desktop computer at 3.4 GHz.
Conclusion
The new peer-to-peer tracking concept is a valuable approach to a decentralized navigation system that offers more freedom in the operating room while providing accurate, fast, and robust results.
Seit 2009 nimmt das Team ”magmaOffenburg” an der 3D-Simulationsliga des RoboCups teil. Für das erfolgreiche Abschneiden in Turnieren ist die Qualität der erlernten Bewegungsabläufe ein zentraler Faktor. Bisher wurden genetische Algorithmen verwendet, um verschiedenste Aktionen zu erlernen sowie zu optimieren. In dieser Arbeit wird der Deep Reinforcement Learning Algorithmus Proximal Policy Optimization für das Erlernen bestimmter Bewegungen verwendet. Um ein Verständnis für dessen einflussreichen Parameter zu erhalten, werden Größen wie paralleles Lernen, Hyperparameter, Netzwerktopologie, Größe des Observationspace sowie asynchronem Lernen anhand dem Kicken aus dem Stand evaluiert. Durch die Ergebnisse der Evaluierung konnte der erlernte Kick signifikant verbessert werden und sein genetisch erlerntes Gegenstück im Spiel ablösen. Drüber hinaus wurden die Erkenntnisse anhand dem Laufen lernen evaluiert und Zusammenhänge bzw. Unterschiede der zwei Lernprobleme festgestellt.
Rudolf E. Kaiser
(2020)
Editorial
(2020)
Editorial
(2020)
Editorial
(2020)
Editorial
(2020)
Editorial
(2020)
Fully Printed Inverters using Metal‐Oxide Semiconductor and Graphene Passives on Flexible Substrates
(2020)
Printed and flexible metal‐oxide transistor technology has recently demonstrated great promise due to its high performance and robust mechanical stability. Herein, fully printed inverter structures using electrolyte‐gated oxide transistors on a flexible polyimide (PI) substrate are discussed in detail. Conductive graphene ink is printed as the passive structures and interconnects. The additive printed transistors on PI substrates show an on/off ratio of 106 and show mobilities similar to the state‐of‐the‐art printed transistors on rigid substrates. Printed meander structures of graphene are used as pull‐up resistances in a transistor–resistor logic to create fully printed inverters. The printed and flexible inverters show a signal gain of 3.5 and a propagation delay of 30 ms. These printed inverters are able to withstand a tensile strain of 1.5% following more than 200 cycles of mechanical bending. The stability of the electrical direct current (DC) properties has been observed over a period of 5 weeks. These oxide transistor‐based fully printed inverters are relevant for digital printing methods which could be implemented into roll‐to‐roll processes.
In this contribution, we propose an system setup for the detection andclassification of objects in autonomous driving applications. The recognition algo-rithm is based upon deep neural networks, operating in the 2D image domain. Theresults are combined with data of a stereo camera system to finally incorporatethe 3D object information into our mapping framework. The detection systemis locally running upon the onboard CPU of the vehicle. Several network archi-tectures are implemented and evaluated with respect to accuracy and run-timedemands for the given camera and hardware setup.
Embedded Analog Physical Unclonable Function System to Extract Reliable and Unique Security Keys
(2020)
Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices have become more and more pervasive in our everyday lives. Examples include wearables transmitting and processing personal data and smart labels interacting with customers. Due to the sensitive data involved, these devices need to be protected against attackers. In this context, hardware-based security primitives such as Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) provide a powerful solution to secure interconnected devices. The main benefit of PUFs, in combination with traditional cryptographic methods, is that security keys are derived from the random intrinsic variations of the underlying core circuit. In this work, we present a holistic analog-based PUF evaluation platform, enabling direct access to a scalable design that can be customized to fit the application requirements in terms of the number of required keys and bit width. The proposed platform covers the full software and hardware implementations and allows for tracing the PUF response generation from the digital level back to the internal analog voltages that are directly involved in the response generation procedure. Our analysis is based on 30 fabricated PUF cores that we evaluated in terms of PUF security metrics and bit errors for various temperatures and biases. With an average reliability of 99.20% and a uniqueness of 48.84%, the proposed system shows values close to ideal.
Hybrid low-voltage physical unclonable function based on inkjet-printed metal-oxide transistors
(2020)
Modern society is striving for digital connectivity that demands information security. As an emerging technology, printed electronics is a key enabler for novel device types with free form factors, customizability, and the potential for large-area fabrication while being seamlessly integrated into our everyday environment. At present, information security is mainly based on software algorithms that use pseudo random numbers. In this regard, hardware-intrinsic security primitives, such as physical unclonable functions, are very promising to provide inherent security features comparable to biometrical data. Device-specific, random intrinsic variations are exploited to generate unique secure identifiers. Here, we introduce a hybrid physical unclonable function, combining silicon and printed electronics technologies, based on metal oxide thin film devices. Our system exploits the inherent randomness of printed materials due to surface roughness, film morphology and the resulting electrical characteristics. The security primitive provides high intrinsic variation, is non-volatile, scalable and exhibits nearly ideal uniqueness.
Die transösophageale Neurostimulation ist eine neue Therapieform und könnte unter anderem zur Schmerzlinderung während einer transösophagealen Linksherzstimulation angewendet werden. Sie ist in die Kategorie der Rückenmarksstimulation (SCS) einzuordnen, die die meist verwendete Technik der Neurostimulation ist. Die derzeit auf dem Markt vorhandenen Ösophaguskatheter werden bei einer elektrophysiologischen Untersuchung mit Ablation und transösophagealer Echokardiographie zur Temperaturüberwachung eingesetzt. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit war, das vorhandene Offenburger Herzrhythmusmodell, um die Wirbelsäule zu erweitern, einen neuen Ösophagus-Elektroden- Katheter für die transösophageale elektrische Stimulation des Rückenmarks zu modellieren und mittels 3D-Computer-Simulationen auf Ihre Wirksamkeit zu untersuchen.
Eine kontinuierliche Überwachung von Ethernet-Leitungne beugt Maschinenausfällen in der Industrie vor. Aktuell fehlen jedoch geiegnete Methoden, um diese Überwachung flächendeckend durchzuführen. Im Projekt Ko²SiBus wurde deshalb ein kostengünstiges Verfahren zur kontinuierlichen Überwachung von Ethernet-Leitungen entwickelt.
OVVL (the Open Weakness and Vulnerability Modeller) is a tool and methodology to support threat modeling in the early stages of the secure software development lifecycle. We provide an overview of OVVL (https://ovvl.org), its data model and browser-based UI. We equally provide a discussion of initial experiments on how identified threats in the design phase can be aligned with later activities in the software lifecycle (issue management and security testing).
Cooling towers or recoolers are one of the major consumers of electricity in a HVAC plant. The implementation and analysis of advanced control methods in a practical application and its comparison with conventional controllers is necessary to establish a framework for their feasibility especially in the field of decentralised energy systems. A standard industrial controller, a PID and a model based controller were developed and tested in an experimental set-up using market-ready components. The characteristics of these controllers such as settling time, control difference, and frequency of control actions are compared based on the monitoring data. Modern controllers demonstrated clear advantages in terms of energy savings and higher accuracy and a model based controller was easier to set-up than a PID.
Ecological concerns on the climatic effects of the emissions from electricity production stipulate the remuneration of electricity grids to accept growing amounts of intermittent regenerative electricity feed-in from wind and solar power. Germany’s eager political target to double regenerative electricity production by 2030 puts pressure on grid operators to adapt and restructure their transmission and distribution grids. The ability of local distribution grids to operate autonomous of transmission grid supply is essential to stabilize electricity supply at the level of German federal states. Although congestion management and collaboration at the distribution system operator (DSO) level are promising approaches, relatively few studies address this issue. This study presents a methodology to assess the electric energy balance for the low-voltage grids in the German federal state of Baden-Württemberg, assuming the typical load curves and the interchange potential among local distribution grids by means of linear programming of the supply function and for typical seasonal electricity demands. The model can make a statement about the performance and development requirements for grid architecture for scenarios in 2035 and 2050 when regenerative energies will—according to present legislation—account for more than half of Germany’s electricity supply. The study details the amendment to Baden-Württemberg’s electricity grid required to fit the system to the requirements of regenerative electricity production. The suggested model for grid analysis can be used in further German regions and internationally to systematically remunerate electricity grids for the acceptance of larger amounts of regenerative electricity inflows. This empirical study closes the research gap of assessing the interchange potential among DSO and considers usual power loads and simultaneously usual electricity inflows.
A disturbed synchronization of the ventricular contraction can cause a highly developed systolic heart failure in affected patients with reduction of the left ventricular ejection fraction, which can often be explained by a diseased left bundle branch block (LBBB). If medication remains unresponsive, the concerned patients will be treated with a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) system. The aim of this study was to integrate His-bundle pacing into the Offenburg heart rhythm model in order to visualize the electrical pacing field generated by His-Bundle-Pacing. Modelling and electrical field simulation activities were performed with the software CST (Computer Simulation Technology) from Dessault Systèms. CRT with biventricular pacing is to be achieved by an apical right ventricular electrode and an additional left ventricular electrode, which is floated into the coronary vein sinus. The non-responder rate of the CRT therapy is about one third of the CRT patients. His- Bundle-Pacing represents a physiological alternative to conventional cardiac pacing and cardiac resynchronization. An electrode implanted in the His-bundle emits a stronger electrical pacing field than the electrical pacing field of conventional cardiac pacemakers. The pacing of the Hisbundle was performed by the Medtronic Select Secure 3830 electrode with pacing voltage amplitudes of 3 V, 2 V and 1,5 V in combination with a pacing pulse duration of 1 ms. Compared to conventional pacemaker pacing, His-bundle pacing is capable of bridging LBBB conduction disorders in the left ventricle. The His-bundle pacing electrical field is able to spread via the physiological pathway in the right and left ventricles for CRT with a narrow QRS-complex in the surface ECG.
Background: A disturbed synchronization of the ventricular contraction can cause a highly developed systolic heart failure in affected patients, which can often be explained by a diseased left bundle branch block (LBBB). If medication remains unresponsive, the concerned patients will be treated with a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) system. The aim of this study was to integrate His bundle pacing into the Offenburg heart rhythm model in order to visualize the electrical pacing field generated by His bundle pacing.
Methods: Modelling and electrical field simulation activities were performed with the software CST (Computer Simulation Technology) from Dessault Systèms. CRT with biventricular pacing is to be achieved by an apical right ventricular electrode and an additional left ventricular electrode, which is floated into the coronary vein sinus. This conventional type of biventricular pacing leads to a reduction of the left ventricular ejection fraction. Furthermore, the non-responder rate of the CRT therapy is about one third of the CRT patients.
Results: His bundle pacing represents a physiological alternative to conventional cardiac pacing and cardiac resynchronization. An electrode implanted in the His bundle emits a stronger electrical pacing field than the electrical pacing field of conventional cardiac pacemakers. The pacing of the His bundle was performed by the Medtronic Select Secure 3830 electrode with pacing voltage amplitudes of 3 V, 2 V and 1.5 V in combination with a pacing pulse duration of 1 ms.
Conclusions: Compared to conventional cardiac pacemaker pacing, His bundle pacing is capable of bridging LBBB conduction disorders in the left ventricle. The His bundle pacing electrical field is able to spread via the physiological pathway in the right and left ventricles for CRT with a narrow QRS-complex in the surface ECG.
Knight Götz von Berlichingen (1480–1562) lost his right hand distal to the wrist due to a cannon ball splinter injury in 1504 in the Landshut War of Succession at the age of 24. Early on, Götz commissioned a gunsmith to build the first “Iron Hand,” in which the artificial thumb and two finger blocks could be moved in their basic joints by a spring mechanism and released by a push button. Some years later, probably around 1530, a second “Iron Hand” was built, in which the fingers could be moved passively in all joints. In this review, the 3D computer-aided design (CAD) reconstructions and 3D multi-material polymer replica printings of the first “Iron hand“, which were developed in the last few years at Offenburg University, are presented. Even by today’s standards, the first “Iron Hand”—as could be shown in the replicas—demonstrates sophisticated mechanics and well thought-out functionality and still offers inspiration and food for discussion when it comes to the question of an artificial prosthetic replacement for a hand. It is also outlined how some of the ideas of this mechanical passive prosthesis can be translated into a modern motorized active prosthetic hand by using simple, commercially available electronic components.
(1) Background: Little is known about the baroque composer Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757), whose life was centred behind closed doors at the royal court in Spain. There are no reports about his illnesses. From his compositions, mainly for harpsichord, an outstanding virtuosity can be read. (2) Case Presentation: In this case report, the only known oil painting of Domenico Scarlatti is presented, on which he is about 50 years old. In it one recognizes conspicuous hands with hints of watch glass nails and drumstick fingers. (3) Discussion: Whether Scarlatti had chronic hypoxia of peripheral body regions as a sign of, e.g., bronchial cancer or a severe heart disease, is not known. (4) Conclusions: The above-mentioned signs recorded in the oil painting, even if they were not interpretable at that time, are clearly represented and recorded for us and are open to diagnostic discussion from today's point of view.
In this entry, the 3D CAD reconstructions and 3D multi-material polymer replica printings of knight Götz von Berlichingen´s first „Iron Hand,“ which were developed in the last few years at Offenburg University, are presented. Even by today's standards, the first “Iron Hand”–as could be shown in the replicas–demonstrates sophisticated mechanics and well thought-out functionality and still offers inspiration and food for discussion when it comes to the question of an artificial prosthetic replacement for a hand.
In this editorial, a topic for general discussion in the field of neuroprosthetics of the upper limb is addressed: which way—invasive or non-invasive—is the right one for the future in the development of neuroprosthetic concepts. At present, two groups of research priorities (namely the invasive versus the non-invasive approach) seem to be emerging, without taking a closer look at the wishes but also the concerns of the patients. This piece is intended to stimulate the discussion on this.
Africa was the last region to witness significant spread of the COVID-19. Nonetheless, it was expected that the continent would be hardest hit due to the fragility of its health and social infrastructure as well as the vulnerability of its economies. While the rates of infection and death were initially relatively low and contained economically, the continent was hard hit early on. Cuts in credit and trade services by international banks, along with a decline in export earnings, tourism receipts, and inward remittances, have severely constrained the ability of African countries to finance imports of essential goods and to service maturing debt obligations.
However, Africa has over time created mechanisms and institutions to help cushion its economies from the adverse consequences of global shocks. Among these institutions is Afreximbank, which emerged out of the debt crisis of the 1980s. This paper presents an overview of the Bank’s support to African countries in dealing with two major derivatives of the COVID-19 pandemic: the trade finance challenges resulting from cuts in international financial flows to the continent, and the health consequences of the pandemic.
For the standard ISO 16842 cruciform test specimen, stresses obtained from the gauge area are far below the ultimate tensile strength due to high stress concentrations at the slit ends which lead to premature failure. Objective: To introduce a new cruciform specimen design which has been optimized with respect to the determination of yield surfaces. Methods: The proposed design differs from the ISO standard by an additional thinning of the gauge area and wider slits in the arms to avoid stress singularities. Compared to other cruciform test piece designs found in the literature, the stress distribution is still homogeneous and there is no need to reduce the size of the gauge area, thanks to the specimen’s well-balanced proportions. Results: Biaxial tensile tests have been conducted with aluminium 5754 alloy samples of different thicknesses. For the standard cruciform test piece, the maximum strain achieved at the gauge area is only 25% of the fracture strain. The optimized cruciform test piece can attain about 66% of the fracture strain before breaking. Conclusions: The optimized specimen design enables the measurement of yield surfaces at higher stress levels. In case of other materials such as elastomers, the slit length has be to adjusted accordingly.
This essay is about Estonia’s measures to help its exporters responding to COVID-19. The purpose is to analyse the companies’ need for help measures and the governmental objectives behind the measures and finally to analyse the possible effects. We used the two latest surveys dealing with the entrepreneurship situation and conducted two inter-views with governmental representatives exposing their objectives. The outcomes show that more than half of Estonian companies are asking for governmental help mainly as a consequence of a drop of demand. Limiting the increase of unemployment and bankrupt-cies as well as strengthening the economic recovery were identified as the main govern-mental objectives while restraining fiscal costs is a subordinated objective but becomes more important the more money will be spent. The help measures offered by KredEx are in line with these objectives. After the crisis the implications of the established measures should be analysed so that others can learn from the Estonian Government’s approach.
Diese Bachelorarbeit analysiert das Medienkonsumverhalten der deutschen Bevölkerung und die vielfältigen Nutzungen von YouTube. Mit dieser Abhandlung sollte es möglich sein, wichtige Punkte für die Erstellung eines eigenen YouTube-Kanals zu sammeln. Dies gilt sowohl für Ersteller von Inhalten als auch für Unternehmen.
Zu Beginn wird analysiert, welche Funktionen YouTube für Content Creator, Unternehmen und Konsumenten bietet. Des Weiteren werden die verschiedenen Finanzierungsmöglichkeiten aufgezeigt, welche die Videoplattform anbietet.
Die für die Analyse erforderlichen Daten stammen aus verschiedenen Studien zum Verhalten des Medienkonsums. Darüber hinaus werden auf sozialen Plattformen eigene Umfragen durchgeführt, um einen spezifischen Überblick über die Nutzung von YouTube und seinen Alternativen zu erhalten.
Mit dem Ergebnis der Analyse wird ein Prozess entwickelt, der dazu beitragen soll, Fehler beim Erstellen eines YouTube-Kanals zu vermeiden und einen positiven Effekt für den Kanal zu erzielen. Dieser Prozess enthält wichtige Punkte, die beim Ausführen eines Kanals zu beachten sind.
This essay deals with the Spanish economy and especially with the Spanish governmental measures for SME exporters in times of COVID-19. The focus was set on SMEs, as they are an essential part of trade for the government and are particularly affected by the pandemic. Since the financial crisis, the Spanish economy has become highly diversified, with a greater focus on exports. Competitiveness, productivity and efficiency have increased significantly. The Spanish government measures largely affect the areas liquidity and financing, taxes and protection of the employment. One of the most important measures is the 100-billion-euro credit line and the policies on unemployment. The Spanish government is dependent on further aid packages and is criticized for the measures.
In this paper, we describe the PALM model system 6.0. PALM (formerly an abbreviation for Parallelized Large-eddy Simulation Model and now an independent name) is a Fortran-based code and has been applied for studying a variety of atmospheric and oceanic boundary layers for about 20 years. The model is optimized for use on massively parallel computer architectures. This is a follow-up paper to the PALM 4.0 model description in Maronga et al. (2015). During the last years, PALM has been significantly improved and now offers a variety of new components. In particular, much effort was made to enhance the model with components needed for applications in urban environments, like fully interactive land surface and radiation schemes, chemistry, and an indoor model. This paper serves as an overview paper of the PALM 6.0 model system and we describe its current model core. The individual components for urban applications, case studies, validation runs, and issues with suitable input data are presented and discussed in a series of companion papers in this special issue.
Aus Ideen werden Produkte
(2020)
Sustainable design of equipment for process intensification requires a comprehensive and correct identification of relevant stakeholder requirements, design problems and tasks crucial for innovation success. Combining the principles of the Quality Function Deployment with the Importance-Satisfaction Analysis and Contradiction Analysis of requirements gives an opportunity to define a proper process innovation strategy more reliably and to develop an optimal process intensification technology with less secondary engineering and ecological problems.
In the modern knowledge-based and digital economy, the value of knowledge is growing relative to other assets and new intellectual property is being created at an ever-increasing rate. Therefore, the ability to find non-trivial solutions, systematically generate new concepts, and create intellectual property rapidly become crucial to achieving competitive advantage and leveraging the intellectual potential of organizations.
Computer an allen Schulen (1984), Schulen ans Netz (1996), Digitalpakt Schule (2016): Jede neue Rechnergeneration wird für Schule und Unterricht als notwendig reklamiert. Die Argumente wiederholen sich: PCs, Laptops, heute Tablets seien innovativ, motivationsfördernd und ermöglichten „modernen“ Unterricht. Stand der Wissenschaft ist: Weder Nutzen noch Mehrwert von IT in Schulen sind belegt. Die Digitalisierung dient offensichtlich anderen Interessen. Denn ob Kreidetafel oder Whiteboard: Entscheidend für Lernerfolge sind Lehrpersönlichkeiten, ein gut strukturierter Unterricht und der lernförderliche Umgang miteinander, nicht Medientechnik.
Die entscheidende Frage bei der Konzeption einer möglichen technischen Infrastruktur für Schulen ist keine technische, sondern eine pädagogische: Was soll denn genau gelernt werden, über Rechner und Netzwerke, am Rechner oder mit dem Rechner? Ist diese Frage geklärt, kann man Hard- und Software dafür zusammenstellen.
Alle drei Anträge argumentieren technikdeterministisch, als sei (Digital)Technik mehr als ein mögliches, nicht notwendiges Hilfsmittel im Unterricht. Seit über 30 Jahren wird jede neue Geräte-Generation (PC, Laptops, heute Tablets) mit identischen Argumenten (innovativ, modern, motivationsfördernd) für den Einsatz im Unterricht reklamiert. Doch entscheidend für Lernerfolge und Bildungsprozesse sind die Lehrer-Schülerbeziehung, die direkte Interaktion zwischen Lehrenden und Lernenden und die Sozial- und Klassengemeinschaft, nicht die technische Ausstattung von Schulen. Lernprozesse in Bildungseinrichtungen beruhen auf dem sozialen Miteinander und wechselseitigem Vertrauen. Lernen ist ein individueller und sozialer Prozess, kein technischer Vorgang. Kein Mensch lernt digital.
Keiner der Anträge unterscheidet nach dem Alter der Schülerinnen und Schüler als dem entscheidenden Kriterium für den Einsatz von Medientechnik im Unterricht. Stattdessen wird technikeuphorisch einer zunehmenden Automatisierung des Beschulens und Testens das Wort geredet (Lernsoftware, Lernmanagementsysteme, Lernprofile u.a.). Stand der Wissenschaft (einschließlich der Erfahrungen mit Covid-19 und erzwungenen Schulschließungen) ist aber, dass Präsenzunterricht das oberstes Primat der Schulen sein muss. Schulen sind die Orte des sozialen Miteinander und Schutzraum gerade für sozial Benachteiligte. Das Ziel sind Lern- und Verstehensprozesse der Schülerinnen und Schüler, die Entwicklung ihrer Persönlichkeit und ihre Bildungschancen, nicht quantitative Vergleiche über die technische Ausstattung von Schulen in anderen Bundesländern oder dem Ausland. Pädagogisch argumentierend würde nicht auf digitale Medien(technik) verkürzt; es würden analoge wie technische Medien gleichwertig einbezogen. Ob und ggf. für was man Digitaltechniken altersangemessen und ohne Rückkanal (!) für Nutzerdaten einsetzen kann, ist hingegen erst durch ergebnisoffene Studien zu belegen. Was in allen Anträgen fehlt, ist daher ein klares Verbot der Profilierung Minderjähriger.
Wer darüber hinaus das Ziel der digitalen Transformation der gesamten Gesellschaft mit dem Ziel der digitalen Organisation aller Lebensbereiche kennt, weiß, dass wir IT erst neu denken und alternative Infrastrukturen aufbauen müssen, bevor Digitaltechnik in Schulen einsetzbar wird. Datensparsamkeit und Dezentralisierung, Hoheit über die eigenen Daten und DSGVO-konforme Systeme sind zukunftsweisende Stichworte für IT in Schulen, nicht EdTech als Big Business der Global Education Industries (GEI).
The age of globalisation is characterised by increased competition. An opportunity to succeed in the face of increasing competition lies in the digitisation of production companies. This article is dedicated to the design of a three-stage model platform of Industry 4.0, which focuses on the consistency of processes from the customer to the supplier at all company levels. The model platform is followed by an overview of the transformation steps for evaluating and shaping progress on the way to become a digitised production company.
In dem durchgeführten Verbundvorhaben arbeiteten zum einen die Fachgebiete Geologie/Geothermie sowie Anlagen- und Systemtechnik von geothermischer Kältegewinnung und Kältenutzung der Projektpartner interdisziplinär zusammen, um den aktuellen Wissensstand der Kühlung mittels oberflächennaher Geothermie fachübergreifend zu erfassen, zu bewerten und Schnittstellenprobleme zu bearbeiten. Aus dieser interdisziplinären Betrachtungsweise wurden ganzheitliche Hinweise zur Optimierung des geothermischen Kühlpotenzials sowie Anstöße für technische und planerische Innovationen für die Praxis entwickelt und in diese transferiert.
Zu folgenden Zielen wurden Beiträge erarbeitet:
- Steigerung der Energieeffizienz der Kühlung und Kältebereitstellung
- Nutzung regenerativer Energien zur Kühlung und Kältebereitstellung
- Begrenzung der thermischen Belastung des Untergrunds und des Grundwassers
- Minimierung der Schäden und Risiken durch den Eingriff in den Untergrund
Modern Franciscan Leadership
(2020)
This article combines two important areas of practical theology: Monastic rules and leadership in a cloistral organisation, using the Rule of Saint Francis as a prominent example. The aim of this research is to examine how living Christian tradition in a monastic order affects leadership today, discovering how the Rule and Franciscan spirituality impact managing a convent. The research question is answered within this inductive research applying the methodology of the ‘theology in four voices.’ Based on the results, it is possible to build a coherent leadership system based on Biblical and Franciscan sources.
Financing trade and development sustainably will be crucial for Africa. Enhanced collaboration between multilateral development banks, development finance institutions and ECAs could greatly enhance intra-regional trade. Furthermore, setting up a ‘level playing field’ on the continent will allow governments to make strategic interventions for successful export credits and trade finance solutions, fostering growth through trade. African trade is already showing signs of rebounding from the coronavirus- induced recession. Through concerted, co-operative and continent-wide efforts, drawing on the knowledge and resources of all types of institutions and policy experts, Africa will continue to grow confidently and quickly into its increasingly important role as an engine of economic growth and global trade.
In den vergangenen Jahren wurden im Rahmen journalistischer Recherchen immer wieder große Datenmengen zu komplexen Firmenkonstruktionen und globalen Finanztransaktionen veröffentlicht, die dem Waschen illegaler Gelder und dem Verschleiern von Vermögenswerten dienten. Als Beispiele seien hierzu die „Panama Papers“ oder „Paradise Papers“ von 2016 genannt, mit denen zahlreiche Briefkastenfirmen und Finanzgeschäfte in Steueroasen gegenüber der Öffentlichkeit aufgedeckt wurden. Die Recherche der Journalisten ordnete den offenbar illegal erworbenen Vermögenswerten auch prominente Namen zu. Als Folge wurden unter anderem Strafverfahren wegen Steuerhinterziehung eingeleitet. Selbst Minister und Regierungschefs mussten zurücktreten. Auch die Europäische Union wurde in den letzten Jahren immer wieder von Geldwäsche-Skandalen erschüttert. Der mit Abstand umfangreichste Fall ereignete sich in der estnischen Filiale der Danske Bank, welche über Jahre massiv die Sorgfaltspflichten missachtet hatte und so in den Jahren 2007 bis 2015 rund 200 Milliarden Euro aus dubiosen russischen Quellen über die Konten der Bank geflossen sein sollen. Es handelt sich derzeit um den weltgrößten Geldwäscheskandal, der bisher aufgedeckt werden konnte. Auch die Deutsche Bank, die als Korrespondenzbank für das dänische Geldhaus tätig war, soll jahrelang verdächtige Transaktionen im Zusammenhang mit der Dankse Bank nicht offengelegt haben. Ferner hatte im Juli 2018 die Berliner Polizei und Staatsanwaltschaft 77 Immobilien einer kurdisch-libanesischen Großfamilie im Wert von zehn Millionen Euro beschlagnahmt. Durch den Kauf der Gebäude sollen illegale Gelder aus Raub und Drogenhandel gewaschen worden sein. Darüber hinaus hat erst im November 2019 das sog. Hawala-Banking in Deutschland Schlagzeilen gemacht. Mehr als 850 Polizeibeamte aus fünf Bundesländern gingen gegen eine vermutlich international agierende kriminelle Vereinigung vor. Die Behörden ermittelten 27 Beschuldigte, die im großen Stil Bargeld ins Ausland transferiert und so über das Hawala-Bankensystem mehr als 200 Millionen Euro aus illegalen Quellen gewaschen haben sollen.
Diffracted waves carry high‐resolution information that can help interpreting fine structural details at a scale smaller than the seismic wavelength. However, the diffraction energy tends to be weak compared to the reflected energy and is also sensitive to inaccuracies in the migration velocity, making the identification of its signal challenging. In this work, we present an innovative workflow to automatically detect scattering points in the migration dip angle domain using deep learning. By taking advantage of the different kinematic properties of reflected and diffracted waves, we separate the two types of signals by migrating the seismic amplitudes to dip angle gathers using prestack depth imaging in the local angle domain. Convolutional neural networks are a class of deep learning algorithms able to learn to extract spatial information about the data in order to identify its characteristics. They have now become the method of choice to solve supervised pattern recognition problems. In this work, we use wave equation modelling to create a large and diversified dataset of synthetic examples to train a network into identifying the probable position of scattering objects in the subsurface. After giving an intuitive introduction to diffraction imaging and deep learning and discussing some of the pitfalls of the methods, we evaluate the trained network on field data and demonstrate the validity and good generalization performance of our algorithm. We successfully identify with a high‐accuracy and high‐resolution diffraction points, including those which have a low signal to noise and reflection ratio. We also show how our method allows us to quickly scan through high dimensional data consisting of several versions of a dataset migrated with a range of velocities to overcome the strong effect of incorrect migration velocity on the diffraction signal.
Extracting horizon surfaces from key reflections in a seismic image is an important step of the interpretation process. Interpreting a reflection surface in a geologically complex area is a difficult and time-consuming task, and it requires an understanding of the 3D subsurface geometry. Common methods to help automate the process are based on tracking waveforms in a local window around manual picks. Those approaches often fail when the wavelet character lacks lateral continuity or when reflections are truncated by faults. We have formulated horizon picking as a multiclass segmentation problem and solved it by supervised training of a 3D convolutional neural network. We design an efficient architecture to analyze the data over multiple scales while keeping memory and computational needs to a practical level. To allow for uncertainties in the exact location of the reflections, we use a probabilistic formulation to express the horizons position. By using a masked loss function, we give interpreters flexibility when picking the training data. Our method allows experts to interactively improve the results of the picking by fine training the network in the more complex areas. We also determine how our algorithm can be used to extend horizons to the prestack domain by following reflections across offsets planes, even in the presence of residual moveout. We validate our approach on two field data sets and show that it yields accurate results on nontrivial reflectivity while being trained from a workable amount of manually picked data. Initial training of the network takes approximately 1 h, and the fine training and prediction on a large seismic volume take a minute at most.
Multiple Object Tracking (MOT) is a long-standing task in computer vision. Current approaches based on the tracking by detection paradigm either require some sort of domain knowledge or supervision to associate data correctly into tracks. In this work, we present an unsupervised multiple object tracking approach based on visual features and minimum cost lifted multicuts. Our method is based on straight-forward spatio-temporal cues that can be extracted from neighboring frames in an image sequences without superivison. Clustering based on these cues enables us to learn the required appearance invariances for the tracking task at hand and train an autoencoder to generate suitable latent representation. Thus, the resulting latent representations can serve as robust appearance cues for tracking even over large temporal distances where no reliable spatio-temporal features could be extracted. We show that, despite being trained without using the provided annotations, our model provides competitive results on the challenging MOT Benchmark for pedestrian tracking.
During the year 2015 almost 1.4 million refugees arrived in Europe (eurostat, 2020). Germany was with 1.1 million individuals the major destination (Statista, 2018). A huge political divide occurred over this influx. While welcoming scenes dominated the media in the advent of the so called ‘refugee crisis’, criticism over the ‘We’ll-make-it policy’ by Angela Merkel increased also among Christian Democrats.1A sudden human influx of such size into a society might not only have political, cultural and social impacts, but may also lead to economic disruptions. Human beings embody consumers as well as labour force. A significant increase in population might thus cause an increase in demand for commodities and in labour supply, which ceteris paribus simultaneously lead to increasing GDP and decreasing wages. Previous literature utilized quasi-natural experiments which can be exploited in social sciences for the detection of causal relations and the usage of methods, not applicable otherwise. The present paper applies the synthetic control methodology to wages, unemployment and economic growth in Germany in order to measure the causal impact of the 2015- refugee influx on these economic key elements. No impact on either of the economic factors has been found.
European Union labour market and welfare policies are concerned with the protection of European citizens from disruptive processes. Falling wages and increasing unemployment, as well as decreasing production and consumption embody highly disruptive political potential. Thus, the findings concerning the impact of refugee migration into the European Union might influence EU-policies in the prospect of increased migration to Europe in the upcoming century due climate change and new crises. The remainder of the article is organized as follows: The lessons from the key literature concerning quasi- natural experiments and the impact of migration on wages, unemployment and economic growth are provided in section 2. Section 3 comprises the theoretical framework concerning the differences between refugees and economic migrants. Section 4 introduces the estimation strategy, while section 5 presents data and descriptive statistics. Section 6 shows the simulation results, followed by the concluding discussion in section 7.
Zur Herstellung von Spritzgussformeinsätzen kommen in der Regel spanende Verfahren zum Einsatz. In den letzten Jahren hat sich allerdings auch die additive Herstellung dieser Werkzeuge als zweckmäßig erwiesen. In der Produktentwicklung spielt die Agilität heute eine immer wichtigere Rolle. Um mögliche Potentiale des Additive Tooling im Rahmen des Agile Prototyping und um Unterschiede zu den konventionellen Herstellverfahren aufzuzeigen, werden Angebote für die Fertigung mehrerer Formeinsätze durch eine CNC- und HSC-Fertigung, sowie durch additive Herstellung angefragt und hinsichtlich Beschaffungskosten und -zeiten miteinander verglichen. Zudem erfolgt eine Bewertung der technischen Unterschiede. Aus diesen beiden Betrachtungen kann schließlich ein Profil über die drei Herstellverfahren abgeleitet werden, welches bei der anwendungsfallspezifischen Verfahrensauswahl unterstützen soll.
In this study, a facile method to fabricate a cohesive ion‐gel based gate insulator for electrolyte‐gated transistors is introduced. The adhesive and flexible ion‐gel can be laminated easily on the semiconducting channel and electrode manually by hand. The ion‐gel is synthesized by a straightforward technique without complex procedures and shows a remarkable ionic conductivity of 4.8 mS cm−1 at room temperature. When used as a gate insulator in electrolyte‐gated transistors (EGTs), an on/off current ratio of 2.24×104 and a subthreshold swing of 117 mV dec−1 can be achieved. This performance is roughly equivalent to that of ink drop‐casted ion‐gels in electrolyte‐gated transistors, indicating that the film‐attachment method might represent a valuable alternative to ink drop‐casting for the fabrication of gate insulators.
British Government long-term Measures for Exporters in the Manufacturing Sector in Times of COVID-19
(2020)
The authors of this paper have addressed the question of what measures have been taken by the British government to support exporters in the manufacturing sector in the era of COVID-19. A classification of the manufacturing export industry in the British economy as a whole and the impending economic impact of COVID-19 were also examined. It should be noted that the United Kingdom is facing major structural changes as a result of the Corona pandemic and its withdrawal from the European Union, which are examined more in detail in this paper. The UKEF, in cooperation with other institutions, provides a number of finance facilities for exporters already before Corona crisis. The access to get this support has been facilitated for the COVID-19 affected exporters, but no additional measures were made available.
The coronavirus affects the strongly export-oriented Swiss economy in a situation where political and economic developments are already making the cross-border exchange of goods and services difficult. For this reason, the question arises of how Switzerland can maintain or strengthen its position in global competition in the export business during an unprecedented period of crisis such as the current one.
In order to find an answer to this question, this paper critically examines the existing government support measures for Swiss exporters in times of COVID-19. The fact that Switzerland has so far not taken any specific support measures for exporters raises the actual research question of whether there is a specific necessity and demand for a special export promotion. To answer this research question, various expert opinions are compared and overall conclusions are drawn. By rapidly introducing and adapting the already existing instruments – liquidity assistance and an expansion of short-time work benefits – the federal government was able to ensure the survival of many companies. According to the authors of this paper, this focus of government support in times of crisis is just right for a small national economy in the short term and therefore preferable to a specific support of exporters. Nevertheless, given the high relative importance of foreign trade for Switzerland’s overall economic performance, there can be no recovery of national economy without a recovery of foreign trade.
Hohe Kosten bei der Annotation von Daten führen dazu, dass datensparsamere Wege zum Erstellen von Modellen gesucht werden. In dieser Arbeit wird ein Lösungsansatz untersucht, der ausgehend von fokussierten Repräsentationen, datensparsame Lösungen für verschiedene Aufgaben finden soll. Durch einen Multi-Task-Learning-Ansatz trägt das Finden einer Repräsentation gleichzeitig zum Lösen einer Aufgabe bei. Durch Ersetzung einer der Aufgaben werden Wissentransfers datensparsam auf die neue Aufgabe durchgeführt. In der erarbeiteten und evaluierten Lösung können Hyperparameter automatisch gefunden werden. Bei Vergleichen von verschiedenen Ansätzen und Datenmengen ist über die Leistung der Netzwerke zu erkennen, dass der Ansatz insbesondere mit weniger Daten bessere Ergebnisse erzielt. Die Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit lassen eine Bereitstellung als Module zu. Die Module werden im Rahmen dieser Arbeit beschrieben. Abgeschlossen wird die Arbeit mit einem Ausblick auf Verbesserungen und Potenziale der Ansätze.
In this work, we evaluate two different image clustering objectives, k-means clustering and correlation clustering, in the context of Triplet Loss induced feature space embeddings. Specifically, we train a convolutional neural network to learn discriminative features by optimizing two popular versions of the Triplet Loss in order to study their clustering properties under the assumption of noisy labels. Additionally, we propose a new, simple Triplet Loss formulation, which shows desirable properties with respect to formal clustering objectives and outperforms the existing methods. We evaluate all three Triplet loss formulations for K-means and correlation clustering on the CIFAR-10 image classification dataset.
In this work, the authors have dealt with the question of what measures have been taken by the Danish government to support exporters during the time of COVID-19. The analysis first looks at Denmark's general economic situation. In the following, Denmark's governmental and financial measures to support exporters are briefly explained. In addition to the economic and financial effects, the issue of green energy has also become a major focus of political attention in times of crisis. Denmark is a pioneer in the wind energy sector and accounts for a large share of exports. For this reason, the impact and possible future developments for the wind sector in connection with the pandemic are also being investigated.
Bei dem vorgestellten Ansatz soll der Auftreffpunkt des Pfeils durch die Kreuzkorrelation von Audio-Signalen bestimmt werden. Das Auftreffen des Pfeils erzeugt ein charakteristisches Geräusch, welches von mehreren Mikrofonen in bestimmter Anordnung um die Dartscheibe herum in elektrische Signale umgewandelt wird. Mithilfe der Schallgeschwindigkeit und den Zeitdifferenzen, welche die Schallwelle zu den einzelnen Mikrofonen benötigt soll dann der Auftreffpunkt berechnet werden.
Mit der Implementierung sowie einer anschließenden aussagekräftigen Evaluierung, soll das, visuelle-inertiale Kartierungs- und Lokalisierungssystem maplab analysiert werden. Hierbei basiert die Kartierung bzw. Lokalisierung auf der Detektion von Umgebungsmerkmalen. Neben der Möglichkeit der Kartenerstellung besteht ferner die Option, mehrere Karten zu fusionieren und somit weitreichende Gebiete zu kartieren sowie für weitere Datenauswertungen zu nutzen. Aufgrund der Durchführung und Bewertung der Ergebnisse in unterschiedlichen Anwendungsszenarien zeigt sich, dass maplab besonders zur Kartierung von Räumen bzw. kleinen Gebäudekomplexen geeignet ist. Die Möglichkeit der Kartenfusionierung bietet weiterhin die Option, den Informationsgehalt von Karten zu erhöhen, welches die Effektivität für eine anschließende Lokalisierung steigert. Bei wachsender Kartierungsgröße hingegen zeigt sich jedoch eine Vergrößerung geometrischer Inkonsistenzen.
In the field of neuroprosthetics, the current state-of-the-art method involves controlling the prosthesis with electromyography (EMG) or electrooculography/electroencephalography (EOG/EEG). However, these systems are both expensive and time consuming to calibrate, susceptible to interference, and require a lengthy learning phase by the patient. Therefore, it is an open challenge to design more robust systems that are suitable for everyday use and meet the needs of patients. In this paper, we present a new concept of complete visual control for a prosthesis, an exoskeleton or another end effector using augmented reality (AR) glasses presented for the first time in a proof-of-concept study. By using AR glasses equipped with a monocular camera, a marker attached to the prosthesis is tracked. Minimal relative movements of the head with respect to the prosthesis are registered by tracking and used for control. Two possible control mechanisms including visual feedback are presented and implemented for both a motorized hand orthosis and a motorized hand prosthesis. Since the grasping process is mainly controlled by vision, the proposed approach appears to be natural and intuitive.
Restoring hand motion to people experiencing amputation, paralysis, and stroke is a critical area of research and development. While electrode-based systems that use input from the brain or muscle have proven successful, these systems tend to be expensive and di¨cult to learn. One group of researchers is exploring the use of augmented reality (AR) as a new way of controlling hand prostheses. A camera mounted on eyeglasses tracks LEDs on a prosthetic to execute opening and closing commands using one of two different AR systems. One system uses a rectangular command window to control motion: crossing horizontally signals “open” along one direction and “close” in the opposite direction. The second system uses a circular command window: once control is enabled, gripping strength can be controlled by the direction of head motion. While the visual system remains to be tested with patients, its low cost, ease of use, and lack of electrodes make the device a promising solution for restoring hand motion.
A new concept for robust non-invasive optical activation of motorized hand prostheses by simple and non-contactcommands is presented. In addition, a novel approach for aiding hand amputees is shown, outlining significantprogress in thinking worth testing. In this, personalized 3D-printed artificial flexible hands are combined withcommercially available motorized exoskeletons, as they are used e.g. in tetraplegics.
Vulnerabilitätsanalyse "Hitzestress und menschliche Gesundheit" am Beispiel der Stadt Reutlingen
(2020)
In diesem Modellprojekt wird das Schutzgut "Menschliche Gesundheit" insbesondere unter dem Gesichtspunkt der im Rahmen des globalen Klimawandels zu erwartenden Überhitzung der Städte ("städtische Hitzeinseln") betrachtet.
In der Großstadt Reutlingen ("Tor zur Schwäbischen Alb/112.500 EW) mit ihrer Pfortenlage am Rande der Schwäbischen Alb und der Höhenlage (400-800 m) sowie der Bebauungsdichte werden bis 2050 bzw. 2100 (Strategie zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel Baden-Württemberg - Vulnerabilitäten und Klimaanpassungsmaßnahmen, 2015) die massivsten Auswirkungen bezüglich Aufenthaltsbehaglichkeit und Gesundheitsfolgen in Reutlingen erwartet.
Der Untersuchungsschwerpunkt liegt im Wirkungsbereich Mensch-Siedlung, d.h. in der Betrachtung von empfindlichen Bevölkerungspopulationen (z.B. ältere Menschen) und hitzeempfindlichen Nutzungsstrukturen (z.B. verdichteten städtischen Siedlungsflächen). Insbesondere die bereits in der abgeschlossenen Gesamtstädtischen Klimaanalyse ermittelten überwärmten Areale ("hot spots") und die im Rahmen des Klimawandels für 2020-2050 zukünftig zu erwartende Hitzestressbelastung bei empfindlichen Bevölkerungsgruppen in Stadtquartieren und Funktionsbauten, stehen im Zenit der Untersuchung.
Dabei wird über das Kriterium Empfindlichkeit (Basis sind z.B. quartierbezogene Datenstrukturen von Älteren, Einrichtungen wie Krankenhäuser, Kinderpflegeeinrichtungen, Alten- Behinderten- und Pflegeheime) die zukünftige Hitzestress-Belastung für Reutlingen erarbeitet. Weiteres wichtiges Kriterium ist die Betroffenheit nach Standortsituation (Höhenlage, Durchlüftungsverhältnisse, Bioklima/PMV = Maß für die bioklimatische Behaglichkeit) und die Anzahl hitzestressgeplagter Menschen (Kinder, Kranke, Ältere). Insbesondere für das Szenarium 2020 bis 2050 (s. Strategie zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel Baden-Württemberg - Vulnerabilitäten und Klimaanpassungsmaßnahmen, 2015) werden objekt- bzw. einrichtungsbezogen (z.B. Altenpflegeeinrichtungen) sowie quartiersspezifisch (Stadtstrukturtypen) die Auswirkungen bzw. Verwundbarkeiten erarbeitet. Dieser objektspezifische (bauklimatische) Ansatz, die innovative Indikatorenbildung zur situativen kommunalen Anwendbarkeit auch über Reutlingen hinaus sowie der partizipative Ansatz mit Nichtregierungsorganisationen (NGO´s) begründet den Modellcharakter ("Reutlinger Modell") dieser Untersuchung. Das Modellprojekt bildet das zweite Modul in einem dreiteiligen Klimaanpassungskonzept für die Stadt Reutlingen.
This seminar paper examines government measures to support export-oriented companies in Belgium. After a short overview of the Belgian economy and the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, the paper introduces the available government measures for exporters. In particular, the role of Credendo as a Belgian export-credit insurance company will be discussed, and its measures will be examined in more detail. In addition, federal measures of the Belgian government will be identified, and a summary of the most important regional measures will be provided. The entirety of government measures available to export-oriented companies will be reviewed and options for the future activities of export-oriented companies will be pointed out.
We introduce an open source python framework named PHS-Parallel Hyperparameter Search to enable hyperparameter optimization on numerous compute instances of any arbitrary python function. This is achieved with minimal modifications inside the target function. Possible applications appear in expensive to evaluate numerical computations which strongly depend on hyperparameters such as machine learning. Bayesian optimization is chosen as a sample efficient method to propose the next query set of parameters.
The aim of this essay is to analyse and evaluate the Italian government measures for exporters in response to COVID-19. The unexpected, rapid and hardly predictable consequences of the pandemic paralyzed the entire globe. For a long time, Italy was the epicentre of the virus, which caused severe damage in the Italian export economy dropping temporarily more than 40%. The Italian government reacted exemplary fast and took multiple countermeasures of high extent especially through the Italian export credit agency SACE. On the one hand, the internationally compared broad structure of SACE was a huge advantage, which allowed to release quickly numerous measures. On the other hand, there is room for improvement regarding the accessibility of measure-related information, which has been partially only available in Italian. Furthermore, there is a remarkable risk resulting from the combination of the high monetary effort to enable the numerous measures, the difficult financial situation of the Italian government and the unpredictability of the COVID-19 consequences.
Sollen soziale Roboter Teil unserer Gesellschaft werden?
Eingebettet in eine spannende Kriminalgeschichte vermittelt der Wissenschaftscomic von Oliver Korn und Jonas Grund den aktuellen Stand und Ausblick der Wissenschaft auf Social Robots.
Die Geschichte spielt in der nahen Zukunft: In einem internationalen Projekt erforschen Wissenschaftler die Anforderungen an soziale Roboter für den Gesundheitsbereich. Kurz bevor der Prototyp eines Pflegeroboters in einer Feldstudie zum Einsatz kommt, verschwindet er spurlos. In ihrem ersten großen Fall begibt sich die junge Kommissarin Kira auf eine Reise in die Welt der Wissenschaft. Dabei lernt sie viel über soziale Roboter, KI und die Welt internationaler wissenschaftlicher Kooperationen. Immer wieder kommen kritische Stimmen zu Wort: Anti-Roboter-Aktivisten protestieren gegen Automatisierung und ein Schwinden von Menschlichkeit und Empathie. Selbst in der Familie der Kommissarin wird die mögliche Pflege älterer Menschen durch Roboter kontrovers diskutiert.
Übergreifendes Ziel ist es, über alle Altersstufen hinweg Wissen aufzubauen, damit die Vor- und Nachteile dieser neuen Technologien kontrovers, aber kenntnisreich diskutiert werden können. „Soziale Roboter – ein Science Comic“ ist ein Beitrag zu einer informierten Diskussion in den Feldern Robotik, künstliche Intelligenz, Ethik und Politik und damit auch als Lehr- und Lernmittel geeignet.
Der Comic wurde für Jugendliche und Erwachsene konzipiert und gestaltet. Insbesondere aber für jene, die bisher kaum in Berührung mit sozialen Robotern und künstlicher Intelligenz gekommen sind. Eine weitere Zielgruppe sind im Gesundheitswesen tätige Personen, denn die Betreuung und Pflege älterer Menschen gelten als einer der zukünftig wichtigsten Anwendungsbereiche für soziale Roboter.
DINA4 Hochformat, Hardcover Fadenheftung, erschienen in Deutsch und Englisch. Herausgegeben im Selbstverlag Affective & Cognitive Institute (ACI), Hochschule Offenburg
Should social robots become part of our society?
Embedded in an exciting crime story, the science comic by Oliver Korn and Jonas Grund conveys the current state and outlook of science on social robots.
The story takes place in the near future: In an international project, scientists are researching the requirements for social robots for the health sector. Shortly before the prototype of a nursing robot is used in a field study, it disappears without a trace. In her first major case, the young inspector Kira embarks on a journey into the world of science. In the process, she learns a lot about social robots, AI and the world of international scientific cooperation. Again and again, critical voices are heard: anti-robot activists protest against automation and a dwindling of humanity and empathy. Even in the Commissioner's family, the possible care of elderly people by robots is controversially discussed.
The overarching goal is to build knowledge across all age groups so that the advantages and disadvantages of these new technologies can be discussed controversially but knowledgeably. "Social Robots - a Science Comic" is a contribution to an informed discussion in the fields of robotics, artificial intelligence, ethics and politics and is thus also suitable as a teaching and learning tool.
The comic was conceived and designed for young people and adults. In particular, however, for those who have hardly come into contact with social robots and artificial intelligence so far. Another target group are people working in the health care sector, because the care and nursing of elderly people are considered to be one of the most important areas of application for social robots in the future.
DINA4 portrait format, hardcover thread stitching, published in German and English. Self-published by the Affective & Cognitive Institute (ACI), Offenburg University.
If the current situation could be described in one word, it would be ‘uncertainty’. In times of global crisis, it is important to support the economy to keep businesses alive. Therefore, this paper shows the Finnish government measures and how exporters can benefit from them. Looking in particular at the maritime sector, the research pointed out that there were not that many specific measures for exporters and shipbuilders. This essay detected that the provided measures are suitable for the needs of the affected companies and are an effective instrument by the government to stabilise the industry. This is proved by the number of companies taking advantage of these loans, grants and guarantees. Due to the already mentioned uncertainty, it remains unclear how measures have to be adjusted in the future.
Die Physik des Fahrrades
(2020)
Jeder kann Fahrradfahren, keiner weiß,warum es klappt: Anders als beim Reiten, Laufen oder Skifahren muss man sich mit dem Fahrrad immer vorwärtsbewegen, um nicht umzufallen. Prof. Giel von der Hochschule Offenburg erklärt dieses und andere Geheimnisse des Radfahrens. Zum Beispiel, ob man mit der Fahrradpumpe auch Autoreifen aufpumpen kann, warum normale Fahrradfahrer die Marathon-Distanz schneller als die weltbesten Läufer zurücklegen und welche legalen Tuning-Methoden das eigene Fahrrad noch schneller machen.
Learning to Walk With Toes
(2020)
This paper explains how a model-free (with respect to the robot model and the behavior to learn) approach can facilitate learning to walk from scratch. It is applied to a simulated Nao robot with toes. Results show an improvement of 30% in speed compared to a model without toes and also compared to our model-based approach, but with less stability.
The COVID-19 pandemic has the global economy under control. This paper deals with the economic consequences in Germany and shows the measures taken by the German government to support especially small and medium-sized export companies. The structure of the German economy and foreign trade promotion are explained as a basis. After considering the government's support measures, an evaluation of country comparisons shows that there is still potential for further measures, especially in direct lending and debt moratorium. The analysis is based on quantitative data from surveys and qualitative results from interviews with relevant ministries and market participants as well as recent publications.
JARDIN GLOCAL
(2020)
Das im Rahmen psychosomatischer und neurologischer Grundlagenforschung an der Uniklinik Heidelberg entwickelte Experimentalsystem der „zweigriffigen Baumsäge“ kann als bio-kybernetisches Experimentalsystem erster Stunde bezeichnet werden. Der Psychosomatiker und Philosoph Martin Dornberg und der Medienkünstler Daniel Fetzner diskutieren in einem Gespräch Kontexte und Folgen der um den Heidelberger Psychosomatiker Victor v. Weizsäcker in den 1940/1950er Jahren durchgeführten medizinischen Experimente in den Bereichen von Medizin und Psychotherapie einerseits, aber auch in den Technik- und Medienwissenschaften, der Kybernetik und der Medienkunst. Herausgearbeitet werden Querbezüge zu den von den Autoren durchgeführten künstlerisch-philosophischen Forschungen in Form von Installationen, Performances und interaktiven Webdokumentationen.
Die Allgegenwart der elektronischen Hypersphäre weicht das Körperempfinden zunehmend auf. Umhüllt vom Rauschen der Cloud verliert das postmediale Selbst an Kontur, die zeitlichen und räumlichen Topologien des Ich erfahren immer neue Faltungen und Teilungen. Dies ist der Untersuchungsgegenstand von »Inter- corporeal Splits« (2010–2013) eines Zyklus’ von drei Skype-Performances über die Medialität von Stimme, Haut und Rhythmus.
In the past decades, developments in the fields of medicine, new media, and biotechnologies challenged many representations and practices, questioning the understanding of our corporeal limits. Using concrete examples from literary fiction, media studies, philosophy, performance arts, and social sciences, this collection underlines how bodily models and transformations, thought until recently to be only fictional products, have become a part of our reality. The essays provide a spectrum of perspectives on how the body emerges as a transitional environment between fictional and factual elements, a process understood as faction.
The term attribute transfer refers to the tasks of altering images in such a way, that the semantic interpretation of a given input image is shifted towards an intended direction, which is quantified by semantic attributes. Prominent example applications are photo realistic changes of facial features and expressions, like changing the hair color, adding a smile, enlarging the nose or altering the entire context of a scene, like transforming a summer landscape into a winter panorama. Recent advances in attribute transfer are mostly based on generative deep neural networks, using various techniques to manipulate images in the latent space of the generator.
In this paper, we present a novel method for the common sub-task of local attribute transfers, where only parts of a face have to be altered in order to achieve semantic changes (e.g. removing a mustache). In contrast to previous methods, where such local changes have been implemented by generating new (global) images, we propose to formulate local attribute transfers as an inpainting problem. Removing and regenerating only parts of images, our Attribute Transfer Inpainting Generative Adversarial Network (ATI-GAN) is able to utilize local context information to focus on the attributes while keeping the background unmodified resulting in visually sound results.
Generative convolutional deep neural networks, e.g. popular GAN architectures, are relying on convolution based up-sampling methods to produce non-scalar outputs like images or video sequences. In this paper, we show that common up-sampling methods, i.e. known as up-convolution or transposed convolution, are causing the inability of such models to reproduce spectral distributions of natural training data correctly. This effect is independent of the underlying architecture and we show that it can be used to easily detect generated data like deepfakes with up to 100% accuracy on public benchmarks. To overcome this drawback of current generative models, we propose to add a novel spectral regularization term to the training optimization objective. We show that this approach not only allows to train spectral consistent GANs that are avoiding high frequency errors. Also, we show that a correct approximation of the frequency spectrum has positive effects on the training stability and output quality of generative networks.