«Merkevarens betydning for valg av kaffebar»

Kaffebarer er et fenomen som har eksistert i nærmere 500 år. De siste tiårene har det vært en høy ekspansjon, og Oslo som fikk sin første kaffebar i 1959 har siden den tid hatt en voldsom vekst i antall kaffebarer. Denne oppgaven tar for seg merkevarer og kaffebarer, med det overordnede forskningsspørsmålet: ”Hvilken betydning har merkevare for valg av kaffebar?” Fokuset er lagt til å omhandle Oslo. Hensikten med oppgaven har vært å få en dypere forståelse av hvordan merkevarer påvirker forbrukerne i valg av kaffebar i Oslo. Dette ble gjort ved hjelp av merkevare- og forbrukeratferdsteori. Hovedsakelig er Kellers merkepyramide brukt, for å systematisk undersøke ulike deler av merkevaren opp mot forbrukernes beslutninger. Undersøkelsene ble knyttet opp mot de fem store kaffebarene i Oslo; Starbucks, Kaffebrenneriet, Waynes Coffee, Stockfleths og Espresso House. Oppgaven baserer seg hovedsakelig på en kvantitativ tilnærming for å besvare problemstillingen. Utvalget i analysen er utelukkende personer som har besøkt kaffebarer i Oslo flere ganger i løpet av det siste året og er bosatt i Oslo og omegn. For en bedre innsikt og en mer presis utarbeidelse av den kvantitative metoden, ble det gjennomført observasjoner ved flere kaffebarkjeder i Oslo. En spørreundersøkelse ble benyttet for å innhente data til å besvare problemstillingen og vi innhentet et totalt antall av 191 gyldige besvarelser. Innhentet materiell ble brukt og analysert gjennom en statistisk analyse og sett opp mot utvalgte teorier. Våre resultater viste at kaffebarer i Oslo hovedsakelig var en sosial arena, i tillegg til at arbeid og studier utmerket seg som en viktig grunn til kaffebarbesøk for mange. Som teorien tilsier er det en positiv sammenheng mellom merkevare og forbrukervalg. Det viser seg å være en sterk sammenheng mellom kjennskap, spesielt top-of-mind, og valg av kaffebar. De sterke kaffebarmerkene synes å være best likt og det eksisterer en positiv holdning til valgt kaffebar. Det fremgår likevel av våre resultater at det er en faktor utenfor merkevaren som er vel så viktig, nemlig beliggenhet. Selv om det viser seg at forbrukerne har preferanser når det kommer til valg av kaffebar, og fortrinnsvis foretrekker sterke merkevarer, er det liten grad av lojalitet og kunde-merkerelasjon

Building Ontologies and Knowledge Graphs for Mathematics and its Applications

Ontologies and knowledge graphs for mathematical algorithms and models are presented, that have been developed by the Mathematical Research Data Initiative. This enables FAIR data handling in mathematics and the applied disciplines. Moreover, challenges of harmonization during the ontology development are discussed

Enhancing thermoelectric performance of Solution-Processed polycrystalline SnSe with PbSe nanocrystals

There is a growing interest in cost-effective polycrystalline SnSe-based thermoelectric (TE) materials, which are able to replace the high performance but mechanically fragile and costly single-crystalline SnSe. In this study, we present a low-temperature solution-based approach to produce SnSe-PbSe nanocomposites with outstanding TE performance. Our method involves combining surfactant-free SnSe particles with oleate-capped PbSe nanocrystals in specific ratios, followed by thermal annealing and consolidation using spark plasma sintering. These nanocomposites are characterized by distinct compositional and structural properties that significantly impact their transport properties. In particular, the addition of oleate-capped PbSe nanocrystals results in: i) a reduction in the electrostatically adsorbed Na at the surface of the SnSe particles; ii) a reduction of Sn vacancies due to alloying with Pb; iii) an increase in grain boundary density; and iv) the formation of PbSnSe secondary phases. Notably, the SnSe-2.5 %PbSe nanocomposites demonstrate a 30 % decrease in thermal conductivity compared to that of the SnSe matrix. This reduction contributes to a maximum figure of merit (zT) of 1.75 at 788 K with a high average zT value of ca. 1.2 in the medium temperature range of 573-773 K. These values represent one of the highest reported in polycrystalline SnSe materials, showcasing the potential of our fabricated SnSe-PbSe nanocomposites for cost-effective TE applications

Ontologies for Models and Algorithms in Applied Mathematics and Related Disciplines

In applied mathematics and related disciplines, the modeling-simulation-optimization workflow is a prominent scheme, with mathematical models and numerical algorithms playing a crucial role. For these types of mathematical research data, the Mathematical Research Data Initiative has developed, merged and implemented ontologies and knowledge graphs. This contributes to making mathematical research data FAIR by introducing semantic technology and documenting the mathematical foundations accordingly. Using the concrete example of microfracture analysis of porous media, it is shown how the knowledge of the underlying mathematical model and the corresponding numerical algorithms for its solution can be represented by the ontologies.Comment: Preprint of a Conference Paper to appear in the Proceeding of the 17th International Conference on Metadata and Semantics Researc

A route to high thermoelectric performance: solution-based control of microstructure and composition in Ag2Se

Thermoelectric materials convert heat into electricity, with a broad range of applications near room temperature (RT). However, the library of RT high-performance materials is limited. Traditional high-temperature synthetic methods constrain the range of materials achievable, hindering the ability to surpass crystal structure limitations and engineer defects. Here, a solution-based synthetic approach is introduced, enabling RT synthesis of powders and exploration of densification at lower temperatures to influence the material's microstructure. The approach is exemplified by Ag2Se, an n-type alternative to bismuth telluride. It is demonstrated that the concentration of Ag interstitials, grain boundaries, and dislocations are directly correlated to the sintering temperature, and achieve a figure of merit of 1.1 from RT to 100 °C after optimization. Moreover, insights into and resolve Ag2Se's challenges are provided, including stoichiometry issues leading to irreproducible performances. This work highlights the potential of RT solution synthesis in expanding the repertoire of high-performance thermoelectric materials for practical applications.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

A flagellin-conjugate protein induces dual NLRC4- and NLRP3-inflammasome activation which modulates inflammatory cytokine secretion from macrophages

BackgroundA recombinant fusion protein combining the adjuvant and TLR5-ligand flagellin with the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 (rFlaA:Betv1) has been suggested to prevent the manifestation of birch allergy. Noteworthy, rFlaA:Betv1 induced both pro- and anti-inflammatory responses which were differentially regulated. However, the mechanism by which flagellin fusion proteins modulate allergen-specific immune responses, especially the mechanisms underlying IL-1β secretion and their contribution to the overall immune responses remains elusive.ObjectiveTo investigate the mechanisms underlying the production of IL-1β from rFlaA:Betv1 stimulated macrophages.MethodsMacrophages were derived from mouse peritoneal-, human buffy-coat-, and PMA-differentiated THP-1 (wild type or lacking either ASC, NLRP3, or NLRC4) cells. Macrophages were stimulated with non-modified rFlaA:Betv1, mutant variants lacking either the flagellin DC0 domain or a sequence motif formerly described to mediate TLR5-activation, and respective controls in the presence or absence of inhibitors interfering with MAPK- and NFκB-signaling. Cytokine secretion was analyzed by ELISA and intracellular signaling by Western Blot. To study the contribution of IL-1β to the overall immune responses, IL1R-deficient mouse peritoneal macrophages were used.ResultsrFlaA:Betv1 consistently activated all types of investigated macrophages, inducing higher IL-1β secretion compared with the equimolar mixture of both proteins. rFlaA:Betv1-induced activation of THP-1 macrophages was shown to be independent of either the TLR5-activating sequence motif or the flagellin DC0 domain but depended on both NLRP3- and NLRC4-inflammasomes. In addition, NFκB and SAP/JNK MAP kinases regulated rFlaA:Betv1-induced inflammasome activation and cytokine secretion by modulating pro-Caspase-1- and pro-IL-1β-expression in THP-1 macrophages. Finally, lack of IL-1β positive feedback via the IL1R strongly diminished the rFlaA:Betv1-induced secretion of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α from peritoneal macrophages.ConclusionThe mechanisms contributing to rFlaA:Betv1-induced IL-1β secretion from macrophages were shown to be complex, involving both NLRC4- and NLRP3-inflammsomes, as well as NFκB- and SAP/JNK MAP kinase-signaling. Better understanding the mechanisms regulating the activation of immune cells by novel therapeutic candidates like the rFlaA:Betv1 fusion protein will allow us to further improve and develop new treatment strategies when using flagellin as an adjuvant

Dual Electronic and Optical Monitoring of Biointerfaces by a Grating-Structured Coplanar-Gated Field-Effect Transistor

We present a novel, portable sensor platform that enables concurrent monitoring of surface mass and charge density variations at thin biointerfaces. This platform combines a coplanar-gated field-effect transistor (FET) architecture with grating-coupled surface plasmon resonance (SPR), yielding an integrated disposable sensor chip prepared by nanoimprint and maskless photolithography techniques. The sensor chip design is suitable for scalable production and relies on reduced graphene oxide (rGO), serving as the FET's semiconductor material for the electronic readout, and a metallic gate electrode surface that is corrugated with a multi-diffractive structure for optical probing with resonantly excited surface plasmons. Together with its integration in a compact instrumentation this results in a form factor optimized solution for dual-mode investigations without compromising the optical or electronic sensor performance. A poly-L-lysine (PLL) - based thin linker layer was deployed at the sensor surface to covalently attach azide-conjugated biomolecules by using incorporated "clickable"dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO) moieties. Interestingly, the dual-mode measurements allow elucidating the role of the globular nature of the PLL chains when increasing the density of DBCO attached to their backbone, leading to PLL folding and internalization of DBCO moieties, and thus reducing the coupling yield for the used DNA oligomers. We envision that this platform can be employed to studying a range of other biointerface architectures and biomolecular interaction phenomena, which are inherently tied to mass and charge density variations.</p

Die „tiefe Internationalisierung“ der deutschen Kommunikationswissenschaft?: Eine Evaluation der Personal- und Forschungsstrukturen sowie der Lehrprogramme deutscher Hochschulen

Der Beitrag präsentiert und diskutiert die Ergebnisse einer umfassenden Befragung und mehrerer Dokumentenanalysen zu Personal-und Forschungsstrukturen sowie Lehrprogrammen in der deutschen Kommunikationswissenschaft im Hinblick auf deren „tiefe Internationalisierung“ bzw. kosmopolitische Ausrichtung. Darunter verstehen wir eine umfassende Anerkennung und Einbindung globaler Vielfalt in die Wissensproduktion und messen dies entlang der Inhalts-und Raumdimension des Forschungs-und Lehroutputs der Professuren und der mit ihnen verbundenen Stellenstrukturen. Die Befunde zeigen, dass die deutsche Kommunikationswissenschaft einen großen Nachholbedarf hat, was eine kosmopolitische Wissensproduktion angeht. Vor dem Hintergrund der Relevanz globaler Werte, globalen Wissens und Global Governance werden aber auch Potentiale aufgezeigt sowie hochschulpolitische Maßnahmen diskutiert, die eine inhaltliche Internationalisierung der deutschen Kommunikationswissenschaft vorantreiben können.This paper presents and discusses the results of a comprehensive survey and several document analyses on personnel and research structures as well as teaching programs in German communication studies regarding their “deep internationalization” or cosmopolitan orientation. By this, we mean a comprehensive recognition and integration of global diversity into knowledge production. We measure this through the content and spatial dimension of the research and teaching output of professors, as well as the teaching and research staff linked tothem. The findings show that German communication studies is lagging a truly cosmopolitan knowledge production. Against the backdrop of the relevance of global values, global knowledge, and global governance, however, the study also points out potentials and discusses higher education policy measures that could advance the internationalization of German communication studies