SAP-related Education - Status Quo and Experiences

Integrating Enterprise Systems solutions in the curriculum of not only universities but all types of institutes of higher learning has been a major challenge for nearly ten years. Enterprise Systems education is surprisingly well documented in a number of papers on Information Systems education. However, most publications in this area report on the individual experiences of an institution or an academic. This paper focuses on the most popular Enterprise System - SAP - and summarizes the outcomes of a global survey on the status quo of SAP-related education. Based on feedback of 305 lecturers and more than 700 students, it reports on the main factors of Enterprise Systems education including, critical success factors, alternative hosting models, and students\u27 perceptions. The results show among others an overall increasing interest in advanced SAP solutions and international collaboration, and a high satisfaction with the concept of using Application Hosting Centers

Configurable Process Models as a Basis for Reference Modeling

Off-the-shelf packages such as SAP need to be configured to suit the requirements of an organization. Reference models support the configuration of these systems. Existing reference models use rather traditional languages. For example, the SAP reference model uses Eventdriven Process Chains (EPCs). Unfortunately, traditional languages like EPCs do not capture the configuration-aspects well. Consider for example the concept of "choice" in the control-flow perspective. Although any process modeling language, including EPCs, offers a choice construct (e.g., the XOR connector in EPCs), a single construct will not be able to capture the time dimension, scope, and impact of a decision. Some decisions are taken at run-time for a single case while other decisions are taken at build-time impacting a whole organization and all current and future cases. This position paper discusses the need for configurable process models as a basic building block for reference modeling. The focus is on the control-flow perspective. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006

Global Diversification in Medicine Regulation: Insights from Regenerative Stem Cell Medicine

This is the final version. Available on open access from Taylor & Francis via the DOI in this record. Data Access Statement: The research data supporting this publication are provided within this paper.Medicine regulation worldwide has undergone a process of regulatory diversification. The evidence-based medicine (EBM) paradigm, centered on multi-phase randomized controlled trials, is increasingly contested and replaced by new models of clinical validation. To explain these changes, STS research has cited just a few factors, e.g. growing pressure form health consumers; the role of pharmaceutical companies to lobby for fast, affordable drug development; the influence of neoliberal ideas and libertarian advocacy of deregulation; and the agency of national governments to enable domestic innovation opportunities in the context of global competition and inequalities. Those factors individually cannot account for the increasing variation in medicine regulation at both national and global levels. Instead it is helpful to integrate elements of existing explanations into a framework with four pairs of conflicting regulatory choices, which play a central role in the formation of medicine regulation. We use this framework to compare regulatory changes in the USA, European Union, China, India, Argentina, and Japan. Across these jurisdictions, the case studies illustrate four dynamics of diversification. Key regulatory concepts such as evidence, risk, safety, efficacy, responsibility and accountability acquire different meanings, reshaping medicine innovation in far-reaching and often contradictory ways. The boundaries between medical research and healthcare provision, commerce and humanitarian service, as well as state control and medical self-regulation are re-defined.Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)European Research CouncilUniversidad Nacional de Quilme

CSA C873 Building Energy Estimation Methodology - A simplified monthly calculation for quick building optimization

CSA C873 Building Energy Estimation Methodology (BEEM) is a new series of (10) standards that is intended to simplify building energy calculations. The standard is based upon the German DIN Standard 18599 that has 8 years of proven track record and has been modified for the Canadian market. The BEEM method relies on steady state heat balance equations using monthly averages instead of dynamic equations used in hourly software. The method then relies on utilization factors to calculate the contribution of heat gain on heating loads and includes a simplified algorithm for lighting savings associ-ated with daylight strategies. The daylight algorithm is based on avail-able climate data and detailed daylight modelling. The method was validated through the modelling of seven building archetypes in 6 dif-ferent climate zones. Results from the BEEM modeling is compared to similar buildings modeled in CanQuest. Seven typical building ar-chetypes were modeled in 6 different Canadian climate zones. These archetypes are different than the ASHRAE 140 or the BESTEST models with more zones defined and different HVAC systems. The in-tent was to compare the method for typical simple Canadian commer-cial buildings. An average of 8.5% difference on the overall energy consumption was found. Acknowledging there is a difference between energy modeling software results, this difference needs to be put in perspective with differences between energy modeling software and difference from energy modelling to real building consumption. BEEM has the advantage of offering a direct feedback to the user al-lowing for a real time optimization process. The intent of this method is to provide a tool for simple buildings that usually don't get modeled. The BEEM method is not intended as a replacement for the more de-tailed energy modelling simulation that is typically performed for larger or more complex buildings. The planned release date for the standard is March 2014. The CSA C873 Building Energy Estimation Methodology task force is considering the development of a software tool to assist with the adoption of BEEM for simple projects. The Na-tional research Council – Canadian Codes Centre is considering the standard as a path for demonstrating compliance with the National Energy Code for Buildings in 2015

Seniorenläufer werden schneller und gewinnen Ultramarathons

Quintessenz • Seniorensportler (Läufer über 35 Jahre) dominieren Ultramarathons, also Läufe, die länger sind als die klassische Marathondistanz von 42,195 km. • Aus physiologischer Sicht wird mit ca. 35 Jahren der Leistungszenit im Langstrecken-Laufsport überschritten. • Das Alter der Spitzenleistung im Ultralaufen steigt mit zunehmender Distanz und/oder der Dauer eines Ultramarathons. • Lebenslanger Ausdauersport vermindert die altersbedingte Abnahme der maximalen Sauerstoffaufnahme um ca. 50%. • Eine Abnahme der Muskelmasse ist kein unabwendbares Schicksal, denn regelmässiges Training lässt den altersbedingten jährlichen Abbau auf bis zu 0,5% schrumpfen

Do ultra-runners in a 24-h run really dehydrate?

Background: Loss of body mass during a 24-h run was considered to be a result of dehydration. Aims: We intended to quantify the decrease in body mass as a loss in fat mass or skeletal muscle mass and to quantify the change in hydration status. Methods: Body mass, fat mass, skeletal muscle mass, haematocrit, plasma sodium and urinary specific gravity were measured in 15 ultra-marathoners in a 24-h run. Results: Body mass decreased by 2.2kg (p=0.0009) and fat mass decreased by 0.5kg (p=0.0084). The decrease in body mass correlated to the decrease in fat mass (r=0.72, p=0.0024). Urinary specific gravity increased from 1.012 to 1.022g/mL (p=0.0005). Conclusions: The decrease in body mass and the increase in urinary specific gravity indicate dehydration. The decrease in body mass was correlated to the decrease in fat mass and therefore not only due to dehydratio

The photometry of hollow light guides

Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich.This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.Light-pipes described in this paper guide light along an axis allowing it to escape from its surface for illumination purposes. Light is coupled into them by a beamer luminaire. The performance of a hollow light guide very much depends on the quality of the materials used to guide the light. The luminous characteristics of these materials influence a light-pipe’s overall performance. The first section of this paper describes measurement techniques for light incidence resolved measurements on materials. Common co-ordinate systems for describing the geometry and a data format to store the data are shown. The second section of this paper deals with light-pipe goniophotometry. A goniophotometer for light-pipes has been constructed at the Technical University of Berlin. To evaluate the results measurements are compared to these from a real installation

Global regulatory developments for clinical stem cell research: diversification and challenges to collaborations

In this article, we explore regulatory developments in stem cell medicine in seven jurisdictions: Japan, China, India, Argentina, Brazil, the USA and the EU. We will show that the research methods, ethical standards and approval procedures for the market use of clinical stem cell interventions are undergoing an important process of global diversification. We will discuss the implications of this process for international harmonization and the conduct of multicountry clinical research collaborations. It will become clear that the increasing heterogeneity of research standards and regulations in the stem cell field presents a significant challenge to international clinical trial partnerships, especially with countries that diverge from the regulatory models that have been developed in the USA and the EU