Digital Twins of Business Processes as Enablers for IT / OT Integration

The vision of Industry 4.0 introduces new requirements to Operational Technology (OT) systems. Solutions for these requirements already exist in the Information Technology (IT) world, however, due to the different characteristics of both worlds, these solutions often cannot be directly used in the world of OT. We therefore propose an Industrial Business Process Twin (IBPT), allowing to apply methods of one world to another not directly but, instead, to a representation, that is in bidirectional exchange with the other world. The proposed IBPT entity acts as an intermediary, decoupling the worlds of IT and OT, thus allowing for an integration of IT and OT components of different manufacturers and platforms. Using this approach, we demonstrate the four essential Industry 4.0 design principles information transparency, technical assistance, interconnection and decentralized decisions based on the gamified Industry 4.0 scenario of playing the game of Nine Men's Morris. This scenario serves well for agent based Artificial Intelligence (AI)-research and education. We develop an Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) information and communication model and then evaluate the IBPT component with respect to the different views of the Reference Architecture Model Industry 4.0 (RAMI4.0).Comment: Submitted to INDIN2023 conferenc

Mathematische Modellierung der Steuerung der Immunantwort in viralen und bakteriellen Krankheiten

The role of the first days of an infection is crucial for the immune protection from many bacterial and viral diseases. Already in the first hours after infection, molecules with antiviral and antibacterial properties are secreted, and the recruitment of the first immune cells to the infection site starts. Although these early immune responses often determine the disease severity and can prevent the establishment of an infection, their dynamics and the interplay between different components of immunity are often poorly understood. In this study, dynamic mathematical modelling approaches were explored in order to elucidate quantitative relationships between different parts of the host immmunity and the pathogen. To this end, models for a bacterial disease and a viral disease were developed. Lyme disease is a widespread tick-borne infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi and can lead to severe symptoms in humans. It induces strong and effective immune responses in mammals, but it still yields a remarkably high infectivity. Mathematical models for bacterial movement during dissemination of the bacteria, phagocytosis and molecular adaptation of the bacteria were investigated in order to gain insight into escape from the host immunity by Borrelia burgdorferi. The model has been analysed with respect to these questions in basic science; however, it provides the basis for evaluation with respect to options in prevention and therapy of Lyme disease. As an example of a viral disease, a dynamic quantitative model describing the dynamics of cytokines as the major component in immune signalling and their interplay during influenza infections was developed. Due to difficulties in parts of the modelling process, the existing methodology was extended by a novel method for the estimation of model parameters and the method was validated. The cytokine model is useful not only in modelling viral infections, but as a modelling framework for a variety of different problems, since cytokines are involved in the immune response to all infectious diseases and in autoimmune diseases.Die ersten Tage einer Infektion spielen eine entscheidende Rolle für den Schutz durch das Immunsystem vor diversen bakteriellen und viralen Erkrankungen. Bereits in den ersten Stunden nach einer Infektion werden Moleküle mit antiviralen und antibakteriellen Eigenschaften abgegeben und erste Immunzellen werden an den Infektionsherd rekrutiert. Obwohl diese frühe Immunantwort oft entscheidend für die Schwere einer Erkrankung ist und sogar eine Erkrankung ganz verhindern kann, ist ihre Dynamik und das Wechselspiel zwischen verschiedenen Bestandteilen des Immunsystems oft nicht im Detail verstanden. In dieser Studie wurden mathematische Modellierungsansätze untersucht, um quantitative Zusammenhänge zwischen verschiedenen Teilen der Wirtsimmunität und dem Pathogen zu verstehen. Dazu wurden Modelle für eine bakterielle und eine virale Erkrankung entwickelt. Lyme Borreliose ist eine weitverbreitete, von Zecken übertragene Krankheit, die von Borrelia burgdorferi ausgelöst wird und schwere Symptome im Menschen verursacht. Sie führt zu einer ausgeprägten und effektiven Immunantwort in Säugetieren, aber ist dennoch sehr ansteckend. Um die Immunevasion besser zu verstehen, wurden mathematische Modelle für bakerielle Fortbewegung während der Ausbreitung der Bakterien, für Phagozytose und molekulare Anpassungen der Bakterien untersucht. Das Modell wurde in Bezug auf Fragestellungen aus der Grundlagenforschung untersucht; es stellt aber eine Basis dar, auf der eine Untersuchung in Bezug auf Fragen der Therapie und Prävention von Lyme Borreliose möglich ist. Als Beispiel für eine virale Erkrankung wurde ein quantitatives Modell entwickelt, dass die Dynamik von Zytokinen, einem wichtigen Bestandteil in Immunsignalwegen, und ihre Interaktionen in Influenzainfektionen beschreibt. Aufgrund von Problemstellungen in Teilen des Modellierungsprozesses konnte die bestehende Methodik durch eine neue Methode zur Abschätzung von Modellparametern erweitert und die Methode validiert werden. Das entwickelte Zytokinmodell ist nicht nur für die Modellierung viraler Erkrankungen hilfreich, sondern überdies als Modellierungskonzept für eine Reihe verschiedener Probleme, da Zytokine Bestandteil der Immunreaktion in allen Infektionskrankheiten und auch in Autoimmunerkrankungen sind

Population Dynamics of Borrelia burgdorferi in Lyme Disease

Many chronic inflammatory diseases are known to be caused by persistent bacterial or viral infections. A well-studied example is the tick-borne infection by the gram-negative spirochaetes of the genus Borrelia in humans and other mammals, causing severe symptoms of chronic inflammation and subsequent tissue damage (Lyme Disease), particularly in large joints and the central nervous system, but also in the heart and other tissues of untreated patients. Although killed efficiently by human phagocytic cells in vitro, Borrelia exhibits a remarkably high infectivity in mice and men. In experimentally infected mice, the first immune response almost clears the infection. However, approximately 1 week post infection, the bacterial population recovers and reaches an even larger size before entering the chronic phase. We developed a mathematical model describing the bacterial growth and the immune response against Borrelia burgdorferi in the C3H mouse strain that has been established as an experimental model for Lyme disease. The peculiar dynamics of the infection exclude two possible mechanistic explanations for the regrowth of the almost cleared bacteria. Neither the hypothesis of bacterial dissemination to different tissues nor a limitation of phagocytic capacity were compatible with experiment. The mathematical model predicts that Borrelia recovers from the strong initial immune response by the regrowth of an immune-resistant sub-population of the bacteria. The chronic phase appears as an equilibration of bacterial growth and adaptive immunity. This result has major implications for the development of the chronic phase of Borrelia infections as well as on potential protective clinical interventions

Aktuelle Fragen des Bank- und Kapitalmarktrechts I: Non-Performing-Loans/Faule Kredite - Handel, Work-Out, Outsourcing und Securitisation

The report deals with the current legal questions relating to the trading, working out and outsourcing of non-performing loans. Within this framework the basic legal provisions and the problems arising therefrom, for example, in the area of data protection or banking secrecy, are explained and practical suggestions for a proposed line of action are made. The solutions range from the classical working out in banks over the new concept of a bad bank to legally complex conception, such as securitisation. The objective is to identify the basic lines taken in the discussion so far and to pinpoint the approaches for a continued development of the topic for the purposes of research and legal practice. --Non-Performing-Loans,Distressed Debt Trading,Bad Bank,Work-Out,Outsourcing,Securitisation,Data Protection,Banker´s duty of secrecy,True Sale,Asset-Backed Securities

Selection for atrial fibrillation ablation: Importance of diastolic function grading

AbstractBackgroundPulmonary vein isolation (PVI) has become an accepted therapy for patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and the indications have widened to include non-paroxysmal AF-patients. Maintenance of sinus rhythm after PVI can be adversely affected by clinical or echocardiographic parameters, which should be clearly identified.Methods and resultsAfter baseline clinical and echocardiographic evaluations, PVI was performed in patients with paroxysmal or non-paroxysmal AF. The follow-up strategy after PVI included: (1) clinical follow up, 12-lead electrocardiography (ECG) and 24-h ECG every 3 months, (2) trans-telephonic ECGs twice daily and when symptomatic (over 4 weeks) every 3 months, or (3) continuous monitoring via implanted devices. A recurrence was an atrial arrhythmia lasting >30s. All 340 PVI procedures of 229 patients were analyzed. On average, 1.5 PVI procedures per patient (range, 1–6 PVI) were performed. The mean age was 58±11 years (73% male) with 109 paroxysmal and 120 non-paroxysmal AF cases. Clinical follow-up with 12-lead ECGs, 24-h ECGs, trans-telephonic ECGs, and implanted devices was complete in 100%, 63%, 51%, and 16% of cases, respectively. The overall one-year recurrence rate of 59% (range, 24–82%) was dependent on grades of diastolic function (normal – dysfunction grade III) in a multivariable analysis model. Patients with normal diastolic function had the lowest recurrence rates of 24% and 49% after 1 and 3 years of follow-up, respectively (p<0.0001).ConclusionDiastolic function could serve as a simple summary predictor for AF recurrence, and would facilitate clinical decision-making in AF treatment