Industrial cyber physical systems supported by distributed advanced data analytics

The industry digitization is transforming its business models, organizational structures and operations, mainly promoted by the advances and the mass utilization of smart methods, devices and products, being leveraged by initiatives like Industrie 4.0. In this context, the data is a valuable asset that can support the smart factory features through the use of Big Data and advanced analytics approaches. In order to address such requirements and related challenges, Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) promote the development of more intelligent, adaptable and responsiveness supervisory and control systems capable to overcome the inherent complexity and dynamics of industrial environments. In this context, this work presents an agent-based industrial CPS, where agents are endowed with data analysis capabilities for distributed, collaborative and adaptive process supervision and control. Additionally, to address the different industrial levels’ requirements, this work combines two main data analysis scopes: at operational level, applying distributed data stream analysis for rapid response monitoring and control, and at supervisory level, applying big data analysis for decision-making, planning and optimization. Some experiments have been performed in the context of an electric micro grid where agents were able to perform distributed data analysis to predict the renewable energy production.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

SARNET benchmark on QUENCH-11. Final report

In den QUENCH-Versuchen wird der Wasserstoffquellterm bei der Einspeisung von Notkühlwasser in einen trockenen, überhitzten Reaktorkern eines Leichtwasserreaktors untersucht. Ferner wird in den Versuchen das Verhalten von überhitzten Brennelementen unter verschiedenen Flutbedingungen untersucht, eine Datenbasis zur Modellentwicklung und eine Weiterentwicklung von Rechenprogrammen zu Schweren Störfällen (engl. SFD – Severe Fuel Damage) erstellt. Der Ausdampf-Versuch QUENCH-11 wurde am 8. Dezember 2005 durchgeführt. Es war das zweite Experiment im Rahmen des EU-geförderten LACOMERA-Programms. Es sollte einen Kühlmittelpumpenausfall während eines Kühlmittelverluststörfalls (hier ein sog. Small Break LOCA) oder einer plötzlichen Stromabschaltung (eng. „station blackout“) mit einer späten Druckentlastung des Primärsystems simulieren. Verbunden mit dem Unfallszenario ist das Ausdampfen eines teilgefüllten Reaktorkerns bzw. des Versuchsbündels. Das Ziel war die Untersuchung des Bündelverhaltens während des Ausdampfens und des nachfolgenden Abschreckens mit reduzierter Wassereinspeiserate. Es war das erste Experiment, in dem der gesamte Unfallablauf von der Ausdampfphase bis zur verzögerten Flutung des Bündels bei einer geringen Wasser-Einspeiserate untersucht werden sollte. Das Ausmaß der Wechselwirkungen von Thermalhydraulik und Materialien war in dem Experiment ausgeprägter als in früheren QUENCH-Versuchen. Das Experiment wurde von INRNE Sofia (Bulgarische Akademie der Wissenschaften) vorgeschlagen und zusammen mit dem Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe definiert. Nach dem Experiment wurde entschieden, die QUENCH-11-Daten für ein Rechenprogramm-Benchmark, bei dem die Rechenergebnisse mit den experimentellen Daten verglichen werden, im Rahmen des Europäischen Exzellenz-Netzwerks SARNET anzubieten, um die Zuverlässigkeit der Rechnungen für die verschiedenen Phasen von Unfall bzw. Experiment zu überprüfen. Die eingesetzten SFD-Rechenprogramme waren ASTEC, ATHLET-CD, ICARE-CATHARE, MELCOR, RATEG/SVECHA, RELAP/SCDAPSIM, und SCDAP/RELAP5. Die Koordination für den Vergleich übernahm INRNE. Als Grundlage für den Vergleich dienten die zeitlichen Verläufe von Temperaturen, Wasserstofferzeugung und anderer wichtiger Daten. Außerdem wurden Axialprofile, in erster Linie die der Temperatur zum Zeitpunkt des Flutbeginns und des Endstadiums, d. h. bei der Testzeit von 7000 s, verglichen. Für die meisten Rechenergebnisse kann ein gemeinsamer Trendverlauf angegeben werden. Größere Unterschiede zeigen die Ergebnisse für die Wasserstofferzeugung und die zugehörige Oxidschichtdicke. Der Grad der Übereinstimmung zwischen Rechnung und Experiment wird von den Schwachstellen der Rechnung und des Experiments gleichermaßen mitbestimmt. SFD-Rechenprogramme sind zur Analyse von typischen Kernreaktorunfällen entwickelt worden. Einzelne Besonderheiten der experimentellen Anordnung integraler Experimente (wie auch QUENCH-11) sind bedingt durch das Vorhandensein von Dampfführungsrohr (Shroud) und Elektrodenmaterial für die elektrische Stabheizung nicht reaktortypisch und können daher nicht in der gewünschten Einzelheit im Rechenprogramm nachgebildet werden. Hinzu kommen Effekte durch den Anwender. Da jedoch die Bandbreite der wesentlichen Rechenergebnisse einschließlich der Wasserstofferzeugung nicht extrem groß ist, kann das Ergebnis des SFD-Rechenprogramm-Benchmarks insgesamt als positiv bewertet werden. Ein Vergleich mit anderen Experimenten zeigt einen weiteren Bedarf an Verbesserungen besonders im Hinblick auf die Oxidation stark zerstörter Bündelstrukturen während des Flutens. Zusätzlich erwies sich das Rechenprogramm-Benchmark für einige Programmanwender als wertvoll, um sich mit den physikalischen Problematiken und der Anwendung von großen SFD-Rechenprogrammen vertraut zu machen. Es dient dem Erfahrungsaustausch mit jüngeren Wissenschaftlern und Ingenieuren und der Aufrechterhaltung des Standards der nuklearen Sicherheit

Exploring leadership in multi-sectoral partnerships

This article explores some critical aspects of leadership in the context of multi-sectoral partnerships. It focuses on leadership in practice and asks the question, `How do managers experience and perceive leadership in such partnerships?' The study contributes to the debate on whether leadership in a multi-sectoral partnership context differs from that within a single organization. It is based on the accounts of practising managers working in complex partnerships. The article highlights a number of leadership challenges faced by those working in multi-sectoral partnerships. Partnership practitioners were clear that leadership in partnerships was more complex than in single organizations. However, it was more difficult for them to agree a consensus on the essential nature of leadership in partnership. We suggest that a first-, second- and third-person approach might be a way of better interpreting leadership in the context of partnerships

When who and how matter: explaining the success of referendums in Europe

This article aims to identify the institutional factors that make a referendum successful. This comparative analysis seeks to explain the success of top-down referendums organized in Europe between 2001 and 2013. It argues and tests for the main effect of three institutional factors (popularity of the initiator, size of parliamentary majority, and political cues during referendum campaigns) and controls for the type of referendum and voter turnout. The analysis uses data collected from referendums and electoral databases, public opinion surveys, and newspaper articles. Results show that referendums proposed by a large parliamentary majority or with clear messages from political parties during campaign are likely to be successful

Historical Y. pestis Genomes Reveal the European Black Death as the Source of Ancient and Modern Plague Pandemics

© 2016 Elsevier Inc.Ancient DNA analysis has revealed an involvement of the bacterial pathogen Yersinia pestis in several historical pandemics, including the second plague pandemic (Europe, mid-14th century Black Death until the mid-18th century AD). Here we present reconstructed Y. pestis genomes from plague victims of the Black Death and two subsequent historical outbreaks spanning Europe and its vicinity, namely Barcelona, Spain (1300-1420 cal AD), Bolgar City, Russia (1362-1400 AD), and Ellwangen, Germany (1485-1627 cal AD). Our results provide support for (1) a single entry of Y. pestis in Europe during the Black Death, (2) a wave of plague that traveled toward Asia to later become the source population for contemporary worldwide epidemics, and (3) the presence of an historical European plague focus involved in post-Black Death outbreaks that is now likely extinct

Attitudes toward westbound refugees in the East German press

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67107/2/10.1177_002200277001400303.pd

Multi-centre evaluation of the speed-oligo Mycobacteria assay for differentiation of Mycobacterium spp. in clinical isolates

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A new DNA line probe assay (Speed-oligo Mycobacteria, Vircell) has been launched for rapid differentiation of <it>Mycobacterium </it>spp. from cultures. Compared to other line-probe assays, Speed-oligo Mycobacteria covers a relatively limited spectrum of species but uses a simpler and faster dip-stick technique. The present multi-centre, multi-country study aimed at evaluating the utility and usability of Speed-oligo Mycobacteria in routine mycobacteriology diagnostics. Results from Speed-oligo Myobacteria were compared to those from Genotype CM (HAIN lifescience, Nehren, Germany), another line-probe assay.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Speed-oligo Mycobacteria assay was performed in three main steps: 1) DNA extraction from cultured material 2) PCR amplification of the target gene and an internal control and 3) hybridization of the PCR products to specific probes by means of a dip-stick.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Two hundred forty-two clinical isolates were recovered from consecutive positive mycobacterial cultures at two German (IML Gauting, Bioscientia Ingelheim), one Czech (KLINLAB Prague), and at a Sudanese (Khartoum) laboratory. All <it>Mycobacterium </it>species covered by the assay were reliably recognized. The rate of false positive results was 1.2% and concerned only the species <it>M. marinum </it>and <it>M. peregrinum</it>. The identification rate, i.e. the proportion of isolates which was correctly differentiated to the level of species or complex by the assay, differed significantly among laboratories being 94.9%, 90.7%, and 75.0% at the study sites IML Gauting, KLINLAB Prague and Bioscientia Ingelheim, respectively. This difference was caused by different spectra of NTM species encountered by the laboratory centres in daily routine diagnostics.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Speed-oligo Mycobacteria assay was proved a rapid and easy-to-perform alternative to conventional line-probe assays. The assay showed excellent sensitivity with regard to identification of genus <it>Mycobacterium </it>and species/complexes covered by the test. However, due to its relatively limited spectrum of taxa, a varying proportion of NTM may not be identified by the assay in daily diagnostics demanding further analyses. The only significant shortcoming in terms of specificity was the misidentification of the clinically relevant species <it>M. marinum</it>.</p

Improvisation and Transformation: Yes to the Mess

The field of organizational change has chiefly been studied from a teleological perspective. Most models of change emphasize action that is rational and goal oriented. What often gets overlooked and under theorized is the continuous, iterative nature of organizational life, the unplanned and serendipitous actions by and between people that lead to new discoveries and innovation. Recent research on organizational improvisation seeks to explore this area. In this chapter we will address two questions – what is the experience of improvisation and what are the conditions that support improvisation to flourish in organizations? In the first part of this paper, we look at the phenomenology of improvisation, the actual lived experience of those who improvise in the face of the unknown or in the midst of chaotic conditions. We will explore the strategies that some professional improvisers employ to deliberately create the improvisatory moment. We will then look at the dynamics of organizational life and explore the cultural beliefs, organizational structures, and leadership practices that support improvisation. We will draw primarily upon the model from Barrett (2012) that focuses on the how the nature of jazz improvisation and the factors that support improvisation can be transferred to leadership activities. This falls in the tradition of others who draw upon arts-based metaphors, including jazz music and theatrical improvisation, to suggest insights for leadership and ways of organizing. Since this is a book devoted to individual transformation as well as organizational transformation, we will also touch on the topic of how improvisation is a developmental project and explore the potential for improvisation to lead to personal transformation. We will attempt to move back and forth between both themes – organizational and personal transformation. Ultimately the two topics are not separate. Any significant organizational transformation begins with an improvisation. And any meaningful improvisatory move by a person is potentially a moment of self-discovery and an identity-shaping event