Presenting Business Insights on Advanced Pricing Agreements Using a Business Intelligence Framework

Project Work presented as the partial requirement for obtaining a Master's degree in Information Management, specialization in Knowledge Management and Business IntelligenceIn companies that use advanced pricing agreements, pricing managers are responsible for setting the new and adjusted discounts from time to time. These companies are usually of great dimension and so the number of products and customers is extensive, which causes the decision-making to be challenging for the pricing managers. To aid in this process, this project report incorporates a business intelligence framework to model the data into a dimensional model that will provide the pricing managers with business insights by allowing them to have a more targeted and detailed view of the data through multiple contextual perspectives. The data sources used were provided by a client at BI4ALL and consist of two different JDE extracts: an export of the advanced pricing agreements that include all the pricing rules and an export of the sales data following those pricing rules. Both sources of data will be used to implement a business intelligence framework. The final outcome of this project report is presented in a dashboard with multiple visualizations, where the pricing manager can navigate and obtain data in a dynamic way according to the information requested. This will allow for a better analysis, and thus, for better pricing adjustment and optimization

N-Heterozyklische Carbene in der molybdänbasierten synthetischen Stickstofffixierung : Synthetische, spektroskopische und theoretische Untersuchungen

Die Erforschung von unterschiedlichen Szenarien der biologischen und synthetischen Stickstofffixierung - die katalytische Umwandlung von Distickstoff zu Ammoniak unter milden Bedingungen - ist ein faszinierendes und herausforderndes Forschungsfeld der modernen Übergangsmetall- und bioanorganischen Chemie. Obgleich einige Komplexe bekannt sind, die die komplette Umwandlung von Distickstoff zu Ammoniak herbei-führen können, zeigen diese Systeme noch immer eine geringe oder substöchiometrische katalytische Aktivität. Motiviert durch den Erfolg der relativ neuen Ligandenklasse der NHCs (NHC = N-heterozyklische Carbene) im Bereich der katalytischen Koordinations-chemie und dem biomimetischen Aspekt eines Kohlenstoffdonors wird in der vorliegen-den Arbeit eine mögliche Anwendung dieser stark aktivierenden Ligandenklasse in der molybdänbasierten synthetischen Stickstofffixierung untersucht. Da bislang von keinen Molybdänkomplexen mit gemischten NHC/Phosphin-Liganden berichtet wurde, wurden im ersten Teil der vorliegenden Arbeit Molybdän-Carbonyl-komplexe mit gemischten imidazol- und benzimidazolbasierten NHC/Phosphin-Liganden dargestellt. Spektroskopische Untersuchungen und begleitende DFT-Rechnungen führ-ten zu einer genauen Beschreibung der bisher wenig untersuc hten Mo-C(NHC)-Bindung. Im zweiten Teil dieser Arbeit wurde anhand von DFT-Rechnungen untersucht, ob eine katalytische Umsetzung von N2 zu NH3 an einem Molybdänkomplex mit einem NHC-basierten P4C-Ligandensystem möglich ist. Im Rahmen der quantenchemischen Untersuchungen konnte ein Zyklus mit 14 Intermediaten formuliert und gezeigt werden, dass eine freiwillige katalytische Umsetzung unter Einsatz von Decamethylchromocen als Reduktionsmittel und Lutidinium als Protonenquelle theoretisch durchführbar ist. Die Synthese der ersten Molybdän-Distickstoffkomplexe mit einem Kohlenstoffdonor-liganden konnte im letzten Teil dieser Arbeit durch Einsatz des literaturbekannten Li-ganden PCP (1,3-Bis(2-diphenylphosphinoethyl)-imidazol-2-yliden) verwirklicht werden. Die N2-Komplexe mer -[Mo(N2)2(PCP)(PPh2Me)2] und mer-[Mo(N2)2(PCP)(dmpm)] stellen die bislang am stärksten aktivierten Molybdän-Distickstoffkomplexe dar, wei-sen jedoch eine hohe thermische Instabilität auf. Nachfolgend konnte durch den Einsatz von Trimethylphosphit-Coliganden die Synthese des bei Raumtemperatur stabilen Distickstoffkomplexes [Mo(N2)(PCP)(P(OMe)3)2] verwirklicht werden. Die Auswirkungen der NHC-Liganden in den untersuchten Systemen werden diskutiert und Rückschlüsse auf den Gesamtkontext der synthetischen und biologischen Stickstoff-fixierung gezogen.The exploration of different scenarios of synthetic nitrogen fixation - the conversion of dinitrogen to ammonia under ambient conditions - is a fascinating and challenging research area of modern transition metal and bioinorganic chemistry. But even though there are a few known complexes which mediate the full conversion of dinitrogen to am-monia, these systems are still of low or substoichiometric catalytic activity. Motivated by the success of the relatively new ligand class of NHCs (NHCs = N-heterocyclic car-benes) in the area of catalytic coordination chemistry and by the biomimetic aspect of a carbondonor, in this thesis a possible implementation of this strongly activating class of ligands in molybdenum-based synthetic nitrogen fixation is investigated. Due to the fact, that no molybdenum complexes carying mixed NHC/phosphine li-gands have been reported to date, molybdenum carbonyl complexes with mixed imi-dazole- and benzimidazole-based NHC/phosphine ligands have been synthesized in the first part of this thesis. Spectroscopic investigations and associated DFT-calculations led to an exact description of the so far insufficient analyzed Mo-CNHC -bond. In the second part of this thesis it has been investigated on the basis of DFT-calculations, whether a catalytic conversion of N2 to NH3 at a molybdenum complex with a NHC based P4C ligandsystem is feasible. In the context of the quantumchemical investigations a cycle with 14 intermediates could be formulated and it could be shown, that a voluntarily catalytic conversion by using decamethylchromocene as a reduction agent and lutidinium as a proton source is theoretically possible. In the last part of this thesis the synthesis of the first molybdenum dinitrogen comple-xes with a carbondonor ligand could be achieved by the use of the literature known PCP-ligand (1,3-bis(2-diphenylphosphinoethyl)-imidazol-2-ylidene). The N2-complexes mer-[Mo(N2)2(PCP)(PPh2Me)2] and mer-[Mo(N2)2(PCP)(dmpm)] illustrate the strongest activated molybdenum-dinitrogencomplexes to date, however they exhibit a strong ther-mal instability. Subsequently synthesis of the N2-complex [Mo(N2)(PCP)(P(OMe)3)2], which is stable at roomtemperature, could be achieved by the use of trimethylphosphite. The effects of the NHC ligands in the investigated systems are discussed and conclu-sions to the overall context of synthetic und biological nitrogen fixation are drawn

Grain Cart Pathways and Soil Compaction Reduction

A typical field is compacted by wheel tracks on 80-90% of its area. This results in reduced yields, reduced soil health, and reduced water infiltration. Creating a plan to limit compaction could provide numerous benefits to farmers everywhere

Grain Cart Pathways and Compaction

A typical field is compacted by wheel tracks on 80-90% of its area (NRCS National Soil Survey Center, 2011). This results in reduced yields, reduced soil health, and reduced water infiltration. Creating a plan to limit compaction could provide numerous benefits to farmers everywhere. John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG) is located in Urbandale and is responsible for developing precision agriculture hardware and software for John Deere (Ciha et al., 2017). Farmers all over the world use these products. ISG would like to know more about the effect on yield and profit that compaction from grain carts is responsible for. There are some statistics pertaining to yield loss from previous compaction studies that will be used to make an inference based on the amount of compaction that is found through collecting in the field samples. ISG wants some insight into this problem because of the potential for completely changing the way grain carts are operated in fields. Minimizing compaction is important because of the harm that it can cause to yield. Compaction affects farmers across the globe because there is a need to drive equipment through fields in order to complete necessary work. The potential to educate farmers with a new philosophy that could arise from this project could help to increase overall production of grain. It is unknown if other companies are looking into this problem. However, there are many scientists in the academic world that have spent their entire careers trying to solve the problem of compaction. A solution to directing grain cart traffic could also have an effect on how other field operations are performed as well

Gospel Writ in Steel: Puritan Genealogies in the Abolitionist Imagination

This dissertation reveals how prominent American antislavery writers reimagined the Puritans as roots for a rebellious abolitionist imagination. In turn, it offers a new literary history with more disruptive origins than have yet been acknowledged. A tradition of scholarship in American literary studies since Perry Miller and Sacvan Bercovitch has marked Puritanism as a largely hegemonic and conservative force in American culture, yet antislavery writers like Ralph Waldo Emerson, Lydia Maria Child, and Frederick Douglass revived the Puritans\u27 more militant legacies to sanction radical dissent. Through what I describe as a genealogical approach, this study reveals not only how origins can become multivalent and contested in moments of crisis, but also how they can serve as arenas to imagine new literary, religious, and political forms