An Industry-Specific Investigation on Artificial Intelligence Adoption: The Cases of Financial Services and Manufacturing

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has a lasting transformational effect on industries worldwide. Former research has primarily focused on AI adoption as a business phenomenon without considering different industries. Those are characterized by unique attributes that may influence how modern technologies are implemented. In order to initiate non-generalized research in that field, industry-specific drivers and barriers to firm-level AI adoption in the financial services and the manufacturing industry are analyzed. Drawing on the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, it was possible to paint a holistic picture of use cases and unique, but also general drivers and barriers of AI adoption for each industry. Ultimately, by bringing these two viewpoints together, a theory of hard (generalizable) and soft (industry-specific) AI adoption factors was developed. Therefore, the findings serve as a basis for further industry-specific research and provide business stakeholders and executives with a transparent handbook about industry insights and AI knowledge

Physiologische Untersuchungen parameterinduzierter Adaptionsantworten von Nannochloropsis salina in turbidostatischen Prozessen und deren biotechnologischer Potentiale

Alle Ergebnisse dieser Arbeit stammen aus Kultivierungen der Mikroalge Nannochloropsis salina (SAG 40.85) und wurden durch den Einsatz eines turbidostatisch geregelten Photobioreaktors generiert. Diese Art der Kulturführung ermöglicht es, spezifische Effekte einzelner Umweltparameter unter Konstanthaltung anderer beeinflussender Faktoren aufzuklären und stellt einen entscheidenden Vorteil einer kontinuierlichen gegenüber einer diskontinuierlichen Prozessführung dar. Im Wesentlichen wurde der Einfluss der Parameter Nährstoffverfügbarkeit (Nitrat, Phosphat) und Temperatur sowie eine Kombination aus beiden Parametern mit dem Schwerpunkt auf Fettsäuren sowie auf Wachstumsraten, Pigmente, Fluoreszenzen und -Tocopherol experimentell ermittelt. Dabei wurden zum einen die zeitlichen Verläufe und zum anderen die Endergebnisse gegenübergestellt. Hierbei zeigte sich, dass maximale Wachstumsraten und Pigmentkonzentrationen bei N. salina im Vollmedium bei einer Temperatur von 26 °C erzielt werden. Ausgehend von diesen optimierten Wachstumsbedingungen übt eine Nitratlimitierung einen stärkeren Einfluss auf die Wachstumsrate und die Pigmentkonzentrationen aus als eine Phosphatlimitierung oder eine Temperaturänderung oberhalb oder unterhalb dieser optimalen Wachstumstemperatur. Die photochemische Effizienz wird dagegen kaum beeinträchtigt, wenn nur ein Umweltparameter (Nitratmangel oder Temperatur) als Stressor wirkt. Erst eine Kombination beider Stressoren wirkt sich negativ auf die photochemische Effizienz aus. Die in einem turbidostatischen Prozess mit einem relativ hohen Licht/Zelle-Verhältnis generierten a-Tocopherolkonzentrationen zeigen relativ niedrige Werte mit nur marginalen Unterschieden zwischen den Nitrat-, Phosphat- sowie Temperaturexperimenten. Geeignete Voraussetzungen für eine hohe Tocopherolkonzentration in der Zelle wären z.B. ein geringes Licht/Zelle-Verhältnis und stationäre Wachstumsraten bzw. alternde Kulturen. Für die Fettsäureexperimente mit N. salina unter turbidostatischen Bedingungen gilt, dass eine Nitratlimitierung den zellulären TFA-Gehalt und eine volle Nitratversorgung den zellulären EPA-Gehalt begünstigt. Darüber hinaus können diese schon relativ hohen EPA- und TFA-Konzentrationen durch den zusätzlichen Einsatz niedriger Temperaturen gesteigert werden. Die Untersuchungen bei Phosphatmangel jedoch ergeben, dass dieser weder einen negativen noch positiven Einfluss auf die TFA- oder EPA-Konzentration in N. salina hat. Die höchsten Produktivitäten von TFA und EPA werden maßgeblich durch eine ausgewogene Nährstoffversorgung und Temperaturen unterhalb von 21 °C (TFA) bzw. Temperaturen zwischen 21 °C und 26 °C (EPA) erzielt. Aufgrund dieser Produktivitätspotentiale und ihrer physiologischen Eigenschaft, hohe TFA- und EPA-Konzentrationen in der Zelle zu akkumulieren, ist die Mikroalge N. salina ein ausgesprochen empfehlenswerter Kandidat für eine Produktion im Großmaßstab

The privacy implications of social robots: Scoping review and expert interviews

In this contribution, we investigate the privacy implications of social robots as an emerging mobile technology. Drawing on a scoping literature review and expert interviews, we show how social robots come with privacy implications that go beyond those of established mobile technology. Social robots challenge not only users’ informational privacy but also affect their physical, psychological, and social privacy due to their autonomy and potential for social bonding. These distinctive privacy challenges require study from varied theoretical perspectives, with contextual privacy and human–machine communication emerging as particularly fruitful lenses. Findings also point to an increasing focus on technological privacy solutions, complementing an evolving legal landscape as well as a strengthening of user agency and literacy

Safety testing of veterinary vaccines using magnetic resonance imaging in pigs

Safety testing of veterinary vaccines requires the use of a large number of animals to investigate possible local and systemic reactions. This includes, among others, the pathological examination of the injection site in frequent intervals. This examination requires a selected killing of animals in frequent intervals. To reduce the number of animals needed for this kind of safety testing, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to detect and quantify possible local reactions after vaccination in vivo. Sixty-four pigs were divided into four experimental groups (n = 16);two groups consisting of 12-week-old pigs and two of 6-month-old pigs at vaccination day. The pigs were vaccinated with four licensed products (each group receiving one vaccine) and examined up to 6 times using MRI during a period of 5 weeks. The MR images were evaluated semi-automatically, comparing the volumes of altered signal intensities on the vaccination side (VS) with the volumes of the signal intensities on the control side (CS). A paired t-test was used to identify significant differences (p < 0.05) between VS and CS. The results show that MRI allows a 3D-quantification of the extent of local reactions in vivo by scanning the same live animals at several time points after vaccination. MRI is a suitable alternative method for non-invasive safety testing of injectable medicines and can therefore be applied to reduce animal numbers used for safety testing purposes

Contextual influences on physical activity and eating habits -options for action on the community level

Background: This conceptual paper aims to illustrate the ways in which communities are able to advance health improvements on a population level. Outcome measures may include increased physical activity and healthier eating habits in particular, as well as an improved health-related quality of life and social cohesion as more generic outcomes. Main body: The paper begins by asking initial questions: Why did previous health-specific interventions only show moderate effects on an individual level and mixed effects on a population level? What is the added value of a community-based public health perspective compared to the traditional biomedical perspective when it comes to prevention? Why are we living the way we are living? Why do we eat what we eat? Why do we move the way we move? Subsequently, we illustrate the broad spectrum of contextual interventions available to communities. These can have geographical and technological as well as economic, political, normative and attitude-specific dimensions. It is shown that communities have a strong influence on health-related contexts and decision-making of adults, adolescents and children. In addition contextual characteristics, effects, mediators, moderators and consequences relevant for health can differ greatly between age groups. Both small-scale settings and overarching sectors possess physical, economic, political and sociocultural characteristics that can be proactively influenced by community decision-makers in the sense of a “health in all policies”-strategy. Short conclusion: After presenting various interdisciplinary approaches to community-based health interventions, the manuscript closes with the following core message: Successful community-based health promotion strategies consist of multilevel – multicomponent interventions on the micro, meso and macro-level-environments

Root and rhizosphere traits for enhanced water and nutrients uptake efficiency in dynamic environments

Modern agriculture’s goal of improving crop resource acquisition efficiency relies on the intricate relationship between the root system and the soil. Root and rhizosphere traits play a critical role in the efficient use of nutrients and water, especially under dynamic environments. This review emphasizes a holistic perspective, challenging the conventional separation of nutrient and water uptake processes and the necessity for an integrated approach. Anticipating climate change-induced increase in the likelihood of extreme weather events that result in fluctuations in soil moisture and nutrient availability, the study explores the adaptive potential of root and rhizosphere traits to mitigate stress. We emphasize the significance of root and rhizosphere characteristics that enable crops to rapidly respond to varying resource availabilities (i.e. the presence of water and mobile nutrients in the root zone) and their accessibility (i.e. the possibility to transport resources to the root surface). These traits encompass for example root hairs, mucilage and extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) exudation, rhizosheath formation and the expression of nutrient and water transporters. Moreover, we recognize the challenge of balancing carbon investments, especially under stress, where optimized traits must consider carbon-efficient strategies. To advance our understanding, the review calls for well-designed field experiments, recognizing the limitations of controlled environments. Non-destructive methods such as mini rhizotron assessments and in-situ stable isotope techniques, in combination with destructive approaches such as root exudation analysis, are proposed for assessing root and rhizosphere traits. The integration of modeling, experimentation, and plant breeding is essential for developing resilient crop genotypes capable of adapting to evolving resource limitation

Assessment of Local Reaction to Vaccines in Live Piglets with Magnetic Resonance Imaging Compared to Histopathology

The safety of veterinary vaccines is assessed in clinical trials in Europe. The assessment of the local tissue reaction to vaccination by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could reduce the number of animals needed because repeated examinations can be performed in the same animal over time. The present study compared the evaluation of local tissue reactions to vaccination using MRI in live pigs with histopathology of porcine tissue, the current gold standard in regulatory safety testing. Eight piglets each were administered one of two commercial vaccines into marked injection sites. All animals were sedated and scanned repeatedly by MRI using a contrast agent up to day 29 after vaccination. On day 29, the animals were euthanized and underwent a pathological examination. The MRI results were compared with the pathomorphological findings at the injection site by regression analysis. The MR images and the pathological examinations yielded matching results concerning the sizes of the affected tissue volumes or areas. The use of MRI for regulatory safety testing can reduce the number of animals needed to 8 per examination group. The volume of a local reaction and its progression over time can be evaluated and documented. If persistent lesions develop a final pathomorphological examination is needed to identify the kind and local distribution of the reaction

Prozessgeleitet Arbeiten in der Ernährungsberatung und -therapie - Anleitung und Übungen

Für das prozessgeleitete Arbeiten in der Ernährungsberatung und -therapie wurden von europäischen Hochschulen in Zusammenarbeit mit Berufsverbänden wissenschaftlich fundierte und unabhängige Empfehlungen erarbeitet. Mit der Frage, wie ihr Transfer in die Praxis gelingen kann, beschäftigte sich das „Modellprojekt für die diätetische Versorgung im Raum Fulda“ (MoDiVe) in seiner Laufzeit von 2018-2022 intensiv. Die gezielte, partizipativ angelegte Transferforschung lieferte tiefe Einblicke in Strukturen, Abläufe und Herausforderungen der Ernährungsberatung und -therapie. Begleitend wurden Feedbackschleifen mit Ernährungsfachkräften und Reflexionen im Diätetikforum Fulda, Fortbildungsveranstaltungen für Ernährungsfachkräfte in Osthessen, initiiert. Die daraus entstandenen Qualitätsstandards wurden nun in eine Praxisanleitung mit dem Titel „Prozessgeleitet Arbeiten in der Ernährungsberatung und -therapie – Anleitung und Übungen“ überführt. Die Praxisanleitung enthält differenzierte Ergebnisse der umfassenden Transferforschung, die die einzelnen Beratungsschritte transparent darstellen. Sie beginnt mit einer allgemeinen Übersicht zum prozessgeleiteten Arbeiten in der Diätetik. In den nachfolgenden Kapiteln werden das Diätetische Assessment, die Diätetische Diagnosestellung, die Planung und die Umsetzung der diätetischen Intervention und abschließend die Diätetische Outcome Evaluation behandelt. Vertieft wird die konkrete Umsetzung durch ein praktisches Fallbeispiel und Fragen, die zur Reflexion des eigenen beruflichen Handelns anregen

Identification of starting points to promote health and wellbeing at the community level – a qualitative study

Background: As health is influenced by the social, economic and environmental conditions in which individuals live, local communities are an ideal setting to promote health and wellbeing. However, up to now various health promotion interventions at the community level have had limited success, perhaps related to an incomplete understanding of local contexts and priorities. We therefore aimed to develop a broader and deeper understanding of topics or issues that were most salient to residents of a South-West German community by exploring their perceptions of needs, challenges, barriers and existing resources related to health and well-being. Methods: As an initial step of a multi-year community-based participatory research project, we conducted semi-structured interviews with key informants (n = 30) from various community settings (e.g., child care, elderly care, businesses, non-profit organizations, village councils, and local government). The terms “health” and “wellbeing” were included in the stem of each question in the semi-structured interview guide to enable a focus on related perceived needs, challenges, barriers and existing resources. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and analyzed using qualitative content analysis techniques. Results: Themes emerging from our interviews appeared to center primarily in three distinct areas: natural resources and built environment, access to services, and social cohesion including subthemes on the importance of social engagement and volunteerism, sense of community, and shared identity. Conclusions: That health and wellbeing were not identified explicitly as a priority by key informants suggests that these should not be presented as the primary focus of a community-wide initiative. Instead themes with a higher priority should be addressed in ways that can lead to better health and wellbeing as a secondary goal

Building in Quatar - Field excursion of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the HTWG Konstanz

Die große Exkursion 2010 der Fakultät Bauingenieurwesen führte in das Emirat Qatar am persischen Golf. Qatar verfügt über 15% der weltweiten Reserven anErdgas und investiert u.a. in Infrastruktur- und Bau¬maßnahmen. Deutsche Firmen sind an diesem Aufbau beteiligt. Bei der Exkursion wurden verschiedene Hoch- und Tiefbaustellen, „Mega-Projekte“ deutscher Unternehmen, aber auch eines arabischen Baukonzerns besucht. Auch das Ausstellungszentrum der Deutschen Bahn stand auf dem Programm. Der Bericht gibt die Eindrücke beim Besuch der Projekte wie auch die Reiseerlebnisse wieder.The student excursion of the University of Applied Sciences, Konstanz, Germany, lead to the Emirat of Qatar at the Persian Gulf. The country possesses 15% of the reserves of natural gas and is investing in building and infrastructures measures. German companies are part of this development. During the excursion different structural sites of “mega-projects” of German and Arabic Companies as well as the exposition Center of the “Deutsche Bahn” have been visited