Förderung von Kompetenzen in mono- und interdisziplinären Teams bei der rechnerunterstützten Entwicklung ergonomie- und designorientierter Produkte

Interdisziplinäre Arbeiten gewinnen längst nicht nur in der Hochschullandschaft an Aufmerksamkeit. Selbst dort, wo viele verschiedene Disziplinen auf dichtem Raum nebeneinander existieren, wurde dieses Potential in der Vergangenheit noch allzu selten genutzt. Mittlerweile wird von der Wissenschaftspolitik interdisziplinäre Forschung zunehmend gefordert und ist zudem mit hohen Erwartungen verknüpft (siehe z.B. Hollaender 2003). Daher werden vielerorts nun Kooperationen nicht nur an Rändern der klassischen Disziplinen sondern auch zwischen völlig themenfremden Disziplinen gebildet, wobei der Ruf nach Interdisziplinarität aus Gesellschaft und Politik an die Wissenschaft herangetragen wird (Jungert 2010). Auch in der industriellen Produktentwicklung gewinnt die interdisziplinäre Arbeit getrieben durch kürzere Entwicklungszyklen und komplexere Produkte sowie Funktionsintegration stetig an Bedeutung. Teams in der Produktentwicklung sind meist interdisziplinär und interfunktional zusammengesetzt (Ehrlenspiel 2003, Prasad 1996). Absolventen wissenschaftlicher Disziplinen erwartet daher im späteren Arbeitskontext trotz weiterhin meist fachspezifischer Ausbildung immer häufiger interdisziplinäre Team- und Projektarbeit. [... aus dem Text

Dendroarchaeology at Lake Ohrid: 5th and 2nd millennia BCE tree-ring chronologies from the waterlogged site of Ploča Mičov Grad, North Macedonia

On the prehistoric site of Ploča Mičov Grad (Ohrid, North Macedonia) on the eastern shore of Lake Ohrid a total of 799 wooden elements were recorded from a systematically excavated area of nearly 100 square meters. Most of them are pile remains of round wood with diameters up to almost 40 cm. A comprehensive dendrochronological analysis allowed the construction of numerous well-replicated chronologies for different species. High agreements between the chronologies prove that oak, pine, juniper, ash and hop-hornbeam can be cross-dated. The chronologies were dated by means of radiocarbon dating and modelling using wiggle matching. An intensive settlement phase is attested for the middle of the 5th millennium BCE. Further phases follow towards the end of the 5th millennium BCE and in the 2nd millennium around 1800, 1400 and 1300 BCE. Furthermore, the exact, relative felling dates allow first insights into the minimum duration of the settlement phases, which lie between 17 and 87 years. The multi-centennial chronologies presented in this study represent a first robust dating basis for future research in the numerous not yet dated prehistoric lake shore settlements in the southwestern Balkans with excellently preserved wooden remains

Study of 3D-growth conditions for selective area MOVPE of high aspect ratio GaN fins with non-polar vertical sidewalls

GaN fins are 3D architectures elongated in one direction parallel to the substrate surface. They have the geometry of walls with a large height to width ratio as well as small footprints. When appropriate symmetry directions of the GaN buffer are used, the sidewalls are formed by non-polar {11-20} planes, making the fins particularly suitable for many device applications like LEDs, FETs, lasers, sensors or waveguides. The influence of growth parameters like temperature, pressure, V/III ratio and total precursor flow on the fin structures is analyzed. Based on these results, a 2-temperature-step-growth was developed, leading to fins with smooth side and top facets, fast vertical growth rates and good homogeneity along their length as well as over different mask patterns. For the core-shell growth of fin LED heterostructures, the 2-temperature-step-growth shows much smoother sidewalls and less crystal defects in the InGaN QW and p-GaN shell compared to structures with cores grown in just one step. Electroluminescence spectra of the 2-temperature-step-grown fin LED are demonstrated

The well-preserved Late Neolithic dolmen burial of Oberbipp, Switzerland. Construction, use, and post-depositional processes

Excavation of the Late Neolithic dolmen of Oberbipp BE, Steingasse in the Swiss Central Plateau provided a unique opportunity for a comprehensive study of the archaeological and anthropological evidence. In multidisciplinary studies, we investigated the processes at work during construction, use, and abandonment of the megalithic structure, as well as the dietary habits, subsistence strategy, and possible mobility of the Neolithic population. Archaeological methods included micromorphology, archaeobiology, typology, use-wear analysis, and geology. The anthropological investigation was complemented by an analysis of stable isotope ratios and palaeogenetics. Local topography and the cover of alluvial sediments ensured an extraordinary conservation of the monument. It allowed the preservation of the human remains of at least 42 individuals of both sexes and all ages. The observation of the sedimentary and post-depositional processes, supplemented by an extensive series of radiocarbon dates, allowed us to reconstruct the history of the dolmen in its environment and the definition of at least two deposition phases. We found genetic evidence of lactase intolerance, a local population with a mixed ancestry of early Anatolian farmers and Western hunter-gatherers, and a crop-based diet. Sparse remains of a nearby Late Neolithic settlement sustain the interpretation that this is the burial site of a local farming community. Evidence of higher mobility of females and kinship over three generations solely in the paternal line suggests a virilocal community. Bone-altering pathologies support the assumption of a caring society

Plain X-ray is insufficient for correct diagnosis of tibial shaft spiral fractures: a prospective trial

Purpose Tibial shaft spiral fractures and fractures of the distal third of the tibia (AO:42A/B/C and 43A) frequently occur with non-displaced posterior malleolus fractures (PM). This study investigated the hypothesis that plain X-ray is not sufcient for a reliable diagnosis of associated non-displaced PM fractures in tibial shaft spiral fractures. Methods 50 X-rays showing 42A/B/C and 43A fractures were evaluated by two groups of physicians, each group was comprised of a resident and a fellowship-trained traumatologist or radiologist. Each group was tasked to make a diagnosis and/ or suggest if further imaging was needed. One group was primed with the incidence of PM fractures and asked to explicitly assess the PM. Results Overall, 9.13/25 (SD±5.77) PM fractures were diagnosed on X-ray. If the posterior malleolus fracture was named or a CT was requested, the fracture was considered “detected”. With this in mind, 14.8±5.95 posterior malleolus fractures were detected. Signifcantly more fractures were diagnosed/detected (14 vs. 4.25/25; p<0.001/14.8 vs. 10.5/25; p<0.001) in the group with awareness. However, there were signifcantly more false positives in the awareness group (2.5 vs. 0.5; p=0.024). Senior physicians recognized slightly more fractures than residents (residents: 13.0±7.79; senior physicians: 16.5±3.70; p=0.040). No signifcant diferences were demonstrated between radiologists and trauma surgeons. The inner-rater reliability was high with 91.2% agreement. Inter-rater reliability showed fair agreement (Fleiss-Kappa 0.274, p<0.001) across all examiners and moderate agreement (Fleiss-Kappa 0.561, p<0.001) in group 2. Conclusion Only 17% of PM fractures were identifed on plain X-ray and awareness of PM only improved diagnosis by 39%. While experiencing improved accuracy, CT imaging should be included in a comprehensive examination of tibial shaft spiral fractures

Using Multi-Viewpoint Contracts for Negotiation of Embedded Software Updates

International audienceIn this paper we address the issue of change after deployment in safety-critical embedded system applications. Our goal is to substitute lab-based verification with in-field formal analysis to determine whether an update may be safely applied. This is challenging because it requires an automated process able to handle multiple viewpoints such as functional correctness, timing, etc. For this purpose, we propose an original methodology for contract-based negotiation of software updates. The use of contracts allows us to cleanly split the verification effort between the lab and the field. In addition, we show how to rely on existing viewpoint-specific methods for update negotiation. We illustrate our approach on a concrete example inspired by the automotive domain

Cortical Auditory Disorders: A Case of Non-Verbal Disturbances Assessed with Event-Related Brain Potentials

In the auditory modality, there has been a considerable debate about some aspects of cortical disorders, especially about auditory forms of agnosia. Agnosia refers to an impaired comprehension of sensory information in the absence of deficits in primary sensory processes. In the non-verbal domain, sound agnosia and amusia have been reported but are frequently accompanied by language deficits whereas pure deficits are rare. Absolute pitch and musicians’ musical abilities have been associated with left hemispheric functions. We report the case of a right handed sound engineer with the absolute pitch who developed sound agnosia and amusia in the absence of verbal deficits after a right perisylvian stroke. His disabilities were assessed with the Seashore Test of Musical Functions, the tests of Wertheim and Botez (Wertheim and Botez, Brain 84, 1961, 19–30) and by event-related potentials (ERP) recorded in a modified 'oddball paradigm’. Auditory ERP revealed a dissociation between the amplitudes of the P3a and P3b subcomponents with the P3b being reduced in amplitude while the P3a was undisturbed. This is interpreted as reflecting disturbances in target detection processes as indexed by the P3b. The findings that contradict some aspects of current knowledge about left/right hemispheric specialization in musical processing are discussed and related to the literature concerning cortical auditory disorders