Phänomenologie des Leibes bei Edith Stein und Hermann Schmitz

Steffen Kammler carries out a detailed analysis of phenomenology of thebody contained in Edith Stein’s dissertation On the Problem of Empathy and Hermann Schmitz’s Philosphical System (System der Philosophie), highlighting similarities and deepdifferences in their views. The author shows the relevance of Edith Stein’s philosophical approach to these issues in dialogue with the newest trends in phenomenological studies and reveals the stimulating influence of Stein’s way of thinking about body (Leib) on German phenomenology in the second half of the twentieth century

Existence of good and best approximations on unbounded domains by exponential sums in several independent variables

AbstractIn this paper we consider the problem of using exponential sums to approximate a given complex-valued function f defined on the possibly unbounded domain D in Rm. We establish the existence of a best approximation from the set of exponential sums having order at most n and formulate a Weierstrass-type density theorem. In so doing we extend previously known results which apply only in the special cases where D is bounded or where m = 1

Approximation with sums of exponentials in Lp[0, ∞)

AbstractWe consider the problem of approximating a given f from Lp [0, ∞) by means of the family Vn(S) of exponential sums; Vn(S) denotes the set of all possible solutions of all possible nth order linear homogeneous differential equations with constant coefficients for which the roots of the corresponding characteristic polynomials all lie in the set S. We establish the existence of best approximations, show that the distance from a given f to Vn(S) decreases to zero as n becomes infinite, and characterize such best approximations with a first-order necessary condition. In so doing we extend previously known results that apply in Lp[0, 1]

Vibrational temperature of the adlayer in "hot atom" reaction mechanism

Hot-atoms reactions mechanisms bring about reaction rates which are several orders of magnitude higher than those expected in the case of ad-atoms which have thermalized with the surface. This paper addresses the issue of a possible thermodynamic characterization of the adlayer under reactive conditions and at the steady state. In turn, this implies to tackle the question of determining the temperature of the ad-atoms. This is done by means of a nonequilibrium statistical thermodynamic approach, by exploiting a suitable definition of the entropy. The interplay between reaction rate, vibrational temperature of the ad-atoms and adsorbed quantities is highlighted. It is shown that the vibrational temperature depends on reaction rate logarithmically and exhibits a non-linear scaling on physical quantities linked to the energetics of the reaction, namely the adsorption energy and the binding energy of the molecule. The present modeling is also discussed in connection with response equations of nonequilibrium thermodynamics.Comment: 29 pages, 8 figure

Exploring Virtual Reality and Doppelganger Avatars for the Treatment of Chronic Back Pain

Cognitive-behavioral models of chronic pain assume that fear of pain and subsequent avoidance behavior contribute to pain chronicity and the maintenance of chronic pain. In chronic back pain (CBP), avoidance of movements often plays a major role in pain perseverance and interference with daily life activities. In treatment, avoidance is often addressed by teaching patients to reduce pain behaviors and increase healthy behaviors. The current project explored the use of personalized virtual characters (doppelganger avatars) in virtual reality (VR), to influence motor imitation and avoidance, fear of pain and experienced pain in CBP. We developed a method to create virtual doppelgangers, to animate them with movements captured from real-world models, and to present them to participants in an immersive cave virtual environment (CAVE) as autonomous movement models for imitation. Study 1 investigated interactions between model and observer characteristics in imitation behavior of healthy participants. We tested the hypothesis that perceived affiliative characteristics of a virtual model, such as similarity to the observer and likeability, would facilitate observers’ engagement in voluntary motor imitation. In a within-subject design (N=33), participants were exposed to four virtual characters of different degrees of realism and observer similarity, ranging from an abstract stickperson to a personalized doppelganger avatar designed from 3d scans of the observer. The characters performed different trunk movements and participants were asked to imitate these. We defined functional ranges of motion (ROM) for spinal extension (bending backward, BB), lateral flexion (bending sideward, BS) and rotation in the horizontal plane (RH) based on shoulder marker trajectories as behavioral indicators of imitation. Participants’ ratings on perceived avatar appearance were recorded in an Autonomous Avatar Questionnaire (AAQ), based on an explorative factor analysis. Linear mixed effects models revealed that for lateral flexion (BS), a facilitating influence of avatar type on ROM was mediated by perceived identification with the avatar including avatar likeability, avatar-observer-similarity and other affiliative characteristics. These findings suggest that maximizing model-observer similarity may indeed be useful to stimulate observational modeling. Study 2 employed the techniques developed in study 1 with participants who suffered from CBP and extended the setup with real-world elements, creating an immersive mixed reality. The research question was whether virtual doppelgangers could modify motor behaviors, pain expectancy and pain. In a randomized controlled between-subject design, participants observed and imitated an avatar (AVA, N=17) or a videotaped model (VID, N=16) over three sessions, during which the movements BS and RH as well as a new movement (moving a beverage crate) were shown. Again, self-reports and ROMs were used as measures. The AVA group reported reduced avoidance with no significant group differences in ROM. Pain expectancy increased in AVA but not VID over the sessions. Pain and limitations did not significantly differ. We observed a moderation effect of group, with prior pain expectancy predicting pain and avoidance in the VID but not in the AVA group. This can be interpreted as an effect of personalized movement models decoupling pain behavior from movement-related fear and pain expectancy by increasing pain tolerance and task persistence. Our findings suggest that personalized virtual movement models can stimulate observational modeling in general, and that they can increase pain tolerance and persistence in chronic pain conditions. Thus, they may provide a tool for exposure and exercise treatments in cognitive behavioral treatment approaches to CBP

Carbon-coated titania nanostructured particles: Continuous, one-step flame-synthesis

Concurrent synthesis of titania-carbon nanoparticles (up to 52 wt.% in C) was studied in a diffusion flame aerosol reactor by combustion of titanium tetraisopropoxide and acetylene. These graphitically layered carbon-coated titania particles were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), with elemental mapping of C and Ti, x-ray diffraction (XRD), and nitrogen adsorption [Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET)]. The specific surface area of the powder was controlled by the acetylene flow rate from 29 to 62 m2/g as the rutile content decreased from 68 to 17 wt.%. Light blue titania suboxides formed at low acetylene flow rates. The average XRD crystal size of TiO2 decreased steadily with increasing carbon content of the composite powders, while the average BET primary particle size calculated from nitrogen adsorption decreased first and then approached a constant value. The latter is attributed to the formation of individual carbon particles next to carbon-coated titania particles as observed by HRTEM and electron spectroscopic imagin

Exploring Design Requirements of Fleet Telematics Systems Supporting Road Freight Transportation: A Digital Service Side Perspective

Road freight operators (RFOs) optimize their fleet management processes using fleet telematics systems (FTSs). Therefore, the selection of FTSs by RFOs is driven by transport specifications from the customer side leading to substantial search costs. However, FTSs vary significantly in their design requirements to assist road freight operations. Hence, we analyze 74 web pages from FTSs of existing telematics vendors to elicit 31 design requirements (DRs) which we aggregated into nine requirement sets (RSs). Subsequently, 42 practitioners from five digital road freight service enterprises experienced in using FTSs validate the DRs and evaluate their importance with RSs following the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method. The results reveal that DRs and RSs promoting driver monitoring and IT integration are perceived more important than items promoting fleet and logistics support. Our contribution sheds light on an emerging topic in logistics and establishes a knowledge base that guides the design of future FTSs

Die indianische Moderne : mit Traditionen die Zukunft gestalten

Können sich die indianischen Kulturen Nordamerikas im 21. Jahrhundert anders behaupten als nur in der Pflege von Folklore? Wie können Stammesangehörige mit den überlieferten Kenntnissen umgehen und damit ihr Leben in der modernen amerikanischen Gesellschaft gestalten? Wie bestehen Kulturen, die nur knapp der Ausrottung entgangen sind, als Minderheiten im eigenen Land

SCRUTINIZING THE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS OF SMART PRODUCTS: A PRACTICAL EVALUATION IN YACHTING

The collection and use of data are of increasing importance not only in virtual worlds but also for real goods. New products operationalize this principle and integrate sensors, actuators and microcomputers into analog products to enable sophisticated features such as context-awareness or connectivity with other devices. The underlying concept is being discussed as Smart Product and aims for the automation of activities, right up to autonomization of entire products. This article raises design specifications from existing literature and instantiates Smart Products in sailing. We discuss the application of the design specifications with sailing professionals in order to evaluate its practical value and to identify further benefits. The results affirmed that sailboats can be transformed into Smart Products by the integration of information technology. However, it also turned out that additional benefits can only be tapped by the integration of further stakeholders in a systemic perspective