Der Einsatz der Conjoint-Analyse in wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken – Imagegewinn durch Dienstleistungsentwicklung „nahe am Kunden"

Hermelbracht A, Koeper B. Der Einsatz der Conjoint-Analyse in wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken – Imagegewinn durch Dienstleistungsentwicklung „nahe am Kunden". In: Lülfing D, Siebert I, eds. 94. Deutscher Bibliothekartag in Düsseldorf 2005. Frankfurt: Klostermann; 2006: 78-92.Der vorliegende Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der Anwendung der Conjoint-Analyse in wissenschaftlichen Bibliotheken und den damit verbundenen Potenzialen für eine mögliche Imageförderung. Basis der Ausführungen bildet das von der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft geförderte Projekt “Prospektive Steuerung der Serviceangebote wissenschaftlicher Bibliotheken mittels Conjoint-Analyse” (ProSeBiCA), das im März 2004 in Kooperation der Bielefelder Universitätsbibliothek und dem Lehrstuhl für Betriebswirtschaftslehre, insb. Marketing an der dortigen Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaften gestartet wurde. Zunächst folgen einige Erläuterungen zur Motivation des ProSeBiCA-Projekts und zu den grundsätzlichen Beziehungen von Marketing und Imageförderung. Anschließend werden die Conjoint-Analyse im Allgemeinen und der Projektablauf im Besonderen vorgestellt. Der nächste Abschnitt behandelt dann die dazugehörende Befragung an der Universität Bielefeld mit ihrem Befragungsdesign und den ersten Ergebnissen. Eine Zusammenfassung der bisher erreichten Resultate schließt den vorliegenden Beitrag ab

Metastable defect response in CZTSSe from admittance spectroscopy

Admittance spectroscopy is a useful tool used to study defects in semiconductor materials. However, metastable defect responses in non ideal semiconductors can greatly impact the measure ment and therefore the interpretation of results. Here, admittance spectroscopy was performed on Cu2ZnSn S,Se 4 where metastable defect response is illustrated due to the trapping of injected car riers into a deep defect state. To investigate the metastable response, admittance measurements were performed under electrically and optically relaxed conditions in comparison to a device fol lowing a low level carrier injection pretreatment. The relaxed measurement demonstrates a single capacitance signature while two capacitance signatures are observed for the device measured fol lowing carrier injection. The deeper level signature, typically reported for kesterites, is activated by charge trapping following carrier injection. Both signatures are attributed to bulk level defects. The significant metastable response observed on kesterites due to charge trapping obscures accurate interpretation of defect levels from admittance spectroscopy and indicates that great care must be taken when performing and interpreting this measurement on non ideal devices

Present and future of in vitro

The realization, that the immune system can be the target of many chemicals including environmental contaminants and drugs with potentially adverse effects on the host's health, has raised serious concerns within the public and the regulatory agencies. At present, assessment of immunotoxic effects relies on different animal models and several assays have been proposed to characterize immunosuppression and sensitization. The use of whole animals, however, presents many secondary issues, such as expense, ethical concerns, and eventual relevance to risk assessment for humans. Furthermore, due to the new policy on chemicals (REACH), in the European Union, in vitro methods will play a major role in the near future. In addition, there is still a lack of human cell-based immunotoxicity assays for predicting the toxicity of xenobiotics toward the immune system in a simple, fast, economical, and reliable way. Hypersensitivity and immunosuppression, for which animal models have been developed and validated, are considered the primary focus for developing in vitro methods in immunotoxicology. Nevertheless, in vitro assays, as well as in vivo models, to detect immunostimulation and autoimmunity are also needed. Even if no validated alternative in vitro tests to assess immunotoxicity exist, in the last decade, much progress has been made toward these assays. Such models can be, at least, used for the pre-screening and hazard identification of unintended immunosuppression and contact hypersensitivity of direct immunotoxicants. Following a brief introduction to immunotoxicology and to in vivo models use to assess immunotoxicity, this manuscript will review the state-of-the-art in the field of in vitro immunotoxicit

Cardiorenal end points in a trial of aliskiren for type 2 diabetes.

Background This study was undertaken to determine whether use of the direct renin inhibitor aliskiren would reduce cardiovascular and renal events in patients with type 2 dia- betes and chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, or both. Methods In a double-blind fashion, we randomly assigned 8561 patients to aliskiren (300 mg daily) or placebo as an adjunct to an angiotensin-converting\u2013enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin-receptor blocker. The primary end point was a composite of the time to cardiovascular death or a first occurrence of cardiac arrest with resuscitation; nonfatal myocardial infarction; nonfatal stroke; unplanned hospitalization for heart failure; end-stage renal disease, death attributable to kidney failure, or the need for renal-replacement therapy with no dialysis or transplantation available or initiated; or doubling of the baseline serum creatinine level. Results The trial was stopped prematurely after the second interim efficacy analysis. After a median follow-up of 32.9 months, the primary end point had occurred in 783 patients (18.3%) assigned to aliskiren as compared with 732 (17.1%) assigned to placebo (hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98 to 1.20; P=0.12). Effects on secondary renal end points were similar. Systolic and diastolic blood pres- sures were lower with aliskiren (between-group differences, 1.3 and 0.6 mm Hg, respectively) and the mean reduction in the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio was greater (between-group difference, 14 percentage points; 95% CI, 11 to 17). The proportion of patients with hyperkalemia (serum potassium level, 656 mmol per liter) was significantly higher in the aliskiren group than in the placebo group (11.2% vs. 7.2%), as was the proportion with reported hypotension (12.1% vs. 8.3%) (P<0.001 for both comparisons). Conclusions The addition of aliskiren to standard therapy with renin\u2013angiotensin system block- ade in patients with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for cardiovascular and renal events is not supported by these data and may even be harmful

Cardiorenal end points in a trial of aliskiren for type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to determine whether use of the direct renin inhibitor aliskiren would reduce cardiovascular and renal events in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease, cardiovascular disease, or both. METHODS: In a double-blind fashion, we randomly assigned 8561 patients to aliskiren (300 mg daily) or placebo as an adjunct to an angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin-receptor blocker. The primary end point was a composite of the time to cardiovascular death or a first occurrence of cardiac arrest with resuscitation; nonfatal myocardial infarction; nonfatal stroke; unplanned hospitalization for heart failure; end-stage renal disease, death attributable to kidney failure, or the need for renal-replacement therapy with no dialysis or transplantation available or initiated; or doubling of the baseline serum creatinine level. RESULTS: The trial was stopped prematurely after the second interim efficacy analysis. After a median follow-up of 32.9 months, the primary end point had occurred in 783 patients (18.3%) assigned to aliskiren as compared with 732 (17.1%) assigned to placebo (hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.98 to 1.20; P=0.12). Effects on secondary renal end points were similar. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures were lower with aliskiren (between-group differences, 1.3 and 0.6 mm Hg, respectively) and the mean reduction in the urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio was greater (between-group difference, 14 percentage points; 95% CI, 11 to 17). The proportion of patients with hyperkalemia (serum potassium level, 656 mmol per liter) was significantly higher in the aliskiren group than in the placebo group (11.2% vs. 7.2%), as was the proportion with reported hypotension (12.1% vs. 8.3%) (P<0.001 for both comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of aliskiren to standard therapy with renin-angiotensin system blockade in patients with type 2 diabetes who are at high risk for cardiovascular and renal events is not supported by these data and may even be harmful