Supplier base management : the contrast between Germany and the UK

Supplier base management is an important aspect of the management of manufacturing operations, as reducing the number of suppliers – the supplier base – is a key approach in many companies including the US and the UK. By having fewer suppliers, manufacturers have more time to work closely with each remaining supplier, for instance, on improving quality and product innovation. However, is this approach being adopted in Germany as fast as it has been in the UK? This paper describes research which addresses this question and which also investigates how German companies are managing contacts with their suppliers. The study was conducted in two stages. Firstly, a survey of manufacturers in Germany and the UK identified the trends in the supplier base of companies in each country. Secondly, a follow-up telephone survey was carried through with purchasing managers at a random sample of 34 German plants to identify, for example, the advantages experienced by manufacturers, which had reduced their supplier base. The findings show that German manufacturers have not reduced their supplier base by as much as companies in the UK. The second part of the research showed that German manufacturers, which have reduced their supplier base, perceive the benefits of this. However, other companies appear to have failed to take the opportunity to gain advantages from a reduced supplier base

Bacterial Diversity in Biological Soil Crusts from Extrazonal Mountain Dry Steppes in Northern Mongolia

Biological Soil Crusts (BSCs), consisting of prokaryotes, microalgae, lichens, mosses and eventually small vascular plants, cover wide areas in arid and semi-arid environments. In the present study, the microbial diversity of these crusts was explored at extrazonal mountain steppe sites in the western Khentej (Northern Mongolia). At the study site the Siberian taiga borders on the Mongolian-Daurian forest steppe, resulting in a unique intermixture of the dark taiga, the light taiga, and forest steppe (DULAMSUREN 2004). Due to the presence of boreal, temperate and dauric elements the forest steppe is eminently rich in species (MÜHLENBERG et al. 2004). BSCs in the western Khentej only occur in mainly non-forest areas of the Carex amgunensis-, Festuca lenensis-, Pulsatilla ambigua- and Artemisia frigida-mountain-dry-steppe and Ulmus pumila-open woodland (DULAMSUREN 2004). BSCs at these sites contain small vascular plants, mosses, lichens, and different microorganisms in varying ratios. In this communication, the diversity of BSCs, especially with respect to bacterial phylotypes in two different sites with a diverging degree of disturbance is presented. According to results based on 16S rDNA analysis, the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria decreases on disturbed sites, whereas abundances of other large groups increase. Generally, the more disturbed site appears to be more diverse

Bacterial Diversity in Biological Soil Crusts from Extrazonal Mountain Dry Steppes in Northern Mongolia

Biological Soil Crusts (BSCs), consisting of prokaryotes, microalgae, lichens, mosses and eventually small vascular plants, cover wide areas in arid and semi-arid environments. In the present study, the microbial diversity of these crusts was explored at extrazonal mountain steppe sites in the western Khentej (Northern Mongolia). At the study site the Siberian taiga borders on the Mongolian-Daurian forest steppe, resulting in a unique intermixture of the dark taiga, the light taiga, and forest steppe (DULAMSUREN 2004). Due to the presence of boreal, temperate and dauric elements the forest steppe is eminently rich in species (MÜHLENBERG et al. 2004). BSCs in the western Khentej only occur in mainly non-forest areas of the Carex amgunensis-, Festuca lenensis-, Pulsatilla ambigua- and Artemisia frigida-mountain-dry-steppe and Ulmus pumila-open woodland (DULAMSUREN 2004). BSCs at these sites contain small vascular plants, mosses, lichens, and different microorganisms in varying ratios. In this communication, the diversity of BSCs, especially with respect to bacterial phylotypes in two different sites with a diverging degree of disturbance is presented. According to results based on 16S rDNA analysis, the relative abundance of Cyanobacteria decreases on disturbed sites, whereas abundances of other large groups increase. Generally, the more disturbed site appears to be more diverse

Significance of gene variants for the functional biogeography of the near-surface Atlantic Ocean microbiome

Microbial communities are major drivers of global elemental cycles in the oceans due to their high abundance and enormous taxonomic and functional diversity. Recent studies assessed microbial taxonomic and functional biogeography in global oceans but microbial functional biogeography remains poorly studied. Here we show that in the near-surface Atlantic and Southern Ocean between 62°S and 47°N microbial communities exhibit distinct taxonomic and functional adaptations to regional environmental conditions. Richness and diversity showed maxima around 40° latitude and intermediate temperatures, especially in functional genes (KEGG-orthologues, KOs) and gene profiles. A cluster analysis yielded three clusters of KOs but five clusters of genes differing in the abundance of genes involved in nutrient and energy acquisition. Gene profiles showed much higher distance-decay rates than KO and taxonomic profiles. Biotic factors were identified as highly influential in explaining the observed patterns in the functional profiles, whereas temperature and biogeographic province mainly explained the observed taxonomic patterns. Our results thus indicate fine-tuned genetic adaptions of microbial communities to regional biotic and environmental conditions in the Atlantic and Southern Ocean

Virtuelles Training in der Krankenpflege: Erste Erfahrungen mit Ultra-mobilen Head-Mounted-Displays

Derksen M, Zhang L, Schäfer M, Schröder D, Pfeiffer T. Virtuelles Training in der Krankenpflege: Erste Erfahrungen mit Ultra-mobilen Head-Mounted-Displays. In: Pfeiffer T, Fröhlich J, Kruse R, eds. Virtuelle und Erweiterte Realität - 13. Workshop der GI-Fachgruppe VR/AR. Berichte aus der Informatik. Aachen: Shaker Verlag; 2016: 137-144.In einem kooperativen Lehrprojekt zwischen Fachhochschule und Universität wurde ein immersives Trainingsprogramm für das Head-Mounted-Display (HMD) Samsung Gear VR entwickelt. Anwendungsbeispiel ist die Vorbereitung einer Infusion, wie sie im Rahmen der Lehre für die Pflege geschult wird. Motivatoren sind Einsparungen von Kosten, sowie das Bereitstellen von flexiblen, selbstgesteuerten Trainingsformen für die berufsbegleitende Ausbildung. Das Paper beschreibt einen ersten funktionalen Prototypen, der die Machbarkeit demonstriert, und zeigt anhand einer Nutzerstudie, dass die Technologie von der Zielgruppe akzeptiert wird

Transmission tree of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) epidemic in Israel, 2015

The transmission tree of the Israeli 2015 epidemic of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) was modelled by combining the spatio-temporal distribution of the outbreaks and the genetic distance between virus isolates. The most likely successions of transmission events were determined and transmission parameters were estimated. It was found that the median infectious pressure exerted at 1 km was 1.59 times (95% CI 1.04, 6.01) and 3.54 times (95% CI 1.09, 131.75) higher than that exerted at 2 and 5 km, respectively, and that three farms were responsible for all seven transmission events. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13567-016-0393-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Messen mentaler Auslastung in einer VR-Umgebung basierend auf Eyetrackingdaten

Hainke C, Pfeiffer T. Messen mentaler Auslastung in einer VR-Umgebung basierend auf Eyetrackingdaten. In: Dörner R, Kruse R, Mohler B, Weller R, eds. Virtuelle und Erweiterte Realität - 14. Workshop der GI-Fachgruppe VR/AR. Berichte aus der Informatik. Aachen: Shaker Verlag; 2017: 43-54.Ein aufmerksamer Assistent liefert proaktiv relevante Informationen immer genau zum richtigen Zeitpunkt. Er muss dafür über den aktuellen Handlungskontext und das erforderliche Domänenwissen verfügen und in der Lage sein, die aktuelle kognitive Situation des Nutzers gut einschätzen zu können. Die vorliegende Arbeit untersucht unter Einsatz eines Head-Mounted-Displays (HMDs) mit integriertem Eyetracker, ob die kognitive Belastung über die Echtzeitanalyse der Pupillengröße verlässlich geschätzt werden kann. Es wird gezeigt, dass es in einer VR-Umgebung möglich ist, mit diesen Mitteln die Pupillengröße mit der kognitiven Belastung in Zusammenhang zu setzen, da sie sich bei erhöhter Belastung vergrößert. Ausgenutzt wird dabei, dass die Helligkeit der Umgebung primär durch den Inhalt auf dem HMD-Display bestimmt wird und sich diese damit zur Laufzeit leicht bestimmen lässt

Inherited and de novo SHANK2 variants associated with autism spectrum disorder impair neuronal morphogenesis and physiology

Mutations in the postsynaptic scaffolding gene SHANK2 have recently been identified in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and intellectual disability. However, the cellular and physiological consequences of these mutations in neurons remain unknown. We have analyzed the functional impact caused by two inherited and one de novo SHANK2 mutations from ASD individuals (L1008_P1009dup, T1127M, R462X). Although all three variants affect spine volume and have smaller SHANK2 cluster sizes, T1127M additionally fails to rescue spine volume in Shank2 knock-down neurons. R462X is not able to rescue spine volume and dendritic branching and lacks postsynaptic clustering, indicating the most severe dysfunction. To demonstrate that R462X when expressed in mouse can be linked to physiological effects, we analyzed synaptic transmission and behavior. Principal neurons of mice expressing rAAV-transduced SHANK2-R462X present a specific, long-lasting reduction in miniature postsynaptic AMPA receptor currents. This dominant negative effect translates into dose-dependent altered cognitive behavior of SHANK2-R462X-expressing mice, with an impact on the penetrance of ASD