The Twofold Value of IT-Based Peer Assessment in Management Information Systems Education

Feedback is one of the most influential factor when it comes to learning success of students. Especially large-scale classes at universities often lack feedback caused by the scarcity of resources. Even though a lack of feedback is problematic across all domains, especially when educating future IS executives, who are supposed to lead team members by providing effective feedback. In this study, we use IT-based peer assessment (ITPA) in a large-scale class to support learners with feedback during the teaching-learning process. The first results show that students increase their learning success and at the same time, train their ability to provide feedback. Specifically, our results suggest that participating in ITPA could lead to an increase in knowledge on the content of the class of about 28% on average. Furthermore, the students’ ability to provide feedback – measured twice, self-reported and as quality of the feedback received – increased significantly during the class

Binary Maps for Image Separation in Iterative Neuronal Network Applications

Generating a series of images is an important task invarious fields of scientific research, e. g. Computational fluiddynamics (CFD). In the past years, solutions based on deepneural networks gained importance. In these tasks, it’s oftennecessary to declare regions of interest in the image. Further-more, the NN should only perform on these regions and therest should be ignored. With this paper, we propose an inno-vative and easy method for implementing this behavior in thefield of CFD

Funktioniert der ifo Konjunkturtest auch in wirtschaftlichen Krisenzeiten? : eine Analyse der Zusammenhänge zwischen ifo Geschäftsklima und amtlichen Konjunkturdaten für Sachsen

Um das zyklische Wirtschaftsgeschehen adäquat analysieren und prognostizieren zu können, bedient man sich häufig der Informationen von Konjunkturindikatoren. Dabei sind solche Größen von besonderem Interesse, die einen gewissen Vorlauf gegenüber der allgemeinen Wirtschaftsentwicklung besitzen (Frühindikatoren). Einer der am meisten beachteten Indikatoren zur Analyse der gesamtwirtschaftlichen Entwicklung in Deutschland ist der ifo Geschäftsklimaindex. Er wird aus einer monatlich vorgenommenen Unternehmensbefragung des ifo Instituts, dem ifo Konjunkturtest, ermittelt. In diesem Beitrag wird anhand der ifo Geschäftsklimaindizes für das verarbeitende Gewerbe und den Maschinenbau Sachsens analysiert, ob sich der ifo Konjunkturtest auch in dem von der Finanz- und Wirtschaftskrise 2008/2009 geprägten Zeitraum als ein verlässliches Analyseinstrument erwies. Zudem wird überprüft, inwiefern die genannten Indikatoren eine Vorlaufeigenschaft zu den Konjunkturdaten der amtlichen Statistik besitzen.Wirtschaftskrise; Konjunkturumfrage; Geschäftsklima; Sachsen

Portfolio selection models: A review and new directions

Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT) is based upon the classical Markowitz model which uses variance as a risk measure. A generalization of this approach leads to mean-risk models, in which a return distribution is characterized by the expected value of return (desired to be large) and a risk value (desired to be kept small). Portfolio choice is made by solving an optimization problem, in which the portfolio risk is minimized and a desired level of expected return is specified as a constraint. The need to penalize different undesirable aspects of the return distribution led to the proposal of alternative risk measures, notably those penalizing only the downside part (adverse) and not the upside (potential). The downside risk considerations constitute the basis of the Post Modern Portfolio Theory (PMPT). Examples of such risk measures are lower partial moments, Value-at-Risk (VaR) and Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR). We revisit these risk measures and the resulting mean-risk models. We discuss alternative models for portfolio selection, their choice criteria and the evolution of MPT to PMPT which incorporates: utility maximization and stochastic dominance

Agarose gel serum protein electrophoresis in cats with and without lymphoma and preliminary results of tandem mass fingerprinting analysis

<b>Background</b>: Serum electrophoretic profiles in cats are poorly characterized with respect to the protein components of the globulin fractions, and interpretation of the electrophoretograms has routinely been done in ignorance of the identity of the proteins found within each fraction. <b>Objectives</b>: To compare the protein fractions from serum protein electrophoresis (SPE) in healthy cats and those with lymphoma and to confirm some component proteins in the major fractions after feline SPE, using tandem mass fingerprinting analysis (TMFA). <b>Methods</b>: Total protein was measured and agarose gel SPE performed on blood collected from 14 healthy cats and 14 with lymphoma. The absolute protein concentration within each fraction was compared between the two groups. Bands corresponding to the SPE fractions were excised from two controls and a lymphoma cat and analysed by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Results were compared to sequences in the NCBI protein database. <b>Results</b>: Median albumin concentrations were significantly decreased in lymphoma cats and median beta globulin concentrations were elevated. Narrow electrophoretic spikes were present in the beta/gamma fraction in 3 lymphoma cats. Following TMFA, multiple proteins were identified from each fraction and their mobility agreed with results from previous studies generated using alternative techniques. Inter–alpha (globulin) inhibitor 4 was identified in feline serum for the first time. <b>Conclusions</b>: Cats with lymphoma had lower median albumin and higher beta globulin concentrations than healthy cats. Despite the limitations of 1D agarose gel SPE, TMFA provided preliminary data to confirm the protein components of the various fractio