Pricing in Infrastructure Clouds – An Analytical and Empirical Examination

With the increasing maturity of the cloud computing market, specifically in the Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) domain, adequate pricing of services has become a crucial success factor for providers. In this work, we take a threefold approach to examine the current situation concerning pricing in the IaaS market. Based on an initial literature review, we find that pay-as-you-go pricing is perceived as the dominant scheme by the scientific community. Based on this notion, we discuss other pricing schemes with respect to their advantages, disadvantages, and challenges for a cloud provider. These results are complemented by an empirical study, in which we identify pay-as-you-go and subscription pricing as the dominant options that are practically applied in the IaaS market today

Effects of different trainings on nonverbal expressiveness and assertiveness

Die vorliegende Untersuchung vergleicht die Wirkung zweier verschiedener Trainings auf nichtverbale Ausdruckskraft und Selbstsicherheit. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß aufgrund eines Verhaltenstrainings die nichtverbale Expressivität der Trainierenden signifikant gesteigert werden kann. Ein Selbstsicherheitstraining hat hier nur geringe Effekte. Das Verhaltenstraining bewirkt eine Erhöhung der fremdwahrgenommenen, das Selbstsicherheitstraining eine Erhöhung der selbstwahrgenommenen Selbstsicherheit. Zwischen fremdwahrgenommener Selbstsicherheit und nichtverbalem Verhalten zeigt sich ein mittlerer linearer Zusammenhang. (DIPF/Orig.)This study compares the effects of two different trainings on nonverbal expressiveness and assertiveness. The results indicate that nonverbal expressiveness of the trainees can be increased significantly through a training program, an assertivenes training has only minimal effects. The nonverbal behavior training causes an increase in observer attributed assertiveness, the assertiveness training an increase in self-attributed assertiveness. There is a medium linear correlation between observer attributed assertiveness and nonverbal behavior

Evaluation of a Training Program for Nonverbal Sensitivity and Expressiveness

Eine experimentelle Untersuchung wurde durchgeführt, um die Wirkung eines Trainingsprogramms auf die nichtverbale Wahrnehmungs- und Ausdrucksfähigkeit in den Bereichen Stimme, Augen, Blickkontakt, Mimik, Gestik und Körperhaltung und -bewegung sowie auf die Klarheit und Interessantheit von Kurzvorträgen zu prüfen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, daß sich nichtverbale Wahrnehmungs- und Ausdrucksfähigkeit durch Training signifikant steigern läßt und daß eine Steigerung nichtverbaler Expressivität mit einer Steigerung der Klarheit und Interessantheit von Vorträgen einhergeht. (DIPF/Orig.)An experimental study was conducted to test the effects of a training program on nonverbal sensitivity and expressive nonverbal behavior (vocal delivery, eyes, eye contact, facial expressions, gesturing, and body movement) as well as on clarity and degree of interest of short presentations. The results indicate that expressive nonverbal behavior is trainable and that an increase in nonverbal sensitivity and in the level of nonverbal expressiveness causes an increase in the clarity and degree of interest of the presentations

The training of nonverbal expressiveness and its gender-specific relationship with persuasiveness

Eine neue attributionstheoretische Sichtweise des Überzeugungsprozesses steht neben der „klassischen“ Betrachtungsweise (Einstellungsänderungsprozesse) und wird mit nichtverbalem Verhalten in Verbindung gebracht. Diese Untersuchung zeigt, daß sich nichtverbale Expressivität durch einen Trainingskurs erhöhen läßt. Gleichzeitig wächst die selbst- und die fremdattribuierte Überzeugungskraft eines Senders an. Nur für Männer besteht ein mittlerer positiver Zusammenhang zwischen Überzeugungskraft und nichtverbaler Expressivität und zwischen selbst- und fremdattribuierter Überzeugungskraft. (DIPF/Orig.)The view of persuasiveness as an attribution process is compared to the “classical” type of research (attitude change). It is related to nonverbal behavior. This study shows that the level of nonverbal expressiveness can be increased through a training program. Self-attributions and observer ratings of persuasiveness are improved simultaneously. There is a medium positive correlation for male subjects only between persuasiveness and nonverbal expressiveness and between self- and observer attributed persuasiveness

Catalytic activity imperative for nanoparticle dose enhancement in photon and proton therapy.

Nanoparticle-based radioenhancement is a promising strategy for extending the therapeutic ratio of radiotherapy. While (pre)clinical results are encouraging, sound mechanistic understanding of nanoparticle radioenhancement, especially the effects of nanomaterial selection and irradiation conditions, has yet to be achieved. Here, we investigate the radioenhancement mechanisms of selected metal oxide nanomaterials (including SiO2, TiO2, WO3 and HfO2), TiN and Au nanoparticles for radiotherapy utilizing photons (150 kVp and 6 MV) and 100 MeV protons. While Au nanoparticles show outstanding radioenhancement properties in kV irradiation settings, where the photoelectric effect is dominant, these properties are attenuated to baseline levels for clinically more relevant irradiation with MV photons and protons. In contrast, HfO2 nanoparticles retain some of their radioenhancement properties in MV photon and proton therapies. Interestingly, TiO2 nanoparticles, which have a comparatively low effective atomic number, show significant radioenhancement efficacies in all three irradiation settings, which can be attributed to the strong radiocatalytic activity of TiO2, leading to the formation of hydroxyl radicals, and nuclear interactions with protons. Taken together, our data enable the extraction of general design criteria for nanoparticle radioenhancers for different treatment modalities, paving the way to performance-optimized nanotherapeutics for precision radiotherapy