Introduction of Enterprise Collaboration Systems: In-depth Studies Show That Laissez-faire Does Not Work

Inspired by the perceived success of the Social Media, an increasing number of companies have started to introduce social-media-like software systems (Enterprise Collaboration Systems). In order to study the issues and challenges that such introduction projects bring about, we selected a sample of companies and conducted interviews with managers, IT experts and users. The analysis of the responses shows that the experiences among the companies and among people in the same roles in these companies are very similar. All case companies used an approach that could be described as experiential, or laissez-faire, meaning that they installed the system and invited their staff to use it – without clear instructions or management controls. This led to a certain degree of insecurity and the adoption rate was lower than expected. We argue that the laissez-faire approach did not stimulate (the full potential of) project success. The findings also show that the introduction of social software brings about cultural rather than technical challenges. These cultural challenges can be anticipated and should be managed ex ante, not ad hoc

Molecular wires:impact of π-conjugation and implementation of molecular bottlenecks

In this review we highlight recent progress in the field of photochemically and thermally induced electron transport through molecular bridges as integrative parts of electron donor–bridge–acceptor conjugates. The major emphasis is hereby on the design and the modular composition of the bridges. To this end, we will demonstrate that control over attenuation factors and reorganization energies, on one hand, as well as electronic and electron–vibration couplings, on the other hand, enables tuning electron transport over distances as short as 3.5 Å and as large as 50 Å by up to nine orders of magnitude. In terms of electron transport, the maximum extreme is given by carbon-bridged oligo-p-phenylenevinylenes of different lengths, while a zinc tetraphenylporphyrin free base tetraphenylporphyrin dyad constitutes the minimum extreme

Kann der Nutzen aus (Standard) Anwendungssoftware zu nachhaltigen Wettbewerbsvorteilen führen?

Nutzen durch den Einsatz von Informationstechnologie ist seit über 30 Jahren ein Schwerpunktthema der Forschung in der Wirtschaftsinformatik. Kontrovers diskutiert wird hierbei weniger die Existenz des betriebswirtschaftlichen Nutzens, als vielmehr Art und Umfang des Nutzens. Ein besonderes Augenmerk liegt auf der Frage, ob und inwieweit Unternehmen durch den Einsatz von Business Software Wettbewerbsvorteile generieren können. Anhand der Theorie der Positionierung und des Resource-based View untersucht dieser Beitrag, inwieweit der identifizierte Nutzen aus 13 ausgewählten Praxisprojekten zu (nachhaltigen) Wettbewerbsvorteilen führt oder lediglich zu erzielter Prozessexzellenz. Ein Ergebnis ist, dass die formalen Kriterien für die Existenz von Wettbewerbsvorteilen in den untersuchten Fallstudien erfüllt werden, während sie allerdings nur in Ausnahmefällen als nachhaltig bezeichnet werden können. Der Beitrag schließt mit einer kritischen Würdigung des Wettbewerbsvorteilsbegriffs und möglicher Taxonomien

Fast fabrication of micropillar arrays using a combination of laser and FIB for micromechanical compression tests

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Fullerene van der waals Oligomers as electron traps

Density functional theory calculations indicate that van der Waals fullerene dimers and larger oligomers can form interstitial electron traps in which the electrons are even more strongly bound than in isolated fullerene radical anions. The fullerenes behave like super atoms , and the interstitial electron traps represent one-electron intermolecular σ-bonds. Spectroelectrochemical measurements on a bis-fullerene-substituted peptide provide experimental support. The proposed deep electron traps are relevant for all organic electronics applications in which non-covalently linked fullerenes in van der Waals contact with one another serve as n-type semiconductors

A Foundational Framework and Methodology for Personalized Early and Timely Diagnosis

Early diagnosis of diseases holds the potential for deep transformation in healthcare by enabling better treatment options, improving long-term survival and quality of life, and reducing overall cost. With the advent of medical big data, advances in diagnostic tests as well as in machine learning and statistics, early or timely diagnosis seems within reach. Early diagnosis research often neglects the potential for optimizing individual diagnostic paths. To enable personalized early diagnosis, a foundational framework is needed that delineates the diagnosis process and systematically identifies the time-dependent value of various diagnostic tests for an individual patient given their unique characteristics. Here, we propose the first foundational framework for early and timely diagnosis. It builds on decision-theoretic approaches to outline the diagnosis process and integrates machine learning and statistical methodology for estimating the optimal personalized diagnostic path. To describe the proposed framework as well as possibly other frameworks, we provide essential definitions. The development of a foundational framework is necessary for several reasons: 1) formalism provides clarity for the development of decision support tools; 2) observed information can be complemented with estimates of the future patient trajectory; 3) the net benefit of counterfactual diagnostic paths and associated uncertainties can be modeled for individuals 4) 'early' and 'timely' diagnosis can be clearly defined; 5) a mechanism emerges for assessing the value of technologies in terms of their impact on personalized early diagnosis, resulting health outcomes and incurred costs. Finally, we hope that this foundational framework will unlock the long-awaited potential of timely diagnosis and intervention, leading to improved outcomes for patients and higher cost-effectiveness for healthcare systems.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figure

A Unified Parameterization of the Formation of Boron Oxygen Defects and their Electrical Activity

AbstractThe magnitude of light-induced degradation of solar cells based on Czochralski grown silicon strongly depends on material properties. We have performed experiments to describe the activation and recombination activity of boron oxygen defects in boron compensated n-type silicon. Compensated n-type material enables flexible assessment of charge carrier influences on the defect that cannot be distinguished on p-type material. The results can be generalized to p-type material and thus provide valuable insights to the defect. Our measurements demonstrate the two-level defect nature of the slow-formed boron oxygen defect component and allow the study of the dopant dependency of the defect concentrations. Our findings strongly support a revision of the existing model of the defect composition.Based on the experimental results and literature data we have created a parameterization of the lifetime limitation in silicon due to BO defects. Established findings from literature for uncompensated p-type silicon are taken into account and ensure general validity. The parameterization is useful to discuss BO defect influences and can serve to predict material properties after LID

The Photoreaction of the Proton-Pumping Rhodopsin 1 From the Maize Pathogenic Basidiomycete Ustilago maydis

Microbial rhodopsins have recently been discovered in pathogenic fungi and have been postulated to be involved in signaling during the course of an infection. Here, we report on the spectroscopic characterization of a light-driven proton pump rhodopsin (UmRh1) from the smut pathogen Ustilago maydis, the causative agent of tumors in maize plants. Electrophysiology, time-resolved UV/Vis and vibrational spectroscopy indicate a pH-dependent photocycle. We also characterized the impact of the auxin hormone indole-3-acetic acid that was shown to influence the pump activity of UmRh1 on individual photocycle intermediates. A facile pumping activity test was established of UmRh1 expressed in Pichia pastoris cells, for probing proton pumping out of the living yeast cells during illumination. We show similarities and distinct differences to the well-known bacteriorhodopsin from archaea and discuss the putative role of UmRh1 in pathogenesis

Look & Listen: Sonification and Visualization of Multiparameter Micrographs

Nattkemper TW, Hermann T, Schubert W, Ritter H. Look & Listen: Sonification and Visualization of Multiparameter Micrographs. In: Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society. Proceedings of the 25th Annual International Conference of the IEEE. Vol 2. Cancun, Mexico: IEEE; 2003: 1311-1314.Multiparameter imaging techniques provide large numbers of high-dimensional image data in modern biomedical research. Besides algorithms for image registration, normalization and segmentation, new methods for interactive data exploration must be proposed and evaluated. We propose a new approach for auditory data representation, based on sonification. The approach is applied to a multiparameter image data set, generated with immunofluorescence techniques and compared to a conventional visualization approach and to a combination of both. For comparison, a psychophysical experiment was conducted, in which one standard evaluation procedure is modeled. Our results show, that all three approaches lead to comparable evaluation accuracies for all subjects. We conclude, that both, acoustical and visual approaches can be combined to display data sets of large dimensionality

Influence of laser polishing on the material properties of aluminium L-PBF components

In this study, the influence of laser polishing on the microstructural and mechanical properties of additively manufactured aluminium AlSi10Mg Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) parts is analysed. The investigation is carried out on a 5-axis laser cell equipped with 1D Scanner optics driven by a solid-state disc laser at a wavelength of 1030 nm. Laser polishing is performed with pulsed or continuous laser radiation on samples in the initial L-PBF state or after stress relief treatment in a furnace. The metallurgical investigation of the remelting zone with a depth of 101–237 µm revealed an unchanged and homogeneous chemical composition, with a coarsened α-phase and a changed grain structure. The hardness within the remelting zone is reduced to 102–104 HV 0.1 compared to 146 HV 0.1 at the L-PBF initial state. Below the remelting zone, within the heat affected zone, a reduced microhardness, which can reach a thickness up to 1.5 mm, occurs. Laser polishing results in a reduction in residual stresses and resulting distortions compared to the L-PBF initial state. Nevertheless, the re-solidification shrinkage of the polished surface layer introduces additional tensions, resulting in sample distortions well above ones remaining after a stress relieve heat treatment of the initial state. The mechanical properties, analysed on laser polished flat tensile specimens, revealed an increase in the ultimate elongation from 4.5% to 5.4–10.7% and a reduction in the tensile strength from 346 N/mm2 to 247–271 N/mm2 through laser polishing. Hence, the strength resulting from this is comparable to the initial L-PBF specimens after stress relieve heat treatment