Agent Technology in Supply Chains and Networks: An exploration of high potential future applications

This paper reports on an ongoing research project that\ud is aimed at evaluating how software agents can improve\ud performance of supply chains and networks. To conduct\ud this evaluation, first a framework is developed to classify\ud potential applications of software agents to supply\ud networks. The framework was used in workshop sessions\ud with logistics and information systems experts from\ud industry, software/consultancy and academia to identify\ud promising areas for agents. Based on the framework and\ud the outcome of the workshop sessions, this paper presents\ud promising application areas for the near future and\ud beyond

Towards a Usability Measurement Framework for Process Modelling Tools

Usability is widely used in software engineering as a criterion of product quality and acceptance. Studies revealed that one dollar investment in usability brings 10 times more profit than investments in advertising. Usability of websites and desktop applications has been extensively investigated during the last decades. However, little was done in the area of usability of process modelling tools. We argue that generic usability measurement frameworks do not reflect the particularities of this type of applications. In our research-in-progress paper we have conducted a number of empirical studies in order to determine environment dimensions and their effect on usability attributes. As a result we propose a theoretical usability measurement framework whose underlying hypotheses will be evaluated in future research

Towards Usability Guidelines for Mobile Websites and Applications

The market for mobile devices is growing rapidly nowadays. Constant technolog-ical improvements provide great opportunities for the creation of mobile applica-tions. For the success of a mobile application or website, one of the main con-cerns, besides security issues, is usability. Poor usability decreases user produc-tivity and consequently causes loss of users. In order to avoid these problems, usability aspects have to be considered already during the design phase of the ap-plication, e.g. by following predefined usability guidelines. Although usability guidelines for web development are already in place since the 1990s, structured and evaluated usability guidelines for mobile applications can rarely be found in scientific literature. Thus, in this paper we introduce a catalogue of usability guidelines for mobile applications and websites, and subsequently demonstrate their usage by applying them in two case studies: the development of a mobile application and a mobile website

Towards Usability Guidelines for Mobile Websites and Applications

Abstract. The market for mobile devices is growing rapidly nowadays. Constant technological improvements provide great opportunities for the creation of mobile applications. For the success of a mobile application or website, one of the main concerns, besides security issues, is usability. Poor usability decreases user productivity and consequently causes loss of users. In order to avoid these problems, usability aspects have to be considered already during the design phase of the application, e.g. by following predefined usability guidelines. Although usability guidelines for web development are already in place since the 1990s, structured and evaluated usability guidelines for mobile applications can rarely be found in scientific literature. Thus, in this paper we introduce a catalogue of usability guidelines for mobile applications and websites, and subsequently demonstrate their usage by applying them in two case studies: the development of a mobile application and a mobile website. Keywords: Usability, usability guidelines, mobile applications, mobile websites Introduction The market for mobile devices is growing rapidly nowadays. Gartner research reported that "In 2009, smartphone sales reached 172.4 million units, a 23.8% increase from 2008" [1]. Nielsen names 2010 "the year of mobile" One of the main concerns in mobile applications, next to security issues, is usability [6], which can be defined as "the degree to which specified users can achieve specified goals in a particular environment, with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction" In the development of applications for mobile devices a number of issues have to be taken into account, such as small screen size, limited processing power, data entry methods, connectivity, etc. • RQ 1: Which usability guidelines should be considered to develop a usable mobile website or application? • RQ 2: To which extent are these guidelines applicable to a real world development process of mobile websites and applications? The remainder of this paper is structured as follows. In the next section, related work in the field of usability guidelines is presented. In section 3, the research approach is explained, followed by a literature review on usability experiments in section 4, which results in a catalogue of mobile usability guidelines. The compiled guidelines are then utilized in two demonstration scenarios, a mobile application for a process modelling tool and a mobile website for research portals, as presented in section 5. The evaluation of the suggested guidelines is described in section 6. The paper concludes with a discussion of findings and limitations of our research, as well as an outline of the future steps. Related Work The first guidelines for user interfaces (UI) of desktop applications appeared in the beginning of the 1980s and the first web-specific guidelines were formulated in the 1990s 1604 Since the beginning of the 1990s, there has been done much successful work on establishing usability guidelines for websites. For instance, the Usability.gov group has created a database of web usability guidelines Structured and evaluated guidelines for developing mobile applications can hardly be found in the scientific literature Research Method To address the research questions specified in the introduction, the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM), introduced in The methodology consists of six steps: problem identification and motivation, definition of the objectives for a solution, design and development, demonstration, evaluation and communication of the research result

Richard Löwenherz im Museum : Menschen und Objekte in Bewegung

Irgendwo in unserem sogenannten Allgemeinwissen über das Mittelalter ist auch die Vorstellung verankert, dass das Leben früher ruhiger, gemütlicher und nicht so hektisch war wie heute. Früher, als die Welt noch ‚normal’ war, hatten die meisten Menschen einen festen Lebensmittelpunkt, waren fest verwurzelt in einer Gemeinschaft und verließen ihre Heimat nur dann, wenn es sich gar nicht vermeiden lies. Nur wenige – nämlich die besonders Überprivilegierten und die besonders Unterprivilegierten -, also die, die es sich leisten konnten oder die, die dazu gezwungen wurden, waren unterwegs. Alle anderen blieben ein Leben lang zuhause, an dem Ort, an dem sie ihren festen Lebensmittelpunkt hatten. Soweit unser intuitives Vorwissen darüber, wie es früher, also auch schon im Mittelalter, gewesen sein muss. Dieses mehr ‚gefühlte’ als wissenschaftlich erwiesene Vorwissen haben wir im Rahmen eines Hauptseminars zur Geschichte des Mittelalters im Herbst 2017 gründlich hinterfragt. Ausgangspunkt war die Ausstellung „Richard Löwenherz“, die im September am Historischen Museum der Pfalz in Speyer eröffnet wurde. Ein Seminar zum Thema führte uns auf die Spuren der im Museum gezeigten Objekte, von dort auf die Spuren der Menschen im Umfeld des berühmten Königs von England

NDACC harmonized formaldehyde time-series from 21 FTIR stations covering a wide range of column abundances

Among the more than 20 ground-based FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) stations currently operating around the globe, only a few have provided formaldehyde (HCHO) total column time series until now. Although several independent studies have shown that the FTIR measurements can provide formaldehyde total columns with good precision, the spatial coverage has not been optimal for providing good diagnostics for satellite or model validation. Furthermore, these past studies used different retrieval settings, and biases as large as 50 % can be observed in the HCHO total columns depending on these retrieval choices, which is also a weakness for validation studies combining data from different ground-based stations. For the present work, the HCHO retrieval settings have been optimized based on experience gained from past studies and have been applied consistently at the 21 participating stations. Most of them are either part of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) or under consideration for membership. We provide the harmonized settings and a characterization of the HCHO FTIR products. Depending on the station, the total systematic and random uncertainties of an individual HCHO total column measurement lie between 12 % and 27 % and between 1 and 11×1014 molec cm−2, respectively. The median values among all stations are 13 % and 2.9×1014 molec cm−2 for the total systematic and random uncertainties. This unprecedented harmonized formaldehyde data set from 21 ground-based FTIR stations is presented and its comparison with a global chemistry transport model shows consistency in absolute values as well as in seasonal cycles. The network covers very different concentration levels of formaldehyde, from very clean levels at the limit of detection (few 1013 molec cm−2) to highly polluted levels (7×1016 molec cm−2). Because the measurements can be made at any time during daylight, the diurnal cycle can be observed and is found to be significant at many stations. These HCHO time series, some of them starting in the 1990s, are crucial for past and present satellite validation and will be extended in the coming years for the next generation of satellite missions.This study has been supported by the ESA PRODEX project TROVA (2016–2018) funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office (Belspo)

NDACC harmonized formaldehyde time series from 21 FTIR stations covering a wide range of column abundances

Among the more than 20 ground-based FTIR (Fourier transform infrared) stations currently operating around the globe, only a few have provided formaldehyde (HCHO) total column time series until now. Although several independent studies have shown that the FTIR measurements can provide formaldehyde total columns with good precision, the spatial coverage has not been optimal for providing good diagnostics for satellite or model validation. Furthermore, these past studies used different retrieval settings, and biases as large as 50% can be observed in the HCHO total columns depending on these retrieval choices, which is also a weakness for validation studies combining data from different ground-based stations. For the present work, the HCHO retrieval settings have been optimized based on experience gained from past studies and have been applied consistently at the 21 participating stations. Most of them are either part of the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC) or under consideration for membership. We provide the harmonized settings and a characterization of the HCHO FTIR products. Depending on the station, the total systematic and random uncertainties of an individual HCHO total column measurement lie between 12% and 27% and between 1 and 11x1014 moleccm-2, respectively. The median values among all stations are 13% and 2.9x1014 moleccm-2 for the total systematic and random uncertainties. This unprecedented harmonized formaldehyde data set from 21 ground-based FTIR stations is presented and its comparison with a global chemistry transport model shows consistency in absolute values as well as in seasonal cycles. The network covers very different concentration levels of formaldehyde, from very clean levels at the limit of detection (few 1013moleccm-2) to highly polluted levels (7x1016moleccm-2). Because the measurements can be made at any time during daylight, the diurnal cycle can be observed and is found to be significant at many stations. These HCHO time series, some of them starting in the 1990s, are crucial for past and present satellite validation and will be extended in the coming years for the next generation of satellite missions

The future of medical diagnostics: Review paper

While histopathology of excised tissue remains the gold standard for diagnosis, several new, non-invasive diagnostic techniques are being developed. They rely on physical and biochemical changes that precede and mirror malignant change within tissue. The basic principle involves simple optical techniques of tissue interrogation. Their accuracy, expressed as sensitivity and specificity, are reported in a number of studies suggests that they have a potential for cost effective, real-time, in situ diagnosis. We review the Third Scientific Meeting of the Head and Neck Optical Diagnostics Society held in Congress Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria on the 11th May 2011. For the first time the HNODS Annual Scientific Meeting was held in association with the International Photodynamic Association (IPA) and the European Platform for Photodynamic Medicine (EPPM). The aim was to enhance the interdisciplinary aspects of optical diagnostics and other photodynamic applications. The meeting included 2 sections: oral communication sessions running in parallel to the IPA programme and poster presentation sessions combined with the IPA and EPPM posters sessions. © 2011 Jerjes et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd