A consumer research project as the basis for the development of a marketing plan for a new spirit brand producing gin in Germany- a project with Divinjo

This work project is about developing a marketing plan for a new gin brand in Germany. It is based on consumer and market research, including Portugal as a trend market for the qualitative research. For the undertaking it is seen as fundamental to understand the industry as well as the consumer needs, attitudes and preferences. Furthermore, it is important to consider the estimation of opinion leaders and trendsetters in the industry. In this context it turned out that barkeepers have a key-influencing role for the stimulation of demand. Based on the insights from this research as well as on the gained market knowledge, the marketing plan was developed. The goal is to convince other brand users to switch brands

Bacterial Community Sequences of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation in the Potomac River.

Here, we report results from PCR and sequencing of bacterial 16S rRNA genes from leaf and root surfaces from nine submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) samples comprising five species. Samples were from four sites along the Potomac River

Synthesis of three-dimensional porous hyper-crosslinked polymers via thiol-yne reaction

Herein we report the syntheses of two porous hyper-crosslinked polymers (HCPs) via thiol-yne reaction with rigid tetrahedral and pseudo-octahedral core structures. Sorption measurements with nitrogen gas at 77 K revealed BET-surface areas up to 650 m²/g. Those networks also showed a high thermal stability as well as insolubility in common organic solvents

Sustainable Energy-Efficient Living – A First-Year Project-Based Workshop For Energy Engineers

For many engineering students a lack of study motivation plays a significant role in their drop-out process (Heublein 2014). Therefore, students’ motivation to study should be encouraged as early as possible. A proven strategy for increasing the study motivation is the integration of project-based learning (PjBL) in the course of studies (Kokotsaki et al. 2016). This paper introduces a PjBL-workshop concept which was developed for first-year energy engineering students at a university of applied sciences in Germany. During this one-semester workshop, the students are working weekly as student trainees in a fictitious engineering office. Guided by the teacher as the project lead, the students are developing a concept for integrating various renewable and sustainable energy systems in a single-family home. Each week they take on subtasks of a different work package supporting other employees of the engineering office. During their time as student trainees they have to face authentic engineering challenges like constructing a photovoltaic plant or dimensioning a battery system. Progress and results are documented in a project journal. First insights of initial implementations of the concept led to a closer focus on the aspect of the perceived authenticity of the PjBL-setting (engineering office) by the students. Therefore, besides the conceptual and contentual design of the workshop, this paper will also address the creation of the authentic setup of the engineering office. Future research in this ongoing study will examine the influence of the perceived authenticity on various aspects such as the motivation to study

From Semantic Games to Provability: The Case of Gödel Logic

We present a semantic game for Gödel logic and its extensions, where the players’ interaction stepwise reduces arbitrary claims about the relative order of truth degrees of complex formulas to atomic ones. The paper builds on a previously developed game for Gödel logic with projection operator in Fermüller et al. (in: M.-J. Lesot, S. Vieira, M.Z. Reformat, J.P. Carvalho, A. Wilbik, B. Bouchon-Meunier, and R.R. Yager, (eds.), Information processing and management of uncertainty in knowledge-based systems, Springer, Cham, 2020, pp. 257–270). This game is extended to cover Gödel logic with involutive negations and constants, and then lifted to a provability game using the concept of disjunctive strategies. Winning strategies in the provability game, with and without constants and involutive negations, turn out to correspond to analytic proofs in a version of SeqGZL (A. Ciabattoni, and T. Vetterlein, Fuzzy Sets and Systems 161(14):1941–1958, 2010) and in a sequent-of-relations calculus (M. Baaz, and Ch.G. Fermüller, in: N.V. Murray, (ed.), Automated reasoning with analytic tableaux and related methods, Springer, Berlin, 1999, pp. 36–51) respectively

A novel in vitro periodontal pocket model to evaluate the effect of root surface instrumentation on biofilm-epithelial cell interactions.

OBJECTIVE To develop a novel in vitro periodontal pocket model for evaluating the effect of two different root surface instrumentation modalities on biofilm-epithelial cell interactions. MATERIALS AND METHODS An artificial periodontal pocket model was created using an impression material. Dentin discs were prepared and incubated for 3.5 days with a biofilm consisting of 12 bacterial strains. Then, the discs were inserted into the pocket model and instrumented for 10 s or 10 strokes either with ultrasonics (US) or hand instruments (HI). Subsequently, a glass slide coated with epithelial cells was placed in close vicinity to the discs. After incubation of the pocket model in a 5% CO2 atmosphere for 6 h, residual bacteria of the biofilm as well as bacteria adhering to or invaded into epithelial cells were determined using colony-forming unit (cfu) counts and real-time PCR. Further, as a parameter of the pro-inflammatory cell response, interleukin (IL)-8 expression was determined by ELISA. RESULTS Compared to untreated control, HI reduced the cfu counts by 0.63 log10 (not significant) and US by 1.78 log10 (p = 0.005) with a significant difference between the treatment modalities favoring US (p = 0.048). By trend, lower detection levels of Tannerella forsythia were detected in the US group compared to HI. Concerning the interaction with epithelial cells, half of the control and the HI samples showed epithelial cells with attaching or invading bacteria, while US displayed bacteria only in two out of eight samples. In addition, US resulted in significantly lower IL-8 secretion by epithelial cells compared to the untreated control. Between HI and controls, no statistically significant difference in IL-8 secretion was found. CONCLUSION This newly developed in vitro model revealed in terms of biofilm-epithelial cell interaction after root surface instrumentation that compared to hand curettes, ultrasonic instrumentation appeared to be more effective in removing bacterial biofilm and in decreasing the inflammatory response of epithelium to biofilm. CLINICAL RELEVANCE Ultrasonic instrumentation might be more advantageous to reduce cellular inflammatory response than hand instruments

What are the pros and cons of electronically monitoring inhaler use in asthma?: a multistakeholder perspective

Introduction Electronic monitoring devices (EMDs) are the optimal method for collecting objective data on inhaler use in asthma. Recent research has investigated the attitudes of patients with asthma towards these devices. However, no research to date has formally considered the opinions of stakeholders and decision-makers in asthma care. These individuals have important clinical requirements that need to be taken into account if EMDs are to be successfully provisioned, making collecting their opinions on the key barriers facing these devices a valuable process. Methods Three rounds of surveys in a Delphi format were used to assess the most important pros and cons of EMDs for asthma care in a sample of 31 stakeholders which included healthcare professionals and members of clinical commissioning groups. Results The respondents identified 29 pros and 32 cons. Pros that were rated as most important included new visual evidence to aid clinical discussions with a patient and an increase in patient involvement and motivation. The cons that were rated as most important included a need for more clinical evidence of the effectiveness of EMDs, as well as better clarity over who has responsibilities in managing, interpreting and discussing data with a patient. Conclusions The research provides a guide for EMD developers by highlighting where these devices may provide the most benefit as well as prioritising the key issues that need addressing if they are to be used effectively in everyday asthma care

Medical device design for adolescent adherence and developmental goals: a case study of a cystic fibrosis physiotherapy device

Purpose: This study investigates the psychosocial aspects of adolescent medical device use and the impact on adolescent adherence and goals for the transitional years between child and adulthood. Patients and methods: Interviews were carried out with 20 adolescents with cystic fibrosis, investigating adolescent medical device use and experiences in relation to their personal and social lives and development through the adolescent years. The qualitative dataset was thematically examined using a content analysis method. Results: The results show that adolescent users of medical technologies want their independence and capabilities to be respected. Adolescent adherence to medical device use was associated with short- and long-term motivations, where older adolescents were able to comprehend the longer-term benefits of use against short-term inconvenience more acutely than younger adolescents. It was suggested that medical devices could provide a tool for communication with families and clinicians and could support adolescents as they take responsibility for managing their condition. Themes of “fitting into teenage life” and “use in the community” were associated with adolescents' needs to form their own identity and have autonomy. Conclusion: This study shows that adolescent needs regarding medical device use are complex. It provides evidence to suggest that devices designed inclusively for adolescents may lead to improved adherence and also facilitate transition through the adolescent years and achievement of adolescent goals