Profitability Analysis Of Industrial Energy Flexibility Within the German Control Reserve Market

The transition from fossil fuels to renewables is reshaping the energy landscape, leading to increased volatility in energy supply. This shift presents significant challenges, particularly given that traditional energy markets were designed for predictable, fossil fuel-based generation. In this context, the ancillary services market is crucial for maintaining grid stability and reliability. Despite its importance, there is a significant lack of established methods for assessing the profitability of industrial companies’ participation in the ancillary services market, particularly in terms of offering energy flexibility. The usage of energy flexibility has been primarily considered for optimizing costs in the spot market. This paper extends this consideration to the ancillary services market, introducing a novel method for economically evaluating industrial energy flexibility within the German control reserve market. It provides an in-depth understanding of the market mechanisms and a profitability analysis for the participation of industrial consumers. It also investigates the stability of the optimal bidding values and gives a guidance for future bids

Evaluation of Fatigue Crack Growth Performance in different Hardmetal Grades based on Finite Element Simulation

AbstractHardmetals (WC-Co) are a group of composite materials exhibiting outstanding combinations of hardness and toughness. Therefore, they are extensively used for highly demanding applications, such as cutting and drilling tools, where cyclic loading is one of the most critical service conditions.The micromechanics of fracture in hardmetals under static loads is well investigated and understood. Studies regarding failure by fatigue on the other hand, is mainly limited to experimental investigations conducted at a component scale and seldom refer to the influence of microstructure on the failure mechanism. Moreover, numerical studies evaluating the mechanisms of fatigue crack growth in hardmetals are also scarce.Experimental observations indicate that, the overall fatigue performance of hardmetals can be predicted from the early stages of the microcrack evolution. Taking this into consideration, a numerical methodology for evaluating the fatigue crack propagation in hardmetals was developed. In this respect, previously a model based on a continuum damage mechanics approach together with an element elimination method was implemented in a commercial finite element software for simulating the crack propagation in hardmetals. In the current study, the model is further extended to artificially generated hardmetal structures in order to simulate and evaluate the overall fatigue crack growth performance of different hardmetal grades.Fatigue crack growth rate diagrams based on the simulations were plotted for different hardmetal grades and the results showed good agreement in comparison to experimental observations. Such an approach is helpful for designing hardmetals at a microstructural scale without going through extensive experimental work

Sensor-based fall risk assessment in older adults with or without cognitive impairment: a systematic review

Background Higher age and cognitive impairment are associated with a higher risk of falling. Wearable sensor technology may be useful in objectively assessing motor fall risk factors to improve physical exercise interventions for fall prevention. This systematic review aims at providing an updated overview of the current research on wearable sensors for fall risk assessment in older adults with or without cognitive impairment. Therefore, we addressed two specific research questions: 1) Can wearable sensors provide accurate data on motor performance that may be used to assess risk of falling, e.g., by distinguishing between faller and non-faller in a sample of older adults with or without cognitive impairment?; and 2) Which practical recommendations can be given for the application of sensor-based fall risk assessment in individuals with CI? A systematic literature search (July 2019, update July 2020) was conducted using PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases. Community-based studies or studies conducted in a geriatric setting that examine fall risk factors in older adults (aged ≥60 years) with or without cognitive impairment were included. Predefined inclusion criteria yielded 16 cross-sectional, 10 prospective and 2 studies with a mixed design. Results Overall, sensor-based data was mainly collected during walking tests in a lab setting. The main sensor location was the lower back to provide wearing comfort and avoid disturbance of participants. The most accurate fall risk classification model included data from sit-to-walk and walk-to-sit transitions collected over three days of daily life (mean accuracy = 88.0%). Nine out of 28 included studies revealed information about sensor use in older adults with possible cognitive impairment, but classification models performed slightly worse than those for older adults without cognitive impairment (mean accuracy = 79.0%). Conclusion Fall risk assessment using wearable sensors is feasible in older adults regardless of their cognitive status. Accuracy may vary depending on sensor location, sensor attachment and type of assessment chosen for the recording of sensor data. More research on the use of sensors for objective fall risk assessment in older adults is needed, particularly in older adults with cognitive impairment

Effectiveness and Acceptability of e- and m-Health Interventions to Promote Physical Activity and Prevent Falls in Nursing Homes—A Systematic Review

Age-related decreases in physical activity (PA) and a decline in physical functioning lead to increased fall risk. As falls are a major cause of accidental deaths and hospitalization in older adults, PA promotion and fall prevention are important measures, especially in nursing homes (NH). With advances in information and communication technology, e- and m-health solutions have been developed to positively influence various health-related factors. To date, only little research exists on the implementation of these technologies to promote health in NH. Therefore, the objective of this systematic review was to provide an overview of the effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility of e- and m-health interventions aimed at promoting PA and preventing falls in NH. Additionally, the effectiveness of such interventions regarding the secondary outcomes physical function, cognitive function, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and psychosocial status was examined. A systematic literature search was performed in five databases and studies published until 15 November 2021, were considered for inclusion. All studies that examined the effectiveness and/or the acceptability and feasibility of e- or m-health interventions in promoting PA and preventing falls in NH, without restriction on language or date of publication, were included in the final synthesis. Of the 1,358 records retrieved, 28 studies were included in this systematic review. Twenty-four studies contained digital exergaming as an intervention or as a part of the intervention, the four additional studies on e-health interventions only examined a small number of outcomes. No m-health intervention study was identified. Data synthesis indicates that exergaming may be effective in reducing the number of falls and fall risk in NH residents. Several significant improvements were also reported regarding secondary outcomes albeit not consistent across studies. No conclusion can be drawn about the effects of exergaming and other e-health interventions on PA, as data is scarce. E-health interventions were mostly reported as feasible and well accepted by NH residents. However, these findings may not be applicable to NH residents with advanced physical and/or cognitive impairments, since they were excluded in many studies. Therefore, more research examining other digital solutions besides exergaming to promote PA in this specific population is critical. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD4202128948

Usability and effectiveness of an individualized, tablet-based, multidomain exercise program for people with dementia delivered by nursing assistants: Protocol for an evaluation of the InCoPE-App

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has had drastic consequences on everyday life in nursing homes. Limited personnel resources and modified hygiene and safety measures (eg, no external exercise instructors, no group settings) have often led to interrupted physical exercise treatments. As a consequence, people with dementia benefiting from individualized exercise programs are affected by the pandemic’s impact. OBJECTIVE: Our goal is to develop an easily applicable mobile application (Individualized Cognitive and Physical Exercise [InCoPE] app) allowing nursing assistants to test cognitive function and physical performance and subsequently train people with dementia through a multidomain, individualized exercise program. METHODS: We will evaluate the usability and effectiveness of the InCoPE-App by applying a mixed method design. Nursing assistants will use the InCoPE-App for 18 weeks to assess the cognitive function and physical performance of 44 people with dementia every 3 weeks and apply the individualized exercise program. We will record overall usability using questionnaires (eg, Post-Study System Usability and ISONORM 9241/10), log events, and interviews. Perceived hedonic and pragmatic quality will be assessed using the AttrakDiff questionnaire. Effectiveness will be evaluated by considering changes in quality of life as well as cognitive function and physical performance between before and after the program. RESULTS: Enrollment into the study will be completed in the first half of 2022. We expect an improvement in the quality of life of people with dementia accompanied by improvements in cognitive function and physical performance. The usability of the InCoPE-App is expected to be rated well by nursing assistants. CONCLUSIONS: To date, there is no scientifically evaluated app available that enables nursing assistants without expertise in sports science to deliver an individualized exercise program among people with dementia. A highly usable and effective InCoPE-App allows nursing assistants to test cognitive function and physical performance of people with dementia and, based thereon, select and deliver an appropriate individualized exercise program based on the cognitive and physical status of an individual, even in times of a pandemic. TRIAL REGISTRATION: German Register of Clinical Trials DRKS00024069; https://www.drks.de/drks_web/navigate.do?navigationId=trial.HTML&TRIAL_ID=DRKS00024069 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/3624

ICT-Based Individualized Training of Institutionalized Individuals With Dementia. Evaluation of Usability and Trends Toward the Effectiveness of the InCoPE-App

Physical activity interventions can alleviate the course of disease for individuals with dementia (IWD) who have been extraordinarily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) provides new opportunities not only to mitigate negative effects of the pandemic but also to sustainably improve everyday life of IWD in nursing homes. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the ICT-based InCoPE-App, which was used to assess physical and cognitive performance and deliver individualized exercise for IWD, with regard to 1) user experience of nursing assistants, and 2) trends toward the effectiveness of the intervention on physical and cognitive performance of IWD. An 18-week individualized multidomain intervention (2 × 60 min/session) was delivered to an intervention group (IG; n = 10, mean age 88.4 ± 5.6, 70% female) by nursing assistants (n = 10, mean age 56.1 ± 10.4, 90% female) using the InCoPE-App. A control group (CG; n = 3, mean age 87.3 ± 3.5, 100% female) received conventional treatment. User experience was assessed among nursing assistants by different questionnaires, i.e., PSSUQ and ISONORM 9241/110-S for usability, and AttrakDiff2 for pragmatic (PQ), hedonic quality-identity and stimulation (HQI and HQS), and attractiveness (ATT). Trends toward the effectiveness of the intervention were assessed using MMSE (global cognitive function), FICSIT-4 (balance), 6MWT and TUG (mobility), and m30CST (function of lower limbs). Usability of the InCoPE-App was rated as high by nursing assistants (mean ± SD; overall PSSUQ 2.11 ± 0.75; overall ISONORM 9241/110-S 1.90 ± 0.88; ATT 1.86 ± 1.01; PQ 1.79 ± 1.03; HQI 1.8 ± 0.79; and HQS 1.37 ± 0.69). Dropout was high in the total sample (36.7%). Trends toward the effectiveness were observed within IG in nine IWD who showed positive or neutral trends in at least two physical performance outcomes. Seven participants had positive or neutral trends in the FICSIT-4, seven participants in m30CST, and four and seven participants in 6MWT and TUG, respectively. In conclusion, the InCoPE-App has good nursing assistant-rated usability, whereas training effects and intervention adherence were rather low most likely due to COVID-19 restrictions. Single-subject research revealed more positive than negative trends in IG of IWD. Further research is needed to evaluate feasibility, suitability, and effectiveness of the InCoPE-App

Effects of a 16-week multimodal exercise program on activities of daily living in institutionalized individuals with dementia

We aimed to examine the effects of a 16-week multimodal exercise program (MEP) on activities of daily living (ADL) in individuals with dementia (IWD). Furthermore, we investigated the participants’ individual response to the MEP and whether baseline cognitive and motor performance explain ADL performance. We conducted a multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 319 participants aged ≥ 65 years with mild to moderate dementia. ADL were assessed at baseline and after the 16-week intervention using the Barthel Index (BI), the Erlangen Test of Activities of Daily Living (E-ADL) and the 7‑item Physical Performance Test (PPT-7). We additionally assessed cognitive and motor performance using standardized and validated assessments. Intervention effects were examined through two-factor analysis of variance with repeated measurements applying a per protocol and an intention-to-treat analysis. We compared baseline cognitive and motor performance between positive-responders (positive-R), non-responders (non-R), and negative-responders (negative-R) and examined cognitive and motor performance as potential cofounders of ADL by conducting multiple regression analyses. There were no significant time×group effects on ADL. Between 20 and 32% of participants responded positively to the intervention, i.e., improved ADL performance from baseline to follow-up. Positive-R had worse baseline motor performance compared to non-R. Cognitive and motor performance explained up to 51.4% of variance in ADL. The MEP had no significant overall effect on ADL in IWD. This may be related to insufficient exercise intensity. However, our results indicate that the response to the MEP depends on individual prerequisites which should thus be considered in further research on individual exercise approaches

Effects of a 16-week multimodal exercise program on activities of daily living in institutionalized individuals with dementia: A multicenter randomized controlled trial [Auswirkungen eines 16-wöchigen multimodalen Trainingsprogramms auf die Aktivitäten des täglichen Lebens bei Heimbewohnern mit Demenz: Eine multizentrische randomisierte kontrollierte Studie]

We aimed to examine the effects of a 16-week multimodal exercise program (MEP) on activities of daily living (ADL) in individuals with dementia (IWD). Furthermore, we investigated the participants’ individual response to the MEP and whether baseline cognitive and motor performance explain ADL performance. We conducted a multicenter randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 319 participants aged ≥ 65 years with mild to moderate dementia. ADL were assessed at baseline and after the 16-week intervention using the Barthel Index (BI), the Erlangen Test of Activities of Daily Living (E-ADL) and the 7‑item Physical Performance Test (PPT-7). We additionally assessed cognitive and motor performance using standardized and validated assessments. Intervention effects were examined through two-factor analysis of variance with repeated measurements applying a per protocol and an intention-to-treat analysis. We compared baseline cognitive and motor performance between positive-responders (positive-R), non-responders (non-R), and negative-responders (negative-R) and examined cognitive and motor performance as potential cofounders of ADL by conducting multiple regression analyses. There were no significant time×group effects on ADL. Between 20 and 32% of participants responded positively to the intervention, i.e., improved ADL performance from baseline to follow-up. Positive-R had worse baseline motor performance compared to non-R. Cognitive and motor performance explained up to 51.4% of variance in ADL. The MEP had no significant overall effect on ADL in IWD. This may be related to insufficient exercise intensity. However, our results indicate that the response to the MEP depends on individual prerequisites which should thus be considered in further research on individual exercise approaches

Uso del recibo por honorarios electrónico y la satisfacción percibida de los contribuyentes que prestaron servicio en el Fondo de Cooperación para el desarrollo social en el año 2012

La presente investigación tuvo como propósito establecer la relación entre el Uso del Recibo por Honorarios Electrónico y la satisfacción percibida por los contribuyentes que prestaron servicio en el Fondo de Cooperación para el Desarrollo Social en el año 2012. Obteniéndose una significancia de 0.923** lo cual indica que la relación existente entre ambas variables es muy significativa. El diseño empleado fue no experimental de tipo descriptivo y correlacional, de enfoque cuantitativo y de tipo básico. Se utilizó una muestra censal. Los instrumentos empleados fueron el Cuestionario de Uso del Recibo por Honorarios Electrónico y la Satisfacción percibida de los Contribuyentes que prestaron servicio el Fondo de Cooperación para el Desarrollo Social en el año 2012. Se realizó el análisis psicométrico para ambos instrumentos bajo los criterios de confiabilidad y validez. Los resultados indican que existe una relación significativa entre el Uso del Recibo por Honorarios Electrónicos y la Satisfacción percibida por los Contribuyentes. Asimismo los resultados de correlación indican que el Uso del Recibo por Honorarios Electrónicos están relacionados de manera significativa con la Satisfacción percibida de los Contribuyente y sus dimensiones, en la Hipótesis general se ha obtenido un p-valor 0,915** de nivel de significancia asumido por lo tanto no se rechaza la hipótesis nula. En conclusión: El grado de relación que existe entre el Uso del Recibo por Honorarios Electrónico y la Satisfacción percibida es significativa por los Contribuyentes que prestaron servicio en el Fondo de Cooperación para el Desarrollo Social