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Real-Time Web Application for Decision Support in Groundwater Management
No full textGroundwater is an essential resource that is used for a wide range of purposes all over the world, and retaining this important natural asset demands that it be managed and utilized sustainably. Despite the fact that groundwater is frequently abundant and widely utilized, it is difficult and costly to precisely estimate water levels when compared to surface water systems. Groundwater managers require improved digital tools to understand the system state of the aquifers they seek to interact with sustainably (e.g., accessing real-time updates on the state of the water table to check whether
pumping operation is achieving or violating a desired drawdown target.) Here we propose a workflow for a pilot region that (a) temporally interpolates irregularly, manually-measured water levels in a real observation network using data from neighboring sensor-equipped observation, using a multiple linear regression approach to
reduce complexity. The resulting interpolated time series are then used in conjunction with the sensor data to come up with (b) spatial interpolations of the groundwater field over time using inversed distance weighting (IDW) at any given point in time. From
that, spatial estimates of the groundwater field can be transformed into maps of deviation from drawdown targets. We visualize these targets and their temporal evolution for groundwater managers in real-time on a web application. The web application displays these maps together with operational data (e.g., extraction rates)
and meteorological data (recent and forecasted precipitation rates). It serves as a foundational tool for groundwater management when making control decisions to save energy in climate change mitigation and to reduce costs
How Could a Global Company Communicate and Work Interculturally? Detecting Cultural Patterns of Communication to Successfully Work in a Global Company
No full textThis research considers the hidden aspects of culture suggested by Edward T. Hall and Joseph Shaules, when referring to intercultural communication. It uses the cultural dimensions from Erin Meyer, Geert Hofstede, and Richard Lewis to explain cultural misunderstandings between the German and Indian teams of a multinational. It also considers the Expectancy Violations Theory from Judee K. Burgoon to improve communication among dissimilar cultures
27/2023 Erste Änderungssatzung zur Praktikumsordnung der Fakultät Technologie und Bionik für Ingenieurwissenschaftliche Studiengänge an der Hochschule Rhein-Waal vom 19.01.2023
No full textExcellent excrement? The potential benefits and drawbacks of soil amendment with frass
No full textInsect rearing is a rapidly growing sector in Europe, with larval protein production projected to exceed 1 Mt in 2025. The by-product frass is a mix of larval faeces, exoskeletons and undigested substrate. Given its potential as a soil improver, frass could make insect production a “zero waste” industry. However, its positive reputation has not been thoroughly scrutinized with regard to environmental impacts. We therefore conducted experiments to investigate the effects of frass application on the soil microbial community, release of greenhouse gases and heavy metal availability.
The main conclusions were:
1) Frass is nutritious and can benefit the soil microbial biomass, but rapid loss of C and N reduces its fertiliser and organic amendment potential
2) Co-application of frass with urease inhibitors could allow it to be utilised as a slow-release N fertiliser
3) Concurrent soil amendment of frass with nitrification inhibitors prevents soil nitrite accumulation
4) All frass types tested are suitable as ameliorative amendments to heavy-metal contaminated soil
29/2023 Richtlinie zur Ausübung des Hausrechts an der Hochschule Rhein-Waal (Hausordnung) vom 05.07.2023
No full textThe effect of Covid 19 on Mergers and Acquisitions in Germany in contrast to European Countries.
No full textThis paper investigates the impact of the Corona pandemic on M&A activities considering the variables M&A volume, M&A value, GDP, and Covid figures. The aim is to analyze the relationships between the development of the pandemic and M&A activities in five European countries (Germany, the UK, France, Italy, and Spain). With an introduction to the literature published so far on the topic, an excellent introduction to the situations around Corona and the M&A market is already offered. The one or other outlooks are already scientifically proven here and have thus also been very for the following analyses and results. In the first step of the research, we analyze M&A volumes and values in the countries under consideration before and during the pandemic. It can be seen that the number of M&A transactions increased overall during the pandemic, but transaction values were very fluctuating in comparison. This observation certainly reflects the general uncertainties and economic challenges of the pandemic. The next step is correlating Covid figures, M&A activity, and GDP. This shows that the pandemic outbreak led to a short-lived decline in M&A activity, as companies acted more cautiously and held back on transactions due to the uncertainty. However, M&A activity rose again as the economic situation in the countries stabilized, and companies were better able to respond to the pandemic. In addition, the impact of GDP on M&A activity is also examined. It can be seen that GDP was affected in all countries due to lockdowns and restrictions on public life. Nevertheless, there was some resilience in the economy as GDP showed an increase in all countries despite the pandemic.
The analysis of the correlation between the variables shows that there is a significant relationship between Covid numbers and M&A activity. The higher the Covid numbers were in a country, the more M&A activity was affected. This suggests that the development of the pandemic had a significant impact on M&A activity. Overall, this work shows that the Corona pandemic significantly impacted M&A activity in Europe. The uncertainty and economic challenges led to a short-lived decline in activity, but the overall number of deals increased. The correlation analysis highlights the links between the pandemic and M&A activity and underscores the importance of thoroughly examining the variable factors influencing M&A decisions under Corona conditions
The use of biocatalysis in the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC)
No full textColorectal cancer is a significant global health burden. Early-stage colorectal cancer is asymptomatic, which, coupled with the fact that later stages of CRC have a very low prognosis, and that current methods of diagnosis and treatment significantly impact the patient, exploring alternate ways to diagnose and treat CRC is vital.
Biocatalysis is the use of naturally found catalysts such as nanozymes and enzymes in order to catalyze reactions. Due to their characteristics and uses, biocatalysts are seen as promising alternatives to current methods of CRC diagnosis and therapy.
This research-based bachelor thesis aims to summarize and analyze current traditional and biocatalytic methods that exist to diagnose and treat CRC, in order to seek the potential of biocatalysis in this field, as well as discuss its current state and its future in comparison to currently implemented methods. It provides an extensive overview of traditional and biocatalytic approaches to diagnosis and therapy, considering important factors such as efficacy, sensitivity, selectivity, cost, and safety.
The thesis also delves into the use of biocatalysis for important points such as the early diagnosis of CRC, and the challenges faced during development, regulation, and monetary concerns. Through careful analysis of the strengths and limitations of techniques in the field, as well as personal opinions on the future of research, conclusions on given hypotheses regarding biocatalysis in CRC diagnosis and therapies were presented and included strong support for the unquestionable potential of biocatalysis use in cancer healthcare, while highlighting possibilities to tap into that potential by scrutinizing their equally as unquestionable current limitations.
Overall, this thesis aspires to contribute, on however minuscule a scale, towards the advancement of CRC diagnosis and therapy approaches, with the ambition of improving patient care and prognosis, as well as quality of life for those struggling or who will struggle in the future with the disease, together with their kin who are profoundly affected as well
Sustainable development of agriculture and food micro, small and medium enterprises in Africa through women empowerment
No full textThe African continent is faced with a rapid population growth. This rapid population growth has brought with it the challenges of poverty and food insecurity. Since agriculture and food production are the backbone of food security, there is need to make farms and enterprises operating in that sector sustainable to meet the current food demand. In Africa, most agriculture and food production is conducted by MSMEs. Therefore, taking an inventory of the main actors of agriculture and food activities within the MSMEs is important to broaden and amplify the gains from agriculture and food production. Many studies indicated that women have a high participation rate in the agriculture and food sector in Africa. However, other studies also suggested that women in the agriculture and food sector are economically and socially disempowered due to various gender based discriminations thus decreasing the productivity of agriculture and food MSMEs in Africa. In order to analyse how women empowerment can contribute to the sustainable development of the MSMEs in Africa, a survey study was conducted.
The goal of the survey was to identify challenges faced by women in the agriculture and food MSMEs as well as to identify if being a woman employee or a woman entrepreneur increases or decreases women’s vulnerability to the challenges. The findings of the surveys revealed that women are subjected to gender based discrimination that include lack of access to training and financial support
Auswirkungen des Alters auf die Arbeitsfähigkeit von Mitarbeitern der Produktion und Verwaltung mit präventiven Handlungsempfehlungen
No full textIn Deutschland ist aufgrund des demografischen Wandels, eine Alterung der Erwerbsbevölkerung zu konstatieren. Höheres Alter steht allerdings in Verbindung mit einem höheren Risiko für Krankheiten und Verletzungen, sodass es zu einem steigenden Anteil von Arbeitnehmern mit gesundheitlichen Problemen kommen kann. Dies steht wiederum mit einer geringeren Arbeitsfähigkeit (Verhältnis individueller Leistungsfähigkeit zur tatsächlich gestellten Arbeitsanforderung) und einem vorzeitigen Ausscheiden aus dem Erwerbsleben in Zusammenhang. Trotz dieser Entwicklung handeln einige Unternehmensleitungen unentschlossen und sind nur unzureichend auf diese Entwicklung vorbereitet (Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin (BAuA), 2013, S. 7 f., Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales (BMAS), 2013, S. 8, Converso et al., 2020, S. 1 f., Esslinger et al., 2010, S. 106, Meyer et al., 2020, S. 383, Tempel und Ilmarinen, 2013). Damit der zuvor beschriebenen Problematik begegnet werden kann, untersucht die vorliegende Arbeit den Einfluss des Alters auf die Arbeitsfähigkeit von Mitarbeitern der Produktion und Verwaltung eines Unternehmens. Zudem soll identifiziert werden, welche berufsbedingten Faktoren, die Arbeitsfähigkeit beeinflussen, sodass daraus präventive Handlungsempfehlungen für das Unternehmen abgeleitet werden können. Um Hinweise auf die Beantwortung dieser Fragestellungen zu bekommen, wurde die Arbeitsfähigkeit von Mitarbeitern des Unternehmens anhand des Work Ability Index (WAI), einem quantitativen Befragungsverfahren zur Erfassung und Bewertung der aktuellen sowie zukünftigen subjektiven Arbeitsfähigkeit von Beschäftigten erfragt (Institut für Arbeitsfähigkeit GmbH, 2022). Zudem wurden Fragen ergänzt, die beeinflussende Faktoren auf die Arbeitsfähigkeit abfragen. An der Befragung nahmen insgesamt 42 Mitarbeiter teil. Die Stichprobe wurde dabei in zwei Gruppen aufgeteilt. Zum einen in die Gruppe der jüngeren Mitarbeiter (unter 18- bis 44-Jährige) und zum anderen in die Gruppe der älteren Mitarbeiter (45- bis über 60-Jährige). Dabei zeigte sich, dass sich ältere Beschäftigte (n = 32) und jüngere Beschäftigte (n = 9) in Bezug auf die Arbeitsfähigkeit und auf die Häufigkeit von Verletzungen oder Erkrankungen nicht signifikant voneinander unterschieden. Auch konnten hinsichtlich der Arbeitsfähigkeit, keine Unterschiede zwischen älteren Mitarbeitern der Produktion und Verwaltung konstatiert werden. Es konnte allerdings herausgefunden werden, dass das Angebot von Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten mit der Arbeitsfähigkeit bei jüngeren und älteren Beschäftigten korrelierte. Die Möglichkeit zum Tätigkeitswechsel korrelierte bei jüngeren Mitarbeitern ebenfalls mit der Arbeitsfähigkeit. Arbeitsplatzsicherheit stand allerdings bei beiden Gruppen nicht in Zusammenhang mit der Arbeitsfähigkeit. Anhand der Ergebnisse wurden präventive (und gesundheitsförderliche) Handlungsempfehlungen abgeleitet
Fermentation production process of hyaluronic acid
No full textHyaluronic acid is an anionic and naturally produced polysaccharide with an unbranched formation, with two alternating disaccharide units (β-1, 3-N-acetyl glucosamine, and β-1, 4-glucuronic acid), which has various medical and pharmaceutical applications due to its wide variety of unique and natural functions and characteristics.
Hyaluronan is essential in treating joint diseases by reducing inflammation in osteoarthritic joints, from which so many people suffer worldwide, and the demand for this product is increasing. The industrial production of hyaluronic acid has improved over time.
The industrial production process is primarily based on the extraction of hyaluronic acid from animal tissues and the biotechnological application of microorganisms for hyaluronic acid biosynthesis that produce high molecular weight hyaluronan molecules. Using microorganisms is the most favorable method for large-scale hyaluronic acid production.
This study focuses on designing hyaluronic acid production using Streptococcus zooepidemicus and SuperPro Designer to obtain a suitable yield of injectable HA to treat knee-related problems.
Two cases have been developed. Case A is the baseline scenario, mainly focused on producing injectable hyaluronic acid, and case B is an elevated and optimized scenario to achieve a higher amount of injectable HA. Both processes include upstream processing, primary recovery, purification, production of injectable hyaluronan, and isopropanol distillation. The upstream section contains the fermentation process and the inoculum preparation by seed training. The fermentation step was set to work in fed-batch mode, and aeration was applied to increase the final yield. The primary recovery section encompasses crossflow filtration. This process starts with the centrifugation of the broth in disk-stack centrifugation, and purification includes Granular Activated Carbon adsorption, isopropanol precipitation, basket centrifugation, diafiltration, spray drying, and freeze-drying.
Ultimately, the cost of raw materials, labor, equipment purchase, annual operating, waste treatment, and utilities are analyzed in the economic evaluation. The selling price was estimated to be 50,000 per kg for injections. Additionally, sensitivity analysis is performed to predict the outcome of any changes in a variable and assist the producers in decision-making processes.