Technische Hochschule Würzburg-Schweinfurt Publikationsserver OPUS
Not a member yet
5300 research outputs found
Sort by
Evaluating the Quality of Open Building Datasets for Mapping Urban Inequality: A Comparative Analysis Across 5 Cities
No full textThe Impact of the War in Gaza on Children’s Right to Education
No full textThis study examines the impact of the ongoing war in Gaza on children’s right to education and the role of social work in addressing these challenges. Drawing on a qualitative approach based on semi-structured interviews with educators and social workers in Gaza and the West Bank, alongside document analysis of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and institutional reports, this study highlights the widespread destruction of educational infrastructure, forced displacement, and severe psychosocial distress among both children and professionals. Schools have been repurposed as shelters, repeatedly targeted in attacks, and have thus become unsuitable as safe learning environments. Educational needs extend beyond academic instruction to include trauma-informed interventions, psychosocial support, inclusive facilities, and curricula adapted to post-conflict realities. Social workers, often operating under life-threatening conditions, combine community-based initiatives with advocacy, integrating psychosocial care into emergency education and documenting rights violations. Yet these efforts are hindered by the blockade, limited resources, bombardments, repeated evacuation orders, and insufficient international solidarity, including global social work institutions. The study argues for decolonizing social work practice, centering Palestinian voices, and embedding education protection within humanitarian, legal, and political frameworks. Recommendations for social work include strengthening community-led responses, advocating for structural change to safeguard education as a fundamental right during and after conflict, and rethinking the role of social work as a human rights profession in the Gaza context
A Comparative Analysis of Loss Formulations in Diffusion Models
No full textDiffusion models have established themselves as highly effective generative frameworks, inspiring significant research into their underlying mechanisms. An important aspect of these models lies in the choice of loss functions, which directly influences their training and performance. Over recent years, multiple formulations have been proposed [20, 56, 27, 49], each with distinct characteristics and theoretical foundations. This thesis provides a comprehensive exploration of these loss functions, systematically analyzing their theoretical relationships and unifying them under the framework of the variational lower bound objective. We complement this analysis with empirical studies that examine the conditions under which different objectives yield varying performance and provide insights into the factors driving these discrepancies. Additionally, we assess the impact of loss function selection on the model’s ability to achieve specific objectives, such as producing high-quality samples or precisely estimating data likelihoods. By presenting a unified perspective, this study advances the understanding of loss functions in diffusion models, contributing to more efficient and goal-oriented model designs in future
research.Diffusionsmodelle haben sich als hochwirksame generative Frameworks etabliert und zu bedeutender Forschung zu ihren zugrunde liegenden Mechanismen geführt. Ein wichtiger Aspekt dieser Modelle liegt in der Wahl der Verlustfunktionen, die ihr Training und ihre Leistung direkt beeinflussen. In den letzten Jahren wurden verschiedene Formulierungen vorgeschlagen [20, 56, 27, 49], jede mit unterschiedlichen Merkmalen und theoretischen Grundlagen. Diese Arbeit bietet eine umfassende Untersuchung dieser Verlustfunktionen, analysiert systematisch ihre theoretischen Zusammenhänge und vereinheitlicht sie im Rahmen des Ziels der variationellen Untergrenze. Wir ergänzen diese Analyse durch empirische Studien, die die Bedingungen untersuchen, unter denen unterschiedliche Ziele zu unterschiedlichen Leistungen führen, und Einblicke in die Faktoren geben, die diese Diskrepanzen verursachen. Darüber hinaus bewerten wir den Einfluss der Wahl der Verlustfunktion auf die Fähigkeit des Modells, bestimmte Ziele zu erreichen, wie z. B. die Erstellung qualitativ hochwertiger Stichproben oder die präzise Schätzung von Datenwahrscheinlichkeiten. Durch die Darstellung einer einheitlichen Perspektive fördert diese Studie das Verständnis von Verlustfunktionen in Diffusionsmodellen und trägt zu effizienteren und zielorientierteren Modelldesigns in der zukünftigen Forschung bei
Balancing Innovation and Resilience in the Tourism Industry
No full textThis research explores the delicate balance between innovation and resilience in the tourism industry, facing both exciting opportunities and significant challenges due to factors such as economic shifts, natural disasters, changing consumer preferences, and global health crises. Tourism businesses are increasingly turning to technological advancements, sustainability initiatives, and new business models to stay competitive and meet traveller demands. Resilience is the ability to recover from adversity and adapt for long-term success. This study explores how tourism businesses balance innovation with resilience, and the factors influencing business performance and sustainability and aim to identify strategies combining innovation and resilience best practices
Strategische Herausforderungen für Campingplätze
No full textCamping liegt im Trend. Das enorme Wachstum der Branche stellt auch Campingplätze vor zahlreiche zukünftige Herausforderungen. Im Rahmen einer Studie unter bayerischen Campingplatzmanagern wurde deren Wahrnehmung und Bewertung zu diesen Herausforderungen untersucht. Im Ergebnis werden wichtige Herausforderungen durchaus wahrgenommen. Eine Beschäftigung mit Strategie sowie Erfahrungen im Strategiefindungsprozess sind hingegen nur teilweise vorhanden. Es werden auch Zweifel geäußert, inwieweit das bisherige Vorgehen in Zukunft erfolgsversprechend sein wird
Edgeworth Expansions for Linear Rank Statistics Using Stein's Method
No full textLet FA be the distribution function of the standardized linear rank statistic for the matrix A, where it is assumed that the rank vector is equally distributed on the permutations. In this work, we analyze the conditions to be imposed on A so that FA has first and second order Edgeworth expansions with asymptotically ”sufficiently” small remainder terms. The methods used are the Stein method combined with an extension of techniques that go back to Bolthausen (1984).
The conditions obtained are very similar to the necessary and sufficient conditions found by Bickel and Robinson (1982). In this paper they investigated when the distribution function of a sum of independent and identically distributed random variables has Edgeworth expansions with asymptotically small enough residues. However, these conditions are often difficult to prove directly.
For simple linear rank statistics, however, it is possible to use a result from van Zwet (1982) to verify these assumptions. Thus we obtain conditions on A for the validity of Edgeworth expansions, which on the one hand are very easy to prove and on the other hand are much more general than all previously known conditions. Finally, this result is applied to the special case of approximating and exact scores
Cost-oriented sensor concept for magnetostrictive force measurement and its material requirements
No full textFerromagnetic materials change their magnetic properties under load, enabling the implementation of a force sensor. The magnetic field emerging from such a sensor can be measured by secondary sensors to approximate the load acting on the sensor. A test setup simulating a potential application environment is described and its measurement results are presented. Furthermore, relevant magnetic material properties of an exemplarily chosen cold working steel are discussed
Lasting benefits of a web-based training in understanding informal arguments
No full textAbstract
Being able to comprehend informal arguments in scientific texts is important for scientific literacy in higher education. Successful intervention studies demonstrating that these skills can be trained in university students have not yet provided evidence that gains of explicit training can be maintained beyond immediate post-training assessment. In this study, we tested whether the gains in argument structure comprehension achieved using a self-directed, web-based training intervention could be maintained over several weeks as an indication of sustained improvement in scientific literacy. We also explored characteristics of students and their engagement with the training intervention that resulted in significant and sustained improvements of their argument structure comprehension skills. One hundred students took part in a voluntary supplement to their university courses, completing an online pretest, a 45-minute training session, a posttest (n = 88), and a follow-up test (n = 31). Training effects at posttest were compared with an active control group. The results suggest that the training group exhibited significant gains in argument structure comprehension. These gains were maintained across a four-week period. Students with low starting ability profited the most from the training and gains in argument comprehension were greatest for complex arguments. Training results were positively related to student motivation and this effect was fully mediated by their engagement with the training exercises. The results demonstrate that training gains can be maintained after immediate post-training assessment and suggest that training is particularly effective for low-performing students, for complex arguments, and when students are motivated and engage with the training exercises