University of Applied Sciences Emden Leer
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The aestheticization of business processes: Visualizing their Gestalt for collective thinking
No full textBusiness processes, simply defined by Davenport as ‘structures for action’, organize the creation of value in a company. In addition to being carried out visibly, processes also have an inner dimension which remains hidden in the existing mechanistic metaphor of process management models. Aesthetic business processes draw from systems theory and Gestalt theory in order to uncover this inner dimension. The aim of this phenomenological investigation presented here is to describe the super-summative nature of business processes, in other words, to understand them holistically as a Gestalt. Mechanical Engineering students at a university of applied sciences analyzed business processes at different companies to discover patterns which they then visualized with the process participants at those companies. They used Christopher Alexander’s pattern language as a paradigm to make implicit knowledge buried in those business processes explicit. Using this technique, aesthetic business processes were identified as patterns. The format of the patterns served as a tool for collective thinking and as a form of expression for the Gestalt of aesthetic business processes in their visualization. A pattern language as an overview of the many ways to combine business process patterns has yet to be reconstructed based on this investigation. The shared visualizations highlighted the nature of the business processes and made it possible to see, in a metaphorical way, their significant interactions
Polarized room-temperature polariton lasing in elliptical microcavities filled with fluorescent proteins
No full textOrganic exciton-polaritons, which arise from the strong light-matter coupling between excitons in organic molecules and cavity photons, have emerged as a versatile platform for the investigation of polariton lasing, Bose-Einstein condensation and many-body phenomena at ambient conditions. Here, we study the condensation of exciton-polaritons in fluorescent protein-filled microcavities with elliptical cross-sections. The structural anisotropy of these cavities yields a distinct optical polarization splitting, which we investigate both experimentally and numerically. In the high-density regime of exciton-polaritons, the pronounced polarization splitting of the fundamental polaritonic resonance enforces selective condensation in one linearly polarized polaritonic mode. Our findings constitute a solid basis for polarization engineering in room-temperature polariton condensates
A Comparison of SUS, UMUX-LITE, and UEQ-S
No full textA loyal customer base depends upon a good user experience over the product's complete lifetime. Successful products are continuously developed over a long period. Their functionality and complexity typically grow over years, so it is important to measure their user experience continuously. A carefully selected, effective questionnaire can collect quantitative results. But with so many established UX questionnaires available, it is often difficult to choose a suitable one for a specific project. The task becomes more complex if different UX questionnaires are used and results must be compared. It is essential to understand the relationship between user experience data collected with different questionnaires.
We investigated three common user experience questionnaires, SUS, UMUX-LITE, and UEQ-S, used to evaluate four common products in an online study of 435 participants: Netflix®, PowerPoint® (PPT), Zoom®, and BigBlueButton™ (BBB). In this way, the measured scale scores of the questionnaires could be compared for these products. Results showed SUS and UMUX-LITE scores as nearly identical for all four products. For usability or UX quality, we found that the selection of the survey has only a limited impact, but for overall UX quality there were clear differences between SUS, UMUX-LITE, and UEQ-S
University–Business Collaboration for the Design, Development, and Delivery of Critical Thinking Blended Apprenticeships Curricula: Lessons Learned from a Three-Year Project
No full textUniversity–Business partnership for collaborative curriculum design, development, and delivery is an important dimension of University–Business Collaboration (UBC), but scarce information exists on how to enhance partnership for the design, development, and implementation of new curricula. With these questions in focus, this article intends to present and discuss the perceived experience during a three-year European funded project, namely, Think4Jobs. This project exemplifies the significance and benefits of UBC in the design, development, and delivery of curricula that meet the evolving demands of the labour market while promoting Critical Thinking (CT) as a foundational 21st century skill to contribute to graduates’ employability. Think4Jobs project brought together a multidisciplinary team of researchers and business organisations from five European countries (Germany, Greece, Lithuania, Portugal, and Romania) with interests in promoting and developing CT and mitigating eventual competence gaps. The project’s success was attributed to key practices, including defining a common conceptualization of CT, employing Participatory Co-Design, and providing common training for university and business partners. Clear objectives, explicit roles, effective communication, and ongoing evaluation further enhanced the collaboration. Experiential learning, real-work problems, and case studies reinforced the curricula, bridging the gap between academia and the labour market. By embracing these insights, future UBC initiatives can empower graduates with the necessary skills to stand out in an ever-changing labour market, contributing to enhanced education and successful careers
In-situ spontaneous emission control of MoSe2-WSe2 interlayer excitons with near-unity quantum yield
No full textOptical resonators are a powerful platform to control the spontaneous emission dynamics of excitons in solid-state nanostructures. Here, we study a MoSe2-WSe2 van-der-Waals heterostructure that is integrated in a widely tunable open optical microcavity to gain insights into fundamental optical properties of the emergent interlayer charge-transfer excitons. First, we utilize an ultra-low quality factor open planar vertical cavity and investigate the modification of the excitonic lifetime as on- and off-resonant conditions are met with consecutive longitudinal modes. Time-resolved photoluminescence measurements reveal that the interlayer exciton lifetime can thus be periodically tuned with an amplitude of 110 ps. The resulting oscillations of the interlayer exciton lifetime allows us to extract a 0.5 ns free-space radiative lifetime and a quantum efficiency as high as 81 \%. We subsequently engineer the local density of optical states by introducing a spatially confined and fully spectrally tunable Tamm-plasmon resonance. The dramatic redistribution of the local optical modes in this setting allows us to encounter a profound inhibition of spontaneous emission of the interlayer excitons by a factor of 3.2. We expect that specifically engineering the inhibition of radiation from moiré excitons is a powerful tool to steer their thermalization, and eventually their condensation into coherent condensate phases
Near Real Time Prediction of Vibration in 3D Printed Flettner Rotor Demonstrator
No full textThis paper presents an investigation of the Flettner rotor, a wind propulsion system utilized in ships to decrease fuel consumption and reduce carbon emissions by leveraging the Magnus effect. Proper balancing and stability of the rotor are crucial to ensure high operational efficiency and low energy consumption. In the present work, a 3D printed rotor, which is a scaled-down version of the "Water Taxi", is developed to predict the unbalanced forces and vibrations of the rotor. Two methods are presented in this paper for the determination of the magnitude and direction of unbalanced forces by utilizing strain gauge readings. The force prediction model is implemented using machine learning algorithms. Furthermore, the paper discusses potential solutions for balancing the rotor once vibrations and unbalanced forces are detected. The results of this research could potentially contribute to the development of improved Flettner rotor designs, leading to more efficient and eco-friendly shipping
Coping with the mental health impact of COVID–19: A study protocol for a multinational longitudinal study on coping and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic
No full textBackground Mental health is challenged due to serious life events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and can differ by the level of resilience. National studies on mental health and resilience of individuals and communities during the pandemic provide heterogeneous results and more data on mental health outcomes and resilience trajectories are needed to better understand the impact of the pandemic on mental health in Europe.
Methods
COPERS (Coping with COVID-19 with Resilience Study) is an observational multinational longitudinal study conducted in eight European countries (Albania, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia). Recruitment of participants is based on convenience sampling and data are gathered through an online questionnaire. gathering data on depression, anxiety, stress-related symptoms suicidal ideation and resilience. Resilience is measured with the Brief Resilience Scale and with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Depression is measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire, Anxiety with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale and stress-related symptoms with the Impact of Event Scale Revised- Suicidal ideation is assessed using item 9 of the PHQ-9. We also consider potential determinants and moderating factors for mental health conditions, including sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender), social environmental factors (e.g., loneliness, social capital) and coping strategies (e.g., Self-efficacy Belief).
Discussion
To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to multi-nationally and longitudinally determine mental health outcomes and resilience trajectories in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study will help to determine mental health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic across Europe. The findings may benefit pandemic preparedness planning and future evidence-based mental health policies
Strategies for the Aesthetic Experience of Business Processes
No full textBusiness processes require knowledge and generate knowledge when data and information are combined with personal experience. Information systems can support business processes in highlighting the importance of formal, but also hidden knowledge structures. In particular, the implicit knowledge incorporated in people and organizational routines contributes to the uniqueness of business processes. Aesthetic business processes offer a holistic knowledge management concept that aims to mobilize implicit knowledge. Based on C. Alexander's pattern theory and visualizations, it is about perceiving the Gestalt of business processes. The metaphor Gestalt refers to the atmosphere of business processes, which is to be sensually experienced. This article aims to (a) show different strategies, (b) model the Gestalt of aesthetic business processes, and (c) visualize information culture to make aesthetic experiences successful in everyday organizational life. Aesthetic experiences might remain fragmentary or become fulfilling when we "have an experience", but ultimately open up a variety of perspectives
Engineering ICPS for Small and Medium Enterprises: A Novel DIN SPEC 91345 Compliant Digitalization Approach
No full textAn adequate and sound baseline for engineering Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems is given by the Industry 4.0 digitalization principles, in combination with the application of the Asset Administration Shell (AAS) Technology. On the one side, all essential aspects related to the digitalization of any industrial eco-system are comprehensively formalized by the DIN Specification 91345 RAMI4.0 (Reference Architecture Model for Industry 4.0), which combined with the use and application of the Asset Administration Shell Technology, provide a proper background for digitalizing any industrial eco-system. On the other side, by analyzing latest reported results and using lessons learned in practical experiences done by actively participating in digitalizing real industrial use cases, it has been possible for the authors to identify a lack on a technologically feasible and conceptually understandable digitalization approach for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that do not have the required accessibility to adequate methodologies, technologies and tools. In this context, this manuscript summarizes a conceptually accessible approach to support the engineering of Industrial Cyber-Physical Systems with focus on the digitalization process of SMEs. This conceptual accessibility is provided by a novel structured procedure precisely grounded on the RAMI 4.0, that covers the digitalization process from the early stages of the adequate requirements compilation, through the specifications and developments along the Life-Cycle of Assets and processes, and thus establishing a solid foundation to achieve an economically and technically plausible implementation accepted by all involved stakeholders of the value chain