Qucosa
Not a member yet
63150 research outputs found
Sort by
Intelligent and adaptive tank cleaning using motor-driven jet cleaners and optical inline sensors
No full textEfficient tank cleaning in the food industry is considered crucial for reducing resource consumption and ensuring hygienic safety. Conventional cleaning-in-place systems are typically designed for worst-case conditions and are unable to adapt to the varying cleaning intensities required for different tank areas, resulting in increased resource usage. In response, a technical solution was developed that integrates motor-driven jet cleaners with optical inline sensors to create an adaptive cleaning system. The motor-driven jet cleaner, equipped with two independently controllable axes, is designed to deliver targeted mechanical action through cleaning patterns adjusted according to soiling characteristics. An optical inline sensor employing fluorescence detection is utilized to provide spatially resolved data on soiling by detecting proteins, oils, and other fluorescent compounds. An iterative optimization process was implemented using a cleaning model based on a Random Forest algorithm and further refined via a metaheuristic algorithm. It is anticipated that this approach will enable dynamic adjustment of cleaning patterns based on actual soiling conditions. Previous industrial studies using similar methods without the optical sensor demonstrated cleaning time reductions of up to 32%, and incorporation of the sensor is expected to further improve efficiency
Session 8 - Monitoring and analysis of fouling and cleaning processes; Chairwoman: Dragana Arlov
No full text
The sacralization of violence in the civil sphere: Backlash and mimetic crises in Germany and Russia
No full textThis dissertation investigates the sacralization of violence in contemporary societies and explores whether its symbolization can stimulate violent collective actions. In contrast to the actor-centric studies of collective violence, I suggest considering this problématique from the perspective of the Civil Sphere Theory (CST), whose conceptualization of civil society as the civil sphere, which relies on the discourses of civil solidarity, offers an innovative description of the symbolic structures of civil society with an impact on political processes. It argues that symbolic structures should be considered capable of influencing the motives and decisions of social and political actors instead of being treated as just their communicative tools. To investigate imitative quasi-solidarization practices in civil societies, this dissertation proposes synthesizing the CST with mimetic theory. I argue that this synthesis overcomes the normative limitations of the CST by suggesting a solid theoretical ground for investigating the sacralization of violence in the civil sphere connected to the destructive quasi-solidarization practices of anti-democratic backlash actors when the social agonism connected to democratic competition transforms into violent antagonistic practices. With this, the analysis can be applied to political phenomena, enriching the very understanding of the question at hand. Drawing on Multilayered Narrative Analysis (MNA), which relies on the aforementioned theoretical synthesis, I explore how German and Russian backlash actors constructed and amplified mimetic crises to sacralize violence in German and Russian societies. The chosen case studies of backlash amplification of mimetic crises connect to the Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine; both were instrumental for the empirical analysis of the sacralization of violence in the civil sphere. The results suggest that the German and Russian backlash, by employing similar quasi-solidarization practices, stimulated the intensification of the mimetic crises in their societies, which led to outbreaks of violence against defined antagonists justified as a necessary and even sacred action. In particular, the German backlash discourses were directed against the German democratic civil sphere’s center (its discourses, officeholders, and civil institutions) and sparked violence against it, while what I term the Russian backlash state constructed an imitative model of the civil sphere to legitimize its autocratic ambitions and justify violence against its opponents.:Table of Contents iii
List of Acronyms v
List of Tables viii
List of Figures ix
INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER ONE 7
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK: VIOLENCE IN THE CIVIL SPHERE 7
1.1 The civil sphere and its structures 8
1.2 The civil sphere and the substitution of violence 9
1.3 Sacralization of violence in the civil sphere? 11
1.3.1 Backlash populism of the far right in the civil sphere 13
1.3.2 Backlash state and the pseudo-civil sphere 15
CHAPTER TWO 18
METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK: MULTILAYERED NARRATIVE ANALYSIS 18
2.1 Layer 1: Binaries 18
2.2 Layer 2: Narratives 22
2.3 Layer 3: Discourses 24
CHAPTER THREE 27
RESULTS: BACKLASH & MIMETIC CRISES IN GERMANY AND RUSSIA 27
3.1 Sacralization of violence during the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany 28
3.1.1. Zavershinskaia, P. (2023a). Appropriating the civil sphere: The construction of German collective identity by right-wing populist actors during the Covid-19 pandemic. American Journal of Cultural Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41290-023-00189-2 31
3.1.2 Buarque, B., and Zavershinskaia, P. (2022). The far-right politics of ‘truth’: An exploratory analysis of the ‘truths’ produced by AfD Kompakt and Patriotic Alternative. In V. A. Bruno (Ed.), Populism and far-right: Trends in Europe (Vol. 4, pp. 25–48). EDUCatt. https://www.polidemos.it/volume-4-2022/ 59
3.2 Sacralization of violence during the Russian invasion of Ukraine 83
3.2.1 Zavershinskaia, P. (2024). State’s legitimisation of violence through strategic narration: How the Kremlin justified the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The International Spectator. https://doi.org/10.1080/03932729.2024.2327492 85
3.2.2 Zavershinskaia, P. (2023b). “Why do we need a world without Russia in it?” Discursive justifications of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in Russia and Germany. Nationalism and Ethnic Politics, 29(2), 129–153. https://doi.org/10.1080/13537113.2023.2199927 105
3.2.3 Zavershinskaia, P. (forthcoming). Against the civil society’s centre: Mimetic crises by the German populist right. In K. J. Patterson & E. Hidalgo-Tenorio (Eds.), Multidisciplinary Approaches to the Discourses of Extremism. Routledge. 131
CONCLUSION 150
BIBLIOGRAPHY 15
Optimization of the dimensional stability of paper-based sandwich panels during the pressing process using design of experiments
No full textIn this contribution, the causes leading to the undesired unevenness on the exterior surface of a paper-based sandwich structure during the manufacturing process are investigated. This provides insight into the manufacturing parameters that need to be adjusted to reduce this waviness. A finite element model of the pressing process is developed in the commercial software ABAQUS and then used to analyze the formation of the surface unevenness. The sandwich structure adopted in the model consists of a decorative layer, an intermediate layer, a corrugated core and a bottom layer. In particular, the core has a sinusoidal structure with various geometry parameters, which are adjusted in the model to investigate the effect on the waviness of the top surface. The results of the quasi-static process simulation correlate well with the experimental results. A subsequent parameter study based on the design of experiments (DoE) shows the relationship between the material parameters of the intermediate/bottom layer and the resulting waviness
Osteogenic stimulation of osteoprogenitors by putamen ovi peptides and hyaluronic acid
No full textEggshell peptides (EP) majorly contribute to rapid bone building in chicks, wherefore this paper investigated their potential for stimulating osteogenesis in vitro. In this study, the effects of EP, also called putamen ovi peptides and a combination of hyaluronic acid with EP in cell culture medium were tested towards proliferation, differentiation, gene expression and mineralization of bovine osteoprogenitors and primary human osteoblasts. The influence of EP at concentrations of 0.005 g/L, 0.5 g/L and 0.5 g/L with 0.25% hyaluronic acid was analyzed using immunocytochemical staining of bone-specific matrix proteins, namely collagen type I, osteonectin, osteopontin and osteocalcin, to prove osteoblastic differentiation. Additionally, Richardson-staining was performed. All tests revealed a superior osteoblastic differentiation with EP at 0.5 g/L after 5 days of cultivation. Hyaluronic acid alone showed controversial results and partially constrained osteoblastic differentiation in combination with EP to a level as low as for pure EP at 0.005 g/L. Of particular interest is the osteoblast-typical mineralization, as an important indicator of bone formation, which was measured indirectly via the calcium concentration after cultivation over 4 weeks. The mineralization showed an increase by a factor of 286 during the cultivation of primary human osteoblasts with hyaluronic acid and EP. Meanwhile, cell cultures treated with EP (0.5 g/L) only showed an 80-fold increase in calcium concentration.
The influence of EP (0.5 g/L) on primary human osteoblasts was investigated by gene expression after 2 weeks of cultivation. Microarray and qRT-PCR analysis showed a strongly increased expression of main important genes in bone formation, bone regeneration and the physiological bone remodelling processes. Namely, BMP 2, osteopontin and the matrix metalloproteinases 1 and 9, were present during in vitro osteoprogenitor culture with EP. By explicitly underlining the potential of eggshell peptides for stimulating osteogenesis, as well as emphasizing complex and controversial interaction with hyaluronan, this manuscript is relevant for developing new functionalized biomaterials for bone regeneration
Do good and measure well! – Examining the validity of two positive social change measurements in South African social enterprises
No full textPurpose
The creation of positive social change (PSC) is considered the primary success criterion when evaluating social enterprise performance. However, despite a proliferation of PSC-measurements, their empirical validity and applicability in emerging economies remain largely unclear. The quantitative study examines the validity of the PSC-measurement approaches proposed by Bloom and Smith (2010; Bloom and Smith approach [BSA]) and Weaver (2020b; Weaver approach [WA]) in South Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
Investigating a representative sample of 347 social entrepreneurs from Gauteng and Limpopo provinces, the authors use questionnaire data to explore the factorial, convergent and discriminant validity of both PSC-measurement approaches. Statistically, this is done by applying factorial and correlation analyses.
Findings
The results yield acknowledgeable differences. BSA has a high factorial and convergent validity, while its discriminant validity remains doubtful. For WA, problems concerning factorial validity occur.
Research limitations/implications
Despite limited generalizability, the authors provide a first guideline for scholars regarding the empirical validity of BSA and WA outside the context of developed economies.
Originality/value
The current study sheds light on the validity of two PSC-measurement approaches in an emerging economy context. This way, the authors contribute to the field by addressing the scarcity of empirical research and the restricted scope of developed economies regarding PSC-measurement
Handlungsempfehlungen für SARS-CoV-2-Testkonzepte für asymptomatische Beschäftigte im Gesundheitswesen
No full textHintergrund und Zielsetzung
Bei der Umsetzung von SARS-CoV‑2-Testkonzepten in Einrichtungen des Gesundheitswesens kommen ranggleiche Gesetze und Verordnungen zur Anwendung. Vor dem Hintergrund erlebter Hindernisse bei einer adäquaten Umsetzung gesetzlicher Vorgaben in regelkonforme und rechtssichere Prozesse auf betrieblicher Ebene war das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit, dafür konkrete Handlungsempfehlungen zu entwickeln.
Methodik
In einer Fokusgruppe mit Vertreter*innen aus Behörden, Fachschaften und Interessenvertretungen wurden auf Basis von Leitfragen aus zuvor identifizierten Handlungsfeldern in einem holistischen Ansatz kritische Aspekte der Umsetzung diskutiert. Die transkribierten Inhalte wurden anhand deduktiv-induktiver Kategorienbildung qualitativ analysiert.
Ergebnisse
Alle Diskussionsinhalte konnten den identifizierten Kategorien Gesetzliche Hintergründe von, Anforderungen an und Zielrichtungen für Testkonzepte in Gesundheitseinrichtungen, Zuständigkeiten für Umsetzung in betrieblichen Entscheidungsketten sowie Implementierung von SARS-CoV-2-Testkonzepten/Testprozessen zugeordnet werden.
Implikationen
Die Umsetzung gesetzlicher Vorgaben in regelkonforme und rechtssichere SARS-CoV-2-Testkonzepte in Einrichtungen des Gesundheitswesens setzt bereits sowohl die Einbeziehung von Ministerien, Fachschaftsvertretungen, Berufsverbänden, Arbeitgeber(AG)- und Arbeitnehmer*innenvertretungen, Datenschutzexpert*innen, Vertretungen möglicher Kostenträger als auch eine integrative und vollzugstaugliche Formulierung von Gesetzen und Verordnungen voraus. Die Definition von Zielrichtungen für Testkonzepte ist maßgeblich für nachfolgend im Betrieb etablierte Prozessabläufe, bei denen Aspekte des Beschäftigtendatenschutzes genauso berücksichtigt werden müssen wie die Bereitstellung zusätzlicher personeller Ressourcen für die Bewältigung der Aufgaben. Zudem muss es in Zukunft ein zentrales Anliegen der Betriebe sein, IT-Schnittstellenlösungen für eine datenschutzkonforme Informationsweitergabe zu Beschäftigten zu finden.Background and objective
When implementing SARS-CoV‑2 testing concepts in healthcare facilities, different laws and regulations of equal rank apply. In the light of experienced impediments in translating legal requirements appropriately into legally secure concepts on an operational level, the objective of this paper was to develop corresponding specific recommendations for action.
Methods
On the basis of guiding questions on previously identified fields of action, a focus group consisting of representatives of administration, different medical disciplines, and special interest groups discussed critical aspects of implementation using a holistic approach. The transcribed contents were analyzed through inductive development and deductive application of categories.
Results
All contents of discussion could be matched with the identified categories legal backgrounds, requirements and objectives of testing concepts in healthcare facilities, responsibilities for implementing in operational decision-making chains, and implementing SARS-CoV‑2 testing concepts.
Implications
The correct implementation of the legal requirements into legally compliant SARS-CoV‑2 testing concepts in healthcare facilities previously required the involvement of ministries, representatives of different medical disciplines and professional associations, employer and employee representatives and data privacy experts as well as representatives of possible cost bearers. In addition, an integrative and enforceable composition of laws and regulations is necessary. Defining objectives for testing concepts is significant for the following operational process flows that need to consider aspects of employee data privacy as well as providing additional personnel for fulfilling the tasks. Also, in future one central issue of healthcare facilities concerns the finding of solutions for IT interfaces for information transfer to employees in accordance with data privacy
Micro-political policy engagement in social work counselling in Germany - between collaboration and confrontation
No full textSocial rights are fundamental to a welfare state. However, once established, these rights must be implemented and actively claimed by individuals. In Germany, social counselling provided by social workers 1 facilitates access to these rights and assists individuals in realizing them. This form of counselling not only conveys crucial information but also offers practical support while addressing the psychosocial aspects of those seeking assistance. In my doctoral project I investigate how this type of counselling is carried out. The data basis consisting in research interviews with people working in this field is analysed with the Grounded Theory Methodology. Preliminary evaluations indicate that, in addition to direct interactions between social workers and clients, interactions with authorities play a crucial role. I conceptualize this interaction between social workers and authorities as 'achieving or pushing through contact'. Social workers typically engage with authorities to expedite processes, resolve client issues, or ensure legal compliance. Various modes of action emerge: social workers can adopt either a guiding role (alongside clients) or a more vicarious role (acting on behalf of clients). Depending on the channels of communication available for the social workers, these interactions can be either cooperative (aiming to create alliances with authorities) or confrontational (demanding or threatening legal action).:Table of contents
1. Social work counselling includes informative-legal aspects
2. Methodology
3. Preliminary findings
3.1 The Interaction Triangle – directions of interaction in social work counselling
3.2 Achieving contacting as micro-political policy engagement – interaction with authorities from collaboration to confrontation
Step 1: To establish a direct contact with the administrative officer
Step 2: Alliance-building attempts
Step 3: Putting authorities under pressure
Step 4: Using legal remedies
4. Conclusions
Reference