Mid-sized thermal energy storage (TES) systems, especially in the distributed sector, have received little attention for public buildings. Validation of such systems, especially for the use of multiple renewables with different operating modes using CFD simulations, is still pending. The objective of this study is to validate a CFD model for the operation of complex and mid-sized TES systems for simultaneous charging and discharging cycles to enable investigations on optimized operating modes, geometric optimizations, and predictive charging and discharging scenarios. For this purpose, the 60 m3 local heating storage of Großbardorf, Germany, was used to obtain real-time operating conditions and in-situ temperature distribution data. Charging and discharging cycles as well as combined scenarios were calculated and compared with the experimentally determined dynamics of the thermocline. Simulations were performed using the open-source tool OpenFOAM® with the single-phase transient solver buoyantPimpleFoam in laminar and turbulent modes, including ambient heat losses. Good agreement was found between simulated and experimental data, especially in the regions of layer transitions with a RMSE of 1.2 ℃ or less over the entire observation period. It is shown how the validation allows further improvements and optimizations of TES with greater confidence. In particular, for research on the efficient use of multiple, fluctuating renewable energies and the increase of self-sufficiency in the decentralized sector, a demand-optimized charging and discharging layout is presented for a mid-sized TES to be installed at the new Institute for Hydrogen and Energy Technology (iwe) at Hof University of Applied Sciences. By conducting research in facilities such as the iwe, this approach will not only create opportunities for the future deployment of renewable energy storage and related systems, but also highlight the importance of decarbonization in the decentralized sector.

Background

The Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) is widely used. However, there are limited data on how much a reduction in the MIDAS score indicates a change that matters to the patient.

Methods

Data from the DMKG (i.e. German Migraine and Headache Society) Headache Registry were used to determine the minimal important difference (MID) of the MIDAS, using the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGIC) as anchor and applying average change and receiver operating characteristic curve methods.

Results

In total, 1218 adult migraine patients (85.6% female, 40.2 ± 12.8 years, baseline MIDAS 44.2 ± 47.4, follow-up MIDAS 36.5 ± 45.3) were included. For patients with baseline MIDAS >20 (MIDAS grade IV, n = 757), different methods using PGIC “somewhat improved” as anchor yielded percent change MIDs of the MIDAS between −29.4% and −33.2%. For baseline MIDAS between 6 and 20 (grades II and III, n = 334), using PGIC “much improved” as anchor, difference change MIDs were between −3.5 and −4.5 points.

Conclusions

Based on the above results, we estimated the MID of the MIDAS at −30% for patients with a baseline MIDAS >20, and at −4 points for those with a baseline MIDAS of 6–20, for a tertiary headache care population.

Trial Registration

The DMKG Headache Registry is registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS 00021081).

In our project, we aimed to create historically authentic and vivid virtual representations of historic personalities that are connected to the regional Fichtelgebirge (Bavaria, Germany) to support the storytelling of our immersive XR applications. We are describing the tools in detail, the process of the tool chain and the resulting media. Next, we are discussing the challenges in media production like historical correctness and the consultation of historians. In order to create visual reproducibility we are explaining the detailed text prompts, their limitations and how to cope with resulting errors of the human physiognomy. Finally, we are briefly describing the application of the animated and talking generated historic characters in an immersive interactive WebXR environment. The XR experience is presented in web browsers on smartphones, tablets and XR headsets and the underlying software is based on the open-source framework Aframe. Our paper will describe the process, the results and the limitations in detail. Furthermore, we will provide a flow chart of the tool pipeline with visual examples of these aspects. The animations and voices of the historic characters will be demonstrated in videos of the XR application.

Surfing is a complex sport that encounters the interaction between the surfer and the highly unsteady water hydrodynamic of ocean or river waves. With the availability of off-shore river waves or wave pools, it becomes more and more popular being included in the Olympic Games 2021 in Tokyo/Japan. To analyze the biomechanical characteristics of surfers, all forces that act on the surfer have to be measured which has not yet been done before.

Four pressure sensors were integrated water-tightly in a 3D-printed surfboard fin, each two sensors on opposite side. The fin was mounted at the rear end of a surf board on the left side of the centerline within a three-fin-configuration. The sensors were connected to a micro controller with micro SD-card within the board that performed and stored the measurement data with an acquisition rate of 27 Hz. For the measurements, a male surfer performed a set of turning maneuvers on an artificial river wave as shown in figure 2. Thereby, the surfer’s motion was recorded by a camera using frame-rate of 30 fps. The synchronization of the pressure and the video signals was achieved in a post-processing step.

The pressure signals showed a negative pressure difference between the inside sensors and the outside sensors at all surf maneuvers, see figure 3. It generated an outwardly directed force that becomes largest during the turns. The smallest pressure difference was detected on the surf-path from the left to right side of the wave or the other way around.

Taking both lateral fins into account, the pressure forces are contrarily directed apart from the surfboard. This arrangement generates the stabilizing effect of the board’s rear end which helps the surfer to keep the board on the desired track. Especially during the turns, the forces became largest giving the surfer a stable center of rotation at the rear end of the board. This stabilizing effect of surfboard fins was reported and observed in computational models [1,2,3]. The measurement of hydrodynamic forces enables to develop a biomechanical model of a surfer that show the characteristic biomechanic stress level peak and location within the surfer’s body.

Vortrag von Prof. Dr. Andreas Wagener im Rahmen der Stadtvorlesung Hof, 2024: Die immer schneller voranschreitende Entwicklung Fortschritt bei den „digitalen“ Technologien – wie generative KI und Virtual Reality – verändern bereits heute die Grundlagen des menschlichen Alltags. Schon jetzt ist damit die Simulation menschlicher Erscheinungs- und Verhaltensweisen im Digitalen möglich. Die Darstellung rein digitaler „Wesen“ in menschlich wirkender Optik sowie die Erzeugung passender menschlicher Sprache gestatten eine „lebensechte“ Kommunikation im virtuellen Umfeld. Was bedeutet das für das Miteinander von Mensch und Technik? Welche gesellschaftlichen und auch welche ethischen Fragestellungen erwachsen hier? Und wie sehen die möglichen Antworten des Menschen auf die immer weiter voranschreitende technische Entwicklung aus? Können wir die Technik beherrschen? Oder müssen wir uns anpassen und zu „Cyborgs“ werden, die ihren Körper (und Geist) mit dem Ziel, mithalten zu können, technisch aufrüsten?

In the midst of the growth in fashion retail industry, fitting of clothing remotely can be utilized to reduce return rates and unnecessary shipping. Due to recent advancements in Generative AI, models for generating a virtual try-on experience have also been able to develop further. This paper evaluates different models and techniques which are built for the application of virtual try-on. Additionally, this paper discusses about different models - ClothFlow model, Contextual-VTON model or FitGAN along with a deep insight into algorithms and methodologies namely Residual Networks, U-Net and Generative Adversarial Networks. Additionally, the paper compares these state-of-the-art models against the various evaluation metrics such as Frechet Inception Distance (FID), Inception Score (IS), Structural Similarity index (SSIM). It also explains, how the generated image outputs vary based on the changes made in hyper-parameters such as learning rate, batch size etc., and how these changes impact on the generated output. 

This project has been funded by the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE).

Die Einführung des digitalen Bauantragsverfahrens ermöglicht, die Prüfung des Standsicherheitsnachweises vollständig papierlos durchzuführen. Dadurch können sowohl statische Berechnung als auch Konstruktionspläne medienbruchfrei geprüft werden, weshalb eine Beschleunigung des Verfahrens erwartet werden kann. Der Übergang von Papier zu PDF stellt einen deutlichen Fortschritt für die beteiligten Parteien dar, kann aber hinsichtlich des Grads der Digitalisierung nur ein Anfang sein. Der größtmögliche Grad der Digitalisierung wird durch die Verwendung von BIM (BIM: Building Information Modeling) in Verbindung mit den notwendigen Datenumgebungen (CDE) erreicht. Da der Einsatz von BIM bei Planung, Errichtung und Betrieb von Gebäuden erhebliche Vorteile bietet, ist die weitere Verbreitung absehbar bzw. wird von der Bundes- und den Landesregierungen die Anwendung teilweise bereits vorgeschrieben. Auswirkungen auf die Prüfung und Genehmigung von Bauwerken sind daher zu erwarten. In diesem Aufsatz wird untersucht, wie digitalisierte Prüfprozesse gestaltet werden können. Die Prozesse werden vorgestellt und hinsichtlich des Reifegrads der Digitalisierung bewertet.

This paper qualitatively evaluates the negotiation impact factors of companies active in Business-to-Business (B2B) and Business-to-Government (B2G) sales. Scholars consider B2G relationships to be comparable to or integrated in B2B relationships. Few studies examine the attributes of B2G relationships compared to those of B2B. This paper maps and analyses possible differences related to buying and negotiation processes. Consolidating 240 interviews, the authors provide empirical evidence that power and dependence are dynamic and change during negotiation phases. This evidence forms the basis for a structured process depending on the type of industry studied and refers to standardized versus customized products. 

Kaum hat sich der Mensch an Text- und Bildgeneratoren gewöhnt, veröffentlichen OpenAI, Google, Microsoft und Meta ihre multimodalen Modelle, die beide Welten vereinen. Das ermöglicht praktischen KI-Anwendungen und sogar Robotern ein umfassenderes Verständnis der Welt.

Background: Abnormalities in electrocortical parameters and persistence of afterimage after visual stimulation are known to occur in migraine patients. The results of studies on Contingent Negative Variation (CNV) and afterimage persistence in migraine patients suggest a link between these two phenomena and a connection to the pathomechanism of migraine.

Objectives: To date, no studies have investigated both afterimage duration and CNV parameters in the same subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the early component of CNV (iCNV) and the duration of the afterimage in migraine patients.

Methods: Sixty seven migraine patients from the headache center of the University of Rostock Medical Center were examined for iCNV amplitude, iCNV habituation and afterimage duration. The subjects also completed questionnaires developed for this study and the MIDAS (Migraine Disability Assessment) questionnaire.

Results: Associations were found between iCNV amplitude and afterimage duration and between habituation capacity and afterimage duration. A deficit in habituation capacity correlated with a significantly prolonged afterimage duration. Increased iCNV amplitude and prolonged afterimage duration were also significantly correlated.

Conclusion: Conclusions about the pathophysiology of migraine can be drawn from the results of this study. The results support the hypothesis of cortical hyperexcitability as a consequence of a low pre-activation level, which may be a possible contributory cause of migraine. Furthermore, they allow assessment of whether the afterimage examination, which is easier and quicker to perform than the CNV examination, can be used as a diagnostic tool or as a parameter to monitor the course of therapy in people with migraine.

IFAT München 2024