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"Schneider, Judith"
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Project management handbook
This practical handbook offers a comprehensive guide to efficient project management. It pursues a broad, well-structured approach, suitable for most projects, and allows newcomers, experienced project managers and decision-makers to find valuable input that matches their specific needs. The Project Management Compass guides readers through various sections of the book; templates and checklists offer additional support. The handbook's innovative structure combines concepts from systems engineering, management psychology, and process dynamics. This international edition will allow to share the authors' experience gained in many years of project work and over 2,000 project management and leadership seminars conducted for BWI Management Education in Zurich, Switzerland. This is an excellent handbook for practical project management in today's world. Prof. Dr. Heinz Schelle, Honorary Chairman of the GPM (German Project Management Association)The authors' many years in practical experience in setting up, implementing and managing projects shines through in this book. The book also reflects the current trend towards increased social competence. I am therefore pleased to recommend this book as a basis for certification in project management. Dr. Hans Knèopfel, Honorary President of the SPM (Swiss Project Management Association).
Book
Detection of Invasive Mosquito Vectors Using Environmental DNA (eDNA) from Water Samples
Repeated introductions and spread of invasive mosquito species (IMS) have been recorded on a large scale these last decades worldwide. In this context, members of the mosquito genus Aedes can present serious risks to public health as they have or may develop vector competence for various viral diseases. While the Tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus) is a well-known vector for e.g. dengue and chikungunya viruses, the Asian bush mosquito (Ae. j. japonicus) and Ae. koreicus have shown vector competence in the field and the laboratory for a number of viruses including dengue, West Nile fever and Japanese encephalitis. Early detection and identification is therefore crucial for successful eradication or control strategies. Traditional specific identification and monitoring of different and/or cryptic life stages of the invasive Aedes species based on morphological grounds may lead to misidentifications, and are problematic when extensive surveillance is needed. In this study, we developed, tested and applied an environmental DNA (eDNA) approach for the detection of three IMS, based on water samples collected in the field in several European countries. We compared real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assays specific for these three species and an eDNA metabarcoding approach with traditional sampling, and discussed the advantages and limitations of these methods. Detection probabilities for eDNA-based approaches were in most of the specific comparisons higher than for traditional survey and the results were congruent between both molecular methods, confirming the reliability and efficiency of alternative eDNA-based techniques for the early and unambiguous detection and surveillance of invasive mosquito vectors. The ease of water sampling procedures in the eDNA approach tested here allows the development of large-scale monitoring and surveillance programs of IMS, especially using citizen science projects.
Journal Article
Technical Note-The Joint Impact of F-Divergences and Reference Models on the Contents of Uncertainty Sets
Any quantitative model (e.g., in financial risk management) must rely on modeling assumptions and is thus prone to model risk. In “The Joint Impact of
F
Divergences and Reference Models on the Contents of Uncertainty Sets,” the authors reassess the “robustness” approach to model risk. In this approach, model risk is defined in a nonparametric way. Calculations under a reference model are contrasted against worst case scenarios over all alternative models within a maximal “divergence” from the reference model. The choices of the reference model and the divergence measure jointly shape the uncertainty set—and thus, the perceived severity of model risk. The authors argue that there is no single divergence measure that is suitable for all reference models. Instead, when choosing a divergence measure, properties of the reference model should be taken into account. This concerns in particular assumptions on tail risk made under the reference model.
In the presence of model risk, it is well established to replace classical expected values with worst-case expectations over all models within a fixed radius from a given reference model. This is the “robustness” approach. For the class of
F
-divergences, we provide a careful assessment of how the interplay between reference model and divergence measure shapes the contents of uncertainty sets. We show that the classical divergences, relative entropy and polynomial divergences, are inadequate for reference models that are moderately heavy-tailed, such as lognormal models. Worst cases either are infinitely pessimistic or rule out the possibility of fat-tailed “power law” models as plausible alternatives. Moreover, we rule out the existence of a single
F
-divergence, which is appropriate regardless of the reference model. Thus, the reference model should not be neglected when settling on any particular divergence measure in the robustness approach.
Journal Article
A 3D Finite Difference Thermal Model Tailored for Additive Manufacturing
Physics-based modeling of metal additive manufacturing (AM) processes is computationally challenging due to the very fine meshing required in both time and space. State-of-the-art numerical models that offer great insight into the process have been developed, but they require powerful computational resources and weeks of processing time. Thus, it is often more time-effective to fabricate multiple builds within the time it takes to complete one simulation prediction, further reinforcing the current trial-and-error approach to optimizing the build parameters. This study presents a simplified approach to the transient thermal modeling of the AM process. The numerical model is designed to run on a moderate laptop or desktop computer, without use of parallel processing. The method described in this study uses a unique approach to node creation which leverages the simplicity of the finite difference method to provide predictions in less time than it takes to build the part. Coarse meshing in both time and space along with simplifying assumptions about the solidification process are used in this numerical approach. Model predictions track well with experimental measurements. This approach is being developed for use in an industrial setting to inform deposition parameters based on a desired thermal profile.
Journal Article
Idiosyncratic volatility, option-based measures of informed trading, and investor attention
We establish a direct link between sophisticated investors in the option market, private stock market investors, and the idiosyncratic volatility (IVol) puzzle. To do so, we employ three option-based volatility spreads and attention data from Google Trends. In line with the IVol puzzle, the volatility spreads indicate that sophisticated investors indeed consider high-IVol stocks as being overvalued. Moreover, the option measures help to distinguish overpriced from fairly priced high-IVol stocks. Thus, these measures are able to predict the IVol puzzle’s magnitude in the cross-section of stock returns. Further, we link the origin of the IVol puzzle to the trading activity of irrational private investors as the return predictability only exists among stocks that receive a high level of private investor attention. Overall, our joint examination of option and stock markets sheds light on the behavior of different investor groups and their contribution to the IVol puzzle. Thereby, our analyses support the intuitive idea that noise trading leads to mispricing, which is identified by sophisticated investors and exploited in the option market.
Journal Article
Molecular assessment of dietary variation in neighbouring primate groups
Facing rapid environmental changes and anthropogenic habitat destruction, animal behavioural plasticity becomes an adaptive potential that needs to be considered in conservation strategies along with, for example, genetic diversity. Here, we evaluate to what extent non‐invasive environmental DNA (eDNA) methods may contribute to the assessment of intraspecies behavioural plasticity in terms of foraging behaviour. We analysed DNA metabarcoding data for plant components in the diet of four neighbouring groups of wild vervet monkeys Chlorocebus pygerythrus to identify intergroup variation (IGV). The faecal samples considered for the analyses were limited to the summer season to minimise the impact of seasonality. Each sample was attributed by observation to individuals with known life history data. A plant survey was conducted in each group home range during the study period to account for environmental variation. We observed mixed results when testing whether IGV in plant consumption was greater than intragroup variation, indicating that the influence of social dynamics must be considered. Intragroup variation was positively correlated with group size. We observed IGV in diet composition among all groups as well as in some pairwise comparisons. We found significant dietary differences between two group pairs when considering only adult females. Lastly, we observed IGV in foraging of specific plants that were not explained by their distribution, suggesting behavioural differences in selectivity between groups. Our study system and organism, being a highly social and non‐threatened primate species, with constant gene flow and overlapping territories between groups, provides an ideal model to evaluate the usage of eDNA‐based methods to better understand the impact of social factors on IGV. Our results highlight the need to consider social and demographic factors, the impact of which remains complicated to disentangle from environmental factors. However, we emphasise the great potential for studying social groups using eDNA and that such studies are needed to better understand intraspecific behavioural plasticity in wild populations.
Journal Article
Using SXRR to Probe the Nature of Discontinuities in SLM Additive Manufactured Inconel 718 Specimens
The utilization of additive manufacturing (AM) to fabricate robust structural components relies on understanding the nature of internal anomalies or discontinuities, which can compromise the structural integrity. While some discontinuities in AM microstructures stem from similar mechanisms as observed in more traditional processes such as casting, others are unique to the AM process. Discontinuities in AM are challenging to detect, due to their submicron size and orientation dependency. Toward the goal of improving structural integrity, minimizing discontinuities in an AM build requires an understanding of the mechanisms of formation to mitigate their occurrence. This study utilizes various techniques to evaluate the shape, size, nature and distribution of discontinuities in AM Inconel 718, in a non-hot isostatic pressed (HIPed) as-built, non-HIPed and direct age, and HIPed with two step age samples. Non-destructive synchrotron radiation refraction and transmission radiography (SXRR) provides additional information beyond that obtained with destructive optical microscopy. SXRR was able to distinguish between voids, cracks and lack of melt in, due to its sensitivity to the orientation of the discontinuity.
Journal Article
Comprehensive coverage of human last meal components revealed by a forensic DNA metabarcoding approach
Stomach content analyses are a valuable tool in human forensic science to interpret perimortem events. While the identification of food components of plant and animal origin has traditionally been conducted by macro- and microscopical approaches in case of incomplete digestion, molecular methods provide the potential to increase sensitivity and taxonomic resolution. In particular, DNA metabarcoding (PCR-amplification and next generation sequencing of complex DNA mixtures) has seen a rapid growth in the field of wildlife ecology to assess species’ diets from faecal and gastric samples. Despite clear advantages, molecular approaches have not yet been established in routine human forensics to investigate the last meal components of deceased persons. In this pilot study we applied for the first time a DNA metabarcoding approach to assess both plant and vertebrate components of 48 human stomach content samples taken during medicolegal autopsies. We obtained a final dataset with 34 vertebrate and 124 vegetal unique sequences, that were clustered to 9 and 33 operational taxonomic units (OTUs), respectively. Our results suggest that this approach can provide crucial information about circumstances preceding death, and open promising perspectives for biomedical dietary surveys based on digested food items found in the gastrointestinal tract.
Journal Article
Multiplex vs . singleplex assay for the simultaneous identification of the three components of avian malaria vector-borne disease by DNA metabarcoding
Accurate detection and identification of vector-host-parasite systems are key to understanding their evolutionary dynamics and to design effective disease prevention strategies. Traditionally, microscopical and serological techniques were employed to analyse arthropod blood meals for host/parasite detection, but these were limited in taxonomic resolution and only to pre-selected taxa. In recent years, molecular techniques have emerged as a promising alternative, offering enhanced resolution and taxonomic range. While singleplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were used at first to identify host, vector and parasite components in separate reactions, today multiple primer pairs can be combined in a single reaction, i.e. , multiplex, offering substantial time and cost savings. Nonetheless, despite the potential benefits of multiplex PCR, studies quantifying its efficacy compared to singleplex reactions are scarce. In this study, we used partially digested mosquito blood meals within an avian malaria framework to jointly identify the host, vector and parasite using multiplex DNA metabarcoding, and to compare it with separate singleplex PCRs. We aimed to compare the detection probabilities and taxonomic assignments between both approaches. We found both to have similar performances in terms of detection for the host and the vector, but singleplex clearly outperformed multiplex for the parasite component. We suggest adjusting the relative concentrations of the PCR primers used in the multiplex assay could increase the efficiency of multiplex in detecting all the components of the studied multi-species system. Overall, the results show that multiplex DNA metabarcoding can be an effective approach that could be applied to any vector-borne interaction involving blood-feeding arthropods. Our insights from this proof-of-concept study will help improve laboratory procedures for accurate and cost-efficient medical diagnosis of vector-borne diseases, the spread of which is globally exacerbated by current climate change.
Journal Article
Investigating Anthropogenic and Social Influences on Diet of Semi‐Urban Vervet Monkeys Using DNA Metabarcoding
With increasing human domination of ecosystems, wildlife must either relocate or adapt its behaviour to anthropogenic impacts in order to survive. Vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus), whose natural habitats have been progressively encroached upon by urban expansion, have successfully adapted to urbanised environments because of their flexible and generalist feeding behaviour. Characterising diet composition of vervet monkeys can therefore reveal how they exploit anthropogenic resources and uncover opportunistic foraging behaviours. However, accurately determining complete diets through direct observations is challenging. In this study, we used an environmental DNA (eDNA) approach investigating the DNA mixtures present in faecal samples as a non‐invasive complementary method for assessing diet and foraging strategies. We identified the dietary components of vervet monkeys through DNA metabarcoding of 447 faecal samples collected from two monkey groups over 4 months in a semi‐urban neighbourhood in South Africa. We further compared the results with observational data on foraging to describe how vervet monkeys exploit anthropogenic resources. Subsequently, we evaluated whether dietary patterns can be distinguished between groups and within matrilineal levels. We found DNA metabarcoding data to be consistent with observational data, but the former revealed a broader diversity of consumed taxa. Additionally, we detected a difference in diet between the two investigated groups, and a tendency for similar dietary patterns among matrilineal pairs compared to other group members. Our results support the use of the DNA metabarcoding methodology, both to determine the complex diet of omnivorous species in urbanised ecosystems and to address interindividual foraging behaviours. We used eDNA metabarcoding of faecal samples to quantify the dietary composition of two vervet monkey populations in a semi‐urban environment in South Africa over a 4‐month period, and compared these results with visual observations. We found that both methods yielded similar results, but eDNA metabarcoding revealed a greater diversity of consumed taxa. We also detected dietary differences between the groups, as well as a similar pattern among matrilineal individuals compared to other group members.
Journal Article