A design space for automated material handling vehicles.

Material Handling Vehicles (loaders, excavators, forklifts, harvesters, etc.) have seen a strong increase in automation efforts in recent years. The contexts such vehicles operate in are frequently complex and due to the often very specific nature of industrial material handling scenarios, know-how is fragmented and literature is not as numerous as, for example, for passenger vehicle automation. In this paper, we present a contextual design space for automated material handling vehicles (AMHV), that is intended to inform context analysis and design activities across a wide spectrum of material handling use cases. It was developed on the basis of existing context and design spaces for vehicle and machine automation and extended via expert knowledge. The design space consists of separate context and interaction subspaces, that separately capture the situation and each individual point of interaction, respectively. Implications, opportunities, and limitations for the investigation and design of AMHV are discussed.

External communication of automated shuttles: Results, experiences, and lessons learned from three European long-term research projects.

Automated shuttles are already seeing deployment in many places across the world and have the potential to transform public mobility to be safer and more accessible. During the current transition phase from fully manual vehicles toward higher degrees of automation and resulting mixed traffic, there is a heightened need for additional communication or external indicators to comprehend automated vehicle actions for other road users. In this work, we present and discuss the results from seven studies (three preparatory and four main studies) conducted in three European countries aimed at investigating and providing a variety of such external communication solutions to facilitate the exchange of information between automated shuttles and other motorized and non-motorized road users.

Effects of reliability indicators on usage, acceptance and preference of predictive process management decision support systems.

Despite the growing availability of data, simulation technologies, and predictive analytics, it is not yet clear whether and under which conditions users will trust Decision Support Systems (DSS). DSS are designed to support users in making more informed decisions in specialized tasks through more accurate predictions and recommendations. This mixed-methods user study contributes to the research on trust calibration by analyzing the potential effects of integrated reliability indication in DSS user interfaces for process management in first-time usage situations characterized by uncertainty. Ten experts specialized in digital tools for construction were asked to test and assess two versions of a DSS in a renovation project scenario. We found that while users stated that they need full access to all information to make their own decisions, reliability indication in DSS tends to make users more willing to make preliminary decisions, with users adapting their confidence and reliance to the indicated reliability. Reliability indication in DSS also increases subjective usefulness and system reliability. Based on these findings, it is recommended that for the design of reliability indication practitioners consider displaying a combination of reliability information at several granularity levels in DSS user interfaces, including visualizations, such as a traffic light system, and to also provide explanations for the reliability information. Further research directions towards achieving trustworthy decision support in complex environments are proposed.

User requirements for the design of smart homes: dimensions and goals.

The 'Smart Home' is a strongly technology-driven field. While user-centered requirements have been reported for specific features, a considerable gap persists for design based on an everyday home context and the social and emotional nature of the home. To address this, we present a user-centered design process to question and expand narrow framings of energy-efficiency and smart control and consider the richness and variety of the domestic context as design space for smart homes. Our three-step investigation employs cultural probing, participatory design fiction, and focus groups to progress from the home context "as-is" towards a blending of values with technological responses. Our findings highlight the home as a complex construct imbued with organically grown practices and individual and collective needs, values, and emotions. Based on empirical, real-user data we present features and system expectations that address this multifaceted overall picture. This paper advises the design process of future smart home solutions in three facets: first, we discuss the value of the design process applied in this study and future possibilities to expand. Second, we show design dimensions, namely time, space, relations, individual factors, and values that allow design for a heterogeneity of users and situations. Third, we derive specific design goals to highlight directions of smart home system design: design for control, low effort, integration, evolvability, identity, sociability, and benefits.

Thermal processing methods differentially affect the protein quality of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum).

Chickpea is a widely produced pulse crop, but requires processing prior to human consumption. Protein bioavailability and amino acid quantity of chickpea flour can be altered by multiple factors including processing method. For this reason, the protein quality of processed chickpea flour was determined using in vivo and in vitro analyses for processed chickpeas. Processing differentially affected the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) of chickpeas with extruded chickpea (83.8) having a higher PDCAAS score than both cooked (75.2) and baked (80.03). Interestingly, the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) value of baked chickpea (0.84) was higher compared to both extruded (0.82) and cooked (0.78). The protein efficiency ratio, another measure of protein quality, was significantly higher for extruded chickpea than baked chickpea (p < .01). In vivo and in vitro analysis of protein quality were well correlated (R 2 = .9339). These results demonstrated that under certain circumstances in vitro methods could replace the use of animals to determine protein quality.

Effect of Processing on the In Vitro and In Vivo Protein Quality of Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris and Vicia Faba).

In this work, the protein quality of different bean types after undergoing the preparatory methods of baking, cooking and extrusion was assayed. Protein quality was assessed using a rodent bioassay to evaluate growth and protein digestibility while amino acid composition was determined via HPLC. In vivo protein digestibility was compared to an in vitro assessment method. The average protein digestibility corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) for processed beans was higher than the digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) (61% vs. 45%). Extrusion/cooking of Phaseolus varieties resulted in higher PDCAAS (66% on average) and DIAAS values (61% on average) than baked (52% and 48%) while baked faba beans had higher PDCAAS (66%) and DIAAS (61%) values. A significant correlation was found between PDCAAS and in vitro PDCAAS (R² = 0.7497). This demonstrates which bean processing method will generate the optimal protein quality, which has benefits for both industrial production and individual domestic preparation.

Effect of processing on the in vitro and in vivo protein quality of red and green lentils (Lens culinaris).

In order to determine the effect of extrusion, baking and cooking on the protein quality of red and green lentils, a rodent bioassay was conducted and compared to an in vitro method of protein quality determination. On average, the Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score of red lentils (55.0) was higher than that of green lentils (50.8). Extruded lentil flour had higher scores (63.01 red, 57.09 green) than either cooked (57.40 red, 52.92 green) or baked (53.84 red, 47.14 green) flours. The average Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score of red lentils (0.54) was higher than green lentils (0.49). The Protein Efficiency Ratio of the extruded lentil flours (1.30 red, 1.34 green) was higher than that of the baked flour (0.98 red, 1.09 green). A correlation was found between in vivo and in vitro methods of determining protein digestibility (R2=0.8934). This work could influence selection of processing method during product development.

Effect of Processing on the in Vitro and in Vivo Protein Quality of Yellow and Green Split Peas (Pisum sativum).

In order to determine the effect of extrusion, baking, and cooking on the protein quality of yellow and green split peas, a rodent bioassay was conducted and compared to an in vitro method of protein quality determination. The Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of green split peas (71.4%) was higher than that of yellow split peas (67.8%), on average. Similarly, the average Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS) of green split peas (69%) was higher than that of yellow split peas (67%). Cooked green pea flour had lower PDCAAS and DIAAS values (69.19% and 67%) than either extruded (73.61%, 70%) or baked (75.22%, 70%). Conversely, cooked yellow split peas had the highest PDCCAS value (69.19%), while extruded yellow split peas had the highest DIAAS value (67%). Interestingly, a strong correlation was found between in vivo and in vitro analysis of protein quality (R2 = 0.9745). This work highlights the differences between processing methods on pea protein quality and suggests that in vitro measurements of protein digestibility could be used as a surrogate for in vivo analysis.

Determination of the protein quality of cooked Canadian pulses.

A study to determine the protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score and protein efficiency ratio of nine different cooked Canadian pulse classes was conducted in support of the establishment of protein quality claims in Canada and the United States. Split green and yellow pea, whole green lentil, split red lentil, Kabuli chickpea, navy bean, pinto bean, light red kidney bean, and black bean were investigated. Protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) and the protein efficiency ratio (PER) were determined using the appropriate rodent models. All pulses had high digestibility values, >70%, with PDCAAS values greater than 0.5, thereby qualifying as a quality protein in the United States, but only navy beans qualified as a good source of protein. All pulses except whole green lentils, split red lentils, and split green peas would qualify as sources of protein with protein ratings between 20 and 30.4 in Canada. These findings support the use of pulses as protein sources in the regulatory context of both the United States and Canada.

Valuable Metals-Recovery Processes, Current Trends, and Recycling Strategies.

This Review provides an overview of valuable metals, the supply of which has been classified as critical for Europe. Starting with a description of the current state of the art, novel approaches for their recovery from primary resources are presented as well as recycling processes. The focus lies on developments since 2005. Chemistry strategies which are used in metal recovery are summarized on the basis of the individual types of deposit and mineral. In addition, the economic importance as well as utilization of the metals is outlined.

Formate dehydrogenase--a biocatalyst with novel applications in organic chemistry.

In the field of industrial biocatalysis, formate dehydrogenase (FDH) is well established, in particular for its broad application in cofactor regeneration. Further applications have been limited by the enzyme's narrow range of substrates. These restrictions have been overcome now by the finding, that the enzyme is capable of selectively cleaving formic acid esters to the respective alcohol. Five homologous alkyl formates and phenyl formate as an aromatic ester were converted quantitatively by FDH from Candida boidinii in a batch reaction within 3 to 5 h. The substrates were turned irreversibly into carbon dioxide and the respective alcohol through hydride abstraction from the formyl group with full conversion. The mechanism shows parallels to hydrolysis reactions of the A(AC)1-type. K(M)-values and reactions rates of the tested formic acid esters display a tendency to higher conversion rates with increasing chain length. FDH emerged to be a superior deformylation catalyst compared to hydrolases as well as classical catalysts, as was shown by the selective deformylation of 1-acetoxy-4-formoxy butane (92%) and 1,3-bis(3-formoxypropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane. In particular its capability to distinguish between formic acid esters and non-formic acid esters renders the method particularly suitable for protective group chemistry. Furthermore the completeness of deformylation allows for converting substrates highly incompatible with aqueous media like siloxanes within a few hours.