Abstract In this experimental study, we investigated the impact of a mindfulness intervention on knowledge sharing and knowledge collecting (de Vries et al. 2016) during a 2-day command post exercise of German senior police officers. The setting of the experiment took place under the terms of a command post exercise (Stabs-Rahmenübung), held once a year at the Federal Academy for Civil Defense and Civil Protection (Bundesakademie für Bevölkerungs- und Zivilschutz—BABZ). The BABZ provides premises and technical facilities for advanced training, and the police officers spend a week focusing exclusively on learning and training for police staff work (polizeiliche Stabsarbeit). Mayring (2010) identified three aspects (cognition, emotion, action) influencing communication’s semiotic aspect. These three aspects were addressed during the mindfulness intervention used in the field study, with participants being asked to provide a short statement about their current state of cognition, emotion, and physical experience. The intervention was conducted before and after each of the two daily command post exercises for the experimental group (N = 46), while no intervention occurred for the control group (N = 58). Knowledge sharing and knowledge collecting were assessed with the Knowledge Donating and Knowledge Collecting Items (de Vries et al. 2016). While planned contrast analyses revealed no effect on knowledge donating, our data suggest a tendency for a positive influence of the mindfulness intervention on knowledge collecting. These differences between knowledge sharing and collecting might occur because knowledge collecting is more implicit and part of the process of building a shared mental model (Cannon-Bowers et al. 1993). The impact of knowledge collecting will be discussed in light of the self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci 2000) and the impact of individual and collective mindfulness in high-reliability organizations (Weick and Sutcliffe 2001), respectively high-responsibility teams (Hagemann et al. 2012).

Abstract In this study, we report highly crosslinked hybrid aerogels with an organic backbone based on vinylmethyldimethoxysilane (VMDMS) with tuneable properties. For an improved and highly reproducible synthesis, a prepolymer based on 2,4,6,8-tetramethyl-2,4,6,8-tetravinylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4V4) and VMDMS as monomers was prepared and purified. Di-tert-butylperoxide (DTBP) concentrations of 1 mol% initiate the radical polymerization of the mentioned monomers to achieve high yields of polymers. After purification, the obtained viscous polyorganosilane precursor could be reproducibly crosslinked with dimethyldimethoxysilane (DMDMS) or methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) to form gels in benzylic alcohol (BzOH), water (H2O) and tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAOH). Whereas freeze-drying these silica-based hybrid aerogels led to high thermal conductivity (>20 mW m−1K−1) and very fragile materials, useful aerogels were obtained via solvent exchange and supercritical drying with CO2. The DMDMS-based aerogels exhibit enhanced compressibility (31% at 7 kPa) and low thermal conductivity (16.5 mW m−1K−1) with densities around (0.111 g cm−3). The use of MTMS results in aerogels with lower compressibility (21% at 7 kPa) and higher density (0.124 g cm−3) but excellent insulating properties (14.8 mW m−1K−1).

The precision of yield calculation of modern design and simulation software for photovoltaic systems strongly rely, beside the accuracy of the specified module and inverter data, on the quality of the weather data. Since data from weather stations is not available for most locations world-wide this data is calculated by using modern interpolation methods. Beside this, simulation software typically uses historical weather data. In this work the mismatch of yield simulation results based on proprietary data, meaning interpolated or also called synthetical data, and data coming from a weather station in proximity to the installation is evaluated. The simulated data sets are compared to measurement data as obtained by the inverter output and hence give a profound understanding how interpolated data may influence the simulation results. The outcome shows that the quality of the yield simulation, if compared to the measurement data, is increased by a factor of up to four if on-site weather data is used as input for the simulation. The largest source of deviation is irradiation, which varies up to 10% if synthetical and measured irradiation on-site is compared. The second largest sources for simulation mismatches are power calculation and module temperature correction.

The question of the optimal design of financial systems, whether more bank-based or more market-based, has a long history. Four phases of the discussion can be distinguished: Before World War I, in the rivalry between Germany and England, the debate begins. Across the spectrum, from the liberal Adolf Weber to the Marxist Rudolf Hilferding and the eclectic Joseph Schumpeter, comparisons were made, and the heterogenous authors arrived at similar assessments. During the Cold War, in contrast to the Soviet-Russian model, Alexander Gerschenkron’s depiction with the advantages of backwardness became influential. After the 1990s and in line with the Varieties of Capitalism approach, the discussion led by Ross Levine resulted in a consensus where different financial systems were embedded in their broader institutional context. The current discussion attempts to prove the superiority of capital markets, pointing to the American system as example.