Industrial Union of Metalworkers

This study investigates the combined effects of salinity and microplastic contamination on the evaporation process and salt crystallization in porous media through complementary column- and pore-scale experiments. Laboratory soil columns were packed with either pure sand or sand mixed with 5% (w/w) poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) microplastics and subsequently saturated with freshwater or saline (NaCl) solution. Evaporation and crystallization dynamics were monitored by using mass loss measurements, surface optical and thermal imaging, and synchrotron X-ray tomography. Results show that salinity consistently suppressed evaporation by roughly 25–30%, whereas PVC microplastics enhanced it, generating substantial differences in cumulative water loss across treatments. Moreover, thermal imaging revealed distinct surface responses: NaCl samples developed salt crusts that progressively reduced local temperature contrasts and led to more spatially uniform surface conditions, whereas PVC-NaCl samples exhibited lower mean surface temperatures but substantially higher spatial variability, reflected in larger and more persistent temperature anomalies during drying. Pore-scale μCT imaging further confirmed that microplastics altered crystallization patterns by redistributing salt deposition over the upper part of the sand profile and modifying the nucleation behavior. Together, these findings underscore the complex interplay between microplastics and salinity, with implications for soil moisture regulation, surface energy flux, and environmental monitoring strategies.

Este artigo apresenta o desenvolvimento e a aplicação de uma ferramenta digital de avaliação diagnóstica na Educação Infantil, voltada à identificação e ao acompanhamento de habilidades preditoras da alfabetização, com base na análise de desenhos e da escrita inicial das crianças, mediada por Inteligência Artificial Generativa. A proposta fundamenta-se na Ciência da Leitura, na Psicopedagogia e em estudos clássicos e contemporâneos sobre o desenvolvimento gráfico e a escrita infantil. O método teve origem em uma prática pedagógica desenvolvida inicialmente de forma manual no contexto da Educação Infantil e dos anos iniciais do Ensino Fundamental, por meio de sondagens sistemáticas realizadas ao longo do ano letivo, as quais apresentaram resultados pedagógicos positivos, mas evidenciaram limitações relacionadas à subjetividade interpretativa nas análises realizadas pelas professoras, à dificuldade de padronização dos critérios avaliativos e à consequente sobrecarga do processo de validação das sondagens. Diante desses desafios, o método foi transposto para um aplicativo educacional baseado em técnicas de visão computacional com reconhecimento de padrões e modelos de linguagem de grande escala (LLM). A ferramenta automatiza a classificação das fases do desenho e da escrita inicial, viabiliza o acompanhamento longitudinal do desenvolvimento infantil e gera relatórios individualizados com recomendações pedagógicas, contribuindo para maior precisão diagnóstica e apoio à tomada de decisão em nível de rede de ensino, escolas, turmas e também no nível individual.

Zusammenfassung Die Automobilindustrie ist seit den 1950er-Jahren das Herzstück der deutschen Wirtschaft. Aufgrund ihrer sozio-ökonomischen und sozio-kulturellen Prägekraft gilt sie als deutsche Schlüsselindustrie und Konjunkturlokomotive. Soziokulturell hält sich die Vorstellung vom Auto als dem inszenierten Statussymbol mit kulturellen Flexibilitätsvorteilen, womit sich soziale Teilhabe sowie die Befriedigung von materiellen Lebensbedürfnissen realisieren lassen. Im Kontext der Klimakrise ist die Privilegierung des motorisierten Individualverkehrs (MIV) zunehmend in die Kritik geraten. Inwieweit es zu der vieldiskutierten Verkehrswende kommt, bestehend aus alternativen Mobilitätsformen, der Reduktion des Individualverkehrs, dem Aufbau kollektiver Infrastruktur und gemeinschaftlicher Fortbewegungsmittel, hängt nicht zuletzt an den Gestaltungs- aber auch Vetoabsichten der tripartistischen Akteursgruppen, Kapital, Arbeit und Staat, ab. Ob eine Neujustierung der Automobilwirtschaft durch kooperatives Handeln der genannten Akteursgruppen gelingen kann oder ob die bestehenden akteursbezogenen Handlungspräferenzen eine Wende verlangsamen, wenn nicht sogar scheitern lassen, ist das Thema des vorliegenden Beitrags.

Among the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, significant efforts have been undertaken to develop antimicrobial/antiviral surfaces by exploiting coating solutions. In this article, we review the actions undertaken by the EU project MIRIA, the main one being the reduction of pathogen transmission on high-traffic surfaces in public and healthcare environments. The project implements several synergies from key antimicrobial/antiviral element selection to the grafting of complex-shaped surfaces. The focus is given to one of the project’s key strategies: the adoption of sol-gel technology, known for its efficiency in creating versatile, cost-effective coatings suitable for a wide range of substrates. The project rigorously tests the coatings in simulated environments, such as operating theatres, ensuring their effectiveness and safety. This includes comprehensive durability testing against environmental, chemical, and mechanical stresses, guaranteeing the coatings’ long-term functionality. MIRIA’s validation process encompasses antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral testing in line with international standards, confirming their broad-spectrum pathogen resistance. Along with this overview, the impact of the initiative is elucidated, extending beyond healthcare, enhancing public health, creating safer living, and working environments, and reducing economic losses due to illness. To this, the MIRIA project is expected to significantly contribute to the European research and innovation in antimicrobial coatings, addressing challenges like scalability and efficacy against various pathogens. The emphasis on sustainable synthesis, including bio-based materials which align with ecological goals, positions MIRIA as a pivotal initiative in enhancing health safety standards and resilience across Europe.

Material extrusion additive manufacturing enables the production of complex objects fabricated from sinterable materials embedded in an extrudable feedstock. Here, we describe the fundamental aspects of the fabrication process with specific attention to the hierarchy of printed objects, including the various length scales of objects fabricated. Using the hierarchy as a guide, we detail various physical and chemical attributes which contribute to overall print and object performance. We illustrate the interplay between the length scales using specific examples of extrusion performance and the effect of toolpathing on printing accuracy and part strength.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is changing the world of work. For trade unions, the issue of how to regulate the use of AI is a central but difficult topic because the technology is still at an early stage and experience on its use limited. Focusing on Germany, this article addresses the following questions: (1) what areas of application and use cases for AI are relevant for trade unions and works councils?, (2) what role do trade union positions and demands play in the political discussion on regulating the use of AI?, (3) what strategies are trade unions using to influence the regulation and use of AI in the workplace?, and (4) what experiences are they gaining during this process? Reviewing trade union strategies, this article shows which concepts of human-centred AI the trade unions are trying to promote, how they try to ensure that works councils and trade unionists get appropriate training to understand the new technologies, and how dealing with AI is changing the way works councils work. The article also shows how the characteristics of the German system of industrial relations influence discussions on AI and the processes of implementing it in the workplace.

Abstract The current research on grain boundary dynamics in metals is reviewed. The boundary dynamics, i. e., the boundary reaction to applied forces, is strongly dependent on the grain boundary character, which is commonly reduced to the orientation relationship between adjacent grains and impurity segregation at the boundary. The misorientation dependence of the motion of specific capillary driven grain boundaries, the effect of inclination on the mobility of planar boundaries and the dislocation absorption by moving boundaries are considered. The role of segregation behaviour and boundary crystallography for the orientation dependence of boundary mobility is addressed. The compensation effect for the motion of structurally different grain boundaries is discussed.

Abstract The development of new manufacturing technologies opens up new perspectives for the production of propellers (diameter < 5 m), especially since the use of the established sand casting process as a technology is only partially competitive in today’s market. Therefore, different applications of generative manufacturing methods for the implementation into the production process were investigated. One approach is the mould production using additive manufacturing processes. Investigations showed that especially for large components with high wall thicknesses available systems and processes for sand casting mould production are cost-intensive and conditionally suitable. With our development of a large-format FDM printer, however, the direct production of large-format positive moulds for, for example, yacht propellers up to 4 m in diameter is possible. Due to the comparatively low accuracy requirements for the mould, the focus is on the durability of the drive system and the rigidity of this FDM printer. Equipped with simple linear technology in portal design and cubic design of the frame structure with rigid heated print bed, the aim is to achieve maximum material extrusion via the print head. The production of plastic models not only facilitates handling during the moulding process, but also allows considerable time and cost savings to be made during the running process. A further step in our development is the direct production of the components using WAAM. A possible concept for robot-supported build-up welding for the production of new innovative propeller geometries is presented using the example of a hollow turbine blade for a tidal power plant.