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Background All soft and solid surface structures in the oral cavity are covered by the acquired pellicle followed by bacterial colonization. This applies for natural structures as well as for restorative or prosthetic materials; the adherent bacterial biofilm is associated among others with the development of caries, periodontal diseases, peri-implantitis, or denture-associated stomatitis. Accordingly, there is a considerable demand for novel materials and coatings that limit and modulate bacterial attachment and/or propagation of microorganisms. Objectives and findings The present paper depicts the current knowledge on the impact of different physicochemical surface characteristics on bioadsorption in the oral cavity. Furthermore, it was carved out which strategies were developed in dental research and general surface science to inhibit bacterial colonization and to delay biofilm formation by low-fouling or “easy-to-clean” surfaces. These include the modulation of physicochemical properties such as periodic topographies, roughness, surface free energy, or hardness. In recent years, a large emphasis was laid on micro- and nanostructured surfaces and on liquid repellent superhydrophic as well as superhydrophilic interfaces. Materials incorporating mobile or bound nanoparticles promoting bacteriostatic or bacteriotoxic properties were also used. Recently, chemically textured interfaces gained increasing interest and could represent promising solutions for innovative antibioadhesion interfaces. Due to the unique conditions in the oral cavity, mainly in vivo or in situ studies were considered in the review. Conclusion Despite many promising approaches for modulation of biofilm formation in the oral cavity, the ubiquitous phenomenon of bioadsorption and adhesion pellicle formation in the challenging oral milieu masks surface properties and therewith hampers low-fouling strategies. Clinical relevance Improved dental materials and surface coatings with easy-to-clean properties have the potential to improve oral health, but extensive and systematic research is required in this field to develop biocompatible and effective substances.

Nanocrystal micro/nanoarrays with multiplexed functionalities are of broad interest in the field of nanophotonics, cellular dynamics, and biosensing due to their tunable electrical and optical properties. This work focuses on the multicolor patterning of two-dimensional nanoplatelets (NPLs) via two sequential self-assembly and direct electron-beam lithography steps. By using scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy, we demonstrate the successful fabrication of fluorescent nanoarrays with a thickness of only two or three monolayers (7-11 nm) and a feature line width of ∼40 nm, which is three to four NPLs wide. To this end, first, large-area thin films of red-emitting CdSe/ZnyCd1-yS and green-emitting CdSe1-xSx/ZnyCd1-yS core/shell NPLs are fabricated based on Langmuir-type self-assembly at the liquid/air interface. By varying the concentration of ligands in the subphase, we investigate the effect of interaction potential on the film's final characteristics to prepare thin superlattices suitable for the patterning step. Equipped with the ability to fabricate a uniform superlattice with a controlled thickness, we next perform nanopatterning on a thin film of NPLs utilizing a direct electron-beam lithography (EBL) technique. The effect of acceleration voltage, aperture size, and e-beam dosage on the nanopattern's resolution and fidelity is investigated for both of the presented NPLs. After successfully optimizing EBL parameters to fabricate single-color nanopatterns, we finally focus on fabricating multicolor patterns. The obtained micro/nanoarrays provide us with an innovative experimental platform to investigate biological interactions as well as Forster resonance energy transfer.

The in situ synthesis of biomolecules on glass surfaces for direct bioscreening can be a powerful tool in the fields of pharmaceutical sciences, biomaterials, and chemical biology. However, it is still challenging to 1) achieve this conventional multistep combinatorial synthesis on glass surfaces with small feature sizes and high yields and 2) develop a surface which is compatible with solid-phase syntheses, as well as the subsequent bioscreening. This work reports an amphiphilic coating of a glass surface on which small droplets of polar aprotic organic solvents can be deposited with an enhanced contact angle and inhibited motion to permit fully automated multiple rounds of the combinatorial synthesis of small-molecule compounds and peptides. This amphiphilic coating can be switched into a hydrophilic network for protein- and cell-based screening. Employing this in situ synthesis method, chemical space can be probed via array technology with unprecedented speed for various applications, such as lead discovery/optimization in medicinal chemistry and biomaterial development.

Bereits seit vielen Jahren wirbelt die Digitalisierung viele Industrien vollig durcheinander. Tradierte Geschaftsmodelle mit ihren Wertschopfungsstufen werden aufgebrochen, disruptive Ideen entstehen, werden umgesetzt und neue Spieler ubernehmen eine dominante Stellung in der Industrie. Jenseits bekannter Zuordnungen entstand eine neue Dynamik: Netzwerkfirmen schopfen den Markt ab und Disruptoren stellen jegliche Verfahrensweisen und Verhaltnismasigkeiten auf den Kopf.

Considering the attractive surface functionalities of springtails (Collembola), an attempt at mimicking their cuticular topography on metals is proposed. An efficient single-step manufacturing process has been considered, involving laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) generated by near-infrared femtosecond laser pulses. By investigating the influence of number of pulses and pulse fluence, extraordinarily uniform triangular structures were fabricated on stainless steel and titanium alloy surfaces, resembling the primary comb-like surface structure of springtails. The laser-textured metallic surfaces exhibited hydrophobic properties and light scattering effects that were considered in this research as a potential in-line process monitoring solution. The possibilities to increase the processing throughput by employing high repetition rates in the MHz-range are also investigated.

Textured implant surfaces with micrometer and sub-micrometer features can improve contact properties like cell adhesion and bacteria repellency. A critical point of these surfaces is their mechanical stability during implantation. Therefore, strategies capable to provide both biocompatibility for an improved implant healing and resistance to wear for protecting the functional surface are required. In this work, laser-based fabrication methods have been used to produce hierarchical patterns on titanium surfaces. Using Direct Laser Writing with a nanosecond pulsed laser, crater-like structures with a separation distance of 50 µm are produced on unpolished titanium surfaces. Directly on this texture, a hole-like pattern with 5 µm spatial period is generated using Direct Laser Interference Patterning with picosecond pulses. While the smaller features should reduce the bacterial adhesion, the larger geometry was designed to protect the smaller features from wear. On the multifunctional surface, the adherence of E. Coli bacteria is reduced by 30% compared to the untreated reference. In addition, wear test performed on the multiple-scale patterns demonstrated the possibility to protect the smaller features by the larger craters. Also, the influence of the laser treatment on the growth of a titanium oxide layer was evaluated using Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy analysis.

Functionalized metallic nanofeatures can be selectively fabricated via ultrashort laser processing; however, the cost-effective large-area texturing, intrinsically constrained by the diffraction limit of light, remains a challenging issue. A high-intensity near-field phenomenon that takes place when irradiating microsized spheres, referred to as photonic nanojet (PN), was investigated in the transitional state between geometrical optics and dipole regime to fabricate functionalized metallic subwavelength features. Finite element simulations were performed to predict the PN focal length and beam spot size, and nanofeature formation. A systematic approach was employed to functionalize metallic surface by varying the pulse energy, focal offset, and number of pulses to fabricate controlled array of nanoholes and to study the generation of triangular and rhombic laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). Finally, large-area texturing was investigated to minimize the dry laser cleaning (DLC) effect and improve homogeneity of PN-assisted texturing. Tailored dimensions and densities of achievable surface patterns could provide hexagonal light scattering and selective optical reflectance for a specific light wavelength. Surfaces exhibited controlled wetting properties with either hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity. No correlation was found between wetting and microbacterial colonization properties of textured metallic surfaces after 4 h incubation of Escherichia coli. However, an unexpected bacterial repellency was observed.

Springtails (Collembola) have a nanostructured cuticle. To evaluate and to understand anti-biofouling properties of springtail cuticles’ morphology under different conditions, springtails, shed cuticles and cuticle replicates were studied after incubation with protein solutions and bacterial cultures using common in vitro models. In a second step, they were exposed to human oral environment in situ in order to explore potential application in dentistry. In vitro , the cuticular structures were found to resist wetting by albumin solutions for up to 3 h and colonization by Staphylococcus epidermidis was inhibited. When exposed in the oral cavity, initial pellicle formation was of high heterogeneity: parts of the surface were coated by adsorbed proteins, others remained uncoated but exhibited locally attached, ‘bridging’, proteinaceous membranes spanning across cavities of the cuticle surface; this unique phenomenon was observed for the first time. Also the degree of bacterial colonization varied considerably. In conclusion, the springtail cuticle partially modulates bioadhesion in the oral cavity in a unique and specific manner, but it has no universal effect. Especially after longer exposure, the nanotextured surface of springtails is masked by the pellicle, resulting in subsequent bacterial colonization, and, thus, cannot effectively avoid bioadhesion in the oral cavity comprehensively. Nevertheless, the observed phenomena offer valuable information and new perspectives for the development of antifouling surfaces applicable in the oral cavity.

Modification of the biomaterial surface topography is a promising strategy to prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. In this study, we use direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) to modify polystyrene surface topography at sub-micrometer scale. The results revealed that three-dimensional micrometer structures have a profound impact on bacterial adhesion. Thus, line- and pillar-like patterns enhanced S. aureus adhesion, whereas complex lamella microtopography reduced S. aureus adhesion in static and continuous flow culture conditions. Interestingly, lamella-like textured surfaces retained the capacity to inhibit S. aureus adhesion both when the surface is coated with human serum proteins and when the material is implanted subcutaneously in a foreign-body associated infection model.

Objective The efficiency of vibroplasty (coupler-floating mass transducer [FMT] assembly) can be monitored by direct stimulation of the inner ear through the active middle-ear implant system and comparison of the vibroplasty in vivo threshold and the postoperative bone-conduction pure-tone threshold. The aim of this study was to compare the vibroplasty in vivo threshold with the postoperative speech recognition in patients with a high preoperative maximum word recognition score. Study design Retrospective cohort study of German-speaking patients implanted with a vibrating ossicular prosthesis (VORP) 502 or VORP 503 and high preoperative maximum word recognition score between the years of 2011 and 2015. Setting Multicenter study of four German centers. Patients Twenty-three active middle-ear implant users. Intervention Rehabilitative. Main outcome measures Bone-conduction pure-tone and vibroplasty thresholds, postoperative aided word recognition score (WRS) at 65 dB SPL (sound pressure level) and preoperative maximum WRS with Freiburg monosyllabic words. Results The mean postoperative aided WRS at 65 dB SPL was 82%. An increasing difference between vibroplasty thresholds and bone-conduction thresholds was associated with a higher discrepancy between the unaided maximum WRS and the postoperative aided WRS. Only if this difference was less than 20 dB, an articulation index of 0.5 (WRS = 75%) or more was achieved. Conclusions Audiological outcome after vibroplasty depends on the coupling efficiency reflected by the vibroplasty threshold.

The objective of this retrospective study was to investigate the horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex (hVOR) pathway with caloric test (low-frequency hVOR) and video head impulse test (vHIT) (high-frequency hVOR) in patients with sporadic vestibular schwannoma (69 patients, 27-86 years, mean age 58.1 years) and to compare both test methods in terms of their sensitivity and specificity to detect a retrocochlear lesion. Test results with a unilateral weakness (UWCaloric)25 % (caloric test) or a Mean-GainvHIT0.79/asymmetry ratio of Gain (AR-GainvHIT)8.5 % and accompanied refixation saccades (vHIT) were considered abnormal. The overall sensitivity of the caloric test was 72 %. The evaluation of AR-GainvHIT detected more abnormal cases than did Mean-GainvHIT (44 vs. 36 %). In up to 4 %, a normal caloric test result was related to an abnormal vHIT. There was only a moderate correlation of UWCaloric and AR-GainvHIT (r = 0.54, p0.05) with a linear regression line intercept/slope of 32.2/0.9 (p0.05). Receiver operating characteristics curve analysis exhibited at a UWCaloric of 50 % a vHIT sensitivity/specificity/positive predictive value/negative predictive value of 0.45/0.9/0.94/0.42. Vestibular testing at varying frequencies provides deeper insights into hVOR function and is helpful in detecting a cerebello-pontine lesion. Whereas caloric test yields a high sensitivity for nerve dysfunction, vHIT test reveals a remaining function of hVOR in the high-frequency range.

Springtails (Collembola) are wingless arthropods adapted to cutaneous respiration in temporarily rain-flooded habitats. They immediately form a plastron, protecting them against suffocation upon immersion into water and even low-surface-tension liquids such as alkanes. Recent experimental studies revealed a high-pressure resistance of such plastrons against collapse. In this work, skin sections of Orthonychiurus stachianus are studied by transmission electron microscopy. The micrographs reveal cavity side-wall profiles with characteristic overhangs. These were fitted by polynomials to allow access for analytical and numerical calculations of the breakthrough pressure, that is, the barrier against plastron collapse. Furthermore, model profiles with well-defined geometries were used to set the obtained results into context and to develop a general design principle for the most robust surface structures. Our results indicate the decisive role of the sectional profile of overhanging structures to form a robust heterogeneous wetting state for low-surface-tension liquids that enables the omniphobicity. Furthermore, the design principles of mushroom and serif T structures pave the way for omniphobic surfaces with a high-pressure resistance irrespective of solid surface chemistry.

Substrate topography can have profound effects on initial bacterial adhesion during biofilm formation. We applied Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli cells onto periodically structured substrates with different structure dimensions, structure types and wetting properties. We found a strong dependence of cell retention on the structure dimensions of the applied substrates. Periodicities in the range of the cell size increased, whereas smaller periodicities decreased cell retention, independent of contact time (minutes to hours) and hydrophobicity. These novel insights on the role of surface topography on bacterial retention might facilitate the development of non-fouling surfaces in the future.

In the past 15 years, many efforts were made to create functionalized artificial surfaces showing special anti-bacterial and anti-biofouling properties. Thereby, the topography of medical relevant materials plays an important role. However, the targeted fabrication of promising surface structures like hole-, lamella- and pyramid-like patterns with feature sizes in the sub-micrometer range in a one-step process is still a challenge. Optical and e-beam lithography, molding and selfassembly layers show a great potential to design topographies for this purpose. At the same time, most of these techniques are based on sequential processes, require masks or molds and thus are very device relevant and time consuming. In this work, we present the Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) technology as a capable method for the fast, flexible and direct fabrication of periodic micrometer- and submicrometer structures. This method offers the possibility to equip large plain areas and curved devices with 1D, 2D and 3D patterns. Simple 1D (e.g. lines) and complex 3D (e.g. lamella, pillars) patterns with periodic distances from 0.5 μm to 5 μm were fabricated on polymeric materials (polyimide, polystyrene). Subsequently, we characterized the adhesion behavior of Staphylococcus epidermidis and S. aureus bacteria under in vitro and in vivo conditions. The results revealed that the topographies have a significant impact on bacteria adhesion. On the one side, one-dimensional line-like structures especially with dimensions of the bacteria enhanced microbe attachment. While on the other hand, complex three-dimensional patterns prevented biofilm formation even after implantation and contamination in living organisms., J. Valle was supported by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation “Ramón y Cajal” contract. This research was supported by grants AGL2011-23954 and BIO2011-30503-C02-02 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitivity and IIQ14066.RI1 from Innovation Department of the Government of Navarra. A. Lasagni, D. Günther, and R. Helbig thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for the financial support of the project “Mechanically stable anti-adhesive polymer surfaces” (LA-2513 4-1, WE 2539/17-1).

Aim: The study aimed to investigate the effect of a customary fluoride solution, containing sodium fluoride and amine fluoride, on initial biofilm formation on enamel and dentin in situ compared directly to chlorhexidine. Methods: Bovine enamel and dentin specimens were mounted on maxillary splints carried by 9 subjects. After 1 min of pellicle formation, rinses with tap water (control), chlorhexidine (meridol med CHX 0.2%, GABA) and a fluoride mouthrinse (elmex, GABA) were performed for 1 min. Subsequently, the slabs were carried for another 8 h. The adherent bacteria were determined by DAPI staining, live-dead staining and determination of colony-forming units after desorption; glucan formation was visualized with concanavalin A. Additionally, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis of the in situ biofilm layers was conducted, and contact angle measurements were performed. Statistical evaluation was performed by means of the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by the Mann-Whitney U test (p < 0.05). Results: In the control group, significantly higher amounts of adherent bacteria were detected on dentin (4.8 × 106 ± 5.4 × 106 bacteria/cm2) than on enamel (1.2 × 106 ± 1.5 × 106 bacteria/cm2, DAPI). Chlorhexidine significantly reduced the amount of adherent bacteria (dentin: 2.8 × 105 ± 3.4 × 105 bacteria/cm2; enamel: 4.2 × 105 ± 8.7 × 105 bacteria/cm2). Rinses with the fluoride solution also significantly reduced bacterial adherence to dentin (8.1 × 105 ± 1.5 × 106 bacteria/cm2). Fluoride could not be detected by EDX analysis of the biofilms. Fluoride mouthrinsing did not influence the wettability of the pellicle-covered enamel surface. Conclusion: In addition to the reduction of demineralization and antibacterial effects, fluorides inhibit initial biofilm formation on dental hard tissues considerably, especially on dentin.

Collembola (springtails) are soil arthropods, representing the most widespread hexapod group worldwide. Being skin-breathing animals, Collembola evolved special cuticular patterns, which are robust and antiadhesive allowing cuticular respiration under humid conditions in the soil environment. Details about function and formation of these unique cuticle characters are still unknown. Here we demonstrate that a high diversity of cuticular structures exists and that the different observed structural patterns of Collembola cuticles might go along with specific adaptations to life in soil. We examined the cuticle structures of 40 different species using scanning electron microscopy and compared the cuticle patterns of the different species with information about their preferred habitat. In addition, we compare the results with current systematic concepts, showing that certain cuticle structures are typical for different collembolan groups.

Die durch Barany zu Beginn des 20. Jahrhunderts klinisch eingefuhrte thermische Prufung war lange Zeit die wichtigste Methode zur seitengetrennten Evaluierung der Funktion der horizontalen Bogengange. 1988 beschrieben Halmagyi und Curthoys erstmals den so genannten Kopfimpulstest. Die Weiterentwicklung dieser Methode zum Video-Kopfimpulstest ermoglicht heute die Visualisierung des vestibulookularen Reflexes (VOR) und damit eine Objektivierung von Storungen aller drei Bogengange jeder Seite. Diese neue diagnostische Methode leitete gemeinsam mit den vestibular evozierten myogenen Potenzialen (VEMP) eine neue Ara in der Gleichgewichtsdiagnostik ein.

Modification of the biomaterial surface topography is a promising strategy to prevent bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. In this study, we use direct laser interference patterning (DLIP) to modify polystyrene surface topography at sub-micrometer scale. The results revealed that three-dimensional micrometer structures have a profound impact on bacterial adhesion. Thus, line- and pillar-like patterns enhanced S. aureus adhesion, whereas complex lamella microtopography reduced S. aureus adhesion in static and continuous flow culture conditions. Interestingly, lamella-like textured surfaces retained the capacity to inhibit S. aureus adhesion both when the surface is coated with human serum proteins and when the material is implanted subcutaneously in a foreign-body associated infection model.

Waterproof and self-cleaning surfaces continue to attract much attention as they can be instrumental in various different technologies. Such surfaces are typically rough, allowing liquids to contact only the outermost tops of their asperities, with air being entrapped underneath. The formed solid–liquid–air interface is metastable and, hence, can be forced into a completely wetted solid surface. A detailed understanding of the wetting barrier and the dynamics of this transition is critically important for the practical use of the related surfaces. Toward this aim, wetting transitions were studied in situ at a set of patterned perfluoropolyether dimethacrylate (PFPEdma) polymer surfaces exhibiting surface features with different types of sidewall profiles. PFPEdma is intrinsically hydrophobic and exhibits a refractive index very similar to water. Upon immersion of the patterned surfaces into water, incident light was differently scattered at the solid–liquid–air and solid–liquid interface, which allows for distinguishing between both wetting states by dark-field microscopy. The wetting transition observed with this methodology was found to be determined by the sidewall profiles of the patterned structures. Partial recovery of the wetting was demonstrated to be induced by abrupt and continuous pressure reductions. A theoretical model based on Laplace’s law was developed and applied, allowing for the analytical calculation of the transition barrier and the potential to revert the wetting upon pressure reduction.

Springtail skin morphology is translated into robust omniphobic polymer membranes by reverse imprint lithography. The combination of overhanging cross-sections and their arrangement in a self-supporting comblike pattern are crucial for mechanically stable coatings that can be even applied to curved surfaces.

Fluorinated surface groups were introduced into poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) coatings by plasma treatment using a low pressure radio frequency discharge operated with tetrafluoromethane. Substrates were placed in a remote position downstream the discharge. Discharge power and treatment time were tuned to alter the chemical composition of the plasma treated PDMS surface. The physicochemical properties and stability of the fluorine containing PDMS were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measurements. Smooth PDMS coatings with a fluorine content up to 47% were attainable. The CF4 plasma treatment generated a harder, non-brittle layer at the top-most surface of the PDMS. No changes of surface morphology were observed upon one week incubation in aqueous media. Surprisingly, the PDMS surface was more hydrophilic after the introduction of fluorine. This may be explained by an increased exposure of oxygen containing moieties towards the surface upon re-orientation of fluorinated groups towards the bulk, and/or be a consequence of oxidation effects associated with the plasma treatment. Experiments with strains of marine bacteria with different surface energies, Cobetia marina and Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus, showed a significant decrease of bacteria attachment upon fluorination of the PDMS surface. Altogether, the CF4 plasma treatments successfully introduced fluorinated groups into the PDMS, being a robust and versatile surface modification technology that may find application where a minimization of bacterial adhesion is required.

Auch wenn in der Literaturstudie zum Prozessmanagement in Kapitel 3 einheitlich die Analysephase aufgefuhrt wird, so ist diese Phase bei den Vertretern des Business Reengineering Ansatzes, wie z.B.Hammer und Champy (1994)durchaus umstritten. Die Analyse bestehender Prozesse wurde danach eine radikale Veranderung verhindern, da durch die in der Analysephase ermittelten Ablaufe Kreativitat behindert wird. Aber selbstDavenport (1993) stellt fest, dass viele Unternehmen diese von der Theorie geforderte radikale Veranderung nicht akzeptieren.

Ein konsequent eingesetztes Prozessmanagement wirkt sich stark verandernd auf das Unternehmen aus. Daher werden in diesem Abschnitt — nachdem zuvor das Prozessmanagement erlautert, ein Vorgehenskonzept (Leitfaden) entwickelt und erfolgreich in Fallbeispielen umgesetzt worden ist — die Konsequenzen, die aus der Anwendung des Prozessmanagements resultieren, diskutiert. Dabei sind die Auswirkungen nicht nur auf das Unternehmen begrenzt zu betrachten, denn der Pro-zess von Urproduktion bis zum Kunden findet in der Regel nicht in einem einzigen Unternehmen statt. So begunstigt die Sichtweise des Prozessmanagements die uberbetriebliche Betrachtung, denn ahnlich einem innerbetrieblichen Prozess, der interne Lieferanten benotigt, die geeignete Produkte als Eingaben fur den Prozess liefern und Abnehmer, die das erzeugte Produkt weiterverarbeiten, stellen Unternehmen auf aggregierter Ebene Prozesseinheiten dar, die uber Lieferanten und Kunden verknupft sind. Wie im Unternehmen durch Prozessmanagement die Prozessablaufe uber die Abteilungsgrenzen hinweg koordiniert werden, so werden die Prozesse als konsequente Fortfuhrung uber die Unternehmensgrenzen hinweg organisiert.

Die Umsetzung des Prozesses ist als kritische Phase des Prozessmanagements zu betrachten, denn hier werden tradierte Arbeitsablaufe sowie Aufgaben- und Verantwortungsbereiche verandert. Neben dieser komplexen menschlichen Situation ist oftmals zusatzlich eine technologische Veranderung gegeben. Daher mussen alle zuvor behandelten Phasen des Prozessmanagements, wie bereits in Abschnitt 4.5 beschrieben, in die Umsetzung integriert sein. So beginnt die Umsetzung nicht erst nach Auswahl des optimierten Prozesses, sondern bereits in der Definitionsphase mit der Bildung der Prozessteams (s. Abb. 4–11).

Die dritte Phase des Prozessmanagements beinhaltet das kreative Element des Entwurfs alternativer Prozesse. Abb. 6-1 gibt die wesentlichen Themen in logischen Zusammenhangen wieder, die in diesem Abschnitt behandelt werden.

In diesem Abschnitt werden am Beispiel des Kundenreklamations-Prozesses, in Softwareunternehmen auch Hotline-Prozess genannt, zwei Prototypen vorgestellt, die einen organisierten Prozessablauf unterstutzen. Wahrend der erste Prototyp auf der im Unternehmen bestehenden technischen Infrastruktur aufbaut und ausschlieslich den internen Teil des betrachteten Prozesses unterstutzt, basiert der zweite Prototyp auf der Internet-Technologie und ermoglicht durch Etablierung von Identifikationsmechanismen, die Kunden in den betrachteten Reklamations-prozess mit einzubeziehen. Der Prototyp kann so die Schnittstelle zwischen Kunden und Unternehmen mit in den unterstutzten Prozess integrieren. Die daraus entstehenden Vorteile und Konsequenzen werden im letzten Abschnitt dieses Kapitels diskutiert.

Die Definitionsphase umfasst als Hauptaufgabe die Identifikation der wichtigsten Prozesse, der sogenannten Kernprozesse. Da es in der Literatur nicht nur vielfaltige Bezeichnungen fur diese Art der Prozesse gibt, sondern auch unterschiedlichste Definitionen, wird in diesem Abschnitt der Begriff des Kemprozesses definiert und dessen Eigenschaften vorgestellt, bevor die Vorgehensweise zur Identifikation von Kernprozessen erlautert wird.

Diese Phase des Prozessmanagements ist im Unternehmen immerwahrend aktiv und schafft durch die kontinuierliche Uberwachung der Prozesse die Voraussetzung fur das unmittelbare Erkennen von Schwachstellen. Die ersten vier Phasen werden nur aktiviert, wenn in der Controllingphase Defizite erkannt worden sind, die auf Verbesserungsbedarf oder Verbesserungspotential hindeuten. Die Art der Abweichungen und das Umfeld des Unternehmens entscheiden daruber, welcher Regelkreis beschritten werden soll, also ob es sich um eine kleinere Anpassung im Rahmen der kontinuierlichen Verbesserung handelt, oder um eine grundsatzliche Reorganisation. Neben der reinen Datenerfassung ist es somit auch Aufgabe dieser Phase, die erfassten Daten auszuwerten und aus identifizierten Defiziten Masnahmen abzuleiten bzw. weitere grundsatzliche Analyseschritte einzuleiten.

Der Leitfaden zum Prozessmanagement soll die funf Phasen mit ihren wesentlichen Aktivitaten, den eingesetzten Methoden und den benotigten Informationsquellen im Uberblick darstellen. Zusatzlich soll aufgezeigt werden, welche Ergebnisse die einzelnen Aktivitaten des Prozessmanagements erzeugen und wer daran beteiligt ist. Orientiert am vorgestellten Funf-Phasen-Konzept wird zu jeder Phase kurz ein Ablaufdiagramm in Kombination mit den eben genannten Inhalten vorgestellt.

Prozessorientierte Ansatze zu Gestaltung und Management von Organisationen bzw. Unternehmen sind in den letzten Jahren haufig diskutiert und beschrieben worden. Daraus entstand eine grose Begriffsvielfalt und —Verwirrung. Dieser Abschnitt gibt einen Uberblick uber prozessorientierte Konzepte und zeigt, warum sie in den letzten Jahren so an Bedeutung gewonnen haben, was unter den verschiedenen gebrauchlichen Begriffen zu verstehen ist, was Unternehmen mit Prozessorientierung verbinden und wie sie sie umsetzen und aus welchen grundlegenden Komponenten das Prozessmanagement besteht.

Der Schwerpunkt der zuvor vorgestellten Fallstudie lag in der Anwendung und Uberprufung des in Teil I entwickelten Leitfadens zum Prozessmanagement. So wurden am Beispiel eines Dienstleistungsuntemehmens die Phasen eins bis vier durchlaufen. Es konnte festgestellt werden, dass der Leitfaden gut geeignet ist Kernprozesse zu identifizieren, Prozesse aufzunehmen und auf Schwachstellen zu analysieren sowie neue Prozesse zu entwerfen und umzusetzen. Die Ergebnisse und der Prozessentwurf dienten der Konzeption eines Informations- und Kommunikations-Systems, das den vorgestellten Reklamationsprozess optimal unterstutzt.

Wie zuvor beschrieben, existieren unterschiedliche Managementkonzepte, die entweder auf dem Prinzip der kontinuierlichen Verbesserung, oder auf dem der radikalen Veranderungen beruhen. Der Entwurf des folgenden Phasenmodells hat zum Ziel, diese in der Literatur teilweise widerspruchig diskutierten Managementansatze zusammenzufuhren. Dadurch sollen die positiven Effekte des standigen Feilens und Nachbesserns an Prozessablaufen mit denen von Innovationssprunge durch radikale Anderungen verknupft werden.

Springtails (Collembola) are wingless arthropods adapted to cutaneous respiration in temporarily rain-flooded and microbially contaminated habitats by a non-wetting and antiadhesive skin surface that is mechanically rather stable. Recapitulating the robust and effectively repellent surface characteristics of springtail skin in engineered materials may offer exciting opportunities for demanding applications, but it requires a detailed understanding of the underlying design principles. Towards this aim and based on our recent analysis of the structural features of springtail skin, we developed a tunable polymer replication process to dissect the contributions of different structural elements and surface chemistry to the omniphobic performance of the cuticle. The Cassie–Wenzel transition at elevated pressures was explored by in situ plastron collapse experiments and by numerical FEM simulations. The results obtained unravel the decisive role of nanoscopic cuticle structures for the protection of springtails against wetting, and explain how the evolved nanotopography enables the production of omniphobic surfaces even from intrinsically hydrophilic polymer materials. The wetting behavior of a material's surface is a property of fundamental interest to material scientists. Springtails, also known as collembola, are soil-dwelling arthropods that typically respire through their skin. To avoid suffocating in wet conditions, springtails have evolved a complex, hierarchically nanostructured skin surface that repels water with remarkable efficiency. Carsten Werner at the Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden, Germany, and his colleagues have carried out numerical simulations and made accurate polymer-based replicas of this skin surface in order to understand better its anti-wetting behavior. Their results show that tiny overhangs in the nanostructure help to trap air against the surface in the wet, providing an effective barrier against wetting. The researchers further showed that even intrinsically hydrophilic materials will repel water when structured in this way. An improved understanding of springtail skin behaviour provides valuable insights that will aid scientists to design engineered materials with improved anti-wetting properties. Springtails, wingless arthropods, are adapted to cutaneous respiration in temporarily rain-flooded habitats by a hierarchically structured skin surface. A tunable polymer replication process was applied to dissect the contributions of different structural elements and surface chemistry to the omniphobic performance of the skin.

Springtails, arthropods who live in soil, in decaying material, and on plants, have adapted to demanding conditions by evolving extremely effective and robust anti-adhesive skin patterns. However, details of these unique properties and their structural basis are still unknown. Here we demonstrate that collembolan skin can resist wetting by many organic liquids and at elevated pressures. We show that the combination of bristles and a comb-like hexagonal or rhombic mesh of interconnected nanoscopic granules distinguish the skin of springtails from anti-adhesive plant surfaces. Furthermore, the negative overhang in the profile of the ridges and granules were revealed to be a highly effective, but as yet neglected, design principle of collembolan skin. We suggest an explanation for the non-wetting characteristics of surfaces consisting of such profiles irrespective of the chemical composition. Many valuable opportunities arise from the translation of the described comb-like patterns and overhanging profiles of collembolan skin into man-made surfaces that combine stability against wear and friction with superior non-wetting and anti-adhesive characteristics.