case studies

Case Studies

Data analyses for specific questions, usually paid by an organization or a company.

Some of these studies lead to research projects in statistical methodology:

Several studies in the analysis of Air Pollution Data collected by the administration of the Kanton of Zürich form the basis for research in Linear Unmixing Methods.
A cooperation with Novartis AG is followed up in the project on "Reaction Monitoring based on multivariate methods".
A "tunnel study" on emissions of road traffic was completed in 1994. Since similar studies will be undertaken in the near future, we are studying the statistical methods in more depth. The main topic is Robust Time Series Regression.

In some other studies, we are responsible for analyzing the data with known or relatively easily derived methods.

Calculations of emissions of road traffic for a whole region are obtained from "emission factors" measured in "dynamometric tests". Road conditions are simulated in a special lab ("Prüfstand"). Suitable velocity patterns, which mimick the "real world conditions", need to be defined. Jointly with an engineering consultant, INFRAS, we defined new patterns to be measured. This seems to lead to considerable corrections in the estimated pollution.
Paid by BUWAL, Bern.
The success of Rehabilitation Procedures of patients should be assessed by a routine analysis and presentation, which should help medical doctors to plan and evaluate their practice.
Paid by Universtiätsspital Zürich.
High speed trains can get into danger with high side winds. The Deutsche Bahn wants to find an alarm procedure based on wind forecasts of the Deutscher Wetterdienst.
Paid by Deutsche Bahn AG.
In a long cooperation (since 1985), we have helped to analyze the frequencies of birds within the Zurich air port. Some birds, which appear in swarms, can be a threat to safe operations of airplanes.
Paid by Flughafendirektion. In cooperation with biological consulting company FORNAT.