Efficient Intralogistics Planning Based on an Innovative Intralogistics Tool using the Example of a Flexible Battery Cell Factory

In the course of increasingly volatile markets, globalization as well as shorter product life cycles, factories and thus also the logistics system as a central component of a factory have to be designed in a more flexible way. Battery cell production faces a special challenge in this aspect. Due to the trend towards a sustainable and environmentally friendly energy supply and mobility, the demand is expected to increase significantly. New battery cell factories have to manage rising product volumes and simultaneously react versatile regarding new research findings. Thus, the market for battery cells, the product itself, and the corresponding manufacturing processes are constantly changing. New materials, manufacturing methods, variations of cell formats as well as the possibility of scalability and the associated changes in the requirements for the factory must be taken into account as early as possible in the planning stage. The logistics system as one of the core elements of a factory is always affected by changes in the product, manufacturing processes or input materials. If, for instance, other materials are used, the storage and transport of these goods with different dimensions, weight or even environmental requirements must still be guaranteed. In order to consider the required flexibility already in the planning process, simulation can provide a decisive benefit. It enables the planner to analyse the production and iteratively adapt logistics planning. Since there are many possibilities and combinations, especially in the design of warehouse and transport systems, a reduction of these should take place at an early stage. However, the preselection of suitable logistics systems that provide the necessary flexibility is currently often based on empirical knowledge and extensive market research. Therefore, this paper presents an efficient, holistic approach to logistics planning and an intralogistics tool in detail, which is based on established data. As a result, an optimal logistics system can be defined through an iterative optimization of the flexibility corridor, taking into account the factory goals

Adaption of the Level of Development to the Factory Layout Planning and Introduction of a Quality Assurance Process

Current developments and trends are causing an increasingly turbulent environment for manufacturing companies. In order to respond to these dynamic market conditions, products and thus also production systems have to be adapted more frequently and much faster. However, time and cost targets are often missed by classic factory planning approaches due to poor communication, inadequate tools, and lack of interfaces. Therefore, new ways have to be found in factory planning to overcome these problems. Building Information Modeling, which is already used in the construction industry, provides a promising method for the collaboration of stakeholders based on digital models. This would allow communication to be structured, new tools to be used, and interfaces to be stabilized to improve the target achievement in factory planning projects. However, which information should be provided in which level of detail in which phase of a factory planning project and how the quality of this information can be ensured has not yet been answered. A possible solution to these questions is addressed in this article. First, the concept of the so-called Level of Development, i.e. the geometric and non-geometric definition of the model contents, is transferred to factory layout planning. Then, based on two use cases, the process of quality assurance is defined

An integrated systems approach for understanding cellular responses to gamma radiation

Cellular response to stress entails complex mRNA and protein abundance changes, which translate into physiological adjustments to maintain homeostasis as well as to repair and minimize damage to cellular components. We have characterized the response of the halophilic archaeon Halobacterium salinarum NRC-1 to (60)Co ionizing gamma radiation in an effort to understand the correlation between genetic information processing and physiological change. The physiological response model we have constructed is based on integrated analysis of temporal changes in global mRNA and protein abundance along with protein–DNA interactions and evolutionarily conserved functional associations. This systems view reveals cooperation among several cellular processes including DNA repair, increased protein turnover, apparent shifts in metabolism to favor nucleotide biosynthesis and an overall effort to repair oxidative damage. Further, we demonstrate the importance of time dimension while correlating mRNA and protein levels and suggest that steady-state comparisons may be misleading while assessing dynamics of genetic information processing across transcription and translation

Proceedings of the Linux Audio Conference 2018

These proceedings contain all papers presented at the Linux Audio Conference 2018. The conference took place at c-base, Berlin, from June 7th - 10th, 2018 and was organized in cooperation with the Electronic Music Studio at TU Berlin

Pedagogical Agents for Fostering Question-Asking Skills in Children

Question asking is an important tool for constructing academic knowledge, and a self-reinforcing driver of curiosity. However, research has found that question asking is infrequent in the classroom and children's questions are often superficial, lacking deep reasoning. In this work, we developed a pedagogical agent that encourages children to ask divergent-thinking questions, a more complex form of questions that is associated with curiosity. We conducted a study with 95 fifth grade students, who interacted with an agent that encourages either convergent-thinking or divergent-thinking questions. Results showed that both interventions increased the number of divergent-thinking questions and the fluency of question asking, while they did not significantly alter children's perception of curiosity despite their high intrinsic motivation scores. In addition, children's curiosity trait has a mediating effect on question asking under the divergent-thinking agent, suggesting that question-asking interventions must be personalized to each student based on their tendency to be curious.Comment: Accepted at CHI 202

Quality assurance process within the RAdiosurgery for VENtricular TAchycardia (RAVENTA) trial for the fusion of electroanatomical mapping and radiotherapy planning imaging data in cardiac radioablation

A novel quality assurance process for electroanatomical mapping (EAM)-to-radiotherapy planning imaging (RTPI) target transport was assessed within the multi-center multi-platform framework of the RAdiosurgery for VENtricular TAchycardia (RAVENTA) trial. A stand-alone software (CARDIO-RT) was developed to enable platform independent registration of EAM and RTPI of the left ventricle (LV), based on pre-generated radiotherapy contours (RTC). LV-RTC were automatically segmented into the American-Heart-Association 17-segment-model and a manual 3D-3D method based on EAM 3D-geometry data and a semi-automated 2D-3D method based on EAM screenshot projections were developed. The quality of substrate transfer was evaluated in five clinical cases and the structural analyses showed substantial differences between manual target transfer and target transport using CARDIO-RT

Echocardiographic parameters indicating left atrial reverse remodeling after catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation

BackgroundThe echocardiographic parameters total atrial conduction time (PA-TDI duration), left atrial (LA) volume index (LAVI), and LA strain reflect adverse atrial remodeling and predict atrial fibrillation (AF).ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to investigate echocardiographic parameters indicating reverse LA remodeling and potential associations with AF recurrence after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI).MethodsThis prospective observational study consecutively enrolled patients scheduled for PVI for symptomatic AF. Electrocardiogram (ECG) test and transthoracic echocardiography were performed the day before and after PVI and again 3 months later. AF recurrence was determined by Holter ECG at 3 months, and telephone follow-up at 12 months, after PVI. The parameters of LA remodeling [PA-TDI, LAVI, and LA strain analysis: reservoir strain (LASr), conduit strain (LAScd), contraction strain (LASct)] were determined by transthoracic echocardiography.ResultsA total of 48 patients were included in the study (mean age: 61.4 ± 12.2 years). PA-TDI significantly decreased the day after PVI compared with the baseline (septal PA-TDI 103 ± 13 vs. 82 ± 14.9 ms, p ≤ 0.001; lateral PA-TDI 122.4 ± 14.8 vs. 106.9 ± 14.4 ms, p ≤ 0.001) and at the 3-month follow-up (septal PA-TDI: 77.8 ± 14.5, p ≤ 0.001; lateral PA-TDI 105.2 ± 16.1, p ≤ 0.001). LAVI showed a significant reduction at the 3-month follow-up compared with the baseline (47.7 ± 14.4 vs. 40.5 ± 9.7, p < 0.05). LASr, LAScd, and LASct did not change after PVI compared with the baseline. AF recurred in 10 patients after PVI (21%). Septal PA-TDI, septal a', and LAVI/a' determined the day after PVI were associated with AF recurrence.ConclusionChanges in echocardiographic parameters of LA remodeling and function indicate that functional electromechanical recovery preceded morphological reverse remodeling of the left atrium after PVI. Furthermore, these changes in echocardiographic parameters indicating LA reverse remodeling after PVI may identify patients at high risk of AF recurrence