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The ability of manufacturing companies to compete depends strongly on the efficient use of production resources and the flexibility to adapt to changing production conditions. Essential requirements for the energetic infrastructure (EGI) result from the production itself, e.g., security of supply, efficiency and peak shaving. Since production always takes priority and must not be disturbed, the flexibility potential in terms of energy efficiency lies primarily in the EGI. Based on this, strategies will be developed that support companies in increasing their efficiency and flexibility by optimizing the configuration and operation of the EGI, while production processes are reliably supplied and not adapted. This is reached with intelligent operation strategies for the heating and cooling network based on forecasts, the use of energy storage systems, and the coupling of energy sectors. This paper presents an approach for energy forecasts used for the optimization of operation strategies. Hence, an energy-forecast-tool was developed, which is used for the prediction of electrical and thermal loads depending on the expected production. Therefore, machine learning models are trained with past weather, energy, and production data. Using production planning data and weather forecasts, the model can predict energy demands as input for an EGI optimization.

One of the fundamental requirements for dual purpose casks, which are used for the transport and interim storage of spent fuel assemblies, is the safe removal of the resulting decay heat. To ensure this the temperature fields are determined using numerical methods. However, their modelling is complex and the computation time-consuming.In order to accelerate this thermal assessment, we have developed z88ENSI, an independent simulation tool based on finite element analysis. With regard to the modelling, various parameters can be varied quickly with our newly designed mesh manipulation procedure. Concerning the computation time, we developed and implemented an approach for calculating three-dimensional temperature fields, based on an already existing two-dimensional method which lacked precision. We accelerate the calculation by using extended thermal gap constraints, which depict the thermal behaviour of the non-meshed, gas-filled gaps inside the cask. We validate the results of our calculation tool by comparing them with those generated with Ansys. The results of the comparison temperatures differ between −0.8% and 3.7%. The speedup of z88ENSI for the specific validation setting is between 6.9 and 15.0.

The use of e-learning personalization allows learners to control their learning by choosing which content to process and how to process it. In order to explain the processes that occur when student...

Inhalt High-Performance-Computing (HPC) ermöglicht Unternehmen simulationsunterstützte Produktentstehungsprozesse durch Bereitstellung von massiv-paralleler Recheninfrastruktur zu beschleunigen. Die Integration von HPC in die Produktentwicklung ist sowohl prozess- als auch systemseitig komplex und aufgrund der finanziellen Aufwendungen risikobehaftet. Daher haben besonders kleine und mittlere Unternehmen (KMU) eine hohe Einstiegshürde. Dieser Beitrag hat das Ziel die HPC-Integration für Unternehmen durch die Entwicklung eines Vorgehensmodells zu vereinfachen. Hierfür wird zunächst eine Klassifikation von rechenleistungs- und rechenkapazitätsorientierten Anwendungsfällen eingeführt und Potenziale von HPC für die Produktentwicklung diskutiert. Anschließend folgt eine Erläuterung der Vor- und Nachteile gängiger Architektur- und Servicemodelle im (cloud- und nicht-cloudbasierten) HPC-Kontext, welche mit der zuvor eingeführten Klassifikation synthetisiert wird. Dies stellt die Basis für das anschließend präsentierte und erläuterte Vorgehensmodell zur HPC-Integration dar. Das Modell erfüllt einerseits eine Unterstützungsfunktion für Unternehmen und fungiert andererseits als methodischer Rahmen für zukünftige Forschung an der Schnittstelle von ingenieurtechnischen Anwendungen und HPC.

Both sequencing content and fading instructional support are scaffolding techniques designed to make it easier for learners to process information. While sequencing content separates problems into ...

The strain-dependent oxidation of metals for reactive material warheads is studied with quantum mechanical simulations. A two-stage surface oxidation process was investigated for Titanium, Copper, and Zirconium in unstrained condition and for isotropic compression and tension. The results show exothermic surface oxidation and an increased strain-sensitivity for the pyrophoric materials Titanium and Zirconium in comparison to non-pyrophoric Copper. While tension stabilizes the surface oxidation, compression leads to a destabilization of oxidized surfaces. The release of metal oxides from the oxidized surface is endothermic for all materials in unstrained condition. It was found that the release of metal oxides is stabilized by compression and can even be turned exothermic by sufficient lattice strain.

From a cognitive load perspective, successful collaborative learning occurs if groups achieve their goals, and if each member processes information in a way that contributes to individual learning. This research looked at group work among postgraduate STEM students in South Korea (N = 55) to see if successful collaborative learning and individual contribution were associated with greater individual course success. Results showed that students who participated in successful group work showed higher levels of germane cognitive load, which contributes to learning, and also earned higher scores on the final research paper for the course. Implications of this study highlight the need for synchronous collaborative writing to be used as a way of sharing ideas and knowledge to produce higher levels of individual understanding and quality writing.

Ideally, instruction should be delivered in a way that reduces the processing of information that does not contribute to learning (extraneous load) and increases cognitive processing that contributes to learning (germane load). One way students might effectively manage extraneous load is through specific video lecture viewing strategies to control the flow of information. Extant research provides conflicting perspectives regarding the role of viewing strategies within video lectures in improving learning. This study analyzed survey responses from a group of university students (n = 2012) participating in online classes in South Korea and looked at the mediating effect of video lecture viewing strategies on the relationship between extraneous load and germane load. The results showed that viewing strategies mediated the relationship between extraneous load and germane load. When viewing strategies were added to the model, the large negative relationship between extraneous load and germane load reversed to become a small positive relationship, implying that the negative correlation between extraneous load and germane load can be largely mitigated by students engaging in specific viewing strategies to better understand the content.

Scaffolding techniques, such as sequencing and fading, used in online video lectures may help mitigate the negative relationship between complex contents represented by intrinsic load and content u...

An important part of online courses is the delivery of instruction via video lectures. Video lectures should use media effectively to reduce extraneous load and maximize cognitive processing, there...

The use of worked examples has been shown to be an effective instructional method for reducing cognitive load and successfully engaging in problem-solving. Extant research often views worked examples as an integrated part of direct instruction. Studies have examined the problem-solving effects of worked examples used in tandem with instructional explanations. However, a gap exists in research focusing on the individual problem-solving effects of example-free instructional explanations and worked examples containing no instructional explanation. This study uses a method in which worked examples are separated from direct instruction to examine the problem-solving effects of individual parts of such instruction, namely example-free instruction and worked examples containing no instructional explanation. Considering the importance of critical thinking skills in the current educational environment, the current study was conducted on a group of university students (n = 32) studying critical thinking in South Korea. Results showed that example-free instruction was more effective for problem-solving than worked examples containing no instructional explanation. Additionally, participants reported more efficient cognitive processing ability when critical thinking problems were presented through instructional explanation rather than worked examples. These results allow for a granular look at the different aspects of direct instruction and their effects on cognitive load and problem-solving., Cognitive load, critical thinking, direct instruction, example-based instruction, example-free instruction, instructional explanations, problem-solving, germane load, worked examples

As an alternative to powder-bed based processes, metal parts can be additively manufactured by extrusion based additive manufacturing. In this process, a highly filled polymer filament is deposited and subsequently debindered and sintered. Choosing a proper orientation of the part that satisfies the requirements of the debinding and sintering processes is crucial for a successful manufacturing process. To determine the optimal orientation for debinding, first, the part must be scaled in order to compensate the sinter induced shrinkage. Then, a finite element analysis is performed to verify that the maximum stresses due to the dead load do not exceed the critical stress limits. To ease this selection process, an approach based on open source software is shown in this article to efficiently determine a part’s optimal orientation during debinding. This automates scaling, debinding simulation, and postprocessing for all six main directions. The presented automated simulation framework is examined on three application examples and provides plausible results in a technical context for all example parts, leading to more robust part designs and a reduction of experimental trial and error. Therefore, the presented framework is a useful tool in the product development process for metal extrusion additive manufacturing applications.

Hydrogen storage in liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) such as the substance system dibenzyltoluene/perhydro-dibenzyltoluene (H0/H18-DBT) offers a promising alternative to conventional methods. In this contribution, we describe the successful demonstration of the dynamic combined operation of a continuously operated LOHC reactor and a PEM (polymer exchange membrane) fuel cell. The fuel cell was operated stable with fluctuating hydrogen release from dehydrogenation of H18-DBT over a total period of 4.5 h, reaching electrical stack powers of 6.6 kW. The contamination with hydrocarbons contained in the hydrogen after activated carbon filtering did not result in any detectable impairment or degradation of the fuel cell. The proposed pressure control algorithm based on a proportional integral (PI) controller proved to be a robust and easy-to-implement approach to enable the dynamic combined operation of LOHC dehydrogenation and PEM fuel cell.

Purpose The paper aims to examine the effect of levels of self-regulated effort (SRE) and levels of cognitive load on the watching and completing of video lectures used as the main source of instruction in online learning environments. Design/methodology/approach A survey provided data on the students’ engagement with video lectures, their level of SRE and the level of cognitive load they perceived while watching video lectures. The relationships between these variables and statistical significance were analyzed. Findings There were three key findings: a positive relationship between SRE and both watching and completing lectures; a negative relationship between SRE and perceptions of existing cognitive load; and students in different demographic groups watched fewer lectures, experienced higher cognitive load and reported lower levels of SRE. Research limitations/implications Implications of this study are that video lecture creation would benefit from the development of best practices, consideration of students’ levels of self-regulation, minimization of extraneous load and individual differences among groups of students. Limitations are the context-specific nature of the findings and the fact that data were drawn from self-reported survey responses, meaning they are subjective in nature. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in its investigation of relationship between SRE, cognitive load and video lecture viewership. No research of this topic could be found during the literature review. Findings are of value to those interested in reaping increased levels of video lecture viewership by showing elements that will encourage engagement, satisfaction and better transmission of instruction.

Purpose Due to the autonomous nature of e-learning, learner control options should be provided to allow students to be more selective of content based on learning needs. Maintaining students’ situational interest should also be a goal in e-learning, as research shows that doing so leads to a greater chance of success. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between learner control and maintained situational interest in hopes of promoting better engagement through content selection based on learning needs. Design/methodology/approach This study analyzed survey responses from university students (n = 2,173) participating in a variety of massive online courses in South Korea to investigate the correlation between system-provided learner control and maintained situational interest. Additionally, the correlation between learner control and maintained situational interest was examined among demographic subsets including gender, age and grade level. Findings Results show a positive relationship between learner control and maintained situational interest, as well as a positive relationship between learner control and maintained situational interest among each demographic subset. Originality/value These results add to the current literature by promoting a practical way of maintaining students’ situational interest by providing them with the ability to control aspects of their own learning processes.

Aim/Purpose: Extant research provides conflicting information regarding the role that lecture behaviors play within e-learning lectures. This study sought to understand what role motivation plays in increasing the likelihood that students engage in lecture behaviors in general, and how motivation affects the differing types of lecture behaviors. Background: The growth of online learning has increased the importance of video lectures as a means of delivering content. As with offline lectures, students may find it useful to adapt and change the way they interact with lectures to improve their learning. One possible approach that allows students to effectively manage any challenges they have in understanding a lesson is to initiate lecture behaviors to alter the flow of information. Methodology: In the present study, a survey was administered to cyber university students (n = 2434) in order to examine at the relationship between intrinsic goal orientation (a type of motivation) and levels of lecture behaviors. Contribution: This research fills an important gap by showing the effects that motivation can have on how students interact with video lectures and suggests the ways in which students engaging in specific lecture behaviors do so in order to gain a better understanding of the content. As lecture behaviors are an important part of how students are interacting with this important and new method of teaching, it is important to understand which characteristics make students more likely to engage in lecture behaviors. Findings: Students who have higher levels of motivation are more likely to engage in lecture behaviors. These lecture behaviors may include splitting attention between media sources, pausing the video lecture, rewatching parts of the video lecture, and diverting attention to obtain better audio or visual clarity. Recommendations for Practitioners: Instead of just tracking students’ viewing progress on each course lecture video, instructors should further endeavor to measure their students’ use lecture behaviors in relation to online course lecture content. Doing so can provide valuable insight into students’ level of engagement with course lecture materials and overall levels of intrinsic goal orientation. Recommendation for Researchers: Researchers need to start factoring in how student characteristics interact with instructional engagement when investigating online learning. Impact on Society: Improvement in our understanding of online learning helps improve the quality of instruction, which provides a net gain for society. Future Research: This paper is a broad overview using a survey, so future research should focus on a more detailed analysis of lecture behaviors, possibly using controlled experiments.

As student creativity is increasingly emphasized in English as a Foreign Language education, it is necessary to consider instructional techniques to encourage it. This study examines the effectiveness of two instructional techniques on creative writing performance of English as a Foreign Language students in a South Korean university. These techniques are variations of brainstorming known as mind mapping and SCAMPER. Survey data from the participants ( n = 39) were analysed to determine which technique resulted in higher levels of perceived creative output (essays). Additionally, a creativity rubric was developed and used to assign analytic scores to the essays to examine the relative benefits of the two techniques for high and low creative ability students. Results show that SCAMPER produced statistically significantly higher levels of perceived creative output. The essays written using SCAMPER generally received higher creativity scores than those written using mind mapping, though this difference was not statistically significant. Finally, results suggest that both techniques may help to narrow the performance gap between high and low creative ability students.

Purpose Because student viewership of video lectures serves as an important aspect of e-learning environments, video lectures should be delivered in a way that enhances the learning experience. The delivery of video lectures through diverse forms of media is a useful approach, which may have an effect on student learning, satisfaction, engagement and interest (LSEI), as well as future behavioral intentions (FBI). Furthermore, research has shown the value that LSEI has on learner achievement within online courses, as well as its value in regards to student intention to continue learning in such courses. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between media diversity, LSEI and FBI in hopes of enhancing the e-learning experience. Design/methodology/approach This study surveyed a group of students (n = 88) who participated in cyber university classes in South Korea to investigate the correlations between media diversity and lecture viewership, effects of lecture viewership on LSEI and FBI, effects of media diversity on LSEI and FBI as well as the correlation between LSEI and FBI. Findings Results show no relationship between media diversity and viewership. Both lecture viewership and media diversity were positively correlated with LSEI. However, neither media diversity nor viewership was positively correlated with FBI. Finally, LSEI was positively correlated with FBI. Originality/value This paper looks at how video lectures affect LSEI. Past research has generally looked at learning, satisfaction, engagement and interest as separate entities that are affected by instructional aspects of online learning. Because of their interrelationships with each other, this study combines them as one construct, making a stronger case for their combined association.

Media diversity within video lectures has been shown to have an effect on students who participate in both flipped classes as well as online courses. While some research claims that content delivered through multiple sources leads to more learning, contrasting research makes the claim that too much media hinders cognitive processing. The present study investigated the effects of varying levels of instructional media delivered to students (n=110) within a flipped scientific writing course to investigate the relationship between higher levels of media diversity and student performance. Results showed that more diversity led to lower levels of performance. It was also found that higher levels of media diversity correlated with higher levels of students’ scanning between different forms of media, possibly contributing to the lower levels of performance. The implications of these results provide insight into the optimal level of media diversity, and on student behavior that can affect learning.

Industrial facilities usually need multiple energy subsystems, e.g., for heat, cold, and electric power supply. Normally, these energy subsystems are controlled locally and independent of each other. Coupling of the different subsystems can open up additional potential. Fraunhofer IISB has developed a demonstration and research platform for investigating the benefits of such sector coupling. A major precondition is to understand the energy flows in the system and establish an overall and flexible system control to realize the required algorithms for setting up an intelligent decentralized energy system. Major components of the overall system are various storages, which extend the degree of freedom for sector coupling and increase the effectiveness of the different subsystems.

In order to reduce power peaks in the electrical grid, battery systems are used for peak shaving applications. Under economical constraints, appropriate dimensioning of the batteries is essential. A dimensioning process is introduced consisting of a simulation environment to determine the behavior of the energy system, a real-time peak shaving control algorithm and an optimization process for detection of battery and algorithm parameters. The dimensioning process is investigated on the basis of four exemplary load profiles and in comparison to a conventional approach. Deviations between -7% and 75% for capacity and up to 43% for discharging power indicate undersized batteries using the conventional approach. The proposed approach relies on 1-min measurement data and does not require prediction data, leading to accurate dimensioning results for a given load profile, as verified in simulation. The practical use and effectiveness of the control algorithm is proven in a real-world laboratory. A battery system of 60 kWh capacity and 65 kW maximum power achieved successful peak load reduction by 50 kW (8%) for an a priori defined limit of 570 kW. The comparison with simulation shows only small deviations below 17 kW (4.1%) for the resulting load profile proving the realistic representation of an energy system in simulation.

Semi-formal learning is used to describe learning that is directed towards the goals of a formal learning institution but outside of the learning structure of a specific class. Students studying online may form semi-formal groups to increase their knowledge of the content by interacting with other learners taking the same class. This study of cyber university students (n = 2042) involved looking at the relationship between semi-formal learning groups and levels of germane load. Furthermore, this study sought to understand what role group work plays in moderating the relationship between motivation and germane load. This study found that highly motivated students had higher levels of germane load, and that group work negatively moderated that relationship. In other words, while all students benefited from group work, students with lower levels of motivation benefited more than students with high levels of motivation. This research fills an important gap by showing the value this type of group work can have for all learners, particularly those who may otherwise struggle.

An important aspect of MOOCs is the way students interact with video lectures. Instruction provided through video lectures should focus on ways to increase germane cognitive load, which directly contributes to learning. One approach that may lead to an increase of germane load may be to use video lectures with diverse forms of media, including both auditory and visual aspects of multimedia. This study surveyed a group of students (n = 1602) who participated in MOOC-like courses in South Korea to investigate the relationship between delivery diversity and germane cognitive load. Additionally, the relationships between individual indicators of both audio and visual aspects of multimedia and germane load were examined. Results show a positive relationship between diverse media delivery (auditory, visual, and total media) and germane cognitive load. The implication of these results are important for instructors who wish to promote a better understanding of e-learning materials through the delivery of content by using diverse forms of media.

Introduction Current methods for in vitro expansion of Natural Killer (NK) cells require feeder cell irradiation, which is not readily available in many biomedical research or clinical facilities. Here we evaluated mitomycin-C (MMC) treatment of feeder cells as an alternative to irradiation for the purpose of expanding NK cells in human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) cultures. Methods Using PBMCs from 4 healthy blood donors and genetically modified K562 feeder cells (K562-mb21-41BBL cells) that preferentially stimulate NK cells, we evaluated the efficacy of MMC treatment in limiting the proliferation of the feeder cells at a range of doses (0 ug/mL, 2 ug/mL, 10 ug/mL, 20 ug/mL, 30 ug/mL, and 200 ug/mL) with 3-hour incubation. We used 7AAD dye and CFSE proliferation dye to measure viability and cell proliferation, respectively. We then compared the percentages of NK cells (CD3neg, CD56pos) in PBMCs cultured for 14 days in the presence of MMC-treated feeder cells or irradiated feeder cells using multiparametric flow cytometry. Results We found that 10 ug/mL dose of MMC for 3-hrs achieved a significantly higher percentage of viable cells compared to higher doses (p Discussion In conclusion, we found that 10 ug/mL mitomycin-C treatment of modified K562 feeder cells was optimal for limiting their proliferation for NK cell expansion that was equivalent to using irradiated feeder cells.

Patients undergoing sublobar resection for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer may receive adjuvant radiation therapy in an effort to improve outcomes despite limited data regarding its efficacy.Using the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End-Results (SEER) registry we identified patients diagnosed with stage I non-small cell lung cancer between 1988 and 2003 who were definitively treated with sublobar surgical resection with or without adjuvant external beam radiation therapy. Kaplan-Meier, Cox regression, and propensity-score-matched survival analyses were performed to evaluate the effect of adjuvant external beam radiation therapy on survival.A total of 5,908 eligible cases were identified: 493 received external beam radiation therapy and 5,415 received no additional local-regional treatment. The use of external beam radiation therapy was associated with significantly worse median overall and disease-specific survival compared with no additional local-regional therapy: 31 and 45 months vs 51 and 98 months, respectively (P.001). On multivariate analysis, the most significant predictor of death was the use of adjuvant radiation therapy (hazard ratio 1.505; 95% CI, 1.318-1.717; P.001). The survival detriment associated with external beam radiation therapy remained after propensity-score-matched analysis.The use of adjuvant external beam radiation therapy is associated with a significant decrease in overall and disease-specific survival for patients with T1-2N0M0 non-small cell lung cancer treated with sublobar resection. Although this finding may be related to covariables not reported in SEER, such as margin status, chemotherapy use, radiation dose, and portal, alternative radiation treatment strategies should be explored.