Automotive Body Shop Design Problems Using Meta-Models Considering Product-Mix Change and Reconfiguration Strategy

The estimation of production rate (or throughput) is important in manufacturing system design. Herein, we consider the manufacturing system of an automotive body shop in which two types of car are produced, and one car (engine car) is substituted by the other car (electric car) gradually. In this body shop, two different underbody lines are installed because the underbody structures of the two types of cars differ completely; however, the side body line and main body line are shared by the two cars. Furthermore, we assume that the underbody lines are reconfigurable based on an increase in the product mix of the electric car. A simulation-based meta-model, which is in the form of a quadratic polynomial function, is developed to estimate the production rate. In the meta-modelling process, we group some buffer locations and represent them as one variable to reduce the number of variables included in the meta-model. Subsequently, the meta-models have been used to optimize two types of buffer allocation problems, and optimal solutions are obtained easily.

Description of a new species of Aspidonema (Sachs, 1949) Andrássy, 1958 (Nematoda: Bunonematidae) associated with mint leaf beetle Chrysolina herbacea (Duftschmid, 1825) from India

This paper provides a detailed description of a new species of genus Aspidonema isolated from mint leaf beetles (Chrysolina herbacea), and is the first report of a bunonematid nematode from beetles in India. Aspidonema kashmirensis sp. nov. is characterised by females having small, asymmetrical body (L = 224–337µm, a = 13.1–20.3, b = 3.2–4.2, c = 7.2–10.7, c′ = 4.0–5.7, V = 53.3–60.0), with the right side body cuticle ornamented with shields, warts and networks while the left side is provided with five longitudinal ridges. The shields are transversely-ovoid, having strongly sclerotized borders and a pair of elliptical slits for the underlying warts. Fine pores observed under SEM are present on the surface of the shields. Males have a bifid tail; long, thin, free spicules, distally hooked gubernaculum; asymmetrical, leptoderan bursa and eight pairs of genital papillae.

Spatiotemporally precise optogenetic activation of sensory neurons in freely walking Drosophila

Previous work has characterized how walking Drosophila coordinate the movements of individual limbs (DeAngelis et al., 2019). To understand the circuit basis of this coordination, one must characterize how sensory feedback from each limb affects walking behavior. However, it has remained difficult to manipulate neural activity in individual limbs of freely moving animals. Here, we demonstrate a simple method for optogenetic stimulation with body side-, body segment-, and limb-specificity that does not require real-time tracking. Instead, we activate at random, precise locations in time and space and use post hoc analysis to determine behavioral responses to specific activations. Using this method, we have characterized limb coordination and walking behavior in response to transient activation of mechanosensitive bristle neurons and sweet-sensing chemoreceptor neurons. Our findings reveal that activating these neurons has opposite effects on turning, and that activations in different limbs and body regions produce distinct behaviors.

Location and Morphology of Acute Lateral Ligament Injury of the Ankle

Category: Ankle, Sports, Trauma Introduction/Purpose: Acute ankle ligament injuries are usually treated non-operatively, even if the injury is severe. However, when chronic ankle instability is symptomatic, operative treatment is required. When planning local repair, the condition of the remaining ligament is important. We surgically treated acute severe lateral ligament injuries in 103 ankles and investigated the locations of the injuries in the anterior talofibular (ATF) and calcaneofibular (CF) ligaments, subdividing each into three parts. This paper should facilitate more precise planning of the surgical reconstruction procedure. Methods: From 2006 to 2014, 1,042 patients visited our outpatient clinic with a diagnosis of acute lateral ligament injury of the ankle. In total, 103 feet underwent surgical treatment and the locations of the ATF and CF ligament ruptures were investigated. The rupture location in the ATF ligament was subclassified as fibular side, body, or talar side, while for the CF ligament it was classified as fibular side, body, or calcaneal side. Results: The ATF ligament was ruptured on the fibular side in 38 feet (36.9%), body in 30 feet (29.1%), and talar side in 35 feet (34.0%). The CF ligament was ruptured on the fibular side in 15 feet (14.6%), body in 26 feet (25.2%), and calcaneal side in 62 feet (60.2%). Conclusion: Almost all surgical reports on lateral ligament reconstruction procedures (Brostrom et al.) describe ATF ligament repair and advancement on the fibular side, although only one-third of the ligaments were injured on the fibular side in our series. About two-thirds of the CF ligaments had damage to the calcaneal side structure of the entheses. When CF ligament repair is needed, surgeons should be aware of our finding that this ligament was ruptured at the fibular attachment in only 15% of cases, and on the calcaneal side in 60%. This knowledge should lead to better results of surgical reconstruction.

Importance of movement symmetry in technical and tactical preparation of high advanced judokas different level of mastership

Introduction. The equalizing level of judokas preparation and more tough international competition force to seek continuously for reserves. The dimishing reserves still remaining in fitness draw attention to technical and tactical preparation. Here, movement symmetry and its application in tactics have been little used, as yet. The objective was to determine appearance of movement symmetry its extent and importance for sport successes by judokas. Methods and material. general physical fitness tests, interviews, observations. Tested were 136 advanced judokas (male and female), mainly juniors (finalists of the Polish Youth Games, reserve of the Polish Junior National Team). Results were given on the background of literature data for 959 judokas from various countries. Results. Investigation of the large judokas group has shown domination of right-side body activity, especially in young judokas (threefold in juniors). Over 20% of leading judokas made throws in both directions, with their number increasing with increase in sport proficiency (up to 57.3% among medal winners, and 71.4% among golden medal winners during various events, including Olympic Games). Symmetrically trained judokas have had greater successes when using right and left throws. This points to the increasing important of movement versatility at the highest level of sports mastery. Conclusion. Physical fitness test results in judokas show a differentiation in the body sides abilities in particular tests. This differentiation has been the highest in balance, flexibility and global movement coordination tests and lowest in the force (speed type tests).

Low Cycle Fatigue: Probability and Statistical Modeling of Fatigue Life

Low cycle fatigue (LCF) induces damage accumulation in structural components used in various applications. LCF typically describes conditions for which plastic strains are larger than elastic strains. In order to certify and qualify a structural component, manufactured from a given material, that requires high reliability for operation and safety, fundamental material properties should be experimentally investigated and validated. The traditional strain–life approach serves as the underlying experimental method for most LCF investigations. Building upon that background, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the statistical variability and appropriately model that variability for life in LCF. Specifically, the variability associated with the median behavior in a strain–life graph for data is examined. The ensuing analyses are based on data for a cold-rolled, low carbon, extra deep drawing steel; ASTM A969 which is appropriate for applications where extremely severe drawing or forming is envisioned. It is frequently used in the automotive industry for components such as inner door components and side body components. For substantiation of the proposed modeling techniques, data for 9Cr-1Mo steel is also investigated. Such steel is frequently used in the construction of power plants and other structures that experience operating temperatures in excess of 500°C. The commonly used universal slopes approach for fatigue life modeling for which the strain–life computation employs the standard Coffin–Manson relationship is compared to a statistical methodology using a distribution function frequently used in structural reliability. The proposed distribution function for characterizing the fatigue life is a generalized Weibull distribution function that empirically incorporates load history and damage accumulation.