Scenarios, personas and user stories: user-centered evidence-based design representations of communicable disease investigations.

PubMed

Turner, Anne M; Reeder, Blaine; Ramey, Judith

2013-08-01

Despite years of effort and millions of dollars spent to create unified electronic communicable disease reporting systems, the goal remains elusive. A major barrier has been a lack of understanding by system designers of communicable disease (CD) work and the public health workers who perform this work. This study reports on the application of user-centered design representations, traditionally used for improving interface design, to translate the complex CD work identified through ethnographic studies to guide designers and developers of CD systems. The purpose of this work is to: (1) better understand public health practitioners and their information workflow with respect to CD monitoring and control at a local health agency, and (2) to develop evidence-based design representations that model this CD work to inform the design of future disease surveillance systems. We performed extensive onsite semi-structured interviews, targeted work shadowing and a focus group to characterize local health agency CD workflow. Informed by principles of design ethnography and user-centered design we created persona, scenarios and user stories to accurately represent the user to system designers. We sought to convey to designers the key findings from ethnographic studies: (1) public health CD work is mobile and episodic, in contrast to current CD reporting systems, which are stationary and fixed, (2) health agency efforts are focused on CD investigation and response rather than reporting and (3) current CD information systems must conform to public health workflow to ensure their usefulness. In an effort to illustrate our findings to designers, we developed three contemporary design-support representations: persona, scenario, and user story. Through application of user-centered design principles, we were able to create design representations that illustrate complex public health communicable disease workflow and key user characteristics to inform the design of CD information systems for public health. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Robust network design for multispecies conservation

Treesearch

Ronan Le Bras; Bistra Dilkina; Yexiang Xue; Carla P. Gomes; Kevin S. McKelvey; Michael K. Schwartz; Claire A. Montgomery

2013-01-01

Our work is motivated by an important network design application in computational sustainability concerning wildlife conservation. In the face of human development and climate change, it is important that conservation plans for protecting landscape connectivity exhibit certain level of robustness. While previous work has focused on conservation strategies that result...

English 4090: Collaborative Writing at Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutton, Mark

2007-01-01

This article presents a course design of English 4090: Collaborative Writing at Work. The course is a senior-level elective designed to reinforce students' existing knowledge of professional writing and to teach students how to apply that knowledge effectively in collaborative contexts. Here, the author focuses on the Spring 2006 class and…

Statistical Methods for Rapid Aerothermal Analysis and Design Technology: Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DePriest, Douglas; Morgan, Carolyn

2003-01-01

The cost and safety goals for NASA s next generation of reusable launch vehicle (RLV) will require that rapid high-fidelity aerothermodynamic design tools be used early in the design cycle. To meet these requirements, it is desirable to identify adequate statistical models that quantify and improve the accuracy, extend the applicability, and enable combined analyses using existing prediction tools. The initial research work focused on establishing suitable candidate models for these purposes. The second phase is focused on assessing the performance of these models to accurately predict the heat rate for a given candidate data set. This validation work compared models and methods that may be useful in predicting the heat rate.

Workplace exposures and protective practices of Hispanic warehouse workers.

PubMed

Livaudais, Jennifer C; Thompson, Beti; Islas, Ilda; Ibarra, Genoveva; Anderson, Jennifer; Coronado, Gloria D

2009-04-01

This study was undertaken to assess workplace hazards and protective practices among Hispanic men and women working post-harvest in asparagus, apple and pear packaging warehouses. Three focus groups were conducted in July 2003 with 25 workers (20 women, 5 men) recruited from communities in the Yakima Valley, Washington. Focus group content informed the design of an in-person structured interview administered to 50 additional warehouse workers from August to November 2006. Focus group participants reported difficult working conditions, exposure to chemicals, adverse health effects and use of work and home protective practices to minimize exposures for themselves and their families. Structured interview participants reported few workplace exposures to chemicals although many reported engaging in workplace and home protective practices. Findings from this research can direct initial efforts to determine if and how interventions for warehouse workers may be designed to protect against hazardous workplace exposures.

The Role of Contexts and Teacher's Questioning to Enhance Students' Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Widjaja, Wanty; Dolk, Maarten; Fauzan, Ahmad

2010-01-01

This paper discusses results from a design research in line with Realistic Mathematics Education (RME). Daily cycles of design, classroom experiments, and retrospective analysis are enacted in five days of working about division by fractions. Data consists of episodes of video classroom discussions, and samples of students' work. The focus of…

POLLUTION PREVENTION IN THE EARLY STAGES OF HIERARCHICAL PROCESS DESIGN

EPA Science Inventory

Hierarchical methods are often used in the conceptual stages of process design to synthesize and evaluate process alternatives. In this work, the methods of hierarchical process design will be focused on environmental aspects. In particular, the design methods will be coupled to ...

Negotiating the "Middle" Ground: How English Learner (EL) Focused Teacher Leaders and Teachers Work towards EL Instructional Change in Mainstream Elementary School Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Von Esch, Kerry Soo

2013-01-01

This dissertation investigates the relationship between district supported teacher leadership and improving the teaching and learning of English learner (EL) students, a rapidly growing, yet continually underserved population of students. Utilizing a comparative case study design, this dissertation focuses on the work of two district-supported…

Improved work zone design guidelines and enhanced model of travel delays in work zones : Phase I, portability and scalability of interarrival and service time probability distribution functions for different locations in Ohio and the establishment of impr

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

The project focuses on two major issues - the improvement of current work zone design practices and an analysis of : vehicle interarrival time (IAT) and speed distributions for the development of a digital computer simulation model for : queues and t...

Microwave focusing with uniaxially symmetric gradient index metamaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wheeland, Sara; Sternberg, Oren; Perez, Israel; Rockway, John D.

2016-09-01

Previous efforts to create a metamaterial lens in the microwave X band frequency range focused on the development of a device with biaxial symmetry. This allows for focusing solely along the central axis of propagation. For applications involving wave direction or energy diversion, focusing may be required off the central axis. This work explores a metamaterial device with uniaxial symmetry, namely in the direction of propagation. Ray-trace optimization and full-wave finite element simulations contribute to the design of the lens. By changing the placement of the focus, we achieve further control of the focus parameters. While the present work uses coils, the unit cell can consist of any structure or material.

Interior Design Education within a Human Ecological Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaup, Migette L.; Anderson, Barbara G.; Honey, Peggy

2007-01-01

An education based in human ecology can greatly benefit interior designers as they work to understand and improve the human condition. Design programs housed in colleges focusing on human ecology can improve the interior design profession by taking advantage of their home base and emphasizing the human ecological framework in the design curricula.…

Participatory Design of an Integrated Information System Design to Support Public Health Nurses and Nurse Managers

PubMed Central

Reeder, Blaine; Hills, Rebecca A.; Turner, Anne M.; Demiris, George

2014-01-01

Objectives The objectives of the study were to use persona-driven and scenario-based design methods to create a conceptual information system design to support public health nursing. Design and Sample We enrolled 19 participants from two local health departments to conduct an information needs assessment, create a conceptual design, and conduct a preliminary design validation. Measures Interviews and thematic analysis were used to characterize information needs and solicit design recommendations from participants. Personas were constructed from participant background information, and scenario-based design was used to create a conceptual information system design. Two focus groups were conducted as a first iteration validation of information needs, personas, and scenarios. Results Eighty-nine information needs were identified. Two personas and 89 scenarios were created. Public health nurses and nurse managers confirmed the accuracy of information needs, personas, scenarios, and the perceived usefulness of proposed features of the conceptual design. Design artifacts were modified based on focus group results. Conclusion Persona-driven design and scenario-based design are feasible methods to design for common work activities in different local health departments. Public health nurses and nurse managers should be engaged in the design of systems that support their work. PMID:24117760

Designing for Mathematical Abstraction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pratt, Dave; Noss, Richard

2010-01-01

Our focus is on the design of systems (pedagogical, technical, social) that encourage mathematical abstraction, a process we refer to as "designing for abstraction." In this paper, we draw on detailed design experiments from our research on children's understanding about chance and distribution to re-present this work as a case study in designing…

Participatory design of an integrated information system design to support public health nurses and nurse managers.

PubMed

Reeder, Blaine; Hills, Rebecca A; Turner, Anne M; Demiris, George

2014-01-01

The objectives of the study were to use persona-driven and scenario-based design methods to create a conceptual information system design to support public health nursing. We enrolled 19 participants from two local health departments to conduct an information needs assessment, create a conceptual design, and conduct a preliminary design validation. Interviews and thematic analysis were used to characterize information needs and solicit design recommendations from participants. Personas were constructed from participant background information, and scenario-based design was used to create a conceptual information system design. Two focus groups were conducted as a first iteration validation of information needs, personas, and scenarios. Eighty-nine information needs were identified. Two personas and 89 scenarios were created. Public health nurses and nurse managers confirmed the accuracy of information needs, personas, scenarios, and the perceived usefulness of proposed features of the conceptual design. Design artifacts were modified based on focus group results. Persona-driven design and scenario-based design are feasible methods to design for common work activities in different local health departments. Public health nurses and nurse managers should be engaged in the design of systems that support their work. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Task Design for Students' Work with Basic Theory in Analysis: The Cases of Multidimensional Differentiability and Curve Integrals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gravesen, Katrine Frovin; Grønbaek, Niels; Winsløw, Carl

2017-01-01

We investigate the challenges students face in the transition from calculus courses, focusing on methods related to the analysis of real valued functions given in closed form, to more advanced courses on analysis where focus is on theoretical structure, including proof. We do so based on task design aiming for a number of generic potentials for…

Factors influencing work functioning after cancer diagnosis: a focus group study with cancer survivors and occupational health professionals.

PubMed

Dorland, H F; Abma, F I; Roelen, C A M; Smink, J G; Ranchor, A V; Bültmann, U

2016-01-01

Cancer survivors (CSs) frequently return to work, but little is known about work functioning after return to work (RTW). We aimed to identify barriers and facilitators of work functioning among CSs. Three focus groups were conducted with CSs (n = 6, n = 8 and n = 8) and one focus group with occupational health professionals (n = 7). Concepts were identified by thematic analysis, using the Cancer and Work model as theoretical framework to structure the results. Long-lasting symptoms (e.g. fatigue), poor adaptation, high work ethics, negative attitude to work, ambiguous communication, lack of support and changes in the work environment were mentioned as barriers of work functioning. In contrast, staying at work during treatment, open dialogue, high social support, appropriate work accommodations and high work autonomy facilitated work functioning. Not only cancer-related symptoms affect work functioning of CSs after RTW but also psychosocial and work-related factors. The barriers and facilitators of work functioning should be further investigated in studies with a longitudinal design to examine work functioning over time.

Love, Money, or Flexibility: What Motivates People to Work in Consumer-Directed Home Care?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howes, Candace

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of wages and benefits (relative to other jobs available to workers), controlling for personal characteristics, on the recruitment and retention of providers working in a consumer-directed home care program. Design and Methods: I used the results of focus groups to design a survey…

Work-Based Mentor Training for Pennsylvania's School-to-Work System. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Thomas J.; And Others

Three Pennsylvania universities focused on defining the functional role and identifying the training needs of work-based mentors for Pennsylvania's system of school-to-work transition, in order to design a training protocol. Interviews were conducted with 81 experienced employees concerning their view of the mentoring role and the activities that…

What Have We Learned about Preventing Child Abuse? An Overview of the "Community and Minority Group Action to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect" Program. Prevention Focus Working Paper No. 009.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Ellen

Results from the evaluation of 11 demonstration programs designed to prevent child abuse are summarized in this working paper. The programs were of three types: perinatal programs; community-wide education, information, and referral projects; and culturally relevant parent education efforts. The four perinatal programs focused on extended…

Healthy work environments for the ageing nursing workforce.

PubMed

Stichler, Jaynelle F

2013-10-01

The aim of this article is to describe the physical challenges that ageing nurses experience and the facility design features that can promote healthy work environments to motivate nurses to continue working. Older nurses are working longer and beyond the usual retirement age. They often experience chronic fatigue and the usual physical and cognitive changes associated with aging. Nursing is a physically demanding profession and many older nurses work in pain while providing direct patient care. The literature is replete with studies focusing on the organisational factors that retain older nurses, but little research addresses design factors that facilitate nurses working longer and more safely in direct patient care. Electronic databases in medicine, nursing, psychology, and architecture were searched and evidence-based, non-evidence-based, and review articles and government and organisational newsletters were evaluated. Hospital design can help address the physical work challenges that older nurses experience. Older nurses have a wealth of knowledge and expertise, and the design of nursing units can optimize their work experience. Nurse Managers must participate in design efforts and advocate designs that support aging nurses. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Seriously Considering Design in Educational Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaydos, Matthew

2015-01-01

Research suggests that well-designed games can be good for learning under the right conditions. How such games are designed remains poorly understood, as studies have focused more on "whether" games can produce learning than on how such games work or how they can be reliably developed. That is, though the design of a game is considered…

Improving the Confidence of Pre-Adolescent Girls by Focusing on the Development of Positive Self-Esteem, Body Image, and Assertiveness Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Combes, Alice S.

This practicum was designed to focus on: (1) the improvement of the confidence of pre-adolescent girls; (2) the establishment of a positive body image; and (3) the strengthening of assertiveness skills. The writer worked in a group of 20 girls over a period of 8 months using exercises designed to facilitate their growth. A curriculum was developed…

Design of titania nanotube structures by focused laser beam direct writing

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Enachi, Mihai; Stevens-Kalceff, Marion A.; Sarua, Andrei

In this work, we report on electrochemical fabrication of titania films consisting of nanotubes (NTs) and their treatment by focused laser beam. The results of sample characterization by optical and scanning electron microscopy, cathodoluminescence imaging, and Raman scattering scanning spectroscopy are compared to those inherent to specimens subjected to thermal treatment in a furnace. The obtained data demonstrate possibilities for controlling crystallographic structure of TiO{sub 2} NTs by focused laser beam direct writing. These findings open new prospects for the design and fabrication of spatial architectures based on titania nanotubes.

The impact of shift patterns on junior doctors' perceptions of fatigue, training, work/life balance and the role of social support

PubMed Central

Brown, M; Rapport, F; Hutchings, H; Dahlgren, A; Davies, G; Ebden, P

2010-01-01

Background The organisation of junior doctors' work hours has been radically altered following the partial implementation of the European Working Time Directive. Poorly designed shift schedules cause excessive disruption to shift workers' circadian rhythms. Method Interviews and focus groups were used to explore perceptions among junior doctors and hospital managers regarding the impact of the European Working Time Directive on patient care and doctors' well-being. Results Four main themes were identified. Under “Doctors shift rotas”, doctors deliberated the merits and demerits of working seven nights in row. They also discussed the impact on fatigue of long sequences of day shifts. “Education and training” focused on concerns about reduced on-the-job learning opportunities under the new working time arrangements and also about the difficulties of finding time and energy to study. “Work/life balance” reflected the conflict between the positive aspects of working on-call or at night and the impact on life outside work. “Social support structures” focused on the role of morale and team spirit. Good support structures in the work place counteracted and compensated for the effects of negative role stressors, and arduous and unsocial work schedules. Conclusions The impact of junior doctors' work schedules is influenced by the nature of specific shift sequences, educational considerations, issues of work/life balance and by social support systems. Poorly designed shift rotas can have negative impacts on junior doctors' professional performance and educational training, with implications for clinical practice, patient care and the welfare of junior doctors. PMID:21127102

The impact of shift patterns on junior doctors' perceptions of fatigue, training, work/life balance and the role of social support.

PubMed

Brown, M; Tucker, P; Rapport, F; Hutchings, H; Dahlgren, A; Davies, G; Ebden, P

2010-12-01

The organisation of junior doctors' work hours has been radically altered following the partial implementation of the European Working Time Directive. Poorly designed shift schedules cause excessive disruption to shift workers' circadian rhythms. Interviews and focus groups were used to explore perceptions among junior doctors and hospital managers regarding the impact of the European Working Time Directive on patient care and doctors' well-being. Four main themes were identified. Under "Doctors shift rotas", doctors deliberated the merits and demerits of working seven nights in row. They also discussed the impact on fatigue of long sequences of day shifts. "Education and training" focused on concerns about reduced on-the-job learning opportunities under the new working time arrangements and also about the difficulties of finding time and energy to study. "Work/life balance" reflected the conflict between the positive aspects of working on-call or at night and the impact on life outside work. "Social support structures" focused on the role of morale and team spirit. Good support structures in the work place counteracted and compensated for the effects of negative role stressors, and arduous and unsocial work schedules. The impact of junior doctors' work schedules is influenced by the nature of specific shift sequences, educational considerations, issues of work/life balance and by social support systems. Poorly designed shift rotas can have negative impacts on junior doctors' professional performance and educational training, with implications for clinical practice, patient care and the welfare of junior doctors.

Introduction to the Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA scientists are working partners to design and test the Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST), a community mapping, information access, and assessment tool to help assess risk and assist in decision making with communities

Does Tracing Worked Examples Enhance Geometry Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Fang-Tzu; Ginns, Paul; Bobis, Janette

2014-01-01

Cognitive load theory seeks to generate novel instructional designs through a focus on human cognitive architecture including a limited working memory; however, the potential for enhancing learning through non-visual or non-auditory working memory channels is yet to be evaluated. This exploratory experiment tested whether explicit instructions to…

Supervisor Attachment, Supervisory Working Alliance, and Affect in Social Work Field Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bennett, Susanne; Mohr, Jonathan; Deal, Kathleen Holtz; Hwang, Jeongha

2013-01-01

Objective: This study focused on interrelationships among supervisor attachment, supervisory working alliance, and supervision-related affect, plus the moderating effect of a field instructor training. Method: The researchers employed a pretest-posttest follow-up design of 100 randomly assigned field instructors and 64 students in two…

A School-to-Work Resource Guide: Focusing on Diversity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maddy-Bernstein, Carolyn, Comp.; And Others

This guide, which is designed for educators who are developing, implementing, or seeking background information about school-to-work transition programs, contains descriptions of 222 of the most current (1990-present) resources for/about the school-to-work transition. The entries describing each resource are organized into four sections:…

Hiding the system from the user: Moving from complex mental models to elegant metaphors

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Curtis W. Nielsen; David J. Bruemmer

2007-08-01

In previous work, increased complexity of robot behaviors and the accompanying interface design often led to operator confusion and/or a fight for control between the robot and operator. We believe the reason for the conflict was that the design of the interface and interactions presented too much of the underlying robot design model to the operator. Since the design model includes the implementation of sensors, behaviors, and sophisticated algorithms, the result was that the operator’s cognitive efforts were focused on understanding the design of the robot system as opposed to focusing on the task at hand. This paper illustrates howmore » this very problem emerged at the INL and how the implementation of new metaphors for interaction has allowed us to hide the design model from the user and allow the user to focus more on the task at hand. Supporting the user’s focus on the task rather than on the design model allows increased use of the system and significant performance improvement in a search task with novice users.« less

Robotics Focused Capstone Senior Design Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rios-Gutierrez, Fernando; Alba-Flores, Rocio

2017-01-01

This work describes the educational experiences gained teaching the Senior Design I & II courses, a senior level, two-semester sequence in the Electrical Engineering (EE) program at Georgia Southern University (GSU). In particular, the authors present their experiences in using robotics as the main area to develop the capstone senior design,…

Understanding Academic Work as Practical Activity--and Preparing (Business-School) Academics for Praxis?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasanen, Keijo

2009-01-01

This text suggests a way of framing academic work and outlines a design for a preparatory event based on this understanding. It conceives academic work as "practical activity" and potential "praxis" in emergence by focusing on four issues: how can I do this work (tactical stance), what can I accomplish and achieve in it…

Focusing the Sun: State Considerations for Designing Community Solar Policy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cook, Jeffrey J; Shah, Monisha R

This report summarizes outcomes from the National Community Solar Partnership State Best Practices working group by identifying key differences in state policies that enable community solar and illustrating how various policy design approaches may impact the market. For the latter question, it is too early to quantify a relationship between policy design and market impacts, because most state programs have not been fully implemented. So, the authors conducted interviews with 19 subject matter experts, including project developers, regulators, and utilities to better understand how various policy design approaches may impact community solar markets. These perspectives, along with those gleaned frommore » the working group and relevant literature were synthesized to identify key considerations for policymakers designing community solar programs. Though state community solar policies vary in numerous ways, the report focuses on the following critical elements: program cap, project size cap, subscriber location requirements, subscriber eligibility requirements, low- and moderate-income stipulations, and subscriber compensation.« less

Thermal management and design for optical refrigeration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Symonds, G.; Farfan, B. G.; Ghasemkhani, M. R.; Albrecht, A. R.; Sheik-Bahae, M.; Epstein, R. I.

2016-03-01

We present our recent work in developing a robust and versatile optical refrigerator. This work focuses on minimizing parasitic energy losses through efficient design and material optimization. The cooler's thermal linkage system and housing are studied using thermal analysis software to minimize thermal gradients through the device. Due to the extreme temperature differences within the device, material selection and characterization are key to constructing an efficient device. We describe the design constraints and material selections necessary for thermally efficient and durable optical refrigeration.

SAFETY ON UNTRUSTED NETWORK DEVICES (SOUND)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-10

in the Cyber & Communication Technologies Group , but not on the SOUND project, would review the code, design and perform attacks against a live...3.5 Red Team As part of our testing , we planned to conduct Red Team assessments. In these assessments, a group of engineers from BAE who worked...developed under the DARPA CRASH program and SOUND were designed to be companion projects. SAFE focused on the processor and the host, SOUND focused on

Low cost solar array project production process and equipment task: A Module Experimental Process System Development Unit (MEPSDU)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

Several major modifications were made to the design presented at the PDR. The frame was deleted in favor of a "frameless" design which will provide a substantially improved cell packing factor. Potential shaded cell damage resulting from operation into a short circuit can be eliminated by a change in the cell series/parallel electrical interconnect configuration. The baseline process sequence defined for the MEPSON was refined and equipment design and specification work was completed. SAMICS cost analysis work accelerated, format A's were prepared and computer simulations completed. Design work on the automated cell interconnect station was focused on bond technique selection experiments.

A Design Study Investigating Augmented Reality and Photograph Annotation in a Digitalized Grossing Workstation

PubMed Central

Chow, Joyce A.; Törnros, Martin E.; Waltersson, Marie; Richard, Helen; Kusoffsky, Madeleine; Lundström, Claes F.; Kurti, Arianit

2017-01-01

Context: Within digital pathology, digitalization of the grossing procedure has been relatively underexplored in comparison to digitalization of pathology slides. Aims: Our investigation focuses on the interaction design of an augmented reality gross pathology workstation and refining the interface so that information and visualizations are easily recorded and displayed in a thoughtful view. Settings and Design: The work in this project occurred in two phases: the first phase focused on implementation of an augmented reality grossing workstation prototype while the second phase focused on the implementation of an incremental prototype in parallel with a deeper design study. Subjects and Methods: Our research institute focused on an experimental and “designerly” approach to create a digital gross pathology prototype as opposed to focusing on developing a system for immediate clinical deployment. Statistical Analysis Used: Evaluation has not been limited to user tests and interviews, but rather key insights were uncovered through design methods such as “rapid ethnography” and “conversation with materials”. Results: We developed an augmented reality enhanced digital grossing station prototype to assist pathology technicians in capturing data during examination. The prototype uses a magnetically tracked scalpel to annotate planned cuts and dimensions onto photographs taken of the work surface. This article focuses on the use of qualitative design methods to evaluate and refine the prototype. Our aims were to build on the strengths of the prototype's technology, improve the ergonomics of the digital/physical workstation by considering numerous alternative design directions, and to consider the effects of digitalization on personnel and the pathology diagnostics information flow from a wider perspective. A proposed interface design allows the pathology technician to place images in relation to its orientation, annotate directly on the image, and create linked information. Conclusions: The augmented reality magnetically tracked scalpel reduces tool switching though limitations in today's augmented reality technology fall short of creating an ideal immersive workflow by requiring the use of a monitor. While this technology catches up, we recommend focusing efforts on enabling the easy creation of layered, complex reports, linking, and viewing information across systems. Reflecting upon our results, we argue for digitalization to focus not only on how to record increasing amounts of data but also how these data can be accessed in a more thoughtful way that draws upon the expertise and creativity of pathology professionals using the systems. PMID:28966831

A Design Study Investigating Augmented Reality and Photograph Annotation in a Digitalized Grossing Workstation.

PubMed

Chow, Joyce A; Törnros, Martin E; Waltersson, Marie; Richard, Helen; Kusoffsky, Madeleine; Lundström, Claes F; Kurti, Arianit

2017-01-01

Within digital pathology, digitalization of the grossing procedure has been relatively underexplored in comparison to digitalization of pathology slides. Our investigation focuses on the interaction design of an augmented reality gross pathology workstation and refining the interface so that information and visualizations are easily recorded and displayed in a thoughtful view. The work in this project occurred in two phases: the first phase focused on implementation of an augmented reality grossing workstation prototype while the second phase focused on the implementation of an incremental prototype in parallel with a deeper design study. Our research institute focused on an experimental and "designerly" approach to create a digital gross pathology prototype as opposed to focusing on developing a system for immediate clinical deployment. Evaluation has not been limited to user tests and interviews, but rather key insights were uncovered through design methods such as " rapid ethnography " and " conversation with materials ". We developed an augmented reality enhanced digital grossing station prototype to assist pathology technicians in capturing data during examination. The prototype uses a magnetically tracked scalpel to annotate planned cuts and dimensions onto photographs taken of the work surface. This article focuses on the use of qualitative design methods to evaluate and refine the prototype. Our aims were to build on the strengths of the prototype's technology, improve the ergonomics of the digital/physical workstation by considering numerous alternative design directions, and to consider the effects of digitalization on personnel and the pathology diagnostics information flow from a wider perspective. A proposed interface design allows the pathology technician to place images in relation to its orientation, annotate directly on the image, and create linked information. The augmented reality magnetically tracked scalpel reduces tool switching though limitations in today's augmented reality technology fall short of creating an ideal immersive workflow by requiring the use of a monitor. While this technology catches up, we recommend focusing efforts on enabling the easy creation of layered, complex reports, linking, and viewing information across systems. Reflecting upon our results, we argue for digitalization to focus not only on how to record increasing amounts of data but also how these data can be accessed in a more thoughtful way that draws upon the expertise and creativity of pathology professionals using the systems.

Designing clinically useful systems: examples from medicine and dentistry.

PubMed

Koch, S

2003-12-01

Despite promising results in medical informatics research and the development of a large number of different systems, few systems get beyond a prototype state and are really used in practice. Among other factors, the lack of explicit user focus is one main reason. The research projects presented in this paper follow a user-centered system development approach based on extensive work analyses in interdisciplinary working groups, taking into account human cognitive performance. Different medical and health-care specialists, together with researchers in human-computer interaction and medical informatics, specify future clinical work scenarios. Special focus is put on analysis and design of the information and communication flow and on exploration of intuitive visualization and interaction techniques for clinical information. Adequate choice of the technical access device is made depending on the user's work situation. It is the purpose of this paper to apply this method in two different research projects and thereby to show its potential for designing clinically useful systems that do support and not hamper clinical work. These research projects cover IT support for chairside work in dentistry (http://www.dis.uu.se/mdi/research/projects/orquest) and ICT support for home health care of elderly citizens (http://www.medsci.uu.se/mie/project/closecare).

Optimization of the Robotic Joint Equipped with Epicyloidal Gear and Direct Drive for Space Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seweryn, Karol; Grassmann, Kamil; Ciesielska, Monika; Rybus, Tomasz; Turek, Michal

2013-09-01

One of the most critical element in the orbital manipulators are kinematic joints. Joints must be adapted to work in tough conditions of space environment and must ensure the greatest efficiency and work without backlash. At the Space Mechatronics and Robotics Laboratory (LMRS) of the Space Research Centre, PAS our team designed and built a lightweight kinematic pair based on a new concept. The new concept is based on the epicycloid two-stage gearbox with torque motor. In this paper we have focused on optimization of the joint design for space application. The optimization was focused on the minimization of the mass and backlash effects and on maximizing the joint efficiency.

Precision pointing and control of flexible spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bantell, M. H., Jr.

1987-01-01

The problem and long term objectives for the precision pointing and control of flexible spacecraft are given. The four basic objectives are stated in terms of two principle tasks. Under Task 1, robust low order controllers, improved structural modeling methods for control applications and identification methods for structural dynamics are being developed. Under Task 2, a lab test experiment for verification of control laws and system identification algorithms is being developed. For Task 1, work has focused on robust low order controller design and some initial considerations for structural modeling in control applications. For Task 2, work has focused on experiment design and fabrication, along with sensor selection and initial digital controller implementation. Conclusions are given.

Simplify to survive: prescriptive layouts ensure profitable scaling to 32nm and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liebmann, Lars; Pileggi, Larry; Hibbeler, Jason; Rovner, Vyacheslav; Jhaveri, Tejas; Northrop, Greg

2009-03-01

The time-to-market driven need to maintain concurrent process-design co-development, even in spite of discontinuous patterning, process, and device innovation is reiterated. The escalating design rule complexity resulting from increasing layout sensitivities in physical and electrical yield and the resulting risk to profitable technology scaling is reviewed. Shortcomings in traditional Design for Manufacturability (DfM) solutions are identified and contrasted to the highly successful integrated design-technology co-optimization used for SRAM and other memory arrays. The feasibility of extending memory-style design-technology co-optimization, based on a highly simplified layout environment, to logic chips is demonstrated. Layout density benefits, modeled patterning and electrical yield improvements, as well as substantially improved layout simplicity are quantified in a conventional versus template-based design comparison on a 65nm IBM PowerPC 405 microprocessor core. The adaptability of this highly regularized template-based design solution to different yield concerns and design styles is shown in the extension of this work to 32nm with an increased focus on interconnect redundancy. In closing, the work not covered in this paper, focused on the process side of the integrated process-design co-optimization, is introduced.

Choosing Employment Interventions: A Guide for the Discriminating Palate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bezanson, Lynne; O'Reilly, Elaine

This workbook is designed for community partners working collaboratively to organize and deliver comprehensive employment services and draw on the best and most effective interventions that are available to help clients learn to manage their work life and work futures successfully. It focuses on building abundance by choosing and helping others…

Ethical and Organisational Tensions for Work-Based Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Lesley J.

2007-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to focus on examples of the perceived tensions of the healthcare work-based learners as they experienced paradigm shifts in both practice and education. Design/methodology/approach: Examples are drawn from a qualitative study to examine work-based learning (WBL) workshops in a Dutch healthcare setting, and a developmental…

Future time perspective and promotion focus as determinants of intraindividual change in work motivation.

PubMed

Kooij, Dorien T A M; Bal, P Matthijs; Kanfer, Ruth

2014-06-01

In the near future, workforces will increasingly consist of older workers. At the same time, research has demonstrated that work-related growth motives decrease with age. Although this finding is consistent with life span theories, such as the selection optimization and compensation (SOC) model, we know relatively little about the process variables that bring about this change in work motivation. Therefore, we use a 4-wave study design to examine the mediating role of future time perspective and promotion focus in the negative association between age and work-related growth motives. Consistent with the SOC model, we found that future time perspective was negatively associated with age, which, in turn, was associated with lower promotion focus, lower work-related growth motive strength, and lower motivation to continue working. These findings have important theoretical implications for the literature on aging and work motivation, and practical implications for how to motivate older workers. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Sustainability as a Design Principle for Composition: Situational Creativity as a Habit of Mind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newcomb, Matthew

2012-01-01

Design is a rhetorical activity that requires creative thinking in response to difficult situations. That creative work ultimately builds new relationships and new contexts. Sustainable design can become an approach to composition that alters ways of thinking about writing situations, keeping ethical and contextual factors in focus, and…

The Practice of Designing Qualitative Research on Educational Leadership: Notes for Emerging Scholars and Practitioner-Scholars

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knapp, Michael S.

2017-01-01

This article addresses a gap in methodological writing, concerning typical practice in designing qualitative inquiry, especially in research on educational leadership. The article focuses on how qualitative research designs are actually developed and explores implications for scholars' work, especially for new scholars and for methods teachers.…

Brief Report: Effects of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Group-Work on Promoting Post-Traumatic Growth of Mothers Who Have a Child with ASD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Wei; Yan, Ting-ting; Du, Ya-song; Liu, Xiao-hong

2014-01-01

The study evaluated the impact of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) group-work on the post-traumatic growth (PTG) of mothers who have a child with ASD. A quasi-experimental design was used in which 43 mothers participated. 18 mothers in 2 SFBT groups (n = 9 in each group) received a 6-session SFBT group therapy while 25 mothers in a control…

Better Work Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Chris

2002-01-01

Looks at equipment, process, and training aspects of backpack vacuum cleaners that facilitate good ergonomics and high productivity levels, focusing on: designing new equipment for bodies and productivity; creating comfortable backpack harnesses; improving the work process via team training; and providing ergonomic training to ensure that backpack…

Ergonomics principles to design clothing work for electrical workers in Colombia.

PubMed

Castillo, Juan; Cubillos, A

2012-01-01

The recent development of the Colombian legislation, have been identified the need to develop protective clothing to work according to specifications from the work done and in compliance with international standards. These involve the development and design of new strategies and measures for work clothing design. In this study we analyzes the activities of the workers in the electrical sector, the method analyzes the risks activity data in various activities, that activities include power generation plants, local facilities, industrial facilities and maintenance of urban and rural networks. The analyses method is focused on ergonomic approach, risk analysis is done, we evaluate the role of security expert and we use a design algorithm developed for this purpose. The result of this study is the identification of constraints and variables that contribute to the development of a model of analysis that leads to the development the work protective clothes.

FINDING A METHOD FOR THE MADNESS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC DESIGN METHODOLOGIES

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-06-01

FINDING A METHOD FOR THE MADNESS: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF STRATEGIC DESIGN METHODOLOGIES BY AMANDA DONNELLY A THESIS...work develops a comparative model for strategic design methodologies, focusing on the primary elements of vision, time, process, communication and...collaboration, and risk assessment. My analysis dissects and compares three potential design methodologies including, net assessment, scenarios and

Design and Technology Productions among Middle School Students: An Indian Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khunyakari, Ritesh; Mehrotra, Swati; Chunawala, Sugra; Natarajan, Chitra

2007-01-01

The focus of this paper is students' design productions as they engaged in designing and making a windmill model to lift a given weight. This work is part of a project on the development of design and technology (D&T) education units and its trials among Indian middle school students (Grade 6, age 11-14 years) in different socio-cultural…

DESIGNING ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY CHEMICAL PROCESSES

EPA Science Inventory

The design of a chemical process involves many aspects: from profitability, flexibility and reliability to safety to the environment. While each of these is important, in this work, the focus will be on profitability and the environment. Key to the study of these aspects is the ...

Designing Interaction for Next Generation Personal Computing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Michelis, Giorgio; Loregian, Marco; Moderini, Claudio; Marti, Patrizia; Colombo, Cesare; Bannon, Liam; Storni, Cristiano; Susani, Marco

Over two decades of research in the field of Interaction Design and Computer Supported Cooperative Work convinced us that the current design of workstations no longer fits users’ needs. It is time to design new personal computers based on metaphors alternative to the desktop one. With this SIG, we are seeking to involve international HCI professionals into the challenges of designing products that are radically new and tackling the many different issues of modern knowledge workers. We would like to engage a wider cross-section of the community: our focus will be on issues of development and participation and the impact of different values in our work.

Workplace Interventions to Prevent Disability from Both the Scientific and Practice Perspectives: A Comparison of Scientific Literature, Grey Literature and Stakeholder Observations.

PubMed

Williams-Whitt, Kelly; Bültmann, Ute; Amick, Benjamin; Munir, Fehmidah; Tveito, Torill H; Anema, Johannes R

2016-12-01

Purpose The significant individual and societal burden of work disability could be reduced if supportive workplace strategies could be added to evidence-based clinical treatment and rehabilitation to improve return-to-work (RTW) and other disability outcomes. The goal of this article is to summarize existing research on workplace interventions to prevent disability, relate these to employer disability management practices, and recommend future research priorities. Methods The authors participated in a year-long collaboration that ultimately led to an invited 3-day conference, Improving Research of Employer Practices to Prevent Disability, held October 14-16, 2015, in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, USA. The collaboration included a topical review of the literature, group conference calls to identify key areas and challenges, drafting of initial documents, review of industry publications, and a conference presentation that included feedback from peer researchers and a question/answer session with an expert panel with direct employer experience. Results Evidence from randomized trials and other research designs has shown general support for job modification, RTW coordination, and organizational support, but evidence is still lacking for interventions at a more granular level. Grey literature reports focused mainly on job re-design and work organization. Panel feedback focused on organizational readiness and the beliefs and values of senior managers as critical factors in facilitating changes to disability management practices. While the scientific literature is focused on facilitating improved coping and reducing discomforts for individual workers, the employer-directed grey literature is focused on making group-level changes to policies and procedures. Conclusions Future research might better target employer practices by tying interventions to positive workplace influences and determinants, by developing more participatory interventions and research designs, and by designing interventions that address factors of organizational change.

Transforming consumer health informatics through a patient work framework: connecting patients to context

PubMed Central

Valdez, Rupa S; Holden, Richard J; Novak, Laurie L; Veinot, Tiffany C

2015-01-01

Designing patient-centered consumer health informatics (CHI) applications requires understanding and creating alignment with patients’ and their family members’ health-related activities, referred to here as ‘patient work’. A patient work approach to CHI draws on medical social science and human factors engineering models and simultaneously attends to patients, their family members, activities, and context. A patient work approach extends existing approaches to CHI design that are responsive to patients’ biomedical realities and personal skills and behaviors. It focuses on the embeddedness of patients’ health management in larger processes and contexts and prioritizes patients’ perspectives on illness management. Future research is required to advance (1) theories of patient work, (2) methods for assessing patient work, and (3) techniques for translating knowledge of patient work into CHI application design. Advancing a patient work approach within CHI is integral to developing and deploying consumer-facing technologies that are integrated with patients’ everyday lives. PMID:25125685

Affective Education Handbook for Vocational Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odum, Nancy L.; And Others

Designed to introduce the vocational teacher to activities through which peer interaction promotes the understanding of self and others in a working environment, this handbook provides activities that focus on attitudes, interests, and values development. The first topic, work habits, deals with absenteeism, coffee break abuse, communication…

Integrated Design Engineering Analysis (IDEA) Environment - Aerodynamics, Aerothermodynamics, and Thermal Protection System Integration Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hilmi N.

2011-01-01

This report documents the work performed during from March 2010 October 2011. The Integrated Design and Engineering Analysis (IDEA) environment is a collaborative environment based on an object-oriented, multidisciplinary, distributed environment using the Adaptive Modeling Language (AML) as the underlying framework. This report will focus on describing the work done in the area of extending the aerodynamics, and aerothermodynamics module using S/HABP, CBAERO, PREMIN and LANMIN. It will also detail the work done integrating EXITS as the TPS sizing tool.

Design of multisegmented freeform lens for LED fishing/working lamp with high efficiency.

PubMed

Lai, Min-Feng; Anh, Nguyen Doan Quoc; Gao, Jia-Zhi; Ma, Hsin-Yi; Lee, Hsiao-Yi

2015-10-01

A novel LED fishing/working light is proposed to enhance the lighting efficiency of a fishing boat. The study is focused on the freeform secondary lens design so as to create a lamp that attracts fish and sheds light on the deck for the crew's work. The experimental results show that the proposed multisegmented freeform lens can deliver the proposed aim, giving 3 times as much illuminating power as the traditional high-intensity discharge fishing lamp does with the same input of electrical power.

Final Report: Subcontract B623868 Algebraic Multigrid solvers for coupled PDE systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brannick, J.

The Pennsylvania State University (“Subcontractor”) continued to work on the design of algebraic multigrid solvers for coupled systems of partial differential equations (PDEs) arising in numerical modeling of various applications, with a main focus on solving the Dirac equation arising in Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). The goal of the proposed work was to develop combined geometric and algebraic multilevel solvers that are robust and lend themselves to efficient implementation on massively parallel heterogeneous computers for these QCD systems. The research in these areas built on previous works, focusing on the following three topics: (1) the development of parallel full-multigrid (PFMG) andmore » non-Galerkin coarsening techniques in this frame work for solving the Wilson Dirac system; (2) the use of these same Wilson MG solvers for preconditioning the Overlap and Domain Wall formulations of the Dirac equation; and (3) the design and analysis of algebraic coarsening algorithms for coupled PDE systems including Stokes equation, Maxwell equation and linear elasticity.« less

Serpentine Solutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hubbard, Guy

2003-01-01

Focuses on works of art that are serpentine, which means the artist either depicts snakes or use snake-like designs. Explains that the four examples given are to motivate students to search for more examples. Discusses different ways to help students learn about serpentine designs by observing real snakes. (CMK)

EVALUATING THE ECONOMICS AND ENVIRONMENTAL FRIENDLINESS OF NEWLY DESIGNED OR RETROFITTED CHEMICAL PROCESSES

EPA Science Inventory

This work describes a method for using spreadsheet analyses of process designs and retrofits to provide simple and quick economic and environmental evaluations simultaneously. The method focuses attention onto those streams and components that have the largest monetary values and...

E-Learning Systems: Promises and Pitfalls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Carlyle H.; Robbins, Lisa I.

2006-01-01

Objective: This review examines the use of e-learning systems in psychiatric education. Method: The authors review the Instructional System Design process, focusing on ADDIE (Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation). The authors also report on two representative teaching projects, discussing the planning, work, and assessment…

Teamwork on Assessments Creates Powerful Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McTighe, Jay; Emberger, Marcella

2006-01-01

Teacher collaboration is a powerful form of professional learning. One focus for collaborative efforts is designing assessments. When teachers design assessments, give each other feedback through peer reviews, evaluate student work, and plan together for improvement, they are engaged in highly effective professional development. Assessments have…

"BodyWorks": A Parent-Focused Program to Promote Healthful Eating and Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borden, Valerie Melino; Labiner-Wolfe, Judith; Blake, Susan M.; Marr, Amanda; Rowe, Jonelle; Wasserman, Jill

2012-01-01

The "BodyWorks" program was designed to help parents improve family eating and activity behaviors. "BodyWorks" was associated with significant gains in parents' knowledge about nutrition and activity, and greater self-efficacy to set family nutrition goals, plan physical activities, and change eating habits. (Contains 1 table.)

Learning Racial Hierarchies: Communication Skills Training in Transnational Customer Service Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirchandani, Kiran

2012-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to focus on the communications skills training given to transnational call center workers in India whose jobs involve providing customer service to Western customers. Emotion work is a key component of customer service jobs, and this work is constructed as an important soft skill. Design/methodology/approach: Between 2002…

Work Engagement Accumulation of Task, Social, Personal Resources: A Three-Wave Structural Equation Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weigl, Matthias; Hornung, Severin; Parker, Sharon K.; Petru, Raluca; Glaser, Jurgen; Angerer, Peter

2010-01-01

Drawing on Conservation of Resources Theory and previous research on work engagement, the present study investigates gain spirals between employees' engagement and their task, social, and personal resources. It focuses on the key resources of job control, positive work relationships, and active coping behavior. In a three-wave design, work…

The Views of New Teachers at Private Teaching Institutions about Working Conditions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Kursad; Altinkurt, Yahya

2011-01-01

The main purpose of the research was to determine the views of teachers about working conditions working at private teaching institutions for 5 years or less. The research was designed as a phenomenology model. The data were collected by focus group interview technique of qualitative research method. 10 teachers from private teaching institutions…

Integrated System Design: Promoting the Capacity of Sociotechnical Systems for Adaptation through Extensions of Cognitive Work Analysis

PubMed Central

Naikar, Neelam; Elix, Ben

2016-01-01

This paper proposes an approach for integrated system design, which has the intent of facilitating high levels of effectiveness in sociotechnical systems by promoting their capacity for adaptation. Building on earlier ideas and empirical observations, this approach recognizes that to create adaptive systems it is necessary to integrate the design of all of the system elements, including the interfaces, teams, training, and automation, such that workers are supported in adapting their behavior as well as their structure, or organization, in a coherent manner. Current approaches for work analysis and design are limited in regard to this fundamental objective, especially in cases when workers are confronted with unforeseen events. A suitable starting point is offered by cognitive work analysis (CWA), but while this framework can support actors in adapting their behavior, it does not necessarily accommodate adaptations in their structure. Moreover, associated design approaches generally focus on individual system elements, and those that consider multiple elements appear limited in their ability to facilitate integration, especially in the manner intended here. The proposed approach puts forward the set of possibilities for work organization in a system as the central mechanism for binding the design of its various elements, so that actors can adapt their structure as well as their behavior—in a unified fashion—to handle both familiar and novel conditions. Accordingly, this paper demonstrates how the set of possibilities for work organization in a system may be demarcated independently of the situation, through extensions of CWA, and how it may be utilized in design. This lynchpin, conceptualized in the form of a diagram of work organization possibilities (WOP), is important for preserving a system's inherent capacity for adaptation. Future research should focus on validating these concepts and establishing the feasibility of implementing them in industrial contexts. PMID:27445924

Integrated System Design: Promoting the Capacity of Sociotechnical Systems for Adaptation through Extensions of Cognitive Work Analysis.

PubMed

Naikar, Neelam; Elix, Ben

2016-01-01

This paper proposes an approach for integrated system design, which has the intent of facilitating high levels of effectiveness in sociotechnical systems by promoting their capacity for adaptation. Building on earlier ideas and empirical observations, this approach recognizes that to create adaptive systems it is necessary to integrate the design of all of the system elements, including the interfaces, teams, training, and automation, such that workers are supported in adapting their behavior as well as their structure, or organization, in a coherent manner. Current approaches for work analysis and design are limited in regard to this fundamental objective, especially in cases when workers are confronted with unforeseen events. A suitable starting point is offered by cognitive work analysis (CWA), but while this framework can support actors in adapting their behavior, it does not necessarily accommodate adaptations in their structure. Moreover, associated design approaches generally focus on individual system elements, and those that consider multiple elements appear limited in their ability to facilitate integration, especially in the manner intended here. The proposed approach puts forward the set of possibilities for work organization in a system as the central mechanism for binding the design of its various elements, so that actors can adapt their structure as well as their behavior-in a unified fashion-to handle both familiar and novel conditions. Accordingly, this paper demonstrates how the set of possibilities for work organization in a system may be demarcated independently of the situation, through extensions of CWA, and how it may be utilized in design. This lynchpin, conceptualized in the form of a diagram of work organization possibilities (WOP), is important for preserving a system's inherent capacity for adaptation. Future research should focus on validating these concepts and establishing the feasibility of implementing them in industrial contexts.

Computer Game Design Classes: The Students' and Professionals' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swacha, Jakub; Skrzyszewski, Adam; Syslo, Wojciech A.

2010-01-01

There are multiple reasons that justify teaching computer game design. Its multi-aspectual nature creates opportunity to develop, at the same time, creativity, technical skills and ability to work in team. Thinking of game design classes, one needs direction on what to focus on so that the students could benefit the most. In this paper, we present…

Aerostructural interaction in a collaborative MDO environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciampa, Pier Davide; Nagel, Björn

2014-10-01

The work presents an approach for aircraft design and optimization, developed to account for fluid-structure interactions in MDO applications. The approach makes use of a collaborative distributed design environment, and focuses on the influence of multiple physics based aerostructural models, on the overall aircraft synthesis and optimization. The approach is tested for the design of large transportation aircraft.

Developing a Learning Object Metadata Application Profile Based on LOM Suitable for the Australian Higher Education Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agostinho, Shirley; Bennett, Sue; Lockyer, Lori; Harper, Barry

2004-01-01

This paper reports recent work in developing of structures and processes that support university teachers and instructional designers incorporating learning objects into higher education focused learning designs. The aim of the project is to develop a framework to guide the design and implementation of high quality learning experiences. This…

Underpinning the STEM Agenda through Technological Textiles? An Exploration of Design Technology Teachers' Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Chris; Bell, Dawne

2011-01-01

This paper discusses ongoing research into the role of design and technology education in emerging post industrial economies. Previous work (Hughes et al., 2010) focused on the changing characteristics of textiles technology in modern times and discussed how this could inform a design and technology curriculum related to the needs of a modern…

Task Relevance in the Design of Online Professional Development for Teachers of ELLs: A Q Methodology Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collins, Linda J.; Liang, Xin

2014-01-01

Online professional development (oPD) for teachers should focus on designing web-based learning opportunities that help practicing educators solve the tough problems of practice when working in their schools. Technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge can be integrated in the design of online professional development modules to enhance task…

Line focus concentrating collector for Copper Mountain Ski Resort, Colorado (Engineering Materials)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1983-06-02

The present invention is a device which develops an accurate line focus concentrating collector by flexural bending of thin reflective materials. This method avoids the need for expensive tooling and support frame fabrication. The technical work conducted during this quarter included completion of designs for the prototype system for the Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado. Evaluation of alternate tracking and drive systems and final design of the support system. These drawings accompany DOE/CS/15072--T4.

Optimization of Focusing by Strip and Pixel Arrays

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Burke, G J; White, D A; Thompson, C A

Professor Kevin Webb and students at Purdue University have demonstrated the design of conducting strip and pixel arrays for focusing electromagnetic waves [1, 2]. Their key point was to design structures to focus waves in the near field using full wave modeling and optimization methods for design. Their designs included arrays of conducting strips optimized with a downhill search algorithm and arrays of conducting and dielectric pixels optimized with the iterative direct binary search method. They used a finite element code for modeling. This report documents our attempts to duplicate and verify their results. We have modeled 2D conducting stripsmore » and both conducting and dielectric pixel arrays with moment method and FDTD codes to compare with Webb's results. New designs for strip arrays were developed with optimization by the downhill simplex method with simulated annealing. Strip arrays were optimized to focus an incident plane wave at a point or at two separated points and to switch between focusing points with a change in frequency. We also tried putting a line current source at the focus point for the plane wave to see how it would work as a directive antenna. We have not tried optimizing the conducting or dielectric pixel arrays, but modeled the structures designed by Webb with the moment method and FDTD to compare with the Purdue results.« less

Organizational Design Drivers to Enable Emergent Creativity in Web-Based Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Toni, Alberto F.; Biotto, Gianluca; Battistella, Cinzia

2012-01-01

Purpose: In the stream of works studying complexity from an organizational viewpoint, literature is focused mainly on describing new organizational forms (holonic organization, circular organization, virtual corporation, ...) and on conceptual works identifying new managerial principles to manage emergence (job enrichment, de-regulation, ...). But…

Rois Langner | NREL

Science.gov Websites

engineer in the Commercial Buildings Research Group at NREL since 2010. Her research efforts have focused optimize building design and performance for military and large commercial buildings. She has also worked continual energy improvement, and more recently is working to support the small commercial building sector

Orbital express capture system: concept to reality

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stamm, Shane; Motaghedi, Pejmun

2004-08-01

The development of autonomous servicing of on-orbit spacecraft has been a sought after objective for many years. A critical component of on-orbit servicing involves the ability to successfully capture, institute mate, and perform electrical and fluid transfers autonomously. As part of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant, Starsys Research Corporation (SRC) began developing such a system. Phase I of the grant started in 1999, with initial work focusing on simultaneously defining the parameters associated with successful docking while designing to those parameters. Despite the challenge of working without specific requirements, SRC completed development of a prototype design in 2000. Throughout the following year, testing was conducted on the prototype to characterize its performance. Having successfully completed work on the prototype, SRC began a Phase II SBIR effort in mid-2001. The focus of the second phase was a commercialization effort designed to augment the prototype model into a more flight-like design. The technical requirements, however, still needed clear definition for the design to progress. The advent of the Orbital Express (OE) program provided much of that definition. While still in the proposal stages of the OE program, SRC began tailoring prototype redesign efforts to the OE program requirements. A primary challenge involved striking a balance between addressing the technical requirements of OE while designing within the scope of the SBIR. Upon award of the OE contract, the Phase II SBIR design has been fully developed. This new design, designated the Mechanical Docking System (MDS), successfully incorporated many of the requirements of the OE program. SRC is now completing dynamic testing on the MDS hardware, with a parallel effort of developing a flight design for OE. As testing on the MDS progresses, the design path that was once common to both SBIR effort and the OE program begins to diverge. The MDS will complete the scope of the Phase II SBIR work, while the new mechanism, the Orbital Express Capture System, will emerge as a flight-qualified design for the Orbital Express program.

5 CFR 950.401 - Campaign and publicity information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... publicity information. Federations must also respond in a timely fashion in the development of campaign and.... (f) Campaign information must constitute a simple and attractive design that has fundraising appeal and essential working information. The design should focus on the CFC without undue use of charitable...

Polarization-independent beam focusing by high-contrast grating reflectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Wei; Zheng, Gaige; Jiang, Liyong; Li, Xiangyin

2014-08-01

A kind of high-contrast grating (HCG) reflector for beam focusing has been proposed. We design a planar grating structure with a parabolic surface and numerical simulations using a finite different time domain (FDTD) method to verify that the structure has the capability of focusing both transverse-magnetic (TM) and transverse-electric (TE) polarized lights. Finally, we expand the design structure into a three-dimensional (3D) case. Numerical results demonstrate that the power intensities at the focal point are all greater than 8.5 dB compared with incident intensity, which means the structure has a better focusing effect. Further analysis of incident wavelength sensitivity (1.55, 1.79 and 2 μm) reveals that the proposed structure has a wide range of working wavelength.

Overview of MSFC's Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Roberto; Wang, Tee-See; Griffin, Lisa; Turner, James E. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This document is a presentation graphic which reviews the activities of the Applied Fluid Dynamics Analysis Group at Marshall Space Flight Center (i.e., Code TD64). The work of this group focused on supporting the space transportation programs. The work of the group is in Computational Fluid Dynamic tool development. This development is driven by hardware design needs. The major applications for the design and analysis tools are: turbines, pumps, propulsion-to-airframe integration, and combustion devices.

Design Optimization of Composite Structures under Uncertainty

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haftka, Raphael T.

2003-01-01

Design optimization under uncertainty is computationally expensive and is also challenging in terms of alternative formulation. The work under the grant focused on developing methods for design against uncertainty that are applicable to composite structural design with emphasis on response surface techniques. Applications included design of stiffened composite plates for improved damage tolerance, the use of response surfaces for fitting weights obtained by structural optimization, and simultaneous design of structure and inspection periods for fail-safe structures.

Interweaving Objects, Gestures, and Talk in Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brassac, Christian; Fixmer, Pierre; Mondada, Lorenza; Vinck, Dominique

2008-01-01

In a large French hospital, a group of professional experts (including physicians and software engineers) are working on the computerization of a blood-transfusion traceability device. By focusing on a particular moment in this slow process of design, we analyze their collaborative practices during a work session. The analysis takes a…

The Employer Participation Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Employer Leadership Council, Washington, DC.

This employer participation model is designed to help employers of all sizes customize their participation in school-to-work activities. Using it as a foundation, companies can evaluate resources and target them to areas of opportunity. The first section focuses on employers working with students and teachers. A chart describes activities in which…

A Model for International Collaborative Development Work in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amiel, Tel; McClendon, V. J.; Orey, Michael

2007-01-01

This paper discusses the establishment of an international collaborative program focused on school improvement in Brazil and the United States. Two qualitative research studies were conducted on the development work conducted by faculty, students, and local K-12 school stakeholders. The design and implementation of collaborative student projects…

Peace Works: A Program Evaluation Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LeBlanc, Patrice; Lacey, Candace

2002-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe the model used to evaluate the two-year Allegany Grant between the Peace Education Foundation and the Miami-Dade County Public Schools that focused on reducing school violence through implementing the "Peace Works" program. A mixed method design using simultaneous methodologies was employed. For…

Pile/shaft designs using artificial neural networks (i.e., genetic programming) with spatial variability considerations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-03-01

The work focused on the improvement of FB-DEEPs prediction of skin and tip resistance of concrete : piles and drilled shafts in Florida. For the work, data from 19 concrete pile sites and 18 drilled shaft sites were : collected. This included 458 ...

Homelessness in the Elementary School Classroom: Social and Emotional Consequences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chow, Kirby A.; Mistry, Rashmita S.; Melchor, Vanessa L.

2015-01-01

This study examined elementary school teachers' experiences working with homeless students. Specifically, we focused on the psychosocial impacts of homelessness on students and their teachers. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 teachers who worked at designated public schools for family homeless shelters. A prominent…

The Orthodontist, Our Friend: World of Work Project: Fifth Grade: Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Nancy

The document is one of the teaching units developed by the Utah World of Work Project, designed to integrate career awareness into the regular curriculum at the elementary level. The fifth grade guide is tied to the health education area and focuses on the work of the orthodontist in terms of understanding what an orthodontist does, learning what…

Understanding Task-in-Process through the Lens of Laughter: Activity Designs, Instructional Materials, Learner Orientations, and Interpersonal Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hasegawa, Atsushi

2018-01-01

Using the framework of conversation analysis, this study investigated the interactional workings of laughter in task-based interactions. The analysis was drawn from 160 cases of pair work interactions, collected in 2nd-semester Japanese-as-a-foreign-language classrooms. The pair work activities examined in this study are mostly grammar-focused,…

Understanding Accounting as a Career: An Immersion Work Experience for Students Making Career Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGrath, Dianne; Murphy, Daniel

2016-01-01

This paper reports on a project which is designed to increase the participation of high school students in accounting work experience placements. The focus of the paper is on an Australian-based project which overcomes the identified barriers to offering high school accounting work experience placements with a resultant increase in the number and…

Design of HIFU transducers for generating specified nonlinear ultrasound fields

PubMed Central

Rosnitskiy, Pavel B.; Yuldashev, Petr V.; Sapozhnikov, Oleg A.; Maxwell, Adam; Kreider, Wayne; Bailey, Michael R.; Khokhlova, Vera A.

2016-01-01

Various clinical applications of high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) have different requirements for the pressure levels and degree of nonlinear waveform distortion at the focus. The goal of this work was to determine transducer design parameters that produce either a specified shock amplitude in the focal waveform or specified peak pressures while still maintaining quasilinear conditions at the focus. Multi-parametric nonlinear modeling based on the KZK equation with an equivalent source boundary condition was employed. Peak pressures, shock amplitudes at the focus, and corresponding source outputs were determined for different transducer geometries and levels of nonlinear distortion. Results are presented in terms of the parameters of an equivalent single-element, spherically shaped transducer. The accuracy of the method and its applicability to cases of strongly focused transducers were validated by comparing the KZK modeling data with measurements and nonlinear full-diffraction simulations for a single-element source and arrays with 7 and 256 elements. The results provide look-up data for evaluating nonlinear distortions at the focus of existing therapeutic systems as well as for guiding the design of new transducers that generate specified nonlinear fields. PMID:27775904

Interview with Charles M. Reigeluth: Applying Instructional Design to Educational Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simsek, Ali

2013-01-01

Professor Reigeluth emphasizes that the work of educational technology researchers should focus on advancing instructional design theories rather than investigating some trendy aspects of utilizing educational media in schools. He makes the point that such an orientation will provide a comprehensive framework for efforts toward improving education…

Computer Simulation of Laboratory Experiments: An Unrealized Potential.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magin, D. J.; Reizes, J. A.

1990-01-01

Discussion of the use of computer simulation for laboratory experiments in undergraduate engineering education focuses on work at the University of New South Wales in the instructional design and software development of a package simulating a heat exchange device. The importance of integrating theory, design, and experimentation is also discussed.…

Revisiting Your Outdoor Environment: Reasons to Reshape, Enrich, Redevelop the Outdoor Space.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mauffette, Anne Gillain

1998-01-01

Provides suggestions for designing effective outdoor space. Focuses on advocating for space, designing spaces based on children's characteristics and preferences, integrating the outdoors in educational planning, including children in decision making and work, knowing about injury prevention, providing adult models who love the outdoors, and…

[The design and implementation of DICOM self-help film printing system].

PubMed

Wang, Xiaodong; Jiang, Mowen

2013-09-01

This article focuses on the design and implementation of self-help film printing system which based on DICOM standard. According to DICOM standard and the working process of the radiology department, the system realizes self-help printing film as well as monitoring and managing the film printing business.

Variable Complexity Optimization of Composite Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haftka, Raphael T.

2002-01-01

The use of several levels of modeling in design has been dubbed variable complexity modeling. The work under the grant focused on developing variable complexity modeling strategies with emphasis on response surface techniques. Applications included design of stiffened composite plates for improved damage tolerance, the use of response surfaces for fitting weights obtained by structural optimization, and design against uncertainty using response surface techniques.

Designing Spatial Visualisation Tasks for Middle School Students with a 3D Modelling Software: An Instrumental Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turgut, Melih; Uygan, Candas

2015-01-01

In this work, certain task designs to enhance middle school students' spatial visualisation ability, in the context of an instrumental approach, have been developed. 3D modelling software, SketchUp®, was used. In the design process, software tools were focused on and, thereafter, the aim was to interpret the instrumental genesis and spatial…

Learntime and Learning Place-Focused Forward-Oriented Design for Learning in Technology-Enhanced Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sun, Susan Y. H.

2016-01-01

This study reports on a teacher's ongoing design activities in a fully online language course when the class was in progress. The aims were, firstly, to provide first-hand experience and insight into a teacher's design work in a real-life, technology-enhanced learning (TEL) classroom; and secondly, to facilitate reflective analysis of the emerging…

Joined up Thinking? A Review of the Impact of a Higher Education and Industry Partnership on Undergraduate Product Design Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hurn, Karl M.

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper is to provide educators and potential industrial partners with an insight into students' perceptions of working with industry during their undergraduate studies, and to highlight, through comments from academic staff, the effect on their design outcomes. The paper focuses on a collaborative design activity conducted with…

Modelling elderly cardiac patients decision making using Cognitive Work Analysis: identifying requirements for patient decision aids.

PubMed

Dhukaram, Anandhi Vivekanandan; Baber, Chris

2015-06-01

Patients make various healthcare decisions on a daily basis. Such day-to-day decision making can have significant consequences on their own health, treatment, care, and costs. While decision aids (DAs) provide effective support in enhancing patient's decision making, to date there have been few studies examining patient's decision making process or exploring how the understanding of such decision processes can aid in extracting requirements for the design of DAs. This paper applies Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) to analyse patient's decision making in order to inform requirements for supporting self-care decision making. This study uses focus groups to elicit information from elderly cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients concerning a range of decision situations they face on a daily basis. Specifically, the focus groups addressed issues related to the decision making of CVD in terms of medication compliance, pain, diet and exercise. The results of these focus groups are used to develop high level views using CWA. CWA framework decomposes the complex decision making problem to inform three approaches to DA design: one design based on high level requirements; one based on a normative model of decision-making for patients; and the third based on a range of heuristics that patients seem to use. CWA helps in extracting and synthesising decision making from different perspectives: decision processes, work organisation, patient competencies and strategies used in decision making. As decision making can be influenced by human behaviour like skills, rules and knowledge, it is argued that patients require support to different types of decision making. This paper also provides insights for designers in using CWA framework for the design of effective DAs to support patients in self-management. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design, Development and Application of New, High-Performance Gear Steels

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-01

thesis work focused on design principles for advanced carburized bearing steels . He also received a Master of Product Development degree from...Design computational design technology to develop a new class of high-strength, secondary hardening gear steels that are optimized for high-temperature...high contact fatigue resistance, which makes it a candidate for applications such as camshafts and bearings , as well as gear sets. (Printed with

Co-creation theory.

PubMed

Lynch, Elizabeth

The Design Council is working with healthcare staff and users to reconfigure services for the 21st century. This 'co-creation approach' has focused on diabetes and motivating older people to stay healthy.

Working memory and the design of health materials: a cognitive factors perspective.

PubMed

Wilson, Elizabeth A H; Wolf, Michael S

2009-03-01

Working memory and other supportive cognitive processes involved in learning are reviewed in the context of developing patient education materials. We specifically focus on the impact of certain design factors such as text format and syntax, the inclusion of images, and the choice of modality on individuals' ability to understand and remember health information. A selective review of relevant cognitive and learning theories is discussed with regard to their potential impact on the optimal design of health materials. Working memory is measured as an individual's capacity to hold and manipulate information in active consciousness. It is limited by necessity, and well-designed health materials can effectively minimize extraneous cognitive demands placed on individuals, making working memory resources more available to better process content-related information. Further research is needed to evaluate specific design principles and identify ideal uses of print versus video-based forms of communication for conveying information. The process of developing health materials should account for the cognitive demands that extrinsic factors such as modality place on patients.

Space Station Human Factors Research Review. Volume 1: EVA Research and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, Marc M. (Editor); Vykukal, H. C. (Editor)

1988-01-01

An overview is presented of extravehicular activity (EVA) research and development activities at Ames. The majority of the program was devoted to presentations by the three contractors working in parallel on the EVA System Phase A Study, focusing on Implications for Man-Systems Design. Overhead visuals are included for a mission results summary, space station EVA requirements and interface accommodations summary, human productivity study cross-task coordination, and advanced EVAS Phase A study implications for man-systems design. Articles are also included on subsea approach to work systems development and advanced EVA system design requirements.

Pilot study in the development of an interactive multimedia learning environment for sexual health interventions: a focus group approach.

PubMed

Goold, P C; Bustard, S; Ferguson, E; Carlin, E M; Neal, K; Bowman, C A

2006-02-01

In the UK there are high rates of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancies amongst young people. There is limited and contradictory evidence that current sexual health education interventions are effective or that they improve access to appropriate sexual health services. This paper describes the outcome of focus group work with young people that was undertaken to inform the design of an Interactive Multimedia Learning Environment that incorporates message framing, intended for use in sexual health promotion. The focus group work addressed sexual attitudes, behaviour, risk perception, and knowledge of sexual health and sexual health services in Nottingham. The results provided new insights into young peoples' sexual behaviour, and their diversity of knowledge and beliefs. Common themes expressed regarding sexual health services included concerns about confidentiality, lack of confidence to access services and fear of the unknown. The results showed that while the adolescents are reasonably knowledgeable about infection, they do not know as much about the relevant services to treat it. This work emphasizes the need for user involvement throughout the design and development of a sexual health intervention, and will form the basis of the next part of the project.

X-33/RLV Program Aerospike Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Substantial progress was made during the past year in support of the X-33/RLV program. X-33 activity was directed towards completing the remaining design work and building hardware to support test activities. RLV work focused on the nozzle ramp and powerpack technology tasks and on supporting vehicle configuration studies. On X-33, the design activity was completed to the detail level and the remainder of the drawings were released. Component fabrication and engine assembly activity was initiated, and the first two powerpacks and the GSE and STE needed to support powerpack testing were completed. Components fabrication is on track to support the first engine assembly schedule. Testing activity included powerpack testing and component development tests consisting of thrust cell single cell testing, CWI system spider testing, and EMA valve flow and vibration testing. Work performed for RLV was divided between engine system and technology development tasks. Engine system activity focused on developing the engine system configuration and supporting vehicle configuration studies. Also, engine requirements were developed, and engine performance analyses were conducted. In addition, processes were developed for implementing reliability, mass properties, and cost controls during design. Technology development efforts were divided between powerpack and nozzle ramp technology tasks. Powerpack technology activities were directed towards the development of a prototype powerpack and a ceramic turbine technology demonstrator (CTTD) test article which will allow testing of ceramic turbines and a close-coupled gas generator design. Nozzle technology efforts were focused on the selection of a composite nozzle supplier and on the fabrication and test of composite nozzle coupons.

School Performance, Accountability and Waiver Reforms: Evidence from Louisiana. CEPA Working Paper No. 17-06

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dee, Thomas; Dizon-Ross, Elise

2017-01-01

States that received federal waivers to the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act were required to implement reforms in designated "Focus Schools" that contribute to achievement gaps. In this study, we examine the performance effects of such "differentiated accountability" reforms in the state of Louisiana. The Focus School reforms…

Focus Groups and Usability Testing in Redesigning an Academic Library's Web Site

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oldham, Bonnie W.

2008-01-01

As the World Wide Web has advanced since its inception, librarians have endeavored to keep pace with this progress in the design of their library Web pages. User recommendations collected from focus groups and usability testing have indicated that the University of Scranton's Weinberg Memorial Library's Web site was not working as intended, and…

Subject Didactic Studies of Research Training in Biology and Physics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lybeck, Leif

1984-01-01

The objectives and design of a 3-year study of research training and supervision in biology and physics are discussed. Scientific problems arising from work on the thesis will be a focus for the postgraduate students and their supervisors. Attention will be focused on supervisors' and students' conceptions of science, subject range, research,…

Diverse Educational Leadership Training Academy at Northeastern State University-Broken Arrow Campus in Oklahoma: Why Is It Working?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahan, Melissa Kaye

2009-01-01

Scope and method of study. This study used a descriptive design in which quantitative subject profile data were expanded upon by qualitative data from focus group interviews. Specifically, institutional data from Northeastern State University and focus group interviews with DELTA graduates were used. The institutional data collected consisted of…

Resisting the Lure of Technology-Driven Design: Pedagogical Approaches to Visual Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northcut, Kathryn M.; Brumberger, Eva R.

2010-01-01

Technical communicators are expected to work extensively with visual texts in workplaces. Fortunately, most academic curricula include courses in which the skills necessary for such tasks are introduced and sometimes developed in depth. We identify a tension between a focus on technological skill vs. a focus on principles and theory, arguing that…

The Emergency Landing Planner Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meuleau, Nocolas F.; Neukom, Christian; Plaunt, Christian John; Smith, David E.; Smith, Tristan B.

2011-01-01

In previous work, we described an Emergency Landing Planner (ELP) designed to assist pilots in choosing the best emergency landing site when damage or failures occur in an aircraft. In this paper, we briefly describe the system, but focus on the integration of this system into the cockpit of a 6 DOF full-motion simulator and a study designed to evaluate the ELP. We discuss the results of this study, the lessons learned, and some of the issues involved in advancing this work further.

Experimental study of the performance of a very small repetitive plasma focus device in different working conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goudarzi, S., E-mail: sgoudarzi@aeoi.org.ir; Babaee, H.; Esmaeli, A.

SORENA-1 is a very small repetitive Mather-type plasma focus device (20 J) that can operate at frequencies up to 1 Hz. This device has been designed and constructed in the Plasma and Nuclear Fusion Research School of the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute of Iran. In this article, the structure of SORENA-1 is described and results of experiments with Ar, Ne, and D{sub 2} working gases at several discharge voltages and initial pressures are presented and analyzed.

Experimental study of the performance of a very small repetitive plasma focus device in different working conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goudarzi, S.; Babaee, H.; Esmaeli, A.; Nasiri, A.

2017-01-01

SORENA-1 is a very small repetitive Mather-type plasma focus device (20 J) that can operate at frequencies up to 1 Hz. This device has been designed and constructed in the Plasma and Nuclear Fusion Research School of the Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute of Iran. In this article, the structure of SORENA-1 is described and results of experiments with Ar, Ne, and D2 working gases at several discharge voltages and initial pressures are presented and analyzed.

Web-based interventions for the management of stress in the workplace: Focus, form, and efficacy

PubMed Central

Ryan, Cathal; Bergin, Michael; Chalder, Trudie; Wells, John SG

2017-01-01

Objectives: This review sought to determine what is currently known about the focus, form, and efficacy of web-based interventions that aim to support the well-being of workers and enable them to manage their work-related stress. Method: A scoping review of the literature as this relates to web-based interventions for the management of work-related stress and supporting the psychological well-being of workers was conducted. Results: Forty-eight web-based interventions were identified and reviewed, the majority of which (n = 37) were "individual" -focused and utilized cognitive-behavioral techniques, relaxation exercises, mindfulness, or cognitive behavior therapy. Most interventions identified were provided via a website (n = 34) and were atheoretical in nature. Conclusions: There is some low-to-moderate quality evidence that "individual" -focused interventions are effective for supporting employee well-being and managing their work-related stress. There are few web-based interventions that target "organizational" or "individual/organization" interface factors, and there is limited support for their efficacy. A clear gap appears to exist between work-stress theory and its application in the design and development of web-based interventions for the management of work-related stress. PMID:28320977

In the Middle: Work-Life Integration Experiences of Mid-Level Women Leaders in a Rural Community College System in the Northeastern United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGill-O'Rourke, Andrea

2012-01-01

Research indicates that work-life integration is linked with career satisfaction for women administrators in higher education. This study focuses on mid-level women leaders who are an essential component of higher education organizations. Employing a qualitative design that drew upon phenomenological methods, I explored the work-life integration…

Assessment of Scaled Rotors for Wind Tunnel Experiments.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maniaci, David Charles; Kelley, Christopher Lee; Chiu, Phillip

2015-07-01

Rotor design and analysis work has been performed to support the conceptualization of a wind tunnel test focused on studying wake dynamics. This wind tunnel test would serve as part of a larger model validation campaign that is part of the Department of Energy Wind and Water Power Program’s Atmosphere to electrons (A2e) initiative. The first phase of this effort was directed towards designing a functionally scaled rotor based on the same design process and target full-scale turbine used for new rotors for the DOE/SNL SWiFT site. The second phase focused on assessing the capabilities of an already available rotor,more » the G1, designed and built by researchers at the Technical University of München.« less

Influences on GP coping and resilience: a qualitative study in primary care

PubMed Central

Cheshire, Anna; Ridge, Damien; Hughes, John; Peters, David; Panagioti, Maria; Simon, Chantal; Lewith, George

2017-01-01

Background ‘Neoliberal’ work policies, austerity, NHS restructuring, and increased GP consultation rates provide the backdrop against increasing reports of GP burnout and an impending shortage of GPs. Aim To explore GPs’ experiences of workplace challenges and stresses, and their coping strategies, particularly focusing on understanding the impact of recent NHS workplace change. Design and setting Study design was qualitative, with data collected from two focus groups and seven one-to-one telephone interviews. Method Focus groups and one-to-one telephone interviews explored the experiences of GPs currently practising in England, recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview approach and analysed using thematic analysis. Results There were 22 GP participants recruited: focus groups (n = 15) and interviews (n = 7). Interviewees understood GPs to be under intense and historically unprecedented pressures, which were tied to the contexts in which they work, with important moral implications for ‘good’ doctoring. Many reported that being a full-time GP was too stressful: work-related stress led to mood changes, sleep disruption, increases in anxiety, and tensions with loved ones. Some had subsequently sought ways to downsize their clinical workload. Workplace change resulted in little time for the things that helped GP resilience: a good work–life balance and better contact with colleagues. Although some GPs were coping better than others, GPs acknowledged that there was only so much an individual GP could do to manage their stress, given the external work issues they faced. Conclusion GPs experience their emotional lives and stresses as being meaningfully shaped by NHS factors. To support GPs to provide effective care, resilience building should move beyond the individual to include systemic work issues. PMID:28483822

A "Career" Work Ethic versus Just a Job

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porter, Gayle

2005-01-01

Purpose: To provide current information on managers' expectations of their employees, toward structuring future research on amount of time and energy devoted to work. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative data, acquired through focus groups and interviews, provide a sample of the perceptions of 57 managers in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA…

Role for a Labor-Management Partnership in Nursing Home Person-Centered Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leutz, Walter; Bishop, Christine E.; Dodson, Lisa

2010-01-01

Purpose: To investigate how a partnership between labor and management works to change the organization and focus of nursing home frontline work, supporting a transition toward person-centered care (PCC) in participating nursing homes. Design and Methods: Using a participatory research approach, we conducted case studies of 2 nursing homes…

Working Parents Project. Final Report. Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Theresa; Espinoza, Renato

Summarized in this report is a study designed to explore the interrelationships that develop over time between two of the most important aspects of people's lives: their work and their families. Specifically, the study focuses on how the nature of women's jobs influences the system of nuclear family relationships and affects parents' involvement…

Stress Management in the Workplace. WBGH Worksite Wellness Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaffe, Dennis T.; And Others

This paper on designing and implementing a stress management program in the workplace begins by defining stress. A brief overview of the relationship of stress to health and personal style follows. The subsequent discussion of the relationship between stress and work focuses on these topics: work contributes to stress; stress affects work…

The Essential Parent Workshop Resource. The Teacher's Idea Book 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graves, Michelle

Fourth in a series designed to provide early childhood educators with ideas and strategies for applying High/Scope principles, this idea book focuses on working with the parents of young children and presents 30 one-hour parent workshops in five areas. The book's introduction presents guiding principles for working with adult learners, discusses…

Solar thermal power systems point-focusing distributed receiver technology project. Volume 2: Detailed report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The accomplishments of the Point-Focusing Distributed Receiver Technology Project during fiscal year 1979 are detailed. Present studies involve designs of modular units that collect and concentrate solar energy via highly reflective, parabolic-shaped dishes. The concentrated energy is then converted to heat in a working fluid, such as hot gas. In modules designed to produce heat for industrial applications, a flexible line conveys the heated fluid from the module to a heat transfer network. In modules designed to produce electricity the fluid carries the heat directly to an engine in a power conversion unit located at the focus of the concentrator. The engine is mechanically linked to an electric generator. A Brayton-cycle engine is currently being developed as the most promising electrical energy converter to meet near-future needs.

High-Fidelity Multidisciplinary Design Using an Integrated Design Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-14

Leovirivakit and A. .Jamneson, -- Case Studies ini Aero-St ruc(t ural NWing Planiforiii aiid Section Op- tifiization". 22`1~ AIAA Applied Aerodynamaiics...design of complete aircraft configurations. The work was focused on four main areas: (1) Flow solution algorithms for unstructured meshes, (2) Aero...Multi-Fidelity Design Optimization Studies for Supersonic lIets" . 13"’" AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting kc E’xhibit, AIAA Paper 2005- (0531, Reno. NV

Multi-Scale Hierarchical and Topological Design of Structures for Failure Resistance

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-04

materials, simulation, 3D printing , advanced manufacturing, design, fracture Markus J. Buehler Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) 77...by Mineralized Natural Materials: Computation, 3D printing , and Testing, Advanced Functional Materials, (09 2013): 0. doi: 10.1002/adfm.201300215 10...have made substantial progress. Recent work focuses on the analysis of topological effects of composite design, 3D printing of bioinspired and

Nanotechnology-Enabled Optical Molecular Imaging of Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

explanation of results. 37 KEY RESEACH ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Design of needle-based fiber optic imaging system completed and development of first...policy or decision unless so designated by other documentation. REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting...our results to date. As described in the Statement of Work, Year 1 plans focused on design of this system and beginning initial construction. It

Feedback Conversations: Creating Feedback Dialogues with a New Textual Tool for Industrial Design Student Feedback

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Funk, Mathias; van Diggelen, Migchiel

2017-01-01

In this paper, the authors describe how a study of a large database of written university teacher feedback in the department of Industrial Design led to the development of a new conceptual framework for feedback and the design of a new feedback tool. This paper focuses on the translation of related work in the area of feedback mechanisms for…

Designing and Financing an Integrated Program of College Study: Lessons from the California Academy of Liberal Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldberger, Susan; Haynes, Leslie

2005-01-01

This document represents the first in a series of design briefs on models for early college high schools. The briefs focus on the academic and organizational design of the college component and tie those key features to a sustainable financing model. By engaging students in up to two years of demanding college-level work while still in high…

2011 Annual Report of the American Psychological Association

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Psychologist, 2012

2012-01-01

As we have throughout the association's history, we focused in 2011 on multiple initiatives--all designed to further, support, and communicate the important work that psychologists do. This year we had the benefit of APA's first-ever strategic plan as well as funding for the following seven initiatives that are specifically designed to execute the…

Team Learning: Collective Reflection Processes in Teacher Teams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohlsson, Jon

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contribute to further studies of theoretical and conceptual understanding of teachers' team learning processes, with a main focus on team work, team atmosphere, and collective reflections. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical study was designed as a multi-case study in a research and development…

Youth as Media Art Designers: Workshops for Creative Coding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peppler, Kylie A.; Kafai, Yasmin B.

2008-01-01

We describe our efforts to bring media arts into design work with the goals to introduce new expressive forms in programming to urban youth. We're presenting the findings from a series of workshops organized together with professional media artists that focused on immersion, interaction, color and perspective using Scratch, a media-rich…

Elements, Principles, and Critical Inquiry for Identity-Centered Design of Online Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dudek, Jaclyn; Heiser, Rebecca

2017-01-01

Within higher education, a need exists for learning designs that facilitate education and support students in sharing, examining, and refining their critical identities as learners and professionals. In the past, technology-mediated identity work has focused on individual tool use or a learning setting. However, we as professional learning…

First Year Experience Courses for Students in Developmental Education. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2016

2016-01-01

"First year experience courses for students in developmental education" are designed to ease the transition to college by providing academic and social development supports. Although course content and focus may vary, most are designed to introduce students to campus resources, provide training in time management and study skills, and…

Designing an Electronic Educational Game to Facilitate Immersion and Flow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Yuxin; Williams, Doug; Prejean, Louise

2014-01-01

Advocates of electronic educational games often cite the work on motivation to support the use of games in education. However, motivation alone is inadequate to facilitate learning. Many of the educational games that focused their game design solely on the motivational effect failed to be either educational or entertaining. Theory and research is…

75 FR 28331 - Meaningful Access to United States Currency for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-20

... impaired relating to the identification of U.S. currency through focus groups, surveys, and usability tests.... SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: By statute, the Secretary of the Treasury has sole authority for approving designs of U.S. Federal Reserve notes (U.S. currency). To develop the designs, Treasury works in collaboration...

Designing Project-Based Courses with a Focus on Group Formation and Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Debbie

2009-01-01

The value and the pitfalls of project and group work are well recognized. The principles and elements which apply to projects in general, apply to project-based courses. Thoughtful and detailed planning, understanding of the stakeholders and their needs, a good design, appropriate testing, monitoring and quality control and continual management…

Cognitive Models of Scientific Work and Their Implications for the Design of Knowledge Delivery Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mavor, A. S.; And Others

Part of a sustained program that has involved the design of personally tailored information systems responsive to the needs of scientists performing common research and teaching tasks, this project focuses on the procedural and content requirements for accomplishing need diagnosis and presents these requirements as specifications for an…

A Servant of Two Masters: Designing Research To Advance Knowledge and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Mary; Pedder, David; Swaffield, Sue; Conner, Colin; Frost, David; MacBeath, John

This paper describes aspects of the design and implementation of "Learning How To Learnin Classrooms, Schools, and Networks," a major development and research project within the Teaching and Learning Research Programme in the United Kingdom. It focuses on how a group of Cambridge academics and researchers, working in partnership with other…

Online Course Design in a Programmatic Framework: A Case from Social Work

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Patricia Lynn

2014-01-01

The focus of this study centers on the way instructors, and more specifically, instructors within a programmatic initiative, think about teaching and the decision-making process they employ to design learning experiences for an online environment. Often administrative initiatives do not consider the unique individual instructor needs when planning…

Supersonic Aerodynamic Design Improvements of an Arrow-Wing HSCT Configuration Using Nonlinear Point Design Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Unger, Eric R.; Hager, James O.; Agrawal, Shreekant

1999-01-01

This paper is a discussion of the supersonic nonlinear point design optimization efforts at McDonnell Douglas Aerospace under the High-Speed Research (HSR) program. The baseline for these optimization efforts has been the M2.4-7A configuration which represents an arrow-wing technology for the High-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT). Optimization work on this configuration began in early 1994 and continued into 1996. Initial work focused on optimization of the wing camber and twist on a wing/body configuration and reductions of 3.5 drag counts (Euler) were realized. The next phase of the optimization effort included fuselage camber along with the wing and a drag reduction of 5.0 counts was achieved. Including the effects of the nacelles and diverters into the optimization problem became the next focus where a reduction of 6.6 counts (Euler W/B/N/D) was eventually realized. The final two phases of the effort included a large set of constraints designed to make the final optimized configuration more realistic and they were successful albeit with a loss of performance.

Design and feasibility of integrating personalized PRO dashboards into prostate cancer care

PubMed Central

Izard, Jason P; Dalkin, Bruce L; Mikles, Sean P; Gore, John L

2016-01-01

Objective Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are a valued source of health information, but prior work focuses largely on data capture without guidance on visual displays that promote effective PRO use in patient-centered care. We engaged patients, providers, and design experts in human-centered design of “PRO dashboards” that illustrate trends in health-related quality of life (HRQOL) reported by patients following prostate cancer treatment. Materials and Methods We designed and assessed the feasibility of integrating dashboards into care in 3 steps: (1) capture PRO needs of patients and providers through focus groups and interviews; (2) iteratively build and refine a prototype dashboard; and (3) pilot test dashboards with patients and their provider during follow-up care. Results Focus groups (n = 60 patients) prioritized needs for dashboards that compared longitudinal trends in patients’ HRQOL with “men like me.” Of the candidate dashboard designs, 50 patients and 50 providers rated pictographs less helpful than bar charts, line graphs, or tables (P < .001) and preferred bar charts and line graphs most. Given these needs and the design recommendations from our Patient Advisory Board (n = 7) and design experts (n = 7), we built and refined a prototype that charts patients’ HRQOL compared with age- and treatment-matched patients in personalized dashboards. Pilot testing dashboard use (n = 12 patients) improved compliance with quality indicators for prostate cancer care (P < .01). Conclusion PRO dashboards are a promising approach for integrating patient-generated data into prostate cancer care. Informed by human-centered design principles, this work establishes guidance on dashboard content, tailoring, and clinical use that patients and providers find meaningful. PMID:26260247

Pathways to cognitive design.

PubMed

Wertz, Annie E; Moya, Cristina

2018-05-30

Despite a shared recognition that the design of the human mind and the design of human culture are tightly linked, researchers in the evolutionary social sciences tend to specialize in understanding one at the expense of the other. The disciplinary boundaries roughly correspond to research traditions that focus more on natural selection and those that focus more on cultural evolution. In this paper, we articulate how two research traditions within the evolutionary social sciences-evolutionary psychology and cultural evolution-approach the study of design. We focus our analysis on the design of cognitive mechanisms that are the result of the interplay of genetic and cultural evolution. We aim to show how the approaches of these two research traditions can complement each other, and provide a framework for developing a wider range of testable hypotheses about cognitive design. To do so, we provide concrete illustrations of how this integrated approach can be used to interrogate cognitive design using examples from our own work on plant and symbolic group boundary cognition. We hope this recognition of different pathways to design will broaden the hypothesis space in the evolutionary social sciences and encourage methodological pluralism in the investigation of the mind. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Report on all ARRA Funded Technical Work

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None, None

2013-10-05

The main focus of this American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funded project was to design an energy efficient carbon capture and storage (CCS) process using the Recipients membrane system for H{sub 2} separation and CO{sub 2} capture. In the ARRA-funded project, the Recipient accelerated development and scale-up of ongoing hydrogen membrane technology research and development (R&D). Specifically, this project focused on accelerating the current R&D work scope of the base program-funded project, involving lab scale tests, detail design of a 250 lb/day H{sub 2} process development unit (PDU), and scale-up of membrane tube and coating manufacturing. Thismore » project scope included the site selection and a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) study of a nominally 4 to 10 ton-per-day (TPD) Pre-Commercial Module (PCM) hydrogen separation membrane system. Process models and techno-economic analysis were updated to include studies on integration of this technology into an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power generation system with CCS.« less

Development and Engineering Design in Support of "Rover Ranch": A K-12 Outreach Software Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pascali, Raresh

2003-01-01

A continuation of the initial development started in the summer of 1999, the body of work performed in support of 'ROVer Ranch' Project during the present fellowship dealt with the concrete concept implementation and resolution of the related issues. The original work performed last summer focused on the initial examination and articulation of the concept treatment strategy, audience and market analysis for the learning technologies software. The presented work focused on finalizing the set of parts to be made available for building an AERCam Sprint type robot and on defining, testing and implementing process necessary to convert the design engineering files to VRML files. Through reverse engineering, an initial set of mission critical systems was designed for beta testing in schools. The files were created in ProEngineer, exported to VRML 1.0 and converted to VRML 97 (VRML 2.0) for final integration in the software. Attributes for each part were assigned using an in-house developed JAVA based program. The final set of attributes for each system, their mutual interaction and the identification of the relevant ones to be tracked, still remain to be decided.

SolSTUS: Solar Source Thermal Upper Stage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

This paper was written by members of the Utah State University (USU) Space Systems Design class, fall quarter 1993. The class is funded by NASA and administered by the University Space Research Association (USRA). The focus of the class is to give students some experience in design of space systems and as a source of original ideas for NASA. This paper is a summary of the work done by members of the Space Systems Design class during the opening phase of the course. The class was divided into groups to work on different areas of the Solar Thermal Rocket (STR) booster in order to produce a design reference mission that would identify the key design issues. The design reference mission focused upon a small satellite mission to Mars. There are several critical components in a Solar Thermal Rocket. STR's produce a very low thrust, but have a high specific impulse, meaning that they take longer to reach the desired orbit, but use a lot less fuel in doing it. The complexity of the rocket is discussed in this paper. Some of the more critical design problems discussed are: (1) the structural and optical complexity of collecting and focusing sunlight onto a specific point, (2) long term storage of fuel (liquid hydrogen), (3) attitude control while thrusting in an elliptical orbit and orienting the mirrors to collect sunlight, and (4) power and communications for the rocket and it's internal systems. The design reference mission discussed here is a very general mission to Mars. A first order trajectory design has been done and a possible basic science payload for Mars has been suggested. This paper summarizes the design reference mission (DRM) formulated by the USU students during fall quarter and identifies major design challenges that will confront the design team during the next two quarters here at USU.

SolSTUS: Solar Source Thermal Upper Stage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This paper was written by members of the Utah State University (USU) Space Systems Design class, fall quarter 1993. The class is funded by NASA and administered by the University Space Research Association (USRA). The focus of the class is to give students some experience in design of space systems and as a source of original ideas for NASA. This paper is a summary of the work done by members of the Space Systems Design class during the opening phase of the course. The class was divided into groups to work on different areas of the Solar Thermal Rocket (STR) booster in order to produce a design reference mission that would identify the key design issues. The design reference mission focused upon a small satellite mission to Mars. There are several critical components in a Solar Thermal Rocket. STR's produce a very low thrust, but have a high specific impulse, meaning that they take longer to reach the desired orbit, but use a lot less fuel in doing it. The complexity of the rocket is discussed in this paper. Some of the more critical design problems discussed are: (1) the structural and optical complexity of collecting and focusing sunlight onto a specific point, (2) long term storage of fuel (liquid hydrogen), (3) attitude control while thrusting in an elliptical orbit and orienting the mirrors to collect sunlight, and (4) power and communications for the rocket and it's internal systems. The design reference mission discussed here is a very general mission to Mars. A first order trajectory design has been done and a possible basic science payload for Mars has been suggested. This paper summarizes the design reference mission (DRM) formulated by the USU students during fall quarter and identifies major design challenges that will confront the design team during the next two quarters here at USU.

Self-compensating design for reduction of timing and leakage sensitivity to systematic pattern dependent variation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Puneet; Kahng, Andrew B.; Kim, Youngmin; Sylvester, Dennis

2006-03-01

Focus is one of the major sources of linewidth variation. CD variation caused by defocus is largely systematic after the layout is finished. In particular, dense lines "smile" through focus while isolated lines "frown" in typical Bossung plots. This well-defined systematic behavior of focus-dependent CD variation allows us to develop a self-compensating design methodology. In this work, we propose a novel design methodology that allows explicit compensation of focus-dependent CD variation, either within a cell (self-compensated cells) or across cells in a critical path (self-compensated design). By creating iso and dense variants for each library cell, we can achieve designs that are more robust to focus variation. Optimization with a mixture of iso and dense cell variants is possible both for area and leakage power, with the latter providing an interesting complement to existing leakage reduction techniques such as dual-Vth. We implement both heuristic and Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) solution methods to address this optimization, and experimentally compare their results. Our results indicate that designing with a self-compensated cell library incurs ~12% area penalty and ~6% leakage increase over original layouts while compensating for focus-dependent CD variation (i.e., the design meets timing constraints across a large range of focus variation). We observe ~27% area penalty and ~7% leakage increase at the worst-case defocus condition using only single-pitch cells. The area penalty of circuits after using either the heuristic or MILP optimization approach is reduced to ~3% while maintaining timing. We also apply our optimizations to leakage, which traditionally shows very large variability due to its exponential relationship with gate CD. We conclude that a mixed iso/dense library combined with a sensitivity-based optimization approach yields much better area/timing/leakage tradeoffs than using a self-compensated cell library alone. Self-compensated design shows an average of 25% leakage reduction at the worst defocus condition for the benchmark designs that we have studied.

Dose Measurements in a 20-J Repetitive Plasma Focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goudarzi, S.; Babaee, H.; Esmaeli, A.; Nasiri, A.; Mazandarani, A.

2018-02-01

In this article, the results of X-ray dose measurements executed using thermoluminescent dosimeters in experiments with a very small (20 J) repetitive plasma focus device named SORENA-1 are presented and analyzed. The working gas in these experiments was Argon. Also, pinch formation in experiments with this device has been observed. This device has been designed and constructed in Plasma and Nuclear Fusion Research School of Nuclear Science and Technology Research Institute of Iran. From these results, it is concluded that we can do experiments with this device using Ar as working gas all over the working days of year, and a good symmetry for measured dose around the device has been seen.

Focus on Teen Men: Evaluating the Effectiveness of the Wise Guys Program.

PubMed

Herrman, Judith W; Moore, Christopher; Rahmer, Brian

2016-04-01

Many interventions designed to promote safe sexual behaviors in teens focus on young women. Wise Guys is one curricular intervention designed to foster safe sexual practices in young men. This study assessed knowledge, attitude, and behavioral changes as the result of Wise Guys. This pre/posttest descriptive study measured changes in knowledge, attitudes, and sexual behaviors in 159 young men. This study detected limited knowledge and attitude changes but yielded statistically significant differences in safe sexual behaviors and likelihood to talk with parents or guardians about sexuality and dating. This study revealed important benefits of Wise Guys and proposed future mixed methods research to ensure that authentic teen voices inform programming. Nurses working with adolescents may find this information valuable as they address sexual health issues in their work. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Diabetes City: How Urban Game Design Strategies Can Help Diabetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knöll, Martin

Computer Games are about to leave their “electronic shells” and enter the city. So-called Serious Pervasive Games (SPGs) [1] allow for hybrid - simultaneously physical and virtual - experiences, applying technologies of ubiquitous computing, communication and “intelligent” interfaces. They begin to focus on non-entertaining purposes. The following article a) presents game design strategies as a missing link between pervasive computing, Ambient Intelligence and user’s everyday life. Therefore it spurs a discussion how Pervasive Healthcare focusing on the therapy and prevention of chronic diseases can benefit from urban game design strategies. b) Moreover the article presents the development and work in progress of “DiabetesCity“ - an educational game prototype for young diabetics.

The Complexities of Family Caregiving at Work: A Mixed-Methods Study.

PubMed

Gaugler, Joseph E; Pestka, Deborah L; Davila, Heather; Sales, Rebecca; Owen, Greg; Baumgartner, Sarah A; Shook, Rocky; Cunningham, Jane; Kenney, Maureen

2018-01-01

The current project examined the impact of caregiving and caregiving-work conflict on employees' well-being. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design (QUAN→qual) was utilized, and a total of 880 employees from a large health-care plan employer completed an online survey. Forty-five caregivers who completed the survey also participated in one of the five focus groups held 1 to 2 months later. Employed caregivers were significantly ( p < .05) more likely to indicate poorer physical and mental health than noncaregivers; among caregivers ( n = 370), caregiving-work conflict emerged as the most significant predictor of well-being and fully mediated the empirical relationship between burden and well-being. The focus group findings complemented the quantitative results; many of the challenges employed caregivers experience stem from their ability or inability to effectively balance their employment and caregiving roles. The results suggest the need to focus on caregiving-work conflict when constructing new or translating existing evidence-based caregiver interventions.

Enroute flight planning: The design of cooperative planning systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Philip J.; Layton, Chuck; Mccoy, Elaine

1990-01-01

Design concepts and principles to guide in the building of cooperative problem solving systems are being developed and evaluated. In particular, the design of cooperative systems for enroute flight planning is being studied. The investigation involves a three stage process, modeling human performance in existing environments, building cognitive artifacts, and studying the performance of people working in collaboration with these artifacts. The most significant design concepts and principles identified thus far are the principle focus.

Design and Customization of Telemedicine Systems

PubMed Central

Martínez-Alcalá, Claudia I.; Muñoz, Mirna; Monguet-Fierro, Josep

2013-01-01

In recent years, the advances in information and communication technology (ICT) have resulted in the development of systems and applications aimed at supporting rehabilitation therapy that contributes to enrich patients' life quality. This work is focused on the improvement of the telemedicine systems with the purpose of customizing therapies according to the profile and disability of patients. For doing this, as salient contribution, this work proposes the adoption of user-centered design (UCD) methodology for the design and development of telemedicine systems in order to support the rehabilitation of patients with neurological disorders. Finally, some applications of the UCD methodology in the telemedicine field are presented as a proof of concept. PMID:23762191

How to design a horizontal patient-focused hospital.

PubMed

Murphy, E C; Ruflin, P

1993-05-01

Work Imaging is an executive information system for analyzing the cost effectiveness and efficiency of work processes and structures in health care. Advanced Work Imaging relational database technology allows managers and employees to take a sample work activities profile organization-wide. This is married to financial and organizational data to produce images of work within and across all functions, departments, and levels. The images are benchmarked against best practice data to provide insight on the quality and cost efficiency of work practice patterns, from individual roles to departmental skill mix to organization-wide service processes.

Sociotechnical attributes of safe and unsafe work systems.

PubMed

Kleiner, Brian M; Hettinger, Lawrence J; DeJoy, David M; Huang, Yuang-Hsiang; Love, Peter E D

2015-01-01

Theoretical and practical approaches to safety based on sociotechnical systems principles place heavy emphasis on the intersections between social-organisational and technical-work process factors. Within this perspective, work system design emphasises factors such as the joint optimisation of social and technical processes, a focus on reliable human-system performance and safety metrics as design and analysis criteria, the maintenance of a realistic and consistent set of safety objectives and policies, and regular access to the expertise and input of workers. We discuss three current approaches to the analysis and design of complex sociotechnical systems: human-systems integration, macroergonomics and safety climate. Each approach emphasises key sociotechnical systems themes, and each prescribes a more holistic perspective on work systems than do traditional theories and methods. We contrast these perspectives with historical precedents such as system safety and traditional human factors and ergonomics, and describe potential future directions for their application in research and practice. The identification of factors that can reliably distinguish between safe and unsafe work systems is an important concern for ergonomists and other safety professionals. This paper presents a variety of sociotechnical systems perspectives on intersections between social--organisational and technology--work process factors as they impact work system analysis, design and operation.

Transforming consumer health informatics through a patient work framework: connecting patients to context.

PubMed

Valdez, Rupa S; Holden, Richard J; Novak, Laurie L; Veinot, Tiffany C

2015-01-01

Designing patient-centered consumer health informatics (CHI) applications requires understanding and creating alignment with patients' and their family members' health-related activities, referred to here as 'patient work'. A patient work approach to CHI draws on medical social science and human factors engineering models and simultaneously attends to patients, their family members, activities, and context. A patient work approach extends existing approaches to CHI design that are responsive to patients' biomedical realities and personal skills and behaviors. It focuses on the embeddedness of patients' health management in larger processes and contexts and prioritizes patients' perspectives on illness management. Future research is required to advance (1) theories of patient work, (2) methods for assessing patient work, and (3) techniques for translating knowledge of patient work into CHI application design. Advancing a patient work approach within CHI is integral to developing and deploying consumer-facing technologies that are integrated with patients' everyday lives. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com. For numbered affiliations see end of article.

Social Identity, Social Ties and Social Capital: A Study in Gaming Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jiang, Hao

2012-01-01

This work will focus on how different social relationships, namely shared identity and personal tie, will impact cooperative behavior, a form of social capital. I designed and conducted an economic game study to show that shared identity and personal ties work differently on cooperation among people and resource flow in social groups. Many factors…

Work First and Forget about Education: New York City's Personal Responsibility Act and the Creation of a Working Underclass.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones-Brown, Delores; Mahoney, Jacqueline

2001-01-01

Though New York City's welfare reform act claims to emphasize personal responsibility, its design diminishes the possibility of sustained, meaningful employment or long-term economic stability for substantial numbers of Temporary Assistance for Needy Family recipients. By focusing on gaining employment, the act ignores well-established avenues to…

Trades and Aides: The Gendering of Vocational Education in Rural Alberta

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Alison; Servage, Laura; Hamm, Zane

2014-01-01

This article examines two Canadian high school work experience programs that focus on rural youth. The first encourages students to consider work in skilled trades, while the second encourages them to become qualified as healthcare aides. Both programs were designed to encourage high school students to explore careers in fields where labor market…

The Best Laid Plans: Designing Incentive Programs for School Leaders. WCER Working Paper No. 2014-7

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goff, Peter; Goldring, Ellen; Canney, Melissa

2014-01-01

Notable attention and effort has been directed toward improving educator productivity through the use of performance incentives. Little of this work has focused on incentive systems for school leaders (principals) and less yet examines performance pay systems used in practice. This research uses 34 funded grants from the federal Teacher Incentive…

Forest Services: World of Work Project: Fifth Grade: Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utah State Board for Vocational Education, Salt Lake City.

The document is one of the teaching units developed by the Utah World of Work Project, designed to integrate career awareness into the regular curriculum at the elementary level. The fifth grade guide is tied to the science area and focuses on conservation as practiced by Forest Service workers; the growth cycle of forests and the management of…

Greening the Campus Intentions: A Study of the University of the Aegean Non-Academic Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellou, Chrysanthi; Petreniti, Vassiliki; Skanavis, Constantina

2017-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to focus on the University of Aegean's non-academic staff's environmental sustainability attitudes and behavior both at work and at home, their perceptions for sustainability enforcement and their active participation skills. Design/methodology/approach: The research participants were the 101 non-academic staff working at…

Wind Systems for Pumping Water: A Training Manual. No. T-25.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eschenbach, Willis

This document was prepared as a training manual for people interested in developing appropriate technological approaches to using wind power to pump water. The training program is divided into two basic formats, one in which a session focuses on the design process and participants are expected to do some design work in groups, and another which…

University of Wyoming/NAFSA Institute on Foreign TA Training. Working Papers, Volume III.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Rosslyn, Ed.; And Others

This collection contains 16 papers that focus on various problems and challenges relating to the design and implementation of training programs for international or foreign teaching assistants (ITAs or FTAs). It includes: (1) "An Outline of Analysis for Program Design" (Larry L. Loeher); (2) "A Survey of ITA Orientation Programs:…

Similarities and Differences in the Academic Education of Software Engineering and Architectural Design Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazzan, Orit; Karni, Eyal

2006-01-01

This article focuses on the similarities and differences in the academic education of software engineers and architects. The rationale for this work stems from our observation, each from the perspective of her or his own discipline, that these two professional design and development processes share some similarities. A pilot study was performed,…

Accountability as a Design for Teacher Learning: Sensemaking about Mathematics and Equity in the NCLB Era

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horn, Ilana Seidel

2018-01-01

Using a learning design perspective on No Child Left Behind (NCLB), I examine how accountability policy shaped urban educators' instructional sensemaking. Focusing on the role of policy-rooted classifications, I examine conversations from a middle school mathematics teacher team as a "best case" because they worked diligently to comply…

Conducting Design Experiments to Support Teachers' Learning: A Reflection from the Field

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cobb, Paul; Zhao, Qing; Dean, Chrystal

2009-01-01

This article focuses on 3 conceptual challenges that we sought to address while conducting a design experiment in which we supported the learning of a group of middle school mathematics teachers. These challenges involved (a) situating teachers' activity in the institutional setting of the schools and district in which they worked, (b) developing…

Working for Clean Water, 3: Citizen Handbooks. An Information Program for Advisory Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoltzfus, Lorna Chr., Ed.

Presented is material from an information program designed to help citizen advisory groups and local officials improve decision-making in water quality planning. The program is designed to help people focus on essential issues and questions by providing materials suitable for people with non-technical backgrounds. Chapter topics include: (1)…

The Virtual Teaching Artist: An Aesthetic Approach to Designing a Museum Podcast

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toth, John

2011-01-01

A podcast refers to an interactive audio-visual presentation. In this article, the author focuses on four instructional design strategies he used in the podcast that had the greatest impact on his students' aesthetic experience with the work of art. The first strategy was developing questions that encourage personal connections that lead to an…

Proposed Curriculum Design for a 2-Year College of Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Yen-Zen

This paper presents a curriculum-oriented model focusing on curriculum revision of the design and structures of two-year academic institutes of technology. This research uses the Department of Business and Technology Management, which is being set up in the Far East Institute of Technology (Taiwan), as an example and works out the new models…

Learning through Emotion: Moving the Affective in from the Margins

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, Julie; Stinson, Madonna

2012-01-01

In an educational environment where experiences offered to children are increasingly being shaped by testing regimes and rigid curriculum design, learning experiences can often border on the bland and the neutral, or at best, focus on positive emotions such as joy and happiness. The work which is described in this article was designed to stimulate…

System Modeling of a large FPGA project: the SKA Tile Processing Module

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belli, C.; Comoretto, G.

Large projects like the SKA have an intrinsic complexity due to their scale. In this context, the application of a management design system becomes fundamental. For this purpose the SysML language, a UML customization for engineering applications, has been applied. As far as our work is concerned, we focused on the SKA Low Telescope - Tile Processing Module, designing diagrams at different detail levels. We designed a conceptual model of the TPM, primarily focusing on the main interfaces and the major data flows between product items. Functionalities are derived from use cases and allocated to hardware modules in order to guarantee the project's internal consistency and features. This model has been used both as internal documentation and as job specification, to commit part of the design to external entities.

CFD Research, Parallel Computation and Aerodynamic Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, James S.

1995-01-01

During the last five years, CFD has matured substantially. Pure CFD research remains to be done, but much of the focus has shifted to integration of CFD into the design process. The work under these cooperative agreements reflects this trend. The recent work, and work which is planned, is designed to enhance the competitiveness of the US aerospace industry. CFD and optimization approaches are being developed and tested, so that the industry can better choose which methods to adopt in their design processes. The range of computer architectures has been dramatically broadened, as the assumption that only huge vector supercomputers could be useful has faded. Today, researchers and industry can trade off time, cost, and availability, choosing vector supercomputers, scalable parallel architectures, networked workstations, or heterogenous combinations of these to complete required computations efficiently.

Large space antennas: A systems analysis case history

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Keafer, Lloyd S. (Compiler); Lovelace, U. M. (Compiler)

1987-01-01

The value of systems analysis and engineering is aptly demonstrated by the work on Large Space Antennas (LSA) by the NASA Langley Spacecraft Analysis Branch. This work was accomplished over the last half-decade by augmenting traditional system engineering, analysis, and design techniques with computer-aided engineering (CAE) techniques using the Langley-developed Interactive Design and Evaluation of Advanced Spacecraft (IDEAS) system. This report chronicles the research highlights and special systems analyses that focused the LSA work on deployable truss antennas. It notes developmental trends toward greater use of CAE techniques in their design and analysis. A look to the future envisions the application of improved systems analysis capabilities to advanced space systems such as an advanced space station or to lunar and Martian missions and human habitats.

Work engagement in Magnet(®)-designated hospitals: Exploring social and institutional demographics of RNs to optimize improvement efforts.

PubMed

Wonder, Amy Hagedorn

2013-12-01

This study analyzed and evaluated relationships between work engagement (WE) and social/institutional demographic variables of RNs in Magnet(®)-designated hospitals. Organizational structures of Magnet-designated hospitals are recognized to promote engagement of RNs. Because little is known about relationships between WE and the social/institutional demographics of nurses, this study focused on age (generation), gender, education, shift, hours worked per week, percentage of time in direct patient care, and nursing unit. A convenience sample of hospital RNs (n = 220) completed 2 surveys to measure WE and demographic variables in this descriptive correlational study. Shift was significantly related to RN engagement; however, age, gender, education, hours worked per week, percentage of time in direct patient care, and nursing unit were not. This study provides empirical evidence about the relationships between WE and social/institutional characteristics of RNs. The findings are relevant to patients, nurses, nurse leaders, and organizations.

NASA advanced design program. Design and analysis of a radio-controlled flying wing aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

The main challenge of this project was to design an aircraft that will achieve stability while flying without a horizontal tail. The project focused on both the design, analysis and construction of a remotely piloted, elliptical shaped flying wing. The design team was composed of four sub-groups each of which dealt with the different aspects of the design, namely aerodynamics, stability and control, propulsion, and structures. Each member of the team initially researched the background information pertaining to specific facets of the project. Since previous work on this topic was limited, most of the focus of the project was directed towards developing an understanding of the natural instability of the aircraft. Once the design team entered the conceptual stage of the project, a series of compromises had to be made to satisfy the unique requirements of each sub-group. As a result of the numerous calculations and iterations necessary, computers were utilized extensively. In order to visualize the design and layout of the wing, engines and control surfaces, a solid modeling package was used to evaluate optimum design placements. When the design was finalized, construction began with the help of all the members of the project team. The nature of the carbon composite construction process demanded long hours of manual labor. The assembly of the engine systems also required precision hand work. The final product of this project is the Elang, a one-of-a-kind remotely piloted aircraft of composite construction powered by two ducted fan engines.

Overview of Human Factors and Habitability at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connolly, Janis; Arch, M.; Kaiser, Mary

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the ongoing work on human factors and habitability in the development of the Constellation Program. The focus of the work is on how equipment, spacecraft design, tools, procedures and nutrition be used to improve the health, safety and efficiency of the crewmembers. There are slides showing the components of the Constellation Program, and the conceptual designs of the Orion Crew module, the lunar lander, (i.e., Altair) the microgravity EVA suit, and the lunar surface EVA suit, the lunar rover, and the lunar surface system infrastructure.

Designing a Technology Enhanced Practice for Home Nursing Care of Patients with Congestive Heart Failure

PubMed Central

Casper, Gail R.; Karsh, Ben-Tzion; K.L., Calvin; Carayon, Pascale; Grenier, Anne-Sophie; Sebern, Margaret; Burke, Laura J.; Brennan, Patricia F.

2005-01-01

This paper describes the process we used to design the HeartCare website to support Technology Enhanced Practice (TEP) for home care nurses engaged in providing care for patients with Congestive Heart Failure (CHF). Composed of communication, information, and self-monitoring functions, the HeartCare website is aimed at supporting best practice nursing care for these patients. Its unique focus is professional practice, thus the scope of this project is greater and more abstract than those focusing on a task or set of activities. A modified macroergonomic analysis, design work system analysis, and focus groups utilizing participatory design methodology were undertaken to characterize the nursing practice model. Design of the HeartCare website required synthesizing the extant practice model and the agency’s evidence-based heart failure protocols, identifying aspects of practice that could be enhanced by supporting technology, and delineation of functional requirements of the Enhanced HeartCare technology. Validation and refinement of the website and planning for user training activities will be accomplished through a two-stage usability testing strategy. PMID:16779013

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nabeel A. Riza

The goals of the this part of the Continuation Phase 2 period (Oct. 1, 06 to March 31, 07) of this project were to (a) fabricate laser-doped SiC wafers and start testing the SiC chips for individual gas species sensing under high temperature and pressure conditions and (b) demonstrate the designs and workings of a temperature probe suited for industrial power generation turbine environment. A focus of the reported work done via Kar UCF LAMP lab. is to fabricate the embedded optical phase or doped microstructures based SiC chips, namely, Chromium (C), Boron (B) and Aluminum (Al) doped 4H-SiC, andmore » to eventually deploy such laser-doped chips to enable gas species sensing under high temperature and pressure. Experimental data is provided from SiC chip optical response for various gas species such as pure N2 and mixtures of N2 and H{sub 2}, N{sub 2} and CO, N{sub 2} and CO{sub 2}, and N{sub 2} and CH{sub 4}. Another main focus of the reported work was a temperature sensor probe assembly design and initial testing. The probe transmit-receive fiber optics were designed and tested for electrically controlled alignment. This probe design was provided to overcome mechanical vibrations in typical industrial scenarios. All these goals have been achieved and are described in detail in the report.« less

Radiation damage and waste management options for the SOMBRERO final focus system and neutron dumps

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Latkowski, J F; Meier, W R; Reyes, S

1999-08-09

Previous studies of the safety and environmental aspects of the SOMBRERO inertial fusion energy (IFE) power plant design did not completely address the issues associated with the final focus system. While past work calculated neutron fluences for a grazing incidence metal mirror (GIMM) and a final focus mirror, scattering off of the final optical component was not included, and thus, fluences in the final focus mirror were significantly underestimated. In addition, past work did not consider neutron-induced gamma-rays. Finally, power plant lifetime waste volumes may have been underestimated as neutron activation of the neutron dumps and building structure were notmore » addressed. In the present work, a modified version of the SOMBRERO target building is presented where a significantly larger open solid-angle fraction (5%) is used to enhance beam smoothing of a diode-pumped solid-state laser (DPSSL). The GIMMs are replaced with transmissive fused silica wedges and have been included in three -dimensional neutron and photon transport calculations. This work shows that a power plant with a large open solid-angle fraction, needed for beam smoothing with a DPSSL, is acceptable from tritium breeding, and neutron activation points-of-view.« less

Crew Health Care System (CHeCS) Design Research, Documentations, and Evaluations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

CLement, Bethany M.

2011-01-01

The Crew Health Care System (CHeCS) is a group within the Space Life Science Directorate (SLSD) that focuses on the overall health of astronauts by reinforcing the three divisions - the Environmental Maintenance System (EMS), the Countermeasures System (CMS), and the Health Maintenance System (HMS). This internship provided opportunity to gain knowledge, experience, and skills in CHeCS engineering and operations tasks. Various and differing tasks allowed for occasions to work independently, network to get things done, and show leadership abilities. Specific exercises included reviewing hardware certification, operations, and documentation within the ongoing Med Kit Redesign (MKR) project, and learning, writing, and working various common pieces of paperwork used in the engineering and design process. Another project focused on the distribution of various pieces of hardware to off-site research facilities with an interest in space flight health care. The main focus of this internship, though, was on a broad and encompassing understanding of the engineering process as time was spent looking at each individual step in a variety of settings and tasks.

Reminiscence work with older people: the development of a historical reminiscence tool.

PubMed

Thorgrimsdottir, Sigrun Huld; Bjornsdottir, Kristin

2016-03-01

(i) To explore how reminiscence workers in older people's care define their work and (ii) to describe the development of a historical reminiscence tool containing historical developments from the older person's passage through life, intended to support reminiscence work. Reminiscence work refers to the recall of past occurrences in a client's life with the intention of enhancing well-being, social skills and self-image. The design of the historical reminiscence tool was informed by the model of intervention design developed by van Meijel et al. starting with problem definition followed by the accumulation of building blocks for the intervention, the design of the intervention and, lastly, a validation of the intervention. Two studies were designed to develop the historical reminiscence tool. Study 1 was a focus group interview, conducted in 2008, aimed at generating knowledge about current practice and to develop the historical reminiscence tool. Eighteen women who identified themselves as reminiscence workers participated in three focus groups. Study 2 was a telephone survey, conducted in 2012 by the first author, serving the purpose of validation. The results provided information about the use of such a historical reminiscence tool. Participants understood reminiscence work primarily as meaningful activity, working with personal experience and honouring the individual's memories and life story. The historical reminiscence tool containing information about important historical events and everyday life in the period 1925-1955 was welcomed by the participants. They provided numerous suggestions for improvement of the draft. Reminiscence work in Iceland is of the social or meaningful activity type rather than a therapy. A historical reminiscence tool containing pertinent historical information was considered helpful in strengthening reminiscence workers' knowledge of the social and historical background of their clients and person-centred care. Reminiscence tools, such as books or electronic sources containing historical information pertaining to aging individuals, can enhance the care of older people. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The influence of the work environment on cardiovascular health: a historical, conceptual, and methodological perspective.

PubMed

Kasl, S V

1996-01-01

The framework of psychosocial epidemiology is used to examine research developments that characterize the accumulation of knowledge regarding the role of the work environment in cardiovascular health and disease. The discussion of current programs of research focuses on the work of T. Theorell and R. Karasek (1996) and J. Siegrist (1996) as exemplars of European and American studies that have contributed the most to the understanding of occupational cardiovascular health. It is argued that researchers need to maintain and nurture relatively broad conceptual models of etiology because cardiovascular disease involves multiple biomedical risk factors and because specific aspects of the work environment are embedded in a large, complex matrix of other psychosocial influences. At the same time, investigators need to push ahead with focused research strategies to clarify the precise nature of the work environmental risk factors that emerge in the broad, somewhat imprecise epidemiologic study designs.

Workplace design contributions to mental health and well-being.

PubMed

Veitch, Jennifer A

2011-01-01

People spend much of their waking time in their workplaces (approximately 33% on a weekly basis), which raises the possibility that the conditions they experience at work influence their health and well-being. The workplace design literature has given scant attention to mental health outcomes, instead focusing on healthy populations. Conversely, the mental health literature gives scant attention to the potential contribution of workplace design in preventing mental health problems; nor does it provide much insight into facilitating return to work. Taken together, however, the literature does suggest both lines of research and possible interventions. Existing knowledge proposes that workplace design can influence mental health via the effects of light exposure on circadian regulation, social behaviour and affect; the effects of aesthetic judgement on at-work mood and physical well-being and at-home sleep quality; access to nature and recovery from stressful experiences; and privacy regulation and stimulus control. This paper includes a short review of the literature in this area, proposals for new research directions and consideration of the implications of this information on the design choices made by business owners, designers and facility managers. Providing suitable working conditions for all employees avoids stigmatizing employees who have mental health problems, while facilitating prevention and return to work among those who do. Copyright © 2011 Longwoods Publishing.

GADICON spectrometer for ionosphere far-ultraviolet observation: prototype design, manufacturing, and testing.

PubMed

Yu, Lei

2016-08-20

The design, manufacturing, and testing of an imaging spectrometer prototype that will address new scientific requirements by the observation of the lower atmosphere's impact on the ionosphere are presented. The two sided lateral limb observation covering 130-180 nm far-ultraviolet (FUV) region allows the instrument to perform particle measurements in the daytime and nighttime. In this paper, we focus upon the working design principle, observation, and calibration.

Assessing the Effect of Shipboard Motion and Sleep Surface on Sleep Effectiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

for shock mitigation, including specially designed seats , examples of which are provided in Figures 18-19. Figure 18. Bolster Seat (from: Dobbins...also notes that one of the ways that vibrations might be reduced would be to alter the design of seats . While her work focused on land-based travel...18 Figure 9. Hull Types and Sea Keeping (from: Rudko, 2003) ........................................19 Figure 10. Hull Design of the

Value-Focused Approach to Improving Water Quality: Albany-Millersburg Talking Water Gardens

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

To meet new total maximum daily load requirements, the cities of Albany and Millersburg in Oregon worked together to design and fund a project that addresses wastewater treatment from a natural hydrological perspective.

Implementation and adoption of mechanical patient lift equipment in the hospital setting: The importance of organizational and cultural factors.

PubMed

Schoenfisch, Ashley L; Myers, Douglas J; Pompeii, Lisa A; Lipscomb, Hester J

2011-12-01

Work focused on understanding implementation and adoption of interventions designed to prevent patient-handling injuries in the hospital setting is lacking in the injury literature and may be more insightful than more traditional evaluation measures. Data from focus groups with health care workers were used to describe barriers and promoters of the adoption of patient lift equipment and a shift to a "minimal-manual lift environment" at two affiliated hospitals. Several factors influencing the adoption of the lift equipment and patient-handling policy were noted: time, knowledge/ability, staffing, patient characteristics, and organizational and cultural aspects of work. The adoption process was complex, and considerable variability by hospital and across units was observed. The use of qualitative data can enhance the understanding of factors that influence implementation and adoption of interventions designed to prevent patient-handling injuries among health care workers. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Applications of the Theory of Distributed and Real Time Systems to the Development of Large-Scale Timing Based Systems.

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-04-01

time systems . The focus is on the study of ’building-blocks’ for the construction of reliable and efficient systems. Our works falls into three...Members of MIT’s Theory of Distributed Systems group have continued their work on modelling, designing, verifying and analyzing distributed and real

Work-Integrated Learning and the Importance of Peer Support and Sense of Belonging

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McBeath, Margaret; Drysdale, Maureen T. B.; Bohn, Nicholas

2018-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between peer support and sense of belonging on the mental health and overall well-being, with a specific focus on comparing the perceptions of students in a work-integrated learning (WIL) program to those in a traditional non-WIL program. Design/methodology/approach: Semi-structured…

Developing a Theory of Treatment Effect Heterogeneity through Better Design: Where Do Behavioral Science Interventions Work Best?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tipton, Elizabeth; Yeager, David; Iachan, Ronaldo

2016-01-01

Questions regarding the generalizability of results from educational experiments have been at the forefront of methods development over the past five years. This work has focused on methods for estimating the effect of an intervention in a well-defined inference population (e.g., Tipton, 2013; O'Muircheartaigh and Hedges, 2014); methods for…

The Role of Content Knowledge in Ill-Structured Problem Solving for High School Physics Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milbourne, Jeff; Wiebe, Eric

2018-01-01

While Physics Education Research has a rich tradition of problem-solving scholarship, most of the work has focused on more traditional, well-defined problems. Less work has been done with ill-structured problems, problems that are better aligned with the engineering and design-based scenarios promoted by the Next Generation Science Standards. This…

A Framework for Lab Work Management in Mass Courses. Application to Low Level Input/Output without Hardware

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Santiago; Zamorano, Juan; Rosales, Francisco; Dopico, Antonio Garcia; Pedraza, Jose Luis

2007-01-01

This paper describes a complete lab work management framework designed and developed in the authors' department to help teachers to manage the small projects that students are expected to complete as lab assignments during their graduate-level computer engineering studies. The paper focuses on an application example of the framework to a specific…

Teaching Data Analysis to the Data-Averse: A Framework for Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fouché, Christa; Bartley, Allen

2016-01-01

It remains a dilemma for social work educators to teach research so that it can be embraced by students as an integral part of social work practice. This article reports on an initiative to design a research course focused on the integration of research with practice. Drawing on developments in data mining and techniques in secondary data…

Institute for High Heat Flux Removal (IHHFR). Phases I, II, and III

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boyd, Ronald D.

2014-08-31

The IHHFR focused on interdisciplinary applications as it relates to high heat flux engineering issues and problems which arise due to engineering systems being miniaturized, optimized, or requiring increased high heat flux performance. The work in the IHHFR focused on water as a coolant and includes: (1) the development, design, and construction of the high heat flux flow loop and facility; (2) test section development, design, and fabrication; and, (3) single-side heat flux experiments to produce 2-D boiling curves and 3-D conjugate heat transfer measurements for single-side heated test sections. This work provides data for comparisons with previously developed andmore » new single-side heated correlations and approaches that address the single-side heated effect on heat transfer. In addition, this work includes the addition of single-side heated circular TS and a monoblock test section with a helical wire insert. Finally, the present work includes: (1) data base expansion for the monoblock with a helical wire insert (only for the latter geometry), (2) prediction and verification using finite element, (3) monoblock model and methodology development analyses, and (4) an alternate model development for a hypervapotron and related conjugate heat transfer controlling parameters.« less

A designed repeat protein as an affinity capture reagent

PubMed Central

Speltz, Elizabeth B.; Brown, Rebecca S.H.; Hajare, Holly S.; Schlieker, Christian; Regan, Lynne

2017-01-01

Repeat proteins are an attractive target for protein engineering and design. We have focused our attention on the design and engineering of one particular class - tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) proteins. In previous work we have shown that the structure and stability of TPR proteins can be manipulated in a rational fashion [Cortajarena 2011; Main 2003]. Building on those studies, we have designed and characterized a number of different peptide-binding TPR modules and we have also assembled these modules into supramolecular arrays [Cortajarena 2009; Cortajarena 2008; Jackrel 2009; Kajander 2007]. Here we focus on the development of one such TPR-peptide interaction for a practical application – affinity purification. We illustrate the general utility of our designed protein interaction. Furthermore, this example highlights how basic research on protein-peptide interactions can lead to the development of novel reagents with important practical applications. PMID:26517897

Focus Upon Implementing the GGOS Decadal Vision for Geohazards Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LaBrecque, John; Stangl, Gunter

2017-04-01

The Global Geodetic Observing System of the IAG identified present and future roles for Geodesy in the development and well being of the global society. The GGOS is focused upon the development of infrastructure, information, analysis, and educational systems to advance the International Global Reference Frame, the International Celestial Reference System, the International Height Reference System, atmospheric dynamics, sea level change and geohazards monitoring. The geohazards initiative is guided by an eleven nation working group initially focused upon the development and integration of regional multi-GNSS networks and analysis systems for earthquake and tsunami early warning. The opportunities and challenges being addressed by the Geohazards working group include regional network design, algorithm development and implementation, communications, funding, and international agreements on data access. This presentation will discuss in further detail these opportunities and challenges for the GGOS focus upon earthquake and tsunami early warning.

Design of general apochromatic drift-quadrupole beam lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindstrøm, C. A.; Adli, E.

2016-07-01

Chromatic errors are normally corrected using sextupoles in regions of large dispersion. In low emittance linear accelerators, use of sextupoles can be challenging. Apochromatic focusing is a lesser-known alternative approach, whereby chromatic errors of Twiss parameters are corrected without the use of sextupoles, and has consequently been subject to renewed interest in advanced linear accelerator research. Proof of principle designs were first established by Montague and Ruggiero and developed more recently by Balandin et al. We describe a general method for designing drift-quadrupole beam lines of arbitrary order in apochromatic correction, including analytic expressions for emittance growth and other merit functions. Worked examples are shown for plasma wakefield accelerator staging optics and for a simple final focus system.

Fashion showcases design: perceptions of the showcase in the brazilian popular market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinto, S. S. D.; Cunha, J.; Quental, J.; Buhamra, C.

2017-10-01

The present work aims to present the showcase, its relation with the building, with fashion and with the observer. The importance of this exhibition space extends from the aesthetic and communication functions to be part of a wide textile and clothing chain. This role integrates the whole cycle of creation, textiles, clothing and fashion accessories. For this article we used bibliographical references of design and fashion, as well as methodologies of photographic and ethnographic documentation, with application of focus groups. From the focus groups were identified descriptors related to emotional design. Such descriptors point to the emotions arising from memories, tastes and attitudes. These factors can lead to decisions and assist the wider knowledge of the target audience.

Designing a workplace return-to-work program for occupational low back pain: an intervention mapping approach.

PubMed

Ammendolia, Carlo; Cassidy, David; Steensta, Ivan; Soklaridis, Sophie; Boyle, Eleanor; Eng, Stephanie; Howard, Hamer; Bhupinder, Bains; Côté, Pierre

2009-06-09

Despite over 2 decades of research, the ability to prevent work-related low back pain (LBP) and disability remains elusive. Recent research suggests that interventions that are focused at the workplace and incorporate the principals of participatory ergonomics and return-to-work (RTW) coordination can improve RTW and reduce disability following a work-related back injury. Workplace interventions or programs to improve RTW are difficult to design and implement given the various individuals and environments involved, each with their own unique circumstances. Intervention mapping provides a framework for designing and implementing complex interventions or programs. The objective of this study is to design a best evidence RTW program for occupational LBP tailored to the Ontario setting using an intervention mapping approach. We used a qualitative synthesis based on the intervention mapping methodology. Best evidence from systematic reviews, practice guidelines and key articles on the prognosis and management of LBP and improving RTW was combined with theoretical models for managing LBP and changing behaviour. This was then systematically operationalized into a RTW program using consensus among experts and stakeholders. The RTW Program was further refined following feedback from nine focus groups with various stakeholders. A detailed five step RTW program was developed. The key features of the program include; having trained personnel coordinate the RTW process, identifying and ranking barriers and solutions to RTW from the perspective of all important stakeholders, mediating practical solutions at the workplace and, empowering the injured worker in RTW decision-making. Intervention mapping provided a useful framework to develop a comprehensive RTW program tailored to the Ontario setting.

Validation of the Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) in a Self-Directed Instructional Setting Aimed at Working with Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loorbach, Nicole; Peters, Oscar; Karreman, Joyce; Steehouder, Michaël

2015-01-01

The ARCS Model of Motivational Design has been used myriad times to design motivational instructions that focus on attention, relevance, confidence and satisfaction in order to motivate students. The Instructional Materials Motivation Survey (IMMS) is a 36-item situational measure of people's reactions to instructional materials in the light…

Developments in Art Education: Study Conference. Coombe Lodge Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Developments in Art Education, 1974

1974-01-01

The nine papers presented in the document are part of a conference held at Coombe Lodge in Bristol, England, which focused on an analysis of the objectives of vocational art and design education and a re-appraisal of the curriculum. The papers include the following: (1) The Report of the Working Group on Vocational Courses, (2) Design Education--A…

Mastering the Maestro: The Effective Maestro Asks Writers, Photographers, and Designers to Trade Places with Readers as They Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cripe, Dennis

1998-01-01

Considers two very different fictional high school newspaper editorships to see how the "maestro" process works. Notes that the process is a management technique similar to brainstorming but in which one person keeps the planning meeting focused. Suggests that the effective maestro asks writers, photographers, and designers to trade places with…

Investigating Cognitive Task Difficulties and Expert Skills in E-Learning Storyboards Using a Cognitive Task Analysis Technique

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yusoff, Nor'ain Mohd; Salim, Siti Salwah

2012-01-01

E-learning storyboards have been a useful approach in distance learning development to support interaction between instructional designers and subject-matter experts. Current works show that researchers are focusing on different approaches for use in storyboards, and there is less emphasis on the effect of design and process difficulties faced by…

Design and Evaluation of a Microprocessor Course Combining Three Cooperative Methods: SDLA, PjBL and CnBL

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alorda, B.; Suenaga, K.; Pons, P.

2011-01-01

This paper reports on the design, implementation and assessment of a new approach course structure based on the combination of three cooperative methodologies. The main goal is to reduce the percentage of non-passed students focusing the learning process on students by offering different alternatives and motivational activities based on working in…

International Space Station: 6-8 Hands-on Science and Math Lesson Plans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Pat

These lesson plans, designed for grades 6-8, have been developed to provide a guide to hands-on experience in science and math. They focus on an International Space Station and are designed for use with students working in groups. The three lesson plans highlighting the importance of the scientific method are: (1) International Space Station…

Perspectives on Pupil Creativity in Design and Technology in the Lower Secondary Curriculum in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutland, Marion; Barlex, David

2008-01-01

This paper is based on work carried out as part of a research study into the professional practices of secondary design and technology teachers in England. It focused on fostering creativity or teaching for creativity as defined by the Robinson Report (1999, All our futures: creativity, culture and education. London: Department for Education and…

Design of New Power Management Circuit for Light Energy Harvesting System

PubMed Central

Jafer, Issa; Stack, Paul; MacNamee, Kevin

2016-01-01

Nowadays, it can be observed that Wireless Sensors Networks (WSN) are taking increasingly vital roles in many applications, such as building energy monitoring and control, which is the focus of the work in this paper. However, the main challenging issue with adopting WSN technology is the use of power sources such as batteries, which have a limited lifetime. A smart solution that could tackle this problem is using Energy Harvesting technology. The work in this paper will be focused on proposing a new power management design through harvesting indoor light intensity. The new approach is inspired by the use of the Fractional Open Circuit Voltage based Maximum Power Point tracking (MPPT) concept for sub mw Photo Voltaic (PV) cells. The new design adopts two main features: First, it minimizes the power consumed by the power management section; and second, it maximizes the MPPT-converted output voltage and consequently improves the efficiency of the power conversion in the sub mw power level. The new experimentally-tested design showed an improvement of 81% in the efficiency of MPPT conversion using 0.5 mW input power in comparison with the other presented solutions that showed less efficiency with higher input power. PMID:26907300

Understanding the motivations of the multigenerational physician assistant workforce.

PubMed

Lopes, John E; Delellis, Nailya O

2013-10-01

Physician assistants (PAs) are more frequently finding themselves in positions where they are responsible for staff recruitment and retention. Staff turnover is associated with significant financial costs for organizations. Motivational theories focusing on job design indicate that paying attention to a combination of factors related to the work itself, in addition to the environment where the work is performed, increases satisfaction. This study asked a convenience sample of practicing PAs to rate the importance of a number of work-related factors known to influence job satisfaction. The results may be used as a basis for designing an environment to increase job satisfaction and improve recruitment and retention of highly qualified staff.

Examining Teacher Talk in an Engineering Design-Based Science Curricular Unit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aranda, Maurina L.; Lie, Richard; Selcen Guzey, S.; Makarsu, Murat; Johnston, Amanda; Moore, Tamara J.

2018-03-01

Recent science education reforms highlight the importance for teachers to implement effective instructional practices that promote student learning of science and engineering content and their practices. Effective classroom discussion has been shown to support the learning of science, but work is needed to examine teachers' enactment of engineering design-based science curricula by focusing on the content, complexity, structure, and orchestration of classroom discussions. In the present study, we explored teacher-student talk with respect to science in a middle school curriculum focused on genetics and genetic engineering. Our study was guided by the following major research question: What are the similarities and differences in teacher talk moves that occurred within an engineering design-based science unit enacted by two teachers? Through qualitative and quantitative approaches, we found that there were clear differences in two teachers' use of questioning strategies and presentation of new knowledge that affected the level of student involvement in classroom discourse and the richness and details of student contributions to the conversations. We also found that the verbal explanations of science content differed between two teachers. Collectively, the findings in this study demonstrate that although the teachers worked together to design an engineering designed-based science curriculum unit, their use of different discussion strategies and patterns, and interactions with students differed to affect classroom discourse.

Integrated Design Engineering Analysis (IDEA) Environment Automated Generation of Structured CFD Grids using Topology Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hilmi N.

2012-01-01

This report documents the work performed from March 2010 to March 2012. The Integrated Design and Engineering Analysis (IDEA) environment is a collaborative environment based on an object-oriented, multidisciplinary, distributed framework using the Adaptive Modeling Language (AML) as a framework and supporting the configuration design and parametric CFD grid generation. This report will focus on describing the work in the area of parametric CFD grid generation using novel concepts for defining the interaction between the mesh topology and the geometry in such a way as to separate the mesh topology from the geometric topology while maintaining the link between the mesh topology and the actual geometry.

Quality engineering tools focused on high power LED driver design using boost power stages in switch mode

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ileana, Ioan; Risteiu, Mircea; Marc, Gheorghe

2016-12-01

This paper is a part of our research dedicated to high power LED lamps designing. The boost-up selected technology wants to meet driver producers' tendency in the frame of efficiency and disturbances constrains. In our work we used modeling and simulation tools for implementing scenarios of the driver work when some controlling functions are executed (output voltage/ current versus input voltage and fixed switching frequency, input and output electric power transfer versus switching frequency, transient inductor voltage analysis, and transient out capacitor analysis). Some electrical and thermal stress conditions are also analyzed. Based on these aspects, a high reliable power LED driver has been designed.

Supporting students' scientific explanations: A case study investigating the synergy focusing on a teacher's practices when providing instruction and using mobile devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delen, Ibrahim

Engage students in constructing scientific practices is a critical component of science instruction. Therefore a number of researchers have developed software programs to help students and teachers in this hard task. The Zydeco group, designed a mobile application called Zydeco, which enables students to collect data inside and outside the classroom, and then use the data to create scientific explanations by using claim-evidence-reasoning framework. Previous technologies designed to support scientific explanations focused on how these programs improve students' scientific explanations, but these programs ignored how scientific explanation technologies can support teacher practices. Thus, to increase our knowledge how different scaffolds can work together, this study aimed to portray the synergy between a teacher's instructional practices (part 1) and using supports within a mobile devices (part 2) to support students in constructing explanations. Synergy can be thought of as generic and content-specific scaffolds working together to enable students to accomplish challenging tasks, such as creating explanations that they would not normally be able to do without the scaffolds working together. Providing instruction (part 1) focused on understanding how the teacher scaffolds students' initial understanding of the claim-evidence-reasoning (CER) framework. The second component of examining synergy (part 2: using mobile devices) investigated how this teacher used mobile devices to provide feedback when students created explanations. The synergy between providing instruction and using mobile devices was investigated by analyzing a middle school teacher's practices in two different units (plants and water quality). Next, this study focused on describing how the level of synergy influenced the quality of students' scientific explanations. Finally, I investigated the role of focused teaching intervention sessions to inform teacher in relation to students' performance. In conclusion, findings of this study showed that the decrease in the teacher's support for claims, did not affect the quality of the students' claims. On the other hand, the quality of students' reasoning were linked with the teacher's practices. This suggests that when supporting students' explanations, focusing on components that students find challenging would benefit students' construction of explanations. To achieve synergy in this process, the collaboration between teacher's practices, focused teaching intervention sessions and scaffolds designed to support teachers played a crucial role in aiding students in creating explanations.

Inertial focusing of spherical particles in rectangular microchannels over a wide range of Reynolds numbers.

PubMed

Liu, Chao; Hu, Guoqing; Jiang, Xingyu; Sun, Jiashu

2015-02-21

Inertial microfluidics has emerged as an important tool for manipulating particles and cells. For a better design of inertial microfluidic devices, we conduct 3D direct numerical simulations (DNS) and experiments to determine the complicated dependence of focusing behaviour on the particle size, channel aspect ratio, and channel Reynolds number. We find that the well-known focusing of the particles at the two centers of the long channel walls occurs at a relatively low Reynolds number, whereas additional stable equilibrium positions emerge close to the short walls with increasing Reynolds number. Based on the numerically calculated trajectories of particles, we propose a two-stage particle migration which is consistent with experimental observations. We further present a general criterion to secure good focusing of particles for high flow rates. This work thus provides physical insight into the multiplex focusing of particles in rectangular microchannels with different geometries and Reynolds numbers, and paves the way for efficiently designing inertial microfluidic devices.

Guiding Age 10-11 Students to Notice the Salient Features of Physical Change Models in Chemistry Digital Learning Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gustafson, Brenda; Mahaffy, Peter; Martin, Brian

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on one Grade 5 class (9 females; 9 males) who worked in student-pairs to view five digital learning object (DLO) lessons created by the authors and meant to introduce students to the nature of models, the particle nature of matter, and physical change. Specifically, the paper focuses on whether DLO design elements could assist…

Learning, Lighting and Color: Lighting Design for Schools and Universities in the 21st Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fielding, Randall

2006-01-01

Uniform illumination levels in the classroom and focused brightness on the "teaching wall" made good sense for students in Henry Ford's era. If you were training to take your place on the assembly line, you needed to focus on the work at hand and ahead to your supervisor, but the future no longer belongs to students who look only straight ahead.…

Operational characteristics of a high voltage dense plasma focus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodall, D. M.

1985-11-01

A high voltage dense plasma focus powered by a single stage Marx bank was designed, built and operated. The maximum bank parameters are: voltage--120 kV, energy--20 kJ, short circuit current--600kA. The bank impedance is about 200 millohms. The plasma focus center electrode diameter is 1.27 cm. The outer electrode diameter is 10.16 cm. Rundown length is about 10 cm, corresponding to a bank quarter period of about 900 millohms ns. Rundown L is about 50 milliohms. The context of this work is established with a review of previous plasma focus theoretical, experimental and computational work and related topics. Theoretical motivation for high voltage operation is presented. The design, construction and operation of this device are discussed in detail. Results and analysis of measurements obtained are presented. Device operation was investigated primarily at 80 kV (9 kJ), with a gas fill of about 1 torr H2, plus 3-5 percent A. The following diagnostics were used: gun voltage and current measurements; filtered, time resolved x ray PIN measurements of the pinch region; time integrated x ray pinhole photographs of the pinch region; fast frame visible light photographs of the sheath during rundown; and B probe measurements of the current sheath shortly before collapse.

Boredom at Work: Implications for the Design of Jobs with Variable Requirements

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-09-01

of jobs both in the military and in the larger world of work. It presents implications for staffing a variety of boring jobs... the job is a fact of life for millions of workers, it has been largely ignored as a research topic. This paucity of research reflects a tendency to...prominent. Also, the focus of this review on work-related boredom limits its treatment of situational factors to job and task

Implementation of the MEPDG for flexible pavements in Idaho.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-05-01

This study was conducted to assist the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) in the implementation of the Mechanistic-Empirical Pavement Design Guide (MEPDG) for flexible pavements. The main research work in this study focused on establishing a mater...

Wearable Learning Tools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowskill, Jerry; Dyer, Nick

1999-01-01

Describes wearable computers, or information and communication technology devices that are designed to be mobile. Discusses how such technologies can enhance computer-mediated communications, focusing on collaborative working for learning. Describes an experimental system, MetaPark, which explores communications, data retrieval and recording, and…

Planar LTCC transformers for high voltage flyback converters.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schofield, Daryl; Schare, Joshua M.; Glass, Sarah Jill

This paper discusses the design and use of low-temperature (850 C to 950 C) co-fired ceramic (LTCC) planar magnetic flyback transformers for applications that require conversion of a low voltage to high voltage (> 100V) with significant volumetric constraints. Measured performance and modeling results for multiple designs showed that the LTCC flyback transformer design and construction imposes serious limitations on the achievable coupling and significantly impacts the transformer performance and output voltage. This paper discusses the impact of various design factors that can provide improved performance by increasing transformer coupling and output voltage. The experiments performed on prototype units demonstratedmore » LTCC transformer designs capable of greater than 2 kV output. Finally, the work investigated the effect of the LTCC microstructure on transformer insulation. Although this paper focuses on generating voltages in the kV range, the experimental characterization and discussion presented in this work applies to designs requiring lower voltage.« less

Client-centered design of residential addiction and mental health care facilities: staff perceptions of their work environment.

PubMed

Novotná, Gabriela; Urbanoski, Karen A; Rush, Brian R

2011-11-01

In this article we discuss the findings from a series of focus groups conducted as part of a 3-year, mixed-method evaluation of clinical programs in a large mental health and substance use treatment facility in Canada. We examined the perceptions of clinical personnel on the physical design of new treatment units and the impact on service delivery and the work environment. The new physical design appeared to support client recovery and reduce stigma; however, it brought certain challenges. Participants reported a compromised ability to monitor clients, a lack of designated therapeutic spaces, and insufficient workspace for staff. They also thought that physical design positively facilitated communication and therapeutic relationships among clinicians and clients, and increased team cohesion. We suggest that, from these findings, new avenues for research on achieving the important balance between client and staff needs in health facility design can be explored.

Sociotechnical attributes of safe and unsafe work systems

PubMed Central

Kleiner, Brian M.; Hettinger, Lawrence J.; DeJoy, David M.; Huang, Yuang-Hsiang; Love, Peter E.D.

2015-01-01

Theoretical and practical approaches to safety based on sociotechnical systems principles place heavy emphasis on the intersections between social–organisational and technical–work process factors. Within this perspective, work system design emphasises factors such as the joint optimisation of social and technical processes, a focus on reliable human–system performance and safety metrics as design and analysis criteria, the maintenance of a realistic and consistent set of safety objectives and policies, and regular access to the expertise and input of workers. We discuss three current approaches to the analysis and design of complex sociotechnical systems: human–systems integration, macroergonomics and safety climate. Each approach emphasises key sociotechnical systems themes, and each prescribes a more holistic perspective on work systems than do traditional theories and methods. We contrast these perspectives with historical precedents such as system safety and traditional human factors and ergonomics, and describe potential future directions for their application in research and practice. Practitioner Summary: The identification of factors that can reliably distinguish between safe and unsafe work systems is an important concern for ergonomists and other safety professionals. This paper presents a variety of sociotechnical systems perspectives on intersections between social–organisational and technology–work process factors as they impact work system analysis, design and operation. PMID:25909756

Work-Based Curriculum to Broaden Learners' Participation in Science: Insights for Designers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bopardikar, Anushree; Bernstein, Debra; Drayton, Brian; McKenney, Susan

2018-05-01

Around the globe, science education during compulsory schooling is envisioned for all learners regardless of their educational and career aspirations, including learners bound to the workforce upon secondary school completion. Yet, a major barrier in attaining this vision is low learner participation in secondary school science. Because curricula play a major role in shaping enacted learning, this study investigated how designers developed a high school physics curriculum with positive learning outcomes in learners with varied inclinations. Qualitative analysis of documents and semistructured interviews with the designers focused on the curriculum in different stages—from designers' ideas about learning goals to their vision for enactment to the printed materials—and on the design processes that brought them to fruition. This revealed designers' emphases on fostering workplace connections via learning goals and activities, and printed supports. The curriculum supported workplace-inspired, hands-on design-and-build projects, developed to address deeply a limited set of standards aligned learning goals. The curriculum also supported learners' interactions with relevant workplace professionals. To create these features, the designers reviewed other curricula to develop vision and printed supports, tested activities internally to assess content coverage, surveyed states in the USA receiving federal school-to-work grants and reviewed occupational information to choose unit topics and career contexts, and visited actual workplaces to learn about authentic praxis. Based on the worked example, this paper offers guidelines for designing work-based science curriculum products and processes that can serve the work of other designers, as well as recommendations for research serving designers and policymakers.

Compassionate presence: The meaning of hematopoietic stem cell transplant nursing.

PubMed

Sabo, Brenda M

2011-04-01

Within oncology, working with patients who are suffering or at end-of-life has been recognized repeatedly as stress-inducing, yet there is little agreement on what specifically nurses may experience as a result of their work. Further, research focused on caring work within the context of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) nursing is almost non-existent. In light of the gap, this interpretative phenomenological study focused on enhancing the knowledge and understanding of the effect(s) of nursing work on the psychosocial health and well being of HSCT nurses. An interpretative phenomenological design grounded in the work of Heidegger and van Manen was used to explore nursing work among HSCT nurses. Twelve nurses from three Canadian tertiary healthcare facilities participated in multiple interviews and focus groups. Thematic analysis resulted in the emergence of four core themes and one overarching novel theme, compassionate presence. The discussion provides an overview of the novel finding, compassionate presence, which challenges the notion that working with individuals who are suffering or at end-of-life inevitably leads to adverse psychosocial effects. Implications for practice, education and research are also provided. Compassionate presence emerged to suggest a potential buffering effect against adverse consequences of HSCT nursing work. This finding underscored the value of the relationship as an integral component of nursing work. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Initial design and evaluation of automatic restructurable flight control system concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weiss, J. L.; Looze, D. P.; Eterno, J. S.; Grunberg, D. B.

1986-01-01

Results of efforts to develop automatic control design procedures for restructurable aircraft control systems is presented. The restructurable aircraft control problem involves designing a fault tolerance control system which can accommodate a wide variety of unanticipated aircraft failure. Under NASA sponsorship, many of the technologies which make such a system possible were developed and tested. Future work will focus on developing a methodology for integrating these technologies and demonstration of a complete system.

Firing Room Remote Application Software Development & Swamp Works Laboratory Robot Software Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garcia, Janette

2016-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is creating a way to send humans beyond low Earth orbit, and later to Mars. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is working to make this possible by developing a Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS) which will allow the launch of Space Launch System (SLS). This paper's focus is on the work performed by the author in her first and second part of the internship as a remote application software developer. During the first part of her internship, the author worked on the SCCS's software application layer by assisting multiple ground subsystems teams including Launch Accessories (LACC) and Environmental Control System (ECS) on the design, development, integration, and testing of remote control software applications. Then, on the second part of the internship, the author worked on the development of robot software at the Swamp Works Laboratory which is a research and technology development group which focuses on inventing new technology to help future In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) missions.

LABONFOIL: investigations regarding microfluidic skin patches for drug detection using flexible OLEDs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scholles, M.; Kroker, L.; Vogel, U.; Krüger, J.; Walczak, R.; Ruano-Lopez, J.

2010-02-01

This contribution describes first results concerning the overall and especially optical system design of microfluidic skin patches for drug detection based on fluorescence analysis of sweat samples. This work has been carried out within the European project LABONFOIL which aims to develop low-cost lab-on-chip systems for four different applications, one of them for the detection of cocaine abuse by professional drivers. To date work has focused on the integrated design of the skin patch itself including methods for sweat collection as well as studies concerning the feasibility of OLEDs for optical excitation of the fluorescence signal.

Attracting STEM talent: do STEM students prefer traditional or work/life-interaction labs?

PubMed

DeFraine, William C; Williams, Wendy M; Ceci, Stephen J

2014-01-01

The demand for employees trained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to increase, yet the number of Millennial students pursuing STEM is not keeping pace. We evaluated whether this shortfall is associated with Millennials' preference for flexibility and work/life-interaction in their careers-a preference that may be inconsistent with the traditional idea of a science career endorsed by many lab directors. Two contrasting approaches to running STEM labs and training students were explored, and we created a lab recruitment video depicting each. The work-focused video emphasized the traditional notions of a science lab, characterized by long work hours and a focus on individual achievement and conducting research above all else. In contrast, the work/life-interaction-focused video emphasized a more progressive view - lack of demarcation between work and non-work lives, flexible hours, and group achievement. In Study 1, 40 professors rated the videos, and the results confirmed that the two lab types reflected meaningful real-world differences in training approaches. In Study 2, we recruited 53 current and prospective graduate students in STEM fields who displayed high math-identification and a commitment to science careers. In a between-subjects design, they watched one of the two lab-recruitment videos, and then reported their anticipated sense of belonging to and desire to participate in the lab depicted in the video. Very large effects were observed on both primary measures: Participants who watched the work/life-interaction-focused video reported a greater sense of belonging to (d = 1.49) and desire to participate in (d = 1.33) the lab, relative to participants who watched the work-focused video. These results suggest Millennials possess a strong desire for work/life-interaction, which runs counter to the traditional lab-training model endorsed by many lab directors. We discuss implications of these findings for STEM recruitment.

Attracting STEM Talent: Do STEM Students Prefer Traditional or Work/Life-Interaction Labs?

PubMed Central

DeFraine, William C.; Williams, Wendy M.; Ceci, Stephen J.

2014-01-01

The demand for employees trained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to increase, yet the number of Millennial students pursuing STEM is not keeping pace. We evaluated whether this shortfall is associated with Millennials' preference for flexibility and work/life-interaction in their careers-a preference that may be inconsistent with the traditional idea of a science career endorsed by many lab directors. Two contrasting approaches to running STEM labs and training students were explored, and we created a lab recruitment video depicting each. The work-focused video emphasized the traditional notions of a science lab, characterized by long work hours and a focus on individual achievement and conducting research above all else. In contrast, the work/life-interaction-focused video emphasized a more progressive view – lack of demarcation between work and non-work lives, flexible hours, and group achievement. In Study 1, 40 professors rated the videos, and the results confirmed that the two lab types reflected meaningful real-world differences in training approaches. In Study 2, we recruited 53 current and prospective graduate students in STEM fields who displayed high math-identification and a commitment to science careers. In a between-subjects design, they watched one of the two lab-recruitment videos, and then reported their anticipated sense of belonging to and desire to participate in the lab depicted in the video. Very large effects were observed on both primary measures: Participants who watched the work/life-interaction-focused video reported a greater sense of belonging to (d = 1.49) and desire to participate in (d = 1.33) the lab, relative to participants who watched the work-focused video. These results suggest Millennials possess a strong desire for work/life-interaction, which runs counter to the traditional lab-training model endorsed by many lab directors. We discuss implications of these findings for STEM recruitment. PMID:24587044

First steps in designing an all-in-one ICT-based device for persons with cognitive impairment: evaluation of the first mock-up.

PubMed

Boman, Inga-Lill; Persson, Ann-Christine; Bartfai, Aniko

2016-03-07

This project Smart Assisted Living involving Informal careGivers++ (SALIG) intends to develop an ICT-based device for persons with cognitive impairment combined with remote support possibilities for significant others and formal caregivers. This paper presents the identification of the target groups' needs and requirements of such device and the evaluation of the first mock-up, demonstrated in a tablet. The inclusive design method that includes end-users in the design process was chosen. First, a scoping review was conducted in order to examine the target group's need of an ICT-based device, and to gather recommendations regarding its design and functionalities. In order to capture the users' requirements of the design and functionalities of the device three targeted focus groups were conducted. Based on the findings from the publications and the focus groups a user requirement specification was developed. After that a design concept and a first mock-up was developed in an iterative process. The mock-up was evaluated through interviews with persons with cognitive impairment, health care professionals and significant others. Data were analysed using content analysis. Several useful recommendations of the design and functionalities of the SALIG device for persons with cognitive impairment were identified. The main benefit of the mock-up was that it was a single device with a set of functionalities installed on a tablet and designed for persons with cognitive impairment. An additional benefit was that it could be used remotely by significant others and formal caregivers. The SALIG device has the potentials to facilitate everyday life for persons with cognitive impairment, their significant others and the work situation for formal caregivers. The results may provide guidance in the development of different types of technologies for the target population and for people with diverse disabilities. Further work will focus on developing a prototype to be empirically tested by persons with cognitive impairment, their significant others and formal caregivers.

Taking the stairs instead: The impact of workplace design standards on health promotion strategies.

PubMed

McGann, Sarah; Jancey, Jonine; Tye, Marian

2013-01-01

Comprehensive health promotion in Western Australia has been conducted from the point of views of policy development, promotion, education and service delivery. Much of this recent work has been focused on supporting workplaces - but there has yet to be any real focus on the design of the actual physical workplace environment from a health promotion perspective. This paper is aimed at highlighting the gap in health promotion knowledge by addressing how the disciplines of architecture and health promotion can work together to challenge the regulations that dictate design practice and ultimately bridge that gap for long-term change. The overarching aim is to undertake further evidenced-based research that will inform best practice in the planning and design of workplaces to reduce sedentary behaviour and increase opportunities for physical activity. Within this wide objective this paper focuses in particular on the idea of stairs-versus-lift movement strategies within office buildings. By examining building design guidelines from a health promotion perspective we expose a central dichotomy, where health promotion posters say "Take the stairs instead" whereas the language of building design suggests that the lift is best. From a design point of view, the National Codes of Construction (NCC), formally known as the Building Codes of Australia (BCA), the essential technical regulation for all building design and construction, primarily addresses the concepts of 'egress' and 'travel distance' for escape in the event of fire, and building access in terms of universal access. Additionally, The Property Council of Australia's Guide to Office Building Quality prioritises lift performance criteria along with the quality and experience of lift use as a major grading factor. There is no provision in either set of standards for staircase quality and experience. The stairs, despite being promoted as better life choice for better health, is not promoted through these building codes nor, consequently, through the building design in actuality. It is proposed that health promotion strategies could be coupled with design-led movement strategies in workplace design so that the promotional language, such as "take the stairs instead", is balanced by the design language of the building.

Creative Disruption: A Task-Based Approach to Engaging With Original Works of Art

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Keith; Smith, Liz

2004-01-01

This paper examines the value of a task-based approach to engaging with original works of art and focuses in particular upon the experiences of a group of PGCE Art and Design trainees when they visited an exhibition entitled, Air Guitar: Art Reconsidering Rock Music, to carry out given tasks. The extent to which a task-based approach might…

An Inquiry into Protein Structure and Genetic Disease: Introducing Undergraduates to Bioinformatics in a Large Introductory Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bednarski, April E.; Elgin, Sarah C. R.; Pakrasi, Himadri B.

2005-01-01

This inquiry-based lab is designed around genetic diseases with a focus on protein structure and function. To allow students to work on their own investigatory projects, 10 projects on 10 different proteins were developed. Students are grouped in sections of 20 and work in pairs on each of the projects. To begin their investigation, students are…

Simulation Studies of the Dielectric Grating as an Accelerating and Focusing Structure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Soong, Ken; Peralta, E.A.; Byer, R.L.

A grating-based design is a promising candidate for a laser-driven dielectric accelerator. Through simulations, we show the merits of a readily fabricated grating structure as an accelerating component. Additionally, we show that with a small design perturbation, the accelerating component can be converted into a focusing structure. The understanding of these two components is critical in the successful development of any complete accelerator. The concept of accelerating electrons with the tremendous electric fields found in lasers has been proposed for decades. However, until recently the realization of such an accelerator was not technologically feasible. Recent advances in the semiconductor industry,more » as well as advances in laser technology, have now made laser-driven dielectric accelerators imminent. The grating-based accelerator is one proposed design for a dielectric laser-driven accelerator. This design, which was introduced by Plettner, consists of a pair of opposing transparent binary gratings, illustrated in Fig. 1. The teeth of the gratings serve as a phase mask, ensuring a phase synchronicity between the electromagnetic field and the moving particles. The current grating accelerator design has the drive laser incident perpendicular to the substrate, which poses a laser-structure alignment complication. The next iteration of grating structure fabrication seeks to monolithically create an array of grating structures by etching the grating's vacuum channel into a fused silica wafer. With this method it is possible to have the drive laser confined to the plane of the wafer, thus ensuring alignment of the laser-and-structure, the two grating halves, and subsequent accelerator components. There has been previous work using 2-dimensional finite difference time domain (2D-FDTD) calculations to evaluate the performance of the grating accelerator structure. However, this work approximates the grating as an infinite structure and does not accurately model a realizable structure. In this paper, we will present a 3-dimensional frequency-domain simulation of both the infinite and the finite grating accelerator structure. Additionally, we will present a new scheme for a focusing structure based on a perturbation of the accelerating structure. We will present simulations of this proposed focusing structure and quantify the quality of the focusing fields.« less

The Cultures of Contemporary Instructional Design Scholarship, Part Two: Developments Based on Constructivist and Critical Theory Foundations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, Jerry

2011-01-01

This article is the second in a series (see Willis, 2011) that looks at the current status of instructional design scholarship and theory. In this concluding article, the focus is on two cultures of ID work, one based on constructivist and interpretivist theory and the other based on critical theory and critical pedagogy. There are distinct…

Youths Teaching Youths: Learning to Code as an Example of Interest-Driven Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vickery, Jacqueline

2014-01-01

This column examines a case study focusing on web design as an example of interest-driven learning and the acquisition of (digital media) literacies. A summer workshop was offered at a working-class public library, led by a self-taught seventeen year old girl. Nine students (ages 8-16) learned basic HTML and CSS and designed their own websites in…

Final Report for Dynamic Models for Causal Analysis of Panel Data. Methods for Temporal Analysis. Part I, Chapter 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hannan, Michael T.; Tuma, Nancy Brandon

This document is part of a series of chapters described in SO 011 759. Working from the premise that temporal analysis is indispensable for the study of change, the document examines major alternatives in research design of this nature. Five sections focus on the features, advantages, and limitations of temporal analysis. Four designs which…

Navigating the Problem Space of Academia: Exploring Processes of Course Design and Classroom Teaching in Postsecondary Settings. WCER Working Paper No. 2014-1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hora, Matthew T.

2014-01-01

Policymakers and educators alike increasing focus on faculty adoption of interactive teaching techniques as a way to improve undergraduate education. Yet, little empirical research exists that examines the processes whereby faculty make decisions about curriculum design and classroom teaching in real-world situations. In this study, I use the idea…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hale, M.A.; Craig, J.I.

Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) embodies the simultaneous application to both system and quality engineering methods throughout an iterative design process. The use of IPPD results in the time-conscious, cost-saving development of engineering systems. To implement IPPD, a Decision-Based Design perspective is encapsulated in an approach that focuses on the role of the human designer in product development. The approach has two parts and is outlined in this paper. First, an architecture, called DREAMS, is being developed that facilitates design from a decision-based perspective. Second, a supporting computing infrastructure, called IMAGE, is being designed. Agents are used to implementmore » the overall infrastructure on the computer. Successful agent utilization requires that they be made of three components: the resource, the model, and the wrap. Current work is focused on the development of generalized agent schemes and associated demonstration projects. When in place, the technology independent computing infrastructure will aid the designer in systematically generating knowledge used to facilitate decision-making.« less

Use of agents to implement an integrated computing environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hale, Mark A.; Craig, James I.

1995-01-01

Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) embodies the simultaneous application to both system and quality engineering methods throughout an iterative design process. The use of IPPD results in the time-conscious, cost-saving development of engineering systems. To implement IPPD, a Decision-Based Design perspective is encapsulated in an approach that focuses on the role of the human designer in product development. The approach has two parts and is outlined in this paper. First, an architecture, called DREAMS, is being developed that facilitates design from a decision-based perspective. Second, a supporting computing infrastructure, called IMAGE, is being designed. Agents are used to implement the overall infrastructure on the computer. Successful agent utilization requires that they be made of three components: the resource, the model, and the wrap. Current work is focused on the development of generalized agent schemes and associated demonstration projects. When in place, the technology independent computing infrastructure will aid the designer in systematically generating knowledge used to facilitate decision-making.

Mitigating chromatic effects for the transverse focusing of intense charged particle beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitrani, James; Kaganovich, Igor; Davidson, Ronald

2013-09-01

A final focusing scheme designed to minimize chromatic effects is discussed. Solenoids are often used for transverse focusing in accelerator systems that require a charged particle beam with a small focal spot and/or large energy density A sufficiently large spread in axial momentum will reduce the effectiveness of transverse focusing, and result in chromatic effects on the final focal spot. Placing a weaker solenoid upstream of a stronger final focusing solenoid (FFS) mitigates chromatic effects on transverse beam focusing. J.M. Mitrani et al., Nucl. Inst. Meth. Phys. Res. A (2013) http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2013.05.09 This work was supported by DOE contract DE-AC02-09CH11466.

Time and Motion Regained.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adler, Paul S.

1993-01-01

A General Motors-Toyota auto assembly plant demonstrates how hierarchy and standardization can improve productivity and motivate workers. The production system is strongly committed to the social context of work and focused on standards designed by workers themselves, giving continuous improvement a specific foundation. (SK)

Design of tapered arm impulse radiating antenna with log periodic lens system for skin cancer treatment.

PubMed

Petrishia, A; Sasikala, M

2014-04-01

A Prolate-Spheroidal Impulse Radiating Antenna (PSIRA) is used as a non-invasive technique for generating an electromagnetic implosion to kill melanoma cells. It can launch and focus fast (100 ps) high voltage (>50 KV) pulses into the biological targets. It can be used to obtain electromagnetic focusing on the target to reduce the damage to the tissue layers surrounding the target (skin). The main aim of this work is to improve the gain of the antenna, enhance the electric field intensity and to reduce the spot size at the focal point. In this work the PSIRA with tapered arm is designed to increase the gain of the antenna. The log periodic lens system is designed to enhance the electric field and reduce the spot size. The IRA with tapered arms located at the position of φ = 60° gives a gain improvement of 14.28% when compared to a traditional IRA. In this work a 10-layer dielectric lens system is designed to match the 100 ps pulses to the skin phantom. Simulation results show that the electric field is increased by a factor of 2. The spot size is reduced from 1 cm to 0.75 cm at the focal point where the target is placed. The proposed Log periodic lens system provides an increase in electric field amplitude and reduction in spot size.

Dual-beam laser autofocusing system based on liquid lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Fumin; Yao, Yannan; Qu, Xinghua; Zhang, Tong; Pei, Bing

2017-02-01

A dual-beam laser autofocusing system is designed in this paper. The autofocusing system is based on a liquid lens with less moving parts and fast response time, which makes the system simple, reliable, compact and fast. A novel scheme ;Time-sharing focus, fast conversion; is innovatively proposed. The scheme effectively solves the problem that the guiding laser and the working laser cannot focus at the same target point because of the existence of chromatic aberration. This scheme not only makes both guiding laser and working laser achieve optimal focusing in guiding stage and working stage respectively, but also greatly reduces the system complexity and simplifies the focusing process as well as makes autofocusing time of the working laser reduce to about 10 ms. In the distance range of 1 m to 30 m, the autofocusing spot size is kept under 4.3 mm at 30 m and just 0.18 mm at 1 m. The spot size is much less influenced by the target distance compared with the collimated laser with a micro divergence angle for its self-adaptivity. The dual-beam laser autofocusing system based on liquid lens is fully automatic, compact and efficient. It is fully meet the need of dynamicity and adaptivity and it will play an important role in a number of long-range control applications.

Value engineering on the designed operator work tools for brick and rings wells production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ayu Bidiawati J., R.; Muchtiar, Yesmizarti; Wariza, Ragil Okta

2017-06-01

Operator working tools in making brick and ring wells were designed and made, and the value engineering was calculated to identify and develop the function of these tools in obtaining the balance between cost, reliability and appearance. This study focused on the value of functional components of the tools and attempted to increase the difference between the costs incurred by the generated values. The purpose of this study was to determine the alternatives of tools design and to determine the performance of each alternative. The technique was developed using FAST method that consisted of five stages: information, creative, analytical, development and presentation stage. The results of the analysis concluded that the designed tools have higher value and better function description. There were four alternative draft improvements for operator working tools. The best alternative was determined based on the rank by using matrix evaluation. Best performance was obtained by the alternative II, amounting to 98.92 with a value of 0.77.

Prosthetists' and Orthotists' experience of their work and workspace - characterising the physical and organisational environment: Focus group findings.

PubMed

Anderson, Sarah; Stuckey, Rwth; Oakman, Jodi R

2016-12-01

Little research has been undertaken into occupational health and safety in the Prosthetics and Orthotics profession. To identify physical, psychosocial and environmental workplace experiences of Prosthetists and Orthotists in organisational settings. Qualitative methodology, cross-sectional design, using thematically analysed data collected from focus groups. Focus groups explored workplace and work experiences across varied Prosthetic and Orthotic settings. Data were thematically analysed to identify physical, psychosocial and environmental workplace experiences. Three major themes, Demands of Work Practice, Impacts on the Individual and Job Design, were identified as problematic. A latent theme Perceptions of Others of P&O highlighted a lack of understanding of the Prosthetics and Orthotics job role outside the profession. This first study of occupational health and safety in the Prosthetics and Orthotics profession identifies a number of important physical and psychosocial issues, including characteristics that have been previously identified as risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Findings from the study indicate that some Australian organisations lack understanding of the Prosthetics and Orthotics job role, which results in inappropriate expectations of Prosthetics and Orthotics professionals. Preventing injuries and retaining experienced Prosthetists and Orthotists in the workplace is vital for the profession, and as a result, issues raised in this study require further exploration and then development of appropriate management strategies. This is the first study characterising the experiences of work and risk of injuries in Prosthetists and Orthotists. Preventing injuries and retaining experienced Prosthetists and Orthotists in the workplace is vital for the international profession. Issues raised in this study require further exploration and then development of appropriate management strategies. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2015.

Tunable manipulation of terahertz wavefront based on graphene metasurfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Linbao; Wang, Kuiyuan; Guo, Kai; Shen, Fei; Zhang, Xudong; Yin, Zhiping; Guo, Zhongyi

2017-11-01

We have systematically investigated the performances of a tunable graphene metasurface that can dynamically manipulate the terahertz wavefronts. The metasurface consists of a silver substrate, SiO2 interlayer and the top graphene ribbons that can exhibit plasmon resonances to realize a phase shift by changing the Fermi levels of graphene ribbons. The plasmon resonances in graphene ribbons and Fabry-Perot resonances in the SiO2 interlayer work together for making the designed metasurface cover 2π phase range nearly. In the simulations, we can realize anomalous reflection at any angle by using the continuous phase modulation. On this basis, a reflective focusing lens based on the graphene metasurface has also been designed, which is designed in the frequency of 5.0 THz with a reasonable operation bandwidth from 4.5 THz to 6.5 THz. The corresponding focal lengths are designed as 300 μm and 100 μm, and the depths of focus (full width at half maximum along the Z direction) are 114 μm and 104 μm, respectively. Especially, the diameters of focal points (full width at half maximum along the X direction) are 29.5 μm and 24.1 μm, which are smaller than a half-wavelength (30 μm) in the focusing plane. It indicates that our designed focusing lenses have superior performance and can provide an opportunity to develop a tunable wavefront-controlling device.

The 1990-1991 project summaries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The Mechanical Engineering Department at The University of Texas at Austin participated in the NASA/USRA University Advanced Design Program on both an undergraduate and a graduate level during the 1990-91 academic year. The focus of study was on four design projects that fall into one of the following areas: (1) the establishment of a lunar base and (2) mission planet Earth. The design projects were incorporated into already existing design courses and students worked together in groups of three to five. A background of each area of study is provided, along with synopses, conclusions, and recommendations for further study for each design project.

The effect of job and environmental factors on job satisfaction in automotive industries.

PubMed

Dawal, Siti Zawiah Md; Taha, Zahari

2006-01-01

A methodology was developed for diagnosing industrial work, which includes questionnaire, observation, measurements, data collection and statistical analysis. A survey was conducted to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and factors that affect work design in 2 automotives manufacturing companies in Malaysia. A basic work design model was proposed. The aim of this model was to determine the factors that influence employees' perception towards their work. A set of multiple-choice questionnaires was developed and data was collected by interviewing employees at a production plant. The survey focused on job and environmental factors. The results supported the proposed model and showed that job and environmental factors were significantly related to job satisfaction. They highlighted the significant influence of age, work experience and marital status on job satisfaction. Further, environmental factors, especially the surroundings, context dependence and the building's function, also had a significant impact on job satisfaction.

Recent progress in DNA origami technology.

PubMed

Endo, Masayuki; Sugiyama, Hiroshi

2011-06-01

DNA origami is an emerging technology for designing defined two-dimensional DNA nanostructures. In this review, we focus on and describe several types of DNA origami-related studies, as follows: (1) programmed DNA origami assembly, (2) DNA origami-templated molecular assembly, (3) design and construction of various three-dimensional DNA origami structures, (4) programmed functionalization of DNA origami and combination with top-down nanotechnology, (5) single molecular observation on a designed DNA origami, and (6) DNA nanomachines working on a DNA origami. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Frameworks and Tools for High-Confidence Design of Adaptive, Distributed Embedded Control Systems. Multi-University Research Initiative on High-Confidence Design for Distributed Embedded Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

controllers (currently using the Robostix+Gumstix pair ). The interface between the plant simulator and the controller is ‘hard real-time’, and the xPC box... simulation ) on aerobatic maneuver design for the STARMAC quadrotor helicopter testbed. In related work, we have developed a new optimization scheme...for scheduling hybrid systems, and have demonstrated the results on an autonomous car simulation testbed. We are focusing efforts this summer for

Design of rocker switches for work-vehicles--an application of Kansei Engineering.

PubMed

Schütte, Simon; Eklund, Jörgen

2005-09-01

Rocker switches used in vehicles meet high demands partly due to the increased focus on customer satisfaction. Previous studies focused on ergonomics and usability rather than design for emotions and affection. The aim of this study was to determine how and to what extent engineering properties influence the perception of rocker switches. Secondary aims were to compare two types of rating scales and to determine consistency over time of the ratings. As a method Kansei Engineering was used, describing a product domain from a physical and semantic point of view. A model was built and validated, and recommendations for new designs were given. It was seen that the subjective impressions of robustness, precision and design are strongly influenced by the zero position, the contact position, the form-ratio, shape and the surface of rocker switches. A 7-point scale was found suitable. The Kansei ratings were consistent over time.

Using the Behaviour Change Wheel in infection prevention and control practice

PubMed Central

Atkins, Lou

2015-01-01

The Centre for Behaviour Change at University College London (UCL) is a new venture that has grown out of the work that we have been doing in the Health Psychology Research Group at UCL and seeks to harness the different pockets of behaviour change work in different disciplines across UCL. A lot of our work in health focuses on the adoption of evidence-based guidelines in practice; not just designing and evaluating interventions, but also developing usable tools for people who are tasked with changing behaviours. These tools aim to enable those who do not necessarily have a background in behavioural science to understand the behaviours they are trying to change and design appropriate interventions. PMID:28989457

Performance evaluation of a lossy transmission lines based diode detector at cryogenic temperature.

PubMed

Villa, E; Aja, B; de la Fuente, L; Artal, E

2016-01-01

This work is focused on the design, fabrication, and performance analysis of a square-law Schottky diode detector based on lossy transmission lines working under cryogenic temperature (15 K). The design analysis of a microwave detector, based on a planar gallium-arsenide low effective Schottky barrier height diode, is reported, which is aimed for achieving large input return loss as well as flat sensitivity versus frequency. The designed circuit demonstrates good sensitivity, as well as a good return loss in a wide bandwidth at Ka-band, at both room (300 K) and cryogenic (15 K) temperatures. A good sensitivity of 1000 mV/mW and input return loss better than 12 dB have been achieved when it works as a zero-bias Schottky diode detector at room temperature, increasing the sensitivity up to a minimum of 2200 mV/mW, with the need of a DC bias current, at cryogenic temperature.

Cryogenic solid Schmidt camera as a base for future wide-field IR systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yudin, Alexey N.

2011-11-01

Work is focused on study of capability of solid Schmidt camera to serve as a wide-field infrared lens for aircraft system with whole sphere coverage, working in 8-14 um spectral range, coupled with spherical focal array of megapixel class. Designs of 16 mm f/0.2 lens with 60 and 90 degrees sensor diagonal are presented, their image quality is compared with conventional solid design. Achromatic design with significantly improved performance, containing enclosed soft correcting lens behind protective front lens is proposed. One of the main goals of the work is to estimate benefits from curved detector arrays in 8-14 um spectral range wide-field systems. Coupling of photodetector with solid Schmidt camera by means of frustrated total internal reflection is considered, with corresponding tolerance analysis. The whole lens, except front element, is considered to be cryogenic, with solid Schmidt unit to be flown by hydrogen for improvement of bulk transmission.

It Comes With the Job: Work Organizational, Job Design, and Self-Regulatory Barriers to Improving the Health Status of Train Drivers.

PubMed

Naweed, Anjum; Chapman, Janine; Allan, Matthew; Trigg, Joshua

2017-03-01

This study aimed to examine the impacts of key barriers to improving the occupational health status of Australian train drivers. From May to June, 2015, five semi-structured qualitative focus groups were conducted with 29 train drivers from South Australian, Victorian, and New South Wales-based rail organizations in Australia. Occupational health was impeded by multiple barriers regarding sleep (patterns/fatigue), diet (planning/context), mental health (occupational stress), rostering (low autonomy), sedentary time, low fitness motivation, and family/social life conflicts. Work organizational barriers included communication issues, low organizational support, and existing social norms. Job design barriers included rostering, fatigue, stimulant reliance, and family/social life imbalances. Self-regulatory barriers included dietary and exercise patterns habits and patterns. Occupational health interventions for Australian train drivers must address work organizational, job design, and self-regulatory barriers to healthier lifestyle behaviors.

Halbach array type focusing actuator for small and thin optical data storage device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Sung Q.; Park, Kang-Ho; Paek, Mun Chul

2004-09-01

The small form factor optical data storage devices are developing rapidly nowadays. Since it is designed for portable and compatibility with flesh memory, its components such as disk, head, focusing actuator, and spindle motor should be assembled within 5 mm. The thickness of focusing actuator is within 2 mm and the total working range is +/-100um, with the resolution of less than 1μm. Since the thickness is limited tightly, it is hard to place the yoke that closes the magnetic circuit and hard to make strong flux density without yoke. Therefore, Halbach array is adopted to increase the magnetic flux of one side without yoke. The proposed Halbach array type focusing actuator has the advantage of thin actuation structure with sacrificing less flex density than conventional magnetic array. The optical head unit is moved on the swing arm type tracking actuator. Focusing coil is attached to swing arm, and Halbach magnet array is positioned at the bottom of deck along the tracking line, and focusing actuator exerts force by the Fleming's left hand rule. The dynamics, working range, control resolution of focusing actuator are analyzed and performed.

Designing a workplace return-to-work program for occupational low back pain: an intervention mapping approach

PubMed Central

Ammendolia, Carlo; Cassidy, David; Steensta, Ivan; Soklaridis, Sophie; Boyle, Eleanor; Eng, Stephanie; Howard, Hamer; Bhupinder, Bains; Côté, Pierre

2009-01-01

Background Despite over 2 decades of research, the ability to prevent work-related low back pain (LBP) and disability remains elusive. Recent research suggests that interventions that are focused at the workplace and incorporate the principals of participatory ergonomics and return-to-work (RTW) coordination can improve RTW and reduce disability following a work-related back injury. Workplace interventions or programs to improve RTW are difficult to design and implement given the various individuals and environments involved, each with their own unique circumstances. Intervention mapping provides a framework for designing and implementing complex interventions or programs. The objective of this study is to design a best evidence RTW program for occupational LBP tailored to the Ontario setting using an intervention mapping approach. Methods We used a qualitative synthesis based on the intervention mapping methodology. Best evidence from systematic reviews, practice guidelines and key articles on the prognosis and management of LBP and improving RTW was combined with theoretical models for managing LBP and changing behaviour. This was then systematically operationalized into a RTW program using consensus among experts and stakeholders. The RTW Program was further refined following feedback from nine focus groups with various stakeholders. Results A detailed five step RTW program was developed. The key features of the program include; having trained personnel coordinate the RTW process, identifying and ranking barriers and solutions to RTW from the perspective of all important stakeholders, mediating practical solutions at the workplace and, empowering the injured worker in RTW decision-making. Conclusion Intervention mapping provided a useful framework to develop a comprehensive RTW program tailored to the Ontario setting. PMID:19508728

Designing for Annual Spacelift Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCleskey, Carey M.; Zapata, Edgar

2017-01-01

This paper presents a methodology for approaching space launch system design from a total architectural point of view. This different approach to conceptual design is contrasted with traditional approaches that focus on a single set of metrics for flight system performance, i.e., payload lift per flight, vehicle mass, specific impulse, etc. The approach presented works with a larger set of metrics, including annual system lift, or "spacelift" performance. Spacelift performance is more inclusive of the flight production capability of the total architecture, i.e., the flight and ground systems working together as a whole to produce flights on a repeated basis. In the proposed methodology, spacelift performance becomes an important design-for-support parameter for flight system concepts and truly advanced spaceport architectures of the future. The paper covers examples of existing system spacelift performance as benchmarks, points out specific attributes of space transportation systems that must be greatly improved over these existing designs, and outlines current activity in this area.

DHM and serious games: a case-study oil and gas laboratories.

PubMed

Santos, V; Zamberlan, M; Streit, P; Oliveira, J; Guimarães, C; Pastura, F; Cid, G

2012-01-01

The aim in this paper is to present a research on the application of serious games for the design of laboratories in the oil and gas industries. The focus is in human virtual representation acquired from 3D scanning, human interaction, workspace layout and equipment designed considering ergonomics standards. The laboratory studies were simulated in Unity3D platform, which allows the users to control the DHM1 on the dynamic virtual scenario, in order to simulate work activities. This methodology can change the design process by improving the level of interaction between final users, managers and human factor teams. That helps to better visualize future work settings and improve the level of participation between all stakeholders.

Designing Professional Development That Works.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Birman, Beatrice F.; Desimone, Laura; Porter, Andrew C.; Garet, Michael S.

2000-01-01

By studying survey data from 1,000 teachers participating in a Title II workshop, researchers identified three structural features (form, duration, and collective participation) that set a proper context for professional development. Three core features of professional-development learning experience include content focus, active learning, and…

Healthy Gaming - Video Game Design to promote Health.

PubMed

Brox, E; Fernandez-Luque, L; Tøllefsen, T

2011-01-01

There is an increasing interest in health games including simulation tools, games for specific conditions, persuasive games to promote a healthy life style or exergames where physical exercise is used to control the game. The objective of the article is to review current literature about available health games and the impact related to game design principles as well as some educational theory aspects. Literature from the big databases and known sites with games for health has been searched to find articles about games for health purposes. The focus has been on educational games, persuasive games and exergames as well as articles describing game design principles. The medical objectives can either be a part of the game theme (intrinsic) or be totally dispatched (extrinsic), and particularly persuasive games seem to use extrinsic game design. Peer support is important, but there is only limited research on multiplayer health games. Evaluation of health games can be both medical and technical, and the focus will depend on the game purpose. There is still not enough evidence to conclude which design principles work for what purposes since most of the literature in health serious games does not specify design methodologies, but it seems that extrinsic methods work in persuasion. However, when designing health care games it is important to define both the target group and main objective, and then design a game accordingly using sound game design principles, but also utilizing design elements to enhance learning and persuasion. A collaboration with health professionals from an early design stage is necessary both to ensure that the content is valid and to have the game validated from a clinical viewpoint. Patients need to be involved, especially to improve usability. More research should be done on social aspects in health games, both related to learning and persuasion.

IADE: a system for intelligent automatic design of bioisosteric analogs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ertl, Peter; Lewis, Richard

2012-11-01

IADE, a software system supporting molecular modellers through the automatic design of non-classical bioisosteric analogs, scaffold hopping and fragment growing, is presented. The program combines sophisticated cheminformatics functionalities for constructing novel analogs and filtering them based on their drug-likeness and synthetic accessibility using automatic structure-based design capabilities: the best candidates are selected according to their similarity to the template ligand and to their interactions with the protein binding site. IADE works in an iterative manner, improving the fitness of designed molecules in every generation until structures with optimal properties are identified. The program frees molecular modellers from routine, repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on analysis and evaluation of the automatically designed analogs, considerably enhancing their work efficiency as well as the area of chemical space that can be covered. The performance of IADE is illustrated through a case study of the design of a nonclassical bioisosteric analog of a farnesyltransferase inhibitor—an analog that has won a recent "Design a Molecule" competition.

IADE: a system for intelligent automatic design of bioisosteric analogs.

PubMed

Ertl, Peter; Lewis, Richard

2012-11-01

IADE, a software system supporting molecular modellers through the automatic design of non-classical bioisosteric analogs, scaffold hopping and fragment growing, is presented. The program combines sophisticated cheminformatics functionalities for constructing novel analogs and filtering them based on their drug-likeness and synthetic accessibility using automatic structure-based design capabilities: the best candidates are selected according to their similarity to the template ligand and to their interactions with the protein binding site. IADE works in an iterative manner, improving the fitness of designed molecules in every generation until structures with optimal properties are identified. The program frees molecular modellers from routine, repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus on analysis and evaluation of the automatically designed analogs, considerably enhancing their work efficiency as well as the area of chemical space that can be covered. The performance of IADE is illustrated through a case study of the design of a nonclassical bioisosteric analog of a farnesyltransferase inhibitor--an analog that has won a recent "Design a Molecule" competition.

Training and Doctrine Command Acquisition Management and Oversight Supplement

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

the foundation for all future procurement decisions. Chapter 4 of TR 5-14 requires the RA to gain approval and certification by the designated...CLM013-Work-Breakdown Structure CLM031-Improved Statement of Work ACQ265-Mission Focused Services Acquisition Army eLearning https...will be returned to acceptable levels, and how recurrence of the cause will be prevented in the future . 53 7.3. Performance Requirements Summary

Work-related trauma, PTSD, and workers compensation legislation: Implications for practice and policy.

PubMed

Wise, Edward A; Beck, J Gayle

2015-09-01

The current review examines work-related traumatic events, with particular focus on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a potential mental health outcome. Despite considerable empirical knowledge about trauma and PTSD, a gap exists with respect to laws undergirding Workers Compensation (WC) insurance coverage for work-related mental health injuries. In this article, state and federal WC statutes are examined with an eye toward coverage of PTSD following work-related trauma. Examples of differences between states, as well as state-specific idiosyncratic facets of WC laws, are discussed. Federal WC programs are also examined. Two policy issues are highlighted: (a) lack of parity between WC coverage for work-related physical versus mental health injuries and (b) lack of reliance on psychological science in scripting legislation and determining WC benefits. The cost of untreated PTSD following work-related trauma is examined, focusing on costs to the individual, the employer, and society at large. The authors provide 3 recommendations designed to address discrepancies related to compensable psychological injuries following work-related trauma exposure. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

Design, Development and Testing of Airplanes for Mars Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hall, David W.

2004-01-01

The opportunity for a piggyback mission to Mars aboard an Ariane 5 rocket in the early spring of 1999 set off feverish design activity at several NASA centers. This report describes the contract work done by faculty, students, and consultants at the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo California (Cal poly/SLO) to support the NASA/Ames design, construction and test efforts to develop a simple and robust Mars Flyer configuration capable of performing a practical science mission on Mars. The first sections will address the conceptual design of a workable Mars Flyer configuration which started in the spring and summer of 1999. The following sections will focus on construction and flight test of two full-scale vehicles. The final section will reflect on the overall effort and make recommendations for future work.

The MANIFEST prototyping design study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, Jonathan S.; Ben-Ami, Sagi; Brown, David M.; Brown, Rebecca A.; Case, Scott; Chapman, Steve; Churilov, Vladimir; Colless, Matthew; Content, Robert; Depoy, Darren; Evans, Ian; Farrell, Tony; Goodwin, Michael; Jacoby, George; Klauser, Urs; Kuehn, Kyler; Lorente, Nuria P. F.; Mali, Slavko; Marshall, Jennifer; Muller, Rolf; Nichani, Vijay; Pai, Naveen; Prochaska, Travis; Saunders, Will; Schmidt, Luke; Shortridge, Keith; Staszak, Nicholas F.; Szentgyorgyi, Andrew; Tims, Julia; Vuong, Minh V.; Waller, Lewis G.; Zhelem, Ross

2016-08-01

MANIFEST is a facility multi-object fibre system for the Giant Magellan Telescope, which uses `Starbug' fibre positioning robots. MANIFEST, when coupled to the telescope's planned seeing-limited instruments, GMACS, and G-CLEF, offers access to: larger fields of view; higher multiplex gains; versatile reformatting of the focal plane via IFUs; image-slicers; and in some cases higher spatial and spectral resolution. The Prototyping Design Study phase for MANIFEST, nearing completion, has focused on developing a working prototype of a Starbugs system, called TAIPAN, for the UK Schmidt Telescope, which will conduct a stellar and galaxy survey of the Southern sky. The Prototyping Design Study has also included work on the GMT instrument interfaces. In this paper, we outline the instrument design features of TAIPAN, highlight the modifications that will be necessary for the MANIFEST implementation, and provide an update on the MANIFEST/instrument interfaces.

RF MEMS microswitches design and characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lafontan, Xavier; Dufaza, Christian; Robert, Michel; Perez, Guy; Pressecq, Francis

2000-08-01

This paper presents the work performed in MUMPs on RF MEMS micro-switch. Concepts, design and characterization of switches are studied. The study particularly focuses on the electrical resistance characterization and modelization. The switches developed uses two different principle: overflowed gold and hinged beam. The realized contacts exhibited high on resistance (~20(Omega) ) due to nanoscopics asperities of contacts and insulating interfacial films. Results of a typical contact cleaning method are also presented.

Focused Feasibility Study Final Field Sampling Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-10-01

baseline of groundwater chemistry prior to commencing additional environmental investigations of the area. Work for Phase I of the FFS is designed lo...investigations and remedial feasibility investigations at Beach Point. The groundwater data will also be used to aid in the design of any groundwater extraction...approved laboratories. The analytical data will be the equivalent of EPA Level IV data. This level of data quality has been established for environmental

Report of the Working Design Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The engineering study group in the LOUISA workshop was responsible for producing a preliminary general design for an optical synthetic aperture telescope on the Moon. This design is intended to be a test case for focusing continuing design studies. The scope of the design included consideration of the array geometry, individual telescopes, metrology, site attributes, and construction. However, no attempt was made to go into further depth in the design than to cover the essential characteristics of the instrument. The starting point for the array design was the lunar optical array discussed by Burke (1985). His array geometry followed the design and correlation procedure of the 27-element Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescopes near Socorro, New Mexico.

Design and evaluation of a 63 element 1.75-dimensional ultrasound phased array for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, Khaldon Y.; Smith, Nadine B.

2003-10-01

Focused ultrasound surgery (FUS) is a clinical method for treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in which tissue is noninvasively necrosed by elevating the temperature at the focal point above 60°C using short sonications. With 1.75-dimensional (1.75-D) arrays, the power and phase to the individual elements can be controlled electronically for focusing and steering. This research describes the design, construction and evaluation of a 1.75-D ultrasound phased array to be used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The array was designed with a steering angle of +/-13.5 deg in the transverse direction, and can move the focus in three parallel planes in the longitudinal direction with a relatively large focus size. A piezoelectric ceramic (PZT-8) was used as the material of the transducer and two matching layers were built for maximum acoustic power transmission to tissue. To verify the capability of the transducer for focusing and steering, exposimetry was performed and the results correlated well with the calculated fields. In vivo experiments were performed to verify the capability of the transducer to ablate tissue using short sonications. [Work supported by the Whitaker Foundation and the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Prostate Cancer Research Program.

Cognitive Systems Engineering: The Next 30 Years

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feary, Michael

2012-01-01

This presentation is part of panel discussion on Cognitive Systems Engineering. The purpose of this panel is to discuss the challenges and future directions of Cognitive Systems Engineering for the next 30 years. I intended to present the work we have been doing with the Aviation Safety program and Space Human Factors Engineering project on Work Domain Analysis and some areas of Research Focus. Specifically, I intend to focus on the shift on the need to understand and model attention in mixed-initiative systems, the need for methods which can generate results to be used in trade-off decisions, and the need to account for a range of human behavior in the design.

Inverse-designed stretchable metalens with tunable focal distance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Callewaert, Francois; Velev, Vesselin; Jiang, Shizhou; Sahakian, Alan Varteres; Kumar, Prem; Aydin, Koray

2018-02-01

In this paper, we present an inverse-designed 3D-printed all-dielectric stretchable millimeter wave metalens with a tunable focal distance. A computational inverse-design method is used to design a flat metalens made of disconnected polymer building blocks with complex shapes, as opposed to conventional monolithic lenses. The proposed metalens provides better performance than a conventional Fresnel lens, using lesser amount of material and enabling larger focal distance tunability. The metalens is fabricated using a commercial 3D-printer and attached to a stretchable platform. Measurements and simulations show that the focal distance can be tuned by a factor of 4 with a stretching factor of only 75%, a nearly diffraction-limited focal spot, and with a 70% relative focusing efficiency, defined as the ratio between power focused in the focal spot and power going through the focal plane. The proposed platform can be extended for design and fabrication of multiple electromagnetic devices working from visible to microwave radiation depending on scaling of the devices.

Designing shear-thinning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Arif Z.; Ewoldt, Randy H.

2017-11-01

Design in fluid mechanics often focuses on optimizing geometry (airfoils, surface textures, microfluid channels), but here we focus on designing fluids themselves. The dramatically shear-thinning ``yield-stress fluid'' is currently the most utilized non-Newtonian fluid phenomenon. These rheologically complex materials, which undergo a reversible transition from solid-like to liquid-like fluid flow, are utilized in pedestrian products such as paint and toothpaste, but also in emerging applications like direct-write 3D printing. We present a paradigm for yield-stress fluid design that considers constitutive model representation, material property databases, available predictive scaling laws, and the many ways to achieve a yield stress fluid, flipping the typical structure-to-rheology analysis to become the inverse: rheology-to-structure with multiple possible materials as solutions. We describe case studies of 3D printing inks and other flow scenarios where designed shear-thinning enables performance remarkably beyond that of Newtonian fluids. This work was supported by Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company and the National Science Foundation under Grant No. CMMI-1463203.

MoPCoM Methodology: Focus on Models of Computation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koudri, Ali; Champeau, Joël; Le Lann, Jean-Christophe; Leilde, Vincent

Today, developments of Real Time Embedded Systems have to face new challenges. On the one hand, Time-To-Market constraints require a reliable development process allowing quick design space exploration. On the other hand, rapidly developing technology, as stated by Moore's law, requires techniques to handle the resulting productivity gap. In a previous paper, we have presented our Model Based Engineering methodology addressing those issues. In this paper, we make a focus on Models of Computation design and analysis. We illustrate our approach on a Cognitive Radio System development implemented on an FPGA. This work is part of the MoPCoM research project gathering academic and industrial organizations (http://www.mopcom.fr).

JOBSTART. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2008

2008-01-01

"JOBSTART" is an alternative education and training program designed to improve the economic prospects of young, disadvantaged high school dropouts by increasing educational attainment and developing occupational skills. The program has four main components: (1) basic academic skills instruction with a focus on GED (General Educational…

Early Risers. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2012

2012-01-01

"Early Risers" is a multi-year prevention program for elementary school children demonstrating early aggressive and disruptive behavior. The intervention model includes two child-focused components and two parent/family components. The Child Skills component is designed to teach skills that enhance children's emotional and behavioral…

Texture, ride quality, and the uniformity of hot-mix asphalt pavements.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-01-01

Two years ago, the author completed a study with researchers at Virginia Tech that was designed to develop a tool to measure and control segregation of hot-mix asphalt pavements. This earlier work focused on the application of high-speed texture meas...

Saving City Kids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, B. J., Ed.

1995-01-01

"Cityschools" reports on research regarding the transformation of urban schools to make this research more accessible to practitioners in urban classrooms. This theme issue focuses on youth violence, exploring how some schools, families, and communities are working together to organize their resources and to design strategies to fight violence.…

Asking good clinical research questions and choosing the right study design.

PubMed

Bragge, P

2010-07-01

Clinicians and researchers seek answers to clinical research questions, primarily by accessing the results of clinical research studies. This paper moves the focus of research enquiry from getting answers to developing good clinical research questions. Using worked examples, the steps involved in refining questions drawn from various sources to create 'answerable' clinical research questions using the 'PICO' principle are described. Issues to consider in prioritising clinical research questions are also identified. Theoretical and practical considerations involved in choosing the right study design for a clinical research question are then discussed using the worked examples. These include: Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A user-centered model for designing consumer mobile health (mHealth) applications (apps).

PubMed

Schnall, Rebecca; Rojas, Marlene; Bakken, Suzanne; Brown, William; Carballo-Dieguez, Alex; Carry, Monique; Gelaude, Deborah; Mosley, Jocelyn Patterson; Travers, Jasmine

2016-04-01

Mobile technologies are a useful platform for the delivery of health behavior interventions. Yet little work has been done to create a rigorous and standardized process for the design of mobile health (mHealth) apps. This project sought to explore the use of the Information Systems Research (ISR) framework as guide for the design of mHealth apps. Our work was guided by the ISR framework which is comprised of 3 cycles: Relevance, Rigor and Design. In the Relevance cycle, we conducted 5 focus groups with 33 targeted end-users. In the Rigor cycle, we performed a review to identify technology-based interventions for meeting the health prevention needs of our target population. In the Design Cycle, we employed usability evaluation methods to iteratively develop and refine mock-ups for a mHealth app. Through an iterative process, we identified barriers and facilitators to the use of mHealth technology for HIV prevention for high-risk MSM, developed 'use cases' and identified relevant functional content and features for inclusion in a design document to guide future app development. Findings from our work support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for designing future mHealth apps. Results from this work provide detailed descriptions of the user-centered design and system development and have heuristic value for those venturing into the area of technology-based intervention work. Findings from this study support the use of the ISR framework as a guide for future mHealth app development. Use of the ISR framework is a potentially useful approach for the design of a mobile app that incorporates end-users' design preferences. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using articulation and inscription as catalysts for reflection: Design principles for reflective inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loh, Ben Tun-Bin

2003-07-01

The demand for students to engage in complex student-driven and information-rich inquiry investigations poses challenges to existing learning environments. Students are not familiar with this style of work, and lack the skills, tools, and expectations it demands, often forging blindly forward in the investigation. If students are to be successful, they need to learn to be reflective inquirers, periodically stepping back from an investigation to evaluate their work. The fundamental goal of my dissertation is to understand how to design learning environments to promote and support reflective inquiry. I have three basic research questions: how to define this mode of work, how to help students learn it, and understanding how it facilitates reflection when enacted in a classroom. I take an exploratory approach in which, through iterative cycles of design, development, and reflection, I develop principles of design for reflective inquiry, instantiate those principles in the design of a software environment, and test that software in the context of classroom work. My work contributes to the understanding of reflective inquiry in three ways: First, I define a task model that describes the kinds of operations (cognitive tasks) that students should engage in as reflective inquirers. These operations are defined in terms of two basic tasks: articulation and inscription, which serve as catalysts for externalizing student thinking as objects of and triggers for reflection. Second, I instantiate the task model in the design of software tools (the Progress Portfolio). And, through proof of concept pilot studies, I examine how the task model and tools helped students with their investigative classroom work. Finally, I take a step back from these implementations and articulate general design principles for reflective inquiry with the goal of informing the design of other reflective inquiry learning environments. There are three design principles: (1) Provide a designated work space for reflection activities to focus student attention on reflection. (2) Help students create and use artifacts that represent their work and their thinking as a means to create referents for reflection. (3) Support and take advantage of social processes that help students reflect on their own work.

TE-polarized design for metallic slit lenses: a way to deep-subwavelength focusing over a broad wavelength range.

PubMed

Zhu, Yechuan; Yuan, Weizheng; Li, Wenli; Sun, Hao; Qi, Kunlun; Yu, Yiting

2018-01-15

Slit arrays based on noble metals have been widely proposed as planar transverse-magnetic (TM)-lenses, illuminated by a linearly polarized light with the polarization perpendicular to slits and implementing the focusing capability beyond the diffraction limit. However, due to intrinsic plasmonic losses, these TM-lenses cannot work efficiently in the ultraviolet wavelengths. In this Letter, taking advantage of the unique transmission through metallic slits not involving plasmonic losses, a metallic slit array with transverse-electric (TE)-polarized design is proposed, showing for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, the realization of sub-diffraction-limit focusing for ultraviolet light. Additionally, in contrast to the situations of TM-lenses, a wider slit leads to a greater phase delay and much larger slits can be arranged to construct the TE-lenses, which is quite beneficial for practical fabrication. Furthermore, deep-subwavelength focusing can be achieved by utilizing the immersing technology.

A framework of knowledge creation processes in participatory simulation of hospital work systems.

PubMed

Andersen, Simone Nyholm; Broberg, Ole

2017-04-01

Participatory simulation (PS) is a method to involve workers in simulating and designing their own future work system. Existing PS studies have focused on analysing the outcome, and minimal attention has been devoted to the process of creating this outcome. In order to study this process, we suggest applying a knowledge creation perspective. The aim of this study was to develop a framework describing the process of how ergonomics knowledge is created in PS. Video recordings from three projects applying PS of hospital work systems constituted the foundation of process mining analysis. The analysis resulted in a framework revealing the sources of ergonomics knowledge creation as sequential relationships between the activities of simulation participants sharing work experiences; experimenting with scenarios; and reflecting on ergonomics consequences. We argue that this framework reveals the hidden steps of PS that are essential when planning and facilitating PS that aims at designing work systems. Practitioner Summary: When facilitating participatory simulation (PS) in work system design, achieving an understanding of the PS process is essential. By applying a knowledge creation perspective and process mining, we investigated the knowledge-creating activities constituting the PS process. The analysis resulted in a framework of the knowledge-creating process in PS.

Proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems engineering at Vickers Shipbuilding and Engineering Limited (VSEL)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seymour, C. M.

1992-01-01

A project, jointly funded by VSEL and CJB Developments Limited, is aimed at the development of complete power generation systems based on PEM fuel cell technology. Potential markets for such systems are seen as being very broadly based, ranging from military land and marine systems through to commercial on-site power generation and transport. From the outset the project was applications driven, the intent being to identify market requirements, in terms of system specifications and to use these to produce development targets. The two companies have based their work on the Ballard PEM stack and have focused their efforts on the development of supporting systems. This benefits all three companies as it allows Ballard to obtain applications information on which to base future research and VSEL/CJBD are able to capitalise on the advanced development of the Ballard stack. Current work is focused on the production of a 20 kW, methanol fuelled, power generation system demonstrator, although work is also in hand to address a wider range of fuels including natural gas. The demonstrator, when complete, will be used to indicate the potential benefits of such systems and to act as a design aid for the applications phase of the project. Preliminary work on this next phase is already in hand, with studies to assess both systems and fuel cell stack design requirements for specific applications and to generate concept designs. Work to date has concentrated on the development of a methanol reformer, suitable for integration into a fuel cell system and on extensive testing and evaluation of the Ballard fuel cell stacks. This testing has covered a wide range of operating parameters, including different fuel and oxidant combinations. The effect of contaminants on the performance and life of the fuel cells is also under evaluation. PEM fuel cells still require a great deal of further development if they are to gain widespread commercial acceptance. A recent study conducted by VSEL in conjunction with the UK Department of Energy has addressed the fuel cell cost and performance requirements in order to both focus future research and to aid understanding of the time-scale to reach full commercialisation.

The NASA Constellation University Institutes Project: Thrust Chamber Assembly Virtual Institute

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, P. Kevin; Rybak, Jeffry A.; Hulka, James R.; Jones, Gregg W.; Nesman, Tomas; West, Jeffrey S.

2006-01-01

This paper documents key aspects of the Constellation University Institutes Project (CUIP) Thrust Chamber Assembly (TCA) Virtual Institute (VI). Specifically, the paper details the TCA VI organizational and functional aspects relative to providing support for Constellation Systems. The TCA VI vision is put forth and discussed in detail. The vision provides the objective and approach for improving thrust chamber assembly design methodologies by replacing the current empirical tools with verified and validated CFD codes. The vision also sets out ignition, performance, thermal environments and combustion stability as focus areas where application of these improved tools is required. Flow physics and a study of the Space Shuttle Main Engine development program are used to conclude that the injector is the key to robust TCA design. Requirements are set out in terms of fidelity, robustness and demonstrated accuracy of the design tool. Lack of demonstrated accuracy is noted as the most significant obstacle to realizing the potential of CFD to be widely used as an injector design tool. A hierarchical decomposition process is outlined to facilitate the validation process. A simulation readiness level tool used to gauge progress toward the goal is described. Finally, there is a description of the current efforts in each focus area. The background of each focus area is discussed. The state of the art in each focus area is noted along with the TCA VI research focus in the area. Brief highlights of work in the area are also included.

On sustainable and efficient design of ground-source heat pump systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grassi, W.; Conti, P.; Schito, E.; Testi, D.

2015-11-01

This paper is mainly aimed at stressing some fundamental features of the GSHP design and is based on a broad research we are performing at the University of Pisa. In particular, we focus the discussion on an environmentally sustainable approach, based on performance optimization during the entire operational life. The proposed methodology aims at investigating design and management strategies to find the optimal level of exploitation of the ground source and refer to other technical means to cover the remaining energy requirements and modulate the power peaks. The method is holistic, considering the system as a whole, rather than focusing only on some components, usually considered as the most important ones. Each subsystem is modeled and coupled to the others in a full set of equations, which is used within an optimization routine to reproduce the operative performances of the overall GSHP system. As a matter of fact, the recommended methodology is a 4-in-1 activity, including sizing of components, lifecycle performance evaluation, optimization process, and feasibility analysis. The paper reviews also some previous works concerning possible applications of the proposed methodology. In conclusion, we describe undergoing research activities and objectives of future works.

Kuwaiti engineers' perspectives of the engineering senior design (Capstone) course as related to their professional experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsagheer, Abdullah

This study looks into transfer of learning and its application in the actual employment of engineering students after graduation. At Kuwait University, a capstone course is being offered that aims to ensure that students amalgamate all kinds of engineering skills to apply to their work. Within a basic interpretive, qualitative study-design methodology, I interviewed 12 engineers who have recently experienced the senior design course at Kuwait University and are presently working in industry. From the analysis, four basic themes emerged that further delineate the focus of the entire study. The themes are 1) need for the capstone course, 2) applicability of and problems with the capstone course, 3) industry problems with training, and 4) students' attitudes toward the capstone course. The study concludes that participants are not transferring engineering skills; rather, they are transferring all types of instructions they have been given during their course of study at the university. A frequent statement is that the capstone course should be improved and specifically that it is necessary to improve upon the timing, schedule, teachers' behavior, contents, and format. The study concludes that Kuwaiti engineers on the whole face problems with time management and management support. The study includes some implications for Kuwait University and recommendations that can provide significant support for the development of the Senior Design (Capstone) Course. For examples: the project must be divided into phases to ensure timely completion of deliverables. In order to motivate students for hard work and to achieve true transfer of learning, Kuwait University is required to communicate with certain organizations to place its students at their research centers for capstone projects. All universities, including Kuwait University, should hire faculty specifically to run the capstone course. In conclusion, the study includes some suggestions for further research studies focused on issues related to the Senior Design (Capstone) Course. Future researchers should focus on developing the project-based course in earlier stages of students' educational program by investigating more about the relationship between student achievement and the market demand.

Work motivation theory and research at the dawn of the twenty-first century.

PubMed

Latham, Gary P; Pinder, Craig C

2005-01-01

In the first Annual Review of Psychology chapter since 1977 devoted exclusively to work motivation, we examine progress made in theory and research on needs, traits, values, cognition, and affect as well as three bodies of literature dealing with the context of motivation: national culture, job design, and models of person-environment fit. We focus primarily on work reported between 1993 and 2003, concluding that goal-setting, social cognitive, and organizational justice theories are the three most important approaches to work motivation to appear in the last 30 years. We reach 10 generally positive conclusions regarding predicting, understanding, and influencing work motivation in the new millennium.

Design for effective development and prototyping of the HL-20

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Urie, David M.; Floreck, Paul A.; McMorris, John A.; Elvin, John D.

1993-10-01

A feasibility study of the HL-20 personnel launch system (PLS) concept was conducted by a team which focused on creating a PLS design approach and an accelerated development plan consistent with the historical 'Skunk Works' approach to rapid prototyping. Technical design, manufacturing, system testing, and operations and support elements of the predefined baseline concept were evaluated. An initial phase program, featuring a concurrent system test during design and development, leading to the orbital flight of an unmanned HL-20 prototype on a Titan III launch system, was prescribed. A second-phase development and manufacturing plan leading to system operational status was also formulated. Baseline design feature modifications were made when necessary, without compromise to performance, to satisfy the prototype development plan. Technical design details and off-the-shelf hardware candidates were also identified for several subsystems, including the launch-system interface adapter/emergency escape system. The technical feasibility of the system and applicability of the Skunk Works approach to development of the HL-20/PLS were verified.

Magic Mirror, On the Wall-Which Is the Right Study Design of Them All?-Part II.

PubMed

Vetter, Thomas R

2017-07-01

The assessment of a new or existing treatment or other intervention typically answers 1 of 3 central research-related questions: (1) "Can it work?" (efficacy); (2) "Does it work?" (effectiveness); or (3) "Is it worth it?" (efficiency or cost-effectiveness). There are a number of study designs that, on a situational basis, are appropriate to apply in conducting research. These study designs are generally classified as experimental, quasiexperimental, or observational, with observational studies being further divided into descriptive and analytic categories. This second of a 2-part statistical tutorial reviews these 3 salient research questions and describes a subset of the most common types of observational study designs. Attention is focused on the strengths and weaknesses of each study design to assist in choosing which is appropriate for a given study objective and hypothesis as well as the particular study setting and available resources and data. Specific studies and papers are highlighted as examples of a well-chosen, clearly stated, and properly executed study design type.

Magic Mirror, on the Wall-Which Is the Right Study Design of Them All?-Part I.

PubMed

Vetter, Thomas R

2017-06-01

The assessment of a new or existing treatment or intervention typically answers 1 of 3 research-related questions: (1) "Can it work?" (efficacy); (2) "Does it work?" (effectiveness); and (3) "Is it worth it?" (efficiency or cost-effectiveness). There are a number of study designs that on a situational basis are appropriate to apply in conducting research. These study designs are classified as experimental, quasi-experimental, or observational, with observational studies being further divided into descriptive and analytic categories. This first of a 2-part statistical tutorial reviews these 3 salient research questions and describes a subset of the most common types of experimental and quasi-experimental study design. Attention is focused on the strengths and weaknesses of each study design to assist in choosing which is appropriate for a given study objective and hypothesis as well as the particular study setting and available resources and data. Specific studies and papers are highlighted as examples of a well-chosen, clearly stated, and properly executed study design type.

Engineering design in the primary school: applying stem concepts to build an optical instrument

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Donna; English, Lyn D.

2016-12-01

Internationally there is a need for research that focuses on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education to equip students with the skills needed for a rapidly changing future. One way to do this is through designing engineering activities that reflect real-world problems and contextualise students' learning of STEM concepts. As such, this study examined the learning that occurred when fifth-grade students completed an optical engineering activity using an iterative engineering design model. Through a qualitative methodology using a case study design, we analysed multiple data sources including students' design sketches from eight focus groups. Three key findings emerged: first, the collaborative process of the first design sketch enabled students to apply core STEM concepts to model construction; second, during the construction stage students used experimentation for the positioning of lenses, mirrors and tubes resulting in a simpler 'working' model; and third, the redesign process enabled students to apply structural changes to their design. The engineering design model was useful for structuring stages of design, construction and redesign; however, we suggest a more flexible approach for advanced applications of STEM concepts in the future.

Using JWST Heritage to Enable a Future Large Ultra-Violet Optical Infrared Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feinberg, Lee

2016-01-01

To the extent it makes sense, leverage JWST knowledge, designs, architectures, GSE. Develop a scalable design reference mission (9.2 meter). Do just enough work to understand launch break points in aperture size. Demonstrate 10 pm stability is achievable on a design reference mission. Make design compatible with starshades. While segmented coronagraphs with high throughput and large bandpasses are important, make the system serviceable so you can evolve the instruments. Keep it room temperature to minimize the costs associated with cryo. Focus resources on the contrast problem. Start with the architecture and connect it to the technology needs.

Build On-the-Job Success Skills. Breakthrough Strategies To Teach and Counsel Troubled Youth: Social Skills, School Skills, Coping Skills Lesson Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Ruth Herman

This document is one of eight in a series of guides designed to help teach and counsel troubled youth. This document focuses on the social skills necessary for on-the-job success. It includes 20 lesson plans that help students learn appropriate behaviors at the work place. The first lesson instructs students on what to wear and bring to work.…

Getting WELL: Workforce Education & Lifelong Learning. Designs for Professional Education and Action Research To Improve the Education and Training of Underserved Youth and Adults. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sticht, Thomas G.; And Others

This report focuses on work force education and lifelong learning as a newly emerging strategy for meeting many challenges of education and work in the 21st century. Chapter 1 introduces the concept, reviews the sociopolitical background to the strategy, and presents the rationale for a new type of professional, Workforce Education and Lifelong…

Focus modulation of cylindrical vector beams by using 1D photonic crystal lens with negative refraction effect.

PubMed

Xu, Ji; Zhong, Yi; Wang, Shengming; Lu, Yunqing; Wan, Hongdan; Jiang, Jian; Wang, Jin

2015-10-19

Sub-wavelength focusing of cylindrical vector beams (CVBs) has attracted great attention due to the specific physical effects and the applications in many areas. More powerful, flexible and effective ways to modulate the focus transversally and also longitudinally are always being pursued. In this paper, cylindrically symmetric lens composed of negative-index one-dimensional photonic crystal is proposed to make a breakthrough. By revealing the relationship between focal length and the exit surface shape of the lens, a quite simple and effective principle of designing the lens structure is presented to realize specific focus modulation. Plano-concave lenses are parameterized to modulate the focal length and the number of focuses. An axicon constructed by one-dimensional photonic crystal is proposed for the first time to obtain a large depth of focus and an optical needle focal field with almost a theoretical minimum FWHM of 0.362λ is achieved under radially polarized incident light. Because of the almost identical negative refractive index for TE and TM polarization states, all the modulation methods can be applied for any arbitrary polarized CVBs. This work offers a promising methodology for designing negative-index lenses in related application areas.

Development of an interface-focused educational complex intervention.

PubMed

Sampson, Rod; MacVicar, Ronald; Wilson, Philip

2017-09-01

In many countries, the medical primary-secondary care interface is central to the delivery of quality patient care. There is prevailing interest in developing initiatives to improve interface working for the benefit of health care professionals and their patients. To describe the development of an educational intervention designed to improve working at the primary-secondary care interface in NHS Scotland (United Kingdom) within the context of the Medical Research Council framework for the development and evaluation of complex interventions. A primary-secondary care interface focused Practice-based Small Group Learning (PBSGL) module was developed building upon qualitative synthesis and original research. A 'meeting of experts' shaped the module, which was subsequently piloted with a group of interface clinicians. Reflections on the module were sought from clinicians across NHS Scotland to provide contextual information from other areas. The PBSGL approach can be usefully applied to the development of a primary-secondary care interface-focused medical educational intervention.

A personalized and control systems engineering conceptual approach to target childhood anxiety in the contexts of cultural diversity.

PubMed

Pina, Armando A; Holly, Lindsay E; Zerr, Argero A; Rivera, Daniel E

2014-01-01

In the child and adolescent anxiety area, some progress has been made to develop evidence-based prevention protocols, but less is known about how to best target these problems in children and families of color. In general, data show differential program effects with some minority children benefiting significantly less. Our preliminary data, however, show promise and suggest cultural parameters to consider in the tailoring process beyond language and cultural symbols. It appears that a more focused approach to culture might help activate intervention components and its intended effects by focusing, for example, on the various facets of familismo when working with some Mexican parents. However, testing the effects and nuances of cultural adaption vis-à-vis a focused personalized approach is methodologically challenging. For this reason, we identify control systems engineering design methods and provide example scenarios relevant to our data and recent intervention work.

Bringing Mathematics To Life.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castle, Marrietta; Lewis, Cathie

1996-01-01

Describes grade-appropriate weekly activities designed to appeal directly to students by giving them open-ended questions. Activities may be worked on individually, in pairs, or in small groups. This particular set of activities focuses on stories from literature involving measurement, earning money, marketing a product, and setting up a…

Optimizing Cognitive Rehabilitation: Effective Instructional Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sohlberg, McKay Moore; Turkstra, Lyn S.

2011-01-01

Rehabilitation professionals face a key challenge when working with clients with acquired cognitive impairments: how to teach new skills to individuals who have difficulty learning. Unique in its focus, this book presents evidence-based instructional methods specifically designed to help this population learn more efficiently. The expert authors…

Study to compare the performance of two designs to prevent river bend erosion in Arctic environments.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-09-01

Messing with Mother Nature takes knowledge and work, and she is hard to outfox, especially when it comes to redirecting rivers. To : protect infrastructure, however, sometimes river flow must be altered. This study focuses on two erosion-control proj...

The Sky's the Limit in Math-Related Careers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Askew, Judy

This booklet introduces readers--particularly women--to some jobs that use mathematical training, in laboratories, computer centers, universities, insurance companies, and government offices. Based on information from women working in mathematics-related fields, it is designed to help women consider various career choices. Sections focus on…

Interior Design: Revision as Focus.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smede, Shelly D.

2000-01-01

Describes how the author teaches her eighth-grade students to revise their writing, providing "working revision days" in class, offering direction and structure, and thereby helping students learn how much impact going back to a piece of writing and making sweeping changes can have on the end result. (SR)

"Grey" Areas and "Organized Chaos" in Emergency Response

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taber, Nancy; Plumb, Donovan; Jolemore, Shawn

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to explore the interaction between organizational policies and daily work practices of paramedics and firefighters within two emergency response organizations. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected in a case study consisting of interviews, focus groups, and observations. The theoretical grounding…

Book Clubs. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2010

2010-01-01

Book clubs provide a reading framework designed to supplement or organize regular classroom reading instruction for students in grades K-8. This review focuses on "Book Club" (Raphael & McMahon, 1994) and "Literature Circles" (Daniels, 2002), but it uses the general lowercase) term "book clubs" to embrace both…

Avionics for a Small Satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, Larry; Jochim, David; Schuler, Robert

2001-01-01

This paper discusses a small. seven and a half (7.5) inch diameter. satellite that NASA-JSC is developing as a technology demonstrator for an astronaut assistant free flyer. The Free Flyer is designed to off load flight crew work load by performing inspections of the exterior of Space Shuttle or International Space Station. The Free Flyer is designed to be operated by the flight crew thereby reducing the number of Extra Vehicle Activities (EVA) or by an astronaut on the ground further reducing crew work load. The paper focuses on the design constraint of a small satellite and the technology approach used to achieve the set of high performance requirements specified for the Free Flyer. Particular attention is paid to the processor card as it is the heart and system integration point of the Free Flyer.

Performance improvement with patient service partners.

PubMed

Burns, J P

1998-01-01

Once the decision is made to use a patient-focused care delivery system, a variety of methods can be used to successfully design the model. The author describes the process used by a multilevel, multidisciplinary team at a community hospital to design and implement a Service Partner role that would meet and exceed customer expectations. Demonstrated performance improvements included increased patient satisfaction, productive labor dollar savings, and improvements in the work environment for staff members.

The relationship between job satisfaction and job factors in industrial work design: a case study of the automotive industries in Malaysia.

PubMed

Dawal, Siti Zawiah M; Taha, Z

2004-12-01

A survey was conducted to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and job factors that affect work design in two automotives manufacturing companies in Malaysia. A set of multiple choices questionnaires was developed and data were collected by interviewing the employees at the production plant. Hundred and seventy male subjects between the ages of 18 to 40 years with the mean age of 26.8 and SD of 5.3 years and mean work experience of 6.5 and SD of 4.9 years took part in the survey. The survey focused on job factors, i.e. skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy and feedback. The results support the previous findings that job factors are significantly correlated to job satisfaction. Furthermore, it also highlights the significant influence of age, work experience and marital status.

Improvement of Automated POST Case Success Rate Using Support Vector Machines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zwack, Matthew R.; Dees, Patrick D.

2017-01-01

During early conceptual design of complex systems, concept down selection can have a large impact upon program life-cycle cost. Therefore, any concepts selected during early design will inherently commit program costs and affect the overall probability of program success. For this reason it is important to consider as large a design space as possible in order to better inform the down selection process. For conceptual design of launch vehicles, trajectory analysis and optimization often presents the largest obstacle to evaluating large trade spaces. This is due to the sensitivity of the trajectory discipline to changes in all other aspects of the vehicle design. Small deltas in the performance of other subsystems can result in relatively large fluctuations in the ascent trajectory because the solution space is non-linear and multi-modal [1]. In order to help capture large design spaces for new launch vehicles, the authors have performed previous work seeking to automate the execution of the industry standard tool, Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories (POST). This work initially focused on implementation of analyst heuristics to enable closure of cases in an automated fashion, with the goal of applying the concepts of design of experiments (DOE) and surrogate modeling to enable near instantaneous throughput of vehicle cases [2]. Additional work was then completed to improve the DOE process by utilizing a graph theory based approach to connect similar design points [3]. The conclusion of the previous work illustrated the utility of the graph theory approach for completing a DOE through POST. However, this approach was still dependent upon the use of random repetitions to generate seed points for the graph. As noted in [3], only 8% of these random repetitions resulted in converged trajectories. This ultimately affects the ability of the random reps method to confidently approach the global optima for a given vehicle case in a reasonable amount of time. With only an 8% pass rate, tens or hundreds of thousands of reps may be needed to be confident that the best repetition is at least close to the global optima. However, typical design study time constraints require that fewer repetitions be attempted, sometimes resulting in seed points that have only a handful of successful completions. If a small number of successful repetitions are used to generate a seed point, the graph method may inherit some inaccuracies as it chains DOE cases from the non-global-optimal seed points. This creates inherent noise in the graph data, which can limit the accuracy of the resulting surrogate models. For this reason, the goal of this work is to improve the seed point generation method and ultimately the accuracy of the resulting POST surrogate model. The work focuses on increasing the case pass rate for seed point generation.

Some Aspects on the Mechanical Analysis of Micro-Shutters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fettig, Rainer K.; Kuhn, Jonathan L.; Moseley, S. Harvey; Kutyrev, Alexander S.; Orloff, Jon; Lu, Shude

1999-01-01

An array of individually addressable micro-shutters is being designed for spectroscopic applications. Details of the design are presented in a companion paper. The mechanical design of a single shutter element has been completed. This design consists of a shutter blade suspended on a torsion beam manufactured out of single crystal silicon membranes. During operation the shutter blade will be rotated by 90 degrees out of the array plane. Thus, the stability and durability of the beams are crucial for the reliability of the devices. Structures were fabricated using focused ion beam milling in a FEI 620 dual beam machine, and subsequent testing was completed using the same platform. This allowed for short turn around times. We performed torsion and bending experiments to determine key characteristics of the membrane material. Results of measurements on prototype shutters were compared with the predictions of the numerical models. The data from these focused studies were used in conjunction with experiments and numerical models of shutter prototypes to optimize the design. In this work, we present the results of the material studies, and assess the mechanical performance of the resulting design.

Developing Elementary Math and Science Process Skills Through Engineering Design Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strong, Matthew G.

This paper examines how elementary students can develop math and science process skills through an engineering design approach to instruction. The performance and development of individual process skills overall and by gender were also examined. The study, preceded by a pilot, took place in a grade four extracurricular engineering design program in a public, suburban school district. Students worked in pairs and small groups to design and construct airplane models from styrofoam, paper clips, and toothpicks. The development and performance of process skills were assessed through a student survey of learning gains, an engineering design packet rubric (student work), observation field notes, and focus group notes. The results indicate that students can significantly develop process skills, that female students may develop process skills through engineering design better than male students, and that engineering design is most helpful for developing the measuring, suggesting improvements, and observing process skills. The study suggests that a more regular engineering design program or curriculum could be beneficial for students' math and science abilities both in this school and for the elementary field as a whole.

Design and implementation of practical bidirectional texture function measurement devices focusing on the developments at the University of Bonn.

PubMed

Schwartz, Christopher; Sarlette, Ralf; Weinmann, Michael; Rump, Martin; Klein, Reinhard

2014-04-28

Understanding as well as realistic reproduction of the appearance of materials play an important role in computer graphics, computer vision and industry. They enable applications such as digital material design, virtual prototyping and faithful virtual surrogates for entertainment, marketing, education or cultural heritage documentation. A particularly fruitful way to obtain the digital appearance is the acquisition of reflectance from real-world material samples. Therefore, a great variety of devices to perform this task has been proposed. In this work, we investigate their practical usefulness. We first identify a set of necessary attributes and establish a general categorization of different designs that have been realized. Subsequently, we provide an in-depth discussion of three particular implementations by our work group, demonstrating advantages and disadvantages of different system designs with respect to the previously established attributes. Finally, we survey the existing literature to compare our implementation with related approaches.

Associations between state regulations, training length, perceived quality and job satisfaction among certified nursing assistants: cross-sectional secondary data analysis.

PubMed

Han, Kihye; Trinkoff, Alison M; Storr, Carla L; Lerner, Nancy; Johantgen, Meg; Gartrell, Kyungsook

2014-08-01

In the U.S., there are federal requirements on how much training and annual continuing education a certified nursing assistant must complete in order to be certified. The requirements are designed to enable them to provide competent and quality care to nursing home residents. Many states also require additional training and continuing education hours as improved nursing home quality indicators have been found to be related to increased training. This study investigated the associations among state level regulations, initial training quality and focus, and job satisfaction in certified nursing assistants. Cross-sectional secondary data analysis. This study used the National Nursing Home Survey and National Nursing Assistant Survey as well as data on state regulations of certified nursing assistant training. 2897 certified nursing assistants in 580 nursing homes who were currently working at a nursing home facility, who represented 680,846 certified nursing assistants in US. State regulations were related to initial training and job satisfaction among certified nursing assistants using chi square tests and binomial logistic regression models. Analyses were conducted using SAS-callable SUDAAN to correct for complex sampling design effects in the National Nursing Home Survey and National Nursing Assistant Survey. Models were adjusted for personal and facility characteristics. Certified nursing assistants reporting high quality training were more likely to work in states requiring additional initial training hours (p=0.02) and were more satisfied with their jobs (OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.09-2.09) than those with low quality training. In addition, those with more training focused on work life skills were 91% more satisfied (OR=1.91, 95% CI=1.41-2.58) whereas no relationship was found between training focused on basic care skills and job satisfaction (OR=1.36, 95% CI=0.99-1.84). Certified nursing assistants with additional initial training were more likely to report that their training was of high quality, and this was related to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was also associated with receiving more training that focused on work life skills. Federal training regulations should reconsider additional hours for certified nursing assistant initial training, and include work life skills as a focus. As job satisfaction has been linked to nursing home turnover, attention to training may improve satisfaction, ultimately reducing staff turnover. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

ECUT (Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies Program). Biocatalysis Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

Presented are the FY 1985 accomplishments, activities, and planned research efforts of the Biocatalysis Project of the U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Conversion and Utilization Technologies (ECUT) Program. The Project's technical activities were organized as follows: In the Molecular Modeling and Applied Genetics work element, research focused on (1) modeling and simulation studies to establish the physiological basis of high temperature tolerance in a selected enzyme and the catalytic mechanisms of three species of another enzyme, and (2) determining the degree of plasmid amplification and stability of several DNA bacterial strains. In the Bioprocess Engineering work element, research focused on (1) studies of plasmid propagation and the generation of models, (2) developing methods for preparing immobilized biocatalyst beads, and (3) developing an enzyme encapsulation method. In the Process Design and Analysis work element, research focused on (1) further refinement of a test case simulation of the economics and energy efficiency of alternative biocatalyzed production processes, (2) developing a candidate bioprocess to determine the potential for reduced energy consumption and facility/operating costs, and (3) a techno-economic assessment of potential advancements in microbial ammonia production.

Multi-acoustic lens design methodology for a low cost C-scan photoacoustic imaging camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chinni, Bhargava; Han, Zichao; Brown, Nicholas; Vallejo, Pedro; Jacobs, Tess; Knox, Wayne; Dogra, Vikram; Rao, Navalgund

2016-03-01

We have designed and implemented a novel acoustic lens based focusing technology into a prototype photoacoustic imaging camera. All photoacoustically generated waves from laser exposed absorbers within a small volume get focused simultaneously by the lens onto an image plane. We use a multi-element ultrasound transducer array to capture the focused photoacoustic signals. Acoustic lens eliminates the need for expensive data acquisition hardware systems, is faster compared to electronic focusing and enables real-time image reconstruction. Using this photoacoustic imaging camera, we have imaged more than 150 several centimeter size ex-vivo human prostate, kidney and thyroid specimens with a millimeter resolution for cancer detection. In this paper, we share our lens design strategy and how we evaluate the resulting quality metrics (on and off axis point spread function, depth of field and modulation transfer function) through simulation. An advanced toolbox in MATLAB was adapted and used for simulating a two-dimensional gridded model that incorporates realistic photoacoustic signal generation and acoustic wave propagation through the lens with medium properties defined on each grid point. Two dimensional point spread functions have been generated and compared with experiments to demonstrate the utility of our design strategy. Finally we present results from work in progress on the use of two lens system aimed at further improving some of the quality metrics of our system.

A Critical Review on Slotted Design for Propellers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seeni, A.; Rajendran, P.; Kutty, H. A.

2018-05-01

The usage of slots has gained renewed interest in aerospace particularly on propeller design. Most of the works have focused on improving the aerodynamic performance and efficiency. Modern research on propeller design aims to design propellers with high thrust performance under low torque conditions without any weight penalty. This paper aims to review recent studies made in slotted designs of aerospace structures as well as other applications such as wind turbines. A review on the usage of slots is performed in order to understand the state-of-the-art in current technology. A review of the various studies has been made and general recommendations are provided in order to perform future research in propeller design.

The impact of junior doctors' worktime arrangements on their fatigue and well-being.

PubMed

Tucker, Philip; Brown, Menna; Dahlgren, Anna; Davies, Gwyneth; Ebden, Philip; Folkard, Simon; Hutchings, Hayley; Akerstedt, Torbjörn

2010-11-01

Many doctors report working excessively demanding schedules that comply with the European Working Time Directive (EWTD). We compared groups of junior doctors working on different schedules in order to identify which features of schedule design most negatively affected their fatigue and well-being in recent weeks. Completed by 336 doctors, the questionnaires focused on the respondents' personal circumstances, work situation, work schedules, sleep, and perceptions of fatigue, work-life balance and psychological strain. Working 7 consecutive nights was associated with greater accumulated fatigue and greater work-life interference, compared with working just 3 or 4 nights. Having only 1 rest day after working nights was associated with increased fatigue. Working a weekend on-call between 2 consecutive working weeks was associated with increased work-life interference. Working frequent on-calls (either on weekends or during the week) was associated with increased work-life interference and psychological strain. Inter-shift intervals of <10 hours were associated with shorter periods of sleep and increased fatigue. The number of hours worked per week was positively associated with work-life interference and fatigue on night shifts. The current findings identify parameters, in addition to those specified in the EWTD, for designing schedules that limit their impact on doctors' fatigue and well-being.

EUV focus sensor: design and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldberg, Kenneth A.; Teyssier, Maureen E.; Liddle, J. Alexander

2005-05-01

We describe performance modeling and design optimization of a prototype EUV focus sensor (FS) designed for use with existing 0.3-NA EUV projection-lithography tools. At 0.3-NA and 13.5-nm wavelength, the depth of focus shrinks to 150 nm increasing the importance of high-sensitivity focal-plane detection tools. The FS is a free-standing Ni grating structure that works in concert with a simple mask pattern of regular lines and spaces at constant pitch. The FS pitch matches that of the image-plane aerial-image intensity: it transmits the light with high efficiency when the grating is aligned with the aerial image laterally and longitudinally. Using a single-element photodetector, to detect the transmitted flux, the FS is scanned laterally and longitudinally so the plane of peak aerial-image contrast can be found. The design under consideration has a fixed image-plane pitch of 80-nm, with aperture widths of 12-40-nm (1-3 wave-lengths), and aspect ratios of 2-8. TEMPEST-3D is used to model the light transmission. Careful attention is paid to the annular, partially coherent, unpolarized illumination and to the annular pupil of the Micro-Exposure Tool (MET) optics for which the FS is designed. The system design balances the opposing needs of high sensitivity and high throughput opti-mizing the signal-to-noise ratio in the measured intensity contrast.

EUV Focus Sensor: Design and Modeling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goldberg, Kenneth A.; Teyssier, Maureen E.; Liddle, J. Alexander

We describe performance modeling and design optimization of a prototype EUV focus sensor (FS) designed for use with existing 0.3-NA EUV projection-lithography tools. At 0.3-NA and 13.5-nm wavelength, the depth of focus shrinks to 150 nm increasing the importance of high-sensitivity focal-plane detection tools. The FS is a free-standing Ni grating structure that works in concert with a simple mask pattern of regular lines and spaces at constant pitch. The FS pitch matches that of the image-plane aerial-image intensity: it transmits the light with high efficiency when the grating is aligned with the aerial image laterally and longitudinally. Using amore » single-element photodetector, to detect the transmitted flux, the FS is scanned laterally and longitudinally so the plane of peak aerial-image contrast can be found. The design under consideration has a fixed image-plane pitch of 80-nm, with aperture widths of 12-40-nm (1-3 wavelengths), and aspect ratios of 2-8. TEMPEST-3D is used to model the light transmission. Careful attention is paid to the annular, partially coherent, unpolarized illumination and to the annular pupil of the Micro-Exposure Tool (MET) optics for which the FS is designed. The system design balances the opposing needs of high sensitivity and high throughput optimizing the signal-to-noise ratio in the measured intensity contrast.« less

Achieve3000®. Adolescent Literacy. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2018

2018-01-01

"Achieve3000®" is a supplemental online literacy program that provides nonfiction reading content to students in grades preK-12 and focuses on building phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills. "Achieve3000®" is designed to help students advance their nonfiction reading skills…

Achieve3000®. Beginning Reading. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2018

2018-01-01

"Achieve3000®" is a supplemental online literacy program that provides nonfiction reading content to students in grades preK-12 and focuses on building phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, reading comprehension, vocabulary, and writing skills. "Achieve3000®" is designed to help students advance their nonfiction reading skills…

The Politics of Elementary and Secondary Education Act Waivers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wrabel, Stephani L.; Saultz, Andrew; Polikoff, Morgan S.; McEachin, Andrew; Duque, Matthew

2018-01-01

Executive leadership of the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) initiated a flexibility offering from No Child Left Behind. Our work explores specific design decisions made in these state-specific accountability systems as associated with state political environments, resources, and demographic characteristics. Our analysis, focused on 42 states…

Vision and Embodied Knowing: The Making of Floral Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gåfvels, Camilla

2016-01-01

This article focuses on assessment actions in floristry education, addressing how interaction with flowers influences and mediates vocational knowing. Using video recordings from floristry education for adults, the article explores the interaction between teacher and student when assessing on-going work and performance as a way to frame the…

Leader Influences on Training Effectiveness: Motivation and Outcome Expectation Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scaduto, Anne; Lindsay, Douglas; Chiaburu, Dan S.

2008-01-01

Training effectiveness is a function of trainee characteristics, training design and contextual factors. Social exchanges in the work environment have received less attention compared with other training effectiveness predictors. We focus on the extent to which leaders (through their relationships and exchanges with followers) influence skill…

Faculty Planning, Development, and Evaluation System: Washtenaw Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altieri, Guy; And Others

Between 1989 and 1991, the Planning, Development and Evaluation (PDE) Committee of Washtenaw Community College (Michigan) designed a faculty assessment process focusing on professional development and academic planning. It is an approach in which all educators (faculty and administrators) work together, using the PDE system to continually define…

Expression in the Visual Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millward, Peter; Parton, Anthony

2001-01-01

Focuses on how the construction of understanding can be supported through the visual arts in the context of the British National Curriculum for Art and Design. Giving students experience working with art materials is not, in itself, sufficient; the experience must be shaped in order for students to develop artistic understanding and appreciation.…

Quantification of genomic relationship from DNA pooled samples

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Use of DNA pooling for GWAS has been demonstrated to reduce genotypic costs up to 90% while achieving similar power to individual genotyping. Recent work has focused on use of DNA pooling to inform problems in genomic prediction. This study is designed to demonstrate the efficacy of estimating genom...

LEGO Robotics: An Authentic Problem Solving Tool?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castledine, Alanah-Rei; Chalmers, Chris

2011-01-01

With the current curriculum focus on correlating classroom problem solving lessons to real-world contexts, are LEGO robotics an effective problem solving tool? This present study was designed to investigate this question and to ascertain what problem solving strategies primary students engaged with when working with LEGO robotics and whether the…

CHANGING CONCEPTS OF PRODUCTIVE LIVING.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BOYD, ROBERT D.

AT A CONFERENCE OF ADULT EDUCATORS DESIGNED TO BRING INTO FOCUS NEW PERSPECTIVES OF THE ROLES OF ADULT EDUCATION, PAPERS WERE PRESENTED ON THE CHANGING CONCEPTS OF PRODUCTIVE LIVING AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CONCERN FOR PRODUCTIVE LIVING AND ADULT EDUCATION. AN OVERVIEW PROVIDED A WORKING ORIENTATION AND DESCRIBED THE BASIC FORCES AND PROBLEMS…

5 CFR 2641.302 - Separate agency components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... primarily focusing on cancer research. The agency had been designated as a distinct and separate component... Agency for Cancer Research. Approximately 20% of the employees of the former agency are transferred to various other parts of the Department to continue their work on medical research unrelated to cancer. The...

5 CFR 2641.302 - Separate agency components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... primarily focusing on cancer research. The agency had been designated as a distinct and separate component... Agency for Cancer Research. Approximately 20% of the employees of the former agency are transferred to various other parts of the Department to continue their work on medical research unrelated to cancer. The...

5 CFR 2641.302 - Separate agency components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... primarily focusing on cancer research. The agency had been designated as a distinct and separate component... Agency for Cancer Research. Approximately 20% of the employees of the former agency are transferred to various other parts of the Department to continue their work on medical research unrelated to cancer. The...

5 CFR 2641.302 - Separate agency components.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... primarily focusing on cancer research. The agency had been designated as a distinct and separate component... Agency for Cancer Research. Approximately 20% of the employees of the former agency are transferred to various other parts of the Department to continue their work on medical research unrelated to cancer. The...

Self and Peer Assessment of Mathematical Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Onion, Alice; Javaheri, Elnaz

2011-01-01

This article explores using Bowland assessment tasks and Nuffield Applying Mathematical Processes (AMP) activities as part of a scheme of work. The Bowland tasks and Nuffield AMP activities are designed to develop students' mathematical thinking; they are focused on key processes. Unfamiliar demands are made on the students and they are challenged…

Introduction to Media.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riler, Robert

Designed for senior high school students, this one semester course focuses on four aspects of modern media: television, film, radio, and advertising. Each topic is worked into a weekly lesson plan format that stresses the active involvement of students in the learning process. The course outline contains lists of objectives and media materials…

Accommodating Student Differences: A Resource for Teaching Gifted and Talented Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alberta Dept. of Education, Edmonton. Education Response Centre.

This document presents a selection of teacher designed activities to help meet the needs of gifted and talented students. The four teaching units focus on creativity, independent study, critical thinking, and communication skills. Introductory material explains how the teachers of Parkland County (Alberta) worked together in informal and…

How Data Use for Accountability Undermines Equitable Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braaten, Melissa; Bradford, Chris; Kirchgasler, Kathryn L.; Barocas, Sadie Fox

2017-01-01

Purpose: When school leaders advance strategic plans focused on improving educational equity through data-driven decision making, how do policies-as-practiced unfold in the daily work of science teachers? The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach: This ethnographic study examines how data-centric accountability and…

What the Study of Scope Can Tell Us about Second Language Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Grady, William; Lee, Miseon; Kwak, Hye-Young

2009-01-01

This paper, designed specifically for language teachers, focuses on a phenomenon in second language learning that is largely independent of instructional effects, curricular materials, and classroom activities. Experimental work suggests that scope, the relationship between two or more logical operators (such as quantifiers or negatives), is…

Reflections on Graduate Student PBL Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Betty

2008-01-01

The study designed to contribute to existing research on Problem-Based Learning (PBL) chose a focus group comprising 16 MSc. Petroleum Engineering students (six females). Using PBL as the method of instruction, students examined a real-life petroleum engineering problem that highlighted numerous areas of their existing curriculum. They worked in…

From Thoughts to Words.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glaus, Marlene

The activities presented in this book, designed to help children translate their thoughts into spoken and written words, can supplement an elementary teacher's own language arts lessons. Objectives for each activity are listed, with the general focus of the many oral activities being to develop a rich verbal background for future written work. The…

Cleaning Our World through Reverse Graffiti

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randazzo, Gabe; LaJevic, Lisa

2013-01-01

Over the last decade artists have begun to experiment with "reverse pollution" techniques, such as reverse graffiti, which focuses on cleaning environmental surfaces. Having recently been introduced to the works of Moose, the artist known for inventing the reverse graffiti technique, the authors decided to design a curriculum to increase…

Cebuano Language Packet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peace Corps, Manila (Philippines).

The materials in this packet were designed for the rapid Cebuano language training of Peace Corps volunteers, focusing on daily communication needs in this context. The packet contains: lists of common phrases, expressions, and vocabulary on a variety of topics related to Peace Corps work; a list of core competencies for specific topics…

Focus on Ability: Serving Girls with Special Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, Martha E.; Dennison, Martha Jo

This handbook is designed to introduce adults in Girl Scouting to the rewards, pleasures, and challenges of working with girls who have disabilities. Included in the book are definitions of various disabling conditions, ways in which activities can be adapted, and behavioral expectations. Also included are activities for simulation of the…

Leadership Skills for Migrant Parents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamaker, Mary Lou Nava

Written for staff developers and resource personnel who work with parents, this curriculum guide is designed to develop leadership skills in migrant parents who have been elected to leadership positions in their respective Parent Advisory Committees. The booklet focuses on developing such skills as knowing how to use parliamentary procedure,…

Defining the "D" in ISD. Part 1: Task-General Instructional Methods.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Ruth Colvin

1986-01-01

The first of two articles designed to provide guidelines for the instructional development phase of instructional systems development focuses on general instructional methods supporting all instructional tasks. Teaching methods that support selective attention, processing in working memory, and connecting in long-term memory are described and…

The Incredible Years. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2011

2011-01-01

"The Incredible Years" is composed of training programs for children, parents, and teachers. The child program is designed for children (ages 0-12) with challenging behaviors and focuses on building social and emotional skills. Lessons can be delivered to children referred for difficult behavior or to an entire classroom as a…

Transition to Employment. PRO-ED Series on Transition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michaels, Craig A.

Part of a series designed to provide practical resources for transition personnel on a variety of topics critical to the process of preparing individuals with disabilities for adulthood, this guide focuses on transition to employment. Chapter 1, "Employment and Students with Disabilities," discusses the meaning of work in American…

China Earthquake Relief: Participatory Action Work with Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeng, Emily Jie; Silverstein, Louise Bordeaux

2011-01-01

This article presents a community-focused participatory action project designed to promote children's resilience in the early aftermath of the cataclysmic May 2008 Earthquake in Beichuan, China. Thirty children aged 7- to 15-years-old participated in the project. The project encompassed four phases that evolved from adult-directed/initiated…

Machine Shop I. Oklahoma Trade and Industrial Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dunn, James

Designed to provide the basic knowledge and hands-on skills necessary to prepare job-ready machinist trainees, these instructional materials focus on the following areas of trade and industrial education: orientation, basic and related technology, hand and bench work, and power saws and drilling machines. Suitable for use in secondary,…

The air transportation industry birthplace of reliability-centered maintenance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matteson, T.D.

1996-08-01

The 1980s and 1970s provided a timely opportunity for examining and radically changing the process called {open_quotes}preventive maintenance{close_quotes} as it is applied to the aircraft used for scheduled air transportation. The Federal Aviation Administration and four major airlines, United, American, Pan American and Trans World, were the {open_quotes}principals{close_quotes} in that process. While United`s work with the FAA on the Boeing 737 had opened the door a crack, the Boeing 747 presented a major opportunity to radically improve the process for maintenance program design. That program was guided by the results of United`s analyses of failure data from operations of severalmore » fleets, each larger than 100 aircraft, and the concurrent experience of American, Pan American and Trans World. That knowledge provided the insights necessary to support an entirely different approach to maintenance program design. As a result, while United`s existing maintenance program required scheduled overhaul of 339 items on each DC-8, it required overhaul of only 8 items on the B-7471 Although the initial thrust of that work focused on components of active systems, there was concurrent work focused on items whose principal function was to carry the loads associated with operations. That program focused on the classification of structurally-significant items and their classification as {open_quotes}safe life{close_quotes} or {open_quotes}damage tolerant{close_quote} to determine what periodic replacements or repeated inspections were required. That work came to the attention of the Department of Defense which supported preparation of the book-length report by F. Stanley Nowlan and Howard F. Heap at United Airlines entitled {open_quote}Reliability-Centered maintenance{close_quotes}.« less

Reprint of "Safe places for pedestrians: using cognitive work analysis to consider the relationships between the engineering and urban design of footpaths".

PubMed

Stevens, Nicholas; Salmon, Paul

2015-01-01

Footpaths provide an integral component of our urban environments and have the potential to act as safe places for people and the focus for community life. Despite this, the approach to designing footpaths that are safe while providing this sense of place often occurs in silos. There is often very little consideration given to how designing for sense of place impacts safety and vice versa. The aim of this study was to use a systems analysis and design framework to develop a design template for an 'ideal' footpath system that embodies both safety and sense of place. This was achieved through using the first phase of the Cognitive Work Analysis framework, Work Domain Analysis, to specify a model of footpaths as safe places for pedestrians. This model was subsequently used to assess two existing footpath environments to determine the extent to which they meet the design requirements specified. The findings show instances where the existing footpaths both meet and fail to meet the design requirements specified. Through utilising a systems approach for footpaths, this paper has provided a novel design template that can inform new footpath design efforts or be used to evaluate the extent to which existing footpaths achieve their safety and sense of place requirements. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Safe places for pedestrians: using cognitive work analysis to consider the relationships between the engineering and urban design of footpaths.

PubMed

Stevens, Nicholas; Salmon, Paul

2014-11-01

Footpaths provide an integral component of our urban environments and have the potential to act as safe places for people and the focus for community life. Despite this, the approach to designing footpaths that are safe while providing this sense of place often occurs in silos. There is often very little consideration given to how designing for sense of place impacts safety and vice versa. The aim of this study was to use a systems analysis and design framework to develop a design template for an 'ideal' footpath system that embodies both safety and sense of place. This was achieved through using the first phase of the Cognitive Work Analysis framework, Work Domain Analysis, to specify a model of footpaths as safe places for pedestrians. This model was subsequently used to assess two existing footpath environments to determine the extent to which they meet the design requirements specified. The findings show instances where the existing footpaths both meet and fail to meet the design requirements specified. Through utilising a systems approach for footpaths, this paper has provided a novel design template that can inform new footpath design efforts or be used to evaluate the extent to which existing footpaths achieve their safety and sense of place requirements. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ethical responsibilities of health research funders to advance global health justice.

PubMed

Pratt, Bridget; Hyder, Adnan A

2018-05-04

Research funders from high-income countries have an ethical obligation to support health research in low and middle-income countries that promotes justice in global health. Conceptual work from bioethics proposes funders should do so through their design of grants programs, investments, and grants management. That work has begun to specify the content of funders' ethical responsibility with regards to health systems research, but it has thus far not been informed by their practice. As a first step to bridge that gap, this paper focuses on health systems research funders' design of grants programs. It aims to test the content of funders' proposed ethical responsibility against recent empirical work describing how they design their health systems research grants programs to help address global health disparities. Based on that analysis, recommendations are made for how to better articulate the content of health systems research funders' obligation. Such recommendations may be pertinent to funders of other types of international research. The paper also provides an initial picture of how well health systems research grants programs' designs may align with the ideals of global health justice.

Energy spectrum of argon ions emitted from Filippov type Sahand plasma focus.

PubMed

Mohammadnejad, M; Pestehe, S J; Mohammadi, M A

2013-07-01

The energy and flux of the argon ions produced in Sahand plasma focus have been measured by employing a well-designed Faraday cup. The secondary electron emission effects on the ion signals are simulated and the dimensions of Faraday cup are optimized to minimize these effects. The measured ion energy spectrum is corrected for the ion energy loss and charge exchange in the background gas. The effects of the capacitor bank voltage and working gas pressure on the ion energy spectrum are also investigated. It has been shown that the emitted ion number per energy increases as the capacitor bank voltage increases. Decreasing the working gas pressure leads to the increase in the number of emitted ion per energy.

An exploratory study about meaningful work in acute care nursing.

PubMed

Pavlish, Carol; Hunt, Roberta

2012-01-01

To develop deeper understandings about nurses' perceptions of meaningful work and the contextual factors that impact finding meaning in work. Much has been written about nurses' job satisfaction and the impact on quality of health care. However, scant qualitative evidence exists regarding nurses' perceptions of meaningful work and how factors in the work environment influence their perceptions. The literature reveals links among work satisfaction, retention, quality of care, and meaningfulness in work. Using a narrative design, researchers interviewed 13 public health nurses and 13 acute care nurses. Categorical-content analysis with Atlas.ti data management software was conducted separately for each group of nurses. This article reports results for acute care nurses. Twenty-four stories of meaningful moments were analyzed and categorized. Three primary themes of meaningful work emerged: connections, contributions, and recognition. Participants described learning-focused environment, teamwork, constructive management, and time with patients as facilitators of meaningfulness and task-focused environment, stressful relationships, and divisive management as barriers. Meaningful nursing roles were advocate, catalyst and guide, and caring presence. Nurse administrators are the key to improving quality of care by nurturing opportunities for nurses to find meaning and satisfaction in their work. Study findings provide nurse leaders with new avenues for improving work environments and job satisfaction to potentially enhance healthcare outcomes. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The consequences of nursing stress and need for integrated solutions.

PubMed

Roberts, Rashaun K; Grubb, Paula L

2014-01-01

In a 2011 survey sponsored by the American Nurses Association (ANA), nurses identified the acute and chronic effects of stress and overwork as one of their two top safety and health concerns. A review of the literature was conducted to investigate the impact that job stress has on the health and safety of nursing professionals and the role that working conditions and job characteristics play in fostering job stress. Strong evidence supporting links between job stress, safety and health in general and within different types of nursing populations exists. Working conditions also contribute to the development of job stress. Combining and integrating "person-focused" strategies designed to build nurses' ability to manage stress at the individual level with "organization-focused" strategies that eliminate stressful working conditions is critical to the reduction and prevention of job stress among nursing professionals. © 2013 Association of Rehabilitation Nurses.

Self-Focusing and the Talbot Effect in Conformal Transformation Optics.

PubMed

Wang, Xiangyang; Chen, Huanyang; Liu, Hui; Xu, Lin; Sheng, Chong; Zhu, Shining

2017-07-21

Transformation optics has been used to propose various novel optical devices. With the help of metamaterials, several intriguing designs, such as invisibility cloaks, have been implemented. However, as the basic units should be much smaller than the working wavelengths to achieve the effective material parameters, and the sizes of devices should be much larger than the wavelengths of illumination to work within the light-ray approximation, it is a big challenge to implement an experimental system that works simultaneously for both geometric optics and wave optics. In this Letter, by using a gradient-index microstructured optical waveguide, we realize a device of conformal transformation optics (CTO) and demonstrate its self-focusing property for geometry optics and the Talbot effect for wave optics. In addition, the Talbot effect in such a system has a potential application to transfer digital information without diffraction. Our findings demonstrate the photon controlling ability of CTO in a feasible experiment system.

Self-Focusing and the Talbot Effect in Conformal Transformation Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiangyang; Chen, Huanyang; Liu, Hui; Xu, Lin; Sheng, Chong; Zhu, Shining

2017-07-01

Transformation optics has been used to propose various novel optical devices. With the help of metamaterials, several intriguing designs, such as invisibility cloaks, have been implemented. However, as the basic units should be much smaller than the working wavelengths to achieve the effective material parameters, and the sizes of devices should be much larger than the wavelengths of illumination to work within the light-ray approximation, it is a big challenge to implement an experimental system that works simultaneously for both geometric optics and wave optics. In this Letter, by using a gradient-index microstructured optical waveguide, we realize a device of conformal transformation optics (CTO) and demonstrate its self-focusing property for geometry optics and the Talbot effect for wave optics. In addition, the Talbot effect in such a system has a potential application to transfer digital information without diffraction. Our findings demonstrate the photon controlling ability of CTO in a feasible experiment system.

Space Environments and Spacecraft Effects Concept: Transitioning Research to Operations and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Edwards, D. L.; Burns, H. D.; Clinton, R. G.; Schumacher, D.; Spann, J. F.

2012-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is embarking on a course to expand human presence beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) while expanding its mission to explore the solar system. Destinations such as Near Earth Asteroids (NEA), Mars and its moons, and the outer planets are but a few of the mission targets. NASA has established numerous organizations specializing in specific space environments disciplines that will serve to enable these missions. To complement these existing discipline organizations, a concept is presented focusing on the development of a space environment and spacecraft effects organization. This includes space climate, space weather, natural and induced space environments, and effects on spacecraft materials and systems. This space environment and spacecraft effects organization would be comprised of Technical Working Groups (TWG) focusing on, for example: a) Charged Particles (CP), b) Space Environmental Effects (SEE), and c) Interplanetary and Extraterrestrial Environments (IEE). These technical working groups will generate products and provide knowledge supporting four functional areas: design environments, environment effects, operational support, and programmatic support. The four functional areas align with phases in the program mission lifecycle and are briefly described below. Design environments are used primarily in the mission concept and design phases of a program. Environment effects focuses on the material, component, sub-system and system-level selection and the testing to verify design and operational performance. Operational support provides products based on real time or near real time space weather observations to mission operators to aid in real time and near-term decision-making. The programmatic support function maintains an interface with the numerous programs within NASA and other federal agencies to ensure that communications are well established and the needs of the programs are being met. The programmatic support function also includes working in coordination with the program in anomaly resolution and generation of lesson learned documentation. The goal of this space environment and spacecraft effects organization is to develop decision-making tools and engineering products to support the mission phases of mission concept through operations by focusing on transitioning research to application. Products generated by this space environments and spacecraft effects organization are suitable for use in anomaly investigations. This paper will describe the organizational structure for this space environments and spacecraft effects organization, and outline the scope of conceptual TWG's and their relationship to the functional areas.

Machine learning for inverse lithography: using stochastic gradient descent for robust photomask synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jia, Ningning; Y Lam, Edmund

2010-04-01

Inverse lithography technology (ILT) synthesizes photomasks by solving an inverse imaging problem through optimization of an appropriate functional. Much effort on ILT is dedicated to deriving superior masks at a nominal process condition. However, the lower k1 factor causes the mask to be more sensitive to process variations. Robustness to major process variations, such as focus and dose variations, is desired. In this paper, we consider the focus variation as a stochastic variable, and treat the mask design as a machine learning problem. The stochastic gradient descent approach, which is a useful tool in machine learning, is adopted to train the mask design. Compared with previous work, simulation shows that the proposed algorithm is effective in producing robust masks.

Heat Treatment Optimization and Properties Correlation for H11-Type Hot-Work Tool Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podgornik, B.; Puš, G.; Žužek, B.; Leskovšek, V.; Godec, M.

2018-02-01

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of vacuum-heat-treatment process parameters on the material properties and their correlations for low-Si-content AISI H11-type hot-work tool steel using a single Circumferentially Notched and fatigue Pre-cracked Tensile Bar (CNPTB) test specimen. The work was also focused on the potential of the proposed approach for designing advanced tempering diagrams and optimizing the vacuum heat treatment and design of forming tools. The results show that the CNPTB specimen allows a simultaneous determination and correlation of multiple properties for hot-work tool steels, with the compression and bending strength both increasing with hardness, and the strain-hardening exponent and bending strain increasing with the fracture toughness. On the other hand, the best machinability and surface quality of the hardened hot-work tool steel are obtained for hardness values between 46 and 50 HRC and a fracture toughness below 60 MPa√m.

Heat Treatment Optimization and Properties Correlation for H11-Type Hot-Work Tool Steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podgornik, B.; Puš, G.; Žužek, B.; Leskovšek, V.; Godec, M.

2017-12-01

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of vacuum-heat-treatment process parameters on the material properties and their correlations for low-Si-content AISI H11-type hot-work tool steel using a single Circumferentially Notched and fatigue Pre-cracked Tensile Bar (CNPTB) test specimen. The work was also focused on the potential of the proposed approach for designing advanced tempering diagrams and optimizing the vacuum heat treatment and design of forming tools. The results show that the CNPTB specimen allows a simultaneous determination and correlation of multiple properties for hot-work tool steels, with the compression and bending strength both increasing with hardness, and the strain-hardening exponent and bending strain increasing with the fracture toughness. On the other hand, the best machinability and surface quality of the hardened hot-work tool steel are obtained for hardness values between 46 and 50 HRC and a fracture toughness below 60 MPa√m.

Industrial Simulation Games for Executive Development: Review of the Literature and Implications for Military Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-01

the effects of two formal training methods in the retail sales arena was reported by Ivancevich and Smith (1981). The methods involved (a) role...now established and that his work has extended the theory. Oligopoly theory also was the focus of the work reported by Lyons (1982). Oligopoly refers...benefit for the group while providing a fair share for each group member. Lyons described a computer-based game designed primarily for management

Recent developments in refractive concentrators for space photovoltaic power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Piszczor, Michael F.; Oneill, Mark J.

1993-01-01

Since SPRAT 11, significant progress has been made in the development of refractive concentrator elements and components designed specifically for space applications. The status of the mini-dome Fresnel lens concentrator array is discussed and then the results of work recently completed in the area of prismatic cell covers for concentrator systems are summarized. This is followed by a brief discussion of some work just starting in the area of line-focus refractive concentrators for space.

A Study of Technical Engineering Peer Reviews at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, Lawrence P.; Tumer, Irem Y.; Bell, David G.

2003-01-01

This report describes the state of practices of design reviews at NASA and research into what can be done to improve peer review practices. There are many types of reviews at NASA: required and not, formalized and informal, programmatic and technical. Standing project formal reviews such as the Preliminary Design Review and Critical Design Review are a required part of every project and mission development. However, the technical, engineering peer reviews that support teams' work on such projects are informal, some times ad hoc, and inconsistent across the organization. The goal of this work is to identify best practices and lessons learned from NASA's experience, supported by academic research and methodologies to ultimately improve the process. This research has determined that the organization, composition, scope, and approach of the reviews impact their success. Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) can identify key areas of concern before or in the reviews. Product definition tools like the Project Priority Matrix, engineering-focused Customer Value Chain Analysis (CVCA), and project or system-based Quality Function Deployment (QFD) help prioritize resources in reviews. The use of information technology and structured design methodologies can strengthen the engineering peer review process to help NASA work towards error-proofing the design process.

Decay Heat Removal in GEN IV Gas-Cooled Fast Reactors

DOE PAGES

Cheng, Lap-Yan; Wei, Thomas Y. C.

2009-01-01

The safety goal of the current designs of advanced high-temperature thermal gas-cooled reactors (HTRs) is that no core meltdown would occur in a depressurization event with a combination of concurrent safety system failures. This study focused on the analysis of passive decay heat removal (DHR) in a GEN IV direct-cycle gas-cooled fast reactor (GFR) which is based on the technology developments of the HTRs. Given the different criteria and design characteristics of the GFR, an approach different from that taken for the HTRs for passive DHR would have to be explored. Different design options based on maintaining core flow weremore » evaluated by performing transient analysis of a depressurization accident using the system code RELAP5-3D. The study also reviewed the conceptual design of autonomous systems for shutdown decay heat removal and recommends that future work in this area should be focused on the potential for Brayton cycle DHRs.« less

Moonport: Transportation node in lunar orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1987-01-01

An orbital transporation system between the Earth and Moon was designed. The design work focused on the requirements and configuration of an orbiting lunar base. The design utilized current Space Station technologies, but also focused on the specific requirements involved with a permanently manned, orbiting lunar station. A model of the recommended configuration was constructed. In order to analyze Moonport activity and requirements, a traffic model was designed, defining traffic between the lunar port, or Moonport and low Earth orbit. Also, a lunar base model was used to estimate requirements of the surface base on Moonport traffic and operations. A study was conducted to compare Moonport traffic and operations based in low lunar orbit and the L (sub 2) equilibrium point, behind the Moon. The study compared delta-V requirements to each location and possible payload deliveries to low Earth orbit from each location. Products of the Moonport location study included number of flights annually to Moonport, net payload delivery to low Earth orbit, and Moonport storage requirement.

Altair Lander Life Support: Design Analysis Cycles 4 and 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Molly; Curley, Su; Rotter, Henry; Stambaugh, Imelda; Yagoda, Evan

2011-01-01

Life support systems are a critical part of human exploration beyond low earth orbit. NASA s Altair Lunar Lander team is pursuing efficient solutions to the technical challenges of human spaceflight. Life support design efforts up through Design Analysis Cycle (DAC) 4 focused on finding lightweight and reliable solutions for the Sortie and Outpost missions within the Constellation Program. In DAC-4 and later follow on work, changes were made to add functionality for new requirements accepted by the Altair project, and to update the design as knowledge about certain issues or hardware matured. In DAC-5, the Altair project began to consider mission architectures outside the Constellation baseline. Selecting the optimal life support system design is very sensitive to mission duration. When the mission goals and architecture change several trade studies must be conducted to determine the appropriate design. Finally, several areas of work developed through the Altair project may be applicable to other vehicle concepts for microgravity missions. Maturing the Altair life support system related analysis, design, and requirements can provide important information for developers of a wide range of other human vehicles.

Altair Lander Life Support: Design Analysis Cycles 4 and 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Molly; Curley, Su; Rotter, Henry; Yagoda, Evan

2010-01-01

Life support systems are a critical part of human exploration beyond low earth orbit. NASA s Altair Lunar Lander team is pursuing efficient solutions to the technical challenges of human spaceflight. Life support design efforts up through Design Analysis Cycle (DAC) 4 focused on finding lightweight and reliable solutions for the Sortie and Outpost missions within the Constellation Program. In DAC-4 and later follow on work, changes were made to add functionality for new requirements accepted by the Altair project, and to update the design as knowledge about certain issues or hardware matured. In DAC-5, the Altair project began to consider mission architectures outside the Constellation baseline. Selecting the optimal life support system design is very sensitive to mission duration. When the mission goals and architecture change several trade studies must be conducted to determine the appropriate design. Finally, several areas of work developed through the Altair project may be applicable to other vehicle concepts for microgravity missions. Maturing the Altair life support system related analysis, design, and requirements can provide important information for developers of a wide range of other human vehicles.

DE-FOA-EE0005502 Advanced Percussive Drilling Technology for Geothermal Exploration and Development Phase II Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Su, Jiann-Cherng; Raymond, David W.; Prasad, Somuri V.

Percussive hammers are a promising advance in drilling technology for geothermal since they rely upon rock reduction mechanisms that are well-suited for use in the hard, brittle rock characteristic of geothermal formations. The project research approach and work plan includes a critical path to development of a high-temperature (HT) percussive hammer using a two- phase approach. The work completed in Phase I of the project demonstrated the viability of percussive hammers and that solutions to technical challenges in design, material technology, and performance are likely to be resolved. Work completed in Phase II focused on testing the findings from Phasemore » I and evaluating performance of the materials and designs at high- operating temperatures. A high-operating temperature (HOT) drilling facility was designed, built, and used to test the performance of the DTH under extreme conditions. Results from the testing indicate that a high-temperature capable hammer can be developed and is a viable alternative for user in the driller's toolbox.« less

Advanced Percussive Drilling Technology for Geothermal Exploration and Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Su, Jiann; Raymond, David; Prasad, Somuri

Percussive hammers are a promising advance in drilling technology for geothermal since they rely upon rock reduction mechanisms that are well-suited for use in the hard, brittle rock characteristic of geothermal formations. The project research approach and work plan includes a critical path to development of a high-temperature (HT) percussive hammer using a two phase approach. The work completed in Phase I of the project demonstrated the viability of percussive hammers and that solutions to technical challenges in design, material technology, and performance are likely to be resolved. Work completed in Phase II focused on testing the findings from Phasemore » I and evaluating performance of the materials and designs at high operating temperatures. A high-operating temperature (HOT) drilling facility was designed, built, and used to test the performance of the DTH under extreme conditions. Results from the testing indicate that a high-temperature capable hammer can be developed and is a viable alternative for use in the driller’s toolbox.« less

In-pixel conversion with a 10 bit SAR ADC for next generation X-ray FELs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lodola, L.; Batignani, G.; Benkechkache, M. A.; Bettarini, S.; Casarosa, G.; Comotti, D.; Dalla Betta, G. F.; Fabris, L.; Forti, F.; Grassi, M.; Latreche, S.; Malcovati, P.; Manghisoni, M.; Mendicino, R.; Morsani, F.; Paladino, A.; Pancheri, L.; Paoloni, E.; Ratti, L.; Re, V.; Rizzo, G.; Traversi, G.; Vacchi, C.; Verzellesi, G.; Xu, H.

2016-07-01

This work presents the design of an interleaved Successive Approximation Register (SAR) ADC, part of the readout channel for the PixFEL detector. The PixFEL project aims at substantially advancing the state-of-the-art in the field of 2D X-ray imaging for applications at the next generation Free Electron Laser (FEL) facilities. For this purpose, the collaboration is developing the fundamental microelectronic building blocks for the readout channel. This work focuses on the design of the ADC carried out in a 65 nm CMOS technology. To obtain a good tradeoff between power consumption, conversion speed and area occupation, an interleaved SAR ADC architecture was adopted.

Integrated Design and Engineering Analysis (IDEA) Environment - Propulsion Related Module Development and Vehicle Integration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kamhawi, Hilmi N.

2013-01-01

This report documents the work performed during the period from May 2011 - October 2012 on the Integrated Design and Engineering Analysis (IDEA) environment. IDEA is a collaborative environment based on an object-oriented, multidisciplinary, distributed framework using the Adaptive Modeling Language (AML). This report will focus on describing the work done in the areas of: (1) Integrating propulsion data (turbines, rockets, and scramjets) in the system, and using the data to perform trajectory analysis; (2) Developing a parametric packaging strategy for a hypersonic air breathing vehicles allowing for tank resizing when multiple fuels and/or oxidizer are part of the configuration; and (3) Vehicle scaling and closure strategies.

Socio-technical systems and interaction design - 21st century relevance.

PubMed

Maguire, Martin

2014-03-01

This paper focuses on the relationship between the socio-technical system and the user-technology interface. It looks at specific aspects of the organisational context such as multiple user roles, job change, work processes and workflows, technical infrastructure, and the challenges they present for the interaction designer. The implications of trends such as more mobile and flexible working, the use of social media, and the growth of the virtual organisation, are also considered. The paper also reviews rapidly evolving technologies such as pervasive systems and artificial intelligence, and the skills that workers will need to engage with them. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Designing Guiding Systems for Brain-Computer Interfaces

PubMed Central

Kosmyna, Nataliya; Lécuyer, Anatole

2017-01-01

Brain–Computer Interface (BCI) community has focused the majority of its research efforts on signal processing and machine learning, mostly neglecting the human in the loop. Guiding users on how to use a BCI is crucial in order to teach them to produce stable brain patterns. In this work, we explore the instructions and feedback for BCIs in order to provide a systematic taxonomy to describe the BCI guiding systems. The purpose of our work is to give necessary clues to the researchers and designers in Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) in making the fusion between BCIs and HCI more fruitful but also to better understand the possibilities BCIs can provide to them. PMID:28824400

Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) Phase 2 and Smart Autonomous Sand-Swimming Excavator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandy, Michael

2015-01-01

The Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot (RASSOR) Phase 2 is an excavation robot for mining regolith on a planet like Mars. The robot is programmed using the Robotic Operating System (ROS) and it also uses a physical simulation program called Gazebo. This internship focused on various functions of the program in order to make it a more professional and efficient robot. During the internship another project called the Smart Autonomous Sand-Swimming Excavator was worked on. This is a robot that is designed to dig through sand and extract sample material. The intern worked on programming the Sand-Swimming robot, and designing the electrical system to power and control the robot.

Knowledge workers and knowledge-intense organizations, Part 2: Designing and managing for productivity.

PubMed

Weaver, D; Sorrells-Jones, J

1999-09-01

Our economy is shifting from a hard goods and material products base to one in which knowledge is the primary mode of production. Organizations are experimenting with designs that support knowledge work by clustering individuals with different but complementary skills in focused teams. The goal is to increase applied knowledge that furthers the organization's strategic intent. The team-based knowledge work model holds promise for healthcare organizations that are under pressure to use knowledge to improve clinical care, integrate care across disciplines and settings, and accept accountability for costs. However, the shift from the traditional bureaucratic model to the flexible team-based design mandates changes in the design of the organization, the role of leadership, and the attributes of the teams and team members. In Part 2 of this three-part series, the authors explore the necessary design changes and the new roles for leadership, teams, and their members. Additionally, implications for healthcare clinicians, particularly nurses, are discussed.

Design and evaluation of a primary/secondary pumping system for a heat pump assisted solar thermal loop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krockenberger, Kyle G.

A heat pump assisted solar thermal system was designed, commissioned, tested and analyzed over a period of two years. The unique system uses solar energy whenever it is available, but switches to heat pump mode at night or whenever there is a lack of solar energy. The solar thermal energy is added by a variety of flat plat solar collectors and an evacuated tube heat pipe solar collector. The working medium in the entire system is a 50% mixture of propylene glycol and water for freeze protection. During the design and evaluation the primary / secondary pumping system was the focus of the evaluation. Testing within this research focused on the operation modes, pump stability, and system efficiency. It was found that the system was in full operation, the pumps were stable and that the efficiency factor of the system was 1.95.

Endpoints and cutpoints in head and neck oncology trials: methodical background, challenges, current practice and perspectives.

PubMed

Hezel, Marcus; von Usslar, Kathrin; Kurzweg, Thiemo; Lörincz, Balazs B; Knecht, Rainald

2016-04-01

This article reviews the methodical and statistical basics of designing a trial, with a special focus on the process of defining and choosing endpoints and cutpoints as the foundations of clinical research, and ultimately that of evidence-based medicine. There has been a significant progress in the treatment of head and neck cancer in the past few decades. Currently available treatment options can have a variety of different goals, depending e.g. on tumor stage, among other factors. The outcome of a specific treatment in clinical trials is measured using endpoints. Besides classical endpoints, such as overall survival or organ preservation, other endpoints like quality of life are becoming increasingly important in designing and conducting a trial. The present work is based on electronic research and focuses on the solid methodical and statistical basics of a clinical trial, on the structure of study designs and on the presentation of various endpoints.

Millimeter-wave/infrared rectenna development at Georgia Tech

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gouker, Mark A.

1989-01-01

The key design issues of the Millimeter Wave/Infrared (MMW/IR) monolithic rectenna have been resolved. The work at Georgia Tech in the last year has focused on increasing the power received by the physically small MMW rectennas in order to increase the rectification efficiency. The solution to this problem is to place a focusing element on the back side of the substrate. The size of the focusing element can be adjusted to help maintain the optimum input power density not only for different power densities called for in various mission scenarios, but also for the nonuniform power density profile of a narrow EM-beam.

Focusing metasurface quantum-cascade laser with a near diffraction-limited beam

DOE PAGES

Xu, Luyao; Chen, Daguan; Itoh, Tatsuo; ...

2016-10-17

A terahertz vertical-external-cavity surface-emitting-laser (VECSEL) is demonstrated using an active focusing reflectarray metasurface based on quantum-cascade gain material. The focusing effect enables a hemispherical cavity with flat optics, which exhibits higher geometric stability than a plano-plano cavity and a directive and circular near-diffraction limited Gaussian beam with M 2 beam parameter as low as 1.3 and brightness of 1.86 × 10 6 Wsr –1m –2. As a result, this work initiates the potential of leveraging inhomogeneous metasurface and reflectarray designs to achieve high-power and high-brightness terahertz quantum-cascade VECSELs.

Optical analysis for simplified astigmatic correction of non-imaging focusing heliostat

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chong, K.K.

2010-08-15

In the previous work, non-imaging focusing heliostat that consists of m x n facet mirrors can carry out continuous astigmatic correction during sun-tracking with the use of only (m + n - 2) controllers. For this paper, a simplified astigmatic correction of non-imaging focusing heliostat is proposed for reducing the number of controllers from (m + n - 2) to only two. Furthermore, a detailed optical analysis of the new proposal has been carried out and the simulated result has shown that the two-controller system can perform comparably well in astigmatic correction with a much simpler and more cost effectivemore » design. (author)« less

Studies in Course Design. Volume 1. Case Study I: One Year Postgraduate Course in Teaching for Biology Graduates. Case Study II: A Course for Teachers in General Medical Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dallas, Dorothy; And Others

A collection of working papers from the course design process of two education courses is presented with attention focused on the category systems employed to set out course objectives and methods. The two studies illustrate the use of a grid to establish the relationships between various course objectives. The first collection of papers is based…

Applications of Human Factors in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rajulu, Sudhakar; Margerum, Sarah

2008-01-01

The main question for human factors practitioners is to determine if the user population can be accommodated within a design. Given the wide range of variables feeding into a design, just one of which is human factors, oftentimes designers will have restrictions that may potentially impact the level of accommodation. This paper focuses on two case studies where there have been impacts at the design level that may be detrimental to the ability of the design to meet certain criteria. The studies use novel approaches to determine what, if any, changes in population accommodation levels have occurred and what factors are important when manipulating the design in the future. The results of these studies provide a backbone for future analyses when working with design considerations.

Design Visualization Internship Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberts, Trevor D.

2014-01-01

This is a report documenting the details of my work as a NASA KSC intern for the Summer Session from June 2nd to August 8th, 2014. This work was conducted within the Design Visualization Group, a Contractor staffed organization within the C1 division of the IT Directorate. The principle responsibilities of the KSC Design Visualization Group are the production of 3D simulations of NASA equipment and facilities for the purpose of planning complex operations such as hardware transportation and vehicle assembly. My role as an intern focused on aiding engineers in using 3D scanning equipment to obtain as-built measurements of NASA facilities, as well as using CATIA and DELMIA to process this data. My primary goals for this internship focused on expanding my CAD knowledge and capabilities, while also learning more about technologies I was previously unfamiliar with, such as 3D scanning. An additional goal of mine was to learn more about how NASA operates, and how the U.S. Space Program operates on a day-to-day basis. This opportunity provided me with a front-row seat to the daily maneuvers and operations of KSC and NASA as a whole. Each work day, I was able to witness, and even take part of, a small building block of the future systems that will take astronauts to other worlds. After my experiences this summer, not only can I say that my goals have been met, but also that this experience has been the highlight of my experience in higher education.

In situ focus characterization by ablation technique to enable optics alignment at an XUV FEL source

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gerasimova, N.; Dziarzhytski, S.; Weigelt, H.

2013-06-15

In situ focus characterization is demonstrated by working at an extreme ultraviolet (XUV) free-electron laser source using ablation technique. Design of the instrument reported here allows reaching a few micrometres resolution along with keeping the ultrahigh vacuum conditions and ensures high-contrast visibility of ablative imprints on optically transparent samples, e.g., PMMA. This enables on-line monitoring of the beam profile changes and thus makes possible in situ alignment of the XUV focusing optics. A good agreement between focal characterizations retrieved from in situ inspection of ablative imprints contours and from well-established accurate ex situ analysis with Nomarski microscope has been observedmore » for a typical micro-focus experiment.« less

Improvement of Automated POST Case Success Rate Using Support Vector Machines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zwack, Mathew R.; Dees, Patrick D.

2017-01-01

During early conceptual design of complex systems, concept down selection can have a large impact upon program life-cycle cost. Therefore, any concepts selected during early design will inherently commit program costs and affect the overall probability of program success. For this reason it is important to consider as large a design space as possible in order to better inform the down selection process. For conceptual design of launch vehicles, trajectory analysis and optimization often presents the largest obstacle to evaluating large trade spaces. This is due to the sensitivity of the trajectory discipline to changes in all other aspects of the vehicle design. Small deltas in the performance of other subsystems can result in relatively large fluctuations in the ascent trajectory because the solution space is non-linear and multi-modal. In order to help capture large design spaces for new launch vehicles, the authors have performed previous work seeking to automate the execution of the industry standard tool, Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories (POST). This work initially focused on implementation of analyst heuristics to enable closure of cases in an automated fashion, with the goal of applying the concepts of design of experiments (DOE) and surrogate modeling to enable near instantaneous throughput of vehicle cases.3 As noted in [4] work was then completed to improve the DOE process by utilizing a graph theory based approach to connect similar design points.

Occupational stress, coping and mental health in Jamaican police officers.

PubMed

Nelson, K V; Smith, A P

2016-08-01

Police are exposed to a wide range of stressors and this is especially true in developing countries such as Jamaica. Exposure to psychosocial stressors and use of maladaptive coping styles can result in mental ill-health. To examine the relationship between work characteristics, coping and mental health in Jamaican police officers and to test whether work characteristics are indirectly associated with mental health outcomes through perceived job stress and job satisfaction. Police officers from the Jamaican police force completed a questionnaire using a cross-sectional design. We analysed the data using hierarchical regression. The study group consisted of 134 police officers; the response rate was 94%. Negative work characteristics, lower levels of positive work factors and work support and emotion-focused coping styles were associated with increased levels of depression (F(8, 125) = 7.465, P < 0.001). Subjective feelings of anxiety were positively associated with negative work characteristics and emotion-focused coping (F(8, 125) = 7.586, P < 0.001). The relationship between work characteristics and mental health outcomes was mediated by perceived stress. Job satisfaction mediated the relationship between positive work characteristics and depression. Stress management and intervention programmes should address modifiable work conditions, monitor stress levels and reduce maladaptive coping. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine.

Expert system application for prioritizing preventive actions for shift work: shift expert.

PubMed

Esen, Hatice; Hatipoğlu, Tuğçen; Cihan, Ahmet; Fiğlali, Nilgün

2017-09-19

Shift patterns, work hours, work arrangements and worker motivations have increasingly become key factors for job performance. The main objective of this article is to design an expert system that identifies the negative effects of shift work and prioritizes mitigation efforts according to their importance in preventing these negative effects. The proposed expert system will be referred to as the shift expert. A thorough literature review is conducted to determine the effects of shift work on workers. Our work indicates that shift work is linked to demographic variables, sleepiness and fatigue, health and well-being, and social and domestic conditions. These parameters constitute the sections of a questionnaire designed to focus on 26 important issues related to shift work. The shift expert is then constructed to provide prevention advice at the individual and organizational levels, and it prioritizes this advice using a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process model, which considers comparison matrices provided by users during the prioritization process. An empirical study of 61 workers working on three rotating shifts is performed. After administering the questionnaires, the collected data are analyzed statistically, and then the shift expert produces individual and organizational recommendations for these workers.

Safety assessment in plant layout design using indexing approach: implementing inherent safety perspective. Part 2-Domino Hazard Index and case study.

PubMed

Tugnoli, Alessandro; Khan, Faisal; Amyotte, Paul; Cozzani, Valerio

2008-12-15

The design of layout plans requires adequate assessment tools for the quantification of safety performance. The general focus of the present work is to introduce an inherent safety perspective at different points of the layout design process. In particular, index approaches for safety assessment and decision-making in the early stages of layout design are developed and discussed in this two-part contribution. Part 1 (accompanying paper) of the current work presents an integrated index approach for safety assessment of early plant layout. In the present paper (Part 2), an index for evaluation of the hazard related to the potential of domino effects is developed. The index considers the actual consequences of possible escalation scenarios and scores or ranks the subsequent accident propagation potential. The effects of inherent and passive protection measures are also assessed. The result is a rapid quantification of domino hazard potential that can provide substantial support for choices in the early stages of layout design. Additionally, a case study concerning selection among various layout options is presented and analyzed. The case study demonstrates the use and applicability of the indices developed in both parts of the current work and highlights the value of introducing inherent safety features early in layout design.

A comprehensive approach to environmental and human factors into product/service design and development. A review from an ergoecological perspective.

PubMed

Saravia-Pinilla, Martha H; Daza-Beltrán, Carolina; García-Acosta, Gabriel

2016-11-01

This article presents the results of a documentary-exploratory review of design methods and concepts associated with human and environmental factors, based on a qualitative-quantitative analysis of coincidences with the fundamentals of ergoecology and in line with sustainable dynamics, with a view to putting the principles of ergoecology into practice in product/service design and development. 61.6% of 696 documents found represent work on conceptual developments, while the remaining 38.4% refer to design methods. Searches were refined using Nvivo-10 software, and 101 documents were obtained about theoretical aspects while 17 focused on the application of methods, and these formed the analysis universe. The results show how little concern there is for working comprehensively on human and environmental aspects, and a trend toward segmentation of human and environmental aspects in the field of product/service design and development can be seen, at both concept and application/methodology levels. It was concluded from the above that comprehensive, simultaneous work is needed on human and environmental aspects, clarity and conceptual unity, in order to achieve sustainability in practical matters and ensure that ergoecology-compatible design methods are applied. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influences on GP coping and resilience: a qualitative study in primary care.

PubMed

Cheshire, Anna; Ridge, Damien; Hughes, John; Peters, David; Panagioti, Maria; Simon, Chantal; Lewith, George

2017-06-01

'Neoliberal' work policies, austerity, NHS restructuring, and increased GP consultation rates provide the backdrop against increasing reports of GP burnout and an impending shortage of GPs. To explore GPs' experiences of workplace challenges and stresses, and their coping strategies, particularly focusing on understanding the impact of recent NHS workplace change. Study design was qualitative, with data collected from two focus groups and seven one-to-one telephone interviews. Focus groups and one-to-one telephone interviews explored the experiences of GPs currently practising in England, recruited through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured interview approach and analysed using thematic analysis. There were 22 GP participants recruited: focus groups ( n = 15) and interviews ( n = 7). Interviewees understood GPs to be under intense and historically unprecedented pressures, which were tied to the contexts in which they work, with important moral implications for 'good' doctoring. Many reported that being a full-time GP was too stressful: work-related stress led to mood changes, sleep disruption, increases in anxiety, and tensions with loved ones. Some had subsequently sought ways to downsize their clinical workload. Workplace change resulted in little time for the things that helped GP resilience: a good work-life balance and better contact with colleagues. Although some GPs were coping better than others, GPs acknowledged that there was only so much an individual GP could do to manage their stress, given the external work issues they faced. GPs experience their emotional lives and stresses as being meaningfully shaped by NHS factors. To support GPs to provide effective care, resilience building should move beyond the individual to include systemic work issues. © British Journal of General Practice 2017.

Work-focused treatment of common mental disorders and return to work: a comparative outcome study.

PubMed

Lagerveld, Suzanne E; Blonk, Roland W B; Brenninkmeijer, Veerle; Wijngaards-de Meij, Leoniek; Schaufeli, Wilmar B

2012-04-01

The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two individual-level psychotherapy interventions: (a) treatment as usual consisting of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and (b) work-focused CBT (W-CBT) that integrated work aspects early into the treatment. Both interventions were carried out by psychotherapists with employees on sick leave because of common mental disorders (depression, anxiety, or adjustment disorder). In a quasi-experimental design, 12-month follow-up data of 168 employees were collected. The CBT group consisted of 79 clients, the W-CBT group of 89. Outcome measures were duration until return to work (RTW), mental health problems, and costs to the employer. We found significant effects on duration until RTW in favor of the W-CBT group: full RTW occurred 65 days earlier. Partial RTW occurred 12 days earlier. A significant decrease in mental health problems was equally present in both conditions. The average financial advantage for the employer of an employee in the W-CBT group was estimated at $5,275 U.S. dollars compared with the CBT group. These results show that through focusing more and earlier on work-related aspects and RTW, functional recovery in work can be substantially speeded up within a regular psychotherapeutic setting. This result was achieved without negative side effects on psychological complaints over the course of 1 year. Integrating work-related aspects into CBT is, therefore, a fruitful approach with benefits for employees and employers alike. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved.

Global parameter optimization of a Mather-type plasma focus in the framework of the Gratton-Vargas two-dimensional snowplow model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auluck, S. K. H.

2014-12-01

Dense plasma focus (DPF) is known to produce highly energetic ions, electrons and plasma environment which can be used for breeding short-lived isotopes, plasma nanotechnology and other material processing applications. Commercial utilization of DPF in such areas would need a design tool that can be deployed in an automatic search for the best possible device configuration for a given application. The recently revisited (Auluck 2013 Phys. Plasmas 20 112501) Gratton-Vargas (GV) two-dimensional analytical snowplow model of plasma focus provides a numerical formula for dynamic inductance of a Mather-type plasma focus fitted to thousands of automated computations, which enables the construction of such a design tool. This inductance formula is utilized in the present work to explore global optimization, based on first-principles optimality criteria, in a four-dimensional parameter-subspace of the zero-resistance GV model. The optimization process is shown to reproduce the empirically observed constancy of the drive parameter over eight decades in capacitor bank energy. The optimized geometry of plasma focus normalized to the anode radius is shown to be independent of voltage, while the optimized anode radius is shown to be related to capacitor bank inductance.

Feasibility analysis of large length-scale thermocapillary flow experiment for the International Space Station

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alberts, Samantha J.

The investigation of microgravity fluid dynamics emerged out of necessity with the advent of space exploration. In particular, capillary research took a leap forward in the 1960s with regards to liquid settling and interfacial dynamics. Due to inherent temperature variations in large spacecraft liquid systems, such as fuel tanks, forces develop on gas-liquid interfaces which induce thermocapillary flows. To date, thermocapillary flows have been studied in small, idealized research geometries usually under terrestrial conditions. The 1 to 3m lengths in current and future large tanks and hardware are designed based on hardware rather than research, which leaves spaceflight systems designers without the technological tools to effectively create safe and efficient designs. This thesis focused on the design and feasibility of a large length-scale thermocapillary flow experiment, which utilizes temperature variations to drive a flow. The design of a helical channel geometry ranging from 1 to 2.5m in length permits a large length-scale thermocapillary flow experiment to fit in a seemingly small International Space Station (ISS) facility such as the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR). An initial investigation determined the proposed experiment produced measurable data while adhering to the FIR facility limitations. The computational portion of this thesis focused on the investigation of functional geometries of fuel tanks and depots using Surface Evolver. This work outlines the design of a large length-scale thermocapillary flow experiment for the ISS FIR. The results from this work improve the understanding thermocapillary flows and thus improve technological tools for predicting heat and mass transfer in large length-scale thermocapillary flows. Without the tools to understand the thermocapillary flows in these systems, engineers are forced to design larger, heavier vehicles to assure safety and mission success.

Healthy Gaming – Video Game Design to promote Health

PubMed Central

Brox, E.; Fernandez-Luque, L.; Tøllefsen, T.

2011-01-01

Background There is an increasing interest in health games including simulation tools, games for specific conditions, persuasive games to promote a healthy life style or exergames where physical exercise is used to control the game. Objective The objective of the article is to review current literature about available health games and the impact related to game design principles as well as some educational theory aspects. Methods Literature from the big databases and known sites with games for health has been searched to find articles about games for health purposes. The focus has been on educational games, persuasive games and exergames as well as articles describing game design principles. Results The medical objectives can either be a part of the game theme (intrinsic) or be totally dispatched (extrinsic), and particularly persuasive games seem to use extrinsic game design. Peer support is important, but there is only limited research on multiplayer health games. Evaluation of health games can be both medical and technical, and the focus will depend on the game purpose. Conclusion There is still not enough evidence to conclude which design principles work for what purposes since most of the literature in health serious games does not specify design methodologies, but it seems that extrinsic methods work in persuasion. However, when designing health care games it is important to define both the target group and main objective, and then design a game accordingly using sound game design principles, but also utilizing design elements to enhance learning and persuasion. A collaboration with health professionals from an early design stage is necessary both to ensure that the content is valid and to have the game validated from a clinical viewpoint. Patients need to be involved, especially to improve usability. More research should be done on social aspects in health games, both related to learning and persuasion. PMID:23616865

Ti film deposition process of a plasma focus: Study by an experimental design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inestrosa-Izurieta, M. J.; Moreno, J.; Davis, S.; Soto, L.

2017-10-01

The plasma generated by plasma focus (PF) devices have substantially different physical characteristics from another plasma, energetic ions and electrons, compared with conventional plasma devices used for plasma nanofabrication, offering new and unique opportunities in the processing and synthesis of Nanomaterials. This article presents the use of a plasma focus of tens of joules, PF-50J, for the deposition of materials sprayed from the anode by the plasma dynamics in the axial direction. This work focuses on the determination of the most significant effects of the technological parameters of the system on the obtained depositions through the use of a statistical experimental design. The results allow us to give a qualitative understanding of the Ti film deposition process in our PF device depending on four different events provoked by the plasma dynamics: i) an electric erosion of the outer material of the anode; ii) substrate ablation generating an interlayer; iii) electron beam deposition of material from the center of the anode; iv) heat load provoking clustering or even melting of the deposition surface.

Development of TPF-1 plasma focus for education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Picha, R.; Promping, J.; Channuie, J.; Poolyarat, N.; Sangaroon, S.; Traikool, T.

2017-09-01

The plasma focus is a device that uses high voltage and electromagnetic force to induce plasma generation and acceleration, in order to cause nuclear reactions. Radiation of various types (X-ray, gamma ray, electrons, ions, neutrons) can be generated using this method during the pinch phase, thus making the plasma focus able to serve as a radiation source. Material testing, modification, and identification are among the current applications of the plasma focus. Other than being an alternative option to isotopic sources, the plasma focus, which requires multidisciplinary team of personnel to design, operate, and troubleshoot, can also serve as an excellent learning device for physics and engineering students in the fields including, but not limited to, plasma physics, nuclear physics, electronics engineering, and mechanical engineering. This work describes the parameters and current status of Thai Plasma Focus 1 (TPF-1) and the characteristics of the plasma being produced in the machine using a Rogowski coil.

User-centered design of multi-gene sequencing panel reports for clinicians.

PubMed

Cutting, Elizabeth; Banchero, Meghan; Beitelshees, Amber L; Cimino, James J; Fiol, Guilherme Del; Gurses, Ayse P; Hoffman, Mark A; Jeng, Linda Jo Bone; Kawamoto, Kensaku; Kelemen, Mark; Pincus, Harold Alan; Shuldiner, Alan R; Williams, Marc S; Pollin, Toni I; Overby, Casey Lynnette

2016-10-01

The objective of this study was to develop a high-fidelity prototype for delivering multi-gene sequencing panel (GS) reports to clinicians that simulates the user experience of a final application. The delivery and use of GS reports can occur within complex and high-paced healthcare environments. We employ a user-centered software design approach in a focus group setting in order to facilitate gathering rich contextual information from a diverse group of stakeholders potentially impacted by the delivery of GS reports relevant to two precision medicine programs at the University of Maryland Medical Center. Responses from focus group sessions were transcribed, coded and analyzed by two team members. Notification mechanisms and information resources preferred by participants from our first phase of focus groups were incorporated into scenarios and the design of a software prototype for delivering GS reports. The goal of our second phase of focus group, to gain input on the prototype software design, was accomplished through conducting task walkthroughs with GS reporting scenarios. Preferences for notification, content and consultation from genetics specialists appeared to depend upon familiarity with scenarios for ordering and delivering GS reports. Despite familiarity with some aspects of the scenarios we proposed, many of our participants agreed that they would likely seek consultation from a genetics specialist after viewing the test reports. In addition, participants offered design and content recommendations. Findings illustrated a need to support customized notification approaches, user-specific information, and access to genetics specialists with GS reports. These design principles can be incorporated into software applications that deliver GS reports. Our user-centered approach to conduct this assessment and the specific input we received from clinicians may also be relevant to others working on similar projects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pharmacotherapies for decreasing maladaptive choice in drug addiction: Targeting the behavior and the drug.

PubMed

Perkins, Frank N; Freeman, Kevin B

2018-01-01

Drug addiction can be conceptualized as a disorder of maladaptive decision making in which drugs are chosen at the expense of pro-social, nondrug alternatives. The study of decision making in drug addiction has focused largely on the role of impulsivity as a facilitator of addiction, in particular the tendency for drug abusers to choose small, immediate gains over larger but delayed outcomes (i.e., delay discounting). A parallel line of work, also focused on decision making in drug addiction, has focused on identifying the determinants underlying the choice to take drugs over nondrug alternatives (i.e., drug vs. nondrug choice). Both tracks of research have been valuable tools in the development of pharmacotherapies for treating maladaptive decision making in drug addiction, and a number of common drugs have been studied in both designs. However, we have observed that there is little uniformity in the administration regimens of potential treatments between the designs, which hinders congruence in the development of single treatment strategies to reduce both impulsive behavior and drug choice. The current review provides an overview of the drugs that have been tested in both delay-discounting and drug-choice designs, and focuses on drugs that reduced the maladaptive choice in both designs. Suggestions to enhance congruence between the findings in future studies are provided. Finally, we propose the use of a hybridized, experimental approach that may enable researchers to test the effectiveness of therapeutics at decreasing impulsive and drug choice in a single design. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Evidence Based Education Request Desk. Request #85

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Regional Educational Laboratory Southeast, 2012

2012-01-01

What do we know about the impact and implementation of Career Academies? This paper provides answers to this question. Career Academies have been around for over 30 years. Their original design stressed facilitating the school-to-work transition. In the early 1990's the focus began to shift to preparing participating students for both college and…

Youth Apprenticeship: A School-to-Work Transition Program. Hot Topic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina Univ., Greensboro. School of Education.

SERVE offers a series of publications entitled "Hot Topics," research-based documents which focus on relevant issues of the day that are important in the region. This document, the first in a series of publications, is a practical guidebook to designing and developing youth apprenticeship programs to prepare noncollege-bound high school…

Our Roots Run Deep

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinkamp, Erin

2016-01-01

Valley Park Middle School (VPMS) in Valley Park, MO, has the unique designation of being a not-so-secret gem in St. Louis County. The middle school shares its campus with the elementary and high school, creating opportunities to collaborate and work together to build a school district that not only shines academically, but also focuses on…

Turkmen Language Competencies for Peace Corps Volunteers in Turkmenistan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyson, David; Clark, Larry

This textbook is designed for use by Peace Corps volunteers learning Turkmen in preparation for serving in Turkmenistan. It takes a competency-based approach to language learning, focusing on specific tasks the learner will need to accomplish through language. Some competencies are related to work tasks and others to survival needs or social…

Career Planner: A Guide for Students with Disabilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Gwen J.; And Others

Intended as a guide for students with disabilities who wish to enter the work force, this handbook is designed to help gather both information about the student and information to help choose a job. Chapter 1 concerns collecting health/medical information. Chapter 2 focuses on collecting vocational information--information about general job…

Feeling "Secrety": Children's Views on Involvement in Landscape Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roe, Maggie

2007-01-01

This paper focuses on a case study pilot project working with a small group of children aged 6- to 10-years-old in a village in the northeast of England. The study was established to examine children's attitudes to environmental issues, particularly their involvement in environmental decisions and their feelings about planning, design and…

Working for Clean Water, 2: Citizen Handbooks. An Information Program for Advisory Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoltzfus, Lorna Chr., Ed.

Presented is material from an information program designed to help citizen advisory groups and local officials improve decision-making in water quality planning. This program is aimed at helping people focus on essential issues and questions by providing materials suitable for persons with non-technical backgrounds. The following chapters are…

Teen Living 7015. Work and Family Supplement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education Services.

This supplement to the Teen Living curriculum contains materials to help teachers integrate family skills and tech prep skills into consumer home economics programs. It is keyed to a 2-semester consumer home economics course, based on the North Carolina Program of Studies (revised 1992); it is designed to help students focus on the relationship…

Learning Trajectories in Teacher Education: Supporting Teachers' Understandings of Students' Mathematical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, P. Holt; Mojica, Gemma F.; Confrey, Jere

2013-01-01

Recent work by researchers has focused on synthesizing and elaborating knowledge of students' thinking on particular concepts as core progressions called learning trajectories. Although useful at the level of curriculum development, assessment design, and the articulation of standards, evidence is only beginning to emerge to suggest how learning…

Prentice Hall Literature© (1989-2005). What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2017

2017-01-01

"Prentice Hall Literature©" (1989-2005) is an English language arts curriculum designed for students in grades 6-12 that focuses on building reading, writing, listening, viewing, speaking, and language skills. Multiple editions of this curriculum were released between 1989 and 2005, including "Prentice Hall Literature©" (1989)…

Supervised Agricultural Experience Programs: An Examination of Committed Teachers and Student-Centered Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubenstein, Eric D.; Thoron, Andrew C.

2015-01-01

SAE programs were designed as an integral component in SBAE. However, participation has continued to decline. This qualitative study examined exemplary SAE programs in rural SBAE to discover factors that were working in SAE development and implementation. Through focus groups, individual and informal interviews, and observations, two themes that…

Working against Ourselves: Decision Making in a Small Rural School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patterson, Jean A.; Koenigs, Andrew; Mohn, Gordon; Rasmussen, Cheryl

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine decision making and resource allocation in a small, rural district in a Midwestern state of the USA during a time of economic retrenchment. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative case study methods were used, including focus groups and personal interviews with current and former district…

Homemaking (Personal Improvement and Foods), Course Description.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silverstein, Idebelle G.; Anderson, Floyd L.

Prepared by an instructor and curriculum development specialist of the Minnesota Work Opportunity Center, this document describes a course designed to aid the dropout and/or hard-core unemployed youth develop skills in personal improvement and foods. The approach focuses on the individual and what he wishes to accomplish. Students who desire to…

Changing by Design: A Comprehensive Approach to School Reform. [Booklet with Audiotapes].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Central Regional Educational Lab., Oak Brook, IL.

Comprehensive school reform (CSR) focuses on reorganizing and revitalizing entire schools, rather than on implementing individual programs. The idea behind CSR is that schools cannot educate all students to high levels unless all the education system's components work together toward a common goal. Choosing a CSR model can be difficult and…

Bringing Environmental Sustainability to Undergraduate Engineering Education: Experiences in an Inter-Disciplinary Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aurandt, Jennifer; Borchers, Andrew Scott; Lynch-Caris, Terri; El-Sayed, Jacqueline; Hoff, Craig

2012-01-01

This paper chronicles the development of an interdisciplinary course in environmentally conscious design at Kettering University, a technologically focused Midwestern university. Funded by the National Science Foundation, a team of six faculty members at Kettering University adapted work done by Ford Motor Company to educate undergraduate STEM…

Notes on Transition Planning for College. Practice Notes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA, 2008

2008-01-01

All students can benefit from well-designed transition planning for college. With specific reference to those students identified for special education, middle and high schools have a responsibility under IDEA to focus on a range of transition interventions. Family stakeholders in a community need to work together to ensure the middle school and…

Transition from School to Post-School Life for Individuals with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levinson, Edward M.

2004-01-01

This book is designed to assist professionals in developing and implementing transition services for students with disabilities. Specifically, this book focuses on the importance of assessment in transition planning and targets the various domains that should be included in any school-to-work transition assessment. The book advocates a…

Coordination of Fractional Quantities: Cueing of Resources, Constraints, and Effect of Numeric Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramful, Ajay; Nenduradu, Rajeev

2013-01-01

While previous work in the domain of proportional reasoning has primarily focused on the coordination of integer quantities, this study investigates how students coordinate fractional quantities. Fine-grained analysis of two seventh graders' responses to a set of systematically designed proportional tasks, shows how their knowledge of…

The Work of Children: Seeking Patterns in the Design of Educational Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenberg, Michael; Jacobson-Weaver, Zack

2015-01-01

The vast majority of research in educational technology focuses, justifiably, on what might be described as "short-term" (or perhaps "medium-term") questions: how to improve an existing software system, how to assess a particular classroom innovation, how to teach some current subject matter in a more effective fashion. From…

Scaffolding Teachers Integrate Social Media into a Problem-Based Learning Approach?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buus, Lillian

2012-01-01

At Aalborg University (AAU) we are known to work with problem-based learning (PBL) in a particular way designated "The Aalborg PBL model." In PBL the focus is on participant control, knowledge sharing, collaboration among participants, which makes it interesting to consider the integration of social media in the learning that takes…

Ambiguity and Alignment in Academic Policies: Course Substitutions, Learning Disabilities, and Universal Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galilee-Belfer, Mika

2012-01-01

While research on barriers to full participation for those with learning and other disabilities has focused largely on structural and institutional obstacles to work and education (Swain, French, & Cameron, 2005; Jones, 1996; Watson, 2002), the recognition of disability as a social justice issue is gaining currency (Kraus, 2008). Expensive,…

Working with Families to Prevent Obesity: A Community-Campus Partnership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dart, Lyn; Frable, Pamela Jean; Bradley, Patricia J.; Bae, Sejong; Singh, Karan

2005-01-01

University faculty and community agencies collaborated to design and implement Healthy Weigh/El camino saludable, a family-focused obesity prevention and intervention program in a low-income, urban community at high risk for obesity and related chronic disease. Hispanic and African American families participated in 12 weekly sessions. Offered in…

Making Sense of Conflict in Distributed Teams: A Design Science Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Guangxuan

2016-01-01

Conflict is a substantial, pervasive activity in team collaboration. It may arise because of differences in goals, differences in ways of working, or interpersonal dissonance. The specific focus for this research is the conflict in distributed teams. As opposed to traditional teams, participants of distributed teams are geographically dispersed…

Saxon Middle School Math. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2007

2007-01-01

"Saxon Math" curricula and materials are available for grades K through 12, with the content and skills designed to meet National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) standards and various state standards. This WWC report focuses on middle school math curricula, defined as all Saxon Math curricula for grades 6 through 9. The…

Higher Education. Lifelong Learning and Community Service: A Profile of Action and Responsibility.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Champagne, Joseph E.

Two projects, designed to serve as technical input to the developing Texas State Plan for Higher Continuing Education, focused on: (1) enrollment trends and needs, institutional activities, and statewide planning across the nation; and (2) higher education and community services. Both projects involved extensive survey work of institutional visits…

A Cybernetic Analysis of a University-Wide Curriculum Innovation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Millwood, Richard; Powell, Stephen

2011-01-01

Purpose: This paper seeks to describe and analyse an approach to course design as part of a strategic, technology-inspired, cross-university intervention to widen participation. A curriculum framework was developed for students who wished to make their work the focus of their study and could not readily access current university provision. A…

The Academic Workplace Audit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Austin, Ann E.; And Others

This book is designed to accompany "A Good Place to Work: Sourcebook for the Academic Workplace" and represents a tool for colleges interested in supporting faculty morale and the quality of the academic workplace. The Audit, developed from a study by the Council of Independent Colleges, is organized into nine sections, each one focusing on an…

Experimental Investigation of the Role of Defects in Detonation Sensitivity of Energetic Materials: Development of Techniques for Characterization

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-31

materials. The initial work was focused on design and construction of an apparatus for injecting defects into the crystals using PZT ceramics ...in the energy partitioning (Table 2), which offers some insight into the nature of the energetic texture of crystalline materials not apparent in

Cultural Reflections: Work, Politics and Daily Life in Geramny. Social Studies Lessons.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blankenship, Glen; Tinkler, D. William

This curriculum packet, designed for high school students, contains student activities that focus on worker training and apprenticeship programs, structure of the school system, family income, leisure time activities, structure of the federal government, and social programs/health care. The three lessons may be used individually via integration…

Design and Assessment of an Associate Degree-Level Plant Operations Technical Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selwitz, Jason Lawrence

2017-01-01

Research was undertaken to develop and evaluate an associate degree-level technical education program in Plant Operations oriented towards training students in applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills and knowledge relevant to a spectrum of processing industries. This work focuses on four aspects of the curriculum…

Prevention Work with Children Disaffected from School: Findings from the Evaluation of Two Innovative Community-Based Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Paul; Seddon, Toby

2005-01-01

Purpose: To report on findings from the evaluation of two innovative community-based prevention projects in the UK targeted at children disaffected from school, one involving football the other horticulture. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative inquiry focusing on three areas: "theories of change" underpinning the projects; referral…

Facilitating Attitudinal Learning in an Animal Behaviour and Welfare MOOC

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Sunnie Lee

2017-01-01

This case study examines the design and facilitation of a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that focused on attitudinal learning about the topic of animal behaviour and welfare. Findings showed that a team of instructors worked together collaboratively towards realising learning goals and found the experience rewarding. While learners had mixed…

Developing Global Competences by Extended Chemistry Concept Maps

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Celestino, Teresa; Piumetti, Marco

2015-01-01

This work focuses on a possible teaching approach to promote chemistry learning for students during the first two years of technical high school in Italy (age 14-15). Critical thinking skills can be developed by integrating two different curriculum designs, converging in a novel didactic approach, a modified version of the Systemic Approach to…

Controlling Costs. Managing Resources Module. Operational Management Programme. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayter, Roy

This self-study unit focuses on managing resources--materials, equipment, personnel, money, energy, time, and information. The material is designed primarily for those in a supervisory or junior management position working within their company's policies and systems. The unit may be of value to the small business proprietor, as an introduction to…

HRD Challenges Faced in the Post-Global Financial Crisis Period--Insights from the UK

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keeble-Ramsay, Diane Rose; Armitage, Andrew

2015-01-01

Purpose: The paper aims to report initial empirical research that examines UK employees' perceptions of the changing nature of work since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) to consider how the financial context may have constrained HRD practice and more sustainable approaches. Design/methodology/approach: Focus group research was facilitated…

Reconsidering the Promise of Systemwide Innovation for Urban Districts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hess, Frederick

1998-01-01

Many of the problems school reform is expected to solve are aggravated by the ways schools use reform. Macro-level innovations are rarely designed to work. Meaningful change requires time and focus. Reforms may be more about politics than about change. A constant churn of policy change and reform has become the norm. (SK)

Egyptians, Maya, Minoans. Learning Works Enrichment Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthies, Susanna

The activities in this instructional resource book are designed to be used by gifted 4-8th grade students as independent research guides or in guided or cooperative learning environments. The activities are organized in three sections which focus the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Maya, and Minoa. The activities presented encourage development of…

Learning about Urban Ecology through the Use of Visualization and Geospatial Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barnett, Michael; Houle, Meredith; Mark, Sheron; Strauss, Eric; Hoffman, Emily

2010-01-01

During the past three years we have been designing and implementing a technology enhanced urban ecology program using geographic information systems (GIS) coupled with technology. Our initial work focused on professional development for in-service teachers and implementation in K-12 classrooms. However, upon reflection and analysis of the…

Workers in Agribusiness: Profile, Images, Recruitment, Mobility, and Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Lee, Ed.; Leagans, J. Paul, Ed.

Designed and conducted by a team of professors and research associates at New York State College of Agriculture, this study focuses on five primary areas of concern: (1) profile of firms and workers, (2) images of agribusiness work, (3) recruitment, (4) occupational mobility, and (5) agribusiness occupations and projections. Findings reveal that…

Designing a Problem-Based Learning Environment for ESL Students in Business Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Roberta; Rooney, Pam

1998-01-01

Describes a problem-based course structure (that focuses on problem solving, critical thinking, and team skills) for an upper-level business writing course that allows both English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) and Native English-speaking students the opportunity to improve communication abilities in cross-cultural work groups. Discusses cooperative…

Beyond Decision Making for Outdoor Leaders: Expanding the Safety Behavior Research Agenda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Jeff S.

2016-01-01

The study of safety behaviour of designated outdoor leaders primarily revolves around their decision making and judgement. The last ten years, however, have seen relatively little peer-reviewed research regarding guide or instructor safety cognition and behaviour. The narrow decision making focus of modern work makes for a field of study…

State College Scavenger: Evaluating the Perspectives of Mobile Computing Interactions within Community Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoffman, Blaine

2013-01-01

This work focuses on the impact of mobile computing on individuals' perspectives of places within their community. A technological intervention is designed and deployed to augment the user experience of visiting different locations around town, physically exploring them while also interacting with an online tool. The tool-supported activity serves…

A Youth-Friendly Intervention for Homeless and Street-Involved Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connor, Barbara Virley; MacDonald, Brian J.

1999-01-01

Describes a community intervention for a population of youth who are often distrustful of mainstream mental health services. Program focuses on not viewing youth as patients but as experts in working with adults to design youth-friendly interventions. Outlines the development and implementation of a support-group model tailored specifically to the…

Factors Associated with the Effectiveness of Continuing Education in Long-Term Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stolee, Paul; Esbaugh, Jacquelin; Aylward, Sandra; Cathers, Tamzin; Harvey, David P.; Hillier, Loretta M.; Keat, Nancy; Feightner, John W.

2005-01-01

Purpose: This article examines factors within the long-term-care work environment that impact the effectiveness of continuing education. Design & Methods: In Study 1, focus group interviews were conducted with staff and management from urban and rural long-term-care facilities in southwestern Ontario to identify their perceptions of the…

Teachers Curriculum Guide for Field Ecology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bemiss, Clair W.

Focusing upon a working knowledge of ecological principles as a requisite for today's society, this teacher's guide suggests numerous field studies which make pertinent use of these principles. It is designed to serve as an aid in planning student-centered activities which allow for understanding and improving the ecosystem in which they are an…

Struggling Readers: An Action Research Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scordias, Margaret

A study focused on designing and implementing a reading program based on modified Reading Recovery programs. The student selected to be worked with made excellent gains and was the second strongest reader of all students observed in the study. Without question, the student functioned at a level equal to the middle of the class and her learning…

RBS Career Education. Evaluation Planning Manual. Education Is Going to Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kershner, Keith M.

Designed for use with the Research for Better Schools career education program, this evaluation planning manual focuses on procedures and issues central to planning the evaluation of an educational program. Following a statement on the need for evaluation, nine sequential steps for evaluation planning are discussed. The first two steps, program…

Metal Trades Modules. Vocational Behavioral Objectives: A Guide for Individualizing Instruction.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Westinghouse Learning Corp., New York, NY.

The curriculum guide focuses on the metal trades area at the secondary level of vocational education and industrial arts. It addresses the subject in behavioral terms, as prominent components of the career education concept. Presenting two skill modules, sheetmetal working and welding, the objectives presented are designed to be compatible with…

Perceived work and family conflict among African American nurses in college.

PubMed

Gipson-Jones, Trina

2009-07-01

This article describes the perceptions of African American nurses regarding the interaction between work-family conflict, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being. A qualitative descriptive design was employed to conduct six focus group sessions with 23 nurses at three universities in the southeastern United States. Stressors such as racism or lack of teamwork and supervisor support caused the nurses to contemplate leaving a workplace or the profession. Family stressors, such as an ill family member, also influenced any decision regarding career longevity. Future studies examining work-family interface, especially positive spillover and psychological well-being are warranted.

Feasibility of MHD submarine propulsion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Doss, E.D.; Sikes, W.C.

1992-09-01

This report describes the work performed during Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the collaborative research program established between Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company (NNS). Phase I of the program focused on the development of computer models for Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) propulsion. Phase 2 focused on the experimental validation of the thruster performance models and the identification, through testing, of any phenomena which may impact the attractiveness of this propulsion system for shipboard applications. The report discusses in detail the work performed in Phase 2 of the program. In Phase 2, a two Teslamore » test facility was designed, built, and operated. The facility test loop, its components, and their design are presented. The test matrix and its rationale are discussed. Representative experimental results of the test program are presented, and are compared to computer model predictions. In general, the results of the tests and their comparison with the predictions indicate that thephenomena affecting the performance of MHD seawater thrusters are well understood and can be accurately predicted with the developed thruster computer models.« less

Contributing factors in construction accidents.

PubMed

Haslam, R A; Hide, S A; Gibb, A G F; Gyi, D E; Pavitt, T; Atkinson, S; Duff, A R

2005-07-01

This overview paper draws together findings from previous focus group research and studies of 100 individual construction accidents. Pursuing issues raised by the focus groups, the accident studies collected qualitative information on the circumstances of each incident and the causal influences involved. Site based data collection entailed interviews with accident-involved personnel and their supervisor or manager, inspection of the accident location, and review of appropriate documentation. Relevant issues from the site investigations were then followed up with off-site stakeholders, including designers, manufacturers and suppliers. Levels of involvement of key factors in the accidents were: problems arising from workers or the work team (70% of accidents), workplace issues (49%), shortcomings with equipment (including PPE) (56%), problems with suitability and condition of materials (27%), and deficiencies with risk management (84%). Employing an ergonomics systems approach, a model is proposed, indicating the manner in which originating managerial, design and cultural factors shape the circumstances found in the work place, giving rise to the acts and conditions which, in turn, lead to accidents. It is argued that attention to the originating influences will be necessary for sustained improvement in construction safety to be achieved.

Aerodynamic aircraft design methods and their notable applications: Survey of the activity in Japan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fujii, Kozo; Takanashi, Susumu

1991-01-01

An overview of aerodynamic aircraft design methods and their recent applications in Japan is presented. A design code which was developed at the National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) and is in use now is discussed, hence, most of the examples are the result of the collaborative work between heavy industry and the National Aerospace Laboratory. A wide variety of applications in transonic to supersonic flow regimes are presented. Although design of aircraft elements for external flows are the main focus, some of the internal flow applications are also presented. Recent applications of the design code, using the Navier Stokes and Euler equations in the analysis mode, include the design of HOPE (a space vehicle) and Upper Surface Blowing (USB) aircraft configurations.

On the Use of Parmetric-CAD Systems and Cartesian Methods for Aerodynamic Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nemec, Marian; Aftosmis, Michael J.; Pulliam, Thomas H.

2004-01-01

Automated, high-fidelity tools for aerodynamic design face critical issues in attempting to optimize real-life geometry arid in permitting radical design changes. Success in these areas promises not only significantly shorter design- cycle times, but also superior and unconventional designs. To address these issues, we investigate the use of a parmetric-CAD system in conjunction with an embedded-boundary Cartesian method. Our goal is to combine the modeling capabilities of feature-based CAD with the robustness and flexibility of component-based Cartesian volume-mesh generation for complex geometry problems. We present the development of an automated optimization frame-work with a focus on the deployment of such a CAD-based design approach in a heterogeneous parallel computing environment.

Design requirements for plasma facing materials in ITER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matera, R.; Federici, G.; ITER Joint Central Team

1996-10-01

After the official approval of the Interim Design Report, the ITER project enters the final phase of the EDA. With the definition of the design requirements of the high heat flux components, the structural and armor materials' working domain is better specified, allowing to focus the R & D program on the most critical issues and to orient the design of divertor and first wall components towards those concepts which potentially have a better chance to withstand normal and off-normal operating conditions. Among the latter, slow, high-power, high recycling transient are at present driving the design of high heat flux components. Examples of possible design solution under experimental validation in the R & D program are presented and discussed in this paper.

Patient engagement--what works?

PubMed

Coulter, Angela

2012-01-01

The recent focus on patient engagement acknowledges that patients have an important role to play in their own health care. This includes reading, understanding and acting on health information (health literacy), working together with clinicians to select appropriate treatments or management options (shared decision making), and providing feedback on health care processes and outcomes (quality improvement). Various interventions designed to help patients play an effective role have been evaluated in trials and systematic reviews. This article outlines the evidence in support of the most promising interventions.

Contribution of psychological, social, and mechanical work exposures to low work ability: a prospective study.

PubMed

Emberland, Jan S; Knardahl, Stein

2015-03-01

To determine the contribution of specific psychological, social, and mechanical work exposures to the self-reported low level of work ability. Employees from 48 organizations were surveyed over a 2-year period (n = 3779). Changes in 16 work exposures and 3 work ability measures-the work ability index score, perceived current, and future work ability-were tested with Spearman rank correlations. Binary logistic regressions were run to determine contribution of work exposures to low work ability. Role conflict, human resource primacy, and positive challenge were the most consistent predictors of low work ability across test designs. Role clarity and fair leadership were less consistent but prominent predictors. Mechanical exposures were not predictive. To protect employee work ability, work place interventions would benefit from focusing on reducing role conflicts and on promoting positive challenges and human resource primacy.

Contribution of Psychological, Social, and Mechanical Work Exposures to Low Work Ability

PubMed Central

Knardahl, Stein

2015-01-01

Objective: To determine the contribution of specific psychological, social, and mechanical work exposures to the self-reported low level of work ability. Methods: Employees from 48 organizations were surveyed over a 2-year period (n = 3779). Changes in 16 work exposures and 3 work ability measures—the work ability index score, perceived current, and future work ability—were tested with Spearman rank correlations. Binary logistic regressions were run to determine contribution of work exposures to low work ability. Results: Role conflict, human resource primacy, and positive challenge were the most consistent predictors of low work ability across test designs. Role clarity and fair leadership were less consistent but prominent predictors. Mechanical exposures were not predictive. Conclusions: To protect employee work ability, work place interventions would benefit from focusing on reducing role conflicts and on promoting positive challenges and human resource primacy. PMID:25470453

Centralized vs. decentralized nursing stations: effects on nurses' functional use of space and work environment.

PubMed

Zborowsky, Terri; Bunker-Hellmich, Lou; Morelli, Agneta; O'Neill, Mike

2010-01-01

Evidence-based findings of the effects of nursing station design on nurses' work environment and work behavior are essential to improve conditions and increase retention among these fundamental members of the healthcare delivery team. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate how nursing station design (i.e., centralized and decentralized nursing station layouts) affected nurses' use of space, patient visibility, noise levels, and perceptions of the work environment. Advances in information technology have enabled nurses to move away from traditional centralized paper-charting stations to smaller decentralized work stations and charting substations located closer to, or inside of, patient rooms. Improved understanding of the trade-offs presented by centralized and decentralized nursing station design has the potential to provide useful information for future nursing station layouts. This information will be critical for understanding the nurse environment "fit." The study used an exploratory design with both qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative data regarding the effects of nursing station design on nurses' health and work environment were gathered by means of focus group interviews. Quantitative data-gathering techniques included place- and person-centered space use observations, patient visibility assessments, sound level measurements, and an online questionnaire regarding perceptions of the work environment. Nurses on all units were observed most frequently performing telephone, computer, and administrative duties. Time spent using telephones, computers, and performing other administrative duties was significantly higher in the centralized nursing stations. Consultations with medical staff and social interactions were significantly less frequent in decentralized nursing stations. There were no indications that either centralized or decentralized nursing station designs resulted in superior visibility. Sound levels measured in all nursing stations exceeded recommended levels during all shifts. No significant differences were identified in nurses' perceptions of work control-demand-support in centralized and decentralized nursing station designs. The "hybrid" nursing design model in which decentralized nursing stations are coupled with centralized meeting rooms for consultation between staff members may strike a balance between the increase in computer duties and the ongoing need for communication and consultation that addresses the conflicting demands of technology and direct patient care.

Design and application of electromechanical actuators for deep space missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haskew, Tim A.; Wander, John

1993-01-01

During the period 8/16/92 through 2/15/93, work has been focused on three major topics: (1) screw modeling and testing; (2) motor selection; and (3) health monitoring and fault diagnosis. Detailed theoretical analysis has been performed to specify a full dynamic model for the roller screw. A test stand has been designed for model parameter estimation and screw testing. In addition, the test stand is expected to be used to perform a study on transverse screw loading.

Air Force Reusable Booster System A Quick-look, Design Focused Modeling and Cost Analysis Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zapata, Edgar

2011-01-01

Presents work supporting the Air force Reusable Booster System (RBS) - A Cost Study with Goals as follows: Support US launch systems decision makers, esp. in regards to the research, technology and demonstration investments required for reusable systems to succeed. Encourage operable directions in Reusable Booster / Launch Vehicle Systems technology choices, system design and product and process developments. Perform a quick-look cost study, while developing a cost model for more refined future analysis.

High Strength P/M Gears for Vehicle Transmissions - Phase 2

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-15

and while it was considered amenable to standard work material transfer ("blue steel" chutes for example) from other P/M processing equipment, no...depend of the machine design but should be kept to a minimum in order to minimize part transfer times. Position control of the linear axis is...Establish design of ausform gear finishing machine for P/M gears: The "Focus" part identified in phase I (New Process Planet gear P/N 17864, component

The CHROME Honors Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Eleanor

2002-01-01

The CHROME Honors Program was designed as a two-week residential program for 9th and 1Oth grade students participating in CHROME clubs. The curriculum focused on the health sciences with instruction from: (1) the science and health curriculum of the Dozoretz National Program for Minorities in Applied Sciences (DNIMAS) Program of Norfolk State University (NSU); (2) the humanities curriculum of the NSU Honors Program; (3) NASA-related curriculum in human physiology. An Advisory Committee was formed to work with the Project Coordinator in the design of the summer program.

Halbach arrays in precision motion control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trumper, D.L.; Williams, M.E.

1995-02-01

The Halbach array was developed for use as an optical element in particle accelerators. Following up on a suggestion from Klaus Halbach, the authors have investigated the utility of such arrays as the permanent magnet structure for synchronous machines in cartesian, polar, and cylindrical geometries. Their work has focused on the design of a novel Halbach array linear motor for use in a magnetic suspension stage for photolithography. This paper presents the details of the motor design and its force and power characteristics.

Lessons learned from the SLC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Phinney, N.

The SLAC Linear Collider (SLC) is the first example of an entirely new type of lepton collider. Many years of effort were required to develop the understanding and techniques needed to approach design luminosity. This paper discusses some of the key issues and problems encountered in producing a working linear collider. These include the polarized source, techniques for emittance preservation, extensive feedback systems, and refinements in beam optimization in the final focus. The SLC experience has been invaluable for testing concepts and developing designs for a future linear collider.

Design and Analysis of Secure Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jiong; Zhang, Hua

2017-09-01

In recent years, with the development of science and technology and the progress of the times, China's wireless network technology has become increasingly prosperous and it plays an important role in social production and life. In this context, in order to further to enhance the stability of wireless network data transmission and security enhancements, the staff need to focus on routing security and carry out related work. Based on this, this paper analyzes the design of wireless sensor based on secure routing protocol.

Research in robust control for hypersonic aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Calise, A. J.

1994-01-01

The research during the third reporting period focused on fixed order robust control design for hypersonic vehicles. A new technique was developed to synthesize fixed order H(sub infinity) controllers. A controller canonical form is imposed on the compensator structure and a homotopy algorithm is employed to perform the controller design. Various reduced order controllers are designed for a simplified version of the hypersonic vehicle model used in our previous studies to demonstrate the capabilities of the code. However, further work is needed to investigate the issue of numerical ill-conditioning for large order systems and to make the numerical approach more reliable.

Predictors and enablers of mental health nurses' family-focused practice.

PubMed

Grant, Anne; Reupert, Andrea; Maybery, Darryl; Goodyear, Melinda

2018-06-27

Family-focused practice improves outcomes for families where parents have a mental illness. However, there is limited understanding regarding the factors that predict and enable these practices. This study aimed to identify factors that predict and enable mental health nurses' family-focused practice. A sequential mixed methods design was used. A total of 343 mental health nurses, practicing in 12 mental health services (in acute inpatient and community settings), throughout Ireland completed the Family Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire, measuring family-focused behaviours and other factors that impact family-focused activities. Hierarchical multiple regression identified 14 predictors of family-focused practice. The most important predictors noted were nurses' skill and knowledge, own parenting experience, and work setting (i.e. community). Fourteen nurses, who achieved high scores on the questionnaire, subsequently participated in semistructured interviews to elaborate on enablers of family-focused practice. Participants described drawing on their parenting experiences to normalize parenting challenges, encouraging service users to disclose parenting concerns, and promoting trust. The opportunity to visit a service user's home allowed them to observe how the parent was coping and forge a close relationship with them. Nurses' personal characteristics and work setting are key factors in determining family-focused practice. This study extends current research by clearly highlighting predictors of family-focused practice and reporting how various enablers promoted family-focused practice. The capacity of nurses to support families has training, organizational and policy implications within adult mental health services in Ireland and elsewhere. © 2018 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Design of transmissive lens with nearly 100% efficiency by using Huygens metasurface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, B. C.; Wang, G. M.; Cai, T.; Hou, H. S.; Guo, W. L.; Xie, P.; Shuai, S. Y.; Liao, Z. H.; Li, K.; Zhu, L.; Gao, X. J.

2018-01-01

We proposed a high-efficiency meta-surface with a parabolic phase distribution that can focus a plane wave to a point image in transmission geometry. For realizing the predicted effects, we use the meta-atoms with 100% transmission to make it. Then we operate the simulation in the CST Microwave Studio to perform the focusing characteristic. The results show that the maximum efficiency is up to 90.6% at 10GHz and the half-power bandwidth is 31.8%, which is better than other previous works.

The Acadia Learning Project: Lessons Learned from Engaging High School Teachers and Students in Citizen Science Supporting National Parks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, S. J.; Zoellick, B.; Davis, Y.; Lindsey, E.

2009-12-01

In 2007 the authors initiated a citizen science research project, supported with funding from the Maine Department of Education, designed to extend research at Acadia National Park to a broader geographic area while also providing high school students and teachers with an opportunity to engage in authentic research in cooperation with working scientists. The scientific focus of the work has been on providing information about the mercury burden of organisms at different trophic levels across different geographic and environmental settings. The pedagogical focus has been on providing students with immersion in a substantial, field-based project, including background research, hypothesis formulation, data collection and analysis, and presentation of research findings. Starting work with 6 teachers in two schools the first year, the project expanded to involve more than 20 teachers and 350 students in a dozen schools in its second year. In coming years, with support from NOAA and cooperation from other National Parks in the region, the project will expand to include work in other states along the coast of the Gulf of Maine. In this paper the authors describe evolution in the use of the Internet over the first two years of the project, a sharpened focus on professional development for teachers, survey results regarding student views of the nature of science, the importance of focusing on rigorous, useful data collection from an educational perspective, success in establishing that samples collected by students are useful in research, the disjuncture between scientific and pedagogical outcomes, an assessment of the value of student poster presentations, and lessons learned about preparation and use of curriculum support materials. The authors also describe future directions, which include an increased focus on professional development and student work with graphs, a narrower focus in sample collection, and increased use of the Internet to provide participating teachers and students with a picture of how their fieldwork contributes to overall objectives. The authors describe the expected course of research supported by this citizen science project and the work, now underway, on developing learning progressions to support such research.

Work Models in the Design Process for House Interior and Exterior: Physical or Virtual?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradecki, Tomasz; Uherek-Bradecka, Barbara

2017-10-01

The article presents the effects of research on different types of models of single family houses and multifamily houses. Exterior layout and interior functional layout are the main drivers for the final result of a design. Models are an important medium for presentation of architectural designs and play a pivotal role in explaining the first idea to people and potential clients. Although 3D models have unlimited possibilities of representation, some people cannot understand or ‘feel’ the designed space. The authors try to test how to combine the interior and the exterior in a single synthetic model. Several models of different houses have been presented in the article. All the case studies were developed with physical models, 3D models, and 2D hand sketches. The main focus of the work with the models was to achieve a coherent vision for future feeling of open space in designed houses. The research shows how synthetic models might be helpful in the design process. The research was carried in the URBAN model research group (urbanmodel.org, Gliwice, Poland) that consists of academic researchers and architects. The models reflect architectural experience gathered by the authors during their work on theoretical models, architectural projects and by supervision on site during construction site visits. Conclusions might be helpful for developers, architects, interior designers and architecture students.

The Born approximation, multiple scattering, and the butterfly algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, Alejandro F.

Radar works by focusing a beam of light and seeing how long it takes to reflect. To see a large region the beam is pointed in different directions. The focus of the beam depends on the size of the antenna (called an aperture). Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) works by moving the antenna through some region of space. A fundamental assumption in SAR is that waves only bounce once. Several imaging algorithms have been designed using that assumption. The scattering process can be described by iterations of a badly behaving integral. Recently a method for efficiently evaluating these types of integrals has been developed. We will give a detailed implementation of this algorithm and apply it to study the multiple scattering effects in SAR using target estimates from single scattering algorithms.

Career preference theory: A grounded theory describing the effects of undergraduate career preferences on student persistence in engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dettinger, Karen Marie

This study used grounded theory in a case study at a large public research university to develop a theory about how the culture in engineering education affects students with varying interests and backgrounds. According to Career Preference Theory, the engineering education system has evolved to meet the needs of one type of student, the Physical Scientist. While this educational process serves to develop the next generation of engineering faculty members, the majority of engineering undergraduates go on to work as practicing engineers, and are far removed from working as physical scientists. According to Career Preference Theory, students with a history of success in mathematics and sciences, and a focus on career, enter engineering. These students, who actually have a wide range of interests and values, each begin seeking an identity as a practicing engineer. Career Preference Theory is developed around a concept, Career Identity Type, that describes five different types of engineering students: Pragmatic, Physical Scientist, "Social" Scientist, Designer, and Educator. According to the theory, each student must develop an identity within the engineering education system if they are to persist in engineering. However, the current undergraduate engineering education system has evolved in such a way that it meets only the needs of the Physical Scientist. Pragmatic students are also likely to succeed because they tend to be extremely goal-focused and maintain a focus on the rewards they will receive once they graduate with an engineering degree. However, "Social" Scientists, who value interpersonal relationships and giving back to society; Designers, who value integrating ideas across disciplines to create aesthetically pleasing and useful products; and Educators, who have a strong desire to give back to society by working with young people, must make some connection between these values and a future engineering career if they are to persist in engineering. According to Career Preference Theory, "Social" Scientists, Designers, and Educators are likely to leave engineering, while Pragmatics and Physical Scientists are likely to persist.

High-Fidelity 3D-Nanoprinting via Focused Electron Beams: Computer-Aided Design (3BID)

DOE PAGES

Fowlkes, Jason D.; Winkler, Robert; Lewis, Brett B.; ...

2018-02-14

Currently, there are few techniques that allow true 3D-printing on the nanoscale. The most promising candidate to fill this void is focused electron-beam-induced deposition (FEBID), a resist-free, nanofabrication compatible, direct-write method. The basic working principles of a computer-aided design (CAD) program (3BID) enabling 3D-FEBID is presented and simultaneously released for download. The 3BID capability significantly expands the currently limited toolbox for 3D-nanoprinting, providing access to geometries for optoelectronic, plasmonic, and nanomagnetic applications that were previously unattainable due to the lack of a suitable method for synthesis. In conclusion, the CAD approach supplants trial and error toward more precise/accurate FEBID requiredmore » for real applications/device prototyping.« less