Fundamentals of biomechanics in tissue engineering of bone.

PubMed

Athanasiou, K A; Zhu, C; Lanctot, D R; Agrawal, C M; Wang, X

2000-08-01

The objective of this review is to provide basic information pertaining to biomechanical aspects of bone as they relate to tissue engineering. The review is written for the general tissue engineering reader, who may not have a biomechanical engineering background. To this end, biomechanical characteristics and properties of normal and repair cortical and cancellous bone are presented. Also, this chapter intends to describe basic structure-function relationships of these two types of bone. Special emphasis is placed on salient classical and modern testing methods, with both material and structural properties described.

Information visualization: Beyond traditional engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, James J.

1995-01-01

This presentation addresses a different aspect of the human-computer interface; specifically the human-information interface. This interface will be dominated by an emerging technology called Information Visualization (IV). IV goes beyond the traditional views of computer graphics, CADS, and enables new approaches for engineering. IV specifically must visualize text, documents, sound, images, and video in such a way that the human can rapidly interact with and understand the content structure of information entities. IV is the interactive visual interface between humans and their information resources.

Executive overview and introduction to the SMAP information system life-cycle and documentation standards

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

An overview of the five volume set of Information System Life-Cycle and Documentation Standards is provided with information on its use. The overview covers description, objectives, key definitions, structure and application of the standards, and document structure decisions. These standards were created to provide consistent NASA-wide structures for coordinating, controlling, and documenting the engineering of an information system (hardware, software, and operational procedures components) phase by phase.

Dynamics of Rotating Multi-component Turbomachinery Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, Charles

1993-01-01

The ultimate objective of turbomachinery vibration analysis is to predict both the overall, as well as component dynamic response. To accomplish this objective requires complete engine structural models, including multistages of bladed disk assemblies, flexible rotor shafts and bearings, and engine support structures and casings. In the present approach each component is analyzed as a separate structure and boundary information is exchanged at the inter-component connections. The advantage of this tactic is that even though readily available detailed component models are utilized, accurate and comprehensive system response information may be obtained. Sample problems, which include a fixed base rotating blade and a blade on a flexible rotor, are presented.

Transient Dissipation and Structural Costs of Physical Information Transduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boyd, Alexander B.; Mandal, Dibyendu; Riechers, Paul M.; Crutchfield, James P.

2017-06-01

A central result that arose in applying information theory to the stochastic thermodynamics of nonlinear dynamical systems is the information-processing second law (IPSL): the physical entropy of the Universe can decrease if compensated by the Shannon-Kolmogorov-Sinai entropy change of appropriate information-carrying degrees of freedom. In particular, the asymptotic-rate IPSL precisely delineates the thermodynamic functioning of autonomous Maxwellian demons and information engines. How do these systems begin to function as engines, Landauer erasers, and error correctors? We identify a minimal, and thus inescapable, transient dissipation of physical information processing, which is not captured by asymptotic rates, but is critical to adaptive thermodynamic processes such as those found in biological systems. A component of transient dissipation, we also identify an implementation-dependent cost that varies from one physical substrate to another for the same information processing task. Applying these results to producing structured patterns from a structureless information reservoir, we show that "retrodictive" generators achieve the minimal costs. The results establish the thermodynamic toll imposed by a physical system's structure as it comes to optimally transduce information.

Problem decomposition by mutual information and force-based clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Otero, Richard Edward

The scale of engineering problems has sharply increased over the last twenty years. Larger coupled systems, increasing complexity, and limited resources create a need for methods that automatically decompose problems into manageable sub-problems by discovering and leveraging problem structure. The ability to learn the coupling (inter-dependence) structure and reorganize the original problem could lead to large reductions in the time to analyze complex problems. Such decomposition methods could also provide engineering insight on the fundamental physics driving problem solution. This work forwards the current state of the art in engineering decomposition through the application of techniques originally developed within computer science and information theory. The work describes the current state of automatic problem decomposition in engineering and utilizes several promising ideas to advance the state of the practice. Mutual information is a novel metric for data dependence and works on both continuous and discrete data. Mutual information can measure both the linear and non-linear dependence between variables without the limitations of linear dependence measured through covariance. Mutual information is also able to handle data that does not have derivative information, unlike other metrics that require it. The value of mutual information to engineering design work is demonstrated on a planetary entry problem. This study utilizes a novel tool developed in this work for planetary entry system synthesis. A graphical method, force-based clustering, is used to discover related sub-graph structure as a function of problem structure and links ranked by their mutual information. This method does not require the stochastic use of neural networks and could be used with any link ranking method currently utilized in the field. Application of this method is demonstrated on a large, coupled low-thrust trajectory problem. Mutual information also serves as the basis for an alternative global optimizer, called MIMIC, which is unrelated to Genetic Algorithms. Advancement to the current practice demonstrates the use of MIMIC as a global method that explicitly models problem structure with mutual information, providing an alternate method for globally searching multi-modal domains. By leveraging discovered problem inter- dependencies, MIMIC may be appropriate for highly coupled problems or those with large function evaluation cost. This work introduces a useful addition to the MIMIC algorithm that enables its use on continuous input variables. By leveraging automatic decision tree generation methods from Machine Learning and a set of randomly generated test problems, decision trees for which method to apply are also created, quantifying decomposition performance over a large region of the design space.

Building information modelling review with potential applications in tunnel engineering of China.

PubMed

Zhou, Weihong; Qin, Haiyang; Qiu, Junling; Fan, Haobo; Lai, Jinxing; Wang, Ke; Wang, Lixin

2017-08-01

Building information modelling (BIM) can be applied to tunnel engineering to address a number of problems, including complex structure, extensive design, long construction cycle and increased security risks. To promote the development of tunnel engineering in China, this paper combines actual cases, including the Xingu mountain tunnel and the Shigu Mountain tunnel, to systematically analyse BIM applications in tunnel engineering in China. The results indicate that BIM technology in tunnel engineering is currently mainly applied during the design stage rather than during construction and operation stages. The application of BIM technology in tunnel engineering covers many problems, such as a lack of standards, incompatibility of different software, disorganized management, complex combination with GIS (Geographic Information System), low utilization rate and poor awareness. In this study, through summary of related research results and engineering cases, suggestions are introduced and an outlook for the BIM application in tunnel engineering in China is presented, which provides guidance for design optimization, construction standards and later operation maintenance.

Building information modelling review with potential applications in tunnel engineering of China

PubMed Central

Zhou, Weihong; Qin, Haiyang; Fan, Haobo; Lai, Jinxing; Wang, Ke; Wang, Lixin

2017-01-01

Building information modelling (BIM) can be applied to tunnel engineering to address a number of problems, including complex structure, extensive design, long construction cycle and increased security risks. To promote the development of tunnel engineering in China, this paper combines actual cases, including the Xingu mountain tunnel and the Shigu Mountain tunnel, to systematically analyse BIM applications in tunnel engineering in China. The results indicate that BIM technology in tunnel engineering is currently mainly applied during the design stage rather than during construction and operation stages. The application of BIM technology in tunnel engineering covers many problems, such as a lack of standards, incompatibility of different software, disorganized management, complex combination with GIS (Geographic Information System), low utilization rate and poor awareness. In this study, through summary of related research results and engineering cases, suggestions are introduced and an outlook for the BIM application in tunnel engineering in China is presented, which provides guidance for design optimization, construction standards and later operation maintenance. PMID:28878970

Building information modelling review with potential applications in tunnel engineering of China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Weihong; Qin, Haiyang; Qiu, Junling; Fan, Haobo; Lai, Jinxing; Wang, Ke; Wang, Lixin

2017-08-01

Building information modelling (BIM) can be applied to tunnel engineering to address a number of problems, including complex structure, extensive design, long construction cycle and increased security risks. To promote the development of tunnel engineering in China, this paper combines actual cases, including the Xingu mountain tunnel and the Shigu Mountain tunnel, to systematically analyse BIM applications in tunnel engineering in China. The results indicate that BIM technology in tunnel engineering is currently mainly applied during the design stage rather than during construction and operation stages. The application of BIM technology in tunnel engineering covers many problems, such as a lack of standards, incompatibility of different software, disorganized management, complex combination with GIS (Geographic Information System), low utilization rate and poor awareness. In this study, through summary of related research results and engineering cases, suggestions are introduced and an outlook for the BIM application in tunnel engineering in China is presented, which provides guidance for design optimization, construction standards and later operation maintenance.

NASA Systems Engineering Research Consortium: Defining the Path to Elegance in Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Michael D.; Farrington, Phillip A.

2016-01-01

The NASA Systems Engineering Research Consortium was formed at the end of 2010 to study the approaches to producing elegant systems on a consistent basis. This has been a transformative study looking at the engineering and organizational basis of systems engineering. The consortium has engaged in a variety of research topics to determine the path to elegant systems. In the second year of the consortium, a systems engineering framework emerged which structured the approach to systems engineering and guided our research. This led in the third year to set of systems engineering postulates that the consortium is continuing to refine. The consortium has conducted several research projects that have contributed significantly to the understanding of systems engineering. The consortium has surveyed the application of the NASA 17 systems engineering processes, explored the physics and statistics of systems integration, and considered organizational aspects of systems engineering discipline integration. The systems integration methods have included system exergy analysis, Akaike Information Criteria (AIC), State Variable Analysis, Multidisciplinary Coupling Analysis (MCA), Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO), System Cost Modelling, System Robustness, and Value Modelling. Organizational studies have included the variability of processes in change evaluations, margin management within the organization, information theory of board structures, social categorization of unintended consequences, and initial looks at applying cognitive science to systems engineering. Consortium members have also studied the bidirectional influence of policy and law with systems engineering.

NASA Systems Engineering Research Consortium: Defining the Path to Elegance in Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Michael D.; Farrington, Phillip A.

2016-01-01

The NASA Systems Engineering Research Consortium was formed at the end of 2010 to study the approaches to producing elegant systems on a consistent basis. This has been a transformative study looking at the engineering and organizational basis of systems engineering. The consortium has engaged in a variety of research topics to determine the path to elegant systems. In the second year of the consortium, a systems engineering framework emerged which structured the approach to systems engineering and guided our research. This led in the third year to set of systems engineering postulates that the consortium is continuing to refine. The consortium has conducted several research projects that have contributed significantly to the understanding of systems engineering. The consortium has surveyed the application of the NASA 17 systems engineering processes, explored the physics and statistics of systems integration, and considered organizational aspects of systems engineering discipline integration. The systems integration methods have included system energy analysis, Akaike Information Criteria (AIC), State Variable Analysis, Multidisciplinary Coupling Analysis (MCA), Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO), System Cost Modeling, System Robustness, and Value Modeling. Organizational studies have included the variability of processes in change evaluations, margin management within the organization, information theory of board structures, social categorization of unintended consequences, and initial looks at applying cognitive science to systems engineering. Consortium members have also studied the bidirectional influence of policy and law with systems engineering.

Generalized Information Architecture for Managing Requirements in IBM?s Rational DOORS(r) Application.

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

Aragon, Kathryn M.; Eaton, Shelley M.; McCornack, Marjorie Turner

When a requirements engineering effort fails to meet expectations, often times the requirements management tool is blamed. Working with numerous project teams at Sandia National Laboratories over the last fifteen years has shown us that the tool is rarely the culprit; usually it is the lack of a viable information architecture with well- designed processes to support requirements engineering. This document illustrates design concepts with rationale, as well as a proven information architecture to structure and manage information in support of requirements engineering activities for any size or type of project. This generalized information architecture is specific to IBM's Rationalmore » DOORS (Dynamic Object Oriented Requirements System) software application, which is the requirements management tool in Sandia's CEE (Common Engineering Environment). This generalized information architecture can be used as presented or as a foundation for designing a tailored information architecture for project-specific needs. It may also be tailored for another software tool. Version 1.0 4 November 201« less

Analysis of Ten Reverse Engineering Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koskinen, Jussi; Lehmonen, Tero

Reverse engineering tools can be used in satisfying the information needs of software maintainers. Especially in case of maintaining large-scale legacy systems tool support is essential. Reverse engineering tools provide various kinds of capabilities to provide the needed information to the tool user. In this paper we analyze the provided capabilities in terms of four aspects: provided data structures, visualization mechanisms, information request specification mechanisms, and navigation features. We provide a compact analysis of ten representative reverse engineering tools for supporting C, C++ or Java: Eclipse Java Development Tools, Wind River Workbench (for C and C++), Understand (for C++), Imagix 4D, Creole, Javadoc, Javasrc, Source Navigator, Doxygen, and HyperSoft. The results of the study supplement the earlier findings in this important area.

Nonlocal sparse model with adaptive structural clustering for feature extraction of aero-engine bearings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Han; Chen, Xuefeng; Du, Zhaohui; Li, Xiang; Yan, Ruqiang

2016-04-01

Fault information of aero-engine bearings presents two particular phenomena, i.e., waveform distortion and impulsive feature frequency band dispersion, which leads to a challenging problem for current techniques of bearing fault diagnosis. Moreover, although many progresses of sparse representation theory have been made in feature extraction of fault information, the theory also confronts inevitable performance degradation due to the fact that relatively weak fault information has not sufficiently prominent and sparse representations. Therefore, a novel nonlocal sparse model (coined NLSM) and its algorithm framework has been proposed in this paper, which goes beyond simple sparsity by introducing more intrinsic structures of feature information. This work adequately exploits the underlying prior information that feature information exhibits nonlocal self-similarity through clustering similar signal fragments and stacking them together into groups. Within this framework, the prior information is transformed into a regularization term and a sparse optimization problem, which could be solved through block coordinate descent method (BCD), is formulated. Additionally, the adaptive structural clustering sparse dictionary learning technique, which utilizes k-Nearest-Neighbor (kNN) clustering and principal component analysis (PCA) learning, is adopted to further enable sufficient sparsity of feature information. Moreover, the selection rule of regularization parameter and computational complexity are described in detail. The performance of the proposed framework is evaluated through numerical experiment and its superiority with respect to the state-of-the-art method in the field is demonstrated through the vibration signals of experimental rig of aircraft engine bearings.

Tomography and Purification of the Temporal-Mode Structure of Quantum Light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ansari, Vahid; Donohue, John M.; Allgaier, Markus; Sansoni, Linda; Brecht, Benjamin; Roslund, Jonathan; Treps, Nicolas; Harder, Georg; Silberhorn, Christine

2018-05-01

High-dimensional quantum information processing promises capabilities beyond the current state of the art, but addressing individual information-carrying modes presents a significant experimental challenge. Here we demonstrate effective high-dimensional operations in the time-frequency domain of nonclassical light. We generate heralded photons with tailored temporal-mode structures through the pulse shaping of a broadband parametric down-conversion pump. We then implement a quantum pulse gate, enabled by dispersion-engineered sum-frequency generation, to project onto programmable temporal modes, reconstructing the quantum state in seven dimensions. We also manipulate the time-frequency structure by selectively removing temporal modes, explicitly demonstrating the effectiveness of engineered nonlinear processes for the mode-selective manipulation of quantum states.

Potential for Imaging Engineered Tissues with X-Ray Phase Contrast

PubMed Central

Appel, Alyssa; Anastasio, Mark A.

2011-01-01

As the field of tissue engineering advances, it is crucial to develop imaging methods capable of providing detailed three-dimensional information on tissue structure. X-ray imaging techniques based on phase-contrast (PC) have great potential for a number of biomedical applications due to their ability to provide information about soft tissue structure without exogenous contrast agents. X-ray PC techniques retain the excellent spatial resolution, tissue penetration, and calcified tissue contrast of conventional X-ray techniques while providing drastically improved imaging of soft tissue and biomaterials. This suggests that X-ray PC techniques are very promising for evaluation of engineered tissues. In this review, four different implementations of X-ray PC imaging are described and applications to tissues of relevance to tissue engineering reviewed. In addition, recent applications of X-ray PC to the evaluation of biomaterial scaffolds and engineered tissues are presented and areas for further development and application of these techniques are discussed. Imaging techniques based on X-ray PC have significant potential for improving our ability to image and characterize engineered tissues, and their continued development and optimization could have significant impact on the field of tissue engineering. PMID:21682604

A two-level cache for distributed information retrieval in search engines.

PubMed

Zhang, Weizhe; He, Hui; Ye, Jianwei

2013-01-01

To improve the performance of distributed information retrieval in search engines, we propose a two-level cache structure based on the queries of the users' logs. We extract the highest rank queries of users from the static cache, in which the queries are the most popular. We adopt the dynamic cache as an auxiliary to optimize the distribution of the cache data. We propose a distribution strategy of the cache data. The experiments prove that the hit rate, the efficiency, and the time consumption of the two-level cache have advantages compared with other structures of cache.

A Two-Level Cache for Distributed Information Retrieval in Search Engines

PubMed Central

Zhang, Weizhe; He, Hui; Ye, Jianwei

2013-01-01

To improve the performance of distributed information retrieval in search engines, we propose a two-level cache structure based on the queries of the users' logs. We extract the highest rank queries of users from the static cache, in which the queries are the most popular. We adopt the dynamic cache as an auxiliary to optimize the distribution of the cache data. We propose a distribution strategy of the cache data. The experiments prove that the hit rate, the efficiency, and the time consumption of the two-level cache have advantages compared with other structures of cache. PMID:24363621

Structural Test Laboratory | Water Power | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Structural Test Laboratory Structural Test Laboratory NREL engineers design and configure structural components can validate models, demonstrate system reliability, inform design margins, and assess , including mass and center of gravity, to ensure compliance with design goals Dynamic Characterization Use

Numerical analysis of stiffened shells of revolution. Volume 4: Engineer's program manual for STARS-2S shell theory automated for rotational structures - 2 (statics) digital computer program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Svalbonas, V.; Ogilvie, P.

1973-01-01

The engineering programming information for the digital computer program for analyzing shell structures is presented. The program is designed to permit small changes such as altering the geometry or a table size to fit the specific requirements. Each major subroutine is discussed and the following subjects are included: (1) subroutine description, (2) pertinent engineering symbols and the FORTRAN coded counterparts, (3) subroutine flow chart, and (4) subroutine FORTRAN listing.

FIBER-TEX 1991: The Fifth Conference on Advanced Engineering Fibers and Textile Structures for Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buckley, John D. (Editor)

1992-01-01

This document is a compilation of papers presented at a joint NASA/North Carolina State University/DoD/Clemson University/Drexel University conference on Fibers, Textile Technology, and Composites Structures held at the College of Textiles Building on Centennial Campus of North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina on October 15-17, 1991. Conference papers presented information on advanced engineering fibers, textile processes and structures, structural fabric production, mechanics and characteristics of woven composites, pultruded composites, and the latest requirements for the use of textiles in the production of composite materials and structures.

Roogle: an information retrieval engine for clinical data warehouse.

PubMed

Cuggia, Marc; Garcelon, Nicolas; Campillo-Gimenez, Boris; Bernicot, Thomas; Laurent, Jean-François; Garin, Etienne; Happe, André; Duvauferrier, Régis

2011-01-01

High amount of relevant information is contained in reports stored in the electronic patient records and associated metadata. R-oogle is a project aiming at developing information retrieval engines adapted to these reports and designed for clinicians. The system consists in a data warehouse (full-text reports and structured data) imported from two different hospital information systems. Information retrieval is performed using metadata-based semantic and full-text search methods (as Google). Applications may be biomarkers identification in a translational approach, search of specific cases, and constitution of cohorts, professional practice evaluation, and quality control assessment.

[Development of a medical equipment support information system based on PDF portable document].

PubMed

Cheng, Jiangbo; Wang, Weidong

2010-07-01

According to the organizational structure and management system of the hospital medical engineering support, integrate medical engineering support workflow to ensure the medical engineering data effectively, accurately and comprehensively collected and kept in electronic archives. Analyse workflow of the medical, equipment support work and record all work processes by the portable electronic document. Using XML middleware technology and SQL Server database, complete process management, data calculation, submission, storage and other functions. The practical application shows that the medical equipment support information system optimizes the existing work process, standardized and digital, automatic and efficient orderly and controllable. The medical equipment support information system based on portable electronic document can effectively optimize and improve hospital medical engineering support work, improve performance, reduce costs, and provide full and accurate digital data

Mathematical support for surveying measurements in order to obtain the draft tube three-dimensional model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gridan, Maria-Roberta; Herban, Sorin; Grecea, Oana

2017-07-01

Nowadays, the engineering companies and contractors are facing challenges never experienced before. They are being charged with - and being held liable for - the health of the structures they create and maintain. To surmount these challenges, engineers need to be able to measure structural movements up to millimetre level accuracy. Accurate and timely information on the status of a structure is highly valuable to engineers. It enables them to compare the real world behaviour of a structure against the design and theoretical models. When empowered by such data, engineers can effectively and cost efficiently measure and maintain the health of vital infrastructure. This paper presents the interpretation of the draft tube topographical measurements in order to obtain its 3D model. Based on the documents made available by the beneficiary and the data obtained in situ, the modernization conclusions were presented.

Aeronautical engineering. A continuing bibliography with indexes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

This bibliography lists 326 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in January 1982. Topics on aeronautical engineering and aerodynamics such as flight control systems, avionics, computer programs, computational fluid dynamics and composite structures are covered.

A Method for Capturing and Reconciling Stakeholder Intentions Based on the Formal Concept Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aoyama, Mikio

Information systems are ubiquitous in our daily life. Thus, information systems need to work appropriately anywhere at any time for everybody. Conventional information systems engineering tends to engineer systems from the viewpoint of systems functionality. However, the diversity of the usage context requires fundamental change compared to our current thinking on information systems; from the functionality the systems provide to the goals the systems should achieve. The intentional approach embraces the goals and related aspects of the information systems. This chapter presents a method for capturing, structuring and reconciling diverse goals of multiple stakeholders. The heart of the method lies in the hierarchical structuring of goals by goal lattice based on the formal concept analysis, a semantic extension of the lattice theory. We illustrate the effectiveness of the presented method through application to the self-checkout systems for large-scale supermarkets.

Engineering Three-Dimensional Collagen-IKVAV Matrix to Mimic Neural Microenvironment

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Engineering the cellular microenvironment has great potential to create a platform technology toward engineering of tissue and organs. This study aims to engineer a neural microenvironment through fabrication of three-dimensional (3D) engineered collagen matrixes mimicking in-vivo-like conditions. Collagen was chemically modified with a pentapeptide epitope consisting of isoleucine-lysine-valine-alanine-valine (IKVAV) to mimic laminin structure supports of the neural extracellular matrix (ECM). Three-dimensional collagen matrixes with and without IKVAV peptide modification were fabricated by freeze-drying technology and chemical cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. Structural information of 3D collagen matrixes indicated interconnected pores structure with an average pore size of 180 μm. Our results indicated that culture of dorsal root ganglion (DRG) cells in 3D collagen matrix was greatly influenced by 3D culture method and significantly enhanced with engineered collagen matrix conjugated with IKVAV peptide. It may be concluded that an appropriate 3D culture of neurons enables DRG to positively improve the cellular fate toward further acceleration in tissue regeneration. PMID:23705903

System Re-engineering Project Executive Summary

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-11-01

Management Information System (STAMIS) application. This project involved reverse engineering, evaluation of structured design and object-oriented design, and re- implementation of the system in Ada. This executive summary presents the approach to re-engineering the system, the lessons learned while going through the process, and issues to be considered in future tasks of this nature.... Computer-Aided Software Engineering (CASE), Distributed Software, Ada, COBOL, Systems Analysis, Systems Design, Life Cycle Development, Functional Decomposition, Object-Oriented

Aeronautics Technology Possibilities for 2000: Report of a Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

Topics discussed include: Aerodynamics; Propulsion; Structural Analysis and Design Technology; Materials for Structural Members, Propulsion Systems, and Subsystems; Guidance, Navigation, and Control; Computer and Information Technology; Human Factors Engineering; Systems Integration.

Cognitive engineering and health informatics: Applications and intersections.

PubMed

Hettinger, A Zachary; Roth, Emilie M; Bisantz, Ann M

2017-03-01

Cognitive engineering is an applied field with roots in both cognitive science and engineering that has been used to support design of information displays, decision support, human-automation interaction, and training in numerous high risk domains ranging from nuclear power plant control to transportation and defense systems. Cognitive engineering provides a set of structured, analytic methods for data collection and analysis that intersect with and complement methods of Cognitive Informatics. These methods support discovery of aspects of the work that make performance challenging, as well as the knowledge, skills, and strategies that experts use to meet those challenges. Importantly, cognitive engineering methods provide novel representations that highlight the inherent complexities of the work domain and traceable links between the results of cognitive analyses and actionable design requirements. This article provides an overview of relevant cognitive engineering methods, and illustrates how they have been applied to the design of health information technology (HIT) systems. Additionally, although cognitive engineering methods have been applied in the design of user-centered informatics systems, methods drawn from informatics are not typically incorporated into a cognitive engineering analysis. This article presents a discussion regarding ways in which data-rich methods can inform cognitive engineering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mechanical Engineering Department engineering research: Annual report, FY 1986

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

Denney, R.M.; Essary, K.L.; Genin, M.S.

1986-12-01

This report provides information on the five areas of research interest in LLNL's Mechanical Engineering Department. In Computer Code Development, a solid geometric modeling program is described. In Dynamic Systems and Control, structure control and structure dynamics are discussed. Fabrication technology involves machine cutting, interferometry, and automated optical component manufacturing. Materials engineering reports on composite material research and measurement of molten metal surface properties. In Nondestructive Evaluation, NMR, CAT, and ultrasound machines are applied to manufacturing processes. A model for underground collapse is developed. Finally, an alternative heat exchanger is investigated for use in a fusion power plant. Separate abstractsmore » were prepared for each of the 13 reports in this publication. (JDH)« less

Overview of ORNL/NRC programs addressing durability of concrete structures

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

Naus, D.J.; Oland, C.B.

1994-06-01

The role of reinforced concrete relative to its applications as either safety-related structures in nuclear power or engineered barriers of low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities is described. Factors that can affect the long-term durability of reinforced concrete are identified. Overviews are presented of the Structural Aging Program, which is addressing the aging management of safety-related concrete structures in nuclear power plants, and the Permeability Test Methods and Data Program, which is identifying pertinent data and information for use in performance assessments of engineered barriers for low-level radioactive waste disposal.

Soil-Structure Interaction Study of Red River Lock and Dam No. 1 Subjected to Sediment Loading

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-09-01

Sediment Loading by Robert M. Ebeling, Reed L. Mosher, Kevin Abraham Information Technology Laboratory John F. Peters Geotechnical Laboratory DTIC fl ELECTE...Robert M. Ebeling, Reed L. Mosher, Kevin Abraham Information Technology Laboratory John F. Peters Geotechnical Laboratory U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...Division (CAED), Informa- tion Technology Laboratory (ITL), Dr. Reed L. Mosher, Acting Chief, CAED, Mr. Kevin Abraham, Scientific and Engineering

Using Dedal to share and reuse distributed engineering design information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baya, Vinod; Baudin, Catherine; Mabogunje, Ade; Das, Aseem; Cannon, David M.; Leifer, Larry J.

1994-01-01

The overall goal of the project is to facilitate the reuse of previous design experience for the maintenance, repair and redesign of artifacts in the electromechanical engineering domain. An engineering team creates information in the form of meeting summaries, project memos, progress reports, engineering notes, spreadsheet calculations and CAD drawings. Design information captured in these media is difficult to reuse because the way design concepts are referred to evolve over the life of a project and because decisions, requirements and structure are interrelated but rarely explicitly linked. Based on protocol analysis of the information seeking behavior of designer's, we defined a language to describe the content and the form of design records and implemented this language in Dedal, a tool for indexing, modeling and retrieving design information. We first describe the approach to indexing and retrieval in Dedal. Next we describe ongoing work in extending Dedal's capabilities to a distributed environment by integrating it with World Wide Web. This will enable members of a design team who are not co-located to share and reuse information.

NELS 2.0 - A general system for enterprise wide information management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Stephanie L.

1993-01-01

NELS, the NASA Electronic Library System, is an information management tool for creating distributed repositories of documents, drawings, and code for use and reuse by the aerospace community. The NELS retrieval engine can load metadata and source files of full text objects, perform natural language queries to retrieve ranked objects, and create links to connect user interfaces. For flexibility, the NELS architecture has layered interfaces between the application program and the stored library information. The session manager provides the interface functions for development of NELS applications. The data manager is an interface between session manager and the structured data system. The center of the structured data system is the Wide Area Information Server. This system architecture provides access to information across heterogeneous platforms in a distributed environment. There are presently three user interfaces that connect to the NELS engine; an X-Windows interface, and ASCII interface and the Spatial Data Management System. This paper describes the design and operation of NELS as an information management tool and repository.

Searching Choices: Quantifying Decision-Making Processes Using Search Engine Data.

PubMed

Moat, Helen Susannah; Olivola, Christopher Y; Chater, Nick; Preis, Tobias

2016-07-01

When making a decision, humans consider two types of information: information they have acquired through their prior experience of the world, and further information they gather to support the decision in question. Here, we present evidence that data from search engines such as Google can help us model both sources of information. We show that statistics from search engines on the frequency of content on the Internet can help us estimate the statistical structure of prior experience; and, specifically, we outline how such statistics can inform psychological theories concerning the valuation of human lives, or choices involving delayed outcomes. Turning to information gathering, we show that search query data might help measure human information gathering, and it may predict subsequent decisions. Such data enable us to compare information gathered across nations, where analyses suggest, for example, a greater focus on the future in countries with a higher per capita GDP. We conclude that search engine data constitute a valuable new resource for cognitive scientists, offering a fascinating new tool for understanding the human decision-making process. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Topics in Cognitive Science published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Cognitive Science Society.

A systems engineering perspective on the human-centered design of health information systems.

PubMed

Samaras, George M; Horst, Richard L

2005-02-01

The discipline of systems engineering, over the past five decades, has used a structured systematic approach to managing the "cradle to grave" development of products and processes. While elements of this approach are typically used to guide the development of information systems that instantiate a significant user interface, it appears to be rare for the entire process to be implemented. In fact, a number of authors have put forth development lifecycle models that are subsets of the classical systems engineering method, but fail to include steps such as incremental hazard analysis and post-deployment corrective and preventative actions. In that most health information systems have safety implications, we argue that the design and development of such systems would benefit by implementing this systems engineering approach in full. Particularly with regard to bringing a human-centered perspective to the formulation of system requirements and the configuration of effective user interfaces, this classical systems engineering method provides an excellent framework for incorporating human factors (ergonomics) knowledge and integrating ergonomists in the interdisciplinary development of health information systems.

A top-down approach to crystal engineering of a racemic Δ2-isoxazoline.

PubMed

Lombardo, Giuseppe M; Rescifina, Antonio; Chiacchio, Ugo; Bacchi, Alessia; Punzo, Francesco

2014-02-01

The crystal structure of racemic dimethyl (4RS,5RS)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-4,5-dihydroisoxazole-4,5-dicarboxylate, C13H12N2O7, has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. By analysing the degree of growth of the morphologically important crystal faces, a ranking of the most relevant non-covalent interactions determining the crystal structure can be inferred. The morphological information is considered with an approach opposite to the conventional one: instead of searching inside the structure for the potential key interactions and using them to calculate the crystal habit, the observed crystal morphology is used to define the preferential lines of growth of the crystal, and then this information is interpreted by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Comparison with the X-ray structure confirms the validity of the strategy, thus suggesting this top-down approach to be a useful tool for crystal engineering.

Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL). Data base organization and user's guide, revision 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lo, P. S.; Wyckoff, D.; Page, J.; Mcgarry, F. E.

1983-01-01

The structure of the Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) data base is described. It defines each data base file in detail and provides information about how to access and use the data for programmers and other users. Several data base reporting programs are described also.

Engineering Elegant Systems: Postulates, Principles, and Hypotheses of Systems Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Watson, Michael D.

2018-01-01

Definition: System Engineering is the engineering discipline which integrates the system functions, system environment, and the engineering disciplines necessary to produce and/or operate an elegant system; Elegant System - A system that is robust in application, fully meeting specified and adumbrated intent, is well structured, and is graceful in operation. Primary Focus: System Design and Integration: Identify system couplings and interactions; Identify system uncertainties and sensitivities; Identify emergent properties; Manage the effectiveness of the system. Engineering Discipline Integration: Manage flow of information for system development and/or operations; Maintain system activities within budget and schedule. Supporting Activities: Process application and execution.

Problems of information support in scientific research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamaev, V. G.; Gorshkov, A. B.

2015-11-01

This paper reports on the creation of the open access Akustika portal (AKDATA.RU) designed to provide Russian-language easy-to-read and search information on acoustics and related topics. The absence of a Russian-language publication in foreign databases means that it is effectively lost for much of the scientific community. The portal has three interrelated sections: the Akustika information search system (ISS) (Acoustics), full-text archive of the Akusticheskii Zhurnal (Acoustic Journal), and 'Signal'naya informatsiya' ('Signaling information') on acoustics. The paper presents a description of the Akustika ISS, including its structure, content, interface, and information search capabilities for basic and applied research in diverse areas of science, engineering, biology, medicine, etc. The intended users of the portal are physicists, engineers, and engineering technologists interested in expanding their research activities and seeking to increase their knowledge base. Those studying current trends in the Russian-language contribution to international science may also find the portal useful.

Non-invasive light-weight integration engine for building EHR from autonomous distributed systems.

PubMed

Crespo Molina, Pere; Angulo Fernández, Carlos; Maldonado Segura, José A; Moner Cano, David; Robles Viejo, Montserrat

2006-01-01

Pangea-LE is a message oriented light-weight integration engine, allowing concurrent access to clinical information from disperse and heterogeneous data sources. The engine extracts the information and serves it to the requester client applications in a flexible XML format. This XML response message can be formatted on demand by the appropriate XSL (Extensible Stylesheet Language) transformation in order to fit client application needs. In this article we present a real use case sample where Pangea-LE collects and generates "on the fly" a structured view of all the patient clinical information available in a healthcare organisation. This information is presented to healthcare professionals in an EHR (Electronic Health Record) viewer Web application with patient search and EHR browsing capabilities. Implantation in a real environment has been a notable success due to the non-invasive method which extremely respects the existing information systems.

Technology in Preparing Teachers for an Information Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bright, Larry K.; And Others

Teacher education can be effectively transformed to prepare educators for the information age. The characteristics of the information age require the application of organization development processes and interactive learning technologies which bring the best results of behavioral and engineering sciences to refocus teacher education structures and…

Introducing the CERT (Trademark) Resiliency Engineering Framework: Improving the Security and Sustainability Processes

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-05-01

Organizational Structure 40 6.1.3 Funding Model 40 6.1.4 Role of Information Technology 40 6.2 Considering Process Improvement 41 6.2.1 Dimensions of...to the process definition for resiliency engineering. 6.1.3 Funding Model Just as organizational structures tend to align across security and...responsibility. Adopting an enter- prise view of operational resiliency and a process improvement approach requires that the funding model evolve to one

A unified approach to the design of clinical reporting systems.

PubMed

Gouveia-Oliveira, A; Salgado, N C; Azevedo, A P; Lopes, L; Raposo, V D; Almeida, I; de Melo, F G

1994-12-01

Computer-based Clinical Reporting Systems (CRS) for diagnostic departments that use structured data entry have a number of functional and structural affinities suggesting that a common software architecture for CRS may be defined. Such an architecture should allow easy expandability and reusability of a CRS. We report the development methodology and the architecture of SISCOPE, a CRS originally designed for gastrointestinal endoscopy that is expandable and reusable. Its main components are a patient database, a knowledge base, a reports base, and screen and reporting engines. The knowledge base contains the description of the controlled vocabulary and all the information necessary to control the menu system, and is easily accessed and modified with a conventional text editor. The structure of the controlled vocabulary is formally presented as an entity-relationship diagram. The screen engine drives a dynamic user interface and the reporting engine automatically creates a medical report; both engines operate by following a set of rules and the information contained in the knowledge base. Clinical experience has shown this architecture to be highly flexible and to allow frequent modifications of both the vocabulary and the menu system. This structure provided increased collaboration among development teams, insulating the domain expert from the details of the database, and enabling him to modify the system as necessary and to test the changes immediately. The system has also been reused in several different domains.

Green Turning Brown - Domain Engineering for Social and Health Services in Finland.

PubMed

Suomi, Reima; Nykänen, Pirkko; Vepsäläinen, Tapio; Hiltunen, Riina

2017-01-01

Being able to design information systems to an untouched domain, without the burden of existing information systems, especially legacy systems, is often seen as a dream of most information system professionals. Uncharted domains are anyway scarce, and often such greenfield projects turn into brownfield projects, also to projects where existing structures severely constrain the development of new systems. In this article we discuss the concepts of greenfield and brownfield domain engineering and software development, and reflect their possible messages to the re-engineering of the Finnish health- and social care ecosystem currently under way. In our fieldwork we could identify a lot of need and wish for greenfield domain engineering in the Finnish health and social services delivery. As well we found a lot of brownfield elements inhibiting change. Our proposal for the future is a ecosystem approach, where new and established elements could live together in a self-governed balance.

A case study for a digital seabed database: Bohai Sea engineering geology database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tianyun, Su; Shikui, Zhai; Baohua, Liu; Ruicai, Liang; Yanpeng, Zheng; Yong, Wang

2006-07-01

This paper discusses the designing plan of ORACLE-based Bohai Sea engineering geology database structure from requisition analysis, conceptual structure analysis, logical structure analysis, physical structure analysis and security designing. In the study, we used the object-oriented Unified Modeling Language (UML) to model the conceptual structure of the database and used the powerful function of data management which the object-oriented and relational database ORACLE provides to organize and manage the storage space and improve its security performance. By this means, the database can provide rapid and highly effective performance in data storage, maintenance and query to satisfy the application requisition of the Bohai Sea Oilfield Paradigm Area Information System.

ZifBASE: a database of zinc finger proteins and associated resources.

PubMed

Jayakanthan, Mannu; Muthukumaran, Jayaraman; Chandrasekar, Sanniyasi; Chawla, Konika; Punetha, Ankita; Sundar, Durai

2009-09-09

Information on the occurrence of zinc finger protein motifs in genomes is crucial to the developing field of molecular genome engineering. The knowledge of their target DNA-binding sequences is vital to develop chimeric proteins for targeted genome engineering and site-specific gene correction. There is a need to develop a computational resource of zinc finger proteins (ZFP) to identify the potential binding sites and its location, which reduce the time of in vivo task, and overcome the difficulties in selecting the specific type of zinc finger protein and the target site in the DNA sequence. ZifBASE provides an extensive collection of various natural and engineered ZFP. It uses standard names and a genetic and structural classification scheme to present data retrieved from UniProtKB, GenBank, Protein Data Bank, ModBase, Protein Model Portal and the literature. It also incorporates specialized features of ZFP including finger sequences and positions, number of fingers, physiochemical properties, classes, framework, PubMed citations with links to experimental structures (PDB, if available) and modeled structures of natural zinc finger proteins. ZifBASE provides information on zinc finger proteins (both natural and engineered ones), the number of finger units in each of the zinc finger proteins (with multiple fingers), the synergy between the adjacent fingers and their positions. Additionally, it gives the individual finger sequence and their target DNA site to which it binds for better and clear understanding on the interactions of adjacent fingers. The current version of ZifBASE contains 139 entries of which 89 are engineered ZFPs, containing 3-7F totaling to 296 fingers. There are 50 natural zinc finger protein entries ranging from 2-13F, totaling to 307 fingers. It has sequences and structures from literature, Protein Data Bank, ModBase and Protein Model Portal. The interface is cross linked to other public databases like UniprotKB, PDB, ModBase and Protein Model Portal and PubMed for making it more informative. A database is established to maintain the information of the sequence features, including the class, framework, number of fingers, residues, position, recognition site and physio-chemical properties (molecular weight, isoelectric point) of both natural and engineered zinc finger proteins and dissociation constant of few. ZifBASE can provide more effective and efficient way of accessing the zinc finger protein sequences and their target binding sites with the links to their three-dimensional structures. All the data and functions are available at the advanced web-based search interface http://web.iitd.ac.in/~sundar/zifbase.

Knowledge Cultures and the Shaping of Work-Based Learning: The Case of Computer Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nerland, Monika

2008-01-01

This paper examines how the knowledge culture of computer engineering--that is, the ways in which knowledge is produced, distributed, accumulated and collectively approached within this profession--serve to construct work-based learning in specific ways. Typically, the epistemic infrastructures take the form of information structures with a global…

Applying Hypertext Structures to Software Documentation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

French, James C.; And Others

1997-01-01

Describes a prototype system for software documentation management called SLEUTH (Software Literacy Enhancing Usefulness to Humans) being developed at the University of Virginia. Highlights include information retrieval techniques, hypertext links that are installed automatically, a WAIS (Wide Area Information Server) search engine, user…

Aligned and Unaligned Coherence: A New Diagnostic Tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miles, Jeffrey Hilton

2006-01-01

The study of combustion noise from turbofan engines has become important again as the noise from other sources like the fan and jet are reduced. A method has been developed to help identify combustion noise spectra using an aligned and unaligned coherence technique. When used with the well known three signal coherent power method and coherent power method it provides new information by separating tonal information from random process information. Examples are presented showing the underlying tonal structure which is buried under broadband noise and jet noise. The method is applied to data from a Pratt and Whitney PW4098 turbofan engine.

Protein Engineering Approaches in the Post-Genomic Era.

PubMed

Singh, Raushan K; Lee, Jung-Kul; Selvaraj, Chandrabose; Singh, Ranjitha; Li, Jinglin; Kim, Sang-Yong; Kalia, Vipin C

2018-01-01

Proteins are one of the most multifaceted macromolecules in living systems. Proteins have evolved to function under physiological conditions and, therefore, are not usually tolerant of harsh experimental and environmental conditions. The growing use of proteins in industrial processes as a greener alternative to chemical catalysts often demands constant innovation to improve their performance. Protein engineering aims to design new proteins or modify the sequence of a protein to create proteins with new or desirable functions. With the emergence of structural and functional genomics, protein engineering has been invigorated in the post-genomic era. The three-dimensional structures of proteins with known functions facilitate protein engineering approaches to design variants with desired properties. There are three major approaches of protein engineering research, namely, directed evolution, rational design, and de novo design. Rational design is an effective method of protein engineering when the threedimensional structure and mechanism of the protein is well known. In contrast, directed evolution does not require extensive information and a three-dimensional structure of the protein of interest. Instead, it involves random mutagenesis and selection to screen enzymes with desired properties. De novo design uses computational protein design algorithms to tailor synthetic proteins by using the three-dimensional structures of natural proteins and their folding rules. The present review highlights and summarizes recent protein engineering approaches, and their challenges and limitations in the post-genomic era. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Adaptive Heat Engine.

PubMed

Allahverdyan, A E; Babajanyan, S G; Martirosyan, N H; Melkikh, A V

2016-07-15

A major limitation of many heat engines is that their functioning demands on-line control and/or an external fitting between the environmental parameters (e.g., temperatures of thermal baths) and internal parameters of the engine. We study a model for an adaptive heat engine, where-due to feedback from the functional part-the engine's structure adapts to given thermal baths. Hence, no on-line control and no external fitting are needed. The engine can employ unknown resources; it can also adapt to results of its own functioning that make the bath temperatures closer. We determine resources of adaptation and relate them to the prior information available about the environment.

Aerospace engineering curriculum for the 21st century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simitses, George J.

1995-01-01

The second year of the study was devoted to completing the information-gathering phase of this redesign effort, using the conclusions from that activity to prepare the initial structure for the new curriculum, publicizing activities to a wider engineering forum, and preparing the department faculty (Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at University of Cincinnati) for the roles they will play in the curriculum redesign and implementation. These activities are summarized briefly in this progress report. Attached is a paper resulting from the data acquisition of this effort, 'Educating Aerospace Engineers for the Twenty-First Century: Results of a Survey.'

Optimal Multi-Type Sensor Placement for Structural Identification by Static-Load Testing

PubMed Central

Papadopoulou, Maria; Vernay, Didier; Smith, Ian F. C.

2017-01-01

Assessing ageing infrastructure is a critical challenge for civil engineers due to the difficulty in the estimation and integration of uncertainties in structural models. Field measurements are increasingly used to improve knowledge of the real behavior of a structure; this activity is called structural identification. Error-domain model falsification (EDMF) is an easy-to-use model-based structural-identification methodology which robustly accommodates systematic uncertainties originating from sources such as boundary conditions, numerical modelling and model fidelity, as well as aleatory uncertainties from sources such as measurement error and material parameter-value estimations. In most practical applications of structural identification, sensors are placed using engineering judgment and experience. However, since sensor placement is fundamental to the success of structural identification, a more rational and systematic method is justified. This study presents a measurement system design methodology to identify the best sensor locations and sensor types using information from static-load tests. More specifically, three static-load tests were studied for the sensor system design using three types of sensors for a performance evaluation of a full-scale bridge in Singapore. Several sensor placement strategies are compared using joint entropy as an information-gain metric. A modified version of the hierarchical algorithm for sensor placement is proposed to take into account mutual information between load tests. It is shown that a carefully-configured measurement strategy that includes multiple sensor types and several load tests maximizes information gain. PMID:29240684

(Durability of building materials and components)

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

Naus, D.J.

1990-11-27

The traveler participated in the fourth meeting of RILEM 100-TSL, Techniques for Service Life Prediction,'' and The Fifth International Conference on Durability of Building Materials and Components.'' In addition, the traveler met with staff members at Taywood Engineering Ltd., Electricite de France, and AEA Technology. The meeting pertained to performance of concrete materials in nuclear power plant structures, time variation of concrete material properties, methods for evaluating concrete structures, and modeling to predict the effects of degradation factors on concrete materials. As many of the concrete structures in general civil engineering applications as well as nuclear power plant applications inmore » Europe are aging, there is increasing emphasis on assessing the durability of these structures. Information was provided of direct application to the Structural Aging Program which would not have been available without these visits. Of equal, or possibly more importance, was the individual contacts established at the organizations visited. Each organization was extremely interested in both the approach and scope of the Structural Aging Program and requested that they be informed of progress. The initial steps were taken to cooperate with several of these researchers and this should help the Structural Aging Program keep abreast of related European activities. In summary, information obtained during this trip will benefit the ongoing Structural Aging Program by informing Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) of the extensive European research programs addressing the durability of concrete structures, and also by forming and strengthening acquaintances with counterparts in other countries, thus enhancing the basis for possible international cooperation.« less

Can enzyme engineering benefit from the modulation of protein motions? Lessons learned from NMR relaxation dispersion experiments.

PubMed

Doucet, Nicolas

2011-04-01

Despite impressive progress in protein engineering and design, our ability to create new and efficient enzyme activities remains a laborious and time-consuming endeavor. In the past few years, intricate combinations of rational mutagenesis, directed evolution and computational methods have paved the way to exciting engineering examples and are now offering a new perspective on the structural requirements of enzyme activity. However, these structure-function analyses are usually guided by the time-averaged static models offered by enzyme crystal structures, which often fail to describe the functionally relevant 'invisible states' adopted by proteins in space and time. To alleviate such limitations, NMR relaxation dispersion experiments coupled to mutagenesis studies have recently been applied to the study of enzyme catalysis, effectively complementing 'structure-function' analyses with 'flexibility-function' investigations. In addition to offering quantitative, site-specific information to help characterize residue motion, these NMR methods are now being applied to enzyme engineering purposes, providing a powerful tool to help characterize the effects of controlling long-range networks of flexible residues affecting enzyme function. Recent advancements in this emerging field are presented here, with particular attention to mutagenesis reports highlighting the relevance of NMR relaxation dispersion tools in enzyme engineering.

An Alternative Organizational Structure to Address the Technology Requirements in Health Science Library Information in the '80's

PubMed Central

Winant, Richard M.

1983-01-01

Virginia Commonwealth University's University Library Services offers through its organizational structure an opportunity for librarians to work directly with media experts. University Library Services envisions the future librarian as an information manager, information specialist, and teacher. In joining together Technical Services, Public Services, Collection Management, Special Collections, Learning Resource Centers, Media Production Center, AV Services, TV Services, Engineering and Telecommunications, the librarian is in an environment which gives the opportunity for growth and support by media expertise.

75 FR 4612 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Notice of Request for Extension of Currently Approved...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-28

... construction time and traffic congestion; C. The development of engineering design criteria for innovative products, materials, and structural systems for use in highway bridges and structures; D. The reduction of... construction, repair, and rehabilitation of bridges and other highway structures. This program was funded by...

Engineering mechanics: statics and dynamics. [Textbook

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

Sandor, B.I.

1983-01-01

The purpose of this textbook is to provide engineering students with basic learning material about statics and dynamics which are fundamental engineering subjects. The chapters contain information on: an introduction to engineering mechanics; forces on particles, rigid bodies, and structures; kinetics of particles, particle systems, and rigid bodies in motion; kinematics; mechanical vibrations; and friction, work, moments of inertia, and potential energy. Each chapter contains introductory material, the development of the essential equations, worked-out example problems, homework problems, and, finally, summaries of the essential methods and equations, graphically illustrated where appropriate. (LCL)

Engineering research, development and technology FY99

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

Langland, R T

The growth of computer power and connectivity, together with advances in wireless sensing and communication technologies, is transforming the field of complex distributed systems. The ability to deploy large numbers of sensors with a rapid, broadband communication system will enable high-fidelity, near real-time monitoring of complex systems. These technological developments will provide unprecedented insight into the actual performance of engineered and natural environment systems, enable the evolution of many new types of engineered systems for monitoring and detection, and enhance our ability to perform improved and validated large-scale simulations of complex systems. One of the challenges facing engineering is tomore » develop methodologies to exploit the emerging information technologies. Particularly important will be the ability to assimilate measured data into the simulation process in a way which is much more sophisticated than current, primarily ad hoc procedures. The reports contained in this section on the Center for Complex Distributed Systems describe activities related to the integrated engineering of large complex systems. The first three papers describe recent developments for each link of the integrated engineering process for large structural systems. These include (1) the development of model-based signal processing algorithms which will formalize the process of coupling measurements and simulation and provide a rigorous methodology for validation and update of computational models; (2) collaborative efforts with faculty at the University of California at Berkeley on the development of massive simulation models for the earth and large bridge structures; and (3) the development of wireless data acquisition systems which provide a practical means of monitoring large systems like the National Ignition Facility (NIF) optical support structures. These successful developments are coming to a confluence in the next year with applications to NIF structural characterizations and analysis of large bridge structures for the State of California. Initial feasibility investigations into the development of monitoring and detection systems are described in the papers on imaging of underground structures with ground-penetrating radar, and the use of live insects as sensor platforms. These efforts are establishing the basic performance characteristics essential to the decision process for future development of sensor arrays for information gathering related to national security.« less

Management issues in systems engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shishko, Robert; Chamberlain, Robert G.; Aster, Robert; Bilardo, Vincent; Forsberg, Kevin; Mooz, Hal; Polaski, Lou; Wade, Ron

When applied to a system, the doctrine of successive refinement is a divide-and-conquer strategy. Complex systems are sucessively divided into pieces that are less complex, until they are simple enough to be conquered. This decomposition results in several structures for describing the product system and the producing system. These structures play important roles in systems engineering and project management. Many of the remaining sections in this chapter are devoted to describing some of these key structures. Structures that describe the product system include, but are not limited to, the requirements tree, system architecture and certain symbolic information such as system drawings, schematics, and data bases. The structures that describe the producing system include the project's work breakdown, schedules, cost accounts and organization.

Management issues in systems engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shishko, Robert; Chamberlain, Robert G.; Aster, Robert; Bilardo, Vincent; Forsberg, Kevin; Mooz, Hal; Polaski, Lou; Wade, Ron

1993-01-01

When applied to a system, the doctrine of successive refinement is a divide-and-conquer strategy. Complex systems are sucessively divided into pieces that are less complex, until they are simple enough to be conquered. This decomposition results in several structures for describing the product system and the producing system. These structures play important roles in systems engineering and project management. Many of the remaining sections in this chapter are devoted to describing some of these key structures. Structures that describe the product system include, but are not limited to, the requirements tree, system architecture and certain symbolic information such as system drawings, schematics, and data bases. The structures that describe the producing system include the project's work breakdown, schedules, cost accounts and organization.

Information visualisation based on graph models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasyanov, V. N.; Kasyanova, E. V.

2013-05-01

Information visualisation is a key component of support tools for many applications in science and engineering. A graph is an abstract structure that is widely used to model information for its visualisation. In this paper, we consider practical and general graph formalism called hierarchical graphs and present the Higres and Visual Graph systems aimed at supporting information visualisation on the base of hierarchical graph models.

Environmental risk assessment of a genetically-engineered microorganism: Erwinia carotovora

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

Orvos, D.R.

1989-01-01

Environmental use of genetically-engineered microorganisms (GEMs) has raised concerns over potential ecological impact. Development of microcosm systems useful in preliminary testing for risk assessment will provide useful information for predicting potential structural, functional, and genetic effects of GEM release. This study was executed to develop techniques that may be useful in risk assessment and microbial ecology, to ascertain which parameters are useful in determining risk and to predict risk from releasing an engineered strain of Erwinia carotovora. A terrestrial microcosm system for use in GEM risk assessment studies was developed for use in assessing alterations of microbial structure and functionmore » that may be caused by introducing the engineered strain of E. carotovora. This strain is being developed for use as a biological control agent for plant soft rot. Parameters that were monitored included survival and intraspecific competition of E. carotovora, structural effects upon both total bacterial populations and numbers of selected bacterial genera, effects upon activities of dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase, effects upon soil nutrients, and potential for gene transfer into or out of the engineered strain.« less

Prioritization of engineering support requests and advanced technology projects using decision support and industrial engineering models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tavana, Madjid

1995-01-01

The evaluation and prioritization of Engineering Support Requests (ESR's) is a particularly difficult task at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) -- Shuttle Project Engineering Office. This difficulty is due to the complexities inherent in the evaluation process and the lack of structured information. The evaluation process must consider a multitude of relevant pieces of information concerning Safety, Supportability, O&M Cost Savings, Process Enhancement, Reliability, and Implementation. Various analytical and normative models developed over the past have helped decision makers at KSC utilize large volumes of information in the evaluation of ESR's. The purpose of this project is to build on the existing methodologies and develop a multiple criteria decision support system that captures the decision maker's beliefs through a series of sequential, rational, and analytical processes. The model utilizes the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), subjective probabilities, the entropy concept, and Maximize Agreement Heuristic (MAH) to enhance the decision maker's intuition in evaluating a set of ESR's.

The smooth (tractor) operator: insights of knowledge engineering.

PubMed

Cullen, Ralph H; Smarr, Cory-Ann; Serrano-Baquero, Daniel; McBride, Sara E; Beer, Jenay M; Rogers, Wendy A

2012-11-01

The design of and training for complex systems requires in-depth understanding of task demands imposed on users. In this project, we used the knowledge engineering approach (Bowles et al., 2004) to assess the task of mowing in a citrus grove. Knowledge engineering is divided into four phases: (1) Establish goals. We defined specific goals based on the stakeholders involved. The main goal was to identify operator demands to support improvement of the system. (2) Create a working model of the system. We reviewed product literature, analyzed the system, and conducted expert interviews. (3) Extract knowledge. We interviewed tractor operators to understand their knowledge base. (4) Structure knowledge. We analyzed and organized operator knowledge to inform project goals. We categorized the information and developed diagrams to display the knowledge effectively. This project illustrates the benefits of knowledge engineering as a qualitative research method to inform technology design and training. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Evaluating a federated medical search engine: tailoring the methodology and reporting the evaluation outcomes.

PubMed

Saparova, D; Belden, J; Williams, J; Richardson, B; Schuster, K

2014-01-01

Federated medical search engines are health information systems that provide a single access point to different types of information. Their efficiency as clinical decision support tools has been demonstrated through numerous evaluations. Despite their rigor, very few of these studies report holistic evaluations of medical search engines and even fewer base their evaluations on existing evaluation frameworks. To evaluate a federated medical search engine, MedSocket, for its potential net benefits in an established clinical setting. This study applied the Human, Organization, and Technology (HOT-fit) evaluation framework in order to evaluate MedSocket. The hierarchical structure of the HOT-factors allowed for identification of a combination of efficiency metrics. Human fit was evaluated through user satisfaction and patterns of system use; technology fit was evaluated through the measurements of time-on-task and the accuracy of the found answers; and organization fit was evaluated from the perspective of system fit to the existing organizational structure. Evaluations produced mixed results and suggested several opportunities for system improvement. On average, participants were satisfied with MedSocket searches and confident in the accuracy of retrieved answers. However, MedSocket did not meet participants' expectations in terms of download speed, access to information, and relevance of the search results. These mixed results made it necessary to conclude that in the case of MedSocket, technology fit had a significant influence on the human and organization fit. Hence, improving technological capabilities of the system is critical before its net benefits can become noticeable. The HOT-fit evaluation framework was instrumental in tailoring the methodology for conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the search engine. Such multidimensional evaluation of the search engine resulted in recommendations for system improvement.

Evaluating a Federated Medical Search Engine

PubMed Central

Belden, J.; Williams, J.; Richardson, B.; Schuster, K.

2014-01-01

Summary Background Federated medical search engines are health information systems that provide a single access point to different types of information. Their efficiency as clinical decision support tools has been demonstrated through numerous evaluations. Despite their rigor, very few of these studies report holistic evaluations of medical search engines and even fewer base their evaluations on existing evaluation frameworks. Objectives To evaluate a federated medical search engine, MedSocket, for its potential net benefits in an established clinical setting. Methods This study applied the Human, Organization, and Technology (HOT-fit) evaluation framework in order to evaluate MedSocket. The hierarchical structure of the HOT-factors allowed for identification of a combination of efficiency metrics. Human fit was evaluated through user satisfaction and patterns of system use; technology fit was evaluated through the measurements of time-on-task and the accuracy of the found answers; and organization fit was evaluated from the perspective of system fit to the existing organizational structure. Results Evaluations produced mixed results and suggested several opportunities for system improvement. On average, participants were satisfied with MedSocket searches and confident in the accuracy of retrieved answers. However, MedSocket did not meet participants’ expectations in terms of download speed, access to information, and relevance of the search results. These mixed results made it necessary to conclude that in the case of MedSocket, technology fit had a significant influence on the human and organization fit. Hence, improving technological capabilities of the system is critical before its net benefits can become noticeable. Conclusions The HOT-fit evaluation framework was instrumental in tailoring the methodology for conducting a comprehensive evaluation of the search engine. Such multidimensional evaluation of the search engine resulted in recommendations for system improvement. PMID:25298813

Harnessing expert knowledge: Defining a Bayesian network decision model with limited data-Model structure for the vibration qualification problem

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

Rizzo, Davinia B.; Blackburn, Mark R.

As systems become more complex, systems engineers rely on experts to inform decisions. There are few experts and limited data in many complex new technologies. This challenges systems engineers as they strive to plan activities such as qualification in an environment where technical constraints are coupled with the traditional cost, risk, and schedule constraints. Bayesian network (BN) models provide a framework to aid systems engineers in planning qualification efforts with complex constraints by harnessing expert knowledge and incorporating technical factors. By quantifying causal factors, a BN model can provide data about the risk of implementing a decision supplemented with informationmore » on driving factors. This allows a systems engineer to make informed decisions and examine “what-if” scenarios. This paper discusses a novel process developed to define a BN model structure based primarily on expert knowledge supplemented with extremely limited data (25 data sets or less). The model was developed to aid qualification decisions—specifically to predict the suitability of six degrees of freedom (6DOF) vibration testing for qualification. The process defined the model structure with expert knowledge in an unbiased manner. Finally, validation during the process execution and of the model provided evidence the process may be an effective tool in harnessing expert knowledge for a BN model.« less

Harnessing expert knowledge: Defining a Bayesian network decision model with limited data-Model structure for the vibration qualification problem

DOE PAGES

Rizzo, Davinia B.; Blackburn, Mark R.

2018-03-30

As systems become more complex, systems engineers rely on experts to inform decisions. There are few experts and limited data in many complex new technologies. This challenges systems engineers as they strive to plan activities such as qualification in an environment where technical constraints are coupled with the traditional cost, risk, and schedule constraints. Bayesian network (BN) models provide a framework to aid systems engineers in planning qualification efforts with complex constraints by harnessing expert knowledge and incorporating technical factors. By quantifying causal factors, a BN model can provide data about the risk of implementing a decision supplemented with informationmore » on driving factors. This allows a systems engineer to make informed decisions and examine “what-if” scenarios. This paper discusses a novel process developed to define a BN model structure based primarily on expert knowledge supplemented with extremely limited data (25 data sets or less). The model was developed to aid qualification decisions—specifically to predict the suitability of six degrees of freedom (6DOF) vibration testing for qualification. The process defined the model structure with expert knowledge in an unbiased manner. Finally, validation during the process execution and of the model provided evidence the process may be an effective tool in harnessing expert knowledge for a BN model.« less

Optical Spectroscopy and Imaging for the Noninvasive Evaluation of Engineered Tissues

PubMed Central

Rice, William L.; Hronik-Tupaj, Marie; Kaplan, David L.

2008-01-01

Optical spectroscopy and imaging approaches offer the potential to noninvasively assess different aspects of the cellular, extracellular matrix, and scaffold components of engineered tissues. In addition, the combination of multiple imaging modalities within a single instrument is highly feasible, allowing acquisition of complementary information related to the structure, organization, biochemistry, and physiology of the sample. The ability to characterize and monitor the dynamic interactions that take place as engineered tissues develop promises to enhance our understanding of the interdependence of processes that ultimately leads to functional tissue outcomes. It is expected that this information will impact significantly upon our abilities to optimize the design of biomaterial scaffolds, bioreactors, and cell systems. Here, we review the principles and performance characteristics of the main methodologies that have been exploited thus far, and we present examples of corresponding tissue engineering studies. PMID:18844604

The IDEAL (Integrated Design and Engineering Analysis Languages) modeling methodology: Capabilities and Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evers, Ken H.; Bachert, Robert F.

1987-01-01

The IDEAL (Integrated Design and Engineering Analysis Languages) modeling methodology has been formulated and applied over a five-year period. It has proven to be a unique, integrated approach utilizing a top-down, structured technique to define and document the system of interest; a knowledge engineering technique to collect and organize system descriptive information; a rapid prototyping technique to perform preliminary system performance analysis; and a sophisticated simulation technique to perform in-depth system performance analysis.

Progress in fuel systems to meet new fuel economy and emissions standards

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

NONE

1995-12-31

This publication includes information describing the latest developments within the automotive industry on fuel system hardware and control strategies. Contents include: Slow heating process of a heated pintle-type gasoline fuel injector; Mixture preparation measurements; Study of fuel flow rate change in injector for methanol fueled S.I. engine; Flow and structural analysis for fuel pressure regulator performance; A new method to analyze fuel behavior in a spark ignition engine; Throttle body at engine idle -- tolerance effect on flow rate; and more.

Health search engine with e-document analysis for reliable search results.

PubMed

Gaudinat, Arnaud; Ruch, Patrick; Joubert, Michel; Uziel, Philippe; Strauss, Anne; Thonnet, Michèle; Baud, Robert; Spahni, Stéphane; Weber, Patrick; Bonal, Juan; Boyer, Celia; Fieschi, Marius; Geissbuhler, Antoine

2006-01-01

After a review of the existing practical solution available to the citizen to retrieve eHealth document, the paper describes an original specialized search engine WRAPIN. WRAPIN uses advanced cross lingual information retrieval technologies to check information quality by synthesizing medical concepts, conclusions and references contained in the health literature, to identify accurate, relevant sources. Thanks to MeSH terminology [1] (Medical Subject Headings from the U.S. National Library of Medicine) and advanced approaches such as conclusion extraction from structured document, reformulation of the query, WRAPIN offers to the user a privileged access to navigate through multilingual documents without language or medical prerequisites. The results of an evaluation conducted on the WRAPIN prototype show that results of the WRAPIN search engine are perceived as informative 65% (59% for a general-purpose search engine), reliable and trustworthy 72% (41% for the other engine) by users. But it leaves room for improvement such as the increase of database coverage, the explanation of the original functionalities and an audience adaptability. Thanks to evaluation outcomes, WRAPIN is now in exploitation on the HON web site (http://www.healthonnet.org), free of charge. Intended to the citizen it is a good alternative to general-purpose search engines when the user looks up trustworthy health and medical information or wants to check automatically a doubtful content of a Web page.

Knowledge Based Engineering for Spatial Database Management and Use

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peuquet, D. (Principal Investigator)

1984-01-01

The use of artificial intelligence techniques that are applicable to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are examined. Questions involving the performance and modification to the database structure, the definition of spectra in quadtree structures and their use in search heuristics, extension of the knowledge base, and learning algorithm concepts are investigated.

77 FR 23670 - Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report for the Encinitas...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-20

... Protection Project, San Diego County, CA AGENCY: Department of the Army, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, DOD... shoreline protection. Alternatives will include both structural and non-structural measures. ADDRESSES: You... information contact Mr. Larry Smith, Project Environmental [[Page 23671

Combined protein construct and synthetic gene engineering for heterologous protein expression and crystallization using Gene Composer

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

Raymond, Amy; Lovell, Scott; Lorimer, Don

2009-12-01

With the goal of improving yield and success rates of heterologous protein production for structural studies we have developed the database and algorithm software package Gene Composer. This freely available electronic tool facilitates the information-rich design of protein constructs and their engineered synthetic gene sequences, as detailed in the accompanying manuscript. In this report, we compare heterologous protein expression levels from native sequences to that of codon engineered synthetic gene constructs designed by Gene Composer. A test set of proteins including a human kinase (P38{alpha}), viral polymerase (HCV NS5B), and bacterial structural protein (FtsZ) were expressed in both E. colimore » and a cell-free wheat germ translation system. We also compare the protein expression levels in E. coli for a set of 11 different proteins with greatly varied G:C content and codon bias. The results consistently demonstrate that protein yields from codon engineered Gene Composer designs are as good as or better than those achieved from the synonymous native genes. Moreover, structure guided N- and C-terminal deletion constructs designed with the aid of Gene Composer can lead to greater success in gene to structure work as exemplified by the X-ray crystallographic structure determination of FtsZ from Bacillus subtilis. These results validate the Gene Composer algorithms, and suggest that using a combination of synthetic gene and protein construct engineering tools can improve the economics of gene to structure research.« less

Interfacing modules for integrating discipline specific structural mechanics codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Endres, Ned M.

1989-01-01

An outline of the organization and capabilities of the Engine Structures Computational Simulator (Simulator) at NASA Lewis Research Center is given. One of the goals of the research at Lewis is to integrate various discipline specific structural mechanics codes into a software system which can be brought to bear effectively on a wide range of engineering problems. This system must possess the qualities of being effective and efficient while still remaining user friendly. The simulator was initially designed for the finite element simulation of gas jet engine components. Currently, the simulator has been restricted to only the analysis of high pressure turbine blades and the accompanying rotor assembly, although the current installation can be expanded for other applications. The simulator presently assists the user throughout its procedures by performing information management tasks, executing external support tasks, organizing analysis modules and executing these modules in the user defined order while maintaining processing continuity.

SSEP: secondary structural elements of proteins

PubMed Central

Shanthi, V.; Selvarani, P.; Kiran Kumar, Ch.; Mohire, C. S.; Sekar, K.

2003-01-01

SSEP is a comprehensive resource for accessing information related to the secondary structural elements present in the 25 and 90% non-redundant protein chains. The database contains 1771 protein chains from 1670 protein structures and 6182 protein chains from 5425 protein structures in 25 and 90% non-redundant protein chains, respectively. The current version provides information about the α-helical segments and β-strand fragments of varying lengths. In addition, it also contains the information about 310-helix, β- and ν-turns and hairpin loops. The free graphics program RASMOL has been interfaced with the search engine to visualize the three-dimensional structures of the user queried secondary structural fragment. The database is updated regularly and is available through Bioinformatics web server at http://cluster.physics.iisc.ernet.in/ssep/ or http://144.16.71.148/ssep/. PMID:12824336

Essie: A Concept-based Search Engine for Structured Biomedical Text

PubMed Central

Ide, Nicholas C.; Loane, Russell F.; Demner-Fushman, Dina

2007-01-01

This article describes the algorithms implemented in the Essie search engine that is currently serving several Web sites at the National Library of Medicine. Essie is a phrase-based search engine with term and concept query expansion and probabilistic relevancy ranking. Essie’s design is motivated by an observation that query terms are often conceptually related to terms in a document, without actually occurring in the document text. Essie’s performance was evaluated using data and standard evaluation methods from the 2003 and 2006 Text REtrieval Conference (TREC) Genomics track. Essie was the best-performing search engine in the 2003 TREC Genomics track and achieved results comparable to those of the highest-ranking systems on the 2006 TREC Genomics track task. Essie shows that a judicious combination of exploiting document structure, phrase searching, and concept based query expansion is a useful approach for information retrieval in the biomedical domain. PMID:17329729

Remote sensing training for Corps of Engineering personnel: The university training module concept

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

A concept to permit Corps of Engineers personnel to obtain and maintain an appropriate level of individual proficiency in the application of remote sensing to water resource management is described. Recommendations are made for specific training courses and include structure and staffing requirements, syllabi and methods of operation, supporting materials, and procedures for integrating information systems management into the University Training Modules.

Automated generation of individually customized visualizations of diagnosis-specific medical information using novel techniques of information extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Andrew A.; Meng, Frank; Morioka, Craig A.; Churchill, Bernard M.; Kangarloo, Hooshang

2005-04-01

Managing pediatric patients with neurogenic bladder (NGB) involves regular laboratory, imaging, and physiologic testing. Using input from domain experts and current literature, we identified specific data points from these tests to develop the concept of an electronic disease vector for NGB. An information extraction engine was used to extract the desired data elements from free-text and semi-structured documents retrieved from the patient"s medical record. Finally, a Java-based presentation engine created graphical visualizations of the extracted data. After precision, recall, and timing evaluation, we conclude that these tools may enable clinically useful, automatically generated, and diagnosis-specific visualizations of patient data, potentially improving compliance and ultimately, outcomes.

Combining engineered cell-sensors with multi-agent systems to realize smart environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Mei

2013-03-01

The connection of everything in a sensory and an intelligent way is a pursuit in smart environment. This paper introduces the engineered cell-sensors into the multi-agent systems to realize the smart environment. The seamless interface with the natural environment and strong information-processing ability of cell with the achievements of synthetic biology make the construction of engineered cell-sensors possible. However, the engineered cell-sensors are only simple-functional and unreliable computational entities. Therefore how to combine engineered cell-sensors with digital device is a key problem in order to realize the smart environment. We give the abstract structure and interaction modes of the engineered cell-sensors in order to introduce engineered cell-sensors into multi-agent systems. We believe that the introduction of engineered cell-sensors will push forward the development of the smart environment.

ChemEngine: harvesting 3D chemical structures of supplementary data from PDF files.

PubMed

Karthikeyan, Muthukumarasamy; Vyas, Renu

2016-01-01

Digital access to chemical journals resulted in a vast array of molecular information that is now available in the supplementary material files in PDF format. However, extracting this molecular information, generally from a PDF document format is a daunting task. Here we present an approach to harvest 3D molecular data from the supporting information of scientific research articles that are normally available from publisher's resources. In order to demonstrate the feasibility of extracting truly computable molecules from PDF file formats in a fast and efficient manner, we have developed a Java based application, namely ChemEngine. This program recognizes textual patterns from the supplementary data and generates standard molecular structure data (bond matrix, atomic coordinates) that can be subjected to a multitude of computational processes automatically. The methodology has been demonstrated via several case studies on different formats of coordinates data stored in supplementary information files, wherein ChemEngine selectively harvested the atomic coordinates and interpreted them as molecules with high accuracy. The reusability of extracted molecular coordinate data was demonstrated by computing Single Point Energies that were in close agreement with the original computed data provided with the articles. It is envisaged that the methodology will enable large scale conversion of molecular information from supplementary files available in the PDF format into a collection of ready- to- compute molecular data to create an automated workflow for advanced computational processes. Software along with source codes and instructions available at https://sourceforge.net/projects/chemengine/files/?source=navbar.Graphical abstract.

Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods for select space propulsion system components (PSAM). Volume 2: Literature surveys of critical Space Shuttle main engine components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rajagopal, K. R.

1992-01-01

The technical effort and computer code development is summarized. Several formulations for Probabilistic Finite Element Analysis (PFEA) are described with emphasis on the selected formulation. The strategies being implemented in the first-version computer code to perform linear, elastic PFEA is described. The results of a series of select Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) component surveys are presented. These results identify the critical components and provide the information necessary for probabilistic structural analysis. Volume 2 is a summary of critical SSME components.

Energy efficiency in light-frame wood construction

Treesearch

Gerald E. Sherwood; Gunard Hans

1979-01-01

This report presents information needed for design and construction of energy-efficient light-frame wood structures. The opening section discusses improving the thermal performance of a house by careful planning and design. A second section of the report provides technical information on the thermal properties of construction materials, and on the basic engineering...

An Overview of Prognosis Health Management Research at Glenn Research Center for Gas Turbine Engine Structures With Special Emphasis on Deformation and Damage Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, Steven M.; Goldberg, Robert K.; Lerch, Bradley A.; Saleeb, Atef F.

2009-01-01

Herein a general, multimechanism, physics-based viscoelastoplastic model is presented in the context of an integrated diagnosis and prognosis methodology which is proposed for structural health monitoring, with particular applicability to gas turbine engine structures. In this methodology, diagnostics and prognostics will be linked through state awareness variable(s). Key technologies which comprise the proposed integrated approach include (1) diagnostic/detection methodology, (2) prognosis/lifing methodology, (3) diagnostic/prognosis linkage, (4) experimental validation, and (5) material data information management system. A specific prognosis lifing methodology, experimental characterization and validation and data information management are the focal point of current activities being pursued within this integrated approach. The prognostic lifing methodology is based on an advanced multimechanism viscoelastoplastic model which accounts for both stiffness and/or strength reduction damage variables. Methods to characterize both the reversible and irreversible portions of the model are discussed. Once the multiscale model is validated the intent is to link it to appropriate diagnostic methods to provide a full-featured structural health monitoring system.

An Overview of Prognosis Health Management Research at GRC for Gas Turbine Engine Structures With Special Emphasis on Deformation and Damage Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, Steven M.; Goldberg, Robert K.; Lerch, Bradley A.; Saleeb, Atef F.

2009-01-01

Herein a general, multimechanism, physics-based viscoelastoplastic model is presented in the context of an integrated diagnosis and prognosis methodology which is proposed for structural health monitoring, with particular applicability to gas turbine engine structures. In this methodology, diagnostics and prognostics will be linked through state awareness variable(s). Key technologies which comprise the proposed integrated approach include 1) diagnostic/detection methodology, 2) prognosis/lifing methodology, 3) diagnostic/prognosis linkage, 4) experimental validation and 5) material data information management system. A specific prognosis lifing methodology, experimental characterization and validation and data information management are the focal point of current activities being pursued within this integrated approach. The prognostic lifing methodology is based on an advanced multi-mechanism viscoelastoplastic model which accounts for both stiffness and/or strength reduction damage variables. Methods to characterize both the reversible and irreversible portions of the model are discussed. Once the multiscale model is validated the intent is to link it to appropriate diagnostic methods to provide a full-featured structural health monitoring system.

Application of smart optical fiber sensors for structural load monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Heddwyn; Everall, Lorna A.; Gallon, Andrew M.

2001-06-01

This paper describes a smart monitoring system, incorporating optical fiber sensing techniques, capable of providing important structural information to designers and users alike. This technology has wide industrial and commercial application in areas including aerospace, civil, maritime and automotive engineering. In order to demonstrate the capability of the sensing system it has been installed in a 35m free-standing carbon fiber yacht mast, where a complete optical network of strain and temperature sensors were embedded into a composite mast and boom during lay-up. The system was able to monitor the behavior of the composite rig through a range of handling conditions. The resulting strain information can be used by engineers to improve the structural design process. Embedded fiber optic sensors have wide ranging application for structural load monitoring. Due to their small size, optical fiber sensors can be readily embedded into composite materials. Other advantages include their immediate multiplexing capability and immunity to electro-magnetic interference. The capability of this system has been demonstrated within the maritime and industrial environment, but can be adapted for any application.

Using the USGS Seismic Risk Web Application to estimate aftershock damage

USGS Publications Warehouse

McGowan, Sean M.; Luco, Nicolas

2014-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Engineering Risk Assessment Project has developed the Seismic Risk Web Application to combine earthquake hazard and structural fragility information in order to calculate the risk of earthquake damage to structures. Enabling users to incorporate their own hazard and fragility information into the calculations will make it possible to quantify (in near real-time) the risk of additional damage to structures caused by aftershocks following significant earthquakes. Results can quickly be shared with stakeholders to illustrate the impact of elevated ground motion hazard and earthquake-compromised structural integrity on the risk of damage during a short-term, post-earthquake time horizon.

A knowledge-based system design/information tool for aircraft flight control systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackall, Dale A.; Allen, James G.

1989-01-01

Research aircraft have become increasingly dependent on advanced control systems to accomplish program goals. These aircraft are integrating multiple disciplines to improve performance and satisfy research objectives. This integration is being accomplished through electronic control systems. Because of the number of systems involved and the variety of engineering disciplines, systems design methods and information management have become essential to program success. The primary objective of the system design/information tool for aircraft flight control system is to help transfer flight control system design knowledge to the flight test community. By providing all of the design information and covering multiple disciplines in a structured, graphical manner, flight control systems can more easily be understood by the test engineers. This will provide the engineers with the information needed to thoroughly ground test the system and thereby reduce the likelihood of serious design errors surfacing in flight. The secondary objective is to apply structured design techniques to all of the design domains. By using the techniques in the top level system design down through the detailed hardware and software designs, it is hoped that fewer design anomalies will result. The flight test experiences of three highly complex, integrated aircraft programs are reviewed: the X-29 forward-swept wing, the advanced fighter technology integration (AFTI) F-16, and the highly maneuverable aircraft technology (HiMAT) program. Significant operating anomalies and the design errors which cause them, are examined to help identify what functions a system design/information tool should provide to assist designers in avoiding errors.

Molecular structures guide the engineering of chromatin

PubMed Central

Tekel, Stefan J.

2017-01-01

Abstract Chromatin is a system of proteins, RNA, and DNA that interact with each other to organize and regulate genetic information within eukaryotic nuclei. Chromatin proteins carry out essential functions: packing DNA during cell division, partitioning DNA into sub-regions within the nucleus, and controlling levels of gene expression. There is a growing interest in manipulating chromatin dynamics for applications in medicine and agriculture. Progress in this area requires the identification of design rules for the chromatin system. Here, we focus on the relationship between the physical structure and function of chromatin proteins. We discuss key research that has elucidated the intrinsic properties of chromatin proteins and how this information informs design rules for synthetic systems. Recent work demonstrates that chromatin-derived peptide motifs are portable and in some cases can be customized to alter their function. Finally, we present a workflow for fusion protein design and discuss best practices for engineering chromatin to assist scientists in advancing the field of synthetic epigenetics. PMID:28609787

Metal- matrix composite processing technologies for aircraft engine applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pank, D. R.; Jackson, J. J.

1993-06-01

Titanium metal-matrix composites (MMC) are prime candidate materials for aerospace applications be-cause of their excellent high-temperature longitudinal strength and stiffness and low density compared with nickel- and steel-base materials. This article examines the steps GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE) has taken to develop an induction plasma deposition (IPD) processing method for the fabrication of Ti6242/SiC MMC material. Information regarding process methodology, microstructures, and mechani-cal properties of consolidated MMC structures will be presented. The work presented was funded under the GE-Aircraft Engine IR & D program.

Toward public volume database management: a case study of NOVA, the National Online Volumetric Archive

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fletcher, Alex; Yoo, Terry S.

2004-04-01

Public databases today can be constructed with a wide variety of authoring and management structures. The widespread appeal of Internet search engines suggests that public information be made open and available to common search strategies, making accessible information that would otherwise be hidden by the infrastructure and software interfaces of a traditional database management system. We present the construction and organizational details for managing NOVA, the National Online Volumetric Archive. As an archival effort of the Visible Human Project for supporting medical visualization research, archiving 3D multimodal radiological teaching files, and enhancing medical education with volumetric data, our overall database structure is simplified; archives grow by accruing information, but seldom have to modify, delete, or overwrite stored records. NOVA is being constructed and populated so that it is transparent to the Internet; that is, much of its internal structure is mirrored in HTML allowing internet search engines to investigate, catalog, and link directly to the deep relational structure of the collection index. The key organizational concept for NOVA is the Image Content Group (ICG), an indexing strategy for cataloging incoming data as a set structure rather than by keyword management. These groups are managed through a series of XML files and authoring scripts. We cover the motivation for Image Content Groups, their overall construction, authorship, and management in XML, and the pilot results for creating public data repositories using this strategy.

Evaluation and comparison of epidural analgesia in labour related information on French and English-speaking websites.

PubMed

Espitalier, Fabien; De Lamer, Sabine; Barbaz, Mathilde; Laffon, Marc; Remérand, Francis

2018-01-31

The medical information on the Internet is better in English than in other languages. The information about Epidural Analgesia In Labour (EAIL) available on French-speaking websites is of poor quality. The quality of the information about EAIL should be better in English, but there is no comparison available. This study has assessed and compared the quality of the information about EAIL available on French and English-speaking websites. Keywords "epidural", "épidurale" and/or "péridurale" were used in the French, Canadian and American Google ® and Yahoo ® search engines. Two independent assessors assessed the 20 first websites for each engine search. They used an evaluation form created from French, Canadian and American recommendations. This form assessed the structure quality (Structure Score/25) and the medical information quality (Medical Information Score/30) of the websites. The addition of both scores gives the Global Score (/55). Seventy-one websites were assessed, 39 French-speaking and 32 English-speaking websites. Structure, Medical Information and Global Scores (expressed as mean (SD)) were respectively 11 (4), 13 (5), 24 (8) for the French-speaking websites and 11 (4), 12 (4), 23 (7) for the English-speaking websites. There was no statistical significant difference between both languages. Information about EAIL available on French and English-speaking websites is of poor quality and there is no difference in the information quality, whatever the language. A consideration on Internet medical information improvement is needed. A high quality dedicated website should be created and broadcasted. Copyright © 2018 Société française d'anesthésie et de réanimation (Sfar). Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Ground facility for information reception, processing, dissemination and scientific instruments management setup in the CORONAS-PHOTON space project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buslov, A. S.; Kotov, Yu. D.; Yurov, V. N.; Bessonov, M. V.; Kalmykov, P. A.; Oreshnikov, E. M.; Alimov, A. M.; Tumanov, A. V.; Zhuchkova, E. A.

2011-06-01

This paper deals with the organizational structure of ground-based receiving, processing, and dissemination of scientific information created by the Astrophysics Institute of the Scientific Research Nuclear University, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute. Hardware structure and software features are described. The principles are given for forming sets of control commands for scientific equipment (SE) devices, and statistics data are presented on the operation of facility during flight tests of the spacecraft (SC) in the course of one year.

Tissue engineering in dentistry.

PubMed

Abou Neel, Ensanya Ali; Chrzanowski, Wojciech; Salih, Vehid M; Kim, Hae-Won; Knowles, Jonathan C

2014-08-01

of this review is to inform practitioners with the most updated information on tissue engineering and its potential applications in dentistry. The authors used "PUBMED" to find relevant literature written in English and published from the beginning of tissue engineering until today. A combination of keywords was used as the search terms e.g., "tissue engineering", "approaches", "strategies" "dentistry", "dental stem cells", "dentino-pulp complex", "guided tissue regeneration", "whole tooth", "TMJ", "condyle", "salivary glands", and "oral mucosa". Abstracts and full text articles were used to identify causes of craniofacial tissue loss, different approaches for craniofacial reconstructions, how the tissue engineering emerges, different strategies of tissue engineering, biomaterials employed for this purpose, the major attempts to engineer different dental structures, finally challenges and future of tissue engineering in dentistry. Only those articles that dealt with the tissue engineering in dentistry were selected. There have been a recent surge in guided tissue engineering methods to manage periodontal diseases beyond the traditional approaches. However, the predictable reconstruction of the innate organisation and function of whole teeth as well as their periodontal structures remains challenging. Despite some limited progress and minor successes, there remain distinct and important challenges in the development of reproducible and clinically safe approaches for oral tissue repair and regeneration. Clearly, there is a convincing body of evidence which confirms the need for this type of treatment, and public health data worldwide indicates a more than adequate patient resource. The future of these therapies involving more biological approaches and the use of dental tissue stem cells is promising and advancing. Also there may be a significant interest of their application and wider potential to treat disorders beyond the craniofacial region. Considering the interests of the patients who could possibly be helped by applying stem cell-based therapies should be carefully assessed against current ethical concerns regarding the moral status of the early embryo. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Engineered Nanomaterials: Their Physicochemical Characteristics and How to Measure Them.

PubMed

Atluri, Rambabu; Jensen, Keld Alstrup

2017-01-01

Numerous types of engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are commercially available and developments move towards producing more advanced nanomaterials with tailored properties. Such advanced nanomaterials may include chemically doped or modified derivatives with specific surface chemistries; also called higher generation or multiconstituent nanomaterials. To fully enjoy the benefits of nanomaterials, appropriate characterisation of ENMs is necessary for many aspects of their production, use, testing and reporting to regulatory bodies. This chapter introduces both structural and textural properties of nanomaterials with a focus on demonstrating the information that can be achieved by analysis of primary physicochemical characteristics and how such information is critical to understand or assess the possible toxicity of engineered nanomaterials. Many of characterization methods are very specific to obtain particular characteristics and therefore the most widely used techniques are explained and demonstrated.

Rating health and stability of engineering structures via classification indexes of InSAR Persistent Scatterers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pratesi, Fabio; Tapete, Deodato; Terenzi, Gloria; Del Ventisette, Chiara; Moretti, Sandro

2015-08-01

We propose a novel set of indexes to classify the information content of Persistent Scatterers (PS) and rate the health of engineering structures at urban to local scale. PS are automatically sampled and grouped via 'control areas' coinciding with the building and its surrounding environment. Density over the 'control areas' and velocity of PS are converted respectively into: Completeness of Information Index (Ici) that reflects the PS coverage grade; and Conservation Criticality Indexes (Icc) which rate the health condition of the monument separately for the object and surrounding control areas. The deformation pattern over the structure is classified as isolated (i) or diffused (d) based on the Velocity Distribution Index (Ivd). Both Ici and Icc are rated from A to E classes using a colour-coded system that intentionally emulates an energy-efficiency scale, to encourage the exploitation of PS by stakeholders and end-users in the practise of engineering surveying. Workability and reliability of the classification indexes are demonstrated over the urban heritage of Florence, Italy, using well established ERS-1/2 (1992-2000) descending, ENVISAT (2003-2010) ascending and descending PS datasets. The indexes are designed in perspective of handling outputs from InSAR processing of higher-resolution time series.

Evaluation of thresholding techniques for segmenting scaffold images in tissue engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajagopalan, Srinivasan; Yaszemski, Michael J.; Robb, Richard A.

2004-05-01

Tissue engineering attempts to address the ever widening gap between the demand and supply of organ and tissue transplants using natural and biomimetic scaffolds. The regeneration of specific tissues aided by synthetic materials is dependent on the structural and morphometric properties of the scaffold. These properties can be derived non-destructively using quantitative analysis of high resolution microCT scans of scaffolds. Thresholding of the scanned images into polymeric and porous phase is central to the outcome of the subsequent structural and morphometric analysis. Visual thresholding of scaffolds produced using stochastic processes is inaccurate. Depending on the algorithmic assumptions made, automatic thresholding might also be inaccurate. Hence there is a need to analyze the performance of different techniques and propose alternate ones, if needed. This paper provides a quantitative comparison of different thresholding techniques for segmenting scaffold images. The thresholding algorithms examined include those that exploit spatial information, locally adaptive characteristics, histogram entropy information, histogram shape information, and clustering of gray-level information. The performance of different techniques was evaluated using established criteria, including misclassification error, edge mismatch, relative foreground error, and region non-uniformity. Algorithms that exploit local image characteristics seem to perform much better than those using global information.

Using hub technology to facilitate information system integration in a health-care enterprise.

PubMed

Gendler, S M; Friedman, B A; Henricks, W H

1996-04-01

The deployment and maintenance of multiple point-to-point interfaces between a clinical information system, such as a laboratory information system, and other systems within a healthcare enterprise is expensive and time consuming. Moreover, the demand for such interfaces is increasing as hospitals consolidate and clinical laboratories participate in the development of regional laboratory networks and create host-to-host links with laboratory outreach clients. An interface engine, also called a hub, is an evolving technology that could replace multiple point-to-point interfaces from a laboratory information system with a single interface to the hub, preferably HL7 based. The hub then routes and translates laboratory information to other systems within the enterprise. Changes in application systems in an enterprise where a centralized interface engine has been implemented then amount to thorough analysis, an update of the enterprise's data dictionary, purchase of a single new vendor-supported interface, and table-based parameter changes on the hub. Two other features of an interface engine, support for structured query language and information store-and-forward, will facilitate the development of clinical data repositories and provide flexibility when interacting with other host systems. This article describes the advantages and disadvantages of an interface engine and lists some problems not solved by the technology. Finally, early developmental experience with an interface engine at the University of Michigan Medical Center and the benefits of the project on system integration efforts are described, not the least of which has been the enthusiastic adoption of the HL7 standard for all future interface projects.

The Alert Program for Self-Management of Behaviour in Second Level Schools: Results of Phase 1 of a Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mac Cobb, Siobhan; Fitzgerald, Brian; Lanigan-O'Keeffe, Carolyn

2014-01-01

This article reports on Phase 1 of a pilot programme on self-management of behaviour with challenging class groups of students as part of the evidence-informed practice of the National Behaviour Support Service. The Alert Program is a structured active learning programme using an engine analogy. The person's engine runs on high, low or just right…

Mass spectrometry for the biophysical characterization of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.

PubMed

Zhang, Hao; Cui, Weidong; Gross, Michael L

2014-01-21

Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are powerful therapeutics, and their characterization has drawn considerable attention and urgency. Unlike small-molecule drugs (150-600 Da) that have rigid structures, mAbs (∼150 kDa) are engineered proteins that undergo complicated folding and can exist in a number of low-energy structures, posing a challenge for traditional methods in structural biology. Mass spectrometry (MS)-based biophysical characterization approaches can provide structural information, bringing high sensitivity, fast turnaround, and small sample consumption. This review outlines various MS-based strategies for protein biophysical characterization and then reviews how these strategies provide structural information of mAbs at the protein level (intact or top-down approaches), peptide, and residue level (bottom-up approaches), affording information on higher order structure, aggregation, and the nature of antibody complexes. Copyright © 2013 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial confidentiality and GIS: re-engineering mortality locations from published maps about Hurricane Katrina.

PubMed

Curtis, Andrew J; Mills, Jacqueline W; Leitner, Michael

2006-10-10

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can provide valuable insight into patterns of human activity. Online spatial display applications, such as Google Earth, can democratise this information by disseminating it to the general public. Although this is a generally positive advance for society, there is a legitimate concern involving the disclosure of confidential information through spatial display. Although guidelines exist for aggregated data, little has been written concerning the display of point level information. The concern is that a map containing points representing cases of cancer or an infectious disease, could be re-engineered back to identify an actual residence. This risk is investigated using point mortality locations from Hurricane Katrina re-engineered from a map published in the Baton Rouge Advocate newspaper, and a field team validating these residences using search and rescue building markings. We show that the residence of an individual, visualized as a generalized point covering approximately one and half city blocks on a map, can be re-engineered back to identify the actual house location, or at least a close neighbour, even if the map contains little spatial reference information. The degree of re-engineering success is also shown to depend on the urban characteristic of the neighborhood. The results in this paper suggest a need to re-evaluate current guidelines for the display of point (address level) data. Examples of other point maps displaying health data extracted from the academic literature are presented where a similar re-engineering approach might cause concern with respect to violating confidentiality. More research is also needed into the role urban structure plays in the accuracy of re-engineering. We suggest that health and spatial scientists should be proactive and suggest a series of point level spatial confidentiality guidelines before governmental decisions are made which may be reactionary toward the threat of revealing confidential information, thereby imposing draconian limits on research using a GIS.

Spatial confidentiality and GIS: re-engineering mortality locations from published maps about Hurricane Katrina

PubMed Central

Curtis, Andrew J; Mills, Jacqueline W; Leitner, Michael

2006-01-01

Background Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can provide valuable insight into patterns of human activity. Online spatial display applications, such as Google Earth, can democratise this information by disseminating it to the general public. Although this is a generally positive advance for society, there is a legitimate concern involving the disclosure of confidential information through spatial display. Although guidelines exist for aggregated data, little has been written concerning the display of point level information. The concern is that a map containing points representing cases of cancer or an infectious disease, could be re-engineered back to identify an actual residence. This risk is investigated using point mortality locations from Hurricane Katrina re-engineered from a map published in the Baton Rouge Advocate newspaper, and a field team validating these residences using search and rescue building markings. Results We show that the residence of an individual, visualized as a generalized point covering approximately one and half city blocks on a map, can be re-engineered back to identify the actual house location, or at least a close neighbour, even if the map contains little spatial reference information. The degree of re-engineering success is also shown to depend on the urban characteristic of the neighborhood. Conclusion The results in this paper suggest a need to re-evaluate current guidelines for the display of point (address level) data. Examples of other point maps displaying health data extracted from the academic literature are presented where a similar re-engineering approach might cause concern with respect to violating confidentiality. More research is also needed into the role urban structure plays in the accuracy of re-engineering. We suggest that health and spatial scientists should be proactive and suggest a series of point level spatial confidentiality guidelines before governmental decisions are made which may be reactionary toward the threat of revealing confidential information, thereby imposing draconian limits on research using a GIS. PMID:17032448

The multi-queue model applied to random access protocol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Xinlong

2013-03-01

The connection of everything in a sensory and an intelligent way is a pursuit in smart environment. This paper introduces the engineered cell-sensors into the multi-agent systems to realize the smart environment. The seamless interface with the natural environment and strong information-processing ability of cell with the achievements of synthetic biology make the construction of engineered cell-sensors possible. However, the engineered cell-sensors are only simple-functional and unreliable computational entities. Therefore how to combine engineered cell-sensors with digital device is a key problem in order to realize the smart environment. We give the abstract structure and interaction modes of the engineered cell-sensors in order to introduce engineered cell-sensors into multi-agent systems. We believe that the introduction of engineered cell-sensors will push forward the development of the smart environment.

Synthesis of wood treatment alternatives for timber railroad structures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-12-01

A wealth of information exists on various wood preservatives, treatment techniques, curing practices, and other engineered : controls, along with alternative materials for replacement. This study was initiated to review and synthesize available : inf...

NASA/Howard University Large Space Structures Institute

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Broome, T. H., Jr.

1984-01-01

Basic research on the engineering behavior of large space structures is presented. Methods of structural analysis, control, and optimization of large flexible systems are examined. Topics of investigation include the Load Correction Method (LCM) modeling technique, stabilization of flexible bodies by feedback control, mathematical refinement of analysis equations, optimization of the design of structural components, deployment dynamics, and the use of microprocessors in attitude and shape control of large space structures. Information on key personnel, budgeting, support plans and conferences is included.

Studies and analyses of the space shuttle main engine. Failure information propagation model data base and software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tischer, A. E.

1987-01-01

The failure information propagation model (FIPM) data base was developed to store and manipulate the large amount of information anticipated for the various Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) FIPMs. The organization and structure of the FIPM data base is described, including a summary of the data fields and key attributes associated with each FIPM data file. The menu-driven software developed to facilitate and control the entry, modification, and listing of data base records is also discussed. The transfer of the FIPM data base and software to the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is described. Complete listings of all of the data base definition commands and software procedures are included in the appendixes.

Engineering analyses of large precision cathode strip chambers for GEM

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

Horvath, J.A.; Belser, F.C.; Pratuch, S.M.

Structural analyses of large precision cathode strip chambers performed up to the date of this publication are documented. Mechanical property data for typical chamber materials are included. This information, originally intended to be an appendix to the {open_quotes}CSC Structural Design Bible,{close_quotes} is presented as a guide for future designers of large chambers.

Review of Literature on Probability of Detection for Magnetic Particle Nondestructive Testing

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

4 3.2 Offshore welded structures..................................................................................... 8 3.3 Aerospace...presented in Section 6. 2. Overview of Magnetic Particle Testing MPT is used in heavy engineering to inspect welds for surface-breaking... welded structures, and concluding with a summary of reliability information embedded in aerospace standards. 3.1 Aerospace It appears that the

Computer Program Re-layers Engineering Drawings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crosby, Dewey C., III

1990-01-01

RULCHK computer program aids in structuring layers of information pertaining to part or assembly designed with software described in article "Software for Drawing Design Details Concurrently" (MFS-28444). Checks and optionally updates structure of layers for part. Enables designer to construct model and annotate its documentation without burden of manually layering part to conform to standards at design time.

Structural composite panel performance under long-term load

Treesearch

Theodore L. Laufenberg

1988-01-01

Information on the performance of wood-based structural composite panels under long-term load is currently needed to permit their use in engineered assemblies and systems. A broad assessment of the time-dependent properties of panels is critical for creating databases and models of the creep-rupture phenomenon that lead to reliability-based design procedures. This...

Brain Structure-function Couplings (FY11)

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

influence time-evolving models of global brain function and dynamic changes in cognitive performance. Both structural and functional connections change on...Artifact Resistant Measure to Detect Cognitive EEG Activity During Locomotion. Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation, submitted. 10...Specifically, identifying the communication between brain regions that occurs during tasks may provide information regarding the cognitive processes involved in

Combining cognitive engineering and information fusion architectures to build effective joint systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sliva, Amy L.; Gorman, Joe; Voshell, Martin; Tittle, James; Bowman, Christopher

2016-05-01

The Dual Node Decision Wheels (DNDW) architecture concept was previously described as a novel approach toward integrating analytic and decision-making processes in joint human/automation systems in highly complex sociotechnical settings. In this paper, we extend the DNDW construct with a description of components in this framework, combining structures of the Dual Node Network (DNN) for Information Fusion and Resource Management with extensions on Rasmussen's Decision Ladder (DL) to provide guidance on constructing information systems that better serve decision-making support requirements. The DNN takes a component-centered approach to system design, decomposing each asset in terms of data inputs and outputs according to their roles and interactions in a fusion network. However, to ensure relevancy to and organizational fitment within command and control (C2) processes, principles from cognitive systems engineering emphasize that system design must take a human-centered systems view, integrating information needs and decision making requirements to drive the architecture design and capabilities of network assets. In the current work, we present an approach for structuring and assessing DNDW systems that uses a unique hybrid DNN top-down system design with a human-centered process design, combining DNN node decomposition with artifacts from cognitive analysis (i.e., system abstraction decomposition models, decision ladders) to provide work domain and task-level insights at different levels in an example intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) system setting. This DNDW structure will ensure not only that the information fusion technologies and processes are structured effectively, but that the resulting information products will align with the requirements of human decision makers and be adaptable to different work settings .

An application of holographic interferometry for dynamic vibration analysis of a jet engine turbine compressor rotor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fein, Howard

2003-09-01

Holographic Interferometry has been successfully employed to characterize the materials and behavior of diverse types of structures under dynamic stress. Specialized variations of this technology have also been applied to define dynamic and vibration related structural behavior. Such applications of holographic technique offer some of the most effective methods of modal and dynamic analysis available. Real-time dynamic testing of the modal and mechanical behavior of jet engine turbine, rotor, vane, and compressor structures has always required advanced instrumentation for data collection in either simulated flight operation test or computer-based modeling and simulations. Advanced optical holography techniques are alternate methods which result in actual full-field behavioral data in a noninvasive, noncontact environment. These methods offer significant insight in both the development and subsequent operational test and modeling of advanced jet engine turbine and compressor rotor structures and their integration with total vehicle system dynamics. Structures and materials can be analyzed with very low amplitude excitation and the resultant data can be used to adjust the accuracy of mathematically derived structural and behavioral models. Holographic Interferometry offers a powerful tool to aid in the developmental engineering of turbine rotor and compressor structures for high stress applications. Aircraft engine applications in particular most consider operational environments where extremes in vibration and impulsive as well as continuous mechanical stress can affect both operation and structural stability. These considerations present ideal requisites for analysis using advanced holographic methods in the initial design and test of turbine rotor components. Holographic techniques are nondestructive, real-time, and definitive in allowing the identification of vibrational modes, displacements, and motion geometries. Such information can be crucial to the determination of mechanical configurations and designs as well as critical operational parameters of turbine structural components or unit turbine components fabricated from advanced and exotic new materials or using new fabrication methods. Anomalous behavioral characteristics can be directly related to hidden structural or mounting anomalies and defects.

Introduction to the computational structural mechanics testbed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lotts, C. G.; Greene, W. H.; Mccleary, S. L.; Knight, N. F., Jr.; Paulson, S. S.; Gillian, R. E.

1987-01-01

The Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) testbed software system based on the SPAR finite element code and the NICE system is described. This software is denoted NICE/SPAR. NICE was developed at Lockheed Palo Alto Research Laboratory and contains data management utilities, a command language interpreter, and a command language definition for integrating engineering computational modules. SPAR is a system of programs used for finite element structural analysis developed for NASA by Lockheed and Engineering Information Systems, Inc. It includes many complementary structural analysis, thermal analysis, utility functions which communicate through a common database. The work on NICE/SPAR was motivated by requirements for a highly modular and flexible structural analysis system to use as a tool in carrying out research in computational methods and exploring computer hardware. Analysis examples are presented which demonstrate the benefits gained from a combination of the NICE command language with a SPAR computational modules.

Fluvial gravel stabilization by net-spinning Hydropsychid caddisflies: exploring the magnitude and geographic scope of ecosystem engineering effect and evaluating resistance to anthropogenic stresses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Daniels, M.; Albertson, L.; Sklar, L. S.; Tumolo, B.; Mclaughlin, M. K.

2017-12-01

Several studies have demonstrated the substantial effects that organisms can have on earth surface processes. Known as ecosystem engineers, in streams these organisms maintain, modify, or create physical habitat structure by influencing fluvial processes such as gravel movement, fine sediment deposition and bank erosion. However, the ecology of ecosystem engineers and the magnitude of ecosystem engineering effects in a world increasingly influence by anthropogenically-driven changes is not well understood. Here we present a synthesis of research findings on the potential gravel stabilization effects of Hydropsychid caddisflies, a globally distributed group of net-spinning insects that live in the benthic substrate of most freshwater streams. Hydropsychid caddisflies act as ecosystem engineers because these silk structures can fundamentally alter sediment transport conditions, including sediment stability and flow currents. The silk nets spun by these insects attach gravel grains to one another, increasing the shear stress required to initiate grain entrainment. In a series of independent laboratory experiments, we investigate the gravel size fractions most affected by these silk attachments. We also investigate the role of anthropogenic environmental stresses on ecosystem engineering potential by assessing the impact of two common stressors, high fine sediment loads and stream drying, on silk structures. Finally, an extensive field survey of grain size and Hydropsychid caddisfly population densities informs a watershed-scale network model of Hydropsychid caddisfly gravel stabilizing potential. Our findings provide some of the first evidence that caddisfly silk may be a biological structure that is resilient to various forms of human-mediated stress and that the effects of animal ecosystem engineers are underappreciated as an agent of resistance and recovery for aquatic communities experiencing changes in sediment loads and hydrologic regimes.

Verification of nonlinear dynamic structural test results by combined image processing and acoustic analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tene, Yair; Tene, Noam; Tene, G.

1993-08-01

An interactive data fusion methodology of video, audio, and nonlinear structural dynamic analysis for potential application in forensic engineering is presented. The methodology was developed and successfully demonstrated in the analysis of heavy transportable bridge collapse during preparation for testing. Multiple bridge elements failures were identified after the collapse, including fracture, cracks and rupture of high performance structural materials. Videotape recording by hand held camcorder was the only source of information about the collapse sequence. The interactive data fusion methodology resulted in extracting relevant information form the videotape and from dynamic nonlinear structural analysis, leading to full account of the sequence of events during the bridge collapse.

An information extraction framework for cohort identification using electronic health records.

PubMed

Liu, Hongfang; Bielinski, Suzette J; Sohn, Sunghwan; Murphy, Sean; Wagholikar, Kavishwar B; Jonnalagadda, Siddhartha R; Ravikumar, K E; Wu, Stephen T; Kullo, Iftikhar J; Chute, Christopher G

2013-01-01

Information extraction (IE), a natural language processing (NLP) task that automatically extracts structured or semi-structured information from free text, has become popular in the clinical domain for supporting automated systems at point-of-care and enabling secondary use of electronic health records (EHRs) for clinical and translational research. However, a high performance IE system can be very challenging to construct due to the complexity and dynamic nature of human language. In this paper, we report an IE framework for cohort identification using EHRs that is a knowledge-driven framework developed under the Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA). A system to extract specific information can be developed by subject matter experts through expert knowledge engineering of the externalized knowledge resources used in the framework.

Boussinesq Modeling for Inlets, Harbors & Structures (Bouss-2D)

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-10-27

subject to a penalty for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. 1. REPORT DATE 27...work applications. It may be used from deep to shallow water to simulate the nonlinear wave processes of interest in the open coast, nearshore zone...design, and operation of coastal navigation and flooding projects. It provides key engineering estimates for coastal and hydraulic engineering practice

Dynamic and Structural Gas Turbine Engine Modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turso, James A.

2003-01-01

Model the interactions between the structural dynamics and the performance dynamics of a gas turbine engine. Generally these two aspects are considered separate, unrelated phenomena and are studied independently. For diagnostic purposes, it is desirable to bring together as much information as possible, and that involves understanding how performance is affected by structural dynamics (if it is) and vice versa. This can involve the relationship between thrust response and the excitation of structural modes, for instance. The job will involve investigating and characterizing these dynamical relationships, generating a model that incorporates them, and suggesting and/or developing diagnostic and prognostic techniques that can be incorporated in a data fusion system. If no coupling is found, at the least a vibration model should be generated that can be used for diagnostics and prognostics related to blade loss, for instance.

Recent Advances in Tissue Engineering Strategies for the Treatment of Joint Damage.

PubMed

Stephenson, Makeda K; Farris, Ashley L; Grayson, Warren L

2017-08-01

While the clinical potential of tissue engineering for treating joint damage has yet to be realized, research and commercialization efforts in the field are geared towards overcoming major obstacles to clinical translation, as well as towards achieving engineered grafts that recapitulate the unique structures, function, and physiology of the joint. In this review, we describe recent advances in technologies aimed at obtaining biomaterials, stem cells, and bioreactors that will enable the development of effective tissue-engineered treatments for repairing joint damage. 3D printing of scaffolds is aimed at improving the mechanical structure and microenvironment necessary for bone regeneration within a damaged joint. Advances in our understanding of stem cell biology and cell manufacturing processes are informing translational strategies for the therapeutic use of allogeneic and autologous cells. Finally, bioreactors used in combination with cells and biomaterials are promising strategies for generating large tissue grafts for repairing damaged tissues in pre-clinical models. Together, these advances along with ongoing research directions are making tissue engineering increasingly viable for the treatment of joint damage.

Examining elementary students' perceptions of engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oware, Euridice A.

There has been a national focus on improving K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. The integration of engineering education from kindergarten through high school (K-12) has been identified as key to sustaining the U.S. economy and standard of living. Misconceptions about the nature of engineering may deter children from even considering this profession. Currently, there are few research studies on young children's perceptions of engineers, and such research can be used to support children along STEM pathways. The purpose of this research was to investigate elementary students' perceptions of engineers for children enrolled in a gifted and talented outreach program. Participants included students enrolled in two structural engineering classes: one for 3rd and 4th graders and another for 5th and 6th grade students. Participants represented an age group that is not typically exposed to engineering. This research was framed within a constructivist theoretical framework, and qualitative research methods were utilized to develop a rich understanding of the perspectives of students enrolled in the engineering classes. Data collection included student pre- and post-questionnaires, Draw-an-Engineer tasks, and semi-structured interviews. Data analysis entailed the use of open and axial coding. Trustworthiness of data was determined through triangulation of multiple data sources. Results demonstrated how children describe the work of engineers, objects associated with engineering, tools used or created by engineers, and professional characteristics of engineers. In addition, images of engineers were discussed and influences on students' perceptions of engineers were identified. The findings of this study have implications for the development of formal and informal K-12 curricula and programs that focus on improving students' understanding and engagement in engineering. Implications for researchers interested in studying children's perceptions were also discussed.

Engineering A-kinase Anchoring Protein (AKAP)-selective Regulatory Subunits of Protein Kinase A (PKA) through Structure-based Phage Selection*

PubMed Central

Gold, Matthew G.; Fowler, Douglas M.; Means, Christopher K.; Pawson, Catherine T.; Stephany, Jason J.; Langeberg, Lorene K.; Fields, Stanley; Scott, John D.

2013-01-01

PKA is retained within distinct subcellular environments by the association of its regulatory type II (RII) subunits with A-kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs). Conventional reagents that universally disrupt PKA anchoring are patterned after a conserved AKAP motif. We introduce a phage selection procedure that exploits high-resolution structural information to engineer RII mutants that are selective for a particular AKAP. Selective RII (RSelect) sequences were obtained for eight AKAPs following competitive selection screening. Biochemical and cell-based experiments validated the efficacy of RSelect proteins for AKAP2 and AKAP18. These engineered proteins represent a new class of reagents that can be used to dissect the contributions of different AKAP-targeted pools of PKA. Molecular modeling and high-throughput sequencing analyses revealed the molecular basis of AKAP-selective interactions and shed new light on native RII-AKAP interactions. We propose that this structure-directed evolution strategy might be generally applicable for the investigation of other protein interaction surfaces. PMID:23625929

Interrogating Key Positions of Size-Reduced TALE Repeats Reveals a Programmable Sensor of 5-Carboxylcytosine.

PubMed

Maurer, Sara; Giess, Mario; Koch, Oliver; Summerer, Daniel

2016-12-16

Transcription-activator-like effector (TALE) proteins consist of concatenated repeats that recognize consecutive canonical nucleobases of DNA via the major groove in a programmable fashion. Since this groove displays unique chemical information for the four human epigenetic cytosine nucleobases, TALE repeats with epigenetic selectivity can be engineered, with potential to establish receptors for the programmable decoding of all human nucleobases. TALE repeats recognize nucleobases via key amino acids in a structurally conserved loop whose backbone is positioned very close to the cytosine 5-carbon. This complicates the engineering of selectivities for large 5-substituents. To interrogate a more promising structural space, we engineered size-reduced repeat loops, performed saturation mutagenesis of key positions, and screened a total of 200 repeat-nucleobase interactions for new selectivities. This provided insight into the structural requirements of TALE repeats for affinity and selectivity, revealed repeats with improved or relaxed selectivity, and resulted in the first selective sensor of 5-carboxylcytosine.

Properties of the Loess Sediments in Ostrava Region (Czech Republic) and Comparison with Some Other Loess Sediments

PubMed Central

Marschalko, Marian; Yilmaz, Işık; Fojtova, Lucie; Lamich, David; Bednarik, Martin

2013-01-01

This study deals with a methodical identification and evaluation of physical-mechanical properties of one genetic type of geological structure. This is represented by an engineering-geological zone of eolian sediments, which is regionally rather abundant. The paper contributes to a need to identify typical soil properties for widespread geological environments in a particular region and thus add to good engineering geologists and geotechnical engineers' awareness in the region. Such information is much required as it permits comparing results of newly conducted engineering-geological investigations and research with the results characteristic for the region in question. It is vital for engineering geologists and geotechnical engineers to be sufficiently informed on the foundation soil properties of widespread geological environments because of professionalism and higher quality of their work results. Comparing other loess sediment studies worldwide it was discovered that the physical properties of the most abundant clays of low to medium plasticity, sandy clays, and sands as foundation soils vary as for the plasticity index, porosity, natural water content, and bulk density to a certain extent but not as significantly as once expected. PMID:24391464

Forensic engineering: applying materials and mechanics principles to the investigation of product failures.

PubMed

Hainsworth, S V; Fitzpatrick, M E

2007-06-01

Forensic engineering is the application of engineering principles or techniques to the investigation of materials, products, structures or components that fail or do not perform as intended. In particular, forensic engineering can involve providing solutions to forensic problems by the application of engineering science. A criminal aspect may be involved in the investigation but often the problems are related to negligence, breach of contract, or providing information needed in the redesign of a product to eliminate future failures. Forensic engineering may include the investigation of the physical causes of accidents or other sources of claims and litigation (for example, patent disputes). It involves the preparation of technical engineering reports, and may require giving testimony and providing advice to assist in the resolution of disputes affecting life or property.This paper reviews the principal methods available for the analysis of failed components and then gives examples of different component failure modes through selected case studies.

Usability engineering: domain analysis activities for augmented-reality systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gabbard, Joseph; Swan, J. E., II; Hix, Deborah; Lanzagorta, Marco O.; Livingston, Mark; Brown, Dennis B.; Julier, Simon J.

2002-05-01

This paper discusses our usability engineering process for the Battlefield Augmented Reality System (BARS). Usability engineering is a structured, iterative, stepwise development process. Like the related disciplines of software and systems engineering, usability engineering is a combination of management principals and techniques, formal and semi- formal evaluation techniques, and computerized tools. BARS is an outdoor augmented reality system that displays heads- up battlefield intelligence information to a dismounted warrior. The paper discusses our general usability engineering process. We originally developed the process in the context of virtual reality applications, but in this work we are adapting the procedures to an augmented reality system. The focus of this paper is our work on domain analysis, the first activity of the usability engineering process. We describe our plans for and our progress to date on our domain analysis for BARS. We give results in terms of a specific urban battlefield use case we have designed.

Propulsion Technology Lifecycle Operational Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, John W.; Rhodes, Russell E.

2010-01-01

The paper presents the results of a focused effort performed by the members of the Space Propulsion Synergy Team (SPST) Functional Requirements Sub-team to develop propulsion data to support Advanced Technology Lifecycle Analysis System (ATLAS). This is a spreadsheet application to analyze the impact of technology decisions at a system-of-systems level. Results are summarized in an Excel workbook we call the Technology Tool Box (TTB). The TTB provides data for technology performance, operations, and programmatic parameters in the form of a library of technical information to support analysis tools and/or models. The lifecycle of technologies can be analyzed from this data and particularly useful for system operations involving long running missions. The propulsion technologies in this paper are listed against Chemical Rocket Engines in a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) format. The overall effort involved establishing four elements: (1) A general purpose Functional System Breakdown Structure (FSBS). (2) Operational Requirements for Rocket Engines. (3) Technology Metric Values associated with Operating Systems (4) Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) of Chemical Rocket Engines The list of Chemical Rocket Engines identified in the WBS is by no means complete. It is planned to update the TTB with a more complete list of available Chemical Rocket Engines for United States (US) engines and add the Foreign rocket engines to the WBS which are available to NASA and the Aerospace Industry. The Operational Technology Metric Values were derived by the SPST Sub-team in the form of the TTB and establishes a database for users to help evaluate and establish the technology level of each Chemical Rocket Engine in the database. The Technology Metric Values will serve as a guide to help determine which rocket engine to invest technology money in for future development.

Conserving intertidal habitats: What is the potential of ecological engineering to mitigate impacts of coastal structures?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perkins, Matthew J.; Ng, Terence P. T.; Dudgeon, David; Bonebrake, Timothy C.; Leung, Kenneth M. Y.

2015-12-01

Globally, coastlines are under pressure as coastal human population growth and urbanization continues, while climatic change leads to stormier seas and rising tides. These trends create a strong and sustained demand for land reclamation and infrastructure protection in coastal areas, requiring engineered coastal defence structures such as sea walls. Here, we review the nature of ecological impacts of coastal structures on intertidal ecosystems, seek to understand the extent to which ecological engineering can mitigate these impacts, and evaluate the effectiveness of mitigation as a tool to contribute to conservation of intertidal habitats. By so doing, we identify critical knowledge gaps to inform future research. Coastal structures alter important physical, chemical and biological processes of intertidal habitats, and strongly impact community structure, inter-habitat linkages and ecosystem services while also driving habitat loss. Such impacts occur diffusely across localised sites but scale to significant regional and global levels. Recent advances in ecological engineering have focused on developing habitat complexity on coastal structures to increase biodiversity. 'Soft' engineering options maximise habitat complexity through inclusion of natural materials, species and processes, while simultaneously delivering engineering objectives such as coastal protection. Soft options additionally sustain multiple services, providing greater economic benefits for society, and resilience to climatic change. Currently however, a lack of inclusion and economic undervaluation of intertidal ecosystem services may undermine best practice in coastline management. Importantly, reviewed evidence shows mitigation and even restoration do not support intertidal communities or processes equivalent to pre-disturbance conditions. Crucially, an absence of comprehensive empirical baseline biodiversity data, or data comprising additional ecological parameters such as ecosystem functions and services, prohibits quantification of absolute and relative magnitudes of ecological impacts due to coastal structures or effectiveness of mitigation interventions. This knowledge deficit restricts evaluation of the potential of ecological engineering to contribute to conservation policies for intertidal habitats. To improve mitigation design and effectiveness, a greater focus on in-situ research is needed, requiring stronger and timely collaboration between government agencies, construction partners and research scientists.

Tool for Constructing Data Albums for Significant Weather Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kulkarni, A.; Ramachandran, R.; Conover, H.; McEniry, M.; Goodman, H.; Zavodsky, B. T.; Braun, S. A.; Wilson, B. D.

2012-12-01

Case study analysis and climatology studies are common approaches used in Atmospheric Science research. Research based on case studies involves a detailed description of specific weather events using data from different sources, to characterize physical processes in play for a given event. Climatology-based research tends to focus on the representativeness of a given event, by studying the characteristics and distribution of a large number of events. To gather relevant data and information for case studies and climatology analysis is tedious and time consuming; current Earth Science data systems are not suited to assemble multi-instrument, multi mission datasets around specific events. For example, in hurricane science, finding airborne or satellite data relevant to a given storm requires searching through web pages and data archives. Background information related to damages, deaths, and injuries requires extensive online searches for news reports and official storm summaries. We will present a knowledge synthesis engine to create curated "Data Albums" to support case study analysis and climatology studies. The technological challenges in building such a reusable and scalable knowledge synthesis engine are several. First, how to encode domain knowledge in a machine usable form? This knowledge must capture what information and data resources are relevant and the semantic relationships between the various fragments of information and data. Second, how to extract semantic information from various heterogeneous sources including unstructured texts using the encoded knowledge? Finally, how to design a structured database from the encoded knowledge to store all information and to support querying? The structured database must allow both knowledge overviews of an event as well as drill down capability needed for detailed analysis. An application ontology driven framework is being used to design the knowledge synthesis engine. The knowledge synthesis engine is being applied to build a portal for hurricane case studies at the Global Hydrology and Resource Center (GHRC), a NASA Data Center. This portal will auto-generate Data Albums for specific hurricane events, compiling information from distributed resources such as NASA field campaign collections, relevant data sets, storm reports, pictures, videos and other useful sources.

Structural and Machine Design Using Piezoceramic Materials: A Guide for Structural Design Engineers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Inman, Daniel J.; Cudney, Harley H.

2000-01-01

Using piezoceramic materials is one way the design engineer can create structures which have an ability to both sense and respond to their environment. Piezoceramic materials can be used to create structural sensors and structural actuators. Because piezoceramic materials have transduction as a material property, their sensing or actuation functions are a result of what happens to the material. This is different than discrete devices we might attach to the structure. For example, attaching an accelerometer to a structure will yield an electrical signal proportional to the acceleration at the attachment point on the structure. Using a electromagnetic shaker as an actuator will create an applied force at the attachment point. Active material elements in a structural design are not easily modeled as providing transduction at a point, but rather they change the physics of the structure in the areas where they are used. Hence, a designer must not think of adding discrete devices to a structure to obtain an effect, but rather must design a structural system which accounts for the physical principles of all the elements in the structure. The purpose of this manual is to provide practicing engineers the information necessary to incorporate piezoelectric materials in structural design and machine design. First, we will review the solid-state physics of piezoelectric materials. Then we will discuss the physical characteristics of the electrical-active material-structural system. We will present the elements of this system which must be considered as part of the design task for a structural engineer. We will cover simple modeling techniques and review the features and capabilities of commercial design tools that are available. We will then cover practical how-to elements of working with piezoceramic materials. We will review sources of piezoceramic materials and built-up devices, and their characteristics. Finally, we will provide two design examples using piezoceramic materials, first as discrete actuators for vibration isolation, and second as structurally-distributed sensor/actuators for active acoustic control.

Sequence analysis, structure prediction and functional validation of phaC1/phaC2 genes of Pseudomonas sp. LDC-25 and its importance in polyhydroxyalkanoate accumulation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are attractive biomaterials in both conventional medical devices and tissue engineering. PHA synthase is responsible for catalyzing the formation of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), but its structural information is limited. Hence, the focus of this study is to predict 3D mo...

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.

DWARF – a data warehouse system for analyzing protein families

PubMed Central

Fischer, Markus; Thai, Quan K; Grieb, Melanie; Pleiss, Jürgen

2006-01-01

Background The emerging field of integrative bioinformatics provides the tools to organize and systematically analyze vast amounts of highly diverse biological data and thus allows to gain a novel understanding of complex biological systems. The data warehouse DWARF applies integrative bioinformatics approaches to the analysis of large protein families. Description The data warehouse system DWARF integrates data on sequence, structure, and functional annotation for protein fold families. The underlying relational data model consists of three major sections representing entities related to the protein (biochemical function, source organism, classification to homologous families and superfamilies), the protein sequence (position-specific annotation, mutant information), and the protein structure (secondary structure information, superimposed tertiary structure). Tools for extracting, transforming and loading data from public available resources (ExPDB, GenBank, DSSP) are provided to populate the database. The data can be accessed by an interface for searching and browsing, and by analysis tools that operate on annotation, sequence, or structure. We applied DWARF to the family of α/β-hydrolases to host the Lipase Engineering database. Release 2.3 contains 6138 sequences and 167 experimentally determined protein structures, which are assigned to 37 superfamilies 103 homologous families. Conclusion DWARF has been designed for constructing databases of large structurally related protein families and for evaluating their sequence-structure-function relationships by a systematic analysis of sequence, structure and functional annotation. It has been applied to predict biochemical properties from sequence, and serves as a valuable tool for protein engineering. PMID:17094801

Cyber physical system based on resilient ICT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iwatsuki, Katsumi

2016-02-01

While development of science and technology has built up the sophisticated civilized society, it has also resulted in quite a few disadvantages in global environment and human society. The common recognition has been increasingly shared worldwide on sustainable development society attaching greater importance to the symbiotic relationship with nature and social ethics. After the East Japan Great Earthquake, it is indispensable for sustainable social development to enhance capacity of resistance and restoration of society against natural disaster, so called "resilient society". Our society consists of various Cyber Physical Systems (CPSs) that make up the physical systems by fusing with an Information Communication Technology (ICT). We describe the proposed structure of CPS in order to realize resilient society. The configuration of resilient CPS consisting of ICT and physical system is discussed to introduce "autonomous, distributed, and cooperative" structure, where subsystems of ICT and physical system are simultaneously coordinated and cooperated with Business Continuity Planning (BCP) engine, respectively. We show the disaster response information system and energy network as examples of BCP engine and resilient CPS, respectively. We also propose the structure and key technology of resilient ICT.

Molecular structures guide the engineering of chromatin.

PubMed

Tekel, Stefan J; Haynes, Karmella A

2017-07-27

Chromatin is a system of proteins, RNA, and DNA that interact with each other to organize and regulate genetic information within eukaryotic nuclei. Chromatin proteins carry out essential functions: packing DNA during cell division, partitioning DNA into sub-regions within the nucleus, and controlling levels of gene expression. There is a growing interest in manipulating chromatin dynamics for applications in medicine and agriculture. Progress in this area requires the identification of design rules for the chromatin system. Here, we focus on the relationship between the physical structure and function of chromatin proteins. We discuss key research that has elucidated the intrinsic properties of chromatin proteins and how this information informs design rules for synthetic systems. Recent work demonstrates that chromatin-derived peptide motifs are portable and in some cases can be customized to alter their function. Finally, we present a workflow for fusion protein design and discuss best practices for engineering chromatin to assist scientists in advancing the field of synthetic epigenetics. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Production of biofuels and biochemicals: in need of an ORACLE.

PubMed

Miskovic, Ljubisa; Hatzimanikatis, Vassily

2010-08-01

The engineering of cells for the production of fuels and chemicals involves simultaneous optimization of multiple objectives, such as specific productivity, extended substrate range and improved tolerance - all under a great degree of uncertainty. The achievement of these objectives under physiological and process constraints will be impossible without the use of mathematical modeling. However, the limited information and the uncertainty in the available information require new methods for modeling and simulation that will characterize the uncertainty and will quantify, in a statistical sense, the expectations of success of alternative metabolic engineering strategies. We discuss these considerations toward developing a framework for the Optimization and Risk Analysis of Complex Living Entities (ORACLE) - a computational method that integrates available information into a mathematical structure to calculate control coefficients. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Information Management Workflow and Tools Enabling Multiscale Modeling Within ICME Paradigm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arnold, Steven M.; Bednarcyk, Brett A.; Austin, Nic; Terentjev, Igor; Cebon, Dave; Marsden, Will

2016-01-01

With the increased emphasis on reducing the cost and time to market of new materials, the need for analytical tools that enable the virtual design and optimization of materials throughout their processing - internal structure - property - performance envelope, along with the capturing and storing of the associated material and model information across its lifecycle, has become critical. This need is also fueled by the demands for higher efficiency in material testing; consistency, quality and traceability of data; product design; engineering analysis; as well as control of access to proprietary or sensitive information. Fortunately, material information management systems and physics-based multiscale modeling methods have kept pace with the growing user demands. Herein, recent efforts to establish workflow for and demonstrate a unique set of web application tools for linking NASA GRC's Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) Granta MI database schema and NASA GRC's Integrated multiscale Micromechanics Analysis Code (ImMAC) software toolset are presented. The goal is to enable seamless coupling between both test data and simulation data, which is captured and tracked automatically within Granta MI®, with full model pedigree information. These tools, and this type of linkage, are foundational to realizing the full potential of ICME, in which materials processing, microstructure, properties, and performance are coupled to enable application-driven design and optimization of materials and structures.

Engineering Amorphous Systems, Using Global-to-Local Compilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagpal, Radhika

Emerging technologies are making it possible to assemble systems that incorporate myriad of information-processing units at almost no cost: smart materials, selfassembling structures, vast sensor networks, pervasive computing. How does one engineer robust and prespecified global behavior from the local interactions of immense numbers of unreliable parts? We discuss organizing principles and programming methodologies that have emerged from Amorphous Computing research, that allow us to compile a specification of global behavior into a robust program for local behavior.

A review of parameters and heuristics for guiding metabolic pathfinding.

PubMed

Kim, Sarah M; Peña, Matthew I; Moll, Mark; Bennett, George N; Kavraki, Lydia E

2017-09-15

Recent developments in metabolic engineering have led to the successful biosynthesis of valuable products, such as the precursor of the antimalarial compound, artemisinin, and opioid precursor, thebaine. Synthesizing these traditionally plant-derived compounds in genetically modified yeast cells introduces the possibility of significantly reducing the total time and resources required for their production, and in turn, allows these valuable compounds to become cheaper and more readily available. Most biosynthesis pathways used in metabolic engineering applications have been discovered manually, requiring a tedious search of existing literature and metabolic databases. However, the recent rapid development of available metabolic information has enabled the development of automated approaches for identifying novel pathways. Computer-assisted pathfinding has the potential to save biochemists time in the initial discovery steps of metabolic engineering. In this paper, we review the parameters and heuristics used to guide the search in recent pathfinding algorithms. These parameters and heuristics capture information on the metabolic network structure, compound structures, reaction features, and organism-specificity of pathways. No one metabolic pathfinding algorithm or search parameter stands out as the best to use broadly for solving the pathfinding problem, as each method and parameter has its own strengths and shortcomings. As assisted pathfinding approaches continue to become more sophisticated, the development of better methods for visualizing pathway results and integrating these results into existing metabolic engineering practices is also important for encouraging wider use of these pathfinding methods.

Structure, function, and engineering of enzymes in isoflavonoid biosynthesis.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoqiang

2011-03-01

Isoflavonoids are a large group of plant natural products and play important roles in plant defense. They also possess valuable health-promoting activities with significant health benefits for animals and humans. The isoflavonoids are identified primarily in leguminous plants and are synthesized through the central phenylpropanoid pathway and the specific isoflavonoid branch pathways in legumes. Structural studies of some key enzymes in the central phenylpropanoid pathway shed light on the early stages of the (iso)flavonoid biosynthetic process. Significant impact has also been made on structural studies of enzymes in the isoflavonoid branch pathways. Structures of isoflavonoid-specific NADPH-dependent reductases revealed how the (iso)flavonoid backbones are modified by reduction reactions and how enzymes specifically recognize isoflavonoids and catalyze stereo-specific reductions. Structural studies of isoflavonoid methyltransferases and glycosyltransferases revealed how isoflavonoids are further decorated with methyl group and sugars in different methylation and glycosylation patterns that determine their bioactivities and functions. In combination with mutagenesis and biochemical studies, the detailed structural information of these enzymes provides a basis for understanding the complex biosynthetic process, enzyme catalytic mechanisms, and substrate specificities. Structure-based homology modeling facilitates the functional characterization of these large groups of biosynthetic enzymes and their homologs. Structure-based enzyme engineering is becoming a new strategy for synthesis of bioactive isoflavonoids and also facilitates plant metabolic engineering towards improvement of quality and production of crop plants.

Structure-based engineering of a pectate lyase with improved specific activity for ramie degumming.

PubMed

Zhou, Zhanping; Liu, Yang; Chang, Zhenying; Wang, Huilin; Leier, André; Marquez-Lago, Tatiana T; Ma, Yanhe; Li, Jian; Song, Jiangning

2017-04-01

Biotechnological applications of microbial pectate lyases (Pels) in plant fiber processing are promising, eco-friendly substitutes for conventional chemical degumming processes. However, to potentiate the enzymes' use for industrial applications, resolving the molecular structure to elucidate catalytic mechanisms becomes necessary. In this manuscript, we report the high resolution (1.45 Å) crystal structure of pectate lyase (pelN) from Paenibacillus sp. 0602 in apo form. Through sequence alignment and structural superposition with other members of the polysaccharide lyase (PL) family 1 (PL1), we determined that pelN shares the characteristic right-handed β-helix and is structurally similar to other members of the PL1 family, while exhibiting key differences in terms of catalytic and substrate binding residues. Then, based on information from structure alignments with other PLs, we engineered a novel pelN. Our rational design yielded a pelN mutant with a temperature for enzymatic activity optimally shifted from 67.5 to 60 °C. Most importantly, this pelN mutant displayed both higher specific activity and ramie fiber degumming ability when compared with the wild-type enzyme. Altogether, our rational design method shows great potential for industrial applications. Moreover, we expect the reported high-resolution crystal structure to provide a solid foundation for future rational, structure-based engineering of genetically enhanced pelNs.

The use of ternary mixtures in concrete.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-05-01

This manual is a summary of the findings of a comprehensive study. Its purpose is to provide engineers with the information they need to make educated decisions on the use of ternary mixtures for constructing concrete structures. It discusses the eff...

Integration of Design, Thermal, Structural, and Optical Analysis, Including Thermal Animation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amundsen, Ruth M.

1993-01-01

In many industries there has recently been a concerted movement toward 'quality management' and the issue of how to accomplish work more efficiently. Part of this effort is focused on concurrent engineering; the idea of integrating the design and analysis processes so that they are not separate, sequential processes (often involving design rework due to analytical findings) but instead form an integrated system with smooth transfers of information. Presented herein are several specific examples of concurrent engineering methods being carried out at Langley Research Center (LaRC): integration of thermal, structural and optical analyses to predict changes in optical performance based on thermal and structural effects; integration of the CAD design process with thermal and structural analyses; and integration of analysis and presentation by animating the thermal response of a system as an active color map -- a highly effective visual indication of heat flow.

How B-Cell Receptor Repertoire Sequencing Can Be Enriched with Structural Antibody Data

PubMed Central

Kovaltsuk, Aleksandr; Krawczyk, Konrad; Galson, Jacob D.; Kelly, Dominic F.; Deane, Charlotte M.; Trück, Johannes

2017-01-01

Next-generation sequencing of immunoglobulin gene repertoires (Ig-seq) allows the investigation of large-scale antibody dynamics at a sequence level. However, structural information, a crucial descriptor of antibody binding capability, is not collected in Ig-seq protocols. Developing systematic relationships between the antibody sequence information gathered from Ig-seq and low-throughput techniques such as X-ray crystallography could radically improve our understanding of antibodies. The mapping of Ig-seq datasets to known antibody structures can indicate structurally, and perhaps functionally, uncharted areas. Furthermore, contrasting naïve and antigenically challenged datasets using structural antibody descriptors should provide insights into antibody maturation. As the number of antibody structures steadily increases and more and more Ig-seq datasets become available, the opportunities that arise from combining the two types of information increase as well. Here, we review how these data types enrich one another and show potential for advancing our knowledge of the immune system and improving antibody engineering. PMID:29276518

Strong-Motion Program report, January-December 1985

USGS Publications Warehouse

Porcella, R. L.

1989-01-01

This Program Report contains preliminary information on the nature and availability of strong-motion data recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The Strong-Motion Program is operated by the USGS in cooperation with numerous Federal, State, and local agencies and private organizations. Major objective of this program are to record both strong ground motion and the response of various types of engineered structures during earthquakes, and to disseminate this information and data to the international earthquake-engineering research and design community. This volume contains a summary of the accelerograms recovered from the USGS National Strong-Motion Instrumentation Network during 1985, summaries of recent strong-motion publications, notes on the availability of digitized data, and general information related to the USGS and other strong-motion programs. The data summary in table 1 contains information on all USGS accelerograms recovered (though not necessarily recorded) during 1985; event data are taken from "Preliminary Determination of Epicenters," published by the USGS.

An Information Extraction Framework for Cohort Identification Using Electronic Health Records

PubMed Central

Liu, Hongfang; Bielinski, Suzette J.; Sohn, Sunghwan; Murphy, Sean; Wagholikar, Kavishwar B.; Jonnalagadda, Siddhartha R.; Ravikumar, K.E.; Wu, Stephen T.; Kullo, Iftikhar J.; Chute, Christopher G

Information extraction (IE), a natural language processing (NLP) task that automatically extracts structured or semi-structured information from free text, has become popular in the clinical domain for supporting automated systems at point-of-care and enabling secondary use of electronic health records (EHRs) for clinical and translational research. However, a high performance IE system can be very challenging to construct due to the complexity and dynamic nature of human language. In this paper, we report an IE framework for cohort identification using EHRs that is a knowledge-driven framework developed under the Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UIMA). A system to extract specific information can be developed by subject matter experts through expert knowledge engineering of the externalized knowledge resources used in the framework. PMID:24303255

Virtually Out of This World!

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2002-01-01

Ames Research Center granted Reality Capture Technologies (RCT), Inc., a license to further develop NASA's Mars Map software platform. The company incorporated NASA#s innovation into software that uses the Virtual Plant Model (VPM)(TM) to structure, modify, and implement the construction sites of industrial facilities, as well as develop, validate, and train operators on procedures. The VPM orchestrates the exchange of information between engineering, production, and business transaction systems. This enables users to simulate, control, and optimize work processes while increasing the reliability of critical business decisions. Engineers can complete the construction process and test various aspects of it in virtual reality before building the actual structure. With virtual access to and simulation of the construction site, project personnel can manage, access control, and respond to changes on complex constructions more effectively. Engineers can also create operating procedures, training, and documentation. Virtual Plant Model(TM) is a trademark of Reality Capture Technologies, Inc.

Energy Efficient Engine Flight Propulsion System Preliminary Analysis and Design Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bisset, J. W.; Howe, D. C.

1983-01-01

The final design and analysis of the flight propulsion system is presented. This system is the conceptual study engine defined to meet the performance, economic and environmental goals established for the Energy Efficient Engine Program. The design effort included a final definition of the engine, major components, internal subsystems, and nacelle. Various analytical representations and results from component technology programs are used to verify aerodynamic and structural design concepts and to predict performance. Specific design goals and specifications, reflecting future commercial aircraft propulsion system requirements for the mid-1980's, are detailed by NASA and used as guidelines during engine definition. Information is also included which details salient results from a separate study to define a turbofan propulsion system, known as the maximum efficiency engine, which reoptimized the advanced fuel saving technologies for improved fuel economy and direct operating costs relative to the flight propulsion system.

Pharmaceutical and industrial protein engineering: where we are?

PubMed

Amara, Amro Abd-Al-Fattah

2013-01-01

The huge amount of information, the big number of scientists and their efforts, labs, man/hrs, fund, companies all and others factors build the success of the amazing new branch of genetic engineering the 'protein engineering' (PE). It concerns with the modification of protein structure/function(s) or building protein from scratch. The engineered proteins usually have new criteria(s). Engineering proteins can be mediated on the level of genes or proteins. PE fined its way in different important sectors including industrial, pharmaceutical and medicinal ones. Aspects about PE and its applications will be discussed with this review. The concept, tools, and the industrial applications of the protein, engineered proteins and PE will be under focus. In order to get up to date knowledge about the applications of PE in basic protein and molecular biology, several examples are discussed. PE can play a significant role in different industrial and pharmaceutical sectors if used wisely and selectively.

HMI conventions for process control graphics.

PubMed

Pikaar, Ruud N

2012-01-01

Process operators supervise and control complex processes. To enable the operator to do an adequate job, instrumentation and process control engineers need to address several related topics, such as console design, information design, navigation, and alarm management. In process control upgrade projects, usually a 1:1 conversion of existing graphics is proposed. This paper suggests another approach, efficiently leading to a reduced number of new powerful process graphics, supported by a permanent process overview displays. In addition a road map for structuring content (process information) and conventions for the presentation of objects, symbols, and so on, has been developed. The impact of the human factors engineering approach on process control upgrade projects is illustrated by several cases.

Deep sequencing methods for protein engineering and design.

PubMed

Wrenbeck, Emily E; Faber, Matthew S; Whitehead, Timothy A

2017-08-01

The advent of next-generation sequencing (NGS) has revolutionized protein science, and the development of complementary methods enabling NGS-driven protein engineering have followed. In general, these experiments address the functional consequences of thousands of protein variants in a massively parallel manner using genotype-phenotype linked high-throughput functional screens followed by DNA counting via deep sequencing. We highlight the use of information rich datasets to engineer protein molecular recognition. Examples include the creation of multiple dual-affinity Fabs targeting structurally dissimilar epitopes and engineering of a broad germline-targeted anti-HIV-1 immunogen. Additionally, we highlight the generation of enzyme fitness landscapes for conducting fundamental studies of protein behavior and evolution. We conclude with discussion of technological advances. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Molecular Bases of cyclodextrin Adapter Interactions with Engineered Protein Nanopores

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

Banerjee, A.; Mikhailova, E; Cheley, S

2010-01-01

Engineered protein pores have several potential applications in biotechnology: as sensor elements in stochastic detection and ultrarapid DNA sequencing, as nanoreactors to observe single-molecule chemistry, and in the construction of nano- and micro-devices. One important class of pores contains molecular adapters, which provide internal binding sites for small molecules. Mutants of the {alpha}-hemolysin ({alpha}HL) pore that bind the adapter {beta}-cyclodextrin ({beta}CD) {approx}10{sup 4} times more tightly than the wild type have been obtained. We now use single-channel electrical recording, protein engineering including unnatural amino acid mutagenesis, and high-resolution x-ray crystallography to provide definitive structural information on these engineered protein nanoporesmore » in unparalleled detail.« less

Laser Scanning in Engineering Surveying: Methods of Measurement and Modeling of Structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lenda, Grzegorz; Uznański, Andrzej; Strach, Michał; Lewińska, Paulina

2016-06-01

The study is devoted to the uses of laser scanning in the field of engineering surveying. It is currently one of the main trends of research which is developed at the Department of Engineering Surveying and Civil Engineering at the Faculty of Mining Surveying and Environmental Engineering of AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow. They mainly relate to the issues associated with tower and shell structures, infrastructure of rail routes, or development of digital elevation models for a wide range of applications. These issues often require the use of a variety of scanning techniques (stationary, mobile), but the differences also regard the planning of measurement stations and methods of merging point clouds. Significant differences appear during the analysis of point clouds, especially when modeling objects. Analysis of the selected parameters is already possible basing on ad hoc measurements carried out on a point cloud. However, only the construction of three-dimensional models provides complete information about the shape of structures, allows to perform the analysis in any place and reduces the amount of the stored data. Some structures can be modeled in the form of simple axes, sections, or solids, for others it becomes necessary to create sophisticated models of surfaces, depicting local deformations. The examples selected for the study allow to assess the scope of measurement and office work for a variety of uses related to the issue set forth in the title of this study. Additionally, the latest, forward-looking technology was presented - laser scanning performed from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones). Currently, it is basically in the prototype phase, but it might be expected to make a significant progress in numerous applications in the field of engineering surveying.

Schema for Spacecraft-Command Dictionary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laubach, Sharon; Garcia, Celina; Maxwell, Scott; Wright, Jesse

2008-01-01

An Extensible Markup Language (XML) schema was developed as a means of defining and describing a structure for capturing spacecraft command- definition and tracking information in a single location in a form readable by both engineers and software used to generate software for flight and ground systems. A structure defined within this schema is then used as the basis for creating an XML file that contains command definitions.

The distribution and query systems of the RCSB Protein Data Bank

PubMed Central

Bourne, Philip E.; Addess, Kenneth J.; Bluhm, Wolfgang F.; Chen, Li; Deshpande, Nita; Feng, Zukang; Fleri, Ward; Green, Rachel; Merino-Ott, Jeffrey C.; Townsend-Merino, Wayne; Weissig, Helge; Westbrook, John; Berman, Helen M.

2004-01-01

The Protein Data Bank (PDB; http://www.pdb.org) is the primary source of information on the 3D structure of biological macromolecules. The PDB’s mandate is to disseminate this information in the most usable form and as widely as possible. The current query and distribution system is described and an alpha version of the future re-engineered system introduced. PMID:14681399

Strong Stems Need Strong Sprouts!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGough, Julie; Nyberg, Lisa

2013-01-01

In this article, students examined how and why plants work through in-depth investigations. They performed scientific inquiry through questioning, developed models, constructed explanations, and communicated information of the structure and function and system models of plants, and then engineered a representation of their understanding. The…

An integrated knowledge system for wind tunnel testing - Project Engineers' Intelligent Assistant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lo, Ching F.; Shi, George Z.; Hoyt, W. A.; Steinle, Frank W., Jr.

1993-01-01

The Project Engineers' Intelligent Assistant (PEIA) is an integrated knowledge system developed using artificial intelligence technology, including hypertext, expert systems, and dynamic user interfaces. This system integrates documents, engineering codes, databases, and knowledge from domain experts into an enriched hypermedia environment and was designed to assist project engineers in planning and conducting wind tunnel tests. PEIA is a modular system which consists of an intelligent user-interface, seven modules and an integrated tool facility. Hypermedia technology is discussed and the seven PEIA modules are described. System maintenance and updating is very easy due to the modular structure and the integrated tool facility provides user access to commercial software shells for documentation, reporting, or database updating. PEIA is expected to provide project engineers with technical information, increase efficiency and productivity, and provide a realistic tool for personnel training.

Computational Tools for Metabolic Engineering

PubMed Central

Copeland, Wilbert B.; Bartley, Bryan A.; Chandran, Deepak; Galdzicki, Michal; Kim, Kyung H.; Sleight, Sean C.; Maranas, Costas D.; Sauro, Herbert M.

2012-01-01

A great variety of software applications are now employed in the metabolic engineering field. These applications have been created to support a wide range of experimental and analysis techniques. Computational tools are utilized throughout the metabolic engineering workflow to extract and interpret relevant information from large data sets, to present complex models in a more manageable form, and to propose efficient network design strategies. In this review, we present a number of tools that can assist in modifying and understanding cellular metabolic networks. The review covers seven areas of relevance to metabolic engineers. These include metabolic reconstruction efforts, network visualization, nucleic acid and protein engineering, metabolic flux analysis, pathway prospecting, post-structural network analysis and culture optimization. The list of available tools is extensive and we can only highlight a small, representative portion of the tools from each area. PMID:22629572

The effect of "countrywide services management law" on the work motivation of the employees of Iranian ministry of health.

PubMed

Shafeghat, Hossein; Jafari, Mehdi; Monavarian, Abbas; Shafayi, Maryam; Dehnavieh, Reza

2014-02-01

Labor laws and regulations have inevitable effects on employees' work motivation as well as the overall efficiency and productivity of the organization. This study was conducted to assess the effects of the "Countrywide Services Management Law" on the work motivation level of the employees of the Iranian Ministry of Health. This cross-sectional study was done in 2011 in the Iran's Ministry of Health. Data was collected by a 51-item Likert scale questionnaire, in five domains including: organizational structure, information technology, training patterns, salary and bonus system and re-engineering process. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire was evaluated (Cronbach's alpha= 0.96). Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics (t-test). Out of 192 samples examined, 55.2% of the respondents were female, 88 (45.8%) had BS degree and 116 (60.4%) had less than 10 years' experience. The mean scores in the domains of organizational structure, information technology, training patterns, salary and bonus system and re-engineering patterns were: 3.11, 3.51, 3.05, 3.21 and 3.14, respectively. Relationship between the items related to manpower in the "Countrywide Services Management Law", with employees' work motivation was significant (P < 0.0001). The training patterns did not show a significant relation (P < 0.26) with any of five domains. According to our results and the views of the employees of the Iranian Ministry of Health, "Countrywide Services Management Law" positively affected the personnel's work motivation regarding all the factors associated with motivation including: organizational structure, information technology, training patterns, salary and bonus system and re-engineering pattern. Finally, to enhance the workforce motivation and satisfaction level, application and implementation of the rules and regulations should be based on the organizational needs.

A Methodological Framework for Enterprise Information System Requirements Derivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caplinskas, Albertas; Paškevičiūtė, Lina

Current information systems (IS) are enterprise-wide systems supporting strategic goals of the enterprise and meeting its operational business needs. They are supported by information and communication technologies (ICT) and other software that should be fully integrated. To develop software responding to real business needs, we need requirements engineering (RE) methodology that ensures the alignment of requirements for all levels of enterprise system. The main contribution of this chapter is a requirement-oriented methodological framework allowing to transform business requirements level by level into software ones. The structure of the proposed framework reflects the structure of Zachman's framework. However, it has other intentions and is purposed to support not the design but the RE issues.

Implementation of civionics in a second generation steel-free bridge deck

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klowak, Chad; Rivera, Evangeline; Mufti, Aftab

2005-05-01

As the design and construction of civil structures continue to evolve, it is becoming imperative that these structures be monitored for their health. In order to meet this need, the discipline of Civionics has emerged. Civionics is a new term coined from Civil-Electronics, which is derived from the application of electronics to civil structures. It is similar to the term Avionics, which is used in the aerospace industry. If structural health monitoring is to become part of civil structural engineering, it should include Civionics. It involves the application of electronics to civil structures and aims to assist engineers in realizing the full benefits of structural health monitoring (SHM). In past SHM field applications, the main reason for the failure of a sensor was not the installation of the sensor itself but the egress of the sensor cables. Often, the cables were not handled and protected correctly. For SHM to be successful, specifications must be written on the entire process, beginning with system design and concluding with data collection, interpretation, and management. Civionics specifications include the technical requirements for a SHM system which encompasses fibre optic sensors, cables, conduits, junction boxes and the control room. A specification for data collection and storage is currently being developed as well. In the spring of 2004 research engineers at the University of Manitoba constructed a full-scale second generation steel free bridge deck. The bridge deck is the first of its kind to fully incorporate a complete civionics structural health monitoring system to monitor the deck's behaviour during destructive testing. Throughout the construction of the bridge deck, the entire installation of the civionics system was carried out by research engineers simulating an actual implementation of such a system in a large scale construction environment. One major concern that consulting engineers have raised is the impact that a civionics system that uses conduit, junction boxes, and other electrical ancillary protection, will have when embedded and installed externally on full-scale infrastructure. The full-scale destructive testing of a second generation steel-free bridge deck using a civionics system designed and implemented following guidelines in a civioncs specification manual at the University of Manitoba will provide engineers with the information necessary to address the constructability and structural integrity issues. Civioncs combined with structural health monitoring will provide engineers with feedback necessary to aid in optimizing design techniques and understanding our infrastructures performance, behaviour and state of condition.

Austrian Guideline for Geomechanical Design of Tunnels - Necessity for Cooperation between Geologists, Geotechnical and Civil Engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarz, Ludwig; Eder, Stefan; Mattle, Bruno; Hammer, Helmut

Rising competitive pressure in the construction business, ever tighter schedules being set up by the clients and ongoing disputes between engineering geologists and civil engineers about the role of geotechnical engineers have - in the last few years - led to increasing discussions between engineers and geologists about the allocation of competences during the design process of underground structures. In the course of this debate, which is often polemic and anything but objective, important information is quite frequently lost - a development which may not only be to the disadvantage of the client but which may also do damage to the reputation of the professions involved. The design procedure of the new Austrian guideline for the geomechanical design of underground structures requires a close collaboration of geologists, geotechnical and civil engineers, yet without allocating competences. While preparing the tender documents for the first construction lot of the Northern feeder line of the Brenner base tunnel, the necessity of a close cooperation of the involved professions became apparent due to the complex geological situation encountered in the project area and the enormous amount of data available. Despite these difficult boundary conditions, the successful application of the guideline was last but not least the result of the joint efforts of the multidisciplinary design team.

Capacity-oriented curriculum system of optoelectronics in the context of large category cultivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Yuan; Hu, Zhangfang; Zhang, Yi

2017-08-01

In order to cultivate the innovative talents with the comprehensive development to meet the talents demand for development of economic society, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications implements cultivation based on broadening basic education and enrolment in large category of general education. Optoelectronic information science and engineering major belongs to the electronic engineering category. The "2 +2" mode is utilized for personnel training, where students are without major in the first and second year and assigned to a major within the major categories in the end of the second year. In the context of the comprehensive cultivation, for the changes in the demand for professionals in the global competitive environment with the currently rapid development, especially the demand for the professional engineering technology personnel suitable to industry and development of local economic society, the concept of CDIO engineering ability cultivation is used for reference. Thus the curriculum system for the three-node structure optoelectronic information science and engineering major is proposed, which attaches great importance to engineering practice and innovation cultivation under the background of the comprehensive cultivation. The conformity between the curriculum system and the personnel training objectives is guaranteed effectively, and the consistency between the teaching philosophy and the teaching behavior is enhanced. Therefore, the idea of major construction is clear with specific characteristics.

Quiet Clean Short-haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) composite fan frame design report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, S. C.

1978-01-01

An advanced composite frame which is flight-weight and integrates the functions of several structures was developed for the over the wing (OTW) engine and for the under the wing (UTW) engine. The composite material system selected as the basic material for the frame is Type AS graphite fiber in a Hercules 3501 epoxy resin matrix. The frame was analyzed using a finite element digital computer program. This program was used in an iterative fashion to arrive at practical thicknesses and ply orientations to achieve a final design that met all strength and stiffness requirements for critical conditions. Using this information, the detail design of each of the individual parts of the frame was completed and released. On the basis of these designs, the required tooling was designed to fabricate the various component parts of the frame. To verify the structural integrity of the critical joint areas, a full-scale test was conducted on the frame before engine testing. The testing of the frame established critical spring constants and subjected the frame to three critical load cases. The successful static load test was followed by 153 and 58 hours respectively of successful running on the UTW and OTW engines.

Generation of structural topologies using efficient technique based on sorted compliances

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mazur, Monika; Tajs-Zielińska, Katarzyna; Bochenek, Bogdan

2018-01-01

Topology optimization, although well recognized is still widely developed. It has gained recently more attention since large computational ability become available for designers. This process is stimulated simultaneously by variety of emerging, innovative optimization methods. It is observed that traditional gradient-based mathematical programming algorithms, in many cases, are replaced by novel and e cient heuristic methods inspired by biological, chemical or physical phenomena. These methods become useful tools for structural optimization because of their versatility and easy numerical implementation. In this paper engineering implementation of a novel heuristic algorithm for minimum compliance topology optimization is discussed. The performance of the topology generator is based on implementation of a special function utilizing information of compliance distribution within the design space. With a view to cope with engineering problems the algorithm has been combined with structural analysis system Ansys.

Automatic generation of Web mining environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cibelli, Maurizio; Costagliola, Gennaro

1999-02-01

The main problem related to the retrieval of information from the world wide web is the enormous number of unstructured documents and resources, i.e., the difficulty of locating and tracking appropriate sources. This paper presents a web mining environment (WME), which is capable of finding, extracting and structuring information related to a particular domain from web documents, using general purpose indices. The WME architecture includes a web engine filter (WEF), to sort and reduce the answer set returned by a web engine, a data source pre-processor (DSP), which processes html layout cues in order to collect and qualify page segments, and a heuristic-based information extraction system (HIES), to finally retrieve the required data. Furthermore, we present a web mining environment generator, WMEG, that allows naive users to generate a WME specific to a given domain by providing a set of specifications.

Design and application of BIM based digital sand table for construction management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fuquan, JI; Jianqiang, LI; Weijia, LIU

2018-05-01

This paper explores the design and application of BIM based digital sand table for construction management. Aiming at the demands and features of construction management plan for bridge and tunnel engineering, the key functional features of digital sand table should include three-dimensional GIS, model navigation, virtual simulation, information layers, and data exchange, etc. That involving the technology of 3D visualization and 4D virtual simulation of BIM, breakdown structure of BIM model and project data, multi-dimensional information layers, and multi-source data acquisition and interaction. Totally, the digital sand table is a visual and virtual engineering information integrated terminal, under the unified data standard system. Also, the applications shall contain visual constructing scheme, virtual constructing schedule, and monitoring of construction, etc. Finally, the applicability of several basic software to the digital sand table is analyzed.

Probabilistic Structural Analysis Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pai, Shantaram S.; Chamis, Christos C.; Murthy, Pappu L. N.; Stefko, George L.; Riha, David S.; Thacker, Ben H.; Nagpal, Vinod K.; Mital, Subodh K.

2010-01-01

NASA/NESSUS 6.2c is a general-purpose, probabilistic analysis program that computes probability of failure and probabilistic sensitivity measures of engineered systems. Because NASA/NESSUS uses highly computationally efficient and accurate analysis techniques, probabilistic solutions can be obtained even for extremely large and complex models. Once the probabilistic response is quantified, the results can be used to support risk-informed decisions regarding reliability for safety-critical and one-of-a-kind systems, as well as for maintaining a level of quality while reducing manufacturing costs for larger-quantity products. NASA/NESSUS has been successfully applied to a diverse range of problems in aerospace, gas turbine engines, biomechanics, pipelines, defense, weaponry, and infrastructure. This program combines state-of-the-art probabilistic algorithms with general-purpose structural analysis and lifting methods to compute the probabilistic response and reliability of engineered structures. Uncertainties in load, material properties, geometry, boundary conditions, and initial conditions can be simulated. The structural analysis methods include non-linear finite-element methods, heat-transfer analysis, polymer/ceramic matrix composite analysis, monolithic (conventional metallic) materials life-prediction methodologies, boundary element methods, and user-written subroutines. Several probabilistic algorithms are available such as the advanced mean value method and the adaptive importance sampling method. NASA/NESSUS 6.2c is structured in a modular format with 15 elements.

Pharmaceutical company internet sites as sources of information about antidepressant medications.

PubMed

Graber, Mark A; Weckmann, Michelle

2002-01-01

To determine the informational content of nine pharmaceutical company websites about the antidepressant medication marketed by the company. A structured, explicit review of materials found on pharmaceutical company websites about nine antidepressants for which no generic drug is available was conducted using eight popular search engines. The accessibility of these websites was also determined using these search engines. Of 72 searches (one for each drug using each search engine), 46 yielded the pharmaceutical company website within the top 10 links. When outliers were removed, the company website was found in the top 10 links for 45 of 56 searches. All of the websites contain information of an advertising and emotive nature. Of the nine company websites, three contain anecdotal information; only two mention electroconvulsive therapy and four mention other types of drug therapy; and only one mentions the tradenames of other drugs. None of the websites mention drug costs, only one has efficacy statistics for the company's drug and, although all of the websites mention at least one adverse effect of the company's drug, only one lists percentages for adverse effects. The information about drugs for treating depression on pharmaceutical company websites aimed at consumers is limited and makes it difficult for consumers to compare drugs.

Integrating the intrinsic conformational preferences of non-coded α-amino acids modified at the peptide bond into the NCAD database

PubMed Central

Revilla-López, Guillem; Rodríguez-Ropero, Francisco; Curcó, David; Torras, Juan; Calaza, M. Isabel; Zanuy, David; Jiménez, Ana I.; Cativiela, Carlos; Nussinov, Ruth; Alemán, Carlos

2011-01-01

Recently, we reported a database (NCAD, Non-Coded Amino acids Database; http://recerca.upc.edu/imem/index.htm) that was built to compile information about the intrinsic conformational preferences of non-proteinogenic residues determined by quantum mechanical calculations, as well as bibliographic information about their synthesis, physical and spectroscopic characterization, the experimentally-established conformational propensities, and applications (J. Phys. Chem. B 2010, 114, 7413). The database initially contained the information available for α-tetrasubstituted α-amino acids. In this work, we extend NCAD to three families of compounds, which can be used to engineer peptides and proteins incorporating modifications at the –NHCO– peptide bond. Such families are: N-substituted α-amino acids, thio-α-amino acids, and diamines and diacids used to build retropeptides. The conformational preferences of these compounds have been analyzed and described based on the information captured in the database. In addition, we provide an example of the utility of the database and of the compounds it compiles in protein and peptide engineering. Specifically, the symmetry of a sequence engineered to stabilize the 310-helix with respect to the α-helix has been broken without perturbing significantly the secondary structure through targeted replacements using the information contained in the database. PMID:21491493

Determination of combustion parameters using engine crankshaft speed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taglialatela, F.; Lavorgna, M.; Mancaruso, E.; Vaglieco, B. M.

2013-07-01

Electronic engine controls based on real time diagnosis of combustion process can significantly help in complying with the stricter and stricter regulations on pollutants emissions and fuel consumption. The most important parameter for the evaluation of combustion quality in internal combustion engines is the in-cylinder pressure, but its direct measurement is very expensive and involves an intrusive approach to the cylinder. Previous researches demonstrated the direct relationship existing between in-cylinder pressure and engine crankshaft speed and several authors tried to reconstruct the pressure cycle on the basis of the engine speed signal. In this paper we propose the use of a Multi-Layer Perceptron neural network to model the relationship between the engine crankshaft speed and some parameters derived from the in-cylinder pressure cycle. This allows to have a non-intrusive estimation of cylinder pressure and a real time evaluation of combustion quality. The structure of the model and the training procedure is outlined in the paper. A possible combustion controller using the information extracted from the crankshaft speed information is also proposed. The application of the neural network model is demonstrated on a single-cylinder spark ignition engine tested in a wide range of speeds and loads. Results confirm that a good estimation of some combustion pressure parameters can be obtained by means of a suitable processing of crankshaft speed signal.

10 CFR 1.19 - Other committees, boards, and panels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... of Nuclear Regulatory Research on important management matters in the direction of the Commission's... science, waste disposal and seismic and structural engineering. In performing its activities, the... information science and in managing records of the Commission's licensing process for the HLW repository. [52...

10 CFR 1.19 - Other committees, boards, and panels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... of Nuclear Regulatory Research on important management matters in the direction of the Commission's... science, waste disposal and seismic and structural engineering. In performing its activities, the... information science and in managing records of the Commission's licensing process for the HLW repository. [52...

10 CFR 1.19 - Other committees, boards, and panels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... of Nuclear Regulatory Research on important management matters in the direction of the Commission's... science, waste disposal and seismic and structural engineering. In performing its activities, the... information science and in managing records of the Commission's licensing process for the HLW repository. [52...

10 CFR 1.19 - Other committees, boards, and panels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... of Nuclear Regulatory Research on important management matters in the direction of the Commission's... science, waste disposal and seismic and structural engineering. In performing its activities, the... information science and in managing records of the Commission's licensing process for the HLW repository. [52...

10 CFR 1.19 - Other committees, boards, and panels.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... of Nuclear Regulatory Research on important management matters in the direction of the Commission's... science, waste disposal and seismic and structural engineering. In performing its activities, the... information science and in managing records of the Commission's licensing process for the HLW repository. [52...

Developing Historic Building Information Modelling Guidelines and Procedures for Architectural Heritage in Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, M.; Corns, A.; Cahill, J.; Eliashvili, K.; Chenau, A.; Pybus, C.; Shaw, R.; Devlin, G.; Deevy, A.; Truong-Hong, L.

2017-08-01

Cultural heritage researchers have recently begun applying Building Information Modelling (BIM) to historic buildings. The model is comprised of intelligent objects with semantic attributes which represent the elements of a building structure and are organised within a 3D virtual environment. Case studies in Ireland are used to test and develop the suitable systems for (a) data capture/digital surveying/processing (b) developing library of architectural components and (c) mapping these architectural components onto the laser scan or digital survey to relate the intelligent virtual representation of a historic structure (HBIM). While BIM platforms have the potential to create a virtual and intelligent representation of a building, its full exploitation and use is restricted to narrow set of expert users with access to costly hardware, software and skills. The testing of open BIM approaches in particular IFCs and the use of game engine platforms is a fundamental component for developing much wider dissemination. The semantically enriched model can be transferred into a WEB based game engine platform.

Building information modelling (BIM) after ten years: Malaysian construction players’ perception of BIM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latiffi, A. Ahmad; Brahim, J.; Fathi, M. S.

2017-08-01

Building Information Modelling (BIM) concept has expanded widely in many countries for more than a decade with its role of improving current practices in construction projects. However, the understanding of BIM differs among construction players, depending on how construction players utilize the concept in their projects. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the understanding of BIM concept among construction players in the Malaysian construction industry. A literature review on BIM concept and semi-structured interviews with construction players in BIM such as client, civil and structural (C&S) engineer and mechanical and electrical (M&E) engineer, quantity surveyor (QS), contractor, facilities manager and BIM consultant have been conducted in order to achieve this study’s the aim. The results show that the understanding of BIM concept among the construction players is limited to BIM as a process and technology. It is important for the construction players to improve their understanding of BIM as it can be used to enhance performance and productivity of construction projects.

System requirements specification for SMART structures mode

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Specified here are the functional and informational requirements for software modules which address the geometric and data modeling needs of the aerospace structural engineer. The modules are to be included as part of the Solid Modeling Aerospace Research Tool (SMART) package developed for the Vehicle Analysis Branch (VAB) at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). The purpose is to precisely state what the SMART Structures modules will do, without consideration of how it will be done. Each requirement is numbered for reference in development and testing.

Modeling ECM fiber formation: structure information extracted by analysis of 2D and 3D image sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jun; Voytik-Harbin, Sherry L.; Filmer, David L.; Hoffman, Christoph M.; Yuan, Bo; Chiang, Ching-Shoei; Sturgis, Jennis; Robinson, Joseph P.

2002-05-01

Recent evidence supports the notion that biological functions of extracellular matrix (ECM) are highly correlated to its structure. Understanding this fibrous structure is very crucial in tissue engineering to develop the next generation of biomaterials for restoration of tissues and organs. In this paper, we integrate confocal microscopy imaging and image-processing techniques to analyze the structural properties of ECM. We describe a 2D fiber middle-line tracing algorithm and apply it via Euclidean distance maps (EDM) to extract accurate fibrous structure information, such as fiber diameter, length, orientation, and density, from single slices. Based on a 2D tracing algorithm, we extend our analysis to 3D tracing via Euclidean distance maps to extract 3D fibrous structure information. We use computer simulation to construct the 3D fibrous structure which is subsequently used to test our tracing algorithms. After further image processing, these models are then applied to a variety of ECM constructions from which results of 2D and 3D traces are statistically analyzed.

Integrated structural health monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farrar, Charles R.; Sohn, Hoon; Fugate, Michael L.; Czarnecki, Jerry J.

2001-07-01

Structural health monitoring is the implementation of a damage detection strategy for aerospace, civil and mechanical engineering infrastructure. Typical damage experienced by this infrastructure might be the development of fatigue cracks, degradation of structural connections, or bearing wear in rotating machinery. The goal of the research effort reported herein is to develop a robust and cost-effective structural health monitoring solution by integrating and extending technologies from various engineering and information technology disciplines. It is the author's opinion that all structural health monitoring systems must be application specific. Therefore, a specific application, monitoring welded moment resisting steel frame connections in structures subjected to seismic excitation, is described along with the motivation for choosing this application. The structural health monitoring solution for this application will integrate structural dynamics, wireless data acquisition, local actuation, micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) technology, and statistical pattern recognition algorithms. The proposed system is based on an assessment of the deficiencies associated with many current structural health monitoring technologies including past efforts by the authors. This paper provides an example of the integrated approach to structural health monitoring being undertaken at Los Alamos National Laboratory and summarizes progress to date on various aspects of the technology development.

Development of a wireless displacement measurement system using acceleration responses.

PubMed

Park, Jong-Woong; Sim, Sung-Han; Jung, Hyung-Jo; Spencer, Billie F

2013-07-01

Displacement measurements are useful information for various engineering applications such as structural health monitoring (SHM), earthquake engineering and system identification. Most existing displacement measurement methods are costly, labor-intensive, and have difficulties particularly when applying to full-scale civil structures because the methods require stationary reference points. Indirect estimation methods converting acceleration to displacement can be a good alternative as acceleration transducers are generally cost-effective, easy to install, and have low noise. However, the application of acceleration-based methods to full-scale civil structures such as long span bridges is challenging due to the need to install cables to connect the sensors to a base station. This article proposes a low-cost wireless displacement measurement system using acceleration. Developed with smart sensors that are low-cost, wireless, and capable of on-board computation, the wireless displacement measurement system has significant potential to impact many applications that need displacement information at multiple locations of a structure. The system implements an FIR-filter type displacement estimation algorithm that can remove low frequency drifts typically caused by numerical integration of discrete acceleration signals. To verify the accuracy and feasibility of the proposed system, laboratory tests are carried out using a shaking table and on a three storey shear building model, experimentally confirming the effectiveness of the proposed system.

Structural health monitoring using smart optical fiber sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Heddwyn; Everall, Lorna A.; Gallon, Andrew M.

2001-04-01

This paper describes the potential of a smart monitoring system, incorporating optical fiber sensing techniques, to provide important structural information to designers and users alike. This technology has application in all areas including aerospace, civil, maritime and automotive engineering. In order to demonstrate the capability of the sensing system it has been installed in a 35 m free-standing carbon fiber yacht mast, where a complete optical network of strain and temperature sensors were embedded into a composite mast and boom during lay-up. The system was able to monitor the behavior of the composite rig through a range of handling conditions and the resulting strain information could be used by engineers to improve the structural design process. The optical strain sensor system comprises of three main components: the sensor network, the opto-electronic data acquisition unit (OFSSS) and the external PC which acts as a data log and display. Embedded fiber optic sensors have wide ranging application for structural load monitoring. Due to their small size, optical fiber sensors can be readily embedded into composite materials. Other advantages include their immediate multiplexing capability and immunity to electromagnetic interference. The capability of this system has been demonstrated within the maritime environment, but can be adapted for any application.

Development of a Wireless Displacement Measurement System Using Acceleration Responses

PubMed Central

Park, Jong-Woong; Sim, Sung-Han; Jung, Hyung-Jo; Spencer, Billie F.

2013-01-01

Displacement measurements are useful information for various engineering applications such as structural health monitoring (SHM), earthquake engineering and system identification. Most existing displacement measurement methods are costly, labor-intensive, and have difficulties particularly when applying to full-scale civil structures because the methods require stationary reference points. Indirect estimation methods converting acceleration to displacement can be a good alternative as acceleration transducers are generally cost-effective, easy to install, and have low noise. However, the application of acceleration-based methods to full-scale civil structures such as long span bridges is challenging due to the need to install cables to connect the sensors to a base station. This article proposes a low-cost wireless displacement measurement system using acceleration. Developed with smart sensors that are low-cost, wireless, and capable of on-board computation, the wireless displacement measurement system has significant potential to impact many applications that need displacement information at multiple locations of a structure. The system implements an FIR-filter type displacement estimation algorithm that can remove low frequency drifts typically caused by numerical integration of discrete acceleration signals. To verify the accuracy and feasibility of the proposed system, laboratory tests are carried out using a shaking table and on a three storey shear building model, experimentally confirming the effectiveness of the proposed system. PMID:23881123

CROSS: A GDSS for the Evaluation and Prioritization of Engineering Support Requests and Advanced Technology Projects at NASA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tavana, Madjid; Lee, Seunghee

1996-01-01

Objective evaluation and prioritization of engineering support requests (ESRs) is a difficult task at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Shuttle Project Engineering Office. The difficulty arises from the complexities inherent in the evaluation process and the lack of structured information. The purpose of this project is to implement the consensus ranking organizational support system (CROSS), a multiple criteria decision support system (DSS) developed at KSC that captures the decision maker's beliefs through a series of sequential, rational, and analytical processes. CROSS utilizes the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), subjective probabilities, entropy concept, and maximize agreement heuristic (MAH) to enhance the decision maker's intuition in evaluation ESRs. Some of the preliminary goals of the project are to: (1) revisit the structure of the ground systems working team (GWST) steering committee, (2) develop a template for ESR originators to provide more comple and consistent information to the GSWT steering committee members to eliminate the need for a facilitator, (3) develop an objective and structured process for the initial screening of ESRs, (4) extensive training of the stakeholders and the GWST steering committee to eliminate the need for a facilitator, (5) automate the process as much as possible, (6) create an environment to compile project success factor data on ESRs and move towards a disciplined system that could be used to address supportability threshold issues at the KSC, and (7) investigate the possibility of an organization-wide implementation of CROSS.

Information-theoretical noninvasive damage detection in bridge structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudu Ambegedara, Amila; Sun, Jie; Janoyan, Kerop; Bollt, Erik

2016-11-01

Damage detection of mechanical structures such as bridges is an important research problem in civil engineering. Using spatially distributed sensor time series data collected from a recent experiment on a local bridge in Upper State New York, we study noninvasive damage detection using information-theoretical methods. Several findings are in order. First, the time series data, which represent accelerations measured at the sensors, more closely follow Laplace distribution than normal distribution, allowing us to develop parameter estimators for various information-theoretic measures such as entropy and mutual information. Second, as damage is introduced by the removal of bolts of the first diaphragm connection, the interaction between spatially nearby sensors as measured by mutual information becomes weaker, suggesting that the bridge is "loosened." Finally, using a proposed optimal mutual information interaction procedure to prune away indirect interactions, we found that the primary direction of interaction or influence aligns with the traffic direction on the bridge even after damaging the bridge.

U.S. Seismic Design Maps Web Application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martinez, E.; Fee, J.

2015-12-01

The application computes earthquake ground motion design parameters compatible with the International Building Code and other seismic design provisions. It is the primary method for design engineers to obtain ground motion parameters for multiple building codes across the country. When designing new buildings and other structures, engineers around the country use the application. Users specify the design code of interest, location, and other parameters to obtain necessary ground motion information consisting of a high-level executive summary as well as detailed information including maps, data, and graphs. Results are formatted such that they can be directly included in a final engineering report. In addition to single-site analysis, the application supports a batch mode for simultaneous consideration of multiple locations. Finally, an application programming interface (API) is available which allows other application developers to integrate this application's results into larger applications for additional processing. Development on the application has proceeded in an iterative manner working with engineers through email, meetings, and workshops. Each iteration provided new features, improved performance, and usability enhancements. This development approach positioned the application to be integral to the structural design process and is now used to produce over 1800 reports daily. Recent efforts have enhanced the application to be a data-driven, mobile-first, responsive web application. Development is ongoing, and source code has recently been published into the open-source community on GitHub. Open-sourcing the code facilitates improved incorporation of user feedback to add new features ensuring the application's continued success.

Specialized medical search-engines are no better than general search-engines in sourcing consumer information about androgen deficiency.

PubMed

Ilic, D; Bessell, T L; Silagy, C A; Green, S

2003-03-01

The Internet provides consumers with access to online health information; however, identifying relevant and valid information can be problematic. Our objectives were firstly to investigate the efficiency of search-engines, and then to assess the quality of online information pertaining to androgen deficiency in the ageing male (ADAM). Keyword searches were performed on nine search-engines (four general and five medical) to identify website information regarding ADAM. Search-engine efficiency was compared by percentage of relevant websites obtained via each search-engine. The quality of information published on each website was assessed using the DISCERN rating tool. Of 4927 websites searched, 47 (1.44%) and 10 (0.60%) relevant websites were identified by general and medical search-engines respectively. The overall quality of online information on ADAM was poor. The quality of websites retrieved using medical search-engines did not differ significantly from those retrieved by general search-engines. Despite the poor quality of online information relating to ADAM, it is evident that medical search-engines are no better than general search-engines in sourcing consumer information relevant to ADAM.

Science & Engineering Indicators--1989.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Science Foundation, Washington, DC. National Science Board.

This volume is the ninth in the biennial "Science Indicators" series initiated by the National Science Board. The series provides a broad base of quantitative information about the structure and function of United States science and technology and comparisons with other advanced industrial countries. An overview of science and technology…

77 FR 44669 - 60-Day Notice of Intention To Request Clearance of Collection of Information; Opportunity for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-30

... of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects significant in American history, architecture..., architecture, engineering, or archeology based on national standards. The designation places no obligations on... individuals; state, tribal, and local governments; businesses; educational institutions; and nonprofit...

Design and engineering of photosynthetic light-harvesting and electron transfer using length, time, and energy scales.

PubMed

Noy, Dror; Moser, Christopher C; Dutton, P Leslie

2006-02-01

Decades of research on the physical processes and chemical reaction-pathways in photosynthetic enzymes have resulted in an extensive database of kinetic information. Recently, this database has been augmented by a variety of high and medium resolution crystal structures of key photosynthetic enzymes that now include the two photosystems (PSI and PSII) of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms. Here, we examine the currently available structural and functional information from an engineer's point of view with the long-term goal of reproducing the key features of natural photosystems in de novo designed and custom-built molecular solar energy conversion devices. We find that the basic physics of the transfer processes, namely, the time constraints imposed by the rates of incoming photon flux and the various decay processes allow for a large degree of tolerance in the engineering parameters. Moreover, we find that the requirements to guarantee energy and electron transfer rates that yield high efficiency in natural photosystems are largely met by control of distance between chromophores and redox cofactors. Thus, for projected de novo designed constructions, the control of spatial organization of cofactor molecules within a dense array is initially given priority. Nevertheless, constructions accommodating dense arrays of different cofactors, some well within 1 nm from each other, still presents a significant challenge for protein design.

A pivotal-based approach for enterprise business process and IS integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulmer, Jean-Stéphane; Belaud, Jean-Pierre; Le Lann, Jean-Marc

2013-02-01

A company must be able to describe and react against any endogenous or exogenous event. Such flexibility can be achieved through business process management (BPM). Nevertheless a BPM approach highlights complex relations between business and IT domains. A non-alignment is exposed between heterogeneous models: this is the 'business-IT gap' as described in the literature. Through concepts from business engineering and information systems driven by models and IT, we define a generic approach ensuring multi-view consistency. Its role is to maintain and provide all information related to the structure and semantic of models. Allowing the full return of a transformed model in the sense of reverse engineering, our platform enables synchronisation between analysis model and implementation model.

NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 31: The information-seeking behavior of engineers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Bishop, Ann P.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1993-01-01

Engineers are an extraordinarily diverse group of professionals, but an attribute common to all engineers is their use of information. Engineering can be conceptualized as an information processing system that must deal with work-related uncertainty through patterns of technical communications. Throughout the process, data, information, and tacit knowledge are being acquired, produced, transferred, and utilized. While acknowledging that other models exist, we have chosen to view the information-seeking behavior of engineers within a conceptual framework of the engineer as an information processor. This article uses the chosen framework to discuss information-seeking behavior of engineers, reviewing selected literature and empirical studies from library and information science, management, communications, and sociology. The article concludes by proposing a research agenda designed to extend our current, limited knowledge of the way engineers process information.

Is Internet search better than structured instruction for web-based health education?

PubMed

Finkelstein, Joseph; Bedra, McKenzie

2013-01-01

Internet provides access to vast amounts of comprehensive information regarding any health-related subject. Patients increasingly use this information for health education using a search engine to identify education materials. An alternative approach of health education via Internet is based on utilizing a verified web site which provides structured interactive education guided by adult learning theories. Comparison of these two approaches in older patients was not performed systematically. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a web-based computer-assisted education (CO-ED) system versus searching the Internet for learning about hypertension. Sixty hypertensive older adults (age 45+) were randomized into control or intervention groups. The control patients spent 30 to 40 minutes searching the Internet using a search engine for information about hypertension. The intervention patients spent 30 to 40 minutes using the CO-ED system, which provided computer-assisted instruction about major hypertension topics. Analysis of pre- and post- knowledge scores indicated a significant improvement among CO-ED users (14.6%) as opposed to Internet users (2%). Additionally, patients using the CO-ED program rated their learning experience more positively than those using the Internet.

A Study of Vehicle Structural Layouts in Post-WWII Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sensmeier, Mark D.; Samareh, Jamshid A.

2004-01-01

In this paper, results of a study of structural layouts of post-WWII aircraft are presented. This study was undertaken to provide the background information necessary to determine typical layouts, design practices, and industry trends in aircraft structural design. Design decisions are often predicated not on performance-related criteria, but rather on such factors as manufacturability, maintenance access, and of course cost. For this reason, a thorough understanding of current best practices in the industry is required as an input for the design optimization process. To determine these best practices and industry trends, a large number of aircraft structural cutaway illustrations were analyzed for five different aircraft categories (commercial transport jets, business jets, combat jet aircraft, single engine propeller aircraft, and twin-engine propeller aircraft). Several aspects of wing design and fuselage design characteristics are presented here for the commercial transport and combat aircraft categories. A great deal of commonality was observed for transport structure designs over a range of eras and manufacturers. A much higher degree of variability in structural designs was observed for the combat aircraft, though some discernable trends were observed as well.

Advanced Transportation System Studies. Technical Area 3: Alternate Propulsion Subsystem Concepts. Volume 1; Executive Summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levack, Daniel J. H.

2000-01-01

The Alternate Propulsion Subsystem Concepts contract had seven tasks defined that are reported under this contract deliverable. The tasks were: FAA Restart Study, J-2S Restart Study, Propulsion Database Development. SSME Upper Stage Use. CERs for Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines. Advanced Low Cost Engines, and Tripropellant Comparison Study. The two restart studies, F-1A and J-2S, generated program plans for restarting production of each engine. Special emphasis was placed on determining changes to individual parts due to obsolete materials, changes in OSHA and environmental concerns, new processes available, and any configuration changes to the engines. The Propulsion Database Development task developed a database structure and format which is easy to use and modify while also being comprehensive in the level of detail available. The database structure included extensive engine information and allows for parametric data generation for conceptual engine concepts. The SSME Upper Stage Use task examined the changes needed or desirable to use the SSME as an upper stage engine both in a second stage and in a translunar injection stage. The CERs for Liquid Engines task developed qualitative parametric cost estimating relationships at the engine and major subassembly level for estimating development and production costs of chemical propulsion liquid rocket engines. The Advanced Low Cost Engines task examined propulsion systems for SSTO applications including engine concept definition, mission analysis. trade studies. operating point selection, turbomachinery alternatives, life cycle cost, weight definition. and point design conceptual drawings and component design. The task concentrated on bipropellant engines, but also examined tripropellant engines. The Tripropellant Comparison Study task provided an unambiguous comparison among various tripropellant implementation approaches and cycle choices, and then compared them to similarly designed bipropellant engines in the SSTO mission This volume overviews each of the tasks giving its objectives, main results. and conclusions. More detailed Final Task Reports are available on each individual task.

X-ray Phase Contrast Imaging of Calcified Tissue and Biomaterial Structure in Bioreactor Engineered Tissues

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

Appel, Alyssa A.; Larson, Jeffery C.; Garson, III, Alfred B.

2014-11-04

Tissues engineered in bioreactor systems have been used clinically to replace damaged tissues and organs. In addition, these systems are under continued development for many tissue engineering applications. The ability to quantitatively assess material structure and tissue formation is critical for evaluating bioreactor efficacy and for preimplantation assessment of tissue quality. These techniques allow for the nondestructive and longitudinal monitoring of large engineered tissues within the bioreactor systems and will be essential for the translation of these strategies to viable clinical therapies. X-ray Phase Contrast (XPC) imaging techniques have shown tremendous promise for a number of biomedical applications owing tomore » their ability to provide image contrast based on multiple X-ray properties, including absorption, refraction, and scatter. In this research, mesenchymal stem cell-seeded alginate hydrogels were prepared and cultured under osteogenic conditions in a perfusion bioreactor. The constructs were imaged at various time points using XPC microcomputed tomography (µCT). Imaging was performed with systems using both synchrotron- and tube-based X-ray sources. XPC µCT allowed for simultaneous three-dimensional (3D) quantification of hydrogel size and mineralization, as well as spatial information on hydrogel structure and mineralization. Samples were processed for histological evaluation and XPC showed similar features to histology and quantitative analysis consistent with the histomorphometry. Furthermore, these results provide evidence of the significant potential of techniques based on XPC for noninvasive 3D imaging engineered tissues grown in bioreactors.« less

Hidden Markov model analysis of force/torque information in telemanipulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hannaford, Blake; Lee, Paul

1991-01-01

A model for the prediction and analysis of sensor information recorded during robotic performance of telemanipulation tasks is presented. The model uses the hidden Markov model to describe the task structure, the operator's or intelligent controller's goal structure, and the sensor signals. A methodology for constructing the model parameters based on engineering knowledge of the task is described. It is concluded that the model and its optimal state estimation algorithm, the Viterbi algorithm, are very succesful at the task of segmenting the data record into phases corresponding to subgoals of the task. The model provides a rich modeling structure within a statistical framework, which enables it to represent complex systems and be robust to real-world sensory signals.

Control of hierarchical polymer mechanics with bioinspired metal-coordination dynamics

PubMed Central

Grindy, Scott C.; Learsch, Robert; Mozhdehi, Davoud; Cheng, Jing; Barrett, Devin G.; Guan, Zhibin; Messersmith, Phillip B.; Holten-Andersen, Niels

2015-01-01

In conventional polymer materials, mechanical performance is traditionally engineered via material structure, using motifs such as polymer molecular weight, polymer branching, or copolymer-block design1. Here, by means of a model system of 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol) hydrogels crosslinked with multiple, kinetically distinct dynamic metal-ligand coordinate complexes, we show that polymer materials with decoupled spatial structure and mechanical performance can be designed. By tuning the relative concentration of two types of metal-ligand crosslinks, we demonstrate control over the material’s mechanical hierarchy of energy-dissipating modes under dynamic mechanical loading, and therefore the ability to engineer a priori the viscoelastic properties of these materials by controlling the types of crosslinks rather than by modifying the polymer itself. This strategy to decouple material mechanics from structure may inform the design of soft materials for use in complex mechanical environments. PMID:26322715

An experimentally-informed coarse-grained 3-site-per-nucleotide model of DNA: Structure, thermodynamics, and dynamics of hybridization

PubMed Central

Hinckley, Daniel M.; Freeman, Gordon S.; Whitmer, Jonathan K.; de Pablo, Juan J.

2013-01-01

A new 3-Site-Per-Nucleotide coarse-grained model for DNA is presented. The model includes anisotropic potentials between bases involved in base stacking and base pair interactions that enable the description of relevant structural properties, including the major and minor grooves. In an improvement over available coarse-grained models, the correct persistence length is recovered for both ssDNA and dsDNA, allowing for simulation of non-canonical structures such as hairpins. DNA melting temperatures, measured for duplexes and hairpins by integrating over free energy surfaces generated using metadynamics simulations, are shown to be in quantitative agreement with experiment for a variety of sequences and conditions. Hybridization rate constants, calculated using forward-flux sampling, are also shown to be in good agreement with experiment. The coarse-grained model presented here is suitable for use in biological and engineering applications, including nucleosome positioning and DNA-templated engineering. PMID:24116642

Structural Engineering Managers - Innovation Challenges for their Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linkeschová, D.; Tichá, A.

2015-11-01

The profession of a structural engineer is highly responsible, because the consequences of a structural engineer's errors result not only in economic damage to the property and often irreversible damage to the environment, they can also lead to direct loss of lives. In the current turbulent, dynamically developing society the managerial methods of structural engineers should not stagnate at the level of the last century applications. This paper deals with the challenges which the ongoing century poses to structural engineers and managers. It compares the results of research regarding the current state of managerial skills of structural engineers in Czech building companies to the defined skills of the 21st century's managers according to the global research programme ITL Research and according to the Vision for the Future of Structural Engineering, drawn up by Structural Engineering Institute - SEI ASCE.

Careers in Construction: Construction Industry Series: Student Manual and Instructor's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Education Agency, Austin. Dept. of Occupational Education and Technology.

The guide for instructors of construction occupations provides instructional suggestions and informational sources for structuring an exploratory program. The program is divided into the following blocks, representing different experiences in construction: (1) wood; (2) finishing; (3) engineering, support, and management services; (4) metal; (5)…

77 FR 37784 - Airworthiness Directives; Fokker Services B.V. Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-25

... source in the tank vapor space, which could result in a fuel tank explosion and consequent loss of the...., Washington, DC. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tom Rodriguez, Aerospace Engineer, International Branch, ANM... structure could, under certain conditions, result in an ignition source in the tank vapour space. This...

Show & Tell. Proceedings of the Ontario Universities' Conference (1st, Guelph, Canada, May 1987).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herrmann, Thom, Ed.

Twenty-three conference papers focus on the use of information technology in Ontario's technical colleges and universities: "The Analytic Criticism Module--Authorial Structures & Design" (P. Beam); "Computing by Design" (R. D. Brown & J. D. Milliken); "Engineers and Computers" (P. S. Chisholm, M. Iwaniw, and…

Higher Education in the German Democratic Republic. Monographs on Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schulz, H. J.

The system of higher education of the German Democratic Republic is described. Information on the different kinds of colleges--universities, university colleges, and engineering and technical colleges--is provided, including admission procedures, course objectives, course content and structure, further education, paths leading to the award of…

Environmental Control System Software & Hardware Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vargas, Daniel Eduardo

2017-01-01

ECS hardware: (1) Provides controlled purge to SLS Rocket and Orion spacecraft. (2) Provide mission-focused engineering products and services. ECS software: (1) NASA requires Compact Unique Identifiers (CUIs); fixed-length identifier used to identify information items. (2) CUI structure; composed of nine semantic fields that aid the user in recognizing its purpose.

Teacher Learning in the Digital Age: Online Professional Development in STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dede, Chris, Ed.; Eisenkraft, Arthur, Ed.; Frumin, Kim, Ed.; Hartley, Alex, Ed.

2016-01-01

With an emphasis on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) training, "Teacher Learning in the Digital Age" examines exemplary models of online and blended teacher professional development, including information on the structure and design of each model, intended audience, and existing research and evaluation data. From…

Soaring to New Heights with Learning Orientated Companies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardiner, Penny

1999-01-01

A study of two engineering firms attempting to implement a learning orientation found they were most like learning organizations in terms of empowerment and organizational structure. They were least like them in regard to participative policy making and information sharing about the external environment. Poor communication and lack of trust were…

World Wide Web Search Engines: AltaVista and Yahoo.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machovec, George S., Ed.

1996-01-01

Examines the history, structure, and search capabilities of Internet search tools AltaVista and Yahoo. AltaVista provides relevance-ranked feedback on full-text searches. Yahoo indexes Web "citations" only but does organize information hierarchically into predefined categories. Yahoo has recently become a publicly held company and…

Structure of Quasar Continuum Emission Regions and Cosmology from Optical and X-Ray Microlensing in Gravitationally Lensed Quasars

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-02

information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including g the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering...their central engines cannot be resolved with ordinary telescopes. Gravitational telescopes, however, provide the necessary resolution to study the...structure of the continuum emission regions at optical and X-ray wavelengths and make time delay estimates in the systems in which sufficient data were

14 CFR 33.23 - Engine mounting attachments and structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Engine mounting attachments and structure... mounting attachments and structure. (a) The maximum allowable limit and ultimate loads for engine mounting attachments and related engine structure must be specified. (b) The engine mounting attachments and related...

Formula student as part of a mechanical engineering curriculum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davies, Huw Charles

2013-10-01

Formula Student (FS) is a multi-university student design competition managed by the UK Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Students are required to demonstrate and prove their creativity and engineering skills through the design, manufacture and financing of a small formula style race car. This paper seeks to explore the educational value that derives from the FS activity through a series of semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Through the analysis of the interview data, it was found that the FS activity supported development of student skills and competencies in the following areas: use of engineering knowledge to support the application of existing and emerging technology; application of theoretical and practical knowledge to the solution of engineering problems; development of technical and commercial management skills; development of effective interpersonal skills, including communication skills; and demonstration of personal commitment to professional development. In addition, a number of areas for implementing 'good practise' have been identified. The information herein supports educators in their responsibility to help meet the needs of the engineering industry for high quality graduates.

Creating system engineering products with executable models in a model-based engineering environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karban, Robert; Dekens, Frank G.; Herzig, Sebastian; Elaasar, Maged; Jankevičius, Nerijus

2016-08-01

Applying systems engineering across the life-cycle results in a number of products built from interdependent sources of information using different kinds of system level analysis. This paper focuses on leveraging the Executable System Engineering Method (ESEM) [1] [2], which automates requirements verification (e.g. power and mass budget margins and duration analysis of operational modes) using executable SysML [3] models. The particular value proposition is to integrate requirements, and executable behavior and performance models for certain types of system level analysis. The models are created with modeling patterns that involve structural, behavioral and parametric diagrams, and are managed by an open source Model Based Engineering Environment (named OpenMBEE [4]). This paper demonstrates how the ESEM is applied in conjunction with OpenMBEE to create key engineering products (e.g. operational concept document) for the Alignment and Phasing System (APS) within the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project [5], which is under development by the TMT International Observatory (TIO) [5].

Application of the Collision-Imparted Velocity Method for Analyzing the Responses of Containment and Deflector Structures to Engine Rotor Fragment Impact

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Collins, T. P.; Witmer, E. A.

1973-01-01

An approximate analysis, termed the Collision Imparted Velocity Method (CIVM), was employed for predicting the transient structural responses of containment rings or deflector rings which are subjected to impact from turbojet-engine rotor burst fragments. These 2-d structural rings may be initially circular or arbitrarily curved and may have either uniform or variable thickness; elastic, strain hardening, and strain rate material properties are accommodated. This approximate analysis utilizes kinetic energy and momentum conservation relations in order to predict the after-impact velocities of the fragment and the impacted ring segment. This information is then used in conjunction with a finite element structural response computation code to predict the transient, large deflection responses of the ring. Similarly, the equations of motion for each fragment are solved in small steps in time. Also, some comparisons of predictions with experimental data for fragment-impacted free containment rings are presented.

Reverse Engineering Cellular Networks with Information Theoretic Methods

PubMed Central

Villaverde, Alejandro F.; Ross, John; Banga, Julio R.

2013-01-01

Building mathematical models of cellular networks lies at the core of systems biology. It involves, among other tasks, the reconstruction of the structure of interactions between molecular components, which is known as network inference or reverse engineering. Information theory can help in the goal of extracting as much information as possible from the available data. A large number of methods founded on these concepts have been proposed in the literature, not only in biology journals, but in a wide range of areas. Their critical comparison is difficult due to the different focuses and the adoption of different terminologies. Here we attempt to review some of the existing information theoretic methodologies for network inference, and clarify their differences. While some of these methods have achieved notable success, many challenges remain, among which we can mention dealing with incomplete measurements, noisy data, counterintuitive behaviour emerging from nonlinear relations or feedback loops, and computational burden of dealing with large data sets. PMID:24709703

Optimal Full Information Synthesis for Flexible Structures Implemented on Cray Supercomputers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lind, Rick; Balas, Gary J.

1995-01-01

This paper considers an algorithm for synthesis of optimal controllers for full information feedback. The synthesis procedure reduces to a single linear matrix inequality which may be solved via established convex optimization algorithms. The computational cost of the optimization is investigated. It is demonstrated the problem dimension and corresponding matrices can become large for practical engineering problems. This algorithm represents a process that is impractical for standard workstations for large order systems. A flexible structure is presented as a design example. Control synthesis requires several days on a workstation but may be solved in a reasonable amount of time using a Cray supercomputer.

Reduced-Order Modeling and Wavelet Analysis of Turbofan Engine Structural Response Due to Foreign Object Damage (FOD) Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turso, James; Lawrence, Charles; Litt, Jonathan

2004-01-01

The development of a wavelet-based feature extraction technique specifically targeting FOD-event induced vibration signal changes in gas turbine engines is described. The technique performs wavelet analysis of accelerometer signals from specified locations on the engine and is shown to be robust in the presence of significant process and sensor noise. It is envisioned that the technique will be combined with Kalman filter thermal/health parameter estimation for FOD-event detection via information fusion from these (and perhaps other) sources. Due to the lack of high-frequency FOD-event test data in the open literature, a reduced-order turbofan structural model (ROM) was synthesized from a finite element model modal analysis to support the investigation. In addition to providing test data for algorithm development, the ROM is used to determine the optimal sensor location for FOD-event detection. In the presence of significant noise, precise location of the FOD event in time was obtained using the developed wavelet-based feature.

Reduced-Order Modeling and Wavelet Analysis of Turbofan Engine Structural Response Due to Foreign Object Damage "FOD" Events

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Turso, James A.; Lawrence, Charles; Litt, Jonathan S.

2007-01-01

The development of a wavelet-based feature extraction technique specifically targeting FOD-event induced vibration signal changes in gas turbine engines is described. The technique performs wavelet analysis of accelerometer signals from specified locations on the engine and is shown to be robust in the presence of significant process and sensor noise. It is envisioned that the technique will be combined with Kalman filter thermal/ health parameter estimation for FOD-event detection via information fusion from these (and perhaps other) sources. Due to the lack of high-frequency FOD-event test data in the open literature, a reduced-order turbofan structural model (ROM) was synthesized from a finite-element model modal analysis to support the investigation. In addition to providing test data for algorithm development, the ROM is used to determine the optimal sensor location for FOD-event detection. In the presence of significant noise, precise location of the FOD event in time was obtained using the developed wavelet-based feature.

Collaborative Multi-Scale 3d City and Infrastructure Modeling and Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breunig, M.; Borrmann, A.; Rank, E.; Hinz, S.; Kolbe, T.; Schilcher, M.; Mundani, R.-P.; Jubierre, J. R.; Flurl, M.; Thomsen, A.; Donaubauer, A.; Ji, Y.; Urban, S.; Laun, S.; Vilgertshofer, S.; Willenborg, B.; Menninghaus, M.; Steuer, H.; Wursthorn, S.; Leitloff, J.; Al-Doori, M.; Mazroobsemnani, N.

2017-09-01

Computer-aided collaborative and multi-scale 3D planning are challenges for complex railway and subway track infrastructure projects in the built environment. Many legal, economic, environmental, and structural requirements have to be taken into account. The stringent use of 3D models in the different phases of the planning process facilitates communication and collaboration between the stake holders such as civil engineers, geological engineers, and decision makers. This paper presents concepts, developments, and experiences gained by an interdisciplinary research group coming from civil engineering informatics and geo-informatics banding together skills of both, the Building Information Modeling and the 3D GIS world. New approaches including the development of a collaborative platform and 3D multi-scale modelling are proposed for collaborative planning and simulation to improve the digital 3D planning of subway tracks and other infrastructures. Experiences during this research and lessons learned are presented as well as an outlook on future research focusing on Building Information Modeling and 3D GIS applications for cities of the future.

POOL server: machine learning application for functional site prediction in proteins.

PubMed

Somarowthu, Srinivas; Ondrechen, Mary Jo

2012-08-01

We present an automated web server for partial order optimum likelihood (POOL), a machine learning application that combines computed electrostatic and geometric information for high-performance prediction of catalytic residues from 3D structures. Input features consist of THEMATICS electrostatics data and pocket information from ConCavity. THEMATICS measures deviation from typical, sigmoidal titration behavior to identify functionally important residues and ConCavity identifies binding pockets by analyzing the surface geometry of protein structures. Both THEMATICS and ConCavity (structure only) do not require the query protein to have any sequence or structure similarity to other proteins. Hence, POOL is applicable to proteins with novel folds and engineered proteins. As an additional option for cases where sequence homologues are available, users can include evolutionary information from INTREPID for enhanced accuracy in site prediction. The web site is free and open to all users with no login requirements at http://www.pool.neu.edu. m.ondrechen@neu.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

Supporting interoperability of collaborative networks through engineering of a service-based Mediation Information System (MISE 2.0)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benaben, Frederick; Mu, Wenxin; Boissel-Dallier, Nicolas; Barthe-Delanoe, Anne-Marie; Zribi, Sarah; Pingaud, Herve

2015-08-01

The Mediation Information System Engineering project is currently finishing its second iteration (MISE 2.0). The main objective of this scientific project is to provide any emerging collaborative situation with methods and tools to deploy a Mediation Information System (MIS). MISE 2.0 aims at defining and designing a service-based platform, dedicated to initiating and supporting the interoperability of collaborative situations among potential partners. This MISE 2.0 platform implements a model-driven engineering approach to the design of a service-oriented MIS dedicated to supporting the collaborative situation. This approach is structured in three layers, each providing their own key innovative points: (i) the gathering of individual and collaborative knowledge to provide appropriate collaborative business behaviour (key point: knowledge management, including semantics, exploitation and capitalisation), (ii) deployment of a mediation information system able to computerise the previously deduced collaborative processes (key point: the automatic generation of collaborative workflows, including connection with existing devices or services) (iii) the management of the agility of the obtained collaborative network of organisations (key point: supervision of collaborative situations and relevant exploitation of the gathered data). MISE covers business issues (through BPM), technical issues (through an SOA) and agility issues of collaborative situations (through EDA).

Development of a general-purpose, integrated knowledge capture and delivery system

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

Roberts, A.G.; Freer, E.B.

1991-01-01

KATIE (Knowledge-Based Assistant for Troubleshooting Industrial Equipment) was first conceived as a solution for maintenance problems. In the area of process control, maintenance technicians have become responsible for increasingly complicated equipment and an overwhelming amount of associated information. The sophisticated distributed control systems have proven to be such a drastic change for technicians that they are forced to rely on the engineer for troubleshooting guidance. Because it is difficult for a knowledgeable engineer to be readily available for troubleshooting,maintenance personnel wish to capture the information provided by the engineer. The solution provided has two stages. First, a specific complicated systemmore » was chosen as a test case. An effort was made to gather all available system information in some form. Second, a method of capturing and delivering this collection of information was developed. Several features were desired for this knowledge capture/delivery system (KATIE). Creation of the knowledge base needed to be independent of the delivery system. The delivery path need to be as simple as possible for the technician, and the capture, or authoring, system could provide very sophisticated features. It was decided that KATIE should be as general as possible, not internalizing specifics about the first implementation. The knowledge bases created needed to be completely separate from KATIE needed to have a modular structure so that each type of information (rules, procedures, manuals, symptoms) could be encapsulated individually.« less

In-space research, technology and engineering experiments and Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tyson, Richard; Gartrell, Charles F.

1988-01-01

The NASA Space Station will serve as a technology research laboratory, a payload-servicing facility, and a large structure fabrication and assembly facility. Space structures research will encompass advanced structural concepts and their dynamics, advanced control concepts, sensors, and actuators. Experiments dealing with fluid management will gather data on such fundamentals as multiphase flow phenomena. As requirements for power systems and thermal management grow, experiments quantifying the performance of energy systems and thermal management concepts will be undertaken, together with expanded efforts in the fields of information systems, automation, and robotics.

Large space structures and systems in the space station era: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 03)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Bibliographies and abstracts are listed for 1221 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between January 1, 1991 and June 30, 1991. Topics covered include large space structures and systems, space stations, extravehicular activity, thermal environments and control, tethering, spacecraft power supplies, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, propulsion, policies and international cooperation, vibration and dynamic controls, robotics and remote operations, data and communication systems, electric power generation, space commercialization, orbital transfer, and human factors engineering.

Informational content of official pharmaceutical industry web sites about treatments for erectile dysfunction.

PubMed

Waack, Katherine E; Ernst, Michael E; Graber, Mark A

2004-12-01

In the last 5 years, several treatments have become available for erectile dysfunction (ED). During this same period, consumer use of the Internet for health information has increased rapidly. In traditional direct-to-consumer advertisements, viewers are often referred to a pharmaceutical company Web site for further information. To evaluate the accessibility and informational content of 5 pharmaceutical company Web sites about ED treatments. Using 10 popular search engines and 1 specialized search engine, the accessibility of the official pharmaceutical company-sponsored Web site was determined by searching under brand and generic names. One company also manufactures an ED device; this site was also included. A structured, explicit review of information found on these sites was conducted. Of 110 searches (1 for each treatment, including corresponding generic drug name, using each search engine), 68 yielded the official pharmaceutical company Web site within the first 10 links. Removal of outliers (for both brand and generic name searches) resulted in 68 of 77 searches producing the pharmaceutical company Web site for the brand-name drug in the top 10 links. Although all pharmaceutical company Web sites contained general information on adverse effects and contraindications to use, only 2 sites gave actual percentages. Three sites provided references for their materials or discussed other treatment or drug options, while 4 of the sites contained profound advertising or emotive content. None mentioned cost of the therapy. The information contained on pharmaceutical company Web sites for ED treatments is superficial and aimed primarily at consumers. It is largely promotional and provides only limited information needed to effectively compare treatment options.

Engine Structures Modeling Software System (ESMOSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

Engine Structures Modeling Software System (ESMOSS) is the development of a specialized software system for the construction of geometric descriptive and discrete analytical models of engine parts, components, and substructures which can be transferred to finite element analysis programs such as NASTRAN. The NASA Lewis Engine Structures Program is concerned with the development of technology for the rational structural design and analysis of advanced gas turbine engines with emphasis on advanced structural analysis, structural dynamics, structural aspects of aeroelasticity, and life prediction. Fundamental and common to all of these developments is the need for geometric and analytical model descriptions at various engine assembly levels which are generated using ESMOSS.

Secure web book to store structural genomics research data.

PubMed

Manjasetty, Babu A; Höppner, Klaus; Mueller, Uwe; Heinemann, Udo

2003-01-01

Recently established collaborative structural genomics programs aim at significantly accelerating the crystal structure analysis of proteins. These large-scale projects require efficient data management systems to ensure seamless collaboration between different groups of scientists working towards the same goal. Within the Berlin-based Protein Structure Factory, the synchrotron X-ray data collection and the subsequent crystal structure analysis tasks are located at BESSY, a third-generation synchrotron source. To organize file-based communication and data transfer at the BESSY site of the Protein Structure Factory, we have developed the web-based BCLIMS, the BESSY Crystallography Laboratory Information Management System. BCLIMS is a relational data management system which is powered by MySQL as the database engine and Apache HTTP as the web server. The database interface routines are written in Python programing language. The software is freely available to academic users. Here we describe the storage, retrieval and manipulation of laboratory information, mainly pertaining to the synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments and the subsequent protein structure analysis, using BCLIMS.

An Automatic Method for Geometric Segmentation of Masonry Arch Bridges for Structural Engineering Purposes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riveiro, B.; DeJong, M.; Conde, B.

2016-06-01

Despite the tremendous advantages of the laser scanning technology for the geometric characterization of built constructions, there are important limitations preventing more widespread implementation in the structural engineering domain. Even though the technology provides extensive and accurate information to perform structural assessment and health monitoring, many people are resistant to the technology due to the processing times involved. Thus, new methods that can automatically process LiDAR data and subsequently provide an automatic and organized interpretation are required. This paper presents a new method for fully automated point cloud segmentation of masonry arch bridges. The method efficiently creates segmented, spatially related and organized point clouds, which each contain the relevant geometric data for a particular component (pier, arch, spandrel wall, etc.) of the structure. The segmentation procedure comprises a heuristic approach for the separation of different vertical walls, and later image processing tools adapted to voxel structures allows the efficient segmentation of the main structural elements of the bridge. The proposed methodology provides the essential processed data required for structural assessment of masonry arch bridges based on geometric anomalies. The method is validated using a representative sample of masonry arch bridges in Spain.

The application of SSADM to modelling the logical structure of proteins.

PubMed

Saldanha, J; Eccles, J

1991-10-01

A logical design that describes the overall structure of proteins, together with a more detailed design describing secondary and some supersecondary structures, has been constructed using the computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tool, Auto-mate. Auto-mate embodies the philosophy of the Structured Systems Analysis and Design Method (SSADM) which enables the logical design of computer systems. Our design will facilitate the building of large information systems, such as databases and knowledgebases in the field of protein structure, by the derivation of system requirements from our logical model prior to producing the final physical system. In addition, the study has highlighted the ease of employing SSADM as a formalism in which to conduct the transferral of concepts from an expert into a design for a knowledge-based system that can be implemented on a computer (the knowledge-engineering exercise). It has been demonstrated how SSADM techniques may be extended for the purpose of modelling the constituent Prolog rules. This facilitates the integration of the logical system design model with the derived knowledge-based system.

J-2X Turbopump Cavitation Diagnostics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Santi, I. Michael; Butas, John P.; Tyler, Thomas R., Jr.; Aguilar, Robert; Sowers, T. Shane

2010-01-01

The J-2X is the upper stage engine currently being designed by Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) for the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV). Propellant supply requirements for the J-2X are defined by the Ares Upper Stage to J-2X Interface Control Document (ICD). Supply conditions outside ICD defined start or run boxes can induce turbopump cavitation leading to interruption of J-2X propellant flow during hot fire operation. In severe cases, cavitation can lead to uncontained engine failure with the potential to cause a vehicle catastrophic event. Turbopump and engine system performance models supported by system design information and test data are required to predict existence, severity, and consequences of a cavitation event. A cavitation model for each of the J-2X fuel and oxidizer turbopumps was developed using data from pump water flow test facilities at Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) and Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) together with data from Powerpack 1A testing at Stennis Space Center (SSC) and from heritage systems. These component models were implemented within the PWR J-2X Real Time Model (RTM) to provide a foundation for predicting system level effects following turbopump cavitation. The RTM serves as a general failure simulation platform supporting estimation of J-2X redline system effectiveness. A study to compare cavitation induced conditions with component level structural limit thresholds throughout the engine was performed using the RTM. Results provided insight into system level turbopump cavitation effects and redline system effectiveness in preventing structural limit violations. A need to better understand structural limits and redline system failure mitigation potential in the event of fuel side cavitation was indicated. This paper examines study results, efforts to mature J-2X turbopump cavitation models and structural limits, and issues with engine redline detection of cavitation and the use of vehicle-side abort triggers to augment the engine redline system.

The composite load spectra project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newell, J. F.; Ho, H.; Kurth, R. E.

1990-01-01

Probabilistic methods and generic load models capable of simulating the load spectra that are induced in space propulsion system components are being developed. Four engine component types (the transfer ducts, the turbine blades, the liquid oxygen posts and the turbopump oxidizer discharge duct) were selected as representative hardware examples. The composite load spectra that simulate the probabilistic loads for these components are typically used as the input loads for a probabilistic structural analysis. The knowledge-based system approach used for the composite load spectra project provides an ideal environment for incremental development. The intelligent database paradigm employed in developing the expert system provides a smooth coupling between the numerical processing and the symbolic (information) processing. Large volumes of engine load information and engineering data are stored in database format and managed by a database management system. Numerical procedures for probabilistic load simulation and database management functions are controlled by rule modules. Rules were hard-wired as decision trees into rule modules to perform process control tasks. There are modules to retrieve load information and models. There are modules to select loads and models to carry out quick load calculations or make an input file for full duty-cycle time dependent load simulation. The composite load spectra load expert system implemented today is capable of performing intelligent rocket engine load spectra simulation. Further development of the expert system will provide tutorial capability for users to learn from it.

Civil engineering reference guide

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

Merritt, F.S.

1986-01-01

The civil engineering reference guide contains the following: Structural theory. Structural steel design. Concrete design and construction. Wood design and construction. Bridge engineering. Geotechnical engineering. Water engineering. Environmental engineering. Surveying.

Study of aircraft crashworthiness for fire protection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cominsky, A.

1981-01-01

Impact-survivable postcrash fire accidents were surveyed. The data base developed includes foreign and domestic accidents involving airlines and jet aircraft. The emphasis was placed on domestic accidents, airlines, and jet aircraft due principally to availability of information. Only transport category aircraft in commercial service designed under FAR Part 25 were considered. A matrix was prepared to show the relationships between the accident characteristics and the fire fatalities. Typical postcrash fire scenaries were identified. Safety concepts were developed for three engineering categories: cabin interiors - cabin subsystems; power plant - engines and fuel systems; and structural mechanics - primary and secondary structures. The parameters identified for concept evaluation are cost, effectiveness, and societal concerns. Three concepts were selected for design definition and cost and effectiveness analysis: improved fire-resistant seat materials; anti-misting kerosene; and additional cabin emergency exits.

Compound Velocity Synchronizing Control Strategy for Electro-Hydraulic Load Simulator and Its Engineering Application.

PubMed

Han, Songshan; Jiao, Zongxia; Yao, Jianyong; Shang, Yaoxing

2014-09-01

An electro-hydraulic load simulator (EHLS) is a typical case of torque systems with strong external disturbances from hydraulic motion systems. A new velocity synchronizing compensation strategy is proposed in this paper to eliminate motion disturbances, based on theoretical and experimental analysis of a structure invariance method and traditional velocity synchronizing compensation controller (TVSM). This strategy only uses the servo-valve's control signal of motion system and torque feedback of torque system, which could avoid the requirement on the velocity and acceleration signal in the structure invariance method, and effectively achieve a more accurate velocity synchronizing compensation in large loading conditions than a TVSM. In order to facilitate the implementation of this strategy in engineering cases, the selection rules for compensation parameters are proposed. It does not rely on any accurate information of structure parameters. This paper presents the comparison data of an EHLS with various typical operating conditions using three controllers, i.e., closed loop proportional integral derivative (PID) controller, TVSM, and the proposed improved velocity synchronizing controller. Experiments are conducted to confirm that the new strategy performs well against motion disturbances. It is more effective to improve the tracking accuracy and is a more appropriate choice for engineering applications.

The Reliability and Factor Structure of the Job Activity Preference Questionnaire (JAPQ) and the Job Behavior Experience Questionnaire (JBEQ)

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-01-01

different bits of information to fly his plane, etc.) 35. Analyzing information (interpreting financial reports, determining why an automobile engine...involvin- hand and arm movements, as might be used in repairing automobiles , packaging products, etc.) I48. liand-arm steadiness (steady hand and arm...devices (pianos, typewriters, adding Rating Scale machines, etc.) 0 None 100. Highway or rail vehicles ( automobiles , trucks, 1 Very limited buses, trains

Interpreting geologic maps for engineering purposes: Hollidaysburg quadrangle, Pennsylvania

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

1953-01-01

This set of maps has been prepared to show the kinds of information, useful to engineers, that can be derived from ordinary geologic maps. A few additional bits of information, drawn from other sources, are mentioned below. Some of the uses of such maps are well known; they are indispensable tools in the modern search for oil or ore deposits; they are the first essential step in unraveling the story of the earth we live on. Less well known, perhaps, is the fact that topographic and geologic maps contain many of the basic data needed for planning any engineering construction job, big or little. Any structure built by man must fit into the topographic and geologic environment shown on such maps. Moreover, most if not all construction jobs must be based on knowledge of the soils and waters, which also are intimately related to this same environment. The topographic map shows the shape of the land the hills and valleys, the streams and swamps, the man-made features such as roads, railroads, and towns. The geologic map shows the kinds and shapes of the rock bodies that form the land surface and that lie beneath it. These are the facts around which the engineer must build.

A knowledge-based system design/information tool for aircraft flight control systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mackall, Dale A.; Allen, James G.

1991-01-01

Research aircraft have become increasingly dependent on advanced electronic control systems to accomplish program goals. These aircraft are integrating multiple disciplines to improve performance and satisfy research objective. This integration is being accomplished through electronic control systems. Systems design methods and information management have become essential to program success. The primary objective of the system design/information tool for aircraft flight control is to help transfer flight control system design knowledge to the flight test community. By providing all of the design information and covering multiple disciplines in a structured, graphical manner, flight control systems can more easily be understood by the test engineers. This will provide the engineers with the information needed to thoroughly ground test the system and thereby reduce the likelihood of serious design errors surfacing in flight. The secondary object is to apply structured design techniques to all of the design domains. By using the techniques in the top level system design down through the detailed hardware and software designs, it is hoped that fewer design anomalies will result. The flight test experiences are reviewed of three highly complex, integrated aircraft programs: the X-29 forward swept wing; the advanced fighter technology integration (AFTI) F-16; and the highly maneuverable aircraft technology (HiMAT) program. Significant operating technologies, and the design errors which cause them, is examined to help identify what functions a system design/informatin tool should provide to assist designers in avoiding errors.

Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods (PSAM) for select space propulsion system structural components

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruse, T. A.

1987-01-01

The objective is the development of several modular structural analysis packages capable of predicting the probabilistic response distribution for key structural variables such as maximum stress, natural frequencies, transient response, etc. The structural analysis packages are to include stochastic modeling of loads, material properties, geometry (tolerances), and boundary conditions. The solution is to be in terms of the cumulative probability of exceedance distribution (CDF) and confidence bounds. Two methods of probability modeling are to be included as well as three types of structural models - probabilistic finite-element method (PFEM); probabilistic approximate analysis methods (PAAM); and probabilistic boundary element methods (PBEM). The purpose in doing probabilistic structural analysis is to provide the designer with a more realistic ability to assess the importance of uncertainty in the response of a high performance structure. Probabilistic Structural Analysis Method (PSAM) tools will estimate structural safety and reliability, while providing the engineer with information on the confidence that should be given to the predicted behavior. Perhaps most critically, the PSAM results will directly provide information on the sensitivity of the design response to those variables which are seen to be uncertain.

Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods for select space propulsion system structural components (PSAM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cruse, T. A.; Burnside, O. H.; Wu, Y.-T.; Polch, E. Z.; Dias, J. B.

1988-01-01

The objective is the development of several modular structural analysis packages capable of predicting the probabilistic response distribution for key structural variables such as maximum stress, natural frequencies, transient response, etc. The structural analysis packages are to include stochastic modeling of loads, material properties, geometry (tolerances), and boundary conditions. The solution is to be in terms of the cumulative probability of exceedance distribution (CDF) and confidence bounds. Two methods of probability modeling are to be included as well as three types of structural models - probabilistic finite-element method (PFEM); probabilistic approximate analysis methods (PAAM); and probabilistic boundary element methods (PBEM). The purpose in doing probabilistic structural analysis is to provide the designer with a more realistic ability to assess the importance of uncertainty in the response of a high performance structure. Probabilistic Structural Analysis Method (PSAM) tools will estimate structural safety and reliability, while providing the engineer with information on the confidence that should be given to the predicted behavior. Perhaps most critically, the PSAM results will directly provide information on the sensitivity of the design response to those variables which are seen to be uncertain.

Interface Design Concepts in the Development of ELSA, an Intelligent Electronic Library Search Assistant.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Denning, Rebecca; Smith, Philip J.

1994-01-01

Describes issues and advances in the design of appropriate inference engines and knowledge structures needed by commercially feasible intelligent intermediary systems for information retrieval. Issues associated with the design of interfaces to such functions are discussed in detail. Design principles for guiding implementation of these interfaces…

Nondestructive evaluation of oriented strand board exposed to decay fungi.

Treesearch

Barbara L. Illman; Vina W. Yang; Robert J. Ross; William J. Nelson

2002-01-01

Stress wave nondestructive evaluation (NDE) technologies are being used in our laboratory to evaluate the performance properties of engineered wood. These techniques have proven useful in the inspection of timber structures to locate internal voids and decayed or deteriorated areas in large timbers. But no information exists concerning NDE and important properties of...

Collective phenomena in photonic, plasmonic and hybrid structures.

PubMed

Boriskina, Svetlana V; Povinelli, Michelle; Astratov, Vasily N; Zayats, Anatoly V; Podolskiy, Viktor A

2011-10-24

Preface to a focus issue of invited articles that review recent progress in studying the fundamental physics of collective phenomena associated with coupling of confined photonic, plasmonic, electronic and phononic states and in exploiting these phenomena to engineer novel devices for light generation, optical sensing, and information processing. © 2011 Optical Society of America

Increasing Student Intrinsic Motivation and Self-Efficacy through Gamification Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banfield, James; Wilkerson, Brad

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess gamification as a method of experiential learning theory (ELT) on student motivation and self-efficacy to perform System Engineering/Information Assurance (IA) tasks. The study was a basic qualitative method, whereby data was collected via semi-structured interview and then analyzed for recurring themes and…

A Remote Knowledge Repository System for Teaching and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martins, Protasio D.; Maidantchik, Carmen; Lemos, Leandro T.; Manoel de Seixas, Jose

Changes in the global economy and the extensive use of the internet implied a conceptual redefinition of the working and social structure, and consequently an enhancement of educational systems that instruct engineers. This paper presents a repository of remote multimedia information such as formatted or non-formatted documents, hypertext pages,…

Computational Infrastructure for Engine Structural Performance Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, Christos C.

1997-01-01

Select computer codes developed over the years to simulate specific aspects of engine structures are described. These codes include blade impact integrated multidisciplinary analysis and optimization, progressive structural fracture, quantification of uncertainties for structural reliability and risk, benefits estimation of new technology insertion and hierarchical simulation of engine structures made from metal matrix and ceramic matrix composites. Collectively these codes constitute a unique infrastructure readiness to credibly evaluate new and future engine structural concepts throughout the development cycle from initial concept, to design and fabrication, to service performance and maintenance and repairs, and to retirement for cause and even to possible recycling. Stated differently, they provide 'virtual' concurrent engineering for engine structures total-life-cycle-cost.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 51: Workplace communications skills and the value of communications and information-use skills instruction: Engineering students' perspectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1995-01-01

Studies indicate that communications and information-related activities take up a substantial portion of an engineer's work week; therefore, effective communications and information use skills are one of the key engineering competencies that recent graduates of engineering programs are expected to possess. Feedback from industry rates communications and information use skills of entry-level engineers low. Missing from current discussions of communications and information use skills and competencies for engineering students is a clear explanation from the professional engineering community about what constitutes 'acceptable and desirable communications and information norms' within that community. To gather adequate and generalizable data about communications and information skills instruction and to provide a student perspective on the communications skills of engineers, we undertook a national study of aerospace engineering students in March 1993. The study included questions about the importance of certain communications and information skills to professional success, the instruction students had received in these skills, and perceived helpfulness of the instruction. Selected results from the study study are reported in this paper.

A preliminary study on the integral relationship between critical thinking and mathematical thinking among practicing civil engineers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osman, Sharifah; Mohammad, Shahrin; Abu, Mohd Salleh

2015-05-01

Mathematics and engineering are inexorably and significantly linked and essentially required in analyzing and accessing thought to make good judgment when dealing in complex and varied engineering problems. A study in the current engineering education curriculum to explore how the critical thinking and mathematical thinking relates to one another, is therefore timely crucial. Unfortunately, there is not much information available explicating about the link. This paper aims to report findings of a critical review as well as to provide brief description of an on-going research aimed to investigate the dispositions of critical thinking and the relationship and integration between critical thinking and mathematical thinking during the execution of civil engineering tasks. The first part of the paper reports an in-depth review on these matters based on rather limited resources. The review showed a considerable form of congruency between these two perspectives of thinking, with some prevalent trends of engineering workplace tasks, problems and challenges. The second part describes an on-going research to be conducted by the researcher to investigate rigorously the relationship and integration between these two types of thinking within the perspective of civil engineering tasks. A reasonably close non-participant observations and semi-structured interviews will be executed for the pilot and main stages of the study. The data will be analyzed using constant comparative analysis in which the grounded theory methodology will be adopted. The findings will serve as a useful grounding for constructing a substantive theory revealing the integral relationship between critical thinking and mathematical thinking in the real civil engineering practice context. The substantive theory, from an angle of view, is expected to contribute some additional useful information to the engineering program outcomes and engineering education instructions, aligns with the expectations of engineering program outcomes set by the Engineering Accreditation Council.

The Information-Seeking Habits of Engineering Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engel, Debra; Robbins, Sarah; Kulp, Christina

2011-01-01

Many studies of information-seeking habits of engineers focus on understanding the similarities and differences between scientists and engineers. This study explores the information-seeking behavior of academic engineering faculty from twenty public research universities. This investigation includes an examination of how frequently engineer- ing…

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 13: The information-seeking habits and practices of engineers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.

1991-01-01

It is argued that only by maximizing the research and development process can the United States maintain and possibly capture its international competitive edge. Key to this goal is the provision of information services and products which meet the information needs of engineers. Evidence exists which indicates that traditional information services and products may, in fact, not be meeting the information needs of engineers. The primary reason for this deficiency is three fold. First, the specific information needs of engineers are neither well known nor well understood. Second, what is known about the information seeking habits and practices of engineers has not been applied to existing engineering information services. Third, the information professionals continue to over-emphasize technology instead of concentrating on the quality of the information itself and the ability of the information to meet the needs of the user.

Quality Assessment of Information on Bariatric Surgery Websites.

PubMed

Vetter, Diana; Ruhwinkel, Hendrik; Raptis, Dimitri A; Bueter, Marco

2018-05-01

The aim of this study was to assess the quality of patient information on bariatric surgery in the internet using the modified Ensuring Quality Information for Patients (EQIP) tool. Systematic review of information on bariatric surgery in the internet by entering common search terms into five search engines. The top 100 websites of every search term and search engine were assessed using the validated EQIP tool (maximum score, 36), which entails points for content, structure, and identification data of a given website. Websites at or above the 99th percentile were analyzed separately (n = 8). The median EQIP score of all included websites (n = 463) was 17 (IQR 15-19). While information on the medical problem, the indication for surgery, or the treatment alternatives was present in 84% of all websites, only 10% of the included websites contained adequate information on postoperative complications. Although quantitative information on incidence (37.5%) and treatment of complications (12.5%) was significantly better in the top 99th percentile websites, the content of relevant information such as occurrence and treatment of complications was still very limited. The overall quality of patient information on bariatric surgery in the internet is relatively poor. Especially incidence of complications and their treatment are rarely reported even on websites with a 99th percentile EQIP score.

A General-Purpose Optimization Engine for Multi-Disciplinary Design Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patnaik, Surya N.; Hopkins, Dale A.; Berke, Laszlo

1996-01-01

A general purpose optimization tool for multidisciplinary applications, which in the literature is known as COMETBOARDS, is being developed at NASA Lewis Research Center. The modular organization of COMETBOARDS includes several analyzers and state-of-the-art optimization algorithms along with their cascading strategy. The code structure allows quick integration of new analyzers and optimizers. The COMETBOARDS code reads input information from a number of data files, formulates a design as a set of multidisciplinary nonlinear programming problems, and then solves the resulting problems. COMETBOARDS can be used to solve a large problem which can be defined through multiple disciplines, each of which can be further broken down into several subproblems. Alternatively, a small portion of a large problem can be optimized in an effort to improve an existing system. Some of the other unique features of COMETBOARDS include design variable formulation, constraint formulation, subproblem coupling strategy, global scaling technique, analysis approximation, use of either sequential or parallel computational modes, and so forth. The special features and unique strengths of COMETBOARDS assist convergence and reduce the amount of CPU time used to solve the difficult optimization problems of aerospace industries. COMETBOARDS has been successfully used to solve a number of problems, including structural design of space station components, design of nozzle components of an air-breathing engine, configuration design of subsonic and supersonic aircraft, mixed flow turbofan engines, wave rotor topped engines, and so forth. This paper introduces the COMETBOARDS design tool and its versatility, which is illustrated by citing examples from structures, aircraft design, and air-breathing propulsion engine design.

The Effect of “Countrywide Services Management Law” on the Work Motivation of the Employees of Iranian Ministry of Health

PubMed Central

Shafeghat, Hossein; Jafari, Mehdi; Monavarian, Abbas; Shafayi, Maryam; Dehnavieh, Reza

2014-01-01

Background: Labor laws and regulations have inevitable effects on employees’ work motivation as well as the overall efficiency and productivity of the organization. Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the effects of the “Countrywide Services Management Law” on the work motivation level of the employees of the Iranian Ministry of Health. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in 2011 in the Iran's Ministry of Health. Data was collected by a 51-item Likert scale questionnaire, in five domains including: organizational structure, information technology, training patterns, salary and bonus system and re-engineering process. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire was evaluated (Cronbach's alpha= 0.96). Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics (t-test). Results: Out of 192 samples examined, 55.2% of the respondents were female, 88 (45.8%) had BS degree and 116 (60.4%) had less than 10 years’ experience. The mean scores in the domains of organizational structure, information technology, training patterns, salary and bonus system and re-engineering patterns were: 3.11, 3.51, 3.05, 3.21 and 3.14, respectively. Relationship between the items related to manpower in the “Countrywide Services Management Law”, with employees' work motivation was significant (P < 0.0001). The training patterns did not show a significant relation (P < 0.26) with any of five domains. Conclusions: According to our results and the views of the employees of the Iranian Ministry of Health, “Countrywide Services Management Law” positively affected the personnel's work motivation regarding all the factors associated with motivation including: organizational structure, information technology, training patterns, salary and bonus system and re-engineering pattern. Finally, to enhance the workforce motivation and satisfaction level, application and implementation of the rules and regulations should be based on the organizational needs. PMID:24719736

Engine-induced structural-borne noise in a general aviation aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Unruh, J. F.; Scheidt, D. C.; Pomerening, D. J.

1979-01-01

Structural borne interior noise in a single engine general aviation aircraft was studied to determine the importance of engine induced structural borne noise and to determine the necessary modeling requirements for the prediction of structural borne interior noise. Engine attached/detached ground test data show that engine induced structural borne noise is a primary interior noise source for the single engine test aircraft, cabin noise is highly influenced by responses at the propeller tone, and cabin acoustic resonances can influence overall noise levels. Results from structural and acoustic finite element coupled models of the test aircraft show that wall flexibility has a strong influence on fundamental cabin acoustic resonances, the lightweight fuselage structure has a high modal density, and finite element analysis procedures are appropriate for the prediction of structural borne noise.

Development of a Novel Method for Determination of Residual Stresses in a Friction Stir Weld

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reynolds, Anthony P.

2001-01-01

Material constitutive properties, which describe the mechanical behavior of a material under loading, are vital to the design and implementation of engineering materials. For homogeneous materials, the standard process for determining these properties is the tensile test, which is used to measure the material stress-strain response. However, a majority of the applications for engineering materials involve the use of heterogeneous materials and structures (i.e. alloys, welded components) that exhibit heterogeneity on a global or local level. Regardless of the scale of heterogeneity, the overall response of the material or structure is dependent on the response of each of the constituents. Therefore, in order to produce materials and structures that perform in the best possible manner, the properties of the constituents that make up the heterogeneous material must be thoroughly examined. When materials exhibit heterogeneity on a local level, such as in alloys or particle/matrix composites, they are often treated as statistically homogenous and the resulting 'effective' properties may be determined through homogenization techniques. In the case of globally heterogeneous materials, such as weldments, the standard tensile test provides the global response but no information on what is Occurring locally within the different constituents. This information is necessary to improve the material processing as well as the end product.

76 FR 20351 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Information Collection; Architect-Engineer Qualifications (SF 330)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-12

...; Information Collection; Architect-Engineer Qualifications (SF 330) AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD... approve an extension of a currently approved information collection requirement for the Architect-Engineer... Standard Form 330, Part I is used by all Executive agencies to obtain information from architect-engineer...

Application of the Probabilistic Dynamic Synthesis Method to the Analysis of a Realistic Structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Andrew M.; Ferri, Aldo A.

1998-01-01

The Probabilistic Dynamic Synthesis method is a new technique for obtaining the statistics of a desired response engineering quantity for a structure with non-deterministic parameters. The method uses measured data from modal testing of the structure as the input random variables, rather than more "primitive" quantities like geometry or material variation. This modal information is much more comprehensive and easily measured than the "primitive" information. The probabilistic analysis is carried out using either response surface reliability methods or Monte Carlo simulation. A previous work verified the feasibility of the PDS method on a simple seven degree-of-freedom spring-mass system. In this paper, extensive issues involved with applying the method to a realistic three-substructure system are examined, and free and forced response analyses are performed. The results from using the method are promising, especially when the lack of alternatives for obtaining quantitative output for probabilistic structures is considered.

Application of the Probabilistic Dynamic Synthesis Method to Realistic Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brown, Andrew M.; Ferri, Aldo A.

1998-01-01

The Probabilistic Dynamic Synthesis method is a technique for obtaining the statistics of a desired response engineering quantity for a structure with non-deterministic parameters. The method uses measured data from modal testing of the structure as the input random variables, rather than more "primitive" quantities like geometry or material variation. This modal information is much more comprehensive and easily measured than the "primitive" information. The probabilistic analysis is carried out using either response surface reliability methods or Monte Carlo simulation. In previous work, the feasibility of the PDS method applied to a simple seven degree-of-freedom spring-mass system was verified. In this paper, extensive issues involved with applying the method to a realistic three-substructure system are examined, and free and forced response analyses are performed. The results from using the method are promising, especially when the lack of alternatives for obtaining quantitative output for probabilistic structures is considered.

Modeling patient safety incidents knowledge with the Categorial Structure method.

PubMed

Souvignet, Julien; Bousquet, Cédric; Lewalle, Pierre; Trombert-Paviot, Béatrice; Rodrigues, Jean Marie

2011-01-01

Following the WHO initiative named World Alliance for Patient Safety (PS) launched in 2004 a conceptual framework developed by PS national reporting experts has summarized the knowledge available. As a second step, the Department of Public Health of the University of Saint Etienne team elaborated a Categorial Structure (a semi formal structure not related to an upper level ontology) identifying the elements of the semantic structure underpinning the broad concepts contained in the framework for patient safety. This knowledge engineering method has been developed to enable modeling patient safety information as a prerequisite for subsequent full ontology development. The present article describes the semantic dissection of the concepts, the elicitation of the ontology requirements and the domain constraints of the conceptual framework. This ontology includes 134 concepts and 25 distinct relations and will serve as basis for an Information Model for Patient Safety.

Preservation of Gaussian state entanglement in a quantum beat laser by reservoir engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qurban, Misbah; Islam, Rameez ul; Ge, Guo-Qin; Ikram, Manzoor

2018-04-01

Quantum beat lasers have been considered as sources of entangled radiation in continuous variables such as Gaussian states. In order to preserve entanglement and to minimize entanglement degradation due to the system’s interaction with the surrounding environment, we propose to engineer environment modes through insertion of another system in between the laser resonator and the environment. This makes the environment surrounding the two-mode laser a structured reservoir. It not only enhances the entanglement among two modes of the laser but also preserves the entanglement for sufficiently longer times, a stringent requirement for quantum information processing tasks.

Structural analysis of β-glucosidase mutants derived from a hyperthermophilic tetrameric structure

PubMed Central

Nakabayashi, Makoto; Kataoka, Misumi; Mishima, Yumiko; Maeno, Yuka; Ishikawa, Kazuhiko

2014-01-01

β-Glucosidase from Pyrococcus furiosus (BGLPf) is a hyperthermophilic tetrameric enzyme which can degrade cellooligosaccharides to glucose under hyperthermophilic conditions and thus holds promise for the saccharification of lignocellulosic biomass at high temperature. Prior to the production of large amounts of this enzyme, detailed information regarding the oligomeric structure of the enzyme is required. Several crystals of BGLPf have been prepared over the past ten years, but its crystal structure had not been solved until recently. In 2011, the first crystal structure of BGLPf was solved and a model was constructed at somewhat low resolution (2.35 Å). In order to obtain more detailed structural data on BGLPf, the relationship between its tetrameric structure and the quality of the crystal was re-examined. A dimeric form of BGLPf was constructed and its crystal structure was solved at a resolution of 1.70 Å using protein-engineering methods. Furthermore, using the high-resolution crystal structural data for the dimeric form, a monomeric form of BGLPf was constructed which retained the intrinsic activity of the tetrameric form. The thermostability of BGLPf is affected by its oligomeric structure. Here, the biophysical and biochemical properties of engineered dimeric and monomeric BGLPfs are reported, which are promising prototype models to apply to the saccharification reaction. Furthermore, details regarding the oligomeric structures of BGLPf and the reasons why the mutations yielded improved crystal structures are discussed. PMID:24598756

Thrust Performance Evaluation of a Turbofan Engine Based on Exergetic Approach and Thrust Management in Aircraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yalcin, Enver

2017-05-01

The environmental parameters such as temperature and air pressure which are changing depending on altitudes are effective on thrust and fuel consumption of aircraft engines. In flights with long routes, thrust management function in airplane information system has a structure that ensures altitude and performance management. This study focused on thrust changes throughout all flight were examined by taking into consideration their energy and exergy performances for fuel consumption of an aircraft engine used in flight with long route were taken as reference. The energetic and exergetic performance evaluations were made under the various altitude conditions. The thrust changes for different altitude conditions were obtained to be at 86.53 % in descending direction and at 142.58 % in ascending direction while the energy and exergy efficiency changes for the referenced engine were found to be at 80.77 % and 84.45 %, respectively. The results revealed here can be helpful to manage thrust and reduce fuel consumption, but engine performance will be in accordance with operation requirements.

Review of Reliability-Based Design Optimization Approach and Its Integration with Bayesian Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiangnan

2018-03-01

A lot of uncertain factors lie in practical engineering, such as external load environment, material property, geometrical shape, initial condition, boundary condition, etc. Reliability method measures the structural safety condition and determine the optimal design parameter combination based on the probabilistic theory. Reliability-based design optimization (RBDO) is the most commonly used approach to minimize the structural cost or other performance under uncertainty variables which combines the reliability theory and optimization. However, it cannot handle the various incomplete information. The Bayesian approach is utilized to incorporate this kind of incomplete information in its uncertainty quantification. In this paper, the RBDO approach and its integration with Bayesian method are introduced.

Space Station Freedom - Configuration management approach to supporting concurrent engineering and total quality management. [for NASA Space Station Freedom Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gavert, Raymond B.

1990-01-01

Some experiences of NASA configuration management in providing concurrent engineering support to the Space Station Freedom program for the achievement of life cycle benefits and total quality are discussed. Three change decision experiences involving tracing requirements and automated information systems of the electrical power system are described. The potential benefits of concurrent engineering and total quality management include improved operational effectiveness, reduced logistics and support requirements, prevention of schedule slippages, and life cycle cost savings. It is shown how configuration management can influence the benefits attained through disciplined approaches and innovations that compel consideration of all the technical elements of engineering and quality factors that apply to the program development, transition to operations and in operations. Configuration management experiences involving the Space Station program's tiered management structure, the work package contractors, international partners, and the participating NASA centers are discussed.

Turbomachinery Course

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stinson, Henry; Turner, James (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

In this viewgraph presentation, information and diagrams are provided on rocket engine turbopumps. These turbomachines are highly complex and have several unique features: (1) They are generally very high power density machines; (2) They experience high fluid dynamic loads; (3) They are exposed to severe thermal shocks in terms of rapid starts and stops and extremely high heat transfer coefficients; (4) They have stringent suction performance requirements to minimize tank weight; (5) Their working fluids significantly impact the design: oxidizers are generally explosive, they afford almost no lubrication for bearings and seals, some fuels can degrade material properties, cryogenics result in severe thermal gradients; (6) Their life requirements are short relative to other turbomachines in that there are hundreds of cycles and a few hours of operation for reusable systems. The design of rocket engine turbomachines is a systems engineering challenge because multiple engineering disciplines must be integrated to deal with issues pertaining to stress, structural dynamics, hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, thermodynamics, and materials and process selection.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 35: The use of computer networks in aerospace engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, Ann P.; Pinelli, Thomas E.

1995-01-01

This research used survey research to explore and describe the use of computer networks by aerospace engineers. The study population included 2000 randomly selected U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists who subscribed to Aerospace Engineering. A total of 950 usable questionnaires were received by the cutoff date of July 1994. Study results contribute to existing knowledge about both computer network use and the nature of engineering work and communication. We found that 74 percent of mail survey respondents personally used computer networks. Electronic mail, file transfer, and remote login were the most widely used applications. Networks were used less often than face-to-face interactions in performing work tasks, but about equally with reading and telephone conversations, and more often than mail or fax. Network use was associated with a range of technical, organizational, and personal factors: lack of compatibility across systems, cost, inadequate access and training, and unwillingness to embrace new technologies and modes of work appear to discourage network use. The greatest positive impacts from networking appear to be increases in the amount of accurate and timely information available, better exchange of ideas across organizational boundaries, and enhanced work flexibility, efficiency, and quality. Involvement with classified or proprietary data and type of organizational structure did not distinguish network users from nonusers. The findings can be used by people involved in the design and implementation of networks in engineering communities to inform the development of more effective networking systems, services, and policies.

Probabilistic Structural Analysis Methods for select space propulsion system components (PSAM). Volume 3: Literature surveys and technical reports

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

The technical effort and computer code developed during the first year are summarized. Several formulations for Probabilistic Finite Element Analysis (PFEA) are described with emphasis on the selected formulation. The strategies being implemented in the first-version computer code to perform linear, elastic PFEA is described. The results of a series of select Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) component surveys are presented. These results identify the critical components and provide the information necessary for probabilistic structural analysis.

SINGER: A Computer Code for General Analysis of Two-Dimensional Reinforced Concrete Structures. Volume 1. Solution Process

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-05-01

Conference on Earthquake Engineering, Santiago de Chile, 13-18 January 1969, Vol. I , Session B2, Chilean Association oil Seismology and Earth- quake...Nuclear Agency May 1975 DISTRIBUTED BY: KJ National Technical Information Service U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ^804J AFWL-TR-74-228, Vol. I ...CM o / i ’•fu.r ) V V AFWL-TR- 74-228 Vol. I SINGER: A COMPUTER CODE FOR GENERAL ANALYSIS OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL CONCRETE STRUCTURES Volum« I

Addition of flexible body option to the TOLA computer program. Part 2: User and programmer documentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dick, J. W.; Benda, B. J.

1975-01-01

User and programmer oriented documentation for the flexible body option of the Takeoff and Landing Analysis (TOLA) computer program are provided. The user information provides sufficient knowledge of the development and use of the option to enable the engineering user to successfully operate the modified program and understand the results. The programmer's information describes the option structure and logic enabling a programmer to make major revisions to this part of the TOLA computer program.

What Engineering Sophomores Know and Would Like to Know about Engineering Information Sources and Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ercegovac, Zorana

2009-01-01

This exploratory study reports on what engineering undergraduate students know and would like to learn about engineering information sources and access. Responses were obtained on selected performance measures within the framework of "Information Literacy Standards for Science and Engineering/Technology" (ACRL/ALA/STS 2006). The results are based…

Adjoint-tomography for a Local Surface Structure: Methodology and a Blind Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kubina, Filip; Michlik, Filip; Moczo, Peter; Kristek, Jozef; Stripajova, Svetlana

2017-04-01

We have developed a multiscale full-waveform adjoint-tomography method for local surface sedimentary structures with complicated interference wavefields. The local surface sedimentary basins and valleys are often responsible for anomalous earthquake ground motions and corresponding damage in earthquakes. In many cases only relatively small number of records of a few local earthquakes is available for a site of interest. Consequently, prediction of earthquake ground motion at the site has to include numerical modeling for a realistic model of the local structure. Though limited, the information about the local structure encoded in the records is important and irreplaceable. It is therefore reasonable to have a method capable of using the limited information in records for improving a model of the local structure. A local surface structure and its interference wavefield require a specific multiscale approach. In order to verify our inversion method, we performed a blind test. We obtained synthetic seismograms at 8 receivers for 2 local sources, complete description of the sources, positions of the receivers and material parameters of the bedrock. We considered the simplest possible starting model - a homogeneous halfspace made of the bedrock. Using our inversion method we obtained an inverted model. Given the starting model, synthetic seismograms simulated for the inverted model are surprisingly close to the synthetic seismograms simulated for the true structure in the target frequency range up to 4.5 Hz. We quantify the level of agreement between the true and inverted seismograms using the L2 and time-frequency misfits, and, more importantly for earthquake-engineering applications, also using the goodness-of-fit criteria based on the earthquake-engineering characteristics of earthquake ground motion. We also verified the inverted model for other source-receiver configurations not used in the inversion.

Information use skills in the engineering programme accreditation criteria of four countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradley, Cara

2014-01-01

The need for twenty-first century information skills in engineering practice, combined with the importance for engineering programmes to meet accreditation requirements, suggests that it may be worthwhile to explore the potential for closer alignment between librarians and their work with information literacy competencies to assist in meeting accreditation standards and graduating students with high-level information skills. This article explores whether and how information use skills are reflected in engineering programme accreditation standards of four countries: Canada, the USA, the UK, and Australia. Results indicate that there is significant overlap between the information use skills required of students by engineering accreditation processes and librarians' efforts to develop information literacy competencies in students, despite differences in terms used to describe these skills. Increased collaboration between engineering faculty and librarians has the potential to raise student information literacy levels and fulfil the information use-related requirements of accreditation processes.

An object-oriented, technology-adaptive information model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anyiwo, Joshua C.

1995-01-01

The primary objective was to develop a computer information system for effectively presenting NASA's technologies to American industries, for appropriate commercialization. To this end a comprehensive information management model, applicable to a wide variety of situations, and immune to computer software/hardware technological gyrations, was developed. The model consists of four main elements: a DATA_STORE, a data PRODUCER/UPDATER_CLIENT and a data PRESENTATION_CLIENT, anchored to a central object-oriented SERVER engine. This server engine facilitates exchanges among the other model elements and safeguards the integrity of the DATA_STORE element. It is designed to support new technologies, as they become available, such as Object Linking and Embedding (OLE), on-demand audio-video data streaming with compression (such as is required for video conferencing), Worldwide Web (WWW) and other information services and browsing, fax-back data requests, presentation of information on CD-ROM, and regular in-house database management, regardless of the data model in place. The four components of this information model interact through a system of intelligent message agents which are customized to specific information exchange needs. This model is at the leading edge of modern information management models. It is independent of technological changes and can be implemented in a variety of ways to meet the specific needs of any communications situation. This summer a partial implementation of the model has been achieved. The structure of the DATA_STORE has been fully specified and successfully tested using Microsoft's FoxPro 2.6 database management system. Data PRODUCER/UPDATER and PRESENTATION architectures have been developed and also successfully implemented in FoxPro; and work has started on a full implementation of the SERVER engine. The model has also been successfully applied to a CD-ROM presentation of NASA's technologies in support of Langley Research Center's TAG efforts.

Investigating the capabilities of semantic enrichment of 3D CityEngine data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solou, Dimitra; Dimopoulou, Efi

2016-08-01

In recent years the development of technology and the lifting of several technical limitations, has brought the third dimension to the fore. The complexity of urban environments and the strong need for land administration, intensify the need of using a three-dimensional cadastral system. Despite the progress in the field of geographic information systems and 3D modeling techniques, there is no fully digital 3D cadastre. The existing geographic information systems and the different methods of three-dimensional modeling allow for better management, visualization and dissemination of information. Nevertheless, these opportunities cannot be totally exploited because of deficiencies in standardization and interoperability in these systems. Within this context, CityGML was developed as an international standard of the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) for 3D city models' representation and exchange. CityGML defines geometry and topology for city modeling, also focusing on semantic aspects of 3D city information. The scope of CityGML is to reach common terminology, also addressing the imperative need for interoperability and data integration, taking into account the number of available geographic information systems and modeling techniques. The aim of this paper is to develop an application for managing semantic information of a model generated based on procedural modeling. The model was initially implemented in CityEngine ESRI's software, and then imported to ArcGIS environment. Final goal was the original model's semantic enrichment and then its conversion to CityGML format. Semantic information management and interoperability seemed to be feasible by the use of the 3DCities Project ESRI tools, since its database structure ensures adding semantic information to the CityEngine model and therefore automatically convert to CityGML for advanced analysis and visualization in different application areas.

How electrostatic networks modulate specificity and stability of collagen.

PubMed

Zheng, Hongning; Lu, Cheng; Lan, Jun; Fan, Shilong; Nanda, Vikas; Xu, Fei

2018-06-12

One-quarter of the 28 types of natural collagen exist as heterotrimers. The oligomerization state of collagen affects the structure and mechanics of the extracellular matrix, providing essential cues to modulate biological and pathological processes. A lack of high-resolution structural information limits our mechanistic understanding of collagen heterospecific self-assembly. Here, the 1.77-Å resolution structure of a synthetic heterotrimer demonstrates the balance of intermolecular electrostatics and hydrogen bonding that affects collagen stability and heterospecificity of assembly. Atomistic simulations and mutagenesis based on the solved structure are used to explore the contributions of specific interactions to energetics. A predictive model of collagen stability and specificity is developed for engineering novel collagen structures.

Software for Collaborative Engineering of Launch Rockets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stanley, Thomas Troy

2003-01-01

The Rocket Evaluation and Cost Integration for Propulsion and Engineering software enables collaborative computing with automated exchange of information in the design and analysis of launch rockets and other complex systems. RECIPE can interact with and incorporate a variety of programs, including legacy codes, that model aspects of a system from the perspectives of different technological disciplines (e.g., aerodynamics, structures, propulsion, trajectory, aeroheating, controls, and operations) and that are used by different engineers on different computers running different operating systems. RECIPE consists mainly of (1) ISCRM a file-transfer subprogram that makes it possible for legacy codes executed in their original operating systems on their original computers to exchange data and (2) CONES an easy-to-use filewrapper subprogram that enables the integration of legacy codes. RECIPE provides a tightly integrated conceptual framework that emphasizes connectivity among the programs used by the collaborators, linking these programs in a manner that provides some configuration control while facilitating collaborative engineering tradeoff studies, including design to cost studies. In comparison with prior collaborative-engineering schemes, one based on the use of RECIPE enables fewer engineers to do more in less time.

An improved approach for flight readiness certification: Methodology for failure risk assessment and application examples. Volume 3: Structure and listing of programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, N. R.; Ebbeler, D. H.; Newlin, L. E.; Sutharshana, S.; Creager, M.

1992-01-01

An improved methodology for quantitatively evaluating failure risk of spaceflight systems to assess flight readiness and identify risk control measures is presented. This methodology, called Probabilistic Failure Assessment (PFA), combines operating experience from tests and flights with engineering analysis to estimate failure risk. The PFA methodology is of particular value when information on which to base an assessment of failure risk, including test experience and knowledge of parameters used in engineering analyses of failure phenomena, is expensive or difficult to acquire. The PFA methodology is a prescribed statistical structure in which engineering analysis models that characterize failure phenomena are used conjointly with uncertainties about analysis parameters and/or modeling accuracy to estimate failure probability distributions for specific failure modes. These distributions can then be modified, by means of statistical procedures of the PFA methodology, to reflect any test or flight experience. Conventional engineering analysis models currently employed for design of failure prediction are used in this methodology. The PFA methodology is described and examples of its application are presented. Conventional approaches to failure risk evaluation for spaceflight systems are discussed, and the rationale for the approach taken in the PFA methodology is presented. The statistical methods, engineering models, and computer software used in fatigue failure mode applications are thoroughly documented.

Insights from molecular dynamics simulations for computational protein design.

PubMed

Childers, Matthew Carter; Daggett, Valerie

2017-02-01

A grand challenge in the field of structural biology is to design and engineer proteins that exhibit targeted functions. Although much success on this front has been achieved, design success rates remain low, an ever-present reminder of our limited understanding of the relationship between amino acid sequences and the structures they adopt. In addition to experimental techniques and rational design strategies, computational methods have been employed to aid in the design and engineering of proteins. Molecular dynamics (MD) is one such method that simulates the motions of proteins according to classical dynamics. Here, we review how insights into protein dynamics derived from MD simulations have influenced the design of proteins. One of the greatest strengths of MD is its capacity to reveal information beyond what is available in the static structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank. In this regard simulations can be used to directly guide protein design by providing atomistic details of the dynamic molecular interactions contributing to protein stability and function. MD simulations can also be used as a virtual screening tool to rank, select, identify, and assess potential designs. MD is uniquely poised to inform protein design efforts where the application requires realistic models of protein dynamics and atomic level descriptions of the relationship between dynamics and function. Here, we review cases where MD simulations was used to modulate protein stability and protein function by providing information regarding the conformation(s), conformational transitions, interactions, and dynamics that govern stability and function. In addition, we discuss cases where conformations from protein folding/unfolding simulations have been exploited for protein design, yielding novel outcomes that could not be obtained from static structures.

Insights from molecular dynamics simulations for computational protein design

PubMed Central

Childers, Matthew Carter; Daggett, Valerie

2017-01-01

A grand challenge in the field of structural biology is to design and engineer proteins that exhibit targeted functions. Although much success on this front has been achieved, design success rates remain low, an ever-present reminder of our limited understanding of the relationship between amino acid sequences and the structures they adopt. In addition to experimental techniques and rational design strategies, computational methods have been employed to aid in the design and engineering of proteins. Molecular dynamics (MD) is one such method that simulates the motions of proteins according to classical dynamics. Here, we review how insights into protein dynamics derived from MD simulations have influenced the design of proteins. One of the greatest strengths of MD is its capacity to reveal information beyond what is available in the static structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank. In this regard simulations can be used to directly guide protein design by providing atomistic details of the dynamic molecular interactions contributing to protein stability and function. MD simulations can also be used as a virtual screening tool to rank, select, identify, and assess potential designs. MD is uniquely poised to inform protein design efforts where the application requires realistic models of protein dynamics and atomic level descriptions of the relationship between dynamics and function. Here, we review cases where MD simulations was used to modulate protein stability and protein function by providing information regarding the conformation(s), conformational transitions, interactions, and dynamics that govern stability and function. In addition, we discuss cases where conformations from protein folding/unfolding simulations have been exploited for protein design, yielding novel outcomes that could not be obtained from static structures. PMID:28239489

An information driven strategy to support multidisciplinary design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rangan, Ravi M.; Fulton, Robert E.

1990-01-01

The design of complex engineering systems such as aircraft, automobiles, and computers is primarily a cooperative multidisciplinary design process involving interactions between several design agents. The common thread underlying this multidisciplinary design activity is the information exchange between the various groups and disciplines. The integrating component in such environments is the common data and the dependencies that exist between such data. This may be contrasted to classical multidisciplinary analyses problems where there is coupling between distinct design parameters. For example, they may be expressed as mathematically coupled relationships between aerodynamic and structural interactions in aircraft structures, between thermal and structural interactions in nuclear plants, and between control considerations and structural interactions in flexible robots. These relationships provide analytical based frameworks leading to optimization problem formulations. However, in multidisciplinary design problems, information based interactions become more critical. Many times, the relationships between different design parameters are not amenable to analytical characterization. Under such circumstances, information based interactions will provide the best integration paradigm, i.e., there is a need to model the data entities and their dependencies between design parameters originating from different design agents. The modeling of such data interactions and dependencies forms the basis for integrating the various design agents.

SGO: A fast engine for ab initio atomic structure global optimization by differential evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhanghui; Jia, Weile; Jiang, Xiangwei; Li, Shu-Shen; Wang, Lin-Wang

2017-10-01

As the high throughout calculations and material genome approaches become more and more popular in material science, the search for optimal ways to predict atomic global minimum structure is a high research priority. This paper presents a fast method for global search of atomic structures at ab initio level. The structures global optimization (SGO) engine consists of a high-efficiency differential evolution algorithm, accelerated local relaxation methods and a plane-wave density functional theory code running on GPU machines. The purpose is to show what can be achieved by combining the superior algorithms at the different levels of the searching scheme. SGO can search the global-minimum configurations of crystals, two-dimensional materials and quantum clusters without prior symmetry restriction in a relatively short time (half or several hours for systems with less than 25 atoms), thus making such a task a routine calculation. Comparisons with other existing methods such as minima hopping and genetic algorithm are provided. One motivation of our study is to investigate the properties of magnetic systems in different phases. The SGO engine is capable of surveying the local minima surrounding the global minimum, which provides the information for the overall energy landscape of a given system. Using this capability we have found several new configurations for testing systems, explored their energy landscape, and demonstrated that the magnetic moment of metal clusters fluctuates strongly in different local minima.

77 FR 43076 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Information Collection; Value Engineering Requirements

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-23

...; Information Collection; Value Engineering Requirements AGENCIES: Department of Defense (DOD), General Services... collection requirement concerning Value Engineering Requirements. Public comments are particularly invited on... Information Collection 9000- 0027, Value Engineering Requirements, by any of the following methods...

Rational Protein Engineering Guided by Deep Mutational Scanning

PubMed Central

Shin, HyeonSeok; Cho, Byung-Kwan

2015-01-01

Sequence–function relationship in a protein is commonly determined by the three-dimensional protein structure followed by various biochemical experiments. However, with the explosive increase in the number of genome sequences, facilitated by recent advances in sequencing technology, the gap between protein sequences available and three-dimensional structures is rapidly widening. A recently developed method termed deep mutational scanning explores the functional phenotype of thousands of mutants via massive sequencing. Coupled with a highly efficient screening system, this approach assesses the phenotypic changes made by the substitution of each amino acid sequence that constitutes a protein. Such an informational resource provides the functional role of each amino acid sequence, thereby providing sufficient rationale for selecting target residues for protein engineering. Here, we discuss the current applications of deep mutational scanning and consider experimental design. PMID:26404267

Opportunities in Civil Engineering. [VGM Career Horizons Series].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hagerty, D. Joseph; Heer, John E., Jr.

This book presents information on career opportunities in civil engineering. Chapter 1 focuses on the scope of civil engineering, discussing: role of scientist, engineer, and technologists; engineering and engineering technology; civil engineer's role and obligations; and other information. Chapter 2 considers such aspects of the education for…

Augmenting Oracle Text with the UMLS for enhanced searching of free-text medical reports.

PubMed

Ding, Jing; Erdal, Selnur; Dhaval, Rakesh; Kamal, Jyoti

2007-10-11

The intrinsic complexity of free-text medical reports imposes great challenges for information retrieval systems. We have developed a prototype search engine for retrieving clinical reports that leverages the powerful indexing and querying capabilities of Oracle Text, and the rich biomedical domain knowledge and semantic structures that are captured in the UMLS Metathesaurus.

Users' Perceptions of the Web As Revealed by Transaction Log Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moukdad, Haidar; Large, Andrew

2001-01-01

Describes the results of a transaction log analysis of a Web search engine, WebCrawler, to analyze user's queries for information retrieval. Results suggest most users do not employ advanced search features, and the linguistic structure often resembles a human-human communication model that is not always successful in human-computer communication.…

Experience of Technical Disciplines Remote Training at the St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glukhikh, Vladimir Nikolaevich; Norina, Natalia Vladimirovna

2016-01-01

This paper reveals the main trends and characteristics of the use of multimedia means in distance learning of technical subjects at graduate schools; analyses the peculiarities of presentation and perception of information in multimedia environment; and studies genre and topic structure of multimedia means used for distance learning. The author…

Structural Engineering. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This curriculum guide provides technology learning activities designed to prepare students in grades 6-10 to work in the world of the future. The 8-day course provides exploratory, hands-on learning activities and information that can enhance the education of students of all types in an integrated curriculum that provides practical applications of…

Space Shuttle main engine powerhead structural modeling, stress and fatigue life analysis. Volume 2: Dynamics of blades and nozzles SSME HPFTP and HPOTP

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammett, J. C.; Hayes, C. H.; Price, J. M.; Robinson, J. K.; Teal, G. A.; Thomson, J. M.; Tilley, D. M.; Welch, C. T.

1983-01-01

Normal modes of the blades and nozzles of the HPFTP and HPOTP are defined and potential driving forces for the blades are identified. The computer models used in blade analyses are described, with results. Similar information is given for the nozzles.

Advances in structural monitoring with Global Positioning System technology: 1997-2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogaja, Clement; Li, Xiaojing; Rizos, Chris

2007-11-01

Over the last decade, users of the Global Positioning System (GPS) have developed the technology capable of meeting stringent requirements to study the dynamics of tall buildings, towers, and bridges during earthquakes, wind-induced deformation and traffic loading. Dynamic measurements of relative displacements of structures is currently possible using real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning techniques, now advanced to record typically at 10-20 Hz (or higher - e.g., 100 Hz) with an accuracy of ±1 cm horizontally and ±2 cm vertically. With further advances in the technology and improvements in sampling capability, it is possible to meet the needs of real-time displacement information for the structural engineering community. After a decade of great strides in proving the feasibility of the technology, focus is moving to sensor integration and operational systems. Several investigators are now routinely researching the integration of GPS with other sensors (accelerometers, fibre optics, pseudolites, etc.) to utilise the complementary benefits and overcome limitations of the individual systems. Examples of real-time operational systems exist to demonstrate the significance of GPS technology in measuring the dynamic behaviour of large engineering structures.

An experimentally-informed coarse-grained 3-site-per-nucleotide model of DNA: Structure, thermodynamics, and dynamics of hybridization

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

Hinckley, Daniel M.; Freeman, Gordon S.; Whitmer, Jonathan K.

2013-10-14

A new 3-Site-Per-Nucleotide coarse-grained model for DNA is presented. The model includes anisotropic potentials between bases involved in base stacking and base pair interactions that enable the description of relevant structural properties, including the major and minor grooves. In an improvement over available coarse-grained models, the correct persistence length is recovered for both ssDNA and dsDNA, allowing for simulation of non-canonical structures such as hairpins. DNA melting temperatures, measured for duplexes and hairpins by integrating over free energy surfaces generated using metadynamics simulations, are shown to be in quantitative agreement with experiment for a variety of sequences and conditions. Hybridizationmore » rate constants, calculated using forward-flux sampling, are also shown to be in good agreement with experiment. The coarse-grained model presented here is suitable for use in biological and engineering applications, including nucleosome positioning and DNA-templated engineering.« less

The future of bibliographic standards in a networked information environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The main mission of the CENDI Cataloging Working Group is to provide guidelines for cataloging practices that support the sharing of database records among the CENDI agencies, and that incorporate principles based on cost effectiveness and efficiency. Recent efforts include the extension of COSATI Guidelines for the Cataloging of Technical Reports to include non-print materials, and the mapping of each agency's export file structure to USMARC. Of primary importance is the impact of electronic documents and the distributed nature of the networked information environment. Topics discussed during the workshop include the following: Trade-offs in Cataloging and Indexing Internet Information; The Impact on Current and Future Standards; A Look at WWW Metadata Initiatives; Standards for Electronic Journals; The Present and Future Search Engines; The Roles for Text Analysis Software; Advanced Search Engine Meets Metathesaurus; Locator Schemes for Internet Resources; Identifying and Cataloging Web Document Types; In Search of a New Bibliographic Record. The videos in this set include viewgraphs of charts and related materials of the workshop.

Engineering and manipulating exciton wave packets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zang, Xiaoning; Montangero, Simone; Carr, Lincoln D.; Lusk, Mark T.

2017-05-01

When a semiconductor absorbs light, the resulting electron-hole superposition amounts to a uncontrolled quantum ripple that eventually degenerates into diffusion. If the conformation of these excitonic superpositions could be engineered, though, they would constitute a new means of transporting information and energy. We show that properly designed laser pulses can be used to create such excitonic wave packets. They can be formed with a prescribed speed, direction, and spectral make-up that allows them to be selectively passed, rejected, or even dissociated using superlattices. Their coherence also provides a handle for manipulation using active, external controls. Energy and information can be conveniently processed and subsequently removed at a distant site by reversing the original procedure to produce a stimulated emission. The ability to create, manage, and remove structured excitons comprises the foundation for optoexcitonic circuits with application to a wide range of quantum information, energy, and light-flow technologies. The paradigm is demonstrated using both tight-binding and time-domain density functional theory simulations.

Lossless Brownian Information Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paneru, Govind; Lee, Dong Yun; Tlusty, Tsvi; Pak, Hyuk Kyu

2018-01-01

We report on a lossless information engine that converts nearly all available information from an error-free feedback protocol into mechanical work. Combining high-precision detection at a resolution of 1 nm with ultrafast feedback control, the engine is tuned to extract the maximum work from information on the position of a Brownian particle. We show that the work produced by the engine achieves a bound set by a generalized second law of thermodynamics, demonstrating for the first time the sharpness of this bound. We validate a generalized Jarzynski equality for error-free feedback-controlled information engines.

Lossless Brownian Information Engine.

PubMed

Paneru, Govind; Lee, Dong Yun; Tlusty, Tsvi; Pak, Hyuk Kyu

2018-01-12

We report on a lossless information engine that converts nearly all available information from an error-free feedback protocol into mechanical work. Combining high-precision detection at a resolution of 1 nm with ultrafast feedback control, the engine is tuned to extract the maximum work from information on the position of a Brownian particle. We show that the work produced by the engine achieves a bound set by a generalized second law of thermodynamics, demonstrating for the first time the sharpness of this bound. We validate a generalized Jarzynski equality for error-free feedback-controlled information engines.

Assessment of highway pavements using GPR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plati, Christina; Loizos, Andreas

2015-04-01

Highway infrastructure is a prerequisite for a functioning economy and social life. Highways, often prone to congestion and disruption, are one of the aspects of a modern transport network that require maximum efficiency if an integrated transport network, and sustainable mobility, is to be achieved. Assessing the condition of highway structures, to plan subsequent maintenance, is essential to allow the long-term functioning of a road network. Optimizing the methods used for such assessment will lead to better information being obtained about the road and underlying ground conditions. The condition of highway structures will be affected by a number of factors, including the properties of the highway pavement, the supporting sub-base and the subgrade (natural ground), and the ability to obtain good information about the entire road structure, from pavement to subgrade, allows appropriate maintenance programs to be planned. The maintenance of highway pavements causes considerable cost and in many cases obstruction to traffic flow. In this situation, methods that provide information on the present condition of pavement structure non-destructively and economically are of great interest. It has been shown that Ground-Penetrating-Radar (GPR), which is a Non Destructive Technique (NDT), can deliver information that is useful for the planning of pavement maintenance activities. More specifically GPR is used by pavement engineers in order to determine physical properties and characteristics of the pavement structure, information that is valuable for the assessment of pavement condition. This work gives an overview on the practical application of GPR using examples from highway asphalt pavements monitoring. The presented individual applications of GPR pavement diagnostics concern structure homogeneity, thickness of pavement layers, dielectric properties of asphalt materials etc. It is worthwhile mentioning that a number of applications are standard procedures, either separately or in combination with other NDT methods, but even for them there is still a room for improvement and there is still need to set stricter regulations Comparisons between radar results and ground truth data produce evidence in support of the statement that the accuracy and reliability of radar results is sufficient for facing many issues related to the evaluation of asphalt pavements. Thus, benefits and limits of this method are shown and recommendations for GPR inspections are presented. Acknowledgments: This work benefited from networking activities carried out within the EU funded COST Action TU1208 "Civil Engineering Applications of Ground Penetrating Radar."

Engineering Review Information System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grems, III, Edward G. (Inventor); Henze, James E. (Inventor); Bixby, Jonathan A. (Inventor); Roberts, Mark (Inventor); Mann, Thomas (Inventor)

2015-01-01

A disciplinal engineering review computer information system and method by defining a database of disciplinal engineering review process entities for an enterprise engineering program, opening a computer supported engineering item based upon the defined disciplinal engineering review process entities, managing a review of the opened engineering item according to the defined disciplinal engineering review process entities, and closing the opened engineering item according to the opened engineering item review.

Multi-source and ontology-based retrieval engine for maize mutant phenotypes

PubMed Central

Green, Jason M.; Harnsomburana, Jaturon; Schaeffer, Mary L.; Lawrence, Carolyn J.; Shyu, Chi-Ren

2011-01-01

Model Organism Databases, including the various plant genome databases, collect and enable access to massive amounts of heterogeneous information, including sequence data, gene product information, images of mutant phenotypes, etc, as well as textual descriptions of many of these entities. While a variety of basic browsing and search capabilities are available to allow researchers to query and peruse the names and attributes of phenotypic data, next-generation search mechanisms that allow querying and ranking of text descriptions are much less common. In addition, the plant community needs an innovative way to leverage the existing links in these databases to search groups of text descriptions simultaneously. Furthermore, though much time and effort have been afforded to the development of plant-related ontologies, the knowledge embedded in these ontologies remains largely unused in available plant search mechanisms. Addressing these issues, we have developed a unique search engine for mutant phenotypes from MaizeGDB. This advanced search mechanism integrates various text description sources in MaizeGDB to aid a user in retrieving desired mutant phenotype information. Currently, descriptions of mutant phenotypes, loci and gene products are utilized collectively for each search, though expansion of the search mechanism to include other sources is straightforward. The retrieval engine, to our knowledge, is the first engine to exploit the content and structure of available domain ontologies, currently the Plant and Gene Ontologies, to expand and enrich retrieval results in major plant genomic databases. Database URL: http:www.PhenomicsWorld.org/QBTA.php PMID:21558151

Career Goals and Decisions: An Intersectionality Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bardon, Emma

This project explores the career paths to date of seven graduates of the University of Waterloo's Mechanical Engineering program, and examines the influences that led them to choose their university program. I particularly considered the participants' status as members of underrepresented or overrepresented groups, using the contexts of the history of the profession of Mechanical Engineering and prior research on underrepresentation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics fields. I used semi-structured interviews and an intersectionality framework to investigate aspects of identity, interests, and career influences. I found three key themes among the participants: human influences, including information sources, role models, and mentors; influences of educational and outreach activities; and personal interests and aptitudes. I use the uncovered themes to recommend a combination of future studies and outreach programs.

From Geometry to Diagnosis: Experiences of Geomatics in Structural Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riveiro, B.; Arias, P.; Armesto, J.; Caamaño, J. C.; Solla, M.

2012-07-01

Terrestrial photogrammetry and laser scanning are technologies that have been successfully used for metric surveying and 3D modelling in many different fields (archaeological and architectural documentation, industrial retrofitting, mining, structural monitoring, road surveying, etc.). In the case of structural applications, these techniques have been successfully applied to 3D modelling and sometimes monitoring; but they have not been sufficiently implemented to date, as routine tools in infrastructure management systems, in terms of automation of data processing and integration in the condition assessment procedures. In this context, this paper presents a series of experiences in the usage of terrestrial photogrammetry and laser scanning in the context of dimensional and structural evaluation of structures. These experiences are particularly focused on historical masonry structures, but modern prestressed concrete bridges are also investigated. The development of methodological procedures for data collection, and data integration in some cases, is tackled for each particular structure (with access limitations, geometrical configuration, range of measurement, etc.). The accurate geometrical information provided by both terrestrial techniques motivates the implementation of such results in the complex, and sometimes slightly approximated, geometric scene that is frequently used in structural analysis. In this sense, quantitative evaluating of the influence of real and accurate geometry in structural analysis results must be carried out. As main result in this paper, a series of experiences based on the usage of photogrammetric and laser scanning to structural engineering are presented.

Structural considerations for solar installers : an approach for small, simplified solar installations or retrofits.

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

Richards, Elizabeth H.; Schindel, Kay; Bosiljevac, Tom

2011-12-01

Structural Considerations for Solar Installers provides a comprehensive outline of structural considerations associated with simplified solar installations and recommends a set of best practices installers can follow when assessing such considerations. Information in the manual comes from engineering and solar experts as well as case studies. The objectives of the manual are to ensure safety and structural durability for rooftop solar installations and to potentially accelerate the permitting process by identifying and remedying structural issues prior to installation. The purpose of this document is to provide tools and guidelines for installers to help ensure that residential photovoltaic (PV) power systemsmore » are properly specified and installed with respect to the continuing structural integrity of the building.« less

Integrated analysis of engine structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, C. C.

1981-01-01

The need for light, durable, fuel efficient, cost effective aircraft requires the development of engine structures which are flexible, made from advaced materials (including composites), resist higher temperatures, maintain tighter clearances and have lower maintenance costs. The formal quantification of any or several of these requires integrated computer programs (multilevel and/or interdisciplinary analysis programs interconnected) for engine structural analysis/design. Several integrated analysis computer prorams are under development at Lewis Reseach Center. These programs include: (1) COBSTRAN-Composite Blade Structural Analysis, (2) CODSTRAN-Composite Durability Structural Analysis, (3) CISTRAN-Composite Impact Structural Analysis, (4) STAEBL-StruTailoring of Engine Blades, and (5) ESMOSS-Engine Structures Modeling Software System. Three other related programs, developed under Lewis sponsorship, are described.

MORE: mixed optimization for reverse engineering--an application to modeling biological networks response via sparse systems of nonlinear differential equations.

PubMed

Sambo, Francesco; de Oca, Marco A Montes; Di Camillo, Barbara; Toffolo, Gianna; Stützle, Thomas

2012-01-01

Reverse engineering is the problem of inferring the structure of a network of interactions between biological variables from a set of observations. In this paper, we propose an optimization algorithm, called MORE, for the reverse engineering of biological networks from time series data. The model inferred by MORE is a sparse system of nonlinear differential equations, complex enough to realistically describe the dynamics of a biological system. MORE tackles separately the discrete component of the problem, the determination of the biological network topology, and the continuous component of the problem, the strength of the interactions. This approach allows us both to enforce system sparsity, by globally constraining the number of edges, and to integrate a priori information about the structure of the underlying interaction network. Experimental results on simulated and real-world networks show that the mixed discrete/continuous optimization approach of MORE significantly outperforms standard continuous optimization and that MORE is competitive with the state of the art in terms of accuracy of the inferred networks.

Natural photosystems from an engineer's perspective: length, time, and energy scales of charge and energy transfer.

PubMed

Noy, Dror

2008-01-01

The vast structural and functional information database of photosynthetic enzymes includes, in addition to detailed kinetic records from decades of research on physical processes and chemical reaction-pathways, a variety of high and medium resolution crystal structures of key photosynthetic enzymes. Here, it is examined from an engineer's point of view with the long-term goal of reproducing the key features of natural photosystems in novel biological and non-biological solar-energy conversion systems. This survey reveals that the basic physics of the transfer processes, namely, the time constraints imposed by the rates of incoming photon flux and the various decay processes allow for a large degree of tolerance in the engineering parameters. Furthermore, the requirements to guarantee energy and electron transfer rates that yield high efficiency in natural photosystems are largely met by control of distance between chromophores and redox cofactors. This underlines a critical challenge for projected de novo designed constructions, that is, the control of spatial organization of cofactor molecules within dense array of different cofactors, some well within 1 nm from each other.

46 CFR 11.505 - Engineer officer structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Engineer officer structure. 11.505 Section 11.505 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MERCHANT MARINE OFFICERS AND SEAMEN REQUIREMENTS FOR OFFICER ENDORSEMENTS Professional Requirements for Engineer Officer § 11.505 Engineer officer structure...

46 CFR 11.505 - Engineer officer structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Engineer officer structure. 11.505 Section 11.505 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MERCHANT MARINE OFFICERS AND SEAMEN REQUIREMENTS FOR OFFICER ENDORSEMENTS Professional Requirements for Engineer Officer § 11.505 Engineer officer structure...

46 CFR 11.505 - Engineer officer structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Engineer officer structure. 11.505 Section 11.505 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MERCHANT MARINE OFFICERS AND SEAMEN REQUIREMENTS FOR OFFICER ENDORSEMENTS Professional Requirements for Engineer Officer § 11.505 Engineer officer structure...

46 CFR 11.505 - Engineer officer structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Engineer officer structure. 11.505 Section 11.505 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY MERCHANT MARINE OFFICERS AND SEAMEN REQUIREMENTS FOR OFFICER ENDORSEMENTS Professional Requirements for Engineer Officer § 11.505 Engineer officer structure...

Engineering Information Infrastructure for Product Lifecycle Managment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimura, Fumihiko

For proper management of total product life cycle, it is fundamentally important to systematize design and engineering information about product systems. For example, maintenance operation could be more efficiently performed, if appropriate parts design information is available at the maintenance site. Such information shall be available as an information infrastructure for various kinds of engineering operations, and it should be easily accessible during the whole product life cycle, such as transportation, marketing, usage, repair/upgrade, take-back and recycling/disposal. Different from the traditional engineering database, life cycle support information has several characteristic requirements, such as flexible extensibility, distributed architecture, multiple viewpoints, long-time archiving, and product usage information, etc. Basic approaches for managing engineering information infrastructure are investigated, and various information contents and associated life cycle applications are discussed.

Quality of Online Resources for Pancreatic Cancer Patients.

PubMed

De Groot, Lauren; Harris, Ilene; Regehr, Glenn; Tekian, Ara; Ingledew, Paris-Ann

2017-10-18

The Internet is increasingly a source of information for pancreatic cancer patients. This disease is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage; therefore, timely access to high-quality information is critical. Our purpose is to systematically evaluate the information available to pancreatic cancer patients on the internet. An internet search using the term "pancreatic cancer" was performed, with the meta-search engines "Dogpile", "Yippy" and "Google". The top 100 websites returned by the search engines were evaluated using a validated structured rating tool. Inter-rater reliability was evaluated using kappa statistics and results were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Amongst the 100 websites evaluated, etiology/risk factors and symptoms were the most accurately covered (70 and 67% of websites). Prevention, treatment and prognosis were the least accurate sections (55, 55 and 43% of websites). Prevention and prognosis were also the least likely to be covered with 63 and 51 websites covering these, respectively. Only 40% of websites identified an author. Twenty-two percent of websites were at a university reading level. The majority of online information is accurate but incomplete. Websites may lack information on prognosis. Many websites are outdated and lacked author information, and readability levels are inappropriate. This knowledge can inform the dialogue between healthcare providers and patients.

Dynamics of traffic flow with real-time traffic information

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokoya, Yasushi

2004-01-01

We studied dynamics of traffic flow with real-time information provided. Provision of the real-time traffic information based on advancements in telecommunication technology is expected to facilitate the efficient utilization of available road capacity. This system has a potentiality of not only engineering for road usage but also the science of complexity series. In the system, the information plays a role of feedback connecting microscopic and macroscopic phenomena beyond the hierarchical structure of statistical physics. In this paper, we tried to clarify how the information works in a network of traffic flow from the perspective of statistical physics. The dynamical feature of the traffic flow is abstracted by a contrastive study between the nonequilibrium statistical physics and a computer simulation based on cellular automaton. We found that the information disrupts the local equilibrium of traffic flow by a characteristic dissipation process due to interaction between the information and individual vehicles. The dissipative structure was observed in the time evolution of traffic flow driven far from equilibrium as a consequence of the breakdown of the local-equilibrium hypothesis.

Full-scale monitoring of wind and suspension bridge response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snæbjörnsson, J. T.; Jakobsen, J. B.; Cheynet, E.; Wang, J.

2017-12-01

Monitoring of real structures is important for many reasons. For structures susceptible to environmental actions, full-scale observations can provide valuable information about the environmental conditions at the site, as well as the characteristics of the excitation acting on the structure. The recorded data, if properly analyzed, can be used to validate and/or update experiments and models used in the design of new structures, such as the load description and modelling of the structural response. Various aspects of full-scale monitoring are discussed in the paper and the full-scale wind engineering laboratory at the Lysefjord suspension bridge introduced. The natural excitation of the bridge comes from wind and traffic. The surrounding terrain is complex and its effect on the wind flow can only be fully studied on site, in full-scale. The monitoring program and associated data analysis are described. These include various studies of the relevant turbulence characteristics, identification of dynamic properties and estimation of wind- and traffic-induced response parameters. The overall monitoring activity also included a novel application of the remote optical sensing in bridge engineering, which is found to have an important potential to complement traditional “single-point” wind observations by sonic anemometers.

An environmental decision framework applied to marine engine control technologies.

PubMed

Corbett, James J; Chapman, David

2006-06-01

This paper develops a decision framework for considering emission control technologies on marine engines, informed by standard decision theory, with an open structure that may be adapted by operators with specific vessel and technology attributes different from those provided here. Attributes relate objectives important to choosing control technologies with specific alternatives that may meet several of the objectives differently. The transparent framework enables multiple stakeholders to understand how different subjective judgments and varying attribute properties may result in different technology choices. Standard scoring techniques ensure that attributes are not biased by subjective scoring and that weights are the primary quantitative input where subjective preferences are exercised. An expected value decision structure is adopted that considers probabilities (likelihood) that a given alternative can meet its claims; alternative decision criteria are discussed. Capital and annual costs are combined using a net present value approach. An iterative approach is advocated that allows for screening and disqualifying alternatives that do not meet minimum conditions for acceptance, such as engine warranty or U.S. Coast Guard requirements. This decision framework assists vessel operators in considering explicitly important attributes and in representing choices clearly to other stakeholders concerned about reducing air pollution from vessels. This general decision structure may also be applied similarly to other environmental controls in marine applications.

Ordered nanoparticle arrays formed on engineered chaperonin protein templates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McMillan, R. Andrew; Paavola, Chad D.; Howard, Jeanie; Chan, Suzanne L.; Zaluzec, Nestor J.; Trent, Jonathan D.

2002-01-01

Traditional methods for fabricating nanoscale arrays are usually based on lithographic techniques. Alternative new approaches rely on the use of nanoscale templates made of synthetic or biological materials. Some proteins, for example, have been used to form ordered two-dimensional arrays. Here, we fabricated nanoscale ordered arrays of metal and semiconductor quantum dots by binding preformed nanoparticles onto crystalline protein templates made from genetically engineered hollow double-ring structures called chaperonins. Using structural information as a guide, a thermostable recombinant chaperonin subunit was modified to assemble into chaperonins with either 3 nm or 9 nm apical pores surrounded by chemically reactive thiols. These engineered chaperonins were crystallized into two-dimensional templates up to 20 microm in diameter. The periodic solvent-exposed thiols within these crystalline templates were used to size-selectively bind and organize either gold (1.4, 5 or 10nm) or CdSe-ZnS semiconductor (4.5 nm) quantum dots into arrays. The order within the arrays was defined by the lattice of the underlying protein crystal. By combining the self-assembling properties of chaperonins with mutations guided by structural modelling, we demonstrate that quantum dots can be manipulated using modified chaperonins and organized into arrays for use in next-generation electronic and photonic devices.

Information-seeking behavior of basic science researchers: implications for library services.

PubMed

Haines, Laura L; Light, Jeanene; O'Malley, Donna; Delwiche, Frances A

2010-01-01

This study examined the information-seeking behaviors of basic science researchers to inform the development of customized library services. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted on a sample of basic science researchers employed at a university medical school. The basic science researchers used a variety of information resources ranging from popular Internet search engines to highly technical databases. They generally relied on basic keyword searching, using the simplest interface of a database or search engine. They were highly collegial, interacting primarily with coworkers in their laboratories and colleagues employed at other institutions. They made little use of traditional library services and instead performed many traditional library functions internally. Although the basic science researchers expressed a positive attitude toward the library, they did not view its resources or services as integral to their work. To maximize their use by researchers, library resources must be accessible via departmental websites. Use of library services may be increased by cultivating relationships with key departmental administrative personnel. Despite their self-sufficiency, subjects expressed a desire for centralized information about ongoing research on campus and shared resources, suggesting a role for the library in creating and managing an institutional repository.

Information-seeking behavior of basic science researchers: implications for library services

PubMed Central

Haines, Laura L.; Light, Jeanene; O'Malley, Donna; Delwiche, Frances A.

2010-01-01

Objectives: This study examined the information-seeking behaviors of basic science researchers to inform the development of customized library services. Methods: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted on a sample of basic science researchers employed at a university medical school. Results: The basic science researchers used a variety of information resources ranging from popular Internet search engines to highly technical databases. They generally relied on basic keyword searching, using the simplest interface of a database or search engine. They were highly collegial, interacting primarily with coworkers in their laboratories and colleagues employed at other institutions. They made little use of traditional library services and instead performed many traditional library functions internally. Conclusions: Although the basic science researchers expressed a positive attitude toward the library, they did not view its resources or services as integral to their work. To maximize their use by researchers, library resources must be accessible via departmental websites. Use of library services may be increased by cultivating relationships with key departmental administrative personnel. Despite their self-sufficiency, subjects expressed a desire for centralized information about ongoing research on campus and shared resources, suggesting a role for the library in creating and managing an institutional repository. PMID:20098658

Informational Closed-Loop Coding-Decoding Control Concept as the Base of the Living or Organized Systems Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirvelis, Dobilas; Beitas, Kastytis

2008-10-01

The aim of this work is to show that the essence of life and living systems is their organization as bioinformational technology on the base of informational anticipatory control. Principal paradigmatic and structural schemes of functional organization of life (organisms and their systems) are constructed on the basis of systemic analysis and synthesis of main phenomenological features of living world. Life is based on functional elements that implement engineering procedures of closed-loop coding-decoding control (CL-CDC). Phenomenon of natural bioinformational control appeared and developed on the Earth 3-4 bln years ago, when the life originated as a result of chemical and later biological evolution. Informatics paradigm considers the physical and chemical transformations of energy and matter in organized systems as flows that are controlled and the signals as means for purposive informational control programs. The social and technical technological systems as informational control systems are a latter phenomenon engineered by man. The information emerges in organized systems as a necessary component of control technology. Generalized schemes of functional organization on levels of cell, organism and brain neocortex, as the highest biosystem with CL-CDC, are presented. CL-CDC concept expands the understanding of bioinformatics.

Assessment of commercial NLP engines for medication information extraction from dictated clinical notes.

PubMed

Jagannathan, V; Mullett, Charles J; Arbogast, James G; Halbritter, Kevin A; Yellapragada, Deepthi; Regulapati, Sushmitha; Bandaru, Pavani

2009-04-01

We assessed the current state of commercial natural language processing (NLP) engines for their ability to extract medication information from textual clinical documents. Two thousand de-identified discharge summaries and family practice notes were submitted to four commercial NLP engines with the request to extract all medication information. The four sets of returned results were combined to create a comparison standard which was validated against a manual, physician-derived gold standard created from a subset of 100 reports. Once validated, the individual vendor results for medication names, strengths, route, and frequency were compared against this automated standard with precision, recall, and F measures calculated. Compared with the manual, physician-derived gold standard, the automated standard was successful at accurately capturing medication names (F measure=93.2%), but performed less well with strength (85.3%) and route (80.3%), and relatively poorly with dosing frequency (48.3%). Moderate variability was seen in the strengths of the four vendors. The vendors performed better with the structured discharge summaries than with the clinic notes in an analysis comparing the two document types. Although automated extraction may serve as the foundation for a manual review process, it is not ready to automate medication lists without human intervention.

Fiber-optic sensor applications in civil and geotechnical engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habel, Wolfgang R.; Krebber, Katerina

2011-09-01

Different types of fiber-optic sensors based on glass or polymeric fibers are used to evaluate material behavior or to monitor the integrity and long-term stability of load-bearing structure components. Fiber-optic sensors have been established as a new and innovative measurement technology in very different fields, such as material science, civil engineering, light-weight structures, geotechnical areas as well as chemical and high-voltage substations. Very often, mechanical quantities such as deformation, strain or vibration are requested. However, measurement of chemical quantities in materials and structure components, such as pH value in steel reinforced concrete members also provides information about the integrity of concrete structures. A special fiber-optic chemical sensor for monitoring the alkaline state (pH value) of the cementitious matrix in steel-reinforced concrete structures with the purpose of early detection of corrosion-initiating factors is described. The paper presents the use of several fiber-optic sensor technologies in engineering. One example concerns the use of highly resolving concrete-embeddable fiber Fabry-Perot acoustic emission (AE) sensors for the assessment of the bearing behaviour of large concrete piles in existing foundations or during and after its installation. Another example concerns fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors attached to anchor steels (micro piles) to measure the strain distribution in loaded soil anchors. Polymer optical fibers (POF) can be — because of their high elasticity and high ultimate strain — well integrated into textiles to monitor their deformation behaviour. Such "intelligent" textiles are capable of monitoring displacement of soil or slopes, critical mechanical deformation in geotechnical structures (dikes, dams, and embankments) as well as in masonry structures during and after earthquakes.

Gene Composer: database software for protein construct design, codon engineering, and gene synthesis

PubMed Central

Lorimer, Don; Raymond, Amy; Walchli, John; Mixon, Mark; Barrow, Adrienne; Wallace, Ellen; Grice, Rena; Burgin, Alex; Stewart, Lance

2009-01-01

Background To improve efficiency in high throughput protein structure determination, we have developed a database software package, Gene Composer, which facilitates the information-rich design of protein constructs and their codon engineered synthetic gene sequences. With its modular workflow design and numerous graphical user interfaces, Gene Composer enables researchers to perform all common bio-informatics steps used in modern structure guided protein engineering and synthetic gene engineering. Results An interactive Alignment Viewer allows the researcher to simultaneously visualize sequence conservation in the context of known protein secondary structure, ligand contacts, water contacts, crystal contacts, B-factors, solvent accessible area, residue property type and several other useful property views. The Construct Design Module enables the facile design of novel protein constructs with altered N- and C-termini, internal insertions or deletions, point mutations, and desired affinity tags. The modifications can be combined and permuted into multiple protein constructs, and then virtually cloned in silico into defined expression vectors. The Gene Design Module uses a protein-to-gene algorithm that automates the back-translation of a protein amino acid sequence into a codon engineered nucleic acid gene sequence according to a selected codon usage table with minimal codon usage threshold, defined G:C% content, and desired sequence features achieved through synonymous codon selection that is optimized for the intended expression system. The gene-to-oligo algorithm of the Gene Design Module plans out all of the required overlapping oligonucleotides and mutagenic primers needed to synthesize the desired gene constructs by PCR, and for physically cloning them into selected vectors by the most popular subcloning strategies. Conclusion We present a complete description of Gene Composer functionality, and an efficient PCR-based synthetic gene assembly procedure with mis-match specific endonuclease error correction in combination with PIPE cloning. In a sister manuscript we present data on how Gene Composer designed genes and protein constructs can result in improved protein production for structural studies. PMID:19383142

Gene composer: database software for protein construct design, codon engineering, and gene synthesis.

PubMed

Lorimer, Don; Raymond, Amy; Walchli, John; Mixon, Mark; Barrow, Adrienne; Wallace, Ellen; Grice, Rena; Burgin, Alex; Stewart, Lance

2009-04-21

To improve efficiency in high throughput protein structure determination, we have developed a database software package, Gene Composer, which facilitates the information-rich design of protein constructs and their codon engineered synthetic gene sequences. With its modular workflow design and numerous graphical user interfaces, Gene Composer enables researchers to perform all common bio-informatics steps used in modern structure guided protein engineering and synthetic gene engineering. An interactive Alignment Viewer allows the researcher to simultaneously visualize sequence conservation in the context of known protein secondary structure, ligand contacts, water contacts, crystal contacts, B-factors, solvent accessible area, residue property type and several other useful property views. The Construct Design Module enables the facile design of novel protein constructs with altered N- and C-termini, internal insertions or deletions, point mutations, and desired affinity tags. The modifications can be combined and permuted into multiple protein constructs, and then virtually cloned in silico into defined expression vectors. The Gene Design Module uses a protein-to-gene algorithm that automates the back-translation of a protein amino acid sequence into a codon engineered nucleic acid gene sequence according to a selected codon usage table with minimal codon usage threshold, defined G:C% content, and desired sequence features achieved through synonymous codon selection that is optimized for the intended expression system. The gene-to-oligo algorithm of the Gene Design Module plans out all of the required overlapping oligonucleotides and mutagenic primers needed to synthesize the desired gene constructs by PCR, and for physically cloning them into selected vectors by the most popular subcloning strategies. We present a complete description of Gene Composer functionality, and an efficient PCR-based synthetic gene assembly procedure with mis-match specific endonuclease error correction in combination with PIPE cloning. In a sister manuscript we present data on how Gene Composer designed genes and protein constructs can result in improved protein production for structural studies.

Searching the Internet for information on prostate cancer screening: an assessment of quality.

PubMed

Ilic, Dragan; Risbridger, Gail; Green, Sally

2004-07-01

To identify how on-line information relating to prostate cancer screening (PCS) is best sourced, whether through general, medical, or meta-search engines, and to assess the quality of that information. Websites providing information about PCS were searched across 15 search engines representing three distinct types: general, medical, and meta-search engines. The quality of on-line information was assessed using the DISCERN quality assessment tool. Quality performance characteristics were analyzed by performing Mann-Whitney U tests. Search engine efficiency was measured by each search query as a percentage of the relevant websites included for analysis from the total returned and analyzed by performing Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance. Of 6690 websites reviewed, 84 unique websites were identified as providing information relevant to PCS. General and meta-search engines were significantly more efficient at retrieving relevant information on PCS compared with medical search engines. The quality of information was variable, with most of a poor standard. Websites that provided referral links to other resources and a citation of evidence provided a significantly better quality of information. In contrast, websites offering a direct service were more likely to provide a significantly poorer quality of information. The current lack of a clear consensus on guidelines and recommendation in published data is also reflected by the variable quality of information found on-line. Specialized medical search engines were no more likely to retrieve relevant, high-quality information than general or meta-search engines.

78 FR 64209 - Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Engine...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-28

... Reports and Voluntary Emission Recall Reports (Renewal) AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA... request (ICR), Engine Emission Defect Information Reports and Voluntary Emission Recall Reports (EPA ICR... recall the engines. Engine manufacturers are required to submit Defect Information Reports (DIRs) if...

Information Integration for Concurrent Engineering (IICE) IDEF3 Process Description Capture Method Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-05-01

methodology, knowledge acquisition, 140 requirements definition, information systems, information engineering, 16. PRICE CODE systems engineering...and knowledge resources. Like manpower, materials, and machines, information and knowledge assets are recognized as vital resources that can be...evolve towards an information -integrated enterprise. These technologies are designed to leverage information and knowledge resources as the key

Dynamic estimator for determining operating conditions in an internal combustion engine

DOEpatents

Hellstrom, Erik; Stefanopoulou, Anna; Jiang, Li; Larimore, Jacob

2016-01-05

Methods and systems are provided for estimating engine performance information for a combustion cycle of an internal combustion engine. Estimated performance information for a previous combustion cycle is retrieved from memory. The estimated performance information includes an estimated value of at least one engine performance variable. Actuator settings applied to engine actuators are also received. The performance information for the current combustion cycle is then estimated based, at least in part, on the estimated performance information for the previous combustion cycle and the actuator settings applied during the previous combustion cycle. The estimated performance information for the current combustion cycle is then stored to the memory to be used in estimating performance information for a subsequent combustion cycle.

Heat Transfer Principles in Thermal Calculation of Structures in Fire

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chao; Usmani, Asif

2016-01-01

Structural fire engineering (SFE) is a relatively new interdisciplinary subject, which requires a comprehensive knowledge of heat transfer, fire dynamics and structural analysis. It is predominantly the community of structural engineers who currently carry out most of the structural fire engineering research and design work. The structural engineering curriculum in universities and colleges do not usually include courses in heat transfer and fire dynamics. In some institutions of higher education, there are graduate courses for fire resistant design which focus on the design approaches in codes. As a result, structural engineers who are responsible for structural fire safety and are competent to do their jobs by following the rules specified in prescriptive codes may find it difficult to move toward performance-based fire safety design which requires a deep understanding of both fire and heat. Fire safety engineers, on the other hand, are usually focused on fire development and smoke control, and may not be familiar with the heat transfer principles used in structural fire analysis, or structural failure analysis. This paper discusses the fundamental heat transfer principles in thermal calculation of structures in fire, which might serve as an educational guide for students, engineers and researchers. Insights on problems which are commonly ignored in performance based fire safety design are also presented. PMID:26783379

14 CFR 25.361 - Engine torque.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... engine mount and its supporting structure must be designed for the effects of— (1) A limit engine torque.... (b) For turbine engine installations, the engine mounts and supporting structure must be designed to... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Engine torque. 25.361 Section 25.361...

14 CFR 25.361 - Engine torque.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... engine mount and its supporting structure must be designed for the effects of— (1) A limit engine torque.... (b) For turbine engine installations, the engine mounts and supporting structure must be designed to... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Engine torque. 25.361 Section 25.361...

14 CFR 25.361 - Engine torque.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... engine mount and its supporting structure must be designed for the effects of— (1) A limit engine torque.... (b) For turbine engine installations, the engine mounts and supporting structure must be designed to... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Engine torque. 25.361 Section 25.361...

14 CFR 25.361 - Engine torque.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... engine mount and its supporting structure must be designed for the effects of— (1) A limit engine torque.... (b) For turbine engine installations, the engine mounts and supporting structure must be designed to... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Engine torque. 25.361 Section 25.361...

14 CFR 25.361 - Engine torque.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... engine mount and its supporting structure must be designed for the effects of— (1) A limit engine torque.... (b) For turbine engine installations, the engine mounts and supporting structure must be designed to... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Engine torque. 25.361 Section 25.361...

Accessibility, nature and quality of health information on the Internet: a survey on osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Maloney, S; Ilic, D; Green, S

2005-03-01

This study aims to determine the quality and validity of information available on the Internet about osteoarthritis and to investigate the best way of sourcing this information. Keywords relevant to osteoarthritis were searched across 15 search engines representing medical, general and meta-search engines. Search engine efficiency was defined as the percentage of unique and relevant websites from all websites returned by each search engine. The quality of relevant information was appraised using the DISCERN tool and the concordance of the information offered by the website with the available evidence about osteoarthritis determined. A total of 3443 websites were retrieved, of which 344 were identified as unique and providing information relevant to osteoarthritis. The overall quality of website information was poor. There was no significant difference between types of search engine in sourcing relevant information; however, the information retrieved from medical search engines was of a higher quality. Fewer than a third of the websites identified as offering relevant information cited evidence to support their recommendations. Although the overall quality of website information about osteoarthritis was poor, medical search engines may provide consumers with the opportunity to source high-quality health information on the Internet. In the era of evidence-based medicine, one of the main obstacles to the Internet reaching its potential as a medical resource is the failure of websites to incorporate and attribute evidence-based information.

Structural Engineering: Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castro, Edgar

2011-01-01

This slide presentation presents the work of the Structural Engineering Division of the Engineering Directorate. The work includes: providing technical expertise and leadership for the development, evaluation, and operation of structural, mechanical, and thermal spaceflight systems.

At a glance: cellular biology for engineers.

PubMed

Khoshmanesh, K; Kouzani, A Z; Nahavandi, S; Baratchi, S; Kanwar, J R

2008-10-01

Engineering contributions have played an important role in the rise and evolution of cellular biology. Engineering technologies have helped biologists to explore the living organisms at cellular and molecular levels, and have created new opportunities to tackle the unsolved biological problems. There is now a growing demand to further expand the role of engineering in cellular biology research. For an engineer to play an effective role in cellular biology, the first essential step is to understand the cells and their components. However, the stumbling block of this step is to comprehend the information given in the cellular biology literature because it best suits the readers with a biological background. This paper aims to overcome this bottleneck by describing the human cell components as micro-plants that form cells as micro-bio-factories. This concept can accelerate the engineers' comprehension of the subject. In this paper, first the structure and function of different cell components are described. In addition, the engineering attempts to mimic various cell components through numerical modelling or physical implementation are highlighted. Next, the interaction of different cell components that facilitate complicated chemical processes, such as energy generation and protein synthesis, are described. These complex interactions are translated into simple flow diagrams, generally used by engineers to represent multi-component processes.

Optimal tuning of a confined Brownian information engine.

PubMed

Park, Jong-Min; Lee, Jae Sung; Noh, Jae Dong

2016-03-01

A Brownian information engine is a device extracting mechanical work from a single heat bath by exploiting the information on the state of a Brownian particle immersed in the bath. As for engines, it is important to find the optimal operating condition that yields the maximum extracted work or power. The optimal condition for a Brownian information engine with a finite cycle time τ has been rarely studied because of the difficulty in finding the nonequilibrium steady state. In this study, we introduce a model for the Brownian information engine and develop an analytic formalism for its steady-state distribution for any τ. We find that the extracted work per engine cycle is maximum when τ approaches infinity, while the power is maximum when τ approaches zero.

Collaborative Early Systems Engineering: Strategic Information Management Review

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-02

Early Systems Engineering: Strategic Information Management Review 2 Table of Contents Executive Summary...5  Center for Systems Engineering (CSE) .............................................................................. 6...Collaborative Early Systems Engineering .......................................................................... 6  Development Planning

System for Performing Single Query Searches of Heterogeneous and Dispersed Databases

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maluf, David A. (Inventor); Okimura, Takeshi (Inventor); Gurram, Mohana M. (Inventor); Tran, Vu Hoang (Inventor); Knight, Christopher D. (Inventor); Trinh, Anh Ngoc (Inventor)

2017-01-01

The present invention is a distributed computer system of heterogeneous databases joined in an information grid and configured with an Application Programming Interface hardware which includes a search engine component for performing user-structured queries on multiple heterogeneous databases in real time. This invention reduces overhead associated with the impedance mismatch that commonly occurs in heterogeneous database queries.

Composite Structures Damage Tolerance Analysis Methodologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chang, James B.; Goyal, Vinay K.; Klug, John C.; Rome, Jacob I.

2012-01-01

This report presents the results of a literature review as part of the development of composite hardware fracture control guidelines funded by NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) under contract NNL04AA09B. The objectives of the overall development tasks are to provide a broad information and database to the designers, analysts, and testing personnel who are engaged in space flight hardware production.

Numerical nonlinear inelastic analysis of stiffened shells of revolution. Volume 3: Engineer's program manual for STARS-2P digital computer program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Svalbonas, V.; Levine, H.; Ogilvie, P.

1975-01-01

Engineering programming information is presented for the STARS-2P (shell theory automated for rotational structures-2P (plasticity)) digital computer program, and FORTRAN 4 was used in writing the various subroutines. The execution of this program requires the use of thirteen temporary storage units. The program was initially written and debugged on the IBM 370-165 computer and converted to the UNIVAC 1108 computer, where it utilizes approximately 60,000 words of core. Only basic FORTRAN library routines are required by the program: sine, cosine, absolute value, and square root.

Automatic Differentiation as a tool in engineering design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barthelemy, Jean-Francois M.; Hall, Laura E.

1992-01-01

Automatic Differentiation (AD) is a tool that systematically implements the chain rule of differentiation to obtain the derivatives of functions calculated by computer programs. In this paper, it is assessed as a tool for engineering design. The paper discusses the forward and reverse modes of AD, their computing requirements, and approaches to implementing AD. It continues with application to two different tools to two medium-size structural analysis problems to generate sensitivity information typically necessary in an optimization or design situation. The paper concludes with the observation that AD is to be preferred to finite differencing in most cases, as long as sufficient computer storage is available.

14 CFR 25.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Design and Construction Fire Protection § 25.865 Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Essential flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structures located in... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine...

14 CFR 25.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Design and Construction Fire Protection § 25.865 Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Essential flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structures located in... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine...

14 CFR 23.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. 23.865 Section 23.865 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION...

14 CFR 25.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Design and Construction Fire Protection § 25.865 Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Essential flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structures located in... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine...

14 CFR 23.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. 23.865 Section 23.865 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION...

14 CFR 23.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. 23.865 Section 23.865 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION...

14 CFR 23.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. 23.865 Section 23.865 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION...

14 CFR 25.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Design and Construction Fire Protection § 25.865 Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Essential flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structures located in... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine...

14 CFR 23.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. 23.865 Section 23.865 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION...

14 CFR 25.865 - Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... Design and Construction Fire Protection § 25.865 Fire protection of flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structure. Essential flight controls, engine mounts, and other flight structures located in... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Fire protection of flight controls, engine...

Information Technologies in the System of Military Engineer Training of Cadets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khizhnaya, Anna V.; Kutepov, Maksim M.; Gladkova, Marina N.; Gladkov, Alexey V.; Dvornikova, Elena I.

2016-01-01

The necessity of enhancement of the information component in the military engineer training is determined by the result of a comparative analysis of global and national engineering education standards. The purpose is to substantiate the effectiveness and relevance of applying information technology in the system of military engineer training of…

Response Sensitivity of Typical Aircraft Jet Engine Fan Blade-Like Structures to Bird Impacts.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-05-01

AIRCRAFT ENGINE BU--ETC F/G 21/5 RESPONSE SENSITIVITY OF TYPICAL AIRCRAFT JET ENGINE FAN BLADE -L...SENSITIVITY OF TYPICAL AIRCRAFT JET ENGINE FAN BLADE -LIKE STRUCTURES TO BIRD IMPACTS David P. Bauer Robert S. Bertke University of Dayton Research...COVERED RESPONSE SENSITIVITY OF TYPICAL AIRCRAFT FINAL REPORT JET ENGINE FAN BLADE -LIKE STRUCTURES Oct. 1977 to Jan. 1979 TO BIRD IMPACTS s.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 53: From student to entry-level professional: Examining the technical communications practices of early career-stage US aerospace engineers and scientists

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Holloway, Karen; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1995-01-01

Studies indicate that communications and information-related activities take up a substantial portion of an engineer's work week; therefore, effective communications and information-use skills are one of the key engineering competencies that early career-stage aerospace engineers and scientists must possess to be successful. Feedback from industry rates communications and information-use skills high in terms of their importance to engineering practice; however, this same feedback rates the communications and information-use skills of early career-stage engineers low. To gather adequate and generalizable data about the communications and information-related activities of entry-level aerospace engineers and scientists, we surveyed 264 members of the AIAA who have no more than 1-5 years of aerospace engineering work experience. To learn more about the concomitant communications norms, we compared the results of this study with data (1,673 responses) we collected from student members of the AIAA and with data (341 responses) we collected from a study of aerospace engineering professionals. In this paper, we report selected results from these studies that focused on the communications practices and information-related activities of early career-stage U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists in the workplace.

Algebra for Enterprise Ontology: towards analysis and synthesis of enterprise models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suga, Tetsuya; Iijima, Junichi

2018-03-01

Enterprise modeling methodologies have made enterprises more likely to be the object of systems engineering rather than craftsmanship. However, the current state of research in enterprise modeling methodologies lacks investigations of the mathematical background embedded in these methodologies. Abstract algebra, a broad subfield of mathematics, and the study of algebraic structures may provide interesting implications in both theory and practice. Therefore, this research gives an empirical challenge to establish an algebraic structure for one aspect model proposed in Design & Engineering Methodology for Organizations (DEMO), which is a major enterprise modeling methodology in the spotlight as a modeling principle to capture the skeleton of enterprises for developing enterprise information systems. The results show that the aspect model behaves well in the sense of algebraic operations and indeed constructs a Boolean algebra. This article also discusses comparisons with other modeling languages and suggests future work.

Rule groupings: A software engineering approach towards verification of expert systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehrotra, Mala

1991-01-01

Currently, most expert system shells do not address software engineering issues for developing or maintaining expert systems. As a result, large expert systems tend to be incomprehensible, difficult to debug or modify and almost impossible to verify or validate. Partitioning rule based systems into rule groups which reflect the underlying subdomains of the problem should enhance the comprehensibility, maintainability, and reliability of expert system software. Attempts were made to semiautomatically structure a CLIPS rule base into groups of related rules that carry the same type of information. Different distance metrics that capture relevant information from the rules for grouping are discussed. Two clustering algorithms that partition the rule base into groups of related rules are given. Two independent evaluation criteria are developed to measure the effectiveness of the grouping strategies. Results of the experiment with three sample rule bases are presented.

The Structure of Medical Informatics Journal Literature

PubMed Central

Morris, Theodore A.; McCain, Katherine W.

1998-01-01

Abstract Objective: Medical informatics is an emergent interdisciplinary field described as drawing upon and contributing to both the health sciences and information sciences. The authors elucidate the disciplinary nature and internal structure of the field. Design: To better understand the field's disciplinary nature, the authors examine the intercitation relationships of its journal literature. To determine its internal structure, they examined its journal cocitation patterns. Measurements: The authors used data from the Science Citation Index (SCI) and Social Science Citation Index (SSCI) to perform intercitation studies among productive journal titles, and software routines from SPSS to perform multivariate data analyses on cocitation data for proposed core journals. Results: Intercitation network analysis suggests that a core literature exists, one mark of a separate discipline. Multivariate analyses of cocitation data suggest that major focus areas within the field include biomedical engineering, biomedical computing, decision support, and education. The interpretable dimensions of multidimensional scaling maps differed for the SCI and SSCI data sets. Strong links to information science literature were not found. Conclusion: The authors saw indications of a core literature and of several major research fronts. The field appears to be viewed differently by authors writing in journals indexed by SCI from those writing in journals indexed by SSCI, with more emphasis placed on computers and engineering versus decision making by the former and more emphasis on theory versus application (clinical practice) by the latter. PMID:9760393

Structure and function of the temporomandibular joint disc: implications for tissue engineering.

PubMed

Detamore, Michael S; Athanasiou, Kyriacos A

2003-04-01

The temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disc is a little understood structure that, unfortunately, exhibits a plethora of pathologic disorders. Tissue engineering approaches may be warranted to address TMJ disc pathophysiology, but first a clear understanding of structure-function relationships needs to be developed, especially as they relate to the regenerative potential of the tissue. In this review, we correlate the biochemical content of the TMJ disc to its mechanical behavior and discuss what this correlation infers for tissue engineering studies of the TMJ disc. The disc of the TMJ exhibits a somewhat biconcave shape, being thicker in the anterior and posterior bands and thinner in the intermediate zone. The disc, which is certainly an anisotropic and nonhomogeneous tissue, consists almost entirely of type I collagen with trace amounts of type II and other types. In general, collagen fibers in the intermediate zone appear to run primarily in an anteroposterior direction and in a ringlike fashion around the periphery. Collagen orientation is reflected in higher tensile stiffness and strength in the center anteroposteriorly than mediolaterally and in the anterior and posterior bands than the intermediate zone mediolaterally. Tensile tests have shown the disc is stiffer and stronger in the direction of the collagen fibers. Elastin fibers in general appear along the collagen fibers and most likely function in restoring and retaining disc form after loading. The 2 primary glycosaminoglycans of the disc by far are chondroitin sulfate and dermatan sulfate, although their distribution is not clear. Compression studies are conflicting, but evidence suggests the disc is compressively stiffest in the center. Only a few tissue engineering studies of the TMJ disc have been performed to date. Tissue engineering studies must take advantage of existing information for experimental design and construct validation, and more research is necessary to characterize the disc to create a clearer picture of our goals in tissue engineering the TMJ disc. Copyright 2003 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons J Oral Maxillofac Surg 61:494-506, 2003

Dense Annotation of Free-Text Critical Care Discharge Summaries from an Indian Hospital and Associated Performance of a Clinical NLP Annotator.

PubMed

Ramanan, S V; Radhakrishna, Kedar; Waghmare, Abijeet; Raj, Tony; Nathan, Senthil P; Sreerama, Sai Madhukar; Sampath, Sriram

2016-08-01

Electronic Health Record (EHR) use in India is generally poor, and structured clinical information is mostly lacking. This work is the first attempt aimed at evaluating unstructured text mining for extracting relevant clinical information from Indian clinical records. We annotated a corpus of 250 discharge summaries from an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in India, with markups for diseases, procedures, and lab parameters, their attributes, as well as key demographic information and administrative variables such as patient outcomes. In this process, we have constructed guidelines for an annotation scheme useful to clinicians in the Indian context. We evaluated the performance of an NLP engine, Cocoa, on a cohort of these Indian clinical records. We have produced an annotated corpus of roughly 90 thousand words, which to our knowledge is the first tagged clinical corpus from India. Cocoa was evaluated on a test corpus of 50 documents. The overlap F-scores across the major categories, namely disease/symptoms, procedures, laboratory parameters and outcomes, are 0.856, 0.834, 0.961 and 0.872 respectively. These results are competitive with results from recent shared tasks based on US records. The annotated corpus and associated results from the Cocoa engine indicate that unstructured text mining is a viable method for cohort analysis in the Indian clinical context, where structured EHR records are largely absent.

On architecting and composing engineering information services to enable smart manufacturing

PubMed Central

Ivezic, Nenad; Srinivasan, Vijay

2016-01-01

Engineering information systems play an important role in the current era of digitization of manufacturing, which is a key component to enable smart manufacturing. Traditionally, these engineering information systems spanned the lifecycle of a product by providing interoperability of software subsystems through a combination of open and proprietary exchange of data. But research and development efforts are underway to replace this paradigm with engineering information services that can be composed dynamically to meet changing needs in the operation of smart manufacturing systems. This paper describes the opportunities and challenges in architecting such engineering information services and composing them to enable smarter manufacturing. PMID:27840595

The Cloud2SM Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crinière, Antoine; Dumoulin, Jean; Mevel, Laurent; Andrade-Barosso, Guillermo; Simonin, Matthieu

2015-04-01

From the past decades the monitoring of civil engineering structure became a major field of research and development process in the domains of modelling and integrated instrumentation. This increasing of interest can be attributed in part to the need of controlling the aging of such structures and on the other hand to the need to optimize maintenance costs. From this standpoint the project Cloud2SM (Cloud architecture design for Structural Monitoring with in-line Sensors and Models tasking), has been launched to develop a robust information system able to assess the long term monitoring of civil engineering structures as well as interfacing various sensors and data. The specificity of such architecture is to be based on the notion of data processing through physical or statistical models. Thus the data processing, whether material or mathematical, can be seen here as a resource of the main architecture. The project can be divided in various items: -The sensors and their measurement process: Those items provide data to the main architecture and can embed storage or computational resources. Dependent of onboard capacity and the amount of data generated it can be distinguished heavy and light sensors. - The storage resources: Based on the cloud concept this resource can store at least two types of data, raw data and processed ones. - The computational resources: This item includes embedded "pseudo real time" resources as the dedicated computer cluster or computational resources. - The models: Used for the conversion of raw data to meaningful data. Those types of resources inform the system of their needs they can be seen as independents blocks of the system. - The user interface: This item can be divided in various HMI to assess maintaining operation on the sensors or pop-up some information to the user. - The demonstrators: The structures themselves. This project follows previous research works initiated in the European project ISTIMES [1]. It includes the infrared thermal monitoring of civil engineering structures [2-3] and/or the vibration monitoring of such structures [4-5]. The chosen architecture is based on the OGC standard in order to ensure the interoperability between the various measurement systems. This concept is extended to the notion of physical models. The last but not the least main objective of this project is to explore the feasibility and the reliability to deploy mathematical models and process a large amount of data using the GPGPU capacity of a dedicated computational cluster, while studying OGC standardization to those technical concepts. References [1] M. Proto et al., « Transport Infrastructure surveillance and Monitoring by Electromagnetic Sensing: the ISTIMES project », Journal Sensors, Sensors 2010, 10(12), 10620-10639; doi:10.3390/s101210620, December 2010. [2] J. Dumoulin, A. Crinière, R. Averty ," Detection and thermal characterization of the inner structure of the "Musmeci" bridge deck by infrared thermography monitoring ",Journal of Geophysics and Engineering, Volume 10, Number 2, 17 pages ,November 2013, IOP Science, doi:10.1088/1742-2132/10/6/064003. [3] J Dumoulin and V Boucher; "Infrared thermography system for transport infrastructures survey with inline local atmospheric parameter measurements and offline model for radiation attenuation evaluations," J. Appl. Remote Sens., 8(1), 084978 (2014). doi:10.1117/1.JRS.8.084978. [4] V. Le Cam, M. Doehler, M. Le Pen, L. Mevel. "Embedded modal analysis algorithms on the smart wireless sensor platform PEGASE", In Proc. 9th International Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring, Stanford, CA, USA, 2013. [5] M. Zghal, L. Mevel, P. Del Moral, "Modal parameter estimation using interacting Kalman filter", Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, 2014.

Analysis of Online Information Searching for Cardiovascular Diseases on a Consumer Health Information Portal

PubMed Central

Jadhav, Ashutosh; Sheth, Amit; Pathak, Jyotishman

2014-01-01

Since the early 2000’s, Internet usage for health information searching has increased significantly. Studying search queries can help us to understand users “information need” and how do they formulate search queries (“expression of information need”). Although cardiovascular diseases (CVD) affect a large percentage of the population, few studies have investigated how and what users search for CVD. We address this knowledge gap in the community by analyzing a large corpus of 10 million CVD related search queries from MayoClinic.com. Using UMLS MetaMap and UMLS semantic types/concepts, we developed a rule-based approach to categorize the queries into 14 health categories. We analyzed structural properties, types (keyword-based/Wh-questions/Yes-No questions) and linguistic structure of the queries. Our results show that the most searched health categories are ‘Diseases/Conditions’, ‘Vital-Sings’, ‘Symptoms’ and ‘Living-with’. CVD queries are longer and are predominantly keyword-based. This study extends our knowledge about online health information searching and provides useful insights for Web search engines and health websites. PMID:25954380

Performance-based seismic design of nonstructural building components: The next frontier of earthquake engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Filiatrault, Andre; Sullivan, Timothy

2014-08-01

With the development and implementation of performance-based earthquake engineering, harmonization of performance levels between structural and nonstructural components becomes vital. Even if the structural components of a building achieve a continuous or immediate occupancy performance level after a seismic event, failure of architectural, mechanical or electrical components can lower the performance level of the entire building system. This reduction in performance caused by the vulnerability of nonstructural components has been observed during recent earthquakes worldwide. Moreover, nonstructural damage has limited the functionality of critical facilities, such as hospitals, following major seismic events. The investment in nonstructural components and building contents is far greater than that of structural components and framing. Therefore, it is not surprising that in many past earthquakes, losses from damage to nonstructural components have exceeded losses from structural damage. Furthermore, the failure of nonstructural components can become a safety hazard or can hamper the safe movement of occupants evacuating buildings, or of rescue workers entering buildings. In comparison to structural components and systems, there is relatively limited information on the seismic design of nonstructural components. Basic research work in this area has been sparse, and the available codes and guidelines are usually, for the most part, based on past experiences, engineering judgment and intuition, rather than on objective experimental and analytical results. Often, design engineers are forced to start almost from square one after each earthquake event: to observe what went wrong and to try to prevent repetitions. This is a consequence of the empirical nature of current seismic regulations and guidelines for nonstructural components. This review paper summarizes current knowledge on the seismic design and analysis of nonstructural building components, identifying major knowledge gaps that will need to be filled by future research. Furthermore, considering recent trends in earthquake engineering, the paper explores how performance-based seismic design might be conceived for nonstructural components, drawing on recent developments made in the field of seismic design and hinting at the specific considerations required for nonstructural components.

Structure and navigation for electronic publishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tillinghast, John; Beretta, Giordano B.

1998-01-01

The sudden explosion of the World Wide Web as a new publication medium has given a dramatic boost to the electronic publishing industry, which previously was a limited market centered around CD-ROMs and on-line databases. While the phenomenon has parallels to the advent of the tabloid press in the middle of last century, the electronic nature of the medium brings with it the typical characteristic of 4th wave media, namely the acceleration in its propagation speed and the volume of information. Consequently, e-publications are even flatter than print media; Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet share the same computer screen with a home-made plagiarized copy of Deep Throat. The most touted tool for locating useful information on the World Wide Web is the search engine. However, due to the medium's flatness, sought information is drowned in a sea of useless information. A better solution is to build tools that allow authors to structure information so that it can easily be navigated. We experimented with the use of ontologies as a tool to formulate structures for information about a specific topic, so that related concepts are placed in adjacent locations and can easily be navigated using simple and ergonomic user models. We describe our effort in building a World Wide Web based photo album that is shared among a small network of people.

First-year engineering students' views of the nature of engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karatas, Faik O.

The changing nature of engineering problems and new challenges that result from globalization and new ways of doing business have triggered calls for a revolutionary shift in engineering education. To respond to these challenges, the engineering education paradigm has been revised by adding more design and humanities/social sciences components to it. Philosophy, sociology, and history of engineering are more often cited as a major part of engineering education in this movement. Research on the nature of engineering (NOE), which is derived from philosophy, sociology, and the history of engineering, could have as much potential impact on engineering education as research on the nature of science (NOS) has had on science education. Thus, it is surprising that there has been no noteworthy research on this topic. The purpose of this study is to describe and determine first-year engineering students' views of the NOE and how these students differentiate engineering from science. In this research, an open-ended Views of the Nature of Engineering questionnaire (VNOE) was employed to collect baseline data. Semi-structured interviews based on the VNOE questionnaire were conducted with the second cohort of the participants. Data analysis was guided by a traditional phenomenographic approach, which is a branch of the hermeneutic tradition, coupled to constant comparison technique. The results of this study indicated that the participants' overall views of the nature of engineering were not ill-developed, but rather unarticulated. Moreover, the relationship between engineering and science was considered unidirectional rather than bidirectional. The results of this study could be used to inform engineering educators, first-year engineering coordinators, and policy makers as well as serving as the base for further research and potential implications for future first-year and K-12 engineering education.

Engineering-Geological Data Model - The First Step to Build National Polish Standard for Multilevel Information Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryżyński, Grzegorz; Nałęcz, Tomasz

2016-10-01

The efficient geological data management in Poland is necessary to support multilevel decision processes for government and local authorities in case of spatial planning, mineral resources and groundwater supply and the rational use of subsurface. Vast amount of geological information gathered in the digital archives and databases of Polish Geological Survey (PGS) is a basic resource for multi-scale national subsurface management. Data integration is the key factor to allow development of GIS and web tools for decision makers, however the main barrier for efficient geological information management is the heterogeneity of data in the resources of the Polish Geological Survey. Engineering-geological database is the first PGS thematic domain applied in the whole data integration plan. The solutions developed within this area will facilitate creation of procedures and standards for multilevel data management in PGS. Twenty years of experience in delivering digital engineering-geological mapping in 1:10 000 scale and archival geotechnical reports acquisition and digitisation allowed gathering of more than 300 thousands engineering-geological boreholes database as well as set of 10 thematic spatial layers (including foundation conditions map, depth to the first groundwater level, bedrock level, geohazards). Historically, the desktop approach was the source form of the geological-engineering data storage, resulting in multiple non-correlated interbase datasets. The need for creation of domain data model emerged and an object-oriented modelling (UML) scheme has been developed. The aim of the aforementioned development was to merge all datasets in one centralised Oracle server and prepare the unified spatial data structure for efficient web presentation and applications development. The presented approach will be the milestone toward creation of the Polish national standard for engineering-geological information management. The paper presents the approach and methodology of data unification, thematic vocabularies harmonisation, assumptions and results of data modelling as well as process of the integration of domain model with enterprise architecture implemented in PGS. Currently, there is no geological data standard in Poland. Lack of guidelines for borehole and spatial data management results in an increasing data dispersion as well as in growing barrier for multilevel data management and implementation of efficient decision support tools. Building the national geological data standard makes geotechnical information accessible to multiple institutions, universities, administration and research organisations and gather their data in the same, unified digital form according to the presented data model. Such approach is compliant with current digital trends and the idea of Spatial Data Infrastructure. Efficient geological data management is essential to support the sustainable development and the economic growth, as they allow implementation of geological information to assist the idea of Smart Cites, deliver information for Building Information Management (BIM) and support modern spatial planning. The engineering-geological domain data model presented in the paper is a scalable solution. Future implementation of developed procedures on other domains of PGS geological data is possible.

Self-aggregation in scaled principal component space

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

Ding, Chris H.Q.; He, Xiaofeng; Zha, Hongyuan

2001-10-05

Automatic grouping of voluminous data into meaningful structures is a challenging task frequently encountered in broad areas of science, engineering and information processing. These data clustering tasks are frequently performed in Euclidean space or a subspace chosen from principal component analysis (PCA). Here we describe a space obtained by a nonlinear scaling of PCA in which data objects self-aggregate automatically into clusters. Projection into this space gives sharp distinctions among clusters. Gene expression profiles of cancer tissue subtypes, Web hyperlink structure and Internet newsgroups are analyzed to illustrate interesting properties of the space.

Progress in performance enhancement methods for capacitive silicon resonators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Toan, Nguyen; Ono, Takahito

2017-11-01

In this paper, we review the progress in recent studies on the performance enhancement methods for capacitive silicon resonators. We provide information on various fabrication technologies and design considerations that can be employed to improve the performance of capacitive silicon resonators, including low motional resistance, small insertion loss, and high quality factor (Q). This paper contains an overview of device structures and working principles, fabrication technologies consisting of hermetic packaging, deep reactive-ion etching and neutral beam etching, and design considerations including mechanically coupled, movable electrode structures and piezoresistive heat engines.

Cognitive Engineering of Advanced Information Technology for Air Force Systems Design and Deployment: Prototype for Air Defense Intelligence and Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-10-01

train members of the eventual decision-making group to have different strategies, called " policies ," for making inferences and/or decisions. For example...group task, the task side of the lens model is structured so that each person must modify his judgment policy by learning from the other person in order...judgment policy ; that is, they would receive in both pictorial and textual form a description of how each person combines information to make a judgment

Using Collaborative Engineering to Inform Collaboration Engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooper, Lynne P.

2012-01-01

Collaboration is a critical competency for modern organizations as they struggle to compete in an increasingly complex, global environment. A large body of research on collaboration in the workplace focuses both on teams, investigating how groups use teamwork to perform their task work, and on the use of information systems to support team processes ("collaboration engineering"). This research essay presents collaboration from an engineering perspective ("collaborative engineering"). It uses examples from professional and student engineering teams to illustrate key differences in collaborative versus collaboration engineering and investigates how challenges in the former can inform opportunities for the latter.

Systems Security Engineering

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-22

Commission (IEC). “Information technology — Security techniques — Code of practice for information security management ( ISO /IEC 27002 ...Information technology — Security techniques — Information security management systems —Requirements ( ISO /IEC 27002 ),”, “Information technology — Security...was a draft ISO standard on Systems and software engineering, Systems and software assurance [18]. Created by systems engineers for systems

Probabilistic structural analysis methods of hot engine structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, C. C.; Hopkins, D. A.

1989-01-01

Development of probabilistic structural analysis methods for hot engine structures at Lewis Research Center is presented. Three elements of the research program are: (1) composite load spectra methodology; (2) probabilistic structural analysis methodology; and (3) probabilistic structural analysis application. Recent progress includes: (1) quantification of the effects of uncertainties for several variables on high pressure fuel turbopump (HPFT) turbine blade temperature, pressure, and torque of the space shuttle main engine (SSME); (2) the evaluation of the cumulative distribution function for various structural response variables based on assumed uncertainties in primitive structural variables; and (3) evaluation of the failure probability. Collectively, the results demonstrate that the structural durability of hot engine structural components can be effectively evaluated in a formal probabilistic/reliability framework.

Computational structural mechanics for engine structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, C. C.

1989-01-01

The computational structural mechanics (CSM) program at Lewis encompasses: (1) fundamental aspects for formulating and solving structural mechanics problems, and (2) development of integrated software systems to computationally simulate the performance/durability/life of engine structures. It is structured to mainly supplement, complement, and whenever possible replace, costly experimental efforts which are unavoidable during engineering research and development programs. Specific objectives include: investigate unique advantages of parallel and multiprocesses for: reformulating/solving structural mechanics and formulating/solving multidisciplinary mechanics and develop integrated structural system computational simulators for: predicting structural performances, evaluating newly developed methods, and for identifying and prioritizing improved/missing methods needed. Herein the CSM program is summarized with emphasis on the Engine Structures Computational Simulator (ESCS). Typical results obtained using ESCS are described to illustrate its versatility.

Extracting information from multiplex networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iacovacci, Jacopo; Bianconi, Ginestra

2016-06-01

Multiplex networks are generalized network structures that are able to describe networks in which the same set of nodes are connected by links that have different connotations. Multiplex networks are ubiquitous since they describe social, financial, engineering, and biological networks as well. Extending our ability to analyze complex networks to multiplex network structures increases greatly the level of information that is possible to extract from big data. For these reasons, characterizing the centrality of nodes in multiplex networks and finding new ways to solve challenging inference problems defined on multiplex networks are fundamental questions of network science. In this paper, we discuss the relevance of the Multiplex PageRank algorithm for measuring the centrality of nodes in multilayer networks and we characterize the utility of the recently introduced indicator function Θ ˜ S for describing their mesoscale organization and community structure. As working examples for studying these measures, we consider three multiplex network datasets coming for social science.

General solution for quantitative dark-field contrast imaging with grating interferometers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strobl, M.

2014-11-01

Grating interferometer based imaging with X-rays and neutrons has proven to hold huge potential for applications in key research fields conveying biology and medicine as well as engineering and magnetism, respectively. The thereby amenable dark-field imaging modality implied the promise to access structural information beyond reach of direct spatial resolution. However, only here a yet missing approach is reported that finally allows exploiting this outstanding potential for non-destructive materials characterizations. It enables to obtain quantitative structural small angle scattering information combined with up to 3-dimensional spatial image resolution even at lab based x-ray or at neutron sources. The implied two orders of magnitude efficiency gain as compared to currently available techniques in this regime paves the way for unprecedented structural investigations of complex sample systems of interest for material science in a vast range of fields.

Tackling both the player and the ball: lessons from crystallographic studies on the N-utilization substance B (NusB) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haire, L. F.; Gopal, B.

2001-11-01

The N-utilization substance B (NusB) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an important element in a complex assembly of other proteins and ribonucleic acid effecting transcription antitermination in this organism. The cloning and overexpression of the protein in E. coli, followed by the purification, crystallization, and use of selenomethionine samples to obtain phase information by anomalous dispersion techniques, allows us to investigate the fine interplay of sample engineering and modification of crystallization parameters leading to successful structure determination. Knowledge of the crystal structure and the surface properties of the protein allows an analysis of the packing of the NusB dimers in the crystal lattice. This exercise, albeit post facto, helps to demonstrate how biophysical and functional information could help 'rationalize' the course of obtaining protein crystals suitable for structural studies.

Information Fusion in Ad hoc Wireless Sensor Networks for Aircraft Health Monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fragoulis, Nikos; Tsagaris, Vassilis; Anastassopoulos, Vassilis

In this paper the use of an ad hoc wireless sensor network for implementing a structural health monitoring system is discussed. The network is consisted of sensors deployed throughout the aircraft. These sensors being in the form of a microelectronic chip and consisted of sensing, data processing and communicating components could be easily embedded in any mechanical aircraft component. The established sensor network, due to its ad hoc nature is easily scalable, allowing adding or removing any number of sensors. The position of the sensor nodes need not necessarily to be engineered or predetermined, giving this way the ability to be deployed in inaccessible points. Information collected from various sensors of different modalities throughout the aircraft is then fused in order to provide a more comprehensive image of the aircraft structural health. Sensor level fusion along with decision quality information is used, in order to enhance detection performance.

Sweet neutron crystallography.

PubMed

Teixeira, S C M; Blakeley, M P; Leal, R M F; Gillespie, S M; Mitchell, E P; Forsyth, V T

2010-11-01

Extremely sweet proteins isolated from tropical fruit extracts are promising healthy alternatives to sugar and synthetic sweeteners. Sweetness and taste in general are, however, still poorly understood. The engineering of stable sweet proteins with tailored properties is made difficult by the lack of supporting high-resolution structural data. Experimental information on charge distribution, protonation states and solvent structure are vital for an understanding of the mechanism through which sweet proteins interact with taste receptors. Neutron studies of the crystal structures of sweet proteins allow a detailed study of these biophysical properties, as illustrated by a neutron study on the native protein thaumatin in which deuterium labelling was used to improve data quality.

14 CFR 25.1182 - Nacelle areas behind firewalls, and engine pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid lines. 25.1182 Section 25.1182 Aeronautics and..., and engine pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid lines. (a) Each nacelle area immediately behind the firewall, and each portion of any engine pod attaching structure containing flammable...

14 CFR 25.1182 - Nacelle areas behind firewalls, and engine pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid lines. 25.1182 Section 25.1182 Aeronautics and..., and engine pod attaching structures containing flammable fluid lines. (a) Each nacelle area immediately behind the firewall, and each portion of any engine pod attaching structure containing flammable...

Structure of an agonist-bound ionotropic glutamate receptor.

PubMed

Yelshanskaya, Maria V; Li, Minfen; Sobolevsky, Alexander I

2014-08-29

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) mediate most excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system and function by opening their ion channel in response to binding of agonist glutamate. Here, we report a structure of a homotetrameric rat GluA2 receptor in complex with partial agonist (S)-5-nitrowillardiine. Comparison of this structure with the closed-state structure in complex with competitive antagonist ZK 200775 suggests conformational changes that occur during iGluR gating. Guided by the structures, we engineered disulfide cross-links to probe domain interactions that are important for iGluR gating events. The combination of structural information, kinetic modeling, and biochemical and electrophysiological experiments provides insight into the mechanism of iGluR gating. Copyright © 2014, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

75 FR 42437 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-21

...; Comment Request; Engine Emission Defect Information Reports and Voluntary Emission Recall Reports (Renewal... Information Reports and Voluntary Emission Recall Reports (Renewal). ICR numbers: EPA ICR No. 0282.15, OMB... is required to recall the engines. Engine manufacturers are required to submit Defect Information...

Educating Engineers in Information Utilization.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borovansky, Vladimir T.

1987-01-01

Traditionally engineers are not heaviest users of information resources. This can be traced to lack of emphasis on information sources in engineering education. Failure to use available knowledge leads to reinventing the wheel and losing the race for technological superiority. Few U.S. universities offer formal courses in information resources in…

Engineers as Information Processors: A Survey of US Aerospace Engineering Faculty and Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Maurita Peterson; And Others

1991-01-01

Reports on survey results from 275 faculty and 640 students, predominantly in the aerospace engineering field, concerning their behaviors about the appropriation and dissemination of information. Indicates that, as information processors, aerospace faculty and students are "information naive." Raises questions about the efficacy of…

Information technology security system engineering methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Childs, D.

2003-01-01

A methodology is described for system engineering security into large information technology systems under development. The methodology is an integration of a risk management process and a generic system development life cycle process. The methodology is to be used by Security System Engineers to effectively engineer and integrate information technology security into a target system as it progresses through the development life cycle. The methodology can also be used to re-engineer security into a legacy system.

76 FR 61118 - Advisory Committee for Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-03

... Engineering; Notice of Meeting In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92- 463, as... Computer and Information Science and Engineering (1115). Date and Time: November 1, 2011 from 12 p.m.-5:30... Computer and Information Science and Engineering, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite...

Developing a framework for qualitative engineering: Research in design and analysis of complex structural systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Franck, Bruno M.

1990-01-01

The research is focused on automating the evaluation of complex structural systems, whether for the design of a new system or the analysis of an existing one, by developing new structural analysis techniques based on qualitative reasoning. The problem is to identify and better understand: (1) the requirements for the automation of design, and (2) the qualitative reasoning associated with the conceptual development of a complex system. The long-term objective is to develop an integrated design-risk assessment environment for the evaluation of complex structural systems. The scope of this short presentation is to describe the design and cognition components of the research. Design has received special attention in cognitive science because it is now identified as a problem solving activity that is different from other information processing tasks (1). Before an attempt can be made to automate design, a thorough understanding of the underlying design theory and methodology is needed, since the design process is, in many cases, multi-disciplinary, complex in size and motivation, and uses various reasoning processes involving different kinds of knowledge in ways which vary from one context to another. The objective is to unify all the various types of knowledge under one framework of cognition. This presentation focuses on the cognitive science framework that we are using to represent the knowledge aspects associated with the human mind's abstraction abilities and how we apply it to the engineering knowledge and engineering reasoning in design.

Convergence and reproducibility in molecular dynamics simulations of the DNA duplex d(GCACGAACGAACGAACGC).

PubMed

Galindo-Murillo, Rodrigo; Roe, Daniel R; Cheatham, Thomas E

2015-05-01

The structure and dynamics of DNA are critically related to its function. Molecular dynamics simulations augment experiment by providing detailed information about the atomic motions. However, to date the simulations have not been long enough for convergence of the dynamics and structural properties of DNA. Molecular dynamics simulations performed with AMBER using the ff99SB force field with the parmbsc0 modifications, including ensembles of independent simulations, were compared to long timescale molecular dynamics performed with the specialized Anton MD engine on the B-DNA structure d(GCACGAACGAACGAACGC). To assess convergence, the decay of the average RMSD values over longer and longer time intervals was evaluated in addition to assessing convergence of the dynamics via the Kullback-Leibler divergence of principal component projection histograms. These molecular dynamics simulations-including one of the longest simulations of DNA published to date at ~44μs-surprisingly suggest that the structure and dynamics of the DNA helix, neglecting the terminal base pairs, are essentially fully converged on the ~1-5μs timescale. We can now reproducibly converge the structure and dynamics of B-DNA helices, omitting the terminal base pairs, on the μs time scale with both the AMBER and CHARMM C36 nucleic acid force fields. Results from independent ensembles of simulations starting from different initial conditions, when aggregated, match the results from long timescale simulations on the specialized Anton MD engine. With access to large-scale GPU resources or the specialized MD engine "Anton" it is possible for a variety of molecular systems to reproducibly and reliably converge the conformational ensemble of sampled structures. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Recent developments of molecular dynamics. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Convergence and reproducibility in molecular dynamics simulations of the DNA duplex d(GCACGAACGAACGAACGC)

PubMed Central

Galindo-Murillo, Rodrigo; Roe, Daniel R.; Cheatham, Thomas E.

2014-01-01

Background The structure and dynamics of DNA are critically related to its function. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations augment experiment by providing detailed information about the atomic motions. However, to date the simulations have not been long enough for convergence of the dynamics and structural properties of DNA. Methods MD simulations performed with AMBER using the ff99SB force field with the parmbsc0 modifications, including ensembles of independent simulations, were compared to long timescale MD performed with the specialized Anton MD engine on the B-DNA structure d(GCACGAACGAACGAACGC). To assess convergence, the decay of the average RMSD values over longer and longer time intervals was evaluated in addition to assessing convergence of the dynamics via the Kullback-Leibler divergence of principal component projection histograms. Results These MD simulations —including one of the longest simulations of DNA published to date at ~44 μs—surprisingly suggest that the structure and dynamics of the DNA helix, neglecting the terminal base pairs, are essentially fully converged on the ~1–5 μs timescale. Conclusions We can now reproducibly converge the structure and dynamics of B-DNA helices, omitting the terminal base pairs, on the μs time scale with both the AMBER and CHARMM C36 nucleic acid force fields. Results from independent ensembles of simulations starting from different initial conditions, when aggregated, match the results from long timescale simulations on the specialized Anton MD engine. General Significance With access to large-scale GPU resources or the specialized MD engine “Anton” it is possibly for a variety of molecular systems to reproducibly and reliably converge the conformational ensemble of sampled structures. PMID:25219455

Protein engineering and the use of molecular modeling and simulation: the case of heterodimeric Fc engineering.

PubMed

Spreter Von Kreudenstein, Thomas; Lario, Paula I; Dixit, Surjit B

2014-01-01

Computational and structure guided methods can make significant contributions to the development of solutions for difficult protein engineering problems, including the optimization of next generation of engineered antibodies. In this paper, we describe a contemporary industrial antibody engineering program, based on hypothesis-driven in silico protein optimization method. The foundational concepts and methods of computational protein engineering are discussed, and an example of a computational modeling and structure-guided protein engineering workflow is provided for the design of best-in-class heterodimeric Fc with high purity and favorable biophysical properties. We present the engineering rationale as well as structural and functional characterization data on these engineered designs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On domain modelling of the service system with its application to enterprise information systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, J. W.; Wang, H. F.; Ding, J. L.; Furuta, K.; Kanno, T.; Ip, W. H.; Zhang, W. J.

2016-01-01

Information systems are a kind of service systems and they are throughout every element of a modern industrial and business system, much like blood in our body. Types of information systems are heterogeneous because of extreme uncertainty in changes in modern industrial and business systems. To effectively manage information systems, modelling of the work domain (or domain) of information systems is necessary. In this paper, a domain modelling framework for the service system is proposed and its application to the enterprise information system is outlined. The framework is defined based on application of a general domain modelling tool called function-context-behaviour-principle-state-structure (FCBPSS). The FCBPSS is based on a set of core concepts, namely: function, context, behaviour, principle, state and structure and system decomposition. Different from many other applications of FCBPSS in systems engineering, the FCBPSS is applied to both infrastructure and substance systems, which is novel and effective to modelling of service systems including enterprise information systems. It is to be noted that domain modelling of systems (e.g. enterprise information systems) is a key to integration of heterogeneous systems and to coping with unanticipated situations facing to systems.

GNSS-based multi-sensor system for structural monitoring applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bogusz, Janusz; Figurski, Mariusz; Nykiel, Grzegorz; Szolucha, Marcin; Wrona, Maciej

2012-03-01

In 2007 the Centre of Applied Geomatics of the Military University of Technology started measurements aimed at the monitoring of the dynamic state of the engineering structures using GNSS. The complexity of the problem forced us to apply an integrated system architecture. This concept is based on simultaneous measuring some selected elements of the structure using various types of sensors. Measurement information from numerous instruments is numerically integrated for determining the investigated parameter, e.g., the displacement vector. The CAG team performed the tests using such a system on the two permanent 500-meters long bridges, the temporary bridge crossing for military purposes and the 300-meters high chimney of the CHP station. The information about displacement vector together with the characteristic frequencies of the structure were determined using different techniques for increasing of its reliability. This paper presents the results of such tests, gives description of the integrated system designed in the CAG and brings forward with the plans for the future.

Modelling and Simulation of Search Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasution, Mahyuddin K. M.

2017-01-01

The best tool currently used to access information is a search engine. Meanwhile, the information space has its own behaviour. Systematically, an information space needs to be familiarized with mathematics so easily we identify the characteristics associated with it. This paper reveal some characteristics of search engine based on a model of document collection, which are then estimated the impact on the feasibility of information. We reveal some of characteristics of search engine on the lemma and theorem about singleton and doubleton, then computes statistically characteristic as simulating the possibility of using search engine. In this case, Google and Yahoo. There are differences in the behaviour of both search engines, although in theory based on the concept of documents collection.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 14: Engineering work and information use in aerospace: Results of a telephone survey

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pinelli, Thomas E.; Kennedy, John M.; White, Terry F.

1992-01-01

A telephone survey of U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists who were on the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) mailing list was conducted between August 14-26, 1991. The survey was undertaken to obtain information on the daily work activities of aerospace engineers and scientists, to measure various practices used by aerospace engineers and scientists to obtain STI, and to ask aerospace engineers and scientists about their use of electronic networks. Co-workers were found important sources of information. Co-workers are used to obtain technical information because the information they have is relevant, not because co-workers are accessible. As technical uncertainty increases, so does the need for information internal and external to the organization. Electronic networks enjoy widespread use within the aerospace community. These networks are accessible and they are used to contact people at remote sites. About 80 percent of the respondents used electronic mail, file transfer, and information or data retrieval to commercial or in-house data bases.

Research on the optimization strategy of web search engine based on data mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ronghua

2018-04-01

With the wide application of search engines, web site information has become an important way for people to obtain information. People have found that they are growing in an increasingly explosive manner. Web site information is verydifficult to find the information they need, and now the search engine can not meet the need, so there is an urgent need for the network to provide website personalized information service, data mining technology for this new challenge is to find a breakthrough. In order to improve people's accuracy of finding information from websites, a website search engine optimization strategy based on data mining is proposed, and verified by website search engine optimization experiment. The results show that the proposed strategy improves the accuracy of the people to find information, and reduces the time for people to find information. It has an important practical value.

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 20: Engineers as information processors: A survey of US aerospace engineering faculty and students

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holland, Maurita Peterson; Pinelli, Thomas E.; Barclay, Rebecca O.; Kennedy, John M.

1991-01-01

U.S. aerospace engineering faculty and students were surveyed as part of the NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Research Project. Faculty and students were viewed as information processors within a conceptual framework of information seeking behavior. Questionnaires were received from 275 faculty members and 640 students, which were used to determine: (1) use and importance of information sources; (2) use of specific print sources and electronic data bases; (3) use of information technology; and (4) the influence of instruction on the use of information sources and the products of faculty and students. Little evidence was found to support the belief that instruction in library or engineering information use has significant impact either on broadening the frequency or range of information products and sources used by U.S. aerospace engineering students.

Design of Molecular Materials: Supramolecular Engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Jacques; Bassoul, Pierre

2001-02-01

This timely and fascinating book is destined to be recognised as THE book on supramolecular engineering protocols. It covers this sometimes difficult subject in an approachable form, gathering together information from many sources. Supramolecular chemistry, which links organic chemistry to materials science, is one of the fastest growth areas of chemistry research. This book creates a correlation between the structure of single molecules and the physical and chemical properties of the resulting materials. By making systematic changes to the component molecules, the resulting solid can be engineered for optimum performance. There is a clearly written development from synthesis of designer molecules to properties of solids and further on to devices and complex materials systems, providing guidelines for mastering the organisation of these systems. Topics covered include: Systemic chemistry Molecular assemblies Notions of symmetry Supramolecular engineering Principe de Curie Organisation in molecular media Molecular semiconductors Industrial applications of molecular materials This superb book will be invaluable to researchers in the field of supramolecular materials and also to students and teachers of the subject.

Engineering research, development and technology report

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

Langland, R T

1999-02-01

Nineteen ninety-eight has been a transition year for Engineering, as we have moved from our traditional focus on thrust areas to a more focused approach with research centers. These five new centers of excellence collectively comprise Engineering's Science and Technology program. This publication summarizes our formative year under this new structure. Let me start by talking about the differences between a thrust area and a research center. The thrust area is more informal, combining an important technology with programmatic priorities. In contrast, a research center is directly linked to an Engineering core technology. It is the purer model, for itmore » is more enduring yet has the scope to be able to adapt quickly to evolving programmatic priorities. To put it another way, the mission of a thrust area was often to grow the programs in conjunction with a technology, whereas the task of a research center is to vigorously grow our core technologies. By cultivating each core technology, we in turn enable long-term growth of new programs.« less

Engineering Challenges for Closed Ecological System facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dempster, William; Nelson, Mark; Allen, John P.

2012-07-01

Engineering challenges for closed ecological systems include methods of achieving closure for structures of different materials, and developing methods of allowing energy (for heating and cooling) and information transfer through the materially closed structure. Methods of calculating degree of closure include measuring degradation rates of inert trace gases introduced into the system. An allied problem is developing means of locating where leaks are located so that they may be repaired and degree of closure maintained. Once closure is achieved, methods of dealing with the pressure differentials between inside and outside are needed: from inflatable structures which might adjust to the pressure difference to variable volume chambers attached to the life systems component. These issues are illustrated through the engineering employed at Biosphere 2, the Biosphere 2 Test Module and the Laboratory Biosphere and a discussion of methods used by other closed ecological system facility engineers. Ecological challenges include being able to handle faster cycling rates and accentuated daily and seasonal fluxes of critical life elements such as carbon dioxide, oxygen, water, macro- and mico-nutrients. The problems of achieving sustainability in closed systems for life support include how to handle atmospheric dynamics including trace gases, producing a complete human diet and recycling nutrients and maintaining soil fertility, healthy air and water and preventing the loss of crucial elements from active circulation. In biospheric facilities the challenge is also to produce analogue to natural biomes and ecosystems, studying processes of self-organization and adaptation in systems that allow specification or determination of state variables and cycles which may be followed through all interactions from atmosphere to soils.

Using Internet Search Engines to Obtain Medical Information: A Comparative Study

PubMed Central

Wang, Liupu; Wang, Juexin; Wang, Michael; Li, Yong; Liang, Yanchun

2012-01-01

Background The Internet has become one of the most important means to obtain health and medical information. It is often the first step in checking for basic information about a disease and its treatment. The search results are often useful to general users. Various search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Ask.com can play an important role in obtaining medical information for both medical professionals and lay people. However, the usability and effectiveness of various search engines for medical information have not been comprehensively compared and evaluated. Objective To compare major Internet search engines in their usability of obtaining medical and health information. Methods We applied usability testing as a software engineering technique and a standard industry practice to compare the four major search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Ask.com) in obtaining health and medical information. For this purpose, we searched the keyword breast cancer in Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Ask.com and saved the results of the top 200 links from each search engine. We combined nonredundant links from the four search engines and gave them to volunteer users in an alphabetical order. The volunteer users evaluated the websites and scored each website from 0 to 10 (lowest to highest) based on the usefulness of the content relevant to breast cancer. A medical expert identified six well-known websites related to breast cancer in advance as standards. We also used five keywords associated with breast cancer defined in the latest release of Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) and analyzed their occurrence in the websites. Results Each search engine provided rich information related to breast cancer in the search results. All six standard websites were among the top 30 in search results of all four search engines. Google had the best search validity (in terms of whether a website could be opened), followed by Bing, Ask.com, and Yahoo!. The search results highly overlapped between the search engines, and the overlap between any two search engines was about half or more. On the other hand, each search engine emphasized various types of content differently. In terms of user satisfaction analysis, volunteer users scored Bing the highest for its usefulness, followed by Yahoo!, Google, and Ask.com. Conclusions Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Ask.com are by and large effective search engines for helping lay users get health and medical information. Nevertheless, the current ranking methods have some pitfalls and there is room for improvement to help users get more accurate and useful information. We suggest that search engine users explore multiple search engines to search different types of health information and medical knowledge for their own needs and get a professional consultation if necessary. PMID:22672889

Using Internet search engines to obtain medical information: a comparative study.

PubMed

Wang, Liupu; Wang, Juexin; Wang, Michael; Li, Yong; Liang, Yanchun; Xu, Dong

2012-05-16

The Internet has become one of the most important means to obtain health and medical information. It is often the first step in checking for basic information about a disease and its treatment. The search results are often useful to general users. Various search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Ask.com can play an important role in obtaining medical information for both medical professionals and lay people. However, the usability and effectiveness of various search engines for medical information have not been comprehensively compared and evaluated. To compare major Internet search engines in their usability of obtaining medical and health information. We applied usability testing as a software engineering technique and a standard industry practice to compare the four major search engines (Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Ask.com) in obtaining health and medical information. For this purpose, we searched the keyword breast cancer in Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Ask.com and saved the results of the top 200 links from each search engine. We combined nonredundant links from the four search engines and gave them to volunteer users in an alphabetical order. The volunteer users evaluated the websites and scored each website from 0 to 10 (lowest to highest) based on the usefulness of the content relevant to breast cancer. A medical expert identified six well-known websites related to breast cancer in advance as standards. We also used five keywords associated with breast cancer defined in the latest release of Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine-Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT) and analyzed their occurrence in the websites. Each search engine provided rich information related to breast cancer in the search results. All six standard websites were among the top 30 in search results of all four search engines. Google had the best search validity (in terms of whether a website could be opened), followed by Bing, Ask.com, and Yahoo!. The search results highly overlapped between the search engines, and the overlap between any two search engines was about half or more. On the other hand, each search engine emphasized various types of content differently. In terms of user satisfaction analysis, volunteer users scored Bing the highest for its usefulness, followed by Yahoo!, Google, and Ask.com. Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Ask.com are by and large effective search engines for helping lay users get health and medical information. Nevertheless, the current ranking methods have some pitfalls and there is room for improvement to help users get more accurate and useful information. We suggest that search engine users explore multiple search engines to search different types of health information and medical knowledge for their own needs and get a professional consultation if necessary.

Engine control techniques to account for fuel effects

DOEpatents

Kumar, Shankar; Frazier, Timothy R.; Stanton, Donald W.; Xu, Yi; Bunting, Bruce G.; Wolf, Leslie R.

2014-08-26

A technique for engine control to account for fuel effects including providing an internal combustion engine and a controller to regulate operation thereof, the engine being operable to combust a fuel to produce an exhaust gas; establishing a plurality of fuel property inputs; establishing a plurality of engine performance inputs; generating engine control information as a function of the fuel property inputs and the engine performance inputs; and accessing the engine control information with the controller to regulate at least one engine operating parameter.

The experiences of women engineers who have completed one to five years of professional engineering employment: A phenomenological study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

White, Susan M.

Women engineers remain underrepresented in employment in engineering fields in the United States. Feminist theory views this gender disparity beyond equity in numbers for women engineers and looks at structural issues of women's access, opportunities, and quality of experience in the workplace. Research on women's success and persistence in engineering education is diverse; however, there are few studies that focus on the early years of women's careers in engineering and less using a phenomenological research design. Experiences of women engineers who have completed one to five years of professional engineering employment are presented using a phenomenological research design. Research questions explored the individual and composite experiences for the co-researchers of the study as well as challenges and advantages of the phenomenon of having completed one to five years of professional engineering employment. Themes that emanated from the data were a feeling that engineering is a positive profession, liking math and science from an early age, having experiences of attending math and science camps or learning and practicing engineering interests with their fathers for some co-researchers. Other themes included a feeling of being different as a woman in the engineering workplace, taking advantage of opportunities for training, education, and advancement to further their careers, and the role of informal and formal mentoring in developing workplace networks and engineering expertise. Co-researchers negotiated issues of management quality and support, experiences of gender discrimination in the workplace, and having to make decisions balancing their careers and family responsibilities. Finally, the women engineers for this research study expressed intentions to persist in their careers while pursuing expertise and experience in their individual engineering fields.

75 FR 19428 - Advisory Committee for Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-14

... Engineering; Notice of Meeting In accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92- 463, as... Computer and Information Science and Engineering--(1115). Date and Time: May 7, 2010, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m... Information Science and Engineering at 703/292-8900 prior to the meeting so that a visitor's badge may be...

77 FR 66873 - Advisory Committee for Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-07

... Engineering; Notice of Meeting In accordance with Federal Advisory Committee Act (Pub. L. 92-463, as amended... and Information Science and Engineering (1115). Date/Time: November 28, 2012: 12:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m... Information Science and Engineering (CISE) community. To provide advice to the Assistant Director for CISE on...

Information engineering

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

Hunt, D.N.

1997-02-01

The Information Engineering thrust area develops information technology to support the programmatic needs of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory`s Engineering Directorate. Progress in five programmatic areas are described in separate reports contained herein. These are entitled Three-dimensional Object Creation, Manipulation, and Transport, Zephyr:A Secure Internet-Based Process to Streamline Engineering Procurements, Subcarrier Multiplexing: Optical Network Demonstrations, Parallel Optical Interconnect Technology Demonstration, and Intelligent Automation Architecture.

Accessible engineering drawings for visually impaired machine operators.

PubMed

Ramteke, Deepak; Kansal, Gayatri; Madhab, Benu

2014-01-01

An engineering drawing provides manufacturing information to a machine operator. An operator plans and executes machining operations based on this information. A visually impaired (VI) operator does not have direct access to the drawings. Drawing information is provided to them verbally or by using sample parts. Both methods have limitations that affect the quality of output. Use of engineering drawings is a standard practice for every industry; this hampers employment of a VI operator. Accessible engineering drawings are required to increase both independence, as well as, employability of VI operators. Today, Computer Aided Design (CAD) software is used for making engineering drawings, which are saved in CAD files. Required information is extracted from the CAD files and converted into Braille or voice. The authors of this article propose a method to make engineering drawings information directly accessible to a VI operator.

Development of Health Information Search Engine Based on Metadata and Ontology

PubMed Central

Song, Tae-Min; Jin, Dal-Lae

2014-01-01

Objectives The aim of the study was to develop a metadata and ontology-based health information search engine ensuring semantic interoperability to collect and provide health information using different application programs. Methods Health information metadata ontology was developed using a distributed semantic Web content publishing model based on vocabularies used to index the contents generated by the information producers as well as those used to search the contents by the users. Vocabulary for health information ontology was mapped to the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), and a list of about 1,500 terms was proposed. The metadata schema used in this study was developed by adding an element describing the target audience to the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set. Results A metadata schema and an ontology ensuring interoperability of health information available on the internet were developed. The metadata and ontology-based health information search engine developed in this study produced a better search result compared to existing search engines. Conclusions Health information search engine based on metadata and ontology will provide reliable health information to both information producer and information consumers. PMID:24872907

Development of health information search engine based on metadata and ontology.

PubMed

Song, Tae-Min; Park, Hyeoun-Ae; Jin, Dal-Lae

2014-04-01

The aim of the study was to develop a metadata and ontology-based health information search engine ensuring semantic interoperability to collect and provide health information using different application programs. Health information metadata ontology was developed using a distributed semantic Web content publishing model based on vocabularies used to index the contents generated by the information producers as well as those used to search the contents by the users. Vocabulary for health information ontology was mapped to the Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine Clinical Terms (SNOMED CT), and a list of about 1,500 terms was proposed. The metadata schema used in this study was developed by adding an element describing the target audience to the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set. A metadata schema and an ontology ensuring interoperability of health information available on the internet were developed. The metadata and ontology-based health information search engine developed in this study produced a better search result compared to existing search engines. Health information search engine based on metadata and ontology will provide reliable health information to both information producer and information consumers.

Exploring the atomic structure and conformational flexibility of a 320 Å long engineered viral fiber using X-ray crystallography.

PubMed

Bhardwaj, Anshul; Casjens, Sherwood R; Cingolani, Gino

2014-02-01

Protein fibers are widespread in nature, but only a limited number of high-resolution structures have been determined experimentally. Unlike globular proteins, fibers are usually recalcitrant to form three-dimensional crystals, preventing single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. In the absence of three-dimensional crystals, X-ray fiber diffraction is a powerful tool to determine the internal symmetry of a fiber, but it rarely yields atomic resolution structural information on complex protein fibers. An 85-residue-long minimal coiled-coil repeat unit (MiCRU) was previously identified in the trimeric helical core of tail needle gp26, a fibrous protein emanating from the tail apparatus of the bacteriophage P22 virion. Here, evidence is provided that an MiCRU can be inserted in frame inside the gp26 helical core to generate a rationally extended fiber (gp26-2M) which, like gp26, retains a trimeric quaternary structure in solution. The 2.7 Å resolution crystal structure of this engineered fiber, which measures ∼320 Å in length and is only 20-35 Å wide, was determined. This structure, the longest for a trimeric protein fiber to be determined to such a high resolution, reveals the architecture of 22 consecutive trimerization heptads and provides a framework to decipher the structural determinants for protein fiber assembly, stability and flexibility.

PolySac3DB: an annotated data base of 3 dimensional structures of polysaccharides.

PubMed

Sarkar, Anita; Pérez, Serge

2012-11-14

Polysaccharides are ubiquitously present in the living world. Their structural versatility makes them important and interesting components in numerous biological and technological processes ranging from structural stabilization to a variety of immunologically important molecular recognition events. The knowledge of polysaccharide three-dimensional (3D) structure is important in studying carbohydrate-mediated host-pathogen interactions, interactions with other bio-macromolecules, drug design and vaccine development as well as material science applications or production of bio-ethanol. PolySac3DB is an annotated database that contains the 3D structural information of 157 polysaccharide entries that have been collected from an extensive screening of scientific literature. They have been systematically organized using standard names in the field of carbohydrate research into 18 categories representing polysaccharide families. Structure-related information includes the saccharides making up the repeat unit(s) and their glycosidic linkages, the expanded 3D representation of the repeat unit, unit cell dimensions and space group, helix type, diffraction diagram(s) (when applicable), experimental and/or simulation methods used for structure description, link to the abstract of the publication, reference and the atomic coordinate files for visualization and download. The database is accompanied by a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI). It features interactive displays of polysaccharide structures and customized search options for beginners and experts, respectively. The site also serves as an information portal for polysaccharide structure determination techniques. The web-interface also references external links where other carbohydrate-related resources are available. PolySac3DB is established to maintain information on the detailed 3D structures of polysaccharides. All the data and features are available via the web-interface utilizing the search engine and can be accessed at http://polysac3db.cermav.cnrs.fr.

The Design and Implementation of a Graphical VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) User Interface

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-01

VHSIC Program Office appropriately summarized the motivation behind VHDL as follows: Computer -aided engineering is a nightmare of incompatible formats and... Computer Science Branch. Interactive VHDL Workstation: Program Status Review Report, 8 October 1987. Air Force Contract F33615-85-C-1862. Information Systems...Typical Program Structure .................................. 14 3 Figure 4. GVUI Top-Level SADT Diagram ............................... .24 Figure 5

Computational Study of the Structure and Mechanical Properties of the Molecular Crystal RDX

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

Doctor of Philosophy, 2011 Directed By: Assistant Professor Santiago D. Solares , Department of Mechanical Engineering Molecular crystals...Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response...NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT unclassified b. ABSTRACT unclassified c. THIS PAGE unclassified Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed

Identification of GATC- and CCGG- recognizing Type II REases and their putative specificity-determining positions using Scan2S—a novel motif scan algorithm with optional secondary structure constraints

PubMed Central

Niv, Masha Y.; Skrabanek, Lucy; Roberts, Richard J.; Scheraga, Harold A.; Weinstein, Harel

2008-01-01

Restriction endonucleases (REases) are DNA-cleaving enzymes that have become indispensable tools in molecular biology. Type II REases are highly divergent in sequence despite their common structural core, function and, in some cases, common specificities towards DNA sequences. This makes it difficult to identify and classify them functionally based on sequence, and has hampered the efforts of specificity-engineering. Here, we define novel REase sequence motifs, which extend beyond the PD-(D/E)XK hallmark, and incorporate secondary structure information. The automated search using these motifs is carried out with a newly developed fast regular expression matching algorithm that accommodates long patterns with optional secondary structure constraints. Using this new tool, named Scan2S, motifs derived from REases with specificity towards GATC- and CGGG-containing DNA sequences successfully identify REases of the same specificity. Notably, some of these sequences are not identified by standard sequence detection tools. The new motifs highlight potential specificity-determining positions that do not fully overlap for the GATC- and the CCGG-recognizing REases and are candidates for specificity re-engineering. PMID:17972284

Identification of GATC- and CCGG-recognizing Type II REases and their putative specificity-determining positions using Scan2S--a novel motif scan algorithm with optional secondary structure constraints.

PubMed

Niv, Masha Y; Skrabanek, Lucy; Roberts, Richard J; Scheraga, Harold A; Weinstein, Harel

2008-05-01

Restriction endonucleases (REases) are DNA-cleaving enzymes that have become indispensable tools in molecular biology. Type II REases are highly divergent in sequence despite their common structural core, function and, in some cases, common specificities towards DNA sequences. This makes it difficult to identify and classify them functionally based on sequence, and has hampered the efforts of specificity-engineering. Here, we define novel REase sequence motifs, which extend beyond the PD-(D/E)XK hallmark, and incorporate secondary structure information. The automated search using these motifs is carried out with a newly developed fast regular expression matching algorithm that accommodates long patterns with optional secondary structure constraints. Using this new tool, named Scan2S, motifs derived from REases with specificity towards GATC- and CGGG-containing DNA sequences successfully identify REases of the same specificity. Notably, some of these sequences are not identified by standard sequence detection tools. The new motifs highlight potential specificity-determining positions that do not fully overlap for the GATC- and the CCGG-recognizing REases and are candidates for specificity re-engineering.

Genome-Wide Analysis of Oleosin Gene Family in 22 Tree Species: An Accelerator for Metabolic Engineering of BioFuel Crops and Agrigenomics Industrial Applications?

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Abstract Trees contribute to enormous plant oil reserves because many trees contain 50%–80% of oil (triacylglycerols, TAGs) in the fruits and kernels. TAGs accumulate in subcellular structures called oil bodies/droplets, in which TAGs are covered by low-molecular-mass hydrophobic proteins called oleosins (OLEs). The OLEs/TAGs ratio determines the size and shape of intracellular oil bodies. There is a lack of comprehensive sequence analysis and structural information of OLEs among diverse trees. The objectives of this study were to identify OLEs from 22 tree species (e.g., tung tree, tea-oil tree, castor bean), perform genome-wide analysis of OLEs, classify OLEs, identify conserved sequence motifs and amino acid residues, and predict secondary and three-dimensional structures in tree OLEs and OLE subfamilies. Data mining identified 65 OLEs with perfect conservation of the “proline knot” motif (PX5SPX3P) from 19 trees. These OLEs contained >40% hydrophobic amino acid residues. They displayed similar properties and amino acid composition. Genome-wide phylogenetic analysis and multiple sequence alignment demonstrated that these proteins could be classified into five OLE subfamilies. There were distinct patterns of sequence conservation among the OLE subfamilies and within individual tree species. Computational modeling indicated that OLEs were composed of at least three α-helixes connected with short coils without any β-strand and that they exhibited distinct 3D structures and ligand binding sites. These analyses provide fundamental information in the similarity and specificity of diverse OLE isoforms within the same subfamily and among the different species, which should facilitate studying the structure-function relationship and identify critical amino acid residues in OLEs for metabolic engineering of tree TAGs. PMID:26258573

Genome-Wide Analysis of Oleosin Gene Family in 22 Tree Species: An Accelerator for Metabolic Engineering of BioFuel Crops and Agrigenomics Industrial Applications?

PubMed

Cao, Heping

2015-09-01

Trees contribute to enormous plant oil reserves because many trees contain 50%-80% of oil (triacylglycerols, TAGs) in the fruits and kernels. TAGs accumulate in subcellular structures called oil bodies/droplets, in which TAGs are covered by low-molecular-mass hydrophobic proteins called oleosins (OLEs). The OLEs/TAGs ratio determines the size and shape of intracellular oil bodies. There is a lack of comprehensive sequence analysis and structural information of OLEs among diverse trees. The objectives of this study were to identify OLEs from 22 tree species (e.g., tung tree, tea-oil tree, castor bean), perform genome-wide analysis of OLEs, classify OLEs, identify conserved sequence motifs and amino acid residues, and predict secondary and three-dimensional structures in tree OLEs and OLE subfamilies. Data mining identified 65 OLEs with perfect conservation of the "proline knot" motif (PX5SPX3P) from 19 trees. These OLEs contained >40% hydrophobic amino acid residues. They displayed similar properties and amino acid composition. Genome-wide phylogenetic analysis and multiple sequence alignment demonstrated that these proteins could be classified into five OLE subfamilies. There were distinct patterns of sequence conservation among the OLE subfamilies and within individual tree species. Computational modeling indicated that OLEs were composed of at least three α-helixes connected with short coils without any β-strand and that they exhibited distinct 3D structures and ligand binding sites. These analyses provide fundamental information in the similarity and specificity of diverse OLE isoforms within the same subfamily and among the different species, which should facilitate studying the structure-function relationship and identify critical amino acid residues in OLEs for metabolic engineering of tree TAGs.

COM5/443: Health Portals, Search Engines and Intranets: Making order of the chaos - A review article

PubMed Central

Maini, P

1999-01-01

Effective use of technology has led to medical advances that have not only extended life expectancy, but also fuelled an increasingly well informed public's desires to expect more and more from today's healthcare providers. A phenomenal amount of medical information is now present, facilitated by the virtually unrestricted ability to publish on the Internet. The WWW grows by roughly a million pages per day with a significant number devoted to some element of healthcare. As a consequence of the web's rapid, chaotic growth, the resulting network of information lacks organisation and structure and the quest for a method of finding relevant and reliable information quickly is spawning the growth of the Internet Portal Sites. The use of intranets confers some degree of organisation, allowing for structured growth of an organisation's web site but the majority of sites are not sheltered within an intranet. Millions of dollars are being invested in researching the technologies powering search engines and well designed portals, in the hope of imposing some kind of order on the existing chaos. The winner will most likely reap huge financial rewards as advertisers climb on board, hoping to gain massive exposure and the public will undoubtedly gain from relevant and timely answers to their searches and queries. Information is a valuable commodity, but the true value is seen only when it is organised into an accessible and useable form. The coming of age of the Internet has heralded radical changes in the fabric and economics of healthcare and as a consequence our expectations from professionals involved in this industry are greatly increased. Although significant challenges need to be overcome, there are huge benefits to be gained for consumers, although it remains to be seen whether the world becomes a more healthy place.

Damage assessment of bridge infrastructure subjected to flood-related hazards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michalis, Panagiotis; Cahill, Paul; Bekić, Damir; Kerin, Igor; Pakrashi, Vikram; Lapthorne, John; Morais, João Gonçalo Martins Paulo; McKeogh, Eamon

2017-04-01

Transportation assets represent a critical component of society's infrastructure systems. Flood-related hazards are considered one of the main climate change impacts on highway and railway infrastructure, threatening the security and functionality of transportation systems. Of such hazards, flood-induced scour is a primarily cause of bridge collapses worldwide and one of the most complex and challenging water flow and erosion phenomena, leading to structural instability and ultimately catastrophic failures. Evaluation of scour risk under severe flood events is a particularly challenging issue considering that depth of foundations is very difficult to evaluate in water environment. The continual inspection, assessment and maintenance of bridges and other hydraulic structures under extreme flood events requires a multidisciplinary approach, including knowledge and expertise of hydraulics, hydrology, structural engineering, geotechnics and infrastructure management. The large number of bridges under a single management unit also highlights the need for efficient management, information sharing and self-informing systems to provide reliable, cost-effective flood and scour risk management. The "Intelligent Bridge Assessment Maintenance and Management System" (BRIDGE SMS) is an EU/FP7 funded project which aims to couple state-of-the art scientific expertise in multidisciplinary engineering sectors with industrial knowledge in infrastructure management. This involves the application of integrated low-cost structural health monitoring systems to provide real-time information towards the development of an intelligent decision support tool and a web-based platform to assess and efficiently manage bridge assets. This study documents the technological experience and presents results obtained from the application of sensing systems focusing on the damage assessment of water-hazards at bridges over watercourses in Ireland. The applied instrumentation is interfaced with an open-source platform that can offer a more economical remote monitoring solution. The results presented in this investigation provide an important guide for a multidisciplinary approach to bridge monitoring and can be used as a benchmark for the field application of cost-effective and robust sensing methods. This will deliver key information regarding the impact of water-related hazards at bridge structures through an integrated structural health monitoring and management system. Acknowledgement: The authors wish to acknowledge the financial support of the European Commission, through the Marie Curie action Industry-Academia Partnership and Pathways Network BRIDGE SMS (Intelligent Bridge Assessment Maintenance and Management System) - FP7-People-2013-IAPP- 612517.

Analysis of ehealth search perspectives among female college students in the health professions using Q methodology.

PubMed

Stellefson, Michael; Hanik, Bruce; Chaney, J Don; Tennant, Bethany

2012-04-27

The current "Millennial Generation" of college students majoring in the health professions has unprecedented access to the Internet. Although some research has been initiated among medical professionals to investigate the cognitive basis for health information searches on the Internet, little is known about Internet search practices among health and medical professional students. To systematically identify health professional college student perspectives of personal eHealth search practices. Q methodology was used to examine subjective perspectives regarding personal eHealth search practices among allied health students majoring in a health education degree program. Thirteen (n = 13) undergraduate students were interviewed about their attitudes and experiences conducting eHealth searches. From the interviews, 36 statements were used in a structured ranking task to identify clusters and determine which specific perceptions of eHealth search practices discriminated students into different groups. Scores on an objective measure of eHealth literacy were used to help categorize participant perspectives. Q-technique factor analysis of the rankings identified 3 clusters of respondents with differing views on eHealth searches that generally coincided with participants' objective eHealth literacy scores. The proficient resourceful students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.56-0.80) described themselves as using multiple resources to obtain eHealth information, as opposed to simply relying on Internet search engines. The intermediate reluctant students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.75-0.90) reported engaging only Internet search engines to locate eHealth information, citing undeveloped evaluation skills when considering sources of information located on the Internet. Both groups of advanced students reported not knowing how to use Boolean operators to conduct Internet health searches. The basic hubristic students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.54-0.76) described themselves as independent procrastinators when searching for eHealth information. Interestingly, basic hubristic students represented the only cluster of participants to describe themselves as (1) having received instruction on using the Internet to conduct eHealth searches, and (2) possessing relative confidence when completing a search task. Subjective perspectives of eHealth search practices differed among students possessing different levels of eHealth literacy. These multiple perspectives present both challenges and opportunities for empowering college students in the health professions to use the Internet to obtain and appraise evidence-based health information using the Internet.

Analysis of eHealth Search Perspectives Among Female College Students in the Health Professions Using Q Methodology

PubMed Central

Hanik, Bruce; Chaney, J. Don; Tennant, Bethany

2012-01-01

Background The current “Millennial Generation” of college students majoring in the health professions has unprecedented access to the Internet. Although some research has been initiated among medical professionals to investigate the cognitive basis for health information searches on the Internet, little is known about Internet search practices among health and medical professional students. Objective To systematically identify health professional college student perspectives of personal eHealth search practices. Methods Q methodology was used to examine subjective perspectives regarding personal eHealth search practices among allied health students majoring in a health education degree program. Thirteen (n = 13) undergraduate students were interviewed about their attitudes and experiences conducting eHealth searches. From the interviews, 36 statements were used in a structured ranking task to identify clusters and determine which specific perceptions of eHealth search practices discriminated students into different groups. Scores on an objective measure of eHealth literacy were used to help categorize participant perspectives. Results Q-technique factor analysis of the rankings identified 3 clusters of respondents with differing views on eHealth searches that generally coincided with participants’ objective eHealth literacy scores. The proficient resourceful students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.56-0.80) described themselves as using multiple resources to obtain eHealth information, as opposed to simply relying on Internet search engines. The intermediate reluctant students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.75-0.90) reported engaging only Internet search engines to locate eHealth information, citing undeveloped evaluation skills when considering sources of information located on the Internet. Both groups of advanced students reported not knowing how to use Boolean operators to conduct Internet health searches. The basic hubristic students (pattern/structure coefficient range 0.54-0.76) described themselves as independent procrastinators when searching for eHealth information. Interestingly, basic hubristic students represented the only cluster of participants to describe themselves as (1) having received instruction on using the Internet to conduct eHealth searches, and (2) possessing relative confidence when completing a search task. Conclusions Subjective perspectives of eHealth search practices differed among students possessing different levels of eHealth literacy. These multiple perspectives present both challenges and opportunities for empowering college students in the health professions to use the Internet to obtain and appraise evidence-based health information using the Internet. PMID:22543437

14 CFR 91.1415 - CAMP: Mechanical reliability reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... the engine, adjacent structure, equipment, or components; (5) An aircraft component that causes... flight when external damage to the engine or aircraft structure occurs; (8) Engine shutdown during flight... ground; (14) Aircraft structure that requires major repair; (15) Cracks, permanent deformation, or...

14 CFR 91.1415 - CAMP: Mechanical reliability reports.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... the engine, adjacent structure, equipment, or components; (5) An aircraft component that causes... flight when external damage to the engine or aircraft structure occurs; (8) Engine shutdown during flight... ground; (14) Aircraft structure that requires major repair; (15) Cracks, permanent deformation, or...

Chapter D. The Loma Prieta, California, Earthquake of October 17, 1989 - Earth Structures and Engineering Characterization of Ground Motion

USGS Publications Warehouse

Holzer, Thomas L.

1998-01-01

This chapter contains two papers that summarize the performance of engineered earth structures, dams and stabilized excavations in soil, and two papers that characterize for engineering purposes the attenuation of ground motion with distance during the Loma Prieta earthquake. Documenting the field performance of engineered structures and confirming empirically based predictions of ground motion are critical for safe and cost effective seismic design of future structures as well as the retrofitting of existing ones.

An Engineering Technology Skills Framework that Reflects Workforce Needs on Maui and the Big Island of Hawai'i

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seagroves, S.; Hunter, L.

2010-12-01

The Akamai Workforce Initiative (AWI) is an interdisciplinary effort to improve science/engineering education in the state of Hawai'i, and to train a diverse population of local students in the skills needed for a high-tech economy. In 2009, the AWI undertook a survey of industry partners on Maui and the Big Island of Hawai'i to develop an engineering technology skills framework that will guide curriculum development at the U. of Hawai'i - Maui (formerly Maui Community College). This engineering skills framework builds directly on past engineering-education developments within the Center for Adaptive Optics Professional Development Program, and draws on curriculum development frameworks and engineering skills standards from the literature. Coupling that previous work with reviews of past Akamai Internship projects and information from previous conversations with the local high-tech community led to a structured-interview format where engineers and managers could contribute meaningful commentary to this framework. By incorporating these local high-tech companies' needs for entry-level engineers and technicians, a skills framework emerges that is unique and illuminating. Two surprising features arise in this framework: (1) "technician-like" skills of making existing technology work are on similar footing with "engineer-like" skills of creating new technology; in fact, both engineers and technicians at these workplaces use both sets of skills; and (2) project management skills are emphasized by employers even for entry-level positions.

Terahertz spectroscopy properties of the selected engine oils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Shouming; Zhao, Kun; Lu, Tian; Zhao, Songqing; Zhou, Qingli; Shi, Yulei; Zhao, Dongmei; Zhang, Cunlin

2010-11-01

Engine oil, most of which is extracted from petroleum, consist of complex mixtures of hydrocarbons of molecular weights in the range of 250-1000. Variable amounts of different additives are put into them to inhibit oxidation, improve the viscosity index, decrease the fluidity point and avoid foaming or settling of solid particles among others. Terahertz (THz) spectroscopy contains rich physical, chemical, and structural information of the materials. Most low-frequency vibrational and rotational spectra of many petrochemicals lie in this frequency range. In recent years, much attention has been paid to the THz spectroscopic studies of petroleum products. In this paper, the optical properties and spectroscopy of selected kinds of engine oil consisting of shell HELIX 10W-40, Mobilube GX 80W-90, GEELY ENGINE OIL SG 10W-30, SMA engine oil SG 5W-30, SMA engine oil SG 10W-30, SMA engine oil SG 75W-90 have been studied by the terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) in the spectral range of 0.6-2.5 THz. Engine oil with different viscosities in the terahertz spectrum has certain regularity. In the THz-TDS, with the increase of viscosity, time delay is greater and with the increase of viscosity, refractive indexes also grow and their rank is extremely regular. The specific kinds of engine oil can be identified according to their different spectral features in the THz range. The THz-TDS technology has potentially significant impact on the engine oil analysis.

Independent Peer Review of Communications, Navigation, and Networking re-Configurable Testbed (CoNNeCT) Project Antenna Pointing Subsystem (APS) Integrated Gimbal Assembly (IGA) Structural Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raju, Ivatury S.; Larsen, Curtis E.; Pellicciotti, Joseph W.

2010-01-01

Glenn Research Center Chief Engineer's Office requested an independent review of the structural analysis and modeling of the Communications, Navigation, and Networking re-Configurable Testbed (CoNNeCT) Project Antenna Pointing Subsystem (APS) Integrated Gimbal Assembly (IGA) to be conducted by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). At this time, the IGA had completed its critical design review (CDR). The assessment was to be a peer review of the NEi-NASTRAN1 model of the APS Antenna, and not a peer review of the design and the analysis that had been completed by the GRC team for CDR. Thus, only a limited amount of information was provided on the structural analysis. However, the NESC team had difficulty separating analysis concerns from modeling issues. The team studied the NASTRAN model, but did not fully investigate how the model was used by the CoNNeCT Project and how the Project was interpreting the results. The team's findings, observations, and NESC recommendations are contained in this report.

NASA GSFC Opportunities for STEM Professionals Using the Vantage Point of Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meeson, Blanche W.; Robbins, Geraldine B.

2012-01-01

NASA has a variety of learning opportunities for STEM professionals. Three opportunities at GSFC are examined in this chapter: 1) standard summer research and development internship for undergraduates, 2) senior internship for undergraduate and graduate students and 3) a workshop series for informal learning center professionals. We describe these programs, examine their evolution with respect to most effective education practices and their assessment and evaluation, and identify the similarities and differences between them. The internship programs highlight authentic project-based research and development experiences with the senior internship providing a richer, deeper, and more demanding experience that has greater professional value. The workshops for informal learning center professionals on-the-other hand, focus on building knowledge of GSFC s science and engineering strengths among these professionals, and on building enduring partnerships between individuals (participants and GSFC scientist, engineers and educators) and between organizations (GSFC and the informal learning center). Finally, we examine the characteristics of these programs from a design and management perspective. Through this examination we identify a general structure that provides insight into more effective design and management of similar education programs.

A distributed cloud-based cyberinfrastructure framework for integrated bridge monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Seongwoon; Hou, Rui; Lynch, Jerome P.; Sohn, Hoon; Law, Kincho H.

2017-04-01

This paper describes a cloud-based cyberinfrastructure framework for the management of the diverse data involved in bridge monitoring. Bridge monitoring involves various hardware systems, software tools and laborious activities that include, for examples, a structural health monitoring (SHM), sensor network, engineering analysis programs and visual inspection. Very often, these monitoring systems, tools and activities are not coordinated, and the collected information are not shared. A well-designed integrated data management framework can support the effective use of the data and, thereby, enhance bridge management and maintenance operations. The cloud-based cyberinfrastructure framework presented herein is designed to manage not only sensor measurement data acquired from the SHM system, but also other relevant information, such as bridge engineering model and traffic videos, in an integrated manner. For the scalability and flexibility, cloud computing services and distributed database systems are employed. The information stored can be accessed through standard web interfaces. For demonstration, the cyberinfrastructure system is implemented for the monitoring of the bridges located along the I-275 Corridor in the state of Michigan.

Selective Guide to Literature on Agricultural Engineering. Engineering Literature Guides, Number 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cloud, Gayla Staples, Comp.

Agricultural engineering overlaps many other disciplines. This document is a survey of information sources in agricultural engineering and is intended to identify those core resources which can help engineers and librarians to find information about the discipline. Sections include: (1) "Guides to the Literature"; (2) "Bibliographies"; (3)…

MetaSEEk: a content-based metasearch engine for images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beigi, Mandis; Benitez, Ana B.; Chang, Shih-Fu

1997-12-01

Search engines are the most powerful resources for finding information on the rapidly expanding World Wide Web (WWW). Finding the desired search engines and learning how to use them, however, can be very time consuming. The integration of such search tools enables the users to access information across the world in a transparent and efficient manner. These systems are called meta-search engines. The recent emergence of visual information retrieval (VIR) search engines on the web is leading to the same efficiency problem. This paper describes and evaluates MetaSEEk, a content-based meta-search engine used for finding images on the Web based on their visual information. MetaSEEk is designed to intelligently select and interface with multiple on-line image search engines by ranking their performance for different classes of user queries. User feedback is also integrated in the ranking refinement. We compare MetaSEEk with a base line version of meta-search engine, which does not use the past performance of the different search engines in recommending target search engines for future queries.

77 FR 37283 - Airworthiness Directives; Turbomeca S.A. Turboshaft Engines

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-21

... INFORMATION CONTACT: Rose Len, Aerospace Engineer, Engine Certification Office, FAA, Engine & Propeller...; email: rose[email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Discussion We issued a notice of proposed... air commerce by prescribing regulations for practices, methods, and procedures the Administrator finds...

Embryo mechanics: balancing force production with elastic resistance during morphogenesis.

PubMed

Davidson, Lance A

2011-01-01

Morphogenesis requires the spatial and temporal control of embryo mechanics, including force production and mechanical resistance to those forces, to coordinate tissue deformation and large-scale movements. Thus, biomechanical processes play a key role in directly shaping the embryo. Additional roles for embryo mechanics during development may include the patterning of positional information and to provide feedback to ensure the success of morphogenetic movements in shaping the larval body and organs. To understand the multiple roles of mechanics during development requires familiarity with engineering principles of the mechanics of structures, the viscoelastic properties of biomaterials, and the integration of force and stress within embryonic structures as morphogenesis progresses. In this chapter, we review the basic engineering principles of biomechanics as they relate to morphogenesis, introduce methods for quantifying embryo mechanics and the limitations of these methods, and outline a formalism for investigating the role of embryo mechanics in birth defects. We encourage the nascent field of embryo mechanics to adopt standard engineering terms and test methods so that studies of diverse organisms can be compared and universal biomechanical principles can be revealed. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Creative Problem-Solving Abilities in Undergraduate Structural Engineers through Interdisciplinary Problem-Based Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCrum, Daniel Patrick

2017-01-01

For a structural engineer, effective communication and interaction with architects cannot be underestimated as a key skill to success throughout their professional career. Structural engineers and architects have to share a common language and understanding of each other in order to achieve the most desirable architectural and structural designs.…

3D Numerical simulation of bed morphological responses to complex in-streamstructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Y.; Liu, X.

2017-12-01

In-stream structures are widely used in stream restoration for both hydraulic and ecologicalpurposes. The geometries of the structures are usually designed to be extremely complex andirregular, so as to provide nature-like physical habitat. The aim of this study is to develop anumerical model to accurately predict the bed-load transport and the morphological changescaused by the complex in-stream structures. This model is developed in the platform ofOpenFOAM. In the hydrodynamics part, it utilizes different turbulence models to capture thedetailed turbulence information near the in-stream structures. The technique of immersedboundary method (IBM) is efficiently implemented in the model to describe the movable bendand the rigid solid body of in-stream structures. With IBM, the difficulty of mesh generation onthe complex geometry is greatly alleviated, and the bed surface deformation is able to becoupled in to flow system. This morphodynamics model is firstly validated by simple structures,such as the morphology of the scour in log-vane structure. Then it is applied in a more complexstructure, engineered log jams (ELJ), which consists of multiple logs piled together. Thenumerical results including turbulence flow information and bed morphological responses areevaluated against the experimental measurement within the exact same flow condition.

Information Geography: A Bridge between Engineering and the Social Sciences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paradiso, Maria

2006-01-01

This paper presents the metaphor of engineering and the social sciences located on either side of a chasm and connected by the bridge of information geography. Information geography is not an integral part of engineering and is a new field within geography, a social science discipline. The specialty of information geography is one of the newest in…

Using argument notation to engineer biological simulations with increased confidence

PubMed Central

Alden, Kieran; Andrews, Paul S.; Polack, Fiona A. C.; Veiga-Fernandes, Henrique; Coles, Mark C.; Timmis, Jon

2015-01-01

The application of computational and mathematical modelling to explore the mechanics of biological systems is becoming prevalent. To significantly impact biological research, notably in developing novel therapeutics, it is critical that the model adequately represents the captured system. Confidence in adopting in silico approaches can be improved by applying a structured argumentation approach, alongside model development and results analysis. We propose an approach based on argumentation from safety-critical systems engineering, where a system is subjected to a stringent analysis of compliance against identified criteria. We show its use in examining the biological information upon which a model is based, identifying model strengths, highlighting areas requiring additional biological experimentation and providing documentation to support model publication. We demonstrate our use of structured argumentation in the development of a model of lymphoid tissue formation, specifically Peyer's Patches. The argumentation structure is captured using Artoo (www.york.ac.uk/ycil/software/artoo), our Web-based tool for constructing fitness-for-purpose arguments, using a notation based on the safety-critical goal structuring notation. We show how argumentation helps in making the design and structured analysis of a model transparent, capturing the reasoning behind the inclusion or exclusion of each biological feature and recording assumptions, as well as pointing to evidence supporting model-derived conclusions. PMID:25589574

Using argument notation to engineer biological simulations with increased confidence.

PubMed

Alden, Kieran; Andrews, Paul S; Polack, Fiona A C; Veiga-Fernandes, Henrique; Coles, Mark C; Timmis, Jon

2015-03-06

The application of computational and mathematical modelling to explore the mechanics of biological systems is becoming prevalent. To significantly impact biological research, notably in developing novel therapeutics, it is critical that the model adequately represents the captured system. Confidence in adopting in silico approaches can be improved by applying a structured argumentation approach, alongside model development and results analysis. We propose an approach based on argumentation from safety-critical systems engineering, where a system is subjected to a stringent analysis of compliance against identified criteria. We show its use in examining the biological information upon which a model is based, identifying model strengths, highlighting areas requiring additional biological experimentation and providing documentation to support model publication. We demonstrate our use of structured argumentation in the development of a model of lymphoid tissue formation, specifically Peyer's Patches. The argumentation structure is captured using Artoo (www.york.ac.uk/ycil/software/artoo), our Web-based tool for constructing fitness-for-purpose arguments, using a notation based on the safety-critical goal structuring notation. We show how argumentation helps in making the design and structured analysis of a model transparent, capturing the reasoning behind the inclusion or exclusion of each biological feature and recording assumptions, as well as pointing to evidence supporting model-derived conclusions.

An Exploratory Study of Cost Engineering in Axiomatic Design: Creation of the Cost Model Based on an FR-DP Map

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Taesik; Jeziorek, Peter

2004-01-01

Large complex projects cost large sums of money throughout their life cycle for a variety of reasons and causes. For such large programs, the credible estimation of the project cost, a quick assessment of the cost of making changes, and the management of the project budget with effective cost reduction determine the viability of the project. Cost engineering that deals with these issues requires a rigorous method and systematic processes. This paper introduces a logical framework to a&e effective cost engineering. The framework is built upon Axiomatic Design process. The structure in the Axiomatic Design process provides a good foundation to closely tie engineering design and cost information together. The cost framework presented in this paper is a systematic link between the functional domain (FRs), physical domain (DPs), cost domain (CUs), and a task/process-based model. The FR-DP map relates a system s functional requirements to design solutions across all levels and branches of the decomposition hierarchy. DPs are mapped into CUs, which provides a means to estimate the cost of design solutions - DPs - from the cost of the physical entities in the system - CUs. The task/process model describes the iterative process ot-developing each of the CUs, and is used to estimate the cost of CUs. By linking the four domains, this framework provides a superior traceability from requirements to cost information.

75 FR 2057 - Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Model A340-200 and A340-300 Series Airplanes

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-14

... could lead to the loss of the load path for the forward engine mount and damage to other engine mount... loss of the load path for the forward engine mount and damage to other engine mount structures, which... loss of the load path for the forward engine mount and damage to other engine mount structures, which...

Social network extraction based on Web: 3. the integrated superficial method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasution, M. K. M.; Sitompul, O. S.; Noah, S. A.

2018-03-01

The Web as a source of information has become part of the social behavior information. Although, by involving only the limitation of information disclosed by search engines in the form of: hit counts, snippets, and URL addresses of web pages, the integrated extraction method produces a social network not only trusted but enriched. Unintegrated extraction methods may produce social networks without explanation, resulting in poor supplemental information, or resulting in a social network of durmise laden, consequently unrepresentative social structures. The integrated superficial method in addition to generating the core social network, also generates an expanded network so as to reach the scope of relation clues, or number of edges computationally almost similar to n(n - 1)/2 for n social actors.

The Human Side of Information's Converging Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Berney

1982-01-01

Discusses current issues in the design of information systems, noting contributions from three professions--computer science, human factors engineering, and information science. The eclectic nature of human factors engineering and the difficulty of drawing together studies with human engineering or software psychological components from diverse…

75 FR 65385 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-22

... Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES). SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement of section 3506(c)(2)(A... of the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation. Type of Information Collection Request: New... inform decision making regarding the future of NSF support for earthquake engineering research...

An engineered transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) monomer that functions as a dominant negative to block TGF-β signaling

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

Kim, Sun Kyung; Barron, Lindsey; Hinck, Cynthia S.

The transforming growth factor β isoforms, TGF-β1, -β2, and -β3, are small secreted homodimeric signaling proteins with essential roles in regulating the adaptive immune system and maintaining the extracellular matrix. However, dysregulation of the TGF-β pathway is responsible for promoting the progression of several human diseases, including cancer and fibrosis. Despite the known importance of TGF-βs in promoting disease progression, no inhibitors have been approved for use in humans. Herein, we describe an engineered TGF-β monomer, lacking the heel helix, a structural motif essential for binding the TGF-β type I receptor (TβRI) but dispensable for binding the other receptor requiredmore » for TGF-β signaling, the TGF-β type II receptor (TβRII), as an alternative therapeutic modality for blocking TGF-β signaling in humans. As shown through binding studies and crystallography, the engineered monomer retained the same overall structure of native TGF-β monomers and bound TβRII in an identical manner. Cell-based luciferase assays showed that the engineered monomer functioned as a dominant negative to inhibit TGF-β signaling with a Ki of 20–70 nM. Investigation of the mechanism showed that the high affinity of the engineered monomer for TβRII, coupled with its reduced ability to non-covalently dimerize and its inability to bind and recruit TβRI, enabled it to bind endogenous TβRII but prevented it from binding and recruiting TβRI to form a signaling complex. Such engineered monomers provide a new avenue to probe and manipulate TGF-β signaling and may inform similar modifications of other TGF-β family members.« less

Building on the past, planning for the future

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

Woodall, D.M.

1996-12-31

A University Working Conference (UWC) sponsored by the American Nuclear Society (ANS) was held on June 14 and 15, 1996, prior to the ANS Annual Meeting in Reno, Nevada. With a theme of {open_quotes}Building on the Past, Planning for the Future,{close_quotes} the meeting was the successor to the first UWC held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1995. This workshop refined the recommendations to the national nuclear engineering academic community of the earlier UWC on strategies for success in the 21st century. This UWC had 40 attendees from academe and industry, and the program was developed around the outcomes of the Philadelphiamore » meeting. The general chair of UWC96 was Don Miller of Ohio State University, while the author of this paper served as the technical program chair. Assistant technical program chairs included Madeline Feltus of Pennsylvania State University, Dan Bullen of Iowa State University, and Gilbert Brown of the University of Massachusetts Lowell. A working conference is often loosely structured, with an informal, flexible program, consisting of a few highlight or keynote presentations followed by workshop sessions devoted to a theme area. The workshop sessions at this meeting included the following: 1. strategic planning in today`s climate; 2. university/industry research collaboration; 3. profiles of nuclear engineering and radiological engineering students, now and in the future; 4. accreditation issues, especially ABET`s engineering 2000; 5. employment of nuclear and radiological engineers; 6. new program thrusts in nuclear engineering departments; 7. uses of new technology in the classroom and laboratory; 8. internet access to information for education; 9. distance education/remote delivery of curricula.« less

A systems engineering approach to automated failure cause diagnosis in space power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolce, James L.; Faymon, Karl A.

1987-01-01

Automatic failure-cause diagnosis is a key element in autonomous operation of space power systems such as Space Station's. A rule-based diagnostic system has been developed for determining the cause of degraded performance. The knowledge required for such diagnosis is elicited from the system engineering process by using traditional failure analysis techniques. Symptoms, failures, causes, and detector information are represented with structured data; and diagnostic procedural knowledge is represented with rules. Detected symptoms instantiate failure modes and possible causes consistent with currently held beliefs about the likelihood of the cause. A diagnosis concludes with an explanation of the observed symptoms in terms of a chain of possible causes and subcauses.

24 CFR 200.934 - User fee system for the technical suitability of products program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... section establishes fee requirements for the issuance of Structural Engineering Bulletins (SEBs), Mechanical Engineering Bulletins (MEBs), Truss Connector Bulletins (TCBs), Area Letters of Acceptance (ALAs... Department. (i) With respect to Mechanical Engineering Bulletins (MEBs), Structural Engineering Bulletins...

24 CFR 200.934 - User fee system for the technical suitability of products program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... section establishes fee requirements for the issuance of Structural Engineering Bulletins (SEBs), Mechanical Engineering Bulletins (MEBs), Truss Connector Bulletins (TCBs), Area Letters of Acceptance (ALAs... Department. (i) With respect to Mechanical Engineering Bulletins (MEBs), Structural Engineering Bulletins...

24 CFR 200.934 - User fee system for the technical suitability of products program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... section establishes fee requirements for the issuance of Structural Engineering Bulletins (SEBs), Mechanical Engineering Bulletins (MEBs), Truss Connector Bulletins (TCBs), Area Letters of Acceptance (ALAs... Department. (i) With respect to Mechanical Engineering Bulletins (MEBs), Structural Engineering Bulletins...

24 CFR 200.934 - User fee system for the technical suitability of products program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... section establishes fee requirements for the issuance of Structural Engineering Bulletins (SEBs), Mechanical Engineering Bulletins (MEBs), Truss Connector Bulletins (TCBs), Area Letters of Acceptance (ALAs... Department. (i) With respect to Mechanical Engineering Bulletins (MEBs), Structural Engineering Bulletins...

Applications of the Cambridge Structural Database in organic chemistry and crystal chemistry.

PubMed

Allen, Frank H; Motherwell, W D Samuel

2002-06-01

The Cambridge Structural Database (CSD) and its associated software systems have formed the basis for more than 800 research applications in structural chemistry, crystallography and the life sciences. Relevant references, dating from the mid-1970s, and brief synopses of these papers are collected in a database, DBUse, which is freely available via the CCDC website. This database has been used to review research applications of the CSD in organic chemistry, including supramolecular applications, and in organic crystal chemistry. The review concentrates on applications that have been published since 1990 and covers a wide range of topics, including structure correlation, conformational analysis, hydrogen bonding and other intermolecular interactions, studies of crystal packing, extended structural motifs, crystal engineering and polymorphism, and crystal structure prediction. Applications of CSD information in studies of crystal structure precision, the determination of crystal structures from powder diffraction data, together with applications in chemical informatics, are also discussed.

Modelling the blast environment and relating this to clinical injury: experience from the 7/7 inquest.

PubMed

Hepper, Alan E; Pope, D J; Bishop, M; Kirkman, E; Sedman, A; Russell, R; Mahoney, P F; Clasper, J

2014-06-01

This paper addresses the computational modelling of a series of specific blast-related incidents and the relationships of clinical and engineering interpretations. The Royal Centre for Defence Medicine and the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory were tasked in 2010 by the UK Ministry of Defence to assist the Coroner's inquests into the 7 July 2005 London bombings. A three phase approach was taken. The first phase included an engineering expert in blast effects on structures reviewing photographs of the damaged carriages and bus to give a view on the likely physical effects on people close to the explosions. The second phase was a clinical review of the evidence by military clinicians to assess blast injury in the casualties. The third phase was to model the blast environment by structural dynamics experts to assess likely blast loading on victims to evaluate the potential blast loading on individuals. This loading information was then assessed by physiology experts. Once all teams (engineering, clinical and modelling/physiological) had separately arrived at their conclusions, the information streams were integrated to arrive at a consensus. The aim of this paper is to describe the methodology used as a potential model for others to consider if faced with a similar investigation, and to show the benefit of the transition of military knowledge to a civilian environment. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Ethical considerations for a better collaboration between architects and structural engineers: design of buildings with reinforced concrete frame systems in earthquake zones.

PubMed

Hurol, Yonca

2014-06-01

Architects design building structures, although structural design is the profession of structural engineers. Thus, it is better for architects and structural engineers to collaborate starting from the initial phases of the architectural design. However, this is not very common because of the contradictory design processes and value systems held within the two professions. This article provides a platform upon which architects and structural engineers can resolve the value conflicts between them by analysing phases of the structural design of reinforced concrete frame systems in architecture, the criteria of the structural design for each phase and determining the conflicting values for each criterion. The results shown in the article demonstrate that the architectural design of structures is a complex process, which is based on contradictory values and value systems. Finally, the article suggests to architects and structural engineers to use Value Sensitive Design and to choose an appropriate team leader in order to resolve the unethical conflict between them and to avoid any unreasonable decision making.

Selective Guide to Literature on Mining Engineering. Engineering Literature Guides, Number 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdmann, Charlotte A., Comp.

The multidisciplinary field of mining engineering offers many challenges. Often, many sources must be used to solve a problem. This document is a survey of information sources in mining engineering and is intended to identify those core resources which can help engineers and librarians to find information about the discipline. Sections include:…

Imaging challenges in biomaterials and tissue engineering

PubMed Central

Appel, Alyssa A.; Anastasio, Mark A.; Larson, Jeffery C.; Brey, Eric M.

2013-01-01

Biomaterials are employed in the fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TERM) in order to enhance the regeneration or replacement of tissue function and/or structure. The unique environments resulting from the presence of biomaterials, cells, and tissues result in distinct challenges in regards to monitoring and assessing the results of these interventions. Imaging technologies for three-dimensional (3D) analysis have been identified as a strategic priority in TERM research. Traditionally, histological and immunohistochemical techniques have been used to evaluate engineered tissues. However, these methods do not allow for an accurate volume assessment, are invasive, and do not provide information on functional status. Imaging techniques are needed that enable non-destructive, longitudinal, quantitative, and three-dimensional analysis of TERM strategies. This review focuses on evaluating the application of available imaging modalities for assessment of biomaterials and tissue in TERM applications. Included is a discussion of limitations of these techniques and identification of areas for further development. PMID:23768903

Engineering Globular Protein Vesicles through Tunable Self-Assembly of Recombinant Fusion Proteins

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

Jang, Yeongseon; Choi, Won Tae; Heller, William T.

Vesicles assembled from folded, globular proteins have potential for functions different from traditional lipid or polymeric vesicles. However, they also present challenges in understanding the assembly process and controlling vesicle properties. From detailed investigation of the assembly behavior of recombinant fusion proteins, this work reports a simple strategy to engineer protein vesicles containing functional, globular domains. This is achieved through tunable self-assembly of recombinant globular fusion proteins containing leucine zippers and elastin-like polypeptides. The fusion proteins form complexes in solution via high affinity binding of the zippers, and transition through dynamic coacervates to stable hollow vesicles upon warming. The thermalmore » driving force, which can be tuned by protein concentration or temperature, controls both vesicle size and whether vesicles are single or bi-layered. Lastly, these results provide critical information to engineer globular protein vesicles via self-assembly with desired size and membrane structure.« less

Engineering Globular Protein Vesicles through Tunable Self-Assembly of Recombinant Fusion Proteins

DOE PAGES

Jang, Yeongseon; Choi, Won Tae; Heller, William T.; ...

2017-07-27

Vesicles assembled from folded, globular proteins have potential for functions different from traditional lipid or polymeric vesicles. However, they also present challenges in understanding the assembly process and controlling vesicle properties. From detailed investigation of the assembly behavior of recombinant fusion proteins, this work reports a simple strategy to engineer protein vesicles containing functional, globular domains. This is achieved through tunable self-assembly of recombinant globular fusion proteins containing leucine zippers and elastin-like polypeptides. The fusion proteins form complexes in solution via high affinity binding of the zippers, and transition through dynamic coacervates to stable hollow vesicles upon warming. The thermalmore » driving force, which can be tuned by protein concentration or temperature, controls both vesicle size and whether vesicles are single or bi-layered. Lastly, these results provide critical information to engineer globular protein vesicles via self-assembly with desired size and membrane structure.« less

Project-oriented teaching model about specialized courses in the information age

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiaodong; Wang, Jinjiang; Tian, Qingguo; Wang, Yi; Cai, Huaiyu

2017-08-01

Specialized courses play a significant role in the usage of basic knowledge in the practical application for engineering college students. The engineering data available has sharply increased since the beginning of the information age in the 20th century, providing much more approaches to study and practice. Therefore, how to guide students to make full use of resources for active engineering practice learning has become one of the key problems for specialized courses. This paper took the digital image processing course for opto-electronic information science and technology major as an example, discussed the teaching model of specialized course in the information age, put forward the "engineering resource oriented model", and fostered the ability of engineering students to use the basic knowledge to innovate and deal with specific project objectives. The fusion of engineering examples into practical training and teaching encourages students to practice independent engineering thinking.

Computational structural mechanics engine structures computational simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chamis, C. C.

1989-01-01

The Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) program at Lewis encompasses: (1) fundamental aspects for formulating and solving structural mechanics problems, and (2) development of integrated software systems to computationally simulate the performance/durability/life of engine structures.

33 CFR 240.9 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

..., sketches, and similar engineering data and information sufficient to permit analysis of the local proposal. (b) The District Engineer shall review the engineering adequacy of the local proposal and its... the Chief of Engineers to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) and provide information on...

33 CFR 240.9 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

..., sketches, and similar engineering data and information sufficient to permit analysis of the local proposal. (b) The District Engineer shall review the engineering adequacy of the local proposal and its... the Chief of Engineers to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) and provide information on...

33 CFR 240.9 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

..., sketches, and similar engineering data and information sufficient to permit analysis of the local proposal. (b) The District Engineer shall review the engineering adequacy of the local proposal and its... the Chief of Engineers to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) and provide information on...

33 CFR 240.9 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., sketches, and similar engineering data and information sufficient to permit analysis of the local proposal. (b) The District Engineer shall review the engineering adequacy of the local proposal and its... the Chief of Engineers to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) and provide information on...

33 CFR 240.9 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., sketches, and similar engineering data and information sufficient to permit analysis of the local proposal. (b) The District Engineer shall review the engineering adequacy of the local proposal and its... the Chief of Engineers to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civil Works) and provide information on...

78 FR 13286 - Sharing Certain Business Information Regarding the Introduction of Genetically Engineered...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-27

... Information Regarding the Introduction of Genetically Engineered Organisms With State and Tribal Government... proposing to amend our regulations regarding genetically engineered organisms regulated by the United States...). The regulations refer to such genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products as ``regulated...

Aircraft Engine-Monitoring System And Display

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abbott, Terence S.; Person, Lee H., Jr.

1992-01-01

Proposed Engine Health Monitoring System and Display (EHMSD) provides enhanced means for pilot to control and monitor performances of engines. Processes raw sensor data into information meaningful to pilot. Provides graphical information about performance capabilities, current performance, and operational conditions in components or subsystems of engines. Provides means to control engine thrust directly and innovative means to monitor performance of engine system rapidly and reliably. Features reduce pilot workload and increase operational safety.

New paradigm in ankyrin repeats: Beyond protein-protein interaction module.

PubMed

Islam, Zeyaul; Nagampalli, Raghavendra Sashi Krishna; Fatima, Munazza Tamkeen; Ashraf, Ghulam Md

2018-04-01

Classically, ankyrin repeat (ANK) proteins are built from tandems of two or more repeats and form curved solenoid structures that are associated with protein-protein interactions. These are short, widespread structural motif of around 33 amino acids repeats in tandem, having a canonical helix-loop-helix fold, found individually or in combination with other domains. The multiplicity of structural pattern enables it to form assemblies of diverse sizes, required for their abilities to confer multiple binding and structural roles of proteins. Three-dimensional structures of these repeats determined to date reveal a degree of structural variability that translates into the considerable functional versatility of this protein superfamily. Recent work on the ANK has proposed novel structural information, especially protein-lipid, protein-sugar and protein-protein interaction. Self-assembly of these repeats was also shown to prevent the associated protein in forming filaments. In this review, we summarize the latest findings and how the new structural information has increased our understanding of the structural determinants of ANK proteins. We discussed latest findings on how these proteins participate in various interactions to diversify the ANK roles in numerous biological processes, and explored the emerging and evolving field of designer ankyrins and its framework for protein engineering emphasizing on biotechnological applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interactive Information Organization: Techniques and Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-05-01

information search and access. Locating interesting information on the World Wide Web is the main task of on-line search engines . Such engines accept a...likelihood of being relevant to the user’s request. The majority of today’s Web search engines follow this scenario. The ordering of documents in the

78 FR 64255 - Advisory Committee for Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Cancellation of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-28

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advisory Committee for Computer and Information Science and Engineering; Cancellation of Meeting SUMMARY: As a result of the impact of the recent government shutdown, the... Committee for Computer and Information Science and Engineering meeting. The public notice for this committee...

Space Transportation System Western Launch Site Construction Management Information System - A Case Study.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-09-01

The Corps of Engineers Management Information System (COEMIS) is used by the Corps of Engineers in their role as Construction Agents on Air Force...California. The research concluded that the Corps of Engineers Management Information System can be an effective, efficient management tool which has the

Scenario analysis for techno-economic model development of U.S. offshore wind support structures

DOE PAGES

Damiani, Rick; Ning, Andrew; Maples, Ben; ...

2016-09-22

Challenging bathymetry and soil conditions of future US offshore wind power plants might promote the use of multimember, fixed-bottom structures (or 'jackets') in place of monopiles. Support structures affect costs associated with the balance of system and operation and maintenance. Understanding the link between these costs and the main environmental design drivers is crucial in the quest for a lower levelized cost of energy, and it is the main rationale for this work. Actual cost and engineering data are still scarce; hence, we evaluated a simplified engineering approach to tie key site and turbine parameters (e.g. water depth, wave height,more » tower-head mass, hub height and generator rating) to the overall support weight. A jacket-and-tower sizing tool, part of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's system engineering software suite, was utilized to achieve mass-optimized support structures for 81 different configurations. This tool set provides preliminary sizing of all jacket components. Results showed reasonable agreement with the available industry data, and that the jacket mass is mainly driven by water depth, but hub height and tower-head mass become more influential at greater turbine ratings. A larger sensitivity of the structural mass to wave height and target eigenfrequency was observed for the deepest water conditions (>40 m). Thus, techno-economic analyses using this model should be based on accurate estimates of actual metocean conditions and turbine parameters especially for deep waters. Finally, the relationships derived from this study will inform National Renewable Energy Laboratory's offshore balance of system cost model, and they will be used to evaluate the impact of changes in technology on offshore wind lower levelized cost of energy.« less

The Development of a Graphical User Interface Engine for the Convenient Use of the HL7 Version 2.x Interface Engine

PubMed Central

Kim, Hwa Sun; Cho, Hune

2011-01-01

Objectives The Health Level Seven Interface Engine (HL7 IE), developed by Kyungpook National University, has been employed in health information systems, however users without a background in programming have reported difficulties in using it. Therefore, we developed a graphical user interface (GUI) engine to make the use of the HL7 IE more convenient. Methods The GUI engine was directly connected with the HL7 IE to handle the HL7 version 2.x messages. Furthermore, the information exchange rules (called the mapping data), represented by a conceptual graph in the GUI engine, were transformed into program objects that were made available to the HL7 IE; the mapping data were stored as binary files for reuse. The usefulness of the GUI engine was examined through information exchange tests between an HL7 version 2.x message and a health information database system. Results Users could easily create HL7 version 2.x messages by creating a conceptual graph through the GUI engine without requiring assistance from programmers. In addition, time could be saved when creating new information exchange rules by reusing the stored mapping data. Conclusions The GUI engine was not able to incorporate information types (e.g., extensible markup language, XML) other than the HL7 version 2.x messages and the database, because it was designed exclusively for the HL7 IE protocol. However, in future work, by including additional parsers to manage XML-based information such as Continuity of Care Documents (CCD) and Continuity of Care Records (CCR), we plan to ensure that the GUI engine will be more widely accessible for the health field. PMID:22259723

The Development of a Graphical User Interface Engine for the Convenient Use of the HL7 Version 2.x Interface Engine.

PubMed

Kim, Hwa Sun; Cho, Hune; Lee, In Keun

2011-12-01

The Health Level Seven Interface Engine (HL7 IE), developed by Kyungpook National University, has been employed in health information systems, however users without a background in programming have reported difficulties in using it. Therefore, we developed a graphical user interface (GUI) engine to make the use of the HL7 IE more convenient. The GUI engine was directly connected with the HL7 IE to handle the HL7 version 2.x messages. Furthermore, the information exchange rules (called the mapping data), represented by a conceptual graph in the GUI engine, were transformed into program objects that were made available to the HL7 IE; the mapping data were stored as binary files for reuse. The usefulness of the GUI engine was examined through information exchange tests between an HL7 version 2.x message and a health information database system. Users could easily create HL7 version 2.x messages by creating a conceptual graph through the GUI engine without requiring assistance from programmers. In addition, time could be saved when creating new information exchange rules by reusing the stored mapping data. The GUI engine was not able to incorporate information types (e.g., extensible markup language, XML) other than the HL7 version 2.x messages and the database, because it was designed exclusively for the HL7 IE protocol. However, in future work, by including additional parsers to manage XML-based information such as Continuity of Care Documents (CCD) and Continuity of Care Records (CCR), we plan to ensure that the GUI engine will be more widely accessible for the health field.

Heat engine driven by purely quantum information.

PubMed

Park, Jung Jun; Kim, Kang-Hwan; Sagawa, Takahiro; Kim, Sang Wook

2013-12-06

The key question of this Letter is whether work can be extracted from a heat engine by using purely quantum mechanical information. If the answer is yes, what is its mathematical formula? First, by using a bipartite memory we show that the work extractable from a heat engine is bounded not only by the free energy change and the sum of the entropy change of an individual memory but also by the change of quantum mutual information contained inside the memory. We then find that the engine can be driven by purely quantum information, expressed as the so-called quantum discord, forming a part of the quantum mutual information. To confirm it, as a physical example we present the Szilard engine containing a diatomic molecule with a semipermeable wall.

Inventory of gate-sensing equipment at 14 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dams in Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harwell, Glenn R.

2005-01-01

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is a worldwide organization that provides engineering services, environmental restoration, and construction support for a wide variety of civil and military projects. The primary civil mission of the USACE is developing and managing the Nation's water resources. USACE develops projects to reduce flood damage, improve navigation channels and harbors, protect wetlands, and preserve, safeguard, and enhance the environment. Additional missions of the Corps include managing federal real estate, assisting communities with emergency operations and recovery, and providing recreation opportunities.Accurate and timely information on reservoir gate openings is critical for managing flood pools, reducing flood damage downstream from reservoirs, delivering drinking-water supplies, and meeting an assortment of competing downstream water-use needs. Documentation, operation, and maintenance of gate sensors are needed so that reliable, timely information is available to USACE to make reservoir operation decisions.USACE requested that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) prepare an inventory and documentation of existing gate-sensing equipment at 14 reservoirs that will serve as a user’s manual for operating the equipment. The 14 reservoirs include Aquilla Lake, Bardwell Lake, Benbrook Lake, Canyon Lake, Georgetown Lake, Granger Lake, Grapevine Lake, Jim Chapman Lake, Joe Pool Lake, Lake O’ the Pines, Ray Roberts Lake, Somerville Lake, Stillhouse Hollow Lake, and Wright Patman Lake.This report presents the inventory and documentation of the existing gate-sensing equipment at the 14. The report is organized by lake; information in each lake section includes location of lake and intake structure, directions to each lake (road log), access, equipment description, operation and maintenance information, job hazard analysis, wiring diagrams, photographs, and datalogger programs. The report also includes a list of contact information for the different manufacturers of equipment in service at the lakes.

Dynamic Creation of Social Networks for Syndromic Surveillance Using Information Fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holsopple, Jared; Yang, Shanchieh; Sudit, Moises; Stotz, Adam

To enhance the effectiveness of health care, many medical institutions have started transitioning to electronic health and medical records and sharing these records between institutions. The large amount of complex and diverse data makes it difficult to identify and track relationships and trends, such as disease outbreaks, from the data points. INFERD: Information Fusion Engine for Real-Time Decision-Making is an information fusion tool that dynamically correlates and tracks event progressions. This paper presents a methodology that utilizes the efficient and flexible structure of INFERD to create social networks representing progressions of disease outbreaks. Individual symptoms are treated as features allowing multiple hypothesis being tracked and analyzed for effective and comprehensive syndromic surveillance.

Strain sensors optimal placement for vibration-based structural health monitoring. The effect of damage on the initially optimal configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loutas, T. H.; Bourikas, A.

2017-12-01

We revisit the optimal sensor placement of engineering structures problem with an emphasis on in-plane dynamic strain measurements and to the direction of modal identification as well as vibration-based damage detection for structural health monitoring purposes. The approach utilized is based on the maximization of a norm of the Fisher Information Matrix built with numerically obtained mode shapes of the structure and at the same time prohibit the sensorization of neighbor degrees of freedom as well as those carrying similar information, in order to obtain a satisfactory coverage. A new convergence criterion of the Fisher Information Matrix (FIM) norm is proposed in order to deal with the issue of choosing an appropriate sensor redundancy threshold, a concept recently introduced but not further investigated concerning its choice. The sensor configurations obtained via a forward sequential placement algorithm are sub-optimal in terms of FIM norm values but the selected sensors are not allowed to be placed in neighbor degrees of freedom providing thus a better coverage of the structure and a subsequent better identification of the experimental mode shapes. The issue of how service induced damage affects the initially nominated as optimal sensor configuration is also investigated and reported. The numerical model of a composite sandwich panel serves as a representative aerospace structure upon which our investigations are based.

Chemical addressability of potato virus X for its applications in bio/nanotechnology.

PubMed

Le, Duc H T; Hu, He; Commandeur, Ulrich; Steinmetz, Nicole F

2017-12-01

Potato virus X (PVX), a type member of the plant virus potexvirus group, offers a unique nanotechnology platform based on its high aspect ratio and flexible filamentous shape. The PVX platform has already been engineered and studied for its uses in imaging, drug delivery, and immunotherapies. While genetic engineering procedures are well established for PVX, there is limited information about chemical conjugation strategies for functionalizing PVX, partly due to the lack of structural information of PVX at high resolution. To overcome these challenges, we built a structural model of the PVX particle based on the available structures from pepino mosaic virus (PepMV), a close cousin of PVX. Using the model and a series of chemical conjugation experiments, we identified and probed the addressability of cysteine side chains. Chemical reactivity of cysteines was confirmed using Michael-addition and thiol-selective probes, including fluorescent dyes and biotin tags. LC/MS/MS was used to map Cys 121 as having the highest selectivity for modification. Finally, building on the availability of two reactive groups, the newly identified Cys and previously established Lys side chains, we prepared multifunctional PVX nanoparticles by conjugating Gd-DOTA for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to lysines and fluorescent dyes for optical imaging to cysteines. The resulting functionalized nanofilament could have applications in dual-modal optical-MRI imaging applications. These results further extend the understanding of the chemical properties of PVX and enable development of novel multifunctional platforms in bio/nanotechnology. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.