Wing Configuration Impact on Design Optimums for a Subsonic Passenger Transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wells, Douglas P.

2014-01-01

This study sought to compare four aircraft wing configurations at a conceptual level using a multi-disciplinary optimization (MDO) process. The MDO framework used was created by Georgia Institute of Technology and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. They created a multi-disciplinary design and optimization environment that could capture the unique features of the truss-braced wing (TBW) configuration. The four wing configurations selected for the study were a low wing cantilever installation, a high wing cantilever, a strut-braced wing, and a single jury TBW. The mission that was used for this study was a 160 passenger transport aircraft with a design range of 2,875 nautical miles at the design payload, flown at a cruise Mach number of 0.78. This paper includes discussion and optimization results for multiple design objectives. Five design objectives were chosen to illustrate the impact of selected objective on the optimization result: minimum takeoff gross weight (TOGW), minimum operating empty weight, minimum block fuel weight, maximum start of cruise lift-to-drag ratio, and minimum start of cruise drag coefficient. The results show that the design objective selected will impact the characteristics of the optimized aircraft. Although minimum life cycle cost was not one of the objectives, TOGW is often used as a proxy for life cycle cost. The low wing cantilever had the lowest TOGW followed by the strut-braced wing.

Stylization levels of industrial design objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kukhta, M. S.; Sokolov, A. P.; Krauinsh, D. P.; Bouchard, C.

2017-01-01

The urgency of the research of form making problem in design is associated with the necessity of new understanding of visual culture and new approaches to design engineering representing the integration of artistic and designed problems. The aim of this research is to study the levels of stylization of design objects and dependance (relation) on the specific project objectives and existing technologies. On the ground of quantitative evaluation, the stylization measures are emphasized: figurative image, stylized image and abstract image. Theoretic conclusions are complemented by practical problem solution over creating openwork metal lantern. Variants of both the traditional mains supply of the lantern and the autonomic supply system based on solar energy were offered. The role of semantic factor, affecting the depth of perception of design objects semantic space, is represented in this paper.

A Case Study: Developing Learning Objects with an Explicit Learning Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Julie

2010-01-01

In learning object design an emphasis on visual attractiveness and high technological impact has seemed to persist while content frequently reflects a lack of clear pedagogical basis for the application of learning objects for online learning. Most apparent is the absence of supportive scaffolding for the student user; interactivity built on an…

Aeroelastic Optimization Study Based on the X-56A Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Li, Wesley W.; Pak, Chan-Gi

2014-01-01

One way to increase the aircraft fuel efficiency is to reduce structural weight while maintaining adequate structural airworthiness, both statically and aeroelastically. A design process which incorporates the object-oriented multidisciplinary design, analysis, and optimization (MDAO) tool and the aeroelastic effects of high fidelity finite element models to characterize the design space was successfully developed and established. This paper presents two multidisciplinary design optimization studies using an object-oriented MDAO tool developed at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. The first study demonstrates the use of aeroelastic tailoring concepts to minimize the structural weight while meeting the design requirements including strength, buckling, and flutter. Such an approach exploits the anisotropic capabilities of the fiber composite materials chosen for this analytical exercise with ply stacking sequence. A hybrid and discretization optimization approach improves accuracy and computational efficiency of a global optimization algorithm. The second study presents a flutter mass balancing optimization study for the fabricated flexible wing of the X-56A model since a desired flutter speed band is required for the active flutter suppression demonstration during flight testing. The results of the second study provide guidance to modify the wing design and move the design flutter speeds back into the flight envelope so that the original objective of X-56A flight test can be accomplished successfully. The second case also demonstrates that the object-oriented MDAO tool can handle multiple analytical configurations in a single optimization run.

[Digital learning object for diagnostic reasoning in nursing applied to the integumentary system].

PubMed

da Costa, Cecília Passos Vaz; Luz, Maria Helena Barros Araújo

2015-12-01

To describe the creation of a digital learning object for diagnostic reasoning in nursing applied to the integumentary system at a public university of Piaui. A methodological study applied to technological production based on the pedagogical framework of problem-based learning. The methodology for creating the learning object observed the stages of analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation recommended for contextualized instructional design. The revised taxonomy of Bloom was used to list the educational goals. The four modules of the developed learning object were inserted into the educational platform Moodle. The theoretical assumptions allowed the design of an important online resource that promotes effective learning in the scope of nursing education. This study should add value to nursing teaching practices through the use of digital learning objects for teaching diagnostic reasoning applied to skin and skin appendages.

Data Management Systems (DMS): Complex data types study. Volume 1: Appendices A-B. Volume 2: Appendices C1-C5. Volume 3: Appendices D1-D3 and E

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leibfried, T. F., Jr.; Davari, Sadegh; Natarajan, Swami; Zhao, Wei

1992-01-01

Two categories were chosen for study: the issue of using a preprocessor on Ada code of Application Programs which would interface with the Run-Time Object Data Base Standard Services (RODB STSV), the intent was to catch and correct any mis-registration errors of the program coder between the user declared Objects, their types, their addresses, and the corresponding RODB definitions; and RODB STSV Performance Issues and Identification of Problems with the planned methods for accessing Primitive Object Attributes, this included the study of an alternate storage scheme to the 'store objects by attribute' scheme in the current design of the RODB. The study resulted in essentially three separate documents, an interpretation of the system requirements, an assessment of the preliminary design, and a detailing of the components of a detailed design.

Role of the Direct Teaching Method in the Academic Achievement of Students in English at the Secondary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussain, Ishtiaq; Inamullah, Hafiz; Naseer-Ud-Din, Muhammad; Hafizatullah, Hafiz

2009-01-01

The major objective of this study was to determine the role of the direct teaching method in the academic achievement of students in English at the secondary level. To achieve the said objective, the "Solomon Four-Design pre-test/post-test equivalent group design" was considered to be the most useful design for this study. The pre-test…

Colour, vision and ergonomics.

PubMed

Pinheiro, Cristina; da Silva, Fernando Moreira

2012-01-01

This paper is based on a research project - Visual Communication and Inclusive Design-Colour, Legibility and Aged Vision, developed at the Faculty of Architecture of Lisbon. The research has the aim of determining specific design principles to be applied to visual communication design (printed) objects, in order to be easily read and perceived by all. This study target group was composed by a selection of socially active individuals, between 55 and 80 years, and we used cultural events posters as objects of study and observation. The main objective is to overlap the study of areas such as colour, vision, older people's colour vision, ergonomics, chromatic contrasts, typography and legibility. In the end we will produce a manual with guidelines and information to apply scientific knowledge into the communication design projectual practice. Within the normal aging process, visual functions gradually decline; the quality of vision worsens, colour vision and contrast sensitivity are also affected. As people's needs change along with age, design should help people and communities, and improve life quality in the present. Applying principles of visually accessible design and ergonomics, the printed design objects, (or interior spaces, urban environments, products, signage and all kinds of visually information) will be effective, easier on everyone's eyes not only for visually impaired people but also for all of us as we age.

Optimal placement of trailing-edge flaps for helicopter vibration reduction using response surface methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viswamurthy, S. R.; Ganguli, Ranjan

2007-03-01

This study aims to determine optimal locations of dual trailing-edge flaps to achieve minimum hub vibration levels in a helicopter, while incurring low penalty in terms of required trailing-edge flap control power. An aeroelastic analysis based on finite elements in space and time is used in conjunction with an optimal control algorithm to determine the flap time history for vibration minimization. The reduced hub vibration levels and required flap control power (due to flap motion) are the two objectives considered in this study and the flap locations along the blade are the design variables. It is found that second order polynomial response surfaces based on the central composite design of the theory of design of experiments describe both objectives adequately. Numerical studies for a four-bladed hingeless rotor show that both objectives are more sensitive to outboard flap location compared to the inboard flap location by an order of magnitude. Optimization results show a disjoint Pareto surface between the two objectives. Two interesting design points are obtained. The first design gives 77 percent vibration reduction from baseline conditions (no flap motion) with a 7 percent increase in flap power compared to the initial design. The second design yields 70 percent reduction in hub vibration with a 27 percent reduction in flap power from the initial design.

A computer-aided approach to nonlinear control systhesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wie, Bong; Anthony, Tobin

1988-01-01

The major objective of this project is to develop a computer-aided approach to nonlinear stability analysis and nonlinear control system design. This goal is to be obtained by refining the describing function method as a synthesis tool for nonlinear control design. The interim report outlines the approach by this study to meet these goals including an introduction to the INteractive Controls Analysis (INCA) program which was instrumental in meeting these study objectives. A single-input describing function (SIDF) design methodology was developed in this study; coupled with the software constructed in this study, the results of this project provide a comprehensive tool for design and integration of nonlinear control systems.

Training requirements for railroad dispatchers : objectives, syllabi and test designs

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-11-01

This report presents the results of a study to develop railroad dispatcher training objectives, syllabi for three types of training programs and test designs for the three programs. Information about current railroad dispatching methods and training ...

Design of Learning Objects for Concept Learning: Effects of Multimedia Learning Principles and an Instructional Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Thomas K. F.; Churchill, Daniel

2016-01-01

Literature suggests using multimedia learning principles in the design of instructional material. However, these principles may not be sufficient for the design of learning objects for concept learning in mathematics. This paper reports on an experimental study that investigated the effects of an instructional approach, which includes two teaching…

Information management system study results. Volume 1: IMS study results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

The information management system (IMS) special emphasis task was performed as an adjunct to the modular space station study, with the objective of providing extended depth of analysis and design in selected key areas of the information management system. Specific objectives included: (1) in-depth studies of IMS requirements and design approaches; (2) design and fabricate breadboard hardware for demonstration and verification of design concepts; (3) provide a technological base to identify potential design problems and influence long range planning (4) develop hardware and techniques to permit long duration, low cost, manned space operations; (5) support SR&T areas where techniques or equipment are considered inadequate; and (6) permit an overall understanding of the IMS as an integrated component of the space station.

Stroke-Related Knowledge, Lifestyle Behaviours and Health Beliefs in Singaporean Chinese: Implications for Health Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wong, Wai Pong; Yeung, Meredith; Loh, Susan; Lee, Mina; Ghazali, F.; Chan, C. J.; Feng, S.; Liew, Y. V.; Seah, P. F.; Wee, J.; Wang, J.; Huang, X.; Dean, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

Objective: The objective of the present study was to describe stroke-related knowledge (risk factors, warning signs and emergency response), lifestyle behaviours and health beliefs among Singaporean Chinese, and to identify any factors associated with such knowledge, behaviours and beliefs. Design: This was a cross-sectional study design employing…

An Evaluation of Learning Objects in Singapore Primary Education: A Case Study Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grace, Tay Pei Lyn; Suan, Ng Peck; Wanzhen, Liaw

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the usability and interface design of e-learning portal developed for primary schools in Singapore. Design/methodology/approach: Using Singapore-based learning EDvantage (LEAD) portal as a case study, this paper reviews and analyses the usability and usefulness of embedded learning objects (LOs)…

Classroom versus Computer-Based CPR Training: A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Instructional Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rehberg, Robb S.; Gazzillo Diaz, Linda; Middlemas, David A.

2009-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine whether computer-based CPR training is comparable to traditional classroom training. Design and Setting: This study was quantitative in design. Data was gathered from a standardized examination and skill performance evaluation which yielded numerical scores. Subjects: The subjects were 64…

Young People's Perceptions of the Objective Physical Activity Monitoring Process: A Qualitative Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Joseph J.; Hansen, Vibeke; Morgan, Philip J.; Plotnikoff, Ronald C.; Lubans, David R.

2018-01-01

Objective: To explore young people's perceptions of pedometers and investigate behaviours exhibited while being monitored. Design: Qualitative design using six focus groups with participants (mean age 14.7 years). Setting: Study participants (n = 24) were randomly selected from a previous study of 123 young people aged 14-15 years from three…

Object-Oriented Control System Design Using On-Line Training of Artificial Neural Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rubaai, Ahmed

1997-01-01

This report deals with the object-oriented model development of a neuro-controller design for permanent magnet (PM) dc motor drives. The system under study is described as a collection of interacting objects. Each object module describes the object behaviors, called methods. The characteristics of the object are included in its variables. The knowledge of the object exists within its variables, and the performance is determined by its methods. This structure maps well to the real world objects that comprise the system being modeled. A dynamic learning architecture that possesses the capabilities of simultaneous on-line identification and control is incorporated to enforce constraints on connections and control the dynamics of the motor. The control action is implemented "on-line", in "real time" in such a way that the predicted trajectory follows a specified reference model. A design example of controlling a PM dc motor drive on-line shows the effectiveness of the design tool. This will therefore be very useful in aerospace applications. It is expected to provide an innovative and noval software model for the rocket engine numerical simulator executive.

Effect of Direct Teaching Method on the Academic Achievement of High and Low Achievers in the Subject of English at the Secondary Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hussain, Ishtiaq; Hamdani, Syed Nisar Hussain; Quraishi, Uzma; Zeeshan, Muhammad

2010-01-01

The major objective of the study was to determine the role of the direct teaching method in the academic achievement of students in English at the secondary level. To achieve the said objective, the Solomon Four-Design pre-test/post-test equivalent group design was considered to be the most useful design for this study. The pre-test was used to…

Multiobjective optimization techniques for structural design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, S. S.

1984-01-01

The multiobjective programming techniques are important in the design of complex structural systems whose quality depends generally on a number of different and often conflicting objective functions which cannot be combined into a single design objective. The applicability of multiobjective optimization techniques is studied with reference to simple design problems. Specifically, the parameter optimization of a cantilever beam with a tip mass and a three-degree-of-freedom vabration isolation system and the trajectory optimization of a cantilever beam are considered. The solutions of these multicriteria design problems are attempted by using global criterion, utility function, game theory, goal programming, goal attainment, bounded objective function, and lexicographic methods. It has been observed that the game theory approach required the maximum computational effort, but it yielded better optimum solutions with proper balance of the various objective functions in all the cases.

A Time of Flight Fast Neutron Imaging System Design Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Canion, Bonnie; Glenn, Andrew; Sheets, Steven; Wurtz, Ron; Nakae, Les; Hausladen, Paul; McConchie, Seth; Blackston, Matthew; Fabris, Lorenzo; Newby, Jason

2017-09-01

LLNL and ORNL are designing an active/passive fast neutron imaging system that is flexible to non-ideal detector positioning. It is often not possible to move an inspection object in fieldable imager applications such as safeguards, arms control treaty verification, and emergency response. Particularly, we are interested in scenarios which inspectors do not have access to all sides of an inspection object, due to interfering objects or walls. This paper will present the results of a simulation-based design parameter study, that will determine the optimum system design parameters for a fieldable system to perform time-of-flight based imaging analysis. The imaging analysis is based on the use of an associated particle imaging deuterium-tritium (API DT) neutron generator to get the time-of-flight of radiation induced within an inspection object. This design study will investigate the optimum design parameters for such a system (e.g. detector size, ideal placement, etc.), as well as the upper and lower feasible design parameters that the system can expect to provide results within a reasonable amount of time (e.g. minimum/maximum detector efficiency, detector standoff, etc.). Ideally the final prototype from this project will be capable of using full-access techniques, such as transmission imaging, when the measurement circumstances allow, but with the additional capability of producing results at reduced accessibility.

Optimizing an experimental design for an electromagnetic experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roux, Estelle; Garcia, Xavier

2013-04-01

Most of geophysical studies focus on data acquisition and analysis, but another aspect which is gaining importance is the discussion on acquisition of suitable datasets. This can be done through the design of an optimal experiment. Optimizing an experimental design implies a compromise between maximizing the information we get about the target and reducing the cost of the experiment, considering a wide range of constraints (logistical, financial, experimental …). We are currently developing a method to design an optimal controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) experiment to detect a potential CO2 reservoir and monitor this reservoir during and after CO2 injection. Our statistical algorithm combines the use of linearized inverse theory (to evaluate the quality of one given design via the objective function) and stochastic optimization methods like genetic algorithm (to examine a wide range of possible surveys). The particularity of our method is that it uses a multi-objective genetic algorithm that searches for designs that fit several objective functions simultaneously. One main advantage of this kind of technique to design an experiment is that it does not require the acquisition of any data and can thus be easily conducted before any geophysical survey. Our new experimental design algorithm has been tested with a realistic one-dimensional resistivity model of the Earth in the region of study (northern Spain CO2 sequestration test site). We show that a small number of well distributed observations have the potential to resolve the target. This simple test also points out the importance of a well chosen objective function. Finally, in the context of CO2 sequestration that motivates this study, we might be interested in maximizing the information we get about the reservoir layer. In that case, we show how the combination of two different objective functions considerably improve its resolution.

The research questions and methodological adequacy of clinical studies of the voice and larynx published in Brazilian and international journals.

PubMed

Vieira, Vanessa Pedrosa; De Biase, Noemi; Peccin, Maria Stella; Atallah, Alvaro Nagib

2009-06-01

To evaluate the methodological adequacy of voice and laryngeal study designs published in speech-language pathology and otorhinolaryngology journals indexed for the ISI Web of Knowledge (ISI Web) and the MEDLINE database. A cross-sectional study conducted at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo (Federal University of São Paulo). Two Brazilian speech-language pathology and otorhinolaryngology journals (Pró-Fono and Revista Brasileira de Otorrinolaringologia) and two international speech-language pathology and otorhinolaryngology journals (Journal of Voice, Laryngoscope), all dated between 2000 and 2004, were hand-searched by specialists. Subsequently, voice and larynx publications were separated, and a speech-language pathologist and otorhinolaryngologist classified 374 articles from the four journals according to objective and study design. The predominant objective contained in the articles was that of primary diagnostic evaluation (27%), and the most frequent study design was case series (33.7%). A mere 7.8% of the studies were designed adequately with respect to the stated objectives. There was no statistical difference in the methodological quality of studies indexed for the ISI Web and the MEDLINE database. The studies published in both national journals, indexed for the MEDLINE database, and international journals, indexed for the ISI Web, demonstrate weak methodology, with research poorly designed to meet the proposed objectives. There is much scientific work to be done in order to decrease uncertainty in the field analysed.

Robust design of multiple trailing edge flaps for helicopter vibration reduction: A multi-objective bat algorithm approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallick, Rajnish; Ganguli, Ranjan; Seetharama Bhat, M.

2015-09-01

The objective of this study is to determine an optimal trailing edge flap configuration and flap location to achieve minimum hub vibration levels and flap actuation power simultaneously. An aeroelastic analysis of a soft in-plane four-bladed rotor is performed in conjunction with optimal control. A second-order polynomial response surface based on an orthogonal array (OA) with 3-level design describes both the objectives adequately. Two new orthogonal arrays called MGB2P-OA and MGB4P-OA are proposed to generate nonlinear response surfaces with all interaction terms for two and four parameters, respectively. A multi-objective bat algorithm (MOBA) approach is used to obtain the optimal design point for the mutually conflicting objectives. MOBA is a recently developed nature-inspired metaheuristic optimization algorithm that is based on the echolocation behaviour of bats. It is found that MOBA inspired Pareto optimal trailing edge flap design reduces vibration levels by 73% and flap actuation power by 27% in comparison with the baseline design.

Object-oriented design and programming in medical decision support.

PubMed

Heathfield, H; Armstrong, J; Kirkham, N

1991-12-01

The concept of object-oriented design and programming has recently received a great deal of attention from the software engineering community. This paper highlights the realisable benefits of using the object-oriented approach in the design and development of clinical decision support systems. These systems seek to build a computational model of some problem domain and therefore tend to be exploratory in nature. Conventional procedural design techniques do not support either the process of model building or rapid prototyping. The central concepts of the object-oriented paradigm are introduced, namely encapsulation, inheritance and polymorphism, and their use illustrated in a case study, taken from the domain of breast histopathology. In particular, the dual roles of inheritance in object-oriented programming are examined, i.e., inheritance as a conceptual modelling tool and inheritance as a code reuse mechanism. It is argued that the use of the former is not entirely intuitive and may be difficult to incorporate into the design process. However, inheritance as a means of optimising code reuse offers substantial technical benefits.

Systematic procedure for designing processes with multiple environmental objectives.

PubMed

Kim, Ki-Joo; Smith, Raymond L

2005-04-01

Evaluation of multiple objectives is very important in designing environmentally benign processes. It requires a systematic procedure for solving multiobjective decision-making problems due to the complex nature of the problems, the need for complex assessments, and the complicated analysis of multidimensional results. In this paper, a novel systematic procedure is presented for designing processes with multiple environmental objectives. This procedure has four steps: initialization, screening, evaluation, and visualization. The first two steps are used for systematic problem formulation based on mass and energy estimation and order of magnitude analysis. In the third step, an efficient parallel multiobjective steady-state genetic algorithm is applied to design environmentally benign and economically viable processes and to provide more accurate and uniform Pareto optimal solutions. In the last step a new visualization technique for illustrating multiple objectives and their design parameters on the same diagram is developed. Through these integrated steps the decision-maker can easily determine design alternatives with respect to his or her preferences. Most importantly, this technique is independent of the number of objectives and design parameters. As a case study, acetic acid recovery from aqueous waste mixtures is investigated by minimizing eight potential environmental impacts and maximizing total profit. After applying the systematic procedure, the most preferred design alternatives and their design parameters are easily identified.

WV R-EMAP STUDY: MULTIPLE-OBJECTIVE SAMPLING DESIGN FRAMEWORK

EPA Science Inventory

A multi-objective sampling design has been implemented through Regional Monitoring and Assessment Program (R-EMAP) support of a cooperative agreement with the state of West Virginia. Goals of the project include: 1) development and testing of a temperature-adjusted fish IBI for t...

DATA QUALITY OBJECTIVES AND STATISTICAL DESIGN SUPPORT FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A MONITORING PROTOCOL FOR RECREATIONAL WATERS

EPA Science Inventory

The purpose of this report is to describe the outputs of the Data Quality Objectives (DQOs) Process and discussions about developing a statistical design that will be used to implement the research study of recreational beach waters.

Using Experimental Design and Data Analysis to Study the Enlisted Specialty Model for the U.S. Army G1

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE STUDY ..................43 APPENDIX. OBJECTIVE FUNTION COEFFICIENTS ...................47 LIST OF REFERENCES...experiments are designed so an analyst can conduct simultaneous examination of multiple factors and explore these factors and their relationship to output...or more components. 46 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 47 APPENDIX. OBJECTIVE FUNTION COEFFICIENTS

Design and analytical study of a rotor airfoil

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dadone, L. U.

1978-01-01

An airfoil section for use on helicopter rotor blades was defined and analyzed by means of potential flow/boundary layer interaction and viscous transonic flow methods to meet as closely as possible a set of advanced airfoil design objectives. The design efforts showed that the first priority objectives, including selected low speed pitching moment, maximum lift and drag divergence requirements can be met, though marginally. The maximum lift requirement at M = 0.5 and most of the profile drag objectives cannot be met without some compromise of at least one of the higher order priorities.

Europa Explorer - An Exceptional Mission Using Existing Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, Karla B.

2007-01-01

A mission to Europa has been identified as a high priority by the science community for several years. The difficulty of an orbital mission, primarily due to the propulsive requirements and Jupiter's trapped radiation, led to many studies which investigated various approaches to meeting the science goals. The Europa Orbiter Mission studied in the late 1990's only met the most fundamental science objectives. The science objectives have evolved with the discoveries from the Galileo mission. JPL studied one concept, Europa Explorer, for a Europa orbiting mission which could meet a much expanded set of science objectives. A study science group was formed to verify that the science objectives and goals were being adequately met by the resulting mission design concept. The Europa Explorer design emerged primarily from two key self-imposed constraints: 1) meet the full set of identified nonlander science objectives and 2) use only existing technology.

Escalator Design Features Evaluation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-05-01

This study provides an evaluation of the effectiveness of several special design features associated with escalators in rail transit systems. The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of three escalator design features: (1) mat ope...

Scalability of surrogate-assisted multi-objective optimization of antenna structures exploiting variable-fidelity electromagnetic simulation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koziel, Slawomir; Bekasiewicz, Adrian

2016-10-01

Multi-objective optimization of antenna structures is a challenging task owing to the high computational cost of evaluating the design objectives as well as the large number of adjustable parameters. Design speed-up can be achieved by means of surrogate-based optimization techniques. In particular, a combination of variable-fidelity electromagnetic (EM) simulations, design space reduction techniques, response surface approximation models and design refinement methods permits identification of the Pareto-optimal set of designs within a reasonable timeframe. Here, a study concerning the scalability of surrogate-assisted multi-objective antenna design is carried out based on a set of benchmark problems, with the dimensionality of the design space ranging from six to 24 and a CPU cost of the EM antenna model from 10 to 20 min per simulation. Numerical results indicate that the computational overhead of the design process increases more or less quadratically with the number of adjustable geometric parameters of the antenna structure at hand, which is a promising result from the point of view of handling even more complex problems.

[An object-oriented intelligent engineering design approach for lake pollution control].

PubMed

Zou, Rui; Zhou, Jing; Liu, Yong; Zhu, Xiang; Zhao, Lei; Yang, Ping-Jian; Guo, Huai-Cheng

2013-03-01

Regarding the shortage and deficiency of traditional lake pollution control engineering techniques, a new lake pollution control engineering approach was proposed in this study, based on object-oriented intelligent design (OOID) from the perspective of intelligence. It can provide a new methodology and framework for effectively controlling lake pollution and improving water quality. The differences between the traditional engineering techniques and the OOID approach were compared. The key points for OOID were described as object perspective, cause and effect foundation, set points into surface, and temporal and spatial optimization. The blue algae control in lake was taken as an example in this study. The effect of algae control and water quality improvement were analyzed in details from the perspective of object-oriented intelligent design based on two engineering techniques (vertical hydrodynamic mixer and pumping algaecide recharge). The modeling results showed that the traditional engineering design paradigm cannot provide scientific and effective guidance for engineering design and decision-making regarding lake pollution. Intelligent design approach is based on the object perspective and quantitative causal analysis in this case. This approach identified that the efficiency of mixers was much higher than pumps in achieving the goal of low to moderate water quality improvement. However, when the objective of water quality exceeded a certain value (such as the control objective of peak Chla concentration exceeded 100 microg x L(-1) in this experimental water), the mixer cannot achieve this goal. The pump technique can achieve the goal but with higher cost. The efficiency of combining the two techniques was higher than using one of the two techniques alone. Moreover, the quantitative scale control of the two engineering techniques has a significant impact on the actual project benefits and costs.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dallas, Dorothy; And Others

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

Incorporating Learning Objects in a Curriculum Re-Design to Meet Needs of Students with Specific Learning Disabilities in Illinois Agricultural Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pense, Seburn L.; Calvin, Jennifer; Watson, Dennis G.; Wakefield, Dexter B.

2012-01-01

A quasi-experimental pilot study of curriculum re-design using Learning Objects (LO) to instruct agricultural education students with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD) was conducted in five high schools in the federally designated economically distressed area, the Illinois Delta Region. Six LOs were developed based on a unit of instruction in…

Designing Inquiry Starters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kluger-Bell, B.

2010-12-01

The term "Inquiry Starter" comes from the Institute for Inquiry's model for teaching and learning science through inquiry. It refers to the first phase of an inquiry activity where learners engage in actions that stimulate their curiosity and generate questions for further investigation. In the Professional Development Program, staff and participants have designed a wide variety of inquiry activities with a number of variations on the inquiry starter. This has provided a laboratory for examining inquiry starter design. In this paper, I describe and examine in detail the elements of this design and how the design of those elements is related to achieving learning objectives. There are a number of important common objectives in all inquiry starters. For example, all starters must define a domain for investigation and engage the learner's curiosity in that domain. There are also critical differences in learning objectives depending on the content area being studied, the learners' background knowledge and skills, and many other factors. In this paper I examine designs for both of these types of objectives.

Guidelines for Applying Video Simulation Technology to Training Land Design

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-02-01

Training Land Design for Realism." The technical monitor was Dr. Victor Diersing, CEHSC-FN. This study was performed by the Environmental Resources...technology to their land management activities. 5 Objective The objective of this study was to provide a general overview of the use of video simulation...4). A market study of currently available hardware and software provided the basis for descriptions of hardware and software systems, and their

The influence of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex on attentional behavior and decision making. A t-DCS study on emotionally vs. functionally designed objects.

PubMed

Colombo, Barbara; Balzarotti, Stefania; Mazzucchelli, Nicla

2016-04-01

Prior research has shown that right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex may be crucial in cognitive control of affective impulses during decision making. The present study examines whether modulation of r-DLPFC with transcranial direct current stimulation influences attentional behavior and decision-making in a purchase task requiring participants to choose either emotional/attractive or functional/useful objects. 30 participants were shown sixteen pairs of emotionally or functionally designed products while their eye-movements were recorded. Participants were asked to judge aesthetics and usefulness of each object, and to decide which object of each pair they would buy. Results revealed that participants decided to buy the functionally designed objects more often regardless of condition; however, participants receiving anodal stimulation were faster in decision making. Although stimulation of r-DLPFC did not affect the actual purchasing choice and had little effect on visual exploration during decision making, it influenced perceived usefulness and attractiveness, with temporary inhibition of r-DLPFC leading to evaluate functional objects as less attractive. Finally, anodal stimulation led to judge the objects as more useful. The implications of these results are discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Proposal for the use of the Consortium Method in the Design-build system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyatake, Ichiro; Kudo, Masataka; Kawamata, Hiroyuki; Fueta, Toshiharu

In view of the necessity for efficient implementation of public works projects, it is expected to utilize advanced technical skills of private firms, for the purpose of reducing project costs, improving performance and functions of construction objects, and reducing work periods, etc. The design-build system is a method to order design and construction as a single contract, including design of structural forms and main specifications of the construction object. This is a system in which high techniques of private firms can be utilized, as a means to ensure qualities of design and construction, rational design, and efficiency of the project. The objective of this study is to examine the use of a method to form a consortium of civil engineering consultants and construction companies, as it is an issue related to the implementation of the design-build method. Furthermore, by studying various forms of consortiums to be introduced in future, it proposes procedural items required to utilize this method, during the bid and after signing a contract, such as the estimate submission from the civil engineering consultants etc.

Multidisciplinary design optimization using genetic algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Unal, Resit

1994-01-01

Multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) is an important step in the conceptual design and evaluation of launch vehicles since it can have a significant impact on performance and life cycle cost. The objective is to search the system design space to determine values of design variables that optimize the performance characteristic subject to system constraints. Gradient-based optimization routines have been used extensively for aerospace design optimization. However, one limitation of gradient based optimizers is their need for gradient information. Therefore, design problems which include discrete variables can not be studied. Such problems are common in launch vehicle design. For example, the number of engines and material choices must be integer values or assume only a few discrete values. In this study, genetic algorithms are investigated as an approach to MDO problems involving discrete variables and discontinuous domains. Optimization by genetic algorithms (GA) uses a search procedure which is fundamentally different from those gradient based methods. Genetic algorithms seek to find good solutions in an efficient and timely manner rather than finding the best solution. GA are designed to mimic evolutionary selection. A population of candidate designs is evaluated at each iteration, and each individual's probability of reproduction (existence in the next generation) depends on its fitness value (related to the value of the objective function). Progress toward the optimum is achieved by the crossover and mutation operations. GA is attractive since it uses only objective function values in the search process, so gradient calculations are avoided. Hence, GA are able to deal with discrete variables. Studies report success in the use of GA for aircraft design optimization studies, trajectory analysis, space structure design and control systems design. In these studies reliable convergence was achieved, but the number of function evaluations was large compared with efficient gradient methods. Applicaiton of GA is underway for a cost optimization study for a launch-vehicle fuel-tank and structural design of a wing. The strengths and limitations of GA for launch vehicle design optimization is studied.

77 FR 5519 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-03

... sample frame will be generated from the U.S. Census of Governments. The proposed pilot study is designed to address three key methodological objectives. The first objective is to test the feasibility of the proposed sampling frame and to answer sample design issues related to determining sampling criteria for...

Influence of Study Design on Outcomes Following Reflexology Massage: An Integrative and Critical Review of Interventional Studies.

PubMed

McVicar, Andrew; Greenwood, Christina; Ellis, Carol; LeForis, Chantelle

2016-09-01

Interpretation of the efficacy of reflexology is hindered by inconsistent research designs and complicated by professional views that criteria of randomized controlled trials (RCTs)are not ideal to research holistic complementary and alternative medicine practice. The influence of research designs on study outcomes is not known. This integrative review sought to evaluate this possibility. Thirty-seven interventional studies (2000-2014) were identified; they had RCT or non-RCT design and compared reflexology outcomes against a control/comparison group. Viability of integrating RCT and non-RCT studies into a single database was first evaluated by appraisal of 16 reporting fields related to study setting and objectives, sample demographics, methodologic design, and treatment fidelity and assessment against Jadad score quality criteria for RCTs. For appraisal, the database was stratified into RCT/non-RCT or Jadad score of 3 or more or less than 3. Deficits in reporting were identified for blind assignment of participants, dropout/completion rate, and School of Reflexology. For comparison purposes, these fields were excluded from subsequent analysis for evidence of association between design fields and of fields with study outcomes. Thirty-one studies applied psychometric tools and 20 applied biometric tools (14 applied both). A total of 116 measures were used. Type of measure was associated with study objectives (p < 0.001; chi-square), in particular of psychometric measures with a collated "behavioral/cognitive" objective. Significant outcomes were more likely (p < 0.001; chi-square) for psychometric than for biometric measures. Neither type of outcome was associated with choice of RCT or non-RCT method, but psychometric responses were associated (p = 0.007) with a nonmassage control strategy. The review supports psychometric responses to reflexology when study design uses a nonmassage control strategy. Findings suggest that an evaluation of outcomes against sham reflexology massage and other forms of massage, as well as a narrower focus of study objective, may clarify whether there is a relationship between study design and efficacy of reflexology.

Learning Objects for Educational Applications via PDA Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Churchill, Daniel

2008-01-01

This article discusses an ongoing study into issues relevant to the design of learning objects for educational applications via portable digital assistant (PDA) technology. The specific areas of inquiry in this study are: the kinds of learning objects that are effective for PDA delivery; contexts for their effective educational applications; and…

The Solar Probe mission - Mission design concepts and requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ayon, Juan A.

1992-01-01

The Solar Probe concept as studied by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory represents the first mission to combine out-of-the-ecliptic scientific coverage with multiple, close solar encounters (at 4 solar radii). The scientific objectives of the mission have driven the investigation and analysis of several mission design concepts, all optimized to meet the science/mission requirements. This paper reviews those mission design concepts developed, the science objectives that drive the mission design, and the principle mission requirements associated with these various concepts.

Turbomachinery design and tonal acoustics computations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rangwalla, Akil A.

1995-01-01

The objective of this research was two-fold. The first objective was to complete the three-dimensional unsteady calculations of the flow through a new transonic turbine and study the effects of secondary flows due to the hub and casing, tip clearance vortices, and the inherent three-dimensional mixing of the flow. It should be noted that this turbine was and is still in the design phase and the results of the calculations have formed an integral part of the design process. The second objective of this proposal was to evaluate the capability of rotor-stator interaction codes to calculate tonal acoustics.

Structural Optimization of a Force Balance Using a Computational Experiment Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, P. A.; DeLoach, R.

2002-01-01

This paper proposes a new approach to force balance structural optimization featuring a computational experiment design. Currently, this multi-dimensional design process requires the designer to perform a simplification by executing parameter studies on a small subset of design variables. This one-factor-at-a-time approach varies a single variable while holding all others at a constant level. Consequently, subtle interactions among the design variables, which can be exploited to achieve the design objectives, are undetected. The proposed method combines Modern Design of Experiments techniques to direct the exploration of the multi-dimensional design space, and a finite element analysis code to generate the experimental data. To efficiently search for an optimum combination of design variables and minimize the computational resources, a sequential design strategy was employed. Experimental results from the optimization of a non-traditional force balance measurement section are presented. An approach to overcome the unique problems associated with the simultaneous optimization of multiple response criteria is described. A quantitative single-point design procedure that reflects the designer's subjective impression of the relative importance of various design objectives, and a graphical multi-response optimization procedure that provides further insights into available tradeoffs among competing design objectives are illustrated. The proposed method enhances the intuition and experience of the designer by providing new perspectives on the relationships between the design variables and the competing design objectives providing a systematic foundation for advancements in structural design.

Mariner Jupiter/Saturn 1977 infrared interferometer spectrometer (MJS' 77) design study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

A design study of the Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer and Radiometer (IRIS) instrument for the Mariner Jupiter/Saturn 1977 mission was conducted. The objective of the study was to investigate a number a potential problem areas identified in previous studies and to develop the instrument system designs along the lines providing for the optimum performance obtainable with the allowable budgets. The considerations for the optical design, mechanical design, and electronic design are examined.

A Software Designed For STP Data Plot and Analysis Based on Object-oriented Methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lina, L.; Murata, K.

2006-12-01

In the present study, we design a system that is named "STARS (Solar-Terrestrial data Analysis and Reference System)". The STARS provides a research environment that researchers can refer to and analyse a variety of data with single software. This software design is based on the OMT (Object Modeling Technique). The OMT is one of the object-oriented techniques, which has an advantage in maintenance improvement, reuse and long time development of a system. At the Center for Information Technology, Ehime University, after our designing of the STARS, we have already started implementing the STARS. The latest version of the STARS, the STARS5, was released in 2006. Any user can download the system from our WWW site (http:// www.infonet.cite.ehime-u.ac.jp/STARS). The present paper is mainly devoted to the design of a data analysis software system. Through our designing, we paid attention so that the design is flexible and applicable when other developers design software for the similar purpose. If our model is so particular only for our own purpose, it would be useless for other developers. Through our design of the domain object model, we carefully removed the parts, which depend on the system resources, e.g. hardware and software. We put the dependent parts into the application object model. In the present design, therefore, the domain object model and the utility object model are independent of computer resource. This helps anther developer to construct his/her own system based the present design. They simply modify their own application object models according to their system resource. This division of the design between dependent and independent part into three object models is one of the advantages in the OMT. If the design of software is completely done along with the OMT, implementation is rather simple and automatic: developers simply map their designs on our programs. If one creates "ganother STARS" with other programming language such as Java, the programmer simply follows the present system as long as the language is object-oriented language. Researchers would want to add their data into the STARS. In this case, they simply add their own data class in the domain object model. It is because any satellite data has properties such as time or date, which are inherited from the upper class. In this way, their effort is less than in other old methodologies. In the OMT, description format of the system is rather strictly standardized. When new developers take part in STARS project, they have only to understand each model to obtain the overview of the STARS. Then they follow this designs and documents to implement the system. The OMT makes a new comer easy to join into the project already running.

An airline study of advanced technology requirements for advanced high speed commercial transport engines. 1: Engine design study assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sallee, G. P.

1973-01-01

The advanced technology requirements for an advanced high speed commercial tranport engine are presented. The results of the phase 1 study effort cover the following areas: (1) statement of an airline's major objectives for future transport engines, (2) airline's method of evaluating engine proposals, (3) description of an optimum engine for a long range subsonic commercial transport including installation and critical design features, (4) discussion of engine performance problems and experience with performance degradation, (5) trends in engine and pod prices with increasing technology and objectives for the future, (6) discussion of the research objectives for composites, reversers, advanced components, engine control systems, and devices to reduce the impact of engine stall, and (7) discussion of the airline objectives for noise and pollution reduction.

Bias effects in the possible/impossible object decision test with matching objects.

PubMed

Soldan, Anja; Hilton, H John; Stern, Yaakov

2009-03-01

In the possible/impossible object decision test, priming has consistently been found for structurally possible, but not impossible, objects, leading Schacter, Cooper, and Delaney (1990) to suggest that priming relies on a system that represents the global 3-D structure of objects. Using a modified design with matching objects to control for the influence of episodic memory, Ratcliff and McKoon (1995) and Williams and Tarr (1997) found negative priming for impossible objects (i.e., lower performance for old than for new items). Both teams argued that priming derives from (1) episodic memory for object features and (2) bias to respond "possible" to encoded objects or their possible parts. The present study applied the matched-objects design to the original Schacter and Cooper stimuli-same possible objects and matching impossible figures-with minimal procedural variation. The data from Experiment 1 only partially supported the bias models and suggested that priming was mediated by both local and global structural descriptions. Experiment 2 showed that negative priming for impossible objects derived from the structural properties of these objects, not from the influence of episodic memory on task performance. Supplemental materials for this study may be downloaded from mc.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.

Analytical considerations for study design

Treesearch

Barry R. Noon; William M. Block

1990-01-01

Studies of the foraging behaviors of birds have been largely descriptive and comparative. One might then expect studies with similar objectives to have similar study designs but that is not the case. Papers in this symposium that focused specifically on study design contain a diversity of biological perspectives. Similarly, there is no accord among statisticians on...

Investigating the impact of design characteristics on statistical efficiency within discrete choice experiments: A systematic survey.

PubMed

Vanniyasingam, Thuva; Daly, Caitlin; Jin, Xuejing; Zhang, Yuan; Foster, Gary; Cunningham, Charles; Thabane, Lehana

2018-06-01

This study reviews simulation studies of discrete choice experiments to determine (i) how survey design features affect statistical efficiency, (ii) and to appraise their reporting quality. Statistical efficiency was measured using relative design (D-) efficiency, D-optimality, or D-error. For this systematic survey, we searched Journal Storage (JSTOR), Since Direct, PubMed, and OVID which included a search within EMBASE. Searches were conducted up to year 2016 for simulation studies investigating the impact of DCE design features on statistical efficiency. Studies were screened and data were extracted independently and in duplicate. Results for each included study were summarized by design characteristic. Previously developed criteria for reporting quality of simulation studies were also adapted and applied to each included study. Of 371 potentially relevant studies, 9 were found to be eligible, with several varying in study objectives. Statistical efficiency improved when increasing the number of choice tasks or alternatives; decreasing the number of attributes, attribute levels; using an unrestricted continuous "manipulator" attribute; using model-based approaches with covariates incorporating response behaviour; using sampling approaches that incorporate previous knowledge of response behaviour; incorporating heterogeneity in a model-based design; correctly specifying Bayesian priors; minimizing parameter prior variances; and using an appropriate method to create the DCE design for the research question. The simulation studies performed well in terms of reporting quality. Improvement is needed in regards to clearly specifying study objectives, number of failures, random number generators, starting seeds, and the software used. These results identify the best approaches to structure a DCE. An investigator can manipulate design characteristics to help reduce response burden and increase statistical efficiency. Since studies varied in their objectives, conclusions were made on several design characteristics, however, the validity of each conclusion was limited. Further research should be conducted to explore all conclusions in various design settings and scenarios. Additional reviews to explore other statistical efficiency outcomes and databases can also be performed to enhance the conclusions identified from this review.

Inertial Fusion Energy reactor design studies: Prometheus-L, Prometheus-H. Volume 2, Final report

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

Waganer, L.M.; Driemeyer, D.E.; Lee, V.D.

1992-03-01

This report contains a review of design studies for Inertial Confinement reactor. This second of three volumes discussions is some detail the following: Objectives, requirements, and assumptions; rationale for design option selection; key technical issues and R&D requirements; and conceptual design selection and description.

TPF-I Emma X-Array: 2007 Design Team Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Stefan R.; Rodriguez, Jose; Scharf, Dan; Smith, Jim; McKinstry, David; Wirz, Richie; Purcell, George; Wayne, Len; Scherr, Larry; Mennesson, Bertrand;

Block 2 Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) conceptual design study. Volume 1: Appendices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The design studies task implements the primary objective of developing a Block II Solid Rocket Motor (SRM) design offering improved flight safety and reliability. The SRM literature was reviewed. The Preliminary Development and Validation Plan is presented.

Students' Attitudes towards School-Based Sex and Relationships Education in Tanzania

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mkumbo, Kitila A. K.

2014-01-01

Objective: The objective of this paper was to assess students' attitudes towards school-based sex and relationships education (SRE). Design: This study featured a cross-sectional survey design. Method: A sample of 715 students from two districts in Tanzania completed a survey questionnaire assessing various aspects related to their attitudes…

Object-oriented integrated approach for the design of scalable ECG systems.

PubMed

Boskovic, Dusanka; Besic, Ingmar; Avdagic, Zikrija

2009-01-01

The paper presents the implementation of Object-Oriented (OO) integrated approaches to the design of scalable Electro-Cardio-Graph (ECG) Systems. The purpose of this methodology is to preserve real-world structure and relations with the aim to minimize the information loss during the process of modeling, especially for Real-Time (RT) systems. We report on a case study of the design that uses the integration of OO and RT methods and the Unified Modeling Language (UML) standard notation. OO methods identify objects in the real-world domain and use them as fundamental building blocks for the software system. The gained experience based on the strongly defined semantics of the object model is discussed and related problems are analyzed.

Knowledge Discovery for Transonic Regional-Jet Wing through Multidisciplinary Design Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiba, Kazuhisa; Obayashi, Shigeru; Morino, Hiroyuki

Data mining is an important facet of solving multi-objective optimization problem. Because it is one of the effective manner to discover the design knowledge in the multi-objective optimization problem which obtains large data. In the present study, data mining has been performed for a large-scale and real-world multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO) to provide knowledge regarding the design space. The MDO among aerodynamics, structures, and aeroelasticity of the regional-jet wing was carried out using high-fidelity evaluation models on the adaptive range multi-objective genetic algorithm. As a result, nine non-dominated solutions were generated and used for tradeoff analysis among three objectives. All solutions evaluated during the evolution were analyzed for the tradeoffs and influence of design variables using a self-organizing map to extract key features of the design space. Although the MDO results showed the inverted gull-wings as non-dominated solutions, one of the key features found by data mining was the non-gull wing geometry. When this knowledge was applied to one optimum solution, the resulting design was found to have better performance compared with the original geometry designed in the conventional manner.

The Effects of Using Learning Objects in Two Different Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cakiroglu, Unal; Baki, Adnan; Akkan, Yasar

2012-01-01

The study compared the effects of Learning Objects (LOs) within different applications; in classroom and in extracurricular activities. So in this study, firstly a Learning Object Repository (LOR) has been designed in parallel with 9th grade school mathematics curriculum. One of the two treatment groups was named as "classroom group" (n…

75 FR 34142 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Study of Clinical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-16

... Advertisements for Prescription Drugs. This study is designed to investigate efficacy and effectiveness... efficacy of potential pharmaceutical options (OMB control no. 0910-0649). Design Overview This study will... conditions. This design will allow us to compare consumers' perceptions of efficacy with a more objective...

Influence of Design Training and Spatial Solution Strategies on Spatial Ability Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Hanyu

2016-01-01

Numerous studies have reported that spatial ability improves through training. This study investigated the following: (1) whether design training enhances spatial ability and (2) whether differing solution strategies are applied or generated following design training. On the basis of these two research objectives, this study divided the…

Requirements' Role in Mobilizing and Enabling Design Conversation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergman, Mark

Requirements play a critical role in a design conversation of systems and products. Product and system design exists at the crossroads of problems, solutions and requirements. Requirements contextualize problems and solutions, pointing the way to feasible outcomes. These are captured with models and detailed specifications. Still, stakeholders need to be able to understand one-another using shared design representations in order to mobilize bias and transform knowledge towards legitimized, desired results. Many modern modeling languages, including UML, as well as detailed, logic-based specifications are beyond the comprehension of key stakeholders. Hence, they inhibit, rather than promote design conversation. Improved design boundary objects (DBO), especially design requirements boundary objects (DRBO), need to be created and refined to improve the communications between principals. Four key features of design boundary objects that improve and promote design conversation are discussed in detail. A systems analysis and design case study is presented which demonstrates these features in action. It describes how a small team of analysts worked with key stakeholders to mobilize and guide a complex system design discussion towards an unexpected, yet desired outcome within a short time frame.

Multi-Objective Optimization of a Turbofan for an Advanced, Single-Aisle Transport

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berton, Jeffrey J.; Guynn, Mark D.

2012-01-01

Considerable interest surrounds the design of the next generation of single-aisle commercial transports in the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 class. Aircraft designers will depend on advanced, next-generation turbofan engines to power these airplanes. The focus of this study is to apply single- and multi-objective optimization algorithms to the conceptual design of ultrahigh bypass turbofan engines for this class of aircraft, using NASA s Subsonic Fixed Wing Project metrics as multidisciplinary objectives for optimization. The independent design variables investigated include three continuous variables: sea level static thrust, wing reference area, and aerodynamic design point fan pressure ratio, and four discrete variables: overall pressure ratio, fan drive system architecture (i.e., direct- or gear-driven), bypass nozzle architecture (i.e., fixed- or variable geometry), and the high- and low-pressure compressor work split. Ramp weight, fuel burn, noise, and emissions are the parameters treated as dependent objective functions. These optimized solutions provide insight to the ultrahigh bypass engine design process and provide information to NASA program management to help guide its technology development efforts.

Object Manipulation Facilitates Kind-Based Object Individuation of Shape-Similar Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kingo, Osman S.; Krojgaard, Peter

2011-01-01

Five experiments investigated the importance of shape and object manipulation when 12-month-olds were given the task of individuating objects representing exemplars of kinds in an event-mapping design. In Experiments 1 and 2, results of the study from Xu, Carey, and Quint (2004, Experiment 4) were partially replicated, showing that infants were…

Conjuring up New Technology - Using Magic Objects in Co-Ideation with Stroke Survivors.

PubMed

Rassmus-Gröhn, Kirsten; Magnusson, Charlotte; Rydeman, Bitte; Randall, Gary; Belson, Sarah

2017-01-01

Ideation means to generate ideas, and when involving non-designers in these activities they need to be informed about the scope of the possibilities without limiting their imagination. This is a general challenge, which becomes particularly important when it comes to advanced technology ideation together with participants that may not have in-depth knowledge of technological designs and solutions. In this study, we supported the ideation process by presenting a kit of magic objects (consisting of cards and physical props) to stroke survivors participating in a co-design workshop carried out within the STARR EU project. The kit was seen to generally work well, but improvements are suggested for the introduction, the design of the cards and the number of objects used.

Identification of vehicle suspension parameters by design optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tey, J. Y.; Ramli, R.; Kheng, C. W.; Chong, S. Y.; Abidin, M. A. Z.

2014-05-01

The design of a vehicle suspension system through simulation requires accurate representation of the design parameters. These parameters are usually difficult to measure or sometimes unavailable. This article proposes an efficient approach to identify the unknown parameters through optimization based on experimental results, where the covariance matrix adaptation-evolutionary strategy (CMA-es) is utilized to improve the simulation and experimental results against the kinematic and compliance tests. This speeds up the design and development cycle by recovering all the unknown data with respect to a set of kinematic measurements through a single optimization process. A case study employing a McPherson strut suspension system is modelled in a multi-body dynamic system. Three kinematic and compliance tests are examined, namely, vertical parallel wheel travel, opposite wheel travel and single wheel travel. The problem is formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem with 40 objectives and 49 design parameters. A hierarchical clustering method based on global sensitivity analysis is used to reduce the number of objectives to 30 by grouping correlated objectives together. Then, a dynamic summation of rank value is used as pseudo-objective functions to reformulate the multi-objective optimization to a single-objective optimization problem. The optimized results show a significant improvement in the correlation between the simulated model and the experimental model. Once accurate representation of the vehicle suspension model is achieved, further analysis, such as ride and handling performances, can be implemented for further optimization.

Collective Design of an E-Textbook: Teachers' Collective Documentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gueudet, Ghislaine; Pepin, Birgit; Sabra, Hussein; Trouche, Luc

2016-01-01

In this study, we investigated design processes in teacher collectives, which have been made possible by new "digital" opportunities: platforms, discussion lists, etc. The object of our study is the French Sésamath teacher association and its design of a grade 10 e-textbook, more precisely the design of the "functions" chapter.…

Algorithmic Mechanism Design of Evolutionary Computation.

PubMed

Pei, Yan

2015-01-01

We consider algorithmic design, enhancement, and improvement of evolutionary computation as a mechanism design problem. All individuals or several groups of individuals can be considered as self-interested agents. The individuals in evolutionary computation can manipulate parameter settings and operations by satisfying their own preferences, which are defined by an evolutionary computation algorithm designer, rather than by following a fixed algorithm rule. Evolutionary computation algorithm designers or self-adaptive methods should construct proper rules and mechanisms for all agents (individuals) to conduct their evolution behaviour correctly in order to definitely achieve the desired and preset objective(s). As a case study, we propose a formal framework on parameter setting, strategy selection, and algorithmic design of evolutionary computation by considering the Nash strategy equilibrium of a mechanism design in the search process. The evaluation results present the efficiency of the framework. This primary principle can be implemented in any evolutionary computation algorithm that needs to consider strategy selection issues in its optimization process. The final objective of our work is to solve evolutionary computation design as an algorithmic mechanism design problem and establish its fundamental aspect by taking this perspective. This paper is the first step towards achieving this objective by implementing a strategy equilibrium solution (such as Nash equilibrium) in evolutionary computation algorithm.

Algorithmic Mechanism Design of Evolutionary Computation

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

We consider algorithmic design, enhancement, and improvement of evolutionary computation as a mechanism design problem. All individuals or several groups of individuals can be considered as self-interested agents. The individuals in evolutionary computation can manipulate parameter settings and operations by satisfying their own preferences, which are defined by an evolutionary computation algorithm designer, rather than by following a fixed algorithm rule. Evolutionary computation algorithm designers or self-adaptive methods should construct proper rules and mechanisms for all agents (individuals) to conduct their evolution behaviour correctly in order to definitely achieve the desired and preset objective(s). As a case study, we propose a formal framework on parameter setting, strategy selection, and algorithmic design of evolutionary computation by considering the Nash strategy equilibrium of a mechanism design in the search process. The evaluation results present the efficiency of the framework. This primary principle can be implemented in any evolutionary computation algorithm that needs to consider strategy selection issues in its optimization process. The final objective of our work is to solve evolutionary computation design as an algorithmic mechanism design problem and establish its fundamental aspect by taking this perspective. This paper is the first step towards achieving this objective by implementing a strategy equilibrium solution (such as Nash equilibrium) in evolutionary computation algorithm. PMID:26257777

A divide-and-conquer approach to determine the Pareto frontier for optimization of protein engineering experiments.

PubMed

He, Lu; Friedman, Alan M; Bailey-Kellogg, Chris

2012-03-01

In developing improved protein variants by site-directed mutagenesis or recombination, there are often competing objectives that must be considered in designing an experiment (selecting mutations or breakpoints): stability versus novelty, affinity versus specificity, activity versus immunogenicity, and so forth. Pareto optimal experimental designs make the best trade-offs between competing objectives. Such designs are not "dominated"; that is, no other design is better than a Pareto optimal design for one objective without being worse for another objective. Our goal is to produce all the Pareto optimal designs (the Pareto frontier), to characterize the trade-offs and suggest designs most worth considering, but to avoid explicitly considering the large number of dominated designs. To do so, we develop a divide-and-conquer algorithm, Protein Engineering Pareto FRontier (PEPFR), that hierarchically subdivides the objective space, using appropriate dynamic programming or integer programming methods to optimize designs in different regions. This divide-and-conquer approach is efficient in that the number of divisions (and thus calls to the optimizer) is directly proportional to the number of Pareto optimal designs. We demonstrate PEPFR with three protein engineering case studies: site-directed recombination for stability and diversity via dynamic programming, site-directed mutagenesis of interacting proteins for affinity and specificity via integer programming, and site-directed mutagenesis of a therapeutic protein for activity and immunogenicity via integer programming. We show that PEPFR is able to effectively produce all the Pareto optimal designs, discovering many more designs than previous methods. The characterization of the Pareto frontier provides additional insights into the local stability of design choices as well as global trends leading to trade-offs between competing criteria. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

You Can Have Your Cake and Eat It Too: A Successful Case of Theory Applied to the Real World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rojas, Alicia M.; Mulkey, Jamie

1990-01-01

Describes methods used by instructional designers to help subject matter experts (SMEs) create effective courseware, balanced between theory and practical application, that meets organizational objectives. A case study is presented that explains how to develop student performance objectives (SPOs) through needs assessment, the design of job aids,…

Evaluating the Determinants of Sugary Beverage Consumption among Overweight and Obese Adults: An Application of the Integrative Model of Behavioural Prediction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collado-Rivera, Maria; Branscum, Paul; Larson, Daniel; Gao, Haijuan

2018-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the determinants of sugary drink consumption among overweight and obese adults attempting to lose weight using the Integrative Model of Behavioural Prediction (IMB). Design: Cross-sectional design. Method: Determinants of behavioural intentions (attitudes, perceived norms and perceived…

Design and Development of an Objective, Structured Management Examinations (OSMEs) on Management Skills among Pharmacy Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Augustine, Jill

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to design, develop, and administer an Objective, Structured Management Exam (OSME) on management skills for pharmacy students. Pharmacy preceptors for the University of Arizona College of Pharmacy participated in focus groups that identified business, management, and human resource skills needed by pharmacy graduates.…

An interdisciplinary lighting design studio: Opportunities and challenges of collaborative learning

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

Guzowski, M.; Ginthner, D.

1997-12-31

Interdisciplinary study is based on the proposition that collaboration will enrich and expand understanding within a discipline and will also reveal connections to other fields of study, the community, the natural environment, etc. This study, the community, the natural environment, etc. This paper will present the results of a collaborative lighting design studio which was conducted by the Department of Architecture and the Interior Design Program at the University of Minnesota. The objectives of the studio were threefold: (1) To provide an opportunity for collaboration between students in design disciplines, (2) to introduce students to collaboration with design practitioners andmore » clients, and (3) to expose students to interdisciplinary work prior to graduation. Three projects by local firms were used for the design investigation. The following discussion will explore the opportunities and challenges of collaborative education and the interdisciplinary design studio. The objectives, roles of the teachers and the students, coursework, and future directions will be considered.« less

Design considerations for rechargeable lithium batteries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, D. H.; Huang, C.-K.; Davies, E.; Perrone, D.; Surampudi, S.; Halpert, Gerald

1993-01-01

Viewgraphs of a discussion of design considerations for rechargable lithium batteries. The objective is to determine the influence of cell design parameters on the performance of Li-TiS2 cells. Topics covered include cell baseline design and testing, cell design and testing, cell design parameters studies, and cell cycling performance.

Survey evaluation and design (SED): A case study in Garden Banks, Gulf of Mexico

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

Johnson, G.; Hannan, A.; Mann, A.D.

1995-12-31

Hydrocarbon exploration in the Gulf of Mexico has reached its mature stages. Exploration objectives such as deep stratigraphic and pre-salt traps are becoming more dominant. As the exploration targets change, earlier 3D seismic surveys, designed for different objectives, become less able to meet the demands of the present day explorations. Some areas of the Gulf of Mexico will require reacquisition of new 3D seismic data, redesigned to meet new objectives. Garden Banks is one such area. A major advantage of performing a survey evaluation design (SED) in a mature area is the amount and diversity of available data. Geological profiles,more » reservoir characterizations, borehole wireline and surface seismic data, all serve to aid in the survey design. Given the exploration history and geological objectives, the geophysical analyses of resolution, signal loss, noise, fold, acquisition geometry, migration aperture, velocity anisotropy and others, may now be carried out in a much more specific manner. A thorough SED ensures that overall survey objectives will be met and reduces the possibility of over design on critical parameters. This generates the highest quality seismic survey for the most reasonable cost.« less

The healthy men study: design and recruitment considerations for environmental epidemiologic studies in male reproductive health

EPA Science Inventory

Study Objective: To describe study conduct and response and participant characteristics. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Participants were male partners of women enrolled in a community-based study of drinking water disinfection by-products and pregnancy healt...

Capital Middle Schools Science Department, Preliminary List of Behavioral/Performance Objectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Del Mod System, Dover, DE.

This monograph provides basic behavioral objectives designed for a middle school science curriculum. Emphasis is placed on the study of the living environment for students in grade five. This includes the study of plants, animals, the human body, and the use of the microscope, classification and the scientific method. Objectives for grade six are…

Multiobjective sampling design for parameter estimation and model discrimination in groundwater solute transport

USGS Publications Warehouse

Knopman, Debra S.; Voss, Clifford I.

1989-01-01

Sampling design for site characterization studies of solute transport in porous media is formulated as a multiobjective problem. Optimal design of a sampling network is a sequential process in which the next phase of sampling is designed on the basis of all available physical knowledge of the system. Three objectives are considered: model discrimination, parameter estimation, and cost minimization. For the first two objectives, physically based measures of the value of information obtained from a set of observations are specified. In model discrimination, value of information of an observation point is measured in terms of the difference in solute concentration predicted by hypothesized models of transport. Points of greatest difference in predictions can contribute the most information to the discriminatory power of a sampling design. Sensitivity of solute concentration to a change in a parameter contributes information on the relative variance of a parameter estimate. Inclusion of points in a sampling design with high sensitivities to parameters tends to reduce variance in parameter estimates. Cost minimization accounts for both the capital cost of well installation and the operating costs of collection and analysis of field samples. Sensitivities, discrimination information, and well installation and sampling costs are used to form coefficients in the multiobjective problem in which the decision variables are binary (zero/one), each corresponding to the selection of an observation point in time and space. The solution to the multiobjective problem is a noninferior set of designs. To gain insight into effective design strategies, a one-dimensional solute transport problem is hypothesized. Then, an approximation of the noninferior set is found by enumerating 120 designs and evaluating objective functions for each of the designs. Trade-offs between pairs of objectives are demonstrated among the models. The value of an objective function for a given design is shown to correspond to the ability of a design to actually meet an objective.

Translating Vision into Design: A Method for Conceptual Design Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carpenter, Joyce E.

2003-01-01

One of the most challenging tasks for engineers is the definition of design solutions that will satisfy high-level strategic visions and objectives. Even more challenging is the need to demonstrate how a particular design solution supports the high-level vision. This paper describes a process and set of system engineering tools that have been used at the Johnson Space Center to analyze and decompose high-level objectives for future human missions into design requirements that can be used to develop alternative concepts for vehicles, habitats, and other systems. Analysis and design studies of alternative concepts and approaches are used to develop recommendations for strategic investments in research and technology that support the NASA Integrated Space Plan. In addition to a description of system engineering tools, this paper includes a discussion of collaborative design practices for human exploration mission architecture studies used at the Johnson Space Center.

Many-objective Groundwater Monitoring Network Design Using Bias-Aware Ensemble Kalman Filtering and Evolutionary Optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kollat, J. B.; Reed, P. M.

2009-12-01

This study contributes the ASSIST (Adaptive Strategies for Sampling in Space and Time) framework for improving long-term groundwater monitoring decisions across space and time while accounting for the influences of systematic model errors (or predictive bias). The ASSIST framework combines contaminant flow-and-transport modeling, bias-aware ensemble Kalman filtering (EnKF) and many-objective evolutionary optimization. Our goal in this work is to provide decision makers with a fuller understanding of the information tradeoffs they must confront when performing long-term groundwater monitoring network design. Our many-objective analysis considers up to 6 design objectives simultaneously and consequently synthesizes prior monitoring network design methodologies into a single, flexible framework. This study demonstrates the ASSIST framework using a tracer study conducted within a physical aquifer transport experimental tank located at the University of Vermont. The tank tracer experiment was extensively sampled to provide high resolution estimates of tracer plume behavior. The simulation component of the ASSIST framework consists of stochastic ensemble flow-and-transport predictions using ParFlow coupled with the Lagrangian SLIM transport model. The ParFlow and SLIM ensemble predictions are conditioned with tracer observations using a bias-aware EnKF. The EnKF allows decision makers to enhance plume transport predictions in space and time in the presence of uncertain and biased model predictions by conditioning them on uncertain measurement data. In this initial demonstration, the position and frequency of sampling were optimized to: (i) minimize monitoring cost, (ii) maximize information provided to the EnKF, (iii) minimize failure to detect the tracer, (iv) maximize the detection of tracer flux, (v) minimize error in quantifying tracer mass, and (vi) minimize error in quantifying the moment of the tracer plume. The results demonstrate that the many-objective problem formulation provides a tremendous amount of information for decision makers. Specifically our many-objective analysis highlights the limitations and potentially negative design consequences of traditional single and two-objective problem formulations. These consequences become apparent through visual exploration of high-dimensional tradeoffs and the identification of regions with interesting compromise solutions. The prediction characteristics of these compromise designs are explored in detail, as well as their implications for subsequent design decisions in both space and time.

Stochastic Methods for Aircraft Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pelz, Richard B.; Ogot, Madara

1998-01-01

The global stochastic optimization method, simulated annealing (SA), was adapted and applied to various problems in aircraft design. The research was aimed at overcoming the problem of finding an optimal design in a space with multiple minima and roughness ubiquitous to numerically generated nonlinear objective functions. SA was modified to reduce the number of objective function evaluations for an optimal design, historically the main criticism of stochastic methods. SA was applied to many CFD/MDO problems including: low sonic-boom bodies, minimum drag on supersonic fore-bodies, minimum drag on supersonic aeroelastic fore-bodies, minimum drag on HSCT aeroelastic wings, FLOPS preliminary design code, another preliminary aircraft design study with vortex lattice aerodynamics, HSR complete aircraft aerodynamics. In every case, SA provided a simple, robust and reliable optimization method which found optimal designs in order 100 objective function evaluations. Perhaps most importantly, from this academic/industrial project, technology has been successfully transferred; this method is the method of choice for optimization problems at Northrop Grumman.

Evaluation of Psychological Hardiness and Coping Style as Risk/Resilience Factors for Health Risk Behaviour

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

205 RESEARCH DESIGN & METHODS Objective/Hypothesis: The objective of the study is to evaluate the utility of a short hardiness-resilience...problems. Study Design & Methods : This research will evaluate the utility of hardiness, as measured by the DRS-15R, as a screening tool for...may take a toll on defense workers. This research points the way to new approaches for early identification of military workers at risk for stress

CAPS Simulation Environment Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Murphy, Douglas G.; Hoffman, James A.

2005-01-01

The final design for an effective Comet/Asteroid Protection System (CAPS) will likely come after a number of competing designs have been simulated and evaluated. Because of the large number of design parameters involved in a system capable of detecting an object, accurately determining its orbit, and diverting the impact threat, a comprehensive simulation environment will be an extremely valuable tool for the CAPS designers. A successful simulation/design tool will aid the user in identifying the critical parameters in the system and eventually allow for automatic optimization of the design once the relationships of the key parameters are understood. A CAPS configuration will consist of space-based detectors whose purpose is to scan the celestial sphere in search of objects likely to make a close approach to Earth and to determine with the greatest possible accuracy the orbits of those objects. Other components of a CAPS configuration may include systems for modifying the orbits of approaching objects, either for the purpose of preventing a collision or for positioning the object into an orbit where it can be studied or used as a mineral resource. The Synergistic Engineering Environment (SEE) is a space-systems design, evaluation, and visualization software tool being leveraged to simulate these aspects of the CAPS study. The long-term goal of the SEE is to provide capabilities to allow the user to build and compare various CAPS designs by running end-to-end simulations that encompass the scanning phase, the orbit determination phase, and the orbit modification phase of a given scenario. Herein, a brief description of the expected simulation phases is provided, the current status and available features of the SEE software system is reported, and examples are shown of how the system is used to build and evaluate a CAPS detection design. Conclusions and the roadmap for future development of the SEE are also presented.

Negotiating designs of multi-purpose reservoir systems in international basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geressu, Robel; Harou, Julien

2016-04-01

Given increasing agricultural and energy demands, coordinated management of multi-reservoir systems could help increase production without further stressing available water resources. However, regional or international disputes about water-use rights pose a challenge to efficient expansion and management of many large reservoir systems. Even when projects are likely to benefit all stakeholders, agreeing on the design, operation, financing, and benefit sharing can be challenging. This is due to the difficulty of considering multiple stakeholder interests in the design of projects and understanding the benefit trade-offs that designs imply. Incommensurate performance metrics, incomplete knowledge on system requirements, lack of objectivity in managing conflict and difficulty to communicate complex issue exacerbate the problem. This work proposes a multi-step hybrid multi-objective optimization and multi-criteria ranking approach for supporting negotiation in water resource systems. The approach uses many-objective optimization to generate alternative efficient designs and reveal the trade-offs between conflicting objectives. This enables informed elicitation of criteria weights for further multi-criteria ranking of alternatives. An ideal design would be ranked as best by all stakeholders. Resource-sharing mechanisms such as power-trade and/or cost sharing may help competing stakeholders arrive at designs acceptable to all. Many-objective optimization helps suggests efficient designs (reservoir site, its storage size and operating rule) and coordination levels considering the perspectives of multiple stakeholders simultaneously. We apply the proposed approach to a proof-of-concept study of the expansion of the Blue Nile transboundary reservoir system.

Lunar NTR vehicle design and operations study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodge, John

1993-01-01

The results of a lunar nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) vehicle design and operations study are presented in text and graphic form. The objectives of the study were to evaluate the potential applications of a specific NTR design to past and current (First Lunar Outpost) mission profiles for piloted and cargo lunar missions, and to assess the applicability of utilizing lunar vehicle design concepts for Mars missions.

Environmental assessment of airport pavement design and construction alternatives : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-01

The objective of this study is to quantify energy and environmental sustainability of asphalt and concrete : runway pavements using Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA). The design alternatives include runway rehabilitation/reconstruction : designs considered...

Predicting Parental Monitoring Behaviours for Sugar-Sweetened Beverages in Parents of School-Aged Children: An Application of the Integrative Behavioural Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Housely, Alexandra; Branscum, Paul; Cheney, Marshall; Hofford, Craig

2016-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify theory-based psychosocial and environmental determinants of parental monitoring practices related to child sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Design: Cross-sectional design. Method: Data were obtained from a convenience sample of parents (n = 270) with children attending an after-school…

The Object Oriented Approach in Systems Analysis and Design Texts: Consistency within the IS Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, David F.; Kohun, Frederick G.; Laverty, Joseph Packy

2010-01-01

This paper reports on a study of systems analysis textbooks in terms of topics covered and academic background of the authors. It addresses the consistency within IS curricula with respect to the content of a systems analysis and design course using the object-oriented approach. The research questions addressed were 1: Is there a consistency among…

General object-oriented software development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seidewitz, Edwin V.; Stark, Mike

1986-01-01

Object-oriented design techniques are gaining increasing popularity for use with the Ada programming language. A general approach to object-oriented design which synthesizes the principles of previous object-oriented methods into the overall software life-cycle, providing transitions from specification to design and from design to code. It therefore provides the basis for a general object-oriented development methodology.

Computational Tools and Algorithms for Designing Customized Synthetic Genes

PubMed Central

Gould, Nathan; Hendy, Oliver; Papamichail, Dimitris

2014-01-01

Advances in DNA synthesis have enabled the construction of artificial genes, gene circuits, and genomes of bacterial scale. Freedom in de novo design of synthetic constructs provides significant power in studying the impact of mutations in sequence features, and verifying hypotheses on the functional information that is encoded in nucleic and amino acids. To aid this goal, a large number of software tools of variable sophistication have been implemented, enabling the design of synthetic genes for sequence optimization based on rationally defined properties. The first generation of tools dealt predominantly with singular objectives such as codon usage optimization and unique restriction site incorporation. Recent years have seen the emergence of sequence design tools that aim to evolve sequences toward combinations of objectives. The design of optimal protein-coding sequences adhering to multiple objectives is computationally hard, and most tools rely on heuristics to sample the vast sequence design space. In this review, we study some of the algorithmic issues behind gene optimization and the approaches that different tools have adopted to redesign genes and optimize desired coding features. We utilize test cases to demonstrate the efficiency of each approach, as well as identify their strengths and limitations. PMID:25340050

Multiobjective optimization in structural design with uncertain parameters and stochastic processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, S. S.

1984-01-01

The application of multiobjective optimization techniques to structural design problems involving uncertain parameters and random processes is studied. The design of a cantilever beam with a tip mass subjected to a stochastic base excitation is considered for illustration. Several of the problem parameters are assumed to be random variables and the structural mass, fatigue damage, and negative of natural frequency of vibration are considered for minimization. The solution of this three-criteria design problem is found by using global criterion, utility function, game theory, goal programming, goal attainment, bounded objective function, and lexicographic methods. It is observed that the game theory approach is superior in finding a better optimum solution, assuming the proper balance of the various objective functions. The procedures used in the present investigation are expected to be useful in the design of general dynamic systems involving uncertain parameters, stochastic process, and multiple objectives.

Multi-objective aerodynamic shape optimization of small livestock trailers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilkeson, C. A.; Toropov, V. V.; Thompson, H. M.; Wilson, M. C. T.; Foxley, N. A.; Gaskell, P. H.

2013-11-01

This article presents a formal optimization study of the design of small livestock trailers, within which the majority of animals are transported to market in the UK. The benefits of employing a headboard fairing to reduce aerodynamic drag without compromising the ventilation of the animals' microclimate are investigated using a multi-stage process involving computational fluid dynamics (CFD), optimal Latin hypercube (OLH) design of experiments (DoE) and moving least squares (MLS) metamodels. Fairings are parameterized in terms of three design variables and CFD solutions are obtained at 50 permutations of design variables. Both global and local search methods are employed to locate the global minimum from metamodels of the objective functions and a Pareto front is generated. The importance of carefully selecting an objective function is demonstrated and optimal fairing designs, offering drag reductions in excess of 5% without compromising animal ventilation, are presented.

Optimization of green infrastructure network at semi-urbanized watersheds to manage stormwater volume, peak flow and life cycle cost: Case study of Dead Run watershed in Maryland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heidari Haratmeh, B.; Rai, A.; Minsker, B. S.

2016-12-01

Green Infrastructure (GI) has become widely known as a sustainable solution for stormwater management in urban environments. Despite more recognition and acknowledgment, researchers and practitioners lack clear and explicit guidelines on how GI practices should be implemented in urban settings. This study is developing a noisy-based multi-objective, multi-scaled genetic algorithm that determines optimal GI networks for environmental, economic and social objectives. The methodology accounts for uncertainty in modeling results and is designed to perform at sub-watershed as well as patch scale using two different simulation models, SWMM and RHESSys, in a Cloud-based implementation using a Web interface. As an initial case study, a semi-urbanized watershed— DeadRun 5— in Baltimore County, Maryland, is selected. The objective of the study is to minimize life cycle cost, maximize human preference for human well-being and the difference between pre-development hydrographs generated from current rainfall events and design storms, as well as those that result from proposed GI scenarios. Initial results for DeadRun5 watershed suggest that placing GI in the proximity of the watershed outlet optimizes life cycle cost, stormwater volume, and peak flow capture. The framework can easily present outcomes of GI design scenarios to both designers and local stakeholders, and future plans include receiving feedback from users on candidate designs, and interactively updating optimal GI network designs in a crowd-sourced design process. This approach can also be helpful in deriving design guidelines that better meet stakeholder needs.

Unsteady Adjoint Approach for Design Optimization of Flapping Airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Byung Joon; Liou, Meng-Sing

2012-01-01

This paper describes the work for optimizing the propulsive efficiency of flapping airfoils, i.e., improving the thrust under constraining aerodynamic work during the flapping flights by changing their shape and trajectory of motion with the unsteady discrete adjoint approach. For unsteady problems, it is essential to properly resolving time scales of motion under consideration and it must be compatible with the objective sought after. We include both the instantaneous and time-averaged (periodic) formulations in this study. For the design optimization with shape parameters or motion parameters, the time-averaged objective function is found to be more useful, while the instantaneous one is more suitable for flow control. The instantaneous objective function is operationally straightforward. On the other hand, the time-averaged objective function requires additional steps in the adjoint approach; the unsteady discrete adjoint equations for a periodic flow must be reformulated and the corresponding system of equations solved iteratively. We compare the design results from shape and trajectory optimizations and investigate the physical relevance of design variables to the flapping motion at on- and off-design conditions.

Preliminary design study for an atomospheric science facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hutchison, R.

1972-01-01

The activities and results of the Atmospheric Science Facility preliminary design study are reported. The objectives of the study were to define the scientific goals, to determine the range of experiment types, and to develop the preliminary instrument design requirements for a reusable, general purpose, optical research facility for investigating the earth's atmosphere from a space shuttle orbital vehicle.

Functional fixedness in a technologically sparse culture.

PubMed

German, Tim P; Barrett, H Clark

2005-01-01

Problem solving can be inefficient when the solution requires subjects to generate an atypical function for an object and the object's typical function has been primed. Subjects become "fixed" on the design function of the object, and problem solving suffers relative to control conditions in which the object's function is not demonstrated. In the current study, such functional fixedness was demonstrated in a sample of adolescents (mean age of 16 years) among the Shuar of Ecuadorian Amazonia, whose technologically sparse culture provides limited access to large numbers of artifacts with highly specialized functions. This result suggests that design function may universally be the core property of artifact concepts in human semantic memory.

An integrated damping and strengthening strategy for performance-based seismic design and retrofit for highway bridges.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-05-01

In this study, a damping-enhanced strengthening (DES) strategy was introduced to retrofit bridge structures for multiple : performance objectives. The main objectives of this study are (1) to numerically demonstrate the effectiveness of the anchoring...

Design for sustainability of industrial symbiosis based on emergy and multi-objective particle swarm optimization.

PubMed

Ren, Jingzheng; Liang, Hanwei; Dong, Liang; Sun, Lu; Gao, Zhiqiu

2016-08-15

Industrial symbiosis provides novel and practical pathway to the design for the sustainability. Decision support tool for its verification is necessary for practitioners and policy makers, while to date, quantitative research is limited. The objective of this work is to present an innovative approach for supporting decision-making in the design for the sustainability with the implementation of industrial symbiosis in chemical complex. Through incorporating the emergy theory, the model is formulated as a multi-objective approach that can optimize both the economic benefit and sustainable performance of the integrated industrial system. A set of emergy based evaluation index are designed. Multi-objective Particle Swarm Algorithm is proposed to solve the model, and the decision-makers are allowed to choose the suitable solutions form the Pareto solutions. An illustrative case has been studied by the proposed method, a few of compromises between high profitability and high sustainability can be obtained for the decision-makers/stakeholders to make decision. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Behavioral headache research: methodologic considerations and research design alternatives.

PubMed

Hursey, Karl G; Rains, Jeanetta C; Penzien, Donald B; Nash, Justin M; Nicholson, Robert A

2005-05-01

Behavioral headache treatments have garnered solid empirical support in recent years, but there is substantial opportunity to strengthen the next generation of studies with improved methods and consistency across studies. Recently, Guidelines for Trials of Behavioral Treatments for Recurrent Headache were published to facilitate the production of high-quality research. The present article compliments the guidelines with a discussion of methodologic and research design considerations. Since there is no research design that is applicable in every situation, selecting an appropriate research design is fundamental to producing meaningful results. Investigators in behavioral headache and other areas of research consider the developmental phase of the research, the principle objectives of the project, and the sources of error or alternative interpretations in selecting a design. Phases of clinical trials typically include pilot studies, efficacy studies, and effectiveness studies. These trials may be categorized as primarily pragmatic or explanatory. The most appropriate research designs for these different phases and different objectives vary on such characteristics as sample size and assignment to condition, types of control conditions, periods or frequency of measurement, and the dimensions along which comparisons are made. A research design also must fit within constraints on available resources. There are a large number of potential research designs that can be used and considering these characteristics allows selection of appropriate research designs.

Numerical aerodynamic simulation facility preliminary study, volume 2 and appendices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Data to support results obtained in technology assessment studies are presented. Objectives, starting points, and future study tasks are outlined. Key design issues discussed in appendices include: data allocation, transposition network design, fault tolerance and trustworthiness, logic design, processing element of existing components, number of processors, the host system, alternate data base memory designs, number representation, fast div 521 instruction, architectures, and lockstep array versus synchronizable array machine comparison.

Neptune aerocapture mission and spacecraft design overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bailey, Robert W.; Hall, Jeff L.; Spliker, Tom R.; O'Kongo, Nora

2004-01-01

A detailed Neptune aerocapture systems analysis and spacecraft design study was performed as part of NASA's In-Space Propulsion Program. The primary objectives were to assess the feasibility of a spacecraft point design for a Neptune/Triton science mission. That uses aerocapture as the Neptune orbit insertion mechanism. This paper provides an overview of the science, mission and spacecraft design resulting from that study.

Objective Assessment and Design Improvement of a Staring, Sparse Transducer Array by the Spatial Crosstalk Matrix for 3D Photoacoustic Tomography

PubMed Central

Kosik, Ivan; Raess, Avery

2015-01-01

Accurate reconstruction of 3D photoacoustic (PA) images requires detection of photoacoustic signals from many angles. Several groups have adopted staring ultrasound arrays, but assessment of array performance has been limited. We previously reported on a method to calibrate a 3D PA tomography (PAT) staring array system and analyze system performance using singular value decomposition (SVD). The developed SVD metric, however, was impractical for large system matrices, which are typical of 3D PAT problems. The present study consisted of two main objectives. The first objective aimed to introduce the crosstalk matrix concept to the field of PAT for system design. Figures-of-merit utilized in this study were root mean square error, peak signal-to-noise ratio, mean absolute error, and a three dimensional structural similarity index, which were derived between the normalized spatial crosstalk matrix and the identity matrix. The applicability of this approach for 3D PAT was validated by observing the response of the figures-of-merit in relation to well-understood PAT sampling characteristics (i.e. spatial and temporal sampling rate). The second objective aimed to utilize the figures-of-merit to characterize and improve the performance of a near-spherical staring array design. Transducer arrangement, array radius, and array angular coverage were the design parameters examined. We observed that the performance of a 129-element staring transducer array for 3D PAT could be improved by selection of optimal values of the design parameters. The results suggested that this formulation could be used to objectively characterize 3D PAT system performance and would enable the development of efficient strategies for system design optimization. PMID:25875177

Methodology for object-oriented real-time systems analysis and design: Software engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoeffler, James D.

1991-01-01

Successful application of software engineering methodologies requires an integrated analysis and design life-cycle in which the various phases flow smoothly 'seamlessly' from analysis through design to implementation. Furthermore, different analysis methodologies often lead to different structuring of the system so that the transition from analysis to design may be awkward depending on the design methodology to be used. This is especially important when object-oriented programming is to be used for implementation when the original specification and perhaps high-level design is non-object oriented. Two approaches to real-time systems analysis which can lead to an object-oriented design are contrasted: (1) modeling the system using structured analysis with real-time extensions which emphasizes data and control flows followed by the abstraction of objects where the operations or methods of the objects correspond to processes in the data flow diagrams and then design in terms of these objects; and (2) modeling the system from the beginning as a set of naturally occurring concurrent entities (objects) each having its own time-behavior defined by a set of states and state-transition rules and seamlessly transforming the analysis models into high-level design models. A new concept of a 'real-time systems-analysis object' is introduced and becomes the basic building block of a series of seamlessly-connected models which progress from the object-oriented real-time systems analysis and design system analysis logical models through the physical architectural models and the high-level design stages. The methodology is appropriate to the overall specification including hardware and software modules. In software modules, the systems analysis objects are transformed into software objects.

Feasibility study for near-earth-object tracking by a piggybacked micro-satellite with penetrators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, P.; Leung, W.; Yung, K. L.

2010-05-01

As of August 2007, over 5000 near-earth-objects (NEO) have been discovered. Some already represent a potential danger to the Earth while others might become hazards in the future. The Planetary Society organised in 2007 the "Apophis Mission Design Competition" in response to this potential threat with the objective to identify promising concepts to track NEOs; the asteroid 99942 Apophis was taken as the study case. This paper describes the "Houyi" proposal which was evaluated by the competition jury as an innovative approach to this problem. Instead of launching a large satellite for NEO tracking, this novel concept proposes a miniaturized satellite that is piggybacked onto a larger (scientific) mission. Such mission design would drastically reduce the costs for NEO surveillance. The presented scenario uses the ESA's SOLO mission as a design baseline for the piggyback option. This paper summarizes the architecture of this CubeSat towards Apophis and extends the previous study by focusing on the feasibility of a piggybacked mission in terms of propulsion requirements.

Rationale, Design, and Methods of the Preschool ADHD Treatment Study (PATS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kollins, Scott; Greenhill, Laurence; Swanson, James; Wigal, Sharon; Abikoff, Howard; McCracken, James; Riddle, Mark; McGough, James; Vitiello, Benedetto; Wigal, Tim; Skrobala, Anne; Posner, Kelly; Ghuman, Jaswinder; Davies, Mark; Cunningham, Charles; Bauzo, Audrey

2006-01-01

Objective: To describe the rationale and design of the Preschool ADHD Treatment Study (PATS). Method: PATS was a National Institutes of Mental Health-funded, multicenter, randomized, efficacy trial designed to evaluate the short-term (5 weeks) efficacy and long-term (40 weeks) safety of methylphenidate (MPH) in preschoolers with…

Safety implications from design exceptions.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-03-01

The objectives of this study were to: a) summarize past design exceptions to document their frequency and reason for their use and b) determine if any adverse safety implications can be related to adopting design policies and practices related to des...

ITEM SELECTION TECHNIQUES AND EVALUATION OF INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

COX, RICHARD C.

THE VALIDITY OF AN EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT TEST DEPENDS UPON THE CORRESPONDENCE BETWEEN SPECIFIED EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES AND THE EXTENT TO WHICH THESE OBJECTIVES ARE MEASURED BY THE EVALUATION INSTRUMENT. THIS STUDY IS DESIGNED TO EVALUATE THE EFFECT OF STATISTICAL ITEM SELECTION ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE FINAL EVALUATION INSTRUMENT AS COMPARED WITH…

Nondestructive analysis of three-dimensional objects using a fluid displacement method

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Quantification of three-dimensional (3-D) objects has been a real challenge in agricultural, hydrological and environmental studies. We designed and tested a method that is capable of quantifying 3-D objects using measurements of fluid displacement. The device consists of a stand that supports a mov...

Supporting Active Living Through Community Plans: The Association of Planning Documents With Design Standards and Features.

PubMed

Peterson, Erin L; Carlson, Susan A; Schmid, Thomas L; Brown, David R; Galuska, Deborah A

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the presence of supportive community planning documents in US municipalities with design standards and requirements supportive of active living. Cross-sectional study using data from the 2014 National Survey of Community-Based Policy and Environmental Supports for Healthy Eating and Active Living. Nationally representative sample of US municipalities. Respondents are 2005 local officials. Assessed: (1) The presence of design standards and feature requirements and (2) the association between planning documents and design standards and feature requirements supportive of active living in policies for development. Using logistic regression, significant trends were identified in the presence of design standards and feature requirements by plan and number of supportive objectives present. Prevalence of design standards ranged from 19% (developer dedicated right-of-way for bicycle infrastructure development) to 50% (traffic-calming features in areas with high pedestrian and bicycle volume). Features required in policies for development ranged from 14% (short/medium pedestrian-scale block sizes) to 44% (minimum sidewalk widths of 5 feet) of municipalities. As the number of objectives in municipal plans increased, there was a significant and positive trend ( P < .05) in the prevalence of each design standard and requirement. Municipal planning documents containing objectives supportive of physical activity are associated with design standards and feature requirements supportive of activity-friendly communities.

Inclusive Design: Developing Students' Knowledge and Attitude through Empathic Modelling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Altay, Burçak; Demirkan, Halime

2014-01-01

To enhance the function and quality of built environments, designers should consider all possible users in their design projects. Therefore, it is essential to incorporate inclusive design in the education of the design student. This study focuses on the educational objectives of and related learning activities in a course where inclusive design…

The Effect of Instructional Objectives and General Objectives on Student Self-Evaluation of Psychomotor Performance in Power Mechanics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Janeczko, Robert John

The major purpose of this study was to ascertain the relative effects of student exposure to instructional objectives upon student self-evaluation of psychomotor activities in a college-level power mechanics course. A randomized posttest-only control group design was used with two different approaches to the statement of the objectives. Four…

Computational multiobjective topology optimization of silicon anode structures for lithium-ion batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, Sarah L.; Ortiz, Michael

2016-09-01

This study utilizes computational topology optimization methods for the systematic design of optimal multifunctional silicon anode structures for lithium-ion batteries. In order to develop next generation high performance lithium-ion batteries, key design challenges relating to the silicon anode structure must be addressed, namely the lithiation-induced mechanical degradation and the low intrinsic electrical conductivity of silicon. As such this work considers two design objectives, the first being minimum compliance under design dependent volume expansion, and the second maximum electrical conduction through the structure, both of which are subject to a constraint on material volume. Density-based topology optimization methods are employed in conjunction with regularization techniques, a continuation scheme, and mathematical programming methods. The objectives are first considered individually, during which the influence of the minimum structural feature size and prescribed volume fraction are investigated. The methodology is subsequently extended to a bi-objective formulation to simultaneously address both the structural and conduction design criteria. The weighted sum method is used to derive the Pareto fronts, which demonstrate a clear trade-off between the competing design objectives. A rigid frame structure was found to be an excellent compromise between the structural and conduction design criteria, providing both the required structural rigidity and direct conduction pathways. The developments and results presented in this work provide a foundation for the informed design and development of silicon anode structures for high performance lithium-ion batteries.

Planning and setting objectives in field studies: Chapter 2

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fisher, Robert N.; Dodd, C. Kenneth

2016-01-01

This chapter enumerates the steps required in designing and planning field studies on the ecology and conservation of reptiles, as these involve a high level of uncertainty and risk. To this end, the chapter differentiates between goals (descriptions of what one intends to accomplish) and objectives (the measurable steps required to achieve the established goals). Thus, meeting a specific goal may require many objectives. It may not be possible to define some of them until certain experiments have been conducted; often evaluations of sampling protocols are needed to increase certainty in the biological results. And if sampling locations are fixed and sampling events are repeated over time, then both study-specific covariates and sampling-specific covariates should exist. Additionally, other critical design considerations for field study include obtaining permits, as well as researching ethics and biosecurity issues.

Pupil Dilation and Object Permanence in Infants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sirois, Sylvain; Jackson, Iain R.

2012-01-01

This paper examines the relative merits of looking time and pupil diameter measures in the study of early cognitive abilities of infants. Ten-month-old infants took part in a modified version of the classic drawbridge experiment used to study object permanence (Baillargeon, Spelke, & Wasserman, 1985). The study involved a factorial design where…

The Topology Optimization Design Research for Aluminum Inner Panel of Automobile Engine Hood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Minhao; Hu, Dongqing; Liu, Xiangzheng; Yuan, Huanquan

2017-11-01

This article discusses the topology optimization methods for automobile engine hood design. The aluminum inner panel of engine hood and mucilage glue regions are set as design areas, and the static performances of engine hood included modal frequency, lateral stiffness, torsional stiffness and indentation stiffness are set as the optimization objectives. The topology optimization results about different objective functions are contrasted for analysis. And based on the reasonable topology optimization result, a suited automobile engine hood designs are raised to further study. Finally, an automobile engine hood that good at all of static performances is designed, and a favorable topology optimization method is put forward for discussion.

Maintenance Model of Integrated Psychosocial Treatment in Pediatric Bipolar Disorder: A Pilot Feasibility Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Amy E.; Henry, David B.; Pavuluri, Mani N.

2007-01-01

Objective: The chronic and refractory course of pediatric bipolar disorder merits the study of adjunctive psychosocial interventions designed to facilitate long-term improvements. The objective of this study is to conduct a pilot study of a maintenance model of the child- and family-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy program (CFF-CBT), which…

Guidelines for the Design and Conduct of Clinical Studies in Knee Articular Cartilage Repair

PubMed Central

Mithoefer, Kai; Saris, Daniel B.F.; Farr, Jack; Kon, Elizaveta; Zaslav, Kenneth; Cole, Brian J.; Ranstam, Jonas; Yao, Jian; Shive, Matthew; Levine, David; Dalemans, Wilfried; Brittberg, Mats

2011-01-01

Objective: To summarize current clinical research practice and develop methodological standards for objective scientific evaluation of knee cartilage repair procedures and products. Design: A comprehensive literature review was performed of high-level original studies providing information relevant for the design of clinical studies on articular cartilage repair in the knee. Analysis of cartilage repair publications and synopses of ongoing trials were used to identify important criteria for the design, reporting, and interpretation of studies in this field. Results: Current literature reflects the methodological limitations of the scientific evidence available for articular cartilage repair. However, clinical trial databases of ongoing trials document a trend suggesting improved study designs and clinical evaluation methodology. Based on the current scientific information and standards of clinical care, detailed methodological recommendations were developed for the statistical study design, patient recruitment, control group considerations, study endpoint definition, documentation of results, use of validated patient-reported outcome instruments, and inclusion and exclusion criteria for the design and conduct of scientifically sound cartilage repair study protocols. A consensus statement among the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) and contributing authors experienced in clinical trial design and implementation was achieved. Conclusions: High-quality clinical research methodology is critical for the optimal evaluation of current and new cartilage repair technologies. In addition to generally applicable principles for orthopedic study design, specific criteria and considerations apply to cartilage repair studies. Systematic application of these criteria and considerations can facilitate study designs that are scientifically rigorous, ethical, practical, and appropriate for the question(s) being addressed in any given cartilage repair research project. PMID:26069574

Modular biowaste monitoring system conceptual design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fogal, G. L.

1974-01-01

The objective of the study was to define requirements and generate a conceptual design for a Modular Biowaste Monitoring System for specifically supporting shuttle life science experimental and diagnostic programs.

Design values of resilient modulus of stabilized and non-stabilized base.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-10-01

The primary objective of this research study is to determine design value ranges for typical base materials, as allowed by LADOTD specifications, through laboratory tests with respect to resilient modulus and other parameters used by pavement design ...

The design-build contracting methodology for transportation projects : a review of practice and evaluation for Connecticut applications.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-10

Two primary contracting methods are used by most state transportation agencies to : design and build infrastructure: design-bid-build and design-build. The objective : of this study is to conduct a literature review to identify how ConnDOTs use of...

Graphical Tests for Power Comparison of Competing Designs.

PubMed

Hofmann, H; Follett, L; Majumder, M; Cook, D

2012-12-01

Lineups have been established as tools for visual testing similar to standard statistical inference tests, allowing us to evaluate the validity of graphical findings in an objective manner. In simulation studies lineups have been shown as being efficient: the power of visual tests is comparable to classical tests while being much less stringent in terms of distributional assumptions made. This makes lineups versatile, yet powerful, tools in situations where conditions for regular statistical tests are not or cannot be met. In this paper we introduce lineups as a tool for evaluating the power of competing graphical designs. We highlight some of the theoretical properties and then show results from two studies evaluating competing designs: both studies are designed to go to the limits of our perceptual abilities to highlight differences between designs. We use both accuracy and speed of evaluation as measures of a successful design. The first study compares the choice of coordinate system: polar versus cartesian coordinates. The results show strong support in favor of cartesian coordinates in finding fast and accurate answers to spotting patterns. The second study is aimed at finding shift differences between distributions. Both studies are motivated by data problems that we have recently encountered, and explore using simulated data to evaluate the plot designs under controlled conditions. Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is used to conduct the studies. The lineups provide an effective mechanism for objectively evaluating plot designs.

Survey design for lakes and reservoirs in the United States to assess contaminants in fish tissue.

PubMed

Olsen, Anthony R; Snyder, Blaine D; Stahl, Leanne L; Pitt, Jennifer L

2009-03-01

The National Lake Fish Tissue Study (NLFTS) was the first survey of fish contamination in lakes and reservoirs in the 48 conterminous states based on a probability survey design. This study included the largest set (268) of persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic (PBT) chemicals ever studied in predator and bottom-dwelling fish species. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) implemented the study in cooperation with states, tribal nations, and other federal agencies, with field collection occurring at 500 lakes and reservoirs over a four-year period (2000-2003). The sampled lakes and reservoirs were selected using a spatially balanced unequal probability survey design from 270,761 lake objects in USEPA's River Reach File Version 3 (RF3). The survey design selected 900 lake objects, with a reserve sample of 900, equally distributed across six lake area categories. A total of 1,001 lake objects were evaluated to identify 500 lake objects that met the study's definition of a lake and could be accessed for sampling. Based on the 1,001 evaluated lakes, it was estimated that a target population of 147,343 (+/-7% with 95% confidence) lakes and reservoirs met the NLFTS definition of a lake. Of the estimated 147,343 target lakes, 47% were estimated not to be sampleable either due to landowner access denial (35%) or due to physical barriers (12%). It was estimated that a sampled population of 78,664 (+/-12% with 95% confidence) lakes met the NLFTS lake definition, had either predator or bottom-dwelling fish present, and could be sampled.

Optimal power distribution for minimizing pupil walk in a 7.5X afocal zoom lens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Song, Wanyue; Zhao, Yang; Berman, Rebecca; Bodell, S. Yvonne; Fennig, Eryn; Ni, Yunhui; Papa, Jonathan C.; Yang, Tianyi; Yee, Anthony J.; Moore, Duncan T.; Bentley, Julie L.

2017-11-01

An extensive design study was conducted to find the best optimal power distribution and stop location for a 7.5x afocal zoom lens that controls the pupil walk and pupil location through zoom. This afocal zoom lens is one of the three components in a VIS-SWIR high-resolution microscope for inspection of photonic chips. The microscope consists of an afocal zoom, a nine-element objective and a tube lens and has diffraction limited performance with zero vignetting. In this case, the required change in object (sample) size and resolution is achieved by the magnification change of the afocal component. This creates strict requirements for both the entrance and exit pupil locations of the afocal zoom to couple the two sides successfully. The first phase of the design study looked at conventional four group zoom lenses with positive groups in the front and back and the stop at a fixed location outside the lens but resulted in significant pupil walk. The second phase of the design study focused on several promising unconventional four-group power distribution designs with moving stops that minimized pupil walk and had an acceptable pupil location (as determined by the objective and tube lens).

Nuclear electric propulsion operational reliability and crew safety study: NEP systems/modeling report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karns, James

1993-01-01

The objective of this study was to establish the initial quantitative reliability bounds for nuclear electric propulsion systems in a manned Mars mission required to ensure crew safety and mission success. Finding the reliability bounds involves balancing top-down (mission driven) requirements and bottom-up (technology driven) capabilities. In seeking this balance we hope to accomplish the following: (1) provide design insights into the achievability of the baseline design in terms of reliability requirements, given the existing technology base; (2) suggest alternative design approaches which might enhance reliability and crew safety; and (3) indicate what technology areas require significant research and development to achieve the reliability objectives.

Reliability, minimal detectable change and responsiveness to change: Indicators to select the best method to measure sedentary behaviour in older adults in different study designs.

PubMed

Dontje, Manon L; Dall, Philippa M; Skelton, Dawn A; Gill, Jason M R; Chastin, Sebastien F M

2018-01-01

Prolonged sedentary behaviour (SB) is associated with poor health. It is unclear which SB measure is most appropriate for interventions and population surveillance to measure and interpret change in behaviour in older adults. The aims of this study: to examine the relative and absolute reliability, Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) and responsiveness to change of subjective and objective methods of measuring SB in older adults and give recommendations of use for different study designs. SB of 18 older adults (aged 71 (IQR 7) years) was assessed using a systematic set of six subjective tools, derived from the TAxonomy of Self report Sedentary behaviour Tools (TASST), and one objective tool (activPAL3c), over 14 days. Relative reliability (Intra Class Correlation coefficients-ICC), absolute reliability (SEM), MDC, and the relative responsiveness (Cohen's d effect size (ES) and Guyatt's Responsiveness coefficient (GR)) were calculated for each of the different tools and ranked for different study designs. ICC ranged from 0.414 to 0.946, SEM from 36.03 to 137.01 min, MDC from 1.66 to 8.42 hours, ES from 0.017 to 0.259 and GR from 0.024 to 0.485. Objective average day per week measurement ranked as most responsive in a clinical practice setting, whereas a one day measurement ranked highest in quasi-experimental, longitudinal and controlled trial study designs. TV viewing-Previous Week Recall (PWR) ranked as most responsive subjective measure in all study designs. The reliability, Minimal Detectable Change and responsiveness to change of subjective and objective methods of measuring SB is context dependent. Although TV viewing-PWR is the more reliable and responsive subjective method in most situations, it may have limitations as a reliable measure of total SB. Results of this study can be used to guide choice of tools for detecting change in sedentary behaviour in older adults in the contexts of population surveillance, intervention evaluation and individual care.

Hidden in Plain Sight: A Crowdsourced Public Art Contest to Make Automated External Defibrillators More Visible

PubMed Central

Griffis, Heather M.; Kilaru, Austin S.; Sellers, Allison M.; Hershey, John C.; Hill, Shawndra S.; Kramer-Golinkoff, Emily; Nadkarni, Lindsay; Debski, Margaret M.; Padrez, Kevin A.; Becker, Lance B.; Asch, David A.

2014-01-01

Objectives. We sought to explore the feasibility of using a crowdsourcing study to promote awareness about automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and their locations. Methods. The Defibrillator Design Challenge was an online initiative that asked the public to create educational designs that would enhance AED visibility, which took place over 8 weeks, from February 6, 2014, to April 6, 2014. Participants were encouraged to vote for AED designs and share designs on social media for points. Using a mixed-methods study design, we measured participant demographics and motivations, design characteristics, dissemination, and Web site engagement. Results. Over 8 weeks, there were 13 992 unique Web site visitors; 119 submitted designs and 2140 voted. The designs were shared 48 254 times on Facebook and Twitter. Most designers–voters reported that they participated to contribute to an important cause (44%) rather than to win money (0.8%). Design themes included: empowerment, location awareness, objects (e.g., wings, lightning, batteries, lifebuoys), and others. Conclusions. The Defibrillator Design Challenge engaged a broad audience to generate AED designs and foster awareness. This project provides a framework for using design and contest architecture to promote health messages. PMID:25320902

Reuseable Objects Software Environment (ROSE): Introduction to Air Force Software Reuse Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cottrell, William L.

1994-01-01

The Reusable Objects Software Environment (ROSE) is a common, consistent, consolidated implementation of software functionality using modern object oriented software engineering including designed-in reuse and adaptable requirements. ROSE is designed to minimize abstraction and reduce complexity. A planning model for the reverse engineering of selected objects through object oriented analysis is depicted. Dynamic and functional modeling are used to develop a system design, the object design, the language, and a database management system. The return on investment for a ROSE pilot program and timelines are charted.

Using object-based image analysis to guide the selection of field sample locations

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

One of the most challenging tasks for resource management and research is designing field sampling schemes to achieve unbiased estimates of ecosystem parameters as efficiently as possible. This study focused on the potential of fine-scale image objects from object-based image analysis (OBIA) to be u...

Collaborative Production of Learning Objects on French Literary Works Using the LOC Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Penman, Christine

2015-01-01

This case study situates the collaborative design of learning objects (interactive online learning material) using the LOC (Learning Object Creator) software in the context of language activities external to the core learning activities of language students at a UK university. It describes the creative and pedagogical processes leading to the…

Potential of Diesel Engine, Diesel Engine Design Concepts, Control Strategy and Implementation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-03-01

Diesel engine design concepts and control system strategies are surveyed with application to passenger cars and light trucks. The objective of the study is to indicate the fuel economy potential of the technologies investigated. The engine design par...

Inverse design of an ultra-compact broadband optical diode based on asymmetric spatial mode conversion

PubMed Central

Callewaert, Francois; Butun, Serkan; Li, Zhongyang; Aydin, Koray

2016-01-01

The objective-first inverse-design algorithm is used to design an ultra-compact optical diode. Based on silicon and air only, this optical diode relies on asymmetric spatial mode conversion between the left and right ports. The first even mode incident from the left port is transmitted to the right port after being converted into an odd mode. On the other hand, same mode incident from the right port is reflected back by the optical diode dielectric structure. The convergence and performance of the algorithm are studied, along with a transform method that converts continuous permittivity medium into a binary material design. The optimal device is studied with full-wave electromagnetic simulations to compare its behavior under right and left incidences, in 2D and 3D settings as well. A parametric study is designed to understand the impact of the design space size and initial conditions on the optimized devices performance. A broadband optical diode behavior is observed after optimization, with a large rejection ratio between the two transmission directions. This illustrates the potential of the objective-first inverse-design method to design ultra-compact broadband photonic devices. PMID:27586852

Thoughts on Improvable Objects, Contradiction and Object/Tool Reciprocity in a Study of Zoo Educator Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ash, Doris B.; Kelly, Lisa-Anne DeGregoria

2013-01-01

In this forum we discuss three aspects designed to clarify and extend Kelly and Kassing's paper. These are the roles of improvable objects, contradiction and object/tool reciprocity. In each case we cite relevant literature and pose questions to the field. Our goal is to seed ideas for future discussions concerning the role of activity theory…

Oasis Connections: Results from an Evaluation Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Czaja, Sara J.; Lee, Chin Chin; Branham, Janice; Remis, Peggy

2012-01-01

Purpose of the Study: The objectives of this study were to evaluate a community-based basic computer and Internet training program designed for older adults, provide recommendations for program refinement, and gather preliminary information on program sustainability. Design and Methods: The program was developed by the OASIS Institute, a nonprofit…

76 FR 57056 - International Cooperation on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-15

... guidance document is intended to provide study design recommendations that will facilitate the universal... objective of this guidance is to provide study design recommendations that will facilitate the universal... Products; Guidance for Industry on Studies To Evaluate the Metabolism and Residue Kinetics of Veterinary...

Towards a general object-oriented software development methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seidewitz, ED; Stark, Mike

1986-01-01

An object is an abstract software model of a problem domain entity. Objects are packages of both data and operations of that data (Goldberg 83, Booch 83). The Ada (tm) package construct is representative of this general notion of an object. Object-oriented design is the technique of using objects as the basic unit of modularity in systems design. The Software Engineering Laboratory at the Goddard Space Flight Center is currently involved in a pilot program to develop a flight dynamics simulator in Ada (approximately 40,000 statements) using object-oriented methods. Several authors have applied object-oriented concepts to Ada (e.g., Booch 83, Cherry 85). It was found that these methodologies are limited. As a result a more general approach was synthesized with allows a designer to apply powerful object-oriented principles to a wide range of applications and at all stages of design. An overview is provided of this approach. Further, how object-oriented design fits into the overall software life-cycle is considered.

A master-slave parallel hybrid multi-objective evolutionary algorithm for groundwater remediation design under general hydrogeological conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, J.; Yang, Y.; Luo, Q.; Wu, J.

2012-12-01

This study presents a new hybrid multi-objective evolutionary algorithm, the niched Pareto tabu search combined with a genetic algorithm (NPTSGA), whereby the global search ability of niched Pareto tabu search (NPTS) is improved by the diversification of candidate solutions arose from the evolving nondominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) population. Also, the NPTSGA coupled with the commonly used groundwater flow and transport codes, MODFLOW and MT3DMS, is developed for multi-objective optimal design of groundwater remediation systems. The proposed methodology is then applied to a large-scale field groundwater remediation system for cleanup of large trichloroethylene (TCE) plume at the Massachusetts Military Reservation (MMR) in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Furthermore, a master-slave (MS) parallelization scheme based on the Message Passing Interface (MPI) is incorporated into the NPTSGA to implement objective function evaluations in distributed processor environment, which can greatly improve the efficiency of the NPTSGA in finding Pareto-optimal solutions to the real-world application. This study shows that the MS parallel NPTSGA in comparison with the original NPTS and NSGA-II can balance the tradeoff between diversity and optimality of solutions during the search process and is an efficient and effective tool for optimizing the multi-objective design of groundwater remediation systems under complicated hydrogeologic conditions.

Understanding of Student Task Interpretation, Design Planning, and Cognitive Strategies during Engineering Design Activities in Grades 9-12. Final Report. Research in Engineering and Technology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawanto, Oenardi

2011-01-01

The objective of this study was to describe the task interpretation of students engaged in a design activity and determine the extent to which students translate their understanding of their design task to their planning and cognitive strategies. Twenty-nine students at one Colorado high school participated in this study. Students worked…

Optimal design and management of chlorination in drinking water networks: a multi-objective approach using Genetic Algorithms and the Pareto optimality concept

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nouiri, Issam

2017-11-01

This paper presents the development of multi-objective Genetic Algorithms to optimize chlorination design and management in drinking water networks (DWN). Three objectives have been considered: the improvement of the chlorination uniformity (healthy objective), the minimization of chlorine booster stations number, and the injected chlorine mass (economic objectives). The problem has been dissociated in medium and short terms ones. The proposed methodology was tested on hypothetical and real DWN. Results proved the ability of the developed optimization tool to identify relationships between the healthy and economic objectives as Pareto fronts. The proposed approach was efficient in computing solutions ensuring better chlorination uniformity while requiring the weakest injected chlorine mass when compared to other approaches. For the real DWN studied, chlorination optimization has been crowned by great improvement of free-chlorine-dosing uniformity and by a meaningful chlorine mass reduction, in comparison with the conventional chlorination.

Tradeoff methods in multiobjective insensitive design of airplane control systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schy, A. A.; Giesy, D. P.

1984-01-01

The latest results of an ongoing study of computer-aided design of airplane control systems are given. Constrained minimization algorithms are used, with the design objectives in the constraint vector. The concept of Pareto optimiality is briefly reviewed. It is shown how an experienced designer can use it to find designs which are well-balanced in all objectives. Then the problem of finding designs which are insensitive to uncertainty in system parameters are discussed, introducing a probabilistic vector definition of sensitivity which is consistent with the deterministic Pareto optimal problem. Insensitivity is important in any practical design, but it is particularly important in the design of feedback control systems, since it is considered to be the most important distinctive property of feedback control. Methods of tradeoff between deterministic and stochastic-insensitive (SI) design are described, and tradeoff design results are presented for the example of the a Shuttle lateral stability augmentation system. This example is used because careful studies have been made of the uncertainty in Shuttle aerodynamics. Finally, since accurate statistics of uncertain parameters are usually not available, the effects of crude statistical models on SI designs are examined.

Surrogate-based Analysis and Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Queipo, Nestor V.; Haftka, Raphael T.; Shyy, Wei; Goel, Tushar; Vaidyanathan, Raj; Tucker, P. Kevin

2005-01-01

A major challenge to the successful full-scale development of modem aerospace systems is to address competing objectives such as improved performance, reduced costs, and enhanced safety. Accurate, high-fidelity models are typically time consuming and computationally expensive. Furthermore, informed decisions should be made with an understanding of the impact (global sensitivity) of the design variables on the different objectives. In this context, the so-called surrogate-based approach for analysis and optimization can play a very valuable role. The surrogates are constructed using data drawn from high-fidelity models, and provide fast approximations of the objectives and constraints at new design points, thereby making sensitivity and optimization studies feasible. This paper provides a comprehensive discussion of the fundamental issues that arise in surrogate-based analysis and optimization (SBAO), highlighting concepts, methods, techniques, as well as practical implications. The issues addressed include the selection of the loss function and regularization criteria for constructing the surrogates, design of experiments, surrogate selection and construction, sensitivity analysis, convergence, and optimization. The multi-objective optimal design of a liquid rocket injector is presented to highlight the state of the art and to help guide future efforts.

Platform options for the Space Station program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mangano, M. J.; Rowley, R. W.

1986-01-01

Platforms for polar and 28.5 deg orbits were studied to determine the platform requirements and characteristics necessary to support the science objectives. Large platforms supporting the Earth-Observing System (EOS) were initially studied. Co-orbiting platforms were derived from these designs. Because cost estimates indicated that the large platform approach was likely to be too expensive, require several launches, and generally be excessively complex, studies of small platforms were undertaken. Results of these studies show the small platform approach to be technically feasible at lower overall cost. All designs maximized hardware inheritance from the Space Station program to reduce costs. Science objectives as defined at the time of these studies are largely achievable.

Preventing Epilepsy After Traumatic Brain Injury

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-02-01

early seizures to the standard of care ( phenytoin ). A secondary objective is to obtain the data necessary to design a randomized clinical trial to...protocol was revised to eliminate several major obstacles. We have enrolled 5 subjects into the study; two in the phenytoin arm, one in the short term...prevent early seizures better than the current standard of care ( phenytoin ). A secondary objective is to obtain the data necessary to design a randomized

Applying the food safety objective and related standards to thermal inactivation of Salmonella in poultry meat.

PubMed

Membré, Jeanne-Marie; Bassett, John; Gorris, Leon G M

2007-09-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the practicality of designing a heat treatment process in a food manufacturing operation for a product governed by a Food Safety Objective (FSO). Salmonella in cooked poultry meat was taken as the working example. Although there is no FSO for this product in current legislation, this may change in the (near) future. Four different process design calculations were explored by means of deterministic and probabilistic approaches to mathematical data handling and modeling. It was found that the probabilistic approach was a more objective, transparent, and quantifiable approach to establish the stringency of food safety management systems. It also allowed the introduction of specific prevalence rates. The key input analyzed in this study was the minimum time required for the heat treatment at a fixed temperature to produce a product that complied with the criterion for product safety, i.e., the FSO. By means of the four alternative process design calculations, the minimum time requirement at 70 degrees C was established and ranged from 0.26 to 0.43 min. This is comparable to the U.S. regulation recommendations and significantly less than that of 2 min at 70 degrees C used, for instance, in the United Kingdom regulation concerning vegetative microorganisms in ready-to-eat foods. However, the objective of this study was not to challenge existing regulations but to provide an illustration of how an FSO established by a competent authority can guide decisions on safe product and process designs in practical operation; it hopefully contributes to the collaborative work between regulators, academia, and industries that need to continue learning and gaining experience from each other in order to translate risk-based concepts such as the FSO into everyday operational practice.

Entry systems technology assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gay, Archie

1993-01-01

The objectives are: (1) to establish aerothermal environments for hypersonic aerospace vehicles; (2) to develop thermostructural design concepts; (3) to obtain optimum thermostructural designs by performing trade studies; and (4) to identify areas for further development.

40 CFR 97.214 - Objections concerning CAIR designated representative.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Objections concerning CAIR designated... Designated Representative for CAIR SO2 Sources § 97.214 Objections concerning CAIR designated representative... authority or the Administrator concerning the authorization, or any representation, action, inaction, or...

40 CFR 97.314 - Objections concerning CAIR designated representative.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Objections concerning CAIR designated... Designated Representative for CAIR NOX Ozone Season Sources § 97.314 Objections concerning CAIR designated... the permitting authority or the Administrator concerning the authorization, or any representation...

40 CFR 60.4114 - Objections concerning Hg designated representative.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Objections concerning Hg designated... § 60.4114 Objections concerning Hg designated representative. (a) Once a complete certificate of... concerning the authorization, or any representation, action, inaction, or submission, of the Hg designated...

40 CFR 97.114 - Objections concerning CAIR designated representative.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Objections concerning CAIR designated... Designated Representative for CAIR NOX Sources § 97.114 Objections concerning CAIR designated representative... authority or the Administrator concerning the authorization, or any representation, action, inaction, or...

Decomposition-Based Decision Making for Aerospace Vehicle Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borer, Nicholas K.; Mavris, DImitri N.

2005-01-01

Most practical engineering systems design problems have multiple and conflicting objectives. Furthermore, the satisfactory attainment level for each objective ( requirement ) is likely uncertain early in the design process. Systems with long design cycle times will exhibit more of this uncertainty throughout the design process. This is further complicated if the system is expected to perform for a relatively long period of time, as now it will need to grow as new requirements are identified and new technologies are introduced. These points identify a need for a systems design technique that enables decision making amongst multiple objectives in the presence of uncertainty. Traditional design techniques deal with a single objective or a small number of objectives that are often aggregates of the overarching goals sought through the generation of a new system. Other requirements, although uncertain, are viewed as static constraints to this single or multiple objective optimization problem. With either of these formulations, enabling tradeoffs between the requirements, objectives, or combinations thereof is a slow, serial process that becomes increasingly complex as more criteria are added. This research proposal outlines a technique that attempts to address these and other idiosyncrasies associated with modern aerospace systems design. The proposed formulation first recasts systems design into a multiple criteria decision making problem. The now multiple objectives are decomposed to discover the critical characteristics of the objective space. Tradeoffs between the objectives are considered amongst these critical characteristics by comparison to a probabilistic ideal tradeoff solution. The proposed formulation represents a radical departure from traditional methods. A pitfall of this technique is in the validation of the solution: in a multi-objective sense, how can a decision maker justify a choice between non-dominated alternatives? A series of examples help the reader to observe how this technique can be applied to aerospace systems design and compare the results of this so-called Decomposition-Based Decision Making to more traditional design approaches.

Historical trend in the research and development of aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spearman, M. L.

1981-01-01

Results are presented from a study of aircraft design trends undertaken to determine the relationship between research, development, test and evaluation and aircraft mission capability, requirements and objectives. It is shown that while in some cases a performance objective was the primary research driver, research was the driver in the formulation of objectives in others. Among the topics discussed are: (1) speed considerations such as compressibility, propulsion and test techniques; (2) airframe considerations such as swept, delta, trapezoidal and variable-sweep planforms and mission commonality; (3) research aircraft; (4) the recent impact of computer-aided design; (5) Soviet aircraft development approaches and (6) a comparison of Soviet and U.S. military aircraft design trends. Attention is given to experimental and prototype aircraft programs which, although cancelled, anticipated significant subsequent developments.

Investigation of Navier-Stokes Code Verification and Design Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vaidyanathan, Rajkumar

2004-01-01

With rapid progress made in employing computational techniques for various complex Navier-Stokes fluid flow problems, design optimization problems traditionally based on empirical formulations and experiments are now being addressed with the aid of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). To be able to carry out an effective CFD-based optimization study, it is essential that the uncertainty and appropriate confidence limits of the CFD solutions be quantified over the chosen design space. The present dissertation investigates the issues related to code verification, surrogate model-based optimization and sensitivity evaluation. For Navier-Stokes (NS) CFD code verification a least square extrapolation (LSE) method is assessed. This method projects numerically computed NS solutions from multiple, coarser base grids onto a freer grid and improves solution accuracy by minimizing the residual of the discretized NS equations over the projected grid. In this dissertation, the finite volume (FV) formulation is focused on. The interplay between the xi concepts and the outcome of LSE, and the effects of solution gradients and singularities, nonlinear physics, and coupling of flow variables on the effectiveness of LSE are investigated. A CFD-based design optimization of a single element liquid rocket injector is conducted with surrogate models developed using response surface methodology (RSM) based on CFD solutions. The computational model consists of the NS equations, finite rate chemistry, and the k-6 turbulence closure. With the aid of these surrogate models, sensitivity and trade-off analyses are carried out for the injector design whose geometry (hydrogen flow angle, hydrogen and oxygen flow areas and oxygen post tip thickness) is optimized to attain desirable goals in performance (combustion length) and life/survivability (the maximum temperatures on the oxidizer post tip and injector face and a combustion chamber wall temperature). A preliminary multi-objective optimization study is carried out using a geometric mean approach. Following this, sensitivity analyses with the aid of variance-based non-parametric approach and partial correlation coefficients are conducted using data available from surrogate models of the objectives and the multi-objective optima to identify the contribution of the design variables to the objective variability and to analyze the variability of the design variables and the objectives. In summary the present dissertation offers insight into an improved coarse to fine grid extrapolation technique for Navier-Stokes computations and also suggests tools for a designer to conduct design optimization study and related sensitivity analyses for a given design problem.

Learning Experience as Transaction: A Framework for Instructional Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrish, Patrick E.; Wilson, Brent G.; Dunlap, Joanna C.

2011-01-01

This article presents a framework for understanding learning experience as an object for instructional design--as an object for design as well as research and understanding. Compared to traditional behavioral objectives or discrete cognitive skills, the object of experience is more holistic, requiring simultaneous attention to cognition, behavior,…

Concentrator enhanced solar arrays design study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lott, D. R.

1978-01-01

The analysis and preliminary design of a 25 kW concentrator enhanced lightweight flexible solar array are presented. The study was organized into five major tasks: (1) assessment and specification of design requirements; (2) mechanical design; (3) electric design; (4) concentrator design; and (5) cost projection. The tasks were conducted in an iterative manner so as to best derive a baseline design selection. The objectives of the study are discussed and comparative configurations and mass data on the SEP (Solar Electric Propulsion) array design, concentrator design options and configuration/mass data on the selected concentrator enhanced solar array baseline design are presented. Design requirements supporting design analysis and detailed baseline design data are discussed. The results of the cost projection analysis and new technology are also discussed.

C++ and operating systems performance - A case study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Russo, Vincent F.; Madany, Peter W.; Campbell, Roy H.

1990-01-01

Object-oriented design and programming has many software engineering advantages. Its application to large systems, however, has previously been constrained by performance concerns. The Choices operating system, which has over 75,000 lines of code, is object-oriented and programmed in C++. This paper is a case study of the performance of Choices.

RASSP final technical report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1992-10-01

The overall objective of the DARPA/Tri-Service RASSP program is to demonstrate a capability to rapidly specify, produce, and yield domain-specific, affordable signal processors for use in Department of Defense systems such as automatic target acquisition, tracking, and recognition, electronic countermeasures, communications, and SIGINT. The objective of the study phase is to specify a recommended program plan for the government to use as a template for procurement of the RASSP design system and demonstration program. To accomplish that objective, the study phase program tasks are to specify a development methodology for signal processors (adaptable to various organizational design styles, and application areas), analyze the requirements in CAD/CAE tools to support the development methodology, identify the state and development plans of the industry relative to this area, and to recommend the additional developments not currently being addressed by the industry, which are recommended as RASSP developments. In addition, the RASSP study phase will define a linking approach for electronically linking design centers to manufacturing centers so a complete cycle for prototyping can be accomplished with significantly reduced cycle time.

A Case for Inhibition: Visual Attention Suppresses the Processing of Irrelevant Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wuhr, Peter; Frings, Christian

2008-01-01

The present study investigated the ability to inhibit the processing of an irrelevant visual object while processing a relevant one. Participants were presented with 2 overlapping shapes (e.g., circle and square) in different colors. The task was to name the color of the relevant object designated by shape. Congruent or incongruent color words…

On Levels of Awareness of Objects in Infants and Students Thereof.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gratch, Gerald

This paper describes a series of longitudinal experiments which dealt with the development of object awareness in infants, ages 6-18 months. The experiments were designed to document and evaluate Piaget's account of this development. The studies focused on two types of phenomena: (1) when infants first find an object hidden in one place, they will…

MBBS Student Perceptions about Physiology Subject Teaching and Objective Structured Practical Examination Based Formative Assessment for Improving Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lakshmipathy, K.

2015-01-01

The objectives of the present study were to 1) assess student attitudes to physiology, 2) evaluate student opinions about the influence of an objective structured practical examination (OSPE) on competence, and 3) assess the validity and reliability of an indigenously designed feedback questionnaire. A structured questionnaire containing 16 item…

Co-brand strategy of evaluation of visual images in furniture design: Jimmy S.P.A. and STRAUSS as examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Tien-Li; Pan, Fang-Ming; Tsai, Jen-Hui

2013-03-01

This study aimed to investigate the correlation of the image associated by the design Co-Brand (Jimmy S.P.A. and STRAUSS) and the impression perceived by subject of viewers. Visual images were used to examine the merit of the evaluation. The best result is provided using an object as an appropriate evaluation method. There are a lot of factors which influence to evaluation of a design. This study is limited to distinguish the appearance from Jimmy's picture books transform furniture and so on. Co-Brand of Jimmy S.P.A. and STRAUSS is not easy because there are not from the same cultural, and industry background and applying different marketing strategy, it is a way to combine the two brands by designing, used questionnaire of SD (Semantic differential evaluation) evaluation method to test out the perception of viewers, the objective of this study is to investigate and appraised the Co-Brands use by of the image in furniture from patrons. SD evaluation result showed, if design cannot understand the perception image of Jimmy S.P.A and STRAUSS with viewers mind, furniture design also can't transmit feeling with design.

Optimal design of groundwater remediation system using a probabilistic multi-objective fast harmony search algorithm under uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Qiankun; Wu, Jianfeng; Yang, Yun; Qian, Jiazhong; Wu, Jichun

2014-11-01

This study develops a new probabilistic multi-objective fast harmony search algorithm (PMOFHS) for optimal design of groundwater remediation systems under uncertainty associated with the hydraulic conductivity (K) of aquifers. The PMOFHS integrates the previously developed deterministic multi-objective optimization method, namely multi-objective fast harmony search algorithm (MOFHS) with a probabilistic sorting technique to search for Pareto-optimal solutions to multi-objective optimization problems in a noisy hydrogeological environment arising from insufficient K data. The PMOFHS is then coupled with the commonly used flow and transport codes, MODFLOW and MT3DMS, to identify the optimal design of groundwater remediation systems for a two-dimensional hypothetical test problem and a three-dimensional Indiana field application involving two objectives: (i) minimization of the total remediation cost through the engineering planning horizon, and (ii) minimization of the mass remaining in the aquifer at the end of the operational period, whereby the pump-and-treat (PAT) technology is used to clean up contaminated groundwater. Also, Monte Carlo (MC) analysis is employed to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. Comprehensive analysis indicates that the proposed PMOFHS can find Pareto-optimal solutions with low variability and high reliability and is a potentially effective tool for optimizing multi-objective groundwater remediation problems under uncertainty.

Mars Orbiter Study. Volume 2: Mission Design, Science Instrument Accommodation, Spacecraft Design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Drean, R.; Macpherson, D.; Steffy, D.; Vargas, T.; Shuman, B.; Anderson, K.; Richards, B.

1982-01-01

Spacecraft system and subsystem designs were developed at the conceptual level to perform either of two Mars Orbiter Missions, a Climatology Mission and an Aeronomy Mission. The objectives of these missions are to obtain and return data to increase knowledge of Mars.

Influence of Nose Radius of Blunt Cones on Drag in Supersonic and Hypersonic Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hemateja, A.; Teja, B. Ravi; Dileep Kumar, A.; Rakesh, S. G.

2017-08-01

The objects moving at high speeds encounter forces which tend to decelerate the objects. This resistance in the medium is termed as drag which is one of the major concerns while designing high speed aircrafts. Another key factor which influences the design is the heat transfer. The main challenge faced by aerospace industries is to design the shape of the flying object that travels at high speeds with optimum values of heat generation and drag. This study deals with computational analysis of sharp and blunt cones with varying cone angles and nose radii. The effect of nose radius on the drag is studied at supersonic and hypersonic flows and at various angles of attack. It is observed that as the nose radius is increased, the heat transfer reduces & the drag increases and vice-versa. Looking at the results, the optimum value of nose radius can be chosen depending on the need of the problem.

Quality of Austrian and Dutch Falls-Prevention Information: A Comparative Descriptive Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoberer, Daniela; Mijnarends, Donja M.; Fliedner, Monica; Halfens, Ruud J. G.; Lohrmann, Christa

2016-01-01

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the quality of written patient information material available in Austrian and Dutch hospitals and nursing homes pertaining to falls prevention. Design: Comparative descriptive study design Setting: Hospitals and nursing homes in Austria and the Netherlands. Method: Written patient…

Evaluation Study for Secondary Stage EFL Textbook: EFL Teachers' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Harbi, Abdullah Abdul Muhsen

2017-01-01

This study aimed at evaluating EFL textbook for secondary stage in Saudi Public schools. Participants consisted of (100) male teachers and (73) female teachers teaching secondary stage students in two cities: Madinah and Dowadmi. The tool of the study designed to cover five dimensions: layout and design, the objectives of the textbook, teaching…

Getting in Touch with Paramedic Student Career Intentions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Meara, Peter; Tourle, Vianne; Madigan, Veronica; Lighton, David

2012-01-01

Objective: This study of paramedic and nursing/paramedic students aimed to determine the initial career intentions of full-time paramedic students and to identify the key factors that influence their career choices. Design: A longitudinal study design, utilizing surveys and a focus group, was employed. Setting: The study was conducted in an…

Battling Arrow's Paradox to Discover Robust Water Management Alternatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasprzyk, J. R.; Reed, P. M.; Hadka, D.

2013-12-01

This study explores whether or not Arrow's Impossibility Theorem, a theory of social choice, affects the formulation of water resources systems planning problems. The theorem discusses creating an aggregation function for voters choosing from more than three alternatives for society. The Impossibility Theorem is also called Arrow's Paradox, because when trying to add more voters, a single individual's preference will dictate the optimal group decision. In the context of water resources planning, our study is motivated by recent theoretical work that has generalized the insights for Arrow's Paradox to the design of complex engineered systems. In this framing of the paradox, states of society are equivalent to water planning or design alternatives, and the voters are equivalent to multiple planning objectives (e.g. minimizing cost or maximizing performance). Seen from this point of view, multi-objective water planning problems are functionally equivalent to the social choice problem described above. Traditional solutions to such multi-objective problems aggregate multiple performance measures into a single mathematical objective. The Theorem implies that a subset of performance concerns will inadvertently dictate the overall design evaluations in unpredictable ways using such an aggregation. We suggest that instead of aggregation, an explicit many-objective approach to water planning can help overcome the challenges posed by Arrow's Paradox. Many-objective planning explicitly disaggregates measures of performance while supporting the discovery of the planning tradeoffs, employing multiobjective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) to find solutions. Using MOEA-based search to address Arrow's Paradox requires that the MOEAs perform robustly with increasing problem complexity, such as adding additional objectives and/or decisions. This study uses comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of MOEA search performance across multiple problem formulations (both aggregated and many-objective) to show whether or not aggregating performance measures biases decision making. In this study, we explore this hypothesis using an urban water portfolio management case study in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The diagnostic analysis shows that modern self-adaptive MOEA search is efficient, effective, and reliable for the more complex many-objective LRGV planning formulations. Results indicate that although many classical water systems planning frameworks seek to account for multiple objectives, the common practice of reducing the problem into one or more highly aggregated performance measures can severely and negatively bias planning decisions.

Engineering Design Activity: Understanding How Different Design Activities Influence Students' Motivation in Grades 9-12. Final Report. A Seed Grant Research Project. Research in Engineering and Technology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawanto, Oenardi; Stewardson, Gary

2009-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate grade 9-12 students' motivation while engaged in two different engineering design projects: marble-sorter and bridge designs. The motivation components measured in this study were focused on students' intrinsic (IGO) and extrinsic (EGO) goal orientations, task value (TV), self-efficacy for learning and…

An Interactive Preliminary Design System of High Speed Forebody and Inlet Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, May-Fun; Benson, Thomas J.; Trefny, Charles J.

2010-01-01

This paper demonstrates a simulation-based aerodynamic design process of high speed inlet. A genetic algorithm is integrated into the design process to facilitate the single objective optimization. The objective function is the total pressure recovery and is obtained by using a PNS solver for its computing efficiency. The system developed uses existing software of geometry definition, mesh generation and CFD analysis. The process which produces increasingly desirable design in each genetic evolution over many generations is automatically carried out. A generic two-dimensional inlet is created as a showcase to demonstrate the capabilities of this tool. A parameterized study of geometric shape and size of the showcase is also presented.

Multi-Stage Hybrid Rocket Conceptual Design for Micro-Satellites Launch using Genetic Algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kitagawa, Yosuke; Kitagawa, Koki; Nakamiya, Masaki; Kanazaki, Masahiro; Shimada, Toru

The multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA) is applied to the multi-disciplinary conceptual design problem for a three-stage launch vehicle (LV) with a hybrid rocket engine (HRE). MOGA is an optimization tool used for multi-objective problems. The parallel coordinate plot (PCP), which is a data mining method, is employed in the post-process in MOGA for design knowledge discovery. A rocket that can deliver observing micro-satellites to the sun-synchronous orbit (SSO) is designed. It consists of an oxidizer tank containing liquid oxidizer, a combustion chamber containing solid fuel, a pressurizing tank and a nozzle. The objective functions considered in this study are to minimize the total mass of the rocket and to maximize the ratio of the payload mass to the total mass. To calculate the thrust and the engine size, the regression rate is estimated based on an empirical model for a paraffin (FT-0070) propellant. Several non-dominated solutions are obtained using MOGA, and design knowledge is discovered for the present hybrid rocket design problem using a PCP analysis. As a result, substantial knowledge on the design of an LV with an HRE is obtained for use in space transportation.

Seismic design of passive tuned mass damper parameters using active control algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Chia-Ming; Shia, Syuan; Lai, Yong-An

2018-07-01

Tuned mass dampers are a widely-accepted control method to effectively reduce the vibrations of tall buildings. A tuned mass damper employs a damped harmonic oscillator with specific dynamic characteristics, thus the response of structures can be regulated by the additive dynamics. The additive dynamics are, however, similar to the feedback control system in active control. Therefore, the objective of this study is to develop a new tuned mass damper design procedure based on the active control algorithm, i.e., the H2/LQG control. This design facilitates the similarity of feedback control in the active control algorithm to determine the spring and damper in a tuned mass damper. Given a mass ratio between the damper and structure, the stiffness and damping coefficient of the tuned mass damper are derived by minimizing the response objective function of the primary structure, where the structural properties are known. Varying a single weighting in this objective function yields the optimal TMD design when the minimum peak in the displacement transfer function of the structure with the TMD is met. This study examines various objective functions as well as derives the associated equations to compute the stiffness and damping coefficient. The relationship between the primary structure and optimal tuned mass damper is parametrically studied. Performance is evaluated by exploring the h2-and h∞-norms of displacements and accelerations of the primary structure. In time-domain analysis, the damping effectiveness of the tune mass damper controlled structures is investigated under impulse excitation. Structures with the optimal tuned mass dampers are also assessed under seismic excitation. As a result, the proposed design procedure produces an effective tuned mass damper to be employed in a structure against earthquakes.

Effects of Prior Knowledge of Topics and the Instructional Objectives on Students' Achievement in Literature-in-English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mbah, Blessing Akaraka

2015-01-01

This study investigated the effects of prior knowledge of topics with their instructional objectives on senior secondary school class two (SS II) students. The study was carried out in Abakaliki Education Zone of Ebonyi State, Nigeria. The design of the study is quasi experimental of pretest-posttest of non-equivalent control group. Two research…

Biostack: A study of the biological effects on HZE galactic cosmic radiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Buecker, H.

1975-01-01

The Biostack experiment designed to study the effect of individual heavy nucleii of the cosmic radiation environment upon biological systems during actual space flight is described. In each Biostack, several thousand biological objects were hit by an HZE particle. The response of the biological objects was studied. Results are discussed in terms of sensitivity to the hit.

An Examination of the Role of Nursery Education on Primary School Pupils in Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oniwon, H. O. Evelyn

2015-01-01

This study examines the role of Nursery education among primary school pupils. The sole objective of the study was to find out the differences in academic achievement between primary school pupils who received nursery education and those who did not. Descriptive survey research design was adopted to achieve the study objective. Consequently, 20…

Mars orbiter conceptual systems design study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dixon, W.; Vogl, J.

1982-01-01

Spacecraft system and subsystem designs at the conceptual level to perform either of two Mars Orbiter missions, a Climatology Mission and an Aeronomy Mission were developed. The objectives of these missions are to obtain and return data.

Development of laboratory mix design procedures for RAP mixes.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the amount of blending that occurs between RAP and virgin asphalt : binders in plant produced HMA in which RAP is incorporated. This objective was accomplished by testing plant : produced mixture from three...

A multiphoton objective design with incorporated beam splitter for enhanced fluorescence collection

PubMed Central

McMullen, Jesse D.; Zipfel, Warren R.

2010-01-01

We present a de novo design of an objective for use in multi-photon (MPM) and second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy. This objective was designed to have a large field of view (FOV), while maintaining a moderate numerical aperture (NA) and relative straight forward construction. A dichroic beam splitter was incorporated within the objective itself allowing for an increase in the front aperture of the objective and corresponding enhancement of the solid angle of collected emission by an order of magnitude over existing designs. PMID:20389554

A multiphoton objective design with incorporated beam splitter for enhanced fluorescence collection.

PubMed

McMullen, Jesse D; Zipfel, Warren R

2010-03-15

We present a de novo design of an objective for use in multi-photon (MPM) and second harmonic generation (SHG) microscopy. This objective was designed to have a large field of view (FOV), while maintaining a moderate numerical aperture (NA) and relative straight forward construction. A dichroic beam splitter was incorporated within the objective itself allowing for an increase in the front aperture of the objective and corresponding enhancement of the solid angle of collected emission by an order of magnitude over existing designs.

Reducing the complexity of the software design process with object-oriented design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schuler, M. P.

1991-01-01

Designing software is a complex process. How object-oriented design (OOD), coupled with formalized documentation and tailored object diagraming techniques, can reduce the complexity of the software design process is described and illustrated. The described OOD methodology uses a hierarchical decomposition approach in which parent objects are decomposed into layers of lower level child objects. A method of tracking the assignment of requirements to design components is also included. Increases in the reusability, portability, and maintainability of the resulting products are also discussed. This method was built on a combination of existing technology, teaching experience, consulting experience, and feedback from design method users. The discussed concepts are applicable to hierarchal OOD processes in general. Emphasis is placed on improving the design process by documenting the details of the procedures involved and incorporating improvements into those procedures as they are developed.

A Meteorological (humidity, temperature, aerosols)) mobile dial system: Concepts and design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cahen, C.; Lesne, J. L.; Benard, J.; Ponsardin, P.

1986-01-01

Since 1982 a program was conducted to develop a mobile meteorological (humidity, temperature, aerosols) Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) devoted to the studies of the nuclear power plant atmospheric surroundings. The measurement objectives are defined according to the user needs and the lidar feasibility. The concepts and design adopted to meet both the requirement and the measurement objectives are described. Each sub-system is addressed sequentially: transmitting system, receiving system, detection system, and post detection.

Structural Optimization for Reliability Using Nonlinear Goal Programming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Sayed, Mohamed E.

1999-01-01

This report details the development of a reliability based multi-objective design tool for solving structural optimization problems. Based on two different optimization techniques, namely sequential unconstrained minimization and nonlinear goal programming, the developed design method has the capability to take into account the effects of variability on the proposed design through a user specified reliability design criterion. In its sequential unconstrained minimization mode, the developed design tool uses a composite objective function, in conjunction with weight ordered design objectives, in order to take into account conflicting and multiple design criteria. Multiple design criteria of interest including structural weight, load induced stress and deflection, and mechanical reliability. The nonlinear goal programming mode, on the other hand, provides for a design method that eliminates the difficulty of having to define an objective function and constraints, while at the same time has the capability of handling rank ordered design objectives or goals. For simulation purposes the design of a pressure vessel cover plate was undertaken as a test bed for the newly developed design tool. The formulation of this structural optimization problem into sequential unconstrained minimization and goal programming form is presented. The resulting optimization problem was solved using: (i) the linear extended interior penalty function method algorithm; and (ii) Powell's conjugate directions method. Both single and multi-objective numerical test cases are included demonstrating the design tool's capabilities as it applies to this design problem.

The Dresden Predictor Study of anxiety and depression: objectives, design, and methods.

PubMed

Trumpf, Julia; Vriends, Noortje; Meyer, Andrea H; Becker, Eni S; Neumer, Simon-Peter; Margraf, Jürgen

2010-09-01

The present report describes the objectives, design, and methods of the Dresden Predictor Study (DPS) of anxiety and depression, a prospective epidemiological study investigating anxiety disorders and depression in 3,065 young German women (18-25 years of age). The DPS consists of a baseline and one follow-up investigation separated by approximately 17 months. At both time points, respondents were diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV) using an extended German version of the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule (ADIS-IV-L). In addition to diagnostic assessment, respondents completed a battery of self-report questionnaires that provided detailed information about potential predictors of disorders and a comprehensive dimensional assessment of psychopathology. Results on both response bias in the baseline investigation and effects of dropout at follow-up are presented, and strengths and limitations of the study design are discussed.

Object Oriented Learning Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Ed

2005-01-01

We apply the object oriented software engineering (OOSE) design methodology for software objects (SOs) to learning objects (LOs). OOSE extends and refines design principles for authoring dynamic reusable LOs. Our learning object class (LOC) is a template from which individualised LOs can be dynamically created for, or by, students. The properties…

An Object-Oriented Collection of Minimum Degree Algorithms: Design, Implementation, and Experiences

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kumfert, Gary; Pothen, Alex

1999-01-01

The multiple minimum degree (MMD) algorithm and its variants have enjoyed 20+ years of research and progress in generating fill-reducing orderings for sparse, symmetric positive definite matrices. Although conceptually simple, efficient implementations of these algorithms are deceptively complex and highly specialized. In this case study, we present an object-oriented library that implements several recent minimum degree-like algorithms. We discuss how object-oriented design forces us to decompose these algorithms in a different manner than earlier codes and demonstrate how this impacts the flexibility and efficiency of our C++ implementation. We compare the performance of our code against other implementations in C or Fortran.

Improving Children's Problem Eating and Mealtime Behaviours: An Evaluative Study of a Single Session Parent Education Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Kim; Wallis, Marianne; St. John, Winsome

2004-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a "single session" group, early intervention, multidisciplinary, education programme (entitled the "Fun not Fuss with Food" group programme) designed to improve children's problem eating and mealtime behaviours. Design: A quasi-experimental time-series design incorporating data…

Instruction Design System of Allama Iqbal Open University: A Vehicle for Improvement or Mere a Salogon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashfaq, Muhammad; Chaudry, Muhammad Ajmal; Iqbal, Muhammad Javed

2016-01-01

The main objective of this study was to ensure instructional quality, effectiveness, efficiency and enjoyment. Instructional design maximizes the value of the instructions for the learners. Instructional design include identifying instructional out-comes, developing instructional contents and established how instructional effectiveness will be…

Affordable Design: A Methodolgy to Implement Process-Based Manufacturing Cost into the Traditional Performance-Focused Multidisciplinary Design Optimization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bao, Han P.; Samareh, J. A.

2000-01-01

The primary objective of this paper is to demonstrate the use of process-based manufacturing and assembly cost models in a traditional performance-focused multidisciplinary design and optimization process. The use of automated cost-performance analysis is an enabling technology that could bring realistic processbased manufacturing and assembly cost into multidisciplinary design and optimization. In this paper, we present a new methodology for incorporating process costing into a standard multidisciplinary design optimization process. Material, manufacturing processes, and assembly processes costs then could be used as the objective function for the optimization method. A case study involving forty-six different configurations of a simple wing is presented, indicating that a design based on performance criteria alone may not necessarily be the most affordable as far as manufacturing and assembly cost is concerned.

Association between Lifestyle and School Attendance in Japanese Medical Students: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanaka, Masaaki; Watanabe, Yasuyoshi

2012-01-01

Objective: Lifestyle factors are thought to be associated with students' academic performance. Whether lifestyle factors were associated with medical students' school attendance was determined. Design: Cross-sectional design. Setting: The study group consisted of 157 healthy second-year medical students attending Osaka City University Graduate…

Learning to Be Interdisciplinary: An Action Research Approach to Boundary Spanning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munoz, Karen; Jeris, Laurel

2005-01-01

Objective: This study explored challenges and barriers that need to be addressed in a preprofessional educational setting to provide opportunities for boundary spanning that leads to family-centred interdisciplinary service provision. Design: The design employed in this study was participatory action research, an inductive approach. Setting: The…

Low Income Women and Physician Breastfeeding Advice: A Regional Assessment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stolzer, J; Zeece, Pauline

2006-01-01

Objectives: The aims of the pilot study presented here were to determine whether low income women were receiving compendious breastfeeding advice from their attending physicians. Design: This study assessed low income women's reports of physician breastfeeding advice using a newly designed Likert scaled survey based on the American Surgeon…

76 FR 78927 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-20

... estimates of the effectiveness of the programs. This component will use an experimental design. Program... inform decisions related to future investments in this kind of programming as well as the design and operation of such services. To meet the objective of the study, experimental impact studies with...

Strategies for Improving Power in School-Randomized Studies of Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelcey, Ben; Phelps, Geoffrey

2013-01-01

Objectives: Group-randomized designs are well suited for studies of professional development because they can accommodate programs that are delivered to intact groups (e.g., schools), the collaborative nature of professional development, and extant teacher/school assignments. Though group designs may be theoretically favorable, prior evidence has…

Pavement design and performance studies : progress report no. 4 on phase A, performance study of typical Virginia pavements.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1970-01-01

The performance of in-service typical Virginia flexible and rigid pavements in all areas of the state is under evaluation. The objectives are to provide a ready reference for designers and field engineers and to provide background information for des...

A Population-Based Study of Preschoolers' Food Neophobia and Its Associations with Food Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, Catherine Georgina; Worsley, Anthony

2008-01-01

Objective: This cross-sectional study was designed to investigate the relationships between food preferences, food neophobia, and children's characteristics among a population-based sample of preschoolers. Design: A parent-report questionnaire. Setting: Child-care centers, kindergartens, playgroups, day nurseries, and swimming centers. Subjects:…

Domestic Violence Assessments in the Child Advocacy Center

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thackeray, Jonathan D.; Scribano, Philip V.; Rhoda, Dale

2010-01-01

Objective: This study was designed to identify the frequency, methods, and practices of universal assessments for domestic violence (DV) within child advocacy centers (CACs) and determine which factors are associated with CACs that conduct universal DV assessments. Methods: The study design was a cross-sectional, web-based survey distributed to…

Common modular avionics - Partitioning and design philosophy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, D. M.; Mulvaney, S. P.

The design objectives and definition criteria for common modular hardware that will perform digital processing functions in multiple avionic subsystems are examined. In particular, attention is given to weapon system-level objectives, such as increased supportability, reduced life cycle costs, and increased upgradability. These objectives dictate the following overall modular design goals: reduce test equipment requirements; have a large number of subsystem applications; design for architectural growth; and standardize for technology transparent implementations. Finally, specific partitioning criteria are derived on the basis of the weapon system-level objectives and overall design goals.

Multidisciplinary design optimization of vehicle instrument panel based on multi-objective genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Ping; Wu, Guangqiang

2013-03-01

Typical multidisciplinary design optimization(MDO) has gradually been proposed to balance performances of lightweight, noise, vibration and harshness(NVH) and safety for instrument panel(IP) structure in the automotive development. Nevertheless, plastic constitutive relation of Polypropylene(PP) under different strain rates, has not been taken into consideration in current reliability-based and collaborative IP MDO design. In this paper, based on tensile test under different strain rates, the constitutive relation of Polypropylene material is studied. Impact simulation tests for head and knee bolster are carried out to meet the regulation of FMVSS 201 and FMVSS 208, respectively. NVH analysis is performed to obtain mainly the natural frequencies and corresponding mode shapes, while the crashworthiness analysis is employed to examine the crash behavior of IP structure. With the consideration of lightweight, NVH, head and knee bolster impact performance, design of experiment(DOE), response surface model(RSM), and collaborative optimization(CO) are applied to realize the determined and reliability-based optimizations, respectively. Furthermore, based on multi-objective genetic algorithm(MOGA), the optimal Pareto sets are completed to solve the multi-objective optimization(MOO) problem. The proposed research ensures the smoothness of Pareto set, enhances the ability of engineers to make a comprehensive decision about multi-objectives and choose the optimal design, and improves the quality and efficiency of MDO.

Team effectiveness in academic medical libraries: a multiple case study*

PubMed Central

Russo Martin, Elaine

2006-01-01

Objectives: The objective of this study is to apply J. Richard Hackman's framework on team effectiveness to academic medical library settings. Methods: The study uses a qualitative, multiple case study design, employing interviews and focus groups to examine team effectiveness in three academic medical libraries. Another site was selected as a pilot to validate the research design, field procedures, and methods to be used with the cases. In all, three interviews and twelve focus groups, with approximately seventy-five participants, were conducted at the case study libraries. Findings: Hackman identified five conditions leading to team effectiveness and three outcomes dimensions that defined effectiveness. The participants in this study identified additional characteristics of effectiveness that focused on enhanced communication, leadership personality and behavior, and relationship building. The study also revealed an additional outcome dimension related to the evolution of teams. Conclusions: Introducing teams into an organization is not a trivial matter. Hackman's model of effectiveness has implications for designing successful library teams. PMID:16888659

Design, objectives, execution and reporting of published open-label extension studies.

PubMed

Megan, Bowers; Pickering, Ruth M; Weatherall, Mark

2012-04-01

Open-label extension (OLE) studies following blinded randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of pharmaceuticals are increasingly being carried out but do not conform to regulatory standards and questions surround the validity of their evidence. OLE studies are usually discussed as a homogenous group, yet substantial differences in study design still meet the definition of an OLE. We describe published papers reporting OLE studies focussing on stated objectives, design, conduct and reporting. A search of Embase and Medline databases for 1996 to July 2008 revealed 268 papers reporting OLE studies that met our eligibility criteria. A random sample of 50 was selected for detailed review. Over 80% of the studies had efficacy stated as an objective. The most common methods of allocation at the start of the OLE were for all RCT participants to switch to one active treatment or for only participants on the new drug to continue, but in three studies all participants were re-randomized at the start of the OLE. Eligibility criteria and other selection factors resulted in on average of 74% of participants in the preceding RCT(s) enrolling in the OLE and only 57% completed it. Published OLE studies do not form a homogenous group with respect to design or retention of participants, and thus the validity of evidence from an OLE should be judged on an individual basis. The term 'open label' suggests bias through lack of blinding, but slippage in relation to the sample randomized in the preceding RCT may be the more important threat to validity. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Assessing Students' Structured Programming Skills with Java: The "Blue, Berry, and Blueberry" Assignment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Xihui

2010-01-01

Java is an object-oriented programming language. From a software engineering perspective, object-oriented design and programming is used at the architectural design, and structured design and programming is used at the detailed design within methods. As such, structured programming skills are fundamental to more advanced object-oriented…

Space telescope phase B definition study. Volume 2A: Science instruments, high speed point/area photometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The analysis and preliminary design of a high speed point/area photometer for the space telescope are summarized. The scientific objectives, photometer requirements, and design concepts are presented.

The Nonobvious Basis of Ownership: Preschool Children Trace the History and Value of Owned Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gelman, Susan A.; Manczak, Erika M.; Noles, Nicholaus S.

2012-01-01

For adults, ownership is nonobvious: (a) determining ownership depends more on an object's history than on perceptual cues, and (b) ownership confers special value on an object ("endowment effect"). This study examined these concepts in preschoolers (2.0-4.4) and adults (n = 112). Participants saw toy sets in which 1 toy was designated as the…

Small Schools Reading Curriculum, 7-8: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Scope, Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Designed to assist teachers in small schools with the improvement of curriculum and instruction and to help smaller districts which do not have curriculum personnel to comply with Washington's Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Law, this guide contains reading curriculum materials for grades 7 and 8. The objectives listed are correlated to the…

Small Schools Reading Curriculum, 4-6: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Scope, Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Designed to assist teachers in small schools with the improvement of curriculum and instruction and to help smaller districts which do not have curriculum personnel to comply with Washington's Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Law, this guide contains reading curriculum materials for grades 4-6. The objectives listed are correlated to the Goals…

Small Schools Reading Curriculum, K-3: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Scope, Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Designed to assist teachers in small schools with the improvement of curriculum and instruction and to help smaller districts which do not have curriculum personnel to comply with Washington's Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Law, this guide contains reading curriculum materials for grades K-3. The objectives listed are correlated to the Goals…

Second Graders Learn Animal Adaptations through Form and Function Analogy Object Boxes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rule, Audrey C.; Baldwin, Samantha; Schell, Robert

2008-01-01

This study examined the use of form and function analogy object boxes to teach second graders (n = 21) animal adaptations. The study used a pretest-posttest design to examine animal adaptation content learned through focused analogy activities as compared with reading and Internet searches for information about adaptations of animals followed by…

Adolescent Girls' Reactions to Nutrition and Physical Activity Assessment Tools and Insight into Lifestyle Habits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metos, Julie; Gren, Lisa; Brusseau, Timothy; Moric, Endi; O'Toole, Karen; Mokhtari, Tahereh; Buys, Saundra; Frost, Caren

2018-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to understand adolescent girls' experiences using practical diet and physical activity measurement tools and to explore the food and physical activity settings that influence their lifestyle habits. Design: Mixed methods study using quantitative and qualitative methods. Setting: Large city in the western…

Factors Associated with Women's Antenatal Plans to Use a Baby Walker: A Cross Sectional Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illingworth, Rachel; Kendrick, Denise; Collier, Jacqueline; Woods, Amanda; Wattse, Kim; Dewey, Michael; Chen, Chih-Mei

2006-01-01

Objective: The objective of these analyses was to explore maternal antenatal decisions about baby walker use, factors associated with these decisions and the relationship between antenatal plans to use a walker and postnatal walker use. Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Mothers-to-be (n = 1174) participating in a cluster randomised…

Relationships between Objective and Perceived Housing in Very Old Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nygren, Carita; Oswald, Frank; Iwarsson, Susanne; Fange, Agneta; Sixsmith, Judith; Schilling, Oliver; Sixsmith, Andrew; Szeman, Zsuzsa; Tomsone, Signe; Wahl, Hans-Werner

2007-01-01

Purpose: Our purpose in this study was to explore relationships between aspects of objective and perceived housing in five European samples of very old adults, as well as to investigate whether cross-national comparable patterns exist. Design and Methods: We utilized data from the first wave of the ENABLE-AGE Survey Study. The five national…

Optimal Objective-Based Experimental Design for Uncertain Dynamical Gene Networks with Experimental Error.

PubMed

Mohsenizadeh, Daniel N; Dehghannasiri, Roozbeh; Dougherty, Edward R

2018-01-01

In systems biology, network models are often used to study interactions among cellular components, a salient aim being to develop drugs and therapeutic mechanisms to change the dynamical behavior of the network to avoid undesirable phenotypes. Owing to limited knowledge, model uncertainty is commonplace and network dynamics can be updated in different ways, thereby giving multiple dynamic trajectories, that is, dynamics uncertainty. In this manuscript, we propose an experimental design method that can effectively reduce the dynamics uncertainty and improve performance in an interaction-based network. Both dynamics uncertainty and experimental error are quantified with respect to the modeling objective, herein, therapeutic intervention. The aim of experimental design is to select among a set of candidate experiments the experiment whose outcome, when applied to the network model, maximally reduces the dynamics uncertainty pertinent to the intervention objective.

Documenting the NICU design dilemma: parent and staff perceptions of open ward versus single family room units

PubMed Central

Domanico, R; Davis, D K; Coleman, F; Davis, B O

2010-01-01

Objective: With neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) evolving from multipatient wards toward family-friendly, single-family room units, the study objective was to compare satisfaction levels of families and health-care staff across these differing NICU facility designs. Study Design: This prospective study documented, by means of institutional review board-approved questionnaire survey protocols, the perceptions of parents and staff from two contrasting NICU environments. Result: Findings showed that demographic subgroups of parents and staff perceived the advantages and disadvantages of the two facility designs differently. Staff perceptions varied with previous experience, acclimation time and employment position, whereas parental perceptions revealed a naiveté bias through surveys of transitional parents with experience in both NICU facilities. Conclusion: Use of transitional parent surveys showed a subject naiveté bias inherent in perceptions of inexperienced parents. Grouping all survey participants demographically provided more informative interpretations of data, and revealed staff perceptions to vary with position, previous training and hospital experience. PMID:20072132

Object-oriented design tools for supramolecular devices and biomedical nanotechnology.

PubMed

Lee, Stephen C; Bhalerao, Khaustaub; Ferrari, Mauro

2004-05-01

Nanotechnology provides multifunctional agents for in vivo use that increasingly blur the distinction between pharmaceuticals and medical devices. Realization of such therapeutic nanodevices requires multidisciplinary effort that is difficult for individual device developers to sustain, and identification of appropriate collaborations outside ones own field can itself be challenging. Further, as in vivo nanodevices become increasingly complex, their design will increasingly demand systems level thinking. System engineering tools such as object-oriented analysis, object-oriented design (OOA/D) and unified modeling language (UML) are applicable to nanodevices built from biological components, help logically manage the knowledge needed to design them, and help identify useful collaborative relationships for device designers. We demonstrate the utility of these systems engineering tools by reverse engineering an existing molecular device (the bacmid molecular cloning system) using them, and illustrate how object-oriented approaches identify fungible components (objects) in nanodevices in a way that facilitates design of families of related devices, rather than single inventions. We also explore the utility of object-oriented approaches for design of another class of therapeutic nanodevices, vaccines. While they are useful for design of current nanodevices, the power of systems design tools for biomedical nanotechnology will become increasingly apparent as the complexity and sophistication of in vivo nanosystems increases. The nested, hierarchical nature of object-oriented approaches allows treatment of devices as objects in higher-order structures, and so will facilitate concatenation of multiple devices into higher-order, higher-function nanosystems.

Dakota, a multilevel parallel object-oriented framework for design optimization, parameter estimation, uncertainty quantification, and sensitivity analysis :

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

Adams, Brian M.; Ebeida, Mohamed Salah; Eldred, Michael S.

The Dakota (Design Analysis Kit for Optimization and Terascale Applications) toolkit provides a exible and extensible interface between simulation codes and iterative analysis methods. Dakota contains algorithms for optimization with gradient and nongradient-based methods; uncertainty quanti cation with sampling, reliability, and stochastic expansion methods; parameter estimation with nonlinear least squares methods; and sensitivity/variance analysis with design of experiments and parameter study methods. These capabilities may be used on their own or as components within advanced strategies such as surrogate-based optimization, mixed integer nonlinear programming, or optimization under uncertainty. By employing object-oriented design to implement abstractions of the key components requiredmore » for iterative systems analyses, the Dakota toolkit provides a exible and extensible problem-solving environment for design and performance analysis of computational models on high performance computers. This report serves as a user's manual for the Dakota software and provides capability overviews and procedures for software execution, as well as a variety of example studies.« less

Academic and Family Conditions Associated with Intrinsic Academic Motivation in Japanese Medical Students: A Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tanaka, Masaaki; Watanabea, Yasuyoshi

2012-01-01

Objective: Intrinsic academic motivation is one of the most important psychological concepts in education, and it is related to academic outcomes in medical students. This study examined the relationships between academic and family conditions and intrinsic academic motivation. Design: Cross-sectional design. Setting: The study group consisted of…

Effect of Modeling-Based Activities Developed Using Virtual Environments and Concrete Objects on Spatial Thinking and Mental Rotation Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yurt, Eyup; Sunbul, Ali Murat

2012-01-01

In this study, the effect of modeling based activities using virtual environments and concrete objects on spatial thinking and mental rotation skills was investigated. The study was designed as a pretest-posttest model with a control group, which is one of the experimental research models. The study was carried out on sixth grade students…

Different Modes of Digital Learning Object Use in School Settings: Do We Design for Individual or Collaborative Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akpinar, Yavuz

2014-01-01

The aim of the studies reported in this paper is to gain classroom based empirical evidence on the learning effectiveness of learning objects used in two types of study settings: Collaborative and individual. A total of 127 seventh and ninth grade students participated in the experiments. They were assigned into one of the study modes and worked…

A Study of the Effects of a Structured Curriculum in Piagetian Type Operations on the Cognitive Coping of Elementary School Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breidenbaugh, Barry Ellis

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the Material Objects Unit of the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) on the cognitive operations and academic achievement of elementary school children. The Material Objects Unit was designed to give experiences and explorations in the mental operations of classification,…

The International Design Study for the Neutrino Factory

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

Long, K.

2008-02-21

The International Design Study for a future Neutrino Factory and super-beam facility (the ISS) established the physics case for a high-precision programme of long-baseline neutrino-oscillation measurements. The ISS also identified baseline specifications for the Neutrino Factory accelerator complex and the neutrino detector systems. This paper summarises the objectives of the International Design Study for the Neutrino Factory (the IDS-NF). The IDS-NF will build on the work of the ISS to deliver a Reference Design Report for the Neutrino Factory by 2012/13 and an Interim Design Report by 2010/11.

Parallel machine architecture and compiler design facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuck, David J.; Yew, Pen-Chung; Padua, David; Sameh, Ahmed; Veidenbaum, Alex

1990-01-01

The objective is to provide an integrated simulation environment for studying and evaluating various issues in designing parallel systems, including machine architectures, parallelizing compiler techniques, and parallel algorithms. The status of Delta project (which objective is to provide a facility to allow rapid prototyping of parallelized compilers that can target toward different machine architectures) is summarized. Included are the surveys of the program manipulation tools developed, the environmental software supporting Delta, and the compiler research projects in which Delta has played a role.

Options for rural electrification in Mexico

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

Vera, J.G.

1992-09-01

This paper summarizes a study which examined 19 commercially available options for electrifying remote communities in Mexico. Characteristics of a typical community are defined and, using 7 of the technologies, power systems are designed capable of supporting this community. The performance of these systems is evaluated with respect to their ability to satisfy 11 technical design objectives, 5 socioeconomic objectives, and their impact on the environment. A photovoltaic- diesel generator hybrid system with wind generator option is recommended for the typical community.

Optimal design approach for heating irregular-shaped objects in three-dimensional radiant furnaces using a hybrid genetic algorithm-artificial neural network method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Darvishvand, Leila; Kamkari, Babak; Kowsary, Farshad

2018-03-01

In this article, a new hybrid method based on the combination of the genetic algorithm (GA) and artificial neural network (ANN) is developed to optimize the design of three-dimensional (3-D) radiant furnaces. A 3-D irregular shape design body (DB) heated inside a 3-D radiant furnace is considered as a case study. The uniform thermal conditions on the DB surfaces are obtained by minimizing an objective function. An ANN is developed to predict the objective function value which is trained through the data produced by applying the Monte Carlo method. The trained ANN is used in conjunction with the GA to find the optimal design variables. The results show that the computational time using the GA-ANN approach is significantly less than that of the conventional method. It is concluded that the integration of the ANN with GA is an efficient technique for optimization of the radiant furnaces.

Optical design of free-form surface two-mirror telescopic objective with ultrawide field of view

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Qinghan; Zhou, Zhengping; Jin, Yangming; Shen, Weimin

2016-10-01

Compact off-axial two-mirror fore objective with an ultra wide ground coverage and for spaceborne pushbroom imaging spectrometers is studied and designed. Based on Gaussian optics and Young's formulas, the approach to determine its initial structural parameters is presented. In order to meet the required performance, freeform surfaces are used to increase the degree of freedom of our optimization. And the impact of various X-Y polynomials on its pupil aberration is analyzed for elimination of too large smile effect. As an example, an off-axis two-mirror fore telescopic objective with field of view of 108° across-pushbroom direction, F number of 10, focal length of 34 mm and working wavelength range from 0.27 to 2.4 μm is optimally designed, which both the primary and the secondary mirrors have freeform surface. The designed lens has many advantages of simple and compact structure, imagery telecentricity, near diffraction-limited imaging quality, and small smile effect.

An Experimental Study in an Architectural Design Studio: The Search for Three-Dimensional Form and Aesthetics through Clay

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yamacli, Rusen; Ozen, Aysegul; Tokman, Leyla Yekdane

2005-01-01

In architectural design education, the main objective is to help students, especially first-year students, improve their design ideas, creativity, perception of three dimensions and ways of expressing them. Thus, as an embedded concept in architecture, art has been emphasized here as a design method. In other words, the necessary help to enable…

Relationships between objective acoustic indices and acoustic comfort evaluation in nonacoustic spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Jian

2004-05-01

Much attention has been paid to acoustic spaces such as concert halls and recording studios, whereas research on nonacoustic buildings/spaces has been rather limited, especially from the viewpoint of acoustic comfort. In this research a series of case studies has been carried out on this topic, considering various spaces including shopping mall atrium spaces, library reading rooms, football stadia, swimming spaces, churches, dining spaces, as well as urban open public spaces. The studies focus on the relationships between objective acoustic indices such as sound pressure level and reverberation time and perceptions of acoustic comfort. The results show that the acoustic atmosphere is an important consideration in such spaces and the evaluation of acoustic comfort may vary considerably even if the objective acoustic indices are the same. It is suggested that current guidelines and technical regulations are insufficient in terms of acoustic design of these spaces, and the relationships established from the case studies between objective and subjective aspects would be useful for developing further design guidelines. [Work supported partly by the British Academy.

Statistical considerations in monitoring birds over large areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, D.H.

2000-01-01

The proper design of a monitoring effort depends primarily on the objectives desired, constrained by the resources available to conduct the work. Typically, managers have numerous objectives, such as determining abundance of the species, detecting changes in population size, evaluating responses to management activities, and assessing habitat associations. A design that is optimal for one objective will likely not be optimal for others. Careful consideration of the importance of the competing objectives may lead to a design that adequately addresses the priority concerns, although it may not be optimal for any individual objective. Poor design or inadequate sample sizes may result in such weak conclusions that the effort is wasted. Statistical expertise can be used at several stages, such as estimating power of certain hypothesis tests, but is perhaps most useful in fundamental considerations of describing objectives and designing sampling plans.

Ergonomic design and evaluation of the handle for an endoscopic dissector.

PubMed

Shimomura, Yoshihiro; Minowa, Keita; Kawahira, Hiroshi; Katsuura, Tetsuo

2016-05-01

The purpose of this study was to design an endoscopic dissector handle and objectively assess its usability. The handles were designed with increased contact area between the fingers and thumb and the eye rings, and the eye rings were modified to have a more perpendicular insertion angle to the finger midline. Four different handle models were compared, including a conventional product. Subjects performed dissection, exclusion, grasping, precision manipulation and precision handling tasks. Electromyography and subjective evaluations were measured. Compared to conventional handles, the designated handle reduced the muscle load in the extensor and flexor muscles of the forearm and increased subjective stability. The activity of the first dorsal interosseous muscle was sometimes influenced by the shape of the other parts. The ergonomically designed endoscopic dissector handle used in this study achieved high usability. Medical instrument designs based on ergonomic concepts should be assessed with objective indices. Practitioner Summary: The endoscopic dissector handles were designed with increased contact area and more suitable insertion angle between the fingers and thumb and the eye rings. Compared to conventional handles, the designated handle reduced the muscle load in the extensor and flexor muscles of the forearm and increased subjective stability.

Empirical studies of design software: Implications for software engineering environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Krasner, Herb

1988-01-01

The empirical studies team of MCC's Design Process Group conducted three studies in 1986-87 in order to gather data on professionals designing software systems in a range of situations. The first study (the Lift Experiment) used thinking aloud protocols in a controlled laboratory setting to study the cognitive processes of individual designers. The second study (the Object Server Project) involved the observation, videotaping, and data collection of a design team of a medium-sized development project over several months in order to study team dynamics. The third study (the Field Study) involved interviews with the personnel from 19 large development projects in the MCC shareholders in order to study how the process of design is affected by organizationl and project behavior. The focus of this report will be on key observations of design process (at several levels) and their implications for the design of environments.

Research design of decision support system for team sport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abidin, Mohammad Zukuwwan Zainol; Nawawi, Mohd Kamal Mohd; Kasim, Maznah Mat

2016-10-01

This paper proposes a suitable research procedure that can be referred to while conducting a Decision Support System (DSS) study, especially when the development activity of system artifacts becomes one of the research objectives. The design of the research procedure was based on the completion of a football DSS development that can help in determining the position of a player and the best team formation to be used during a game. After studying the relevant literature, we found that it is necessary to combine the conventional rainfall System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) approach with Case Study approach to help in structuring the research task and phases, which can contribute to the fulfillment of the research aim and objectives.

Guidelines, site selection, and design for implementing truck parking/rest facilities in Chicago's south suburbs.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-11-01

This study proposes a network of overnight truck parking facilities in south suburban Chicago intended to : accomplish a wide range of federal, state, and local policy objectives. At the federal and state levels, this : reports policy objectives s...

Health Education: Effects on Classroom Climate and Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Efstathiou, Nicholas T.; Risvas, Grigorios S.; Theodoraki, Eleni-Maria M.; Galanaki, Evangelia P.; Zampelas, Antonios D.

2016-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between classroom psychological climate and the physical and sedentary behaviour of primary school students after the implementation of an innovative education programme regarding nutrition and physical activity. Design: Randomised controlled trial. Setting: Study…

Optical Design for a Survey X-Ray Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saha, Timo T.; Zhang, William W.; McClelland, Ryan S.

2014-01-01

Optical design trades are underway at the Goddard Space Flight Center to define a telescope for an x-ray survey mission. Top-level science objectives of the mission include the study of x-ray transients, surveying and long-term monitoring of compact objects in nearby galaxies, as well as both deep and wide-field x-ray surveys. In this paper we consider Wolter, Wolter-Schwarzschild, and modified Wolter-Schwarzschild telescope designs as basic building blocks for the tightly nested survey telescope. Design principles and dominating aberrations of individual telescopes and nested telescopes are discussed and we compare the off-axis optical performance at 1.0 KeV and 4.0 KeV across a 1.0-degree full field-of-view.

Engineering design of a high-temperature superconductor current lead

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niemann, R. C.; Cha, Y. S.; Hull, J. R.; Daugherty, M. A.; Buckles, W. E.

As part of the US Department of Energy's Superconductivity Pilot Center Program, Argonne National Laboratory and Superconductivity, Inc., are developing high-temperature superconductor (HTS) current leads suitable for application to superconducting magnetic energy storage systems. The principal objective of the development program is to design, construct, and evaluate the performance of HTS current leads suitable for near-term applications. Supporting objectives are to (1) develop performance criteria; (2) develop a detailed design; (3) analyze performance; (4) gain manufacturing experience in the areas of materials and components procurement, fabrication and assembly, quality assurance, and cost; (5) measure performance of critical components and the overall assembly; (6) identify design uncertainties and develop a program for their study; and (7) develop application-acceptance criteria.

Guidelines for PCC inputs to AASHTOWare Pavement ME.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-12-01

The objective of this research study was to develop guidelines for portland cement concrete (PCC) material inputs to the : AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design program. The AASHTOWare Pavement ME Design is the software program used by the : Mississippi Depa...

Optimization of traffic data collection for specific pavement design applications.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-05-01

The objective of this study is to establish the minimum traffic data collection effort required for pavement design applications satisfying a maximum acceptable error under a prescribed confidence level. The approach consists of simulating the traffi...

State highways as main streets : a study of community design and visioning.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-10-01

The objectives for this project were to explore community transportation design policy to improve collaboration when state highways serve as local main streets, determine successful approaches to meet the federal requirements for visioning set forth ...

Construction of the Dependence Matrix Based on the TRIZ Contradiction Matrix in OOD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Jianhong; Zhang, Quan; Wang, Yanling; Luo, Tao

In the Object-Oriented software design (OOD), design of the class and object, definition of the classes’ interface and inheritance levels and determination of dependent relations have a serious impact on the reusability and flexibility of the system. According to the concrete problems of design, how to select the right solution from the hundreds of the design schemas which has become the focus of attention of designers. After analyzing lots of software design schemas in practice and Object-Oriented design patterns, this paper constructs the dependence matrix of Object-Oriented software design filed, referring to contradiction matrix of TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) proposed by the former Soviet Union innovation master Altshuller. As the practice indicates, it provides a intuitive, common and standardized method for designers to choose the right design schema. Make research and communication more effectively, and also improve the software development efficiency and software quality.

Objective Self Awareness, Self-Esteem and Causal Attributions for Success and Failure.

DTIC Science & Technology

2 (high vs. low self - esteem subjects) design was employed. Objective self -awareness was manipulated by exposing subjects to their image on a wall...The investigation has applied the theory of objective self awareness (Duval and Wicklund, 1972) to the study of causal attributions that actors make...for their past performance. A 2 (male vs. female subject) by 2 (success vs. failure) by 3 (objective self -awareness vs. control vs. time control) by

Individual differences in object permanence performance at 8 months: locomotor experience and brain electrical activity.

PubMed

Bell, M A; Fox, N A

1997-12-01

This work was designed to investigate individual differences in hands-and-knees crawling and frontal brain electrical activity with respect to object permanence performance in 76 eight-month-old infants. Four groups of infants (one prelocomotor and 3 with varying lengths of hands-and-knees crawling experience) were tested on an object permanence scale in a research design similar to that used by Kermoian and Campos (1988). In addition, baseline EEG was recorded and used as an indicator of brain development, as in the Bell and Fox (1992) longitudinal study. Individual differences in frontal and occipital EEG power and in locomotor experience were associated with performance on the object permanence task. Infants successful at A-not-B exhibited greater frontal EEG power and greater occipital EEG power than unsuccessful infants. In contrast to Kermoian and Campos (1988), who noted that long-term crawling experience was associated with higher performance on an object permanence scale, infants in this study with any amount of hands and knees crawling experience performed at a higher level on the object permanence scale than prelocomotor infants. There was no interaction among brain electrical activity, locomotor experience, and object permanence performance. These data highlight the value of electrophysiological research and the need for a brain-behavior model of object permanence performance that incorporates both electrophysiological and behavioral factors.

Treatment of Early-Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders (TEOSS): Rationale, Design, and Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McClellan, Jon; Sikich, Linmarie; Findling, Robert L.; Frazier, Jean A.; Vitiello, Benedetto; Hlastala, Stefanie A.; Williams, Emily; Ambler, Denisse; Hunt-Harrison, Tyehimba; Maloney, Ann E.; Ritz, Louise; Anderson, Robert; Hamer, Robert M.; Lieberman, Jeffrey A.

2007-01-01

Objective: The Treatment of Early Onset Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders Study is a publicly funded clinical trial designed to compare the therapeutic benefits, safety, and tolerability of risperidone, olanzapine, and molindone in youths with early-onset schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The rationale, design, and methods of the Treatment of Early…

Evaluating the Effects of Culvert Designs on Ecosystem Processes in Northern Wisconsin Streams

Treesearch

J. C. Olson; A. M. Marcarelli; A.L. Timm; S.L. Eggert; R.K. Kolka

2017-01-01

Culvert replacements are commonly undertaken to restore aquatic organism passage and stream hydrologic and geomorphic conditions, but their effects on ecosystem processes are rarely quantified. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of two culvert replacement designs on stream ecosystem processes. The stream simulation design, where culverts...

Design and Outcomes of a "Mothers In Motion" Behavioral Intervention Pilot Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Mei-Wei; Nitzke, Susan; Brown, Roger

2010-01-01

Objective: This paper describes the design and findings of a pilot "Mothers In Motion" (P-"MIM") program. Design: A randomized controlled trial that collected data via telephone interviews and finger stick at 3 time points: baseline and 2 and 8 months post-intervention. Setting: Three Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for…

75 FR 75477 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-03

... potential pharmaceutical options (OMB control no. 0910-0649). Design Overview This study will be conducted.... This design will allow us to compare consumers' perceptions of efficacy with a more objective measure... completely balanced design would also include a negative framing condition (which would provide only the...

Trajectory Design Considerations for Small Body Touch-and-Go

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallace, Mark; Broschart, Stephen; Bonfiglio, Eugene; Bhaskharan, Shyam; Cangahuala, Alberto

2011-01-01

Outline: (1) Trajectory Description (2) Design Drivers: (2a) Dynamics (2b) Environment (2c) Spacecraft and Ground and System Capabilities (2d) Mission Objectives (3) Design Choices (4) Historical Precedents (5) Case Studies. What is Touch-and-Go (TAG)? (1) Descent to the surface (2) Brief contact (3) Ascends to a safe distance

Teaching Design Patterns through Computer Game Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gestwicki, Paul; Sun, Fu-Shing

2008-01-01

We present an approach for teaching design patterns that emphasizes object-orientation and patterns integration. The context of computer game development is used to engage and motivate students, and it is additionally rich with design patterns. A case study is presented based on "EEClone," an arcade-style computer game implemented in Java. Our…

Design and Implementation of High-Performance GIS Dynamic Objects Rendering Engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Y.; Wang, S.; Li, R.; Yun, W.; Song, G.

2017-12-01

Spatio-temporal dynamic visualization is more vivid than static visualization. It important to use dynamic visualization techniques to reveal the variation process and trend vividly and comprehensively for the geographical phenomenon. To deal with challenges caused by dynamic visualization of both 2D and 3D spatial dynamic targets, especially for different spatial data types require high-performance GIS dynamic objects rendering engine. The main approach for improving the rendering engine with vast dynamic targets relies on key technologies of high-performance GIS, including memory computing, parallel computing, GPU computing and high-performance algorisms. In this study, high-performance GIS dynamic objects rendering engine is designed and implemented for solving the problem based on hybrid accelerative techniques. The high-performance GIS rendering engine contains GPU computing, OpenGL technology, and high-performance algorism with the advantage of 64-bit memory computing. It processes 2D, 3D dynamic target data efficiently and runs smoothly with vast dynamic target data. The prototype system of high-performance GIS dynamic objects rendering engine is developed based SuperMap GIS iObjects. The experiments are designed for large-scale spatial data visualization, the results showed that the high-performance GIS dynamic objects rendering engine have the advantage of high performance. Rendering two-dimensional and three-dimensional dynamic objects achieve 20 times faster on GPU than on CPU.

The Effects of STI Education on Korean Adolescents Using Smartphone Applications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jeong, Sookyung; Cha, Chiyoung; Lee, Jacob

2017-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of adolescents' use of smartphone applications and educational booklets in an educational programme about sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Design: Non-equivalent control-group time-series design. Setting: The study was conducted in two public high schools located in two urban areas of…

Orbit Transfer Vehicle (OTV) advanced expander cycle engine point design study. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The objective of the study was to generate the system design of a performance-optimized, advanced LOX/hydrogen expander cycle space engine. The engine requirements are summarized, and the development and operational experience with the expander cycle RL10 engine were reviewed. The engine development program is outlined.

An Exploratory Study of Video Browsing User Interface Designs and Research Methodologies: Effectiveness in Information Seeking Tasks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tse, Tony; Vegh, Sandor; Shneiderman, Ben; Marchionini, Gary

1999-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory study was to develop research methods to compare the effectiveness of two video browsing interface designs, or surrogates--one static (storyboard) and one dynamic (slide show)--on two distinct information seeking tasks (gist determination and object recognition). (AEF)

Conflicts Management Model in School: A Mixed Design Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogan, Soner

2016-01-01

The object of this study is to evaluate the reasons for conflicts occurring in school according to perceptions and views of teachers and resolution strategies used for conflicts and to build a model based on the results obtained. In the research, explanatory design including quantitative and qualitative methods has been used. The quantitative part…

Contradictory Explorative Assessment. Multimodal Teacher/Student Interaction in Scandinavian Digital Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kjällander, Susanne

2018-01-01

Assessment in the much-discussed digital divide in Scandinavian technologically advanced schools, is the study object of this article. Interaction is studied to understand assessment; and to see how assessment can be didactically designed to recognise students' learning. With a multimodal, design theoretical perspective on learning teachers' and…

Video Modeling for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Teresa Lynn

2014-01-01

The objective of this research was to conduct a meta-analysis to examine existing research studies on video modeling as an effective teaching tool for children and adolescents diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Study eligibility criteria included (a) single case research design using multiple baselines, alternating treatment designs,…

What Influences Physical Activity Provision in After-School Childcare in the Absence of Policy Guidance? A Qualitative Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacFarlane, Kendra; Wharf Higgins, Joan; Naylor, Patti-Jean

2018-01-01

Objective: This study explored factors affecting the implementation of good-quality physical activity provision in after-school childcare delivered in a Canadian jurisdiction without specific policy, standards or active interventions aimed at increasing physical activity underway. Design: Case study design theoretically guided by the…

Exploring AI Language Assistants with Primary EFL Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Underwood, Joshua

2017-01-01

The main objective of this study was to identify ways to incorporate voice-driven Artificial Intelligence (AI) effectively in classroom language learning. This nine month teacher-led design research study employed technology probes (Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, Google voice search) and co-design methods with a class of primary age English as a…

Investigation into the impact of agility on conceptual fighter design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Engelbeck, R. M.

1995-01-01

The Agility Design Study was performed by the Boeing Defense and Space Group for the NASA Langley Research Center. The objective of the study was to assess the impact of agility requirements on new fighter configurations. Global trade issues investigated were the level of agility, the mission role of the aircraft (air-to-ground, multi-role, or air-to-air), and whether the customer is Air force, Navy, or joint service. Mission profiles and design objectives were supplied by NASA. An extensive technology assessment was conducted to establish the available technologies to industry for the aircraft. Conceptual level methodology is presented to assess the five NASA-supplied agility metrics. Twelve configurations were developed to address the global trade issues. Three-view drawings, inboard profiles, and performance estimates were made and are included in the report. A critical assessment and lessons learned from the study are also presented.

Study of multiple asteroid flyby missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The feasibility, scientific objectives, mission profile characteristics, and implementation of an asteroid belt exploration mission by a spacecraft guided to intercept three or more asteroids at close range are discussed. A principal consideration in planning a multiasteroid mission is to cut cost by adapting an available and flight-proven spacecraft design such as Pioneer F and G, augmenting its propulsion and guidance capabilities and revising the scientific payload complement in accordance with required mission characteristics. Spacecraft modification necessary to meet the objectives and requirements of the mission were studied. A ground rule of the study was to hold design changes to a minimum and to utilize available technology as much as possible. However, with mission dates not projected before the end of this decade, a reasonable technology growth in payload instrument design and some subsystem components is anticipated that can be incorporated in the spacecraft adaptation.

35-45 Giga Hertz Transceiver System for Phase and Magnitude Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beni, Aman Aflaki

2007-01-01

Nondestructive evaluation (NDE) is the science and practice of examining an object in a way that the object's usefulness is not adversely affected. Different types of NDE methods exist but this thesis is based on microwave and millimeter wave NDE using imaging techniques. Microwave NDE is based on illuminating the object under test with a microwave signal and studying the various properties of the reflected signal from the object. This reflected signal contains some information about the inner structure of the object under test. This information may be contained in several parameters including the phase and magnitude of the reflected signal. The goal of this project is to design and build a Q-band coherent transceiver that is capable of measuring the reflected signal's phase and magnitude so that an image of the object under test may be reconstructed. From the several techniques that can be used to construct an image of the object under test, techniques of interest to this work include synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT) and microwave holography. The transceiver system should have the ability to sweep a large portion of Q-band frequency range in small frequency steps as quick as possible while the detected phase and magnitude of the reflected signal is very accurate. Several different designs were studied and the final schematic diagram of the transceiver system was determined. One of the most important modules that was designed, implemented and tested in the laboratory was an accurate phase/magnitude detector circuit. The compared results of the scans using the transceiver system and vector network analyzer (VNA) showed that this transceiver system has a great potential to replace a VNA for the purpose of microwave and millimeter wave imaging.

Using Digital Learning Objects to Introduce Students to the Nature of Models and the Nature of Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gustafson, Brenda; Mahaffy, Peter; Martin, Brian

2011-01-01

This article reports a subset of findings from a larger study centered on designing a series of six digital learning objects to help Grade 5 (age 10-12) students begin to consider the nature of models (understood as the physical or mental representation of objects, phenomena, or processes), the particle nature of matter, and the behavior of…

Small Schools Language Arts Curriculum, 4-6: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Scope, Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Designed to assist teachers in small schools with the improvement of curriculum and instruction and to help smaller districts that do not have curriculum personnel to comply with Washington's Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Law, this guide contains language arts curriculum materials for grades 4-6. Learning objectives are correlated to the Goals…

Small Schools Language Arts Curriculum, 7-8: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies. Scope, Objectives, Activities, Resources, Monitoring Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Designed to assist teachers in small schools with the improvement of curriculum and instruction and to help smaller districts that do not have curriculum personnel to comply with Washington's Student Learning Objectives (SLO) Law, this guide contains language arts curriculum materials for grades 7-8. Learning objectives are correlated to the Goals…

Multi-objective engineering design using preferences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchis, J.; Martinez, M.; Blasco, X.

2008-03-01

System design is a complex task when design parameters have to satisy a number of specifications and objectives which often conflict with those of others. This challenging problem is called multi-objective optimization (MOO). The most common approximation consists in optimizing a single cost index with a weighted sum of objectives. However, once weights are chosen the solution does not guarantee the best compromise among specifications, because there is an infinite number of solutions. A new approach can be stated, based on the designer's experience regarding the required specifications and the associated problems. This valuable information can be translated into preferences for design objectives, and will lead the search process to the best solution in terms of these preferences. This article presents a new method, which enumerates these a priori objective preferences. As a result, a single objective is built automatically and no weight selection need be performed. Problems occuring because of the multimodal nature of the generated single cost index are managed with genetic algorithms (GAs).

Freeform object design and simultaneous manufacturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Wei; Zhang, Weihan; Lin, Heng; Leu, Ming C.

2003-04-01

Today's product design, especially the consuming product design, focuses more and more on individuation, originality, and the time to market. One way to meet these challenges is using the interactive and creationary product design methods and rapid prototyping/rapid tooling. This paper presents a novel Freeform Object Design and Simultaneous Manufacturing (FODSM) method that combines the natural interaction feature in the design phase and simultaneous manufacturing feature in the prototyping phase. The natural interactive three-dimensional design environment is achieved by adopting virtual reality technology. The geometry of the designed object is defined through the process of "virtual sculpting" during which the designer can touch and visualize the designed object and can hear the virtual manufacturing environment noise. During the designing process, the computer records the sculpting trajectories and automatically translates them into NC codes so as to simultaneously machine the designed part. The paper introduced the principle, implementation process, and key techniques of the new method, and compared it with other popular rapid prototyping methods.

Theoretical Value Belief, Cognitive Ability, and Personality as Predictors of Student Performance in Object-Oriented Programming Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Dianne J.; Cegielski, Casey G.; Wade, James N.

2006-01-01

The research described in this article reports the results of a study designed to evaluate the relationship among object-oriented (OO) computer programming task performance and a student's (1) theoretical value belief, (2) cognitive ability, and (3) personality. The results of this study do not support the assertion that cognitive ability is a…

Small Schools Student Learning Objectives, K-8: Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics. K-3; Science, Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartl, David, Ed.; And Others

Developed by 40 primary teachers and 10 elementary principals from small school districts in Washington, this handbook contains sequenced student learning objectives for grades K-3 in science and social studies and for grades K-8 in reading, language arts, and mathematics. The handbook is designed to assist teachers with the improvement of…

Perceived Barriers and Facilitators of Exercise and Healthy Dietary Choices: A Study of Employees and Managers within a Large Transport Organisation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donaldson-Feilder, Emma; Lewis, Rachel; Pavey, Louisa; Jones, Bethan; Green, Melanie; Webster, Angela

2017-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to examine employees' perceived barriers and facilitators of physical activity and healthy dietary choices, and managers' perceptions of how best to facilitate physical activity and healthy dietary choices among their team members. Design: Single time-point survey with categorical and open-ended…

Kuiper Belt Objects Along the Pluto Express Path

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jewitt, David C.

1998-01-01

The science objective of this work was to identify objects in the Kuiper Belt which will, in the 5 years following Pluto encounter, be close to the flight path of NASA's Pluto-Kuiper Express. Currently, launch is scheduled for 2004 with a flight time of about 1 decade. Early identification of post-Pluto targets is important for mission design and orbit refinement. An object or objects close enough to the flight path can be visited and studied at high resolution, using only residual gas in the thrusters to affect a close encounter.

Design of cryogenic tanks for space vehicles shell structures analytical modeling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Copper, Charles; Mccarthy, K.; Pilkey, W. D.; Haviland, J. K.

1991-01-01

The initial objective was to study the use of superplastically formed corrugated hat section stringers and frames in place of integrally machined stringers over separate frames for the tanks of large launch vehicles subjected to high buckling loads. The ALS was used as an example. The objective of the follow-on project was to study methods of designing shell structures subjected to severe combinations of structural loads and thermal gradients, with emphasis on new combinations of structural arrangements and materials. Typical applications would be to fuselage sections of high speed civil transports and to cryogenic tanks on the National Aerospace Plane.

(LMRG): Microscope Resolution, Objective Quality, Spectral Accuracy and Spectral Un-mixing

PubMed Central

Bayles, Carol J.; Cole, Richard W.; Eason, Brady; Girard, Anne-Marie; Jinadasa, Tushare; Martin, Karen; McNamara, George; Opansky, Cynthia; Schulz, Katherine; Thibault, Marc; Brown, Claire M.

2012-01-01

The second study by the LMRG focuses on measuring confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) resolution, objective lens quality, spectral imaging accuracy and spectral un-mixing. Affordable test samples for each aspect of the study were designed, prepared and sent to 116 labs from 23 countries across the globe. Detailed protocols were designed for the three tests and customized for most of the major confocal instruments being used by the study participants. One protocol developed for measuring resolution and objective quality was recently published in Nature Protocols (Cole, R. W., T. Jinadasa, et al. (2011). Nature Protocols 6(12): 1929–1941). The first study involved 3D imaging of sub-resolution fluorescent microspheres to determine the microscope point spread function. Results of the resolution studies as well as point spread function quality (i.e. objective lens quality) from 140 different objective lenses will be presented. The second study of spectral accuracy looked at the reflection of the laser excitation lines into the spectral detection in order to determine the accuracy of these systems to report back the accurate laser emission wavelengths. Results will be presented from 42 different spectral confocal systems. Finally, samples with double orange beads (orange core and orange coating) were imaged spectrally and the imaging software was used to un-mix fluorescence signals from the two orange dyes. Results from 26 different confocal systems will be summarized. Time will be left to discuss possibilities for the next LMRG study.

Exploring Technology Education: Exploring Communication Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joerschke, John D.

These instructional materials include a teacher's guide designed to assist instructors in organizing and presenting a unit of study on communication technology and a student guide. The materials are based on the curriculum-alignment concept of first stating the objectives, developing instructional strategies for teaching those objectives, and then…

Jacks--A Study of Simple Machines.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, Ralph

This vocational physics individualized student instructional module on jacks (simple machines used to lift heavy objects) contains student prerequisites and objectives, an introduction, and sections on the ratchet bumper jack, the hydraulic jack, the screw jack, and load limitations. Designed with a laboratory orientation, each section consists of…

Exploring Technology Education: Exploring Manufacturing Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joerschke, John D.

These instructional materials include a teacher's guide designed to assist instructors in organizing and presenting a unit of study on manufacturing technology and a student guide. The materials are based on the curriculum-alignment concept of first stating the objectives, developing instructional strategies for teaching those objectives, and then…

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

PubMed Central

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

2014-01-01

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

Earth Observing Scanning Polarimeter (EOSP), phase B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

Evaluations performed during a Phase B study directed towards defining an optimal design for the Earth Observing Scanning Polarimeter (EOSP) instrument is summarized. An overview of the experiment approach is included which provides a summary of the scientific objectives, the background of the measurement approach, and the measurement method. In the instrumentation section, details of the design are discussed starting with the key instrument features required to accomplish the scientific objectives and a system characterization in terms of the Stokes vector/Mueller matrix formalism. This is followed by a detailing of the instrument design concept, the design of the individual elements of the system, the predicted performance, and a summary of appropriate instrument testing and calibration. The selected design makes use of key features of predecessor polarimeters and is fully compatible with the Earth Observing System spacecraft requirements.

40 CFR 96.114 - Objections concerning CAIR designated representative.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Objections concerning CAIR designated... IMPLEMENTATION PLANS CAIR Designated Representative for CAIR NOX Sources § 96.114 Objections concerning CAIR... communication submitted to the permitting authority or the Administrator concerning the authorization, or any...

40 CFR 96.214 - Objections concerning CAIR designated representative.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 20 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Objections concerning CAIR designated... IMPLEMENTATION PLANS CAIR Designated Representative for CAIR SO2 Sources § 96.214 Objections concerning CAIR... communication submitted to the permitting authority or the Administrator concerning the authorization, or any...

Definition of experiments and instruments for a communication/navigation research laboratory. Volume 3: Laboratory descriptions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

The following study objectives are covered: (1) identification of major laboratory equipment; (2) systems and operations analysis in support of the laboratory design; and (3) conceptual design of the comm/nav research laboratory.

The Role of Exercise Self-Efficacy, Perceived Exertion, Event-Related Stress, and Demographic Factors in Predicting Physical Activity among College Freshmen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brannagan, Kim

2011-01-01

Objectives: The focus of this study was to examine the relationship among precursors to physical activity, including exercise self-efficacy, perceived exertion, stress, and demographic factors, among college students. Design: This study employed an associational design. Setting: The study population was college freshmen in southeast Louisiana who…

What Cognitive Science May Learn from Instructional Design: A Case Study in Introductory Computer Programming.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.

The contributions of instructional design to cognitive science are discussed. It is argued that both sciences have their own object of study, but share a common interest in human cognition and performance as part of instructional systems. From a case study based on experience in teaching introductory computer programming, it is concluded that both…

Rationale and design of the vitamin D and type 2 diabetes (D2d) study: a diabetes prevention trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

OBJECTIVE: Observational studies suggest that vitamin D may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, data from long-term trials are lacking. The Vitamin D and Type 2 Diabetes (D2d) study is a randomized clinical trial designed to examine whether a causal relationship exists between vitamin D supp...

Effect of experimental design on production responses in high-producing dairy cows fed two levels of metabolizable protein

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Results from studies on lactation responses to diet have been hypothesized to be affected by the use of change-over (CHANGE) instead of continuous (CONT) experimental designs; a direct test of this hypothesis has not been well-studied. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of reduc...

Understanding the Effect of Response Rate and Class Size Interaction on Students Evaluation of Teaching in a Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Kuwaiti, Ahmed; AlQuraan, Mahmoud; Subbarayalu, Arun Vijay

2016-01-01

Objective: This study aims to investigate the interaction between response rate and class size and its effects on students' evaluation of instructors and the courses offered at a higher education Institution in Saudi Arabia. Study Design: A retrospective study design was chosen. Methods: One thousand four hundred and forty four different courses…

A Pilot Study of Flipped Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training: Which Items Can Be Self-Trained?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Raemdonck, Veerle; Aerenhouts, Dirk; Monsieurs, Koen; De Martelaer, Kristine

2017-01-01

Objective: This study evaluated self-trained basic life support (BLS) skills acquired from an e-learning platform to design a complementary in-class training approach. Design: In total, 41 students (15-17 years, 29 men) participated in a pilot study on self-training in BLS. After 6 weeks, a compression-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) test…

A Mission Concept to Study Multigenerational Mammalian Reproduction in Partial Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodgers, Erica M.; Simon, Matthew A.; Chai, Patrick R.; Neilan, James H.; Stillwagen, Fred H.; Williams, Phillip A.; Lewis, Weston

2016-01-01

A team at NASA Langley Research Center conducted a study during which a conceptual space mission was designed. In this study, rodents are used as human analogs to gather biological and systems data in a relevant environment applicable to future settlements on Mars. The mission concept uniquely addresses the combined effects of long-durations (one-year or greater), autonomous and robotic operations, and biological responses to partial gravity with an emphasis on reproduction. The objectives of this study were to 1) understand challenges associated with designing an artificial gravity habitat that supports the reproduction and maturation of a large animal colony, 2) identify mission architectures and operational concepts to transport and maintain such a facility, and 3) identify fundamental science considerations for mammalian reproduction studies to inform vehicle design. A model demonstration unit was developed to visualize and test certain design concepts that resulted from these considerations. Three versions of this demonstration unit were built over the course of the study, each taking into account lessons learned from the previous version. This paper presents the updated baseline mission and spacecraft design concepts to achieve these objectives, with a specific emphasis on updates since publication in previous works. Analyses of the integrated system trades among the elements which make up the conceptual vehicle are described to address overall feasibility and identify potential integrated design opportunities. The latest iteration of the habitat robotics design and a conceptual design example for autonomous care of crew and systems are also presented. Finally, the conclusion of this conceptual design study, necessary future analyses to enable such a facility, and comments upon other applications of a similar exploration-focused research facilities are addressed.

First Lunar Outpost support study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bartz, Christopher; Cook, John; Rusingizandekwe, Jean-Luc

1993-01-01

The First Lunar Outpost (FLO) is the first manned step in the accomplishment of the Space Exploration Initiative, the Vice President's directive to NASA on the 20th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing. FLO's broad objectives are the establishment of a permanent human presence on the moon, supporting the utilization of extraterrestrial resources in a long-term, sustained program. The primary objective is to emplace and validate the first elements of a man tended outpost on the lunar surface to provide the basis for: (1) establishing, maintaining and expanding human activities and influence across the surface; (2) establishing, maintaining and enhancing human safety and productivity; (3) accommodating space transportation operations to and from the surface; (4) accommodating production of scientific information; (5) exploiting in-situ resources. Secondary objectives are: (1) to conduct local, small scale science (including life science); (2) In-situ resource utilization (ISRU) demonstrations; (3) engineering and operations tests; (4) to characterize the local environment; and (5) to explore locally. The current work is part of ongoing research at the Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture supporting NASA's First Lunar Outpost initiative. Research at SICSA supporting the First Lunar Outpost initiative has been funded through the Space Exploration Initiatives office at Johnson Space Center. The objectives of the current study are to further develop a module concept from an evaluation of volumetric and programmatic requirements, and pursue a high fidelity design of this concept, with the intention of providing a high fidelity design mockup to research planetary design issues and evaluate future design concepts.

Assessing the validity of sales self-efficacy: a cautionary tale.

PubMed

Gupta, Nina; Ganster, Daniel C; Kepes, Sven

2013-07-01

We developed a focused, context-specific measure of sales self-efficacy and assessed its incremental validity against the broad Big 5 personality traits with department store salespersons, using (a) both a concurrent and a predictive design and (b) both objective sales measures and supervisory ratings of performance. We found that in the concurrent study, sales self-efficacy predicted objective and subjective measures of job performance more than did the Big 5 measures. Significant differences between the predictability of subjective and objective measures of performance were not observed. Predictive validity coefficients were generally lower than concurrent validity coefficients. The results suggest that there are different dynamics operating in concurrent and predictive designs and between broad and contextualized measures; they highlight the importance of distinguishing between these designs and measures in meta-analyses. The results also point to the value of focused, context-specific personality predictors in selection research. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Two-tier tissue decomposition for histopathological image representation and classification.

PubMed

Gultekin, Tunc; Koyuncu, Can Fahrettin; Sokmensuer, Cenk; Gunduz-Demir, Cigdem

2015-01-01

In digital pathology, devising effective image representations is crucial to design robust automated diagnosis systems. To this end, many studies have proposed to develop object-based representations, instead of directly using image pixels, since a histopathological image may contain a considerable amount of noise typically at the pixel-level. These previous studies mostly employ color information to define their objects, which approximately represent histological tissue components in an image, and then use the spatial distribution of these objects for image representation and classification. Thus, object definition has a direct effect on the way of representing the image, which in turn affects classification accuracies. In this paper, our aim is to design a classification system for histopathological images. Towards this end, we present a new model for effective representation of these images that will be used by the classification system. The contributions of this model are twofold. First, it introduces a new two-tier tissue decomposition method for defining a set of multityped objects in an image. Different than the previous studies, these objects are defined combining texture, shape, and size information and they may correspond to individual histological tissue components as well as local tissue subregions of different characteristics. As its second contribution, it defines a new metric, which we call dominant blob scale, to characterize the shape and size of an object with a single scalar value. Our experiments on colon tissue images reveal that this new object definition and characterization provides distinguishing representation of normal and cancerous histopathological images, which is effective to obtain more accurate classification results compared to its counterparts.

Multiobjective hyper heuristic scheme for system design and optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafique, Amer Farhan

2012-11-01

As system design is becoming more and more multifaceted, integrated, and complex, the traditional single objective optimization trends of optimal design are becoming less and less efficient and effective. Single objective optimization methods present a unique optimal solution whereas multiobjective methods present pareto front. The foremost intent is to predict a reasonable distributed pareto-optimal solution set independent of the problem instance through multiobjective scheme. Other objective of application of intended approach is to improve the worthiness of outputs of the complex engineering system design process at the conceptual design phase. The process is automated in order to provide the system designer with the leverage of the possibility of studying and analyzing a large multiple of possible solutions in a short time. This article presents Multiobjective Hyper Heuristic Optimization Scheme based on low level meta-heuristics developed for the application in engineering system design. Herein, we present a stochastic function to manage meta-heuristics (low-level) to augment surety of global optimum solution. Generic Algorithm, Simulated Annealing and Swarm Intelligence are used as low-level meta-heuristics in this study. Performance of the proposed scheme is investigated through a comprehensive empirical analysis yielding acceptable results. One of the primary motives for performing multiobjective optimization is that the current engineering systems require simultaneous optimization of conflicting and multiple. Random decision making makes the implementation of this scheme attractive and easy. Injecting feasible solutions significantly alters the search direction and also adds diversity of population resulting in accomplishment of pre-defined goals set in the proposed scheme.

Multi-objective optimal design of sandwich panels using a genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Xiaomei; Jiang, Yiping; Pueh Lee, Heow

2017-10-01

In this study, an optimization problem concerning sandwich panels is investigated by simultaneously considering the two objectives of minimizing the panel mass and maximizing the sound insulation performance. First of all, the acoustic model of sandwich panels is discussed, which provides a foundation to model the acoustic objective function. Then the optimization problem is formulated as a bi-objective programming model, and a solution algorithm based on the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (NSGA-II) is provided to solve the proposed model. Finally, taking an example of a sandwich panel that is expected to be used as an automotive roof panel, numerical experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed model and solution algorithm. Numerical results demonstrate in detail how the core material, geometric constraints and mechanical constraints impact the optimal designs of sandwich panels.

Multiple degree of freedom object recognition using optical relational graph decision nets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Casasent, David P.; Lee, Andrew J.

1988-01-01

Multiple-degree-of-freedom object recognition concerns objects with no stable rest position with all scale, rotation, and aspect distortions possible. It is assumed that the objects are in a fairly benign background, so that feature extractors are usable. In-plane distortion invariance is provided by use of a polar-log coordinate transform feature space, and out-of-plane distortion invariance is provided by linear discriminant function design. Relational graph decision nets are considered for multiple-degree-of-freedom pattern recognition. The design of Fisher (1936) linear discriminant functions and synthetic discriminant function for use at the nodes of binary and multidecision nets is discussed. Case studies are detailed for two-class and multiclass problems. Simulation results demonstrate the robustness of the processors to quantization of the filter coefficients and to noise.

Assessment, design and control strategy development of a fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle for CSU's EcoCAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fox, Matthew D.

Advanced automotive technology assessment and powertrain design are increasingly performed through modeling, simulation, and optimization. But technology assessments usually target many competing criteria making any individual optimization challenging and arbitrary. Further, independent design simulations and optimizations take considerable time to execute, and design constraints and objectives change throughout the design process. Changes in design considerations usually require re-processing of simulations and more time. In this thesis, these challenges are confronted through CSU's participation in the EcoCAR2 hybrid vehicle design competition. The complexity of the competition's design objectives leveraged development of a decision support system tool to aid in multi-criteria decision making across technologies and to perform powertrain optimization. To make the decision support system interactive, and bypass the problem of long simulation times, a new approach was taken. The result of this research is CSU's architecture selection and component sizing, which optimizes a composite objective function representing the competition score. The selected architecture is an electric vehicle with an onboard range extending hydrogen fuel cell system. The vehicle has a 145kW traction motor, 18.9kWh of lithium ion battery, a 15kW fuel cell system, and 5kg of hydrogen storage capacity. Finally, a control strategy was developed that improves the vehicles performance throughout the driving range under variable driving conditions. In conclusion, the design process used in this research is reviewed and evaluated against other common design methodologies. I conclude, through the highlighted case studies, that the approach is more comprehensive than other popular design methodologies and is likely to lead to a higher quality product. The upfront modeling work and decision support system formulation will pay off in superior and timely knowledge transfer and more informed design decisions. The hypothesis is supported by the three case studies examined in this thesis.

Object-oriented design for accelerator control

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

Stok, P.D.V. van der; Berk, F. van den; Deckers, R.

1994-02-01

An object-oriented design for the distributed computer control system of the accelerator ring EUTERPE is presented. Because of the experimental nature of the ring, flexibility is of the utmost importance. The object-oriented principles have contributed considerably to the flexibility of the design incorporating multiple views, multi-level access and distributed surveillance.

78 FR 43960 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Dante Ferretti: Design...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-22

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8385] Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: ``Dante Ferretti: Design and Construction for Cinema'' SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given of the... that the objects to be included in the exhibition ``Dante Ferretti: Design and Construction for Cinema...

The Study of the Relationship between Probabilistic Design and Axiomatic Design Methodology. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Onwubiko, Chinyere; Onyebueke, Landon

1996-01-01

This program report is the final report covering all the work done on this project. The goal of this project is technology transfer of methodologies to improve design process. The specific objectives are: 1. To learn and understand the Probabilistic design analysis using NESSUS. 2. To assign Design Projects to either undergraduate or graduate students on the application of NESSUS. 3. To integrate the application of NESSUS into some selected senior level courses in Civil and Mechanical Engineering curricula. 4. To develop courseware in Probabilistic Design methodology to be included in a graduate level Design Methodology course. 5. To study the relationship between the Probabilistic design methodology and Axiomatic design methodology.

Simulation study to determine the impact of different design features on design efficiency in discrete choice experiments

PubMed Central

Vanniyasingam, Thuva; Cunningham, Charles E; Foster, Gary; Thabane, Lehana

2016-01-01

Objectives Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are routinely used to elicit patient preferences to improve health outcomes and healthcare services. While many fractional factorial designs can be created, some are more statistically optimal than others. The objective of this simulation study was to investigate how varying the number of (1) attributes, (2) levels within attributes, (3) alternatives and (4) choice tasks per survey will improve or compromise the statistical efficiency of an experimental design. Design and methods A total of 3204 DCE designs were created to assess how relative design efficiency (d-efficiency) is influenced by varying the number of choice tasks (2–20), alternatives (2–5), attributes (2–20) and attribute levels (2–5) of a design. Choice tasks were created by randomly allocating attribute and attribute level combinations into alternatives. Outcome Relative d-efficiency was used to measure the optimality of each DCE design. Results DCE design complexity influenced statistical efficiency. Across all designs, relative d-efficiency decreased as the number of attributes and attribute levels increased. It increased for designs with more alternatives. Lastly, relative d-efficiency converges as the number of choice tasks increases, where convergence may not be at 100% statistical optimality. Conclusions Achieving 100% d-efficiency is heavily dependent on the number of attributes, attribute levels, choice tasks and alternatives. Further exploration of overlaps and block sizes are needed. This study's results are widely applicable for researchers interested in creating optimal DCE designs to elicit individual preferences on health services, programmes, policies and products. PMID:27436671

A framework for analyzing interdisciplinary tasks: implications for student learning and curricular design.

PubMed

Gouvea, Julia Svoboda; Sawtelle, Vashti; Geller, Benjamin D; Turpen, Chandra

2013-06-01

The national conversation around undergraduate science instruction is calling for increased interdisciplinarity. As these calls increase, there is a need to consider the learning objectives of interdisciplinary science courses and how to design curricula to support those objectives. We present a framework that can help support interdisciplinary design research. We developed this framework in an introductory physics for life sciences majors (IPLS) course for which we designed a series of interdisciplinary tasks that bridge physics and biology. We illustrate how this framework can be used to describe the variation in the nature and degree of interdisciplinary interaction in tasks, to aid in redesigning tasks to better align with interdisciplinary learning objectives, and finally, to articulate design conjectures that posit how different characteristics of these tasks might support or impede interdisciplinary learning objectives. This framework will be useful for both curriculum designers and education researchers seeking to understand, in more concrete terms, what interdisciplinary learning means and how integrated science curricula can be designed to support interdisciplinary learning objectives.

A Framework for Analyzing Interdisciplinary Tasks: Implications for Student Learning and Curricular Design

PubMed Central

Gouvea, Julia Svoboda; Sawtelle, Vashti; Geller, Benjamin D.; Turpen, Chandra

2013-01-01

The national conversation around undergraduate science instruction is calling for increased interdisciplinarity. As these calls increase, there is a need to consider the learning objectives of interdisciplinary science courses and how to design curricula to support those objectives. We present a framework that can help support interdisciplinary design research. We developed this framework in an introductory physics for life sciences majors (IPLS) course for which we designed a series of interdisciplinary tasks that bridge physics and biology. We illustrate how this framework can be used to describe the variation in the nature and degree of interdisciplinary interaction in tasks, to aid in redesigning tasks to better align with interdisciplinary learning objectives, and finally, to articulate design conjectures that posit how different characteristics of these tasks might support or impede interdisciplinary learning objectives. This framework will be useful for both curriculum designers and education researchers seeking to understand, in more concrete terms, what interdisciplinary learning means and how integrated science curricula can be designed to support interdisciplinary learning objectives. PMID:23737627

System analysis study of space platform and station accommodations for life sciences research facilities. Volume 1: Executive summary. Phase A: Conceptual design and programmatics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

The study was conducted in 3 parts over a 3 year period. The study schedule and the documentation associated with each study part is given. This document summarized selected study results from the conceptual design and programmatics segment of the effort. The objectives were: (1) to update requirements and tradeoffs and develop a detailed design and mission requirements document; (2) to develop conceptual designs and mission descriptions; and (3) to develop programmatic, i.e., work breakdown structure and work breakdown structure dictionary, estimated cost, and implementing plans and schedules.

A Study of the System Safety Concept as it Relates to the New Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-03-31

established the safety level of the% * originally designed facility and the extent of current safety * modifications. The objectives evaluated the...Program could identify many safety hazards thus leading to design improvements. The study provided several recommendations to formalize the Systems Safety... design , construction, and proposed systems management of the new Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), Washington, D.C., was conducted during the

Combinatorial Multiobjective Optimization Using Genetic Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crossley, William A.; Martin. Eric T.

2002-01-01

The research proposed in this document investigated multiobjective optimization approaches based upon the Genetic Algorithm (GA). Several versions of the GA have been adopted for multiobjective design, but, prior to this research, there had not been significant comparisons of the most popular strategies. The research effort first generalized the two-branch tournament genetic algorithm in to an N-branch genetic algorithm, then the N-branch GA was compared with a version of the popular Multi-Objective Genetic Algorithm (MOGA). Because the genetic algorithm is well suited to combinatorial (mixed discrete / continuous) optimization problems, the GA can be used in the conceptual phase of design to combine selection (discrete variable) and sizing (continuous variable) tasks. Using a multiobjective formulation for the design of a 50-passenger aircraft to meet the competing objectives of minimizing takeoff gross weight and minimizing trip time, the GA generated a range of tradeoff designs that illustrate which aircraft features change from a low-weight, slow trip-time aircraft design to a heavy-weight, short trip-time aircraft design. Given the objective formulation and analysis methods used, the results of this study identify where turboprop-powered aircraft and turbofan-powered aircraft become more desirable for the 50 seat passenger application. This aircraft design application also begins to suggest how a combinatorial multiobjective optimization technique could be used to assist in the design of morphing aircraft.

Design Rationale Behind the Serious Self-Regulation Game Intervention "Balance It": Overweight Prevention Among Secondary Vocational Education Students in The Netherlands.

PubMed

Spook, Jorinde E; Paulussen, Theo; Paulissen, Rosie; Visschedijk, Gillian; Kok, Gerjo; van Empelen, Pepijn

2015-10-01

This article describes the design rationale behind a serious self-regulation game intervention. The aim of the game is to promote healthy dietary intake and physical activity among secondary vocational educational students in The Netherlands (approximately 16-20 years of age). The game "Balance It" was developed according to an intervention mapping (IM) protocol. Following IM, we specified health promotion and usability objectives and linked these objectives to selected behavior change and persuasive methods. Accordingly, these methods were translated into a coherent intervention program. The health behavior change objectives were derived from the determinants of the behavior and from Self-Regulation Theory (e.g., students are asked to set goals, monitor and evaluate their behavior, and create coping plans). Usability objectives were derived from the RE-AIM model (i.e., Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance). Next, behavior change and persuasive techniques were selected (e.g., goal setting and prompting, respectively) that did fit with the targeted change objectives and were translated in the design of a (mobile) serious self-regulation game intervention. Subsequently, three concept and usability tests were performed to improve intervention usability, and an evaluation plan was developed. The aim of this study was to provide a design rationale for game interventions targeting health-related behaviors. We developed a coherent program design in which both health behavior change and usability factors are addressed. The IM protocol can serve as a useful guide for decision making in program development and evaluation.

Optimization of a miniature short-wavelength infrared objective optics of a short-wavelength infrared to visible upconversion layer attached to a mobile-devices visible camera

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kadosh, Itai; Sarusi, Gabby

2017-10-01

The use of dual cameras in parallax in order to detect and create 3-D images in mobile devices has been increasing over the last few years. We propose a concept where the second camera will be operating in the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR-1300 to 1800 nm) and thus have night vision capability while preserving most of the other advantages of dual cameras in terms of depth and 3-D capabilities. In order to maintain commonality of the two cameras, we propose to attach to one of the cameras a SWIR to visible upconversion layer that will convert the SWIR image into a visible image. For this purpose, the fore optics (the objective lenses) should be redesigned for the SWIR spectral range and the additional upconversion layer, whose thickness is <1 μm. Such layer should be attached in close proximity to the mobile device visible range camera sensor (the CMOS sensor). This paper presents such a SWIR objective optical design and optimization that is formed and fit mechanically to the visible objective design but with different lenses in order to maintain the commonality and as a proof-of-concept. Such a SWIR objective design is very challenging since it requires mimicking the original visible mobile camera lenses' sizes and the mechanical housing, so we can adhere to the visible optical and mechanical design. We present in depth a feasibility study and the overall optical system performance of such a SWIR mobile-device camera fore optics design.

Program of Studies. Instructional Goals and Objectives: Art.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West Virginia State Dept. of Education, Charleston.

Instructional goals and sample instructional objectives for art education in West Virginia's public schools are outlined. A comprehensive arts education program is basic to the general education of every child. Two guiding principles directed the programs' design. First, each student should have opportunities to acquire skills in the four…

Does Fear Reactivity during Exposure Predict Panic Symptom Reduction?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meuret, Alicia E.; Seidel, Anke; Rosenfield, Benjamin; Hofmann, Stefan G.; Rosenfield, David

2012-01-01

Objective: Fear reactivity during exposure is a commonly used indicator of learning and overall therapy outcome. The objective of this study was to assess the predictive value of fear reactivity during exposure using multimodal indicators and an advanced analytical design. We also investigated the degree to which treatment condition (cognitive…

Associations between ankle-brachial index and cognitive function: results from the Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between ankle-brachial index (ABI) and indicators of cognitive function. DESIGN: Randomized clinical trial (Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders Trial). SETTING: Eight US academic ce...

Assessing Knowledge Change in Computer Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nash, Jane Gradwohl; Bravaco, Ralph J.; Simonson, Shai

2006-01-01

The purpose of this study was to assess structural knowledge change across a two-week workshop designed to provide high-school teachers with training in Java and Object Oriented Programming. Both before and after the workshop, teachers assigned relatedness ratings to pairs of key concepts regarding Java and Object Oriented Programming. Their…

Modeling Of Object- And Scene-Prototypes With Hierarchically Structured Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ren, Z.; Jensch, P.; Ameling, W.

1989-03-01

The success of knowledge-based image analysis methodology and implementation tools depends largely on an appropriately and efficiently built model wherein the domain-specific context information about and the inherent structure of the observed image scene have been encoded. For identifying an object in an application environment a computer vision system needs to know firstly the description of the object to be found in an image or in an image sequence, secondly the corresponding relationships between object descriptions within the image sequence. This paper presents models of image objects scenes by means of hierarchically structured classes. Using the topovisual formalism of graph and higraph, we are currently studying principally the relational aspect and data abstraction of the modeling in order to visualize the structural nature resident in image objects and scenes, and to formalize. their descriptions. The goal is to expose the structure of image scene and the correspondence of image objects in the low level image interpretation. process. The object-based system design approach has been applied to build the model base. We utilize the object-oriented programming language C + + for designing, testing and implementing the abstracted entity classes and the operation structures which have been modeled topovisually. The reference images used for modeling prototypes of objects and scenes are from industrial environments as'well as medical applications.

Tactical Approaches for Trading Science Objectives Against Measurements and Mission Design: Science Traceability Techniques at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nash, A. E., III

2017-12-01

The most common approaches to identifying the most effective mission design to maximize science return from a potential set of competing alternative design approaches are often inefficient and inaccurate. Recently, Team-X at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory undertook an effort to improve both the speed and quality of science - measurement - mission design trade studies. We will report on the methodology & processes employed and their effectiveness in trade study speed and quality. Our results indicate that facilitated subject matter expert peers are the keys to speed and quality improvements in the effectiveness of science - measurement - mission design trade studies.

Magnetic suspension and balance system advanced study, 1989 design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boom, Roger W.; Eyssa, Y. M.; Abdelsalam, Moustafa K.; Mcintosh, Glen E.

1991-01-01

The objectives are to experimentally confirm several advanced design concepts on the Magnetic Suspension and Balance Systems (MSBS). The advanced design concepts were identified as potential improvements by Madison Magnetics, Inc. (MMI) during 1984 and 1985 studies of an MSBS utilizing 14 external superconductive coils and a superconductive solenoid in an airplane test model suspended in a wind tunnel. This study confirmed several advanced design concepts on magnetic suspension and balance systems. The 1989 MSBS redesign is based on the results of these experiments. Savings of up to 30 percent in supporting magnet ampere meters and 50 percent in energy stored over the 1985 design were achieved.

Development of Secondary Route Bridge Design Plan Guides

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2018-03-03

The objective of this study is to develop a set of bridge plan guides for low-volume traffic roads. The purpose of the plans is to facilitate construction of new structures suitable for local agencies. The designs are to specifically address common l...

Review and assessment of designated driver programs as an alcohol countermeasure approach

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1987-02-01

Many drinking establishments have instituted designated driver programs (DDPs) which encourage one person in a group of patrons to remain sober and drive the others home. The primary objectives of this exploratory study were to: 1) identify DDPs thro...

Object-oriented fault tree evaluation program for quantitative analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patterson-Hine, F. A.; Koen, B. V.

1988-01-01

Object-oriented programming can be combined with fault free techniques to give a significantly improved environment for evaluating the safety and reliability of large complex systems for space missions. Deep knowledge about system components and interactions, available from reliability studies and other sources, can be described using objects that make up a knowledge base. This knowledge base can be interrogated throughout the design process, during system testing, and during operation, and can be easily modified to reflect design changes in order to maintain a consistent information source. An object-oriented environment for reliability assessment has been developed on a Texas Instrument (TI) Explorer LISP workstation. The program, which directly evaluates system fault trees, utilizes the object-oriented extension to LISP called Flavors that is available on the Explorer. The object representation of a fault tree facilitates the storage and retrieval of information associated with each event in the tree, including tree structural information and intermediate results obtained during the tree reduction process. Reliability data associated with each basic event are stored in the fault tree objects. The object-oriented environment on the Explorer also includes a graphical tree editor which was modified to display and edit the fault trees.

Performance Analysis of an Actor-Based Distributed Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schoeffler, James D.

1998-01-01

Object-oriented design of simulation programs appears to be very attractive because of the natural association of components in the simulated system with objects. There is great potential in distributing the simulation across several computers for the purpose of parallel computation and its consequent handling of larger problems in less elapsed time. One approach to such a design is to use "actors", that is, active objects with their own thread of control. Because these objects execute concurrently, communication is via messages. This is in contrast to an object-oriented design using passive objects where communication between objects is via method calls (direct calls when they are in the same address space and remote procedure calls when they are in different address spaces or different machines). This paper describes a performance analysis program for the evaluation of a design for distributed simulations based upon actors.

Engineering design: A cognitive process approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strimel, Greg Joseph

The intent of this dissertation was to identify the cognitive processes used by advanced pre-engineering students to solve complex engineering design problems. Students in technology and engineering education classrooms are often taught to use an ideal engineering design process that has been generated mostly by educators and curriculum developers. However, the review of literature showed that it is unclear as to how advanced pre-engineering students cognitively navigate solving a complex and multifaceted problem from beginning to end. Additionally, it was unclear how a student thinks and acts throughout their design process and how this affects the viability of their solution. Therefore, Research Objective 1 was to identify the fundamental cognitive processes students use to design, construct, and evaluate operational solutions to engineering design problems. Research Objective 2 was to determine identifiers within student cognitive processes for monitoring aptitude to successfully design, construct, and evaluate technological solutions. Lastly, Research Objective 3 was to create a conceptual technological and engineering problem-solving model integrating student cognitive processes for the improved development of problem-solving abilities. The methodology of this study included multiple forms of data collection. The participants were first given a survey to determine their prior experience with engineering and to provide a description of the subjects being studied. The participants were then presented an engineering design challenge to solve individually. While they completed the challenge, the participants verbalized their thoughts using an established "think aloud" method. These verbalizations were captured along with participant observational recordings using point-of-view camera technology. Additionally, the participant design journals, design artifacts, solution effectiveness data, and teacher evaluations were collected for analysis to help achieve the research objectives of this study. Two independent coders then coded the video/audio recordings and the additional design data using Halfin's (1973) 17 mental processes for technological problem-solving. The results of this study indicated that the participants employed a wide array of mental processes when solving engineering design challenges. However, the findings provide a general analysis of the number of times participants employed each mental process, as well as the amount of time consumed employing the various mental processes through the different stages of the engineering design process. The results indicated many similarities between the students solving the problem, which may highlight voids in current technology and engineering education curricula. Additionally, the findings showed differences between the processes employed by participants that created the most successful solutions and the participants who developed the least effective solutions. Upon comparing and contrasting these processes, recommendations for instructional strategies to enhance a student's capability for solving engineering design problems were developed. The results also indicated that students, when left without teacher intervention, use a simplified and more natural process to solve design challenges than the 12-step engineering design process reported in much of the literature. Lastly, these data indicated that students followed two different approaches to solving the design problem. Some students employed a sequential and logical approach, while others employed a nebulous, solution centered trial-and-error approach to solving the problem. In this study the participants who were more sequential had better performing solutions. Examining these two approaches and the student cognition data enabled the researcher to generate a conceptual engineering design model for the improved teaching and development of engineering design problem solving.

Students' Views about the Problem Based Collaborative Learning Environment Supported by Dynamic Web Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ünal, Erhan; Çakir, Hasan

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study was to design a problem based collaborative learning environment supported by dynamic web technologies and to examine students' views about this learning environment. The study was designed as a qualitative research. Some 36 students who took an Object Oriented Programming I-II course at the department of computer…

Levels and Functions of HIV/AIDS Stigma within the Iranian Community Living in the Sydney Metropolitan Area

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hosseinzadeh, Hassan; Hossain, Syeda Zakia; Niknami, Shamsaddin

2012-01-01

Objective: This study examines the levels of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) related stigma among the Iranian population and the factors that contribute to the formation of stigma within the study population. Design: A quantitative research design was used in this research whereby participants completed…

Design of Tasks for Online Assessment That Supports Understanding of Students' Conceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yerushalmy, Michal; Nagari-Haddif, Galit; Olsher, Shai

2017-01-01

In the present study, we ask whether and how online assessment can inform teaching about students' understanding of advanced concepts. Our main goal is to illustrate how we study design of tasks that support reliable online formative assessment by automatically analyzing the objects and relations that characterize the students' submissions. We aim…

Effects of A 2.5-Year Campus-Wide Intervention to Reduce College Drinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seo, Dong-Chul; Owens, Dee; Gassman, Ruth; Kingori, Caroline

2013-01-01

Objective: The present study reports on the results of a 2.5-year college-wide, coordinated intervention that was implemented from June 2007 to December 2009 to reduce the amount and frequency of students' alcohol consumption. Design: Quasi-experimental study using a one-group (freshmen living on campus) pretest/posttest design ("N" =…

Risk Factors for Road Transport-Related Injury among Pedestrians in Rural Ghana: Implications for Road Safety Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teye-Kwadjo, Enoch

2017-01-01

Objectives: Injuries and mortality resulting from pedestrian road traffic crashes are a major public health problem in Ghana. This study investigated risk factors for road transport-related injury among pedestrians in rural Ghana. Design: Case study design using qualitative data. Method: In-depth interviews were conducted with pedestrians.…

Stewpot Pre-School Feasibility Study. Daycare Planning Guidelines: A Pre-School for Stewpot Community Services.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacob, Paul; Poros, John

The Education Design Institute developed a series of tearsheets that were used as part of a feasibility study for a pre-school. The tearsheets, which aid designers in planning pre-school environments, outline educational objectives; optimum square foot standards; general environmental concerns; and furniture and equipment for infant, toddler, and…

Relation between experimental and non-experimental study designs. HB vaccines: a case study

PubMed Central

Jefferson, T.; Demicheli, V.

1999-01-01

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To examine the relation between experimental and non- experimental study design in vaccinology. DESIGN: Assessment of each study design's capability of testing four aspects of vaccine performance, namely immunogenicity (the capacity to stimulate the immune system), duration of immunity conferred, incidence and seriousness of side effects, and number of infections prevented by vaccination. SETTING: Experimental and non-experimental studies on hepatitis B (HB) vaccines in the Cochrane Vaccines Field Database. RESULTS: Experimental and non-experimental vaccine study designs are frequently complementary but some aspects of vaccine quality can only be assessed by one of the types of study. More work needs to be done on the relation between study quality and its significance in terms of effect size.   PMID:10326054

Cyber-Physical Attacks With Control Objectives

DOE PAGES

Chen, Yuan; Kar, Soummya; Moura, Jose M. F.

2017-08-18

This study studies attackers with control objectives against cyber-physical systems (CPSs). The goal of the attacker is to counteract the CPS's controller and move the system to a target state while evading detection. We formulate a cost function that reflects the attacker's goals, and, using dynamic programming, we show that the optimal attack strategy reduces to a linear feedback of the attacker's state estimate. By changing the parameters of the cost function, we show how an attacker can design optimal attacks to balance the control objective and the detection avoidance objective. In conclusion, we provide a numerical illustration based onmore » a remotely controlled helicopter under attack.« less

Cyber-Physical Attacks With Control Objectives

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

Chen, Yuan; Kar, Soummya; Moura, Jose M. F.

This study studies attackers with control objectives against cyber-physical systems (CPSs). The goal of the attacker is to counteract the CPS's controller and move the system to a target state while evading detection. We formulate a cost function that reflects the attacker's goals, and, using dynamic programming, we show that the optimal attack strategy reduces to a linear feedback of the attacker's state estimate. By changing the parameters of the cost function, we show how an attacker can design optimal attacks to balance the control objective and the detection avoidance objective. In conclusion, we provide a numerical illustration based onmore » a remotely controlled helicopter under attack.« less

Visualization of Data Regarding Infections Using Eye Tracking Techniques

PubMed Central

Yoon, Sunmoo; Cohen, Bevin; Cato, Kenrick D.; Liu, Jianfang; Larson, Elaine L.

2016-01-01

Objective To evaluate ease of use and usefulness for nurses of visualizations of infectious disease transmission in a hospital. Design An observational study was used to evaluate perceptions of several visualizations of data extracted from electronic health records designed using a participatory approach. Twelve nurses in the master’s program in an urban research-intensive nursing school participated in May 2015. Methods A convergent parallel mixed method was used to evaluate nurses’ perceptions on ease of use and usefulness of five visualization conveying trends in hospital infection transmission applying think-aloud, interview, and eye-tracking techniques. Findings Subjective data from the interview and think-aloud techniques indicated that participants preferred the traditional line graphs in simple data representation due to their familiarity, clarity, and easiness to read. An objective quantitative measure of eye movement analysis (444,421 gaze events) identified a high degree of participants’ attention span in infographics in all three scenarios. All participants responded with the correct answer within 1 min in comprehensive tests. Conclusions A user-centric approach was effective in developing and evaluating visualizations for hospital infection transmission. For the visualizations designed by the users, the participants were easily able to comprehend the infection visualizations on both line graphs and infographics for simple visualization. The findings from the objective comprehension test and eye movement and subjective attitudes support the feasibility of integrating user-centric visualization designs into electronic health records, which may inspire clinicians to be mindful of hospital infection transmission. Future studies are needed to investigate visualizations and motivation, and the effectiveness of visualization on infection rate. Clinical Relevance This study designed visualization images using clinical data from electronic health records applying a user-centric approach. The design insights can be applied for visualizing patient data in electronic health records. PMID:27061619

Perceptions of Teachers Regarding Technology Integration in Classrooms: A Comparative Analysis of Elite and Mediocre Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zehra, Rida; Bilwani, Anam

2016-01-01

The primary purpose and objective of this study was to examine and compare the perceptions of teachers in elite and mediocre schools in Karachi. The secondary objectives included comparing the use of technology in classrooms by teachers and the challenges and barriers that they face in the integration of technology. This study was designed as a…

A Cultured Learning Environment: Implementing a Problem- and Service-Based Microbiology Capstone Course to Assess Process- and Skill-Based Learning Objectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watson, Rachel M.; Willford, John D.; Pfeifer, Mariel A.

2018-01-01

In this study, a problem-based capstone course was designed to assess the University of Wyoming Microbiology Program's skill-based and process-based student learning objectives. Students partnered with a local farm, a community garden, and a free downtown clinic in order to conceptualize, propose, perform, and present studies addressing problems…

Evaluating a Web-Based MMR Decision Aid to Support Informed Decision-Making by UK Parents: A Before-and-After Feasibility Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Cath; Cheater, Francine M.; Peacock, Rose; Leask, Julie; Trevena, Lyndal

2010-01-01

Objective: The objective of this feasibility study was to evaluate the acceptability and potential effectiveness of a web-based MMR decision aid in supporting informed decision-making for the MMR vaccine. Design: This was a prospective before-and-after evaluation. Setting: Thirty parents of children eligible for MMR vaccination were recruited from…

Associations between Objectively Measured Physical Activity, Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Risk Factors for Metabolic Syndrome in 12- to 15-Year-Old Tianjin City Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Sijie; Wang, Jianxiong; Zhang, Yibing; Zhang, Chen

2015-01-01

Objective: The study aim was to explore associations between daily physical activity level, cardiorespiratory fitness and metabolic syndrome among Chinese children. Design: We conducted a school-based, cross-sectional study. Setting: Participants including 112 boys and 121 girls were recruited from three schools in the urban suburbs of Tianjin…

Kuiper Belt Object Orbiter Using Advanced Radioisotope Power Sources and Electric Propulsion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oleson, Steven R.; McGuire, Melissa L.; Dankanich, John; Colozza, Anthony; Schmitz, Paul; Khan, Omair; Drexler, Jon; Fittje, James

2011-01-01

A joint NASA GRC/JPL design study was performed for the NASA Radioisotope Power Systems Office to explore the use of radioisotope electric propulsion for flagship class missions. The Kuiper Belt Object Orbiter is a flagship class mission concept projected for launch in the 2030 timeframe. Due to the large size of a flagship class science mission larger radioisotope power system building blocks were conceptualized to provide the roughly 4 kW of power needed by the NEXT ion propulsion system and the spacecraft. Using REP the spacecraft is able to rendezvous with and orbit a Kuiper Belt object in 16 years using either eleven (no spare) 420 W advanced RTGs or nine (with a spare) 550 W advanced Stirling Radioisotope systems. The design study evaluated integrating either system and estimated impacts on cost as well as required General Purpose Heat Source requirements.

What's in a Name? The Incorrect Use of Case Series as a Study Design Label in Studies Involving Dogs and Cats.

PubMed

Sargeant, J M; O'Connor, A M; Cullen, J N; Makielski, K M; Jones-Bitton, A

2017-07-01

Study design labels are used to identify relevant literature to address specific clinical and research questions and to aid in evaluating the evidentiary value of research. Evidence from the human healthcare literature indicates that the label "case series" may be used inconsistently and inappropriately. Our primary objective was to determine the proportion of studies in the canine and feline veterinary literature labeled as case series that actually corresponded to descriptive cohort studies, population-based cohort studies, or other study designs. Our secondary objective was to identify the proportion of case series in which potentially inappropriate inferential statements were made. Descriptive evaluation of published literature. One-hundred published studies (from 19 journals) labeled as case series. Studies were identified by a structured literature search, with random selection of 100 studies from the relevant citations. Two reviewers independently characterized each study, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Of the 100 studies, 16 were case series. The remaining studies were descriptive cohort studies (35), population-based cohort studies (36), or other observational or experimental study designs (13). Almost half (48.8%) of the case series or descriptive cohort studies, with no control group and no formal statistical analysis, included inferential statements about the efficacy of treatment or statistical significance of potential risk factors. Authors, peer-reviewers, and editors should carefully consider the design elements of a study to accurately identify and label the study design. Doing so will facilitate an understanding of the evidentiary value of the results. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Design, implementation, and extension of thermal invisibility cloaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Youming; Xu, Hongyi; Zhang, Baile

2015-05-01

A thermal invisibility cloak, as inspired by optical invisibility cloaks, is a device which can steer the conductive heat flux around an isolated object without changing the ambient temperature distribution so that the object can be "invisible" to external thermal environment. While designs of thermal invisibility cloaks inherit previous theories from optical cloaks, the uniqueness of heat diffusion leads to more achievable implementations. Thermal invisibility cloaks, as well as the variations including thermal concentrator, rotator, and illusion devices, have potentials to be applied in thermal management, sensing and imaging applications. Here, we review the current knowledge of thermal invisibility cloaks in terms of their design and implementation in cloaking studies, and their extension as other functional devices.

A Framework for the Flexible Content Packaging of Learning Objects and Learning Designs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lukasiak, Jason; Agostinho, Shirley; Burnett, Ian; Drury, Gerrard; Goodes, Jason; Bennett, Sue; Lockyer, Lori; Harper, Barry

2004-01-01

This paper presents a platform-independent method for packaging learning objects and learning designs. The method, entitled a Smart Learning Design Framework, is based on the MPEG-21 standard, and uses IEEE Learning Object Metadata (LOM) to provide bibliographic, technical, and pedagogical descriptors for the retrieval and description of learning…

Manned remote work station development article

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

The two prime objectives of the Manned Remote Work Station (MRWS) Development Article Study are to first, evaluate the MRWS flight article roles and associated design concepts for fundamental requirements and embody key technology developments into a simulation program; and to provide detail manufacturing drawings and schedules for a simulator development test article. An approach is outlined which establishes flight article requirements based on past studies of Solar Power Satellite, orbital construction support equipments, construction bases and near term shuttle operations. Simulation objectives are established for those technology issues that can best be addressed on a simulator. Concepts for full-scale and sub-scale simulators are then studied to establish an overall approach to studying MRWS requirements. Emphasis then shifts to design and specification of a full-scale development test article.

Staff Perspectives on the Use of a Computer-Based Concept for Lifestyle Intervention Implemented in Primary Health Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlfjord, Siw; Johansson, Kjell; Bendtsen, Preben; Nilsen, Per; Andersson, Agneta

2010-01-01

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate staff experiences of the use of a computer-based concept for lifestyle testing and tailored advice implemented in routine primary health care (PHC). Design: The design of the study was a cross-sectional, retrospective survey. Setting: The study population consisted of staff at nine PHC units in the…

An Analysis of Applications Development Systems for Remotely Sensed, Multispectral Data for the Earth Observations Division of the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vanrooy, D. L.; Smith, R. M.; Lynn, M. S.

1974-01-01

An application development system (ADS) is examined for remotely sensed, multispectral data at the Earth Observations Division (EOD) at Johnson Space Center. Design goals are detailed, along with design objectives that an ideal system should contain. The design objectives were arranged according to the priorities of EOD's program objectives. Four systems available to EOD were then measured against the ideal ADS as defined by the design objectives and their associated priorities. This was accomplished by rating each of the systems on each of the design objectives. Utilizing the established priorities, it was determined how each system stood up as an ADS. Recommendations were made as to possible courses of action for EOD to pursue to obtain a more efficient ADS.

A methodology using in-chair movements as an objective measure of discomfort for the purpose of statistically distinguishing between similar seat surfaces.

PubMed

Cascioli, Vincenzo; Liu, Zhuofu; Heusch, Andrew; McCarthy, Peter W

2016-05-01

This study presents a method for objectively measuring in-chair movement (ICM) that shows correlation with subjective ratings of comfort and discomfort. Employing a cross-over controlled, single blind design, healthy young subjects (n = 21) sat for 18 min on each of the following surfaces: contoured foam, straight foam and wood. Force sensitive resistors attached to the sitting interface measured the relative movements of the subjects during sitting. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ICM could statistically distinguish between each seat material, including two with subtle design differences. In addition, this study investigated methodological considerations, in particular appropriate threshold selection and sitting duration, when analysing objective movement data. ICM appears to be able to statistically distinguish between similar foam surfaces, as long as appropriate ICM thresholds and sufficient sitting durations are present. A relationship between greater ICM and increased discomfort, and lesser ICM and increased comfort was also found. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The motivations, institutions and organization of university-industry collaborations in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Bodas Freitas, Isabel Maria; Verspagen, Bart

2017-01-01

This study builds on the economics and organization literatures to explore whether and how institutions and organizational structure complement or substitute each other to create specific spaces of alignment where specific individual actors' motivations co-exist. Focusing on university-industry collaborations, the study examines whether and how different axes of alignment of university and industry motivations are integrated in projects with specific technological objectives and organizational structures, benefitting from the presence of specific institutions designed to facilitate collaboration. Empirically, the study relies on in-depth data on 30 university-industry collaborations in the Netherlands, and provides preliminary evidence that the technological objective and organizational structure of collaboration are malleable variables allowing the integration of both partners' objectives and expectations. Different institutional incentives for university-industry collaboration favor specific axes of alignment of motivations and certain types of collaborative projects' design. Hence, our exploratory results suggest that specific organizational and technological structures tend to prevail in the presence of specific institutions.

Rapid Prototyping of an Aircraft Model in an Object-Oriented Simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenney, P. Sean

2003-01-01

A team was created to participate in the Mars Scout Opportunity. Trade studies determined that an aircraft provided the best opportunity to complete the science objectives of the team. A high fidelity six degree of freedom flight simulation was required to provide credible evidence that the aircraft design fulfilled mission objectives and to support the aircraft design process by providing performance evaluations. The team created the simulation using the Langley Standard Real-Time Simulation in C++ (LaSRS++) application framework. A rapid prototyping approach was necessary because the team had only three months to both develop the aircraft simulation model and evaluate aircraft performance as the design and mission parameters matured. The design of LaSRS++ enabled rapid-prototyping in several ways. First, the framework allowed component models to be designed, implemented, unit-tested, and integrated quickly. Next, the framework provides a highly reusable infrastructure that allowed developers to maximize code reuse while concentrating on aircraft and mission specific features. Finally, the framework reduces risk by providing reusable components that allow developers to build a quality product with a compressed testing cycle that relies heavily on unit testing of new components.

Designing a multi-objective, multi-support accuracy assessment of the 2001 National Land Cover Data (NLCD 2001) of the conterminous United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stehman, S.V.; Wickham, J.D.; Wade, T.G.; Smith, J.H.

2008-01-01

The database design and diverse application of NLCD 2001 pose significant challenges for accuracy assessment because numerous objectives are of interest, including accuracy of land-cover, percent urban imperviousness, percent tree canopy, land-cover composition, and net change. A multi-support approach is needed because these objectives require spatial units of different sizes for reference data collection and analysis. Determining a sampling design that meets the full suite of desirable objectives for the NLCD 2001 accuracy assessment requires reconciling potentially conflicting design features that arise from targeting the different objectives. Multi-stage cluster sampling provides the general structure to achieve a multi-support assessment, and the flexibility to target different objectives at different stages of the design. We describe the implementation of two-stage cluster sampling for the initial phase of the NLCD 2001 assessment, and identify gaps in existing knowledge where research is needed to allow full implementation of a multi-objective, multi-support assessment. ?? 2008 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

Lunar surface transportation systems conceptual design lunar base systems study Task 5.2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Conceptual designs for three categories of lunar surface transportation were described. The level of understanding for the capabilities and design approach varies between the vehicles representing these categories. A summary of the vehicle categories and current state of conceptual design is provided. Finally, a brief evaluation and discussion is provided for a systematic comparison of transportation categories and effectiveness in supporting transportation objectives.

Development of Mix Designs for RAP Concrete for Florida Concrete Test Road

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-12-01

The main objective of this study was to develop mix designs for concrete incorporating Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) materials to be used in the Florida Concrete Test Road. Two different FDOT-approved RAP sources were selected and used in this stu...

Development of guidelines for incorporation of vertical ground motion effects in seismic design of highway bridges.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-05-01

This study was undertaken with the objective of assessing the current provisions in SDC-2006 for incorporating : vertical effects of ground motions in seismic evaluation and design of ordinary highway bridges. A : comprehensive series of simulations ...

Measures of outdoor play and independent mobility in children and youth: A methodological review.

PubMed

Bates, Bree; Stone, Michelle R

2015-09-01

Declines in children's outdoor play have been documented globally, which are partly due to heightened restrictions around children's independent mobility. Literature on outdoor play and children's independent mobility is increasing, yet no paper has summarized the various methodological approaches used. A methodological review could highlight most commonly used measures and comprehensive research designs that could result in more standardized methodological approaches. Methodological review. A standardized protocol guided a methodological review of published research on measures of outdoor play and children's independent mobility in children and youth (0-18 years). Online searches of 8 electronic databases were conducted and studies included if they contained a subjective/objective measure of outdoor play or children's independent mobility. References of included articles were scanned to identify additional articles. Twenty-four studies were included on outdoor play, and twenty-three on children's independent mobility. Study designs were diverse. Common objective measures included accelerometry, global positioning systems and direct observation; questionnaires, surveys and interviews were common subjective measures. Focus groups, activity logs, monitoring sheets, travel/activity diaries, behavioral maps and guided tours were also utilized. Questionnaires were used most frequently, yet few studies used the same questionnaire. Five studies employed comprehensive, mixed-methods designs. Outdoor play and children's independent mobility have been measured using a wide variety of techniques, with only a few studies using similar methodologies. A standardized methodological approach does not exist. Future researchers should consider including both objective measures (accelerometry and global positioning systems) and subjective measures (questionnaires, activity logs, interviews), as more comprehensive designs will enhance understanding of each multidimensional construct. Creating a standardized methodological approach would improve study comparisons. Copyright © 2014 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Regional Design Approach in Designing Climatic Responsive Administrative Building in the 21st Century

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haja Bava Mohidin, Hazrina Binti; Ismail, Alice Sabrina

2015-01-01

The objective of this paper is to explicate on the study of modern administrative building in Malaysia which portrays regional design approach that conforms to the local context and climate by reviewing two case studies; Perdana Putra (1999) and former Prime Minister's Office (1967). This paper is significant because the country's stature and political statement was symbolized by administrative building as a national icon. In other words, it is also viewed as a cultural object that is closely tied to a particular social context and nation historical moment. Administrative building, therefore, may exhibit various meanings. This paper uses structuralism paradigm and semiotic principles as a methodological approach. This paper is of importance for practicing architects and society in the future as it offers new knowledge and understanding in identifying the suitable climatic consideration that may reflect regionalist design approach in modern administrative building. These elements then may be adopted in designing public buildings in the future with regional values that are important for expressing national culture to symbolize the identity of place and society as well as responsive to climate change.

Self-adaptive multi-objective harmony search for optimal design of water distribution networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, Young Hwan; Lee, Ho Min; Yoo, Do Guen; Kim, Joong Hoon

2017-11-01

In multi-objective optimization computing, it is important to assign suitable parameters to each optimization problem to obtain better solutions. In this study, a self-adaptive multi-objective harmony search (SaMOHS) algorithm is developed to apply the parameter-setting-free technique, which is an example of a self-adaptive methodology. The SaMOHS algorithm attempts to remove some of the inconvenience from parameter setting and selects the most adaptive parameters during the iterative solution search process. To verify the proposed algorithm, an optimal least cost water distribution network design problem is applied to three different target networks. The results are compared with other well-known algorithms such as multi-objective harmony search and the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II. The efficiency of the proposed algorithm is quantified by suitable performance indices. The results indicate that SaMOHS can be efficiently applied to the search for Pareto-optimal solutions in a multi-objective solution space.

Comparative study of popular objective functions for damping power system oscillations in multimachine system.

PubMed

Islam, Naz Niamul; Hannan, M A; Shareef, Hussain; Mohamed, Azah; Salam, M A

2014-01-01

Power oscillation damping controller is designed in linearized model with heuristic optimization techniques. Selection of the objective function is very crucial for damping controller design by optimization algorithms. In this research, comparative analysis has been carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of popular objective functions used in power system oscillation damping. Two-stage lead-lag damping controller by means of power system stabilizers is optimized using differential search algorithm for different objective functions. Linearized model simulations are performed to compare the dominant mode's performance and then the nonlinear model is continued to evaluate the damping performance over power system oscillations. All the simulations are conducted in two-area four-machine power system to bring a detailed analysis. Investigated results proved that multiobjective D-shaped function is an effective objective function in terms of moving unstable and lightly damped electromechanical modes into stable region. Thus, D-shape function ultimately improves overall system damping and concurrently enhances power system reliability.

Development of a nanosatellite de-orbiting system by reliability based design optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikbay, Melike; Acar, Pınar; Aslan, Alim Rüstem

2015-12-01

This paper presents design approaches to develop a reliable and efficient de-orbiting system for the 3USAT nanosatellite to provide a beneficial orbital decay process at the end of a mission. A de-orbiting system is initially designed by employing the aerodynamic drag augmentation principle where the structural constraints of the overall satellite system and the aerodynamic forces are taken into account. Next, an alternative de-orbiting system is designed with new considerations and further optimized using deterministic and reliability based design techniques. For the multi-objective design, the objectives are chosen to maximize the aerodynamic drag force through the maximization of the Kapton surface area while minimizing the de-orbiting system mass. The constraints are related in a deterministic manner to the required deployment force, the height of the solar panel hole and the deployment angle. The length and the number of layers of the deployable Kapton structure are used as optimization variables. In the second stage of this study, uncertainties related to both manufacturing and operating conditions of the deployable structure in space environment are considered. These uncertainties are then incorporated into the design process by using different probabilistic approaches such as Monte Carlo Simulation, the First-Order Reliability Method and the Second-Order Reliability Method. The reliability based design optimization seeks optimal solutions using the former design objectives and constraints with the inclusion of a reliability index. Finally, the de-orbiting system design alternatives generated by different approaches are investigated and the reliability based optimum design is found to yield the best solution since it significantly improves both system reliability and performance requirements.

AAFE man-made noise experiment project. Volume 2: Project and experiment discussions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

An experiment for the acquisition and processing of man-made noise interference data on earth orbital altitudes is discussed. The objectives of the project are to confirm the results of analytical studies concerning radio frequency man-made noise in space. It is stated that the measurements of the amounts and types of noise in frequency bands of interest could allow the allocation and utilization of frequencies to be optimized and would also contribute to the engineering objective of optimizing flight receiving systems. A second objective of the project was to design and fabricate a noise measuring receiver which would demonstrate the feasibility of the experiment design under the project. The procedures for acquiring and processing the electromagnetic radiation data are discussed.

Kids in the city study: research design and methodology

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Physical activity is essential for optimal physical and psychological health but substantial declines in children's activity levels have occurred in New Zealand and internationally. Children's independent mobility (i.e., outdoor play and traveling to destinations unsupervised), an integral component of physical activity in childhood, has also declined radically in recent decades. Safety-conscious parenting practices, car reliance and auto-centric urban design have converged to produce children living increasingly sedentary lives. This research investigates how urban neighborhood environments can support or enable or restrict children's independent mobility, thereby influencing physical activity accumulation and participation in daily life. Methods/Design The study is located in six Auckland, New Zealand neighborhoods, diverse in terms of urban design attributes, particularly residential density. Participants comprise 160 children aged 9-11 years and their parents/caregivers. Objective measures (global positioning systems, accelerometers, geographical information systems, observational audits) assessed children's independent mobility and physical activity, neighborhood infrastructure, and streetscape attributes. Parent and child neighborhood perceptions and experiences were assessed using qualitative research methods. Discussion This study is one of the first internationally to examine the association of specific urban design attributes with child independent mobility. Using robust, appropriate, and best practice objective measures, this study provides robust epidemiological information regarding the relationships between the built environment and health outcomes for this population. PMID:21781341

Advantages of Task-Specific Multi-Objective Optimisation in Evolutionary Robotics.

PubMed

Trianni, Vito; López-Ibáñez, Manuel

2015-01-01

The application of multi-objective optimisation to evolutionary robotics is receiving increasing attention. A survey of the literature reveals the different possibilities it offers to improve the automatic design of efficient and adaptive robotic systems, and points to the successful demonstrations available for both task-specific and task-agnostic approaches (i.e., with or without reference to the specific design problem to be tackled). However, the advantages of multi-objective approaches over single-objective ones have not been clearly spelled out and experimentally demonstrated. This paper fills this gap for task-specific approaches: starting from well-known results in multi-objective optimisation, we discuss how to tackle commonly recognised problems in evolutionary robotics. In particular, we show that multi-objective optimisation (i) allows evolving a more varied set of behaviours by exploring multiple trade-offs of the objectives to optimise, (ii) supports the evolution of the desired behaviour through the introduction of objectives as proxies, (iii) avoids the premature convergence to local optima possibly introduced by multi-component fitness functions, and (iv) solves the bootstrap problem exploiting ancillary objectives to guide evolution in the early phases. We present an experimental demonstration of these benefits in three different case studies: maze navigation in a single robot domain, flocking in a swarm robotics context, and a strictly collaborative task in collective robotics.

A Reusable Lunar Shuttlecraft (RLS): A systems study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

A study effort to conceive and design a reusable lunar space vehicle system was conducted at a university. The purpose of the program was to expose students to the problems faced by other disciplines in the design of a complete vehicle system. The subjects investigated are: (1) objectives, feasibility, and cost of reusable lunar shuttlecraft, (2) trajectory analysis, (3) guidance and navigation, (4) communication system, (5) propulsion system, (6) electrical power system, and (7) landing gear design.

The Preliminary Design of a Standardized Spacecraft Bus for Small Tactical Satellites (Volume 1)

DTIC Science & Technology

1996-11-01

characteristics, and not detailed design recommendations, the team decided to avoid modeling the interaction among the objective attributes. 47 5.6 Flexibility of...in the Modsat computer model are necessarily "generic" in nature to provide both flexibility in design evaluation and a foundation on which more...the methods employed during the study, the scope of the problem, the value system used to evaluate alternatives, tradeoff studies performed, modeling

Physical activities at work and risk of musculoskeletal pain and its consequences: protocol for a study with objective field measures among blue-collar workers

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Among blue-collar workers, high physical work demands are generally considered to be the main cause of musculoskeletal pain and work disability. However, current available research on this topic has been criticised for using self-reported data, cross-sectional design, insufficient adjustment for potential confounders, and inadequate follow-up on the recurrent and fluctuating pattern of musculoskeletal pain. Recent technological advances have provided possibilities for objective diurnal field measurements of physical activities and frequent follow-up on musculoskeletal pain. The main aim of this paper is to describe the background, design, methods, limitations and perspectives of the Danish Physical Activity cohort with Objective measurements (DPhacto) investigating the association between objectively measured physical activities capturing work and leisure time and frequent measurements of musculoskeletal pain among blue-collar workers. Methods/design Approximately 2000 blue-collar workers are invited for the study and asked to respond to a baseline questionnaire, participate in physical tests (i.e. muscle strength, aerobic fitness, back muscle endurance and flexibility), to wear accelerometers and a heart rate monitor for four consecutive days, and finally respond to monthly text messages regarding musculoskeletal pain and quarterly questionnaires regarding the consequences of musculoskeletal pain on work activities, social activities and work ability for a one-year follow-up period. Discussion This study will provide novel information on the association between physical activities at work and musculoskeletal pain. The study will provide valid and precise documentation about the relation between physical work activities and musculoskeletal pain and its consequences among blue-collar workers. PMID:23870666

Dissociating object-based from egocentric transformations in mental body rotation: effect of stimuli size.

PubMed

Habacha, Hamdi; Moreau, David; Jarraya, Mohamed; Lejeune-Poutrain, Laure; Molinaro, Corinne

2018-01-01

The effect of stimuli size on the mental rotation of abstract objects has been extensively investigated, yet its effect on the mental rotation of bodily stimuli remains largely unexplored. Depending on the experimental design, mentally rotating bodily stimuli can elicit object-based transformations, relying mainly on visual processes, or egocentric transformations, which typically involve embodied motor processes. The present study included two mental body rotation tasks requiring either a same-different or a laterality judgment, designed to elicit object-based or egocentric transformations, respectively. Our findings revealed shorter response times for large-sized stimuli than for small-sized stimuli only for greater angular disparities, suggesting that the more unfamiliar the orientations of the bodily stimuli, the more stimuli size affected mental processing. Importantly, when comparing size transformation times, results revealed different patterns of size transformation times as a function of angular disparity between object-based and egocentric transformations. This indicates that mental size transformation and mental rotation proceed differently depending on the mental rotation strategy used. These findings are discussed with respect to the different spatial manipulations involved during object-based and egocentric transformations.

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.

Software Design for Interactive Graphic Radiation Treatment Simulation Systems*

PubMed Central

Kalet, Ira J.; Sweeney, Christine; Jacky, Jonathan

1990-01-01

We examine issues in the design of interactive computer graphic simulation programs for radiation treatment planning (RTP), as well as expert system programs that automate parts of the RTP process, in light of ten years of experience at designing, building and using such programs. An experiment in object-oriented design using standard Pascal shows that while some advantage is gained from the design, it is still difficult to achieve modularity and to integrate expert system components. A new design based on the Common LISP Object System (CLOS) is described. This series of designs for RTP software shows that this application benefits in specific ways from object-oriented design methods and appropriate languages and tools.

40 CFR 33.406 - May a recipient designate a lead agency for fair share objective negotiation purposes?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false May a recipient designate a lead agency for fair share objective negotiation purposes? 33.406 Section 33.406 Protection of Environment... recipient designate a lead agency for fair share objective negotiation purposes? If an Indian Tribal, State...

10 CFR 50.34a - Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents-nuclear...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Design objectives for equipment to control releases of..., Certifications, and Regulatory Approvals; Form; Contents; Ineligibility of Certain Applicants § 50.34a Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents—nuclear power reactors. (a...

10 CFR 50.34a - Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents-nuclear...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Design objectives for equipment to control releases of..., Certifications, and Regulatory Approvals; Form; Contents; Ineligibility of Certain Applicants § 50.34a Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents—nuclear power reactors. (a...

10 CFR 50.34a - Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents-nuclear...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Design objectives for equipment to control releases of..., Certifications, and Regulatory Approvals; Form; Contents; Ineligibility of Certain Applicants § 50.34a Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents—nuclear power reactors. (a...

10 CFR 50.34a - Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents-nuclear...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Design objectives for equipment to control releases of..., Certifications, and Regulatory Approvals; Form; Contents; Ineligibility of Certain Applicants § 50.34a Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents—nuclear power reactors. (a...

10 CFR 50.34a - Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents-nuclear...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Design objectives for equipment to control releases of..., Certifications, and Regulatory Approvals; Form; Contents; Ineligibility of Certain Applicants § 50.34a Design objectives for equipment to control releases of radioactive material in effluents—nuclear power reactors. (a...

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

McDonald, J R; Murray, R

High winds tend to pick up and transport various objects and debris, which are referred to as wind-borne missiles or tornado missiles, depending on the type of storm. Missiles cause damage by perforating the building envelope or by collapsing structural elements such as walls, columns or frames. The primary objectives of this study are as follows: (1) to provide a basis for wind-borne or tornado missile criteria for the design and evaluation of DOE facilities, and (2) to provide guidelines for the design and evaluation of impact-resistant missile barriers for DOE facilities The first objective is accomplished through a synthesismore » of information from windstorm damage documentation experience and computer simulation of missile trajectories. The second objective is accomplished by reviewing the literature, which describes various missile impact tests, and by conducting a series of impact tests at a Texas Tech University facility to fill in missing information.« less

Design, Development, and Validation of Learning Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nugent, Gwen; Soh, Leen-Kiat; Samal, Ashok

2006-01-01

A learning object is a small, stand-alone, mediated content resource that can be reused in multiple instructional contexts. In this article, we describe our approach to design, develop, and validate Shareable Content Object Reference Model (SCORM) compliant learning objects for undergraduate computer science education. We discuss the advantages of…

On Developing Content-Oriented Theories Taking Biological Evolution as an Example

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andersson, Bjorn; Wallin, Anita

2006-01-01

Both in Europe and the United States there is a growing interest in design research. One example is the design and validation of topic-oriented teaching-learning sequences. This research may be said to have two objectives. One is to design and test "useful products", such as teachers guides and study material for students, which may be…

A Drawing and Multi-Representational Computer Environment for Beginners' Learning of Programming Using C: Design and Pilot Formative Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kordaki, Maria

2010-01-01

This paper presents both the design and the pilot formative evaluation study of a computer-based problem-solving environment (named LECGO: Learning Environment for programming using C using Geometrical Objects) for the learning of computer programming using C by beginners. In its design, constructivist and social learning theories were taken into…

A Pilot Project to Develop and Assess a Health Education Programme for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atak, Nazli; Arslan, Umit

2005-01-01

Objective: The current research was designed to develop a health education programme for type 2 diabetes mellitus based on the Taba-Tyler model and to evaluate its effect. Design: The study was quasi-experimental in design. Setting: Fifty-five patients from the Endocrinology and Metabolism Unit, University Hospital of Ankara. Method: An education…

Development of an Integrated Process, Modeling and Simulation Platform for Performance-Based Design of Low-Energy and High IEQ Buildings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Yixing

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a "Virtual Design Studio (VDS)": a software platform for integrated, coordinated and optimized design of green building systems with low energy consumption, high indoor environmental quality (IEQ), and high level of sustainability. The VDS is intended to assist collaborating architects,…

Treatment of Comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Anxiety in Children : A Multiple Baseline Design Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarrett, Matthew A.; Ollendick, Thomas H.

2012-01-01

Objective: The present study evaluated a 10-week psychosocial treatment designed specifically for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and a comorbid anxiety disorder. Method: Using a nonconcurrent multiple baseline design, the authors treated 8 children ages 8-12 with ADHD, combined type, and at least 1 of 3 major anxiety…

Acoustic Treatment Design Scaling Methods. Volume 1; Overview, Results, and Recommendations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kraft, R. E.; Yu, J.

1999-01-01

Scale model fan rigs that simulate new generation ultra-high-bypass engines at about 1/5-scale are achieving increased importance as development vehicles for the design of low-noise aircraft engines. Testing at small scale allows the tests to be performed in existing anechoic wind tunnels, which provides an accurate simulation of the important effects of aircraft forward motion on the noise generation. The ability to design, build, and test miniaturized acoustic treatment panels on scale model fan rigs representative of the fullscale engine provides not only a cost-savings, but an opportunity to optimize the treatment by allowing tests of different designs. The primary objective of this study was to develop methods that will allow scale model fan rigs to be successfully used as acoustic treatment design tools. The study focuses on finding methods to extend the upper limit of the frequency range of impedance prediction models and acoustic impedance measurement methods for subscale treatment liner designs, and confirm the predictions by correlation with measured data. This phase of the program had as a goal doubling the upper limit of impedance measurement from 6 kHz to 12 kHz. The program utilizes combined analytical and experimental methods to achieve the objectives.

The TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS): Design, Current Status, and Selected Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ormel, Johan; Oldehinkel, Albertine J.; Sijtsema, Jelle; van Oort, Floor; Raven, Dennis; Veenstra, Rene; Vollebergh, Wilma A. M.; Verhulst, Frank C.

2012-01-01

Objectives: The objectives of this study were as follows: to present a concise overview of the sample, outcomes, determinants, non-response and attrition of the ongoing TRacking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey (TRAILS), which started in 2001; to summarize a selection of recent findings on continuity, discontinuity, risk, and protective…

A Component Analysis of the Impact of Evaluative and Objective Feedback on Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Douglas A.

2013-01-01

Despite the frequency with which performance feedback interventions are used in organizational behavior management, component analyses of such feedback are rare. It has been suggested that evaluation of performance and objective details about performance are two necessary components for performance feedback. The present study was designed to help…

Infant growth outcomes from birth to 12 months of age: findings from the Delta Healthy Sprouts comparative impact trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objective: Multicomponent lifestyle modification interventions designed for gestational and early postnatal periods may be key to preventing obesity in children. The primary objective of the study was to determine if infant growth outcomes differed between treatment arms of an 18-month, maternal, i...

Identification of Child Pedestrian Training Objectives: The Role of Task Analysis and Empirical Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van der Molen, Hugo H.

1984-01-01

Describes a study designed to demonstrate that child pedestrian training objectives may be identified systematically through various task analysis methods, making use of different types of empirical information. Early approaches to analysis of pedestrian tasks are reviewed, and an outline of the Traffic Research Centre's pedestrian task analysis…

Developing Values for Secondary School Students through the Study of Art Objects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dulama, Maria Eliza; Iovu, Mihai-Bogdan; Ursu, Alexandru Marius Bodochi

2011-01-01

The paper begins with some issues related to aesthetics, aesthetic education, art and axiological education. The empirical research has the general assumption that secondary school students and youth have difficulties in selecting values. The objective of the research was three fold: to design, to organize and to carry learning activities from…

The Use of a Well-Designed Instructional Guideline in Online MBA Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duesing, Robert J.; Ling, Juan; Yang, Jiaqin

2016-01-01

This study investigated the positive impact of a teaching practice on student learning outcomes in an online MBA program. An instructional project guideline was developed to help online students enhance their achieving required learning objectives corresponding to five categories of Bloom's Taxonomy. The course learning objectives are based on…

Teacher Preparation: A High Intensity Integrated Social Studies Summer Program in a Clinical Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Cleaf, David W.; And Others

This paper describes and evaluates a summer program in teacher education--Summer Adventure in Learning (SAIL). The project's major objective was to help preservice teachers design educational materials which would improve the reading accuracy and comprehension of their students. Primary objectives of project SAIL were to provide field-based…

A Learning Research Informed Design and Evaluation of a Web-Enhanced Object Oriented Programming Seminar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Georgantaki, Stavroula C.; Retalis, Symeon D.

2007-01-01

"Object-Oriented Programming" subject is included in the ACM Curriculum Guidelines for Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs in Computer Science as well as in Curriculum for K-12 Computer Science. In a few research studies learning problems and difficulties have been recorded, and therefore, specific pedagogical guidelines and…

Measuring Parenting Practices among Parents of Elementary School-Age Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randolph, Karen A.; Radey, Melissa

2011-01-01

Objectives: The objective of this study is to establish the factor structure of the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ), an instrument designed to measure parenting practices among parents of elementary school children. Methods: Exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analytic (CFA) procedures are used to validate the APQ with 790 parents of…

The Potential for Adaptable Accessible Learning Objects: A Case Study in Accessible Vodcasting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gkatzidou, Stavroula; Pearson, Elaine

2009-01-01

With the rapid development of wireless networks and mobile technologies and the increasing adoption of mobile learning, the need for "anywhere, anytime and any device" access to information becomes more evident. This has influenced the design of learning objects. The small but developing literature on vodcasting indicates its potential…

Beliefs and Knowledge about the Human Papillomavirus Vaccine among Undergraduate Men

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Theresa; Weinstein, Melissa

2016-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess male undergraduate students' human papillomavirus (HPV) knowledge and intentions to receive the HPV vaccination. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Method: A sample of 116 male undergraduate students from a university in the Midwestern USA completed a survey questionnaire assessing various aspects…

Multi-Objective Aerodynamic Optimization of the Streamlined Shape of High-Speed Trains Based on the Kriging Model.

PubMed

Xu, Gang; Liang, Xifeng; Yao, Shuanbao; Chen, Dawei; Li, Zhiwei

2017-01-01

Minimizing the aerodynamic drag and the lift of the train coach remains a key issue for high-speed trains. With the development of computing technology and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in the engineering field, CFD has been successfully applied to the design process of high-speed trains. However, developing a new streamlined shape for high-speed trains with excellent aerodynamic performance requires huge computational costs. Furthermore, relationships between multiple design variables and the aerodynamic loads are seldom obtained. In the present study, the Kriging surrogate model is used to perform a multi-objective optimization of the streamlined shape of high-speed trains, where the drag and the lift of the train coach are the optimization objectives. To improve the prediction accuracy of the Kriging model, the cross-validation method is used to construct the optimal Kriging model. The optimization results show that the two objectives are efficiently optimized, indicating that the optimization strategy used in the present study can greatly improve the optimization efficiency and meet the engineering requirements.

Mission planning optimization of video satellite for ground multi-object staring imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Kaikai; Xiang, Junhua; Zhang, Yulin

2018-03-01

This study investigates the emergency scheduling problem of ground multi-object staring imaging for a single video satellite. In the proposed mission scenario, the ground objects require a specified duration of staring imaging by the video satellite. The planning horizon is not long, i.e., it is usually shorter than one orbit period. A binary decision variable and the imaging order are used as the design variables, and the total observation revenue combined with the influence of the total attitude maneuvering time is regarded as the optimization objective. Based on the constraints of the observation time windows, satellite attitude adjustment time, and satellite maneuverability, a constraint satisfaction mission planning model is established for ground object staring imaging by a single video satellite. Further, a modified ant colony optimization algorithm with tabu lists (Tabu-ACO) is designed to solve this problem. The proposed algorithm can fully exploit the intelligence and local search ability of ACO. Based on full consideration of the mission characteristics, the design of the tabu lists can reduce the search range of ACO and improve the algorithm efficiency significantly. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms the conventional algorithm in terms of optimization performance, and it can obtain satisfactory scheduling results for the mission planning problem.

A mission-oriented orbit design method of remote sensing satellite for region monitoring mission based on evolutionary algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Xin; Zhang, Jing; Yao, Huang

2015-12-01

Remote sensing satellites play an increasingly prominent role in environmental monitoring and disaster rescue. Taking advantage of almost the same sunshine condition to same place and global coverage, most of these satellites are operated on the sun-synchronous orbit. However, it brings some problems inevitably, the most significant one is that the temporal resolution of sun-synchronous orbit satellite can't satisfy the demand of specific region monitoring mission. To overcome the disadvantages, two methods are exploited: the first one is to build satellite constellation which contains multiple sunsynchronous satellites, just like the CHARTER mechanism has done; the second is to design non-predetermined orbit based on the concrete mission demand. An effective method for remote sensing satellite orbit design based on multiobjective evolution algorithm is presented in this paper. Orbit design problem is converted into a multi-objective optimization problem, and a fast and elitist multi-objective genetic algorithm is utilized to solve this problem. Firstly, the demand of the mission is transformed into multiple objective functions, and the six orbit elements of the satellite are taken as genes in design space, then a simulate evolution process is performed. An optimal resolution can be obtained after specified generation via evolution operation (selection, crossover, and mutation). To examine validity of the proposed method, a case study is introduced: Orbit design of an optical satellite for regional disaster monitoring, the mission demand include both minimizing the average revisit time internal of two objectives. The simulation result shows that the solution for this mission obtained by our method meet the demand the users' demand. We can draw a conclusion that the method presented in this paper is efficient for remote sensing orbit design.

An integrated optimum design approach for high speed prop rotors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chattopadhyay, Aditi; Mccarthy, Thomas R.

1995-01-01

The objective is to develop an optimization procedure for high-speed and civil tilt-rotors by coupling all of the necessary disciplines within a closed-loop optimization procedure. Both simplified and comprehensive analysis codes are used for the aerodynamic analyses. The structural properties are calculated using in-house developed algorithms for both isotropic and composite box beam sections. There are four major objectives of this study. (1) Aerodynamic optimization: The effects of blade aerodynamic characteristics on cruise and hover performance of prop-rotor aircraft are investigated using the classical blade element momentum approach with corrections for the high lift capability of rotors/propellers. (2) Coupled aerodynamic/structures optimization: A multilevel hybrid optimization technique is developed for the design of prop-rotor aircraft. The design problem is decomposed into a level for improved aerodynamics with continuous design variables and a level with discrete variables to investigate composite tailoring. The aerodynamic analysis is based on that developed in objective 1 and the structural analysis is performed using an in-house code which models a composite box beam. The results are compared to both a reference rotor and the optimum rotor found in the purely aerodynamic formulation. (3) Multipoint optimization: The multilevel optimization procedure of objective 2 is extended to a multipoint design problem. Hover, cruise, and take-off are the three flight conditions simultaneously maximized. (4) Coupled rotor/wing optimization: Using the comprehensive rotary wing code CAMRAD, an optimization procedure is developed for the coupled rotor/wing performance in high speed tilt-rotor aircraft. The developed procedure contains design variables which define the rotor and wing planforms.

Video Game Learning Dynamics: Actionable Measures of Multidimensional Learning Trajectories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reese, Debbie Denise; Tabachnick, Barbara G.; Kosko, Robert E.

2015-01-01

Valid, accessible, reusable methods for instructional video game design and embedded assessment can provide actionable information enhancing individual and collective achievement. Cyberlearning through game-based, metaphor-enhanced learning objects (CyGaMEs) design and embedded assessment quantify player behavior to study knowledge discovery and…

Economic impact of multi-span, prestressed concrete girder bridges designed as simple span versus continuous span : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine the economic impact of designing pre-tensioned prestressed concrete beam (PPCB) : bridges utilizing the continuity developed in the bridge deck as opposed to the current Iowa Department of Transportation (...

Experimental Designs and Psychometric Techniques for the Study of Ride Quality

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-05-01

A major variable in both the cost of any new transportation system and rider acceptance of the system is the ride quality of its vehicles. At this time, there exists no set of objective criteria which would allow the transportation system designer to...

Designing Multimedia Games for Young Children's Taxonomic Concept Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sung, Yao-Ting; Chang, Kuo-En; Lee, Meng-Da

2008-01-01

This study aimed to design and evaluate multimedia games which were based on the theories of children's development of taxonomic concepts. Factors that might affect children's classification skills, such as use of single physical characteristics of objects, competition between thematic and taxonomic relationships, difficulty in forming…

A decision-making tool for incorporating sustainability measures into pavement design : research project capsule.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-01

The objective of the proposed study is to conceive and develop a decision-making tool : for evaluating sustainability of pavement designs based on a cradle-to-grave analysis. : This tool will utilize EPDs to enhance the reliability of the assessment ...

Vehicle impact simulation for curb and barrier design : volume 1, impact simulation procedures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-10-01

The objectives of this study were to perform computer simulations of vehicle-curb and vehicle-berm impacts, to characterize : the behavior of a wide range of vehicle types after such impacts, and to produce design and evaluation trajectory data for u...

Analysis of production responses to changing crude protein levels in lactating dairy cow diets when evaluated in continuous or change-over experimental designs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to evaluate by meta-analysis the effect of experimental design on the production response functions obtained when changing crude protein levels in lactating dairy cow diets. The final database of studies that met the selection criteria contained 55 publications with 2...

Extending Animal Models to Explore Social Rewards Associated with Designated Smoking Areas on College Campuses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lochbihler, Stephanie L.; Miller, Daniel A.; Etcheverry, Paul E.

2014-01-01

Objective: Animal studies have shown that when nicotine is administered in the presence of other animals (as compared with alone), it is more rewarding. As a human analogue to these studies, rewards associated with designated smoking areas on university campuses were examined, since these areas promote using nicotine in the presence of others.…

Miniature objective lens for array digital pathology: design improvement based on clinical evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCall, Brian; Pierce, Mark; Graviss, Edward A.; Richards-Kortum, Rebecca R.; Tkaczyk, Tomasz S.

2016-03-01

A miniature objective designed for digital detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) was evaluated for diagnostic accuracy. The objective was designed for array microscopy, but fabricated and evaluated at this stage of development as a single objective. The counts and diagnoses of patient samples were directly compared for digital detection and standard microscopy. The results were found to be correlated and highly concordant. The evaluation of this lens by direct comparison to standard fluorescence sputum smear microscopy presented unique challenges and led to some new insights in the role played by the system parameters of the microscope. The design parameters and how they were developed are reviewed in light of these results. New system parameters are proposed with the goal of easing the challenges of evaluating the miniature objective and maintaining the optical performance that produced the agreeable results presented without over-optimizing. A new design is presented that meets and exceeds these criteria.

Object-Oriented Design for Sparse Direct Solvers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dobrian, Florin; Kumfert, Gary; Pothen, Alex

1999-01-01

We discuss the object-oriented design of a software package for solving sparse, symmetric systems of equations (positive definite and indefinite) by direct methods. At the highest layers, we decouple data structure classes from algorithmic classes for flexibility. We describe the important structural and algorithmic classes in our design, and discuss the trade-offs we made for high performance. The kernels at the lower layers were optimized by hand. Our results show no performance loss from our object-oriented design, while providing flexibility, case of use, and extensibility over solvers using procedural design.

Active Subspaces of Airfoil Shape Parameterizations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grey, Zachary J.; Constantine, Paul G.

2018-05-01

Design and optimization benefit from understanding the dependence of a quantity of interest (e.g., a design objective or constraint function) on the design variables. A low-dimensional active subspace, when present, identifies important directions in the space of design variables; perturbing a design along the active subspace associated with a particular quantity of interest changes that quantity more, on average, than perturbing the design orthogonally to the active subspace. This low-dimensional structure provides insights that characterize the dependence of quantities of interest on design variables. Airfoil design in a transonic flow field with a parameterized geometry is a popular test problem for design methodologies. We examine two particular airfoil shape parameterizations, PARSEC and CST, and study the active subspaces present in two common design quantities of interest, transonic lift and drag coefficients, under each shape parameterization. We mathematically relate the two parameterizations with a common polynomial series. The active subspaces enable low-dimensional approximations of lift and drag that relate to physical airfoil properties. In particular, we obtain and interpret a two-dimensional approximation of both transonic lift and drag, and we show how these approximation inform a multi-objective design problem.

DORSAL HIPPOCAMPAL PROGESTERONE INFUSIONS ENHANCE OBJECT RECOGNITION IN YOUNG FEMALE MICE

PubMed Central

Orr, Patrick T.; Lewis, Michael C.; Frick, Karyn M.

2009-01-01

The effects of progesterone on memory are not nearly as well studied as the effects of estrogens. Although progesterone can reportedly enhance spatial and/or object recognition in female rodents when given immediately after training, previous studies have injected progesterone systemically, and therefore, the brain regions mediating this enhancement are not clear. As such, this study was designed to determine the role of the dorsal hippocampus in mediating the beneficial effect of progesterone on object recognition. Young ovariectomized C57BL/6 mice were trained in a hippocampal-dependent object recognition task utilizing two identical objects, and then immediately or 2 hrs afterwards, received bilateral dorsal hippocampal infusions of vehicle or 0.01, 0.1, or 1.0 μg/μl water-soluble progesterone. Forty-eight hours later, object recognition memory was tested using a previously explored object and a novel object. Relative to the vehicle group, memory for the familiar object was enhanced in all groups receiving immediate infusions of progesterone. Progesterone infusion delayed 2 hrs after training did not affect object recognition. These data suggest that the dorsal hippocampus may play a critical role in progesterone-induced enhancement of object recognition. PMID:19477194

An analysis of characteristics of post-authorisation studies registered on the ENCePP EU PAS Register

PubMed Central

Carroll, Robert; Ramagopalan, Sreeram V.; Cid-Ruzafa, Javier; Lambrelli, Dimitra; McDonald, Laura

2017-01-01

Background: The objective of this study was to investigate the study design characteristics of Post-Authorisation Studies (PAS) requested by the European Medicines Agency which were recorded on the European Union (EU) PAS Register held by the European Network of Centres for Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacovigilance (ENCePP). Methods: We undertook a cross-sectional descriptive analysis of all studies registered on the EU PAS Register as of 18 th October 2016. Results: We identified a total of 314 studies on the EU PAS Register, including 81 (26%) finalised, 160 (51%) ongoing and 73 (23%) planned. Of those studies identified, 205 (65%) included risk assessment in their scope, 133 (42%) included drug utilisation and 94 (30%) included effectiveness evaluation. Just over half of the studies (175; 56%) used primary data capture, 135 (43%) used secondary data and 4 (1%) used a hybrid design combining both approaches. Risk assessment and effectiveness studies were more likely to use primary data capture (60% and 85% respectively as compared to 39% and 14% respectively for secondary). The converse was true for drug utilisation studies where 59% were secondary vs. 39% for primary. For type 2 diabetes mellitus, database studies were more commonly used (80% vs 3% chart review, 3% hybrid and 13% primary data capture study designs) whereas for studies in oncology, primary data capture were more likely to be used (85% vs 4% chart review, and 11% database study designs). Conclusions: Results of this analysis show that PAS design varies according to study objectives and therapeutic area. PMID:29188016

Management by Parent Objectives: A Case Study Establishing the Feasibility of Employer-Sponsored Child Care and Other Family Supports.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedman, Dana E.

This paper addresses the feasibility of family support programs as a means by which management may constructively respond to the changes in the workforce in order to fulfill its own objectives. The analysis takes into account both theory and practice, applying learned concepts to the design and execution of an actual feasibility study at a small,…

How do new dams impact downstream countries? - A screening approach to identify the best compromise assets and negotiate their designs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geressu, Robel; Harou, Julien

2015-04-01

Water use rights are disputed in many transboundary basins. Even when water projects can benefit all, agreeing on cost and benefit sharing can be difficult where stakeholders have conflicting preferences on the designs and use of proposed water infrastructures. This study suggests a combination of many objective optimization and multi-criteria ranking methods to support negotiations regarding designs of new assets. The method allows competing users to assess development options based on their individual perspectives and agree on designs by incorporating coordination strategies into multi-reservoir system designs. We demonstrate a hypothetical negotiation on proposed Blue Nile reservoirs. The result form a set of Pareto-optimal designs i.e., reservoirs, storage capacity and their operating rules, and power trade, cost sharing and/or financing coordination strategies, which maximize benefit to all countries and show which trade-offs are implied by which designs. The approach fulfils decision-maker's desire to understand a) the critical design parameters that affect various objectives and b) how coordination mechanisms would enable them to incur benefits from proposed new dams.

The Author’s Guide to Writing Air Force Flight Test Center Technical Reports

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-08-01

or designated technical expert 2. Author(s): you and anyone also listed as an author 3. Author’s lead at the test organization 4. An operator...it was designed to do, not what it actually did (it should not sound like results). 4. Objectives: State the general objective(s). Do not list the...met or could not meet design objectives and whether or not it was cleared for operational release, as applicable. Do not provide recommendations

Automatic extraction and visualization of object-oriented software design metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lakshminarayana, Anuradha; Newman, Timothy S.; Li, Wei; Talburt, John

2000-02-01

Software visualization is a graphical representation of software characteristics and behavior. Certain modes of software visualization can be useful in isolating problems and identifying unanticipated behavior. In this paper we present a new approach to aid understanding of object- oriented software through 3D visualization of software metrics that can be extracted from the design phase of software development. The focus of the paper is a metric extraction method and a new collection of glyphs for multi- dimensional metric visualization. Our approach utilize the extensibility interface of a popular CASE tool to access and automatically extract the metrics from Unified Modeling Language class diagrams. Following the extraction of the design metrics, 3D visualization of these metrics are generated for each class in the design, utilizing intuitively meaningful 3D glyphs that are representative of the ensemble of metrics. Extraction and visualization of design metrics can aid software developers in the early study and understanding of design complexity.

Evaluating models of object-decision priming: evidence from event-related potential repetition effects.

PubMed

Soldan, Anja; Mangels, Jennifer A; Cooper, Lynn A

2006-03-01

This study was designed to differentiate between structural description and bias accounts of performance in the possible/impossible object-decision test. Two event-related potential (ERP) studies examined how the visual system processes structurally possible and impossible objects. Specifically, the authors investigated the effects of object repetition on a series of early posterior components during structural (Experiment 1) and functional (Experiment 2) encoding and the relationship of these effects to behavioral measures of priming. In both experiments, the authors found repetition enhancement of the posterior N1 and N2 for possible objects only. In addition, the magnitude of the N1 repetition effect for possible objects was correlated with priming for possible objects. Although the behavioral results were more ambiguous, these ERP results fail to support bias models that hold that both possible and impossible objects are processed similarly in the visual system. Instead, they support the view that priming is supported by a structural description system that encodes the global 3-dimensional structure of an object.

Optical design concept for the Giant Magellan Telescope Multi-object Astronomical and Cosmological Spectrograph (GMACS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Luke M.; Ribeiro, Rafael; Taylor, Keith; Jones, Damien; Prochaska, Travis; DePoy, Darren L.; Marshall, Jennifer L.; Cook, Erika; Froning, Cynthia; Ji, Tae-Geun; Lee, Hye-In; Mendes de Oliveira, Claudia; Pak, Soojong; Papovich, Casey

2016-08-01

We present a preliminary conceptual optical design for GMACS, a wide field, multi-object, optical spectrograph currently being developed for the Giant Magellan Telescope (GMT). We include details of the optical design requirements derived from the instrument scientific and technical objectives and demonstrate how these requirements are met by the current design. Detector specifications, field acquisition/alignment optics, and optical considerations for the active flexure control system are also discussed.

Design optimization of axial flow hydraulic turbine runner: Part II - multi-objective constrained optimization method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Guoyi; Cao, Shuliang; Ishizuka, Masaru; Hayama, Shinji

2002-06-01

This paper is concerned with the design optimization of axial flow hydraulic turbine runner blade geometry. In order to obtain a better design plan with good performance, a new comprehensive performance optimization procedure has been presented by combining a multi-variable multi-objective constrained optimization model with a Q3D inverse computation and a performance prediction procedure. With careful analysis of the inverse design of axial hydraulic turbine runner, the total hydraulic loss and the cavitation coefficient are taken as optimization objectives and a comprehensive objective function is defined using the weight factors. Parameters of a newly proposed blade bound circulation distribution function and parameters describing positions of blade leading and training edges in the meridional flow passage are taken as optimization variables.The optimization procedure has been applied to the design optimization of a Kaplan runner with specific speed of 440 kW. Numerical results show that the performance of designed runner is successfully improved through optimization computation. The optimization model is found to be validated and it has the feature of good convergence. With the multi-objective optimization model, it is possible to control the performance of designed runner by adjusting the value of weight factors defining the comprehensive objective function. Copyright

Safety and licensing of a small modular gas-cooled reactor system

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

Brown, N.W.; Kelley, A.P. Jr.

A modular side-by-side high-temperature gas-cooled reactor (SBS-HTGR) is being developed by Interatom/Kraftwerk Union (KWU). The General Electric Company and Interatom/KWU entered into a proprietary working agreement to continue develop jointly of the SBS-HTGR. A study on adapting the SBS-HTGR for application in the US has been completed. The study investigated the safety characteristics and the use of this type of design in an innovative approach to licensing. The safety objective guiding the design of the modular SBS-HTGR is to control radionuclide release by the retention of fission products within the fuel particles with minimal reliance on active design features. Themore » philosophy on which this objective is predicated is that by providing a simple safety case, the safety criteria can be demonstrated as being met with high confidence through conduct of a full-scale module safety test.« less

A Research Study Using the Delphi Method to Define Essential Competencies for a High School Game Art and Design Course Framework at the National Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mack, Nayo Corenus-Geneva

2011-01-01

This research study reports the findings of a Delphi study conducted to determine the essential competencies and objectives for a high school Game Art and Design course framework at the national level. The Delphi panel consisted of gaming, industry and educational experts from all over the world who were members of the International Game…

A Systems Analysis of the Library and Information Science Statistical Data System: The Preliminary Study. Interim Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamburg, Morris; And Others

The long-term goal of this investigation is to design and establish a national model for a system of library statistical data. This is a report on The Preliminary Study which was carried out over an 11-month period ending May, 1969. The objective of The Preliminary Study was to design and delimit The Research Investigation in the most efficient…

English Language as a Requirement Course for Information Students--A Content Analysis of English Syllabus in the Faculty of Arabic and Islamic Studies/Nile Valley University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahmed, Mustafa Shazali Mustafa

2009-01-01

The study investigated the importance of two elements in the process of syllabus design (ends / means specifications, program implementation) in the faculty of Islamic and Arabic studies, Nile Valley University, designed in 1995. Results indicate that the ends/means specifications stage is used to present the general aims and the objective of each…

Many-objective optimization and visual analytics reveal key trade-offs for London's water supply

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matrosov, Evgenii S.; Huskova, Ivana; Kasprzyk, Joseph R.; Harou, Julien J.; Lambert, Chris; Reed, Patrick M.

2015-12-01

In this study, we link a water resource management simulator to multi-objective search to reveal the key trade-offs inherent in planning a real-world water resource system. We consider new supplies and demand management (conservation) options while seeking to elucidate the trade-offs between the best portfolios of schemes to satisfy projected water demands. Alternative system designs are evaluated using performance measures that minimize capital and operating costs and energy use while maximizing resilience, engineering and environmental metrics, subject to supply reliability constraints. Our analysis shows many-objective evolutionary optimization coupled with state-of-the art visual analytics can help planners discover more diverse water supply system designs and better understand their inherent trade-offs. The approach is used to explore future water supply options for the Thames water resource system (including London's water supply). New supply options include a new reservoir, water transfers, artificial recharge, wastewater reuse and brackish groundwater desalination. Demand management options include leakage reduction, compulsory metering and seasonal tariffs. The Thames system's Pareto approximate portfolios cluster into distinct groups of water supply options; for example implementing a pipe refurbishment program leads to higher capital costs but greater reliability. This study highlights that traditional least-cost reliability constrained design of water supply systems masks asset combinations whose benefits only become apparent when more planning objectives are considered.

Dallas area rapid transit LRT starter line assessment study design. Final research report

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

Shunk, G.A.; Turnbull, K.F.; Lindquist, N.F.

1995-03-01

Light rail transit (LRT) systems have recently been implemented in a number of urban areas throughout the United States and additional projects are in various stages of planning and development. Questions have been raised concerning the impact of these systems on ridership levels, transit operating costs, regional mobility, land use, economic development, energy, air quality, congestion levels, and other factors. The implementation of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) LRT starter line provides the opportunity to assess the impact of an LRT system in a Southwestern city in the United States. This research project was undertaken to assist with themore » development of a comprehensive study design for assessing the effects of the DART LRT starter line. To accomplish this objective, a review was conducted of before-and-after studies of recent LRT, heavy rail, and high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) projects. The goals and objectives of the DART system were also reviewed and existing transportation-related data collection activities in the Dallas area were examined. This information was used to develop a preliminary study design for assessing the effects of the DART LRT starter line. This report documents the review of recent before-and-after studies and presents the preliminary study design for assessing the effects of the DART LRT starter line.« less

CFD-Based Design of Turbopump Inlet Duct for Reduced Dynamic Loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothermel, Jeffry; Dorney, Suzanne M.; Dorney, Daniel J.

2003-01-01

Numerical simulations have been completed for a variety of designs for a 90 deg elbow duct. The objective is to identify a design that minimizes the dynamic load entering a LOX turbopump located at the elbow exit. Designs simulated to date indicate that simpler duct geometries result in lower losses. Benchmark simulations have verified that the compressible flow codes used in this study are applicable to these incompressible flow simulations.

CFD-based Design of LOX Pump Inlet Duct for Reduced Dynamic Loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rothermel, Jeffry; Dorney, Daniel J.; Dorney, Suzanne M.

2003-01-01

Numerical simulations have been completed for a variety of designs for a 90 deg elbow duct. The objective is to identify a design that minimizes the dynamic load entering a LOX turbopump located at the elbow exit. Designs simulated to date indicate that simpler duct geometries result in lower losses. Benchmark simulations have verified that the compressible flow code used in this study is applicable to these incompressible flow simulations.

Electronic Design Automation (EDA) Roadmap Taskforce Report, Design of Microprocessors

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-04-01

through on time. Hence, the study is not a crystal-ball- gazing exercise, but a rigorous, schedulable plan of action to attain the goal. NTRS97...formats so as not to impose too heavy a maintenance burden on their users Object Interfaces eliminate these problems: • A tool that binds the interface ...and User Interface - Design Tool Communication - EDA System Extension Language - EDA Standards- Based Software Development Environment - Design and

Multiparadigm Design Environments

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-01-01

following results: 1. New methods for programming in terms of conceptual models 2. Design of object-oriented languages 3. Compiler optimization and...experimented with object-based methods for programming directly in terms of conceptual models, object-oriented language design, computer program...expect the3e results to have a strong influence on future ,,j :- ...... L ! . . • a mm ammmml ll Illlll • l I 1 Conceptual Programming Conceptual

MODeLeR: A Virtual Constructivist Learning Environment and Methodology for Object-Oriented Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coffey, John W.; Koonce, Robert

2008-01-01

This article contains a description of the organization and method of use of an active learning environment named MODeLeR, (Multimedia Object Design Learning Resource), a tool designed to facilitate the learning of concepts pertaining to object modeling with the Unified Modeling Language (UML). MODeLeR was created to provide an authentic,…

Global, Multi-Objective Trajectory Optimization With Parametric Spreading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vavrina, Matthew A.; Englander, Jacob A.; Phillips, Sean M.; Hughes, Kyle M.

2017-01-01

Mission design problems are often characterized by multiple, competing trajectory optimization objectives. Recent multi-objective trajectory optimization formulations enable generation of globally-optimal, Pareto solutions via a multi-objective genetic algorithm. A byproduct of these formulations is that clustering in design space can occur in evolving the population towards the Pareto front. This clustering can be a drawback, however, if parametric evaluations of design variables are desired. This effort addresses clustering by incorporating operators that encourage a uniform spread over specified design variables while maintaining Pareto front representation. The algorithm is demonstrated on a Neptune orbiter mission, and enhanced multidimensional visualization strategies are presented.

Space shuttle hypergolic bipropellant RCS engine design study, Bell model 8701

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

A research program was conducted to define the level of the current technology base for reaction control system rocket engines suitable for space shuttle applications. The project consisted of engine analyses, design, fabrication, and tests. The specific objectives are: (1) extrapolating current engine design experience to design of an RCS engine with required safety, reliability, performance, and operational capability, (2) demonstration of multiple reuse capability, and (3) identification of current design and technology deficiencies and critical areas for future effort.

Resilience-based optimal design of water distribution network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suribabu, C. R.

2017-11-01

Optimal design of water distribution network is generally aimed to minimize the capital cost of the investments on tanks, pipes, pumps, and other appurtenances. Minimizing the cost of pipes is usually considered as a prime objective as its proportion in capital cost of the water distribution system project is very high. However, minimizing the capital cost of the pipeline alone may result in economical network configuration, but it may not be a promising solution in terms of resilience point of view. Resilience of the water distribution network has been considered as one of the popular surrogate measures to address ability of network to withstand failure scenarios. To improve the resiliency of the network, the pipe network optimization can be performed with two objectives, namely minimizing the capital cost as first objective and maximizing resilience measure of the configuration as secondary objective. In the present work, these two objectives are combined as single objective and optimization problem is solved by differential evolution technique. The paper illustrates the procedure for normalizing the objective functions having distinct metrics. Two of the existing resilience indices and power efficiency are considered for optimal design of water distribution network. The proposed normalized objective function is found to be efficient under weighted method of handling multi-objective water distribution design problem. The numerical results of the design indicate the importance of sizing pipe telescopically along shortest path of flow to have enhanced resiliency indices.

Judging the gender of the inanimate: Benevolent sexism and gender stereotypes guide impressions of physical objects.

PubMed

Meagher, Benjamin R

2017-09-01

Within a given culture, sexist ideologies and stereotypes are largely characterized by their prescriptive expectations for the types of social and behavioural domains men and women occupy. The activities that take place within these respective domains, however, frequently involve designed, physical artefacts. This study reports a pair of studies that test whether sexist schemas are capable of guiding not only impressions of men and women as social groups, but also their impressions of the inanimate objects associated with these groups. In Study 1, benevolent sexism was found to predict a greater willingness to classify physical objects as being either highly feminine or highly masculine, even when these objects had a neutral rating by the sample as a whole. In Study 2, stereotypes consistent with legitimizing ideologies (i.e., competence and warmth) predicted rating associated objects in complementary ways, in terms of greater liking of feminine objects but greater presumed competence needed for using masculine objects. These results demonstrate how sexist beliefs and attitudes are capable of bleeding into people's impressions of the physical world. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

Layered Learning Design: Towards an Integration of Learning Design and Learning Object Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyle, Tom

2010-01-01

The use of ICT to enhance teaching and learning depends on effective design, which operates at many levels of granularity from the small to the very large. This reflects the range of educational problems from course design down to the design of activities focused on specific learning objectives. For maximum impact these layers of design need to be…

Object Design: Twelve Concepts to Know, Understand and Apply

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marschalek, Douglas G.

2005-01-01

Some art teachers say that art is all around us when they actually mean that "design" is all around us. The everyday objects we view, purchase, and use are designed. Some are well designed, others are poorly designed, and many are in-between. Teachers need to develop learning strategies that enable their students to understand how design is part…

Genetic algorithm approaches for conceptual design of spacecraft systems including multi-objective optimization and design under uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, Rania A.

In the design of complex large-scale spacecraft systems that involve a large number of components and subsystems, many specialized state-of-the-art design tools are employed to optimize the performance of various subsystems. However, there is no structured system-level concept-architecting process. Currently, spacecraft design is heavily based on the heritage of the industry. Old spacecraft designs are modified to adapt to new mission requirements, and feasible solutions---rather than optimal ones---are often all that is achieved. During the conceptual phase of the design, the choices available to designers are predominantly discrete variables describing major subsystems' technology options and redundancy levels. The complexity of spacecraft configurations makes the number of the system design variables that need to be traded off in an optimization process prohibitive when manual techniques are used. Such a discrete problem is well suited for solution with a Genetic Algorithm, which is a global search technique that performs optimization-like tasks. This research presents a systems engineering framework that places design requirements at the core of the design activities and transforms the design paradigm for spacecraft systems to a top-down approach rather than the current bottom-up approach. To facilitate decision-making in the early phases of the design process, the population-based search nature of the Genetic Algorithm is exploited to provide computationally inexpensive---compared to the state-of-the-practice---tools for both multi-objective design optimization and design optimization under uncertainty. In terms of computational cost, those tools are nearly on the same order of magnitude as that of standard single-objective deterministic Genetic Algorithm. The use of a multi-objective design approach provides system designers with a clear tradeoff optimization surface that allows them to understand the effect of their decisions on all the design objectives under consideration simultaneously. Incorporating uncertainties avoids large safety margins and unnecessary high redundancy levels. The focus on low computational cost for the optimization tools stems from the objective that improving the design of complex systems should not be achieved at the expense of a costly design methodology.

1170 MW/sub t/ HTGR steamer cogeneration plant: design and cost study

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

None

A conceptual design and cost study is presented for intermediate size high temperature gas-cooled reactor (HTGR) for industrial energy applications performed by United Engineers and Constructors Inc., (UE and C) and The General Atomic Company (GAC). The study is part of a program at ORNL and has the objective to provide support in the evaluation of the technical and economic feasibility of a single unit 1170 MW/sub t/ HTGR steam cycle cogeneration plant (referred to as the Steamer plant) for the production of industrial process energy. Inherent in the achievement of this objective, it was essential to perform a numbermore » of basic tasks such as the development of plant concept, capital cost estimate, project schedule and annual operation and maintenance (O and M) cost.« less

An approach for aerodynamic optimization of transonic fan blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khelghatibana, Maryam

Aerodynamic design optimization of transonic fan blades is a highly challenging problem due to the complexity of flow field inside the fan, the conflicting design requirements and the high-dimensional design space. In order to address all these challenges, an aerodynamic design optimization method is developed in this study. This method automates the design process by integrating a geometrical parameterization method, a CFD solver and numerical optimization methods that can be applied to both single and multi-point optimization design problems. A multi-level blade parameterization is employed to modify the blade geometry. Numerical analyses are performed by solving 3D RANS equations combined with SST turbulence model. Genetic algorithms and hybrid optimization methods are applied to solve the optimization problem. In order to verify the effectiveness and feasibility of the optimization method, a singlepoint optimization problem aiming to maximize design efficiency is formulated and applied to redesign a test case. However, transonic fan blade design is inherently a multi-faceted problem that deals with several objectives such as efficiency, stall margin, and choke margin. The proposed multi-point optimization method in the current study is formulated as a bi-objective problem to maximize design and near-stall efficiencies while maintaining the required design pressure ratio. Enhancing these objectives significantly deteriorate the choke margin, specifically at high rotational speeds. Therefore, another constraint is embedded in the optimization problem in order to prevent the reduction of choke margin at high speeds. Since capturing stall inception is numerically very expensive, stall margin has not been considered as an objective in the problem statement. However, improving near-stall efficiency results in a better performance at stall condition, which could enhance the stall margin. An investigation is therefore performed on the Pareto-optimal solutions to demonstrate the relation between near-stall efficiency and stall margin. The proposed method is applied to redesign NASA rotor 67 for single and multiple operating conditions. The single-point design optimization showed +0.28 points improvement of isentropic efficiency at design point, while the design pressure ratio and mass flow are, respectively, within 0.12% and 0.11% of the reference blade. Two cases of multi-point optimization are performed: First, the proposed multi-point optimization problem is relaxed by removing the choke margin constraint in order to demonstrate the relation between near-stall efficiency and stall margin. An investigation on the Pareto-optimal solutions of this optimization shows that the stall margin has been increased with improving near-stall efficiency. The second multi-point optimization case is performed with considering all the objectives and constraints. One selected optimized design on the Pareto front presents +0.41, +0.56 and +0.9 points improvement in near-peak efficiency, near-stall efficiency and stall margin, respectively. The design pressure ratio and mass flow are, respectively, within 0.3% and 0.26% of the reference blade. Moreover the optimized design maintains the required choking margin. Detailed aerodynamic analyses are performed to investigate the effect of shape optimization on shock occurrence, secondary flows, tip leakage and shock/tip-leakage interactions in both single and multi-point optimizations.

Integrating end-to-end threads of control into object-oriented analysis and design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mccandlish, Janet E.; Macdonald, James R.; Graves, Sara J.

1993-01-01

Current object-oriented analysis and design methodologies fall short in their use of mechanisms for identifying threads of control for the system being developed. The scenarios which typically describe a system are more global than looking at the individual objects and representing their behavior. Unlike conventional methodologies that use data flow and process-dependency diagrams, object-oriented methodologies do not provide a model for representing these global threads end-to-end. Tracing through threads of control is key to ensuring that a system is complete and timing constraints are addressed. The existence of multiple threads of control in a system necessitates a partitioning of the system into processes. This paper describes the application and representation of end-to-end threads of control to the object-oriented analysis and design process using object-oriented constructs. The issue of representation is viewed as a grouping problem, that is, how to group classes/objects at a higher level of abstraction so that the system may be viewed as a whole with both classes/objects and their associated dynamic behavior. Existing object-oriented development methodology techniques are extended by adding design-level constructs termed logical composite classes and process composite classes. Logical composite classes are design-level classes which group classes/objects both logically and by thread of control information. Process composite classes further refine the logical composite class groupings by using process partitioning criteria to produce optimum concurrent execution results. The goal of these design-level constructs is to ultimately provide the basis for a mechanism that can support the creation of process composite classes in an automated way. Using an automated mechanism makes it easier to partition a system into concurrently executing elements that can be run in parallel on multiple processors.

System dynamics and simulation of LSS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, R. F.

1978-01-01

Large Space Structures have many unique problems arising from mission objectives and the resulting configuration. Inherent in these configurations is a strong coupling among several of the designing disciplines. In particular, the coupling between structural dynamics and control is a key design consideration. The solution to these interactive problems requires efficient and accurate analysis, simulation and test techniques, and properly planned and conducted design trade studies. The discussion presented deals with these subjects and concludes with a brief look at some NASA capabilities which can support these technology studies.

STARPROBE: A design study for an X-ray imaging instrument

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1981-01-01

The primary objective of the X-ray imaging telescope on STARPROBE is the acquisition of very high spacial resolution observations during the spacecraft's perihelion passage. Design parameters, telescope prefilters, and structural and thermal analyses of the equipment are described and discussed. It is believed that the spatial resolution of the information recorded by the baseline design would be at least a factor of 10 better than can be reasonably expected from Earth orbit. Thermal models used in the study are also discussed.

A conceptual review of the cultural significance of `Takhtah Table'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdo, Fatema M.; Ibrahim, Fuziah

2017-10-01

There exists nowadays a growing awareness about the development of cultural objects. The impact of such development on the identity of nations and global design platforms is significant. Diminishing barriers among societies has helped to spread creative ideas. Recognizing the direction of designs is supposed to develop the lifestyle of nations, cultures, and identities through interior design spaces and their elements such as furniture. The first step to a sustainable creativity goes through an identification stage that upholds the satisfaction of products' users. Through the identification stage, furniture designers encounter some challenges that are mostly related to the cultural significance of an object before starting to develop that object, especially within the context of a different approach. This paper presents the concept of the cultural significance of objects. It also highlights and illustrates the relations between cultural levels and types of meanings that can be reflected by certain objects. This paper provides information guidelines about cultural objects in a form that helps designers continue the development of the nation's creativity. `Takhtah Table' has been presented as a sample of cultural objects, which needs to be maintained in Sana'a City in Yemen.

Design, assembly, and metrology of an oil-immersion microscope objective with long working distance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peng, Wei-Jei; Lin, Wen-Lung; Kuo, Hui-Jean; Ho, Cheng-Fang; Hsu, Wei-Yao

2016-10-01

The design, tolerance sensitivity reduction, assembly, and optical bench test for an oil-immersion microscope objective with long working distance employed in a lattice light-sheet microscope is presented in this paper. In this application, the orthogonal excitation and detection objectives are dipped in an oil medium. The excitation objective focuses the incident laser beam to generate fluorescence on specimen for collecting by detection objective. The excitation objective is custom-designed to meet the requirement specification such as oil-immersion, the long working distance, and numerical aperture (NA) of 0.5, etc. To produce an acceptable point spread function (PSF) for effective excitation, the performance of the objective needs to be close to diffraction limit. Because the tolerance of the modulation transfer function (MTF) is more and more sensitive at higher spatial frequency, it is extremely critical to keep the performance after manufacture. Consequently, an insensitive optical design is very important for relaxing tolerance. We compare the design with and without tolerance sensitivity reduction, and the as-built MTF shows the result. Furthermore, the method for sensitivity reduction is presented. The opto-mechanical design and assembly method are also discussed. Eventually, the objective with five spherical lenses was fabricated. In optical bench test, the depth of the oil is sensitive to MTF, and it leads to the complicated adjustment. For solving this issue, we made an index-matching lens to replace oil for measurement easily. Finally, the measured MTF of the excitation objective can accomplish the requirement specification and successfully employed in a lattice light-sheet microscope.

Techniques for Conducting Effective Concept Design and Design-to-Cost Trade Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Di Pietro, David A.

2015-01-01

Concept design plays a central role in project success as its product effectively locks the majority of system life cycle cost. Such extraordinary leverage presents a business case for conducting concept design in a credible fashion, particularly for first-of-a-kind systems that advance the state of the art and that have high design uncertainty. A key challenge, however, is to know when credible design convergence has been achieved in such systems. Using a space system example, this paper characterizes the level of convergence needed for concept design in the context of technical and programmatic resource margins available in preliminary design and highlights the importance of design and cost evaluation learning curves in determining credible convergence. It also provides techniques for selecting trade study cases that promote objective concept evaluation, help reveal unknowns, and expedite convergence within the trade space and conveys general practices for conducting effective concept design-to-cost studies.

Design synthesis and optimization of permanent magnet synchronous machines based on computationally-efficient finite element analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sizov, Gennadi Y.

In this dissertation, a model-based multi-objective optimal design of permanent magnet ac machines, supplied by sine-wave current regulated drives, is developed and implemented. The design procedure uses an efficient electromagnetic finite element-based solver to accurately model nonlinear material properties and complex geometric shapes associated with magnetic circuit design. Application of an electromagnetic finite element-based solver allows for accurate computation of intricate performance parameters and characteristics. The first contribution of this dissertation is the development of a rapid computational method that allows accurate and efficient exploration of large multi-dimensional design spaces in search of optimum design(s). The computationally efficient finite element-based approach developed in this work provides a framework of tools that allow rapid analysis of synchronous electric machines operating under steady-state conditions. In the developed modeling approach, major steady-state performance parameters such as, winding flux linkages and voltages, average, cogging and ripple torques, stator core flux densities, core losses, efficiencies and saturated machine winding inductances, are calculated with minimum computational effort. In addition, the method includes means for rapid estimation of distributed stator forces and three-dimensional effects of stator and/or rotor skew on the performance of the machine. The second contribution of this dissertation is the development of the design synthesis and optimization method based on a differential evolution algorithm. The approach relies on the developed finite element-based modeling method for electromagnetic analysis and is able to tackle large-scale multi-objective design problems using modest computational resources. Overall, computational time savings of up to two orders of magnitude are achievable, when compared to current and prevalent state-of-the-art methods. These computational savings allow one to expand the optimization problem to achieve more complex and comprehensive design objectives. The method is used in the design process of several interior permanent magnet industrial motors. The presented case studies demonstrate that the developed finite element-based approach practically eliminates the need for using less accurate analytical and lumped parameter equivalent circuit models for electric machine design optimization. The design process and experimental validation of the case-study machines are detailed in the dissertation.

Contemporary Primary Science Curricula in the United Kingdom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henry, John A.

1976-01-01

Following a review of the impact of Piaget's theories of cognitive development on science curriculum design, the evolution and development of the Science 5/13 Project, designed to extend the work of Nuffield Junior Science Project, is described. Evaluation studies assessing the aims and objectives of this project are detailed. (BT)

Economic impact of multi-span, prestressed concrete girder bridges designed as simple span versus continuous span : tech transfer summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-01

The objective of this study was to determine the economic impact of : designing pre-tensioned prestressed concrete beam (PPCB) bridges : utilizing the continuity developed in the bridge deck as opposed to the : current Iowa Department of Transportati...

Asphalt Overlay Design Methods for Rigid Pavements Considering Rutting, Reflection Cracking, and Fatigue Cracking

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-10-01

The overall objectives of this study were (1) to provide basic performance evaluation of asphalt overlays on rigid pavements and (2) to provide a design tool for supporting a long-range rehabilitation plan for the US 59 : corridor in the Lufkin Distr...

Performance Outcomes of an Online First Aid and CPR Course for Laypersons

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cason, Carolyn L.; Stiller, Janeth

2011-01-01

Objective: The study evaluated the effectiveness of an online first aid course by comparing it with the traditional instructor-led course. An effective online course increases course accessibility and mitigates the major deterrent to widespread layperson training. Design: A comparison group design evaluated performances among 25 laypersons…

A Study on Teacher Candidates' Competencies in Classroom Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selçuk, Gülenaz; Kadi, Aysegül; Yildirim, Remzi; Çelebi, Nurhayat

2017-01-01

The objective of this paper is to examine competencies in classroom management of teacher candidates. Research design was determined as pre-experimental research design. Research was conducted with 388 teacher candidates. In this research, these were found; Attitudes of students about competencies in classroom management differ according to…

Evaluation of pathogen-specific biomarkers for the diagnosis of tuberculosis in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objective - To develop a noninvasive biomarker based Mycobacterium bovis specific detection system to track infection in domestic and wild animals. Design – Experimental longitudinal study for discovery and cross sectional design for validation Animals - Yearling white-tailed deer fawns (n=8) were ...

Phase I, open-cycle absorption solar cooling. Part IV. Executive summary analysis and resolution of critical issues and recommendations for Phase II. Final report

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

Wood, B.D.

The objective of this project is to advance lower cost solar cooling technology with the feasibility analysis, design and evaluation of proof-of-concept open cycle solar cooling concepts. The work is divided into three phases, with planned completion of each phase before proceeding with the following phase: Phase I - performance/economic/environmental related analysis and exploratory studies; Phase II - design and construction of an experimental system, including evaluative testing; Phase III - extended system testing during operation and engineering modifications as required. For Phase I, analysis and resolution of critical issues were completed with the objective of developing design specifications formore » an improved prototype OCA system.« less

Optimal design application on the advanced aeroelastic rotor blade

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wei, F. S.; Jones, R.

1985-01-01

The vibration and performance optimization procedure using regression analysis was successfully applied to an advanced aeroelastic blade design study. The major advantage of this regression technique is that multiple optimizations can be performed to evaluate the effects of various objective functions and constraint functions. The data bases obtained from the rotorcraft flight simulation program C81 and Myklestad mode shape program are analytically determined as a function of each design variable. This approach has been verified for various blade radial ballast weight locations and blade planforms. This method can also be utilized to ascertain the effect of a particular cost function which is composed of several objective functions with different weighting factors for various mission requirements without any additional effort.

Visualization of diversity in large multivariate data sets.

PubMed

Pham, Tuan; Hess, Rob; Ju, Crystal; Zhang, Eugene; Metoyer, Ronald

2010-01-01

Understanding the diversity of a set of multivariate objects is an important problem in many domains, including ecology, college admissions, investing, machine learning, and others. However, to date, very little work has been done to help users achieve this kind of understanding. Visual representation is especially appealing for this task because it offers the potential to allow users to efficiently observe the objects of interest in a direct and holistic way. Thus, in this paper, we attempt to formalize the problem of visualizing the diversity of a large (more than 1000 objects), multivariate (more than 5 attributes) data set as one worth deeper investigation by the information visualization community. In doing so, we contribute a precise definition of diversity, a set of requirements for diversity visualizations based on this definition, and a formal user study design intended to evaluate the capacity of a visual representation for communicating diversity information. Our primary contribution, however, is a visual representation, called the Diversity Map, for visualizing diversity. An evaluation of the Diversity Map using our study design shows that users can judge elements of diversity consistently and as or more accurately than when using the only other representation specifically designed to visualize diversity.

Structural Analysis in a Conceptual Design Framework

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Padula, Sharon L.; Robinson, Jay H.; Eldred, Lloyd B.

2012-01-01

Supersonic aircraft designers must shape the outer mold line of the aircraft to improve multiple objectives, such as mission performance, cruise efficiency, and sonic-boom signatures. Conceptual designers have demonstrated an ability to assess these objectives for a large number of candidate designs. Other critical objectives and constraints, such as weight, fuel volume, aeroelastic effects, and structural soundness, are more difficult to address during the conceptual design process. The present research adds both static structural analysis and sizing to an existing conceptual design framework. The ultimate goal is to include structural analysis in the multidisciplinary optimization of a supersonic aircraft. Progress towards that goal is discussed and demonstrated.

Metrology test object for dimensional verification in additive manufacturing of metals for biomedical applications.

PubMed

Teeter, Matthew G; Kopacz, Alexander J; Nikolov, Hristo N; Holdsworth, David W

2015-01-01

Additive manufacturing continues to increase in popularity and is being used in applications such as biomaterial ingrowth that requires sub-millimeter dimensional accuracy. The purpose of this study was to design a metrology test object for determining the capabilities of additive manufacturing systems to produce common objects, with a focus on those relevant to medical applications. The test object was designed with a variety of features of varying dimensions, including holes, cylinders, rectangles, gaps, and lattices. The object was built using selective laser melting, and the produced dimensions were compared to the target dimensions. Location of the test objects on the build plate did not affect dimensions. Features with dimensions less than 0.300 mm did not build or were overbuilt to a minimum of 0.300 mm. The mean difference between target and measured dimensions was less than 0.100 mm in all cases. The test object is applicable to multiple systems and materials, tests the effect of location on the build, uses a minimum of material, and can be measured with a variety of efficient metrology tools (including measuring microscopes and micro-CT). Investigators can use this test object to determine the limits of systems and adjust build parameters to achieve maximum accuracy. © IMechE 2014.

Uncertainty-Based Multi-Objective Optimization of Groundwater Remediation Design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, A.; Minsker, B.

2003-12-01

Management of groundwater contamination is a cost-intensive undertaking filled with conflicting objectives and substantial uncertainty. A critical source of this uncertainty in groundwater remediation design problems comes from the hydraulic conductivity values for the aquifer, upon which the prediction of flow and transport of contaminants are dependent. For a remediation solution to be reliable in practice it is important that it is robust over the potential error in the model predictions. This work focuses on incorporating such uncertainty within a multi-objective optimization framework, to get reliable as well as Pareto optimal solutions. Previous research has shown that small amounts of sampling within a single-objective genetic algorithm can produce highly reliable solutions. However with multiple objectives the noise can interfere with the basic operations of a multi-objective solver, such as determining non-domination of individuals, diversity preservation, and elitism. This work proposes several approaches to improve the performance of noisy multi-objective solvers. These include a simple averaging approach, taking samples across the population (which we call extended averaging), and a stochastic optimization approach. All the approaches are tested on standard multi-objective benchmark problems and a hypothetical groundwater remediation case-study; the best-performing approach is then tested on a field-scale case at Umatilla Army Depot.

Methodological considerations in the design and implementation of clinical trials.

PubMed

Cirrincione, Constance T; Lavoie Smith, Ellen M; Pang, Herbert

2014-02-01

To review study design issues related to clinical trials led by oncology nurses, with special attention to those conducted within the cooperative group setting; to emphasize the importance of the statistician's role in the process of clinical trials. Studies available at clinicaltrials.gov using experimental designs that have been published in peer-reviewed journals; cooperative group trials are highlighted. The clinical trial is a primary means to test intervention efficacy. A properly designed and powered study with clear and measurable objectives is as important as the intervention itself. Collaboration among the study team, including the statistician, is central in developing and conducting appropriately designed studies. For optimal results, collaboration is an ongoing process that should begin early on. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A multiobjective ? control strategy for energy harvesting in regenerative vehicle suspension systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casavola, Alessandro; Di Iorio, Fabio; Tedesco, Francesco

2018-04-01

A significant amount of energy induced by road unevenness and vehicle roll and pitch motions is usually dissipated by conventional shock-absorbers. In this paper, a novel active multiobjective ? control design methodology is proposed which explicitly includes, besides the usual control objectives on ride comfort, road handling and suspension stroke, the amount of energy to be harvested as an additional, though conflicting, control objective and allows the designer to directly trade-off among them depending on the application. An electromechanical regenerative suspension system is considered where the viscous damper is replaced by a linear electrical motor which is actively governed. It is shown that the proposed control law is able to achieve remarkable improvements on the amount of the harvested energy with respect to passive or semi-active control strategies while maintaining the other objectives at acceptable levels. Simulative studies undertaken via CarSim are also reported that confirm the potentiality and flexibility of the proposed control design strategy.

Assisting people with disabilities in actively performing designated occupational activities with battery-free wireless mice to control environmental stimulation.

PubMed

Shih, Ching-Hsiang

2013-05-01

The latest researches use software technology (OLDP, object location detection programs) to turn a commercial high-technology product, i.e. a battery-free wireless mouse, into a high performance/precise object location detector to detect whether or not an object has been placed in the designated location. The preferred environmental stimulation is also incorporated to assist those patients in need of occupational activities in performing simple occupational activities to acquire their preferred environmental stimulation. The result of the experiment shows that both participants have been able to control their preferred environmental stimulation by actively performing occupational activities. This study is going to extend the aforementioned researches by using battery-free wireless mice to assist patients in performing more complicated occupational activities. The ABAB design has been adopted for experiments, and the result shows that during intervention phrases, the occupational activities of both participants are significantly improved. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Goal Oriented Approach for Modeling and Analyzing Security Trade-Offs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elahi, Golnaz; Yu, Eric

In designing software systems, security is typically only one design objective among many. It may compete with other objectives such as functionality, usability, and performance. Too often, security mechanisms such as firewalls, access control, or encryption are adopted without explicit recognition of competing design objectives and their origins in stakeholder interests. Recently, there is increasing acknowledgement that security is ultimately about trade-offs. One can only aim for "good enough" security, given the competing demands from many parties. In this paper, we examine how conceptual modeling can provide explicit and systematic support for analyzing security trade-offs. After considering the desirable criteria for conceptual modeling methods, we examine several existing approaches for dealing with security trade-offs. From analyzing the limitations of existing methods, we propose an extension to the i* framework for security trade-off analysis, taking advantage of its multi-agent and goal orientation. The method was applied to several case studies used to exemplify existing approaches.

Study of alternate space shuttle concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1971-01-01

A study of alternate space shuttle concepts was conducted to examine the stage-and-one-half concept and its potential for later conversion and use in the two stage reusable shuttle system. A study of external hydrogen tank concepts was conducted to determine the issues involved in the design and production of a low-cost expendable tank system. The major objectives of the study were to determine: (1) realistic drop tank program cost estimates, (2) estimated drop tank program cost for selected specific designs, and (3) change in program cost due to variations in design and manufacturing concepts and changes in program assumptions.

Attachment to inanimate objects and early childcare: A twin study

PubMed Central

Fortuna, Keren; Baor, Liora; Israel, Salomon; Abadi, Adi; Knafo, Ariel

2014-01-01

Extensive non-maternal childcare plays an important role in children’s development. This study examined a potential coping mechanism for dealing with daily separation from caregivers involved in childcare experience – children’s development of attachments toward inanimate objects. We employed the twin design to estimate relative environmental and genetic contributions to the presence of object attachment, and assess whether childcare explains some of the environmental variation in this developmental phenomenon. Mothers reported about 1122 3-year-old twin pairs. Variation in object attachment was accounted for by heritability (48%) and shared environment (48%), with childcare quantity accounting for 2.2% of the shared environment effect. Children who spent half-days in childcare were significantly less likely to attach to objects relative to children who attended full-day childcare. PMID:24904499

[The design and implementation of the web typical surface object spectral information system in arid areas based on .NET and SuperMap].

PubMed

Xia, Jun; Tashpolat, Tiyip; Zhang, Fei; Ji, Hong-jiang

2011-07-01

The characteristic of object spectrum is not only the base of the quantification analysis of remote sensing, but also the main content of the basic research of remote sensing. The typical surface object spectral database in arid areas oasis is of great significance for applied research on remote sensing in soil salinization. In the present paper, the authors took the Ugan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis as an example, unified .NET and the SuperMap platform with SQL Server database stored data, used the B/S pattern and the C# language to design and develop the typical surface object spectral information system, and established the typical surface object spectral database according to the characteristics of arid areas oasis. The system implemented the classified storage and the management of typical surface object spectral information and the related attribute data of the study areas; this system also implemented visualized two-way query between the maps and attribute data, the drawings of the surface object spectral response curves and the processing of the derivative spectral data and its drawings. In addition, the system initially possessed a simple spectral data mining and analysis capabilities, and this advantage provided an efficient, reliable and convenient data management and application platform for the Ugan-Kuqa River Delta Oasis's follow-up study in soil salinization. Finally, It's easy to maintain, convinient for secondary development and practically operating in good condition.

Solar System Science with the Twinkle Space Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowles, N.; Lindsay, S.; Tessenyi, M.; Tinetti, G.; Savini, G.; Tennyson, J.; Pascale, E.; Jason, S.; Vora, A.

2017-09-01

Twinkle is a space-based telescope mission designed for the spectroscopic observation (0.4 to 4.5 μm) of exoplanet atmospheres and Solar System objects. The system design and mission implementation are based on existing, well studied concepts pioneered by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd for low-Earth orbit Earth Observation satellites, supported by a novel international access model to allow facility access to researchers worldwide. Whilst Twinkle's primary science goal is the observation of exoplanet atmospheres its wide spectroscopic range and photometric stability also make it a unique platform for the observation of Solar system objects.

A very demanding spectrometer optical design for ExoMars Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belenguer, T.; Fernandez-Rodriguez, M.; Colombo, M.; Diaz-Catalá, E.; Sanchez-Páramo, J.

2017-11-01

The objective of this report is to present the study performed for a specially demanding solution of a spectrometer [1] design based on a transmissive holographic grating especially designed to actuate as the dispersion element. The main driver of the design has been to obtain a device with a clear reduction in mass, power and mechanical envelope with respect to the previous configuration based on a prism and/or Echelle grating. This simplification is produced mainly at expense of the waveband range. This study has been carried out by Laboratorio de Instrumentación Espacial (LINES) optical designers from Instituto Nacional de Técnica Aeroespacial (INTA).

Integrating ergonomics in design processes: a case study within an engineering consultancy firm.

PubMed

Sørensen, Lene Bjerg; Broberg, Ole

2012-01-01

This paper reports on a case study within an engineering consultancy firm, where engineering designers and ergonomists were working together on the design of a new hospital sterile processing plant. The objective of the paper is to gain a better understanding of the premises for integrating ergonomics into engineering design processes and how different factors either promote or limit the integration. Based on a grounded theory approach a model illustrating these factors is developed and different hypotheses about how these factors either promote and/or limit the integration of ergonomics into design processes is presented along with the model.

Multiplexing in astrophysics with a UV multi-object spectrometer on CETUS, a probe-class mission study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kendrick, Stephen E.; Woodruff, Robert A.; Hull, Tony; Heap, Sara R.; Kutyrev, Alexander; Danchi, William; Purves, Lloyd

2017-09-01

The ultraviolet multi-object spectrograph (MOS) for the Cosmic Evolution Through UV Spectroscopy (CETUS) concept1,2 is a slit-based instrument allowing multiple simultaneous observations over a wide field of view. It utilizes a next-generation micro-shutter array, an efficient aspheric Offner spectrometer design with a convex grating, and carbon nanotube light traps for suppressing unwanted wavelengths. The optical coatings are also designed to optimize the UV throughput while minimizing out-of-band signal at the detector. The UV MOS will be able to target up to 100 objects at a time without the issues of confusion with nearby sources or unwanted background like zodiacal stray light. With this multiplexing, the scientific yield of both Probe and Great Observatories will be greatly enhanced.

Advancing the "One Health" Workforce by Integrating Ecosystem Health Practice into Veterinary Medical Education: The Envirovet Summer Institute

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwind, Jessica S.; Gilardi, Kirsten V. K.; Beasley, Val R.; Mazet, Jonna A. K.; Smith, Woutrina A.

2016-01-01

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess whether the Envirovet programme served to increase the number of practising ecosystem health professionals, as well as to measure the lasting professional and personal impact of the programme on participants. Design: Impact programme evaluation. Setting: An emerging strategy among global…

An Investigation of Difficulties Experienced by Students Developing Unified Modelling Language (UML) Class and Sequence Diagrams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sien, Ven Yu

2011-01-01

Object-oriented analysis and design (OOAD) is not an easy subject to learn. There are many challenges confronting students when studying OOAD. Students have particular difficulty abstracting real-world problems within the context of OOAD. They are unable to effectively build object-oriented (OO) models from the problem domain because they…

Effectiveness of Guided Multiple Choice Objective Questions Test on Students' Academic Achievement in Senior School Mathematics by School Location

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Igbojinwaekwu, Patrick Chukwuemeka

2015-01-01

This study investigated, using pretest-posttest quasi-experimental research design, the effectiveness of guided multiple choice objective questions test on students' academic achievement in Senior School Mathematics, by school location, in Delta State Capital Territory, Nigeria. The sample comprised 640 Students from four coeducation secondary…

Reporting Florida's Annual Measurable Objectives (AMOs) in Compliance with ESEA Flexibility Requirements: Guide to Calculations for 2013-14

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida Department of Education, 2014

2014-01-01

This Annual Measurable Objective (AMO) is designed to keep Florida moving forward toward national and international competitiveness. Florida will compare its National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) scores to those of the top five states and its Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Progress in International…

Cost Study of Educational Media Systems and Their Equipment Components. Volume I, Guidelines for Determining Costs of Media Systems. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Learning Corp., Washington, DC.

Objective cost estimates for planning and operating systems should be made after an assessment of administrative factors (school environment) and instructional factors (learning objectives, type of presentation). Specification of appropriate sensory stimuli and the design of alternative systems also precede cost estimations for production,…

An Evaluation of the Validity and Reliability of a Food Behavior Checklist Modified for Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Branscum, Paul; Sharma, Manoj; Kaye, Gail; Succop, Paul

2010-01-01

Objective: The objective of this study was to report the construct validity and internal consistency reliability of the Food Behavior Checklist modified for children (FBC-MC), with low-income, Youth Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP)-eligible children. Methods: Using a cross-sectional research design, construct validity was…

Characteristics and Dietary Patterns of Adolescents Who Value Eating Locally Grown, Organic, Nongenetically Engineered, and Nonprocessed Food

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson-O'Brien, Ramona; Larson, Nicole; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne; Stat, Peter Hannan M.; Story, Mary

2009-01-01

Objective: To examine characteristics of adolescents who value eating locally grown, organic, nongenetically engineered, and/or nonprocessed food and whether they are more likely than their peers to meet Healthy People 2010 dietary objectives. Design: Cross-sectional analysis using data from a population-based study in Minnesota (Project EAT:…

Electric Motors. An Instructional Unit for High School Teachers of Vocational Agriculture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalton, Delmer; Carpenter, Bruce

Designed as a 3-week course of study in the agricultural mechanics curriculum to be taught at the junior or senior high school level, this unit on electric motors is divided into 11 major performance objectives. Each objective is subdivided into the areas of content, suggested teaching and learning activities, resources, and evaluation. Topics for…

The Explicit Learning of New Names for Known Objects Is Improved by Dexamphetamine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whiting, Emma; Chenery, Helen J.; Chalk, Jonathan; Darnell, Ross; Copland, David A.

2008-01-01

A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, between subjects study design (N=37) was used to investigate the effects of dexamphetamine on explicit new name learning. Participants ingested 10 mg of dexamphetamine or placebo daily over 5 consecutive mornings before learning new names for 50 familiar objects plus fillers. The dexamphetamine group…

Through Efficient Use of LORs: Prospective Teachers' Views on Operational Aspects of Learning Object Repositories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yalcinalp, Serpil; Emiroglu, Bulent

2012-01-01

Although many developments have been made in the design and development of learning object repositories (LORs), the efficient use of such systems is still questionable. Without realising the functional use of such systems or considering the involvement of their dynamic users, these systems would probably become obsolete. This study includes both…

Adding Debriefing to Objective Structured Clinical Examinations to Enhance Disability Cultural Sensitivity in Pharmacy Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Mark Joseph

2016-01-01

Debriefing was added to the design of an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) after second-year pharmacy students performed poorly at considering patient disability in planning for patient care. This mixed-methods study examines secondary data to explore whether and how the addition of a debriefing to an OSCE impacted pharmacy…

Object Toolkit Version 4.3 User’s Manual

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-12-31

unlimited. (OPS-17-12855 dtd 19 Jan 2017) 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Object Toolkit is a finite - element model builder specifically designed for...INTRODUCTION 1 What Is Object Toolkit? Object Toolkit is a finite - element model builder specifically designed for creating representations of spacecraft...Nascap-2k and EPIC, the user is not required to purchase or learn expensive finite element generators to create system models. Second, Object Toolkit

Choices, Frameworks and Refinement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Campbell, Roy H.; Islam, Nayeem; Johnson, Ralph; Kougiouris, Panos; Madany, Peter

1991-01-01

In this paper we present a method for designing operating systems using object-oriented frameworks. A framework can be refined into subframeworks. Constraints specify the interactions between the subframeworks. We describe how we used object-oriented frameworks to design Choices, an object-oriented operating system.

Making intelligent systems team players: Additional case studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Malin, Jane T.; Schreckenghost, Debra L.; Rhoads, Ron W.

1993-01-01

Observations from a case study of intelligent systems are reported as part of a multi-year interdisciplinary effort to provide guidance and assistance for designers of intelligent systems and their user interfaces. A series of studies were conducted to investigate issues in designing intelligent fault management systems in aerospace applications for effective human-computer interaction. The results of the initial study are documented in two NASA technical memoranda: TM 104738 Making Intelligent Systems Team Players: Case Studies and Design Issues, Volumes 1 and 2; and TM 104751, Making Intelligent Systems Team Players: Overview for Designers. The objective of this additional study was to broaden the investigation of human-computer interaction design issues beyond the focus on monitoring and fault detection in the initial study. The results of this second study are documented which is intended as a supplement to the original design guidance documents. These results should be of interest to designers of intelligent systems for use in real-time operations, and to researchers in the areas of human-computer interaction and artificial intelligence.

Impact of a Six-Month Empowerment-Based Exercise Intervention Programme in Non-Physically Active Adolescent Swedish Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindgren, Eva-Carin; Baigi, Amir; Apitzsch, Erwin; Bergh, Hakan

2011-01-01

Objective: This study evaluated changes in self-efficacy in non-physically active adolescent girls (13-19 years old) who participated in a six-month, empowerment-based exercise intervention programme (EIP). Design: The study used a pre- and post-test randomized group design and included one pre- and one post-test (at six months) and non-physically…

A Treatment Stage Specific Approach to Improving Quality of Life for Women with Ovarian Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-10-01

This study focuses on quality of life among women with ovarian cancer. The primary objective of the study is to identify the issues that are of...repeated measures design will be used to assess changes in problem areas and quality of life from diagnosis to recurrence among women newly diagnosed with...objectives are of the study are as follows: (1) to assess changes in quality of life (as quantified by the FACT-O questionnaire) across the different

Team Based Engineering Design Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mentzer, Nathan

2012-01-01

The objective of this research was to explore design thinking among teams of high school students. This objective is encompassed in the research question driving this inquiry: How do teams of high school students allocate time across stages of design? Design thinking on the professional level typically occurs in a team environment. Many…

Team Based Engineering Design Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mentzer, Nathan

2014-01-01

The objective of this research was to explore design thinking among teams of high school students. This objective was encompassed in the research question driving the inquiry: How do teams of high school students allocate time across stages of design? Design thinking on the professional level typically occurs in a team environment. Many…

Into the Curriculum. Art: Pueblo Storyteller Figures [and] Physical Education: Games That Rely on Feet [and] Reading/Language Arts: Movie Reviews [and] Reading/Language Arts: Reader's Choice [and] Science: Float or Sink [and] Social Studies: Buildings and Designs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crane, Jean; Rains, Annette

1996-01-01

Presents six curriculum guides for art, physical education, reading/language arts, science, and social studies. Each guide identifies library media skills objectives; curriculum objectives; grade levels; print and nonprint resources; instructional roles; the activity; and procedures for completion, evaluation, and follow-up activities. (AEF)

Into the Curriculum. Music/Art/Reading/Language Arts: Can You Guess the Animal? [and] Science: The Ocean [and] Science: Biome and Animal Unit [and] Social Studies: How Many Forms of Transportation Can You Find?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritz-Salminen, Dianne; Ely, Patricia; Asire, Marty

2000-01-01

Presents four fully developed library media activities that are designed for use with specific curriculum units in music and art, reading and language arts, science, and social studies. Each activity identifies library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, librarian and teacher instructional roles, procedures,…

The Factors Influencing the Achievement of a U.S. Governmentally-Sponsored International Education Exchange Program's Objectives: Reflections of Alumni from the Kyrgyz Republic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timlin, Kevin

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to determine which factors influence the achievement of program objectives for Kyrgyz Republic alumni of the U.S. governmentally sponsored UGRAD program. The UGRAD program was designed to provide university students from the former Soviet Union an opportunity to study at an institute of higher education in the United…

Architecture Design for the Space Situational Awareness System in the Preparedness Plan for Space Hazards of Republic of Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, E.; Cho, S.; Shin, S.; Park, J.; Kim, J.; Kim, D.

The threat posed by asteroids and comets has become one of the important issues. Jinju meteorite discovered in March 2014 has expanded the interest of the people of the fall of the natural space objects. Furthermore, the growing quantity of space debris is a serious threat to satellites and other spacecraft, which risk being damaged or even destroyed. In May of 2014, Korea established the preparedness plan for space hazards according to the space development promotion act which is amended to take action with respect to hazards from space. This plan is largely composed of 3 items such as system, technology and infrastructure. System is included the establishment and management of national space hazards headquarters at risk situation. Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) was designated as a space environment monitoring agency under the ministry of science, ICT and future planning (MSIP). Technology is supposed to develop the space situational awareness system that can monitor and detect space objects. For infrastructure, research and development of core technology will be promoted for capabilities improvement of space hazards preparedness such as software tools, application and data systems. This paper presents the architectural design for building space situational awareness system. The trade-off study of space situational awareness system for the Korea situation was performed. The results have shown the proposed architectural design. The baseline architecture is composed of Integrated Analysis System and Space Objects Monitoring System. Integrated Analysis System collects the status data from Space Objects Monitoring System and analyzes the space risk information through a data processing. For Space Objects Monitoring System, the all-sky surveillance camera, array radar and meteoroid surveillance sensor networks were considered. This system focuses on not only the threat of a large artificial satellite and natural space objects such as asteroids that crashed to Earth but also the prediction of potential collisions between space objects. Especially, array radar aims to accurately track space objects. By analyzing performance for radar system and sensor networks, several feasible approaches for such a space objects monitoring system will be presented in this paper.

Accurate color synthesis of three-dimensional objects in an image

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, John H.; Shen, Hui-Liang

2004-05-01

Our study deals with color synthesis of a three-dimensional object in an image; i.e., given a single image, a target color can be accurately mapped onto the object such that the color appearance of the synthesized object closely resembles that of the actual one. As it is almost impossible to acquire the complete geometric description of the surfaces of an object in an image, this study attempted to recover the implicit description of geometry for the color synthesis. The description was obtained from either a series of spectral reflectances or the RGB signals at different surface positions on the basis of the dichromatic reflection model. The experimental results showed that this implicit image-based representation is related to the object geometry and is sufficient for accurate color synthesis of three-dimensional objects in an image. The method established is applicable to the color synthesis of both rigid and deformable objects and should contribute to color fidelity in virtual design, manufacturing, and retailing.

Designing occupancy studies: general advice and allocating survey effort

USGS Publications Warehouse

MacKenzie, D.I.; Royle, J. Andrew

2005-01-01

1. The fraction of sampling units in a landscape where a target species is present (occupancy) is an extensively used concept in ecology. Yet in many applications the species will not always be detected in a sampling unit even when present, resulting in biased estimates of occupancy. Given that sampling units are surveyed repeatedly within a relatively short timeframe, a number of similar methods have now been developed to provide unbiased occupancy estimates. However, practical guidance on the efficient design of occupancy studies has been lacking. 2. In this paper we comment on a number of general issues related to designing occupancy studies, including the need for clear objectives that are explicitly linked to science or management, selection of sampling units, timing of repeat surveys and allocation of survey effort. Advice on the number of repeat surveys per sampling unit is considered in terms of the variance of the occupancy estimator, for three possible study designs. 3. We recommend that sampling units should be surveyed a minimum of three times when detection probability is high (> 0.5 survey-1), unless a removal design is used. 4. We found that an optimal removal design will generally be the most efficient, but we suggest it may be less robust to assumption violations than a standard design. 5. Our results suggest that for a rare species it is more efficient to survey more sampling units less intensively, while for a common species fewer sampling units should be surveyed more intensively. 6. Synthesis and applications. Reliable inferences can only result from quality data. To make the best use of logistical resources, study objectives must be clearly defined; sampling units must be selected, and repeated surveys timed appropriately; and a sufficient number of repeated surveys must be conducted. Failure to do so may compromise the integrity of the study. The guidance given here on study design issues is particularly applicable to studies of species occurrence and distribution, habitat selection and modelling, metapopulation studies and monitoring programmes.

Design optimization of high-speed proprotor aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schleicher, David R.; Phillips, James D.; Carbajal, Kevin B.

1993-01-01

NASA's high-speed rotorcraft (HSRC) studies have the objective of investigating technology for vehicles that have both low downwash velocities and forward flight speed capability of up to 450 knots. This paper investigates a tilt rotor, a tilt wing, and a folding tilt rotor designed for a civil transport mission. Baseline aircraft models using current technology are developed for each configuration using a vertical/short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) aircraft design synthesis computer program to generate converged vehicle designs. Sensitivity studies and numerical optimization are used to illustrate each configuration's key design tradeoffs and constraints. Minimization of the gross takeoff weight is used as the optimization objective function. Several advanced technologies are chosen, and their relative impact on future configurational development is discussed. Finally, the impact of maximum cruise speed on vehicle figures of merit (gross weight, productivity, and direct operating cost) is analyzed. The three most important conclusions from the study are payload ratios for these aircraft will be commensurate with current fixed-wing commuter aircraft; future tilt rotors and tilt wings will be significantly lighter, more productive, and cheaper than competing folding tilt rotors; and the most promising technologies are an advanced-technology proprotor for both tilt rotor and tilt wing and advanced structural materials for the folding tilt rotor.

An optimal design of wind turbine and ship structure based on neuro-response surface method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jae-Chul; Shin, Sung-Chul; Kim, Soo-Young

2015-07-01

The geometry of engineering systems affects their performances. For this reason, the shape of engineering systems needs to be optimized in the initial design stage. However, engineering system design problems consist of multi-objective optimization and the performance analysis using commercial code or numerical analysis is generally time-consuming. To solve these problems, many engineers perform the optimization using the approximation model (response surface). The Response Surface Method (RSM) is generally used to predict the system performance in engineering research field, but RSM presents some prediction errors for highly nonlinear systems. The major objective of this research is to establish an optimal design method for multi-objective problems and confirm its applicability. The proposed process is composed of three parts: definition of geometry, generation of response surface, and optimization process. To reduce the time for performance analysis and minimize the prediction errors, the approximation model is generated using the Backpropagation Artificial Neural Network (BPANN) which is considered as Neuro-Response Surface Method (NRSM). The optimization is done for the generated response surface by non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II). Through case studies of marine system and ship structure (substructure of floating offshore wind turbine considering hydrodynamics performances and bulk carrier bottom stiffened panels considering structure performance), we have confirmed the applicability of the proposed method for multi-objective side constraint optimization problems.