bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TURNING A NEGATIVE INTO A POSITIVE WITH MODERN ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGIES
Authors: Piczak Michael , Al-Mutawaly N.
Published: April 2017

In today’s society, electronic devicesrepresent an important part of the cultural fabric, especiallyfor the younger generation. Professors and lecturersteaching at post-secondary levels express concern whenstudents appear to be more interested in electronic devicesthan the content being presented in the classroom. Thesedevices permit the student to locate small snippets of dataand information leaving them largely incapable ofintegrating this data into comprehensive concepts. Anotherdrawback of using modern electronic devices in theclassroom relates to their misuse during examinations. Theargument from an educator’s perspective is: suppressionversus celebration, as electronic devices assume aubiquitous place and role in the classroom. Unable toeffectively compete with the apparent entertainment valueof iPods, iPads, cell phones and laptops, educators andpolicy makers enact a range of measures designed toenforce student engagement during class time. Institutionalresponses to the use of electronic devices include: policylanguage enshrined in course outlines, bans on suchdevices and confiscation of offending devices. Conversely,given that every conceivable subject is available via theinternet, these electronic tools are effective in ‘bringing theworld into the classroom’. This paper explores and presentsactionable strategies that educators can employ to leveragethe power of electronic devices in stimulating students’participation during classroom delivery. Based onliterature search, personal experience and field interviews,suggested best practices are advanced for the enhancementof the learning environment (both lecture and lab) in thepursuit of improved learning outcomes. The paper will alsopresent the limitations and drawbacks in the use of thesedevices.
ACADEMIC IMPACT AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF DESIGN TEACHING ASSISTANTS IN UNDERGRADUATE COURSES
Authors: Firmani Flavio , McWilliam Michael , Wild Peter
Published: April 2017

This paper presents the impact that theDesign Engineering and Design (DE&I) program offeredin 2013 has had in the Faculty of Engineering at theUniversity of Victoria. Through this program a pool ofnineteen graduate students were trained as DesignTeaching Assistants (DTAs). The purpose of this programis to train DTAs in engineering design principles andpedagogical skills for mentoring students working ondesign projects. During the year DTAs continued theirtraining by attending seminars presented by guestspeakers. To date, eight DTAs have been appointed toeither assist as qualified Teaching Assistant in alreadyestablished engineering design courses (two DTAs), or todevelop new design projects in courses that are primarilyengineering science (six DTAs). The latter was supportedby the course instructor and the coordinators of thisprogram. The paper describes the development andmanagement of these design projects, their impact onundergraduate students, and the personal experiencegained by the DTAs. Also, the paper presents a review ofthe 2013 DE&I program including a new strategy for theupcoming 2014 DE&I workshops that will focus more onthe development and execution of design projects of theDTAs.
Teaching Technology-Based Entrepreneurship through a Universal Innovation Framework
Authors: Belkhir Lotfi
Published: April 2017

This paper discusses the experiential teachingof innovation-based entrepreneurship through a UniversalInnovation Framework. The framework clearly delineatesthe fundamental differences between invention as atechnical event and innovation as a social event. It alsooffers a general and practical framework for theinnovation student to test whether their new venture ideameets all the requirements of innovation. Finally, it offersa holistic and iterative approach to developing thatinnovation according to a stage-gate model that providesa structured methodology to successfully developing a newinnovation-based enterprise.
Meeting the Outcome-based CEAB Accreditation Criteria: Engineering Programs at UOIT
Authors: Kishawy Hossam A. , Sidhu Tarlochan , Pop-Iliev Remon , Rosen Marc A. , Zhang Dan , Mahmoud Qusay H.
Published: April 2017

This paper focuses on the process ofincorporating the outcome-based accreditation systembased on graduate attributes and the continualimprovement process into the curricula of the engineeringprograms at UOIT. Periodic program restructuringcycles based on a sound reporting process have beenestablished and implemented. Thereby, systematicmeasurement strategies of student competencies relativeto each learning outcome have been facilitated whilesimultaneously ensuring timely curriculum improvements
ACHIEVING GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES THROUGH PROJECT-BASED LEARNING
Authors: Nelson Nancy
Published: April 2017

Projects are an ideal way to preparestudents for the practice of professional engineering andto allow faculty to assess graduate attributes. Until now,the assessment of engineering knowledge has beensufficient for determining qualification for professionalstatus, but recent changes now require consideration ofengineering practice as well. Unfortunately many projectsdo not account for these additional competencies. Thispaper presents a method of mapping project deliverablesto graduate attributes that ensures both technicalrelevance and coverage, and breadth of competencies.
Teaching Engineering Accountability through Physical Prototyping
Authors: Retzlaff Richard , Torvi David , Burton Richard
Published: April 2017

Professional Engineers are generally accountable for the construction of a physical artifact. Therefore, an important outcome of an engineering education is to appreciate this accountability within the context of engineering design classes. To this end, the second year mechanical engineering design class at the University of Saskatchewan was modified to emphasize accountability through physical prototyping. Significant changes to the structure and facilities used in the course were required to implement this new teaching method. These included schedule changes, faculty advisor orientation, and the establishment of a five-workstation fabrication/prototyping lab. Anecdotal and survey evidence over the first three years suggests the change was a success.
Second-Year Integrative Project for Computer and Software Engineering Students at Polytechnique Montréal
Authors: Gendreau Olivier
Published: April 2017

In 2005, Polytechnique Montréal introduced project-based learning (PBL) in its curriculum. The second-year integrative project for computer and software engineering students is software-oriented, as the main goal is to develop an interactive graphical software application. Students are given a software requirements specification (SRS), which details every feature the application must comply to. The students must then implement these features, starting from a provided framework, and various common software libraries. The main technical concepts integrated in the project are software design patterns, computer graphics, unit testing, and user interface design. Students are also provided with tools to put into practice project management concepts such as scope management, time management, cost management, and risk management. The second-year project is also a good opportunity for students to develop their non-technical skills, such as collaboration, communication and critical thinking.
SELECTING A MICROCONTROLLER DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM FOR A LABORATORY IN A REAL-TIME INTERFACING COURSE
Authors: Kinsner Witold
Published: April 2017

The Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board(CEAB) requires Engineering Schools to update theirlaboratories on a regular basis. Selecting an appropriatehardware and software development environment for thelab is a difficult task because it triggers a redevelopment ofthe laboratory experiments, a process that requiressolutions to complex technical and pedagogical intertwinedproblems. This paper presents an overview of the selectionprocess of a specific microcontroller development boardand a software development environment for a laboratoryin an undergraduate course on interfacing ofmicrocontrollers, microprocessors and microcomputers forreal-time systems.
DESIGN OF A NAVIGATION UNIT FOR A NEW UNMANNED AERIAL VEHICLE: A COMPOSITE OF A CAPSTONE AND RESEARCH PROJECTS
Authors: Kinsner Witold , English Stephanie , Einarson Curtis , Drobot Bryan , Riha Kelly , Nasri Mohamed Temam , Mahabbat Rafi Belal , Prentice Barry , George Dale
Published: April 2017

Many challenges surround the engineeringdesign process of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Thispaper describes a composite of a capstone and tworesearch projects for the design of a navigation subsystemfor a UAV. These projects address control, stabilizationand autonomy of the vehicle with time-varying, nonlineardynamics in a challenging environment and variablepayloads. The paper provides theoretical and practicalsolutions, as well as alternatives to current controlapproaches for UAVs. The results are intended for thedesign of a UAV that can be used for different types ofoperations such as connecting isolated remotecommunities and reinforcing the sovereignty of countrieswithin their borders, without requiring traditional meansof protection.
WHAT CONSTITUTES A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CAPSTONE DESIGN COURSE? BEST PRACTICES, SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES.
Authors: Behdinan Kamran , Pop-Iliev Remon , Foster Jason
Published: April 2017

This paper reflects on how to practicallyachieve the necessary organizational and curricularpreconditions that allow for conducting Multi􀀀Inter􀀀andTrans – disciplinary engineering capstone designindustry􀀀sponsored projects and thereby serveengineering graduates better. The differences betweenoffering multidisciplinary and the common singledisciplinarycapstone design courses are also highlighted.Simultaneously, this paper focuses on the key challengesthat aggravate the smooth implementation of such acomplex undertaking the fundamental goal of which is tooffer a multidisciplinary team-based design project workexperience to the Students that would be mimicking asclose as possible an analogue typical industrial setting.Possible remedial measures for overcoming thesechallenges are also discussed. A new multidisciplinarycapstone design project course offered at the Faculty ofApplied Science and Engineering (FASE) at theUniversity of Toronto in the 2013/14 academic year(“APS 490Y Multidisciplinary Capstone Design”)coordinated by Prof. Kamran Behdinan served as thebasis for this work.
Industry Forum III: Towards A Common Language
Authors: Ferens K. , Cicek J. Seniuk , Sepehri N. , Kinsner W. , Burak J.P. , Parker A. , McNeill D. , Ruth D. , Jeffrey I. , Godavari N. , Ingram S.
Published: April 2017

Engineering Education literature acknowledgesthat the language Academia uses to assess the abilities ofengineering students may not be the same as the languageIndustry uses to measure the abilities of new graduates at thetime they enter the work force. It also suggests that theunderstanding and expectations of Industry may differ fromAcademia. If the language, perceptions and expectations aredifferent, so too could be Industry’s assessment of theknowledge, skills and attitudes of new engineering graduates.Consequently, Industry may need to spend additional resourcesto develop the abilities of new hires to meet their own needs.The Industry Forum III was conducted in partnership withmembers of Manitoba Industry and members of Academia fromthe Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manitoba withthe objective to develop a common language that Industry andAcademia can use in concert to measure the abilities of newengineering graduates. This paper details the findings from theforum, as well as the changes made to the University ofManitoba graduate attribute rubrics in the pursuit of a commonlanguage for our engineering stakeholders.
EDUCATIONAL DATA MINING APPROACH FOR ENGINEERING GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES ANALYSIS
Authors: Bouslimani Yassine , Durand Guillaume , Belacel Nabil
Published: April 2017

Curriculum improvement and graduate attributes assessments have become recently a serious issue for many Canadian engineering schools. Collecting assessment data concerning graduate attributes and the students’ learning is an important step of curriculum evaluation and the continuous improvement process. To be successful, this improvement process needs appropriate methods and tools for data analysis.Recent developments in the field of Psychometrics and Educational Data Mining (EDM) provide multidimensional item response models able to take into account student and curriculum attributes as parameters. The primary intent of these new models is to predict student successes based on students past performance and the assessment map underlying the tests they completed.We demonstrate in this paper that these models can also be used to analyze the assessment map. In the psychometric and Educational Data mining literature, assessment maps are usually represented as a parameter that associates items to competencies in a matrix called Q-matrix. This concept draws its origins from the Rule-Space Model that was introduced in the eighties to statistically classify student item responses into a set of ideal response patterns associated to different cognitive skills.A method based on the Additive Factor Model has been successfully implemented to analyse the Q-matrix corresponding to the assessment maps used in the graduate assessment process. The results of 17 volunteering anonymous students completing 36 courses at the Université de Moncton between winter 2010 and fall 2015 semesters was analysed with our method. Results obtained provided interesting and useful information regarding the assessment map and the overall assessment process that are presented and discussed in this paper.
THE ENGINEERING DESIGN PROCESS: AN “ENGINEERING PHILOSOPHY” COURSE AT THE GRADUATE LEVEL
Authors: Britton, Ron , Ruth Douglas , Topping Aidan , Friesen Marcia , Degagne William , MacLeod Glenys
Published: April 2017

Since 2003, 117 students from all departmentsin the Faculty, and beyond, have enrolled in a discussionbasedgraduate course on “engineering philosophy.” Thecourse is non-traditional in both content and process.Discussions are based on student input. Four booksand a series of professional sources set the tone for eachof five segments. Three hour long classes are held everysecond week over two terms. Student input is compiledand shared prior to each class. A technicalcommunications specialist is part of the academicteam. The specialist supports students’ growth incommunicative competence beyond the undergraduatelevel.Since the course falls outside the engineering norm,this paper addresses how a less rigid, more philosophicaland wide-ranging, discussion-based course enhancesstudents’ ability to approach engineering as both afunctional discipline and social design model.
Implementation of Service Learning into Engineering Design
Authors: Doiron Peter , Gallant Brady , Osgood Libby
Published: April 2017

This paper will discuss themes relatedto the implementation of the engineering designprocess by two second-year engineering studentswhile working in an international setting on a servicelearning project. In February 2015, the authors of thispaper designed, tested, and implemented a novelwheelchair attachment to improve the mobility ofpersons with disabilities in Kenya. This project wascarried out in its entirety during a period of 2 weeks,while staying in the small village of Mikinduri, locatedin Kenya’s Eastern Province. The scope of this paperwill include benefits of implementing such projectsinto engineering design curriculum, along withrecommendations based on the authors’ experiences.Topics such as CEAB Graduate Attributes covered,material availability, and communication barriers willbe compared and contrasted between standard andservice learning design projects
The Impact of Makerspaces on Engineering Education
Authors: Galaleldin Mohamed , Bouchard Francois , Anis Hanan , Lague Claude
Published: April 2017

Makerspaces are gaining more ground in universities and other educational institutions as a novel approach to boost creativity, innovation, and provide more opportunities for experiential and hands-on learning experience. Albeit being multidisciplinary, and open spaces in nature,Makerspaces still lack integration to the curricula of engineering schools. With increasingly competitive markets, there is a need to educate future engineers with necessary skills to be more creative and to be able to compete in today’s global market. A twophase study was developed to study the integration of the Makerspace concept in engineering schools. The first phase was based on interviews with five North American University Makerspaces that vary in size, objective, business model, and management structure to identify best Makerspace practices in preparationof the establishment of the University of Ottawa’s Richard L’Abbé Makerspace. The second phase was a survey administered to engineering students who have used the Richard L’Abbé Makerspace since its opening in the fall of 2014 to assess its impact on their engineering competencies, in particular design skills, problem analysis, communication and teamwork skills, investigation skills, and entrepreneurial skills. This paper aims at studying best practices of Makerspaces on campus and their impacts onengineering education and on the development ofdesired skills and competencies for engineering students.
PRE AND POST COURSE STUDENT SELF ASSESSMENT OF CEAB GRADUATE ATTRIBUTES – A TOOL FOR OUTCOMES ASSESSMENT, STUDENT SKILL AND COURSE IMPROVEMENT
Authors: Jamieson Marnie V. , Shaw John M.
Published: April 2017

In addition to instructor assessment, capstone and introductory design students self-assess their skill levels based on their perceived attainment of and confidence in their ability to perform categorized skills related to the CEAB Graduate Assessment Attributes pre and post both courses. The assessment levels are no or introductory experience, developing,satisfactory and mastered. The goals of this initiative are to provide data for the CEAB mandated requirement for continuous course improvement, and to gauge student perceptions of their skill development as they progress through the design course sequence. The results from two sets of online surveys for each course have helped identify areas for course development and have helped prioritize course improvements in areas with the largest potential for attribute and skill improvement. Course deliveryeffectiveness was evaluated by comparison with previous cohorts, pre and post course student self-assessment, and student engagement and satisfaction survey data. This report focuses on the results of the pre and post course student self-assessments, including outcomes for cohortscompleting all four surveys, and comparisons between students enrolled in the co-op program, who have an 8-month gap between courses, and traditional engineering program students, who are younger on average and only have a one-month gap between courses
LINKING THE CEAB GRADUATE ATTRIBUTE COMPETENCIES TO EMPLOYABILITY SKILLS 2000+: EQUIPPING STUDENTS WITH THE LANGUAGE AND TOOLS FOR CAREER/EMPLOYMENT SUCCESS
Authors: Seniuk Ciceka Jillian , Peto Lynda , Ingram Sandra
Published: April 2017

Graduate attributes are a relevant and pressing topic for engineering educators as we work to find innovative ways to teach and assess them in our courses and programs. The graduate attributes defined by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB) are left to faculty of accredited Canadian Engineering programs to characterize into manageable,authentic and assessable indicators. Faculty are then responsible for demonstrating that their students possess these competencies, and that their programs are effective in training students in the skills, knowledge, behaviours, attitudes and values that are fundamental to the 12 graduate attributes. It has been a mammoth task that is still, in many cases, in its inception.What if we could approach identifying and assessing the CEAB graduate attributes in another way? Should we be expecting faculty to be solely responsible for assessing students’ graduate attribute competencies? Applying Knowles Theory of Andragogy and Super’s Theory on Developmental Process of Vocational Behaviour, we are able to explain how students, as adult learners, are motivated to identify and assess their own skills and competencies, influenced by their life situations and therelevance of employment to their immediate and future career goals.If we provide the framework for establishing the transference of the CEAB graduate attributes to their employment and career goals, students can be given the motivation to identify, and indeed, showcase their own competencies. Connecting the CEAB graduate attributes to the Conference Board of Canada Employability Skills 2000+ translates the attributes into a language recognizable and relevant to all engineering stakeholders, and may inspire students to seek understanding of the required engineering competencies as they focus on gaining employment, and ultimately achieving career success
SUPPORTING A CLASS’ DEVELOPMENT IN TEAMWORK
Authors: Sheridan Patricia K. , Korhani Navid , Reeve Doug , Evans Greg
Published: April 2017

This paper presents the design and initial adoption of a new class-level interface that has been added to the on-line Team-effectiveness Learning System (TELS) at the University of Toronto. TELS is an on-line self- and peer-assessment system that allows students to provide intra-team feedback within their project teams. This class-level interface responds to instructor interest in having a better way of assessing and supporting their class’ performance in teamwork as a whole. The interface allows an instructor to assess whether the class has demonstrated sufficient proficiency at teamwork, and/or which areas the class needs to improve to demonstrate proficiency.Launched in September 2015, the class-level interface is currently being used in 5 courses. Preliminary findings indicate the feature to be a useful tool in supporting instructors to tailor their teamwork instruction and activities to the needs of the class.
INFORMATION VISUALISATION IN EDUCATION: A REVIEW OF CURRENT TOOLS AND PRACTICES
Authors: Sivanand Ajay , Frank Brian
Published: April 2017

Faculties at post-secondary institutions have employed systems to gather vast amounts of assessment data with the ultimate goal of using the data to improve the student learning experience. Unfortunately, the largeamount of data and complex relationships make it difficult for instructors and administrators to interpret and enact program and policy changes based on it. Worse yet, this is still a nascent problem and there are few supports upon which they may lean. Information Visualization (IV) isone technique that has shown promise in facilitating the extraction of meaningful information, and a tool that can support a faculty’s extraction and application processes would be highly beneficial.This paper looks at the current work of IV in education. We look at what applications these visualizations are being used in, what considerations went into designing them, and how they were evaluated. This information will hopefully provide insight into how to build visualizations for a variety of other educational contexts.
Registration of ‘Silver River’ Sweetclover
Authors: Smith G. R. , Evers G. W. , Ocumpaugh W. R. , Forbes T. D. A. , Ong K. , Foster Malone J.
Published: April 2017

‘Silver River’ (Reg. No. CV‐6, PI 678795) is a rust‐resistant cultivar of white‐flowered, annual sweetclover (Melilotus albus Medik.) adapted to southern and central Texas. Sweetclover rust (Uromyces striatus Schroet.) causes a range of plant disease symptoms, including leaf drop, reduced seed and forage yield, and premature plant death. The breeding and evaluation of Silver River for rust resistance was conducted at Beeville, TX, under severe epiphytotics of sweetclover rust. Two cycles of mass selection at Beeville were used to improve the rust resistance of a sweetclover PI line from Uruguay. The original PI population had 21% rust‐resistant plants. Silver River averaged 91% resistant plants at Beeville in 2014 and 2015, compared with ‘Hubam’, which had a 2‐yr average of 7% resistance. Silver River is similar to Hubam in forage yield and maturity. This new cultivar will improve the reliability of annual sweetclover in cattle grazing systems and wildlife supplemental forage plantings in southern and central Texas.
Managing the Early Modern Periphery: Highland Policy and the Highland Judicial Commission, c. 1692–c. 1705
Authors: Kennedy Allan
Published: April 2017

Current understanding of Williamite Scotland tends to emphasise a few familiar themes, especially Jacobitism, famine and the Darien scheme. This provides an opaque and arguably skewed view of the period and nowhere is that clearer than in Highland policy, where historiographical focus on the Jacobite rising and the massacre of Glencoe has come at the expense of a fuller understanding of how William's government responded to the perennial ‘Highland problem’. This article attempts to tackle that gap through analysis of Williamite Highland policy after 1692, with a particular emphasis on its major initiative, the Highland Judicial Commission of 1694. Reconstructing the development, structure, workings and intellectual underpinnings of the commission, both on its own terms and in comparison to the earlier commission of the 1680s upon which it was based, it is argued that William's government emerged as a more authoritarian, domineering presence in the Highlands than its immediate predecessors. This, in turn, has broader implications, not just in terms of questioning recent revisionism about the Williamite regime in Scotland, but also about the nature of peripheral control and state formation in the early modern period.
‘Public-spirited men’: Economic Unionist Nationalism in Inter-War Scotland
Authors: Mackenzie Angus
Published: April 2017

The prolonged economic slump which overshadowed much of the inter-war period encouraged a small number of Clydeside industrialists to intervene with bold plans to restructure and revive the Scottish economy. Key figures like Sir James Lithgow and Lord Weir exploited their business, banking and political connections, in Scotland and in London, to produce a uniquely Scottish response to the inter-war crisis. Championing the existing Union and imperial relationships, they nevertheless articulated a new sense of Scottish exceptionalism. Convinced that any revival in trade was dependent on rationalisation of the heavy industries and an ambitious programme of diversification, Lithgow, Weir and their associates promoted distinctive Scottish solutions. Building on the work of Graeme Morton, the article suggests that what emerged was an economic Unionist Nationalism which built alliances between business and civic Scotland to secure Scottish interests while acknowledging the primacy of Union. The mechanism used to achieve their aims was based upon the associational culture of Scottish business, ‘self-help’ voluntary bodies which carefully steered an independent path, avoiding, where possible, direct state involvement. Yet the depth and persistence of the global depression, and the urgency of the task at hand in Scotland itself, encouraged the business community to moderate its hostility to interventionism and economic planning and engage with new partners. The founding of the Scottish National Development Council in the early 1930s, bringing business and civil society together to help foster economic revival, was a crucial staging post on the journey towards corporatism. Motivated by a mix of public-spiritedness and self-interest, there was, however, a strong defensive element to their actions as the essentially conservative industrialists sought to ward off social, political and economic threats from within Scotland. Their willingness to step forward suggests a traditional sense of patrician responsibility, but there was also an acute awareness of the need to adapt; a progressive quality missing from other actors.
Predictive Modelling and Analysis of Process Parameters on Material Removal Characteristics in Abrasive Belt Grinding Process
Authors: Pandiyan Vigneashwara , Caesarendra Wahyu , Tjahjowidodo Tegoeh , Praveen Gunasekaran
Published: April 2017

The surface finishing and stock removal of complicated geometries is the principal objective for grinding with compliant abrasive tools. To understand and achieve optimum material removal in a tertiary finishing process such as Abrasive Belt Grinding, it is essential to look in more detail at the process parameters/variables that affect the stock removal rate. The process variables involved in a belt grinding process include the grit and abrasive type of grinding belt, belt speed, contact wheel hardness, serration, and grinding force. Changing these process variables will affect the performance of the process. The literature survey on belt grinding shows certain limited understanding of material removal on the process variables. Experimental trials were conducted based on the Taguchi Method to evaluate the influence of individual and interactive process variables. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed to investigate the belt grinding characteristics on material removal. This research work describes a systematic approach to optimise process parameters to achieve the desired stock removal in a compliant Abrasive Belt Grinding process. Experimental study showed that the removed material from a surface due to the belt grinding process has a non-linear relationship with the process variables. In this paper, the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) model is used to determine material removal. Compared with the experimental results, the model accurately predicts the stock removal. With further verification of the empirical model, a better understanding of the grinding parameters involved in material removal, particularly the influence of the individual process variables and their interaction, can be obtained.
Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography for Non-Destructive Testing of Protection Coatings on Metal Substrates
Authors: Lenz Marcel , Mazzon Cristian , Dillmann Christopher , Gerhardt Nils , Welp Hubert , Prange Michael , Hofmann Martin
Published: April 2017

In this paper we demonstrate that optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a powerful tool for the non-destructive investigation of transparent coatings on metal substrates. We show that OCT provides additional information which the common practice electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) cannot supply. First, coating layer thicknesses were measured and compared with reference measurements using a magnetic inductive (MI) measurement technique. After this validation of the OCT measurements, a customized sectioned sample was created to test the possibility to measure coating thicknesses with underlying corrosion, which cannot be analyzed accurately by MI or EIS measurements. Finally, we demonstrate the benefit of OCT on a standard sample. The OCT measurements provide the correct coating layer thickness with high lateral resolution and even enable metal and corrosion layers to be distinguished from each other.
Efficient Real-Time Lossless EMG Data Transmission to Monitor Pre-Term Delivery in a Medical Information System
Authors: Cho Gyoun-Yon , Lee Gyoun-Yon , Lee Tae-Ro
Published: April 2017

An estimated 15 million babies are born prematurely every year worldwide, and suffer from disabilities. Appropriate care of these pre-term babies immediately after birth through telemedicine monitoring is vital. However, problems associated with a limited bandwidth and network overload due to the excessive size of the electromyography (EMG) signal impede the practical application of such medical information systems. Therefore, this research proposes an EMG uterine monitoring transmission solution (EUMTS), a lossless efficient real-time EMG transmission solution that solves such problems through efficient EMG data lossless compression. EMG data samples obtained from the Physionet PhysioBank database were used. Solution performance comparisons were conducted using Lempel-Ziv Welch (LZW) and Huffman methods, in addition to related researches. The LZW and Huffman methods showed CRs of 1.87 and 1.90, respectively, compared to 3.61 for the proposed algorithm. This was relatively high compared to related researches, even when considering that those researches were lossy whereas the proposed research was lossless. The results also showed that the proposed algorithm contributes to a reduction in battery consumption by reducing the wake-up time by 1470.6 ms. Therefore, EUMTS will contribute to providing an efficient wireless transmission environment for the prediction of pre-term delivery, enabling immediate interventions by medical professionals. Another novel point of EUMTS is that it is a lossless algorithm, which will prevent any misjudgement by clinicians because the data will not be distorted. Pre-term babies may receive point-of-care immediately after birth, preventing exposure to the development of disabilities.
QueF-Like, a Non-Homologous Archaeosine Synthase from the Crenarchaeota
Authors: Bon Ramos Adriana , Bao Lide , Turner Ben , De Crécy-Lagard Valérie , Iwata-Reuyl Dirk
Published: April 2017

Archaeosine (G+) is a structurally complex modified nucleoside ubiquitous to the Archaea, where it is found in the D-loop of virtually all archaeal transfer RNA (tRNA). Its unique structure, which includes a formamidine group that carries a formal positive charge, and location in the tRNA, led to the proposal that it serves a key role in stabilizing tRNA structure. Although G+ is limited to the Archaea, it is structurally related to the bacterial modified nucleoside queuosine, and the two share homologous enzymes for the early steps of their biosynthesis. In the Euryarchaeota, the last step of the archaeosine biosynthetic pathway involves the amidation of a nitrile group on an archaeosine precursor to give formamidine, a reaction catalyzed by the enzyme Archaeosine Synthase (ArcS). Most Crenarchaeota lack ArcS, but possess two proteins that inversely distribute with ArcS and each other, and are implicated in G+ biosynthesis. Here, we describe biochemical studies of one of these, the protein QueF-like (QueF-L) from Pyrobaculum calidifontis, that demonstrate the catalytic activity of QueF-L, establish where in the pathway QueF-L acts, and identify the source of ammonia in the reaction.
Semiconductor Devices in Solid-State/Hybrid Circuit Breakers: Current Status and Future Trends
Authors: Gu Chunyang , Wheeler Pat , Castellazzi Alberto , Watson Alan J. , Effah Francis
Published: April 2017

Circuit breakers (CBs) are the main protection devices for both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) power systems, ranging from tens of watts up to megawatts. This paper reviews the current status for solid-state circuit breakers (SSCBs) as well as hybrid circuit breakers (HCBs) with semiconductor power devices. A few novel SSCB and HCB concepts are described in this paper, including advantage and limitation discussions of wide-band-gap (WBG) devices in basic SSCB/HCB configuration by simulation and 360 V/150 A experimental verifications. Novel SSCB/HCB configurations combining ultra-fast switching and high efficiency at normal operation are proposed. Different types of power devices are installed in these circuit breakers to achieve adequate performance. Challenges and future trends of semiconductor power devices in SSCB/HCB with different voltage/power levels and special performance requirements are clarified.
Regretting Ever Starting to Smoke: Results from a 2014 National Survey
Authors: Nayak Pratibha , Pechacek Terry , Slovic Paul , Eriksen Michael
Published: April 2017

Background: The majority of smokers regret ever starting to smoke, yet the vast majority continue to smoke despite the fact that smoking kills nearly 50% of lifetime users. This study examined the relationships between regret and smoker characteristics, quit history, risk perceptions, experiential thinking, and beliefs and intentions at time of smoking initiation. Methods: Data from the 2014 Tobacco Products and Risk Perceptions Survey, a nationally representative survey of United States adults, were analyzed to provide the latest prevalence estimates of regret and potential predictors. Relationships among predictor variables and regret were analyzed using correlations, t-tests, and multinomial logistic regression. Results: The majority of smokers (71.5%) regretted starting to smoke. Being older and non-Hispanic white were significant predictors of regret. Smokers having a high intention to quit, having made quit attempts in the past year, worrying about getting lung cancer, believing smoking every day can be risky for your health, perceiving a risk of being diagnosed with lung cancer during one’s lifetime, and considering themselves addicted to cigarettes were significant predictors of regret for smoking initiation. Conclusions: This study provides updated prevalence data on regret using a national sample, and confirms that regret is associated with perceived risk. The findings from this study can be used to inform smoking intervention programs and support the inclusion of smoker regret in cost–benefit analyses of the economic impact of tobacco regulations.
Concepts for 3D Printing-Based Self-Replicating Robot Command and Coordination Techniques
Authors: Jones Andrew , Straub Jeremy
Published: April 2017

Self-replicating robots represent a new area for prospective advancement in robotics. A self-replicating robot can identify when additional robots are needed to solve a problem or meet user needs, and create them in response to this identified need. This allows robotic systems to respond to changing (or non-predicted) mission needs. Being able to modify the physical system component provides an additional tool for optimizing robotic system performance. This paper begins the process of developing a command and coordination system that makes decisions with the consideration of replication, repair, and retooling capabilities. A high-level algorithm is proposed and qualitatively assessed.
Fraxin Prevents Chemically Induced Hepatotoxicity by Reducing Oxidative Stress
Authors: Chang Bo , Jung Young , Yoon Chi-Su , Oh Jun , Hong Jae , Kim Youn-Chul , Kim Sung
Published: April 2017

Fraxin isolated from Acer tegmentosum is reported to exert potent anti-oxidative stress action. However, pharmacological activities of fraxin remain to be elucidated. This study investigated the potential hepatoprotective effects of fraxin and the underlying signaling mechanism involved. Treatment with fraxin significantly lowered the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) in a CCl4-induced hepatotoxicity rat model. In the fraxin-treated group, glutathione (GSH) significantly increased, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) in the liver significantly decreased. Fraxin also showed radical-scavenging activity. Furthermore, it significantly reduced the t-BHP-induced cytotoxicity and production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Hep G2. Fraxin protected Hep G2 cells through Nrf2 pathway-dependent HO-1 expression. The results of this study indicate that fraxin shows potent hepatoprotective effects in vitro and in vivo, presumably through direct antioxidant activity and the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant enzyme system.
Antioxidant Properties and Oxidative Transformation of Different Chromone Derivatives
Authors: Csepanyi Evelin , Szabados-Furjesi Peter , Kiss-Szikszai Attila , Frensemeier Lisa M. , Karst Uwe , Lekli Istvan , Haines David D. , Tosaki Arpad , Bak Istvan
Published: April 2017

Nowadays, there is an increase in the application of natural products for the prevention of different disorders or adjuvant substances next to pharmacological treatment. Phytochemicals include different chromone derivatives, which possess a wide spectrum of biological activity. The aim of the present study was the investigation of the antioxidant activity, cytotoxicity and oxidative transformation of nine chromone derivatives. First, we investigated the radical scavenging activity (ABTS), the oxygen radical absorption capacity (ORAC) and the ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) of the investigated molecules. The cytotoxic effects of the compounds were tested on H9c2 cell cultures by the MTT assay. Each compound showed a significant ORAC value compared to the reference. However, the compound 865 possess significantly higher FRAP and ABTS activity in comparison with the reference and other tested molecules, respectively. Based on these assays, the compound 865 was selected for further analysis. In these experiments, we investigated the oxidative metabolism of the compound in vitro. The molecule was oxidized by the Fenton reaction, artificial porphyrin and electrochemistry; then, the formed products were identified by mass spectrometry. Four possible metabolites were detected. The results revealed the compound 865 to possess good antioxidant properties and to be stable metabolically; hence, it is worth investigating its effects in vivo.
Natural Pathogen Control Chemistry to Replace Toxic Treatment of Microbes and Biofilm in Cooling Towers
Authors: Brouse Lon , Brouse Richard , Brouse Daniel
Published: April 2017

Application of toxic antibacterial agents is considered necessary to control prevalent fresh water microorganisms that grow in evaporative cooling water systems, but can adversely affect the environment and human health. However, natural antibacterial water chemistry has been applied in industrial cooling water systems for over 10 years to inhibit microorganisms with excellent results. The water chemistry method concentrates natural minerals in highly-softened water to produce elevated pH and dissolved solids, while maintaining low calcium and magnesium content. The method provides further benefits in water conservation, and generates a small volume of non-toxic natural salt concentrate for cost efficient separation and disposal if required. This report describes the antimicrobial effects of these chemistry modifications in the cooling water environment and the resultant collective inhibition of microbes, biofilm, and pathogen growth. This article also presents a novel perspective of parasitic microbiome functional relationships, including “Trojan Protozoans” and biofilms, and the function of polyvalent metal ions in the formation and inhibition of biofilms. Reducing global dependence on toxic antibacterial agents discharged to the environment is an emerging concern due to their impact on the natural microbiome, plants, animals and humans. Concurrently, scientists have concluded that discharge of antibacterial agents plays a key role in development of pathogen resistance to antimicrobials as well as antibiotics. Use of natural antibacterial chemistry can play a key role in managing the cooling water environment in a more ecologically sustainable manner.
Quality of Life and Medication Adherence of Independently Living Older Adults Enrolled in a Pharmacist-Based Medication Management Program
Authors: Harlow Christopher , Hanna Catherine , Eckmann Lynne , Gokun Yevgeniya , Zanjani Faika , Blumenschein Karen , Divine Holly
Published: April 2017

This study sought to understand the medication adherence and quality of life (QOL) of recipients of a pharmacist-based medication management program among independently living older adults. Using a cross-sectional, quasi-experimental study design, we compared older adults enrolled in the program to older adults not enrolled in the program. Data were collected via face-to-face interviews in independent-living facilities and in participants’ homes. Independently living older adults who were enrolled in the medication management program (n = 38) were compared to older adults not enrolled in the program (control group (n = 41)). All participants were asked to complete questionnaires on health-related quality of life (QOL, using the SF-36) and medication adherence (using the four-item Morisky scale). The medication management program recipients reported significantly more prescribed medications (p < 0.0001) and were more likely to report living alone (p = 0.01) than the control group. The medication management program recipients had a significantly lower SF-36 physical functioning score (p = 0.03) compared to the control group, although other SF-36 domains and self-reported medication adherence were similar between the groups. Despite taking more medications and more commonly living alone, independent living older adults enrolled in a pharmacist-based medication management program had similar QOL and self-reported medication adherence when compared to older adults not enrolled in the program. This study provides initial evidence for the characteristics of older adults receiving a pharmacist-based medication management program, which may contribute to prolonged independent living and positive health outcomes.
Clinical Proteomics: From Biological Sample to Clinical Exploitation
Authors: Lasonder Edwin
Published: April 2017

Technological advances in mass spectrometry instrumentation and proteomics methodologies are moving the field of clinical proteomics towards the analysis of large numbers of patient samples in a reasonable time. The Special Issue ‘Clinical proteomics’ reviews the current proteomic work flow from biological sample preparation to clinical exploitation with samples collected from human body fluids, tissues or isolated cells, and highlights the trend towards integrated omics approaches for clinical usage.[...]
Oceanographic Data Repositories: An Analysis of the International Situation
Authors: Silva Fabiano Couto Corrêa da , Abadal Ernest , Wulff Enrique
Published: April 2017

The preservation and organization of oceanographic research data enables the scientific community to consult and reuse information of different kinds, and this is made possible by the repositories, meaning the services that facilitate data storage and dissemination. This paper reviews the current situation of oceanographic data repositories across different countries and evaluates them according to a series of indicators. The writers propose that although interest in storing and reusing oceanographic data has increased in recent years, the repositories are still in the process of developing their systems for processing, disseminating and reusing data. The repositories also differ in terms of architecture and the organizational level of the content they offer.
A QoS Optimization Approach in Cognitive Body Area Networks for Healthcare Applications
Authors: Ahmed Tauseef , Le Moullec Yannick
Published: April 2017

Wireless body area networks are increasingly featuring cognitive capabilities. This work deals with the emerging concept of cognitive body area networks. In particular, the paper addresses two important issues, namely spectrum sharing and interferences. We propose methods for channel and power allocation. The former builds upon a reinforcement learning mechanism, whereas the latter is based on convex optimization. Furthermore, we also propose a mathematical channel model for off-body communication links in line with the IEEE 802.15.6 standard. Simulation results for a nursing home scenario show that the proposed approach yields the best performance in terms of throughput and QoS for dynamic environments. For example, in a highly demanding scenario our approach can provide throughput up to 7 Mbps, while giving an average of 97.2% of time QoS satisfaction in terms of throughput. Simulation results also show that the power optimization algorithm enables reducing transmission power by approximately 4.5 dBm, thereby sensibly and significantly reducing interference.