bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Robust Tracking with Discriminative Ranking Middle-Level Patches
Authors: Liu Hong , Liang Zilin , Sun Qianru
Published: April 2014

The appearance model has been shown to be essential for robust visual tracking since it is the basic criterion to locating targets in video sequences. Though existing tracking-by-detection algorithms have shown to be greatly promising, they still suffer from the drift problem, which is caused by updating appearance models. In this paper, we propose a new appearance model composed of ranking middle-level patches to capture more object distinctiveness than traditional tracking-by-detection models. Targets and backgrounds are represented by both low-level bottom-up features and high-level top-down patches, which can compensate each other. Bottom-up features are defined at the pixel level, and each feature gets its discrimination score through selective feature attention mechanism. In top-down feature extraction, rectangular patches are ranked according to their bottom-up discrimination scores, by which all of them are clustered into irregular patches, named ranking middle-level patches. In addition, at the stage of classifier training, the online random forests algorithm is specially refined to reduce drifting problems. Experiments on challenging public datasets and our test videos demonstrate that our approach can effectively prevent the tracker drifting problem and obtain competitive performance in visual tracking.
Real-Time Obstacle Avoidance for a Swarm of Autonomous Mobile Robots
Authors: Hedjar Ramdane , Bounkhel Messaoud
Published: April 2014

In this paper, we propose a computational trajectory generation algorithm for swarm mobile robots using local information in a dynamic environment. The algorithm plans a reference path based on constrained convex nonlinear optimization which avoids both static and dynamic obstacles. This algorithm is combined with one-step-ahead predictive control for a swarm of mobile robots to track the generated paths and reach the goals without collision. The numerical simulations and experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed free-collision path planning algorithm.
On My Mind: Principles to Actions: Mathematics Programs as the Core for Student Learning
Authors: Leinwand Steve , Huinker DeAnn , Brahier Daniel
Published: April 2014

This article provides an introduction to the six guiding principles for school mathematics and eight core mathematics teaching practices that appear in the new NCTM document, Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All.
Informing Practice: A Hybrid Perspective on Functions
Authors: Weber Eric
Published: April 2014

Formal notions of function, which appear in middle school, are discussed in light of how teachers might complement the input-output notion with a covariation perspective.
Reveal Limitations through Fraction Division Problem Posing
Authors: Sharp Janet , Welder Rachael M.
Published: April 2014

Students notoriously struggle with division of fractions in 5 key areas. Hear what those 5 areas are and how recommendations address the limitations.
Increased Genomic Integrity of an Improved Protein-Based Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Method Compared With Current Viral-Induced Strategies
Authors: Park Hansoo , Kim Dohoon , Kim Chun-Hyung , Mills Ryan E. , Chang Mi-Yoon , Iskow Rebecca Cheryl , Ko Sanghyeok , Moon Jung-Il , Choi Hyun Woo , Man Yoo Paulo Sng , Do Jeong Tae , Han Min-Joon , Lee Eun Gyo , Jung Joon Ki , Zhang Chengsheng , Lanza Robert , Kim Kwang-Soo
Published: April 2014

It has recently been shown that genomic integrity (with respect to copy number variants [CNVs]) is compromised in human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated by viral-based ectopic expression of specific transcription factors (e.g., Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, and c-Myc). However, it is unclear how different methods for iPSC generation compare with one another with respect to CNV formation. Because array-based methods remain the gold standard for detecting unbalanced structural variants (i.e., CNVs), we have used this approach to comprehensively identify CNVs in iPSC as a proxy for determining whether our modified protein-based method minimizes genomic instability compared with retro- and lentiviral methods. In this study, we established an improved method for protein reprogramming by using partially purified reprogramming proteins, resulting in more efficient generation of iPSCs from C57/BL6J mouse hepatocytes than using protein extracts. We also developed a robust and unbiased 1 M custom array CGH platform to identify novel CNVs and previously described hot spots for CNV formation, allowing us to detect CNVs down to the size of 1.9 kb. The genomic integrity of these protein-based mouse iPSCs (p-miPSCs) was compared with miPSCs developed from viral-based strategies (i.e., retroviral: retro-miPSCs or lentiviral: lenti-miPSCs). We identified an increased CNV content in lenti-miPSCs and retro-miPSCs (29∼53 CNVs) compared with p-miPSCs (9∼10 CNVs), indicating that our improved protein-based reprogramming method maintains genomic integrity better than current viral reprogramming methods. Thus, our study, for the first time to our knowledge, demonstrates that reprogramming methods significantly influence the genomic integrity of resulting iPSCs.
Concise Review: Unraveling Stem Cell Cocultures in Regenerative Medicine: Which Cell Interactions Steer Cartilage Regeneration and How?
Authors: de Windt Tommy S. , Hendriks Jeanine A.A. , Zhao Xing , Vonk Lucienne A. , Creemers Laura B. , Dhert Wouter J.A. , Randolph Mark A. , Saris Daniel B.F.
Published: April 2014

Cartilage damage and osteoarthritis (OA) impose an important burden on society, leaving both young, active patients and older patients disabled and affecting quality of life. In particular, cartilage injury not only imparts acute loss of function but also predisposes to OA. The increase in knowledge of the consequences of these diseases and the exponential growth in research of regenerative medicine have given rise to different treatment types. Of these, cell-based treatments are increasingly applied because they have the potential to regenerate cartilage, treat symptoms, and ultimately prevent or delay OA. Although these approaches give promising results, they require a costly in vitro cell culture procedure. The answer may lie in single-stage procedures that, by using cell combinations, render in vitro expansion redundant. In the last two decades, cocultures of cartilage cells and a variety of (mesenchymal) stem cells have shown promising results as different studies report cartilage regeneration in vitro and in vivo. However, there is considerable debate regarding the mechanisms and cellular interactions that lead to chondrogenesis in these models. This review, which included 52 papers, provides a systematic overview of the data presented in the literature and tries to elucidate the mechanisms that lead to chondrogenesis in stem cell cocultures with cartilage cells. It could serve as a basis for research groups and clinicians aiming at designing and implementing combined cellular technologies for single-stage cartilage repair and treatment or prevention of OA.
The Proceedings of the California Stem Cell Agency
Authors: Feigal Ellen G. , DeWitt Natalie D.
Published: April 2014

The California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) is a state agency charged with accelerating stem cell research through the dispersal of $3 billion in funds for stem cell research. CIRM is partnering with Stem Cells Translational Medicine to launch the Proceedings of the California Stem Cell Agency, a monthly series of commentaries, articles, interviews, webinars, forums, and concise reviews on a wide range of topics in regenerative medicine.
Botanical Evidence of Paleodietary and Environmental Change: Drought on the Channel Islands, California
Authors: Arnold Jeanne E. , Martin Lana S.
Published: April 2014

Fluctuations in climatic regimes and biodiversity through time are linked in complex ways to human behavior and socioeconomic processes. We use macrobotanical evidence from Chumash village sites on California’s Channel Islands to investigate the relationship between late Holocene climatic perturbations and one region of the larger Chumash world. Carbonized plant remains provide evidence of the shifting availability of native plants during the Transitional period (A.D. 1150–1300), when droughts impacted island floral diversity and the Chumash had to cope with changes in vegetation regimes that likely curtailed food availability. We find that drought-resistant plant resources appear in higher relative frequencies in proveniences dating to the Transitional era, and at least one food resource was first imported from the mainland around that time. These findings support the proposition that the Chumash intensified cross-channel trade in part to respond to dietary needs during episodic resource stress. This is also the time when several economic specializations blossomed, including intensive shell bead making. These specializations persisted for six centuries and were central to the development of institutionalized leadership and political complexity in the region ca. A.D. 1200. Various strategies to preserve stability in the plant diet were important elements in the broader reorganization of labor in coastal southern California.
History, Monumentality, and Interaction in the Appalachian Summit Middle Woodland
Authors: Wright Alice P.
Published: April 2014

The Middle Woodland period in eastern North America witnessed a florescence of monumental architecture and material exchange linked to widespread networks of ritual interaction. Although these networks encompassed large geographic areas and persisted for several centuries, extant archaeological models have tended to characterize Middle Woodland interaction as an historically unitary process. Using new data from the Garden Creek site in North Carolina, I argue that these frameworks obscure important historical shifts in Middle Woodland interaction. Recent collections-based research, geophysical survey, targeted excavation, and14C dating (including Bayesian modeling) of this site reveal two coeval diachronic changes: a shift from geometric earthwork construction to platform mound construction; and a shift from the production of special artifacts {mica, crystal quartz) to the consumption of exotic artifacts in association with platform mound ceremonialism. These data hint at important changes in interregional relationships between the Appalachian Summit, the Hopewellian Midwest, and the greater Southeast during the Middle Woodland period, and provide a springboard for considering how processes of culture contact contributed to precolumbian cultural change.
Kansas and the Postrevolt Puebloan Diaspora: Ceramic Evidence from the Scott County Pueblo
Authors: Beck Margaret E. , Trabert Sarah
Published: April 2014

Native American communities underwent significant upheaval, ethnic blending, and restructuring in the Spanish colonial period. One archaeological example is the appearance of a seven-room stone and adobe structure in western Kansas, known as the Scott County Pueblo (14SC1). Previous researchers used Spanish documents to attribute the site to Puebloan refugees from Taos or Picuris in the mid- to late 1600s. Here we examine the Smithsonian and Kansas Historical Society ceramic collections for evidence of Puebloan women at the site. We find a high proportion of bowls at 14SC1, suggesting the maintenance of Puebloan food-preparation and-serving patterns, as well as some vessels apparently made by Puebloan potters in western Kansas. We cannot falsify our null hypothesis that the Scott County Pueblo included people from one or more northern Rio Grande pueblos during the mid-1600s, or A.D. 1696–1706, or both.
L’humour « sauvage » : notes sur l’esprit des Montagnais en 1634
Authors: Andrès Bernard
Published: April 2014

Quand les jésuites de Nouvelle-France prennent en charge l’évangélisation des Montagnais, ils se heurtent à deux problèmes de taille : la langue des autochtones et leur sens de l’humour et de la dérision. Le rire et les moqueries qu’ils opposent à Paul Lejeune en 1634 peut être lu comme une stratégie de résistance à l’acculturation, alors que s’affrontent deux visions du monde irréconciliables : celle des cosmogonies amérindiennes et celle de l’apologétique missionnaire. Pour Lejeune, le succès de son apostolat repose sur l’apprentissage du montagnais, auquel s’opposent farouchement le sorcier Carigonan et l’apostat Pastedechouan. Devenu l’élève de ses élèves au plan linguistique, le jésuite subit alors les risées de la petite communauté au sein de laquelle il hiverne dans des conditions extrêmes entre octobre 1633 et avril 1634.
Le pianiste et compositeur québécois Auguste Descarries (1896-1958) et son association au mouvement néoromantique russe
Authors: Lefebvre Marie-Thérèse
Published: April 2014

Cet article retrace les principales étapes de la carrière du musicien Auguste Descarries (1896-1958), depuis sa formation à Montréal, son séjour à Paris et ses liens avec le milieu néoromantique russe, et sa contribution, à son retour, au développement de la vie musicale montréalaise.
Fault coupling and potential for earthquakes on the creeping section of the central San Andreas Fault
Authors: Maurer Jeremy , Johnson Kaj
Published: April 2014

The 150 km long central section of the San Andreas Fault (CSAF) in central California creeps at the surface and has not produced a large earthquake historically. However, sections of the San Andreas Fault to the north and south are known to have ruptured repeatedly inM~7–8 earthquakes. It is currently unclear whether the creeping CSAF could rupture in large earthquakes, either individually or along with earthquakes on the locked sections to the north and south. We invert Global Positioning System and interferometric synthetic aperture radar data with elastic block models to estimate the degree of locking on the CSAF and place bounds on the moment accumulation rate on the fault. We find that the inferred moment accumulation rate is highly dependent on the long‐term fault slip rate, which is poorly constrained along the CSAF. The inferred moment accumulation rate, normalized by shear modulus, ranges from 3.28 × 104to 5.85 × 107 m3/yr, which is equivalent to aMw = 5.5–7.2 earthquake every 150 years for a long‐term slip rate of 26 mm/yr andMw = 7.3–7.65 for a long‐term slip rate of 34 mm/yr. The comparisons of slip distributions with microseismicity and repeating earthquakes indicate a possible locked patch between 10 and 20 km depth on the CSAF that could potentially rupture withMw = 6.5.
Evaluation of Coatings for Mg Alloys for Biomedical Applications
Authors: Zainal Abidin Nor Ishida , Da Forno Anna , Bestetti Massimiliano , Martin Darren , Beer Aiden , Atrens Andrej
Published: April 2014

The aim of this work was to assess a number of coatings developed for Mg for biomedical applications. The Mg substrates were high‐purity (HP) Mg and ME10, an alloy recently developed for improved extrudability. The research utilized the new fishing‐line specimen configuration to allow direct comparison to our recent in vivo and in vitro measurements. The in vitro measurements were immersion tests of fishing‐line specimens immersed in Nor's solution at 37 °C. Tests of substantial duration are needed because the corrosion rates of uncoated samples are low. Nor's solution is the designation given to Hank's solution through which CO2 is bubbled at a partial pressure of 0.009 atm. In this solution, pH is maintained constant by the interaction of CO2 and the bicarbonate ions in the solution. This is the same buffer as that which maintains the pH of blood. Coatings examined were: (i) an anodization using a bio‐friendly alkaline electrolyte consisting of phosphate, borate, and metasilicate, (ii) octyltrimethoxysilane (OSi), (iii) 1,2‐bis[triethoxysilyl]ethane (BTSE), (iv) anodization + OSi, and (v) anodization + BTSE. The performance of coated samples was comparable to or better than that of the uncoated samples, and there was a substantially better performance for the ME10 samples after anodization + OSi. Reasons for the various performances are discussed.
Polymeric‐Gold Nanohybrids for Combined Imaging and Cancer Therapy
Authors: Topete Antonio , Alatorre‐Meda Manuel , Villar‐Alvarez Eva M. , Carregal‐Romero Susana , Barbosa Silvia , Parak Wolfgang J. , Taboada Pablo , Mosquera Víctor
Published: April 2014

Here, the use of folic acid (FA)‐functionalized, doxorubicin (DOXO)/superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION)‐loaded poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA)‐Au porous shell nanoparticles (NPs) as potential nanoplatforms is reported for targeted multimodal chemo‐ and photothermal therapy combined with optical and magnetic resonance imaging in cancer. These polymeric‐gold nanohybrids (PGNH) are produced by a seeded‐growth method using chitosan as an electrostatic “glue” to attach Au seeds to DOXO/SPION‐PLGA NPs. In order to determine their potential as theranostic nanoplatforms, their physicochemical properties, cellular uptake, and photothermal and chemotherapeutic efficiencies are tested in vitro using a human cervical cancer (HeLa) cell line. The present NPs show a near‐infrared (NIR)‐light‐triggered release of cargo molecules under illumination and a great capacity to induce localized cell death in a well‐focused region. The functionalization of the PGNH NPs with the targeting ligand FA improves their internalization efficiency and specificity. Furthermore, the possibility to guide the PGNH NPs to cancer cells by an external magnetic field is also proven in vitro, which additionally increases the cellular uptake and therapeutic efficiency.
The Use of Silyl Ketene Acetals and Enol Ethers in the Catalytic Enantioselective Alkylative Ring Opening of Oxa/Aza Bicyclic Alkenes
Authors: Zhang Lei , Le Christine M. , Lautens Mark
Published: April 2014

Silyl ketene acetals and enol ethers are employed as reactive and functional group tolerant nucleophiles in the enantioselective rhodium‐catalyzed alkylative ring opening of a diverse class of oxa/azabicyclic alkenes. This method provides access to enantioenriched dihydronaphthalene and cyclohexene scaffolds, which have the potential to be derivatized toward core motifs of naphthoquinone and sesquiterpene natural products.
A New Golden Age for Donor–Acceptor Cyclopropanes
Authors: Schneider Tobias F. , Kaschel Johannes , Werz Daniel B.
Published: April 2014

The effective use of ring strain has been applied to considerable advantage for the construction of complex systems. The focus here is directed towards cyclopropanes as building blocks for organic synthesis. Although thermodynamics should take the side of synthetic chemists, only a specific substitution pattern at the cyclopropane ring allows for particularly mild, efficient, and selective transformations. The required decrease in the activation barrier is achieved by the combined effects of vicinal electron‐donating and electron‐accepting moieties. This Review highlights the appropriate tools for successfully employing donor–acceptor cyclopropanes in ring‐opening reactions, cycloadditions, and rearrangements.
A Multidisciplinary Approach to Medieval and Early Modern Land Use: a Case Study from Southeastern Austria
Authors: Fazioli K. Patrick
Published: April 2014

This paper presents an integrated multimethod approach to the prospection and reconstruction of medieval and early modern rural landscapes in southeastern Austria (ca. 1100–1700 ce). Pedestrian surface collection, soil phosphorus analysis, and targeted test excavation, along with place‐name and field‐shape data, were used to investigate patterns of settlement, land use and landscape organization. The results from fieldwork revealed an inverse relationship between surface ceramic densities and soil phosphate levels, suggesting different areas of rubbish disposal, habitation and agricultural practices. This case study illustrates both the benefits and challenges of synthesizing archaeological, geochemical and historical lines of evidence in the exploration of past human landscapes in central Europe. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Hierarchical Nanostructured Carbon Nanofiber–In2S3 Photocatalyst with High Photodegradation and Disinfection Abilities Under Visible Light
Authors: Gao Peng , Li An Ran , Tai Ming Hang , Liu Zhao Yang , Sun Darren Delai
Published: April 2014

Photocatalytic degradation of pollutants under visible light provides a new door to solve the water contamination problem by utilizing free and renewable sunlight. The search for highly efficient photocatalysts with hierarchical nanostructures remains crucial for accessing this new door. In this work, a new hierarchical nanostructured photocatalyst is designed and synthesized, for the first time, by anchoring In2S3 flower‐like nanostructures on non‐woven carbon nanofiber (CNF). The nanostructures of these CNF–In2S3 composites were fine‐tuned, with the aim of achieving the highest photocatalytic activity under visible light. The formation mechanism of the hierarchical nanostructure is also investigated. The results indicate that the optimized hierarchical CNF–In2S3 photocatalyst is superior in photodegradation and disinfection efficiency to that of pure In2S3 under visible‐light irradiation. The prominent photocatalytic activities of these hierarchical CNF–In2S3 photocatalysts can be attributed to the excellent properties of enhanced light absorption, large surface area, and efficient charge separation, which are all derived from the special three‐dimensional hierarchical nanostructures. Therefore, this work presents the great potential of this hierarchical nanostructured CNF–In2S3 photocatalyst in practical environmental remediation fields.
Strong Antiferromagnetic Coupling of Spins in the (MDABCO+)(C60.−) Salt with 3D Close Packing of the C60.− Radical Anions (MDABCO+: N‐Methyldiazabicyclooctanium Cation)
Authors: Konarev Dmitri V. , Khasanov Salavat S. , Otsuka Akihiro , Yamochi Hideki , Saito Gunzi , Lyubovskaya Rimma N.
Published: April 2014

A new salt, (MDABCO+)(C60.−) (1; MDABCO+=N‐methyldiazabicyclooctanium cation), was obtained as single crystals. The crystal structure of 1 determined at 250 and 100 K showed 3D close packing of fullerenes with eight fullerene neighbors for each C60.−. These neighbors are located at 10.01–10.11 Å center‐to‐center distances (250 K) and van der Waals interfullerene C⋅⋅⋅C contacts are formed with four fullerene neighbors arranged in the bc plane. Fullerene ordering observed below 160 K is accompanied by the appearance of one and a half independent C60.− and trebling of the unit cell along the b axis. Fullerenes are packed closer to each other at 100 K. As a result, fullerenes are located in the three‐dimensional packing at 9.91–10.12 Å center‐to‐center distances and 18 short interfullerene C⋅⋅⋅C contacts are formed for each C60.−. Although they are closed packed, fullerenes are not dimerized down to 1.9 K. Magnetic data indicate strong antiferromagnetic coupling of spins in the 70–300 K range with a Weiss temperature of Θ=−118 K. Magnetic susceptibility shows a round maximum at 46 K. Such behavior can be described well by the Heisenberg model for square two‐dimensional antiferromagnetic coupling of spins with an exchange interaction of J/kB=−25.3 K. This magnetic coupling is one of the strongest observed for C60.− salts.
Synthesis and Characterization of Two‐Photon Chromophores Based on a Tetrasubstituted Tetraethynylethylene Scaffold
Authors: Lin Tzu‐Chau , Liu Yi‐You , Li May‐Hui , Liu Che‐Yu , Tseng Sheng‐Yang , Wang Yu‐Ting , Tseng Ya‐Hsin , Chu Hui‐Hsin , Luo Chih‐Wei
Published: April 2014

A new series of model dye molecules composed of three multibranched analogues based on the tetrasubstituted tetraethynylethylene structural motif have been synthesized and experimentally shown to possess strong and widely dispersed two‐photon absorption (2PA) in the near‐IR region. It was found that the spectral position of the major 2PA band could be tuned by the electronic nature of the selected substitution units. The studied model fluorophores also exhibited fairly low photodegradation of their fluorescence intensity even under prolonged UV‐light irradiation, which is beneficial for the development of fluorescence probes that are needed for long‐term light exposure. Furthermore, representative chromophores were selected to demonstrate the power‐control properties within the femtosecond and nanosecond time domains.
Arrays: A software package for analysis of antenna arrays
Authors: Elsherbeni Atef Z. , Ginn Patrick H.
Published: April 2014

This article describes a software package useful for the instruction of antenna array theory. The program provides the radiation pattern of different types of antennas, the array factor of linear, two‐dimensional and three‐dimensional arrays, and the total radiation pattern. The elements of the array are isotropic source, Hertzian dipole, straight thin wire dipole, and finite line source with uniform current distribution. The user has the freedom to choose one of the supported element types or to provide the pattern of an antenna element based on experimental or calculated data. This article serves as a tutorial for selected examples as well as a quick guide for the use of this software.
Unconventional engineering teaching tools
Authors: McCormack Scott E. , Compton Richard C.
Published: April 2014

This article describes progress on the development of a new engineering course for freshman students. During the course, students work on a series of projects aimed at illustrating various aspects of the design cycle. To aid in the design, students are encouraged to experiment with personal computers equipped with multimedia, computer‐aided design software, and data acquisition hardware.
User‐controlled design and collaboration
Authors: Gay Geri , Mazur F. E. , Masiclat Stephen
Published: April 2014

At the heart of a user‐centered system for studying, practicing, creating, and teaching engineering design; in collaboration with instructors and other students and across a fiber‐optic network; and with access to extensive and ever‐expanding sets of digitally stored databases is a user notebook. This article describes the notebook under development, argues the specific attributes of its various tools for the single user to command, and illustrates the anticipated use of the notebook as the center of a computer “creation‐station.”
Interactive video lessons for electromagnetic education
Authors: Iskander Magdy F. , Reed Thomas , Breen Joseph
Published: April 2014

With the availability of a large number of software packages for electromagnetic (EM) education through the national Computer Applications in Electromagnetic Education (CAEME) Center [1] and other individual efforts, there have been some concerns regarding the ability to integrate this software effectively in routine classroom teaching. Basically, congested EM curricula do not provide instructors with sufficient time to include software demonstrations and simulations during class periods. It is also not clear whether students will be able, adequately and independently, to understand basic underlying concepts and physical phenomena from visualization of colorful graphics and from the output of performed simulations. To help integrate available EM software in classroom teaching for both instructor use and student independent study, CAEME developed three interactive video lessons for student instruction. Interactive media lessons integrate and allow individuals to interactively manipulate information from multimedia such as video, software, and animated graphics, and also include instructional information such as quizzes and tutorials. In this article, we present the features of three interactive video lessons in EM developed by CAEME. These lessons include tutorials, simulations from CAEME software and videos, and quizzes to evaluate student understanding. The lessons use animated graphics illustrating specific dynamic phenomena and specific measurement procedures. They also keep a record of student quiz scores for instructor use. These, as well as other features of the three developed interactive video lessons, and the software and hardware requirements for developing such lessons, will be described.
Multimedia and case studies in structural engineering
Authors: Deierlein G. G. , Valenzuela M. L. , White R. N.
Published: April 2014

A computer‐based multimedia system has been developed for the storage, retrieval, and display of slide images and information to support the use of case studies in the undergraduate engineering curriculum. Case studies are presented as an effective means of integrating design context into the classroom to motivate students and appeal to what educational psychologists term sensory learning styles. A detailed description of the multimedia system with feedback on its trial use in the classroom is included.
Using current artificial intelligence techniques to advise students
Authors: Mallory James R.
Published: April 2014

In this article, we summarize an advising system that is being implemented in the Computer Engineering Technology program at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). This system was designed using artificial intelligence forward chaining techniques and implemented in the C‐Prolog language on a PDP‐11/70 mainframe.
Using student projects to develop instructional applications and teach computer graphics programming
Authors: Mink Kate
Published: April 2014

Computer graphics programming is an extremely popular elective for engineering undergraduates. This article describes our experience in teaching students the techniques of developing interactive computer graphics applications, and in supervising them as productive developers of instructional applications. The features of EMU, a graphics program for displaying electromagnetic fields in waveguides and around antennas, are described as an example of software developed by students at Cornell.
Concurrent structural analysis and experimentation using the “AN/EX” mini‐laboratory
Authors: Behr Richard A.
Published: April 2014

A new, practical, computer‐assisted laboratory has been developed for teaching structural engineering. Using the portable “AN/EX” mini‐laboratory, students first predict the behavior of a small‐scale model using the M‐STRUDL structural analysis program. Then, they employ electronic sensors to record the physical response of the loaded model. Immediately thereafter, the analytical M‐STRUDL predictions and experimental data are compared graphically. An expert system “trouble‐shooter” is being developed to assist in resolving differences between the analytical predictions and the concurrent experimental data.
Integration of the personal computer into undergraduate electromagnetics courses
Authors: Stutzman Warren L.
Published: April 2014

This article describes the integration of personal computer (PC) use into the academic program in electromagnetics within electrical engineering at Virginia Tech. The specific approach found to be successful in a curriculum that requires students to have their own PC is presented. The associated principles are general and can be applied to any engineering instructional program.
Development and integration of an equation‐solving program for engineering thermodynamics courses
Authors: Klein S. A.
Published: April 2014

Thermodynamics problems can be separated into conceptual and mathematical parts. The conceptual part consists of the problem formulation and analysis. The mathematical part seeks to obtain an answer to a problem by solving the equations identified in the analysis. The mathematical part can be complex and time‐consuming and often directs the students' focus away from the concepts. An equation solving program called Engineering Equation Solver (EES) was developed to reduce the time and effort required by students to solve the mathematical part of thermodynamics problems. EES differs from existing equation solving programs in that it is designed for use by students and it includes an extensive library of built‐in functions for thermodynamic and transport properties of fluids. Thermodynamic and transport property data needed for solving engineering problems (eg, steam tables, refrigerant properties, psychrometric and combustion gas data) are built into the program. By eliminating table lookups and algebra, EES allows students to concentrate on engineering fundamentals, as well as to do more complex design problems.
Finite element method in undergraduate engineering education
Authors: Nesbit Steven M. , Comer Jess J. , van Gulick Leonard A.
Published: April 2014

This article describes how the finite element method can be integrated into the education of undergraduate mechanical engineering students. The teaching of finite element theory, the use of commercial software in engineering courses, and the application of the finite element method in the context of mechanical design and analysis are discussed.
Using the computer to enhance the learning of engineering concepts: Some examples
Authors: Smetana Frederick O.
Published: April 2014

The problem‐solving functions addressed by author‐written software for a number of mechanical and aerospace engineering courses are described. Typical input and output are described or shown. It was found to be necessary to explain program results to students as well as how to enter data for a new problem solution. Other faculty teaching the course were generally reluctant to learn specific educational software, preferring to let students do this on their own.
Industry–university seminars
Authors: Gray Paul E. , Kuziej Gregory P.
Published: April 2014

Speakers from industry present seminars at IEEE Student Branch meetings where technical content is typically directed at the senior. The seminar is advertised in a meeting notice and requires neither preparation nor follow‐up by the student. This article reports the use of electronic mail to provide seminars for the sophomore within the circuit analysis course. e‐mail communication involves the student in seminar preparation, presentation, and subsequent follow‐up after the seminar.
Educational software for teaching physics—1993 directory
Authors: Wilkinson Ladye K. , Gjertsen Margaret H. , Risley John S.
Published: April 2014

We present a directory of software that is available for teaching physics and engineering. This directory was originally developed for physics educators, but the cross‐disciplinary nature of many of the packages makes it appropriate for the engineering community as well. The directory is derived from a data base maintained by the Physics Courseware Evaluation Project (PCEP) at North Carolina State University. PCEP has been tracking software developments and reviewing physics courseware since 1983. Some of the major trends that have been observed in that time are noted below, followed by the listing of software and a listing of publisher addresses.
Applications of computer algebra systems in electromagnetics education
Authors: Cecchini Roberto , Pelosi Giuseppe
Published: April 2014

In this article, a possible use of a computer algebra system as a support to the theoretic lessons in an electromagnetics course is shown. It is believed that such a system can be helpful, because it avoids encumbering the lessons with long calculations that would add nothing to the understanding of the problem, thus allowing the student to concentrate on more important topics.
Computation of electric fields from electric charges: Coulomb's law or poisson's equation
Authors: Fazarinc Zvonko
Published: April 2014

Coulomb's Law and Poisson's equation are revisited and compared as algorithms for computer evaluation of electric force fields. In the course of this examination we point to the danger of applying physical laws measured in three‐dimensional space to spaces of other dimensionalities. The algorithms based on Coulomb's Law and on Poisson's equation are cast in C‐language and are illustrated with a two‐dimensional example.
SIGNALS: Interactive software for one‐dimensional signal processing
Authors: Easton Roger L.
Published: April 2014

This article describes the features of a DOS program that was written for interactive demonstrations of one‐dimensional (1‐D) signal processing concepts in a classroom environment. It also is used to illustrate aspects of linear systems, physical optics, and complex numbers. The program is menu‐driven, and experience has proven that it is easy to learn and use. Complex‐valued functions are loaded from a sizeable menu of options and may be processed in a variety of ways and plotted in several formats. Data files may be input from or output to other applications, e.g. spreadsheets.
Interactive tools for signal processing education: The signal processing instructional facility (SPIF Lab) at washington state university
Authors: Bamberger Roberto H.
Published: April 2014

The Signal Processing Instructional Facility (SPIF Lab) is an experiment in using in interactive multimedia for teaching concepts related to linear systems theory and signal processing. The goals of the SPIF lab are to augment, enhance, and interconnect sophomore, junior, and senior level courses with the common thread of linear systems and transforms by unifying the experimentation medium. In this fashion, physical phenomenon is returned to the forefront of engineering education. The laboratory features powerful Mathematica Notebooks (a form of hypertext) and interactive applications that use dedicated DSP microprocessors.
What's DUE
Authors: Fortenberry Norman L.
Published: April 2014

FROM THE EDITOR: This new department in our CAE journal was created to help inform our readers of the ongoing activities in the Division of Undergraduate Education at the National Science Foundation. The services, announcements, and grant awards of this division are vital to engineering education and are certainly crucial to sustaining faculty commitment to and interest in new developments in undergraduate education.

I am delighted to introduce Dr. Norman L. Fortenberry, who kindly agreed to edit the “What's DUE” department. As you may have noticed, DUE stands for Division of Undergraduate Education. Dr. Fortenberry is a program director in this division and, unlike others who tend to be visiting scientists on one‐ or two‐year assignments, he is a permanent staff member in this division. Dr. Fortenberry has worked hard to make it possible to work with us on creating this new “What's DUE” department; on behalf of our Editorial Board and the publication staff from John Wiley & Sons, we welcome him most warmly and pledge to work hard with him to make the publication of his department timely and informative.
RECIA: Software for the use of simulators in introductory circuit‐theory courses
Authors: Ballesteros J. L. , Báez‐López D.
Published: April 2014

Circuit simulators play an important role in circuit design. However, their sintaxis is usually not friendly for students having their first exposure to this technology, causing reluctance toward the use of these kind of software aids. This fact was a driving force for the authors to propose a system called RECIA, by means of which the student could have access to a circuit simulator without having any knowledge about the sintaxis of it. In addition, input/output to the system is in a graphic environment. In this way, the student only has to specify as input the schematic diagram of his/her circuit and obtain as the output plots of the desired voltages and currents. The simulator chosen in this work can be anyone belonging to the family of SPICE simulators. RECIA is a shareware package available on request from the authors. One of the most important aspects of RECIA is that it does not need previous extensive training to be readily used by students and yet, a simulation run can be done in the very first minutes of use. This is an advantage over other simulators with schematic capture which require some time to learn the sintaxis.
Graphical simulation of a mobile robot
Authors: Gomez‐Pulido Juan A. , Giron‐Sierra Jose M. , Andres‐Toro Bonifacio
Published: April 2014

Some facets of our robotics research require the simulation of a mobile vehicle to study navigation and control problems. We have developed a 3‐D animated graphical simulation of the movement of a wheeled vehicle under interactive control of the computer user. The article describes the mathematical formulation of the dynamics and the programming procedure to display the vehicle movement. Besides the possible use of our program for robotics education, the aspects covered by this article could be useful for motivating mechanics and graphics programming.
Pedagogically effective programming environment for teaching mechanism design
Authors: Cheng Harry H.
Published: April 2014

The CH programming environment is an open system. Users can enhance the system through its various user interfaces. CH is specially designed for applications in mechanical systems engineering, although it is applicable to many other disciplines as well. CH has been successfully used as a teaching and learning tool for an undergraduate course, Computer‐Aided Mechanism Design, at the University of California, Davis in Fall 1993. In this article we will present the CH programming environment and programming features developed for teaching and student learning. We will describe how a teaching toolbox is developed and used for teaching mechanism design. Source codes in the teaching toolbox are available to students so that they can study the software implementation of algorithms and modify the codes to solve similar problems. Although the developed teaching toolbox is specific for instruction on mechanism design, the CH programming environment and ideas presented in this article are general, and they are applicable to instructional improvement for a wide range of subjects in engineering.
Interactive stress analysis: Boundary formulations in engineering instruction
Authors: Kane J. H. , Matalus B. , Balakrishna C. , Hudman M.
Published: April 2014

This article describes a program based on the boundary element analysis (BEA) method that has been designed to bring continuum stress analysis to the academic environment. Interactive Stress Analysis is a unique interactive graphic computer program designed for use in undergraduate engineering education that allows students and instructors to pose continuum stress analysis problems naturally and examine their answers. Currently, the program is in a prototypical, yet demonstrable form. First deployment in a strength of materials course is planned for Fall 1994. With additional support we propose to investigate the incorporation of multimedia technology and an enhanced version of Interactive Stress Analysis in a prototype lecture series on strength of materials with potential widespread distribution. In the sections that follow, the capabilities, techniques employed, and overall rationale and philosophy associated with the development of this program are described.
Introductory finite elements: Theory to implementation
Authors: Ferguson Gregory L. , Moore David
Published: April 2014

The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method has been in practical use in industry for the last 25 or so years. Training seminars to teach FEA concept to practicing engineers using the various codes have existed for nearly the same time period. A particular drawback to the general methods used by the commercial FEA industry presupposes that an experienced engineer is looking for a design analysis tool. On the other hand, FEA now reaches a universal audience and its techniques are beginning to be taught in undergraduate engineering curricula. The problem in the academic setting is closing the loop between theory and practical use of FEA codes. For starters, schools may not have access to commercial codes, and if they do, faculty may not be well versed in the use of a particular code. Schools not having commercial codes are limited to using software that often come with textbooks. Even when commercial codes are available, there is a distinct lack of appropriate training aids that integrate the theory and practice for inexperienced practitioners. This article discusses how FEA is being taught at The University of Alabama (UA) in the undergraduate Mechanical Engineering department to circumvent this problem. A simple example will demonstrate the theory‐to‐practice connection using a commercially available code.
Formal assessment of the AN/EX structural engineering teaching laboratory
Authors: Belarbi A. , Behr R. A. , Karson M. J. , Effland G. E.
Published: April 2014

A newly developed portable, computer‐assisted, structural engineering teaching laboratory, called AN/EX, has been incorporated into the civil engineering curriculum at the University of Missouri‐Rolla (UMR). A formal assessment of AN/EX was conducted to identify its effect on the abilities and attitudes of UMR civil engineering students. The assessment methodology is described. Opinion surveys indicated that AN/EX had a positive influence on student attitudes. Statistical analyses of test scores indicated that AN/EX did not undermine traditional problem solving skills, but it did have a positive influence on student abilities to solve synthesis‐oriented structural engineering problems.
Visualization enhancement by computer‐aided projection
Authors: Roorda J. , Roorda P. D.
Published: April 2014

The Engineering Graphics course at the University of Waterloo is designed to familiarize students with the theory of projection and descriptive geometry. The emphasis of the course is on three‐dimensional visualisation. Although much of the learning takes place via drawing board exercises, a computer‐aided projection (CAP) package was developed as an additional learning aid. It is a friendly, menu‐driven program that allows students to input simple, wire‐frame objects into a data file and to project the object onto the screen using oblique, orthographic, or perspective projection techniques. The program, written and compiled in C, is easy to use and has a built‐in dynamic facility that permits rapid on‐screen changes in perspective. Hardcopy laser printouts can be made of any projected results. The program is usable on a stand‐alone PC or on a networked system of PCs such as the WATSTAR network at the University of Waterloo.
DishPat and FeedPat: Test beds for students to investigate design alternatives for dish antennas
Authors: Simpson Ted
Published: April 2014

Two programs are introduced to provide flexible and portable C‐language programs for investigating design and analysis alternatives for prime‐focus paraboloidal reflectors. FeedPat enables the study of the aperture illumination provided by a particular feed. DishPat computes the resulting radiation pattern and provides graphical output. Using simple piecewise‐constant numerical integration, DishPat employs square subareas which are easy to manage and may be readily extended to handle a variety of reflector outlines as well as feed offsets. Equivalent magnetic surface currents limit the validity of the radiation to the forward half‐space, but the loss in coverage is offset by the simplicity of the code. Not only useful for learning, the programs may be readily modified into practical design tools.
Numerical methods in engineering education: An example student project in convection heat transfer
Authors: Ribando Robert J. , O'Leary Gerald W.
Published: April 2014

Good discipline‐specific projects wherein computational schemes may be applied are generally difficult to find and time‐consuming to develop. This article describes one such case study in the area of convective heat transfer involving what is known as a laminar, thermal entry‐length flow. The algorithm follows directly from first principles and is straightforward to implement, while demonstrating many of the principles of successful computational techniques.
A software package to enhance the teaching of engineering dynamics
Authors: Jacquot Raymond G. , Smith Donald A. , Whitman David L.
Published: April 2014

Reported here is a National Science Foundation sponsored effort to develop computer animations to enhance lectures in the dynamics course that is part of most undergraduate engineering curricula. Data gathered and problems encountered in the course of the development process are presented, as is a summary of the individual software modules developed.