bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceived and observed quality of long‐term care for residents ‐ Does functional ability account?
Authors: Kahanpää Anja , Noro Anja , Finne‐Soveri Harriet , Lehto Juhani , Perälä Marja‐Leena
Published: January 2016

Background

Measuring quality in long‐term residential care involves challenges concerning both the measurement method and the impaired functional ability of many older people. Ensuring quality in care is even more important for people with functional impairments, as this is a vulnerable group who may be unable to report poor quality of care for themselves.

Aims and Objectives

The aim of this study was to analyse how perceived and observed assessments of the quality of care varied according to the residents’ functional ability.

Design

The data (n = 278) used in the analyses included residents’, family members’ and staff assessments of perceived and observed quality of care combined with the Resident Assessment Instrument (RAI) scales measuring the same residents’ functional abilities (physical, psychological, cognitive and social). Observations were included in the data if all four assessment types (by residents, family members, staff and the RAI) were available. The dimensions of quality of care emerging from the factor analysis were used.

Methods

Linear regression was used to explore the association between resident's functional abilities and assessed quality of care.

Results

Higher level of depression symptoms and higher level of dependency in activities of daily living (ADL) were significantly associated with lower level of perceived and observed quality of care. By contrast, the level of residents’ cognitive functioning was not significantly associated with any quality dimensions. The social aspect was the only dimension of functional ability on which better functional ability indicated better quality of care, although differences between respondent groups were also observed.

Conclusions

These analyses emphasize the importance of taking residents’ functional ability into account when collecting information on and interpreting the results of perceived and observed quality of care reported separately by residents, family members and staff.

Implications for practice

The information obtained can inform care professionals of how dimensions of residents' functional impairments are associated with perceived and observed quality of care and the quality of older people's care can thereby be improved.
A comparison of the hourly output between the Ambu® Smart‐Infuser™ Pain Pump and the On‐Q Pump® with Select‐A‐Flow™ Variable Rate Controller with standard and overfill volumes
Authors: Iliev Peter , Bhalla Tarun , Tobias Joseph D.
Published: January 2016

Background

The Ambu Smart‐Infuser Pain Pump and the On‐Q Pump with Select‐a‐Flow Variable Rate Controller are elastomeric devices with a flow regulator that controls the rate of infusion of a local anesthetic agent through a peripheral catheter. As a safety evaluation, we evaluated the infusion characteristics of these two devices when filled with manufacturer recommended standard volumes and when overfilled with a volume 50% in excess of that which is recommended.

Methods

Nineteen disposable devices from the two manufacturers were used in this study. Nine were filled with 0.9% normal saline according to the respective manufacturers' recommendations (four Ambu pumps were filled with 650 ml and five On‐Q pumps were filled with 550 ml) and 10 devices were 150% overfilled (five Ambu pumps were filled with 975 ml and five On‐Q pumps were filled with 825 ml). All of the devices were set to infuse at 10 ml·h−1 at room temperature (21°C) for 12 h. The fluid delivered during each 2‐h period was measured using a graduated column.

Results

The On‐Q pump (in the settings of normal fill and 150% overfill) delivered a significantly higher output per hour than the set rate during the first 8 h, while the Ambu pump delivered a value close to the set rate of 10 ml·h−1. No significant difference in the hourly delivered output was noted for either device when comparing the normal fill to the 150% overfill groups.

Conclusions

This investigation demonstrates that no change in the hourly output occurs with overfilling of these home infusion devices. However, as noted previously, the hourly output from the On‐Q device is significantly higher than the set rate during the initial 8 h of infusion which could have potential clinical implications.
Family Adversity and Resilience Measures in Pediatric Acute Care Settings
Authors: O'Malley Donna M. , Randell Kimberly A. , Dowd M. Denise
Published: January 2016

Objective

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact health across the life course. The purpose of this study was to identify caregiver ACEs, current adversity, and resilience in families seeking care in pediatric acute care settings. Study aims included identifying demographic characteristics, current adversities, and resilience measures associated with caregiver ACEs ≥4.

Design and Sample

A cross‐sectional survey study design was used and a convenience sample (n = 470) recruited at emergency and urgent care settings of a large Midwest pediatric hospital system.

Measures

Measures were self‐reported. The original 10‐item ACEs questionnaire measured caregiver past adversity. Current adversity was measured using the 10‐item IHELP. The six‐item Brief Resiliency Scale measured resilience, and WHO‐5 Well‐Being Index was used to measure depressive affect.

Results

Compared to participants with ACEs score of 0–3 participants with ACEs ≥4 were more likely to have multiple current adversities, increased risk of depression, and lower resilience.

Conclusions

Caregivers using pediatric acute care settings carry a high burden of ACEs and current adversities. Caregiver ACEs are associated with current child experiences of adversity. Caregivers socioeconomic status and education level may not be an accurate indicator of a family's risks or needs. Pediatric acute care settings offer opportunities to access, intervene, and prevent childhood adversity.
Donor Reliance on Accounting and its Consequences for the Charitable Distribution Channel
Authors: Arya Anil , Mittendorf Brian
Published: January 2016

The organization of charitable distribution channels to ensure donor contributions reach beneficiaries in an efficient manner and the use of accounting metrics of such efficiency (whether provided directly or by charity rating groups) are oft‐discussed issues in the nonprofit sector. The two issues are inextricably linked since reported efficiency measures influence subsequent donor giving. This study develops a parsimonious model of a charity that must decide how best to employ its resources, either by acting as a direct service provider or as a grant provider to organizations that provide services to beneficiaries. We show that the desire to boost perceptions of efficiency vis‐à‐vis accounting reports leads an organization to rely more on others to provide services rather than being a direct service provider. This temptation to expand either the scope or length of the charity supply line is muted by a desire to avoid redundant costs and improve service delivery. The model's results have implications both for the role of nonprofit accounting and observed distribution strategies of nonprofits.
Inventory Sharing in the Presence of Commodity Markets
Authors: Park Seung Jae , Lai Guoming , Seshadri Sridhar
Published: January 2016

This study investigates the value of inventory sharing in the presence of spot and forward markets. We consider a multi‐period setting where two firms process a common commodity to meet stochastic demands. They can buy and sell the commodity through both the spot and forward markets. They can also share the commodity if one has leftover inventory while the other has excess demand. We first characterize the equilibrium strategies of the two firms. Our analysis reveals that in such a context, the value of inventory sharing is low when the forward price is directly used to value the sharing transactions. We then develop a structured trans‐shipment price scheme that uses a linear combination of the spot and forward prices. We show that this method can substantially increase the value of inventory sharing. Our analysis also reveals that in the presence of liquid spot and forward markets, the value of inventory sharing mainly results from the difference of the transaction costs, and it increases if the market in which firms operate becomes more competitive.
Introduction to the special issue: transferring knowledge for innovation
Authors: Alexander A. T. , Neyer A.‐K. , Huizingh K. R. E.
Published: January 2016

Knowledge is an important company resource, particularly when the organisation is striving to create new goods and services and to be more innovative. Knowledge is created at the interface between individuals and organisations and also by original scholarly research; however, this new knowledge must often be diffused across an organisation or transferred between organisations before it can be internalised and adopted. Therefore the modes and mechanisms for transferring knowledge transfer have, over the past 25 years, been steadily receiving more and more attention. This special issue of the Journal of R&D Management recognises this progression and brings forward recent academic papers with the aim of extending this field. Each paper offers insights into this phenomena at a national/policy, organisational or activity level and were originally submitted to a Special Interest Group, led by the Editors of the Special Issue and hosted by the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) between 2013 and 2015. Whilst introducing each of these papers, the introduction for the Special Issue: Transferring Knowledge for Innovation also makes a unique contribution to the field, by presenting a simple heuristic that could be used to offer some degree of categorisation in terms of the respective content and therefore contribution of each paper.
Institutional framework, corporate ownership structure, and R&D investment: an international analysis
Authors: López Iturriaga Félix J. , López‐Millán Emilio J.
Published: January 2016

We combine agency theory with the law and finance approach to analyze how the legal protection of investors and the corporate ownership structure affect corporate investment in research and development (R&D). We use information from 956 firms from the five most R&D‐intensive industries in 19 developed countries. Our results show that better protection of investors’ rights by the institutional environment has a positive influence on corporate R&D. We also find that corporate ownership concentration works as a substitute for legal protection. This finding means that R&D investment of the firms in the countries with poor legal protection increases as ownership becomes more concentrated. Our results also show that the identity of shareholders has a relevant effect: Whereas banks and nonfinancial institutions as shareholders result in lower R&D, institutional investors as shareholders increase corporate investment in R&D.
Facilitation and sand burial affect plant survival during restoration of a tropical coastal sand dune degraded by tourist cars
Authors: Teixeira Leonardo H. , Weisser Wolfgang , Ganade Gislene
Published: January 2016

Coastal sand dunes support various ecosystem services, including storm protection and tourism. Restoration programs are often critical to preserve this ecosystem due to its fragility and high degree of degradation. Dune restoration still suffers from a general lack of knowledge of the ecological processes controlling tropical dune communities. We investigated if facilitation can increase restoration success by assisting plant survival in a Brazilian coastal dune degraded by buggies at the Environmental Protection Area of Jenipabu, RN, Brazil. We performed two field experiments on dune crest sites degraded by buggies. The first experiment tested how the presence of established vegetation and coconut mesh, mimicking soil‐stabilizing effect of vegetation, facilitates seedling survival and establishment of the early successional dominant dune plant Canavalia maritima (Fabaceae). The second experiment tested if coconut mesh and initial irrigation would allow the establishment of C. maritima outside the vegetation, using both seeds and transplants. We found that the presence of established vegetation positively affected seedling survival. Application of mesh positively affected microclimatic conditions and slightly increased survival, but only for seeds. Initial irrigation only had a small effect on transplanted seedlings survival. Nevertheless, there was extreme seedling mortality in the experiment in particular from sand burial. We conclude that restoration of these dune crests is very difficult. Facilitation by vegetation can reduce plant mortality by sand burial and desiccation, but successful restoration is likely to require a major effort involving a very high number of seedlings or seeds.
QMRA for Drinking Water: 2. The Effect of Pathogen Clustering in Single‐Hit Dose‐Response Models
Authors: Nilsen Vegard , Wyller John
Published: January 2016

Spatial and/or temporal clustering of pathogens will invalidate the commonly used assumption of Poisson‐distributed pathogen counts (doses) in quantitative microbial risk assessment. In this work, the theoretically predicted effect of spatial clustering in conventional “single‐hit” dose‐response models is investigated by employing the stuttering Poisson distribution, a very general family of count distributions that naturally models pathogen clustering and contains the Poisson and negative binomial distributions as special cases. The analysis is facilitated by formulating the dose‐response models in terms of probability generating functions. It is shown formally that the theoretical single‐hit risk obtained with a stuttering Poisson distribution is lower than that obtained with a Poisson distribution, assuming identical mean doses. A similar result holds for mixed Poisson distributions. Numerical examples indicate that the theoretical single‐hit risk is fairly insensitive to moderate clustering, though the effect tends to be more pronounced for low mean doses. Furthermore, using Jensen's inequality, an upper bound on risk is derived that tends to better approximate the exact theoretical single‐hit risk for highly overdispersed dose distributions. The bound holds with any dose distribution (characterized by its mean and zero inflation index) and any conditional dose‐response model that is concave in the dose variable. Its application is exemplified with published data from Norovirus feeding trials, for which some of the administered doses were prepared from an inoculum of aggregated viruses. The potential implications of clustering for dose‐response assessment as well as practical risk characterization are discussed.
The Taylor Rule, Wealth Effects and the Exchange Rate
Authors: Wang Rudan , Morley Bruce , Ordóñez Javier
Published: January 2016

In this study, we develop the Taylor rule and Taylor rule‐based exchange rate models that consider wealth effects as represented by both asset prices and asset wealth. Using data for Australia, Sweden, the UK and the USA, we find that effects of asset prices and wealth on the Taylor rule vary depending on the country and on the form that wealth takes. Out‐of‐sample forecasting capacities of the wealth‐augmented Taylor rule model and Taylor rule‐based exchange rate model outperform conventional models and random walk theories for these countries.
The Inkwell of The Russian Messenger: Editorial Politics and the Serialization of Dostoevsky's Demons and Leskov's At Daggers Drawn
Authors: THORSTENSSON VICTORIA
Published: January 2016

This article suggests a new angle from which we can approach the problem of textual and ideological parallels between Dostoevsky’s novel Demons and Leskov’s novel At Dagger Drawn, which were serialized concurrently in the The Russian Messenger in 1870–72. The installments of these novels are read side‐by‐side as they appeared in The Russian Messenger, with a consideration of the context in which they were created, including the specifics of the serialization culture and the editorial practices at the The Russian Messenger. Particular attention is paid to the history of Leskov’s and Dostoevsky’s collaboration in the journal and to the reevaluation of the claims that the intervention by the The Russian Messenger’s editor, Mikhail Katkov, resulted in the negative reception of these novels. By analyzing a practical example of the manner and effects of Katkov's editorial intervention, looking at the October 1871 issue of the The Russian Messenger, the article demonstrates the ways in which, for the editor of the journal, artistic concerns became secondary while his own ideological and polemical agenda took priority.
Silence and Confession in The Brothers Karamazov
Authors: JENS BENJAMIN
Published: January 2016

Silence is an integral part of discourse, shaping our utterances and imparting meaning in a variety of ways. Fyodor Dostoevsky proves to be especially attentive to the communicative possibilities of silence, using the phenomenon in diverse ways in a wide range of contexts in his works. In The Brothers Karamazov Dostoevsky draws on Eastern Orthodox icon theology and tradition to imbue a particular form of silence, molchanie, with the ability to facilitate communion (in the fullest sense of the word) in certain contexts. This use of silence is most clearly articulated by Dmitrii Karamazov in his “Confession of an Ardent Heart,” and practiced by Alesha during the confessions of his brothers Dmitrii and Ivan.
Globalization and Collective Labor Rights
Authors: Blanton Robert , Blanton Shannon Lindsey
Published: January 2016

The impact of globalization has been a perennial source of contention, and issues regarding labor rights have been a visible aspect of this struggle. Despite the popular controversy about a potential “race to the bottom” regarding globalization and labor rights, the empirical record on these linkages remains mixed. Moreover, despite the multifaceted nature of globalization, extant literature in this area has focused purely on several specific facets of economic globalization, such as trade and FDI. We focus on two additional aspects of globalization, social and political integration, as well as a broadly based measure of economic globalization, and examine how they influence collective labor rights—both in terms of labor laws, as well as their enforcement in practice—in the developing world from 1986 to 2002. We find that all three facets of globalization are negatively related to labor rights. Specifically, social, political, and economic globalization are related to the decoupling of labor practices from extant labor laws; that is, labor practices deteriorate while labor laws remain largely unaffected.
Measurement of tear production and intraocular pressure in ducks and geese
Authors: Ansari Mood Maneli , Rajaei Seyed Mehdi , Ghazanfari Hashemi Sohail , Williams David L. , Sadjadi Reza
Published: January 2016

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to establish a reference value of tear production and intraocular pressure in clinically normal ducks and geese.

Animal Studied

The study population consisted of forty‐eight ducks (24 males and 24 females) and fifty‐two geese (26 males and 26 females).

Procedures

Birds were gently physically restrained in dorsoventral position without any pressure to the head and neck. Tear secretion and intraocular pressure were measured using 5‐mm‐wide Schirmer tear test strips and TonoVet® rebound tonometer, respectively.

Results

Overall mean ± 2SD STT and IOP values of all eyes were 6.2 ± 2.2 mm/min and 10.2 ± 2.2 mmHg, respectively, for the ducks; 5.5 ± 2.6 mm/min and 9.1 ± 2.0 mmHg, respectively, for the geese. There was no statistically significant difference in IOP between left eye and right eye or between males and females in ducks (P = 0.56, P = 0.63) and geese (P = 0.23, P = 0.22). Analysis of variance revealed that there were no significant differences in the STT and IOP between the breeds in ducks (P = 0.49, P = 0.68) and geese (P = 0.14, P = 0.26).

Conclusions

Results of this study may be beneficial for the diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of ducks and geese affected with Keratoconjunctivitis sicca, glaucoma, and uveitis.
Supporting Optimization of Complex Product Development Processes Through Simulation: A Case-Study of Thick Film Heaters Development Processes
Authors: Opiyo Eliab Z. , Song Yu , Dorhout Hidde , Kloppers Gerd
Published: January 2016

This paper presents the work we carried out to investigate how to optimize the processes of development of complex products by incorporating finite elements analysis (FEA) and simulation as a design concepts analysis and optimization technique. As a case-study, the processes of development of thick film heater (TFH) subassemblies in a selected TFHs supplying company were explored. The principal challenges we dealt with were twofold, namely: (1) how to optimize the processes of development of TFH subassemblies through FEA and simulation, and (2) how to sync and optimize the TFHs supplying company’s and the original equipment manufacturer’s (OEM’s) development processes. ANalysis SYStem (ANSYS) was used as the FEA and simulation application in this case-study. An empirical study on how some previously executed practical TFHs development processes unfolded was carried out. Practical TFHs design and optimization tasks were analyzed, and a suitable workflow scheme was subsequently created, and its feasibility investigated. The derived workflow scheme is generic in the sense that it accommodates a wide range of FEA and simulation applications, and its applicability is not confined to the processes of development of TFH subassemblies only. The significance of the reported work also lies in the realization of a systematic approach for selecting FEA and simulation application whilst taking into consideration technical, business, and social factors. The overall benefits for a company resorting to using the derived workflow scheme to optimize its product development process include competitive advantage over its competitors, high-quality products at a lower development cost, and more flexibility for its customers.
Additive Manufacturing Technology Potential: A Cleaner Manufacturing Alternative
Authors: Kianian Babak , Larsson Tobias C.
Published: January 2016

This paper focuses on an emerging manufacturing technology called Additive Manufacturing (AM) and its potential to become a more efficient and cleaner manufacturing alternative. This work is built around selected case companies, where the benefit of AM compared to other more traditional technologies is studied through the comparison of resource consumption. The resource consumption is defined as raw materials and energy input. The scope of this work is the application of AM in the scale model kit industry. The method used is the life cycle inventory study, which is a subtype of life cycle assessment (LCA). The result of the paper is the quantification of raw materials and energy consumption. The outcomes shows that AM has higher efficiency in terms of materials usage, as a higher proportion of materials ending up in the final product. Injection Molding (IM), on the other hand, wastes a significant proportion of raw materials in components that are not part of the final product. If the same or similar raw materials are used in both manufacturing methods, the advantage is clearly with AM. However, AM has higher energy consumption in comparison to the injection molding technique (IM). In terms of energy consumption, AM only has an advantage in this area when working with a very low production volume. The analysis of the energy consumption shows that most of the energy used in AM is to create the final product, while IM only uses a fraction of the total energy to produce the final product. AM technologies are still very new but have the potential for development and reduction of energy consumption in the future. Added to this potential is the higher materials usage efficiency of AM, which reduce the waste of materials and the energy, embedded in them. These two factors are likely to position AM as cleaner manufacturing alternative.
The Effect of Front Fork Compliance on the Stability of Bicycles
Authors: Doria Alberto , Taraborrelli Luca , Segliani Nicola
Published: January 2016

In this paper the effect of front fork compliance on uncontrolled bicycle stability is analyzed. First the benchmark model of a bicycle is improved to take into account either torsion compliance or bending compliance of front fork, a lumped element approach is adopted introducing additional joints restrained by rotational springs and dampers. Two models having three degrees of freedom are developed and implemented in MATLAB codes to perform stability analysis. Then series of experimental tests are carried out on an advanced carbon fork and a standard steel fork, the modal analysis approach is adopted. Experimental methods and results are presented and discussed. A specific method is developed for identifying the stiffness and damping properties from the bending and torsion modes of the forks. Results obtained with the proposed method agree with data presented in literature. Finally, the identified stiffness and damping parameters are implemented in the simulation codes and some numerical simulations are carried out. Results presented in the paper show a small influence of torsion compliance on stability and a large influence of bending compliance on high speed stability.
A Surrogate Discrete Element Method for Terramechanics Simulation of Granular Locomotion
Authors: Smith William , Peng Huei
Published: January 2016

Numerical modeling methods, such as the discrete element method (DEM), are an increasingly popular alternative to traditional semi-empirical terramechanics techniques. While DEM has many advantages, including the ability to model more complex running gear and terrain profiles, it has not reached widespread popularity due to its high computation costs. In this study a surrogate DEM model (S-DEM) was developed to maintain the simulation accuracy and capabilities of DEM with reduced computation costs. This marks one of the first surrogate models developed for DEM, and the first known model developed for terramechanics. By storing wheel-soil interaction forces and soil velocities extracted from constant-velocity DEM simulations, S-DEM can quickly perform new dynamic wheel locomotion simulations. Using both DEM and S-DEM, wheel locomotion simulations were performed on flat and rough terrain. S-DEM was found to reproduce drawbar pull and driving torque well in both cases, though wheel sinkage errors were significant at times. Computation costs were reduced by three orders of magnitude in comparison to DEM, bringing the benefits of DEM modeling to vehicle design and control. The techniques used to develop S-DEM may be applicable to other common DEM applications, such as soil drilling, excavating, and plowing.
Isolated Response Curves in a Base-Excited, Two-Degree-of-Freedom, Nonlinear System
Authors: Noël J. P. , Detroux T. , Masset L. , Kerschen G. , Virgin L. N.
Published: January 2016

In the present paper, isolated response curves in a nonlinear system consisting of two masses sliding on a horizontal guide are examined. Transverse springs are attached to one mass to provide the nonlinear restoring force, and a harmonic motion of the complete system is imposed by prescribing the displacement of their supports. Numerical simulations are carried out to study the conditions of existence of isolated solutions, their bifurcations, their merging with the main response branch and their basins of attraction. This is achieved using tools including nonlinear normal modes, energy balance, harmonic balance-based continuation and bifurcation tracking, and global analysis.
Experimental Study on Single Wheel Hub Motor Failures and Their Impact on the Driver-Vehicle Behavior
Authors: Wanner Daniel , Neumann Isabel , Drugge Lars , Cocron Peter , Bierbach Maxim , Trigell Annika Stensson
Published: January 2016

An experimental field study investigating the impact of single wheel hub motor failures on the dynamic behavior of a vehicle and the corresponding driver reaction is presented in this work. The experiment is performed at urban speeds on a closed off test track. The single wheel hub motor failure is emulated with an auxiliary brake system in a modified electric vehicle. Driver reaction times are derived from the measured data and discussed in their experimental context. The failure is rated and evaluated objectively based on the dynamic behavior of the vehicle. Findings indicate that driver reactions are more apparent for the accelerator pedal compared to the steering wheel response. The controllability evaluation of the vehicle behavior shows that no critical traffic situation occurs for the tested failure conditions. However, even small deviations of the vehicle can impair traffic safety, specifically for other traffic participants like bicyclist and pedestrians.
Rack Force Estimation for Electric Power Steering
Authors: Weiskircher Thomas , Fankem Steve , Ayalew Beshah
Published: January 2016

This paper discusses a steering rack force estimation scheme using test-rig generated models. In addition to friction identification, a model of the electric power steering system is identified by the use of the instrumented test-rig. It turns out that the friction in the steering system is highly load-dependent, asymmetric with respect to speed, and shows no Stribeck effects. A LuGre model is adopted and fitted to approximate the measured dynamic friction. Consequently, this model is used in a friction compensator which is combined with a linear disturbance observer to estimate the steering rack force. The proposed estimation scheme is analyzed via evaluated system simulations and experiments on the steering system test-rig. Finally, considering the fact that the friction level varies with each steering device manufactured and installed, the paper discusses algorithms for friction level adaptation.
The Modal Twist Axis: A Method for Describing the Dynamical Characteristics of Single Track Vehicles
Authors: Doria Alberto , Taraborrelli Luca
Published: January 2016

Static and dynamic properties of single-track vehicles components (such as frames, front forks and swing-arms) play a fundamental role from the point of view of vehicle stability, which is a key issue of single-track vehicles dynamics and safety. Nowadays, the stability of a vehicle is studied by means of multi-body codes, in which it is possible to implement models of the tires and of the components of the vehicle. Actually, the chassis and the forks of motorcycles are mechanical systems with distributed mass and stiffness properties, but in most simulation codes the elastic properties of the structural elements are modeled with lumped stiffness and damping elements. Very few research has been carried out on the identification of the lumped elements, of their natural frequencies and damping from laboratory tests.

In the first section of the paper, the concept of modal twist axis is proposed to characterize the dynamic deformability of a structural element. The twist axis is defined as the intersection between the un-deformed plane of the structural element and the plane tangent to the free end of the structural element in deformed condition. If the identification of the twist axis is carried out in resonance condition, the modal twist axis is found. A method for measuring the modal twist axis position and orientation is described. It is based on impulse excitation by means of a modally tuned hammer and three accelerometers which are used for defining the deformed plane.

In the second section of the paper, experimental results obtained on two motorcycle frames are shown. In order to know the modal shapes of the components at the measured natural frequencies, modal analysis is carried out. A correlation between the modal twist axis position and the mode of vibration is shown and discussed. In order to study the influence of the constraints on dynamic properties, the frames are tested in two different constraint conditions: rear constrained and front constrained.

The last section of the paper shows the experimental results obtained by applying the proposed method to other motorcycle components, such as a front fork and a frame with the engine.
A Parametric Amplifier for Weak, Low-Frequency Forces
Authors: Dolev Amit , Bucher Izhak
Published: January 2016

The present work introduces a tunable parametric amplifier (PA) with a hardening, Duffing-type nonlinearity. By introducing a multi-frequency parametric excitation, one is able to achieve both: (i) High amplification of the weak, low-frequency external excitation (ii) Projection of the low frequency on any natural frequency of the system, thus transforming the low frequency excitation to a frequency band where signal levels are considerably higher. Having developed multiple-scales based expressions for the response of such systems, it is demonstrated that (a) The analytical analysis agrees well with numerically obtained simulations. (b) Both the phase, magnitude and spatial projection of this force on any system’s eigenvector can be retrieved by appropriate selection of parameters, with superior signal to noise levels.

Closed form analytic expressions for the sensitivity and gain are derived and analyzed. Additionally, some practical applications envisaged for the proposed method will be outlined.
Multiobjective Optimization Under Uncertainty in Advanced Abrasive Machining Processes via a Fuzzy-Evolutionary Approach
Authors: Abbas Adel T. , Aly Mohamed , Hamza Karim
Published: January 2016

This paper considers multiobjective optimization under uncertainty (MOOUC) for the selection of optimal cutting conditions in advanced abrasive machining processes. Processes considered are water-jet machining, abrasive water-jet machining and ultra-sonic machining. Decisions regarding the cutting conditions can involve optimization for multiple competing goals; such as surface finish, machining time and power consumption. In practice, there is also an issue of variations in the ability to attain the performance goals. This can be due to limitations in machine accuracy or variations in material properties of the workpiece and/or abrasive particles. The approach adopted in this work relies on a Strength Pareto Evolutionary Algorithm (SPEA2) framework, with specially tailored dominance operators to account for probabilistic aspects in the considered multiobjective problem. Deterministic benchmark problems in the literature for the considered machining processes are extended to include performance uncertainty, and then used in testing the performance of the proposed approach. Results of the study show that accounting for process variations through a simple penalty term may be detrimental for the multiobjective optimization. On the other hand, a proposed Fuzzy-tournament dominance operator appears to produce favorable results.
An Innovative Procedure for High Speed Weighing in Motion of Railway Vehicles
Authors: Meli Enrico , D’Adamio Pierluca , Innocenti Alice , Marini Lorenzo , Pugi Luca , Rindi Andrea
Published: January 2016

In the present work the authors propose an innovative estimation algorithm for Weigh-in-motion (WIM) applications with the aim of estimating the axle or wheel loads of a generic train composition, starting from indirect track measurements. The WIM algorithm elaborates the set of experimental physical quantities chosen as track inputs, making use of estimation procedures based on least square minimization techniques. To perform an accurate estimation, the algorithm uses a flexible multibody model of the track and the vehicle. The novelty of the proposed solution is the general approach that allows to manage different kinds of measurement station and signal inputs (both experimental data and simulated ones) and the good robustness against numerical noise. The algorithm has been tested under any operating conditions through a wide simulation campaign, obtaining good results. Future developments will be based on the experimental data provided by Ansaldo STS and ECM SpA that supported the research activity.
Influence of the Hip Joint Modeling Approaches on the Kinematics of Human Gait
Authors: Costa João , Peixoto Joaquim , Moreira Pedro , Souto António Pedro , Flores Fernandes João Paulo , Lankarani Hamid M.
Published: January 2016

The influence of the hip joint formulation on the kinematic response of the model of human gait is investigated throughout this work. To accomplish this goal, the fundamental issues of the modeling process of a planar hip joint under the framework of multibody systems are revisited. In particular, the formulations for the ideal, dry, and lubricated revolute joints are described and utilized for the interaction of femur head inside acetabulum or the hip bone. In this process, the main kinematic and dynamic aspects of hip joints are analyzed. In a simple manner, the forces that are generated during human gait, for both dry and lubricated hip joint models, are computed in terms of the system’s state variables and subsequently introduced into the dynamics equations of motion of the multibody system as external generalized forces. Moreover, a human multibody model is considered, which incorporates the different approaches for the hip articulation, namely ideal joint, dry, and lubricated models. Finally, several computational simulations based on different approaches are performed and the main results presented and compared to identify differences among the methodologies and procedures adopted in this work. In addition some experimental data are presented and analyzed.
Global Parametrization of the Invariant Manifold Defining Nonlinear Normal Modes Using the Koopman Operator
Authors: Cirillo Giuseppe I. , Mauroy Alexandre , Renson Ludovic , Kerschen Gaëtan , Sepulchre Rodolphe
Published: January 2016

Nonlinear normal modes of vibration have been the focus of many studies during the past years and different characterizations of them have been proposed. The present work focuses on damped systems, and considers nonlinear normal mode motions as trajectories lying on an invariant manifold, following the geometric approach of Shaw and Pierre. We provide a novel characterization of the invariant manifold, that rests on the spectral theory of the Koopman operator. A main advantage of the proposed approach is a global parametrization of the manifold, which avoids folding issues arising with the use of displacement-velocity coordinates.
Multi-Modal Knowledge Bases to Facilitate Conceptual Mechanical Design
Authors: Park Yong-Seok , Narsale Sumit Sunil , Mani Pradeep Kumar , Shah Jami J.
Published: January 2016

Over the past several years we have been building a variety of knowledge bases and tools to support conceptual design of mechanical systems. Both intuitive and logical methods have been embedded into system. An interactive system for concept generation and synthesis based on hierarchical morphological charts has been implemented to serve as an organizational framework. Knowledge bases span a wide range of abstraction levels, from physical effects and working principles at one end, to artifact repositories, linkages/mechanisms and common machine elements. Existing knowledge bases from various sources were combined with those developed in-house to create a comprehensive set. User studies on two previous versions of the tool gave us valuable information about enhancements and improvements, both to the knowledge and to the user interface. This paper describes the third incarnation of our Testbed. The methods are now grouped into six modules: Problem Formulation, Re-formulation, Searching for Standard Solutions, Generating sub-solutions from first principles, Gateways to External Resources, Synthesis and Process Monitoring. In addition, users can monitor their state and process. Multilayer morphological charts provide more flexible options as well as customizable solution sets to users. The Testbed is implemented as a web based application implemented in CakePHP (MVC) and PHP. For storing and retrieving data SQLite was used. This Testbed has the dual purpose of design facilitation for novices and for research on conceptual design and creativity.
Parallel Articulated-Cable Exercise Robot (PACER): Novel Home-Based Cable-Driven Parallel Platform Robot for Upper Limb Neuro-Rehabilitation
Authors: Alamdari Aliakbar , Krovi Venkat
Published: January 2016

This paper examines the design, analysis and control of a novel hybrid articulated-cable parallel platform for upper limb rehabilitation in three dimensional space. The proposed lightweight, low-cost, modular reconfigurable parallel-architecture robotic device is comprised of five cables and a single linear actuator which connects a six degrees-of-freedom moving platform to a fixed base. This novel design provides an attractive architecture for implementation of a home-based rehabilitation device as an alternative to bulky and expensive serial robots. The manuscript first examines the kinematic analysis prior to developing the dynamic equations via the Newton-Euler formulation. Subsequently, different spatial motion trajectories are prescribed for rehabilitation of subjects with arm disabilities. A low-level trajectory tracking controller is developed to achieve the desired trajectory performance while ensuing that the unidirectional tensile forces in the cables are maintained. This is now evaluated via a simulation case-study and the development of a physical testbed is underway.
Spatial Grammar for Design Synthesis Targeting Perceptions: Case Study on Beauty
Authors: Perez Mata Marta , Ahmed-Kristensen Saeema , Shea Kristina
Published: January 2016

Tools to aid designers achieve specific perceptions through the aesthetics of their products are needed in order to compete and stand out in the current consumer society. This research aims to develop a spatial grammar to include perceptions. This is conducted through a case study where rules from previous research are used to guide the spatial grammar development and generation of solutions. Results show that it is possible to develop a spatial grammar to design for perception rules extracted from consumers using Semantic Differential (SD) scales and advanced statistics. These elements combined can generate a tool that provides designers with many new aesthetically pleasing solutions. The Spapper module within the FreeCAD software is used for the implementation. Initial work examines only two perception rules (simplicity and tall), and shows the need for the third (curves) to obtain the expected results. Future work should focus on expanding the shapes available for generation (i.e. 3D primitives) to include spheres, ellipsoids, tori, revolved profiles and sweeps, which could increase the number of valid solutions.
Solution Space Exploration in Model-Based Realization of Engineered Systems
Authors: Sabeghi Maryam , Smith Warren , Allen Janet K. , Mistree Farrokh
Published: January 2016

George Box a British mathematician and professor of statistics wrote that “essentially, all models are wrong, but some are useful.” In keeping with George Box’s observation we suggest that in the model-based realization of complex systems, the decision maker must be able to work constructively with decision models of varying fidelity, completeness and accuracy in order to make defendable decisions under uncertainty. The models, and the search algorithms that use these models, will never be perfect and the inherent inaccuracy and incompleteness of analysis models and solvers manifest as uncertainties in the projected outcomes. Therefore, a significant and desirable step in any model-based application is to find stable and robust solutions in which variation of the (input) variables and parameters within manageable tolerances has the minimum effect on delivering favorable, system performance. In this paper we present a method for visualizing and exploring the solution space using the compromise Decision Support Problem (cDSP) as a decision model to aid a decision maker in finding these stable and robust solutions.

The efficacy of the method is illustrated using the design of a shell and tube heat exchanger as an example. The method is generalizable to other decision constructs. Our emphasis is on the method rather than the results per se.
A 3D Printing Vending Machine and its Impact on the Democratization of 3D Printing on a College Campus
Authors: Bashyam Sanjai , Kuhn Joshua , Seepersad Carolyn Conner
Published: January 2016

The Innovation Station is a 3D printing vending machine that provides on-demand, internet-enabled 3D printing to all students on The University of Texas at Austin campus. It was designed and built by the authors, who also operate the machine throughout the academic year. This paper introduces the Innovation Station and describes insights and lessons learned from operating the machine for its first academic semester. User statistics and common user mistakes are described, and a designer’s guide is provided to make it easier for first-time users to 3D print successfully.
Multi-Objective Optimization of Gas Blend Alternative Refrigerants for Vapor-Compression Refrigeration Systems
Authors: El-Morsi Mohamed , Hamza Karim
Published: January 2016

This paper presents a theoretical study on optimizing the mixing ratios of hydrocarbon blends to be used as refrigerants in existing refrigeration equipment. The primary objective is to maximize the coefficient of performance. The gas blending optimization problem is posed in a multi-objective framework, where the optimization seeks to generate Pareto optimal solutions that span the trade-off frontier between coefficient of performance versus deviation from a desired volumetric refrigeration capacity, while adhering to a maximum compression ratio. Design variables in the optimization are the mass fractions of hydrocarbon gases in the blend. A domain reduction scheme is introduced, which allows for efficient conduction of exhaustive search, with up to three hydrocarbon gases in the blend. While exhaustive search guarantees that the obtained solutions are global optima, the computational resources it requires scale poorly as the number of design variables increase. Two alternative approaches, (multi-start SQP) and (NSGA-II) are also tested for solving the optimization problem. Numerical simulation case studies for replacement of R12, R22 and R134a with hydrocarbon blends of isobutane, propane and propylene show agreement between solution methods that good compromises are possible to achieve, but a small loss in coefficient of performance is inevitable.
Trajectory Control of Snake-Like Robots in Operational Space Using a Double Layer Sliding Mode Controller
Authors: Haghshenas-Jaryani Mahdi , Vossoughi GholamReza
Published: January 2016

This paper presents operational space control of snake-like robots for tracking designated paths using a double layer sliding mode control algorithm. The snake robot has n links with assumed lateral sliding that leads to n+2 degrees-of-freedom (DOF) while it has only n-1 actuator at joints and therefore it is underactuated. Kinematic constraints were determined which describe the geometric relationship between the position of links’ mass center and the joints’ relative angle. The outer layer (loop) of the controller was designed to modulate the parameters of the serpenoid curve using the kinematic constraints in order to the mass center of links follow different designated paths. The inner layer of sliding mode controller was developed to guarantee tracking of the modulated serpenoidal pattern by the snake robot’s joints. In this work, Kane’s method was used to model the robot dynamics with a Coulomb friction for interaction with ground. Uncertainty with an upper bound was considered for the model parameters. To demonstrate the effectiveness of the designed controller in presence of uncertainties, the double layer controller was examined on a four links snake-like robot with uncertain model parameters in tracking of a straight line and a circular path. Simulation results are presented in support of the proposed idea.