Other Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

The Moderating Effect Of Network Centrality On The Relationship Between Work Experience Variables And Organizational Commitment, Luke M. Kaspari

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to identify the effect of an individual's network position on the relationship between work experience variables and affective commitment. This study tested three hypotheses, which were introduced through a comprehensive literature review, regarding the relationships between work experience variables and affective commitment. Research has indicated linkages between social network centrality and organizational commitment; however, the specific effects of centrality remain unclear. Therefore, this research developed and tested a moderation model to identify relationships between network centrality, affective commitment, and three work experience variables: psychological empowerment (PE), leader-member exchange (LMX), and perceived organizational support (POS). …

Polyparking, Christopher Blackmer, Michael Suttie

Biomedical Engineering

The purpose of this senior project is to analyze the various options for the implementation of a parking lot information system on the California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo campus. This system would involve three main components: physical counting hardware, a database and analysis organization system, and a user interface for disseminating the gathered information. The project investigates and provides commentary on various available and commonplace systems, and the benefits and drawbacks of these systems. During the course of the project, a flexible database and user-interface was developed in Microsoft Access, which will allow counter output to be gathered …

Evaluating Food Safety Systems Development And Implementation By Quantifying Haccp Training Durability, Marienne A. Anandappa

Theses and Dissertations--Animal and Food Sciences

HACCP-based food safety programs have been widely acclaimed, accepted and implemented as an effective means of managing food safety risks. While HACCP training is a cornerstone of managing HACCP programs, there is little information about the effectiveness of HACCP training and the durability of HACCP knowledge. Findings reveal a link between involvement level in HACCP activities and the accuracy of HACCP knowledge over time. Opportunities for peer training in HACCP, irrespective of overall experience in the food industry provide favorable circumstances for maintaining accuracy of HACCP knowledge. The optimal window for engaging employees in HACCP is directly following the completion …

A Neurophysiologic Study Of Visual Fatigue In Stereoscopic Related Displays, Hanniebey Dolphyne Nutung-Wiyor

Dissertations

Two tasks were investigated in this study. The first study investigated the effects of alignment display errors on visual fatigue. The experiment revealed the following conclusive results: First, EEG data suggested the possibility of cognitively-induced time compensation changes due to a corresponding effect in real-time brain activity by the eyes trying to compensate for the alignment. The magnification difference error showed more significant effects on all EEG band waves, which were indications of likely visual fatigue as shown by the prevalence of simulator sickness questionnaire (SSQ) increases across all task levels. Vertical shift errors were observed to be prevalent in …

An Augmented Interaction Strategy For Designing Human-Machine Interfaces For Hydraulic Excavators, Joseph Akyeampong

Dissertations

Lack of adequate information feedback and work visibility, and fatigue due to repetition have been identified as the major usability gaps in the human-machine interface (HMI) design of modern hydraulic excavators that subject operators to undue mental and physical workload, resulting in poor performance. To address these gaps, this work proposed an innovative interaction strategy, termed “augmented interaction”, for enhancing the usability of the hydraulic excavator. Augmented interaction involves the embodiment of heads-up display and coordinated control schemes into an efficient, effective and safe HMI. Augmented interaction was demonstrated using a framework consisting of three phases: Design, Implementation/Visualization, and Evaluation …

Modeling Decision Making In Trauma Centers From The Standpoint Of Complex Adaptive Systems, Castanon De Policarpo

Dissertations

This research examines complex clinical decision-making processes in trauma center units of hospitals in terms of the impact of complexity on the medical team involved in the trauma event. The science of complex adaptive systems together with human judgment theories provide important concepts and tools for responding to health care challenges in this century and beyond. Clinical decision-makers in trauma centers are placed in urgent and anxious situations that are increasingly complex, making decision-making and problem-solving processes multifaceted. Under stressful circumstances, physicians must derive their decision-making schemas (―internal models‖ or ―mental models‖) without the benefits of judicious identification, evaluation, and/or …

A Decision Support System For The Intelligence Satellite Analyst, Gi Yeon Park

Dissertations

The study developed a decision support system known as Visual Analytic Cognitive Model (VACOM) to support the Intelligence Analyst (IA) in satellite information processing task within a Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) domain. As a visual analytics, VACOM contains the image processing algorithms, a cognitive network of the IA mental model, and a Bayesian belief model for satellite information processing. A cognitive analysis tool helps to identify eight knowledge levels in a satellite information processing. These are, spatial, prototypical, contextual, temporal, semantic, pragmatic, intentional, and inferential knowledge levels, respectively. A cognitive network was developed for each knowledge level with data input from …

Using Modelling And Simulation To Improve Elderly Care In Ireland: A Case Study, Amr Arisha, Mohamed Ragab, Wael Rashwan, Waleed Abo-Hamad

Articles

Health care services both globally and domestically - are encountering critical issues due to the increasing demand for services at the time of economic recession. Hospital performance is subject to many constraints, and planning is made more difficult by the complexity and uncertainty of demand. Population ageing is creating immense pressures on healthcare facilities across the world, leaving them struggling to cope with the growing demand for elderly healthcare services. Current demand-supply gaps result in prolonged waiting times for patients and substantial cost burdens for healthcare systems due to delayed discharges. This paper reports on a project that uses modelling …

Testing The Fuel Efficiency Of Tractors With Continuously Variable And Standard Geared Transmissions, Christopher N. Howard, Michael F. Kocher, Roger M. Hoy, Erin E. Blankenship

Biological Systems Engineering: Papers and Publications

A John Deere 8295R IVT tractor with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and a John Deere 8295R PowerShift (PST) tractor with a standard geared transmission (GT) were tested for fuel consumption at three different travel speeds with six different load levels applied per speed. The JD 8295R PST tractor was tested both at full throttle (FT) and shifted up two gears and throttled back (SUTB) to achieve the same travel speed as at full throttle. For each travel speed with each transmission mode, fuel consumption was determined to be linearly related to drawbar power. Linear regression analyses were performed, and …

Investigation Into The Measure, Correlate And Predict Methodologies Used In Wind Farm Design Software, Brendan O'Sullivan

Theses

This paper is focused on the Measure Correlate and Predict (MCP) methodologies used to estimate long term wind resource at a prospective site. The first common step in all MCP methodologies is a successful wind measurement campaign at the prospective site. This campaign involves the erection of a wind measurement mast (ideally to the hub height of the proposed turbine) and careful selection of booms, mountings and anemometers. The wind measurement campaign is a vital part of the process as the correlation and prediction analysis is only as accurate as the measured wind data. Correlation is a measure of the …

Perceptions And Rankings Of Technology Management Competencies, Mark Doggett, Pam Mcgee, Sophia Scott

Mark Doggett

2012 Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE) Conference Proceedings In 2010, the ATMAE Management Division set out to define an applicable technology management body of knowledge using a collection of core competencies. The research incorporated existing models, industry opinions, and educator experts. ATMAE members at both the 2010 and 2011 conferences reviewed initial versions of the competency model. In addition, the model was benchmarked against existing literature and research. The researchers found consistency within the initial versions of the competency model. Interested scholars may find the initial model and supporting rationale in the 2011 ATMAE conference proceedings. This …

What Is Wrong With Space System Cost Models? A Survey And Assessment Of Cost Estimating Approaches, Shari Keller

Von Braun Symposium Student Posters

No abstract provided.

Effective Measurement Of Reliability Of Repairable Usaf Systems, Louis J. Hogge

Theses and Dissertations

The USAF generally does not know the reliability of its fielded repairable systems. The reported metric, Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF), is too lagging to be actionable in the best case, and is not representative of actual system reliability in the worst case. This thesis investigates the statistical techniques for measurement and analysis of the reliability of fielded repairable systems, which are very different than nonrepairables. To frame the investigation, a comparison is made between the generally accepted definitions and metrics and those used across the US Air Force (USAF). Reliability can be analyzed in four context areas: reliability prediction …

Solving Combinatorial Optimization Problems Using Genetic Algorithms And Ant Colony Optimization, Gautham Puttur Rajappa

Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation presents metaheuristic approaches in the areas of genetic algorithms and ant colony optimization to combinatorial optimization problems.

Ant colony optimization for the split delivery vehicle routing problem

An Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) based approach is presented to solve the Split Delivery Vehicle Routing Problem (SDVRP). SDVRP is a relaxation of the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP) wherein a customer can be visited by more than one vehicle. The proposed ACO based algorithm is tested on benchmark problems previously published in the literature. The results indicate that the ACO based approach is competitive in both solution quality and solution …

Experimental Investigation Of Hard And Brittle Materials Machining Using Micro Rotary Ultrasonic Machining, Amey V. Patwardhan

Industrial and Management Systems Engineering -- Dissertations and Student Research

The demand for miniaturized device and components is rapidly increasing in fields of aerospace, energy, optics, electronics and communication, automation and medical. Rotary Ultrasonic Machining (RUM) is capable of machining hard and brittle materials such as advanced ceramics, glass and silicon used in many industries. Rotary Ultrasonic Machining (RUM) is a hybrid machining process in which material is removed by conventional grinding and ultrasonic machining. Micro RUM is a downscaled version of a macro RUM and is similar to micro Ultrasonic Machining (micro USM), where the vibration takes place in work piece instead of tool.

The goal of this thesis …

The Effect Of Streamwise Vortices On The Frost Growth Rate In Developing Laminar Channel Flows, Brian Storey, Anthony Jacobi

Brian Storey

An experimental study is presented to assess the influence of streamwise vortices on frost growth in a steady, developing, laminar channel flow. Using a simple model and scale analysis, frost growth rate (ablimation) data are normalized with respect to temperature, humidity and time. Measurements from baseline experiments in a rectangular channel are found to be accurately correlated using the proposed scaling relation. Upon introducing streamwise vortices in the channel flow, frost growth still follows the scaling relation, but local growth rates were observed to increase by more than 7% in regions where the streamwise vortices induce a surface-normal flow toward …

Case Study: The Optimization Of Information Flow & Organization In Software Development, Farshad Madani, Bing Wang, Xiaowen Wang, Corey White, Liying Wang

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

Trial and error are inevitable in the process of software development; the redesign is wasteful when unfocused communication occurs within the development process. To speed up this development process, we optimized the information flow and redesigned the development organization into chunks. First, we investigated the information flow between tasks and coupled tasks into phases utilizing the Design Structure Matrix (DSM) so that the information exchange among chunks of tasks is as few as possible. In this way, the redundant iterations of tasks are eliminated. Meanwhile, we also grouped the engineers into groups according to the tasks, in this; we eliminated …

Development And Validation Of A Model For Granular Material Volume Measurements, Pourya Fasounaki

Industrial and Management Systems Engineering -- Dissertations and Student Research

Keeping inventory record of packed grains in silos poses challenges since the bulk material’s different segments do not discharge uniformly, leading to formation of random peaks and valleys on the surface. To facilitate obtaining accurate volume measurement of the grains by taking into account this non-linear behavior on the surface, laser or plumb-bob level-sensing devices are employed at different part of the surface to probe the level of material under those regions.

The main goals of this research is to study the behavior of granular material in silo while discharging downward and by doing so, differentiate certain flow patterns formed …

Rfid For Inventory Of Medical Records, Johny Wu

Biomedical Engineering

The purpose of this project is to explore the feasibility and economic viability of the implementation of a radio frequency identification (RFID) system in a large-scale, medical office setting. Practitioners in fields such as; medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers do not have a sufficient method for tracking filing forms. RFID has the potential to reduce wait time, improve checking-in time, and decrease the possibility of interchanging documents between patients.

The purpose of this RFID system is to improve upon the filing system already in place in any office setting. The major consideration behind this …

Patent Analysis For Smart Grid Development In The U.S, Abrahim Abdulsater, Bahareh Saatchi, Farshad Madani

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

By increasing demand for energy among nations the rate of fossil fuel consumption is boosting. The raise of fossil fuel consumption has motivated nations to gain some capabilities for the purpose of dealing with some consequences; the more fossil fuel consumption, the higher price for energy, and the higher rate of GHG as well. Recently smart grid technology has been introduced as a healing approach in terms of using energy more efficiently. This study made an effort to have some discussions around smart grid technology development in the United States by patent analysis and forecasting. The outcomes in both technology …