Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Deterministic Global 3d Fractal Cloud Model For Synthetic Scene Generation, Aaron M. Schinder, Shannon R. Young, Bryan J. Steward, Michael L. Dexter, Andrew Kondrath, Stephen Hinton, Ricardo Davila

Faculty Publications

This paper describes the creation of a fast, deterministic, 3D fractal cloud renderer for the AFIT Sensor and Scene Emulation Tool (ASSET). The renderer generates 3D clouds by ray marching through a volume and sampling the level-set of a fractal function. The fractal function is distorted by a displacement map, which is generated using horizontal wind data from a Global Forecast System (GFS) weather file. The vertical windspeed and relative humidity are used to mask the creation of clouds to match realistic large-scale weather patterns over the Earth. Small-scale detail is provided by the fractal functions which are tuned to …

Could Our Universe Have Been Initiated Intentionally: An Epistemological Framework, Dan Broadbent

Faculty Publications

The possibility that our universe was initiated intentionally is a compelling philosophical and scientific question that can be evaluated probabilistically based on four primary considerations: fine-tuning in our universe, hypotheses about the multiverse, the likelihood that intelligent life may be able to initiate a universe, and the possibility that we live in a simulation. This paper offers an equation analogous to the noteworthy Drake equation that is intended to be used as a structured thought experiment to help identify factors related to the initiation of our universe and to facilitate examining each in terms of what we know, do not …

Improving Safety Service Patrol Performance, Mecit Cetin, Hong Yang, Kun Xie, Sherif Ishak, Guocong Zhai, Junqing Wang, Giridhar Kattepogu

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

Safety Service Patrols (SSPs) provide motorists with assistance free of charge on most freeways and some key primary roads in Virginia. This research project is focused on developing a tool to help the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) optimize SSP routes and schedules (hereafter called SSP-OPT). The computational tool, SSP-OPT, takes readily available data (e.g., corridor and segment lengths, turnaround points, average annual daily traffic) and outputs potential SSP configurations that meet the desired criteria and produce the best possible performance metrics for a given corridor. At a high level, the main components of the developed tool include capabilities to: …

Acceleration Of U.S. Southeast And Gulf Coast Sea-Level Rise Amplified By Internal Climate Variability, Sönke Dangendorf, Noah Hendricks, Qiang Sun, John Klinck, Tal Ezer, Thomas Frederikse, Francisco M. Calafat, Thomas Wahl, Torbjörn E. Törnqvist

CCPO Publications

While there is evidence for an acceleration in global mean sea level (MSL) since the 1960s, its detection at local levels has been hampered by the considerable influence of natural variability on the rate of MSL change. Here we report a MSL acceleration in tide gauge records along the U.S. Southeast and Gulf coasts that has led to rates (>10 mm yr⁻¹ since 2010) that are unprecedented in at least 120 years. We show that this acceleration is primarily induced by an ocean dynamic signal exceeding the externally forced response from historical climate model simulations. However, when the …

2022-10 Computing Longitudinal Moments For Heterogeneous Agent Models, Sergio Ocampo, Baxter Robinson

Department of Economics Research Reports

Computing population moments for heterogeneous agent models is a necessary step for their estimation and evaluation. Computation based on Monte Carlo methods is usually time- and resource-consuming because it involves simulating a large sample of agents and potentially tracking them over time. We argue in favor of an alternative method for computing both cross-sectional and longitudinal moments that exploits the endogenous Markov transition function that defines the stationary distribution of agents in the model. The method relies on following the distribution of populations of interest by iterating forward the Markov transition function rather than focusing on a simulated sample of …

Exploring Shared Trauma In The Time Of Covid: A Simulation-Based Survey Study Of Mental Health Clinicians, Kenta Asakura, Ruxandra M. Gheorghe, Danielle Rieger, Sarah Tarshis, Stephanie Borgen, Amedeo D'Angiullibrought

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

From fear of contracting the virus, isolation from physical distancing, to navigating lifework balance, the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to leave long-lasting psychosocial impacts on many. Shared trauma refers to similar psychological reactions to an extraordinary community event when experienced by both the clinicians and clients. We examined the experiences mong mental health clinicians in Canada and the United States (n = 196) in this online survey study during the second phase of the pandemic (Spring 2021). In addition to using traditional survey items (e.g., demographics, scales, and short answers), we also used video-recorded Simulated Clients (SC; i.e., professional actors) …

A Gamefied Synthetic Environment For Evaluation Of Counter-Disinformation Solutions, Jesse Richman, Lora Pitman, Girish S. Nandakumar

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

This paper presents a simulation-based approach to countering online dis/misinformation. This disruptive technology experiment incorporated a synthetic environment component, based on adapted SIR epidemiological model to evaluate and visualize the effectiveness of suggested solutions to the issue. The participants in the simulation were given a realistic scenario depicting a dis/misinformation threat and were asked to select a number of solutions, described in IoS (Ideas-of-Systems) cards. During the event, the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the IoS cards, were tested in a synthetic environment (SEN), built after a Susceptible-Infected-Resistant (SIR) model. The participants, divided into teams, presented and justified their dis/misinformation …

Combining Green Metrics And Digital Twins For Sustainability Planning And Governance Of Smart Buildings And Cities, Casey R. Corrado, Suzanne M. Delong, Emily G. Holt, Edward Y. Hua, Andreas Tolk

VMASC Publications

Creating a more sustainable world will require a coordinated effort to address the rise of social, economic, and environmental concerns resulting from the continuous growth of cities. Supporting planners with tools to address them is pivotal, and sustainability is one of the main objectives. Modeling and simulation augmenting digital twins can play an important role to implement these tools. Although various green best practices have been utilized over time and there are related attempts at measuring green success, works in the published literature tend to focus on addressing a single problem (e.g., energy efficiency), and a comprehensive approach that takes …

Human Ergonomic Simulation To Support The Design Of An Exoskeleton For Lashing/De-Lashing Operations Of Containers Cargo, Francesco Longo, Antonio Padovano, Vittorio Solina, Virginia D' Augusta, Stefan Venzl, Roberto Calbi, Michele Bartuni, Ornella Anastasi, Rafael Diaz

VMASC Publications

Lashing and de-lashing operations of containers cargo on board containerships are considered as quite strenuous activities in which operators are required to work continuously over a 6 or 8 hours shift with very limited break. This is mostly because containerships need to leave the port as soon as possible and containers loading and unloading operations must be executed with very high productivity (stay moored in a port is a totally unproductive time for a ship and a loss-making business for a shipping company). Operators performing lashing and de-lashing operations are subjected to intense ergonomic stress and uncomfortable working postures. To …

Exploring Blockchain Adoption Supply Chains: Opportunities And Challenges, Adrian V. Gheorghe, Omer F. Keskin, Farinaz Sabz Ali Pour

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Faculty Publications

In modern supply chains, acquisition often occurs with the involvement of a network of organizations. The resilience, efficiency, and effectiveness of supply networks are crucial for the viability of acquisition. Disruptions in the supply chain require adequate communication infrastructure to ensure resilience. However, supply networks do not have a shared information technology infrastructure that ensures effective communication. Therefore decision-makers seek new methodologies for supply chain management resilience. Blockchain technology offers new decentralization and service delegation methods that can transform supply chains and result in a more flexible, efficient, and effective supply chain. This report presents a framework for the application …

Network Modeling Of Hurricane Evacuation Using Data-Driven Demand And Incident-Induced Capacity Loss Models, Yuan Zhu, Kaan Ozbay, Kun Xie, Hong Yang, Ender Foruk Morgul

Civil & Environmental Engineering Faculty Publications

The development of a hurricane evacuation simulation model is a crucial task in emergency management and planning. Two major issues affect the reliability of an evacuation model: one is estimations of evacuation traffic based on socioeconomic characteristics, and the other is capacity change and its influence on evacuation outcome due to traffic incidents in the context of hurricanes. Both issues can impact the effectiveness of emergency planning in terms of evacuation order issuance, and evacuation route planning. The proposed research aims to investigate the demand and supply modeling in the context of hurricane evacuations. This methodology created three scenarios for …

Using Simulation As An Investigative Methodology In Researching Competencies Of Clinical Social Work Practice: A Scoping Review, Kenta Asakura, Ruxandra M. Gheorghe, Stephanie Borgen, Karen Sewell, Heather Macdonald

School for Social Work: Faculty Publications

This article reports a scoping review designed to synthesize current literature that used simulation as an investigative methodology (simulation-based research; SBR) in researching practice competencies in clinical social work. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s scoping review framework, 24 articles were included in this scoping review. The majority of articles reported SBR studies conducted in Canada and the U.S. and were published in the last 10 years, signifying that this is a burgeoning area of research in clinical social work. Areas of clinical competencies included professional decision-making (33%), the role of cognition and emotion (21%), attending to culture and diversity (21%), and …

Population Structure Drives Cultural Diversity In Finite Populations: A Hypothesis For Localized Community Patterns On Rapa Nui (Easter Island, Chile), Carl P. Lipo, Robert J. Dinapoli, Mark E. Madsen, Terry L. Hunt

Anthropology Faculty Scholarship

Understanding how and why cultural diversity changes in human populations remains a central topic of debate in cultural evolutionary studies. Due to the effects of drift, small and isolated populations face evolutionary challenges in the retention of richness and diversity of cultural information. Such variation, however, can have significant fitness consequences, particularly when environmental conditions change unpredictably, such that knowledge about past environments may be key to long-term persistence. Factors that can shape the outcomes of drift within a population include the semantics of the traits as well as spatially structured social networks. Here, we use cultural transmission simulations to …

Innovative Virtual Role Play Simulations For Managing Substance Use Conversations: Pilot Study Results And Relevance During And After Covid-19, Glenn Albright, Nikita Khalid, Kristen Shockley, Kelsey Robinson, Kevin Hughes, Bethany Pace-Danley

Publications and Research

Background: Substance use places a substantial burden on our communities, both economically and socially. In light of COVID-19, it is predicted that as many as 75,000 more people will die from alcohol and other substance use and suicide as a result of isolation, new mental health concerns, and various other stressors related to the pandemic. Public awareness campaigns that aim to destigmatize substance use and help individuals have meaningful conversations with friends, coworkers, or family members to address substance use concerns are a timely and cost-effective means of augmenting existing behavioral health efforts related to substance use. These types of …

Safety Considerations For All Road Users On Edge Lane Roads, Michael Williams, Marcial Lamera, Aleksander Bauranov, Carole Voulgaris, Anurag Pande

Mineta Transportation Institute

Edge lane roads (ELRs), also known as advisory bike lanes or advisory shoulders, are a type of shared street where two-way motor vehicle (MV) traffic shares a single center lane, and edge lanes on either side are preferentially reserved for vulnerable road users (VRUs). This work comprises a literature review, an investigation of ELRs’ operational characteristics and potential road user interactions via simulation, and a study of crash data from existing American and Australian ELRs.

The simulation evaluated the impact of various factors (e.g., speed, volume, directional split, etc.) on ELR operation. Results lay the foundation for a siting criterion. …

A Covid-19 Teaching Example: Pooled Testing With Microsoft Excel, Humberto Barreto

Economics and Management Faculty publications

This paper uses pooled testing as a teaching example for undergraduate statistics, econometrics, or quantitative methods courses. It offers step-by-step instructions to create an Excel spreadsheet that uses Monte Carlo simulation to find the optimal group size for a given infection rate. A completed version of the spreadsheet, along with readings, questions, and analytical solution is available at tiny.cc/pooledtesting.

Pilot Project: Developing A Standardized Evidence-Based Education Process For Nurses To Enhance New Medication Eduction Of Hospitalized Patients With Heart Failure, Michele Ann Crotteau

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Problem Description: Research has shown that health information is difficult for the average adult to understand while clear communication helps patients feel involved and increases adherence to treatment. The Joint Commission recommends Health Literacy (HL) assessment and the use of the Teach Back Method (TBM). Medication errors that occur between the RN and elderly patient are preventable when the RN communicates effectively about the patient’s medications. A paucity of research exists evaluating TBM for nurse-patient communications. This Quality Improvement (QI) Pilot Project (PP) took place over 3-months, aimed to improve new medication education to elderly patients with Heart Failure (HF). …

Computational Simulation Of Eccentrically Loaded Circular Thin-Walled Concrete-Filled Double Steel Tubular Slender Columns, Mizan Ahmed, Qing Liang, Vipulkumar Patel, Muhammad N. S Hadi

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The concrete confinement provided by the circular steel tubes improves the performance of circular concretefilled double steel tubular (CFDST) columns, which have increasingly been employed as high-performance structural members in tall buildings. This paper presents computational and design models for the simulation and design of high strength CFDST slender columns composed of circular thin-walled sections that are eccentrically loaded. The formulation of the computational model is described, which takes into account the influences of concrete confinement, geometric imperfection, second-order, gradual plasticity of steel, and geometric and material nonlinearities. The inverse quadratic method is implemented in computational algorithms which solve the …

Fiber Element Simulation Of Interaction Behavior Of Local And Global Buckling In Axially Loaded Rectangular Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Slender Columns Under Fire Exposure, Ghanim Mohammed Kamil, Qing Quan Liang, Muhammad N. S Hadi

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Slender rectangular thin-walled concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns in composite building structures exposed to fire may experience the interaction of local and global buckling. Numerical investigations on the interaction buckling responses of such columns under fire exposure have been rarely reported. This paper describes a fiber-based computational model for the prediction of the fire-resistance and interaction responses of local and global buckling of concentrically-loaded slender CFST columns made of rectangular sections exposed to fire. The thermal analysis is undertaken to calculate the distribution of temperatures in the column cross-section considering the effects of the air gap between concrete and steel, …

Nonlinear Post-Fire Simulation Of Concentrically Loaded Rectangular Thin-Walled Concrete-Filled Steel Tubular Short Columns Accounting For Progressive Local Buckling, Ghanim Mohammed Kamil, Qing Quan Liang, Muhammad N. S Hadi

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The repair of fire-damaged thin-walled rectangular concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns in engineering structures after fire exposure requires the assessment of their residual strength and stiffness. Existing numerical models have not accounted for the effects of local buckling on the post-fire behavior of CFST columns with rectangular thin-walled sections. This paper describes a nonlinear post-fire simulation technique underlying the theory of fiber analysis for determining the residual strengths and post-fire responses of concentrically loaded short thin-walled rectangular CFST columns accounting for progressive local buckling. The post-fire stress-strain laws for concrete in rectangular CFST columns are proposed based on available test …

Chemical Clogging Of Granular Media Under Acidic Groundwater Conditions-Experimental Simulation, Buddhima Indraratna, Subhani Kanchanama Medawela, Senura Athuraliya, Ana Heitor, Pankaj Baral

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Generation of acidic groundwater attributed to pyrite oxidation in low-lying acid sulfate soil causes substantial damage to the soil-water environment and civil infrastructure. The installation of Permeable Reactive Barrier (PRB) is a frontier technology in the field of acid neutralisation and for removing toxic heavy metal cations, e.g. soluble Fe and Al. This study aims to assess the potential of limestone (calcite) aggregates as the PRB's main reactive material in low-lying pyritic land. During long-term laboratory column experiments, a significant capacity of limestone for removing the contaminant chemical species was observed. Nevertheless, the formation of secondary mineral precipitates upon geochemical …

Performance Simulation And Evaluation Of Net Zero Energy Buildings In An Australian Coastal Climate, Joel Anderson, Duane A. Robinson, Zhenjun Ma

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Net zero energy buildings (NZEB) are becoming more common, and as new energy saving designs and technologies become available, the ability to estimate overall energy use and understand the impact on operation of building appliances will become important. This paper outlines simulation results of performance improvements achieved by modifying various components (glazing, lighting, thermal comfort settings) of two tertiary education NZEBs and a typical modern commercial building. The DesignBuilder models' thermal performance and energy consumption were validated using real data from case study buildings. The work shows validating models of smaller, less conven-tional, buildings is more difficult than for larger …

A Systems Dynamics Simulation Study Of Network Public Opinion Evolution Mechanism, Ge Gao, Tianyong Wang, Xianrong Zheng, Yong Chen, Xiaobo Xu

Information Technology & Decision Sciences Faculty Publications

The factors that affect formation and dissemination of public opinion have been studied for a long time. However, the findings are disparate and fragmented, given the characteristics of netizens and new media in the Big Data era. To this end, this article introduces eight mechanisms working on formation and dissemination of public opinion on network. Based on system dynamics, this article further proposes a comprehensive causal relationship model to explore the factors affecting the consequence of public opinion on network. Particularly, the role of government is taken into consideration in this model. A simulation with Vensim PLE is conducted. The …

Simulations Grow Nursing Students’ Real-Life Experience, Mark D. Weinstein

News Releases

Cedarville University’s school of nursing is already known for developing highly prepared health care professionals, but since the construction of its high-fidelity simulation center in 2012, the school of nursing has increased the use of hands-on learning in clinical courses. This should ensure that Cedarville meets and exceeds industry standards for years to come.

Adjusting For Guessing And Applying A Statistical Test To The Disaggregation Of Value-Added Learning Scores, Ben O. Smith, Jamie Wagner

Economics Faculty Publications

In 2016, Walstad and Wagner developed a procedure to split pre-test and post-test responses into four learning types: positive, negative, retained, and zero learning. This disaggregation is not only useful in academic studies; but also provides valuable insight to the practitioner: an instructor would take different mitigating actions in response to zero versus negative learning. However, the original disaggregation is sensitive to student guessing. This article extends the original work by accounting for guessing and provides adjusted estimators using the existing disaggregated values. Further, Monte Carlo simulations of the adjusted learning type estimates are provided. Under certain assumptions, an instructor …

Iterative Design Of A Simulation-Based Module For Teaching Evolution By Natural Selection, Jody Clarke-Midura, Denise S. Pope, Susan Maruca, Joel K. Abraham, Eli Meir

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: This research builds on a previous study that looked at the effectiveness of a simulation-based module for teaching students about the process of evolution by natural selection. While the previous study showed that the module was successful in teaching how natural selection works, the research uncovered some weaknesses in the design. In this paper, we used design-based research to investigate how design changes to the module affected not only students’ understanding of the concepts but also their usage of misconceptions in the assessments. We present results from two studies. In study 1, we looked at gains in understanding …

Two Decades Of Advancement In Process Simulation Testing Of Ballast Strength, Deformation, And Degradation, Buddhima Indraratna, Ngoc Trung Ngo, Sanjay Nimbalkar, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This paper describes salient features of a set of large-scale ballast testing equipment developed at the University of Wollongong, Australia, and how the test results and research outcomes have contributed to transforming tracks in the Australian heavy haul and commuter networks, particularly with regards to the strength, deformation, and degradation of ballast. Ideally, ballast assemblies should be tested in prototype scale under actual loading conditions. This is because a reduction in particle sizes for testing in smaller equipment can reduce the internal angle of friction (shearing resistance) of the granular assembly in a macro sense, and the angularity of the …

Criteria To Confirm Models That Simulate Deforestation And Carbon Disturbance, Robert Gilmore Pontius

Geography

The Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) recommends the Figure of Merit (FOM) as a possible metric to confirm models that simulate deforestation baselines for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD). The FOM ranges from 0% to 100%, where larger FOMs indicate more-accurate simulations. VCS requires that simulation models achieve a FOM greater than or equal to the percentage deforestation during the calibration period. This article analyses FOM's mathematical properties and illustrates FOM's empirical behavior by comparing various models that simulate deforestation and the resulting carbon disturbance in Bolivia during 2010-2014. The Total Operating Characteristic frames FOM's mathematical properties as …

Simulation As A Multidisciplinary Team Approach In Health Care Programs In An Urban University Setting, Geraldine Fike, Dawn Blue, Guillermo Escalante, Phoebe (Yeon) S. Kim, Jose A. Munoz

Health Science and Human Ecology Faculty Publications

The poster provided here showcases results from a simulation study that began in the Spring Quarter of 2017 at CSU San Bernardino. The results presented here are based on four simulations conducted on campus in our nursing lab space. We incorporated the participation of 44 students in our study.

Patients are cared for by a nurse and multidisciplinary teams which may include physical therapists, social workers, and public health workers; however, students in health care programs usually will not experience necessary scenarios developing needed skills. Although needed skills are learned within the walls of the university they remain in a …

Testing The Effectiveness Of Two Natural Selection Simulations In The Context Of A Large‑Enrollment Undergraduate Laboratory Class, Denise S. Pope, Caleb M. Rounds, Jody Clarke-Midura

Instructional Technology and Learning Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Simulations can be an active and engaging way for students to learn about natural selection, and many have been developed, including both physical and virtual simulations. In this study we assessed the student experience of, and learning from, two natural selection simulations, one physical and one virtual, in a large enrollment introductory biology lab course. We assigned students to treatments (the physical or virtual simulation activity) by section and assessed their understanding of natural selection using a multiple-choice pre-/post-test and short-answer responses on a post-lab assignment. We assessed student experience of the activities through structured observations and an affective …