Engineering Commons^™

Reflections On Teaching System Dynamics Modeling To Secondary School Students For Over 20 Years, Diana Fisher

Complex Systems Faculty Publications and Presentations

This paper contains the description of a successful system dynamics (SD) modeling approach used for almost a quarter-century in secondary schools, both in algebra classes and in a year-long SD modeling course. Secondary school students have demonstrated an ability to build original models from the news, write technical papers explaining their models, and present a newfound understanding of dynamic feedback behavior to an audience. The educational learning theory and instructional methods used for both the algebra and modeling courses are detailed, with examples. Successful student SD modeling experiences suggest the SD approach can expand the sophistication of topics that secondary …

The Impact Of Authentic Leadership Development On Safety Climate Change, Victoria Hoyt

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Tragic, life-changing, and fatal incidents are a reality on large-scale, civil construction projects. Despite a decline following the enforcement of the 1971 Occupational Safety and Health Act, serious and fatal incidents on heavy construction projects remain higher than that of the active military and have not declined in any notable way in the past decade. Industrial-organizational literature suggested a lack of applied testing for the well-developed theory of authentic leadership (AL) to impact safety outcomes. This quasi-experiment combined the constructs of authentic leadership with safety climate perception as quantifiable measurement of potential safety outcomes in the workplace. The research question …

Impact Of Mortgage Characteristics On Retail Mortgage Transaction Completion Time, Kareem Atalla Tannous

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In the mortgage industry, many mortgage lenders cannot manage mortgage workflow systems while meeting and exceeding organizational objectives. Organizations with an above-industry average turnaround time (ATT) to complete a retail mortgage transaction (RMT) from origination to funding experience revenue losses. Grounded in the proposition that mortgage loan purpose (MLP), mortgage loan type (MLT), and subject property type (SPT) impact ATT to complete an RMT, the purpose of this causal-comparative study was to assess the impact of MLP, MLT, and SPT on ATT to complete an RMT. Using archival data records (N = 146) from a selected mortgage institution in the …

การเพิ่มระดับการยอมรับเทเลเมติกส์สำหรับการประกันภัยรถยนต์ในประเทศไทย, พีระวิช คงเมือง

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

เทเลเมติกส์เป็นเทคโนโลยีใหม่ในอุตสาหกรรมประกันภัยรถยนต์ในประเทศไทย ถือกำเนิดจากความต้องการเปลี่ยนแปลงพฤติกรรมของผู้ขับขี่ให้มีความปลอดภัย ซึ่งยังไม่ได้รับการยอมรับจากลูกค้ามากนัก ผู้วิจัยจึงได้ทำการสำรวจความต้องการของลูกค้าและปัญหาการใช้งาน จากนั้นได้ทำการศึกษาทฤษฎีและงานวิจัยที่เกี่ยวข้องกับการยอมรับนวัตกรรมและเทคโนโลยี เพื่อศึกษาปัจจัยการยอมรับเทเลเมติกส์ โดยทำการวิจัยตามกระบวนการพัฒนานวัตกรรม 5D เพื่อตอบสนองความต้องการของลูกค้าอย่างมีประสิทธิภาพ การวิเคราะห์ข้อมูลและทดสอบสมมติฐาน พบว่า 2 ปัจจัยคือ สภาพสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกในการใช้งาน และแรงจูงใจภายนอก ส่งผลต่อความตั้งใจในการใช้งาน จากนั้นใช้เทคนิคการแปลงความต้องการเชิงคุณภาพในการออกแบบแนวคิดผลิตภัณฑ์ และนำผลการศึกษาที่ได้มาใช้ในการพัฒนาเทเลเมติกส์ในครั้งนี้ ผู้วิจัยได้ทำการวิเคราะห์สถานการณ์ในปัจจุบัน โดยใช้ทฤษฎีการแพร่กระจายนวัตกรรมและศึกษาข้อกำหนดทางกฎหมายในเรื่องค่าเบี้ยประกันภัยรถยนต์ ทำให้ผู้วิจัยได้ตัดสินใจนำเทคโนโลยี Beacon เข้ามาใช้ร่วมกับแอพพลิเคชั่นเทเลเมติกส์ ซึ่งสอดคล้องกับปัจจัยการยอมรับด้านสภาพสิ่งอำนวยความสะดวกในการใช้งาน ผลการประเมินความคิดเห็นของผู้ทดลองใช้งาน 39 คน พบว่า ความตั้งใจในการใช้งาน ค่าเฉลี่ยอยู่ 3.01 ส่วนเบี่ยงเบนมาตรฐาน 0.95 เมื่อทดสอบสมมติฐานก่อนพัฒนาและหลังพัฒนา สรุปได้ว่า มีความแตกต่างอย่างมีนัยสำคัญทางสถิติที่ระดับความเชื่อมั่น 95%

Contribution Of Physical Internet Containers To Mitigate The Risk Of Cargo Theft, Yanyan Yang, Eric Ballot, Miguel Gaston Cedillo-Campos

15th IMHRC Proceedings (Savannah, Georgia. USA – 2018)

Different from current dedicated goods distribution solutions, the goods in the Physical Internet are encapsulated in modular dimensioned standard easy-to-interlock smart containers in an open interconnected logistic system. This paper aims to study the performance of the application of this cross-chain innovative packaging solution, especially its potential against cargo theft risks. To attain this, both qualitative and quantitative studies are carried out. With a scenario-based cost-justification model, different case studies are examined. Results suggest that through the modularity and standardization, the application of Physical Internet Containers will significantly improve the logistics performance and reduce cargo theft risks.

A Framework For Modeling Material Handling With Decentralized Control, Kai Furmans, Kevin R. Gue

15th IMHRC Proceedings (Savannah, Georgia. USA – 2018)

Despite decades of research in material handling, the academic community still has no accepted way of describing material handling requirements in a way that machines and algorithms can process them. Such a “way of describing” requires a language with which to describe requirements, objects, relationships between objects, and so on. We propose a modeling framework that differs from existing research in two ways: First, we address material handling modeling from the bottom up rather than from the top down, meaning we define a set of elementary functions and then combine them into processes and more complex relationships that allow us …

Pull-Driven Order Fulfillment In Distribution Centers, Dima Nazzal, Shankar Shanmugasundaram, Sung Kim, Russell D. Meller

15th IMHRC Proceedings (Savannah, Georgia. USA – 2018)

One of the challenges facing e-commerce fulfillment is the rigidity of the wave management system that often dictates a fixed batch size that must be processed before the next wave of orders is released. As a result, operation managers usually push multiple waves, which lead to accumulation at bottleneck resources, and poor synchronization at sortation engines. We demonstrate the power of operating an order fulfillment engine using the “pull” paradigm. We hypothesize that a pull-driven order fulfillment can meet the same throughput requirements achieved by the push-driven wave-based order fulfillment, but with higher speed, higher service levels, more level resource …

A Motion Capture System Framework For The Study Of Human Manufacturing Repetitive Motions, Francis Mendez, David Wierschem, Jesus Jimenez

15th IMHRC Proceedings (Savannah, Georgia. USA – 2018)

Our research proposes a framework to obtain and analyze real time data concerning the dynamic and natural motion of individuals in manufacturing-like processes that involve human labor. The framework that we propose consists of five main components: a tracking system, a system of sensors, a processor that collects time series data, data processing and discovery module, and an alert or reporting component. Using motion capture cameras, data is collected on a variety of human subjects performing simulated labor-intensive manufacturing operations. This data is analyzed for identification of actual and optimal activity motions. This project has significant potential impact for contribution …

Digital Design Of Intralogistics Systems: Flexible And Agile Solution To Short-Cyclic Fluctuations, Anike Murrenhoff, Christoph Pott, Moritz Wernecke, Philipp-Akira Burger

15th IMHRC Proceedings (Savannah, Georgia. USA – 2018)

In times of fast-paced, fluctuating and individual markets, intralogistics systems, such as warehouses, have to adapt to the resulting volatile performance demands dynamically. Hybrid systems, in which humans and machines work together efficiently and communicate in socio-technical networks, can be the answer to manage these high-frequency markets. Hybrid systems of the future need to adapt frequently and permanent change becomes the “new normal”. A one-time planning of warehousing systems upon first installation becomes obsolete. This results in the question of how to design and implement processes for future logistics systems in an agile way in order to exploit the flexibility …

Home Inventory Management And Last-Mile Logistics, Bhagyalakshmi V. Shrikrishna, Bharat Kulkarni, Michael G. Kay

15th IMHRC Proceedings (Savannah, Georgia. USA – 2018)

A study of the functioning of last-mile logistics in home inventory management is described. Different patterns of the household consumptions are studied and assumed in the interim. These consumption patterns then form the automatic grocery ordering system leading to what we would refer as a “home inventory management system.” In the futuristic world. This paper focuses on the impact of driverless delivery vehicles and drone delivery to satisfy the demand of the customers in a future scenario where orders are placed automatically by a home inventory management system.

Inspection Process Flow Development For A Warehouse, Pahalawaththage Perera

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

The project is based on a medical device outsourcing company in the US. In 2018 the company added a 44,000 sq ft new warehouse. With the scales of growth and market competition, it has come to a need to optimize production capacity to achieve 98% monthly on time delivery target. Optimizing production capacity comes with efficiently managing operations that impact overall product lead time. A primary factor that impacts the overall product lead time is production preparation time. Production preparation time is impacted by lead times of 3 operations managed by the new warehouse - Receiving Inspection, Incoming Inspection, and …

Impact Of Noise Level On Task Performance And Workload And Correlation To Personality, Kaylee Marie Eakins

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

An ideal work environment supports a culture of high performance, low mental workload, and quick turnarounds. The impact of noise on three types of tasks in a lab work environment were examined while attempting to identify correlations between a subject's personality and their tolerance to noise. Neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and extroversion correlated significantly with subjective (NASA-TLX) and physiological mental workload measures (heart rate variability and eye-tracking). The results show that task type impacts the performance, task duration, and mental workload. Although the physiological workload measures showed significant impact, the parameters standard deviation of R-R intervals and LF/HF ratio agreed with …

Galvanic And Pitting Corrosion Of A Fastener Assembly, Julie Shallman

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

This research focuses on coupled galvanic/pitting corrosion of AA7075 when combined with stainless steel in a fastener assembly. A one-dimensional mathematical model of a well-mixed thin film electrolyte is developed to predict the damage profile of the AA7075 surface when its protective coating is damaged. The damage exposes the galvanic couple. A time dependent system of partial differential equations for potential, chloride concentration, aluminum ion concentration, and damage is developed and solved numerically. Two approaches to calculate the current density within aluminum pits are discussed. The first is a current balance between the cathodic, anodic and passive portions of the …

Demonstrating The Functionality And Efficacy Of Blockchain-Based System In Healthcare Using Simulation Tools, Jad S. Mubaslat

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies have been a rapidly growing industry and area of academic research since Bitcoin's launch in early 2009. Blockchains have already been applied in spaces outside of finance, such as healthcare. This work explores the Bitcoin blockchain and a blockchain-based care coordination system through the use of modeling and simulation tools. Two agent based models are constructed: one to represent the Bitcoin blockchain, and a second to represent a blockchain-based care coordination system, MDChain. Insight is provided that is relevant to current issues within the Bitcoin community and predictions are made as to its future. The feasibility of …

Exploring Feedback Modalities Using Wearable Device For Complex Systems Training Programs, Layla Akilan

Browse all Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the effectiveness of a wearable device in delivering various feedback modalities in an attempt to improve performance outcomes in complex systems. Secondarily this study looked at performance when feedback type was matched to preferred learning style according to VARK Learning Styles Inventory results. Participants were required to perform system monitoring and correct for system failures through key presses. Feedback was delivered through a smart watch and was based on response time performance. Feedback modalities included visual, auditory, and haptic feedback. Subjective ratings of situation awareness and mental workload were also examined. Results indicated that auditory feedback condition …

The Rhetoric Of Science Education And Technology, Iwasan D. Kejawa

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

Nearly thousands of science experiments are performed both on humans and animals every year in the United States (Gregory, 1999). Does Science enormously play a role in the well-beings of individual in the society? Research has found that science education is through motivation and satisfying the needs of humans. The scientific world is part of an elongated human development. This can be substantiated with the use and evolution of TECHNOLOGY and SCIENCE (Minton, 2004). Education of the entities that comprise the need to achieve the goal of TECHNOLOGY and SCIENCE which are important issues of today. Research has shown that …

Internet Of Underground Things In Precision Agriculture: Architecture And Technology Aspects, Mehmet C. Vuran, Abdul Salam, Rigoberto Wong, Suat Irmak

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

The projected increases in World population and need for food have recently motivated adoption of information technology solutions in crop fields within precision agriculture approaches. Internet Of Underground Things (IOUT), which consists of sensors and communication devices, partly or completely buried underground for real-time soil sensing and monitoring, emerge from this need. This new paradigm facilitates seamless integration of underground sensors, machinery, and irrigation systems with the complex social network of growers, agronomists, crop consultants, and advisors. In this paper, state-of-the-art communication architectures are reviewed, and underlying sensing technology and communication mechanisms for IOUT are presented. Moreover, recent advances in …

Table Of Contents Jitim Vol 27 Issue 2, 2018

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

ToC JITIM vol 27 - 2, 2018

Integration Of Hydrogeophysical Datasets And Empirical Orthogonal Functions For Improved Irrigation Water Management, Catherine E. Finkenbiner, Trenton E. Franz, Justin P. Gibson, Derek M. Heeren, J. D. Luck

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Precision agriculture offers the technologies to manage for infield variability and incorporate variability into irrigation management decisions. The major limitation of this technology often lies in the reconciliation of disparate data sources and the generation of irrigation prescription maps. Here the authors explore the utility of the cosmic-ray neutron probe (CRNP) which measures volumetric soil water content (SWC) in the top ~ 30 cm of the soil profile. The key advantages of CRNP is that the sensor is passive, non-invasive, mobile and soil temperature-invariant, making data collection more compatible with existing farm operations and extending the mapping period. The objectives …

Assessing Learning Outcomes Of A Mooc Incorporated Into An On-Campus Management Information Systems Class, Manying Qiu, Yaquan Xu

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Massive open source online course (MOOC) platform enables enterprises to introduce their new innovations and deliver basic knowledge to handle the new products. We incorporated an openSAP course into a management information systems (MIS) class. Students learned the latest development of SAP customer relationship management (CRM) solutions along with the SAP enterprise resource planning (ERP) business processes integration that they learned in the classroom. 46.2% of the students obtained Record of Achievement and Confirmation of Participation certificates, which is higher than the average success rate of MOOCs. More importantly, the students experienced a way of sustainable and lifelong learning.

Table Of Contents Jitim Vol 27 Issue 1, 2018

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Table of Contents JITIM volume 27, issue 1 - 2018

Amplifying The Social Intelligence Of Teams Through Human Swarming, Louis Rosenberg, Gregg Willcox, David Askay, Lynn Metcalf

Industrial Technology and Packaging

Artificial Swarm Intelligence (ASI) is a method for amplifying the collective intelligence of human groups by connecting networked participants into real-time systems modeled after natural swarms and moderated by AI algorithms. ASI has been shown to amplify performance in a wide range of tasks, from forecasting financial markets to prioritizing conflicting objectives. This study explores the ability of ASI systems to amplify the social intelligence of small teams. A set of 61 teams, each of 3 to 6 members, was administered a standard social sensitivity test —"Reading the Mind in the Eyes” or RME. Subjects took the test both as …

Investigation Of Compression Strength Of Bliss Style Corrugated Fiberboard Boxes, Javier De La Fuente, Jay Singh, Rebecca Kisch, Soma Roy, Daan Peleman

Industrial Technology and Packaging

The global demand for corrugated fiberboard is projected to experience a significant upsurge in the near future. Based on the end-use, packaging for processed and fresh food categories accounted for approximately 39% of the overall consumption of corrugated fiberboard in 2015. With key advantages such as providing an uninterrupted bottom, laminated corners for higher stacking strength, increased material use efficiency, side cutout options for display at retail and a wide range of styles over other styles of containers, Bliss style boxes find prominence in the agriculture sector. While numerous predictive strength models associating corrugated fiberboard material specifications to the box …

Driving Under Weather: An Exploration Of The Traveling Salesman Problem With Probabilistic Unfavorable Driving Conditions, Andrew Wright

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Inclement weather has a visceral impact on transportation systems, but it has been made undeniably clear. Reliable ground transportation is absolutely fundamental in global logistics, and the need to deliver goods to customers in a timely manner has never been more important. The field of operations research offers some quality logistics problems with the foresight to provide efficient transportation solutions. One of the most prevalent problems in operations research is the Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP). Although much research has gone into solving the classic TSP and some of its variants, none have been truly dedicated to integrating meteorological sciences.

The …

Biomechanical Exposures Of Neck And Shoulder In Virtual Reality, Sai Akhil Penumudi

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Virtual Environment pose certain potential postural discomfort or pain of the neck and shoulder that could be different from a real environment. There has been a lack of ergonomic guidelines for the Virtual Reality (VR) usage with the hand gesture interaction. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of the vertical target locations on biomechanical exposures of the neck and shoulder and task performance during VR interactions. Twenty subjects performed standardized pointing and painting tasks with five different target locations (15° upward, neutral, 15° downward, 30° downward, and self-selected). Users’ postures, gravitational moments, muscle activities of the …

Evaluating The Role Of Energy Demand Prediction And Renewable Energy Utilization On Energy Dependency Management: A Generic System Dynamics Model, Emad Rabiei Hosseinabad

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Supplying energy has become one of the biggest concerns of developed countries due to the growing energy needs in the last decades. Security of energy supply has forced countries to rely more on energy imports from external sources, and become energy dependent to a greater extent. Utilizing available renewable energy resources has been characterized as a reliable indicator to mitigate energy dependency in countries as well as securing the supplying of energy-based needs in the future. This research explores the impact of renewable energies as trustful resources in mitigating energy imports form external sources with investigation of its viability with …

Biomechanical Evaluation Of Friction-Reducing Devices For Transferring Patients, Veera Aneesh Kuppam

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Professional caregivers and nurses are prone to a greater risk of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, which is primarily related to manual patient handling. In common various transfer devices are used to transfer patients, the efficacy of friction-reducing devices in reducing biomechanical stress in the low back and upper extremities has not been systematically evaluated. Twenty professional caregivers performed standardized lateral pulling, pushing and sliding up tasks with selected transfer devices (draw sheet, slide sheet, slide board, and air-assisted transfer device). Caregivers’ hand-pull force, shoulder, and trunk posture, shoulder moment, muscle activity in wrist flexor, wrist extensor, biceps, triceps, trapezius, and erector …

Moderating Effects Of Age And Experience On The Factors Influencing The Actual Usage Of Cloud Computing, Shailja Tripathi

Journal of International Technology and Information Management

Cloud computing technology (CCT) has attracted extensive attention of organizations to enhance their agility, flexibility and competitive advantage. Successful implementation of CCT depends on its acceptance and useby senior IT managers in the organizations. This study proposes an extended technology acceptance model (TAM) to predict actual CCT usage by the managers. A questionnaire is used to collect the needful data. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses are performed to analyze the factor structure and measurement model. Structural equation modeling is used to analyze the structural model. The results supported all the hypotheses of the model. The moderating effect of experience and …

Utilizing Data Mining Techniques And Ensemble Learning To Predict Development Of Surgical Site Infections In Gynecologic Cancer Patients, John R. Mcdonough

Graduate Dissertations and Theses

Surgical site infections are costly to both patients and hospitals, increase patient mortality, and are the most common form of a hospital acquired infection. Gynecological cancer surgery patients are already at higher risk of developing an infection due to the suppression of their immune system. This research leverages popular data mining techniques to create a prediction model to identify high risk patients. Implemented techniques include logistic regression, naive Bayes, recursive partitioning and regression trees, random forest, feed forward neural network, k-nearest neighbor, and support vector machines with linear kernel. Weighted stacked generalization was implemented to improve upon the individual base …

Ambulatory Clinic Exam Room Design With Respect To Computing Devices: A Laboratory Simulation Study, Dustin T. Weiler, Tyler Satterly, Shakaib U. Rehman, Maury A. Nussbaum, Neale R. Chumbler, Gary M. Fischer, Jason J. Saleem

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Background—Challenges persist regarding how to integrate computing effectively into the exam room, while maintaining patient-centered care. Purpose—Our objective was to evaluate a new exam room design with respect to the computing layout, which included a wall-mounted monitor for ease of (re)-positioning. Methods—In a lab-based experiment, 28 providers used prototypes of the new and older “legacy” outpatient exam room layouts in a within-subject comparison using simulated patient encounters. We measured efficiency, errors, workload, patient-centeredness (proportion of time the provider was focused on the patient), amount of screen sharing with the patient, workflow integration, and provider situation awareness. Results—There were no statistically …