Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Prediction Of Growth Factor Effects On Engineered Cartilage Composition Using Deterministic And Stochastic Modeling, Sean S. Kohles, Asit K. Saha, J. (Jagannath) Mazumdar

Mechanical and Materials Engineering Faculty Publications and Presentations

In the design of engineered tissues, guided balance of biomaterial degeneration with tissue synthesis offers refined control of construct development. The objective of this study was to develop a mathematical model that describes the steady state metabolism of extracellular matrix molecules (ECM: glycosaminoglycan and collagen) in an engineered cartilage construct taking into account localized environmental changes that may arise because of the application of growth factors. The variable effects of growth factors were incorporated in the form of random noise rather than the difference in rates of synthesis and catabolism. Thus, the frequency of ECM accumulation for each matrix molecule …

Successfully Blending Distance Students Into The On-Campus Classroom, Susan L. Murray, David Lee Enke, Sreeram Ramakrishnan

Engineering Management and Systems Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

As universities are increasingly embracing distance education technology, it is useful to examine the challenges and opportunities of technology in the classroom. This is especially true when the course contains on-campus local students in addition to students learning at a distance. A significant challenge commonly faced is how to remain flexible in presenting course materials while still having notes and other handouts in electronic format available before the lecture. Other challenges include creating and using lecture material that can be viewed at low resolution and low bandwidth, and getting distance students to interact with the instructor, on-campus students, and fellow …

Case Studies In Disassembly Process Planning, Riteshkumar Dhimmar

Theses

The rapid advancement in technology started in last century and still continuing resulted in decreased life cycle of electronic products. It also resulted in increased product disposal rate and filling land fill space faster causing shortage of such space and consequently creates major environmental problems. So, since couple of decade environmental concern has focused on production process and environmental regulations imposed by government has watched industrial pollution. With government regulations to control environmental problems; consumers are also aware of adverse effects of product disposal forcing manufacturer to become more responsible for safe product disposal and recycling of used product.

A …

Supply Chain Risk Analysis, Venkata R. Kallepalli

Theses

A new decision support system is proposed and developed that will help sustaining business in a high-risk business environment. The system is developed as a web application to better integrate the supply chain entities and to provide a common platform for performing risk analysis in a supply chain. The system performs a risk analysis and calculates risk factor with each activity in the supply considering its interrelationship with other activities. Bayesian networks along with fault tree structures are embedded in the system and logical rules are used to perform a qualitative fault tree analysis, as the data required to calculate …

Supply Chain Risk Mitigation, Roshan R. Pai

Theses

In recent years, especially post 9/11, there has been an increasing awareness for securing business supply chains against probable disruptions. With globalization and lean inventories, the efficiency of supply chain has greatly enhanced over the years, but at the expense of new vulnerabilities. Supply chain vulnerabilities have resulted in disruptions to the economic stability and security. As a result, risk analysis and mitigation has now grown to become one of the key links to business stabilization. To ensure business continuity, it is necessary to identify key assets (physical and operational) within the supply chain and secure them against probable threats. …

Simulation Analysis Of Anti-Rollover Mechanism For Vehicles, Mohib L. Raid

Theses

Rollover accidents are considered the most significant safety problems for all classes of light vehicles, especially pickups, Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV), Light Truck Vehicle (LTV) and vans. The main objective of the research is the design of a new mechanism able to keep the vehicle stable under various road conditions and high speeds, to prevent the vehicle from rolling over and to maintain the stability for the vehicle by creating an anti-rolling torque on the vehicle body capable of turning the vehicle smoothly to stable position.

Human Factors Approach Towards Improving Readability Of Bus Schedules, Anand Tharanathan

Theses

Due to an increasing concern over the readability of existing bus schedules of a public transportation agency the schedule format was redesigned. Two prototype schedules were designed based on the gathered information from the literature survey, focus group meetings and data from other public transportation agencies' schedules. One of the prototypes was designed by giving primary importance to the direction of travel and was named the directional prototype schedule. The other prototype was designed by giving primary importance to the day of the week, and was named weekday / weekend prototype schedule. A time based laboratory experiment and a subjective …

Acuta Enews May 2004, Vol. 33, No. 5

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

Board Approves State of Nominees for 2004-05

From ACUTA Headquarters................................ Jeri A. Semer, CAE, Executive Director

Tech Talk................................... Kevin Tanzillo, Dux Public Relations

Securing Your Wireless Network........................................ Stephen Cobb and Chey Cobb

Board Report............................................. Carmine Piscopo, Providence College, ACUTA Secretary/Treasurer

DC Update..................................... Whitney Johnson, Retired, Northern Michigan Univ.

CUPA-HR Salary Survey

Be a Moderator/Monitor in Chicago............................ Donna Hall, Manager, Professional Development

Combining Systematic Layout Planning And Computer Simulation In The Design Of Manufacturing Facilities, Akintoye M. Akinyoade

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

In this study, the systematic layout planning (SLP) and computer simulation were combined to improve the layout design of a manufacturing facility using a case study.

Multi-Period Multi-Dimensional Knapsack Problem And Its Application To Available-To-Promise, Hoong Chuin Lau, M. K. Lim

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

This paper is motivated by a recent trend in logistics scheduling, called Available-to-Promise. We model this problem as the multi-period multi-dimensional knapsack problem. We provide some properties for a special case of a single-dimensional problem. Based on insights obtained from these properties, we propose a two-phase heuristics for solving the multi-dimensional problem. We also propose a novel time-based ant colony optimization algorithm. The quality of the solutions generated is verified through experiments, where we demonstrate that the computational time is superior compared with integer programming to achieve solutions that are within a small percentage of the upper bounds.

Development Of Integrated Process Simulation System Model For Spent Fuel Treatment Facility (Sftf) Design, Yitung Chen, Sean Hsieh

Separations Campaign (TRP)

The Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) and Transmutation Research Program-University Participation Program (TRP-UPP) supported by Department of Energy of the United States have been developing many important technologies for the transmutation of nuclear waste to address long-term disposal issues. While successfully embedding AMUSE module into a dedicated System Engineering Model (TRPSEMPro), developed by the Nevada Center for Advanced Computational Methods (NCACM) at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas collaborating with Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), ANL is interested in further simulating the Light Water Reactor (LWR) Spent Fuel Treatment Facility (SFTF) combining commercial process simulation and analysis packages and core calculation of …

Acuta Enews April 2004, Vol. 33, No. 4

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

Nominate Now for Leadership Award

From the President.............................. Walter L. Czerniak, Northern Illinois University

Tech Talk..................... Kevin Tanzillo, Dux Public Relations

St. Olaf College and Phone Company............................... Craig Dunton, St.Olaf College

DC Update................................. Whitney Johnson, Retired, Northern Michigan Univ.

8 5 Ways to Keep Your PBX Running Strong.......................... from Telecom Manager's Voice Report

Board Report................... Carmine Piscopo, Providence College, ACUTA Secretary/Treasurer

Welcome New Members

Critical Variables Of Solder Paste Stencil Printing For Micro-Bga And Fine-Pitch Qfp, Jianbiao Pan, Gregory L. Tonkay, Robert H. Storer, Ronald M. Sallade, David J. Leandri

Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Stencil printing continues to be the dominant method of solder deposition in high-volume surface-mount assembly. Control of the amount of solder paste deposited is critical in the case of fine-pitch and ultrafine-pitch surface-mount assembly. The process is still not well understood as indicated by the fact that industry reports 52-71% surface-mount technology (SMT) defects are related to the solder paste stencil printing process. The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical variables that influence the volume, area, and height of solder paste deposited. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of relevant process parameters on the amount …

Modeling And Validation Of A Brake Hose, Jai Thomas

Masters Theses

Various computer aided design (CAD) softwares have the capability to depict rigid bodies in space accurately. However, the same is not true for the flexible components. This is because flexible components in an automobile are subject to large elastic deformations during the movement of the rigid components to which they are attached.

This research details the application of the principles of computation of the orientation of entities in a simplified coordinate system, vector mathematics, the file I/O features and structured C++ programming to view the rubber hose in CAD after modeling the hose using simulation software. Further validation of the …

The Relationship Of Project Team Attributes To Project Interim Performance, Vickie S. Parsons

Engineering Management & Systems Engineering Theses & Dissertations

The factors associated with project success, or failure, have not been conclusively resolved in the project management literature. The purpose of this research was to investigate the relationship of project team attributes and interim project performance using a statistical research design. An abundance of research has focused solely on the importance of technical project components as they relate to cost, schedule, or technical performance. However, research into internal team attributes has been sporadic and, generally, associated with subjective measures of project performance or less than optimal statistical techniques. Prior assessment of project performance has also been concentrated at project completion. …

A Value Focused Thinking Model For The Development And Selection Of Electrical Energy Source Alternatives At Military Installations, Gregory T. Schanding

Theses and Dissertations

Electrical power on military installations is vital for mission accomplishment. Most installations obtain electrical power from a local commercial utility. Although commercial power service has a very low interruption rate, the threat of a sustained power outage resulting from a terrorist act or a natural disaster is of concern. The military should posture itself to prevent such power outages and prepare to mitigate the adverse effects associated with the loss of power. This thesis presents a Value Focused Thinking approach to the development of a decision analysis model to assist a decision maker at a military installation in the generation …

Investigating The Optimal Management Strategy For A Healthcare Facility Maintenance Program, Daria J. Gaillard

Theses and Dissertations

Reacting to the need to transform and the increasing pressure to outsource all non-core activities, Air Force Material Command Surgeon General discontinued its previous use of full service contracts with original equipment manufacturers and adopted a relatively new maintenance outsourcing strategy: strategic partnering with an equipment management firm. The objective of this study is to create a decision-model for selecting the optimal management strategy for a healthcare organization's facility maintenance program. This study used personal interviews with facility management personnel from MAJCOMs to collect and analyze data. This study offers a re-conceptualized framework for viewing and understanding the various maintenance …

Keys To Successful Implementation And Sustainment Of Managed Maintenance For Healthcare Facilities, Elizabeth A. Waggoner

Theses and Dissertations

Health care providers are faced with two critical issues in today's evolving marketplace: lowering operational costs and achieving more efficient, cost-effective methods to deliver high quality patient care. The rising costs of healthcare and decreasing budgets have placed additional strain on the United States Air Force Medical Service to aggressively lower its facilities' costs. With fewer funds and less personnel, the Air Force medical service is re-evaluating its current maintenance outsourcing implementation practices and reexamining how these strategies might be implemented and sustained more successfully. This research offers some of the foundational needs for designing, implementing and sustaining any type …

Decision Analysis With Value Focused Thinking As A Methodology To Assess Air Force Officer Retention Alternatives, Sang-Ho Moon

Theses and Dissertations

Many countries realize the importance of the retention of qualified military personnel, and have tried to solve this problem using various methods. Nevertheless, the effects of those methods have not been determined or proven yet. The military retention problem is closely related to each individual's separation decision from the military. The characteristics of this decision are multi-objective and highly subjective. Accordingly, the effectiveness of various methods is heavily dependant on the value set of each individual. Decision Analysis (DA) using Value Focused Thinking (VFT) can be an excellent process to deal with this decision. Also, the data can reflect the …

Acuta Enews March 2004, Vol. 33, No. 3

ACUTA Newsletters

ln This lssue

Mob Cramming Slammed Shut by Federal Authorities Randal J. Hayes, Univ of No. lowa

FCC Converts ITFS Licensing to the Universal Licensing System

From ACUTA Headquarters.................... Jeri A. Semer, CAE, ACUTA Executive Director

Board Report............................ Carmine Piscopo, Providence College, ACUTA Secretary/Treasurer

Tech Talk.............................. Kevin Tanzillo, Dux Public Relations

DC Update..................................... Whitney Johnson, Retired, Northern Michigan Univ.

Nominate for 2004-05 Board of Directors

ACUTA Member Sites to See

Dealing with Dollars and lnvaders...................... Curt Harler

Welcome New Members

An Analysis Of Coast Guard Hh-65 Engine Reliability: A Comparison Of Malfunctions To Component Removals, Donna L. Cottrell

Theses and Dissertations

The Coast Guard HH-65 helicopter experienced 31 in-flight loss of power incidents during FY 2003 and 21 during the first two months of FY 2003. Concurrent with this apparent decrease in reliability, the Coast Guard seeks ways to expand the HH- 65’s Airborne Use of Force capabilities as a result of the September 11th, 2001 terrorists’ attacks. This study is an exploratory, empirical analysis of engine and airframe component replacements as related to engine mishaps and reliability in the HH-65. We use contingency table analysis, ordinary least squares regression, and logistic regression to examine the mishap history and component replacement …

Effects Of Uncertainty On Real World Aerospace Mission Data, Steven J. Barosko

Theses and Dissertations

Uncertainty is an age old element of warfare. How does one measure success or failure on the battlefield? This thesis explores the effect of uncertainty on real world aerospace mission data from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Sources of uncertainty are identified during data preparation and the effects of uncertainty are investigated using multivariate analysis techniques. Two distinct cases are analyzed: one case with a low level of uncertainty in predicting whether or not a mission is pre-planned or alert generated, and another case with a high level of uncertainty in predicting whether or not a mission is a success or …

Age Replacement And Service Rate Control Of Stochastically Degrading Queues, Patrick S. Chapin

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis considers the problem of optimally selecting a periodic replacement time for a multiserver queueing system in which each server is subject to degradation as a function of the mean service rate and a stochastic and dynamic environment. Also considered is the problem of optimal service rate selection for such a system. In both cases, the performance metric is the long-run average cost rate. Analytical expressions are obtained, in terms of Laplace transforms, for the nonlinear objective functions, necessitating the use of numerical Laplace transform inversion to evaluate candidate solutions in conjunction with standard numerical algorithms. Due to the …

An Investigation Of The Optimal Sensor Ensemble For Sensor Fusion, Paul P. Clemans

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis continues the research begun by Storm, Bauer and Oxley in 2003 into the fusion of classifiers. It examines the fusion of up to three correlated classifiers using three different fusion techniques. The overall objective was to determine the optimal ensemble of classifiers to maximize the expected classification accuracy. The ISOC fusion method (Haspert, 2000), the ROC Within fusion method (Oxley and Bauer, 2002) and a Probabilistic Neural Network were the three fusion techniques employed in these set of experiments. Performance of the classifiers and the fusion methods is measured via ROC curves. Two possible configurations of feature correlations …

Agent Based Simulation Seas Evaluation Of Dodaf Architecture, Gregory V. Destefano

Theses and Dissertations

With Department of Defense (DoD) weapon systems being deeply rooted in the command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) structure, it is necessary for combat models to capture C4ISR effects in order to properly assess military worth. Unlike many DoD legacy combat models, the agent based model System Effectiveness and Analysis Simulation (SEAS) is identified as having C4ISR analysis capabilities. In lieu of requirements for all new DoD C4ISR weapon systems to be placed within a DoD Architectural Framework (DoDAF), investigation of means to export data from the Framework to the combat model SEAS began. Through operational, system, …

An Investigation Of The Effects Of Correlation, Autocorrelation, And Sample Size In Classifier Fusion, Nathan J. Leap

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis extends the research found in Storm, Bauer, and Oxley, 2003. Data correlation effects and sample size effects on three classifier fusion techniques and one data fusion technique were investigated. Identification System Operating Characteristic Fusion (Haspert, 2000), the Receiver Operating Characteristic Within Fusion method (Oxley and Bauer, 2002), and a Probabilistic Neural Network were the three classifier fusion techniques; a Generalized Regression Neural Network was the data fusion technique. Correlation was injected into the data set both within a feature set (autocorrelation) and across feature sets for a variety of classification problems, and sample size was varied throughout. Total …

Modeling And Analysis Of Post-Conflict Reconstruction, Damon B. Richardson

Theses and Dissertations

The forces at play in reconstruction operations are a complex system of time phased interlocking cause and effect relationships that are not thoroughly understood. A model capable of capturing the general dynamics involved in post-conflict reconstruction would provide insight to decision makers regarding potential policy alternatives. This research effort demonstrates the viability of using systems dynamics modeling techniques to simulate the establishment of public order and safety in a post-conflict reconstruction operation (Phase IV operations). A high level generic framework is developed that can be used as a general template for modeling post-conflict reconstruction. It is then demonstrated with a …

Phase-Type Approximations For Wear Processes In A Semi-Markov Environment, Christopher J. Solo

Theses and Dissertations

The reliability of a single-unit system experiencing degradation (wear) due to the influence of a general, observable environment process is considered. In particular, the failure time distribution is evaluated using only observations of the unit's current operating environment which is characterized as a finite semi-Markov process (SMP). In order to impose the Markov property, generally distributed environment state sojourn times are approximated as phase-type (PH) random variables using observations of state holding times and transition rates. The use of PH distributions facilitates the use of existing analytical results for reliability evaluation of units subject to an environment process that evolves …

Modeling And Simulation Of The Military Intelligence Process, Carl R. Pawling

Theses and Dissertations

There is concern within U.S. space and intelligence organizations that the current Tasking, Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination processes may be insufficient to support current and future Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance systems. As part of a larger intelligence process, more detailed analysis becomes critical to determine what portions need to be improved. This analysis can be accomplished by simulation, which is appropriate due to the complexity of the process and the ability to compare variations in the process. We construct a high level model of a generalized military intelligence process based in part on the Intelligence Cycle outlined in Joint Publications. …

Value-Focused Thinking In The Presence Of Weight Ambiguity: A Solution Technique Using Monte Carlo Simulation, Timothy W. Porter

Theses and Dissertations

When a Decision Maker is asked to provide his or her preferences, the response represents a snapshot in time. While their preference structure elicited at any given moment may represent their revealed preferences at that point in time, it may change over time. These changing preferences over time represent ambiguity in the decision maker's preferences. Other sources of ambiguity may exist. One weakness of many decision analysis techniques today is the inability to incorporate ambiguity into the basic decision model. The existence of the problem has been known and commented on for many years. This research addresses that problem. It …