Bioclimatic analysis and its impact within the design methodology; Analisis bioclimatico y su impacto dentro de la metodologia de diseno

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Fuentes Fleixanet, Victor A; Rodriguez Viqueira Manuel [Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana Azcapotzalco, Mexico, D.F(Mexico)

2000-07-01

This paper is a proposal for the systematization of the process of bioclimatic design, particularly in its analytical stage. It is based on the proposals of the classic researchers such as: Olgyay, Givoni and Szokolay, but also in new contributions like those of Yeang. Nevertheless, it is about a methodology adapted to the specific requirements of teaching and research that are carried out in the Bioclimatic Design Laboratory of the Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Azcapotzalco Unit. What is presented here is a part of a very ample research project that intends to develop or to structure a design methodology that incorporates the environmental variables related to man and architecture: of course, with the objective of facilitating the designer work so that the final architectonic product has a more harmonic response to the environment, offers conditions of integral well- being to its occupants and be is efficient in the handling of the resources. It also looks for the definition of the necessary analysis, design and evaluation tools, necessary in order that the application of the methodology is clear, simple and can be carried out by any designer, even if he does not have a wide knowledge of bioclimatic design. [Spanish] Este trabajo es una propuesta para la sistematizacion del proceso de diseno bioclimatico, particularmente en su etapa analitica. Se basa en las propuestas de los investigadores clasicos como: Olgyay, Givoni y Szokolay, pero tambien en nuevas aportaciones como las de Yeang. Sin embargo se trata de una metodologia adaptada a los requerimientos especificos de docencia e investigacion que se llevan a cabo en el Laboratorio de Diseno Bioclimatico de la Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana Unidad Azcapotzalco. Lo que aqui se presenta forma parte de un proyecto de investigacion muy amplio que pretende, desarrollar o estructurar una metodologia de diseno que incorpore las variables ambientales relacionadas con el hombre y la arquitectura: desde luego, con

Ecological assessment of seasonal bioclimatic and production rhythms in agrosystems of the Republic of Armenia

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Arsen Grigoryan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available In the article the time features of occurrence of bioclimatic and industrial rhythms according to altitudinal belts are analyzed, a nomogram is composed and spatial and time patterns of rhythms are revealed, the ways of the rational use of seasonal rhythms and greening agrosystems of the Republic of Armenia (RA are shown. The paper summarizes 80–100-year summer monitoring data on onset timing of the main seasonal bioclimatic rhythms of animate and inanimate nature in the RA. The definition of bioclimatic rhythms is given. The importance of studies of seasonal rhythms of nature and society, especially in the non-tropical zones of the Earth is shown. Besides, the special importance of bioclimatic seasonal rhythms' study in order to optimize agro-zootechnical activities and to green agricultural systems is emphasized. Continuous chain of natural rhythms leads to the formation of adequate seasonal rhythms in the production activities of all sectors of the economy, ensuring the functioning of the biosphere and society. The regularities of the timing of seasonal bioclimatic rhythms' onset by the vertical zones in Armenia taking into account the atmospheric moisture of regions is set, vertical gradients are calculated and a nomogram allowing to develop calendars of seasonal works being carried out in certain regions is drawn.

Gypsophila bermejoi G. López: A possible case of speciation repressed by bioclimatic factors.

Science.gov (United States)

de Luis, Miguel; Bartolomé, Carmen; García Cardo, Óscar; Álvarez-Jiménez, Julio

2018-01-01

Gypsophila bermejoi G. López is an allopolyploid species derived from the parental G. struthium L. subsp. struthium and G. tomentosa L. All these plants are gypsophytes endemic to the Iberian Peninsula of particular ecological, evolutionary and biochemical interest. In this study, we present evidence of a possible repression on the process of G. bermejoi speciation by climatic factors. We modelled the ecological niches of the three taxa considered here using a maximum entropy approach and employing a series of bioclimatic variables. Subsequently, we projected these models onto the geographical space of the Iberian Peninsula in the present age and at two past ages: the Last Glacial Maximum and the mid-Holocene period. Furthermore, we compared these niches using the statistical method devised by Warren to calculate their degree of overlap. We also evaluated the evolution of the bioclimatic habitat suitability at those sites were the soil favors the growth of these species. Both the maximum entropy model and the degree of overlap indicated that the ecological behavior of the hybrid differs notably from that of the parental species. During the Last Glacial Maximum, the two parental species appear to take refuge in the western coastal strip of the Peninsula, a region in which there are virtually no sites where G. bermejoi could potentially be found. However, in the mid-Holocene period the suitability of G. bermejoi to sites with favorable soils shifts from almost null to a strong adaptation, a clear change in this tendency. These results suggest that the ecological niches of hybrid allopolyploids can be considerably different to those of their parental species, which may have evolutionary and ecologically relevant consequences. The data obtained indicate that certain bioclimatic variables may possibly repress the processes by which new species are formed. The difference in the ecological niche of G. bermejoi with respect to its parental species prevented it from

Ensembles-based predictions of climate change impacts on bioclimatic zones in Northeast Asia

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Y.; Jeon, S. W.; Lim, C. H.; Ryu, J.

2017-12-01

Biodiversity is rapidly declining globally and efforts are needed to mitigate this continually increasing loss of species. Clustering of areas with similar habitats can be used to prioritize protected areas and distribute resources for the conservation of species, selection of representative sample areas for research, and evaluation of impacts due to environmental changes. In this study, Northeast Asia (NEA) was classified into 14 bioclimatic zones using statistical techniques, which are correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA), and the iterative self-organizing data analysis technique algorithm (ISODATA). Based on these bioclimatic classification, we predicted shift of bioclimatic zones due to climate change. The input variables include the current climatic data (1960-1990) and the future climatic data of the HadGEM2-AO model (RCP 4.5(2050, 2070) and 8.5(2050, 2070)) provided by WorldClim. Using these data, multi-modeling methods including maximum likelihood classification, random forest, and species distribution modelling have been used to project the impact of climate change on the spatial distribution of bioclimatic zones within NEA. The results of various models were compared and analyzed by overlapping each result. As the result, significant changes in bioclimatic conditions can be expected throughout the NEA by 2050s and 2070s. The overall zones moved upward and some zones were predicted to disappear. This analysis provides the basis for understanding potential impacts of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem. Also, this could be used more effectively to support decision making on climate change adaptation.

Energy saving in office buildings through cheap bioclimatic design measures; Ahorro de energia en edificios de oficinas a partir de medidas de diseno bioclimatico de bajo costo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia Chavez, Jose Roberto [Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, Unidad Azcapotzalco (Mexico)

2007-01-15

This article shows the study performed in a building of Campus Uni dad Azcapotzalco in order to evaluate some bioclimatic design strategies. And to reach the higrothermic comfort and the appropriate lighting to favor employees to increase their performance in work activities. There are some strategies in order to solve this problem: the skylight area reduction, existing lights change, ventilation increase, fixed partition door implementation, etc. The obtained outcomes make possible the beginning of bioclimatic design use to save energy in other buildings, because sometimes edifications possess a design that cause the energy waste. [Spanish] En este articulo se muestra el estudio que se hizo en un edificio en el Campus Unidad Azcapotzalco, el fin de esta labor es evaluar ciertas estrategias de diseno bioclimatico para que las personas que operan en este edificio puedan tener confort higrotermico y una iluminacion pertinente, que den como resultado un mejor desempeno en las tareas que realizan. Algunas de las estrategias para darle solucion a esta problematica son: disminuir del area de lucernarios, cambiar las luminarias existentes, aumentar la ventilacion, implementar canceleria, etc. Con los resultados obtenidos nace la esperanza de que se utilicen estrategias de diseno bioclimatico para ahorrar energia en otros edificios, ya que muchas veces las edificaciones poseen un diseno que unicamente provoca el uso imprudente de la energia.

Bioclimatic indices based on the menex model example on Banja Luka

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Pecelj Milica

2013-01-01

Full Text Available It has long been known that weather and climate have influence on human health and well-being. The human organism is in constant interaction with the environmental conditions. To access the atmospheric impact on humans, different methods in human bioclimatology are created. Most of them are based on human heat balance. In this paper it has been tried to present several bioclimatic indices based on the human heat balance according to the bioclimatic model menex (man-environment exchange. The aim of this paper is to present bioclimatic conditions in Banja Luka vicinage (Bosnia and Herzegovina and to explore climate-recreation relationship. In the near vicinity of Banja Luka there are three spa centers that are favorable for recreation. For this analysis average available daily weather data for two extreme months (January and July, 1990 were used as well as the average monthly weather values for the period 1961-1990. The data were taken from Banja Luka weather station. As a result, several thermophisiological bioclimatic indices have been obtained. These are heat load in man, physiological strain, subjective temperature, subjective physiological temperature.

Bioclimatic Architecture; Arquitectura Bioclimatica

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Rubenak, Joseph C [A.G.I.S.A., Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2005-07-01

The idea of the Bioclimatic Architecture comes from the term used by the Olgyay brothers, to emphasize the relations and connections between life, the climate and the bonds of these natural factors with the design. These base a method so that the development of the design responds in terms of function and comfort to the climatic implications that give context to the architectonic projects. The central objective is the creation of expressive spaces and aesthetically harmonic whose characteristics privilege the function of the building with optimal conditions for physical and psychological comfort for those who live, operate or use the building. [Spanish] La idea de la arquitectura bioclimatica proviene del termino utilizado por los hermanos Olgyay, para resaltar las relaciones y enlaces entre la vida, el clima y los vinculos de estos factores naturales con el diseno. Estos fundamentan un metodo para que el desarrollo del diseno responda en terminos de funcion y confort a las implicaciones climaticas que dan contexto a los proyectos arquitectonicos. El objetivo central es la creacion de espacios expresivos y esteticamente armonicos cuyas caracteristicas privilegien la funcion del inmueble con optimas condiciones de comodidad fisica y psicologica para quienes viven, operan o utilizan el edificio.

Bioclimatic indices based on the menex model example on Banja Luka

OpenAIRE

Pecelj Milica

2013-01-01

It has long been known that weather and climate have influence on human health and well-being. The human organism is in constant interaction with the environmental conditions. To access the atmospheric impact on humans, different methods in human bioclimatology are created. Most of them are based on human heat balance. In this paper it has been tried to present several bioclimatic indices based on the human heat balance according to the bioclimatic model menex (man-environment exchange)...

Environmental psychology in the bioclimatic design; La psicologia ambiental en el diseno bioclimatico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cubillas Talamante, Lorena Gpe [Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Mexicali, Baja California (Mexico)

2005-07-01

The bioclimatic design profits of the natural resources for the improvement of the construction quality as well as the user's life. The combination of these two concepts within the architectonic design generates an interesting duality to consider within the understanding of the user's physical and psychological environment and the obtaining of a correlation of reality and dreams. Environmental psychology is focused on the researching of the psychological effects of the architectonic environment on the human experience and behavior. Human behavior works under parameters established during its development. Through the habits and styles of life practiced in childhood those parameters establish themselves to later on obtain satisfiers in the search of the life quality of human beings. [Spanish] El diseno bioclimatico aprovecha los recursos naturales para el mejoramiento de la calidad de la construccion y vida del usuario. La combinacion de estos dos conceptos dentro del diseno arquitectonico, genera dualidad interesante de entender el medio ambiente fisico y psicologico de los usuarios y obtener una identificacion entre la realidad y los suenos. La psicologia ambiental se ha enfocado a investigar sobre la relacion de los efectos psicologicos del ambiente construido o arquitectonico sobre la conducta y la experiencia humana. La conducta humana trabaja bajo parametros establecidos durante el desarrollo del mismo, a traves de los habitos y estilos de vida desde su infancia van marcando esos parametros que despues sirven para lograr satisfactores en la busqueda de la calidad de vida de los seres humanos.

BIOCLIMATIC CHARACTERISTICS OF PLOVDIV AND THE REGION

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Galina Mosolova

2017-12-01

Full Text Available In present study the authors aim to characterize the bioclimate of Plovdiv and the region by applying a set of bioclimatic indices: equivalent temperature (EΤ˚, equivalency-effective temperature (EET˚, normal equivalent temperature, radiation-equivalent-effective temperature (REET. For the cold part of the year the following cooling indices are applied: the Arnold method, the Sapp and Pascal method, and the Bodman method. Climate data from the NIHM reference books about Hissarya, Sadovo, Plovdiv, Asenovgrad and Boykovo and weather forecasts were used.

Environmental psychology in the bioclimatic design; La psicologia ambiental en el diseno bioclimatico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cubillas Talamante, Lorena Gpe [Facultad de Arquitectura, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Mexicali, Baja California (Mexico)

2005-07-01

The bioclimatic design profits of the natural resources for the improvement of the construction quality as well as the user's life. The combination of these two concepts within the architectonic design generates an interesting duality to consider within the understanding of the user's physical and psychological environment and the obtaining of a correlation of reality and dreams. Environmental psychology is focused on the researching of the psychological effects of the architectonic environment on the human experience and behavior. Human behavior works under parameters established during its development. Through the habits and styles of life practiced in childhood those parameters establish themselves to later on obtain satisfiers in the search of the life quality of human beings. [Spanish] El diseno bioclimatico aprovecha los recursos naturales para el mejoramiento de la calidad de la construccion y vida del usuario. La combinacion de estos dos conceptos dentro del diseno arquitectonico, genera dualidad interesante de entender el medio ambiente fisico y psicologico de los usuarios y obtener una identificacion entre la realidad y los suenos. La psicologia ambiental se ha enfocado a investigar sobre la relacion de los efectos psicologicos del ambiente construido o arquitectonico sobre la conducta y la experiencia humana. La conducta humana trabaja bajo parametros establecidos durante el desarrollo del mismo, a traves de los habitos y estilos de vida desde su infancia van marcando esos parametros que despues sirven para lograr satisfactores en la busqueda de la calidad de vida de los seres humanos.

Adjustment of the architecture to the bioclimatic conditions of the environment on case study of the monsoon modernism of architect Geoffrey Bawa

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Danilović-Hristić Nataša

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Geoffrey Bawa (1919-2003, not well known in our ambience, was Sri Lanka's most influential architect and South Asia's leading guru of unique style, named tropical architecture. The distinction of his work is outstanding aesthetic sensitivity to site and context, especially to peculiar climatic conditions and demands. For his architectural opus he received in 2001 prestigious Aga Khan Award for Architecture, Special Chairman's Award. Although he started to engage in architecture late, in age of 38, soon he became a noted by his inventiveness in forming new canons and prototypes of modern architecture, based on traditional knowledge and perfectly fitted in local surrounding. Bawa created sustainable architecture even before the term started to be used and his masterpieces broke down the barrier between inside and outside space, designing of the interior and landscaping, reducing the building to a series of scenic spaces separated by courtyards and gardens. He is well known by his designs for private villas and hotels, but his portfolio contains public building, as schools and universities, new Sri Lanka's Parliament, sacral, office and industrial structures. Through the presentation of several projects, the paper analyzes his development path and basic characteristics of so called 'monsoon modernism' and special relationship to the bioclimatic conditions of the environment.

[The comprehensive evaluation of the bioclimatic comfort at the territories of the Russian Far East with reference to winter-time recreational activities and primary wellness tourism].

Science.gov (United States)

Pestereva, N M; Khechumyan, A F; Vorozbit, N

2018-05-21

in the framework of the current tendency toward the further development of the socio-economic sphere in the Russian Far East (RFE), the relevant investigations aimed at creating the comfortable conditions for recreational and touristic activities as well as for rehabilitative therapy of the local population acquire the increasingly greater importance. The objective of the present study was the comprehensive evaluation of the bioclimatic comfort at the territories of interest with special reference to winter-time recreational activities and primary wellness tourism. This study was designed to evaluate the health resort, recreational, and therapeutic resources of the selected areas of the Russian Far East with special reference to the data provided by the climate monitoring stations during the periods from December to March of 1965-2014. The following methods were used for the purpose: the comparative analysis of climatic information and elementary methods of mathematical statistics. The evaluation of the study territory in terms of the bioclimatic comfort gave evidence that the southern regions of Primorye as well as Sakhalin island, and Kamchatka peninsula provide the most favorable conditions for the therapeutic and recreational activities, leisure and sports in the winter seasons. The analysis of the studied bioclimatic indices of comfort at different territories of the Russian Far East has demonstrated their great potential for the further development of recreation services, rehabilitation, sporting and touristic activities. The study has revealed the new opportunities for the enhancement of bioclimatic comfort of the region and for the improvement of the quality of life and employment of the local population.

Thermal Band Analysis of Agricultural Land Use and its Effects on Bioclimatic Comfort: The Case of Pasinler

Science.gov (United States)

Avdan, Uǧur; Demircioglu Yildiz, Nalan; Dagliyar, Ayse; Yigit Avdan, Zehra; Yilmaz, Sevgi

2014-05-01

Resolving the problems that arise due to the land use are not suitable for the purpose in the rural and urban areas most suitable for land use of parameters to be determined. Unintended and unplanned developments in the use of agricultural land in our country caused increases the losses by soil erosion. In this study, Thermal Band analysis is made in Pasinler city center with the aim of identifying bioclimatic comfort values of the different agricultural area. Satellite images can be applied for assessing the thermal urban environment as well as for defining heat islands in agricultural areas. In this context, temperature map is tried to be produced with land surface temperature (LST) analysis made on Landsat TM5 satellite image. The Landsat 5 images was obtained from USGS for the study area. Using Landsat bands of the study area was mapped by supervised classification with the maximum likelihood classification algorithm of ERDAS imagine 2011 software. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) image was produced by using Landsat images. The digital number of the Landsat thermal infrared band (10.40 - 12.50 µm) is converted to the spectral radiance. The surface emissivity was calculated by using NDVI. The spatial pattern of land surface temperature in the study area is taken to characterize their local effects on agricultural land. Areas having bioclimatic comfort and ecologically urbanized, are interpreted with different graphical presentation technics. The obtained results are important because they create data bases for sustainable urban planning and provide a direction for planners and governors. As a result of rapid changes in land use, rural ecosystems and quality of life are deteriorated and decreased. In the presence of increased building density, for the comfortable living of people natural and cultural resources should be analyzed in detail. For that reason, optimal land use planning should be made in rural area.

A Comparison of Energy Consumption Prediction Models Based on Neural Networks of a Bioclimatic Building

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Hamid R. Khosravani

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Energy consumption has been increasing steadily due to globalization and industrialization. Studies have shown that buildings are responsible for the biggest proportion of energy consumption; for example in European Union countries, energy consumption in buildings represents around 40% of the total energy consumption. In order to control energy consumption in buildings, different policies have been proposed, from utilizing bioclimatic architectures to the use of predictive models within control approaches. There are mainly three groups of predictive models including engineering, statistical and artificial intelligence models. Nowadays, artificial intelligence models such as neural networks and support vector machines have also been proposed because of their high potential capabilities of performing accurate nonlinear mappings between inputs and outputs in real environments which are not free of noise. The main objective of this paper is to compare a neural network model which was designed utilizing statistical and analytical methods, with a group of neural network models designed benefiting from a multi objective genetic algorithm. Moreover, the neural network models were compared to a naïve autoregressive baseline model. The models are intended to predict electric power demand at the Solar Energy Research Center (Centro de Investigación en Energía SOLar or CIESOL in Spanish bioclimatic building located at the University of Almeria, Spain. Experimental results show that the models obtained from the multi objective genetic algorithm (MOGA perform comparably to the model obtained through a statistical and analytical approach, but they use only 0.8% of data samples and have lower model complexity.

Natural centre and sustainable development in Pirineos: bioclimatic building; Centro de naturaleza y desarrollo sostenible de los Pirineas: Un edificio bioclimatico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Serrosolses, J.; Vallve, X.

2004-07-01

This project has been promoted by the Territori i Paisatge Foundation i Caixa Catalunya. The architectonical project has been done by the architect Francesc Rius, with the collaboration of TTA in the bioclimatic design, installations and general infrastructure. This centre, placed 1.500 m. above the sea in the Lleida Pyrenees is an example of equipment intended to a training activity and rural tourism sustainable activity, and also to demonstrate the viability of using energetic sources within an efficient way. It is a building designed with bioclimatic criteria and energy saving. It is comprised by 3.000 m2 distributed in two plants. The building is semi buried, with a green roof and a north facade completely buried. The southern facade has 600 m2 glazed to gain passive solar lighting and a solar flat-plate collector integrated of 144 m2. It also has a boiler fed with biomass wastes and a photovoltaic system. (Author)

Bioclimatic Extremes Drive Forest Mortality in Southwest, Western Australia

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Bradley John Evans

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Extreme and persistent reductions in annual precipitation and an increase in the mean diurnal temperature range have resulted in patch scale forest mortality following the summer of 2010–2011 within the Forest study area near Perth, Western Australia. The impacts of 20 bioclimatic indicators derived from temperature, precipitation and of actual and potential evapotranspiration are quantified. We found that spatially aggregated seasonal climatologies across the study area show 2011 with an annual mean of 17.7 °C (± 5.3 °C was 1.1 °C warmer than the mean over recent decades (1981–2011,- 16.6 °C ± 4.6 °C and the mean has been increasing over the last decade. Compared to the same period, 2010–2011 summer maximum temperatures were 1.4 °C (31.6 °C ± 2.0 °C higher and the annual mean diurnal temperature range (Tmax−Tmin was 1.6 °C higher (14.7 °C ± 0.5 °C. In 2009, the year before the forest mortality began, annual precipitation across the study area was 69% less (301 mm ± 38 mm than the mean of 1981–2010 (907 mm ± 69 mm. Using Système Pour l'Observation de la Terre mission 5 (SPOT-5 satellite imagery captured after the summer of 2010–2011 we map a broad scale forest mortality event across the Forested study area. This satellite-climatology based methodology provides a means of monitoring and mapping similar forest mortality events- a critical contribution to our understanding the dynamical bioclimatic drivers of forest mortality events.

MONITORING CANOPY AND AIR TEMPERATURE OF DOMINANT VEGETATION IN TROPICAL SEMI-ARID USING BIOCLIMATIC MODEL

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Josiclêda Domiciano Galvíncio

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Typical vegetation of arid environments consist of few dominant species highly threatened by climate change. Jurema preta (Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd. Poiret is one of these successful species that now is dominant in extensive semiarid areas in the world. The development of a simple bioclimatic model using climate change scenarios based on optimistic and pessimistic predictions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC shown as a simple tool to predict possible responses of dominant species under dry land conditions and low functional biodiversity. The simple bioclimatic model proved satisfactory in creating climate change scenarios and impacts on the canopy temperature of Jurema preta in semiarid Brazil. The bioclimatic model was efficient to obtain spatially relevant estimations of air temperature from determinations of the surface temperature using satellite images. The model determined that the average difference of 5oC between the air temperature and the leaf temperature for Jurema preta, and an increase of 3oC in air temperature, promote an increase of 2oC in leaf temperature. It lead to disturbances in vital physiological mechanisms in the leaf, mainly the photosynthesis and efficient use of water.

The integration of bioclimatic indices in an objective probabilistic model for establishing and mapping viticulture suitability in a region

Science.gov (United States)

Moral García, Francisco J.; Rebollo, Francisco J.; Paniagua, Luis L.; García, Abelardo

2014-05-01

Different bioclimatic indices have been proposed to determine the wine suitability in a region. Some of them are related to the air temperature, but the hydric component of climate should also be considered which, in turn, is influenced by the precipitation during the different stages of the grapevine growing and ripening periods. In this work we propose using the information obtained from 10 bioclimatic indices and variables (heliothermal index, HI, cool night index, CI, dryness index, DI, growing season temperature, GST, the Winkler index, WI, September mean thermal amplitude, MTA, annual precipitation, AP, precipitation during flowering, PDF, precipitation before flowering, PBF, and summer precipitation, SP) as inputs in an objective and probabilistic model, the Rasch model, with the aim of integrating the individual effects of them, obtaining the climate data that summarize all main bioclimatic indices which could influence on wine suitability, and utilize the Rasch measures to generate homogeneous climatic zones. The use of the Rasch model to estimate viticultural suitability constitutes a new application of great practical importance, enabling to rationally determine locations in a region where high viticultural potential exists and establishing a ranking of the bioclimatic indices or variables which exerts an important influence on wine suitability in a region. Furthermore, from the measures of viticultural suitability at some locations, estimates can be computed using a geostatistical algorithm, and these estimates can be utilized to map viticultural suitability potential in a region. To illustrate the process, an application to Extremadura, southewestern Spain, is shown. Keywords: Rasch model, bioclimatic indices, GIS.

Schematic representation of case study research designs.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenberg, John P; Yates, Patsy M

2007-11-01

The paper is a report of a study to demonstrate how the use of schematics can provide procedural clarity and promote rigour in the conduct of case study research. Case study research is a methodologically flexible approach to research design that focuses on a particular case - whether an individual, a collective or a phenomenon of interest. It is known as the 'study of the particular' for its thorough investigation of particular, real-life situations and is gaining increased attention in nursing and social research. However, the methodological flexibility it offers can leave the novice researcher uncertain of suitable procedural steps required to ensure methodological rigour. This article provides a real example of a case study research design that utilizes schematic representation drawn from a doctoral study of the integration of health promotion principles and practices into a palliative care organization. The issues discussed are: (1) the definition and application of case study research design; (2) the application of schematics in research; (3) the procedural steps and their contribution to the maintenance of rigour; and (4) the benefits and risks of schematics in case study research. The inclusion of visual representations of design with accompanying explanatory text is recommended in reporting case study research methods.

CISBAT 2007 - Design and renovation of building envelopes (bioclimatic architecture)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2007-07-01

This is the second part of the proceedings of the 2007 CISBAT conference on Renewables in a changing climate, held in Lausanne, Switzerland. On the subject of sustainable building envelopes the following oral contributions are summarised: 'Flexible photovoltaics integrated in transparent membrane and pneumatic foil constructions', 'Development of a numerical thermal model for double skin facades', 'Thermal performance analysis for an electrochromic vacuum glazing with low emittance coatings', 'Challenging the public building sector: optimization of energy performance by sustainable strategies', 'Simulation of the thermal performance of a climate adaptive skin', 'Possibilities for upgrading prefabricated concrete building envelopes', 'Experimental study of airflow and heat transfer in a double skin facade with blinds', 'Energy efficiency of a glazing system - Case study: a dynamic glazing and double skin facades - the use of venetian blinds and night ventilation for saving energy on mediterranean climate'. Poster-sessions on the subject include 'Adaptive building envelopes design ', 'GRC facade panels in Brazil', 'Solar absorptance of building opaque surfaces', 'Evaluating the thermal behavior of exterior walls (in residential buildings of hot-dry climate of Yazd)', 'Energy performance of buildings and local energy policy: the case of new residential buildings in Greve in Chianti (Firenze)', 'Space heating and domestic hot water energy demand in high-level-insulation multi-storey buildings in Tuscany (Italy)', 'Is 2000 W society possible, affordable, and socially acceptable for the Vaud existing school building?', 'Development of simplified method for measuring solar shading performance of windows', 'Studies of ecological architecture in China's Loess Plateau region', 'Contemporary mud

Social and environmental impact of the bioclimatic design; Impacto social y ambiental del diseno bioclimatico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lopez P, J. Manuel A; Morrillon G, David; Rodriguez V, Luis [Instituto de Ingenieria de la UNAM, Mexico, D.F. (Mexico)

2000-07-01

This article is about two important scopes of the Bioclimatical Design (BD), the Social scope and the environmental scope. As an introduction, it is justified the importance of this topic through the association of the BD in the context of sustainability with our country's economic model. The analysis is done under the perspective of effects of the BD on social and environmental scopes. In social scope is used the Cost and Benefit Analysis according to social evaluation. In environmental scope, effects in water, air and ground are studied, but the measurement is done according to the emissions reduction of CO{sub 2} on atmosphere because of the earn on energy consumption. The results of the measurement of this effects are related with economical costs and benefits, which may show a general view about economical, social and environmental scopes. As conclusions, interest results are show and this is proposed to incorporate them in the economical politics. [Spanish] En este articulo se tocan dos aspectos importantes del Diseno Bioclimatico (DB), el Impacto Social y el Impacto Ambiental. En la introduccion se justifica la importancia del tema, asociando el DB en el contexto de la sustentabilidad, con el modelo economico que se ha imperado en nuestro pais. El estudio se realiza bajo la perspectiva de los impactos que el DB tiene en el aspecto social y en el ambiental. En lo social, se recurre a la metodologia del Analisis Costo-Beneficio para evaluacion Social, en lo ambiental, aunque se tocan los puntos de impacto en aire, agua y uso de suelo, la medicion del impacto se realiza con base en la disminucion de emisiones de CO{sub 2} a la atmosfera por el ahorro en el consumo de energia electrica. Los resultados de la medicion de impactos se cruzan con los costos y beneficios economicos, para presentar un panorama completo en cuanto a aspectos economicos, sociales y ambientales. En las conclusiones se rescatan los resultados de interes y se proponen las inserciones de

GREEN TOWERS AND ICONIC DESIGN: Cases from Three Continents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kheir M Al-Kodmany

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Recently, massive urbanization, increasingly denser cities and environmental consciousness are pushing architects to build “green” skyscraper. This paper examines the emergence of a notable type of skyscrapers which depart from purely image-driven structures, and emphasizes functionality and energy efficiency. It argues that breathtaking green design and practical clean technology are merged to give birth to green architectural aesthetics. Upon reviewing over 30 towers from various parts of the world, the paper identifies salient green design strategies that provide new iconicity including: structural efficiencies, renewable energy, façade technology, greeneries, and bioclimatic design. Findings suggest that a dynamic synergy among innovative green design strategies, new architectural languages and exciting aesthetics has constituted a trend that is more likely to prevail in the 21st Century.

Bioclimatic architecture in a social interest house; Arquitectura bioclimatica en la vivienda de interes social

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morillon Galvez, David [Programa Universitario de Energia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico D.F. (Mexico)

2005-07-01

The bioclimatic architecture tries to promote one more type of design and to settle down bases to become aware and have a change of attitude toward the designing and use of the construction materials and equipment. The change consists in offering tools so that the designer and constructor consider the interaction of the environment over the construction site, in order for this last to regulate the heat interchanges with the environment and provide comfort conditions for human beings. With base in the study of the bioclima of the diverse climatic zones of the Republic, recommendations for the architectonic and urban design are emitted. Also, we will analyze and discuss over the tool that represents the bioclimatic design for the construction of buildings, under the considering that approximately 66 % of the country is submitted to warm climate. The recommendations will consist in defining the favorable orientation of the facades to the climate of the site along with thermal characteristics, thickness and finishing of the construction materials, exposure to the sun in windows, forms of the building, among others. These recommendations will allow to obtain a building designed for the conditions of comfort and at the same time energy saving, in accordance with the official norms for the thermal design of the building cover that, in this year will be compulsory for the case of non residential buildings and approaching to residential buildings. This can be without extra cost for the builder and surely with benefits for the user, such as electrical energy saving, diminution of the billing, thermal and environmental comfort conditions, among others. All of this will be presented in this document besides constructed projects and examples of modification in the present designs of houses in the country. [Spanish] La arquitectura bioclimatica trata de promover un tipo mas de diseno, trata de sentar bases para la toma de conciencia y un cambio de actitud respecto al diseno y al

Bioclimatic comfort and the thermal perceptions and preferences of beach tourists

Science.gov (United States)

Rutty, Michelle; Scott, Daniel

2015-01-01

The largest market segment of global tourism is coastal tourism, which is strongly dependent on the destination's thermal climate. To date, outdoor bioclimatic comfort assessments have focused exclusively on local residents in open urban areas, making it unclear whether outdoor comfort is perceived differently in non-urban environments or by non-residents (i.e. tourists) with different weather expectations and activity patterns. This study provides needed insight into the perception of outdoor microclimatic conditions in a coastal environment while simultaneously identifying important psychological factors that differentiate tourists from everyday users of urban spaces. Concurrent micrometeorological measurements were taken on several Caribbean beaches in the islands of Barbados, Saint Lucia and Tobago, while a questionnaire survey was used to examine the thermal comfort of subjects ( n = 472). Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) conditions of 32 to 39 °C were recorded, which were perceived as being "slightly warm" or "warm" by respondents. Most beach users (48 to 77 %) would not change the thermal conditions, with some (4 to 15 %) preferring even warmer conditions. Even at UTCI of 39 °C, 62 % of respondents voted for no change to current thermal conditions, with an additional 10 % stating that they would like to feel even warmer. These results indicate that beach users' thermal preferences are up to 18 °C warmer than the preferred thermal conditions identified in existing outdoor bioclimatic studies from urban park settings. This indicates that beach users hold fundamentally different comfort perceptions and preferences compared to people using urban spaces. Statistically significant differences ( p ≤ .05) were also recorded for demographic groups (gender, age) and place of origin (climatic region).

Cryostat design case studies, principles and engineering

CERN Document Server

2016-01-01

This book enables the reader to learn the fundamental and applied aspects of practical cryostat design by examining previous design choices and resulting cryostat performance. Through a series of extended case studies the book presents an overview of existing cryostat design covering a wide range of cryostat types and applications, including the magnet cryostats that comprise the majority of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, space-borne cryostats containing sensors operating below 1 K, and large cryogenic liquid storage vessels. It starts with an introductory section on the principles of cryostat design including practical data and equations. This section is followed by a series of case studies on existing cryostats, describing the specific requirements of the cryostat, the challenges involved and the design choices made along with the resulting performance of the cryostat. The cryostat examples used in the studies are chosen to cover a broad range of cryostat applications and the authors of each case are ...

Class 1 devices case studies in medical devices design

CERN Document Server

Ogrodnik, Peter J

2014-01-01

The Case Studies in Medical Devices Design series consists of practical, applied case studies relating to medical device design in industry. These titles complement Ogrodnik's Medical Device Design and will assist engineers with applying the theory in practice. The case studies presented directly relate to Class I, Class IIa, Class IIb and Class III medical devices. Designers and companies who wish to extend their knowledge in a specific discipline related to their respective class of operation will find any or all of these titles a great addition to their library. Class 1 Devices is a companion text to Medical Devices Design: Innovation from Concept to Market. The intention of this book, and its sister books in the series, is to support the concepts presented in Medical Devices Design through case studies. In the context of this book the case studies consider Class I (EU) and 510(k) exempt (FDA) . This book covers classifications, the conceptual and embodiment phase, plus design from idea to PDS. These title...

Topographic and Bioclimatic Determinants of the Occurrence of Forest and Grassland in Tropical Montane Forest-Grassland Mosaics of the Western Ghats, India.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arundhati Das

Full Text Available The objective of this analysis was to identify topographic and bioclimatic factors that predict occurrence of forest and grassland patches within tropical montane forest-grassland mosaics. We further investigated whether interactions between topography and bioclimate are important in determining vegetation pattern, and assessed the role of spatial scale in determining the relative importance of specific topographic features. Finally, we assessed the role of elevation in determining the relative importance of diverse explanatory factors. The study area consists of the central and southern regions of the Western Ghats of Southern India, a global biodiversity hotspot. Random forests were used to assess prediction accuracy and predictor importance. Conditional inference classification trees were used to interpret predictor effects and examine potential interactions between predictors. GLMs were used to confirm predictor importance and assess the strength of interaction terms. Overall, topographic and bioclimatic predictors classified vegetation pattern with approximately 70% accuracy. Prediction accuracy was higher for grassland than forest, and for mosaics at higher elevations. Elevation was the most important predictor, with mosaics above 2000 m dominated largely by grassland. Relative topographic position measured at a local scale (within a 300 m neighbourhood was another important predictor of vegetation pattern. In high elevation mosaics, northness and concave land surface curvature were important predictors of forest occurrence. Important bioclimatic predictors were: dry quarter precipitation, annual temperature range and the interaction between the two. The results indicate complex interactions between topography and bioclimate and among topographic variables. Elevation and topography have a strong influence on vegetation pattern in these mosaics. There were marked regional differences in the roles of various topographic and bioclimatic

Topographic and Bioclimatic Determinants of the Occurrence of Forest and Grassland in Tropical Montane Forest-Grassland Mosaics of the Western Ghats, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Das, Arundhati; Nagendra, Harini; Anand, Madhur; Bunyan, Milind

2015-01-01

The objective of this analysis was to identify topographic and bioclimatic factors that predict occurrence of forest and grassland patches within tropical montane forest-grassland mosaics. We further investigated whether interactions between topography and bioclimate are important in determining vegetation pattern, and assessed the role of spatial scale in determining the relative importance of specific topographic features. Finally, we assessed the role of elevation in determining the relative importance of diverse explanatory factors. The study area consists of the central and southern regions of the Western Ghats of Southern India, a global biodiversity hotspot. Random forests were used to assess prediction accuracy and predictor importance. Conditional inference classification trees were used to interpret predictor effects and examine potential interactions between predictors. GLMs were used to confirm predictor importance and assess the strength of interaction terms. Overall, topographic and bioclimatic predictors classified vegetation pattern with approximately 70% accuracy. Prediction accuracy was higher for grassland than forest, and for mosaics at higher elevations. Elevation was the most important predictor, with mosaics above 2000 m dominated largely by grassland. Relative topographic position measured at a local scale (within a 300 m neighbourhood) was another important predictor of vegetation pattern. In high elevation mosaics, northness and concave land surface curvature were important predictors of forest occurrence. Important bioclimatic predictors were: dry quarter precipitation, annual temperature range and the interaction between the two. The results indicate complex interactions between topography and bioclimate and among topographic variables. Elevation and topography have a strong influence on vegetation pattern in these mosaics. There were marked regional differences in the roles of various topographic and bioclimatic predictors across the

Analysis of chosen urban bioclimatic conditions in Upper Silesian Industrial Region, Poland

Science.gov (United States)

Zimnol, Jan

2013-04-01

Due to the increasing urbanization, people spend more and more time in cities. Because of that fact during the last century the human bioclimatological approach had an important influence on the applied urban bioclimatology. The aim of the study was to analyze chosen thermal bioclimatic conditions in urban area of Upper Silesian Industrial Region in connection with the atmospheric circulation and air masses. The study was focused on the thermal conditions that are important for the bioclimatological research on human thermal comfort. They were the basis for making study on how to show the influence of the air masses and circulations types on frequency and variability of the chosen bioclimate indexes. That research was based on data (2004 - 2008) acquired by the Silesian University (Faculty of Earth Sciences) meteorological station located in the city of Sosnowiec (50°17'N, 19°08'E, h=263 m a.s.l.). The temperature measurements were made automatically every 10 minutes on the 2 meters above the ground level. Previous research showed that the station is a good representation of the local urban climate conditions in Upper Silesian Industrial Region. In the study the following air temperatures were taken into consideration: average day temperature, maximum day temperature, minimum day temperature and the average air temperature at 12 UTC. They were associated with atmospheric circulation types and masses typical for the region. Using the data mentioned above I conducted a classification to divide days into following objective categories: cool, cold, comfortable, hot, warm and very hot in the seasonal depiction. The final stage of the work was to find the answer to the following question: "When and how do the strong air masses and air circulations types modify bioclimatic conditions in the study area?" Answer to that question together with further results of the research will be presented on my poster.

Bird distributional patterns support biogeographical histories and are associated with bioclimatic units in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Cristiano DE Santana; Nascimento, Nayla Fábia Ferreira DO; Araujo, Helder F P DE

2017-10-17

Rivers as barriers to dispersal and past forest refugia are two of the hypotheses proposed to explain the patterns of biodiversity in the Atlantic Forest. It has recently been shown that possible past refugia correspond to bioclimatically different regions, so we tested whether patterns of shared distribution of bird taxa in the Atlantic Forest are 1) limited by the Doce and São Francisco rivers or 2) associated with the bioclimatically different southern and northeastern regions. We catalogued lists of forest birds from 45 locations, 36 in the Atlantic forest and nine in Amazon, and used parsimony analysis of endemicity to identify groups of shared taxa. We also compared differences between these groups by permutational multivariate analysis of variance and identified the species that best supported the resulting groups. The results showed that the distribution of forest birds is divided into two main regions in the Atlantic Forest, the first with more southern localities and the second with northeastern localities. This distributional pattern is not delimited by riverbanks, but it may be associated with bioclimatic units, surrogated by altitude, that maintain current environmental differences between two main regions on Atlantic Forest and may be related to phylogenetic histories of taxa supporting the two groups.

Bioclimatic comfort and the thermal perceptions and preferences of beach tourists.

Science.gov (United States)

Rutty, Michelle; Scott, Daniel

2015-01-01

The largest market segment of global tourism is coastal tourism, which is strongly dependent on the destination's thermal climate. To date, outdoor bioclimatic comfort assessments have focused exclusively on local residents in open urban areas, making it unclear whether outdoor comfort is perceived differently in non-urban environments or by non-residents (i.e. tourists) with different weather expectations and activity patterns. This study provides needed insight into the perception of outdoor microclimatic conditions in a coastal environment while simultaneously identifying important psychological factors that differentiate tourists from everyday users of urban spaces. Concurrent micrometeorological measurements were taken on several Caribbean beaches in the islands of Barbados, Saint Lucia and Tobago, while a questionnaire survey was used to examine the thermal comfort of subjects (n = 472). Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) conditions of 32 to 39 °C were recorded, which were perceived as being "slightly warm" or "warm" by respondents. Most beach users (48 to 77 %) would not change the thermal conditions, with some (4 to 15 %) preferring even warmer conditions. Even at UTCI of 39 °C, 62 % of respondents voted for no change to current thermal conditions, with an additional 10 % stating that they would like to feel even warmer. These results indicate that beach users' thermal preferences are up to 18 °C warmer than the preferred thermal conditions identified in existing outdoor bioclimatic studies from urban park settings. This indicates that beach users hold fundamentally different comfort perceptions and preferences compared to people using urban spaces. Statistically significant differences (p ≤ .05) were also recorded for demographic groups (gender, age) and place of origin (climatic region).

Use of Bioclimatic Factors to Determine Potential Niche of Vaccinia Virus, an Emerging and Zoonotic Pathogen

Science.gov (United States)

Quiner, C. A.; Nakazawa, Y.

2017-12-01

Emerging and understudied pathogens often lack information that most commonly used analytical tools require, such as negative controls or baseline data making public health control of emerging pathogens challenging. In lieu of opportunities to collect more data from larger outbreaks or formal epidemiological studies, new analytical strategies, merging case data with publically available datasets, can be used to understand transmission patterns and drivers of disease emergence. Zoonotic infections with Vaccinia virus (VACV) were first reported in Brazil in 1999, VACV is an emerging zoonotic Orthopoxvirus, which primarily infects dairy cattle and farmers in close contact with infected cows. Prospective studies of emerging pathogens could provide critical data that would inform public health planning and response to outbreaks. By using the location of 87-recorded outbreaks and publicly available bioclimatic data we demonstrate one such approach. Using an Ecological Niche Model (ENM), we identify the environmental conditions under which VACV outbreaks have occurred, and determine additional locations in two affected South American countries that may be susceptible to transmission. Further, we show how suitability for the virus responds to different levels of various environmental factors and highlight the most important climatic factors in determining its transmission. The final ENM predicted all areas where Brazilian outbreaks occurred, two out of five Colombian outbreaks and identified new regions within Brazil that are suitable for transmission based on bioclimatic factors. Further, the most important factors in determining transmission suitability are precipitation of the wettest quarter, annual precipitation, mean temperature of the coldest quarter and mean diurnal range. The analyses here provide a means by which to study patterns of an emerging infectious disease, and regions that are potentially at risk for it, in spite of the paucity of critical data. Policy

Regional analysis of ground and above-ground climate. Part I. Regional suitability of earth-tempering practices: summary and conclusions. Part II. Bioclimatic data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Labs, K.

The regional suitability of underground construction as a climate-control technique is discussed with reference to (1) a bioclimatic analysis of long-term weather data for 29 locations in the United States to determine appropriate above-ground climate-control techniques, (2) a data base of synthesized ground temperatures for the coterminous United States, and (3) monthly dewpoint ground temperature comparisons for identifying the relative likelihood of condensation, from one region to another. It is concluded that the suitability of earth tempering as a practice and of specific earth-sheltered design stereotypes varies geographically. While the subsurface almost always provides a thermal advantage on its own terms when compared to above-ground climatic data, it can, nonetheless, compromise the effectiveness of other, regionally more important climate-control techniques. Also contained in the report are reviews of above- and below-ground climate mapping schemes related to human comfort and architectural design, and a detailed description of a theoretical model of ground temperature, heat flow, and heat storage in the ground. Strategies of passive climate control are presented in a discussion of the building bioclimatic analysis procedure which has been applied in a computer analysis of 30 years of weather data for each of 29 locations in the United States. 3 references, 12 figures, 14 tables.

A bioclimatic approach to predict global regions with suitable climate space for Puccina psidii

Science.gov (United States)

J. W. Hanna; R. N. Graca; M. -S. Kim; A. L. Ross-Davis; R. D. Hauff; J. W. Uchida; C. Y. Kadooka; M. B. Rayamajhi; M. Arguedas Gamboa; D. J. Lodge; R. Medel Medel-Ortiz; A. Lopez Ramirez; P. G. Cannon; A. C. Alfenas; N. B. Klopfenstein

2012-01-01

Puccinia psidii, the cause of eucalypt-guava-'ohi'a-myrtle rust, can infect diverse plants within the Myrtaceae, and this rust pathogen has the potential to threaten numerous forest ecosystems worldwide. Known occurrence records from Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Costa Rica, USA (Hawaii, Florida, and Puerto Rico), and Japan were used to develop bioclimatic...

Bioclimatic building in Hungary: results of the Pecs house

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fueloep, L.; Szasz, J. (Pollack Mihaly Coll. of Technology, Pecs (HU))

1990-09-01

The house was designed on a split-level to fit into a slope, with close attention paid to the reduction of heat losses, the increasing of passive gains and the maintenance of bioclimatic comfort. The building's rounded contours reduce turbulence and edge effects. A totally glazed south side incorporates two thermosyphon mass walls as well as a two-storey high sunspace. This unheated intermediate space acts as a buffer between indoors and outdoors and maximises solar gain, which can however be controlled by internal shading. A fan assisted central gravel packed tower and a rock bed floor provide heat storage. There are two 18 m{sup 2} areas of thermosyphon walls, where glass on polycarbonate is used to cover 0.45 m of dark stone mass. In 1989 the glazed wall was retrofitted to incorporate honeycomb transparent insulation, which still allows radiation gain but minimizes heat loss. Transparent insulation is also used in a skylight which is important for lighting the hallway but which would otherwise contribute to heat loss. Natural and forced ventilation as well as a cool air-pond contributes to cooling. Auxiliary floor heating is supplied by gas. In one room underfloor PCM batteries charged by discount night electricity are used for heating. A fireplace is also provided. (author).

Case-Cohort Studies: Design and Applicability to Hand Surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Vojvodic, Miliana; Shafarenko, Mark; McCabe, Steven J

2018-04-24

Observational studies are common research strategies in hand surgery. The case-cohort design offers an efficient and resource-friendly method for risk assessment and outcomes analysis. Case-cohorts remain underrepresented in upper extremity research despite several practical and economic advantages over case-control studies. This report outlines the purpose, utility, and structure of the case-cohort design and offers a sample research question to demonstrate its value to risk estimation for adverse surgical outcomes. The application of well-designed case-cohort studies is advocated in an effort to improve the quality and quantity of observational research evidence in hand and upper extremity surgery. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Guide for a building energy label. Promoting bio-climatic and solar construction and renovation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2004-07-01

Technically speaking, building experts have the knowledge to deal with thermal inertia of buildings, solar gains, insulation, efficient ventilation, and daylighting... to get low energy buildings that provide comfort for the users. Buildings should always be designed according to the specificities of the local climate, according to a ''solar and bio-climatic construction'' approach. It is not always possible to fully apply these principles, particularly in urban areas with high density. However, this is unacceptable to keep building with such errors as insufficient insulation and direct electrical heating, single glazing, thermal bridges, low efficiency heating systems. This guide aims at encouraging the building experts to take into account the energy efficiency. Implementing a building energy label will allow general public to be aware of this issue and then, and will then lead to develop better practices. (author)

Predicting Spatial Distribution of Key Honeybee Pests in Kenya Using Remotely Sensed and Bioclimatic Variables: Key Honeybee Pests Distribution Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David M. Makori

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Bee keeping is indispensable to global food production. It is an alternate income source, especially in rural underdeveloped African settlements, and an important forest conservation incentive. However, dwindling honeybee colonies around the world are attributed to pests and diseases whose spatial distribution and influences are not well established. In this study, we used remotely sensed data to improve the reliability of pest ecological niche (EN models to attain reliable pest distribution maps. Occurrence data on four pests (Aethina tumida, Galleria mellonella, Oplostomus haroldi and Varroa destructor were collected from apiaries within four main agro-ecological regions responsible for over 80% of Kenya’s bee keeping. Africlim bioclimatic and derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI variables were used to model their ecological niches using Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt. Combined precipitation variables had a high positive logit influence on all remotely sensed and biotic models’ performance. Remotely sensed vegetation variables had a substantial effect on the model, contributing up to 40.8% for G. mellonella and regions with high rainfall seasonality were predicted to be high-risk areas. Projections (to 2055 indicated that, with the current climate change trend, these regions will experience increased honeybee pest risk. We conclude that honeybee pests could be modelled using bioclimatic data and remotely sensed variables in MaxEnt. Although the bioclimatic data were most relevant in all model results, incorporating vegetation seasonality variables to improve mapping the ‘actual’ habitat of key honeybee pests and to identify risk and containment zones needs to be further investigated.

SPATIAL AND SEASONAL DISTRIBUTION OF BIOCLIMATIC INDICES IN THE STATE OF STYRIA AS A BASIS FOR HOLIDAY PLANNING

OpenAIRE

Harlfinger, Otmar; Pilger, Harald; Rieder, Hannes; Köck, Michael; P. Pichler-Semmelrock, Franz

2004-01-01

Abstract: In the period between 1991. and 2000., bioclimatic data were collected from 34 meteorological stations in the Austrian State of Styria. The equivalent temperature served as an indicator for the thermal action complex; during the winter months, wind-chill temperatures were used (thermal action complex). Finally, the geographic and seasonal distribution of weatherbiotropic intensity was studied (neurotropic action complex). The mean values and frequency distributions of the equival...

HIGH QUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL PRINCIPLES APPLIED TO THE ARCHITECTONIC DESIGN SELECTION PROCEDURE: THE NUTRE LAB CASE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudia Barroso Krause

2012-06-01

Full Text Available The need to produce more sustainable buildings has been influencing the design decisions all over the world. That’s why it is imperative, in Brazil, the development of strategies and method to aid the decision making during the design process, focused on high quality environmental. This paper presents a decision support tool based on the principles of sustainable construction developed by the Project, Architecture and Sustainability Research Group (GPAS of Federal University of Rio de Janeiro – Brazil. The methodology has been developed for the selection of a preliminary design of a laboratory to be built at Rio Technology Park at the University campus. The support provided by GPAS occurred in three stages: the elaboration of the Reference Guide for the competitors, the development of a methodology to evaluate the proposed solutions (based on environmental performance criteria and the assistance of the members of jury in the trial phase. The theoretical framework was based upon the concepts of the bioclimatic architecture, the procedures specified by the certification HQE® (Haute Qualité Environnementale and the method suggested by the ADDENDA® architecture office. The success of this experience points out the possibility to future application in similar cases.

User Design: A Case Study on Corporate Change

Science.gov (United States)

Pastore, Raymond S.; Carr-Chellman, Alison A.; Lohmann, Neal

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of implementing user design strategies within the corporate culture. Using a case study design approach, this article explores the change process within a "Fortune" 100 company in which users were given significant decision-making powers. The main focus is on the unique nature of user design in…

Guide of the bio-climatic architecture; Guide de l'architecture bioclimatique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liebard, A [Observateur des Energies Renouvelables 75 - Paris (France); Herde, A de [Universite Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)

2004-07-01

This guide is the part six of a fundamental course on the bio-climatic architecture. This part is devoted to the urban development and the sustainable development in Europe. The context and the definitions of a sustainable town are proposed in the first part. The second part deals with the today tools, as the environmental policies, the urban development and economy, the HQE (high environmental quality) approach and the renewable energies use in urban areas. The third part proposes some applications of a sustainable urbanization, a climatic town planing and the energy conservation. (A.L.B.)

A comparative simple method for human bioclimatic conditions applied to seasonally hot/warm cities of Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tejeda Martinez, A. [Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz (Mexico); Garcia Cueto, O.R. [Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Mexicali, B.C. (Mexico)

2002-01-01

The climate of a region is an environmental resource with important implications for things such as thermal comfort, health and productivity of the population. In this work, the bioclimatic comfort was evaluated for seven seasonally warm/hot cities of Mexico by means of the following current indexes: Discomfort Index, Enthalpy Index and Heat Strain Index. Also, the periods during which it is necessary to use air conditioning in the studied cities were calculated from estimated global radiation and hourly data of temperature and relative humidity which made it possible to establish them with high precision. Finally, the useful of the Heat Strain Index is shown. It is a simple index needing available meteorological data to compare bioclimatic conditions of similar sites. [Spanish] El clima regional tiene implicaciones en el confort, la salud y la productividad de la poblacion. En este articulo se presentan las evaluaciones bioclimaticas comparativas de siete ciudades calidas de Mexico. Se aplicaron los indices bioclimaticos de disconfort, entalpia y esfuerzo frente al calor. Se calcularon los periodos para los cuales es necesario el uso de aire acondicionado, a partir de estimaciones de radiacion solar global y de temperatura y humedad horarias medias mensuales. Finalmente se muestra la utilidad y calidad del Indice de esfuerzo frente al calor, el cual requiere solo de datos climatologicos comunes para poder comparar condiciones bioclimaticas de sitios similares.

Sustainable Design Approach: A case study of BIM use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abdelhameed Wael

2017-01-01

The paper describes the methodology of this design approach through BIM strategies adopted in design creation. Case studies of architectural designs are used to highlight the details and benefits of this proposed approach.

Infusing Technology Driven Design Thinking in Industrial Design Education: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Mubin, Omar; Novoa, Mauricio; Al Mahmud, Abdullah

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper narrates a case study on design thinking-based education work in an industrial design honours program. Student projects were developed in a multi-disciplinary setting across a Computing and Engineering faculty that allowed promoting technologically and user-driven innovation strategies. Design/methodology/approach: A renewed…

Case-control studies in diabetes. Do they really use a case-control design?

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Analía; Mendoza, Lilian Cristina; Rabasa, Fernanda; Bolíbar, Ignasi; Puig, Teresa; Corcoy, Rosa

2017-07-01

Studies defined as case-control do not always use this design. We aimed to estimate the frequency of mislabelled case-control studies in published articles in the area of diabetes and to identify the predictors of incorrect labelling. We searched Medline and Web of Science for articles with "diabetes" and "case control" in title and filtered for language (English/Romance) and period (January 2010-December 2014). Inclusion criteria were: (1) statement to use a case-control design in title, (2) to be a final full-length publication and (3) to have original data in the area of diabetes. Three independent reviewers went through titles, looked for full texts and reviewed them. Discrepancies were settled with a fourth reviewer. Expert epidemiologist advice was requested in case of doubt. case-control mislabelling; addressed predictors: publication year, journal impact factor and journal subject. proportion of mislabelled CC articles and assessment of predictors by multivariate logistic regression analysis. We retrieved 362 articles, 251 of them fulfilling inclusion criteria. The proportion of mislabelled CC studies was 43.8% (confidence interval 95% 37.7-50.0%). Most mislabelled studies had a cross-sectional design (82.7%). Predictors of mislabelling were publication year, journal impact factor and journal area. A relevant subset of studies defined as case-control in the area of diabetes correspond to mislabelled cross-sectional studies. Incorrect labelling misleads readers regarding the interpretation of results and the cause-effect hypothesis. Researchers, reviewers and editors should be aware of and commit to settle this issue.

A contribution to the concept and the classification of the bioclimatic unit in Sub-Saharan Africa

OpenAIRE

J. F. V Phillips

1983-01-01

A bioclimatic unit is an integration of climatic factors (e.g. radiation, humidity complexes) and features modified by physiography and vegetation (biotic communities and associated habitats, i.e. wherever possible, ecosystems). Unit implies an entity irrespective of ecological status and dimensions: these are otherwise differentiated. It often must suffice to use vegetation communities, because information regarding biotic communities or ecosystems is unavailable. Inc...

Guide of the bio-climatic architecture; Guide de l'architecture bioclimatique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liebard, A. [Observateur des Energies Renouvelables 75 - Paris (France); Herde, A. de [Universite Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain-la-Neuve (Belgium)

2004-07-01

This guide is the part six of a fundamental course on the bio-climatic architecture. This part is devoted to the urban development and the sustainable development in Europe. The context and the definitions of a sustainable town are proposed in the first part. The second part deals with the today tools, as the environmental policies, the urban development and economy, the HQE (high environmental quality) approach and the renewable energies use in urban areas. The third part proposes some applications of a sustainable urbanization, a climatic town planing and the energy conservation. (A.L.B.)

The future bioclimatic conditions in Austria under the aspect of climate change scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

Rudel, E.; Matzarakis, A.; Neumke, R.; Endler, Ch,; Koch, E.

2009-09-01

The IPCC quantifies Heat Stress as a combination of air temperature and air humidity. In order to describe the future bioclimatic conditions in a human-biometeorological manner the analysis a modern thermal index has been chosen. The PET (Physiologically Equivalent Temperature) allows the assessment of the effect of the thermal environment based on the energy balance of humans including thermo-physiological information. The data for the calculation of the PET came from climate models. The required data are for the climatic parameters air temperature, relative humidity, wind velocity and mean cloud cover as the necessary inputs for Physiologically Equivalents Temperature. Regarding future climatic changes PET calculations for the time slices 1961 and 1990 and also 2070 and 2100 have been run in 0.5 ° resolution. By the use of statistical regression for the 0.5 ° resolution the results have been downscaled to 1 km resolution in order to identify and quantify the areas in Austria, which will be more affected bioclimatologically. The constructed maps present current and future climatic conditions and also differences for the different time slices and SRES-scenarios of the IPCC. Maps of the difference between the Physiological Equivalent temperature and air temperature have been constructed to show that the used thermal indices, which have been applied by the IPCC underestimate the expected thermal bioclimate conditions for future climate. The results offer fundamental information for tourism and recreation authorities for present and expected climatic and bioclimatic conditions.

A statistical approach to bioclimatic trend detection in the airborne pollen records of Catalonia (NE Spain)

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Llamazares, Álvaro; Belmonte, Jordina; Delgado, Rosario; De Linares, Concepción

2014-04-01

Airborne pollen records are a suitable indicator for the study of climate change. The present work focuses on the role of annual pollen indices for the detection of bioclimatic trends through the analysis of the aerobiological spectra of 11 taxa of great biogeographical relevance in Catalonia over an 18-year period (1994-2011), by means of different parametric and non-parametric statistical methods. Among others, two non-parametric rank-based statistical tests were performed for detecting monotonic trends in time series data of the selected airborne pollen types and we have observed that they have similar power in detecting trends. Except for those cases in which the pollen data can be well-modeled by a normal distribution, it is better to apply non-parametric statistical methods to aerobiological studies. Our results provide a reliable representation of the pollen trends in the region and suggest that greater pollen quantities are being liberated to the atmosphere in the last years, specially by Mediterranean taxa such as Pinus, Total Quercus and Evergreen Quercus, although the trends may differ geographically. Longer aerobiological monitoring periods are required to corroborate these results and survey the increasing levels of certain pollen types that could exert an impact in terms of public health.

Assessment of bioclimatic conditions within the area of Szczecin agglomeration

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Jadwiga Nidzgorska-Lencewicz

2013-10-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to characterise the bioclimatic conditions in the city of Szczecin, particularly the recognition of the frequency of occurrence of the conditions unfavourable to humans. The analysis is based on the hourly values of particular meteorological elements and pollutant concentrations in the period 2005?2010 taken at the three measuring stations located in various settlement structures in Szczecin metropolitan area. The Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI was used to assess heat stress of human organism and the assessment of thermal sensation was based on the Effective Temperature index (ET. It was established that on a yearly basis the most favourable biothermal conditions are observed in the centre of the city and in its southern districts ? categories no thermal stress (UTCI and thermal comfort (ET are most frequently recorded there. However, in the northern parts of the city the most common class of thermal stress (UTCI is moderate cold stress and thermal sensation category (ET cool and cold. Among the situations which thermal stress, the conditions connected with discomfort related to cold rather than heat are more frequent. Throughout the year, the strong cold stress (UTCI < 13 ° C and sensations (ET related to cold stress occurred in 12.5% and 25% of time respectively, whereas thermal discomfort related to strong heat stress with UTCI values over 32 ° C and ET thermal sensations hot and very hot were observed incomparably less frequently ? 0.3% and 3.7% respectively. However, heat-related discomfort is more frequently observed in the city centre, and cold-related discomfort is most frequently experienced by residents of the outskirts of the city, particularly its northern parts. The statistically strongest relationships were observed between biothermal sensation and ozone (O3 and particulate matter PM2.5 immissions. During the analysed period, the most unfavourable bioclimatic conditions occurred predominantly in

Interpretive Research Aiming at Theory Building: Adopting and Adapting the Case Study Design

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz Andrade, Antonio

2009-01-01

Although the advantages of case study design are widely recognised, its original positivist underlying assumptions may mislead interpretive researchers aiming at theory building. The paper discusses the limitations of the case study design for theory building and explains how grounded theory systemic process adds to the case study design. The…

Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies: Preparation, design, and enrollment of cases and controls.

Science.gov (United States)

Verani, Jennifer R; Baqui, Abdullah H; Broome, Claire V; Cherian, Thomas; Cohen, Cheryl; Farrar, Jennifer L; Feikin, Daniel R; Groome, Michelle J; Hajjeh, Rana A; Johnson, Hope L; Madhi, Shabir A; Mulholland, Kim; O'Brien, Katherine L; Parashar, Umesh D; Patel, Manish M; Rodrigues, Laura C; Santosham, Mathuram; Scott, J Anthony; Smith, Peter G; Sommerfelt, Halvor; Tate, Jacqueline E; Victor, J Chris; Whitney, Cynthia G; Zaidi, Anita K; Zell, Elizabeth R

2017-06-05

Case-control studies are commonly used to evaluate effectiveness of licensed vaccines after deployment in public health programs. Such studies can provide policy-relevant data on vaccine performance under 'real world' conditions, contributing to the evidence base to support and sustain introduction of new vaccines. However, case-control studies do not measure the impact of vaccine introduction on disease at a population level, and are subject to bias and confounding, which may lead to inaccurate results that can misinform policy decisions. In 2012, a group of experts met to review recent experience with case-control studies evaluating the effectiveness of several vaccines; here we summarize the recommendations of that group regarding best practices for planning, design and enrollment of cases and controls. Rigorous planning and preparation should focus on understanding the study context including healthcare-seeking and vaccination practices. Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies are best carried out soon after vaccine introduction because high coverage creates strong potential for confounding. Endpoints specific to the vaccine target are preferable to non-specific clinical syndromes since the proportion of non-specific outcomes preventable through vaccination may vary over time and place, leading to potentially confusing results. Controls should be representative of the source population from which cases arise, and are generally recruited from the community or health facilities where cases are enrolled. Matching of controls to cases for potential confounding factors is commonly used, although should be reserved for a limited number of key variables believed to be linked to both vaccination and disease. Case-control vaccine effectiveness studies can provide information useful to guide policy decisions and vaccine development, however rigorous preparation and design is essential. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Transitioning from Marketing-Oriented Design to User-Oriented Design: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Laster, Shari; Stitz, Tammy; Bove, Frank J.; Wise, Casey

2011-01-01

The transition to a new architecture and design for an academic library Web site does not always proceed smoothly. In this case study, a library at a large research university hired an outside Web development contractor to create a new architecture and design for the university's Web site using dotCMS, an open-source content management system. The…

La ordenanza bioclimática de Tres Cantos, Madrid. Últimos avances en planificación ambiental y sostenible./ The ordinance bioclimatic Tres Cantos, Madrid. Recent developments in environmental planning and sustainable.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Higueras García, Ester

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Aunque es de todos reconocida la importancia de planificar con criterios ambientales, son muy pocos los casos en los que estos criterios pasan de los objetivos a las propuestas. En el caso de la localidad de Tres Cantos (Madrid se ha obtenido un importante reto: la aprobación de una ordenanza, denominada Ordenanza Bioclimática, que impulsa el desarrollo urbano equilibrado con su territorio, reduce los consumos de suelo y agua, es respetuosa con el paisaje e incentiva la edificación bioclimática frente a otras convencionales./Despite the well-known relevancy of environmental criteria relating to urban planning, they often remain as objectives and do not become proposals. In the case of Tres Cantos, an important challenge has been proposed: the approval of an ordinance, called Bioclimatic Ordinance, that promotes a proportional urban development relating to the territory, that reduces the use of ground and water, that is respectful towards the landscape and encourages bioclimatic construction against the traditional one.

A contribution to the concept and the classification of the bioclimatic unit in Sub-Saharan Africa

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J. F. V Phillips

1983-11-01

Full Text Available A bioclimatic unit is an integration of climatic factors (e.g. radiation, humidity complexes and features modified by physiography and vegetation (biotic communities and associated habitats, i.e. wherever possible, ecosystems. Unit implies an entity irrespective of ecological status and dimensions: these are otherwise differentiated. It often must suffice to use vegetation communities, because information regarding biotic communities or ecosystems is unavailable. Increasingly, disturbance of ‘natural’ conditions makes it imperative to involve man in the classification, demarcation and policy for the development of bioclimatic units. Ignorance regarding the nature and distribution of a climax necessitates using pro- (pre- or post- climaxes.This is based upon the differentiation in these criteria: climatic (radiation and humidity complexes; vegetation (physiognomy and ecological status . . . and as these are further modified by physiography and edaphic features (physiognomic differentiation ranges from specific faciations of forest or thicket; wooded savanna (facies ofwoodland, shrubland; facies or faciations of grassland; climatic differentiation ranges from highly humid toarid . . . and further to subdesert and desert. Recommendations respecting policy and practice in pastoral, crop production and forestry development based on this concept have been used in various sectors of Africa. South East Asia and Latin America. Detailed experience has been gained in Natal and elsewhere. Several maps illustrate the application of the concept.

Design Fixation and Cooperative Learning in Elementary Engineering Design Project: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Yi

2015-01-01

This paper presents a case study examining 3rd, 4th and 5th graders' design fixation and cooperative learning in an engineering design project. A mixed methods instrument, the Cooperative Learning Observation Protocol (CLOP), was adapted to record frequency and class observation on cooperative learning engagement through detailed field notes.…

Do projections from bioclimatic envelope models and climate change metrics match?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Garcia, Raquel A.; Cabeza, Mar; Altwegg, Res

2016-01-01

as indicators of the exposure of species to climate change. Here, we investigate whether these two approaches provide qualitatively similar indications about where biodiversity is potentially most exposed to climate change. Location: Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: We compared a range of climate change metrics...... for sub-Saharan Africa with ensembles of bioclimatic envelope models for 2723 species of amphibians, snakes, mammals and birds. For each taxonomic group, we performed three comparisons between the two approaches: (1) is projected change in local climatic suitability (models) greater in grid cells...... between the two approaches was found for all taxonomic groups, although it was stronger for species with a narrower climatic envelope breadth. Main conclusions: For sub-Saharan African vertebrates, projected patterns of exposure to climate change given by climate change metrics alone were qualitatively...

The contribution of case study design to supporting research on Clubhouse psychosocial rehabilitation.

Science.gov (United States)

Raeburn, Toby; Schmied, Virginia; Hungerford, Catherine; Cleary, Michelle

2015-10-01

Psychosocial Clubhouses provide recovery-focused psychosocial rehabilitation to people with serious mental illness at over 300 sites in more than 30 countries worldwide. To deliver the services involved, Clubhouses employ a complex mix of theory, programs and relationships, with this complexity presenting a number of challenges to those undertaking Clubhouse research. This paper provides an overview of the usefulness of case study designs for Clubhouse researchers; and suggests ways in which the evaluation of Clubhouse models can be facilitated. The paper begins by providing a brief explanation of the Clubhouse model of psychosocial rehabilitation, and the need for ongoing evaluation of the services delivered. This explanation is followed by an introduction to case study design, with consideration given to the way in which case studies have been used in past Clubhouse research. It is posited that case study design provides a methodological framework that supports the analysis of either quantitative, qualitative or a mixture of both types of data to investigate complex phenomena in their everyday contexts, and thereby support the development of theory. As such, case study approaches to research are well suited to the Clubhouse environment. The paper concludes with recommendations for future Clubhouse researchers who choose to employ a case study design. While the quality of case study research that explores Clubhouses has been variable in the past, if applied in a diligent manner, case study design has a valuable contribution to make in future Clubhouse research.

Creativity in fashion design in Slovakia: the case study of Bratislava region

OpenAIRE

Rudolf Pástor; Jana Parízková

2013-01-01

This paper is focused on creativity in the fashion design in Slovakia. The fashion design in Bratislava region was selected as one of the creative industry for our research. The aim of the paper is to analyze creativity and innovation activities between Slovak fashion designers. In the paper will be presented results from research carried out between Slovak fashion designers located in Bratislava region. The empirical work that provides the basis for this case study used a case study approach...

Integration of case study approach, project design and computer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Integration of case study approach, project design and computer modeling in managerial accounting education ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences ... in the Laboratory of Management Accounting and Controlling Systems at the ...

Developing the DESCARTE Model: The Design of Case Study Research in Health Care.

Science.gov (United States)

Carolan, Clare M; Forbat, Liz; Smith, Annetta

2016-04-01

Case study is a long-established research tradition which predates the recent surge in mixed-methods research. Although a myriad of nuanced definitions of case study exist, seminal case study authors agree that the use of multiple data sources typify this research approach. The expansive case study literature demonstrates a lack of clarity and guidance in designing and reporting this approach to research. Informed by two reviews of the current health care literature, we posit that methodological description in case studies principally focuses on description of case study typology, which impedes the construction of methodologically clear and rigorous case studies. We draw from the case study and mixed-methods literature to develop the DESCARTE model as an innovative approach to the design, conduct, and reporting of case studies in health care. We examine how case study fits within the overall enterprise of qualitatively driven mixed-methods research, and the potential strengths of the model are considered. © The Author(s) 2015.

Service-Learning and Interior Design: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Sterling, Mary

2007-01-01

The case study approach was used to analyze experiential learning through its three components: knowledge, action, and reflection. Two interior design courses were integrated through a university service-learning project. The restoration/adaptive reuse of a 95-year-old library building was to serve as a prototype for future off-campus…

Simply architecture or bioclimatic architecture?; Arquitectura bioclimatica o simplemente Arquitectura?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodriguez Torres, Juan Manuel [Universidad de Guanajuato (Mexico)

2006-10-15

The bioclimatic architecture is the one which profits from its position in the environment and its architectonic elements for the climate benefit. With the aim of reach the internal thermal comfort without using mechanical systems. This article states the story about this singular kind of architecture during centuries. And also emphasizes the sunlight utilization, in order to achieve the desired thermal well-being in edifications. [Spanish] El tipo de arquitectura que toma ventaja de su disposicion en el entorno y sus elementos arquitectonicos para el aprovechamiento del clima, con el fin de conseguir el confort termico interior sin utilizar sistemas mecanicos, se denomina bioclimatica. En este articulo se habla de la historia de este tipo tan singular de arquitectura con el paso de los siglos, y tambien se hace hincapie acerca de la luz solar, como un medio muy eficiente a traves del cual las edificaciones pueden ser disenadas para lograr el bienestar termico deseado.

osDesign: An R Package for the Analysis, Evaluation, and Design of Two-Phase and Case-Control Studies

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Sebastien Haneuse

2011-08-01

Full Text Available The two-phase design has recently received attention in the statistical literature as an extension to the traditional case-control study for settings where a predictor of interest is rare or subject to missclassification. Despite a thorough methodological treatment and the potential for substantial efficiency gains, the two-phase design has not been widely adopted. This may be due, in part, to a lack of general-purpose, readily-available software. The osDesign package for R provides a suite of functions for analyzing data from a two-phase and/or case-control design, as well as evaluating operating characteristics, including bias, efficiency and power. The evaluation is simulation-based, permitting flexible application of the package to a broad range of scientific settings. Using lung cancer mortality data from Ohio, the package is illustrated with a detailed case-study in which two statistical goals are considered: (i the evaluation of small-sample operating characteristics for two-phase and case-control designs and (ii the planning and design of a future two-phase study.

Analyse de l’interaction entre l’éclosion des feux de forêts et les types de bioclimat au Nord du Maroc – cas de la région du Rif occidental -

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Hicham MHARZI ALAOUI

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Morocco, as a country with arid and semi-arid climate is vulnerable to climate change and presents many challenges for the future of the forest resources, mainly their vulnerability to forest fires. In addition, Moroccan forests are extremely flammable, especially in summer when the water content of plants, soil and the air become very low. This is especially noticeable in the Rif region (North of Morocco where almost 65% of the phenomenon of wildfires across the country are concentrated. To deal with this new situation, the development of a prevention plan against forest fires requires an appropriate analysis of forest fire phenomenon and its response to the climate and vegetation changes. The present study has the goal to establish a spatio-temporal analysis of fires based on bioclimatic types because of the inclusive relationship between vegetation and climate. The fires that occurred in the rif region between 1997-2011 were analyzed and classified according to the affected area during the fire episode. The analysis has shown that almost 80% of the burnt area during the year were recorded only during August and September. Thereafter, using a two-factor ANOVA showed a significant difference of the fires spatial distribution according to the bioclimatic types, mainly for the warm variant of bioclimatic type where the development of the biomass is very important.

Case-control study on uveal melanoma (RIFA: rational and design

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Schmidt-Pokrzywniak Andrea

2004-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although a rare disease, uveal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular malignancy in adults, with an incidence rate of up to 1.0 per 100,000 persons per year in Europe. Only a few consistent risk factors have been identified for this disease. We present the study design of an ongoing incident case-control study on uveal melanoma (acronym: RIFA study that focuses on radiofrequency radiation as transmitted by radio sets and wireless telephones, occupational risk factors, phenotypical characteristics, and UV radiation. Methods/Design We conduct a case-control study to identify the role of different exposures in the development of uveal melanoma. The cases of uveal melanoma were identified at the Division of Ophthalmology, University of Essen, a referral centre for tumours of the eye. We recruit three control groups: population controls, controls sampled from those ophthalmologists who referred cases to the Division of Ophthalmology, University of Duisburg-Essen, and sibling controls. For each case the controls are matched on sex and age (five year groups, except for sibling controls. The data are collected from the study participants by short self-administered questionnaire and by telephone interview. During and at the end of the field phase, the data are quality-checked. To estimate the effect of exposures on uveal melanoma risk, we will use conditional logistic regression that accounts for the matching factors and allows to control for potential confounding.

Service life and sustainable design methods: a case study

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Mc Duling, J

2008-05-01

Full Text Available The design life of hospitals normally varies between 50 to 60 years. This paper presents a case study of a major academic hospital that reached the end of its service life only 30 years after commissioning due to a combination of unsustainable...

Climate-conscious architecture. Design and wind testing method for climates in change

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuismanen, K.

2008-07-01

The main objective of this research was to develop practical tools with which it is possible to improve the environment, micro-climate and energy economy of buildings and plans in different climate zones, and take the climate change into account. The parts of the study are: State of art study into existing know-how about climate and planning. Study of the effects of climate change on the built environment. Development of simple micro-climate, nature and built environment analysis methods. Defining the criteria of an acceptable micro-climatic environment. Development of the wind test blower. Presenting ways to interpret test results and draw conclusions. Development of planning and design guidelines for different climate zones. An important part of the research is the development of the CASE wind test instrument, different wind simulation techniques, and the methods of observing the results. Bioclimatic planning and architectural design guidelines for different climate zones are produced. The analyse tools developed give a qualitative overall view, which can be deepened towards a quantitative analyse with wind testing measurements and roughness calculations. No mechanical rules are suggested, but complementary viewpoints and practices introduced to a normal planning process as well as improvement of consultative knowledge. The 'method' is that there is no strict mechanical method, but a deeper understanding of bioclimatic matters. Climate-conscious planning with the developed CASE method, make it possible to design a better micro-climate for new or old built-up areas. Winds can be used in to ventilate exhaust fumes and other pollutants, which improves the quality of air and the healthiness of the urban environment. The analyses and scale-model tests make it possible to shield cold windy areas and to diminish the cooling effect of wind on facades. According to studies in Scandinavian countries this will bring energy savings of 5-15 per cent. The method can

Use of bioclimatic indexes to characterize phenological phases of apple varieties in Northern Italy.

Science.gov (United States)

Valentini, N; Me, G; Ferrero, R; Spanna, F

2001-11-01

The research was designed to characterize the phenological behaviour of different apple varieties and to compare different bioclimatic indexes in order to evaluate their adaptability in describing the phenological phases of fruit species. A field study on the requirement for chilling units (winter chilling requirement) and the accumulation of growing degree hours of 15 native apple cultivars was carried out in a fruit-growing area in North West Italy (Cuneo Province, Piedmont). From 1991 to 1993, climatic data were collected at meteorological stations installed in an experimental orchard (Verzuolo, Cuneo). Four methods were compared to determine the winter chilling requirement: Hutchins, Weinberger-Eggert, Utah and North Carolina. The Utah method was applied to determine the time when the chilling units accumulated become effective in meeting the rest requirements. A comparison of the different methods indicated that the Weinberger-Eggert method is the best: as it showed the lowest statistical variability during the 3 years of observations. The growing degree hour requirement (GDH) was estimated by the North Carolina method with two different base temperatures: 4.4 degrees C and 6.1 degrees C. More difficulties were met when the date of rest completion and the beginning of GDH accumulation was determined. The best base temperature for the estimation of GDH is 4.4 degrees C. Phenological and climatic characterizations are two basic tools for giving farmers and agricultural advisors important information about which varieties to choose and which are the best and the most correct cultivation practices to follow.

A Case Study of Educational Computer Game Design by Middle School Students

Science.gov (United States)

An, Yun-Jo

2016-01-01

Only a limited number of research studies have investigated how students design educational computer games and its impact on student learning. In addition, most studies on educational game design by students were conducted in the areas of mathematics and science. Using the qualitative case study approach, this study explored how seventh graders…

Energy efficiency and bioclimatic architecture - the case of the Center of Energy and Sustainable Technologies; Eficiencia energetica e arquitetura bioclimatica - o caso do Centro de Energia e Tecnologias Sustentaveis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stilpen, Daniel Vasconcellos de Sousa

2007-07-15

This thesis analyzes the energy efficiency of a single-family dwelling, constructed in Ilha do Fundao, Rio de Janeiro. It first describes the Center of Energy and Sustainable Technologies and also evaluates the thermal behavior of the non-conventional materials used in its construction. After that, a thermal comfort experiment, in accordance with the thermal comfort theory proposed by Fanger, is presented. Then, the experimental data analysis, from more than 300 (three hundred) interviews, is shown. Finally, some bioclimatic suggestions for modifications in the architecture project of the dwelling are presented. All solutions represent significant increases in the human thermal comfort responses, with low implementation cost.

CASE STUDIES OF USE OF DESIGN OF EXPERIMENTS IN MATERIAL RESEARCH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salil Kumar Roy

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The paper describes principles of factorial and fractional factorial design of experiments. The various ways of analysing data obtained by these procedures are shown via four case studies. Yates method was followed in case 1 where the effect of anode type, carbon content of steel, temperature, and agitation on cathodic protection of steel in seawater, on current density, was studied. In case 2, a glass was formulated within 10 constituante melted, quantity water and tested for flow caracteristics, from the result the factor effect was calculated. In case 3, analysis of results is done in a very simple way. In this case, the effect of carbon content, surface condition, temperature, and agitation on the corrosion of steel in seawater was studied. In case 4, the effect of eleven constituents on acid resistance of a cast iron enamel has been studied through sixteen experimental compositions. This case gives a method to find out which of the sixteen experimental compositions is nearest to a target value.

Scenario for concurrent conceptual assembly line design: A case study

Science.gov (United States)

Mas, F.; Ríos, J.; Menéndez, J. L.

2012-04-01

The decision to design and build a new aircraft is preceded by years of research and study. Different disciplines work together throughout the lifecycle to ensure not only a complete functional definition of the product, but also a complete industrialization, a marketing plan, a maintenance plan, etc. This case study focuses on the conceptual design phase. During this phase, the design solutions that will meet the functional and industrial requirements are defined, i.e.: the basic requirements of industrialization. During this phase, several alternatives are studied, and the most attractive in terms of performance and cost requirements is selected. As a result of the study of these alternatives, it is possible to define an early conceptual design of the assembly line and its basic parameters. The plant needs, long cycle jigs & tools or industrial means and human resources with the necessary skills can be determined in advance.

A Human Work Interaction Design (HWID) Case Study in E-Government and Public Information Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clemmensen, Torkil

2011-01-01

This paper first outlines a revised version of the general HWID framework, with a focus on what connects empirical work analysis and interaction design, and then presents a case study of the Danish government one-for-all authentication system NemID. The case is briefly analyzed, using ethnomethod...... in studying how human work analysis and interaction design in concrete cases are related and connected.......This paper first outlines a revised version of the general HWID framework, with a focus on what connects empirical work analysis and interaction design, and then presents a case study of the Danish government one-for-all authentication system NemID. The case is briefly analyzed, using...... ethnomethodology, work domain/task analysis, and the HWID approach, and comparing the results. Compared to the traditional approaches, the HWID focus on case-specific connections between human work and interaction design, gives different and supplementary answers. The conclusion is that there are benefits...

Architecture and Design for Virtual Conferences: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrew Sempere

2011-07-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a case study of the design issues facing a large multi-format virtual conference. The conference took place twice in two different years, each time using an avatar-based 3D world with spatialized audio including keynote, poster and social sessions. Between year 1 and 2, major adjustments were made to the architecture and design of the space, leading to improvement in the nature of interaction between the participants. While virtual meetings will likely never supplant the effectiveness of face-to-face meetings, this paper seeks to outline a few design principles learned from this experience, which can be applied generally to make computer mediated collaboration more effective.

A case study analysis of the application of design for manufacture principles by industrial design students

OpenAIRE

Marshall, R; Page, T

2016-01-01

This paper describes a case study evaluation of a module that engages students on product and industrial design programmes with the principles of Design for Manufacturing (DFM). The primary element of the module is to expose students to the constraints of a full design to manufacture process. The module explores the design of a small polymer promotional item, together with the means of mass producing that item. This is done through the process of injection moulding and students design an inje...

Design Fixation and Cooperative Learning in Elementary Engineering Design Project: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Luo

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a case study examining 3rd, 4th and 5th graders’ design fixation and cooperative learning in an engineering design project. A mixed methods instrument, the Cooperative Learning Observation Protocol (CLOP, was adapted to record frequency and class observation on cooperative learning engagement through detailed field notes. Students’ design journals and reflections were also analyzed for an inductive qualitative analysis. The findings indicate three major themes of design fixation: 1 fixation on common features of things; 2 fixation on popular teenage culture; 3 fixation on the first design idea. In the cooperative learning process of elementary engineering design project, although pupils had demonstrated some abilities to solve concrete problems in a logical fashion, the participants encountered a number of obstacles in the group. Dominance, social loafing, and other problems occurring in the group process might have offset certain benefits of cooperative learning. Implications of the findings are also discussed.

Design fixation and cooperative learning in elementary engineering design project: A case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi Luo

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a case study examining 3rd, 4th and 5th graders’ design fixation and cooperative learning in an engineering design project. A mixed methods instrument, the Cooperative Learning Observation Protocol (CLOP, was adapted to record frequency and class observation on cooperative learning engagement through detailed field notes. Students’ design journals and reflections were also analyzed for an inductive qualitative analysis. The findings indicate three major themes of design fixation: 1 fixation on common features of things; 2 fixation on popular teenage culture; 3 fixation on the first design idea. In the cooperative learning process of elementary engineering design project, although pupils had demonstrated some abilities to solve concrete problems in a logical fashion, the participants encountered a number of obstacles in the group. Dominance, social loafing, and other problems occurring in the group process might have offset certain benefits of cooperative learning. Implications of the findings are also discussed.

Does decision documentation help junior designers rationalize their decisions? A comparative multiple-case study

OpenAIRE

Heesch, U. van; Avgeriou, P.; Tang, A.

2013-01-01

Software architecture design is challenging, especially for junior software designers. Lacking practice and experience, junior designers need process support in order to make rational architecture decisions. In this paper, we present the results of a comparative multiple-case study conducted to find out if decision viewpoints from van Heesch et al. (2012, in press) can provide such a support. The case study was conducted with four teams of software engineering students working in industrial s...

Service platforms management strategy: case study of an interior design firm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonel Del Rey de Melo Filho

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Platform management is a strategic tool for firms of various sizes, although it demands studies in the service sector. The aim of this paper is to investigate a use of platform management, designed to reach flexibility and operational dynamics in service projects. The studied platform is evaluated as a strategic resource in a particular case. The contributions of the service platform were explored from Resource-Based View (RBV and Service Marketing (SM perspectives, to study their effects on firms’ performance. The research strategy used was an exploratory case study in an interior design firm. The data collection techniques included a participant observation, document analysis and a focus group with firm managers. The research demonstrated that platform management is a strategic resource that assists with the planning of internal capabilities, market positioning, and provides better customer service.

Future scenarios for viticultural bioclimatic indices in Europe

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, João.; Malheiro, Aureliano C.; Fraga, Helder; Pinto, Joaquim G.

2010-05-01

Winemaking has a predominant economic, social and environmental relevance in several European countries. Studies addressing the influence of climate variability and change in viticulture are particularly pertinent, as climate is one of the main conditioning factors of this activity. In this context, bioclimatic indices are a useful zoning tool, allowing the description of the suitability of a particular region for wine production. In this study, we compute climatic indices (concerning to thermal and hydrological conditions) for Europe, characterize regions with different viticultural aptitude, and assess possible variations in these regions under a future climate conditions using a state-of-the-art regional climate model. The indices are calculated from climatic variables (mostly daily maximum and minimum temperatures and precipitation) obtained from the NCEP reanalysis dataset. Then, the same indices are calculated for present and future climate conditions using data from the regional climate model COSMO-CLM (Consortium for Small Scale Modelling - Climate Limited-area Modelling). Maps of theses indices for recent-past periods (1961-2008) and for the SRES A1B scenario are considered in order to identify significant changes in their patterns. Results show that climate change is projected to have a significant negative impact in wine quality by increased dryness and cumulative thermal effects during growing seasons in Southern European regions (e.g. Portugal, Spain and Italy). These changes represent an important constraint to grapevine growth and development, making crucial adaptation/mitigation strategies to be adopted. On the other hand, regions of western and central Europe (e.g. southern Britain, northern France and Germany) will benefit from this scenario both in wine quality, and in new potential areas for viticulture. This approach provides a macro-characterization of European areas where grapevines may preferentially grow, as well as their projected changes

Teachers as Participatory Designers: Two Case Studies with Technology-Enhanced Learning Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Cober, Rebecca; Tan, Esther; Slotta, Jim; So, Hyo-Jeong; Könings, Karen D.

2015-01-01

Teachers are not typically involved as participatory designers in the design of technology-enhanced learning environments. As they have unique and valuable perspectives on the role of technology in education, it is of utmost importance to engage them in a participatory design process. Adopting a case study methodology, we aim to reveal in what…

Mathematical Modeling of Air Flowfield at Urban Environment: the Case of Road Network at the Historical Centre of Kifissia's Municipality

Science.gov (United States)

Papakonstantinou, K.; Belias, C.

2008-09-01

The present paper refers to the numerical analysis of air flowfield at urban environments and the conducting thermal comfort after the evaluation of the examined space using CFD methods, taking into account bioclimatic principles at the architectural design. More specially, the paper draws attention to the physical procedures governing air movement at an urban environment (a road network) at Kifissia (a Municipality of north Athens), trying to form them in such way that will lead to the thermal comfort of the area's users. The study presents a mathematical model, implemented in a general computer code that can provide detailed information on velocity, prevailing in three-dimensional spaces of any geometrical complexity. Turbulent flow is simulated and buoyancy effects are taken into account. This simulation procedure is intended to contribute to the effort towards designing urban environments, using thermal comfort criteria at the bioclimatic design. A computer model of this kind will provide the architects or the environmental engineers with powerful and economical means of evaluating alternative spaces' designs.

Fostering Integrated Learning and Faculty Collaboration through Curriculum Design: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Routhieaux, Robert L.

2015-01-01

Designing and implementing innovative curricula can enhance student learning while simultaneously fostering faculty collaboration. However, innovative curricula can also surface numerous challenges for faculty, staff, students, and administration. This case study documents the design and implementation of an innovative Master of Business…

The applicability of constructivist user studies: how can constructivist inquiry inform service providers and systems designers? Constructivist inquiry, Case study, Systems design, User behaviour

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alison Pickard

2004-01-01

Full Text Available This paper has attempted to clarify the ways in which individual, holistic case studies, produced via the process of constructivist inquiry, can be tested for trustworthiness and applied to other, similar situations. Service providers and systems designers need contextual information concerning their users in order to design and provide systems and services that will function effectively and efficiently within those contexts. Abstract models can only provide abstract insight into human behaviour and this is rarely sufficient detail upon which to base the planning and delivery of a service. The methodological issues which surround the applicability of individual, holistic case studies are discussed, explaining the concept of 'contextual applicability.' The relevance and usefulness of in-depth case study research to systems designers and service providers is highlighted.

All my friends are here: Four initial case studies on student design agencies

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Peter Benz

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Student design agencies have not previously received much – if any – academic attention, despite their having become fairly common in the context of tertiary design / visual arts institutions since the late 1990s as a way of providing work–study experiences. This article, for the first time, outlines case studies of four international student design agencies in Germany, Malaysia and the USA, including their background, their legal set-up, their relations with their parent institutions, and their (business activities and general operations, as well as their members’ motivations for participation. All case studies are based on interviews by email or Skype with respective agency heads conducted from November 2012 to January 2013. The information obtained from the interviews was further rounded by additional materials – where available – and turned into short comprehensive narratives that highlight the particular qualities of the respective cases. The concluding comparison of these four narratives establishes that student design agencies are worthwhile knowledge transfer endeavours with strong indications of educational value, though more formal research would need to be done to confirm quantitative and qualitative effects. The four cases also allow for the deduction that the most important criterion for the success of a student design agency is its ability to create an intensive working experience with a strong focus on team interaction, and that the achievement of such experience is essentially based on on-campus space, staff involvement, competitive admission and non-business-related activities. Keywords: student design agency, knowledge transfer, student entrepreneurs, entrepreneurship, business innovation

Collaborative Design of World Wide Web Pages: A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew, Paige G; Musser, Linda R.

1997-01-01

This case study of the collaborative design of an earth science World Wide Web page at Pennsylvania State University highlights the role of librarians. Discusses the original Web site and links, planning, the intended audience, and redesign and recommended changes; and considers the potential contributions of librarians. (LRW)

TA Treatment of Depression - A Hermeneutic Single-Case Efficacy Design Study - ‘Linda’ - a mixed outcome case

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Mark Widdowson

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Hermeneutic Single-Case EfficacyDesign (HSCED is a systematic case study research method involving the cross-examination of mixed method data to generate both plausible arguments that the client changed due to therapy and alternative explanations. The present study is the fourth article of a case series which has investigated the process and outcome of transactional analysis psychotherapy using Hermeneutic Single-Case Efficacy Design (Elliott 2002. The client, Linda, was a 45 yearold white British woman with mild depression who attended nine sessions of therapy. The conclusion of the judges was that this was a mixed-outcome case:whilst the client improved over the course of therapy and was positive about her experience of therapy, her changes did not last when she experienced considerable stressful events during follow-up. Linda provided a detailed and idiosyncratic description of the aspects of the therapy which were most helpful for her. A cross-case comparison with other cases in this series suggests several interesting features which are worthy of further investigation. Specifically, the use of a shared theoretical framework and an egalitarian therapeutic relationship were helpful. As with other cases in this series, the client experienced positive changes in her interpersonal relationships suggesting that this outcome of TA therapy warrants further investigation

The Need for Design Cases: Disseminating Design Knowledge

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Elizabeth Boling

2010-01-01

Full Text Available This article covers the definition of a design case as a specialized and critical form of design knowledge, including discussion of similar types of scholarship that are not design cases and the characteristic ways in which design cases are used. Arguments for developing rigorous design cases are presented.

Designing for Diverse Learning: Case Study of Place-Based Learning in Design and Technologies Pre-Service Teacher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Best, Marnie; MacGregor, Denise; Price, Deborah

2017-01-01

Place-based learning experiences in Design and Technologies education connect people and place with design processes and products. Drawing on place-based learning, this case study shares the experiences of eight final year pre-service Design and Technologies education students from the University of South Australia as they collaborated with…

Sampling design considerations for demographic studies: a case of colonial seabirds

Science.gov (United States)

Kendall, William L.; Converse, Sarah J.; Doherty, Paul F.; Naughton, Maura B.; Anders, Angela; Hines, James E.; Flint, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

For the purposes of making many informed conservation decisions, the main goal for data collection is to assess population status and allow prediction of the consequences of candidate management actions. Reducing the bias and variance of estimates of population parameters reduces uncertainty in population status and projections, thereby reducing the overall uncertainty under which a population manager must make a decision. In capture-recapture studies, imperfect detection of individuals, unobservable life-history states, local movement outside study areas, and tag loss can cause bias or precision problems with estimates of population parameters. Furthermore, excessive disturbance to individuals during capture?recapture sampling may be of concern because disturbance may have demographic consequences. We address these problems using as an example a monitoring program for Black-footed Albatross (Phoebastria nigripes) and Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) nesting populations in the northwestern Hawaiian Islands. To mitigate these estimation problems, we describe a synergistic combination of sampling design and modeling approaches. Solutions include multiple capture periods per season and multistate, robust design statistical models, dead recoveries and incidental observations, telemetry and data loggers, buffer areas around study plots to neutralize the effect of local movements outside study plots, and double banding and statistical models that account for band loss. We also present a variation on the robust capture?recapture design and a corresponding statistical model that minimizes disturbance to individuals. For the albatross case study, this less invasive robust design was more time efficient and, when used in combination with a traditional robust design, reduced the standard error of detection probability by 14% with only two hours of additional effort in the field. These field techniques and associated modeling approaches are applicable to studies of

Complexity in Design-Driven Innovation: A Case Study of Knowledge Transfer Flow in Subsea Seismic Sensor Technology and Design Education

Science.gov (United States)

Pavel, Nenad; Berg, Arild

2015-01-01

To the extent previously claimed, concept exploration is not the key to product innovation. However, companies that are design-focused are twice as innovative as those that are not. To study design-driven innovation and its occurrence in design education, two case studies are conducted. The first is an example of design practice which includes…

Urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction: A case study of Wenchuan County, China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, L.X.; Lin, Y.L.; Wang, S.F.

2014-01-01

Urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction emphasizes strategies, safety, memorials and institutional arrangements. It is closely related to earthquake recovery plans. This article reviews general studies on urban design for post-earthquake reconstruction, before focussing on the case of

Workspace Design: A case study applying participatory design principles of healthy workplaces in an industrial setting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Broberg, Ole

2010-01-01

The Danish Workspace Design (WSD) research program is aimed to develop and trial a potential new concept for ergonomists and other workplace consultants who are to engage in socio-technical design processes. The objective of this paper is to report on the trial of the workspace design concept...... in a case involving the design and implementation of a new mixing technology in an industrial plant. The case showed how the WSD concept can contribute to an engineering design process. The WSD team took the role as workspace designer and by the participatory workshops achieved an impact on the technology...... project. In the role as workspace designer it was important for the WSD team to make sure that the achievements in the workshops were “transmitted” to and sustained in the ordinary engineering design process. In this case, it turned out that the artefacts such as a layout game board and documents...

Ideal energy self-sufficient bioclimatic house

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Talamo, C.

1990-04-01

This paper points out some of the interesting architectural features of a conceptual house being designed to be self-sufficient relative to the use of conventional energy sources. Brief notes are given on the following special design characteristics: the house's orientation and form - essentially a V - shaped two storey design with an orientation such as to maximize the surface area exposed to winter insolation; its special low emissivity glazing equipped with nightfall insulating screens; the adoption of maximized insulation, in which case cost benefits were assessed based on amortization over the entire life span of the house; hybrid space heating and ventilation systems involving the integration of pumps and ventilators for air circulation, and the use of a varied mix of active and passive solar heating and cooling systems.

Quantification of construction waste prevented by BIM-based design validation: Case studies in South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Won, Jongsung; Cheng, Jack C P; Lee, Ghang

2016-03-01

Waste generated in construction and demolition processes comprised around 50% of the solid waste in South Korea in 2013. Many cases show that design validation based on building information modeling (BIM) is an effective means to reduce the amount of construction waste since construction waste is mainly generated due to improper design and unexpected changes in the design and construction phases. However, the amount of construction waste that could be avoided by adopting BIM-based design validation has been unknown. This paper aims to estimate the amount of construction waste prevented by a BIM-based design validation process based on the amount of construction waste that might be generated due to design errors. Two project cases in South Korea were studied in this paper, with 381 and 136 design errors detected, respectively during the BIM-based design validation. Each design error was categorized according to its cause and the likelihood of detection before construction. The case studies show that BIM-based design validation could prevent 4.3-15.2% of construction waste that might have been generated without using BIM. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Five Principles for MOOC Design: With a Case Study

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John R. Drake

2015-05-01

Full Text Available New web technologies have enabled online education to take on a massive scale, prompting many universities to create massively open online courses (MOOCs that take advantage of these technologies in a seemingly effortless manner. Designing a MOOC, however, is anything but trivial. It involves developing content, learning activities, and assessments to accommodate both the massiveness and openness of the course. To design an effective MOOC, instructors need to integrate both pedagogical and information systems theory. In this paper, we present a case study of a MOOC grant and a series of decisions made in its development. These decisions, when paired with the theoretical framework, suggest five principles – meaningful, engaging, measurable, accessible, and scalable – may be applicable to future MOOC development projects.

Does decision documentation help junior designers rationalize their decisions? A comparative multiple-case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heesch, U. van; Avgeriou, P.; Tang, A.

Software architecture design is challenging, especially for junior software designers. Lacking practice and experience, junior designers need process support in order to make rational architecture decisions. In this paper, we present the results of a comparative multiple-case study conducted to find

Potential of bioclimatic architecture for energy saving in buildings; Potencial de la arquitectura bioclimatica para ahorro de energia en edificios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia Chavez, Jose Roberto [Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana-Azcapotzalco, Mexico, D. F. (Mexico)

1994-12-31

The design and construction of current buildings has been characterized, most of all, in the last 30 years, for the lack of consideration in the design process of aspects that nowadays represent a fundamental importance. These aspects are related to energy conservation and environmental protection, with man as the main center of attention for the optimum satisfaction of its physiological as well as psychological needs. In this paper are presented the causes for the lack of consideration of the mentioned aspects and guidelines to follow are set forth for their integration in the design process. Also the architecture potential with a bioclimatic approach is analyzed, for energy saving in buildings. [Espanol] El diseno y construccion de edificios contemporaneos se ha caracterizado, sobre todo en los ultimos treinta anos, por la falta de consideracion en el proceso de diseno, de aspectos que hoy en dia revisten una importancia primordial. Estos aspectos se relacionan con la preservacion de la energia y del medio ambiente, teniendo al hombre como principal centro de atencion, para la satisfaccion optima de sus necesidades, tanto fisiologicas como psicologicas. En este trabajo, se presentan las causas de la falta de consideracion de los aspectos antes citados y se plantean las pautas a seguir para su integracion en el proceso de diseno. Asi mismo, se analiza el potencial de la arquitectura con un enfoque bioclimatico, para ahorro de energia en los edificios.

Applying Case-Based Method in Designing Self-Directed Online Instruction: A Formative Research Study

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Heng; Koszalka, Tiffany A.; Arnone, Marilyn P.; Choi, Ikseon

2018-01-01

This study investigated the case-based method (CBM) instructional-design theory and its application in designing self-directed online instruction. The purpose of this study was to validate and refine the theory for a self-directed online instruction context. Guided by formative research methodology, this study first developed an online tutorial…

APPLIED KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN SMALL DESIGN FIRMS: CASE STUDY

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Christian Donin

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Knowledge is the new strategic imperative of organizations. The ability to manage knowledge is a crucial part of any organizations operational processes. The creation and diffusion of knowledge have become ever more important factors in competitiveness. This paper investigates the Knowledge Management and flow information and in small design firms. It is divided into three main parts. The first part of this paper describes the importance of Knowledge Management for organizations are described together with responsibilities needed to ensure successful Knowledge Management implementations and the Spiral of Organizational Knowledge Creation conception. The second part approaches literature available about process and organizational structure and information flow related to Brazilian design firms. Finally, this paper presents a case study of small design office of Civil Engineering identifying organizational process, verifying the types of communication practices and identifying the types of dynamic process of The Spiral of Organizational Knowledge Creation, KM strategy and dynamic through Knowledge Transfer.

What's in a Name? The Incorrect Use of Case Series as a Study Design Label in Studies Involving Dogs and Cats.

Science.gov (United States)

Sargeant, J M; O'Connor, A M; Cullen, J N; Makielski, K M; Jones-Bitton, A

2017-07-01

Study design labels are used to identify relevant literature to address specific clinical and research questions and to aid in evaluating the evidentiary value of research. Evidence from the human healthcare literature indicates that the label "case series" may be used inconsistently and inappropriately. Our primary objective was to determine the proportion of studies in the canine and feline veterinary literature labeled as case series that actually corresponded to descriptive cohort studies, population-based cohort studies, or other study designs. Our secondary objective was to identify the proportion of case series in which potentially inappropriate inferential statements were made. Descriptive evaluation of published literature. One-hundred published studies (from 19 journals) labeled as case series. Studies were identified by a structured literature search, with random selection of 100 studies from the relevant citations. Two reviewers independently characterized each study, with disagreements resolved by consensus. Of the 100 studies, 16 were case series. The remaining studies were descriptive cohort studies (35), population-based cohort studies (36), or other observational or experimental study designs (13). Almost half (48.8%) of the case series or descriptive cohort studies, with no control group and no formal statistical analysis, included inferential statements about the efficacy of treatment or statistical significance of potential risk factors. Authors, peer-reviewers, and editors should carefully consider the design elements of a study to accurately identify and label the study design. Doing so will facilitate an understanding of the evidentiary value of the results. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

Bioclimatic buildings of 16 houses in Pozuelo de Alarcon (Madrid); Edificio bioclimatico de 16 viviendas de promocion publica pra jovenes en Pozuelo de Alarcon. (Madrid)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yanez, G.; Yanez-Lopez del Amo, L.

2004-07-01

We present in this article a housing building for young people recently built for the Autonomous Administration of Madrid in Pozuelo de Alarcon in which have been applied some bioclimatic and energy efficiency techniques. In this communication are described the main architectural features and are exposed some of the estimated results of energy saving and reduction of Co2. (Author)

Beyond access: a case study on the intersection between accessibility, sustainability, and universal design.

Science.gov (United States)

Gossett, Andrea; Mirza, Mansha; Barnds, Ann Kathleen; Feidt, Daisy

2009-11-01

A growing emphasis has been placed on providing equal opportunities for all people, particularly people with disabilities, to support participation. Barriers to participation are represented in part by physical space restrictions. This article explores the decision-making process during the construction of a new office building housing a disability-rights organization. The building project featured in this study was developed on the principles of universal design, maximal accessibility, and sustainability to support access and participation. A qualitative case study approach was used involving collection of data through in-depth interviews with key decision-makers; non-participant observations at design meetings; and on-site tours. Qualitative thematic analysis along with the development of a classification system was used to understand specific building elements and the relevant decision processes from which they resulted. Recording and analyzing the design process revealed several key issues including grassroots involvement of stakeholders; interaction between universal design and sustainable design; addressing diversity through flexibility and universality; and segregationist accessibility versus universal design. This case study revealed complex interactions between accessibility, universal design, and sustainability. Two visual models were proposed to understand and analyze these complexities.

Access, Astronomy and Science Fiction. A Case Study in Curriculum Design

Science.gov (United States)

Saunders, Danny; Brake, Mark; Griffiths, Martin; Thornton, Rosi

2004-01-01

It is argued that a positive response to lifelong learning policies involves the use of imaginative curriculum design in order to attract learners from disadvantaged backgrounds who are otherwise alienated from higher education. In this article a case study is presented based on the popularity of science fiction within popular culture, beginning…

Issues in Designing a Hypermedia Document System: The Intermedia Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yankelovich, Nicole; And Others

1986-01-01

Intermedia, a hypermedia system developed at Brown University's Institute for Research (Rhode Island) in Information and Scholarship, is first described, and then used as a case study to explore a number of key issues that software designers must consider in the development of hypermedia document systems. A hypermedia document system is defined as…

Emergency Response Program Designing Based On Case Study ERP Regulations In Ilam Gas Refinery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Tahmasbi

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The study of Emergency response plan designing is one of the most important prevention approaches in crisis management. This study aims to design emergency response plan based on case study ERP regulations in Ilam gas refinery. On the basis of risk assessment and identification techniques such as HAZOP and FMEA in Ilam gas refinery the risks have been prioritized and then according to this prioritization the design of possible scenarios which have the highest rate of occurrence and the highest level of damage has been separated. Possible scenarios were simulated with PHAST software. Then emergency response program has been designed for the special mode or similar cases. According to the internal emergency response plan for Ilam gas refinery and predictable conditions of the process special instructions should be considered at the time of the incident to suffer the least damage on people and environment in the shortest time possible.

Case-Based Instructional Practices: A Multiple-Case Study from Torts, Marketing, and Online Instructional Design Classes

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Ji yoon

2017-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide a comprehensive account on case-based instructional practices. Semester-long participant observation records in torts, marketing, and online instructional design classes, instructor interviews, course syllabi and teaching materials were used to describe the within-class complexity of the practices in terms…

Layout Design for a Low Capacity Manufacturing Line: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Filippo De Carlo

2013-08-01

transportation times and costs. The result of the case study showed a slight advantage with the lean approach in considering such efficiency indicators. In addition, the lean production methods allowed the designers to identify some inefficiencies that other approaches could not see, since the latter did not focus on production in a holistic way.

Designing human-robot collaborations in industry 4.0: explorative case studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kadir, Bzhwen A; Broberg, Ole; Souza da Conceição, Carolina

2018-01-01

We are experiencing an increase in human-robot interactions and the use of collaborative robots (cobots) in industrial work systems. To make full use of cobots, it is essential to understand emerging challenges and opportunities. In this paper, we analyse three successful industrial case studies...... of cobots’ implementation. We highlight the top three challenges and opportunities, from the empirical evidence, relate them to current available literature on the topic, and use them to identify key design factor to consider when designing industrial work system with human-robot collaborations....

POOR QUALITY OF PRODUCT DESIGN AS A CAUSE OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH HAZARDS: A CASE STUDY

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Janko D. Jovanović

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Quality of product design, which is expected from manufacturers on world market these days, could be provided exclusively by integral approach to product design. Such approach aims to achievement of optimal design solution of product, which is in line with a number of requirements, conditions and limitations of functionality, technology, market and usage. Only those manufacturers who are able to provide such approach to product design have prospective on market. This paper deals with a case study of neglect of integral approach to product design and its consequencies, in order to spread awareness of necessity of its adoption. Scope of this case study is focused on bridge crane whose working vibrations are meant to be potential cause of occupational desease of spinal column of crane operator.

Integrating Quality Matters into Hybrid Course Design: A Principles of Marketing Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Mark R.

2014-01-01

Previous research supports the idea that the success of hybrid or online delivery modes is more a function of course design than delivery media. This article describes a case study of a hybrid Principles of Marketing course that implemented a comprehensive redesign based on design principles espoused by the Quality Matters Program, a center for…

How To Design A Triple Bottom Line Organization: A Start-Up Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernhard Schroeder

2014-05-01

Full Text Available In today’s business environment, where success for a start-up company is measured by early revenue and profit, it can be quite challenging to design a triple bottom line organization (people/planet/profit from the very beginning. We present a case study of a U.S.-based start-up firm and discuss its early challenges, developmental processes, and current success as a triple bottom line firm. The company’s founder and CEO, with no initial product, distribution, or revenue strategy, sought to develop a company that could provide the marketplace with a valuable product while also staying true to a corporate vision of positively affecting less fortunate people. Our analysis of the case suggests that the founder’s vision, passion, transparent communication, and leveraging of partners’ resources were key elements in building the firm. We draw implications of our case study for the designers of future triple bottom line organizations.

Bioclimatic Thresholds, Thermal Constants and Survival of Mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in Response to Constant Temperatures on Hibiscus

Science.gov (United States)

Sreedevi, Gudapati; Prasad, Yenumula Gerard; Prabhakar, Mathyam; Rao, Gubbala Ramachandra; Vennila, Sengottaiyan; Venkateswarlu, Bandi

2013-01-01

Temperature-driven development and survival rates of the mealybug, Phenacoccussolenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) were examined at nine constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 32, 35 and 40°C) on hibiscus ( Hibiscus rosa -sinensis L.). Crawlers successfully completed development to adult stage between 15 and 35°C, although their survival was affected at low temperatures. Two linear and four nonlinear models were fitted to describe developmental rates of P . solenopsis as a function of temperature, and for estimating thermal constants and bioclimatic thresholds (lower, optimum and upper temperature thresholds for development: Tmin, Topt and Tmax, respectively). Estimated thresholds between the two linear models were statistically similar. Ikemoto and Takai’s linear model permitted testing the equivalence of lower developmental thresholds for life stages of P . solenopsis reared on two hosts, hibiscus and cotton. Thermal constants required for completion of cumulative development of female and male nymphs and for the whole generation were significantly lower on hibiscus (222.2, 237.0, 308.6 degree-days, respectively) compared to cotton. Three nonlinear models performed better in describing the developmental rate for immature instars and cumulative life stages of female and male and for generation based on goodness-of-fit criteria. The simplified β type distribution function estimated Topt values closer to the observed maximum rates. Thermodynamic SSI model indicated no significant differences in the intrinsic optimum temperature estimates for different geographical populations of P . solenopsis . The estimated bioclimatic thresholds and the observed survival rates of P . solenopsis indicate the species to be high-temperature adaptive, and explained the field abundance of P . solenopsis on its host plants. PMID:24086597

Bioclimatic thresholds, thermal constants and survival of mealybug, Phenacoccus solenopsis (hemiptera: pseudococcidae) in response to constant temperatures on hibiscus.

Science.gov (United States)

Sreedevi, Gudapati; Prasad, Yenumula Gerard; Prabhakar, Mathyam; Rao, Gubbala Ramachandra; Vennila, Sengottaiyan; Venkateswarlu, Bandi

2013-01-01

Temperature-driven development and survival rates of the mealybug, Phenacoccussolenopsis Tinsley (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) were examined at nine constant temperatures (15, 20, 25, 27, 30, 32, 35 and 40°C) on hibiscus (Hibiscusrosa -sinensis L.). Crawlers successfully completed development to adult stage between 15 and 35°C, although their survival was affected at low temperatures. Two linear and four nonlinear models were fitted to describe developmental rates of P. solenopsis as a function of temperature, and for estimating thermal constants and bioclimatic thresholds (lower, optimum and upper temperature thresholds for development: Tmin, Topt and Tmax, respectively). Estimated thresholds between the two linear models were statistically similar. Ikemoto and Takai's linear model permitted testing the equivalence of lower developmental thresholds for life stages of P. solenopsis reared on two hosts, hibiscus and cotton. Thermal constants required for completion of cumulative development of female and male nymphs and for the whole generation were significantly lower on hibiscus (222.2, 237.0, 308.6 degree-days, respectively) compared to cotton. Three nonlinear models performed better in describing the developmental rate for immature instars and cumulative life stages of female and male and for generation based on goodness-of-fit criteria. The simplified β type distribution function estimated Topt values closer to the observed maximum rates. Thermodynamic SSI model indicated no significant differences in the intrinsic optimum temperature estimates for different geographical populations of P. solenopsis. The estimated bioclimatic thresholds and the observed survival rates of P. solenopsis indicate the species to be high-temperature adaptive, and explained the field abundance of P. solenopsis on its host plants.

Thermal damping effect due to a green barrier which includes Arundo donax as bioclimatic element in buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Rodríguez-Salinas

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Among the main environmental impacts of the operation of residential buildings are those due to greenhouse gases generation as a result of electric consumption of air conditioning systems. The use of vegetation systems in residential buildings represents an alternative to reduce this energy consumption. Green vegetation systems barriers are often used as protection against winds, but recently they are also being used as acoustic dampers. This work explores their use as thermal insulation systems for buildings. Specifically, we report the behavior of an Arundo donax green barrier as a bioclimatic element. The results are analyzed based on indoor and outdoor temperature measurement in prototype buildings, in function of the green barrier presence. Additionally Arundo donax transpiration under extreme environmental conditions was determined.

A Case Study of Designing an E-learning Electrical Engineering Course

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sameer Hanna Khader

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract: This paper presents a case study of designing an e-learning course in the field of electrical engineering- Industrial automation program at Palestine Polytechnic University. The applied methodology consisting of few stages starting with formulating the major course objectives, extracting topics outcomes, design the appropriate teaching tools and storyboard, and as final stage the evaluation system is designed. On other hand, an information communication technology (ICT questionnaire has been designed and targeting attended in the course students with purpose evaluating student ICT knowledge, knowledge leveling, and treatment their weaknesses. The designed topics are modified according to feedback evaluation obtained from students throughout designed for this purpose questionnaire. The observed weaknesses in course topics have been eliminated and finally the modified course was uploaded to the university e-learning platform. Electrical engineering core course with 300 level was carried out for department students, where the obtained results shows significant enhancement in teaching and learning performances of both course instructors and students.

Risk Identification in the Early Design Stage Using Thermal Simulations—A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Seyed Masoud Sajjadian

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The likely increasing temperature predicted by UK Climate Impacts Program (UKCIP underlines the risk of overheating and potential increase in cooling loads in most of UK dwellings. This could also increase the possibility of failure in building performance evaluation methods and add even more uncertainty to the decision-making process in a low-carbon building design process. This paper uses a 55-unit residential unit project in Cardiff, UK as a case study to evaluate the potential of thermal simulations to identify risk in the early design stage. Overheating, increase in energy loads, carbon emissions, and thermal bridges are considered as potential risks in this study. DesignBuilder (DesignBuilder Software Ltd., Stroud, UK was the dynamic thermal simulation software used in this research. Simulations compare results in the present, 2050, and 2080 time slices and quantifies the overall cooling and heating loads required to keep the operative temperature within the comfort zone. Overall carbon emissions are also calculated and a considerable reduction in the future is predicted. Further analysis was taken by THERM (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA and Psi THERM (Passivate, London, UK to evaluate the thermal bridge risk in most common junctions of the case study and the results reveal the potential of thermal assessment methods to improve design details before the start of construction stage.

Integration process of theoretical courses with design studios in undergraduate education: Case studies of architecture and interior design studios

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Ozmehmet Ecehan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The formulations of studios are the most critical problem of design studies, because the foundation of further architectural education is based on these design studios. This paper focuses on discussions of studiobased design learning systems and curriculum developments on integral design studios that aims significant and innovative frameworks. In this context, integrated design studios are the newest approaches of architectural education. In this education system every studio has its own integral course. Integral courses give support to the design studios. This support can be either theoretical or practical. Knowledge that is related with the context of the design studio can be explained in this integrated course in some cases, in some cases as simulation program can be explained in some parts of the course. The support of the integral courses to the studios must be evaluated deeply. This paper presents the positive parts and negative parts of the new integral studio approach in this context. By this way, strong and weak parts of this education system is put forward.

Case Study Research Methodology

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Mark Widdowson

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Commenting on the lack of case studies published in modern psychotherapy publications, the author reviews the strengths of case study methodology and responds to common criticisms, before providing a summary of types of case studies including clinical, experimental and naturalistic. Suggestions are included for developing systematic case studies and brief descriptions are given of a range of research resources relating to outcome and process measures. Examples of a pragmatic case study design and a hermeneutic single-case efficacy design are given and the paper concludes with some ethical considerations and an exhortation to the TA community to engage more widely in case study research.

Experimental design: Case studies of diagnostics optimization for W7-X

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreier, H.; Dinklage, A.; Fischer, R.; Hartfuss, H.-J.; Hirsch, M.; Kornejew, P.; Pasch, E.; Turkin, Yu.

2005-01-01

The preparation of diagnostics for Wendelstein 7-X is accompanied by diagnostics simulations and optimization. Starting from the physical objectives, the design of diagnostics should incorporate predictive modelling (e.g. transport modelling) and simulations of respective measurements. Although technical constraints are governing design considerations, it appears that several design parameters of different diagnostics can be optimized. However, a general formulation for fusion diagnostics design in terms of optimization is lacking. In this paper, first case studies of Bayesian experimental design aiming at applications on W7-X diagnostics preparation are presented. The information gain of a measurement is formulated as a utility function which is expressed in terms of the Kullback-Leibler divergence. Then, the expected range of data is to be included and the resulting expected utility represents the objective for optimization. Bayesian probability theory gives a framework allowing us for an appropriate formulation of the design problem in terms of probability distribution functions. Results are obtained for the information gain from interferometry and for the design of polychromators for Thomson scattering. For interferometry, studies of the choice of line-of-sights for optimum signal and for the reproduction of gradient positions are presented for circular, elliptical and W7-X geometries. For Thomson scattering, the design of filter transmissions for density and temperature measurements are discussed. (author)

The impacts of product design changes on supply chain risk: a case study

OpenAIRE

Lin, Yong; Zhou, Li

2011-01-01

Purpose: The main purpose of this paper is to address the impact of product design changes on supply chain risk, and to identify the supply chain risk dimensions in the Chinese special-purpose vehicle (SPV) industry in the context of product design change.\\ud \\ud Design/methodology/approach: Case study methodology is adopted to describe the current situation of supply chain risk management in the Chinese SPV industry. Data are mainly collected from in-depth semi-structured interviews, and a c...

Design of Diagnostics: Case Studies for Wendelstein 7-X

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dreier, H.; Dinklage, A.; Fischer, R.; Hirsch, M.; Kornejew, P.; Pasch, E.

2005-01-01

The set of start-up diagnostics for Wendelstein 7-X is oriented to resolve physical issues of stellarator optimization [1]. The diagnostics philosophy of W7-X aims at extendable set-ups which are to be supplemented along the operation of the device. Planning diagnostics directly lead to the requirement to optimize their respective outcome. In many cases, the optimization is much restricted by technical constraints. But even in those cases, figures of robustness of the chosen design settings are beneficial for the diagnostic strategy. In this paper a framework for diagnostic design is presented employing the Bayesian probability theory. Part of the approach can be regarded as a virtual diagnostic, which describes the future experimental unit including its error statistics and is able to produce artificial data. The virtual diagnostic is fed with mock-up quantities of interest and hence it enables the designer to compare the outcome of the virtual diagnostic with its input. For the design of diagnostics in fusion experiments several figures of merit are possible, depend- ing on the optimization goal. Here physical questions like estimation of the density distribution or the density gradient are possible optimization targets as well as technical issues as the robustness of density measurements, e.g, for controlling purposes. Also the estimation of derived quantities - like gradients needed for modeling of the bootstrap current or of the radial electric field - might be considered to be the goal of a diagnostic design. (Author)

Energy Performance of Three Residential College Buildings in University of Malaya Campus, Kuala Lumpur

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adi Ainurzaman Jamaludin

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Three residential colleges located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, were selected for energy performance analysis in regards to its implementation of bioclimatic design strategies. Specifically, passive design strategies on daylighting and natural ventilation were examined. In Malaysia, the residential college or hostel is a multi-residential building providing accommodation to university students. The three residential colleges in this study, namely C1, C2 and C3, were built in different years with different designs and forms, particularly with regards to enclosure and facade design, solar control devices, passive daylight concepts, and natural ventilation strategies. The building designs were carefully studied and an electric consumption analysis was carried out in each residential college. This study revealed that the wide-scale implementation of bioclimatic design strategies in college C2 help reduced the annual energy consumption. The building bioclimatic design features that are accountable to reduce energy consumption are the internal courtyard and balconies on each unit of floor area, as shown in C3.Results from this study highly recommend internal courtyard and balcony building combination for multi residential building design, especially in tropical urban regions.

A Case Study of MOOCs Design and Administration at Seoul National University

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Cheolil; Kim, Sunyoung; Kim, Mihwa; Han, Songlee; Seo, Seungil

2014-01-01

This research, based on the case study of edX at Seoul National University, which is running Korea's first Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), discussed and proposed the roles of principal facilitators, the process, and the relationships among various facilitators in selecting, designing, opening and administrating MOOCs classes. Researches on…

Intelligent buildings vs. bioclimatic design; Edificios inteligentes vs. diseno bioclimatico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguayo Gonzalez, Ricardo [Tecnologico de Monterrey (Mexico)

2006-10-15

Present the form of intelligent buildings designing is the article purpose. Those kinds of edifications take advantage of climatic conditions which allow the users comfort and the efficient electric power use, avoiding the polluting agents. It also shows the four next following stages to design an intelligent building to know: the dry weather and relative dampness schedule variations during a year in the building location; the predominant winds direction, intensity and schedule frequency; the cloudiness, rain, etc and how to use the Givoni diagram to obtain the natural air-conditioning strategies and reach the thermal comfort. [Spanish] El proposito de este articulo es presentar la forma de disenar edificios Inteligentes, los cuales aprovechan las condiciones climaticas que permiten el confort de los usuarios y el uso eficiente de la energia electrica, evitando asi la emision de agentes contaminantes. Tambien menciona los siguientes cuatro pasos para el diseno de un edificio inteligente: conocer las variaciones horarias de temperatura seca y humedad relativa durante un ano en el lugar donde estara el edificio, saber la direccion, intensidad y frecuencia horaria de los vientos dominantes, tener conocimiento de la nubosidad, lluvia, etc. y utilizar el diagrama de Givoni para obtener las estrategias de climatizacion natural para obtener el confort termico.

Integrating ergonomics in design processes: a case study within an engineering consultancy firm.

Science.gov (United States)

Sørensen, Lene Bjerg; Broberg, Ole

2012-01-01

This paper reports on a case study within an engineering consultancy firm, where engineering designers and ergonomists were working together on the design of a new hospital sterile processing plant. The objective of the paper is to gain a better understanding of the premises for integrating ergonomics into engineering design processes and how different factors either promote or limit the integration. Based on a grounded theory approach a model illustrating these factors is developed and different hypotheses about how these factors either promote and/or limit the integration of ergonomics into design processes is presented along with the model.

Sustainable Design Approach: A case study of BIM use

Science.gov (United States)

Abdelhameed, Wael

2017-11-01

alternative's consequences. The architect would settle down and proceed in the alternative design of the best sustainable analysis. In later design stages, using the sustainable types of materials such as insulation, cladding, etc., and applying sustainable building components such as doors, windows, etc. would add more improvements and enhancements in reaching better values and metrics. The paper describes the methodology of this design approach through BIM strategies adopted in design creation. Case studies of architectural designs are used to highlight the details and benefits of this proposed approach.

Design of a PLC control program for a batch plant : VHS case study 1

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mader, A.H.; Brinksma, E.; Wupper, H.; Bauer, N.

2001-01-01

This article reports on the systematic design and validation of a PLC control program for the batch plant that has been selected as a case study for the EC project on Verification of Hybrid Systems (VHS). We show how a correct design of the control program can be obtained in an incremental manner

Design of a PLC Control Program for a Batch Plant - VHS Case Study 1

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mader, Angelika H.; Brinksma, Hendrik; Wupper, H.; Bauer, N.

2001-01-01

This article reports on the systematic design and validation of a PLC control program for the batch plant that has been selected as a case study for the EC project on Verification of Hybrid Systems (VHS). We show how a correct design of the control program can be obtained in an incremental manner

Publishing Single-Case Research Design Studies That Do Not Demonstrate Experimental Control

Science.gov (United States)

Tincani, Matt; Travers, Jason

2018-01-01

Demonstration of experimental control is considered a hallmark of high-quality single-case research design (SCRD). Studies that fail to demonstrate experimental control may not be published because researchers are unwilling to submit these papers for publication and journals are unlikely to publish negative results (i.e., the file drawer effect).…

User-Centered Design for Interactive Maps: A Case Study in Crime Analysis

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Robert E. Roth

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we address the topic of user-centered design (UCD for cartography, GIScience, and visual analytics. Interactive maps are ubiquitous in modern society, yet they often fail to “work” as they could or should. UCD describes the process of ensuring interface success—map-based or otherwise—by gathering input and feedback from target users throughout the design and development of the interface. We contribute to the expanding literature on UCD for interactive maps in two ways. First, we synthesize core concepts on UCD from cartography and related fields, as well as offer new ideas, in order to organize existing frameworks and recommendations regarding the UCD of interactive maps. Second, we report on a case study UCD process for GeoVISTA CrimeViz, an interactive and web-based mapping application supporting visual analytics of criminal activity in space and time. The GeoVISTA CrimeViz concept and interface were improved iteratively by working through a series of user→utility→usability loops in which target users provided input and feedback on needs and designs (user, prompting revisions to the conceptualization and functional requirements of the interface (utility, and ultimately leading to new mockups and prototypes of the interface (usability for additional evaluation by target users (user… and so on. Together, the background review and case study offer guidance for applying UCD to interactive mapping projects, and demonstrate the benefit of including target users throughout design and development.

Case-only designs in pharmacoepidemiology: a systematic review.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sandra Nordmann

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Case-only designs have been used since late 1980's. In these, as opposed to case-control or cohort studies for instance, only cases are required and are self-controlled, eliminating selection biases and confounding related to control subjects, and time-invariant characteristics. The objectives of this systematic review were to analyze how the two main case-only designs - case-crossover (CC and self-controlled case series (SCCS - have been applied and reported in pharmacoepidemiology literature, in terms of applicability assumptions and specificities of these designs. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We systematically selected all reports in this field involving case-only designs from MEDLINE and EMBASE up to September 15, 2010. Data were extracted using a standardized form. The analysis included 93 reports 50 (54% of CC and 45 (48% SCCS, 2 reports combined both designs. In 12 (24% CC and 18 (40% SCCS articles, all applicable validity assumptions of the designs were fulfilled, respectively. Fifty (54% articles (15 CC (30% and 35 (78% SCCS adequately addressed the specificities of the case-only analyses in the way they reported results. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our systematic review underlines that implementation of CC and SCCS designs needs to be more rigorous with regard to validity assumptions, as well as improvement in results reporting.

Case-based Agile Fixture Design

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2001-01-01

In order to realize the agility of the fixture design, such asreconfigurability, rescalability and reusability, fixture structure is function unit-based decomposed from a fire-new point of view. Which makes it easy for agile fixture to be reconfigured and modified. Thereby, the base of case-based agile fixture design system info is established.Whole case-based agile fixture design model is presented. In which, three modules are added relative to the other models, including case matching of fixture planning module, conflict arbitration module and agile fixture case modify module. The three modules could solve the previous problem that the experience and result are difficult to be reused in the process of design.Two key techniques in the process of the agile fixture design, the evaluation of case similarity, and restriction-based conflict arbitration, are listed. And some methods are presented to evaluate the similarity and clear up the conflict.

Designing Optical Spreadsheets-Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge Simulation (S-TPACK): A Case Study of Pre-Service Teachers Course

Science.gov (United States)

Thohir, M. Anas

2018-01-01

In the 21st century, the competence of instructional technological design is important for pre-service physics teachers. This case study described the pre-service physics teachers' design of optical spreadsheet simulation and evaluated teaching and learning the task in the classroom. The case study chose three of thirty pre-service teacher's…

Design Case Retrieval by Generic Representations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Achten, H.H.; Gero, J.S.

2000-01-01

Case-Based Reasoning and Case-Based Design have been proposed to utilize knowledge of previous design solutions to understand or solve current design problems. Case retrieval is often performed on the basis of verbal indexing systems, whereas in design the use of graphic representations is

Theory Testing Using Case Studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Ann-Kristina Løkke; Dissing Sørensen, Pernille

2014-01-01

The appropriateness of case studies as a tool for theory testing is still a controversial issue, and discussions about the weaknesses of such research designs have previously taken precedence over those about its strengths. The purpose of the paper is to examine and revive the approach of theory...... testing using case studies, including the associated research goal, analysis, and generalisability. We argue that research designs for theory testing using case studies differ from theorybuilding case study research designs because different research projects serve different purposes and follow different...... research paths....

Developing a quality by design approach to model tablet dissolution testing: an industrial case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Yekpe, Ketsia; Abatzoglou, Nicolas; Bataille, Bernard; Gosselin, Ryan; Sharkawi, Tahmer; Simard, Jean-Sébastien; Cournoyer, Antoine

2017-11-02

This study applied the concept of Quality by Design (QbD) to tablet dissolution. Its goal was to propose a quality control strategy to model dissolution testing of solid oral dose products according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines. The methodology involved the following three steps: (1) a risk analysis to identify the material- and process-related parameters impacting the critical quality attributes of dissolution testing, (2) an experimental design to evaluate the influence of design factors (attributes and parameters selected by risk analysis) on dissolution testing, and (3) an investigation of the relationship between design factors and dissolution profiles. Results show that (a) in the case studied, the two parameters impacting dissolution kinetics are active pharmaceutical ingredient particle size distributions and tablet hardness and (b) these two parameters could be monitored with PAT tools to predict dissolution profiles. Moreover, based on the results obtained, modeling dissolution is possible. The practicality and effectiveness of the QbD approach were demonstrated through this industrial case study. Implementing such an approach systematically in industrial pharmaceutical production would reduce the need for tablet dissolution testing.

GIS-based landscape design research: Stourhead landscape garden as a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steffen Nijhuis

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Landscape design research is important for cultivating spatial intelligence in landscape architecture. This study explores GIS (geographic information systems as a tool for landscape design research - investigating landscape designs to understand them as architectonic compositions (architectonic plan analysis. The concept ‘composition’ refers to a conceivable arrangement, an architectural expression of a mental construct that is legible and open to interpretation. Landscape architectonic compositions and their representations embody a great wealth of design knowledge as objects of our material culture and reflect the possible treatment of the ground, space, image and program as a characteristic coherence. By exploring landscape architectonic compositions with GIS, design researchers can acquire design knowledge that can be used in the creation and refinement of a design.  The research aims to identify and illustrate the potential role of GIS as a tool in landscape design research, so as to provide insight into the possibilities and limitations of using GIS in this capacity. The critical, information-oriented case of Stourhead landscape garden (Wiltshire, UK, an example of a designed landscape that covers the scope and remit of landscape architecture design, forms the heart of the study. The exploration of Stourhead by means of GIS can be understood as a plausibility probe. Here the case study is considered a form of ‘quasi-experiment’, testing the hypothesis and generating a learning process that constitutes a prerequisite for advanced understanding, while using an adjusted version of the framework for landscape design analysis by Steenbergen and Reh (2003. This is a theoretically informed analytical method based on the formal interpretation of the landscape architectonic composition addressing four landscape architectonic categories: the basic, the spatial, the symbolic and the programmatic form. This study includes new aspects to be

Application of a Novel Collaboration Engineering Method for Learning Design: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Xusen; Li, Yuanyuan; Sun, Jianshan; Huang, Jianqing

2016-01-01

Collaborative case studies and computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) play an important role in the modern education environment. A number of researchers have given significant attention to learning design in order to improve the satisfaction of collaborative learning. Although collaboration engineering (CE) is a mature method widely…

Power for genetic association study of human longevity using the case-control design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tan, Qihua; Zhao, Jing Hua; Zhang, Dongfeng

2008-01-01

The efficiency of the popular case-control design in gene-longevity association studies needs to be verified because, different from a binary trait, longevity represents only the extreme end of the continuous life span distribution without a clear cutoff for defining the phenotype. In this paper...

Response rates in case-control studies of cancer by era of fieldwork and by characteristics of study design.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Mengting; Richardson, Lesley; Campbell, Sally; Pintos, Javier; Siemiatycki, Jack

2018-04-09

The purpose of this study was to describe time trends in response rates in case-control studies of cancer and identify study design factors that influence response rate. We reviewed 370 case-control studies of cancer published in 12 journals during indicator years in each of the last four decades. We estimated time trends of response rates and reasons for nonresponse in each of the following types of study subjects: cases, medical source controls, and population controls. We also estimated response rates according to characteristics of study context. Median response rates among cases and population controls were between 75% and 80% in the 1970s. Between 1971 and 2010, study response rates declined by 0.31% per year for cases and 0.78% for population controls. Only a minority of studies reported reasons for nonparticipation; subject refusal was the most common reported reason. Studies conducted in North America had lower median response rates than studies conducted in Europe. In-person and telephone interviews elicited higher response rates than mail questionnaires. Response rates from case-control studies of cancer have declined, and this could threaten the validity of results derived from these studies. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Case-Control Studies - An Efficient Observational Study Design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Stralen, Karlijn J.; Dekker, Friedo W.; Zoccali, Carmine; Jager, Kitty J.

2010-01-01

Case-control studies are an efficient research method for investigating risk factors of a disease. The method involves the comparison of the odds of exposure in a patient group with that of the odds of exposure in a control group. As only a minority of the population is included in the study, less

A Database Design and Development Case: NanoTEK Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Ballenger, Robert M.

2010-01-01

This case provides a real-world project-oriented case study for students enrolled in a management information systems, database management, or systems analysis and design course in which database design and development are taught. The case consists of a business scenario to provide background information and details of the unique operating…

The relationship between bioclimatic thermal stress and subjective thermal sensation in pedestrian spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Pearlmutter, David; Jiao, Dixin; Garb, Yaakov

2014-12-01

Outdoor thermal comfort has important implications for urban planning and energy consumption in the built environment. To better understand the relation of subjective thermal experience to bioclimatic thermal stress in such contexts, this study compares micrometeorological and perceptual data from urban spaces in the hot-arid Negev region of Israel. Pedestrians reported on their thermal sensation in these spaces, whereas radiation and convection-related data were used to compute the Index of Thermal Stress (ITS) and physiologically equivalent temperature (PET). The former is a straightforward characterization of energy exchanges between the human body and its surroundings, without any conversion to an "equivalent temperature." Although the relation of ITS to subjective thermal sensation has been analyzed in the past under controlled indoor conditions, this paper offers the first analysis of this relation in an outdoor setting. ITS alone can account for nearly 60 % of the variance in pedestrians' thermal sensation under outdoor conditions, somewhat more than PET. A series of regressions with individual contextual variables and ITS identified those factors which accounted for additional variance in thermal sensation, whereas multivariate analyses indicated the considerable predictive power ( R-square = 0.74) of models including multiple contextual variables in addition to ITS. Our findings indicate that pedestrians experiencing variable outdoor conditions have a greater tolerance for incremental changes in thermal stress than has been shown previously under controlled indoor conditions, with a tapering of responses at high values of ITS. However, the thresholds of ITS corresponding to thermal "neutrality" and thermal "acceptability" are quite consistent regardless of context.

Applications of ATILA FEM software to smart materials case studies in designing devices

CERN Document Server

Uchino, Kenji

2013-01-01

ATILA Finite Element Method (FEM) software facilitates the modelling and analysis of applications using piezoelectric, magnetostrictor and shape memory materials. It allows entire designs to be constructed, refined and optimized before production begins. Through a range of instructive case studies, Applications of ATILA FEM software to smart materials provides an indispensable guide to the use of this software in the design of effective products.Part one provides an introduction to ATILA FEM software, beginning with an overview of the software code. New capabilities and loss integratio

Comparing Single Case Design Overlap-Based Effect Size Metrics from Studies Examining Speech Generating Device Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Mo; Hyppa-Martin, Jolene K.; Reichle, Joe E.; Symons, Frank J.

2016-01-01

Meaningfully synthesizing single case experimental data from intervention studies comprised of individuals with low incidence conditions and generating effect size estimates remains challenging. Seven effect size metrics were compared for single case design (SCD) data focused on teaching speech generating device use to individuals with…

Implementation of an Industrial-Based Case Study as the Basis for a Design Project in an Introduction to Mechanical Design Course

Science.gov (United States)

Lackey, Ellen

2011-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the implementation of an industrial-based case study as the basis for a design project for the Spring 2009 Introduction to Mechanical Design Course at the University of Mississippi. Course surveys documented the lack of student exposure in classes to the types of projects typically experienced by engineers…

Toward Eco Product Development with Qualitative and CAE Design Process - Case Study of Flame Guiding Module

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, W. L.; Chao, F. L.

2018-04-01

Sustainable products become increasingly important for company in addressing eco-performance to satisfy global environmental regulations. Case study of flame guiding module reviewed design process and concerns related to the torch design. For enhancing flame height, the torch was embedded with an airflow guidance structure. The design process and design methodologies were investigated as an eco-design case study. Combine qualitative and CAE simulation were proposed to fulfil its main and auxiliary functions including reduction of impact during use. The design guidelines help prevent mistake arrangements, CAE helps understand combustion phenomenon. The flow field simulation enables fine tune of geometric design. Functional test and measurement are carried out to confirm the product features. On Eco-performance, we choose 5 items for evaluation the status of previous and redesign module, namely function need, low impact material, few manufacturing steps, low energy consumption, and safety. The radar diagram indicates that eco-performance of redesign module is better. Life cycle assessment calculated the carbon footprint of the manufacturing and processing stage with Eco-it. By using recycled steel in the flame module, it reduces raw material stage carbon footprint significantly.

A Case Study in Collaboration: Looking Back at the National Graphic Design Archive

Science.gov (United States)

Remington, R. Roger

2004-01-01

Inspired by the 1980s interest in graphic design history, an initially productive, but difficult to sustain, collaboration among three American universities from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, is the subject of this case study. The ideas behind a much-needed archival consortium, its organization and its difficulties in sustaining collaboration…

Study designs may influence results

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Johansen, Christoffer; Schüz, Joachim; Andreasen, Anne-Marie Serena

2017-01-01

appeared to show an inverse association, whereas nested case-control and cohort studies showed no association. For allergies, the inverse association was observed irrespective of study design. We recommend that the questionnaire-based case-control design be placed lower in the hierarchy of studies...... for establishing cause-and-effect for diseases such as glioma. We suggest that a state-of-the-art case-control study should, as a minimum, be accompanied by extensive validation of the exposure assessment methods and the representativeness of the study sample with regard to the exposures of interest. Otherwise...

Student Teachers of Technology and Design into Industry: A Northern Ireland Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Ken

2013-01-01

This paper, based in Northern Ireland, is a case study of an innovative programme which places year 3 B.Ed. post-primary student teachers of Technology and Design into industry for a five-day period. The industrial placement programme is set in an international context of evolving pre-service field placements and in a local context defined by the…

Game Coaching System Design and Development: A Retrospective Case Study of FPS Trainer

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Wee Hoe

2013-01-01

This paper is a retrospective case study of a game-based learning (GBL) researcher who cooperated with a professional gamer and a team of game developers to design and develop a coaching system for First-Person Shooter (FPS) players. The GBL researcher intended to verify the ecological validity of a model of cooperation; the developers wanted to…

Engineering Design Tools for Shape Memory Alloy Actuators: CASMART Collaborative Best Practices and Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, Robert W.; Benafan, Othmane; Gao, Xiujie; Calkins, Frederick T; Ghanbari, Zahra; Hommer, Garrison; Lagoudas, Dimitris; Petersen, Andrew; Pless, Jennifer M.; Stebner, Aaron P.;

Improving Internal Communication Management in SMEs: Two Case Studies in Service Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tuomo Eskelinen

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Effective information management is a success factor for business growth, but small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs face challenges in transferring knowledge and information from one organizational unit to another. In this study of two case companies, participative business model development processes were designed to identify challenges and solutions in internal communication management. A service design approach based on CIMO logic (context, intervention, mechanism, and output showed that the participative business model technique and process can identify problems and challenges in internal communication management, as well as in the prioritization of actions. The process is a creative service design process including both divergent and convergent phases. The process increased motivation among personnel to find solutions, encouraged communication, and created joint understanding on how to solve problems. The technique helped to bring tacit information into use.

Perspectives of increasing energy efficiency on designing new and reconstruction of present city districts: World experiences and local recommendations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pucar Mila

2006-01-01

Full Text Available With 20th century along came a significant increase of energy consumption and a serious ecological crisis caused by the extensive usage of fossil fuels (oil, coal. Because of that, many countries have declared regulations to lower the traditional energy consumption and to stimulate usage of renewable energy sources. This problem is particularly evident in residential buildings sector, because over 50% of the overall energy produced is slinked in this way. This paper gives methodological recommendations regarding the principles of energy efficient housing and general comfort improvement as well as evident advantages of passive solar panels compared to traditional energy sources (fossil fuels. These possibilities are considered in two different scenarios: reconstruction of already built city blocks, and energy efficient implementation in case of brand new structures. This paper considers two different case studies, one reconstructive - a city block in France, built in the mid 60’s and the other of energy efficient settlement in Greece "Solar Village", built in the 80’s, which was designed by bioclimatic principles from the very beginning. Energy efficient planning and design methodological recommendations based on these two examples are regarding the New Belgrade block 7/3, which has been built in the 50’s.

Enhanced ergonomics approaches for product design: a user experience ecosystem perspective and case studies.

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Xu, Wei

2014-01-01

This paper first discusses the major inefficiencies faced in current human factors and ergonomics (HFE) approaches: (1) delivering an optimal end-to-end user experience (UX) to users of a solution across its solution lifecycle stages; (2) strategically influencing the product business and technology capability roadmaps from a UX perspective and (3) proactively identifying new market opportunities and influencing the platform architecture capabilities on which the UX of end products relies. In response to these challenges, three case studies are presented to demonstrate how enhanced ergonomics design approaches have effectively addressed the challenges faced in current HFE approaches. Then, the enhanced ergonomics design approaches are conceptualised by a user-experience ecosystem (UXE) framework, from a UX ecosystem perspective. Finally, evidence supporting the UXE, the advantage and the formalised process for executing UXE and methodological considerations are discussed. Practitioner Summary: This paper presents enhanced ergonomics approaches to product design via three case studies to effectively address current HFE challenges by leveraging a systematic end-to-end UX approach, UX roadmaps and emerging UX associated with prioritised user needs and usages. Thus, HFE professionals can be more strategic, creative and influential.

Virtual patients: the influence of case design and teamwork on students' perception and knowledge - a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Jäger, Frederik; Riemer, Martin; Abendroth, Martin; Sehner, Susanne; Harendza, Sigrid

2014-07-08

Virtual patient (VP) cases are an effective teaching method, although little is known about how to design and implement them for maximum effectiveness. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of case design and teamwork on students' learning outcome. One hundred forty-six undergraduate medical students participated in a mandatory medical computer science course consisting of five seminars. At the end of each seminar, they worked on one VP case, either in teams of two or individually. Each student filled out an introductory and a final survey and a feedback sheet after completing each case. Additionally, there was a surprise multiple choice (MC) test after the last seminar with three questions regarding each case. Students with more clinical experience and students who had worked in a team performed significantly better on MC questions. Students with less clinical experience more frequently used information which had been positioned less prominently on the case material. Certain aspects of case design were rated more positively by students who had an interest in e-learning. In general, students preferred to work on cases for less than 15 minutes. Clinically more advanced students and students working with a partner seem to benefit most from short VP cases with prominently presented information.

Case study B. Architectural design management using a project web

NARCIS (Netherlands)

DeClerck, F.; Pels, H.J.; Otter, den A.F.H.J.; Emmitt, S.; Prins, M.; Otter, den A.F.

2009-01-01

In this chapter the use and organization of use of a project website is described in the design and realization of a construction project. The case concerns a complicated project with a high number of different parties involved, managed by an architectural office and having an internationally

Using case study within a sequential explanatory design to evaluate the impact of specialist and advanced practice roles on clinical outcomes: the SCAPE study.

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Lalor, Joan G; Casey, Dympna; Elliott, Naomi; Coyne, Imelda; Comiskey, Catherine; Higgins, Agnes; Murphy, Kathy; Devane, Declan; Begley, Cecily

2013-04-08

The role of the clinical nurse/midwife specialist and advanced nurse/midwife practitioner is complex not least because of the diversity in how the roles are operationalised across health settings and within multidisciplinary teams. This aim of this paper is to use The SCAPE Study: Specialist Clinical and Advanced Practitioner Evaluation in Ireland to illustrate how case study was used to strengthen a Sequential Explanatory Design. In Phase 1, clinicians identified indicators of specialist and advanced practice which were then used to guide the instrumental case study design which formed the second phase of the larger study. Phase 2 used matched case studies to evaluate the effectiveness of specialist and advanced practitioners on clinical outcomes for service users. Data were collected through observation, documentary analysis, and interviews. Observations were made of 23 Clinical Specialists or Advanced Practitioners, and 23 matched clinicians in similar matched non-postholding sites, while they delivered care. Forty-one service users, 41 clinicians, and 23 Directors of Nursing or Midwifery were interviewed, and 279 service users completed a survey based on the components of CS and AP practice identified in Phase 1. A coding framework, and the generation of cross tabulation matrices in NVivo, was used to make explicit how the outcome measures were confirmed and validated from multiple sources. This strengthened the potential to examine single cases that seemed 'different', and allowed for cases to be redefined. Phase 3 involved interviews with policy-makers to set the findings in context. Case study is a powerful research strategy to use within sequential explanatory mixed method designs, and adds completeness to the exploration of complex issues in clinical practice. The design is flexible, allowing the use of multiple data collection methods from both qualitative and quantitative paradigms. Multiple approaches to data collection are needed to evaluate the impact

Analysis of Clinical Cohort Data Using Nested Case-control and Case-cohort Sampling Designs. A Powerful and Economical Tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohneberg, K; Wolkewitz, M; Beyersmann, J; Palomar-Martinez, M; Olaechea-Astigarraga, P; Alvarez-Lerma, F; Schumacher, M

2015-01-01

Sampling from a large cohort in order to derive a subsample that would be sufficient for statistical analysis is a frequently used method for handling large data sets in epidemiological studies with limited resources for exposure measurement. For clinical studies however, when interest is in the influence of a potential risk factor, cohort studies are often the first choice with all individuals entering the analysis. Our aim is to close the gap between epidemiological and clinical studies with respect to design and power considerations. Schoenfeld's formula for the number of events required for a Cox' proportional hazards model is fundamental. Our objective is to compare the power of analyzing the full cohort and the power of a nested case-control and a case-cohort design. We compare formulas for power for sampling designs and cohort studies. In our data example we simultaneously apply a nested case-control design with a varying number of controls matched to each case, a case cohort design with varying subcohort size, a random subsample and a full cohort analysis. For each design we calculate the standard error for estimated regression coefficients and the mean number of distinct persons, for whom covariate information is required. The formula for the power of a nested case-control design and the power of a case-cohort design is directly connected to the power of a cohort study using the well known Schoenfeld formula. The loss in precision of parameter estimates is relatively small compared to the saving in resources. Nested case-control and case-cohort studies, but not random subsamples yield an attractive alternative for analyzing clinical studies in the situation of a low event rate. Power calculations can be conducted straightforwardly to quantify the loss of power compared to the savings in the num-ber of patients using a sampling design instead of analyzing the full cohort.

Repository design sensitivity study: Engineering study report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-01-01

A preliminary sensitivity study of the salt repository design has been performed to identify critical site and design parameters to help guide future site characterization and design optimization activities. The study considered the SCP-conceptual design at the Deaf Smith County site in Texas with the horizontal waste package emplacement mode as the base case. Relative to this base case, parameter variations were compared. Limited studies were performed which considered the vertical emplacement mode geometry. The report presents the reference data base and design parameters on which the study was based (including the range of parameters that might be expected). Detailed descriptions of the numerical modeling methods and assumptions are included for the thermal, thermomechanical and hydrogeological analyses. The impacts of parameter variations on the sensitivity of the rock mass response are discussed. Recommendations are provided to help guide site characterization activities and advanced conceptual design optimization activities. 47 refs., 119 refs., 22 tabs

Performance evaluation of the BSRC multi-purpose bio-climatic roof

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waewsak, J.; Hirunlabh, J.; Khedari, J. [Mongkut' s University of Technology, Bangkok (Thailand). Building Scientific Research Center; Shin, U.C. [Taejon University (Korea). College of Engineering

2003-11-01

This paper reports on experimental investigation of the performance of a new multi-purpose bio-climatic roof (BCR) developed by our teamwork (The Building Scientific Research Center, BSRC). The innovative functions of this BSRC-BCR are to decrease daily heat gain through the roof fabrics, to induce significant air ventilation rate, which improves the thermal comfort of residents, to ensure appropriate daylighting without any overheating and to act as a roof radiator during nighttime. The BSRC-BCR is composed of a combination of CPAC Monier concrete and transparent acrylic tiles on the outer side, air gap and another combination of gypsum with an aluminum foil board and translucent sheets on the room side. The thermal and visual performances of BCR were investigated experimentally and compared to the conventional roof solar collector (RSC) based on the following three important parameters: the temperature difference index (TD) defined as the temperature difference between the outdoor and indoor, the air change number (ACH) induced by the BSRC-BCR and the amount of indoor illumination. To this end, two units (BCR and RSC) each of 1 x l.5 m{sup 2} surface area were integrated into the south-facing roof of the center single-room solar house of 25 m{sup 3} volume. The experimental results show that the BSRC-BCR is extremely interesting as it can reduce roof heat gain significantly, provide sufficient natural lighting for housing and induce high air change that improve indoor thermal comfort. The TD index of BCR was always lower or close to neutral than that of RSC during the hottest period of the day. The indoor illuminance delivered by the BSRC-BCR was about 300 and 140 lx in summer and winter, respectively. The ACH was about 13-14 and 5-7 in summer and winter, respectively, two times that induced by the RSC. (author)

Developing effective web-based regional anesthesia education: a randomized study evaluating case-based versus non-case-based module design.

Science.gov (United States)

Kopp, Sandra L; Smith, Hugh M

2011-01-01

Little is known about the use of Web-based education in regional anesthesia training. Benefits of Web-based education include the ability to standardize learning material quality and content, build appropriate learning progressions, use interactive multimedia technologies, and individualize delivery of course materials. The goals of this investigation were (1) to determine whether module design influences regional anesthesia knowledge acquisition, (2) to characterize learner preference patterns among anesthesia residents, and (3) to determine whether learner preferences play a role in knowledge acquisition. Direct comparison of knowledge assessments, learning styles, and learner preferences will be made between an interactive case-based and a traditional textbook-style module design. Forty-three Mayo Clinic anesthesiology residents completed 2 online modules, a knowledge pretest, posttest, an Index of Learning Styles assessment, and a participant satisfaction survey. Interscalene and lumbar plexus regional techniques were selected as the learning content for 4 Web modules constructed using the Blackboard Vista coursework application. One traditional textbook-style module and 1 interactive case-based module were designed for each of the interscalene and lumbar plexus techniques. Participants scored higher on the postmodule knowledge assessment for both of the interscalene and lumbar plexus modules. Postmodule knowledge performance scores were independent of both module design (interactive case-based versus traditional textbook style) and learning style preferences. However, nearly all participants reported a preference for Web-based learning and believe that it should be used in anesthesia resident education. Participants did not feel that Web-base learning should replace the current lecture-based curriculum. All residents scored higher on the postmodule knowledge assessment, but this improvement was independent of the module design and individual learning styles

Designed for Learning: A Case Study in Rethinking Teaching and Learning for a Large First Year Class

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Goldacre, Lisa; Bolt, Susan; Lambiris, Michael

2013-01-01

This paper presents a case study in which the principles of scholarship were applied to designing an approach to learning suitable for large classes. While this case study describes an Australian first year Business Law unit, the findings presented in this paper would be relevant to a wide range of teachers faced with large enrollments in first…

A case study on better iconographic design in electronic medical records' user interface.

Science.gov (United States)

Tasa, Umut Burcu; Ozcan, Oguzhan; Yantac, Asim Evren; Unluer, Ayca

2008-06-01

It is a known fact that there is a conflict between what users expect and what user interface designers create in the field of medical informatics along with other fields of interface design. The objective of the study is to suggest, from the 'design art' perspective, a method for improving the usability of an electronic medical record (EMR) interface. The suggestion is based on the hypothesis that the user interface of an EMR should be iconographic. The proposed three-step method consists of a questionnaire survey on how hospital users perceive concepts/terms that are going to be used in the EMR user interface. Then icons associated with the terms are designed by a designer, following a guideline which is prepared according to the results of the first questionnaire. Finally the icons are asked back to the target group for proof. A case study was conducted with 64 medical staff and 30 professional designers for the first questionnaire, and with 30 medical staff for the second. In the second questionnaire 7.53 icons out of 10 were matched correctly with a standard deviation of 0.98. Also, all icons except three were matched correctly in at least 83.3% of the forms. The proposed new method differs from the majority of previous studies which are based on user requirements by leaning on user experiments instead. The study demonstrated that the user interface of EMRs should be designed according to a guideline that results from a survey on users' experiences on metaphoric perception of the terms.

Advantages of the nested case-control design in diagnostic research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hoes Arno W

2008-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Despite its benefits, it is uncommon to apply the nested case-control design in diagnostic research. We aim to show advantages of this design for diagnostic accuracy studies. Methods We used data from a full cross-sectional diagnostic study comprising a cohort of 1295 consecutive patients who were selected on their suspicion of having deep vein thrombosis (DVT. We draw nested case-control samples from the full study population with case:control ratios of 1:1, 1:2, 1:3 and 1:4 (per ratio 100 samples were taken. We calculated diagnostic accuracy estimates for two tests that are used to detect DVT in clinical practice. Results Estimates of diagnostic accuracy in the nested case-control samples were very similar to those in the full study population. For example, for each case:control ratio, the positive predictive value of the D-dimer test was 0.30 in the full study population and 0.30 in the nested case-control samples (median of the 100 samples. As expected, variability of the estimates decreased with increasing sample size. Conclusion Our findings support the view that the nested case-control study is a valid and efficient design for diagnostic studies and should also be (reappraised in current guidelines on diagnostic accuracy research.

Design and construction strategies for reducing embodied impacts from buildings – Case study analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malmqvist, Tove; Nehasilova, Marie; Moncaster, Alice

2018-01-01

, individual building projects. This is done by a systematic analysis of the Annex 57 case study collection as well as additional scientific literature. While it should be noted that the actual EEG savings at building level illustrated in this collection of studies are only applicable to each specific case...... of national energy mixes. Stakeholders therefore have a growing interest in understanding the possibilities for reducing em- bodied impacts in buildings. In the IEA EBC project ‘Annex 57’ a broad call for case studies was launched with the aim to identify design strategies for reducing embodied energy and GHG...... emissions (EEG) from buildings. The aim of this paper is to identify and provide a collected and comprehensive overview of quantitative reduction potentials of the particular EEG reduction strategies which should be considered by the stakeholders engaged in, and with the capacity to influence the outcome of...

Building a sustainable future: Bioclimatic house

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Gomez Mallen, Esther; Rivera Fusalba, Oriol

2010-05-01

The application of bioclimatic principles is a critical factor in reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions. This poster develops a sequence of experiments and building working models in order to form students of secondary school and make progress towards real applications of new energy technologies. The activity has been carried out by 14 and 15-year-old students using a Power House building kit. Scientific method and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) were used as an effective system of acquiring new knowledge. Students were asked to form cooperative groups. Firstly, each group had to choose the best location and orientation in the imaginary Dragon Island for the construction of the house. The house consisted of eight Styrofoam parts and one transparent plastic part. The Styrofoam parts formed the house structure (floor, walls and roof) with two interior chambers and the attached greenhouse. Once the house was assembled in a few steps, it was ready for the students to start adding more components. Students then conducted several experiments related to the heat and light energy of the Sun and the energy of the wind. Some of the experiments and building projects realized were: how to capture the Sun to heat the house by passive solar heating, how to collect the Sun's rays to heat water using a Sun Collector and how to extract electricity current from Sun Power station and from wind power plant. For most of the assays it was necessary to record the temperature and students used for that purpose a temperature sensor that comes with Multilog Pro, a portable, graphic data collection and analysis system. Groups of students were really engaged in the project and each of them ran a different test with the house. Finally they proved if their initial hypothesis was correct and they had to expose the results to the rest of the class members. Students demonstrated how we can transform and use renewable forms of energy. With the experiments students

Case Studies of Secondary School Teachers Designing Socioscientific Issues-Based Instruction and Their Students' Socioscientific Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Karahan, Engin

Addressing socioscientific issues (SSI) has been one of the main focuses in science education since the Science, Technology, and Society (STS) movement in the 1970s (Levinson, 2006); however, teaching controversial socioscientific issues has always been challenging for teachers (Dillon, 1994; Osborne, Duschl, & Fairbrother, 2002). Although teachers exhibit positive attitudes for using controversial socioscientific issues in their science classrooms, only a small percentage of them actually incorporate SSI content into their science curricula on a regular basis (Sadler, Amirshokoohi, Kazempour, & Allspaw, 2006; Lee & Witz, 2009). The literature in science education has highlighted the signi?cant relationships among teacher beliefs, teaching practices, and student learning (Bryan & Atwater, 2002; King, Shumow, & Lietz, 2001; Lederman, 1992). Despite the fact that the case studies present a relatively detailed picture of teachers' values and motivations for teaching SSI (e.g. Lee, 2006; Lee & Witz, 2009; Reis & Galvao, 2004), these studies still miss the practices of these teachers and potential outcomes for their students. Therefore, there is a great need for in-depth case studies that would focus on teachers' practices of designing and teaching SSI-based learning environments, their deeper beliefs and motivations for teaching SSI, and their students' response to these practices (Lee, 2006). This dissertation is structured as three separate, but related, studies about secondary school teachers' experiences of designing and teaching SSI-based classes and their students' understanding of science and SSI reasoning. The case studies in this dissertation seek answers for (1) teachers' practices of designing and teaching SSI-based instruction, as well as its relation to their deeper personal beliefs and motivations to teach SSI, and (2) how their students respond to their approaches of teaching SSI in terms of their science understanding and SSI reasoning. The first paper

Transit Network Design: a Hybrid Enhanced Artificial Bee Colony Approach and a Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Jiang

2013-09-01

Full Text Available A bus network design problem in a suburban area of Hong Kong is studied. The objective is to minimize the weighted sum of the number of transfers and the total travel time of passengers by restructuring bus routes and determining new frequencies. A mixed integer optimization model is developed and was solved by a Hybrid Enhanced Artificial Bee Colony algorithm (HEABC. A case study was conducted to investigate the effects of different design parameters, including the total number of bus routes available, the maximum route duration within the study area and the maximum allowable number of bus routes that originated from each terminal. The model and results are useful for improving bus service policies.

Buffer Size Design in Pharmaceutical Packaging Lines: an Analytical Methodology Proposal and Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miriam Benedetti

2014-11-01

increasing overall equipment effectiveness (OEE of production lines (activities that had previously been somewhat neglected in the pharmaceutical sector. In this paper, the paradigm of buffer design for availability (BDFA - an approach developed to conciliate these apparently conflicting strategies to achieve performance improvement and cost reduction - is briefly recalled and discussed, being contextualized in the state-of-the-art of buffer design research. Its valuable practical applicability and effectiveness is then demonstrated by the means of a real case study application, and future developments are eventually presented.

[Case-non case studies: Principles, methods, bias and interpretation].

Science.gov (United States)

Faillie, Jean-Luc

2017-10-31

Case-non case studies belongs to the methods assessing drug safety by analyzing the disproportionality of notifications of adverse drug reactions in pharmacovigilance databases. Used for the first time in the 1980s, the last few decades have seen a significant increase in the use of this design. The principle of the case-non case study is to compare drug exposure in cases of a studied adverse reaction with that of cases of other reported adverse reactions and called "non cases". Results are presented in the form of a reporting odds ratio (ROR), the interpretation of which makes it possible to identify drug safety signals. This article describes the principle of the case-non case study, the method of calculating the ROR and its confidence interval, the different modalities of analysis and how to interpret its results with regard to the advantages and limitations of this design. Copyright © 2017 Société française de pharmacologie et de thérapeutique. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

ASRM case insulation design and development

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, Matthew S.; Tam, William F. S.

1992-10-01

This paper describes the achievements made on the Advanced Solid Rocket Motor (ASRM) case insulation design and development program. The ASRM case insulation system described herein protects the metal case and joints from direct radiation and hot gas impingement. Critical failure of solid rocket systems is often traceable to failure of the insulation design. The wide ranging accomplishments included the development of a nonasbestos insulation material for ASRM that replaced the existing Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) asbestos-filled nitrile butadiene rubber (NBR) along with a performance gain of 300 pounds, and improved reliability of all the insulation joint designs, i.e., segmented case joint, case-to-nozzle and case-to-igniter joint. The insulation process development program included the internal stripwinding process. This process advancement allowed Aerojet to match to exceed the capability of other propulsion companies.

Low-cost housing design and provision: A case study of Kenya

Science.gov (United States)

Kabo, Felichism W.

Shelter is as basic a human need as food and water. Today, many people in Third World countries live in sub-standard housing, or lack shelter altogether. Prior research addresses either one of two housing dimensions: broader provision processes, or specific aspects of design. This dissertation is an effort at addressing both dimensions, the underlying premise being that their inter-connectedness demands an integrative approach. More specifically, this dissertation is a combined strategy case study of housing design and provision in Kenya, a sub-Saharan African country with serious shelter problems. A majority of Kenya's urban population lives in slums or squatter settlements. This dissertation covers four major areas of housing design and provision in Kenya: building materials, user preferences for building materials and housing designs, interior layouts, and the organizational context of the housing sector. These four areas are theoretically unified by Canter's (1977) model of place. Each of the first three areas (housing design) relates to one or more of the three domains in the model. The fourth area (housing provision) pertains to the model's context and framework. The technical building materials research reveals the feasibility of making low-cost materials (soil-cements) with satisfactory engineering performance. The research in preference for building materials reveals that the two independent variables, soil and mix, have a significant effect on potential users' ratings. The housing preference study reveals that of the four independent variables, design and type had a significant effect on potential users' ratings, while materials and construction method did not have a significant effect. The interior layout studies reveal important associations between spatial configurations and a key space (the kitchen), and between configuration and conceptualizations of living, cooking, and sleeping spaces. The findings from the studies of preferences and interior

Determining bioclimatic space of Himalayan alder for agroforestry systems in Nepal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Santosh Kumar Rana

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Himalayan alder species are proven to be very useful in traditional as well as contemporary agroforestry practice. These nitrogen-fixing trees are also useful in the land restoration. Therefore, understanding the distribution of Himalayan alder and the potential zone for plantation is meaningful in the agroforestry sector. Suitable climatic zones of Alnus spp. were modelled in MaxEnt software using a subset of least correlated bioclimatic variables for current conditions (1950–2000, topographic variables (DEM derived and Landuse Landcover (LULC data. We generated several models and selected the best model against random models using ANOVA and t-test. The environmental variables that best explained the current distribution of the species were identified and used to project into the future. For future projections, ensemble scenarios of climate change projection derived from the results of 19 Earth System Models (ESM were used. Our model revealed that the most favorable conditions for Alnus nepalensis are in central Nepal in the moist north-west facing slope, whereas for Alnus nitida they are in western Nepal. The major climatic factor that contributes to Alnus species distribution in Nepal appears to be precipitation during the warmest quarter for A. nepalensis and precipitation during the driest quarter for A. nitida. Future projections revealed changes in the probability distribution of these species, as well as where they need conservation and where they can be planted. Also, our model predicts that the distribution of Alnus spp. in hilly regions will remain unchanged, and therefore may represent sites that can be used to revitalize traditional agroforestry systems and extract source material for land restoration.

Case-positive versus case-negative designs for low-rate lithium thionyl chloride cells

Science.gov (United States)

Mahy, T. X.

1982-03-01

Case polarity design choices are discussed. Two examples of case-negative designs are presented. One battery is thionyl chloride limited and the other is lithium limited. The case-positive design is thionyl chloride limited. It is found that the case-positive/case-negative design consideration does not seem to have much bearing on storage. However, during low rate discharge, the case-negative cells show a steadily decreasing capacity as you go to lower and lower rates.

Design thinking for website optimization. A case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Somoza Sanchez, Vella Veronica; Andersen, Frederik; Schneider-Kamp, Peter

This paper presents results from a pilot study, which is part of a larger research project where we study the process innovation of website optimization as a service through the use of big data. Over a process of design thinking we investigate which type of website design best addresses the needs...... for observing the users in their native environment. Furthermore, we use the method of Digital Anthropology to complete the loop between the human-centric designs and the possibilities offered by the analysis of big data....

Bias correction of risk estimates in vaccine safety studies with rare adverse events using a self-controlled case series design.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Chan; Newcomer, Sophia R; Glanz, Jason M; Shoup, Jo Ann; Daley, Matthew F; Hambidge, Simon J; Xu, Stanley

2013-12-15

The self-controlled case series (SCCS) method is often used to examine the temporal association between vaccination and adverse events using only data from patients who experienced such events. Conditional Poisson regression models are used to estimate incidence rate ratios, and these models perform well with large or medium-sized case samples. However, in some vaccine safety studies, the adverse events studied are rare and the maximum likelihood estimates may be biased. Several bias correction methods have been examined in case-control studies using conditional logistic regression, but none of these methods have been evaluated in studies using the SCCS design. In this study, we used simulations to evaluate 2 bias correction approaches-the Firth penalized maximum likelihood method and Cordeiro and McCullagh's bias reduction after maximum likelihood estimation-with small sample sizes in studies using the SCCS design. The simulations showed that the bias under the SCCS design with a small number of cases can be large and is also sensitive to a short risk period. The Firth correction method provides finite and less biased estimates than the maximum likelihood method and Cordeiro and McCullagh's method. However, limitations still exist when the risk period in the SCCS design is short relative to the entire observation period.

Virtual patients: the influence of case design and teamwork on students’ perception and knowledge – a pilot study

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Virtual patient (VP) cases are an effective teaching method, although little is known about how to design and implement them for maximum effectiveness. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of case design and teamwork on students’ learning outcome. Methods One hundred forty-six undergraduate medical students participated in a mandatory medical computer science course consisting of five seminars. At the end of each seminar, they worked on one VP case, either in teams of two or individually. Each student filled out an introductory and a final survey and a feedback sheet after completing each case. Additionally, there was a surprise multiple choice (MC) test after the last seminar with three questions regarding each case. Results Students with more clinical experience and students who had worked in a team performed significantly better on MC questions. Students with less clinical experience more frequently used information which had been positioned less prominently on the case material. Certain aspects of case design were rated more positively by students who had an interest in e-learning. In general, students preferred to work on cases for less than 15 minutes. Conclusions Clinically more advanced students and students working with a partner seem to benefit most from short VP cases with prominently presented information. PMID:25000965

The Role of Re-Appropriation in Open Design: A Case Study on How Openness in Higher Education for Industrial Design Engineering Can Trigger Global Discussions on the Theme of Urban Gardening

Science.gov (United States)

Ostuzzi, Francesca; Conradie, Peter; De Couvreur, Lieven; Detand, Jan; Saldien, Jelle

2016-01-01

This case study explores the opportunities for students of Industrial Design Engineering to engage with direct and indirect stakeholders by making their design process and results into open-ended designed solutions. The reported case study involved 47 students during a two-weeks intensive course on the topic of urban gardening. Observations were…

Interior Design Supports Art Education: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Clemons, Stephanie A.

2006-01-01

Interior design, as a field of study, is a rapidly growing area of interest--particularly for teenagers in the United States. Part of this interest stems from the proliferation of design-related reality shows available through television media. Some art educators and curriculum specialists in the nation perceive the study of interior spaces as a…

Symphony: A case study for exploring and describing design methods and guidelines for learner-centered design

Science.gov (United States)

Quintana, Christopher

Learner-centered design is an evolving software design perspective addressing the needs of learners---a specific audience trying to work in and understand new work practices in which they have a novice or naive understanding. Learner-centered design involves designing software that incorporates work support features (or scaffolding features) informed by social constructivist learning theories. By adopting a constructivist "learning by doing" perspective, scaffolds should support learners so they can mindfully engage in previously inaccessible work activity, which in turn allows those learners to progressively gain a better understanding of the new work. While there is an intuitive notion of "learner-centered design", there is less specific design information for developing learner-centered software. As a result, learner-centered software results from "educated guesses" and ad-hoc design approaches rather than from systematic design methods. Thus there is a need for specific design guidance to facilitate the development of learner-centered tools that help learners see the tasks, terminology, tools, etc. in the new work context and engage in that work. The research in this dissertation provides a more specific base of learner-centered design descriptions, methods, and guidelines to analyze work practices and design and evaluate scaffolds. The research approach involves using the development of Symphony---a scaffolded integrated tool environment for high-school students learning the work of computational science inquiry---as a case study to develop the learner-centered design approach. Symphony incorporates a variety of science tools with process scaffolding to support students in performing complex air pollution investigations. Six ninth-grade students used Symphony to investigate air quality questions for several weeks in an environmental science class. The student testing helped assess the effectiveness of the software scaffolding and in turn, the learner

A Case Study on Collective Cognition and Operation in Team-Based Computer Game Design by Middle-School Children

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Fengfeng; Im, Tami

2014-01-01

This case study examined team-based computer-game design efforts by children with diverse abilities to explore the nature of their collective design actions and cognitive processes. Ten teams of middle-school children, with a high percentage of minority students, participated in a 6-weeks, computer-assisted math-game-design program. Essential…

Developing Tools to Counteract and Prevent Suicide Bomber Incidents: A Case Study in Value Sensitive Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Royakkers, Lambèr; Steen, Marc

2017-08-01

Developers and designers make all sorts of moral decisions throughout an innovation project. In this article, we describe how teams of developers and designers engaged with ethics in the early phases of innovation based on case studies in the SUBCOP project (SUBCOP stands for 'SUicide Bomber COunteraction and Prevention'). For that purpose, Value Sensitive Design (VSD) will be used as a reference. Specifically, we focus on the following two research questions: How can researchers/developers learn about users' perspectives and values during the innovation process? and How can researchers/developers take into account these values, and related design criteria, in their decision-making during the innovation process? Based on a case study of several innovation processes in this project, we conclude the researchers/developers involved are able to do something similar to VSD (without them knowing about VSD or calling it 'VSD'), supported by relatively simple exercises in the project, e.g., meetings with potential end-users and discussions with members of the Ethical Advisory Board of the project. Furthermore, we also found-possibly somewhat counterintuitively-that a commercial, with its focus on understanding and satisfying customers' needs, can promote VSD.

The Development of a Tool for Sustainable Building Design:

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tine Ring Hansen, Hanne; Knudstrup, Mary-Ann

2009-01-01

for sustainable buildings, as well as, an analysis of the relationship between the different approaches (e.g. low-energy, environmental, green building, solar architecture, bio-climatic architecture etc.) to sustainable building design and these indicators. The paper furthermore discusses how sustainable......The understanding of sustainable building has changed over time along with the architectural interpretation of sustainability. The paper presents the results of a comparative analysis of the indicators found in different internationally acclaimed and Danish certification schemes and standards...... architecture will gain more focus in the coming years, thus, establishing the need for the development of a new tool and methodology, The paper furthermore describes the background and considerations involved in the development of a design support tool for sustainable building design. A tool which considers...

A comparison of Cox and logistic regression for use in genome-wide association studies of cohort and case-cohort design.

Science.gov (United States)

Staley, James R; Jones, Edmund; Kaptoge, Stephen; Butterworth, Adam S; Sweeting, Michael J; Wood, Angela M; Howson, Joanna M M

2017-06-01

Logistic regression is often used instead of Cox regression to analyse genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and disease outcomes with cohort and case-cohort designs, as it is less computationally expensive. Although Cox and logistic regression models have been compared previously in cohort studies, this work does not completely cover the GWAS setting nor extend to the case-cohort study design. Here, we evaluated Cox and logistic regression applied to cohort and case-cohort genetic association studies using simulated data and genetic data from the EPIC-CVD study. In the cohort setting, there was a modest improvement in power to detect SNP-disease associations using Cox regression compared with logistic regression, which increased as the disease incidence increased. In contrast, logistic regression had more power than (Prentice weighted) Cox regression in the case-cohort setting. Logistic regression yielded inflated effect estimates (assuming the hazard ratio is the underlying measure of association) for both study designs, especially for SNPs with greater effect on disease. Given logistic regression is substantially more computationally efficient than Cox regression in both settings, we propose a two-step approach to GWAS in cohort and case-cohort studies. First to analyse all SNPs with logistic regression to identify associated variants below a pre-defined P-value threshold, and second to fit Cox regression (appropriately weighted in case-cohort studies) to those identified SNPs to ensure accurate estimation of association with disease.

Innovative wetland reclamation design case studies : the Suncor fen and pond 1 marsh

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daly, C.A. [Suncor Energy, Fort McMurray, AB (Canada); Price, J.; Rezanezhad, F. [Waterloo Univ., ON (Canada); Rochefort, L.; Graf, M. [Laval Univ., Quebec City, PQ (Canada); Russell, B. [BGC Engineering Inc., Calgary, AB (Canada)

2010-07-01

Suncor Energy Inc. is an energy company strategically focused in Canada's Athabasca oil sands region. The company has more than 40 years of experience in pioneering commercial development. This presentation discussed reclamation requirements for Suncor Energy. Reclamation objectives that were addressed in this presentation included operating approvals, biodiversity and meeting stakeholder expectations. Several photographs of reclaimed forest areas were shown along with 5 freshwater wetland types and wetland values. Two innovative wetland reclamation design case studies were also presented, described and illustrated, with particular reference to the Suncor fen and pond 1 marsh. It was concluded that future work will involve finalizing site investigation and designs, as well as construction, vegetation, and monitoring. figs.

Making Design Decisions Visible: Applying the Case-Based Method in Designing Online Instruction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heng Luo,

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The instructional intervention in this design case is a self-directed online tutorial that applies the case-based method to teach educators how to design and conduct entrepreneurship programs for elementary school students. In this article, the authors describe the major decisions made in each phase of the design and development process, explicate the rationales behind them, and demonstrate their effect on the production of the tutorial. Based on such analysis, the guidelines for designing case-based online instruction are summarized for the design case.

How design-inclusive UXR influenced the integration of project activities. Three design cases from industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Kollenburg, J.W.M.; Bogers, S.J.A.; Deckers, E.J.L.; Frens, J.W.; Hummels, C.C.M.

2017-01-01

In this paper, we discuss how the implementation of design-inclusive User Experience Research (UXR) has influenced the composition of UXR and design activities in the industrial setting of Philips Design. We present three design case studies that were executed in a time span of three years: a baby

Designing for Nomadic Play: A case study of participatory design with children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brynskov, Martin; Christensen, Bent Guldbjerg; Ludvigsen, Martin

This poster presents the results from an empirical probe study trying to engage children creatively in the design process of systems and artifacts that support nomadic life-style. Based on observational studies and interviews with children of different ages (5-15 years), we conducted a participat......This poster presents the results from an empirical probe study trying to engage children creatively in the design process of systems and artifacts that support nomadic life-style. Based on observational studies and interviews with children of different ages (5-15 years), we conducted...... a participatory design workshop cycle where children were encouraged to envision and virtually play with not-yet-invented future technology. Findings include qualitative characterizations of children’s activities (e.g. ‘play’ culture, use of digital media, age and gender differences, relation to space...

Instructional Design, Facilitation, and Perceived Learning Outcomes: An Exploratory Case Study of a Human Trafficking MOOC for Attitudinal Change

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Sunnie Lee; Loizzo, Jamie; Watson, William R.; Mueller, Chad; Lim, Jieun; Ertmer, Peggy A.

2016-01-01

This exploratory case study describes the design and facilitation of a massive open online course (MOOC) for attitudinal change regarding human trafficking. It examines the course from the learners', instructor's, and instructional designer's perspectives. Two interviews with the instructor and instructional designer were conducted, and data from…

Objectivist case study research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ridder, Hanne Mette Ochsner; Fachner, Jörg

2016-01-01

be achieved through the use of objectivist case study research. The strength of the case study design is that it allows for uncovering or suggesting causal relationships in real-life settings through an intensive and rich collection of data. According to Hilliard (1993), the opposite applies for extensive......In order to comprehend the impact of music therapy or music therapy processes, a researcher might look for an approach where the topic under investigation can be understood within a broader context. This calls for a rich inclusion of data and consequently a limited number of participants and may...... designs, in which a small amount of data is gathered on a large number of subjects. With the richness of data, the intensive design is ―the primary pragmatic reason for engaging in single-case or small N research‖ (p. 374) and for working from an idiographic rather than a nomothetic perspective....

The Importance of Biotic vs. Abiotic Drivers of Local Plant Community Composition Along Regional Bioclimatic Gradients.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kari Klanderud

Full Text Available We assessed if the relative importance of biotic and abiotic factors for plant community composition differs along environmental gradients and between functional groups, and asked which implications this may have in a warmer and wetter future. The study location is a unique grid of sites spanning regional-scale temperature and precipitation gradients in boreal and alpine grasslands in southern Norway. Within each site we sampled vegetation and associated biotic and abiotic factors, and combined broad- and fine-scale ordination analyses to assess the relative explanatory power of these factors for species composition. Although the community responses to biotic and abiotic factors did not consistently change as predicted along the bioclimatic gradients, abiotic variables tended to explain a larger proportion of the variation in species composition towards colder sites, whereas biotic variables explained more towards warmer sites, supporting the stress gradient hypothesis. Significant interactions with precipitation suggest that biotic variables explained more towards wetter climates in the sub alpine and boreal sites, but more towards drier climates in the colder alpine. Thus, we predict that biotic interactions may become more important in alpine and boreal grasslands in a warmer future, although more winter precipitation may counteract this trend in oceanic alpine climates. Our results show that both local and regional scales analyses are needed to disentangle the local vegetation-environment relationships and their regional-scale drivers, and biotic interactions and precipitation must be included when predicting future species assemblages.

REGENERATIVE DESIGN PRACTICES IN NIGERIA: A CASE ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

2017-07-01

Jul 1, 2017 ... a view to effectively implement the concept within the study area. ... REGENERATIVE DESIGN PRACTICES IN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF NGOZIKA HOUSING .... could mean greater acceptance of new development by the public and .... human/environment relations based on the Cartesian separation of ...

Reliability-based load and resistance factor design for piping: an exploratory case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Abhinav; Choi, Byounghoan

2003-01-01

This paper presents an exploratory case study on the application of Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) approach to the Section III of ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel code for piping design. The failure criterion for defining the performance function is considered as plastic instability. Presently used design equation is calibrated by evaluating the minimum reliability levels associated with it. If the target reliability in the LRFD approach is same as that evaluated for the presently used design equation, it is shown that the total safety factors for the two design equations are identical. It is observed that the load and resistance factors are not dependent upon the diameter to thickness ratio. A sensitivity analysis is also conducted to study the variations in the load and resistance factors due to changes in (a) coefficients of variation for pressure, moment, and ultimate stress, (b) ratio of mean design pressure to mean design moment, (c) distribution types used for characterizing the random variables, and (d) statistical correlation between random variables. It is observed that characterization of random variables by log-normal distribution is reasonable. Consideration of statistical correlation between the ultimate stress and section modulus gives higher values of the load factor for pressure but lower value for the moment than the corresponding values obtained by considering the variables to be uncorrelated. Since the effect of statistical correlation on the load and resistance factors is relatively insignificant for target reliability values of practical interest, the effect of correlated variables may be neglected

Design Flow Instantiation for Run-Time Reconfigurable Systems: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Qu

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Reconfigurable system is a promising alternative to deliver both flexibility and performance at the same time. New reconfigurable technologies and technology-dependent tools have been developed, but a complete overview of the whole design flow for run-time reconfigurable systems is missing. In this work, we present a design flow instantiation for such systems using a real-life application. The design flow is roughly divided into two parts: system level and implementation. At system level, our supports for hardware resource estimation and performance evaluation are applied. At implementation level, technology-dependent tools are used to realize the run-time reconfiguration. The design case is part of a WCDMA decoder on a commercially available reconfigurable platform. The results show that using run-time reconfiguration can save over 40% area when compared to a functionally equivalent fixed system and achieve 30 times speedup in processing time when compared to a functionally equivalent pure software design.

The Impact of School Design and Arrangement on Learning Experiences: A Case Study of an Architecturally Significant Elementary School

Science.gov (United States)

Churchill, Deirdre Lyne

2014-01-01

This qualitative study examined the impact of architectural design and arrangement on the learning experiences of students. Specifically, it examined how school design and arrangement foster interactions and relationships among students and adults relevant to integral learning experiences. This case study was limited to the breadth of knowledge…

Supporting More Inclusive Learning with Social Networking: A Case Study of Blended Socialised Design Education

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigo, Russell; Nguyen, Tam

2013-01-01

This paper presents a qualitative case study of socialised blended learning, using a social network platform to investigate the level of literacies and interactions of students in a blended learning environment of traditional face-to-face design studio and online participatory teaching. Using student and staff feedback, the paper examines the use…

JPL Thermal Design Modeling Philosophy and NASA-STD-7009 Standard for Models and Simulations - A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Avila, Arturo

2011-01-01

The Standard JPL thermal engineering practice prescribes worst-case methodologies for design. In this process, environmental and key uncertain thermal parameters (e.g., thermal blanket performance, interface conductance, optical properties) are stacked in a worst case fashion to yield the most hot- or cold-biased temperature. Thus, these simulations would represent the upper and lower bounds. This, effectively, represents JPL thermal design margin philosophy. Uncertainty in the margins and the absolute temperatures is usually estimated by sensitivity analyses and/or by comparing the worst-case results with "expected" results. Applicability of the analytical model for specific design purposes along with any temperature requirement violations are documented in peer and project design review material. In 2008, NASA released NASA-STD-7009, Standard for Models and Simulations. The scope of this standard covers the development and maintenance of models, the operation of simulations, the analysis of the results, training, recommended practices, the assessment of the Modeling and Simulation (M&S) credibility, and the reporting of the M&S results. The Mars Exploration Rover (MER) project thermal control system M&S activity was chosen as a case study determining whether JPL practice is in line with the standard and to identify areas of non-compliance. This paper summarizes the results and makes recommendations regarding the application of this standard to JPL thermal M&S practices.

Case Study of Online Banking in India: User Behaviors and Design Guidelines

Science.gov (United States)

Iyengar, Jhumkee; Belvalkar, Manisha

This paper documents online banking trends, behaviors and expectations of Indian consumers and banks. It is based on excerpts of a large industry case study of users from 4 leading banks. While banks view online banking essentially as a technology solution, it is a relatively new area for Indian consumers and not yet self-supporting. Being a savings based culture still, Indian consumers are cautious about their financial assets. They are also relatively recent entrants to internet based services. Design of these systems must therefore be based on an understanding of these users' outlook and priorities through task centric, security assured and service oriented solutions minus the technological challenges. Design lessons suggest viewing online banking not just as a convenience alone anymore but beyond it, to provide service, simplicity and security. This will create satisfied online banking customers and therefore profitability for the bank.

The effect of a loss of model structural detail due to network skeletonization on contamination warning system design: case studies

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Michael J.; Janke, Robert

2018-05-01

The effect of limitations in the structural detail available in a network model on contamination warning system (CWS) design was examined in case studies using the original and skeletonized network models for two water distribution systems (WDSs). The skeletonized models were used as proxies for incomplete network models. CWS designs were developed by optimizing sensor placements for worst-case and mean-case contamination events. Designs developed using the skeletonized network models were transplanted into the original network model for evaluation. CWS performance was defined as the number of people who ingest more than some quantity of a contaminant in tap water before the CWS detects the presence of contamination. Lack of structural detail in a network model can result in CWS designs that (1) provide considerably less protection against worst-case contamination events than that obtained when a more complete network model is available and (2) yield substantial underestimates of the consequences associated with a contamination event. Nevertheless, CWSs developed using skeletonized network models can provide useful reductions in consequences for contaminants whose effects are not localized near the injection location. Mean-case designs can yield worst-case performances similar to those for worst-case designs when there is uncertainty in the network model. Improvements in network models for WDSs have the potential to yield significant improvements in CWS designs as well as more realistic evaluations of those designs. Although such improvements would be expected to yield improved CWS performance, the expected improvements in CWS performance have not been quantified previously. The results presented here should be useful to those responsible for the design or implementation of CWSs, particularly managers and engineers in water utilities, and encourage the development of improved network models.

Contradictions of Designing with Building Information Modelling - A Case Study with an Activity Theory Perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gade, Peter; Gade, Anne Nørkjær; Otrel-Cass, Kathrin

2018-01-01

Building information modelling (BIM) offers a great potential for increasing efficiency in the building industry. However, this potential remains largely unfulfilled; substantiating the need for a sound understanding of the existing practices involved in the building design process, to implement...... BIM efficiently. The aim of this article is to discuss the unfolding activity of a building design process and the role of BIM as a mediating tool. A case study was carried out to investigate contradictions related to the use of BIM in an inter-organizational design process of a naval rescue station...... in Denmark. Aspects of the design activity and the development of practices during the project were explored through the lens of Activity Theory. We were able to examine how BIM-mediated the production of the building design, how BIM use evolved. The article presents and discusses four main contradictions...

Making the case for evidence-based design in healthcare: a descriptive case study of organizational decision making.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoemaker, Lorie K; Kazley, Abby Swanson; White, Andrea

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to describe the organizational decision-making process used in the selection of evidence-based design (EBD) concepts, the criteria used to make these decisions, and the extent to which leadership style may have influenced the decision-making process. Five research questions were formulated to frame the direction of this study, including: (1) How did healthcare leaders learn of innovations in design? (2) How did healthcare leaders make decisions in the selection of healthcare design concepts? (3) What criteria did healthcare leaders use in the decision-making process? (4) How did healthcare leaders consider input from the staff in design decisions? and (5) To what extent did the leadership style of administrators affect the outcomes of the decision-making process? Current issues affecting healthcare in the community led the principal investigator's organization to undertake an ambitious facilities expansion project. As part of its planning process, the organization learned of EBD principles that seemingly had a positive impact on patient care and safety and staff working conditions. Although promising, a paucity of empirical research addressed the cost/benefit of incorporating many EBD concepts into one hospital setting, and there was no research that articulated the organizational decision-making process used by healthcare administrators when considering the use of EBD in expansion projects. A mixed-method, descriptive, qualitative, single-case study and quantitative design were used to address the five research questions. The Systems Research Organizing Model provided the theoretical framework. A variety of data collection methods was used, including interviews of key respondents, the review of documentary evidence, and the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire. A participatory process was used throughout the design decision phases, involving staff at all levels of the organization. The Internet and architects facilitated learning about

Spatio-temporal distribution of mites (Acari: Oribtida Michael, 1883 and Reuter Gamasida) in different bioclimatic stages of northern Algeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ghezaki, D; Soumya, F.

2012-01-01

The study conducted in different bioclimatic areas, has revealed that mites particularly Oribatida present a staggering distribution inspace and time in correlation with the improvement of the ecological conditions.The arid and semi-arid areas constitute a less favorable environment in contrast tothe humid and sub humid zones which are characterised by a more favorable variety of vegetation and climatic conditions. These conditions constitute a favorable environment for the development of mites especially Oribati. There are 6 species in arid zones, 11 species in semi-arid zones and 30 in wetlands and sub-humid areas. This hierarchical classification of mites stands is in good agreement with the environmental conditions which prevail in this region. However, it can be noted that the behavior of mites species manifests itself differently. Certain species show tolerance to these variations and their distribution area is important and very large. On the contrary, the majority of species whose distribution area is limited are very demanding vis-a-vis these conditions. Their presence requires some moisture in the environment and an adequate nutritional support (litter). It constitutes an important biological indicator since it helps in understanding the natural or anthropogenic changes that can alter the environment. (author)

Systems metabolic engineering design: fatty acid production as an emerging case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tee, Ting Wei; Chowdhury, Anupam; Maranas, Costas D; Shanks, Jacqueline V

2014-05-01

Increasing demand for petroleum has stimulated industry to develop sustainable production of chemicals and biofuels using microbial cell factories. Fatty acids of chain lengths from C6 to C16 are propitious intermediates for the catalytic synthesis of industrial chemicals and diesel-like biofuels. The abundance of genetic information available for Escherichia coli and specifically, fatty acid metabolism in E. coli, supports this bacterium as a promising host for engineering a biocatalyst for the microbial production of fatty acids. Recent successes rooted in different features of systems metabolic engineering in the strain design of high-yielding medium chain fatty acid producing E. coli strains provide an emerging case study of design methods for effective strain design. Classical metabolic engineering and synthetic biology approaches enabled different and distinct design paths towards a high-yielding strain. Here we highlight a rational strain design process in systems biology, an integrated computational and experimental approach for carboxylic acid production, as an alternative method. Additional challenges inherent in achieving an optimal strain for commercialization of medium chain-length fatty acids will likely require a collection of strategies from systems metabolic engineering. Not only will the continued advancement in systems metabolic engineering result in these highly productive strains more quickly, this knowledge will extend more rapidly the carboxylic acid platform to the microbial production of carboxylic acids with alternate chain-lengths and functionalities. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Design of safety-critical systems using the complementarities of success and failure domains with a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, Rizwan; Koo, June Mo; Jeong, Yong Hoon; Heo, Gyunyoung

2011-01-01

A safety-critical system has to qualify the performance-related requirements and the safety-related requirements simultaneously. Conceptually, design processes should consider both of them simultaneously but the practices do not and/or cannot follow such a theoretical approach due to the limitation of design resources. From our experience, we found that safety-related functions must be simultaneously resolved with the development of performance-related functions, particularly, in case of safety-critical systems. Since, success and failure domain analyses are essential for the investigation of performance-related and safety-related requirements, respectively, we articulated our perception to Axiomatic Design (AD), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and TRIZ. A design evolution procedure considering feedbacks from AD to identify functional couplings, TRIZ methodology to explore uncoupling solutions and FTA to improve reliability in a systematic way is presented here. A case study regarding design of safety injection tank installed in a nuclear power plant is also included to illustrate the proposed framework. It is expected that several iterations between AD-TRIZ-FTA would result into an optimized design which could be tested against the desired performance and safety criteria.

Design of safety-critical systems using the complementarities of success and failure domains with a case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmed, Rizwan; Koo, June Mo [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-701 (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Yong Hoon [Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, 373-1 Guseong-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-701 (Korea, Republic of); Heo, Gyunyoung, E-mail: gheo@khu.ac.k [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Kyung Hee University, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do 446-701 (Korea, Republic of)

2011-01-15

A safety-critical system has to qualify the performance-related requirements and the safety-related requirements simultaneously. Conceptually, design processes should consider both of them simultaneously but the practices do not and/or cannot follow such a theoretical approach due to the limitation of design resources. From our experience, we found that safety-related functions must be simultaneously resolved with the development of performance-related functions, particularly, in case of safety-critical systems. Since, success and failure domain analyses are essential for the investigation of performance-related and safety-related requirements, respectively, we articulated our perception to Axiomatic Design (AD), Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), and TRIZ. A design evolution procedure considering feedbacks from AD to identify functional couplings, TRIZ methodology to explore uncoupling solutions and FTA to improve reliability in a systematic way is presented here. A case study regarding design of safety injection tank installed in a nuclear power plant is also included to illustrate the proposed framework. It is expected that several iterations between AD-TRIZ-FTA would result into an optimized design which could be tested against the desired performance and safety criteria.

Paired split-plot designs of multireader multicase studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Weijie; Gong, Qi; Gallas, Brandon D

2018-07-01

The widely used multireader multicase ROC study design for comparing imaging modalities is the fully crossed (FC) design: every reader reads every case of both modalities. We investigate paired split-plot (PSP) designs that may allow for reduced cost and increased flexibility compared with the FC design. In the PSP design, case images from two modalities are read by the same readers, thereby the readings are paired across modalities. However, within each modality, not every reader reads every case. Instead, both the readers and the cases are partitioned into a fixed number of groups and each group of readers reads its own group of cases-a split-plot design. Using a [Formula: see text]-statistic based variance analysis for AUC (i.e., area under the ROC curve), we show analytically that precision can be gained by the PSP design as compared with the FC design with the same number of readers and readings. Equivalently, we show that the PSP design can achieve the same statistical power as the FC design with a reduced number of readings. The trade-off for the increased precision in the PSP design is the cost of collecting a larger number of truth-verified patient cases than the FC design. This means that one can trade-off between different sources of cost and choose a least burdensome design. We provide a validation study to show the iMRMC software can be reliably used for analyzing data from both FC and PSP designs. Finally, we demonstrate the advantages of the PSP design with a reader study comparing full-field digital mammography with screen-film mammography.

Enhancing the hermeneutic single-case efficacy design: Bridging the research-practice gap.

Science.gov (United States)

Wall, Jessie M; Kwee, Janelle L; Hu, Monica; McDonald, Marvin J

2017-09-01

Systematic case study designs are emerging as alternative paradigm strategies for psychotherapy and social science research. Through enhanced sensitivity to context, these designs examine idiographic profiles of causal processes. We specifically advocate the use of the hermeneutic single-case efficacy design (HSCED). HSCED has recently been used to investigate the efficacy of an existing therapy with a new population (Observed and Experiential Integration for athlete performance barriers) and an emerging therapy (Lifespan Integration Therapy). We describe innovations in HSCED that were implemented for these studies. These developments include (a) integrating psychotherapists as case developers, (b) incorporating multiple cases in one investigation, and (c) tailoring the repertoire of assessment tools. These extensions strategically incorporated principles of contextual paradigms in HSCED, thus complementing single-case designs that neglect idiographic contexts. We discuss recommendations for using HSCED in practice-based research, highlighting its potential as a bridge to address the research-practice gap.

Regionalization and classification of bioclimatic zones in the central-northeastern region of Mexico using principal component analysis (PCA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pineda-Martinez, L.F.; Carbajal, N.; Medina-Roldan, E. [Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica, A. C., San Luis Potosi (Mexico)]. E-mail: lpineda@ipicyt.edu.mx

2007-04-15

Applying principal component analysis (PCA), we determined climate zones in a topographic gradient in the central-northeastern part of Mexico. We employed nearly 30 years of monthly temperature and precipitation data at 173 meteorological stations. The climate classification was carried out applying the Koeppen system modified for the conditions of Mexico. PCA indicates a regionalization in agreement with topographic characteristics and vegetation. We describe the different bioclimatic zones, associated with typical vegetation, for each climate using geographical information systems (GIS). [Spanish] Utilizando un analisis de componentes principales, determinamos zonas climaticas en un gradiente topografico en la zona centro-noreste de Mexico. Se emplearon datos de precipitacion y temperatura medias mensuales por un periodo de 30 anos de 173 estaciones meteorologicas. La clasificacion del clima fue llevada a cabo de acuerdo con el sistema de Koeppen modificado para las condiciones de Mexico. El analisis de componentes principales indico una regionalizacion que concuerda con caracteristicas de topografia y vegetacion. Se describen zonas bioclimaticas, asociadas a vegetacion tipica para cada clima, usando sistemas de informacion geografica (SIG).

Bridging the Gap: A Design-based Case Study of a Mathematics Skills Intervention Program

OpenAIRE

Safaralian, Leila

2017-01-01

Abstract of the DissertationBridge the Gap: A Design-based Case Study of a Mathematics Skills Intervention ProgrambyLeila SafaralianDoctor of Education in Educational LeadershipUniversity of California, San Diego, 2017California State University, San Marcos, 2017Kenneth P. Gonzalez, ChairMany students aspire to continue their educational journey, but far too many enter college without the basic content knowledge, skills, or habits of mind needed to succeed. Research on college readiness indic...

Producer responsibility, waste minimisation and the WEEE Directive: case studies in eco-design from the European lighting sector.

Science.gov (United States)

Gottberg, Annika; Morris, Joe; Pollard, Simon; Mark-Herbert, Cecilia; Cook, Matthew

2006-04-15

The EU Directive on Waste Electrical and Electrical Equipment (WEEE) (2002/96/EC), to be implemented in stages from August 2004, attempts to tackle the growing quantity WEEE by making producers responsible for the costs of the collection and recycling of their products at the end of usable life. This is considered to give producers a financial incentive to reduce waste at source through eco-design. This link is, however, under-researched and little is known generally about the effectiveness of extended producer responsibility (EPR) and policies to promote it. This paper presents the findings of an exploratory study to address these important gaps in knowledge. Literature review was used to develop an analytical framework to explain the relationships between the drivers for eco-design and the role of policies to promote EPR. This was applied to eight case studies of firms from the European lighting sector. While quantitative data to confirm the link between EPR and eco-design were difficult to obtain, the case studies showed that EPR has had little effect on product development so far. Within the sector studied, most producers have been able to pass on incremental costs associated with EPR to customers with negligible effects on sales. This reflects perceptions in the lighting sector that, because demand for products is relatively price inelastic and the regulation affects all producers equally, EPR is unlikely to drive eco-design at least in the short run. The cases also showed that choice between individual and centrally provided waste recovery schemes rested on perceptions of relative costs and practicability. It was evident that other drivers, such as bans on hazardous substances, product declarations and supply chain pressures, were often more effective promoters of eco-design. Thus it seems a mix of policy measures is required rather than reliance on economic instruments alone.

Introducing a design exigency to promote student learning through assessment: A case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Grealish, Laurie A; Shaw, Julie M

2018-02-01

Assessment technologies are often used to classify student and newly qualified nurse performance as 'pass' or 'fail', with little attention to how these decisions are achieved. Examining the design exigencies of classification technologies, such as performance assessment technologies, provides opportunities to explore flexibility and change in the process of using those technologies. Evaluate an established assessment technology for nursing performance as a classification system. A case study analysis that is focused on the assessment approach and a priori design exigencies of performance assessment technology, in this case the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016. Nurse assessors are required to draw upon their expertise to judge performance, but that judgement is described as a source of bias, creating confusion. The definition of satisfactory performance is 'ready to enter practice'. To pass, the performance on each criterion must be at least satisfactory, indicating to the student that no further improvement is required. The Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016 does not have a third 'other' category, which is usually found in classification systems. Introducing a 'not yet competent' category and creating a two-part, mixed methods assessment process can improve the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016 assessment technology. Using a standards approach in the first part, judgement is valued and can generate learning opportunities across a program. Using a measurement approach in the second part, student performance can be 'not yet competent' but still meet criteria for year level performance and a graded pass. Subjecting the Australian Nursing Standards Assessment Tool 2016 assessment technology to analysis as a classification system provides opportunities for innovation in design. This design innovation has the potential to support students who move between programs and clinicians who assess students from different

Building a Case-Based Design Assistant for Workplace Environment Design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mallory-Hill, S.M.; Timmermans, H.J.P.

1998-01-01

This paper reports on the early stages of development of a case-based design tool. The purpose of this tool, called the Workplace Environment Design Advisor (WEDA), is to support architects in the conceptual design of workplace environments. The objective of this system is to provide electronic

Design of the real time systems using temporal logic specifications: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Ursu

1996-07-01

Full Text Available An implementation method for real time systems is proposed in this article. The implementation starts with the design of the functional specifications of the systems behaviour. The functional specifications are introduced as a set of rules describing the partial time ordering of the actions performed by the system. These rules are then written in terms of temporal logic formulae. The temporal logic formulae are checked using Z.Manna-P.Wolper satisfiability analysis procedure [1]. It is known that this procedure generates a state-graph which can be regarded as a state- based automaton of the system. The sate-based automaton is used then to generate the dual (inverted automaton of the system. The dual automaton is called action-based automaton and can be created using the procedure proposed by authors in [4,5]. Using the action-based automaton of the system the design method introduced in [5,6] is applied to implement the system driver in a systematic manner which can be computerised. The method proposed in this paper is an efficient complementation and generalisation of the results [4,5,6] mentioned above. The method is used for a case study. An elevator control system is designed using the proposed method. The design is carried out in a systematic manner which includes: a design of functional specifications, b design of temporal logic specifications, c satisfiability analysis of temporal logic specifications, d design of the state-based automaton of the specifications, e design of the action-based automaton of the system, f design of the transition activation conditions, g design of the action activation conditions, h design of the functional model of the elevator control system, i implementation of the elevator's actions, j design of the elevator control system driver.

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Relevance Strategic Designs: 4. Boston Arts Academy

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Relevance Strategic Designs: 6. Perspectives Charter School

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Relevance Strategic Designs: 7. TechBoston Academy

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Methodology Series Module 2: Case-control Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Setia, Maninder Singh

2016-01-01

Case-Control study design is a type of observational study. In this design, participants are selected for the study based on their outcome status. Thus, some participants have the outcome of interest (referred to as cases), whereas others do not have the outcome of interest (referred to as controls). The investigator then assesses the exposure in both these groups. The investigator should define the cases as specifically as possible. Sometimes, definition of a disease may be based on multiple criteria; thus, all these points should be explicitly stated in case definition. An important aspect of selecting a control is that they should be from the same 'study base' as that of the cases. We can select controls from a variety of groups. Some of them are: General population; relatives or friends; and hospital patients. Matching is often used in case-control control studies to ensure that the cases and controls are similar in certain characteristics, and it is a useful technique to increase the efficiency of the study. Case-Control studies can usually be conducted relatively faster and are inexpensive - particularly when compared with cohort studies (prospective). It is useful to study rare outcomes and outcomes with long latent periods. This design is not very useful to study rare exposures. Furthermore, they may also be prone to certain biases - selection bias and recall bias.

SWOT analysis of program design and implementation: a case study on the reduction of maternal mortality in Afghanistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmadi, Qudratullah; Danesh, Homayoon; Makharashvili, Vasil; Mishkin, Kathryn; Mupfukura, Lovemore; Teed, Hillary; Huff-Rousselle, Maggie

2016-07-01

This case study analyzes the design and implementation of the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) in Afghanistan by synthesizing the literature with a focus on maternal health services. The authors are a group of graduate students in the Brandeis University International Health Policy and Management Program and Sustainable International Development Program who used the experience in Afghanistan to analyze an example of successfully implementing policy; two of the authors are Afghan physicians with direct experience in implementing the BPHS. Data is drawn from a literature review, and a unique aspect of the case study is the application of the business-oriented SWOT analysis to the design and implementation of the program that successfully targeted lowering maternal mortality in Afghanistan. It provides a useful example of how SWOT analysis can be used to consider the reasons for, or likelihood of, successful or unsuccessful design and implementation of a policy or program. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Single-case research design in pediatric psychology: considerations regarding data analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Lindsey L; Feinstein, Amanda; Masuda, Akihiko; Vowles, Kevin E

2014-03-01

Single-case research allows for an examination of behavior and can demonstrate the functional relation between intervention and outcome in pediatric psychology. This review highlights key assumptions, methodological and design considerations, and options for data analysis. Single-case methodology and guidelines are reviewed with an in-depth focus on visual and statistical analyses. Guidelines allow for the careful evaluation of design quality and visual analysis. A number of statistical techniques have been introduced to supplement visual analysis, but to date, there is no consensus on their recommended use in single-case research design. Single-case methodology is invaluable for advancing pediatric psychology science and practice, and guidelines have been introduced to enhance the consistency, validity, and reliability of these studies. Experts generally agree that visual inspection is the optimal method of analysis in single-case design; however, statistical approaches are becoming increasingly evaluated and used to augment data interpretation.

Collective design in 3D printing: A large scale empirical study of designs, designers and evolution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Özkil, Ali Gürcan

2017-01-01

This paper provides an empirical study of a collective design platform (Thingiverse); with the aim of understanding the phenomenon and investigating how designs concurrently evolve through the large and complex network of designers. The case study is based on the meta-data collected from 158 489 ...

Instruction in Divergent Thinking for Conceptual Design: A Case Study Based on a Corkscrew

OpenAIRE

Ying-Chieh Liu; Chin-Yu Kao; Amaresh Chakrabarti

2015-01-01

Abstraction is a powerful tool for designers in the conceptual design stage. Such abstractions take various forms, and little is known as to how a particular method of abstraction would support designers in specific design cases. A method is proposed which includes a deliberate step for divergent thinking. The method presents learners with an abstract representation of an existing artifact, and encourages them to explore potential concepts that are different in style but are based on the same...

Final report on case studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ljungberg, Daniel; McKelvey, Maureen; Lassen, Astrid Heidemann

2012-01-01

Case study as a research design means investigating a single or multiple instance(s) or setting(s) (i.e. a case) and its entire context to explain a phenomenon and its processes. This is achieved through detailed understanding, usually comprised of multiple sources of information. In this way, case...... studies attempt to provide as a complete an understanding of a (complex) phenomenon as possible. Within the AEGIS project, survey and case study research are complementary. They are complementary in the sense that the former can provide more generalizable evidence on a phenomenon in terms of cross......-sectional data, while the latter can provide more in-depth (qualitative) understanding on specific issues. In systematically examining the case studies, however, this report goes beyond a typical single case study. Here we provide a synthesis of 86 case studies. Multiple case studies, following similar focus...

Agile Data Curation Case Studies Leading to the Identification and Development of Data Curation Design Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Benedict, K. K.; Lenhardt, W. C.; Young, J. W.; Gordon, L. C.; Hughes, S.; Santhana Vannan, S. K.

2017-12-01

The planning for and development of efficient workflows for the creation, reuse, sharing, documentation, publication and preservation of research data is a general challenge that research teams of all sizes face. In response to: requirements from funding agencies for full-lifecycle data management plans that will result in well documented, preserved, and shared research data products increasing requirements from publishers for shared data in conjunction with submitted papers interdisciplinary research team's needs for efficient data sharing within projects, and increasing reuse of research data for replication and new, unanticipated research, policy development, and public use alternative strategies to traditional data life cycle approaches must be developed and shared that enable research teams to meet these requirements while meeting the core science objectives of their projects within the available resources. In support of achieving these goals, the concept of Agile Data Curation has been developed in which there have been parallel activities in support of 1) identifying a set of shared values and principles that underlie the objectives of agile data curation, 2) soliciting case studies from the Earth science and other research communities that illustrate aspects of what the contributors consider agile data curation methods and practices, and 3) identifying or developing design patterns that are high-level abstractions from successful data curation practice that are related to common data curation problems for which common solution strategies may be employed. This paper provides a collection of case studies that have been contributed by the Earth science community, and an initial analysis of those case studies to map them to emerging shared data curation problems and their potential solutions. Following the initial analysis of these problems and potential solutions, existing design patterns from software engineering and related disciplines are identified as a

A Case Study in Classroom Management and School Involvement: Designing an Art Room for Effective Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Broome, Jeffrey L.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this research project is to investigate the design of classroom environments through the lens of a uniquely selected art educator. More specifically, the purpose is to use case study methodology (Stake, 1995) to characterize the resulting instructional experiences for an art educator who had the unique opportunity to collaborate…

Free Material Design with Multiple Load Cases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Pauli; Pedersen, Niels Leergaard

2012-01-01

Multiple load cases and the consideration of strength is a reality that most structural designs are exposed to. Improved possibility to produce specific materials, say by fiber lay-up, put focus on research on free material optimization. A formulation for such design problems together with a prac......Multiple load cases and the consideration of strength is a reality that most structural designs are exposed to. Improved possibility to produce specific materials, say by fiber lay-up, put focus on research on free material optimization. A formulation for such design problems together...... with a practical recursive design procedure is presented and illustrated with examples. The presented finite element analysis involve many elements as well as many load cases. Separating the local amount of material from a description with unit trace for the local anisotropy, gives the free materials formulation...... a more physical interpretation of the material constraint....

Interactive design computation : A case study on quantum design paradigm

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Feng, H.

2013-01-01

The ever-increasing complexity of design processes fosters novel design computation models to be employed in architectural research and design in order to facilitate accurate data processing and refined decision making. These computation models have enabled designers to work with complex geometry

A case study in value design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Sinclair

2003-12-01

Full Text Available The design of a special type of valve gave rise to a problem which lead the mechanical engineers who designed the valve to call in the help of the author. The final solution to the problem may not be mathematically sophisticated (in fact, it may seem trivial to some readers, but the steps through which the design team struggled and the final approach which resulted in a practically feasible solution may be of interest to other practitioners.

Italian bioclimatic architecture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

D' Errico, E

1987-04-01

This paper deals with the results of solar space heating research developed within the Finalized Energy Project of the National Research Council of Italy. Energy and cost/benefit parameters were compared for a certain number of Italian buildings incorporating solar architecture. The technical and economic analysis was performed on 31 buildings, of which 24 are residential, and 7 are schools, with different solar devices (direct gain, Trombe walls, sunspaces, hybrid systems). The buildings were constructed between 1976 and 1982. The results emphasize that simple technologies with lower costs and good design usually have a higher performance/cost ratio.

Teaching Case: MiHotel--Applicant Processing System Design Case

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Robert E.; Dunn, Paul

2018-01-01

This teaching case describes the functionality of an applicant processing system designed for a fictitious hotel chain. The system detailed in the case includes a webform where applicants complete and submit job applications. The system also includes a desktop application used by hotel managers and Human Resources to track applications and process…

Energy efficiency in social housing: Opportunities and barriers from a case study in Brazil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bodach, Susanne; Hamhaber, J.

2010-01-01

This paper investigates the energy efficiency in a segment of the building sector in emerging countries by analyzing and evaluating the energy efficiency of a social housing project in Brazil. Energy efficiency measures and bioclimatic design strategies are developed in order to improve thermal comfort in this social housing project and to reduce the energy consumption and expenses of their residents. The institutional barriers and constraints toward higher efficiency are described. The results of this study show that there is a high potential to increase energy efficiency in social housing in emerging countries like Brazil. The implementation and consideration of the energy efficiency measures and policy recommendations would contribute substantially to the goal to dampen the fast growth of energy demand in these countries. Moreover the improvement of energy efficiency in the social housing sector could be a driver for market transformation towards more sustainability in the whole building sector. - Research highlights: →There is a high potential to increase energy efficiency in social housing in Brazil. →Energy-efficient social housing would contribute substantially to dampen the fast growth of energy consumption in emerging countries like Brazil. →Implementation of energy efficiency would improve the income situation of the poorest strata of the population.

Analysis of functionality free CASE-tools databases design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. V. Gavrilov

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The introduction in the educational process of database design CASEtechnologies requires the institution of significant costs for the purchase of software. A possible solution could be the use of free software peers. At the same time this kind of substitution should be based on even-com representation of the functional characteristics and features of operation of these programs. The purpose of the article – a review of the free and non-profi t CASE-tools database design, as well as their classifi cation on the basis of the analysis functionality. When writing this article were used materials from the offi cial websites of the tool developers. Evaluation of the functional characteristics of CASEtools for database design made exclusively empirically with the direct work with software products. Analysis functionality of tools allow you to distinguish the two categories CASE-tools database design. The first category includes systems with a basic set of features and tools. The most important basic functions of these systems are: management connections to database servers, visual tools to create and modify database objects (tables, views, triggers, procedures, the ability to enter and edit data in table mode, user and privilege management tools, editor SQL-code, means export/import data. CASE-system related to the first category can be used to design and develop simple databases, data management, as well as a means of administration server database. A distinctive feature of the second category of CASE-tools for database design (full-featured systems is the presence of visual designer, allowing to carry out the construction of the database model and automatic creation of the database on the server based on this model. CASE-system related to this categories can be used for the design and development of databases of any structural complexity, as well as a database server administration tool. The article concluded that the

Sizing rules for the pressure design of pump casings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aflalo, C.; Barbarulo, R.; Courcot, M.; Marolles, M. de; Douarin, M.; Grandemange, J.M.; Martin, R.

1987-01-01

The paper presents the theoretical and experimental studies undertaken by AFCEN (French Society for Design and Construction Rules for nuclear island components) and SCP (French Union of Pump Manufacturers) in order to develop sizing rules for the pressure design of radially split pump casings. Shape factors used in simplified design formulas have been developed for different configurations using results of finite element analyses and experimental extensometric analyses. (orig.)

BioFleet case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

These six case studies examined the use of different biodiesel blends as fuel supply sources for businesses in British Columbia (BC). In the first case study, 6 municipalities participated in a pilot program designed to compare the performance of biodiesel and diesel fuels. Each municipality operated 2 base vehicles running on conventional diesel along with 2 similar vehicles which used biodiesel. Real time emissions tests and analyses of the vehicles using biodiesel were also conducted by 2 of the participating municipalities. All municipalities participating in the study agreed to purchase significant volumes of biodiesel. The second case study described a pilot study conducted by the City of Vancouver's equipment services branch in 2004. As a result of the study, the city now has over 530 types of equipment that use biodiesel. The third case study described a program designed by TSI Terminals in Vancouver to assess the emission reduction impact of using biodiesel at its port facility. Six different pieces of equipment were used to confirm that biodiesel could be used throughout the terminal. Test results confirmed that biodiesel blends could be used to reduce emissions. Overall emissions were reduced by 30 per cent. The fourth case study described a waste renderer that used a fleet of 36 trucks to deliver raw products to its plants. The company made the decision to use only biodiesel for its entire fleet of trucks. Since July 2005, the company has logged over 1.7 million km using biodiesel blends. The fifth case study described a salmon hatchery that switched from diesel to biodiesel in order to reduce emissions. The biodiesel blends are used to fuel the hatchery's 2 diesel generators. The hatchery has reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by an estimated 1800 tonnes annually. The sixth case study described how the Township of Langley has started using biodiesel for its entire fleet of of approximately 250 pieces of equipment. The township has not

Case-based reasoning support for engineering design

Science.gov (United States)

Lees, Brian; Hamza, Meer; Irgens, Chris

2000-10-01

The potential application of case-based reasoning (CBR) in design support is illustrated through examples drawn from research at the University of Paisley, demonstrating the suitability of CBR for different aspects of design, different problem areas, and different design goals. A quality advisory system has been developed for the early stages of mechanical engineering design, the aim of which is to provide quality advice in a variant design situation. In the domain of software engineering CBR has been applied to advise on which metrics are appropriate fora assessing the quality of the software currently under design. The system integrates CBR with concepts from quality function deployment (QFD) and incorporates a case library holding past software quality histories. CBR has been applied in support of conceptual design: to capture detailed design histories by monitoring designer actions, and thereby support design reuse through the evaluation of designs, through the provision of query, browsing and replay facilities. The resulting system is aimed to support the design of safety critical systems, by assisting in the construction of safety arguments, and cooperative design.

A tool for early workstation design for small and medium enterprises evaluated in five cases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hallbeck, M.S.; Bosch, T.; Rhijn, J.W.van; Krause, F.; Looze, M.P.de; Vink, P.

2010-01-01

Five case studies on production line design were described to study the effect of an early design support tool. Based on these case studies, the simple, interactive, real-time, medium-fidelity, mixed-reality methodology was not only found to be a good early design stage evaluative tool for

Techniques for Conducting Effective Concept Design and Design-to-Cost Trade Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Di Pietro, David A.

2015-01-01

Concept design plays a central role in project success as its product effectively locks the majority of system life cycle cost. Such extraordinary leverage presents a business case for conducting concept design in a credible fashion, particularly for first-of-a-kind systems that advance the state of the art and that have high design uncertainty. A key challenge, however, is to know when credible design convergence has been achieved in such systems. Using a space system example, this paper characterizes the level of convergence needed for concept design in the context of technical and programmatic resource margins available in preliminary design and highlights the importance of design and cost evaluation learning curves in determining credible convergence. It also provides techniques for selecting trade study cases that promote objective concept evaluation, help reveal unknowns, and expedite convergence within the trade space and conveys general practices for conducting effective concept design-to-cost studies.

Performable Case Studies in Ethics Education.

Science.gov (United States)

Robeson, Richard; King, Nancy M P

2017-09-12

Bioethics education often includes the study of short stories, novels, plays, and films, because such materials present case examples that can highlight relevant issues and questions especially vividly for a wide range of students. In addition, creative writing is widely used in the education of health professional students and in continuing education settings for health professionals. There are very few academic or professional disciplines that do not use case studies, but the case study in dialogic form has not been standard practice for thousands of years. Dramatic arts casuistry-the creation and performance of short case studies designed specifically to raise bioethics issues for discussion-represents an application of literature and the medical humanities that is both unique and uniquely valuable. This essay describes the development and history of a course that has been successfully taught to medical students and graduate bioethics students, in which the class researches, writes, and performs a case study designed to elicit reflection and discussion about a topic and set of bioethics issues of current interest to both academic and general audiences. The model is also suited to the presentation and discussion of existing case studies, both live and via on-demand audio.

Design of an Embedded Multi-Camera Vision System—A Case Study in Mobile Robotics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valter Costa

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this work is to explore the design principles for a Real-Time Robotic Multi Camera Vision System, in a case study involving a real world competition of autonomous driving. Design practices from vision and real-time research areas are applied into a Real-Time Robotic Vision application, thus exemplifying good algorithm design practices, the advantages of employing the “zero copy one pass” methodology and associated trade-offs leading to the selection of a controller platform. The vision tasks under study are: (i recognition of a “flat” signal; and (ii track following, requiring 3D reconstruction. This research firstly improves the used algorithms for the mentioned tasks and finally selects the controller hardware. Optimization for the shown algorithms yielded from 1.5 times to 190 times improvements, always with acceptable quality for the target application, with algorithm optimization being more important on lower computing power platforms. Results also include a 3-cm and five-degree accuracy for lane tracking and 100% accuracy for signalling panel recognition, which are better than most results found in the literature for this application. Clear results comparing different PC platforms for the mentioned Robotic Vision tasks are also shown, demonstrating trade-offs between accuracy and computing power, leading to the proper choice of control platform. The presented design principles are portable to other applications, where Real-Time constraints exist.

Contemporary large-scale international design competitions1 in China. A case study of Baietan, Guangzhou

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Liang

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The importance of contemporary design competitions has been increasingly recognized in fast-growing China in the course of World Trade Organization (WTO integration and globalization. However, scientific and systematic analysis is rare on how international design competitions are introduced, and how they interact and transplant in the Chinese context. The well-known Chinese-Western culture gap and complicated social and political background make this topic more challenging. Herein, the authors focus on how the international design competitions were “translated” into both international and local perspectives with a compara­tive analysis on development of international design competitions between the Chinese and the Finnish model. To fully exemplify the design-completion procedure and the different roles of Chinese stakeholders and their perspectives on design competitions, the authors study the Baietan case, which was chosen due to its specific relationship with the city’s strategic plan, its representativeness in using international design competitions in connection to large-scale urban projects in China and its public access to the relevant documentation. The preliminary findings suggest that Chinese-style design competitions, acting as ‘designed trading zones’, with less-defined competition rules compared to the Finnish model, may foster the settings of local transformation in adopting international urban planning and design knowledge. However, an integrated approach is required to address subsequent implementation.

The urban microclimate in open space. Case studies in Madrid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irina Tumini

2014-04-01

microclimate and energy efficiency have mainly concentrated on guiding the design of new constructions. However the main problems of unsustainability of existing conurbations are the result of the growth model highly speculative and responsible of resources depletion that have characterized the real estate boom of recent decades. In Spain and other European countries, become define the need to redirect the construction sector towards urban refurbishment. This alternative is a more sustainable development model and is able to provide a solution for the real estate sector. The thermal sensation affects the environment perception, so microclimate conditions can be decisive for the success or failure of urban space. For this reasons, the main objective of this work is focused on the definition of bioclimatic strategies for existing urban spaces, based on the morpho-typological components, climate and comfort requirements for citizens. As novelty element, the regeneration of neighborhoods built in middle of the twentieth century has been studied, because are the major extended in periphery of modern cities and, in many cases, they represent deprived areas. The research methodology is based on the evaluation of climatic conditions and thermal comfort of different project scenarios, applied to three case studies located in a suburban neighborhood of Madrid. The climatic parameters have been obtained by computer simulation process, based on fluid dynamics, thermodynamics and radioactive exchange in urban environment using numerical approach. The great advantage in the use of computing systems is the capacity for evaluate different project scenarios. The results in the different scenarios were compared with the comfort value obtained in the current state, using the UTCI index as indicator of thermal sensation. Finally, an abacus of the thermal comfort improvement obtained by different countermeasures has been performed. One of the major achievement of doctoral work is the demonstration

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Relevance Strategic Designs: 8. High Tech High School

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Personalization Strategic Designs: 9. MetWest High School

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Research on conflict resolution of collaborative design with fuzzy case-based reasoning method

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

HOU Jun-ming; SU Chong; LIANG Shuang; WANG Wan-shan

2009-01-01

Collaborative design is a new style for modern mechanical design to meet the requirement of increasing competition. Designers of different places complete the same work, but the conflict appears in the process of design which may interface the design. Case-based reasoning (CBR) method is applied to the problem of conflict resolution, which is in the artificial intelligence field. However, due to the uncertainties in knowledge representation, attribute description, and similarity measures of CBR, it is very difficult to find the similar cases from case database. A fuzzy CBR method was proposed to solve the problem of conflict resolution in collaborative design. The process of fuzzy CBR was introduced. Based on the feature attributes and their relative weights determined by a fuzzy technique, a fuzzy CBR retrieving mechanism was developed to retrieve conflict resolution cases that tend to enhance the functions of the database. By indexing, calculating the weight and defuzzicating of the cases, the case similarity can be obtained. Then the case consistency was measured to keep the right result. Finally, the fuzzy CBR method for conflict resolution was demonstrated by means of a case study. The prototype system based on web is developed to illustrate the methodology.

Visual memory effects on intraoperator study design: determining a minimum time gap between case reviews to reduce recall bias.

Science.gov (United States)

Campbell, W Scott; Talmon, Geoffrey A; Foster, Kirk W; Baker, John J; Smith, Lynette M; Hinrichs, Steven H

2015-03-01

The objective of this research was to determine test intervals between intraoperator case reviews to minimize the impact of recall. Three pathologists were presented with a group of 120 slides and subsequently challenged with a study set of 120 slides after 2-week and 4-week intervals. The challenge set consisted of 60 slides seen during the initial review and 60 slides previously unseen within the study. Pathologists rendered a diagnosis for each slide and indicated whether they recalled seeing the slide previously (yes/no). Two weeks after having been shown 60 cases from a challenge set of 120 cases, the pathologists correctly remembered 26, 22, and 24 cases or 40% overall. After 4 weeks, the pathologists correctly recalled 31% of cases previously seen. Pathologists were capable of recalling from memory cases seen previously at 2 and 4 weeks. Recall rates may be sufficiently high to affect intraobserver study design. Copyright© by the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

Proposal for elicitation and analysis of environmental requirements into the construction design process: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camila Pegoraro

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Proposal: As new demands from sustainable development, environmental requirements arise as another challenge to design process management. It is already known that companies which design buildings are usually exposed to many managerial difficulties. Faced to the environmental demands, these companies require new facilities to align environmental requirements to the business goals and to include them properly in design process. This paper is based on a case study in a construction company, which was developed through interviews and document analysis. It is intended to present a procedure for the project environmental requirements elicitation, organization and analysis, which is based on the requirements engineering (ER concepts. As results it was concluded that the ER concepts are useful for the environmental requirements integration into the design process and that strategic planning should give directions for the effective environmental requirements adherence. Moreover, a procedure for environmental requirements modeling is proposed. Key-words: Design process, Requirements management, Environmental requirements, Construction

Case study on chemical plant accidents for flow-sheet design of the HTTR-IS system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Homma, Hiroyuki; Sato, Hiroyuki; Kasahara, Seiji; Hara, Teruo; Kato, Ryoma; Sakaba, Nariaki; Ohashi, Hirofumi

2007-02-01

At the present time, we are alarmed by depletion of fossil energy and adverse effect of rapid increase in fossil fuel burning on environment such as climate changes and acid rain, because our lives depend still heavily upon fossil energy. It is thus widely recognized that hydrogen is one of important future energy carriers in which it is used without emission of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas and atmospheric pollutants and that hydrogen demand will increase greatly as fuel cells are developed and applied widely in the near future. To meet massive demand of hydrogen, hydrogen production from water utilizing nuclear, especially by thermochemical water-splitting Iodine-Sulphur (IS) process utilizing heat from High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs), offers one of the most attractive zero-emission energy strategies and the only one practical on a substantial scale. However, to establish a technology based for the HTGR hydrogen production by the IS process, we should close several technology gaps through R and D with the High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR), which is the only Japanese HTGR built and operated at the Oarai Research and Development Centre of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). We have launched design studies of the IS process hydrogen production system coupled with the HTTR (HTTR-IS system) to demonstrate HTGR hydrogen production. In designing the HTTR-IS system, it is necessary to consider preventive and breakdown maintenance against accidents occurred in the IS process as a chemical plant. This report describes case study on chemical plant accidents relating to the IS process plant and shows a proposal of accident protection measures based on above case study, which is necessary for flow-sheet design of the HTTR-IS system. (author)

The LITERACY-Portal as the Subject of a Case Study on a Human-Centered Design Solution Supporting Users with Special Needs

Science.gov (United States)

Hagelkruys, Dominik; Motschnig, Renate

2017-01-01

Case studies help to reflect and to capture information about complex processes and domains and to make it reusable for future application in related contexts. In the case study reported in this article, we aim to capture and share processes and experience that we gained while designing a web-portal for supporting the specific user group of…

Topology optimization aided structural design: Interpretation, computational aspects and 3D printing.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazakis, Georgios; Kanellopoulos, Ioannis; Sotiropoulos, Stefanos; Lagaros, Nikos D

2017-10-01

Construction industry has a major impact on the environment that we spend most of our life. Therefore, it is important that the outcome of architectural intuition performs well and complies with the design requirements. Architects usually describe as "optimal design" their choice among a rather limited set of design alternatives, dictated by their experience and intuition. However, modern design of structures requires accounting for a great number of criteria derived from multiple disciplines, often of conflicting nature. Such criteria derived from structural engineering, eco-design, bioclimatic and acoustic performance. The resulting vast number of alternatives enhances the need for computer-aided architecture in order to increase the possibility of arriving at a more preferable solution. Therefore, the incorporation of smart, automatic tools in the design process, able to further guide designer's intuition becomes even more indispensable. The principal aim of this study is to present possibilities to integrate automatic computational techniques related to topology optimization in the phase of intuition of civil structures as part of computer aided architectural design. In this direction, different aspects of a new computer aided architectural era related to the interpretation of the optimized designs, difficulties resulted from the increased computational effort and 3D printing capabilities are covered here in.

Systems approach for condition management design: JET neutral beam system-A fusion case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khella, M., E-mail: M.Khella@lboro.ac.uk [Systems Engineering Innovation Centre (SEIC) - BAE Systems, Loughborough University, Holywell Park, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Pearson, J. [Systems Engineering Innovation Centre (SEIC) - BAE Systems, Loughborough University, Holywell Park, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Dixon, R. [Electronic and Electrical Engineering, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU (United Kingdom); Ciric, D.; Day, I.; King, R.; Milnes, J.; Stafford-Allen, R. [EURATOM/CCFE Fusion Association, Culham Science Centre, Oxfordshire OX14 3DB (United Kingdom)

2011-10-15

The maturation of any new technology can be coarsely divided into three stages of a development lifecycle: (1) fundamental research, (2) experimental rig development and testing through to (3) commercialization. With the enhancement of machines like JET, the building of ITER and the initiation of DEMO design activities, the fusion community is moving from stages 1 and 2 towards stage 3. One of the consequences of this transition will be a shift in emphasis from scientific achievement to maximizing machine reliability and availability. The fusion community should therefore be preparing itself for this shift by examining all methods and tools utilized in established engineering sectors that might help to improve these fundamental performance parameters. To this end, the Culham Centre for Fusion Energy (CCFE) has proactively engaged with UK industry to examine whether the development of condition management (CM) systems could help improve such performance parameters. This paper describes an initial CM design case study on the JET neutral beam system. The primary output of this study was the development of a CM design methodology that captures existing experience in fault detection, and classification as well as new methods for fault diagnosis. A summary of the methods used and the potential benefits of data fusion are presented here.

Theory testing using case studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dissing Sørensen, Pernille; Løkke Nielsen, Ann-Kristina

2006-01-01

on the strengths of theory-testing case studies. We specify research paths associated with theory testing in case studies and present a coherent argument for the logic of theoretical development and refinement using case studies. We emphasize different uses of rival explanations and their implications for research...... design. Finally, we discuss the epistemological logic, i.e., the value to larger research programmes, of such studies and, following Lakatos, conclude that the value of theory-testing case studies lies beyond naïve falsification and in their contribution to developing research programmes in a progressive......Case studies may have different research goals. One such goal is the testing of small-scale and middle-range theories. Theory testing refers to the critical examination, observation, and evaluation of the 'why' and 'how' of a specified phenomenon in a particular setting. In this paper, we focus...

Specifying design conservatism: Worst case versus probabilistic analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Miles, Ralph F., Jr.

1993-01-01

Design conservatism is the difference between specified and required performance, and is introduced when uncertainty is present. The classical approach of worst-case analysis for specifying design conservatism is presented, along with the modern approach of probabilistic analysis. The appropriate degree of design conservatism is a tradeoff between the required resources and the probability and consequences of a failure. A probabilistic analysis properly models this tradeoff, while a worst-case analysis reveals nothing about the probability of failure, and can significantly overstate the consequences of failure. Two aerospace examples will be presented that illustrate problems that can arise with a worst-case analysis.

Human factors guidelines and methodology in the design of a user computer interface: a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richards, R.E.; Gilmore, W.E.; Haney, L.N.

1986-01-01

In this case study, human factors personnel were requested to participate in a project team of programmers and operations specialists to design a cathode ray tube (CRT) display system for a complex process control application. This presentation describes the process and benefits obtained by incorporating human factors guidelines and methods in system design. Standard human engineering guidelines and techniques were utilized by the project team. In addition, previously published documents and research findings sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (USNRC) were used. Preliminary tasks involved a review of the draft plant procedures. Then, interviews with operators were conducted to establish the initial information for the displays. These initial requirements were evaluated against existing guidelines and criteria to determine the optimal presentation formats. Detailed steps of the approaches used, design decisions made, and tradeoffs that resulted in the final user acceptable design are discussed. 7 refs., 2 figs

Uncertainties in Early-Stage Capital Cost Estimation of Process Design – A Case Study on Biorefinery Design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheali, Peam; Gernaey, Krist V.; Sin, Gürkan

2015-01-01

Capital investment, next to the product demand, sales, and production costs, is one of the key metrics commonly used for project evaluation and feasibility assessment. Estimating the investment costs of a new product/process alternative during early-stage design is a challenging task, which is especially relevant in biorefinery research where information about new technologies and experience with new technologies is limited. A systematic methodology for uncertainty analysis of cost data is proposed that employs: (a) bootstrapping as a regression method when cost data are available; and, (b) the Monte Carlo technique as an error propagation method based on expert input when cost data are not available. Four well-known models for early-stage cost estimation are reviewed and analyzed using the methodology. The significance of uncertainties of cost data for early-stage process design is highlighted using the synthesis and design of a biorefinery as a case study. The impact of uncertainties in cost estimation on the identification of optimal processing paths is indeed found to be profound. To tackle this challenge, a comprehensive techno-economic risk analysis framework is presented to enable robust decision-making under uncertainties. One of the results using order-of-magnitude estimates shows that the production of diethyl ether and 1,3-butadiene are the most promising with the lowest economic risks (among the alternatives considered) of 0.24 MM$/a and 4.6 MM$/a, respectively.

Uncertainties in Early Stage Capital Cost Estimation of Process Design – A case study on biorefinery design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gurkan eSin

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Capital investment, next to the product demand, sales and production costs, is one of the key metrics commonly used for project evaluation and feasibility assessment. Estimating the investment costs of a new product/process alternative during early stage design is a challenging task. This is especially important in biorefinery research, where available information and experiences with new technologies is limited. A systematic methodology for uncertainty analysis of cost data is proposed that employs (a Bootstrapping as a regression method when cost data is available and (b the Monte Carlo technique as an error propagation method based on expert input when cost data is not available. Four well-known models for early stage cost estimation are reviewed an analyzed using the methodology. The significance of uncertainties of cost data for early stage process design is highlighted using the synthesis and design of a biorefinery as a case study. The impact of uncertainties in cost estimation on the identification of optimal processing paths is found to be profound. To tackle this challenge, a comprehensive techno-economic risk analysis framework is presented to enable robust decision making under uncertainties. One of the results using an order-of-magnitude estimate shows that the production of diethyl ether and 1,3-butadiene are the most promising with economic risks of 0.24 MM$/a and 4.6 MM$/a due to uncertainties in cost estimations, respectively.

Uncertainties in Early-Stage Capital Cost Estimation of Process Design – A Case Study on Biorefinery Design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cheali, Peam; Gernaey, Krist V.; Sin, Gürkan, E-mail: gsi@kt.dtu.dk [Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark)

2015-02-06

Capital investment, next to the product demand, sales, and production costs, is one of the key metrics commonly used for project evaluation and feasibility assessment. Estimating the investment costs of a new product/process alternative during early-stage design is a challenging task, which is especially relevant in biorefinery research where information about new technologies and experience with new technologies is limited. A systematic methodology for uncertainty analysis of cost data is proposed that employs: (a) bootstrapping as a regression method when cost data are available; and, (b) the Monte Carlo technique as an error propagation method based on expert input when cost data are not available. Four well-known models for early-stage cost estimation are reviewed and analyzed using the methodology. The significance of uncertainties of cost data for early-stage process design is highlighted using the synthesis and design of a biorefinery as a case study. The impact of uncertainties in cost estimation on the identification of optimal processing paths is indeed found to be profound. To tackle this challenge, a comprehensive techno-economic risk analysis framework is presented to enable robust decision-making under uncertainties. One of the results using order-of-magnitude estimates shows that the production of diethyl ether and 1,3-butadiene are the most promising with the lowest economic risks (among the alternatives considered) of 0.24 MM$/a and 4.6 MM$/a, respectively.

Design of farm winery façades for the optimisation of indoor natural lighting: a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniele Torreggiani

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the theme of daylighting performances of rural buildings, within a broader research context aimed at establishing design criteria for farm wineries. The objective is to benchmark the performances of different window systems in order to define design guidelines directed towards the optimisation of natural lighting to improve visual comfort and reduce energy consumption. A winegrowing and producing farm with standard features in the Emilia- Romagna region, Northern Italy, is considered as a case study. Particular attention was given to the part of the building designated for tasting activities. The study considered several opening solutions in the building envelope, and showed the effectiveness of those involving south façade glazing with appropriate screening systems. Further analyses will aim to investigate the performance of windows distributed on several fronts, including heat balance assessment.

Portraying the nature of corruption: Using an explorative case-study design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Graaf, G.; Huberts, L.W.J.C.

2008-01-01

What is the nature of corruption in Western democracies? To answer this research question, the authors study 10 Dutch corruption cases in depth, looking at confidential criminal files. The cases allow them to sketch a general profile of a corruption case. The authors offer nine propositions to

Design of Composite Structures Using Knowledge-Based and Case Based Reasoning

Science.gov (United States)

Lambright, Jonathan Paul

1996-01-01

A method of using knowledge based and case based reasoning to assist designers during conceptual design tasks of composite structures was proposed. The cooperative use of heuristics, procedural knowledge, and previous similar design cases suggests a potential reduction in design cycle time and ultimately product lead time. The hypothesis of this work is that the design process of composite structures can be improved by using Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) and Knowledge-Based (KB) reasoning in the early design stages. The technique of using knowledge-based and case-based reasoning facilitates the gathering of disparate information into one location that is easily and readily available. The method suggests that the inclusion of downstream life-cycle issues into the conceptual design phase reduces potential of defective, and sub-optimal composite structures. Three industry experts were interviewed extensively. The experts provided design rules, previous design cases, and test problems. A Knowledge Based Reasoning system was developed using the CLIPS (C Language Interpretive Procedural System) environment and a Case Based Reasoning System was developed using the Design Memory Utility For Sharing Experiences (MUSE) xviii environment. A Design Characteristic State (DCS) was used to document the design specifications, constraints, and problem areas using attribute-value pair relationships. The DCS provided consistent design information between the knowledge base and case base. Results indicated that the use of knowledge based and case based reasoning provided a robust design environment for composite structures. The knowledge base provided design guidance from well defined rules and procedural knowledge. The case base provided suggestions on design and manufacturing techniques based on previous similar designs and warnings of potential problems and pitfalls. The case base complemented the knowledge base and extended the problem solving capability beyond the existence of

Numerical modeling for longwall pillar design: a case study from a typical longwall panel in China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guangchao; Liang, Saijiang; Tan, Yunliang; Xie, Fuxing; Chen, Shaojie; Jia, Hongguo

2018-02-01

This paper presents a new numerical modeling procedure and design principle for longwall pillar design with the assistance of numerical simulation of FLAC3D. A coal mine located in Yanzhou city, Shandong Province, China, was selected for this case study. A meticulously validated numerical model was developed to investigate the stress changes across the longwall pillar with various sizes. In order to improve the reliability of the numerical modeling, a calibration procedure is undertaken to match the Salamon and Munro pillar strength formula for the coal pillar, while a similar calibration procedure is used to estimate the stress-strain response of a gob. The model results demonstrated that when the coal pillar width was 7-8 m, most of the vertical load was carried by the panel rib, whilst the gateroad was overall in a relatively low stress environment and could keep its stability with proper supports. Thus, the rational longwall pillar width was set as 8 m and the field monitoring results confirmed the feasibility of this pillar size. The proposed numerical simulation procedure and design principle presented in this study could be a viable alternative approach for longwall pillar design for other similar projects.

A new design approach to innovative spectrometers. Case study: TROPOLITE

Science.gov (United States)

Volatier, Jean-Baptiste; Baümer, Stefan; Kruizinga, Bob; Vink, Rob

2014-05-01

Designing a novel optical system is a nested iterative process. The optimization loop, from a starting point to final system is already mostly automated. However this loop is part of a wider loop which is not. This wider loop starts with an optical specification and ends with a manufacturability assessment. When designing a new spectrometer with emphasis on weight and cost, numerous iterations between the optical- and mechanical designer are inevitable. The optical designer must then be able to reliably produce optical designs based on new input gained from multidisciplinary studies. This paper presents a procedure that can automatically generate new starting points based on any kind of input or new constraint that might arise. These starting points can then be handed over to a generic optimization routine to make the design tasks extremely efficient. The optical designer job is then not to design optical systems, but to meta-design a procedure that produces optical systems paving the way for system level optimization. We present here this procedure and its application to the design of TROPOLITE a lightweight push broom imaging spectrometer.

Supporting Affect Regulation in Children With Multiple Disabilities During Psychotherapy: A Multiple Case Design Study of Therapeutic Attachment. [Miscellaneous Article

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schuengel, C; Sterkenburg, P S; Jeczynski, P; Janssen, C G C; Jongbloed, G

2009-01-01

: In a controlled multiple case design study, the development of a therapeutic relationship and its role in affect regulation were studied in 6 children with visual disabilities, severe intellectual disabilities, severe challenging behavior, and prolonged social deprivation. In the 1st phase,

The order and priority of research and design method application within an assistive technology new product development process: a summative content analysis of 20 case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Torrens, George Edward

2018-01-01

Summative content analysis was used to define methods and heuristics from each case study. The review process was in two parts: (1) A literature review to identify conventional research methods and (2) a summative content analysis of published case studies, based on the identified methods and heuristics to suggest an order and priority of where and when were used. Over 200 research and design methods and design heuristics were identified. From the review of the 20 case studies 42 were identified as being applied. The majority of methods and heuristics were applied in phase two, market choice. There appeared a disparity between the limited numbers of methods frequently used, under 10 within the 20 case studies, when hundreds were available. Implications for Rehabilitation The communication highlights a number of issues that have implication for those involved in assistive technology new product development: •The study defined over 200 well-established research and design methods and design heuristics that are available for use by those who specify and design assistive technology products, which provide a comprehensive reference list for practitioners in the field; •The review within the study suggests only a limited number of research and design methods are regularly used by industrial design focused assistive technology new product developers; and, •Debate is required within the practitioners working in this field to reflect on how a wider range of potentially more effective methods and heuristics may be incorporated into daily working practice.

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Core Academic Strategic Designs: 3. University Park Campus School

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Resiliency and affordability of housing design, Kampong Cieunteung-Bale Endah in Bandung Regency as a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Nurdini, Allis; Yovita, Wanda; Negri, Patriot

2017-12-01

Recently the discussion about resiliency and housing design has been fast developed, including design for housing on riverfront as marginal area that usually occupied by low income people. The low income people generally will be the worst affected community in flood disaster situation, because of their un-affordability to achieve quality housing design. In other side, the funding support capacity especially from the local government is limited, so that the resilient environment also need to be supported by the community itself. In this context, the study about low income people's affordability to achieve resilient housing design is essential. This study was conducted to identify two important points: the design choice and the affordability level of resilient housing from the community viewpoints. Kampong Cieunteung, in Bale Endah Area, Bandung Regency is chosen as a case study, because this area annually experience severe flood from overflow of the Citarum River branch. In preliminary research phase, approximately 60% of the Kampong Cieunteung's resident need to stay and become indication that the community need resilient housing design to accommodate their live hood. The next phase, the contingent valuation method was implemented to gain resilient design choice and affordability perspective from the community. It is concluded that the community have ability to choose the resilient housing design based on their aspiration and based on their ability to pay. The result indicates that resilient housing design should have character of optional, module co-operational, and incremental to be afforded by the low income people.

Stakeholder involvement in stages of a participatory process illustrated in interior design cases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vink, Peter; van Rhijn, Gu; Seim, Rikke

2008-01-01

In a previous study (Vink et al., 2008) an overview was made of the involvement of different stakeholders in a participatory design process. In this paper this overview was used to describe four participatory design cases focused on improvising productivity, health, and comfort by interior design....... It appeared that this overview is useful to describe the involvement in participatory interior design projects. However, it can only serve as an initial benchmark as much is dependent on the specific case at hand....

The Influence of Game Design on the Collaborative Problem Solving Process: A Cross-Case Study of Multi-Player Collaborative Gameplay Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Yildirim, Nilay

2013-01-01

This cross-case study examines the relationships between game design attributes and collaborative problem solving process in the context of multi-player video games. The following game design attributes: sensory stimuli elements, level of challenge, and presentation of game goals and rules were examined to determine their influence on game…

The possible designation of the Mediterranean Sea as a SECA: A case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Panagakos, George P.; Stamatopoulou, Eirini V.; Psaraftis, Harilaos N.

2014-01-01

In view of the ongoing discussions concerning the possible designation of the Mediterranean Sea as a Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA), a modal split model was applied to a case involving the transportation of consolidated cargoes between Thessaloniki, Greece and industrial hubs of northern...... with a small transport service provider, typical for Greece, and are based on actual trips made (revealed preferences). The results predict that the designation of the Mediterranean as a SECA will cause a modal shift in favour of the road-only route by 5.2%, which under certain assumptions can reach 17...

RECOGNITION OF MONTHLY HUMAN BIOCLIMATIC COMFORT WITH TOURISM CLIMATE INDEX IN RAMSAR, SOUTH-WEST OF CASPIAN SEA, IRAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

BAHMAN RAMEZANI GOURABI

Full Text Available Weather and climate have great importance in developing of tourism industry. Most of the tourists use the climate information for travelling and choice of destination. Knowledge of climate informationand its application can assist tourism planning, tourism industries and in reducing negative effects of weather and climate on tourists and this branch of the economy. The aim of this research isrecognition of suitable months in Ramsar station on the basis of Becker method and tourism climate index (TCI, for a period of 25 years (1981-2005.The results of Becker method has shown thatRamsar station has a bioclimatic comfort in 10 months. Weather in 7 months (March, April, May, September, October, November, and December is moderate and desirable. June, July, and Augusthave a little warm and tolerate weather, but in January and February, Ramsar station has a cool weather with moderate stimulation. Evaluation of TCI index for Ramsar station has shown that May month has the best climate conditions with 80-89 range (Excellent for tourism activities. June and October months have a "very good" climate conditions. April, July, and September are included in the"good" category while August and November are included in the "acceptable" category. January, February, March, and December have the "unfavorable" conditions.

ED-WAVE tool design approach: Case of a textile wastewater treatment plant in Blantyre, Malawi

Science.gov (United States)

Chipofya, V.; Kraslawski, A.; Avramenko, Y.

The ED-WAVE tool is a PC based package for imparting training on wastewater treatment technologies. The system consists of four modules viz. Reference Library, Process Builder, Case Study Manager, and Treatment Adviser. The principles of case-based design and case-based reasoning as applied in the ED-WAVE tool are utilised in this paper to evaluate the design approach of the wastewater treatment plant at Mapeto David Whitehead & Sons (MDW&S) textile and garments factory, Blantyre, Malawi. The case being compared with MDW&S in the ED-WAVE tool is Textile Case 4 in Sri Lanka (2003). Equalisation, coagulation and rotating biological contactors is the sequencing of treatment units at Textile Case 4 in Sri Lanka. Screening, oxidation ditches and sedimentation is the sequencing of treatment units at MDW&S textile and garments factory. The study suggests that aerobic biological treatment is necessary in the treatment of wastewater from a textile and garments factory. MDW&S incorporates a sedimentation process which is necessary for the removal of settleable matter before the effluent is discharged to the municipal wastewater treatment plant. The study confirmed the practical use of the ED-WAVE tool in the design of wastewater treatment systems, where after encountering a new situation; already collected decision scenarios (cases) are invoked and modified in order to arrive at a particular design alternative. What is necessary, however, is to appropriately modify the case arrived at through the Case Study Manager in order to come up with a design appropriate to the local situation taking into account technical, socio-economic and environmental aspects.

Case-control studies in neurosurgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Nesvick, Cody L; Thompson, Clinton J; Boop, Frederick A; Klimo, Paul

2014-08-01

/intervention and true case-control studies was strengthened (OR 0.053, 95% CI 0.0064-0.44). There was a trend toward a negative association between the use of survival analysis or Kaplan-Meier curves and true case-control studies (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.015-1.12). True case-control studies were no more likely than their counterparts to use a potential study design "expert" (OR 1.50, 95% CI 0.57-3.95). The overall average STROBE score was 72% (range 50-86%). Examples of reporting deficiencies were reporting of bias (28%), missing data (55%), and funding (44%). The results of this analysis show that the majority of studies in the neurosurgical literature that identify themselves as "case-control" studies are, in fact, labeled incorrectly. Positive and negative predictors were identified. The authors provide several recommendations that may reverse the incorrect and inappropriate use of the term "case-control" and improve the quality of design and reporting of true case-control studies in neurosurgery.

Barrier Free Park Design for the Disabled Persons: A Case Study of the KLCC Park

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hazreena Hussein

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Making green spaces accessible to as many people as possible is now mainstream thinking in planning, design and management. Green spaces call be internal or external, integrated or separated with building. The purpose of this paper is to investigate and identify the characteristics in creating green spaces for the disabled persons' to enjoy. This research is dedicated specially for those with sensory disabilities, i.e. visually impaired' persons.The research will focus on issues and constraints that seem to impede their basic necessity, which is a barrier to them in enjoying the green spaces alongside their sighted peers. However, this research can also be applied to other users such as children, elderly people, pregnant women and parent with strollers. An example of a case study selected is the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC Park, where the author will explore the objectives and design principles of the Park. The findings are intended to provide recommendation on appropriate design criteria for the visually impaired persons in helping to maintain and manage green spaces. This is also to provide general information on different type of plants, highlighting their value and use in design as advised by landscape architects.

The Application of an Engineering Design and Information Systems Case Study in a Senior Level Product Data Management Course

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, Patrick

2011-01-01

This study examines the use of an engineering design and information systems case study over a three week period in a senior level class covering the topics of product data management (PDM) and product lifecycle management (PLM). Students that have taken the course in the past have struggled with the sometimes nebulous and difficult to…

Writing and Rewriting the Instructional Design Case: A View from Two Sides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Craig D. Howard, Rodney Myers

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This article analyzes five problem areas educators grapple with when writing designs cases about learning interventions. The article is written from the vantage point of IJDL’s assistant editor who edited, reviewed, and coordinated the reviews of design cases over a period of two years while also writing his own design case (Howard & Myers, 2010: International Journal of Designs for Learning. The knowledge building genre of the instructional design case is viewed from the perspective of commonalities between articles published in a Tech Trends feature, the Instructional Design Portfolio, and this venue. The areas of concern common among reviews for these publications shed light on how the design case is developing into a rigorous form of educational inquiry. The areas of concern brought up in reviews of cases are discussed in light of the author’s first hand experiences of satisfying reviewers’ concerns and, in turn, coaching other educators through the process of a finalized design case. Those common areas are: (1 situating the design, (2 describing the design, (3 depicting the experience of the design, (4 developing trustworthiness through transparency, analysis, and reflection (5 removing aspects of design cases which confound their purpose. Specific examples from design cases that have gone through peer review describe how author-educators may approach the dissemination of design precedent through the careful documentation of pedagogical designs.

Acoustical case studies of three green buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Siebein, Gary; Lilkendey, Robert; Skorski, Stephen

2005-04-01

Case studies of 3 green buildings with LEED certifications that required extensive acoustical retrofit work to become satisfactory work environments for their intended user groups will be used to define areas where green building design concepts and acoustical design concepts require reconciliation. Case study 1 is an office and conference center for a city environmental education agency. Large open spaces intended to collect daylight through clerestory windows provided large, reverberant volumes with few acoustic finishes that rendered them unsuitable as open office space and a conference room/auditorium. Case Study 2 describes one of the first gold LEED buildings in the southeast whose primary design concepts were so narrowly focused on thermal and lighting issues that they often worked directly against basic acoustical requirements resulting in sound levels of NC 50-55 in classrooms and faculty offices, crosstalk between classrooms and poor room acoustics. Case study 3 is an environmental education and conference center with open public areas, very high ceilings, and all reflective surfaces made from wood and other environmentally friendly materials that result in excessive loudness when the building is used by the numbers of people which it was intended to serve.

The therapeutic collaboration in life design counselling: The case of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study examined the therapeutic collaboration in a case of Life Design ... In globalised societies, job opportunities and employment conditions are fragile and unstable, requiring ..... balance of therapeutic exchanges involving suppor-.

Toolkit for healthcare facility design evaluation - some case studies

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Jager, Peta

2007-10-01

Full Text Available themes in approach. Further study is indicated, but preliminary research shows that, whilst these toolkits can be applied to the South African context, there are compelling reasons for them to be adapted. This paper briefly outlines these three case...

Toolkit for healthcare facility design evaluation - some case studies.

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

De Jager, Peta

2007-10-01

Full Text Available themes in approach. Further study is indicated, but preliminary research shows that, whilst these toolkits can be applied to the South African context, there are compelling reasons for them to be adapted. This paper briefly outlines these three case...

An Evaluation of Current Stormwater Best Management Practice Relationships Between Design and Efficiency: A Series of Local and National Case Studies

OpenAIRE

Goodwin, Amanda Ann

2013-01-01

Water quality continues to be threatened by human development activities such as stormwater runoff from urbanization. This study addresses the question of how stormwater Best Management Practice (BMP) system design choices affect pollutant removal efficiency, through the examination of 12 case study sites (across five states) that use three common BMP system design types (detention, retention, and wetland channel). Water quality information was obtained from the International Stormwater Datab...

Design criteria monograph for pressurized metal cases

Science.gov (United States)

1972-01-01

Organiation and presentation of data pertaining to design of solid propellant rocket engine cases are discussed. Design criteria are presented in form of monograph based on accumulated experience and knowledge. Improvements in reliability, cost effectiveness, and engine efficiency are stressed.

Integration of case study approach, project design and computer ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2018-03-05

Mar 5, 2018 ... computer modeling used as a research method applied in the process ... conclusions discuss the benefits for students who analyzed the ... accounting education process the case study method should not .... providing travel safety information to passengers ... from literature readings with practical problems.

Clean Cities Case Study: Barwood Cab Fleet Study Summary

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whalen, P.

1999-01-01

Barwood Cab Fleet Study Summary is the second in a new series called''Alternative Fuel Information Case Studies,'' designed to present real-world experiences with alternative fuels to fleet managers and other industry stakeholders

Passive solar design studies for non-domestic buildings. Case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1988-01-01

Of the passive solar designs reported, those for a light industrial building, a nurses hostel and a low rise office block were considered to be clearly cost effective. A retrofit study of a secondary school showed that incorporating passive solar measures into refurbishment could be cost effective. Designs for a sports hall and medium rise office block were considered to be only marginally cost effective and those for a hotel bedroom block and DIY superstore were judged not to be cost effective. The maximization of daylight penetration coupled with controls on the lighting systems produced the main energy saving. This orientation, built form, fenestration, window shape, perimeter (and overhead) daylight and atria were primary solar features. Direct gain considered in conjunction with building weight/response factor could contribute to a lesser degree. Trombe walls were shown to be generally uneconomic for this type of building and conservatories contributed to amenity value more than to savings.

Design and implementation of pay-for-quality in primary healthcare: A case study from Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jafar Sadegh Tabrizi

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Background The common methods of payment to healthcare providers such as capitation and salary are not designed to be stimulation for high quality healthcare. The pay-for -quality (P4Q programs are designed to provide the financial incentives to the service providers in order to improve quality of services based on specified criteria. Aims This study describes the design and implementation of a P4Q program in the primary healthcare (PHc in East Azerbaijan Province, Iran. Methods The present study is a case study that describes the process of designing and implementing the P4Q program in PHC in East-Azerbaijan province in 2015. To design the P4Q program, after identifying core components of the program through literature review and Focus Group Discussion (FGD, final decision about each component was made by achieving consensus from a panel of recognised experts in the area of PHc. Altogether two FGD and seven expert panel sessions were hold in EAPHC in order to design the P4Q program. Results Key components of P4Q program were selected by qualitative studies and the results were categorized in five headings including P4Q formula, quality measures, payment strategy, data reporting and performance evaluation. The formula consists of five elements including fixed payment, individual, team and organization performance and managerial appraisal. A total of 37 measures, which covers the domains of quality of PHc, human resource development and responsibility were selected. ‘Improvement’ and ‘absolute level of measures’ were selected as the payment strategy. The methods of data reporting included valid questionnaire, organization’s documents and medical records. The final P4Q program was used for paying incentives to all primary health care providers in public health centres affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. Conclusion Designing and implementing the P4Q program led to a shift in paying the incentives to healthcare providers

Energy efficiency in the Hellenic building sector: An assessment of the restrictions and perspectives of the market

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karkanias, C.; Boemi, S.N.; Papadopoulos, A.M.; Tsoutsos, T.D.; Karagiannidis, A.

2010-01-01

The significance of bioclimatic architecture has become widely accepted since the 1970s and the implementation of its principles in practice is a key factor in order to achieve energy efficiency in the building sector. The way, however, from scientific acceptance to commercial utilization is not a straightforward one. This paper deals with the notion of bioclimatic architecture in buildings and investigates the aspects of this concept in Hellas. A sample of university researchers, building contractors and members of public organisations was interviewed using a standardised set of guidelines. The barriers to promoting bioclimatic design, role of the local government in the adoption process, level of environmental culture as well as perspectives of this concept in Hellas were the key areas of discussion in each of the interviews. The results from the data analysis reveal insufficient economic incentives, a lack in technical information as well as a lack in specific environmental policies that would foster the propagation of bioclimatic architecture.

Evolutionary experience design – the case of Otopia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Kenneth

experiences with the case of “Otopia”. “Otopia” is a large scale, new media experiment, which combines the areas of computer games, sports and performance in to a spectator oriented concept; it was premiered in a dome tent at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark the summer 2005. This paper presents and discusses......The design of experiences is a complicated challenge. It might not even be possible to design such a “thing”, but only to design for it. If this is the case it could seem appropriate with an evolutionary approach. This paper introduces such an approach to the design of new public oriented...... used as a means of specifying the basic immaterial design form. This discussion leads to the suggestion of a rule-based evolutionary model for the design of situations as a practical option for designers of new spectator oriented experiences in the future The project of Otopia was supported...

Theory Testing Using Case Studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Pernille Dissing; Løkke, Ann-Kristina

2006-01-01

design. Finally, we discuss the epistemological logic, i.e., the value to larger research programmes, of such studies and, following Lakatos, conclude that the value of theory-testing case studies lies beyond naïve falsification and in their contribution to developing research programmes in a progressive...

Design for happiness : A telehomecare product case

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schot, M.; Desmet, P.M.A.; Van Dijk, M.B.; Schoone-Harmsen, M.

2009-01-01

In this paper a design approach is introduced for designing products to increase happiness. Happiness reflects the degree to which people’s concerns are fulfilled. Based on this fact, a framework of all human concerns was created. After that, the framework was applied to a telehomecare case.

A Case Study in CAD Design Automation

Science.gov (United States)

Lowe, Andrew G.; Hartman, Nathan W.

2011-01-01

Computer-aided design (CAD) software and other product life-cycle management (PLM) tools have become ubiquitous in industry during the past 20 years. Over this time they have continuously evolved, becoming programs with enormous capabilities, but the companies that use them have not evolved their design practices at the same rate. Due to the…

Case study of siting technology for underground nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hibino, Satoshi; Komada, Hiroya; Honsho, Shizumitsu; Fujiwara, Yoshikazu; Motojima, Mutsumi; Nakagawa, Kameichiro; Nosaki, Takashi

1991-01-01

Underground siting method is one of new feasible siting methods for nuclear power plants. This report presents the results on case studies on underground siting. Two sites of a steeply inclined and plateau like configurations were selected. 'Tunnel type cavern; all underground siting' method was applied for the steeply inclined configuration, and 'shaft type semi-cavern; partial underground siting' method was applied for the plateau like configuration. The following designs were carried out for these two sites as case studies; (1) conceptual designs, (2) geological surveys and rock mechanics tests, (3) stability analysis during cavern excavations, (4) seismic stability analysis of caverns during earthquake, (5) reinforcement designs for caverns, (6) drainage designs. The case studies showed that these two cases were fully feasible, and comparison between two cases revealed that the 'shaft type semi-cavern; partial underground siting' method was more suitable for Japanese islands. As a first step of underground siting, therefore, the authors recommend to construct a nuclear power plant by this method. (author)

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Relevance Strategic Designs: 5. Life Academy of Health and Bioscience

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Core Academic Strategic Designs: 1. Academy of the Pacific Rim

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

Case Studies of Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools. Core Academic Strategic Designs: 2. Noble Street Charter High School

Science.gov (United States)

Shields, Regis Anne; Ireland, Nicole; City, Elizabeth; Derderian, Julie; Miles, Karen Hawley

2008-01-01

This report is one of nine detailed case studies of small urban high schools that served as the foundation for the Education Resource Strategies (ERS) report "Strategic Designs: Lessons from Leading Edge Small Urban High Schools." These nine schools were dubbed "Leading Edge Schools" because they stand apart from other high…

The Misconception of Case-Control Studies in the Plastic Surgery Literature: A Literature Audit.

Science.gov (United States)

Hatchell, Alexandra C; Farrokhyar, Forough; Choi, Matthew

2017-06-01

Case-control study designs are commonly used. However, many published case-control studies are not true case-controls and are in fact mislabeled. The purpose of this study was to identify all case-control studies published in the top three plastic surgery journals over the past 10 years, assess which were truly case-control studies, clarify the actual design of the articles, and address common misconceptions. MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched for case-control studies in the three highest-impact factor plastic surgery journals (2005 to 2015). Two independent reviewers screened the resulting titles, abstracts, and methods, if applicable, to identify articles labeled as case-control studies. These articles were appraised and classified as true case-control studies or non-case-control studies. The authors found 28 articles labeled as case-control studies. However, only six of these articles (21 percent) were truly case-control designs. Of the 22 incorrectly labeled studies, one (5 percent) was a randomized controlled trial, three (14 percent) were nonrandomized trials, two (9 percent) were prospective comparative cohort designs, 14 (64 percent) were retrospective comparative cohort designs, and two (9 percent) were cross-sectional designs. The mislabeling was worse in recent years, despite increases in evidence-based medicine awareness. The majority of published case-control studies are not in fact case-control studies. This misunderstanding is worsening with time. Most of these studies are actually comparative cohort designs. However, some studies are truly clinical trials and thus a higher level of evidence than originally proposed.

A bioclimatic characterization of high elevation habitats in the Alborz mountains of Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Noroozi, Jalil; Körner, Christian

2018-01-01

The Alborz mountains in N-Iran at 36° N rise from the Caspian Sea to 5671 m a.s.l., with warm-temperate, winter-deciduous forests in the lower montane belt in northern slopes, and vast treeless terrain at higher elevation. A lack of rainfall (ca. 550 mm at high elevations) cannot explain the absence of trees. Hence, it is an open question, which parts of these mountains belong to the alpine belt. Here we use bioclimatic data to estimate the position of the potential climatic treeline, and thus, define bioclimatologically, what is alpine and what is not. We employed the same miniature data loggers and protocol that had been applied in a Europe-wide assessment of alpine climates and a global survey of treeline temperatures. The data suggest a potential treeline position at ca. 3300 m a.s.l., that is ca. 900 m above the upper edge of the current oak forest, or 450 m above its highest outposts. The alpine terrain above the climatic treeline position shows a temperature regime comparable to sites in the European Alps. At the upper limit of angiosperm life, at 4850 m a.s.l., the growing season lasted 63 days with a seasonal mean root zone temperature of 4.5 °C. We conclude that (1) the absence of trees below 2850 m a.s.l. is clearly due to millennia of land use. The absence of trees between 2850 and 3300 m a.s.l. is either due to the absence of suitable tree taxa, or the only potential regional taxon for those elevations, Juniperus excelsa , had been eradicated by land use as well. (2) These continental mountains provide thermal life conditions in the alpine belt similar to other temperate mountains. (3) Topography and snow melt regimes play a significant role for the structure of the alpine vegetation mosaics.

Interactive Level Design for iOS Assignment Delivery: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anson Brown

2014-02-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an application of an iOS-based online gaming assignment in a real classroom. The core concept of the project is a gameplay environment involving two players that have full control over creation and modification of levels. This level design mechanism was implemented in an iOS-based game in the area of genetics and based on an existing written assignment. The game includes support for both instructors, who have the ability to create and post assignments and students, who can take the assignments. Two trials of the iOS application consisted of in-class testing of twenty- one students. Students first took the original paper assignment, followed by the iOS version. Start times, end times, and grades were recorded for both versions. A comprehensive study of the grades and times for the iOS version of the assignment versus the paper version was conducted and is presented in this paper. Our Study showed that the iOS version was completed much faster in nearly every case while a strong delivery mechanism is needed to ensure student grades and completion of the assignment will not be affected. These results are not unexpected due to some major difference between the two formats. Future updates and additions will address any currently existing issues.

Safety assessment in plant layout design using indexing approach: implementing inherent safety perspective. Part 2-Domino Hazard Index and case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tugnoli, Alessandro; Khan, Faisal; Amyotte, Paul; Cozzani, Valerio

2008-12-15

The design of layout plans requires adequate assessment tools for the quantification of safety performance. The general focus of the present work is to introduce an inherent safety perspective at different points of the layout design process. In particular, index approaches for safety assessment and decision-making in the early stages of layout design are developed and discussed in this two-part contribution. Part 1 (accompanying paper) of the current work presents an integrated index approach for safety assessment of early plant layout. In the present paper (Part 2), an index for evaluation of the hazard related to the potential of domino effects is developed. The index considers the actual consequences of possible escalation scenarios and scores or ranks the subsequent accident propagation potential. The effects of inherent and passive protection measures are also assessed. The result is a rapid quantification of domino hazard potential that can provide substantial support for choices in the early stages of layout design. Additionally, a case study concerning selection among various layout options is presented and analyzed. The case study demonstrates the use and applicability of the indices developed in both parts of the current work and highlights the value of introducing inherent safety features early in layout design.

Automated simulation and study of spatial-structural design processes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Davila Delgado, J.M.; Hofmeyer, H.; Stouffs, R.; Sariyildiz, S.

2013-01-01

A so-called "Design Process Investigation toolbox" (DPI toolbox), has been developed. It is a set of computational tools that simulate spatial-structural design processes. Its objectives are to study spatial-structural design processes and to support the involved actors. Two case-studies are

Case Study: Testing with Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Herreid, Clyde Freeman

2015-01-01

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This month's issue discusses using case studies to test for knowledge or lessons learned.

Choosing between responsive-design websites versus mobile apps for your mobile behavioral intervention: presenting four case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Turner-McGrievy, Gabrielle M; Hales, Sarah B; Schoffman, Danielle E; Valafar, Homay; Brazendale, Keith; Weaver, R Glenn; Beets, Michael W; Wirth, Michael D; Shivappa, Nitin; Mandes, Trisha; Hébert, James R; Wilcox, Sara; Hester, Andrew; McGrievy, Matthew J

2017-06-01

Both mobile apps and responsive-design websites (web apps) can be used to deliver mobile health (mHealth) interventions, but it can be difficult to discern which to use in research. The goal of this paper is to present four case studies from behavioral interventions that developed either a mobile app or a web app for research and present an information table to help researchers determine which mobile option would work best for them. Four behavioral intervention case studies (two developed a mobile app, and two developed a web app) presented include time, cost, and expertise. Considerations for adopting a mobile app or a web app-such as time, cost, access to programmers, data collection, security needs, and intervention components- are presented. Future studies will likely integrate both mobile app and web app modalities. The considerations presented here can help guide researchers on which platforms to choose prior to starting an mHealth intervention.

a case study ondo state

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

the design of a Government Cloud (G-Cloud) network for Ondo State Government which will ... network for a developing economy; a case study of ... France is one of those countries that favour .... Arequipa city. .... Where region 0 = Akure, 1 =.

Human-centered approaches in geovisualization design: investigating multiple methods through a long-term case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lloyd, David; Dykes, Jason

2011-12-01

Working with three domain specialists we investigate human-centered approaches to geovisualization following an ISO13407 taxonomy covering context of use, requirements and early stages of design. Our case study, undertaken over three years, draws attention to repeating trends: that generic approaches fail to elicit adequate requirements for geovis application design; that the use of real data is key to understanding needs and possibilities; that trust and knowledge must be built and developed with collaborators. These processes take time but modified human-centred approaches can be effective. A scenario developed through contextual inquiry but supplemented with domain data and graphics is useful to geovis designers. Wireframe, paper and digital prototypes enable successful communication between specialist and geovis domains when incorporating real and interesting data, prompting exploratory behaviour and eliciting previously unconsidered requirements. Paper prototypes are particularly successful at eliciting suggestions, especially for novel visualization. Enabling specialists to explore their data freely with a digital prototype is as effective as using a structured task protocol and is easier to administer. Autoethnography has potential for framing the design process. We conclude that a common understanding of context of use, domain data and visualization possibilities are essential to successful geovis design and develop as this progresses. HC approaches can make a significant contribution here. However, modified approaches, applied with flexibility, are most promising. We advise early, collaborative engagement with data – through simple, transient visual artefacts supported by data sketches and existing designs – before moving to successively more sophisticated data wireframes and data prototypes. © 2011 IEEE

Masked Visual Analysis: Minimizing Type I Error in Visually Guided Single-Case Design for Communication Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Byun, Tara McAllister; Hitchcock, Elaine R.; Ferron, John

2017-01-01

Purpose: Single-case experimental designs are widely used to study interventions for communication disorders. Traditionally, single-case experiments follow a response-guided approach, where design decisions during the study are based on participants' observed patterns of behavior. However, this approach has been criticized for its high rate of…

SENSITIVITY ANALYSIS as a methodical approach to the development of design strategies for environmentally sustainable buildings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Hanne Tine Ring

. The research methodology applied in the project combines a literature study of descriptions of methodical approaches and built examples with a sensitivity analysis and a qualitative interview with two designers from a best practice example of a practice that has achieved environmentally sustainable...... architecture, such as: ecological, green, bio-climatic, sustainable, passive, low-energy and environmental architecture. This PhD project sets out to gain a better understanding of environmentally sustainable architecture and the methodical approaches applied in the development of this type of architecture...... an increase in scientific and political awareness, which has lead to an escalation in the number of research publications in the field, as well as, legislative demands for the energy consumption of buildings. The publications in the field refer to many different approaches to environmentally sustainable...

Persistent User Bias in Case-Crossover Studies in Pharmacoepidemiology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hallas, Jesper; Pottegård, Anton; Wang, Shirley

2016-01-01

Studying the effect of chronic medication exposure by means of a case-crossover design may result in an upward-biased odds ratio. In this study, our aim was to assess the occurrence of this bias and to evaluate whether it is remedied by including a control group (the case-time-control design...... for the retinal detachment controls were similar, leading to near-null case-time-control estimates for all 3 medication classes. For wrist fracture and stroke, the odds ratios were higher for cases than for controls, and case-time-control odds ratios were consistently above unity, thus implying significant...... residual bias. In case-crossover studies of medications, contamination by persistent users confers a moderate bias upward, which is partly remedied by using a control group. The optimal strategy for dealing with this problem is currently unknown....

The networked student: A design-based research case study of student constructed personal learning environments in a middle school science course

Science.gov (United States)

Drexler, Wendy

This design-based research case study applied a networked learning approach to a seventh grade science class at a public school in the southeastern United States. Students adapted emerging Web applications to construct personal learning environments for in-depth scientific inquiry of poisonous and venomous life forms. The personal learning environments constructed used Application Programming Interface (API) widgets to access, organize, and synthesize content from a number of educational Internet resources and social network connections. This study examined the nature of personal learning environments; the processes students go through during construction, and patterns that emerged. The project was documented from both an instructional and student-design perspective. Findings revealed that students applied the processes of: practicing digital responsibility; practicing digital literacy; organizing content; collaborating and socializing; and synthesizing and creating. These processes informed a model of the networked student that will serve as a framework for future instructional designs. A networked learning approach that incorporates these processes into future designs has implications for student learning, teacher roles, professional development, administrative policies, and delivery. This work is significant in that it shifts the focus from technology innovations based on tools to student empowerment based on the processes required to support learning. It affirms the need for greater attention to digital literacy and responsibility in K12 schools as well as consideration for those skills students will need to achieve success in the 21st century. The design-based research case study provides a set of design principles for teachers to follow when facilitating student construction of personal learning environments.

Mobile Variable Depth Sampling System Design Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BOGER, R.M.

2000-01-01

A design study is presented for a mobile, variable depth sampling system (MVDSS) that will support the treatment and immobilization of Hanford LAW and HLW. The sampler can be deployed in a 4-inch tank riser and has a design that is based on requirements identified in the Level 2 Specification (latest revision). The waste feed sequence for the MVDSS is based on Phase 1, Case 3S6 waste feed sequence. Technical information is also presented that supports the design study

Mobile Variable Depth Sampling System Design Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

BOGER, R.M.

2000-08-25

A design study is presented for a mobile, variable depth sampling system (MVDSS) that will support the treatment and immobilization of Hanford LAW and HLW. The sampler can be deployed in a 4-inch tank riser and has a design that is based on requirements identified in the Level 2 Specification (latest revision). The waste feed sequence for the MVDSS is based on Phase 1, Case 3S6 waste feed sequence. Technical information is also presented that supports the design study.

Model-based design languages: A case study

OpenAIRE

Cibrario Bertolotti, Ivan; Hu, Tingting; Navet, Nicolas

2017-01-01

Fast-paced innovation in the embedded systems domain puts an ever increasing pressure on effective software development methods, leading to the growing popularity of Model-Based Design (MBD). In this context, a proper choice of modeling languages and related tools - depending on design goals and problem qualities - is crucial to make the most of MBD benefits. In this paper, a comparison between two dissimilar approaches to modeling is carried out, with the goal of highlighting their relative ...

Case Study Observational Research: A Framework for Conducting Case Study Research Where Observation Data Are the Focus.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Sonya J; Pullon, Susan R H; Macdonald, Lindsay M; McKinlay, Eileen M; Gray, Ben V

2017-06-01

Case study research is a comprehensive method that incorporates multiple sources of data to provide detailed accounts of complex research phenomena in real-life contexts. However, current models of case study research do not particularly distinguish the unique contribution observation data can make. Observation methods have the potential to reach beyond other methods that rely largely or solely on self-report. This article describes the distinctive characteristics of case study observational research, a modified form of Yin's 2014 model of case study research the authors used in a study exploring interprofessional collaboration in primary care. In this approach, observation data are positioned as the central component of the research design. Case study observational research offers a promising approach for researchers in a wide range of health care settings seeking more complete understandings of complex topics, where contextual influences are of primary concern. Future research is needed to refine and evaluate the approach.

Worst-case execution time analysis-driven object cache design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Huber, Benedikt; Puffitsch, Wolfgang; Schoeberl, Martin

2012-01-01

result in a WCET analysis‐friendly design. Aiming for a time‐predictable design, we therefore propose to employ WCET analysis techniques for the design space exploration of processor architectures. We evaluated different object cache configurations using static analysis techniques. The number of field......Hard real‐time systems need a time‐predictable computing platform to enable static worst‐case execution time (WCET) analysis. All performance‐enhancing features need to be WCET analyzable. However, standard data caches containing heap‐allocated data are very hard to analyze statically....... In this paper we explore a new object cache design, which is driven by the capabilities of static WCET analysis. Simulations of standard benchmarks estimating the expected average case performance usually drive computer architecture design. The design decisions derived from this methodology do not necessarily...

Universal design of workplaces through the use of Poka-Yokes: Case study and implications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristóbal Miralles

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Employment plays an important part in many people’s lives beyond merely providing income, since continued participation in work can have many therapeutic benefits for workers defined as disabled. However, disabled workers face a range of barriers to employment, despite legislation intended to improve workplace accessibility emphasizing adaptations to the workplace, which many employers often find difficult and expensive. The Poka-Yoke approach was developed in the manufacturing industry as a way of improving productivity by reducing errors using often very simple adaptations. This paper argues that, as Poka-Yokes are designed to make life easier and improve the performance of workers without impairments, they are closer to the philosophy of Universal Design than to Accessible Design, and offer an easy and inclusive way of making work more accessible for all kind of workers. Design/methodology/approach: This paper provides a case study demonstrating the use of the Poka-Yoke approach in a sheltered work centre for disabled; highlighting how they served to improve accessibility to work by fulfilling Universal Design principles. Findings: Our research allows us to demonstrate the great potential of Poka-yokes for gaining accessibility to the workplace. The real application of this approach, both in sheltered work centres and ordinary companies, can contribute to improve the high unemployment rates of disabled people. Research limitations/implications: The proposal is innovative and was applied in one specific company. Thus, a range of customized Poka-yokes would be desirable for different industrial sectors. Practical implications: Managers of sheltered work centres, and also of ordinary companies, can realize about the great potential of Poka-Yokes as an easy means of gaining flexibility and accessibility. Originality/value: There are very few papers relating lean manufacturing tools and disability. Our approach analyzes the benefits of

Case Study Research in Software Engineering Guidelines and Examples

CERN Document Server

Runeson, Per; Rainer, Austen; Regnell, Bjorn

2012-01-01

Based on their own experiences of in-depth case studies of software projects in international corporations, in this book the authors present detailed practical guidelines on the preparation, conduct, design and reporting of case studies of software engineering.  This is the first software engineering specific book on the case study research method.

Making Professional Development Flexible: A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsyth, Rachel

2002-01-01

Presents a case study of an online course that was designed for staff professional development at Manchester Metropolitan University (United Kingdom). Discusses the flexibility of online courses; course design; activities for short online workshops; evaluation methods for course evaluation; and results of participant questionnaires. (LRW)

Design method of large-diameter rock-socketed pile with steel casing

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ming-wei; Fang, Fang; Liang, Yue

2018-02-01

There is a lack of the design and calculation method of large-diameter rock-socketed pile with steel casing. Combined with the “twelfth five-year plan” of the National Science & Technology Pillar Program of China about “Key technologies on the ports and wharfs constructions of the mountain canalization channels”, this paper put forward the structured design requirements of concrete, steel bar distribution and steel casing, and a checking calculation method of the bearing capacity of the normal section of the pile and the maximum crack width at the bottom of the steel casing. The design method will have some degree of guiding significance for the design of large-diameter rock-socketed pile with steel casing.

Bioclimatic transport stop: Urban equipment kit; Parada bioclimatica de transporte: Kit de equipamiento urbano

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Machado, Maria V; Barroso, Helen; Bonvino, Michelangelo; Puerta, Marigabriela [Instituto de Investigaciones de la Facultad de Arquitectura de la Universidad del Zulia, Maracaibo (Venezuela)

2000-07-01

Related to the analysis of offer of the urban public transportation, quantity and quality variables are identified, finding in the last one, the related to bus stop designing and equipping. This is, which elements a bus stop has to count with for its insertion in the urban public transportation system: information for the user, bench, trash can, et cetera: generally omitting, relevant aspects that must be considerate in its design and insertion: 1) the urban public transport, 2) the climate variables and 3) renewable energy and environmental preservation. For this presentation, thermal evaluations were made, using a thermal analysis software on prototypes of urban public transportation bus stops existent in Maracaibo (1.6 Mhab.)-Venezuela, city characterized for its high sunning, which duration approximately the same between the day period and night period: and for a marine climate of temperature (27.70 Celsius degrees) and high relative humidity (75%), low precipitation (490 mm) and predominant nor-northeast winds. The year average values of solar radiation corresponds to 5,59 kw/m{sup 2} day for the global radiation, 3.53 kw/m{sup 2} day for the direct radiation (63.1%) and 2.06% kw/m{sup 2} day for the diffuse radiation (36.9%). The maximum average value was obtained in the month of March with 6.4 kw/m{sup 2} day and the minimum on October, 4.7 kw/m{sup 2} day. In the other hand calculations about energy consumption and CO{sub 2} emissions of the conventional bus stop were made. It is proposed a bus stop design conceptualized as the bioclimatic condenser of the urban equipment. Where beside to comply its clearly determined transportation functions, it can conjunct: 1) complementary urban service activities, depending to its categorization in the urban public transportation system of Maracaibo; 2) orientation; 3) regulator of the urban microclima; and 4) area insertion of these. [Spanish] Dentro de lo que corresponde al analisis de la oferta de transporte publico

Case study: design, operation, maintenance and water quality management of sustainable storm water ponds for roof runoff.

Science.gov (United States)

Scholz, Miklas

2004-12-01

The purpose of this case study was to optimise design, operation and maintenance guidelines, and to assess the water treatment potential of a storm water pond system after 15 months of operation. The system was based on a combined silt trap, attenuation pond and vegetated infiltration basin. This combination was used as the basis for construction of a roof water runoff system from a single domestic property. United Kingdom Building Research Establishment and Construction Industry Research and Information Association, and German Association for Water, Wastewater and Waste design guidelines were tested. These design guidelines failed because they did not consider local conditions. The infiltration function for the infiltration basin was logarithmic. Algal control techniques were successfully applied, and treatment of rainwater runoff from roofs was found to be largely unnecessary for recycling (e.g., watering plants). However, seasonal and diurnal variations of biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen and pH were recorded.

Post processing of Design Load Cases using Pdap

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Mads Mølgaard

Pdap provides functions for post-processing and documentation of a set of hawc2 result files, e.g. a full design load case. This report describes the input and its syntax, the mathematical foundation and the output in terms of statistic files and standard reports.......Pdap provides functions for post-processing and documentation of a set of hawc2 result files, e.g. a full design load case. This report describes the input and its syntax, the mathematical foundation and the output in terms of statistic files and standard reports....

Assessment of the climatic potential for tourism in Iran through biometeorology clustering

Science.gov (United States)

Roshan, Gholamreza; Yousefi, Robabe; Błażejczyk, Krzysztof

2017-10-01

This study presents a spatiotemporal analysis of bioclimatic comfort conditions for Iran using mean daily meteorological data from 1995 to 2014, analyzed through Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) index and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) indices, and bioclimatic clustering. The results of this study demonstrate that due to the climate variability across Iran during the year, there is at any point in time a location with climatic condition suitable for tourism. Mean values demonstrate maxima in bioclimatic comfort indices for the country in late winter and spring and minima for summer. Seven statistically significant clusters in bioclimatic indices were identified. Comparing these with clustering performed on PET and UTCI, the maximum overlaps between the two indices. In the following, the outputs of this research showed that most appropriate bioclimatic clustering for Iran includes seven clusters. These clustering locations according to climatic suitability for tourism provide a valuable contribution to tourism management in the country, particularly through marketing destinations to maximize tourist flow.

Assessment of the climatic potential for tourism in Iran through biometeorology clustering.

Science.gov (United States)

Roshan, Gholamreza; Yousefi, Robabe; Błażejczyk, Krzysztof

2018-04-01

This study presents a spatiotemporal analysis of bioclimatic comfort conditions for Iran using mean daily meteorological data from 1995 to 2014, analyzed through Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) index and Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) indices, and bioclimatic clustering. The results of this study demonstrate that due to the climate variability across Iran during the year, there is at any point in time a location with climatic condition suitable for tourism. Mean values demonstrate maxima in bioclimatic comfort indices for the country in late winter and spring and minima for summer. Seven statistically significant clusters in bioclimatic indices were identified. Comparing these with clustering performed on PET and UTCI, the maximum overlaps between the two indices. In the following, the outputs of this research showed that most appropriate bioclimatic clustering for Iran includes seven clusters. These clustering locations according to climatic suitability for tourism provide a valuable contribution to tourism management in the country, particularly through marketing destinations to maximize tourist flow.

Research designs and making causal inferences from health care studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Flannelly, Kevin J; Jankowski, Katherine R B

2014-01-01

This article summarizes the major types of research designs used in healthcare research, including experimental, quasi-experimental, and observational studies. Observational studies are divided into survey studies (descriptive and correlational studies), case-studies and analytic studies, the last of which are commonly used in epidemiology: case-control, retrospective cohort, and prospective cohort studies. Similarities and differences among the research designs are described and the relative strength of evidence they provide is discussed. Emphasis is placed on five criteria for drawing causal inferences that are derived from the writings of the philosopher John Stuart Mill, especially his methods or canons. The application of the criteria to experimentation is explained. Particular attention is given to the degree to which different designs meet the five criteria for making causal inferences. Examples of specific studies that have used various designs in chaplaincy research are provided.

Bio-climatic house in Buenos Aires: monitoring of comfort in summer; Vivienda bioclimatica en buenos Aires: monitoreo de confort en verano

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Camporeale, P. E.

2008-07-01

This a case study referred to house. Different bio climatic design strategies were applied to get comfort only by passive technologies: stack device, crossed natural ventilation and appropriate insulation. Interior temperature has being monitored during summers to observe how a theoretical model and the real one differ from one another by means of data loggers. The measurements were taken considering a first case without the stack device working and a second case with the upper windows open, permitting that the draught provokes the stack effect. Considering users habits, it was noticed that they used to open windows during peak temperature inhibiting the thermal delay provided by wall inertia, which is theoretically more than nine hours. conclusions will improve bio climatic strategies to be developed in next projects retrofitting design process. (Author)

Handling uncertainty in bioenergy policy design – A case study analysis of UK and German bioelectricity policy instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purkus, Alexandra; Röder, Mirjam; Gawel, Erik; Thrän, Daniela; Thornley, Patricia

2015-01-01

In designing policies to promote bioenergy, policy makers face challenges concerning uncertainties about the sustainability of bioenergy pathways (including greenhouse gas balances), technology and resource costs, or future energy market framework conditions. New information becomes available with time, but policy adjustments can involve high levels of adaptation costs. To enable an effective steering of technology choices and innovation, policies have to strike a balance between creating a consistent institutional framework, which establishes planning security for investors, and sufficient flexibility to adapt to new information. This paper examines implications of economic theory for handling cost and benefit uncertainty in bioelectricity policy design, focussing on choices between price and quantity instruments, technology differentiation, and policy adjustment. Findings are applied to two case studies, the UK's Renewables Obligation and the German feed-in tariff/feed-in premium scheme. Case study results show the trade-offs that are involved in instrument choice and design – depending on political priorities and a country's specific context, different options can prove more adequate. Combining market-based remuneration with sustainability criteria results in strong incentives for bioenergy producers to search for low-cost solutions; whereas cost-based price instruments with centrally steered technology and feedstock choices offer higher planning security for investors and more direct control for policy makers over what pathways are implemented. Independent of the choice of instrument type and technology differentiation mechanism, findings emphasise the importance of a careful policy design, which determines the exact balance between performance criteria such as cost control, incentive intensity, planning security and adaptive efficiency. - Highlights: • Bioelectricity policy design must deal with simultaneous cost and benefit uncertainty. �

The household contact study design for genetic epidemiological studies of infectious diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catherine eStein

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Most genetic epidemiological study designs fall into one of two categories: family-based and population-based (case-control. However, recent advances in statistical genetics call for study designs that combine these two approaches. We describe the household contact study design as we have applied it in our several years of study of the epidemiology of tuberculosis. Though we highlight its applicability for genetic epidemiological studies of infectious diseases, there are many facets of this design that are appealing for modern genetic studies, including the simultaneous enrollment of related and unrelated individuals, closely and distantly related individuals, collection of extensive epidemiologic and phenotypic data, and evaluation of effects of shared environment and gene by environment interaction. These study design characteristics are particularly appealing for current sequencing studies.

Designing groupwork activities: a case study

OpenAIRE

Durant, Alan

1996-01-01

This chapter starts from college teachers’ frequent recognition that pedagogic materials, in ‘language through literature’ as in many other fields, often work best when designed with a particular group (or at least kind) of student in mind, and with sensitivity to linguistic, cultural and other factors which characterise a given teaching situation. Despite widespread acknowledgement of the value in targeting materials this way, however, not much importance is given in teacher-development or d...

Managing multi-architect collaborative design: case study of design competition for Ground Zero in New York

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sebastian, R.

2006-01-01

This paper presents a part of the PhD research by the author that responds to the need of an innovative approach to manage collaborative design in the conceptual design phase of a multi-architect building project. The research studied recent multi-architect building projects in the Netherlands,

QuantifyMe: An Open-Source Automated Single-Case Experimental Design Platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Taylor

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Smartphones and wearable sensors have enabled unprecedented data collection, with many products now providing feedback to users about recommended step counts or sleep durations. However, these recommendations do not provide personalized insights that have been shown to be best suited for a specific individual. A scientific way to find individualized recommendations and causal links is to conduct experiments using single-case experimental design; however, properly designed single-case experiments are not easy to conduct on oneself. We designed, developed, and evaluated a novel platform, QuantifyMe, for novice self-experimenters to conduct proper-methodology single-case self-experiments in an automated and scientific manner using their smartphones. We provide software for the platform that we used (available for free on GitHub, which provides the methodological elements to run many kinds of customized studies. In this work, we evaluate its use with four different kinds of personalized investigations, examining how variables such as sleep duration and regularity, activity, and leisure time affect personal happiness, stress, productivity, and sleep efficiency. We conducted a six-week pilot study (N = 13 to evaluate QuantifyMe. We describe the lessons learned developing the platform and recommendations for its improvement, as well as its potential for enabling personalized insights to be scientifically evaluated in many individuals, reducing the high administrative cost for advancing human health and wellbeing.

QuantifyMe: An Open-Source Automated Single-Case Experimental Design Platform.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Sara; Sano, Akane; Ferguson, Craig; Mohan, Akshay; Picard, Rosalind W

2018-04-05

Smartphones and wearable sensors have enabled unprecedented data collection, with many products now providing feedback to users about recommended step counts or sleep durations. However, these recommendations do not provide personalized insights that have been shown to be best suited for a specific individual. A scientific way to find individualized recommendations and causal links is to conduct experiments using single-case experimental design; however, properly designed single-case experiments are not easy to conduct on oneself. We designed, developed, and evaluated a novel platform, QuantifyMe, for novice self-experimenters to conduct proper-methodology single-case self-experiments in an automated and scientific manner using their smartphones. We provide software for the platform that we used (available for free on GitHub), which provides the methodological elements to run many kinds of customized studies. In this work, we evaluate its use with four different kinds of personalized investigations, examining how variables such as sleep duration and regularity, activity, and leisure time affect personal happiness, stress, productivity, and sleep efficiency. We conducted a six-week pilot study ( N = 13) to evaluate QuantifyMe. We describe the lessons learned developing the platform and recommendations for its improvement, as well as its potential for enabling personalized insights to be scientifically evaluated in many individuals, reducing the high administrative cost for advancing human health and wellbeing.

Deriving Design Flood Hydrograph Based on Conditional Distribution: A Case Study of Danjiangkou Reservoir in Hanjiang Basin

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Changjiang Xu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Design flood hydrograph (DFH for a dam is the flood of suitable probability and magnitude adopted to ensure safety of the dam in accordance with appropriate design standards. Estimated quantiles of peak discharge and flood volumes are necessary for deriving the DFH, which are mutually correlated and need to be described by multivariate analysis methods. The joint probability distributions of peak discharge and flood volumes were established using copula functions. Then the general formulae of conditional most likely composition (CMLC and conditional expectation composition (CEC methods that consider the inherent relationship between flood peak and volumes were derived for estimating DFH. The Danjiangkou reservoir in Hanjiang basin was selected as a case study. The design values of flood volumes and 90% confidence intervals with different peak discharges were estimated by the proposed methods. The performance of CMLC and CEC methods was also compared with conventional flood frequency analysis, and the results show that CMLC method performs best for both bivariate and trivariate distributions which has the smallest relative error and root mean square error. The proposed CMLC method has strong statistical basis with unique design flood composition scheme and provides an alternative way for deriving DFH.

Space engineering modeling and optimization with case studies

CERN Document Server

Pintér, János

2016-01-01

This book presents a selection of advanced case studies that cover a substantial range of issues and real-world challenges and applications in space engineering. Vital mathematical modeling, optimization methodologies and numerical solution aspects of each application case study are presented in detail, with discussions of a range of advanced model development and solution techniques and tools. Space engineering challenges are discussed in the following contexts: •Advanced Space Vehicle Design •Computation of Optimal Low Thrust Transfers •Indirect Optimization of Spacecraft Trajectories •Resource-Constrained Scheduling, •Packing Problems in Space •Design of Complex Interplanetary Trajectories •Satellite Constellation Image Acquisition •Re-entry Test Vehicle Configuration Selection •Collision Risk Assessment on Perturbed Orbits •Optimal Robust Design of Hybrid Rocket Engines •Nonlinear Regression Analysis in Space Engineering< •Regression-Based Sensitivity Analysis and Robust Design ...

An Industrial Case Study: Identification of Competencies of Design Engineers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ahmed, Saeema

2007-01-01

identified and the importance of these for design engineers in industry was investigated. In addition, the number of years of relevant experience required to become an expert in these types of knowledge was investigated. Knowledge related to the process was perceived as more important to those related......This paper describes the findings from an empirical study carried out with engineers in senior roles within a large company manufacturing complex products. This research aimed to identify the types of knowledge that are important for design engineers. Twenty-four knowledge categories were...... to the product. However, the number of years to become an expert in process knowledge was found to be lower than for product knowledge, despite process knowledge being perceived as more important. The findings of this research contribute to the education and training of design engineers....

The International Children’s Digital Library: A Case Study in Designing for a Multilingual, Multicultural, Multigenerational Audience

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hilary Browne Hutchinson

2005-03-01

Full Text Available The challenges encountered in building the InternationalChildren’s Digital Library (ICDL, a freely availableonline library of children’s literature are described. Thesechallenges include selecting and processing books fromdifferent countries, handling and presenting multiplelanguages simultaneously, and addressing cultural differences. Unlike other digital libraries that present content from one or a few languages and cultures, and focuson either adult or child audiences, ICDL must serve amultilingual, multicultural, multigenerational audience.The research is presented as a case study for addressingthese design criteria; current solutions and plans forfuture work are described.

Radical university-industry innovation – research design and preliminary findings from an on-going qualitative case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gertsen, Frank; Nielsen, René Nesgaard

and it is arguing that there is a lack of in-depth understanding of such collaborative radical innovation processes. The paper then suggests an abductive research design for an explorative in-depth case study of collaborative radical innovation involving a university and an established Danish manufacturing firm....... Some preliminary findings are presented and briefly discussed, including the role of the university’s formal set-up to deal with IPR/commercialisation and the researchers’ personal networking with industry as well as challenges concerning the sharing of IPR/commercialisation outcomes....

Designing and Maintaining a Communication Consulting Relationship: A Fire Officer Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Cragan, John F.

2008-01-01

This case study describes a 35-year communication consulting relationship with the Illinois Fire Chiefs' Association. This case explains the fire chiefs' educational problems, the five-step method for creating an educational curriculum for fire officers, and the five-step procedure for continuous evaluation of the curriculum. Finally, an…

Case Designs for Ill-Structured Problems: Analysis and Implications for Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Dabbagh, Nada; Blijd, Cecily Williams

2009-01-01

This study is a third in a series of studies that examined students' information seeking and problem solving behaviors while interacting with one of two types of web-based representations of an ill-structured instructional design case: hierarchical (tree-like) and heterarchical (network-like). A Java program was used to track students' hypermedia…

Risk of Infective Endocarditis After Invasive Dental Treatments: A Case-Only Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Tzu-Ting; Yeh, Yi-Chun; Chien, Kuo-Liong; Lai, Mei-Shu; Tu, Yu-Kang

2018-04-19

Background -Invasive dental treatments (IDTs) can yield temporary bacteremia and has therefore been considered a potential risk factor of infective endocarditis (IE). It is hypothesized that, through the trauma caused by IDTs, bacteria gain entry to the bloodstream and may attach to abnormal heart valves or damaged heart tissue, giving rise to IE. However, the association between IDTs and IE remains controversial. The aim of this study is to estimate the association between IDTs and IE. Methods -The data in this study were obtained from the Health Insurance Database in Taiwan. We selected two case-only study designs, case-crossover and self-controlled case series, to analyze the data. The advantage of these methods is that confounding factors which do not vary with time are adjusted for implicitly. In the case-crossover design, conditional logistic regression model with exposure to IDTs was used to estimate the risks of IE following an IDT with 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks delay, respectively. In the self-controlled case series design, conditional Poisson regression model was used to estimate the risk of IE for the risk periods of 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, and 13-16 weeks following an IDT. Results -In total, 9120 and 8181 IE patients were included in case-crossover design and self-controlled case series design, respectively. In case-crossover design, 277 cases and 249 controls received IDTs during the exposure period, and the odds ratio was 1.12 (95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.94-1.34) for 4 weeks. In self-controlled case series design, we observed that 407 IE occurred during the first four weeks after IDTs, and the age-adjusted incidence rate ratio was 1.14 (95% CI: 1.02-1.26) for 1-4 weeks after IDTs. Conclusions -In both study designs, we did not observe a clinically larger risk for IE in the short periods after IDTs. We also found no association between IDTs and IE among high-risk patients. Therefore, antibiotic prophylaxis for prevention of IE is not required for the

A Case Study in Design Thinking Applied Through Aviation Mission Support Tactical Advancements for the Next Generation (TANG)

Science.gov (United States)

2017-12-01

world, there is some ambiguity when discussing the design of a product , and ambiguity driven by market competition focus on a product’s meanings...constrained interpretation of design . One such case is the Artemide manufacturing company based out of Milan, highly awarded and regarded within the...project was a new design strategy radically divergent from convention, differentiating the product from competing groups while developing new

Case Studies in the Field of Marketing Education: Learner Impact, Case Performance, and Cost Efficiency

Science.gov (United States)

Spais, George S.

2005-01-01

The major objective of this study is to identify a methodology that will help educators in marketing to efficiently manage the design, impact, and cost of case studies. It is my intention is to examine the impact of case study characteristics in relation to the degree of learner involvement in the learning process. The author proposes that…

Exploring Young Children's Understanding about the Concept of Volume through Engineering Design in a STEM Activity: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Do-Yong; Park, Mi-Hwa; Bates, Alan B.

2018-01-01

This case study explores young children's understanding and application of the concept of volume through the practices of engineering design in a STEM activity. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. However, engineering stands out as a challenging area to implement. In addition, most early engineering education…

Designing a Care Pathway Model - A Case Study of the Outpatient Total Hip Arthroplasty Care Pathway.

Science.gov (United States)

Oosterholt, Robin I; Simonse, Lianne Wl; Boess, Stella U; Vehmeijer, Stephan Bw

2017-03-09

Although the clinical attributes of total hip arthroplasty (THA) care pathways have been thoroughly researched, a detailed understanding of the equally important organisational attributes is still lacking. The aim of this article is to contribute with a model of the outpatient THA care pathway that depicts how the care team should be organised to enable patient discharge on the day of surgery. The outpatient THA care pathway enables patients to be discharged on the day of surgery, shortening the length of stay and intensifying the provision and organisation of care. We utilise visual care modelling to construct a visual design of the organisation of the care pathway. An embedded case study was conducted of the outpatient THA care pathway at a teaching hospital in the Netherlands. The data were collected using a visual care modelling toolkit in 16 semi-structured interviews. Problems and inefficiencies in the care pathway were identified and addressed in the iterative design process. The results are two visual models of the most critical phases of the outpatient THA care pathway: diagnosis & preparation (1) and mobilisation & discharge (4). The results show the care team composition, critical value exchanges, and sequence that enable patient discharge on the day of surgery. The design addressed existing problems and is an optimisation of the case hospital's pathway. The network of actors consists of the patient (1), radiologist (1), anaesthetist (1), nurse specialist (1), pharmacist (1), orthopaedic surgeon (1,4), physiotherapist (1,4), nurse (4), doctor (4) and patient application (1,4). The critical value exchanges include patient preparation (mental and practical), patient education, aligned care team, efficient sequence of value exchanges, early patient mobilisation, flexible availability of the physiotherapist, functional discharge criteria, joint decision making and availability of the care team.

Design of a Nanosatellite Ground Monitoring and Control Software – a Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Freddy Alexander Díaz González

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The growing countries that have carried out the development of CubeSat missions for academic purposes do not offer aerospace engineering programs at their universities. This causes difficulties for traditional engineers upon the formal use of different standards and frameworks for aerospace development, such as the European Cooperation for Space Standardization and Space Mission Analysis and Design . One way in which traditional software engineers can easily understand the structure of an aerospace framework, in order to apply it on the development of CubeSat mission software parts, is comparing its most important elements in relation to the elements suggested by a more familiar method. In this paper, we present a hybrid framework between the ECSS-E-ST-40C standard and the Rational Unified Process, which can be used by traditional software engineers as a guide model for the development of software elements in academic nanosatellite missions. The model integrates the processes and documentation suggested by the ECSS-E-ST-40C with the disciplines, workflows and artifacts suggested in Rational Unified Process. This simplifies the structure of ECSS-E-ST-40C and allows traditional software engineers to easily understand its work elements. The paper describes as study case the implementation of the hybrid model in the analysis and design of ground monitoring and control software for the Libertad-2 satellite mission, which is currently being developed by the Universidad Sergio Arboleda in Colombia.

The Use of Computer Tools in the Design Process of Students’ Architectural Projects. Case Studies in Algeria

Science.gov (United States)

Saighi, Ouafa; Salah Zerouala, Mohamed

2017-12-01

This The paper particularly deals with the way in which computer tools are used by students in their design studio’s projects. Four institutions of architecture education in Algeria are considered as a case study to evaluate the impact of such tools on student design process. This aims to inspect in depth such use, to sort out its advantages and shortcomings in order to suggest some solutions. A field survey was undertaken on a sample of students and their teachers at the same institutions. The analysed results mainly show that computer tools are highly focusing on improving the quality of drawings representation and images seeking observers’ satisfaction hence influencing their decision. Some teachers are not very keen to overuse the computer during the design phase; they prefer the “traditional” approach. This is the present situation that Algerian university is facing which leads to conflict and disagreement between students and teachers. Meanwhile, there was no doubt that computer tools have effectively contributed to improve the competitive level among students.

Deployment of pollution prevention during design -- a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Del Mar, R.A.; Ambalam, T.T.

1997-08-01

Traditionally, pollution prevention (P2) assessments have been performed on existing facilities and ongoing operations, well after the completion of design and construction. It has been theorized that more success can be achieved by moving P2 upstream into the design process, where an estimated 70% of a project's total life cycle costs are initially fixed. Decisions made during design to prevent or minimize the amount of waste generated can reap benefits for many years to come. This is especially true when designing systems for handling hazardous and radioactive wastes for treatment, storage, and disposal. P2 assessments performed during design of such projects can uncover significant savings to be reaped during project construction, operations, and/or decommissioning. However, many project managers are still reluctant to include some type of P2 review or assessment as part of the design effort, because the immediate payback to the design entity is difficult to quantify. This paper presents the results of a P2 assessment performed on a design project at Hanford which identified close to $500,000 in construction savings while minimizing low-level and mixed radioactive waste generation. This paper describes the process used to per-form the assessment, discusses its results, and provides lessons-learned for future P2 design assessments

KYPO Cyber Range: Design and Use Cases

OpenAIRE

Vykopal Jan; Ošlejšek Radek; Čeleda Pavel; Vizváry Martin; Tovarňák Daniel

2017-01-01

The physical and cyber worlds are increasingly intertwined and exposed to cyber attacks. The KYPO cyber range provides complex cyber systems and networks in a virtualized, fully controlled and monitored environment. Time-efficient and cost-effective deployment is feasible using cloud resources instead of a dedicated hardware infrastructure. This paper describes the design decisions made during it’s development. We prepared a set of use cases to evaluate the proposed design decisions and to de...

Importance of individual analysis of environmental and climatic factors affecting the density of Leishmania vectors living in the same geographical area: the example of Phlebotomus ariasi and P. perniciosus in northeast Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Ballart

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to determine the role of specific environmental and climatic factors affecting the distribution and density of Phlebotomus ariasi and P. perniciosus, the proven vectors for Leishmania infantum in Spain. An entomological study was carried out in July 2006 in the province of Lleida with sticky traps set in their diurnal resting places at altitudes ranging from 86 to 1,755 m above the mean sea level (339 sites were sampled. Bivariate analysis revealed that factors such as altitude, bioclimatic zone, temperature, precipitation, sampling site (site relative to settlement, site situation, site category, wall vegetation, particular environment (in this case a natural park, general environment, adjacent natural vegetation and land cover were significantly associated with sand fly densities. The multivariate model for P. perniciosus revealed that its density was affected by site and land cover. Specifically, paved driveways correlated negatively with vector density (Incidence Risk Ratio (IRR: 0.41 and arable land cover correlated positively (IRR: 4.59. In the case of P. ariasi, a significant correlation was observed with the altitude and bioclimatic zone, with density increasing at >800 m above the mean sea level (IRR: 3.40 and decreasing in the meso-Mediterranean bioclimatic zone (IRR: 0.08. Both species were mostly found in agricultural and forest areas far from domestic environments. However, the two species correlated differently with altitude, bio-climate, vegetation, temperature and precipitation, which emphasises the importance of their individual analysis in studies regarding risk of leishmaniasis transmission.

Numerical Analysis of Thermal Comfort at Urban Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Papakonstantinou, K.; Belias, C.

2009-08-01

The present paper refers to the numerical simulation of air velocity at open air spaces and the conducting thermal comfort after the evaluation of the examined space using CFD methods, taking into account bioclimatic principles at the architectural design. More specially, the paper draws attention to the physical procedures governing air movement at an open environment area in Athens (athletic park), named "Serafeio Athletic and Cultural Centre," trying to form them in such way that will lead to the thermal comfort of the area's visitors. The study presents a mathematical model, implemented in a general computer code that can provide detailed information on velocity, prevailing in three-dimensional spaces of any geometrical complexity. Turbulent flow is simulated and buoyancy effects are taken into account. This modelling procedure is intended to contribute to the effort towards designing open areas, such as parks, squares or outdoor building environments, using thermal comfort criteria at the bioclimatic design. A computer model of this kind will provide the architects or the environmental engineers with powerful and economical means of evaluating alternative spaces' designs.

Numerical Analysis of Thermal Comfort at Open Air Spaces

Science.gov (United States)

Papakonstantinou, K.; Belias, C.; Pantos-Kikkos, S.; Assana, A.

2008-09-01

The present paper refers to the numerical simulation of air velocity at open air spaces and the conducting thermal comfort after the evaluation of the examined space using CFD methods, taking into account bioclimatic principles at the architectural design. More specially, the paper draws attention to the physical procedures governing air movement at an open environment area in Athens (urban park), named "Attiko Alsos," trying to form them in such way that will lead to the thermal comfort of the area's visitors. The study presents a mathematical model, implemented in a general computer code that can provide detailed information on velocity, prevailing in three-dimensional spaces of any geometrical complexity. Turbulent flow is simulated and buoyancy effects are taken into account. This modelling procedure is intended to contribute to the effort towards designing open areas, such as parks, squares or outdoor building environments, using thermal comfort criteria at the bioclimatic design. A computer model of this kind will provide the architects or the environmental engineers with powerful and economical means of evaluating alternative spaces' designs.

Team effectiveness in academic medical libraries: a multiple case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Elaine Russo

2006-07-01

The objective of this study is to apply J. Richard Hackman's framework on team effectiveness to academic medical library settings. The study uses a qualitative, multiple case study design, employing interviews and focus groups to examine team effectiveness in three academic medical libraries. Another site was selected as a pilot to validate the research design, field procedures, and methods to be used with the cases. In all, three interviews and twelve focus groups, with approximately seventy-five participants, were conducted at the case study libraries. Hackman identified five conditions leading to team effectiveness and three outcomes dimensions that defined effectiveness. The participants in this study identified additional characteristics of effectiveness that focused on enhanced communication, leadership personality and behavior, and relationship building. The study also revealed an additional outcome dimension related to the evolution of teams. Introducing teams into an organization is not a trivial matter. Hackman's model of effectiveness has implications for designing successful library teams.

Team effectiveness in academic medical libraries: a multiple case study*

Science.gov (United States)

Russo Martin, Elaine

2006-01-01

Objectives: The objective of this study is to apply J. Richard Hackman's framework on team effectiveness to academic medical library settings. Methods: The study uses a qualitative, multiple case study design, employing interviews and focus groups to examine team effectiveness in three academic medical libraries. Another site was selected as a pilot to validate the research design, field procedures, and methods to be used with the cases. In all, three interviews and twelve focus groups, with approximately seventy-five participants, were conducted at the case study libraries. Findings: Hackman identified five conditions leading to team effectiveness and three outcomes dimensions that defined effectiveness. The participants in this study identified additional characteristics of effectiveness that focused on enhanced communication, leadership personality and behavior, and relationship building. The study also revealed an additional outcome dimension related to the evolution of teams. Conclusions: Introducing teams into an organization is not a trivial matter. Hackman's model of effectiveness has implications for designing successful library teams. PMID:16888659

Overview of energy-conserving development planning and design techniques based on five case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-06-01

Findings and recommendations are presented of a review of five case studies of ways to conserve energy through development planning and site design in communities. Two approaches were used. In the first approach, a conventional, pre-existing plan was analyzed to determine potential energy use. Once energy-conservation options were identified and evaluated, the conventional plan was modified by employing those options. This approach was used in The Woodlands, Burke Center, and Radisson studies. In the second approach, energy-conservation options are independently identified and evaluated. Those options that passed specific criteria screening were then utilized in developing one or more totally new plans based on energy objectives. This approach was used in Greenbrier and Shenandoah. Radisson is a new town on the outskirts of Syracuse, New York. Greenbrier is a 3000 acre planned community adjacent to Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Shenandoah is a proposed new town in the Atlanta urbanized area. The Woodlands is a new community under development north of Houston. Burke Center is a residential planned unit development in Fairfax County, Virgnia. (MCW)

A Review of Case-Based Learning Practices in an Online MBA Program: A Program-Level Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seung-hee; Lee, Jieun; Liu, Xiaojing; Bonk, Curt J.; Magjuka, Richard J.

2009-01-01

This study examines how a case-based learning approach was used and facilitated in online business education. Perceptions of students and instructors regarding the practices of case-based learning in online environments are explored in terms of instructional design, facilitation, and technology support. This study finds case-based learning to be a…

Patterns of change in design metaphor: A case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stubblefield, W.A.

1998-04-01

Design metaphors play an important role in the development of many software projects. However, the influence of metaphors on project functionality, design methodology and the interactions among members of the development team is not well understood. This paper seeks insights into these issues by examining the experiences of a design team in building a system under the influence of a particularly strong design metaphor.

Case Study Research: Foundations and Methodological Orientations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Helena Harrison

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Over the last forty years, case study research has undergone substantial methodological development. This evolution has resulted in a pragmatic, flexible research approach, capable of providing comprehensive in-depth understanding of a diverse range of issues across a number of disciplines. Change and progress have stemmed from parallel influences of historical transformations in approaches to research and individual researcher's preferences, perspectives, and interpretations of this design. Researchers who have contributed to the development of case study research come from diverse disciplines with different philosophical perspectives, resulting in a variety of definitions and approaches. For the researcher new to using case study, such variety can create a confusing platform for its application. In this article, we explore the evolution of case study research, discuss methodological variations, and summarize key elements with the aim of providing guidance on the available options for researchers wanting to use case study in their work. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1701195

Preliminary Field Tests and Long-Term Monitoring as a Method of Design Risk Mitigation: A Case Study of Gdańsk Deepwater Container Terminal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miśkiewicz Mikołaj

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Appropriate risk assessment plays a fundamental role in the design. . The authors propose a possible method of design risk mitigation, which follows recommendations included in Eurocode 7. The so-called “Observational Method” (OM can produce savings in costs and programmes on engineering projects without compromising safety. The case study presented is a complex design solution that deals with the heavy foundations of a gantry crane beam as one of the elements of a Deepwater Container Terminal extension. The paper presents a detailed process of the design of the rear crane beam being a part of the brand new berth, together with its static analysis, as well as the long-term results of observations, which have revealed the real performance of the marine structure. The case presented is based on excessive preliminary field tests and technical monitoring of the structure, and is an example of a successful OM implementation and design risk mitigation.

Reliability improvement through alternative designs-A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Saurabh; Chattopadhyay, Gopi; Kumar, Uday

2007-01-01

In today's competitive world, reliability of equipment is extremely important to maintain quality and delivery deadlines. This is achieved by using proper maintenance and design changes for unreliable subsystems and components of a complex system. It is significant to develop a strategy for maintenance, replacement and design changes related to those subsystems and components. An analysis of down time along with causes is essential to identify the unreliable components and subsystems. This paper presents an analysis of failure data of solenoid coils of automatic internal grinding machine used in a bearing manufacturing plant. It analyses various replacement and change of design options such as introduction of pneumatic system in place of electromagnetic solenoids for improvement of reliability of the plunger movement mechanism

Medical Big Data Warehouse: Architecture and System Design, a Case Study: Improving Healthcare Resources Distribution.

Science.gov (United States)

Sebaa, Abderrazak; Chikh, Fatima; Nouicer, Amina; Tari, AbdelKamel

2018-02-19

The huge increases in medical devices and clinical applications which generate enormous data have raised a big issue in managing, processing, and mining this massive amount of data. Indeed, traditional data warehousing frameworks can not be effective when managing the volume, variety, and velocity of current medical applications. As a result, several data warehouses face many issues over medical data and many challenges need to be addressed. New solutions have emerged and Hadoop is one of the best examples, it can be used to process these streams of medical data. However, without an efficient system design and architecture, these performances will not be significant and valuable for medical managers. In this paper, we provide a short review of the literature about research issues of traditional data warehouses and we present some important Hadoop-based data warehouses. In addition, a Hadoop-based architecture and a conceptual data model for designing medical Big Data warehouse are given. In our case study, we provide implementation detail of big data warehouse based on the proposed architecture and data model in the Apache Hadoop platform to ensure an optimal allocation of health resources.

On strength design using free material subjected to multiple load cases

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Pauli; Pedersen, Niels Leergaard

2013-01-01

Multiple load cases and the consideration of strength is a reality that most structural designs are exposed to. Improved possibility to produce specific materials, say by fiber lay-up, put focus on research on free material optimization. A formulation for such design problems together with a prac......Multiple load cases and the consideration of strength is a reality that most structural designs are exposed to. Improved possibility to produce specific materials, say by fiber lay-up, put focus on research on free material optimization. A formulation for such design problems together...... with a practical recursive design procedure is presented and illustrated with examples. The presented finite element analysis involve many elements as well as many load cases. Separating the local amount of material from a description with unit trace for the local anisotropy, gives the free materials formulation...

Children as Educational Computer Game Designers: An Exploratory Study

Science.gov (United States)

Baytak, Ahmet; Land, Susan M.; Smith, Brian K.

2011-01-01

This study investigated how children designed computer games as artifacts that reflected their understanding of nutrition. Ten 5th grade students were asked to design computer games with the software "Game Maker" for the purpose of teaching 1st graders about nutrition. The results from the case study show that students were able to…

Bioclimatic predictions of habitat suitability for the biofuel switchgrass in North America under current and future climate scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barney, Jacob N.; DiTomaso, Joseph M.

2010-01-01

Dedicated biofuel crops, while providing economic and other benefits, may adversely impact biodiversity directly via land use conversion, or indirectly via creation of novel invasive species. To mitigate negative impacts bioclimatic envelope models (BEM) can be used to estimate the potential distribution and suitable habitat based on the climate and distribution in the native range. We used CLIMEX to evaluate the regions of North America suitable for agronomic production, as well as regions potentially susceptible to an invasion of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum) under both current and future climate scenarios. Model results show that >8.7 million km 2 of North America has suitable to very favorable habitat, most of which occurs east of the Rocky Mountains. The non-native range of western North America is largely unsuitable to switchgrass as a crop or potential weed unless irrigation or permanent water is available. Under both the CGCM2 and HadCM3 climate models and A2 and B2 emissions scenarios, an overall increase in suitable habitat is predicted over the coming century, although the western US remains unsuitable. Our results suggest that much of North America is suitable for switchgrass cultivation, although this is likely to shift north in the coming century. Our results also agree with field collections of switchgrass outside its native range, which indicate that switchgrass is unlikely to establish unless it has access to water throughout the year (e.g., along a stream). Thus, it is the potential invasion of switchgrass into riparian habitats in the West that requires further investigation. (author)

User-centered design in brain-computer interfaces-a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schreuder, Martijn; Riccio, Angela; Risetti, Monica; Dähne, Sven; Ramsay, Andrew; Williamson, John; Mattia, Donatella; Tangermann, Michael

2013-10-01

The array of available brain-computer interface (BCI) paradigms has continued to grow, and so has the corresponding set of machine learning methods which are at the core of BCI systems. The latter have evolved to provide more robust data analysis solutions, and as a consequence the proportion of healthy BCI users who can use a BCI successfully is growing. With this development the chances have increased that the needs and abilities of specific patients, the end-users, can be covered by an existing BCI approach. However, most end-users who have experienced the use of a BCI system at all have encountered a single paradigm only. This paradigm is typically the one that is being tested in the study that the end-user happens to be enrolled in, along with other end-users. Though this corresponds to the preferred study arrangement for basic research, it does not ensure that the end-user experiences a working BCI. In this study, a different approach was taken; that of a user-centered design. It is the prevailing process in traditional assistive technology. Given an individual user with a particular clinical profile, several available BCI approaches are tested and - if necessary - adapted to him/her until a suitable BCI system is found. Described is the case of a 48-year-old woman who suffered from an ischemic brain stem stroke, leading to a severe motor- and communication deficit. She was enrolled in studies with two different BCI systems before a suitable system was found. The first was an auditory event-related potential (ERP) paradigm and the second a visual ERP paradigm, both of which are established in literature. The auditory paradigm did not work successfully, despite favorable preconditions. The visual paradigm worked flawlessly, as found over several sessions. This discrepancy in performance can possibly be explained by the user's clinical deficit in several key neuropsychological indicators, such as attention and working memory. While the auditory paradigm relies

Effectiveness of inactivated quadrivalent influenza vaccine in the 2015/2016 season as assessed in both a test-negative case-control study design and a traditional case-control study design.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimiya, Takahisa; Shinjoh, Masayoshi; Anzo, Makoto; Takahashi, Hiroki; Sekiguchi, Shinichiro; Sugaya, Norio; Takahashi, Takao

2018-04-21

Both traditional case-control studies (TCCSs) and test-negative case-control studies (TNCCSs) are commonly used to assess influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE). To compensate for the fact that observational studies are susceptible to bias, we combined both methods to assess VE in one geographical area during the 2015/2016 season, when influenza A (H1N1)pdm was dominant. Our TNCCS covered 331 children aged 6 months to 15 years who visited our hospital with fever, including 182 with influenza, and our TCCS covered 812 pediatric outpatients aged 6 months to 15 years, including 214 with influenza. Influenza infection and vaccination history were reviewed, and VE was calculated as (1 - odds ratio) × 100. In the TNCCS, VE against influenza A was 68% (95% CI 47-81) overall, and 70% (48-83) for those given two doses; against influenza B, VE was 37% (- 12-64) overall and 49% (2-74) for two doses. In the TCCS, VE against influenza A was 44% (15-63) overall and 44% (13-64) for two doses, and VE against influenza B was 24% (- 19-52) overall and 41% (3-64) for two doses. Both studies confirmed significant VE against influenza A, significant two-dose VE against influenza B, and better two-dose VE than one-dose VE. What is Known: • Influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) varies from year to year. • Observational studies are conventionally used for VE assessment. However, they are inherently susceptible to bias and confounding. What is New: • This is the first report of influenza VE assessment using more than one observational study and performed in a specific area during the same season. • VE estimates obtained in our traditional case-control study were lower than those in our test-negative case-control study, but both studies found significant VE against influenza.

DHM simulation in virtual environments: a case-study on control room design.

Science.gov (United States)

Zamberlan, M; Santos, V; Streit, P; Oliveira, J; Cury, R; Negri, T; Pastura, F; Guimarães, C; Cid, G

2012-01-01

This paper will present the workflow developed for the application of serious games in the design of complex cooperative work settings. The project was based on ergonomic studies and development of a control room among participative design process. Our main concerns were the 3D human virtual representation acquired from 3D scanning, human interaction, workspace layout and equipment designed considering ergonomics standards. Using Unity3D platform to design the virtual environment, the virtual human model can be controlled by users on dynamic scenario in order to evaluate the new work settings and simulate work activities. The results obtained showed that this virtual technology can drastically change the design process by improving the level of interaction between final users and, managers and human factors team.

Design of emergency plans due to the failure risk of hydraulic works - Theory and case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ochoa Rivera, Juan Camilo

2006-01-01

Dams are built to be highly safe hydraulic works. Nevertheless, they are not exempt from a certain failure risk, which turns in a variable value along the time service of the dam. As the mentioned dam-failure risk can be a significant hazard, analysis on dam-break is becoming important, as same as the assessment of its consequences. This type of studies are intended to reduce the costs linked to dam-failure, which are mainly due to the losses of human beings and material goods. A suitable way to minimize such losses consists of designing emergency plans, which permit to prepare and implant appropriate protection measures. A methodological framework to carry out this kind of emergency plans is introduced in this paper, accompanied by a case study corresponding to an emergency plan of a Spanish dam

Influenza vaccine effectiveness estimates in the Dutch population from 2003 to 2014: the test-negative design case-control study with different control groups.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Doorn, E. van; Darvishian, M.; Dijkstra, F.; Donker, G.A.; Overduin, P.; Meijer, A.; Hak, E.

2017-01-01

Information about influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) is important for vaccine strain selection and immunization policy decisions. The test-negative design (TND) case-control study is commonly used to obtain IVE estimates. However, the definition of the control patients may influence IVE

Influenza vaccine effectiveness estimates in the Dutch population from 2003 to 2014 : The test-negative design case-control study with different control groups

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Doorn, Eva; Darvishian, Maryam; Dijkstra, Frederika; Donker, Gé A; Overduin, Pieter; Meijer, Adam; Hak, Eelko

2017-01-01

Information about influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) is important for vaccine strain selection and immunization policy decisions. The test-negative design (TND) case-control study is commonly used to obtain IVE estimates. However, the definition of the control patients may influence IVE

Influenza vaccine effectiveness estimates in the Dutch population from 2003 to 2014: The test-negative design case-control study with different control groups.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Doorn, Eva; Darvishian, Maryam; Dijkstra, Frederika; Donker, Gé A; Overduin, Pieter; Meijer, Adam; Hak, Eelko

2017-01-01

Information about influenza vaccine effectiveness (IVE) is important for vaccine strain selection and immunization policy decisions. The test-negative design (TND) case-control study is commonly used to obtain IVE estimates. However, the definition of the control patients may influence IVE

A Competence-Based Approach to the Design of a Teaching Sequence about Oral and Dental Health and Hygiene: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Blanco-López, Ángel; Franco-Mariscal, Antonio Joaquín; España-Ramos, Enrique

2016-01-01

We present a case study to illustrate the design and implementation of a teaching sequence about oral and dental health and hygiene. This teaching sequence was aimed at year 10 students (age 15-16) and sought to develop their scientific competences. In line with the PISA assessment framework for science and the tenets of a context-based approach…

Audio Key Finding: Considerations in System Design and Case Studies on Chopin's 24 Preludes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elaine Chew

2007-01-01

Full Text Available We systematically analyze audio key finding to determine factors important to system design, and the selection and evaluation of solutions. First, we present a basic system, fuzzy analysis spiral array center of effect generator algorithm, with three key determination policies: nearest-neighbor (NN, relative distance (RD, and average distance (AD. AD achieved a 79% accuracy rate in an evaluation on 410 classical pieces, more than 8% higher RD and NN. We show why audio key finding sometimes outperforms symbolic key finding. We next propose three extensions to the basic key finding system—the modified spiral array (mSA, fundamental frequency identification (F0, and post-weight balancing (PWB—to improve performance, with evaluations using Chopin's Preludes (Romantic repertoire was the most challenging. F0 provided the greatest improvement in the first 8 seconds, while mSA gave the best performance after 8 seconds. Case studies examine when all systems were correct, or all incorrect.