Optimal Weighting for Exam Composition

A problem faced by many instructors is that of designing exams that accurately assess the abilities of the students. Typically these exams are prepared several days in advance, and generic question scores are used based on rough approximation of the question difficulty and length. For example, for a recent class taught by the author, there were 30 multiple choice questions worth 3 points, 15 true/false with explanation questions worth 4 points, and 5 analytical exercises worth 10 points. We describe a novel framework where algorithms from machine learning are used to modify the exam question weights in order to optimize the exam scores, using the overall class grade as a proxy for a student's true ability. We show that significant error reduction can be obtained by our approach over standard weighting schemes, and we make several new observations regarding the properties of the "good" and "bad" exam questions that can have impact on the design of improved future evaluation methods

Virtual Architecture: Designing and Directing Curriculum-Based Telecomputing

Is it worth it, all this Internet stuff? Worth the time and energy it takes? Worth it because your students will learn more? Worth it because you\u27ll be a better teacher? The answer to these questions-yes and no-can be found in this readable, conversational, practical, and slyly revolutionary work. The author proposes that integrating computer-mediated technology into your classroom is well worth it if accomplished in a way that helps new and worthwhile things happen there. And then she shows you how to do just that. You\u27ll begin building with a flexible framework-clear, strong, and simple activity structures-that becomes your foundation for designing and implementing powerful curriculum-based telecomputing projects. Don\u27t expect a project directory, general reference, or manual. This is a book you\u27ll read from start to finish and be glad you did. It\u27s worth it

A PICTURE IS WORTH MORE THAN A THOUSAND PURCHASES: DESIGNING AN IMAGE-BASED FASHION CURATION SYSTEM

Online retailing has been experiencing explosive growth for years and is dramatically reshaping the way people shop. Given the lack of personal interactions fashion retailers have to establish compelling service and information offerings to sustain this growth trajectory. A recent manifestation of this is the emergence of shopping curation as a service. For this purpose, experts manually craft individual outfits based on customer information from questionnaires. For the retailers as well as for the customers, this process entails severe weaknesses, particularly with regard to immediateness, scalability, and perceived financial risks. To overcome these limitations, we present an artificial fashion curation system for individual outfit recommendations that leverages deep learning techniques and unstructured data from social media and fashion blogs. Here, we lay out the artifact design and provide a comprehensive evaluation strategy to assess the system\u27s utility

Sensitivity Study on Availability of I&C Components Using Bayesian Network

The objective of this study is to find out the impact of instrumentation and control (I&C) components on the availability of I&C systems in terms of sensitivity analysis using Bayesian network. The analysis has been performed on I&C architecture of reactor protection system. The analysis results would be applied to develop I&C architecture which will meet the desire reliability features and save cost. RPS architecture unavailability P(x=0) and availability P(x=1) were estimated to 6.1276E-05 and 9.9994E-01 for failure (0) and perfect (1) states, respectively. The impact of I&C components on overall system risk has been studied in terms of risk achievement worth (RAW) and risk reduction worth (RRW). It is found that circuit breaker failure (TCB), bi-stable processor (BP), sensor transmitter (TR), and pressure transmitter (PT) have high impact on risk. The study concludes and recommends that circuit breaker bi-stable processor should be given more consideration while designing I&C architecture

Developing of Distributed Virtual Laboratories for Smart Sensor System Design Based on Multi-Dimensional Access Method

In the article it is considered preconditions and main principles of creation of virtual laboratories for computer-aided design, as tools for interdisciplinary researches. Virtual laboratory, what are offered, is worth to be used on the stage of the requirements specification or EFT-stage, because it gives the possibility of fast estimating of the project realization, certain characteristics and, as a result, expected benefit of its applications. Using of these technologies already increase automation level of design stages of new devices for different purposes. Proposed computer technology gives possibility to specialists from such scientific fields, as chemistry, biology, biochemistry, physics etc, to check possibility of device creating on the basis of developed sensors. It lets to reduce terms and costs of designing of computer devices and systems on the early stages of designing, for example on the stage of requirements specification or EFT-stage. An important feature of this project is using the advanced multi-dimensional access method for organizing the information base of the Virtual laboratory

Spark plasma sintered carbon electrodes for electrical double layer capacitor applications

The spark plasma sintering (SPS) is an emerging process for shaping any type of materials (metals, ceramic, polymers and their composites). The advantage of such a process is to prepare densified ceramic materials in a very short time, while keeping the materials internal porosity. In the present work, we have used the SPS technique to prepare activated carbon-based electrodes for Electrochemical Double Layer Capacitor applications (EDLC). Self-supported 600 and 300µm-thick electrodes were prepared and characterized using of Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy and galvanostatic cycling in a non-aqueous 1.5MNEt4BF4 in acetonitrile electrolyte. Electrochemical performance of these sintered electrodes were found to be in the same range – or even slightly better – than the conventional tape-casted activated carbon electrodes. Although organic liquid electrolyte was used to characterize the electrochemical performance of the sintered electrodes, these results demonstrate that the SPS technique could be worth of interest in the ultimate goal of designing solid-state supercapacitors

The Road Towards “Zero Energy” in Buildings: Lessons Learned from SOLARXXI Building in Portugal

In this paper the authors intend to share the lessons learned in the designing process of a solar office building currently underway to reach the Net Zero-Energy performance. Solar XXI building was built in Lisbon in 2006 as a demonstration project [1]. The building, which design is based on a combination of passive design techniques with renewable energy technologies (PV, solar collectors), may be currently considered, from this perspective, a near Net Zero Energy Building. Despite Solar XXI falling short the NZEB status, it is believed that the experience acquired and lessons learned in the designing phase are worth noting. The demonstration of the building energy performance is done by means of experimental monitoring data and energy modelling results using the simulation engine EnergyPlus [2]. In addition of this, it is important to stress out the fact that the authors of this paper, who are participants in the SHC Task 40-ECBCS Annex 52, “Towards Net Zero Solar Energy Buildings” are currently engaged in studying possible strategies for “upgrading” Solar XXI to NZEB status [3]

Framing the Valuation of Ecosystem Services: A Theoretical Discussion of the Challenges and Opportunities Associated with Articulating Values that Reflect the Economic Contributions of Ecological Phenomena

This paper presents a theoretical discussion concerning possibilities for designing environmental value articulation procedures that respect the basic non-economic character of ecological phenomena. The question of how to estimate the economic value of ecosystem services contributions is a particularly important issue for agricultural economics because of the dependence of agricultural production on the life cycles and biological viability of ecosystems (sic Georgescu-Roegen, 1966). Distinguishing between two basic types of ecosystem services values – demand vs supply based – this paper aims to describe a theoretical context within which it may be possible to develop recommendations regarding procedures and associated institutional structures that can support the expression of economically relevant measures of the economic worth of a given ecological phenomena that are also ecologically sound. Finally it is proposed that there are strong synergies between the problem structure of this issue and the theoretical contributions of Herbert Simon, concerning bounded rationality and further work on the details of these links is recommended.Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Drones in Logistics: A Feasible Future or a Waste of Effort

On December 1st, 2013 news around the world was filled with headlines about E- Commerce website Amazon.com. CEO of Amazon Jeff Bezos announced to the world that Amazon was designing a drone delivery program called Amazon Air that could deliver packages to customers in just 30 minutes. Consumers were all too excited for the program to launch while many business and air traffic savvy people were highly skeptical. Now two years later research to look back at the feasibility of drone flight and whether investment into the technology is worth it for small deliveries straight to customers is needed to track the progress of drone technolog