Development of methodology for distributed collaborative design environment

This paper describes the CODEVE (COllaborative DEsign in Virtual Environment) methodology developed in a joint educational project of four European universities called NARIP (Networked Activities for Realization of Innovative Products). The ultimate goal of the NARIP NPD course is to develop a concept and produce a physical product prototype within one academic semester. In order to expose students to real life situations the prototype is being produced in close collaboration with an industrial partner. Elements of the NARIP course comprise: (1) project definition-according to agreement with the industrial partner, (2) lectures composed and adapted to address the specific needs of the current project and which are equally distributed to partner universities, (3) project work monitored by academics, with three distinct phases and review points, and (4) the final workshop that includes prototype manufacturing, assembly and testing, final presentation and exhibition. The paper presents the structure and details of the developed methodology as well as an overview of the course development history. The core of the CODEVE methodology is a set of comprehensive guidelines for students and teachers that are specially adapted and focused to the issues and problems that arise in distributed collaborative multidisciplinary design projects. The methodology focuses on management of complex projects, emphasizing the importance of research phases, prompt clarification of any issues and balanced distribution of project tasks. The methodology also promotes the use of various virtual/on-line collaboration tools to foster discussion and exchange of 3D sketches and models

Development of methodology for distributed collaborative design environment

This paper describes the CODEVE (COllaborative DEsign in Virtual Environment) methodology developed in a joint educational project of four European universities called NARIP (Networked Activities for Realization of Innovative Products). The ultimate goal of the NARIP NPD course is to develop a concept and produce a physical product prototype within one academic semester. In order to expose students to real life situations the prototype is being produced in close collaboration with an industrial partner. Elements of the NARIP course comprise: (1) project definition-according to agreement with the industrial partner, (2) lectures composed and adapted to address the specific needs of the current project and which are equally distributed to partner universities, (3) project work monitored by academics, with three distinct phases and review points, and (4) the final workshop that includes prototype manufacturing, assembly and testing, final presentation and exhibition. The paper presents the structure and details of the developed methodology as well as an overview of the course development history. The core of the CODEVE methodology is a set of comprehensive guidelines for students and teachers that are specially adapted and focused to the issues and problems that arise in distributed collaborative multidisciplinary design projects. The methodology focuses on management of complex projects, emphasizing the importance of research phases, prompt clarification of any issues and balanced distribution of project tasks. The methodology also promotes the use of various virtual/on-line collaboration tools to foster discussion and exchange of 3D sketches and models

Mechanical vibrations of pendant liquid droplets

A simple optical deflection technique was used to monitor the vibrations of microlitre pendant droplets of deuterium oxide, formamide, and 1,1,2,2-tetrabromoethane. Droplets of different volumes of each liquid were suspended from the end of a microlitre pipette and vibrated using a small puff of nitrogen gas. A laser was passed through the droplets and the scattered light was collected using a photodiode. Vibration of the droplets resulted in the motion of the scattered beam and time-dependent intensity variations were recorded using the photodiode. These time- dependent variations were Fourier transformed and the frequencies and widths of the mechanical droplet resonances were extracted. A simple model of vibrations in pendant/sessile drops was used to relate these parameters to the surface tension, density and viscosity of the liquid droplets. The surface tension values obtained from this method were found to be in good agreement with results obtained using the standard pendant drop technique. Damping of capillary waves on pendant drops was shown to be similar to that observed for deep liquid baths and the kinematic viscosities obtained were in agreement with literature values for all three liquids studied

EndoVAscular treatment and ThRombolysis for Ischemic Stroke Patients (EVA-TRISP) registry: basis and methodology of a pan-European prospective ischaemic stroke revascularisation treatment registry.

PURPOSE The Thrombolysis in Ischemic Stroke Patients (TRISP) collaboration was a concerted effort initiated in 2010 with the purpose to address relevant research questions about the effectiveness and safety of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). The collaboration also aims to prospectively collect data on patients undergoing endovascular treatment (EVT) and hence the name of the collaboration was changed from TRISP to EVA-TRISP. The methodology of the former TRISP registry for patients treated with IVT has already been published. This paper focuses on describing the EVT part of the registry. PARTICIPANTS All centres committed to collecting predefined variables on consecutive patients prospectively. We aim for accuracy and completeness of the data and to adapt local databases to investigate novel research questions. Herein, we introduce the methodology of a recently constructed academic investigator-initiated open collaboration EVT registry built as an extension of an existing IVT registry in patients with acute ischaemic stroke (AIS). FINDINGS TO DATE Currently, the EVA-TRISP network includes 20 stroke centres with considerable expertise in EVT and maintenance of high-quality hospital-based registries. Following several successful randomised controlled trials (RCTs), many important clinical questions remain unanswered in the (EVT) field and some of them will unlikely be investigated in future RCTs. Prospective registries with high-quality data on EVT-treated patients may help answering some of these unanswered issues, especially on safety and efficacy of EVT in specific patient subgroups. FUTURE PLANS This collaborative effort aims at addressing clinically important questions on safety and efficacy of EVT in conditions not covered by RCTs. The TRISP registry generated substantial novel data supporting stroke physicians in their daily decision making considering IVT candidate patients. While providing observational data on EVT in daily clinical practice, our future findings may likewise be hypothesis generating for future research as well as for quality improvement (on EVT). The collaboration welcomes participation of further centres willing to fulfill the commitment and the outlined requirements

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Controlled, Small-Scale Motions in a Turbulent Shear Layer

Abstract The effects of high-frequency fluidic actuation on the evolution of small-and large-scale motions in a turbulent shear layer downstream of a backward-facing step are investigated experimentally and numerically. The flow behind the step is characterized in the spatial and spectral domain by high-resolution diagnostic tools. Model stability problems with increasing complexity mimic the experimental setup and actuations and describe local and global flow behaviour. It is demonstrated that dissipative, high-frequency actuation effects the shear layer evolution through three domains: I -a localized dissipative, small scales domain having enhanced turbulent kinetic energy production and dissipation rate, II -a stabilized domain marked by concomitant suppression of turbulent kinetic energy production and dissipation rate, and III -a domain of re-emerging inviscid instability at lower natural frequencies and larger scales