Multi-pole permanent magnet motor design and control for high performance electromechanical actuation in all electric aircraft

The evolution of aircraft has led into a large increase in the demand for electrically integrated subsystems. Part of this demand is the transformation of a centralized hydraulic systems to independently operated electrical subsystems. The result of this overhaul will decrease aircraft weight, increase reliability, reduce aircraft lifetime maintenance and cost, and help to increase the control of power distribution. This thesis proposes the design methodology of a multi-pole permanent magnet (PM) motor with a capability to operate at high temperature. High temperature capability is one of the key requirements to implement electromechanical actuation for aircraft flight control, replace hydraulic actuation system, especially in tactical military aircraft, due to the hot environment and lack of heat sink. Temperature effects on motor materials are reviewed. The need for high power density is considered in the design. The motor design is confirm by ANYSYS RMXprt software. Along with the motor design, a voltage control method is also designed for the motor. Integrated electrical simulation results of the motor and controller to follow highly dynamic flight profiles are provided to show the stroke tracking, input power (including regenerative power), and winding copper loss. Experimentation set-up of EMA and experimental uncertainties are also discussed

Job crafting revisited: Implications of an extended framework for active changes at work

Employees often self-initiate changes to their jobs, a process referred to as job crafting, yet we know little about why and how they initiate such changes. In this paper, we introduce and test an extended framework for job crafting, incorporating individuals’ needs and regulatory focus. Our theoretical model posits that individual needs provide employees with the motivation to engage in distinct job-crafting strategies—task, relationship, skill, and cognitive crafting—and that work-related regulatory focus will be associated with promotion- or prevention-oriented forms of these strategies. Across three independent studies and using distinct research designs (Study 1: N = 421 employees; Study 2: N = 144, using experience sampling data; Study 3: N = 388, using a lagged study design), our findings suggest that distinct job-crafting strategies, and their promotion- and prevention-oriented forms, can be meaningfully distinguished and that individual needs (for autonomy, competence, and relatedness) at work differentially shape job-crafting strategies. We also find that promotion- and prevention-oriented forms of job-crafting vary in their relationship with innovative work performance, and we find partial support for work-related regulatory focus strengthening the indirect effect of individual needs on innovative work performance via corresponding forms of job crafting. Our findings suggest that both individual needs and work-related regulatory focus are related to why and how employees will choose to craft their jobs, as well as to the consequences job crafting will have in organizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved

Job crafting revisited: Implications of an extended framework for active changes at work

Employees often self-initiate changes to their jobs, a process referred to as job crafting, yet we know little about why and how they initiate such changes. In this paper, we introduce and test an extended framework for job crafting, incorporating individuals’ needs and regulatory focus. Our theoretical model posits that individual needs provide employees with the motivation to engage in distinct job-crafting strategies—task, relationship, skill, and cognitive crafting—and that work-related regulatory focus will be associated with promotion- or prevention-oriented forms of these strategies. Across three independent studies and using distinct research designs (Study 1: N = 421 employees; Study 2: N = 144, using experience sampling data; Study 3: N = 388, using a lagged study design), our findings suggest that distinct job-crafting strategies, and their promotion- and prevention-oriented forms, can be meaningfully distinguished and that individual needs (for autonomy, competence, and relatedness) at work differentially shape job-crafting strategies. We also find that promotion- and prevention-oriented forms of job-crafting vary in their relationship with innovative work performance, and we find partial support for work-related regulatory focus strengthening the indirect effect of individual needs on innovative work performance via corresponding forms of job crafting. Our findings suggest that both individual needs and work-related regulatory focus are related to why and how employees will choose to craft their jobs, as well as to the consequences job crafting will have in organizations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved

Service quality and satisfaction: an international comparison of professional services perceptions

Purpose – This study aims to examine the applicability of key measures of service quality and customer satisfaction in a cross-cultural setting, first establishing measurement equivalence and then investigating the impact of culture on these measures. Design/methodology/approach – Using scenarios involving a visit to the dentist's office, respondents from Germany, Japan, and the USA participated in a 2 × 2 factorial experiment in which the authors manipulated both expectations (low/high) and service performance (low/high). Findings – Regardless of expectations, when performance was low, the low-context respondents (USA and Germany) perceived lower quality than did the respondents from the high-context country (Japan), but gave higher quality ratings than did the Japanese respondents when the performance was high. Practical implications – The findings of this study highlight the necessity of considering culture when interpreting customer satisfaction ratings. Originality/value – This research adds credence to the paramount role culture plays in consumers' ratings of perceived service quality and customer satisfaction

Making things happen : a model of proactive motivation

Being proactive is about making things happen, anticipating and preventing problems, and seizing opportunities. It involves self-initiated efforts to bring about change in the work environment and/or oneself to achieve a different future. The authors develop existing perspectives on this topic by identifying proactivity as a goal-driven process involving both the setting of a proactive goal (proactive goal generation) and striving to achieve that proactive goal (proactive goal striving). The authors identify a range of proactive goals that individuals can pursue in organizations. These vary on two dimensions: the future they aim to bring about (achieving a better personal fit within one’s work environment, improving the organization’s internal functioning, or enhancing the organization’s strategic fit with its environment) and whether the self or situation is being changed. The authors then identify “can do,” “reason to,” and “energized to” motivational states that prompt proactive goal generation and sustain goal striving. Can do motivation arises from perceptions of self-efficacy, control, and (low) cost. Reason to motivation relates to why someone is proactive, including reasons flowing from intrinsic, integrated, and identified motivation. Energized to motivation refers to activated positive affective states that prompt proactive goal processes. The authors suggest more distal antecedents, including individual differences (e.g., personality, values, knowledge and ability) as well as contextual variations in leadership, work design, and interpersonal climate, that influence the proactive motivational states and thereby boost or inhibit proactive goal processes. Finally, the authors summarize priorities for future researc

Nanocarbon-Based photovoltaics

Carbon materials are excellent candidates for photovoltaic solar cells: they are Earth-abundant, possess high optical absorption, and superior thermal and photostability. Here we report on solar cells with active layers made solely of carbon nanomaterials that present the same advantages of conjugated polymer-based solar cells - namely solution processable, potentially flexible, and chemically tunable - but with significantly increased photostability and the possibility to revert photodegradation. The device active layer composition is optimized using ab-initio density functional theory calculations to predict type-II band alignment and Schottky barrier formation. The best device fabricated is composed of PC70BM fullerene, semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes and reduced graphene oxide. It achieves a power conversion efficiency of 1.3% - a record for solar cells based on carbon as the active material - and shows significantly improved lifetime than a polymer-based device. We calculate efficiency limits of up to 13% for the devices fabricated in this work, comparable to those predicted for polymer solar cells. There is great promise for improving carbon-based solar cells considering the novelty of this type of device, the superior photostability, and the availability of a large number of carbon materials with yet untapped potential for photovoltaics. Our results indicate a new strategy for efficient carbon-based, solution-processable, thin film, photostable solar cells

Aerosol delivery to ventilated newborn infants: historical challenges and new directions

There are several aerosolized drugs which have been used in the treatment of neonatal respiratory illnesses, such as bronchodilators, diuretics, and surfactants. Preclinical in vitro and in vivo studies identified a number of variables that affect aerosol efficiency, including particle size, aerosol flows, nebulizer choice, and placement. Nevertheless, an optimized aerosol drug delivery system for mechanically ventilated infants still does not exist. Increasing interest in this form of drug delivery requires more controlled and focused research of drug/device combinations appropriate for the neonatal population. In the present article, we review the research that has been conducted thus far and discuss the next steps in developing the optimal aerosol delivery system for use in mechanically ventilated neonates

Identification of regulatory variants associated with genetic susceptibility to meningococcal disease

Non-coding genetic variants play an important role in driving susceptibility to complex diseases but their characterization remains challenging. Here, we employed a novel approach to interrogate the genetic risk of such polymorphisms in a more systematic way by targeting specific regulatory regions relevant for the phenotype studied. We applied this method to meningococcal disease susceptibility, using the DNA binding pattern of RELA - a NF-kB subunit, master regulator of the response to infection - under bacterial stimuli in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. We designed a custom panel to cover these RELA binding sites and used it for targeted sequencing in cases and controls. Variant calling and association analysis were performed followed by validation of candidate polymorphisms by genotyping in three independent cohorts. We identified two new polymorphisms, rs4823231 and rs11913168, showing signs of association with meningococcal disease susceptibility. In addition, using our genomic data as well as publicly available resources, we found evidences for these SNPs to have potential regulatory effects on ATXN10 and LIF genes respectively. The variants and related candidate genes are relevant for infectious diseases and may have important contribution for meningococcal disease pathology. Finally, we described a novel genetic association approach that could be applied to other phenotypes

Identification of regulatory variants associated with genetic susceptibility to meningococcal disease.

Non-coding genetic variants play an important role in driving susceptibility to complex diseases but their characterization remains challenging. Here, we employed a novel approach to interrogate the genetic risk of such polymorphisms in a more systematic way by targeting specific regulatory regions relevant for the phenotype studied. We applied this method to meningococcal disease susceptibility, using the DNA binding pattern of RELA - a NF-kB subunit, master regulator of the response to infection - under bacterial stimuli in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. We designed a custom panel to cover these RELA binding sites and used it for targeted sequencing in cases and controls. Variant calling and association analysis were performed followed by validation of candidate polymorphisms by genotyping in three independent cohorts. We identified two new polymorphisms, rs4823231 and rs11913168, showing signs of association with meningococcal disease susceptibility. In addition, using our genomic data as well as publicly available resources, we found evidences for these SNPs to have potential regulatory effects on ATXN10 and LIF genes respectively. The variants and related candidate genes are relevant for infectious diseases and may have important contribution for meningococcal disease pathology. Finally, we described a novel genetic association approach that could be applied to other phenotypes