Google Glass in Face-to-face Lectures - Prototype and First Experiences

Graz University of Technology has a long tradition in doing technology-enhanced courses. Following the latest trends, as mentioned in the NMC Horizon Report [32], we reviewed the possibility to use a wearable technology, in our case the Google GlassTM, in courses to improve the interaction between the lecturer and the audience with a special focus on huge classes. The lack of interaction in traditional face-to-face lectures is a well-known problem with a long research history [4], [12]. New technologies in Audience Response Systems (ARS) offer new ways to improve the interaction between teacher and student by enabling to ask questions to the audience [5] to get instant feedback during a lecture. Currently many types of web-based ARSs are available on the market [15]. Our research focused on finding an ARS suitable for the visualization in the Google Glass display. Further we developed a prototype and described first practical experiences

A Monte Carlo study of random surface field effect on layering transitions

The effect of a random surface field, within the bimodal distribution, on the layering transitions in a spin-1/2 Ising thin film is investigated, using Monte Carlo simulations. It is found that the layering transitions depend strongly on the concentration $p$ of the disorder of the surface magnetic field, for a fixed temperature, surface and external magnetic fields. Indeed, the critical concentration $p_c(k)$ at which the magnetisation of each layer $k$ changes the sign discontinuously, decreases for increasing the applied surface magnetic field, for fixed values of the temperature $T$ and the external magnetic field $H$. Moreover, the behaviour of the layer magnetisations as well as the distribution of positive and negative spins in each layer, are also established for specific values of $H_s$, $H$, $p$ and the temperature $T$. \\Comment: 5 pages latex, 6 figures postscrip

Sustainable Management of Food Supply-Chain Resources in New York State

A sustainable food supply chain (FSC) is at the nexus of several critical global challenges including hunger, resource scarcity, climate change, poverty, energy security and economic growth. However, managing FSC resources in a sustainable manner is complex and data to support this goal is lacking. This dissertation addressed four knowledge gaps by applying a variety of analytical and experimental tools to the New York State FSC. First, a cradle-to-grave analysis of the New York State FSC was conducted. Resources leaving the FSC from primary production (post-harvest) through to consumption were defined and characterized. Surveys and literature were used to estimate FSC resources and factors were provided for several sectors and sub-sectors including the Educational sector. Material flows through the utilization pathways in New York State were analyzed. It was estimated that over 3.5 million t/yr of solid resources were generated. Resource utilization pathways including donation were estimated to treat approximately 6% of these resources. An additional 22 million m3/yr of low solid resources primarily from the food processors was also estimated and analyzed. In the next chapter, climate change impacts of utilization pathways emerging in the State were analyzed. Two comprehensive lifecycle assessments (LCAs) were conducted to assess climate change impacts. The first was based upon primary data collected from the largest on-farm anaerobic digester in the State, which co-digests dairy manure and industrial food wastes. The results showed a net negative climate change of 37.5 kg CO2e/t influent processed when compared to the reference case. Displacement of grid electricity provided the largest reduction, followed by avoidance of alternative food waste disposal options and reduced impacts associated with storage of digestate vs. undigested manure. Sensitivity analysis showed that using feedstock diverted from high impact disposal pathways, control of digester emissions, and managing digestate storage emissions were opportunities to improve climate change benefits. The second LCA was based upon a small-scale, distributed waste-to-ethanol process. This analysis was based upon data from an operating pilot plant facility, co-fermenting industrial and retail FSC resources. The climate change impacts for the processing phase were estimated to be comparable to those associated commercial ethanol production, however when considering the avoidance waste disposal for FSC resources used as feedstock, the result was a net negative impact of 338 kg CO2e/MJ fuel produced. The following chapter evaluated the potential of several significant New York State FSC resources as feedstock for biogas production. Twenty-four source-separated, commercial substrates from the retail and food processing sector were characterized and tested in bench-scale bio-methane potential (BMP) tests. Substrates were also combined with dairy manure and other substrates to assess synergistic or antagonistic effects associated with co-digestion. Key bio-methane kinetic parameters including bio-methane potential, apparent hydrolysis rate constant and co-digestion indices were reported. Substrates with high fat content demonstrated higher potential for bio-methane generation. Substrates rich in readily hydrolysable carbohydrates and fats showed more complete bio-degradation. Measured bio-methane potential was the product of both of these factors. Bio-methane production of co-digested substrates was close to that of the weighted average of the individual substrates with a slight synergistic bias (-5%/+20% on average). However, co-digestion generally resulted in an increase in apparent hydrolysis rate relative to that predicted by the combination of individual substrates

The Strength of Shell and Tubular Spar Wings

The report is a survey of the strength problems arising on shell and tubular spar wings. The treatment of the shell wing strength is primarily confined to those questions which concern the shell wing only; those pertaining to both shell wing and shell body together have already been treated in TM 838. The discussion of stress condition and compressive strength of shell wings and tubular spar wings is prefaced by several considerations concerning the spar and shell design of metal wings from the point of view of strength

The Strength of Shell Bodies : Theory and Practice

The monocoque form of airplane construction has introduced a number of new problems to the stress calculator and the designer. The problems for the stress calculator fall into two groups: the determination of the stress condition (shell statics) and the determination of the failing strength (shell strength). The present report summarizes the most important theoretical and experimental results on this subject

Calculation of load distribution in stiffened cylindrical shells

Thin-walled shells with strong longitudinal and transverse stiffening (for example, stressed-skin fuselages and wings) may, under certain simplifying assumptions, be treated as static systems with finite redundancies. In this report the underlying basis for this method of treatment of the problem is presented and a computation procedure for stiffened cylindrical shells with curved sheet panels indicated. A detailed discussion of the force distribution due to applied concentrated forces is given, and the discussion illustrated by numerical examples which refer to an experimentally determined circular cylindrical shell

Evaluation Grid for xMOOCs

Massive Open Online Courses, shortly MOOCs, are a phenomenon nowadays. The number of courses is worldwide steadily increasing since Sebastian Thrun has offered a free online course for more than 100.000 students. Nowadays, decision makers and students as well as lecturers are asking about the quality of such courses. After a live experiment on 15 randomly chosen courses and a brief literature review, we discuss the possibility of finding an evaluation grid for xMOOCs. The finally suggested criteria can be used now for future investigations

Methods and formulas for calculating the strength of plate and shell constructions as used in airplane design

This report is a compilation of previously published articles on formulas and methods of calculation for the determination of the strength and stability of plate and shell construction as employed in airplane design. In particular, it treats the problem of isotropic, orthotopic, and stiffened rectangular plates, thin curved panels, and circular cylinders under various loading conditions. The purpose of appending the pertinent literature references following the subjects discussed was to facilitate a comprehensive study of the treated problems

Density-functional theory for classical fluids and solids

We formulate a density-functional theory that is capable of describing simultaneously the solid, liquid, and gas phases of a simple classical material. The formalism can be reduced to the Ebner-Saam-Stroud theory for the liquid-gas case and to a generalized version of the Ramakrishnan-Youssouff theory for the liquid-solid case. The theory requires as input the direct correlation functions of a uniform fluid. As an example we apply the formalism to the calculation of the phase diagram of a system with Lennard-Jones intermolecular interactions. We obtain the correlation functions from a closure scheme proposed by Zerah and Hansen [J. Chem. Phys. 84, 2336 (1986)]. The calculated density-temperature phase diagram compares favorably with those obtained from numerical simulations of the same model system. We also compute the equations of state in the solid and fluid phases