Oxygen electrodes for rechargeable alkaline fuel cells-II

The primary objective of this program is the investigation and development of electrocatalysts and supports for the positive electrode of moderate temperature single-unit rechargeable alkaline fuel cells. Approximately six support materials and five catalyst materials have been identified to date for further development

DNAgents: Genetically Engineered Intelligent Mobile Agents

Mobile agents are a useful paradigm for network coding providing many advantages and disadvantages. Unfortunately, widespread adoption of mobile agents has been hampered by the disadvantages, which could be said to outweigh the advantages. There is a variety of ongoing work to address these issues, and this is discussed. Ultimately, genetic algorithms are selected as the most interesting potential avenue. Genetic algorithms have many potential benefits for mobile agents. The primary benefit is the potential for agents to become even more adaptive to situational changes in the environment and/or emergent security risks. There are secondary benefits such as the natural obfuscation of functions inherent to genetic algorithms. Pitfalls also exist, namely the difficulty of defining a satisfactory fitness function and the variable execution time of mobile agents arising from the fact that it exists on a network. DNAgents 1.0, an original application of genetic algorithms to mobile agents is implemented and discussed, and serves to highlight these difficulties. Modifications of traditional genetic algorithms are also discussed. Ultimately, a combination of genetic algorithms and artificial life is considered to be the most appropriate approach to mobile agents. This allows the consideration of agents to be organisms, and the network to be their environment. Towards this end, a novel framework called DNAgents 2.0 is designed and implemented. This framework allows the continual evolution of agents in a network without having a seperate training and deployment phase. Parameters for this new framework were defined and explored. Lastly, an experiment similar to DNAgents 1.0 is performed for comparative purposes against DNAgents 1.0 and to prove the viability of this new framework

Human Problem Solving of Two Applied Tasks in Economic Allocation

The objective of this paper is to examine in depth one aspect of human problem solving; specifically, to deal with a task environment familiar to the managerial practiocioner --- one of allocating scarece resources in an equitable and efficient manner toward the accomplishment of a defined goal. The central focus will be on measuring the problem solver’s relative efficiency and equitability in solving this allocation task using two different sets of data. To observe the problem solver’s thought processes, the “thinking aloud protocol” will be used. The use of protocols in discussed in Chapter 2. Of prime importance in the evaluation of protocols is (1) the goal of the problem solution and (2) the data given to the problem solver for use in arriving at this goal. The goal toward which the problem solver for use in arriving at this goal. The goal toward which the problem solver is striving has two distinct areas

Solar array deployment mechanism

This paper describes a Solar Array Deployment Mechanism (SADM) used to deploy a rigid solar array panel on a commercial spacecraft. The application required a deployment mechanism design that was not only lightweight, but also could be produced and installed at the lowest possible cost. This paper covers design, test, and analysis of a mechanism that meets these requirements

Hands-on Learning for Freshman Engineering Students

Formal library orientation sessions for freshman engineering students have been offered for more than seven years by librarians in the Engineering and Physical Sciences Library (EPSL), University of Maryland. Approximately 800 students per year attend these sessions. The sessions are conducted in the library and are required by all students enrolled in ENES 100 (Introduction to Engineering Design). In the spring of 2001 the orientation sessions were reformatted based on comments contained in short surveys completed by students at the end of each session. The format was changed from completely lecture-based to a more interactive session entitled "EPSL Expedition." In addition, during this same semester, librarians volunteered to rewrite and update the chapter on "Library Research Skills" for the course textbook, Introduction to Engineering Design by James W. Dally. This paper will attempt to answer the following question: Do freshman engineering students learn and retain more information through an "interactive" orientation session than they do from a "lecture" based session

Ten Methods of Improving Quality Service to University of Maryland Graduate Students via “Assertive” Marketing

Poster presented on June 4, 2009 at the International Association of Technological University Libraries (IATUL) conference in Leuven, Belgium (June 1-4, 2009).In 2000 a faculty member of the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department (ENCH) at the University of Maryland (UM), made an unusual request to the Engineering & Physical Science Library (EPSL) Librarians. She asked for an Instruction Session for her graduate students in ENCH 609. As surprised as we were, figuring erroneously that grad students already knew our UM Library Resources quite well; the truth has evolved that they obviously don’t! So, in the past eight years, we have made an assertive, maybe even an aggressive effort, to introduce these vital sessions, mostly at Orientations at the beginning of Fall Semester, to the fourteen departments we serve. What is covered during these sessions varies, of course, by department, subject areas, number of students there are, how long of a session they allow us, where it takes place, etc. But the general breakdown with which we will present sample searching, will be along the lines of engineering OR the physical sciences (with special considerations given to Math and Computer Science). The unique part of this presentation will follow not only the progress bringing a success rate of 13 of 14 departments in the past two years, but the marketing strategies and ploys utilized. For most librarians whom marketing is a distasteful endeavor (we refer to it as the “M” word), there is included as a bonus, a Top Ten List helping to alleviate this stress. This will range from major points like learning how to shrug off “rejection” to minor points like using the prof’s name in that room when searching Web of Science’s CITED REFERENCE SEARCH. So, there’s no doubt that for Information Services this is the era dominated by Web 2.0 and its enhancements. Still, a preferred method of instruction, seemingly, that we and subject faculty have found to be true for graduate students, is the in-person interaction, be it group or one-on-one. Finally, what has been so instrumental in this success story, coordinating this uniform approach in providing quality service to our new graduate student population, is the more than willing attitude displayed by the excellent EPSL Librarians and EPSL Graduate Assistant

Gemstone: Quality in Learning for a Collaborative Academic/Library Instruction Program

Poster presented on June 4, 2009 at the 2009 International Association of Technological University Libraries (IATUL) conference, Leuven, Belgium (June 1-4, 2009)This poster focuses on University of Maryland librarians’ participation in an innovative, collaborative program where instruction extends beyond a typical library session, providing students with a quality learning experience over the course of four years. The program, called Gemstone, is an interdisciplinary honors research program and involves collaboration between librarians, faculty, program staff, and undergraduate students. During the first year of the program, the students attend classes that help them prepare for their research. After forming research teams, they spend the next three years designing and conducting a research project that focuses on the intersection of science and technology with society. This experience facilitates the development of research, teamwork, communication, and leadership skills, and culminates in the students’ defense of their thesis, orally and in writing, to a panel of experts. Librarians are involved in the first year of the program through a class called GEMS 100. The librarians teach a session of the class where they introduce research tools and lead the students in critical thinking exercises to turn their potential topic ideas into research questions. During the remainder of the program, the librarians partner with a particular team. That partnership includes helping the students with research strategies on an informal basis, reviewing and critiquing proposals and presentations, and attending the Junior Colloquia and final Team Thesis Conference. The librarians and faculty mentors assigned to each group also meet several times a year to compare notes about improving the quality of assistance for the students' research efforts. By having librarians work closely with them throughout the research process, students further benefit from the advice, feedback, and expertise in research skills that the librarians provide. Thus, the librarians have the opportunity to provide quality, hands-on service over an extended period of time leading to an enriched learning experience

From Capstone to Gemstone to Keystone: And Now Marquee Courses?

The librarians at the Engineering and Physical Sciences Library (EPSL) have enhanced many engineering-oriented programs at the University of Maryland in College Park over the years. But it is most rewarding when a new program comes along. It takes tact and a different strategy to ferret out the best way(s) to be of assistance. A good example is EPSL librarians’ efforts to get in on the “ground floor” of a new set of introductory core classes for non-technical/non-science majors, Marquee Courses in Science and Technology, which began in the fall of 2007. The Gemstone Program, a unique multidisciplinary four-year research team-based Honors Program in the A. James Clark School of Engineering, has significantly involved UM librarians since its inception in 1996. Dr. William Destler derived this now very successful and nationally noted program from the “old” Capstone concept, under which senior UM engineering students are still being instructed on patent and other advanced searching by EPSL librarians. In fall 2006 at the A. James Clark School of Engineering, the UM Keystone Program was created to encourage the best faculty to teach the most fundamental engineering courses. The Engineering departments discontinued the librarians’ instruction part of ENES 100 “Introduction to Engineering Design”. We had given these ENES 100 sessions, involving hands-on experience, to nearly every section of new freshmen engineering students for about fifteen years. But the EPSL librarians persevered; and created a strong web presence for the UM Libraries via our Blackboard(TM) system ELMS (Enterprise Learning Management System.) In summer 2006, when we heard about the new Marquee Courses program, EPSL librarians wasted no time in an aggressive marketing campaign to the professors of these classes, to demonstrate UM Library resources to their students. This presentation will cover our efforts and strategy, such as communicating with the Marquee Courses professors to successfully secure time slots with their students not only for fall 2007, but for future classes. We will especially focus on spring 2008 classes, and other classes that we picked up on short notice. The material we present in these classes differs from traditional library instruction sessions, which often do not closely match the topics the professors cover in class