Functional thinking in cost estimation through the tools and concepts of axiomatic design

Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2004.Includes bibliographical references (leaf 27).There has been an increasing demand for cost estimation tools which aid in the reduction of system cost or the active consideration of cost as a design constraint. The existing tools are currently incapable of anticipating the unseen or latent effects of design changes made in an effort to cut cost. This paper presents an example of how the tools and concepts of axiomatic design theory can be integrated with the parametric cost estimation process, and then presents a series of arguments for why tools such as these which examine the functional architecture of a system are useful for optimizing cost at the preliminary design level.by Lael Ulam Odhner.S.B

The Swedenborgian infant school pedagogy of Samuel Wilderspin, 1820-1825: an actor-network analysis

oai:repository.canterbury.ac.uk:97y4zSamuel Wilderspin’s infant pedagogy is recognised as an important contribution to the evolution of contemporary education. In particular, Wilderspin proffered a sophisticated pedagogic approach when educational theories were as yet undeveloped. However, Wilderspin’s seminal texts have been overlooked due to their unorthodox structure. Recent studies have called for research to uncover the veiled influence of heterodox religious communities on educational policymaking. This thesis utilises actor-network theory to unravel the unconventional assembly of these texts as a strategy for conveying their esoteric foundations with impunity during the political uncertainties of the early nineteenth century. It reports the discovery of significant parallels between Emanuel Swedenborg’s principles of exegesis and the structure of Wilderspin’s texts to expose them as the output of a marginalised network fixed upon enacting social reform through the establishment of early childhood education. It traces the interdenominational pedagogy from its origins in New Lanark under Robert Owen and James Buchanan to its parliamentary authorisation in London. It culminates with Wilderspin’s problematisation of the infant school actor-network and subsequent ascendance as promoter for the Infant School Society. It identifies Buchanan’s sectarian affiliation as an insubordinate act that not only mediated the design of Owen’s plan but occasioned his censure and activated recurrent attempts to safeguard the pedagogy by disclaiming Buchanan’s role in its production. It demonstrates that while Swedenborg did not assemble a coherent theory of education, an array of concepts in his oeuvre shaped pivotal aspects of infant pedagogy. Nevertheless, scrutinising successive editions of Wilderspin’s works exposes a scholarly circle responsible for their complex assembly. The findings of this thesis reveal Owen’s method as an unrecognised approach to the religious impasse in education, expose the theoretical foundations of contemporary schooling and establish Swedenborg’s ideology as the groundwork for constructivism

The Perfumer

Chara Odhner\u27s comic, The Perfumer, won first prize in Penn Libraries\u27 comic book contest. The comic contest was designed in conjunction with the Year of the Comic and inspired by the Penn Reading Project selection, Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body, by Neil Shubin.https://repository.upenn.edu/showcase_comics/1000/thumbnail.jp

EVALUATING THE USE OF CEPHALOMETRIC MEASUREMENTS, PRESENCE OF A POSTERIOR CROSSBITE, THE BERLIN SLEEP QUESTIONNAIRE SCORE, AND RESULTS OF THE NOX-T3 SLEEP MONITOR FOR PREDICTING OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA IN THE ORTHODONTIC POPULATION: PART 1

Introduction: Untreated obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has deleterious effects on one's overall health. Recent literature suggests that craniofacial abnormalities, as noted on a lateral cephalometric radiograph (ceph) or clinically by the presence of a posterior crossbite, may be associated with OSA. Literature also suggests that if abnormal ceph measurements are noted or if a patient presents with a posterior crossbite, then further questioning about that patients sleep habits and snoring should be addressed. The primary purpose of this study is to explore any possible associations between ceph measurements, and/or presence of a posterior crossbite with OSA, as determined by the Berlin sleep questionnaire, in the orthodontic population. The second purpose of this research is to outline a part 2 follow-up study through administration of an at home sleep test, the Nox-T3 sleep monitor, to further validate presence of OSA. The overall goal is to see if the combined data from the Berlin score, the clinical presence or absence of a posterior crossbite, and standard orthodontic ceph measurements can increase the predictive value of patients in the orthodontic office who might be suffering from obstructive sleep apnea. Methods: A total of 85 consecutive subjects who were already undergoing records in 5 private practice orthodontic offices around the greater Philadelphia area were recruited for voluntary participation in the study. A Berlin questionnaire, lateral ceph, and any noted presence of a posterior crossbite were collected on all subjects. 12 ceph measurements (SNA, SNB, ANB, Co-A, Co-Gn, A-Na perp, Pg-Na perp, SN-MP, FH-MP, Ba-SN, Wits, and MP-Hyoid) were traced by a second year orthodontic resident. 5 subjects were then selected using a random numbers table and given the Nox-T3 sleep monitor for self-administration to record their sleep for one night. Statistical analyses were run using SAS version 9.2 to evaluate any associations. Results: A total of 76 subjects completed data collection, whereas 9 subjects either failed to report their height, and/or weight, and/or failed to complete the Berlin questionnaire in its entirety thus excluding them from the study. A total of 11, or 14% of subjects scored high on the Berlin, meaning a high risk of suffering from OSA. Of all ceph measurements, the only one that showed a statistically significant association with the high Berlin score was MP-Hyoid (p=0.0033). BMI alone was not found to be associated with the Berlin score (p=0.3712). Presence of a posterior crossbite also did not show any correlation with the Berlin score (p= 0.1000). Conclusions: 1) BMI was not found to be associated with the Berlin score among the orthodontic subject population. 2) MP-hyoid was found to be associated with the Berlin score, at a high level of statistical significance. 3) All other cephalometric measurements, including SNA, SNB, ANB, Co-A, Co-Gn, A-Na perp, Pg-Na perp, SN-MP, FH-MP, Ba-SN, and Wits, failed to show any statistically significant correlation to the Berlin score. 4) Posterior crossbite was not found to be associated with the Berlin Score among the orthodontic subject population. Key words: Obstructive sleep apnea, Berlin sleep questionnaire, cephalometric, posterior crossbite, Nox-T3 sleep monitor, orthodontic populationOral Biolog