Development and application of simulation games to introduce model-based systems engineering

Model-based Systems Engineering aims at increasing consistency of information in complex engineering processes that involve different engineering domains. A major challenge when introducing Model-based Systems Engineering is to highlight the interactions of different process activities, like requirement definition, specific methods and available tools as well as roles. These interactions have to be demonstrated to members of the engineering team in order to induce awareness for potential hurdles within the implementation process and to increase acceptance for required changes of processes, methods and tools. Simulation games present a promising approach to generate awareness as well as the needed expertise for successful implementation of Model-based Systems Engineering, in both teaching of students and training of experienced engineers. In this contribution a development process and essential aspects for the game design of simulation games are proposed. The structured process and its specific steps are illustrated by the development of the simulation game MbSys

Experiences with the Streptococcus mutans in Lakota Sioux (SMILeS) Study: Risk Factors for Caries in American Indian Children 0-3 Years

Severe Early Childhood Caries (S-ECC) is a terribly aggressive and devastating disease that is all too common in lower socio-economic children, but none more so that what is encountered in American Indian Tribes. Nationwide, approximately 27% of 2-5 year olds have decay while 62% percent of American Indian/Alaska Native children in the same age group have a history of decay (IHS 2010, NHANES 1999-2002). We have conducted a study of children from birth to 36 months of age on Pine Reservation to gain a better understanding of the variables that come into play in the development of this disease, from transmission and acquisition of Streptococcus mutans genotypes from mother to child to multiple dietary and behavioral components. This article describes how we established a direct partnership with the Tribe and the many opportunities and challenges we faced in performing this 5-year field study

The Effects Of Movement Complexity On Relationships Among Foot Anthropometry And Jump Performance

The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships between foot structure and jump performance and whether movement complexity (single joint jump compared to multi-joint jump) influences these relationships. Forty participants (20 men and 20 women) performed: 1) ankle jumps with (ACMJ) and without (ASJ) a countermovement, and 2) whole lower extremity jumps with (CMJ) and without (SJ) a countermovement with the right leg only. Peak jump height, ankle power, and metatarsal phalangeal joint power were calculated. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry scans of each participant’s right foot were used to measure Achilles tendon moment arm, metatarsal length and hallux length. Arch stiffness was calculated using foot measures taken from photographic images. Pearson product-moment correlations showed positive relationships among certain foot anthropometry and jump performance variables. However, separating results by sex caused all significant relationships to disappear. Fisher’s exact test revealed no significant differences in correlation strength between jumps of different complexities. Results from the two-way ANOVA and multivariate backward linear regression model found that males and females had significantly different performance results and that sex was the only significant predictor for jump height. In conclusion, sex differences are critical when evaluating foot anthropometric relationships with jump performance

Remote State Preparation

Quantum teleportation uses prior entanglement and forward classical communication to transmit one instance of an unknown quantum state. Remote state preparation (RSP) has the same goal, but the sender knows classically what state is to be transmitted. We show that the asymptotic classical communication cost of RSP is one bit per qubit - half that of teleportation - and becomes even less when transmitting part of a known entangled state. We explore the tradeoff between entanglement and classical communication required for RSP, and discuss RSP capacities of general quantum channels.Comment: 4 pages including 1 epsf figure; v3 has an additional author and discusses relation to work of Devetak and Berger (quant-ph/0102123); v4 improves low-entanglement protocols without back communication to perform as well as low-entanglement protocols with back communication; v5 (journal version) has a few small change

Space Environments and Effects Concept: Transitioning Research to Operations and Applications

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is embarking on a course to expand human presence beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) while expanding its mission to explore the solar system. Destinations such as Near Earth Asteroids (NEA), Mars and its moons, and the outer planets are but a few of the mission targets. NASA has established numerous offices specializing in specific space environments disciplines that will serve to enable these missions. To complement these existing discipline offices, a concept focusing on the development of space environment and effects application is presented. This includes space climate, space weather, and natural and induced space environments. This space environment and effects application is composed of 4 topic areas; characterization and modeling, engineering effects, prediction and operation, and mitigation and avoidance. These topic areas are briefly described below. Characterization and modeling of space environments will primarily focus on utilization during Program mission concept, planning, and design phases. Engineering effects includes materials testing and flight experiments producing data to be used in mission planning and design phases. Prediction and operation pulls data from existing sources into decision-making tools and empirical data sets to be used during the operational phase of a mission. Mitigation and avoidance will develop techniques and strategies used in the design and operations phases of the mission. The goal of this space environment and effects application is to develop decision-making tools and engineering products to support the mission phases of mission concept through operations by focusing on transitioning research to operations. Products generated by this space environments and effects application are suitable for use in anomaly investigations. This paper will outline the four topic areas, describe the need, and discuss an organizational structure for this space environments and effects application

Cyclodextrin-based liquid chromatographic enantiomeric separation of chiral dihydrofurocoumarins and dihydrofuroflavones, emerging classes of medicinal compounds

A set of 28 racemic dihydrofurocoumarins and 13 dihydrofuroflavones in which the stereogenic center is located in the furan ring have been synthesized. Currently no effective asymmetric synthesis for these classes of compounds exists, although they are produced naturally by many plant species. Their diverse medicinal properties are being investigated in several laboratories. The enantioselective separation of these compounds by three native and six derivatized cyclodextrins has been evaluated in the reversed phase mode, the polar organic mode, and normal phase mode. Overall, 20 of the 28 dihydrofurocoumarin and 9 of the 13 dihydrofuroflavone analytes were baseline resolved (Rs \u3e 1.5) on at least one of the cyclodextrin-based chiral stationary phases. The hydroxpropyl-β-cyclodextrin (Cyclobond I RSP) is the most effective chiral stationary phase (CSP) for the enantioseparations of these compounds; baseline resolving 16 and 7 of the dihydrofurocoumarin and dihydrofuroflavone analytes respectively. The 2,3-dimethyl-β-cyclodextrin (Cyclobond I DM) also performed well, separating 18 dihydrofurocoumarin and 5 dihydrofuroflavone samples respectively. The acetyl-β-cyclodextrin (Cyclobond I AC) baseline resolved 18 of the dihydrofurocoumarin samples, however, no dihydrofuroflavones were separated on this CSP. The aromatic derivatized β-cyclodextrins are only marginally effective at separating the enantiomers of these compounds in the reversed phase mode. The native cyclodextrins showed no enantioselectivity for either class of compound in the reversed phase mode. The polar organic mode and the normal phase mode have also been evaluated with these CSPs, but no enantioseparations were observed