ArchiTECHture: Rebuilding the Traditional University for the 21st Century

This senior thesis is an examination of the major complexities and considerations encountered in developing an e-learning program. In light of the changing landscape of higher education resulting from technological advancement, combined with changing pedagogies and financial pressures, traditional institutions are under heightened scrutiny and most in need of innovation. Online learning as been proposed as a solution to many of these issues, but creating a successful program is no small feat. Furthermore, experimental research on specific course designs and delivery often fails upon real-world implementation. Looking through the lens of Design-Base-Implementation Research (DBIR), an emerging research model that seeks to rectify this inefficiency, this thesis will first affirm the crucial need for active leadership throughout the development and implementation process. Analysis will then turn to the most pertinent elements administrators must address, including the motivations and catalysts for innovation, funding, faculty engagement, IT support, course design and project evaluation; in keeping with DBIR methodology, each of these considerations will take different forms and require alternative courses of action based on the unique institutional attributes and circumstances. Finally, the exploration will culminate in reasserting the urgency for innovation in higher education, and concluding that a uniform “solution” will not only be pragmatically impossible but also detrimental to both institutional legacy and student education: a quality and sustainable program necessitates due diligence in acknowledging and working with the distinct characteristics of each institution

Developing Tools of Subtle Medicine; Kaleidoscopes

This paper puts forth the possibility of healing the human subtle system using light modulated and transformed by kaleidoscopes designed in Fibonacci proportions, mathematical relationships ubiquitous throughout the universe. It draws parallels between the emerging research on biophotons and the role electromagnetic fields play in living systems and 2000 year old philosophies of Chinese Medicine, By combining ancient principles of how we are alive with humanity's inherent ability to sense subtle energy, we can update the medicine of energy to this time and place

Developing Tools of Subtle Medicine; Kaleidoscopes

This paper puts forth the possibility of healing the human subtle system using light modulated and transformed by kaleidoscopes designed in Fibonacci proportions, mathematical relationships ubiquitous throughout the universe. It draws parallels between the emerging research on biophotons and the role electromagnetic fields play in living systems and 2000 year old philosophies of Chinese Medicine, By combining ancient principles of how we are alive with humanity's inherent ability to sense subtle energy, we can update the medicine of energy to this time and place

Examining Combat Effectiveness in Asymmetric Engagements with Balanced Forces Using the Information Age Combat Model

With advances in networked communications, the capabilities of command and control (C2) have come to play an increasingly larger role in battlefield success. Within the past two decades a new military strategy has evolved, known as Network-Centric Operations (NCO), which puts information superiority on the frontline. Moreover, the information advantage that is gained through information superiority is translated into a tactical war-fighting advantage. A research gap has been identified in the investigation of networked combat force configurations in the realm of asymmetric engagements. Specifically, the research question is, how should an information age combat force be networked in order to increase its combat effectiveness in asymmetric engagements with balanced forces? The objective of this research is to identify which performance metrics are best suited in measuring combat effectiveness in the situations of asymmetric engagements with balanced force sizes. In order to reach conclusions on the research objective, a series of experiments have been conducted using a discrete-event simulation based on the Information Age Combat Model (IACM). The experiments investigate all of the possible engagements for balanced configurations in the format of X-Y-X, ranging from 3 ≤ X ≤ 10, and 3 ≤ Y ≤ X, where X represents the number of sensors and influencers, and Y represents the number of deciders in the network. A total of 1,457,801 unique combat engagement simulations were conducted for data collection. The exact combat network configurations and percentage of wins for both sides were collected for use in the data analysis. Several computer programs were written in order to calculate the various performance metrics associated with each combat configuration. These data, in addition to the win percentages, are used in order to conduct both linear and nonlinear regression models, so that the value of the metrics may be evaluated as combat network performance indicators. Results indicate that the actual size of the network is a greater predictor for combat performance than any of the metrics calculated from the network configurations. However, it has been determined that network configuration does still play a vital role in combat performance in the case of asymmetric engagements with balanced forces. Moreover, results show that it is possible to configure a network in order to increase its chances of winning in an asymmetric engagement against a larger force size

Metformin Therapy and Diabetes Prevention in Adolescents Who Are Obese

No studies have addressed the question of whether metformin reduces development of diabetes among adolescents who are obese. Metformin treatment in adolescents who are obese can modestly reduce risk factors for type 2 diabetes, including elevated body mass index (BMI), fasting insulin levels, and fasting glucose levels. (Strength of Recommendation [SOR]: C). However, metformin treatment is associated with nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. (SOR: A). Because of the limited available data, metformin is not recommended for diabetes prevention in adolescents. (SOR: C)

Acoustic conditions in orchestra pits: are metadiffusers a potential solution?

Rising concerns about public health and safety have progressively induced a change in control of noise regulations, specifically on those applicable to the work environment. These directives have been developed to protect employees from harmful side effects of their working conditions, firstly targeting high noise levels generated by heavy machinery in industry. Nowadays, noise control regulations are widely effective and applicable to nearly all working environments, including institutions dedicated to the arts, such as opera houses. To the latter, directives on noise control are of major concern as opera performances tend to generate very high sound levels, especially in the area of the orchestra pit – the sunken space between stage and audience. In such context, management faces a difficult task conforming to noise regulations as they must balance the sometimes competing demands to (i) dutifully protect their employees – musicians and others – from any harmful ‘sounds’ or ‘noise’ that might be generated, and (ii) deliver world-class operatic art for the public, where noise regulations might compromise the culture of the art form. ‘Sound’ and ‘noise’ are two terms of intense interest when dealing with control of noise regulations in the entertainment sector. Indeed, noise is generally described as ‘unwanted’ sound, judged as unpleasant, whereas music is considered most of the time as a ‘desirable’ and pleasant sound; leading to a debate on the pertinence of noise regulations within the musical arts. Such debate has recently been discussed in the High Court in London, where the court favoured an orchestral viola player who claimed to have suffered noise induced hearing loss during a rehearsal of Wagner's Valkyrie1; the major argument being that the opera house exceeded industry-wide standards on noise control, viz. daily LAE > 85 dBA. Such a case has no precedent in UK history, raising concerns for other opera houses and music spaces on how to enforce noise regulations without affecting the performances’ nature. This leads to the question of whether noise control regulations should apply to all industries, regardless of the type of sound they generate

Trajectory Control for Very Flexible Aircraft

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/76453/1/AIAA-29335-906.pd

Shear-driven size segregation of granular materials: modeling and experiment

Granular materials segregate by size under shear, and the ability to quantitatively predict the time required to achieve complete segregation is a key test of our understanding of the segregation process. In this paper, we apply the Gray-Thornton model of segregation (developed for linear shear profiles) to a granular flow with an exponential profile, and evaluate its ability to describe the observed segregation dynamics. Our experiment is conducted in an annular Couette cell with a moving lower boundary. The granular material is initially prepared in an unstable configuration with a layer of small particles above a layer of large particles. Under shear, the sample mixes and then re-segregates so that the large particles are located in the top half of the system in the final state. During this segregation process, we measure the velocity profile and use the resulting exponential fit as input parameters to the model. To make a direct comparison between the continuum model and the observed segregation dynamics, we locally map the measured height of the experimental sample (which indicates the degree of segregation) to the local packing density. We observe that the model successfully captures the presence of a fast mixing process and relatively slower re-segregation process, but the model predicts a finite re-segregation time, while in the experiment re-segregation occurs only exponentially in time