articles+ search results

e-learning project management system, modeling with uml, mock-ups., Education, Information technology, and T58.5-58.64

In this work, based on the results obtained concerning the analysis and the needs of our project which concerns the design and development of an e-Learning project management system, we present the modeling stage with UML. Based on one hand, on two diagrams: class diagram and use case diagram, for static modeling and on the other hand, based on three diagrams: activity diagram, sequence diagram, diagram transition state for dynamic modeling. Finally, we offer examples of models for our project.

traffic congestion, traffic lights monitoring, iot, arduino, road sensors, proteus simula-tion., Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics, and R858-859.7

With the tremendous technological progress and the widespread use of a variety of technologies, we note how smart cities are providing services efficiently by using technologies. The aim of this project is to build a Smart Traffic Control System (STCS) to facilitate and optimize traffic flow, minimize traffic congestion, and reduce the waiting time by detecting the density on each street. This work has been carried on four phases. Firstly, collecting data by a questionnaire and we received 331 responses. Secondly, using Proteus simulation. Thirdly, building a low fidelity prototype, and fourthly: building the STCS model by using hardware (Arduino tools) and software (Arduino Software IDE). Finally, we learned how to build a system and we recommend using such a system in busy roads to reduced congestion and making traffic flow more efficient.

Mechanical engineering and machinery and TJ1-1570

A rapid prototyping technique is demonstrated which uses a red femtosecond laser to produce a metallic mould which is then directly used for the replica moulding of PDMS. The manufacturing process can be completed in less than 6 h making it a viable technique for testing new designs quickly. The technique is validated by creating a microfluidic device with channels of height and depth of 300 µm, with a ramp test structure where the height and width of the channels reduces to 100 µm to demonstrate the techniques 3D capabilities. The resulting PDMS device was easily removed from the metallic mould and closely replicated the shape aside the expected shrinkage during thermal curing. As the technique uses a single replica process, the surface roughness at the base of the channels corresponds to the un-ablated polished metal mould, resulting in a very low surface roughness of 0.361 nm. The ablated metallic mould surface corresponds to the top of the PDMS device, which is bonded to glass and does not affect the flow within the channels, reducing the need for optimisation of laser parameters. Finally, the device is validated by demonstrating laminar flow with the no-slip condition.

Distributed computing, Concurrent computing, Distributed data processing, Hot swapping, Code replacement, Erlang, Computer engineering. Computer hardware, TK7885-7895, Electronic computers. Computer science, and QA75.5-76.95

OODIDA (On-board/Off-board Distributed Data Analytics) is a platform for distributed real-time analytics, targeting fleets of reference vehicles in the automotive industry. Its users are data analysts. The bulk of the data analytics tasks are performed by clients (on-board), while a central cloud server performs supplementary tasks (off-board). OODIDA can be automatically packaged and deployed, which necessitates restarting parts of the system, or all of it. As this is potentially disruptive, we added the ability to execute user-defined Python modules on clients as well as the server. These modules can be replaced without restarting any part of the system; they can even be replaced between iterations of an ongoing assignment. This feature is referred to as active-code replacement. It facilitates use cases such as iterative A/B testing of machine learning algorithms or modifying experimental algorithms on-the-fly. Various safeguards are in place to ensure that custom code does not have harmful consequences, for instance by limiting the allowed types for return values or prohibiting importing of certain modules of the Python standard library. Consistency of results is achieved by majority vote, which prevents tainted state. Our evaluation shows that active-code replacement can be done in less than a second in an idealized setting whereas a standard deployment takes many orders of magnitude more time. The main contribution of this paper is the description of a relatively straightforward approach to active-code replacement that is very user-friendly. It enables a data analyst to quickly execute custom code on the cloud server as well as on client devices. Sensible safeguards and design decisions ensure that this feature can be used by non-specialists who are not familiar with the implementation of OODIDA in general or this feature in particular. As a consequence of adding the active-code replacement feature, OODIDA is now very well-suited for rapid prototyping.

Low-cost eggs incubator, Temperature and humidity regulation, Poultry sector, Multi-layered wall, Heat transfer, and Science

Farming in general and poultry in particular is a back bone to Africa's development and self-sufficient in term of food. However, in a country like Cameroon, traditional poultry accounts for more than 70%. Due to this situation, more than 43% of newly hatched chicks do not survive thereby causing a lot of loss both financially and in terms of availability of chicken as food. This paper aims to bring a solution to this problem. The paper deals with the prototyping of an energy efficient eggs incubator in view of providing a solution to the poultry sector in developing countries. The system hardware is composed of an enclosure, mechanical and electronic parts. The enclosure is made of plywood, aluminum and glass wool in order to minimize the heat loss across the multi-layered wall. The mechanical part comprises of electronically controlled mechanical jacks. The electronic module is constituted of a temperature and humidity generator and measurement circuits, a control circuit, a communication module and a microcontroller in charge of monitoring and controlling the operation of the system. Using Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller, the mathematical modeling of heat transfer permitted the optimization of energy efficiency of the system. The system has a capacity of 600 eggs. The eggs were incubated at a temperature of 37.5°C and a humidity of 45.5% after a preheating stage of 30 min. The developed incubator system gave a hatching rate of 87.27%.

CO2 laser, rapid prototyping, microneedle, multicellular tumor spheroids, microwells, hanging drops, Biology (General), and QH301-705.5

CO2 laser manufacturing has served as an enabling and reliable tool for rapid and cost-effective microfabrication over the past few decades. While a wide range of industrial and biological applications have been studied, the choice of materials fabricated across various laser parameters and systems is often confounded by their complex combinations. We herein presented a unified procedure performed using percussion CO2 laser drilling with a range of laser parameters, substrate materials and various generated microstructures, enabling a variety of downstream tissue/cellular-based applications. Emphasis is placed on delineating the laser drilling effect on different biocompatible materials and proof-of-concept utilities. First, a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microneedle (MN) array mold is fabricated to generate dissolvable polyvinylpyrrolidone/polyvinyl alcohol (PVP/PVA) MNs for transdermal drug delivery. Second, polystyrene (PS) microwells are optimized in a compact array for the formation of size-controlled multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTSs). Third, coverglass is perforated to form a microaperture that can be used to trap/position cells/spheroids. Fourth, the creation of through-holes in PS is validated as an accessible method to create channels that facilitate medium exchange in hanging drop arrays and as a conducive tool for the growth and drug screenings of MCTSs.

smart power grids, power system measurement, power grids, power system security, distributed power generation, power engineering computing, fault location, power system control, power system simulation, power distribution control, energy management systems, real-time cyber-physical systems testbed, control prototyping, operator training, power grid, advanced wide-area monitoring, control algorithms, wampac, realistic testbed environments, industry-grade software, hardware-in-the-loop, validation studies, ideal platforms, cyberattack scenarios, pnnl cyber, integrates real-time transmission system, commercial industry-grade energy management system software, remote hil, modular testbed, high-fidelity rhil experimentation, power system, detailed case studies, prime testbed, larger test systems, Computer engineering. Computer hardware, TK7885-7895, Electronic computers. Computer science, and QA75.5-76.95

As the power grid continues to evolve with advanced wide-area monitoring, protection, and control (WAMPAC) algorithms, there is an increasing need for realistic testbed environments with industry-grade software and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) to perform verification and validation studies. Such testbed environments serve as ideal platforms to perform WAMPAC prototyping, operator training, and also to study the impacts of different types of cyberattack scenarios on the operation of the grid. In this study, the authors introduce pacific northwest national laboratory(PNNL) cyber-physical systems testbed (PRIME): the testbed that integrates real-time transmission system simulator with commercial industry-grade energy management system software and remote HIL (RHIL). PRIME is an end-to-end, modular testbed that allows high-fidelity RHIL experimentation of a power system. We present two detailed case studies (fault location and clearing in the transmission system and operator training) to show the capabilities of their PRIME testbed. Finally, we briefly discuss some of the potential limitations of their testbed in terms of scalability and flexibility to set up larger test systems and identify directions for future work to address these limitations.

Teaching -- Usage, Teaching -- Methods, and Teaching -- Study and teaching

1. INTRODUCTION With computing devices peppering nearly every aspect of our lives, how people interact with these technologies is critically important to all computing fields. In fact, failure to properly [...]
Given the ubiquity of interfaces on computing devices, it is essential for future Information Systems (IS) professionals to understand the ramifications of good user interface (UI) design. This article provides instructions on how to efficiently and effectively teach IS students about 'fit,' a Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) concept, through a paper prototyping activity. Although easy to explain, the concept of 'fit' can be difficult to understand without repeated practice. Practically, designing 'fit' into UIs can be cost-prohibitive because working prototypes are often beyond students' technical skillset. Accordingly, based on principles of active learning, we show how to use paper prototyping to demonstrate 'fit' in a hands-on class exercise. We provide detailed stepby-step instructions to plan, setup, and present the exercise to guide students through the process of 'fit' in UI design. As a result of this activity, students are better able to employ both theoretical and practical applications of 'fit' in UI design and implementation. This exercise is applicable in any course that includes UI design, such as principles of HCI, systems analysis and design, software engineering, and project management. Keywords: Human-computer interaction (HCI), Paper prototyping, Active learning, Constructionism, Teaching tip

Rapid Prototyping, surgery planning, fractures, Information technology, T58.5-58.64, Electronic computers. Computer science, and QA75.5-76.95

Orthopaedic trauma surgery is a complex surgical speciality in which anatomy, physiology and physics are mixed. Proper diagnosing and based on that planning and performing surgery is of crucial matter. This article presents usefulness of 3D reconstruction in diagnostics and surgical planning. It focuses on utility of computed tomography reconstruction in trauma surgery. Moreover, two cases in which this technique was used is described. Complex 3D reconstruction proved its usefulness and in future it may become a modality of choice for planning complex trauma procedures in which standard implants and approaches are insufficient.

design, utopia, alteration, prototyping, Fine Arts, Aesthetics, and BH1-301

The purpose of this paper is to re-explore the relationship between utopia and architecture, trying first and foremost to challenge the way utopia has been conceived by architectural thought: i.e., as the prefiguration of a future seen as an ‘otherness’ distinct from the present, as far as the totality of its spatial, social, and political dimensions are concerned. Such vision – as we will argue – turns out to be deeply linked to a design logic of ‘projection’ and ‘prescription’; this, however, is not the only possible logic of design. Through a reflection upon some contemporary architectural practices, we will try to highlight a new horizon for design action, in which even utopia abandons its traditional ‘projective’ role and takes on a new meaning: rather than being the non-place of a possible future, utopia stands for what doesn’t have place in the present but can emerge from its alteration. Such notion of utopia as a form of ‘situated critique’, in a concrete space and time, helps to dig more deeply into the political potential of many contemporary forms of architectural and urban design.

BLE, Embedded System, Internet of Things, MQTT, Rapid Prototyping, STM32 ODE, Computer software, and QA76.75-76.765

The Internet of Things (IoT) is characterized by many technologies, standards, tools and devices for a wide range of application fields and often, for the end-users (makers and developers), is hard to orientate in an equally wide range of offers from various manufacturers. In recent years, the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) communication protocol is achieving a large portion of the market, thanks to its low-power and low-cost orientation and its pervasiveness in mobile devices, like smartphones. For these reasons, BLE is increasingly used in IoT-oriented Wireless Personal Area Networks (WPAN), where a small set of devices arranged in star topology network and connected to a smartphone and a Wi-Fi gateway, can cover a large number of monitoring and controlling use case scenarios. This work presents the ST’s STM32 Open Development Environment (ODE), a complete suite of hardware and software tools representing a reference point for end-users willing to create BLE-based star topology networks for a wide range of applications. Through a simple use case in a smart home context, it is shown how all provided tools can be used to fast prototype applications addressing all user requirements.

netnography, visualization, text mining, software design, learning design, Education, Information technology, and T58.5-58.64

Social science is witnessing tremendous growth of data available on the Internet regarding social phenomena; however, social science students are typically not prepared for managing the challenges and opportunities of analysing online data. One of the areas where this growth is especially important is in social studies of consumption. This article discusses a prototype of a visualisation tool intended to support the learning of netnographic analysis with computational tools.

A major goal of PDMS microfabrication is to develop a simple and inexpensive method for rapid fabrication. Despite the recent advancements in this field, facile PDMS microfabrication on non-planar surfaces remains elusive. Here we report a facile method for rapid prototyping of PDMS microdevices via µPLAT (microscale plasma-activated templating) on non-planar surfaces through micropatterning of hydrophilic/hydrophobic interface by flexible PVC hollow-out mask. This mask can be easily prepared with flexible PVC film through a cutting crafter and applied as pattern definer during the plasma treatment for microscale hydrophilic/hydrophobic interface formation on different substrates. The whole process requires low inputs in terms of time as well as toxic chemicals. Inspired by liquid molding, we demonstrated its use for rapid prototyping of PDMS microstructures. Following the proof-of-concept study, we also demonstrated the use of the flexible hollow-out mask to facilitate cell patterning on curved substrates, which is difficult to realize with conventional methods. Collectively, our work utilizes flexible and foldable PVC film as mask materials for facile microscale hydrophilic non-planar surface modification to establish a useful tool for PDMS prototyping and cell patterning.
(© 2020 IOP Publishing Ltd.)

Introduction: Rapid prototyping is a process by which threedimensional (3D) computerized surface models are converted into physical models. In this study, a 3D heart bio model was created using the rapid prototyping method and the accuracy of this heart model was assessed by clinicians.
Methods: The two-dimensional images of normal heart from gated computed tomography scan datasets were used to create a 3D model of the heart. The slices were then processed using the software BioModroid and printed with the 3D printer. The evaluation of the model was performed by a questionnaire answered by four cardiothoracic surgeons, 12 cardiologists, five radiologists, and nine surgical registrars.
Results: Eighty-six percent of the anatomy structures showed in this model scored 100% accuracy. Structures such as circumflex branch of left coronary artery, great cardiac vein, papillary muscle, and coronary sinus were each rated 77%, 70%, 70%, and 57% accurate. Among 30 clinicians, a total of 93% rated the model accuracy as good and above; 64% of the clinicians evaluated this model as an excellent teaching tool for anatomy class. As a visual aid for surgery or interventional procedures, the model was rated excellent (40%), good (50%), average (23%), and poor (3%); 70% of the clinicians scored the model as above average for training purpose. Overall, this 3D rapid prototyping cardiac model was rated as excellent (33%), good (50%), and average (17%).
Conclusion: This 3D rapid prototyping heart model will be a valuable source of anatomical education and cardiac interventional management.

Background: The Human-Centered Design methodology advocates VR prototyping, as an effective tool to evaluate concepts in a cost-efficient, time-saving way. It is the question of whether it works in the development of a product intended to increase privacy while flying.
Objective: The current study aims at the application of virtual reality on the evaluation of a new privacy bubble called PRIVA for the passenger cabin.
Methods: An interactive VR was created and aligned with the HTC VIVE headset. 40 participants took part in the experiment as well as in the post-experiment survey.
Results: The concept was in overall, desirable as it was perceived to be more private, comfortable, satisfactory, effective, and appealing to participants compared to the current seat experiences. It was also perceived as more satisfactory with regards to the activities.
Conclusions: The VR was effective, although there are limitations, the product seems promising and should be developed further.

Aim: This paper presents the study, design and prototyping of a manual wheelchair, named handwheelchair.q, with an innovative propulsion's system. The research is based on a novel system of propulsion that is more efficient and ergonomic than the hand rim one. The main goal of the designed prototype is to facilitate the mobility and to extend the reachable areas while reducing the required time. Methods: The propulsion is realised through a rowing-inspired gesture. Results: This gesture avoids the damages caused on shoulders by the compressive force of the hand rim and lever systems. Conclusion: The prototyping allowed the analysis of the project parameters and their influence on the kinematic characteristics of the prototype and the biomechanical characteristics of the gesture. The same propulsion's system can be adopted on wheelchairs devoted to sport activities, representing the starting point for a future prototype of racing wheelchairs. In this regard, the wheelchair's braking system has been redesigned in order to improve efficiency and safety.Implication for rehabilitationThe use of the Handwheelchair.q may have positive impacts in terms of the quality of life, in order to reduce the shoulder pain caused by the handrim and lever system.In addition, it can be a good tool for rehabilitation because the activity can be performed outdoor.

Gas fermentation by autotrophic bacteria, such as clostridia, offers a sustainable path to numerous bioproducts from a range of local, highly abundant, waste and low-cost feedstocks, such as industrial flue gases or syngas generated from biomass or municipal waste. Unfortunately, designing and engineering clostridia remains laborious and slow. The ability to prototype individual genetic part function, gene expression patterns, and biosynthetic pathway performance in vitro before implementing designs in cells could help address these bottlenecks by speeding up design. Unfortunately, a high-yielding cell-free gene expression (CFE) system from clostridia has yet to be developed. Here, we report the development and optimization of a high-yielding (236 ± 24 μg/mL) batch CFE platform from the industrially relevant anaerobe, Clostridium autoethanogenum. A key feature of the platform is that both circular and linear DNA templates can be applied directly to the CFE reaction to program protein synthesis. We demonstrate the ability to prototype gene expression, and quantitatively map aerobic cell-free metabolism in lysates from this system. We anticipate that the C. autoethanogenum CFE platform will not only expand the protein synthesis toolkit for synthetic biology, but also serve as a platform in expediting the screening and prototyping of gene regulatory elements in non-model, industrially relevant microbes.
(Copyright © 2020 International Metabolic Engineering Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)