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Generalizability of A Machine-Learning Fault Classifier Utilizing A Practical Set of Features for Rooftop Units
Get PDFEngineering Technology Capstone: Exploring the Current State
Get PDFThe characteristics that make up the general identity of engineering technology (ET) degree programs and their graduates are well known; however, the explicit characteristics of ET capstone nationally is unknown. In other words, there are multiple gaps in the general ET capstone body of knowledge that need to be filled in order to fully understand and describe the current state. The purpose of this short paper is to provide a synopsis of 1) the current known identity of ET education, 2) existing ET capstone research, and 3) ET capstone knowledge gaps (i.e., future research areas). Internal preliminary findings comparing traditional engineering degree programs and ET capstone experiences include differences in duration, project types and sources, budgets, assessments, etc. Additionally, findings show that ET degree programs have been excluded in multiple large-scale national capstone-based research studies investigating current and longitudinal practices, design teaching taxonomies, and graduate career readiness. Deeper insights into ET capstone practices is needed and can help empower stakeholders (e.g., faculty, administrators, researchers, etc.) to articulate ET’s value more effectively within the broader landscape of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and hopefully spark interest in new research collaborations within the general capstone community in order to address identified knowledge gaps. A better understood and possibly improved ET capstone experience could help better prepare graduates to transition into the workforce by minimizing the time needed to acquire new knowledge, skills, and abilities after being hired
Recent U.S. Government and Military Space Strategy and Doctrine
No full textRecent years have seen the U.S. Government and U.S. military branches produce national space strategy and military doctrinal documents for conducting military operations in or from space. This literature is produced by the White House and individual armed service branches and is often required by congressionally mandated legislation. This work will examine such literature produced during the Trump and Biden Administrations, emphasize the public availability of significant portions of this literature, assess that China and Russia are key rivals of the U.S. in the military space sphere, and will assess congressional reaction to these documents
Evaluating Active Content in Chloramphenicol Ophthalmic Solutions Available in a Low-Resource Setting: A Case Study
Get PDFThe Chloramphenicol molecule is not stable at elevated temperatures. The eye drop preparations require cold storage and this is a challenge for low-income countries. The study assessed the stability of chloramphenicol products likely stored and transported outside the recommended refrigeration temperatures. Twenty-four Chloramphenicol eye drops were randomly sampled from local medicine stores and pharmacies in Tanzania. High-pressure-liquid chromatography was used to conduct laboratory analysis to determine the content of chloramphenicol in the products. The results indicated the sampled products contained between 69.0% to 87.0% of the active ingredient; outside the Pharmacopeia limits (90.0% - 130.0%) for Chloramphenicol ophthalmic solutions. It is likely that the products were not handled to comply with the label requirement for cold storage. Therefore, a large proportion of these eye drops in low-resource settings may not have adequate content required for the product quality
Field Implementation of Concrete Strength Sensor to Determine Optimal Traffic Opening Time
Get PDFIn the fast-paced and time-sensitive fields of construction and concrete production, real-time monitoring of concrete strength is crucial. Traditional testing methods, such as hydraulic compression (ASTM C 39) and maturity methods (ASTM C 1074), are often laborious and challenging to implement on-site. Building on prior research (SPR 4210 and SPR 4513), we have advanced the electromechanical impedance (EMI) technique for in-situ concrete strength monitoring, crucial for determining safe traffic opening times. These projects have made significant strides in technology, including the development of an IoT-based hardware system for wireless data collection and a cloud-based platform for efficient data processing. A key innovation is the integration of machine learning tools, which not only enhance immediate strength predictions but also facilitate long-term projections vital for maintenance and asset management.
To bring this technology to practical use, we collaborated with third-party manufacturers to set up a production line for the sensor and datalogger assembly. The system was extensively tested in various field scenarios, including pavements, patches, and bridge decks. Our refined signal processing algorithms, benchmarked against a mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) of 16%, which is comparable to the ASTM C39 interlaboratory variance of 14%, demonstrate reliable accuracy. Additionally, we have developed a comprehensive user manual to aid field engineers in deploying, connecting, and maintaining the sensing system, paving the way for broader implementation in real-world construction settings
Safety in P–12 Engineering Courses within the Southern United States
Get PDFEngineering education programs, especially at the P–12 level, pose inherent legal and ethical responsibilities pertaining to safety that cannot be ignored. Cultivating safer practices and habits during the design and hands-on development of engineering solutions starts well before students enter higher education engineering programs. P–12 engineering education programs play a critical role in enhancing safety awareness, developing safer habits, and improving safety culture, which has an influence on the safety practices that students carry with them into higher education programs and the workplace. This study analyzed the safety factors and accident occurrences reported by 305 P–12 engineering educators from the southern United States (U.S.), specifically focusing on differences in safety between engineering design/pre-engineering (ED/PE) courses and other types of P–12 engineering courses. Analyses found that ED/PE courses had a significantly greater proportion of accident occurrences over a five-year span in comparison to other P–12 engineering courses in the southern U.S. Further analyses identified six risk factors (e.g., course enrollment size) and 11 protective factors (e.g., various forms of safety training) that were significantly associated with accident occurrences in the southern U.S. ED/PE courses. Moreover, it was discovered that hot glue guns were involved in a significantly higher proportion of accidents in ED/PE courses compared to other P–12 engineering courses in the southern U.S.; however, there were no significant differences in the proportion of accidents involving other tools or items. As suggested by accident causation model research, the data from this study can inform proactive safety efforts to address significant safety risk and protective factors in P–12 engineering education courses, which should reduce the severity and occurrence of accidents. Additionally, this study provides implications for fostering collaborative safety efforts among P–12 engineering education programs, higher education engineering programs, and engineering workforce partners to address critical gaps in safety instruction
Timely, Relevant, Practical: A Study of Writing Center Summer Institute Alumni Perceptions of Value and Benefits
Get PDFSince its inception in 2003, the IWCA Summer Institute (SI) has been understood within the writing center field to be an important professional development opportunity for new and experienced writing center professionals (WCPs). Publications on the SI to date have focused on anecdotal perceptions of the benefits to leaders and participants or on a single outcome, such as research output. Thus, the writing center field knows little about how and in what ways participants perceive the SI’s benefits across cohorts and across a variety of professional areas. By gathering quantitative and qualitative data from every SI cohort from 2003 to 2019, the goal of this study was to identify and define the benefits of the SI, focusing in particular on how participants themselves understand them. The survey received 161 responses, a response rate of approximately 27%; all 17 years of the SI were represented. The study found that, despite the field’s shifting priorities since 2003, the concerns and needs of WCPs have remained relatively constant over time, and that the SI serves the most pressing administrative needs of participants