Creating a Student Centered Learning Environment at the University of Denver

A team of faculty members at the University of Denver changed the learning environment in key courses in the Department of Engineering from predominately teacher centered to student centered. Through this funded project new grading methods were implemented, classrooms were renovated and wired with studio layouts to facilitate learning, the Engineering Circuits Laboratory was rewired and instrumented for automated data acquisition and reporting, and two new pedagogical approaches were developed. At the onset of the project, six goals were established related to student learning. The introduction of industry standard hardware and software provided students with unprecedented hands‐on experience and project related activities stimulated faculty innovations in other current and future courses. Assessment results indicate that the new grading system improved the clarity of expectations for students before assignments were given resulting in increased reported motivation for learning in many courses. Even though course GPAs did not always reflect higher achievement on graded work, faculty members firmly believe that deeper understanding was achieved because more complex material was assimilated.     

Extension of a combined analytical/numerical initial value problem solver for turbulent mixing with combustion

Here, we describe the development of a reacting flow multi-species/combustion methodology, implemented as an extension to the differential reduced ejector analysis (DREA) computer program [Mathematical and computer modeling, vol. 31, 2000, p. 21; Appl. Math. Model. 25 (2001) 427; Comput. Math. Appl. 43(10–11); NASA Contractor Report, 1998]. Use of the single fluid IVP solver framework that was developed for the original DREA model has been directly coupled into the combustion formulation. With these modifications, the analysis has an elementary single step reaction Fuel+Oxidizer→Product combustion capability. Though approximate in nature, the simplicity and efficiency of the DREA formulation make it suitable for its original niche, namely design and preliminary design environments where more complex and expensive models may be inappropriate.     

Fixed point theorem-based iterative learning control for LTV systems with input singularity

In this paper, we address a challenging and open problem: how to design a suitable iterative learning control (ILC) system in the presence of input singularity, which is incurred by the singularities of the system direct feed-through term. Considering two typical types of input singularities, we first revise the ILC operators accordingly by adding a forgetting factor and incorporating a time-varying learning gain, in the sequel guarantee ILC operators to be contractible. Next, using the Banach fixed-point theorem, we demonstrate that the output sequence can either enter and remains ultimately in a designated neighborhood of the target trajectory, or is bounded by a class K function. Finally, an illustrative example is presented.     

Kolmogorov's Contributions to the Foundations of Probability

Andrei Nikolaevich Kolmogorov was the foremost contributor to the mathematical and philosophical foundations of probability in the twentieth century, and his thinking on the topic is still potent today. In this article we first review the three stages of Kolmogorov's work on the foundations of probability: (1) his formulation of measure-theoretic probability, 1933; (2) his frequentist theory of probability, 1963; and (3) his algorithmic theory of randomness, 1965–1987. We also discuss another approach to the foundations of probability, based on martingales, which Kolmogorov did not consider.     

Three-dimensional structure of the cloud of a carbon pellet evaporated in plasma of Wendelstein 7-AS stellarator

Experiments performed on a Wendelstein 7-AS stellarator revealed asymmetry of the cloud of an ablating carbon pellet. The cloud is elongated in the direction of large radius toward stronger fields, that is, opposite to the direction expected due to the toroidal drift. In order to study the effect in more detail, the three-dimensional structure of the cloud was analyzed by computer tomography. The results confirmed asymmetry of the cloud. This asymmetry is related to a drift flow existing in the plasma and directed along large radius toward stronger fields. The drift velocity is numerically estimated at ～300 m/s.     

Treatment of depressive symptoms during short-term rehabilitation: An attempted replication of the DOUR project.

Objective: To replicate and extend P. A. Lichtenberg and colleagues' (1996) cross-disciplinary intervention to improve physical and mental health among older adults. Participants: 14 depressed older adults (6 treatment, 8 control). Setting: The short-term rehabilitation unit of an urban nursing home. Intervention: Occupational therapists were trained to treat depression using pleasant events and cognitive-behavioral therapies. Outcome Measures: Geriatric Depression Scale, the Short Form-12, and the Multi-Level Assessment Instrument: Activities of Daily Living. Results: No significant group differences were found in physical or mental health. However, more control group members (75%) than treatment group members (33%) were depressed at study completion. Conclusions: The treatment of depressive symptoms can be integrated with a nonmental health treatment modality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Temporal Specificity of Extinction in Autoshaping.

Three experiments investigated the effects of varying the conditioned stimulus (CS) duration between training and extinction. Ring doves (Streptopelia risoria) were autoshaped on a fixed CS-unconditioned stimulus (US) interval and extinguished with CS presentations that were longer, shorter, or the same as the training duration. During a subsequent test session, the training CS duration was reintroduced. Results suggest that the cessation of responding during an extinction session is controlled by generalization of excitation between the training and extinction CSs and by the number of nonreinforced CS presentations. Transfer of extinction to the training CS is controlled by the similarity between the extinction and training CSs. Extinction learning is temporally specific. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of urbanization on the aquatic fauna of the Line Creek watershed, Atlanta—a satellite perspective

Impervious surface area (ISA) was derived for a period from 1979 to 1997 from Landsat MSS and TM data for the Line Creek watershed that lies to the south of the city of Atlanta, GA. The change in ISA is presented as an ecological indicator to examine the cumulative water resource impacts on mussel population in three sub-watersheds of Line Creek—namely, Line, Flat, and Whitewater creeks. The satellite analysis shows that ISA expansion occurred substantially from 1987 to 1997 and is predominantly in industrial, commercial, and shopping center (ICS) complexes but also in smaller lot-size residential development. Evidence of mussel habitat degradation is indicated and loss of species (in the region of 50 to 70%) is present in areas where ISA expansion is observed—specifically in ICS complex development in and around Peachtree City that drains directly into the Line and Flat creeks. This is in marked contrast to Whitewater Creek where overall development of ISA is less and no major loss of mussel species is observed.     

Getting a handle on MATLAB graphics

Among engineers and scientists, MATLAB is one of the most popular computational packages. Part of MATLAB's popularity stems from its simple, yet sophisticated, graphics capabilities. While basic plots are relatively easy to obtain, specialized plots require a little more effort to produce. This article introduces MATLAB's Handle Graphics, which provides a mechanism to fully control and customize graphics objects in MATLAB. With a basic understanding of Handle Graphics, users can produce plots that meet the unique needs and quality standards commonly required by the profession, several examples are presented to illustrate the concepts.     

Experience in testing the Motif interface

The testing and quality assurance of the Motif 1.0 graphical user-interface software are described. The testing goals, which fell into three general categories (code coverage, defect-density, and defect-arrival rate), and a deliverable formal test suite are examined. The three phases of the testing process-evaluation, test development, and regression testing-and the tools used in testing are discussed