My Text: An alternative to the traditional textbook

Both college level students and instructors alike have become frustrated with the modern textbook. Textbooks are expensive, passive in tone; water downed, and rarely has the breadth and depth that is needed for a course. Recently, Myles Johnson a former Psychology Instructor, has come up with an instructional method known as My Text that addresses these frustrations. Here students, with the instructor’s guidance, create their own textbooks. This paper takes a look at some of the Pedagogical merits of this method as a Learner Centered Approach and makes recommendations for future research.     

Prediction of phase equilibrium of CO2/cyclic compound binary mixtures using a rigorous modeling approach

Vapor liquid equilibrium (VLE) data has significant role in designing processes which include vapor and liquid in equilibrium. Since it is impractical to measure equilibrium data at any desired temperature and pressure, particularly near critical region, thermodynamic models based on equation of state (EOS) are usually used for VLE estimating. In recent years due to the development of numerical tools like artificial intelligence methods, VLE prediction has been find new alternatives.In the present study a novel method called Least-Squares Support Vector Machine (LSSVM) used for predicting bubble/dew point pressures of binary mixtures containing carbon dioxide (CO₂) + cyclic compounds as function of reduced temperature of the system, critical pressure, acentric factor of the cyclic compound, and CO₂ composition. A 333 binary equilibrium data points of CO₂ and six cyclic compounds within temperature and pressure ranges of 308.15–473.15 K and 0.5–27.71 MPa were used to develop the model. Results show that the proposed model is able to predict VLE data for binary systems containing supercritical or near-critical CO₂/cyclic compounds with an acceptable average absolute relative deviation percent (AARD%) of 3.9381% and the coefficient of determination (R²) value of 0.9980. For detection of the probable doubtful experimental data, and applicability of the model, the Leverage statistical approach performed on the data sets. This algorithm showed that the proposed LSSVM model is statistically valid for VLE prediction and the whole phase equilibrium data points are in applicability domain of the model.     

A monolithic computational approach to thermo‐structure interaction

In the present work, a monolithic solution approach for thermo‐structure interaction problems motivated by the challenging application of the behaviour of rocket nozzles is proposed. Structural and thermal fields are independently discretised via finite elements. The resulting system of equations is solved via a monolithic thermo‐structure interaction scheme, which is constructed by a block Gauss–Seidel preconditioner in combination with algebraic multigrid methods. The proposed method is tested for four numerical examples, the second Danilovskaya problem, a simplified rocket nozzle configuration, an internally loaded hollow sphere, and a fully three‐dimensional nozzle configuration of a subscale thrust chamber. Good agreement of the numerical results with results from the literature is observed. Furthermore, it is shown that the monolithic solution algorithm can handle the complete range of the parameter spectrum, whereas partitioned algorithms are limited to a certain parameter range only. Moreover, the monolithic algorithm exhibits improved efficiency and robustness compared to partitioned algorithms. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Chaos control of performance measure approach for evaluation of probabilistic constraints

Performance measure approach (PMA) is a recently proposed method for evaluation of probabilistic constraints in reliability-based design optimization of structure. The advanced mean-value (AMV) method is well suitable for PMA due to its simplicity and efficiency. However, when the AMV iterative scheme is applied to search for the minimum performance target point for some nonlinear performance functions, the iterative sequences could fall into the periodic oscillation and even chaos. In the present paper, the phenomena of numerical instabilities of AMV iterative solutions are illustrated firstly. And the chaotic dynamics analysis on the iterative procedure of AMV method is performed. Then, the stability transformation method of chaos feedback control is suggested for the convergence control of AMV procedure in the parameter interval in which the iterative scheme fails. Numerical results of several nonlinear performance functions demonstrate that the control of periodic oscillation, bifurcation and chaos for AMV iterative procedure is achieved, and the stable convergence solutions are obtained.     

An area-efficient VLSI implementation for programmable FIR filters based on a parameterized divide and conquer approach

In this paper, we propose an optimal VLSI implementation for a class of programmable FIR filters with binary coefficients, whose architecture is based on a parameterized divide and conquer approach. The proposed design is shown to be easily extendable to FIR filters with multibit coefficients of arbitrary sign. The area efficiency achieved in comparison to direct form realization is demonstrated by VLSI implementation examples, synthesized in TSMC 0.18-μm single poly six metal layer CMOS process using state-of-art VLSI EDA tools. The possible saving in average power consumption is estimated using gate-level power analysis. Suggestions for applications and topics for further research conclude the paper.     

Passivity-based current controller design for a permanent-magnet synchronous motor

The control of a permanent-magnet synchronous motor is a nontrivial issue in AC drives, because of its nonlinear dynamics and time-varying parameters. Within this paper, a new passivity-based controller designed to force the motor to track time-varying speed and torque trajectories is presented. Its design avoids the use of the Euler–Lagrange model and destructuring since it uses a flux-based dq modelling, independent of the rotor angular position. This dq model is obtained through the three-phase abc model of the motor, using a Park transform. The proposed control law does not compensate the model’s workless force terms which appear in the machine’s dq model, as they have no effect on the system’s energy balance and they do not influence the system’s stability properties. Another feature is that the cancellation of the plant’s primary dynamics and nonlinearities is not done by exact zeroing, but by imposing a desired damped transient. The effectiveness of the proposed control is illustrated by numerical simulation results.     

Influences of gender and weight gain on short-term relapse to smoking in a cessation trial.

Few researchers have studied whether weight gain has an impact on short-term relapse to smoking. The authors of this study investigated predictors of relapse among 989 participants (60% women) in a randomized, double-blind, 10-week multicenter trial to determine the effect of fluoxetine (30 or 60 mg) versus placebo in combination with behavioral counseling for smoking cessation. Medication compliance and smoking status were biochemically verified. At Visit 2, participants were asked to set a quit date within the subsequent 2 visits. A proportional hazards regression model was used to predict risk of relapse within the first 3 months of quitting. Weight gain predicted relapse, but for men only. Female gender also predicted relapse. The results led the authors to question whether postcessation weight gain interventions should be restricted to women smokers. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

State space approach to one-dimensional thermal shock problem for a semi-infinite piezoelectric rod

The theory of generalized thermoelasticity, based on the theory of Lord and Shulman with one relaxation time, is used to solve a boundary value problem of one-dimensional semi-infinite piezoelectric rod with its left boundary subjected to a sudden heat. The governing partial differential equations are solved in the Laplace transform domain by the state space approach of the modern control theory. Approximate small-time analytical solutions to stress, displacement and temperature are obtained by means of the Laplace transform and inverse transform. It is found that there are two discontinuous points in both stress and temperature solutions. Numerical calculation for stress, displacement and temperature is carried out and displayed graphically.     

Librarian driven analysis with graphic user interface for nuclides quantification by gamma spectra

For a set of a priori given radionuclides extracted from a general nuclide data library, the authors use median estimates of the gamma-peak areas and estimates to produce a list of possible radionuclides matching gamma-ray line(s). An a priori determined list of nuclides is obtained by searching for a match with the energy information of the database. This procedure is performed in an interactive graphic mode by markers that superimpose, on the spectral data, the energy information and yields provided by a general gamma-ray data library. This library of experimental data includes approximately 17,000 gamma-energy lines related to 756 known gamma emitter radionuclides listed by ICRP.     

西部大开发中退耕还林(草)面临的挑战及其作用

根据中国西部森林的现状 ,采用生态学与地理学的方法 ,分析了因毁林开荒造成水土流失、洪涝灾害、沙尘风暴、干旱少雨、江河断流、物种减少等危害对国民经济发展所造成的影响 ,以及近几年所产生的一系列生态环境问题 .探讨了退耕还林 (草 )对我国的生态环境治理、西部持续发展、江河整治、国土整治综合措施运用、西部农民脱贫致富的作用 .