Analysis modeling for plate buckling load of vibration test

In view of the recent technological development, the pursuit of safe high-precision structural designs has been the goal of most structural designers. To bridge the gap between the construction theories and the actual construction techniques, safety factors are adopted for designing the strength loading of structural members. If safety factors are too conservative, the extra building materials necessary will result in high construction cost. Thus, there has been a tendency in the construction field to derive a precise buckling load analysis model of member in order to establish accurate safety factors. A numerical analysis model, using modal analysis to acquire the dynamic function calculated by dynamic parameter to get the buckling load of member, is proposed in this paper. The fixed and simple supports around the circular plate are analyzed by this proposed method. And then, the Monte Carlo method and the normal distribution method are used for random sampling and measuring errors of numerical simulati     

Uncertainty analysis for peer assessment: oral presentation skills for final year project

Peer assessment plays an important role in engineering education for an active involvement in the assessment process, developing autonomy, enhancing reflection, and understanding of how to achieve the learning outcomes. Peer assessment uncertainty for oral presentation skills as part of the FYP assessment is studied. Validity and reliability for complex assessments were conceptualised in the context of quantification, hierarchical system of uncertainties, aleatory uncertainty, and epistemic uncertainty. Systems as assessment methods were also conceptualised to define elements (i.e. examiner, examinee, and difficulty) as variables or/and constants, and to study the uncertainty behaviour of the peer assessment within the framework of the parametric uncertainty model. As a result, a singularity, at which the hierarchical structure of uncertainties breaks down, and its related behaviour were theoretically predicted and experimentally verified. Also, a validity paradox, when the ‘difficulty’ level is sufficiently lowered, was found to be possible and verified for oral presentation skills. It may be useful for understanding fundamental characteristics of the peer assessment in which epistemic uncertainties are dependent on how the assessment is close to the singularity point.     

Transfer Evaluation of Knowledge and Skill Development: A Case Study of an Instructional Systems Development Training Program

Program evaluation involves a systematic process to collect and convert data into information which is used to improve programs, measure their effects, track quality, act on results, and improve decision making. Beginning in 1992, the LG Group of Korea was involved in an instructional systems development (ISD) training program for its human resource development professionals in cooperation with Indiana University. The LG ISD training program stressed that learning instructional design theories and practices would make LG more effective in global competition. The purposes of the research reported in this article were to evaluate the effectiveness of the ISD training program in terms of transfer of training and to gain information on how to improve future training programs. The findings of the study support the goals that were established for the ISD training program. The program participants are more confident and competent in using the ISD process for analyzing needs for performance improvement and designing and developing quality training products. The article suggests ways of solving barriers to transfer training and evaluation and improving future programs.     

Effect of citrulline on post-exercise rating of perceived exertion,muscle soreness,and blood lactate levels: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BackgroundCitrulline is one of the non-essential amino acids that is thought to improve exercise performance and reduce post-exercise muscle soreness. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the effect of citrulline supplements on the post-exercise rating of perceived exertion (RPE), muscle soreness, and blood lactate levels.MethodsA random effects model was used to calculate the effect sizes due to the high variability in the study design and study populations of the articles included. A systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed. Eligibility for study inclusion was limited to studies that were randomized controlled trials involving healthy individuals and that investigated the acute effect of citrulline supplements on RPE, muscle soreness, and blood lactate levels. The supplementation time frame was limited to 2 h before exercise. The types and number of participants, types of exercise tests performed, supplementation protocols for L-citrulline or citrulline malate, and primary (RPE and muscle soreness) and secondary (blood lactate level) study outcomes were extracted from the identified studies.ResultsThe analysis included 13 eligible articles including a total of 206 participants. The most frequent dosage used in the studies was 8 g of citrulline malate. Citrulline supplementation significantly reduced RPE (n = 7, p = 0.03) and muscle soreness 24-h and 48-h after post-exercise (n = 7, p = 0.04; n = 6, p = 0.25, respectively). However, citrulline supplementation did not significantly reduce muscle soreness 72-h post-exercise (n = 4, p = 0.62) or lower blood lactate levels (n = 8, p = 0.17).ConclusionCitrulline supplements significantly reduced post-exercise RPE and muscle soreness without affecting blood lactate levels.     

Type D personality as a predictor of smoking cessation failure in smoking high school adolescents

The aim of this study was to identify the association between type D personality and smoking cessation among high school students who had participated in a stop smoking program. From 27 high schools, we recruited 279 smoking students who had participated in a stop smoking program between May 29, 2015, and January 25, 2016. About 26.5% of participants had a type D personality. A logistic regression analysis revealed that initiating smoking before or during 5th grade, smoking 21 or more cigarettes daily, and having a type D personality were significantly related to smoking cessation failure. Type D personality was significantly associated with social nicotine dependency and was a predictor of smoking cessation failure after a stop smoking program. Accordingly, type D personality should be considered along with other smoking‐related factors when attempting to promote smoking cessation among high school adolescents.     

Cooperation and competition in intercultural interactions

Previous research has demonstrated that intercultural interactions produce less positive outcomes in cooperative behaviors in game play than intracultural interactions, yet no study to date has empirically linked these behavioral outcomes to cultural differences between the players. In this study stranger dyads played a modified version of Prisoner's Dilemma either with a partner from the same country or not. Intercultural dyads were less cooperative and more competitive, replicating previous findings. The behavioral outcomes for the intercultural dyads were reliably associated with differences in the dyad's home country scores on Hofstede's (2001) cultural dimension Power Distance, linking cultural differences between players and behavioral outcomes in intercultural game play.     

Learning Computer Graphics Using Virtual Reality Technologies Based on Constructivism – Case Study of the WebDeGrator System

This study applies constructivist principles and Virtual Reality (VR) technology to the Web-based Interactive Design Graphics (WebDeGrator) system to improve learning computer graphics. The constructivist treatment provides students with access to their choice of source content, three-dimensional (3D) modeling tools and interactive behaviors in a virtual environment. In this study, we developed a VR-based learning system to simulate and adjust computer graphics through sculpture graphic algorithms in real-time. We will discuss the relationship between constructivism and VR technology and also how the WebDeGrator system encourages student-learning through VR technology.     

An Analysis of Peer Assessment Online Discussions within a Course that uses Project-based Learning

In recent years project-based learning (PBL) incorporating online discussions has gradually been applied to courses that focus on writing projects. Past studies have shown that learners in PBL often face the difficulties of not having in-depth data analysis and peer discussions and how teachers design the rules and methods for online discussions has a significant influence on the quality of discussion. Since using a peer assessment strategy in the classroom could facilitate learners' critical thinking and meta-cognitive skills, this study conducts an empirical observational study in order to analyse the content and process of the discussion activities based on peer assessment without teacher intervention and tries to explore students' knowledge construction of the discussion. Sequential analysis and content analysis were conducted to observe the scale of each aspect of knowledge construction and the sequential pattern of students' knowledge construction during the discussions. Teachers didn't provide any guidance or intervention during the activity. Based on the results of the observations, this study discusses the possible difficulties that students may encounter when conducting peer assessment online discussions. Finally, this study also proposes suggestions about the timing and methods for teacher interventions.