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This paper aims to design a guide for engineering problem solving with a mathematical approach, based on the use of creative, heuristic and reasoning strategies. The research is divided in two phases: the literature review and the conception of a guide for engineering problems with an open or closed solution. This guide combines the engineering method with algorithmic and heuristic-creative components in three steps: a) understanding, approaching and characterising the problem; b) planning, tackling and deciding on the best alternative; and c) solving, reviewing and evaluating the problem. The authors conclude that this guide will allow future engineers to reach a solution to a problem considering the implications in the financial, technical, environmental and other domains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to unify q-derivative/q-integrals and h-derivative/h-integrals into a single definition, called q − h -derivative/ q − h -integral. These notions are further extended on the finite interval [ a , b ] in the form of left and right q − h -derivatives and q − h -integrals. Some inequalities for q − h -integrals are studied and directly connected with well known results in diverse fields of science and engineering. The theory based on q-derivatives/q-integrals and h-derivatives/h-integrals can be unified using the q − h -derivative/ q − h -integral concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complex systems are difficult to manage, operate and maintain. This is why we see teams of highly specialised engineers in industries such as aerospace, nuclear and subsurface. Condition based monitoring is also employed to maximise the efficiency of extensive maintenance programmes instead of using periodic maintenance. A level of automation is often required in such complex engineering platforms in order to effectively and safely manage them. Advances in Artificial Intelligence related technologies have offered greater levels of automation but this potentially pivots the weight of decision making away from the operator to the machine. Implementing AI or complex algorithms into a platform can mean that the Operators' control over the system is diminished or removed altogether. For example, in the Boeing 737 Air Max Disaster, AI had been added to a platform and removed the operators' control of the system. This meant that the operator could not then move outside the extremely reserved, algorithm defined, "envelope" of operation. This paper analyses the challenges of AI driven condition based monitoring where there is a potential to see similar consequences to those seen in control engineering. As the future of society becomes more about algorithm driven technology, it is prudent to ask, not only whether we should implement AI into complex systems, but how this can be achieved ethically and safely in order to reduce risk to life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solving a multiple-criteria optimization problem with severe constraints remains a significant issue in multi-objective evolutionary algorithms. The problem primarily stems from the need for a suitable constraint handling technique. One potential approach is balancing the search in feasible and infeasible regions to find the Pareto front efficiently. The justification for such a strategy is that the infeasible region also provides valuable information, especially in problems with a small percentage of feasibility areas. To that end, this paper investigates the potential of the infeasibility-driven principle based on multiple constraint ranking-based techniques to solve a multi-objective problem with a small feasibility ratio. By analyzing the results from intensive experiments on a set of test problems, including the realistic multi-objective car structure design and actuator design problem, it is shown that there is a significant improvement gained in terms of convergence by utilizing the generalized version of the multiple constraint ranking techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The School of Engineering and Technology of Central Queensland University focuses on the continuous development and innovation of best learning and teaching practices to increase student retention and improve their learning experiences. Face to face and distance learning (teaching delivery models) are fundamental aspects of providing quality support to the students' learning. One incredibly important aspect of students' learning is to provide relevant industry-related projects and applications of relevant simulation software to mimic the systems. This paper develops students' essential problem-solving skills and control strategies of fluid power systems in mechanical engineering through the Master of Engineering programs by employing Simulink, SimScape Fluid applications in Matlab software and Energy Plus with Design Builder. The main focus is to ensure that the students achieve the required skills of building fluid circuit models based on physical connections that directly integrate with appropriate symbols and modelling paradigms in fluid power applications to model the appropriate physical models to mimic the industrial fluid power projects selected. The basic ideas and content are to be delivered through weekly lectures and tutorial sessions, and the students' skills in fluid power systems and software are developed and monitored through weekly workshops scheduled for all projects. The key outcomes of this study are the level of understanding of fluid power systems, development of simulation skills using the software indicated, interpretation of the results the students have obtained and validations of those results. The students must show they have developed appropriate problem-solving skills using simulation software, professional presentation and effective team-building skills. As the students develop appropriate problem-solving and engineering practice skills, their satisfaction and feedback rates improve significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With constantly changing political landscapes affecting the ability of college students with minoritized identities of sexuality and/or gender (MIoSG; Vaccaro et al., 2015) to thrive on campus, higher educators need to understand student reported stressors to design more inclusive learning environments. Building from minority stress theory and using data from a grounded theory study with 56 collegiate STEM students with MIoSG, this paper documents stressors that students reported as contributing to diminished wellbeing. We used constant comparative grounded theory analysis to identify stressors shared by all participants, which included lack of belonging and invisibility in competitive STEM cultures as well as exclusionary interactions with STEM peers. Recommendations include the design and delivery of holistic education and support services on campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pragmatists are interested primarily not in representing a purportedly unchanging Reality but in articulating prophetic future possibilities on the basis of the values most venerated by a culture/society in the present. This makes pragmatism sound a little like 'Conceptual Engineering'. Conceptual engineers too are interested in transforming our ways of talking, which implies some notion of how such improvements are to be evaluated. Nevertheless, this paper argues that accounts of conceptual engineering that regard it as key to the project of elucidating an externalist semantics find it difficult to accommodate on their own terms the problem-phenomena taken to be of shared interest: regions of discourse where the demand for change are at their most pressing culturally. This difficulty takes the form of what I call the Conceptual Engineering Dilemma (CED), an inability to accommodate simultaneously the ethical and ameliorative dimensions of contestation. I argue that acknowledging the formalist commitments that undergird CED should make pragmatism more appealing to the practically-orientated analytic philosopher and conclude with a brief survey of some of the tools that it makes available for the pressing work of changing minds for the better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The later Carnap is usually cited as the first conceptual engineer – someone who argues that we can and should revise our concepts in order to make them fit for their purpose. This paper shows that there is an earlier, pragmatist, account of conceptual engineering and that today's conceptual engineers would do well to turn to it, rather than to Carnap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite its obvious relevance to computer science, computational thinking (CT) is transdisciplinary with the potential of impacting one's analytical ability. Although countless efforts have been invested across K‐12 education, there is a paucity of research at the postsecondary level about the extent to which CT can contribute to sustainable learning outcomes. Objectives: The current study examines how a series of Arduino‐based robotics learning activities capture the fuller essence of concepts related to CT. Methods: College students (n = 50) completed a series of six robotics learning activities. Think‐alouds, student reflections and performance scores were used to assess students' CT through a robotics challenge in virtual and physical learning environments. Results and Conclusions: Students verbalized CT concepts related to algorithmic thinking much more than abstraction, problem decomposition and testing and debugging. Students exposed to active learning performed better in a virtual robotics challenge compared to their peers in a traditional‐oriented classroom. Students' scores on the physical robotics challenge increased as a function of the number of references they made to CT concepts during the think‐alouds. It is possible to design pedagogical experiences that tap into various dimensions of CT at incremental levels of complexity through a series of Arduino‐based robotics activities. With the integration of an online simulation, students can visualize and transfer their CT skills between a virtual and physical learning environment, thus leading to more sustainable learning outcomes. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Computational thinking (CT) is the conceptual foundation for problem‐solving.CT shifted from unplugged to plugged activities.CT concepts can be fostered through educational robotics. What this paper adds: A multi‐dimensional approach to assessing CT.Applications of CT provide insights into skill transfer.An integrative theoretical approach to study the 'how' and the 'what' of CT. Implications for practice: Educational robotics activities can cater to a fuller range of CT skills.Virtual simulations with constructive feedback are beneficial for students in traditional settings.Mixed learning environments contribute to making links between lectures and labs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents and evaluates a role-play simulation called 'Theatrical Technology Assessment', in which students learn about complex stakeholder dynamics around emerging technologies. This role-play combines insights from Constructive Technology Assessment, improvisational theatre and educational role-play designs. It was implemented in an online setting with bachelor students of an interdisciplinary engineering programme. Based on collected chat conversations and reflection reports in seven different simulations, we qualitatively analysed what students learned about stakeholder dynamics. The study shows that students gained novel and relevant insights regarding stakeholder perspectives on technologies, the effects of uncertainties on decision making, collective stakeholder dynamics, and strategies to steer technology development. Students considered the role-play simulations to be engaging learning experiences. The dual set-up of the role-play, with students as players and co-designers, and the integral use of improvisational theatre are novel elements of educational role-play designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In science and scientific research there is a wide spectre of fields and subfields which are not always strictly confined. Different classifications of sciences are also known. Numerous books have been published regarding scientific research, types of scientific papers and manners in which their results are published. This literature is very detailed and precise within international academic circles, especially the literature that relates to publishing scientific books and doctoral theses. However, there are certain dilemmas and inconsistencies which can confuse a young scientist when writing an original research article. After a brief review of issues pertinent to scientific paper writing, methodology of scientific research and type of papers, this paper shows characteristics and construction of an original research article. It shows a technique of writing a paper in all scientific fields and subfields with special emphasis on natural and engineering sciences and in accordance with international and domestic standards. Wider practical guidelines can be found in the cited literature, so they can be additionally used, if needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon nanotube cement-based grouting materials currently mostly stay in the pure slurry research stage, and there is little research in the field of rock crack reinforcement combined with the engineering application background. Therefore, on the basis of existing research, it is important to expand the dispersion of carbon nanotubes in cement paste, and to carry out research on the reinforcement of fractured rocks in combination with the engineering background. This paper combines the actual needs of construction engineering to prepare carbon-based nanomaterials, and analyzes its impact on construction engineering in combination with experiments. Moreover, this paper analyzes the influence of carbon nanotubes on the macro-mechanical properties of cement-based materials, and studies the influence of modified carbon nanotubes on the macro-mechanical properties of cement-based materials. In addition, this paper explores the micromechanical properties of carbon nanotube cement materials at the nanometer scale. The research results verify the effectiveness of carbon-based nanomaterials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The creation of blockchain-based software applications requires today considerable technical knowledge, particularly in software design and programming. This is regarded as a major barrier in adopting this technology in business and making it accessible to a wider audience. As a solution, low-code and no-code approaches have been proposed that require only little or no programming knowledge for creating full-fledged software applications. In this paper we extend a review of academic approaches from the discipline of model-driven engineering as well as industrial low-code and no-code development platforms for blockchains. This includes a content-based, computational analysis of relevant academic papers and the derivation of major topics. In addition, the topics were manually evaluated and refined. Based on these analyses we discuss the spectrum of approaches in this field and derive opportunities for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the bidding process of government investment engineering projects, collusion between the government and bidders occurs repeatedly, which seriously affects the quality of engineering projects and the effectiveness of the government investment. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze and discuss the collusion between the government and bidders in government investment engineering projects, so as to provide a healthy and sustainable environment for the government investment engineering bidding market. There are two main types of collusion in engineering bidding: horizontal collusion and vertical collusion, and this paper focuses on the vertical collusion process in the engineering bidding process. A conceptual framework of the grey interest chain based on three stages of benefit creation, benefit distribution, and benefit realization was established, 15 major nodes in the grey interest chain were identified, and a grey interest chain control model was constructed, which further identified and classified the nodes into four levels: key nodes, important nodes, general nodes, and unimportant nodes. Finally, through the application of the model in the case, measures such as establishing a cracking mechanism for grey resource integration, increasing the supervision of grey interest chain, and strengthening post-bid audit are proposed. Measures such as including the preparation of bidding documents into the work assessment system and entrusting consulting units or third parties to prepare bidding documents are proposed to establish a crack mechanism for grey resource integration. In the benefit distribution stage, the penalties for the government and the bidders can be appropriately increased, the responsibilities of enterprises and project leaders can be implemented in the system on a reciprocal basis, and a perfect reputation mechanism information can be established. At the stage of benefit realization, the bidding system should be improved and post-bid audit should be strengthened to increase the difficulty of grey benefit realization. This paper will provide a reference for the prevention and governance of vertical collusion in bidding and tendering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study reviews how empathy and its role are conceptualised in entrepreneurial and engineering literature. Our findings can then be used as a foundation for developing contextual and theoretical models of empathy for entrepreneurial engineering. These models will help create teaching practices and approaches to prepare empathic entrepreneurial engineers. The study deployed a systematic literature review of 40 papers from engineering and entrepreneurship fields, obtained from the Scopus and Web of Science databases. The analysis involved three phases. First, a descriptive analysis of research on empathy in entrepreneurship and engineering was completed, followed by a content analysis focusing on definitions and the role of the empathy phenomenon and a co-citation analysis to identify commonly cited authors. The results of this literature review demonstrate different indicators that reflect the current state of empathy research and study trajectories of this phenomenon in the fields of engineering and entrepreneurship. These indicators include the number of papers related to empathy in engineering and entrepreneurship literature by year of publication, definitions of empathy and keywords used in analysed literature as well as list of authors and their area of interests within empathy research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The substantial growth in gamification research has connected gamified learning to enhanced engagement, improved performance, and greater motivation. Similar to gamification, personalized learning analytics dashboards can enhance student engagement. Objectives: This study explores the student experiences and academic achievements using a gamified dashboard in a large, introductory STEM course. Methods: We examined two groups of students enrolled in different sections of a one‐semester‐long physical geology course with a total enrollment of 223 students. The only difference between the groups was that one had access to the dashboard. The data collection included students' assignments, overall performances, and exam scores. Students in both sections completed a Science Literacy Concept Inventory survey at the beginning and end of the term. Additionally, students completed an end‐of‐term survey containing open‐ended questions on their experience and interactions with specific elements. Results: Students shared mostly positive comments about their experience with the dashboard, and the final grade of students with access to the dashboard was 13% higher, on average, compared to their peers in the non‐dashboard section. Conclusion: With low costs and little time invested, gamified dashboards could have a significant impact on student performance in large STEM lecture courses. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Leaner dashboards that provide personalized feedback are linked to improved student performance in undergraduate STEM courses. However, students may be reticent to adopt dashboards, especially students in the middle range of the performance distribution, for whom the impact of the dashboard may be most significant.Prior research on gamification in STEM courses suggests that adding gameful elements like progress trackers, badges, and rewards can increase students' engagement in undergraduate coursework.The combination of personalized learning in dashboards and the motivational experience of gamification should boost student engagement, dashboard adoption, and ultimately foster academic achievement. What this paper adds: In this paper, we examine the differences in academic performance between students with and without access to a gamified learning dashboard in an undergraduate Geology course.We observe that students with access to the dashboard (the treatment group), outperform students without access (the control group). The greatest benefit is observed for students who use the dashboard more frequently.Students reported that the progress tracker, the badges, and the rewards all incentivized their use and provided useful feedback about their performance. Students who did not adopt the dashboard expressed a need for more detail about the tool and its purpose. Implications for practice and/or policy: Instructors and instructional designers for large enrollment undergraduate STEM courses should consider the affordances of gamified learner dashboards for increasing engagement and for providing synchronous feedback about learners' strategies in the course.Aligning the dashboard to the content of the curriculum—by ensuring that badges reflect key concepts‐ encouraged participation and helped students identify the utility of the tool. Dashboards should be personalized to individuals and to the course.Adding gameful elements in a low‐cost intervention for increasing adoption and engagement of dashboards in large enrollment introductory courses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prospective authors are requested to submit new, unpublished manuscripts for inclusion in the upcoming event described in this call for papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prospective authors are requested to submit new, unpublished manuscripts for inclusion in the upcoming event described in this call for papers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezotronic devices have attracted a great deal of attention due to their potential applications in self-powered tactile sensing, nano-device memory, human-electronic interface, etc. As the size of piezotronic devices shrinks, some interesting quantum effects begin to appear. In this paper, we establish a theory oriented to the engineering application of piezoelectric semiconductors, called quantum-corrected phenomenological (QCP) theory, by coupling the density-gradient theory and the linear piezoelectricity theory through Gauss's law. For numerical verification, we specifically studied the electromechanical behaviors in GaN/AlGaN heterostructure quantum wells (QWs) with both infinite and finite barrier height. The results of electron density, electric potential, and quantum potential are provided, and their dependence on the doping density, the applied stress, and the Al mole fraction is investigated. Some interesting quantum effects are revealed, and their influencing mechanisms are well investigated from a macroscopic perspective. Not only do the conclusions drawn in this paper enrich the fundamental understanding of the piezotronic effect in a QW structure, but also the proposed QCP theory can serve as a valuable tool for future device engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the outcome of the discussions by members of the steering committee of the International Electrical and Electronic Engineering Requirements Engineering (RE) Conference, regarding paper classification and evaluation criteria for RE papers. Section two of the article sketches the rationale for the classification. Section three presents the classification, and section four concludes with a discussion of background ideas and related work.

BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) together accounted for about 17.3% of total research papers in science and engineering published in 2011 compared to 7.6% in 1995, whereas their contribution to total doctorates produced in science and engineering in 2010 was 31.2% of the world total. India held second position in 1995 amongst BRICS countries and was behind Russia, whereas in 2011, China not only replaced Russia but also attained second position in publishing science and engineering research papers in the world, next only to USA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applications of electrochemical detection methods in microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) has revolutionized the area of point-of-care (POC) testing towards highly sensitive and selective quantification of various (bio)chemical analytes in a miniaturized, low-coat, rapid, and user-friendly manner. Shortly after the initiation, these relatively new modulations of μPADs, named as electrochemical paper-based analytical devices (ePADs), gained widespread popularity within the POC research community thanks to the inherent advantages of both electrochemical sensing and usage of paper as a suitable substrate for POC testing platforms. Even though general aspects of ePADs such as applications and fabrication techniques, have already been reviewed multiple times in the literature, herein, we intend to provide a critical engineering insight into the area of ePADs by focusing particularly on the practical strategies utilized to enhance their analytical performance (i.e. sensitivity), while maintaining the desired simplicity and efficiency intact. Basically, the discussed strategies are driven by considering the parameters potentially affecting the generated electrochemical signal in the ePADs. Some of these parameters include the type of filter paper, electrode fabrication methods, electrode materials, fluid flow patterns, etc. Besides, the limitations and challenges associated with the development of ePADs are discussed, and further insights and directions for future research in this field are proposed. • Parameters contributing to the performance of electrochemical paper-based analytical devices (ePADs) are outlined. • Strategies on paper substrate, electrode fabrication, fluid flow manipulation to enhance ePADs performance are discussed. • Strategies on device design, hyphenation of analytical procedures, and signal amplification are reviewed. • Perspectives focusing on development of new methodologies to enhance ePADs performance are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a diverse range of semiconductor devices, the charge carrier lifetime is an essential characteristic. However, the carrier lifetime is difficult to control, as it is usually determined by a variety of recombination processes. For indirect bandgap materials, it is well known that effective carrier lifetimes can be improved by passivating the surface, effectively extinguishing surface-related recombination processes. However, for some applications, such as photomodulators for sub-infrared radiation, it is beneficial to tailor lifetimes to specific values, in this particular case trading off between photo-efficiency and switching speed. In this paper, we design a new type of silicon-based metamaterial with a tunable electron–hole lifetime. By periodically patterning a dielectric surface passivation layer, we create a metamaterial whereby the filling fraction of passivated relative to unpassivated areas dictates the effective charge carrier lifetime. We demonstrate tunable lifetimes between 200 μs and 8 ms in a 670 μm thick Si wafer, though in principle our approach allows one to generate any lifetime between the fully passivated and unpassivated limits of a bulk semiconductor. Finally, we investigate the application of these metamaterials as photomodulators, finding switching times that depend upon both the photoexcitation intensity, wafer thickness, and the carrier lifetime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, chalcogenides have attracted much attention as electrocatalysts in hydrogen evolution reaction (HER). However, few studies have been conducted on the electrocatalytic properties of gallium oxides and chalcogenides. In this paper, a Ga 2 XY (X ≠ Y, X, Y=O, S, Se, Te) defect structure doped by non-metal B, C, N, P, Si, and As have been designed. According to the study, the doping of non-metal atoms can significantly enhance their HER properties, the Ga 2 OSe-As Xi -Xi structure and Ga 2 SeTe-Si Xi -NM structure possess intensely excellent HER properties in this study with the Gibbs free energy of 0.01 eV and 0.00 eV, respectively. It is found that the Ga 2 SeTe structure has a more concentrated electron transfer range compared to the Ga 2 OSe structure, leading to a superior HER performance. This work provides a new idea for the study of HER electrocatalytic performance of the Ga 2 XY system, and it is expected to be applied to HER catalysts affordably and efficiently. • Screening of non-metal doped Ga 2 XY defective structures for HER electrocatalytic performance. • The introduction of Ga vacancies significantly enhances the HER performance of Ga 2 XY structures. • The Ga 2 SeTe defective doped structure has a more concentrated electron transfer range compared to the Ga 2 OSe structure. • The As-doped Ga 2 OSe structure and the Si-doped Ga 2 SeTe structure containing Ga defect have a near-zero ΔG H. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report simulation results for capacitance–voltage characteristics and temperature distribution in the cross‐section of p‐type gate‐all‐around nanosheet channel using an in‐house developed numerical simulator. The effects of material, channel width, and crystallographic orientation on electrical and thermal properties of p‐type nanosheet transistor are comprehensively investigated. The effect of channel engineering is analyzed, by evaluating density‐of‐states, hole density, current densities as well as distributions of temperature in the channel cross‐section. Finally, the thermal reliability of the device is addressed in terms of thermal resistance. The density‐of‐states and the hole density distribution at the oxide/channel interface can well explain the effective intrinsic capacitance obtained from the simulation. The better uniformity of the hole density distribution across the cross‐section of (110)/[001] channel, shows good promise for less performance fluctuation in terms of the thermal reliability issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Space grid structures are widely used in the field of structural engineering due to their good mechanical properties and simple construction procedures. This paper reviews the development of space grid structures and mainly introduces the development of space grid structures in China in recent years. Some typical applications of space grid structures are introduced and the technical developments are summarized. It shows that China not only has a large number of engineering applications of space grid structures, but also a rapid development of related technologies. Finally, some prospects for space grid structures are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The model-based robust approach is successfully applied to different industrial processes for improving their quality performance characteristics. The Robust engineering approach is implemented in cases of heteroscedasticity of the performance characteristics in presence of errors in the process parameters or noise factors, which is typical for the production processes. Higher quality and reproducibility of the quality characteristics can be achieved both for existing production processes or for technological process design at the production planning and development stages. In this paper the model-based robust engineering approach is implemented for the quality improvement of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) resist profiles, obtained by electron beam lithography process. Specific technological requirements concerning the developed profile structures, their variances (reproducibility) in production conditions and robustness toward the errors in the process parameters, are considered. Different multicriteria optimization approaches were applying and compared, aiming to simultaneously fulfil the requirements for the geometric characteristics of the positive resist PMMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work is the extended version of a paper presented at the conference HMM2021, about the history of mechanical engineering. First, the initial cultural and industrial steps in the robotic field in Japan are introduced, to display the beginning of this interlaced path, before WW2; then, in the context of the aftermaths of the war, some famous anime heroes are presented as ancestors of the coming mecha anime series. The rising research in the field of robotics and more generally the developments of contemporary Japanese automation industry are then drawn, as a technological substrate for mecha conception. In particular, Masahiro Mori studies are taken into consideration to identify an actual robot design pattern to apply to the following comparative description and examination of the different mecha; finally, thanks to this analysis, the common breeding ground whence robotics and mecha (and their reciprocal influences) arise, is outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces a new design strategy for the development of highly sensitive Multimode Interference (MMI) sensors by employing an engineered slot-waveguide as the foundation for the device. Waveguides typically adopted in MMI sensors have the evanescent field of their modes interact with the sample in the sensing region and, by doing that, the device sensitivity is limited by how distinctly confined the propagating modes are. Even though one propagating mode has a greater interaction with the sample than the other, they both are sensitive to changes in the refractive index in the sensing area, when the ideal situation is to keep one of them virtually insensitive to such changes. A multimode slot-waveguide with a central defect was proposed to improve two aspects: first, obtain one mode that is guided through the high-index central defect of the core and that is, by construction, physically separated from the sensing region; second, utilize another high-order mode that propagates through the low-index regions of the core and not only in direct contact with the sample, but with maximum field intensity in the region of interaction. For aqueous samples (refractive index approximately 1.33), the achieved sensitivity per sensor length was 6.0 rad · RIU - 1 · μ m - 1 and an estimated Limit-Of-Detection of 3.5 · 10 - 8 RIU - 1 , which places the slot-MMI sensor among the most sensitive devices in the current literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the anomalies generated by various subsurface targets and their responses to different geophysical techniques in various subsoil types is critical to near-surface geophysical investigations. Geophysical test site (GTS) plays a vital role in near-surface geophysical investigations and related Earth sciences to adequately predict the geometries and anomalies generated by the subsurface targets. Therefore, developing a GTS on a site requires some technical efficiencies, mechanical procedures, engineering concepts and scientific approach, depending on the operating environment and the purpose of construction. This paper reviews the evolving roles of GTS in engineering, sciences, and technology via remarkable pedagogical and scientific research. The procedures for designing and installing GTS were also discussed. Every constructed GTS is unique and has its operating environment and sets of scientific requirements. As a result, the execution of GTS should be subjected to numerous factors that invariably affect the overall long time usage and performance. Comparative studies of GTS activities indicate that GTS is a vital geophysical research and academic platform to enrich the outcomes of the geophysical modelling for near-surface geophysical applications in engineering, science and technology. The evolving application of GTS has greatly impacted the field of science and engineering by enhancing the knowledge and understanding of the earth's interior, which invariably affects the engineers, geophysicists, archaeologists and geologists to be critical in the analysis, interpretation, and providing precise and accurate information of subsurface anomalies underlying the uppermost soil of the earth's crust. After a critical investigation, it was noted that the installation of GTSs is usually conceived to replicate situations often encountered in field investigation contexts. Examination shows that GTS can provide an ideal platform for young geoscientists, engineers and archaeologists to acquire the requisite skills, knowledge, technical know-how, and professional techniques for resolving near-surface challenges in real-life work situations. More also, a well-developed and equipped GTS could be a watershed in technological advancement, research development, and new scientific ideas. The GTS platform also indicates a promising pedagogical approach to geophysical educational usage, research mobilization, and development of new shallow geophysical techniques for various near-surface investigation and calibrating/testing geophysical equipment, which invariably catalyzed engineering designs, scientific concepts and technological advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Model-driven engineering (MDE) uses models as first-class artefacts during the software development lifecycle. MDE often relies on domain-specific languages (DSLs) to develop complex systems. The construction of a new DSL implies a deep understanding of a domain, whose relevant knowledge may be scattered in heterogeneous artefacts, like XML documents, (meta-)models, and ontologies, among others. This heterogeneity hampers their reuse during (meta-)modelling processes. Under the hypothesis that reusing heterogeneous knowledge helps in building more accurate models, more efficiently, in previous works we built a (meta-)modelling assistant called Extremo. Extremo represents heterogeneous information sources with a common data model, supports its uniform querying and reusing information chunks for building (meta-)models. To understand how and whether modelling assistants—like Extremo—help in designing a new DSL, we conducted an empirical study, which we report in this paper. In the study, participants had to build a meta-model, and we measured the accuracy of the artefacts, the perceived usability and utility and the time to completion of the task. Interestingly, our results show that using assistance did not lead to faster completion times. However, participants using Extremo were more effective and efficient, produced meta-models with higher levels of completeness and correctness, and overall perceived the assistant as useful. The results are not only relevant to Extremo, but we discuss their implications for future modelling assistants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel and powerful population-based metaheuristic algorithm called Nizar Optimization Algorithm (NOA). This algorithm is based on two techniques. The first technique is to use effective mappings, which are divided into two types: mixing and transformation mappings. The mixing mappings return a mixed vector by replacing or shuffling the elements of two selected vectors, and the transformation mappings return the translation, dilation, or transfer of a selected vector. The second technique is to determine the effective points by using the effective mappings and individuals of the population, and then, these points are used in the learning process of NOA. To validate and demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm and its ability to balance exploration and exploitation, NOA is tested on 60 unconstrained benchmark functions and four classic constrained real-world engineering problems. The experimental results are verified by a comparative study with over 20 well-known and recently developed optimization algorithms. These results show that the proposed algorithm outperforms all other algorithms in terms of solution accuracy, convergence curve speed, statistical measurements, and computational expenses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The number of artificial intelligence (AI) literacy studies in K‐12 education has recently increased, with most research focusing on primary and secondary education contexts. Little research focuses on AI literacy programs in early childhood education. Objectives: The aim of this mixed‐methods study is to examine the feasibility of an AI literacy program called "AI4KG" and explore how it might affect kindergarteners' perceptions of robots and attitudes towards engineering and science. Methods: A total of 26 child–parent dyads recruited from a Hong Kong kindergarten were involved in this study, consisting of 26 children (Mage = 4 years, SD = 0.28) and their parents. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected through surveys and interviews designed to explore children's perceptions of robots and attitudes towards engineering and science, and parents' perceptions of the AI4KG intervention. Results: It is found that children have increased their perceptions of robots after the AI literacy program, but the AI4KG curriculum had no significant effects on kindergarten children's engineering and science attitudes. Most parents (22 out of 26) agreed that their children's AI knowledge, AI skills, and AI attitudes have been enhanced after learning through the AI4KG curriculum. Conclusions: This study suggests that the AI4KG curriculum is potentially effective in promoting early AI literacy and favourable attitudes towards the technology, but further research is needed to develop age‐appropriate measures and assess its long‐term impact on children's education and career paths. Lay Description: What is currently known about this topic?: AI literacy is becoming important as AI transforms society, but few studies have explored AI literacy in early childhood education.Prior research found AI activities can positively influence older children's views of robots and engineering. What does this paper add?: It evaluates an 8‐week AI literacy curriculum called AI4KG for kindergarteners in Hong Kong.The curriculum used tools like Teachable Machine and taught concepts through play and storytelling.It improved children's perceptions of robots but did not significantly impact engineering/science attitudes.Parents perceived improvements in children's AI knowledge, skills, and attitudes after the curriculum. Implications for practice/policy: The curriculum provides an example for developing age‐appropriate AI literacy activities.More rigorous research on impacts over time is needed, but results suggest potential benefits of AI literacy in early childhood.Policymakers could consider incorporating AI literacy into kindergarten curricula to prepare children for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Significant efforts are being made to produce biofuels to replace fossil fuels and address the issues caused by global climate change. Due to its potential better conversion efficiency to useable power, decreased emission of pollutants, and high energy density, H 2 is one of the prospective options that are seen as a desirable future clean energy carrier. Although there are numerous technologies available for producing H 2 , this review concentrates on fermentative H 2 production techniques, their drawbacks, and current developments. While being a promising method, fermentative strategies still have several drawbacks, including low H 2 production yields. Many approaches have been used to address these issues; among them, the field of metabolic pathway engineering has made enormous strides. To improve H 2 generation, this paper reviewed and discussed several metabolic pathways and modified strains. As well as the challenges involved in H 2 scale-up from a laboratory setting to a commercial scale. • Biohydrogen production via fermentative methods is reviewed and elaborated. • Metabolic engineering methods are proposed for scaling up fermentative biohydrogen. • Challenges of fermentative biohydrogen production and potential solutions. • Bionanotechnology and modified strains enhanced biohydrogen production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In organic solar cells (OSCs), the intricate synthesis and lower yield of ladder-type fused ring small molecule receptors (FR-SMAs) have prompted the quest for simpler, higher yielding non-fused ring (NFR)-SMAs. In this paper, a type of NFR asymmetrical SMA with an A–D–π–A structure, namely DPCT8-4F and DPCT10-4F, was primarily designed and synthesized, in which an alkyl chain dipyran (DP) ring, cycllopentadithiophene (CT) and fluorinated 1,1-dicyanomethylene-3-indanone (4F) are employed as the donor (D) unit, π-bridge and acceptor (A) terminals, respectively. The influence of the alkyl chain originating from the DP unit on their optical, electrochemical and photovoltaic properties was systematically investigated. The DPCT8-4F with n-octane chains exhibited enhanced crystallinity and molecular packing compared to the DPCT10-4F with n-decane chains. After being blended with the polymer donor PBDB-T, the OSCs based on PBDB-T:DPCT8-4F demonstrate an impressive power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 12.52%, surpassing that of 11.68% for the DPCT10-4F-based ones. This work demonstrates that these asymmetric NFR-SMAs can improve the efficiency of OSCs by pairing alkyl chains on the dipyran ring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research paper presents the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique, and its practical application to machine learning. The objective is to address the problem of dimensional reduction or data compression. Based on an intuitive analysis, this document will help bring economists and other professionals in the social sciences closer to these ideas, which are generally alien to their discussions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offset boosting is a crucial passage for chaotic signal modification in chaos-based engineering. Searching an offset controller for a 3D chaotic system is usually complex, let alone two independent nonbifurcating offset constants. This paper constructs a class of chaotic systems, providing a single constant posing direct offset boosting for two dimensions. This offset boostable chaotic system regime has multiple typical control modes, including a system variable single control, synchronous common control, reverse control, and differential control. This new type of chaotic systems also finds two-dimensional offset boosting combined with amplitude control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ion Cyclotron Range of Frequency (ICRF) heating system of the China Fusion Engineering Test Reactor (CFETR) is intended to provide plasma heating with a minimum power output of 20 MW, which demands the Radio Frequency (RF) window to possess a higher performance requirement. This paper presents the design of an RF window for the CFETR ICRF heating system and focuses primarily on the design and confirmation of its electromagnetic performance. The RF window can be effectively matched in the operating frequency range and has an S11 of under −59 dB. The geometry of the cone type ceramics was optimized to reduce the surface tangential electric field distribution. An analysis of the electric field distribution of the RF window at 50 kV indicates that the pressure side was below 2.3 kV/mm and the vacuum side was below 1.3 kV/mm. Furthermore, a transmission line test bench with an open-terminated setup was constructed to conduct withstand voltage tests on the mockup, and the results showed that the mockup could withstand 62 kV for 2 s and 47 kV for 120 s. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a unified gas kinetic particle (UGKP) method is developed for radiative transfer in both absorbing and anisotropic scattering media. This numerical method is constructed based on our theoretical work on the model reduction for an anisotropic scattering system. The macroscopic solver of this method directly solves the macroscopic anisotropic diffusion equations, eliminating the need to solve higher-order moment equations. The reconstruction of macroscopic scattering source in the microscopic solver, based on the multiscale equivalent phase function we proposed in this work, has also been simplified as one single scattering process, significantly reducing the computational costs. The proposed method has also the property of asymptotic preserving. In the optically thick regime, the proposed method solves the diffusion limit equations for an anisotropic system. In the optically thin regime, the kinetic processes of photon transport are simulated. The consistency and efficiency of the proposed method have been validated by numerical tests in a wide range of flow regimes. The novel equivalent scattering source reconstruction can be used for various transport processes, and the proposed numerical scheme is widely applicable in high-energy density engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I discuss the emerging field of conceptual engineering from the perspective of the philosophy of mind and cognitive science. I explore the role the latter disciplines can and do play by specifically focusing on how different notions of what a concept is affects the general conceptual engineering framework, both positively and negatively, before considering a particular account that eschews talk of concepts altogether. I call this project 'Cappelen's challenge' as it draws from suggestive remarks in his work (Cappelen, H. 2018. Fixing Language: Conceptual Engineering and the Limits of Revision. Oxford: Oxford University Press). I argue that by appreciating the range of options that each theory of concepts brings with it, the field as a whole can come to better grips with its foundations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conceptual engineering is the method for assessing and improving our concepts. Some have recently claimed that the implementation of such method in the form of ameliorative projects is truth-driven and should thus be epistemically constrained, ultimately at least (Simion, Mona. 2018b. "The 'Should' in Conceptual Engineering." Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy 61 (8): 914–928; cf. Podosky, Paul-Mikhail Catapang. 2018. "Ideology and Normativity: Constraints on Conceptual Engineering." Inquiry: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Philosophy, Online first, 1–15. doi:10.1080/0020174X.2018.1562374). This paper challenges that claim on the assumption of a social constructionist analysis of ideologies, and provides an alternative, pragmatic and cognitive framework for determining the legitimacy of ameliorative conceptual projects overall. The upshot is that one should not ameliorate for the sake of truth or knowledge, in the case of ideologies – at least, not primarily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the authors review extant natural language processing models in the context of undergraduate mechanical engineering education. These models have advanced to a stage where it has become increasingly more difficult to discern computer vs. human-produced material, and as a result, have understandably raised questions about their impact on academic integrity. As part of our review, we perform two sets of tests with OpenAI's natural language processing model (1) using GPT-3 to generate text for a mechanical engineering laboratory report and (2) using Codex to generate code for an automation and control systems laboratory. Our results show that natural language processing is a potentially powerful assistive technology for engineering students. However, it is a technology that must be used with care, given its potential to enable cheating and plagiarism behaviours given how the technology challenges traditional assessment practices and traditional notions of authorship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the attitudes towards engineering within early socialism in Britain. It asks why Owenites, as well as Chartists and Fourierists, were drawn to German-American utopian engineer John Adolphus Etzler’s settlement plans in the tropics. Etzler envisioned a tropical paradise run by machinery, where workers and their families lived in a cooperative community and worked only 50 days a year. First, the paper conceptualises the notion of utopian engineering, then it discusses the ambivalences in Robert Owen’s attitudes towards machinery. It shows that Owen endorsed mechanization as a tool to reduce child labour but feared that it caused unemployment and misery among adult skilled workers. The third part investigates Owen’s endorsement of Etzler’s colonial scheme, arguing that the early socialist and the engineer were mutually dependent on each other. Etzler provided Owen with a solution to his technological conundrum, while Owenite publications offered him a means to reach broader audiences for his Tropical Emigration Society. By demonstrating this entanglement, my paper adds to the literature of the relationship between utopia, early socialism, and engineering, and shows that mechanization was as central to early socialism as the abolition of private property, bourgeois marriage and religion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common charge against utopianism is that any attempt to create blueprints for a better future disregards a basic fact: humans' proclivity for failure. In response, defenders of social dreaming have argued that failure can become generative, once we abandon the perfectionism that ostensibly inheres in utopian visions. Building on this revaluation, the paper applies a crucial lesson from engineering and design studies—that often artificial failure modes are required to enhance the safety of tools and machines. To flesh out this point, I turn to utopian fiction and discuss Kim Stanley Robinson's Science in the Capital-trilogy, which rejects techno-optimism about our climate-changed world, yet hails the transformative potential of an anti-capitalist scientific community. Ultimately, the paper claims that, if we cannot have success in addressing the climate emergency without committing serious mistakes, then one (but clearly not the only) path forward is to imaginatively prefigure the faultlines along which ecomodernist dreams for a "good Anthropocene" might rupture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2021 the ISO 21434:2021 standard for Road vehicles—Cybersecurity Engineering has been published. At the same time the blue book from VDA (Verein der Deutschen Automobilgesellschaft; German Automotive Association) for Automotive SPICE cybersecurity assessments has been released. In addition in the period September–December 2021 the training material for iNTACS (INTernational Assessor Certification Schema) certified Automotive SPICE for cybersecurity assessors has been developed. Since February 2022 the upgrade training of assessors worldwide has started. Beside the ASPICE (Automotive SPICE) for cybersecurity blue book also a red book from VDA has been published. The red book describes the questions to check in an ACSMS (Automotive CyberSecurity Management System) audit. This paper explains the main strategy and content for ASPICE for Cybersecurity assessments and how such assessments are integrated to the overall ACSMS strategy. Also, the paper outlines an example method and tool used in ASPICE for cybersecurity assessments and how such assessment results will look like. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]