Effective pain management is an elusive concept in the acute care setting. Improving nurses' knowledge about optimal pain management is one way to improve the patient's pain experience. A computer-simulation game was developed as an alternative method of teaching the subject of pain management to nursing students. In the game, two patient scenarios are presented, one male and one female. Both patients present with acute pain and request help from the nurse. The player progresses through a series of nine questions as the scenarios unfold, each with one best or correct answer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the game's potential as a teaching method compared to traditional methods of teaching, such as a lecture. A total of 30 nursing students participated in the study. After playing through the game, each student was asked to complete a post-game survey consisting of 10 standard 5-point Likert scale items and five open-ended questions. The survey was used to evaluate the students' enjoyment of the game, educational benefits, preference compared to traditional teaching methods, and perceived potential to change nursing practice. Results of the survey show that the majority of nursing students enjoyed playing the game and found it captured their attention more than traditional teaching methods. Nine out of the ten Likert scale items received universal high scores. Nursing students were receptive to the computer-simulation game as a teaching method and found it preferable to traditional methods.

A simulation model is developed in SLAM II to study and analyze conveyor systems.. The adequacy of the model is tested by applying it to a conveyor layout as well as some variant designs. 1he problem of modeling large systems is reduced by decomposing the system into smaller segments (subsystems). Different types of conveyors are considered. Programming modules are prepared for feasible conveyor types and segments. These simulation modules are integrated into a system. / Master of Science

Intermodal traffic has been steadily increasing on the nation's railroads since the mid 1950's. Intermodal flatcar activity is now second only to coal in terms of total car loadings throughout the industry. The intermodal segment of the nation's transportation system is expected to play an ever increasing role in the future. Intermodal managers faced with increasing demands on their systems, have expressed a need for methods to aid in the development of new management techniques, economic costing models, and management information systems. The computer simulation intermodal model that is presented in this paper is designed to aid managers with the analysis of their current terminal systems and to plan for future growth in intermodal activity. The intermodal terminal model employs discrete, next event, simulation techniques. The Q-GERT simulation language, developed by A. Allen B. Pritsker, provides the vehicle necessary to approximate the required activities and associated flow of transactions through the terminal system. Three specific types of containers and flatcars are provided for, in addition to provisions for over-the-road container pick up and delivery. Thus, the model is adaptable to complex terminal systems, including sea ports where highly specialized containers are commonly encountered with rail, truck and ship interfaces. It is possible to simulate terminal activities for any period of time required for a specific analysis. The model's simulation output can also be modified, with little difficulty, to provide estimates of specific variables of interest for a particular terminal. Provisions for the operating environment of a terminal are also included in the model. These include week-end work rules, switching rules, container consignee notification rules, types of handling equipment employed and the standard working hours for a terminal. The primary applications of the model are viewed to be in the areas of planning and analysis for intermodal terminal current operations and future design concepts. The graphical network orientation of the model, however, could provide managers with a communications tool to apprise upper level decision makers of new concepts. Current problems, with recommended solutions, could also be visually illustrated. / Ph. D.

The process analysis approach was chosen for modeling the joint product nature of timber supply. Considerable emphasis was placed upon defining model components that would be required for developing a positivistic model of timber supply. An empirical application of the proposed linear programming model to Eastern Virginia simulated the impacts of increased fuelwood prices on the timber market system in 1976. The empirical application of the model indicated an ability to simulate many of the complex market interactions inherent in timber supply. Fuelwood was found to act as both a production complement and a production competitor with the conventional forest products, depending upon the range of prices analyzed. Fuelwood price was also found to act as a demand shifter for roundwood outputs of the forest. / Ph. D.

Being exposed to serious games showed that some simulations widely vary in quality and learning outcome. In order to get to the bottom of best practices a detailed review of business management simulation literature was conducted. Additionally, an industry analysis was performed, by interviewing 17 simulation companies, testing a range of full and demo games, and conducting secondary research. The findings from both research efforts were then collated and cross-referenced against each other in order to determine three things: firstly, the practices and features used by simulation companies that have not yet been the subject of academic research; secondly, the most effective features, elements and inclusions within simulations that best assist in the achievement of learning outcomes and enhancement the user experience; and finally, 'best practices' in teaching a business management course in a university or company with the assistance of a simulation. Identified gaps in the current research were found to include the effectiveness of avatars, transparent pricing and the benefits of competing the simulation against other teams as opposed to the computer. In relation to the second and third objectives of the research, the findings were used to compile a business plan, with detailed recommendations for companies looking to develop a new simulation, and for instructors implementing and coordinating the use of a simulation in a business management context. (author's abstract)

O empreendedorismo é consagrado como o motor econômico da sociedade (SCHUMPETER, 1985). O objetivo deste estudo foi a concepção de um simulador educacional multifuncional para empreendedores, aportando avanços em relação a modelos publicados em periódicos acadêmicos, tendo como prioridade a validação conceitual do simulador. Multifuncional porque simula decisões das diversas áreas de Administração. Os avanços são: 1) a inclusão do Ciclo de Vida das Organizações (CVO) como conceito central do modelo concebido e 2) a modelagem de decisões não cobertas pelos simuladores acadêmicos TEG The Entrepreneurship Game (LOW et al, 1994) e DEAL Executive Deal Making (THAVIKULWAT, 1995). A validação conceitual é aqui entendida como a seleção justificada, com base em extensa revisão de literatura específica e em casos de empresas reais, de cada uma das decisões e suas alternativas modeladas e das características organizacionais que formam o contexto do negócio simulado. Foram selecionadas decisões, suas alternativas e características organizacionais, do estágio de Criação e do estágio de Crescimento, com base em 15 estudos de CVO e na literatura de cada um dos grupos de decisões simuladas (pesquisa e desenvolvimento; preço; comunicação de marketing; administração de vendas e distribuição; proteção intelectual; operações; e gestão de pessoas). O caso simulado foi de um novo negócio de base tecnológica. Os modelos matemáticos primeiramente baseados na literatura foram refinados por meio de 1) aplicações-teste, em graduação e pós-graduação stricto sensu da FEA/USP e graduação da UFF-Volta Redonda, e de 2) entrevistas realizadas com 6 (seis) empreendedores de base tecnológica associados ao CIETEC, incubadora de empresas da USP. Uma característica de destaque deste modelo é o crescimento da complexidade de gestão na transição do estágio de Criação para o estágio de Crescimento. Foram também elaborados e refinados três materiais de apoio: manual do participante, folha de decisão e relatórios de resultados. Cada material possui duas versões: uma para estágio de Criação e outra para o estágio de Crescimento. Este estudo trouxe três contribuições para a literatura de educação vivencial em Empreendedorismo e Administração, todas elas não presentes nos simuladores para empreendedores identificados na literatura, TEG e DEAL: 1) discussão da validade conceitual do modelo; 2) incorporação do conceito de Ciclo de Vida das Organizações; e 3) modelagem de novas decisões e alternativas inerentes ao contexto empreendedor. O estudo prossegue com aplicações diversas do modelo e desenvolvimento de novos modelos, sendo sempre priorizada a busca de validação conceitual. / Entrepreneurship is recognized as the economic engine of a society (SCHUMPETER, 1985). This study focus on the development of a multifunctional management simulation for entrepreneurs, improving current models identified in literature, targeting conceptual validation as key element of the proposed model. Multifunctional means including decisions of diverse areas of Business Administration. There are two aimed improvements: 1) including Organizational Life Cycle (OLC) as key concept behind the proposed model and 2) modeling new decisions not covered by the following academic simulators, TEG The Entrepreneurship Game (LOW et al, 1994) and DEAL Executive Deal Making (THAVIKULWAT, 1995). Conceptual validation means explain logic behind selection of decisions, alternatives and organizational characteristics, based on extensive literature review and based on interviews with real companies. Decisions, alternatives and organizational characteristics of OLC Creation stage and Growth stage were defined based on 15 OLC studies and based on literature of each group of decisions modeled (research and development; price; marketing communication; sales and distribution management; intellectual property; operations; and HR management). A new high tech business was chosen as a case to be modeled. First versions of mathematical models of Creation and Growth stages were refined through 1) tests with undergraduate and graduate students of FEA/USP and UFF-Volta Redonda; and 2) interviews with 6 (six) high tech entrepreneurs at CIETEC, incubation center at USP. A relevant characteristic of the resulting model is the management complexity growth through transition from Creation stage to Growth stage of the business. Three supporting materials were created and refined during this research: students\' manual; decision template; and management and accounting reports. Each material has two versions, one for each stage of OLC modeled. There are three major contributions for experiential learning in Entrepreneurship and Management, all of them not available in TEG and DEAL: 1) conceptual validation of the model; 2) introduction of Organizational Life Cycle as key concept of the simulation; and 3) modeling of new decisions relevant on entrepreneurship context. Next steps include diverse applications of the management simulation developed in this study and also development of new models focusing on conceptual validation.

Parallelization of sequential programs is often daunting because of the substantial development cost involved. Various solutions have been proposed to address this concern, including directive-based approaches and parallelization platforms. These solutions have not always been successful, in part because many try to address all types of applications. We propose a platform for parallelization of a class of applications that have similar computational structure, namely graph-structured iterative applications. iC2mpi is a unique proof-of-concept prototype platform that provides relatively easy parallelization of existing sequential programs and facilitates experimentation with static partitioning and dynamic load balancing schemes. We demonstrate with various generic application graph topologies and an existing application, namely a time-stepped battlefield management simulation, that our platform can produce good performance with very little effort.

Universiẗat, Diss.--Dortmund, 2005.

O empreendedorismo é consagrado como o motor econômico da sociedade (SCHUMPETER, 1985). O objetivo deste estudo foi a concepção de um simulador educacional multifuncional para empreendedores, aportando avanços em relação a modelos publicados em periódicos acadêmicos, tendo como prioridade a validação conceitual do simulador. Multifuncional porque simula decisões das diversas áreas de Administração. Os avanços são: 1) a inclusão do Ciclo de Vida das Organizações (CVO) como conceito central do modelo concebido e 2) a modelagem de decisões não cobertas pelos simuladores acadêmicos TEG The Entrepreneurship Game (LOW et al, 1994) e DEAL Executive Deal Making (THAVIKULWAT, 1995). A validação conceitual é aqui entendida como a seleção justificada, com base em extensa revisão de literatura específica e em casos de empresas reais, de cada uma das decisões e suas alternativas modeladas e das características organizacionais que formam o contexto do negócio simulado. Foram selecionadas decisões, suas alternativas e características organizacionais, do estágio de Criação e do estágio de Crescimento, com base em 15 estudos de CVO e na literatura de cada um dos grupos de decisões simuladas (pesquisa e desenvolvimento; preço; comunicação de marketing; administração de vendas e distribuição; proteção intelectual; operações; e gestão de pessoas). O caso simulado foi de um novo negócio de base tecnológica. Os modelos matemáticos primeiramente baseados na literatura foram refinados por meio de 1) aplicações-teste, em graduação e pós-graduação stricto sensu da FEA/USP e graduação da UFF-Volta Redonda, e de 2) entrevistas realizadas com 6 (seis) empreendedores de base tecnológica associados ao CIETEC, incubadora de empresas da USP. Uma característica de destaque deste modelo é o crescimento da complexidade de gestão na transição do estágio de Criação para o estágio de Crescimento. Foram também elaborados e refinados três materiais de apoio: manual do participante, folha de decisão e relatórios de resultados. Cada material possui duas versões: uma para estágio de Criação e outra para o estágio de Crescimento. Este estudo trouxe três contribuições para a literatura de educação vivencial em Empreendedorismo e Administração, todas elas não presentes nos simuladores para empreendedores identificados na literatura, TEG e DEAL: 1) discussão da validade conceitual do modelo; 2) incorporação do conceito de Ciclo de Vida das Organizações; e 3) modelagem de novas decisões e alternativas inerentes ao contexto empreendedor. O estudo prossegue com aplicações diversas do modelo e desenvolvimento de novos modelos, sendo sempre priorizada a busca de validação conceitual. / Entrepreneurship is recognized as the economic engine of a society (SCHUMPETER, 1985). This study focus on the development of a multifunctional management simulation for entrepreneurs, improving current models identified in literature, targeting conceptual validation as key element of the proposed model. Multifunctional means including decisions of diverse areas of Business Administration. There are two aimed improvements: 1) including Organizational Life Cycle (OLC) as key concept behind the proposed model and 2) modeling new decisions not covered by the following academic simulators, TEG The Entrepreneurship Game (LOW et al, 1994) and DEAL Executive Deal Making (THAVIKULWAT, 1995). Conceptual validation means explain logic behind selection of decisions, alternatives and organizational characteristics, based on extensive literature review and based on interviews with real companies. Decisions, alternatives and organizational characteristics of OLC Creation stage and Growth stage were defined based on 15 OLC studies and based on literature of each group of decisions modeled (research and development; price; marketing communication; sales and distribution management; intellectual property; operations; and HR management). A new high tech business was chosen as a case to be modeled. First versions of mathematical models of Creation and Growth stages were refined through 1) tests with undergraduate and graduate students of FEA/USP and UFF-Volta Redonda; and 2) interviews with 6 (six) high tech entrepreneurs at CIETEC, incubation center at USP. A relevant characteristic of the resulting model is the management complexity growth through transition from Creation stage to Growth stage of the business. Three supporting materials were created and refined during this research: students\' manual; decision template; and management and accounting reports. Each material has two versions, one for each stage of OLC modeled. There are three major contributions for experiential learning in Entrepreneurship and Management, all of them not available in TEG and DEAL: 1) conceptual validation of the model; 2) introduction of Organizational Life Cycle as key concept of the simulation; and 3) modeling of new decisions relevant on entrepreneurship context. Next steps include diverse applications of the management simulation developed in this study and also development of new models focusing on conceptual validation.

This thesis deals with issues of secure authentication and key management in the Internet of Things. It describes basic protocols used in IoT, cryptographic primitives, communication technologies in IoT and end elements. It also includes a measuring the performance of cryptographic primitives on Raspberry Pi and selecting the appropriate LPWAN simulation technology. The conclusion of the work is devoted to the simulation of a LoRaWAN network