Researchers have studied the effects of modifying the physical environment in classrooms with high levels of disruptive behaviors in the general education setting. This study incorporates modifications used by previous researchers yet in a residential school with students who have a hearing loss. The results of the study show a functional relationship between the physical environment and levels of disruptive behavior and academic engagement. The present study confirmed that by modifying the classroom environment to minimize visual and auditory distractions, disruptive behaviors decreased and academic engagement increased with students who have a hearing loss. A multiple baseline across settings design was used to examine the efficacy of the intervention in three classrooms. Social validity ratings by the teachers indicated high acceptability of the intervention. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.

Thermal power plants dominate electric power generation in Taiwan, which causes high Green House gases (GHG) emissions. CO2 is the most important greenhouse gas that cause global warming and sea-level to rise. This paper faces the relationship between CO2 limitation and power generation expansion planning (GEP) for the utility. Modify Particle Swarm Optimization (MPSO) is presented to determine the generation expansion planning strategy of the utility with independent power providers (IPPs). The utility has to take both the IPPs¡¦ participation and environmental impact into account when a new generation unit is expanded. This problem also takes into account the CO2 reduction and reliability issues, while satisfying all electrical constraints simultaneously from the supply point of view. MPSO scheme was improved to avoid getting a premature answer. Testing results shows that MPSO can offer an efficient way in determining the generation expansion planning. Generation expansion planning is an important decision-making activity in a competitive market, all utilities including IPPs need to maximize the profit while meeting the load demand with a pre-specified reliability criterion. In order to achieve the objective, utilities will perform the generation expansion planning to determine the minimal-cost capacity power addition. For better economy and efficiency, they will consider options of either constructing new generating units or purchasing electricity from other utilities or IPPs.

Syftet med detta examensarbete var att utforska olika sätt att spela in rörblad samt att modifiera mina klarinettrörblad, och utveckla en djupare förståelse för vilka metoder som fungerade bäst för mig. Målet var att kunna känna trygghet i mina rörblads förmåga att producera önskvärd klang, så att jag gav mig själv så bra förutsättningar som möjligt rörbladsmässigt inför framtida konserter. Projektet genomfördes under en 8 månaders period, september 2021 till maj 2022 och bestod av inspelning av 12 askar rörblad och modifiering av de rörblad som inte gav önskat resultat. För modifieringen användes främst Peter Hadcocks metoder, och då undersöktes hur bra dessa fungerade för mig. Resultatet visade att en metodisk inspelning gav mer långlivade rörblad som inte tappade kvalitet lika fort som kontrollrörbladen. Resultatet visade också att det fanns en relevant möjlighet till modifiering av de rörblad som inte var bra nog, så att de efter modifiering var bra nog att användas. Livslängden gick också att förlänga till viss del genom modifiering. / The purpose of this study was to explore different methods for breaking in and modifying clarinet reeds, and to develop a deeper understanding of which methods work best for me. The goal was to be able to feel security in the ability to produce the desired sound and timbre from my reeds, so that I could give myself the best conditions that were possible, reed wise, before future concerts. The project was carried out over an 8- month period, September 2021 to May 2022 and consisted of breaking in 12 boxes of reeds and modifying the ones that didn’t give the desired result. Peter Hadcock’s methods for modifying reeds were used during the study, and I investigated how well they work for me. A methodic break in process resulted in long-lived reeds that didn’t loose their quality as fast as the control group. The result also showed that there was a possibility to modify the undesired reeds to make them playable. The life expectancy of good reeds could also be extended through modification.

Master´s work discusses the issue of processing audio signal by means of signal processor. At present, the signal processor occurs in almost all devices that process or somehow modify sound in digital form. The aim of this master´s thesis is to study the signal processors from different producers, which are now on the market and select one suitable type for device that will process the audio signal. With this signal processor then propose a circuit diagram for a device that will process the audio signal and the PSpice simulation of the circuit and construct this device.

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abstract: A low cost expander, combustor device that takes compressed air, adds thermal energy and then expands the gas to drive an electrical generator is to be designed by modifying an existing reciprocating spark ignition engine. The engine used is the 6.5 hp Briggs and Stratton series 122600 engine. Compressed air that is stored in a tank at a particular pressure will be introduced during the compression stage of the engine cycle to reduce pump work. In the modified design the intake and exhaust valve timings are modified to achieve this process. The time required to fill the combustion chamber with compressed air to the storage pressure immediately before spark and the state of the air with respect to crank angle is modeled numerically using a crank step energy and mass balance model. The results are used to complete the engine cycle analysis based on air standard assumptions and air to fuel ratio of 15 for gasoline. It is found that at the baseline storage conditions (280 psi, 70OF) the modified engine does not meet the imposed constraints of staying below the maximum pressure of the unmodified engine. A new storage pressure of 235 psi is recommended. This only provides a 7.7% increase in thermal efficiency for the same work output. The modification of this engine for this low efficiency gain is not recommended. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Mechanical Engineering 2011

Modern embedded processors with dedicated address generation unit support memory accesses using indirect addressing mode with auto-increment and auto-decrement. The auto-increment/decrement mode, if properly utilized, can save address arithmetic instructions, reduce static and dynamic footprint of the program and speed up the execution as well. We propose an optimization framework for embedded processors based on the auto-increment and decrement addressing modes for address registers. Existing work on this class of optimizations focuses on using an access graph and finding the maximum weight path cover to find an optimized stack variables layout. We take this further by using coalescing, addressing mode selection and offset registers to find further opportunities for reducing the number of load-address instructions required. We also propose an algorithm for building the layout with considerations for memory accesses across basic blocks, because existing work mainly considers intra-basic-block information. We then use the available offset registers to try to further reduce the number of address arithmetic instructions after layout assignment.

Current design models, approaches and theories are highly fragmented, have seldom been compared with one another, and rarely attempted to be consolidated. Novelty is a measure of creativity of engineering products and positively influences product success. Using physical laws and effects for designing can improve the chances of creativity but they cannot be used directly owing to their inadequate current representations. It is important to address activities, outcomes, requirements and solutions in designing. Conceptual design is an early phase in engineering design and needs to be supported better. A systematic approach for designing often increases effectiveness and efficiency. Thus, the broad objective of this thesis is to develop and validate a comprehensive understanding of how designing occurs during the conceptual phase of engineering design, and to support variety and novelty of designs during this phase. The approach followed is: (a) formulate and validate an understanding of novelty and its relationships to the designing constructs, in current designing, and(b)develop and validate a support, founded on the current designing, to improve novelty. The understanding and the support are addressed, respectively, through an integrated model and a systematic framework for designing; the model and the framework comprise activities, outcomes(including laws and effects), requirements and solutions. An integrated model of designing, GEMS of SAPPhIRE as req-sol is developed by combining activities(Generate, Evaluate, Modify, Select– GEMS), outcomes (State change, Action, Parts, Phenomenon, Input, oRgans, Effect–SAPPhIRE), requirements (req) and solutions (sol), identified from a comprehensive survey of existing design models and approaches. Validation of SAPPhIRE model with existing systems indicates that the model can be used to describe analysis and synthesis, both of which together constitute designing. Validation of the integrated model using existing videos of design sessions, to check if all its constructs are naturally used in designing, reveals that:(a) all the constructs are naturally used;(b) not all the outcomes are explored with equal intensity;(c) while high numbers of action and parts are observed, only low numbers of phenomenon, effects and organs are found. Empirical study using another set of design sessions to study the relationships between novelty and the outcomes reveals that novelty of a concept space depends on the variety of the concept space, which in turn depends on the variety of the idea space explored. Novelty and variety of a concept space also depend on the number of outcomes explored at each abstraction level. Thus, phenomena and effects are also vital for variety and novelty. Based on the above, GEMS of SAPPhIRE as req-sol framework for designing is proposed. The framework is divided into: Requirements Exploration Stage(RES) and Solutions Exploration Stage(SES). In RES and SES, requirements and solutions respectively at all the abstraction levels including SAPPhIRE are generated, evaluated, modified and selected. The framework supports task clarification, conceptual and early embodiment phases of designing, and provides process knowledge. Comparison of the framework against existing design models, theories and approaches reveals that:(a) not all existing models, theories and approaches address activities, outcomes, requirements and solutions together;(b) those that address all these constructs together do not make a distinction between requirements and solutions; and(c) no model or approach explicitly addresses novelty. The usability of the framework and Idea-inspire is assessed by applying them in an industrial project for designing novel concepts of lunar vehicle mobility system. The use of this combined support enables identification of critical requirements, development of a large variety of ideas and concepts. One of these concepts is physically and virtually modelled, and tested, and is found to satisfy all the requirements. A catalogue of physical laws and effects is developed using SAPPhIRE model to provide assistance to designers, especially for phenomena, effects and organs. Observations found during this development are reported. A comparative validation of the framework and the catalogue for their support to design for variety and novelty is done using comparative observational studies. Results from the observational studies reveal that the variety and the novelty of concept space improve with the use of the framework, or with the frame work and the catalogue, as compared to variety and novelty with no support.

No description available.

No description available.