Transient liquid-phase diffusion brazing is used in precision, hermetic joining applications as a replacement for diffusion bonding to reduce cycle times, reduce bonding pressure and improve yields. Studies showed that the interlayer used in diffusion brazing can be detrimental due to the use of melting point depressants (MPDs). The goal...
Computing agents require state information to make coherent and useful decisions. A state representation is a numerical translation of the environment and conditions that are pertinent factors in an agent's decision making. Although many representations, when paired with clever learning algorithms, are able to coordinate and capture prey in specific...
Data from a state department of transportation fleet shows that the usage of a typical asset decreases as it ages. One possible explanation for decreasing asset usage with age is operator preference for using the newest available asset. In this research the long-term cost and replacement implications of such a...
Ocean Wave Energy Converters (WECs) operating on the water surface are subject to storms and other extreme events. In particular, high and steep waves, especially breaking waves, are likely the most dangerous to WECs. A method for quantifying the breaking severity of waves is presented and applied to wave data...
Distractions and interruptions are common occurrences in an operating room (OR), but little is known about their effects on surgical task performance. Based on human factors research, it was hypothesized that realistic distractions and interruptions in an OR would adversely impact surgical task performance. Because of the concern of patient...
Continuous Improvement (CI) is an integral part of hospital administration. This study examined the relationship between five CI variables against six hospital criterion measures of, wait times to prepare a room, patient costs per day, waiting time for lab results, reportable errors, patient satisfaction, and employee satisfaction. The research was...
Qualitative data analysis (QDA) is a time consuming and, potentially unreliable research activity. In qualitative research, a number of tasks must be repeated for every new research case, even if each case is closely related or is in the same area of study.
Existing QDA applications provide users with a...
Customer requirements and engineering specifications will influence the direction of the design in any product, so it is crucial to make the requirements as stable as possible so quality designs can be produced on time within a budget. It would be optimal for requirements and specifications to remain constant but...
The substantial wave energy resource of the US Pacific Northwest (i.e. off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and N. California) is assessed and characterized. Archived spectral records from ten wave measurement buoys, operated and maintained by the National Data Buoy Center and the Coastal Data Information Program, form the basis...
This research studied the role of shared ownership on virtual team effectiveness, using student teams enrolled in engineering management coursework at Oregon State University and Virginia Polytechnic Institute. After a thorough review of the literature, the concept of shared ownership was developed. This concept was operationalized as the extent to...