Concept Selection Research Articles

Modified CANDU Reactor MCR as an Early-Deployable Nuclear Workhorse

Safe, simple and soon deployable are the imperatives for each SMR concept today. Only this SMR has the potential to become a nuclear workhorse in the fight against climate change if it is available soon, in large numbers and deployable worldwide. Therefore the assessment of the usefulness of an SMR concept must not only relate to the reactor itself. Only a holistic view of the entire nuclear fuel cycle with the given SMR as the central part between the front-end and back-end can lead to viable decisions. The IAEA lists more than 120 SMR concepts in its Handbook 2022. Time pressure is forcing us to critical selection of a promising reactor concept and to combine innovative solutions with tried and established technical and administrative networks. Against this background, the Modified CANDU Reactor (MCR) is proposed as additional SMR design. The MCR has two obvious modifications compared to the well-known and globally proven CANDU design: a) spherical fuel elements (pebbles) with ceramic cladding b) vertical arrangement of the pressure tubes. Intended for the generation of heat and electricity close to the consumer, the construction of a plant with MCR is preferably carried out underground close to the surface. The Herrenknecht VSM-shaft-tunnel technology is planned for the construction of the structures. For the transportation of irradiated fuel elements, (extended) interim storage and final disposal, technologies are proposed (Initial Barrier; TRIPLE C) that have already been published elsewhere. In order to provide a basis for further scientific and technical discussions, an attempt was made to incorporate the MCR concept into the existing CANDU SMR TM design. The resulting combined “overlapping” concept has not yet been discussed with the CANDU developing and operating countries. The authors hope for a fruitful discussion and are looking for future cooperation with the CANDU SMR TM manufacturer (CANDU Energy Inc. Canada), as well as with the countries that traditionally use CANDU reactors (China, India, South Korea) and Norway in future maybe too.

Fostering meta-moral cognitive skills among pre-service teachers using creative problem-solving processes

Acknowledging strengths and weaknesses of an ethical judgment, called meta-moral cognitive skills, enables pre-service teachers to make better decisions. Engaging in critical thinking with creative problem-solving can critically evaluate ethical decision-making processes by analysing their different stages. Thus, this study investigated whether creative problem-solving can foster meta-moral cognitive skills. The researchers analysed solutions for a vignette based on real-life experience involving an ethical issue by 51 pre-service teachers using creative problem-solving processes: problem definition, information gathering, concept selection, conceptual combination and reorganization, idea generation, idea evaluation, solution monitoring, and implementation planning. A qualitative analysis of the responses showed that creative problem-solving supported pre-service teachers in identifying the rationale and criticisms of their ethical judgments and limitations in their proposed solutions. The implication is that it is crucial for prospective teachers to undergo training in creative problem-solving of various ethical dilemmas as part of their curriculum.

Designing orthopaedic seat cushion made of rattan using quality function deployment approach

Using ergonomic orthopaedic chairs can address spinal issues, particularly HNP, due to their flexible and elastic properties. By achieving optimal ergonomic design, various positive aspects can be achieved, such as increasing work quality productivity and reducing the cost of injuries or accidents. This research demonstrates diverse product design approaches to enhance posture health ergonomics, address specific musculoskeletal disorder issues, and consider local needs and available materials. Rattan is a tropical vine widely used in the furniture industry and predominantly found in wooded areas such as Indonesia. This research combines market research, morphology, ergonomic study, concept selection, QFD, HoQ, stiffness test, and prototype review. The QFD method was chosen in this study due to its excellence in connecting consumer desires with the product development process. Data of respondents consist of 51 % of respondents were male, 49 % were female, 88 % were aged between 18 and 34 years old, and 10 % were aged between 35 and 54 years old. The approach of 6 stages of product design as the primary framework for developing our product such as: planning, concept development (concept screening, product morphology, concept selection), system-level design, detailed design, testing, refinement and launching. Based on the calculations using the HOQ, it is identified that the primary focus in designing the rattan-based orthopaedic seating, lies in the orthopaedic design that provides maximum comfort for the spine. The comparison results indicate that the stiffness level of rattan weaving is nearly like latex, with a similarity percentage of 89 %. Data analysis using the QFD method indicates that the primary priority aspect is the orthopaedic design, followed by the selection of quality materials, cost-effectiveness, versatility, and appealing design aspects. Rattan's superior air circulation provides comfort by preventing excessive heat accumulation, excellence in strength and durability, ensuring ease of lightweight modelling, and providing more sustainable material.

Patient motivation: A concept analysis.

Patient motivation is crucial in maintaining health-improving activities and helping patients recover from illnesses. Despite extensive research on patient motivation, this concept has not been clearly defined and remains ambiguous. The latest analysis of patient motivation was over two decades ago, thus necessitating the need to reexamine it in more updated literature. This study aims to explore the concept of patient motivation. The eight-step approach of Walker and Avant was used: concept selection, determining analysis aim, identifying concept use, defining attributes, model case identification, borderline and contrary case identification, antecedents and consequences identification, and empirical referent identification. Five databases, CINAHL, Cochrane, Medline, PubMed, ProQuest, and ScienceDirect, were searched for published works between 2014 and 2024 using the keywords "patient" and "motivation." The identified attributes of patient motivation are a psychological drive, a desire to adopt healthy behaviors, and goal-directed action. Antecedents of patient motivation are self-efficacy, provider-patient communication, and social support. Patient motivation leads to consequences, including healthier lifestyles and greater adherence and compliance. The present concept analysis draws upon current literature to suggest the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of patient motivation. Nurses can promote healthier lifestyles and greater adherence and compliance among patients by employing techniques to raise self-efficacy and provide social support while enhancing patient-centered interactions.

FORMATION OF CONCEPTUAL AND TERMINOLOGICAL APPARATUS AS A COMPONENT OF PROFESSIONALLY ORIENTED FUTURE PHARMACIST TRAINING

The article analyzes the process of forming the conceptual and terminological apparatus as a component of professionally oriented training of future pharmacists; based on generalization of theoretical foundations, the features, strategies, and methods, the formation of the conceptual and terminological apparatus that contribute to the efficient training of future pharmacists in the process of studying the discipline «Analytical Chemistry» are revealed. The following criteria for the selection of chemical terms and concepts are proposed: thematic affiliation (exclusion of terms from related fields), focus on the vocabulary, systematicity, completeness of terminology coverage, as well as synchronicity (time factor), usage (frequency), semantic value of the term, term-forming capacity, normativity, and connectivity. The article considers the holistic organization of work on the qualitative mastering of the terminological vocabulary of analytical chemistry, and the development of professionally oriented communicative competence of future specialists majoring in the specialty 226 «Pharmacy, Industrial Pharmacy». It involves the use of proven methods and techniques for the rational selection, semantization and presentation of terminological language units. The exercises are divided into types, and their sequence in working with terms is established: introduction of terminological vocabulary (preparatory exercises) – language exercises – communicative and linguistic exercises, which involve the simultaneous selection and functioning of pre-text, while-text, and post-text exercises in such work. Post-textual tasks and forms of application of exercises have been developed. They are the following: work in pairs, organizing a cluster based on reference material, sentence construction, terminological dictation, and crossword puzzles. microtext construction, formulating definitions of terms, working with mental maps, using multimedia, trainings, video presentations, and the game «Guess the term!». It has been concluded that the usage of various communicative and speech exercises aimed at mastering terminological vocabulary in the process of teaching analytical chemistry contributes to professional communication skills improvement in the discipline and, by forming terminological experience, increases the level of professional language competence of future pharmacy specialists.

Pilot-scale in-situ biomethanation of sewage sludge: Effects of gas recirculation method

The methanation efficiency and operational stability of a 2 m3 pilot-scale in-situ biomethanation reactor were investigated using on-site sewage sludge as the substrate, at a wastewater treatment plant. In parallel, a laboratory-scale study was conducted. Hydrogen conversion efficiencies of 96.7 and 97.5 %, and average methane contents of 84.2 and 83.2 % were obtained, for the laboratory and pilot experiments, respectively. The pilot-scale digester was operated at various conditions for 137 d, of which the last 30 d were stable with a high biomethanation efficiency and an average pH of 8.2. Gas recirculation increased the hydrogen conversion efficiency. When hydrogen injection and gas recirculation were applied separately, a 96 % lower gas recirculation rate was needed to achieve the same hydrogen conversion efficiency, compared to a mixture of hydrogen injection and gas recirculation in the same line. These findings may facilitate the selection of suitable gas recirculation concepts for practical biomethanation applications.

Aetiological Naturalism in the Philosophy of Medicine: A Shaky Project

Griffiths and Matthewson (2018) employ the selected effects theory to contend that disease involves the impairment of the normal functioning of biological items. Since the selected effects theory focuses on the past effects of those items, I refer to their proposal as “aetiological naturalism”. In this paper, I argue that aetiological naturalism cannot constitute an adequate theory of disease. This is due to the fact that the selected effects theory, which lies at the heart of aetiological naturalism, is flawed. One promise of the selected effects theory is indeed that it is able to account for our normative intuitions about dysfunctional biological items by grounding them on the concept of natural selection incorporated in the selected effects theory itself, where this promise rests upon its claim that appealing to the fitness-enhancing effect of biological items can always explain why they persisted in a population. However, I contend that the naturalisation of normativity cannot be cashed out in terms of biological items’ past effects by discussing two biological phenomena: phenotypic plasticity and negative frequency-dependent selection. I illustrate that in both cases the selected effects theory cannot recognise adaptive items as having a selected effects function, therefore preventing the possibility to assign them any dysfunction. The normative force of the selected effects theory is consequently much diminished, leading in turn to a weakening of aetiological naturalism, given that such project actually relies on the assumed normative force of the selected effects theory itself.

The antinomic nature of socialization in the space of digital culture

The relevance of the study is due to the intensive development of digital technologies, which is generated by a specific element of social space virtual space. The dynamic development of digital culture has led to the formation of processes and phenomena that significantly affect both the functioning of the social system and the socialization of an individual.The purpose of the work is to reveal the features of the influence of digital culture on the socialization of a modern person.Objectives: to characterize the phenomenon of digital culture; outline the features of socialization of a person in the conditions of digital culture.Methodology. The methodological basis of the article includes: a systematic method that allows identifying the main elements of the space of digital culture, which determine the specifics of the socialization of a person; analysis and synthesis to reveal the essence and specifics of socialization in the space of digital culture.Results. In modern socio-cultural conditions, the space of digital culture is defined as a specific factor of socialization, which led to the selection and establishment of a new concept of "digital socialization", which is considered to be a defining component of the socialization process of a person.Conclusions. The space of digital culture creates more favorable conditions for the self-realization of the individual, since in it the results of the subject's creative activity are accepted by others as an acceptance of his individuality and the maximum activity of the individual is ensured when determining the trajectory of his development.At the same time, actual or potentially negative results of transferring the process of socialization to the Internet space are highlighted. This, first of all, is far from being an equivalent replacement for real virtual-simulation communication; strengthening of social anomie; the dominance of fragmented and intuitive knowledge, as well as extreme value relativism in the process of innovative transformations in the sphere of socialization, etc.

Application of a Data Quality Framework to Ductal Carcinoma In Situ Using Electronic Health Record Data From the All of Us Research Program.

The specific aims of this paper are to (1) develop and operationalize an electronic health record (EHR) data quality framework, (2) apply the dimensions of the framework to the phenotype and treatment pathways of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) using All of Us Research Program data, and (3) propose and apply a checklist to evaluate the application of the framework. We developed a framework of five data quality dimensions (DQD; completeness, concordance, conformance, plausibility, and temporality). Participants signed a consent and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act authorization to share EHR data and responded to demographic questions in the Basics questionnaire. We evaluated the internal characteristics of the data and compared data with external benchmarks with descriptive and inferential statistics. We developed a DQD checklist to evaluate concept selection, internal verification, and external validity for each DQD. The Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership Common Data Model (OMOP CDM) concept ID codes for DCIS were used to select a cohort of 2,209 females 18 years and older. Using the proposed DQD checklist criteria, (1) concepts were selected and internally verified for conformance; (2) concepts were selected and internally verified for completeness; (3) concepts were selected, internally verified, and externally validated for concordance; (4) concepts were selected, internally verified, and externally validated for plausibility; and (5) concepts were selected, internally verified, and externally validated for temporality. This assessment and evaluation provided insights into data quality for the DCIS phenotype using EHR data from the All of Us Research Program. The review demonstrates that salient clinical measures can be selected, applied, and operationalized within a conceptual framework and evaluated for fitness for use by applying a proposed checklist.

Petroleum development projects. Concept selection, taxation and recovery rate

The paper models and discusses important dimensions when choosing development concept for petroleum projects, and the consequences it has for recovery rate and project economics. By means of case analysis, optimal concept selection is analysed from the perspective of oil companies and government, accounting for the difference in evaluation metrics. While government has emphasis on net present value, a key decision criterion for oil companies is breakeven price. There are two reasons why oil companies select development concepts that are suboptimal from a government perspective: 1) to attain a low breakeven price (capital rationing), a cheaper development concept is often chosen; and 2) conservative resource estimation is often applied. Underinvestment leads to low recovery rate. When oil companies are inclined to select suboptimal development concepts, it is optimal for government to combine cash flow tax and uplift. An uplift enhances marginal investment incentives and could also remedy the incentive for postponement inherent in the breakeven price decision criteria. Our topic, the effect of tax design on development concept and thus extraction ratio is generic, it applies also to the mining sector.

A Case Study of AI Usage within the INCOSE Technical Process

AbstractThe purpose of the research described herein is to analyze the use of AI platforms by a user implementing a generic Product Development Process (PDP) mapped onto the INCOSE Technical Process (ITP) and to identify the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. The team's original work on a previously finished project, which followed the PDP without using AI tools, served as a crucial benchmark for conducting a comparative analysis with responses from the AI platform. It was found that only some of the stages of the ITP currently allow for effective template prompts. Much of the useful work requires an open, somewhat extensive two‐way dialog with the AI platform, not a simple plug‐and‐play approach. The wording is important for each prompt, so the user must understand the aspects of the problem they are trying to solve. While the two Al platforms utilized produced comparable responses, the output depended heavily on the prompt context. Evaluating the AI platform performance is difficult because the AI platform response (output) and the prompt inserted by the user (input) are not mutually exclusive. The team found that AI can be more useful in customer needs definition and stakeholder identification, and less useful in concept selection and search internally steps. The recommendation is to employ AI as a supplement to the ITP rather than as the exclusive contributor. As technology continues to advance, we can expect to see new applications emerge, and the team expects that AI's impact will likely be quite significant.

Conceptual Modeling for Early‐Phase Decision‐Making in the Maritime Industry: A Case Study of Power Generation System Concept Selection

AbstractThis study examines the use of conceptual modeling to aid in selecting a power generation system concept in the maritime industry. The research objective is to understand how conceptual modeling can enhance decision‐making during the early phases of concept evaluation. The study was conducted at a world‐leading maritime technology company to address the need for more formal processes to support decision‐making in complex development projects. The study applied a conceptual modeling approach in an industry case to facilitate decision‐making in the early phases of a development project. The study shows that conceptual modeling is effective in supporting early‐phase decision‐making in the development project. Conceptual models effectively manage complexity, enhance understanding, and enable effective communication among team members. By combining conceptual modeling with a Pugh matrix, informed decision‐making is facilitated, aligning with stakeholders' objectives. Overall, conceptual modeling provides a structured representation of the problem domain, guiding early‐phase decision‐making.

Pengembangan Media Pembelajaran Scratch untuk Materi Cerita Fantasi: Sebuah Tinjauan Umum

The use of technology in learning has become a major focus in improving the effectiveness of the educational process. One promising tool is Scratch, a visual programming environment specifically designed for education. In the context of fantasy story learning, Scratch offers great potential to enhance students' creativity and engagement. This article provides an overview of Scratch-based learning media development for fantasy story materials. Through a literature review and analysis of related literature, the article identifies the advantages of using Scratch in fantasy story learning, such as increasing student engagement, developing problem-solving skills, and improving understanding of story concepts. In addition, it discusses the practical steps in developing Scratch learning media, including story concept selection, interactive design, and evaluation of learning outcomes. Thus, this study provides useful guidance for educators in developing interesting and effective learning media for fantasy story materials using Scratch.

The influence of industrial designers and developmental technologists on design-driven innovation and related mechanisms

ABSTRACT Design-driven innovation (DDI) is a concept that promotes product innovation by giving new meaning to existing products. However, there are divergent views on who starts the DDI process and what kinds of activities are carried out within it. Therefore, this study analyzed four cases that succeeded in de-maturing the Japanese electric fan market to confirm whether there are differences in DDI processes, outcomes of new products, and post-launch spillover effects on new businesses between DDI originating from industrial designers (IDs) and that originating from developmental technologists (DTs). This study also aimed to elucidate the mechanisms by which these differences may arise. Our results showed that the difference in the way of thinking caused by the different knowledge and skills possessed by IDs and DTs affects the selection of core design concepts and product architecture. This was a fundamental factor that caused differences in DDI processes, the outcomes of new products, and the ripple effect on new businesses.

Biology in the 21st century: Natural selection is cognitive selection

Natural selection has a formal definition as the natural process that results in the survival and reproductive success of individuals or groups best adjusted to their environment, leading to the perpetuation of those genetic qualities best suited to that organism's environmental niche. Within conventional Neo-Darwinism, the largest source of those variations that can be selected is presumed to be secondary to random genetic mutations. As these arise, natural selection sustains adaptive traits in the context of a 'struggle for existence'. Consequently, in the 20th century, natural selection was generally portrayed as the primary evolutionary driver. The 21st century offers a comprehensive alternative to Neo-Darwinian dogma within Cognition-Based Evolution. The substantial differences between these respective evolutionary frameworks have been most recently articulated in a revision of Crick's Central Dogma, a former centerpiece of Neo-Darwinism. The argument is now advanced that the concept of natural selection should also be comprehensively reappraised. Cognitive selection is presented as a more precise term better suited to 21st century biology. Since cognition began with life's origin, natural selection represents cognitive selection.

Diesel Engine Exhaust Exposure in Relation to Lung Cancer in Long-Haul Truck Drivers: An Eight-Step Concept Analysis.

Long-haul truck drivers (LHTDs) face a number of occupational hazards. One such hazard is exposure to diesel engine exhaust (DEE). However, this concept has yet to be analyzed. To address this gap, a concept analysis was conducted to explore the effects of DEE in relation to lung cancer. Walker and Avant's eight-step concept analysis method was utilized: concept selection, analysis purpose, concept uses, defining attributes, model case, borderline case, antecedents and consequences, and empirical referents. PubMed, Scopus, and CINAHL databases were searched for relevant literature. Diesel engine exhaust was identified as a mixture of gases and particulates that are considered carcinogenic. Defining attributes of DEE for truckers include respiratory effects such as decreased peak flow and increased airway resistance leading to symptoms such as a phlegm-producing cough, eye and throat irritation, exacerbation of asthma symptoms, and allergic responses. The identified level of DEE exposure associated with these attributes is 75 μg EC/m3 for 1 to 2 hours daily or a long-term exposure of 10 μg EC/m3. The conceptual definition of DEE in truckers was illustrated by the attributes, antecedents, consequences, model case, and empirical referents. Lung cancer was identified as a significant consequence of occupational DEE exposure for LHTDs. This analysis highlights the need for future research to develop interventions that will safeguard truckers from the adverse health effects of DEE exposure.

The Commemorability Principle in Akan Personal Name Construction

The movement from regular lexicon to onomasticon, especially anthroponomasticon, is often mediated by cultural principles which may determine which concepts could normally be selected for the formation of personal names. Restrictive traditions have guiding principles making some concepts acceptable or not, and some names central or peripheral. In this paper, I discuss the principle of commemorability as gatekeeping the selection of concepts for the formation of personal names in Akan; and, having established the restrictiveness of the Akan anthroponomastic system, I identify the two considerations of honourability and preservability as making up the commemorability principle. The study is inductive, establishing the theory that explains the principles for the selection of appropriate concepts for the construction of personal names, and it relies on ethnographic resources including observation, interviews, and focus group discussions supported by name content analysis to generate the theory. The paper establishes that commemorability is founded on a general philosophy that upholds the societal, effort and perseverance, and social cognitive value in the selection of concepts for constructing personal names. Guided by these considerations, concepts are placed within a value ranking system to determine their ‘commemorability’, with items that rank as ‘honourable’ normally selected and processed as personal names. In the construction itself, there is a preference for the cognitive over the physical and the general beyond the specific, and there is an overriding preference for the use of general commemorability concepts which represent excellence, prominence, fullness, abundance, inexhaustibility, strength, endurance, and resilience, among others, which are used both as base-concepts for family names or as ‘amplifier’ concepts in the construction of extension names.

A Fuzzy Ontology-Based Decision Tool for Concept Selection to Maintain Consistency Throughout Design Iterations

Abstract Concept selection is one of the most important activities in new product development processes in that it greatly influences the direction of subsequent design activities. As a complex multiple-criteria decision-making problem, it often requires iterations before reaching the final decision where each selection is based on previous selection results. Reusing key decision elements ensures decision consistency between iterations and improves decision efficiency. To support this reuse, this article proposes a fuzzy ontology-based decision tool for concept selection. It models the key decision elements and their relations in an ontological way and scores the concepts using weighted fuzzy TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution). By applying the tool to an example, this article demonstrates how the concepts, criteria, weights, and results generated for one decision can be reused in the next iteration.

The core of secondary level quantum education: a multi-stakeholder perspective

Quantum physics (QP) education at the secondary school level is still in its infancy. Not only is there ongoing discussion about how to teach this subject, but there is also a lack of coherence in the selection of concepts to be taught, both across countries and over time. To contribute to this discussion, we investigated the perspectives of N=39\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$N= 39$\\end{document} high school teachers, university-level physics educators, and physics education researchers regarding the essential concepts in QP and the corresponding illustrations that should be introduced at the secondary school level. We examined the prominence of different key concepts and illustrations, as well as the level of consensus among the various professional groups. Our analysis revealed that certain key concepts are universally valued across all professional groups, while others are specific to particular groups. Additionally, we explored the relationships between these key concepts and their corresponding illustrations. Overall, our study offers valuable insights into the perspectives of different stakeholders, emphasizing the essential concepts and visualizations that should be considered when designing and implementing the teaching of QP at the secondary school level.

A framework for design optimization across multiple concepts

In engineering design, there often exist multiple conceptual solutions to a given problem. Concept design and selection is the first phase of the design process that is estimated to affect up to 70% of the life cycle cost of a product. Currently, optimization methods are rarely used in this phase, since standard optimization methods inherently assume a fixed (given) concept; and undertaking a full-fledged optimization for each possible concept is untenable. In this paper, we aim to address this gap by developing a framework that searches for optimum solutions efficiently across multiple concepts, where each concept may be defined using a different number, or type, of variables (continuous, binary, discrete, categorical etc.). The proposed approach makes progressive data-driven decisions regarding which concept(s) and corresponding solution(s) should be evaluated over the course of search, so as to minimize the computational budget spent on less promising concepts, as well as ensuring that the search does not prematurely converge to a non-optimal concept. This is achieved through the use of a tree-structured Parzen estimator (TPE) based sampler in addition to Gaussian process (GP), and random forest (RF) regressors. Aside from extending the use of GP and RF to search across multiple concepts, this study highlights the previously unexplored benefits of TPE for design optimization. The performance of the approach is demonstrated using diverse case studies, including design of a cantilever beam, coronary stents, and lattice structures using a limited computational budget. We believe this contribution fills an important gap and capitalizes on the developments in the machine learning domain to support designers involved in concept-based design.