Conceptual Sketch Research Articles

Post-Selection Inference for ℓ1-Penalized Likelihood Models.

We present a new method for post-selection inference for ℓ1 (lasso)-penalized likelihood models, including generalized regression models. Our approach generalizes the post-selection framework presented in Lee et al. (2013). The method provides p-values and confidence intervals that are asymptotically valid, conditional on the inherent selection done by the lasso. We present applications of this work to (regularized) logistic regression, Cox's proportional hazards model and the graphical lasso. We do not provide rigorous proofs here of the claimed results, but rather conceptual and theoretical sketches.

Research and constructive solutions on the reduction of slosh noise

The paper presents a product design making of, over a “delicate issue” in automotive industry as slosh noise phenomena. Even though the current market tendency shows great achievements over this occurrence, in this study, the main idea is to design concepts of slosh noise baffles adapted for serial life existing fuel tanks in the automotive industry. Moreover, starting with internal and external research, going further through reversed engineering and applying own baffle technical solutions from conceptual sketches to 3D design, the paper shows the technical solutions identified as an alternative to a new development of fuel tank. Based on personal and academic experience there were identified several problematics and the possible answers based on functional analysis, in order to avoid blocking points. The idea of developing baffles adapted to already existent fuel tanks leaded to equivalent solutions analyzed from functional point of view. Once this stage is finished, a methodology will be used so as to choose the optimum solution so as to get the functional design.

Kobi K. K. Kambon (Joseph A. Baldwin)

Scholars engaged in the history of ideas have given very little attention, if any, to the intellectual history of African-centered psychological thought. Yet, there are pertinent issues addressed in the literature and the various discourses emanating from the literature produced by African-centered psychologists. Intellectual histories allow us to uncover the intellectual antecedents and trace the theoretical steps of the great thinkers that set the foundation for the road contemporary scholars travel. This brief intellectual portrait uses the pioneering work of Kobi Kambon as a representative model of important ideas discussed in African-centered psychology. Kobi Kambon is an internationally renowned scholar in African-centered psychology, Black personality, mental health, and cultural oppression. While this is not an exhaustive treatment of all of Kambon’s major works, it is an attempt to provide a theoretical and conceptual sketch of the intellectual influences, the intellectual contributions, and the intellectual spaces in which his scholarly activity took place. Kambon’s laborious work in developing and defining the parameters of African-centered psychology provides a blueprint and conceptual road map that future African-centered psychologists can consult as they continue to travel along the path of navigating the intellectual terrain of African-centered psychology.

Aircraft Design Analysis, CFD and manufacturing

Abstract Aircraft design, manufacturing and CFD analysis as part of aerodynamic course, the students achieve sizing from a conceptual sketch, select the airfoil geometry and the tail geometry, calculate thrust to weight ratio and wing loading, use initial sizing and calculate the aerodynamic forces. The students design their aircraft based on the geometrical dimensions resulted from the calculations and use the model to build a prototype, test it in wind tunnel and achieve CFD analysis to be compared with the experimental results. The theory of aerodynamic is taught and applied as a project based. In this paper, the design process, aircraft manufacturing and CFD analysis are presented to show the effect of project based on student’s learning of aerodynamic course. This project based learning has improved and accelerated students understanding of aerodynamic concepts and involved students in a constructive exploration. The analysis of the aircraft resulted in a study that revolved around the lift and drag generation of this particular aircraft. As to determine the lift and drag forces generated by this plane, a model was created in Solidworks a 3-D model-rendering program. After this model was created it was 3-D printed in a reduced scale, and subjected to wind tunnel testing. The results from the wind tunnel lab experiment were recorded. For accuracy, the same 3-D model was then simulated using CFD simulation software within Solidworks and compared with the results from the wind tunnel test. The values derived from both the simulation and the wind tunnel tests were then compared with the theoretical calculations for further proof of accuracy.

Process Design for Autonomous Car Mining 1st Prototype “ACM1PT” to Help on Exploration Task on Outdoor Environments

The follow paper explains the process design of the development of a mobile robotic vehicle which main purpose is to aid on task of exploration on the mining sector. The paper shows the whole process from the customer needs through the conceptual sketch to the definitive design. It also describes mathematical considerations for the selection of the motors for locomotion and steering. Followed by mechanical strength simulations in order to choose the right material and finally simulations of the behavior of the robotic vehicle suspension.

3D-олимпиады и компьютерное проектирование в программах технических университетов

The author shares his experience of training 3D geometric
 design competition for technical objects using modern of
 CAD-systems. It proposed the idea of development of creative
 abilities of students in the process of learning the basics of geometric
 modeling by incorporating elements of the structure of the
 training methods of self-development. It is noted that the principle
 of competition among the students in the group, encourages the
 pursuit of the study of modern packages and the acquisition of new
 skills. Created aimed at the development of creative abilities formation
 technique Olympiad learning objectives based on the real
 experience of designing in engineering offices and proposed a new
 form of training for a competition at the expense of an additional
 self-study students. As the experience of the first 3D-competitions,
 the task of a typical section of the course of the IG does not attract
 active and creative students who want to learn to work at a high
 level and modern packages.
 Systematic preparation for the 3D-competition is a necessary
 and very useful tool to stimulate and self-study of the subject as
 "Fundamentals of geometric modeling." This subject is not in the
 programs of universities, but it is indispensable. The tasks of the
 Olympiad are encouraged to include practical design solutions,
 both in the solid state, and in surface modeling.
 In more complex tasks with surface modeling is particularly
 interesting to students. They seek to independently study the theoretical
 and practical side of the work in computer-aided design
 packages, so the competition celebrated its significant activity. In
 tasks you are offered the use of standard methods of practical surface
 modeling to create the technical and design form the projections
 and conceptual sketches.
 The article gives examples of practical solutions, which can be
 seen a high level of theoretical and practical training of participants
 in 3D geometric design competition, there is speed of execution of
 tasks and the ability to solve professional design solutions.

New implementations of the 2-factor method

The so-called 2-factor method was designed for finding singular solutions to nonlinear equations. New ways of implementing this method are proposed. So far, the known variants of the method used a very laborious iteration. Its implementation requires that the singular value decomposition be calculated for the derivative of the equation at hand. The new economical implementation is based on the Gaussian elimination with pivoting. In addition, the potentials for the globalization of convergence of the method are examined. In total, the proposed tools convert the conceptual sketch of the 2-factor method into a truly practical algorithm.

Systematic method for initial rapid analysis of maxillofacial computed tomography scans for surgeons in training.

Reading maxillofacial computed tomography (CT) scans is a basic skill for any surgeon who operates on the face. A standard systematic approach for how to read a maxillofacial CT scan from a surgeon's perspective is lacking in literature, particularly for those in the early stages of training. We present a method of initial rapid analysis which our residents in training have responded to and report to be conceptually simple to apply. The senior author reviewed over 250 consults for face trauma and performed a detailed composite of the most common elements of each consult as well as the clinically relevant decision points. These elements were then bundled into a conceptual sketch of the skull-face-mandible with an accompanying standardized clinical data list. The new residents were then guided through a systematic approach to reading the scans while sketching the injuries identified. The authors then performed a survey to establish if the new method was helpful to early learners prior to and after adoption of the method. The survey consisted of five questions regarding the utility of the method for analysis of reading maxillofacial CT. In total, seven residents were surveyed; 100% thought the technique made reading facial CT easier, 100% thought this method was easy to teach to junior residents and 86% found the analysis of facial CT easier and helped their surgical decision making. We present a systematic method for surgeons to evaluate facial CT scans. This is the first published account of methodology for maxillofacial CT analysis for surgeons.

In situ Measurement of Hydraulic Properties of the Fractured Zone of Coal Mines

A review of the literature on the water inrush of underground openings under a condition of water flow reveals that insufficient attention has been devoted to the measurement of hydraulic properties of fractured zones, such as faults and zones of plastic damage generated by excavation or mining. A conceptual sketch of the fractured zone is presented in Fig. 1. The zone of floor damage is a zone of deformation and failure of the floor rock formation resulting from mining. In particular, groundwater inrush from aquifers underlying mining coal seams are usually induced when uncovering the fractured zone, which is a geological structure extensively distributed in the coalfields of eastern China (Bai et al. 2013). Moreover, the Ordovician limestone underlying the coal seams of coalfields in eastern China forms a confined karst aquifer containing an abundant supply of water and having very high water pressure (Zhang 2005). In this regard, the hydraulic properties in the fractured zone are important to deep underground engineering, particularly when an aquifer surrounds an excavation, for the reason that most water inrush accidents relate to the fractured zone (Fahimifar and Zareifard 2009; Qiao et al. 2013). Laboratory tests are commonly conducted to determine the hydraulic properties of soft soils and rocks (e.g., Ponziani et al. 2011; Bo et al. 2014). There has been an increasing emergence of in situ testing methods as alternatives to laboratory testing methods for assessing the hydraulic characteristic of the fractured zone in civil engineering (Bo et al. 2014); e.g., the water injection test (WIT) is conducted to determine the hydraulic characteristics of the fractured zone (Mukai and Fujimori 2007; Kitagawa et al. 2007). However, laboratory tests of the fractured zone are subject to uncertainties due primarily to disturbances that cause an important difference in hydraulic conductivity between the in situ and laboratory test methods (Bo et al. 2014). In situ tests are particularly useful in the determination of the in situ hydraulic conductivity of the fractured zone. In situ tests have an advantage over other methods in that they effectively measure the in situ hydraulic conductivity. The key objective of this technical note is to report the measured hydraulic properties in the fractured zone under mutative water pressures by conducting an in situ WIT.

Client Perceptions of the Value of Microinsurance: Evidence from Southern Ghana

The uptake of microinsurance in developing countries falls short of projections, which has recently made stakeholders focus on client value. However, empirical research on what constitutes client value in microinsurance has been limited. As a starting point for further investigations, we draw a first conceptual sketch of the dimensions of client value. Our analysis is based on qualitative data from focus group discussions among both existing and potential clients of a micro life insurance in southern Ghana. Using a multidimensional approach, we show that client value is based on the perceived quality, costs and consumption outcome, as well as the emotional and social value of micro life insurance. In their value judgments, focus group participants particularly emphasize the quality of customer service provision, the (expected) insurance benefits, and positive emotions associated with insurance coverage. The evaluation of the value of the microinsurance under study is mixed. We therefore also investigate why clients form the value perceptions they do. This investigation finds that large discrepancies between people’s expectations and experiences reduce the perceived value of the insurance product. It shows that contextual factors, such as clients’ knowledge about insurance, their interaction with peers, and the availability and effectiveness of alternative risk management options, largely shape whether they perceive high or low value in micro life insurance.

The Unbearable Uncertainty Paradox

AbstractPeople can be risk seeking and risk averse, but people can also be uncertainty averse: in other words, if risk is at least the possibility of an unwanted affect, then it is not only the unwanted effect that they want to avoid, it can also be the uncertainty inherent in the possibility that they wish to avoid. This uncertainty aversion can even lead to a state where someone prefers a certain outcome at all costs, even when it is the worst case. This gives rise to the following paradox: the worst case seems to be more acceptable than the state where there is still a chance that it will not materialize. We can call this the Unbearable Uncertainty Paradox. This essay provides a first conceptual sketch of this phenomenon that seems to be widespread but nevertheless does not appear to have been identified before, either by philosophers or by psychologists.

Existential risks: exploring a robust risk reduction strategy.

A small but growing number of studies have aimed to understand, assess and reduce existential risks, or risks that threaten the continued existence of mankind. However, most attention has been focused on known and tangible risks. This paper proposes a heuristic for reducing the risk of black swan extinction events. These events are, as the name suggests, stochastic and unforeseen when they happen. Decision theory based on a fixed model of possible outcomes cannot properly deal with this kind of event. Neither can probabilistic risk analysis. This paper will argue that the approach that is referred to as engineering safety could be applied to reducing the risk from black swan extinction events. It will also propose a conceptual sketch of how such a strategy may be implemented: isolated, self-sufficient, and continuously manned underground refuges. Some characteristics of such refuges are also described, in particular the psychosocial aspects. Furthermore, it is argued that this implementation of the engineering safety strategy safety barriers would be effective and plausible and could reduce the risk of an extinction event in a wide range of possible (known and unknown) scenarios. Considering the staggering opportunity cost of an existential catastrophe, such strategies ought to be explored more vigorously.

The Method as Justification: An Alternative Characterization of the Central Problem of Justifying Freedoms and Rights

In a stage-wise view of the process of constructing and realizing a system of freedoms and rights, one central problem is the establishment of robust bases of justification towards a greater degree of acceptability of the system's theoretical framework. By drawing insights from various theories of rights as well as from the works of Rawls, Sen, and Habermas, two characterizations of the central problem of justification are presented. The first characterization is in terms of adopting a fundamental universal principle or set of principles in establishing the bases of justification. The second and alternative characterization invokes the notion of the method as justification and is in terms of establishing the appropriate procedures and conditions under which a reasonable system of freedoms and rights could be constructed and justified. It is argued that this alternative characterization is more plausible because it evades the tension between the pluralistic character of human reality and the narrow universalizing character of fundamental principles in the first characterization. Following this argument, this paper draws from the constructivist approach of Rawls and the discourse theory of Habermas and presents a conceptual sketch of the constructive and integrative approach towards establishing robust bases of justification for a system of freedoms and rights.

Creative brains: designing in the real world.

The process of designing artifacts is a creative activity. It is proposed that, at the cognitive level, one key to understanding design creativity is to understand the array of symbol systems designers utilize. These symbol systems range from being vague, imprecise, abstract, ambiguous, and indeterminate (like conceptual sketches), to being very precise, concrete, unambiguous, and determinate (like contract documents). The former types of symbol systems support associative processes that facilitate lateral (or divergent) transformations that broaden the problem space, while the latter types of symbol systems support inference processes facilitating vertical (or convergent) transformations that deepen of the problem space. The process of artifact design requires the judicious application of both lateral and vertical transformations. This leads to a dual mechanism model of design problem-solving comprising of an associative engine and an inference engine. It is further claimed that this dual mechanism model is supported by an interesting hemispheric dissociation in human prefrontal cortex. The associative engine and neural structures that support imprecise, ambiguous, abstract, indeterminate representations are lateralized in the right prefrontal cortex, while the inference engine and neural structures that support precise, unambiguous, determinant representations are lateralized in the left prefrontal cortex. At the brain level, successful design of artifacts requires a delicate balance between the two hemispheres of prefrontal cortex.

Conceptual Proposal for Compound Moderators with Preferential Emission Directions

Large spallation neutron facilities share with compact sources the constraint that the moderation of neutrons relies on a random scattering process. Recently, proposals have been made how to furnish cold moderators with some preferential direction for the scattering and the emission of cold neutrons. Propositions presented so far aim primarily at enhancing the emission of moderated neutrons out of the scattering volume. The use of silicon single crystals and nano-structured material has been proposed to boost or suppress scattering along selected directions, respectively. The recent implementation of a beryllium reflector-filter for a hydrogen moderator system at the Manuel Lujan neutron scattering center augmented moderated neutron flux by reflecting thermal neutrons back into a cold moderator. This installation has met with striking success and proved the technical feasibility of selectable preferential provision of cold and thermal neutrons. In this short contribution a tiny scoping study is presented together with a conceptual sketch of a novel moderator set-up. The approach strives to combine the existing results with some additional measures for increasing the primary neutron flux inside a cold moderator. Even base-lining some generic boundary conditions and not taking peculiarities of materials into account, moderator performance can be improved by mere geometrical internal modifications. Conceiving a “pre-moderator” primarily as “primary reflector” appears to offer additional possibilities for optimization. The expectation is that, depending on design and materials’ choices, mixed or cold spectra can be obtained, with the flux of demanded neutrons increased along selected directions of preferential emission. Anticipating more extensive confirmative numerical simulations, the obvious next step could be a first test of the proposed concept at a compact neutron source.

BIMQL – An open query language for building information models

In this paper we present the on-going development of a framework for a domain specific, open query language for building information models. The proposed query language is intended for selecting, updating and deleting of data stored in Industry Foundation Classes models. Even though some partial solutions already have been suggested, none of them are open source, domain specific, platform independent and implemented at the same time. This paper provides an overview of existing approaches, conceptual sketches of the language in development and documents the current state of implementation as a prototype plugin developed for the open source model server platform bimserver.org. We report on the execution of example test-cases to show the general feasibility of the approach chosen.

Visualization in management: From communication to collaboration. A response to Zhang

The benefits of visualization are starting to be exploited in the field of management. Beyond cognitive and communicative advantages, this view point article highlights how visualization can enhance collaborative activities in organizations. Recent trends in management indicate that the activity of visualizing can be as important as the pictures that are generated. Qualitative visualizations such as conceptual diagrams, metaphors or sketches are used as collaboration catalysts to facilitate a variety of tasks, from idea generation to decision making and planning. The article derives future research avenues in this promising and interdisciplinary field of inquiry, including the impact of immersive worlds, electronic sketches or multi-user interfaces for collaborative managerial tasks.

Conceptual design and modification of freeform surfaces using dual shape representations in augmented reality environments

This paper enables the rapid creation and modification of freeform surfaces inside an augmented reality environment, and focuses on methods for enabling increased flexibility during exploratory, conceptual industrial product design through three-dimensional (3D) sketch-based user input. Specifically, we address the role of multiple shape representations with varying uncertainty levels during 3D conceptual sketching, along with methods to transform between those representations. The main contributions of this work are: (1) the formulation of virtual shape data in multiple, concurrent representations (points and surfaces), and a regression method to transition fluidly back and forth between these representations during design, (2) methods for deforming and exploring the product shape using these multiple representations, and (3) representations of these forms such that designers can explore conceptual designs without the need for detailed surface operations such as trimming or continuity enforcement. Through incorporating these contributions, we introduce techniques that can be incorporated in future computer-aided conceptual design systems. These contributions are demonstrated for freeform surface design, with examples of computer mouse and car seat exterior surfaces.

Concept development of logistic services

Concept development of logistic services

Rudolf Carnap’s The Logical Structure of the World

Philosophy is facing a serious crisis, but no one cares. When German Idealism, Existentialism, and Marxism allied with Sociology, Psychoanalysis, Cultural History, and Literature Studies in the early 20th century, all attempts at conducting philosophy in a style similar to that of the scientists got expelled from the High Church of Philosophy. The creation of the Wykeham Professorship in Hermeneutics (formerly: Logic) at Oxford and the Stanford Chair of Textual NonPresence (formerly: Methodology of Science) are wellknown indicators of these, by now, historical developments. The best philosophical work since then is to be found in the history of philosophy—if one is lucky. One cannot help but wondering what turn philosophy would have taken if someone had picked up the revolutionary developments in logic and mathematics in the 1920s and directed them towards philosophy. Maybe there would still be logic courses in philosophy departments? Who knows? Recently a monograph has appeared which seems to ignore the respiratory epicycles of this modern philosophical slumber completely (and rightly so). Rudolf Carnap, a young German philosopher who is working at the University of Vienna, has the chutzpah to conceive a logischer Aufbau der Welt—a logical structure of the world—as if nothing had happened in philosophy in the last 80 years or so. Well, not much has happened indeed. If only a book like that had been published back then! Carnap’s main aim is to argue for the following thesis: give him any meaningful sentence from natural language or science; then this sentence can be reformulated in a precisely delineated conceptual framework of primitive expressions, exact definitions, and logical and mathematical rules. In fact, there are several possible choices for such frameworks, each one serving a different purpose, but what all of them have in common is that the hidden logical structure of the original sentence will become completely transparent through reformulation. That the target sentence is required to be nothing than a much more precise restatement of the original sentence means that both sentences ought to have the same truth conditions, by the laws of nature and by linguistic convention. Accordingly, each concept from natural language or science will have to be reconstructed in terms of a formally purified concept that has necessarily the same extension as its informal counterpart. This type of translation is possible, or so the thesis says, but it needs the application of logical and mathematical methods as the ones developed by Frege and Russell a long time ago. Of course, these authors have been forgotten by philosophers long since, but in light of Carnap’s book I urge people to reconsider their work: it is worth the effort, even though it means doing the unthinkable, that is, to learn some mathematics before one can philosophize. How does Carnap argue for his revolutionary claim? By concrete example. He erects a particular conceptual system and sketches how both common sense statements and scientific hypotheses may be reformulated within it. The conceptual system he chooses for the sake of demonstration is one that takes elementary first-person descriptions of immediate sense experience as its starting point: merely on the basis of logical concepts, mathematical concepts, and a binary concept of recollected resemblance between total experiences at a time, Carnap wants to express statements about sensory qualities, subjective temporal H. Leitgeb (&) Professor of Mathematical Logic and Philosophy of Mathematics, Department of Philosophy, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK e-mail: hannes.leitgeb@bristol.ac.uk