Search results for "objective"

Development Perspectives for Higher Education Research and Practice

2016

In the 24 collaborative projects of the KoKoHs program, comprising more than 70 individual research projects, objective test instruments were developed for assessing the competencies of students and graduates and tested in higher education practice (see table in section 8). The KoKoHs assessments provide empirically substantiated information on students’ competency levels and insight into the effectiveness of teaching-and-learning opportunities in higher education. KoKoHs has offered means to address major challenges of higher education in a more effective manner and, in the long term, contributed to improving structural, organizational, and individual conditions for teaching and learning a…

Developing Engineering Skills in Secondary Students Through STEM Project Based Learning

2020

The development of 21st century skills allows the training of competent students prepared for work and social life. The improvement of these skills, necessary for engineering students and future engineers, can be favored with training in Secondary Education Stage. Specifically, the Project-Based Learning (PBL) methodology includes the performance of different activities that allow the acquisition of both conceptual and procedural skills. This article describes the relationship between the skills that high school students develop when they work with PBL and the competences (ABET engineering skills) they acquire. In addition, an objective evaluation of the learning outcomes of 129 Secondary s…

Minimizing membrane bioreactor environmental footprint by multiple objective optimization.

2020

This paper presents a modelling study aimed at minimizing the environmental foot print of a membrane bioreactor (MBR) for wastewater treatment. Specifically, an integrated model for MBR was employed in view of the management optimization of an MBR biological nutrient removal (BNR) pilot plant in terms of operational costs and direct greenhouse gases emissions. The influence of the operational parameters (OPs) on performance indicators (PIs) was investigated by adopting the Extended-FAST sensitivity analysis method. Further, a multi-objective analysis was performed by applying the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). The results show-up that the sludge …

Use of ATP bioluminescence for assessing the cleanliness of hospital surfaces: A review of the published literature (1990–2012)

2014

Summary: Hospital cleanliness tends to be considered by patients and the public as an important indicator of the general quality of healthcare. Tests for detecting the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as a proxy of microbial contamination are increasing in popularity, and several studies have been conducted on this topic in the last few decades. The aim of the present study was to review the published literature on this topic and summarize and discuss the available results. The review focused on relevant English-language articles that were identified through searches of two databases [PubMed and Scopus (1990–2012)] by using the keywords “ATP”, “bioluminescence”, “hospital”, and “sur…

The implementation of mindfulness in healthcare Systems: a theoretical analysis

2014

Abstract Objective Evidence regarding the efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) is increasing exponentially; however, there are still challenges to their integration in healthcare systems. Our goal is to provide a conceptual framework that addresses these challenges in order to bring about scholarly dialog and support health managers and practitioners with the implementation of MBIs in healthcare. Method This is an opinative narrative review based on theoretical and empirical data that address key issues in the implementation of mindfulness in healthcare systems, such as the training of professionals, funding and costs of interventions, cost effectiveness and innovative deliver…

An evolutionary approach to multi-objective scheduling of mixed model assembly lines

1999

In this paper a multi-objective genetic algorithm for the scheduling of a mixed model assembly line is proposed, pursuing the line stop time minimisation together with the component usage smoothing. Specific features of the developed GA are step by step random selection of diversified crossover and mutation operators, population control for the substitution of duplicate chromosomes, and in-process updating of GA control parameters. Three different formulation of the fitness function were been tested with some distinct line configurations.

Multi-Objective and Multi-Criteria Analysis for Optimal Pump Scheduling in Water Systems

2018

This contribution focuses on the problem of optimal pump scheduling, a fundamental element in pursuing operation optimization of water distribution systems. A combined approach of multi-objective optimization and multi-criteria analysis is herein suggested to first find the Pareto front of non-dominated solutions and then to rank them based on a set of weighted criteria. The Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm (NSGA-II) is proposed to solve the multi-objective problem, while the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) is used to achieve the final ranking.

k-out-of-n systems: an exact formula for the stationary availability and multi-objective configuration design based on mathematical programming and T…

2018

[EN] Reliability and availability analyses are recognized as essential for guiding decision makers in the implementation of actions addressed to improve the technical and economical performance of complex systems. For industrial systems with reparable components, the most interesting parameter used to drive maintenance is the stationary availability. In this regard, the present paper proposes an exact formula for computing the system stationary availability of a k-out-of-n system. Such a formula is proved to be in agreement with the fundamental theorem of Markov chains. Then, a multi-objective mathematical model is formulated for choosing the optimal system configuration design. The Pareto …

Multi Objective Genetic Algorithm for multimode job shop scheduling problem

2014

Headquarters’ Control Capacity and the Choice of R&D Organizational Forms Abroad

2013

International audience; Recently, regarding globalization, the decentralization of R&D activities abroad by multinational companies (MNCs) has become important in developed countries. However, academic research has not given this topic sufficient attention. This paper explains how the efficiency of control and incentive mechanisms may affect the choice of organizational forms by MNCs that decentralize their R&D activities abroad. We identify five main organizational forms: wholly owned green-field subsidiary, wholly owned acquired subsidiary, joint venture, cross-licensing agreements, and unilateral licensing agreements. A questionnaire addressed to the R&D managers of American and European…