Search results for "testing"
showing 10 items of 1769 documents
Balanced difficulty task finder: an adaptive recommendation method for learning tasks based on the concept of state of flow
2020
An adaptive task difficulty assignment method which we reckon as balanced difficulty task finder (BDTF) is proposed in this paper. The aim is to recommend tasks to a learner using a trade-off between skills of the learner and difficulty of the tasks such that the learner experiences a state of flow during the learning. Flow is a mental state that psychologists refer to when someone is completely immersed in an activity. Flow state is a multidisciplinary field of research and has been studied not only in psychology, but also neuroscience, education, sport, and games. The idea behind this paper is to try to achieve a flow state in a similar way as Elo’s chess skill rating (Glickman in Am Ches…
On the improvement of monumental structure safety: a case study
2006
The present paper deals with the problem of the preservation of the monumental patrimony and discusses a practical application. The analysis methodology based on modern dynamic identification techniques was used for a monumental church in the historic area of Catania (Italy). The dynamic response of the church was measured in terms of accelerations, by means of vibration tests in situ. The numerical analyses highlighted the vulnerability of the drum dome system. Hence interest focused on this part of the building. A reduced scale model of the above system was built to be subjected to dynamic tests on a shaking table at the ENEA laboratory at Casaccia (Rome). Different kinds of reversible de…
Shot-clay MX-80 bentonite: An assessment of the hydro-mechanical behaviour
2014
This study presents the results of an experimental study conducted to characterise the hydro-mechanical behaviour of shot-clay MX-80 bentonite. In the shot-clay process, granular bentonite was mixed continuously with water and shot on the walls of a tunnel section at the Grimsel Underground Research Laboratory (URL), in Switzerland. The shot-clay was placed to create a layer of bentonite in direct contact with the host rock to avoid preferential water and/or gas flow along the tunnel wall. Samples for an experimental programme were collected during the shooting. The index properties, microstructural features, swelling potential and water retention properties of the shot-clay were analysed. …
The Role of Anisotropy on the Volumetric Behaviour of Opalinus Clay upon Suction Change
2017
An experimental investigation to analyse the anisotropic volumetric response of shaly and sandy facies of Opalinus Clay upon suction variations is presented. Obtained results demonstrate the different behaviour of the tested facies to a wetting-drying cycle. The shaly facies exhibits higher water retention capacity and stronger volumetric response than the sandy facies. Anisotropic response is experienced by both facies with the strain perpendicular to bedding higher than in the parallel direction. The sandy facies exhibits a more pronounced anisotropic behaviour in particular during the drying phase. A detailed analysis of the response in the two directions with respect to the bedding orie…
Dark Spots in Trade Theory: Early Testing Attempts
2020
The beginnings of the economic theory correspond to philosophers’ attempts to explain why and how do countries trade with each other. Yet even more puzzling was the question how should countries trade? It is no surprise that despite the formidable developments of the theory in the last 200 years plus, there still are dark spots in the economics of trade. Globalization has rendered the issue even murkier. Beside the fact that international trade cannot be insulated from other economic domains, which makes it inadequate for experiments, but even testing itself is cumbersome. Only, evidence on such a complex field as international trade is by no means easy to come by.
Isolated in-vitro perfusion of pig hearts obtained from the abattoir: an alternative to animal experiments?
1994
Isolated pig hearts (German farm pigs) were characterized after global in-vivo ischaemia as a potential alternative to in-vivo animal studies. Hearts were harvested from adult farm swine at the abattoir 10.3 +/- 2.1 min after incision of the carotid artery. They were immediately perfused and thereafter stored in ice-cold cardioplegic (St Thomas's) solution. After 38 +/- 3 min, retrograde perfusion was started with oxygenated pig blood (37 degrees C; 5000 U Heparin.l-1; pH 7.38 +/- 0.1; 11 mmol glucose.l-1) at a flow rate of 85 ml.min-1 100 g-1 wet weight (gww-1) for 30 min (n = 10). Additionally, shortly after obtaining the hearts, ATP and CP content were measured by enzymatic tests in 10 p…
Biomechanical comparison between the modified rolling-hitch and the modified finger-trap suture techniques
2016
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to characterize the biomechanical effect of two grasping suture techniques used during ligament reconstruction: the modified rolling-hitch (MRH) and the modified finger-trap (MFT). Methods: Flexor profundus tendons were harvested from fresh pig hind-leg trotters. Each specimen was mounted on an electro-mechanic universal testing machine (Instron 3367). In half of all tendons (15 specimens), the suture was passed around the tendon following the MRH knot (Group 1). In the remaining half of all tendons (15 specimens), the suture was passed over a distance of 30 mm according to the MFT suture technique (Group 2). As per standard intra-operative technique, …
Simulation and Test of UAV Tasks With Resource-Constrained Hardware in the Loop
2021
Simulations are indispensable to reduce costs and risks when developing and testing algorithms for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) especially for applications in high risk scenarios like search and rescue (SAR) operations and post-disaster damage assessment. Many UAV applications require real-time tasks for which the timeliness of computations is fundamental. However, standard simulation tools are not guaranteed to run in sync with real-time events, leading to unreliable assessments of the ability of the target hardware to perform specific tasks. In this work we present a simulation and test system able to run UAV tasks on resource-constrained target hardware possibly adopted in these applic…
Evaluation of the force generated by gradual deflection of 0.016-inch NiTi and stainless steel orthodontic wires in self-ligating metallic and esthet…
2019
Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the deflection forces of 0.016-inch Nitinol and stainless steel orthodontic wires, in association to different self-ligating brackets. Material and Methods Specimens were mounted in a clinical simulation model and evaluated in a Universal Testing Machine (INSTRON 3342), using a 10N load cell and ISO 15,841, as a protocol. Eight of these models were prepared, each one for the bonding of each set of self-ligating accessories to be tested: Damon Q, Damon Clear (Ormco), In-Ovation R, In-Ovation C (GAC), BioQuick, QuickClear (Forestadent), SmartClip and Clarity SL (3M). Data were subjected to One-way ANOVA, followed by Tukey tests (P<0.05). Re…