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Title: Development of a Cognitive Work Analysis Framework Tutorial Using Systems Modeling Language.
Creator: Wells, Wilfred, Karwowski, Waldemar, Williams, Kent, Sala-Diakanda, Serge, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Ahram, Tareq, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: At the present time, most systems engineers do not have access to cognitivework analysis information or training in terms they can understand. This may lead to adisregard of the cognitive aspect of system design. The impact of this issue is systemrequirements that do not account for the cognitive strengths and limitations of users.Systems engineers cannot design effective decision support systems without definingcognitive work requirements. In order to improve system requirements, integration...
Show moreAt the present time, most systems engineers do not have access to cognitivework analysis information or training in terms they can understand. This may lead to adisregard of the cognitive aspect of system design. The impact of this issue is systemrequirements that do not account for the cognitive strengths and limitations of users.Systems engineers cannot design effective decision support systems without definingcognitive work requirements. In order to improve system requirements, integration ofcognitive work requirements into the systems engineering process has to be improved.One option to address this gap is the development of a Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA)framework using Systems Modeling Language (SysML). The study had two phases.The first involved aligning the CWA terminology with the SysML to produce a CWAframework using SysML. The second was the creation of an instruction using SysML toinform systems engineers of the process of integrating cognitive work requirements intothe systems engineering process. This methodology provides a structured framework todefine, manage, organize, and model cognitive work requirements. Additionally, itprovides a tool for systems engineers to use in system design which supports a user'scognitive functions, such as situational awareness, problem solving, and decisionmaking.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: CFE0004177, ucf:49079
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004177

Title: An Approach for Measuring the Confidentiality of Data Assured by the Confidentiality of Information Security Systems in Healthcare Organizations.
Creator: Gallaher, Shawn, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Sala-Diakanda, Serge, Karwowski, Waldemar, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Yousef, Nabeel, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Because of the expansion in health information technology and the continued migration toward digital patient records as a foundation for the delivery of healthcare services, healthcare organizations face significant challenges in their efforts to determine how well they are protecting electronic health information from unauthorized disclosure. The disclosure of one's personal medical information to unauthorized parties or individuals can have broad-reaching and long-term impacts to both...
Show moreBecause of the expansion in health information technology and the continued migration toward digital patient records as a foundation for the delivery of healthcare services, healthcare organizations face significant challenges in their efforts to determine how well they are protecting electronic health information from unauthorized disclosure. The disclosure of one's personal medical information to unauthorized parties or individuals can have broad-reaching and long-term impacts to both healthcare providers and consumers. Although several classes and types of methodologies exist for measuring information security in general, a number of overarching issues have been identified which prevent their adaptation to the problem of measuring the confidentiality (the protection from unauthorized disclosure) of electronic information in complex organizational systems.In this study, a new approach for measuring the confidentiality of electronic information in healthcare-related organizations is developed. By leveraging systemic principles and concepts, an information security system (ISS) for assuring the confidentiality of electronic information in healthcare organizations is synthesized. The ISS is defined as a complex system composed of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Security Rule information security safeguards and the people, processes, and technologies that contribute to these safeguards. The confidentiality of the ISS (-) a desired emergent property defined in terms of the systemic interactions which are present (-) represents the measure of protection from the unauthorized disclosure of electronic information.An information security model (ISM) that leverages the structure and parametric modeling capabilities of the Systems Modeling Language (SysML) was developed for specifyingan ISS in addition to the contained systemic interactions which are present. Through the use of a parametric solver capability, the complex system of equations which quantify the contained interactions was executed for the purpose of generating a measure of confidentiality using a set of user-provided input values (-) a process referred to as ISM instantiation.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004378, ucf:49380
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004378

Title: The effects of chronic sleep deprivation on sustained attention: A study of brain dynamic functional connectivity.
Creator: He, Yiling, Karwowski, Waldemar, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Hancock, Peter, Mikusinski, Piotr, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: It is estimated that about 35-40% of adults in the U.S. suffer from insufficient sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation has become a prevalent phenomenon because of contemporary lifestyle and work-related factors. Sleep deprivation can reduce the capabilities and efficiency of attentional performance by impairing perception, increasing effort to maintain concentration, as well as introducing vision disturbance. Thus, it is important to understand the neural mechanisms behind how chronic sleep...
Show moreIt is estimated that about 35-40% of adults in the U.S. suffer from insufficient sleep. Chronic sleep deprivation has become a prevalent phenomenon because of contemporary lifestyle and work-related factors. Sleep deprivation can reduce the capabilities and efficiency of attentional performance by impairing perception, increasing effort to maintain concentration, as well as introducing vision disturbance. Thus, it is important to understand the neural mechanisms behind how chronic sleep deprivation impairs sustained attention.In recent years, more attention has been paid to the study of the integration between anatomically distributed and functionally connected brain regions. Functional connectivity has been widely used to characterize brain functional integration, which measures the statistical dependency between neurophysiological events of the human brain. Further, evidence from recent studies has shown the non-stationary nature of brain functional connectivity, which may reveal more information about the human brain. Thus, the objective of this thesis is to investigate the effects of chronic sleep deprivation on sustained attention from the perspective of dynamic functional connectivity.A modified spatial cueing paradigm was used to assess human sustained attention in rested wakefulness and chronic sleep deprivation conditions. Partial least squares approach was applied to distinguish brain functional connectivity for the experimental conditions. With the integration of a sliding-window approach, dynamic patterns of brain functional connectivity were identified in two experimental conditions. The brain was modeled as a series of dynamic functional networks in each experimental condition. Graph theoretic analysis was performed to investigate the dynamic properties of brain functional networks, using network measures of clustering coefficient and characteristics path length.In the chronic sleep deprivation condition, a compensation mechanism between highly clustered organization and ineffective adaptability of brain functional networks was observed. Specifically, a highly clustered organization of brain functional networks was illustrated with a large clustering coefficient. This organization suggested that brain utilizes more connections to maintain attention in the chronic sleep deprivation condition. A smaller impact of clustering coefficient variation on characteristics path lengths indicated an ineffective adaptability of brain functional networks in the chronic sleep deprivation condition. In the rested wakefulness condition, brain functional networks showed the small-world topology in general, with the average small-world topology index larger than one. Small-world topology was identified as an optimal network structure with the balance between local information processing and global integration. Given the fluctuating values of the index over time, small-world brain networks were observed in most cases, indicating an effective adaptability of the human brain to maintain the dominance of small-world networks in the rested wakefulness condition. On the contrary, given that the average small-world topology index was smaller than one, brain functional networks generally exhibited random network structure. From the perspective of dynamic functional networks, even though there were few cases showing small-world brain networks, brain functional networks failed to maintain the dominance of small-world topology in the chronic sleep deprivation condition.In conclusion, to the best of our knowledge this thesis was the first to investigate the effects of chronic sleep deprivation on sustained attention from the perspective of dynamic brain functional connectivity. A compensation mechanism between highly clustered organization and ineffective adaptability of brain functional networks was observed in the chronic sleep deprivation condition. Furthermore, chronic sleep deprivation impaired sustained attention by reducing the effectiveness of brain functional networks' adaptability, resulting in the disrupted dominance of small-world brain networks.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0006036, ucf:50990
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006036

Title: A Short Window Granger Causality Approach to Identify Brain Functional Pattern Associated with Changes of Performance Induced by Sleep Deprivation.
Creator: Li, Muyuan, Karwowski, Waldemar, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Hancock, Peter, Mikusinski, Piotr, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The comprehensive effect of sleep deprivation on biological and behavioral functions largely remains unknown. There is evidence to support that human sleep must be of sufficient duration and physiological continuity to ensure neurocognitive performance while we are waking. Insufficient sleep would lead to high risk of human-error related to accidents, injuries or even fatal outcomes. However, in modern society, more and more people suffer from sleep deprivation because of the increasing...
Show moreThe comprehensive effect of sleep deprivation on biological and behavioral functions largely remains unknown. There is evidence to support that human sleep must be of sufficient duration and physiological continuity to ensure neurocognitive performance while we are waking. Insufficient sleep would lead to high risk of human-error related to accidents, injuries or even fatal outcomes. However, in modern society, more and more people suffer from sleep deprivation because of the increasing social, academic or occupational demand. It is important to study the effect of sleep deprivation, not only on task performance, but also on neurocognitive functions. Recent research that has explored brain effective connectivity has demonstrated the directed inference interaction among pairs of brain areas, which may bring important insight to understand how brain works to support neurocognitive function. This research aimed to identify the brain effective connectivity pattern associated with changes of a task performance, response time, following sleep deprivation. Experiments were conducted by colleagues at Neuroergonomics Department at Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland. Ten healthy young women, with an average age of 23-year-old, performed visual spatial sustained-attention tasks under two conditions: (1) the rest-wakeful (RW) condition, where participants had their usual sleep and (2) the sleep-deprived (SD) condition, where participants had 3 hours less sleep than their usual sleep, for 7 nights (amounting to 21 h of sleep debt).Measures included eye tracking performance and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In each condition, each subject's eye-position was monitored through 13 sessions, each with 46 trials, while fMRI data was recorded. There were two task performance measures, accuracy and response time. Accuracy measured the proportion of correct responses of all trials in each session. Response time measured the average amount of milliseconds until participants gazed at the target stimuli in each session. An experimental session could be treated as a short window. By splitting long trials of fMRI data into consecutive windows, Granger causality was applied based on short trials of fMRI data. This procedure helped to calculate pairwise causal influences with respect to time-varying property in brain causal interaction. Causal influence results were then averaged across sessions to create one matrix for each participant. This matrix was averaged within each condition to formulate a model of brain effective connectivity, which also served as a basis of comparison. In conclusion, significant effect of sleep deprivation was found on response time and brain effective connectivity. In addition, the change of brain effective connectivity after sleep deprivation was linked to the change of response time. First, an analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant difference for response time between the RW condition and the SD condition. No significant changes for accuracy were found. A paired t-test showed that response time was significantly shorter in sleep deprivation for the visual spatial sustained-attention task. Second, Granger causality analysis demonstrated a reduction of bidirectional connectivity and an increase of directed influences from low-level brain areas to high-level brain areas after sleep deprivation. This observation suggested that sleep deprivation provoked the effective connectivity engaged in salient stimuli processing, but inhibited the effective connectivity in biasing selection of attention on task and in maintaining self-awareness in day time. Furthermore, in the SD condition, attention at the visual spatial task seemed to be driven by a bottom-up modulation mechanism. Third, a relationship was found between brain effective connectivity with response time. Decreases of Granger causal influences in two directions, from medial frontal lobe to sub cortical gray nuclei and from medial parietal lobe to sub cortical gray nuclei, were associated with shorter response time in the SD condition. Additionally, an increase of Granger causal influence from medial parietal lobe to cerebellum was associated with longer response time in the SD condition.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005825, ucf:50922
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005825

Title: An Integrated Framework for Automated Data Collection and Processing for Discrete Event Simulation Models.
Creator: Rodriguez, Carlos, Kincaid, John, Karwowski, Waldemar, O'Neal, Thomas, Kaup, David, Mouloua, Mustapha, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Discrete Events Simulation (DES) is a powerful tool of modeling and analysis used in different disciplines. DES models require data in order to determine the different parameters that drive the simulations. The literature about DES input data management indicates that the preparation of necessary input data is often a highly manual process, which causes inefficiencies, significant time consumption and a negative user experience.The focus of this research investigation is addressing the manual...
Show moreDiscrete Events Simulation (DES) is a powerful tool of modeling and analysis used in different disciplines. DES models require data in order to determine the different parameters that drive the simulations. The literature about DES input data management indicates that the preparation of necessary input data is often a highly manual process, which causes inefficiencies, significant time consumption and a negative user experience.The focus of this research investigation is addressing the manual data collection and processing (MDCAP) problem prevalent in DES projects. This research investigation presents an integrated framework to solve the MDCAP problem by classifying the data needed for DES projects into three generic classes. Such classification permits automating and streamlining the preparation of the data, allowing DES modelers to collect, update, visualize, fit, validate, tally and test data in real-time, by performing intuitive actions. In addition to the proposed theoretical framework, this project introduces an innovative user interface that was programmed based on the ideas of the proposed framework. The interface is called DESI, which stands for Discrete Event Simulation Inputs.The proposed integrated framework to automate DES input data preparation was evaluated against benchmark measures presented in the literature in order to show its positive impact in DES input data management. This research investigation demonstrates that the proposed framework, instantiated by the DESI interface, addresses current gaps in the field, reduces the time devoted to input data management within DES projects and advances the state-of-the-art in DES input data management automation.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005878, ucf:50861
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005878

Title: Assessing the Effect of Social Networks on Employee Creativity in a Fast-Food Restaurant Environment.
Creator: Rabinowitz, Mitchell, Karwowski, Waldemar, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Rabelo, Luis, Williams, Kent, Beitsch, Owen, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Creativity has been widely recognized as critical to the economic success of organizations for over 60 years. Today, it is considered to be the most highly prized (")commodity(") of businesses. As such, there have been numerous efforts to better understand creativity with the goal of increasing individual creativity and therefore improving the economic success of organizations. An emerging area of research on creativity recognizes creativity as a complex, social process that is dependent upon...
Show moreCreativity has been widely recognized as critical to the economic success of organizations for over 60 years. Today, it is considered to be the most highly prized (")commodity(") of businesses. As such, there have been numerous efforts to better understand creativity with the goal of increasing individual creativity and therefore improving the economic success of organizations. An emerging area of research on creativity recognizes creativity as a complex, social process that is dependent upon many factors, including those of an environmental nature. In support of this perspective, a growing amount of research has investigated the effect of social networks on individual creativity. This relationship is based on the premise that an individual's social network affects access to diverse information, which in turn, is critical for creativity. The previous studies on this relationship, however, have been conducted in a limited number of environments, most of which have been knowledge-intensive in nature. As such, this study was conducted in a fast-food restaurant environment to determine whether the relationship between social networks and creativity is the same as in other, previously studied environments.Data was collected for a sample of 247 employees of an organization consisting of seven fast-food franchise restaurants of a popular fast-food restaurant chain in the northeast region of the United States. An ordinary least squares regression model was developed to investigate the relationship between creativity and the commonly studied social network variables: number of weak ties, number of strong ties, clustering, and centrality. The social network variables accounted for 17.3% of the overall variance in creativity, establishing that a relationship does exist between social networks and creativity in the fast-food restaurant environment. This relationship, however, was not as expected. In contrast to expectations, weak ties were not found to be a significant, positive predictor of creativity. Also, strong ties were found to be a significant, positive predictor of creativity, where it was expected that this relationship would be in the negative direction. Centrality, however, was found to be a significant, positive predictor of creativity, as expected, while the results for clustering were inconclusive due to its high correlation with the other social network variables in the study.As such, it appears that the relationship between social networks and creativity may be different in the fast-food restaurant environment when compared to environments previously studied. It is possible that this difference is a result of the differences between high and low knowledge-intensive working environments. The lack of support for weak ties as a significant positive predictor of creativity in conjunction with limited opportunities for significant creative achievement suggests that access to diverse information may be less important for creativity in the fast-food restaurant environment than in other environments. The findings that strong ties and centrality are significant, positive predictors of creativity, however, appear to indicate that the ability to implement a creative idea, however minor it may be, is more important in the fast-food restaurant environment than the generation of that idea in the first place. Due to the limitations of this study, however, it is not possible to definitively conclude this notion without efforts to determine which factor afforded by positions rich in strong ties or high in centrality, the informational benefits or the organizational influence, is more important for creativity.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006846, ucf:51799
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006846

Title: A Systems Approach to Assessing, Interpreting and Applying Human Error Mishap Data to Mitigate Risk of Future Incidents in a Space Exploration Ground Processing Operations Environment.
Creator: Alexander, Tiffaney, McCauley, Pamela, Rabelo, Luis, Karwowski, Waldemar, Nunez, Jose, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Research results have shown that more than half of aviation, aerospace and aeronautics mishaps/incidents are attributed to human error. Although many existing incident report systems have been beneficial for identifying engineering failures, most of them are not designed around a theoretical framework of human error, thus failing to address core issues and causes of the mishaps. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a human error assessment framework to identify these causes. This research...
Show moreResearch results have shown that more than half of aviation, aerospace and aeronautics mishaps/incidents are attributed to human error. Although many existing incident report systems have been beneficial for identifying engineering failures, most of them are not designed around a theoretical framework of human error, thus failing to address core issues and causes of the mishaps. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a human error assessment framework to identify these causes. This research focused on identifying causes of human error and leading contributors to historical Launch Vehicle Ground Processing Operations mishaps based on past mishaps, near mishaps, and close calls. Three hypotheses were discussed. The first hypothesis addressed the impact Human Factor Analysis and Classification System (HFACS) contributing factors (unsafe acts of operators, preconditions for unsafe acts, unsafe supervision, and/or organizational influences) have on human error events (i.e. mishaps, close calls, incident or accidents) in NASA Ground Processing Operations. The second hypothesis focused on determining if the HFACS framework conceptual model could be proven to be a viable analysis and classification system to help classify both latent and active underlying contributors and causes of human error in ground processing operations. Lastly, the third hypothesis focused on determining if the development of a model using the Human Error Assessment and Reduction Technique (HEART) could be used as a tool to help determine the probability of human error occurrence in ground processing operations. A model to analyze and classify contributing factors to mishaps or incidents, and generate predicted Human Error Probabilities (HEPs) of future occurrence was developed using the HEART and HFACS tools. The research methodology was applied (retrospectively) to six Ground Processing Operations (GPO) Scenarios and 30 years of Launch Vehicle Related Mishap Data. Surveys were used to provide Subject Matter Experts' (SMEs) subjective assessments of the impact Error Producing Conditions (EPC) had on specific tasks. In this research a Logistic Binary Regression model, which identified the four most significant contributing HFACS human error factors was generated. This model provided predicted probabilities of future occurrence of mishaps when these contributing factors are present. The results showed that the HEART and HFACS methods, when modified, can be used as an analysis tool to identify contributing factors, their impact on human error events, and predict the potential probability of future human error occurrence. This methodology and framework was validated through consistency and comparison to other related research. A contribution methodology for other space operations and similar complex operations to follow was provided from this research. Future research should involve broadening the scope to explore and identify other existing models of human error management systems to integrate into complex space systems beyond what was conducted in this research.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006829, ucf:51795
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006829

Title: Total Ownership Cost Modeling of Technology Adoption Using System Dynamics: Implications for ERP Systems.
Creator: Esmaeilian, Behzad, Karwowski, Waldemar, Mollaghasemi, Mansooreh, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Ahram, Tareq, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Investment in new technologies is considered by firms as a solution to improve their productivity, product and service quality and their competitive advantages in the global market. Unfortunately, not all technology adoption projects have met their intended objectives. The complexity of technology adoption along with little consideration of the long term cost of the technology, are among the factors that challenge companies while adopting a new technology. Companies often make new technology...
Show moreInvestment in new technologies is considered by firms as a solution to improve their productivity, product and service quality and their competitive advantages in the global market. Unfortunately, not all technology adoption projects have met their intended objectives. The complexity of technology adoption along with little consideration of the long term cost of the technology, are among the factors that challenge companies while adopting a new technology. Companies often make new technology adoption decision without enough attention to the total cost of the technology over its lifecycle. Sometimes poor decision making while adopting a new technology can result in substantial recurring loss impacts. Therefore, estimating the total cost of the technology is an important step in justifying the technology adoption. Total Ownership Cost (TOC) is a wildly-accepted financial metric which can be applied to study the costs associated with the new technology throughout its lifecycle. TOC helps companies analyze not only the acquisition and procurement cost of the technology, but also other cost components occurring over the technology usage and service stage. The point is that, technology adoption cost estimation is a complex process involving consideration of various aspects such as the maintenance cost, technology upgrade cost and the cost related to the human-resource. Assessing the association between the technology characteristics (technology upgrades over its life cycle, compatibility with other systems, technology life span, etc) and the TOC encompasses a high degree of complexity. The complexity exists because there are many factors affecting the cost over time. Sometimes decisions made today can have long lasting impact on the system costs and there is a lag between the time the decision is taken and when outcomes occur. An original contribution of this dissertation is development of a System Dynamics (SD) model to estimate the TOC associated with the new technology adoption. The SD model creates casual linkage and relationships among various aspects of the technology adoption process and allows decision makers to explore the impact of their decisions on the total cost that the technology brings into the company. The SD model presented in this dissertation composes of seven sub-models including (1) technology implementation efforts, (2) workforce training, (3) technology-related workforce hiring process, (4) preventive and corrective maintenance process, (5) technology upgrade, (6) impact of technology on system performance and (7) total ownership cost sub model. A case study of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system adoption has been used to show the application of the SD model. The results of the model show that maintenance, upgrade and workforce hiring costs are among the major cost components in the ERP adoption case study presented in Chapter 4. The simulation SD model developed in this dissertation supports trade-off analysis and provides a tool for technology scenarios evaluation. The SD model presented here can be extended to provide a basis for developing a decision support system for technology evaluation.?
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004836, ucf:49686
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004836

Title: Exploring the Innovation Environment within the Systems Engineering Context of a Defense Organization: A Preliminary Framework.
Creator: Odeh, Khaled, Rabelo, Luis, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Lee, Gene, Karwowski, Waldemar, Uddin, Nizam, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Innovation may involve the introduction of ideas for designing or producing new products, or introducing improvements to products, processes, services or any other aspect of an organization to the market place. A major element for measuring organizational strength is its perception of innovation and the ability of the organization to build on and sustain such strength. While there is no shortage of research and study materials on innovation, there is, however, a shortage of thorough and...
Show moreInnovation may involve the introduction of ideas for designing or producing new products, or introducing improvements to products, processes, services or any other aspect of an organization to the market place. A major element for measuring organizational strength is its perception of innovation and the ability of the organization to build on and sustain such strength. While there is no shortage of research and study materials on innovation, there is, however, a shortage of thorough and realistic analysis of the intersection of innovation management, and measurement of innovation within the systems engineering context of defense organizations. In addition, while most research studies seem to adopt strictly quantitative innovation factors in determining innovation success and performance, they seem to have overlooked the qualitative side of it. An objective of this research study is to address the need for exploring the innovation environment within the systems engineering context of a defense organization. In addition, the research presents a new model for exploring innovation factors within the examined environment, using both quantitative and qualitative factors. The research uses a number of data collection instruments that include a survey construct to gather quantitative and qualitative data. The study identified significant factors that could be used to properly determine innovation within the systems engineering context of defense organizations using traditional statistics and data mining modeling. New indicators such as security and organizational leadership are discovered as important to define, monitor, and assess the innovation of the defense industry within the context of systems engineering.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFE0004903, ucf:49643
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004903

Title: A New Paradigm Integrating Business Process Modeling and Use Case Modeling.
Creator: Brown, Barclay, Karwowski, Waldemar, Thompson, William, Lee, Gene, O'Neal, Thomas, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The goal of this research is to develop a new paradigm integrating the practices of business process modeling and use case modeling. These two modeling approaches describe the behavior of organizations and systems, and their interactions, but rest on different paradigms and serve different needs. The base of knowledge and information required for each approach is largely common, however, so an integrated approach has advantages in efficiency, consistency and completeness of the overall...
Show moreThe goal of this research is to develop a new paradigm integrating the practices of business process modeling and use case modeling. These two modeling approaches describe the behavior of organizations and systems, and their interactions, but rest on different paradigms and serve different needs. The base of knowledge and information required for each approach is largely common, however, so an integrated approach has advantages in efficiency, consistency and completeness of the overall behavioral model. Both modeling methods are familiar and widely used. Business process modeling is often employed as a precursor to the development of a system to be used in a business organization. Business process modeling teams and stakeholders may spend months or years developing detailed business process models, expecting that these models will provide a useful base of information for system designers. Unfortunately, as the business process model is analyzed by the system designers, it is found that information needed to specify the functionality of the system does not exist in the business process model. System designers may then employ use case modeling to specify the needed system functionality, again spending significant time with stakeholders to gather the needed input. Stakeholders find this two-pass process redundant and wasteful of time and money since the input they provide to both modeling teams is largely identical, with each team capturing only the aspects relevant to their form of modeling. Developing a new paradigm and modeling approach that achieves the objectives of both business process modeling and use case modeling in an integrated form, in one analysis pass, results in time savings, increased accuracy and improved communication among all participants in the systems development process.Analysis of several case studies will show that inefficiency, wasted time and overuse of stakeholder resource time results from the separate application of business process modeling and use case modeling. A review of existing literature on the subject shows that while the problem of modeling both business process and use case information in a coordinated fashion has been recognized before, there are few if any approaches that have been proposed to reconcile and integrate the two methods. Based on both literature review and good modeling practices, a list of goals for the new paradigm and modeling approach forms the basis for the paradigm to be created.A grounded theory study is then conducted to analyze existing modeling approaches for both business processes and use cases and to provide an underlying theory on which to base the new paradigm. The two main innovations developed for the new paradigm are the usage process and the timebox. Usage processes allow system usages (use cases) to be identified as the business process model is developed, and the two to be shown in a combined process flow. Timeboxes allow processes to be positioned in time-relation to each other without the need to combine processes into higher level processes using causal relations that may not exist. The combination of usage processes and timeboxes allows any level of complex behavior to be modeled in one pass, without the redundancy and waste of separate business process and use case modeling work.Several pilot projects are conducted to test the new modeling paradigm in differing modeling situations with participants and subject matter experts asked to compare the traditional models with the new paradigm formulations.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFE0005583, ucf:50270
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005583

Title: A Program Manager's Dilemma: Measuring the Effect on Performance of Different Visual Modalities in Mixed Reality Aerial Door Gunnery.
Creator: Stevens, Jonathan, Kincaid, John, Shumaker, Randall, Karwowski, Waldemar, Mohammad, Syed, Sottilare, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The United States Army continues to develop new and effective ways to use simulation for training. One example is the Non-Rated Crew Member Manned Module (NCM3), a simulator designed to train helicopter crewmembers in critical, high risk tasks such as crew coordination, flight, aerial gunnery, hoist and sling load related tasks. The goal of this study was to evaluate visual modalities' effect on performance in mixed reality aerial door gunnery.There is a strong belief in the United States...
Show moreThe United States Army continues to develop new and effective ways to use simulation for training. One example is the Non-Rated Crew Member Manned Module (NCM3), a simulator designed to train helicopter crewmembers in critical, high risk tasks such as crew coordination, flight, aerial gunnery, hoist and sling load related tasks. The goal of this study was to evaluate visual modalities' effect on performance in mixed reality aerial door gunnery.There is a strong belief in the United States Army that the greater the degree of immersion in a virtual simulation, the more effective that simulation is. However, little scientific research exists that supports this notion. In fact, the true goal of training simulation is to optimize the degree of transfer to the trainee - not to create the most immersive experience possible. As a result, the Army Program Manager frequently faces trade-off dilemmas during the simulation design phase, balancing user desires with cost and schedule constraints. One of those trade-off predicaments, and the unscientific manner in which it was resolved, served as the motivation for this research.A review of the literature was conducted in order to investigate the benefits of simulation for training. The taxonomy of reality, as well as the training efficacy of virtual and mixed reality simulation, were examined. Major concepts, applications and components of virtual and mixed reality simulation training were studied. Prior visual modality research was reviewed and discussed. Two discrete groups of subjects, expert (n = 20) and novice (n = 76), were employed in this study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two visual modality treatments (Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) flat panel screen or Head-Mounted Display (HMD)) and executed three aerial door gunnery training scenarios in the NCM3. Independent variables were visual modality, trial, immersive tendency and simulator sickness questionnaire scores. Dependent variables included performance, presence and simulator sickness change scores. The results of the study indicate no main effect of visual modality on performance for the expert population while a main effect of visual modality on performance was discovered for the novice population. Both visual treatment groups experienced the same degree of presence and simulator sickness. No relationship between an individual's immersive tendency and their performance and level of presence was found. Results of this study's primary objective are conflicting, by expertise group, and thus both support and challenge the commonly held notion that higher immersive simulation leads to better performance.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005422, ucf:50427
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005422

Title: A Framework of Critical Success Factors for Business Organizations that Lead to Performance Excellence Based on a Financial and Quality Systems Assessment.
Creator: Francisco, Melissa, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Karwowski, Waldemar, Rabelo, Luis, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Weheba, Gamal, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: One of the most important tasks that business leaders undertake in order to achieve a superior market position is strategic planning. Beyond this obligation, business owners desire to maximize profit and maintain steady growth. In order to do this, resources must be invested in the most efficient way possible in order to achieve performance excellence. Adjusting business operations quickly, however, especially in times of economic uncertainty, is extremely difficult. Business leaders...
Show moreOne of the most important tasks that business leaders undertake in order to achieve a superior market position is strategic planning. Beyond this obligation, business owners desire to maximize profit and maintain steady growth. In order to do this, resources must be invested in the most efficient way possible in order to achieve performance excellence. Adjusting business operations quickly, however, especially in times of economic uncertainty, is extremely difficult. Business leaders therefore need insight into which elements of organizational improvement are most effective in order to strategically invest their resources to achieve superior performance in the most efficient way possible.This research examines the results of companies which have a demonstrated ability to achieve performance excellence as defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology's Malcolm Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence. This research examined award-winning applications to determine common input factors, compared the business results of a subset of those award-winners with the overall market for a time-frame of 11 years, and then investigated the profitability, liquidity, debt management, asset management, and per share performance ratios of award-winners compared with their industry peers over 11 years as well.The main focus of this research is to determine whether participation in performance excellence best practices have created value for shareholders and business owners. This objective is achieved through the analysis of performance results of award winning companies. This research demonstrates that the integration of efforts associated with performance excellence is in-fact advantageous.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005331, ucf:50503
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005331

Title: Assessing Safety Culture among Pilots in Saudi Airlines: A Quantitative Study Approach.
Creator: Alsowayigh, Mohammad, Karwowski, Waldemar, Elshennawy, Ahmad, Lee, Gene, Hancock, Peter, Mikusinski, Piotr, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In high- risk industries, such as aviation, safety is a key for organization survivor. Most accidents involve human losses and bring substantial cost to organizations. Accidents can devastate the reputation and profitability of any organization. In aviation, more than 80% of aircraft accidents are related to human errors. Safety culture has substantial impact on the success of any organization. Employees' performance and behaviors are influenced by their perception of safety culture within...
Show moreIn high- risk industries, such as aviation, safety is a key for organization survivor. Most accidents involve human losses and bring substantial cost to organizations. Accidents can devastate the reputation and profitability of any organization. In aviation, more than 80% of aircraft accidents are related to human errors. Safety culture has substantial impact on the success of any organization. Employees' performance and behaviors are influenced by their perception of safety culture within their organization. In the aviation industry, pilots are considered the last resort to prevent accidents or mishaps in the air or ground. The focus on pilots' perception of safety culture is vital to understand how the airline can influence pilots' behaviors in the flight deck, and provide opportunities to minimize risk or unsafe behavior in the future. The present study examined the effect of safety culture on safety performance among pilots of Saudi Airlines. Safety performance was measured by pilot attitude toward violations and pilot error behavior. The study further analyzed the mediating role of pilot commitment to the airline between safety culture and measures of safety performance. The study used a quantitative approach using survey questionnaire to collect the data. A total of 247 commercial airline pilots, captain and first officer, flying at Saudi Airlines voluntarily participated in the study. Confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to validate each latent construct. The study used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the relationship between all variables in the study using AMOS 22 software. The study results revealed that safety culture had a direct effect on pilot attitude toward violations and indirect effect on pilot error behavior. Moreover, safety culture had strong effect on enhancing pilot commitment to the airline. The mediating role of pilot commitment to the airline was not significant, and could not mediate the relationship between safety culture and measures of safety performance. The present research contributed to the current state of knowledge about the significant role of safety culture as a main predictor of safety performance in civil aviation. The present study contributes to aviation psychology by analyzing the effect of safety culture as a predictor for improving pilot commitment to the airline. In addition, this research analyzed the effect of safety culture on pilot attitude toward violations and pilot error behavior. Study findings can be used by airline management to better identify causes of unsafe behavior inside the cockpit. The outcomes of this research emphasize the role of management in shaping and affecting employees' behaviors and attitudes.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: CFE0005454, ucf:50371
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0005454

Title: Assessing the Impact of Multi-variate Steering-rate Vehicle Control on Driver Performance in a Simulation Framework.
Creator: Xynidis, Michael, Morrow, Patricia Bockelman, Karwowski, Waldemar, Martin, Glenn, O'Neal, Thomas, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Mouloua, Mustapha, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: When a driver turns a steering-wheel, he or she normally expects the vehicle's steering system to communicate an equivalent amount of signal to the road-wheels. This relationship is linear and occurs regardless of the steering-wheel's position within its rotational travel. The linear steering paradigm in passenger vehicles has gone largely unchanged since mass production of passenger vehicles began in 1901. However, as more electronically-controlled steering systems appear in conjunction with...
Show moreWhen a driver turns a steering-wheel, he or she normally expects the vehicle's steering system to communicate an equivalent amount of signal to the road-wheels. This relationship is linear and occurs regardless of the steering-wheel's position within its rotational travel. The linear steering paradigm in passenger vehicles has gone largely unchanged since mass production of passenger vehicles began in 1901. However, as more electronically-controlled steering systems appear in conjunction with development of autonomous steering functions in vehicles, an opportunity to advance the existing steering paradigms arises. The following framework takes a human-factors approach toward examining and evaluating alternative steering systems by using Modeling and Simulation methods to track and score human performance.Present conventional steering systems apply a linear relationship between the steering-wheel and the road wheels of a vehicle. The rotational travel of the steering-wheel is 900(&)deg; and requires two-and-a-half revolutions to travel from end-stop to opposite end-stop. The experimental steering system modeled and employed in this study applies a dynamic curve response to the steering input within a shorter, 225(&)deg; rotational travel. Accommodation variances, based on vehicle speed and steering-wheel rotational position and acceleration, moderate the apparent steering input to augment a more-practical, effective steering rate. This novel model follows a paradigm supporting the full range of steering-wheel actuation without necessitating hand repositioning or the removal of the driver's hands from the steering-wheel during steering maneuvers.In order to study human performance disparities between novel and conventional steering models, a custom simulator was constructed and programmed to render representative models in a test scenario. Twenty-seven males and twenty-seven females, ranging from the ages of eighteen to sixty-five were tested and scored using the driving simulator that presented two successive driving test vignettes: One vignette using conventional 900(&)deg; steering with linear response and the other employing the augmented 225(&)deg; multivariate, non-linear steering.The results from simulator testing suggest that both males and females perform better with the novel system, supporting the hypothesis that drivers of either gender perform better with a system augmented with 225(&)deg; multivariate, non-linear steering than with a conventional steering system. Further analysis of the simulated-driving scores indicates performance parity between male and female participants, supporting the hypothesis positing no significant difference in driver performance between male and female drivers using the augmented steering system. Finally, composite data from written questionnaires support the hypothesis that drivers will prefer driving the augmented system over conventional steering.These collective findings support justification for testing and refining novel steering systems using Modeling and Simulation methods. As a product of this particular study, a tested and open-sourced simulation framework now exists such that researchers and automotive designers can develop, as well as evaluate their own steering-oriented products within a valid human-factors construct. The open-source nature of this framework implies a commonality by which otherwise disparate research and development work can be associated.Extending this framework beyond basic investigation to reach applications requiring more-specialized parameters may even impact drivers having special needs. For example, steering-system functional characteristics could be comparatively optimized to accommodate individuals afflicted with upper-body deficits or limited use of either or both arms. Moreover, the combined human-factors and open-source approaches distinguish the products of this research as a common and extensible platform by which purposeful automotive-industry improvements can be realized(-)contrasted with arbitrary improvements that might be brought about predominantly to showcase technological advancements.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007420, ucf:52706
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007420

Title: NEUROERGONOMICS STUDY: ANALYSIS OF BRAIN EEG's ACTIVITY DURING MANUAL LIFTING TASKS.
Creator: Aljuaid, Awad, Xanthopoulos, Petros, Karwowski, Waldemar, Hancock, Peter, McCauley, Pamela, Lee, Gene, Kincaid, John, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Electroencephalography (EEG) has been shown to be a reliable tool in neuroergonomics studies due to the relatively low cost of brain data collection and limited body invasion. The application of EEG frequency bands (including theta, alpha and beta), enjoyed a wide range of interest in physical and cognitive ergonomics. The psychophysical approach has been used for decades to improve safe work practices by understanding human limitations in manual materials handling. The main objective of this...
Show moreElectroencephalography (EEG) has been shown to be a reliable tool in neuroergonomics studies due to the relatively low cost of brain data collection and limited body invasion. The application of EEG frequency bands (including theta, alpha and beta), enjoyed a wide range of interest in physical and cognitive ergonomics. The psychophysical approach has been used for decades to improve safe work practices by understanding human limitations in manual materials handling. The main objective of this research project was to study the brain's EEG activity expressed by the power spectral density during manual lifting tasks related to: 1) the maximum acceptable weight of lift (MAWL) and 2) isokinetic and isometric lifting strength tests measurement outcomes. The first study investigated the changes in EEG power spectral density during determination of MAWL under low, medium, and high lifting frequencies. A high-density wireless dry cell EEG device has been used to record EEG signals. Twenty healthy males participated in this study. Subjects repeated the same experiment after two weeks. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed significant differences in EEG power spectral density between different lifting frequencies at three main brain areas (frontal, central, and parietal). The second study revealed differences in brain activities during isokinetic and isometric strength measurements, based on the recording and analysis of EEG power spectral density. This research project is the first study of EEG activity during manual lifting tasks, including the assessment of MAWL by the psychophysical method, as well as the measurement of human isokinetic and isometric strengths. The results of this project are considered critical to our increased understanding of the neural correlates of human physical activities, and consequently should have a positive impact on workplace design that considers brain activity related to specific human capabilities and limitations in manual lifting tasks.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFE0006067, ucf:50996
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0006067

EEG (4)	+ -
System Dynamics (4)	+ -
workload (4)	+ -
Simulation (3)	+ -
human error (3)	+ -

human factors (3)	+ -
systems engineering (3)	+ -
Classification (2)	+ -
Knowledge Management (2)	+ -
Modeling (2)	+ -
Neuroergonomics (2)	+ -
Performance (2)	+ -
Safety Culture (2)	+ -
Safety Performance (2)	+ -
SysML (2)	+ -
Systems Engineering (2)	+ -
TCD (2)	+ -
critical success factors (2)	+ -
fNIR (2)	+ -
simulation (2)	+ -
visual search (2)	+ -
3D Spatial Relationship (1)	+ -
Acquisition (1)	+ -
Active Video Games (1)	+ -
Adaptive Automation (1)	+ -
Adaptive neuro fuzzy inference systems (1)	+ -
Adders Approximate (1)	+ -
Adverse events (1)	+ -
Agent Based (1)	+ -
Agent-Based (1)	+ -

Karwowski, Waldemar (55)	+ -
University of Central Florida (55)	+ -
Hancock, Peter (18)	+ -
Xanthopoulos, Petros (17)	+ -
Elshennawy, Ahmad (14)	+ -

Mikusinski, Piotr (12)	+ -
Kincaid, John (9)	+ -
Rabelo, Luis (8)	+ -
Reinerman, Lauren (8)	+ -
Lee, Gene (6)	+ -
Thompson, William (5)	+ -
Shumaker, Randall (4)	+ -
Ahram, Tareq (3)	+ -
McCauley, Pamela (3)	+ -
O'Neal, Thomas (3)	+ -
Wan, Thomas (3)	+ -
Zheng, Qipeng (3)	+ -
Barber, Daniel (2)	+ -
Geiger, Christopher (2)	+ -
Kotnour, Timothy (2)	+ -
Mollaghasemi, Mansooreh (2)	+ -
Mouloua, Mustapha (2)	+ -
Pazour, Jennifer (2)	+ -
Sala-Diakanda, Serge (2)	+ -
Sawyer, Benjamin (2)	+ -
Sottilare, Robert (2)	+ -
Williams, Kent (2)	+ -
Akbas, Ilhan (1)	+ -
Akbas, Mustafa (1)	+ -
Alexander, Tiffaney (1)	+ -

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