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Title: ASSESSMENT OF THE CONTRIBUTION OF GAME-BASED SIMULATION IN THE ADVANCEMENT OF INDIVIDUAL SOLDIER INTELLIGENCE GATHERING SKILLS.
Creator: Wiley, Carlos, Proctor, Michael, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Self-directed Learning Internet Modules based on gaming technology are making tremendous strides as tools to current training system for our military services. Currently, the US Army is testing the Every Soldier is a Sensor Simulation software (ES3) as part of the Every Soldiers a Sensor program that focuses on intelligence gathering and maintaining situational awareness. The primary training goal of this simulation is the training of individual soldiers on conducting "Active Surveillance"...
Show moreSelf-directed Learning Internet Modules based on gaming technology are making tremendous strides as tools to current training system for our military services. Currently, the US Army is testing the Every Soldier is a Sensor Simulation software (ES3) as part of the Every Soldiers a Sensor program that focuses on intelligence gathering and maintaining situational awareness. The primary training goal of this simulation is the training of individual soldiers on conducting "Active Surveillance" and "Threat Indicator Identification" where the soldier is an active participant in the process. Traditional training in intelligence gathering is based largely on cold war models. As a direct result of post 9 -11 activities and the Global War on Terrorism, changes to our process for intelligence gathering are continuing to be made to meet the challenges of the asymmetrical battlefield. This thesis assesses the contribution of game-based simulation in the advancement of individual soldier intelligence gathering skills by investigating performance as it relates to information processing, self-directed learning, and transfer. Specifically, this research will examine whether various combinations of directed and self-directed learning modules enhance soldier performance during intelligence gathering operations by determining the time, proportion of correct detections, weighted significance of detections, and accuracy of detections while participating in a live threat indicator lane as part of an experiment. The assessment is from a user and expert evaluator perspective and may be used to improve current and future gaming applications associated with individual training and intelligence gathering.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: CFE0001686, ucf:47194
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001686

Title: PRESENCE-DEPENDENT PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VIRTUAL SIMULATIONS AND MINIATURE WORLDS.
Creator: Huthmann, Andre, Malone, Linda, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The purpose of simulation is to avoid reality-based constraints by the implemen-tation of a synthetic model. Based on this advantage, interactive simulations have conquered all areas of applications from acquisition, and training, to research. Simulation results are transferred in many ways into reality and conclusions are drawn from the simulation to the application. Many anecdotal observations on human-in-the-loop simulations have shown a significant difference in actor behavior between...
Show moreThe purpose of simulation is to avoid reality-based constraints by the implemen-tation of a synthetic model. Based on this advantage, interactive simulations have conquered all areas of applications from acquisition, and training, to research. Simulation results are transferred in many ways into reality and conclusions are drawn from the simulation to the application. Many anecdotal observations on human-in-the-loop simulations have shown a significant difference in actor behavior between simulations and reality-based applications. It seems that the factors that makes simulation so attractive, namely the absence of constraints and especially of imminent danger for persons and equipment, influence the behavior and thereby the performance of the user. These differences between simulation and reality may lead to false conclusions based on simulation results. The concept of perceiving a simulation as real and of being in the simulation is called sense of presence. This psychological construct can also be described as level of disbelief towards the simulation. Hence, differences in behavior are based on such users assessment of a simulation and subsequently are supposed to be mediated by a difference in presence. This research established significant differences in presence and performance between a simulation and a miniature-world teleoperation task. Presence and performance changed in identical tasks due to the application type and the connected danger to the robot. Also, the results supported a negative relationship between presence and performance: presence increased in the miniature-world and affected performance so that performance decreased. The causal relationship of application type presence performance was established and demands the examination of simulation based results with respect to the perceived danger to equipment, before they are transferred into the real application.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: CFE0002562, ucf:47666
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002562

Title: VOICE TRACK COMPUTER BASED SIMULATION FOR MEDICAL TRAINING.
Creator: Makwana, Alpesh, Kincaid, J. Peter, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Varying the delivery rate of audio-based text within web-based training increases the effectiveness of the learning process and improves retention when compared with a fixed audio-based text delivery rate. To answer this question, two groups of 20 participants and one group of 10 participants were tested using the Web-based Anatomy & Physiology course modules developed by Medsn, Inc. The control group received the static speed of 128 words per minute while the experimental group received the...
Show moreVarying the delivery rate of audio-based text within web-based training increases the effectiveness of the learning process and improves retention when compared with a fixed audio-based text delivery rate. To answer this question, two groups of 20 participants and one group of 10 participants were tested using the Web-based Anatomy & Physiology course modules developed by Medsn, Inc. The control group received the static speed of 128 words per minute while the experimental group received the initial speed of 128 words per minute with the option to change the speed of the audio-based text. An additional experimental group received the initial speed of 148 words per minute also having the option to vary the speed of the audio-based text. A three way single variable Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was utilized to examine speed of voice presentation differences. The results were significant, F (2, 47) = 4.67, p=0.014, ç2 = 0.166. The mean for the control group was (M = 7.2, SD = 1.69) with the experimental groups at, (M = 8.4, SD = 1.31) and with extra groups at (M = 8.6, SD = 1.26).
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000639, ucf:46533
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000639

Title: CREATING GEO-SPECIFIC ROAD DATABASES FROM AERIAL PHOTOS FOR DRIVING SIMULATION.
Creator: Guo, Dahai, Klee, Harold, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Geo-specific road database development is important to a driving simulation system and a very labor intensive process. Road databases for driving simulation need high resolution and accuracy. Even though commercial software is available on the market, a lot of manual work still has to be done when the road crosssectional profile is not uniform. This research deals with geo-specific road databases development, especially for roads with non-uniform cross sections. In this research, the United...
Show moreGeo-specific road database development is important to a driving simulation system and a very labor intensive process. Road databases for driving simulation need high resolution and accuracy. Even though commercial software is available on the market, a lot of manual work still has to be done when the road crosssectional profile is not uniform. This research deals with geo-specific road databases development, especially for roads with non-uniform cross sections. In this research, the United States Geographical Survey (USGS) road information is used with aerial photos to accurately extract road boundaries, using image segmentation and data compression techniques. Image segmentation plays an important role in extracting road boundary information. There are numerous methods developed for image segmentation. Six methods have been tried for the purpose of road image segmentation. The major problems with road segmentation are due to the large variety of road appearances and the many linear features in roads. A method that does not require a database of sample images is desired. Furthermore, this method should be able to handle the complexity of road appearances. The proposed method for road segmentation is based on the mean-shift clustering algorithm and it yields a high accuracy. In the phase of building road databases and visual databases based on road segmentation results, the Linde-Buzo-Gray (LBG) vector quantization algorithm is used to identify repeatable cross section profiles. In the phase of texture mapping, five major uniform textures are considered - pavement, white marker, yellow marker, concrete and grass. They are automatically mapped to polygons. In the chapter of results, snapshots of road/visual database are presented.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000591, ucf:46472
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000591

Title: NAVIGATION AIDS IN ROUTE TRAINING: INCREASE NAVIGATION SPEED, DECREASE ROUTE RETENTION?.
Creator: Holmquist, John, Lee, Gene, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In the case of one car following another to a destination, it is very effective at getting the second vehicle to the destination quickly; however, the driver of the second car may not learn the route. Yet, for individuals, such as firefighters, law enforcement, and military personnel, it is imperative that a route be learned quickly and accurately and that an awareness of the situation is maintained while they traverse the given route. This leads to three questions, (a) will navigation aids...
Show moreIn the case of one car following another to a destination, it is very effective at getting the second vehicle to the destination quickly; however, the driver of the second car may not learn the route. Yet, for individuals, such as firefighters, law enforcement, and military personnel, it is imperative that a route be learned quickly and accurately and that an awareness of the situation is maintained while they traverse the given route. This leads to three questions, (a) will navigation aids affect initial route navigation; (b) will navigation aids affect retention; and (c) will navigation aids affect situation awareness while en route? The hypotheses of this study were that navigation aids would significantly increase the speed at which a person can initially navigate a route, but the use of the aids would significantly decrease the retention of the route navigated. The findings of this study support the hypotheses. The results suggest that participants that followed a confederate and participants that were given verbal directions were quicker and made fewer errors than participants that reviewed a map or initially figured the route out on their own (control group). The study also showed that as the participants navigated the route for a second time with no navigational assistance, the ones that reviewed a map or that were in the control group outperformed participants that initially had a confederate to follow or were given verbal directions their first time through. Finally, no real effects were found on the participants' situation awareness during the retention portion of the study.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000520, ucf:46453
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000520

Title: QUALITY OF SERVICE MEASURES AT SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS.
Creator: Goyal, Kamal, Radwan, Essam, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The concept of using qualitative measures to describe the quality of service at signalized intersections provided by different designs and controls has been discussed in numerous conferences. Such measures may include driver's comfort, convenience, anxiety, and preferences. The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using the University of Central Florida's interactive driving simulator to execute several scenarios involving different unusual design and...
Show moreThe concept of using qualitative measures to describe the quality of service at signalized intersections provided by different designs and controls has been discussed in numerous conferences. Such measures may include driver's comfort, convenience, anxiety, and preferences. The primary objective of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using the University of Central Florida's interactive driving simulator to execute several scenarios involving different unusual design and operation practices to measure the quality of service at a signalized intersection. This thesis describes the scenarios, the experiments conducted, the data collected, and analysis of results. Signalized intersections with 3 types of characteristic features were identified for this study. They included 1. A lane dropping on the downstream side of the intersection 2. Misalignment of traffic lanes between the approach and downstream side 3. Shared left turn and through traffic lane or separate lanes for each approaching the intersection The experimental phase consisted of a brief orientation session to get acclimated to the driving simulator followed by two driving scenarios presented to all subjects. Each scenario consisted of a drive through an urban section of the simulator's visual data base where each subject encountered a Type 1, 2 and 3 intersections. A total of 40 subjects, 25 males and 15 females were recruited for the experiment. Data logging at 60 Hz for each scenario consisted of time-stamped values of x-position and y-position of the simulator vehicle, steering, accelerator and brake inputs by the driver, and vehicle speed. After the experiment a questionnaire soliciting opinions and reactions about each intersection was administered. Simulator experiment results showed that there was a significant difference between the merge lengths for the two cases of Type 1 intersection (lane drop on the downstream side of the intersection). For Type 2 intersection (misalignment of traffic lanes between the approach and downstream side) there was a considerable difference between the average paths followed by subjects for the two cases. For Type 3 intersection (shared left and through traffic lane approaching the intersection) the simulator experiment supported the fact that people get frustrated when trapped behind a left turning vehicle in a joint left and through lane intersection and take evasive actions to cross the intersection as soon as possible.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000786, ucf:46574
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000786

Title: INVESTIGATION OF NASCAR RESTRICTOR PLATE MANIFOLD INSERT USING WAVE ENGINE SIMULATION AND RESPONSE SURFACE METHODOLOGY.
Creator: Gross, John Mason, Hoekstra, Robert, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: With the increasing growth in computer processing power, computer based computational fluid dynamics simulations are finding increasing acceptance and use in the field of internal combustion engine development. Once fully developed, such simulations provide detailed and expedient tools for testing existing theories, as well as new ideas. While numerous studies on wave propagation and fluid flow in intakes manifolds exist, most restrict the analysis to a single intake runner and port,...
Show moreWith the increasing growth in computer processing power, computer based computational fluid dynamics simulations are finding increasing acceptance and use in the field of internal combustion engine development. Once fully developed, such simulations provide detailed and expedient tools for testing existing theories, as well as new ideas. While numerous studies on wave propagation and fluid flow in intakes manifolds exist, most restrict the analysis to a single intake runner and port, examining only the dynamics from the runner-to-plenum junction downstream to the valve. While such analyses provide comprehensive models for wave propagation dynamics in the runner, little is published on the fluid dynamics and wave propagation in the plenum, and the interactions between runners when an intake manifold's geometric constraints prevent symmetry in the manifold. This paper will examine the modeling of a 2003 specification Dodge Motorsports NASCAR Restrictor Plate engine using Ricardo's WAVE engine simulation computational fluid dynamics software. This examination will include an introduction to the software and required engine data for constructing a comprehensive model, the process used to validate the simulation's output with acquired engine performance data, and the use of response surface methodology to optimize the dimensions of the plenum insert associated junction. Additionally, an analysis of the problems with modeling this area of the manifold using one-dimensional CFD will be conducted, as well as a discussion of the theories surrounding the insert. Finally, a new hypothesis regarding the insert as well as future work to examine this hypothesis will be introduced.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: CFE0000124, ucf:46204
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000124

Title: HEURISTIC PRIORITIZATION OF EMERGENCY EVACUATION STAGING TO REDUCE CLEARANCE TIME.
Creator: Mitchell, Steven, Radwan, Essam, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: A region's evacuation strategy encompasses a variety of areas and needs. Primary among these is the minimization of total evacuation time, represented in models as the clearance time estimate (CTE). A generic testbed simulation network model was developed. An input/output (I/O) analysis was performed to establish a theoretical baseline CTE. Results were compared with simulations; analysis showed that the I/O method underestimated simulated CTE as a function of network size, with a correction...
Show moreA region's evacuation strategy encompasses a variety of areas and needs. Primary among these is the minimization of total evacuation time, represented in models as the clearance time estimate (CTE). A generic testbed simulation network model was developed. An input/output (I/O) analysis was performed to establish a theoretical baseline CTE. Results were compared with simulations; analysis showed that the I/O method underestimated simulated CTE as a function of network size, with a correction factor range of 1.09 to 1.19. A regression model was developed for the generic network. Predictors were total trips, and network size defined as a function of origin-destination distance. Total Trips ranged between 40,000 and 60,000. Holding size constant, R-squared values ranged from 97.1 to 99.3, indicating a high goodness of fit. Holding Total Trips constant, R-squared values ranged from 74.5 to 89.2. Finally, both Total Trips and size were used as predictors; the resulting regression model had an R-squared value of 97.3. This overall model is more useful, since real world situations are not fixed in nature. The overall regression model was compared to a case network. The generic network regression model provided a close CTE approximation; deltas ranged from -4.7% to 8.6%. It was concluded that a generic network can serve as a surrogate for a case network over these ranges. This study developed and evaluated heuristic strategies for evacuation using the generic network. Strategies were compared with a simultaneous departure loading scenario. Six different grouping strategies were evaluated. An initial evaluation was conducted using the generic network, and strategies that showed potential CTE reduction were implemented on the case study network. Analysis indicated that the HF-10 (half-far) grouping for 60k total trips showed potential reduction. A complete simulation was conducted on the case network for all HF scenarios; an ANOVA was run using Dunnett's comparison. Results indicated that the HF grouping with 20% and 30% departure shifts showed potential for CTE reduction. From this it was concluded that the generic network could be used as a testbed for strategies that would show success on a case network.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001098, ucf:46777
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001098

Title: EFFECTS OF CONTENT AUGMENTATION STRATEGIES IN AN INSTRUCTIONAL VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT.
Creator: Hamilton, Roger, Kincaid, J. Peter, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Content augmentation strategies (CAS) are instructional methods which specify the overlaying of content objects by content augmentation objects in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of instruction. The goals of this research were to build a comprehensive framework around CASs, determine the experimental effects of CASs in an instructional virtual environment (VE), and make recommendations regarding the employment and further study of CASs in instructional virtual environments....
Show moreContent augmentation strategies (CAS) are instructional methods which specify the overlaying of content objects by content augmentation objects in order to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of instruction. The goals of this research were to build a comprehensive framework around CASs, determine the experimental effects of CASs in an instructional virtual environment (VE), and make recommendations regarding the employment and further study of CASs in instructional virtual environments. The VE experiment examined the effectiveness and efficiency impact of six different content augmentation strategies which overlayed different content augmentation objects onto four immersive VE scenarios. Sixty university students, 40 men and 20 women, executed three CAS-enhanced training missions and one no-CAS test mission. The task involved the recall and correct application of specific rules for three subtasks of a military helicopter landing zone scouting mission. The strategies included a no-strategy control condition, an arrow condition, an audio coaching condition, a text coaching condition, an arrow plus audio coaching condition, and an arrow plus text coaching condition. Statistical and decision analyses were conducted on the effectiveness and efficiency performance data. Statistically significant differences were found which supported the general superiority of the audio content augmentation strategy for these tasks. This dissertation may be the first use of a decision analysis approach for analyzing the results of behavioral data for instructional design decisions. The decision analysis approach used decision trees, simulation and optimization to obtain content augmentation strategy rankings. As this approach is normally used for course of action analysis and comparing alternative system configurations, the validity of this approach in this context has yet to be determined. The decision analysis approach obtained plausible and similar, but not identical recommendations to the statistical approach. The decision analysis approach may constitute a limited instantiation of a proposed optimal stimulus set instructional design model which conceptually framed the experiment. Training guideline recommendations, experimental procedure recommendations, and a comprehensive framework for future research are also presented.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: CFE0000884, ucf:46638
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0000884

Title: A COMMON COMPONENT-BASED SOFTWARE ARCHITECTURE FOR MILITARY AND COMMERCIAL PC-BASED VIRTUAL SIMULATION.
Creator: Lewis, Joshua, Proctor, Michael, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Commercially available military-themed virtual simulations have been developed and sold for entertainment since the beginning of the personal computing era. There exists an intense interest by various branches of the military to leverage the technological advances of the personal computing and video game industries to provide low cost military training. By nature of the content of the commercial military-themed virtual simulations, a large overlap has grown between the interests, resources,...
Show moreCommercially available military-themed virtual simulations have been developed and sold for entertainment since the beginning of the personal computing era. There exists an intense interest by various branches of the military to leverage the technological advances of the personal computing and video game industries to provide low cost military training. By nature of the content of the commercial military-themed virtual simulations, a large overlap has grown between the interests, resources, standards, and technology of the computer entertainment industry and military training branches. This research attempts to identify these commonalities with the purpose of systematically designing and evaluating a common component-based software architecture that could be used to implement a framework for developing content for both commercial and military virtual simulation software applications.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001268, ucf:46893
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001268

Title: LATTICE VIBRATION STUDY OF SILICA NANOPARTICLE IN SUSPENSION.
Creator: Sachdeva, Parveen, Kumar, Ranganathan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In recent years considerable research has been done in the area of "nanofluids". Nanofluids are colloidal suspensions of nanometer size metallic or oxide particles in a base fluid such as water, ethylene glycol. Nanofluids show enhanced heat transfer characteristics compared to the base fluid. The thermal transport properties of nanofluids depend on various parameters e.g. interfacial resistance, Brownian motion of particles, liquid layering at the solid-liquid interface and clustering of...
Show moreIn recent years considerable research has been done in the area of "nanofluids". Nanofluids are colloidal suspensions of nanometer size metallic or oxide particles in a base fluid such as water, ethylene glycol. Nanofluids show enhanced heat transfer characteristics compared to the base fluid. The thermal transport properties of nanofluids depend on various parameters e.g. interfacial resistance, Brownian motion of particles, liquid layering at the solid-liquid interface and clustering of nanoparticles. In this work atomic scale simulation has been used to study possible mechanisms affecting the heat transfer characteristics of nanofluids. Molecular dynamics simulation for a single silica nanoparticle surrounded by water molecules has been performed. Periodic boundary condition has been used in all three directions. The effect of nanoparticle size and temperature of system on the thermal conductivity of nanofluids has been studied. It was found that as the size of nanoparticle decreases thermal conductivity of nanofluid increases. This is partially due to the fact that as the diameter of nanoparticle decreases from micrometer to nanometer its surface area to volume ratio increases by a factor of 103. Since heat transfer between the fluid and the nanoparticle takes place at the surface this enhanced surface area gives higher thermal conductivity for smaller particles. Thermal conductivity enhancement is also due to the accumulation of water molecules near the particle surface and the lattice vibration of the nanoparticle. The phonon transfer through the second layer allows the nanofluid thermal conductivity to increase by 23%-27% compared to the base fluid water for 2% concentration of nanosilica.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001278, ucf:46897
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001278

Title: SIMULATION AND CONTINUANCE OF OPERATION FOR THE USE OF TRANSIT (LYNX) TO BE USED IN EMERGENCY EVACUATION INCIDENTS.
Creator: Elmitiny, Noor, Radwan, Essam, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The evacuation planning has become an important issue addressed by many research studies and publications aiming to improve the security of the daily life for our public inside the United States of America. The main objective of this research was to address the growing need for evacuation planning using traffic simulation. With increased interests and awareness in emergency evacuation and first responder access to emergencies in public locations (airports, transit stations, ports or stadiums)...
Show moreThe evacuation planning has become an important issue addressed by many research studies and publications aiming to improve the security of the daily life for our public inside the United States of America. The main objective of this research was to address the growing need for evacuation planning using traffic simulation. With increased interests and awareness in emergency evacuation and first responder access to emergencies in public locations (airports, transit stations, ports or stadiums), the traffic simulation can be helpful in orchestrating the traffic flow during emergencies. Related to this issue, Federal Transit Administration has issued a large number of publications and guidelines concerning emergency preparedness and incident management. These guidelines are used to develop a simulation-based activity to evaluate the current plan and alternative plans for the deployment of transit during an emergency situation. A major task for this project is to study the effect of evacuation on the surrounding traffic network and help the local transit company (LYNX) to evaluate their evacuation plan and consider different possibilities without the risk and cost of actual evacuation drills. A set of different scenarios and alternatives for each scenario were simulated and studied to reach the best possible evacuation strategy. The main findings were evacuation as pedestrians have less impact on traffic network and rerouting decreases the congestion resulting from the evacuation process.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001188, ucf:46870
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001188

Title: MULTIOBJECTIVE SIMULATION OPTIMIZATION USING ENHANCED EVOLUTIONARY ALGORITHM APPROACHES.
Creator: Eskandari, Hamidreza, Geiger, Christopher, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In today's competitive business environment, a firm's ability to make the correct, critical decisions can be translated into a great competitive advantage. Most of these critical real-world decisions involve the optimization not only of multiple objectives simultaneously, but also conflicting objectives, where improving one objective may degrade the performance of one or more of the other objectives. Traditional approaches for solving multiobjective optimization problems typically try...
Show moreIn today's competitive business environment, a firm's ability to make the correct, critical decisions can be translated into a great competitive advantage. Most of these critical real-world decisions involve the optimization not only of multiple objectives simultaneously, but also conflicting objectives, where improving one objective may degrade the performance of one or more of the other objectives. Traditional approaches for solving multiobjective optimization problems typically try to scalarize the multiple objectives into a single objective. This transforms the original multiple optimization problem formulation into a single objective optimization problem with a single solution. However, the drawbacks to these traditional approaches have motivated researchers and practitioners to seek alternative techniques that yield a set of Pareto optimal solutions rather than only a single solution. The problem becomes much more complicated in stochastic environments when the objectives take on uncertain (or "noisy") values due to random influences within the system being optimized, which is the case in real-world environments. Moreover, in stochastic environments, a solution approach should be sufficiently robust and/or capable of handling the uncertainty of the objective values. This makes the development of effective solution techniques that generate Pareto optimal solutions within these problem environments even more challenging than in their deterministic counterparts. Furthermore, many real-world problems involve complicated, "black-box" objective functions making a large number of solution evaluations computationally- and/or financially-prohibitive. This is often the case when complex computer simulation models are used to repeatedly evaluate possible solutions in search of the best solution (or set of solutions). Therefore, multiobjective optimization approaches capable of rapidly finding a diverse set of Pareto optimal solutions would be greatly beneficial. This research proposes two new multiobjective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs), called fast Pareto genetic algorithm (FPGA) and stochastic Pareto genetic algorithm (SPGA), for optimization problems with multiple deterministic objectives and stochastic objectives, respectively. New search operators are introduced and employed to enhance the algorithms' performance in terms of converging fast to the true Pareto optimal frontier while maintaining a diverse set of nondominated solutions along the Pareto optimal front. New concepts of solution dominance are defined for better discrimination among competing solutions in stochastic environments. SPGA uses a solution ranking strategy based on these new concepts. Computational results for a suite of published test problems indicate that both FPGA and SPGA are promising approaches. The results show that both FPGA and SPGA outperform the improved nondominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II), widely-considered benchmark in the MOEA research community, in terms of fast convergence to the true Pareto optimal frontier and diversity among the solutions along the front. The results also show that FPGA and SPGA require far fewer solution evaluations than NSGA-II, which is crucial in computationally-expensive simulation modeling applications.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: CFE0001283, ucf:46905
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0001283

Title: UNDERSTANDING AND MODELING PATHWAYS TO THROMBOSIS.
Creator: Seligson, John, Kassab, Alain, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Intra-vessel thrombosis leads to serious problems in patient health. Coagulation can constrict blood flow and induce myocardial infarction or stroke. Hemodynamic factors in blood flow promote and inhibit the coagulation cascade. Mechanically, high shear stress has been shown to promote platelet activation while laminar flow maintains plasma layer separation of platelets and endothelial cells, preventing coagulation. These relationships are studied experimentally, however, physical properties...
Show moreIntra-vessel thrombosis leads to serious problems in patient health. Coagulation can constrict blood flow and induce myocardial infarction or stroke. Hemodynamic factors in blood flow promote and inhibit the coagulation cascade. Mechanically, high shear stress has been shown to promote platelet activation while laminar flow maintains plasma layer separation of platelets and endothelial cells, preventing coagulation. These relationships are studied experimentally, however, physical properties of thrombi, such as density and viscosity, are lacking in data, preventing a comprehensive simulation of thrombus interaction. This study incorporates experimental findings from literature to compile a characteristic mechanical property data set for use in thrombosis simulation. The focus of this study's simulation explored how thrombi interact between other thrombi and vessel walls via Volume of Fluid method. The ability to predict thrombosis under specific hemodynamic conditions was also a feature of the data collection. Using patient specific vessel geometry, the findings in this study can be applied to simulate thrombosis scenarios. The possible applications of such a simulation include a more precise method for estimation of patient myocardial infarction or stroke risk and a possible analysis of vessel geometry modification under surgery.
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Date Issued: 2015
Identifier: CFH0004837, ucf:45440
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004837

Title: PARTICIPANT'S PERCEPTION OF REALISM AND PEDIATRIC PAIN ASSESSMENT UTILIZING A VIRTUAL PATIENT: A PILOT STUDY.
Creator: Carson, Alexandra, Anderson, Mindi, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: The use of simulation in curriculum affords students with the opportunity to enhance clinical skills in a safe environment. However, certain aspects of patient assessment are difficult to reproduce in current simulators, such as changes in facial expressions. Facial expressions are of particular importance when assessing for the presence and severity of pain in the pediatric population. Inconsistencies found in accurate identification of pain suggest the necessity of improved pain assessment...
Show moreThe use of simulation in curriculum affords students with the opportunity to enhance clinical skills in a safe environment. However, certain aspects of patient assessment are difficult to reproduce in current simulators, such as changes in facial expressions. Facial expressions are of particular importance when assessing for the presence and severity of pain in the pediatric population. Inconsistencies found in accurate identification of pain suggest the necessity of improved pain assessment training. This study evaluated nursing student's perceptions of a virtual patient designed to realistically display varying levels of pain in the pediatric patient. Additional purposes of this study were to evaluate the student's ability to accurately rate pediatric pain using a virtual patient with and without other indicators of pain, explore the students experience learning pediatric pain in nursing school, and explore the use of simulation in curriculum to teach pain. A total of N=11 nursing students participated in this study. Students were presented with a series of virtual patient faces and asked to provide a pain rating from 0-10 utilizing a pediatric pain assessment tool, and to numerically list the facial features used to identify the pain rating they chose. A questionnaire was then completed which included questions regarding the realism of the virtual patient, pain and curriculum, and simulation. Results of the study showed students rated pain lower than the expected rating when presented with virtual patient faces only, and rated pain closer to the expected rating when presented with virtual patient faces and other indicators of pain such as vital signs and verbal cues. A noticeable range of reported pain rating levels existed for all virtual faces in which students rated the pain lower or higher than the true pain rating. The majority of students reported the virtual patient was moderately to extremely realistic, and 90.9% (n=10) reported they would like to have the technology implemented into a simulation scenario.
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Date Issued: 2016
Identifier: CFH2000085, ucf:45525
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000085

Title: EVALUATION OF COMPUTER-BASED SIMULATION FOR PAIN MANAGEMENT EDUCATION.
Creator: Gerardi, Nicole, Allred, Kelly, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Effective pain management is an elusive concept in the acute care setting. Improving nurses' knowledge about optimal pain management is one way to improve the patient's pain experience. A computer-simulation game was developed as an alternative method of teaching the subject of pain management to nursing students. In the game, two patient scenarios are presented, one male and one female. Both patients present with acute pain and request help from the nurse. The player progresses through a...
Show moreEffective pain management is an elusive concept in the acute care setting. Improving nurses' knowledge about optimal pain management is one way to improve the patient's pain experience. A computer-simulation game was developed as an alternative method of teaching the subject of pain management to nursing students. In the game, two patient scenarios are presented, one male and one female. Both patients present with acute pain and request help from the nurse. The player progresses through a series of nine questions as the scenarios unfold, each with one best or correct answer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the game's potential as a teaching method compared to traditional methods of teaching, such as a lecture. A total of 30 nursing students participated in the study. After playing through the game, each student was asked to complete a post-game survey consisting of 10 standard 5-point Likert scale items and five open-ended questions. The survey was used to evaluate the students' enjoyment of the game, educational benefits, preference compared to traditional teaching methods, and perceived potential to change nursing practice. Results of the survey show that the majority of nursing students enjoyed playing the game and found it captured their attention more than traditional teaching methods. Nine out of the ten Likert scale items received universal high scores. Nursing students were receptive to the computer-simulation game as a teaching method and found it preferable to traditional methods.
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Date Issued: 2013
Identifier: CFH0004347, ucf:44981
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH0004347

Title: CONTROLLING OUR EMOTION AT WORK: IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERPERSONAL AND COGNITIVE TASK PERFORMANCE IN A CUSTOMER SERVICE SIMULATION.
Creator: Feldman, Moshe, Smith-Jentsch, Kimberly, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Display rules are used by organizations to define appropriate behaviors and expressions while interacting with others in the workplace. Emotional labor is a function of the effort required to adhere to these display rules and has been associated with negative outcomes such as stress and burnout which can lead to higher levels of turnover and health care costs for the organization. In addition, evidence suggests that emotional labor may come at a cognitive cost as well. Hence, reducing the...
Show moreDisplay rules are used by organizations to define appropriate behaviors and expressions while interacting with others in the workplace. Emotional labor is a function of the effort required to adhere to these display rules and has been associated with negative outcomes such as stress and burnout which can lead to higher levels of turnover and health care costs for the organization. In addition, evidence suggests that emotional labor may come at a cognitive cost as well. Hence, reducing the amount of emotional labor should be beneficial to both employees and organizations alike. The current study used a customer service simulation to investigate the effects of emotion regulation training on cognitive, affective, and performance outcomes. Furthermore, personality display rule congruence was proposed as a moderator. Specifically, I compared the effects of training participants to use deep acting or surface acting strategies. Deep acting involves cognitively reappraising situations so that one genuinely feels the appropriate emotion whereas surface acting simply involves modifying the outward display of one's emotions. I expected deep acting to improve interpersonal performance through an affective route and to improve cognitive task performance through a reduction in emotional labor. Seventy-three participants were randomly assigned to one of the two training conditions. Performance was assessed during an interactive customer service simulation. Training participants to use deep acting strategies improved their positive mood, reduced their emotional labor, and increased their cognitive task performance. Emotional labor was negatively associated with cognitive task performance whereas positive mood was positively related to interpersonal performance. Finally, the effects of training on emotional labor, mood, and cognitive performance differed depending on the degree to which participants' personality was congruent with the display rules given to them. However, contrary to expectations, training condition had a stronger effect on negative mood (reduced it), emotional labor (reduced it), and cognitive performance (increased it) the more congruent participants' personalities were to the display rules given. These findings have implications for both employee selection and training.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: CFE0002225, ucf:47921
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0002225

Title: An examination of beta diversity indices and their predictors in two large-scale systems.
Creator: Schroeder, Philip, Jenkins, David, King, Joshua, Fedorka, Kenneth, Myers, Jonathan, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Biodiversity is what conservation biology was developed to conserve. It is the physical manifestation of life as a concept and, be it for practical or idealistic reasons, all conservationists seek to protect or, in some cases, enhance it. Because of its monolithic importance to the field, much effort has been expended trying to better measure and understand it. Recently, greater attention has been paid to the partition of diversity; the observation that the total diversity of a system (?) can...
Show moreBiodiversity is what conservation biology was developed to conserve. It is the physical manifestation of life as a concept and, be it for practical or idealistic reasons, all conservationists seek to protect or, in some cases, enhance it. Because of its monolithic importance to the field, much effort has been expended trying to better measure and understand it. Recently, greater attention has been paid to the partition of diversity; the observation that the total diversity of a system (?) can be broken down into within-site diversity (?) and between-site diversity (?). In particular, it has been noticed that the ? component of diversity is not as well studied or understood as the ? component. In this study I attempt to address this shortfall, by examining two questions: (1) how is ? is best measured and (2) what drives ?? To answer the first question, I look to find the measure of ? that is most robust to sampling error. While many ? indices have been proposed, few have considered how our methods of data gathering might affect those indices. Datasets collected from the real world will all likely have some sort of error within them as a result of the way they were sampled. Those errors will affect some indices more than others, and the indices that are least affected will be the most reliable for actual data. Once robust indices were identified, I used them to identify possible predictors of ? in two large, national datasets. The first dataset was the National Lakes Assessment created by the USEPA, in which diatoms were sampled from over 1000 lakes across the country. The second was the eBird dataset from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which used citizen science to generate a continuous dataset spanning both the last decade and the boundaries of the conterminous United States. ? calculated from these sources was regressed against relevant environmental variables to create a clearer understanding of the effects of the environment on the ? of two very different ecological systems.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007367, ucf:52088
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007367

Title: Human Factor Effects of Simulating Battlefield Malodors in Field Training.
Creator: Pike, William, Proctor, Michael, Shumaker, Randall, Sims, Valerie, Ness, James, Burgess, Deborah, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: In order to explore how to better utilize simulated odors for live training, a study of 180 United States Military Academy at West Point cadets was undertaken to determine whether pre-exposure to a simulated malodor may result in an amelioration of performance issues, as well as improving performance of a complex task. Exposure to malodors has long been shown to increase stress and escape behavior, and reduce performance of complex tasks, in addition to degrading other human factor areas....
Show moreIn order to explore how to better utilize simulated odors for live training, a study of 180 United States Military Academy at West Point cadets was undertaken to determine whether pre-exposure to a simulated malodor may result in an amelioration of performance issues, as well as improving performance of a complex task. Exposure to malodors has long been shown to increase stress and escape behavior, and reduce performance of complex tasks, in addition to degrading other human factor areas. However, desensitization to a particular odor through a process known as olfactory adaptation, could ameliorate these performance issues. In this study, cadets were assigned to one of three conditions: Adaptation (odor/odor, to denote presence or absence of the simulated malodor in each of two phases), No Adaptation (no odor/odor), or Control (no odor/no odor). Participants wore a device to track electrodermal activity, a predictor of stress. Participants spent 12 minutes in a tent taking a quiz involving a common military task. After two minutes, a scent delivery system was turned on, delivering either the simulated malodor (burnt human flesh) or no odor. Participants exited the tent after the full 12 minutes and rated the air quality of the tent. They repeated the exercise in a second tent, with a similar quiz. Metrics of interest included perceived intensity and detection time, common metrics for gauging olfactory adaption, as well as electrodermal activity, escape behavior, and task performance. Results indicate participants in the Adaptation condition were partially desensitized to the malodor. Performance metrics did not show any statistical significance for stress, escape behavior, or performance improvement for the Adaptation condition, although there was a strong negative correlation of performance and perceived mental demand. Performance improvement and stress results were trending in the expected directions. This study differed from previous work in olfactory adaptation studies by linking adaptation to performance during a relevant complex task, and provides valuable lessons for future olfactory studies. From a more applied viewpoint, this study also provides insight for future research into the incorporation of malodors in live training.
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Date Issued: 2018
Identifier: CFE0007357, ucf:52097
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0007357

Title: Real-Time Open Source Traffic Control Software for the Advance Traffic Controller.
Creator: Key, Justin, Radwan, Ahmed, Hua, Kien, Kincaid, John, Leonessa, Alexander, University of Central Florida
Abstract / Description: Under the initiative of Department of Transportation (DOT) a safety-critical, dual redundant, open source traffic signal control application is currently being developed. The system named SCOPE, for Signal Control Program Environment, currently implements standard 8-phase NEMA logic and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program 3-66 preemption logic. SCOPE is designed to be part of the Advanced Traffic Controller (ATC), making use of API standard 2.06b to integrate with the hardware....
Show moreUnder the initiative of Department of Transportation (DOT) a safety-critical, dual redundant, open source traffic signal control application is currently being developed. The system named SCOPE, for Signal Control Program Environment, currently implements standard 8-phase NEMA logic and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program 3-66 preemption logic. SCOPE is designed to be part of the Advanced Traffic Controller (ATC), making use of API standard 2.06b to integrate with the hardware. Safety-critical status is achieved through redundancy of application logic that constantly compares expected signal phase information. From baseline requirements, engineers independently program application code, one using Ada95 and the other using C++.The Traffic EXperimental Analytical Simulation Model, a microscopic single-intersection vehicular simulation, was used for initial validation and testing of the functionality of the system. The second demonstration of the SCOPE, used actuated detector data collected from a recording of a live intersection. Actuator calls were placed on SCOPE at the same times the vehicles triggered the detectors in the video (assuming the vehicles were not in-queue). Using SCOPE the real-world traffic was not only right-of-way safely yielded, but the traffic flow state time average time in-queue reduced. The final phase of testing will occur when the DOT performs Formal Qualification Testing, which is scheduled for 2013.Upon validation and subsequent release to the open source community SCOPE will provide users the ability to replace the proprietary application software residing in ATC cabinets. Transparency will be provided into another aspect of the traffic control signal thus taking the initiative of ATC one step further.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: CFE0004562, ucf:49254
Format: Document (PDF)
PURL: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFE0004562

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