Enhancing the student experience in pre‐ and mid‐COVID‐19 pandemic period by upgrading the power electronics laboratory practice curriculum

Laboratory practices, which represent a vital part of electrical engineering education, have especially in the last few years been subjected to numerous challenges. The paper presents a concept of upgrading the laboratory practice curriculum in power electronics by introducing computer simulations. Due to the recognized shortcomings of the previous approach, the curriculum was closely reviewed, compared to the concepts from existing literature, and intensively upgraded by the introduction of the Ansys Simplorer computer program. The intensity of the process upgrade was enhanced by the COVID‐19 pandemic and related lockdowns. The introduced curriculum changes enabled the students to approach individual topics more gradually, reducing the gaps between the behavior of ideal and real power electronics circuits. The results of student feedback, obtained by a web‐based survey and a pre‐exam quiz, demonstrate that students recognize the new approach as being more gradual and beneficial, enabling them to improve their understanding of specific phenomena and to master the topics of power electronics with ease and satisfaction.

Fashion CAD education during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea: comparison of online and offline learning achievements

The 2019 Coronavirus Infectious Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has maximized interest in the need for and the effectiveness of e-learning classes as an alternative to face-to-face classes in schools. This study aimed to identify the factors that determine the successful implementation of e-learning classes. In this study, 99 fashion majors who attended the computer-aided design (CAD) programming classes held in the spring semesters of 2019 and 2020 participated. This study analyzed and evaluated the students' achievement process to see how self-motivated learning and interactive learning affected the process in face-to-face classes and real-time online Zoom classes. The results demonstrated the potential of creating an efficient e-learning environment for fashion CAD education where students could learn concepts and achieve academic competence even in the absence of face-to-face introduction.

Report on the 28th Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference

The 28th Asia and South Pacific Design Automation Conference (ASP-DAC 2023) was held at Miraikan, National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, Tokyo, Japan, 16 char6319 January 2023. ASP-DAC, started in 1995, is a high-quality and premium conference on Electronic Design Automation (EDA) like other sister conferences such as Design Automation Conference (DAC);Design, Automation Test in Europe (DATE);International Conference on Computer Aided Design (ICCAD);and Embedded Systems Week (ESWEEK). ASP-DAC 2023 adopted an in-person conference style with online features which is the first time in ASP-DAC. Even though the last two ASP-DAC conferences were held as virtual conferences due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ASPDAC 2023 provided opportunities for face-to-face communication not only at sessions, but also at coffee breaks, banquet, and so on for in-person attendees. Online access mainly for participants who were difficult to physically attend was also provided as much as possible.

Study of Air Recirculation Zones in Shared Spaces

The Air borne transmission is a very big concern for highly infectious diseases like Covid-19 and other airborne diseases. A micro droplet and aerosol can be carried out in the air and can remain flowing in air over a distance in a confined space, leading to affecting high number of people getting prone to infection and it is very dangerous in enclosed spaces or shared spaces. Public places, shared facilities are the areas, where infectious aerosol can be present in the air for a long duration. Ventilation of closed spaces, shared spaces is the need of hour to have analysed and deep study in context of infectious airborne diseases. Introduction of fresh air into the enclosed environment at regular interval of times may lead to fast dilution of air present in the enclosed space. The prominent building codes and HVAC guidelines allows as to calculate ACPH (Air changes per hour) in an enclosed space as per the occupancy and flow rate. The age of air is the criteria to define the amount of air residing in the enclosed space when it enters the space till its exhaust from that space. The more the age of air in the particular area the more can be the infection probability among the occupants. It is predominant to study the airflow pattern caused due to ventilation which can be collaborated with age of air to know about the infection probability. Typically, a classroom geometry is assumed with inlet outlet boundary conditions where exhaust fan is playing a major role of displacement ventilation. Study of air recirculation zones and dead zones is the point of interest of this study. Computational fluid dynamics is the most powerful tool in the present era to study the air flow pattern in enclosed and shared spaces.Copyright © 2022, Anka Publishers. All rights reserved.

Investigating structural features of dimeric SARS-CoV-2 Mpro catalytic site with bound covalent ligands at physiological temperature

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) plays an important role in the viral transcription and replication of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that is causing the Covid-19 pandemic worldwide. Therefore, it represents a very attractive target for drug development for treatment of this disease. It is a cysteine protease because it has in the active site the catalytic dyad composed of cysteine (C145) and histidine (H41). The catalytic site represents the binding site for inhibitors, many of them bind to Mpro with a covalent bond. In this research, structural and physiochemical characteristics of the Mpro binding site are investigated when the ligand 11a is covalently and non-covalently bound. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were run for 500 ns at physiological temperature (310 K). It is found that conformations of both the Mpro protein and the ligand are stable during the simulation with covalently bound complex showing stronger stability. When the ligand is covalently bound (its final state), residues that stably interact with the ligand are H41, C145, H163, H164 and E166. The optimal conformation of these residues is stabilized also via the Hbond interactions with the catalytic water present in the Mpro binding site. In the case of the non-covalently bound ligand (state before the covalent bond is formed), the binding site residues retain their conformations similar to the covalent binding site, and they still form Hbonds with the catalytic water, except H41. This residue, instead, adopts a different conformation and looses the Hbond with the catalytic water, leaving more freedom to move to the ligand. We hypothesize that H41 could play a role in guiding the ligand to the optimal position for final covalent bonding. Further analyses are in process to check this hypothesis. These results represent an important basis for studying drug candidates against SARS-CoV-2 by means of computer aided drug design.

Towards Safer Work Environments During the COVID-19 Crisis: A Study of Different Floor Plan Layouts and Ventilation Strategies Coupling Open FOAM and Airborne Pathogen Data for Actionable, Simulation-based Feedback in Design

As work environments struggle to reopen during the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is crucial to establish practical decision-aiding tools. While a strong emphasis has been placed on determining generic guidelines to reduce the risk of airborne viral spread, there is a lack of free and easy-to-use simulation workflows to quantify indoor air quality and the risk of airborne pathogens indoors at a spatial resolution that can take into account floor-plan layouts, furniture, and ventilation inlet-outlet positions. This paper describes the development of a new, free, early design tool that allows designers and other stakeholders to simulate and compare airborne viral concentrations under different indoor conditions. The tool leverages OpenFOAM-based Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and a passive scalar simulation approach to allow architects and interior designers to quantify airborne pathogens' exposure. The tool is integrated into the popular Rhino3d & Grasshopper CAD environment to facilitate its application in fast-paced design processes. We demonstrate good agreement compared to a CFD benchmark test. Further, we validate newly developed COVID-19 capabilities by comparing our results to an existing restaurant case study that included tracer gas measurements and validation using Fluent (Ansys). We demonstrate applications of the tool in a comparative study of a restaurant that investigates how plan and furniture layout interventions, ventilation strategies can impact the movement of airborne pathogens in indoor environments. © International Building Performance Simulation Association, 2022

Prototyping a Spatial Skills AR Authoring Tool for Partially Sighted, Blind, and Sighted Individuals

Spatial skills are critical for understanding the relations among objects and people, playing an important role in how we interact with the world. Spatial relationships are built through interactions with physical objects;however, in computational/online environments, these change to bi-dimensional media and computer-assisted design comprised of 3D representations viewable through a flat screen. Due to spatial immersion and interaction limitations, a traditional 2D and 3D approach presents challenges to partially sighted, blind, and sighted individuals. This paper presents the prototyping of a co-design Augmented Reality (AR) authoring tool by recruiting inclusive emerging affordances of consumer-level AR technologies within the context of current e-learning provisions in subject matters, including inclusive design, engineering design, game hardware design, and health sciences. This work has been inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic that has shown the need to level the field in inclusive design for teaching a subject typically oriented to the sighted. Our prototype allows users to create e-learning content for visualization, interaction, collaboration, and inclusive learning. Future work will investigate our tool's impact on skills development and content creation. © 2022 IEEE.

Futuristic Rehabilitation Technique Of Acquired Maxillectomy Defect In Post Covid19 Mucormycosis Using Polyether Ether Ketone Obturator Prosthesis- A Case Report

Background: Oroantral communication can occur due to maxillectomy defects, jeopardizing the integrity and function of oral cavity. It is an interdisciplinary challenge to restore these by surgery and prosthetics since many facets need to be addressed, such as speech, deglutition, mastication, aesthetics and psychological distress. Rationale: Surgical repair of maxillectomy defects is not always achievable due to various reasons such as poor systemic health, advanced age etc. Thus prosthetic rehabilitation becomes the most suitable treatment option. Relevance for Patients: Post COVID-19 mucormycosis has seen a surge in the past two years. It is an opportunistic fungal infection in humans infecting intracranial structures by direct invasion in the blood stream. Fundamental goal of prosthetic rehabilitation is the closure of oronasal communication and restoring it functionally thereby improving quality of life for the patient. CAD/CAM (computer aided design/computer aided milling) technology was employed to fabricate a milled framework for maxillary obturator in the most innovative way using PEEK (Polyether ether ketone). Result(s): PEEK material due to its excellent biocompatibility ensured a light weight prosthesis for the large maxillectomy defect and closure of the patency was achieved by the obturator framework.Copyright © 2022 Authors. All rights reserved.

Design-as-a-Service Framework for Enabling Innovations in Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Modern manufacturing enterprises must be agile to cope with sudden demand changes arising from increased global competition, geopolitical factors, and unforeseen circumstances such as the Covid-19 pandemic. Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector lack agility due to lower penetration of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT), the inability to employ highly skilled human capital, and the absence of a formal innovation ecosystem for new products or solutions. In recent years, Cloud-based Design and Manufacturing (CBDM) has emerged as an enabler for product realization by integrating various service-based models. However, the existing framework does not thoroughly support the innovation ecosystem from concept to product realization by formally addressing economic challenges and human skillset requirements. The present work considers the augmentation of the Design-as-a-Service (DaaS) model into the existing CBDM framework for enabling systematic product innovations. The DaaS model proposes to connect skilled human resources with enterprises interested in transforming an idea into a product or solution through the CBDM framework. The model presents an approach for integrating human resources with various CBDM elements and end-users through a service-based model. The challenges associated with successfully implementing the proposed model are also discussed. It is established that the DaaS has the potential for rapid and economical product discovery and can be readily accessible to SMEs or independent individuals. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Mechanical Design is the property of American Society of Mechanical Engineers and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Implementation of CAD/CAM program in a nonface-to-face classroom environment due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate a nonface-to-face crown designing module in a preclinical dental course. METHODS: Free dental planning software (Blue Sky Plan) was installed on the personal computers of dental college students, and a #46 full veneer crown designing practice was performed individually. An online survey was conducted on the computers' specification and main usage of the students, the practice process, and results. Statistical analysis was conducted to analyze the association between variables, such as "operating system," "central processing unit ," "number of cores," "random-access memory (RAM)," "graphic card," and task performance. RESULTS: Of the D2 students, 75.4% (52 of 69) responded to the survey. Overall, 96% of the respondents used their computers, and all respondents had no problem running the program. Most of the students marked their level of computer literacy as intermediate and had purchased the computers for the purpose of performing light work. The most common specifications of the computer were Intel i5, quad core, 8 GB RAM, and Windows 10. Students had little experience with computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing before the class. The relationship between computer specifications and task performance was not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, students with intermediate-level computer literacy used computers with less than the recommended specifications of the program; however, they were able to run the program and individually proceed with modules to submit results. Using an individually available crown designing program can provide an opportunity to diversify curricula and broaden students' perspectives even under circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic that limits intimate face-to face classes.

Computational tools for aptamer identification and optimization

Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA oligonucleotides that can selectively bind to a specific target. They are generally obtained by SELEX, but the procedure is challenging and time-consuming. Moreover, the identified aptamers tend to be insufficient in stability, specificity, and affinity. Thus, only a handful of aptamers have entered the practical use stage. Recently, computational approaches have demonstrated a significant capacity to assist in the discovery of high-performance aptamers. This review discusses the advances achieved in several aspects of computational tools in this field, as well as the new progress in machine learning and deep learning, which are used in aptamer identification and optimization. To illustrate these computationally aided processes, aptamer selections against SARS-CoV-2 are discussed in detail as a case study. We hope that this review will aid and motivate researchers to develop and utilize more computational techniques to discover ideal aptamers effectively. Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V.

Simulation and Development of an Autonomous Drone for Delivery of Medicines during COVID-19

The main goal of this research paper is to develop an autonomous medicine delivery quadcopter and validate a simulator model for it. It is intended to use this drone in crisis of COVID-19 due to restriction of social distancing and unavailability of regular hospital facilities. A simulator is then modified and used as a pre-mission tool to predict mission outcome and after validation, it will be used to predict complex missions without actually risking the expensive drone. An efficient payload system is designed and constructed for the quadcopter to fulfill its delivery purpose. Once the drone is assembled along with the payload mechanism, its physical parameters are calculated using SolidWorks. The same parameters such as performance coefficients and moments of inertia are then updated in the simulator's quadcopter properties. The equations of motions model used is improved by including physical theoretical effects. In the end, same autonomous delivery mission tests have been done for the real quadcopter and the simulator in order to compare the results and show the effect of improved equations of motion and physical parameters. © 2022 IEEE.

Development of Twin Surgical Robotic Arm System for Invasive Surgery

Due to the coronavirus's enormous spread and effect, a robotic arm system is designed such that doctors can perform contact-less surgery to minimize risk to their health. Modern robotic aided surgery frequently employs remote operation. The surgeon sits beside the console, guided by visual feedback, and utilises an input control panel to direct the slave robotic equipment doing the procedure. The study discusses a potential surgical robotic system that can be used in surgery. The first robotic arm, out of two, is capable of performing various operations: marking, incision and gluing, using a unique concept of multi-gripper introduced in this paper. The second one has an end-effector that is used for removing a specific part of the body. A camera like endoscopy micro usb camera is used to provide visual assistance to the surgeon. Designing is carried out on AutoCAD, and the components are 3D printed to construct the robot. Robotic arm is operated using a control panel consisting of joysticks and potentiometers. Wireless communication is achieved through NodeMCUs, which are used for interfacing actuators and sensors. This multi gripper will help in saving time as switching to different grippers is not needed for various operations. The robotic system design performs the operation efficiently, resulting in less blood loss and quicker recovery time while allowing the surgeon to control it remotely. © 2022 IEEE.

Undergraduate perceptions of remote teaching in Computer-Aided Design courses

This research analyzes the undergraduate student's perceptions and challenges of the mandatory transition of six computer-aided design courses, from a blended modality to a completely remote one, in the context of the coronavirus pandemic. We analyzed a School of Architecture in Peru, which has implemented the blended learning in these six courses since 2015, to acquire technical skills in drawing, design, BIM, visualization, information graphic, video editing, computational design, and digital fabrication. We used an anonymous and self-administered survey between November and December 2021 to 1,045 students and received 435 responses for analysis. The results reveal the different ways in which the student interacts with the CAD software for each course. We concluded that the experience of going through the stages of face-to-face, blended, and online, prepares us to migrate into learning environments in the format of MOOCs. The study allowed us to identify challenges and strengths, such as usage preferences to consider for future transition, taking into account the characteristics of these types of courses as a basis for the creation of MOOCs for the inevitable demand for the technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. © 2022 IEEE.

FRAMEWORK FOR CRISIS-RESISTANT ENGINEERING PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COURSES

This paper proposes a framework for the systematic adaptation and digitalisation of engineering product development courses in the event of a crisis. Applicants can use resources of the framework to identify crisis-related boundary conditions that impact the delivery of education and are assisted in determining the necessary level of course digitalisation to respond to the crisis. Furthermore, the framework comprehends a review of modern educational teaching objectives, as well as a table containing tools and methodologies linked to educational targets. These can be used to enhance course design to keep students independently of their learning profiles engaged in study activities and to uphold an excellent knowledge acquisition in a volatile environment. An exemplary application of the framework on a CAD course in a higher education context guides the educator through the processes. © Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Disrupt, Innovate, Regenerate and Transform, E and PDE 2022. All rights reserved.

NEW COLLABORATIVE WORKFLOWS - IMMERSIVE CO-DESIGN FROM SKETCHING TO 3D CAD AND PRODUCTION

Digital technologies have enabled design sketching to expand into new applications and domains. Inevitably, these new forms of visualisation require re-evaluating how we use drawing to see, visualise, understand, and fabricate products and services in design education and the profession. This paper presents a selection of discoveries after the authors performed research, made presentations and mediated workshops when face-to-face collaborations and travel were impossible because of the Covid-19 epidemic restrictions. Findings add to work intending to build a modern taxonomy for design sketching and visual knowledge while accounting for immersive virtual collaboration and distributed workflows from sketching to 3D CAD and 3D printing. These are among the first indications of a drive towards synthesising historically demarked design process stages into a singularity of actions that merge and move simultaneously among ideation, design, and production. Participants in two international conference workshops shared ideas and discussed their local circumstances relating to the potential use and acceptance of new technologies already researched and adopted in other disciplines such as computer science and entertainment. A critical consensus was that the challenge of new technologies for our design education and profession is not as much about technology and its tools as the process and steps that enable change. Significantly, conversation pointed towards a strategy that enhances and augments habits in design education and the profession as the means to modify and transform culture and practice. © Proceedings of the 24th International Conference on Engineering and Product Design Education: Disrupt, Innovate, Regenerate and Transform, E and PDE 2022. All rights reserved.

A Common First-Year Undergraduate Engineering Course in Manufacturing based on Industrial Robots and Flipped Classroom

The pedagogy of a first-year engineering course in manufacturing is presented. This course entitled Manufacturing and Society involves collaboration with social science, is based on industrial robots as the central theme to attract students’ interests and utilizes the flipped classroom approach for delivery. We hypothesize that, in one semester, recent high school graduates will be able to gain knowledge in manufacturing by learning the computer-aided engineering (CAD) software, applying CAD to design a penholder, fabricating the penholder using additive manufacturing and computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) software, programming the robot to create a toolpath for the pen, drawing using the pen on the penholder guided by a robot, and elaborating on impacts of robotic painting on society from a social science perspective. This course is designed to give students, regardless of their intended major in engineering, broad knowledge in manufacturing via 10 engineering, 3 social science, and 10 technical communication lectures;8 labs;and 4 projects. The social science lectures and discussions focus on how knowledge about society can be used to inform design and manufacturing decisions, social science research methods for understanding how engineers and technology can impact people's lives, and changing trends in work, the workplace, and the future workforce as it relates to manufacturing. This course aimed to give undergraduate first-year engineering students a positive view of advanced manufacturing and its impact on society. Student evaluations and comments were positive and affirmed the learning objective of teaching manufacturing to the first-year engineering students. The flipped classroom approach was demonstrated to be ideal during the COVID-19 pandemic with limited capacity for in-person lectures and labs. The use of flipped classrooms allowed students to learn at their own pace, review and reinforce knowledge, have a closer interaction with instructors, and reduce the number of technical errors using simulation tools. This course with the support of flipped classroom pedagogy can be successfully implemented in the post-pandemic era, devoting the time of the class to answer questions, expand upon the class content and have a closer in-person interaction with students. © 2022

Teaching AutoCAD in E-learning and Face-to-Face Styles for Undergraduate Engineering Technology Students During and after COVID-19 Pandemic

Online teaching has been used in most schools in the world during the Covid-19 pandemic. The world has started going back to normal in teaching face-to-face (F2F) in the classroom since Fall 2021. The switch from F2F teaching to online teaching has changed the way of interaction between the instructors and students. This research is aimed mainly to compare the learning styles in the traditional F2F to e-learning formats in teaching software-based Engineering Graphics course after going back to F2F mode of teaching. This study addresses the main features of each learning mode and its impact on the academic performance of the Engineering Technology students in a public school in Texas. This paper involves samples of Engineering graphics grades during the pandemic (fall 2020 and spring 2021) and after the end of the pandemic (fall 2021). Two instructors have taught this course during and after the pandemic, while one instructor has only taught the course after the pandemic. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is used in the data analysis. It is noticed that the performance of the students in classes delivered in the F2F mode is better than that in online mode, even with the change in the instructors and the change of the grade distribution in a specific semester. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2022.