The 3rd ORT Braude Collegeconferences.braude.ac.il/brdresearch/brdresearch03/... · 2007. 9. 24. · The 3rd ORT Braude Interdisciplinary Research Conference 2 Preface Dear Friends

The 3rd ORT Braude College

Interdisciplinary Research

Conference

October 8-9, 2007

Hagoshrim Hotel, Kibbutz Hagoshrim

Book of Abstracts

The 3rd ORT Braude Interdisciplinary Research Conference 2

Preface Dear Friends and Colleagues, Welcome to the Third ORT Braude College Interdisciplinary Research Conference at the Hagoshrim hotel in Kibbutz Hagoshrim. The goal of this conference is to provide a platform for our college researchers to exchange ideas and address important issues. It also intends to broaden our perception on current research topics therefore leading to mutual collaboration in the future, For the last few decades, interdisciplinary research has been a global trend in academia which offers new opportunities. The conference includes research from each of the following departments: Software Engineering, Biotechnology Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Management, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Mathematics, Physics and Teaching Units. Moreover, a number of interdisciplinary research projects and talks addressing the challenging process of teaching scientific and engineering subjects will be presented. Since our first research conference, the ORT Braude college’s support of research has increased significantly. A budget for research grants has been created and support has been provided for researchers who present their work in local and international conferences. In addition, Ofek-Eshkolot, the research and technology transfer company of the college, has helped college researchers apply for and obtain financial support from the chief scientist of the Ministry of Trade and Industry. We hope that these developments will lead to an increase in externally financed research projects in the college. I wish us all an enlightening and stimulating conference. Chair of Program and Organizing Committee Dr. Miri Weiss Cohen Program and Organizing Committee: Dr. Miri Weiss Cohen, Chair Prof. Rosa Azhari Dr. Pinchas Schechner Mrs. Karolina Zibenberg

A model for measuring the technological innovation process in businesses

Yohanan Arzi1 , Alina Grosman 2 , Irina Gurfinkel 3

1 Department of Industrial Engineering, ORT Braude College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901855; E-mail: [email protected] Department of Industrial Engineering, ORT Braude College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901855; 3 Department of Industrial Engineering, ORT Braude College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901855; Key words: technological innovation, measurement, effectiveness, data envelope analysis

Technological Innovation (TI) is a process of acquiring new or improved capabilities, or providing increased value for customers. It is a powerful force for economic development, productivity growth and long-term prosperity.

For managing the TI process, it is essential to measure quantitatively its extent and effectiveness. We suggest a quantitative model for measuring the effectiveness of the TI process and the extent of its components, on several enterprises, on a comparative basis. The model enables estimation of the relationships between the effectiveness and extent of TI and business performance, comparisons between various businesses, spotting of weaknesses and recommendations for improving the TI process.

The suggested model is composed of eight main inputs and six main outputs of the TI process. The main inputs are: research; development; product design; resources; organizational culture; operations; customer needs; and information and knowledge management. The outputs are: patents; improved or new products; supply lead times; revenues; quality and; Products product variety. Each one of the main inputs and outputs consists of several sub-factors, each one of them which representing one aspect of the TI process. The entire model includes 63 sub-factors (47 inputs and 16 outputs),

The measurement process is based on three stages. The first stage measures, for each one of the measured businesses, the extent of each sub-factor, separately, based on data derived from the business by a questionnaire. In the second stage, for each one of the measured businesses, the sub-factors are aggregated into a single measure for each main input and output. For setting the weights of each sub-factor, required for the aggregation, to each sub-factor we use the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method.

In the last stage, we use the Data Envelope Analysis (DEA) method for deriving quantitative measures for the effectiveness of the entire TI process, for each business. We define the effectiveness of a TI process as the ratio between weighted TI outputs and weighted TI inputs. The DEA method derives these measures for each one of the businesses, while setting the inputs and outputs weights, for each business, so that its TI effectiveness is maximized.

Charnes A., W. W. Cooper and E. Rhodes, 1978, Measuring the efficiency of decision making units, European Journal of Operational Research, 2, p. 429-444.

Saaty T. L., 1990, Multicriteria decision making: The analytic hierarchy process, Vol. 1, AHP Series, RWS Publications, 502 pp., extended edition.


mailto:[email protected]

Effectiveness of a Product Quality Classifier

Emil Bashkansky1

, Shuki Dror , Rachel Ravid 2 3

1

Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901827, Fax: 972-4-9901852, email:[email protected] 2

Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901923, Fax: 972-4-9901852, e-mail: [email protected]

Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901827, Fax: 972-4-9901852, e-mail: [email protected]

This paper develops measures for estimating the effectiveness of a quality sorting station. It takes into account the availability of prior information such as incoming product quality, sorting errors, and losses due to under/over graduation. The information on hand is integrated into the proposed measures to improve the decision making about in the quality sorting station. It is shown that the loss function selection, the major component of our method, leads both to the already known measures for quality classification, as well as to some new measures.

Two ways of improving effectiveness using repeated sorting are compared to a case using only one rater. In the first case when two raters disagree, the final decision is made in favor of the inferior sort; and in the second case when two raters disagree, a supervisor rater is added. A case study shows that the measures that take into account real losses provide more distinguishable results, and being when compared with to the costs of additional ratings, support the choice of the optimal classification method.



Decision-Maker’s Impact on a Firm’s Market Orientation

Arie Maharshak1, David Pundak 2

1Head, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901923, Fax: 972-4-9901852, E-mail: [email protected] Head, Web Learning Unit, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901843, Fax: 972-4-9901216, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: market orientation, decision-making group, non-profit organization, marketing

The notion of ‘Market Orientation’ (MO) has been widely studied since the early 1990s. This paper focuses on the impact of a non-profit organization's decision-making group on the organization’s MO and, consequently, on its performance. A six-dimensional tool was developed for assessing the opinions of an academic institution's decision makers towards central marketing topics. The study reveals an evident relationship between the institution'’s performance and the decision makers'’ MO rate. Data analysis points to awareness of specific dimensions among the group members, while some other dimensions are characterized by low awareness. Based on this analysis, further steps are recommended for future research in order to develop a prognostic tool for improving the low awareness dimensions and thus promote the MO rate among decision makers.




Facilitating business process validity analysis: An empirical study

Maya Kaner1, Pnina Soffer 2

1 Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901977, Fax: 972-4-9901852, E-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Information Systems, University of Haifa, Haifa, 31905, Israel, Tel: 972-04-8288506, Fax: 972-04-8288522, E-mail: [email protected]; Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel Key words: business process, validity analysis, generic process model, event-driven process

chains A good design of a business process should ensure that the designed process achieves its

intended business goal. The ability of a process to reach its goal is termed ‘process validity’. In reality, there may be situations where the process goal is not achieved due to problems such as incompleteness and logical errors in its design. As is the case with artifacts in any possible domain (e.g., software, product, service), such problems are easier and cheaper to fix at in the early development phases than afterwards.

The research reports an empirical study, which tested the ability of subjects to identify validity problems in business process design models when using GPM’s (Generic Process Model) validity criteria (Soffer and Wand, 2004). The findings indicate that GPM’s validity criteria contribute to the identification of process invalidity.

Soffer, P. and Y. Wand, 2004, "Goal-driven analysis of process model validity", In Pearsson, A. and Stirna, J. (eds.), Advanced Information Systems Engineering (CAiSE’04), LNCS 3084, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, p. 521-535.



Controlling flexible manufacturing systems based on a dynamic selection of the appropriate operational criteria and scheduling

policy

Boris Shnits , David Sinreich1 2

1 Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901753, e-mail: [email protected] Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Management, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa, 32000, Israel Key words: FMS control, adaptive scheduling, simulation based control

A flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) is a manufacturing system comprising automated hardware such as CNC machines, mini-load storage systems, and automated material handling systems such as guided vehicles or complex conveyors. These devices provide the system with the flexibility to produce a wide array of products and recover quickly from breakdowns. In reality, FMS's fall short of the theoretical flexibility they were expected to provide. The rigidities that exist in FMS operations are mainly due to the inability of the shop floor control system to exploit the full flexibility offered by the different hardware devices. Exploiting this flexibility in the face of unexpected environmental disturbances will lead to higher equipment utilization and higher system efficiency and productivity.

This study suggests a methodology for the development of an FMS control system that is capable of coping with the dynamic environment in which FMSs operate. The proposed control methodology comprises a two-tier decision making hierarchy. Tier 1 is used to determine a dominant decision criterion based on the actual shop floor status, production order requirements and manufacturing system priorities. Based on the chosen decision criterion, a predefined relevant rule set is chosen, together with an appropriate performance measure that is subsequently used to evaluate these rules. Tier 2 is used to select the preferable scheduling rule (from the set of relevant scheduling/dispatching rules), which best advances the performance measure determined in Tier 1, based on the current shop floor state and production order requirements.

The proposed methodology implementation is largely based on the Arena simulation tool. In the suggested implementation scheme the simulation is used for decision making as well as for the real time shop floor control.

The efficiency of the proposed control methodology was evaluated and compared to individual scheduling rules/policies and to an adaptive single-criteria scheduling method. The results obtained demonstrate the superiority of the suggested control methodology for different shop-floor conditions as well as its ability to cope with a fast changing environment



The coupon collector problem with batch drawings

Tamar Gadrich1, Rachel Ravid 2

1Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901977, Fax: 972-4-9901852, E-mail: [email protected] Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901827, Fax: 972-4-9901852, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: urn models, identical balls, grouping drawings.

The idea of the classical problem named ‘the coupon collector problem’ is that some

packets of a particular brand are sold with coupons. There are different coupons that make up a complete set. Each packet is sold with one coupon, and a priori, this coupon is equally likely to be any one of the coupons in the set. Purchasers are thus encouraged to be loyal to their chosen brand.

s

The coupon collector problem has been found to be a useful mathematical model for a variety of natural phenomena and engineering applications such as reliability, computer science, ecological diversity, population biology and so on.

The current research extends the classical problem to the case when each packet is sold with group of coupons, not necessarily distinct from one another, out of a collection of different coupons. We consider the following questions:

m s

(1) The probability generating function for the number of various coupons that are acquired after purchases; also, the following stochastic process k { },......2,1: =kNk , defined as the number of various coupons that one does not succeed in acquiring after purchases forms a Markov chain, thereby enabling a simple calculation of the expected number of different coupons that one acquired after purchases.

k

k(2) The distribution and probability generating function of the waiting time for the

acquisition of different coupons. ( snn ≤ ))(3) The probability that after buying packets one has acquired different

coupons, using indicators techniques. k ( snn ≤

The proposed model is applied and tested in respect to the number of bottles of milk collected each hour in a dairy.




The Watermill model: A practical framework for diagnosing and analyzing knowledge management issues1

Doron Faran1 , Aharon Hauptman 2 , Yoel Raban 3

1 Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ort Braude College of Engineering, P.O.B 78, Karmiel 21982 Israel, E-mail: [email protected] 2 Interdisciplinary Center for Technology Analysis and Forecasting (ICTAF) at Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 69978 Israel, E-mail: [email protected] 3 Interdisciplinary Center for Technology Analysis and Forecasting (ICTAF) at Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978 Israel, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: knowledge management, diagnosis, knowledge activity, organizations Quite counterproductively, the absence of a unified framework and common language among those who deal with knowledge management (KM) harms the ability to find, share or transfer KM practices. Further, even just diagnosing the KM needs in an organization is obstructed by the dearth of measures to underpin a consistent analysis. The Watermill model, proposed in this paper, provides a common denominator through the full decomposition of knowledge activities into monadic subcategories, thus enabling, first, a coherent diagnosis and, second, an exact match of remedies. A practical example illustrates the advantages of this method.


1 Originally published in: Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on the Modern Information Technology in the Innovation Processes of the Industrial Enterprises, 11-12 September 2006, Budapest, Hungary, p. 263-268.




Enhancing Control Charts to Validate Strategy Maps

Shuki Dror1

, Miryam Barad 2

1Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901923, Fax: 972-4-9901852, E-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, 69978, Israel, Tel: 972-3-6408335, Fax: 972-3-6407669, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: strategy map, statistical process control, fuzzy set theory.

A strategy map is a diagram that describes how an organization creates value by linking improvement of performance measures to strategic objectives through explicit hypothetical causal relations.

To validate these relations, an enhanced control chart method applied to the organization’s relevant data bases has been developed. The method identifies significant performance improvements by means of CUSUM control charts, uses binary variables to mark them and time bounded search cycles as dictated by the causality constraints. When appropriate, the fuzzy set theory is utilized for merging local performances measured on different scales/units and for avoiding subjectivity related to the interpretation of the measured results.

Analysis of a test case shows that the proposed method succeeded in validating all the hypothetical causal linkages on the strategy map, for which data were available. A (global) fuzzy measure of the main manufacturing process, merging several relevant local manufacturing measures, proved useful in the validation procedure. Dror, S. and Barad, M. 2006, “Enhancing control charts to validate strategy maps”, Quality Technology & Quantitative Management, 3, 4, p. 529-541.



Lagrange’s theorem: What does the theorem mean?

Buma Abramovitz 1, Miryam Berzina 2 , Abraham Berman 3 , Ludmila Shvartsman 4

1 Department of Mathematics, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-990872, Fax: 972-4-9901802, e-mail: [email protected] Department of Mathematics, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-990829, Fax: 972-4-9901802, e-mail: [email protected] Faculty of Mathematics, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel, Tel: 972-4-8293102, Fax: 972-4-8295634, E-mail: [email protected], 4 Department of Mathematics, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-990829, Fax: 972-4-9901802, e-mail: [email protected] Key words: undergraduate mathematics education, advanced mathematical thinking, exemplification in mathematics education

Teaching mathematics has a twofold purpose: encouraging and supporting students’ quest for knowledge and developing their creativity by advancing their mathematical thinking. As observed by Dreyfus in Tall (1991): “what most students learn in their mathematical courses is to carry out a large number of standardized procedures, cast in precisely defined formalisms, for obtaining answers to clearly delimited classes of exercise questions”. However, in order to develop advanced mathematical thinking students should also learn and understand theory.

Unfortunately, our experience shows that many students have difficulties in learning theory, and as a result, they are frightened of it. Possible reasons are the abstractness of the concepts, the formal way subjects are presented and the special language of a theorem or a definition. Trying to deal with the problem we developed a system of Self Learning Material (SLM) for three theorems. Here we present the case of Lagrange’s Mean Value Theorem and our SLM.

We implemented the designed instructional materials with three groups of about one hundred engineering students in total. The materials were given as three PowerPoint presentations (according to the theorem available on the course web site. They were intended for students’ self-learning. In addition to the PP presentations, we prepared a set of special problems connected with these theorem. Similar problems are described in our paper (2005). These problems were given to the students as an assignment by the Webassign system.

In order to examine the effect of the proposed SLM we asked about one hundred students to fill in a three-question survey and tested their understanding of the theorems in the final exam. The results will be presented.

We think that our experience with the SLM approach was a success and this encourages us to continue this research.

Abramovitz, B. M. Berezina, A. Berman, and L. Shvartsman, 2005, “‘Procedural’ is not enough”, Proceedings of the 4th Mediterranean Conference on Mathematics Education, Palermo, Italy, 2, p. 599-608. Bills, L. T. Dreyfus, J. Mason, P. Tsamir, A. Watson, and O. Zaslavsky, 2006, “Exemplification in mathematics education”, Proceedings of the 30th Conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education, Prague, Czech Republic, 1, p. 125-154. Tall, D. 1991, Advanced Mathematical Thinking, Kluwer Academic Publisher, Holland.






A rigidity theorem for holomorphic generators on the Hilbert ball

Mark Elin 1 , Marina Levenshtein 2 , Simeon Reich , 3 David Shoikhet 4

1 Department of Mathematics, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel:, E-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Mathematics,Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel, E-mail: [email protected]; Department of Mathematics, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel 3 Department of Mathematics, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel, E-mail: [email protected] 4 Department of Mathematics, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: E-mail: [email protected] Key words: angular limit, Hilbert ball, holomorphic generator, K-limit, one-parameter

continuous semigroup, rigidity

We present a rigidity property of holomorphic generators on the open unit ball B of a Hilbert space H. Namely, if ),( HHolf B∈ is a generator of a one parameter continuous semigroup on B such that for some boundary point B∂∈τ , the Koranyi limit

0=)(lim 3−

−→ ττ x

xfKz

, then vanishes identically on B . f



Radiative transfer in stellar outflows

Nathan Netzer

Physics Unit, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901951, Fax: 972-4-9882016 E-mail: [email protected]

Processes of radiative transfer are quite important when one discusses the dynamics of stellar outflows. Radiation pressure causes force on dust grains and the latter drag the dust along. Here we present a better transfer procedure, which is applicable to quite a wide range of parameters.

Many papers in the past have discussed the problem of radiative transfer through matter; others looked at the force exerted by the radiation on dust grains and the drag force that the latter exerts on the gas, pushing it outwards. A first attempt to integrate both processes was done in 1993 by Netzer and Elitzur. In present work we present a much better way of doing this, based on Legendre expansion, which is valid for a wide range of parameters. Extending it to the case where the mass loss rate is time-dependent is in an advanced stage of development – which we have been able to reach since computing power is not as acute a problem as in the past.


Robust Controllability of Linear Systems and Its Applications: Overview of Some Recent Results

Valery Y. Glizer1, Vladimir Turetsky 2

1Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel, Tel: 972-3-8293492, Fax: 972-3-8292030, E-mail: [email protected]; Department of Mathematics, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel 2 Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel, Tel: 972-3-8292237, Fax: 972-3-8292030, E-mail: [email protected]; Department of Mathematics, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel Key words: linear system, robust controllability, transferring strategy, capture zone, pursuit problem

Controllability, i.e. the ability to transfer a dynamic system from a given set of initial positions to a

given target set by a proper choice of the control function, is one of the basic system properties. Controllability has been well studied for systems without uncertainties by using an open-loop control (see, e.g., Kalman (1960)).

Unfortunately, this elegant theory is not always applicable to real-life systems because the latter’sir dynamics is are affected by immeasurable components (uncertainties). For these systems, the controllability, robust with respect to any admissible uncertainty realization, should be studied (see, e.g., Petersen (1990), ) and Savkin (1997)). As a rule, the robust controllability is realized by a feedback control.

In this talk, we present an overview of results recently attained by the authors' results on robust controllability for a class of linear time-dependent controlled systems with additive input uncertainties (disturbances) is presented. The target set is a given linear manifold. For this system, necessary and sufficient robust controllability conditions were established by Turetsky and Glizer (2004).

It is important not only to know that a system is robustly controllable, but it is also critical to be able to construct a proper class of feedback strategies realizing this controllability (transferring strategies). In (Turetsky and Glizer, 2005; Turetsky and Glizer, 2007) some linear state-feedback transferring strategies were derived. In this present paper, general conditions providing a feedback strategy to be transferring are presented. The general robust controllability concept does not take into account possible control constraints, although such constraints are an indispensable part of most of practical control problems. Thus, the next step is to adapt the robust controllability results on the robust controllability to the case of control constraints. This leads to constructing a robust controllability set, i.e. the set of all initial positions, from which the robust transfer of the system to the target set is possible subject to the control constraints. The controllability set for some linear transferring strategies was constructed in (Turetsky and Glizer, 2007; Turetsky, 2007). In these works, some applications of the theoretical results to pursuit problems, arising in the aerospace engineering, also were also considered. Kalman, R.E., 1960, "Contributions to the theory of optimal control", Boletin de la Sociedad Matematica Mexicana, 5, p. 102-119. Petersen, I.R., 1990. "The matching condition and feedback controllability of uncertain linear systems," in: Robust Control of Linear Systems and Nonlinear Control (M.A. Kaashoek, J.H. van Schuppen, A.C.M. Ran, editors), Birkhauser, Boston. Savkin, A.V., 1997, "Robust output feedback constrained controllability of uncertain linear time-varying systems", Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications, 215, p. 376-387. Turetsky, V., and V.Y. Glizer, 2004, “Robust state-feedback controllability of linear systems to a hyperplane in a class of bounded controls", Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, 123, p. 639-667. Turetsky, V., and V.Y. Glizer, 2005. “Continuous feedback control strategy with maximal capture one in a class of pursuit games", International Game Theory Review, 7, p. 1-24.




The König’s problem for fractional-linear maps of operator balls

V. Khatskevich1 , V. Senderov

1 Department of Mathematics, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901801, Fax: 972-4-9901802, E-mail: , victor [email protected] [email protected]

We study König’s Problem (KE-problem), which was initiated and developed in the works of several authors. It is shown that a wide class of fractional-linear maps, having a fixed point on the boundary of the unit operator ball D, possesses the KE-property. This means that each map from this class can be included in some semi group of holomorphisms of D, which is continuous with respect to the topology of locally uniform (over D) convergence.




Invertibility of parabolic pseudodifferential operators in exponential weight spaces

Yakov Lutsky1, Vladimir Rabinovich 2

1 Department of Mathematics, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901801, Fax: 972-4-9901802, E-mail: [email protected] Instituto Politecnico Nasionnl, Esime Zacatenco, Avenida IPN, Mexico, D.F. 97738, Mexico, Tel: 525-5-57548516, Fax: 525-5-57296000, E-mail: vladimir. [email protected] Key words: pseudodifferentil parabolic operators, analytical symbols, exponential estimates

We consider pseudodifferentil operators with double symbols ( , , )p x y ξ , which are

analytically extended in a tube domain where is a convex unbounded domain

in

nR +iD,ξ DnR . We suppose that the symbols can have discontinuities on some compact manifolds in

nR and super-exponential growth at infinity with respect to variables ( , )x y . The main result of the work is a theorem of the invertibility of parabolic pseudodifferentil operators in exponential weighted spaces of distributions with supports in the half-space nR+ . We suppose that the weight is connected to the domain of the symbol analyticity. This result can be interpreted as a theorem of the existence and uniqueness of the solution of the homogeneous Cauchy problem in the half-space nR+ for parabolic pseudodifferential operators. Our method is based on the formulas of commutations of pseudodifferential operators with exponential weigh.




תפישות שגויות בהוראה דרך עדשה של סביבת למידה פעילה

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תפקיד , לשיטתו. ללימודי הפיסיקהSCALE-UP - גישה אחרת ivבאוניברסיטת צפון קרולינה פיתח ביכנרסטודנטים לבחון את עמדותיהם ביחס לאתגרים העומדים את ה ותהמורה לנהל את תהליך הלמידה ולגר

הלימודים . וסי ההוראה במוסד לאמץ שיטה חדשנית לשינוי דפvר ודורי'החליטו בלצ MIT-ב. בפניהם, בעקבות יישום שיטה זו. מתקיימים בכיתה סדנאית בה עוסקים סטודנטים מרבית הזמן בפעילות חקר

ל הניעו "התוצאות המעודדות הנ. 8% - ל20% -מ ירד אחוז הכישלונות MIT, -הפועלת מזה שלוש שנים ב. ת העקרונות החדשניים הגלומים בגישהא ליישם חלקית א"גם מרצים במתמטיקה ובפרט מרצים בחדו

ועמיתיה מאוניברסיטת אריזונה מצביעים על שיפור דרמאטי ביכולת הסטודנטים שלמדו viהולט-האגסלעומת סטודנטים שלמדו , בשיטת הלמידה הפעילה לענות נכון על שאלות מושגיות ולהתמודד עם חישובים

. בשיטה המסורתיתבמכללה האקדמית להנדסה גם מתקיים 'מ1א "בקורסי יסוד ובפרט בחדו של למידה פעילה ניסיון חדשני

עדויות החדשה במהלך השנתיים האחרונות הופתענו נוכח פדגוגיה תוך יישום ה. אורט בראודה בכרמיאל : כגון, ותפישות שגויות בהוראה אצל חברי הסגללשבירת מוסכמות מקובלות מצטברות וחוזרות

לצאת ,להיבחן בתדירות גבוהה: "תחת זכוכית מגדלת "מסכים להיותגר הסטודנט הישראלי כאדם בו • .להציג את עמדותיו בפני הכיתה, ללוח כמעט כל שעור

היכולת של הסטודנט לצבור את כל הידע הנדרש לפי סילבוס הקורס מתגברת ככל שבשעורים מתמקדים • . מושגים ובמתן כלים להתמודדות עם חומר הלימוד בחקר

לבנות , לקרוא ולהבין ספרות מדעית, לנסח ולהציג פתרון פורמאלי, סוגל לנתח ולפתור בעיותהסטודנט מ • .בליווי סגל ההוראה וגם בצורה עצמאיתידע ולפתח תיאוריה מדעית

כיתה .ובין הסטודנטים לבין עצמם, זמן למפגשים אינטימיים בין המרצה לסטודנטיםישבכיתה גדולה •-מרצה(להתייחסות פרטנית למרצהזמן המפנו מימדים שוניםבמלאה מזמנת אינטראקציה

היא למעשה שליטה על המשמעת תשל המרצה בהוראה פרונטאלי" שליטה המדומה"ה. )סטודנט/קבוצההוא : בשיטת למידה פעילה מרצה שולט בבניית הידע של הסטודנטים הלכה למעשה בכל שעור. בכיתה

. מרכיבים בהנחייתו את הפזל של יחידת הלימודקובע את המסגרת ואת התכנים והסטודנטים צריך ואלילא כלקוח " לשים את הסטודנט במרכז"ההוראה בסביבה הפעילה מחדדת את משמעות הביטוי

המובן האמיתי של הוא בניית שותפות בין הסטודנטים לצוות . תוך כדי מאמץ מתמיד לרצותולהעביר ידע .לא ניתן לממש את השיעורל הסטודנטים שהפעילה ם ללא מעורבותבה , ההוראה

זהו תהליך למידה והתמודדות הדדיים שבו מגלים הסטודנטים את החסכים בכישורי הלמידה שלהם תוך כדי העבודה המשותפת מקבלים שני הצדדים כלים . והמרצים את התפישות השגויות שלהם בהוראה

.להתמודדות

מקורות Redish, F.E. (2004). Teaching Physics – with the Physics Suite. Wiley. Beichner, R.J., Saul, J.M., Allain, R.J., Deardorff, D.L., & Abbott, D.S. (2000).

Introduction to SCALE UP: Student-Centered Activities for Large Enrollment University Physics. Proceedings of the 2000 Annual meeting of the American Society for Engineering Education.

Dori, Y., & Belcher, J. (2002). Visualizations and Active Learning MIT Students’ Understanding of Electromagnetism. Announcer, 32(2), 134.

Hughes Hallet, D. Robinson, M. and Lomen, D. ( 2005 ) Concepts: Active Learning in Calculus. J. Wiley













Production of microspheres with adjuvant properties

Rosa Azhari , Ditza Levin 2 , Anna Bernstein1 3

1 Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901750, Fax: 972-4-9901839, E-mail: [email protected] Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901924, Fax: 972-4-9901839, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: vaccines, immunization, adjuvants, microencapsulation, microspheres, complex

coacervation

One of the major problems that limit the use of new vaccines is their weak immunogenicity and the lack of appropriate adjuvants. Adjuvants should recruit professional antigen presenting cells (APC) to the vaccination site, deliver the antigen to the APC, induce powerful APC activation and present the antigen to T cells that initiate protective measures.

In previous studies we have shown that microspheres fabricated from chondroitin sulfate (CS) and gelatin (Ge) have adjuvant properties, direct the antigen preferably to macrophages and induce the Th1 route of immune response.

In the current research chondroitin sulfate was replaced by another polysaccharide that has been shown to have immuno-stimulating effects, depending on its molecular weight. The polymer was enzymatically digested into oligomers of various sizes and these were fractionated into three differently sized groups. It was shown that microspheres could be formulated by a complex coacervation method only with polysaccharide chains of medium (10-30kDa) and large (>30 kDa) size. Small oligomers (<10 kDa) did not form microspheres under the conditions tested. The presentation of an antigen (OVA) encapsulated within these microspheres to an OVA-specific hybridoma (BO97.11), using a line of dendritic cells (DC2.4) as APC, was 2-7 fold higher than that obtained with the same amount of antigen encapsulated within CS-Ge microspheres and 1.5-6 fold higher than with soluble OVA.

Acknowledgment: The current study was supported by a grant from the ORT Braude College research committee.



Hepatic RBP 4 level is an additional risk factor for development of experimental fatty liver disease

Maria Grozovski1 , Tamar Shatil 2 , Nimer Assy 3 , Zaza Beniashvili , Sigal Korem 5 4

1 Department of Biotechnology, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901895, Fax: 972-4-9082410, e-mail: [email protected] Department of Biotechnology, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-52-4407544, e-mail: [email protected] 3 Sieff Government Hospital Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine A, Safed, Israel, Tel: 972-50-8434216, Fax: 972-4-6828441, e-mail: [email protected] 4

Sieff Government Hospital Liver Unit, Department of Internal Medicine A, Safed, Israel, Tel: 972-50-8434282, Fax: 972-4-6828441, e-mail:[email protected] 5 Department of Biotechnology, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901891, e-mail: [email protected] Key words: fatty liver, rosiglitazone, metformin, retinol binding protein 4 expression, MDA

Background: Rats given a fructose enriched diet (FED) develop many characteristics of

human metabolic syndrome (MS) including hypertension, insulin resistance, high triglycerides and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) (1).

Aim: To determine the effect of metformin and rosiglitazone with and without hepatectomy on the level of Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP 4) expression in rats with NAFLD.

Methods: Forty-nine male Sprague–Dawley rats were treated with different drugs including: FED diet only, FED diet with either metformin (200 mg/kg), rosiglitazone (3 mg/kg) and metformin plus rosiglitazone for a total of five weeks.

Results: FED rats developed hepatic disease with an increase in hepatic RBP4 expression, hepatic triglycerides, hepatic cholesterol concentration, and malonyl dialdehyde (MDA) level, but reduced α-tocopherol concentration in comparison to controls.

Administration of metformin, rosiglitazone, and a combination of the two was associated with the decrease in the hepatic triglycerides, cholesterol concentrations and hepatic RBP-4 expression.

Conclusion: Retinol binding protein 4 (RBP-4) is a marker for the development of fatty liver. The combination therapy has a greater effect on the extent of fatty infiltration, on hepatic retinol binding protein 4 and on hepatic lipid composition than ISAs alone. The clinical implication of this finding is that a polypill policy holds promise of a treatment for NAFLD in the future.

(1) Angelo P., 2002, "Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease", The New England Journal of Medicine, 346, p. 1221-31.




In Silico studies of 1,3:2,4-dibenzylidene-D-sorbitol as a gelator for polypropylene

Dafna Knani , David Alperstein 2 1

1 Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, E-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, , E-mail: [email protected]

The organic gelator 1,3:2,4-dibenzylidene sorbitol (DBS) self-organizes to form a 3D

network stabilized by hydrogen bonds at relatively low concentrations in a variety of nonpolar organic solvents and polymers. Addition of a small quantity of DBS to a molten polymer may result in a physical gel if conditions permit the DBS molecules to self-organize into a 3D network composed of highly connected nanofibrils. If the polymer crystallizes, DBS may also serve as a nucleating agent, promoting the formation of spherulites, especially in commercially important polyolefins such as polypropylene. In this work, we investigated the interactions between DBS molecules in molten polypropylene using computational methods. We used an Accelrys Amorphous Cell module to simulate pure DBS and a mixture of DBS and polypropylene (PP), as condensed phases, at elevated temperatures (above DBS melting point).

We found that intermolecular H-bonds between DBS molecules are formed in molten PP, in a similar manner to those formed in pure DBS. The most significant H-bonds are formed between the 6-OH groups. Due to the H-bonds, DBS molecules form a rigid structure similar to liquid crystal forming molecules, which might explain their tendency to create nanofibrils. We also found that the aromatic rings do not contribute significantly to the intermolecular interactions. Their main role is probably to strengthen the molecular structure.



Antifungal activity of plant derived extracts against G. trabeum and T. rubrum

M. Maoz1 , M. Blumenfeld 2 , I. S. Weitz 3

1 Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901901, Fax: 972-4-9901738, E-mail: [email protected] 2 An internship student of the Department of Biotechnology Engineering,ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, 3 Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901896, Fax: 972-4-9901839, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: plant extracts, antifungal activity, water solubility, G. trabeum, T. rubrum, PVP polymer, salt stress, synergism effect

While synthetic chemicals have provided excellent protection to for various types of woods used in adverse environments as well as a therapeutic tool, the general public remains interested in naturally derived protectants. There are diverse arrays of possible candidates, but many of these compounds are not readily water soluble and efforts to render them soluble often reduce biological activity.

In this presentation, we describe three approaches to improve improving antifungal activity of six natural products. Aqueous preparation of hydrophobic plant extracts by PVP (polyvinylpyrrolidones) formulations, salt stress on fungi sensitivity and a synergeticsm effect caused by various combinations of natural products.

The antifungal activity was examined against on Gloeophyllum trabeum, a common wood decay fungus and Trichophyton rubrum, a dermatophyte.

The results demonstrate that PVP formulations enabled the formation of aqueous solutions of plant extracts, hence increasing the antifungal activity due to higher availability. Salt stress by sodium sulfate was discovered to have no impact on antifungal activity. Combinations of natural products show a synergetic effect and have the can become a potential for becoming a tool for in improving antifungal activity.

• Tamura S, and L. Shimomura, 2005, "Contribution of adipose tissue and de novo lipogenesis to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease", The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 115, p. 1139-42.



Conductivity of an alkaline glucose solution

Mor Lea1

, Rubin Zeev 2

1Department of Biotechnological Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982

Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901757, E-mail: [email protected]

Physics Unit of Physics, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9953206, Fax: 972-4-9953201, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: fuel cell, electrical resistance, fuel cell resistivity, glucose alkaline fuel cell,

glucose concentration, Stokes-Einstein equation

Lately, a Significant appreciable efforts are now being invested in studying and reduction reducing of fuel cell degradation.

Such degradation is customarily demonstrated through increased electrical resistance. The resistance of the electrolyte solution in the bulk of a fuel cell (i.e. far from the electrodes) constitutes a part of the total fuel cell resistance.

During development of a glucose glucose-fuelled alkaline fuel cell, its resistivity (with 0.35M KOH as an electrolyte) was previously found by Bubis at et al. (2006) to depend linearly on the glucose concentration. In that their study, fuel cell resistivity was seven times higher than that of a KOH solution alone.

In the present study, resistively of glucose in an alkaline solution was measured as function of the glucose and KOH concentrations. These results show the contribution of glucose to the resistivity of the glucose alkaline fuel cell. Degradation was studied by measuring resistivity changes over time. As expected, conductivity increases linearly with KOH concentration and decreases with glucose concentration. As in the fuel cell, here also the resistivity is linear with glucose concentration, and decreases over time.

Electrical conductivity stems from migration of ions under the influence of an electrical field. Theoretically, one may regard the mobility of the ions as consisting the result of two contributions: the properties of the solution and specific parameters of the ions (e.g. charge and effective size). Accordingly, the results were processed using the Stokes-Einstein equation and other similar relations. Bubis E., L. Mor, N. Sabag, Z. Rubin, U. Vaysban, K. Hemmes and P. Schechner, 2006. “Electrical characterization of a glucose-fueled alkaline fuel cell”, Proceedings of FuelCell2006, Fourth International ASME Conference on Fuel Cell Science, Engineering and Technology, Irvine, California. June 19-


Debbie Miller

Something seems to me to be missing here. I don’t know if it changes the science but I would say: increases linearly with an increase of KOH concentration and decreases with an increase/decrease in the glucose concentration.

Debbie Miller

Same here. Is the glucose concentration increasing or decreasing or is this something everybody knows?



Hybrid imaging

Yoav Y. Schechner1

1 Department of Electrical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa 32000, Israel, Tel: 972-4-8293236, Fax: 972-4-8295757, Email: [email protected] Key words: imaging, computer vision, cross-modal analysis Imaging system design typically regards digital post-processing as an independent process, not involved in the physical or hardware considerations. At the same time, the discipline of computer vision typically regards images as given entities to be processed. However, richer information can be extracted by modifying and analyzing the imaging process itself, in conjunction to with the design of the digital post processing. Hence, the sensor or the illumination may be modified, while carefully tailoring image analysis algorithms. This hybridization exploits the advantages of both the sensor and the algorithmic components of a vision system, treating them as a whole. We describe results we obtained in this context, in several domains. These include 3D imaging and visibility recovery in scattering media, e.g., outdoor haze and underwater; and efficient illumination and sensing of objects by multiplexing, and self-calibrating of radiometric problems. Finally, we reach the domain of cross-sensor analysis. There, we demonstrate audio-visual localization, which pinpoints pixels that correspond to sound sources.



Method for measuring dental bur wear

Uri Ben-Hanan1, Michael Regev , Peter Convalina , Ran Peled , Heb Judes 2 3 4 5


l

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, ORT Braude College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, E-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, ORT Braude College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, , E-mail: [email protected] 3 Department of Mechanical Engineering, ORT Braude College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel,, E-mail: [email protected] 4

Department of Mechanical Engineering, ORT Braude College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, E-mail: [email protected] School of Dentistry, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, 69978 Israel, , E-mail: [email protected] Key words: air turbine, hand piece, cutting, performance, bur bit Three groups of ten dental diamond burs each group, produced by different manufacturers, were examined under the same working conditions. The identity of the bur manufacturers remained unknown, as requested by the client. The as as-received burs were characterized inspected by means of optical microscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The Optical optical images were digitized for later use. The burs were then used for grinding experiments under a constant handpiece rate of advance. The processed material was glass ceramic, which is known from the literature to have similar mechanical and thermal properties to as human enamel. During the grinding process different measurements were taken, such as the force applied on to the processed material, the acoustic emission and the acceleration developed in the handpiece body and in the specimen holder. Each test included a series of radial grindings 4 mm long and 4-5 mm deep, . grindings Grindings were conducted until the grinding force reached the value of 250 gr. This value was assigned as an indication for of the bur wear and it is mentioned in the literature as the maximum force that a dentist is appliesying during the process of tooth grinding prior to replacing the bur. The forces developed during the grinding process were recorded for further analysis. The worn burs were characterized inspected in the same manner as the new ones, namely by optical microscope and SEM. The images were digitized and a special image processing algorithm was used to track the contour of the new and the used burs. The roughness was calculated afterwards by using linear regression, . tThe values of the standard deviation and the maximum peak values of the contour with respect to best fitted line were significantly higher in the case of the new burs compared to the worn ones. A good correlation was found between the roughness of the bur and the grinding forces.






Microstructure characterization of particle reinforced AZ91D and AM50 magnesium alloys

Michael Regev1, Zamir Koren , Haim Rosenson , Yuri Narovni 2 3 4

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering and Management, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901734, Fax: 972-4-9901886, E-mail: [email protected] 2,3,4 Israel Institute of Metals, Technion - Institute of Technology, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel, Key words: microstructure, semi-solid processing, magnesium alloys, AZ91D, AM50, MMC, solidification process Metal Matrix Composites (MMC) are widely known to show superior physical and mechanical properties. Magnesium alloys, which demonstrate good castability together with high specific strength, are natural candidates to be used as a metal matrix. Composites based on a magnesium matrix have can, potentially, provide a great potential ofadvantage because they are lighter than other materials weight saving. The main objective of this work was to develop a magnesium based MMC die-casting technology, in order to pave the way for its wide use in advanced applications.

In order to avoid segregation during the casting process, due to the significant difference in the specific densities (3.2 g/cm3 for SiC and 1.7 g/cm3 for molten magnesium), the SiC particles (12-20 µm) were added while the alloy was in a semi-solid state. The casting took place after vigorous stirring, while the temperature was kept under the liquidus line (at about 0.4 volume fraction of solid). Two alloys, AZ91 and AM50, and three concentrations of reinforcing particles, 10wt.%, 20wt.% and 30wt%, served for this work.

Microstructure investigation of SiC particles -reinforced AZ91D and AM50 produced by SSM was conducted by means of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and EDS chemical analysis. Correlation between the process parameters and the microstructure was found. Microstructure stability was studied by performing aging experiments at 1800C, . tThe microstructure was found to be unstable; namely, precipitation of a secondary β (Mg17Al12) phase was detected. The instability of the microstructure can be explained on the basis of the solidification process.

Mechanical properties were studied as well and were compared with those of pure Mg and those of non-reinforced AM50 and AZ91D.



Characterization of the mechanical properties of composite scaffolds for muscle tissue engineering

Ehud Kroll1 , Rosa Azhari , Eyal Zussman 3 2

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901756, Fax: 972-4-9901886, E-mail: [email protected] Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901750, Fax: 972-4-9901839, E-mail: [email protected] Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel, Tel: 972-4-8292836, Fax: 972-4-8324533, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: tissue engineering, skeletal muscle, scaffold, electrospinning Tissue engineering aims at generating new biological tissues to replae diseased, degenerated or damaged tissue. In tissue engineering, cells are seeded on synthetic or natural scaffolds that provide a platform for cell proliferation and differentiation. One major obstacle encountered in tissue engineering is the inability to obtain functional bio-artificial tissue with structural hierarchy and biomechanical properties that are identical to those of the native tissue. Previous studies have demonstrated that the mechanical environment and scaffold structure, as well as the biochemical environment, play a critical role in determining cell proliferation, expression of intracellular proteins and extracellular matrix components, and their infrastructure. A major limitation in applying the optimal mechanical environment for tissue growth is the lack of scaffold materials that have the appropriate mechanical properties to withstand the applied mechanical forces, and also have the right composition to enhance cell attachment and proliferation. A possible solution is the use of hybrid materials in which "cell-friendly" matrices are reinforced with micro- or nano-filaments, which significantly enhance the mechanical properties of the scaffold. In a preliminary study, performed by R. Azhari, S. Levenberg and others at MIT, a manually operated stretching device was used to induce unidirectional stretching on scaffold–myobalast constructs in a bioreactor. Significant differences could be observed in the differentiation of the myoblasts, the orientation of myofibers and intracellular and extracellular protein expression. In the current research, electrospun, hybrid nano-fibrous scaffolds have been produced, combining a synthetic polymer, polycaprolactone (PCL), with natural connective tissue components. The mechanical properties of these scaffolds and cell affinities were different from those of PCL scaffolds. A computer-controlled stretching machine, built at the ORT Braude College, has been used to induce various accurate, quantitative stretching patterns on the cell–scaffold constructs while measuring cell growth, tissue expression, tissue organization and mechanical properties of the skeletal muscles tissue obtained.

Acknowledgment: The current study was supported by a grant from the ORT Braude College research committee.



Burr Wear Identification Using Frequency Domain Quantifiers

R. Peled1 U. Ben-Hanan 2

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901736, Fax: 972-4-9901886, e-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901830, Fax: 972-4-9901886, e-mail: [email protected] Key words: signal processing , PSD , Kurtosis This work deals with the use of signal processing methods to identify the amount of dental burr wear while cutting. The identification process is based on quantifiers received from the analysis of data acquired in burr wear tests. There are several known quantifiers, to the amount of wear or evolution of defects, in dynamic mechanical systems. Time domain quantifiers make use of the measurements statistical values. The most common quantifier is the covariance. In some cased higher order statistical moments, such as the Kurtosis, are used. Frequency domain quantifiers, based on the measurements power spectral density (PSD), may be the PSD main lobes amplitude. In this research, the results obtained using several types of quantifiers were examined to select the quantifier that gives the best wear indication. The test bed included a hand-piece connected to a control system. The burr penetrates the specimen vertically, in a constant feed rate, to a predefined depth. Then, the burr retreats and another cut is initiated on another area of the specimen. After a number of tests, large enough to guarantee sufficient burr wear, the experiment is stopped. During each cut, several measurements, in different sampling rates, are taken. The vibration (acceleration) signals of the specimen bed and burr holder, and acoustic emission accompanied to the cutting process are measured in 40 kHz. The feed rate and the cutting force are measured at a low rate of 25 Hz. The analysis focused on the burr holder measurements. This signal was the most energetic, as it was the closest to the burr, and thus allowed the extraction of the largest amount of information. The quantifier developed is based on the power level of a number of PSD main lobes. This quantifier gave the best correlation to the burr wear compared to the other quantifiers examined.



The biquinary serial decimal processor element for a universal digital nanocomputer

Michael Gladshtein1


ail: 1Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, ORT Braude College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901864, Fax: 972-4-9580289, [email protected] Key words: nanocomputer architecture, decimal number system, biquinary encoding of decimal digits, Johnson-Mobius code, decimal addition, serial data transmission

In developing architectural strategies for the construction of a universal nanocomputer based on the decimal number system and a serial principle of data transmission/processing, it is reasonable to select a method of biquinary encoding of decimal digits to reduce memory costs. The use of the Johnson–Mobius code for biquinary encoding of decimal digits is evaluated. Efficient addition and subtraction algorithms for such codes in serial form are proposed. Synthesis and verification of the circuit of a base processor element for processing decimal digits is implemented.

Because of its ability to alter its value by 5 through simple inversion of all bits, the Johnson–Mobius code constitutes an optimal variant of biquinary encoding, creating a foundation for the construction of a simple serial arithmetic unit.

Through experimental design and computer simulation of the proposed design, it was shown that it is theoretically possible to create a Johnson–Mobius serial decimal processor element possessing nearly twice the performance of a processor element based on a “one-0-out-of-ten” code for approximately the same hardware costs.

Gladshtein, M.A. 2006, "Improving the structure of a serial decimal processor element for a universal digital nanocomputer", Automatic Control and Computer Sciences, v. 40, n. 2, p. 1-10.


The effect of learning skill courses on student achievements

Nissim Sabag1, Rivka Weiser-Biton 2

1 Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901942, Fax: 972-4-9580289, E-mail: [email protected] 2 Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901875, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: learning skills, student achievement, academic achievement

Starting in academic year 2005 every Ort Braude College student has been obligated to take one of the college’s various learning skills courses. The rationale for this is the implicit hope that the learning skills course will improve students’ achievements. Five different learning skills courses were tested in this study. A few research groups tested different aspects of the learning skills effect using both a qualitative and quantitative approach. This research examines the academic achievements of 400 students who started their studies in the first semester of 2005, in five different departments. The academic achievements of five successive semesters have been tested so far. The students were free to choose which of the five learning skills they would take. Students have to take the course in one of their first four semesters. Therefore, three different groups were created: Group A studied learning skills in semester 1; Group B studied learning skills in Semester 2; and the third group did not take a learning skills course during their first year of studies. Students’ grades in all their courses were compared, with the exception of sports courses, humanism courses, and learning skill courses. The parameters for comparison were: the students who dropped out in each group, the weighted mean grades, and the weighted mean multiplied by the number of credit points. The last parameter is called the academic achievement. The reason for testing the academic achievement is that it is more important to deal simultaneously with a large number of courses. The difference between student achievements in five semesters was also tested. This test was replicated with 480 students who started their studies in 2006. For this case, data is only available for three semesters.


Debbie Miller

This does not make sense



Glucose alkaline fuel cells with a silver-plated electrospun fibrous anode

Eugenia Bubis , Ehud Kroll 2 , Eyal Zussman 3 , Hana Faiger , Pinchas Schechner 1 4 5

1 Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901864, Fax: 972-4-9580289, E-mail: [email protected] Department of Mechanical Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901756, Fax: 972-4-9901886, E-mail: [email protected] Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel, Tel: 972-4-8292836, Fax: 972-4-8324533, E-mail: [email protected] Department of Biotechnology Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901897, Fax: 972-4-4-9901839, E-mail: [email protected] Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel 21982, Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901905, Fax: 972-4-9580289, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: alkaline fuel cell, glucose, electrospinning

This paper summarizes our continuing efforts to develop a low cost glucose-fueled fuel cell for portable devices. Over the last several months we have used electrospinning to produce high surface-to-volume ratio anodes, composed of micron and submicron PAN polymer fibers. Many combinations of electrospinning process parameters have been tried, and fibers with various diameters produced. The fibrous mats are metalized by electroless silver plating for the electrochemical oxidation of glucose in an alkaline fuel cell.

A specially designed fuel cell, where the fuel and electrolyte are located in separated reservoirs, as opposed to the cell used before, has been designed, built and tested. The new cell provides a higher open circuit voltage of 0.55 V, compared with that obtained before, 0.385 V (Schechner et al., 2007). Additional is being conducted in order to optimize the fibrous mat properties, the plating procedure, and the glucose and electrolyte concentration and temperature. Schechner P., E. Kroll, E. Bubis, S. Chervinsky and E. Zussman, 2007, "Silver-plated electrospun fibrous anode for glucose alkaline fuel cells", Journal of the Electrochemical Society, 154, 9, p. B942-B948.



Comparison of accuracy of different structured light techniques adapted for 3D human foot imaging

Samuel Kosolapov1

1Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901905, Fax: 972-4-9580289, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: 3D imaging, image processing, human foot parameters, structure light, color edge

detector, 3D model

According to many specialists, problems such as pain in feet, knees, ankles, back and neck may be solved by using simple devices such as customized insoles, for example for feet, fitted to the individual patient. A relevant orthopedic test can locate the problem and the orthopedic solution contributes to reducing tiredness, stress, headaches and other problems resulting from a foot problem.

One way to ensure the best fit possible is to measure the specific human foot via a 3D scanner. The parameters acquired from the 3D image can then be used to construct individual insoles matched almost exactly to the patient’s foot.

Existing laser scanning devices, while being highly accurate, are not well suited for use in clinics because of the danger of eye damage due to uncontrolled laser ray reflections. Different types of structured light techniques (using non-laser light sources) may provide alternatives to laser scanning, but only in cases when highly accurate images are not required.

The paper compares theoretical and real-life accuracy and the applicability of different structured light techniques. The accuracy of different 3D models of the human foot created with a specially designed 3D foot scanner is also discussed.

Danenberg N. and S. Kosolapov, 2004, “Method and apparatus for determinig the three -dimensional shape and dimensions of an object”, PCT Application: WO2004070315. Kosolapov S., 2005, ”Color-edge based system and method for determonation of 3D surface topology”, PCT Application: WO2005024720.




Specification Oriented Programming Hiding the Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Eliezer Kantorowitz Department of Software Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901845, Fax: 972-4-9901717, e-mail: [email protected] Key words: software construction, specification oriented programming, graphical user interface In specification oriented programming it is attempted to write code that “resembles” the specifications. This should facilitate verifying that the code implements the specifications correctly. In one of our experiments each English language statement of the use case specification was translated into about three Java statements. This concise code was among other things enabled by hiding the code of the Graphical User Interface (GUI). In this approach the programmer specifies the user interface by such methods, as Output.scalar() and Select.one() for selecting one of n choices. These methods constitute the interface of a GUI component that produces the code of the GUI automatically. The method Select.one() may produce code for creating a menu and for managing the end users selection in the menu. If the programmer doesn’t wish a menu, s/he may exchange the GUI component with another GUI component that implements the selection with a set of radio buttons. Exchange of components is easy with current component technology. We did 15 student projects with this approach. The aesthetics of the automatically produced GUI were in our taste tolerable to good. Further research is, however, expected to improve the aesthetics. We were surprised to observe that the GUI of all the 15 projects seemed to be easy to understand by end users. One possible explanation is that a GUI produced from use case specifications, somehow, conveys the end user the logic of the underlying use case specification. Another advantage of hiding the GUI code was that the students avoided the intricate error prone coding of the GUI details and could better focus on developing quality requirements and specifications. Reference: E. Kantorowitz and A. Lyakas, " Use-case components for interactive information systems”, Science of Computer Programming 56 (2005) 5–2

Modeling alternatives in exception executions

Mati Golani1, Avi Gal , Eran Toch 2 3

1Department of Software Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901828, Fax: 972-4-9901852, E-mail: [email protected] 2 Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Management, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel, E-mail: [email protected] Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Management, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel, E-mail: [email protected], Key words: business process, model, workflow exceptions

To date, the ability of a business process designer to produce solid, well-validated workflow models is limited, especially since all necessary scenarios that need to be covered by the workflow are hard to predict. Workflow management systems (WfMSs), constituting the main vehicle of business process execution, should recognize these limits, and increase their support of designers in this task. One aspect of such assistance is in generation of exception handlers. In this paper we propose to enrich the existing modeling language to better express workflow semantics, in the context of alternative solutions, within the process model. This enables the designer to designate the most desirable possible alternatives and their applicability to changing execution paths states, s/he wishes to include. With this enrichment, an inference algorithm can efficiently find an adequate alternative. The modeling language is used as a basis for a design tool and an execution environment, which semi-automatically generates exception handlers, resulting, due to a reduced search space, in a smaller set of exceptions from which the designer/user chooses.





On a statistical model of cluster stability

Zeev Volkovich , Zeev Barzily 2 1

1 Department of Software Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 [email protected] 2 Department of Software Engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 [email protected]

We propose a general approach for the study of the cluster validation problem. Our method

suggests the application of probability metrics between random variables. According to our method, for each examined number of clusters, the clustering algorithm is executed many times and a variety of partitions are obtained. From a statistical standpoint, these partitions can be considered as estimates of the looked-for “true partition”. Our concept views these partitions as instances of a unique random variable such that the steadiest random variable is associated with the true number of clusters. This stability can be measured by means of probability distances within the observed realization.

Simple probability metrics, arising in the two sample test problem, lead to geometrical cluster stability criteria. We consider two examples of this approach containing applications of the kernel-based two sample statistic and the Friedman-Rafsky’s Minimal Spanning Tree statistic.

The -compound metric provides criteria based on the cluster contents. pLNumerical experiments demonstrate good performance of the considered methods.




A Circular Sector-Based Sensing Coverage Model for Wireless Sensing Networks

Peter Soreanu, Zeev Volkovich, Zeev Barzily Department of Software Engineering, Ort Braude College, P.O.Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901-845 | 862 |994, Fax: 972-4-9901852, e-mail: [email protected] | [email protected] | [email protected] Key words: wireless sensor networks, sensing model, sensing coverage, remote

sensing, energy aware protocol, sensing simulation.

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) are randomly or grid-placed very small processing elements called motes, with sensing and communications capabilities, interconnected by ad-hoc networking, i.e. without fixed infrastructure. One of the main problems in actual implementation is their inherently limited life-span, due to the (usually) not field-replaceable energy source. The energy consumption is due to the sensing, data and management messages, processing and storage activities of the motes.

The sensing may be local, e.g. temperature, radiation, humidity or similar physical measurement. There are also a lot of applications, civilian or military alike, which implement some remote discovery, localization or tracking activities. In this case, the sensing is performed mainly by emitting light, electromagnetic or sound waves. Obviously this imposes a heavy burden on the limited energy resources available to the mote, shortening his life and consequently the life of the WSN itself.

Previously published sensing models assume a circular coverage area around the motes, with fixed (unit-disk) or variable radius. Our work proposes a more energy-efficient sensing model, based on circular sectors with variable radii, negotiated between the motes as a function of their current energy capabilities. A corresponding formal model was developed, together with a dedicated communication protocol.

The performance of this model was checked vs. previously published schemes, using a proprietary simulation program, developed specifically for this purpose. The results of the simulations, showing significant energy savings, will be presented. The obtained results confirm the viability and the advantages of this new sensing model.

The implementation of such a WSN will significantly improve the energy-related performance of the WSNs, allowing the development of new applications and improving the performance of existing ones.





Ben-Asher/Stein Multiplication Algorithm

Yosi ben-Asher1, Esti Stein2

1 Department of computer Science, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel, e-mail: [email protected] Department of Software engineering, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, e-mail: [email protected] Key words: Reconfigurable mesh, Booth algorithm, Bit multiplication, Cartesian addition Configurable computing has recently gained much attention with the promise of delivering an order of magnitude performance improvement over general purpose processors. One of the models of reconfigurable architecture is the reconfigurable mesh. A reconfigurable mesh is a grid of identical processing elements (PE) where each PE is connected to its four neighbors. Together they form sub-buses for data transmission and calculation. To boost the CPU performance, basic operations such as ADDITION, MULTIPLICATION etc are re-designed for use in the mesh instead of the traditional CPU architecture. BAS (Ben Asher Stein) Algorithm significantly improves the traditional multiplication algorithm of more than two operands. The algorithm is based on Booth algorithm which is widely used today in most CPUs to multiply two operands. The performance of multiplying more than two operands using BAS algorithm has proved to be much faster on both RM architecture and traditional architecture.



The Leaders Project: Students leading workshops for promoting active learning

Orit Herscovitz , Miri Shacham , Orna Muller , Michal Maoz1 2 3 4

1 The Center for Teaching and Learning and the Teaching Department, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, E-mail: [email protected] The Center for Teaching and Learning and the Teaching Department, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O.

Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, E-mail: [email protected] The Center for Teaching and Learning and the Teaching Department, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O.

Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, E-mail: [email protected] Head of the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Biotechnology Department, ORT BRAUDE

College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: leader, active learning, students' perceptions, small group workshops

Many students attending college tend to study by memorizing rather than by understanding the subject matters material. The goal of Ort Braude College’s Leaders project's Projectgoal in Ort Braude College is to promote students’' understanding and high order thinking skills, and by that to thereby minimize minimizing failures and preventing students from dropping out off in their first year of academic studies.

In the project, A second year high achieving students with high achievements are selected by course lecturers in various academic departments, especially in courses which that have a high rate of many failures. These students, called Leaders, are trained to lead workshops of in cooperative and active learning in for small groups of students.

The project is based on three pillars: • Weekly meetings between the leaders and course lecturers in order to prepare the

activities for the next group meeting workshop. • Weekly workshop meetings lead by the leaders. The workshops are aimed to at

involve generating cooperative learning, in the specific course subject, and are highly interactive and challenging.

• Organization and assessment of the project, lead by the Ort Braude Center for Teaching and Learning.

The partnership and synergy between these three components of the project makes it the project possible and feasible.

From its beginning, the project is has been followed by an assessment research, a formative in its nature. The research goals are: (a) to learn about students’, lecturers’ and leaders'’ perceptions regarding the project and its contributions; (b) to assess the students'’ achievements as a result of their participation in the workshops; and (c) to document and follow up the project operation.

The pilot research findings showed a high level of satisfactory satisfaction, both by the students attending the workshops and the leaders. The students felt an improvement in their understanding of the subject matters study material and their self- confidence. The leaders showed a high level of responsibility and self- involvement. The course lecturers gained new insights about students'’ difficulties and ways to for promoting e deeper understanding, due to the close interactions with the leaders.

The Leaders' project has become a way to promote a positive learning environment in the college.






Facing the challenge of staff resistance to innovative teaching methods

David Pundak1, Shmaryahu Rozner 2

1Head, Web Learning Unit, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901843, Fax: 972-4-9901216, E-mail: [email protected] 2 President, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel, Tel: 972-4-9901950, Fax: 972-4-9901216, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: active learning, teaching, learning environment, assessment, motivation

Academic staffs are is often resistant to innovative teaching methods. The article presents the sources of this resistance, a 5five-stage model for the adoption of innovative teaching methods, and how one college in is faced grappling with this challenge, by addressing each stage of the model. It is commonly understood accepted that the traditional “chalk and talk” style of teaching of basic science courses (e.g., physics, math, and chemistry) does not result in the desired outcomes. Students complete completing these courses leave with a shallow understanding grasp of basic concepts, poor abilities in problem-solving, a shaky understanding of scientific processes and a negative approach to learning science (Pundak and Rozner, 2002; Pundak and Maharshak, 2003). Despite growing evidence that innovative teaching methods are successful in correcting for these outcomes, many academic staff members still prefer to use traditional teaching methods.

Sources of Staff Resistance to Innovative Teaching Methods There are several reasons why an academic staff resists innovative educational change. First, there is the unwillingness to take risks. A second reason for teachers’ resistance to change in teachers might be termed “justification of previous decisions.” People tend to continue to invest their energies in a failing activity due to their desire to prove to others (and to themselves) that their original decisions were correct. A third reason for resistance to change is the teachers’ tendency of teachers to imitate the traditional teaching methods of leading universities, which focus on “the final exam” as the main component of a student’s evaluation.

In many cases, the need to change teaching methods and to adapt them to new technologies is result of external pressure, which resulting from processes which that are external to the activities of the academic teaching staff. Such processes include the development of new technologies themselves, competition with other colleges or partnerships with them, awareness of the need to improve client services or the requirement of improving student achievement. In order to assist the teaching staff in the process of adopting innovative teaching methods, and to help them identify in at what stages of this process they are presently located, we have used the model developed by of Rogers (1995), which deals with the processes of decision-making during the diffusion of innovations.

Pundak, D. and S. Rozner, 2002, “Improving teaching physics and basic academic courses by just in time teaching”, Announcer, 32(2), p. 112.

Pundak, D. and A. Maharshak, 2003, “Teaching physics: The marketing concept”, Announcer, 33(2), p. 135.

Pundak, D., A. Maharshak and S. Rozner, 2004, “Successful pedagogy with web assignments checker”, Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 33(1), p. 67-80.

Pundak, D., S. Rozner and A. Maharshak, 2005,. “Naïve conceptions and active learning”, On the Heights: A Journal for Issues of Higher Education, (4), p. 13-8. In Hebrew.

Rogers, E.M. (1995). Diffusion of Innovations. Simon & Schuster, New York.


Debbie Miller

Wouldn’t it be more correct to say you adapted it?

Integrating learning skills courses into academic engineering college studies

Orit Herscovitz , Shai Israeli 21 * 1 Teaching Department and the Center for Teaching and Learning, ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel; The Department of Education in Technology and Science, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel, E-mail: [email protected] ORT BRAUDE College, P.O. Box 78, Karmiel, 21982 Israel; The Department of Education in Technology and Science, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Technion City, Haifa 32000, Israel, E-mail: [email protected] Key words: learning skills, students' perceptions, college's students

Effective learning is a key to success in academic studies and in career achievements. In order to promote students’' effective learning, several courses that emphasize the

development of learning and thinking skills were integrated to into the curriculum of the first year studies in Ort Braude academic College of Engineering.

For the past three years, three types of courses for developing learning skills had have been thought taught: "Instrumental Enrichment" (based on Feuerstien'’s theory), "Tools for Academic Success" and "Mathematical Thinking".

The process of integrating the courses was assessed by a follow-up research assessed the integration process. The main research main objectives were: (a) to learn about students'’ perceptions regarding the learning skills' course and its contributions to their learning process; (b) to learn if and how the students implement the skills they acquired in their academic studies; (c) to document the courses' integration process, in order to improve their adaptation to students' needs.

The research lasted two and a half years and included about six hundred college students. The research tools included pre-/post open perception questionnaires, students and lecturers interviews and analysis of college reports and inner internal documents.

We have found positive attitudes toward these courses. Over 70% of the students find most of the skills they acquired as to be significant and helpful for their academic studies in to some degree to their academic studies.

The decision to integrate learning skills coursers into the first year of academic studies is a novel way to prepare the future engineers for the modern and progressive professional life ahead of them. The impact of these courses to on students'’ academic grades and future professional life careers is yet to be studied.





NOTES:



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The 3rd ORT Braude Collegeconferences.braude.ac.il/brdresearch/brdresearch03/... · 2007. 9. 24. · The 3rd ORT Braude Interdisciplinary Research Conference 2 Preface Dear Friends