3D Interpreted Model: A Novel Product Definition Model by Integrating and Fusing a 3D Annotated Model and Design Knowledge

Model based definition (MBD) is the core of product digital research and development. The extension of the scope and content of the product model is an important way to improve the application ability of MBD methodology. In view of the demand of the development of the product definition method and the lack of systematic theoretical methods to support the further improvement of product model quality and ability, this paper proposes the concept of a 3D interpreted model as a new product definition model by integrating and fusing design knowledge on the basis of the MBD model. Firstly, the concept, characteristics and representation method of the 3D interpreted model are elaborated. Then, the construction method of the 3D interpreted model is proposed, which includes two steps. The first step is design knowledge annotation, which is used to integrate design knowledge with the MBD model and form the 3D interpreted model in a CAD environment. The second step is information extraction and knowledge fusion, which is used to construct a 3D interpreted model network by processing the product information and design knowledge stored in a STEP file and knowledge index file, respectively. Finally, a prototype system is developed, and the construction process of a 3D interpreted model is demonstrated and verified through an example. The results show that as a new product definition model, a 3D interpreted model realizes the comprehensive integration of a MBD model and design knowledge, so as to realize the inheritance and development of the product definition method, and supports business activities and saves more social resources.

Filtering input fluctuations in intensity and in time underlies stochastic transcriptional pulses without feedback

Stochastic pulsatile dynamics have been observed in an increasing number of biological circuits with known mechanism involving feedback control and bistability. Surprisingly, recent single-cell experiments in Escherichia coli flagellar synthesis showed that flagellar genes are activated in stochastic pulses without the means of feedback. However, the mechanism for pulse generation in these feedbackless circuits has remained unclear. Here, by developing a system-level stochastic model constrained by a large set of single-cell E. coli flagellar synthesis data from different strains and mutants, we identify the general underlying design principles for generating stochastic transcriptional pulses without feedback. Our study shows that an inhibitor (YdiV) of the transcription factor (FlhDC) creates a monotonic ultrasensitive switch that serves as a digital filter to eliminate small-amplitude FlhDC fluctuations. Furthermore, we find that the high-frequency (fast) fluctuations of FlhDC are filtered out by integration over a timescale longer than the timescale of the input fluctuations. Together, our results reveal a filter-and-integrate design for generating stochastic pulses without feedback. This filter-and-integrate mechanism enables a general strategy for cells to avoid premature activation of the expensive downstream gene expression by filtering input fluctuations in both intensity and time so that the system only responds to input signals that are both strong and persistent.

Ontological Descriptions for Integrating Design Information of Product-Service Systems

Product-service systems (PSS), which create value by integrating physical products and services, have received much attention as a promising option to increase manufacturers’ revenue and reduce environmental impact. The process of designing a PSS requires collaboration among various experts who use domain-specific knowledge. Therefore, several researches have been investigated for developing design tools tailored to their expertise. However, while the specialization of design tools can be useful for experts, it hinders companies from ensuring the integrity of design information in different design elements. This results in the failure in achieving expected benefits. To address these issues, this study applies the concept of interoperability to PSS design to integrate design information from different domains. In particular, ontological descriptions is adopted to achieve semantic interoperability in different design elements. The application of the proposed ontology to a lecture on PSS design highlights that the proposed method is effective for integrating information on PSS design elements and those between value creation and capture.

Comparing Student and Sponsor Perceptions of Interdisciplinary Teams’ Capstone Performance

The purpose of this work is to investigate the relationship between the disciplinary diversity of capstone design teams and perceptions of success and engineering design abilities. Capstone design programs are effective environments for students to collaborate with industry sponsors on authentic design problems. They provide students with the opportunity to hone their technical and professional skills, often in teams. Previous work has demonstrated that interdisciplinary teams outperform within-discipline teams on complex open-ended tasks, but struggle to communicate across disciplinary boundaries. They also report lower levels of team cohesion and satisfaction with final outcomes. The results of the mixed-methods study conducted with 58 capstone design teams for this paper indicate that team diversity may be inversely related to students’ beliefs in their abilities to construct a prototype. Preliminary qualitative analysis suggests that students tend to divide prototyping tasks based on disciplinary background and struggle to integrate design efforts for complex systems, particularly during later stage design.

Polarizer-Free AOTF-Based SWIR Hyperspectral Imaging for Biomedical Applications

Optical biomedical imaging in short wave infrared (SWIR) range within 0.9–1.7 μm is a rapidly developing technique. For this reason, there is an increasing interest in cost-effective and robust hardware for hyperspectral imaging data acquisition in this range. Tunable-filter-based solutions are of particular interest as they provide image processing flexibility and effectiveness in terms of collected data volume. Acousto-optical tunable filters (AOTFs) provide a unique set of features necessary for high-quality SWIR hyperspectral imaging. In this paper, we discuss a polarizer-free configuration of an imaging AOTF that provides a compact and easy-to-integrate design of the whole imager. We have carried out image quality analysis of this system, assembled it and validated its efficiency through multiple experiments. The developed system can be helpful in many hyperspectral applications including biomedical analyses.

Filtering input fluctuations in intensity and in time underlies transcriptional pulses without feedback

Stochastic pulsatile dynamics have been observed in an increasing number of biological circuits with typical mechanism involving feedback control. Surprisingly, recent single-cell experiments showed that E. coli flagellar class-2&3 promoters are activated in stochastic pulses without the means of feedback, however, the underlying design principles of pulse generation have remained unclear. Here, by developing a system-level stochastic model constrained by a large set of E. coli flagellar synthesis data from different strains and mutants, we identify the underlying design principles for generating stochastic transcriptional pulses without feedback. Our model shows that YdiV, an inhibitor of the class-1 master regulator (FlhDC), creates an ultrasensitve switch that serves as a digital filter to eliminate small amplitude FlhDC fluctuations. Additionally, we demonstrate that fast temporal fluctuations of FlhDC are smoothed out and integrated over time before affecting class-2 downstream genes. Together, our results reveal the existence of a filter-and-integrate design that is necessary for generating stochastic pulses without feedback. This strategy suggests that E. coli may avoid premature activation of the expensive flagellar gene expression by filtering input fluctuations in intensity and in time.

Implementing Design Thinking: Understanding Organizational Conditions

The advent of design thinking as a tool for innovation has led to its adoption in a range of organizations. While proponents of design thinking continue to focus on the principles and practices of their method, little is known on the organizational conditions required for design thinking to attain a long-term impact. This article explores seven empirical case studies to identify the conditions required in organizations seeking to integrate design. It identifies four conditions—strategic vision, facilities, cultural capital, and directives—and examines their relationships.

The role of “Engineering Marketing” study course in raising the prestige of market-minded engineers in the context of digital economy

On the one hand, engineering marketing is a new and groundbreaking paradigm in marketing evolution in national practice, which helps to integrate design and engineering competencies with market mindset. On the other hand, the study course “Engineering Marketing” is intended for development of a new knowledge type, new cross-disciplinary style as a symbiosis of scientific thought and market ideology providing a way to create a market-minded generation of engineers capable of developing technology entrepreneurship taking into account scientific and technological progress. The concept of engineering marketing toolkit is developed by the authors in the form of engineering marketing mix formula (EMM = f (nP)) considering its evolutionary changes and engineering marketing business model is presented including corresponding impact effects of engineering solutions on the target market using the psycho heuristic programming method. In the digital economy such a tool in the engineering marketing mix as processing acquires particular importance assuming the use of information technologies and systems, including engineering software, at all stages of engineering activity. Furthermore, it is easier to transform the existing infrastructure of an industrial enterprise into digital one with the help of special IoT platform using the relevant engineering software.