Methodological issues involved in conducting qualitative research ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The purpose of this article is to describe the methodological issues involved in conducting qualitative research to explore and describe nurses' experience of being directly involved with termination of pregnancies and developing guidelines for support for these nurses. The article points out the sensitivity and responsibility ...

Safety issues on advanced fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gross, H.; Krebs, W.D.

1998-01-01

In the recent years a general discussion has started whether unsolved safety issues are related to advanced fuel. Advanced fuel is in this context a summary of features like high burnup, improved clad materials, low leakage loading pattern with high peaking factors etc. The design basis accidents RIA and Loca are of special interest for this discussion. From the Siemens point of view RIA is not a safety issue. There are sufficient margins between the enthalpy rise calculated by modern 3D methods and the fuel failures which occurred in RIA simulation tests when the effect of pulse width is taken into account. The evaluation of possible uncertainties for the established Loca criteria (17% equivalent corrosion, 1200 C clad temperature) for high burnup makes sense. But fuel with high burnup has significantly lower peaking factors than fuel with lower burnup. This gives sufficient margin counterbalancing possible uncertainties. In contrast to the above incomplete control rod insertion at higher burnup is potentially a real safety issue. Although Siemens fuel was not affected by the reported incidents they addressed the problem and checked that they have sufficient design margin for their fuel. (orig.) [de

High-level methodologies for grammar engineering, introduction to the special issue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denys Duchier

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Grammar Engineering is the task of designing and implementing linguistically motivated electronic descriptions of natural language (so-called grammars. These grammars are expressed within well-defined theoretical frameworks, and offer a fine-grained description of natural language. While grammars were first used to describe syntax, that is to say, the relations between constituents in a sentence, they often go beyond syntax and include semantic information. Grammar engineering provides precise descriptions which can be used for natural language understanding and generation, making these valuable resources for various natural language applications, including textual entailment, dialogue systems, or machine translation. The first attempts at designing large-scale resource grammars were costly because of the complexity of the task (Erbach et al. 1990 and of the number of persons that were needed (see e.g. Doran et al. 1997. Advances in the field have led to the development of environments for semi-automatic grammar engineering, borrowing ideas from compilation (grammar engineering is compared with software development and machine learning. This special issue reports on new trends in the field, where grammar engineering benefits from elaborate high-level methodologies and techniques, dealing with various issues (both theoretical and practical.

Methodological choice and the study of sensitive issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nora Ahlberg

1999-01-01

Full Text Available There has been relatively little concern with methodological issues within the study of religion. In this article the author considers the need for a continuing clarification of how diverse methodological approaches relate to the study of religion in general, and what is more, of certain aspects of the role of the researcher in particular. A main difference between the methodological approaches as referred to in this article — and illustrated by reference to minority studies -is in the closeness of the researcher to his field. One could perhaps state that while the researcher draws nearer to his field in soft approaches the theories remain further away from the empirical data (i.e. in that one creates greater vistas while the opposite is true for those that work with hard data designs, that meta-theories are almost excluded (as pure speculation due to the strict demands for operationalization, as the (effect of the researcher is to a greater extend likewise excluded from the picture. Though in both cases the choices made must naturally be made explicit as must the researcher relate to a qualified discussion between experts who have some kind of relationship to the kind of empirical material or theoretical thinking that is at issue in the particular project.

Advanced chemistry of monolayers at interfaces trends in methodology and technology

CERN Document Server

Imae, Toyoko

2007-01-01

Advanced Chemistry of Monolayers at Interfaces describes the advanced chemistry of monolayers at interfaces. Focusing on the recent trends of methodology and technology, which are indispensable in monolayer science. They are applied to monolayers of surfactants, amphiphiles, polymers, dendrimers, enzymes, and proteins, which serve many uses.Introduces the methodologies of scanning probe microscopy, surface force instrumentation, surface spectroscopy, surface plasmon optics, reflectometry, and near-field scanning optical microscopy. Modern interface reaction method, lithographic tech

I. DEVELOPMENTAL METHODOLOGY AS A CENTRAL SUBDISCIPLINE OF DEVELOPMENTAL SCIENCE.

Science.gov (United States)

Card, Noel A

2017-06-01

This first chapter introduces the main goals of the monograph and previews the remaining chapters. The goals of this monograph are to provide summaries of our current understanding of advanced developmental methodologies, provide information that can advance our understanding of human development, identify shortcomings in our understanding of developmental methodology, and serve as a flagpost for organizing developmental methodology as a subdiscipline within the broader field of developmental science. The remaining chapters in this monograph address issues in design (sampling and big data), longitudinal data analysis, and issues of replication and research accumulation. The final chapter describes the history of developmental methodology, considers how the previous chapters in this monograph fit within this subdiscipline, and offers recommendations for further advancement. © 2017 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

Inernational research in health care management: its need in the 21st century, methodological challenges, ethical issues, pitfalls, and practicalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Buttigieg, Sandra C; Rathert, Cheryl; D'Aunno, Thomas A; Savage, Grant T

2015-01-01

This commentary argues in favor of international research in the 21st century. Advances in technology, science, communication, transport, and infrastructure have transformed the world into a global village. Industries have increasingly adopted globalization strategies. Likewise, the health sector is more internationalized whereby comparisons between diverse health systems, international best practices, international benchmarking, cross-border health care, and cross-cultural issues have become important subjects in the health care literature. The focus has now turned to international, collaborative, cross-national, and cross-cultural research, which is by far more demanding than domestic studies. In this commentary, we explore the methodological challenges, ethical issues, pitfalls, and practicalities within international research and offer possible solutions to address them. The commentary synthesizes contributions from four scholars in the field of health care management, who came together during the annual meeting of the Academy of Management to discuss with members of the Health Care Management Division the challenges of international research. International research is worth pursuing; however, it calls for scholarly attention to key methodological and ethical issues for its success. This commentary addresses salient issues pertaining to international research in one comprehensive account.

Progress in Methodologies for the Assessment of Passive Safety System Reliability in Advanced Reactors. Results from the Coordinated Research Project on Development of Advanced Methodologies for the Assessment of Passive Safety Systems Performance in Advanced Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-09-01

Strong reliance on inherent and passive design features has become a hallmark of many advanced reactor designs, including several evolutionary designs and nearly all advanced small and medium sized reactor (SMR) designs. Advanced nuclear reactor designs incorporate several passive systems in addition to active ones — not only to enhance the operational safety of the reactors but also to eliminate the possibility of serious accidents. Accordingly, the assessment of the reliability of passive safety systems is a crucial issue to be resolved before their extensive use in future nuclear power plants. Several physical parameters affect the performance of a passive safety system, and their values at the time of operation are unknown a priori. The functions of passive systems are based on basic physical laws and thermodynamic principals, and they may not experience the same kind of failures as active systems. Hence, consistent efforts are required to qualify the reliability of passive systems. To support the development of advanced nuclear reactor designs with passive systems, investigations into their reliability using various methodologies are being conducted in several Member States with advanced reactor development programmes. These efforts include reliability methods for passive systems by the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission, reliability evaluation of passive safety system by the University of Pisa, Italy, and assessment of passive system reliability by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India. These different approaches seem to demonstrate a consensus on some aspects. However, the developers of the approaches have been unable to agree on the definition of reliability in a passive system. Based on these developments and in order to foster collaboration, the IAEA initiated the Coordinated Research Project (CRP) on Development of Advanced Methodologies for the Assessment of Passive Safety Systems Performance in Advanced Reactors in 2008. The

Partial least squares path modeling basic concepts, methodological issues and applications

CERN Document Server

Noonan, Richard

2017-01-01

This edited book presents the recent developments in partial least squares-path modeling (PLS-PM) and provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of the most advanced research related to PLS-PM. The first section of this book emphasizes the basic concepts and extensions of the PLS-PM method. The second section discusses the methodological issues that are the focus of the recent development of the PLS-PM method. The third part discusses the real world application of the PLS-PM method in various disciplines. The contributions from expert authors in the field of PLS focus on topics such as the factor-based PLS-PM, the perfect match between a model and a mode, quantile composite-based path modeling (QC-PM), ordinal consistent partial least squares (OrdPLSc), non-symmetrical composite-based path modeling (NSCPM), modern view for mediation analysis in PLS-PM, a multi-method approach for identifying and treating unobserved heterogeneity, multigroup analysis (PLS-MGA), the assessment of the common method b...

METHODOLOGICAL PROBLEMS OF E-LEARNING DIDACTICS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey F. Sergeev

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to the discussion of the methodological problems of e-learning, didactic issues the use of advanced networking and Internet technologies to create training systems and simulators based on the methodological principles of non-classical and post-non-classical psychology and pedagogy. 

History and Methodology in a Nigerian University | Adesina ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

History and Methodology in a Nigerian University. ... AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search · USING AJOL · RESOURCES ... School of History), is the issue of methodology and in particular, the use of theories.

Methodological issues of postoperative cognitive dysfunction research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Funder, Kamilia S; Steinmetz, Jacob; Rasmussen, Lars S

2010-01-01

Postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) is a subtle impairment of memory, concentration, and speed of information processing. It is a frequent complication following surgery and can have a debilitating effect on patients' recovery and future prognosis. Neuropsychological testing is needed...... to reveal postoperative cognitive decline, and questionnaires are not useful for this purpose. There is a profound lack of consensus regarding the research methodology for detection of cognitive deterioration, especially the diagnostic criteria. Issues, such as baseline performance, learning effects...

Personality Assessment of Global Talent: Conceptual and Methodological Issues

Science.gov (United States)

van de Vijver, Fons J. R.

2008-01-01

The recruitment of managers who will operate in a culturally heterogeneous context (as expatriate managers, managers in a global company, or managers of a multicultural workforce) is increasingly important in an age of globalization. This article describes conceptual and methodological issues in the assessment of such managers, notably in the…

Economic evaluation in stratified medicine: methodological issues and challenges

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hans-Joerg eFugel

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Background: Stratified Medicine (SM is becoming a practical reality with the targeting of medicines by using a biomarker or genetic-based diagnostic to identify the eligible patient sub-population. Like any healthcare intervention, SM interventions have costs and consequences that must be considered by reimbursement authorities with limited resources. Methodological standards and guidelines exist for economic evaluations in clinical pharmacology and are an important component for health technology assessments (HTAs in many countries. However, these guidelines have initially been developed for traditional pharmaceuticals and not for complex interventions with multiple components. This raises the issue as to whether these guidelines are adequate to SM interventions or whether new specific guidance and methodology is needed to avoid inconsistencies and contradictory findings when assessing economic value in SM.Objective: This article describes specific methodological challenges when conducting health economic (HE evaluations for SM interventions and outlines potential modifications necessary to existing evaluation guidelines /principles that would promote consistent economic evaluations for SM.Results/Conclusions: Specific methodological aspects for SM comprise considerations on the choice of comparator, measuring effectiveness and outcomes, appropriate modelling structure and the scope of sensitivity analyses. Although current HE methodology can be applied for SM, greater complexity requires further methodology development and modifications in the guidelines.

Behavioral issues in operations management new trends in design, management, and methodologies

CERN Document Server

2013-01-01

Behavioral Operations Management  has been identified in the last years as one of the most promising emerging fields in Operations Management. Behavioral Issues in Operations Management  explains and examines up-to-date research in this field, which works to analyze the impact of human behavior on the management of complex operating systems.   A collection of studies from leading scholars presents different methodologies and approaches, supported by real data and case studies. Issues such as building trust and strong cooperative relationships with suppliers, enhancing motivation and designing proper incentives for stimulating more effective decision maker behaviours are considered. The main decision-making processes affected by behavioral issues are also analyzed with a focus on new product development, logistics, and supply chain integration.   The broad coverage of methodologies and practical implications makes Behavioral Issues in Operations Management an ideal reference for both researchers developing...

Sustainability of evidence-based healthcare: research agenda, methodological advances, and infrastructure support.

Science.gov (United States)

Proctor, Enola; Luke, Douglas; Calhoun, Annaliese; McMillen, Curtis; Brownson, Ross; McCrary, Stacey; Padek, Margaret

2015-06-11

Little is known about how well or under what conditions health innovations are sustained and their gains maintained once they are put into practice. Implementation science typically focuses on uptake by early adopters of one healthcare innovation at a time. The later-stage challenges of scaling up and sustaining evidence-supported interventions receive too little attention. This project identifies the challenges associated with sustainability research and generates recommendations for accelerating and strengthening this work. A multi-method, multi-stage approach, was used: (1) identifying and recruiting experts in sustainability as participants, (2) conducting research on sustainability using concept mapping, (3) action planning during an intensive working conference of sustainability experts to expand the concept mapping quantitative results, and (4) consolidating results into a set of recommendations for research, methodological advances, and infrastructure building to advance understanding of sustainability. Participants comprised researchers, funders, and leaders in health, mental health, and public health with shared interest in the sustainability of evidence-based health care. Prompted to identify important issues for sustainability research, participants generated 91 distinct statements, for which a concept mapping process produced 11 conceptually distinct clusters. During the conference, participants built upon the concept mapping clusters to generate recommendations for sustainability research. The recommendations fell into three domains: (1) pursue high priority research questions as a unified agenda on sustainability; (2) advance methods for sustainability research; (3) advance infrastructure to support sustainability research. Implementation science needs to pursue later-stage translation research questions required for population impact. Priorities include conceptual consistency and operational clarity for measuring sustainability, developing evidence

19 CFR 181.98 - Situations in which no NAFTA advance ruling may be issued.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... subpart. No advance ruling letter will be issued in regard to a completed transaction. (b) Pending matters... issue the requested advance ruling. In addition, no NAFTA advance ruling letter will be issued with... other court will not preclude the issuance of an advance ruling letter, provided neither Customs nor any...

Emerging issues and methodological advances in fisheries reproductive biology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lowerre-Barbieri, Susan K.; Brown-Peterson, Nancy J.; Murua, Hilario

2011-01-01

Although incorporating detailed reproductive data into all stock assessments is not a practical goal, the need to understand how reproductive biology affects population productivity is being increasingly recognized.More research focused on reproductive biology—coupled with a shift towards...... a resilience perspective in fisheries science—is resulting in challenges to many long-held assumptions; the emergence of important new issues; and identification of the need to improve data and methods used in reproductive studies. Typically, data for reproductive studies are based on an assessment of gonadal...... while introducing improved and new histological techniques. In this introduction, we address the following needs: (1) to employ standardization, thereby improving our ability to conduct comparative studies; (2) to better understand patterns of gonadal development and spawning events over time; and (3...

METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES OF CLINICAL TRIALS IN THE PEDIATRIC POPULATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.V. Topolyanskaya

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Conducting clinical trials on children population is a challenge both for organizers and pediatricians involved in trials. Difficulties in recruiting patients, a significant heterogenecity of the population, specific side reactions, difficulties in identifying the objective final points warrant the specific nature of designing clinical trials in pediatrics. The article illustrates key issues and methodology aspects: planning, design, control groups, patient recruitment. It stresses the need to carefully consider specific characteristics of a child’s system and multi-disciplinary approach involving a pediatrician at the early stages of planning, preliminary consultations with parent organizations, children and regulators.Key words: clinical trials, methodology, planning, design, patient recruitment, children. (Pediatric Pharmacology. – 2010; 7(5:6-10

Plant maintenance and advanced reactors issue, 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Agnihotri, Newal [ed.

2009-09-15

The focus of the September-October issue is on plant maintenance and advanced reactors. Major articles/reports in this issue include: Technologies of national importance, by Tsutomu Ohkubo, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Japan; Modeling and simulation advances brighten future nuclear power, by Hussein Khalil, Argonne National Laboratory, Energy and desalination projects, by Ratan Kumar Sinha, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India; A plant with simplified design, by John Higgins, GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy; A forward thinking design, by Ray Ganthner, AREVA; A passively safe design, by Ed Cummins, Westinghouse Electric Company; A market-ready design, by Ken Petrunik, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Canada; Generation IV Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems, by Jacques Bouchard, French Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique, France, and Ralph Bennett, Idaho National Laboratory; Innovative reactor designs, a report by IAEA, Vienna, Austria; Guidance for new vendors, by John Nakoski, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; Road map for future energy, by John Cleveland, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria; and, Vermont's largest source of electricity, by Tyler Lamberts, Entergy Nuclear Operations, Inc. The Industry Innovation article is titled Intelligent monitoring technology, by Chris Demars, Exelon Nuclear.

Body image in Brazil: recent advances in the state of knowledge and methodological issues

Science.gov (United States)

Laus, Maria Fernanda; Kakeshita, Idalina Shiraishi; Costa, Telma Maria Braga; Ferreira, Maria Elisa Caputo; Fortes, Leonardo de Sousa; Almeida, Sebastião Sousa

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE To analyze Brazilian literature on body image and the theoretical and methodological advances that have been made. METHODS A detailed review was undertaken of the Brazilian literature on body image, selecting published articles, dissertations and theses from the SciELO, SCOPUS, LILACS and PubMed databases and the CAPES thesis database. Google Scholar was also used. There was no start date for the search, which used the following search terms: “body image” AND “Brazil” AND “scale(s)”; “body image” AND “Brazil” AND “questionnaire(s)”; “body image” AND “Brazil” AND “instrument(s)”; “body image” limited to Brazil and “body image”. RESULTS The majority of measures available were intended to be used in college students, with half of them evaluating satisfaction/dissatisfaction with the body. Females and adolescents of both sexes were the most studied population. There has been a significant increase in the number of available instruments. Nevertheless, numerous published studies have used non-validated instruments, with much confusion in the use of the appropriate terms (e.g., perception, dissatisfaction, distortion). CONCLUSIONS Much more is needed to understand body image within the Brazilian population, especially in terms of evaluating different age groups and diversifying the components/dimensions assessed. However, interest in this theme is increasing, and important steps have been taken in a short space of time. PMID:24897056

Research methodological issues in evaluating herbal interventions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dipika Bansal

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Dipika Bansal, Debasish Hota, Amitava ChakrabartiPostgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, IndiaAbstract: Randomized controlled trials provide the best evidence, and is seen as the gold standard for allopathic research. Herbal therapies are not an integral part of conventional care although they are still used by patients in their health care management. These medicines need to be subjected to rigorous research to establish their effectiveness and safety. Clearly defined treatments are required and should be recorded in a manner that enables other suitably trained researchers to reproduce them reliably. Quality control of herbal products is also a prerequisite of credible clinical trials. Methodological strategies for investigating the herbal interventions and the issues regarding appropriate patient selection, randomization and blinding, placebo effects and choice of comparator, occupational standardization and the selection of appropriate study endpoints to prove efficacy are being discussed. This paper will review research options and propose some suggestions for future research design.Keywords: CAM research, herbal therapies, methodology, clinical trial

Making the Invisible Visible: A Methodological and a Substantive Issue

Science.gov (United States)

Dagley, Valerie

2004-01-01

This article discusses the issue of "making the invisible visible" from a methodological and a substantive viewpoint. The ideas emerged from a doctoral research study into individual target setting with middle ability students in an English secondary school. The students involved had been identified by assessments as "average"…

Argumentation in elementary science education: addressing methodological issues and conceptual understanding

Science.gov (United States)

Kaya, Ebru

2017-11-01

In this review essay I respond to issues raised in Mijung Kim and Wolff-Michael Roth's paper titled "Dialogical argumentation in elementary science classrooms", which presents a study dealing with dialogical argumentation in early elementary school classrooms. Since there is very limited research on lower primary school students' argumentation in school science, their paper makes a contribution to research on children's argumentation skills. In this response, I focus on two main issues to extend the discussion in Kim and Roth's paper: (a) methodological issues including conducting a quantitative study on children's argumentation levels and focusing on children's written argumentation in addition to their dialogical argumentation, and (b) investigating children's conceptual understanding along with their argumentation levels. Kim and Roth emphasize the difficulty in determining the level of children's argumentation through the Toulmin's Argument Pattern and lack of high level arguments by children due to their difficulties in writing texts. Regarding these methodological issues, I suggest designing quantitative research on coding children's argument levels because such research could potentially provide important findings on children's argumentation. Furthermore, I discuss alternative written products including posters, figures, or pictures generated by children in order to trace children's arguments, and finally articulating argumentation and conceptual understanding of children.

Contemporary Research on Parenting: Conceptual, Methodological, and Translational Issues

OpenAIRE

Power, Thomas G.; Sleddens, Ester F. C.; Berge, Jerica; Connell, Lauren; Govig, Bert; Hennessy, Erin; Liggett, Leanne; Mallan, Kimberley; Santa Maria, Diane; Odoms-Young, Angela; St. George, Sara M.

2013-01-01

Researchers over the last decade have documented the association between general parenting style and numerous factors related to childhood obesity (e.g., children's eating behaviors, physical activity, and weight status). Many recent childhood obesity prevention programs are family focused and designed to modify parenting behaviors thought to contribute to childhood obesity risk. This article presents a brief consideration of conceptual, methodological, and translational issues that can infor...

Muscle dysmorphia: methodological issues, implications for research.

Science.gov (United States)

Suffolk, Mark T; Dovey, Terence M; Goodwin, Huw; Meyer, Caroline

2013-01-01

Muscle dysmorphia is a male-dominated, body image-related psychological condition. Despite continued investigation, contention surrounds the nosological status of this disorder. The aim of this article was to review the literature on muscle dysmorphia to provide a qualitative account of methodological issues that may inhibit our understanding. Key areas relating to non-standardized participant groups, measuring instruments, and terminology were identified as potentially inhibiting symptom coherence and diagnostic reliability. New measuring instruments validated with clinical samples and carefully described participant groups, standardized terminology, and a greater emphasis on prospective longitudinal research with specific sub groups of the weight training community would be of interest to the field.

Methodological advances in predicting flow-induced dynamics of plants using mechanical-engineering theory.

Science.gov (United States)

de Langre, Emmanuel

2012-03-15

The modeling of fluid-structure interactions, such as flow-induced vibrations, is a well-developed field of mechanical engineering. Many methods exist, and it seems natural to apply them to model the behavior of plants, and potentially other cantilever-like biological structures, under flow. Overcoming this disciplinary divide, and the application of such models to biological systems, will significantly advance our understanding of ecological patterns and processes and improve our predictive capabilities. Nonetheless, several methodological issues must first be addressed, which I describe here using two practical examples that have strong similarities: one from agricultural sciences and the other from nuclear engineering. Very similar issues arise in both: individual and collective behavior, small and large space and time scales, porous modeling, standard and extreme events, trade-off between the surface of exchange and individual or collective risk of damage, variability, hostile environments and, in some aspects, evolution. The conclusion is that, although similar issues do exist, which need to be exploited in some detail, there is a significant gap that requires new developments. It is obvious that living plants grow in and adapt to their environment, which certainly makes plant biomechanics fundamentally distinct from classical mechanical engineering. Moreover, the selection processes in biology and in human engineering are truly different, making the issue of safety different as well. A thorough understanding of these similarities and differences is needed to work efficiently in the application of a mechanistic approach to ecology.

Integrating rock mechanics issues with repository design through design process principles and methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bieniawski, Z.T.

1996-01-01

A good designer needs not only knowledge for designing (technical know-how that is used to generate alternative design solutions) but also must have knowledge about designing (appropriate principles and systematic methodology to follow). Concepts such as open-quotes design for manufactureclose quotes or open-quotes concurrent engineeringclose quotes are widely used in the industry. In the field of rock engineering, only limited attention has been paid to the design process because design of structures in rock masses presents unique challenges to the designers as a result of the uncertainties inherent in characterization of geologic media. However, a stage has now been reached where we are be able to sufficiently characterize rock masses for engineering purposes and identify the rock mechanics issues involved but are still lacking engineering design principles and methodology to maximize our design performance. This paper discusses the principles and methodology of the engineering design process directed to integrating site characterization activities with design, construction and performance of an underground repository. Using the latest information from the Yucca Mountain Project on geology, rock mechanics and starter tunnel design, the current lack of integration is pointed out and it is shown how rock mechanics issues can be effectively interwoven with repository design through a systematic design process methodology leading to improved repository performance. In essence, the design process is seen as the use of design principles within an integrating design methodology, leading to innovative problem solving. In particular, a new concept of open-quotes Design for Constructibility and Performanceclose quotes is introduced. This is discussed with respect to ten rock mechanics issues identified for repository design and performance

Research on Evaluation Methodology for High Temperature Components and Technical Issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y.J.; Han, S.B.

2007-03-01

The research on evaluation methodology for high temperature components and technical issues includes the comparison of evaluation technology of Very High Temperature Reactors(VHTRs) with that of present commercial reactors, the review of Hot Gas Duct(HGD) insulation designs, the analysis of the codes related to VHTR component construction and the analysis of technical issues on application of present codes to HGD construction. Codes to assure the integrity of the VHTR components are not fully prepared yet in any country. To understand the evaluation technology of the VHTR-related codes, key requirements of ASME B and PV Code Section III, Subsection NB and NH were compared. Six kinds of HGD designs were reviewed and compared. A reference which analyzed seven kinds of present component codes were reviewed and the limitations of them were summarized. Especially it was found that the selection of materials is limited, material property data are not enough, and design analysis methodology is not fully specified

Diabetes and end of life: ethical and methodological issues in gathering evidence to guide care.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunning, Trisha; Duggan, Nicole; Savage, Sally; Martin, Peter

2013-03-01

Providing palliative care for people with diabetes at the end of life is part of the chronic disease care trajectory, but end of life care is complex and the presence of diabetes further complicates management. The aim of the paper is to discuss the ethical and methodological issues encountered when undertaking research to develop guidelines for managing diabetes at the end of life and the strategies used to address the issues. The issues emerged as we developed guidelines for managing diabetes at the end of life, which included conducting individual interviews with 14 people with diabetes requiring palliative care and 10 family members. A reflexive researcher journal was maintained throughout the guideline development process. The interview transcripts and researcher's journal were analysed to determine key methodological, ethical and researcher-related issues. Key themes were vulnerability of the sampling population, methodological issues included recruiting participants and ensuring rigor, ethical issues concerned benefit and risk, justice, autonomy, privacy, professional boundaries and informed consent. Researcher-related issues were identified such as managing participant distress and their own emotional distress. People were willing to discuss end of life diabetes management preferences. Undertaking research with people at the end of life is complex because of their vulnerability and the ethical issues involved. However, the ethical principles of autonomy and justice apply and people should be given the relevant information and opportunity to decide whether to participate or not. © 2012 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Regional issue identification and assessment: study methodology. First annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1980-01-01

The overall assessment methodologies and models utilized for the first project under the Regional Issue Identification and Assessment (RIIA) program are described. Detailed descriptions are given of the methodologies used by lead laboratories for the quantification of the impacts of an energy scenario on one or more media (e.g., air, water, land, human and ecology), and by all laboratories to assess the regional impacts on all media. The research and assessments reflected in this document were performed by the following national laboratories: Argonne National Laboratory; Brookhaven National Laboratory; Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory; Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory; Oak Ridge National Laboratory; and Pacific Northwest Laboratory. This report contains five chapters. Chapter 1 briefly describes the overall study methodology and introduces the technical participants. Chapter 2 is a summary of the energy policy scenario selected for the RIIA I study and Chapter 3 describes how this scenario was translated into a county-level siting pattern of energy development. The fourth chapter is a detailed description of the individual methodologies used to quantify the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the scenario while Chapter 5 describes how these impacts were translated into comprehensive regional assessments for each Federal Region.

Design methodology for fault-tolerant control of advanced driver assistance systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gietelink, O.J.; Ploeg, J.; Schutter, B. de; Verhaegen, M.H.G.

2003-01-01

The objective of this project is to develop a methodology for the design, testing, evaluation and implementation of control systems for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Examples of ADAS are collision avoidance systems, lane departure warning systems, pre-crash sensing, and adaptive cruise

Methodological Issues in Questionnaire Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Youngshin; Son, Youn Jung; Oh, Doonam

2015-06-01

The process of designing a questionnaire is complicated. Many questionnaires on nursing phenomena have been developed and used by nursing researchers. The purpose of this paper was to discuss questionnaire design and factors that should be considered when using existing scales. Methodological issues were discussed, such as factors in the design of questions, steps in developing questionnaires, wording and formatting methods for items, and administrations methods. How to use existing scales, how to facilitate cultural adaptation, and how to prevent socially desirable responding were discussed. Moreover, the triangulation method in questionnaire development was introduced. Steps were recommended for designing questions such as appropriately operationalizing key concepts for the target population, clearly formatting response options, generating items and confirming final items through face or content validity, sufficiently piloting the questionnaire using item analysis, demonstrating reliability and validity, finalizing the scale, and training the administrator. Psychometric properties and cultural equivalence should be evaluated prior to administration when using an existing questionnaire and performing cultural adaptation. In the context of well-defined nursing phenomena, logical and systematic methods will contribute to the development of simple and precise questionnaires.

Advanced CFD simulation for the assessment of nuclear safety issues at EDF. Some examples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vare, Christophe

2014-01-01

EDF R and D has computer power that puts it amongst the top industrial research centers in the world. Its supercomputers and in-house codes as well as its experts represent important capabilities to support EDF activities (safety analyses, support to the design of new reactors, analysis of accidental situations non reproducible by experiments, better understanding of physics or complex system response, effects of uncertainties and identification of prominent parameters, qualification and optimization of processes and materials...). Advanced numerical simulation is a powerful tool allowing EDF to increase its competitiveness, improve its performance and the safety of its plants. On this issue, EDF made the choice to develop its own in-house codes, instead of using commercial software, in order to be able to capitalize its expertise and methodologies. This choice allowed as well easier technological transfer to the concerned business units or engineering divisions, fast adaptation of our simulation tools to emerging needs and the development of specific physics or functionalities not addressed by the commercial offer. During the last ten years, EDF has decided to open its in-house codes, through the Open Source way. This is the case for Code – Aster (structure analysis), Code – Saturne (computational fluid dynamics, CFD), TELEMAC (flow calculations in aquatic environment), SALOME (generic platform for Pre and Post-Processing) and SYRTHES (heat transfer in complex geometries), among others. The 3 open source software: Code – Aster, Code – Saturne and TELEMAC, are certified by the French Nuclear Regulatory Authority for many «Important to Safety» studies. Advanced simulation, which treats complex, multi-field and multi-physics problems, is of great importance for the assessment of nuclear safety issues. This paper will present 2 examples of advanced simulation using Code – Saturne for safety issues of nuclear power plants in the fields of R and D and

Editorial : Special Issue on Advances in Computer Entertainment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Romão, Teresa; Nijholt, Anton; Cheok, Adrian David

2015-01-01

This special issue of the International Journal of Arts and Technology comprises a selection of papers from ACE 2012, the 9th International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment (Nijholt et al., 2012). ACE is the leading scientific forum for the dissemination of cutting-edge research

Introduction to the Special Issue on Advancing Methods for Analyzing Dialect Variation.

Science.gov (United States)

Clopper, Cynthia G

2017-07-01

Documenting and analyzing dialect variation is traditionally the domain of dialectology and sociolinguistics. However, modern approaches to acoustic analysis of dialect variation have their roots in Peterson and Barney's [(1952). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 24, 175-184] foundational work on the acoustic analysis of vowels that was published in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America (JASA) over 6 decades ago. Although Peterson and Barney (1952) were not primarily concerned with dialect variation, their methods laid the groundwork for the acoustic methods that are still used by scholars today to analyze vowel variation within and across languages. In more recent decades, a number of methodological advances in the study of vowel variation have been published in JASA, including work on acoustic vowel overlap and vowel normalization. The goal of this special issue was to honor that tradition by bringing together a set of papers describing the application of emerging acoustic, articulatory, and computational methods to the analysis of dialect variation in vowels and beyond.

Safety issues on advanced fuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gross, H.; Krebs, W.D. [Siemens AG, Bereich Energieerzeugug (KWU), Erlangen (Germany). Geschaeftsgebiet Nukleare Energieerzeugung

1998-05-01

In the recent years a general discussion has started whether unsolved safety issues are related to advanced fuel. Advanced fuel is in this context a summary of features like high burnup, improved clad materials, low leakage loading pattern with high peaking factors etc. The design basis accidents RIA and Loca are of special interest for this discussion. From the Siemens point of view RIA is not a safety issue. There are sufficient margins between the enthalpy rise calculated by modern 3D methods and the fuel failures which occurred in RIA simulation tests when the effect of pulse width is taken into account. The evaluation of possible uncertainties for the established Loca criteria (17% equivalent corrosion, 1200 C clad temperature) for high burnup makes sense. But fuel with high burnup has significantly lower peaking factors than fuel with lower burnup. This gives sufficient margin counterbalancing possible uncertainties. In contrast to the above incomplete control rod insertion at higher burnup is potentially a real safety issue. Although Siemens fuel was not affected by the reported incidents they addressed the problem and checked that they have sufficient design margin for their fuel. (orig.) [Deutsch] In den letzten Jahren hat eine allgemeine Diskussion begonnen, ob mit fortgeschrittenen Brennelementen (BE) ungeklaerte Sicherheitsprobleme verbunden sind. Dabei ist `Fortgeschrittene Brennelemente` ein Sammelbegriff fuer hohe Abbraende, verbesserte Huellrohrmaterialien, Low-leakage-Einsatzplanungen mit hohen Heissstellenfaktoren usw. Die Auslegungsstoerfaelle RIA und Loca sind in dieser Diskussion von besonderer Bedeutung. Aus der Sicht von Siemens ist der RIA kein Sicherheitsproblem. Zwischen den mit modernen 3D-Methoden berechneten Enthalpieerhoehungen und den in RIA-Experimenten aufgetretenen Brennstabdefekten bestehen ausreichende Abstaende, wenn der Einfluss der Pulsbreite beruecksichtigt wird. Die Untersuchung eventueller Unsicherheiten bei hohen

Advanced Fuel Cycle Economic Tools, Algorithms, and Methodologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David E. Shropshire

2009-05-01

The Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) Systems Analysis supports engineering economic analyses and trade-studies, and requires a requisite reference cost basis to support adequate analysis rigor. In this regard, the AFCI program has created a reference set of economic documentation. The documentation consists of the “Advanced Fuel Cycle (AFC) Cost Basis” report (Shropshire, et al. 2007), “AFCI Economic Analysis” report, and the “AFCI Economic Tools, Algorithms, and Methodologies Report.” Together, these documents provide the reference cost basis, cost modeling basis, and methodologies needed to support AFCI economic analysis. The application of the reference cost data in the cost and econometric systems analysis models will be supported by this report. These methodologies include: the energy/environment/economic evaluation of nuclear technology penetration in the energy market—domestic and internationally—and impacts on AFCI facility deployment, uranium resource modeling to inform the front-end fuel cycle costs, facility first-of-a-kind to nth-of-a-kind learning with application to deployment of AFCI facilities, cost tradeoffs to meet nuclear non-proliferation requirements, and international nuclear facility supply/demand analysis. The economic analysis will be performed using two cost models. VISION.ECON will be used to evaluate and compare costs under dynamic conditions, consistent with the cases and analysis performed by the AFCI Systems Analysis team. Generation IV Excel Calculations of Nuclear Systems (G4-ECONS) will provide static (snapshot-in-time) cost analysis and will provide a check on the dynamic results. In future analysis, additional AFCI measures may be developed to show the value of AFCI in closing the fuel cycle. Comparisons can show AFCI in terms of reduced global proliferation (e.g., reduction in enrichment), greater sustainability through preservation of a natural resource (e.g., reduction in uranium ore depletion), value from

Modeling performance measurement applications and implementation issues in DEA

CERN Document Server

Cook, Wade D

2005-01-01

Addresses advanced/new DEA methodology and techniques that are developed for modeling unique and new performance evaluation issuesPesents new DEA methodology and techniques via discussions on how to solve managerial problemsProvides an easy-to-use DEA software - DEAFrontier (www.deafrontier.com) which is an excellent tool for both DEA researchers and practitioners.

Dryland ecohydrology and climate change: critical issues and technical advances

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Wang

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Drylands cover about 40% of the terrestrial land surface and account for approximately 40% of global net primary productivity. Water is fundamental to the biophysical processes that sustain ecosystem function and food production, particularly in drylands where a tight coupling exists between ecosystem productivity, surface energy balance, biogeochemical cycles, and water resource availability. Currently, drylands support at least 2 billion people and comprise both natural and managed ecosystems. In this synthesis, we identify some current critical issues in the understanding of dryland systems and discuss how arid and semiarid environments are responding to the changes in climate and land use. The issues range from societal aspects such as rapid population growth, the resulting food and water security, and development issues, to natural aspects such as ecohydrological consequences of bush encroachment and the causes of desertification. To improve current understanding and inform upon the needed research efforts to address these critical issues, we identify some recent technical advances in terms of monitoring dryland water dynamics, water budget and vegetation water use, with a focus on the use of stable isotopes and remote sensing. These technological advances provide new tools that assist in addressing critical issues in dryland ecohydrology under climate change.

Advanced Power Plant Development and Analyses Methodologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G.S. Samuelsen; A.D. Rao

2006-02-06

Under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory, a multi-disciplinary team led by the Advanced Power and Energy Program of the University of California at Irvine is defining the system engineering issues associated with the integration of key components and subsystems into advanced power plant systems with goals of achieving high efficiency and minimized environmental impact while using fossil fuels. These power plant concepts include ''Zero Emission'' power plants and the ''FutureGen'' H{sub 2} co-production facilities. The study is broken down into three phases. Phase 1 of this study consisted of utilizing advanced technologies that are expected to be available in the ''Vision 21'' time frame such as mega scale fuel cell based hybrids. Phase 2 includes current state-of-the-art technologies and those expected to be deployed in the nearer term such as advanced gas turbines and high temperature membranes for separating gas species and advanced gasifier concepts. Phase 3 includes identification of gas turbine based cycles and engine configurations suitable to coal-based gasification applications and the conceptualization of the balance of plant technology, heat integration, and the bottoming cycle for analysis in a future study. Also included in Phase 3 is the task of acquiring/providing turbo-machinery in order to gather turbo-charger performance data that may be used to verify simulation models as well as establishing system design constraints. The results of these various investigations will serve as a guide for the U. S. Department of Energy in identifying the research areas and technologies that warrant further support.

Advanced Power Plant Development and Analysis Methodologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

A.D. Rao; G.S. Samuelsen; F.L. Robson; B. Washom; S.G. Berenyi

2006-06-30

Under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Energy/National Energy Technology Laboratory, a multi-disciplinary team led by the Advanced Power and Energy Program of the University of California at Irvine is defining the system engineering issues associated with the integration of key components and subsystems into advanced power plant systems with goals of achieving high efficiency and minimized environmental impact while using fossil fuels. These power plant concepts include 'Zero Emission' power plants and the 'FutureGen' H2 co-production facilities. The study is broken down into three phases. Phase 1 of this study consisted of utilizing advanced technologies that are expected to be available in the 'Vision 21' time frame such as mega scale fuel cell based hybrids. Phase 2 includes current state-of-the-art technologies and those expected to be deployed in the nearer term such as advanced gas turbines and high temperature membranes for separating gas species and advanced gasifier concepts. Phase 3 includes identification of gas turbine based cycles and engine configurations suitable to coal-based gasification applications and the conceptualization of the balance of plant technology, heat integration, and the bottoming cycle for analysis in a future study. Also included in Phase 3 is the task of acquiring/providing turbo-machinery in order to gather turbo-charger performance data that may be used to verify simulation models as well as establishing system design constraints. The results of these various investigations will serve as a guide for the U. S. Department of Energy in identifying the research areas and technologies that warrant further support.

Was Feyerabend a Popperian? Methodological issues in the History of the Philosophy of Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Collodel, Matteo

2016-06-01

For more than three decades, there has been significant debate about the relation between Feyerabend and Popper. The discussion has been nurtured and complicated by the rift that opened up between the two and by the later Feyerabend's controversial portrayal of his earlier self. The first part of the paper provides an overview of the accounts of the relation that have been proposed over the years, disentangles the problems they deal with, and analyses the evidence supporting their conclusions as well as the methodological approaches used to process that evidence. Rather than advancing a further speculative account of the relation based on Feyerabend's philosophical work or autobiographical recollections, the second part of the paper strives to clarify the problems at issue by making use of a wider range of evidence. It outlines a historical reconstruction of the social context within which Feyerabend's intellectual trajectory developed, putting a special emphasis on the interplay between the perceived intellectual identity of Feyerabend, Feyerabend's own intellectual self-concept, and the peculiar features of the evolving Popperian research group. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Essential methodological considerations when using grounded theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Achora, Susan; Matua, Gerald Amandu

2016-07-01

To suggest important methodological considerations when using grounded theory. A research method widely used in nursing research is grounded theory, at the centre of which is theory construction. However, researchers still struggle with some of its methodological issues. Although grounded theory is widely used to study and explain issues in nursing practice, many researchers are still failing to adhere to its rigorous standards. Researchers should articulate the focus of their investigations - the substantive area of interest as well as the focal population. This should be followed by a succinct explanation of the strategies used to collect and analyse data, supported by clear coding processes. Finally, the resolution of the core issues, including the core category and related categories, should be explained to advance readers' understanding. Researchers should endeavour to understand the tenets of grounded theory. This enables 'neophytes' in particular to make methodological decisions that will improve their studies' rigour and fit with grounded theory. This paper complements the current dialogue on improving the understanding of grounded theory methodology in nursing research. The paper also suggests important procedural decisions researchers need to make to preserve their studies' scientific merit and fit with grounded theory.

Application of a methodology to determine priorities for nuclear power plant safety issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daling, P.M.

1988-01-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research (RES) is sponsoring a research program to determine priorities of nuclear power plant safety issues. A methodology has been developed at the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) to provide technical assistance in the development of risk and cost estimates for implementing resolutions to the safety issues. The information development methods are intended to provide the NRC with a consistent level of information for use in ranking the issues. The NRC uses this information, along with judgmental factors, to rank the issues for further consideration by the NRC staff. The primary purpose of the priority rankings are to assist in the allocation of resources to issues that have high potential for reducing public risk as well as to remove issues from further consideration that have little safety significance

41 CFR 301-71.302 - For how long may we issue a travel advance?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... issue a travel advance? 301-71.302 Section 301-71.302 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Travel Regulation System TEMPORARY DUTY (TDY) TRAVEL ALLOWANCES AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES 71-AGENCY TRAVEL ACCOUNTABILITY REQUIREMENTS Accounting for Travel Advances § 301-71.302 For how long may we issue a travel...

Methodological issues of genetic association studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Simundic, Ana-Maria

2010-12-01

Genetic association studies explore the association between genetic polymorphisms and a certain trait, disease or predisposition to disease. It has long been acknowledged that many genetic association studies fail to replicate their initial positive findings. This raises concern about the methodological quality of these reports. Case-control genetic association studies often suffer from various methodological flaws in study design and data analysis, and are often reported poorly. Flawed methodology and poor reporting leads to distorted results and incorrect conclusions. Many journals have adopted guidelines for reporting genetic association studies. In this review, some major methodological determinants of genetic association studies will be discussed.

Cultural Adaptations: Conceptual, Ethical, Contextual, and Methodological Issues for Working with Ethnocultural and Majority-World Populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernal, Guillermo; Adames, Cristina

2017-08-01

Mayor advancements have been achieved in research on the cultural adaptation of prevention and treatment interventions that are conducted with diverse ethnocultural groups. This commentary addresses conceptual, ethical, contextual, and methodological issues related to cultural adaptations. The articles in this special issue represent a major contribution to the study of cultural adaptations in prevention science. We frame our analysis of fidelity to core intervention components using a conceptual approach that examines (a) the propositional model (theory of change), (b) the procedural model (theory of action, methods), and (c) the philosophical assumptions that undergird these models. Regarding ethics, we caution against imposing the norms, values, and world views of the Western dominant society onto vulnerable populations such as ethnocultural groups. Given that the assumption of universality in behavioral science has been questioned, and as randomized clinical trials (RCTs) seldom examine the ecological validity of evidence-based interventions and treatments (EBI/T), imposing such interventions onto ethnocultural groups is problematic since these interventions contain values, norms, beliefs, and worldviews that may be contrary to those held by many ethnocultural groups. Regarding methods, several innovative designs are discussed that serve as alternatives to the RCT and represent an important contribution to prevention science. Also, we discuss guidelines for conducting cultural adaptations. Finally, the articles in this special issue make a major contribution to the growing field of cultural adaptation of preventive interventions with ethnocultural groups and majority-world populations.

Advanced planning methodologies in food supply chains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farahani, Poorya

in strategic, tactical, and operational studies, aiming to explain how several key food distribution planning challenges have been dealt with in the Operations Management literature. The next two chapters discuss specific production and distribution planning problems from the foodservice sector. Generic......The food industry is an important sector both because of its direct impacts on the daily lives of people and its large share of GDP compared with other economic sectors. This thesis discusses and develops advanced planning methodologies to optimize operations in food supply chains. From a supply...... chain perspective, this thesis mainly focuses on the part of the chain which starts from the food processing industry: the food processing industry, the distribution industry, and final consumers. In the second chapter of this thesis, a thorough review is presented classifying the related contributions...

Extraction of human factors issues caused by application of the advanced HSI technology and development of human factor issue management system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suh, Sang Moon; Lee, Jung Woon; Park, Jae Chang; Oh, In Seok [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

1999-01-01

A comprehensive literature survey was performed in this study to collect human performance issues related to the advanced HSI design features. The literature from not only nuclear industry but also other industries was collected and reviewed. The issues were categorized into the following advanced HSI design features: devices characteristics, levels of automation, information design and management, display management, computerized controls, alarm systems, computerized procedures, staffing and crew coordination, and operator support systems. The classified issues were described with the description framework. Then, the relationship of issues to HSI design process such as human factors analyses, human factors design, and human factors verification and validation was investigated. Finally, the issue management system of server-client environment was developed using Microsoft's Active Server Page technology and Access 97. (author). 18 refs., 6 figs.

Methodological proposal for the jotted issue of the first epoch of the Hero magazine.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maité García Díaz

2013-07-01

Full Text Available During the neocolonial republic emerges in Sancti Spiritus a very significative magazine of artistic, literary and scientific sketch: Hero, founded by Jacinto Gomer Fernández-Morera and Anastacio Fernández-Morera del Castillo, it first appeared on December 20th 1907. This issue constitutes a vivid reflect of the commercial, literary, cultural, scientific and historic panorama and above all, of the life of the middle and high class in Sancti Spiritus at the beginning of the XX century. The need to divulge the advantage the texts of Hero constitute for the high school and university students, also to humanistic profile graduates and others, such as investigators, evidenced the need to carry out an investigation that pursued such purposes. That’s why the methodological proposal for the jotted issue of the first epoch of the Hero magazine (1907-1908 takes place, composed by 38 publications, departing from the fundamental theorizations about the jotted issue of the presentation of the methodological proposal on behalf of updating these publication texts for its potential readers.

Advanced Categorical Statistics: Issues and Applications in Communication Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Denham, Bryan E.

2002-01-01

Discusses not only the procedures, assumptions, and applications of advanced categorical statistics, but also covers some common misapplications, from which a great deal can be learned. Addresses the use and limitations of cross-tabulation and chi-square analysis, as well as issues such as observation independence and artificial inflation of a…

Evaluation of speech errors in Putonghua speakers with cleft palate: a critical review of methodology issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chenghui; Whitehill, Tara L

2014-04-01

Speech errors associated with cleft palate are well established for English and several other Indo-European languages. Few articles describing the speech of Putonghua (standard Mandarin Chinese) speakers with cleft palate have been published in English language journals. Although methodological guidelines have been published for the perceptual speech evaluation of individuals with cleft palate, there has been no critical review of methodological issues in studies of Putonghua speakers with cleft palate. A literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies published over the past 30 years in Chinese language journals. Only studies incorporating perceptual analysis of speech were included. Thirty-seven articles which met inclusion criteria were analyzed and coded on a number of methodological variables. Reliability was established by having all variables recoded for all studies. This critical review identified many methodological issues. These design flaws make it difficult to draw reliable conclusions about characteristic speech errors in this group of speakers. Specific recommendations are made to improve the reliability and validity of future studies, as well to facilitate cross-center comparisons.

Methodological issues in studies of air pollution and reproductive health.

Science.gov (United States)

Woodruff, Tracey J; Parker, Jennifer D; Darrow, Lyndsey A; Slama, Rémy; Bell, Michelle L; Choi, Hyunok; Glinianaia, Svetlana; Hoggatt, Katherine J; Karr, Catherine J; Lobdell, Danelle T; Wilhelm, Michelle

2009-04-01

In the past decade there have been an increasing number of scientific studies describing possible effects of air pollution on perinatal health. These papers have mostly focused on commonly monitored air pollutants, primarily ozone (O(3)), particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO(2)), carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), and various indices of perinatal health, including fetal growth, pregnancy duration, and infant mortality. While most published studies have found some marker of air pollution related to some types of perinatal outcomes, variability exists in the nature of the pollutants and outcomes associated. Synthesis of the findings has been difficult for various reasons, including differences in study design and analysis. A workshop was held in September 2007 to discuss methodological differences in the published studies as a basis for understanding differences in study findings and to identify priorities for future research, including novel approaches for existing data. Four broad topic areas were considered: confounding and effect modification, spatial and temporal exposure variations, vulnerable windows of exposure, and multiple pollutants. Here we present a synopsis of the methodological issues and challenges in each area and make recommendations for future study. Two key recommendations include: (1) parallel analyses of existing data sets using a standardized methodological approach to disentangle true differences in associations from methodological differences among studies; and (2) identification of animal studies to inform important mechanistic research gaps. This work is of critical public health importance because of widespread exposure and because perinatal outcomes are important markers of future child and adult health.

Methodological Issues in Online Qualitative Consumer Behavior Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Žaneta Paunksnienė

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to reveal and discuss the methodological issues related to online qualitative consumer behavior research. A number of methodological issues are examined, related with the online qualitative research on consumer in-store emotional experience implemented by the authors. It is concluded that the Internet is becoming an increasingly attractive environment for consumer behavior research. A large part of scholars use the Internet as a medium for data collection and analysis. At the same time, researchers study the Internet as a source of information about consumer preferences, their virtual communities, prevailing relationships, traditions and attitudes. The Internet is analyzed as a phenomenon in itself, too. In this article, the Internet is analyzed as a tool for communicating with research participants, and collecting, storing and analyzing data. In general, qualitative inquiry is characterized by contextual and naturalistic approach to the study of objects and processes. Therefore, decision to carry out qualitative study in virtual environment must take additional strategic and tactical solutions. Most often, researchers need to decide about the mode of communication that solves time management, spontaneity and security problems. It is also relevant to sampling and its contents. Different solutions from quantitative studies are required in ensuring the ethics and quality of the study. During the analysis of the qualitative data collected through the Internet, mostly in a form of computer communication language (text, specific characteristics, such as backspacing and correction during the communication that impact spontaneity rate, the absence of non-verbal language, etc., are necessary to be taken into accountIt is concluded that all the above-mentioned issues must be addressed individually to the research topic, object, aim, research problem and the specifics of the respondents. When deciding about the method of

Recent New Methodologies for Acetylenic Polymers with Advanced Functionalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Zijie; Han, Ting; Lam, Jacky W Y; Tang, Ben Zhong

2017-08-01

Polymers synthesized from acetylenic monomers often possess electronically unsaturated fused rings and thus show versatile optoelectronic properties and advanced functionalities. To expand the family of acetylenic polymers, development of new catalyst systems and synthetic routes is critically important. We summarize herein recent research progress on development of new methodologies towards functional polymers using alkyne building blocks since 2014. The polymerizations are categorized by the number of monomer components, namely homopolymerizations, two-component polymerizations, and multicomponent polymerizations. The properties and applications of acetylenic polymers, such as aggregation-induced emission, fluorescent photopatterning, light refraction, chemosensing, mechanochromism, chain helicity, etc., are also discussed.

Soft System Methodology as a Tool to Understand Issues of Governmental Affordable Housing Programme of India: A Case Study Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Sukanya; Roy, Souvanic; Sanyal, Manas Kumar

2016-09-01

With the help of a case study, the article has explored current practices of implementation of governmental affordable housing programme for urban poor in a slum of India. This work shows that the issues associated with the problems of governmental affordable housing programme has to be addressed to with a suitable methodology as complexities are not only dealing with quantitative data but qualitative data also. The Hard System Methodologies (HSM), which is conventionally applied to address the issues, deals with real and known problems which can be directly solved. Since most of the issues of affordable housing programme as found in the case study are subjective and complex in nature, Soft System Methodology (SSM) has been tried for better representation from subjective points of views. The article explored drawing of Rich Picture as an SSM approach for better understanding and analysing complex issues and constraints of affordable housing programme so that further exploration of the issues is possible.

Advanced quantitative measurement methodology in physics education research

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jing

The ultimate goal of physics education research (PER) is to develop a theoretical framework to understand and improve the learning process. In this journey of discovery, assessment serves as our headlamp and alpenstock. It sometimes detects signals in student mental structures, and sometimes presents the difference between expert understanding and novice understanding. Quantitative assessment is an important area in PER. Developing research-based effective assessment instruments and making meaningful inferences based on these instruments have always been important goals of the PER community. Quantitative studies are often conducted to provide bases for test development and result interpretation. Statistics are frequently used in quantitative studies. The selection of statistical methods and interpretation of the results obtained by these methods shall be connected to the education background. In this connecting process, the issues of educational models are often raised. Many widely used statistical methods do not make assumptions on the mental structure of subjects, nor do they provide explanations tailored to the educational audience. There are also other methods that consider the mental structure and are tailored to provide strong connections between statistics and education. These methods often involve model assumption and parameter estimation, and are complicated mathematically. The dissertation provides a practical view of some advanced quantitative assessment methods. The common feature of these methods is that they all make educational/psychological model assumptions beyond the minimum mathematical model. The purpose of the study is to provide a comparison between these advanced methods and the pure mathematical methods. The comparison is based on the performance of the two types of methods under physics education settings. In particular, the comparison uses both physics content assessments and scientific ability assessments. The dissertation includes three

Guest editorial preface : Special Issue on Advances in Computer Entertainment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijholt, Anton; Romão, Teresa; Cheok, Adrian D.

2013-01-01

This special issue of the International Journal of Creative Interfaces and Computer Graphics contains a selection of papers from ACE 2012, the 9th International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment (Nijholt et al., 2012). ACE is the leading scientific forum for dissemination of

Improved best estimate plus uncertainty methodology including advanced validation concepts to license evolving nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unal, Cetin; Williams, Brian; McClure, Patrick; Nelson, Ralph A.

2010-01-01

Many evolving nuclear energy programs plan to use advanced predictive multi-scale multi-physics simulation and modeling capabilities to reduce cost and time from design through licensing. Historically, the role of experiments was primary tool for design and understanding of nuclear system behavior while modeling and simulation played the subordinate role of supporting experiments. In the new era of multi-scale multi-physics computational based technology development, the experiments will still be needed but they will be performed at different scales to calibrate and validate models leading predictive simulations. Cost saving goals of programs will require us to minimize the required number of validation experiments. Utilization of more multi-scale multi-physics models introduces complexities in the validation of predictive tools. Traditional methodologies will have to be modified to address these arising issues. This paper lays out the basic aspects of a methodology that can be potentially used to address these new challenges in design and licensing of evolving nuclear technology programs. The main components of the proposed methodology are verification, validation, calibration, and uncertainty quantification. An enhanced calibration concept is introduced and is accomplished through data assimilation. The goal is to enable best-estimate prediction of system behaviors in both normal and safety related environments. To achieve this goal requires the additional steps of estimating the domain of validation and quantification of uncertainties that allow for extension of results to areas of the validation domain that are not directly tested with experiments, which might include extension of the modeling and simulation (M and S) capabilities for application to full-scale systems. The new methodology suggests a formalism to quantify an adequate level of validation (predictive maturity) with respect to required selective data so that required testing can be minimized for

Improved best estimate plus uncertainty methodology including advanced validation concepts to license evolving nuclear reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Unal, Cetin [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Williams, Brian [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Mc Clure, Patrick [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Nelson, Ralph A [IDAHO NATIONAL LAB

2010-01-01

Many evolving nuclear energy programs plan to use advanced predictive multi-scale multi-physics simulation and modeling capabilities to reduce cost and time from design through licensing. Historically, the role of experiments was primary tool for design and understanding of nuclear system behavior while modeling and simulation played the subordinate role of supporting experiments. In the new era of multi-scale multi-physics computational based technology development, the experiments will still be needed but they will be performed at different scales to calibrate and validate models leading predictive simulations. Cost saving goals of programs will require us to minimize the required number of validation experiments. Utilization of more multi-scale multi-physics models introduces complexities in the validation of predictive tools. Traditional methodologies will have to be modified to address these arising issues. This paper lays out the basic aspects of a methodology that can be potentially used to address these new challenges in design and licensing of evolving nuclear technology programs. The main components of the proposed methodology are verification, validation, calibration, and uncertainty quantification. An enhanced calibration concept is introduced and is accomplished through data assimilation. The goal is to enable best-estimate prediction of system behaviors in both normal and safety related environments. To achieve this goal requires the additional steps of estimating the domain of validation and quantification of uncertainties that allow for extension of results to areas of the validation domain that are not directly tested with experiments, which might include extension of the modeling and simulation (M&S) capabilities for application to full-scale systems. The new methodology suggests a formalism to quantify an adequate level of validation (predictive maturity) with respect to required selective data so that required testing can be minimized for cost

Protecting prisoners' autonomy with advance directives: ethical dilemmas and policy issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Andorno, Roberto; Shaw, David M; Elger, Bernice

2015-02-01

Over the last decade, several European countries and the Council of Europe itself have strongly supported the use of advance directives as a means of protecting patients' autonomy, and adopted specific norms to regulate this matter. However, it remains unclear under which conditions those regulations should apply to people who are placed in correctional settings. The issue is becoming more significant due to the increasing numbers of inmates of old age or at risk of suffering from mental disorders, all of whom might benefit from using advance directives. At the same time, the closed nature of prisons and the disparate power relationships that characterise them mean that great caution must be exercised to prevent care being withdrawn or withheld from inmates who actually want to receive it. This paper explores the issue of prisoners' advance directives in the European context, starting with the position enshrined in international and European law that prisoners retain all their human rights, except the right to liberty, and are therefore entitled to self-determination regarding health care decisions.

Contemporary Research on Parenting: Conceptual, Methodological, and Translational Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Sleddens, Ester F. C.; Berge, Jerica; Connell, Lauren; Govig, Bert; Hennessy, Erin; Liggett, Leanne; Mallan, Kimberley; Santa Maria, Diane; Odoms-Young, Angela; St. George, Sara M.

2013-01-01

Abstract Researchers over the last decade have documented the association between general parenting style and numerous factors related to childhood obesity (e.g., children's eating behaviors, physical activity, and weight status). Many recent childhood obesity prevention programs are family focused and designed to modify parenting behaviors thought to contribute to childhood obesity risk. This article presents a brief consideration of conceptual, methodological, and translational issues that can inform future research on the role of parenting in childhood obesity. They include: (1) General versus domain specific parenting styles and practices; (2) the role of ethnicity and culture; (3) assessing bidirectional influences; (4) broadening assessments beyond the immediate family; (5) novel approaches to parenting measurement; and (6) designing effective interventions. Numerous directions for future research are offered. PMID:23944927

Contemporary research on parenting: conceptual, methodological, and translational issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Power, Thomas G; Sleddens, Ester F C; Berge, Jerica; Connell, Lauren; Govig, Bert; Hennessy, Erin; Liggett, Leanne; Mallan, Kimberley; Santa Maria, Diane; Odoms-Young, Angela; St George, Sara M

2013-08-01

Researchers over the last decade have documented the association between general parenting style and numerous factors related to childhood obesity (e.g., children's eating behaviors, physical activity, and weight status). Many recent childhood obesity prevention programs are family focused and designed to modify parenting behaviors thought to contribute to childhood obesity risk. This article presents a brief consideration of conceptual, methodological, and translational issues that can inform future research on the role of parenting in childhood obesity. They include: (1) General versus domain specific parenting styles and practices; (2) the role of ethnicity and culture; (3) assessing bidirectional influences; (4) broadening assessments beyond the immediate family; (5) novel approaches to parenting measurement; and (6) designing effective interventions. Numerous directions for future research are offered.

Special issue on advances in computer entertainment: editorial

OpenAIRE

Romão, T.; Romão, Teresa; Nijholt, Antinus; Cheok, J.D.; Cheok, Adrian David

2015-01-01

This special issue of the International Journal of Arts and Technology comprises a selection of papers from ACE 2012, the 9th International Conference on Advances in Computer Entertainment (Nijholt et al., 2012). ACE is the leading scientific forum for dissemination of cutting-edge research results in the area of entertainment computing. The main goal of ACE is to stimulate discussion in the development of new and compelling entertainment computing and interactive art concepts and application...

Strategic environmental noise mapping: methodological issues concerning the implementation of the EU Environmental Noise Directive and their policy implications.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Murphy, E

2010-04-01

This paper explores methodological issues and policy implications concerning the implementation of the EU Environmental Noise Directive (END) across Member States. Methodologically, the paper focuses on two key thematic issues relevant to the Directive: (1) calculation methods and (2) mapping methods. For (1), the paper focuses, in particular, on how differing calculation methods influence noise prediction results as well as the value of the EU noise indicator L(den) and its associated implications for comparability of noise data across EU states. With regard to (2), emphasis is placed on identifying the issues affecting strategic noise mapping, estimating population exposure, noise action planning and dissemination of noise mapping results to the general public. The implication of these issues for future environmental noise policy is also examined.

Methodological issues and research recommendations for prognosis after mild traumatic brain injury: results of the International Collaboration on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Prognosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kristman, Vicki L; Borg, Jörgen; Godbolt, Alison K; Salmi, L Rachid; Cancelliere, Carol; Carroll, Linda J; Holm, Lena W; Nygren-de Boussard, Catharina; Hartvigsen, Jan; Abara, Uko; Donovan, James; Cassidy, J David

2014-03-01

The International Collaboration on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (MTBI) Prognosis performed a comprehensive search and critical review of the literature from 2001 to 2012 to update the 2002 best-evidence synthesis conducted by the World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Neurotrauma, Prevention, Management and Rehabilitation Task Force on the prognosis of MTBI. Of 299 relevant studies, 101 were accepted as scientifically admissible. The methodological quality of the research literature on MTBI prognosis has not improved since the 2002 Task Force report. There are still many methodological concerns and knowledge gaps in the literature. Here we report and make recommendations on how to avoid methodological flaws found in prognostic studies of MTBI. Additionally, we discuss issues of MTBI definition and identify topic areas in need of further research to advance the understanding of prognosis after MTBI. Priority research areas include but are not limited to the use of confirmatory designs, studies of measurement validity, focus on the elderly, attention to litigation/compensation issues, the development of validated clinical prediction rules, the use of MTBI populations other than hospital admissions, continued research on the effects of repeated concussions, longer follow-up times with more measurement periods in longitudinal studies, an assessment of the differences between adults and children, and an account for reverse causality and differential recall bias. Well-conducted studies in these areas will aid our understanding of MTBI prognosis and assist clinicians in educating and treating their patients with MTBI. Copyright © 2014 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Methodological issues in the study of risk perception and human behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathbun, P.F.

1983-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide a broad perspective on the use of the methods and techniques of the behavioral and social sciences as they pertain to the work of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, particularly in issues of risk perception. Four major topics or themes are discussed: (1) a brief overview of the classic theories of risk perception; (2) current contractor work in the area of risk perception and cognitive psychology; (3) other uses of the social and behavioral sciences in the Agency; and (4) methodological considerations in using the techniques

Methodological issues in human studies of endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Duk-Hee; Jacobs, David R

2015-12-01

Possible harm from endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in humans is speculated based on two types of evidence; 1) increasing trends of suspected diseases in ecological studies of populations and 2) findings from traditional epidemiological studies of individuals. However, ecological findings are not regarded as direct human evidence of the relation between EDCs and disease, while the evidence among epidemiological studies of individuals is often inconsistent. Thus, a criticism is that linking EDCs and health in human is naively presumed without solid evidence. However, human studies of EDCs are methodologically complex and understanding methodological issues will help to interpret findings from existing human studies and to properly design optimal human studies. The key issues are low reliability of exposure assessment of EDCs with short half-lives, EDC mixtures, possibility of non-monotonic dose-response relationships, non-existence of an unexposed group, difficulties in measuring exposure during critical periods, and interactions with established risk factors. Furthermore, EDC mixtures may affect human health through other mechanisms than traditional endocrine disruption, for example glutathione depletion or mitochondrial dysfunction. Given this complexity, the most plausible scenario in humans is that exposure to EDC mixtures leads to increasing risk of related diseases at the ecological level, but inconsistent associations would be expected in traditional epidemiological studies. Although epidemiologists have long relied on Bradford Hill's criteria to objectively evaluate whether associations observed in epidemiology can be interpreted as causal, there are challenges to use these criteria for EDCs, particularly concerning consistency across studies and the findings of linear dose-response relationships. At the individual level, compared to EDCs with short half-lives, epidemiological studies of EDCs with long half-lives among populations with a relatively low

An Evaluation Methodology Development and Application Process for Severe Accident Safety Issue Resolution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert P. Martin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A general evaluation methodology development and application process (EMDAP paradigm is described for the resolution of severe accident safety issues. For the broader objective of complete and comprehensive design validation, severe accident safety issues are resolved by demonstrating comprehensive severe-accident-related engineering through applicable testing programs, process studies demonstrating certain deterministic elements, probabilistic risk assessment, and severe accident management guidelines. The basic framework described in this paper extends the top-down, bottom-up strategy described in the U.S Nuclear Regulatory Commission Regulatory Guide 1.203 to severe accident evaluations addressing U.S. NRC expectation for plant design certification applications.

Strategic environmental noise mapping: methodological issues concerning the implementation of the EU Environmental Noise Directive and their policy implications.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, E; King, E A

2010-04-01

This paper explores methodological issues and policy implications concerning the implementation of the EU Environmental Noise Directive (END) across Member States. Methodologically, the paper focuses on two key thematic issues relevant to the Directive: (1) calculation methods and (2) mapping methods. For (1), the paper focuses, in particular, on how differing calculation methods influence noise prediction results as well as the value of the EU noise indicator L(den) and its associated implications for comparability of noise data across EU states. With regard to (2), emphasis is placed on identifying the issues affecting strategic noise mapping, estimating population exposure, noise action planning and dissemination of noise mapping results to the general public. The implication of these issues for future environmental noise policy is also examined. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Adult Literacy Education in the United States: A Review of Methodological Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Yan; Tsang, Mun C.

2008-01-01

This is a critical review of methodological issues in the evaluation of adult literacy education programs in the United States. It addresses the key research questions: What are the appropriate methods for evaluating these programs under given circumstances. It identifies 15 evaluation studies that are representative of a range of adult literacy…

Contentious issues in research on trafficked women working in the sex industry: study design, ethics, and methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Cwikel, Julie; Hoban, Elizabeth

2005-11-01

The trafficking of women and children for work in the globalized sex industry is a global social problem. Quality data is needed to provide a basis for legislation, policy, and programs, but first, numerous research design, ethical, and methodological problems must be addressed. Research design issues in studying women trafficked for sex work (WTSW) include how to (a) develop coalitions to fund and support research, (b) maintain a critical stance on prostitution, and therefore WTSW (c) use multiple paradigms and methods to accurately reflect WTSW's reality, (d) present the purpose of the study, and (e) protect respondents' identities. Ethical issues include (a) complications with informed consent procedures, (b) problematic access to WTSW (c) loss of WTSW to follow-up, (d) inability to intervene in illegal acts or human rights violations, and (e) the need to maintain trustworthiness as researchers. Methodological issues include (a) constructing representative samples, (b) managing media interest, and (c) handling incriminating materials about law enforcement and immigration.

Recent methodological advances in male hormonal contraception.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Peter Y; Swerdloff, Ronald S; Wang, Christina

2010-11-01

Landmark WHO-sponsored trials showed decades ago that male hormonal contraception (MHC) is an effective male-directed contraceptive approach. Considerable progress has been made particularly in the last 5 years, establishing for the first time the reversibility of MHC and its short-term safety. Methodological advances in recent years include the pooling of information and individual-level integrated analysis; the first-time use of centralized semen analysis and fluorescence to detect low sperm concentrations; the establishment of sperm quality reference ranges in fertile men; the measurement of blood steroid concentrations by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; and the inclusion of placebo groups to delineate clearly possible adverse effects of androgens and progestins in men. We report integrated analyses of factors that are important in predicting suppression and recovery of spermatogenesis after MHC clinical trials for the past 15 years. These are the best data available and will provide guidance and reassurance for the larger-scale Phase III specific regimen efficacy studies that will be required to bring MHC to the population (market). Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Contemporary management of locally advanced rectal cancer: Resolving issues, controversies and shifting paradigms.

Science.gov (United States)

Nacion, Aeris Jane D; Park, Youn Young; Kim, Nam Kyu

2018-02-01

Advancements in rectal cancer treatment have resulted in improvement only in locoregional control and have failed to address distant relapse, which is the predominant mode of treatment failure in rectal cancer. As the efficacy of conventional chemoradiotherapy (CRT) followed by total mesorectal excision (TME) reaches a plateau, the need for alternative strategies in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has grown in relevance. Several novel strategies have been conceptualized to address this issue, including: 1) neoadjuvant induction and consolidation chemotherapy before CRT; 2) neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone to avoid the sequelae of radiation; and 3) nonoperative management for patients who achieved pathological or clinical complete response after CRT. This article explores the issues, recent advances and paradigm shifts in the management of LARC and emphasizes the need for a personalized treatment plan for each patient based on tumor stage, location, gene expression and quality of life.

Review of advanced control rooms: Methodological considerations for the use of HFE guidelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Hara, J.M.

1994-01-01

Control rooms for advanced nuclear power plants use advanced human-system interface (HSI) technologies that may have significant implications for plant safety in that they will affect the operator's overall role in the system and the ways in which operators interact with the system. The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews HSIs to ensure that they are designed to accepted human factors engineering (HFE) principles. The principal review guidance, however, is more than ten-years old (US NRC, 1981). Accordingly, an Advanced HSI Design Review Guideline (DRG) was developed to provide criteria for these reviews. The DRG contains seven major sections: Information Display, User-System Interaction, Process Control and Input Devices, Alarms, Analysis and Decision Aids, Inter-Personnel Communication, and Workplace Design (see O'Hara ampersand Brown, 1993). The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology for DRG use

Spaces of Global Security: Beyond Methodological Nationalism

OpenAIRE

Adamson , Fiona B.

2016-01-01

The changing political and social meanings of space under conditions of advanced globalization point to the need to analyze security – or the deployment and management of violence -- as a socio-spatial practice. This article draws attention to the “methodological nationalist” bias that has traditionally characterized mainstream security studies, and discusses its effect on how security issues are studied and conceptualized. Building on insights from political geography and sociology, the arti...

Some methodological issues in neuroradiological research in psychiatry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Becker, T.; Retz, W.; Hofmann, E.; Becker, G.; Teichmann, E.; Gsell, W.

1995-01-01

An outline is given of some of the methodological issues discussed in neuroradiological research on psychiatric illnesses. The strengths and shortcomings of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in depicting and quantifying brain structures are described. Temporal lobe anatomy and pathology are easily accessible to MRI, whereas limits on anatomical delineation hamper approaches to frontal lobe study. White matter hyperintense lesions are sensitively depicted by MRI, but specificity is limited. The distinction of vascular and primary degenerative dementia is considerably improved by CT and MRI analysis. Computed tomography (CT) and MRI have enhanced the understanding of treatable organic psychiatric disorders, e.g., normal pressure hydrocephalus. Subcortical and white matter pathology has been replicated in CT and MRI studies of late onset psychiatric disorders, clinical overlap with cerebrovascular disease or neuro degeneration may be of import. Trans cranial sonography findings of brainstem structural change specific to unipolar depression may contribute to the understanding of affective psychoses. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy and functional MRI are likely to stimulate psychiatric research in the future. (author)

Improved best estimate plus uncertainty methodology, including advanced validation concepts, to license evolving nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unal, C.; Williams, B.; Hemez, F.; Atamturktur, S.H.; McClure, P.

2011-01-01

Research highlights: → The best estimate plus uncertainty methodology (BEPU) is one option in the licensing of nuclear reactors. → The challenges for extending the BEPU method for fuel qualification for an advanced reactor fuel are primarily driven by schedule, the need for data, and the sufficiency of the data. → In this paper we develop an extended BEPU methodology that can potentially be used to address these new challenges in the design and licensing of advanced nuclear reactors. → The main components of the proposed methodology are verification, validation, calibration, and uncertainty quantification. → The methodology includes a formalism to quantify an adequate level of validation (predictive maturity) with respect to existing data, so that required new testing can be minimized, saving cost by demonstrating that further testing will not enhance the quality of the predictive tools. - Abstract: Many evolving nuclear energy technologies use advanced predictive multiscale, multiphysics modeling and simulation (M and S) capabilities to reduce the cost and schedule of design and licensing. Historically, the role of experiments has been as a primary tool for the design and understanding of nuclear system behavior, while M and S played the subordinate role of supporting experiments. In the new era of multiscale, multiphysics computational-based technology development, this role has been reversed. The experiments will still be needed, but they will be performed at different scales to calibrate and validate the models leading to predictive simulations for design and licensing. Minimizing the required number of validation experiments produces cost and time savings. The use of multiscale, multiphysics models introduces challenges in validating these predictive tools - traditional methodologies will have to be modified to address these challenges. This paper gives the basic aspects of a methodology that can potentially be used to address these new challenges in

A Content and Methodological Review of Articles Concerning Multiracial Issues in Six Major Counseling Journals

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Lisa M.; Pedrotti, Jennifer Teramoto

2008-01-01

This study describes a comprehensive content and methodological review of articles about multiracial issues in 6 journals related to counseling up to the year 2006. The authors summarize findings about the 18 articles that emerged from this review of the "Journal of Counseling Psychology," "Journal of Counseling & Development," "The Counseling…

Problems and Issues in Using Computer- Based Support Tools to Enhance 'Soft' Systems Methodologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark Stansfield

2001-11-01

Full Text Available This paper explores the issue of whether computer-based support tools can enhance the use of 'soft' systems methodologies as applied to real-world problem situations. Although work has been carried out by a number of researchers in applying computer-based technology to concepts and methodologies relating to 'soft' systems thinking such as Soft Systems Methodology (SSM, such attempts appear to be still in their infancy and have not been applied widely to real-world problem situations. This paper will highlight some of the problems that may be encountered in attempting to develop computer-based support tools for 'soft' systems methodologies. Particular attention will be paid to an attempt by the author to develop a computer-based support tool for a particular 'soft' systems method of inquiry known as the Appreciative Inquiry Method that is based upon Vickers' notion of 'appreciation' (Vickers, 196S and Checkland's SSM (Checkland, 1981. The final part of the paper will explore some of the lessons learnt from developing and applying the computer-based support tool to a real world problem situation, as well as considering the feasibility of developing computer-based support tools for 'soft' systems methodologies. This paper will put forward the point that a mixture of manual and computer-based tools should be employed to allow a methodology to be used in an unconstrained manner, but the benefits provided by computer-based technology should be utilised in supporting and enhancing the more mundane and structured tasks.

Current status of environmental, health, and safety issues of electrochemical capacitors for advanced vehicle applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vimmerstedt, L J; Hammel, C J

1997-04-01

Electrochemical capacitors are a candidate for traction power assists in hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs). Other advanced automotive applications, while not the primary focus of current development efforts, are also possible. These include load leveling high-energy batteries, power conditioning electronics, electrically hated catalysts, electric power steering, and engine starter power. Higher power and longer cycle life are expected for electrochemical capacitors than for batteries. Evaluation of environmental, health, and safety (EH and S) issues of electrochemical capacitors is an essential part of the development and commercialization of electrochemical capacitors for advanced vehicles. This report provides an initial EH and S assessment. This report presents electrochemical capacitor electrochemistry, materials selection, intrinsic material hazards, mitigation of those hazards, environmental requirements, pollution control options, and shipping requirements. Most of the information available for this assessment pertains to commercial devices intended for application outside the advanced vehicle market and to experiment or prototype devices. Electrochemical capacitors for power assists in HEVs are not produced commercially now. Therefore, materials for advanced vehicle electrochemical capacitors may change, and so would the corresponding EH and S issues. Although changes are possible, this report describes issues for likely electrochemical capacitor designs.

Current status and future expectation concerning probabilistic risk assessment of NPPs. 1. Features and issues of probabilistic risk assessment methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamashita, Masahiro

2012-01-01

Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) could play an important role in assuring safety of NPPs. However PRA had not always effectively used, which was indicated in Japanese government's report on Fukushima Daiichi NPP accident. At the Risk Technical Committee (RTC) of Standards Committee of Atomic Energy Society of Japan, preparation of standards (implementing criteria) focusing on PRA methodology and investigation on basic philosophy for use of PRA had been in progress. Based on activities of RTC, a serial in three articles including this described current status and future expectation concerning probabilistic risk assessment of NPPs. This article introduced features and issues of PRA methodology related to the use of PRA. Features of PRA methodology could be shown as (1) systematic and comprehensive understanding of risk, (2) support of grading approach, (3) identification of effective safety upgrade measures and (4) quantitative understanding of effects of uncertainty. Issues of PRA methodology were (1) extension of PRA application area, (2) upgrade of PRA methodology, (3) quality assurance of PRA, (4) treatment of uncertainty and (5) quantitative evaluation criteria. (T. Tanaka)

Advancing Sexuality Studies: A Short Course on Sexuality Theory and Research Methodologies

Science.gov (United States)

Fletcher, Gillian; Dowsett, Gary W.; Duncan, Duane; Slavin, Sean; Corboz, Julienne

2013-01-01

Critical Sexuality Studies is an emerging field of academic enquiry linked to an international network of advocacy agencies, activists, and political issues. This paper reports on the development of an advanced short course in sexuality theory and research, drawing on Critical Sexuality Studies and aiming directly at academics in developing…

Capital structure in LNG infrastructures and gas pipelines projects: Empirical evidences and methodological issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pierru, Axel; Roussanaly, Simon; Sabathier, Jérôme

2013-01-01

This paper provides new empirical insights on the capital structure of project-financed LNG infrastructures and gas pipeline projects, by using data relating to projects whose financial close occurred between June 2004 and March 2011. Most results are consistent with the basic view of risk-averse funds suppliers. Especially, the projects located in risky countries and larger projects tend to exhibit lower debt ratios and less-concentrated equity ownerships. In addition, regasification projects appear to have a more diluted equity ownership. Methodological issues raised by the financing of these projects are also examined from a capital-budgeting perspective. In particular, the equity residual method, usually used by industrial practitioners to value these projects, should be adjusted. - Highlights: • This paper provides new empirical insights on the capital structure of project-financed LNG and gas pipeline infrastructures. • Most of our results are consistent with the basic view of risk-averse funds suppliers. • Projects located in risky countries exhibit lower debt ratios and less-concentrated equity ownerships. • Larger projects and regasification projects also have less concentrated equity ownerships. • From a capital-budgeting viewpoint, we examine methodological issues raised by the financing of these projects

EnergiTools. A methodology for performance monitoring and diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ancion, P.; Bastien, R.; Ringdahl, K.

2000-01-01

EnergiTools is a performance monitoring and diagnostic tool that combines the power of on-line process data acquisition with advanced diagnosis methodologies. Analytical models based on thermodynamic principles are combined with neural networks to validate sensor data and to estimate missing or faulty measurements. Advanced diagnostic technologies are then applied to point out potential faults and areas to be investigated further. The diagnosis methodologies are based on Bayesian belief networks. Expert knowledge is captured in the form of the fault-symptom relationships and includes historical information as the likelihood of faults and symptoms. The methodology produces the likelihood of component failure root causes using the expert knowledge base. EnergiTools is used at Ringhals nuclear power plants. It has led to the diagnosis of various performance issues. Three case studies based on this plant data and model are presented and illustrate the diagnosis support methodologies implemented in EnergiTools . In the first case, the analytical data qualification technique points out several faulty measurements. The application of a neural network for the estimation of the nuclear reactor power by interpreting several plant indicators is then illustrated. The use of the Bayesian belief networks is finally described. (author)

Advanced Light Water Reactor Program: Program management and staff review methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moran, D.H.

1986-12-01

This report summarizes the NRC/EPRI coordinated effort to develop design requirements for a standardized advanced light water reactor (ALWR) and the procedures for screening and applying new generic safety issues to this program. The end-product will be an NRC-approved ALWR Requirements Document for use by the nuclear industry in generating designs of LWRs to be constructed for operation in the 1990s and beyond

Exploring the concept of "caring cultures": A critical examination of the conceptual, methodological and validity issues with the "caring cultures" construct.

Science.gov (United States)

Gillin, Nicola; Taylor, Ruth; Walker, Susan

2017-12-01

To critically examine the conceptual, methodological and validity issues with the "caring cultures" construct. Post the Francis Report, "caring cultures" and alternative terminology such as "culture/s of care/caring/compassionate care" have gained prominence in the literature, especially within a UK policy context. However, in order to understand the value these "caring cultures" hold in terms of clinical practice, the concept itself first needs to be understood. A discussion and critical examination of the concept of "caring cultures" and associated terminology. Grey literature, database, library and reference list searches were conducted. It is implied that "caring cultures" influence patient care. However, evidence which verifies this assertion is limited. In this article, the concept of "caring cultures" is deconstructed and its validity explored. An alternative to "caring cultures" is proposed in terms of research, whereby the concept of culture is instead explored in detail, on a microsystem level, using appropriate methodology. The concept of "caring cultures", although attractive in terms of its apparent simplicity, is not considered the most useful nor appropriate phrases in terms of advancing research. Instead, research which examines the established concept of "culture" in relation to outcomes such as patient care, doing so with an appropriate methodology, is viewed as a more suitable alternative. Clarifying concepts and terminology relating to "caring cultures" is essential for research to progress and the impact of culture on clinical practice to be better understood. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Q methodology, risk training and quality management.

Science.gov (United States)

McKeown, M; Hinks, M; Stowell-Smith, M; Mercer, D; Forster, J

1999-01-01

The results of a Q methodological study of professional understandings of the notion of risk in mental health services within the UK are discussed in relation to the relevance for staff training and quality assurance. The study attempted to access the diversity of understandings of risk issues amongst a multi-professional group of staff (n = 60) attending inter-agency risk training workshops in 1998. Q methodology is presented as both an appropriate means for such inquiry and as a novel experiential technique for training purposes. A tentative argument is advanced that the qualitative accounts generated by Q research could assist in systematic reviews of quality, complementing the singularly quantitative approaches typically represented in the audit process.

Advancing our thinking in presence-only and used-available analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Warton, David; Aarts, Geert

2013-11-01

1. The problems of analysing used-available data and presence-only data are equivalent, and this paper uses this equivalence as a platform for exploring opportunities for advancing analysis methodology. 2. We suggest some potential methodological advances in used-available analysis, made possible via lessons learnt in the presence-only literature, for example, using modern methods to improve predictive performance. We also consider the converse - potential advances in presence-only analysis inspired by used-available methodology. 3. Notwithstanding these potential advances in methodology, perhaps a greater opportunity is in advancing our thinking about how to apply a given method to a particular data set. 4. It is shown by example that strikingly different results can be achieved for a single data set by applying a given method of analysis in different ways - hence having chosen a method of analysis, the next step of working out how to apply it is critical to performance. 5. We review some key issues to consider in deciding how to apply an analysis method: apply the method in a manner that reflects the study design; consider data properties; and use diagnostic tools to assess how reasonable a given analysis is for the data at hand. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2013 British Ecological Society.

Project-Based Learning and Agile Methodologies in Electronic Courses: Effect of Student Population and Open Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marina Zapater

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Project-Based Learning (PBL and Agile methodologies have proven to be very interesting instructional strategies in Electronics and Engineering education, because they provide practical learning skills that help students understand the basis of electronics. In this paper we analyze two courses, one belonging to a Master in Electronic Engineering and one to a Bachelor in Telecommunication Engineering that apply Agile-PBL methodologies, and compare the results obtained in both courses with a traditional laboratory course. Our results support previous work stating that Agile-PBL methodologies increase student satisfaction. However, we also highlight some open issues that negatively affect the implementation of these methodologies,such as planning overhead or accidental complexity. Moreover,we show how differences in the student population, mostly related to the time spent on-campus, their commitment to the course or part-time dedication, have an impact on the benefits of Agile-PBL methods. In these cases, Agile-PBL methodologies by themselves are not enough and need to be combined with other techniques to increase student motivation.

Team Dynamics. Essays in the Sociology and Social Psychology of Sport Including Methodological and Epistemological Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Lenk, Hans

This document contains nine essays on the sociology and social psychology of team dynamics, including methodological and epistemological issues involved in such study. Essay titles are: (1) Conflict and Achievement in Top Athletic Teams--Sociometric Structures of Racing Eight Oar Crews; (2) Top Performance Despite Internal Conflict--An Antithesis…

Proceedings of the 2004 international congress on advances in nuclear power plants - ICAPP'04

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

The 2004 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants (ICAPP'04) provides a forum for the industry to exchange the latest ideas and research findings on nuclear plants from all perspectives. This conference builds on the success of last year's meeting held in Cordoba, Spain, and on the 2002 inaugural meeting held in Hollywood, Florida. Because of the hard work of many volunteers from around the world, ICAPP'04 has been successful in achieving its goal. More than 325 invited and contributed papers/presentations are part of this ICAPP. There are 5 invited plenary sessions and 70 technical sessions with contributed papers. The ICAPP'04 Proceedings contain almost 275 papers prepared by authors from 25 countries covering topics related to advances in nuclear power plant technology. The program by technical track deals with: 1 - Water-Cooled Reactor Programs and Issues (Status of All New Water-Cooled Reactor Programs; Advanced PWRs: Developmental Stage I; Advanced PWRs: Developmental Stage II; Advanced PWRs: Basic Design Stage; Advanced BWRs; Economics, Regulation, Licensing, and Construction; AP1000); 2 - High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors (Pebble Bed Modular Reactors; Very High Temperature Reactors; HTR Fuels and Materials; Innovative HTRs and Fuel Cycles); 3 - Long Term Reactor Programs and Strategies (Supercritical Pressure Water Reactors; Lead-Alloy Fast Reactors; Sodium and Gas Fast Reactors; Status of Advanced Reactor Programs; Non-classical Reactor Concepts); 4 - Operation, Performance, and Reliability Management (Information Technology Effect on Plant Operation; Operation, Maintenance and Reliability; Improving Performance and Reducing O and M Costs; Plant Modernization and Retrofits); 5 - Plant Safety Assessment and Regulatory Issues (LOCA and non-LOCA Analysis Methodologies; LOCA and non-LOCA Plant Analyses; In-Vessel Retention; Containment Performance and Hydrogen Control; Advances in Severe Accident Analysis; Advances in Severe Accident

Ethical and methodological issues in qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Carlsson, Ing-Marie; Blomqvist, Marjut; Jormfeldt, Henrika

2017-01-01

Undertaking research studies in the field of mental health is essential in mental health nursing. Qualitative research methodologies enable human experiences to become visible and recognize the importance of lived experiences. This paper argues that involving people with schizophrenia in research is critical to promote their health and well-being. The quality of qualitative research needs scrutinizing according to methodological issues such as trustworthiness and ethical standards that are a fundamental part of qualitative research and nursing curricula. The aim of this study was to critically review recent qualitative studies involving people with severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic conditions, regarding descriptions of ethical and methodological issues in data collection and analysis. A search for relevant papers was conducted in three electronic databases, in December 2016. Fifteen qualitative interview studies were included and reviewed regarding methodological issues related to ethics, and data collection and analysis. The results revealed insufficient descriptions of methodology regarding ethical considerations and issues related to recruitment and sampling in qualitative interview studies with individuals with severe mental illness, putting trustworthiness at risk despite detailed descriptions of data analysis. Knowledge from the perspective of individuals with their own experience of mental illness is essential. Issues regarding sampling and trustworthiness in qualitative studies involving people with severe mental illness are vital to counteract the stigmatization of mental illness.

Big data and virtual communities: methodological issues

OpenAIRE

Martínez Torres, María del Rocío; Toral, S. L.; Fornara, Nicoletta

2014-01-01

Virtual communities represent today en emergent phenomenon through which users get together to create ideas, to obtain help from one another, or just to casually engage in discussions. Their increasing popularity as well as their utility as a source of business value and marketing strategies justify the necessity of defi ning some specifi c methodologies for analyzing them. The aim of this paper is providing new insights into virtual communities from a methodological viewpoint, hi...

Advanced LBB methodology and considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olson, R.; Rahman, S.; Scott, P.

1997-01-01

LBB applications have existed in many industries and more recently have been applied in the nuclear industry under limited circumstances. Research over the past 10 years has evolved the technology so that more advanced consideration of LBB can now be given. Some of the advanced considerations for nuclear plants subjected to seismic loading evaluations are summarized in this paper

Advanced LBB methodology and considerations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olson, R.; Rahman, S.; Scott, P. [Battelle, Columbus, OH (United States)] [and others

1997-04-01

LBB applications have existed in many industries and more recently have been applied in the nuclear industry under limited circumstances. Research over the past 10 years has evolved the technology so that more advanced consideration of LBB can now be given. Some of the advanced considerations for nuclear plants subjected to seismic loading evaluations are summarized in this paper.

How methodological issues affect the energy indicator results for different electricity generation technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Modahl, Ingunn Saur; Raadal, Hanne Lerche; Gagnon, Luc; Bakken, Tor Haakon

2013-01-01

The aim of this paper is to improve the basis for the comparison of energy products. The paper will discuss important methodological issues with regard to various energy indicators and it will, by means of a few selected energy indicators, show examples of results for hydropower, wind power and electricity from biomass, gas and coal. Lastly it will suggest methods to achieve results which are more consistent when comparing electricity production technologies. In general, methodological issues can affect the results of life cycle assessments. In this paper, the authors have focused on the effect of system boundaries for energy indicators and found that the internal ranking of cases within one electricity generation technology is dependent on the indicator used. These variations do not, however, alter the general ranking of the major technologies studied. The authors suggest that future assessments should focus on a smaller set of indicators: the Cumulative Energy Demand (CED), which is the most “universal” indicator, Energy Payback Ratio (EPR) for assessment of upstream activities, and a suggested “Cumulative Fossil Energy Demand” (CFED) for resource depletion assessments. There is also a need for stricter standardisation and increased transparency in the assessment of energy products. - Highlights: • There is a need for stricter standardisation of energy performance assessments. • System boundaries for renewable sources should be harmonised. • One should focus on a smaller set of indicators. CED should be included

Natural product-based nanomedicine: recent advances and issues

Science.gov (United States)

Watkins, Rebekah; Wu, Ling; Zhang, Chenming; Davis, Richey M; Xu, Bin

2015-01-01

Natural products have been used in medicine for many years. Many top-selling pharmaceuticals are natural compounds or their derivatives. These plant- or microorganism-derived compounds have shown potential as therapeutic agents against cancer, microbial infection, inflammation, and other disease conditions. However, their success in clinical trials has been less impressive, partly due to the compounds’ low bioavailability. The incorporation of nanoparticles into a delivery system for natural products would be a major advance in the efforts to increase their therapeutic effects. Recently, advances have been made showing that nanoparticles can significantly increase the bioavailability of natural products both in vitro and in vivo. Nanotechnology has demonstrated its capability to manipulate particles in order to target specific areas of the body and control the release of drugs. Although there are many benefits to applying nanotechnology for better delivery of natural products, it is not without issues. Drug targeting remains a challenge and potential nanoparticle toxicity needs to be further investigated, especially if these systems are to be used to treat chronic human diseases. This review aims to summarize recent progress in several key areas relevant to natural products in nanoparticle delivery systems for biomedical applications. PMID:26451111

Advancing sustainable development in Canada : policy issues and research needs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eliadis, P.; Slayen, S.

2003-11-01

This paper defined 7 policy-relevant issues that advance sustainable development in Canada. These were; (1) urban redesign, (2) freshwater management, (3) eco-region sustainability, (4) impacts of globalization on sustainable development in Canada, (5) designing signals and incentives that promote sustainable behaviour among citizens, (6) reducing the ecological burden of unsustainable lifestyles, and (7) international engagement in sustainable development. The authors questioned why these issues have not made greater progress, given that they have been on national and international agendas since 1972. They also questioned why it is so difficult to integrate environmental and economic signals. Finally, they examined whether enough ecological and political space can be provided to developing countries to achieve sustainable development while enhancing the standard of living in Canada and not threatening critical global systems. 173 refs

Methodological issues of assessing the effects of social inequality in Russia’s regions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ol’ga Anatol’evna Kozlova

2014-11-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the issue concerning the assessment of the impact of social inequality on the socio-demographic characteristics of society. The authors evaluate the impact of the social inequality growth in the Russian Federation subjects on the basis of the analysis of the decile ratio dynamics. They propose a methodological approach to determine the degree of dependence of crime rate on the growth of social inequality. The authors compare the influence of the decile ratio and purchasing power on mortality rate in the regions of Russia

Prejudice and Racism, Year 2008--Still Going Strong: Research on Reducing Prejudice with Recommended Methodological Advances

Science.gov (United States)

Utsey, Shawn O.; Ponterotto, Joseph G.; Porter, Jerlym S.

2008-01-01

This article addresses the origins, mechanisms, and expressions of prejudice. A selective review of research finds strong support for the validity of G. W. Allport's (1954) contact hypothesis conditions in reducing prejudice. Methodological advances in the study of prejudice are reviewed, and implications of research findings for counselors are…

Methodological and theoretical issues in the comparative analysis of gender relations in Western Europe

OpenAIRE

S Walby

1994-01-01

The aim in this paper is to contribute to the development of a research agenda for the comparative analysis of gender relations in Western Europe. Its focus is the clarification of the methodological and theoretical issues involved. Several different indices of gender inequality are assessed. It is argued that it is important to distinguish between the form and degree of patriarchy, rather than assuming that these are closely associated. Data from the EC and Scandinavia are used to illustrate...

Effectiveness of Interventions for Prevention of Road Traffic Injuries in Iran and Some Methodological Issues: A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Azami-Aghdash, Saber; Sadeghi-Bazarghani, Homayoun; Heydari, Mahdiyeh; Rezapour, Ramin; Derakhshani, Naser

2018-01-01

Objective: To review the effectiveness of Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) interventions implemented for prevention of RTIs in Iran and to introduce some methodological issues. Methods: Required data in this systematic review study were collected through searching the following key words: "Road Traffic Injuries", "Road Traffic accidents", "Road Traffic crashes", “prevention”, and Iran in PubMed, Cochrane Library electronic databases, Google Scholar, Scopus, MagIran, SID and IranMedex. Some of the relevant journals and web sites searched manually. Reference lists of the selected articles were also checked. Gray literature search and expert contact was also conducted. Results: Out of 569 retrieved articles, finally 8 articles included. Among the included studies the effectiveness of 10 interventions were assessed containing: seat belt, enforcements of laws and legislations, educational program, wearing helmet, Antilock Braking System (ABS), motorcyclists' penalty enforcement, pupil liaisons’ education, provisional driver licensing, Road bumps and traffic improvement's plans. In 7 studies (9 interventions) reduction of RTIs rate were reported. Decreased rate of mortality from RTIs were reported in three studies. Only one study had mentioned financial issue (Anti-lock Brake System intervention). Inadequate data sources, inappropriate selection of statistical index and not mention about the control of Confounding Variables (CV), the most common methodological issues were. Conclusion: The results of most interventional studies conducted in Iran supported the effect of the interventions on reduction of RTIs. However due to some methodological or reporting shortcoming the results of these studies should be interpreted cautiously. PMID:29719838

Effectiveness of Interventions for Prevention of Road Traffic Injuries in Iran and Some Methodological Issues: A Systematic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Azami-Aghdash, Saber; Sadeghi-Bazarghani, Homayoun; Heydari, Mahdiyeh; Rezapour, Ramin; Derakhshani, Naser

2018-04-01

To review the effectiveness of Road Traffic Injuries (RTIs) interventions implemented for prevention of RTIs in Iran and to introduce some methodological issues. Required data in this systematic review study were collected through searching the following key words: "Road Traffic Injuries", "Road Traffic accidents", "Road Traffic crashes", "prevention", and Iran in PubMed, Cochrane Library electronic databases, Google Scholar, Scopus, MagIran, SID and IranMedex. Some of the relevant journals and web sites searched manually. Reference lists of the selected articles were also checked. Gray literature search and expert contact was also conducted. Out of 569 retrieved articles, finally 8 articles included. Among the included studies the effectiveness of 10 interventions were assessed containing: seat belt, enforcements of laws and legislations, educational program, wearing helmet, Antilock Braking System (ABS), motorcyclists' penalty enforcement, pupil liaisons' education, provisional driver licensing, Road bumps and traffic improvement's plans. In 7 studies (9 interventions) reduction of RTIs rate were reported. Decreased rate of mortality from RTIs were reported in three studies. Only one study had mentioned financial issue (Anti-lock Brake System intervention). Inadequate data sources, inappropriate selection of statistical index and not mention about the control of Confounding Variables (CV), the most common methodological issues were. The results of most interventional studies conducted in Iran supported the effect of the interventions on reduction of RTIs. However due to some methodological or reporting shortcoming the results of these studies should be interpreted cautiously.

Advancement of G T-SCALE and the construction of a graphical user interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Postma, Todd A.; Vujic, Jasmina

1997-01-01

The issue of advanced reactor concepts with complex core geometries and advanced fuel compositions is being addressed through the development of a new computational methodology based on the coupling of two existing state-of-the-art methodologies - GTRAN2 and SCALE 4.3. The resulting methodology encompasses advanced features in analyzing new designs and in simplifying user-code interactions. The advanced nuclear features include an exact 2 D representation of a complete fuel assembly (or several assemblies), while preserving the heterogeneity of each of its pin cells, flexibility in the energy group structure, a comprehensive cross-section library and material data base, and accurate burnup calculations. A complex graphical user interface along with a graphical presentation of output data make up the user-interaction features of G T-SCALE. Extensive benchmarking of the G T-SCALE is under way, and some results and comparison with other code systems are presented in this paper. (author). 5 refs., 1 fig., 4 tabs

A Review: Passive System Reliability Analysis – Accomplishments and Unresolved Issues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nayak, Arun Kumar, E-mail: arunths@barc.gov.in [Reactor Engineering Division, Reactor Design and Development Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India); Chandrakar, Amit [Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai (India); Vinod, Gopika [Reactor Safety Division, Reactor Design and Development Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai (India)

2014-10-10

Reliability assessment of passive safety systems is one of the important issues, since safety of advanced nuclear reactors rely on several passive features. In this context, a few methodologies such as reliability evaluation of passive safety system (REPAS), reliability methods for passive safety functions (RMPS), and analysis of passive systems reliability (APSRA) have been developed in the past. These methodologies have been used to assess reliability of various passive safety systems. While these methodologies have certain features in common, but they differ in considering certain issues; for example, treatment of model uncertainties, deviation of geometric, and process parameters from their nominal values. This paper presents the state of the art on passive system reliability assessment methodologies, the accomplishments, and remaining issues. In this review, three critical issues pertaining to passive systems performance and reliability have been identified. The first issue is applicability of best estimate codes and model uncertainty. The best estimate codes based phenomenological simulations of natural convection passive systems could have significant amount of uncertainties, these uncertainties must be incorporated in appropriate manner in the performance and reliability analysis of such systems. The second issue is the treatment of dynamic failure characteristics of components of passive systems. REPAS, RMPS, and APSRA methodologies do not consider dynamic failures of components or process, which may have strong influence on the failure of passive systems. The influence of dynamic failure characteristics of components on system failure probability is presented with the help of a dynamic reliability methodology based on Monte Carlo simulation. The analysis of a benchmark problem of Hold-up tank shows the error in failure probability estimation by not considering the dynamism of components. It is thus suggested that dynamic reliability methodologies must be

Methodological issues in the use of individual brain measures to index trait liabilities: The example of noise-probe P3.

Science.gov (United States)

Perkins, Emily R; Yancey, James R; Drislane, Laura E; Venables, Noah C; Balsis, Steve; Patrick, Christopher J

2017-01-01

Recent research initiatives have called for an increased use of biological concepts and measures in defining and studying mental health problems, but important measurement-related challenges confront efforts in this direction. This article highlights some of these challenges with reference to an intriguing measure of neural reactivity: the probe P3 response, a mid-latency brain potential evoked by an intense, unexpected acoustic-probe stimulus. Using data for a large adult sample (N=418), we report evidence that amplitude of probe P3 response to unwarned noise bursts occurring in a picture-viewing task exhibits robust, independent associations with two distinct trait constructs: weak inhibitory control (or disinhibition; DIS) and threat sensitivity (THT). Additionally, we report a selective association for THT with attentional suppression of probe P3 response during viewing of aversive pictures compared to neutral. These results point to separable elements of variance underlying the probe P3 response, including one element reflecting DIS-related variations in cognitive-elaborative processing, and others reflecting THT-related variations in aversive foreground engagement and abrupt defensive reorientation. Key measurement issues are considered in relation to these specific findings, and methodological and statistical approaches for addressing these issues are discussed in relation to advancement of a quantitatively sound, biologically informed science of psychopathology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Private events: from methodological behaviorism to interbehaviorism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Bueno

2011-09-01

Full Text Available As supposed events being accessible to a unique observer, private events posit an interesting challenge to a behavioristic psychology. Three historical variants of behaviorism dealt with the problem of private events: methodological behaviorism, radical behaviorism and interbehaviorism. The basic argument of the two last views, and that distinguishes them from the former, is that private events are comprised into the scope of an objective science of behavior. The analysis of these accounts permits us to confirm a gradual advance in behavior theory, in dealing with this issue, toward a totally monistic view.

Methodological issues related to studies of lead mobilization during menopause

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Berkowitz Gertrud S.

1999-01-01

Full Text Available While there has been a substantial decline in lead exposure in the United States during the past two decades, mobilization of existing lead stored in bone potentially represents an important endogenous source of exposure for menopausal women. It has been hypothesized that lead may be mobilized from skeletal stores during conditions of high bone turnover, such as during menopause. However, such mobilization has not been documented in prospective studies. This discussion is focussed on some of the methodological difficulties to be anticipated in longitudinal studies of lead mobilization specific to menopause and the issues that need to be taken into account when evaluating the results of such studies. To evaluate whether lead mobilization occurs during menopause, a prospective repeated measures design is needed using X-ray fluorescence analysis of lead in bone and serial measurements of blood lead. Potential confounders and effect modifiers also need to be taken into account in the statistical analysis.

School resources and student achievment: worldwide findings and methodological issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paulo A. Meyer. M. Nascimento

2008-03-01

Full Text Available The issues raised in the Education Production Function literature since the US 1966 Coleman Report have fuelled high controversy on the role of school resources in relation to student performance. In several literature reviews and some self estimates, Erik Hanushek (1986, 1997, 2006 systematically affirms that these two factors are not associated one to another – neither in the US nor abroad. In recent cross-country analyses, Ludger Woessmann (2003; 2005a; 2005b links international differences in attainment to institutional differences across educational systems – not to resourcing levels. In the opposite direction, Stephen Heyneman and William Loxley (1982, 1983 tried to demonstrate in the 1980’s that, at least for low income countries, school factors seemed to outweigh family characteristics on the determination of students’ outcomes – although other authors show evidence that such a phenomenon may have existed only during a limited period of the 20th Century. In the 1990s, meta-analyses raised the argument that school resources were sufficiently significant to be regarded as pedagogically important. The turn of the Century witnessed a new movement: the recognition that endogenous determination of resource allocation is a substantial methodological issue. Therefore, efforts have been made to incorporate the decision-making processes that involve families, schools and policy-makers in economic models. This implies changes in research designs that may affect the direction of future policy advices patronised by international development and educational organisations.

On Special Optical Modes and Thermal Issues in Advanced Gravitational Wave Interferometric Detectors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vinet Jean-Yves

2009-07-01

Full Text Available The sensitivity of present ground-based gravitational wave antennas is too low to detect many events per year. It has, therefore, been planned for years to build advanced detectors allowing actual astrophysical observations and investigations. In such advanced detectors, one major issue is to increase the laser power in order to reduce shot noise. However, this is useless if the thermal noise remains at the current level in the 100 Hz spectral region, where mirrors are the main contributors. Moreover, increasing the laser power gives rise to various spurious thermal effects in the same mirrors. The main goal of the present study is to discuss these issues versus the transverse structure of the readout beam, in order to allow comparison. A number of theoretical studies and experiments have been carried out, regarding thermal noise and thermal effects. We do not discuss experimental problems, but rather focus on some theoretical results in this context about arbitrary order Laguerre–Gauss beams, and other “exotic” beams.

Experimental Economics: Some Methodological Notes

OpenAIRE

Fiore, Annamaria

2009-01-01

The aim of this work is presenting in a self-contained paper some methodological aspects as they are received in the current experimental literature. The purpose has been to make a critical review of some very influential papers dealing with methodological issues. In other words, the idea is to have a single paper where people first approaching experimental economics can find summarised (some) of the most important methodological issues. In particular, the focus is on some methodological prac...

Advanced Mechatronics and MEMS Devices

CERN Document Server

2013-01-01

Advanced Mechatronics and MEMS Devicesdescribes state-of-the-art MEMS devices and introduces the latest technology in electrical and mechanical microsystems. The evolution of design in microfabrication, as well as emerging issues in nanomaterials, micromachining, micromanufacturing and microassembly are all discussed at length in this volume. Advanced Mechatronics also provides a reader with knowledge of MEMS sensors array, MEMS multidimensional accelerometer, artificial skin with imbedded tactile components, as well as other topics in MEMS sensors and transducers. The book also presents a number of topics in advanced robotics and an abundance of applications of MEMS in robotics, like reconfigurable modular snake robots, magnetic MEMS robots for drug delivery and flying robots with adjustable wings, to name a few. This book also: Covers the fundamentals of advanced mechatronics and MEMS devices while also presenting new state-of-the-art methodology and technology used in the application of these devices Prese...

Issues in Learning About and Teaching Qualitative Research Methods and Methodology in the Social Sciences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franz Breuer

2007-01-01

Full Text Available For many qualitative researchers in the social sciences, learning about and teaching qualitative research methods and methodology raises a number of questions. This topic was the focus of a symposium held during the Second Berlin Summer School for Qualitative Research Methods in July 2006. In this contribution, some of the issues discussed during the symposium are taken up and extended, and some basic dimensions underlying these issues are summarized. How qualitative research methods and methodology are taught is closely linked to the ways in which qualitative researchers in the social sciences conceptualize themselves and their discipline. In the following, we distinguish between a paradigmatic and a pragmatic view. From a pragmatic point of view, qualitative research methods are considered research strategies or techniques and can be taught in the sense of recipes with specific steps to be carried out. According to a paradigmatic point of view (strongly inspired by constructivism, qualitative research methods and methodology are conceptualized as a craft to be practiced together by a "master" and an "apprentice." Moreover, the teaching of qualitative research methods also depends heavily on the institutional standing of qualitative compared to quantitative research method. Based on these considerations, five basic dimensions of learning about and teaching qualitative research methods are suggested: ways of teaching (ranging from the presentation of textbook knowledge to cognitive apprenticeship and instructors' experience with these; institutional contexts, including their development and the teaching of qualitative research methods in other than university contexts; the "fit" between personality and method, including relevant personal skills and talents; and, as a special type of instructional context that increasingly has gained importance, distance learning and its implications for learning about and teaching qualitative research methods

Advanced methodology for generation expansion planning including interconnected systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhao, M; Yokoyama, R; Yasuda, K [Tokyo Metropolitan Univ. (Japan); Sasaki, H [Hiroshima Univ. (Japan); Ogimoto, K [Electric Power Development Co. Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

1994-12-31

This paper reviews advanced methodology for generation expansion planning including interconnected systems developed in Japan, putting focus on flexibility and efficiency in a practical application. First, criteria for evaluating flexibility of generation planning considering uncertainties are introduced. Secondly, the flexible generation mix problem is formulated as a multi-objective optimization with more than two objective functions. The multi-objective optimization problem is then transformed into a single objective problem by using the weighting method, to obtain the Pareto optimal solution, and solved by a dynamics programming technique. Thirdly, a new approach for electric generation expansion planning of interconnected systems is presented, based on the Benders Decomposition technique. That is, large scale generation problem constituted by the general economic load dispatch problem, and several sub problems which are composed of smaller scale isolated system generation expansion plans. Finally, the generation expansion plan solved by an artificial neural network is presented. In conclusion, the advantages and disadvantages of this method from the viewpoint of flexibility and applicability to practical generation expansion planning are presented. (author) 29 refs., 10 figs., 4 tabs.

Reliability assessment of Passive Containment Cooling System of an Advanced Reactor using APSRA methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kumar, Mukesh, E-mail: mukeshd@barc.gov.in [Reactor Engineering Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Chakravarty, Aranyak [School of Nuclear Studies and Application, Jadavpur University, Kolkata 700032 (India); Nayak, A.K. [Reactor Engineering Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India); Prasad, Hari; Gopika, V. [Reactor Safety Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 400085 (India)

2014-10-15

Highlights: • The paper deals with the reliability assessment of Passive Containment Cooling System of Advanced Heavy Water Reactor. • Assessment of Passive System ReliAbility (APSRA) methodology is used for reliability assessment. • Performance assessment of the PCCS is initially performed during a postulated design basis LOCA. • The parameters affecting the system performance are then identified and considered for further analysis. • The failure probabilities of the various components are assessed through a classical PSA treatment using generic data. - Abstract: Passive Systems are increasingly playing a prominent role in the advanced nuclear reactor systems and are being utilised in normal operations as well as safety systems of the reactors following an accident. The Passive Containment Cooling System (PCCS) is one of the several passive safety features in an Advanced Reactor (AHWR). In this paper, the APSRA methodology has been employed for reliability evaluation of the PCCS of AHWR. Performance assessment of the PCCS is initially performed during a postulated design basis LOCA using the best-estimate code RELAP5/Mod 3.2. The parameters affecting the system performance are then identified and considered for further analysis. Based on some pre-determined failure criterion, the failure surface for the system is predicted using the best-estimate code taking into account the deviations of the identified parameters from their nominal states as well as the model uncertainties inherent to the best estimate code. Root diagnosis is then carried out to determine the various failure causes, which occurs mainly due to malfunctioning of mechanical components. The failure probabilities of the various components are assessed through a classical PSA treatment using generic data. The reliability of the PCCS is then evaluated from the probability of availability of these components.

Reliability assessment of Passive Containment Cooling System of an Advanced Reactor using APSRA methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Mukesh; Chakravarty, Aranyak; Nayak, A.K.; Prasad, Hari; Gopika, V.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The paper deals with the reliability assessment of Passive Containment Cooling System of Advanced Heavy Water Reactor. • Assessment of Passive System ReliAbility (APSRA) methodology is used for reliability assessment. • Performance assessment of the PCCS is initially performed during a postulated design basis LOCA. • The parameters affecting the system performance are then identified and considered for further analysis. • The failure probabilities of the various components are assessed through a classical PSA treatment using generic data. - Abstract: Passive Systems are increasingly playing a prominent role in the advanced nuclear reactor systems and are being utilised in normal operations as well as safety systems of the reactors following an accident. The Passive Containment Cooling System (PCCS) is one of the several passive safety features in an Advanced Reactor (AHWR). In this paper, the APSRA methodology has been employed for reliability evaluation of the PCCS of AHWR. Performance assessment of the PCCS is initially performed during a postulated design basis LOCA using the best-estimate code RELAP5/Mod 3.2. The parameters affecting the system performance are then identified and considered for further analysis. Based on some pre-determined failure criterion, the failure surface for the system is predicted using the best-estimate code taking into account the deviations of the identified parameters from their nominal states as well as the model uncertainties inherent to the best estimate code. Root diagnosis is then carried out to determine the various failure causes, which occurs mainly due to malfunctioning of mechanical components. The failure probabilities of the various components are assessed through a classical PSA treatment using generic data. The reliability of the PCCS is then evaluated from the probability of availability of these components

Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in psychiatry: Methodological issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prohovnik, I.

1984-01-01

Traditionally, measurements of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) have been confined to neurology and nuclear medicine. Only one laboratory had concentrated on using this technique in psychiatric studies. Recently, however, rCBF has been increasingly used in psychiatry, and it seems appropriate at this time to examine the value and limitations of this method. The present article reviews selected methodological issues that may complicate the performance and interpretation of rCBF studies, with the aim of providing some means to evaluate published work and to plan further psychiatric research. In this paper, the term rCBF refers only to the two-dimensional, noninvasive methods that rely on inhalation or intravenous injection of xenon-133. The growing interest of rCBF to psychiatry stems mostly from the fact that this technique can indirectly map cerebral metabolism and, by interface, neural activity or information processing. Regional metabolism and blood flow are closely coupled to the human brain in the absence of gross pathology, and since psychiatric patients rarely present acute neurological abnormalities that might disrupt this coupling, one may infer regional metabolism from flow

Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nerida Hyett

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Despite on-going debate about credibility, and reported limitations in comparison to other approaches, case study is an increasingly popular approach among qualitative researchers. We critically analysed the methodological descriptions of published case studies. Three high-impact qualitative methods journals were searched to locate case studies published in the past 5 years; 34 were selected for analysis. Articles were categorized as health and health services (n=12, social sciences and anthropology (n=7, or methods (n=15 case studies. The articles were reviewed using an adapted version of established criteria to determine whether adequate methodological justification was present, and if study aims, methods, and reported findings were consistent with a qualitative case study approach. Findings were grouped into five themes outlining key methodological issues: case study methodology or method, case of something particular and case selection, contextually bound case study, researcher and case interactions and triangulation, and study design inconsistent with methodology reported. Improved reporting of case studies by qualitative researchers will advance the methodology for the benefit of researchers and practitioners.

Methodology or method? A critical review of qualitative case study reports

Science.gov (United States)

Hyett, Nerida; Kenny, Amanda; Dickson-Swift, Virginia

2014-01-01

Despite on-going debate about credibility, and reported limitations in comparison to other approaches, case study is an increasingly popular approach among qualitative researchers. We critically analysed the methodological descriptions of published case studies. Three high-impact qualitative methods journals were searched to locate case studies published in the past 5 years; 34 were selected for analysis. Articles were categorized as health and health services (n=12), social sciences and anthropology (n=7), or methods (n=15) case studies. The articles were reviewed using an adapted version of established criteria to determine whether adequate methodological justification was present, and if study aims, methods, and reported findings were consistent with a qualitative case study approach. Findings were grouped into five themes outlining key methodological issues: case study methodology or method, case of something particular and case selection, contextually bound case study, researcher and case interactions and triangulation, and study design inconsistent with methodology reported. Improved reporting of case studies by qualitative researchers will advance the methodology for the benefit of researchers and practitioners. PMID:24809980

Special Issue “50th Anniversary of the Kohn–Sham Theory—Advances in Density Functional Theory”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ágnes Nagy

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The properties of many materials at the atomic scale depend on the electronic structure, which requires a quantum mechanical treatment. The most widely used approach to make such a treatment feasible is density functional theory (DFT, the advances in which were presented and discussed during the DFT conference in Debrecen. Some of these issues are presented in this Special Issue.

APPLICATION OF LOT QUALITY ASSURANCE SAMPLING FOR ASSESSING DISEASE CONTROL PROGRAMMES - EXAMINATION OF SOME METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES

OpenAIRE

T. R. RAMESH RAO

2011-01-01

Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS), a statistical tool in industrial setup, has been in use since 1980 for monitoring and evaluation of programs on disease control / immunization status among children / health workers performance in health system. While conducting LQAS in the field, there are occasions, even after due care of design, there are practical and methodological issues to be addressed before it is recommended for implementation and intervention. LQAS is applied under the assumpti...

Investigating High-tech and Knowledge-Intensive Ventures: Methodological Issues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Madsen, Henning; Neergaard, Helle; Christensen, Patrizia V.

2003-01-01

The paper presents and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology applied in a longitudinal project on entrepreneurship, the SNE project.......The paper presents and discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology applied in a longitudinal project on entrepreneurship, the SNE project....

Overview on hydrogen risk research and development activities: Methodology and open issues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bentaib, Ahmed; Meynet, Nicolas; Bleyer, Alexande [Institut de Radioprotection et de Surete Nucleaire (IRSN), Severe Accident Department, Fontenay-aux-Roses (France)

2015-02-15

During the course of a severe accident in a light water nuclear reactor, large amounts of hydrogen can be generated and released into the containment during reactor core degradation. Additional burnable gases [hydrogen (H2) and carbon monoxide (CO)] may be released into the containment in the corium/concrete interaction. This could subsequently raise a combustion hazard. As the Fukushima accidents revealed, hydrogen combustion can cause high pressure spikes that could challenge the reactor buildings and lead to failure of the surrounding buildings. To prevent the gas explosion hazard, most mitigation strategies adopted by European countries are based on the implementation of passive autocatalytic recombiners (PARs). Studies of representative accident sequences indicate that, despite the installation of PARs, it is difficult to prevent at all times and locations, the formation of a combustible mixture that potentially leads to local flame acceleration. Complementary research and development (R and D) projects were recently launched to understand better the phenomena associated with the combustion hazard and to address the issues highlighted after the Fukushima Daiichi events such as explosion hazard in the venting system and the potential flammable mixture migration into spaces beyond the primary containment. The expected results will be used to improve the modeling tools and methodology for hydrogen risk assessment and severe accident management guidelines. The present paper aims to present the methodology adopted by Institut de Radioprotection et de Su.

Halden Reactor Project Workshop: Understanding Advanced Instrumentation and Controls Issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beltracchi, L.

1991-01-01

A Halden Reactor Project Workshop on 'Understanding Advanced Instrumentation and Controls Issues' was held in Halden, Norway, during June 17-18, 1991. The objectives of the workshop were to (1) identify and prioritize the types of technical information that the Halden Project can produce to facilitate the development of man-machine interface guidelines and (2) to identify methods to effectively integrate and disseminate this information to signatory organizations. As a member of the Halden Reactor Project, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) requested the workshop. This request resulted from the NRC's need for human factors guidelines for the evaluation of advanced instrumentation and controls. The Halden Reactor Project is a cooperative agreement among several countries belonging to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The US began its association with the Halden Project in 1958 through the Atomic Energy Commission. The project's activities are centered at the Halden heavy-water reactor and its associated man-machine laboratory in Halden, Norway. The research program conducted at Halden consists of studies on fuel performance and computer-based man-machine interfaces

Research Methodology in Global Strategy Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cuervo-Cazurra, Alvaro; Mudambi, Ram; Pedersen, Torben

2017-01-01

We review advances in research methodology used in global strategy research and provide suggestions on how researchers can improve their analyses and arguments. Methodological advances in the extraction of information, such as computer-aided text analysis, and in the analysis of datasets......, such as differences-in-differences and propensity score matching, have helped deal with challenges (e.g., endogeneity and causality) that bedeviled earlier studies and resulted in conflicting findings. These methodological advances need to be considered as tools that complement theoretical arguments and well......-explained logics and mechanisms so that researchers can provide better and more relevant recommendations to managers designing the global strategies of their organizations....

Postclosure risks at the proposed Yucca Mountain repository: A review of methodological and technical issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emel, J.; Kasperson, R.E.; Goble, R.; Renn, O.

1988-06-01

Accordingly, the first section of the report provides an overview and critique of the risk analysis methodology proposed by the US Department of Energy (DOE 1988) in the Draft Site Characterization Plan (SCP) and related documents. The second section addresses specific technical problems associated with the site. Each section considers the significance or implications of the issues for the successful long-term isolation of radioactive wastes from the biosphere. We conclude with overall observations on the adequacy of current understandings and approaches in the waste disposal program and implications for the State of Nevada

Evolution of courseware development methodology : recent issues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Moonen, J.C.M.M.; Schoenmaker, Jan

1992-01-01

To improve the quality of courseware products and the efficiency of the courseware development process, a methodology based upon "courseware engineering", being a combination of instructional systems development and software engineering, has emerged over the last 10¿15 years. Recently, software

Probabilistic Analysis of Passive Safety System Reliability in Advanced Small Modular Reactors: Methodologies and Lessons Learned

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grabaskas, David; Bucknor, Matthew; Brunett, Acacia; Grelle, Austin

2015-06-28

Many advanced small modular reactor designs rely on passive systems to fulfill safety functions during accident sequences. These systems depend heavily on boundary conditions to induce a motive force, meaning the system can fail to operate as intended due to deviations in boundary conditions, rather than as the result of physical failures. Furthermore, passive systems may operate in intermediate or degraded modes. These factors make passive system operation difficult to characterize with a traditional probabilistic framework that only recognizes discrete operating modes and does not allow for the explicit consideration of time-dependent boundary conditions. Argonne National Laboratory has been examining various methodologies for assessing passive system reliability within a probabilistic risk assessment for a station blackout event at an advanced small modular reactor. This paper describes the most promising options: mechanistic techniques, which share qualities with conventional probabilistic methods, and simulation-based techniques, which explicitly account for time-dependent processes. The primary intention of this paper is to describe the strengths and weaknesses of each methodology and highlight the lessons learned while applying the two techniques while providing high-level results. This includes the global benefits and deficiencies of the methods and practical problems encountered during the implementation of each technique.

Systems selection methodology for civil nuclear power applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scarborough, J.

1988-01-01

A methodology for evaluation and selection of a preferred Advanced Small or Medium Power Reactor (SMPR) for commercial electric power generation is discussed, and an illustrative example is presented with five US Advanced SMPR power plants. The evaluation procedure was developed from a methodology for ranking small, advanced nuclear power plant designs under development by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense (DOD). The methodology involves establishing numerical probability distributions for each of fifteen evaluation criteria for each Advanced SMPR plant. A resultant single probability distribution with its associated numerical mean value is then developed for each Advanced SMPR plant by Monte Carlo sampling techniques in order that each plant may be ranked with an associated statement of certainty. The selection methodology is intended as a screening procedure for commercial offerings to preclude detailed technical and commercial assessments from being conducted for those offerings which do not meet the initial screening criteria

Introduction: Special issue on advances in topobathymetric mapping, models, and applications

Science.gov (United States)

Gesch, Dean B.; Brock, John C.; Parrish, Christopher E.; Rogers, Jeffrey N.; Wright, C. Wayne

2016-01-01

Detailed knowledge of near-shore topography and bathymetry is required for many geospatial data applications in the coastal environment. New data sources and processing methods are facilitating development of seamless, regional-scale topobathymetric digital elevation models. These elevation models integrate disparate multi-sensor, multi-temporal topographic and bathymetric datasets to provide a coherent base layer for coastal science applications such as wetlands mapping and monitoring, sea-level rise assessment, benthic habitat mapping, erosion monitoring, and storm impact assessment. The focus of this special issue is on recent advances in the source data, data processing and integration methods, and applications of topobathymetric datasets.

Advanced directives: open issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriella Negrini

2013-05-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND In Italy Advanced directives have not been regulated by law yet. Moreover, there is a confusion of concepts: advanced directives, refusal of treatment, medical futility and euthanasia are not synonymous.DISCUSSION The following aspects are then discussed: object of directives; elapse of time between their expression and their application; knowledge of the directives and their obligatory nature. The refusal of a treatment that can save a person’s life is a critical subject. There are different ethical points of view: according to lay ethics, the patient’s self-determination prevails; the religious viewpoint, instead, says that life is a gift which we cannot dispose of. In any case, the patient will be confronted with the professional autonomy of the doctor. Should the doctor save a patient’s life in any case or should he achieve best clinical practice, in respect of his will? The doctor should interpret the patient’s will but with caution and judgment. An exemption from responsibility should be provided by law for doctors who respect patient’s living will.

An Applied Study of Implementation of the Advanced Decommissioning Costing Methodology for Intermediate Storage Facility for Spent Fuel in Studsvik, Sweden with special emphasis to the application of the Omega code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kristofova, Kristina; Vasko, Marek; Daniska, Vladimir; Ondra, Frantisek; Bezak, Peter [DECOM Slovakia, spol. s.r.o., J. Bottu 2, SK-917 01 Trnava (Slovakia); Lindskog, Staffan [Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, Stockholm (Sweden)

2007-01-15

The presented study is focused on an analysis of decommissioning costs for the Intermediate Storage Facility for Spent Fuel (FA) facility in Studsvik prepared by SVAFO and a proposal of the advanced decommissioning costing methodology application. Therefore, this applied study concentrates particularly in the following areas: 1. Analysis of FA facility cost estimates prepared by SVAFO including description of FA facility in Studsvik, summarised input data, applied cost estimates methodology and summarised results from SVAFO study. 2. Discussion of results of the SVAFO analysis, proposals for enhanced cost estimating methodology and upgraded structure of inputs/outputs for decommissioning study for FA facility. 3. Review of costing methodologies with the special emphasis on the advanced costing methodology and cost calculation code OMEGA. 4. Discussion on implementation of the advanced costing methodology for FA facility in Studsvik together with: - identification of areas of implementation; - analyses of local decommissioning infrastructure; - adaptation of the data for the calculation database; - inventory database; and - implementation of the style of work with the computer code OMEGA.

An Applied Study of Implementation of the Advanced Decommissioning Costing Methodology for Intermediate Storage Facility for Spent Fuel in Studsvik, Sweden with special emphasis to the application of the Omega code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kristofova, Kristina; Vasko, Marek; Daniska, Vladimir; Ondra, Frantisek; Bezak, Peter; Lindskog, Staffan

2007-01-01

The presented study is focused on an analysis of decommissioning costs for the Intermediate Storage Facility for Spent Fuel (FA) facility in Studsvik prepared by SVAFO and a proposal of the advanced decommissioning costing methodology application. Therefore, this applied study concentrates particularly in the following areas: 1. Analysis of FA facility cost estimates prepared by SVAFO including description of FA facility in Studsvik, summarised input data, applied cost estimates methodology and summarised results from SVAFO study. 2. Discussion of results of the SVAFO analysis, proposals for enhanced cost estimating methodology and upgraded structure of inputs/outputs for decommissioning study for FA facility. 3. Review of costing methodologies with the special emphasis on the advanced costing methodology and cost calculation code OMEGA. 4. Discussion on implementation of the advanced costing methodology for FA facility in Studsvik together with: - identification of areas of implementation; - analyses of local decommissioning infrastructure; - adaptation of the data for the calculation database; - inventory database; and - implementation of the style of work with the computer code OMEGA

Development of Advanced Non-LOCA Analysis Methodology for Licensing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, Chansu; Um, Kilsup; Choi, Jaedon

2008-01-01

KNF is developing a new design methodology on the Non-LOCA analysis for the licensing purpose. The code chosen is the best-estimate transient analysis code RETRAN and the OPR1000 is aimed as a target plant. For this purpose, KNF prepared a simple nodal scheme appropriate to the licensing analyses and developed the designer-friendly analysis tool ASSIST (Automatic Steady-State Initialization and Safety analysis Tool). To check the validity of the newly developed methodology, the single CEA withdrawal and the locked rotor accidents are analyzed by using a new methodology and are compared with current design results. Comparison results show a good agreement and it is concluded that the new design methodology can be applied to the licensing calculations for OPR1000 Non-LOCA

Methodological Challenges in Studies Comparing Prehospital Advanced Life Support with Basic Life Support.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Timmy; Jones, Courtney M C; Shah, Manish N; Cushman, Jeremy T; Jusko, Todd A

2017-08-01

Determining the most appropriate level of care for patients in the prehospital setting during medical emergencies is essential. A large body of literature suggests that, compared with Basic Life Support (BLS) care, Advanced Life Support (ALS) care is not associated with increased patient survival or decreased mortality. The purpose of this special report is to synthesize the literature to identify common study design and analytic challenges in research studies that examine the effect of ALS, compared to BLS, on patient outcomes. The challenges discussed in this report include: (1) choice of outcome measure; (2) logistic regression modeling of common outcomes; (3) baseline differences between study groups (confounding); (4) inappropriate statistical adjustment; and (5) inclusion of patients who are no longer at risk for the outcome. These challenges may affect the results of studies, and thus, conclusions of studies regarding the effect of level of prehospital care on patient outcomes should require cautious interpretation. Specific alternatives for avoiding these challenges are presented. Li T , Jones CMC , Shah MN , Cushman JT , Jusko TA . Methodological challenges in studies comparing prehospital Advanced Life Support with Basic Life Support. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2017;32(4):444-450.

Methodological issues in radiation dose-volume outcome analyses: Summary of a joint AAPM/NIH workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deasy, Joseph O.; Niemierko, Andrzej; Herbert, Donald; Yan, Di; Jackson, Andrew; Ten Haken, Randall K.; Langer, Mark; Sapareto, Steve

2002-01-01

This report represents a summary of presentations at a joint workshop of the National Institutes of Health and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). Current methodological issues in dose-volume modeling are addressed here from several different perspectives. Areas of emphasis include (a) basic modeling issues including the equivalent uniform dose framework and the bootstrap method, (b) issues in the valid use of statistics, including the need for meta-analysis, (c) issues in dealing with organ deformation and its effects on treatment response, (d) evidence for volume effects for rectal complications, (e) the use of volume effect data in liver and lung as a basis for dose escalation studies, and (f) implications of uncertainties in volume effect knowledge on optimized treatment planning. Taken together, these approaches to studying volume effects describe many implications for the development and use of this information in radiation oncology practice. Areas of significant interest for further research include the meta-analysis of clinical data; interinstitutional pooled data analyses of volume effects; analyses of the uncertainties in outcome prediction models, minimal parameter number outcome models for ranking treatment plans (e.g., equivalent uniform dose); incorporation of the effect of motion in the outcome prediction; dose-escalation/isorisk protocols based on outcome models; the use of functional imaging to study radio-response; and the need for further small animal tumor control probability/normal tissue complication probability studies

Waste isolation in the U.S., technical programs and public education. Volume 2 - low level waste, volume reduction methodologies and economics. Vol. 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Post, R.G.

1984-01-01

This volume presents information regarding low-level waste, volume reduction methodologies and economics. Topics include: public education on nuclear waste; economics of low-level waste management systems; operating experience with advanced volume reduction techniques; solidification of waste; operating experience with advanced volume reduction techniques--incineration; regional plans for the disposal of low-level waste; radwaste system modifications at nuclear power plants; operating experience with advanced volume reduction techniques--operations and on-site storage issues; and economic impact of 10CFR61

"It's the Method, Stupid." Interrelations between Methodological and Theoretical Advances: The Example of Comparing Higher Education Systems Internationally

Science.gov (United States)

Hoelscher, Michael

2017-01-01

This article argues that strong interrelations between methodological and theoretical advances exist. Progress in, especially comparative, methods may have important impacts on theory evaluation. By using the example of the "Varieties of Capitalism" approach and an international comparison of higher education systems, it can be shown…

Methodological Issues on Climate Change Mitigation Studies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Lene; Borges, Pedro Castro; Vidal, Rene Victor Valqui

1999-01-01

This paper uses national greenhouse gas emission abatement costing studies as a case to discuss influential factors that determine their outcome and achievement. Costing studies are seen as part of an interconnected whole social process where actors (decision makers, clients, facilitators, expert...... such methodologies to case studies is seen as one way of improving the chances of understanding and handling environmental problems...

Rapid Industrial Prototyping and SoC Design of 3G/4G Wireless Systems Using an HLS Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andres Takach

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Many very-high-complexity signal processing algorithms are required in future wireless systems, giving tremendous challenges to real-time implementations. In this paper, we present our industrial rapid prototyping experiences on 3G/4G wireless systems using advanced signal processing algorithms in MIMO-CDMA and MIMO-OFDM systems. Core system design issues are studied and advanced receiver algorithms suitable for implementation are proposed for synchronization, MIMO equalization, and detection. We then present VLSI-oriented complexity reduction schemes and demonstrate how to interact these high-complexity algorithms with an HLS-based methodology for extensive design space exploration. This is achieved by abstracting the main effort from hardware iterations to the algorithmic C/C++ fixed-point design. We also analyze the advantages and limitations of the methodology. Our industrial design experience demonstrates that it is possible to enable an extensive architectural analysis in a short-time frame using HLS methodology, which significantly shortens the time to market for wireless systems.

Rapid Industrial Prototyping and SoC Design of 3G/4G Wireless Systems Using an HLS Methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cavallaro JosephR

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Many very-high-complexity signal processing algorithms are required in future wireless systems, giving tremendous challenges to real-time implementations. In this paper, we present our industrial rapid prototyping experiences on 3G/4G wireless systems using advanced signal processing algorithms in MIMO-CDMA and MIMO-OFDM systems. Core system design issues are studied and advanced receiver algorithms suitable for implementation are proposed for synchronization, MIMO equalization, and detection. We then present VLSI-oriented complexity reduction schemes and demonstrate how to interact these high-complexity algorithms with an HLS-based methodology for extensive design space exploration. This is achieved by abstracting the main effort from hardware iterations to the algorithmic C/C++ fixed-point design. We also analyze the advantages and limitations of the methodology. Our industrial design experience demonstrates that it is possible to enable an extensive architectural analysis in a short-time frame using HLS methodology, which significantly shortens the time to market for wireless systems.

A case on vendor selection methodology: An integrated approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikhil C. Shil

2009-11-01

Full Text Available Vendor selection methodology is a highly researched area in supply chain management l terature and a very significant decision taken by supply chain managers due to technological advances in the manufacturing process. Such research has two basic dimensions: one is related to the identification of variables affecting the performance of the vendors and the other deals with the methodology to be applied. Most of the research conducted in this area deal with the upfront selection of vendors. However, it is very common to have a list of dedicated vendors due to the development of sophisticated production technologies like just in time (JIT, a lean or agile manufacturing process where continuous flow of materials is a requirement. This paper addresses the issue of selecting the optimal vendor from the internal database of a company. Factor analysis, analytical hierarchy process and regression analysis is used in an integrated way to supplement the vendor selection process. The methodology presented here is simply a proposal where every possible room for adjustment is available.

Methodological and conceptual issues regarding occupational psychosocial coronary heart disease epidemiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Burr, Hermann; Formazin, Maren; Pohrt, Anne

2016-05-01

Overview Psychosocial occupational epidemiology has mainly focused on the demand-control and, to a much lesser extent, the effort-reward-imbalance (ERI) models. These models and the strong focus on them raise some conceptual and methodological issues we will address in the following letter. The conceptual issues include the empirical confirmation of the assumptions of these models, the extent to which the focus on the demand-control and ERI models is warranted, and whether the sub-dimensions of the scales in these models have common health effects. We argue that there is a lack of empirical approval of (i) the assumptions behind both models and (ii) the focus on these models. The methodological issues include how exposure to job strain is categorized, how ERI previously has been measured, and the validity of self-reports of job strain. We argue that (i) a population independent definition of job strain is lacking, (ii) the older measurements of ERI mix exposure and effect, and (iii) we know little regarding the validity of the measurement of the psychosocial working environment. Finally, we suggest that analyses of monitoring data with a broader focus on the psychosocial working environment can be used to shed light to some of the issues raised above. Introduction In the last three decades (1, 2), psychosocial occupational epidemiology related to coronary heart disease (CHD) has mainly focused on the job-strain model, also referred to as the demand-control model (3, 4). In this model, two aspects of work are deemed relevant: demands and control. Negative consequences to health are to be expected when high demands are simultaneously present with low control. This combination has been termed job strain (3, 4). Recently, there has also been increased interest in the ERI model (5, 6) which considers the level of effort relative to rewards at work: an imbalance is present when the efforts outweigh the rewards (5, 6). In longitudinal studies of CHD, there has been only a

Advancements in reactor physics modelling methodology of Monte Carlo Burnup Code MCB dedicated to higher simulation fidelity of HTR cores

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cetnar, Jerzy

2014-01-01

The recent development of MCB - Monte Carlo Continuous Energy Burn-up code is directed towards advanced description of modern reactors, including double heterogeneity structures that exist in HTR-s. In this, we exploit the advantages of MCB methodology in integrated approach, where physics, neutronics, burnup, reprocessing, non-stationary process modeling (control rod operation) and refined spatial modeling are carried in a single flow. This approach allows for implementations of advanced statistical options like analysis of error propagation, perturbation in time domain, sensitivity and source convergence analyses. It includes statistical analysis of burnup process, emitted particle collection, thermal-hydraulic coupling, automatic power profile calculations, advanced procedures of burnup step normalization and enhanced post processing capabilities. (author)

The Advanced Learner's Sociolinguistic Profile: On Issues of Individual Differences, Second Language Exposure Conditions, and Type of Sociolinguistic Variable

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Martin

2012-01-01

Situated within the recent new wave of second language acquisition studies investigating the acquisition of sociolinguistic variation, this article draws on a longitudinal database of advanced French interlanguage to explore a number of issues that have not yet been extensively investigated. They concern the issue of individual variation in the…

Systems selection methodology for civil nuclear power applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scarborough, J.C.

1987-01-01

A methodology for evaluation and selection of a preferred Advanced Small or Medium Power Reactor (SMPR) for commercial electric power generation is discussed, and an illustrative example is presented with five U.S. Advanced SMPR power plants. The evaluation procedure was developed from a methodology for ranking small. advenced nuclear power plant designs under development by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Department of Defense (DOD). The methodology involves establishing numerical probability distributions for each of fifteen evaluation criteria for each Advanced SMPR plant. A resultant single probability distribution with its associated numerical mean value is then developed for each Advanced SMPR plant by Monte Carlo sampling techniques in order that each plant may be ranked with an associated statement of certainty. The selection methodology is intended as a screening procedure for commercial offerings to preclude detailed technical and commercial assessments from being conducted for those offerings which do not meet the initial screening criteria. (auhtor)

Proposal of methodology of tsunami accident sequence analysis induced by earthquake using DQFM methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muta, Hitoshi; Muramatsu, Ken

2017-01-01

Since the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power station accident, the Japanese regulatory body has improved and upgraded the regulation of nuclear power plants, and continuous effort is required to enhance risk management in the mid- to long term. Earthquakes and tsunamis are considered as the most important risks, and the establishment of probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) methodologies for these events is a major issue of current PRA. The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) addressed the PRA methodology for tsunamis induced by earthquakes, which is one of the methodologies that should be enhanced step by step for the improvement and maturity of PRA techniques. The AESJ standard for the procedure of seismic PRA for nuclear power plants in 2015 provides the basic concept of the methodology; however, details of the application to the actual plant PRA model have not been sufficiently provided. This study proposes a detailed PRA methodology for tsunamis induced by earthquakes using the DQFM methodology, which contributes to improving the safety of nuclear power plants. Furthermore, this study also states the issues which need more research. (author)

Natural product-based nanomedicine: recent advances and issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Watkins R

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Rebekah Watkins,1,2,* Ling Wu,1,* Chenming Zhang,3–5 Richey M Davis,3,5,6 Bin Xu1,3 1Department of Biochemistry, 2Program in Nanoscience, 3Center for Drug Discovery, 4Department of Biological Systems Engineering, 5Institute for Critical Technology and Applied Science, 6Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Natural products have been used in medicine for many years. Many top-selling pharmaceuticals are natural compounds or their derivatives. These plant- or microorganism-derived compounds have shown potential as therapeutic agents against cancer, microbial infection, inflammation, and other disease conditions. However, their success in clinical trials has been less impressive, partly due to the compounds’ low bioavailability. The incorporation of nanoparticles into a delivery system for natural products would be a major advance in the efforts to increase their therapeutic effects. Recently, advances have been made showing that nanoparticles can significantly increase the bioavailability of natural products both in vitro and in vivo. Nanotechnology has demonstrated its capability to manipulate particles in order to target specific areas of the body and control the release of drugs. Although there are many benefits to applying nanotechnology for better delivery of natural products, it is not without issues. Drug targeting remains a challenge and potential nanoparticle toxicity needs to be further investigated, especially if these systems are to be used to treat chronic human diseases. This review aims to summarize recent progress in several key areas relevant to natural products in nanoparticle delivery systems for biomedical applications. Keywords: natural products, nanomedicine, drug delivery, bioavailability, targeting, controlled release

Design for manufacturability with advanced lithography

CERN Document Server

Yu, Bei

2016-01-01

This book introduces readers to the most advanced research results on Design for Manufacturability (DFM) with multiple patterning lithography (MPL) and electron beam lithography (EBL).  The authors describe in detail a set of algorithms/methodologies to resolve issues in modern design for manufacturability problems with advanced lithography.  Unlike books that discuss DFM from the product level, or physical manufacturing level, this book describes DFM solutions from a circuit design level, such that most of the critical problems can be formulated and solved through combinatorial algorithms. Enables readers to tackle the challenge of layout decompositions for different patterning techniques; Presents a coherent framework, including standard cell compliance and detailed placement, to enable Triple Patterning Lithography (TPL) friendly design; Includes coverage of the design for manufacturability with E-Beam lithography.

Work Domain Analysis Methodology for Development of Operational Concepts for Advanced Reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hugo, Jacques [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-05-01

This report describes a methodology to conduct a Work Domain Analysis in preparation for the development of operational concepts for new plants. This method has been adapted from the classical method described in the literature in order to better deal with the uncertainty and incomplete information typical of first-of-a-kind designs. The report outlines the strategy for undertaking a Work Domain Analysis of a new nuclear power plant and the methods to be used in the development of the various phases of the analysis. Basic principles are described to the extent necessary to explain why and how the classical method was adapted to make it suitable as a tool for the preparation of operational concepts for a new nuclear power plant. Practical examples are provided of the systematic application of the method and the various presentation formats in the operational analysis of advanced reactors.

SI:FatiguePro 4 Advanced Approach for Fatigue Monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Evon, Keith; Gilman, Tim; Carney, Curt

2012-01-01

Many nuclear plants are making commitments to implement fatigue monitoring systems in support of license renewal. Current fatigue monitoring systems use the methodology of ASME Code Subarticle NB-3200, which is a design code intended to compute a bounding cumulative usage factor (CUF). The first generation of fatigue monitoring software utilized a simplified, single stress term assumption and classical stress cycle-counting methods that take order into account such as Rainflow or Ordered Overall Range counting. Recently, the NRC has indicated in Regulatory Issue Summary 2008-30 that any fatigue analyses in support of License Renewal should use ASME Code Section III methodologies considering all six stress components. In addition, fatigue calculations for the license renewal term are required to consider the effects of environment. The implementation of a six stress term NB-3200 fatigue calculation to a Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) feedwater nozzle, including environmental effects, is the topic of this paper. Differences in results between the advanced methodology and the simplified methodology are discussed. (author)

Cognitive styles: Controversial issues and research problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia N. Volkova

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The paper presents an analytical review of cognitive styles research, considering the problems of its theory, methodology, measurement and practical applications. Issues concerning the prospects, as well as theoretical and practical relevance of cognitive styles research, are discussed. We examine the main causes leading to researchers’ declining interest to study of cognitive styles, related to theory, methodology, measurement and practical applications. The main problems discussed relate to lack of clear definition and common theoretical framework. Moreover, the number of empirical studies prevails over the one aimed at theoretical generalization of empirical results and findings, and therefore the primacy of empirics appears. We analyze the possible ways of advancing the field, suggested research programs and potential perspectives for future research. We pose questions of the relationship between cognitive styles and other psychological constructs, such as abilities and cognitive strategies. We emphasize the need to develop integrative models of cognitive styles in order to systematize and organize a large number of existing cognitive styles dimensions. The main controversial issues concerning cognitive styles’ stability and value are considered. We suggest that cognitive style is a psychological mean of cognitive tasks solving, based on both situation circumstances and subject’s current cognitive resources. Issues concerning cognitive styles may answer the question on the nature of individual differences and clarify psychological mechanisms of personality-situation interaction. Furthermore, it may serve as a basis for integrated studies at the areas of personality and cognitive psychology.

Application of the API/NPRA SVA methodology to transportation security issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Moore, David A

2006-03-17

Security vulnerability analysis (SVA) is becoming more prevalent as the issue of chemical process security is of greater concern. The American Petroleum Institute (API) and the National Petrochemical and Refiner's Association (NPRA) have developed a guideline for conducting SVAs of petroleum and petrochemical facilities in May 2003. In 2004, the same organizations enhanced the guidelines by adding the ability to evaluate transportation security risks (pipeline, truck, and rail). The importance of including transportation and value chain security in addition to fixed facility security in a SVA is that these issues may be critically important to understanding the total risk of the operation. Most of the SVAs done using the API/NPRA SVA and other SVA methods were centered on the fixed facility and the operations within the plant fence. Transportation interfaces alone are normally studied as a part of the facility SVA, and the entire transportation route impacts and value chain disruption are not commonly considered. Particularly from a national, regional, or local infrastructure analysis standpoint, understanding the interdependencies is critical to the risk assessment. Transportation risks may include weaponization of the asset by direct attack en route, sabotage, or a Trojan Horse style attack into a facility. The risks differ in the level of access control and the degree of public exposures, as well as the dynamic nature of the assets. The public exposures along the transportation route need to be carefully considered. Risks may be mitigated by one of many strategies including internment, staging, prioritization, conscription, or prohibition, as well as by administrative security measures and technology for monitoring and isolating the assets. This paper illustrates how these risks can be analyzed by the API/NPRA SVA methodology. Examples are given of a pipeline operation, and other examples are found in the guidelines.

Systemization of Design and Analysis Technology for Advanced Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Keung Koo; Lee, J.; Zee, S. K.

2009-01-01

The present study is performed to establish the base for the license application of the original technology by systemization and enhancement of the technology that is indispensable for the design and analysis of the advanced reactors including integral reactors. Technical reports and topical reports are prepared for this purpose on some important design/analysis methodology; design and analysis computer programs, structural integrity evaluation of main components and structures, digital I and C systems and man-machine interface design. PPS design concept is complemented reflecting typical safety analysis results. And test plans and requirements are developed for the verification of the advanced reactor technology. Moreover, studies are performed to draw up plans to apply to current or advanced power reactors the original technologies or base technologies such as patents, computer programs, test results, design concepts of the systems and components of the advanced reactors. Finally, pending issues are studied of the advanced reactors to improve the economics and technology realization

Methodology, theoretical framework and scholarly significance: An ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Methodology, theoretical framework and scholarly significance: An overview ... AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search ... Keywords: Legal Research, Methodology, Theory, Pedagogy, Legal Training, Scholarship ...

Comparative economic analysis of the Integral Molten Salt Reactor and an advanced PWR using the G4-ECONS methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samalova, Ludmila; Chvala, Ondrej; Maldonado, G. Ivan

2017-01-01

The assessment of economic viability of a new reactor concept is crucial particularly during the early stages of its concept development. The G4-ECONS methodology provides a standardized top-down estimate of electricity cost and parametric sensitivities, not specifically targeted toward an accurate prediction of the final cost when deployed, but rather seeking an approximation of cost variations relative to other systems. This study presents an analysis of the Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) concept in comparison with a consistent analysis of an advanced PWR reactor (represented by AP1000). Estimation of levelized unit electricity costs, as well as sensitivity analyses to the discount rate and uranium or SWU prices, are presented using this methodology.

Code qualification of structural materials for AFCI advanced recycling reactors.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Natesan, K.; Li, M.; Majumdar, S.; Nanstad, R.K.; Sham, T.-L. (Nuclear Engineering Division); (ORNL)

2012-05-31

) and the Power Reactor Innovative Small Module (PRISM), the NRC/Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) raised numerous safety-related issues regarding elevated-temperature structural integrity criteria. Most of these issues remained unresolved today. These critical licensing reviews provide a basis for the evaluation of underlying technical issues for future advanced sodium-cooled reactors. Major materials performance issues and high temperature design methodology issues pertinent to the ARR are addressed in the report. The report is organized as follows: the ARR reference design concepts proposed by the Argonne National Laboratory and four industrial consortia were reviewed first, followed by a summary of the major code qualification and licensing issues for the ARR structural materials. The available database is presented for the ASME Code-qualified structural alloys (e.g. 304, 316 stainless steels, 2.25Cr-1Mo, and mod.9Cr-1Mo), including physical properties, tensile properties, impact properties and fracture toughness, creep, fatigue, creep-fatigue interaction, microstructural stability during long-term thermal aging, material degradation in sodium environments and effects of neutron irradiation for both base metals and weld metals. An assessment of modified versions of Type 316 SS, i.e. Type 316LN and its Japanese version, 316FR, was conducted to provide a perspective for codification of 316LN or 316FR in Subsection NH. Current status and data availability of four new advanced alloys, i.e. NF616, NF616+TMT, NF709, and HT-UPS, are also addressed to identify the R&D needs for their code qualification for ARR applications. For both conventional and new alloys, issues related to high temperature design methodology are described to address the needs for improvements for the ARR design and licensing. Assessments have shown that there are significant data gaps for the full qualification and licensing of the ARR structural materials. Development and evaluation of

Ethical and Logistical Issues Raised by the Advanced Donation Program "Pay It Forward" Scheme.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Lainie Friedman; Rodrigue, James R; Veatch, Robert M

2017-10-01

The advanced donation program was proposed in 2014 to allow an individual to donate a kidney in order to provide a voucher for a kidney in the future for a particular loved one. In this article, we explore the logistical and ethical issues that such a program raises. We argue that such a program is ethical in principle but there are many logistical issues that need to be addressed to ensure that the actual program is fair to both those who do and do not participate in this program. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Advancing the Science of Qualitative Research to Promote Health Equity.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffith, Derek M; Shelton, Rachel C; Kegler, Michelle

2017-10-01

Qualitative methods have long been a part of health education research, but how qualitative approaches advance health equity has not been well described. Qualitative research is an increasingly important methodologic tool to use in efforts to understand, inform, and advance health equity. Qualitative research provides critical insight into the subjective meaning and context of health that can be essential for understanding where and how to intervene to inform health equity research and practice. We describe the larger context for this special theme issue of Health Education & Behavior, provide brief overviews of the 15 articles that comprise the issue, and discuss the promise of qualitative research that seeks to contextualize and illuminate answers to research questions in efforts to promote health equity. We highlight the critical role that qualitative research can play in considering and incorporating a diverse array of contextual information that is difficult to capture in quantitative research.

Methodological Issues in Survey Research: A Historical Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Heer, W.; de Leeuw, E.D.; van der Zouwen, J.

1999-01-01

In this paper, we present a historical overview of social surveys and describe the historical development of scientific survey methodology and survey statistics. The origins of survey research can be traced back to the early 19th century and the first scientiflc survey was conducted in England in

A Guide to the Systematic Literature Review Methodology in Supply Chain Management

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Durach, Christian F.; Wieland, Andreas; Kembro, Joakim

methodological developments in the application systematic literature reviews in supply chain management. It analyzes what approaches researchers in supply chain management have taken to follow the requirements of a systematic review, identifies issues in the approaches and provides authors, reviewers and editors...... with suggestions to better craft, disseminate, evaluate and select systematic literature reviews in supply chain management. This paper applies a systematic literature review approach to identify and analyze 31 articles published in core supply chain journals. It is the first research to map these developments......, since three seminal methodology papers on systematic reviews in management research have been published between 2003-2009. This research shows that there is still a need for more transparency in the approaches taken. Systematic literature reviews have a high potential to advance the field...

Qualification issues associated with the use of advanced instrumentation and control systems hardware in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korsah, K.; Antonescu, C.

1993-01-01

The instrumentation and control (I ampersand C) systems in advanced reactors will make extensive use of digital controls, microprocessors, multiplexing, and Tiber-optic transmission. Elements of these advances in I ampersand C have been implemented on some current operating plants. However, the widespread use of the above technologies, as well as the use of artificial intelligence with minimum reliance on human operator control of reactors, highlights the need to develop standards for qualifying I ampersand C used in the next generation of nuclear power plants. As a first step in this direction, the protection system I ampersand C for present-day plants was compared to that proposed for advanced light water reactors (ALWRs). An evaluation template was developed by assembling a configuration of a safety channel instrument string for a generic ALWR, then comparing the impact of environmental stressors on that string to their effect on an equivalent instrument string from an existing light water reactor. The template was then used to address reliability issues for microprocessor-based protection systems. Standards (or lack thereof) for the qualification of microprocessor-based safety I ampersand C systems were also identified. This approach addresses in part issues raised in Nuclear Regulatory Commission policy document SECY-91-292. which recognizes that advanced I ampersand C systems for the nuclear industry are ''being developed without consensus standards, as the technology available for design is ahead of the technology that is well understood through experience and supported by application standards.''

'The methodology of positive economics' does not give us the methodology of positive economics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

U.I. Mäki (Uskali)

2003-01-01

textabstractIt is argued that rather than a well defined F-Twist, Milton Friedman's 'Methodology of positive economies' offers an F-Mix: a pool of ambiguous and inconsistent ingredients that can be used for putting together a number of different methodological positions. This concerns issues such as

[Methodology for clinical research in Orthodontics, the assets of the beOrtho website].

Science.gov (United States)

Ruiz, Martial; Thibult, François

2014-06-01

The rules applying to the "evidence-based" methodology strongly influenced the clinical research in orthodontics. However, the implementation of clinical studies requires rigour, important statistical and methodological knowledge, as well as a reliable environment in order to compile and store the data obtained from research. We developed the project "beOrtho.com" (based on orthodontic evidence) in order to fill up the gap between our desire to drive clinical research and the necessity of methodological rigour in the exploitation of its results. BeOrtho website was created to answer the issue of sample recruitment, data compilation and storage, while providing help for the methodological design of clinical studies. It allows the development and monitoring of clinical studies, as well as the creation of databases. On the other hand, we designed an evaluation grid for clinical studies which helps developing systematic reviews. In order to illustrate our point, we tested a research protocol evaluating the interest of the mandibular advancement in the framework of Class II treatment. © EDP Sciences, SFODF, 2014.

Research Article Special Issue

African Journals Online (AJOL)

pc

2018-02-01

Feb 1, 2018 ... The main goal of this article is to analyze methodological issues in .... methodology and theory and historiology (theory of historic process) whose goal is to .... internal branches of sociology and interdisciplinary links of ...

A Quantitative and Systematic Methodology to Investigate Energy Consumption Issues in Multimodal Intercity Transportation Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lili Du

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Energy issues in transportation systems have garnered increasing attention recently. This study proposes a systematic methodology for policy-makers to minimize energy consumption in multimodal intercity transportation systems considering suppliers’ operational constraints and travelers’ mobility requirements. A bi-level optimization model is developed for this purpose and considers the air, rail, private auto, and transit modes. The upper-level model is a mixed integer nonlinear program aiming to minimize energy consumption subject to transportation suppliers’ operational constraints and traffic demand distribution to paths resulting from the lower-level model. The lower-level model is a linear program seeking to maximize the trip utilities of travelers. The interactions between the multimodal transportation suppliers and intercity traffic demand are considered under the goal of minimizing system energy consumption. The proposed bi-level mixed integer model is relaxed and transformed into a mathematical program with complementarity constraints, and solved using a customized branch-and-bound algorithm. Numerical experiments, conducted using multimodal travel options between Lafayette, Indiana and Washington, D.C. reiterate that shifting traffic demand from private cars to the transit and rail modes significantly reduce energy consumption. Moreover, the proposed methodology provides tools to quantitatively analyze system energy consumption and traffic demand distribution among transportation modes under specific policy instruments. The results illustrate the need to systematically incorporate the interactions among traveler preferences, network structure, and supplier operational schemes to provide policy-makers insights for developing traffic demand shift mechanisms to minimize system energy consumption. Hence, the proposed methodology provide policy-makers the capability to analyze energy consumption in the transportation sector by a

Current psychometric and methodological issues in the measurement of overgeneral autobiographical memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffith, James W; Sumner, Jennifer A; Raes, Filip; Barnhofer, Thorsten; Debeer, Elise; Hermans, Dirk

2012-12-01

Autobiographical memory is a multifaceted construct that is related to psychopathology and other difficulties in functioning. Across many studies, a variety of methods have been used to study autobiographical memory. The relationship between overgeneral autobiographical memory (OGM) and psychopathology has been of particular interest, and many studies of this cognitive phenomenon rely on the Autobiographical Memory Test (AMT) to assess it. In this paper, we examine several methodological approaches to studying autobiographical memory, and focus primarily on methodological and psychometric considerations in OGM research. We pay particular attention to what is known about the reliability, validity, and methodological variations of the AMT. The AMT has adequate psychometric properties, but there is great variability in methodology across studies that use it. Methodological recommendations and suggestions for future studies are presented. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methodological and ethical issues in research using social media: a metamethod of Human Papillomavirus vaccine studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Gustafson, Diana L; Woodworth, Claire F

2014-12-02

Online content is a primary source of healthcare information for internet-using adults and a rich resource for health researchers. This paper explores the methodological and ethical issues of engaging in health research using social media. A metamethod was performed on systematically selected studies that used social media as a data source for exploring public awareness and beliefs about Human Papillomaviruses (HPV) and HPV vaccination. Seven electronic databases were searched using a variety of search terms identified for each of three concepts: social media, HPV vaccine, and research method. Abstracts were assessed for eligibility of inclusion; six studies met the eligibility criteria and were subjected to content analysis. A 10-item coding scheme was developed to assess the clarity, congruence and transparency of research design, epistemological and methodological underpinnings and ethical considerations. The designs of the six selected studies were sound, although most studies could have been more transparent about how they built in rigor to ensure the trustworthiness and credibility of findings. Statistical analysis that intended to measure trends and patterns did so without the benefit of randomized sampling and other design elements for ensuring generalizability or reproducibility of findings beyond the specified virtual community. Most researchers did not sufficiently engage virtual users in the research process or consider the risk of privacy incursion. Most studies did not seek ethical approval from an institutional research board or permission from host websites or web service providers. The metamethod exposed missed opportunities for using the dialogical character of social media as well as a lack of attention to the unique ethical issues inherent in operating in a virtual community where social boundaries and issues of public and private are ambiguous. This suggests the need for more self-conscious and ethical research practices when using social media

Solving advanced multi-objective robust designs by means of multiple objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEA): A reliability application

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salazar A, Daniel E. [Division de Computacion Evolutiva (CEANI), Instituto de Sistemas Inteligentes y Aplicaciones Numericas en Ingenieria (IUSIANI), Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Canary Islands (Spain)]. E-mail: danielsalazaraponte@gmail.com; Rocco S, Claudio M. [Universidad Central de Venezuela, Facultad de Ingenieria, Caracas (Venezuela)]. E-mail: crocco@reacciun.ve

2007-06-15

This paper extends the approach proposed by the second author in [Rocco et al. Robust design using a hybrid-cellular-evolutionary and interval-arithmetic approach: a reliability application. In: Tarantola S, Saltelli A, editors. SAMO 2001: Methodological advances and useful applications of sensitivity analysis. Reliab Eng Syst Saf 2003;79(2):149-59 [special issue

Qualification issues associated with the use of advanced instrumentation and control systems hardware in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korsah, K.; Antonescu, C.

1993-01-01

The instrumentation and control (I ampersand C) systems in advanced reactors will make extensive use of digital controls, microprocessors, multiplexing, and fiber-optic transmission. Elements of these advances in I ampersand C have been implemented on some current operating plants. However, the widespread use of the above technologies, as well as the use of artificial intelligence with minimum reliance on human operator control of reactors, highlights the need to develop standards for qualifying I ampersand C used in the next generation of nuclear power plants. As a first step in this direction, the protection system I ampersand C for present-day plants was compared to that proposed for advanced light water reactors (ALWRs). An evaluation template was developed by assembling a configuration of a safety channel instrument string for a generic ALWR, then comparing the impact of environmental stressors on that string to their effect on an equivalent instrument string from an existing light water reactor. The template was then used to address reliability issues for microprocessor-based protection systems. Standards (or lack thereof) for the qualification of microprocessor-based safety I ampersand C systems were also identified. This approach addresses in part issues raised in Nuclear Regulatory Commission policy document SECY-91-292, which recognizes that advanced I ampersand C systems for the nuclear industry are open-quotes being developed without consensus standards, as the technology available for design is ahead of the technology that is well understood through experience and supported by application standards.close quotes

Testing new tribo-systems for sheet metal forming of advanced high strength steels and stainless steels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bay, Niels; Ceron, Ermanno

2014-01-01

of a methodology for off-line testing of new tribo-systems for advanced high strength steels and stainless steels. The methodology is presented and applied to an industrial case, where different tribo-systems are tested. A universal sheet tribotester has been developed, which can run automatically repetitive......Testing of new tribo-systems in sheet metal forming has become an important issue due to new legislation, which forces industry to replace current, hazardous lubricants. The present paper summarizes the work done in a recent PhD project at the Technical University of Denmark on the development...

Implementation of a documentation model comprising nursing terminologies--theoretical and methodological issues.

Science.gov (United States)

von Krogh, Gunn; Nåden, Dagfinn

2008-04-01

To describe and discuss theoretical and methodological issues of implementation of a nursing services documentation model comprising NANDA nursing diagnoses, Nursing Intervention Classification and Nursing Outcome Classification terminologies. The model is developed for electronic patient record and was implemented in a psychiatric hospital on an organizational level and on five test wards in 2001-2005. The theory of Rogers guided the process of innovation, whereas the implementation procedure of McCloskey and Bulecheck combined with adult learning principals guided the test site implementation. The test wards managed in different degrees to adopt the model. Two wards succeeded fully, including a ward with high percentage of staff with interdisciplinary background. Better planning regarding the impact of the organization's innovative aptitude, the innovation strategies and the use of differentiated methods regarding the clinician's individual premises for learning nursing terminologies might have enhanced the adoption to the model. To better understand the nature of barriers and the importance of careful planning regarding the implementation of electronic patient record elements in nursing care services, focusing on nursing terminologies. Further to indicate how a theory and specific procedure can be used to guide the process of implementation throughout the different levels of management.

System Engineering and Integration of Controls for Advanced Life Support

Science.gov (United States)

Overland, David; Hoo, Karlene; Ciskowski, Marvin

2006-01-01

The Advanced Integration Matrix (AIM) project at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) was chartered to study and solve systems-level integration issues for exploration missions. One of the first issues identified was an inability to conduct trade studies on control system architectures due to the absence of mature evaluation criteria. Such architectures are necessary to enable integration of regenerative life support systems. A team was formed to address issues concerning software and hardware architectures and system controls.. The team has investigated what is required to integrate controls for the types of non-linear dynamic systems encountered in advanced life support. To this end, a water processing bioreactor testbed is being developed which will enable prototyping and testing of integration strategies and technologies. Although systems such as the water bioreactors exhibit the complexities of interactions between control schemes most vividly, it is apparent that this behavior and its attendant risks will manifest itself among any set of interdependent autonomous control systems. A methodology for developing integration requirements for interdependent and autonomous systems is a goal of this team and this testbed. This paper is a high-level summary of the current status of the investigation, the issues encountered, some tentative conclusions, and the direction expected for further research.

Risk-Informed Assessment Methodology Development and Application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sung Goo Chi; Seok Jeong Park; Chul Jin Choi; Ritterbusch, S.E.; Jacob, M.C.

2002-01-01

Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) has been working with Korea Power Engineering Company (KOPEC) on a US Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored Nuclear Energy Research Initiative (NERI) project through a collaborative agreement established for the domestic NERI program. The project deals with Risk-Informed Assessment (RIA) of regulatory and design requirements of future nuclear power plants. An objective of the RIA project is to develop a risk-informed design process, which focuses on identifying and incorporating advanced features into future nuclear power plants (NPPs) that would meet risk goals in a cost-effective manner. The RIA design methodology is proposed to accomplish this objective. This paper discusses the development of this methodology and demonstrates its application in the design of plant systems for future NPPs. Advanced conceptual plant systems consisting of an advanced Emergency Core Cooling System (ECCS) and Emergency Feedwater System (EFWS) for a NPP were developed and the risk-informed design process was exercised to demonstrate the viability and feasibility of the RIA design methodology. Best estimate Loss-of-Coolant Accident (LOCA) analyses were performed to validate the PSA success criteria for the NPP. The results of the analyses show that the PSA success criteria can be met using the advanced conceptual systems and that the RIA design methodology is a viable and appropriate means of designing key features of risk-significant NPP systems. (authors)

Development of Human Performance Analysis and Advanced HRA Methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Won Dea; Park, Jin Kyun; Kim, Jae Whan; Kim, Seong Whan; Kim, Man Cheol; Ha, Je Joo

2007-06-15

The purpose of this project is to build a systematic framework that can evaluate the effect of human factors related problems on the safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs) as well as develop a technology that can be used to enhance human performance. The research goal of this project is twofold: (1) the development of a human performance database and a framework to enhance human performance, and (2) the analysis of human error with constructing technical basis for human reliability analysis. There are three kinds of main results of this study. The first result is the development of a human performance database, called OPERA-I/II (Operator Performance and Reliability Analysis, Part I and Part II). In addition, a standard communication protocol was developed based on OPERA to reduce human error caused from communication error in the phase of event diagnosis. Task complexity (TACOM) measure and the methodology of optimizing diagnosis procedures were also finalized during this research phase. The second main result is the development of a software, K-HRA, which is to support the standard HRA method. Finally, an advanced HRA method named as AGAPE-ET was developed by combining methods MDTA (misdiagnosis tree analysis technique) and K-HRA, which can be used to analyze EOC (errors of commission) and EOO (errors of ommission). These research results, such as OPERA-I/II, TACOM, a standard communication protocol, K-HRA and AGAPE-ET methods will be used to improve the quality of HRA and to enhance human performance in nuclear power plants.

Development of Human Performance Analysis and Advanced HRA Methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Won Dea; Park, Jin Kyun; Kim, Jae Whan; Kim, Seong Whan; Kim, Man Cheol; Ha, Je Joo

2007-06-01

The purpose of this project is to build a systematic framework that can evaluate the effect of human factors related problems on the safety of nuclear power plants (NPPs) as well as develop a technology that can be used to enhance human performance. The research goal of this project is twofold: (1) the development of a human performance database and a framework to enhance human performance, and (2) the analysis of human error with constructing technical basis for human reliability analysis. There are three kinds of main results of this study. The first result is the development of a human performance database, called OPERA-I/II (Operator Performance and Reliability Analysis, Part I and Part II). In addition, a standard communication protocol was developed based on OPERA to reduce human error caused from communication error in the phase of event diagnosis. Task complexity (TACOM) measure and the methodology of optimizing diagnosis procedures were also finalized during this research phase. The second main result is the development of a software, K-HRA, which is to support the standard HRA method. Finally, an advanced HRA method named as AGAPE-ET was developed by combining methods MDTA (misdiagnosis tree analysis technique) and K-HRA, which can be used to analyze EOC (errors of commission) and EOO (errors of ommission). These research results, such as OPERA-I/II, TACOM, a standard communication protocol, K-HRA and AGAPE-ET methods will be used to improve the quality of HRA and to enhance human performance in nuclear power plants

Advanced alarm systems: Display and processing issues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O`Hara, J.M. [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States); Wachtel, J.; Perensky, J. [US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research

1995-05-01

This paper describes a research program sponsored by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to address the human factors engineering (HFE) deficiencies associated with nuclear power plant alarm systems. The overall objective of the study is to develop HFE review guidance for alarm systems. In support of this objective, human performance issues needing additional research were identified. Among the important issues were alarm processing strategies and alarm display techniques. This paper will discuss these issues and briefly describe our current research plan to address them.

[The debate on the development of advanced competences].

Science.gov (United States)

Dimonte, Valerio; Palese, Alvisa; Chiari, Paolo; Laquintana, Dario; Tognoni, Gianni; Di Giulio, Paola

2016-01-01

. The debate on the development of advanced nursing competences. The dossier aims to describe and disentagle the present Italian and international debate on the development and recognition of advanced nursing competences. Following a general brief description of the legislative national background, the attention is first of all focused on the lack of clarity on the definition of advanced competence, which is further complicated by the issue of their formal, contractual and economic recognition. To explore these issues a list of contributions is presented and some proposals are formulated to favor a better oriented development of the debate: a. A convenience sample of 139 nurses were interviewed asking to describe problems occurred in the last month that could prompt the intervention of an expert nurse and to list the clinical, managerial and educational competences of a specialized nurse in their ward. The results document the quality and the dispersion of the definitions which are perceived and applied in the general settings of care. b. The issue the post basic courses (master, specialization) offered to nurses in 2015-2016 by Italian universities were described and their aims. While the contribution of the courses in increasing the theoretical knowledge is well defined, the aims and the description of the clinical training are badly developed and an acquisition of advanced competences would seem unlikely. c. The definition of advanced competences was explored in the international literature: while evidences are available on the impact of advanced nursing on patients' outcomes, what is advanced nursing is far from being clear, and an impressive list of roles, activities and functions are considered advanced. d. Although at national level there is no formal recognition for nurses with advanced competences (with the exception of the head nurse that holds mostly an organizational rather than clinical role), the opportunities for promoting the role of specialistic/advanced

LWR design decision methodology. Phase III. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertucio, R.; Held, J.; Lainoff, S.; Leahy, T.; Prather, W.; Rees, D.; Young, J.

1982-01-01

Traditionally, management decisions regarding design options have been made using quantitative cost information and qualitative safety information. A Design Decision Methodology, which utilizes probabilistic risk assessment techniques, including event trees and fault trees, along with systems engineering and standard cost estimation methods, has been developed so that a quantitative safety measure may be obtained as well. The report documents the development of this Design Decision Methodology, a demonstration of the methodology on a current licensing issue with the cooperation of the Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS), and a discussion of how the results of the demonstration may be used addressing the various issues associated with a licensing position on the issue

Advances in Risk Analysis with Big Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Tsan-Ming; Lambert, James H

2017-08-01

With cloud computing, Internet-of-things, wireless sensors, social media, fast storage and retrieval, etc., organizations and enterprises have access to unprecedented amounts and varieties of data. Current risk analysis methodology and applications are experiencing related advances and breakthroughs. For example, highway operations data are readily available, and making use of them reduces risks of traffic crashes and travel delays. Massive data of financial and enterprise systems support decision making under risk by individuals, industries, regulators, etc. In this introductory article, we first discuss the meaning of big data for risk analysis. We then examine recent advances in risk analysis with big data in several topic areas. For each area, we identify and introduce the relevant articles that are featured in the special issue. We conclude with a discussion on future research opportunities. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

Multilingual Researchers Internationalizing Monolingual English-Only Education through Post-Monolingual Research Methodologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Singh

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The argument advanced in this Special Issue of Education Sciences favors democratizing knowledge production and dissemination across the humanities and social sciences through the mainstreaming of multilingual researchers capabilities for theorizing using their full linguistic repertoire. An important contribution of the papers in this Special Issue is the promise that post-monolingual research methodology holds for collaborative projects among multilingual and monolingual researchers that tap into intercultural divergences across languages. Together these papers give warrant to multilingual researchers, including Higher Degree Researchers develop their capabilities for theorizing using their full linguistic repertoire, an educational innovation that could be of immense benefit to scholars working predominantly monolingual universities. Through their thought provoking papers presented in this Special Issue, these researchers invites those working in the education sciences to seriously consider the potential benefits of multiplying the intellectual resources used for theorizing that is possible through activating, mobilizing and deploying researchers’ multilingual resources in knowledge production and dissemination.

Redevelopment of the Arctic Area of Russia as an Objective of Systems Research and Special-Purpose Program Management Methodological Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Nikolayevich Leksin

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The paper substantiates the methodological foundations of implementation of the rules and regulations of the development of the Arctic region of Russia, which relies on the hypothesis interpreting such development as the biggest integrated megaproject in the history of Russia. The substantiation involves both the project-oriented approach to identify the subject-matter of the research and the systems approach to assess the key opportunities of providing the integrative structure of the megaproject in the conditions of drastic differences between the areal components of the Arctic region, and to study the internal and external factors’ impact on the character, drivers and pace of the region redevelopment. The set of consistent methodological positions concerning their policy implementation by responsible governmental agencies in the foreseeable future of the Arctic is developed. The most important position involves the identification of the objective of the public administration of the Arctic region development as a systemically organized entity of multiple coordinated actions of the federal, regional and municipal authorities, corporations and civil society institutions integrated by the unique policy target and economic, social and infrastructure links. Implementation of the public administration requires the principles of systems approach, the reasonable trade-off between centralization, decentralization and continuity of governance focused exclusively on the Arctic issues. At the same time, the integration of the projects of the region’s areal components development to insure the common targets of the Arctic’s megaproject accompanied by the reconsideration of the earlier developed programs turns into a genuinely new methodological issue. In the article, recommendations to provide such integration are introduced.

Workshop on Critical Issues in Microgravity Fluids, Transport, and Reaction Processes in Advanced Human Support Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Chiaramonte, Francis P.; Joshi, Jitendra A.

2004-01-01

This workshop was designed to bring the experts from the Advanced Human Support Technologies communities together to identify the most pressing and fruitful areas of research where success hinges on collaborative research between the two communities. Thus an effort was made to bring together experts in both advanced human support technologies and microgravity fluids, transport and reaction processes. Expertise was drawn from academia, national laboratories, and the federal government. The intent was to bring about a thorough exchange of ideas and develop recommendations to address the significant open design and operation issues for human support systems that are affected by fluid physics, transport and reaction processes. This report provides a summary of key discussions, findings, and recommendations.

Exploring Participatory Methodologies in Organizational Discourse Analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plotnikof, Mie

2014-01-01

Recent debates in the field of organizational discourse analysis stress contrasts in approaches as single-level vs. multi-level, critical vs. participatory, discursive vs. material methods. They raise methodological issues of combining such to embrace multimodality in order to enable new contribu......Recent debates in the field of organizational discourse analysis stress contrasts in approaches as single-level vs. multi-level, critical vs. participatory, discursive vs. material methods. They raise methodological issues of combining such to embrace multimodality in order to enable new...... contributions. As regards conceptual efforts are made but further exploration of methodological combinations and their practical implications are called for. This paper argues 1) to combine methodologies by approaching this as scholarly subjectification processes, and 2) to perform combinations in both...

Deciding the way. Comparing energy risks: methodologies and issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuki, Yoshio; Lee, R.

1999-01-01

The following major issues in comparative assessment of energy systems are discussed: target users; decision making process; subject policy-making; setting boundaries; aggregated health indicators; monetary valuation; long-term health effects; global warming; methods to reflect uncertainties. Suggestions for study approaches of the mentioned issues are proposed

Towards a Public Sector GIS Evaluation Methodology | Kurwakumire ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Towards a Public Sector GIS Evaluation Methodology. ... AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search · USING AJOL · RESOURCES ... However, evaluation methodologies for public sector GIS are largely lacking.

Editorial: Advanced learning technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Ju Lan

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Recent rapid development of advanced information technology brings high expectations of its potential to improvement and innovations in learning. This special issue is devoted to using some of the emerging technologies issues related to the topic of education and knowledge sharing, involving several cutting edge research outcomes from recent advancement of learning technologies. Advanced learning technologies are the composition of various related technologies and concepts such as mobile technologies and social media towards learner centered learning. This editorial note provides an overview of relevant issues discussed in this special issue.

Summary of SMIRT20 Preconference Topical Workshop - Identifying Structural Issues in Advanced Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richins, William; Novascone, Stephen; O'Brien, Cheryl

2009-01-01

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL, USA) and IASMiRT sponsored an international forum Nov 5-6, 2008 in Porvoo, Finland for nuclear industry, academic, and regulatory representatives to identify structural issues in current and future advanced reactor design, especially for extreme conditions and external threats. The purpose of this Topical Workshop was to articulate research, engineering, and regulatory Code development needs. The topics addressed by the Workshop were selected to address critical industry needs specific to advanced reactor structures that have long lead times and can be the subject of future SMiRT technical sessions. The topics were; (1) structural/materials needs for extreme conditions and external threats in contemporary (Gen. III) and future (Gen. IV and NGNP) advanced reactors and (2) calibrating simulation software and methods that address topic 1. The workshop discussions and research needs identified are presented. The Workshop successfully produced interactive discussion on the two topics resulting in a list of research and technology needs. It is recommended that IASMiRT communicate the results of the discussion to industry and researchers to encourage new ideas and projects. In addition, opportunities exist to retrieve research reports and information that currently exists, and encourage more international cooperation and collaboration. It is recommended that IASMiRT continue with an off-year workshop series on select topics.

Application of Response Surface Methodology for Optimizing Oil ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Application of Response Surface Methodology for Optimizing Oil Extraction Yield From ... AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search ... from tropical almond seed by the use of response surface methodology (RSM).

Evaluation Methodology. The Evaluation Exchange. Volume 11, Number 2, Summer 2005

Science.gov (United States)

Coffman, Julia, Ed.

2005-01-01

This is the third issue of "The Evaluation Exchange" devoted entirely to the theme of methodology, though every issue tries to identify new methodological choices, the instructive ways in which people have applied or combined different methods, and emerging methodological trends. For example, lately "theories of change" have gained almost…

A Novel Methodology for Estimating State-Of-Charge of Li-Ion Batteries Using Advanced Parameters Estimation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim M. Safwat

2017-11-01

Full Text Available State-of-charge (SOC estimations of Li-ion batteries have been the focus of many research studies in previous years. Many articles discussed the dynamic model’s parameters estimation of the Li-ion battery, where the fixed forgetting factor recursive least square estimation methodology is employed. However, the change rate of each parameter to reach the true value is not taken into consideration, which may tend to poor estimation. This article discusses this issue, and proposes two solutions to solve it. The first solution is the usage of a variable forgetting factor instead of a fixed one, while the second solution is defining a vector of forgetting factors, which means one factor for each parameter. After parameters estimation, a new idea is proposed to estimate state-of-charge (SOC of the Li-ion battery based on Newton’s method. Also, the error percentage and computational cost are discussed and compared with that of nonlinear Kalman filters. This methodology is applied on a 36 V 30 A Li-ion pack to validate this idea.

Special issue on the "Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors Research and Development Progress"

Science.gov (United States)

Turinsky, Paul J.; Martin, William R.

2017-04-01

In this special issue of the Journal of Computational Physics, the research and development completed at the time of manuscript submission by the Consortium for Advanced Simulation of Light Water Reactors (CASL) is presented. CASL is the first of several Energy Innovation Hubs that have been created by the Department of Energy. The Hubs are modeled after the strong scientific management characteristics of the Manhattan Project and AT&T Bell Laboratories, and function as integrated research centers that combine basic and applied research with engineering to accelerate scientific discovery that addresses critical energy issues. Lifetime of a Hub is expected to be five or ten years depending upon performance, with CASL being granted a ten year lifetime.

Legal Research Methodology and the Dream of Interdisciplinarity ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Legal Research Methodology and the Dream of Interdisciplinarity. ... AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search · USING AJOL ... Whilst the natural sciences employ a mostly empiricist methodology and the human ...

Recent Advances in Durability and Damage Tolerance Methodology at NASA Langley Research Center

Science.gov (United States)

Ransom, J. B.; Glaessgen, E. H.; Raju, I. S.; Harris, C. E.

2007-01-01

Durability and damage tolerance (D&DT) issues are critical to the development of lighter, safer and more efficient aerospace vehicles. Durability is largely an economic life-cycle design consideration whereas damage tolerance directly addresses the structural airworthiness (safety) of the vehicle. Both D&DT methodologies must address the deleterious effects of changes in material properties and the initiation and growth of damage that may occur during the vehicle s service lifetime. The result of unanticipated D&DT response is often manifested in the form of catastrophic and potentially fatal accidents. As such, durability and damage tolerance requirements must be rigorously addressed for commercial transport aircraft and NASA spacecraft systems. This paper presents an overview of the recent and planned future research in durability and damage tolerance analytical and experimental methods for both metallic and composite aerospace structures at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC).

Smart Grid Development Issues for Terrestrial and Space Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Soeder, James F.

2014-01-01

The development of the so called Smart Grid has as many definitions as individuals working in the area. Based on the technology or technologies that are of interest, be it high speed communication, renewable generation, smart meters, energy storage, advanced sensors, etc. they can become the individual defining characteristic of the Smart Grid. In reality the smart grid encompasses all of these items and quite at bit more. This discussion attempts to look at what the needs are for the grid of the future, such as the issues of increased power flow capability, use of renewable energy, increased security and efficiency and common power and data standards. It also shows how many of these issues are common with the needs of NASA for future exploration programs. A common theme to address both terrestrial and space exploration issues is to develop micro-grids that advertise the ability to enable the load leveling of large power generation facilities. However, for microgrids to realize their promise there needs to a holistic systems approach to their development and integration. The overall system integration issues are presented along with potential solution methodologies.

MARA - methodology to analyze environmental risks; MARA - elaboracao de metodologia para analise dos riscos ambientais

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mendes, Renato F; Yogui, Regiane [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Minniti, Vivienne [Companhia de Tecnologia de Saneamento Ambiental (CETESB), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Setor de Analise de Riscos; Lopes, Carlos F [Companhia de Tecnologia de Saneamento Ambiental (CETESB), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Setor de Operacoes de Emergencia; Milaneli, Joao [Companhia de Tecnologia de Saneamento Ambiental (CETESB), Ubatuba, SP (Brazil). Agencia Ambiental de Ubatuba; Torres, Carlos [TRANSPETRO - PETROBRAS Transportes, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Seguranca, Meio Ambiente e Saude; Rodrigues, Gabriela; Mariz, Eduardo [Consultoria Paulista, SP (Brazil)

2005-07-01

In the oil industry, the environmental impact assessment of an accident is both multi and interdisciplinary and goes through several approaches and depths. Due to the enormous complexity of the environmental analyses issues, mainly for being a science in development and not technological consensus, a macro methodology is presented for the purpose of identify areas that can be impacted by pipeline leakages and recommend improvements are applicable working as a table top response plan. The methodology of the Environmental Risk Mapping-MARA for pipelines rows, describes its concept and justifies the adoption of the environmental mapping during Risk Analyses studies, for PETROBRAS/TRANSPETRO new and existing pipelines. The development of this methodology is justified by the fact that it is a practical tool for identification, analysis and categorization of the more vulnerable environmental elements along a pipeline row and vicinities, during simulated occurrence of accidental spills of hydrocarbons in the environment. This methodology is a tool that allows Environmental Agencies and PETROBRAS a better way to manage in advance the Company emergencies. (author)

Bringing translation out of the shadows: translation as an issue of methodological significance in cross-cultural qualitative research.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Josephine Pui-Hing; Poon, Maurice Kwong-Lai

2010-04-01

Translation is an integral component of cross-cultural research that has remained invisible. It is commonly assumed that translation is an objective and neutral process, in which the translators are "technicians" in producing texts in different languages. Drawing from the field of translation studies and the findings of a translation exercise conducted with three bilingual Cantonese-English translators, the authors highlight some of the methodological issues about translation in cross-cultural qualitative research. They argue that only by making translation visible and through open dialogue can researchers uncover the richness embedded in the research data and facilitate multiple ways of knowing.

Dosimetric methodology of the ICRP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eckerman, K.F.

1994-01-01

Establishment of guidance for the protection of workers and members of the public from radiation exposures necessitates estimation of the radiation dose to tissues of the body at risk. The dosimetric methodology formulated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is intended to be responsive to this need. While developed for radiation protection, elements of the methodology are often applied in addressing other radiation issues; e.g., risk assessment. This chapter provides an overview of the methodology, discusses its recent extension to age-dependent considerations, and illustrates specific aspects of the methodology through a number of numerical examples

The meaning of dwelling features : Conceptual and methodological issues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coolen, H.C.C.H.

2008-01-01

This study is about the meaning of dwelling features. It relates the research areas of housing preferences and the meaning of a dwelling with each other and with aspects of the means-end approach as applied in marketing research. It results in a conceptual and methodological framework for studying

Theoretical foundation, goals, and methodology of a new science--biospherics

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffer, J A

1994-01-01

Scientific endeavor is motivated by mankind's needs, desires, and inherent nature to explore. The history of scientific revolutions involves paradigmatic breakthroughs that uncover previously unknown perspectives by which a phenomenon can be viewed. In this issue a noted scientist, Nickolai Pechurkin, gives a seminal brief on the theoretical foundation, goals, and methodology leading to a new science--biospherics. While biospherics has so far eluded a simple definition, it is not something taken from "whole cloth." Biospherics has many antecedents, but most noticeably arises from the global scale research and theory associated with the technological advances of the Space-Age. The Space-Age also created the need for totally closed life-support systems which involve experimentation with artificial biospheres.

Incorporation of advanced accident analysis methodology into safety analysis reports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-05-01

as structural analysis codes and computational fluid dynamics codes (CFD) are applied. The initial code development took place in the sixties and seventies and resulted in a set of quite conservative codes for the reactor dynamics, thermal-hydraulics and containment analysis. The most important limitations of these codes came from insufficient knowledge of the physical phenomena and of the limited computer memory and speed. Very significant advances have been made in the development of the code systems during the last twenty years in all of the above areas. If the data for the physical models of the code are sufficiently well established and allow quite a realistic analysis, these newer versions are called advanced codes. The assumptions used in the deterministic safety analysis vary from very pessimistic to realistic assumptions. In the accident analysis terminology, it is customary to call the pessimistic assumptions 'conservative' and the realistic assumptions 'best estimate'. The assumptions can refer to the selection of physical models, the introduction of these models into the code, and the initial and boundary conditions including the performance and failures of the equipment and human action. The advanced methodology in the present report means application of advanced codes (or best estimate codes), which sometimes represent a combination of various advanced codes for separate stages of the analysis, and in some cases in combination with experiments. The Safety Analysis Reports are required to be available before and during the operation of the plant in most countries. The contents, scope and stages of the SAR vary among the countries. The guide applied in the USA, i.e. the Regulatory Guide 1.70 is representative for the way in which the SARs are made in many countries. During the design phase, a preliminary safety analysis report (PSAR) is requested in many countries and the final safety analysis report (FSAR) is required for the operating licence. There is

Advances in welding science and technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

David, S.A.; Babu, S.S.; Vitek, J.M.

1995-01-01

Over the years, welding has been more of an art than a science, but in the last few decades major advances have taken place in welding science and technology. With the development of new methodologies at the crossroads of basic and applied sciences, enormous opportunities and potential exist to develop a science-based design of composition, structure, and properties of welds with intelligent control and automation of the welding processes. In the last several decades, welding has evolved as an interdisciplinary activity requiring synthesis of knowledge from various disciplines and incorporating the most advanced tools of various basic applied sciences. A series of international conferences and other publications have covered the issues, current trends and directions in welding science and technology. In the last few decades, major progress has been made in (i) understanding physical processes in welding, (ii) characterization of microstructure and properties, and (iii) intelligent control and automation of welding. This paper describes some of these developments

Web survey methodology

CERN Document Server

Callegaro, Mario; Vehovar, Asja

2015-01-01

Web Survey Methodology guides the reader through the past fifteen years of research in web survey methodology. It both provides practical guidance on the latest techniques for collecting valid and reliable data and offers a comprehensive overview of research issues. Core topics from preparation to questionnaire design, recruitment testing to analysis and survey software are all covered in a systematic and insightful way. The reader will be exposed to key concepts and key findings in the literature, covering measurement, non-response, adjustments, paradata, and cost issues. The book also discusses the hottest research topics in survey research today, such as internet panels, virtual interviewing, mobile surveys and the integration with passive measurements, e-social sciences, mixed modes and business intelligence. The book is intended for students, practitioners, and researchers in fields such as survey and market research, psychological research, official statistics and customer satisfaction research.

VIII. THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF DEVELOPMENTAL METHODOLOGY.

Science.gov (United States)

Little, Todd D; Wang, Eugene W; Gorrall, Britt K

2017-06-01

This chapter selectively reviews the evolution of quantitative practices in the field of developmental methodology. The chapter begins with an overview of the past in developmental methodology, discussing the implementation and dissemination of latent variable modeling and, in particular, longitudinal structural equation modeling. It then turns to the present state of developmental methodology, highlighting current methodological advances in the field. Additionally, this section summarizes ample quantitative resources, ranging from key quantitative methods journal articles to the various quantitative methods training programs and institutes. The chapter concludes with the future of developmental methodology and puts forth seven future innovations in the field. The innovations discussed span the topics of measurement, modeling, temporal design, and planned missing data designs. Lastly, the chapter closes with a brief overview of advanced modeling techniques such as continuous time models, state space models, and the application of Bayesian estimation in the field of developmental methodology. © 2017 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

EDITORIAL: Special Issue on advanced and emerging light sources Special Issue on advanced and emerging light sources

Science.gov (United States)

Haverlag, Marco; Kroesen, Gerrit; Ferguson, Ian

2011-06-01

-based light sources. However, the progress in the last few years in LED and OLED sources has been even greater. In the editorial for the LS-11 conference by previous guest editor David Wharmby, it was stated that most LED lighting was still mostly used for signalling and decorative sources. In the three years that have passed, things have changed considerably and we now see LED light sources entering every application, ranging from street lighting and parking lots to shop lighting and even greenhouses. Currently LED prices for traditional lighting applications are high, but they are dropping rapidly. The papers published in this special issue give some indications of things to come. The paper by Jamil et al deals with the possibility of using silicon wafers as substrate material instead of the now commonly used (but more expensive) sapphire substrates. This is attractive from a cost price point of view, but leads to an increased lattice mismatch and therefore strain-induced defects. In this paper it is shown that when using intermediate matching layers it is possible to retain the same electrical and optical properties as with structures on sapphire. Another aspect that directly relates to cost is efficiency and droop in green InGaN devices, which is addressed in the paper by Lee et al. They show that by providing a flow of trymethylindium prior to the growth of the quantum wells it is possible to significantly increase the internal quantum efficiency of green LEDs. Improvement of the optical out-coupling of InGaN LEDs is discussed by Mak et al, and it is found that localized plasmon resonance of metallic nanoparticles (and especially silver) can help to increase the optical out-coupling in the wavelength region of interest. Nanoparticles in the form of ZnO nanorods are described by Willander et al as a possibility for phosphor-free wavelength conversion on polymer (O)LEDs. More advanced functions besides light emission can be achieved with OLEDs and this is demonstrated in

Recent advances in research on unmanned aerial vehicles

CERN Document Server

Wang, Le; Yin, George

2013-01-01

A team of launched and coordinated Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), requires advanced technologies in sensing, communication, computing, and control to improve their intelligence and robustness towards autonomous operations. To enhance reliability, robustness, and mission capability of a team of UAVs, a system-oriented and holistic approach is desirable in which all components and subsystems are considered in terms of their roles and impact on the entire system.  This volume aims to summarize the recent progress, identify challenges and opportunities, and develop new methodologies and systems on coordinated UAV control. A group of experts working in this area have contributed to this volume in several related aspects of autonomous control of networked UAVs. Their papers introduce new control methodologies, algorithms, and systems that address several important issues in developing intelligent, autonomous or semi-autonomous, networked systems for the next generation of UAVs. The papers share a common focus on...

[Advanced organ failure in the elderly. Some issues from a geriatrics, palliative medicine and bioethics perspectives].

Science.gov (United States)

Alonso-Renedo, Francisco Javier; González-Ercilla, Leire; Iráizoz-Apezteguía, Itziar

2014-01-01

To analyze the literature as regards the knowledge, skills and attitudes that these disciplines can provide in improving technical, ethical and human quality health care in the elderly with advanced organ failure, multimorbidity, frailty and progressive dementia. A comprehensive review focused on available references on the interrelationship between geriatric medicine and palliative medicine, education in bioethics, prognostic tools, functional status, and the humanization of health care. Advance care planning, comprehensive geriatric assessment, the study of the values of the patient and their introduction in decision-making process, as well as the need to promote moral, care, and healthcare organizational ethics, are essential elements to achieve this objective. Practitioners and healthcare organizations should seek excellence as a moral requirement. To achieve this, there is a priority to acquire virtues of care and fundamental concepts of geriatric and palliative medicine, assessing functional status, advance care planning and patient/family needs as essential issues to protect, care for and promote them in all care settings. Copyright © 2013 SEGG. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Advanced kinetics for calorimetric techniques and thermal stability screening of sulfide minerals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iliyas, Abduljelil; Hawboldt, Kelly; Khan, Faisal

2010-01-01

Thermal methods of analysis such as differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) provide a powerful methodology for the study of solid reactions. This paper proposes an improved thermal analysis methodology for thermal stability investigation of complex solid-state reactions. The proposed methodology is based on differential iso-conversional approach and involves peak separation, individual peak analysis and combination of isothermal/non-isothermal DSC measurements for kinetic analysis and prediction. The proposed thermal analysis, which coupled with Mineral Libration Analyzer (MLA) technique was employed to investigate thermal behavior of sulfide mineral oxidation. The importance of various experimental variables such as particle size, heating rate and atmosphere were investigated and discussed. The information gained from such an advanced thermal analysis method is useful for scale-up processes with potential of significant savings in plant operations, as well as in mitigating adverse environmental and safety issues arising from handling and storage of sulfide minerals.

Risk assessment methodology for evaluating releases of radioactively contaminated materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, S.Y.

1993-01-01

Extensive decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D) activities are expected to be required in the near future in association with license termination of nuclear power facilities and cleanup efforts at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) weapons production facilities. In advance of these D ampersand D activities, it is becoming increasingly urgent that standards be established for the release of materials with residual radioactive contamination. The only standards for unrestricted release that currently exist address surface contamination. The methods used to justify those standards were developed some 20 yr ago and may not satisfy today's criteria. Furthermore, the basis of setting standards has moved away from the traditional open-quotes instrumentation-basedclose quotes concept toward a open-quotes risk-basedclose quotes approach. Therefore, as new release standards are developed, it will be necessary that risk assessment methodology consistent with modern concepts be incorporated into the process. This paper discusses recent developments in risk methodology and issues and concerns regarding the future development of standards for the release of radioactively contaminated materials

Advanced calculation methodology for manufacturing and technological parameters' uncertainties propagation at arbitrary level of lattice elements grouping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pecchia, Marco; Vasiliev, Alexander; Leray, Olivier; Ferroukhi, Hakim; Pautz, Andreas

2015-01-01

A new methodology, referred to as manufacturing and technological parameters uncertainty quantification (MTUQ), is under development at Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI). Based on uncertainty and global sensitivity analysis methods, MTUQ aims at advancing state-of-the-art for the treatment of geometrical/material uncertainties in light water reactor computations, using the MCNPX Monte Carlo neutron transport code. The development is currently focused primarily on criticality safety evaluations (CSE). In that context, the key components are a dedicated modular interface with the MCNPX code and a user-friendly interface to model functional relationship between system variables. A unique feature is an automatic capability to parameterize variables belonging to so-called “repeated structures” such as to allow for perturbations of each individual element of a given system modelled with MCNPX. Concerning the statistical analysis capabilities, these are currently implemented through an interface with the ROOT platform to handle the random sampling design. This paper presents the current status of the MTUQ methodology development and a first assessment of an ongoing organisation for economic cooperation and development/nuclear energy agency benchmark dedicated to uncertainty analyses for CSE. The presented results illustrate the overall capabilities of MTUQ and underline its relevance in predicting more realistic results compared to a methodology previously applied at PSI for this particular benchmark. (author)

Lifting the veil: a typological survey of the methodological features of Islamic ethical reasoning on biomedical issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdur-Rashid, Khalil; Furber, Steven Woodward; Abdul-Basser, Taha

2013-04-01

We survey the meta-ethical tools and institutional processes that traditional Islamic ethicists apply when deliberating on bioethical issues. We present a typology of these methodological elements, giving particular attention to the meta-ethical techniques and devices that traditional Islamic ethicists employ in the absence of decisive or univocal authoritative texts or in the absence of established transmitted cases. In describing how traditional Islamic ethicists work, we demonstrate that these experts possess a variety of discursive tools. We find that the ethical responsa-i.e., the products of the application of the tools that we describe-are generally characterized by internal consistency. We also conclude that Islamic ethical reasoning on bioethical issues, while clearly scripture-based, is also characterized by strong consequentialist elements and possesses clear principles-based characteristics. The paper contributes to the study of bioethics by familiarizing non-specialists in Islamic ethics with the role, scope, and applicability of key Islamic ethical concepts, such as "aims" (maqāṣid), "universals" (kulliyyāt), "interest" (maṣlaḥa), "maxims" (qawā`id), "controls" (ḍawābit), "differentiators" (furūq), "preponderization" (tarjīḥ), and "extension" (tafrī`).

[Ethical issues in the practice of advance directives, living wills, and self-determination in end of life care].

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Hui-Feng; Jhing, Huei-Yu; Lin, Chia-Chin

2009-02-01

The Hospice-Palliative Care Act, enacted in Taiwan in 2000, was designed to respect the end of life medical wishes of patients with incurable illnesses, safeguard the rights of these patients, and provide clinical guidelines for healthcare workers responsible to provide end of life care. Self-determination is a core element of human dignity. Advance directive documents include a living will, and durable power of attorney for healthcare. This article reviews current issues and ethical dilemmas with regard to advance directives. Patients, family members, and clinicians may require better education on the Hospice-Palliative Care Act in order to respect more appropriately patient end of life medical care wishes.

Using a hybrid methodology of dasyametric mapping and data ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Using a hybrid methodology of dasyametric mapping and data interpolation techniques ... AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search ... the value and accuracy of the developed methodology is that of the 2011 census ...

Constructivism: a naturalistic methodology for nursing inquiry.

Science.gov (United States)

Appleton, J V; King, L

1997-12-01

This article will explore the philosophical underpinnings of the constructivist research paradigm. Despite its increasing popularity in evaluative health research studies there is limited recognition of constructivism in popular research texts. Lincoln and Guba's original approach to constructivist methodology is outlined and a detailed framework for nursing research is offered. Fundamental issues and concerns surrounding this methodology are debated and differences between method and methodology are highlighted.

Prediction of work metabolism from heart rate measurements in forest work: some practical methodological issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubé, Philippe-Antoine; Imbeau, Daniel; Dubeau, Denise; Auger, Isabelle; Leone, Mario

2015-01-01

Individual heart rate (HR) to workload relationships were determined using 93 submaximal step-tests administered to 26 healthy participants attending physical activities in a university training centre (laboratory study) and 41 experienced forest workers (field study). Predicted maximum aerobic capacity (MAC) was compared to measured MAC from a maximal treadmill test (laboratory study) to test the effect of two age-predicted maximum HR Equations (220-age and 207-0.7 × age) and two clothing insulation levels (0.4 and 0.91 clo) during the step-test. Work metabolism (WM) estimated from forest work HR was compared against concurrent work V̇O2 measurements while taking into account the HR thermal component. Results show that MAC and WM can be accurately predicted from work HR measurements and simple regression models developed in this study (1% group mean prediction bias and up to 25% expected prediction bias for a single individual). Clothing insulation had no impact on predicted MAC nor age-predicted maximum HR equations. Practitioner summary: This study sheds light on four practical methodological issues faced by practitioners regarding the use of HR methodology to assess WM in actual work environments. More specifically, the effect of wearing work clothes and the use of two different maximum HR prediction equations on the ability of a submaximal step-test to assess MAC are examined, as well as the accuracy of using an individual's step-test HR to workload relationship to predict WM from HR data collected during actual work in the presence of thermal stress.

A study on the advanced statistical core thermal design methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Hyuk

1992-02-01

A statistical core thermal design methodology for generating the limit DNBR and the nominal DNBR is proposed and used in assessing the best-estimate thermal margin in a reactor core. Firstly, the Latin Hypercube Sampling Method instead of the conventional Experimental Design Technique is utilized as an input sampling method for a regression analysis to evaluate its sampling efficiency. Secondly and as a main topic, the Modified Latin Hypercube Sampling and the Hypothesis Test Statistics method is proposed as a substitute for the current statistical core thermal design method. This new methodology adopts 'a Modified Latin Hypercube Sampling Method' which uses the mean values of each interval of input variables instead of random values to avoid the extreme cases that arise in the tail areas of some parameters. Next, the independence between the input variables is verified through 'Correlation Coefficient Test' for statistical treatment of their uncertainties. And the distribution type of DNBR response is determined though 'Goodness of Fit Test'. Finally, the limit DNBR with one-sided 95% probability and 95% confidence level, DNBR 95/95 ' is estimated. The advantage of this methodology over the conventional statistical method using Response Surface and Monte Carlo simulation technique lies in its simplicity of the analysis procedure, while maintaining the same level of confidence in the limit DNBR result. This methodology is applied to the two cases of DNBR margin calculation. The first case is the application to the determination of the limit DNBR where the DNBR margin is determined by the difference between the nominal DNBR and the limit DNBR. The second case is the application to the determination of the nominal DNBR where the DNBR margin is determined by the difference between the lower limit value of the nominal DNBR and the CHF correlation limit being used. From this study, it is deduced that the proposed methodology gives a good agreement in the DNBR results

Consideration of important technical issues for advanced light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thadani, A.C.; Perch, R.L.

1993-01-01

Early in the design and review process of the Advanced Light Water Reactors (ALWR), the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in recognition of the importance of defense-in-depth focused its attention on lessons learned from the operating experience, research and other studies as well as addressing the challenges from severe accidents. The Commission issued the Policy Statement on Safety Goals for the Operations of Nuclear Power Plants on August 4, 1986. This policy statement focused on the risks to the public from nuclear power plant operations with the objective of establishing goals that broadly define an acceptable level of radiological risk that might be imposed on the public as a result of nuclear power plant operation. The Commission recognizes the importance of mitigating the consequences of a core-melt accident and continues to emphasize features such as containment and siting in less populated areas as integral parts of the defense-in-depth concept associated with its accident prevention and mitigation philosophy. In its Severe Accident Policy statement, the Commission expressed its expectation that vendors engage in designing new standard plants should address severe accidents during the design stage to take full advantage of insights gained by providing design features to further reduce the likelihood of severe accidents from occurring and, in the unlikely occurrence of a severe accident, mitigating their consequences. Incorporating insights and design features during the design phase can be cost effective when compared to modifications to existing plants. The staff has used this guidance to apply defense-in-depth philosophy in focusing attention on severe accident considerations. This paper discusses some of the key prevention and mitigation issues the NRC has focused its efforts, including emerging technologies being applied to new reactor designs

Investigating surety methodologies for cognitive systems.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Caudell, Thomas P. (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Peercy, David Eugene; Mills, Kristy (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM); Caldera, Eva (University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM)

2006-11-01

Advances in cognitive science provide a foundation for new tools that promise to advance human capabilities with significant positive impacts. As with any new technology breakthrough, associated technical and non-technical risks are involved. Sandia has mitigated both technical and non-technical risks by applying advanced surety methodologies in such areas as nuclear weapons, nuclear reactor safety, nuclear materials transport, and energy systems. In order to apply surety to the development of cognitive systems, we must understand the concepts and principles that characterize the certainty of a system's operation as well as the risk areas of cognitive sciences. This SAND report documents a preliminary spectrum of risks involved with cognitive sciences, and identifies some surety methodologies that can be applied to potentially mitigate such risks. Some potential areas for further study are recommended. In particular, a recommendation is made to develop a cognitive systems epistemology framework for more detailed study of these risk areas and applications of surety methods and techniques.

Plasma control issues for an advanced steady state tokamak reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreau, D.

2001-01-01

This paper deals with specific control issues related to the advanced tokamak scenarios in which rather accurate tailoring of the current density profile is a requirement in connection with the steady state operation of a reactor in a high confinement optimized shear mode. It is found that adequate current profile control can be performed if real-time magnetic flux reconstruction is available through a set of dedicated diagnostics and computers, with sufficient accuracy to deduce the radial profile of the safety factor and of the internal plasma loop voltage. It is also shown that the safety factor can be precisely controlled in the outer half of the plasma through the surface loop voltage and the off-axis current drive power, but that a compromise must be made between the accuracy of the core safety factor control and the total duration of the current and fuel density ramp-up phases, so that the demonstration of the steady state reactor potential of the optimized/reversed shear concept in the Next Step device will demand pulse lengths of the order of one thousand seconds (or more for an ITER-size machine). (author)

Plasma control issues for an advanced steady state tokamak reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moreau, D.; Voitsekhovitch, I.

1999-01-01

This paper deals with specific control issues related to the advanced tokamak scenarios in which rather accurate tailoring of the current density profile is a requirement in connection with the steady state operation of a reactor in a high confinement optimized shear mode. It is found that adequate current profile control can be performed if real-time magnetic flux reconstruction is available through a set of dedicated diagnostics and computers, with sufficient accuracy to deduce the radial profile of the safety factor and of the internal plasma loop voltage. It is also shown that the safety factor can be precisely controlled in the outer half of the plasma through the surface loop voltage and the off-axis current drive power, but that a compromise must be made between the accuracy of the core safety factor control and the total duration of the current and fuel density ramp-up phases, so that the demonstration of the steady state reactor potential of the optimized/reversed shear concept in the Next Step device will demand pulse lengths of the order of one thousand seconds (or more for an ITER-size machine). (author)

Corporate System of Advanced Education for Teachers in Educational Organization in the Context of Professional Standard Implementation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kurneshova L.Y.,

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The paper describes methodological approaches to the development of corporate system of advanced training for teachers in the context of implementation of the professional standard for teachers as a basis for competitive growth of educational institution. The key stage in this process is to identify areas of concern in the competencies of the teaching staff. The paper presents a system developed for these purposes which consists of the following four elements: self-testing for teachers; professional training; psychoeducational diagnostic training; training on creating a corporate roadmap for raising professional skills in teachers. The paper addresses the issues related to roadmap development basing on the foresight methodology. Finally, it provides an analysis of various forms of advanced training programs for teachers used in 46 regional centers for advanced training in every federal region of the Russian Federation. Supported by the Moscow Educational Department. The research work “Development and realization of manage- ment project “Organization and implementation of teacher professional training based on the requirements of Teacher professional standard”

Integration of infrared thermography into various maintenance methodologies

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, William T.

1993-04-01

Maintenance methodologies are in developmental stages throughout the world as global competitiveness drives all industries to improve operational efficiencies. Rapid progress in technical advancements has added an additional strain on maintenance organizations to progressively change. Accompanying needs for advanced training and documentation is the demand for utilization of various analytical instruments and quantitative methods. Infrared thermography is one of the primary elements of engineered approaches to maintenance. Current maintenance methodologies can be divided into six categories; Routine ('Breakdown'), Preventive, Predictive, Proactive, Reliability-Based, and Total Productive (TPM) maintenance. Each of these methodologies have distinctive approaches to achieving improved operational efficiencies. Popular though is that infrared thermography is a Predictive maintenance tool. While this is true, it is also true that it can be effectively integrated into each of the maintenance methodologies for achieving desired results. The six maintenance strategies will be defined. Infrared applications integrated into each will be composed in tabular form.

Advanced Best-Estimate Methodologies for Thermal-Hydraulics Stability Analyses with TRACG code and Improvements on Operating Boiling Water Reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vedovi, J.; Trueba, M.; Ibarra, L; Espino, M.; Hoang, H.

2016-01-01

In recent years GE Hitachi has introduced two advanced methodologies to address the thermal-hydraulics instabilities in Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs); the “Detect and Suppress Solution - Confirmation Density (DSS-CD)” and the “GEH Simplified Stability Solution (GS3).” These two methodologies are based on Best-Estimate Plus Uncertainty (BEPU) analyses and provide significant improvement on safety, plant maneuvering and fuel economics with respect to existing solutions. DSS-CD and GS3 solutions have been recently approved by the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This paper describes the main characteristics of these two stability methodologies and shares the experience of their recent implementation in operating BWRs. The BEPU approach provided a much deeper understanding of the parameters affecting instabilities in operating BWRs and allowed for better calculation of plant setpoints by improving plant manoeuvring restrictions and reducing manual operator actions. DSS-CD and GS3 methodologies are both based on safety analyses performed with the best-estimate system code TRACG. The assessment of uncertainty is performed following the Code Scaling, Applicability and Uncertainty (CSAU) methodology documented in NUREG/CR-5249. The two solutions have been already implemented in a combined 18 BWR units with 7 more units in the process of transitioning. The main results demonstrate a significant decrease (>0.1) in the stability based Operating Limit Minimum Critical Power Ratio (OLMCPR), which possibly results in significant fuel savings and the increase in allowable stability plant setpoints that address instability events such as the one occurred at the Fermi 2 plant in 2015 and can help prevent unnecessary Scrams. The paper also describes the advantages of reduced plant manoeuvring as a result to transitioning to these solutions; in particular the history of a BWR/6 transition to DSS-CD is discussed.

Consistent assignment of nursing staff to residents in nursing homes: a critical review of conceptual and methodological issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Tonya; Nolet, Kimberly; Bowers, Barbara

2015-06-01

Consistent assignment of nursing staff to residents is promoted by a number of national organizations as a strategy for improving nursing home quality and is included in pay for performance schedules in several states. However, research has shown inconsistent effects of consistent assignment on quality outcomes. In order to advance the state of the science of research on consistent assignment and inform current practice and policy, a literature review was conducted to critique conceptual and methodological understandings of consistent assignment. Twenty original research reports of consistent assignment in nursing homes were found through a variety of search strategies. Consistent assignment was conceptualized and operationalized in multiple ways with little overlap from study to study. There was a lack of established methods to measure consistent assignment. Methodological limitations included a lack of control and statistical analyses of group differences in experimental-level studies, small sample sizes, lack of attention to confounds in multicomponent interventions, and outcomes that were not theoretically linked. Future research should focus on developing a conceptual understanding of consistent assignment focused on definition, measurement, and links to outcomes. To inform current policies, testing consistent assignment should include attention to contexts within and levels at which it is most effective. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Gerontological Society of America 2013.

PWR control system design using advanced linear and non-linear methodologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabindran, N.; Whitmarsh-Everiss, M.J.

2004-01-01

Consideration is here given to the methodology deployed for non-linear heuristic analysis in the time domain supported by multi-variable linear control system design methods for the purposes of operational dynamics and control system analysis. This methodology is illustrated by the application of structural singular value μ analysis to Pressurised Water Reactor control system design. (author)

Research Article Special Issue

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2016-05-15

May 15, 2016 ... Near-fault earthquake issue is almost a new issue in earthquake engineering. ... although those countries had advanced regulations for seismic design of ... allocating the plastic joints according to development guideline and ...

METHODOLOGY OF PROFESSIONAL PEDAGOGICAL EDUCATION: THEORY AND PRACTICE (theoretical and methodological foundations of vocational teacher education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evgeny M. Dorozhkin

2014-01-01

methodology taking into consideration the target orientation, principles and approaches to the organization and its’ methods of scientific and educational activities implementation. The qualification structure formation of the teachers’ vocational training and providing advance principles of education are considered to be the most important conditions for the development of vocational teacher education. Scientific novelty. The research demonstrates creating the project of further vocational teacher education development in the post-industrial society. The pedagogical innovations transforming research findings into educational practice are considered to be the main tool of integration methodology means. Practical significance. The research findings highlight the proposed reforms for further teachers training system development of vocational institutes, which are in need of drastic restructuring. In the final part of the article the authors recommend some specific issues that can be discussed at the methodological workshop. 

Modeling, methodologies and tools for molecular and nano-scale communications modeling, methodologies and tools

CERN Document Server

Nakano, Tadashi; Moore, Michael

2017-01-01

(Preliminary) The book presents the state of art in the emerging field of molecular and nanoscale communication. It gives special attention to fundamental models, and advanced methodologies and tools used in the field. It covers a wide range of applications, e.g. nanomedicine, nanorobot communication, bioremediation and environmental managements. It addresses advanced graduate students, academics and professionals working at the forefront in their fields and at the interfaces between different areas of research, such as engineering, computer science, biology and nanotechnology.

Reliability Issues and Solutions in Flexible Electronics Under Mechanical Fatigue

Science.gov (United States)

Yi, Seol-Min; Choi, In-Suk; Kim, Byoung-Joon; Joo, Young-Chang

2018-03-01

Flexible devices are of significant interest due to their potential expansion of the application of smart devices into various fields, such as energy harvesting, biological applications and consumer electronics. Due to the mechanically dynamic operations of flexible electronics, their mechanical reliability must be thoroughly investigated to understand their failure mechanisms and lifetimes. Reliability issue caused by bending fatigue, one of the typical operational limitations of flexible electronics, has been studied using various test methodologies; however, electromechanical evaluations which are essential to assess the reliability of electronic devices for flexible applications had not been investigated because the testing method was not established. By employing the in situ bending fatigue test, we has studied the failure mechanism for various conditions and parameters, such as bending strain, fatigue area, film thickness, and lateral dimensions. Moreover, various methods for improving the bending reliability have been developed based on the failure mechanism. Nanostructures such as holes, pores, wires and composites of nanoparticles and nanotubes have been suggested for better reliability. Flexible devices were also investigated to find the potential failures initiated by complex structures under bending fatigue strain. In this review, the recent advances in test methodology, mechanism studies, and practical applications are introduced. Additionally, perspectives including the future advance to stretchable electronics are discussed based on the current achievements in research.

Issues and recent advances in optimal experimental design for site investigation (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Nowak, W.

2013-12-01

This presentation provides an overview over issues and recent advances in model-based experimental design for site exploration. The addressed issues and advances are (1) how to provide an adequate envelope to prior uncertainty, (2) how to define the information needs in a task-oriented manner, (3) how to measure the expected impact of a data set that it not yet available but only planned to be collected, and (4) how to perform best the optimization of the data collection plan. Among other shortcomings of the state-of-the-art, it is identified that there is a lack of demonstrator studies where exploration schemes based on expert judgment are compared to exploration schemes obtained by optimal experimental design. Such studies will be necessary do address the often voiced concern that experimental design is an academic exercise with little improvement potential over the well- trained gut feeling of field experts. When addressing this concern, a specific focus has to be given to uncertainty in model structure, parameterizations and parameter values, and to related surprises that data often bring about in field studies, but never in synthetic-data based studies. The background of this concern is that, initially, conceptual uncertainty may be so large that surprises are the rule rather than the exception. In such situations, field experts have a large body of experience in handling the surprises, and expert judgment may be good enough compared to meticulous optimization based on a model that is about to be falsified by the incoming data. In order to meet surprises accordingly and adapt to them, there needs to be a sufficient representation of conceptual uncertainty within the models used. Also, it is useless to optimize an entire design under this initial range of uncertainty. Thus, the goal setting of the optimization should include the objective to reduce conceptual uncertainty. A possible way out is to upgrade experimental design theory towards real-time interaction

H. Odera Oruka and the Question of Methodology in African ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

H. Odera Oruka and the Question of Methodology in African Philosophy: A Critique. ... AFRICAN JOURNALS ONLINE (AJOL) · Journals · Advanced Search · USING AJOL ... Key Words Methodology, African philosophy, philosophic sagacity, ...

Industrial implementation issues of Total Site Heat Integration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chew, Kew Hong; Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír; Wan Alwi, Sharifah Rafidah; Abdul Manan, Zainuddin

2013-01-01

Heat Integration has been a well-established energy conservation strategy in the industry. Total Site Heat Integration (TSHI) has received growing interest since its inception in the 90s. The methodology has been used with certain simplifications to solve TSHI problems. This paper investigates the main issues that can influence the practical implementation of TSHI in the industry. The main aim is to provide an assessment and possible guidance for future development and extension of the TSHI methodology from the industrial perspective. Several key issues have been identified as being of vital importance for the industries: design, operation, reliability/availability/maintenance, regulatory/policy and economics. Design issues to consider include plant layout, pressure drop, etc. For operation, issues such as startup and shutdown need to be considered. Reliability, availability and maintenance (RAM) are important as they directly affect the production. Relevant government policy and incentives are also important when considering the options for TSHI. Finally, a TSHI system needs to be economically viable. This paper highlights the key issues to be considered for a successful implementation of TSHI. The impacts of these issues on TS integration are summarised in a matrix, which forms a basis for an improved and closer-to-real-life implementation of the TSHI methodology. Highlights: ► Current TSHI methodology has been used for solving models with certain simplifications. ► Several issues that can influence practical implementation of TSHI are identified. ► Impacts of these issues on safety, environment and economics are evaluated. ► The findings form a basis for an improved and practical implementation of TSHI

H Scan/AHP advanced technology proposal evaluation process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mack, S. [Energetics, Inc., Columbia, MD (United States); Valladares, M.R.S. de [National Renewable Energy Lab., Washington, DC (United States)

1996-10-01

It is anticipated that a family of high value/impact projects will be funded by the Hydrogen Program to field test hydrogen technologies that are at advanced stages of development. These projects will add substantial value to the Program in several ways, by: demonstrating successful integration of multiple advanced technologies, providing critical insight on issues of larger scale equipment design, construction and operations management, yielding cost and performance data for competitive analysis, refining and deploying enhanced safety measures. These projects will be selected through a competitive proposal evaluation process. Because of the significant scope and funding levels of projects at these development phases, Program management has indicated the need for an augmented proposal evaluation strategy to ensure that supported projects are implemented by capable investigative teams and that their successful completion will optimally advance programmatic objectives. These objectives comprise a complex set of both quantitative and qualitative factors, many of which can only be estimated using expert judgment and opinion. To meet the above need, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and Energetics Inc. have jointly developed a proposal evaluation methodology called H Scan/AHP. The H Scan component of the process was developed by NREL. It is a two-part survey instrument that substantially augments the type and scope of information collected in a traditional proposal package. The AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) component was developed by Energetics. The AHP is an established decision support methodology that allows the Program decision makers to evaluate proposals relatively based on a unique set of weighted criteria that they have determined.

Online data collection from video game players: methodological issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Richard T A; Griffiths, Mark D; Eatough, Virginia

2004-10-01

The paper outlines the advantages and disadvantages of using the Internet to collect data concerning both online and offline gamers. Drawing from experience of a number of studies carried out online by the authors and by reviewing the available literature, the authors discuss the main issues concerning data collected from video game players. The paper examines a number of areas, including recruiting and utilizing participants, validity, suitable methods of data collection (i.e., questionnaire studies, online tests, participant observation, online interviews), and ethical issues. It is concluded that online research methods can be a useful way of examining the psychosocial aspects of video game playing.

Ruling the Commons. Introducing a new methodology for the analysis of historical commons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tine de Moor

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Despite significant progress in recent years, the evolution of commons over the long run remains an under-explored area within commons studies. During the last years an international team of historians have worked under the umbrella of the Common Rules Project in order to design and test a new methodology aimed at advancing our knowledge on the dynamics of institutions for collective action – in particular commons. This project aims to contribute to the current debate on commons on three different fronts. Theoretically, it explicitly draws our attention to issues of change and adaptation in the commons – contrasting with more static analyses. Empirically, it highlights the value of historical records as a rich source of information for longitudinal analysis of the functioning of commons. Methodologically, it develops a systematic way of analyzing and comparing commons’ regulations across regions and time, setting a number of variables that have been defined on the basis of the “most common denominators” in commons regulation across countries and time periods. In this paper we introduce the project, describe our sources and methodology, and present the preliminary results of our analysis.

Conceptual and methodological issues in studying alcohol’s harm to others

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Room Robin

2016-12-01

Full Text Available While there is a longer history of concern about alcohol’s harm to others, researchers’ interest has intensified in the last few years. The background of variation in concern over time in different societies is outlined. Three main traditions of research have emerged: population survey studies of such harm from the perspective of the ‘other’; analysis of register or case-record data which includes information on the involvement of another’s drinking in the case; and qualitative studies of interactions and experiences involved in particular harms from others’ drinking. In the course of the new spate of studies, many conceptual and methodological issues have arisen, some of which are considered in the paper. The diverse types of harms which have been studied are discussed. The social and personal nature of many of the harms means they do not fit easily into a disability or costing model, raising questions about how they might best be counted and aggregated. Harm from others’ drinking is inherently interactional, and subject to varying definitions of what counts as harm. The attribution to drinking, in the usual situation of conditional causation, is also subject to variation, with moral politics potentially coming into play. For measurement and comparison, account needs to be taken of cultural and individual variations in perceptions and thresholds of what counts as a harm, and attribution to alcohol. The view from the windows of a population survey and of a response agency case register are often starkly different, and research is needed, as an input and spur to policy initiatives, on what influences this difference and whether and how the views might be reconciled.

Nuclear EMP: ingredients of an EMP protection engineering methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Latorre, V.R.; Spogen, L.R. Jr.

1977-02-01

A fundamental methodology of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) protection engineering is described. Operations performed within the framework of this methodology are discussed. These operations, along with problem constraints and data, constitute the essential ingredients needed to implement the overall engineering methodology. Basic definitions and descriptions of these essential ingredients are provided. The issues discussed represent the first step in developing a methodology for protecting systems against EMP effects

Advancing Uncertainty: Untangling and Discerning Related Concepts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janice Penrod

2002-12-01

Full Text Available Methods of advancing concepts within the qualitative paradigm have been developed and articulated. In this section, I describe methodological perspectives of a project designed to advance the concept of uncertainty using multiple qualitative methods. Through a series of earlier studies, the concept of uncertainty arose repeatedly in varied contexts, working its way into prominence, and warranting further investigation. Processes of advanced concept analysis were used to initiate the formal investigation into the meaning of the concept. Through concept analysis, the concept was deconstructed to identify conceptual components and gaps in understanding. Using this skeletal framework of the concept identified through concept analysis, subsequent studies were carried out to add ‘flesh’ to the concept. First, a concept refinement using the literature as data was completed. Findings revealed that the current state of the concept of uncertainty failed to incorporate what was known of the lived experience. Therefore, using interview techniques as the primary data source, a phenomenological study of uncertainty among caregivers was conducted. Incorporating the findings of the phenomenology, the skeletal framework of the concept was further fleshed out using techniques of concept correction to produce a more mature conceptualization of uncertainty. In this section, I describe the flow of this qualitative project investigating the concept of uncertainty, with special emphasis on a particular threat to validity (called conceptual tunnel vision that was identified and addressed during the phases of concept correction. Though in this article I employ a study of uncertainty for illustration, limited substantive findings regarding uncertainty are presented to retain a clear focus on the methodological issues.

Methodological issues associated with collecting sensitive information over the telephone - experience from an Australian non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI prevalence study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fullerton Simon

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Collecting population data on sensitive issues such as non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI is problematic. Case note audits or hospital/clinic based presentations only record severe cases and do not distinguish between suicidal and non-suicidal intent. Community surveys have largely been limited to school and university students, resulting in little much needed population-based data on NSSI. Collecting these data via a large scale population survey presents challenges to survey methodologists. This paper addresses the methodological issues associated with collecting this type of data via CATI. Methods An Australia-wide population survey was funded by the Australian Government to determine prevalence estimates of NSSI and associations, predictors, relationships to suicide attempts and suicide ideation, and outcomes. Computer assisted telephone interviewing (CATI on a random sample of the Australian population aged 10+ years of age from randomly selected households, was undertaken. Results Overall, from 31,216 eligible households, 12,006 interviews were undertaken (response rate 38.5%. The 4-week prevalence of NSSI was 1.1% (95% ci 0.9-1.3% and lifetime prevalence was 8.1% (95% ci 7.6-8.6. Methodological concerns and challenges in regard to collection of these data included extensive interviewer training and post interview counselling. Ethical considerations, especially with children as young as 10 years of age being asked sensitive questions, were addressed prior to data collection. The solution required a large amount of information to be sent to each selected household prior to the telephone interview which contributed to a lower than expected response rate. Non-coverage error caused by the population of interest being highly mobile, homeless or institutionalised was also a suspected issue in this low prevalence condition. In many circumstances the numbers missing from the sampling frame are small enough to not cause worry

Methodological issues in cardiovascular epidemiology: the risk of determining absolute risk through statistical models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Demosthenes B Panagiotakos

2006-09-01

Full Text Available Demosthenes B Panagiotakos, Vassilis StavrinosOffice of Biostatistics, Epidemiology, Department of Dietetics, Nutrition, Harokopio University, Athens, GreeceAbstract: During the past years there has been increasing interest in the development of cardiovascular disease functions that predict future events at individual level. However, this effort has not been so far very successful, since several investigators have reported large differences in the estimation of the absolute risk among different populations. For example, it seems that predictive models that have been derived from US or north European populations  overestimate the incidence of cardiovascular events in south European and Japanese populations. A potential explanation could be attributed to several factors such as geographical, cultural, social, behavioral, as well as genetic variations between the investigated populations in addition to various methodological, statistical, issues relating to the estimation of these predictive models. Based on current literature it can be concluded that, while risk prediction of future cardiovascular events is a useful tool and might be valuable in controlling the burden of the disease in a population, further work is required to improve the accuracy of the present predictive models.Keywords: cardiovascular disease, risk, models

A theoretical Appliance in the analysis of the representation of the public issues in Young university students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando García Leguizamón

2010-12-01

Full Text Available The article presents the theoretical and methodological approaches that guide the research entitled “An approach to social representations of public issues in students of the University Los Libertadores, through their interpretation of images”, advanced in 2010. It presents philosophical and sociological conceptions of the public sphere as a general frame of reference and contrast for the investigation. It is proposed heuristically a “topology” of the public sphere, to visualize their locations and levels of constitution. Tackling the question of the constitution of the public sphere some observations are made about the role played by communication technologies. Finally, we make explicit the methodological elements to be used in this qualitative investigation: the theory of social representations, with the specific technique of images interpretation.

New methodology for a person identification system

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Sadhana; Volume 31; Issue 3. New methodology for a person identification system. R Bremananth A Chitra. Volume 31 Issue 3 June 2006 pp 259-276 ... Experimental results illustrate that the proposed method has been easily espoused in elections, bank transactions and other security applications.

Methodology is more than research design and technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Proctor, Robert W

2005-05-01

The Society for Computers in Psychology has been at the forefront of disseminating information about advances in computer technology and their applications for psychologists. Although technological advances, as well as clean research designs, are key contributors to progress in psychological research, the justification of methodological rules for interpreting data and making theory choices is at least as important. Historically, methodological beliefs and practices have been justified through intuition and logic, an approach known as foundationism. However, naturalism, a modern approach in the philosophy of science inspired by the work of Thomas S. Kuhn, indicates that all aspects of scientific practice, including its methodology, should be evaluated empirically. This article examines implications of the naturalistic approach for psychological research methods in general and for the current debate that is often framed as one of qualitative versus quantitative methods.

Methodological issues involved in conducting qualitative research on support for nurses directly involved with women who chose to terminate their pregnancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antoinette Gmeiner

2001-11-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to describe the methodological issues involved in conducting qualitative research to explore and describe nurses’ experience of being directly involved with termination of pregnancies and developing guidelines for support for these nurses. Opsomming Die doel van hierdie artikel is om die metodologiese vraagstukke te beskryf rondom die uitvoer van kwalitatiewe navorsing waar verpleegkundiges se ervaring van hul direkte betrokkenheid by terminasie van swangerskap verken en beskryf is. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text.

Design of an integrated operator support system for advanced NPP MCRs. Issues and perspectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Jun; Seong Poong-Hyun

2010-01-01

Recently, human error has been highlighted as one of the main causes of accidents in nuclear power plants (NPPs). In order to prevent human errors during the main control room (MCR) operations, which are highly complex and mentally taxing activities, improved interfaces and operator support systems have been developed for advanced MCRs. Although operator support systems have the capability to improve the safety and reliability of an NPP, inappropriate designs can have adverse effects on the system safety. Designs based on systematic development frames and validation/verification of the systems are pivotal strategies to circumvent the negative effects of operator support systems. In this paper, an integrated operator support system designed to aid the cognitive activities of operators as well as theoretical and experimental evaluation methods of operator support systems are reviewed. From this review, it was concluded that not only issues about systems (e.g., the accuracy of the system outputs), but also issues about human operators who use the systems (for instance, information quality, the operator's trust and dependency on support systems) should be considered in the design of efficient operator support systems. (author)

Conducting multinational, cross-cultural research in the functional gastrointestinal disorders: issues and recommendations. A Rome Foundation working team report.

Science.gov (United States)

Sperber, A D; Gwee, K A; Hungin, A P; Corazziari, E; Fukudo, S; Gerson, C; Ghoshal, U C; Kang, J-Y; Levy, R L; Schmulson, M; Dumitrascu, D; Gerson, M-J; Chen, M; Myung, S-J; Quigley, E M M; Whorwell, P J; Zarzar, K; Whitehead, W E

2014-11-01

Cross-cultural, multinational research can advance the field of functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs). Cross-cultural comparative research can make a significant contribution in areas such as epidemiology, genetics, psychosocial modulators, symptom reporting and interpretation, extra-intestinal co-morbidity, diagnosis and treatment, determinants of disease severity, health care utilisation, and health-related quality of life, all issues that can be affected by geographical region, culture, ethnicity and race. To identify methodological challenges for cross-cultural, multinational research, and suggest possible solutions. This report, which summarises the full report of a working team established by the Rome Foundation that is available on the Internet, reflects an effort by an international committee of FGID clinicians and researchers. It is based on comprehensive literature reviews and expert opinion. Cross-cultural, multinational research is important and feasible, but has barriers to successful implementation. This report contains recommendations for future research relating to study design, subject recruitment, availability of appropriate study instruments, translation and validation of study instruments, documenting confounders, statistical analyses and reporting of results. Advances in study design and methodology, as well as cross-cultural research competence, have not matched technological advancements. The development of multinational research networks and cross-cultural research collaboration is still in its early stages. This report is intended to be aspirational rather than prescriptive, so we present recommendations, not guidelines. We aim to raise awareness of these issues and to pose higher standards, but not to discourage investigators from doing what is feasible in any particular setting. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Environmental impact assessment for energy pathways: an integrated methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sommereux-Blanc, Isabelle

2010-01-01

This document presents the synthesis of my research work contributing to the development of an integrated methodology of environmental impact assessment for energy pathways. In the context of world globalization, environmental impact assessments issues are highly linked with the following questioning: Which environmental impacts? for which demand? at which location? at which temporal scale? My work is built upon the definition of a conceptual framework able to handle these issues and upon its progressive implementation. The integration of the spatial and temporal issues within the methodology are key elements. Fundamental cornerstones of this framework are presented along the DPSIR concept (Driving forces, Pressures, State, Impacts, Responses). They cover a comprehensive analysis of the limits and the relevance of life cycle analysis and the development of a geo-spatialized environmental performance approach for an electrical production pathway. Perspectives linked with the development of this integrated methodology are detailed for energy pathways. (author)

Accelerated Testing Methodology in Constant Stress-Rate Testing for Advanced Structural Ceramics: A Preloading Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Sung R.; Gyekenyesi, John P.; Huebert, Dean; Bartlett, Allen; Choi, Han-Ho

2001-01-01

Preloading technique was used as a means of an accelerated testing methodology in constant stress-rate (dynamic fatigue) testing for two different brittle materials. The theory developed previously for fatigue strength as a function of preload was further verified through extensive constant stress-rate testing for glass-ceramic and CRT glass in room temperature distilled water. The preloading technique was also used in this study to identify the prevailing failure mechanisms at elevated temperatures, particularly at lower test rates in which a series of mechanisms would be associated simultaneously with material failure, resulting in significant strength increase or decrease. Two different advanced ceramics including SiC whisker-reinforced composite silicon nitride and 96 wt% alumina were used at elevated temperatures. It was found that the preloading technique can be used as an additional tool to pinpoint the dominant failure mechanism that is associated with such a phenomenon of considerable strength increase or decrease.

Cobenefits of replacing car trips with alternative transportation: a review of evidence and methodological issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Ting; Zhang, Ying; Crabb, Shona; Shah, Pushan

2013-01-01

It has been reported that motor vehicle emissions contribute nearly a quarter of world energy-related greenhouse gases and cause nonnegligible air pollution primarily in urban areas. Reducing car use and increasing ecofriendly alternative transport, such as public and active transport, are efficient approaches to mitigate harmful environmental impacts caused by a large amount of vehicle use. Besides the environmental benefits of promoting alternative transport, it can also induce other health and economic benefits. At present, a number of studies have been conducted to evaluate cobenefits from greenhouse gas mitigation policies. However, relatively few have focused specifically on the transport sector. A comprehensive understanding of the multiple benefits of alternative transport could assist with policy making in the areas of transport, health, and environment. However, there is no straightforward method which could estimate cobenefits effect at one time. In this paper, the links between vehicle emissions and air quality, as well as the health and economic benefits from alternative transport use, are considered, and methodological issues relating to the modelling of these cobenefits are discussed.

Cobenefits of Replacing Car Trips with Alternative Transportation: A Review of Evidence and Methodological Issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ting Xia

2013-01-01

Full Text Available It has been reported that motor vehicle emissions contribute nearly a quarter of world energy-related greenhouse gases and cause nonnegligible air pollution primarily in urban areas. Reducing car use and increasing ecofriendly alternative transport, such as public and active transport, are efficient approaches to mitigate harmful environmental impacts caused by a large amount of vehicle use. Besides the environmental benefits of promoting alternative transport, it can also induce other health and economic benefits. At present, a number of studies have been conducted to evaluate cobenefits from greenhouse gas mitigation policies. However, relatively few have focused specifically on the transport sector. A comprehensive understanding of the multiple benefits of alternative transport could assist with policy making in the areas of transport, health, and environment. However, there is no straightforward method which could estimate cobenefits effect at one time. In this paper, the links between vehicle emissions and air quality, as well as the health and economic benefits from alternative transport use, are considered, and methodological issues relating to the modelling of these cobenefits are discussed.

Qualitative methodology in developmental psychology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Demuth, Carolin; Mey, Günter

2015-01-01

Qualitative methodology presently is gaining increasing recognition in developmental psychology. Although the founders of developmental psychology to a large extent already used qualitative procedures, the field was long dominated by a (post) positivistic quantitative paradigm. The increasing rec...... in qualitative research offers a promising avenue to advance the field in this direction.......Qualitative methodology presently is gaining increasing recognition in developmental psychology. Although the founders of developmental psychology to a large extent already used qualitative procedures, the field was long dominated by a (post) positivistic quantitative paradigm. The increasing...

Policy issues inherent in advanced technology development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baumann, P.D.

1994-12-31

In the development of advanced technologies, there are several forces which are involved in the success of the development of those technologies. In the overall development of new technologies, a sufficient number of these forces must be present and working in order to have a successful opportunity at developing, introducing and integrating into the marketplace a new technology. This paper discusses some of these forces and how they enter into the equation for success in advanced technology research, development, demonstration, commercialization and deployment. This paper limits itself to programs which are generally governmental funded, which in essence represent most of the technology development efforts that provide defense, energy and environmental technological products. Along with the identification of these forces are some suggestions as to how changes may be brought about to better ensure success in a long term to attempt to minimize time and financial losses.

Policy issues inherent in advanced technology development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baumann, P.D.

1994-01-01

In the development of advanced technologies, there are several forces which are involved in the success of the development of those technologies. In the overall development of new technologies, a sufficient number of these forces must be present and working in order to have a successful opportunity at developing, introducing and integrating into the marketplace a new technology. This paper discusses some of these forces and how they enter into the equation for success in advanced technology research, development, demonstration, commercialization and deployment. This paper limits itself to programs which are generally governmental funded, which in essence represent most of the technology development efforts that provide defense, energy and environmental technological products. Along with the identification of these forces are some suggestions as to how changes may be brought about to better ensure success in a long term to attempt to minimize time and financial losses

Advances in social simulation 2015

CERN Document Server

Verbrugge, Rineke; Flache, Andreas; Roo, Gert; Hoogduin, Lex; Hemelrijk, Charlotte

2017-01-01

This book highlights recent developments in the field, presented at the Social Simulation 2015 conference in Groningen, The Netherlands. It covers advances both in applications and methods of social simulation. Societal issues addressed range across complexities in economic systems, opinion dynamics and civil violence, changing mobility patterns, different land-use, transition in the energy system, food production and consumption, ecosystem management and historical processes. Methodological developments cover how to use empirical data in validating models in general, formalization of behavioral theory in agent behavior, construction of artificial populations for experimentation, replication of models, and agent-based models that can be run in a web browser. Social simulation is a rapidly evolving field. Social scientists are increasingly interested in social simulation as a tool to tackle the complex non-linear dynamics of society. Furthermore, the software and hardware tools available for social simulation ...

Introducing an ILS methodology into research reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorenzo, N. de; Borsani, R.C.

2003-01-01

Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) is the managerial organisation that co-ordinates the activities of many disciplines to develop the supporting resources (training, staffing, designing aids, equipment removal routes, etc) required by technologically complex systems. The application of an ILS methodology in defence projects is described in several places, but it is infrequently illustrated for other areas; therefore the present paper deals with applying this approach to research reactors under design or already in operation. Although better results are obtained when applied since the very beginning of a project, it can be applied successfully in facilities already in operation to improve their capability in a cost-effective way. In applying this methodology, the key objectives shall be previously identified in order to tailor the whole approach. Generally in high power multipurpose reactors, obtaining maximum profit at the lowest possible cost without reducing the safety levels are key issues, while in others the goal is to minimise drawbacks like spurious shutdowns, low quality experimental results or even to reduce staff dose to ALARA values. These items need to be quantified for establishing a system status base line in order to trace the process evolution. Thereafter, specific logistics analyses should be performed in the different areas composing the system. RAMS (Reliability, Availability, Maintainability and Supportability), Manning, Training Needs, Supplying Needs are some examples of these special logistic assessments. The following paragraphs summarise the different areas, encompassed by this ILS methodology. Plant design is influenced focussing the designers? attention on the objectives already identified. Careful design reviews are performed only in an early design stage, being useless a later application. In this paper is presented a methodology including appropriate tools for ensuring the designers abide to ILS issues and key objectives through the

Advanced piloted aircraft flight control system design methodology. Volume 1: Knowledge base

Science.gov (United States)

Mcruer, Duane T.; Myers, Thomas T.

1988-01-01

The development of a comprehensive and electric methodology for conceptual and preliminary design of flight control systems is presented and illustrated. The methodology is focused on the design stages starting with the layout of system requirements and ending when some viable competing system architectures (feedback control structures) are defined. The approach is centered on the human pilot and the aircraft as both the sources of, and the keys to the solution of, many flight control problems. The methodology relies heavily on computational procedures which are highly interactive with the design engineer. To maximize effectiveness, these techniques, as selected and modified to be used together in the methodology, form a cadre of computational tools specifically tailored for integrated flight control system preliminary design purposes. While theory and associated computational means are an important aspect of the design methodology, the lore, knowledge and experience elements, which guide and govern applications are critical features. This material is presented as summary tables, outlines, recipes, empirical data, lists, etc., which encapsulate a great deal of expert knowledge. Much of this is presented in topical knowledge summaries which are attached as Supplements. The composite of the supplements and the main body elements constitutes a first cut at a a Mark 1 Knowledge Base for manned-aircraft flight control.

Combining nutrition and exercise to optimize survival and recovery from critical illness: Conceptual and methodological issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Heyland, Daren K; Stapleton, Renee D; Mourtzakis, Marina; Hough, Catherine L; Morris, Peter; Deutz, Nicolaas E; Colantuoni, Elizabeth; Day, Andrew; Prado, Carla M; Needham, Dale M

2016-10-01

Survivors of critical illness commonly experience neuromuscular abnormalities, including muscle weakness known as ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW). ICU-AW is associated with delayed weaning from mechanical ventilation, extended ICU and hospital stays, more healthcare-related hospital costs, a higher risk of death, and impaired physical functioning and quality of life in the months after ICU admission. These observations speak to the importance of developing new strategies to aid in the physical recovery of acute respiratory failure patients. We posit that to maintain optimal muscle mass, strength and physical function, the combination of nutrition and exercise may have the greatest impact on physical recovery of survivors of critical illness. Randomized trials testing this and related hypotheses are needed. We discussed key methodological issues and proposed a common evaluation framework to stimulate work in this area and standardize our approach to outcome assessments across future studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Researching the impact of oral health on diet and nutritional status: methodological issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Moynihan, Paula; Thomason, Mark; Walls, Angus; Gray-Donald, Katherine; Morais, Jose A; Ghanem, Henry; Wollin, Stephanie; Ellis, Janice; Steele, Jimmy; Lund, James; Feine, Jocelyne

2009-04-01

Assessment of the impact of dental function on diet and nutritional status requires robust methodologies and a standardised approach to increase accuracy of results and to facilitate cross study comparisons. The objectives of this paper are: to report the outcomes of a consensus workshop that critically reviewed publications reporting on dietary methodologies in relation to the impact of oral health on nutrition; to highlight future directions for research and; to make recommendations for appropriate use of methodologies for future research. Data relevant to nutrition and dental status published from 1980 to 2005 in English were presented at the consensus workshop for discussion and appraisal. Relevant papers were retrieved through PubMed. Relevant texts were obtained from the library at Newcastle University, UK. A purposive sample of original articles that illustrated the application of a range of nutritional methodologies to the study of oral health impacts was identified. Original flagship texts on nutritional methodologies were reviewed. Numerous studies have shown an association between loss of teeth and inferior diet. Further research is required to elucidate the impact of novel approaches to prosthetic rehabilitation and the impact of contemporaneous dietary and dental intervention on diet, nutritional status, disease progression and quality of life. The recommendation of the consensus workshop was that future studies should adopt a comprehensive approach to the assessment of nutrition that encompasses measurement of diet, body composition, biochemical indices of intake and levels of nutrients, and functional biomarkers of disease.

Methodological issues in protein and lipidic expressions in brain tissue exposed to Co60 based on DESI/MALDI-MS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, Matheus F.; Campos, Tarcísio P.R.; Augusti, Rodinei; Eberlin, Marcos N.; Vendramini, Pedro H.

2017-01-01

The present paper attempts to present some issues in the methodology of identifying lipid and protein changes in brain tissue induced by radiation. The goal was to address the analysis of the methodology and to investigate the feasibility of the generation of lipid/protein profiles of irradiated brain tissue, in order to identify radioinduced changes. Lipids and proteins are biomolecules with diverse structures and functionalities that participate in important intracellular processes. Changes in the lipid and the tissue protein profiles may indicate a cellular response to an external stimulus as well as the emergence of neoplasms or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. DESI-MS is a convenient method for identifying lipids and their spatial distribution in tissue beyond analytical quantification. DESI-MS allows the creation of an image of several low lipid m/z classes. MALDI-MS has already been a method used in the study of macromolecules as structural, membrane, hormone, neuromediator and immunological peptides. Through a full-scan matrix scan, with a m/z spectrum between 500-1000 for lipids and with a mass spectrum of 1000-15000 Da for proteins, the molecular profile can be analyzed. Generated pixel shape 2D chemical image. The produced image allows to associate the tissue distribution of the lipids and proteins with their chemical profile identified, allowing the verification of the changes radioinduced. Radiation triggers intense oxidative stress by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals, causing DNA damage with consequent alterations in proteomics and cellular lipid explaining such changes in the lipid and protein expressions. The cellular morphophysiological changes are responsible for both the clonogenic inhibition and the induction of the apoptotic process. The images's production was directly dependent on the rigorous execution of the methodological procedures. Innumerable interferences could impair the image

Advancing our thinking in presence-only and used-available analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Warton, D.; Aarts, G.M.

2013-01-01

1. The problems of analysing used-available data and presence-only data are equivalent, and this paper uses this equivalence as a platform for exploring opportunities for advancing analysis methodology. 2. We suggest some potential methodological advances in used-available analysis, made possible

Positive lists of cosmetic ingredients: Analytical methodology for regulatory and safety controls – A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lores, Marta; Llompart, Maria; Alvarez-Rivera, Gerardo; Guerra, Eugenia; Vila, Marlene; Celeiro, Maria; Lamas, J. Pablo; Garcia-Jares, Carmen

2016-01-01

Cosmetic products placed on the market and their ingredients, must be safe under reasonable conditions of use, in accordance to the current legislation. Therefore, regulated and allowed chemical substances must meet the regulatory criteria to be used as ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products, and adequate analytical methodology is needed to evaluate the degree of compliance. This article reviews the most recent methods (2005–2015) used for the extraction and the analytical determination of the ingredients included in the positive lists of the European Regulation of Cosmetic Products (EC 1223/2009): comprising colorants, preservatives and UV filters. It summarizes the analytical properties of the most relevant analytical methods along with the possibilities of fulfilment of the current regulatory issues. The cosmetic legislation is frequently being updated; consequently, the analytical methodology must be constantly revised and improved to meet safety requirements. The article highlights the most important advances in analytical methodology for cosmetics control, both in relation to the sample pretreatment and extraction and the different instrumental approaches developed to solve this challenge. Cosmetics are complex samples, and most of them require a sample pretreatment before analysis. In the last times, the research conducted covering this aspect, tended to the use of green extraction and microextraction techniques. Analytical methods were generally based on liquid chromatography with UV detection, and gas and liquid chromatographic techniques hyphenated with single or tandem mass spectrometry; but some interesting proposals based on electrophoresis have also been reported, together with some electroanalytical approaches. Regarding the number of ingredients considered for analytical control, single analyte methods have been proposed, although the most useful ones in the real life cosmetic analysis are the multianalyte approaches. - Highlights: �

Positive lists of cosmetic ingredients: Analytical methodology for regulatory and safety controls – A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lores, Marta, E-mail: marta.lores@usc.es; Llompart, Maria; Alvarez-Rivera, Gerardo; Guerra, Eugenia; Vila, Marlene; Celeiro, Maria; Lamas, J. Pablo; Garcia-Jares, Carmen

2016-04-07

Cosmetic products placed on the market and their ingredients, must be safe under reasonable conditions of use, in accordance to the current legislation. Therefore, regulated and allowed chemical substances must meet the regulatory criteria to be used as ingredients in cosmetics and personal care products, and adequate analytical methodology is needed to evaluate the degree of compliance. This article reviews the most recent methods (2005–2015) used for the extraction and the analytical determination of the ingredients included in the positive lists of the European Regulation of Cosmetic Products (EC 1223/2009): comprising colorants, preservatives and UV filters. It summarizes the analytical properties of the most relevant analytical methods along with the possibilities of fulfilment of the current regulatory issues. The cosmetic legislation is frequently being updated; consequently, the analytical methodology must be constantly revised and improved to meet safety requirements. The article highlights the most important advances in analytical methodology for cosmetics control, both in relation to the sample pretreatment and extraction and the different instrumental approaches developed to solve this challenge. Cosmetics are complex samples, and most of them require a sample pretreatment before analysis. In the last times, the research conducted covering this aspect, tended to the use of green extraction and microextraction techniques. Analytical methods were generally based on liquid chromatography with UV detection, and gas and liquid chromatographic techniques hyphenated with single or tandem mass spectrometry; but some interesting proposals based on electrophoresis have also been reported, together with some electroanalytical approaches. Regarding the number of ingredients considered for analytical control, single analyte methods have been proposed, although the most useful ones in the real life cosmetic analysis are the multianalyte approaches. - Highlights: �

Advanced Issues of Wind Turbine Modelling and Control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simani, Silvio

2015-01-01

The motivation for this paper comes from a real need to have an overview about the challenges of modelling and control for very demanding systems, such as wind turbine systems, which require reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety over power conversion efficiency. These issues have begun to stimulate research and development in the wide control community particularly for these installations that need a high degree of “sustainability”. Note that this topic represents a key point mainly for offshore wind turbines with very large rotors, since they are characterised by challenging modelling and control problems, as well as expensive and safety critical maintenance works. In this case, a clear conflict exists between ensuring a high degree of availability and reducing maintenance times, which affect the final energy cost. On the other hand, wind turbines have highly nonlinear dynamics, with a stochastic and uncontrollable driving force as input in the form of wind speed, thus representing an interesting challenge also from the modelling point of view. Suitable control methods can provide a sustainable optimisation of the energy conversion efficiency over wider than normally expected working conditions. Moreover, a proper mathematical description of the wind turbine system should be able to capture the complete behaviour of the process under monitoring, thus providing an important impact on the control design itself. In this way, the control scheme could guarantee prescribed performance, whilst also giving a degree of “tolerance” to possible deviation of characteristic properties or system parameters from standard conditions, if properly included in the wind turbine model itself. The most important developments in advanced controllers for wind turbines are addressed, and open problems in the areas of modelling of wind turbines are also outlined. (paper)

Durability Issues and Challenges for Material Advancements in FRP Employed in the Construction Industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariaenrica Frigione

2018-02-01

Full Text Available The use of fiber reinforced polymer (FRP composites for the rehabilitation of buildings or other infrastructure is increasingly becoming an effective and popular solution, being able to overcome some of the drawbacks experienced with traditional interventions and/or traditional materials. The knowledge of long-term performance and of durability behavior of FRP, in terms of their degradation/aging causes and mechanisms taking place in common as well as in harsh environmental conditions, still represents a critical issue for a safe and advantageous implementation of such advanced materials. The research of new and better performing materials in such fields is somewhat limited by practical and economical constrains and, as a matter of fact, is confined to an academic argument.

Some Findings Concerning Requirements in Agile Methodologies

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez, Pilar; Yagüe, Agustín; Alarcón, Pedro P.; Garbajosa, Juan

Agile methods have appeared as an attractive alternative to conventional methodologies. These methods try to reduce the time to market and, indirectly, the cost of the product through flexible development and deep customer involvement. The processes related to requirements have been extensively studied in literature, in most cases in the frame of conventional methods. However, conclusions of conventional methodologies could not be necessarily valid for Agile; in some issues, conventional and Agile processes are radically different. As recent surveys report, inadequate project requirements is one of the most conflictive issues in agile approaches and better understanding about this is needed. This paper describes some findings concerning requirements activities in a project developed under an agile methodology. The project intended to evolve an existing product and, therefore, some background information was available. The major difficulties encountered were related to non-functional needs and management of requirements dependencies.

An assessment of ex-vessel fuel-coolant interaction energetics for advanced light water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, J.G.; Corradini, M.L.

1997-01-01

The occurrence of an energetic fuel/coolant interaction (FCI) below the reactor pressure vessel in the cavity of advanced light water reactors (ALWRs) are analyzed to determine the possible hazard to structural walls as a result of dynamic liquid phase pressures. Such analyses are important to demonstrate that these cavity walls will maintain their integrity so that ex-vessel core debris coolability is possible. Past studies that have examined this or related issues are reviewed, and a methodology is proposed to analyze the occurrence of this physical event using the IFCI and TEXAS models for the FCI as well as dynamic shock wave propagation estimates using hand calculations as well as the CTH hydro model. Scenarios for the ALWRs are reviewed, and one severe accident scenario is used as an example to demonstrate the methodology. Such methodologies are recommended for consideration in future safety studies. These methodologies should be verified with direct comparison to energetic FCI data such as that being produced in KROTOS at the Joint Research Centre, Ispra

METHODOLOGY OF PROFESSIONAL PEDAGOGICAL EDUCATION: THEORY AND PRACTICE (THEORETICAL AND METHODOLOGICAL FOUNDATIONS OF VOCATIONAL TEACHER EDUCATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. M. Dorozhkin

2014-01-01

analysis of methodology taking into consideration the target orientation, principles and approaches to the organization and its’ methods of scientific and educational activitiesimplementation. The qualification structure formation of the teachers’ vocational training and providing advance principles of education are considered to be the most important conditions for the development of vocational teacher education.Scientific novelty. The research demonstrates creating the project of further vocational teacher education development in the post-industrial society. The pedagogical innovations transforming research findings into educational practice are considered to be the main tool of integration methodology means.Practical significance. The research findings highlight the proposed reforms for further teachers training system development of vocational institutes, which are in need of drastic restructuring. In the final part of the article the authors recommend some specific issues that can be discussed at the methodological workshop.

Advancing Ethical Neuroscience Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Borah, B Rashmi; Strand, Nicolle K; Chillag, Kata L

2016-12-01

As neuroscience research advances, researchers, clinicians, and other stakeholders will face a host of ethical challenges. The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues (Bioethics Commission) has published two reports that provide recommendations on how to advance research endeavors ethically. The commission addressed, among other issues, how to prioritize different types of neuroscience research and how to include research participants who have impaired consent capacity. The Bioethics Commission's recommendations provide a foundation for ethical guidelines as neuroscience research advances and progresses. © 2016 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.

Statistical methods and applications from a historical perspective selected issues

CERN Document Server

Mignani, Stefania

2014-01-01

The book showcases a selection of peer-reviewed papers, the preliminary versions of which were presented at a conference held 11-13 June 2011 in Bologna and organized jointly by the Italian Statistical Society (SIS), the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT) and the Bank of Italy. The theme of the conference was "Statistics in the 150 years of the Unification of Italy." The celebration of the anniversary of Italian unification provided the opportunity to examine and discuss the methodological aspects and applications from a historical perspective and both from a national and international point of view. The critical discussion on the issues of the past has made it possible to focus on recent advances, considering the studies of socio-economic and demographic changes in European countries.

International Comparisons: Issues of Methodology and Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serova Irina A.

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The article discusses the methodology and organization of statistical observation of the level of countries’ economic development. The theoretical basis of international comparisons is singled out and on its basis the comparative evaluation of inconsistency of theoretical positions and the reasons of differences of GDP growth is carried out. Based on the complexity of the formation of homogeneous data sets in order to obtain correct comparison results, a general scheme for the relationship between the theoretical base of international comparisons and PPP constraints is defined. The possibility of obtaining a single measurement of the indicators of national economies based on the existing sampling errors, measurement uncertainties and classification errors is considered. The emphasis is placed on combining the work using the ICP and CPI with the aim of achieving comparability of data in the territorial and temporal cross-section. Using the basic characteristics of sustainable economic growth, long-term prospects for changing the ranking positions of countries with different levels of income are determined. It is shown that the clarity and unambiguity of the theoretical provisions is the defining condition for the further process of data collection and formation of correct analytical conclusions.

Special Issue on Using Econometrics for Assessing Economic Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Juselius, Katarina

2009-01-01

Two methodological approaches to empirical economics which are labelled ‘theory first' versus ‘reality first' are introduced building the background for the discussion of the individual contributions to this special issue.......Two methodological approaches to empirical economics which are labelled ‘theory first' versus ‘reality first' are introduced building the background for the discussion of the individual contributions to this special issue....

Identification and systems methodologies for territorial delimitation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iván Montoya R

2010-12-01

Full Text Available This document identifies the main issues affecting the delimitation of territories and explores the conceptual approaches for describing the relationship of the territories understood as organizations with their environment. Subsequently, we studied the systems methodologies known as soft systems methodology, SSM, and complex adaptive systems, CAS. Finally, the advantages of systemic approaches to territorial delimitation are shown

PKI Scalability Issues

OpenAIRE

Slagell, Adam J; Bonilla, Rafael

2004-01-01

This report surveys different PKI technologies such as PKIX and SPKI and the issues of PKI that affect scalability. Much focus is spent on certificate revocation methodologies and status verification systems such as CRLs, Delta-CRLs, CRS, Certificate Revocation Trees, Windowed Certificate Revocation, OCSP, SCVP and DVCS.

A Methodology and Toolkit for Deploying Reliable Security Policies in Critical Infrastructures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Faouzi Jaïdi

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Substantial advances in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT bring out novel concepts, solutions, trends, and challenges to integrate intelligent and autonomous systems in critical infrastructures. A new generation of ICT environments (such as smart cities, Internet of Things, edge-fog-social-cloud computing, and big data analytics is emerging; it has different applications to critical domains (such as transportation, communication, finance, commerce, and healthcare and different interconnections via multiple layers of public and private networks, forming a grid of critical cyberphysical infrastructures. Protecting sensitive and private data and services in critical infrastructures is, at the same time, a main objective and a great challenge for deploying secure systems. It essentially requires setting up trusted security policies. Unfortunately, security solutions should remain compliant and regularly updated to follow and track the evolution of security threats. To address this issue, we propose an advanced methodology for deploying and monitoring the compliance of trusted access control policies. Our proposal extends the traditional life cycle of access control policies with pertinent activities. It integrates formal and semiformal techniques allowing the specification, the verification, the implementation, the reverse-engineering, the validation, the risk assessment, and the optimization of access control policies. To automate and facilitate the practice of our methodology, we introduce our system SVIRVRO that allows managing the extended life cycle of access control policies. We refer to an illustrative example to highlight the relevance of our contributions.

Exercise redox biochemistry: Conceptual, methodological and technical recommendations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James N. Cobley

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Exercise redox biochemistry is of considerable interest owing to its translational value in health and disease. However, unaddressed conceptual, methodological and technical issues complicate attempts to unravel how exercise alters redox homeostasis in health and disease. Conceptual issues relate to misunderstandings that arise when the chemical heterogeneity of redox biology is disregarded: which often complicates attempts to use redox-active compounds and assess redox signalling. Further, that oxidised macromolecule adduct levels reflect formation and repair is seldom considered. Methodological and technical issues relate to the use of out-dated assays and/or inappropriate sample preparation techniques that confound biochemical redox analysis. After considering each of the aforementioned issues, we outline how each issue can be resolved and provide a unifying set of recommendations. We specifically recommend that investigators: consider chemical heterogeneity, use redox-active compounds judiciously, abandon flawed assays, carefully prepare samples and assay buffers, consider repair/metabolism, use multiple biomarkers to assess oxidative damage and redox signalling. Keywords: Exercise, Oxidative stress, Free radical, Antioxidants, Redox signalling

Exercise redox biochemistry: Conceptual, methodological and technical recommendations.

Science.gov (United States)

Cobley, James N; Close, Graeme L; Bailey, Damian M; Davison, Gareth W

2017-08-01

Exercise redox biochemistry is of considerable interest owing to its translational value in health and disease. However, unaddressed conceptual, methodological and technical issues complicate attempts to unravel how exercise alters redox homeostasis in health and disease. Conceptual issues relate to misunderstandings that arise when the chemical heterogeneity of redox biology is disregarded: which often complicates attempts to use redox-active compounds and assess redox signalling. Further, that oxidised macromolecule adduct levels reflect formation and repair is seldom considered. Methodological and technical issues relate to the use of out-dated assays and/or inappropriate sample preparation techniques that confound biochemical redox analysis. After considering each of the aforementioned issues, we outline how each issue can be resolved and provide a unifying set of recommendations. We specifically recommend that investigators: consider chemical heterogeneity, use redox-active compounds judiciously, abandon flawed assays, carefully prepare samples and assay buffers, consider repair/metabolism, use multiple biomarkers to assess oxidative damage and redox signalling. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An end-users oriented methodology for enhancing the integration of knowledge on soil-water-sediment systems in River Basin Management: an illustration from the AquaTerra project.

Science.gov (United States)

Merly, Corinne; Chapman, Antony; Mouvet, Christophe

2012-01-01

Research results in environmental and socio-economic sciences are often under-used by stakeholders involved in the management of natural resources. To minimise this gap, the FP6 EU interdisciplinary project AquaTerra (AT) developed an end-users' integration methodology in order to ensure that the data, knowledge and tools related to the soil-water-sediment system that were generated by the project were delivered in a meaningful way for end-users, thus improving their uptake. The methodology and examples of its application are presented in this paper. From the 408 project deliverables, 96 key findings were identified, 53 related to data and knowledge, and 43 describing advanced tools. River Basin Management (RBM) stakeholders workshops identified 8 main RBM issues and 25 specific stakeholders' questions related to RBM which were classified into seven groups of cross-cutting issues, namely scale, climate change, non-climatic change, the need for systemic approaches, communication and participation, international and inter-basin coordination and collaboration, and the implementation of the Water Framework Directive. The integration methodology enabled an assessment of how AT key findings meet stakeholders' demands, and for each main RBM issue and for each specific question, described the added-value of the AT project in terms of knowledge and tools generated, key parameters to consider, and recommendations that can be made to stakeholders and the wider scientific community. Added value and limitations of the integration methodology and its outcomes are discussed and recommendations are provided to further improve integration methodology and bridge the gaps between scientific research data and their potential uptake by end-users.

Methodological issues in developing a community forestry greenhouse gas emissions mitigation project in Mancherial forest division of Andhra Pradesh, India

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murthy, I.K.; Hegde, G.T.; Sudha, P.; Ravindranath, N.H.

2006-01-01

There are several contentious issues related to forestry mitigation projects. The special report of the IPCC and literature published so far have shown that permanence, leakage, baseline establishment, measurement, monitoring, etc., could be addressed satisfactorily using existing scientific methods and accounting rules. To understand the methodological issues of developing community forestry projects, a case study was conducted in Mancherial forest division of Adilabad district in Andhra Pradesh, India. This paper addresses: the setting of project boundaries, baseline selection, establishment of additionality and the calculation of carbon sequestration as a result of the project, prior to project implementation. The steps involved in development of the project and the different methods used for establishing baseline, estimating leakage and transaction cost of developing a community forestry project are presented. The stock is projected to increase by 1480 x 10 3 t C during 2000-2012 over the baseline scenario under the modeling approach and the cost of establishing a baseline and project formulation for a project extending over 32,956 ha is estimated to be US$ 1.25 ha -1 and US$ 4 t C -1

Advances in primate stable isotope ecology-Achievements and future prospects.

Science.gov (United States)

Crowley, Brooke E; Reitsema, Laurie J; Oelze, Vicky M; Sponheimer, Matt

2016-10-01

Stable isotope biogeochemistry has been used to investigate foraging ecology in non-human primates for nearly 30 years. Whereas early studies focused on diet, more recently, isotopic analysis has been used to address a diversity of ecological questions ranging from niche partitioning to nutritional status to variability in life history traits. With this increasing array of applications, stable isotope analysis stands to make major contributions to our understanding of primate behavior and biology. Most notably, isotopic data provide novel insights into primate feeding behaviors that may not otherwise be detectable. This special issue brings together some of the recent advances in this relatively new field. In this introduction to the special issue, we review the state of isotopic applications in primatology and its origins and describe some developing methodological issues, including techniques for analyzing different tissue types, statistical approaches, and isotopic baselines. We then discuss the future directions we envision for the field of primate isotope ecology. Am. J. Primatol. 78:995-1003, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optimized planning methodologies of ASON implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Michael M.; Tamil, Lakshman S.

2005-02-01

Advanced network planning concerns effective network-resource allocation for dynamic and open business environment. Planning methodologies of ASON implementation based on qualitative analysis and mathematical modeling are presented in this paper. The methodology includes method of rationalizing technology and architecture, building network and nodal models, and developing dynamic programming for multi-period deployment. The multi-layered nodal architecture proposed here can accommodate various nodal configurations for a multi-plane optical network and the network modeling presented here computes the required network elements for optimizing resource allocation.

Advanced structural equation modeling issues and techniques

CERN Document Server

Marcoulides, George A

2013-01-01

By focusing primarily on the application of structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques in example cases and situations, this book provides an understanding and working knowledge of advanced SEM techniques with a minimum of mathematical derivations. The book was written for a broad audience crossing many disciplines, assumes an understanding of graduate level multivariate statistics, including an introduction to SEM.

Methodological issues in analyzing human communication – the complexities of multimodality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Høegh, Tina

2017-01-01

This chapter develops a multimodal method for transcribing speech, communication, and performance. The chapter discusses the methodological solutions to the complex translation of speech, language rhythm and gesture in time and space into the two-dimensional format of a piece of paper. The focus...

Methodological Guidelines for Advertising Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rossiter, John R.; Percy, Larry

2017-01-01

In this article, highly experienced advertising academics and advertising research consultants John R. Rossiter and Larry Percy present and discuss what they believe to be the seven most important methodological guidelines that need to be implemented to improve the practice of advertising research....... Their focus is on methodology, defined as first choosing a suitable theoretical framework to guide the research study and then identifying the advertising responses that need to be studied. Measurement of those responses is covered elsewhere in this special issue in the article by Bergkvist and Langner. Most...

Recent case studies and advancements in probabilistic risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garrick, B.J.

1985-01-01

During the period from 1977 to 1984, Pickard, Lowe and Garrick, Inc., had the lead in preparing several full scope probabilistic risk assessments for electric utilities. Five of those studies are discussed from the point of view of advancements and lessons learned. The objective and trend of these studies is toward utilization of the risk models by the plant owners as risk management tools. Advancements that have been made are in presentation ad documentation of the PRAs, generation of more understandable plant level information, and improvements in methodology to facilitate technology transfer. Specific areas of advancement are in the treatment of such issues as dependent failures, human interaction, and the uncertainty in the source term. Lessons learned cover a wide spectrum and include the importance of plant specific models for meaningful risk management, the role of external events in risk, the sensitivity of contributors to choice of risk index, and the very important finding that the public risk is extremely small. The future direction of PRA is to establish less dependence on experts for in-plant application. Computerizing the PRAs such that they can be accessed on line and interactively is the key

Research Methodology in Recurrent Pregnancy Loss

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Ole B

2014-01-01

The aim of this article is to highlight pitfalls in research methodology that may explain why studies in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) often provide very divergent results. It is hoped that insight into this issue may help clinicians decide which published studies are the most valid. It may help...... researchers to eliminate methodological flaws in future studies, which may hopefully come to some kind of agreement about the usefulness of diagnostic tests and treatments in RPL....

Managing complex, high risk projects a guide to basic and advanced project management

CERN Document Server

Marle, Franck

2016-01-01

Maximizing reader insights into project management and handling complexity-driven risks, this book explores propagation effects, non-linear consequences, loops, and the emergence of positive properties that may occur over the course of a project. This book presents an introduction to project management and analysis of traditional project management approaches and their limits regarding complexity. It also includes overviews of recent research works about project complexity modelling and management as well as project complexity-driven issues. Moreover, the authors propose their own new approaches, new methodologies and new tools which may be used by project managers and/or researchers and/or students in the management of their projects. These new elements include project complexity definitions and frameworks, multi-criteria approaches for project complexity measurement, advanced methodologies for project management (propagation studies to anticipate potential behaviour of the project, and clustering approaches...

Qualitative and quantitative research in Sociolinguistics: methodological dadaism?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Rodrigues Cardoso

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The confluence between quantitative and qualitative research in Sociolinguistics is a methodological Dadaism? The issue here is not epistemology, because I assume that the Sociolinguistics studies the language linked to social. I want to demonstrate that the methodological approach depends on the research question, ie, the subject about which a thesis is developed.

Methodological issues in protein and lipidic expressions in brain tissue exposed to Co{sup 60} based on DESI/MALDI-MS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Soares, Matheus F.; Campos, Tarcísio P.R.; Augusti, Rodinei, E-mail: matheus.soares@gmail.com, E-mail: tprcampos@pq.cnpq.br, E-mail: augusti.rodinei@gmail.com, E-mail: augusti@ufmg.br [Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte (Brazil); Eberlin, Marcos N.; Vendramini, Pedro H., E-mail: eberlin@iqm.unicamp.br, E-mail: ph_vendramini@yahoo.com.br [Universidade de Campinas (UNICAMP), SP (Brazil). Thompson Mass Spectroscopy Laboratory

2017-07-01

The present paper attempts to present some issues in the methodology of identifying lipid and protein changes in brain tissue induced by radiation. The goal was to address the analysis of the methodology and to investigate the feasibility of the generation of lipid/protein profiles of irradiated brain tissue, in order to identify radioinduced changes. Lipids and proteins are biomolecules with diverse structures and functionalities that participate in important intracellular processes. Changes in the lipid and the tissue protein profiles may indicate a cellular response to an external stimulus as well as the emergence of neoplasms or neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. DESI-MS is a convenient method for identifying lipids and their spatial distribution in tissue beyond analytical quantification. DESI-MS allows the creation of an image of several low lipid m/z classes. MALDI-MS has already been a method used in the study of macromolecules as structural, membrane, hormone, neuromediator and immunological peptides. Through a full-scan matrix scan, with a m/z spectrum between 500-1000 for lipids and with a mass spectrum of 1000-15000 Da for proteins, the molecular profile can be analyzed. Generated pixel shape 2D chemical image. The produced image allows to associate the tissue distribution of the lipids and proteins with their chemical profile identified, allowing the verification of the changes radioinduced. Radiation triggers intense oxidative stress by increasing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and free radicals, causing DNA damage with consequent alterations in proteomics and cellular lipid explaining such changes in the lipid and protein expressions. The cellular morphophysiological changes are responsible for both the clonogenic inhibition and the induction of the apoptotic process. The images's production was directly dependent on the rigorous execution of the methodological procedures. Innumerable interferences could impair the image

(Per)Forming Archival Research Methodologies

Science.gov (United States)

Gaillet, Lynee Lewis

2012-01-01

This article raises multiple issues associated with archival research methodologies and methods. Based on a survey of recent scholarship and interviews with experienced archival researchers, this overview of the current status of archival research both complicates traditional conceptions of archival investigation and encourages scholars to adopt…

Issues affecting advanced passive light-water reactor safety analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beelman, R.J.; Fletcher, C.D.; Modro, S.M.

1992-01-01

Next generation commercial reactor designs emphasize enhanced safety through improved safety system reliability and performance by means of system simplification and reliance on immutable natural forces for system operation. Simulating the performance of these safety systems will be central to analytical safety evaluation of advanced passive reactor designs. Yet the characteristically small driving forces of these safety systems pose challenging computational problems to current thermal-hydraulic systems analysis codes. Additionally, the safety systems generally interact closely with one another, requiring accurate, integrated simulation of the nuclear steam supply system, engineered safeguards and containment. Furthermore, numerical safety analysis of these advanced passive reactor designs wig necessitate simulation of long-duration, slowly-developing transients compared with current reactor designs. The composite effects of small computational inaccuracies on induced system interactions and perturbations over long periods may well lead to predicted results which are significantly different than would otherwise be expected or might actually occur. Comparisons between the engineered safety features of competing US advanced light water reactor designs and analogous present day reactor designs are examined relative to the adequacy of existing thermal-hydraulic safety codes in predicting the mechanisms of passive safety. Areas where existing codes might require modification, extension or assessment relative to passive safety designs are identified. Conclusions concerning the applicability of these codes to advanced passive light water reactor safety analysis are presented

Advanced compiler design and implementation

CERN Document Server

Muchnick, Steven S

1997-01-01

From the Foreword by Susan L. Graham: This book takes on the challenges of contemporary languages and architectures, and prepares the reader for the new compiling problems that will inevitably arise in the future. The definitive book on advanced compiler design This comprehensive, up-to-date work examines advanced issues in the design and implementation of compilers for modern processors. Written for professionals and graduate students, the book guides readers in designing and implementing efficient structures for highly optimizing compilers for real-world languages. Covering advanced issues in fundamental areas of compiler design, this book discusses a wide array of possible code optimizations, determining the relative importance of optimizations, and selecting the most effective methods of implementation. * Lays the foundation for understanding the major issues of advanced compiler design * Treats optimization in-depth * Uses four case studies of commercial compiling suites to illustrate different approache...

Intelligence for embedded systems a methodological approach

CERN Document Server

Alippi, Cesare

2014-01-01

Addressing current issues of which any engineer or computer scientist should be aware, this monograph is a response to the need to adopt a new computational paradigm as the methodological basis for designing pervasive embedded systems with sensor capabilities. The requirements of this paradigm are to control complexity, to limit cost and energy consumption, and to provide adaptation and cognition abilities allowing the embedded system to interact proactively with the real world. The quest for such intelligence requires the formalization of a new generation of intelligent systems able to exploit advances in digital architectures and in sensing technologies. The book sheds light on the theory behind intelligence for embedded systems with specific focus on: ·        robustness (the robustness of a computational flow and its evaluation); ·        intelligence (how to mimic the adaptation and cognition abilities of the human brain), ·        the capacity to learn in non-stationary and evolv...

Arctic development and historical analysis: the use of historical methodology in addressing current issues in the Arctic.

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas, Vasiliki Kravariotis

2008-06-01

To demonstrate the applicability of historical methodology to current issues in the Canadian Arctic. This is a literature-based analytical historical study, which draws on material from database searches of MEDLINE, Anthropology Plus, POLARInfo, the Arctic Blue Books and Historical Abstracts. Material was also obtained from physical searches of the University of Alberta Libraries and Library and Archives Canada collections, as well as from field research in the records of the Inuulitsivik Maternities. The historical technique of tracing epistemological change over time, pioneered by Michel Foucault and further developed by Ian Hacking, was applied to the history of Canadian authority in the Arctic. This was linked with epistemological changes occurring throughout Western/Southern culture in this period. The applicability of this historical analysis for current issues in the region was then evaluated. An epistemological shift in Western society has moved authority from traditional human actors in government, medicine and, increasingly, science to statistics, which is seen as both impartial and accurate. Human authorities now routinely appeal to statistical authority to validate policy decisions. This change is as apparent in the Arctic as elsewhere, but it has also opened a space for Inuit practices, rooted in traditional Inuit epistemology, to reassert themselves, provided they can satisfy demands for statistical validity. Historical analysis provides a means to identify the spaces which epistemological change and historical contingency have opened in which social and cultural change can occur.

Parkinson's Disease: The Newest Advances

Science.gov (United States)

Skip Navigation Bar Home Current Issue Past Issues Parkinson's Disease: The Newest Advances Past Issues / Summer 2006 ... Landis What are the risk factors for developing Parkinson's? The clearest risk factor is age. In addition, ...

Tourism Methodologies - New Perspectives, Practices and Procedures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This volume offers methodological discussions within the multidisciplinary field of tourism and shows how tourism researchers develop and apply new tourism methodologies. The book is presented as an anthology, giving voice to many diverse researchers who reflect on tourism methodology in differen...... codings and analysis, and tapping into the global network of social media.......This volume offers methodological discussions within the multidisciplinary field of tourism and shows how tourism researchers develop and apply new tourism methodologies. The book is presented as an anthology, giving voice to many diverse researchers who reflect on tourism methodology in different...... in interview and field work situations, and how do we engage with the performative aspects of tourism as a field of study? The book acknowledges that research is also performance and that it constitutes an aspect of intervention in the situations and contexts it is trying to explore. This is an issue dealt...

Medicine and the humanities--theoretical and methodological issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Puustinen, Raimo; Leiman, M; Viljanen, A M

2003-12-01

Engel's biopsychosocial model, Cassell's promotion of the concept "person" in medical thinking and Pellegrino's and Thomasma's philosophy of medicine are attempts to widen current biomedical theory of disease and to approach medicine as a form of human activity in pursuit of healing. To develop this approach further we would like to propose activity theory as a possible means for understanding the nature of medical practice. By "activity theory" we refer to developments which have evolved from Vygotsky's research on socially mediated mental functions and processes. Analysing medicine as activity enforces the joint consideration of target and subject: who is doing what to whom. This requires the use of historical, linguistic, anthropological, and semiotic tools. Therefore, if we analyse medicine as an activity, humanities are both theoretically and methodologically "inbound" (or internal) to the analysis itself. On the other hand, literature studies or anthropological writings provide material for analysing the various forms of medical practices.

Issues and advances in research methods on video games and cognitive abilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Sobczyk, Bart; Dobrowolski, Paweł; Skorko, Maciek; Michalak, Jakub; Brzezicka, Aneta

2015-01-01

The impact of video game playing on cognitive abilities has been the focus of numerous studies over the last 10 years. Some cross-sectional comparisons indicate the cognitive advantages of video game players (VGPs) over non-players (NVGPs) and the benefits of video game trainings, while others fail to replicate these findings. Though there is an ongoing discussion over methodological practices and their impact on observable effects, some elementary issues, such as the representativeness of recruited VGP groups and lack of genre differentiation have not yet been widely addressed. In this article we present objective and declarative gameplay time data gathered from large samples in order to illustrate how playtime is distributed over VGP populations. The implications of this data are then discussed in the context of previous studies in the field. We also argue in favor of differentiating video games based on their genre when recruiting study samples, as this form of classification reflects the core mechanics that they utilize and therefore provides a measure of insight into what cognitive functions are likely to be engaged most. Additionally, we present the Covert Video Game Experience Questionnaire as an example of how this sort of classification can be applied during the recruitment process.

Issues and Advances in Research Methods on Video Games and Cognitive Abilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bart eSobczyk

2015-09-01

Full Text Available The impact of video game playing on cognitive abilities has been the focus of numerous studies over the last 10 years. Some cross-sectional comparisons indicate the cognitive advantages of video game players (VGPs over non-players (NVGPs and the benefits of video game trainings, while others fail to replicate these findings. Though there is an ongoing discussion over methodological practices and their impact on observable effects, some elementary issues, such as the representativeness of recruited VGP groups and lack of genre differentiation have not yet been widely addressed. In this article we present objective and declarative gameplay time data gathered from large samples in order to illustrate how playtime is distributed over VGP populations. The implications of this data are then discussed in the context of previous studies in the field. We also argue in favor of differentiating video games based on their genre when recruiting study samples, as this form of classification reflects the core mechanics that they utilize and therefore provides a measure of insight into what cognitive functions are likely to be engaged most. Additionally, we present the Covert Video Game Experience Questionnaire as an example of how this sort of classification can be applied during the recruitment process.

Notes on a methodological discussion: autobiography, critique and time

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gunvor Løkken

2010-06-01

Full Text Available After having tried for some time to overview the contemporary field of qualitative research to give a lecture for a professorship in that area, my idea at the outset of writing this article was to address whether changes in qualitative research should be viewed as recurrent revolutions as highlighted by Denzin and Lincoln (2000; 2005, or as a field of continuing key themes and long-standing tensions, as conceptualized by Atkinson, Coffey and Delamont (2003. However, during my writing, after one detour into the May 2009 issue of Current Sociology and a second detour into the July 2009 issue of Qualitative Research, my attention focused on to how critical debate and review are displayed in different methodological positions of qualitative research. In my reading, the discussion in Current Sociology between main stream and postmodern methodological positioning revealed an utterly one-way feminist critique; this was also the case in one of three book reviews of The Handbook of Qualitative Research (Denzin and Lincoln, 2005 in the referred issue of Qualitative Research. My puzzle over this critical stance, and my third detour, into Yvonne Lincoln’s discussion of twenty-five years of qualitative and new paradigm research in the January 2010 Issue of Qualitative Inquiry, helped evolve the following notes on a methodological discussion. The notes are partly structured by a temporal narrative over personally lived qualitative research, and partly by an epistemological narrative of a methodological discussion, interwoven with the passing of time when writing.

New understanding of rhizosphere processes enabled by advances in molecular and spatially resolved techniques

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hess, Nancy J.; Paša-Tolić, Ljiljana; Bailey, Vanessa L.; Dohnalkova, Alice C.

2017-06-01

Understanding the role played by microorganisms within soil systems is challenged by the unique intersection of physics, chemistry, mineralogy and biology in fostering habitat for soil microbial communities. To address these challenges will require observations across multiple spatial and temporal scales to capture the dynamics and emergent behavior from complex and interdependent processes. The heterogeneity and complexity of the rhizosphere require advanced techniques that press the simultaneous frontiers of spatial resolution, analyte sensitivity and specificity, reproducibility, large dynamic range, and high throughput. Fortunately many exciting technical advancements are now available to inform and guide the development of new hypotheses. The aim of this Special issue is to provide a holistic view of the rhizosphere in the perspective of modern molecular biology methodologies that enabled a highly-focused, detailed view on the processes in the rhizosphere, including numerous, strong and complex interactions between plant roots, soil constituents and microorganisms. We discuss the current rhizosphere research challenges and knowledge gaps, as well as perspectives and approaches using newly available state-of-the-art toolboxes. These new approaches and methodologies allow the study of rhizosphere processes and properties, and rhizosphere as a central component of ecosystems and biogeochemical cycles.

Proliferation resistance and physical protection working group: methodology and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bari, Robert A.; Whitlock, Jeremy J.; Therios, Ike U.; Peterson, P.F.

2012-01-01

We summarize the technical progress and accomplishments on the evaluation methodology for proliferation resistance and physical protection (PR and PP) of Generation IV nuclear energy systems. We intend the results of the evaluations performed with the methodology for three types of users: system designers, program policy makers, and external stakeholders. The PR and PP Working Group developed the methodology through a series of demonstration and case studies. Over the past few years various national and international groups have applied the methodology to nuclear energy system designs as well as to developing approaches to advanced safeguards.

PROLIFERATION RESISTANCE AND PHYSICAL PROTECTION WORKING GROUP: METHODOLOGY AND APPLICATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bari R. A.; Whitlock, J.; Therios, I.U.; Peterson, P.F.

2012-11-14

We summarize the technical progress and accomplishments on the evaluation methodology for proliferation resistance and physical protection (PR and PP) of Generation IV nuclear energy systems. We intend the results of the evaluations performed with the methodology for three types of users: system designers, program policy makers, and external stakeholders. The PR and PP Working Group developed the methodology through a series of demonstration and case studies. Over the past few years various national and international groups have applied the methodology to nuclear energy system designs as well as to developing approaches to advanced safeguards.

External Validity in the Study of Human Development: Theoretical and Methodological Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Hultsch, David F.; Hickey, Tom

1978-01-01

An examination of the concept of external validity from two theoretical perspectives: a traditional mechanistic approach and a dialectical organismic approach. Examines the theoretical and methodological implications of these perspectives. (BD)

Common methodological flaws in economic evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Drummond, Michael; Sculpher, Mark

2005-07-01

Economic evaluations are increasingly being used by those bodies such as government agencies and managed care groups that make decisions about the reimbursement of health technologies. However, several reviews of economic evaluations point to numerous deficiencies in the methodology of studies or the failure to follow published methodological guidelines. This article, written for healthcare decision-makers and other users of economic evaluations, outlines the common methodological flaws in studies, focussing on those issues that are likely to be most important when deciding on the reimbursement, or guidance for use, of health technologies. The main flaws discussed are: (i) omission of important costs or benefits; (ii) inappropriate selection of alternatives for comparison; (iii) problems in making indirect comparisons; (iv) inadequate representation of the effectiveness data; (v) inappropriate extrapolation beyond the period observed in clinical studies; (vi) excessive use of assumptions rather than data; (vii) inadequate characterization of uncertainty; (viii) problems in aggregation of results; (ix) reporting of average cost-effectiveness ratios; (x) lack of consideration of generalizability issues; and (xi) selective reporting of findings. In each case examples are given from the literature and guidance is offered on how to detect flaws in economic evaluations.

Digital forensics issues in advanced metering infrastructure | Ibrahim ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Journal Home > Vol 10, No 6S (2018) > ... the architecture of telecommunications and energy infrastructure, along with Internet networks. Various ... A core component of the smart grid is advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), in which a utility ...

Ethical issues in cancer screening and prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Plutynski, Anya

2012-06-01

November 2009's announcement of the USPSTF's recommendations for screening for breast cancer raised a firestorm of objections. Chief among them were that the panel had insufficiently valued patients' lives or allowed cost considerations to influence recommendations. The publicity about the recommendations, however, often either simplified the actual content of the recommendations or bypassed significant methodological issues, which a philosophical examination of both the science behind screening recommendations and their import reveals. In this article, I discuss two of the leading ethical considerations at issue in screening recommendations: respect for patient autonomy and beneficence and then turn to the most significant methodological issues raised by cancer screening: the potential biases that may infect a trial of screening effectiveness, the problem of base rates in communicating risk, and the trade-offs involved in a judgment of screening effectiveness. These issues reach more broadly, into the use of "evidence-based" medicine generally, and have important implications for informed consent.

Proceedings of the 3rd Biennial Conference of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration (SIRC) 2015: advancing efficient methodologies through community partnerships and team science

OpenAIRE

Lewis, Cara; Darnell, Doyanne; Kerns, Suzanne; Monroe-DeVita, Maria; Landes, Sara J.; Lyon, Aaron R.; Stanick, Cameo; Dorsey, Shannon; Locke, Jill; Marriott, Brigid; Puspitasari, Ajeng; Dorsey, Caitlin; Hendricks, Karin; Pierson, Andria; Fizur, Phil

2016-01-01

Table of contents Introduction to the 3rd Biennial Conference of the Society for Implementation Research Collaboration: advancing efficient methodologies through team science and community partnerships Cara Lewis, Doyanne Darnell, Suzanne Kerns, Maria Monroe-DeVita, Sara J. Landes, Aaron R. Lyon, Cameo Stanick, Shannon Dorsey, Jill Locke, Brigid Marriott, Ajeng Puspitasari, Caitlin Dorsey, Karin Hendricks, Andria Pierson, Phil Fizur, Katherine A. Comtois A1: A behavioral economic perspective ...

Vulnerability or Sensitivity to the Environment? Methodological Issues, Trends, and Recommendations in Gene–Environment Interactions Research in Human Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Caroline Leighton

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Research on the potential role of gene–environment interactions (GxE in explaining vulnerability to psychopathology in humans has witnessed a shift from a diathesis-stress perspective to differential susceptibility approaches. This paper critically reviews methodological issues and trends in this body of research. Databases were screened for studies of GxE in the prediction of personality traits, behavior, and mental health disorders in humans published between January 2002 and January 2015. In total, 315 papers were included. Results showed that 34 candidate genes have been included in GxE studies. Independent of the type of environment studied (early or recent life events, positive or negative environments, about 67–83% of studies have reported significant GxE interactions, which is consistent with a social susceptibility model. The percentage of positive results does not seem to differ depending on the gene studied, although publication bias might be involved. However, the number of positive findings differs depending on the population studied (i.e., young adults vs. older adults. Methodological considerations limit the ability to draw strong conclusions, particularly as almost 90% (n = 283/315 of published papers are based on samples from North America and Europe, and about 70% of published studies (219/315 are based on samples that were also used in other reports. At the same time, there are clear indications of methodological improvements over time, as is shown by a significant increase in longitudinal and experimental studies as well as in improved minimum genotyping. Recommendations for future research, such as minimum quality assessment of genes and environmental factors, specifying theoretical models guiding the study, and taking into account of cultural, ethnic, and lifetime perspectives, are formulated.

Results of the Workshop on Two-Phase Flow, Fluid Stability and Dynamics: Issues in Power, Propulsion, and Advanced Life Support Systems

Science.gov (United States)

McQuillen, John; Rame, Enrique; Kassemi, Mohammad; Singh, Bhim; Motil, Brian

2003-01-01

The Two-phase Flow, Fluid Stability and Dynamics Workshop was held on May 15, 2003 in Cleveland, Ohio to define a coherent scientific research plan and roadmap that addresses the multiphase fluid problems associated with NASA s technology development program. The workshop participants, from academia, industry and government, prioritized various multiphase issues and generated a research plan and roadmap to resolve them. This report presents a prioritization of the various multiphase flow and fluid stability phenomena related primarily to power, propulsion, fluid and thermal management and advanced life support; and a plan to address these issues in a logical and timely fashion using analysis, ground-based and space-flight experiments.

Cost/Benefit Prioritization for Advanced Safeguards Research and Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeMuth, S.F.; Adeli, R.; Thomas, K.E.

2008-01-01

A system level study utilizing commercially available Extend TM software, has been initiated to perform cost/benefit analyses for advanced safeguards research and development. The methodology is focused on estimating standard error in the inventory difference (SEID) for reprocessing and fuel fabrication facilities, for various proposed advanced safeguards measurement technologies. The inventory duration, and consequent number of inventories per year, is dictated by the detection of a significant quantity of special nuclear material (SNM). Detection is limited by the cumulative measurement uncertainty for the entire system. The cost of inventories is then compared with the cost of advanced instrumentation and/or process design changes. Current progress includes development of the methodology, future efforts will be focused on ascertaining estimated costs and performance. Case studies will be provided as examples of the methodology. (author)

Exploring How Globalization Shapes Education: Methodology and Theoretical Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Su-Yan

2010-01-01

This is a commentary on some major issues raised in Carter and Dediwalage's "Globalisation and science education: The case of "Sustainability by the bay"" (this issue), particularly their methodology and theoretical framework for understanding how globalisation shapes education (including science education). While acknowledging the authors'…

Methodological Problems on the Way to Integrative Human Neuroscience.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotchoubey, Boris; Tretter, Felix; Braun, Hans A; Buchheim, Thomas; Draguhn, Andreas; Fuchs, Thomas; Hasler, Felix; Hastedt, Heiner; Hinterberger, Thilo; Northoff, Georg; Rentschler, Ingo; Schleim, Stephan; Sellmaier, Stephan; Tebartz Van Elst, Ludger; Tschacher, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary effort to understand the structures and functions of the brain and brain-mind relations. This effort results in an increasing amount of data, generated by sophisticated technologies. However, these data enhance our descriptive knowledge , rather than improve our understanding of brain functions. This is caused by methodological gaps both within and between subdisciplines constituting neuroscience, and the atomistic approach that limits the study of macro- and mesoscopic issues. Whole-brain measurement technologies do not resolve these issues, but rather aggravate them by the complexity problem. The present article is devoted to methodological and epistemic problems that obstruct the development of human neuroscience. We neither discuss ontological questions (e.g., the nature of the mind) nor review data, except when it is necessary to demonstrate a methodological issue. As regards intradisciplinary methodological problems, we concentrate on those within neurobiology (e.g., the gap between electrical and chemical approaches to neurophysiological processes) and psychology (missing theoretical concepts). As regards interdisciplinary problems, we suggest that core disciplines of neuroscience can be integrated using systemic concepts that also entail human-environment relations. We emphasize the necessity of a meta-discussion that should entail a closer cooperation with philosophy as a discipline of systematic reflection. The atomistic reduction should be complemented by the explicit consideration of the embodiedness of the brain and the embeddedness of humans. The discussion is aimed at the development of an explicit methodology of integrative human neuroscience , which will not only link different fields and levels, but also help in understanding clinical phenomena.

Methodological Problems on the Way to Integrative Human Neuroscience

Science.gov (United States)

Kotchoubey, Boris; Tretter, Felix; Braun, Hans A.; Buchheim, Thomas; Draguhn, Andreas; Fuchs, Thomas; Hasler, Felix; Hastedt, Heiner; Hinterberger, Thilo; Northoff, Georg; Rentschler, Ingo; Schleim, Stephan; Sellmaier, Stephan; Tebartz Van Elst, Ludger; Tschacher, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Neuroscience is a multidisciplinary effort to understand the structures and functions of the brain and brain-mind relations. This effort results in an increasing amount of data, generated by sophisticated technologies. However, these data enhance our descriptive knowledge, rather than improve our understanding of brain functions. This is caused by methodological gaps both within and between subdisciplines constituting neuroscience, and the atomistic approach that limits the study of macro- and mesoscopic issues. Whole-brain measurement technologies do not resolve these issues, but rather aggravate them by the complexity problem. The present article is devoted to methodological and epistemic problems that obstruct the development of human neuroscience. We neither discuss ontological questions (e.g., the nature of the mind) nor review data, except when it is necessary to demonstrate a methodological issue. As regards intradisciplinary methodological problems, we concentrate on those within neurobiology (e.g., the gap between electrical and chemical approaches to neurophysiological processes) and psychology (missing theoretical concepts). As regards interdisciplinary problems, we suggest that core disciplines of neuroscience can be integrated using systemic concepts that also entail human-environment relations. We emphasize the necessity of a meta-discussion that should entail a closer cooperation with philosophy as a discipline of systematic reflection. The atomistic reduction should be complemented by the explicit consideration of the embodiedness of the brain and the embeddedness of humans. The discussion is aimed at the development of an explicit methodology of integrative human neuroscience, which will not only link different fields and levels, but also help in understanding clinical phenomena. PMID:27965548

Research methodology in recurrent pregnancy loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Christiansen, Ole B

2014-03-01

The aim of this article is to highlight pitfalls in research methodology that may explain why studies in recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL) often provide very divergent results. It is hoped that insight into this issue may help clinicians decide which published studies are the most valid. It may help researchers to eliminate methodological flaws in future studies, which may hopefully come to some kind of agreement about the usefulness of diagnostic tests and treatments in RPL. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Methodological and operational notes for the assessment and management of the risk of work-related stress].

Science.gov (United States)

De Ambrogi, Francesco; Ratti, Elisabetta Ceppi

2011-01-01

Today the Italian national debate over the Work-Related Stress Risk Assessment methodology is rather heated. Several methodological proposals and guidelines have been published in recent months, not least those by the "Commissione Consultiva". But despite this wide range of proposals, it appears that there is still a lack of attention to some of the basic methodological issues that must be taken into account in order to correctly implement the above-mentioned guidelines. The aim of this paper is to outline these methodological issues. In order to achieve this, the most authoritative methodological proposals and guidelines have been reviewed. The study focuses in particular on the methodological issues that could lead to important biases if not considered properly. The study leads to some considerations about the methodological validity of a Work-Related Stress Risk Assessment based exclusively on the literal interpretation of the considered proposals. Furthermore, the study provides some hints and working hypotheses on how to overcome these methodological limits. This study should be considered as a starting point for further investigations and debate on the Work-Related Stress Risk Assessment methodology on a national level.

An Improved Methodology to Overcome Key Issues in Human Fecal Metagenomic DNA Extraction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jitendra Kumar

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Microbes are ubiquitously distributed in nature, and recent culture-independent studies have highlighted the significance of gut microbiota in human health and disease. Fecal DNA is the primary source for the majority of human gut microbiome studies. However, further improvement is needed to obtain fecal metagenomic DNA with sufficient amount and good quality but low host genomic DNA contamination. In the current study, we demonstrate a quick, robust, unbiased, and cost-effective method for the isolation of high molecular weight (>23 kb metagenomic DNA (260/280 ratio >1.8 with a good yield (55.8 ± 3.8 ng/mg of feces. We also confirm that there is very low human genomic DNA contamination (eubacterial: human genomic DNA marker genes = 227.9:1 in the human feces. The newly-developed method robustly performs for fresh as well as stored fecal samples as demonstrated by 16S rRNA gene sequencing using 454 FLX+. Moreover, 16S rRNA gene analysis indicated that compared to other DNA extraction methods tested, the fecal metagenomic DNA isolated with current methodology retains species richness and does not show microbial diversity biases, which is further confirmed by qPCR with a known quantity of spike-in genomes. Overall, our data highlight a protocol with a balance between quality, amount, user-friendliness, and cost effectiveness for its suitability toward usage for culture-independent analysis of the human gut microbiome, which provides a robust solution to overcome key issues associated with fecal metagenomic DNA isolation in human gut microbiome studies.

A systematic review of methodology applied during preclinical anesthetic neurotoxicity studies: important issues and lessons relevant to the design of future clinical research.

Science.gov (United States)

Disma, Nicola; Mondardini, Maria C; Terrando, Niccolò; Absalom, Anthony R; Bilotta, Federico

2016-01-01

Preclinical evidence suggests that anesthetic agents harm the developing brain thereby causing long-term neurocognitive impairments. It is not clear if these findings apply to humans, and retrospective epidemiological studies thus far have failed to show definitive evidence that anesthetic agents are harmful to the developing human brain. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the preclinical studies published over the past decade, with a focus on methodological issues, to facilitate the comparison between different preclinical studies and inform better design of future trials. The literature search identified 941 articles related to the topic of neurotoxicity. As the primary aim of this systematic review was to compare methodologies applied in animal studies to inform future trials, we excluded a priori all articles focused on putative mechanism of neurotoxicity and the neuroprotective agents. Forty-seven preclinical studies were finally included in this review. Methods used in these studies were highly heterogeneous-animals were exposed to anesthetic agents at different developmental stages, in various doses and in various combinations with other drugs, and overall showed diverse toxicity profiles. Physiological monitoring and maintenance of physiological homeostasis was variable and the use of cognitive tests was generally limited to assessment of specific brain areas, with restricted translational relevance to humans. Comparison between studies is thus complicated by this heterogeneous methodology and the relevance of the combined body of literature to humans remains uncertain. Future preclinical studies should use better standardized methodologies to facilitate transferability of findings from preclinical into clinical science. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Design-based research – issues in connecting theory, research and practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kolmos, Anette

2015-01-01

the gap. But is this as easy as it sounds? The purpose of the article is to identify and discuss issues involved in applying DBR. The article is based on methodology chapters and essays from three PhD studies applying the DBR framework to implement problem and project based learning (PBL). The findings......During the last 20 years, design-based research (DBR) has become a popular methodology for connecting educational theory, research and practice. The missing link between educational theory, research and educational practice is an ongoing issue and DBR is seen as an integrated methodology to bridge...... indicate several key issues at both the scientific and personal level. Scientifically, the main issues are contribution to theory and the role of the researcher. At the personal level, it is an investment beyond normal research procedures to involve yourself as a researcher in curriculum change....

The methodological defense of realism scrutinized.

Science.gov (United States)

Wray, K Brad

2015-12-01

I revisit an older defense of scientific realism, the methodological defense, a defense developed by both Popper and Feyerabend. The methodological defense of realism concerns the attitude of scientists, not philosophers of science. The methodological defense is as follows: a commitment to realism leads scientists to pursue the truth, which in turn is apt to put them in a better position to get at the truth. In contrast, anti-realists lack the tenacity required to develop a theory to its fullest. As a consequence, they are less likely to get at the truth. My aim is to show that the methodological defense is flawed. I argue that a commitment to realism does not always benefit science, and that there is reason to believe that a research community with both realists and anti-realists in it may be better suited to advancing science. A case study of the Copernican Revolution in astronomy supports this claim. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Proceedings of the 2008 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants - ICAPP '08

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2008-01-01

-service inspection, and codes and standards. 5. Plant Safety Assessment and Regulatory Issues: Transient and accident performance including LOCA and non-LOCA, severe accident analysis, impact of risk informed changes, accident management; Advances in regulatory issues for operating and future plants, life assessment and management of aging, degradation and damage extension lessons from plant operations, probabilistic safety assessment and reliability engineering, new methodologies for plant safety analysis. 6. Thermal Hydraulics Analysis and Testing: Phenomena identification and ranking, computer code scaling applicability and uncertainty, containment thermal hydraulics, component and integral system tests, improved code development and qualification, single and two phase flow; advanced computational thermal hydraulic methods. 7. Fuel Cycle and Waste Management: TRU separation processes, fuel and target design for transmutation, transmutation performances, scenarios for P and T deployment, review of national programs on P and T, impact of P and T on waste minimization, advanced reprocessing processes and technologies, nuclear material recycling technologies, modeling of processes, back end fuel cycle options, uranium and plutonium management issues, waste conditioning storage and disposal, thorium cycle, fully integrated fuel cycle and symbiotic nuclear power systems, Accelerator Driven Systems. 8. Materials and Structural Issues: Fuel, core, reactor pressure vessel and internals structures: advanced materials issues, environmental effects and fracture mechanics - Concrete and steel containments design and analysis - Design and monitoring for seismic, dynamic and extreme accidents - Irradiation issues, materials and structural mechanics issues, codes and standards for new generation plants. 9. Nuclear Energy and Sustainability: Environmental impact of nuclear and alternative systems, spent fuel dispositions and transmutation systems, application of advanced designs to non

Joining of advanced materials

CERN Document Server

Messler, Robert W

1993-01-01

Provides an unusually complete and readable compilation of the primary and secondary options for joining conventional materials in non-conventional ways. Provides unique coverage of adhesive bonding using both organic and inorganic adhesives, cements and mortars. Focuses on materials issues without ignoring issues related to joint design, production processing, quality assurance, process economics, and joining performance in service.Joining of advanced materials is a unique treatment of joining of both conventional and advanced metals andalloys, intermetallics, ceramics, glasses, polymers, a

Health economic assessment: a methodological primer.

Science.gov (United States)

Simoens, Steven

2009-12-01

This review article aims to provide an introduction to the methodology of health economic assessment of a health technology. Attention is paid to defining the fundamental concepts and terms that are relevant to health economic assessments. The article describes the methodology underlying a cost study (identification, measurement and valuation of resource use, calculation of costs), an economic evaluation (type of economic evaluation, the cost-effectiveness plane, trial- and model-based economic evaluation, discounting, sensitivity analysis, incremental analysis), and a budget impact analysis. Key references are provided for those readers who wish a more advanced understanding of health economic assessments.

Health Economic Assessment: A Methodological Primer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven Simoens

2009-11-01

Full Text Available This review article aims to provide an introduction to the methodology of health economic assessment of a health technology. Attention is paid to defining the fundamental concepts and terms that are relevant to health economic assessments. The article describes the methodology underlying a cost study (identification, measurement and valuation of resource use, calculation of costs, an economic evaluation (type of economic evaluation, the cost-effectiveness plane, trial- and model-based economic evaluation, discounting, sensitivity analysis, incremental analysis, and a budget impact analysis. Key references are provided for those readers who wish a more advanced understanding of health economic assessments.

Investigating precipitation changes of anthropic origin: data and methodological issues

Science.gov (United States)

de Lima, Isabel; Lovejoy, Shaun

2017-04-01

There is much concern about the social, environmental and economic impacts of climate change that could result directly from changes in temperature and precipitation. For temperature, the situation is better understood; but despite the many studies that have been already dedicated to precipitation, change in this process - that could be associated to the transition to the Anthropocene - has not yet been convincingly proven. A large fraction of those studies have been exploring temporal (linear) trends in local precipitation, sometimes using records over only a few decades; other fewer studies have been dedicated to investigating global precipitation change. Overall, precipitation change of anthropic origin has showed to be difficult to establish with high statistical significance and, moreover, different data and products have displayed important discrepancies; this is valid even for global precipitation. We argue that the inadequate resolution and length of the data commonly used, as well as methodological issues, are among the main factors limiting the ability to identify the signature of change in precipitation. We propose several ways in which one can hope to improve the situation - or at least - clarify the difficulties. From the point of view of statistical analysis, the problem is one of detecting a low frequency anthropogenic signal in the presence of "noise" - the natural variability (the latter includes both internal dynamics and responses to volcanic, solar or other natural forcings). A consequence is that as one moves to longer and longer time scales, fluctuations are increasingly averaged and at some point, the anthropogenic signal will stand out above the natural variability noise. This approach can be systematized using scaling fluctuation analysis to characterizing different precipitation scaling regimes: weather, macroweather, climate - from higher to lower frequencies; in the anthropocene, the macroweather regime covers the range of time scales

Interaction between core analysis methodology and nuclear design: some PWR examples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothleder, B.M.; Eich, W.J.

1982-01-01

The interaction between core analysis methodology and nuclear design is exemplified by PSEUDAX, a major improvement related to the Advanced Recycle methodology program (ARMP) computer code system, still undergoing development by the Electric Power Research Institute. The mechanism of this interaction is explored by relating several specific nulcear design changes to the demands placed by these changes on the ARMP system, and by examining the meeting of these demands, first within the standard ARMP methodology and then through augmentation of the standard methodology by development of PSEUDAX

A three-dimensional methodology for the assessment of neutron damage and nuclear energy deposition in graphite components of advanced gas-cooled reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morgan, D.O.; Robinson, A.T.; Allen, D.A.; Picton, D.J.; Thornton, D.A. [TCS, Serco, Rutherford House, Olympus Park, Quedgeley, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL2 4NF (United Kingdom); Shaw, S.E. [EDF Energy, Barnet Way, Barnwood, Gloucester GL4 3RS (United Kingdom)

2011-07-01

This paper describes the development of a three-dimensional methodology for the assessment of neutron damage and nuclear energy deposition (or nuclear heating) throughout the graphite cores of the UK's Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors. Advances in the development of the Monte Carlo radiation transport code MCBEND have enabled the efficient production of detailed fully three-dimensional models that utilise three-dimensional source distributions obtained from Core Follow data supplied by the reactor physics code PANTHER. The calculational approach can be simplified to reduce both the requisite number of intensive radiation transport calculations, as well as the quantity of data output. These simplifications have been qualified by comparison with explicit calculations and they have been shown not to introduce significant systematic uncertainties. Simple calculational approaches are described that allow users of the data to address the effects on neutron damage and nuclear energy deposition predictions of the feedback resulting from the mutual dependencies of graphite weight loss and nuclear energy deposition. (authors)

A Methodological Critique of the Moynihan Report

Science.gov (United States)

Swan, L. Alex

1974-01-01

Analyzing Moynihan's findings, author argues that it is impossible, methodologically speaking, for Moynihan to draw valid and useful conclusions relative to the issues he raised from the data he presents in his report. (Author/RJ)

Selected Topics on Advanced Information Systems Engineering: Editorial Introduction to the Issue 5 of CSIMQ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janis Grabis

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The 5th issue of the journal on Complex Systems Informatics and Modeling (CSIMQ presents extended versions of five papers selected from the CAiSE Forum 2015. The forum was part of the 27th edition of international Conference on Advanced Information Systems engineering (CAiSE 2015, which took place in June 2015 in Stockholm, Sweden. Information systems engineering draws its foundation from various interrelated disciplines including, e.g., conceptual modeling, database systems, business process management, requirements engineering, human computer interaction, and enterprise computing to address various practical challenges in development and application of information systems. The guiding subjects of CAiSE 2015 were Creativity, Ability, and Integrity. The CAiSE Forum aimed at presenting and discussing new ideas and tools related to information systems Engineering.

Assessing importance and satisfaction judgments of intermodal work commuters with electronic survey methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-01

Recent advances in multivariate methodology provide an opportunity to further the assessment of service offerings in public transportation for work commuting. We offer methodologies that are alternative to direct rating scale and have advantages in t...

Comparative analysis of proliferation resistance assessment methodologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takaki, Naoyuki; Kikuchi, Masahiro; Inoue, Naoko; Osabe, Takeshi

2005-01-01

Comparative analysis of the methodologies was performed based on the discussions in the international workshop on 'Assessment Methodology of Proliferation Resistance for Future Nuclear Energy Systems' held in Tokyo, on March 2005. Through the workshop and succeeding considerations, it is clarified that the proliferation resistance assessment methodologies are affected by the broader nuclear options being pursued and also by the political situations of the state. Even the definition of proliferation resistance, despite the commonality of fundamental issues, derives from perceived threat and implementation circumstances inherent to the larger programs. Deep recognitions of the 'difference' among communities would help us to make further essential and progressed discussion with harmonization. (author)

Empirical Psycho-Aesthetics and Her Sisters: Substantive and Methodological Issues--Part II

Science.gov (United States)

Konecni, Vladimir J.

2013-01-01

Empirical psycho-aesthetics is approached in this two-part article from two directions. Part I, which appeared in the Winter 2012 issue of "JAE," addressed definitional and organizational issues, including the field's origins, its relation to "sister" disciplines (experimental philosophy, cognitive neuroscience of art, and neuroaesthetics), and…

Integral design concepts of advanced water cooled reactors. Proceedings of a technical committee meeting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-11-01

Under the sub-programme on non-electrical applications of advanced reactors, the International Atomic Energy Agency has been providing a worldwide forum for exchange of information on integral reactor concepts. Two Technical Committee meetings were held in 1994 and 1995 on the subject where state-of-the-art developments were presented. Efforts are continuing for the development of advanced nuclear reactors of both evolutionary and innovative design, for electricity, co-generation and heat applications. While single purpose reactors for electricity generation may require small and medium sizes under certain conditions, reactors for heat applications and co-generation would be necessary in the small and medium range and need to be located closer to the load centres. The integral design approach to the development of advanced light water reactors has received special attention over the past few years. Several designs are in the detailed design stage, some are under construction, one prototype is in operation. A need has been felt for guidance on a number of issues, ranging from design objectives to the assessment methodology needed to show how integral designs can meet these objectives, and also to identify their advantages and problem areas. The technical document addresses the current status of the design, safety and operational issues of integral reactors and recommends areas for future development

Conceptual issues of research methodology for the behavioural, life and social sciences

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mellenbergh, G.J.; Adèr, H.J.; Baird, D.; Berger, M.P.F.; Cornell, J.E.; Hagenaars, J.A.P.; Molenaar, P.C.M.

2003-01-01

Research methodology (RM) must be clearly separated from substantive fields, such as medicine, psychology, education, sociology and economics, and, on the other side, from the philosophy of science and statistics. RM starts from substantive research problems and uses statistical knowledge, but it

Proceedings of the international topical meeting on advanced reactors safety: Volume 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

In this volume, 89 papers are grouped under the following headings: advances in research/test reactor safety; advanced reactor accident management and emergency actions; advanced reactors instrumentation/controls/human factors; probabilistic risk/safety and reliability assessments; steam explosion research and issues; advanced reactor severe accident issues and research (analysis and assessments); advanced reactor thermal hydraulics; accelerator-driven source safety; liquid-metal reactor safety; structural assessments and issues; late papers

Advanced Control Engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Jianjun

1999-01-01

This book is developed as a textbook for the course Advanced Control Engineering. The book is intended for students in mechanical engineering and its aim is to provide an understanding of modern control theory as well as methodologies and applications for state space modeling and design...

Structural and piping issues in the design certification of advanced reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, S.A.; Terao, D.; Bagchi, G.

1996-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the design certification of structures and piping for evolutionary and passive advanced light water reactors. Advanced reactor designs are based on a set of assumed site-related parameters that are selected to envelop a majority of potential nuclear power plant sites. Multiple time histories are used as the seismic design basis in order to cover the majority of potential sites in the US. Additionally, design are established to ensure that surface motions at a particular site will not exceed the enveloped standard design surface motions. State-of-the-art soil-structure interaction (SSI) analyses have been performed for the advanced reactors, which include structure-to-structure interaction for all seismic Category 1 structures. Advanced technology has been utilized to exclude the dynamic effects of pipe rupture from structural design by demonstrating that the probability of pipe rupture is extremely low. For piping design, the advanced reactor vendors have developed design acceptance criteria (DAC) which provides the piping design analysis methods, design procedures, and acceptance criteria. In SECY-93-087 the NRC staff recommended that the Commission approve the approach to eliminate the OBE from the design of structures and piping in advanced reactors and provided guidance which identifies the necessary changes to existing seismic design criteria. The supplemental criteria address fatigue, seismic anchor motion, and piping stress limits when the OBE is eliminated

The promise of mixed-methods for advancing latino health research.

Science.gov (United States)

Apesoa-Varano, Ester Carolina; Hinton, Ladson

2013-09-01

Mixed-methods research in the social sciences has been conducted for quite some time. More recently, mixed-methods have become popular in health research, with the National Institutes of Health leading the impetus to fund studies that implement such an approach. The public health issues facing us today are great and they range from policy and other macro-level issues, to systems level problems to individuals' health behaviors. For Latinos, who are projected to become the largest minority group bearing a great deal of the burden of social inequality in the U.S., it is important to understand the deeply-rooted nature of these health disparities in order to close the gap in health outcomes. Mixed-methodology thus holds promise for advancing research on Latino heath by tackling health disparities from a variety of standpoints and approaches. The aim of this manuscript is to provide two examples of mixed methods research, each of which addresses a health topic of considerable importance to older Latinos and their families. These two examples will illustrate a) the complementary use of qualitative and quantitative methods to advance health of older Latinos in an area that is important from a public health perspective, and b) the "translation" of findings from observational studies (informed by social science and medicine) to the development and testing of interventions.

Environmental issues and wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitamura, Hisayoshi; Banba, Tsunetaka; Maeda, Toshikatsu; Ishiyama, Takashi

1999-08-01

All countries in the world are concerned about environmental issues because of their global effects. Developed industrial nations are also confronted with waste issues accompanied by mass production, mass consumption, and mass dump. We have reviewed books and reports to obtain a preliminary knowledge and to understand the trend of technology development before we start R and D for 'environmental monitoring, and environmental remediation and protection'. We lay great emphasis on municipal and industrial wastes in environmental issues and summarize the history of the earth, innovative environmental approaches in advanced nations, waste issues in Japan, and examples of technology development for environmental remediation and protection. (author)

Simple Response Surface Methodology: Investigation on Advance Photocatalytic Oxidation of 4-Chlorophenoxyacetic Acid Using UV-Active ZnO Photocatalyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kian Mun; Hamid, Sharifah Bee Abd

2015-01-19

The performance of advance photocatalytic degradation of 4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (4-CPA) strongly depends on photocatalyst dosage, initial concentration and initial pH. In the present study, a simple response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to investigate the interaction between these three independent factors. Thus, the photocatalytic degradation of 4-CPA in aqueous medium assisted by ultraviolet-active ZnO photocatalyst was systematically investigated. This study aims to determine the optimum processing parameters to maximize 4-CPA degradation. Based on the results obtained, it was found that a maximum of 91% of 4-CPA was successfully degraded under optimal conditions (0.02 g ZnO dosage, 20.00 mg/L of 4-CPA and pH 7.71). All the experimental data showed good agreement with the predicted results obtained from statistical analysis.

State debt dynamics: the methodological aspect

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Crijanovschi Stela

2013-02-01

Full Text Available In this article, it’s presented the methodological aspect of the state debt. The issue of supplementary money in order to cover the state debt is one of the factors that generate inflation, which respectively has a negative impact on the economic development

STATE DEBT DYNAMICS: THE METHODOLOGICAL ASPECT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stela CRIJANOVSCHI

2013-02-01

Full Text Available In this article, it’s presented the methodological aspect of the state debt. The issue of supplementary money in order to cover the state debt is one of the factors that generate inflation, which respectively has a negative impact on the economic development.

FOREWORD: Focus on Advanced Ceramics Focus on Advanced Ceramics

Science.gov (United States)

Ohashi, Naoki

2011-06-01

Much research has been devoted recently to developing technologies for renewable energy and improving the efficiency of the processes and devices used in industry and everyday life. Efficient solutions have been found using novel materials such as platinum and palladium-based catalysts for car exhaust systems, samarium-cobalt and neodymium-iron-boron permanent magnets for electrical motors, and so on. However, their realization has resulted in an increasing demand for rare elements and in their deficit, the development of new materials based on more abundant elements and new functionalities of traditional materials. Moreover, increasing environmental and health concerns demand substitution of toxic or hazardous substances with nature-friendly alternatives. In this context, this focus issue on advanced ceramics aims to review current trends in ceramics science and technology. It is related to the International Conference on Science and Technology of Advanced Ceramics (STAC) held annually to discuss the emerging issues in the field of ceramics. An important direction of ceramic science is the collaboration between experimental and theoretical sciences. Recent developments in density functional theory and computer technology have enabled the prediction of physical and chemical properties of ceramics, thereby assisting the design of new materials. Therefore, this focus issue includes articles devoted to theory and advanced characterization techniques. As mentioned above, the potential shortage of rare elements is becoming critical to the industry and has resulted in a Japanese government initiative called the 'Ubiquitous Element Strategy'. This focus issue also includes articles related to this strategy and to the associated topics of energy conversion, such as phosphors for high-efficiency lighting and photocatalysts for solar-energy harvesting. We hope that this focus issue will provide a timely overview of current trends and problems in ceramics science and

History and Advancements

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Home; Journals; Resonance – Journal of Science Education; Volume 15; Issue 9. Colour: History and Advancements. Vinod R Kanetkar. General Article Volume 15 Issue 9 September 2010 pp 794-803. Fulltext. Click here to view fulltext PDF. Permanent link: https://www.ias.ac.in/article/fulltext/reso/015/09/0794-0803 ...

Methodological challenges in retailer buying behaviour research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Tommy Holm; Skytte, Hans

This paper presents a review of studies on retailer buying behaviour with focus on the methodological issues. It is argued that the researcher of retailer buying behaviour is faced with particular challenges regarding the sample frame, defining th of analysis, potentially small populations and low...... response rates, buying centres and product specific behaviour. At the end, the authors propose a descriptive research design that will try to take account of the mentioned issues....

Advances in high temperature water chemistry and future issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millett, P.J.

2005-01-01

This paper traces the development of advances in high temperature water chemistry with emphasis in the field of nuclear power. Many of the water chemistry technologies used in plants throughout the world today would not have been possible without the underlying scientific advances made in this field. In recent years, optimization of water chemistry has been accomplished by the availability of high temperature water chemistry codes such as MULTEQ. These tools have made the science of high temperature chemistry readily accessible for engineering purposes. The paper closes with a discussion of what additional scientific data and insights must be pursued in order to support the further development of water chemistry technologies for the nuclear industry. (orig.)

Methodological issues concerning the application of reliable laser particle sizing in soils

Science.gov (United States)

de Mascellis, R.; Impagliazzo, A.; Basile, A.; Minieri, L.; Orefice, N.; Terribile, F.

2009-04-01

During the past decade, the evolution of technologies has enabled laser diffraction (LD) to become a much widespread means of particle size distribution (PSD), replacing sedimentation and sieve analysis in many scientific fields mainly due to its advantages of versatility, fast measurement and high reproducibility. Despite such developments of the last decade, the soil scientist community has been quite reluctant to replace the good old sedimentation techniques (ST); possibly because of (i) the large complexity of the soil matrix inducing different types of artefacts (aggregates, deflocculating dynamics, etc.), (ii) the difficulties in relating LD results with results obtained through sedimentation techniques and (iii) the limited size range of most LD equipments. More recently LD granulometry is slowly gaining appreciation in soil science also because of some innovations including an enlarged size dynamic range (0,01-2000 m) and the ability to implement more powerful algorithms (e.g. Mie theory). Furthermore, LD PSD can be successfully used in the application of physically based pedo-transfer functions (i.e., Arya and Paris model) for investigations of soil hydraulic properties, due to the direct determination of PSD in terms of volume percentage rather than in terms of mass percentage, thus eliminating the need to adopt the rough approximation of a single value for soil particle density in the prediction process. Most of the recent LD work performed in soil science deals with the comparison with sedimentation techniques and show the general overestimation of the silt fraction following a general underestimation of the clay fraction; these well known results must be related with the different physical principles behind the two techniques. Despite these efforts, it is indeed surprising that little if any work is devoted to more basic methodological issues related to the high sensitivity of LD to the quantity and the quality of the soil samples. Our work aims to

Cooperative research for human factors review of advanced control rooms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jung Woon; Park, Jae Chang; Lee, Yong Hee; Oh, In Seok; Lee, Hyun Chul

2000-12-01

This project has been performed as cooperative research between KAERI and USNRC. Human factors issues related to soft controls, which is one of key features of advanced HSI, are identified in this project. The issues are analyzed for the evaluation approaches in either experimental or analytical ways. Also, issues requiring additional researches for the evaluation of advanced HSI are identified in the areas of advanced information systems design, computer-based procedure systems, soft controls, human systems interface and plant modernization process, and maintainability of digital systems. The issues are analyzed to discriminate the urgency of researches on it to high, medium, and low levels in consideration of advanced HSI development status in Korea, and some of the issues that can be handled by experimental researches are identified. Additionally, an experimental study is performed to compare operator's performance on human error detection in advanced control rooms vs. in conventional control rooms. It is found that advanced control rooms have several design characteristics hindering operator's error detection performance compared to conventional control rooms.

Cooperative research for human factors review of advanced control rooms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jung Woon; Park, Jae Chang; Lee, Yong Hee; Oh, In Seok; Lee, Hyun Chul

2000-12-01

This project has been performed as cooperative research between KAERI and USNRC. Human factors issues related to soft controls, which is one of key features of advanced HSI, are identified in this project. The issues are analyzed for the evaluation approaches in either experimental or analytical ways. Also, issues requiring additional researches for the evaluation of advanced HSI are identified in the areas of advanced information systems design, computer-based procedure systems, soft controls, human systems interface and plant modernization process, and maintainability of digital systems. The issues are analyzed to discriminate the urgency of researches on it to high, medium, and low levels in consideration of advanced HSI development status in Korea, and some of the issues that can be handled by experimental researches are identified. Additionally, an experimental study is performed to compare operator's performance on human error detection in advanced control rooms vs. in conventional control rooms. It is found that advanced control rooms have several design characteristics hindering operator's error detection performance compared to conventional control rooms

Methodological issues in detecting gene-gene interactions in breast cancer susceptibility: a population-based study in Ontario

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Onay Venus

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is growing evidence that gene-gene interactions are ubiquitous in determining the susceptibility to common human diseases. The investigation of such gene-gene interactions presents new statistical challenges for studies with relatively small sample sizes as the number of potential interactions in the genome can be large. Breast cancer provides a useful paradigm to study genetically complex diseases because commonly occurring single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs may additively or synergistically disturb the system-wide communication of the cellular processes leading to cancer development. Methods In this study, we systematically studied SNP-SNP interactions among 19 SNPs from 18 key genes involved in major cancer pathways in a sample of 398 breast cancer cases and 372 controls from Ontario. We discuss the methodological issues associated with the detection of SNP-SNP interactions in this dataset by applying and comparing three commonly used methods: the logistic regression model, classification and regression trees (CART, and the multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR method. Results Our analyses show evidence for several simple (two-way and complex (multi-way SNP-SNP interactions associated with breast cancer. For example, all three methods identified XPD-[Lys751Gln]*IL10-[G(-1082A] as the most significant two-way interaction. CART and MDR identified the same critical SNPs participating in complex interactions. Our results suggest that the use of multiple statistical approaches (or an integrated approach rather than a single methodology could be the best strategy to elucidate complex gene interactions that have generally very different patterns. Conclusion The strategy used here has the potential to identify complex biological relationships among breast cancer genes and processes. This will lead to the discovery of novel biological information, which will improve breast cancer risk management.

Planning for Advanced Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Find out what issues need to be addressed when dealing with an advanced or metastatic cancer diagnosis. Completing advance directives, looking at health insurance, organizing records and documents, and looking at the meanings in your life are some of the things to think about.

Psychiatric Advance Directives: Getting Started

Science.gov (United States)

... News Legal Issues Search for: About PADs A psychiatric advance directive (PAD) is a legal document that ... decisions during a mental health crisis. Getting Started Psychiatric advance directives (PADs) are relatively new legal instruments ...

Ethical issues in health-care inquiry: a discussion paper.

Science.gov (United States)

Ignacio, Jeanette J; Taylor, Beverley Joan

2013-02-01

This paper is a discussion of the possible ethical dilemmas that may arise in both qualitative and quantitative research despite stringent methodological protocols. Three categories of ethical issues will be elaborated on, namely, researcher-participant relations, informed consent and confidentiality and privacy. These are of note because ethical dilemmas most often arise in these areas. Both qualitative and quantitative research types may thus present with problems associated with any, or a combination, of these categories. Methodological rigour will also be discussed as a vital component of any research study. Critics of the qualitative approach have often suggested that the innate lack of methodological rigour has resulted in the preponderance of ethical issues in qualitative studies. Qualitative studies, similar to quantitative studies, have mechanisms that guarantee rigour, quality and trustworthiness. These checks are at par with those of quantitative research but based on different criteria. Both types of research, then, can be considered equal in terms of methodological rigour, regardless of the nature. As no research approach can be perfectly free from threats of ethical issues, it is the researcher's responsibility to address these in ways that will be less harmful to the participants, bearing in mind ethical problems can arise at any time during the research endeavour. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Empirical evaluation and justification of methodologies in psychological science.

Science.gov (United States)

Proctor, R W; Capaldi, E J

2001-11-01

The purpose of this article is to describe a relatively new movement in the history and philosophy of science, naturalism, a form of pragmatism emphasizing that methodological principles are empirical statements. Thus, methodological principles must be evaluated and justified on the same basis as other empirical statements. On this view, methodological statements may be less secure than the specific scientific theories to which they give rise. The authors examined the feasibility of a naturalistic approach to methodology using logical and historical analysis and by contrasting theories that predict new facts versus theories that explain already known facts. They provide examples of how differences over methodological issues in psychology and in science generally may be resolved using a naturalistic, or empirical, approach.

Towards methodological improvement in the Spanish studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Beatriz Amante García

2012-09-01

Full Text Available The European Higher Education Area (EHEA has triggered many changes in the new degrees in Spanish universities, mainly in terms of methodology and assessment. However, in order to make such changes a success it is essential to have coordination within the teaching staff as well as active methodologies in use, which enhance and encourage students’ participation in all the activities carried out in the classroom. Most of all, when dealing with formative and summative evaluation, in which students become the ones responsible for their own learning process (López-Pastor, 2009; Torre, 2008. In this second issue of JOTSE we have included several teaching innovation experiences related to the above mentioned methodological and assessment changes.

Methodological update in Medicina Intensiva.

Science.gov (United States)

García Garmendia, J L

2018-04-01

Research in the critically ill is complex by the heterogeneity of patients, the difficulties to achieve representative sample sizes and the number of variables simultaneously involved. However, the quantity and quality of records is high as well as the relevance of the variables used, such as survival. The methodological tools have evolved to offering new perspectives and analysis models that allow extracting relevant information from the data that accompanies the critically ill patient. The need for training in methodology and interpretation of results is an important challenge for the intensivists who wish to be updated on the research developments and clinical advances in Intensive Medicine. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMNIM. All rights reserved.

Methodological considerations for observational coding of eating and feeding behaviors in children and their families.

Science.gov (United States)

Pesch, Megan H; Lumeng, Julie C

2017-12-15

Behavioral coding of videotaped eating and feeding interactions can provide researchers with rich observational data and unique insights into eating behaviors, food intake, food selection as well as interpersonal and mealtime dynamics of children and their families. Unlike self-report measures of eating and feeding practices, the coding of videotaped eating and feeding behaviors can allow for the quantitative and qualitative examinations of behaviors and practices that participants may not self-report. While this methodology is increasingly more common, behavioral coding protocols and methodology are not widely shared in the literature. This has important implications for validity and reliability of coding schemes across settings. Additional guidance on how to design, implement, code and analyze videotaped eating and feeding behaviors could contribute to advancing the science of behavioral nutrition. The objectives of this narrative review are to review methodology for the design, operationalization, and coding of videotaped behavioral eating and feeding data in children and their families, and to highlight best practices. When capturing eating and feeding behaviors through analysis of videotapes, it is important for the study and coding to be hypothesis driven. Study design considerations include how to best capture the target behaviors through selection of a controlled experimental laboratory environment versus home mealtime, duration of video recording, number of observations to achieve reliability across eating episodes, as well as technical issues in video recording and sound quality. Study design must also take into account plans for coding the target behaviors, which may include behavior frequency, duration, categorization or qualitative descriptors. Coding scheme creation and refinement occur through an iterative process. Reliability between coders can be challenging to achieve but is paramount to the scientific rigor of the methodology. Analysis approach

Putin, Bush issue statement on advancing US-Russian human contacts

CERN Multimedia

2002-01-01

"In addition to interstate, bilateral, regional and global issues discussed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President George Bush during their Kremlin summit on 24 May, the two leaders considered issues related to people-to-people contacts, ties between cities, states and regions, institutions and organizations" (1 page).

ADVANCE PAYMENTS

CERN Multimedia

Human Resources Division

2002-01-01

Administrative Circular Nº 8 makes provision for the granting of advance payments, repayable in several monthly instalments, by the Organization to the members of its personnel. Members of the personnel are reminded that these advances are only authorized in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Director-General. In view of the current financial situation of the Organization, and in particular the loans it will have to incur, the Directorate has decided to restrict the granting of such advances to exceptional or unforeseen circumstances entailing heavy expenditure and more specifically those pertaining to social issues. Human Resources Division Tel. 73962

Advance payments

CERN Multimedia

Human Resources Division

2003-01-01

Administrative Circular N 8 makes provision for the granting of advance payments, repayable in several monthly instalments, by the Organization to the members of its personnel. Members of the personnel are reminded that these advances are only authorized in exceptional circumstances and at the discretion of the Director-General. In view of the current financial situation of the Organization, and in particular the loans it will have to incur, the Directorate has decided to restrict the granting of such advances to exceptional or unforeseen circumstances entailing heavy expenditure and more specifically those pertaining to social issues. Human Resources Division Tel. 73962

OPTIMIZATION OF ADVANCED FILTER SYSTEMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R.A. Newby; G.J. Bruck; M.A. Alvin; T.E. Lippert

1998-04-30

Reliable, maintainable and cost effective hot gas particulate filter technology is critical to the successful commercialization of advanced, coal-fired power generation technologies, such as IGCC and PFBC. In pilot plant testing, the operating reliability of hot gas particulate filters have been periodically compromised by process issues, such as process upsets and difficult ash cake behavior (ash bridging and sintering), and by design issues, such as cantilevered filter elements damaged by ash bridging, or excessively close packing of filtering surfaces resulting in unacceptable pressure drop or filtering surface plugging. This test experience has focused the issues and has helped to define advanced hot gas filter design concepts that offer higher reliability. Westinghouse has identified two advanced ceramic barrier filter concepts that are configured to minimize the possibility of ash bridge formation and to be robust against ash bridges should they occur. The ''inverted candle filter system'' uses arrays of thin-walled, ceramic candle-type filter elements with inside-surface filtering, and contains the filter elements in metal enclosures for complete separation from ash bridges. The ''sheet filter system'' uses ceramic, flat plate filter elements supported from vertical pipe-header arrays that provide geometry that avoids the buildup of ash bridges and allows free fall of the back-pulse released filter cake. The Optimization of Advanced Filter Systems program is being conducted to evaluate these two advanced designs and to ultimately demonstrate one of the concepts in pilot scale. In the Base Contract program, the subject of this report, Westinghouse has developed conceptual designs of the two advanced ceramic barrier filter systems to assess their performance, availability and cost potential, and to identify technical issues that may hinder the commercialization of the technologies. A plan for the Option I, bench

Gastroenterology in developing countries: Issues and advances

Science.gov (United States)

Mandeville, Kate L; Krabshuis, Justus; Ladep, Nimzing Gwamzhi; Mulder, Chris JJ; Quigley, Eamonn MM; Khan, Shahid A

2009-01-01

Developing countries shoulder a considerable burden of gastroenterological disease. Infectious diseases in particular cause enormous morbidity and mortality. Diseases which afflict both western and developing countries are often seen in more florid forms in poorer countries. Innovative techniques continuously improve and update gastroenterological practice. However, advances in diagnosis and treatment which are commonplace in the West, have yet to reach many developing countries. Clinical guidelines, based on these advances and collated in resource-rich environments, lose their relevance outside these settings. In this two-part review, we first highlight the global burden of gastroenterological disease in three major areas: diarrhoeal diseases, hepatitis B, and Helicobacter pylori. Recent progress in their management is explored, with consideration of future solutions. The second part of the review focuses on the delivery of clinical services in developing countries. Inadequate numbers of healthcare workers hamper efforts to combat gastroenterological disease. Reasons for this shortage are examined, along with possibilities for increased specialist training. Endoscopy services, the mainstay of gastroenterology in the West, are in their infancy in many developing countries. The challenges faced by those setting up a service are illustrated by the example of a Nigerian endoscopy unit. Finally, we highlight the limited scope of many clinical guidelines produced in western countries. Guidelines which take account of resource limitations in the form of “cascades” are advocated in order to make these guidelines truly global. Recognition of the different working conditions facing practitioners worldwide is an important step towards narrowing the gap between gastroenterology in rich and poor countries. PMID:19533805

Biomass sustainability criteria: Greenhouse gas accounting issues for biogas and biomethane facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, P.W.R.; Mezzullo, W.G.; McManus, M.C.

2015-01-01

Biomass sustainability criteria were introduced in the UK following the EU Renewable Energy Directive. Criteria are now applicable to solid biomass and biogas, however because it is not mandatory criteria can be adapted by member states with the risk of different interpretation. Operators are required to report greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for every MJ of energy produced. This paper provides a rigorous analysis of the current GHG emissions accounting methodology for biogas facilities to assess expected compliance for producers. This research uses data from operating CHP and biomethane facilities to calculate GHG emissions using the existing methodology and Government calculator. Results show that whilst many biogas facilities will meet GHG thresholds, as presently defined by Government, several operators may not comply due to methodological uncertainties and chosen operating practices. Several GHG accounting issues are identified which need to be addressed so the biogas industry achieves its reporting obligations and is represented objectively with other bioenergy technologies. Significant methodological issues are highlighted; including consignment definition, mass balance allocation, measurement of fugitive methane emissions, accounting for digestate co-products, fossil fuel comparators, and other accounting problems. Recommendations are made to help address the GHG accounting issues for policy makers and the biogas industry. - Highlights: • GHG accounting issues identified that affect potential compliance with legislation. • Appropriate recognition of digestate value is a key issue for biogas industry. • Fugitive methane emissions measurement is critical for sustainability criteria. • Chosen fossil fuel comparator value determines the potential GHG saving. • Rigorous analysis of GHG accounting methodology for biogas and biomethane systems.

Severe accident analysis methodology in support of accident management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boesmans, B.; Auglaire, M.; Snoeck, J.

1997-01-01

The author addresses the implementation at BELGATOM of a generic severe accident analysis methodology, which is intended to support strategic decisions and to provide quantitative information in support of severe accident management. The analysis methodology is based on a combination of severe accident code calculations, generic phenomenological information (experimental evidence from various test facilities regarding issues beyond present code capabilities) and detailed plant-specific technical information

Identification of Good Practices in the Implementation of Innovative Learning Methodologies

Science.gov (United States)

Lincaru, Cristina; Ciuca, Vasilica; Grecu, Liliana; Atanasiu, Draga; Dragoiu, Codruta

2011-01-01

We intend to present the partial issues resulted from the development of the European Project DeInTRA "cooperation for innovative training methodologies deployment in the European Labour Market"--Stage 4: Identification of good practices in the implementation of innovative learning methodologies. This project is included into the…

Issues evaluation process at Rocky Flats Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, L.C.

1992-01-01

This report describes the issues evaluation process for Rocky Flats Plant as established in July 1990. The issues evaluation process was initiated February 27, 1990 with a Charter and Process Overview for short-term implementation. The purpose of the process was to determine the projects required for completion before the Phased Resumption of Plutonium Operations. To determine which projects were required, the issues evaluation process and emphasized risk mitigation, based on a ranking system. The purpose of this report is to document the early design of the issues evaluation process to record the methodologies used that continue as the basis for the ongoing Issues Management Program at Rocky Flats Plant

AdvanceVT Transformations: April 2009

OpenAIRE

AdvanceVT

2009-01-01

This issue of Transformations will deal exclusively with the results of the 2008 Faculty Work-Life survey employed by AdvanceVT in September of 2008. We will compare/ contrast these results with those of the 2005 survey. Future issues will address: • Respondent familiarity with the AdvanceVT initiative and the implications of this data; • Breakdowns of differences in response by gender and race; and • The qualitative data elicited by the survey and how it compares to the quantitative data and...

Application of response surface methodology for optimization of natural organic matter degradation by UV/H2O2 advanced oxidation process.

Science.gov (United States)

Rezaee, Reza; Maleki, Afshin; Jafari, Ali; Mazloomi, Sajad; Zandsalimi, Yahya; Mahvi, Amir H

2014-01-01

In this research, the removal of natural organic matter from aqueous solutions using advanced oxidation processes (UV/H2O2) was evaluated. Therefore, the response surface methodology and Box-Behnken design matrix were employed to design the experiments and to determine the optimal conditions. The effects of various parameters such as initial concentration of H2O2 (100-180 mg/L), pH (3-11), time (10-30 min) and initial total organic carbon (TOC) concentration (4-10 mg/L) were studied. Analysis of variance (ANOVA), revealed a good agreement between experimental data and proposed quadratic polynomial model (R(2) = 0.98). Experimental results showed that with increasing H2O2 concentration, time and decreasing in initial TOC concentration, TOC removal efficiency was increased. Neutral and nearly acidic pH values also improved the TOC removal. Accordingly, the TOC removal efficiency of 78.02% in terms of the independent variables including H2O2 concentration (100 mg/L), pH (6.12), time (22.42 min) and initial TOC concentration (4 mg/L) were optimized. Further confirmation tests under optimal conditions showed a 76.50% of TOC removal and confirmed that the model is accordance with the experiments. In addition TOC removal for natural water based on response surface methodology optimum condition was 62.15%. This study showed that response surface methodology based on Box-Behnken method is a useful tool for optimizing the operating parameters for TOC removal using UV/H2O2 process.

Alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles : issues in Congress

Science.gov (United States)

2009-02-13

Alternative fuels and advanced technology vehicles are seen by proponents as integral to improving urban air quality, decreasing dependence on foreign oil, and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases. However, major barriers especially economics curre...

Advancing Uncertainty: Untangling and Discerning Related Concepts

OpenAIRE

Janice Penrod

2002-01-01

Methods of advancing concepts within the qualitative paradigm have been developed and articulated. In this section, I describe methodological perspectives of a project designed to advance the concept of uncertainty using multiple qualitative methods. Through a series of earlier studies, the concept of uncertainty arose repeatedly in varied contexts, working its way into prominence, and warranting further investigation. Processes of advanced concept analysis were used to initiate the formal in...

Energy Efficiency Indicators Methodology Booklet

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sathaye, Jayant; Price, Lynn; McNeil, Michael; de la rue du Can, Stephane

2010-05-01

This Methodology Booklet provides a comprehensive review and methodology guiding principles for constructing energy efficiency indicators, with illustrative examples of application to individual countries. It reviews work done by international agencies and national government in constructing meaningful energy efficiency indicators that help policy makers to assess changes in energy efficiency over time. Building on past OECD experience and best practices, and the knowledge of these countries' institutions, relevant sources of information to construct an energy indicator database are identified. A framework based on levels of hierarchy of indicators -- spanning from aggregate, macro level to disaggregated end-use level metrics -- is presented to help shape the understanding of assessing energy efficiency. In each sector of activity: industry, commercial, residential, agriculture and transport, indicators are presented and recommendations to distinguish the different factors affecting energy use are highlighted. The methodology booklet addresses specifically issues that are relevant to developing indicators where activity is a major factor driving energy demand. A companion spreadsheet tool is available upon request.

From theory to 'measurement' in complex interventions: Methodological lessons from the development of an e-health normalisation instrument

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Finch Tracy L

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although empirical and theoretical understanding of processes of implementation in health care is advancing, translation of theory into structured measures that capture the complex interplay between interventions, individuals and context remain limited. This paper aimed to (1 describe the process and outcome of a project to develop a theory-based instrument for measuring implementation processes relating to e-health interventions; and (2 identify key issues and methodological challenges for advancing work in this field. Methods A 30-item instrument (Technology Adoption Readiness Scale (TARS for measuring normalisation processes in the context of e-health service interventions was developed on the basis on Normalization Process Theory (NPT. NPT focuses on how new practices become routinely embedded within social contexts. The instrument was pre-tested in two health care settings in which e-health (electronic facilitation of healthcare decision-making and practice was used by health care professionals. Results The developed instrument was pre-tested in two professional samples (N = 46; N = 231. Ratings of items representing normalisation ‘processes’ were significantly related to staff members’ perceptions of whether or not e-health had become ‘routine’. Key methodological challenges are discussed in relation to: translating multi-component theoretical constructs into simple questions; developing and choosing appropriate outcome measures; conducting multiple-stakeholder assessments; instrument and question framing; and more general issues for instrument development in practice contexts. Conclusions To develop theory-derived measures of implementation process for progressing research in this field, four key recommendations are made relating to (1 greater attention to underlying theoretical assumptions and extent of translation work required; (2 the need for appropriate but flexible approaches to outcomes

From theory to 'measurement' in complex interventions: methodological lessons from the development of an e-health normalisation instrument.

Science.gov (United States)

Finch, Tracy L; Mair, Frances S; O'Donnell, Catherine; Murray, Elizabeth; May, Carl R

2012-05-17

Although empirical and theoretical understanding of processes of implementation in health care is advancing, translation of theory into structured measures that capture the complex interplay between interventions, individuals and context remain limited. This paper aimed to (1) describe the process and outcome of a project to develop a theory-based instrument for measuring implementation processes relating to e-health interventions; and (2) identify key issues and methodological challenges for advancing work in this field. A 30-item instrument (Technology Adoption Readiness Scale (TARS)) for measuring normalisation processes in the context of e-health service interventions was developed on the basis on Normalization Process Theory (NPT). NPT focuses on how new practices become routinely embedded within social contexts. The instrument was pre-tested in two health care settings in which e-health (electronic facilitation of healthcare decision-making and practice) was used by health care professionals. The developed instrument was pre-tested in two professional samples (N=46; N=231). Ratings of items representing normalisation 'processes' were significantly related to staff members' perceptions of whether or not e-health had become 'routine'. Key methodological challenges are discussed in relation to: translating multi-component theoretical constructs into simple questions; developing and choosing appropriate outcome measures; conducting multiple-stakeholder assessments; instrument and question framing; and more general issues for instrument development in practice contexts. To develop theory-derived measures of implementation process for progressing research in this field, four key recommendations are made relating to (1) greater attention to underlying theoretical assumptions and extent of translation work required; (2) the need for appropriate but flexible approaches to outcomes measurement; (3) representation of multiple perspectives and collaborative nature of

Advances in Oceanography and Limnology - Themed Issue - Cyanobacteria

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Babica, Pavel (ed.); Capelli, C. (ed.); Drobac, D. (ed.); Gkelis, S. (ed.)

2017-01-01

Roč. 8, č. 1 (2017), s. 1-178 ISSN 1947-573X Institutional support: RVO:67985939 Keywords : cyanobacterial water blooms * cyanobacterial water blooms * cyanobacteria Subject RIV: DJ - Water Pollution ; Quality OBOR OECD: Marine biology, freshwater biology, limnology http://pagepressjournals.org/index.php/aiol/issue/view/460

Plasma-wall interaction of advanced materials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.W. Coenen

2017-08-01

Full Text Available DEMO is the name for the first stage prototype fusion reactor considered to be the next step after ITER. For the realization of fusion energy especially materials questions pose a significant challenge already today. Advanced materials solution are under discussion in order to allow operation under reactor conditions [1] and are already under development used in the next step devices. Apart from issues related to material properties such as strength, ductility, resistance against melting and cracking one of the major issues to be tackled is the interaction with the fusion plasma. Advanced tungsten (W materials as discussed below do not necessarily add additional lifetime issues, they will, however, add concerns related to erosion or surface morphology changes due to preferential sputtering. Retention of fuel and exhaust species are one of the main concerns. Retention of hydrogen will be one of the major issues to be solved in advanced materials as especially composites and alloys will introduce new hydrogen interactions mechanisms. Initial calculations show these mechanisms. Especially for Helium as the main impurity species material issues arise related to surfaces modification and embrittlement. Solutions are proposed to mitigate effects on material properties and introduce new release mechanisms.

Proceedings of the 2006 international congress on advances in nuclear power plants - ICAPP'06

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-01-01

Following the highly successful ICAPP'05 meeting held in Seoul Korea, the 2006 International Congress on Advances in Nuclear Power Plants brought together international experts of the nuclear industry involved in the operation, development, building, regulation and research related to Nuclear Power Plants. The program covers the full spectrum of Nuclear Power Plant issues from design, deployment and construction of plants to research and development of future designs and advanced systems. The program covers lessons learned from power, research and demonstration reactors from over 50 years of experience with operation and maintenance, structures, materials, technical specifications, human factors, system design and reliability. The program by technical track deals with: - 1. Water-Cooled Reactor Programs and Issues Evolutionary designs, innovative, passive, light and heavy water cooled reactors; issues related to meeting medium term utility needs; design and regulatory issues; business, political and economic challenges; infrastructure limitations and improved construction techniques including modularization. - 2. High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactors Design and development issues, components and materials, safety, reliability, economics, demonstration plants and environmental issues, fuel design and reliability, power conversion technology, hydrogen production and other industrial uses; advanced thermal and fast reactors. - 3. Long Term Reactor Programs and Strategies Reactor technology with enhanced fuel cycle features for improved resource utilization, waste characteristics, and power conversion capabilities. Potential reactor designs with longer development times such as, super critical water reactors, liquid metal reactors, gaseous and liquid fuel reactors, Gen IV, INPRO, EUR and other programs. - 4. Operation, Performance and Reliability Management Training, O and M costs, life cycle management, risk based maintenance, operational experiences, performance and

A Java-Web-Based-Learning Methodology, Case Study ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A Java-Web-Based-Learning Methodology, Case Study : Waterborne diseases. The recent advances in web technologies have opened new opportunities for computer-based-education. One can learn independently of time and place constraints, and have instantaneous access to relevant updated material at minimal cost.

Methodological advances in unit cost calculation of psychiatric residential care in Spain.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreno, Karen; Sanchez, Eduardo; Salvador-Carulla, Luis

2008-06-01

The care of the severe mentally ill who need intensive support for their daily living (dependent persons), accounts for an increasingly large proportion of public expenditure in many European countries. The main aim of this study was the design and implementation of solid methodology to calculate unit costs of different types of care. To date, methodologies used in Spain have produced inaccurate figures, suggesting few variations in patient consumption of the same service. An adaptation of the Activity-Based-Costing methodology was applied in Navarre, a region in the North of Spain, as a pilot project for the public mental health services. A unit cost per care process was obtained for all levels of care considered in each service during 2005. The European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS) codes were used to classify the services for later comparisons. Finally, in order to avoid problems of asymmetric cost distribution, a simple Bayesian model was used. As an illustration, we report the results obtained for long-term residential care and note that there are important variations between unit costs when considering different levels of care. Considering three levels of care (Level 1-low, Level 2-medium and Level 3-intensive), the cost per bed in Level 3 was 10% higher than that of Level 2. The results obtained using the cost methodology described provide more useful information than those using conventional methods, although its implementation requires much time to compile the necessary information during the initial stages and the collaboration of staff and managers working in the services. However, in some services, if no important variations exist in patient care, another method would be advisable, although our system provides very useful information about patterns of care from a clinical point of view. Detailed work is required at the beginning of the implementation in order to avoid the calculation of distorted figures and to improve the levels of decision making

Methodologies and Methods for User Behavioral Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Peiling

1999-01-01

Discusses methodological issues in empirical studies of information-related behavior in six specific research areas: information needs and uses; information seeking; relevance judgment; online searching (including online public access catalog, online database, and the Web); human-system interactions; and reference transactions. (Contains 191…

Methodology for advanced control rooms assessment of nuclear reactors: case study using Laboratory of Human System Interface (LABIHS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, Eduardo Ferro; Verboonen, Monique; Carvalho, Bruno Batista de

2005-01-01

A control room of a nuclear reactor is a complex system that controls a thermodynamic process used to produce electric energy. The operators interact with the control room through interfaces and several monitoring stations. These interfaces present significant implications for the safety of the nuclear power plant, once they influence the activities of the operators, affect the way how operators receive information related with the status from the main systems and determine the necessary requirements so that the operators understand and supervise the main parameters. This article intends to present the methodology and the results of the evaluation carried through in the advanced control room of a compact simulator, that uses as reference a nuclear plant PWR of the Westinghouse. The structure used for evaluation of the simulator is formed by the guideline of human factors of the NRC, the NUREG 700, checklist, questionnaires and the analysis of the operator's activity. (author)

Level-Set Methodology on Adaptive Octree Grids

Science.gov (United States)

Gibou, Frederic; Guittet, Arthur; Mirzadeh, Mohammad; Theillard, Maxime

2017-11-01

Numerical simulations of interfacial problems in fluids require a methodology capable of tracking surfaces that can undergo changes in topology and capable to imposing jump boundary conditions in a sharp manner. In this talk, we will discuss recent advances in the level-set framework, in particular one that is based on adaptive grids.

Researching Lean: Methodological implications of loose definitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brännmark, Mikael; Langstrand, Jostein; Johansson, Stina

2012-01-01

practices seem to overlap with other popular management concepts, such as High Performance Work Systems, World Class Manufacturing and Total Quality Management. This confusion, combined with different methodological and theoretical traditions, has led to much debate and contradictory conclusions regarding...... Lean. The purpose of the paper is to illustrate some key methodological issues that need to be considered in future Lean research to allow increased understanding of Lean effects for different stakeholders, primarily meaning the customer, employer and employees. Design/methodology/approach – The paper...... on the case studies, we suggest that future investigations describe the Lean interventions in more detail. General descriptions or analogies, e.g. ‘learning organizations’, presumably increase the present confusion regarding Lean impact on different stakeholders. The case studies also illustrate...

Intelligent systems/software engineering methodology - A process to manage cost and risk

Science.gov (United States)

Friedlander, Carl; Lehrer, Nancy

1991-01-01

A systems development methodology is discussed that has been successfully applied to the construction of a number of intelligent systems. This methodology is a refinement of both evolutionary and spiral development methodologies. It is appropriate for development of intelligent systems. The application of advanced engineering methodology to the development of software products and intelligent systems is an important step toward supporting the transition of AI technology into aerospace applications. A description of the methodology and the process model from which it derives is given. Associated documents and tools are described which are used to manage the development process and record and report the emerging design.

Lessons learnt form PSAS for new and advanced reactors in Russia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morozov, V.; Tokmachev, G.

2012-01-01

The Atomenergoproekt company has been performing probabilistic safety assessments (PSA) for six nuclear power plants (NPP) in design. They belong to different plant generations constructed or planned to construct in Russia, Iran, India, Turkey and Bulgaria including Generation 3+ plants. Now a PSA for a Generation 4 plant is started. The plants have new inherent safety features that are addressed in terms of their influence on PSA development. The paper is aimed at sharing some issues and experience gained from the PSA development for new and advanced plants. First of all, Customer requirements to probabilistic safety targets are usually stronger than existing Regulatory or IAEA ones. It appears that industry takes the lead over regulation in this case and forces the designer to find and implement appropriate means to enhance safety, which sometimes have no reference to practical experience. On the other hand, regulatory documents and the existing PSA methodology are mainly oriented to operating plants. This creates problems when developing a PSA as well as performing regulatory reviews. Secondly, the scope of the PSA may be different depending on a design stage such as the development conceptual, basic or detailed design. In addition, the base case PSA is usually performed for NPP in design. However, a customer may require additional PSA applications to consider, for instance, risk monitoring. In this case the scope of the PSA should be extended to implement special attributes of the application needed that often requires specific information not available at the design stage. Thirdly, lack of design information affecting PSA development may be associated with incompleteness of the design that is typical for interim design stages and communication problems caused by the involvement of many different companies in the deign activity. To deal with this issue bounding technologies and the iterative PSA development are used. However this sometimes contradicts to the

On the Relationships between (Relatively) Advanced Mathematical Knowledge and (Relatively) Advanced Problem-Solving Behaviours

Science.gov (United States)

Koichu, Boris

2010-01-01

This article discusses an issue of inserting mathematical knowledge within the problem-solving processes. Relatively advanced mathematical knowledge is defined in terms of "three mathematical worlds"; relatively advanced problem-solving behaviours are defined in terms of taxonomies of "proof schemes" and "heuristic behaviours". The relationships…

Priorities of Dialogic Speech Teaching Methodology at Higher Non-Linguistic School

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vida Asanavičienė

2011-04-01

Full Text Available The article deals with a number of relevant methodological issues. First of all, the author analyses psychological peculiarities of dialogic speech and states that the dialogue is the product of at least two persons. Therefore, in this view, dialogic speech, unlike monologic speech, happens impromptu and is not prepared in advance. Dialogic speech is mainly of situational character. The linguistic nature of dialogic speech, in the author’s opinion, lies in the process of exchanging replications, which are coherent in structural and functional character. The author classifies dialogue groups by the number of replications and communicative parameters. The basic goal of dialogic speech teaching is developing the abilities and skills which enable to exchange replications. The author distinguishes two basic stages of dialogic speech teaching: 1. Training of abilities to exchange replications during communicative exercises. 2. Development of skills by training the capability to perform exercises of creative nature during a group dialogue, conversation or debate.

Licensing activities for advanced reactors in NNC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chevalier, A.B.H.; Mustoe, J.; Walters, J.; Ingham, E.L.

2001-01-01

NNC has been involved in safety and licensing activities for advanced reactors for many years. Most recently NNC has been involved with national regulators or their representatives for the HTR (High Temperature Reactor) reactor and the possible siting of ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) within Europe. Commonalties between the two activities can be seen, even though one is a fission process and the other based on a completely new technology. Both have the potential to generate power at a very low overall exposure to the public and station staff, but both also need to demonstrate to the regulator the safety of a design which differs from the standard LWR practice. In both concepts passive design features provide a major part of the safety argument, but the detailed assessment and justification of these features in licensing terms still needs to be made. A number of critical safety issues can be identified, which generally apply to any advanced system. These are: Safety categorization, codes and standards; confinement or containment; ALARA; safety code modelling and data; Occupational Exposure; occupational exposures; decommissioning and waste; no evacuation, or no emergency plans. The UK is notable for a flexible licensing regime, which allows a safety case to be built up from first principles, where this is applicable. In addition, experience of licensing gas cooled, water cooled and liquid metal plant, as well as extensive experience outside the UK provides NNC with a unique insight into the different licensing methodologies which can be applied in the licensing process. This paper discusses some possible approaches which could be applied in order to satisfy regulatory demands when addressing the critical issues listed above. (author)

Technical issues in fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohatgi, V.K.; Vijayan, T.

1989-01-01

In this paper the issues in fusion reactor technology are examined. Rapid progress in fusion technology research in recent years can be attributed to the advances in various technologies. The commercial generation of fusion power greatly depends on the evolution and improvements in these technologies. With better understanding of plasma physics, fusion reactor designs are becoming more and more realistic and comprehensive. It is now possible to compare various concepts within the framework of established technologies. The technological issues needing better understanding and solutions to problem areas are identified. Various instabilities and energy losses are major problem areas. Extensive developments in reactor-relevant advanced materials, compact and powerful superconducting magnets, high-power systems, and plasma heating drivers need to be undertaken and emphasized

Advanced fuels safety comparisons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grolmes, M.A.

1977-01-01

The safety considerations of advanced fuels are described relative to the present understanding of the safety of oxide fueled Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactors (LMFBR). Safety considerations important for the successful implementation of advanced fueled reactors must early on focus on the accident energetics issues of fuel coolant interactions and recriticality associated with core disruptive accidents. It is in these areas where the thermal physical property differences of the advanced fuel have the greatest significance

Editorial: AABFJ Volume 9, Issue 1, 2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monir Mir

2015-03-01

Full Text Available There are six excellent and diversified papers published in this edition of the Australasian Accounting, Business and Finance Journal. As highlighted below, these papers’ contributions range from issues relating to accounting standard setting process to the efficient market hypothesis including a paper based on alternative accounting research methodology that explores the issues of career choices by women in a developing economy.

Why Research Design and Methods Is So Crucial to Understanding Drug Use/Abuse: Introduction to the Special Issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Scheier, Lawrence M

2018-06-01

The collection of articles in this special issue both raise the bar and inspire new thinking with regard to both design and methodology concerns that influence drug use/abuse research. Thematically speaking, the articles focus on issues related to missing data, response formats, strategies for data harmonization, propensity scoring methods as an alternative to randomized control trials, integrative data analysis, statistical corrections to reduce bias from attrition, challenges faced from conducting large-scale evaluations, and employing abductive theory of method as an alternative to the more traditional hypothetico-deductive reasoning. Collectively, these issues are of paramount importance as they provide specific means to improve our investigative tools and refine the logical framework we employ to examine the problem of drug use/abuse. Each of the authors addresses a specific challenge outlining how it affects our current research efforts and then outlines remedies that can advance the field. To their credit, they have included issues that affect both etiology and prevention, thus broadening our horizons as we learn more about developmental processes causally related to drug use/abuse and intervention strategies that can mitigate developmental vulnerability. This is the essential dialogue required to advance our intellectual tool kit and improve the research skills we bring to bear on the important questions facing the field of drug use/abuse. Ultimately, the goal is to increase our ability to identify the causes and consequences of drug use/abuse and find ways to ameliorate these problems as we engage the public health agenda.

Nuclear reactors safety issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barre, Francois; Seiler, Nathalie

2008-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Since the seventies, economic incentives have led the utilities to drive a permanent evolution of the light water reactor (LWR). The evolution deals with the reactor designs as well as the way to operate them in a more flexible manner. It is for instance related to the fuel technologies and management. On the one hand, the technologies are in continuous evolution, such as the fuel pellets (MOX, Gd fuel, or Cr doped fuels..) as well as advanced cladding materials (M5 TM , MDA or ZIRLO). On the other hand, the fuel management is also subject to continuous evolution in particular in terms of increasing the level of burn-up, the reactor (core) power, the enrichment, as well as the duration of reactor cycles. For instance, in a few years in France, the burn-up has raised beyond the value of 39 GWj/t, initially authorized up to 52 GWj/t for the UO 2 fuel. In the near future, utilities foreseen to reach fuel burn-up of 60 GWj/t for MOX fuel and 70 GWj/t for UO 2 fuel. Furthermore, the future reactor of fourth generation will use new fuels of advanced conception. Furthermore with the objective of improving the safety margins, methods and calculation tools used by the utilities in the elaboration of their safety demonstrations submitted to the Safety Authority, are in movement. The margin evaluation methodologies often consist of a calculation chain of best-estimate multi-field simulations (e.g. various codes being coupled to simulate in a realistic way the evolution of the thermohydraulic, neutronic and mechanic state of the reactor). The statistical methods are more and more sophisticated and the computer codes are integrating ever-complex physical models (e.g. three-dimensional at fine scale). Following this evolution, the Institute of Radioprotection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN), whose one of the roles is to examine the safety records and to rend a technical expertise, considers the necessity of reevaluating the safety issues for advanced

Special Issue on advanced and emerging light sources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Haverlag, M.; Kroesen, G.M.W.; Ferguson, I.

2011-01-01

EDITORIAL The papers in this special issue of Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics (JPhysD) originate from the 12th International Symposium on the Science and Technology of Light Sources and the 3rd International Conference on White LEDs and Solid State Lighting, held 11–16 July 2010 at Eindhoven

Development of risk-informed assessment (RIA) design methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ji, S. K.; Park, S. J.; Park, B. R.; Kim, M. R.; Choi, C. J.

2001-01-01

It has been assessed that the capital cost for future nuclear power plants needs to be reduced on the order of 35% to 40% for Advanced Light Water Reactors such as KNGR and System 80+. Such reduction in the capital cost will require a fundamental re-evaluation of the industry standards and regulatory basis under which nuclear plants are designed and licensed. The objective of this study is to develop the risk-informed assessment (RIA) design methodology for future nuclear power plants. In order to meet this objective, the design simplification method is developed and RIA design methodology exercised for conceptual system. For the methodology verification, simplified conceptual ECCS and feedwater system are developed, then LOCA sensitivity analyses and agressive secondary cooldown analyses for these systems are performed. In addition, the probability safety assessment (PSA) model for LOCA is developed and the validation of RIA design methodology is demonstrated

AdvanceVT Newsletter: February 2004

OpenAIRE

AdvanceVT

2004-01-01

Inside this issue: Today's Leadership Seminar; Women's Month Reception; Child Care Survey National Science Foundation The AdvanceVT Team Elizabeth Creamer, Assessment Director Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Catherine Eckel, ADVANCE Professor Professor of Economics Patricia Hyer, Principle Investigator Associate Provost for Academic Administration Barbara Johnson, Administrative Assistant Peggy Layne, Project Coordinator Nancy Love, Co-PI and ADVANCE Pro...

Adolescent Schizophrenia: A Methodologic Review of the Current Neuroimaging and Neuropsychologic Literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Findling, Robert L.; And Others

1995-01-01

This paper reviews the methodology in articles that have reported structural neuroimaging or neuropsychological data in adolescent patients with schizophrenia. Identification of methodological issues led to the finding that, at present, no conclusions can be made regarding the presence or absence of neuropsychologic dysfunction or structural…

An Advanced Method to Apply Multiple Rainfall Thresholds for Urban Flood Warnings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiun-Huei Jang

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Issuing warning information to the public when rainfall exceeds given thresholds is a simple and widely-used method to minimize flood risk; however, this method lacks sophistication when compared with hydrodynamic simulation. In this study, an advanced methodology is proposed to improve the warning effectiveness of the rainfall threshold method for urban areas through deterministic-stochastic modeling, without sacrificing simplicity and efficiency. With regards to flooding mechanisms, rainfall thresholds of different durations are divided into two groups accounting for flooding caused by drainage overload and disastrous runoff, which help in grading the warning level in terms of emergency and severity when the two are observed together. A flood warning is then classified into four levels distinguished by green, yellow, orange, and red lights in ascending order of priority that indicate the required measures, from standby, flood defense, evacuation to rescue, respectively. The proposed methodology is tested according to 22 historical events in the last 10 years for 252 urbanized townships in Taiwan. The results show satisfactory accuracy in predicting the occurrence and timing of flooding, with a logical warning time series for taking progressive measures. For systems with multiple rainfall thresholds already in place, the methodology can be used to ensure better application of rainfall thresholds in urban flood warnings.

Social issues around advanced unwanted pregnancies in rural single women.

Science.gov (United States)

Chhabra, S; Palaparthy, S; Mishra, S

2009-05-01

This study covers issues on advanced unwanted pregnancies in rural single women in South-east Asia, with reference to age, education, occupation, person responsible (i.e. baby's father) and reasons for delay in seeking assistance. It describes single women with pregnancy beyond the time for abortion, as set by the Indian abortion law. The study involved 314 girls/women and was set in the Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Sevagram, India. The girls/women were admitted, provided with free facilities and had their babies looked after by hospital staff until given up for adoption, or otherwise. The outcomes of the study showed that most individuals (71.01%) were rural, less-literate, working girls. In 94.26% of cases, the baby's father was known; 24 (7.64%) reported rape (13 by a known person). A total of 66 individuals (21.02%) did not inform their parents about the pregnancy for up to 5 months. Five (1.59%) went to unqualified medical practitioners and 16.56% to private practitioners who did not give their services. A total of 47 (14.96%) had waited for the person responsible for their pregnancy before seeking assistance. There was a total of 315 babies born to 310 mothers (five twins); four absconded undelivered; 13 absconded after delivery (two with their babies, 11 leaving babies). The study found that pregnancies were often caused by rape and girls/women with no knowledge of abortion laws, shyness, fear, lack of desired privacy, lack of resources, misleading management at periphery all went beyond 20 weeks. Mostly, the babies were not accepted--the girls married the babies' fathers, but left their babies. Emergency contraception for unprotected sexual intercourse is essential.

Overview of the Health and Retirement Study and Introduction to the Special Issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Gwenith G; Ryan, Lindsay H

2018-01-01

Twenty five years ago, the largest academic behavioral and social science project ever undertaken in the U.S. began: the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). The HRS is an invaluable publicly available dataset for investigating work, aging, and retirement and informing public policy on these issues. This biennial longitudinal study began in 1992 and has studied more than 43,000 individuals and produced almost 4000 journal articles, dissertations, books, book chapters, and reports to date. The purpose of this special issue of Work, Aging and Retirement is to describe the HRS and highlight relevant research that utilizes this rich and complex dataset. First, we briefly describe the background that led to the development of the HRS. Then we summarize key aspects of the study, including its development, sampling, and methodology. Our review of the content of the survey focuses on the aspects of the study most relevant to research on worker aging and retirement. Next, we identify key strengths and important limitations of the study and provide advice to current and future HRS data users. Finally, we summarize the articles in this Special Issue (all of which use data from the HRS) and how they advance our knowledge and understanding of worker aging and retirement.

Life Cycle Assessment of electricity generation: overview and methodological issues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Turconi, Roberto; Boldrin, Alessio; Astrup, Thomas Fruergaard

study focuses on the comparability between different technologies, identifying and quantifying the possible mistakes that can occur when comparing two technologies whose environmental assessments have been performed with conflicting assumptions. Nine different power generation technologies were examined......: hard coal, lignite, natural gas, oil, nuclear, biomass, hydroelectric, solar photovoltaic and wind. More than 150 published studies were selected and analyzed to investigate whether "typical" GHG, NOx and SO2 emission factors for each technology could be identified. For a better overview of the sources...... of emissions, those were divided among three life cycle phases: fuel provision, operation of the plant and infrastructure. It was possible to estimate typical emission factors for all technologies except for biomass, where methodological and technical aspects result in very variable outcomes. Within...

Methodological and Pedagogical Potential of Reflection in Development of Contemporary Didactics

Science.gov (United States)

Chupina, Valentina A.; Pleshakova, Anastasiia Yu.; Konovalova, Maria E.

2016-01-01

Applicability of the issue under research is preconditioned by the need of practical pedagogics to expand methodological and methodical tools of contemporary didactics. The purpose of the article is to detect the methodological core of reflection as a form of thinking and to provide insight thereunto on the basis of systematic attributes of the…

Utility of radiotracer methodology in scientific research of industrial relevancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolar, Z.I.

1990-01-01

Utilization of radiotracer methodology in industrial research provides substantial scientific rather than directly demonstrable economic benefits. These benefits include better understanding of industrial processes and subsequently the development of new ones. Examples are given of the use of radiotracers in technological studies and the significance of the obtained results is put down. Creative application of radiotracer methodology may contribute to the economic development and technological advancement of all countries including the developing ones. (orig.) [de

Issues and insights of PRA methodology in nuclear and space applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsu, F.

2005-01-01

This paper presents some important issues and technical insights on the scope, conceptual framework, and essential elements of nuclear power plant Probabilistic Risk Assessments (PRAs) and that of the PRAs in general applications of the aerospace industry, such as the Space Shuttle PRA being conducted by NASA. Discussions are focused on various lessons learned in nuclear power plant PRA applications and their potential applicability to the PRAs in the aerospace and launch vehicle systems. Based on insights gained from PRA projects for nuclear power plants and from the current Space Shuttle PRA effort, the paper explores the commonalities and the differences between the conduct of the different PRAs and the key issues and risk insights derived from extensive modeling practices in both industries of nuclear and space. (author)

Methodology of Economic Assessment of Corporate Finance Management Effectiveness

OpenAIRE

Juscu Nicolae Cristian

2011-01-01

“The methodology of economic assessment of corporate finance management effectiveness” deals with the analysis of the basic issues of economic aspects of corporate finance management effectiveness; the paper presents the essential issues of the existing methods for establishing the economic effectiveness of corporate finance management and control; it also proposes the improvement of the approach regarding the assessment of finance management effectiveness of a company.

Preliminary safety analysis methodology for the SMART

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Kyoo Hwan; Chung, Y. J.; Kim, H. C.; Sim, S. K.; Lee, W. J.; Chung, B. D.; Song, J. H. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejeon (Korea)

2000-03-01

This technical report was prepared for a preliminary safety analysis methodology of the 330MWt SMART (System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor) which has been developed by Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI) and funded by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) since July 1996. This preliminary safety analysis methodology has been used to identify an envelope for the safety of the SMART conceptual design. As the SMART design evolves, further validated final safety analysis methodology will be developed. Current licensing safety analysis methodology of the Westinghouse and KSNPP PWRs operating and under development in Korea as well as the Russian licensing safety analysis methodology for the integral reactors have been reviewed and compared to develop the preliminary SMART safety analysis methodology. SMART design characteristics and safety systems have been reviewed against licensing practices of the PWRs operating or KNGR (Korean Next Generation Reactor) under construction in Korea. Detailed safety analysis methodology has been developed for the potential SMART limiting events of main steam line break, main feedwater pipe break, loss of reactor coolant flow, CEA withdrawal, primary to secondary pipe break and the small break loss of coolant accident. SMART preliminary safety analysis methodology will be further developed and validated in parallel with the safety analysis codes as the SMART design further evolves. Validated safety analysis methodology will be submitted to MOST as a Topical Report for a review of the SMART licensing safety analysis methodology. Thus, it is recommended for the nuclear regulatory authority to establish regulatory guides and criteria for the integral reactor. 22 refs., 18 figs., 16 tabs. (Author)

Quality Assurance Issues in Conducting Multi-Institutional Advanced Technology Clinical Trials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purdy, James A.

2008-01-01

The National Cancer Institute-sponsored Advanced Technology Quality Assurance (QA) Consortium, which consisted of the Image-Guided Therapy QA Center, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group, Radiological Physics Center, Quality Assurance Review Center, and Resource Center for Emerging Technologies, has pioneered the development of an infrastructure and QA method for advanced technology clinical trials that requires volumetric digital data submission of a protocol patient's treatment plan and verification data. In particular, the Image-Guided Therapy QA Center has nearly 15 years experience in facilitating QA review for Radiation Therapy Oncology Group advanced technology clinical trials. This QA process includes (1) a data integrity review for completeness of protocol required elements, the format of data, and possible data corruption, and recalculation of dose-volume histograms; (2) a review of compliance with target volume and organ-at-risk contours by study chairs; and (3) a review of dose prescription and dose heterogeneity compliance by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group Headquarters Dosimetry Group or the Radiological Physics Center dosimetrists (for brachytherapy protocols). This report reviews the lessons learned and the QA challenges presented by the use of advanced treatment modalities in clinical trials requiring volumetric digital data submission

[Conceptual and methodological issues involved in the research field of diagnostic reasoning].

Science.gov (United States)

Di Persia, Francisco N

2016-05-01

The psychopathological field is crossed by dilemmas that put in question its methodological, conceptual and philosophical filiations. Since the early works of Ey and Jaspers until recent work of Berrios it has been in question the position psychopathology has in the field of medicine in general, and in the field of psychiatry in particular, especially if it should follow the principles of natural science or if it has an autonomous position between them. This debate has led to two opposing positions facing two different models of psychopathology: the biomedical model and the socio-constructionist model. In this work it is proposed to review the scope and difficulties involved in each model following two central axes: diagnostic reasoning and mental illness conceptual problem. Later, as a synthesis of the analysis proposed they are identified central concepts of each model that could allow the development of a hybrid model in psychopathology; in between them the comprehensive framework employed in symptoms recognition and the social component that characterizes it are highlighted. As a conclusion, these concepts are proposed as central aspects for conceptual and methodological clarification of the research field of diagnostic reasoning in psychopathology.

Fuel Behavior Modeling Issues Associated with Future Fast Reactor Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yacout, A.M.; Hofman, G.L.; Lambert, J.D.B.; Kim, Y.S.

2007-01-01

Major issues of concern related to advanced fast reactor fuel behavior are discussed here with focus on phenomena that are encountered during irradiation of metallic fuel elements. Identification of those issues is part of an advanced fuel simulation effort that aims at improving fuel design and reducing reliance on conventional approach of design by experiment which is both time and resource consuming. (authors)

An extra-memetic empirical methodology to accompany theoretical memetics

OpenAIRE

Gill, Jameson

2012-01-01

Abstract\\ud \\ud Purpose: The paper describes the difficulties encountered by researchers who are looking to operationalise theoretical memetics and provides a methodological avenue for studies that can test meme theory.\\ud \\ud Design/Methodology/Approach: The application of evolutionary theory to organisations is reviewed by critically reflecting on the validity of its truth claims. To focus the discussion a number of applications of meme theory are reviewed to raise specific issues which oug...

Methodological Challenges in Sustainability Science: A Call for Method Plurality, Procedural Rigor and Longitudinal Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrik von Wehrden

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Sustainability science encompasses a unique field that is defined through its purpose, the problem it addresses, and its solution-oriented agenda. However, this orientation creates significant methodological challenges. In this discussion paper, we conceptualize sustainability problems as wicked problems to tease out the key challenges that sustainability science is facing if scientists intend to deliver on its solution-oriented agenda. Building on the available literature, we discuss three aspects that demand increased attention for advancing sustainability science: 1 methods with higher diversity and complementarity are needed to increase the chance of deriving solutions to the unique aspects of wicked problems; for instance, mixed methods approaches are potentially better suited to allow for an approximation of solutions, since they cover wider arrays of knowledge; 2 methodologies capable of dealing with wicked problems demand strict procedural and ethical guidelines, in order to ensure their integration potential; for example, learning from solution implementation in different contexts requires increased comparability between research approaches while carefully addressing issues of legitimacy and credibility; and 3 approaches are needed that allow for longitudinal research, since wicked problems are continuous and solutions can only be diagnosed in retrospect; for example, complex dynamics of wicked problems play out across temporal patterns that are not necessarily aligned with the common timeframe of participatory sustainability research. Taken together, we call for plurality in methodologies, emphasizing procedural rigor and the necessity of continuous research to effectively addressing wicked problems as well as methodological challenges in sustainability science.

Advancing the practice of health impact assessment in Canada: Obstacles and opportunities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McCallum, Lindsay C., E-mail: lindsay.mccallum@mail.utoronto.ca [University of Toronto, Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, 1265 Military Trail, Toronto, Ontario M1C 1A4 (Canada); Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc., 6605 Hurontario Street, Mississauga, Ontario L5T0A3 (Canada); Ollson, Christopher A., E-mail: collson@intrinsik.com [Intrinsik Environmental Sciences Inc., 6605 Hurontario Street, Mississauga, Ontario L5T0A3 (Canada); Stefanovic, Ingrid L., E-mail: fenvdean@sfu.ca [Simon Fraser University, Faculty of Environment, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6 (Canada)

2015-11-15

Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is recognized as a useful tool that can identify potential health impacts resulting from projects or policy initiatives. Although HIA has become an established practice in some countries, it is not yet an established practice in Canada. In order to enable broader support for HIA, this study provides a comprehensive review and analysis of the peer-reviewed and gray literature on the state of HIA practice. The results of this review revealed that, although there is an abundance of publications relating to HIA, there remains a lack of transparent, consistent and reproducible approaches and methods throughout the process. Findings indicate a need for further research and development on a number of fronts, including: 1) the nature of HIA triggers; 2) consistent scoping and stakeholder engagement approaches; 3) use of evidence and transparency of decision-making; 4) reproducibility of assessment methods; 5) monitoring and evaluation protocols; and, 6) integration within existing regulatory frameworks. Addressing these issues will aid in advancing the more widespread use of HIA in Canada. - Highlights: • Reviewed current state of practice in the field of HIA • Identified key obstacles and opportunities for HIA advancement • Major issues include lack of consistent approach and methodology. • No national regulatory driver hinders opportunity for widespread use of HIA. • Identified research opportunities vital to developing HIA practice in Canada.

Data Protection Issues in Higher Education with Technological Advancements

Science.gov (United States)

McKelvey, Nigel

2014-01-01

Adhering to laws whilst working or studying in an educational establishment is often fraught with challenges. The Irish Data Protection Act 1988 (Amendment 2003) strives to protect the individual where their personal data is potentially being abused. The advancements in technologies have facilitated educational establishments by improving…

IJIMAI Editor's Note - Vol. 3 Issue 4

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Angel Alberto Magreñán

2015-08-01

Full Text Available This special issue, Teaching Mathematics using new and classic tools, concentrates on the practical and experimental teaching in advanced Mathematics in Engineering. The selected papers deal with the most relevant issues in the field, such as Mathematical learning and other different subjects in which Mathematics are needed, Advanced Mathematics, the development of different studied using Masive Open Online courser (MOOCs or even the history of E-Learning and Mathematics. The result is a collection of experimental validations, mathematical papers and MOOCs studies which constitutes a clear contribution to the state of the art.

OPTIMIZATION OF ADVANCED FILTER SYSTEMS; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

R.A. Newby; G.J. Bruck; M.A. Alvin; T.E. Lippert

1998-01-01

Reliable, maintainable and cost effective hot gas particulate filter technology is critical to the successful commercialization of advanced, coal-fired power generation technologies, such as IGCC and PFBC. In pilot plant testing, the operating reliability of hot gas particulate filters have been periodically compromised by process issues, such as process upsets and difficult ash cake behavior (ash bridging and sintering), and by design issues, such as cantilevered filter elements damaged by ash bridging, or excessively close packing of filtering surfaces resulting in unacceptable pressure drop or filtering surface plugging. This test experience has focused the issues and has helped to define advanced hot gas filter design concepts that offer higher reliability. Westinghouse has identified two advanced ceramic barrier filter concepts that are configured to minimize the possibility of ash bridge formation and to be robust against ash bridges should they occur. The ''inverted candle filter system'' uses arrays of thin-walled, ceramic candle-type filter elements with inside-surface filtering, and contains the filter elements in metal enclosures for complete separation from ash bridges. The ''sheet filter system'' uses ceramic, flat plate filter elements supported from vertical pipe-header arrays that provide geometry that avoids the buildup of ash bridges and allows free fall of the back-pulse released filter cake. The Optimization of Advanced Filter Systems program is being conducted to evaluate these two advanced designs and to ultimately demonstrate one of the concepts in pilot scale. In the Base Contract program, the subject of this report, Westinghouse has developed conceptual designs of the two advanced ceramic barrier filter systems to assess their performance, availability and cost potential, and to identify technical issues that may hinder the commercialization of the technologies. A plan for the Option I, bench-scale test program has also been developed based

Artificial Intelligence Techniques and Methodology

OpenAIRE

Carbonell, Jaime G.; Sleeman, Derek

1982-01-01

Two closely related aspects of artificial intelligence that have received comparatively little attention in the recent literature are research methodology, and the analysis of computational techniques that span multiple application areas. We believe both issues to be increasingly significant as Artificial Intelligence matures into a science and spins off major application efforts. It is imperative to analyze the repertoire of AI methods with respect to past experience, utility in new domains,...

Theory of mind and Verstehen (understanding) methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumazaki, Tsutomu

2016-09-01

Theory of mind is a prominent, but highly controversial, field in psychology, psychiatry, and philosophy of mind. Simulation theory, theory-theory and other views have been presented in recent decades, none of which are monolithic. In this article, various views on theory of mind are reviewed, and methodological problems within each view are investigated. The relationship between simulation theory and Verstehen (understanding) methodology in traditional human sciences is an intriguing issue, although the latter is not a direct ancestor of the former. From that perspective, lessons for current clinical psychiatry are drawn. © The Author(s) 2016.

Intersystem LOCA risk assessment: methodology and results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galyean, W.J.; Kelly, D.L.; Schroeder, J.A.; Auflick, L.J.; Blackman, H.S.; Gertman, D.I.; Hanley, L.N.

1994-01-01

The United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission is sponsoring a research program to develop an improved understanding of the human factors, hardware and accident consequence issues that dominate the risk from an intersystem loss-of-coolant accident (ISLOCA) at a nuclear power plant. To accomplish the goals of this program, a mehtodology has been developed for estimating ISLOCA core damage frequency and risk. The steps in this methodology are briefly described, along with the results obtained from an application of the methodology at three pressurized water reactors. Also included are the results of a screening study of boiling water reactors. ((orig.))

Overview of the ISAM safety assessment methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simeonov, G.

2003-01-01

The ISAM safety assessment methodology consists of the following key components: specification of the assessment context description of the disposal system development and justification of scenarios formulation and implementation of models running of computer codes and analysis and presentation of results. Common issues run through two or more of these assessment components, including: use of methodological and computer tools, collation and use of data, need to address various sources of uncertainty, building of confidence in the individual components, as well as the overall assessment. The importance of the iterative nature of the assessment should be recognised

Development of a Methodology for Predicting Forest Area for Large-Area Resource Monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

William H. Cooke

2001-01-01

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southcm Research Station, appointed a remote-sensing team to develop an image-processing methodology for mapping forest lands over large geographic areds. The team has presented a repeatable methodology, which is based on regression modeling of Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and Landsat Thematic...

Recent advances in biodynamics of human hand-arm system.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Ren G; Wu, John Z; Welcome, Daniel E

2005-07-01

The biodynamics of human hand-arm system is one of the most important foundations for the measurement, evaluation, and risk assessment of hand-transmitted vibration (HTV) exposure. This paper presents a new conceptual model relating factors influencing cause-effect relationships for HTV exposure, a new study strategy, and a comprehensive review of the recent advances in the biodynamics closely associated with HTV exposure. The review covers the following five aspects: theoretical modeling of biodynamic responses, vibration transmissibility, driving-point biodynamic responses, evaluation of anti-vibration gloves, and applied forces. This review finds that some significant advances in each of these aspects have been achieved in the recent years. Several important issues and problems in the biodynamic measurement have been identified and resolved, which has significantly helped improve the reliability and accuracy of the experimental data. The results reported in recent years suggest that, from the point of view of biodynamics, the frequency weighting specified in ISO 5349-1 (2001) overestimates the low frequency effect but underestimates the high frequency effect on the fingers and hand. The major problems, issues, and topics for further studies are also outlined in this paper. It is anticipated that the further studies of the biodynamics of the system will eventually lead to establishment of a robust vibration exposure theory. Although this review focuses on the biodynamics of the hand-arm system, the fundamental concepts and some methodologies reviewed in this paper may also be applicable for the study of whole-body vibration exposure.

Development and delivery of a workshop methodology: planning for biomass power plant projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gray, A.J.; Delbridge, P.; Trevorrow, E.; Pile, C.

2001-07-01

This report gives details of the approach used to develop a workshop methodology to help planners and stakeholders address key issues that may arise when submitting a planning application for a biomass power plant in the light of the UK government's energy and climate change targets. The results of interviews with stakeholders (central government, regulatory authorities, developers, planners, non-governmental organisations, local community, resident groups) are summarised, and the NIMBY (not in my back yard) syndrome, the lack of trust in the developer, and lack of awareness of the use of biomass are discussed. Details are given of the design and testing of the workshop methodology and the resulting workshop methodology and workbook guide aimed at understanding the stakeholder issues and concerns through stakeholder discussions.

From SNOMED CT to Uberon: Transferability of evaluation methodology between similarly structured ontologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Elhanan, Gai; Ochs, Christopher; Mejino, Jose L V; Liu, Hao; Mungall, Christopher J; Perl, Yehoshua

2017-06-01

To examine whether disjoint partial-area taxonomy, a semantically-based evaluation methodology that has been successfully tested in SNOMED CT, will perform with similar effectiveness on Uberon, an anatomical ontology that belongs to a structurally similar family of ontologies as SNOMED CT. A disjoint partial-area taxonomy was generated for Uberon. One hundred randomly selected test concepts that overlap between partial-areas were matched to a same size control sample of non-overlapping concepts. The samples were blindly inspected for non-critical issues and presumptive errors first by a general domain expert whose results were then confirmed or rejected by a highly experienced anatomical ontology domain expert. Reported issues were subsequently reviewed by Uberon's curators. Overlapping concepts in Uberon's disjoint partial-area taxonomy exhibited a significantly higher rate of all issues. Clear-cut presumptive errors trended similarly but did not reach statistical significance. A sub-analysis of overlapping concepts with three or more relationship types indicated a much higher rate of issues. Overlapping concepts from Uberon's disjoint abstraction network are quite likely (up to 28.9%) to exhibit issues. The results suggest that the methodology can transfer well between same family ontologies. Although Uberon exhibited relatively few overlapping concepts, the methodology can be combined with other semantic indicators to expand the process to other concepts within the ontology that will generate high yields of discovered issues. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A methodology for string resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karonis, N.T.

1992-11-01

In this paper we present a methodology, not a tool. We present this methodology with the intent that it be adopted, on a case by case basis, by each of the existing tools in EPICS. In presenting this methodology, we describe each of its two components in detail and conclude with an example depicting how the methodology can be used across a pair of tools. The task of any control system is to provide access to the various components of the machine being controlled, for example, the Advanced Photon Source (APS). By access, we mean the ability to monitor the machine's status (reading) as well as the ability to explicitly change its status (writing). The Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) is a set of tools, designed to act in concert, that allows one to construct a control system. EPICS provides the ability to construct a control system that allows reading and writing access to the machine. It does this through the notion of databases. Each of the components of the APS that is accessed by the control system is represented in EPICS by a set of named database records. Once this abstraction is made, from physical device to named database records, the process of monitoring and changing the state of that device becomes the simple process of reading and writing information from and to its associated named records

An Overview of the Legal framework of Advanced Fee Fraud and Cybercrime in Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mu’azu Abdullahi Saulawa

2016-08-01

Full Text Available The paper seeks to discuss an overview on the advanced fee fraud offences as well as cybercrime in Nigerian. The aims of the paper focus on discussing the advanced fee fraud under the related provisions of Advanced Fee Fraud Act 2006 on the success of the law in addressing the practices of crimes in relation to information technology. The paper also discusses the cybercrimes in Nigeria with a brief look out on the Cybercrime (Prohibition and Prevention Act 2015. Further, it also aims at examining the application of the law in the fraud offences which raises an issue of the regulatory framework of the cybercrime. The methodology adopted by the paper is doctrinal approach method wherein both primary and secondary sources of data were analysed, particularly the local laws and other relevant documents. The finding of the paper reveals that the relevant section of the in the Advanced Fee Fraud Act that deals with electronic communication has not been invoked. This is because the discussed relevant law under the advanced fee fraud did not in any away deal with cases concerning electronic communication under section 13. The paper recommends that there is a need to strengthen the adequacy of the legal framework on the Cybercrimes so as to checkmate such practices in Nigeria.

Development of a HRA method based on Human Factor Issues for advanced NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Seung Woo; Seong, Poong Hyun; Ha, Jun Su; Park, Jae Hyuk; Kim, Ja Kyung

2010-01-01

A design of instrumentation and control (I and C) systems for various plant systems including nuclear power plants (NPPs) is rapidly moving toward fully digital I and C and modern computer techniques have been gradually introduced into the design of advanced main control room (MCR). In advanced MCR, computer based Human-System Interfaces (HSIs) such as CRT based displays, large display panels (LDP), advanced information system, soft control and computerized procedure system (CPS) are applied in advanced MCR. Human operators in an advanced MCR still play an important role. However, various research and experiences from NPPs with an advanced MCR show that characteristics of human operators' task would be changed due to the use of inexperienced HSIs. This gives implications to the PSFs (Performance Shaping Factors) in HRA (Human Reliability Analysis). PSF in HRA is an aspect of the human's individual characteristics, environment, organization, or task that specifically decrements or improves human performance resulting in increasing or decreasing the likelihood of human error. These PSFs have been suggested in various ways depending on the HRA methods used. In most HRA methods, however, there is a lack of inconsistency for the derivation of the PSFs and a lack of considerations of how the changes implemented in advanced MCR give impact on the operators' task. In this study, a framework for the derivation of and evaluation in the PSFs to be used in HRA for advanced NPPs is suggested

Recent Advances in Precision Machinery and Manufacturing Technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Chien-Hung; Hsieh, Wen-Hsiang; Chang, Zong-Yu

2014-01-01

Precision machinery and manufacturing technology are be- coming more important in current and future technologies. New knowledge in this field will aid in the advancement of various technologies that are needed to gain industrial competitiveness. To this end, the special issue aims to disseminate...... the latest advancements of relevant fundamental and applied research works of high quality to the inter- national community. The topics of the accepted articles in the special issue include precision manufacturing pro- cesses, measurements and control, robotics and automation, machine tools, advanced...

Effectiveness of Mentoring Program Practices. Research in Action. Issue 2

Science.gov (United States)

DuBois, David L.

2007-01-01

This article focuses on mentoring program practices in relation to issues of effectiveness, while recognizing that implications for program quality conceptualized more broadly is a key concern in need of greater investigation. The author provides an overview of selected conceptual and methodological issues involved with identification of…

Design methodology of Dutch banknotes

Science.gov (United States)

de Heij, Hans A. M.

2000-04-01

Since the introduction of a design methodology for Dutch banknotes, the quality of Dutch paper currency has improved in more than one way. The methodology is question provides for (i) a design policy, which helps fix clear objectives; (ii) design management, to ensure a smooth cooperation between the graphic designer, printer, papermaker an central bank, (iii) a program of requirements, a banknote development guideline for all parties involved. This systematic approach enables an objective selection of design proposals, including security features. Furthermore, the project manager obtains regular feedback from the public by conducting market surveys. Each new design of a Netherlands Guilder banknote issued by the Nederlandsche Bank of the past 50 years has been an improvement on its predecessor in terms of value recognition, security and durability.

Does Metformin Reduce Cancer Risks? Methodologic Considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Golozar, Asieh; Liu, Shuiqing; Lin, Joeseph A; Peairs, Kimberly; Yeh, Hsin-Chieh

2016-01-01

The substantial burden of cancer and diabetes and the association between the two conditions has been a motivation for researchers to look for targeted strategies that can simultaneously affect both diseases and reduce their overlapping burden. In the absence of randomized clinical trials, researchers have taken advantage of the availability and richness of administrative databases and electronic medical records to investigate the effects of drugs on cancer risk among diabetic individuals. The majority of these studies suggest that metformin could potentially reduce cancer risk. However, the validity of this purported reduction in cancer risk is limited by several methodological flaws either in the study design or in the analysis. Whether metformin use decreases cancer risk relies heavily on the availability of valid data sources with complete information on confounders, accurate assessment of drug use, appropriate study design, and robust analytical techniques. The majority of the observational studies assessing the association between metformin and cancer risk suffer from methodological shortcomings and efforts to address these issues have been incomplete. Future investigations on the association between metformin and cancer risk should clearly address the methodological issues due to confounding by indication, prevalent user bias, and time-related biases. Although the proposed strategies do not guarantee a bias-free estimate for the association between metformin and cancer, they will reduce synthesis of and reporting of erroneous results.

Carbohydrate metabolism teaching strategy for the Pharmacy course, applying active teaching methodology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uderlei Donizete Silveira Covizzi

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The traditional teaching method has been widely questioned on the development of skills and abilities in training healthcare professionals. In the traditional methodology the main transmitter of knowledge is the teacher while students assume passive spectator role. Some Brazilian institutions broke with this model, structuring the curriculum to student-centered learning. Some medical schools have adopted the Problem Based Learning (PBL, a methodology that presents problem questions, to be encountered by future physicians, for resolution in small tutorial groups. Our work proposes to apply an active teaching-learning methodology addressing carbohydrate metabolism during the discipline of biochemistry for under graduation students from pharmacy course. Thus, the academic content was presented through brief and objective talks. Later, learners were split into tutorial groups for the resolution of issues in context. During the activities, the teacher drove the discussion to the issues elucidation. At the end of the module learners evaluated the teaching methodology by means of an applied questionnaire and the developed content was evaluated by an usual individual test. The questionnaire analysis indicates that students believe they have actively participated in the teaching-learning process, being encouraged to discuss and understand the theme. The answers highlight closer ties between students and tutor. According to the professor, there is a greater student engagement with learning. It is concluded that an innovative methodology, where the primary responsibility for learning is centered in the student himself, besides to increase the interest in learning, facilitates learning by cases discussion in groups. The issues contextualization establishes a narrowing between theory and practice.

Theoretical and Methodological issues concerning managers' mental models of competitive industry structures

OpenAIRE

Daniels, Kevin; Johnson, Gerry; De Chernatony, Leslie

1992-01-01

To be presented at the British Academy of Management Conference, Bradford, September 1992. The methodology traditionally employed by strategic groups theorists categorizes companies on the basis of objective economic variables such as industry supply characteristics. Other lines of research have suggested that this economic approach is limited, and that a more cognitive approach is needed. Strategic groups theory proposes one way in which companies may be categorized, but it is not clea...

Symbiotic empirical ethics: a practical methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Frith, Lucy

2012-05-01

Like any discipline, bioethics is a developing field of academic inquiry; and recent trends in scholarship have been towards more engagement with empirical research. This 'empirical turn' has provoked extensive debate over how such 'descriptive' research carried out in the social sciences contributes to the distinctively normative aspect of bioethics. This paper will address this issue by developing a practical research methodology for the inclusion of data from social science studies into ethical deliberation. This methodology will be based on a naturalistic conception of ethical theory that sees practice as informing theory just as theory informs practice - the two are symbiotically related. From this engagement with practice, the ways that such theories need to be extended and developed can be determined. This is a practical methodology for integrating theory and practice that can be used in empirical studies, one that uses ethical theory both to explore the data and to draw normative conclusions. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Ohio Advanced Energy Manufacturing Center

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kimberly Gibson; Mark Norfolk

2012-07-30

The program goal of the Ohio Advanced Energy Manufacturing Center (OAEMC) is to support advanced energy manufacturing and to create responsive manufacturing clusters that will support the production of advanced energy and energy-efficient products to help ensure the nation's energy and environmental security. This goal cuts across a number of existing industry segments critical to the nation's future. Many of the advanced energy businesses are starting to make the transition from technology development to commercial production. Historically, this transition from laboratory prototypes through initial production for early adopters to full production for mass markets has taken several years. Developing and implementing manufacturing technology to enable production at a price point the market will accept is a key step. Since these start-up operations are configured to advance the technology readiness of the core energy technology, they have neither the expertise nor the resources to address manufacturing readiness issues they encounter as the technology advances toward market entry. Given the economic realities of today's business environment, finding ways to accelerate this transition can make the difference between success and failure for a new product or business. The advanced energy industry touches a wide range of industry segments that are not accustomed to working together in complex supply chains to serve large markets such as automotive and construction. During its first three years, the Center has catalyzed the communication between companies and industry groups that serve the wide range of advanced energy markets. The Center has also found areas of common concern, and worked to help companies address these concerns on a segment or industry basis rather than having each company work to solve common problems individually. EWI worked with three industries through public-private partnerships to sew together disparate segments helping to promote

Soft systems methodology: other voices

OpenAIRE

Holwell, Sue

2000-01-01

This issue of Systemic Practice and Action Research, celebrating the work of Peter Checkland, in the particular nature and development of soft systems methodology (SSM), would not have happened unless the work was seen by others as being important. No significant contribution to thinking happens without a secondary literature developing. Not surprisingly, many commentaries have accompanied the ongoing development of SSM. Some of these are insightful, some full of errors, and some include both...

Advances in neural networks computational and theoretical issues

CERN Document Server

Esposito, Anna; Morabito, Francesco

2015-01-01

This book collects research works that exploit neural networks and machine learning techniques from a multidisciplinary perspective. Subjects covered include theoretical, methodological and computational topics which are grouped together into chapters devoted to the discussion of novelties and innovations related to the field of Artificial Neural Networks as well as the use of neural networks for applications, pattern recognition, signal processing, and special topics such as the detection and recognition of multimodal emotional expressions and daily cognitive functions, and  bio-inspired memristor-based networks.  Providing insights into the latest research interest from a pool of international experts coming from different research fields, the volume becomes valuable to all those with any interest in a holistic approach to implement believable, autonomous, adaptive, and context-aware Information Communication Technologies.

Human error risk management for engineering systems: a methodology for design, safety assessment, accident investigation and training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cacciabue, P.C.

2004-01-01

The objective of this paper is to tackle methodological issues associated with the inclusion of cognitive and dynamic considerations into Human Reliability methods. A methodology called Human Error Risk Management for Engineering Systems is presented that offers a 'roadmap' for selecting and consistently applying Human Factors approaches in different areas of application and contains also a 'body' of possible methods and techniques of its own. Two types of possible application are discussed to demonstrate practical applications of the methodology. Specific attention is dedicated to the issue of data collection and definition from specific field assessment

Methodological Reflections: Inter- ethnic Research

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Singla, Rashmi

2010-01-01

with both youth and the parental generation with ethnic minority background in Denmark. These reflections include implications and challenges related to researcher’s national, ethnic background and educational, professional position in encounter with   diverse ‘researched persons’ such as youth......This article reflects on the methodological and epistemological aspects of the ethical issues involved in encounters between researcher and research participants with ethnic minority background in contexts with diversity. Specific challenges involved in longitudinal research (10 - 15 years......) are also considered. The issues related to the social relevance of the research deriving from psycho political validity implying consideration of power dynamics in the personal, relational and collective domains are included. The primary basis for these reflections is a follow-up study concerning young...

Building Irish families through surrogacy: medical and judicial issues for the advanced reproductive technologies.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Sills, Eric Scott

2008-01-01

Surrogacy involves one woman (surrogate mother) carrying a child for another person\\/s (commissioning person\\/couple), based on a mutual agreement requiring the child to be handed over to the commissioning person\\/couple following birth. Reasons for seeking surrogacy include situations where a woman has non-functional or absent reproductive organs, or as a remedy for recurrent pregnancy loss. Additionally, surrogacy may find application in any medical context where pregnancy is contraindicated, or where a couple consisting of two males seek to become parents through oocyte donation. Gestational surrogacy is one of the main issues at the forefront of bioethics and the advanced reproductive technologies, representing an important challenge to medical law. This analysis reviews the history of surrogacy and clinical and legal issues pertaining to this branch of reproductive medicine. Interestingly, the Medical Council of Ireland does not acknowledge surrogacy in its current practice guidelines, nor is there specific legislation addressing surrogacy in Ireland at present. We therefore have developed a contract-based model for surrogacy in which, courts in Ireland may consider when confronted with a surrogacy dispute, and formulated a system to resolve any potential dispute arising from a surrogacy arrangement. While the 2005 report by the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction (CAHR) is an expert opinion guiding the Oireachtas\\' development of specific legislation governing assisted human reproduction and surrogacy, our report represents independent scholarship on the contractual elements of surrogacy with particular focus on how Irish courts might decide on surrogacy matters in a modern day Ireland. This joint medico-legal collaborative also reviews the contract for services arrangement between the commissioning person\\/s and the surrogate, and the extent to which the contract may be enforced.

Building Irish families through surrogacy: medical and judicial issues for the advanced reproductive technologies

Science.gov (United States)

Sills, Eric Scott; Healy, Clifford M

2008-01-01

Surrogacy involves one woman (surrogate mother) carrying a child for another person/s (commissioning person/couple), based on a mutual agreement requiring the child to be handed over to the commissioning person/couple following birth. Reasons for seeking surrogacy include situations where a woman has non-functional or absent reproductive organs, or as a remedy for recurrent pregnancy loss. Additionally, surrogacy may find application in any medical context where pregnancy is contraindicated, or where a couple consisting of two males seek to become parents through oocyte donation. Gestational surrogacy is one of the main issues at the forefront of bioethics and the advanced reproductive technologies, representing an important challenge to medical law. This analysis reviews the history of surrogacy and clinical and legal issues pertaining to this branch of reproductive medicine. Interestingly, the Medical Council of Ireland does not acknowledge surrogacy in its current practice guidelines, nor is there specific legislation addressing surrogacy in Ireland at present. We therefore have developed a contract-based model for surrogacy in which, courts in Ireland may consider when confronted with a surrogacy dispute, and formulated a system to resolve any potential dispute arising from a surrogacy arrangement. While the 2005 report by the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction (CAHR) is an expert opinion guiding the Oireachtas' development of specific legislation governing assisted human reproduction and surrogacy, our report represents independent scholarship on the contractual elements of surrogacy with particular focus on how Irish courts might decide on surrogacy matters in a modern day Ireland. This joint medico-legal collaborative also reviews the contract for services arrangement between the commissioning person/s and the surrogate, and the extent to which the contract may be enforced. PMID:18983640

Building Irish families through surrogacy: medical and judicial issues for the advanced reproductive technologies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Healy Clifford M

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Surrogacy involves one woman (surrogate mother carrying a child for another person/s (commissioning person/couple, based on a mutual agreement requiring the child to be handed over to the commissioning person/couple following birth. Reasons for seeking surrogacy include situations where a woman has non-functional or absent reproductive organs, or as a remedy for recurrent pregnancy loss. Additionally, surrogacy may find application in any medical context where pregnancy is contraindicated, or where a couple consisting of two males seek to become parents through oocyte donation. Gestational surrogacy is one of the main issues at the forefront of bioethics and the advanced reproductive technologies, representing an important challenge to medical law. This analysis reviews the history of surrogacy and clinical and legal issues pertaining to this branch of reproductive medicine. Interestingly, the Medical Council of Ireland does not acknowledge surrogacy in its current practice guidelines, nor is there specific legislation addressing surrogacy in Ireland at present. We therefore have developed a contract-based model for surrogacy in which, courts in Ireland may consider when confronted with a surrogacy dispute, and formulated a system to resolve any potential dispute arising from a surrogacy arrangement. While the 2005 report by the Commission on Assisted Human Reproduction (CAHR is an expert opinion guiding the Oireachtas' development of specific legislation governing assisted human reproduction and surrogacy, our report represents independent scholarship on the contractual elements of surrogacy with particular focus on how Irish courts might decide on surrogacy matters in a modern day Ireland. This joint medico-legal collaborative also reviews the contract for services arrangement between the commissioning person/s and the surrogate, and the extent to which the contract may be enforced.

Advances in passive cooling design and performance analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodcock, J.

1994-01-01

The Third International Conference on Containment Design and Operation continues the trend of rapidly extending the state of the art in containment methodology, joining other conferences, OECD-sponsored International Standard Problem exercises, and vendor licensing submittals. Methodology developed for use on plants with passive features is under increasing scrutiny for advanced designs, since the passive features are often the only deviation from existing operating base of the past 30 years of commercial nuclear power. This session, 'Containment Passive Safety Systems Design and Operation,' offers papers on a wide range of topics, with authors from six organizations from around the world, dealing with general passive containments, Westinghouse AP600, large (>1400 MWe) passive plants, and the AECL advanced CANDU reactor. This level and variety of participation underscores the high interest and accelerated methods development associated with advanced passive containment heat removal. The papers presented in this session demonstrate that significant contributions are being made to the advancement of technology necessary for building a new generation of safer, more economical nuclear plants. (author)

Advanced verification topics

CERN Document Server

Bhattacharya, Bishnupriya; Hall, Gary; Heaton, Nick; Kashai, Yaron; Khan Neyaz; Kirshenbaum, Zeev; Shneydor, Efrat

2011-01-01

The Accellera Universal Verification Methodology (UVM) standard is architected to scale, but verification is growing and in more than just the digital design dimension. It is growing in the SoC dimension to include low-power and mixed-signal and the system integration dimension to include multi-language support and acceleration. These items and others all contribute to the quality of the SOC so the Metric-Driven Verification (MDV) methodology is needed to unify it all into a coherent verification plan. This book is for verification engineers and managers familiar with the UVM and the benefits it brings to digital verification but who also need to tackle specialized tasks. It is also written for the SoC project manager that is tasked with building an efficient worldwide team. While the task continues to become more complex, Advanced Verification Topics describes methodologies outside of the Accellera UVM standard, but that build on it, to provide a way for SoC teams to stay productive and profitable.

Proceedings of the symposium on advanced measurement techniques and instrumentation: abstract book

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kale, Y.B.; Kushwaha, M.; Somkuwar, S.P.; Ajayakumar, S.; Sampathkumar, R.

2011-01-01

In order to consolidate the existing knowledge base and further to focus on the future directions of the field of advanced measurement techniques and instrumentation, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre has organized a three-day symposium on 'Advanced Measurement Techniques and Instrumentation' at Multi Purpose Hall, Training School Hostel, Anushaktinagar, Mumbai during February 02-04, 2011. The symposium is aimed at providing a forum to discuss the emerging trends and challenges ahead in the important area of measurement science and technology. This is a unique symposium, which brings together scientists and engineers from all disciplines and provides them a platform for close interaction to exchange ideas, methodologies and expertise, which is extremely important for synergic growth of this field. The symposium consists of 27 talks, which include keynote address, plenary and invited talks, and 63 contributory papers. The abstracts of these papers are brought to you in this volume. Readers may observe that the scientific programme of the symposium covers a wide ranging issues including advanced scientific concepts in measurements, instrumentation strategies, mathematical techniques and development of devices for applications in fundamental physics, astrophysics, fusion plasmas, nuclear reactors, accelerators, environment, chemical and biological sciences, and national security. Papers relevant to INIS are indexed separately

Development of the advanced CANDU technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suk, Soo Dong; Min, Byung Joo; Na, Y. H.; Lee, S. Y.; Choi, J. H.; Lee, B. C.; Kim, S. N.; Jo, C. H.; Paik, J. S.; On, M. R.; Park, H. S.; Kim, S. R.

1997-07-01

The purpose of this study is to develop the advanced design technology to improve safety, operability and economy and to develop and advanced safety evaluation system. More realistic and reasonable methodology and modeling was employed to improve safety margin in containment analysis. Various efforts have been made to verify the CATHENA code which is the major safety analysis code for CANDU PHWR system. Fully computerized prototype ECCS was developed. The feasibility study and conceptual design of the distributed digital control system have been performed as well. The core characteristics of advanced fuel cycle, fuel management and power upgrade have been studied to determine the advanced core. (author). 77 refs., 51 tabs., 108 figs

Development of the advanced CANDU technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suk, Soo Dong; Min, Byung Joo [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Na, Y H; Lee, S Y; Choi, J H; Lee, B C; Kim, S N; Jo, C H; Paik, J S; On, M R; Park, H S; Kim, S R [Korea Electric Power Co., Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1997-07-01

The purpose of this study is to develop the advanced design technology to improve safety, operability and economy and to develop and advanced safety evaluation system. More realistic and reasonable methodology and modeling was employed to improve safety margin in containment analysis. Various efforts have been made to verify the CATHENA code which is the major safety analysis code for CANDU PHWR system. Fully computerized prototype ECCS was developed. The feasibility study and conceptual design of the distributed digital control system have been performed as well. The core characteristics of advanced fuel cycle, fuel management and power upgrade have been studied to determine the advanced core. (author). 77 refs., 51 tabs., 108 figs.

A discussion of current issues and concepts in the practice of skull-photo/craniofacial superimposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordon, G M; Steyn, M

2016-05-01

A recent review paper on cranio-facial superimposition (CFS) stated that "there have been specific conceptual variances" from the original methods used in the practice of skull-photo superimposition, leading to poor results as far as accuracy is concerned. It was argued that the deviations in the practice of the technique have resulted in the reduced accuracies (for both failure to include and failure to exclude) that are noted in several recent studies. This paper aims to present the results from recent research to highlight the advancement of skull-photo/cranio-facial superimposition, and to discuss some of the issues raised regarding deviations from original techniques. The evolving methodology of CFS is clarified in context with the advancement of technology, forensic science and specifically within the field of forensic anthropology. Developments in the skull-photo/cranio-facial superimposition techniques have largely focused on testing reliability and accuracy objectively. Techniques now being employed by forensic anthropologists must conform to rigorous scientific testing and methodologies. Skull-photo/cranio-facial superimposition is constantly undergoing accuracy and repeatability testing which is in line with the principles of the scientific method and additionally allows for advancement in the field. Much of the research has indicated that CFS is useful in exclusion which is consistent with the concept of Popperian falsifiability - a hypothesis and experimental design which is falsifiable. As the hypothesis is disproved or falsified, another evolves to replace it and explain the new observations. Current and future studies employing different methods to test the accuracy and reliability of skull-photo/cranio-facial superimposition will enable researchers to establish the contribution the technique can have for identification purposes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Holistic safety analysis for advanced nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarenga, M.A.B.; Guimaraes, A.C.F.

1992-01-01

This paper reviews the basic methodology of safety analysis used in the ANGRA-I and ANGRA-II nuclear power plants, its weaknesses, the problems with public acceptance of the risks, the future of the nuclear energy in Brazil, as well as recommends a new methodology, HOLISTIC SAFETY ANALYSIS, to be used both in the design and licensing phases, for advanced reactors. (author)

Methodology for Measuring the Complexity of Enterprise Information Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilja Holub

2016-07-01

Full Text Available The complexity of enterprise information systems is currently a challenge faced not only by IT professionals and project managers, but also by the users of such systems. Current methodologies and frameworks used to design and implement information systems do not specifically deal with the issue of their complexity and, apart from few exceptions, do not at all attempt to simplify the complexity. This article presents the author's own methodology for managing complexity, which can be used to complement any other methodology and which helps limit the growth of complexity. It introduces its own definition and metric of complexity, which it defines as the sum of entities of the individual UML models of the given system, which are selected according to the MMDIS methodology so as to consistently describe all relevant content dimensions of the system. The main objective is to propose a methodology to manage information system complexity and to verify it in practice on a real-life SAP implementation project.

Advanced photonic methodologies for the 'in vitro' manipulation of cellular systems

OpenAIRE

McDougall, Craig

2011-01-01

This thesis investigates the application of a variety of optical techniques for the manipulation of single cells and their local micro-environment. The methodologies developed provide enhanced control over a single cell under study affording exquisite spatial and temporal control over biological processes of interest. The work presented within the thesis can be split into three distinct categories. The first of these provides an investigation in light activated “caged” molecula...

Software verification and validation methodology for advanced digital reactor protection system using diverse dual processors to prevent common mode failure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, Ki Chang; Shin, Hyun Kook; Lee, Nam Hoon; Baek, Seung Min; Kim, Hang Bae

2001-01-01

The Advanced Digital Reactor Protection System (ADRPS) with diverse dual processors is being developed by the National Research Lab of KOPEC for ADRPS development. One of the ADRPS goals is to develop digital Plant Protection System (PPS) free of Common Mode Failure (CMF). To prevent CMF, the principle of diversity is applied to both hardware design and software design. For the hardware diversity, two different types of CPUs are used for Bistable Processor and Local Coincidence Logic Processor. The VME based Single Board Computers (SBC) are used for the CPU hardware platforms. The QNX Operating System (OS) and the VxWorks OS are used for software diversity. Rigorous Software Verification and Validation (V and V) is also required to prevent CMF. In this paper, software V and V methodology for the ADRPS is described to enhance the ADRPS software reliability and to assure high quality of the ADRPS software

Guidelines for nuclear-power-plant safety-issue-prioritization information development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrews, W.B.; Gallucci, R.H.V.; Heaberlin, S.W.; Bickford, W.E.; Konzek, G.J.; Strenge, D.L.; Smith, R.I.; Weakley, S.A.

1983-02-01

Pacific Northwest Laboratory has developed a methodology, with examples, to calculate - to an approximation serviceable for prioritization purposes - the risk, dose and cost impacts of implementing resolutions to reactor safety issues. This report is an applications guide to issue-specific calculations. A description of the approach, mathematical models, worksheets and step-by-step examples are provided. Analysis using this method is intended to provide comparable results for many issues at a cost of two staff-weeks per issue. Results will be used by the NRC to support decisions related to issue priorities in allocation of resources to complete safety issue resolutions

Project success: A methodological and evaluative case study of the early alert program interventions

Science.gov (United States)

Larkins, Randy James

The purpose of this study was twofold. First, to methodologically examine the use of three types of focus groups 1), traditional face-to face, 2), online video and audio, and 3) online text only. Second, to examine the impact of academic intervention attempts offered by university and department support services. Methodologically, the three types of focus groups were compared in terms of ease of use, comfort, richness of data and ethical considerations. Contextually, support services for a general chemistry course taken primarily by new students were examined using an evaluation method involving effort, monitoring, process, component and treatment specification types of implementation. For this research, fourteen students enrolled in the general chemistry course at Rocky Mountain University in fall term 2014 participated in one of the three types of focus groups to discuss support services for the course. Since the increase of technological advances in the late twentieth century, the use of electronic focus groups has been viewed as a viable alternative to traditional in-person meetings. However, different methods within a methodology might produce different results for both students and researchers. This study inspected differences in ease of use for participants and the researcher, comfort in terms of using technology and in discussing academic issues and support services, richness of the data, and ethical issues surrounding privacy and confidentiality. For this case study, methodological findings were that in-person groups still had relevance in this age of advanced technology. Audio-video groups were more limited than in-person groups in terms of interaction and administration, while text-only groups were easiest to transcribe, but seemed to be the most limited in terms of all other aspects of the research. Finally, ethical concerns were not considered important by members in any group; therefore, it is incumbent on the researcher to provide the best ethical

Transmission access raises unresolved economic issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Happ, H.H.

1994-01-01

The electric utility industry is in the process of gradual change from a fully regulated industry to one of partial deregulation. Instead of relying on regulation to achieve a fair and equitable price to the consumer for electric energy, the reliance is placed more and more on market forces, through competition, to provide wholesale energy at the best market price. Clearly, open transmission access is required to create a viable competitive wholesale market for new generation resources. This article describes four unresolved, or at least partially unresolved, issues associated with transmission access for wholesale wheeling. Wheeling has been defined as the use of a utility's transmission facilities to transmit power for other buyers and sellers. At least three parties are involved in a wheeling transaction: a seller, a buyer, and one or more wheeling utilities that transmit the power from the seller to the buyer. This article considers wholesale or bulk wheeling only, and does not consider retail wheeling. The four unresolved economic issues described in this article pertain to transmission access: Actual cost of providing transmission services, Methodology or methodologies used in evaluating the cost of wheeling, Contract path versus the actual power flows of the wheel, Issues associated with the formation of transmission regions