Review criteria for the physical fitness training requirements in 10 CFR Part 73

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, C.

1994-09-01

This document provides review criteria that will be used in reviewing and approving revised physical security plans submitted by licensees which are required to meet the physical fitness requirements in 10 CFR Part 73

INTEGRATED METHODOLOGY FOR PRODUCT PLANNING USING MULTI CRITERIA ANALYSIS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tarun Soota

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Integrated approach to multi-criteria decision problems is proposed using quality function deployment and analytical network process. The objective of the work is to rationalize and improve the method of analyzing and interpreting customer needs and technical requirements. The methodology is used to determine, prioritize engineering requirements based on customer needs for development of best product. Framework allows decision maker to decompose a complex problem in a hierarchical structure to show relationship between objective and criteria. Multi-criteria decision modeling is used for extending the hierarchy process to both dependence and feedback. A case study on bikes is presented for the proposed model.

A Multi-Criteria Portfolio Analysis of Hedge Fund Strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D.E. Allen (David); M.J. McAleer (Michael); A.K. Singh (Abhay)

2016-01-01

textabstractThis paper features a tri-criteria analysis of Eurekahedge fund data strategy index data. We use nine Eurekahedge equally weighted main strategy indices for the portfolio analysis. The tri-criteria analysis features three objectives: return, risk and dispersion of risk objectives in a

A performance requirements analysis of the SSC control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunt, S.M.; Low, K.

1992-01-01

This paper presents the results of analysis of the performance requirements of the Superconducting Super Collider Control System. We quantify the performance requirements of the system in terms of response time, throughput and reliability. We then examine the effect of distance and traffic patterns on control system performance and examine how these factors influence the implementation of the control network architecture and compare the proposed system against those criteria. (author)

Combined multi-criteria and cost-benefit analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Moshøj, Claus Rehfeld

1996-01-01

The paper is an introduction to both theory and application of combined Cost-Benefit and Multi-Criteria Analysis. The first section is devoted to basic utility theory and its practical application in Cost-Benefit Analysis. Based on some of the problems encountered, arguments in favour...... of the application of utility-based Multi-Criteria Analyses methods as an extension and refinement of the traditional Cost-Benefit Analysis are provided. The theory presented in this paper is closely related the methods used in the WARP software (Leleur & Jensen, 1989). The presentation is however wider in scope.......The second section introduces the stated preference methodology used in WARP to create weight profiles for project pool sensitivity analysis. This section includes a simple example. The third section discusses how decision makers can get a priori aid to make their pair-wise comparisons based on project pool...

Structural acceptance criteria Remote Handling Building Tritium Extraction Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mertz, G.

1999-12-16

This structural acceptance criteria contains the requirements for the structural analysis and design of the Remote Handling Building (RHB) in the Tritium Extraction Facility (TEF). The purpose of this acceptance criteria is to identify the specific criteria and methods that will ensure a structurally robust building that will safely perform its intended function and comply with the applicable Department of Energy (DOE) structural requirements.

Structural acceptance criteria Remote Handling Building Tritium Extraction Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mertz, G.

1999-01-01

This structural acceptance criteria contains the requirements for the structural analysis and design of the Remote Handling Building (RHB) in the Tritium Extraction Facility (TEF). The purpose of this acceptance criteria is to identify the specific criteria and methods that will ensure a structurally robust building that will safely perform its intended function and comply with the applicable Department of Energy (DOE) structural requirements

Hanford Site solid waste acceptance criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ellefson, M.D.

1998-01-01

Order 5820.2A requires that each treatment, storage, and/or disposal facility (referred to in this document as TSD unit) that manages low-level or transuranic waste (including mixed waste and TSCA PCB waste) maintain waste acceptance criteria. These criteria must address the various requirements to operate the TSD unit in compliance with applicable safety and environmental requirements. This document sets forth the baseline criteria for acceptance of radioactive waste at TSD units operated by WMH. The criteria for each TSD unit have been established to ensure that waste accepted can be managed in a manner that is within the operating requirements of the unit, including environmental regulations, DOE Orders, permits, technical safety requirements, waste analysis plans, performance assessments, and other applicable requirements. Acceptance criteria apply to the following TSD units: the Low-Level Burial Grounds (LLBG) including both the nonregulated portions of the LLBG and trenches 31 and 34 of the 218-W-5 Burial Ground for mixed waste disposal; Central Waste Complex (CWC); Waste Receiving and Processing Facility (WRAP); and T Plant Complex. Waste from all generators, both from the Hanford Site and from offsite facilities, must comply with these criteria. Exceptions can be granted as provided in Section 1.6. Specific waste streams could have additional requirements based on the 1901 identified TSD pathway. These requirements are communicated in the Waste Specification Records (WSRds). The Hanford Site manages nonradioactive waste through direct shipments to offsite contractors. The waste acceptance requirements of the offsite TSD facility must be met for these nonradioactive wastes. This document does not address the acceptance requirements of these offsite facilities

To Predict the Requirement of Pharmacotherapy by OGTT Glucose Levels in Women with GDM Classified by the IADPSG Criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gülen Yerlikaya

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to assess the association between OGTT glucose levels and requirement of pharmacotherapy in GDM patients classified by the IADPSG criteria. This study included 203 GDM patients (108 managed with lifestyle modification and 95 requiring pharmacotherapy. Clinical risk factors and OGTT glucose concentrations at 0 (G0, 60 (G60, and 120 min (G120 were collected. OGTT glucose levels were significantly associated with the later requirement of pharmacotherapy (ROC-AUC: 71.1, 95% CI: 63.8–78.3. Also, the combination of clinical risk factors (age, BMI, parity, and pharmacotherapy in previous gestation showed an acceptable predictive accuracy (ROC-AUC: 72.1, 95% CI: 65.0–79.2, which was further improved when glycemic parameters were added (ROC-AUC: 77.5, 95% CI: 71.5–83.9. Random forest analysis revealed the highest variable importance for G0, G60, and age. OGTT glucose measures in addition to clinical risk factors showed promising properties for risk stratification in GDM patients classified by the recently established IADPSG criteria.

Design requirements, criteria and methods for seismic qualification of CANDU power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singh, N.; Duff, C.G.

1979-10-01

This report describes the requirements and criteria for the seismic design and qualification of systems and equipment in CANDU nuclear power plants. Acceptable methods and techniques for seismic qualification of CANDU nuclear power plants to mitigate the effects or the consequences of earthquakes are also described. (auth)

Integrating multi-criteria decision analysis for a GIS-based hazardous waste landfill sitting in Kurdistan Province, western Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharifi, Mozafar; Hadidi, Mosslem; Vessali, Elahe; Mosstafakhani, Parasto; Taheri, Kamal; Shahoie, Saber; Khodamoradpour, Mehran

2009-01-01

The evaluation of a hazardous waste disposal site is a complicated process because it requires data from diverse social and environmental fields. These data often involve processing of a significant amount of spatial information which can be used by GIS as an important tool for land use suitability analysis. This paper presents a multi-criteria decision analysis alongside with a geospatial analysis for the selection of hazardous waste landfill sites in Kurdistan Province, western Iran. The study employs a two-stage analysis to provide a spatial decision support system for hazardous waste management in a typically under developed region. The purpose of GIS was to perform an initial screening process to eliminate unsuitable land followed by utilization of a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to identify the most suitable sites using the information provided by the regional experts with reference to new chosen criteria. Using 21 exclusionary criteria, as input layers, masked maps were prepared. Creating various intermediate or analysis map layers a final overlay map was obtained representing areas for hazardous waste landfill sites. In order to evaluate different landfill sites produced by the overlaying a landfill suitability index system was developed representing cumulative effects of relative importance (weights) and suitability values of 14 non-exclusionary criteria including several criteria resulting from field observation. Using this suitability index 15 different sites were visited and based on the numerical evaluation provided by MCDA most suitable sites were determined.

Use of multi-criteria decision analysis to identify potentially dangerous glacial lakes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kougkoulos, Ioannis; Cook, Simon J; Jomelli, Vincent; Clarke, Leon; Symeonakis, Elias; Dortch, Jason M; Edwards, Laura A; Merad, Myriam

2018-04-15

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) represent a significant threat in deglaciating environments, necessitating the development of GLOF hazard and risk assessment procedures. Here, we outline a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) approach that can be used to rapidly identify potentially dangerous lakes in regions without existing tailored GLOF risk assessments, where a range of glacial lake types exist, and where field data are sparse or non-existent. Our MCDA model (1) is desk-based and uses freely and widely available data inputs and software, and (2) allows the relative risk posed by a range of glacial lake types to be assessed simultaneously within any region. A review of the factors that influence GLOF risk, combined with the strict rules of criteria selection inherent to MCDA, has allowed us to identify 13 exhaustive, non-redundant, and consistent risk criteria. We use our MCDA model to assess the risk of 16 extant glacial lakes and 6 lakes that have already generated GLOFs, and found that our results agree well with previous studies. For the first time in GLOF risk assessment, we employed sensitivity analyses to test the strength of our model results and assumptions, and to identify lakes that are sensitive to the criteria and risk thresholds used. A key benefit of the MCDA method is that sensitivity analyses are readily undertaken. Overall, these sensitivity analyses lend support to our model, although we suggest that further work is required to determine the relative importance of assessment criteria, and the thresholds that determine the level of risk for each criterion. As a case study, the tested method was then applied to 25 potentially dangerous lakes in the Bolivian Andes, where GLOF risk is poorly understood; 3 lakes are found to pose 'medium' or 'high' risk, and require further detailed investigation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multi-Criteria Analysis for Solar Farm Location Suitability

Science.gov (United States)

Mierzwiak, Michal; Calka, Beata

2017-12-01

Currently the number of solar farms, as a type of renewable sources of energy, is growing rapidly. Photovoltaic power stations have many advantages, which is an incentive for their building and development. Solar energy is readily available and inexhaustible, and its production is environmentally friendly. In the present study multiple environmental and economic criteria were taken into account to select a potential photovoltaic farm location, with particular emphasis on: protected areas, land cover, solar radiation, slope angle, proximity to roads, built-up areas, and power lines. Advanced data analysis were used because of the multiplicity of criteria and their diverse influence on the choice of a potential location. They included the spatial analysis, the Weighted Linear Combination Technique (WLC), and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) as a decisionmaking method. The analysis was divided into two stages. In the first one, the areas where the location of solar farms was not possible were excluded. In the second one, the best locations meeting all environmental and economic criteria were selected. The research was conducted for the Legionowo District, using data from national surveying and mapping resources such as: BDOT10k (Database of Topographic Objects), NMT (Numerical Terrain Model), and lands and buildings register. Finally, several areas meeting the criteria were chosen. The research deals with solar farms with up to 40 kW power. The results of the study are presented as thematic maps. The advantage of the method is its versatility. It can be used not only for any area, but with little modification of the criteria, it can also be applied to choose a location for wind farms.

Rett syndrome diagnostic criteria: lessons from the Natural History Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Percy, Alan K; Neul, Jeffrey L; Glaze, Daniel G; Motil, Kathleen J; Skinner, Steven A; Khwaja, Omar; Lee, Hye-Seung; Lane, Jane B; Barrish, Judy O; Annese, Fran; McNair, Lauren; Graham, Joy; Barnes, Katherine

2010-12-01

Analysis of 819 participants enrolled in the Rett syndrome (RTT) Natural History Study validates recently revised diagnostic criteria. 765 females fulfilled 2002 consensus criteria for classic (653/85.4%) or variant (112/14.6%) RTT. All participants classified as classic RTT fulfilled each revised main criterion; supportive criteria were not uniformly present. All variant RTT participants met at least 3 of 6 main criteria in the 2002, 2 of 4 main criteria in the current format, and 5 of 11 supportive criteria in both. This analysis underscores the critical role of main criteria for classic RTT; variant RTT requires both main and supportive criteria.

Safety analysis, risk assessment, and risk acceptance criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamali, K.

1997-01-01

This paper discusses a number of topics that relate safety analysis as documented in the Department of Energy (DOE) safety analysis reports (SARs), probabilistic risk assessments (PRA) as characterized primarily in the context of the techniques that have assumed some level of formality in commercial nuclear power plant applications, and risk acceptance criteria as an outgrowth of PRA applications. DOE SARs of interest are those that are prepared for DOE facilities under DOE Order 5480.23 and the implementing guidance in DOE STD-3009-94. It must be noted that the primary area of application for DOE STD-3009 is existing DOE facilities and that certain modifications of the STD-3009 approach are necessary in SARs for new facilities. Moreover, it is the hazard analysis (HA) and accident analysis (AA) portions of these SARs that are relevant to the present discussions. Although PRAs can be qualitative in nature, PRA as used in this paper refers more generally to all quantitative risk assessments and their underlying methods. HA as used in this paper refers more generally to all qualitative risk assessments and their underlying methods that have been in use in hazardous facilities other than nuclear power plants. This discussion includes both quantitative and qualitative risk assessment methods. PRA has been used, improved, developed, and refined since the Reactor Safety Study (WASH-1400) was published in 1975 by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Much debate has ensued since WASH-1400 on exactly what the role of PRA should be in plant design, reactor licensing, 'ensuring' plant and process safety, and a large number of other decisions that must be made for potentially hazardous activities. Of particular interest in this area is whether the risks quantified using PRA should be compared with numerical risk acceptance criteria (RACs) to determine whether a facility is 'safe.' Use of RACs requires quantitative estimates of consequence frequency and magnitude

Analysis of Criteria Influencing Contractor Selection Using TOPSIS Method

Science.gov (United States)

Alptekin, Orkun; Alptekin, Nesrin

2017-10-01

Selection of the most suitable contractor is an important process in public construction projects. This process is a major decision which may influence the progress and success of a construction project. Improper selection of contractors may lead to problems such as bad quality of work and delay in project duration. Especially in the construction projects of public buildings, the proper choice of contractor is beneficial to the public institution. Public procurement processes have different characteristics in respect to dissimilarities in political, social and economic features of every country. In Turkey, Turkish Public Procurement Law PPL 4734 is the main regulatory law for the procurement of the public buildings. According to the PPL 4734, public construction administrators have to contract with the lowest bidder who has the minimum requirements according to the criteria in prequalification process. Public administrators are not sufficient for selection of the proper contractor because of the restrictive provisions of the PPL 4734. The lowest bid method does not enable public construction administrators to select the most qualified contractor and they have realised the fact that the selection of a contractor based on lowest bid alone is inadequate and may lead to the failure of the project in terms of time delay Eand poor quality standards. In order to evaluate the overall efficiency of a project, it is necessary to identify selection criteria. This study aims to focus on identify importance of other criteria besides lowest bid criterion in contractor selection process of PPL 4734. In this study, a survey was conducted to staff of Department of Construction Works of Eskisehir Osmangazi University. According to TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to the Ideal Solution) for analysis results, termination of construction work in previous tenders is the most important criterion of 12 determined criteria. The lowest bid criterion is ranked in rank 5.

Methods and criteria for safety analysis (FIN L2535)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-12-01

In response to the NRC request for a proposal dated October 20, 1992, Westinghouse Savannah River Company (WSRC) submit this proposal to provide contractural assistance for FIN L2535, ''Methods and Criteria for Safety Analysis,'' as specified in the Statement of Work attached to the request for proposal. The Statement of Work involves development of safety analysis guidance for NRC licensees, arranging a workshop on this guidance, and revising NRC Regulatory Guide 3.52. This response to the request for proposal offers for consideration the following advantages of WSRC in performing this work: Experience, Qualification of Personnel and Resource Commitment, Technical and Organizational Approach, Mobilization Plan, Key Personnel and Resumes. In addition, attached are the following items required by the NRC: Schedule II, Savannah River Site - Job Cost Estimate, NRC Form 189, Project and Budget Proposal for NRC Work, page 1, NRC Form 189, Project and Budget Proposal for NRC Work, page 2, Project Description

Plutonium storage criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chung, D. [Scientech, Inc., Germantown, MD (United States); Ascanio, X. [Dept. of Energy, Germantown, MD (United States)

1996-05-01

The Department of Energy has issued a technical standard for long-term (>50 years) storage and will soon issue a criteria document for interim (<20 years) storage of plutonium materials. The long-term technical standard, {open_quotes}Criteria for Safe Storage of Plutonium Metals and Oxides,{close_quotes} addresses the requirements for storing metals and oxides with greater than 50 wt % plutonium. It calls for a standardized package that meets both off-site transportation requirements, as well as remote handling requirements from future storage facilities. The interim criteria document, {open_quotes}Criteria for Interim Safe Storage of Plutonium-Bearing Solid Materials{close_quotes}, addresses requirements for storing materials with less than 50 wt% plutonium. The interim criteria document assumes the materials will be stored on existing sites, and existing facilities and equipment will be used for repackaging to improve the margin of safety.

Comparative Analysis of Norwegian Passive House Criteria and of Criteria related to the Concept of International Passive House Standard

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anton, Karin; Vestergaard, Inge

2013-01-01

The analysis shows differences in definition of apssive house criterias. It also communicates issues os the passive house concept that are nor completely transferred by the Norwegian passive house standard.......The analysis shows differences in definition of apssive house criterias. It also communicates issues os the passive house concept that are nor completely transferred by the Norwegian passive house standard....

Retrospective analysis of 'gamma distribution' based IMRT QA criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wen, C.; Chappell, R.A.

2010-01-01

Full text: IMRT has been implemented into clinical practice at Royal Hobart Hospital (RHH) since mid 2006 for treating patients with Head and Neck (H and N) or prostate tumours. A local quality assurance (QA) acceptance criteria based on 'gamma distribution' for approving IMRT plan was developed and implemented in early 2007. A retrospective analysis of such criteria over 194 clinical cases will be presented. The RHH IMRT criteria was established with assumption that gamma distribution obtained through inter-comparison of 2 D dose maps between planned and delivered was governed by a positive-hail' normal distribution. A commercial system-MapCheck was used for 2 D dose map comparison with a built-in gamma analysis tool. Gamma distribution histogram was generated and recorded for all cases. By retrospectively analysing those distributions using curve fitting technique, a statistical gamma distribution can be obtained and evaluated. This analytical result can be used for future IMRT planing and treatment delivery. The analyses indicate that gamma distribution obtained through MapCheckTM is well under the normal distribution, particularly for prostate cases. The applied pass/fail criteria is not overly sensitive to identify 'false fails' but can be further tighten-up for smaller field while for larger field found in both H and N and prostate cases, the criteria was correctly applied. Non-uniform distribution of detectors in MapCheck and experience level of planners are two major factors to variation in gamma distribution among clinical cases. This criteria derived from clinical statistics is superior and more accurate than single-valued criteria for lMRT QA acceptance procedure. (author)

A multi-criteria optimization analysis for Jordan's energy mix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malkawi, Salaheddin; Al-Nimr, Moh'd; Azizi, Danah

2017-01-01

In this study Jordan's energy options were evaluated and ranked with respect to several criteria clusters including financial, technical, environmental, ecological, social, and risk assessment. The Analytical Hierarchy Process; a multi-criteria decision-making analysis, was selected to evaluate the electricity generation options for Jordan. Energy options covered in the analysis include both conventional and renewable sources. Conventional sources evaluated include Oil and Natural Gas. Renewable sources covered wind, biomass, Photovoltaic and concentrated solar systems. The study also investigated generation from nuclear energy and direct combustion of oil shale as well as demand side savings from energy efficiency measures as a resource. Results indicate that to date; conventional fuels remain Jordan's most feasible options from a technical and financial perspective. Nonetheless diversification is essential to promoting energy security as well as environmental welfare. Results indicate that Jordan's best diversification options are nuclear, oil shale, biomass, and wind energy. - Highlights: • A Multi-Criteria Optimization Analysis technique was used to compare nine electricity generation options. • Options considered included Fossil Fuel sources, Nuclear Energy , Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. • Six criteria clusters were considered: financial, technical, environmental, ecological, social, and risk assessment. • Results outline potential policy implications for diversifying Jordan's energy mix. • Conventional fuels remain integral and Oil shale, Nuclear, Biomass and Wind offer the best diversification potential.Tag as highlight.

Alternatives generation and analysis for phase I intermediate waste feed staging system design requirements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Britton, M.D.

1996-10-02

This document provides; a decision analysis summary; problem statement; constraints, requirements, and assumptions; decision criteria; intermediate waste feed staging system options and alternatives generation and screening; intermediate waste feed staging system design concepts; intermediate waste feed staging system alternative evaluation and analysis; and open issues and actions.

77 FR 5243 - Proposed Priority, Requirements, Definitions, and Selection Criteria-Arts in Education National...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-02

...-quality arts education and arts integration activities and services in music, dance, theater, media arts... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Proposed Priority, Requirements, Definitions, and Selection Criteria--Arts in Education National Program (AENP) AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of...

MAAP4.0.7 analysis and justification for PRA level 1 mission success criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Butler, J.S.; Kapitz, D.; Martin, R.P.; Seifaee, F.; Sundaram, R.K.

2008-01-01

The U.S. EPR is a 4590 MWth evolutionary pressurized water reactor that incorporates proven technology with innovative system architecture to provide an unprecedented level of safety. One of the measures of safety is provided by Probability Risk Assessment (PRA). PRA Level 1 concerns the evaluation of core damage frequency based on various initiating events and the success or failure of various plant event mitigation features. Determination of this measure requires mission success criteria, which are used to build the logic that makes up the fault trees and event trees of the Level 1 PRA. Developing mission success criteria for the wide variety of accident sequences modeled in the PRA Level 1 model requires a large number of thermal hydraulic calculations. The MAAP4 code, developed by Fauske and Associates, Inc. and distributed by EPRI, was chosen to perform these calculations because of its fast computation times relative to more sophisticated thermal-hydraulics codes This is a unique application of MAAP4, which was developed specifically for severe accident and PRA Level 2 analysis. As such, a study was performed to assess MAAP4 's thermal-hydraulic response capabilities against AREVA 's S-RELAP5 best-estimate integral systems thermal-hydraulic analysis code. (authors)

Fusing Quantitative Requirements Analysis with Model-based Systems Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Cornford, Steven L.; Feather, Martin S.; Heron, Vance A.; Jenkins, J. Steven

2006-01-01

A vision is presented for fusing quantitative requirements analysis with model-based systems engineering. This vision draws upon and combines emergent themes in the engineering milieu. "Requirements engineering" provides means to explicitly represent requirements (both functional and non-functional) as constraints and preferences on acceptable solutions, and emphasizes early-lifecycle review, analysis and verification of design and development plans. "Design by shopping" emphasizes revealing the space of options available from which to choose (without presuming that all selection criteria have previously been elicited), and provides means to make understandable the range of choices and their ramifications. "Model-based engineering" emphasizes the goal of utilizing a formal representation of all aspects of system design, from development through operations, and provides powerful tool suites that support the practical application of these principles. A first step prototype towards this vision is described, embodying the key capabilities. Illustrations, implications, further challenges and opportunities are outlined.

78 FR 59725 - Construction Fall Protection Systems Criteria and Practices, and Training Requirements; Extension...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-27

...- 1648. Mail, hand delivery, express mail, messenger, or courier service: When using this method, you... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Occupational Safety and Health Administration [Docket No. OSHA-2010-0008] Construction Fall Protection Systems Criteria and Practices, and Training Requirements; Extension of the Office...

Proposal for Requirement Validation Criteria and Method Based on Actor Interaction

Science.gov (United States)

Hattori, Noboru; Yamamoto, Shuichiro; Ajisaka, Tsuneo; Kitani, Tsuyoshi

We propose requirement validation criteria and a method based on the interaction between actors in an information system. We focus on the cyclical transitions of one actor's situation against another and clarify observable stimuli and responses based on these transitions. Both actors' situations can be listed in a state transition table, which describes the observable stimuli or responses they send or receive. Examination of the interaction between both actors in the state transition tables enables us to detect missing or defective observable stimuli or responses. Typically, this method can be applied to the examination of the interaction between a resource managed by the information system and its user. As a case study, we analyzed 332 requirement defect reports of an actual system development project in Japan. We found that there were a certain amount of defects regarding missing or defective stimuli and responses, which can be detected using our proposed method if this method is used in the requirement definition phase. This means that we can reach a more complete requirement definition with our proposed method.

Multi-Criteria Decision Making for a Spatial Decision Support System on the Analysis of Changing Risk

Science.gov (United States)

Olyazadeh, Roya; van Westen, Cees; Bakker, Wim H.; Aye, Zar Chi; Jaboyedoff, Michel; Derron, Marc-Henri

2014-05-01

Natural hazard risk management requires decision making in several stages. Decision making on alternatives for risk reduction planning starts with an intelligence phase for recognition of the decision problems and identifying the objectives. Development of the alternatives and assigning the variable by decision makers to each alternative are employed to the design phase. Final phase evaluates the optimal choice by comparing the alternatives, defining indicators, assigning a weight to each and ranking them. This process is referred to as Multi-Criteria Decision Making analysis (MCDM), Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) or Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA). In the framework of the ongoing 7th Framework Program "CHANGES" (2011-2014, Grant Agreement No. 263953) of the European Commission, a Spatial Decision Support System is under development, that has the aim to analyse changes in hydro-meteorological risk and provide support to selecting the best risk reduction alternative. This paper describes the module for Multi-Criteria Decision Making analysis (MCDM) that incorporates monetary and non-monetary criteria in the analysis of the optimal alternative. The MCDM module consists of several components. The first step is to define criteria (or Indicators) which are subdivided into disadvantages (criteria that indicate the difficulty for implementing the risk reduction strategy, also referred to as Costs) and advantages (criteria that indicate the favorability, also referred to as benefits). In the next step the stakeholders can use the developed web-based tool for prioritizing criteria and decision matrix. Public participation plays a role in decision making and this is also planned through the use of a mobile web-version where the general local public can indicate their agreement on the proposed alternatives. The application is being tested through a case study related to risk reduction of a mountainous valley in the Alps affected by flooding. Four alternatives are evaluated in

Applying Multi-Criteria Analysis Methods for Fire Risk Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pushkina Julia

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to prove the application of multi-criteria analysis methods for optimisation of fire risk identification and assessment process. The object of this research is fire risk and risk assessment. The subject of the research is studying the application of analytic hierarchy process for modelling and influence assessment of various fire risk factors. Results of research conducted by the authors can be used by insurance companies to perform the detailed assessment of fire risks on the object and to calculate a risk extra charge to an insurance premium; by the state supervisory institutions to determine the compliance of a condition of object with requirements of regulations; by real state owners and investors to carry out actions for decrease in degree of fire risks and minimisation of possible losses.

78 FR 12955 - Final Requirements, Definitions, and Selection Criteria-Native American Career and Technical...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-26

... career and technical education programs (20 U.S.C. 2326(e)). This notice does not preclude us from... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 34 CFR Chapter IV [Docket ID ED-2012-OVAE-0053] Final Requirements, Definitions, and Selection Criteria--Native American Career and Technical Education Program (NACTEP) [Catalog...

Criteria for Developing a Successful Privatization Project

Science.gov (United States)

1989-05-01

conceptualization and planning are required when pursuing privatization projects. In fact, privatization project proponents need to know how to...selection of projects for analysis, methods of acquiring information about these projects, and the analysis framwork . Chapter IV includes the analysis. A...performed an analysis to determine cormion conceptual and creative approaches and lessons learned. This analysis was then used to develop criteria for

Packaging design criteria for the Hanford Ecorok Packaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mercado, M.S.

1996-01-01

The Hanford Ecorok Packaging (HEP) will be used to ship contaminated water purification filters from K Basins to the Central Waste Complex. This packaging design criteria documents the design of the HEP, its intended use, and the transportation safety criteria it is required to meet. This information will serve as a basis for the safety analysis report for packaging

Selecting essential information for biosurveillance--a multi-criteria decision analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas Generous

Full Text Available The National Strategy for Biosurveillance defines biosurveillance as "the process of gathering, integrating, interpreting, and communicating essential information related to all-hazards threats or disease activity affecting human, animal, or plant health to achieve early detection and warning, contribute to overall situational awareness of the health aspects of an incident, and to enable better decision-making at all levels." However, the strategy does not specify how "essential information" is to be identified and integrated into the current biosurveillance enterprise, or what the metrics qualify information as being "essential". The question of data stream identification and selection requires a structured methodology that can systematically evaluate the tradeoffs between the many criteria that need to be taken in account. Multi-Attribute Utility Theory, a type of multi-criteria decision analysis, can provide a well-defined, structured approach that can offer solutions to this problem. While the use of Multi-Attribute Utility Theoryas a practical method to apply formal scientific decision theoretical approaches to complex, multi-criteria problems has been demonstrated in a variety of fields, this method has never been applied to decision support in biosurveillance.We have developed a formalized decision support analytic framework that can facilitate identification of "essential information" for use in biosurveillance systems or processes and we offer this framework to the global BSV community as a tool for optimizing the BSV enterprise. To demonstrate utility, we applied the framework to the problem of evaluating data streams for use in an integrated global infectious disease surveillance system.

Selecting essential information for biosurveillance--a multi-criteria decision analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Generous, Nicholas; Margevicius, Kristen J; Taylor-McCabe, Kirsten J; Brown, Mac; Daniel, W Brent; Castro, Lauren; Hengartner, Andrea; Deshpande, Alina

2014-01-01

The National Strategy for Biosurveillance defines biosurveillance as "the process of gathering, integrating, interpreting, and communicating essential information related to all-hazards threats or disease activity affecting human, animal, or plant health to achieve early detection and warning, contribute to overall situational awareness of the health aspects of an incident, and to enable better decision-making at all levels." However, the strategy does not specify how "essential information" is to be identified and integrated into the current biosurveillance enterprise, or what the metrics qualify information as being "essential". The question of data stream identification and selection requires a structured methodology that can systematically evaluate the tradeoffs between the many criteria that need to be taken in account. Multi-Attribute Utility Theory, a type of multi-criteria decision analysis, can provide a well-defined, structured approach that can offer solutions to this problem. While the use of Multi-Attribute Utility Theoryas a practical method to apply formal scientific decision theoretical approaches to complex, multi-criteria problems has been demonstrated in a variety of fields, this method has never been applied to decision support in biosurveillance.We have developed a formalized decision support analytic framework that can facilitate identification of "essential information" for use in biosurveillance systems or processes and we offer this framework to the global BSV community as a tool for optimizing the BSV enterprise. To demonstrate utility, we applied the framework to the problem of evaluating data streams for use in an integrated global infectious disease surveillance system.

Design criteria for advanced reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dennielou, Y.

1991-01-01

Design criteria for advanced reactors are discussed, including safety aspects, site selection, problems related to maintenance and possibility of repairing or replacing structures or components of a nuclear power plant, the human factor considerations. Bearing in mind that some of these criteria are the subject of consensus at international level, the author suggests to establish a table of different operator requirements, to prepare a dossier on the comparison of input data for probabilistic risk analysis, to take into consideration the means to control a severe accident from the very start of the design

Simultaneous and multi-criteria optimization of TS requirements and maintenance at NPPs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martorell, S.; Sanchez, A.; Carlos, S.; Serradell, V.

2002-01-01

One of the main concerns of the nuclear industry is to improve the availability of safety-related systems at nuclear power plants (NPPs) to achieve high safety levels. The development of efficient testing and maintenance has been traditionally one of the different ways to guarantee high levels of systems availability, which are implemented at NPP through technical specification and maintenance requirements (TS and M). On the other hand, there is a widely recognized interest in using the probabilistic risk analysis (PRA) for risk-informed applications aimed to emphasize both effective risk control and effective resource expenditures at NPPs. TS and M-related parameters in a plant are associated with controlling risk or with satisfying requirements, and are candidate to be evaluated for their resource effectiveness in risk-informed applications. The resource versus risk-control effectiveness principles formally enter in optimization problems where the cost or the burden for the plant staff is to be minimized while the risk or the availability of the safety equipment is constrained to be at a given level, and vice versa. Optimization of TS and M has been found interesting from the very beginning. However, the resolution of such a kind of optimization problem has been limited to focus on only individual TS and M-related parameters (STI, AOT, PM frequency, etc.) and/or adopting an individual optimization criterion (availability, costs, plant risks, etc.). Nevertheless, a number of reasons exist (e.g. interaction, similar scope, etc.) that justify the growing interest in the last years to focus on the simultaneous and multi-criteria optimization of TS and M. In the simultaneous optimization of TS and M-related parameters based on risk (or unavailability) and cost, like in many other engineering optimization problems, one normally faces multi-modal and non-linear objective functions and a variety of both linear and non-linear constraints. Genetic algorithms (GAs) have

NWTS program criteria for mined geologic disposal of nuclear waste: functional requirements and performance criteria for waste packages for solidified high-level waste and spent fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-07-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has primary federal responsibility for the development and implementation of safe and environmentally acceptable nuclear waste disposal methods. Currently, the principal emphasis in the program is on emplacement of nuclear wastes in mined geologic repositories well beneath the earth's surface. A brief description of the mined geologic disposal system is provided. The National Waste Terminal Storage (NWTS) program was established under DOE's predecessor, the Energy Research and Development Administration, to provide facilities for the mined geologic disposal of radioactive wastes. The NWTS program includes both the development and the implementation of the technology necessary for designing, constructing, licensing, and operating repositories. The program does not include the management of processing radioactive wastes or of transporting the wastes to repositories. The NWTS-33 series, of which this document is a part, provides guidance for the NWTS program in the development and implementation of licensed mined geologic disposal systems for solidified high-level and transuranic (TRU) wastes. This document presents the functional requirements and performance criteria for waste packages for solidified high-level waste and spent fuel. A separate document to be developed, NWTS-33(4b), will present the requirements and criteria for waste packages for TRU wastes. The hierarchy and application of these requirements and criteria are discussed in Section 2.2

Can multi-criteria analysis models support the site selection for a repository for heat-generating waste?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutberlet, Daniela

2015-01-01

The decision for or against a potential site for a nuclear waste repository is highly complex and requires decision-makers to consider multiple assessment criteria. The complexity of each site and its characteristics, and the differing opinions among members of the public and advocacy groups mean t hat conflicts of interest are likely to arise. In this paper, the author suggests that multi-criteria analysis models could be used to provide methodological support during the selection process. The models can map these types of decision situations and suggest coherent solutions with relatively little formal effort. They allow users to compare different opt ions simultaneously and ensure that t heir decision-making Is conscious rather than arbitrary.

The leak before break criteria, requirements and implications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez M, E.

1992-05-01

Inside this work a general balance is made on the Leak before break approach (LBB), like they are the history and licensing, those limitations, the acceptance criteria of the LBB, the current state of the regulatory development and the current state of it application in countries like E.U.A, Germany, Canada, Italy and France. Everything it with the purpose of evaluating the opportunities that offers the LBB criteria for it possible application in Mexico. (Author)

Analysis of Chronic Temporomandibular Disorders Based on the Latest Diagnostic Criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svechtarov V.

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is to analyze the distribution of the most common diagnoses observed in patients with chronic temporomandibular disorders, based on the new diagnostic criteria (DC/TMD adopted in 2014. The previous Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC/TMD adopted in 1992, consisted of three main groups of eight diagnostic subgroups and is currently transformed into two main groups and twelve subgroups, respectively. All subgroups correspond to the nomenclature of the ICD-10. The new clinical diagnostic indices are also modified. The analysis showed a prevalence of Pain-Related TMD compared with that of intra-articular disorders in ratio 57.89% to 42.10%. In Pain-Related TMD arthralgia was represented in 55% of cases; local myalgia - in 12%, myofascial pain - in 18%, myofascial pain with referral - in 14%, headache attributed to TMD - in 1%. In Intra-articular TMD disc displacement with reduction was found in 23% of the cases, disc displacement with reduction with intermittent locking - in 3%, disc displacement without reduction with limited opening - in 25%, disc displacement without reduction and without limited opening - in 8%. Degenerative diseases were found in 14.28%, and hypermobility and subluxations - in 26.98%. These analyzes differ and can only partly be compared with previous analyzes based on RDC system. The changes in the diagnostic criteria require new clinical studies in order to refine the picture of temporomandibular pathology in accordance with the modern views on the matter.

User perspectives on relevance criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Maglaughlin, Kelly L.; Sonnenwald, Diane H.

2002-01-01

, partially relevant, or not relevant to their information need; and explained their decisions in an interview. Analysis revealed 29 criteria, discussed positively and negatively, that were used by the participants when selecting passages that contributed or detracted from a document's relevance......This study investigates the use of criteria to assess relevant, partially relevant, and not-relevant documents. Study participants identified passages within 20 document representations that they used to make relevance judgments; judged each document representation as a whole to be relevant...... matter, thought catalyst), full text (e.g., audience, novelty, type, possible content, utility), journal/publisher (e.g., novelty, main focus, perceived quality), and personal (e.g., competition, time requirements). Results further indicate that multiple criteria are used when making relevant, partially...

Rating of environmental criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glueck, K; Krasser, G

1980-01-01

After a general theoretical discussion on the question of rating within a framework of cost-benefit studies, first trials as to the quantification and standardisation of twelve selected environmental criteria by means of an indicator system are worked out and compiled. The selection includes the criteria exhaust gas, dust, micro climate, water pollution, water regime, land requirement, vibrations, traffic noise, landscape scene, urban scene, effect of separation and safety risks. An insight is given of the rating practice using an evaluation of the available literature, of a household interview and of an interview of experts. The interviewing of 156 experts as to their rating conception of ten criteria in the second round has provided contributions to the general problem of the evaluation estimate based on multi criteria analysis as well as differentiation of the twelve or ten environmental criteria. The following criteria ratings given by the experts and which are averaged and smoothed are: traffic noise 20,0% +- 8,5; air pollution 15,0% +- 7,0; safety risk 13,0% +- 7,0; soil and water pollution 8,5% +- 5,0; landscape scene 8,0% +- 4,5; urban scene 8,0% +- 4,5; water regime 6,5% +- 3,5 and vibrations 4,5% +- 2,5.

Evaluation of dairy effluent management options using multiple criteria analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hajkowicz, Stefan A; Wheeler, Sarah A

2008-04-01

This article describes how options for managing dairy effluent on the Lower Murray River in South Australia were evaluated using multiple criteria analysis (MCA). Multiple criteria analysis is a framework for combining multiple environmental, social, and economic objectives in policy decisions. At the time of the study, dairy irrigation in the region was based on flood irrigation which involved returning effluent to the river. The returned water contained nutrients, salts, and microbial contaminants leading to environmental, human health, and tourism impacts. In this study MCA was used to evaluate 11 options against 6 criteria for managing dairy effluent problems. Of the 11 options, the MCA model selected partial rehabilitation of dairy paddocks with the conversion of remaining land to other agriculture. Soon after, the South Australian Government adopted this course of action and is now providing incentives for dairy farmers in the region to upgrade irrigation infrastructure and/or enter alternative industries.

Quantitative Analysis of Criteria in University Building Maintenance in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olanrewaju Ashola Abdul-Lateef

2010-10-01

Full Text Available University buildings are a significant part of university assets and considerable resources are committed to their design, construction and maintenance. The core of maintenance management is to optimize productivity and user satisfaction with optimum resources. An important segment in the maintenance management system is the analysis of criteria that influence building maintenance. Therefore, this paper aims to identify quantify, rank and discuss the criteria that influence maintenance costs, maintenance backlogs, productivity and user satisfaction in Malaysian university buildings. The paper reviews the related literature and presents the outcomes of a questionnaire survey. Questionnaires were administered on 50 university maintenance organizations. Thirty-one criteria were addressed to the university maintenance organizations to evaluate the degree to which each of the criteria influences building maintenance management. With a 66% response rate, it was concluded that the consideration of the criteria is critical to the university building maintenance management system. The quality of components and materials, budget constraints and the age of the building were found to be the most influential criteria but information on user performance satisfaction, problems associated with in-house workforce and shortage of materials and components were the least influential criteria. The paper also outlined that maintenance management is a strategic function in university administration.

ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL FRAGILITY USING MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS (MCE FOR INTEGRATED LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abimael Cereda Junior

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The Geographic Information Systems brought greater possibilitie s to the representation and interpretation of the landscap e as well as the integrated a nalysis. However, this approach does not dispense technical and methodological substan tiation for achieving the computational universe. This work is grounded in ecodynamic s and empirical analysis of natural and anthr opogenic environmental Fragility a nd aims to propose and present an integrated paradigm of Multi-criteria Analysis and F uzzy Logic Model of Environmental Fragility, taking as a case study of the Basin of Monjolinho Stream in São Carlos-SP. The use of this methodology allowed for a reduct ion in the subjectivism influences of decision criteria, which factors might have its cartographic expression, respecting the complex integrated landscape.

DISPOSABLE CANISTER WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

R.J. Garrett

2001-07-30

The purpose of this calculation is to provide the bases for defining the preclosure limits on radioactive material releases from radioactive waste forms to be received in disposable canisters at the Monitored Geologic Repository (MGR) at Yucca Mountain. Specifically, this calculation will provide the basis for criteria to be included in a forthcoming revision of the Waste Acceptance System Requirements Document (WASRD) that limits releases in terms of non-isotope-specific canister release dose-equivalent source terms. These criteria will be developed for the Department of Energy spent nuclear fuel (DSNF) standard canister, the Multicanister Overpack (MCO), the naval spent fuel canister, the High-Level Waste (HLW) canister, the plutonium can-in-canister, and the large Multipurpose Canister (MPC). The shippers of such canisters will be required to demonstrate that they meet these criteria before the canisters are accepted at the MGR. The Quality Assurance program is applicable to this calculation. The work reported in this document is part of the analysis of DSNF and is performed using procedure AP-3.124, Calculations. The work done for this analysis was evaluated according to procedure QAP-2-0, Control of Activities, which has been superseded by AP-2.21Q, Quality Determinations and Planning for Scientific, Engineering, and Regulatory Compliance Activities. This evaluation determined that such activities are subject to the requirements of DOE/RW/0333P, Quality Assurance Requirements and Description (DOE 2000). This work is also prepared in accordance with the development plan titled Design Basis Event Analyses on DOE SNF and Plutonium Can-In-Canister Waste Forms (CRWMS M&O 1999a) and Technical Work Plan For: Department of Energy Spent Nuclear Fuel Work Packages (CRWMS M&O 2000d). This calculation contains no electronic data applicable to any electronic data management system.

Main requirements and criteria for State nuclear material control and accounting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ryazanov, B.G.; Goryunov, V.K.; Erastov, V.V.

1999-01-01

The paper presents comments and substantiation of the main requirements and criteria for the State nuclear materials (NM) control and accounting system in the draft of the federal Main regulations of NM control and accounting. The State NM control and accounting system structure and design principles, the list of nuclear and special non-nuclear materials which are subject to the control and accounting, NM control and accounting principles are considered. Measurement system for the values for NM control and accounting and measurement assurance program, NM transfer procedures, physical inventory taking, closing a material balance and evaluation of inventory difference and balance closure of bulk form NM are shown. Accounting units in the inventory, the system accounting report documentation and preliminary notifications, the NM control and accounting arrangement, the federal and departmental control in the State NM control and accounting system, the State NM control and accounting system supervision and requirement to the personnel carrying out the NM control and accounting are discussed [ru

Microseismic Monitoring Design Optimization Based on Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Kovaleva, Y.; Tamimi, N.; Ostadhassan, M.

2017-12-01

Borehole microseismic monitoring of hydraulic fracture treatments of unconventional reservoirs is a widely used method in the oil and gas industry. Sometimes, the quality of the acquired microseismic data is poor. One of the reasons for poor data quality is poor survey design. We attempt to provide a comprehensive and thorough workflow, using multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA), to optimize planning micriseismic monitoring. So far, microseismic monitoring has been used extensively as a powerful tool for determining fracture parameters that affect the influx of formation fluids into the wellbore. The factors that affect the quality of microseismic data and their final results include average distance between microseismic events and receivers, complexity of the recorded wavefield, signal-to-noise ratio, data aperture, etc. These criteria often conflict with each other. In a typical microseismic monitoring, those factors should be considered to choose the best monitoring well(s), optimum number of required geophones, and their depth. We use MDCA to address these design challenges and develop a method that offers an optimized design out of all possible combinations to produce the best data acquisition results. We believe that this will be the first research to include the above-mentioned factors in a 3D model. Such a tool would assist companies and practicing engineers in choosing the best design parameters for future microseismic projects.

Multi-criteria decision analysis integrated with GIS for radio ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Multi-criteria decision analysis integrated with GIS for radio astronomical observatory site selection in peninsular of Malaysia. R Umar, Z.Z. Abidin, Z.A. Ibrahim, M.K.A. Kamarudin, S.N. Hazmin, A Endut, H Juahir ...

Acceptance criteria for the physical protection upgrade rule requirements for fixed sites. Information guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dwyer, P.

1980-09-01

This document has been developed as a tool to assist in providing consistent evaluation of upgraded physical security plans submitted in response to the Physical Protection Upgrade Rule, effective March 25, 1980. It presents a means for assuring licensee compliance with every regulatory requirement of particular significance to the protection of the public health and safety. Acceptance criteria are included to determine the extent to which each licensee meets the regulatory requirements. The format parallels Regulatory Guide 5.52, Standard Format and Content of a Licensee Physical Protection Plan for Strategic Special Nuclear Material at Fixed Sites

Long-Term Safety Analysis of Baldone Radioactive Waste Repository and Updating of Waste Acceptance Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-12-01

The main objective of the project was to provide advice to the Latvian authorities on the safety enhancements and waste acceptance criteria for near surface radioactive waste disposal facilities of the Baldone repository. The project included the following main activities: Analysis of the current status of the management of radioactive waste in Latvia in general and, at the Baldone repository in particular Development of the short and long-term safety analysis of the Baldone repository, including: the planned increasing of capacity for disposal and long term storage, the radiological analysis for the post-closure period Development of the Environment Impact Statement, for the new foreseen installations, considering the non radiological components Proposal of recommendations for future updating of radioactive waste acceptance criteria Proposal of recommendations for safety upgrades to the facility. The work programme has been developed in phases and main tasks as follows. Phase 0: Project inception, Phase 1: Establishment of current status, plans and practices (Legislation, regulation and standards, Radioactive waste management, Waste acceptance criteria), Phase 2: Development of future strategies for long-term safety management and recommendations for safety enhancements. The project team found the general approach use at the installation, the basic design and the operating practices appropriate to international standards. Nevertheless, a number of items subject to potential improvements were also identified. These upgrading recommendations deal with general aspects of the management (mainly storage versus disposal of long-lived sources), site and environmental surveillance, packaging (qualification of containers, waste characterization requirements), the design of an engineered cap and strategies for capping. (author)

Identifying the connective strength between model parameters and performance criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Guse

2017-11-01

is found for low- and mid-flow conditions. Moreover, the RT analyses emphasise the benefit of an individual analysis of the three components of KGE and of the FDC segments. Furthermore, the RT analyses highlight under which conditions these performance criteria provide insights into precise parameter identification. Our results show that separate performance criteria are required to identify dominant parameters on low- and mid-flow conditions, whilst the number of required performance criteria for high flows increases with increasing process complexity in the catchment. Overall, the analysis of the connective strength between model parameters and performance criteria using RTs contribute to a more realistic handling of parameters and performance criteria in hydrological modelling.

Study of Validity Criteria for Radionuclide-Analysis of Low- and Intermediate-Level Radioactive Waste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Ji Uk; Baek, Hyun Suk; Jeong, Sung Yeop [Sungwoo E and T Co., Hanam (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Seung Kyu [Korea Radioactive waste Management Corporation, Gyeongju (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-15

Literature survey on the deviation of the measuring equipment and statistical analysis on the measured data of domestic LILW were performed in order to set evaluation criteria quantitatively when comparing the result of each test and inspections. This study provided opportunity to increase credibility and re-assure validity of Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). Through the statistical analysis for deviation of measurement by comparing repository inspection with generator self-test, the quantitative acceptance criteria were set depending on specific activity of Co-60 and Cs-137. The acceptance criteria is a relative bias of KRMC result to generator result and set from low 50 % to high 150 % for Co-60, from low 30 % to 250 % for Cs-137. In this study, because the statistical analysis results of the waste drum assay are not enough representing whole range specified at WAC, an additional research that include characteristic analysis of LILW generated other birthplace should be done.

Priority setting of health interventions: the need for multi-criteria decision analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Baltussen Rob

2006-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Priority setting of health interventions is often ad-hoc and resources are not used to an optimal extent. Underlying problem is that multiple criteria play a role and decisions are complex. Interventions may be chosen to maximize general population health, to reduce health inequalities of disadvantaged or vulnerable groups, ad/or to respond to life-threatening situations, all with respect to practical and budgetary constraints. This is the type of problem that policy makers are typically bad at solving rationally, unaided. They tend to use heuristic or intuitive approaches to simplify complexity, and in the process, important information is ignored. Next, policy makers may select interventions for only political motives. This indicates the need for rational and transparent approaches to priority setting. Over the past decades, a number of approaches have been developed, including evidence-based medicine, burden of disease analyses, cost-effectiveness analyses, and equity analyses. However, these approaches concentrate on single criteria only, whereas in reality, policy makers need to make choices taking into account multiple criteria simultaneously. Moreover, they do not cover all criteria that are relevant to policy makers. Therefore, the development of a multi-criteria approach to priority setting is necessary, and this has indeed recently been identified as one of the most important issues in health system research. In other scientific disciplines, multi-criteria decision analysis is well developed, has gained widespread acceptance and is routinely used. This paper presents the main principles of multi-criteria decision analysis. There are only a very few applications to guide resource allocation decisions in health. We call for a shift away from present priority setting tools in health – that tend to focus on single criteria – towards transparent and systematic approaches that take into account all relevant criteria

Analysis of Criteria for Admission to the Polytechnic “Nikola Tesla” in Gospić

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristina Devčić

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Much like in the rest of the world, higher education institutions in the Republic of Croatia are working in a turbulent environment. Croatian polytechnics must recognize and understand the changes in their environment in order to be able to properly respond to them. The Polytechnic “Nikola Tesla” in Gospić is one of the polytechnics facing a growing competition, but also the problem of decreasing enrolment. To solve these problems, it is necessary to apply marketing methods and techniques for understanding the process of deciding on applying for admission to the Polytechnic. In order to better understand this process and how it can be influenced, the authors examined the criteria that students use when making this decision. It was established during the research that some of the criteria had a greater impact on the decision to apply for admission (the location of the Polytechnic, professional orientation, reasonable admission requirements and applicability of professional knowledge in practice and employment prospects as the key decision factor, while others had a much smaller impact. In addition, the research has shown that there is no significant difference between male and female respondents with regard to the importance they attach to different criteria. Using factor analysis, the criteria for admission to the Polytechnic were grouped as follows: the quality of education, studying conditions, image of the institution, the cost of education, and the influence of friends and family.

Pros and cons of conjoint analysis of discrete choice experiments to define classification and response criteria in rheumatology.

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, William J

2016-03-01

Conjoint analysis of choice or preference data has been used in marketing for over 40 years but has appeared in healthcare settings much more recently. It may be a useful technique for applications within the rheumatology field. Conjoint analysis in rheumatology contexts has mainly used the approaches implemented in 1000Minds Ltd, Dunedin, New Zealand, Sawtooth Software, Orem UT, USA. Examples include classification criteria, composite response criteria, service prioritization tools and utilities assessment. Limitations imposed by very many attributes can be managed using new techniques. Conjoint analysis studies of classification and response criteria suggest that the assumption of equal weighting of attributes cannot be met, which challenges traditional approaches to composite criteria construction. Weights elicited through choice experiments with experts can derive more accurate classification criteria, than unweighted criteria. Studies that find significant variation in attribute weights for composite response criteria for gout make construction of such criteria problematic. Better understanding of various multiattribute phenomena is likely to increase with increased use of conjoint analysis, especially when the attributes concern individual perceptions or opinions. In addition to classification criteria, some applications for conjoint analysis that are emerging in rheumatology include prioritization tools, remission criteria, and utilities for life areas.

Analysis of Steel Wire Rope Diagnostic Data Applying Multi-Criteria Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Audrius Čereška

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Steel ropes are complex flexible structures used in many technical applications, such as elevators, cable cars, and funicular cabs. Due to the specific design and critical safety requirements, diagnostics of ropes remains an important issue. Broken wire number in the steel ropes is limited by safety standards when they are used in the human lifting and carrying installations. There are some practical issues on loose wires—firstly, it shows end of lifetime of the entire rope, independently of wear, lubrication or wrong winding on the drums or through pulleys; and, secondly, it can stick in the tight pulley—support gaps and cause deterioration of rope structure up to birdcage formations. Normal rope operation should not generate broken wires, so increasing of their number shows a need for rope installation maintenance. This paper presents a methodology of steel rope diagnostics and the results of analysis using multi-criteria analysis methods. The experimental part of the research was performed using an original test bench to detect broken wires on the rope surface by its vibrations. Diagnostics was performed in the range of frequencies from 60 to 560 Hz with a pitch of 50 Hz. The obtained amplitudes of the broken rope wire vibrations, different from the entire rope surface vibration parameters, was the significant outcome. Later analysis of the obtained experimental results revealed the most significant values of the diagnostic parameters. The evaluation of the power of the diagnostics was implemented by using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM methods. Various decision-making methods are necessary due to unknown efficiencies with respect to the physical phenomena of the evaluated processes. The significance of the methods was evaluated using objective methods from the structure of the presented data. Some of these methods were proposed by authors of this paper. Implementation of MCDM in diagnostic data analysis and definition of the

Multi-criteria sustainability analysis of thermal power plant Kolubara-A Unit 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Škobalj, P.; Kijevčanin, M.; Afgan, N.; Jovanović, M.; Turanjanin, V.; Vučićević, B.

2017-01-01

The paper presents a possible approach for creating business decisions based on multi-criteria analysis. Seven options for a possible revitalization of the thermal power plant “Kolubara”-A Unit No. 2 with energy indicators of sustainable development (EISD) are presented in this paper. The chosen EISD numerically express the essential features of the analyzed options, while the sustainability criteria indicate the option quality within the limits of these indicators. In this paper, the criteria for assessing the sustainability options are defined based on several aspects: economic, social, environmental and technological. In the process of assessing the sustainability of the considered options the Analysis and Synthesis of Parameters under Information Deficiency (ASPID) method was used. In this paper, the EISD show that production and energy consumption are closely linked to economic, environmental and other indicators, such as economic and technological development of local communities with employment being one of the most important social parameter. Multi-criteria analysis for the case study of the TPP “Kolubara”-A clearly indicated recommendations to decision makers on the choice of the best available options in dependence on the energy policy. - Highlights: • Options for sustainable generation of electricity have been proposed. • Energy Indicators of Sustainable Development have been formed. • ASPID methodology has been implemented.

Coastal flooding as a parameter in multi-criteria analysis for industrial site selection

Science.gov (United States)

Christina, C.; Memos, C.; Diakoulaki, D.

2014-12-01

Natural hazards can trigger major industrial accidents, which apart from affecting industrial installations may cause a series of accidents with serious impacts on human health and the environment far beyond the site boundary. Such accidents, also called Na-Tech (natural - technical) accidents, deserve particular attention since they can cause release of hazardous substances possibly resulting in severe environmental pollution, explosions and/or fires. There are different kinds of natural events or, in general terms, of natural causes of industrial accidents, such as landslides, hurricanes, high winds, tsunamis, lightning, cold/hot temperature, floods, heavy rains etc that have caused accidents. The scope of this paper is to examine the coastal flooding as a parameter in causing an industrial accident, such as the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, and the critical role of this parameter in industrial site selection. Land use planning is a complex procedure that requires multi-criteria decision analysis involving economic, environmental and social parameters. In this context the parameter of a natural hazard occurrence, such as coastal flooding, for industrial site selection should be set by the decision makers. In this paper it is evaluated the influence that has in the outcome of a multi-criteria decision analysis for industrial spatial planning the parameter of an accident risk triggered by coastal flooding. The latter is analyzed in the context of both sea-and-inland induced flooding.

CRITERIA FOR INVESTING IN THE MARKET FOR THE VISUAL ARTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elio Amílcar Farfán Torrelles

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The market in the visual arts develops a complex activity which requiring identify many key variables to establish valid investment criteria, as to obtain reasonable profits. This requires intentionality differentiate between investment purchase or collection. Then, fixing as the central axes of analysis to the work and the artist, is investigated and the trajectory of iconic and pop compared to identify the criteria that the buyer should consider when purchasing a work of visual art, and that due segmented to this economic activity, accurate to invest parameters are needed.

Criteria required for an acceptable point-of-care test for UTI detection: Obtaining consensus using the Delphi technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Weir, Nichola-Jane M; Pattison, Sally H; Kearney, Paddy; Stafford, Bob; Gormley, Gerard J; Crockard, Martin A; Gilpin, Deirdre F; Tunney, Michael M; Hughes, Carmel M

2018-01-01

Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) are common bacterial infections, second only to respiratory tract infections and particularly prevalent within primary care. Conventional detection of UTIs is culture, however, return of results can take between 24 and 72 hours. The introduction of a point of care (POC) test would allow for more timely identification of UTIs, facilitating improved, targeted treatment. This study aimed to obtain consensus on the criteria required for a POC UTI test, to meet patient need within primary care. Criteria for consideration were compiled by the research team. These criteria were validated through a two-round Delphi process, utilising an expert panel of healthcare professionals from across Europe and United States of America. Using web-based questionnaires, panellists recorded their level of agreement with each criterion based on a 5-point Likert Scale, with space for comments. Using median response, interquartile range and comments provided, criteria were accepted/rejected/revised depending on pre-agreed cut-off scores. The first round questionnaire presented thirty-three criteria to the panel, of which 22 were accepted. Consensus was not achieved for the remaining 11 criteria. Following response review, one criterion was removed, while after revision, the remaining 10 criteria entered the second round. Of these, four were subsequently accepted, resulting in 26 criteria considered appropriate for a POC test to detect urinary infections. This study generated an approved set of criteria for a POC test to detect urinary infections. Criteria acceptance and comments provided by the healthcare professionals also supports the development of a multiplex point of care UTI test.

Review of issues relevant to acceptable risk criteria for nuclear waste management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, J.J.

1978-01-01

Development of acceptable risk criteria for nuclear waste management requires the translation of publicly determined goals and objectives into definitive issues which, in turn, require resolution. Since these issues are largely of a subjective nature, they cannot be resolved by technological methods. Development of acceptable risk criteria might best be accomplished by application of a systematic methodology for the optimal implementation of subjective values. Multi-attribute decision analysis is well suited for this purpose

Lower bound limit analysis of slabs with nonlinear yield criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Krabbenhøft, Kristian; Damkilde, Lars

2002-01-01

A finite element formulation of the limit analysis of perfectly plastic slabs is given. An element with linear moment fields for which equilibrium is satisfied exactly is used in connection with an optimization algorithm taking into account the full nonlinearity of the yield criteria. Both load...... and material optimization problems are formulated and by means of the duality theory of linear programming the displacements are extracted from the dual variables. Numerical examples demonstrating the capabilities of the method and the effects of using a more refined representation of the yield criteria...

Operators work reliability current control based on the psychological and physiological criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karpenko, A.V.; Burov, A.Yu.; Grigorus', A.G.; Kal'nish, V.V.; Kapshuk, A.P.; Grigor'yants, T.N.; Bobko, N.A.

1984-01-01

A possibility of developing highly sensitive criteria for assessment of mental working ability at the expense of profound automated analysis of available psychological and physiological criteria is disclosed; it is a precondition for developing operator is woAking ability control system not requiring additional personnel for its operation

Criteria for onsite transfers of radioactive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Opperman, E.K.; Jackson, E.J.; Eggers, A.G.

1992-01-01

A general description of the requirements for making onsite transfers of radioactive material is provided in Chapter 2, along with the required sequencey of activities. Various criteria for package use are identified in Chapters 3-13. These criteria provide protection against undue radiation exposure. Package shielding, containment, and surface contamination requirements are established. Criteria for providing criticality safety are enumerated in Chapter 6. Criteria for providing hazards information are established in Chapter 13. A glossary is provided

Failure criteria for low-temperature irradiated organic composite insulation systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schutz, J.B.; Fabian, P.E.

1997-01-01

Composite insulation systems in fusion magnet applications are often subjected to conditions of combined through thickness compression and shear at varying stress ratios. Characterization of insulation system strength under these conditions requires unidirectional shear and compression tests, as well as biaxial shear/compression testing to define the systems failure envelope. An appropriate failure criteria would reduce the number of tests required to define this envelope, and would give designers a better estimate of material strengths at intermediate stress ratios. Biaxial shear/compression testing requires the use of metallic sandwich specimens, which are susceptible to activation during irradiation. A reliable failure criteria which eliminates the need for biaxial characterization would also reduce the difficulty and expense involved in radiation effects characterization while still providing a complete failure envelope. Several generalized failure criteria, taken from classical composites analysis, were reformulated for application in the shear/compression quadrant. The maximum stress and Tsai-Hill criteria were found to be inadequate to represent the biaxial failure envelope. The generalized Tsai-Wu tensor quadratic failure criterion was also examined. Application of this criterion requires through thickness tensile strength data. Through thickness tensile strengths of insulation systems have not been routinely characterized, but limited data are available. Utilizing unidirectional through thickness tension, compression, and interlaminar shear strength data, the Tsai-Wu failure criteria was found to agree well with biaxial shear/compression test data

Preliminary radiation criteria and nuclear analysis for ETF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engholm, B.A.

1980-09-01

Preliminary biological and materials radiation dose criteria for the Engineering Test Facility are described and tabulated. In keeping with the ETF Mission Statement, a key biological dose criterion is a 24-hour shutdown dose rate of 2 mrem/hr on the surface of the outboard bulk shield. Materials dose criteria, which primarily govern the inboard shield design, include 10 9 rads exposure limit to epoxy insulation, 3 x 10 -4 dpa damage to the TF coil copper stabilizer, and a total nuclear heating rate of 5 kW in the inboard TF coils. Nuclear analysis performed during FY 80 was directed primarily at the inboard and outboard bulk shielding, and at radiation streaming in the neutral beam drift ducts. Inboard and outboard shield thicknesses to achieve the biological and materials radiation criteria are 75 cm inboard and 125 cm outboard, the configuration consisting of alternating layers of stainless steel and borated water. The outboard shield also includes a 5 cm layer of lead. NBI duct streaming analyses performed by ORNL and LASL will play a key role in the design of the duct and NBI shielding in FY 81. The NBI aluminum cryopanel nuclear heating rate during the heating cycle is about 1 milliwatt/cm 3 , which is far less than the permissible limit

MULTI-CRITERIA ANALYSIS APPLIED TO LANDSLIDE SUSCEPTIBILITY MAPPING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mariana Madruga de Brito

2017-10-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the application of a multi-criteria analysis (MCA tool for landslide susceptibility assessment in Porto Alegre municipality, southern Brazil. A knowledge driven approach was used, aiming to ensure an optimal use of the available information. The landslide conditioning factors considered were slope, lithology, flow accumulation and distance from lineaments. Standardization of these factors was done through fuzzy membership functions, and evaluation of their relative importance for landslide predisposition was supported by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP, based on local expert knowledge. Finally, factors were integrated in a GIS environment using the weighted linear combination (WLC method. For validation, an inventory, including 107 landslide points recorded between 2007 and 2013 was used. Results indicated that 8.2% (39.40 km² of the study area are highly and very highly susceptible to landslides. An overall accuracy of 95% was found, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve of 0.960. Therefore, the resulting map can be regarded as useful for monitoring landslide-prone areas. Based on the findings, it is concluded that the proposed method is effective for susceptibility assessment since it yielded meaningful results and does not require extensive input data.

Recommended criteria for the evaluation of on-site nuclear power plant emergency plans, volume II: criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

A critical review of existing Canadian and international nuclear power plant (NPP) emergency plans, evaluation criteria, and approaches has been conducted to provide AECB staff with information which can be used to assess the adequacy of NPP on-site emergency response plans. The results of this work are published in two volumes. Volume I, Basis Document, provides the reasons why certain requirements are in place. It also gives comprehensive references to various standards.Volume II, Criteria, contains the criteria which relate to on-site actions and their integration with control room activities and the roles of off-site responsible organizations. The recommended criteria provide information on what is required, and not on how to accomplish the requirements. The licensees are given the latitude to decide on the methods and processes needed to meet the requirements. The documents do not address NPP off-site plans and response capability, or the control room emergency operating procedures and response capability. This report contains only Volume II: Criteria. 55 refs., 2 tabs., 1 fig

The role of advanced nuclear power technologies in developing countries: Criteria and design requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-02-01

The document includes the papers presented at the following two technical committee meetings organized by the IAEA: Technical Committee Meeting and Workshop on Criteria for the Introduction of Advanced Nuclear Power Technologies for Specific Applications in Developing Countries, Vienna, 27-30 June 1988 (14 papers) and Technical Committee Meeting and Workshop on Design Requirements for the Application of Advanced Concepts in Developing Countries, Vienna, 6-9 December 1988 (16 papers). A separate abstract was prepared for each of these papers

Multi-Criteria Analysis of Laser Cut Surface Characteristics in CO2 Laser Cutting of Stainless Steel

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Radovanović

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In this paper an approach for multi-criteria analysis of laser cut surface characteristics using multi-criteria decision making (MCDM approach was presented. Laser cutting experiment was conducted based on Taguchi’s L27 experimental design by varying laser power, cutting speed, assist gas pressure and focus position at three levels. Multi-criteria analysis was performed by using the weighted aggregated sum product assessment (WASPAS method while considering burr height, drag line separation, depth of separation line, surface roughness and perpendicularity of the cut as assessment criteria. Based on conducted experimental investigation the MCDM model with 27 alternatives (laser cuts and five criteria was developed. The relative importance of criteria was determined by using pair-wise comparison matrix and geometric mean method of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP method.

Evaluation criteria for spectral design of camouflage

Science.gov (United States)

Škerlind, Christina; Fagerström, Jan; Hallberg, Tomas; Kariis, Hans

2015-10-01

In development of visual (VIS) and infrared (IR) camouflage for signature management, the aim is the design of surface properties of an object to spectrally match or adapt to a background and thereby minimizing the contrast perceived by a threatening sensor. The so called 'ladder model" relates the requirements for task measure of effectiveness with surface structure properties through the steps signature effectiveness and object signature. It is intended to link materials properties via platform signature to military utility and vice versa. Spectral design of a surface intends to give it a desired wavelength dependent optical response to fit a specific application of interest. Six evaluation criteria were stated, with the aim to aid the process to put requirement on camouflage and for evaluation. The six criteria correspond to properties such as reflectance, gloss, emissivity, and degree of polarization as well as dynamic properties, and broadband or multispectral properties. These criteria have previously been exemplified on different kinds of materials and investigated separately. Anderson and Åkerlind further point out that the six criteria rarely were considered or described all together in one and same publication previously. The specific level of requirement of the different properties must be specified individually for each specific situation and environment to minimize the contrast between target and a background. The criteria or properties are not totally independent of one another. How they are correlated is part of the theme of this paper. However, prioritization has been made due to the limit of space. Therefore all of the interconnections between the six criteria will not be considered in the work of this report. The ladder step previous to digging into the different material composition possibilities and choice of suitable materials and structures (not covered here), includes the object signature and decision of what the spectral response should be

Multi-Criteria Analysis to Prioritize Energy Sources for Ambience in Poultry Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

DC Collatto

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This paper intends to outline a model of multi-criteria analysis to pinpoint the most suitable energy source for heating aviaries in poultry broiler production from the point of view of the farmer and under environmental logic. Therefore, the identification of criteria was enabled through an exploratory study in three poultry broiler production units located in the mountain region of Rio Grande do Sul. In order to identify the energy source, the Analytic Hierarchy Process was applied. The criteria determined and validated in the research contemplated the cost of energy source, leadtime, investment in equipment, energy efficiency, quality of life and environmental impacts. The result of applying the method revealed firewood as the most appropriate energy for heating. The decision support model developed could be replicated in order to strengthen the criteria and energy alternatives presented, besides identifying new criteria and alternatives that were not considered in this study.

30 Years of NRWG activities towards harmonization of nuclear safety criteria and requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-11-01

This report describes the work performed and the results achieved by the NRWG since its creation in 1972 to advise the Commission on nuclear safety matters (safety methodologies, criteria, standards, postulated accidents inside the nuclear installations, natural hazards, man-made hazards, training of personnel and use of simulator, ALARA policy to reduce the doses to the personnel and the public, emergency planning, defence in depth and integrity of the successive barriers between the radioactive products and the environment, radiological consequences of postulated accidents, probabilistic safety analysis, severe accidents analysis and management. The report also lists a number of technical subjects where NRWG has played a leading role. (author)

Multi criteria decision analysis on a waste repository in Mol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carle, B.

2005-01-01

In Belgium, the management of radioactive waste is taken care of by ONDRAF/NIRAS, the Belgian Agency for Radioactive Waste and Enriched Fissile Materials. Local partnerships with stakeholders from municipalities in existing nuclear zones were setup to facilitate the dialogue between the repository designers and the local community. Since the establishment of the partnership in Mol, MONA in February 2000, all aspects of a possible near-surface or a deep geological repository are discussed in 4 working groups by around 50 volunteer members. The outcome of the discussions in the partnership can be a shared project, supported by both local stakeholders and ONDRAF/NIRAS, in which the specifications and the conditions needed for establishing a repository in Mol are elaborated. MONA asked the Decision Strategy Research Department of SCK-CEN to organise a Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA) in the context of the deciding between a surface and a deep repository for low level radioactive waste. The objective of the multi criteria analysis is to support a number of representatives of the various working groups within MONA in their selection between two acceptable options for a repository of low level radioactive waste on the territory of Mol. The options are the surface repository developed by the working groups of MONA, and a deep repository in the clay layers underneath the nuclear site of Mol. This study should facilitate the selection between both options, or in case this appears to be difficult, at least to get a well-structured overview of all factors (criteria) of importance to the judgement, and to get insight into the degree in which the various criteria contribute to the selection

A multi-criteria model for maintenance job scheduling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sunday A. Oke

2007-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a multi-criteria maintenance job scheduling model, which is formulated using a weighted multi-criteria integer linear programming maintenance scheduling framework. Three criteria, which have direct relationship with the primary objectives of a typical production setting, were used. These criteria are namely minimization of equipment idle time, manpower idle time and lateness of job with unit parity. The mathematical model constrained by available equipment, manpower and job available time within planning horizon was tested with a 10-job, 8-hour time horizon problem with declared equipment and manpower available as against the required. The results, analysis and illustrations justify multi-criteria consideration. Thus, maintenance managers are equipped with a tool for adequate decision making that guides against error in the accumulated data which may lead to wrong decision making. The idea presented is new since it provides an approach that has not been documented previously in the literature.

Development of optical fiber cable's inspection technology and maintenance criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Min-Su; Ju, Hee-Wan; Shim, Seon-Heum; Lee, Youn-Ki; Kim, Jin-Il; Huh, Tae-Young

2008-01-01

Improve the reliability and establish the systematic maintenance methods for the digital control facilities' optical fiber cable, reviewed the technical requirements and the current maintenance procedures, analyzed the optical fiber cable's characteristics through actual test like bending, tension, attenuation. Based on the results of review, test and analysis, prepared the maintenance criteria and standard maintenance guideline. Also we verified those can be applied directly to the operating nuclear power plant through the actual test at Ulchin Unit 6. The details of test and analysis are presented in this paper. Also introduce the contents of maintenance criteria and guidelines

Sampling criteria in multicollection searching.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilio, A.; Scozzafava, R.; Marchetti, P. G.

In the first stage of the document retrieval process, no information concerning relevance of a particular document is available. On the other hand, computer implementation requires that the analysis be made only for a sample of retrieved documents. This paper addresses the significance and suitability of two different sampling criteria for a multicollection online search facility. The inevitability of resorting to a logarithmic criterion in order to achieve a "spread of representativeness" from the multicollection is demonstrated.

User requirements and criteria for proliferation resistance in INPRO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, K.; Shea, T.E.; Hurt, R.D.; Nishimura, R.

2004-01-01

In designing future nuclear energy systems, it is important to consider the potential that such systems could be misused for the purpose of producing nuclear weapons. INPRO set out to provide guidance on incorporating proliferation resistance into innovative nuclear energy systems (INS). Generally two types of proliferation resistance measures are distinguished: intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic features consist of technical design features that reduce the attractiveness of nuclear material for nuclear weapon program, or prevent the diversion of nuclear material or production of undeclared nuclear material for nuclear weapons. Extrinsic measures include commitments, obligations and policies of states such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and IAEA safeguards agreements. INPRO has produced five basic principles and five user requirements for INS. It emphasizes that INS must continue to be an unattractive means to acquire fissile material for a nuclear weapon program. It also addresses as user requirements: 1) a balanced and optimised combination of intrinsic features and extrinsic measures, 2) the development and implementation of intrinsic features, 3) an early consideration of proliferation resistance in the development of INS and 4) the utilization of intrinsic features to increase the efficiency of extrinsic measures. INPRO has also developed criteria, consisting of indicators and acceptance limits, which would be used by a state to assess how an INS satisfies those user requirements. For the first user requirement, the most important but complex one, INPRO provides a 3-layer hierarchy of indicators to assess how unattractive a specific INS would be as part of a nuclear weapon program. Attributes of nuclear material and facilities are used as indicators to assess intrinsic features. Extrinsic measures imposed on the system are also assessed. Indicators to assess defence in depth for proliferation resistance include the number and

Application fuzzy multi-attribute decision analysis method to prioritize project success criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Phong, Nguyen Thanh; Quyen, Nguyen Le Hoang Thuy To

2017-11-01

Project success is a foundation for project owner to manage and control not only for the current project but also for future potential projects in construction companies. However, identifying the key success criteria for evaluating a particular project in real practice is a challenging task. Normally, it depends on a lot of factors, such as the expectation of the project owner and stakeholders, triple constraints of the project (cost, time, quality), and company's mission, vision, and objectives. Traditional decision-making methods for measuring the project success are usually based on subjective opinions of panel experts, resulting in irrational and inappropriate decisions. Therefore, this paper introduces a multi-attribute decision analysis method (MADAM) for weighting project success criteria by using fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process approach. It is found that this method is useful when dealing with imprecise and uncertain human judgments in evaluating project success criteria. Moreover, this research also suggests that although cost, time, and quality are three project success criteria projects, the satisfaction of project owner and acceptance of project stakeholders with the completed project criteria is the most important criteria for project success evaluation in Vietnam.

Assessment of flood susceptible areas using spatially explicit, probabilistic multi-criteria decision analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Zhongqian; Zhang, Hua; Yi, Shanzhen; Xiao, Yangfan

2018-03-01

GIS-based multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is increasingly used to support flood risk assessment. However, conventional GIS-MCDA methods fail to adequately represent spatial variability and are accompanied with considerable uncertainty. It is, thus, important to incorporate spatial variability and uncertainty into GIS-based decision analysis procedures. This research develops a spatially explicit, probabilistic GIS-MCDA approach for the delineation of potentially flood susceptible areas. The approach integrates the probabilistic and the local ordered weighted averaging (OWA) methods via Monte Carlo simulation, to take into account the uncertainty related to criteria weights, spatial heterogeneity of preferences and the risk attitude of the analyst. The approach is applied to a pilot study for the Gucheng County, central China, heavily affected by the hazardous 2012 flood. A GIS database of six geomorphological and hydrometeorological factors for the evaluation of susceptibility was created. Moreover, uncertainty and sensitivity analysis were performed to investigate the robustness of the model. The results indicate that the ensemble method improves the robustness of the model outcomes with respect to variation in criteria weights and identifies which criteria weights are most responsible for the variability of model outcomes. Therefore, the proposed approach is an improvement over the conventional deterministic method and can provides a more rational, objective and unbiased tool for flood susceptibility evaluation.

NWTS program criteria for mined geologic disposal of nuclear wasite: site performance criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-02-01

This report states ten criteria governing the suitability of sites for mined geologic disposal of high-level radioactive waste. The Department of Energy will use these criteria in its search for sites and will reevaluate their use when the Nuclear Regulatory Commission issues radioactive waste repository rules. These criteria encompass site geometry, geohydrology, geochemistry, geologic characteristics, tectonic environment, human intrusion, surface characteristics, environment, and potential socioeconomic impacts. The contents of this document include background discussion, site performance criteria, and appendices. The background section describes the waste disposal system, the application of the site criteria, and applicable criteria from NWTS-33(1) - Program Objectives, Functional Requirements and System Performance Criteria. Appendix A, entitled Comparison with Other Siting Criteria compares the NWTS criteria with those recommended by other agencies. Appendix B contains DOE responses to public comments received on the January 1980 draft of this document. Appendix C is a glossary

Analysis of existing work-zone devices with MASH safety performance criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-02-01

Crashworthy, work-zone, portable sign support systems accepted under NCHRP Report No. 350 were analyzed to : predict their safety peformance according to the TL-3 MASH evaluation criteria. An analysis was conducted to determine : which hardware param...

Evaluating and prioritizing technologies for adaptation to climate change. A hands on guidance to multi criteria analysis (MCA) and the identification and assessment of related criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Trærup, Sara Lærke Meltofte; Bakkegaard, Riyong Kim

The objective of this guidance is to guide consultants, decision makers and technical experts on how to facilitate discussions for prioritizing adaptation technologies, and to support the stakeholders in identifying appropriate criteria for this analysis.......The objective of this guidance is to guide consultants, decision makers and technical experts on how to facilitate discussions for prioritizing adaptation technologies, and to support the stakeholders in identifying appropriate criteria for this analysis....

Managing uncertainty in multiple-criteria decision making related to sustainability assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dorini, Gianluca Fabio; Kapelan, Zoran; Azapagic, Adisa

2011-01-01

In real life, decisions are usually made by comparing different options with respect to several, often conflicting criteria. This requires subjective judgements on the importance of different criteria by DMs and increases uncertainty in decision making. This article demonstrates how uncertainty can......: (1) no uncertainty, (2) uncertainty in data/models and (3) uncertainty in models and decision-makers’ preferences. The results shows how characterising and propagating uncertainty can help increase the effectiveness of multi-criteria decision making processes and lead to more informed decision....... be handled in multi-criteria decision situations using Compromise Programming, one of the Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) techniques. Uncertainty is characterised using a probabilistic approach and propagated using a Monte Carlo simulation technique. The methodological approach is illustrated...

Advances in seismic criteria to qualify structures, systems and components in operating reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manrique, M.A.; Bak, W.R.

1989-01-01

This paper describes improved seismic evaluation criteria and analysis methodologies used as part of the seismic reevaluation of San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 1. The plant had originally been designed for 0.25 g ground acceleration and was required to be upgraded to a 0.67 g ground acceleration as part of the plant's Long Term Service Seismic Reevaluation Program. The application of the criteria and methods described in this paper to demonstrate the seismic capability of the plant resulted in efficient plant modifications with considerable cost savings to the plant owner. The NRC accepted these criteria and methods based on favorable results of reviews, audits and independent verification of the theories, bases and implementation procedures of the proposed criteria and analysis methods

Using Multi-criteria Evaluation and GIS for Flood Risk Analysis in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Using Multi-criteria Evaluation and GIS for Flood Risk Analysis in Informal ... Using a case study of an informal settlement in Cape Town, this study ... The shack outlines of the informal settlement were digitized using CTCC aerial imagery.

Technological Criteria Technology-Environmental under a Systemic Approach: Chemistry Technology Transfer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Durán-García Martín Enrique

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Currently the transfer of chemical technology is a process that contributes to the technology policy of a country, an industry or an organization in general chemistry. This process requires the application of clear criteria for the proper development of the complex interrelations in the transfer of chemical technology. A group of criteria that are present, are those related to environmental technology which intrinsically define the technology and its impact to the environment. Therefore, the transfer of chemical technology requires technological-environmental criteria defining, in conjunction with other criteria, an adequate process for the selection, acquisition and incorporation of technology in a holistic perspective, so it provides feasible solutions the chemical industry in pursuit of their goals. Then the criterion becomes a benchmark for assessing an appropriate technology transfer process. We performed a theoretical analysis of the technological and environmental criteria, proposing thirty-six (36 technological-environmental criteria interrelated under a systemic approach in the process of transfer of chemical technology, focused on a methodological cycle first run, based primarily on the research-action method. Future research is expected to make a refinement of the criteria from the formulation and validation of metrics so that necessary adjustments are made to optimize the process of transfer of chemical technology.

Making Good Decisions in Healthcare with Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis: The Use, Current Research and Future Development of MCDA.

Science.gov (United States)

Mühlbacher, Axel C; Kaczynski, Anika

2016-02-01

Healthcare decision making is usually characterized by a low degree of transparency. The demand for transparent decision processes can be fulfilled only when assessment, appraisal and decisions about health technologies are performed under a systematic construct of benefit assessment. The benefit of an intervention is often multidimensional and, thus, must be represented by several decision criteria. Complex decision problems require an assessment and appraisal of various criteria; therefore, a decision process that systematically identifies the best available alternative and enables an optimal and transparent decision is needed. For that reason, decision criteria must be weighted and goal achievement must be scored for all alternatives. Methods of multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) are available to analyse and appraise multiple clinical endpoints and structure complex decision problems in healthcare decision making. By means of MCDA, value judgments, priorities and preferences of patients, insurees and experts can be integrated systematically and transparently into the decision-making process. This article describes the MCDA framework and identifies potential areas where MCDA can be of use (e.g. approval, guidelines and reimbursement/pricing of health technologies). A literature search was performed to identify current research in healthcare. The results showed that healthcare decision making is addressing the problem of multiple decision criteria and is focusing on the future development and use of techniques to weight and score different decision criteria. This article emphasizes the use and future benefit of MCDA.

Stakeholders analysis on criteria for protected areas management categories in Peninsular Malaysia

Science.gov (United States)

Hashim, Z.; Abdullah, S. A.; Nor, S. Md.

2017-10-01

The establishment of protected areas has always been associated with a strategy to conserve biodiversity. A well-managed protected areas not only protect the ecosystem and threatened species but also provides benefits to the public. These indeed require sound management practices through the application of protected areas management categories which can be is seen as tools for planning, establishment and administration of protected areas as well as to regulate the activities in the protected areas. However, in Peninsular Malaysia the implementation of the protected areas management categories was carried out based on the ‘ad-hoc’ basis without realising the important of the criteria based on the local values. Thus, an investigation has been sought to establish the criteria used in application to the protected areas management categories in Peninsular Malaysia. The outcomes revealed the significant of social, environment and economic criteria in establishing the protected area management categories in Peninsular Malaysia.

Analysis of DGNB-DK criteria for BIM-based Model Checking automatization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gade, Peter Nørkjær; Svidt, Kjeld; Jensen, Rasmus Lund

This report includes the results of an analysis of the automation potential of the Danish edition of building sustainability assessment method Deutsche Gesellschaft für Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB) for office buildings version 2014 1.1. The analysis investigate the criteria related to DGNB-DK and if......-DK and if they would be suited for automation through the technological concept BIM-based Model Checking (BMC)....

Multi-criteria decision analysis with probabilistic risk assessment for the management of contaminated ground water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khadam, Ibrahim M.; Kaluarachchi, Jagath J.

2003-01-01

Traditionally, environmental decision analysis in subsurface contamination scenarios is performed using cost-benefit analysis. In this paper, we discuss some of the limitations associated with cost-benefit analysis, especially its definition of risk, its definition of cost of risk, and its poor ability to communicate risk-related information. This paper presents an integrated approach for management of contaminated ground water resources using health risk assessment and economic analysis through a multi-criteria decision analysis framework. The methodology introduces several important concepts and definitions in decision analysis related to subsurface contamination. These are the trade-off between population risk and individual risk, the trade-off between the residual risk and the cost of risk reduction, and cost-effectiveness as a justification for remediation. The proposed decision analysis framework integrates probabilistic health risk assessment into a comprehensive, yet simple, cost-based multi-criteria decision analysis framework. The methodology focuses on developing decision criteria that provide insight into the common questions of the decision-maker that involve a number of remedial alternatives. The paper then explores three potential approaches for alternative ranking, a structured explicit decision analysis, a heuristic approach of importance of the order of criteria, and a fuzzy logic approach based on fuzzy dominance and similarity analysis. Using formal alternative ranking procedures, the methodology seeks to present a structured decision analysis framework that can be applied consistently across many different and complex remediation settings. A simple numerical example is presented to demonstrate the proposed methodology. The results showed the importance of using an integrated approach for decision-making considering both costs and risks. Future work should focus on the application of the methodology to a variety of complex field conditions to

Exploring employer job requirements: An analysis of pharmacy job announcements.

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, James S; Ngo, Tien; Cecil, Jasmine; Borja-Hart, Nancy

Postgraduate training, dual degrees, and board certifications are credentials viewed by academic pharmacy communities and professional organizations as positive assets for those seeking pharmacist jobs; however, a key question merits further investigation: do these views match employer expectations? The primary objective of this study was to identify the most common qualifications employers require as stated in job advertisements. Pharmacist job postings from the aggregate jobs website Indeed.com were evaluated for the 20 largest metropolitan areas in the United States. Search criteria included: pharmacist, full-time, and within a 50-mile radius of the metropolitan area. Positions were excluded if they were not pharmacist specific, did not require a pharmacy degree, were part-time, or were temporary. Required and preferred qualifications were collected in the following categories: practice type, experience needed, training, certification, and desired skills. Six hundred and eleven of 1356 postings met inclusion criteria. Positions were classified as community (113), health-system (264), industry (149), academia (9), or other (76). Four hundred and six (66.4%) required a minimum of a Bachelor's of Pharmacy degree, while 174 (28.4%) required a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Experience was required for 467 positions (range of 6 months to 14 years). Postgraduate training was required for 73 positions (66 residency/7 fellowship). One job required a Master's degree, type unspecified. BPS certifications were required for 7 positions (1.1%) and preferred for 22 positions (3.6%). Certifications and skills most required by employers were verbal and written skills (248), Microsoft Office proficiency (93), immunization certifications (51), and Basic Life Support/Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation certifications (37). Postgraduate training, dual degrees, and board certification were not significant factors in the qualification criteria for the positions identified. The qualifications

Design criteria development for the structural stability of nuclear waste repository

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yun, C H [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Yu, T S [Daewoo Engineering Company, Sungnam (Korea, Republic of); Ko, H M [Seoul National Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1990-11-15

The objective of the present project is to develop design criteria for the structural stability of rock cavity for the underground repository are defined, according to which detailed descriptions for design methodologies, design stages and stability analysis of the cavity are made. The proposed criteria can be used as a guide for the preparation of design codes which are to be established as the site condition and technical emplacement procedure are fixed. The present report first reviews basic safety requirements and criteria of the underground disposal of nuclear wastes for the establishment of design concepts and stability analysis of the rock cavity. Important factors for the design are also described by considering characteristics of the wastes and underground facilities. The present project has investigated technical aspects on the design of underground structures based on the currently established underground construction technologies, and presented a proposal for design criteria for the structural stability of the nuclear waste repository. The proposed criteria consist of general provisions, geological exploration, rock classification, design process and methods, supporting system, analyses and instrumentation.

GIS-based Multi-Criteria Analysis of Wind Farm Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Henning Sten

2005-01-01

Due to the negative impact on the environment of traditional powergenerating methods, especially coal and oil-fired power stations wind power has increased in popularity. Achieving the goal set by the EU due to the implementation of the Kyoto protocol will require further expansion, and in order...... to facilitate this process around the Baltic Sea. A project – Wind Energy in the Baltic Sea Region - financed by EU / INTERREG III B was initiated in order to develop methods and tools to support spatial planning in relation to wind energy. The aim of the current study is to develop multi-criteria evaluations...

Theory analysis for Pender's health promotion model (HPM) by Barnum's criteria: a critical perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Khoshnood, Zohreh; Rayyani, Masoud; Tirgari, Batool

2018-01-13

Background Analysis of nursing theoretical works and its role in knowledge development is presented as an essential process of critical reflection. Health promotion model (HPM) focuses on helping people achieve higher levels of well-being and identifies background factors that influence health behaviors. Objectives This paper aims to evaluate, and critique HPM by Barnum's criteria. Methods The present study reviewed books and articles derived from Proquest, PubMed, Blackwell Databases. The method of evaluation for this model is based on Barnum's criteria for analysis, application and evaluation of nursing theories. The criteria selected by Barnum embrace both internal and external criticism. Internal criticism deals with how theory components fit with each other (internal construction of theory) and external criticism deals with the way in which theory relates to the extended world (which considers theory in its relationships to human beings, nursing, and health). Results The electronic database search yielded over 27,717 titles and abstracts. Following removal of duplicates, 18,963 titles and abstracts were screened using the inclusion criteria and 1278 manuscripts were retrieved. Of these, 80 were specific to HPM and 23 to analysis of any theory in nursing relating to the aim of this article. After final selection using the inclusion criteria for this review, 28 manuscripts were identified as examining the factors contributing to theory analysis. Evaluation of health promotion theory showed that the philosophical claims and their content are consistent and clear. HPM has a logical structure and was applied to diverse age groups from differing cultures with varying health concerns. Conclusion In conclusion, among the strategies for theory critique, the Barnum approach is structured and accurate, considers theory in its relationship to human beings, community psychiatric nursing, and health. While according to Pender, nursing assessment, diagnosis and interventions

Fuel safety criteria technical review - Results of OECD/CSNI/PWG2 Task Force on Fuel Safety Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollasky, N.; Valtonen, K.; Hache, G.; Gross, H.; Bakker, K.; Recio, M.; Bart, G.; Zimmermann, M.; Van Doesburg, W.; Killeen, J.; Meyer, R.O.; Speis, T.

2000-01-01

With the advent of advanced fuel and core designs, the adoption of more aggressive operational modes and the implementation of more accurate (best estimate or statistical) design and analysis methods, there is a concern if safety margins have remained adequate. Most - if not all - of the currently existing safety criteria were established during the 60's and early 70's, and verified against experiments with fuel that was available at that time, mostly with unirradiated specimens. Verification was of course performed as designs progressed in later years, however mostly with the aim to be able to prove that these designs adequately complied with existing criteria, and not to establish new limits. The OECD/CSNI/PWG2 Task Force on Fuel Safety Criteria (TFFSC) was therefore given the mandate to technically review the existing fuel safety criteria, focusing on the 'new design' elements (new fuel and core design, cladding materials, manufacturing processes, high burnup, MOX, etc.) introduced by the industry. It should also identify if additional efforts may be required (experimental, analytical) to ensure that the basis for fuel safety criteria is adequate to address the relevant safety issues. In this report, fuel-related criteria are discussed without attempting to categorize them according to event type or risk significance. For each of these 20 criteria, we present a brief description of the criterion as it is used in several applications along with the rationale for having such a criterion. New design elements, such as different cladding materials, higher burnup, and the use of MOX fuels, can affect fuel-related margins and, in some cases, the criteria themselves. Some of the more important effects are mentioned in order to indicate whether the criteria need to be re-evaluated. The discussion may not cover all possible effects, but should be sufficient to identify those criteria that need to be addressed. A summary of these discussions is given in Section 7. As part

Eliciting and Combining Decision Criteria Using a Limited Palette of Utility Functions and Uncertainty Distributions: Illustrated by Application to Pest Risk Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, Johnson; Leach, Adrian W; Schrader, Gritta; Petter, Françoise; MacLeod, Alan; van der Gaag, Dirk Jan; Baker, Richard H A; Mumford, John D

2014-01-01

Utility functions in the form of tables or matrices have often been used to combine discretely rated decision-making criteria. Matrix elements are usually specified individually, so no one rule or principle can be easily stated for the utility function as a whole. A series of five matrices are presented that aggregate criteria two at a time using simple rules that express a varying degree of constraint of the lower rating over the higher. A further nine possible matrices were obtained by using a different rule either side of the main axis of the matrix to describe situations where the criteria have a differential influence on the outcome. Uncertainties in the criteria are represented by three alternative frequency distributions from which the assessors select the most appropriate. The output of the utility function is a distribution of rating frequencies that is dependent on the distributions of the input criteria. In pest risk analysis (PRA), seven of these utility functions were required to mimic the logic by which assessors for the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization arrive at an overall rating of pest risk. The framework enables the development of PRAs that are consistent and easy to understand, criticize, compare, and change. When tested in workshops, PRA practitioners thought that the approach accorded with both the logic and the level of resolution that they used in the risk assessments. © 2013 Society for Risk Analysis.

Green Supplier Selection Criteria

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Izabela Ewa; Banaeian, Narges; Golinska, Paulina

2014-01-01

Green supplier selection (GSS) criteria arise from an organization inclination to respond to any existing trends in environmental issues related to business management and processes, so GSS is integrating environmental thinking into conventional supplier selection. This research is designed...... to determine prevalent general and environmental supplier selection criteria and develop a framework which can help decision makers to determine and prioritize suitable green supplier selection criteria (general and environmental). In this research we considered several parameters (evaluation objectives......) to establish suitable criteria for GSS such as their production type, requirements, policy and objectives instead of applying common criteria. At first a comprehensive and deep review on prevalent and green supplier selection literatures performed. Then several evaluation objectives defined to assess the green...

Multi-criteria analysis for municipal solid waste management in a Brazilian metropolitan area.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Simone Machado; Silva, Maisa Mendonça; Melo, Renata Maciel; Gavazza, Savia; Florencio, Lourdinha; Kato, Mario T

2017-10-15

The decision-making process involved in municipal solid waste management (MSWM) must consider more than just financial aspects, which makes it a difficult task in developing countries. The Recife Metropolitan Region (RMR) in the Northeast of Brazil faces a MSWM problem that has been ongoing since the 1970s, with no common solution. In order to direct short-term solutions, three MSWM alternatives were outlined for the RMR, considering the current and future situations, the time and cost involved and social/environmental criteria. A multi-criteria approach, based on the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluations (PROMETHEE), was proposed to rank these alternatives. The alternative that included two private landfill sites and seven transfer, sorting and composting stations was confirmed as the most suitable and stable option for short-term MSWM, considering the two scenarios for the criteria weights. Sensitivity analysis was also performed to support the robustness of the results. The implementation of separate collections would minimize the amount of waste buried, while maximizing the useful life of landfill sites and increasing the timeframe of the alternative. Overall, the multi-criteria analysis was helpful and accurate during the alternative selection process, considering the similarities and restrictions of each option, which can lead to difficulties during the decision-making process.

The application of the multi-criteria analysis in evaluating of the road designs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuzović Ljubiša T.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The analysis of the suitability of applying multi-criteria ranking of road design variants places the emphasis on the danger of fixing the ranking results, by the impact of subjective factors, in the process of determining relevant criteria and their relative weights. This danger is illustrated using two real examples. In the first example, subjective factors did not have a decisive influence since all of the most significant technical exploitation economic and ecological indicators, determined in the appropriate study and project documentation, were taken into account while determining relevant criteria and their relative weights. In the second example, subjective factors had a more decisive influence since all of the most significant technical exploitation economic and ecological indicators, determined in the appropriate study and project documentation, were not taken into account while determining relevant criteria and their relative weights.

The use of multi-criteria analysis (MCA) for evaluating feasible countermeasures after an accidental release of radioactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schenker-Wicki, A.

1988-01-01

The aim of this study is to establish a system that enables rational decisions to be taken for reducing (if necessary) the radiological risk to a population. These decisions normally concern whether a particular food product will be consumed or not, as well as wether it should be diverted for other uses. To evaluate the consequences of such actions, many different criteria have to be taken into account such as the radiological risk, nutritional and environmental criteria, current technical intervention levels, economic costs and public reaction. Under the guidance of the Institute of Automation and Operations Research at the University of Fribourg a Multi-Criteria-Analysis (MCA) approach, based on the most recent developments in decision theory, is being elaborated. MCA requires input from a suite of sub-models combined with basic input data. For the radiological impact model the German code ECOSYS will be adapted for Swiss conditions. Furthermore, input data on the effect of food processing on radionuclide content of foodstuffs and consumption habits are needed. MCA thus allows the consequences of different countermeasures to be assessed in relation to the different governing criteria. In order to allow efficient use of this technique it shall be implemented as a user friendly computerized decision support system. In this paper, an example of different countermeasures to reduce the dose from milk contaminated with I-131 resulting from a reactor accident is given

Development of criteria for release of Idaho National Engineering Laboratory sites following decontamination and decommissioning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirol, L.

1986-08-01

Criteria have been developed for release of Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) facilities and land areas following decontamination and decommissioning (D and D). Although these facilities and land areas are not currently being returned to the public domain, and no plans exist for doing so, criteria suitable for unrestricted release to the public were desired. Midway through this study, the implementation of Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5820.2, Radioactive Waste Management, required development of site specific release criteria for use on D and D projects. These criteria will help prevent remedial actions from being required if INEL reuse considerations change in the future. Development of criteria for release of INEL facilities following D and D comprised four study areas: pathways analysis, dose and concentration guidelines, sampling and instrumentation, and implementation procedures. Because of the complex and sensitive nature of the first three categories, a thorough review by experts in those respective fields was desired. Input and support in preparing or reviewing each part of the criteria development task was solicited from several DOE field offices. Experts were identified and contracted to assist in preparing portions of the release criteria, or to serve on a peer-review committee. Thus, the entire release criteria development task was thoroughly reviewed by recognized experts from contractors at several DOE field offices, to validate technical content of the document. Each of the above four study areas was developed originally as an individual task, and a report was generated from each. These reports are combined here to form this document. This release criteria document includes INEL-specific pathways analysis, instrumentation requirements, sampling procedures, the basis for selection of dose and concentration guidelines, and cost-risk-benefit procedures

Analysis of waste treatment requirements for DOE mixed wastes: Technical basis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-02-01

The risks and costs of managing DOE wastes are a direct function of the total quantities of 3wastes that are handled at each step of the management process. As part of the analysis of the management of DOE low-level mixed wastes (LLMW), a reference scheme has been developed for the treatment of these wastes to meet EPA criteria. The treatment analysis in a limited form was also applied to one option for treatment of transuranic wastes. The treatment requirements in all cases analyzed are based on a reference flowsheet which provides high level treatment trains for all LLMW. This report explains the background and basis for that treatment scheme. Reference waste stream chemical compositions and physical properties including densities were established for each stream in the data base. These compositions are used to define the expected behavior for wastes as they pass through the treatment train. Each EPA RCRA waste code was reviewed, the properties, chemical composition, or characteristics which are of importance to waste behavior in treatment were designated. Properties that dictate treatment requirements were then used to develop the treatment trains and identify the unit operations that would be included in these trains. A table was prepared showing a correlation of the waste physical matrix and the waste treatment requirements as a guide to the treatment analysis. The analysis of waste treatment loads is done by assigning wastes to treatment steps which would achieve RCRA compliant treatment. These correlation's allow one to examine the treatment requirements in a condensed manner and to see that all wastes and contaminant sets are fully considered

Licensed reactor nuclear safety criteria applicable to DOE reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-04-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) Order DOE 5480.6, Safety of Department of Energy-Owned Nuclear Reactors, establishes reactor safety requirements to assure that reactors are sited, designed, constructed, modified, operated, maintained, and decommissioned in a manner that adequately protects health and safety and is in accordance with uniform standards, guides, and codes which are consistent with those applied to comparable licensed reactors. This document identifies nuclear safety criteria applied to NRC [Nuclear Regulatory Commission] licensed reactors. The titles of the chapters and sections of USNRC Regulatory Guide 1.70, Standard Format and Content of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants, Rev. 3, are used as the format for compiling the NRC criteria applied to the various areas of nuclear safety addressed in a safety analysis report for a nuclear reactor. In each section the criteria are compiled in four groups: (1) Code of Federal Regulations, (2) US NRC Regulatory Guides, SRP Branch Technical Positions and Appendices, (3) Codes and Standards, and (4) Supplemental Information. The degree of application of these criteria to a DOE-owned reactor, consistent with their application to comparable licensed reactors, must be determined by the DOE and DOE contractor

Analysis of patterns of three-phase bone scintigraphy for patients with complex regional pain syndrome diagnosed using the proposed research criteria (the 'Budapest Criteria').

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, J Y; Park, S Y; Kim, Y C; Lee, S C; Nahm, F S; Kim, J H; Kim, H; Oh, S W

2012-04-01

Three-phase bone scintigraphy (TPBS) is an established objective diagnostic method for complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), but its validity remains controversial. The aims of this study were: (i) to re-evaluate the diagnostic performance of TPBS, and (ii) to suggest new TPBS criteria based on the proposed research criteria for CPRS in Budapest (the 2003 Budapest research criteria). The medical records of 228 consecutive patients, evaluated using the Budapest research criteria, were retrospectively analysed. Of these, 116 patients were included in the present study, and 69 of 116 were diagnosed to have CRPS based on these criteria. The diagnostic performance of TPBS was assessed by determining its sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative likelihood ratios, and new criteria for TPBS were identified by pattern analysis using the Budapest research criteria. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, and negative likelihood ratio of TPBS for the diagnosis of CRPS according to the Budapest research criteria were 40.0, 76.5, 1.73, and 0.78, respectively. Furthermore, D-D-D, D-D-S, and D-D-I patterns [i.e. according to decreased (D), symmetrical (S), or increased (I) tracer uptake during Phases I, II, and III] of TPBS were found to be positively predictive for CRPS. The diagnostic value of a positive TPBS for CRPS is low from the view point of the Budapest research criteria. Our findings suggest that a diagnosis of CRPS using the Budapest research criteria should be considered when decreased patterns of TPBS are observed during Phases I and II.

Scenario and multiple criteria decision analysis for energy and environmental security of military and industrial installations.

Science.gov (United States)

Karvetski, Christopher W; Lambert, James H; Linkov, Igor

2011-04-01

Military and industrial facilities need secure and reliable power generation. Grid outages can result in cascading infrastructure failures as well as security breaches and should be avoided. Adding redundancy and increasing reliability can require additional environmental, financial, logistical, and other considerations and resources. Uncertain scenarios consisting of emergent environmental conditions, regulatory changes, growth of regional energy demands, and other concerns result in further complications. Decisions on selecting energy alternatives are made on an ad hoc basis. The present work integrates scenario analysis and multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to identify combinations of impactful emergent conditions and to perform a preliminary benefits analysis of energy and environmental security investments for industrial and military installations. Application of a traditional MCDA approach would require significant stakeholder elicitations under multiple uncertain scenarios. The approach proposed in this study develops and iteratively adjusts a scoring function for investment alternatives to find the scenarios with the most significant impacts on installation security. A robust prioritization of investment alternatives can be achieved by integrating stakeholder preferences and focusing modeling and decision-analytical tools on a few key emergent conditions and scenarios. The approach is described and demonstrated for a campus of several dozen interconnected industrial buildings within a major installation. Copyright © 2010 SETAC.

Harnessing Ecosystem Models and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for the Support of Forest Management

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfslehner, Bernhard; Seidl, Rupert

2010-12-01

The decision-making environment in forest management (FM) has changed drastically during the last decades. Forest management planning is facing increasing complexity due to a widening portfolio of forest goods and services, a societal demand for a rational, transparent decision process and rising uncertainties concerning future environmental conditions (e.g., climate change). Methodological responses to these challenges include an intensified use of ecosystem models to provide an enriched, quantitative information base for FM planning. Furthermore, multi-criteria methods are increasingly used to amalgamate information, preferences, expert judgments and value expressions, in support of the participatory and communicative dimensions of modern forestry. Although the potential of combining these two approaches has been demonstrated in a number of studies, methodological aspects in interfacing forest ecosystem models (FEM) and multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) are scarcely addressed explicitly. In this contribution we review the state of the art in FEM and MCDA in the context of FM planning and highlight some of the crucial issues when combining ecosystem and preference modeling. We discuss issues and requirements in selecting approaches suitable for supporting FM planning problems from the growing body of FEM and MCDA concepts. We furthermore identify two major challenges in a harmonized application of FEM-MCDA: (i) the design and implementation of an indicator-based analysis framework capturing ecological and social aspects and their interactions relevant for the decision process, and (ii) holistic information management that supports consistent use of different information sources, provides meta-information as well as information on uncertainties throughout the planning process.

Multi-attribute criteria applied to electric generation energy system analysis LDRD.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuswa, Glenn W.; Tsao, Jeffrey Yeenien; Drennen, Thomas E.; Zuffranieri, Jason V.; Paananen, Orman Henrie; Jones, Scott A.; Ortner, Juergen G. (DLR, German Aerospace, Cologne); Brewer, Jeffrey D.; Valdez, Maximo M.

2005-10-01

This report began with a Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project to improve Sandia National Laboratories multidisciplinary capabilities in energy systems analysis. The aim is to understand how various electricity generating options can best serve needs in the United States. The initial product is documented in a series of white papers that span a broad range of topics, including the successes and failures of past modeling studies, sustainability, oil dependence, energy security, and nuclear power. Summaries of these projects are included here. These projects have provided a background and discussion framework for the Energy Systems Analysis LDRD team to carry out an inter-comparison of many of the commonly available electric power sources in present use, comparisons of those options, and efforts needed to realize progress towards those options. A computer aid has been developed to compare various options based on cost and other attributes such as technological, social, and policy constraints. The Energy Systems Analysis team has developed a multi-criteria framework that will allow comparison of energy options with a set of metrics that can be used across all technologies. This report discusses several evaluation techniques and introduces the set of criteria developed for this LDRD.

Multi-criteria analysis for site selection for the reuse of reclaimed water and biosolids

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

António Albuquerque

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Low pH soils with insufficient organic matter can benefit from the application of reclaimed water (RW and biosolids. The presence of nutrients also aids plant growth. This paper presents the results of two integrated research studies, both carried out in the Beira Interior Region (Covilhã, Portugal; one used RW for irrigation, the other applied paper mill sludge to agricultural land. In both cases, multiple criteria based on GIS tools were used for site selection. In the first study, the characteristics of RW analyzed over 2 years were found suitable for crop irrigation. The RW had moderate organic content, low electrical conductivity (CE, high nutrient content (N, P, and low concentrations of nitrate, metals and phytotoxic elements (Al, B, Cl and Na. The multi-criteria analysis was carried out taking into account environmental, technical and economic criteria and a suitable area of 30.5 ha was found for RW irrigation. In the second work, the paper mill sludge was considered suitable for application to agricultural land. Its concentrations of N, P and heavy metals did not a present risk for soil contamination and were suitable for soil improvement and crop production. A multi-criteria analysis based on similar criteria was conducted and a suitable area of 253 ha was found for sludge application.

Multi-criteria model for sustainable development using goal programming applied to the United Arab Emirates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayaraman, Raja; Colapinto, Cinzia; Torre, Davide La; Malik, Tufail

2015-01-01

Sustainable development requires implementing suitable policies integrating several competing objectives on economic, environmental, energy and social criteria. Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) using goal programming is a popular and widely used technique to study decision problems in the face of multiple conflicting objectives. MCDA assists policy makers by providing clarity in choosing between alternatives for strategic planning and investments. In this paper, we propose a weighted goal programming model that integrates efficient allocation of resources to simultaneously achieve sustainability related goals on GDP growth, electricity consumption and GHG emissions. We validate the model with application to key economic sectors of the United Arab Emirates to achieve sustainable development goals by the year 2030. The model solution provides a quantitative justification and a basis for comparison in planning future energy requirements and an indispensable requirement to include renewable sources to satisfy long-term energy requirements. - Highlights: • Multi-criteria model for achieving sustainability goals by year 2030. • Integrates criteria on electricity, GDP, GHG emissions for optimal labor allocation. • Future electricity demand requires contribution from renewable sources • Enables planning for long term investments towards energy sustainability.

What is required for the validation of in vitro assays for predicting contaminant relative bioavailability? Considerations and criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juhasz, Albert L.; Basta, Nicholas T.; Smith, Euan

2013-01-01

A number of studies have shown the potential of in vitro assays to predict contaminant in vivo relative bioavailability in order to refine human health exposure assessment. Although the term ‘validated’ has been used to describe the goodness of fit between in vivo and in vitro observations, its misuse has arisen from semantic considerations in addition to the lack of defined criteria for establishing performance validation. While several internal validation methods may be utilised, performance validation should preferably focus on assessing the agreement of model predictions with a set of data which are independent of those used to construct the model. In order to achieve robust validated predictive models, a number of parameters (e.g. size of data set, source of independent soils, contaminant concentration range, animal model, relative bioavailability endpoint) need to be considered in addition to defined criteria for establishing performance validation which are currently lacking. -- Defined criteria for establishing in vivo–in vitro performance validation are required in order to ensure robust, defensible predictive models for human health exposure assessment

Radiological design criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Selby, J.M.; Andersen, B.V.; Carter, L.A.; Waite, D.A.

1977-01-01

Many new nuclear facilities are unsatisfactory from a radiation protection point of view, particularly when striving to maintain occupational exposure as low as practicable 'ALAP'. Radiation protection is achieved through physical protective features supplemented by administrative controls. Adequate physical protective feature should be achieved during construction so that supplemental administrative controls may be kept simple and workable. Many nuclear facilities fall short of adequate physical protective features, thus, remedial and sometimes awkward administrative procedures are required to safely conduct work. In reviewing the various handbooks, reports and regulations which deal with radiation protection, it may be noted that there is minimal radiological design guidance for application to nuclear facilities. A set of criteria or codes covering functional areas rather than specific nuclear facility types is badly needed. The following are suggested as functional areas to be considered: characterization of the Facility; siting and access; design exposure limits; layout (people and materials flow); ventilation and effluent control; radiation protection facilities and systems. The application of such radiological design criteria early in the design process would provide some assurance that nuclear facilities will be safe, flexible, and efficient with a minimum of costly retrofitting or administrative restrictions. Criteria which we have found helpful in these functional areas is discussed together with justification for adoption of such criteria and identification of problems which still require solution

Technical basis for tumbleweed survey requirements and disposal criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

J. D. Arana

2000-01-01

This technical basis document describes the technique for surveying potentially contaminated tumbleweeds in areas where the Environmental Restoration Contractor has jurisdiction and the disposal criteria based on these survey results. The report also discusses the statistical basis for surveys and the historical basis for the assumptions that are used to interpret the surveys

Technical Basis for Tumbleweed Survey Requirements and Disposal Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arana, J.D.

2000-01-01

This technical basis document describes the technique for surveying potentially contaminated tumbleweeds in areas where the Environmental Restoration Contractor has jurisdiction and the disposal criteria based on these survey results. The report also discusses the statistical basis for surveys and the historical basis for the assumptions that are used to interpret the surveys

NSSS supplier's response to differing safety criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cremades, J; Filkin, R; Franke, T [Westinghouse Electric Nuclear Energy Systems Europe (WENESE), Brussels (Belgium)

1980-11-01

The limited progress achieved to date in harmonizing national criteria has led to the development of designs which include the most common national requirements. Progress towards harmonization of safety criteria can be accelerated by expanding the IAEA leadership and co-ordination activities, and implementing an integrated approach to criteria development. National and International safety criteria are examined.

Acceptability criteria for linear dependence in validating UV-spectrophotometric methods of quantitative determination in forensic and toxicological analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Yu. Klimenko

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Introduction. This article is the result of authors’ research in the field of development of the approaches to validation of quantitative determination methods for purposes of forensic and toxicological analysis and devoted to the problem of acceptability criteria formation for validation parameter «linearity/calibration model». The aim of research. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the present approaches to acceptability estimation of the calibration model chosen for method description according to the requirements of the international guidances, to form the own approaches to acceptability estimation of the linear dependence when carrying out the validation of UV-spectrophotometric methods of quantitative determination for forensic and toxicological analysis. Materials and methods. UV-spectrophotometric method of doxylamine quantitative determination in blood. Results. The approaches to acceptability estimation of calibration models when carrying out the validation of bioanalytical methods is stated in international papers, namely «Guidance for Industry: Bioanalytical method validation» (U.S. FDA, 2001, «Standard Practices for Method Validation in Forensic Toxicology» (SWGTOX, 2012, «Guidance for the Validation of Analytical Methodology and Calibration of Equipment used for Testing of Illicit Drugs in Seized Materials and Biological Specimens» (UNODC, 2009 and «Guideline on validation of bioanalytical methods» (ЕМА, 2011 have been analysed. It has been suggested to be guided by domestic developments in the field of validation of analysis methods for medicines and, particularly, by the approaches to validation methods in the variant of the calibration curve method for forming the acceptability criteria of the obtained linear dependences when carrying out the validation of UV-spectrophotometric methods of quantitative determination for forensic and toxicological analysis. The choice of the method of calibration curve is

Sustainable energy planning by using multi-criteria analysis application in the island of Crete

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsoutsos, Theocharis; Drandaki, Maria; Frantzeskaki, Niki; Iosifidis, Eleftherios; Kiosses, Ioannis

2009-01-01

The sustainable energy planning includes a variety of objectives, as the decision-making is directly related to the processes of analysis and management of different types of information (technological, environmental, economic and social). Very often, the traditional evaluation methods, such as the cost-benefit analysis and macro-economic indicators, are not sufficient to integrate all the elements included in an environmentally thorough energy plan. On the contrary the multiple criteria methods provide a tool, which is more appropriate to assemble and to handle a wide range of variables that is evaluated in different ways and thus offer valid decision support. This paper exploits the multi-criteria methodology for the sustainable energy planning on the island of Crete in Greece. A set of energy planning alternatives are determined upon the implementation of installations of renewable energy sources on the island and are assessed against economic, technical, social and environmental criteria identified by the actors involved in the energy planning arena. The study constitutes an exploratory analysis with the potential to assist decision makers responsible for regional energy planning, providing them the possibility of creating classifications of alternative sustainable energy alternatives.

A multi-criteria decision analysis assessment of waste paper management options.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanan, Deirdre; Burnley, Stephen; Cooke, David

2013-03-01

The use of Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was investigated in an exercise using a panel of local residents and stakeholders to assess the options for managing waste paper on the Isle of Wight. Seven recycling, recovery and disposal options were considered by the panel who evaluated each option against seven environmental, financial and social criteria. The panel preferred options where the waste was managed on the island with gasification and recycling achieving the highest scores. Exporting the waste to the English mainland for incineration or landfill proved to be the least preferred options. This research has demonstrated that MCDA is an effective way of involving community groups in waste management decision making. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geo-Spatial Multi-criteria Analysis for Wave Energy System Deployment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nobre, Ana; Pacheco, Miguel (Instituto Hidrografico, Rua das Trinas, 49, Lisboa (PT)); Jorge, Raquel Lopes, M. F. P.; Gato, L. M. C. (IDMEC, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Av. Rovisco Pais, Lisboa (PT))

2007-07-01

The growing requirements for renewable energy production lead to the development of a new series of systems, including wave energy conversion systems. Due to their sensitivity and the impact of the aggressive marine environment, the selection of the most adequate location for these systems is a major and very important task. Several factors, such as technological limitations, environmental conditions, administrative and logistic conditions, have to be taken into account in order to support the decision for best location. This paper describes a geo-spatial multi-criteria analysis methodology, based on geographic information systems technology, for selection of the best location to deploy a wave energy farm. This methodology is not conversion system dependent and therefore can be easily customized for different systems and conditions. Selection factors can include, for example, ocean depth, bottom type, underwater cables, marine protected areas, ports location, shoreline, power grid location, military exercise areas, climatology of wave significant height, period and direction. A case study demonstrating this methodology is presented, for an area offshore the Portuguese southwest coast. The system output allows a clear identification of the best spots for a wave energy farm. It is not just a simple Boolean result showing valid and invalid locations, but a layer with a graded suitability for farm deployment.

Incorporating stakeholders' preferences for ex ante evaluation of energy and climate policy interactions. Development of a Multi Criteria Analysis weighting methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grafakos, S.; Zevgolis, D.; Oikonomou, V.

2008-03-01

Evaluation of energy and climate policy interactions is a complex issue which has not been addressed systematically. Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) evaluation processes have been applied widely to different policy and decision cases as they have the ability to cope with high complexity, by structuring and analyzing the policy problem in a transparent and systematic way. Criteria weights elicitation techniques are developed within the framework of MCDA to integrate stakeholders' preferential information in the decision making and evaluation process. There are variant methods to determine criteria weights which can be used in various ways for different policy evaluation purposes. During decision making, policy makers and relevant stakeholders implicitly or explicitly express their relative importance between the evaluation criteria by assigning weighting factors to them. More particular, climate change policy problems lack a simple, transparent and structured way to incorporate stakeholders' views and values. In order to incorporate stakeholders' weighting preferences into an ex ante evaluation of climate change and energy policy instruments interaction, an integrative constructive weighting methodology has been developed. This paper presents the main characteristics of evaluation of energy and climate policy interactions, the reasoning behind the development of the weighting tool, its main theoretical and functional characteristics and the results of its application to obtain and incorporate stakeholders' preferences on energy and climate change policy evaluation criteria. The weighting method that has been elaborated and applied to derive stakeholders' preferences for criteria weights is a combination of pair wise comparisons and ratio importance weighting methods. Initially introduces the stakeholders to the evaluation process through a warming up holistic approach for ranking the criteria and then requires them to express their ratio relative importance

GIS-based multicriteria municipal solid waste landfill suitability analysis: a review of the methodologies performed and criteria implemented.

Science.gov (United States)

Demesouka, O E; Vavatsikos, A P; Anagnostopoulos, K P

2014-04-01

Multicriteria spatial decision support systems (MC-SDSS) have emerged as an integration of the geographical information systems (GIS) and multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods. GIS-based MCDA allows the incorporation of conflicting objectives and decision maker (DM) preferences into spatial decision models. During recent decades, a variety of research articles have been published regarding the implementation of methods and/or tools in a variety of real-world case studies. The article discusses, in detail, the criteria and methods that are implemented in GIS-based landfill siting suitability analysis and especially the exclusionary and non-exclusionary criteria that can be considered when selecting sites for municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills. This paper reviews 36 seminal articles in which the evaluation of candidate landfill sites is conducted using MCDA methods. After a brief description of the main components of a MC-SDSS and the applied decision rules, the review focuses on the criteria incorporated into the decision models. The review provides a comprehensive guide to the landfill siting analysis criteria, providing details regarding the utilization methods, their decision or exclusionary nature and their monotonicity.

Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Acceptance Criteria for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The purpose of this document is to summarize the waste acceptance criteria applicable to the transportation, storage, and disposal of contact-handled transuranic (CH-TRU) waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). These criteria serve as the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) primary directive for ensuring that CH-TRU waste is managed and disposed of in a manner that protects human health and safety and the environment.The authorization basis of WIPP for the disposal of CH-TRU waste includes the U.S.Department of Energy National Security and Military Applications of Nuclear EnergyAuthorization Act of 1980 (reference 1) and the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act (LWA;reference 2). Included in this document are the requirements and associated criteriaimposed by these acts and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA,reference 3), as amended, on the CH-TRU waste destined for disposal at WIPP.|The DOE TRU waste sites must certify CH-TRU waste payload containers to thecontact-handled waste acceptance criteria (CH-WAC) identified in this document. Asshown in figure 1.0, the flow-down of applicable requirements to the CH-WAC istraceable to several higher-tier documents, including the WIPP operational safetyrequirements derived from the WIPP CH Documented Safety Analysis (CH-DSA;reference 4), the transportation requirements for CH-TRU wastes derived from theTransuranic Package Transporter-Model II (TRUPACT-II) and HalfPACT Certificates ofCompliance (references 5 and 5a), the WIPP LWA (reference 2), the WIPP HazardousWaste Facility Permit (reference 6), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) Compliance Certification Decision and approval for PCB disposal (references 7,34, 35, 36, and 37). The solid arrows shown in figure 1.0 represent the flow-down of allapplicable payload container-based requirements. The two dotted arrows shown infigure 1.0 represent the flow-down of summary level requirements only; i.e., the sitesmust reference the regulatory source

Contact-Handled Transuranic Waste Acceptance Criteria for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Washington TRU Solutions LLC

2005-12-29

The purpose of this document is to summarize the waste acceptance criteria applicable to the transportation, storage, and disposal of contact-handled transuranic (CH-TRU) waste at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). These criteria serve as the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) primary directive for ensuring that CH-TRU waste is managed and disposed of in a manner that protects human health and safety and the environment.The authorization basis of WIPP for the disposal of CH-TRU waste includes the U.S.Department of Energy National Security and Military Applications of Nuclear EnergyAuthorization Act of 1980 (reference 1) and the WIPP Land Withdrawal Act (LWA;reference 2). Included in this document are the requirements and associated criteriaimposed by these acts and the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA,reference 3), as amended, on the CH-TRU waste destined for disposal at WIPP.|The DOE TRU waste sites must certify CH-TRU waste payload containers to thecontact-handled waste acceptance criteria (CH-WAC) identified in this document. Asshown in figure 1.0, the flow-down of applicable requirements to the CH-WAC istraceable to several higher-tier documents, including the WIPP operational safetyrequirements derived from the WIPP CH Documented Safety Analysis (CH-DSA;reference 4), the transportation requirements for CH-TRU wastes derived from theTransuranic Package Transporter-Model II (TRUPACT-II) and HalfPACT Certificates ofCompliance (references 5 and 5a), the WIPP LWA (reference 2), the WIPP HazardousWaste Facility Permit (reference 6), and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) Compliance Certification Decision and approval for PCB disposal (references 7,34, 35, 36, and 37). The solid arrows shown in figure 1.0 represent the flow-down of allapplicable payload container-based requirements. The two dotted arrows shown infigure 1.0 represent the flow-down of summary level requirements only; i.e., the sitesmust reference the regulatory source

National Risk Assessment in The Netherlands : A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pruyt, E.; Wijnmalen, D.J.D.

2010-01-01

Nowadays, National Safety and Security issues receive much attention in many countries. In 2007, the Dutch government approved a National Safety and Security Strategy based on a multi-criteria analysis approach to classify potential threats and hazards. The general methodology of this Dutch National

Synthetic seismic acceleration time-histories and their acceptance criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Hong

1996-01-01

In seismic dynamic response analysis of structures and equipment, time-history analysis is now widely used. The 3-D seismic acceleration time-histories or 3-D seismic displacement time-histories are required in the 3-D seismic dynamic response analysis as the seismic excitation input data. Because of the lack of actual acceleration time-histories for the field where the structures or equipment are installed, the general practice is to use the synthetic seismic acceleration time-histories, which are derived from the design seismic response spectra of the field, as the seismic excitation input data. However, from one specified design response spectrum indefinite solutions of acceleration time-histories can be derived depending on the values of the input parameters. Not all the derived synthetic time-histories can be used as seismic excitation input data. Only those which meet the acceptance criteria can be used. The factors (input parameters), which will affect the time-history solution from a specified seismic response spectrum, and the acceptance criteria are discussed

A GIS based spatially-explicit sensitivity and uncertainty analysis approach for multi-criteria decision analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Feizizadeh, Bakhtiar; Jankowski, Piotr; Blaschke, Thomas

2014-03-01

GIS multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) techniques are increasingly used in landslide susceptibility mapping for the prediction of future hazards, land use planning, as well as for hazard preparedness. However, the uncertainties associated with MCDA techniques are inevitable and model outcomes are open to multiple types of uncertainty. In this paper, we present a systematic approach to uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. We access the uncertainty of landslide susceptibility maps produced with GIS-MCDA techniques. A new spatially-explicit approach and Dempster-Shafer Theory (DST) are employed to assess the uncertainties associated with two MCDA techniques, namely Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) and Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) implemented in GIS. The methodology is composed of three different phases. First, weights are computed to express the relative importance of factors (criteria) for landslide susceptibility. Next, the uncertainty and sensitivity of landslide susceptibility is analyzed as a function of weights using Monte Carlo Simulation and Global Sensitivity Analysis. Finally, the results are validated using a landslide inventory database and by applying DST. The comparisons of the obtained landslide susceptibility maps of both MCDA techniques with known landslides show that the AHP outperforms OWA. However, the OWA-generated landslide susceptibility map shows lower uncertainty than the AHP-generated map. The results demonstrate that further improvement in the accuracy of GIS-based MCDA can be achieved by employing an integrated uncertainty-sensitivity analysis approach, in which the uncertainty of landslide susceptibility model is decomposed and attributed to model's criteria weights.

Multi-criteria multi-stakeholder decision analysis using a fuzzy-stochastic approach for hydrosystem management

Science.gov (United States)

Subagadis, Y. H.; Schütze, N.; Grundmann, J.

2014-09-01

The conventional methods used to solve multi-criteria multi-stakeholder problems are less strongly formulated, as they normally incorporate only homogeneous information at a time and suggest aggregating objectives of different decision-makers avoiding water-society interactions. In this contribution, Multi-Criteria Group Decision Analysis (MCGDA) using a fuzzy-stochastic approach has been proposed to rank a set of alternatives in water management decisions incorporating heterogeneous information under uncertainty. The decision making framework takes hydrologically, environmentally, and socio-economically motivated conflicting objectives into consideration. The criteria related to the performance of the physical system are optimized using multi-criteria simulation-based optimization, and fuzzy linguistic quantifiers have been used to evaluate subjective criteria and to assess stakeholders' degree of optimism. The proposed methodology is applied to find effective and robust intervention strategies for the management of a coastal hydrosystem affected by saltwater intrusion due to excessive groundwater extraction for irrigated agriculture and municipal use. Preliminary results show that the MCGDA based on a fuzzy-stochastic approach gives useful support for robust decision-making and is sensitive to the decision makers' degree of optimism.

Analysis of the procedures and criteria for implantation of X-ray beams for ISO 4037 reference at low energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Figueiredo, Marcus Tadeu Tanuri de

2012-01-01

According to the radiological protection principles, practices involving ionizing radiation must be planned and carried out under the guarantee that the values of individual doses, the number of people exposed to radiation and the probability of accidental exposures are as low as reasonably achievable. Therefore, radiation dosimetry is required to be done with reliable instruments designed for measuring dosimetric quantities. The reliability of the dosimetry depends on both the calibration of the dosimeter and its proper performance under certain test conditions. The International Standardization Organization (ISO), in order to promote international standardization and metrological coherency, established sets of reference X-ray beams for dosimeter calibration and typing-test; they are expected to be implemented in metrology laboratories in compliance with specific technical requirements. At low energies there are specific requirements that need to be considered in both the implementation of the reference beams and their use in calibration and testing. The present study is an analysis of the procedures and criteria for ISO 4037 reference radiation implementation, at low energies. In the Dosimeter Calibration Laboratory of the Development Center of Nuclear Technology (LCD / CDTN), experiments were performed for determining the X-ray reference radiation parameters. Alternatives to the usual methods for half-value layer determination were studied. Spectra of reference beams were simulated with software and compared with experimental measurements. Different climatic conditions were reproduced in the Laboratory for analysis of its influence on the determination of the beam parameters. Uncertainties in the measurements of studied parameters were evaluated. According to the ISO 4037 criteria, the low energy X-ray beams were considered to be implemented; they allowed the determination of the conversion coefficients from air kerma to the operational radiation protection

Policy options to improve the effectiveness of the EU emissions trading system: A multi-criteria analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clò, Stefano; Battles, Susan; Zoppoli, Pietro

2013-01-01

This paper considers several policy options which have been proposed to improve the functioning of the ETS. These options require an intervention either on the ETS cap (−30% target, set-aside, carbon central bank, long-term target) or on the carbon price (European and national price floor). We analyse the impact of each policy on the ETS carbon price and emissions. A multi-criteria evaluation method is applied to compare the policy options against a plurality of environmental, economic and procedural criteria. We find that the final ranking depends on the goals to be achieved, i.e., the relative weights attributed to the criteria. When policymakers want mainly to support the carbon price both in the short and long-run, while improving ETS flexibility and harmonization, the CCB and the EU price floor are, respectively ranked as first and second-best options. As the preference for environmental and implementation goals gradually increases, the position of the EU price floor and CCB options tend to invert. The −30% target should be adopted when reducing emissions is the priority goal, while a national price floor is the worst option, in this case. Nevertheless, self-interested States looking for a relatively quick, feasible solution, may find it optimal. - Highlights: ► A multi-criteria analysis is adopted to compare policy options to improve the ETS effectiveness. ► An ETS cap reversible adjustment by a carbon central bank is the first-best option. ► The establishment of a EU-wide price floor would represent a second-best solution. ► A national price floor is the worst option but self-interest states may find it optimal. ► A post-2020 target is not a mutually exclusive option and should be set

Factor Analysis on Criteria Affecting Lean Retrofit for Energy Efficient Initiatives in Higher Learning Institution Buildings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Abidin Nur IzieAdiana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The expansion of Higher Learning Institution (HLI is a global concerns on energy demand due to campus act like a small city. Intensive mode of operation of a building is correlated to the energy utilization. Improvement in the current energy efficiency is crucial effort to minimize the environmental effect through minimisation of energy in operation by retrofitting and upgrade the existing building system or components to be more efficient. Basically, there are three recommended steps for the improvement known as lean initiatives, green technology and clean energy in response to becoming zero energy solutions for building. The deliberation of this paper is aimed to highlight the criteria affecting in retrofitting of existing building in HLI with lean initiatives in order to achieve energy efficiency and reduction of energy comsumption. Attention is devoted to reviewing the lean energy retrofitting initiatives criteria for daylighting (side lighting, daylighting (skylight and glazing. The questionnaire survey was employed and distributed to the architects who has an expertise in green building design. Factor analysis was adopted as a method of analysis by using Principal Component with Varimax Rotation. The result is presented through summarizing the sub-criteria according to its importance with a factor loading 0.50 and above. The result found that majority of the criteria developed achieved the significant factor loading value and in accordance with the protocal of analysis. In conclusion the results from analysis of this paper assists the stakeholders in assessing the significant criteria based on the desired lean energy retrofitting initiatives and also provides a huge contribution for future planning improvement in existing buildings to become an energy efficient building.

Performance of classification criteria for gout in early and established disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Taylor, William J; Fransen, Jaap; Dalbeth, Nicola

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To compare the sensitivity and specificity of different classification criteria for gout in early and established disease. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of consecutive rheumatology clinic patients with joint swelling in which gout was defined by presence or absence...... of monosodium urate crystals as observed by a certified examiner at presentation. Early disease was defined as patient-reported onset of symptoms of 2 years or less. RESULTS: Data from 983 patients were collected and gout was present in 509 (52%). Early disease was present in 144 gout cases and 228 non.......3%/84.4% and 86.4%/63.6%. Criteria not requiring synovial fluid analysis had sensitivity and specificity of less than 80% in early and established disease. CONCLUSIONS: Existing classification criteria for gout have sensitivity of over 80% in early and established disease but currently available criteria that do...

Redefining design criteria for Pu-238 gloveboxes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acosta, S.V.

1998-01-01

Enclosures for confinement of special nuclear materials (SNM) have evolved into the design of gloveboxes. During the early stages of glovebox technology, established practices and process operation requirements defined design criteria. Proven boxes that performed and met or exceeded process requirements in one group or area, often could not be duplicated in other areas or processes, and till achieve the same success. Changes in materials, fabrication and installation methods often only met immediate design criteria. Standardization of design criteria took a big step during creation of ''Special-Nuclear Materials R and D Laboratory Project, Glovebox standards''. The standards defined design criteria for every type of process equipment in its most general form. Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) then and now has had great success with Pu-238 processing. However with ever changing Environment Safety and Health (ES and H) requirements and Ta-55 Facility Configuration Management, current design criteria are forced to explore alternative methods of glovebox design fabrication and installation. Pu-238 fuel processing operations in the Power Source Technologies Group have pushed the limitations of current design criteria. More than half of Pu-238 gloveboxes are being retrofitted or replaced to perform the specific fuel process operations. Pu-238 glovebox design criteria are headed toward process designed single use glovebox and supporting line gloveboxes. Gloveboxes that will house equipment and processes will support TA-55 Pu-238 fuel processing needs into the next century and extend glovebox expected design life

An Investigation Into Design Criteria for Affordable Housing Supply

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olanrewaju Abdul Lateef

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Affordable housing provision constitutes a very large scheme in any countries due to income distribution and national development. The supply of housing depends on many activities and processes. The purpose of the houses is to meet the requirement of the householders therefore design criteria must address the users’ requirements. The establishment of the design criteria constitutes an important activity at the initial phase of the housing development. The design criteria are prepared by the design team in collaboration with many stakeholders especially the householders. Housinsg design criteria are the requirements that must be considered prior to construction of the housing. Lack of adequate information on the design criteria would lead to poor householders’ satisfactions, increase in maintenance cost, abandonments and completed but not occupy housing. In Malaysia, many of these consequences are prevalent. However, while information on the house owners’ requirements is inconclusive, this current research set out to investigate the design criteria of affordable housing. The increase in the affordable housing gap in Malaysia can be reduced if the designers have a comprehensive understanding of users’ requirements and the design criteria. Through a cross sectional survey questionnaire, comprising 25 criteria, 7 criteria were found to be extremely critical. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure of sampling adequacy indicated that the strength of the relationships among variables was strong (KMO =0.716. Bartlett’s test of sphericity, which tests the overall significance of all the correlations within the correlation matrix, was significant χ2 (325 = 1825.075, p<0.001, indicating the data were drawn from the same population and that the criteria were related.Sustainability considerations are now being considered by the providers of affordable housing. Deductively, the results lead to the conclusion that a major factor responsible for the poor

Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria, December 2000

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-12-01

This document establishes the US Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office waste acceptance criteria. The waste acceptance criteria provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site will accept low-level radioactive waste and mixed waste for disposal. It includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the Nevada Test Site Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites for storage or disposal.

Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria, December 2000

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

This document establishes the US Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office waste acceptance criteria. The waste acceptance criteria provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site will accept low-level radioactive waste and mixed waste for disposal. It includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the Nevada Test Site Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites for storage or disposal

A NSSS supplier's response to differing safety criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cremades, J.; Filkin, R.; Franke, Th.

1980-01-01

The limited progress achieved to date in harmonizing national criteria has led to the development of designs which include the most common national requirements. Progress towards harmonization of safety criteria can be accelerated by expanding the IAEA leadership and co-ordination activities, and implementing an integrated approach to criteria development. National and International safety criteria are examined. (author)

Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for evaluating new medicines in Health Technology Assessment and beyond: The Advance Value Framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Angelis, Aris; Kanavos, Panos

2017-09-01

Escalating drug prices have catalysed the generation of numerous "value frameworks" with the aim of informing payers, clinicians and patients on the assessment and appraisal process of new medicines for the purpose of coverage and treatment selection decisions. Although this is an important step towards a more inclusive Value Based Assessment (VBA) approach, aspects of these frameworks are based on weak methodologies and could potentially result in misleading recommendations or decisions. In this paper, a Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) methodological process, based on Multi Attribute Value Theory (MAVT), is adopted for building a multi-criteria evaluation model. A five-stage model-building process is followed, using a top-down "value-focused thinking" approach, involving literature reviews and expert consultations. A generic value tree is structured capturing decision-makers' concerns for assessing the value of new medicines in the context of Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and in alignment with decision theory. The resulting value tree (Advance Value Tree) consists of three levels of criteria (top level criteria clusters, mid-level criteria, bottom level sub-criteria or attributes) relating to five key domains that can be explicitly measured and assessed: (a) burden of disease, (b) therapeutic impact, (c) safety profile (d) innovation level and (e) socioeconomic impact. A number of MAVT modelling techniques are introduced for operationalising (i.e. estimating) the model, for scoring the alternative treatment options, assigning relative weights of importance to the criteria, and combining scores and weights. Overall, the combination of these MCDA modelling techniques for the elicitation and construction of value preferences across the generic value tree provides a new value framework (Advance Value Framework) enabling the comprehensive measurement of value in a structured and transparent way. Given its flexibility to meet diverse requirements and

A generic approach for steel containment vessel success criteria for severe accident loads

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sammataro, R.F.; Solonick, W.R.; Edwards, N.W.

1993-01-01

Safety has been defined as the foremost design criterion for the Heavy Water New Production Reactor (NPR-HWR) by the U.S. DOE, Office of New Production Reactors (NP). The DOE-NP issued the Deterministic Severe Accident Criteria (DSAC) concept to guide the design of the NPR-HWR containment for resistance to severe accidents. The DSAC concept provides for a generic approach for containment vessel success criteria to predict the threshold of containment failure under severe accident loads. This concept consists of two parts: (1) Problem Statements and (2) Success Criteria. The paper is limited to a discussion of a success criteria. These criteria define acceptable containment response measures and limits for each problem statement. The criteria are based on the 'best estimate' of failure with no conservatism. Rather, conservatism, if required, is to be provided in the problem statements prepared by the designer and/or the regulatory authorities. The success criteria are presented on a multi-tiered basis for static pressure and temperature loadings, dynamic loadings, and missiles that may impact the containment. Within the static pressure and temperature loadings and the dynamic loadings, the criteria are separated into elastic analysis success criteria and inelastic analysis success criteria. Each of these areas, in turn, defines limits on either the stress or strain measures as well as on measures for buckling and displacements. The rationale upon which these criteria are based is contained in referenced documents. Rigorous validation of the criteria by comparison with results from analytical or experimental programs and application of the criteria to a containment design remain as future tasks. (orig./HP)

Advanced concepts, analysis approaches and criteria for nuclear piping system design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, H.T.; Tagart, S.W. Jr.; Tang, Y.K.

1992-01-01

Recent research in piping system design and analysis has resulted in advancements on damping values, independent support motion (ISM), static coefficient method, simplified inelastic method and ASME code criteria changes. In the support area, passive type of supports such as energy-absorbing device and gap stopper have been developed. These advancements provide bases for improved and cost-effective design of future nuclear piping systems. (author)

Requirements Analysis in the Value Methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Conner, Alison Marie

2001-05-01

The Value Methodology (VM) study brings together a multidisciplinary team of people who own the problem and have the expertise to identify and solve it. With the varied backgrounds and experiences the team brings to the study, come different perspectives on the problem and the requirements of the project. A requirements analysis step can be added to the Information and Function Analysis Phases of a VM study to validate whether the functions being performed are required, either regulatory or customer prescribed. This paper will provide insight to the level of rigor applied to a requirements analysis step and give some examples of tools and techniques utilized to ease the management of the requirements and functions those requirements support for highly complex problems.

Multi-criteria multi-stakeholder decision analysis using a fuzzy-stochastic approach for hydrosystem management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. H. Subagadis

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The conventional methods used to solve multi-criteria multi-stakeholder problems are less strongly formulated, as they normally incorporate only homogeneous information at a time and suggest aggregating objectives of different decision-makers avoiding water–society interactions. In this contribution, Multi-Criteria Group Decision Analysis (MCGDA using a fuzzy-stochastic approach has been proposed to rank a set of alternatives in water management decisions incorporating heterogeneous information under uncertainty. The decision making framework takes hydrologically, environmentally, and socio-economically motivated conflicting objectives into consideration. The criteria related to the performance of the physical system are optimized using multi-criteria simulation-based optimization, and fuzzy linguistic quantifiers have been used to evaluate subjective criteria and to assess stakeholders' degree of optimism. The proposed methodology is applied to find effective and robust intervention strategies for the management of a coastal hydrosystem affected by saltwater intrusion due to excessive groundwater extraction for irrigated agriculture and municipal use. Preliminary results show that the MCGDA based on a fuzzy-stochastic approach gives useful support for robust decision-making and is sensitive to the decision makers' degree of optimism.

Using multi-criteria analysis of simulation models to understand complex biological systems

Science.gov (United States)

Maureen C. Kennedy; E. David. Ford

2011-01-01

Scientists frequently use computer-simulation models to help solve complex biological problems. Typically, such models are highly integrated, they produce multiple outputs, and standard methods of model analysis are ill suited for evaluating them. We show how multi-criteria optimization with Pareto optimality allows for model outputs to be compared to multiple system...

Optimal management of adults with pharyngitis – a multi-criteria decision analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dolan James G

2006-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Current practice guidelines offer different management recommendations for adults presenting with a sore throat. The key issue is the extent to which the clinical likelihood of a Group A streptococcal infection should affect patient management decisions. To help resolve this issue, we conducted a multi-criteria decision analysis using the Analytic Hierarchy Process. Methods We defined optimal patient management using four criteria: 1 reduce symptom duration; 2 prevent infectious complications, local and systemic; 3 minimize antibiotic side effects, minor and anaphylaxis; and 4 achieve prudent use of antibiotics, avoiding both over-use and under-use. In our baseline analysis we assumed that all criteria and sub-criteria were equally important except minimizing anaphylactic side effects, which was judged very strongly more important than minimizing minor side effects. Management strategies included: a No test, No treatment; b Perform a rapid strep test and treat if positive; c Perform a throat culture and treat if positive; d Perform a rapid strep test and treat if positive; if negative obtain a throat culture and treat if positive; and e treat without further tests. We defined four scenarios based on the likelihood of group A streptococcal infection using the Centor score, a well-validated clinical index. Published data were used to estimate the likelihoods of clinical outcomes and the test operating characteristics of the rapid strep test and throat culture for identifying group A streptococcal infections. Results Using the baseline assumptions, no testing and no treatment is preferred for patients with Centor scores of 1; two strategies – culture and treat if positive and rapid strep with culture of negative results – are equally preferable for patients with Centor scores of 2; and rapid strep with culture of negative results is the best management strategy for patients with Centor scores 3 or 4. These results are

Reportable Nuclide Criteria for ORNL Radioactive Waste Management Activities - 13005

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDowell, Kip; Forrester, Tim; Saunders, Mark

2013-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Oak Ridge, Tennessee generates numerous radioactive waste streams. Many of those streams contain a large number of radionuclides with an extremely broad range of concentrations. To feasibly manage the radionuclide information, ORNL developed reportable nuclide criteria to distinguish between those nuclides in a waste stream that require waste tracking versus those nuclides of such minimal activity that do not require tracking. The criteria include tracking thresholds drawn from ORNL onsite management requirements, transportation requirements, and relevant treatment and disposal facility acceptance criteria. As a management practice, ORNL maintains waste tracking on a nuclide in a specific waste stream if it exceeds any of the reportable nuclide criteria. Nuclides in a specific waste stream that screen out as non-reportable under all these criteria may be dropped from ORNL waste tracking. The benefit of these criteria is to ensure that nuclides in a waste stream with activities which meaningfully affect safety and compliance are tracked, while documenting the basis for removing certain isotopes from further consideration. (authors)

Geoscientific evaluation factors and criteria for siting and site evaluation. Progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stroem, A.; Ericsson, Lars O.; Svemar, C.; Almen, K.E.; Andersson, Johan

1999-03-01

thereby involved. Requirements and preferences regarding the deep repository, and thereby the rock, are primarily formulated with respect to function and not directly for individual parameter values. In a similar manner the evaluation factors have been arranged per geoscientific discipline. A geoscientific parameter that can be measured or estimated in site investigations is considered to be a suitable evaluation factor if one of the following conditions is fulfilled: a direct requirement or an essential preference has been formulated for the parameter, or a the parameter is expected to have a great influence on the result of one or more important function analyses. Based on a preliminary list of possible evaluation factors, the level of knowledge that can or should be reached after the feasibility study, site investigation and detailed characterization have been completed is also discussed. It is not reasonable to designate a geoscientific parameter as an evaluation factor if the parameter cannot be measured or estimated with sufficient accuracy. Criteria for site evaluation will also be determined in the future work. When it comes to repository performance, criteria consist of indicative values or value ranges of outcomes of performance assessments. The criteria can be changed during the course of the siting work as the information available on the sites changes. But requirements and preferences remain the same. Even though the overall evaluation of the suitability of the sites is determined within the framework of an integrated safety assessment and an integrated construction analysis, the specified criteria should provide good guidance regarding the results of such an integrated assessment/analysis

Geoscientific evaluation factors and criteria for siting and site evaluation. Progress report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stroem, A.; Ericsson, Lars O.; Svemar, C. [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden); Almen, K.E. [KEA GEO-konsult AB (Sweden); Andersson, Johan [Golder Grundteknik KB (Sweden)

1999-03-01

thereby involved. Requirements and preferences regarding the deep repository, and thereby the rock, are primarily formulated with respect to function and not directly for individual parameter values. In a similar manner the evaluation factors have been arranged per geoscientific discipline. A geoscientific parameter that can be measured or estimated in site investigations is considered to be a suitable evaluation factor if one of the following conditions is fulfilled: a direct requirement or an essential preference has been formulated for the parameter, or a the parameter is expected to have a great influence on the result of one or more important function analyses. Based on a preliminary list of possible evaluation factors, the level of knowledge that can or should be reached after the feasibility study, site investigation and detailed characterization have been completed is also discussed. It is not reasonable to designate a geoscientific parameter as an evaluation factor if the parameter cannot be measured or estimated with sufficient accuracy. Criteria for site evaluation will also be determined in the future work. When it comes to repository performance, criteria consist of indicative values or value ranges of outcomes of performance assessments. The criteria can be changed during the course of the siting work as the information available on the sites changes. But requirements and preferences remain the same. Even though the overall evaluation of the suitability of the sites is determined within the framework of an integrated safety assessment and an integrated construction analysis, the specified criteria should provide good guidance regarding the results of such an integrated assessment/analysis 14 refs, figs, tabs

Multi-criteria decision analysis: Limitations, pitfalls, and practical difficulties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kujawski, Edouard

2003-02-01

The 2002 Winter Olympics women's figure skating competition is used as a case study to illustrate some of the limitations, pitfalls, and practical difficulties of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). The paper compares several widely used models for synthesizing the multiple attributes into a single aggregate value. The various MCDA models can provide conflicting rankings of the alternatives for a common set of information even under states of certainty. Analysts involved in MCDA need to deal with the following challenging tasks: (1) selecting an appropriate analysis method, and (2) properly interpreting the results. An additional trap is the availability of software tools that implement specific MCDA models that can beguile the user with quantitative scores. These conclusions are independent of the decision domain and they should help foster better MCDA practices in many fields including systems engineering trade studies.

A Framework for Human Performance Criteria for Advanced Reactor Operational Concepts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacques V Hugo; David I Gertman; Jeffrey C Joe

2014-08-01

This report supports the determination of new Operational Concept models needed in support of the operational design of new reactors. The objective of this research is to establish the technical bases for human performance and human performance criteria frameworks, models, and guidance for operational concepts for advanced reactor designs. The report includes a discussion of operating principles for advanced reactors, the human performance issues and requirements for human performance based upon work domain analysis and current regulatory requirements, and a description of general human performance criteria. The major findings and key observations to date are that there is some operating experience that informs operational concepts for baseline designs for SFR and HGTRs, with the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II) as a best-case predecessor design. This report summarizes the theoretical and operational foundations for the development of a framework and model for human performance criteria that will influence the development of future Operational Concepts. The report also highlights issues associated with advanced reactor design and clarifies and codifies the identified aspects of technology and operating scenarios.

Comparison of Three Criteria for Discriminant Analysis Procedure ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

2012-08-01

Aug 1, 2012 ... criteria have the same confusion matrix and the same apparent error rate. Therefore we conclude that none of the three criteria is better than each other. Kay Words: Fisher's criterion, Welch's criterion, Bayes criterion and Apparent Error rate ... theory by observing whether cases are classified as predicted; to ...

Analysing and Comparing Encodability Criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kirstin Peters

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Encodings or the proof of their absence are the main way to compare process calculi. To analyse the quality of encodings and to rule out trivial or meaningless encodings, they are augmented with quality criteria. There exists a bunch of different criteria and different variants of criteria in order to reason in different settings. This leads to incomparable results. Moreover it is not always clear whether the criteria used to obtain a result in a particular setting do indeed fit to this setting. We show how to formally reason about and compare encodability criteria by mapping them on requirements on a relation between source and target terms that is induced by the encoding function. In particular we analyse the common criteria full abstraction, operational correspondence, divergence reflection, success sensitiveness, and respect of barbs; e.g. we analyse the exact nature of the simulation relation (coupled simulation versus bisimulation that is induced by different variants of operational correspondence. This way we reduce the problem of analysing or comparing encodability criteria to the better understood problem of comparing relations on processes.

DOE Standard: Fire protection design criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-07-01

The development of this Standard reflects the fact that national consensus standards and other design criteria do not comprehensively or, in some cases, adequately address fire protection issues at DOE facilities. This Standard provides supplemental fire protection guidance applicable to the design and construction of DOE facilities and site features (such as water distribution systems) that are also provided for fire protection. It is intended to be used in conjunction with the applicable building code, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Codes and Standards, and any other applicable DOE construction criteria. This Standard replaces certain mandatory fire protection requirements that were formerly in DOE 5480.7A, ''Fire Protection'', and DOE 6430.1A, ''General Design Criteria''. It also contains the fire protection guidelines from two (now canceled) draft standards: ''Glove Box Fire Protection'' and ''Filter Plenum Fire Protection''. (Note: This Standard does not supersede the requirements of DOE 5480.7A and DOE 6430.1A where these DOE Orders are currently applicable under existing contracts.) This Standard, along with the criteria delineated in Section 3, constitutes the basic criteria for satisfying DOE fire and life safety objectives for the design and construction or renovation of DOE facilities

Classification of Clinical Research Study Eligibility Criteria to Support Multi-Stage Cohort Identification Using Clinical Data Repositories.

Science.gov (United States)

Cimino, James J; Lancaster, William J; Wyatt, Mathew C

2017-01-01

One of the challenges to using electronic health record (EHR) repositories for research is the difficulty mapping study subject eligibility criteria to the query capabilities of the repository. We sought to characterize criteria as "easy" (searchable in a typical repository), "hard" (requiring manual review of the record data), and "impossible" (not typically available in EHR repositories). We obtained 292 criteria from 20 studies available from Clinical Trials.gov and rated them according to our three types, plus a fourth "mixed" type. We had good agreement among three independent reviewers and chose 274 criteria that were characterized by single types for further analysis. The resulting analysis showed typical features of criteria that do and don't map to repositories. We propose that these features be used to guide researchers in specifying eligibility criteria to improve development of enrollment workflow, including the definition of EHR repository queries for self-service or analyst-mediated retrievals.

Safety criteria for the next generation of European reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez Bautista, M.T.

1995-01-01

For the next generation of reactors, European companies operating in the electricity sector have drawn up a document called European Utilities Requirement (EUR), which sets out the requirements to be met by the designers of future reactors. The main objective of these new requirements is to increase the safety in existing reactors, making good use of operating experience available and the technological developments of the last decade. This paper offers an in-depth analysis of the most significant characteristics, describing how the EUR requirements have been prepared and how they are being implemented by the designers. Areas covered are: - Combining deterministic and probabilistic criteria - Automation of control systems - Design extension for severe accidents - Containment design - Emergency plans - Autonomy versus manual operation

Neutron detection gamma ray sensitivity criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kouzes, Richard T.; Ely, James H.; Lintereur, Azaree T.; Mace, Emily K.; Stephens, Daniel L.; Woodring, Mitchell L.

2011-01-01

The shortage of 3 He has triggered the search for effective alternative neutron detection technologies for national security and safeguards applications. Any new detection technology must satisfy two basic criteria: (1) it must meet a neutron detection efficiency requirement, and (2) it must be insensitive to gamma-ray interference at a prescribed level, while still meeting the neutron detection requirement. It is the purpose of this paper to define measureable gamma ray sensitivity criteria for neutron detectors. Quantitative requirements are specified for: intrinsic gamma ray detection efficiency and gamma ray absolute rejection. The gamma absolute rejection ratio for neutrons (GARRn) is defined, and it is proposed that the requirement for neutron detection be 0.9 3 He based neutron detector is provided showing that this technology can meet the stated requirements. Results from tests of some alternative technologies are also reported.

Evaluation of viscoplastic fracture criteria and analysis methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bass, B.R.; Pugh, C.E.; Keeney-Walker, J.; Dexter, R.J.; O'Donoghue, P.E.; Schwartz, C.W.

1988-01-01

The role of nonlinear rate-dependent effects in the interpretation of crack run-arrest events in ductile materials is being investigated by the Heavy-Section Steel Technology (HSST) program through development and applications of viscoplastic-dynamic finite element analysis techniques. This paper describes a portion of these studies wherein various viscoplastic constitutive models and several proposed nonlinear fracture criteria are being installed in general purpose (ADINA) and special purpose (VISCRK) finite element computer programs. The formulations of the Bodner-Partom, the Perzyna, and the Robinson constitutive models installed in the HSST computer programs are summarized. This is followed by a description of three integral functions that are candidate fracture parameters. The capabilities of these nonlinear techniques re compared and evaluated through applications to one of the HSST wide-plate crack-arrest tests. Results are presented from benchmark viscoplastic-dynamic wide-plate analyses performed using the ADINA and VISCRK computer programs. Finally, plans are summarized for additional computational and experimental studies to assess the utility of viscoplastic analysis techniques in constructing a transferable inelastic fracture mechanics model for ductile steels. (author)

Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

U. S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office

2005-01-01

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) waste acceptance criteria (WAC). The WAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site (NTS) will accept low-level radioactive (LLW) and mixed waste (MW) for disposal. It includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NTS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex (RWMC) for storage or disposal

Multi-criteria GIS-based siting of an incineration plant for municipal solid waste.

Science.gov (United States)

Tavares, Gilberto; Zsigraiová, Zdena; Semiao, Viriato

2011-01-01

Siting a municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration plant requires a comprehensive evaluation to identify the best available location(s) that can simultaneously meet the requirements of regulations and minimise economic, environmental, health, and social costs. A spatial multi-criteria evaluation methodology is presented to assess land suitability for a plant siting and applied to Santiago Island of Cape Verde. It combines the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to estimate the selected evaluation criteria weights with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for spatial data analysis that avoids the subjectivity of the judgements of decision makers in establishing the influences between some criteria or clusters of criteria. An innovative feature of the method lies in incorporating the environmental impact assessment of the plant operation as a criterion in the decision-making process itself rather than as an a posteriori assessment. Moreover, a two-scale approach is considered. At a global scale an initial screening identifies inter-municipal zones satisfying the decisive requirements (socio-economic, technical and environmental issues, with weights respectively, of 48%, 41% and 11%). A detailed suitability ranking inside the previously identified zones is then performed at a local scale in two phases and includes environmental assessment of the plant operation. Those zones are ranked by combining the non-environmental feasibility of Phase 1 (with a weight of 75%) with the environmental assessment of the plant operation impact of Phase 2 (with a weight of 25%). The reliability and robustness of the presented methodology as a decision supporting tool is assessed through a sensitivity analysis. The results proved the system effectiveness in the ranking process. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of UK and US screening criteria for detection of retinopathy of prematurity in a developing nation.

Science.gov (United States)

Ugurbas, Silay Canturk; Gulcan, Hande; Canan, Handan; Ankarali, Handan; Torer, Birgin; Akova, Yonca Aydın

2010-12-01

To determine the incidence, risk factors, and appropriateness of differing guidelines in developed nations for screening for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in a single nursery in a large urban city in southern Turkey. The records of 260 premature infants born ≤34 weeks in a single tertiary unit were retrospectively reviewed for ROP risk factors and diagnosis. Applicability of UK and US criteria were assessed by the use of receiver operating characteristic curves. ROP of any stage was present in 60 infants (23%); ROP requiring treatment was seen in 30 (11.5%). Univariate analysis showed a significant relationship among the following factors: gestational age, birth weight, total duration of supplemental oxygen, duration of mechanical ventilation, respiratory distress syndrome, anemia, and intraventricular hemorrhage (p < 0.0001). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed gestational age (p = 0.039), birth weight (p = 0.05), respiratory distress syndrome (p = 0.05), and anemia (p = 0.004) as independent predictors of ROP requiring treatment. Area under curve for gestational age alone for diagnosing stage 2 or greater ROP was 0.824 ± 0.03 (p = 0.0001) and for birth weight alone was 0.808 ± 0.03 (p = 0.0001). UK screening criteria detected all stage 2 and greater ROP; US screening criteria missed 2 infants with stage 2 ROP but detected all treatment-requiring disease. Adoption of these screening criteria would have reduced unnecessary examinations by either 21% (UK) or 37% (US). UK and US criteria improved the detection accuracy for ROP requiring treatment in Turkey and should be studied for other developing nations. Copyright © 2010 American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Human capital in the national system of labor relations: evaluation criteria, trend analysis, challenges for the future

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.P. Melnychuk

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The article describes the situation in the sphere of formation and use of human capital. The author formulates direct and indirect criteria that can be used to assess trends and opportunities to use knowledge in the form of capital in Ukraine. The paper carries out the relevant analysis. It argues that the current situation in the sphere of social and labor relations is not conducive to the acquisition of professional knowledge, skills and work skills which are formed as a result of significant investments, the status of capital. This complicates accelerated and anticipated socio-economic development of the state, requires the definition and implementation of decisive steps aimed at streamlining the relations in the sphere of human capital.

A state-of-the-art multi-criteria model for drug benefit-risk analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tervonen, T.; Hillege, H.L.; Buskens, E.; Postmus, D.

2010-01-01

Drug benefit-risk analysis is based on firm clinical evidence related to various safety and efficacy outcomes, such as tolerability, treatment response, and adverse events. In this paper, we propose a new approach for constructing a supporting multi-criteria model that fully takes into account this

Multi-criteria decision analysis tools for prioritising emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases associated with climate change in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Cox, Ruth; Sanchez, Javier; Revie, Crawford W

2013-01-01

Global climate change is known to result in the emergence or re-emergence of some infectious diseases. Reliable methods to identify the infectious diseases of humans and animals and that are most likely to be influenced by climate are therefore required. Since different priorities will affect the decision to address a particular pathogen threat, decision makers need a standardised method of prioritisation. Ranking methods and Multi-Criteria Decision approaches provide such a standardised method and were employed here to design two different pathogen prioritisation tools. The opinion of 64 experts was elicited to assess the importance of 40 criteria that could be used to prioritise emerging infectious diseases of humans and animals in Canada. A weight was calculated for each criterion according to the expert opinion. Attributes were defined for each criterion as a transparent and repeatable method of measurement. Two different Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis tools were tested, both of which used an additive aggregation approach. These were an Excel spreadsheet tool and a tool developed in software 'M-MACBETH'. The tools were trialed on nine 'test' pathogens. Two different methods of criteria weighting were compared, one using fixed weighting values, the other using probability distributions to account for uncertainty and variation in expert opinion. The ranking of the nine pathogens varied according to the weighting method that was used. In both tools, using both weighting methods, the diseases that tended to rank the highest were West Nile virus, Giardiasis and Chagas, while Coccidioidomycosis tended to rank the lowest. Both tools are a simple and user friendly approach to prioritising pathogens according to climate change by including explicit scoring of 40 criteria and incorporating weighting methods based on expert opinion. They provide a dynamic interactive method that can help to identify pathogens for which a full risk assessment should be pursued.

Multi-criteria decision analysis tools for prioritising emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases associated with climate change in Canada.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruth Cox

Full Text Available Global climate change is known to result in the emergence or re-emergence of some infectious diseases. Reliable methods to identify the infectious diseases of humans and animals and that are most likely to be influenced by climate are therefore required. Since different priorities will affect the decision to address a particular pathogen threat, decision makers need a standardised method of prioritisation. Ranking methods and Multi-Criteria Decision approaches provide such a standardised method and were employed here to design two different pathogen prioritisation tools. The opinion of 64 experts was elicited to assess the importance of 40 criteria that could be used to prioritise emerging infectious diseases of humans and animals in Canada. A weight was calculated for each criterion according to the expert opinion. Attributes were defined for each criterion as a transparent and repeatable method of measurement. Two different Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis tools were tested, both of which used an additive aggregation approach. These were an Excel spreadsheet tool and a tool developed in software 'M-MACBETH'. The tools were trialed on nine 'test' pathogens. Two different methods of criteria weighting were compared, one using fixed weighting values, the other using probability distributions to account for uncertainty and variation in expert opinion. The ranking of the nine pathogens varied according to the weighting method that was used. In both tools, using both weighting methods, the diseases that tended to rank the highest were West Nile virus, Giardiasis and Chagas, while Coccidioidomycosis tended to rank the lowest. Both tools are a simple and user friendly approach to prioritising pathogens according to climate change by including explicit scoring of 40 criteria and incorporating weighting methods based on expert opinion. They provide a dynamic interactive method that can help to identify pathogens for which a full risk assessment should

Use of external cost assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis for comparative evaluation of options for electricity supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirschberg, Stefan; Dones, Roberto; Gantner, Urs

2000-01-01

This paper addresses external cost and multi-criteria analyses carried out for selected future electricity generating systems of interest under the Swiss. conditions. The external cost estimates are based on an application of the 'impact pathway approach', enriched by earlier experience from extensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The estimated total costs, i.e. the sum of internal and external costs may serve as a measure of economic and environmental efficiency of energy systems. The multi-criteria approach allows a more explicit consideration of the social dimension, highly important for the decision process. The applications of multi-criteria analysis illustrate the sensitivity of the results to a range of preferences expressed in the energy debate. Certain patterns in systems ranking can be observed in spite of these sensitivities. Both total cost assessment and multi-criteria analysis are found to be useful, complementary instruments to support the decision process. (author)

Decision criteria in PSA applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holmberg, J.E.; Pulkkinen, U.; Rosqvist, T.; Simola, K.

2001-11-01

Along with the adoption of risk informed decision making principles, the need for formal probabilistic decision rule or criteria has been risen. However, there are many practical and theoretical problems in the application of probabilistic criteria. One has to think what is the proper way to apply probabilistic rules together with deterministic ones and how the criteria are weighted with respect to each other. In this report, we approach the above questions from the decision theoretic point of view. We give a short review of the most well known probabilistic criteria, and discuss examples of their use. We present a decision analytic framework for evaluating the criteria, and we analyse how the different criteria behave under incompleteness or uncertainty of the PSA model. As the conclusion of our analysis we give recommendations on the application of the criteria in different decision situations. (au)

On criteria for examining analysis quality with standard reference material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Huating

1997-01-01

The advantages and disadvantages and applicability of some criteria for examining analysis quality with standard reference material are discussed. The combination of the uncertainties of the instrument examined and the reference material should be determined on the basis of specific situations. Without the data of the instrument's uncertainty, it would be applicable to substitute the standard deviation multiplied by certain times for the uncertainty. The result of the examining should not result in more error reported in routine measurements than it really is. Over strict examining should also be avoided

A Hybrid Network Model to Extract Key Criteria and Its Application for Brand Equity Evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chin-Yi Chen

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Making a decision implies that there are alternative choices to be considered, and a major challenge of decision-making is to identify the adequate criteria for program planning or problem evaluation. The decision-makers’ criteria consists of the characteristics or requirements each alternative must possess and the alternatives are rated on how well they possess each criterion. We often use criteria developed and used by different researchers and institutions, and these criteria have similar means and can be substituted for one another. Choosing from existing criteria offers a practical method to engineers hoping to derive a set of criteria for evaluating objects or programs. We have developed a hybrid model for extracting evaluation criteria which considers substitutions between the criteria. The model is developed based on Social Network Analysis and Maximum Mean De-Entropy algorithms. In this paper, the introduced methodology will also be applied to analyze the criteria for assessing brand equity as an application example. The proposed model demonstrates that it is useful in planning feasibility criteria and has applications in other evaluation-planning purposes.

Common QA/QM Criteria for Multinational Vendor Inspection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

This VICWG document provides the 'Common QA/QM Criteria' which will be used in Multinational Vendor Inspection. The 'Common QA/QM Criteria' provides the basic consideration when performing the Vendor Inspection. These criteria has been developed in conformity with International Codes and Standards such as IAEA, ISO and so on that MDEP member countries adopted. The purpose of the VICWG is to establish areas of co-operation in the Vendor Inspection practices among MDEP member countries as described in the MDEP issue-specific Terms of Reference (ToR). As part of this, from the beginning, a survey was performed to understand and to identify areas of commonality and differences between regulatory practices of member countries in the area of vendor inspection. The VICWG also collaborated by performing Witnessed Inspections and Joint Inspections. Through these activities, it was recognized that member countries commonly apply the IAEA safety standard (GS-R-3) to the vendor inspection criteria, and almost ail European member countries apply the ISO standard (ISO9001). In the US, the NRC regulatory requirement in 10 CFR, Part 50, Appendix B is used. South Korea uses the same criteria as in the US. As a result of the information obtained, a comparison table between codes and standards (IAEAGS-R-3, ISO 9001:2008.10CFR50 Appendix Band ASME NQA-1) has been developed in order to inform the development of 'Common QA/QM Criteria'. The result is documented in Table 1, 'MDEP CORE QA/QM Requirement and Comparison between Codes and Standards'. In addition, each country's criteria were compared with the US 10CFR50 Appendix B as a template. Table 2 shows VICWG Survey on Quality Assurance Program Requirements. Through these activities above, we considered that the core requirements should be consistent with both IAEA safety standard and ISO standard, and considered that the common requirements in the US 10CFR50 Appendix B used to the survey

Criteria for candidate species for aquaculture

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Webber, H H; Riordan, P F

1976-01-01

The nature of the animal taxa that are the most probable candidates for an intensive, commercial aquatic animal husbandry industry is considered. A characterization is presented of those biological criteria that lend the species the necessary physiological and genetic malleability to be adapted and molded into a domesticated race. The animal cultivated must be amenable to intensive management in high-density confinements such as those now being engineered for high-yield aquaculture. Attributes considered are discussed in the context of the various aquacultural ecosystems in which the specific biotype is expected to achieve satisfactory growth and survival. Correlative with bionomic criteria, economic requirements are posed and evaluated in an effort to define a socially and financially profitable agribusiness system. Investment requirements and operating costs are considered in terms of expected returns. However, since production alone is insufficient to sustain an enterprise - i.e., the product must be sold - production costs must be judged against market values. Therefore, ultimate use or consumer acceptance criteria are incorporated into the list of essential requirements for a candidate species for aquafarming.

Interpreting Popov criteria in Lure´ systems with complex scaling stability analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, J.

2018-06-01

The paper presents a novel frequency-domain interpretation of Popov criteria for absolute stability in Lure´ systems by means of what we call complex scaling stability analysis. The complex scaling technique is developed for exponential/asymptotic stability in LTI feedback systems, which dispenses open-loop poles distribution, contour/locus orientation and prior frequency sweeping. Exploiting the technique for alternatively revealing positive realness of transfer functions, re-interpreting Popov criteria is explicated. More specifically, the suggested frequency-domain stability conditions are conformable both in scalar and multivariable cases, and can be implemented either graphically with locus plotting or numerically without; in particular, the latter is suitable as a design tool with auxiliary parameter freedom. The interpretation also reveals further frequency-domain facts about Lure´ systems. Numerical examples are included to illustrate the main results.

A Requirements Analysis Model Based on QFD

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

TANG Zhi-wei; Nelson K.H.Tang

2004-01-01

The enterprise resource planning (ERP) system has emerged to offer an integrated IT solution and more and more enterprises are increasing by adopting this system and regarding it as an important innovation. However, there is already evidence of high failure risks in ERP project implementation, one major reason is poor analysis of the requirements for system implementation. In this paper, the importance of requirements analysis for ERP project implementation is highlighted, and a requirements analysis model by applying quality function deployment (QFD) is presented, which will support to conduct requirements analysis for ERP project.

[Prognostic criteria of efficacy of programmed laparoscopic sanitation of the abdominal cavity in peritonitis].

Science.gov (United States)

Salakhov, E K; Vlasov, A P; Bolotskyh, V A

To define prognostic criteria of efficacy of programmed laparoscopic sanitation of the abdominal cavity in peritonitis. There were 32 patients after programmed laparoscopic sanitation of abdominal cavity for peritonitis due to different acute surgical diseases. Subsequently 12 of them required relaparotomy due to poor effectiveness of laparoscopic sanitation. Comprehensive clinical examination and laboratory assessment of some indexes of homeostasis and oxidative status were conducted. Prognostic clinical and laboratory criteria of efficacy of laparoscopic abdominal sanitation were suggested after analysis of intraoperative data during primary surgery and laboratory values in the 1st postoperative day. The offered prognostic criteria allow to define further management of peritonitis patients after primary laparotomy.

Engineering study of generic site criteria for selected DOE plutonium facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kingsbury, R.J.; Greenwood, J.M.; Sandoval, M.D.

1980-09-01

The objectives of this study were to identify criteria that would be applied to selection of a site for plutonium facilities such as those at the Rocky Flats Plant, to establish the relative importance of these criteria, and to identify suitable areas within the United States for location of plutonium facilities with respect to these criteria. Sources of the site criteria identified include federal laws, federal agency regulations, state laws and regulations, and requirements associated with operations to be performed at the site. The criteria identified during the study were organized into 14 major categories. The relative importnace of each category and each criterion within the categories were established using group decision-making techniques. The major criteria categories, their assigned weight on a scale of 1 to 10, and their relative priority ranks are as follows: geology/seismicity; public safety; environmental impact; meteorology; hydrology; topography; transportation; utilities; personnel; safeguards/security; land area and availability; land use compatibility; and, public acceptance. A suitability analysis of the continental United States was performed using only those criteria that could be mapped at a national scale. Suitability was assessed with respect to each of these criteria, and individual suitability maps were prepared. A composite suitability map was generated using computerized overlay techniques. This map provides a starting point for identifying specific candidate sites if an actual site selection were to be conducted

Validity of Criteria-Based Content Analysis (CBCA) at Trial in Free-Narrative Interviews

Science.gov (United States)

Roma, Paolo; San Martini, Pietro; Sabatello, Ugo; Tatarelli, Roberto; Ferracuti, Stefano

2011-01-01

Objective: The reliability of child witness testimony in sexual abuse cases is often controversial, and few tools are available. Criteria-Based Content Analysis (CBCA) is a widely used instrument for evaluating psychological credibility in cases of suspected child sexual abuse. Only few studies have evaluated CBCA scores in children suspected of…

Hanford Site Solid Waste Acceptance Criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-11-17

This manual defines the Hanford Site radioactive, hazardous, and sanitary solid waste acceptance criteria. Criteria in the manual represent a guide for meeting state and federal regulations; DOE Orders; Hanford Site requirements; and other rules, regulations, guidelines, and standards as they apply to acceptance of radioactive and hazardous solid waste at the Hanford Site. It is not the intent of this manual to be all inclusive of the regulations; rather, it is intended that the manual provide the waste generator with only the requirements that waste must meet in order to be accepted at Hanford Site TSD facilities.

Hanford Site Solid Waste Acceptance Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

This manual defines the Hanford Site radioactive, hazardous, and sanitary solid waste acceptance criteria. Criteria in the manual represent a guide for meeting state and federal regulations; DOE Orders; Hanford Site requirements; and other rules, regulations, guidelines, and standards as they apply to acceptance of radioactive and hazardous solid waste at the Hanford Site. It is not the intent of this manual to be all inclusive of the regulations; rather, it is intended that the manual provide the waste generator with only the requirements that waste must meet in order to be accepted at Hanford Site TSD facilities

NEVADA TEST SITE WASTE ACCEPTANCE CRITERIA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, NATIONAL NUCLEAR SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, NEVADA SITE OFFICE

2005-01-01

This document establishes the U. S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) waste acceptance criteria (WAC). The WAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site will accept low-level radioactive and mixed waste for disposal. Mixed waste generated within the State of Nevada by NNSA/NSO activities is accepted for disposal. It includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the Nevada Test Site Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Site for storage or disposal

Risk assessment of soil contamination criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, C.M.; Marter, W.L.; Montaque, D.F.; Holton, G.A.

1987-06-01

Criteria have been developed to select radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants at waste sites detailed analysis and risk assessment. These criteria were based on soil and water quality guidelines developed by various government agencies to determine if the criteria were appropriate. We performed a risk assessment of a hypothetical site which contained radioactive and nonradioactive contaminants at levels equal to the criteria values. Risks to the public from atmospheric, surface water, and groundwater exposure pathways were examined. Health risks to the public from atmospheric releases of radioactive and nonradioactive materials from a waste at soil criteria contamination levels are low. Health risks to the maximally exposed individual to chemical carcinogens are considerably below traditional EPA action levels. And health risks to the maximally exposed individual to atmospherically released radioactive contaminants is 1.88 x 10 -7 , more than a factor of 5 less than 10 -6 . Based on our atmospheric exposure pathways analysis and risk assessment, the applied soil criteria are appropriate for screening out unimportant risk contributors to human health from atmospheric exposure pathways. 13 refs., 3 figs., 7 tabs

Multi-criteria decision analysis in environmental sciences: ten years of applications and trends.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Ivy B; Keisler, Jeffrey; Linkov, Igor

2011-09-01

Decision-making in environmental projects requires consideration of trade-offs between socio-political, environmental, and economic impacts and is often complicated by various stakeholder views. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) emerged as a formal methodology to face available technical information and stakeholder values to support decisions in many fields and can be especially valuable in environmental decision making. This study reviews environmental applications of MCDA. Over 300 papers published between 2000 and 2009 reporting MCDA applications in the environmental field were identified through a series of queries in the Web of Science database. The papers were classified by their environmental application area, decision or intervention type. In addition, the papers were also classified by the MCDA methods used in the analysis (analytic hierarchy process, multi-attribute utility theory, and outranking). The results suggest that there is a significant growth in environmental applications of MCDA over the last decade across all environmental application areas. Multiple MCDA tools have been successfully used for environmental applications. Even though the use of the specific methods and tools varies in different application areas and geographic regions, our review of a few papers where several methods were used in parallel with the same problem indicates that recommended course of action does not vary significantly with the method applied. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Safety and reliability criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Neil, R.

1978-01-01

Nuclear power plants and, in particular, reactor pressure boundary components have unique reliability requirements, in that usually no significant redundancy is possible, and a single failure can give rise to possible widespread core damage and fission product release. Reliability may be required for availability or safety reasons, but in the case of the pressure boundary and certain other systems safety may dominate. Possible Safety and Reliability (S and R) criteria are proposed which would produce acceptable reactor design. Without some S and R requirement the designer has no way of knowing how far he must go in analysing his system or component, or whether his proposed solution is likely to gain acceptance. The paper shows how reliability targets for given components and systems can be individually considered against the derived S and R criteria at the design and construction stage. Since in the case of nuclear pressure boundary components there is often very little direct experience on which to base reliability studies, relevant non-nuclear experience is examined. (author)

Thermal-hydraulic criteria for the APT tungsten neutron source design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasamehmetoglu, K.

1998-03-01

This report presents the thermal-hydraulic design criteria (THDC) developed for the tungsten neutron source (TNS). The THDC are developed for the normal operations, operational transients, and design-basis accidents. The requirements of the safety analyses are incorporated into the design criteria, consistent with the integrated safety management and the safety-by-design philosophy implemented throughout the APT design process. The phenomenology limiting the thermal-hydraulic design and the confidence level requirements for each limit are discussed. The overall philosophy of the uncertainty analyses and the confidence level requirements also are presented. Different sets of criteria are developed for normal operations, operational transients, anticipated accidents, unlikely accidents, extremely unlikely accidents, and accidents during TNS replacement. In general, the philosophy is to use the strictest criteria for the high-frequency events. The criteria is relaxed as the event frequencies become smaller. The THDC must be considered as a guide for the design philosophy and not as a hard limit. When achievable, design margins greater than those required by the THDC must be used. However, if a specific event sequence cannot meet the THDC, expensive design changes are not necessary if the single event sequence results in sufficient margin to safety criteria and does not challenge the plant availability or investment protection considerations

Integrating risk analysis and multi-criteria decision support under uncertainty in electricity distribution system asset management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catrinu, M.D.; Nordgard, D.E.

2011-01-01

Asset managers in electricity distribution companies generally recognize the need and the challenge of adding structure and a higher degree of formal analysis into the increasingly complex asset management decisions. This implies improving the present asset management practice by making the best use of the available data and expert knowledge and by adopting new methods for risk analysis and decision support and nevertheless better ways to document the decisions made. This paper discusses methods for integrating risk analysis and multi-criteria decision support under uncertainty in electricity distribution system asset management. The focus is on how to include the different company objectives and risk analyses into a structured decision framework when deciding how to handle the physical assets of the electricity distribution network. This paper presents an illustrative example of decision support for maintenance and reinvestment strategies based, using expert knowledge, simplified risk analyses and multi-criteria decision analysis under uncertainty.

Waste acceptance criteria for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-04-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC), DOE/WIPP-069, was initially developed by a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Steering Committee to provide performance requirements to ensure public health and safety as well as the safe handling of transuranic (TRU) waste at the WIPP. This revision updates the criteria and requirements of previous revisions and deletes those which were applicable only to the test phase. The criteria and requirements in this document must be met by participating DOE TRU Waste Generator/Storage Sites (Sites) prior to shipping contact-handled (CH) and remote-handled (RH) TRU waste forms to the WIPP. The WIPP Project will comply with applicable federal and state regulations and requirements, including those in Titles 10, 40, and 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). The WAC, DOE/WIPP-069, serves as the primary directive for assuring the safe handling, transportation, and disposal of TRU wastes in the WIPP and for the certification of these wastes. The WAC identifies strict requirements that must be met by participating Sites before these TRU wastes may be shipped for disposal in the WIPP facility. These criteria and requirements will be reviewed and revised as appropriate, based on new technical or regulatory requirements. The WAC is a controlled document. Revised/changed pages will be supplied to all holders of controlled copies

Minimizing impacts of land use change on ecosystem services using multi-criteria heuristic analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Keller, Arturo A; Fournier, Eric; Fox, Jessica

2015-06-01

Development of natural landscapes to support human activities impacts the capacity of the landscape to provide ecosystem services. Typically, several ecosystem services are impacted at a single development site and various footprint scenarios are possible, thus a multi-criteria analysis is needed. Restoration potential should also be considered for the area surrounding the permanent impact site. The primary objective of this research was to develop a heuristic approach to analyze multiple criteria (e.g. impacts to various ecosystem services) in a spatial configuration with many potential development sites. The approach was to: (1) quantify the magnitude of terrestrial ecosystem service (biodiversity, carbon sequestration, nutrient and sediment retention, and pollination) impacts associated with a suite of land use change scenarios using the InVEST model; (2) normalize results across categories of ecosystem services to allow cross-service comparison; (3) apply the multi-criteria heuristic algorithm to select sites with the least impact to ecosystem services, including a spatial criterion (separation between sites). As a case study, the multi-criteria impact minimization algorithm was applied to InVEST output to select 25 potential development sites out of 204 possible locations (selected by other criteria) within a 24,000 ha property. This study advanced a generally applicable spatial multi-criteria approach for 1) considering many land use footprint scenarios, 2) balancing impact decisions across a suite of ecosystem services, and 3) determining the restoration potential of ecosystem services after impacts. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

DETERMINATION OF AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL BY GEO SPATIAL MODELING AND MULTI CRITERIA ANALYSIS FOR “BALSAS MEZCALA” WATERSHED

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anastacio Espejel-García

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The use of geographic information systems (GIS facilitates the modeling of specific information allowing faster, lower costs and accuracy for the planning of the agricultural activities for large territories. The objective for this paper was to use GIS as a support for the approach of the land use potential for the “Balsas Mezcala” watershed; for this purpose the multi criteria analysis was used, that allows to consider decision make issues with multiples objectives and considering the following criteria: geo-pedological (geomorphology and soil, climatology (thermal models and rainfall and the edapho-climatological requirements of the crops, the “Balsas Mezcala” hydrological region was chosen as the study area; through cartographic material the area was delimited and climate information was obtained from weather stations, geographic information and the data bases was collected from many different government agencies (INEGI, SEMARNAT, CONABIO, CONAGUA, IMTA, such information was processed in the ArcGIS software version 10.2.2, to obtained the geodatabases and geo spatial matrix which served as a cartographic input for the multi criteria analysis. The result of this investigation is a system that from geo spatial matrix and vectorial data originates raster dataset, same that were submitted to a modeling process with geo statistical algorithms, with that from a structure language, identify the potential zones with the highest aptness level, through the variable attributes that assign a weighted value using the methodology proposed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA in 1971 and taken by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO for case studies since 1977 as an Agro-ecological Zoning System (AEZ. The result of the modeling of the soil aptness level in the watershed are 4 classes with 6 levels of aptness (very apt, apt, moderately apt, little apt, very little apt, unapt: Lands with irrigation potential

Microbiological criteria for good manufacturing practice (GMP)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farkas, J [Inst. of Preservation and Livestock Products Technology, Univ. of Horticulture and Food Industry, Budapest (Hungary); Zukal, E [Inst. of Preservation and Livestock Products Technology, Univ. of Horticulture and Food Industry, Budapest (Hungary)

1992-01-01

Good manufacturing practice (GMP) consist of an effective manufacturing operation and an effective application of food control. GMP is best supported by the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system (HACCP) of the preventive quality assurance, which requires that food irradiation as any food processing technology should be used only with foods of an acceptable quality and adequate handling and storage procedures should precede and follow the processing. The paper concentrates on the first element of the HACCP system for an irradiation plant: the incoming product control, i.e. whether GMP of foods to be irradiated can be assessed by establishing microbiological criteria for their previous good manufacturing practice. In this regard, it summarizes considerations and findings of a ''Consultation on Microbiological Criteria for Foods to be Further Processed Including by Irradiation'' held in 1989 by the International Consultative Group on Food irradiation at the Headquarters of the World Health Organization, Geneva. Difficulties in establishing reference values and defining good manufacturing practices will be pointed out. (orig.)

Microbiological criteria for good manufacturing practice (GMP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farkas, J.; Zukal, E.

1992-01-01

Good manufacturing practice (GMP) consist of an effective manufacturing operation and an effective application of food control. GMP is best supported by the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system (HACCP) of the preventive quality assurance, which requires that food irradiation as any food processing technology should be used only with foods of an acceptable quality and adequate handling and storage procedures should precede and follow the processing. The paper concentrates on the first element of the HACCP system for an irradiation plant: the incoming product control, i.e. whether GMP of foods to be irradiated can be assessed by establishing microbiological criteria for their previous good manufacturing practice. In this regard, it summarizes considerations and findings of a ''Consultation on Microbiological Criteria for Foods to be Further Processed Including by Irradiation'' held in 1989 by the International Consultative Group on Food irradiation at the Headquarters of the World Health Organization, Geneva. Difficulties in establishing reference values and defining good manufacturing practices will be pointed out. (orig.) [de

A comparison of partial order technique with three methods of multi-criteria analysis for ranking of chemical substances.

Science.gov (United States)

Lerche, Dorte; Brüggemann, Rainer; Sørensen, Peter; Carlsen, Lars; Nielsen, Ole John

2002-01-01

An alternative to the often cumbersome and time-consuming risk assessments of chemical substances could be more reliable and advanced priority setting methods. An elaboration of the simple scoring methods is provided by Hasse Diagram Technique (HDT) and/or Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA). The present study provides an in depth evaluation of HDT relative to three MCA techniques. The new and main methodological step in the comparison is the use of probability concepts based on mathematical tools such as linear extensions of partially ordered sets and Monte Carlo simulations. A data set consisting of 12 High Production Volume Chemicals (HPVCs) is used for illustration. It is a paradigm in this investigation to claim that the need of external input (often subjective weightings of criteria) should be minimized and that the transparency should be maximized in any multicriteria prioritisation. The study illustrates that the Hasse diagram technique (HDT) needs least external input, is most transparent and is least subjective. However, HDT has some weaknesses if there are criteria which exclude each other. Then weighting is needed. Multi-Criteria Analysis (i.e. Utility Function approach, PROMETHEE and concordance analysis) can deal with such mutual exclusions because their formalisms to quantify preferences allow participation e.g. weighting of criteria. Consequently MCA include more subjectivity and loose transparency. The recommendation which arises from this study is that the first step in decision making is to run HDT and as the second step possibly is to run one of the MCA algorithms.

Packaging design criteria modified fuel spacer burial box. Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stevens, P.F.

1994-01-01

Various Hanford facilities must transfer large radioactively contaminated items to burial/storage. Presently, there are eighteen Fuel Spacer Burial Boxes (FSBBs) available on the Hanford Site for transport of such items. Previously, the FSBBS were transported from a rail car to the burial trench via a drag-off operation. To allow for the lifting of the boxes into the burial trench, it will be necessary to improve the packagings lifting attachments and provide structural reinforcement. Additional safety improvements to the packaging system will be provided by the addition of a positive closure system and package ventilation. FSBBs that are modified in such a manner are referred to as Modified Fuel Spacer Burial Boxes (MFSBs). The criteria provided by this PDC will be used to demonstrate that the transfer of the MFSB will provide an equivalent degree of safety as would be provided by a package meeting offsite transportation requirements. This fulfills the onsite transportation safety requirements implemented in WHC-CM-2-14, Hazardous Material Packaging and Shipping. A Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (SARP) will be prepared to evaluate the safety of the transfer operation. Approval of the SARP is required to authorize transfer. Criteria are also established to ensure burial requirements are met

Utilization of the safety functional analysis techniques to optimize the separation requirements in case of fire

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alvarez, L.M.

1983-01-01

The present philosophy for the fire protection of the safe shutdown capability in nuclear power plants is based on the separation of the safety-related systems in different fire areas in such a way that the redundant systems are not subject to damage from a single fire risk. The purpose ofthis paper is to show the experience gained in the application of a symmetric method of analysis to minimize the number of fire barriers being compatible with the regulatory requirements and with capability of achieving and maintaining the safe plant shutdown in the event of a fire. As a conclusion of the analysis, the separation criteria for the divisions involved in the safe plant shutdown are obtained

The study on safety facility criteria for radioactive waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S. H.; Choi, M. H.; Han, S. H. and others

1992-12-01

The radioactive waste repository are necessary to install the engineered safety systems to secure the safety for operation of the repository in the event of fire and earthquake. Since the development of safety facility criteria requires a thorough understanding about the characteristics of the engineered safety systems, we should investigate by means of literature survey and visit SKB. In particular, definition, composition of the systems, functional requirement of the systems, engineered safety systems of foreign countries, system design, operation and maintenance requirement should be investigated : fire protection system, ventilation system, drainage system, I and C system, electric system, radiation monitoring system. This proposed criteria consist of purpose, scope of application, ventilation system, fire protection system, drainage system, electric system and this proposed criteria can be applied as a basic reference for the final criteria

Geo-spatial multi-criteria analysis for wave energy conversion system deployment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nobre, Ana; Pacheco, Miguel [Data Centre, Instituto Hidrografico, Portuguese Navy, Rua das Trinas 49, 1249-093 Lisboa (Portugal); Jorge, Raquel; Lopes, M.F.P.; Gato, L.M.C. [IDMEC, Instituto Superior Tecnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Avenida Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001, Lisboa (Portugal)

2009-01-15

The growing requirements for renewable energy production lead to the development of a new series of systems, including wave energy conversion systems. Due to their sensitivity and the impact of the aggressive marine environment, the selection of the most adequate location for these systems is a major and very important task. Several factors, such as technological limitations, environmental conditions, administrative and logistic conditions, have to be taken into account in order to support the decision for best location. This paper describes a geo-spatial multi-criteria analysis methodology, based on geographic information systems technology, for identification of the best location to deploy a wave energy farm. This methodology is not conversion system dependent and therefore can be easily customized for different systems and implementation conditions. Selection factors can include, for example, ocean depth, sea bottom type, existing underwater cables, marine protected areas, ports location, shoreline, power grid location, military exercise areas, climatology of wave significant height, period and power. A case study demonstrating this methodology is presented, for an area offshore the Portuguese southwest coast. The system output allows a clear differential identification of the best spots for implementing a wave energy farm. It is not just a simple Boolean result showing valid and invalid locations, but a layer with a valued suitability for farm deployment. (author)

Evaluation of the Validity of three Criteria for Sampling and Analyzing DST Wastes in Support of Waste Feed Delivery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BOGER, R.M.

2000-01-01

This document summarizes the analysis of 3 basic criteria for the sampling systems that will provide waste validation samples of tank waste feeds prior to delivery to the waste treatment and immobilization plant where the wastes will be converted to glass forms. The assessed criteria includes sampling through a 4-inch riser, sampling while a mixer pump is operating, and the deployment of an at-tank analysis system. The assessment, based on the Phase I, 3S6 waste feed scenario, indicated that for high level waste, sampling through a 4-inch riser is not required but sampling while mixer pumps are operating will be required. For low activity waste, sampling through a 4-inch riser will be required but sampling while mixer pumps are operating is not required. The assessment indicated that an at-tank analysis system to provide tank mixing/settling (homogeneity) status is not needed since the number of tanks providing LAW feed was expanded and the payment basis in the original privatization contract has been modified

Multi-criteria analysis to support decision-making process in the event of radiological emergency in tropical climate countries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira, Jose F.; Rochedo, Elaine R.R.; Wasserman, Maria A.V.; Silva, Diogo N.G.

2008-01-01

Full text: The Multi-criteria Analysis has been widely used in the most diverse areas of the knowledge such as Economy, Transport, Industry, Production, among others. The Multi-criteria Analysis aims to support the decision process, based on the comparison of alternatives, leading to the recommendation of optimized actions in support to decision makers. One of the permanent concerns in the international scenario is the study of the nuclear/radiological consequences of accidents and other events that lead to the contamination of the environment and the exposure of members of the public as a consequence of this contamination. The Multi-criteria Analysis Method is already being used for similar applications in some European countries but it is necessary that the criteria are established taking in account economic, social and climatic aspects that can affect the selection of protective measures applicable to specific regions, and the selection of the different weights to be associated to the different criteria that are to be applied to different social-politic environments. The present work describes the development, already in advanced phase, of a Multi-criteria tool to support the decision making process for the implementation of protective measures to protect the public in situations of radiological accidents, with the degree of flexibility to be easily adapted to the different social, political and climatic regions of Brazil, through the comparison of different options considering a diversity of aspects, such as the efficiency of the measure in the reducing public exposure, the radiation doses that would be received by the workers, the characteristics of the generated wastes, the difficulty of implementation of the measures, as well as the operational costs related to the implementation of the measures. The aim of such analysis is to supply an optimized guidance, under the point of view of radiological protection, adequate for different types of environments that

Identification and evaluation of influential criteria for the selection of an environmental shipping carrier using DEMATEL

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jia, Peng; Govindan, Kannan; Kannan, Devika

2015-01-01

The current environmental pollution is a major factor in economic development and vehicle pollution is ranked next to industrial emissions in total emissions worldwide. This study focuses on the selection of a suitable shipping carrier from an economic and environmental perspective. In practice......, there are many criteria's available to select a suitable shipping container. But, shipping container companies are struggling to identify the most influential criteria to select a shipping container as it requires in-depth analysis. So, the objective of this paper is to analyse the criteria and identify the most...... influential criteria from an environmental practices perspective. In this study, seventeen factors are identified from literature aimed at locating the most influential criteria to select a suitable shipping carrier using the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL). This procedure helps...

The risks of Euro adoption in Romania – an analysis based on ten criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marius-Corneliu MARINAŞ

2013-01-01

Full Text Available In this study, I have proposed and examined ten criteria to analyze the challenges of joining at Monetary Union, explaining the need to include them in government and multinational companies’ strategies. The criteria adopted in the case of Romania concern the potential impact of Euro adoption on economic activities, the common monetary policy effects on the Romanian economy, synchronization with the Euro area, labour market flexibility, as a tool of shocks adjustment etc. After stating each criterion, I have made a brief analysis of how that could affect the balance of costs and benefits of giving up own currency, using conclusions of the optimum currency areas theory.

Hesitant fuzzy methods for multiple criteria decision analysis

CERN Document Server

Zhang, Xiaolu

2017-01-01

The book offers a comprehensive introduction to methods for solving multiple criteria decision making and group decision making problems with hesitant fuzzy information. It reports on the authors’ latest research, as well as on others’ research, providing readers with a complete set of decision making tools, such as hesitant fuzzy TOPSIS, hesitant fuzzy TODIM, hesitant fuzzy LINMAP, hesitant fuzzy QUALIFEX, and the deviation modeling approach with heterogeneous fuzzy information. The main focus is on decision making problems in which the criteria values and/or the weights of criteria are not expressed in crisp numbers but are more suitable to be denoted as hesitant fuzzy elements. The largest part of the book is devoted to new methods recently developed by the authors to solve decision making problems in situations where the available information is vague or hesitant. These methods are presented in detail, together with their application to different type of decision-making problems. All in all, the book ...

Revealed preferences towards the appraisal of orphan drugs in Poland - multi criteria decision analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolasa, Katarzyna; Zwolinski, Krzysztof Miroslaw; Zah, Vladimir; Kaló, Zoltán; Lewandowski, Tadeusz

2018-04-27

A Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) technique was adopted to reveal the preferences of the Appraisal Body of the Polish HTA agency towards orphan drugs (OMPs). There were 34 positive and 23 negative HTA recommendations out of 54 distinctive drug-indication pairs. The MCDA matrix consisted of 13 criteria, seven of which made the most impact on the HTA process. Appraisal of clinical evidence, cost of therapy, and safety considerations were the main contributors to the HTA guidance, whilst advancement of technology and manufacturing costs made the least impact. MCDA can be regarded as a valuable tool for revealing decision makers' preferences in the healthcare sector. Given that only roughly half of all criteria included in the MCDA matrix were deemed to make an impact on the HTA process, there is certainly some room for improvement with respect to the adaptation of a new approach towards the value assessment of OMPs in Poland.

Comparison of stress-based and strain-based creep failure criteria for severe accident analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chavez, S.A.; Kelly, D.L.; Witt, R.J.; Stirn, D.P.

1995-01-01

We conducted a parametic analysis of stress-based and strain-based creep failure criteria to determine if there is a significant difference between the two criteria for SA533B vessel steel under severe accident conditions. Parametric variables include debris composition, system pressure, and creep strain histories derived from different testing programs and mathematically fit, with and without tertiary creep. Results indicate significant differences between the two criteria. Stress gradient plays an important role in determining which criterion will predict failure first. Creep failure was not very sensitive to different creep strain histories, except near the transition temperature of the vessel steel (900K to 1000K). Statistical analyses of creep failure data of four independent sources indicate that these data may be pooled, with a spline point at 1000K. We found the Manson-Haferd parameter to have better failure predictive capability than the Larson-Miller parameter for the data studied. (orig.)

Applying multi-criteria analysis to radiation protection optimisation of low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pages, P.; Schneider, T.; Lombard, J.

1991-01-01

Introduction of ALARA principles in the field of radioactive waste management implies a definition of the main characteristics of the decisional framework. Specific aspects should be taken into account: long term effects, large uncertainties and/or probabilistic events, with particular attention to the public and the political authorities. Traditional cost-benefit analysis is not qualified to deal with these different dimensions of the risk. The aim of this paper is to describe the principles of multi-criteria analysis applied to low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal. Three categories of barriers can be distinguished acting at different protection levels: site characteristics, waste package and disposal system. A set of possible solutions can be identified, but the selection of the 'optimum' is not easy because of the diversity of the factors to be allowed for. For example, the following problem needs to be addressed: is it preferable to limit public radiation exposure several hundred years ahead or to reduce occupational exposure during the monitoring period of the disposal facility? An optimisation study is currently being performed on the various components of the structure, assuming given site and waste package characteristics. Four steps are distinguished: identification and analysis of options for the structure; selection and estimation of the qualitative and quantitative criteria; determination of the 'most interesting' solutions using multi-criteria analysis; sensitivity analysis and discussion on uncertainties related to the various assumptions. Based on the preliminary findings, the paper focuses on practical solutions to address the methodological issues raised in applying the optimisation procedures to radioactive waste management. (au)

Review of design criteria and safety analysis of safety class electric building for fuel test loop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, J. Y.

1998-02-01

Steady state fuel test loop will be equipped in HANARO to obtain the development and betterment of advanced fuel and materials through the irradiation tests. HANARO fuel test loop was designed for CANDU and PWR fuel testing. Safety related system of Fuel Test Loop such as emergency cooling water system, component cooling water system, safety ventilation system, high energy line break mitigation system and remote control room was required 1E class electric supply to meet the safety operation in accordance with related code. Therefore, FTL electric building was designed to construction and install the related equipment based on seismic category I. The objective of this study is to review the design criteria and analysis the safety function of safety class electric building for fuel test loop, and this results will become guidance for the irradiation testing in future. (author). 10 refs., 6 tabs., 30 figs.

Application of a multi-criteria analysis for the selection of the most suitable energy source and water desalination system in Mauritania

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bayod Rujula, Angel Antonio; Dia, Nourou Khalidou

2010-01-01

Water deficits and their associated shortages are serious problems in many areas of the world. The paper presents a multi-criteria analysis for selection of the most suitable system in Mauritania. Six scenarios, different energy sources, technologies of water desalination processes and water use and five criteria are analyzed. The multi-criteria analysis shows that the optimal solution is different for each scenario; in some cases the photovoltaic-reverse osmosis option is preferable; in others, the best option is reverse-osmosis powered by wind energy or concentrating solar parabolic.

Using multi-criteria decision methods for selecting a language school

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mileine Henriques Elias Velasco

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, the interest of organizations by professionals who have deep knowledge concerning more than one language has been increasing. In this scenario, the choice of a language school has been one of the most common decision problems, which has been often made on the basis of word-of-mouth, marketing activities of schools and trials without criteria. In order to contribute to this problem, this paper presents a study in which two multi-criteria decision aid methods (AHP and Weighted Average were used to select a language school. Thus, the degree of importance of criteria relating to the problem and the degree of satisfaction of undergraduate and postgraduate students in relation to language schools they study were taken into account. The best ranked language school was the same for both MCDA methods, although some schools have obtained different positions. It was found that the analysis with AHP is richer and more elaborate than with the Weighted Average method. However, the large number of pairwise comparisons which were required to the study demanded significant attention and cognitive effort from the decision maker, and more time to perform the analysis - aspects that may contribute to the preference for the Weighted Average method in similar studies.

Multi-criteria clinical decision support: A primer on the use of multiple criteria decision making methods to promote evidence-based, patient-centered healthcare.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolan, James G

2010-01-01

Current models of healthcare quality recommend that patient management decisions be evidence-based and patient-centered. Evidence-based decisions require a thorough understanding of current information regarding the natural history of disease and the anticipated outcomes of different management options. Patient-centered decisions incorporate patient preferences, values, and unique personal circumstances into the decision making process and actively involve both patients along with health care providers as much as possible. Fundamentally, therefore, evidence-based, patient-centered decisions are multi-dimensional and typically involve multiple decision makers.Advances in the decision sciences have led to the development of a number of multiple criteria decision making methods. These multi-criteria methods are designed to help people make better choices when faced with complex decisions involving several dimensions. They are especially helpful when there is a need to combine "hard data" with subjective preferences, to make trade-offs between desired outcomes, and to involve multiple decision makers. Evidence-based, patient-centered clinical decision making has all of these characteristics. This close match suggests that clinical decision support systems based on multi-criteria decision making techniques have the potential to enable patients and providers to carry out the tasks required to implement evidence-based, patient-centered care effectively and efficiently in clinical settings.The goal of this paper is to give readers a general introduction to the range of multi-criteria methods available and show how they could be used to support clinical decision-making. Methods discussed include the balance sheet, the even swap method, ordinal ranking methods, direct weighting methods, multi-attribute decision analysis, and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP).

Behavior analysis of container ship in maritime accident in order to redefine the operating criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Ancuţa, C.; Stanca, C.; Andrei, C.; Acomi, N.

2017-08-01

In order to enhance the efficiency of maritime transport, container ships operators proceeded to increase the sizes of ships. The latest generation of ships in operation has 19,000 TEU capacity and the perspective is 21,000 TEU within the next years. The increasing of the sizes of container ships involves risks of maritime accidents occurrences. Nowadays, the general rules on operational security, tend to be adjusted as a result of the evaluation for each vessel. To create the premises for making an informed decision, the captain have to be aware of ships behavior in such situations. Not less important is to assure permanent review of the procedures for operation of ship, including the specific procedures in special areas, confined waters or separation schemes. This paper aims at analysing the behavior of the vessel and the respond of the structure of a container ship in maritime accident, in order to redefine the operating criteria. The method selected by authors for carrying out the research is computer simulations. Computer program provides the responses of the container ship model in various situations. Therefore, the simulations allow acquisition of a large category of data, in the scope of improving the prevention of accidents or mitigation of effects as much as possible. Simulations and assessments of certain situations that the ship might experience will be carried out to redefine the operating criteria. The envisaged scenarios are: introducing of maneuver speed for specific areas with high risk of collision or grounding, introducing of flooding scenarios of some compartments in loading programs, conducting of complex simulations in various situations for each vessel type. The main results of this work are documented proposals for operating criteria, intended to improve the safety in case of marine accidents, collisions and groundings. Introducing of such measures requires complex cost benefit analysis, that should not neglect the extreme economic impact

Multi-criteria evaluation for CHP system options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilavachi, P.A.; Roumpeas, C.P.; Minett, S.; Afgan, N.H.

2006-01-01

Several Combined Heat and Power (CHP) system options have been considered for evaluation with respect to the end-user requirements. These included Internal Combustion Engines (Otto and Diesel), Gas Turbines, Steam Turbines and Combined Cycles covering a wide range of electrical output. Data have been obtained from literature and the CHP systems have been evaluated using different criteria such as overall efficiency, investment cost, fuel cost, electricity cost, heat cost, CO 2 production and footprint. A multi-criteria method is used with an agglomeration function based on the statistical evaluation of weight factors. The technical, economic and social aspects of each system have been evaluated in an integrated manner and the results have been compared by means of the Sustainability Index. Based on the above criteria and depending on the user requirements, the best CHP system options have been established

Application of multi-criteria decision analysis in selecting of sustainable investments

Science.gov (United States)

Kozik, Renata

2017-07-01

Investors of construction projects, especially financed with public money, quite slowly adapt environmentally friendly solutions, e.g. passive buildings. Practice shows that the use of green public procurement among the public investors is negligible. Energy-saving technologies and equipment are expensive at the construction phase and investors less or not at all take into account the future operating costs. The aim of this article is to apply the method of multi-criteria analysis ELECTRE to select the best investment in terms of cost of implementation, operation, as well as the impact on the environment.

Application of risk-based multiple criteria decision analysis for selection of the best agricultural scenario for effective watershed management.

Science.gov (United States)

Javidi Sabbaghian, Reza; Zarghami, Mahdi; Nejadhashemi, A Pouyan; Sharifi, Mohammad Bagher; Herman, Matthew R; Daneshvar, Fariborz

2016-03-01

Effective watershed management requires the evaluation of agricultural best management practice (BMP) scenarios which carefully consider the relevant environmental, economic, and social criteria involved. In the Multiple Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) process, scenarios are first evaluated and then ranked to determine the most desirable outcome for the particular watershed. The main challenge of this process is the accurate identification of the best solution for the watershed in question, despite the various risk attitudes presented by the associated decision-makers (DMs). This paper introduces a novel approach for implementation of the MCDM process based on a comparative neutral risk/risk-based decision analysis, which results in the selection of the most desirable scenario for use in the entire watershed. At the sub-basin level, each scenario includes multiple BMPs with scores that have been calculated using the criteria derived from two cases of neutral risk and risk-based decision-making. The simple additive weighting (SAW) operator is applied for use in neutral risk decision-making, while the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) and induced OWA (IOWA) operators are effective for risk-based decision-making. At the watershed level, the BMP scores of the sub-basins are aggregated to calculate each scenarios' combined goodness measurements; the most desirable scenario for the entire watershed is then selected based on the combined goodness measurements. Our final results illustrate the type of operator and risk attitudes needed to satisfy the relevant criteria within the number of sub-basins, and how they ultimately affect the final ranking of the given scenarios. The methodology proposed here has been successfully applied to the Honeyoey Creek-Pine Creek watershed in Michigan, USA to evaluate various BMP scenarios and determine the best solution for both the stakeholders and the overall stream health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of groundwater criteria and recent restoration attempts after in situ uranium leaching. Open file report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buma, G.; Johnson, P.H.; Bienek, G.K.; Watson, C.G.; Noyes, H.J.

1981-10-01

Groundwater restoration is an important aspect of in situ uranium leaching. Information on the effectiveness of the current technology, costs, and the current State and Federal Government permitting regulations is of vital importance to in situ leach operators and firms considering in situ leaching. This study describes (1) all recent restoration attempts at commercial in situ leaching operations, (2) restoration costs reported by the industry, (3) empirical equations that predict the amount of groundwater flushing required to meet the current restoration criteria, and (4) in situ uranium permit requirements for the States of Texas, Wyoming, New Mexico, Utah, Montana, Colorado, and South Dakota, and Federal requirements

Multi-criteria decision analysis for assessment and appraisal of orphan drugs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Georgi Iskrov

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Limited resources and expanding expectations push all countries and types of health systems to adopt new approaches in priority setting and resources allocation. Despite best efforts, it is difficult to reconcile all competing interests and trade-offs are inevitable. This is why multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA has played a major role in recent uptake of value-based reimbursement. MCDA framework enables exploration of stakeholders’ preferences, as well as explicit organization of broad range of criteria on which real-world decisions are made.Assessment and appraisal of orphan drugs tend to be one of the most complicated health technology assessment (HTA tasks. Access to market approved orphan therapies remains an issue. Early constructive dialogue among rare disease stakeholders and elaboration of orphan drug-tailored decision support tools could set the scene for ongoing accumulation of evidence, as well as for proper reimbursement decision-making.Objective: The objective of this study was to create a MCDA value measurement model to assess and appraise orphan drugs. This was achieved by exploring the preferences on decision criteria’s weights and performance scores through a stakeholder-representative survey and a focus group discussion that were both organized in Bulgaria.Results/Conclusions: Decision criteria that describe the health technology’s characteristics were unanimously agreed as the most important group of reimbursement considerations. This outcome, combined with the high individual weight of disease severity and disease burden criteria underlined some of the fundamental principles of healthcare – equity and fairness. Our study proved that strength of evidence may be a key criterion in orphan drug assessment and appraisal. Evidence is not only used to shape reimbursement decision-making, but also to lend legitimacy to policies pursued. The need for real-world data on orphan drugs was largely stressed

Social Network Community Detection for DMA Creation: Criteria Analysis through Multilevel Optimization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno M. Brentan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Management of large water distribution systems can be improved by dividing their networks into so-called district metered areas (DMAs. However, such divisions must be based on appropriated technical criteria. Considering the importance of deeply understanding the relationship between DMA creation and these criteria, this work proposes a performance analysis of DMA generation that takes into account such indicators as resilience index, demand similarity, pressure uniformity, water age (and thus water quality, solution implantation costs, and electrical consumption. To cope with the complexity of the problem, suitable mathematical techniques are proposed in this paper. We use a social community detection technique to define the sectors, and then a multilevel particle swarm optimization approach is applied to find the optimal placement and operating point of the necessary devices. The results obtained by implementing the methodology in a real water supply network show its validity and the meaningful influence on the final result of, especially, elevation and pipe length.

Alternative microbial methods: An overview and selection criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Jasson, Vicky; Jacxsens, Liesbeth; Luning, Pieternel; Rajkovic, Andreja; Uyttendaele, Mieke

2010-09-01

This study provides an overview and criteria for the selection of a method, other than the reference method, for microbial analysis of foods. In a first part an overview of the general characteristics of rapid methods available, both for enumeration and detection, is given with reference to relevant bibliography. Perspectives on future development and the potential of the rapid method for routine application in food diagnostics are discussed. As various alternative "rapid" methods in different formats are available on the market, it can be very difficult for a food business operator or for a control authority to select the most appropriate method which fits its purpose. Validation of a method by a third party, according to international accepted protocol based upon ISO 16140, may increase the confidence in the performance of a method. A list of at the moment validated methods for enumeration of both utility indicators (aerobic plate count) and hygiene indicators (Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, coagulase positive Staphylococcus) as well as for detection of the four major pathogens (Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, E. coli O157 and Campylobacter spp.) is included with reference to relevant websites to check for updates. In a second part of this study, selection criteria are introduced to underpin the choice of the appropriate method(s) for a defined application. The selection criteria link the definition of the context in which the user of the method functions - and thus the prospective use of the microbial test results - with the technical information on the method and its operational requirements and sustainability. The selection criteria can help the end user of the method to obtain a systematic insight into all relevant factors to be taken into account for selection of a method for microbial analysis. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

32 CFR 101.6 - Criteria for satisfactory performance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Criteria for satisfactory performance. 101.6..., MILITARY AND CIVILIAN PARTICIPATION IN RESERVE TRAINING PROGRAMS § 101.6 Criteria for satisfactory...) Shall require members to: (1) Meet the standards of satisfactory performance of training duty set forth...

Retinopathy of prematurity screening criteria and workload ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Larger infants require screening to include a few outliers, but they require ... Making local screening criteria narrower on the basis of a limited evidence base may be dangerous. Risk factors for CSROP in larger infants need to be researched.

Preliminary selection criteria for the Yucca Mountain Project waste package container material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halsey, W.G.

1991-01-01

The Department of Energy's Yucca Mountain Project (YMP) is evaluating a site at Yucca Mountain in Nevada for construction of a geologic repository for the storage of high-level nuclear waste. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) Nuclear Waste Management Project (NWMP) has the responsibility for design, testing, and performance analysis of the waste packages. The design is performed in an iterative manner in three sequential phases (conceptual design, advanced conceptual design, and license application design). An important input to the start of the advanced conceptual design is the selection of the material for the waste containers. The container material is referred to as the 'metal barrier' portion of the waste package, and is the responsibility of the Metal Barrier Selection and Testing task at LLNL. The selection will consist of several steps. First, preliminary, material-independent selection criteria will be established based on the performance goals for the container. Second, a variety of engineering materials will be evaluated against these criteria in a screening process to identify candidate materials. Third, information will be obtained on the performance of the candidate materials, and final selection criteria and quantitative weighting factors will be established based on the waste package design requirements. Finally, the candidate materials will be ranked against these criteria to determine whether they meet the mandated performance requirements, and to provide a comparative score to choose the material for advanced conceptual design activities. This document sets forth the preliminary container material selection criteria to be used in screening candidate materials. 5 refs

Qualitative criteria of urbanism and brands: A comparative analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrej Pompe

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Interactivity, multidisciplinarity, synergy and interdependence are all concepts that are clearly intertwined with managing every responsible city and its leaders. Urbanism plays a significant role among the disciplines that affect the uniqueness and competitive position of a city. None of the cities that are successful in a competitive environment would be a noteworthy and powerful brand if they did not possess recognisable, singular and distinctive elements of urbanism that made them unique. This article proceeds from the hypothesis that urbanism with qualitative solutions helps shape a city’s brand and that the criteria that demonstrate this are in agreement with the qualitative criteria of a brand. In reviewing the scholarly literature on urbanism as brands and branding itself, it is shown that qualitative urbanism criteria show great similarity with qualitative brand criteria, and therefore have a decisive effect on a city brand and its placement in a competitive urban market. Qualitative urbanism and brand criteria are closely linked and tend to be cast in the same mould, although they differ in formulation and level of implementation. These acknowledged similarities represent a step forward in integral operation, management, communication and urban marketing. They also enable more or less unconnected areas of urbanism and marketing to connect. The positive consequences of understanding the connection of both fields will be long term and will build a recognisable, consistent and stakeholder friendly reputation for a city. These findings are a golden opportunity for urban management and confirm the need for a comprehensive approach to urban management.

Fuels planning: science synthesis and integration; economic uses fact sheet 06: selection criteria analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Rocky Mountain Research Station USDA Forest Service

2004-01-01

Confidence in decisionmaking can often come from knowing if others in similar circumstances would choose the same management strategy. Researchers at the USDA FS Pacific Northwest Research Station and the University of Saskatchewan have developed a Selection Criteria Analysis for answering this very question. This fact sheet discusses factors affecting the choice of...

Regulatory analysis on criteria for the release of patients administered radioactive material. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, S.; McGuire, S.A.

1997-02-01

This regulatory analysis was developed to respond to three petitions for rulemaking to amend 10 CFR parts 20 and 35 regarding release of patients administered radioactive material. The petitions requested revision of these regulations to remove the ambiguity that existed between the 1-millisievert (0.1-rem) total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) public dose limit in Part 20, adopted in 1991, and the activity-based release limit in 10 CFR 35.75 that, in some instances, would permit release of individuals in excess of the current public dose limit. Three alternatives for resolution of the petitions were evaluated. Under Alternative 1, NRC would amend its patient release criteria in 10 CFR 35.75 to match the annual public dose limit in Part 20 of 1 millisievert (0.1 rem) TEDE. Alternative 2 would maintain the status quo of using the activity-based release criteria currently found in 10 CFR 35.75. Under Alternative 3, the NRC would revise the release criteria in 10 CFR 35.75 to specify a dose limit of 5 millisieverts (0.5 rem) TEDE.

Regulatory analysis on criteria for the release of patients administered radioactive material. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, S.; McGuire, S.A.

1997-02-01

This regulatory analysis was developed to respond to three petitions for rulemaking to amend 10 CFR parts 20 and 35 regarding release of patients administered radioactive material. The petitions requested revision of these regulations to remove the ambiguity that existed between the 1-millisievert (0.1-rem) total effective dose equivalent (TEDE) public dose limit in Part 20, adopted in 1991, and the activity-based release limit in 10 CFR 35.75 that, in some instances, would permit release of individuals in excess of the current public dose limit. Three alternatives for resolution of the petitions were evaluated. Under Alternative 1, NRC would amend its patient release criteria in 10 CFR 35.75 to match the annual public dose limit in Part 20 of 1 millisievert (0.1 rem) TEDE. Alternative 2 would maintain the status quo of using the activity-based release criteria currently found in 10 CFR 35.75. Under Alternative 3, the NRC would revise the release criteria in 10 CFR 35.75 to specify a dose limit of 5 millisieverts (0.5 rem) TEDE

Improving IT Portfolio Management Decision Confidence Using Multi-Criteria Decision Making and Hypervariate Display Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Landmesser, John Andrew

2014-01-01

Information technology (IT) investment decision makers are required to process large volumes of complex data. An existing body of knowledge relevant to IT portfolio management (PfM), decision analysis, visual comprehension of large volumes of information, and IT investment decision making suggest Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and…

12 CFR 1252.1 - Enterprise portfolio holding criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 7 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Enterprise portfolio holding criteria. 1252.1 Section 1252.1 Banks and Banking FEDERAL HOUSING FINANCE AGENCY ENTERPRISES PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS § 1252.1 Enterprise portfolio holding criteria. The Enterprises are required to comply with the portfolio holdings...

WeightLifter: Visual Weight Space Exploration for Multi-Criteria Decision Making.

Science.gov (United States)

Pajer, Stephan; Streit, Marc; Torsney-Weir, Thomas; Spechtenhauser, Florian; Muller, Torsten; Piringer, Harald

2017-01-01

A common strategy in Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is to rank alternative solutions by weighted summary scores. Weights, however, are often abstract to the decision maker and can only be set by vague intuition. While previous work supports a point-wise exploration of weight spaces, we argue that MCDM can benefit from a regional and global visual analysis of weight spaces. Our main contribution is WeightLifter, a novel interactive visualization technique for weight-based MCDM that facilitates the exploration of weight spaces with up to ten criteria. Our technique enables users to better understand the sensitivity of a decision to changes of weights, to efficiently localize weight regions where a given solution ranks high, and to filter out solutions which do not rank high enough for any plausible combination of weights. We provide a comprehensive requirement analysis for weight-based MCDM and describe an interactive workflow that meets these requirements. For evaluation, we describe a usage scenario of WeightLifter in automotive engineering and report qualitative feedback from users of a deployed version as well as preliminary feedback from decision makers in multiple domains. This feedback confirms that WeightLifter increases both the efficiency of weight-based MCDM and the awareness of uncertainty in the ultimate decisions.

Regulatory analysis on criteria for the release of patients administered radioactive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, S.; McGuire, S.A.

1994-05-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received two petitions to amend its regulations in 10 CFR Parts 20 and 35 as they apply to doses received by members of the public exposed to patients released from a hospital after they have been administered radioactive material. While the two petitions are not identical they both request that the NRC establish a dose limit of 5 millisieverts (0.5 rem) per year for individuals exposed to patients who have been administered radioactive materials. This Regulatory Analysis evaluates three alternatives. Alternative 1 is for the NRC to amend its patient release criteria in 10 CFR 35.75 to use the more stringent dose limit of 1 millisievert per year in 10 CFR 20.1301(a) for its patient release criteria. Alternative 2 is for the NRC to continue using the existing patient release criteria in 10 CFR 35.75 of 1,110 megabecquerels of activity or a dose rate at one meter from the patient of 0.05 millisievert per hour. Alternative 3 is for the NRC to amend the patient release criteria in 10 CFR 35.75 to specify a dose limit of 5 millisieverts for patient release. The evaluation indicates that Alternative 1 would cause a prohibitively large increase in the national health care cost from retaining patients in a hospital longer and would cause significant personal and psychological costs to patients and their families. The choice of Alternatives 2 or 3 would affect only thyroid cancer patients treated with iodine-131. For those patients, Alternative 3 would result in less hospitalization than Alternative 2. Alternative 3 has a potential decrease in national health care cost of $30,000,000 per year but would increase the potential collective dose from released therapy patients by about 2,700 person-rem per year, mainly to family members

Regulatory analysis on criteria for the release of patients administered radioactive material

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schneider, S.; McGuire, S.A. [Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Regulatory Applications; Behling, U.H.; Behling, K.; Goldin, D. [Cohen (S.) and Associates, Inc., McLean, VA (United States)

1994-05-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has received two petitions to amend its regulations in 10 CFR Parts 20 and 35 as they apply to doses received by members of the public exposed to patients released from a hospital after they have been administered radioactive material. While the two petitions are not identical they both request that the NRC establish a dose limit of 5 millisieverts (0.5 rem) per year for individuals exposed to patients who have been administered radioactive materials. This Regulatory Analysis evaluates three alternatives. Alternative 1 is for the NRC to amend its patient release criteria in 10 CFR 35.75 to use the more stringent dose limit of 1 millisievert per year in 10 CFR 20.1301(a) for its patient release criteria. Alternative 2 is for the NRC to continue using the existing patient release criteria in 10 CFR 35.75 of 1,110 megabecquerels of activity or a dose rate at one meter from the patient of 0.05 millisievert per hour. Alternative 3 is for the NRC to amend the patient release criteria in 10 CFR 35.75 to specify a dose limit of 5 millisieverts for patient release. The evaluation indicates that Alternative 1 would cause a prohibitively large increase in the national health care cost from retaining patients in a hospital longer and would cause significant personal and psychological costs to patients and their families. The choice of Alternatives 2 or 3 would affect only thyroid cancer patients treated with iodine-131. For those patients, Alternative 3 would result in less hospitalization than Alternative 2. Alternative 3 has a potential decrease in national health care cost of $30,000,000 per year but would increase the potential collective dose from released therapy patients by about 2,700 person-rem per year, mainly to family members.

Microbiological criteria for good manufacturing practice (GMP)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Farkas, J. (Inst. of Preservation and Livestock Products Technology, Univ. of Horticulture and Food Industry, Budapest (Hungary)); Zukal, E. (Inst. of Preservation and Livestock Products Technology, Univ. of Horticulture and Food Industry, Budapest (Hungary))

1992-01-01

Good manufacturing practice (GMP) consist of an effective manufacturing operation and an effective application of food control. GMP is best supported by the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point system (HACCP) of the preventive quality assurance, which requires that food irradiation as any food processing technology should be used only with foods of an acceptable quality and adequate handling and storage procedures should precede and follow the processing. The paper concentrates on the first element of the HACCP system for an irradiation plant: the incoming product control, i.e. whether GMP of foods to be irradiated can be assessed by establishing microbiological criteria for their previous good manufacturing practice. In this regard, it summarizes considerations and findings of a ''Consultation on Microbiological Criteria for Foods to be Further Processed Including by Irradiation'' held in 1989 by the International Consultative Group on Food irradiation at the Headquarters of the World Health Organization, Geneva. Difficulties in establishing reference values and defining good manufacturing practices will be pointed out. (orig.)

A conceptual approach to the use of Cost Benefit and Multi Criteria Analysis in natural hazard management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. D. Gamper

2006-01-01

Full Text Available Decision-making for protection measures against natural hazards entails major complexities for final decision makers. The issue in question does not only implicate a variety of criteria that need to be considered but also scarce financial resources make the allocation decision a difficult task. Furthermore, these decisions appear to be multidisciplinary in nature. Stakeholders from experts over politicians and the public are among the affected parties in making and dealing with the consequences of such decisions. In order to capture the complexity that arises when incorporating the varieties of interests as well as impacts protection measures have on the environment, the economy and society, transparent and multidisciplinary decision support techniques are needed. This paper looks at how Cost Benefit Analysis (CBA, a tool already applied to decisions concerning protective measures, and Multi Criteria Analysis (MCA, even though new to the field as such but already successfully practiced in other environmental areas, perform according to the abovementioned criteria. A conceptual overview of the methodologies will be given along with a discussion of the respective strengths and weaknesses. Looking at past applications, this overview gives an analysis about the potential of socio economics in its contribution to natural hazard research.

A multi-criteria decision analysis assessment of waste paper management options

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hanan, Deirdre [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom); Burnley, Stephen, E-mail: s.j.burnley@open.ac.uk [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom); Cooke, David [Department of Design, Development, Environment and Materials, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, MK7 6AA (United Kingdom)

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► Isolated communities have particular problems in terms of waste management. ► An MCDA tool allowed a group of non-experts to evaluate waste management options. ► The group preferred local waste management solutions to export to the mainland. ► Gasification of paper was the preferred option followed by recycling. ► The group concluded that they could be involved in the decision making process. - Abstract: The use of Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was investigated in an exercise using a panel of local residents and stakeholders to assess the options for managing waste paper on the Isle of Wight. Seven recycling, recovery and disposal options were considered by the panel who evaluated each option against seven environmental, financial and social criteria. The panel preferred options where the waste was managed on the island with gasification and recycling achieving the highest scores. Exporting the waste to the English mainland for incineration or landfill proved to be the least preferred options. This research has demonstrated that MCDA is an effective way of involving community groups in waste management decision making.

A multi-criteria decision analysis assessment of waste paper management options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanan, Deirdre; Burnley, Stephen; Cooke, David

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Isolated communities have particular problems in terms of waste management. ► An MCDA tool allowed a group of non-experts to evaluate waste management options. ► The group preferred local waste management solutions to export to the mainland. ► Gasification of paper was the preferred option followed by recycling. ► The group concluded that they could be involved in the decision making process. - Abstract: The use of Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was investigated in an exercise using a panel of local residents and stakeholders to assess the options for managing waste paper on the Isle of Wight. Seven recycling, recovery and disposal options were considered by the panel who evaluated each option against seven environmental, financial and social criteria. The panel preferred options where the waste was managed on the island with gasification and recycling achieving the highest scores. Exporting the waste to the English mainland for incineration or landfill proved to be the least preferred options. This research has demonstrated that MCDA is an effective way of involving community groups in waste management decision making

On the feasibility of using emergy analysis as a source of benchmarking criteria through data envelopment analysis: A case study for wind energy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iribarren, Diego; Vázquez-Rowe, Ian; Rugani, Benedetto; Benetto, Enrico

2014-01-01

The definition of criteria for the benchmarking of similar entities is often a critical issue in analytical studies because of the multiplicity of criteria susceptible to be taken into account. This issue can be aggravated by the need to handle multiple data for multiple facilities. This article presents a methodological framework, named the Em + DEA method, which combines emergy analysis with Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) for the ecocentric benchmarking of multiple resembling entities (i.e., multiple decision making units or DMUs). Provided that the life-cycle inventories of these DMUs are available, an emergy analysis is performed through the computation of seven different indicators, which refer to the use of fossil, metal, mineral, nuclear, renewable energy, water and land resources. These independent emergy values are then implemented as inputs for DEA computation, thus providing operational emergy-based efficiency scores and, for the inefficient DMUs, target emergy flows (i.e., feasible emergy benchmarks that would turn inefficient DMUs into efficient). The use of the Em + DEA method is exemplified through a case study of wind energy farms. The potential use of CED (cumulative energy demand) and CExD (cumulative exergy demand) indicators as alternative benchmarking criteria to emergy is discussed. The combined use of emergy analysis with DEA is proven to be a valid methodological approach to provide benchmarks oriented towards the optimisation of the life-cycle performance of a set of multiple similar facilities, not being limited to the operational traits of the assessed units. - Highlights: • Combined emergy and DEA method to benchmark multiple resembling entities. • Life-cycle inventory, emergy analysis and DEA as key steps of the Em + DEA method. • Valid ecocentric benchmarking approach proven through a case study of wind farms. • Comparison with life-cycle energy-based benchmarking criteria (CED/CExD + DEA). • Analysts and decision and policy

Transformation of colour space dedicated to an experimental analysis fulfilling the applicability criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ziemba, A; Fornalik-Wajs, E

2014-01-01

The choice of colour space is very important in the digital image analysis by reason of accuracy and computational time. Particle Image Velocimetry and Particle Image Thermometry are the optical methods commonly applied in the fluid dynamics and heat transfer. Especially in PIT method, the analysis of colour images is significant. In this paper, transformation of RGB to HSI colour space dedicated to PIT will be presented. Derivation of formulas together with its graphical representation will be discussed. Fulfilment of applicability criteria will be shown. This theoretical approach to digital image processing supplements the knowledge about the optical experimental methods.

A proposal of criteria for the classification of systemic sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nadashkevich, Oleg; Davis, Paul; Fritzler, Marvin J

2004-11-01

Sensitive and specific criteria for the classification of systemic sclerosis are required by clinicians and investigators to achieve higher quality clinical studies and approaches to therapy. A clinical study of systemic sclerosis patients in Europe and Canada led to a set of criteria that achieve high sensitivity and specificity. Both clinical and laboratory investigations of patients with systemic sclerosis, related conditions and diseases with clinical features that can be mistaken as part of the systemic sclerosis spectrum were undertaken. Laboratory investigations included the detection of autoantibodies to centromere proteins, Scl-70 (topoisomerase I), and fibrillarin (U3-RNP). Based on the investigation of 269 systemic sclerosis patients and 720 patients presenting with related and confounding conditions, the following set of criteria for the classification of systemic sclerosis was proposed: 1) autoantibodies to: centromere proteins, Scl-70 (topo I), fibrillarin; 2) bibasilar pulmonary fibrosis; 3) contractures of the digital joints or prayer sign; 4) dermal thickening proximal to the wrists; 5) calcinosis cutis; 6) Raynaud's phenomenon; 7) esophageal distal hypomotility or reflux-esophagitis; 8) sclerodactyly or non-pitting digital edema; 9) teleangiectasias. The classification of definite SSc requires at least three of the above criteria. Criteria for the classification of systemic sclerosis have been proposed. Preliminary testing has defined the sensitivity and specificity of these criteria as high as 99% and 100%, respectively. Testing and validation of the proposed criteria by other clinical centers is required.

Application of trial risk acceptance criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, D.H.; Kastenberg, W.E.; Okrent, D.

1982-01-01

The objective of this paper is to investigate some of the implications inherent in the application of various proposed sets of risk acceptance criteria. A power-law model of risk aversion is utilized to estimate the equivalent number of individual deaths and is treated parametrically. The implications of ALARA requirements for cost-effective improvements are also illustrated. The risks assessed for various technological endeavors, as well as some estimated natural background risks, are compared to the trial criteria

Positron emission tomography response criteria in solid tumours criteria for quantitative analysis of [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with integrated computed tomography for treatment response assessment in metastasised solid tumours: All that glitters is not gold.

Science.gov (United States)

Willemsen, Annelieke E C A B; Vlenterie, Myrella; van Herpen, Carla M L; van Erp, Nielka P; van der Graaf, Winette T A; de Geus-Oei, Lioe-Fee; Oyen, Wim J G

2016-03-01

For solid tumours, quantitative analysis of [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with integrated computed tomography potentially can have significant value in early response assessment and thereby discrimination between responders and non-responders at an early stage of treatment. Standardised strategies for this analysis have been proposed, and the positron emission tomography response criteria in solid tumours (PERCIST) criteria can be regarded as the current standard to perform quantitative analysis in a research setting, yet is not implemented in daily practice. However, several exceptions and limitations limit the feasibility of PERCIST criteria. In this article, we point out dilemmas that arise when applying proposed criteria like PERCIST on an expansive set of patients with metastasised solid tumours. Clinicians and scientists should be aware of these limitations to prevent that methodological issues impede successful introduction of research data into clinical practice. Therefore, to deliver on the high potential of quantitative imaging, consensus should be reached on a standardised, feasible and clinically useful analysis methodology. This methodology should be applicable in the majority of patients, tumour types and treatments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Succeeding criteria of community based on land transportation infrastructure for Johor innovation valley development

Science.gov (United States)

Redzuan, Amir A.; Aminudin, Eeydzah; Zakaria, Rozana; Ghazali, Farid Ezanee Mohamed; Baharudin, Nur Azwa Amyra; Siang, Lee Yong

2017-10-01

Developing countries around the world have developed innovative centre, or known as innovation hub, to meet the demand of today's changing global competitive environment. The shift of economic sector from manufacturing to services has allowed numerous regions and cities around the world to undergo major structural changes. In Malaysia, Skudai area is on its way of becoming a community-based innovation hub under the Johor State Economic Growth Strategic Plan called Johor Innovation Valley (JIV). Towards this new-city concept, land transportation infrastructure is among the most important network in being a linkage to the source of contribution in enhancing the local innovative environment. This paper highlights the requirement of land transportation infrastructure criteria that would be effective in making Skudai a community-based innovation hub. Data were collected through survey questionnaires involving stakeholders with the knowledge of land transportation infrastructure who also lives within the area. Descriptive analysis was employed with further rank breakdown using Average Index analysis. The findings distinguish the differences between each criteria of land transportation infrastructure. Change in traffic system, easier accessibility to one place to another and attraction to outside investor are among the impacts of growth of JIV. This paper concluded that selected requirement of land transportation infrastructure criteria is necessary for future contribution towards the growth of the JIV.

Multi-criteria decision analysis and environmental risk assessment for nanomaterials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linkov, Igor; Satterstrom, F. Kyle; Steevens, Jeffery; Ferguson, Elizabeth; Pleus, Richard C.

2007-01-01

Nanotechnology is a broad and complex discipline that holds great promise for innovations that can benefit mankind. Yet, one must not overlook the wide array of factors involved in managing nanomaterial development, ranging from the technical specifications of the material to possible adverse effects in humans. Other opportunities to evaluate benefits and risks are inherent in environmental health and safety (EHS) issues related to nanotechnology. However, there is currently no structured approach for making justifiable and transparent decisions with explicit trade-offs between the many factors that need to be taken into account. While many possible decision-making approaches exist, we believe that multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a powerful and scientifically sound decision analytical framework for nanomaterial risk assessment and management. This paper combines state-of-the-art research in MCDA methods applicable to nanotechnology with a hypothetical case study for nanomaterial management. The example shows how MCDA application can balance societal benefits against unintended side effects and risks, and how it can also bring together multiple lines of evidence to estimate the likely toxicity and risk of nanomaterials given limited information on physical and chemical properties. The essential contribution of MCDA is to link this performance information with decision criteria and weightings elicited from scientists and managers, allowing visualization and quantification of the trade-offs involved in the decision-making process

Multi-criteria decision analysis and environmental risk assessment for nanomaterials

Science.gov (United States)

Linkov, Igor; Satterstrom, F. Kyle; Steevens, Jeffery; Ferguson, Elizabeth; Pleus, Richard C.

2007-08-01

Nanotechnology is a broad and complex discipline that holds great promise for innovations that can benefit mankind. Yet, one must not overlook the wide array of factors involved in managing nanomaterial development, ranging from the technical specifications of the material to possible adverse effects in humans. Other opportunities to evaluate benefits and risks are inherent in environmental health and safety (EHS) issues related to nanotechnology. However, there is currently no structured approach for making justifiable and transparent decisions with explicit trade-offs between the many factors that need to be taken into account. While many possible decision-making approaches exist, we believe that multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a powerful and scientifically sound decision analytical framework for nanomaterial risk assessment and management. This paper combines state-of-the-art research in MCDA methods applicable to nanotechnology with a hypothetical case study for nanomaterial management. The example shows how MCDA application can balance societal benefits against unintended side effects and risks, and how it can also bring together multiple lines of evidence to estimate the likely toxicity and risk of nanomaterials given limited information on physical and chemical properties. The essential contribution of MCDA is to link this performance information with decision criteria and weightings elicited from scientists and managers, allowing visualization and quantification of the trade-offs involved in the decision-making process.

Can multi-criteria analysis models support the site selection for a repository for heat-generating waste?; Koennen multikriterielle Analysemodelle die Standortauswahl fuer ein Endlager fuer Waerme entwickelnde Abfaelle unterstuetzen?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutberlet, Daniela [DMT GmbH und Co.KG, Essen (Germany). Geschaeftsentwicklung Nukleare Entsorgung

2015-07-01

The decision for or against a potential site for a nuclear waste repository is highly complex and requires decision-makers to consider multiple assessment criteria. The complexity of each site and its characteristics, and the differing opinions among members of the public and advocacy groups mean t hat conflicts of interest are likely to arise. In this paper, the author suggests that multi-criteria analysis models could be used to provide methodological support during the selection process. The models can map these types of decision situations and suggest coherent solutions with relatively little formal effort. They allow users to compare different opt ions simultaneously and ensure that t heir decision-making Is conscious rather than arbitrary.

Adult "termination-of-resuscitation" (TOR)-criteria may not be suitable for children - a retrospective analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Rotering, Victoria Maria; Trepels-Kottek, Sonja; Heimann, Konrad; Brokmann, Jörg-Christian; Orlikowsky, Thorsten; Schoberer, Mark

2016-12-07

Only a small number of patients survive out-of-hospital-cardiac-arrest (OHCA). The duration of CPR varies considerably and transportation of patients under CPR is often unsuccessful. Termination-of-resuscitation (TOR)-criteria aim to preclude futile resuscitation efforts. Our goal was to find out to which extent existing TOR-criteria can be transferred to paediatric OHCA-patients with special regard to their prognostic value. We performed a retrospective analysis of an eleven-year single centre patient cohort. 43 paediatric patients admitted to our institution after emergency-medical-system (EMS)-confirmed OHCA from 2003 to 2013 were included. Morrison's BLS- and ALS-TOR-rules as well as the Trauma-TOR-criteria by the American Association of EMS Physicians were evaluated for application in children, by calculating sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive value for death-, as well as survival-prediction in our cohort. 26 patients achieved ROSC and 14 were discharged alive (n = 7 PCPC 1/2, n = 7 PCPC 5). Sensitivity for BLS-TOR-criteria predicting death was 48.3%, specificity 92.9%, the PPV 93.3% and the NPV 46.4%. ALS-TOR-criteria for death had a sensitivity of 10.3%, specificity of 100%, a PPV of 100% and an NPV of 35%. Retrospective application of the BLS-TOR-rule in our patient cohort identified the resuscitation of one later survivor as futile. ALS-TOR-criteria did not give false predictions of death. The proportion of CPRs that could have been abandoned is 48.2% for the BLS-TOR and only 10.3% for the ALS-TOR-rule. Both rules therefore appear not to be transferable to a paediatric population.

Multi-criteria analysis and systemic planning: Towards a tetra-logical approach to planning and assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Leleur, Steen

This paper presents systemic planning (SP) with emphasis on multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA). Specifically, SP is presented as a “tetra-logical” methodology approach with MCDA as one out of four major method orientations. The Danish-Swedish Øresund Fixed Link is used as application example...

Models and criteria for LLW disposal performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, C.F.; Cohen, J.J.

1980-12-01

A primary objective of the Low Level Waste (LLW) Management Program is to assure that public health is protected. Predictive modeling, to some extent, will play a role in meeting this objective. This paper considers the requirements and limitations of predictive modeling in providing useful inputs to waste mangement decision making. In addition, criteria development needs and the relation between criteria and models are discussed

Models and criteria for waste repository performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, C.F.; Cohen, J.J.

1981-03-01

A primary objective of the Waste Management Program is to assure that public health is protected. Predictive modeling, to some extent, will play a role in assuring that this objective is met. This paper considers the requirements and limitations of predictive modeling in providing useful inputs to waste management decision making. Criteria development needs and the relation between criteria and models are also discussed

Models and criteria for LLW disposal performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, C.F.; Cohen, J.J.

1980-01-01

A primary objective of the Low Level Waste (LLW) Management Program is to assure that public health is protected. Predictive modeling, to some extent, will play a role in meeting this objective. This paper considers the requirements and limitations of predictive modeling in providing useful inputs to waste management decision making. In addition, criteria development needs and the relation between criteria and models are discussed

Addressing the disconnect between public health science and personalised health care: the potential role of cluster analysis in combination with multi-criteria decision analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kaltoft, Mette Kjer; Dowie, Jack; Turner, Robin

2013-01-01

Background: Public health promotion and person-centred health care are being pursued simultaneously, with little attempt to resolve the conflict between them. One necessary step is to accept that health-care decisions involve multiple criteria and hence are preference sensitive. A second...... is to arrive at the necessary compromise between an individualised public policy (using each individual's preferences) and a deindividualised policy (using mean population preferences) in a more rigorous and transparent way. We show how cluster analysis can be combined with multi-criteria decision analysis...... (MCDA) to facilitate progression from variable-centred to person-centred public health, albeit at a subgroup level. Methods: Cluster analysis encompasses various techniques designed to detect patterns in the characteristics of individuals to establish the basis for policy decisions targeted at subgroups...

Application of multi-criteria analysis and GIS in ecotourism development (Case study: Serbian Danube region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stojković Sanja

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Ecotourism can be defined as responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and cultural heritage and improves the well-being of local people. Sustainable planning and management of ecotourism development are important and necessary for increasing positive and decreasing negative effects on the complex environment. This paper analyses the suitability of selected protected natural areas in the Serbian Danube region for the purposes of ecotourism development. The multi-criteria analysis includes several natural and socio-economic factors and criteria which influence ecotourism development. The integration of Geographic Information System (GIS and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP greatly facilitates the decision-making process in the ecotourism destination planning. A suitability map of the analysed protected natural areas for ecotourism development as one of the sustainable tourism types is highlighted as a result of this paper. Such analysis assists in the objective promotion of ecotourism destinations and thus contributes to the improvement of Serbian tourism development. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. 176008

Evaluating community investments in the mining sector using multi-criteria decision analysis to integrate SIA with business planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Esteves, A.M.

2008-01-01

Gaining senior management's commitment to long-term social development projects, which are characterised by uncertainty and complexity, is made easier if projects are shown to benefit the site's strategic goals. However, even though the business case for community investment may have been accepted at a general level, as a strategy for competitive differentiation, risk mitigation and a desire to deliver - and to be seen to deliver - a 'net benefit' to affected communities, mining operations are still faced with implementation challenges. Case study research on mining companies, including interviews with social investment decision-makers, has assisted in developing the Social Investment Decision Analysis Tool (SIDAT), a decision model for evaluating social projects in order to create value for both the company and the community. Multi-criteria decision analysis techniques integrating business planning processes with social impact assessment have proved useful in assisting mining companies think beyond the traditional drivers (i.e. seeking access to required lands and peaceful relations with neighbours), to broader issues of how they can meet their business goals and contribute to sustainable development in the regions in which they operate

The use of multi-criteria decision analysis weight elicitation techniques in patients with mild cognitive impairment: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

van Til, Janine A; Dolan, James G; Stiggelbout, Anne M; Groothuis, Karin C G M; Ijzerman, Maarten J

2008-04-01

To test the applicability of multi-criteria decision analysis preference elicitation techniques in cognitively impaired individuals. A convenience sample of 16 cognitively impaired subjects and 12 healthy controls was asked to participate in a small pilot study. The subjects determined the relative importance of four decision criteria using five different weight elicitation techniques, namely simple multi-attribute rating technique, simple multi-attribute rating technique using swing weights, Kepner-Tregoe weighting, the analytical hierarchical process, and conjoint analysis. Conjoint analysis was judged to be the easiest method for weight elicitation in the control group (Z = 10.00; p = 0.04), while no significant differences in difficulty rating between methods was found in cognitively impaired subjects. Conjoint analysis elicitates weights and rankings significantly different from other methods. Subjectively, cognitively impaired subjects were positive about the use of the weight elicitation techniques. However, it seems the use of swing weights can result in the employment of shortcut strategies. The results of this pilot study suggest that individuals with mild cognitive impairment are willing and able to use multi-criteria elicitation methods to determine criteria weights in a decision context, although no preference for a method was found. The same methodologic and practical issues can be identified in cognitively impaired individuals as in healthy controls and the choice of method is mostly determined by the decision context.

Final waste forms project: Performance criteria for phase I treatability studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilliam, T.M.; Hutchins, D.A.; Chodak, P. III

1994-06-01

This document defines the product performance criteria to be used in Phase I of the Final Waste Forms Project. In Phase I, treatability studies will be performed to provide open-quotes proof-of-principleclose quotes data to establish the viability of stabilization/solidification (S/S) technologies. This information is required by March 1995. In Phase II, further treatability studies, some at the pilot scale, will be performed to provide sufficient data to allow treatment alternatives identified in Phase I to be more fully developed and evaluated, as well as to reduce performance uncertainties for those methods chosen to treat a specific waste. Three main factors influence the development and selection of an optimum waste form formulation and hence affect selection of performance criteria. These factors are regulatory, process-specific, and site-specific waste form standards or requirements. Clearly, the optimum waste form formulation will require consideration of performance criteria constraints from each of the three categories. Phase I will focus only on the regulatory criteria. These criteria may be considered the minimum criteria for an acceptable waste form. In other words, a S/S technology is considered viable only if it meet applicable regulatory criteria. The criteria to be utilized in the Phase I treatability studies were primarily taken from Environmental Protection Agency regulations addressed in 40 CFR 260 through 265 and 268; and Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations addressed in 10 CFR 61. Thus the majority of the identified criteria are independent of waste form matrix composition (i.e., applicable to cement, glass, organic binders etc.)

Final waste forms project: Performance criteria for phase I treatability studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gilliam, T.M. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Hutchins, D.A. [Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Chodak, P. III [Massachusetts Institute of Technology (United States)

1994-06-01

This document defines the product performance criteria to be used in Phase I of the Final Waste Forms Project. In Phase I, treatability studies will be performed to provide {open_quotes}proof-of-principle{close_quotes} data to establish the viability of stabilization/solidification (S/S) technologies. This information is required by March 1995. In Phase II, further treatability studies, some at the pilot scale, will be performed to provide sufficient data to allow treatment alternatives identified in Phase I to be more fully developed and evaluated, as well as to reduce performance uncertainties for those methods chosen to treat a specific waste. Three main factors influence the development and selection of an optimum waste form formulation and hence affect selection of performance criteria. These factors are regulatory, process-specific, and site-specific waste form standards or requirements. Clearly, the optimum waste form formulation will require consideration of performance criteria constraints from each of the three categories. Phase I will focus only on the regulatory criteria. These criteria may be considered the minimum criteria for an acceptable waste form. In other words, a S/S technology is considered viable only if it meet applicable regulatory criteria. The criteria to be utilized in the Phase I treatability studies were primarily taken from Environmental Protection Agency regulations addressed in 40 CFR 260 through 265 and 268; and Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations addressed in 10 CFR 61. Thus the majority of the identified criteria are independent of waste form matrix composition (i.e., applicable to cement, glass, organic binders etc.).

Defining waste acceptance criteria for the Hanford Replacement Cross-Site Transfer System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hudson, J.D.

1996-04-01

This document provides a methodology for defining waste acceptance criteria for the Hanford Replacement Cross-Site Transfer System (RCSTS). This methodology includes characterization, transport analysis, and control. A framework is described for each of these functions. A tool was developed for performing the calculations associated with the transport analysis. This tool, a worksheet that is available in formats acceptable for a variety of PC spreadsheet programs, enables a comparison of the pressure required to transport a given slurry at a rate that particulate suspension is maintained to the pressure drop available from the RCSTS

Requirements on the mechanical design of reactor systems operating at elevated temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulz, H.; Glahn, M.

1979-01-01

The paper presents the contemporary status of the requirements on the mechanical design and analysis developed during the licensing procedure of reactor systems operating at elevated temperature. General requirements for the design at elevated temperature are reviewed. The main proposal is to point out some limit strain criteria which are not included in present design guidelines and codes. The developed strain criteria are used to limit the component deformations in case of power excursions like the Bethe-Tait accident. It is also applicable for loads arising from other faulted conditions. (orig.)

Sediment quality criteria: A review with recommendations for developing criteria for the Hanford Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Driver, C.J.

1994-05-01

Criteria for determining the quality of liver sediment are necessary to ensure that concentrations of contaminants in aquatic systems are within acceptable limits for the protection of aquatic and human life. Such criteria should facilitate decision-making about remediation, handling, and disposal of contaminants. Several approaches to the development of sediment quality criteria (SQC) have been described and include both descriptive and numerical methods. However, no single method measures all impacts at all times to all organisms (U.S. EPA 1992b). The U.S. EPA`s interest is primarily in establishing chemically based, numerical SQC that are applicable nation-wide (Shea 1988). Of the approaches proposed for SQC development, only three are being considered for numerical SQC on a national level. These approaches include an Equilibrium Partitioning Approach, a site-specific method using bioassays (the Apparent Effects Threshold Approach), and an approach similar to EPA`s water quality criteria (Pavlou and Weston 1984). Although national (or even regional) criteria address a number of political, litigative, and engineering needs, some researchers feel that protection of benthic communities require site-specific, biologically based criteria (Baudo et al. 1990). This is particularly true for areas where complex mixtures of contaminants are present in sediments. Other scientifically valid and accepted procedures for freshwater SQC include a background concentration approach, methods using field or spiked bioassays, a screening level concentration approach, the Apparent Effects Threshold Approach, the Sediment Quality Triad, the International Joint Commission Sediment Assessment Strategy, and the National Status and Trends Program Approach. The various sediment assessment approaches are evaluated for application to the Hanford Reach and recommendations for Hanford Site sediment quality criteria are discussed.

Floorball game skills (evaluation criteria)

OpenAIRE

Chlumský, Marek

2013-01-01

Title: Playing skills in floorball (evaluation criteria). Target: To create a list of playing skills which an ideal player should demonstrate. Find and verify the evaluation criteria of these skills and inspire trainers to develop these skills in the best way. Methods: Informal interviews, individually structured interviews, analysis and verification of data, pilot testing. Results: Defined playing skills in floorball, developed scale of values of floorball playing skills, creation of exercis...

Guidelines and criteria for nuclear piping and support evaluation and design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rehn, D.L.; Stout, D.H. Jr.; Minichiello, J.C.

1993-05-01

The EPRI Research Project 2967-2 has set its fundamental goal to be the development of realistic guidelines and criteria for piping and pipe support design and evaluation. The focus is on items that are most critical to utilities and consists of a variety of tasks relating to piping and pipe support design. One objective of this report is to summarize the recommendations from the seven task reports of the first phase of the project and to provide examples of how to use those recommendations. Criteria and methods for evaluating both short and long term system operation are addressed. Benefits gained from applying the recommendations to actual systems are discussed. The report also reviews other work currently being done within the nuclear industry and assesses the impact of that work on the recommended criteria/methods of this project. The second objective of the report is to discuss possible changes needed in the governing codes or licensing commitments in order to implement the recommendations. Finally, the report describes further research which can be done to advance the criteria presented and answer questions concerning applicability of the proposed criteria to designs not tested/investigated. The basic conclusion reached in the project is that many of the criteria/methods used today in piping analysis/design are overly conservative. The report's conclusion is supported by extensive literature searches, tests, and analyses. The report presents a robust source of reference to utilities which wish to implement changes in criteria and methods. Most of the criteria and methodologies described in the seven task reports and summarized in the following sections will require some effort in licensing or Code changes

Continuity between DSM-5 Categorical Criteria and Traits Criteria for Borderline Personality Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Bach, Bo; Sellbom, Martin

2016-08-01

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) includes a heterogeneous constellation of symptoms operationalized with 9 categorical criteria. As the field of personality disorder (PD) research moves to emphasize dimensional traits in its operationalization, it is important to delineate continuity between the 9 DSM-IV/Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) categorical criteria for BPD and the trait dimensions in DSM-5 Section III. To date, no study has attempted such validation. We examined the associations between the 9 categorical DSM-IV/DSM-5 criteria for BPD and the trait dimensions of the alternative DSM-5 model for PDs in consecutively recruited psychiatric outpatients (N = 142; 68% female; age: mean 29.02, SD 8.38). This was investigated by means of bivariate correlations, followed by multiple logistic regression analysis. The categorical BPD criteria were associated with conceptually related DSM-5 Section III traits (P > 0.001), except for the criterion of chronic feelings of emptiness. Consistent with the proposed traits criteria for BPD in DSM-5 Section III, we found Emotional lability, Anxiousness, Separation insecurity, Depressivity, Impulsivity, Risk taking, and Hostility to capture conceptually coherent BPD categorical criteria, while Suspiciousness was also strongly associated with BPD criteria. At the domain level, this applied to Negative affectivity, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism. Notably, Emotional lability, Impulsivity, and Suspiciousness emerged as unique predictors of BPD (P > 0.05). In addition to the proposed BPD traits criteria, Suspiciousness and features of Psychoticism also augment BPD features. Provided that these findings are replicated in forthcoming research, a modified traits operationalization of BPD is warranted. © The Author(s) 2016.

Delirium diagnosis defined by cluster analysis of symptoms versus diagnosis by DSM and ICD criteria: diagnostic accuracy study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sepulveda, Esteban; Franco, José G; Trzepacz, Paula T; Gaviria, Ana M; Meagher, David J; Palma, José; Viñuelas, Eva; Grau, Imma; Vilella, Elisabet; de Pablo, Joan

2016-05-26

Information on validity and reliability of delirium criteria is necessary for clinicians, researchers, and further developments of DSM or ICD. We compare four DSM and ICD delirium diagnostic criteria versions, which were developed by consensus of experts, with a phenomenology-based natural diagnosis delineated using cluster analysis of delirium features in a sample with a high prevalence of dementia. We also measured inter-rater reliability of each system when applied by two evaluators from distinct disciplines. Cross-sectional analysis of 200 consecutive patients admitted to a skilled nursing facility, independently assessed within 24-48 h after admission with the Delirium Rating Scale-Revised-98 (DRS-R98) and for DSM-III-R, DSM-IV, DSM-5, and ICD-10 criteria for delirium. Cluster analysis (CA) delineated natural delirium and nondelirium reference groups using DRS-R98 items and then diagnostic systems' performance were evaluated against the CA-defined groups using logistic regression and crosstabs for discriminant analysis (sensitivity, specificity, percentage of subjects correctly classified by each diagnostic system and their individual criteria, and performance for each system when excluding each individual criterion are reported). Kappa Index (K) was used to report inter-rater reliability for delirium diagnostic systems and their individual criteria. 117 (58.5 %) patients had preexisting dementia according to the Informant Questionnaire on Cognitive Decline in the Elderly. CA delineated 49 delirium subjects and 151 nondelirium. Against these CA groups, delirium diagnosis accuracy was highest using DSM-III-R (87.5 %) followed closely by DSM-IV (86.0 %), ICD-10 (85.5 %) and DSM-5 (84.5 %). ICD-10 had the highest specificity (96.0 %) but lowest sensitivity (53.1 %). DSM-III-R had the best sensitivity (81.6 %) and the best sensitivity-specificity balance. DSM-5 had the highest inter-rater reliability (K =0.73) while DSM-III-R criteria were the least

The Use of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Weight Elicitation Techniques in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Til, Janine Astrid; Dolan, James G.; Stiggelbout, Anne M.; Groothuis-Oudshoorn, Catharina Gerarda Maria; IJzerman, Maarten Joost

2008-01-01

Objective: To test the applicability of multi-criteria decision analysis preference elicitation techniques in cognitively impaired individuals. - Method: A convenience sample of 16 cognitively impaired subjects and 12 healthy controls was asked to participate in a small pilot study. The subjects

Structural acceptance criteria for the evaulation of existing double-shell waste storage tanks located at the Hanford site, Richland, Washington

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Julyk, L.J.; Day, A.D.; Dyrness, A.D.; Moore, C.J.; Peterson, W.S.; Scott, M.A.; Shrivastava, H.P.; Sholman, J.S.; Watts, T.N.

1995-09-01

The structural acceptance criteria contained herein for the evaluation of existing underground double-shell waste storage tanks located at the Hanford Site is part of the Life Management/Aging Management Program of the Tank Waste Remediation System. The purpose of the overall life management program is to ensure that confinement of the waste is maintained over the required service life of the tanks. Characterization of the present condition of the tanks, understanding and characterization of potential degradation mechanisms, and development of tank structural acceptance criteria based on previous service and projected use are prerequisites to assessing tank integrity, to projecting the length of tank service, and to developing and applying prudent fixes or repairs. The criteria provided herein summarize the requirements for the analysis and structural qualification of the existing double-shell tanks for continued operation. Code reconciliation issues and material degradation under aging conditions are addressed. Although the criteria were developed for double-shell tanks, many of the provisions are equally applicable to single-shell tanks. However, the criteria do not apply to the evaluation of tank appurtenances and buried piping

High-consequence analysis, evaluation, and application of select criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutmanis, I.; Jaksch, J.A.

1984-01-01

A number of characteristics distinguish environmental risk from pollution problems. The characteristics make environmental risk problems harder to manage through existing regulatory, legal, and economic institutions. Hence, technologies involving environmental risk impose on society extremely difficult collective decisions. This paper is concerned with the process of reaching social decisions that involve low-probability, high-consequence outcomes. It is divided into five major parts. Part I contains the introduction. Part II reviews the two main classes of criteria that have been proposed for social decisions: approaches based on market mechanisms and their extension, and approaches associated with Rawls and Buchanan, which not only focus on outcomes, but also impose a set of minimal constraints on the process for reaching decisions and social consensus. Part III proposes a set of eight criteria for evaluating social decision processes. In Parts IV and V we investigate applying the criteria to two case studies -- one on nuclear waste disposal and the other on transportation of liquefied natural gas

Requirements and criteria for choosing sites suitable for the construction of nuclear installations and power stations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-05-01

The present document explains the selection criteria for areas in Italy suitable for the installation of nuclear power stations to be included in the 'National Site Map' provided for in Section 23 of Act No 393 of 2 August 1975. It represents the results of a thorough investigation into the various aspects of the problem of siting nuclear power stations, at the present stage of technology, taking into account the effect of the installations on the environment and the effect of the environment on the installations. The essential aim is to demonstrate that the requirements derived from these analyses, and on which there was full consultation with the other controlling bodies of European countries (in particular, France, Great Britain and West Germany) ensure the optimum choice of areas from the point of view of safety and public health. (author)

Who Should They Relate To? A Study For the Identification and Analysis of Criteria to the Partners’ Selection in Inter-Organizational Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Denise Rossato Quatrin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The selection of partners is strategic in inter-organizational networks. One of the most important aspects is the definition of criteria for selection, that are the minimal characteristics required from those prospected. This study aimed to identify the most important criteria for the selection of members in horizontal inter-organizational networks, also describing their influence on network activities. First, we applied 120 questionnaires to managers of inter-organizational networks to identify the degree of importance of criteria previously treated in the literature. After, we interviewed 16 managers enabling us to identify other criteria, as well as understanding their influence on network activities. All of the 20 criteria from the literature were considered with significant importance by managers and the following criteria were added: trustworthiness, entrepreneur’s profile and company lifetime. The results aim to contribute to the selection of partners and provide information for the construction of the inter-organizational networks literature.

Transdisciplinary Evaluation of Energy Scenarios for a German Village Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Schmuck

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA can assist local decision processes towards selecting renewable energy systems as it is able to manage qualitative data and offers opportunities to integrate knowledge from local stakeholders. However, little experience is available regarding practical applications of MCDA in real decision processes in communities on their path towards a renewable energy supply. Within the “Bioenergy-Region Ludwigsfelde” project, an MCDA evaluation has been applied to a small village on its way to becoming a “bioenergy village”. Here, MCDA has been combined with already established tools accompanying the process to becoming a “bioenergy village”, such as planning workshops, citizens’ meetings and best-practice trips. A comprehensive set of sustainability criteria was applied aimed at addressing the questions of local actors. An emphasis was placed on social criteria that comprise the perceived values of local impacts. In general, it was observed that MCDA provides many benefits for this application context. In particular, the group weighting using the SIMOS method demonstrated good results in the process. However, for real-world applications of MCDA, the challenge of data compilation in particular must be addressed.

An Extended Step-Wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis with Symmetric Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Sets for Determining the Subjective Weights of Criteria in Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Keshavarz-Ghorabaee

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Determination of subjective weights, which are based on the opinions and preferences of decision-makers, is one of the most important matters in the process of multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM. Step-wise Weight Assessment Ratio Analysis (SWARA is an efficient method for obtaining the subjective weights of criteria in the MCDM problems. On the other hand, decision-makers may express their opinions with a degree of uncertainty. Using the symmetric interval type-2 fuzzy sets enables us to not only capture the uncertainty of information flexibly but also to perform computations simply. In this paper, we propose an extended SWARA method with symmetric interval type-2 fuzzy sets to determine the weights of criteria based on the opinions of a group of decision-makers. The weights determined by the proposed approach involve the uncertainty of decision-makers’ preferences and the symmetric form of the weights makes them more interpretable. To show the procedure of the proposed approach, it is used to determine the importance of intellectual capital dimensions and components in a company. The results show that the proposed approach is efficient in determining the subjective weights of criteria and capturing the uncertainty of information.

General design criteria for diesel-generator sets for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rangarao, G.

1975-01-01

The design criteria for diesel-generators for nuclear power plants are examined. Applicable standards, loading, design performance, and characteristics to be considered in the selection of diesel-generator set and its auxiliary system are discussed. Also, engineered safety features loads together with loss of power safe shutdown loads and their starting sequence, analysis of voltage and frequency response and the diesel-generator ability to start various load blocks successfully to meet the reactor emergency core cooling requirements are discussed

Toxic chemical risk acceptance criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, D.K.; Davis, J.; Lee, L.; Lein, P.; Omberg, S.

1992-01-01

This paper presents recommendations of a subcommittee of the Westinghouse M ampersand 0 Nuclear Facility Safety Committee concerning toxic chemical risk acceptance criteria. Two sets of criteria have been developed, one for use in the hazard classification of facilities, and the second for use in comparing risks in DOE non-reactor nuclear facility Safety Analysis Reports. The Emergency Response Planning Guideline (ERPG) values are intended to provide estimates of concentration ranges for specific chemicals above which exposure would be expected to lead to adverse heath effects of increasing severity for ERPG-1, -2, and -3s. The subcommittee recommends that criteria for hazard class or risk range be based on ERPGs for all chemicals. Probability-based Incremental Cancer Risk (ICR) criteria are recommended for additional analyses of risks from all known or suspected human carcinogens. Criteria are given for both on-site and off-site exposure. The subcommittee also recommends that the 5-minute peak concentration be compared with the relevant criterion with no adjustment for exposure time. Since ERPGs are available for only a limited number of chemicals, the subcommittee has developed a proposed hierarchy of concentration limit parameters for the different criteria

APPROACHES TO LENIENCY REDUCTION IN MULTI-CRITERIA DECISION MAKING WITH INTERVAL-VALUED FUZZY SETS AND AN EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS

OpenAIRE

TING-YU CHEN

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to present a useful method for estimating the importance of criteria and reducing the leniency bias in multiple criteria decision analysis based on interval-valued fuzzy sets. Several types of net predispositions are defined to represent an aggregated effect of interval-valued fuzzy evaluations. The suitability function for measuring the overall evaluation of each alternative is then determined based on simple additive weighting (SAW) methods. Because positive or ...

UNDEUTSCH HYPOTHESIS AND CRITERIA BASED CONTENT ANALYSIS: A META-ANALYTIC REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bárbara G. Amado

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The credibility of a testimony is a crucial component of judicial decision-making. Checklists of testimony credibility criteria are extensively used by forensic psychologists to assess the credibility of a testimony, and in many countries they are admitted as valid scientific evidence in a court of law. These checklists are based on the Undeutsch hypothesis asserting that statements derived from the memory of real-life experiences differ significantly in content and quality from fabricated or fictitious accounts. Notwithstanding, there is considerable controversy regarding the degree to which these checklists comply with the legal standards for scientific evidence to be admitted in a court of law (e.g., Daubert standards. In several countries, these checklists are not admitted as valid evidence in court, particularly in view of the inconsistent results reported in the scientific literature. Bearing in mind these issues, a meta-analysis was designed to test the Undeutsch hypothesis using the CBCA Checklist of criteria to discern between memories of self-experienced real-life events and fabricated or fictitious accounts. As the original hypothesis was formulated for populations of children, only quantitative studies with samples of children were considered for this study. In line with the Undeutsch hypothesis, the results showed a significant positive effect size that is generalizable to the total CBCA score, δ = 0.79. Moreover, a significant positive effect size was observed in each and all of the credibility criteria. In conclusion, the results corroborated the validity of the Undeutsch hypothesis and the CBCA criteria for discriminating between the memory of real self-experienced events and false or invented accounts. The results are discussed in terms of the implications for forensic practice. Con frecuencia, la evaluación de la fiabilidad de un testimonio se lleva a cabo mediante el uso de sistemas categoriales de análisis de contenido

Adaptation and Evaluation of a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Model for Lyme Disease Prevention.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cécile Aenishaenslin

Full Text Available Designing preventive programs relevant to vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease (LD can be complex given the need to include multiple issues and perspectives into prioritizing public health actions. A multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA model was previously used to rank interventions for LD prevention in Quebec, Canada, where the disease is emerging. The aim of the current study was to adapt and evaluate the decision model constructed in Quebec under a different epidemiological context, in Switzerland, where LD has been endemic for the last thirty years. The model adaptation was undertaken with a group of Swiss stakeholders using a participatory approach. The PROMETHEE method was used for multi-criteria analysis. Key elements and results of the MCDA model are described and contrasted with the Quebec model. All criteria and most interventions of the MCDA model developed for LD prevention in Quebec were directly transferable to the Swiss context. Four new decision criteria were added, and the list of proposed interventions was modified. Based on the overall group ranking, interventions targeting human populations were prioritized in the Swiss model, with the top ranked action being the implementation of a large communication campaign. The addition of criteria did not significantly alter the intervention rankings, but increased the capacity of the model to discriminate between highest and lowest ranked interventions. The current study suggests that beyond the specificity of the MCDA models developed for Quebec and Switzerland, their general structure captures the fundamental and common issues that characterize the complexity of vector-borne disease prevention. These results should encourage public health organizations to adapt, use and share MCDA models as an effective and functional approach to enable the integration of multiple perspectives and considerations in the prevention and control of complex public health issues such as Lyme disease or

Adaptation and Evaluation of a Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Model for Lyme Disease Prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Aenishaenslin, Cécile; Gern, Lise; Michel, Pascal; Ravel, André; Hongoh, Valérie; Waaub, Jean-Philippe; Milord, François; Bélanger, Denise

2015-01-01

Designing preventive programs relevant to vector-borne diseases such as Lyme disease (LD) can be complex given the need to include multiple issues and perspectives into prioritizing public health actions. A multi-criteria decision aid (MCDA) model was previously used to rank interventions for LD prevention in Quebec, Canada, where the disease is emerging. The aim of the current study was to adapt and evaluate the decision model constructed in Quebec under a different epidemiological context, in Switzerland, where LD has been endemic for the last thirty years. The model adaptation was undertaken with a group of Swiss stakeholders using a participatory approach. The PROMETHEE method was used for multi-criteria analysis. Key elements and results of the MCDA model are described and contrasted with the Quebec model. All criteria and most interventions of the MCDA model developed for LD prevention in Quebec were directly transferable to the Swiss context. Four new decision criteria were added, and the list of proposed interventions was modified. Based on the overall group ranking, interventions targeting human populations were prioritized in the Swiss model, with the top ranked action being the implementation of a large communication campaign. The addition of criteria did not significantly alter the intervention rankings, but increased the capacity of the model to discriminate between highest and lowest ranked interventions. The current study suggests that beyond the specificity of the MCDA models developed for Quebec and Switzerland, their general structure captures the fundamental and common issues that characterize the complexity of vector-borne disease prevention. These results should encourage public health organizations to adapt, use and share MCDA models as an effective and functional approach to enable the integration of multiple perspectives and considerations in the prevention and control of complex public health issues such as Lyme disease or other vector

Building a picture: Prioritisation of exotic diseases for the pig industry in Australia using multi-criteria decision analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Brookes, V J; Hernández-Jover, M; Cowled, B; Holyoake, P K; Ward, M P

2014-01-01

Diseases that are exotic to the pig industry in Australia were prioritised using a multi-criteria decision analysis framework that incorporated weights of importance for a range of criteria important to industry stakeholders. Measurements were collected for each disease for nine criteria that described potential disease impacts. A total score was calculated for each disease using a weighted sum value function that aggregated the nine disease criterion measurements and weights of importance for the criteria that were previously elicited from two groups of industry stakeholders. One stakeholder group placed most value on the impacts of disease on livestock, and one group placed more value on the zoonotic impacts of diseases. Prioritisation lists ordered by disease score were produced for both of these groups. Vesicular diseases were found to have the highest priority for the group valuing disease impacts on livestock, followed by acute forms of African and classical swine fever, then highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome. The group who valued zoonotic disease impacts prioritised rabies, followed by Japanese encephalitis, Eastern equine encephalitis and Nipah virus, interspersed with vesicular diseases. The multi-criteria framework used in this study systematically prioritised diseases using a multi-attribute theory based technique that provided transparency and repeatability in the process. Flexibility of the framework was demonstrated by aggregating the criterion weights from more than one stakeholder group with the disease measurements for the criteria. This technique allowed industry stakeholders to be active in resource allocation for their industry without the need to be disease experts. We believe it is the first prioritisation of livestock diseases using values provided by industry stakeholders. The prioritisation lists will be used by industry stakeholders to identify diseases for further risk analysis and disease spread modelling to

Spatially explicit multi-criteria decision analysis for managing vector-borne diseases

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

The complex epidemiology of vector-borne diseases creates significant challenges in the design and delivery of prevention and control strategies, especially in light of rapid social and environmental changes. Spatial models for predicting disease risk based on environmental factors such as climate and landscape have been developed for a number of important vector-borne diseases. The resulting risk maps have proven value for highlighting areas for targeting public health programs. However, these methods generally only offer technical information on the spatial distribution of disease risk itself, which may be incomplete for making decisions in a complex situation. In prioritizing surveillance and intervention strategies, decision-makers often also need to consider spatially explicit information on other important dimensions, such as the regional specificity of public acceptance, population vulnerability, resource availability, intervention effectiveness, and land use. There is a need for a unified strategy for supporting public health decision making that integrates available data for assessing spatially explicit disease risk, with other criteria, to implement effective prevention and control strategies. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a decision support tool that allows for the consideration of diverse quantitative and qualitative criteria using both data-driven and qualitative indicators for evaluating alternative strategies with transparency and stakeholder participation. Here we propose a MCDA-based approach to the development of geospatial models and spatially explicit decision support tools for the management of vector-borne diseases. We describe the conceptual framework that MCDA offers as well as technical considerations, approaches to implementation and expected outcomes. We conclude that MCDA is a powerful tool that offers tremendous potential for use in public health decision-making in general and vector-borne disease management in particular

Spatially explicit multi-criteria decision analysis for managing vector-borne diseases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongoh Valerie

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract The complex epidemiology of vector-borne diseases creates significant challenges in the design and delivery of prevention and control strategies, especially in light of rapid social and environmental changes. Spatial models for predicting disease risk based on environmental factors such as climate and landscape have been developed for a number of important vector-borne diseases. The resulting risk maps have proven value for highlighting areas for targeting public health programs. However, these methods generally only offer technical information on the spatial distribution of disease risk itself, which may be incomplete for making decisions in a complex situation. In prioritizing surveillance and intervention strategies, decision-makers often also need to consider spatially explicit information on other important dimensions, such as the regional specificity of public acceptance, population vulnerability, resource availability, intervention effectiveness, and land use. There is a need for a unified strategy for supporting public health decision making that integrates available data for assessing spatially explicit disease risk, with other criteria, to implement effective prevention and control strategies. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA is a decision support tool that allows for the consideration of diverse quantitative and qualitative criteria using both data-driven and qualitative indicators for evaluating alternative strategies with transparency and stakeholder participation. Here we propose a MCDA-based approach to the development of geospatial models and spatially explicit decision support tools for the management of vector-borne diseases. We describe the conceptual framework that MCDA offers as well as technical considerations, approaches to implementation and expected outcomes. We conclude that MCDA is a powerful tool that offers tremendous potential for use in public health decision-making in general and vector

2015 Gout classification criteria: an American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism collaborative initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Neogi, Tuhina; Jansen, Tim L Th A; Dalbeth, Nicola; Fransen, Jaap; Schumacher, H Ralph; Berendsen, Dianne; Brown, Melanie; Choi, Hyon; Edwards, N Lawrence; Janssens, Hein J E M; Lioté, Frédéric; Naden, Raymond P; Nuki, George; Ogdie, Alexis; Perez-Ruiz, Fernando; Saag, Kenneth; Singh, Jasvinder A; Sundy, John S; Tausche, Anne-Kathrin; Vaquez-Mellado, Janitzia; Yarows, Steven A; Taylor, William J

2015-01-01

Objective Existing criteria for the classification of gout have suboptimal sensitivity and/or specificity, and were developed at a time when advanced imaging was not available. The current effort was undertaken to develop new classification criteria for gout. Methods An international group of investigators, supported by the American College of Rheumatology and the European League Against Rheumatism, conducted a systematic review of the literature on advanced imaging of gout, a diagnostic study in which the presence of monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals in synovial fluid or tophus was the gold standard, a ranking exercise of paper patient cases, and a multi-criterion decision analysis exercise. These data formed the basis for developing the classification criteria, which were tested in an independent data set. Results The entry criterion for the new classification criteria requires the occurrence of at least one episode of peripheral joint or bursal swelling, pain, or tenderness. The presence of MSU crystals in a symptomatic joint/bursa (ie, synovial fluid) or in a tophus is a sufficient criterion for classification of the subject as having gout, and does not require further scoring. The domains of the new classification criteria include clinical (pattern of joint/bursa involvement, characteristics and time course of symptomatic episodes), laboratory (serum urate, MSU-negative synovial fluid aspirate), and imaging (double-contour sign on ultrasound or urate on dual-energy CT, radiographic gout-related erosion). The sensitivity and specificity of the criteria are high (92% and 89%, respectively). Conclusions The new classification criteria, developed using a data-driven and decision-analytic approach, have excellent performance characteristics and incorporate current state-of-the-art evidence regarding gout. PMID:26359487

Nicotine replacement therapy decision based on fuzzy multi-criteria analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Tarmudi, Zamali; Matmali, Norfazillah; Abdullah, Mohd Lazim

2017-08-01

It has been observed that Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is one of the alternatives to control and reduce smoking addiction among smokers. Since the decision to choose the best NRT alternative involves uncertainty, ambiguity factors and diverse input datasets, thus, this paper proposes a fuzzy multi-criteria analysis (FMA) to overcome these issues. It focuses on how the fuzzy approach can unify the diversity of datasets based on NRT's decision-making problem. The analysis done employed the advantage of the cost-benefit criterion to unify the mixture of dataset input. The performance matrix was utilised to derive the performance scores. An empirical example regarding the NRT's decision-making problem was employed to illustrate the proposed approach. Based on the calculations, this analytical approach was found to be highly beneficial in terms of usability. It was also very applicable and efficient in dealing with the mixture of input datasets. Hence, the decision-making process can easily be used by experts and patients who are interested to join the therapy/cessation program.

Analysis of Paper reduction schemes to develop selection criteria for ofdm signals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abro, F.R.

2015-01-01

This paper presents a review of different PAPR (Peak to Average Power Ratio) reduction schemes of OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) signals. The schemes that have been considered include Clipping and Filtering, Coding, ACE (Active Contstellation Extension), SLM (Selected Mapping), PTS (Partial Transmit Sequence), TI (Tone Injection) and TR (Tone Reservation). A comparative analysis has been carried out qualitatively. It has been demonstrated how these schemes can be combined with MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technologies. Finally, criteria for selection of PAPR reduction schemes of OFDM systems are discussed. (author)

On the failure analysis of bondlines: Stress or energy based fracture criteria?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Anyfantis, Konstantinos

2014-01-01

that characterizes a given bondline, both its cohesive strength and fracture toughness material parameters must be experimentally defined. Based on these properties, failure analysis of the bondline can be done either through stress- or energy-based criteria. The aim of this work is to investigate the effectiveness...... to classify the wide range of bondlines with respect to the failure theory that best describes the debonding process. Cohesive length scale effects are first demonstrated by modeling end notch flexure geometries and later by modeling double strap joint geometries within the framework of a wide numerical...

Modern dimensioning criteria for pressure vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roche, Roland.

1975-01-01

Some ideas on modern dimensioning criteria are given and their advantages with regard to both safety and economy are shown. In general these criteria result from considerations on possible damage to the apparatus in service and the modes of breakdown liable to follow. They are general enough to allow for a variety of dimensioning methods both experimental and theoretical, with special reference to modern computerized digital analysis techniques. As a practical example however some notions are given on the simplest means of computing dimensions in accordance with these criteria [fr

Path analysis and multi-criteria decision making: an approach for multivariate model selection and analysis in health.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasconcelos, A G; Almeida, R M; Nobre, F F

2001-08-01

This paper introduces an approach that includes non-quantitative factors for the selection and assessment of multivariate complex models in health. A goodness-of-fit based methodology combined with fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making approach is proposed for model selection. Models were obtained using the Path Analysis (PA) methodology in order to explain the interrelationship between health determinants and the post-neonatal component of infant mortality in 59 municipalities of Brazil in the year 1991. Socioeconomic and demographic factors were used as exogenous variables, and environmental, health service and agglomeration as endogenous variables. Five PA models were developed and accepted by statistical criteria of goodness-of fit. These models were then submitted to a group of experts, seeking to characterize their preferences, according to predefined criteria that tried to evaluate model relevance and plausibility. Fuzzy set techniques were used to rank the alternative models according to the number of times a model was superior to ("dominated") the others. The best-ranked model explained above 90% of the endogenous variables variation, and showed the favorable influences of income and education levels on post-neonatal mortality. It also showed the unfavorable effect on mortality of fast population growth, through precarious dwelling conditions and decreased access to sanitation. It was possible to aggregate expert opinions in model evaluation. The proposed procedure for model selection allowed the inclusion of subjective information in a clear and systematic manner.

Project management in mine actions using Multi-Criteria-Analysis-based decision support system

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marko Mladineo

2014-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a Web-based Decision Support System (Web DSS, that supports humanitarian demining operations and restoration of mine-contaminated areas, is presented. The financial shortage usually triggers a need for priority setting in Project Management in Mine actions. As part of the FP7 Project TIRAMISU, a specialized Web DSS has been developed to achieve a fully transparent priority setting process. It allows stakeholders and donors to actively join the decision making process using a user-friendly and intuitive Web application. The main advantage of this Web DSS is its unique way of managing a mine action project using Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA, namely the PROMETHEE method, in order to select priorities for demining actions. The developed Web DSS allows decision makers to use several predefined scenarios (different criteria weights or to develop their own, so it allows project managers to compare different demining possibilities with ease.

Safety criteria for nuclear chemical plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, P.W.; Curtis, L.M.

1983-01-01

Safety measures have always been required to limit the hazards due to accidental release of radioactive substances from nuclear power plants and chemical plants. The risk associated with the discharge of radioactive substances during normal operation has also to be kept acceptably low. BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.) are developing risk criteria as targets for safe plant design and operation. The numerical values derived are compared with these criteria to see if plants are 'acceptably safe'. However, the criteria are not mandatory and may be exceeded if this can be justified. The risk assessments are subject to independent review and audit. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate also has to pass the plants as safe. The assessment principles it uses are stated. The development of risk criteria for a multiplant site (nuclear chemical plants tend to be sited with many others which are related functionally) is discussed. This covers individual members of the general public, societal risks, risks to the workforce and external hazards. (U.K.)

Requirements Elicitation Problems: A Literature Analysis

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Bill Davey

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Requirements elicitation is the process through which analysts determine the software requirements of stakeholders. Requirements elicitation is seldom well done, and an inaccurate or incomplete understanding of user requirements has led to the downfall of many software projects. This paper proposes a classification of problem types that occur in requirements elicitation. The classification has been derived from a literature analysis. Papers reporting on techniques for improving requirements elicitation practice were examined for the problem the technique was designed to address. In each classification the most recent or prominent techniques for ameliorating the problems are presented. The classification allows the requirements engineer to be sensitive to problems as they arise and the educator to structure delivery of requirements elicitation training.

Studies on design principles and criteria of fuels and graphites for experimental multi-purpose very high temperature reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arai, Taketoshi; Sato, Sadao; Tani, Yutaro

1977-12-01

Design principles and criteria of fuels and graphites have been studied to determine the main design parameters of a reference core MARK-III of the Experimental Multi-purpose Very High Temperature Reactor. The present status of research and development for HTGR fuels and graphites is reviewed from a standpoint of their integrity and safety aspects, and is compared to the specific design requirements for the VHTR fuels and graphites. Consequently, reasonable materials specifications, safety criteria and design analysis methods are presented for coated fuel particle, fuel compact, graphite sleeve, core support graphite and neutron absorber material. These design principles and criteria will be refined by further experimental investigations. (auth.)

Criteria of reference radionuclides for safety analysis of spent fuel waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suryanto

1998-01-01

Study on the criteria for reference radionuclides selection for assessment on spent fuel disposal have done. The reference radionuclides in this study means radionuclides are predicted to contribute of the most radiological effect for man if spent fuel waste are discharged on deep geology formation. The research was done by investigate critically of parameters were used on evaluation a kind of radionuclide. Especially, this research study of parameter which relevant disposal case and or spent fuel waste on deep geology formation . The research assumed that spent fuel discharged on deep geology by depth 500-1000 meters from surface of the land. The migration scenario Radionuclides from waste form to man was assumed particularly for normal release in which Radionuclides discharge from waste form in a series thorough container, buffer, geological, rock, to fracture(fault) and move together with ground water go to biosphere and than go into human body. On this scenario, the parameter such as radionuclides inventory, half life, heat generation, hazard index based on maximum permissible concentration (MPC) or annual limit on intake (ALI) was developed as criteria of reference radionuclides selection. The research concluded that radionuclides inventory, half live, heat generated, hazard index base on MPC or ALI can be used as criteria for selection of reference Radionuclide. The research obtained that the main radionuclides are predicted give the most radiological effect to human are as Cs-137, Sr-90, I-129, Am-243, Cm-244, Pu-238, Pu-239, Pu-240. The radionuclides reasonable to be used as reference radionuclides in safety analysis at spent fuel disposal. (author)

Criteria for saturated magnetization loop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harres, A.; Mikhov, M.; Skumryev, V.; Andrade, A.M.H. de; Schmidt, J.E.; Geshev, J.

2016-01-01

Proper estimation of magnetization curve parameters is vital in studying magnetic systems. In the present article, criteria for discrimination non-saturated (minor) from saturated (major) hysteresis loops are proposed. These employ the analysis of (i) derivatives of both ascending and descending branches of the loop, (ii) remanent magnetization curves, and (iii) thermomagnetic curves. Computational simulations are used in order to demonstrate their validity. Examples illustrating the applicability of these criteria to well-known real systems, namely Fe_3O_4 and Ni fine particles, are provided. We demonstrate that the anisotropy-field value estimated from a visual examination of an only apparently major hysteresis loop could be more than two times lower than the real one. - Highlights: • Proper estimation of hysteresis-loop parameters is vital in magnetic studies. • We propose criteria for discrimination minor from major hysteresis loops. • The criteria analyze magnetization, remanence and ZFC/FC curves and/or their derivatives. • Examples of their application on real nanoparticles systems are given. • Using the criteria could avoid twofold or bigger saturation-field underestimation errors.

Criteria for saturated magnetization loop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harres, A. [Departamento de Física, UFSM, Santa Maria, 97105-900 Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil); Mikhov, M. [Faculty of Physics, University of Sofia, 1164 Sofia (Bulgaria); Skumryev, V. [Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats, 08010 Barcelona (Spain); Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona (Spain); Andrade, A.M.H. de; Schmidt, J.E. [Instituto de Física, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, 91501-970 Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil); Geshev, J., E-mail: julian@if.ufrgs.br [Departament de Física, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona (Spain); Instituto de Física, UFRGS, Porto Alegre, 91501-970 Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil)

2016-03-15

Proper estimation of magnetization curve parameters is vital in studying magnetic systems. In the present article, criteria for discrimination non-saturated (minor) from saturated (major) hysteresis loops are proposed. These employ the analysis of (i) derivatives of both ascending and descending branches of the loop, (ii) remanent magnetization curves, and (iii) thermomagnetic curves. Computational simulations are used in order to demonstrate their validity. Examples illustrating the applicability of these criteria to well-known real systems, namely Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and Ni fine particles, are provided. We demonstrate that the anisotropy-field value estimated from a visual examination of an only apparently major hysteresis loop could be more than two times lower than the real one. - Highlights: • Proper estimation of hysteresis-loop parameters is vital in magnetic studies. • We propose criteria for discrimination minor from major hysteresis loops. • The criteria analyze magnetization, remanence and ZFC/FC curves and/or their derivatives. • Examples of their application on real nanoparticles systems are given. • Using the criteria could avoid twofold or bigger saturation-field underestimation errors.

Selection of bioaccumulation criteria for environmental emergency (E2) planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ketcheson, K.; Hradecky, K.; Gagne, M.; St-Amant-Verret, M.

2006-01-01

Environment Canada's Environmental Emergency regulations require the evaluation of a substance by a Risk Evaluation Framework (REF). Bioaccumulation criteria are used within the environmental hazard ratings section of the REF to determine the risk of a substance to organisms and are obtained from 3 types of measurements depending on data reliability: (1) bioaccumulation factors (BAF); (2) bioconcentration factors (BCF); and (3) an octanol-water partition coefficient (log K ow ). This paper presented details of a study of international and regional bioaccumulation criteria conducted to aid in determining appropriate criteria for E2 regulations and plans, with specific reference to substances toxic to aquatic organisms. An E2 plan is required if a substance has a bioconcentration factor of more than 500 in conjunction with aquatic toxicity. Bioaccumulation criteria from several sources for 745 substances were obtained to aid in choosing the most important parameters. Various international and regional criteria were examined and corresponding sources were summarized, and different source criteria was compared with empirical chemical data. The criteria chosen included both log K ow values and BCF values, although it was suggested that BCF and BAF are more realistic measures of bioaccumulation than log K ow , as they are derived from animal studies. The chosen values agreed with the virtual elimination criteria set out by the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) 1999 as well as United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) criteria. It was concluded that the bioaccumulation criteria for E2 planning will help Environment Canada ensure the protection of the environment from hazardous substances. 11 refs., 3 tabs., 5 figs

Evaluating the performance of clinical criteria for predicting mismatch repair gene mutations in Lynch syndrome: a comprehensive analysis of 3,671 families.

Science.gov (United States)

Steinke, Verena; Holzapfel, Stefanie; Loeffler, Markus; Holinski-Feder, Elke; Morak, Monika; Schackert, Hans K; Görgens, Heike; Pox, Christian; Royer-Pokora, Brigitte; von Knebel-Doeberitz, Magnus; Büttner, Reinhard; Propping, Peter; Engel, Christoph

2014-07-01

Carriers of mismatch repair (MMR) gene mutations have a high lifetime risk for colorectal and endometrial cancers, as well as other malignancies. As mutation analysis to detect these patients is expensive and time-consuming, clinical criteria and tumor-tissue analysis are widely used as pre-screening methods. The aim of our study was to evaluate the performance of commonly applied clinical criteria (the Amsterdam I and II Criteria, and the original and revised Bethesda Guidelines) and the results of tumor-tissue analysis in predicting MMR gene mutations. We analyzed 3,671 families from the German HNPCC Registry and divided them into nine mutually exclusive groups with different clinical criteria. A total of 680 families (18.5%) were found to have a pathogenic MMR gene mutation. Among all 1,284 families with microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) colorectal cancer, the overall mutation detection rate was 53.0%. Mutation frequencies and their distribution between the four MMR genes differed significantly between clinical groups (p small-bowel cancer (p small-bowel cancer were clinically relevant predictors for Lynch syndrome. © 2013 UICC.

Weighting of Criteria for Disease Prioritization Using Conjoint Analysis and Based on Health Professional and Student Opinion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nadine Stebler

Full Text Available Disease prioritization exercises have been used by several organizations to inform surveillance and control measures. Though most methodologies for disease prioritization are based on expert opinion, it is becoming more common to include different stakeholders in the prioritization exercise. This study was performed to compare the weighting of disease criteria, and the consequent prioritization of zoonoses, by both health professionals and students in Switzerland using a Conjoint Analysis questionnaire. The health professionals comprised public health and food safety experts, cantonal physicians and cantonal veterinarians, while the student group comprised first-year veterinary and agronomy students. Eight criteria were selected for this prioritization based on expert elicitation and literature review. These criteria, described on a 3-tiered scale, were evaluated through a choice-based Conjoint Analysis questionnaire with 25 choice tasks. Questionnaire results were analyzed to obtain importance scores (for each criterion and mean utility values (for each criterion level, and the latter were then used to rank 16 zoonoses. While the most important criterion for both groups was "Severity of the disease in humans", the second ranked criteria by the health professionals and students were "Economy" and "Treatment in humans", respectively. Regarding the criterion "Control and Prevention", health professionals tended to prioritize a disease when the control and preventive measures were described to be 95% effective, while students prioritized a disease if there were almost no control and preventive measures available. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy was the top-ranked disease by both groups. Health professionals and students agreed on the weighting of certain criteria such as "Severity" and "Treatment of disease in humans", but disagreed on others such as "Economy" or "Control and Prevention". Nonetheless, the overall disease ranking lists were similar

Analysis of differences in fuel safety criteria for WWER and western PWR nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-11-01

In 2001 the OECD issued a report of the NEA/CSNI (Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations) Task Force on the existing safety criteria for reactor fuel for western LWR nuclear power plants (both for PWRs and BWRs) under new design elements. Likewise in 2001, the IAEA released a report by a Working Group on the existing safety criteria for reactor fuel for WWER nuclear power plants under new design requirements. However, it was found that it was not possible to compare the two sets of criteria on the basis upon which they had been established. Therefore, the IAEA initiated an assessment of the common features and differences in fuel safety criteria between plants of eastern and western design, focusing on western PWRs and eastern WWER reactors. Between October 2000 and November 2001, the IAEA organized several workshops with representatives from eastern and western European countries in which the current fuel safety related criteria for PWR and WWER reactors were reviewed and compared. The workshops brought together expert representatives from the Russian Federation, from the Ukraine and from western countries that operate PWRs. The first workshop focused on a general overview of the fuel safety criteria in order for all representatives to appreciate the various criteria and their respective bases. The second workshop (which involved one western and one eastern expert) concentrated on addressing and explaining the differences observed, and documenting all these results in preparation for a panel discussion. This panel discussion took place during the third workshop, where the previously obtained results were reviewed in detail and final recommendations were made. This report documents the findings of the workshops. It highlights the common features and differences between PWR and WWER fuel, and may serve as a general basis for the safety evaluation of these fuels. Therefore, it will be very beneficial for licensing activities for PWR and WWER plants, as it

Comparative analysis of DOE Order 5820.2A, NRC, and EPA radioactive and mixed waste management requirements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-07-01

As directed by DOE-Headquarters and DOE-Idaho, the Radioactive Waste Technical Support Program (TSP) drafted an analysis of DOE Order 5820. 2A on ''Radioactive Waste Management'' to develop guidelines and criteria for revising the Order. This comparative matrix is a follow up to the earlier analysis. This matrix comparing the requirements of DOE Order 5820.2A with Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations was prepared at the request of EM-30. The matrix compares DOE Order 5820.2A with the following: NRC regulations in 10 CFR Part 61 on ''Licensing Requirements for Land Disposal of Radioactive Waste''; NRC regulations in 10 CFR Part 60 on ''Disposal of High-Level Radioactive Waste in Geologic Repositories''; EPA regulations in 40 CFR Part 191 on ''Environmental Radiation Protection Standards for Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Waste''; EPA regulations in 40 FR Part 192 on ''Health and Environmental Protection Standards for Uranium and Thorium Mill Tailing''; and EPA regulations under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

Applying air pollution modelling within a multi-criteria decision analysis framework to evaluate UK air quality policies

Science.gov (United States)

Chalabi, Zaid; Milojevic, Ai; Doherty, Ruth M.; Stevenson, David S.; MacKenzie, Ian A.; Milner, James; Vieno, Massimo; Williams, Martin; Wilkinson, Paul

2017-10-01

A decision support system for evaluating UK air quality policies is presented. It combines the output from a chemistry transport model, a health impact model and other impact models within a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework. As a proof-of-concept, the MCDA framework is used to evaluate and compare idealized emission reduction policies in four sectors (combustion in energy and transformation industries, non-industrial combustion plants, road transport and agriculture) and across six outcomes or criteria (mortality, health inequality, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity, crop yield and air quality legal compliance). To illustrate a realistic use of the MCDA framework, the relative importance of the criteria were elicited from a number of stakeholders acting as proxy policy makers. In the prototype decision problem, we show that reducing emissions from industrial combustion (followed very closely by road transport and agriculture) is more advantageous than equivalent reductions from the other sectors when all the criteria are taken into account. Extensions of the MCDA framework to support policy makers in practice are discussed.

Criteria and approaches for the remediation of sites contaminated with natural radionuclides in Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldammer, W.

1999-01-01

In some parts of Germany substantial areas have been contaminated with naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) from past activities. Particularly important are residues from past uranium mining operations (WISMUT), being subject to a massive 13 billion DM cleanup program, as well as other mining activities dealing with elevated levels of NORM. Decisions concerning the necessity and the required extent of remediation measures are based on a combination of criteria addressing limitations of maximum individual doses for critical groups as well as the optimization of the net benefit from the remediation. From these basic requirements secondary criteria have been derived, defining, for example, soil contamination levels below which a remediation is not required. The optimization analyses, carried-out to identify optimal remediation options, address radiological risks as well as short and long term costs within a cost-benefit analysis framework. Other relevant factors of influence, e.g. chemical risks or ecological damage, are incorporated as well. Comprehensive methodologies utilizing probabilistic methods have been developed to assess site conditions and possible remediation options on this basis. (author)

TOKYO criteria 2014 for transpapillary biliary stenting.

Science.gov (United States)

Isayama, Hiroyuki; Hamada, Tsuyoshi; Yasuda, Ichiro; Itoi, Takao; Ryozawa, Shomei; Nakai, Yousuke; Kogure, Hirofumi; Koike, Kazuhiko

2015-01-01

It is difficult to carry out meta-analyses or to compare the results of different studies of biliary stents because there is no uniform evaluation method. Therefore, a standardized reporting system is required. We propose a new standardized system for reporting on biliary stents, the 'TOKYO criteria 2014', based on a consensus among Japanese pancreatobiliary endoscopists. Instead of stent occlusion, we use recurrent biliary obstruction, which includes occlusion and migration. The time to recurrent biliary obstruction was estimated using Kaplan-Meier analysis with the log-rank test. We can evaluate both plastic and self-expandable metallic stents (uncovered and covered). We also propose specification of the cause of recurrent biliary obstruction, identification of complications other than recurrent biliary obstruction, indication of severity, measures of technical and clinical success, and a standard for clinical care. Most importantly, the TOKYO criteria 2014 allow comparison of biliary stent quality across studies. Because blocked stents can be drained not only using transpapillary techniques but also by an endoscopic ultrasonography-guided transmural procedure, we should devise an evaluation method that includes transmural stenting in the near future. © 2014 The Authors. Digestive Endoscopy © 2014 Japan Gastroenterological Endoscopy Society.

Do green building assessment criteria meet sustainability imperatives: a critical analysis

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Van Wyk, Llewellyn V

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to determine whether green building assessment criteria meet the imperatives of sustainable development. The paper finds that green building assessment criteria fail to meet the sustainable development imperatives...

Early Site Permit Demonstration Program: Regulatory criteria evaluation report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-03-01

The primary objective of the ESPDP is to demonstrate successfully the use of 10CFR52 to obtain ESPs for one or more US sites for one (or more) ALWR nuclear power plants. It is anticipated that preparation of the ESP application and interaction with NRC during the application review process will result not only in an ESP for the applicant(s) but also in the development of criteria and definition of processes, setting the precedent that facilitates ESPs for subsequent ESP applications. Because siting regulatory processes and acceptance criteria are contained in over 100 separate documents, comprehensive licensing and technical reviews were performed to establish whether the requirements and documentation are self-consistent, whether the acceptance criteria are sufficiently well-defined and clear, and whether the licensing process leading to the issuance of an ESP is unambiguously specified. The results of the technical and licensing evaluations are presented in this report. The purpose, background, and organization of the ESPDP is delineated in Section 1. Section 11 contains flowcharts defining siting application requirements, environmental report requirements, and emergency planning/preparedness requirements for ALWRS. The licensing and technical review results are presented in Section III.

Early Site Permit Demonstration Program: Regulatory criteria evaluation report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-03-01

The primary objective of the ESPDP is to demonstrate successfully the use of 10CFR52 to obtain ESPs for one or more US sites for one (or more) ALWR nuclear power plants. It is anticipated that preparation of the ESP application and interaction with NRC during the application review process will result not only in an ESP for the applicant(s) but also in the development of criteria and definition of processes, setting the precedent that facilitates ESPs for subsequent ESP applications. Because siting regulatory processes and acceptance criteria are contained in over 100 separate documents, comprehensive licensing and technical reviews were performed to establish whether the requirements and documentation are self-consistent, whether the acceptance criteria are sufficiently well-defined and clear, and whether the licensing process leading to the issuance of an ESP is unambiguously specified. The results of the technical and licensing evaluations are presented in this report. The purpose, background, and organization of the ESPDP is delineated in Section 1. Section 11 contains flowcharts defining siting application requirements, environmental report requirements, and emergency planning/preparedness requirements for ALWRS. The licensing and technical review results are presented in Section III

Improved separability criteria via some classes of measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Shu-Qian; Li, Ming; Li-Jost, Xianqing; Fei, Shao-Ming

2018-05-01

The entanglement detection via local measurements can be experimentally implemented. Based on mutually unbiased measurements and general symmetric informationally complete positive-operator-valued measures, we present separability criteria for bipartite quantum states, which, by theoretical analysis, are stronger than the related existing criteria via these measurements. Two detailed examples are supplemented to show the efficiency of the presented separability criteria.

Squale: evaluation criteria of functioning safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deswarte, Y.; Kaaniche, M.; Benoit, P.

1998-05-01

The SQUALE (security, safety and quality evaluation for dependable systems) project is part of the ACTS (advanced communications, technologies and services) European program. Its aim is to develop confidence evaluation criteria to test the functioning safety of systems. All industrial sectors that use critical applications (nuclear, railway, aerospace..) are concerned. SQUALE evaluation criteria differ from the classical evaluation methods: they are independent of the application domains and industrial sectors, they take into account the overall functioning safety attributes, and they can progressively change according to the level of severity required. In order to validate the approach and to refine the criteria, a first experiment is in progress with the METEOR automatic underground railway and another will be carried out on a telecommunication system developed by Bouygues company. (J.S.)

Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action: developing a Multi Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA ) process for prioritization of NAMAs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sharma, Sudhir; Desgain, Denis DR; Sandbukt, Sunniva

be relevant as next year countries will have to translate their mitigation contribution outlined in their INDCs submitted to UNFCCC into implementation plans. Multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a tool commonly used for decision making process, including to rank options or to short-list a limited...

Use of external cost assessment and multi-criteria decision analysis for comparative evaluation of options for electricity supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirschberg, S.; Dones, R.; Gantner, U.

2001-01-01

The paper addresses external cost and multi-criteria analyses carried out for selected future electricity generating systems of interest under the Swiss conditions. The external cost estimates are based on an application of the 'impact pathway approach', enhanced by earlier experience from extensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The estimated total costs, i.e. the sum of internal and external costs, may serve as a measure of economic and environmental efficiency of energy systems. The multi-criteria approach allows a more explicit consideration of the social dimension, which is highly important for the decision-making process. The applications of multi-criteria analyses illustrate the sensitivity of the results to the range of preferences expressed in the energy debate. Certain patterns in system ranking can be observed in spite of these sensitivities. Both total cost assessment and multi-criteria analysis are found to be useful, complementary instruments to support procedures for decision-making. (author)

Identification of multi-criteria for supplier selection in IT project outsourcing

Science.gov (United States)

Fusiripong, Prashaya; Baharom, Fauziah; Yusof, Yuhanis

2017-10-01

In the increasing global business competitiveness, most organizations have attempted to determine the suitable external parties to support their core and non-core competency, particularly, in IT project outsourcing. The IT supplier selection is required to apply multi-criteria which comprised tangible criteria and intangible criteria in consider optimal IT supplier. Most researches attempted to identify optimal criteria for selecting IT supplier, however, the criteria cannot be the considered common criteria support the variety of IT outsourcing. Therefore, the study aimed to identify a common set of criteria being used in the various types of IT outsourcing. The common criteria are constructed by multi-criteria and success criteria, which were collected by literature review with comprehensive and comparative approach. Consequently, the researchers are able to identify a common set of criteria adopted in the variety of selection problem IT outsourcing supplier.

Development of comprehensive waste acceptance criteria for commercial nuclear waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Hara, F.A.; Miller, N.E.; Ausmus, B.S.; Yates, K.R.; Means, J.L.; Christensen, R.N.; Kulacki, F.A.

1979-01-01

A detailed methodology is presented for the identification of the characteristics of commercial nuclear waste which may require criteria. This methodology is analyzed as a six-step process which begins with identification of waste operations and proceeds until the waste characteristics affecting the potential release of radionuclides are determined. All waste types and operations were analyzed using the methodology presented. Several illustrative example are included. It is found that thirty-three characteristics can be identified as possibly requiring criteria

NOAA/WEST COAST AND ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER PACIFIC OCEAN RESPONSE CRITERIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Garry Rogers

2008-01-01

Full Text Available New West Coast/Alaska Tsunami Warning Center (WCATWC response criteria for earthquakes occurring in the Pacific basin are presented. Initial warning decisions are based on earthquake location, magnitude, depth, and - dependent on magnitude - either distance from source or pre- computed threat estimates generated from tsunami models. The new criteria will help limit the geographical extent of warnings and advisories to threatened regions, and complement the new operational tsunami product suite.Changes to the previous criteria include: adding hypocentral depth dependence, reducing geographical warning extent for the lower magnitude ranges, setting special criteria for areas not well-connected to the open ocean, basing warning extent on pre-computed threat levels versus tsunami travel time for very large events, including the new advisory product, using the advisory product for far-offshore events in the lower magnitude ranges, and specifying distances from the coast for on-shore events which may be tsunamigenic.This report sets a baseline for response criteria used by the WCATWC considering its processing and observational data capabilities as well as its organizational requirements. Criteria are set for tsunamis generated by earthquakes, which are by far the main cause of tsunami generation (either directly through sea floor displacement or indirectly by triggering of slumps. As further research and development provides better tsunami source definition, observational data streams, and improved analysis tools, the criteria will continue to adjust. Future lines of research and development capable of providing operational tsunami warning centers with better tools are discussed.

Potentially inappropriate prescribing in institutionalised older patients in Spain: the STOPP-START criteria compared with the Beers criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bonet M

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aims of this study were to identify potentially inappropriate prescribing using the Beers and STOPP criteria. The START criteria were applied to detect prescription omission in the geriatric population. We compared the utility of these criteria in institutionalised older people.Methods: Descriptive study reviewing the medication and clinical records of 81 residents (aged 65 years and more by pharmacists in a nursing home in the Lleida region (Spain.Results: The mean patients’ age was 84 (SD=8 years, with an average of 5 drugs per resident (total prescriptions: 416 medicines. The Beers criteria identified potentially inappropriate medication use in 25% of patients and 48% of patients used at least 1 inappropriate medication according to STOPP criteria. The most frequent potentially inappropriate medications for both criteria were long-acting benzodiazepines and NSAIDs. START detected 58 potential prescribing omissions in 44% of patients. Calcium-vitamin D supplementation in osteoporosis was the most frequent rule (15%, but omissions corresponding to the cardiovascular system implied 23% of patients.Conclusion: The STOPP-START criteria reveal that potentially inappropriate prescribing (PIP is a highly prevalent problem among Spanish nursing home residents, and a statistically significant positive correlation was found between the number of medicines prescribed and the number of PIP detected in this study. The STOPP criteria detect a larger number of PI medications in this geriatric population than the Beers criteria. The prescribing omissions detected by the START criteria are relevant and require intervention. Pharmacists’ review of medications may help identify potentially inappropriate prescribing and, through an interdisciplinary approach, working with physicians may improve prescribing practices among geriatric residents of nursing homes.

Design requirements for the new reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koski, S.

2005-01-01

This presentation deals with the safety related design requirements specified for the new nuclear power plant to be built in Finland (FINS). The legislation, codes and standards, on which the design requirements are based, can be arranged into a hierarchical pyramid as follows: The safety related design criteria are based on the three uppermost hierarchical levels: Finnish legislation (e.g. decisions of the State Council) Basic Regulations (75-INSAG-3, USNRC General Design Criteria) Process oriented nuclear documents (YVL- guides or corresponding US/German rules). The European Utility Requirements (EUR) document was used as the starting point for the writing of the design requirements document. The structure and headlines of EUR could be kept, but in many cases the contents had to be deleted and rewritten to correspond to the requirement level of the above codes and standards. This was the case, for example, with the requirements concerning safety classification or application of failure criteria. In the presentation, the most important safety related design criteria are reviewed, with an emphasis on those requirements which exceed the requirement level applied on the existing plant units. Some hints are also given on the main differences between Finnish and international safety requirements. (orig.)

A Statistical Approach for Deriving Key NFC Evaluation Criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, S. K; Kang, G. B.; Ko, W. I [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Young, S. R.; Gao, R. X. [Univ. of Science and Technology, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-02-15

This study suggests 5 evaluation criteria (safety and technology, environmental impact, economic feasibility, social factors, and institutional factors) and 24 evaluation indicators for a NFC (nuclear fuel cycle) derived using factor analysis. To do so, a survey using 1 on 1 interview was given to nuclear energy experts and local residents who live near nuclear power plants. In addition, by conducting a factor analysis, homogeneous evaluation indicators were grouped with the same evaluation criteria, and unnecessary evaluation criteria and evaluation indicators were dropped out. As a result of analyzing the weight of evaluation criteria with the sample of nuclear power experts and the general public, both sides recognized safety as the most important evaluation criterion, and the social factors such as public acceptance appeared to be ranked as more important evaluation criteria by the nuclear energy experts than the general public.

A Statistical Approach for Deriving Key NFC Evaluation Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S. K; Kang, G. B.; Ko, W. I; Young, S. R.; Gao, R. X.

2014-01-01

This study suggests 5 evaluation criteria (safety and technology, environmental impact, economic feasibility, social factors, and institutional factors) and 24 evaluation indicators for a NFC (nuclear fuel cycle) derived using factor analysis. To do so, a survey using 1 on 1 interview was given to nuclear energy experts and local residents who live near nuclear power plants. In addition, by conducting a factor analysis, homogeneous evaluation indicators were grouped with the same evaluation criteria, and unnecessary evaluation criteria and evaluation indicators were dropped out. As a result of analyzing the weight of evaluation criteria with the sample of nuclear power experts and the general public, both sides recognized safety as the most important evaluation criterion, and the social factors such as public acceptance appeared to be ranked as more important evaluation criteria by the nuclear energy experts than the general public

Guidance for Developing Principal Design Criteria for Advanced (Non-Light Water) Reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Holbrook, Mark [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States); Kinsey, Jim [Idaho National Lab. (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States)

2015-03-01

In July 2013, the US Department of Energy (DOE) and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) established a joint initiative to address a key portion of the licensing framework essential to advanced (non-light water) reactor technologies. The initiative addressed the “General Design Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants,” Appendix A to10 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 50, which were developed primarily for light water reactors (LWRs), specific to the needs of advanced reactor design and licensing. The need for General Design Criteria (GDC) clarifications in non-LWR applications has been consistently identified as a concern by the industry and varied stakeholders and was acknowledged by the NRC staff in their 2012 Report to Congress1 as an area for enhancement. The initiative to adapt GDC requirements for non-light water advanced reactor applications is being accomplished in two phases. Phase 1, managed by DOE, consisted of reviews, analyses and evaluations resulting in recommendations and deliverables to NRC as input for NRC staff development of regulatory guidance. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) developed this technical report using technical and reactor technology stakeholder inputs coupled with analysis and evaluations provided by a team of knowledgeable DOE national laboratory personnel with input from individual industry licensing consultants. The DOE national laboratory team reviewed six different classes of emerging commercial reactor technologies against 10 CFR 50 Appendix A GDC requirements and proposed guidance for their adapted use in non-LWR applications. The results of the Phase 1 analysis are contained in this report. A set of draft Advanced Reactor Design Criteria (ARDC) has been proposed for consideration by the NRC in the establishment of guidance for use by non-LWR designers and NRC staff. The proposed criteria were developed to preserve the underlying safety bases expressed by the original GDC, and recognizing that advanced reactors may take

Evaluation of biomethane technologies in Europe – Technical concepts under the scope of a Delphi-Survey embedded in a multi-criteria analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Billig, Eric; Thrän, Daniela

2016-01-01

Methane from biomass is a well suited renewable energy carrier with a wide range of applications. The main technologies for its production out of biomass are biochemical conversion from the upgrading of biogas and thermochemical conversion by gasification and methanation. Presently there exists no methodology to compare the process alternatives for methane production from biomass. This paper investigates a comprehensive evaluation method based on a multi-criteria analysis. Due to the comparable well developed biomethane market in Europe, compared to other regions in the world, the study area was restricted to Europe. The weighting of the different criteria is carried out in two rounds as a pair-to-pair comparison of the criteria by experts from different technology fields in a Delphi-Survey. As a result, the prioritisation can be used to classify the biomass conversion technologies to convert biomass to biomethane. According to the weightings given by experts, the two criteria energy efficiency and production costs are of great importance compared to the other criteria. - Highlights: • Overview of technologies for renewable methane (biochemical and thermochemical). • Overview of multi-criteria analysis. • Novel methodology for comparison of biochemical and thermochemical conversion. • Delphi-Survey (approach and evaluation) in the field of biomethane resp. bio-SNG.

NASA balloon design and flight - Philosophy and criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, I. S., Jr.

1993-01-01

The NASA philosophy and criteria for the design and flight of scientific balloons are set forth and discussed. The thickness of balloon films is standardized at 20.3 microns to isolate potential film problems, and design equations are given for specific balloon parameters. Expressions are given for: flight-stress index, total required thickness, cap length, load-tape rating, and venting-duct area. The balloon design criteria were used in the design of scientific balloons under NASA auspices since 1986, and the resulting designs are shown to be 95 percent effective. These results represent a significant increase in the effectiveness of the balloons and therefore indicate that the design criteria are valuable. The criteria are applicable to four balloon volume classes in combination with seven payload ranges.

Seismic evaluation of piping systems using screening criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, R.D.; Landers, D.F.; Minichiello, J.C.; Slagis, G.C.; Antaki, G.A.

1994-01-01

This document may be used by a qualified review team to identify potential sources of seismically induced failure in a piping system. Failure refers to the inability of a piping system to perform its expected function following an earthquake, as defined in Table 1. The screens may be used alone or with the Seismic Qualification Utility Group -- Generic Implementation Procedure (SQUG-GIP), depending on the piping system's required function, listed in Table 1. Features of a piping system which do not the screening criteria are called outliers. Outliers must either be resolved through further evaluations, or be considered a potential source of seismically induced failure. Outlier evaluations, which do not necessarily require the qualification of a complete piping system by stress analysis, may be based on one or more of the following: simple calculations of pipe spans, search of the test or experience data, vendor data, industry practice, etc

Developing priority criteria for magnetic resonance imaging: results from the Western Canada Waiting List project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hadorn, D.C.

2002-01-01

The Western Canada Waiting List (WCWL) Project is a federally funded partnership of 19 organizations, including medical associations, health authorities, ministries of health and research organizations, that was created to develop tools to assist in assessing the relative urgency and priority of patients on waiting lists. The WCWL panel on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was 1 of 5 panels constituted under this project. The panel developed and tested a set of standardized clinical criteria for setting priorities among patients awaiting MRI. The criteria were applied to 407 patients in the 4 western provinces. Regression analysis was used to determine the set of criteria weights that collectively best predicted clinicians' overall ratings of patients' urgency for MRI. Reliability was assessed using clinicians' ratings of 6 hypothetical paper cases. The resulting weighted criteria accounted for about two-fifths of the observed variance in overall urgency ratings (R 2 = 39.9%). The panel then modified the criteria on the basis of regression results and clinical judgment. Most of the revised criteria items showed poor inter-rater reliability, but test-retest reliability (over a 2-month interval) was relatively good. Criteria items requiring probability judgments were a challenge for clinicians. Further development and testing of the tool appears warranted, although considerable question remains concerning the utility of priority criteria for MRI and other diagnostic services. (author)

Multi-criteria analysis on how to select solar radiation hydrogen production system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badea, G.; Naghiu, G. S., E-mail: naghiu.george@gmail.com; Felseghi, R.-A.; Giurca, I., E-mail: giurca-ioan@yahoo.com [Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Faculty of Building Services Engineering, Boulevard December 21, no. 128-130, Cluj-Napoca, 400604 (Romania); Răboacă, S. [National R& D Institute for Cryogenic and Isotopic Technologies, str. Uzinei, no. 4, Rm. Vălcea, 240050 (Romania); Aşchilean, I. [SC ACI Cluj SA, Avenue Dorobanţilor, no. 70, Cluj-Napoca, 400609 (Romania)

2015-12-23

The purpose of this article is to present a method of selecting hydrogen-production systems using the electric power obtained in photovoltaic systems, and as a selecting method, we suggest the use of the Advanced Multi-Criteria Analysis based on the FRISCO formula. According to the case study on how to select the solar radiation hydrogen production system, the most convenient alternative is the alternative A4, namely the technical solution involving a hydrogen production system based on the electrolysis of water vapor obtained with concentrated solar thermal systems and electrical power obtained using concentrating photovoltaic systems.

Multi-criteria analysis of potential recovery facilities in a reverse supply chain

Science.gov (United States)

Nukala, Satish; Gupta, Surendra M.

2005-11-01

Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) has been employed by researchers for solving multi-criteria analysis problems. However, AHP is often criticized for its unbalanced scale of judgments and failure to precisely handle the inherent uncertainty and vagueness in carrying out the pair-wise comparisons. With an objective to address these drawbacks, in this paper, we employ a fuzzy approach in selecting potential recovery facilities in the strategic planning of a reverse supply chain network that addresses the decision maker's level of confidence in the fuzzy assessments and his/her attitude towards risk. A numerical example is considered to illustrate the methodology.

GIS-based suitability modeling and multi-criteria decision analysis for utility scale solar plants in four states in the Southeast U.S

Science.gov (United States)

Tisza, Kata

Photovoltaic (PV) development shows significantly smaller growth in the Southeast U.S., than in the Southwest; which is mainly due to the low cost of fossil-fuel based energy production in the region and the lack of solar incentives. However, the Southeast has appropriate insolation conditions (4.0-6.0 KWh/m2/day) for photovoltaic deployment and in the past decade the region has experienced the highest population growth for the entire country. These factors, combined with new renewable energy portfolio policies, could create an opportunity for PV to provide some of the energy that will be required to sustain this growth. The goal of the study was to investigate the potential for PV generation in the Southeast region by identifying suitable areas for a utility-scale solar power plant deployment. Four states with currently low solar penetration were studied: Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. Feasible areas were assessed with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) software using solar, land use and population growth criteria combined with proximity to transmission lines and roads. After the GIS-based assessment of the areas, technological potential was calculated for each state. Multi-decision analysis model (MCDA) was used to simulate the decision making method for a strategic PV installation. The model accounted for all criteria necessary to consider in case of a PV development and also included economic and policy criteria, which is thought to be a strong influence on the PV market. Three different scenarios were established, representing decision makers' theoretical preferences. Map layers created in the first part were used as basis for the MCDA and additional technical, economic and political/market criteria were added. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to test the model's robustness. Finally, weighted criteria were assigned to the GIS map layers, so that the different preference systems could be visualized. As a result, lands suitable for

Research procedure and criteria for analysis and choice of variants for construction of national radioactive waste repository

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vachev, B.

1993-01-01

General principles, overlying objectives and basic radioactive waste management strategy future priorities are considered. The research procedure is based on system approach and analysis, decision making theory, basic objectives and principles of the national repository construction. Main criteria and some basic notions (like radioactive wastes environment and radioactive wastes barriers - input and output) are introduced. Six environment elements are identified: surroundings and natural environment, economic, scientific and technical-technological, socio-psychological, legal and institutional-political. Flow charts of the hierarchical structure of research procedure, decision making levels and direct and back feeds are presented and a scenario analysis is proposed as one of the tools for reflection of uncertainty. The hierarchical structure of the high level waste repository construction scenarios and variants tree (8 levels) is defined. The methodology and methods of analysis, screening and choice of variants is considered. A 7-group system of criteria and constrains for analysis, screening and choice of variants is formulated. One implementation of the proposed methodology and procedure is the technological choice for radioactive waste conditioning and solving of a preliminary site selection problem. 4 figs., 25 refs. (author)

The use of information technology security assessment criteria to protect specialized computer systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lykov, V.A.; Shein, A.V.; Piskarev, A.S.; Devaney, D.M.; Melton, R.B.; Hunteman, W.J.; Prommel, J.M.; Rothfuss, J.S.

1997-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the information security assessment criteria used in Russia and compare it with that used in the United States. The computer system security assessment criteria utilized by the State Technical Commission of Russia and similar criteria utilized by the US Department of Defense (TCSEC) are intended for the development and implementation of proven methods for achieving a required level of information security. These criteria are utilized, first and foremost, when conducting certification assessments of general purpose systems. The Russian Federation is creating specialized systems for nuclear material control and accountancy (MC and A) within the framework of the international laboratory-to-laboratory collaboration. Depending on the conditions in which the MC and A system is intended to operate, some of the criteria and the attendant certification requirements may exceed those established or may overlap the requirements established for attestation of such systems. In this regard it is possible to modify the certification and attestation requirements depending on the conditions in which a system will operate in order to achieve the ultimate goal--implementation of the systems in the industry

A GIS based spatially-explicit sensitivity and uncertainty analysis approach for multi-criteria decision analysis☆

Science.gov (United States)

Feizizadeh, Bakhtiar; Jankowski, Piotr; Blaschke, Thomas

2014-01-01

GIS multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) techniques are increasingly used in landslide susceptibility mapping for the prediction of future hazards, land use planning, as well as for hazard preparedness. However, the uncertainties associated with MCDA techniques are inevitable and model outcomes are open to multiple types of uncertainty. In this paper, we present a systematic approach to uncertainty and sensitivity analysis. We access the uncertainty of landslide susceptibility maps produced with GIS-MCDA techniques. A new spatially-explicit approach and Dempster–Shafer Theory (DST) are employed to assess the uncertainties associated with two MCDA techniques, namely Analytical Hierarchical Process (AHP) and Ordered Weighted Averaging (OWA) implemented in GIS. The methodology is composed of three different phases. First, weights are computed to express the relative importance of factors (criteria) for landslide susceptibility. Next, the uncertainty and sensitivity of landslide susceptibility is analyzed as a function of weights using Monte Carlo Simulation and Global Sensitivity Analysis. Finally, the results are validated using a landslide inventory database and by applying DST. The comparisons of the obtained landslide susceptibility maps of both MCDA techniques with known landslides show that the AHP outperforms OWA. However, the OWA-generated landslide susceptibility map shows lower uncertainty than the AHP-generated map. The results demonstrate that further improvement in the accuracy of GIS-based MCDA can be achieved by employing an integrated uncertainty–sensitivity analysis approach, in which the uncertainty of landslide susceptibility model is decomposed and attributed to model's criteria weights. PMID:25843987

International consensus diagnostic criteria for neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Banwell, Brenda; Bennett, Jeffrey L.; Cabre, Philippe; Carroll, William; Chitnis, Tanuja; de Seze, Jérôme; Fujihara, Kazuo; Greenberg, Benjamin; Jacob, Anu; Jarius, Sven; Lana-Peixoto, Marco; Levy, Michael; Simon, Jack H.; Tenembaum, Silvia; Traboulsee, Anthony L.; Waters, Patrick; Wellik, Kay E.

2015-01-01

Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is an inflammatory CNS syndrome distinct from multiple sclerosis (MS) that is associated with serum aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G antibodies (AQP4-IgG). Prior NMO diagnostic criteria required optic nerve and spinal cord involvement but more restricted or more extensive CNS involvement may occur. The International Panel for NMO Diagnosis (IPND) was convened to develop revised diagnostic criteria using systematic literature reviews and electronic surveys to facilitate consensus. The new nomenclature defines the unifying term NMO spectrum disorders (NMOSD), which is stratified further by serologic testing (NMOSD with or without AQP4-IgG). The core clinical characteristics required for patients with NMOSD with AQP4-IgG include clinical syndromes or MRI findings related to optic nerve, spinal cord, area postrema, other brainstem, diencephalic, or cerebral presentations. More stringent clinical criteria, with additional neuroimaging findings, are required for diagnosis of NMOSD without AQP4-IgG or when serologic testing is unavailable. The IPND also proposed validation strategies and achieved consensus on pediatric NMOSD diagnosis and the concepts of monophasic NMOSD and opticospinal MS. PMID:26092914

Criteria for Determination of MC and A System Effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, Geneva; Long, DeAnn; Albright, Ross; Wright, John

2008-01-01

The Nevada Test Site (NTS) is a test bed for implementation of the Safeguards First Principles Initiative (SFPI), a risk-based approach to Material Control and Accountability (MC and A) requirements. The Comprehensive Assessment of Safeguards Strategies (COMPASS) model is used to determine the effectiveness of safeguards systems under SFPI. Under this model, MC and A is divided into nine primary elements. Each element is divided into sub-elements. Then, each sub-element is assigned two values, effectiveness and contribution, that are used to calculate the rating. Effectiveness is a measure of sub-element implementation and how well it meets requirements. Contribution is a relative measure of the importance, and functions as a weighting factor. The COMPASS model provides the methodology for calculation of element and subelement, but not the actual criteria. Each site must develop its own criteria. For the rating to be meaningful, the effectiveness criteria must be objective and based on explicit, measurable criteria. Contribution (weights) must reflect the importance within the MC and A program. This paper details the NTS approach to system effectiveness and contribution values, and will cover the following: the basis for the ratings, an explanation of the contribution weights, and the objective, performance-based effectiveness criteria. Finally, the evaluation process will be described

Multi-Criteria Approach in Multifunctional Building Design Process

Science.gov (United States)

Gerigk, Mateusz

2017-10-01

The paper presents new approach in multifunctional building design process. Publication defines problems related to the design of complex multifunctional buildings. Currently, contemporary urban areas are characterized by very intensive use of space. Today, buildings are being built bigger and contain more diverse functions to meet the needs of a large number of users in one capacity. The trends show the need for recognition of design objects in an organized structure, which must meet current design criteria. The design process in terms of the complex system is a theoretical model, which is the basis for optimization solutions for the entire life cycle of the building. From the concept phase through exploitation phase to disposal phase multipurpose spaces should guarantee aesthetics, functionality, system efficiency, system safety and environmental protection in the best possible way. The result of the analysis of the design process is presented as a theoretical model of the multifunctional structure. Recognition of multi-criteria model in the form of Cartesian product allows to create a holistic representation of the designed building in the form of a graph model. The proposed network is the theoretical base that can be used in the design process of complex engineering systems. The systematic multi-criteria approach makes possible to maintain control over the entire design process and to provide the best possible performance. With respect to current design requirements, there are no established design rules for multifunctional buildings in relation to their operating phase. Enrichment of the basic criteria with functional flexibility criterion makes it possible to extend the exploitation phase which brings advantages on many levels.

Prioritization of water management under climate change and urbanization using multi-criteria decision making methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J.-S. Yang

2012-03-01

Full Text Available This paper quantifies the transformed effectiveness of alternatives for watershed management caused by climate change and urbanization and prioritizes five options using multi-criteria decision making techniques. The climate change scenarios (A1B and A2 were obtained by using a statistical downscaling model (SDSM, and the urbanization scenario by surveying the existing urban planning. The flow and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD concentration duration curves were derived, and the numbers of days required to satisfy the environmental flow requirement and the target BOD concentration were counted using the Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF model. In addition, five feasible alternatives were prioritized by using multi-criteria decision making techniques, based on the driving force-pressure-state-impact-response (DPSIR framework and cost component. Finally, a sensitivity analysis approach for MCDM methods was conducted to reduce the uncertainty of weights. The result indicates that the most sensitive decision criterion is cost, followed by criteria response, driving force, impact, state and pressure in that order. As it is certain that the importance of cost component is over 0.127, construction of a small wastewater treatment plant will be the most preferred alternative in this application.

Nuclear reactor philosophy and criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atchison, R.J.

1979-07-01

Nuclear power plant safety criteria and principles developed in Canada are directed towards minimizing the chance of failure of the fuel and preventing or reducing to an acceptably low level the escape of fission products should fuel failure occur. Safety criteria and practices are set forth in the Reactor Siting Guide, which is based upon the concept of defence in depth. The Guide specifies that design and construction shall follow the best applicable code, standard or practice; the total of all serious process system failures shall not exceed one in three years; special safety systems are to be physically and functionally separate from process systems and each other; and safety systems shall be testable, with unavailability less than 10 - 3 . Doses to the most exposed member of the public due to normal operation, serious process failures, and dual failures are specified. Licensees are also required to consider the effects of extreme conditions due to airplane crashes, explosions, turbine disintegration, pipe burst, and natural disasters. Safety requirements are changing as nuclear power plant designs evolve and in response to social and economic pressures

Extending and automating a Systems-Theoretic hazard analysis for requirements generation and analysis.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas, John (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

2012-05-01

Systems Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA) is a powerful new hazard analysis method designed to go beyond traditional safety techniques - such as Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) - that overlook important causes of accidents like flawed requirements, dysfunctional component interactions, and software errors. While proving to be very effective on real systems, no formal structure has been defined for STPA and its application has been ad-hoc with no rigorous procedures or model-based design tools. This report defines a formal mathematical structure underlying STPA and describes a procedure for systematically performing an STPA analysis based on that structure. A method for using the results of the hazard analysis to generate formal safety-critical, model-based system and software requirements is also presented. Techniques to automate both the analysis and the requirements generation are introduced, as well as a method to detect conflicts between the safety and other functional model-based requirements during early development of the system.

5 CFR 430.404 - Certification criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... MANAGEMENT Performance Appraisal Certification for Pay Purposes § 430.404 Certification criteria. (a) To be... system(s) must provide for the following: (1) Alignment, so that the performance expectations for... that the performance expectations for senior employees meet the requirements of 5 CFR part 430...

Functional design criteria 241-AP-102 Flexible Receiver System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roblyer, S.P.

1995-01-01

A mixer pump was installed in the 1.07 m (42-in.) riser of the central pump pit of tank 241-AP-102 to mitigate potential fluid separation particle sedimentation by mixing the tank's contents. The mixer pump performed this function until failure. Its removal is now necessary to meet possible tank content removal commitments or other corrective actions. The proposed removal procedure requires a flexible receiver that will provide a barrier to contamination during removal and transfer of the pump to the mixer pump storage container. This document describes the functional design criteria of the flexible receiver. These criteria include the functional and performance requirements of the flexible receiver as a barrier to contamination during normal conditions and contingencies and the instrumentation requirements

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.

Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NSTec Environmental Management

2010-09-03

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NNSSWAC). The NNSSWAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) will accept low-level radioactive waste and mixed low-level waste for disposal. The NNSSWAC includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NNSS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex for disposal. The NNSA/NSO and support contractors are available to assist you in understanding or interpreting this document. For assistance, please call the NNSA/NSO Waste Management Project at (702) 295-7063 or fax to (702) 295-1153.

Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2010-01-01

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NNSSWAC). The NNSSWAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) will accept low-level radioactive waste and mixed low-level waste for disposal. The NNSSWAC includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NNSS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex for disposal. The NNSA/NSO and support contractors are available to assist you in understanding or interpreting this document. For assistance, please call the NNSA/NSO Waste Management Project at (702) 295-7063 or fax to (702) 295-1153.

Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO) Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NNSSWAC). The NNSSWAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) will accept low-level radioactive waste and mixed low-level waste for disposal. The NNSSWAC includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NNSS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex for disposal. The NNSA/NSO and support contractors are available to assist you in understanding or interpreting this document. For assistance, please call the NNSA/NSO Waste Management Project at (702) 295-7063 or fax to (702) 295-1153.

Investment Portfolio Formation Using Multi-criteria evaluation Method MULTIMOORA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vilius Vaišvilas

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Information that has to be analyzed by investors is complicated and can be interpreted differently by different people, which is why choosing what should be added to the investment portfolio is complicated task. Complexity grows substantially when there are more alternatives to choose from. Multi – criteria evaluation method can be used to choose the best alternatives. Multi–criteria evaluation method MULTIMOORA is not subjective because there is no need to decide ratio of any given variable that is evaluated. MULTIMOORA consists of: formation of ratio system, application of multi – criteria evaluation method as well as investment evaluation and ranking. Purpose of this article is to apply multi – criteria evaluation method MULTIMOORA for the formation and management of investment portfolio from stocks of the Baltic stock market companies. Methods used in the analysis for the article: analysis of scientific literature, statistical analysis, organization and comparison of data, idealization, calculations of MULTIMOORA.

A comparison of international criteria for the ultimate storage of radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mielke, H.

1985-01-01

In countries other than the Federal Republic of Germany and internationally there are no comprehensive codes referring to criteria and safety requirements except those of the IAEA and USA. In other countries there exist safety goals for the ultimate storage or for purely geological criteria. The degree of detailing regulations differs widely abroad and internationally. Safety goals abroad and internationally as well as measures for their realisation in the ultimate storage of radioactive wastes in deep geological formations are in line with the German safety goals. The IAEA refers to general aspects of geological, waste technology and ultimate storage technology criteria. In the USA, ultimate storage technology criteria have been quantified in part. The quantitative geological criteria existing in Great Britain and in the Netherlands are only relevant in as much as safety analyses must be performed for a specific site to provide evidence for the safety of this site. The comparison shows that most requirements pronounced abroad are also made for the Federal Republic of Germany. Some requirements are more specified in the Federal Republic of Germany, some are more detailed abroad. (orig./HP) [de

Transportation of Organs by Air: Safety, Quality, and Sustainability Criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Mantecchini, L; Paganelli, F; Morabito, V; Ricci, A; Peritore, D; Trapani, S; Montemurro, A; Rizzo, A; Del Sordo, E; Gaeta, A; Rizzato, L; Nanni Costa, A

2016-03-01

The outcomes of organ transplantation activities are greatly affected by the ability to haul organs and medical teams quickly and safely. Organ allocation and usage criteria have greatly improved over time, whereas the same result has not been achieved so far from the transport point of view. Safety and the highest level of service and efficiency must be reached to grant transplant recipients the healthiest outcome. The Italian National Transplant Centre (CNT), in partnership with the regions and the University of Bologna, has promoted a thorough analysis of all stages of organ transportation logistics chains to produce homogeneous and shared guidelines throughout the national territory, capable of ensuring safety, reliability, and sustainability at the highest levels. The mapping of all 44 transplant centers and the pertaining airport network has been implemented. An analysis of technical requirements among organ shipping agents at both national and international level has been promoted. A national campaign of real-time monitoring of organ transport activities at all stages of the supply chain has been implemented. Parameters investigated have been hospital and region of both origin and destination, number and type of organs involved, transport type (with or without medical team), stations of arrival and departure, and shipping agents, as well as actual times of activities involved. National guidelines have been issued to select organ storage units and shipping agents on the basis of evaluation of efficiency, reliability, and equipment with reference to organ type and ischemia time. Guidelines provide EU-level standards on technical equipment of aircrafts, professional requirements of shipping agencies and cabin crew, and requirements on service provision, including pricing criteria. The introduction in the Italian legislation of guidelines issuing minimum requirements on topics such as the medical team, packaging, labeling, safety and integrity, identification

Training review criteria and procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

This document provides direction to NRC personnel for reviewing training programs at nuclear power plants to verify compliance with the requirements of 10 CFR 50. 120 and 10 CFR 55 as applicable. It describes the process for evaluating the effectiveness of training programs, provides aids for collection of information during interviews and observations, and provides criteria for evaluating the implementation of a systems approach to training. This document is not intended to have the effect of a regulation, it establishes no binding requirements or interpretations of NRC regulations. It is intended as guidance only

Reentry analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biehl, F.A.

1984-05-01

This paper presents the criteria, previous nuclear experience in space, analysis techniques, and possible breakup enhancement devices applicable to an acceptable SP-100 reentry from space. Reactor operation in nuclear-safe orbit will minimize the radiological risk; the remaining safeguards criteria need to be defined. A simple analytical point mass reentry technique and a more comprehensive analysis method that considers vehicle dynamics and orbit insertion malfunctions are presented. Vehicle trajectory, attitude, and possible breakup enhancement devices will be integrated in the simulation as required to ensure an adequate representation of the reentry process

An analysis of the qualification criteria for small radioactive material shipping packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McClure, J.D.

1983-05-01

The RAM package design certification process has two important elements, testing and acceptance. These terms sound very similar but they have specific meanings. Qualification testing in the context of this study is the imposition of simulated accident test conditions upon the candidate package design. (Normal transportation environments may also be included.) Following qualification testing, the acceptance criteria provide the performance levels which, if demonstrated, indicate the ability of the RAM package to sustain the severity of the qualification testing sequence and yet maintain specified levels of package integrity. This study has used Severities of Transportation Accidents as a data base to examine the regulatory test criteria which are required to be met by small packages containing Type B quantities of radioactive material (RAM). The basic findings indicate that the present regulatory test standards provide significantly higher levels of protection for the surface transportation modes (truck, rail) than for RAM packages shipped by aircraft. It should also be noted that various risk assessment studies have shown that the risk to the public due to severe transport accidents by surface and air transport modes is very low. A key element in this study was the quantification of the severity of the transportation accident environment and the severity of the present qualification test standards (called qualification test standards in this document) so that a direct comparison could be made between them to assess the effectiveness of the existing qualification test standards. The manner in which this was accomplished is described

An analysis of the qualification criteria for small radioactive material shipping packages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McClure, J.D.

1983-05-01

The RAM package design certification process has two important elements, testing and acceptance. These terms sound very similar but they have specific meanings. Qualification testing in the context of this study is the imposition of simulated accident test conditions upon the candidate package design. (Normal transportation environments may also be included.) Following qualification testing, the acceptance criteria provide the performance levels which, if demonstrated, indicate the ability of the RAM package to sustain the severity of the qualification testing sequence and yet maintain specified levels of package integrity. This study has used Severities of Transportation Accidents as a data base to examine the regulatory test criteria which are required to be met by small packages containing Type B quantities of radioactive material (RAM). The basic findings indicate that the present regulatory test standards provide significantly higher levels of protection for the surface transportation modes (truck, rail) than for RAM packages shipped by aircraft. It should also be noted that various risk assessment studies have shown that the risk to the public due to severe transport accidents by surface and air transport modes is very low. A key element in this study was the quantification of the severity of the transportation accident environment and the severity of the present qualification test standards (called qualification test standards in this document) so that a direct comparison could be made between them to assess the effectiveness of the existing qualification test standards. The manner in which this was accomplished is described.

The Derivation of Evaluation Criteria of Nuclear Fuel Cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S. K.; Ko, W. I.

2013-01-01

This study suggests the evaluation criteria and evaluation indicators derived using a factor analysis. As a result of a factor analysis, 5 evaluation criteria (safety (technological feature), environmental impact, economic feasibility, sociality, institution) and 24 evaluation indicators were selected. Particularly, the level of legislation for the management of radioactive waste, the level of establishment of safety standards of the country, and the level of application of international safety standards were analyzed to be qualitative evaluation indicators that should be considered in the aspect of the institution. The purpose of an analysis on diverse nuclear fuel cycles is to select the optimum nuclear fuel cycle suitable for the environment of one's own country. Accordingly, diverse evaluation criteria and evaluation indicators are necessary. In addition, individual evaluation criteria can be explained with various evaluation indicators. For example, the evaluation criteria for economic feasibility can be explained with evaluation indicators such as the unit cost or total cost. However, if too many evaluation indicators are included in one evaluation criterion, the evaluation is not easy, and if too few evaluation indicators are established, the evaluation criteria cannot be explained sufficiently, and thus the evaluation can be distorted. Accordingly, not only should the evaluation indicators be composed of an appropriate number of units, but they should also not be overlapped, and ambiguous evaluation indicators should be dropped out and necessary evaluation indicators must be included

Simplified Stability Criteria for Delayed Neutral Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xinghua Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available For a class of linear time-invariant neutral systems with neutral and discrete constant delays, several existing asymptotic stability criteria in the form of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs are simplified by using matrix analysis techniques. Compared with the original stability criteria, the simplified ones include fewer LMI variables, which can obviously reduce computational complexity. Simultaneously, it is theoretically shown that the simplified stability criteria and original ones are equivalent; that is, they have the same conservativeness. Finally, a numerical example is employed to verify the theoretic results investigated in this paper.

Early response to sibutramine in patients not meeting current label criteria: preliminary analysis of SCOUT lead-in period

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Caterson, Ian; Coutinho, Walmir; Finer, Nick

2010-01-01

The Sibutramine Cardiovascular Outcomes (SCOUT) trial protocol defines a patient population predominantly outside current European Union label criteria. This article explores responses to sibutramine during the 6-week, single-blind, lead-in period between patients who conformed to the label...... requirements ("conformers") and those who did not ("nonconformers"). SCOUT is an ongoing, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled outcome trial in overweight/obese patients at high risk of a cardiovascular event. In total, 10,742 patients received sibutramine and weight management during the lead...... with sibutramine confirms its good tolerability and efficacy in patients who meet current label criteria. Preliminary data from high-risk patients for whom sibutramine is currently contraindicated suggest a low discontinuation rate and few serious adverse events but confirmation from the SCOUT outcome data...

Comparison of multiple-criteria decision-making methods - results of simulation study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michał Adamczak

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Background: Today, both researchers and practitioners have many methods for supporting the decision-making process. Due to the conditions in which supply chains function, the most interesting are multi-criteria methods. The use of sophisticated methods for supporting decisions requires the parameterization and execution of calculations that are often complex. So is it efficient to use sophisticated methods? Methods: The authors of the publication compared two popular multi-criteria decision-making methods: the  Weighted Sum Model (WSM and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP. A simulation study reflects these two decision-making methods. Input data for this study was a set of criteria weights and the value of each in terms of each criterion. Results: The iGrafx Process for Six Sigma simulation software recreated how both multiple-criteria decision-making methods (WSM and AHP function. The result of the simulation was a numerical value defining the preference of each of the alternatives according to the WSM and AHP methods. The alternative producing a result of higher numerical value  was considered preferred, according to the selected method. In the analysis of the results, the relationship between the values of the parameters and the difference in the results presented by both methods was investigated. Statistical methods, including hypothesis testing, were used for this purpose. Conclusions: The simulation study findings prove that the results obtained with the use of two multiple-criteria decision-making methods are very similar. Differences occurred more frequently in lower-value parameters from the "value of each alternative" group and higher-value parameters from the "weight of criteria" group.

Demonstration of a modelling-based multi-criteria decision analysis procedure for prioritisation of occupational risks from manufactured nanomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Hristozov, Danail; Zabeo, Alex; Alstrup Jensen, Keld; Gottardo, Stefania; Isigonis, Panagiotis; Maccalman, Laura; Critto, Andrea; Marcomini, Antonio

2016-11-01

Several tools to facilitate the risk assessment and management of manufactured nanomaterials (MN) have been developed. Most of them require input data on physicochemical properties, toxicity and scenario-specific exposure information. However, such data are yet not readily available, and tools that can handle data gaps in a structured way to ensure transparent risk analysis for industrial and regulatory decision making are needed. This paper proposes such a quantitative risk prioritisation tool, based on a multi-criteria decision analysis algorithm, which combines advanced exposure and dose-response modelling to calculate margins of exposure (MoE) for a number of MN in order to rank their occupational risks. We demonstrated the tool in a number of workplace exposure scenarios (ES) involving the production and handling of nanoscale titanium dioxide, zinc oxide (ZnO), silver and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. The results of this application demonstrated that bag/bin filling, manual un/loading and dumping of large amounts of dry powders led to high emissions, which resulted in high risk associated with these ES. The ZnO MN revealed considerable hazard potential in vivo, which significantly influenced the risk prioritisation results. In order to study how variations in the input data affect our results, we performed probabilistic Monte Carlo sensitivity/uncertainty analysis, which demonstrated that the performance of the proposed model is stable against changes in the exposure and hazard input variables.

The use of multi criteria analysis to compare the operating scenarios of the hybrid generation system of wind turbines, photovoltaic modules and a fuel cell

Science.gov (United States)

Ceran, Bartosz

2017-11-01

The paper presents the results of the use of multi-criteria analysis to compare hybrid power generation system collaboration scenarios (HSW) consisting of wind turbines, solar panels and energy storage electrolyzer - PEM type fuel cell with electricity system. The following scenarios were examined: the base S-I-hybrid system powers the off-grid mode receiver, S-II, S-III, S-IV scenarios-electricity system covers 25%, 50%, 75% of energy demand by the recipient. The effect of weights of the above-mentioned criteria on the final result of the multi-criteria analysis was examined.

Pressure vessel inspection criteria based on fitness-for-purpose assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grover, J.L.; Cipolla, R.C.

1985-01-01

The paper on pressure vessel inspection investigates the methodology required to establish an inspection strategy consistent with fracture mechanics analysis, i.e. to define allowable flaw sizes based on location within the vessel. The methodology is demonstrated using a sample problem for a typical pressurised water reactor pressure vessel, and shows the impact of certain assumptions on the inspection strategy. The results indicate that the flaw size varies with the shape of the assumed residual stress field and the through-thickness location. Also in general, the fracture mechanics evaluation allows flaws much larger than are allowed by the inspection acceptance criteria. (UK)

A critical assessment of the performance criteria in confirmatory analysis for veterinary drug residue analysis using mass spectrometric detection in selected reaction monitoring mode

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berendsen, Bjorn J.A.; Meijer, Thijs; Wegh, Robin; Mol, Hans G.J.; Smyth, Wesley G.; Armstrong Hewitt, S.; Ginkel, van Leen; Nielen, Michel W.F.

2016-01-01

Besides the identification point system to assure adequate set-up of instrumentation, European Commission Decision 2002/657/EC includes performance criteria regarding relative ion abundances in mass spectrometry and chromatographic retention time. In confirmatory analysis, the relative abundance

SEISMIC DESIGN CRITERIA FOR NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williamson, R. A.

1963-10-15

The nature of nuclear power reactors demands an exceptionally high degree of seismic integrity. Considerations involved in defining earthquake resistance requirements are discussed. Examples of seismic design criteria and applications of the spectrum technique are described. (auth)

A Method to Improve the Software Acceptance Criteria for Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, Yong Suk; Park, Heui Youn; Son, Ki Sung; Lee, Ki Hyun; Kim, Hyeon Soo

2005-01-01

The license is a mandatory process required by a governmental authority and the certification is a voluntary process administrated by a professional community. A software certification is a result of an assessment that the certified software conforms to required criteria or standards. The certification is used as a committed promise to produce a high quality software, so software acquirers are requiring it from their suppliers. For example, US DoD (Department of Defense) requires an achievement of CMMI-SW (Capability Maturity Model Integration-Software) certification for participating in a major military software project. It is commonly said that the purpose of achieving a certification is to improve the product quality. In the nuclear area, a software certification has been rarely concerned with or required for the software used in a safety function of NPPs (Nuclear Power Plants). The safety critical software for NPPs is accepted by the nuclear regulators when the following three criteria are met: acceptable plans should be prepared to control the software development activities, the plans should be followed in an acceptable software life cycle, and the process should produce acceptable design outputs. The acceptance criteria are so abstractive that the nuclear regulators may assess the software development plans, activities, outputs based on their subjective engineering judgments. This is inevitable because a software has invisible or intangible characteristics. It is hard to assess the totality of a software prior to running it. These have caused the judgments to be biased. The regulators may want some objectiveness in assessing how much capability for software development the supplier possesses. In that case, the software certification can assist them for such an assessment. This paper proposes a method to improve the software acceptance criteria by applying the software certification to the criteria. This will assist the regulators to assess the supplier

Sustainability Assessment of Electricity Generation Technologies in Egypt Using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafa Shaaban

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Future electricity planning necessitates a thorough multi-faceted analysis of the available technologies in order to secure the energy supply for coming generations. To cope with worldwide concerns over sustainable development and meet the growing demands of electricity we assess the future potential technologies in Egypt through covering their technical, economic, environmental and social aspects. In this study we fill the gap of a lacking sustainability assessment of energy systems in Egypt where most of the studies focus mainly on the economic and technical aspects of planning future installation of power plants in Egypt. Furthermore, we include the stakeholder preferences of the indicators in the energy sector into our assessment. Moreover, we perform a sensitivity analysis through single dimension assessment scenarios of the technologies as well as a sustainable scenario with equal preferences of all dimensions of the sustainability. We employ two multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA methodologies: the analytical hierarchy process for weighing the assessment criteria, and the weighted sum method for generating a general integrated sustainability index for each technology. The study investigates seven technologies: coal, natural gas, wind, concentrated solar power, photovoltaics, biomass and nuclear. The results reveal a perfect matching between the ranking of the technologies by the stakeholders and the sustainable scenario showing the highest ranking for natural gas and the lowest for nuclear and coal. There is a strong potential for renewable energy technologies to invade the electricity market in Egypt where they achieve the second ranking after natural gas. The Monte-Carlo approach gives photovoltaics a higher ranking over concentrated solar power as compared to the sample data ranking. The study concludes the importance of a multi-dimensional evaluation of the technologies while considering the preferences of the stakeholders in

Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NTSWAC), Rev. 7-01

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NSTec Environmental Management

2009-05-01

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office, Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NTSWAC). The NTSWAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site (NTS) will accept low-level radioactive waste and mixed low-level waste for disposal. The NTSWAC includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NTS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex for disposal.

Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NTSWAC), Rev. 7-01

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office, Nevada Test Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NTSWAC). The NTSWAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada Test Site (NTS) will accept low-level radioactive waste and mixed low-level waste for disposal. The NTSWAC includes requirements for the generator waste certification program, characterization, traceability, waste form, packaging, and transfer. The criteria apply to radioactive waste received at the NTS Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Complex for disposal.

New true-triaxial rock strength criteria considering intrinsic material characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Qiang; Li, Cheng; Quan, Xiaowei; Wang, Yanning; Yu, Liyuan; Jiang, Binsong

2018-02-01

A reasonable strength criterion should reflect the hydrostatic pressure effect, minimum principal stress effect, and intermediate principal stress effect. The former two effects can be described by the meridian curves, and the last one mainly depends on the Lode angle dependence function. Among three conventional strength criteria, i.e. Mohr-Coulomb (MC), Hoek-Brown (HB), and Exponent (EP) criteria, the difference between generalized compression and extension strength of EP criterion experience a firstly increase then decrease process, and tends to be zero when hydrostatic pressure is big enough. This is in accordance with intrinsic rock strength characterization. Moreover, the critical hydrostatic pressure I_c corresponding to the maximum difference of between generalized compression and extension strength can be easily adjusted by minimum principal stress influence parameter K. So, the exponent function is a more reasonable meridian curves, which well reflects the hydrostatic pressure effect and is employed to describe the generalized compression and extension strength. Meanwhile, three Lode angle dependence functions of L_{{MN}}, L_{{WW}}, and L_{{YMH}}, which unconditionally satisfy the convexity and differential requirements, are employed to represent the intermediate principal stress effect. Realizing the actual strength surface should be located between the generalized compression and extension surface, new true-triaxial criteria are proposed by combining the two states of EP criterion by Lode angle dependence function with a same lode angle. The proposed new true-triaxial criteria have the same strength parameters as EP criterion. Finally, 14 groups of triaxial test data are employed to validate the proposed criteria. The results show that the three new true-triaxial exponent criteria, especially the Exponent Willam-Warnke criterion (EPWW) criterion, give much lower misfits, which illustrates that the EP criterion and L_{{WW}} have more reasonable meridian

Multiple criteria decision analysis for health technology assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Thokala, Praveen; Duenas, Alejandra

2012-12-01

Multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) has been suggested by some researchers as a method to capture the benefits beyond quality adjusted life-years in a transparent and consistent manner. The objectives of this article were to analyze the possible application of MCDA approaches in health technology assessment and to describe their relative advantages and disadvantages. This article begins with an introduction to the most common types of MCDA models and a critical review of state-of-the-art methods for incorporating multiple criteria in health technology assessment. An overview of MCDA is provided and is compared against the current UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence health technology appraisal process. A generic MCDA modeling approach is described, and the different MCDA modeling approaches are applied to a hypothetical case study. A comparison of the different MCDA approaches is provided, and the generic issues that need consideration before the application of MCDA in health technology assessment are examined. There are general practical issues that might arise from using an MCDA approach, and it is suggested that appropriate care be taken to ensure the success of MCDA techniques in the appraisal process. Copyright © 2012 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multi-criteria decision analysis for waste management in Saharawi refugee camps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garfi, M.; Tondelli, S.; Bonoli, A.

2009-01-01

The aim of this paper is to compare different waste management solutions in Saharawi refugee camps (Algeria) and to test the feasibility of a decision-making method developed to be applied in particular conditions in which environmental and social aspects must be considered. It is based on multi criteria analysis, and in particular on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a mathematical technique for multi-criteria decision making (Saaty, T.L., 1980. The Analytic Hierarchy Process. McGraw-Hill, New York, USA; Saaty, T.L., 1990. How to Make a Decision: The Analytic Hierarchy Process. European Journal of Operational Research; Saaty, T.L., 1994. Decision Making for Leaders: The Analytic Hierarchy Process in a Complex World. RWS Publications, Pittsburgh, PA), and on participatory approach, focusing on local community's concerns. The research compares four different waste collection and management alternatives: waste collection by using three tipper trucks, disposal and burning in an open area; waste collection by using seven dumpers and disposal in a landfill; waste collection by using seven dumpers and three tipper trucks and disposal in a landfill; waste collection by using three tipper trucks and disposal in a landfill. The results show that the second and the third solutions provide better scenarios for waste management. Furthermore, the discussion of the results points out the multidisciplinarity of the approach, and the equilibrium between social, environmental and technical impacts. This is a very important aspect in a humanitarian and environmental project, confirming the appropriateness of the chosen method.

Practical application of failure criteria in determining safe mud weight windows in drilling operations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Gholami

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Wellbore instability is reported frequently as one of the most significant incidents during drilling operations. Analysis of wellbore instability includes estimation of formation mechanical properties and the state of in situ stresses. In this analysis, the only controllable parameter during drilling operation is the mud weight. If the mud weight is larger than anticipated, the mud will invade into the formation, causing tensile failure of the formation. On the other hand, a lower mud weight can result in shear failures of rock, which is known as borehole breakouts. To predict the potential for failures around the wellbore during drilling, one should use a failure criterion to compare the rock strength against induced tangential stresses around the wellbore at a given mud pressure. The Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion is one of the commonly accepted criteria for estimation of rock strength at a given state of stress. However, the use of other criteria has been debated in the literature. In this paper, Mohr–Coulomb, Hoek–Brown and Mogi–Coulomb failure criteria were used to estimate the potential rock failure around a wellbore located in an onshore field of Iran. The log based analysis was used to estimate rock mechanical properties of formations and state of stresses. The results indicated that amongst different failure criteria, the Mohr–Coulomb criterion underestimates the highest mud pressure required to avoid breakouts around the wellbore. It also predicts a lower fracture gradient pressure. In addition, it was found that the results obtained from Mogi–Coulomb criterion yield a better comparison with breakouts observed from the caliper logs than that of Hoek–Brown criterion. It was concluded that the Mogi–Coulomb criterion is a better failure criterion as it considers the effect of the intermediate principal stress component in the failure analysis.

Retinopathy of prematurity screening criteria and workload ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Larger infants require screening to include a few outliers, but they ... Making local screening criteria narrower on the basis of a limited evidence base may be dangerous. Risk factors for CSROP in larger infants need to be researched.

GIS-based Multi-criteria land suitability analysis for sustainable ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

43

of Tadla plain (Morocco) using geographic information system (GIS) and analytical ... clean water and air, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, preserving natural ... criteria decision making (MCDM) methods allowed having information from ...

Non-monetary valuation using Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis: Sensitivity of additive aggregation methods to scaling and compensation assumptions

Science.gov (United States)

Analytical methods for Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) support the non-monetary valuation of ecosystem services for environmental decision making. Many published case studies transform ecosystem service outcomes into a common metric and aggregate the outcomes to set land ...

Containment penetration design criteria and implementation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perry, R.F.; Rigamonti, G.; Dainora, J.

1975-01-01

A rational design criteria is presented which serves as a basis for the design and analysis of containment piping penetrations. The criteria includes the effect of temperature as well as mechanical loads for the full range of plant conditions. With this criteria various penetration flued head designs have been compared and optimization achieved. Sleeve wall dimensions and containment loads have been determined without reference to piping configuration. An interaction theory which allows the implementation of the criteria for the determination of design loads and minimum sleeve wall thickness. The interaction theory developed applies to elastic-perfectly plastic cylinders (pipes and sleeves) and accounts for the simultaneous load resultants of transverse shear force, bending moment, torsional moment, and axial force in addition to internal pipe pressure. Application of the theory developed to the determination of sleeve thickness and containment design loads is presented in detail. (Auth.)

Parameters and criteria influencing the selection of waste emplacement configurations in mined geologic repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bechthold, W.; Closs, K.D.; Papp, R.

1988-01-01

Reference concepts for repositories in deep geological formations have been developed in several countries. For these concepts, emplacement configurations vary within a wide range that comprises drift emplacement of unshielded or self-shielded packages and horizontal or vertical borehole emplacement. This is caused by different parameters, criteria, and criteria weighting factors. Examples for parameters are the country's nuclear power program and waste management policy, its geological situation, and safety requirements, examples for criteria and repository area requirements, expenditures of mining and drilling, and efforts for emplacement and, if required, retrieval. Due to the variety of these factors and their ranking in different countries, requirements for a safe, dependable and cost-effective disposal of radioactive waste can be met in various ways

Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis for Health Care Decision Making--Emerging Good Practices: Report 2 of the ISPOR MCDA Emerging Good Practices Task Force.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsh, Kevin; IJzerman, Maarten; Thokala, Praveen; Baltussen, Rob; Boysen, Meindert; Kaló, Zoltán; Lönngren, Thomas; Mussen, Filip; Peacock, Stuart; Watkins, John; Devlin, Nancy

2016-01-01

Health care decisions are complex and involve confronting trade-offs between multiple, often conflicting objectives. Using structured, explicit approaches to decisions involving multiple criteria can improve the quality of decision making. A set of techniques, known under the collective heading, multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA), are useful for this purpose. In 2014, ISPOR established an Emerging Good Practices Task Force. The task force's first report defined MCDA, provided examples of its use in health care, described the key steps, and provided an overview of the principal methods of MCDA. This second task force report provides emerging good-practice guidance on the implementation of MCDA to support health care decisions. The report includes: a checklist to support the design, implementation and review of an MCDA; guidance to support the implementation of the checklist; the order in which the steps should be implemented; illustrates how to incorporate budget constraints into an MCDA; provides an overview of the skills and resources, including available software, required to implement MCDA; and future research directions. Copyright © 2016 International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Commercial and ERDA waste packaging criteria: possible similarities and differences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lowrie, B.

1977-01-01

The schedule calls for hot operation of two waste repositories by the end of 1985, and these facilities will have to be licensed. This licensing requirement sets the commercial program apart from the ERDA defense waste program. Packaging criteria are discussed for commercial and ERDA wastes. The different NRC, DOT, and EPA criteria are considered

Can streamlined multi-criteria decision analysis be used to implement shared decision making for colorectal cancer screening?

Science.gov (United States)

Dolan, James G.; Boohaker, Emily; Allison, Jeroan; Imperiale, Thomas F.

2013-01-01

Background Current US colorectal cancer screening guidelines that call for shared decision making regarding the choice among several recommended screening options are difficult to implement. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is an established methodology well suited for supporting shared decision making. Our study goal was to determine if a streamlined form of MCDA using rank order based judgments can accurately assess patients’ colorectal cancer screening priorities. Methods We converted priorities for four decision criteria and three sub-criteria regarding colorectal cancer screening obtained from 484 average risk patients using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in a prior study into rank order-based priorities using rank order centroids. We compared the two sets of priorities using Spearman rank correlation and non-parametric Bland-Altman limits of agreement analysis. We assessed the differential impact of using the rank order-based versus the AHP-based priorities on the results of a full MCDA comparing three currently recommended colorectal cancer screening strategies. Generalizability of the results was assessed using Monte Carlo simulation. Results Correlations between the two sets of priorities for the seven criteria ranged from 0.55 to 0.92. The proportions of absolute differences between rank order-based and AHP-based priorities that were more than ± 0.15 ranged from 1% to 16%. Differences in the full MCDA results were minimal and the relative rankings of the three screening options were identical more than 88% of the time. The Monte Carlo simulation results were similar. Conclusion Rank order-based MCDA could be a simple, practical way to guide individual decisions and assess population decision priorities regarding colorectal cancer screening strategies. Additional research is warranted to further explore the use of these methods for promoting shared decision making. PMID:24300851

The challenges of simulating wake vortex encounters and assessing separation criteria

Science.gov (United States)

Dunham, R. E.; Stuever, Robert A.; Vicroy, Dan D.

1993-01-01

During landings and take-offs, the longitudinal spacing between airplanes is in part determined by the safe separation required to avoid the trailing vortex wake of the preceding aircraft. Safe exploration of the feasibility of reducing longitudinal separation standards will require use of aircraft simulators. This paper discusses the approaches to vortex modeling, methods for modeling the aircraft/vortex interaction, some of the previous attempts of defining vortex hazard criteria, and current understanding of the development of vortex hazard criteria.

Comparison between disign criteria and observed structural performance of underground openings at WIPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, R.F.; Francke, C.

1989-01-01

This paper discusses the observed structural performance of the underground excavations at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in relation to design criteria. The criteria were established at an early stage of the project to define the functional and structural requirements that were to be addressed in the design of the facility. For the underground structural response, the criteria defined the requirements for the shaft and shaft liner design, mine design, waste emplacement, retrievability and instrumentation. The observed structural performance of the underground is determined by the field data that have been collected since excavations were started at the WIPP site. The observations include field measurements of rock and water conditions, as well as maintenance records. The data provide input to design confirmation, performance assessment and form the basis for the design of new underground structures. For this paper, the field data have been compared with the design criteria applicable to ground control to demonstrate that the requirements of the design are met

Evaluation criteria for communications-related corrective action plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-02-01

This document provides guidance and criteria for US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) personnel to use in evaluating corrective action plans for nuclear power plant communications. The document begins by describing the purpose, scope, and applicability of the evaluation criteria. Next, it presents background information concerning the communication process, root causes of communication errors, and development and implementation of corrective actions. The document then defines specific criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the corrective action plan, interview protocols, and an observation protocol related to communication processes. This document is intended only as guidance. It is not intended to have the effect of a regulation, and it does not establish any binding requirements or interpretations of NRC regulations

Criteria for Determination of Material Control and Accountability System Effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

John Wright

2008-01-01

The Nevada Test Site (NTS) is a test bed for implementation of the Safeguards First Principles Initiative (SFPI), a risk-based approach to Material Control and Accountability (MC and A) requirements. The Comprehensive Assessment of Safeguards Strategies (COMPASS) model is used to determine the effectiveness of MC and A systems under SFPI. Under this model, MC and A is divided into nine primary elements. Each element is divided into sub-elements. Then each sub-element is assigned two values, effectiveness and contribution, that are used to calculate the rating. Effectiveness is a measure of subelement implementation and how well it meets requirements. Contribution is a relative measure of the importance, and functions as a weighting factor. The COMPASS model provides the methodology for calculation of sub-element and element ratings, but not the actual criteria. Each site must develop its own criteria. For the rating to be meaningful, the effectiveness criteria must be objective and based on explicit, measurable criteria. Contribution (weights) must reflect the importance within the MC and A program. This paper details the NTS approach to system effectiveness and contribution values, and will cover the following: the basis for the ratings, an explanation of the contribution 'weights', and the objective, performance based effectiveness criteria. Finally, the evaluation process will be described

A multi-criteria analysis approach for ranking and selection of microorganisms for the production of oils for biodiesel production.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Farah B; Zhang, Zhanying; Doherty, William O S; O'Hara, Ian M

2015-08-01

Oleaginous microorganisms have potential to be used to produce oils as alternative feedstock for biodiesel production. Microalgae (Chlorella protothecoides and Chlorella zofingiensis), yeasts (Cryptococcus albidus and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa), and fungi (Aspergillus oryzae and Mucor plumbeus) were investigated for their ability to produce oil from glucose, xylose and glycerol. Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and preference ranking organization method for the enrichment of evaluations (PROMETHEE) with graphical analysis for interactive aid (GAIA), was used to rank and select the preferred microorganisms for oil production for biodiesel application. This was based on a number of criteria viz., oil concentration, content, production rate and yield, substrate consumption rate, fatty acids composition, biomass harvesting and nutrient costs. PROMETHEE selected A. oryzae, M. plumbeus and R. mucilaginosa as the most prospective species for oil production. However, further analysis by GAIA Webs identified A. oryzae and M. plumbeus as the best performing microorganisms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Criteria for the selection of PEC primary circuit structural material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antoni, R.; Brunori, G.; Maesa, S.; Scibona, G.; Tomassetti, G.

1977-01-01

The choice of the structural materials is generally a compromise between the project requirements, the characteristics (mechanical and environmental) of the materials and the available technology to construct the various parts of the components. The criteria of selection of structural materials for the primary circuit of fast reactor are reported. The criteria concern both general and utilization aspects

Bi-Criteria Optimization of Decision Trees with Applications to Data Analysis

KAUST Repository

Chikalov, Igor

2017-10-19

This paper is devoted to the study of bi-criteria optimization problems for decision trees. We consider different cost functions such as depth, average depth, and number of nodes. We design algorithms that allow us to construct the set of Pareto optimal points (POPs) for a given decision table and the corresponding bi-criteria optimization problem. These algorithms are suitable for investigation of medium-sized decision tables. We discuss three examples of applications of the created tools: the study of relationships among depth, average depth and number of nodes for decision trees for corner point detection (such trees are used in computer vision for object tracking), study of systems of decision rules derived from decision trees, and comparison of different greedy algorithms for decision tree construction as single- and bi-criteria optimization algorithms.

Risk acceptance criteria of the Nuclear Regulatory Authority

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Felizia, Eduardo R.

2005-01-01

This report describes some of the regulatory and control functions legally conferred upon the Argentine Nuclear Regulatory Authority concerning radiological risks, as well as a critical analysis of the radiological risk acceptance criteria contained in the Argentine regulatory system. A summary of the application of regulatory standards AR 3.1.3. - 'Radiological criteria related to accidents in nuclear power reactors' and AR 4.1.3. - 'Radiological criteria related to accidents in research reactors' to concrete cases is made, while the favourable and unfavourable aspects of the risk acceptance criteria are discussed. The conclusion is that the Argentine regulatory system contains adequate radiological risk acceptance criteria, that the latter are consistent with the radiological protection principles applicable to man and that, for the moment, there is no need to perform any modifications that would broaden the conceptual framework on which such criteria are based. (author) [es

Robust design requirements specification: a quantitative method for requirements development using quality loss functions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Søren Nygaard; Christensen, Martin Ebro; Howard, Thomas J.

2016-01-01

Product requirements serve many purposes in the product development process. Most importantly, they are meant to capture and facilitate product goals and acceptance criteria, as defined by stakeholders. Accurately communicating stakeholder goals and acceptance criteria can be challenging and more...

Exploratory factor analysis of borderline personality disorder criteria in monolingual Hispanic outpatients with substance use disorders†

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Daniel F.; Añez, Luis Miguel; Paris, Manuel; Grilo, Carlos M.

2009-01-01

This study examined the factor structure of the DSM-IV criteria for borderline personality disorder (BPD) in Hispanic patients. Subjects were 130 monolingual Hispanic adults who had been admitted to a specialty outpatient clinic that provides psychiatric and substance abuse services to Spanish-speaking individuals. All were reliably assessed with the Spanish-Language Version of the Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders. After evaluating internal consistency of the BPD criterion set, an exploratory factor analysis was performed using principal axis factoring. Results suggested a unidimensional structure, and were consistent with similar studies of the DSM-IV criteria for BPD in non-Hispanic samples. These findings have implications for understanding borderline psychopathology in this population, and for the overall validity of the DSM-IV BPD construct. PMID:20472296

Multiple Criteria and Multiple Periods Performance Analysis: The Comparison of North African Railways

Science.gov (United States)

Sabri, Karim; Colson, Gérard E.; Mbangala, Augustin M.

2008-10-01

Multi-period differences of technical and financial performances are analysed by comparing five North African railways over the period (1990-2004). A first approach is based on the Malmquist DEA TFP index for measuring the total factors productivity change, decomposed into technical efficiency change and technological changes. A multiple criteria analysis is also performed using the PROMETHEE II method and the software ARGOS. These methods provide complementary detailed information, especially by discriminating the technological and management progresses by Malmquist and the two dimensions of performance by Promethee: that are the service to the community and the enterprises performances, often in conflict.

Improving farming practices using multi-criteria decision analysis in geographic information system for Damask Rose cultivating

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

B. Shokati

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Lack of awareness of the critical factors involved in production of plants and sometimes, the cultivation of plants in areas unsusceptible to plant, can increase the amount of chemical fertilizer consumption in order to compensate the subsequent reduction of plant yield. This would increase environmental pollution. Thus, identifying of suitable areas where could supply plants initial needs of the environment is critical. For this goal, several criteria including soil conditions, climatologically indicators, topography situation and agro-climatology criteria were taken into account of modeling processing. Doing so, standardization process was performed on criteria and weighting process was performed by using of analytic hierarchy process approach. Geographical information system based on multi-criteria decision analysis was employed for weighted overlapping of indicators. Initial results indicated that East-Azerbaijan Province in the northern part of Iran has high potential for cultivating of Damask Rose. Results indicate that about 34.4% of East Azerbaijan Province has classified to be high suitability for cultivating this plant, while about 65.5 and 0.1 % of this area classified to be in the moderate and low suitability category respectively. In comparison of Damask Rose production during the 2014 and resulted analytic hierarchy process map results showed that areas with high suitability are not more under cultivation of this plant. Then, the findings of this study are great of importance for the purpose of regional planning in East-Azerbaijan Province.

New facility shield design criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howell, W.P.

1981-07-01

The purpose of the criteria presented here is to provide standard guidance for the design of nuclear radiation shields thoughout new facilities. These criteria are required to assure a consistent and integrated design that can be operated safely and economically within the DOE standards. The scope of this report is confined to the consideration of radiation shielding for contained sources. The whole body dose limit established by the DOE applies to all doses which are generally distributed throughout the trunk of the body. Therefore, where the whole body is the critical organ for an internally deposited radionuclide, the whole body dose limit applies to the sum of doses received must assure control of the concentration of radionuclides in the building atmosphere and thereby limit the dose from internal sources

46 CFR 154.460 - Design criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) CERTAIN BULK DANGEROUS CARGOES SAFETY STANDARDS FOR... Barrier § 154.460 Design criteria. At static angles of heel up through 30°, a secondary barrier must (a) If a complete secondary barrier is required in § 154.459, hold all of the liquid cargo in the cargo...

Comparison Criteria and Performance Levels for Soundproofing Panels Made in Different Constructive Variants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Gheorghe

2013-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents an analysis of the performance lavels and comparison criteria for panels made from different soundproofing materials, in different constructive variants. Setting the performance level, on the basis of normative and regulatory documents, for soundproofing materials contained inside of noise reduction devices, is determined so that it can be defined, tested and established feasible technical solutions for sound absorbing protection, through a dissemination of obtained results as well for ensuring requirements for implementing the technology transfer for manufacturing.

Irreversibility and multiplicity: two criteria for the disposal of nuclear wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rochlin, G.

1976-01-01

Two criteria are suggested for comparing waste management methods: technical irreversibility and site multiplicity. These criteria can be used to reduce future risk in the face of inherent uncertainty and to provide for safe disposal without requiring guaranteed future ability to recognize, detect or repair areas of failure

An analysis of project selection and assignment criteria of Danish tenders in Europe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jasper Kranker Larsen

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Public construction agencies are one of the largest developers within the Danish construction industry, where such agencies own and develop new public construction projects. Most of these projects are put out in European tender. This study analyses the selection and assignment criteria employed by these agencies in different types of public sector projects. Some of the objectives pursued by the study include the determination of 1/ the selection and assignment criteria mostly used in Danish public tenders 2/ how different types of projects use selection and assignment criteria in the bidding process, and 3/ any significant difference between the use of selection and assignment criteria in Danish public construction projects. The study uses a quantitative research approach where 157 Danish public tender cases were selected from the European Tenders Electronic Daily database between the period: January 2010 to March 2013. Fisher's Exact Test was conducted to determine if there was any significant use of some selection and assignment criteria. The findings of the study showed that invited tenders with pre-qualification and lowest price in 69.8% of the tenders are the most used selection and assignment criteria, with little regard to project type.

Biomonitoring test procedures and biological criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kszos, L.A. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Lipschultz, M.J. [City of Las Vegas, NV (United States); Foster, W.E. [Saint Mary`s Coll., Winona, MN (United States)

1997-10-01

The Water Environment Federation recently issued a special publication, Biomonitoring in the Water Environment. In this paper, the authors highlight the contents of the chapter 3, Biomonitoring Test Procedures, identify current trends in test procedures and introduce the concept of biological criteria (biocriteria). The book chapter (and this paper) focuses on freshwater and marine chronic and acute toxicity tests used in the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits program to identify effluents and receiving waters containing toxic materials in acutely or chronically toxic concentrations. The two major categories of toxicity tests include acute tests and chronic tests. The USEPA chronic tests required in NPDEs permits have been shortened to 7 days by focusing on the most sensitive life-cycle stages; these tests are often referred to as short-term chronic tests. The type of test(s) required depend on NPDES permit requirements, objectives of the test, available resources, requirements of the test organisms, and effluent characteristics such as variability in flow or toxicity. The permit writer will determine the requirements for toxicity test(s) by considering such factors as dilution, effluent variability, and exposure variability. Whether the required test is acute or chronic, the objective of the test is to estimate the safe or no effect concentration which is defined as the concentration which will permit normal propagation of fish and other aquatic life in the receiving waters. In this paper, the authors review the types of toxicity tests, the commonly used test organisms, and the uses of toxicity test data. In addition, they briefly describe research on new methods and the use of biological criteria.

A Monte-Carlo game theoretic approach for Multi-Criteria Decision Making under uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Madani, Kaveh; Lund, Jay R.

2011-05-01

Game theory provides a useful framework for studying Multi-Criteria Decision Making problems. This paper suggests modeling Multi-Criteria Decision Making problems as strategic games and solving them using non-cooperative game theory concepts. The suggested method can be used to prescribe non-dominated solutions and also can be used as a method to predict the outcome of a decision making problem. Non-cooperative stability definitions for solving the games allow consideration of non-cooperative behaviors, often neglected by other methods which assume perfect cooperation among decision makers. To deal with the uncertainty in input variables a Monte-Carlo Game Theory (MCGT) approach is suggested which maps the stochastic problem into many deterministic strategic games. The games are solved using non-cooperative stability definitions and the results include possible effects of uncertainty in input variables on outcomes. The method can handle multi-criteria multi-decision-maker problems with uncertainty. The suggested method does not require criteria weighting, developing a compound decision objective, and accurate quantitative (cardinal) information as it simplifies the decision analysis by solving problems based on qualitative (ordinal) information, reducing the computational burden substantially. The MCGT method is applied to analyze California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta problem. The suggested method provides insights, identifies non-dominated alternatives, and predicts likely decision outcomes.

Hanford Site solid waste acceptance criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willis, N.P.; Triner, G.C.

1991-09-01

Westinghouse Hanford Company manages the Hanford Site solid waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities for the US Department of Energy Field Office, Richland under contract DE-AC06-87RL10930. These facilities include radioactive solid waste disposal sites, radioactive solid waste storage areas and hazardous waste treatment, storage, and/or disposal facilities. This manual defines the criteria that must be met by waste generators for solid waste to be accepted by Westinghouse Hanford Company for treatment, storage and/or disposal facilities. It is to be used by all waste generators preparing radioactive solid waste for storage or disposal at the Hanford Site facilities and for all Hanford Site generators of hazardous waste. This manual is also intended for use by Westinghouse Hanford Company solid waste technical staff involved with approval and acceptance of solid waste. The criteria in this manual represent a compilation of state and federal regulations; US Department of Energy orders; Hanford Site requirements; and other rules, regulations, guidelines, and standards as they apply to management of solid waste. Where appropriate, these requirements are included in the manual by reference. It is the intent of this manual to provide guidance to the waste generator in meeting the applicable requirements

Evaluation procedure for Service Level C and D upper shelf toughness criteria for Linde 80 weld material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gamble, R.M.

1993-09-01

Procedures have been defined to evaluate the upper shelf toughness criteria recently defined by ASME Section XI Subgroup on Evaluation Standards for ASME Service Level C and D conditions. These procedures and the ASME criteria were applied to assess the upper toughness requirements for axial Linde 80 welds in a typical PWR reactor pressure vessel beltline geometry. Because there is a wide spectrum of possible Level C and D events, the evaluation was performed for a bounding thermal transient and results were obtained to determine allowable pressure versus upper shelf energy. The allowable pressure for the bounding thermal transient was found to be above normal operating pressure for upper shelf energies equal to and greater than 40 ft-lb. Because a bounding thermal transient was used, the allowable pressures determined in this work should be minimum values. The results from this work provide a screening criterion to quickly identify limiting transients that may require more detailed analysis and an analysis procedure to assess compliance with ASME upper shelf energy criteria for Service Level C and D events. For events with significant thermal transients, such as those evaluated in this work, the transient pressure typically decreases rapidly from normal operating pressure to 1,500 psi or less before the maximum thermal K I , is reached. Comparing this pressure range with the allowable pressure versus upper shelf energy curves determined in this work indicates that the transient pressures are significantly less than the allowables computed for Level C and D events; consequently, Level A/B conditions will likely dictate the upper shelf requirements for most applications

Multi criteria analysis for sustainability assessments of electricity generation systems in a rural community in South Africa

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amigun, B.; Mehlwana, M. [Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria (South Africa). Sustainable Energy Futures, Natural Resources and the Environment; Musango, J.K. [Department of Energy (DoE), Pretoria (South Africa); Brent, A.C. [Stellenbosch Univ. (South Africa). Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies

2011-07-01

One of the key challenges of the energy policy in South Africa is to ensure that rural areas have access to electricity. This is reflected in the key energy policy documents (the 1998 Energy White Paper and the 2002 Renewable Energy White Paper). Both these documents identified renewable energy resources as immediate alternatives to grid electricity in especially remote rural communities that are characterised by low population densities. Centralised energy generation and transmission is very costly and inefficient in these areas due to greater transmission and distribution losses. While the cost of electricity in South Africa is relatively cheaper, it is not accessible for many rural households. There are still over two million households in rural areas without access to electricity. This paper presents a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) using the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) technique to compare various electricity technologies (mainly renewables) in a specific rural community of South Africa using social, economic, environment and technical indicators. These technologies were than ranked against each indicator assuming that the high-level criteria have equal importance for sustainable development. It is demonstrated that energy from wind is the most sustainable, followed by photovoltaic, anaerobic digestion (biogas) and then gasification. A sensitivity analysis was also performed to verify the stability of the priority ranking. The outcome of this study will specifically assist energy planners and decision-makers to choose the best alternative from a range of technology alternatives in a milieu of conflicting and competing criteria. (orig.)

Nonreactor nuclear facilities: standards and criteria guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brynda, W.J.; Junker, L.; Karol, R.C.; Lobner, P.R.; Goldman, L.A.

1981-09-01

This guide is a source document that identifies standards, codes, and guides that address the nuclear safety considerations pertinent to nuclear facilities as defined in DOE Order 5480.1, Chapter V, Safety of Nuclear Facilities. The guidance and criteria provided are directed toward areas of safety usually addressed in a Safety Analysis Report. The areas of safety include, but are not limited to, siting, principal design criteria and safety system design guidelines, radiation protection, accident analysis, and quality assurance. The guide is divided into two sections: general guidelines and appendices. Those guidelines that are broadly applicable to most nuclear facilities are presented in the general guidelines. These general guidelines may have limited applicability to subsurface facilities such as waste repositories. Guidelines specific to the various types or categories of nuclear facilities are presented in the appendices. These facility-specific appendices provide guidelines and identify standards and criteria that should be considered in addition to, or in lieu of, the general guidelines

Nonreactor nuclear facilities: Standards and criteria guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brynda, W.J.; Scarlett, C.H.; Tanguay, G.E.; Lobner, P.R.

1986-09-01

This guide is a source document that identifies standards, codes, and guides that address the nuclear safety considerations pertinent to nuclear facilities as defined in DOE 5480.1A, Chapter V, ''Safety of Nuclear Facilities.'' The guidance and criteria provided is directed toward areas of safety usually addressed in a Safety Analysis Report. The areas of safety include, but are not limited to, siting, principal design criteria and safety system design guidelines, radiation protection, accident analysis, conduct of operations, and quality assurance. The guide is divided into two sections: general guidelines and appendices. Those guidelines that are broadly applicable to most nuclear facilities are presented in the general guidelines. Guidelines specific to the various types or categories of nuclear facilities are presented in the appendices. These facility-specific appendices provide guidelines and identify standards and criteria that should be considered in addition to, or in lieu of, the general guidelines. 25 figs., 62 tabs

Photovoltaic module certification/laboratory accreditation criteria development

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osterwald, C.R. [National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States); Hammond, R.L.; Wood, B.D.; Backus, C.E.; Sears, R.L. [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); Zerlaut, G.A. [SC-International Inc., Phoenix, AZ (United States); D`Aiello, R.V. [RD Associates, Tempe, AZ (United States)

1995-04-01

This document provides an overview of the structure and function of typical product certification/laboratory accreditation programs. The overview is followed by a model program which could serve as the basis for a photovoltaic (PV) module certification/laboratory accreditation program. The model covers quality assurance procedures for the testing laboratory and manufacturer, third-party certification and labeling, and testing requirements (performance and reliability). A 30-member Criteria Development Committee was established to guide, review, and reach a majority consensus regarding criteria for a PV certification/laboratory accreditation program. Committee members represented PV manufacturers, end users, standards and codes organizations, and testing laboratories.

Qualification criteria to certify a package for air transport of plutonium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-12-01

The document describes qualification criteria developed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to certify a package for air transport of plutonium. Included in the document is a discussion of aircraft accident conditions and a summary of the technical basis for the qualification criteria. The criteria require prototype packages to be subjected to various individual and sequential tests that simulate the conditions produced in severe aircraft accidents. Specific post-test acceptance standards are prescribed for each of the three safety functions of a package. The qualification criteria also prescribe certain operational controls to be exercised during transport

Primary progressive multiple sclerosis diagnostic criteria: a reappraisal.

Science.gov (United States)

Montalban, X; Sastre-Garriga, J; Filippi, M; Khaleeli, Z; Téllez, N; Vellinga, M M; Tur, C; Brochet, B; Barkhof, F; Rovaris, M; Miller, D H; Polman, C H; Rovira, A; Thompson, A J

2009-12-01

The diagnostic criteria used in primary progressive (PP) and relapsing-remitting (RR) multiple sclerosis (MS) show substantial differences. This introduces complexity in the diagnosis of MS which could be resolved if these criteria could be unified in terms of the requirements for dissemination in space (DIS). The aim of this study was to assess whether a single algorithm may be used to demonstrate DIS in all forms of MS. Five sets of RRMS criteria for DIS were applied to a cohort of 145 patients with established PPMS (mean disease duration: 11 years - PPMS-1): C1: Barkhof-Tintoré (as in 2005 McDonald's criteria); C2: Swanton et al. (as in JNNP 2006); C3: presence of oligoclonal bands plus two lesions (as in McDonald's criteria); C4 and C5: a two-step approach was also followed (patients not fulfilling C1 or C2 were then assessed for C3). Two sets of PPMS criteria for DIS were applied: C6: Thompson et al. (as in 2001 McDonald's criteria); C7: 2005 McDonald criteria. A second sample of 55 patients with less than 5 years of disease duration (PPMS-2) was also analysed using an identical approach. For PPMS-1/PPMS-2, fulfilment was: C1:73.8%/66.7%; C2:72.1%/59.3%; C3:89%/79.2%; C4:96%/92.3%; C5:96%/85.7%; C6:85.8%/78.7%; C7:91%/80.4%. Levels of fulfilment suggest that the use of a single set of criteria for DIS in RRMS and PPMS might be feasible, and reinforce the added value of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings to increase fulfilment in PPMS. Unification of the DIS criteria for both RRMS and PPMS could be considered in further revisions of the MS diagnostic criteria.

Qualification criteria for persons responsible for radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wehner, G

1980-01-01

A survey of the qualification criteria included in the German atomic law (Atomic Energy Act, Radiological Protection Ordinance and X-ray Protection Ordinance) for persons responsible for radiation protection is given. Especially the various activities for which a health physics officer is required, the range of qualification in each case and the way the qualification has to be proved, are pointed out. Also the different guides that are issued to complete the legal requirements are mentioned. The definitions of the term qualification for health physics given in the different guides are cited and it is shown, that the qualification of a healt physics officer has to be based on the three criteria (I) vocational training. (II) professional experience and (III) the necessary knowledge in radiation protection. (orig./HP) [de

A Criteria Standard for Conflict Resolution: A Vision for Guaranteeing the Safety of Self-Separation in NextGen

Science.gov (United States)

Munoz, Cesar; Butler, Ricky; Narkawicz, Anthony; Maddalon, Jeffrey; Hagen, George

2010-01-01

Distributed approaches for conflict resolution rely on analyzing the behavior of each aircraft to ensure that system-wide safety properties are maintained. This paper presents the criteria method, which increases the quality and efficiency of a safety assurance analysis for distributed air traffic concepts. The criteria standard is shown to provide two key safety properties: safe separation when only one aircraft maneuvers and safe separation when both aircraft maneuver at the same time. This approach is complemented with strong guarantees of correct operation through formal verification. To show that an algorithm is correct, i.e., that it always meets its specified safety property, one must only show that the algorithm satisfies the criteria. Once this is done, then the algorithm inherits the safety properties of the criteria. An important consequence of this approach is that there is no requirement that both aircraft execute the same conflict resolution algorithm. Therefore, the criteria approach allows different avionics manufacturers or even different airlines to use different algorithms, each optimized according to their own proprietary concerns.

49 CFR 236.1043 - Task analysis and basic requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... Train Control Systems § 236.1043 Task analysis and basic requirements. (a) Training structure and... classroom, simulator, computer-based, hands-on, or other formally structured training designed to impart the... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Task analysis and basic requirements. 236.1043...

49 CFR 236.923 - Task analysis and basic requirements.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... for Processor-Based Signal and Train Control Systems § 236.923 Task analysis and basic requirements... structured training designed to impart the knowledge, skills, and abilities identified as necessary to... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Task analysis and basic requirements. 236.923...

A Multi-Criteria Methodology to Support Public Administration Decision Making Concerning Sustainable Energy Action Plans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiara Novello

2013-08-01

Full Text Available For municipalities that have joined the Covenant of Mayors promoted by the European Commission, the Sustainable Energy Action Plan (SEAP represents a strategic tool for achieving the greenhouse gas reductions required by 2020. So far as the energy retrofit actions in their residential building stock are concerned, which in the small-to-medium municipalities are responsible for more than 60% of CO2 emissions, the scenarios for intervening are normally decided on the basis of an economic (cost/performance analysis. This type of analysis, however, does not take into account important aspects for small and medium-sized communities such as social aspects, environmental impacts, local economic development and employment. A more comprehensive and effective tool to support the choices of public administrators is the multi-criteria analysis. This study proposes a methodology that integrates multi-criteria analysis in order to support Public Administration/Local Authorities in programming Sustainable Energy Action Plans with a more targeted approach to sustainability. The methodology, based on the ELECTRE III method, was applied to a medium-size municipality in the Lombardy region of Italy. The results obtained with this approach are discussed in this paper.

Seismic design criteria used for electrical raceway systems in commercial nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Summers, P.B.; Manrique, M.A.; Nelson, T.A.

1991-01-01

This paper summarizes some of the seismic design approaches, relevant technical issues and criteria used over the years for design of electrical raceway systems at commercial nuclear power plant facilities. The approaches used for design and endorsed by the NRC can be seen to be quite varied. In recent years, considerably more rigor has been required for raceway design, as well as for the level of design basis documentation produced. However, there has also been a willingness by the NRC to accept rational approaches based on testing, analytical results or experience data, provided proper justification is given. Such rational approaches can simplify the significant task of analysis, design and construction of miles of raceways and thousands of raceway supports. Summarizing past practice and identifying relevant technical issues are an important first step in formalizing up-to-date criteria for new raceway designs

Proficiency testing criteria for clearance level in solid waste gamma measurement in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chun-Liang; Wang, Jeng-Jong; Chiu, Huang-Sheng

2013-11-01

To guarantee the measurement quality for clearance level in solid waste material, the Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) established the criteria for proficiency testing of clearance level measurement. INER and the Taiwan Accreditation Foundation (TAF) organized the Technique Committee Meeting twice to discuss these criteria in 2011. The participating laboratories must completely conform to the ISO/IEC 17025, and they also must meet the requirements of the criteria. According to the criteria, the participating laboratories analyzed the minimum detectable amount (MDA) and that should be less than 20% of the clearance level (AMDA) given in the Atomic Energy Council's (AEC) "Regulations on Clearance Level for Radioactive Waste Management". The testing results should conform to the deviation and traceability requirements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Life cycle based dynamic assessment coupled with multiple criteria decision analysis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sohn, Joshua; Kalbar, Pradip; Birkved, Morten

2017-01-01

the service life of the building. This case study uses both the established and the coupled MCDA assessment methods to quantify and assess the balance of impacts between the production of mineral wool insulation versus the production of space heat. The use of TOPSIS method for calculating single scores......This work looks at coupling Life cycle assessment (LCA) with a dynamic inventory and multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) to improve the validity and reliability of single score results for complex systems. This is done using the case study of a representative Danish single family home over...... not matter which impact assessment is applied. However, for the scenarios where other impact categories vary inversely or independently from the climate change impact indicator, such as with renewable energy production, there is need for a more unconventional method, such as the TOPSIS method...

A comparison and cross-reference of commercial low-level radioactive waste acceptance criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerr, T.A.

1997-04-01

This document, prepared by the National Low-Level Waste Management Program at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, is a comparison and cross-reference of commercial low-level radioactive waste acceptance criteria. Many of these are draft or preliminary criteria as well as implemented criteria at operating low-level radioactive waste management facilities. Waste acceptance criteria from the following entities are included: US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, South Carolina, Washington, Utah, Nevada, California, illinois, Texas, North Carolina, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, New York, and the Midwest Compact Region. Criteria in the matrix include the following: physical form, chemical form, liquid limits, void space in packages, concentration averaging, types of packaging, chelating agents, solidification media, stability requirements, sorptive media, gas, oil, biological waste, pyrophorics, source material, special nuclear material, package dimensions, incinerator ash, dewatered resin, transuranics, and mixed waste. Each criterion in the matrix is cross-referenced to its source document so that exact requirements can be determined

Multi-dimensional project evaluation: Combining cost-benefit analysis and multi-criteria analysis with the COSIMA software system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

and not the least construction and maintenance costs. The MCA is made use of to assess noise, land use planning, business potential and tourism impacts for the three alternatives. More technically the software system offers a set of different features to undertake the MCA. Thus the users have two different methods...... for society is ranked uppermost. To compare the different impacts, it is necessary to have a common monetary unit. Theoretically, all benefits and all costs should be accounted for in socio-economic cost-benefit analysis. However, this is far from in practical the general case due to difficulties...... in a valuating all the criteria in monetary terms. Thus CBA does not meet the need for a comprehensive evaluation, for which reason MCA is introduced to overcome this problem. Not only does MCA provides an opportunity to include non-market impacts in the analysis, but MCA also provides a framework for breaking...

Evaluating clean energy alternatives for Jiangsu, China: An improved multi-criteria decision making method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Ling; Zhou, Peng; Newton, Sidney; Fang, Jian-xin; Zhou, De-qun; Zhang, Lu-ping

2015-01-01

Promoting the utilization of clean energy has been identified as one potential solution to addressing environmental pollution and achieving sustainable development in many countries around the world. Evaluating clean energy alternatives includes a requirement to balance multiple conflict criteria, including technology, environment, economy and society, all of which are incommensurate and interdependent. Traditional MCDM (multi-criteria decision making) methods, such as the weighted average method, often fail to aggregate such criteria consistently. In this paper, an improved MCDM method based on fuzzy measure and integral is developed and applied to evaluate four primary clean energy options for Jiangsu Province, China. The results confirm that the preferred clean energy option for Jiangsu is solar photovoltaic, followed by wind, biomass and finally nuclear. A sensitivity analysis is also conducted to evaluate the values of clean energy resources for Jiangsu. The ordered weighted average method is also applied to compare the method mentioned above in our empirical study. The results show that the improved MCDM method provides higher discrimination between alternative clean energy alternatives. - Highlights: • Interactions among evaluation criteria of clean energy resources are taken into account. • An improved multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) method is proposed based on entropy weight method, fuzzy measure and integral. • Clean energy resources of Jiangsu are evaluated with the improved MCDM method, and their ranks are identified.

Fail-safe design criteria for computer-based reactor protection systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keats, A.B.

1980-01-01

The increasing quantity and complexity of the instrumentation required in nuclear power plants provides a strong incentive for using on-line computers as the basis of the control and protection systems. On-line computers using multiplexed sampled data are already well established but their application to nuclear reactor protection systems requires special measures to satisfy the very high reliability which is demanded in the interests of safety and availability. Some existing codes of practice relating to segregation of replicated subsysttems continue to be applicable and lead to division of the computer functions into two distinct parts. The first computer, referred to as the Trip Algorithm Computer may also control the multiplexer. Voting on each group of status inputs yielded by the trip algorithm computers is performed by the Vote Algorithm Computer. The conceptual disparities between hardwired reactor-protection systems and those employing computers also rise to a need for some new criteria. An important objective of these criteria, minimising the need for a failure-mode-and-effect-analysis of the computer software, but is achieved almost entirely by 'hardware' properties of the system: the systematic use of hardwired test inputs which cause excursions of the trip algorithms into the tripped state in a uniquely ordered but easily recognisable sequence, and the use of hardwired 'pattern recognition logic' which generates a dynamic 'healthy' stimulus for the shutdown actuators only in response to the unique sequence generated by the hardwired input signal pattern. The adoption of the proposed design criteria ensure not only failure-to-safety in the hardware but the elimination, or at least minimisation, of the dependence on the correct functioning of the computer software for the safety system. (auth)

Criteria of medical care evaluation in daily in-patient department in pediatrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grozdova T.U.

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The research goal is to work out criteria for the evaluation of medical care quality. Materials included 386 medical cards of daily in-patients, 216 medical cards of in-patients; 602 cards of analysis of case histories; 4 computer data bases. Methods of mathematical statistics were successfully used in the study. The comparative method of data analysis was applied to the research work. Intensity of medical care in values from 0,1 to 0,5 conditional units corresponded to requirements of criterion of estimation of medical care quality. Parameters of medicinal treatment were close to the standards of treatment in interval from 44,4 to 100%, as criterion of quality of medical care. Specific weight of apparatus and instrumental researches constituted an interval from 7, 4% to 22, 6%, forming corresponding criterion. Interval of effectiveness according to standards of consultations is from 0, 26 to 1, 04 conditional units. In conclusion the article stated that the characteristics for criteria to evaluate medical care in daily in-patient departments were worked out on the basis of indices obtained during the research work

Multi-Canister Overpack (MCO) Combustible Gas Management Leak Test Acceptance Criteria (OCRWM)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SHERRELL, D.L.

2000-01-01

The purpose of this document is to support the Spent Nuclear Fuel Project's combustible gas management strategy while avoiding the need to impose any requirements for oxygen free atmospheres within storage tubes that contain multi-canister overpacks (MCO). In order to avoid inerting requirements it is necessary to establish and confirm leak test acceptance criteria for mechanically sealed and weld sealed MCOs that are adequte to ensure that, in the unlikely event the leak test results for any MCO were to approach either of those criteria, it could still be handled and stored in stagnant air without compromising the SNF Project's overall strategy to prevent accumulation of combustible gas mixtures within MCOs or within their surroundings. To support that strategy, this document: (1) establishes combustible gas management functions and minimum functional requirements for the MCO's mechanical seals and closure weld(s); (2) establishes a maximum practical value for the minimum required initial MCO inert backfill gas pressure; and (3) based on items 1 and 2, establishes and confirms leak test acceptance criteria for the MCO's mechanical seal and final closure weld(s)

A Note on the Validity and Reliability of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis for the Benefit-Risk Assessment of Medicines.

Science.gov (United States)

Garcia-Hernandez, Alberto

2015-11-01

The comparative evaluation of benefits and risks is one of the most important tasks during the development, market authorization and post-approval pharmacovigilance of medicinal products. Multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) has been recommended to support decision making in the benefit-risk assessment (BRA) of medicines. This paper identifies challenges associated with bias or variability that practitioners may encounter in this field and presents solutions to overcome them. The inclusion of overlapping or preference-complementary criteria, which are frequent violations to the assumptions of this model, should be avoided. For each criterion, a value function translates the original outcomes into preference-related scores. Applying non-linear value functions to criteria defined as the risk of suffering a certain event during the study introduces specific risk behaviours in this prescriptive, rather than descriptive, model and is therefore a questionable practice. MCDA uses weights to compare the importance of the model criteria with each other; during their elicitation a frequent situation where (generally favourable) mild effects are directly traded off against low probabilities of suffering (generally unfavourable) severe effects during the study is known to lead to biased and variable weights and ought to be prevented. The way the outcomes are framed during the elicitation process, positively versus negatively for instance, may also lead to differences in the preference weights, warranting an appropriate justification during each implementation. Finally, extending the weighted-sum MCDA model into a fully inferential tool through a probabilistic sensitivity analysis is desirable. However, this task is troublesome and should not ignore that clinical trial endpoints generally are positively correlated.

Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2013-06-01

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO), Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NNSSWAC). The NNSSWAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) will accept the following: • DOE hazardous and non-hazardous non-radioactive classified waste • DOE low-level radioactive waste (LLW) • DOE mixed low-level waste (MLLW) • U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) classified waste The LLW and MLLW listed above may also be classified waste. Classified waste is the only waste accepted for disposal that may be non-radioactive and shall be required to meet the waste acceptance criteria for radioactive waste as specified in this document. Classified waste may be sent to the NNSS as classified matter. Section 3.1.18 provides the requirements that must be met for permanent burial of classified matter. The NNSA/NFO and support contractors are available to assist the generator in understanding or interpreting this document. For assistance, please call the NNSA/NFO Environmental Management Operations (EMO) at (702) 295-7063, and the call will be directed to the appropriate contact.

Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Field Office (NNSA/NFO), Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NNSSWAC). The NNSSWAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) will accept the following: DOE hazardous and non-hazardous non-radioactive classified waste; DOE low-level radioactive waste (LLW); DOE mixed low-level waste (MLLW); and, U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) classified waste. The LLW and MLLW listed above may also be classified waste. Classified waste is the only waste accepted for disposal that may be non-radioactive and shall be required to meet the waste acceptance criteria for radioactive waste as specified in this document. Classified waste may be sent to the NNSS as classified matter. Section 3.1.18 provides the requirements that must be met for permanent burial of classified matter. The NNSA/NFO and support contractors are available to assist the generator in understanding or interpreting this document. For assistance, please call the NNSA/NFO Environmental Management Operations (EMO) at (702) 295-7063, and the call will be directed to the appropriate contact.

29 CFR 99.525 - Criteria for Federal program risk.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Auditors § 99.525 Criteria for Federal program risk. (a) General. The auditor's determination should be... Federal program. The auditor shall use auditor judgment and consider criteria, such as described in... analysis, the auditor may wish to discuss a particular Federal program with auditee management and the...

7 CFR 3052.525 - Criteria for Federal program risk.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... ORGANIZATIONS Auditors § 3052.525 Criteria for Federal program risk. (a) General. The auditor's determination... to the Federal program. The auditor shall use auditor judgment and consider criteria, such as... part of the risk analysis, the auditor may wish to discuss a particular Federal program with auditee...

5 CFR 551.207 - Professional exemption criteria.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... Section 551.207 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PAY... criteria. To qualify for the professional exemption, an employee's primary duty must be the performance of work requiring knowledge of an advanced type in a field of science or learning customarily acquired by...

Analysis of the impact of safeguards criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullen, M.F.; Reardon, P.T.

1981-01-01

As part of the US Program of Technical Assistance to IAEA Safeguards, the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) was asked to assist in developing and demonstrating a model for assessing the impact of setting criteria for the application of IAEA safeguards. This report presents the results of PNL's work on the task. The report is in three parts. The first explains the technical approach and methodology. The second contains an example application of the methodology. The third presents the conclusions of the study. PNL used the model and computer programs developed as part of Task C.5 (Estimation of Inspection Efforts) of the Program of Technical Assistance. The example application of the methodology involves low-enriched uranium conversion and fuel fabrication facilities. The effects of variations in seven parameters are considered: false alarm probability, goal probability of detection, detection goal quantity, the plant operator's measurement capability, the inspector's variables measurement capability, the inspector's attributes measurement capability, and annual plant throughput. Among the key results and conclusions of the analysis are the following: the variables with the greatest impact on the probability of detection are the inspector's measurement capability, the goal quantity, and the throughput; the variables with the greatest impact on inspection costs are the throughput, the goal quantity, and the goal probability of detection; there are important interactions between variables. That is, the effects of a given variable often depends on the level or value of some other variable. With the methodology used in this study, these interactions can be quantitatively analyzed; reasonably good approximate prediction equations can be developed using the methodology described here

Evaluation of Urban Planning Projects Criteria Using Fuzzy AHP Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walid Mustafa Kamas

2017-05-01

Full Text Available In this research, Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process technique is applied (Fuzzy AHP which is one of multi-criteria decision making techniques to evaluate the criteria for urban planning projects, the project of developing master plan of Al-Muqdadiyah city to 2035 has been chosen as a case study. The researcher prepared a list of criteria in addition to the authorized departments criteria and previous researches in order to choose optimized master plan according to these criteria. This research aims at employing the foundations of (Fuzzy AHP technique in evaluating urban planning criteria precisely and flexible. The results of the data analysis to the individuals of the sample who are specialists, in this aspect. The land use criteria are more important than the rest of the criteria in these projects, where it received the relative importance with percentile (42.1 %.

Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2012-01-01

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO), Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NNSSWAC). The NNSSWAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) will accept DOE non-radioactive classified waste, DOE non-radioactive hazardous classified waste, DOE low-level radioactive waste (LLW), DOE mixed low-level waste (MLLW), and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) classified waste for permanent disposal. Classified waste is the only waste accepted for disposal that may be non-radioactive and will be required to meet the waste acceptance criteria for radioactive waste as specified in this document. The NNSA/NSO and support contractors are available to assist you in understanding or interpreting this document. For assistance, please call the NNSA/NSO Waste Management Project (WMP) at (702) 295-7063, and your call will be directed to the appropriate contact.

Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NSTec Environmental Management

2012-02-28

This document establishes the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), National Nuclear Security Administration Nevada Site Office (NNSA/NSO), Nevada National Security Site Waste Acceptance Criteria (NNSSWAC). The NNSSWAC provides the requirements, terms, and conditions under which the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) will accept DOE non-radioactive classified waste, DOE non-radioactive hazardous classified waste, DOE low-level radioactive waste (LLW), DOE mixed low-level waste (MLLW), and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) classified waste for permanent disposal. Classified waste is the only waste accepted for disposal that may be non-radioactive and will be required to meet the waste acceptance criteria for radioactive waste as specified in this document. The NNSA/NSO and support contractors are available to assist you in understanding or interpreting this document. For assistance, please call the NNSA/NSO Waste Management Project (WMP) at (702) 295-7063, and your call will be directed to the appropriate contact.

Snell Envelope with Small Probability Criteria

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Del Moral, Pierre, E-mail: Pierre.Del-Moral@inria.fr; Hu, Peng, E-mail: Peng.Hu@inria.fr [Universite de Bordeaux I, Centre INRIA Bordeaux et Sud-Ouest and Institut de Mathematiques de Bordeaux (France); Oudjane, Nadia, E-mail: Nadia.Oudjane@edf.fr [EDF R and D Clamart (France)

2012-12-15

We present a new algorithm to compute the Snell envelope in the specific case where the criteria to optimize is associated with a small probability or a rare event. This new approach combines the Stochastic Mesh approach of Broadie and Glasserman with a particle approximation scheme based on a specific change of measure designed to concentrate the computational effort in regions pointed out by the criteria. The theoretical analysis of this new algorithm provides non asymptotic convergence estimates. Finally, the numerical tests confirm the practical interest of this approach.

Environmental quality and sustainability in the province of Reggio Emilia (Italy): using multi-criteria analysis to assess and compare municipal performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrarini, A; Bodini, A; Becchi, M

2001-10-01

Sustainability has become an increasingly significant issue, although practical implementation remains difficult. In Italy, promoting sustainability is particularly problematic at the provincial and municipal level, where the lack of resources and expertise, and the effects of uncoordinated policies make it difficult to achieve minimum requirements to make sustainable policies operational. One essential requirement is knowledge of baseline environmental conditions in each municipality. In the province of Reggio Emilia (Northern Italy) Legambiente, an environmental association, launched an initiative called 'Ecopaese' aimed at gathering data on environmental conditions and stimulating local administrations to implement sustainable policies. To this end, the state of the environment in the 45 municipalities within the province has been monitored using 25 indicators. Their values have been used to rank the municipalities by multiple criteria analysis (MCA). The results of this comparative approach provide information about the level of sustainability attained in the province as a whole as well as in the single municipalities. It is hoped that it will provide the basis for direct action plans at the provincial level by identifying areas for remedial action, as recommended by Agenda 21, the declaration adopted by many countries attending the Rio Summit in 1992.

Requirements Engineering for Software Integrity and Safety

Science.gov (United States)

Leveson, Nancy G.

2002-01-01

Requirements flaws are the most common cause of errors and software-related accidents in operational software. Most aerospace firms list requirements as one of their most important outstanding software development problems and all of the recent, NASA spacecraft losses related to software (including the highly publicized Mars Program failures) can be traced to requirements flaws. In light of these facts, it is surprising that relatively little research is devoted to requirements in contrast with other software engineering topics. The research proposed built on our previous work. including both criteria for determining whether a requirements specification is acceptably complete and a new approach to structuring system specifications called Intent Specifications. This grant was to fund basic research on how these ideas could be extended to leverage innovative approaches to the problems of (1) reducing the impact of changing requirements, (2) finding requirements specification flaws early through formal and informal analysis, and (3) avoiding common flaws entirely through appropriate requirements specification language design.

CRITERIA FOR REHABILITATION OF FACILITIES AND TERRITORIES CONTAMINATED WITH RADIONUCLIDES AS A RESULT OF PAST ACTIVITIES: PART 1. THE CHOICE OF INDICATORS FOR JUSTIFICATION OF THE CRITERIA FOR REHABILITATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. K. Romanovich

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The article examines issues of rehabilitation of facilities and territories contaminated by the man-made and natural radionuclides as a result of past activities of enterprises of nuclear and non-nuclear industries. Rehabilitated facilities and territories contaminated with radionuclides as a result of past activities of enterprises must meet criteria based on the analysis of requirements of existing normative legislative documents in the field of radiation protection of the population taking into account the recommendations of international organizations that are justified dose quantities and derivative indicators used in criteria setting. It is shown that the criteria for rehabilitation of facilities and territories contaminated by man-made radionuclides as a result of past activities, should be the same regardless of whether the contamination occurred as a result of planned activities of the enterprise or due to unauthorized activities. For these situations, the criteria for rehabilitation should be based on dose quantities and derived indicators of the residual contamination of the environment after rehabilitation. Only indicators of radiation safety of the environment can be used in almost all cases for justification of the criteria for rehabilitation of facilities and territories contaminated by natural radionuclides. The article shows that such approaches are applicable not only to environmental media contaminated as result of past activities of enterprises of traditional non-nuclear industries but the mining of uranium and thorium ores. From the standpoint of modern classification of industrial waste with a high concentration of natural radionuclides, the characteristics of these wastes according to their potential radiation hazard to people and the environment are identical.

The Use of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Weight Elicitation Techniques in Patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment : A Pilot Study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Til, Janine A.; Dolan, James G.; Stiggelbout, Anne M.; Groothuis, Karin C.G.M.; IJzerman, Maarten J.