A Literature Review: Website Design and User Engagement.

Science.gov (United States)

Garett, Renee; Chiu, Jason; Zhang, Ly; Young, Sean D

2016-07-01

Proper design has become a critical element needed to engage website and mobile application users. However, little research has been conducted to define the specific elements used in effective website and mobile application design. We attempt to review and consolidate research on effective design and to define a short list of elements frequently used in research. The design elements mentioned most frequently in the reviewed literature were navigation, graphical representation, organization, content utility, purpose, simplicity, and readability. We discuss how previous studies define and evaluate these seven elements. This review and the resulting short list of design elements may be used to help designers and researchers to operationalize best practices for facilitating and predicting user engagement.

Space Station Freedom - Approaching the critical design phase

Science.gov (United States)

Kohrs, Richard H.; Huckins, Earle, III

1992-01-01

The status and future developments of the Space Station Freedom are discussed. To date detailed design drawings are being produced to manufacture SSF hardware. A critical design review (CDR) for the man-tended capability configuration is planned to be performed in 1993 under the SSF program. The main objective of the CDR is to enable the program to make a full commitment to proceed to manufacture parts and assemblies. NASA recently signed a contract with the Russian space company, NPO Energia, to evaluate potential applications of various Russian space hardware for on-going NASA programs.

Mission-Critical Systems Design Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyriakos Houliotis

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Safety-critical systems are well documented and standardized (e.g. IEC 61508, RTCA DO-178B within system design cycles. However in Defence and Security, systems that are critical to the success of a Mission are not defined within the literature nor are there any guidelines in defining criticality in their design or operational capabilities. When it comes to Vetronics (Vehicle Electronics, a mission-critical system, is a system with much complexity and mixed criticality levels that is a part of the overall platform (military vehicle offering integrated system capabilities. In this paper, a framework is presented, providing guidelines in designing efficiently and effectively mission-critical systems considering principles of Interoperable Open Architectures (IOA, mission-critical integrity levels and following new standardization activities such as NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture (NGVA. A Defensive Aid Suite (DAS system is used as a case study to illustrate how this framework can be exploited. The indention of this extension is to provide an approach to precisely estimate threats in order to de-risk missions in the very early stages.

TWTF project criticality task force final review and assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKinley, K.B.; Cannon, J.W.; Wheeler, F.J.; Worle, H.A.

1980-11-01

The Transuranic Waste Treatment Facility (TWTF) is being developed to process transuranic waste, stored and buried at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, into a chemically inert, physically stable basalt-like residue acceptable at a federal repository. A task force was assembled by the TWTF Project Division to review and assess all aspects of criticality safety for the TWTF. This document presents the final review, assessments, and recommendations of this task force. The following conclusions were made: Additional criticality studies are needed for the entire envelope of feed compositions and temperature effects. Safe operating k/sub eff/'s need to be determined for process components. Criticality analyses validation experiments may also be required. SRP neutron interrogation should be replaced by DDT neutron interrogation. Accuracy studies need to be performed for the proposed assaying techniques. Time-correlated neutron monitoring needs to be mocked up for process components to prove feasibility and determine accuracy. The criticality control techniques developed for the TWTF conceptual design are in compliance with ERDAM 0530, including the Double Contingency Rule. Detailed procedures and controls need to be developed

Critical Review of Membrane Bioreactor Models

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naessens, W.; Maere, T.; Ratkovich, Nicolas Rios

2012-01-01

Membrane bioreactor technology exists for a couple of decades, but has not yet overwhelmed the market due to some serious drawbacks of which operational cost due to fouling is the major contributor. Knowledge buildup and optimisation for such complex systems can heavily benefit from mathematical...... modelling. In this paper, the vast literature on hydrodynamic and integrated modelling in MBR is critically reviewed. Hydrodynamic models are used at different scales and focus mainly on fouling and only little on system design/optimisation. Integrated models also focus on fouling although the ones...

PENERAPAN CRITICAL REVIEW ARTIKEL PEMBELAJARAN IPA UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN MAHASISWA DALAM MENYUSUN PROPOSAL SKRIPSI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

p parmin

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The aims of this research is to improve students’ ability in develop- ing a proposal thesis by applying critical review of scientific articles come from journals. The research is designed by class action research. The results showed 63% of students thesis proposals on Research Methodology course scored above 80. Based on the results obtained it can be concluded that the application has been critical review or critical study of scientific articles can enhance students’ ability in preparing research proposals.

PENERAPAN CRITICAL REVIEW ARTIKEL PEMBELAJARAN IPA UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN MAHASISWA DALAM MENYUSUN PROPOSAL SKRIPSI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parmin -

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Penelitian bertujuan untuk meningkatkan kemampuan mahasiswa dalam menyusun proposal skripsi melalui penerapan critical review artikel ilmiah bersumber dari jurnal. Penelitian dirancang dengan metode penelitian tindakan kelas. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan 63% proposal skripsi mahasiswa pada mata kuliah Metodologi Penelitian mendapatkan nilai diatas 80. Berdasarkan hasil yang telah diperoleh dapat disimpulkan penerapan critical review atau kajian kritis terhadap artikel ilmiah dapat meningkatkan kemampuan mahasiswa dalam menyusun proposal penelitian.   The aims of this research is to improve students' ability in developing a proposal thesis by applying critical review of scientific articles come from journals. The research is designed by class action research. The results showed 63% of students thesis proposals on Research Methodology course scored above 80. Based on the results obtained it can be concluded that the application has been critical review or critical study of scientific articles can enhance students' ability in preparing research proposals.

Reliability design of a critical facility: An application of PRA methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Souza Vieira Neto, A.; Souza Borges, W. de

1987-01-01

Although a general agreement concerning the enforcement of reliability (probabilistic) design criteria for nuclear utilities is yet to be achieved. PRA methodology can still be used successfully as a project design and review tool, aimed at improving system's prospective performance or minimizing expected accident consequences. In this paper, the potential of such an application of PRA methods is examined in the special case of a critical design project currently being developed in Brazil. (orig.)

Critical appraisal of nonrandomized studies-A review of recommended and commonly used tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Quigley, Joan M; Thompson, Juliette C; Halfpenny, Nicholas J; Scott, David A

2018-02-27

When randomized controlled trial data are limited or unavailable, or to supplement randomized controlled trial evidence, health technology assessment (HTA) agencies may rely on systematic reviews of nonrandomized studies (NRSs) for evidence of the effectiveness of health care interventions. NRS designs may introduce considerable bias into systematic reviews, and several methodologies by which to evaluate this risk of bias are available. This study aimed to identify tools commonly used to assess bias in NRS and determine those recommended by HTA bodies. Appraisal tools used in NRS were identified through a targeted search of systematic reviews (January 2013-March 2017; MEDLINE and EMBASE [OVID SP]). Recommendations for the critical appraisal of NRS by expert review groups and HTA bodies were reviewed. From the 686 studies included in the narrative synthesis, 48 critical appraisal tools were identified. Commonly used tools included the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, the methodological index for NRS, and bespoke appraisal tools. Neither the Cochrane Handbook nor the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination recommends a particular instrument for the assessment of risk of bias in NRS, although Cochrane has recently developed their own NRS critical appraisal tool. Among HTA bodies, only the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health recommends use of a specific critical appraisal tool-SIGN 50 (for cohort or case-control studies). Several criteria including reporting, external validity, confounding, and power were examined. There is no consensus between HTA groups on the preferred appraisal tool. Reviewers should select from a suite of tools on the basis of the design of studies included in their review. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Development of critical digital review procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Huiwen; Liao Benching; Tseng Maosheng; Chung Hsianghan; Cheng Tsungchieh; Chen Minghuei

2011-01-01

This paper describes the critical digital review (CDR) procedure, which was developed by Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER), and sponsored by Taiwan Power Company (TPC). A preliminary CDR application experience which was performed by INER, is also described in this paper. Currently, CDR becomes one of the policies for digital Instrumentation and Control (I and C) system replacement in TPC. The contents of this CDR procedure include: Scope, Responsibility, Operation Procedure, Operation Flow Chart, CDR review items. The 'CDR Review Items' chapter proposes optional review items, including the comparison of the design change, Software Verification and Validation (SV and V), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Evaluation of Watchdog Timer, Evaluation of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), Evaluation of Grounding for System/Component, Seismic Evaluation, HFE Evaluation, Witness and Inspection, Lessons Learnt from the Digital I and C Failure Events. Since CDR has become a TPC policy, Chin Shan Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) performed the CDR practice of Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR) digital I and C replacement, even though the project had been on the half way. The major review items of this CDR were: the comparison of the design change, SV and V, FMEA, Evaluation of Watchdog Timer, Evaluation of Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC), Evaluation of Grounding for System/ Component, Witness and Inspection, Lessons Learnt from the Digital I and C Failure Events. The experience of the CDR showed the importance of preparation of the documents by the vendor. This means the communication with the vendors for the bid preparation is crucial. (author)

Review of design criteria for Criticality Accident Alarm System (CAAS) used in Fuel Reprocessing Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chandrasekaran, S.; Basu, Pew; Sivasubramaniyan, K.; Venkatraman, B.

2016-01-01

Though fuel cycle facilities handling fissile materials are designed with careful criticality safety analysis, the criticality accident cannot be ruled out completely. Criticality Accident Alarm System (CAAS) is being installed as part of criticality safety management in fuel cycle facilities. CAAS system being used in India, is ECIL make, ionization chamber based gamma detector, which houses three identical detectors and works on 2/3 logic. As per ISO 7753 and ANSI/ANS-8.3, the CAAS must be designed to be capable of detecting any minimum accident occurs which could be of concern. Based on this, alarm limit used in CAAS is: 4 R/h (fast transient excursion) and 3 mR in 0.5 sec (slow excursion). In case of reprocessing facilities wherein process tanks located in heavy shielding, identification of CAAS installation locations require detailed radiation transport calculations. A study has been taken to estimate the gamma dose rate from thick concrete hot cells in order to determine the locations of CAAS to meet the present design criteria of alarm limit

Criticality safety and facility design considerations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Waltz, W.R.

1991-06-01

Operations with fissile material introduce the risk of a criticality accident that may be lethal to nearby personnel. In addition, concerns over criticality safety can result in substantial delays and shutdown of facility operations. For these reasons, it is clear that the prevention of a nuclear criticality accident should play a major role in the design of a nuclear facility. The emphasis of this report will be placed on engineering design considerations in the prevention of criticality. The discussion will not include other important aspects, such as the physics of calculating limits nor criticality alarm systems

Contending Claims to Causality: A Critical Review of Mediation Research in HRD

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Rajashi; Jacobson, Seth

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to conduct a critical review of the mediation studies published in the field of Human Resource Development (HRD) to discern if the study designs, the nature of data collection and the choice of statistical methods justify the causal claims made in those studies. Design/methodology/approach: This paper conducts…

Toward superconducting critical current by design

OpenAIRE

Sadovskyy, I. A.; Jia, Y.; Leroux, M.; Kwon, J.; Hu, H.; Fang, L.; Chaparro, C.; Zhu, S.; Welp, U.; Zuo, J. -M.; Zhang, Y.; Nakasaki, R.; Selvamanickam, V.; Crabtree, G. W.; Koshelev, A. E.

2015-01-01

We present the new paradigm of critical current by design. Analogous to materials by design, it aims at predicting the optimal defect landscape in a superconductor for targeted applications by elucidating the vortex dynamics responsible for the bulk critical current. To highlight this approach, we demonstrate the synergistic combination of critical current measurements on commercial high-temperature superconductors containing self-assembled and irradiation tailored correlated defects by using...

A Cross-Industry Review of B2B Critical Success Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Eid, Riyad; Trueman, Myfanwy; Ahmed, Abdel Moneim

2002-01-01

Presents a comprehensive review of B2B (business-to- business) international Internet marketing and identifies 21 critical success factors in five categories: marketing strategy, including management support, strategic goals, and collaboration; Web site factors, including Web site design; global factors, including multilanguage sites and cultural…

Formative Review of the Critical Television Viewing Skills Curriculum for Secondary Schools. Volume I: Final Report. Volume II: Teacher's Guide: Reviewers' Suggested Revisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Wheeler, Patricia; And Others

This formative review of a project designed to help high school students become more discriminating television viewers (1) presents a description of the curriculum designed during the project to foster critical television viewing in teenagers, (2) outlines the major tasks involved in the formative review of the curriculum, and (3) presents and…

Critical review of directional neutron survey meters

Science.gov (United States)

Balmer, Matthew J. I.; Gamage, Kelum A. A.; Taylor, Graeme C.

2014-01-01

Having been overlooked for many years, research is now starting to take into account the directional distribution of the neutron work place field. The impact of not taking this into account has led to overly conservative estimates of dose in neutron workplace fields. This paper provides a critical review of this existing research into directional survey meters which could improve these estimates of dose. Instruments which could be adapted for use as directional neutron survey meters are also considered within this review. Using Monte-Carlo techniques, two of the most promising existing designs are evaluated; a boron-doped liquid scintillator and a multi-detector directional spectrometer. As an outcome of these simulations, possible adaptations to these instruments are suggested with a view to improving the portability of the instrument.

Critical Review of Directional Neutron Survey Meters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balmer, M.J.I.; Gamage, K.A.A.; Taylor, G.C.

2013-06-01

Having been overlooked for many years, research is now starting to take into account the directional distribution of the neutron work place field. The impact of not taking this into account has led to overly conservative estimates of dose in neutron workplace fields. This paper provides a critical review of this existing research into directional survey meters which could improve these estimates of dose. Instruments which could be adapted for use as directional neutron survey meters are also considered within this review. Using Monte-Carlo techniques, two of the most promising existing designs are evaluated; a boron-doped liquid scintillator and a multi-detector directional spectrometer. As an outcome of these simulations, possible adaptations to these instruments are suggested with a view to improving the portability of the instrument. (authors)

Management of language discordance in clinical nursing practice--A critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Probst, Sebastian; Imhof, Lorenz

2016-05-01

Language plays an essential role in the provision of nursing care, since successful communication is a vital prerequisite to being able to provide appropriate nursing care efficiently and effectively. It is not known what kinds of interventions are effective in overcoming language discordance in nursing practice. This critical review aimed to examine the interventions that are most successfully used to overcome language discordance in nursing. A critical review of the literature was performed and 24 relevant research papers were included. A search was carried out between January 2004 and September 2014 in MEDLINE, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Psychinfo, Germanistic online, Pragmatis and Linguistic & Language Behaviour Abstracts (LLBA). Both authors independently screened the titles (n=299), abstracts and full texts to decide which articles should be chosen. The inclusion criteria were: (1) articles examine the problem of language discordance in various health care settings and (2) articles published in English, German, French or Italian. Articles were included irrespective of their design. Data were analysed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Program Tool (CASP). In total, 24 publications met the inclusion criteria. Most of the studies (n=20) were focused on the nursing intervention of using an interpreter and three were describing the nursing assessment. The study designs of the included studies were mainly non-experimental studies, qualitative studies or reviews. The only suggested intervention described in the articles is the use of ad-hoc or professional interpreters for communicating with patients who do not speak the local language. Health care institutions should provide more strategies for clinical practice to overcome language discordance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Critical thinking in nursing: Scoping review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Zuriguel Pérez, Esperanza; Lluch Canut, Maria Teresa; Falcó Pegueroles, Anna; Puig Llobet, Montserrat; Moreno Arroyo, Carmen; Roldán Merino, Juan

2015-12-01

This article seeks to analyse the current state of scientific knowledge concerning critical thinking in nursing. The methodology used consisted of a scoping review of the main scientific databases using an applied search strategy. A total of 1518 studies published from January 1999 to June 2013 were identified, of which 90 met the inclusion criteria. The main conclusion drawn is that critical thinking in nursing is experiencing a growing interest in the study of both its concepts and its dimensions, as well as in the development of training strategies to further its development among both students and professionals. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that critical thinking has been investigated principally in the university setting, independent of conceptual models, with a variety of instruments used for its measurement. We recommend (i) the investigation of critical thinking among working professionals, (ii) the designing of evaluative instruments linked to conceptual models and (iii) the identification of strategies to promote critical thinking in the context of providing nursing care. © 2014 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

The effect of chronotherapy on delirium in critical care - a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Luther, Roseanne; McLeod, Anne

2017-05-15

Delirium is highly prevalent within critical care and is linked to adverse clinical outcomes, increased mortality and impaired quality of life. Development of delirium is thought to be caused by multiple risk factors, including disruption of the circadian rhythm. Chronotherapeutic interventions, such as light therapy, music and use of eye shades, have been suggested as an option to improve circadian rhythm within intensive care units. This review aims to answer the question: Can chronotherapy reduce the prevalence of delirium in adult patients in critical care? This study is a systematic review of quantitative studies. Six major electronic databases were searched, and a hand search was undertaken using selected key search terms. Research quality was assessed using the critical appraisal skills programme tools. The studies were critically appraised by both authors independently, and data were extracted. Four themes addressing the research question were identified and critically evaluated. Six primary research articles that investigated different methods of chronotherapy were identified, and the results suggest that multi-component non-pharmacological interventions are the most effective for reducing the prevalence of delirium in critical care. The melatonergic agonist Ramelteon demonstrated statistically significant reductions in delirium; however, the reliability of the results in answering the review question was limited by the research design. The use of bright light therapy (BLT) and dynamic light application had mixed results, with issues with the research design and outcomes measured limiting the validity of the findings. Multi-component non-pharmacological interventions, such as noise and light control, can reduce delirium in critical care, whereas other interventions, such as BLT, have mixed outcomes. Melatonin, as a drug, may be a useful alternative to sedative-hypnotics. Chronotherapy can reduce the incidence of delirium within critical care, although

Course Design for Critical Thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Furedy, John J.; Furedy, Christine

1979-01-01

A fourth year honors thesis research course in psychology at the University of Toronto uses the device of adversarial interaction to improve critical thinking. Course components, including thesis submission, research seminar, student relations, and supervision, are designed to simulate the constraints, criticism, and relationships of actual…

Coastal Critical Habitat Designations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires the Federal government to designate critical habitat, areas of habitat essential to the species' conservation, for ESA...

SPI Project Criticality Task Force initial review and assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKinley, K.B.; Cannon, J.W.; Marsden, R.S.; Worle, H.A.

1980-03-01

The Slagging Pyrolysis Incinerator (SPI) Facility is being developed to process transuranic waste stored and buried at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) into a chemically inert, physically stable, basalt-like residue acceptable for a Federal Repository. A task force was established by the SPI Project Division to review and assess all aspects of criticality safety for the SPI Facility. This document presents the initial review, evaluations, and recommendations of the task force and includes the following: background information on waste characterization, and criticality control approaches and philosophies, a description of the SPI Facility Waste Processing Building, a review and assessment of potentially relevant codes and regulations; a review and assessment of the present state of criticality and assaying/monitoring studies, and recommendations for changes in and additions to these studies. The review and assessment of potentially relevant codes and regulations indicate that ERDAM 0530, Nuclear Criticality Safety should be the controlling document for criticality safety for the SPI Project. In general, the criticality control approaches and philosophies for the SPI Project comply with this document

Teaching Critical Thinking Skills in Higher Education: A Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Behar-Horenstein, Linda S.; Niu, Lian

2011-01-01

The authors reviewed 42 empirical studies of teaching of critical thinking skills in postsecondary education published between 1994 and 2009. The instructional intervention, test measure, and research design of the studies were analyzed. Study results suggest that: (1) the same instructional interventions can lead to different results, depending…

SRTC criticality safety technical review: Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation 93-04 enriched uranium receipt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathbun, R.

1993-01-01

Review of NMP-NCS-930087, open-quotes Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation 93-04 Enriched Uranium Receipt (U), July 30, 1993, close quotes was requested of SRTC (Savannah River Technology Center) Applied Physics Group. The NCSE is a criticality assessment to determine the mass limit for Engineered Low Level Trench (ELLT) waste uranium burial. The intent is to bury uranium in pits that would be separated by a specified amount of undisturbed soil. The scope of the technical review, documented in this report, consisted of (1) an independent check of the methods and models employed, (2) independent HRXN/KENO-V.a calculations of alternate configurations, (3) application of ANSI/ANS 8.1, and (4) verification of WSRC Nuclear Criticality Safety Manual procedures. The NCSE under review concludes that a 500 gram limit per burial position is acceptable to ensure the burial site remains in a critically safe configuration for all normal and single credible abnormal conditions. This reviewer agrees with that conclusion

Review of criticality safety and shielding analysis issues for transportation packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parks, C.V.; Broadhead, B.L.

1995-01-01

The staff of the Nuclear Engineering Applications Section (NEAS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) have been involved for over 25 years with the development and application of computational tools for use in analyzing the criticality safety and shielding features of transportation packages carrying radioactive material (RAM). The majority of the computational tools developed by ORNL/NEAS have been included within the SCALE modular code system (SCALE 1995). This code system has been used throughout the world for the evaluation of nuclear facility and package designs. With this development and application experience as a basis, this paper highlights a number of criticality safety and shielding analysis issues that confront the designer and reviewer of a new RAM package. Changes in the types and quantities of material that need to be shipped will keep these issues before the technical community and provide challenges to future package design and certification

Tank farm nuclear criticality review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bratzel, D.R.

1996-01-01

The technical basis for the nuclear criticality safety of stored wastes at the Hanford Site Tank Farm Complex was reviewed by a team of senior technical personnel whose expertise covered all appropriate aspects of fissile materials chemistry and physics. The team concluded that the detailed and documented nucleonics-related studies underlying the waste tanks criticality safety basis were sound. The team concluded that, under current plutonium inventories and operating conditions, a nuclear criticality accident is incredible in any of the Hanford single-shell tanks (SST), double-shell tanks (DST), or double-contained receiver tanks (DCRTS) on the Hanford Site

SRTC criticality safety technical review of SRT-CMA-930039

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathbun, R.

1993-01-01

Review of SRT-CMA-930039, ''Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation (NCSE): DWPF Melter-Batch 1,'' December 1, 1993, has been performed by the Savannah River Technical Center (SRTC) Applied Physics Group. The NCSE is a criticality assessment of the Melt Cell in the DWPF. Additionally, this pertains only to Batch 1 operation, which differs from batches to follow. Plans for subsequent batch operations call for fissile material in the Salt Cell feed-stream, which necessitates a separate criticality evaluation in the future. The NCSE under review concludes that the process is safe from criticality events, even in the event that all lithium and boron neutron poisons are lost, provided uranium enrichments are less than 40%. Furthermore, if all the lithium and as much as 98% of the boron would be lost, uranium enrichments of 100% would be allowable. After a thorough review of the NCSE, this reviewer agrees with that conclusion. This technical review consisted of: an independent check of the methods and models employed, independent calculations application of ANSI/ANS 8.1, verification of WSRC Nuclear Criticality Safety Manual( 2 ) procedures

Critical Review of NOAA's Observation Requirements Process

Science.gov (United States)

LaJoie, M.; Yapur, M.; Vo, T.; Templeton, A.; Bludis, D.

2017-12-01

NOAA's Observing Systems Council (NOSC) maintains a comprehensive database of user observation requirements. The requirements collection process engages NOAA subject matter experts to document and effectively communicate the specific environmental observation measurements (parameters and attributes) needed to produce operational products and pursue research objectives. User observation requirements documented using a structured and standardized manner and framework enables NOAA to assess its needs across organizational lines in an impartial, objective, and transparent manner. This structure provides the foundation for: selecting, designing, developing, acquiring observing technologies, systems and architectures; budget and contract formulation and decision-making; and assessing in a repeatable fashion the productivity, efficiency and optimization of NOAA's observing system enterprise. User observation requirements are captured independently from observing technologies. Therefore, they can be addressed by a variety of current or expected observing capabilities and allow flexibility to be remapped to new and evolving technologies. NOAA's current inventory of user observation requirements were collected over a ten-year period, and there have been many changes in policies, mission priorities, and funding levels during this time. In light of these changes, the NOSC initiated a critical, in-depth review to examine all aspects of user observation requirements and associated processes during 2017. This presentation provides background on the NOAA requirements process, major milestones and outcomes of the critical review, and plans for evolving and connecting observing requirements processes in the next year.

Critical Design Review of a Powder HIPed Shield Concept. Final Report for the contract EFDA/01-601

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lind, Anders

2002-05-01

The Shield of the ITER Primary Wall Module Option A consists of a 316L Stainless Steel block with front and back side radially cooled through water headers. In order to avoid structural welds located in high irradiation fields or highly mechanically loaded, powder HIPing was proposed by the EU Home Team as a possible fabrication method. This choice was motivated by the good results obtained through an extensive R and D programme performed within Associations and Industries. However, this fabrication technique has some implications on the design of the component, which shall be considered from the very beginning to achieve good performance and low cost. A critical review was therefore needed to optimise the concept before the fabrication of a Shield prototype. The contractor, based on its own experience on powder HIP technology and on the support from appropriate industry, did check the fabrication feasibility of the proposed Shield concept. The concept was judged to be feasible to a combined powder/solid HIPing route. Some adjustments of the design were proposed. The price for producing one shield block in a series of 400 items was estimated to fall into the range 150,000 - 175,000 Euro/pc

Critical review: medical students' motivation after failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, Chris

2016-08-01

About 10 % of students in each years' entrants to medical school will encounter academic failure at some stage in their programme. The usual approach to supporting these students is to offer them short term remedial study programmes that often enhance approaches to study that are orientated towards avoiding failure. In this critical review I will summarise the current theories about student motivation that are most relevant to this group of students and describe how they are enhanced or not by various contextual factors that medical students experience during their programme. I will conclude by suggesting ways in which support programmes for students who have encountered academic failure might be better designed and researched in the future.

Review of battery powered embedded systems design for mission-critical low-power applications

Science.gov (United States)

Malewski, Matthew; Cowell, David M. J.; Freear, Steven

2018-06-01

The applications and uses of embedded systems is increasingly pervasive. Mission and safety critical systems relying on embedded systems pose specific challenges. Embedded systems is a multi-disciplinary domain, involving both hardware and software. Systems need to be designed in a holistic manner so that they are able to provide the desired reliability and minimise unnecessary complexity. The large problem landscape means that there is no one solution that fits all applications of embedded systems. With the primary focus of these mission and safety critical systems being functionality and reliability, there can be conflicts with business needs, and this can introduce pressures to reduce cost at the expense of reliability and functionality. This paper examines the challenges faced by battery powered systems, and then explores at more general problems, and several real-world embedded systems.

Toward Superconducting Critical Current by Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Sadovskyy, Ivan A; Jia, Ying; Leroux, Maxime; Kwon, Jihwan; Hu, Hefei; Fang, Lei; Chaparro, Carlos; Zhu, Shaofei; Welp, Ulrich; Zuo, Jian-Min; Zhang, Yifei; Nakasaki, Ryusuke; Selvamanickam, Venkat; Crabtree, George W; Koshelev, Alexei E; Glatz, Andreas; Kwok, Wai-Kwong

2016-06-01

A new critical-current-by-design paradigm is presented. It aims at predicting the optimal defect landscape in superconductors for targeted applications by elucidating the vortex dynamics responsible for the bulk critical current. To this end, critical current measurements on commercial high-temperature superconductors are combined with large-scale time-dependent Ginzburg-Landau simulations of vortex dynamics. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Technical guide to criticality alarm system design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenfield, B.

2009-01-01

An instructional manual was created to guide criticality safety engineers through the technical aspects of designing a criticality alarm system (CAS) for Dept. of Energy (DOE) hazard class 1 and 2 facilities. The manual was structured such that it can be used by engineers designing completely new systems and by those who are working with existing facilities. Major design tasks are thoroughly analyzed to provide concise direction for how to complete the analysis. Regulatory and technical performance requirements were both addressed. (authors)

The policy challenges of tradable credits: A critical review of eight markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sovacool, Benjamin K.

2011-01-01

This article offers a critical review of eight tradable permit markets: water permits at Fox River, Wisconsin; the U.S. leaded gasoline phase-out; sulfur dioxide credits under the U.S. Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990; the Regional Clean Air Incentives Market (RECLAIM) for controlling ozone and acid rain in Southern California; renewable energy credit trading at the regional level in the United States; individual transferrable quotas for fisheries at the national level in New Zealand; carbon credits traded under the European Union-Emissions Trading Scheme; and carbon offsets permitted under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. By 'critical' the article does not fully weigh the costs and benefits of each tradable credit scheme and instead identifies key challenges and problems. By 'review' the author relied exclusively on secondary data from an interdisciplinary review of the academic literature. Rather than performing as economic theory suggests, the article shows that in many cases credit markets are prone to compromises in program design, transaction costs, price volatility, leakage, and environmental degradation. The article concludes by discussing the implications of these problems for those seeking to design more equitable and effective public policies addressing environmental degradation and climate change. - Research Highlights: →This study reviews eight tradable credit markets. →It finds that markets are prone to common problems. →It concludes that tradable permit markets are political instruments as much as they are economic ones.

Nutrition in acute pancreatitis: a critical review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lodewijkx, Piet J.; Besselink, Marc G.; Witteman, Ben J.; Schepers, Nicolien J.; Gooszen, Hein G.; van Santvoort, Hjalmar C.; Bakker, Olaf J.

Severe acute pancreatitis poses unique nutritional challenges. The optimal nutritional support in patients with severe acute pancreatitis has been a subject of debate for decades. This review provides a critical review of the available literature. According to current literature, enteral nutrition

Radically Reducing the Costs of Panel Critical Reviews According to ISO 14040

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Weidema, Bo Pedersen; Christiansen, Kim; Wernet, Gregor

2013-01-01

We suggest a procedure that radically reduces the critical review costs without compromising their thoroughness and overall quality. This procedure has 3 elements: A fixed panel for all reviews, an already critically reviewed background database, and a software-supported review procedure. The pre....... The presentation discusses these elements in the light of the upcoming ISO 14071 on critical review....

SRTC criticality technical review: Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation 93-18 Uranium Solidification Facility's Waste Handling Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathbun, R.

1993-01-01

Separate review of NMP-NCS-930058, open-quotes Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation 93-18 Uranium Solidification Facility's Waste Handling Facility (U), August 17, 1993,close quotes was requested of SRTC Applied Physics Group. The NCSE is a criticality assessment to determine waste container uranium limits in the Uranium Solidification Facility's Waste Handling Facility. The NCSE under review concludes that the NDA room remains in a critically safe configuration for all normal and single credible abnormal conditions. The ability to make this conclusion is highly dependent on array limitation and inclusion of physical barriers between 2x2x1 arrays of boxes containing materials contaminated with uranium. After a thorough review of the NCSE and independent calculations, this reviewer agrees with that conclusion

A systematic review of critical thinking in nursing education.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Zenobia C Y

2013-03-01

This review aimed to explore how critical thinking is perceived in previous studies of nursing education, and analyse the obstacles and strategies in teaching and learning critical thinking mentioned in these studies. Systematic review. This review was based on the following five databases: The British Nursing Index, Ovid Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Scopus. After the screening process and evaluation through using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool, 17 studies were identified that met the inclusion and quality criteria. The studies were read through several times and analysed through thematic synthesis. A total of three themes were developed. The first theme, components for critical thinkers, suggests the abilities and attitudes that critical thinkers should have. The other two themes, influential factors of critical thinking in nursing education, and strategies to promote critical thinking, describe the obstacles and strategies in teaching and learning critical thinking. The 17 studies illustrated that the definition and concept of critical thinking may change from time to time, and hence there is a need to clarify educators' perspective towards critical thinking. There is also a need to evaluate the efficacy of the new strategies mentioned in several selected studies, such as art-based, questioning, cross-cultural nursing experience, and preceptorship. With a better understanding of critical thinking in nursing education, educators and nursing faculty are able to develop better strategies in enhancing critical thinking development in nursing students, in turn preparing them for future clinical practice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design aspects of safety critical instrumentation of nuclear installations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swaminathan, P. [Electronics Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, Tamil Nadu (India)]. E-mail: swamy@igcar.ernet.in

2005-07-01

Safety critical instrumentation systems ensure safe shutdown/configuration of the nuclear installation when process status exceeds the safety threshold limits. Design requirements for safety critical instrumentation such as functional and electrical independence, fail-safe design, and architecture to ensure the specified unsafe failure rate and safe failure rate, human machine interface (HMI), etc., are explained with examples. Different fault tolerant architectures like 1/2, 2/2, 2/3 hot stand-by are compared for safety critical instrumentation. For embedded systems, software quality assurance is detailed both during design phase and O and M phase. Different software development models such as waterfall model and spiral model are explained with examples. The error distribution in embedded system is detailed. The usage of formal method is outlined to reduce the specification error. The guidelines for coding of application software are outlined. The interface problems of safety critical instrumentation with sensors, actuators, other computer systems, etc., are detailed with examples. Testability and maintainability shall be taken into account during design phase. Online diagnostics for safety critical instrumentation is detailed with examples. Salient details of design guides from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, International Atomic Energy Agency and standards from IEEE, BIS are given towards the design of safety critical instrumentation systems. (author)

Design aspects of safety critical instrumentation of nuclear installations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swaminathan, P.

2005-01-01

Safety critical instrumentation systems ensure safe shutdown/configuration of the nuclear installation when process status exceeds the safety threshold limits. Design requirements for safety critical instrumentation such as functional and electrical independence, fail-safe design, and architecture to ensure the specified unsafe failure rate and safe failure rate, human machine interface (HMI), etc., are explained with examples. Different fault tolerant architectures like 1/2, 2/2, 2/3 hot stand-by are compared for safety critical instrumentation. For embedded systems, software quality assurance is detailed both during design phase and O and M phase. Different software development models such as waterfall model and spiral model are explained with examples. The error distribution in embedded system is detailed. The usage of formal method is outlined to reduce the specification error. The guidelines for coding of application software are outlined. The interface problems of safety critical instrumentation with sensors, actuators, other computer systems, etc., are detailed with examples. Testability and maintainability shall be taken into account during design phase. Online diagnostics for safety critical instrumentation is detailed with examples. Salient details of design guides from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, International Atomic Energy Agency and standards from IEEE, BIS are given towards the design of safety critical instrumentation systems. (author)

Pushback: Critical data designers and pollution politics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kim Fortun

2016-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we describe how critical data designers have created projects that ‘push back’ against the eclipse of environmental problems by dominant orders: the pioneering pollution database Scorecard, released by the US NGO Environmental Defense Fund in 1997; the US Environmental Protection Agency’s EnviroAtlas that brings together numerous data sets and provides tools for valuing ecosystem services; and the Houston Clean Air Network’s maps of real-time ozone levels in Houston. Drawing on ethnographic observations and interviews, we analyse how critical data designers turn scientific data and findings into claims and visualisations that are meaningful in contemporary political terms. The skills of critical data designers cross scales and domains; they must identify problems calling for public consideration, and then locate, access, link, and create visualisations of data relevant to the problem. We conclude by describing hazards ahead in work to leverage Big Data to understand and address environmental problems. Critical data designers need to understand what counts as a societal problem in a particular context, what doesn’t, what is seen as connected and not, what is seen as ethically charged, and what is exonerated and discounted. Such recognition is produced through interpretive, ‘close reading’ of the historical moment in which they operate.

New design procedure development of future reactor critical power estimation. (1) Practical design-by-analysis method for BWR critical power design correlation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Yasushi; Mitsutake, Toru

2007-01-01

For present BWR fuels, the full mock-up thermal-hydraulic test, such as the critical power measurement test, pressure drop measurement test and so on, has been needed. However, the full mock-up test required the high costs and large-scale test facility. At present, there are only a few test facilities to perform the full mock-up thermal-hydraulic test in the world. Moreover, for future BWR, the bundle size tends to be larger, because of reducing the plant construction costs and minimizing the routine check period. For instance, AB1600, improved ABWR, was proposed from Toshiba, whose bundle size was 1.2 times larger than the conventional BWR fuel size. It is too expensive and far from realistic to perform the full mock-up thermal-hydraulic test for such a large size fuel bundle. The new design procedure is required to realize the large scale bundle design development, especially for the future reactor. Therefore, the new design procedure, Practical Design-by-Analysis (PDBA) method, has been developed. This new procedure consists of the partial mock-up test and numerical analysis. At present, the subchannel analysis method based on three-fluid two-phase flow model only is a realistic choice. Firstly, the partial mock-up test is performed, for instance, the 1/4 partial mock-up bundle. Then, the first-step critical power correlation coefficients are evaluated with the measured data. The input data, such as the spacer effect model coefficient, on the subchannel analysis are also estimated with the data. Next, the radial power effect on the critical power of the full-bundle size was estimated with the subchannel analysis. Finally, the critical power correlation is modified by the subchannel analysis results. In the present study, the critical power correlation of the conventional 8x8 BWR fuel was developed with the PDBA method by 4x4 partial mock-up tests and the subchannel analysis code. The accuracy of the estimated critical power was 3.8%. The several themes remain to

Seasonal Thermal-Energy Storage: A Critical Review on BTES Systems, Modeling, and System Design for Higher System Efficiency

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Lanahan

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Buildings consume approximately ¾ of the total electricity generated in the United States, contributing significantly to fossil fuel emissions. Sustainable and renewable energy production can reduce fossil fuel use, but necessitates storage for energy reliability in order to compensate for the intermittency of renewable energy generation. Energy storage is critical for success in developing a sustainable energy grid because it facilitates higher renewable energy penetration by mitigating the gap between energy generation and demand. This review analyzes recent case studies—numerical and field experiments—seen by borehole thermal energy storage (BTES in space heating and domestic hot water capacities, coupled with solar thermal energy. System design, model development, and working principle(s are the primary focus of this analysis. A synopsis of the current efforts to effectively model BTES is presented as well. The literature review reveals that: (1 energy storage is most effective when diurnal and seasonal storage are used in conjunction; (2 no established link exists between BTES computational fluid dynamics (CFD models integrated with whole building energy analysis tools, rather than parameter-fit component models; (3 BTES has less geographical limitations than Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage (ATES and lower installation cost scale than hot water tanks and (4 BTES is more often used for heating than for cooling applications.

SRTC criticality safety technical review: Nuclear criticality safety evaluation 94-02, uranium solidification facility pencil tank module spacing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathbun, R.

1994-01-01

Review of NMP-NCS-94-0087, ''Nuclear Criticality Safety Evaluation 94-02: Uranium Solidification Facility Pencil Tank Module Spacing (U), April 18, 1994,'' was requested of the SRTC Applied Physics Group. The NCSE is a criticality assessment to show that the USF process module spacing, as given in Non-Conformance Report SHM-0045, remains safe for operation. The NCSE under review concludes that the module spacing as given in Non-Conformance Report SHM-0045 remains in a critically safe configuration for all normal and single credible abnormal conditions. After a thorough review of the NCSE, this reviewer agrees with that conclusion

Review of teaching methods and critical thinking skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Kowalczyk, Nina

2011-01-01

Critical information is needed to inform radiation science educators regarding successful critical thinking educational strategies. From an evidence-based research perspective, systematic reviews are identified as the most current and highest level of evidence. Analysis at this high level is crucial in analyzing those teaching methods most appropriate to the development of critical thinking skills. To conduct a systematic literature review to identify teaching methods that demonstrate a positive effect on the development of students' critical thinking skills and to identify how these teaching strategies can best translate to radiologic science educational programs. A comprehensive literature search was conducted resulting in an assessment of 59 full reports. Nineteen of the 59 reports met inclusion criteria and were reviewed based on the level of evidence presented. Inclusion criteria included studies conducted in the past 10 years on sample sizes of 20 or more individuals demonstrating use of specific teaching interventions for 5 to 36 months in postsecondary health-related educational programs. The majority of the research focused on problem-based learning (PBL) requiring standardized small-group activities. Six of the 19 studies focused on PBL and demonstrated significant differences in student critical thinking scores. PBL, as described in the nursing literature, is an effective teaching method that should be used in radiation science education. ©2011 by the American Society of Radiologic Technologists.

An Integrative Review of the Concealed Connection: Nurse Educators' Critical Thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, Christy; Profetto-McGrath, Joanne; Myrick, Florence; Strean, William B

2017-11-01

The role of nurse educators in the development of students' critical thinking has been overlooked despite the emphasized need for effective teaching methods. An integrative review was performed to examine both quantitative and qualitative research published from 2000 to 2015 related to nurse educators' critical thinking. Many barriers and facilitators existing on individual, interpersonal, and contextual levels affected nurse educators' critical thinking. Various tools have been used to measure nurse educators' critical thinking. This review also highlighted the continued lack of a consensus definition of critical thinking and the limited presence of conceptual models to guide the use of critical thinking in nursing education. Continued examination of nurse educators' critical thinking is needed, given the limited number of studies that have been completed. Much needs to be explored further, including conceptualizations of critical thinking and confirmation of emerging themes identified in this review. [J Nurs Educ. 2017;56(11):648-654.]. © 2017 Raymond, Profetto-McGrath, Myrick, et al.

ETF interim design review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiner, D.; Rutherford, P.H.

1980-01-01

A three-day ETF Interim Design Review was conducted on July 23-25, 1980, at the Sheraton Potomac Inn in Rockville, Maryland. The intent of the review was to provide a forum for an in-depth assessment and critique of all facets of the ETF design by members of the fusion community. The review began with an opening plenary session at which an overview of the ETF design was presented by D. Steiner, manager of the ETF Design Center, complemented by a physics overview by P.H. Rutherford, chairman of the ETF/INTOR Physics Committee. This was followed by six concurrent review sessions over the next day and a half. The review closed with a plenary session at which the Design Review Board presented its findings. This document consists of the viewgraphs for the opening plenary session and an edited version of the presentations made by Steiner and Rutherford

Developments in solar still desalination systems: A critical review

KAUST Repository

Ayoub, George M.

2012-10-01

Solar still desalination uses a sustainable and pollution-free source to produce high-quality water. The main limitation is low productivity and this has been the focus of intensive research. A major concern while increasing productivity is to maintain economic feasibility and simplicity. The authors present a critical review of the research work conducted on solar stills development. Studies addressing each parameter of concern are grouped together and results compared. Novelty in design and newly introduced features are presented. Modeling efforts of flow circulation within the still and methods to estimate internal heat transfer coefficients are discussed and future research needs are outlined. © 2012 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Online course design for teaching critical thinking.

Science.gov (United States)

Schaber, Patricia; Shanedling, Janet

2012-01-01

Teaching critical thinking (CT) skills, a goal in higher education, is seldom considered in the primary design of either classroom or online courses, and is even less frequently measured in student learning. In health professional education, CT along with clinical reasoning skills is essential for the development of clinical practitioners. This study, measuring CT skill development in an online theory course, supports using a cyclical course design to build higher level processes in student thinking. Eighty-six Masters of Occupational Therapy students in four sections of an occupation-based theory course were evaluated on elements in the Paul and Elder CT Model throughout the course and surveyed for their perceptions in their ability to think critically at course completion. Results of this study demonstrated that the online theory course design contributed to improving critical thinking skills and student's perceived CT skill development as applicable to their future professional practice. In a focus group, eight students identified four effective course design features that contributed to their CT skill development: highly structured learning, timely feedback from instructor, repetition of assignments, and active engagement with the material.

Green Adsorbents for Wastewaters: A Critical Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Z. Kyzas

2014-01-01

Full Text Available One of the most serious environmental problems is the existence of hazardous and toxic pollutants in industrial wastewaters. The major hindrance is the simultaneous existence of many/different types of pollutants as (i dyes; (ii heavy metals; (iii phenols; (iv pesticides and (v pharmaceuticals. Adsorption is considered to be one of the most promising techniques for wastewater treatment over the last decades. The economic crisis of the 2000s led researchers to turn their interest in adsorbent materials with lower cost. In this review article, a new term will be introduced, which is called “green adsorption”. Under this term, it is meant the low-cost materials originated from: (i agricultural sources and by-products (fruits, vegetables, foods; (ii agricultural residues and wastes; (iii low-cost sources from which most complex adsorbents will be produced (i.e., activated carbons after pyrolysis of agricultural sources. These “green adsorbents” are expected to be inferior (regarding their adsorption capacity to the super-adsorbents of previous literature (complex materials as modified chitosans, activated carbons, structurally-complex inorganic composite materials etc., but their cost-potential makes them competitive. This review is a critical approach to green adsorption, discussing many different (maybe in some occasions doubtful topics such as: (i adsorption capacity; (ii kinetic modeling (given the ultimate target to scale up the batch experimental data to fixed-bed column calculations for designing/optimizing commercial processes and (iii critical techno-economical data of green adsorption processes in order to scale-up experiments (from lab to industry with economic analysis and perspectives of the use of green adsorbents.

Green Adsorbents for Wastewaters: A Critical Review

Science.gov (United States)

Kyzas, George Z.; Kostoglou, Margaritis

2014-01-01

One of the most serious environmental problems is the existence of hazardous and toxic pollutants in industrial wastewaters. The major hindrance is the simultaneous existence of many/different types of pollutants as (i) dyes; (ii) heavy metals; (iii) phenols; (iv) pesticides and (v) pharmaceuticals. Adsorption is considered to be one of the most promising techniques for wastewater treatment over the last decades. The economic crisis of the 2000s led researchers to turn their interest in adsorbent materials with lower cost. In this review article, a new term will be introduced, which is called “green adsorption”. Under this term, it is meant the low-cost materials originated from: (i) agricultural sources and by-products (fruits, vegetables, foods); (ii) agricultural residues and wastes; (iii) low-cost sources from which most complex adsorbents will be produced (i.e., activated carbons after pyrolysis of agricultural sources). These “green adsorbents” are expected to be inferior (regarding their adsorption capacity) to the super-adsorbents of previous literature (complex materials as modified chitosans, activated carbons, structurally-complex inorganic composite materials etc.), but their cost-potential makes them competitive. This review is a critical approach to green adsorption, discussing many different (maybe in some occasions doubtful) topics such as: (i) adsorption capacity; (ii) kinetic modeling (given the ultimate target to scale up the batch experimental data to fixed-bed column calculations for designing/optimizing commercial processes) and (iii) critical techno-economical data of green adsorption processes in order to scale-up experiments (from lab to industry) with economic analysis and perspectives of the use of green adsorbents. PMID:28788460

A critical review of clarifier modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Plósz, Benedek; Nopens, Ingmar; Rieger, Leiv

This outline paper aims to provide a critical review of secondary settling tank (SST) modelling approaches used in current wastewater engineering and develop tools not yet applied in practice. We address the development of different tier models and experimental techniques in the field...

Critical teaching as mutual learning through collective social design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chimirri, Niklas Alexander; Dupret, Katia

How to sustainably implement Higher Education’s aim to teach for critical and societally relevant thinking and acting into its teaching formats? As part of a two-week intense workshop process developed at Roskilde University’s HumTek Bachelor Study Program for first-year students, the authors have......, given that the students are to test and challenge their initial design ideas with other stakeholders. This process-oriented collective teaching-designing framework, we argue, sustainably anchors critical thinking and acting in a hands-on educational setting. Teaching is – like social design...... that teaching as well as design can only be rendered sustainable by critically reflecting on its epistemic possibilities and limitations across diverse stakeholder perspectives....

Design and validation of a critical pathway for hospital management of patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Espinosa-Aguilar, Amilcar; Reyes-Morales, Hortensia; Huerta-Posada, Carlos E; de León, Itzcoatl Limón-Pérez; López-López, Fernando; Mejía-Hernández, Margarita; Mondragón-Martínez, María A; Calderón-Téllez, Ligia M; Amezcua-Cuevas, Rosa L; Rebollar-González, Jorge A

2008-05-01

Critical pathways for the management of patients with severe traumatic brain injury (STBI) may contribute to reducing the incidence of hospital complications, length of hospitalization stay, and cost of care. Such pathways have previously been developed for departments with significant resource availability. In Mexico, STBI is the most important cause of complications and length of stay in neurotrauma services at public hospitals. Although current treatment is designed basically in accordance with the Brain Trauma Foundation guidelines, shortfalls in the availability of local resources make it difficult to comply with these standards, and no critical pathway is available that accords with the resources of public hospitals. The purpose of the present study was to design and to validate a critical pathway for managing STBI patients that would be suitable for implementation in neurotrauma departments of middle-income level countries. The study comprised two phases: design (through literature review and design plan) and validation (content, construct, and appearance) of the critical pathway. The validated critical pathway for managing STBI patients entails four sequential subprocesses summarizing the hospital's care procedures, and includes three components: (1) nodes and criteria (in some cases, indicators are also included); (2) health team members in charge of the patient; (3) maximum estimated time for compliance with recommendations. This validated critical pathway is based on the current scientific evidence and accords with the availability of resources of middle-income countries.

Do consumer critics write differently from professional critics? A genre analysis of online film reviews

NARCIS (Netherlands)

De Jong, I.K.E.; Burgers, C.F.

2013-01-01

Consumers often base their choices to purchase experience goods like movies on online reviews. These reviews can be written by professional critics or by other consumers. However, little is known on the issue how the texts written by these two groups of reviewers differ. To answer this question, we

Getting it right! Critical Success Factors of BPM in the Public Sector: A Systematic Literature Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rehan Syed

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The continuously evolving and dynamic social, economic, political environments and public pressures demand governments to deliver effective and efficient public services. In the quest for meeting these demands, governments respond by designing extensive reforms and performance objectives to improve the efficiency and responsiveness of their agencies. Many governments have adopted Business Process Management (BPM as a strategy to achieve these reforms. However, the successful implementation of BPM initiatives has been a challenging task for agencies responsible for these initiatives, with many projects not reaching completion or not achieving the intended outcomes. This paper reports the results of a systematic literature review on critical success factors (CSFs related to BPM projects in the public sector. We analysed 31 papers in this review covering both the developed and developing country contexts, sourced from refereed and peer reviewed journals. A quasi-deductive approach was applied for the qualitative data analysis using NVivo 10 software. This resulted in the synthesis and identification of 14 critical success factors of BPM in the public sector, each defined and described in detail with specific attention to the sub-factors mentioned within the literature. Any differences between developed and developing country contexts were sought for, and the observations critically analysed. We propose a series of research questions, designed to support the progression of BPM in the public sector of developed as well as developing countries.

The human factors of color in environmental design: A critical review

Science.gov (United States)

Wise, Barbara K.; Wise, James A.

1988-01-01

The literature on environmental color to enhance habitability in the design of Space Station interiors is reviewed. Some 200 studies were examined to determine the relative contributions of the three dimensions of color (hue, saturation, and brightness or lightness) to responses to environmental colorations. Implications of the study for color usage in novel settings and locales include: (1) There are no hard-wired linkages between environmental colors and particular judgmental or emotional states; (2) Perceptual impressions of color applications can, however, affect experiences and performances in settings; (3) Color behavior studies cannot yet specify an optimal color scheme, but instead must consider differing objectives, the relative importance of each, and design features such as the coordination of geometry, color, texture, etc.; (4) Some color-behavior effects are governed by low-level retinal and limbal mechanisms as well as by cognitive processes; and (5) Colors should first be specified in terms of what they are to do instead of what they are. Some exercise of choice is therefore needed to establish a sense of personal competence in the setting, since color must be ultimately be accepted by the people who are to live with it.

Evidence Based Clinical Assessment of Child and Adolescent Social Phobia: A Critical Review of Rating Scales

Science.gov (United States)

Tulbure, Bogdan T.; Szentagotai, Aurora; Dobrean, Anca; David, Daniel

2012-01-01

Investigating the empirical support of various assessment instruments, the evidence based assessment approach expands the scientific basis of psychotherapy. Starting from Hunsley and Mash's evaluative framework, we critically reviewed the rating scales designed to measure social anxiety or phobia in youth. Thirteen of the most researched social…

Evaluation of critical materials in five additional advance design photovoltaic cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, S.A.; Watts, R.L.; Martin, P.; Gurwell, W.E.

1981-02-01

The objective of this study is to identify potential material supply constraints due to the large-scale deployment of five advanced photovoltaic (PV) cell designs, and to suggest strategies to reduce the impacts of these production capacity limitations and potential future material shortages. The Critical Materials Assessment Program (CMAP) screens the designs and their supply chains and identifies potential shortages which might preclude large-scale use of the technologies. The results of the screening of five advanced PV cell designs are presented: (1) indium phosphide/cadmium sulfide, (2) zinc phosphide, (3) cadmium telluride/cadmium sulfide, (4) copper indium selenium, and (5) cadmium selenide photoelectrochemical. Each of these five cells is screened individually assuming that they first come online in 1991, and that 25 Gwe of peak capacity is online by the year 2000. A second computer screening assumes that each cell first comes online in 1991 and that each cell has a 5 GWe of peak capacity by the year 2000, so that the total online capacity for the five cells is 25 GWe. Based on a review of the preliminary baseline screening results, suggestions were made for varying such parameters as the layer thickness, cell production processes, etc. The resulting PV cell characterizations were then screened again by the CMAP computer code. The CMAP methodology used to identify critical materials is described; and detailed characterizations of the advanced photovoltaic cell designs under investigation, descriptions of additional cell production processes, and the results are presented. (WHK)

Do Parent Education Programs Promote Healthy Post-Divorce Parenting? Critical Distinctions and a Review of the Evidence

Science.gov (United States)

Sigal, Amanda; Sandler, Irwin; Wolchik, Sharlene; Braver, Sanford

2009-01-01

Most parent education programs are designed to improve child well-being following divorce by changing some aspect of parenting. However, there has been relatively little discussion of what aspects of parenting are most critical and the effectiveness of programs to change different aspects of parenting. This paper addresses these issues by: 1. Distinguishing three aspects of post-divorce parenting that have been targeted in parent education programs; 2. Reviewing evidence of the relations between each aspect of parenting and the well-being of children and; 3. Critically reviewing evidence that parent education programs have been successful in changing each aspect of post-divorce parenting. PMID:21552360

Is puberty a risk factor for back pain in the young? a systematic critical literature review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lardon, A.; Leboeuf-Yde, C.; Le Scanff, C.

2014-01-01

the increasing stages of puberty and the subsequent prevalence of back pain? 4) Is there a temporal link between puberty and back pain? DESIGN: A systematic critical literature review. METHODS: Systematic searches were made in March 2014 in PubMed, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO including longitudinal or cross...

Added value of FM – a critical review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Per Anker; van der Voordt, Theo

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to provide a state of the art of how the topic “Added value of FM” has been treated recently in research and practice. The paper is based on research papers from EFMC 2013 and 2014. The paper provides an overview and a critical review of this research. A main focus...... is to examine to which degree there is a cumulative knowledge building in this field. The paper also summarises findings about value adding management in practice and reflects on implications for research and practice. The critical review shows that some of the papers have a strong foundation in former research...

Design review report for the hydrogen interlock preliminary design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corbett, J.E.

1996-01-01

This report documents the completion of a preliminary design review for the hydrogen interlock. The hydrogen interlock, a proposed addition to the Rotary Mode Core Sampling (RMCS) system portable exhauster, is intended to support core sampling operations in waste tanks requiring flammable gas controls. The objective of this review was to validate basic design assumptions and concepts to support a path forward leading to a final design. The conclusion reached by the review committee was that the design was acceptable and efforts should continue toward a final design review

International Peer Reviews of Design Basis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, Peter

2013-01-01

International peer reviews: Design and safety assessment review service: - Review of design requirements; - Review in support of licensing; - Review in support of severe accident management; - Review in support of modifications; - Review in relation to periodic safety, or life extension; - Reviews take place at any time in NPP lifecycle from concept, through design and operations

FDH radiological design review guidelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millsap, W.J.

1998-01-01

These guidelines discuss in more detail the radiological design review process used by the Project Hanford Management Contractors as described in HNF-PRO-1622, Radiological Design Review Process. They are intended to supplement the procedure by providing background information on the design review process and providing a ready source of information to design reviewers. The guidelines are not intended to contain all the information in the procedure, but at points, in order to maintain continuity, they contain some of the same information

FDH radiological design review guidelines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Millsap, W.J.

1998-09-29

These guidelines discuss in more detail the radiological design review process used by the Project Hanford Management Contractors as described in HNF-PRO-1622, Radiological Design Review Process. They are intended to supplement the procedure by providing background information on the design review process and providing a ready source of information to design reviewers. The guidelines are not intended to contain all the information in the procedure, but at points, in order to maintain continuity, they contain some of the same information.

A critical review and meta-analysis of the association between overt hyperthyroidism and mortality

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brandt, Frans; Green, Anders; Hegedüs, Laszlo

2011-01-01

Overt hyperthyroidism has been associated with cardiac arrhythmias, hypercoagulopathy, stroke, and pulmonary embolism, all of which may increase mortality. Some, but not all, studies show an increased mortality in patients with hyperthyroidism. This inconsistency may be due to differences in stud...... design, characteristics of participants, or confounders. In order to test whether hyperthyroidism influences mortality, we performed a critical review and statistical meta-analysis....

Design of experiments for microencapsulation applications: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Paulo, Filipa; Santos, Lúcia

2017-08-01

Microencapsulation techniques have been intensively explored by many research sectors such as pharmaceutical and food industries. Microencapsulation allows to protect the active ingredient from the external environment, mask undesired flavours, a possible controlled release of compounds among others. The purpose of this review is to provide a background of design of experiments in microencapsulation research context. Optimization processes are required for an accurate research in these fields and therefore, the right implementation of micro-sized techniques at industrial scale. This article critically reviews the use of the response surface methodologies in pharmaceutical and food microencapsulation research areas. A survey of optimization procedures in the literature, in the last few years is also presented. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Applying critical analysis - main methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel Araujo Alonso

2012-02-01

Full Text Available What is the usefulness of critical appraisal of literature? Critical analysis is a fundamental condition for the correct interpretation of any study that is subject to review. In epidemiology, in order to learn how to read a publication, we must be able to analyze it critically. Critical analysis allows us to check whether a study fulfills certain previously established methodological inclusion and exclusion criteria. This is frequently used in conducting systematic reviews although eligibility criteria are generally limited to the study design. Critical analysis of literature and be done implicitly while reading an article, as in reading for personal interest, or can be conducted in a structured manner, using explicit and previously established criteria. The latter is done when formally reviewing a topic.

High-power FEL design issues - a critical review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Litvinenko, V.N.; Madey, J.M.J.; O`Shea, P.G. [Duke Univ., Durham, NC (United States)

1995-12-31

The high-average power capability of FELs has been much advertised but little realized. In this paper we provide a critical analysis of the technological and economic issues associated with high-average power FEL operation from the UV to near IR. The project of IR FEL for the Siberian Center of photochemical researches is described. The distinguished features of this project are the use of the race-track microtron-recuperator and the {open_quotes}electron output of radiation{close_quotes}. The building for the machine is under reconstruction now. About half of hardware has been manufactured. The assembly of installation began.

Gifts to the Future: Design Reasoning, Design Research, and Critical Design Practitioners

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janet McDonnell

Full Text Available Set in the context of a particular orthodoxy about the history of design research over the last 50 years, this opinion piece selectively surveys some of the significant findings from research into what expert design reasoning entails. Using the conceit of a pool of knowledge—which has come about from many different design research agendas, using multiple methods, and with differing foci of attention—it indicates some of what we know about design reasoning as a phenomenon by taking three “scoops” from the pool. These scoops, respectively characterize design reasoning as navigating the swamp; having negative capability; and being concerned with framing. This material is then used to contrast expert design reasoning with salient features of some popular characterizations of design thinking. The contribution concludes with some comments on designer formation, centered on the necessity of proficiency in reflection implied by any goal to nurture critical design practitioners.

USING POWDERED ACTIVATED CARBON: A CRITICAL REVIEW

Science.gov (United States)

Because the performance of powdered activated carbon (PAC) for uses other than taste and odor control is poorly documented, the purpose of this article is to critically review uses that have been reported (i.e., pesticides and herbicides, synthetic organic chemicals, and trihalom...

Some notes on critical appraisal of prevalence studies: Comment on: "The development of a critical appraisal tool for use in systematic reviews addressing questions of prevalence".

Science.gov (United States)

Harder, Thomas

2014-10-01

Decisions in healthcare should be based on information obtained according to the principles of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM). An increasing number of systematic reviews are published which summarize the results of prevalence studies. Interpretation of the results of these reviews should be accompanied by an appraisal of the methodological quality of the included data and studies. The critical appraisal tool for prevalence studies developed and tested by Munn et al. comprises 10 items and aims at targeting all kinds of prevalence studies. This comment discusses the pros and cons of different designs of quality appraisal tools and highlights their importance for systematic reviews of prevalence studies. Beyond piloting, which has been performed in the study by Munn et al., it is suggested here that the validity of the tool should be tested, including reproducibility and inter-rater reliability. It is concluded that studies as the one by Munn et al. will help to establish a critical understanding of methodological quality and will support the use of systematic reviews of non-intervention studies for health policy making.

Critical review of LEED system for rating sustainability of architecture of commercial interiors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stevanović Sanja

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The LEED rating system for sustainability of architecture has gained large marketing potential in USA and became one of main ways American builders are attacking ecological challenges. In this paper the LEED rating system for commercial interiors is critically reviewed, pointing out its positive - focus on integrated design process - and negative impacts - low thresholds for highest ratings and tendency to gain LEED rating with projects that hardly pass the thresholds, largely neglecting the principles of energy efficiency. Based on a few prominent LEED platinum examples, the beginnings of a LEED style of designing interiors in historical landmark buildings are pointed out as well.

Physical rehabilitation interventions for adult patients during critical illness: an overview of systematic reviews

Science.gov (United States)

Connolly, Bronwen; O'Neill, Brenda; Salisbury, Lisa; Blackwood, Bronagh

2016-01-01

Background Physical rehabilitation interventions aim to ameliorate the effects of critical illness-associated muscle dysfunction in survivors. We conducted an overview of systematic reviews (SR) evaluating the effect of these interventions across the continuum of recovery. Methods Six electronic databases (Cochrane Library, CENTRAL, DARE, Medline, Embase, and Cinahl) were searched. Two review authors independently screened articles for eligibility and conducted data extraction and quality appraisal. Reporting quality was assessed and the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach applied to summarise overall quality of evidence. Results Five eligible SR were included in this overview, of which three included meta-analyses. Reporting quality of the reviews was judged as medium to high. Two reviews reported moderate-to-high quality evidence of the beneficial effects of physical therapy commencing during intensive care unit (ICU) admission in improving critical illness polyneuropathy/myopathy, quality of life, mortality and healthcare utilisation. These interventions included early mobilisation, cycle ergometry and electrical muscle stimulation. Two reviews reported very low to low quality evidence of the beneficial effects of electrical muscle stimulation delivered in the ICU for improving muscle strength, muscle structure and critical illness polyneuropathy/myopathy. One review reported that due to a lack of good quality randomised controlled trials and inconsistency in measuring outcomes, there was insufficient evidence to support beneficial effects from physical rehabilitation delivered post-ICU discharge. Conclusions Patients derive short-term benefits from physical rehabilitation delivered during ICU admission. Further robust trials of electrical muscle stimulation in the ICU and rehabilitation delivered following ICU discharge are needed to determine the long-term impact on patient care. This overview provides recommendations for

The rat as a model for orthodontic tooth movement--a critical review and a proposed solution

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ren, Yijin; Maltha, Jaap C; Kuijpers-Jagtman, Anne Marie

2004-01-01

The aims of this study were to perform a systematic review of the use of rats as a model for experimental tooth movement, to give a critical evaluation of the use of elastics as a force delivery system, and to describe a newly designed well-defined model for tooth movement in rats. The literature

Pediatric Critical Care Telemedicine Program: A Single Institution Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez, Maria; Hojman, Nayla; Sadorra, Candace; Dharmar, Madan; Nesbitt, Thomas S; Litman, Rebecca; Marcin, James P

2016-01-01

Rural and community emergency departments (EDs) often receive and treat critically ill children despite limited access to pediatric expertise. Increasingly, pediatric critical care programs at children's hospitals are using telemedicine to provide consultations to these EDs with the goal of increasing the quality of care. We conducted a retrospective review of a pediatric critical care telemedicine program at a single university children's hospital. Between the years 2000 and 2014, we reviewed all telemedicine consultations provided to children in rural and community EDs, classified the visits using a comprehensive evidence-based set of chief complaints, and reported the consultations' impact on patient disposition. We also reviewed the total number of pediatric ED visits to calculate the relative frequency with which telemedicine consultations were provided. During the study period, there were 308 consultations provided to acutely ill and/or injured children for a variety of chief complaints, most commonly for respiratory illnesses, acute injury, and neurological conditions. Since inception, the number of consultations has been increasing, as has the number of participating EDs (n = 18). Telemedicine consultations were conducted on 8.6% of seriously ill children, the majority of which resulted in admission to the receiving hospital (n = 150, 49%), with a minority of patients requiring transport to the university children's hospital (n = 103, 33%). This single institutional, university children's hospital-based review demonstrates that a pediatric critical care telemedicine program used to provide consultations to seriously ill children in rural and community EDs is feasible, sustainable, and used relatively infrequently, most typically for the sickest pediatric patients.

An integrated review of the correlation between critical thinking ability and clinical decision-making in nursing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Daphne Sk; Abdullah, Khatijah Lim; Subramanian, Pathmawathi; Bachmann, Robert Thomas; Ong, Swee Leong

2017-12-01

To explore whether there is a correlation between critical thinking ability and clinical decision-making among nurses. Critical thinking is currently considered as an essential component of nurses' professional judgement and clinical decision-making. If confirmed, nursing curricula may be revised emphasising on critical thinking with the expectation to improve clinical decision-making and thus better health care. Integrated literature review. The integrative review was carried out after a comprehensive literature search using electronic databases Ovid, EBESCO MEDLINE, EBESCO CINAHL, PROQuest and Internet search engine Google Scholar. Two hundred and 22 articles from January 1980 to end of 2015 were retrieved. All studies evaluating the relationship between critical thinking and clinical decision-making, published in English language with nurses or nursing students as the study population, were included. No qualitative studies were found investigating the relationship between critical thinking and clinical decision-making, while 10 quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria and were further evaluated using the Quality Assessment and Validity Tool. As a result, one study was excluded due to a low-quality score, with the remaining nine accepted for this review. Four of nine studies established a positive relationship between critical thinking and clinical decision-making. Another five studies did not demonstrate a significant correlation. The lack of refinement in studies' design and instrumentation were arguably the main reasons for the inconsistent results. Research studies yielded contradictory results as regard to the relationship between critical thinking and clinical decision-making; therefore, the evidence is not convincing. Future quantitative studies should have representative sample size, use critical thinking measurement tools related to the healthcare sector and evaluate the predisposition of test takers towards their willingness and ability to think

English language learning materials a critical review

CERN Document Server

Tomlinson

2010-01-01

This research collection presents a critical review of the materials used for learning English around the world. The first section includes a discussion of materials for specific learners and purposes, such as young learners, self-study, academic writing and general proficiency. The second section presents a detailed study of the materials used in Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa and Australia, and critically evaluates their effectiveness in the teaching of English to speakers of other languages. Taking both the teacher's and the learner's needs into consideration, the book m

The design of a new criticality incident detection and alarm system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nobes, T.S.

1999-01-01

This paper presents a general review of criticality and its detection. After a brief description of what a criticality incident involves, an outline is given of detection methods and warning systems. (author)

A Critical Review on the Concept of Social Technology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bettina Leibetseder

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose—A critical analysis of the term social technology from a social science point of view.Design/Methodology/Approach—Review of the term “social technology” from a social science point of perspective in connection to the study of governmentality and power in a Foucauldian way.Findings—The article covers the perspective that social technology provides social science knowledge for a purpose. Such a notion allows an in depth debate about the meaning of social order in modern societies. Establishing distinctive techniques now forms the basis of the modern state and governance. Social technology forms the basis of governmental decisions; it allows for a use of social theories and methods for a purpose in politics and introduces a specific conception of power between the individual and public powers. Therefore, it alters government in three ways: It provides expert power to define solutions for social problems based on social science knowledge. It transforms government. Social technology exemplifies a support system for an ordered method of the way of government, it allows for the conduct of others and self based on scientific expertise. It can define new areas of problems in need of a change of government.Research limitations/implications—Consequently, social technology requests a critical analysis using a governmental approach. Such an approach focuses on problems on the governed subject and how governing works and why it has evolved in that way towards the subject and what kind of ideas and thinking lies within the discourse.Research type—general review.

Design and Verification of Critical Pressurised Windows for Manned Spaceflight

Science.gov (United States)

Lamoure, Richard; Busto, Lara; Novo, Francisco; Sinnema, Gerben; Leal, Mendes M.

2014-06-01

The Window Design for Manned Spaceflight (WDMS) project was tasked with establishing the state-of-art and explore possible improvements to the current structural integrity verification and fracture control methodologies for manned spacecraft windows.A critical review of the state-of-art in spacecraft window design, materials and verification practice was conducted. Shortcomings of the methodology in terms of analysis, inspection and testing were identified. Schemes for improving verification practices and reducing conservatism whilst maintaining the required safety levels were then proposed.An experimental materials characterisation programme was defined and carried out with the support of the 'Glass and Façade Technology Research Group', at the University of Cambridge. Results of the sample testing campaign were analysed, post-processed and subsequently applied to the design of a breadboard window demonstrator.Two Fused Silica glass window panes were procured and subjected to dedicated analyses, inspection and testing comprising both qualification and acceptance programmes specifically tailored to the objectives of the activity.Finally, main outcomes have been compiled into a Structural Verification Guide for Pressurised Windows in manned spacecraft, incorporating best practices and lessons learned throughout this project.

The Role and Impact of Critical Review as Perceived by an Implementer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thegerstroem, Claes; Laarouchi Engstroem, Saida; Olsson, Olle

2006-01-01

The quality and success of a nuclear waste management programme is based on the amalgamation of the interests of a wide number of stakeholders, integration of many different scientific disciplines, and merging of scientific, technical, ethical and social issues. In this process, a broad and structured review of all aspects of the program is necessary and we find the process with submission and review by stakeholders, regulators and government every third year very useful. High-quality critical review of is always a real benefit to the implementer - as it gives the implementer the possibility to see where improvements can be made. However, a close dialogue and a dynamic reviewing process, where questions are raised throughout the process, are essential in order to optimize the quality of the final applications. Naturally, critical review should not be used for pushing specific general research interests or issues that belong to the political arena rather than nuclear waste management itself. Moreover, critical review provides additional insight and promotes confidence by the general public. However, sometimes the public might be confused and have difficulties in judging the importance and relevance of critical comments. The implementer and regulatory authorities have a special duty to provide an overall perspective of safety-related issues. Even if critical review is valuable, the implementer can not only rely on this. The implementers' own internal quality assurance practise, internal review process as well as its overall safety culture is all crucial. Indeed, a successful management of radio-active waste, including operational aspects as well as siting process, starts with the implementers' own wish to perform state-of-the art-work both in terms of technology and overall approach

The Role and Impact of Critical Review as Perceived by an Implementer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thegerstroem, Claes; Laarouchi Engstroem, Saida; Olsson, Olle [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co, Stockholm (Sweden)

2006-09-15

The quality and success of a nuclear waste management programme is based on the amalgamation of the interests of a wide number of stakeholders, integration of many different scientific disciplines, and merging of scientific, technical, ethical and social issues. In this process, a broad and structured review of all aspects of the program is necessary and we find the process with submission and review by stakeholders, regulators and government every third year very useful. High-quality critical review of is always a real benefit to the implementer - as it gives the implementer the possibility to see where improvements can be made. However, a close dialogue and a dynamic reviewing process, where questions are raised throughout the process, are essential in order to optimize the quality of the final applications. Naturally, critical review should not be used for pushing specific general research interests or issues that belong to the political arena rather than nuclear waste management itself. Moreover, critical review provides additional insight and promotes confidence by the general public. However, sometimes the public might be confused and have difficulties in judging the importance and relevance of critical comments. The implementer and regulatory authorities have a special duty to provide an overall perspective of safety-related issues. Even if critical review is valuable, the implementer can not only rely on this. The implementers' own internal quality assurance practise, internal review process as well as its overall safety culture is all crucial. Indeed, a successful management of radio-active waste, including operational aspects as well as siting process, starts with the implementers' own wish to perform state-of-the art-work both in terms of technology and overall approach.

Some Notes on Critical Appraisal of Prevalence Studies; Comment on: “The Development of a Critical Appraisal Tool for Use in Systematic Reviews Addressing Questions of Prevalence”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas Harder

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Decisions in healthcare should be based on information obtained according to the principles of Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM. An increasing number of systematic reviews are published which summarize the results of prevalence studies. Interpretation of the results of these reviews should be accompanied by an appraisal of the methodological quality of the included data and studies. The critical appraisal tool for prevalence studies developed and tested by Munn et al. comprises 10 items and aims at targeting all kinds of prevalence studies. This comment discusses the pros and cons of different designs of quality appraisal tools and highlights their importance for systematic reviews of prevalence studies. Beyond piloting, which has been performed in the study by Munn et al., it is suggested here that the validity of the tool should be tested, including reproducibility and inter-rater reliability. It is concluded that studies as the one by Munn et al. will help to establish a critical understanding of methodological quality and will support the use of systematic reviews of non-intervention studies for health policy making.

Design and construction of a fast critical facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, W.Y.; Dates, L.R.

1962-01-01

Design and construction of a fast critical facility. In a fast-power-reactor development programme, a critical facility is found to be a highly useful tool to ascertain calculational techniques, to verify neutron cross-section sets, and to obtain integral reactor-physics parameters necessary for the nuclear design of a power system. Since it is primarily a physics instrument, the design of a fast critical facility itself poses a number of different problems not found in the design of a power reactor. In addition to usual questions of site, containment, core design and instrumentation , there arise such problems as: how to obtain a large degree of flexibility consistent with safety, the determination of the size and type of facility to meet the experimental physics requirements, the determination of the number and location of control and safety rods minimizing perturbation effects and the specification of the reproducibility of control rods and other movable components to obtain the accuracy required in reactivity measurements. These are some of the problems which are discussed in this paper based on recent experience at the Argonne National Laboratory which has under construction a fast critical facility, ZPR-VI at its Lemont, Illinois site for fast-reactor-physics studies. The ZPR-VI is a movable half- or split-table-type machine similar to ZPR-III. It has a matrix about two and a half times the volume of the earlier machine and will be used to investigate the physics of large, highly dilute, metal and cermet, unmoderated and partially moderated systems having core volumes up to about 1500 l. A detailed description of the ZPR-VI with a discussion on the criteria used in the design of its various components from the point of view of reactor physics is presented. In addition, such topics as management and operating procedures, potential hazards during operation, experimental techniques to be used and construction costs are also included. (author) [fr

Interface, information, interaction: a narrative review of design and functional requirements for clinical decision support.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Kristen; Mosby, Danielle; Capan, Muge; Kowalski, Rebecca; Ratwani, Raj; Noaiseh, Yaman; Kraft, Rachel; Schwartz, Sanford; Weintraub, William S; Arnold, Ryan

2018-05-01

Provider acceptance and associated patient outcomes are widely discussed in the evaluation of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs), but critical design criteria for tools have generally been overlooked. The objective of this work is to inform electronic health record alert optimization and clinical practice workflow by identifying, compiling, and reporting design recommendations for CDSS to support the efficient, effective, and timely delivery of high-quality care. A narrative review was conducted from 2000 to 2016 in PubMed and The Journal of Human Factors and Ergonomics Society to identify papers that discussed/recommended design features of CDSSs that are associated with the success of these systems. Fourteen papers were included as meeting the criteria and were found to have a total of 42 unique recommendations; 11 were classified as interface features, 10 as information features, and 21 as interaction features. Features are defined and described, providing actionable guidance that can be applied to CDSS development and policy. To our knowledge, no reviews have been completed that discuss/recommend design features of CDSS at this scale, and thus we found that this was important for the body of literature. The recommendations identified in this narrative review will help to optimize design, organization, management, presentation, and utilization of information through presentation, content, and function. The designation of 3 categories (interface, information, and interaction) should be further evaluated to determine the critical importance of the categories. Future work will determine how to prioritize them with limited resources for designers and developers in order to maximize the clinical utility of CDSS. This review will expand the field of knowledge and provide a novel organization structure to identify key recommendations for CDSS.

Critical review of Compton imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzzardi, R.; Licitra, G.

1987-01-01

This paper reviews the basic aspects, problems, and applications of Compton imaging including those related to nonmedical applications. The physics and technology at the base of this specific methodology are analyzed and the relative differences and merits with respect to other imaging techniques, using ionizing radiations, are reviewed. The basic Compton imaging approaches, i.e., point-by-point, line-by-line, and plane-by-plane, are analyzed. Specifically, physical design and technological aspects are reviewed and discussed. Furthermore, the most important clinical applications of the different methods are presented and discussed. Finally, possibilities and applications of the Compton imaging method to other nonmedical fields, as in the case of the important area of object defects recognition, are analyzed and reviewed. 56 references

Pre-treatment risk stratification of prostate cancer patients: A critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodrigues, George; Warde, Padraig; Pickles, Tom; Crook, Juanita; Brundage, Michael; Souhami, Luis; Lukka, Himu

2012-04-01

The use of accepted prostate cancer risk stratification groups based on prostate-specific antigen, T stage and Gleason score assists in therapeutic treatment decision-making, clinical trial design and outcome reporting. The utility of integrating novel prognostic factors into an updated risk stratification schema is an area of current debate. The purpose of this work is to critically review the available literature on novel pre-treatment prognostic factors and alternative prostate cancer risk stratification schema to assess the feasibility and need for changes to existing risk stratification systems. A systematic literature search was conducted to identify original research publications and review articles on prognostic factors and risk stratification in prostate cancer. Search terms included risk stratification, risk assessment, prostate cancer or neoplasms, and prognostic factors. Abstracted information was assessed to draw conclusions regarding the potential utility of changes to existing risk stratification schema. The critical review identified three specific clinically relevant potential changes to the most commonly used three-group risk stratification system: (1) the creation of a very-low risk category; (2) the splitting of intermediate-risk into a low- and high-intermediate risk groups; and (3) the clarification of the interface between intermediate- and high-risk disease. Novel pathological factors regarding high-grade cancer, subtypes of Gleason score 7 and percentage biopsy cores positive were also identified as potentially important risk-stratification factors. Multiple studies of prognostic factors have been performed to create currently utilized prostate cancer risk stratification systems. We propose potential changes to existing systems.

Design Information from the PSA for Digital Safety-Critical Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Hyun Gook; Jang, Seung Cheol

2005-01-01

Many safety-critical applications such as nuclear field application usually adopt a similar design strategy for digital safety-critical systems. Their differences from the normal design for the non-safety-critical applications could be summarized as: multiple-redundancy, highly reliable components, strengthened monitoring mechanism, verified software, and automated test procedure. These items are focusing on maintaining the capability to perform the given safety function when it is requested. For the past several decades, probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) techniques are used in the nuclear industry to assess the relative effects of contributing events on plant risk and system reliability. They provide a unifying means of assessing physical faults, recovery processes, contributing effects, human actions, and other events that have a high degree of uncertainty. The applications of PSA provide not only the analysis results of already installed system but also the useful information for the system under design. The information could be derived from the PSA experience of the various safety-critical systems. Thanks to the design flexibility, the digital system is one of the most suitable candidates for risk-informed design (RID). In this article, we will describe the feedbacks for system design and try to develop a procedure for RID. Even though the procedure is not sophisticated enough now, it could be the start point of the further investigation for developing more complete and practical methodology

A Conceptual Model of Agile Software Development in a Safety-Critical Context: A Systematic Literature Review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tordrup Heeager, Lise; Nielsen, Peter Axel

2018-01-01

challenges of agile software development of safety-critical systems. The conceptual model consists of four problematic practice areas and five relationships, which we find to be even more important than the problematic areas. From this review, we suggest that there are important research gaps that need...... processes or agile processes that are purportedly faster and promise to lead to better products. Objective: To identify the issues and disputes in agile development of safety-critical software and the key qualities as found in the extant research literature. Method: We conducted a systematic literature...... review as an interpretive study following a research design to search, assess, extract, group, and understand the results of the found studies. Results: There are key issues and propositions that we elicit from the literature and combine into a conceptual model for understanding the foundational...

Formal Design Review Foot Clamp Modification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

OTEN, T.C.

2000-01-01

This report documents the Design Review performed for the foot clamp modification. The report documents the acceptability of the design, identifies the documents that were reviewed, the scope of the review and the members of the review team

Design criteria and principles for criticality detection and alarm systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delafield, H.J.; Clifton, J.J.

1984-10-01

The report gives design principles and criteria for criticality detection and alarm systems based on earlier work and revised in the light of more recent experience. In particular, account is taken of the developments which have taken place in the field of radiation detection and in the understanding of the different types of criticality excursion. General guidance is given on the principles to apply in deciding upon the need for a criticality system. The characteristics of a criticality incident are described in terms of the minimum incident of concern, and the radiation field. Criteria for the threshold of detection of a criticality incident are then derived and the methods of detection considered. The selection and siting of criticality detectors is discussed, and design principles are given for alarm systems. Finally, testing and post-alarm procedures are outlined, followed by a summary of the principal recommendations. The supporting Appendices include a discussion of reliability and a summary of radiation detector characteristics. (author)

Activity trackers: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jeon; Finkelstein, Joseph

2014-01-01

The wearable consumer health devices can be mainly divided into activity trackers, sleep trackers, and stress management devices. These devices are widely advertised to provide positive effects on the user's daily behaviours and overall heath. However, objective evidence supporting these claims appears to be missing. The goal of this study was to review available evidence pertaining to performance of activity trackers. A comprehensive review of available information has been conducted for seven representative devices and the validity of marketing claims was assessed. The device assessment was based on availability of verified output metrics, theoretical frameworks, systematic evaluation, and FDA clearance. The review identified critical absence of supporting evidence of advertised functions and benefits for the majority of the devices. Six out of seven devices did not provide any information on sensor accuracy and output validity at all. Possible underestimation or overestimation of specific health indicators reported to consumers was not clearly disclosed to the public. Furthermore, significant limitations of these devices which can be categorized into user restrictions, user responsibilities and company disclaimers could not be easily found or comprehended by unsophisticated users and may represent a serious health hazard.

Critical review of controlled release packaging to improve food safety and quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xi; Chen, Mo; Xu, Chenyi; Yam, Kit L

2018-03-19

Controlled release packaging (CRP) is an innovative technology that uses the package to release active compounds in a controlled manner to improve safety and quality for a wide range of food products during storage. This paper provides a critical review of the uniqueness, design considerations, and research gaps of CRP, with a focus on the kinetics and mechanism of active compounds releasing from the package. Literature data and practical examples are presented to illustrate how CRP controls what active compounds to release, when and how to release, how much and how fast to release, in order to improve food safety and quality.

Critical Conversations: Feedback As A Stimulus To Creativity In Software Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raymond McCall

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Three decades of creating software to support design rationale showed the author how rationale processes can promote generation of novel ideas. Rationale can promote creative design by promoting critical conversations among designers and other project participants. Critical conversations intertwine ideation and evaluation, using feedback about consequences of decisions to challenge designers to devise new ideas. Such conversations take two forms. The first is discussion involving feedback from speculation about consequences of design decisions for implementation and use. The second is discussion involving feedback from actual experiences of implementation and use of the software being designed. The former is purely a process of reflective discourse, the latter a process of situated cognition involving both action and reflective discourse. Thus, the former is pure argumentation, the latter situated argumentation. Exploiting the full potential of critical conversations for creative design requires rethinking rationale methods and integrating them into software supporting implementation and use.

Music in Peacebuilding: A Critical Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Sandoval, Elaine

2016-01-01

The critical literature review summarizes and appraises studies that have been pursued by music scholars examining the contributions of music to peacebuilding as well as the role of music in violence. These two bodies of literature are rarely brought into dialogue, but I juxtapose them in order to confront the idea of music's exceptionalism as…

Critical Discourse Analysis in Literacy Education: A Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Rebecca; Schaenen, Inda

2014-01-01

This article is a critical, integrative literature review of scholarship in literacy studies from 2004 to 2012 that draws on critical discourse analysis (CDA). We discuss key issues, trends, and criticisms in the field. Our methodology was carried out in three stages. First, we searched educational databases to locate literacy-focused CDA…

Critical Race Design: An Emerging Methodological Approach to Anti-Racist Design and Implementation Research

Science.gov (United States)

Khalil, Deena; Kier, Meredith

2017-01-01

This article is about introducing Critical Race Design (CRD), a research methodology that centers race and equity at the nucleus of educational opportunities by design. First, the authors define design-based implementation research (DBIR; Penuel, Fishman, Cheng, & Sabelli, 2011) as an equity-oriented education research methodology where…

Beethoven recordings reviewed: a systematic method for mapping the content of music performance criticism.

Science.gov (United States)

Alessandri, Elena; Williamson, Victoria J; Eiholzer, Hubert; Williamon, Aaron

2015-01-01

Critical reviews offer rich data that can be used to investigate how musical experiences are conceptualized by expert listeners. However, these data also present significant challenges in terms of organization, analysis, and interpretation. This study presents a new systematic method for examining written responses to music, tested on a substantial corpus of music criticism. One hundred critical reviews of Beethoven's piano sonata recordings, published in the Gramophone between August 1934 and July 2010, were selected using in-depth data reduction (qualitative/quantitative approach). The texts were then examined using thematic analysis in order to generate a visual descriptive model of expert critical review. This model reveals how the concept of evaluation permeates critical review. It also distinguishes between two types of descriptors. The first characterizes the performance in terms of specific actions or features of the musical sound (musical parameters, technique, and energy); the second appeals to higher-order properties (artistic style, character and emotion, musical structure, communicativeness) or assumed performer qualities (understanding, intentionality, spontaneity, sensibility, control, and care). The new model provides a methodological guide and conceptual basis for future studies of critical review in any genre.

Design review report, 241-S-102 cover plate review; TOPICAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ADAMS, M.R.

1998-01-01

The design for the cover plate and lead plate for shielding on 241-S-102 was reviewed on 10/21/98. All Review Comment Record comments were resolved to the satisfaction of the reviewers. Additional comments were taken during the meeting and were also resolved. A design calculation for the Radiological Design Review Screening was presented as criteria for the use of 1 inch lead plate. The review concluded that the use of 2 inch steel plate and 1 inch lead plate provided the required safety function required by HNF-SD-WM-810-001, 5.3.2.20, Basis for Interim Operation. The design was approved with the incorporated comments as recorded on RCR's and meeting minutes

Guidelines for control room design reviews

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-09-01

The control room design review is part of a broad program being undertaken by the nuclear industry and the government to ensure consideration of human factors in nuclear power plant design and operation. The purpose of the control room design review described by these guidelines is to (1) review and evaluate the control room workspace, instrumentation, controls, and other equipment from a human factors engineering point of view that takes into account both system demands and operator capabilities; and (2) to identify, assess, and implement control room design modifications that correct inadequate or unsuitable items. The scope of the control room design review described by these guidelines covers the human engineering review of completed control rooms; i.e., operational control rooms or those at that stage of the licensing process where control room design and equipment selection are committed. These guidelines should also be of use during the design process for new control rooms. However, additional analyses to optimize the allocation of functions to man and machine, and further examination of advanced control system technology, are recommended for new control rooms. Guidelines and references for comprehensive system analyses designed to incorporate human factors considerations into the design and development of new control rooms are presented in Appendix B. Where possible, a generic approach to the control room design review process is encouraged; for example, when control room designs are replicated wholly or in part in two or more units. Even when designs are not replicated exactly, generic reviews which can be modified to account for specific differences in particular control rooms should be considered. Industry organizations and owners groups are encouraged to coordinate joint efforts and share data to develop generic approaches to the design review process. The control room design review should accomplish the following specific objectives. To determine

Program computes single-point failures in critical system designs

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, W. R.

1967-01-01

Computer program analyzes the designs of critical systems that will either prove the design is free of single-point failures or detect each member of the population of single-point failures inherent in a system design. This program should find application in the checkout of redundant circuits and digital systems.

A review of criticality accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stratton, W.R.; Smith, D.R.

1989-03-01

Criticality accidents and the characteristics of prompt power excursions are discussed. Forty-one accidental power transients are reviewed. In each case where available, enough detail is given to help visualize the physical situation, the cause or causes of the accident, the history and characteristics of the transient, the energy release, and the consequences, if any, to personnel and property. Excursions associated with large power reactors are not included in this study, except that some information on the major accident at the Chernobyl reactor in April 1986 is provided in the Appendix. 67 refs., 21 figs., 2 tabs

NFR TRIGA package design review report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clements, M.D.

1994-01-01

The purpose of this document is to compile, present and document the formal design review of the NRF TRIGA packaging. The contents of this document include: the briefing meeting presentations, package description, design calculations, package review drawings, meeting minutes, action item lists, review comment records, final resolutions, and released drawings. This design review required more than two meeting to resolve comments. Therefore, there are three meeting minutes and two action item lists

Review of current status for designing severe accident management support system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Kwang Sub

2000-05-01

The development of operator support system (OSS) is ongoing in many other countries due to the complexity both in design and in operation for nuclear power plant. The computerized operator support system includes monitoring of some critical parameters, early detection of plant transient, monitoring of component status, plant maintenance, and safety parameter display, and the operator support system for these areas are developed and are being used in some plants. Up to now, the most operator support system covers the normal operation, abnormal operation, and emergency operation. Recently, however, the operator support system for severe accident is to be developed in some countries. The study for the phenomena of severe accident is not performed sufficiently, but, based on the result up to now, the operator support system even for severe accident will be developed in this study. To do this, at first, the current status of the operator support system for normal/abnormal/emergency operation is reviewed, and the positive aspects and negative aspects of systems are analyzed by their characteristics. And also, the major items that should be considered in designing the severe accident operator support system are derived from the review. With the survey of domestic and foreign operator support systems, they are reviewed in terms of the safety parameter display system, decision-making support system, and procedure-tracking system. For the severe accident, the severe accident management guideline (SAMG) which is developed by Westinghouse is reviewed; the characteristics, structure, and logical flow of SAMG are studied. In addition, the critical parameters for severe accident, which are the basis for operators decision-making in severe accident management and are supplied to the operators and the technical support center, are reviewed, too.

Review of current status for designing severe accident management support system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Kwang Sub

2000-05-01

The development of operator support system (OSS) is ongoing in many other countries due to the complexity both in design and in operation for nuclear power plant. The computerized operator support system includes monitoring of some critical parameters, early detection of plant transient, monitoring of component status, plant maintenance, and safety parameter display, and the operator support system for these areas are developed and are being used in some plants. Up to now, the most operator support system covers the normal operation, abnormal operation, and emergency operation. Recently, however, the operator support system for severe accident is to be developed in some countries. The study for the phenomena of severe accident is not performed sufficiently, but, based on the result up to now, the operator support system even for severe accident will be developed in this study. To do this, at first, the current status of the operator support system for normal/abnormal/emergency operation is reviewed, and the positive aspects and negative aspects of systems are analyzed by their characteristics. And also, the major items that should be considered in designing the severe accident operator support system are derived from the review. With the survey of domestic and foreign operator support systems, they are reviewed in terms of the safety parameter display system, decision-making support system, and procedure-tracking system. For the severe accident, the severe accident management guideline (SAMG) which is developed by Westinghouse is reviewed; the characteristics, structure, and logical flow of SAMG are studied. In addition, the critical parameters for severe accident, which are the basis for operators decision-making in severe accident management and are supplied to the operators and the technical support center, are reviewed, too

Neurofeminism and feminist neurosciences: a critical review of contemporary brain research.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitz, Sigrid; Höppner, Grit

2014-01-01

To date, feminist approaches to neurosciences have evaluated the debates surrounding practices of knowledge production within and research results of contemporary brain research. Consequently, neurofeminist scholars have critically examined gendered impacts of neuroscientific research. Feminist neuroscientists also develop research approaches for a more gender-appropriate neuroscientific research on several levels. Based on neurofeminist critique feminist neuroscientists aim to enrich neuroscientific work by offering methodological suggestions for a more differentiated setup of categories and experimental designs, for reflective result presentations and interpretations as well as for the analysis of result validity. Reframing neuro-epistemologies by including plasticity concepts works to uncover social influences on the gendered development of the brain and of behavior. More recently, critical work on contemporary neurocultures has highlighted the entanglements of neuroscientific research within society and the implications of 'neurofacts' for gendered cultural symbolisms, social practices, and power relations. Not least, neurofeminism critically analyses the portrayal of neuro-knowledge in popular media. This article presents on overview on neurofeminist debates and on current approaches of feminist neurosciences. The authors conclude their review by calling for a more gender-appropriate research approach that takes into account both its situatedness and reflections on the neuroscientific agenda, but also questions neurofeminist discourse in regards to uses and misuses of its concepts.

Designing reading tasks to foster critical thinking Designing reading tasks to foster critical thinking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leda Maria Braga Tomitch

2008-04-01

Full Text Available What else is there besides multiple choice exercises, questions or true-false statements? What kind of readers do we EFL/ESL teachers, want to develop? Fortunately, there are alternative possibilities for designing reading activities which, besides being more interesting and fun for the students than the traditional tasks, can help develop more active and critical readers. A search in EFL/ESL reading textbooks has revealed that the most frequently encountered types of reading activities are comprehension questions, multiple-choice exercises, and true-false statements (Tomitch, in press a. These tasks have been used throughout the history of language teaching, and one must agree that they have their merits. However, there are reasons why they should not be used as the only source of activity in the classroom. What else is there besides multiple choice exercises, questions or true-false statements? What kind of readers do we EFL/ESL teachers, want to develop? Fortunately, there are alternative possibilities for designing reading activities which, besides being more interesting and fun for the students than the traditional tasks, can help develop more active and critical readers. A search in EFL/ESL reading textbooks has revealed that the most frequently encountered types of reading activities are comprehension questions, multiple-choice exercises, and true-false statements (Tomitch, in press a. These tasks have been used throughout the history of language teaching, and one must agree that they have their merits. However, there are reasons why they should not be used as the only source of activity in the classroom.

ITER - TVPS remote handling critical design issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-09-01

This report describes critical design issues concerning remote maintenance of the ITER Torus Vacuum Pumping System (TVPS). The key issues under investigation are the regeneration/isolation valve seal and seal mechanism replacement; impact of inert gas operation; impact of remote handling (RH) on the building configuration and RH equipment requirements. Seal exchange concepts are developed and their impact on the valve design identified. Concerns regarding the design and operation of RH equipment in an inert gas atmosphere are also explored. The report compares preliminary RH equipment options, pumping equipment maintenance frequency and their impact on the building design, and makes recommendations where a conflict exists between pumping equipment and the building layout. (51 figs., 11 refs.)

Human-system interface design review guideline -- Reviewer`s checklist: Final report. Revision 1, Volume 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-06-01

NUREG-0700, Revision 1, provides human factors engineering (HFE) guidance to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff for its: (1) review of the human system interface (HSI) design submittals prepared by licensees or applications for a license or design certification of commercial nuclear power plants, and (2) performance of HSI reviews that could be undertaken as part of an inspection or other type of regulatory review involving HSI design or incidents involving human performance. The guidance consists of a review process and HFE guidelines. The document describes those aspects of the HSI design review process that are important to the identification and resolution of human engineering discrepancies that could adversely affect plant safety. Guidance is provided that could be used by the staff to review an applicant`s HSI design review process or to guide the development of an HSI design review plan, e.g., as part of an inspection activity. The document also provides detailed HFE guidelines for the assessment of HSI design implementations. NUREG-0700, Revision 1, consists of three stand-alone volumes. Volume 2 is a complete set of the guidelines contained in Volume 1, Part 2, but in a checklist format that can be used by reviewers to assemble sets of individual guidelines for use in specific design reviews. The checklist provides space for reviewers to enter guidelines evaluations and comments.

Critical safety issues in the design of fusion machines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kramer, W.

1991-01-01

In the course of developing fusion machines both general safety considerations and safety assessments for the various components and systems of actual machines increase in number and become more and more coherent. This is particularly true for the NET/ITER projects where safety analysis plays an increasing role for the design of the machine. Since in a D/T tokamak the radiological hazards will be dominant basic radiological safety objectives are discussed. Critical safety issues as identified in particular by the NET/ITER community are reviewed. Subsequently, issues of major concern are considered both for normal operation and for conceivable accidents. The following accidents are considered to be crucial: Loss of cooling in plasma facing components, loss of vacuum, tritium system failure, and magnet system failure. To mitigate accident consequences a confinement concept based on passive features and multiple barriers including detritiation and filtering has to be applied. The reactor building as final barrier needs special attention to cope with both internal and external hazards. (orig.)

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Critical opalescence

Science.gov (United States)

Zubkov, L. A.; Romanov, Vadim P.

1988-04-01

Studies of critical opalescence near phase transitions in different systems are reviewed. The fundamentals of the modern approach to the description of the propagation and scattering of light in media with large nonuniformities are presented. The experimental data on the coefficient of extinction and integrated intensity of the scattered light are analyzed and different models for the correlation function are discussed. Different methods for studying multiple scattering of light and methods for eliminating it from the measured intensity are examined. The kinetic properties of systems in the critical region are examined. Attention is devoted primarily to the experimental data obtained by the methods of correlation spectroscopy and to the comparison of these data with the predictions of different theoretical models. Significant attention is devoted to the study of phase transitions in liquids by the methods of light scattering as well as the problem of propagation and scattering of light in the nematic phase, where fluctuations of the director exhibit the same behavior as at the critical point. In conclusion, phase transformations in micellar solutions, to which a great deal of attention has been devoted in recent years, are studied.

Fission, critical mass and safety-a historical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meggitt, Geoff

2006-01-01

Since the discovery of fission, the notion of a chain reaction in a critical mass releasing massive amounts of energy has haunted physicists. The possibility of a bomb or a reactor prompted much of the early work on determining a critical mass, but the need to avoid an accidental critical excursion during processing or transport of fissile material drove much that took place subsequently. Because of the variety of possible situations that might arise, it took some time to develop adequate theoretical tools for criticality safety and the early assessments were based on direct experiment. Some extension of these experiments to closely similar situations proved possible, but it was not until the 1960s that theoretical methods (and computers to run them) developed enough for them to become reliable assessment tools. Validating such theoretical methods remained a concern, but by the end of the century they formed the backbone of criticality safety assessment. This paper traces the evolution of these methods, principally in the UK and USA, and summarises some related work concerned with the nature of criticality accidents and their radiological consequences. It also indicates how the results have been communicated and used in ensuring nuclear safety. (review)

The role of nutritional support in the physical and functional recovery of critically ill patients: a narrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bear, Danielle E; Wandrag, Liesl; Merriweather, Judith L; Connolly, Bronwen; Hart, Nicholas; Grocott, Michael P W

2017-08-26

The lack of benefit from randomised controlled trials has resulted in significant controversy regarding the role of nutrition during critical illness in terms of long-term recovery and outcome. Although methodological caveats with a failure to adequately appreciate biological mechanisms may explain these disappointing results, it must be acknowledged that nutritional support during early critical illness, when considered alone, may have limited long-term functional impact.This narrative review focuses specifically on recent clinical trials and evaluates the impact of nutrition during critical illness on long-term physical and functional recovery.Specific focus on the trial design and methodological limitations has been considered in detail. Limitations include delivery of caloric and protein targets, patient heterogeneity, short duration of intervention, inappropriate clinical outcomes and a disregard for baseline nutritional status and nutritional intake in the post-ICU period.With survivorship at the forefront of critical care research, it is imperative that nutrition studies carefully consider biological mechanisms and trial design because these factors can strongly influence outcomes, in particular long-term physical and functional outcome. Failure to do so may lead to inconclusive clinical trials and consequent rejection of the potentially beneficial effects of nutrition interventions during critical illness.

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEXTBOOK WITH EMPHASIS ON ENGLISH-SERBIAN GLOSSARY

OpenAIRE

Иван Књижар

2012-01-01

In this paper we made a critical review of textbook Messages 1 with emphasis on English-Serbian glossary. Since this textbook is intended for pupils of 5th grade, we examined its appropriateness for this age group. In addition, we did lexical and semantic analysis of a glossary that is incorporated in the textbook. Messages 1 is extraordinarily designed textbook. It is alsko uitable for pupils of 5th grade whose first language is not English. In terms of the English-Serbian glossary, there is...

Design Guide for Category I reactors critical facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brynda, W.J.; Powell, R.W.

1978-08-01

The purpose of this Design Guide is to provide additional guidance to aid the DOE facility contractor in meeting the requirement that the siting, design, construction, modification, operation, maintenance, and decommissioning of DOE-owned critical facilities be in accordance with generally uniform standards, guides, and codes which are comparable to those applied to similar reactors licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission

Critical Thinking in Social Work Education: A Research Synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Samson, Patricia L.

2016-01-01

In a meta-analytic review of critical thinking in social work education, findings revealed variability in research designs, methods, and subsequent findings. The 10 studies reviewed assessed different components of critical thinking and highlighted different potential moderator variables. Although there are significant limitations to all the…

The synergy of creativity and critical thinking in engineering design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Spuzic, Sead; Narayanan, Ramadas; Adriansen, Hanne Kirstine

2016-01-01

framework. It has been widely recognised that engineering design encompasses two ways of thinkingdcreative and critical. A central argument that the synergy of creativity and criticality is significantly enhanced by connecting true interdisciplinary augmentation with the fine arts is discussed along...

Papers, Please as Critical Making: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eddie Lohmeyer

2017-06-01

Full Text Available This article examines Lucas Pope’s independent game Papers, Please as an instantiation of critical making within the discipline of the digital humanities. By confronting the player with moral decisions in their capacity as an immigration officer allowing or denying entry to immigrants within a totalitarian state, the game introduces an expressive form of game design in which conceptual practices are used to examine political and social realities. This type of critical media practice introduces a political ethic to the digital humanities that is arguably scarce within the discipline.

Critical reflections on realist review: insights from customizing the methodology to the needs of participatory research assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Jagosh, Justin; Pluye, Pierre; Wong, Geoff; Cargo, Margaret; Salsberg, Jon; Bush, Paula L; Herbert, Carol P; Green, Lawrence W; Greenhalgh, Trish; Macaulay, Ann C

2014-06-01

Realist review has increased in popularity as a methodology for complex intervention assessment. Our experience suggests that the process of designing a realist review requires its customization to areas under investigation. To elaborate on this idea, we first describe the logic underpinning realist review and then present critical reflections on our application experience, organized in seven areas. These are the following: (1) the challenge of identifying middle range theory; (2) addressing heterogeneity and lack of conceptual clarity; (3) the challenge of appraising the quality of complex evidence; (4) the relevance of capturing unintended outcomes; (5) understanding the process of context, mechanism, and outcome (CMO) configuring; (6) incorporating middle-range theory in the CMO configuration process; and (7) using middle range theory to advance the conceptualization of outcomes - both visible and seemingly 'hidden'. One conclusion from our experience is that the degree of heterogeneity of the evidence base will determine whether theory can drive the development of review protocols from the outset, or will follow only after an intense period of data immersion. We hope that presenting a critical reflection on customizing realist review will convey how the methodology can be tailored to the often complex and idiosyncratic features of health research, leading to innovative evidence syntheses. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A critical systems perspective on the design of organizational space

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mobach, Mark P.

2007-01-01

This paper is the first to introduce critical systems thinking into a new emerging research strand: the design of organizational space. The study revealed two things. First, critical systems thinking provides a thorough framework to understand the possibilities to connect organization and building;

Radio-frequency glow discharge spectrometry: A critical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Winchester, Michael R.; Payling, Richard

2004-01-01

This paper presents a critical review of analytical radio frequency glow discharge spectrometry (rf-GDS). The historical foundations of rf-GDS are described, and current knowledge of the fundamental physics of analytical rf glow discharges is discussed. Additionally, instrumentation, methodologies, and applications of rf glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (rf-GDOES) and mass spectrometry (rf-GDMS) are reviewed. Although other rf-GDS techniques have appeared [e.g. rf glow discharge atomic absorption spectrophotometry (rf-GDAAS)], the emphasis is placed upon rf-GDOES and rf-GDMS, because they have received by far the most interest from analytical chemical metrologists. This review also provides explanations of some developments that are needed for further progress in the field of analytical rf-GDS

Effectiveness of haloperidol prophylaxis in critically ill patients with a high risk of delirium: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Eduardo; Cardoso, Daniela; Neves, Hugo; Cunha, Madalena; Rodrigues, Manuel; Apóstolo, João

2017-05-01

Delirium is associated with increased intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, prolonged duration of mechanical ventilation, unplanned removal of tubes and catheters, and increased morbidity and mortality. Prophylactic treatment with low-dose haloperidol may have beneficial effects for critically ill patients with a high risk of delirium. To identify the effectiveness of haloperidol prophylaxis in critically ill patients with a high risk for delirium. Patients with a predicted high risk of delirium, aged 18 years or over, and in intensive care units. Patients with a history of concurrent antipsychotic medication use were excluded. Haloperidol prophylaxis for preventing delirium. Experimental and epidemiological study designs. Primary outcome is the incidence of delirium. Secondary outcomes are duration of mechanical ventilation, incidence of re-intubation, incidence of unplanned/accidental removal of tubes/lines and catheters, intensive care unit and hospital length of stay, and re-admissions to both settings. An initial search of MEDLINE and CINAHL was undertaken, followed by a second search for published and unpublished studies from January 1967 to September 2015 in major healthcare-related electronic databases. Studies in English, Spanish and Portuguese were included. Two independent reviewers assessed the methodological quality of five studies using the standardized critical appraisal instrument from the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument. There was general agreement among the reviewers to exclude one relevant study due to methodological quality. Data were extracted using the JBI data extraction form for experimental studies and included details about the interventions, populations, study methods and outcomes of significance to the review questions. Significant differences were found between participants, interventions, outcome measures (clinical heterogeneity) and designs (methodological heterogeneity

Games on Games. Game Design as Critical Reflexive Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giovanni Caruso

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Can video game design be compared to more formalized practices of scientific research or speculation within game studies? And, by virtue of an intellectual leap that in itself calls for discussion, can video games be considered as an efficient vehicle for the presentation of certain kinds of knowledge, in the same way in which papers, conference presentations, and books are? What Ratto defines as critical making (2011, the practice of producing artifacts of different sorts in order to supplement and extend critical reflection, may apply to video games as well. Forms of research through design (Zimmerman, Forlizzi and Evenson, 2007, of carpentry (Bogost, 2012, and speculative design (Dunne and Raby, 2013 have been analyzed, discussed, and maybe most importantly, put into practice in different fields of cultural and scientific production. To address this gap and to map the current (and future state of self-reflexive games, we asked both researchers and designers to imagine an application of these concepts to video games. Paraphrasing Zimmerman, Forlizzi and Evenson, what does research through game design might mean? What epistemological insights can we derive from the act of designing, making and playing video games?

The Design of High Efficiency Crossflow Hydro Turbines: A Review and Extension

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ram Adhikari

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Efficiency is a critical consideration in the design of hydro turbines. The crossflow turbine is the cheapest and easiest hydro turbine to manufacture and so is commonly used in remote power systems for developing countries. A longstanding problem for practical crossflow turbines is their lower maximum efficiency compared to their more advanced counterparts, such as Pelton and Francis turbines. This paper reviews the experimental and computational studies relevant to the design of high efficiency crossflow turbines. We concentrate on the studies that have contributed to designs with efficiencies in the range of 88–90%. Many recent studies have been conducted on turbines of low maximum efficiency, which we believe is due to misunderstanding of design principles for achieving high efficiencies. We synthesize the key results of experimental and computational fluid dynamics studies to highlight the key fundamental design principles for achieving efficiencies of about 90%, as well as future research and development areas to further improve the maximum efficiency. The main finding of this review is that the total conversion of head into kinetic energy in the nozzle and the matching of nozzle and runner designs are the two main design requirements for the design of high efficiency turbines.

SRTC criticality safety technical review: Phase 1 criticality analysis for the 9972-9975 family of shipping casks: (SRT-CMA-940003)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rathbun, R.

1994-01-01

Review of SRT-CMA-940003, ''Phase I Criticality Analysis For The 9972-9975 Family Of Shipping Casks (U). (SRT-CMA-940003).'' January 22, 1994, has been performed by the SRTC Applied Physics Group. The NCSE is a criticality assessment of the 9972-9975 family of shipping casks. This work is a follow-on of a previous criticality safety evaluation, with the differences between this and the previous evaluation are that now wall tolerances are modeled and more sophisticated analytical methods are applied. The NCSE under review concludes that, with one exception, the previously specified plutonium and uranium mass limits for 9972-9975 family of shipping casks do ensure that WSRC Nuclear Criticality Safety Manual requirements (ref. 1) are satisfied. The one exception is that the plutonium mass limit for the 9974 cask had to be reduced from 4.4 to 4.3 kg. In contrast, the 7.5 kg uranium mass limit for the 9974 cask was raised to 14.5 kg, making the uranium mass identical for all casks in this family. This technical review consisted of an independent check of the methods and models employed, application of ANSI/ANS 8.1 and 8.15, and verification of WSRC Nuclear Criticality Safety Manual procedures

Strategies to control odours in livestock facilities: a critical review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Ubeda

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Odours generated in livestock buildings constitute one of the most relevant air quality issues of intensive livestock production. Reducing nuisance episodes related to odour exposure is therefore essential for a sustainable livestock production. In this study, the state-of-the-art on odour mitigation techniques in livestock housing is critically reviewed. Scientific advances in the last decade are revised and research needs are also identified. The complex nature of livestock odours is firstly reviewed and examined. Then, the most relevant odour control strategies are analyzed in terms of present knowledge and future needs. The strategies considered are: nutritional strategies, manure additives, building design, air filtration, manure covers, manure treatment systems and windbreaks. Finally, future research needs and priorities when establishing mitigation techniques are identified. Despite important recent advances, there are still some challenges for scientists, producers and regulators, particularly related to field evaluation of odours. Therefore, to control livestock odours effectively, using standardized field assessment techniques will be required. Also, investigating measurement and model errors may be useful to better understand the limitations of the current methods, as well as to identify research priorities.

Technical review of WSRC-TR-93-614 criticality safety evaluation for disassembly basin sand filter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, R.L.

1994-01-01

The study documented in WSRC-TR-93-614 performed an evaluation of the criticality potential associated with the Disassembly Basin Sand Filter for K and L Areas. The document reviewed incorporated results of calculations documented in the engineering calculation N-CLC-K-00151. Analyses of the contents of disassembly basin sludge has indicated that the sludge contains fissile material in excess of subcritical mass limits as specified in ANSI/ANS standards. Previous studies had determined that the fissile material can not collect into a critical configuration in the basin. Since the sand filter is intended to remove suspended particles from the basin water and could serve as a mechanism to collect the fissile material into a critical configuration, the study examined conditions under which criticality could occur in the sand filter. The study shows that criticality is not considered possible in the sand filter. This review emphasized the technical accuracy and presentation of the evaluation. The evaluation was also examined for the elements required for NCSEs. The review was performed in accordance with the NRTSC technical review requirements and procedures and the E7 Manual technical review requirements. The technical review (per the E7 manual) of the engineering calculation (N-CLC-K-0 1 5 1) was previously performed by this reviewer

Request from nuclear fuel cycle and criticality safety design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamasaki, Manabu; Sakashita, Kiichiro; Natsume, Toshihiro

2005-01-01

The quality and reliability of criticality safety design of nuclear fuel cycle systems such as fuel fabrication facilities, fuel reprocessing facilities, storage systems of various forms of nuclear materials or transportation casks have been largely dependent on the quality of criticality safety analyses using qualified criticality calculation code systems and reliable nuclear data sets. In this report, we summarize the characteristics of the nuclear fuel cycle systems and the perspective of the requirements for the nuclear data, with brief comments on the recent issue about spent fuel disposal. (author)

Critical factors for EIA implementation: literature review and research options.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jie; Kørnøv, Lone; Christensen, Per

2013-01-15

After decades of development, the gap between expectations of Environment Impact Assessments (EIA) and their practical performance remains significant. Research has been done to identify the critical factors for an effective implementation of EIA. However, this research, to a large extent, has not been cumulated and analysed comprehensively according to the stages of the EIA process. This paper contributes to the critical review of the literature on EIA implementation and effectiveness by cumulating mainly empirical findings in an implementation theoretical perspective. It focuses on the links between different critical factors and how they relate to different stages in the EIA and thus influence the decision making process. After reviewing 33 refereed journal articles published between 1999 and 2011, we identified 203 notions of critical factors. Of these, 102 related to different stages defined in our comprehensive EIA implementation model, and 101 were identified as general factors related to the whole EIA system. The number of notions of stage factors and general factors is thus about equal. An overlap between stage factors and general factors was found, which demonstrates that critical factors function differently in different cases. The function of the critical factors is complex and it is difficult to determine contingencies and causations. In the sources we examined, there is evidently an imbalance between in-depth empirical research and general knowledge, and the paper offers some suggestions for future research. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Neurofeminism and feminist neurosciences: a critical review of contemporary brain research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sigrid eSchmitz

2014-07-01

Full Text Available To date, feminist approaches to neurosciences have evaluated the debates surrounding practices of knowledge production within and research results of contemporary brain research. Consequently, neurofeminist scholars have critically examined gendered impacts of neuroscientific research. More recently, feminist neuroscientists also develop research appraoches for more gender-appropriate neuroscientific research on several levels. Based on neurofeminist critique feminist neuroscientists aim to enrich neuroscientific work by offering methodological suggestions for a more differentiated setup of categories and experimental designs, for reflective result presentations and interpretations as well as for the analysis of result validity. Reframing neuro-epistemologies by including plasticity concepts works to uncover social influences on the gendered development of the brain and of behavior. More recently, critical work on contemporary neurocultures has highlighted the entanglements of neuroscientific research within society and the implications of ‘neurofacts’ for gendered cultural symbolisms, social practices, and power relations. Not least, neurofeminism critically analyzes the portrayal of neuro-knowledge in popular media. This article presents on overview on neurofeminist debates and on current approaches of feminist neurosciences. The authors conclude their review by calling for a more gender-appropriate research approach that takes into account both its situatedness and reflections on the neuroscientific agenda, but also questions neurofeminist discourse in regards to uses and misuses of its concepts.

A critical review of research on strategies in learning Chinese as both a second and foreign language

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoli Jiang

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This article critically reviews strategy research on learning Chinese both as a second and foreign language. Through a careful examination of major data bases in both the Chinese and English languages, the article summarizes research in the field and the principal research methods used in the studies reviewed. Moreover, key limitations in research designs, inconsistencies in reported findings, inappropriate use of research methods, and weaknesses in both Chinese- and English-language publications are discussed. The article concludes by calling for future research paying more attention to current language learning strategy theories and practices.

Developments in shielding and criticality assessment for cask design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watmough, M.H.; Cooper, A.J.; Croxford, R.W.

1993-01-01

This paper presents recent highlights from the shielding and criticality methods development programme that are of relevance to cask design. Specifically, the following points emerge: 1) the preparation of a licence application based upon UK methods and data used in a standardized fissile depletion and plutonium production model has been completed; 2) the assumptions used in the modelling of granules of broken fuel within the transport package following a postulated impact accident have been revised thereby allowing less pessimistic assessments to be performed; 3) enhancements are being made to the software used for shielding and criticality analysis enabling a more cost effective design service to be provided. These ongoing developments clearly show the activity to extend the scope of assessments while increasing the physical realism of the models. Through these developments BNFL continues to offer a comprehensive and cost effective shielding and criticality analysis service as part of its worldwide fuel transport business. (J.P.N.)

Tank waste remediation system nuclear criticality safety program management review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

BRADY RAAP, M.C.

1999-01-01

This document provides the results of an internal management review of the Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) criticality safety program, performed in advance of the DOE/RL assessment for closure of the TWRS Nuclear Criticality Safety Issue, March 1994. Resolution of the safety issue was identified as Hanford Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (Tri-Party Agreement) Milestone M-40-12, due September 1999

A Return to Innovative Engineering Design, Critical Thinking and Systems Engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Camarda, Charles J.

2007-01-01

I believe we are facing a critical time where innovative engineering design is of paramount importance to the success of our aerospace industry. However, the very qualities and attributes necessary for enhancing, educating, and mentoring a creative spirit are in decline in important areas. The importance of creativity and innovation in this country was emphasized by a special edition of the Harvard Business Review OnPoint entitled: "The Creative Company" which compiled a series of past and present articles on the subject of creativity and innovation and stressed its importance to our national economy. There is also a recognition of a lack of engineering, critical thinking and problem-solving skills in our education systems and a trend toward trying to enhance those skills by developing K-12 educational programs such as Project Lead the Way, "Science for All Americans", Benchmarks 2061 , etc. In addition, with respect to spacecraft development, we have a growing need for young to mid-level engineers with appropriate experience and skills in spacecraft design, development, analysis, testing, and systems engineering. As the Director of Engineering at NASA's Johnson Space Center, I realized that sustaining engineering support of an operational human spacecraft such as the Space Shuttle is decidedly different than engineering design and development skills necessary for designing a new spacecraft such as the Crew Exploration Vehicle of the Constellation Program. We learned a very important lesson post Columbia in that the Space Shuttle is truly an experimental and not an operational vehicle and the strict adherence to developed rules and processes and chains of command of an inherently bureaucratic organizational structure will not protect us from a host of known unknowns let alone unknown unknowns. There are no strict rules, processes, or procedures for understanding anomalous results of an experiment, anomalies with an experimental spacecraft like Shuttle, or in the

Learning styles and critical thinking relationship in baccalaureate nursing education: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Andreou, Christos; Papastavrou, Evridiki; Merkouris, Anastasios

2014-03-01

Critical thinking is a desirable competency for contemporary nurses although there are growing concerns supporting a disturbing paucity in its achievement. Learning styles reflect habitual behaviors which determine distinct preferences within learning situations. Evidence suggests that critical thinking could evolve through learning processes. Variances in critical thinking achievement by nursing students might therefore be influenced by individual learning preferences. The concepts "learning styles" and "critical thinking" have been independently examined in the nursing literature. No reviews were found however exploring their association in nursing education. To identify the potential relationships between learning styles and critical thinking in baccalaureate nursing students. Systematic review. Eleven electronic databases were utilized without geographical and time publishing filters. Hand-searching journals and scanning references from retrieved studies were also performed. Databases were searched for descriptive correlational studies which considered the relationship between learning styles and critical thinking in baccalaureate nursing students. The authors independently progressed three stage screening. Retrieved articles were reviewed at title, abstract and full text levels according to predetermined criteria. All included studies were quality appraised using a rating tool for descriptive studies. Six studies were finally included. Findings were grouped under four key themes: predominant learning styles, critical thinking scoring, critical thinking evolution across academic progress and learning styles-critical thinking correlations. Learning styles' diversities, weak critical thinking and inconsistent evolution through academic progress were revealed across studies. Critical thinking differed significantly between learning styles. Commonly accepted models in nursing education were lacking in both learning styles and critical thinking. Within studies

Critical review of membrane bioreactor models--part 2: hydrodynamic and integrated models.

Science.gov (United States)

Naessens, W; Maere, T; Ratkovich, N; Vedantam, S; Nopens, I

2012-10-01

Membrane bioreactor technology exists for a couple of decades, but has not yet overwhelmed the market due to some serious drawbacks of which operational cost due to fouling is the major contributor. Knowledge buildup and optimisation for such complex systems can heavily benefit from mathematical modelling. In this paper, the vast literature on hydrodynamic and integrated MBR modelling is critically reviewed. Hydrodynamic models are used at different scales and focus mainly on fouling and only little on system design/optimisation. Integrated models also focus on fouling although the ones including costs are leaning towards optimisation. Trends are discussed, knowledge gaps identified and interesting routes for further research suggested. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of critical factors for SEA implementation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Jie, E-mail: jasmine@plan.aau.dk; Christensen, Per; Kornov, Lone

2013-01-15

The implementation process involved in translating Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) intention into action is vital to an effective SEA. Many factors influence implementation and thus the effectiveness of an SEA. Empirical studies have identified and documented some factors influencing the implementation of an SEA. This research is fragmented, however, and it is still not clear what are the most critical factors of effective SEA performance, and how these relate to different stages of the implementation process or other contextual circumstances. The paper takes its point of departure in implementation theory. Firstly, we introduce implementation theory, and then use it in practice to establish a more comprehensive model related to the stages in the implementation process. Secondly, we identify the critical factors in order to see how they are related to the different stages of SEA or are more general in character. Finally we map the different critical factors and how they influence the overall results of an SEA. Based on a literature review, we present a comprehensive picture of the critical factors and where they are found in the process. We conclude that most of the critical factors identified are of a more general character influencing the SEA process as such, while only one out of four of these factors relates to the specific stages of the SEA. Based on this mapping we can sketch a picture of the totality of critical factors. In this study 266 notions of critical factors were identified. Seen at the level of notions of critical factors, only 24% of these relate to specific stages while for 76% the critical factors are of a more general nature. These critical factors interact in complex ways and appear in different combinations in different stages of the implementation process so tracing the cause and effect is difficult. The pervasiveness of contextual and general factors also clearly suggests that there is no single way to put SEA into practice. The

Review of critical factors for SEA implementation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jie; Christensen, Per; Kørnøv, Lone

2013-01-01

The implementation process involved in translating Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) intention into action is vital to an effective SEA. Many factors influence implementation and thus the effectiveness of an SEA. Empirical studies have identified and documented some factors influencing the implementation of an SEA. This research is fragmented, however, and it is still not clear what are the most critical factors of effective SEA performance, and how these relate to different stages of the implementation process or other contextual circumstances. The paper takes its point of departure in implementation theory. Firstly, we introduce implementation theory, and then use it in practice to establish a more comprehensive model related to the stages in the implementation process. Secondly, we identify the critical factors in order to see how they are related to the different stages of SEA or are more general in character. Finally we map the different critical factors and how they influence the overall results of an SEA. Based on a literature review, we present a comprehensive picture of the critical factors and where they are found in the process. We conclude that most of the critical factors identified are of a more general character influencing the SEA process as such, while only one out of four of these factors relates to the specific stages of the SEA. Based on this mapping we can sketch a picture of the totality of critical factors. In this study 266 notions of critical factors were identified. Seen at the level of notions of critical factors, only 24% of these relate to specific stages while for 76% the critical factors are of a more general nature. These critical factors interact in complex ways and appear in different combinations in different stages of the implementation process so tracing the cause and effect is difficult. The pervasiveness of contextual and general factors also clearly suggests that there is no single way to put SEA into practice. The

"Theorizing Teacher Mobility": A Critical Review of Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Vagi, Robert; Pivovarova, Margarita

2017-01-01

In this critical review of literature, we summarize the major theoretical frameworks that have been used to study teacher mobility. In total we identified 40 teacher mobility studies that met our inclusion criteria. We conclude that relatively few theoretical frameworks have been used to study teacher mobility and those that have been used are…

Computer–Aided Design of the Critical Speed of Shafts | Akpobi ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A computer aided design software for the analysis of the critical speed of shaft, is developed and presented in this work. The software was designed using the principles of object oriented programming, and implemented with the Microsoft Visual Basic Language. The package was tested on a number of benchmark design ...

Short- and long-term impact of critical illness on relatives: literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Paul, Fiona; Rattray, Janice

2008-05-01

This paper is a report of a literature review undertaken to identify the short- and long-term impact of critical illness on relatives. Patients in intensive care can experience physical and psychological consequences, and their relatives may also experience such effects. Although it is recognized that relatives have specific needs, it is not clear whether these needs are always met and whether further support is required, particularly after intensive care. The following databases were searched for the period 1950-2007: Medline, British Nursing Index and Archive, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO and EMB Reviews--Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials. Search terms focused on adult relatives of critically ill adult patients during and after intensive care. Recurrent topics were categorized to structure the review, i.e. 'relatives needs', 'meeting relatives' needs', 'interventions', 'satisfaction', 'psychological outcomes' and 'coping'. Studies have mainly identified relatives' immediate needs using the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory. There are few studies of interventions to meet relatives' needs and the short- and long-term effects of critical illness on relatives. Despite widespread use of the Critical Care Family Needs Inventory, factors such as local or cultural differences may influence relatives' needs. Relatives may also have unidentified needs, and these needs should be explored. Limited research has been carried out into interventions to meet relatives' needs and the effects of critical illness on their well-being, yet some relatives may experience negative psychological consequences far beyond the acute phase of the illness.

Critical experiments facility and criticality safety programs at JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Iwao; Tachimori, Shoichi; Takeshita, Isao; Suzaki, Takenori; Miyoshi, Yoshinori; Nomura, Yasushi

1985-10-01

The nuclear criticality safety is becoming a key point in Japan in the safety considerations for nuclear installations outside reactors such as spent fuel reprocessing facilities, plutonium fuel fabrication facilities, large scale hot alboratories, and so on. Especially a large scale spent fuel reprocessing facility is being designed and would be constructed in near future, therefore extensive experimental studies are needed for compilation of our own technical standards and also for verification of safety in a potential criticality accident to obtain public acceptance. Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute is proceeding a construction program of a new criticality safety experimental facility where criticality data can be obtained for such solution fuels as mainly handled in a reprocessing facility and also chemical process experiments can be performed to investigate abnormal phenomena, e.g. plutonium behavior in solvent extraction process by using pulsed colums. In FY 1985 detail design of the facility will be completed and licensing review by the government would start in FY 1986. Experiments would start in FY 1990. Research subjects and main specifications of the facility are described. (author)

Critical Gates Identification for Fault-Tolerant Design in Math Circuits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tian Ban

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Hardware redundancy at different levels of design is a common fault mitigation technique, which is well known for its efficiency to the detriment of area overhead. In order to reduce this drawback, several fault-tolerant techniques have been proposed in literature to find a good trade-off. In this paper, critical constituent gates in math circuits are detected and graded based on the impact of an error in the output of a circuit. These critical gates should be hardened first under the area constraint of design criteria. Indeed, output bits considered crucial to a system receive higher priorities to be protected, reducing the occurrence of critical errors. The 74283 fast adder is used as an example to illustrate the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed approach.

The Impact of Environmental Design on Teamwork and Communication in Healthcare Facilities: A Systematic Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gharaveis, Arsalan; Hamilton, D Kirk; Pati, Debajyoti

2018-01-01

The purpose of this systematic review is to investigate the current knowledge about the impact of healthcare facility design on teamwork and communication by exploring the relevant literature. Teamwork and communication are behavioral factors that are impacted by physical design. However, the effects of environmental factors on teamwork and communication have not been investigated extensively in healthcare design literature. There are no published systematic reviews on the current topic. Searches were conducted in PubMed and Google Scholar databases in addition to targeted design journals including Health Environmental Research & Design, Environment and Behavior, Environmental Psychology, and Applied Ergonomics. Inclusion criteria were (a) full-text English language articles related to teamwork and communication and (b) involving any healthcare built environment and space design published in peer-reviewed journals between 1984 and 2017. Studies were extracted using defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. In the first phase, 26 of the 195 articles most relevant to teamwork and 19 studies of the 147 were identified and reviewed to understand the impact of communication in healthcare facilities. The literature regarding the impact of built environment on teamwork and communication were reviewed and explored in detail. Eighteen studies were selected and succinctly summarized as the final product of this review. Environmental design, which involves nurses, support staff, and physicians, is one of the critical factors that promotes the efficiency of teamwork and collaborative communication. Layout design, visibility, and accessibility levels are the most cited aspects of design which can affect the level of communication and teamwork in healthcare facilities.

The future of the IMS Learning Design specification: a critical look

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sloep, Peter

2009-01-01

P. B. Sloep (2009). The future of the IMS Learning Design specification: a critical look. Presentation at the IMS Learning Design seminar 'The future of IMS Learning Design'. December, 10, 2009, Wollongong, Australia: University of Wollongong.

Drug Use Normalization: A Systematic and Critical Mixed-Methods Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sznitman, Sharon R; Taubman, Danielle S

2016-09-01

Drug use normalization, which is a process whereby drug use becomes less stigmatized and more accepted as normative behavior, provides a conceptual framework for understanding contemporary drug issues and changes in drug use trends. Through a mixed-methods systematic review of the normalization literature, this article seeks to (a) critically examine how the normalization framework has been applied in empirical research and (b) make recommendations for future research in this area. Twenty quantitative, 26 qualitative, and 4 mixed-methods studies were identified through five electronic databases and reference lists of published studies. Studies were assessed for relevance, study characteristics, quality, and aspects of normalization examined. None of the studies applied the most rigorous research design (experiments) or examined all of the originally proposed normalization dimensions. The most commonly assessed dimension of drug use normalization was "experimentation." In addition to the original dimensions, the review identified the following new normalization dimensions in the literature: (a) breakdown of demographic boundaries and other risk factors in relation to drug use; (b) de-normalization; (c) drug use as a means to achieve normal goals; and (d) two broad forms of micro-politics associated with managing the stigma of illicit drug use: assimilative and transformational normalization. Further development in normalization theory and methodology promises to provide researchers with a novel framework for improving our understanding of drug use in contemporary society. Specifically, quasi-experimental designs that are currently being made feasible by swift changes in cannabis policy provide researchers with new and improved opportunities to examine normalization processes.

BIOCHAR: PYROGENIC CARBON FOR AGRICULTURAL USE - A CRITICAL REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Etelvino Henrique Novotny

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Biochar (carbonized biomass for agricultural use has been used worldwide as soil amendment and is a technology of particular interest for Brazil, since its "inspiration" is from the historical Terra Preta de Índios(Amazon Dark Earth, and also because Brazil is the world's largest charcoal producer, generating enormous residue quantities in form of fine charcoal and due to the availability of different residual biomasses, mainly from agroindustry (e.g., sugar-cane bagasse; wood and paper-mill wastes; residues from biofuel industries; sewage sludge etc, that can be used for biochar production, making Brazil a key actor in the international scenario in terms of biochar research and utilization. In the last decade, numerous studies on biochar have been carried out and now a vast literature, and excellent reviews, are available. The objective of this paper is therefore to deliver a critical review with some highlights on biochar research, rather than an exhaustive bibliographic review. To this end, some key points considered critical and relevant were selected and the pertinent literature "condensed", with a view to guide future research, rather than analyze trends of the past.

Review on modeling and simulation of interdependent critical infrastructure systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ouyang, Min

2014-01-01

Modern societies are becoming increasingly dependent on critical infrastructure systems (CISs) to provide essential services that support economic prosperity, governance, and quality of life. These systems are not alone but interdependent at multiple levels to enhance their overall performance. However, recent worldwide events such as the 9/11 terrorist attack, Gulf Coast hurricanes, the Chile and Japanese earthquakes, and even heat waves have highlighted that interdependencies among CISs increase the potential for cascading failures and amplify the impact of both large and small scale initial failures into events of catastrophic proportions. To better understand CISs to support planning, maintenance and emergency decision making, modeling and simulation of interdependencies across CISs has recently become a key field of study. This paper reviews the studies in the field and broadly groups the existing modeling and simulation approaches into six types: empirical approaches, agent based approaches, system dynamics based approaches, economic theory based approaches, network based approaches, and others. Different studies for each type of the approaches are categorized and reviewed in terms of fundamental principles, such as research focus, modeling rationale, and the analysis method, while different types of approaches are further compared according to several criteria, such as the notion of resilience. Finally, this paper offers future research directions and identifies critical challenges in the field. - Highlights: • Modeling approaches on interdependent critical infrastructure systems are reviewed. • I mainly review empirical, agent-based, system-dynamics, economic, network approaches. • Studies by each approach are sorted out in terms of fundamental principles. • Different approaches are further compared with resilience as the main criterion

Nutritional risk assessment in critically ill cancer patients: systematic review

Science.gov (United States)

Fruchtenicht, Ana Valéria Gonçalves; Poziomyck, Aline Kirjner; Kabke, Geórgia Brum; Loss, Sérgio Henrique; Antoniazzi, Jorge Luiz; Steemburgo, Thais; Moreira, Luis Fernando

2015-01-01

Objective To systematically review the main methods for nutritional risk assessment used in critically ill cancer patients and present the methods that better assess risks and predict relevant clinical outcomes in this group of patients, as well as to discuss the pros and cons of these methods according to the current literature. Methods The study consisted of a systematic review based on analysis of manuscripts retrieved from the PubMed, LILACS and SciELO databases by searching for the key words “nutritional risk assessment”, “critically ill” and “cancer”. Results Only 6 (17.7%) of 34 initially retrieved papers met the inclusion criteria and were selected for the review. The main outcomes of these studies were that resting energy expenditure was associated with undernourishment and overfeeding. The high Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment score was significantly associated with low food intake, weight loss and malnutrition. In terms of biochemical markers, higher levels of creatinine, albumin and urea were significantly associated with lower mortality. The worst survival was found for patients with worse Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group - performance status, high Glasgow Prognostic Score, low albumin, high Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment score and high alkaline phosphatase levels. Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index values < 87 were significantly associated with mortality. A high Prognostic Inflammatory and Nutritional Index score was associated with abnormal nutritional status in critically ill cancer patients. Among the reviewed studies that examined weight and body mass index alone, no significant clinical outcome was found. Conclusion None of the methods reviewed helped to define risk among these patients. Therefore, assessment by a combination of weight loss and serum measurements, preferably in combination with other methods using scores such as Eastern Cooperative Oncologic Group - performance status, Glasgow Prognostic

A CRITICAL REVIEW OF THE MODEL MINORITY STEREOTYPE SHIBBOLETH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicholas Daniel Hartlep

2012-04-01

Full Text Available The author conducted a thematic review of the literature on the model minority stereotype  (MMS.  MMS  writings  (n  =  246  included  peer-reviewed  and  non-peer-reviewed materials spanning from the 1960s to present. Writings were reviewed if their title included “model minority.”  The purpose  was to review the MMS critically.  Six major themes were found to recurrently appear in the MMS literature. Those themes were the following: (1 critiquing colorblindness, (2 countering meritocracy, (3 demystifying Asian  American  exceptionalism,  (4  uncovering  divide  and  conquer  stratagem,  (5 problematizing Asian American homogenization, and (6 unmasking the “yellow peril” stereotype. Implications for the education of Asian students in America and abroad are shared.

Consumer sleep tracking devices: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jeon; Finkelstein, Joseph

2015-01-01

Consumer sleep tracking devices are widely advertised as effective means to monitor and manage sleep quality and to provide positive effects on overall heath. However objective evidence supporting these claims is not always readily available. The goal of this study was to perform a comprehensive review of available information on six representative sleep tracking devices: BodyMedia FIT, Fitbit Flex, Jawbone UP, Basis Band, Innovative Sleep Solutions SleepTracker, and Zeo Sleep Manager Pro. The review was conducted along the following dimensions: output metrics, theoretical frameworks, systematic evaluation, and FDA clearance. The review identified a critical lack of basic information about the devices: five out of six devices provided no supporting information on their sensor accuracy and four out of six devices provided no information on their output metrics accuracy. Only three devices were found to have related peer-reviewed articles. However in these articles wake detection accuracy was revealed to be quite low and to vary widely (BodyMedia, 49.9±3.6%; Fitbit, 19.8%; Zeo, 78.9% to 83.5%). No supporting evidence on how well tracking devices can help mitigate sleep loss and manage sleep disturbances in practical life was provided.

Protective design of critical infrastructure with high performance concretes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Riedel, W.; Nöldgen, M.; Stolz, A.; Roller, C.

2012-01-01

Conclusions: High performance concrete constructions will allow innovative design solutions for critical infrastructures. Validation of engineering methods can reside on large and model scale experiments conducted on conventional concrete structures. New consistent impact experiments show extreme protection potential for UHPC. Modern FEM with concrete models and explicit rebar can model HPC and UHPC penetration resistance. SDOF and TDOF approaches are valuable design tools on local and global level. Combination of at least 2 out of 3 design methods FEM – XDOF- EXP allow reliable prediction and efficient innovative designs

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

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Chenghui; Whitehill, Tara L

2014-04-01

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

Integration technique of digital I and C replacement and its Critical Digital Review procedure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Hui-Wen; Yang, Wen-Long

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A digital I and C replacement integration technique have been developed. ► Establishment of Nuclear Power Plant Digital Replacement Integration Guideline. ► Preliminary Investigation on I and C System Digitalization. ► Evaluation on I and C System Digitalization. ► Establishment of I and C System Digitalization Architectures. -- Abstract: Institute of Nuclear Energy Research (INER) developed a digital Instrumentation and Control (I and C) replacement integration technique on the basis of requirement of the three existing nuclear power plants (NPPs), which are Chin–Shan (CS) NPP, Kuo–Sheng (KS) NPP, and Maanshan (MS) NPP, in Taiwan, and also developed the related Critical Digital Review (CDR) procedure. The digital I and C replacement integration technique includes: (1) Establishment of Nuclear Power Plant Digital Replacement Integration Guideline, (2) Preliminary Investigation on I and C System Digitalization, (3) Evaluation on I and C System Digitalization, and (4) Establishment of I and C System Digitalization Architectures. These works can be a reference for performing I and C system digital replacement integration of the three existing NPPs of Taiwan Power Company (TPC). A CDR is the review for a critical system digital I and C replacement. The major reference of this procedure is EPRI TR-1011710 (2005) “Handbook for Evaluating Critical Digital Equipment and Systems” which was published by the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI). With this document, INER developed a TPC-specific CDR procedure. Currently, CDR becomes one of the policies for digital I and C replacement in TPC. The contents of this CDR procedure include: Scope, Responsibility, Operation Procedure, Operation Flow Chart, CDR review items. The CDR review items include the comparison of the design change, Software Verification and Validation (SV and V), Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA), Evaluation of Diversity and Defense-in-depth (D3), Evaluation of

Supply chain design: Some critical questions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. D. Nel

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Effective supply chain management (SCM requires organisations to work together in order to satisfy the needs of their end customers. Since organisations have to determine which processes and relationships will best achieve this aim, the design of their supply chains is important. Supply chain design thus forms an integral part of SCM and embodies the supply chain's structure. Unfortunately, too many organisations allow the design of their supply chain to evolve into its current form instead of planning their supply chain design (SCD efforts. The literature is vague on what SCD efforts constitute. This article consists of a comprehensive literature study in which an effort was made to bring more clarity on exactly what purposeful SCD efforts consist of, and some key questions were formulated that organisations could use as a guide in their SCD practices. From these critical questions a conceptual framework has been developed that can be used to determine whether organisations' SCD practices are aligned with organisational objectives. The conceptual framework was tested at two South African organisations to determine if it indeed can be be used to analyse the SCD practices of organisations.

Haloperidol for delirium in critically ill patients - protocol for a systematic review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barbateskovic, M; Kraus, S R; Collet, M O

2018-01-01

, relatives, and societies is considerable. The objective of this systematic review was to critically access the evidence of randomised clinical trials on the effects of haloperidol vs. placebo or any other agents for delirium in critically ill patients. METHODS: We will search for randomised clinical trials...... decision makers on the use of or future trials with haloperidol for the management of delirium in critically ill patients....

Critical traffic loading for the design of prestressed concrete bridge

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hassan, M.I.U.

2009-01-01

A study has been carried out to determine critical traffic loadings for the design of bridge superstructures. The prestressed concrete girder bridge already constructed in Lahore is selected for the analysis as an example. Standard traffic loadings according to AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) and Pakistan Highway Standards are used for this purpose. These include (1) HL-93 Truck, (2) Lane and (3) Tandem Loadings in addition to (4) Military tank loading, (5) Class-A, (6) Class-B and (7) Class-AA loading, (8) NLC (National Logistic Cell) and (9) Volvo truck loadings. Bridge superstructure including transom beam is analyzed Using ASD and LRFD (Load and Resistance Factor Design) provisions of AASHTO specifications. For the analysis, two longer and shorter spans are selected. This includes the analysis of bridge deck; interior and exterior girder; a typical transom beam and a pier. Dead and live loading determination is carried out using both computer aided and manual calculations. Evaluation of traffic loadings is done for all the bridge components to find out the critical loading. HL-93 loading comes out to be the most critical loading and where this loading is not critical in case of bridge decks; a factor of 1.15 is introduced to make it equivalent with HL-93 -Ioading. SAP-2000 (Structural Engineering Services of Pakistan) and MS-Excel is employed for analysis of bridge superstructure subjected to this loading. Internal forces are obtained for the structural elements of the bridge for all traffic loadings mentioned. It is concluded that HL-93 loading can be used for the design of prestressed concrete girder bridge. Bridge design authorities like NHA (National Highway Authority) and different cities development authorities are using different standard traffic loadings. A number of suggestions are made from the results of the research work related to traffic loadings and method of design. These recommendations may be

The all-ceramic, inlay supported fixed partial denture. Part 1. Ceramic inlay preparation design: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, M C; Thompson, K M; Swain, M

2010-06-01

The effect of cavity design is a controversial and underrated factor in the clinical success of ceramic inlays and inlay supported prosthesis. Many articles and studies have been conducted into the advantages and disadvantages of isolated aspects of preparation design, but lacking is a review of the most relevant papers which bring together a consensus on all the critical features. Hence, a review and analysis of cavity depth, width, preparation taper and internal line angles is warranted in our attempts to formulate preparation guidelines that will lead to clinically successful, all-ceramic inlay restorations and ceramic inlay supported prosthesis.

Benefits, challenges and critical factors of success for Zero Waste: A systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Pietzsch, Natália; Ribeiro, José Luis Duarte; de Medeiros, Janine Fleith

2017-09-01

Considering the growing concern with solid wastes problems and the pressing need for a holistic approach to their management, this study developed a literature review about the subject "Zero Waste". To that end, a systematic literature review was executed, through which 102 published articles were analyzed with the aim to, initially, comprehend the concept of Zero Waste, and, then, map its benefits, challenges, and critical success factors. The results show that scholars have not reached a consensus regarding the concept of ZW. While some studies fully address this philosophy, other studies are based on just one or on some of its topics. The benefits were grouped and organized into four dimensions: benefits to the community, financial-economic benefits, benefits to the environment and benefits to the industry and stakeholders. As to the challenges, barriers were identified both in the macro environment (mainly political and cultural) and in the meso and micro environments (stakeholders, industries, and municipalities). The analysis of the articles enabled listing critical success factors, supported by a set of activities that must be carried out. Regarding future studies, it is worth noting that more empirical studies about ZW implementation are necessary, particularly with regard to educational practices designed to promote changes in user behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Expert systems for assisting in design reviews

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brtis, J.S.; Johnson, W.J.; Weber, N.; Naser, J.

1990-01-01

This paper discusses Sargent and Lundy's (S and L's) use of expert system technologies to computerize the procedures used for engineering design reviews. This paper discusses expert systems and the advantages that result from using them to computerize the decision-making process. This paper also discusses the design review expert systems that S and L has developed to perform fire protection and ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) design reviews, and is currently developing for the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to perform 10 CFR 50.59 safety reviews

A Critical Review of the Literature on Electronic Records ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This article provides a critical review of existing articles addressing the management of electronic records in the Eastern and Southern African Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA) region. The article argues that while the literature in developed countries has come up with practical solutions ...

Contraceptive Health Programs for Adolescents: A Critical Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Lagana, Luciana; Hayes, David M.

1993-01-01

Reviews some contraceptive education programs designed for adolescents that differ in educational process based on delivery setting. Reviews school-based, community-based, and college/university-based programs and discusses them in terms of their effectiveness, potential, and limitations. Notes that educational accountability in each setting…

EPR and Bell's theorem: A critical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stapp, H.P.

1991-01-01

The argument of Einstein, Podolsky, and Rosen is reviewed with attention to logical structure and character of assumptions. Bohr's reply is discussed. Bell's contribution is formulated without use of hidden variables, and efforts to equate hidden variables to realism are critically examined. An alternative derivation of nonlocality that makes no use of hidden variables, microrealism, counterfactual definiteness, or any other assumption alien to orthodox quantum thinking is described in detail, with particular attention to the quartet or broken-square question

Fully probabilistic control design in an adaptive critic framework

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Herzallah, R.; Kárný, Miroslav

2011-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 10 (2011), s. 1128-1135 ISSN 0893-6080 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA102/08/0567 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : Stochastic control design * Fully probabilistic design * Adaptive control * Adaptive critic Subject RIV: BC - Control Systems Theory Impact factor: 2.182, year: 2011 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2011/AS/karny-0364820.pdf

Antidiabetic plant-derived nutraceuticals: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Naveen, Jayapal; Baskaran, Vallikannan

2018-06-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the major health problems in the world, especially amongst the urban population. Chemically synthesized drugs used to decrease the ill effects of DM and its secondary complications cause adverse side effects, viz., weight gain, gastrointestinal disturbances, and heart failure. Currently, various other approaches, viz., diet control, physical exercise and use of antidiabetic plant-derived molecules/foods are advocated to manage DM, as they are economical with fewer or no side effects. This review mainly focuses on antidiabetic plants, chemically characterized plant molecules and plant-based foods in the treatment of DM. Very little science-based evidence is available on the mechanism of action of plant-derived food molecules on the DM targets. Critical DM targets include α-amylase, α-glucosidase, DPP-IV, aldose reductase, PPAR-γ, AMP kinase and GLUT4. In-depth studies carried out on a few of those targets with specific mechanisms of action are addressed in this review. This review may help future researchers in identifying a right plant molecule to treat DM or to develop food formulations for DM management.

Peer-to-Peer Teaching in Higher Education: A Critical Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Stigmar, Martin

2016-01-01

The aim of my critical literature review is to identify studies where students are engaged as partners in teaching in higher education and to analyze how tutors and tutees benefit from peer teaching. Thirty studies were included for review. Thirteen countries are represented and two thirds of the studies conducted in the United States of America…

System specification/system design document comment review: Plutonium Stabilization and Packaging System. Notes of conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-01-01

A meeting was held between DOE personnel and the BNFL team to review the proposed resolutions to DOE comments on the initial issue of the system specification and system design document for the Plutonium Stabilization and Packaging System. The objectives of this project are to design, fabricate, install, and start up a glovebox system for the safe repackaging of plutonium oxide and metal, with a requirement of a 50-year storage period. The areas discussed at the meeting were: nitrogen in can; moisture instrumentation; glovebox atmosphere; can marking bar coding; weld quality; NFPA-101 references; inner can swabbing; ultimate storage environment; throughput; convenience can screw-top design; furnacetrays; authorization basis; compactor safety; schedule for DOE review actions; fire protection; criticality safety; applicable standards; approach to MC and A; homogeneous oxide; resistance welder power; and tray overfill. Revised resolutions were drafted and are presented

Factors affecting management accounting and control systems. A critical review of empirical studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Dyczkowska

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Knowledge of management accounting & control systems and factors which may affect the design of such systems has become crucial due to emerging changes both in the external and internal business environment. Therefore it is necessary to conduct comprehensive, long-term basic research in order to prove previously formulated hypotheses in new conditions and fulfil the research gap. Based on critical review of empirical studies published in prestigious scientific journals this paper aims at validating the assumed hypotheses and at generalising research findings on impacts of various determinants on man-agement accounting & control systems. The predominant contingent factors include: type of strategy implemented, national culture, perceived environment uncertainty and integrated information system.

Motivation Measures in Sport: A Critical Review and Bibliometric Analysis

OpenAIRE

Clancy, Rachel B.; Herring, Matthew P.; Campbell, Mark J.

2017-01-01

Motivation is widely-researched, in both sport psychology and other fields. As rigorous measurement is essential to understanding this latent construct, a critical appraisal of measurement instruments is needed. Thus, the purpose of this review was to evaluate the six most highly cited motivation measures in sport. Peer-reviewed articles published prior to August 2016 were searched to identify the six most highly cited motivation questionnaires in sport: Sport Motivation Scale (SMS), Intrinsi...

Optical System Critical Design Review (CDR) Flight Software Summary

Science.gov (United States)

Khorrami, Mori

2006-01-01

The Mid Infrared Instrument (MIRI FSW presentation covers: (1) Optical System FSW only and Cooling System FSW is covered at its CDR (2) Requirements & Interfaces (3) Relationship with the ISIM FSW (4) FSW Design Drivers & Solutions.

A knowledge-based taxonomy of critical factors for adopting electronic health record systems by physicians: a systematic literature review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martínez-García Ana I

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The health care sector is an area of social and economic interest in several countries; therefore, there have been lots of efforts in the use of electronic health records. Nevertheless, there is evidence suggesting that these systems have not been adopted as it was expected, and although there are some proposals to support their adoption, the proposed support is not by means of information and communication technology which can provide automatic tools of support. The aim of this study is to identify the critical adoption factors for electronic health records by physicians and to use them as a guide to support their adoption process automatically. Methods This paper presents, based on the PRISMA statement, a systematic literature review in electronic databases with adoption studies of electronic health records published in English. Software applications that manage and process the data in the electronic health record have been considered, i.e.: computerized physician prescription, electronic medical records, and electronic capture of clinical data. Our review was conducted with the purpose of obtaining a taxonomy of the physicians main barriers for adopting electronic health records, that can be addressed by means of information and communication technology; in particular with the information technology roles of the knowledge management processes. Which take us to the question that we want to address in this work: "What are the critical adoption factors of electronic health records that can be supported by information and communication technology?". Reports from eight databases covering electronic health records adoption studies in the medical domain, in particular those focused on physicians, were analyzed. Results The review identifies two main issues: 1 a knowledge-based classification of critical factors for adopting electronic health records by physicians; and 2 the definition of a base for the design of a conceptual

A knowledge-based taxonomy of critical factors for adopting electronic health record systems by physicians: a systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo, Víctor H; Martínez-García, Ana I; Pulido, J R G

2010-10-15

The health care sector is an area of social and economic interest in several countries; therefore, there have been lots of efforts in the use of electronic health records. Nevertheless, there is evidence suggesting that these systems have not been adopted as it was expected, and although there are some proposals to support their adoption, the proposed support is not by means of information and communication technology which can provide automatic tools of support. The aim of this study is to identify the critical adoption factors for electronic health records by physicians and to use them as a guide to support their adoption process automatically. This paper presents, based on the PRISMA statement, a systematic literature review in electronic databases with adoption studies of electronic health records published in English. Software applications that manage and process the data in the electronic health record have been considered, i.e.: computerized physician prescription, electronic medical records, and electronic capture of clinical data. Our review was conducted with the purpose of obtaining a taxonomy of the physicians main barriers for adopting electronic health records, that can be addressed by means of information and communication technology; in particular with the information technology roles of the knowledge management processes. Which take us to the question that we want to address in this work: "What are the critical adoption factors of electronic health records that can be supported by information and communication technology?". Reports from eight databases covering electronic health records adoption studies in the medical domain, in particular those focused on physicians, were analyzed. The review identifies two main issues: 1) a knowledge-based classification of critical factors for adopting electronic health records by physicians; and 2) the definition of a base for the design of a conceptual framework for supporting the design of knowledge

The Optical Design of the Human Eye: a Critical Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rafael Navarro

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Cornea, lens and eye models are analyzed and compared to experimental findings to assess properties and eventually unveil optical design principles involved in the structure and function of the optical system of the eye. Models and data often show good match but also some paradoxes. The optical design seems to correspond to a wide angle lens. Compared to conventional optical systems, the eye presents a poor optical quality on axis, but a relatively good quality off-axis, thus yielding higher homogeneity for a wide visual field. This seems the result of an intriguing combination of the symmetry design principle with a total lack of rotational symmetry, decentrations and misalignments of the optical surfaces.

[Introduction to critical reading of articles: study design and biases].

Science.gov (United States)

García Villar, C

2015-01-01

The critical evaluation of an article enables professionals to make good use of the new information and therefore has direct repercussions for the benefit of our patients. Before undertaking a detailed critical reading of the chosen article, we need to consider whether the study used the most appropriate design for the question it aimed to answer (i.e., whether the level of evidence is adequate). To do this, we need to know how to classify studies in function of their design (descriptive or analytical; prospective or retrospective; cross-sectional or longitudinal) as well as their correlation with the levels of evidence. In critical reading it is also important to know the main systematic errors or biases that can affect a study. Biases can appear in any phase of a study; they can affect the sample, the development of the study, or the measurement of the results. Copyright © 2014 SERAM. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Automatic Generation and Ranking of Questions for Critical Review

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Ming; Calvo, Rafael A.; Rus, Vasile

2014-01-01

Critical review skill is one important aspect of academic writing. Generic trigger questions have been widely used to support this activity. When students have a concrete topic in mind, trigger questions are less effective if they are too general. This article presents a learning-to-rank based system which automatically generates specific trigger…

Ethical Design of Intelligent Assistive Technologies for Dementia: A Descriptive Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ienca, Marcello; Wangmo, Tenzin; Jotterand, Fabrice; Kressig, Reto W; Elger, Bernice

2017-09-22

The use of Intelligent Assistive Technology (IAT) in dementia care opens the prospects of reducing the global burden of dementia and enabling novel opportunities to improve the lives of dementia patients. However, with current adoption rates being reportedly low, the potential of IATs might remain under-expressed as long as the reasons for suboptimal adoption remain unaddressed. Among these, ethical and social considerations are critical. This article reviews the spectrum of IATs for dementia and investigates the prevalence of ethical considerations in the design of current IATs. Our screening shows that a significant portion of current IATs is designed in the absence of explicit ethical considerations. These results suggest that the lack of ethical consideration might be a codeterminant of current structural limitations in the translation of IATs from designing labs to bedside. Based on these data, we call for a coordinated effort to proactively incorporate ethical considerations early in the design and development of new products.

A REVIEW: A MODEL of CULTURAL ASPECTS for SUSTAINABLE PRODUCT DESIGN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ihwan Ghazali,

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Product design stages are important to consider critically in production. Generally, product design that shall be created by designer, should consider what the customer wants and needs. Nowadays issues, product design does not only consider the “wants and needs” of user, but also how the design can be created by embedding sustainability aspects in the product. Culture is also one of the important aspects which need to be considered in product design as culture affects the way users respond to the product. This paper aims to develop a new model for design development, in which the aspects of culture are incorporated into sustainable product design. By reviewing the existing literature, the authors attempt to identify the gaps of the existing papers, which illustrate how culture affects sustainable product design. Recent papers have only shown that culture influences product design, but they do not explore sustainability and the culture aspects in product design. Due to these gaps, it is therefore important to create a model which will assist designers to elicit sustainable product design based on cultural aspects. In summary, designers need to reflect on the “wants and needs” of users. The framework presented in this paper can be integrated into designers’ and companies’ decision-making during product design development.

Critical to quality in telemedicine service management: application of DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) and SERVQUAL).

Science.gov (United States)

Yun, Eun Kyoung; Chun, Kee Moon

2008-01-01

Telemedicine generally refers to the use of communications and information technologies for the delivery of health care. owever, telemedicine is not merely a simple combination of health care and technology. The researchers propose a systematic approach for assessing needs of telemedicine customers, called critical-to-quality (CTQ) in Six Sigma, with a purpose of continuous quality improvement. The combination approach using DFSS (Design for Six Sigma) and SERVQUAL (Service Quality Framework) was applied to define the critical quality attributes of telemedicine service management and to match them with the current telemedicine process. With a step-by-step procedure, telemedicine service process was reviewed and all the important CTQ candidates identified via a case study. The findings suggest that nurses need further understanding and research methods that will improve and manage the quality of health care service in various medical fields.

A critical review on tablet disintegration.

Science.gov (United States)

Quodbach, Julian; Kleinebudde, Peter

2016-09-01

Tablet disintegration is an important factor for drug release and can be modified with excipients called tablet disintegrants. Tablet disintegrants act via different mechanisms and the efficacy of these excipients is influenced by various factors. In this review, the existing literature on tablet disintegration is critically reviewed. Potential disintegration mechanisms, as well as impact factors on the disintegration process will be discussed based on experimental evidence. Search terms for Scopus and Web of Science included "tablet disintegration", "mechanism tablet disintegration", "superdisintegrants", "disintegrants", "swelling force", "disintegration force", "disintegration mechanisms", as well as brand names of commonly applied superdisintegrants. References of identified papers were screened as well. Experimental data supports swelling and shape recovery as main mechanisms of action of disintegrants. Other tablet excipients and different manufacturing techniques greatly influence the disintegration process. The use of different excipients, experimental setups and manufacturing techniques, as well as the demand for original research led to a distinct patchwork of knowledge. Broader, more systematic approaches are necessary not only to structure the past but also future findings.

Static Magnetic Field Therapy: A Critical Review of Treatment Parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agatha P. Colbert

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Static magnetic field (SMF therapy, applied via a permanent magnet attached to the skin, is used by people worldwide for self-care. Despite a lack of established SMF dosage and treatment regimens, multiple studies are conducted to evaluate SMF therapy effectiveness. Our objectives in conducting this review are to: (i summarize SMF research conducted in humans; (ii critically evaluate reporting quality of SMF dosages and treatment parameters and (iii propose a set of criteria for reporting SMF treatment parameters in future clinical trials. We searched 27 electronic databases and reference lists. Only English language human studies were included. Excluded were studies of electromagnetic fields, transcranial magnetic stimulation, magnets placed on acupuncture points, animal studies, abstracts, posters and editorials. Data were extracted on clinical indication, study design and 10 essential SMF parameters. Three reviewers assessed quality of reporting and calculated a quality assessment score for each of the 10 treatment parameters. Fifty-six studies were reviewed, 42 conducted in patient populations and 14 in healthy volunteers. The SMF treatment parameters most often and most completely described were site of application, magnet support device and frequency and duration of application. Least often and least completely described were characteristics of the SMF: magnet dimensions, measured field strength and estimated distance of the magnet from the target tissue. Thirty-four (61% of studies failed to provide enough detail about SMF dosage to permit protocol replication by other investigators. Our findings highlight the need to optimize SMF dosing parameters for individual clinical conditions before proceeding to a full-scale clinical trial.

School Uniforms: A Critical Review of the Literature. From Inquiry to Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Brunsma, David L.

The debate surrounding the effectiveness of school-uniform policies, as well as discussions concerning when and how to implement them, is rooted in anecdote. This review summarizes anecdotal literature on which the current debate is based and critically reviews the empirical literature, including theoretical underpinnings, findings, and…

Spacecraft System Integration and Test: SSTI Lewis critical design audit

Science.gov (United States)

Brooks, R. P.; Cha, K. K.

1995-01-01

The Critical Design Audit package is the final detailed design package which provides a comprehensive description of the SSTI mission. This package includes the program overview, the system requirements, the science and applications activities, the ground segment development, the assembly, integration and test description, the payload and technology demonstrations, and the spacecraft bus subsystems. Publication and presentation of this document marks the final requirements and design freeze for SSTI.

A reference model for model-based design of critical infrastructure protection systems

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Young Don; Park, Cheol Young; Lee, Jae-Chon

2015-05-01

Today's war field environment is getting versatile as the activities of unconventional wars such as terrorist attacks and cyber-attacks have noticeably increased lately. The damage caused by such unconventional wars has also turned out to be serious particularly if targets are critical infrastructures that are constructed in support of banking and finance, transportation, power, information and communication, government, and so on. The critical infrastructures are usually interconnected to each other and thus are very vulnerable to attack. As such, to ensure the security of critical infrastructures is very important and thus the concept of critical infrastructure protection (CIP) has come. The program to realize the CIP at national level becomes the form of statute in each country. On the other hand, it is also needed to protect each individual critical infrastructure. The objective of this paper is to study on an effort to do so, which can be called the CIP system (CIPS). There could be a variety of ways to design CIPS's. Instead of considering the design of each individual CIPS, a reference model-based approach is taken in this paper. The reference model represents the design of all the CIPS's that have many design elements in common. In addition, the development of the reference model is also carried out using a variety of model diagrams. The modeling language used therein is the systems modeling language (SysML), which was developed and is managed by Object Management Group (OMG) and a de facto standard. Using SysML, the structure and operational concept of the reference model are designed to fulfil the goal of CIPS's, resulting in the block definition and activity diagrams. As a case study, the operational scenario of the nuclear power plant while being attacked by terrorists is studied using the reference model. The effectiveness of the results is also analyzed using multiple analysis models. It is thus expected that the approach taken here has some merits

Designing a Profit-Maximizing Critical Peak Pricing Scheme Considering the Payback Phenomenon

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sung Chan Park

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Critical peak pricing (CPP is a demand response program that can be used to maximize profits for a load serving entity in a deregulated market environment. Like other such programs, however, CPP is not free from the payback phenomenon: a rise in consumption after a critical event. This payback has a negative effect on profits and thus must be appropriately considered when designing a CPP scheme. However, few studies have examined CPP scheme design considering payback. This study thus characterizes payback using three parameters (duration, amount, and pattern and examines payback effects on the optimal schedule of critical events and on the optimal peak rate for two specific payback patterns. This analysis is verified through numerical simulations. The results demonstrate the need to properly consider payback parameters when designing a profit-maximizing CPP scheme.

A Review of Accident Modelling Approaches for Complex Critical Sociotechnical Systems

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Qureshi, Zahid H

2008-01-01

.... This report provides a review of key traditional accident modelling approaches and their limitations, and describes new system-theoretic approaches to the modelling and analysis of accidents in safety-critical systems...

A Decade of Critical Information Literacy: A Review of the Literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eamon Tewell

2015-06-01

Full Text Available As information literacy continues in its centrality to many academic libraries’ missions, a line of inquiry has developed in response to ACRL’s charge to develop information literate citizens. The literature of critical information literacy questions widely held assumptions about information literacy and considers in what ways librarians may encourage students to engage with and act upon information’s complex and inherently political nature. This review explores the research into critical information literacy, including critical pedagogy and critiques of information literacy, in order to provide an entry point for this emerging and challenging approach to information literacy.

The scholarship of critical review: improving quality and relevance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Dana; Ebrall, Phillip

2008-12-01

To describe the process of scientific peer review as it is used in the manuscript submission process, assess threats and challenges to the peer review process, and to offer suggestions for enhancing its effectiveness. Peer review is often seen as one of the hallmarks of scientific publication. The primary goal of peer review is to improve the science within papers that are ultimately published, by helping an editor better understand the strengths and weaknesses of a given paper. This process, while fairly well studied within the medical field, has received almost no attention at all within chiropractic. This paper provides guidance to reviewers and potential reviewers which can help them to understand both the scientific and the human aspects of peer review. This is designed to elevate this function to one trusted by the profession rather than seen as simply another hurdle to overcome. Several future directions are offered, including unblinding the review process for transparency, conducting rigorous studies looking at peer review, and developing formal training programs for potential reviewers. Peer review is likely to remain in force as a means to provide guidance to authors and editors about the rigor of submitted papers. However, the nature of peer review may be changing and editors and authors need to stay aware of the implications of these changes. Recommendations to open the process, study it and develop training programs are designed to ensure that the process remains as impartial as possible.

Nanostructured delivery systems with improved leishmanicidal activity: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruni, Natascia; Stella, Barbara; Giraudo, Leonardo; Della Pepa, Carlo; Gastaldi, Daniela; Dosio, Franco

2017-01-01

Leishmaniasis is a vector-borne zoonotic disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania , which are responsible for numerous clinical manifestations, such as cutaneous, visceral, and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, depending on the site of infection for particular species. These complexities threaten 350 million people in 98 countries worldwide. Amastigotes living within macrophage phagolysosomes are the principal target of antileishmanial treatment, but these are not an easy target as drugs must overcome major structural barriers. Furthermore, limitations on current therapy are related to efficacy, toxicity, and cost, as well as the length of treatment, which can increase parasitic resistance. Nanotechnology has emerged as an attractive alternative as conventional drugs delivered by nanosized carriers have improved bioavailability and reduced toxicity, together with other characteristics that help to relieve the burden of this disease. The significance of using colloidal carriers loaded with active agents derives from the physiological uptake route of intravenous administered nanosystems (the phagocyte system). Nanosystems are thus able to promote a high drug concentration in intracellular mononuclear phagocyte system (MPS)-infected cells. Moreover, the versatility of nanometric drug delivery systems for the deliberate transport of a range of molecules plays a pivotal role in the design of therapeutic strategies against leishmaniasis. This review discusses studies on nanocarriers that have greatly contributed to improving the efficacy of antileishmaniasis drugs, presenting a critical review and some suggestions for improving drug delivery.

A Critical Review of Recent Literature on Populism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Abromeit

2017-12-01

Full Text Available This is a review article of the following five recent studies on populism: 1 Ruth Wodak’s The Politics of Fear: What Right-Wing Populist Discourses Mean (Sage, 2015; 2 Benjamin Moffitt’s The Global Rise of Populism: Performance, Political Style and Representation (Stanford University Press, 2016; 3 Cas Mudde and Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser’s Populism: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2017; 4 Jan-Werner Müller’s What is Populism? (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2016; and 5 John B. Judis’ The Populist Explosion: How the Great Recession Transformed American and European Politics (Columbia Global Reports, 2016. The review argues for a return to early Frankfurt School Critical Theory to address some of the shortcomings of these studies.

A Critical Review of Low Back Pain Guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Chetty, Laran

2017-09-01

Low back pain (LBP) remains one of the most common and challenging musculoskeletal conditions encountered by health care professionals and is a leading cause of absenteeism. Clinical guidelines are often considered best evidence in health care. The aim of this critical review was to assess the quality and recommendations of LBP guidelines using the Appraisal of Guidelines Research and Evaluation (AGREE) instrument. Electronic databases were used to identify LBP guidelines published between 2000 and 2015. Nine guidelines were selected for review from a total of 17. Only five guidelines effectively addressed the AGREE scoring. On the basis of the appraisal and domain scores, only four guidelines were strongly recommended. Improved translation of research evidence from guidelines to clinical practice is needed.

Critical Design Factors for Sector Transport Maintenance in DEMO

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Utoh, H.; Someya, Y.; Tobita, K.; Asakura, N.; Hoshino, K.; Nakamura, M., E-mail: uto.hiroyasu@jaea.go.jp [Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Rokkasho (Japan)

2012-09-15

Full text: Maintenance is a critical issue for fusion DEMO reactor because the design conditions and requirements of DEMO maintenance scheme are different from that of ITER remote handling. The sector transport maintenance scheme has advantages to maintain blankets and divertors without the use of sophisticated remote handling devices including sensitive devices to radiation in the reactor. SlimCS designed in JAEA adopts the sector transport maintenance scheme in which every sector is pulled out horizontally through a port between TF coils. A critical design issue for the horizontal sector transport maintenance scheme is how to support an enormous turnover force of the toroidal field (TF) coils. We propose following two options; first option is the horizontal transport maintenance scheme in which every sector is pulled out through four horizontal ports connected with the corridor. Second option is the vertical sector transport maintenance scheme with small vertical maintenance ports (total: 6 ports). The new horizontal sector transport limited in the number of maintenance ports is a more realistic maintenance scheme, and the key engineering issue is the transferring mechanism of sector in the vacuum vessel. In the maintenance scenario, the key design factors are the cool down time in reactor and the cooling method in maintenance scheme for keeping components under operation temperature. By one-dimensional heat conduction analysis, the sector should be transported to hot cell within 40 hours in the case the cool down time is one month. In the horizontal sector transport maintenance, the maintenance time including removal of cooling piping, drain of cooling water and sector transport to hot cell is about 32 hours. Furthermore, the tritium release in the sector transport can be suppressed because the components temperature drops by forced-air cooling system. This paper mainly focuses on a sector transport maintenance scheme from the aspects of high plant availability

Bayesian methodology for the design and interpretation of clinical trials in critical care medicine: a primer for clinicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalil, Andre C; Sun, Junfeng

2014-10-01

To review Bayesian methodology and its utility to clinical decision making and research in the critical care field. Clinical, epidemiological, and biostatistical studies on Bayesian methods in PubMed and Embase from their inception to December 2013. Bayesian methods have been extensively used by a wide range of scientific fields, including astronomy, engineering, chemistry, genetics, physics, geology, paleontology, climatology, cryptography, linguistics, ecology, and computational sciences. The application of medical knowledge in clinical research is analogous to the application of medical knowledge in clinical practice. Bedside physicians have to make most diagnostic and treatment decisions on critically ill patients every day without clear-cut evidence-based medicine (more subjective than objective evidence). Similarly, clinical researchers have to make most decisions about trial design with limited available data. Bayesian methodology allows both subjective and objective aspects of knowledge to be formally measured and transparently incorporated into the design, execution, and interpretation of clinical trials. In addition, various degrees of knowledge and several hypotheses can be tested at the same time in a single clinical trial without the risk of multiplicity. Notably, the Bayesian technology is naturally suited for the interpretation of clinical trial findings for the individualized care of critically ill patients and for the optimization of public health policies. We propose that the application of the versatile Bayesian methodology in conjunction with the conventional statistical methods is not only ripe for actual use in critical care clinical research but it is also a necessary step to maximize the performance of clinical trials and its translation to the practice of critical care medicine.

Learning from critical case reviews: emergent themes and their impact on practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Crofts, Linda

2006-12-01

This paper describes the process of conducting critical case reviews as part of a leadership programme for critical care. Forty-five cases were reviewed over 2 years in five different hospitals and permission was sought from local research ethics committees and research and development committees for the discussions to be treated as research data. Typically the cases presented were patients with complex needs whose trajectory of care had not gone smoothly. Key themes to emerge from the case reviews were: The case reviews themselves were: Communication failures between professional groups, between professional themselves, between staff and families, between wards and departments and between different hospitals. Documentation was also often less than satisfactory. Teams often had problems in working together as a team and different professionals often had different expectations of other members of the team. Individual action may compensate for weaknesses in formal clinical risk system. The case reviews themselves were showcases of the difficulties the health service faces every day and the challenges of communicating effectively. The case reviews provided an effective medium to both resolve those difficulties and model a means through which teams could effectively manage and communicate patient care issues. Furthermore their strength as a learning tool was attributed to team learning as a powerful catalyst for change.

Psychosocial Interventions for Women with HIV/AIDS: A Critical Review

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez, Julieta P.; Macgowan, Mark J.

2015-01-01

Objective: Recent research on psychosocial interventions addressing the well-being of women with HIV/AIDS has brought new options for practitioners. This study critically reviews the treatment features, methodological quality, and efficacy of these interventions. Methods: A comprehensive search between 2000 and 2011 identified 19 studies employing…

Bruxism and prosthetic treatment: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Johansson, Anders; Omar, Ridwaan; Carlsson, Gunnar E

2011-07-01

Based on the findings from available research on bruxism and prosthetic treatment published in the dental literature, an attempt was made to draw conclusions about the existence of a possible relationship between the two, and its clinical relevance. MEDLINE/PubMed searches were conducted using the terms 'bruxism' and 'prosthetic treatment', as well as combinations of these and related terms. The few studies judged to be relevant were critically reviewed, in addition to papers found during an additional manual search of reference lists within selected articles. Bruxism is a common parafunctional habit, occurring both during sleep and wakefulness. Usually it causes few serious effects, but can do so in some patients. The etiology is multifactorial. There is no known treatment to stop bruxism, including prosthetic treatment. The role of bruxism in the process of tooth wear is unclear, but it is not considered a major cause. As informed by the present critical review, the relationship between bruxism and prosthetic treatment is one that relates mainly to the effect of the former on the latter. Bruxism may be included among the risk factors, and is associated with increased mechanical and/or technical complications in prosthodontic rehabilitation, although it seems not to affect implant survival. When prosthetic intervention is indicated in a patient with bruxism, efforts should be made to reduce the effects of likely heavy occlusal loading on all the components that contribute to prosthetic structural integrity. Failure to do so may indicate earlier failure than is the norm. Copyright © 2011 Japan Prosthodontic Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Glucose monitoring as a guide to diabetes management. Critical subject review.

OpenAIRE

Koch, B.

1996-01-01

PURPOSE: To encourage a balanced approach to blood glucose monitoring in diabetes by a critical review of the history, power and cost of glucose testing. DATA SOURCES: The Cambridge Data Base was searched and was supplemented by a random review of other relevant sources, including textbooks, company pamphlets, and laboratory manuals. STUDY SELECTION: Keywords used were "glucosuria diagnosis," "blood glucose self-monitoring," "glycosylated hemoglobin," and "fructosamine" for the 10-year period...

A model for critical review of literature - with vaginismus as an example.

Science.gov (United States)

Wijma, Barbro; Engman, Maria; Wijma, Klaas

2007-03-01

In this article we present a behavioral model for the critical review of the literature within a certain research field, using vaginismus as an example. We searched the literature for the title word "vaginismus" and analyzed to what extent the articles dealt with the following seven categories: prevention, etiology, maintaining factors, consequences, object of intervention, method of intervention, and method of evaluation. In each category we scrutinized the content of the articles for biological, psychological, social, relational, and gender aspects. Quality requirements of etiological and treatment studies were then added and the results presented in a "quality-adjusted" model. There were 102 articles during 1985-2001, of which 22 were included in the review. Most of the articles deal with supposed predisposing factors of etiology and different aspects of intervention. Only a few articles discuss precipitating factors, maintaining factors, or consequences of the problem. No article had a gender analysis. Only 11 of the articles fulfilled some of the proposed quality criteria. We found the behavioral model with quality requirements useful for classifying and evaluating the literature of vaginismus. The model may also be used as a guide to design methodologically good studies.

Outcome measures for adult critical care: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, J A; Black, N A; Jenkinson, C; Young, J D; Rowan, K M; Daly, K; Ridley, S

2000-01-01

1. To identify generic and disease specific measures of impairment, functional status and health-related quality of life that have been used in adult critical care (intensive and high-dependency care) survivors. 2. To review the validity, reliability and responsiveness of the measures in adult critical care survivors. 3. To consider the implications for future policy and to make recommendations for further methodological research. 4. To review what is currently known of the outcome of adult critical care. Searches of electronic databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycLIT, The Cochrane Library and SIGLE) from 1970 to August 1998. Manual searches of five journals (1985-98) not indexed in electronic databases and relevant conference proceedings (1993-98). Reference lists of six existing reviews, plus snowballing from reference lists of all relevant articles identified. Randomised trials, non-randomised trials (cohort studies) and case series that included data on outcomes after discharge from adult (16 years and over) critical care. If reported, the following data were extracted from each paper: patient characteristics (age, gender, severity of illness, diagnostic category) number of patients eligible for study, follow-up period, number of deaths before follow-up, number and proportion of survivors included in follow-up method of presentation of outcome data - proportion normal as defined by reference values, or aggregate value (e.g. mean or median), or aggregate values plus an indication of variance (e.g. standard deviation or inter-quartile range). Evidence for three measurement properties was sought for each outcome measure that had been used in at least two studies - their validity, reliability and responsiveness in adult critical care. If the authors did not report these aspects explicitly, an attempt was made to use the data provided to provide these measurement properties. For measures that were used in at least ten studies, information on actual reported

Review of the Tritium Extraction Facility design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barton, R.W.; Bamdad, F.; Blackman, J.

2000-01-01

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) is an independent executive branch agency responsible for technical safety oversight of the US Department of Energy's (DOE's) defense nuclear facilities. One of DNFSB's responsibilities is the review of design and construction projects for DOE's defense nuclear facilities to ensure that adequate health and safety requirements are identified and implemented. These reviews are performed with the expectation that facility designs are being developed within the framework of a site's Integrated Safety Management (ISM) program. This paper describes the application of ISM principles in DNFSB's ongoing review of the Tritium Extraction Facility (TEF) design/construction project

Review of the Tritium Extraction Facility Design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ronald W. Barton; Farid Bamdad; Joel Blackman

2000-01-01

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB) is an independent executive branch agency responsible for technical safety oversight of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) defense nuclear facilities. One of DNFSB's responsibilities is the review of design and construction projects for DOE's defense nuclear facilities to ensure that adequate health and safety requirements are identified and implemented. These reviews are performed with the expectation that facility designs are being developed within the framework of a site's Integrated Safety Management (ISM) program. This paper describes the application of ISM principles in DNFSB's ongoing review of the Tritium Extraction Facility (TEF) design/construction project

Blood parasites of penguins: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanstreels, Ralph Eric Thijl; Braga, Érika Martins; Catão-Dias, José Luiz

2016-07-01

Blood parasites are considered some of the most significant pathogens for the conservation of penguins, due to the considerable morbidity and mortality they have been shown to produce in captive and wild populations of these birds. Parasites known to occur in the blood of penguins include haemosporidian protozoans (Plasmodium, Leucocytozoon, Haemoproteus), piroplamid protozoans (Babesia), kinetoplastid protozoans (Trypanosoma), spirochete bacteria (Borrelia) and nematode microfilariae. This review provides a critical and comprehensive assessment of the current knowledge on these parasites, providing an overview of their biology, host and geographic distribution, epidemiology, pathology and implications for public health and conservation.

Radiopharmaceuticals drug interactions: a critical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos-Oliveira, Ralph; Smith, Sheila W.; Carneiro-Leao, Ana Maria A.

2008-01-01

Radiopharmaceuticals play a critical role in modern medicine primarily for diagnostic purposes, but also for monitoring disease progression and response to treatment. As the use of image has been increased, so has the use of prescription medications. These trends increase the risk of interactions between medications and radiopharmaceuticals. These interactions which have an impact on image by competing with the radiopharmaceutical for binding sites for example can lead to false negative results. Drugs that accelerate the metabolism of the radiopharmaceutical can have a positive impact (i.e. speeding its clearance) or, if repeating image is needed, a negative impact. In some cases, for example in cardiac image among patients taking doxirubacin, these interactions may have a therapeutic benefit. The incidence of drug-radiopharmaceuticals adverse reactions is unknown, since they may not be reported or even recognized. Here, we compiled the medical literature, using the criteria of a systematic review established by the Cochrane Collaboration, on pharmaceutical-drug interactions to provide a summary of documented interactions by organ system and radiopharmaceuticals. The purpose is to provide a reference on drug interactions that could inform the nuclear medicine staff in their daily routine. Efforts to increase adverse event reporting, and ideally consolidate reports worldwide, can provide a critically needed resource for prevention of drug-radiopharmaceuticals interactions. (author)

A systematic review on critical thinking in medical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Zenobia C Y

2016-04-18

Critical thinking is the ability to raise discriminating questions in an attempt to search for better ideas, a deeper understanding and better solutions relating to a given issue. This systematic review provides a summary of efforts that have been made to enhance and assess critical thinking in medical education. Nine databases [Ovid MEDLINE(R), AMED, Academic Search Premier, ERIC, CINAHL, Web of Science, JSTOR, SCOPUS and PsycINFO] were searched to identify journal articles published from the start of each database to October 2012. A total of 41 articles published from 1981 to 2012 were categorised into two main themes: (i) evaluation of current education on critical thinking and (ii) development of new strategies about critical thinking. Under each theme, the teaching strategies, assessment tools, uses of multimedia and stakeholders were analysed. While a majority of studies developed teaching strategies and multimedia tools, a further examination of their quality and variety could yield some insights. The articles on assessment placed a greater focus on learning outcomes than on learning processes. It is expected that more research will be conducted on teacher development and students' voices.

Construction Of Critical Thinking Skills Test Instrument Related The Concept On Sound Wave

Science.gov (United States)

Mabruroh, F.; Suhandi, A.

2017-02-01

This study aimed to construct test instrument of critical thinking skills of high school students related the concept on sound wave. This research using a mixed methods with sequential exploratory design, consists of: 1) a preliminary study; 2) design and review of test instruments. The form of test instruments in essay questions, consist of 18 questions that was divided into 5 indicators and 8 sub-indicators of the critical thinking skills expressed by Ennis, with questions that are qualitative and contextual. Phases of preliminary study include: a) policy studies; b) survey to the school; c) and literature studies. Phases of the design and review of test instruments consist of two steps, namely a draft design of test instruments include: a) analysis of the depth of teaching materials; b) the selection of indicators and sub-indicators of critical thinking skills; c) analysis of indicators and sub-indicators of critical thinking skills; d) implementation of indicators and sub-indicators of critical thinking skills; and e) making the descriptions about the test instrument. In the next phase of the review test instruments, consist of: a) writing about the test instrument; b) validity test by experts; and c) revision of test instruments based on the validator.

Design review report for the SY-101 RAPID mitigation system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

SCHLOSSER, R.L.

1999-01-01

This report documents design reviews conducted of the SY-101 Respond And Pump In Days (RAPID) Mitigation System. As part of the SY-101 Surface-Level-Rise Remediation Project, the SY-101 WID Mitigation System will reduce the potential unacceptable consequences of crust growth in Tank 241-SY-101 (SY-101). Projections of the crust growth rate indicate that the waste level in the tank may reach the juncture of the primary and secondary confinement structures of the tank late in 1999. Because of this time constraint, many design activities are being conducted in parallel and design reviews were conducted for system adequacy as well as design implementation throughout the process. Design implementation, as used in this design review report, is the final component selection (e.g., which circuit breaker, valve, or thermocouple) that meets the approved design requirements, system design, and design and procurement specifications. Design implementation includes the necessary analysis, testing, verification, and qualification to demonstrate compliance with the system design and design requirements. Design implementation is outside the scope of this design review. The design activities performed prior to detailed design implementation (i.e., system mission requirements, functional design requirements, technical criteria, system conceptual design, and where design and build contracts were placed, the procurement specification) have been reviewed and are within the scope of this design review report. Detailed design implementation will be controlled, reviewed, and where appropriate, approved in accordance with Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) engineering procedures. Review of detailed design implementation will continue until all components necessary to perform the transfer function are installed and tested

Design review report for the SY-101 RAPID mitigation system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

SCHLOSSER, R.L.

1999-05-24

This report documents design reviews conducted of the SY-101 Respond And Pump In Days (RAPID) Mitigation System. As part of the SY-101 Surface-Level-Rise Remediation Project, the SY-101 WID Mitigation System will reduce the potential unacceptable consequences of crust growth in Tank 241-SY-101 (SY-101). Projections of the crust growth rate indicate that the waste level in the tank may reach the juncture of the primary and secondary confinement structures of the tank late in 1999. Because of this time constraint, many design activities are being conducted in parallel and design reviews were conducted for system adequacy as well as design implementation throughout the process. Design implementation, as used in this design review report, is the final component selection (e.g., which circuit breaker, valve, or thermocouple) that meets the approved design requirements, system design, and design and procurement specifications. Design implementation includes the necessary analysis, testing, verification, and qualification to demonstrate compliance with the system design and design requirements. Design implementation is outside the scope of this design review. The design activities performed prior to detailed design implementation (i.e., system mission requirements, functional design requirements, technical criteria, system conceptual design, and where design and build contracts were placed, the procurement specification) have been reviewed and are within the scope of this design review report. Detailed design implementation will be controlled, reviewed, and where appropriate, approved in accordance with Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) engineering procedures. Review of detailed design implementation will continue until all components necessary to perform the transfer function are installed and tested.

Critical care clinician perceptions of factors leading to Medical Emergency Team review.

Science.gov (United States)

Currey, Judy; Allen, Josh; Jones, Daryl

2018-03-01

The introduction of rapid response systems has reduced the incidence of in-hospital cardiac arrest; however, many instances of clinical deterioration are unrecognised. Afferent limb failure is common and may be associated with unplanned intensive care admissions, heightened mortality and prolonged length of stay. Patients reviewed by a Medical Emergency Team are inherently vulnerable with a high in-hospital mortality. To explore perceptions of intensive care unit (ICU) staff who attend deteriorating acute care ward patients regarding current problems, barriers and potential solutions to recognising and responding to clinical deterioration that culminates in a Medical Emergency Team review. A descriptive exploratory design was used. Registered intensive care nurses and medical staff (N=207) were recruited during a professional conference using purposive sampling for experience in attending deteriorating patients. Written response surveys were used to address the study aim. Data were analysed using content analysis. Four major themes were identified: Governance, Teamwork, Clinical Care Delivery and End of Life Care. Participants perceived there was a lack of sufficient and senior staff with the required theoretical knowledge; and inadequate assessment and critical thinking skills for anticipating, recognising and responding to clinical deterioration. Senior doctors were perceived to inappropriately manage End of Life Care issues and displayed Teamwork behaviours rendering ward clinicians feeling fearful and intimidated. A lack of System and Clinical Governance hindered identification of clinical deterioration. To improve patient safety related to recognising and responding to clinical deterioration, suboptimal care due to professionals' knowledge, skills and behaviours need addressing, along with End of Life Care and Governance. Copyright © 2017 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toward best practice in Human Machine Interface design for older drivers: A review of current design guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, K L; Koppel, S; Charlton, J L

2017-09-01

Older adults are the fastest growing segment of the driving population. While there is a strong emphasis for older people to maintain their mobility, the safety of older drivers is a serious community concern. Frailty and declines in a range of age-related sensory, cognitive, and physical impairments can place older drivers at an increased risk of crash-related injuries and death. A number of studies have indicated that in-vehicle technologies such as Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) and In-Vehicle Information Systems (IVIS) may provide assistance to older drivers. However, these technologies will only benefit older drivers if their design is congruent with the complex needs and diverse abilities of this driving cohort. The design of ADAS and IVIS is largely informed by automotive Human Machine Interface (HMI) guidelines. However, it is unclear to what extent the declining sensory, cognitive and physical capabilities of older drivers are addressed in the current guidelines. This paper provides a review of key current design guidelines for IVIS and ADAS with respect to the extent they address age-related changes in functional capacities. The review revealed that most of the HMI guidelines do not address design issues related to older driver impairments. In fact, in many guidelines driver age and sensory cognitive and physical impairments are not mentioned at all and where reference is made, it is typically very broad. Prescriptive advice on how to actually design a system so that it addresses the needs and limitations of older drivers is not provided. In order for older drivers to reap the full benefits that in-vehicle technology can afford, it is critical that further work establish how older driver limitations and capabilities can be supported by the system design process, including their inclusion into HMI design guidelines. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical eigenvalue in LMFBRs: a physics assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKnight, R.D.; Collins, P.J.; Olsen, D.N.

1984-01-01

This paper summarizes recent work to put the analysis of past critical eigenvalue measurements from the US critical experiments program on a consistent basis. The integral data base includes 53 configurations built in 11 ZPPR assemblies which simulate mixed oxide LMFBRs. Both conventional and heterogeneous designs representing 350, 700, and 900 MWe sizes and with and without simulated control rods and/or control rod positions have been studied. The review of the integral data base includes quantitative assessment of experimental uncertainties in the measured excess reactivity. Analyses have been done with design level and higher-order methods using ENDF/B-IV data. Comparisons of these analyses with the experiments are used to generate recommended bias factors for criticality predictions. Recommended methods for analysis of LMFBR fast critical assemblies and LMFBR design calculations are presented. Unresolved issues and areas which require additional experimental or analytical study are identified

Adaptive Critic Nonlinear Robust Control: A Survey.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ding; He, Haibo; Liu, Derong

2017-10-01

Adaptive dynamic programming (ADP) and reinforcement learning are quite relevant to each other when performing intelligent optimization. They are both regarded as promising methods involving important components of evaluation and improvement, at the background of information technology, such as artificial intelligence, big data, and deep learning. Although great progresses have been achieved and surveyed when addressing nonlinear optimal control problems, the research on robustness of ADP-based control strategies under uncertain environment has not been fully summarized. Hence, this survey reviews the recent main results of adaptive-critic-based robust control design of continuous-time nonlinear systems. The ADP-based nonlinear optimal regulation is reviewed, followed by robust stabilization of nonlinear systems with matched uncertainties, guaranteed cost control design of unmatched plants, and decentralized stabilization of interconnected systems. Additionally, further comprehensive discussions are presented, including event-based robust control design, improvement of the critic learning rule, nonlinear H ∞ control design, and several notes on future perspectives. By applying the ADP-based optimal and robust control methods to a practical power system and an overhead crane plant, two typical examples are provided to verify the effectiveness of theoretical results. Overall, this survey is beneficial to promote the development of adaptive critic control methods with robustness guarantee and the construction of higher level intelligent systems.

Critical plasma-materials issues for fusion reactor designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, K.L.; Bauer, W.

1983-01-01

Plasma-materials interactions are a dominant driving force in the design of fusion power reactors. This paper presents a summary of plasma-materials interactions research. Emphasis is placed on critical aspects related to reactor design. Particular issues to be addressed are plasma edge characterization, hydrogen recycle, impurity introduction, and coating development. Typical wall fluxes in operating magnetically confined devices are summarized. Recent calculations of tritium inventory and first wall permeation, based on laboratory measurements of hydrogen recycling, are given for various reactor operating scenarios. Impurity introduction/wall erosion mechanisms considered include sputtering, chemical erosion, and evaporation (melting). Finally, the advanced material development for in-vessel components is discussed. (author)

Economic analysis of critical habitat designation for the desert tortoise (Mojave population)

Science.gov (United States)

Schamberger, Mel; MacGillvray, Timothy J.; Draper, Dirk D.

1993-01-01

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service emergency 1isted the Mojave population of the desert tortoise as endangered on August 4, 1989. The Mojave population formally was listed as threatened on April 2, 1990. The Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended, requires that the economic benefits and costs and other relevant effects of critical habitat designation be considered. The Secretary of the Interior may exclude from designation areas where the costs of designation are greater than the benefits, unless the exclusion would result in extinction of the species. Desert tortoises are threatened by an accumulation of human-and disease-related mortality accompanied by habitat destruction, degradation, and fragmentation. Many desert tortoises are illegally collected for pets, food, and commercial trade. Others are accidentally struck and killed by vehicles on roads and highways or are killed by gunshot or vehicles traveling off-highway. Raven predation on hatchling desert tortoises has increased as raven populations in the desert have risen. An upper respiratory tract disease is suspected to be a major cause of mortality in the western Mojave Desert. This presumably incurable affliction presumably is thought to be spread through the release of infected tortoises into the desert. The Service has proposed designating critical habitat in nine counties within four states. The 12 critical habitat units encompass 6.4 million acres of land, more than 80% federally owned. This region is economically and demographically diverse. Most of the land is sparsely settled and characterized as a hot desert ecosystem. Major industries in the region include entertainment and lodging (primarily in Las Vegas), property development to accommodate the rapid population growth, and services. Millions of rural acres in the region are leased by the federal government for livestock grazing and used for mining. Overall economic benefits to the affected states derived from cattle and sheep grazing in the

A Review of Critical Conditions for the Onset of Nonlinear Fluid Flow in Rock Fractures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liyuan Yu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Selecting appropriate governing equations for fluid flow in fractured rock masses is of special importance for estimating the permeability of rock fracture networks. When the flow velocity is small, the flow is in the linear regime and obeys the cubic law, whereas when the flow velocity is large, the flow is in the nonlinear regime and should be simulated by solving the complex Navier-Stokes equations. The critical conditions such as critical Reynolds number and critical hydraulic gradient are commonly defined in the previous works to quantify the onset of nonlinear fluid flow. This study reviews the simplifications of governing equations from the Navier-Stokes equations, Stokes equation, and Reynold equation to the cubic law and reviews the evolutions of critical Reynolds number and critical hydraulic gradient for fluid flow in rock fractures and fracture networks, considering the influences of shear displacement, normal stress and/or confining pressure, fracture surface roughness, aperture, and number of intersections. This review provides a reference for the engineers and hydrogeologists especially the beginners to thoroughly understand the nonlinear flow regimes/mechanisms within complex fractured rock masses.

Using business critical design rules to frame new architecture introduction in multi-architecture portfolios

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løkkegaard, Martin; Mortensen, Niels Henrik; Hvam, Lars

2018-01-01

component sharing, or sharing critical design principles. This alignment is not trivial, as extensive design knowledge is needed to overview a portfolio with many, often highly different products and manufacturing lines. In this paper, we suggest establishing a frame of reference for new......When introducing new architectures to an industrial portfolio, counting multiple existing product and manufacturing solutions, time-to-market and investments in manufacturing equipment can be significantly reduced if new concepts are aligned with the existing portfolio. This can be done through......-product introduction based on several ‘game rules’, or Business Critical Design Rules (BCDRs), which denote the most critical features of the product and manufacturing architectures, and should be considered an obligatory reference for design when introducing new architectures. BCDRs are derived from the portfolio...

Designing sustainable soils in Earth's critical zone

Science.gov (United States)

Banwart, Steven Allan; de Souza, Danielle Maia; Menon, Manoj; Nikolaidis, Nikolaos; Panagos, Panos; Vala Ragnardsdottir, Kristin; Rousseva, Svelta; van Gaans, Pauline

2014-05-01

The demographic drivers of increasing human population and wealth are creating tremendous environmental pressures from growing intensity of land use, resulting in soil and land degradation worldwide. Environmental services are provided through multiple soil functions that include biomass production, water storage and transmission, nutrient transformations, contaminant attenuation, carbon and nitrogen storage, providing habitat and maintaining the genetic diversity of the land environment. One of the greatest challenges of the 21st century is to identify key risks to soil, and to design mitigation strategies to manage these risks and to enhance soil functions that can last into the future. The scientific study of Earth's Critical Zone (CZ), the thin surface layer that extends vertically from the top of the tree canopy to the bottom of aquifers, provides an essential integrating scientific framework to study, protect and enhance soil functions. The research hypothesis is that soil structure, the geometric architecture of solids, pores and biomass, is a critical indicator and essential factor of productive soil functions. The experimental design selects a network of Critical Zone Observatories (CZOs) as advanced field research sites along a gradient of land use intensity in order to quantify soil structure and soil processes that dictate the flows and transformations of material and energy as soil functions. The CZOs focus multidisciplinary expertise on soil processes, field observation and data interpretation, management science and ecological economics. Computational simulation of biophysical processes provides a quantitative method of integration for the range of theory and observations that are required to quantify the linkages between changes in soil structure and soil functions. Key results demonstrate that changes in soil structure can be quantified through the inputs of organic carbon and nitrogen from plant productivity and microbial activity, coupled with

A critical review of the core medical training curriculum in the UK: A medical education perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Laskaratos, Faidon-Marios; Gkotsi, Despoina; Panteliou, Eleftheria

2014-01-01

This paper represents a systematic evaluation of the Core Medical Training Curriculum in the UK. The authors critically review the curriculum from a medical education perspective based mainly on the medical education literature as well as their personal experience of this curriculum. They conclude in practical recommendations and suggestions which, if adopted, could improve the design and implementation of this postgraduate curriculum. The systematic evaluation approach described in this paper is transferable to the evaluation of other undergraduate or postgraduate curricula, and could be a helpful guide for medical teachers involved in the delivery and evaluation of any medical curriculum.

The Role of Environmental Design in Cancer Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Survivorship: A Systematic Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gharaveis, Arsalan; Kazem-Zadeh, Mahshad

2018-01-01

The purpose of this literature review is to provide a better understanding of the impact that environmental design can have on the process of cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Cancer is considered a chronic disease in the United States, and more than 1.6 million new cases are diagnosed annually. New strategies of cancer care propose patient-centered services to achieve the best outcome, and researchers have found that environmental design can be an important part of improving this care. Searches were conducted in the PubMed and Google Scholar databases as well as in specific healthcare design journals such as Health Environments Research & Design, Environmental Psychology, and Environment and Behavior. The criteria for articles included in the review were (a) English-language articles related to facility design, which addressed (b) the topics of built environment in relation to cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, and were (c) published in peer-reviewed journals between 2000 and 2017. Finally, 10 articles were selected, and the contents were analyzed. The selected articles demonstrate that environmental design is one of the critical factors for success throughout the whole continuum of cancer care from diagnosis to end-of-treatment. Some of the specific conclusions from the review are that "neighborhood-oriented" design strategies can be beneficial (by providing accessibility to all facilities along the patient's path), that access to nature for patients, staff, and visitors alike is associated with better outcomes, and that provisions for natural lighting and noise reduction are associated with cancer patients' well-being.

A missing ethical competency? A review of critical reflection in health promotion.

Science.gov (United States)

Tretheway, Rebecca; Taylor, Jane; O'Hara, Lily; Percival, Nikki

2015-12-01

There is increasing emphasis in the health promotion literature on the ethical imperative for the profession to move towards critical practice. A key challenge for health promotion is that critical practice appears both under-developed and under-practiced. This is evident in the omission of critical reflection from Australian and international competencies for health promotion practitioners. A narrative literature review was undertaken to explore the current use of critical reflection in health promotion. Critical reflection models relevant to health promotion were identified and critiqued. There was a dearth of literature on critical reflection within health promotion, despite recognition of its potential to support critical practice. The discipline of critical social work provided literature on the use, effect and outcome of critical reflection in practice. The interdisciplinary critical reflection model was identified as the model most applicable to health promotion. Underpinned by critical theory, this model emphasises both critical and ethical practice. Critical reflection is a core competency for health promotion practitioners to address the ethical imperative to move towards critical practice. There is a need to explore the application of a critical reflection model in health promotion to determine how it may support critical and ethical practice. So what? If health promotion is to meet its ethical responsibilities, then critical reflection needs to be articulated as a core health promotion competency and a model for its application in health promotion developed.

An Optimized WSN Design for Latency-Critical Smart Grid Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mounib Khanafer

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The growing popularity of the Internet of Things (IoT systems such as the smart grid, Body Area Networks (BANs, and the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS is driving Wireless Sensor Network (WSN systems to the limit in terms of abilities and performance. WSNs were initially designed for low power, low data rate, and latency-tolerant applications. However, this paradigm is changing because of the nature of the new applications. Therefore, instead of only focusing on power-efficient WSN design, researchers and industries are now developing Quality of Service (QoS protocols for WSNs. In addition to that, latency- and reliability-critical protocol designs are also becoming significantly important in WSNs. In this paper, we present an overview of some important smart grid latency-critical applications and highlight WSNs implementation challenges for these smart grid applications. Furthermore, we develop and evaluate two novel optimization models that solve for the optimum values of the end-to-end latency and power consumption in a clustered WSN given lower bounds on reliability and other network parameters.

Impact of the design of neonatal intensive care units on neonates, staff, and families: a systematic literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Shahheidari, Marzieh; Homer, Caroline

2012-01-01

Newborn intensive care is for critically ill newborns requiring constant and continuous care and supervision. The survival rates of critically ill infants and hospitalization in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) have improved over the past 2 decades because of technological advances in neonatology. The design of NICUs may also have implications for the health of babies, parents, and staff. It is important therefore to articulate the design features of NICU that are associated with improved outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore the main features of the NICU design and to determine the advantages and limitations of the designs in terms of outcomes for babies, parents, and staff, predominately nurses. A systematic review of English-language, peer-reviewed articles was conducted for a period of 10 years, up to January 2011. Four online library databases and a number of relevant professional Web sites were searched using key words. There were 2 main designs of NICUs: open bay and single-family room. The open-bay environment develops communication and interaction with medical staff and nurses and has the ability to monitor multiple infants simultaneously. The single-family rooms were deemed superior for patient care and parent satisfaction. Key factors associated with improved outcomes included increased privacy, increased parental involvement in patient care, assistance with infection control, noise control, improved sleep, decreased length of hospital stay, and reduced rehospitalization. The design of NICUs has implications for babies, parents, and staff. An understanding of the positive design features needs to be considered by health service planners, managers, and those who design such specialized units.

Model of designating the critical damages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zwolińska Bożena

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Managing company in the lean way presumes no breakdowns nor reserves in the whole delivery chain. However, achieving such low indicators is impossible. That is why in some production plants it is extremely important to focus on preventive actions which can limit damages. This article depicts the method of designating the critical damages in accordance with lean maintenance method. The article consists of two parts which make for an integral body. Part one depicts the characteristic of a realistic object, it also contains productions capabilities analysis of certain areas within the production structure. Part two depicts the probabilistic model of shaping maximal time loss basing on emptying and filling interoperational buffers.

The effectiveness of concept mapping on development of critical thinking in nursing education: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yue, Meng; Zhang, Meng; Zhang, Chunmei; Jin, Changde

2017-05-01

As an essential skill in daily clinical nursing practice, critical thinking ability has been an important objective in nursing education. Concept mapping enables nursing students connect new information to existing knowledge and integrates interdisciplinary knowledge. However, there is a lack of evidence related to critical thinking ability and concept mapping in nursing education. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effect of concept mapping in developing critical thinking in nursing education. This systematic review was reported in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA). A search was conducted in PubMed, Web of science, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health (CINAHL) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Randomized controlled trials (RCT) comparing concept mapping and traditional teaching method were retrieved. Data were collected by two reviewers according to the data extraction tables. The methodological quality of included studies was assessed by other two reviewers. The results of meta-analysis were presented using mean difference (MD). Thirteen trials were summarized in the systematic review and eleven trials were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled effect size showed that, comparing with traditional methods, concept mapping could improve subjects' critical thinking ability measured by California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI), California Critical Thinking Skill Test (CCTST) and Critical Thinking Scale (CTS). The subgroup analyses showed that concept mapping improved the score of all subscales. The result of this review indicated that concept mapping could affect the critical thinking affective dispositions and critical thinking cognitive skills. Further high quality research using uniform evaluation is required. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the Critic Learning for Event-Based Nonlinear $H_{\\infty }$ Control Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ding; He, Haibo; Liu, Derong

2017-10-01

In this paper, we aim at improving the critic learning criterion to cope with the event-based nonlinear H ∞ state feedback control design. First of all, the H ∞ control problem is regarded as a two-player zero-sum game and the adaptive critic mechanism is used to achieve the minimax optimization under event-based environment. Then, based on an improved updating rule, the event-based optimal control law and the time-based worst-case disturbance law are obtained approximately by training a single critic neural network. The initial stabilizing control is no longer required during the implementation process of the new algorithm. Next, the closed-loop system is formulated as an impulsive model and its stability issue is handled by incorporating the improved learning criterion. The infamous Zeno behavior of the present event-based design is also avoided through theoretical analysis on the lower bound of the minimal intersample time. Finally, the applications to an aircraft dynamics and a robot arm plant are carried out to verify the efficient performance of the present novel design method.

Evaluation of tools used to measure critical thinking development in nursing and midwifery undergraduate students: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

2015-07-01

Well developed critical thinking skills are essential for nursing and midwifery practices. The development of students' higher-order cognitive abilities, such as critical thinking, is also well recognised in nursing and midwifery education. Measurement of critical thinking development is important to demonstrate change over time and effectiveness of teaching strategies. To evaluate tools designed to measure critical thinking in nursing and midwifery undergraduate students. The following six databases were searched and resulted in the retrieval of 1191 papers: CINAHL, Ovid Medline, ERIC, Informit, PsycINFO and Scopus. After screening for inclusion, each paper was evaluated using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Tool. Thirty-four studies met the inclusion criteria and quality appraisal. Sixteen different tools that measure critical thinking were reviewed for reliability and validity and extent to which the domains of critical thinking were evident. Sixty percent of studies utilised one of four standardised commercially available measures of critical thinking. Reliability and validity were not consistently reported and there was a variation in reliability across studies that used the same measure. Of the remaining studies using different tools, there was also limited reporting of reliability making it difficult to assess internal consistency and potential applicability of measures across settings. Discipline specific instruments to measure critical thinking in nursing and midwifery are required, specifically tools that measure the application of critical thinking to practise. Given that critical thinking development occurs over an extended period, measurement needs to be repeated and multiple methods of measurement used over time. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Designated Critical Habitat

Data.gov (United States)

Kansas Data Access and Support Center — Critical habitats include those areas documented as currently supporting self-sustaining populations of any threatened or endangered species of wildlife as well as...

A critical review of the literature on early rehabilitation of patients with post-traumatic amnesia in acute care

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Langhorn, Leanne; Sorensen, Jens C; Pedersen, Preben U

2010-01-01

A critical review of the literature on early rehabilitation of patients with post-traumatic amnesia in acute care......A critical review of the literature on early rehabilitation of patients with post-traumatic amnesia in acute care...

Critical thinking dispositions of nursing students in Asian and non-Asian countries: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Salsali, Mahvash; Tajvidi, Mansooreh; Ghiyasvandian, Shahrzad

2013-09-26

Critical thinking disposition represents an inclination of a person to use possessed skills in relation to critical thinking. The trend of critical thinking has been described as inner motivation to solve problems and make decisions by thinking. In nursing as a practical profession, the concept of critical thinking dispositions is important component in helping to manage complex health situations and to deal with patient issues effectively. Willingness to think critically is a prerequisite for safe and subtly performance. The results of studies show critical thinking dispositions of nursing students in Asian countries are different from non-Asian countries. Aim of this literature review was to compare critical thinking dispositions of nursing students in Asian and non-Asian countries. Literature review was done in English and Persian databases. The results showed of the 795 articles published in English and Persian language that studied critical thinking, 73 ones studied critical thinking skills and dispositions in nursing education, and relationship between teaching methods and critical thinking skills and dispositions in nursing education of different countries. Fifteen of seventy three articles assessed critical thinking dispositions in nursing students. Limited studies showed that the Asian nursing students had mostly undermining score of the critical thinking dispositions, while non-Asian countries tend to positive scores. The reasons for these differences could be due to issues such as environmental, educational methods and cultural differences. However, future studies should measure critical thinking disposition by discipline-based tools.

Critical Thinking Dispositions of Nursing Students in Asian and Non-Asian Countries: A Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Salsali, Mahvash; Tajvidi, Mansooreh; Ghiyasvandian, Shahrzad

2013-01-01

Critical thinking disposition represents an inclination of a person to use possessed skills in relation to critical thinking. The trend of critical thinking has been described as inner motivation to solve problems and make decisions by thinking. In nursing as a practical profession, the concept of critical thinking dispositions is important component in helping to manage complex health situations and to deal with patient issues effectively. Willingness to think critically is a prerequisite for safe and subtly performance. The results of studies show critical thinking dispositions of nursing students in Asian countries are different from non-Asian countries. Aim of this literature review was to compare critical thinking dispositions of nursing students in Asian and non-Asian countries. Literature review was done in English and Persian databases. The results showed of the 795 articles published in English and Persian language that studied critical thinking, 73 ones studied critical thinking skills and dispositions in nursing education, and relationship between teaching methods and critical thinking skills and dispositions in nursing education of different countries. Fifteen of seventy three articles assessed critical thinking dispositions in nursing students. Limited studies showed that the Asian nursing students had mostly undermining score of the critical thinking dispositions, while non-Asian countries tend to positive scores. The reasons for these differences could be due to issues such as environmental, educational methods and cultural differences. However, future studies should measure critical thinking disposition by discipline-based tools. PMID:24171885

Computational protein design: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coluzza, Ivan

2017-01-01

Proteins are one of the most versatile modular assembling systems in nature. Experimentally, more than 110 000 protein structures have been identified and more are deposited every day in the Protein Data Bank. Such an enormous structural variety is to a first approximation controlled by the sequence of amino acids along the peptide chain of each protein. Understanding how the structural and functional properties of the target can be encoded in this sequence is the main objective of protein design. Unfortunately, rational protein design remains one of the major challenges across the disciplines of biology, physics and chemistry. The implications of solving this problem are enormous and branch into materials science, drug design, evolution and even cryptography. For instance, in the field of drug design an effective computational method to design protein-based ligands for biological targets such as viruses, bacteria or tumour cells, could give a significant boost to the development of new therapies with reduced side effects. In materials science, self-assembly is a highly desired property and soon artificial proteins could represent a new class of designable self-assembling materials. The scope of this review is to describe the state of the art in computational protein design methods and give the reader an outline of what developments could be expected in the near future. (topical review)

Gamifying education: what is known, what is believed and what remains uncertain: a critical review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christo Dichev

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Gamification of education is a developing approach for increasing learners’ motivation and engagement by incorporating game design elements in educational environments. With the growing popularity of gamification and yet mixed success of its application in educational contexts, the current review is aiming to shed a more realistic light on the research in this field by focusing on empirical evidence rather than on potentialities, beliefs or preferences. Accordingly, it critically examines the advancement in gamifying education. The discussion is structured around the used gamification mechanisms, the gamified subjects, the type of gamified learning activities, and the study goals, with an emphasis on the reliability and validity of the reported outcomes. To improve our understanding and offer a more realistic picture of the progress of gamification in education, consistent with the presented evidence, we examine both the outcomes reported in the papers and how they have been obtained. While the gamification in education is still a growing phenomenon, the review reveals that (i insufficient evidence exists to support the long-term benefits of gamification in educational contexts; (ii the practice of gamifying learning has outpaced researchers’ understanding of its mechanisms and methods; (iii the knowledge of how to gamify an activity in accordance with the specifics of the educational context is still limited. The review highlights the need for systematically designed studies and rigorously tested approaches confirming the educational benefits of gamification, if gamified learning is to become a recognized instructional approach.

Sub-criticality monitoring for ADTR trademark control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashworth, Roger

2014-01-01

Following the debut of the Accelerator Driven Thorium Reactor (ADTR trademark) Power Station at ENC 2010 in Barcelona, thorium as a reactor fuel has gained increasing support. The ADTR trademark concept reactor introduced the combination of an accelerator driven system (ADS) with traditional control rod technology, to provide a very high gain novel sub-critical ADS reactor design. The high gain of the system, while significantly reducing the demands on the accelerator design, pushes up operational sub-criticality (k eff ) closer to unity. In this paper we review this design and the progress made since ENC 2010. We compare 2 different methods of measuring the sub-critical neutron multiplication factor as the fuel cycle develops. The paper discusses the most recent work on k eff measurement and the interesting relationship between neutron flux, accelerator current and fuel temperature when using beam pulse methods to determine operational sub-criticality, of which a European patent is being granted. (orig.)

The Bibliography of Articles of the Republican Era 1923-1999: A Critical Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaşar Tonta

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The Turkish National Library has recently published the Bibliography of Articles of the Republican Era 1923-1999 (BARE on CD-ROM. BARE is the most comprehensive bibliography that indexes the articles contained in Turkish journals received by the Library through “legal depot”. It contains bibliographic information on a total of566,627 articles that appeared in 4,418 Turkish journals andperiodicals. This paper critically reviews the Bibliography on the basis of its user interface, database design and data quality. Human-computer interaction (HCI issues and the usability criteria seem to have not been taken into account when designing the user interface of the BARE CD-ROM. The user interface is not intuitive. It appears that a comprehensive systems analysis study was not carried out before designing the database and the principles of database management design seem to have been ignored. Bibliographic data listed in the printed copies of the Bibliography was simply transferred to a flat table, which resulted in data redundancy and waste of space. Boolean searches cannot be performed on author and article titles. Nine percent of the records contained errors in article and journal titles as well as authors’ names. Used through the web site of the Turkish National Library, the Bibliography and its interface should be redesigned and improved, and the functions of the search engine should be increased.

Nuclear Criticality Experimental Research Center (NCERC) Overview

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goda, Joetta Marie [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Grove, Travis Justin [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Hayes, David Kirk [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Myers, William L. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Sanchez, Rene Gerardo [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-03-03

The mission of the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) at the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) is to conduct experiments and training with critical assemblies and fissionable material at or near criticality in order to explore reactivity phenomena, and to operate the assemblies in the regions from subcritical through delayed critical. One critical assembly, Godiva-IV, is designed to operate above prompt critical. The Nuclear Criticality Experimental Research Center (NCERC) is our nation’s only general-purpose critical experiments facility and is only one of a few that remain operational throughout the world. This presentation discusses the history of NCERC, the general activities that makeup work at NCERC, and the various government programs and missions that NCERC supports. Recent activities at NCERC will be reviewed, with a focus on demonstrating how NCERC meets national security mission goals using engineering fundamentals. In particular, there will be a focus on engineering theory and design and applications of engineering fundamentals at NCERC. NCERC activities that relate to engineering education will also be examined.

Entropy in the Critical Zone: A Comprehensive Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan Quijano

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Thermodynamic entropy was initially proposed by Clausius in 1865. Since then it has been implemented in the analysis of different systems, and is seen as a promising concept to understand the evolution of open systems in non-equilibrium conditions. Information entropy was proposed by Shannon in 1948, and has become an important concept to measure information in different systems. Both thermodynamic entropy and information entropy have been extensively applied in different fields related to the Critical Zone, such as hydrology, ecology, pedology, and geomorphology. In this study, we review the most important applications of these concepts in those fields, including how they are calculated, and how they have been utilized to analyze different processes. We then synthesize the link between thermodynamic and information entropies in the light of energy dissipation and organizational patterns, and discuss how this link may be used to enhance the understanding of the Critical Zone.

Occlusal designs on masticatory ability and patient satisfaction with complete denture: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ke; Mai, Qing-Qing; Wang, Xiao-Dong; Yang, Wen; Zhao, Li

2013-11-01

To systematically review clinical outcomes of different occlusal designs of complete dentures. Using a various key words, an electronic search of clinical trials published in English and Chinese literature was performed from four databases: Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CBM. Furthermore, a manual searching of the relevant journals and the bibliographies of reviews was performed. General satisfaction, masticatory ability, retention, and stability were major criteria for the evaluation of the outcomes. Studies met these criteria were selected for a full-text reading. The whole processes were performed by two reviewers independently. This systematic review started with 1030 articles, which were finally narrowed down to seven, according to the inclusion criteria. The following occlusal designs were included and analyzed: anatomic occlusion, balanced occlusion, canine guidance occlusion, lingualized occlusion, monoplane occlusion, and bilateral-balanced and canine-guided design. Three of the seven studies showed that lingualized occlusion had ratings of higher patients' satisfaction than other occlusion designs. On the other hand, the canine-guided occlusion dentures demonstrated equal or better clinical performances than bilateral-balanced dentures. Because of the heterogeneity and bias of the studies, it was not possible to analyze the data statistically. Lingualized occlusion and canine-guided occlusion can be successfully applied in the fabrication of complete dentures. Canine guided occlusion has also been shown to be satisfactory. More well-controlled randomized trials are needed regarding canine-guided occlusion and the relationship between alveolar ridge resorption, different occlusal schemes and patient satisfaction. The conventional prosthodontic wisdom that complete dentures require a balanced occlusal design is not supported by the included literature. A suitable occlusal scheme would be a critical factor for a successful complete denture

Online counseling: a narrative and critical review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Richards, Derek; Viganó, Noemi

2013-09-01

This article aimed to critically review the literature on online counseling. Database and hand-searches were made using search terms and eligibility criteria, yielding a total of 123 studies. The review begins with what characterizes online counseling. Outcome and process research in online counseling is reviewed. Features and cyberbehaviors of online counseling such as anonymity and disinhibition, convenience, time-delay, the loss of social signaling, and writing behavior in cyberspace are discussed. Ethical behavior, professional training, client suitability, and clients' and therapists' attitudes and experiences of online counseling are reviewed. A growing body of knowledge to date is positive in showing that online counseling can have a similar impact and is capable of replicating the facilitative conditions as face-to-face encounters. A need remains for stronger empirical evidence to establish efficacy and effectiveness and to understand better the unique mediating and facilitative variables. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A critical review of the nursing shortage in Malaysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnett, T; Namasivayam, P; Narudin, D A A

2010-03-01

This paper describes and critically reviews steps taken to address the nursing workforce shortage in Malaysia. To address the shortage and to build health care capacity, Malaysia has more than doubled its nursing workforce over the past decade, primarily through an increase in the domestic supply of new graduates. Government reports, policy documents and ministerial statements were sourced from the Ministry of Health Malaysia website and reviewed and analysed in the context of the scholarly literature published about the health care workforce in Malaysia and more generally about the global nursing shortage. An escalation in student numbers and the unprecedented number of new graduates entering the workforce has been associated with other impacts that have been responded to symptomatically rather than through workplace reform. Whilst growing the domestic supply of nurses is a critical key strategy to address workforce shortages, steps should also be taken to address structural and other problems of the workplace to support both new graduates and the retention of more experienced staff. Nursing shortages should not be tackled by increasing the supply of new graduates alone. The creation of a safe and supportive work environment is important to the long-term success of current measures taken to grow the workforce and retain nurses within the Malaysian health care system.

Tablet Use in Schools: A Critical Review of the Evidence for Learning Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Haßler, B.; Major, L.; Hennessy, S.

2016-01-01

The increased popularity of tablets in general has led to uptake in education. We critically review the literature reporting use of tablets by primary and secondary school children across the curriculum, with a particular emphasis on learning outcomes. The systematic review methodology was used, and our literature search resulted in 33 relevant…

Critical Discourse Analysis in Education: A Review of the Literature, 2004 to 2012

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, Rebecca; Schaenen, Inda; Schott, Christopher; O'Brien, Kathryn; Trigos-Carrillo, Lina; Starkey, Kim; Chasteen, Cynthia Carter

2016-01-01

This article reviews critical discourse analysis scholarship in education research from 2004 to 2012. Our methodology was carried out in three stages. First, we searched educational databases. Second, we completed an analytic review template for each article and encoded these data into a digital spreadsheet to assess macro-trends in the field.…

Conceptual design of a digital control system for nuclear criticality experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rojas, S.P.

1994-04-01

Nuclear criticality is a concern in many areas of nuclear engineering including waste management, nuclear weapons testing and design, basic nuclear research, and nuclear reactor design and analysis. As in many areas of science and engineering, experimental work conducted in this field has provided a wealth of data and insight essential to the formulation of theory and the advancement in knowledge of fissioning systems. In light of the many diverse applications of nuclear criticality, there is a continuing interest to learn and understand more about the fundamental physical processes through continued experimentation. This thesis addresses the problem of setting up and programming a microprocessor-based digital control system (PLC) for a proposed critical experiment using, among other devices, a stepper motor, a joystick control mechanism, and switches. This experiment represents a revised configuration to test cylindrical nuclear waste packages. A Monte Carlo numerical study for the proposed critical assembly has been performed in order to illustrate how results from numerical calculations are used in the process of assembling the control system and to corroborate previous experimental data. In summary, a control system utilizing some common devices necessary to perform a critical experiment (stepper motor, push-buttons, etc.) has been assembled. Control components were sized using the results of a probabilistic computer code (MCNP). Finally, a program was written that illustrates the coupling between the hardware and the devices being controlled in the new test fixture

A Review on the Linear and Nonlinear Critical Speeds

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

True, Hans

2013-01-01

In recent years several authors have proposed 'easier numerical methods' to find multiple attractors and the critical speed in railway dynamical problems. Actually, the methods do function in some cases, but they are not safe in the sense that you will calculate the relevant critical parameter...... values with a reasonable accuracy. In some cases the 'easier numerical methods' are really just a gamble. In this presentation the methods will be discussed. For this purpose linearisations of the nonlinear dynamical problem are made. A linearisation of the nonlinear dynamical problem simplifies...... the calculations and may give relevant answers to important questions such as the possibility of resonance phenomena in the designs, but a linearisation is not always allowed, and it does not help to find the critical speed of a railway vehicle. We shall also address the curious fact that the hunting motion...

Peer review in design: Understanding the impact of collaboration on the review process and student perception

Science.gov (United States)

Mandala, Mahender Arjun

A cornerstone of design and design education is frequent situated feedback. With increasing class sizes, and shrinking financial and human resources, providing rich feedback to students becomes increasingly difficult. In the field of writing, web-based peer review--the process of utilizing equal status learners within a class to provide feedback to each other on their work using networked computing systems--has been shown to be a reliable and valid source of feedback in addition to improving student learning. Designers communicate in myriad ways, using the many languages of design and combining visual and descriptive information. This complex discourse of design intent makes peer reviews by design students ambiguous and often not helpful to the receivers of this feedback. Furthermore, engaging students in the review process itself is often difficult. Teams can complement individual diversity and may assist novice designers collectively resolve complex task. However, teams often incur production losses and may be impacted by individual biases. In the current work, we look at utilizing a collaborative team of reviewers, working collectively and synchronously, in generating web based peer reviews in a sophomore engineering design class. Students participated in a cross-over design, conducting peer reviews as individuals and collaborative teams in parallel sequences. Raters coded the feedback generated on the basis of their appropriateness and accuracy. Self-report surveys and passive observation of teams conducting reviews captured student opinion on the process, its value, and the contrasting experience they had conducting team and individual reviews. We found team reviews generated better quality feedback in comparison to individual reviews. Furthermore, students preferred conducting reviews in teams, finding the process 'fun' and engaging. We observed several learning benefits of using collaboration in reviewing including improved understanding of the assessment

Healthcare avoidance: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrne, Sharon K

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide a critical review and synthesis of theoretical and research literature documenting the impact of avoidance on healthcare behaviors, identify the factors that influence healthcare avoidance and delay in the adult population, and propose a direction for future research. The Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of Planned Behavior, Theory of Care-Seeking Behavior, the Transtheoretical Model, and the Behavioral Model of Health Services Use/Utilization are utilized to elaborate on the context within which individual intention to engage in healthcare behaviors occurs. Research literature on the concept of healthcare avoidance obtained by using computerized searches of CINAHL, MEDLINE, PSYCH INFO, and HAPI databases, from 1995 to 2007, were reviewed. Studies were organized by professional disciplines. Healthcare avoidance is a common and highly variable experience. Multiple administrative, demographic, personal, and provider factors are related to healthcare avoidance, for example, distrust of providers and/or the science community, health beliefs, insurance status, or socioeconomic/income level. Although the concept is recognized by multiple disciplines, limited research studies address its impact on healthcare decision making. More systematic research is needed to determine correlates of healthcare avoidance. Such studies will help investigators identify patients at risk for avoidant behaviors and provide the basis for health-promoting interventions. Methodological challenges include identification of characteristics of individuals and environments that hinder healthcare behaviors, as well as, the complexity of measuring healthcare avoidance. Studies need to systematically explore the influence of avoidance behaviors on specific healthcare populations at risk.

A critical review of regional economic integration in China

OpenAIRE

Wang RUI

2015-01-01

Under the circumstances of economic globalization, regional economic integration has become the mainstream of current economic development for each country, so China has to pay more attention to it. The critical review on regional economic integration in China can lay a certain foundation and provide experience for the in-depth research. Main contents of regional economic integration are refined according to the previous studies and realities, including the integration of regional economic re...

Model of designating the critical damages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zwolińska Bożena

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The article consists of two parts which make for an integral body. This article depicts the method of designating the critical damages in accordance with lean maintenance method. Author considered exemplary production system (serial-parallel in which in time Δt appeared a damage on three different objects. Article depicts the mathematical model which enables determination of an indicator called “prioritized digit of the device”. In the developed model there were considered some parameters: production abilities of devices, existence of potential vicarious devices, position of damage in the production stream based on the capacity of operational buffers, time needed to remove the damages and influence of damages to the finalization of customers’ orders – CEF indicator.

Science education as a pathway to teaching language literacy: a critical book review

Science.gov (United States)

Tolbert, Sara

2011-03-01

In this paper, I present a critical review of the recent book, Science Education as a Pathway to Teaching Language Literacy, edited by Alberto J. Rodriguez. This volume is a timely collection of essays in which the authors bring to attention both the successes and challenges of integrating science instruction with literacy instruction (and vice versa). Although several themes in the book merit further attention, a central unifying issue throughout all of the chapters is the task of designing instruction which (1) gives students access to the dominant Discourses in science and literacy, (2) builds on students' lived experiences, and (3) connects new material to socially and culturally relevant contexts in both science and literacy instruction— all within the high stakes testing realities of teachers and students in public schools. In this review, I illustrate how the authors of these essays effectively address this formidable challenge through research that `ascends to the concrete'. I also discuss where we could build on the work of the authors to integrate literacy and science instruction with the purpose of `humanizing and democratizing' science education in K-12 classrooms.

Reproducibility of clinical research in critical care: a scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Niven, Daniel J; McCormick, T Jared; Straus, Sharon E; Hemmelgarn, Brenda R; Jeffs, Lianne; Barnes, Tavish R M; Stelfox, Henry T

2018-02-21

The ability to reproduce experiments is a defining principle of science. Reproducibility of clinical research has received relatively little scientific attention. However, it is important as it may inform clinical practice, research agendas, and the design of future studies. We used scoping review methods to examine reproducibility within a cohort of randomized trials examining clinical critical care research and published in the top general medical and critical care journals. To identify relevant clinical practices, we searched the New England Journal of Medicine, The Lancet, and JAMA for randomized trials published up to April 2016. To identify a comprehensive set of studies for these practices, included articles informed secondary searches within other high-impact medical and specialty journals. We included late-phase randomized controlled trials examining therapeutic clinical practices in adults admitted to general medical-surgical or specialty intensive care units (ICUs). Included articles were classified using a reproducibility framework. An original study was the first to evaluate a clinical practice. A reproduction attempt re-evaluated that practice in a new set of participants. Overall, 158 practices were examined in 275 included articles. A reproduction attempt was identified for 66 practices (42%, 95% CI 33-50%). Original studies reported larger effects than reproduction attempts (primary endpoint, risk difference 16.0%, 95% CI 11.6-20.5% vs. 8.4%, 95% CI 6.0-10.8%, P = 0.003). More than half of clinical practices with a reproduction attempt demonstrated effects that were inconsistent with the original study (56%, 95% CI 42-68%), among which a large number were reported to be efficacious in the original study and to lack efficacy in the reproduction attempt (34%, 95% CI 19-52%). Two practices reported to be efficacious in the original study were found to be harmful in the reproduction attempt. A minority of critical care practices with research published

Design for Deconstruction (DfD): Critical success factors for diverting end-of-life waste from landfills.

Science.gov (United States)

Akinade, Olugbenga O; Oyedele, Lukumon O; Ajayi, Saheed O; Bilal, Muhammad; Alaka, Hafiz A; Owolabi, Hakeem A; Bello, Sururah A; Jaiyeoba, Babatunde E; Kadiri, Kabir O

2017-02-01

The aim of this paper is to identify Critical Success Factors (CSF) needed for effective material recovery through Design for Deconstruction (DfD). The research approach employed in this paper is based on a sequential exploratory mixed method strategy. After a thorough review of literature and conducting four Focus Group Discussion (FGDs), 43 DfD factors were identified and put together in a questionnaire survey. Data analyses include Cronbach's alpha reliability analysis, mean testing using significance index, and exploratory factor analysis. The result of the factor analysis reveals that an underlying factor structure of five DfD factors groups that include 'stringent legislation and policy', 'deconstruction design process and competencies', 'design for material recovery', 'design for material reuse', and 'design for building flexibility'. These groups of DfD factor groups show that the requirements for DfD goes beyond technical competencies and that non-technical factors such as stringent legislation and policy and design process and competency for deconstruction are key in designing deconstructable buildings. Paying attention to the factors identified in all of these categories will help to tackle impediments that could hinder the effectiveness of DfD. The results of this study would help design and project managers to understand areas of possible improvement in employing DfD as a strategy for diverting waste from landfills. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Review of research in feature based design

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Salomons, O.W.; van Houten, Frederikus J.A.M.; Kals, H.J.J.

1993-01-01

Research in feature-based design is reviewed. Feature-based design is regarded as a key factor towards CAD/CAPP integration from a process planning point of view. From a design point of view, feature-based design offers possibilities for supporting the design process better than current CAD systems

Research Review: A Critical Review of Studies on the Developmental Trajectories of Antisocial Behavior in Females

Science.gov (United States)

Fontaine, Nathalie; Carbonneau, Rene; Vitaro, Frank; Barker, Edward D.; Tremblay, Richard E.

2009-01-01

Background: Knowledge on the onset and the development of antisocial behavior in females is limited, because most of the research in this domain is based on males. Methods: We critically reviewed 46 empirical studies that examined developmental trajectories of antisocial behavior in females, notably to help determine whether or not an…

Adaptive and Adaptable Automation Design: A Critical Review of the Literature and Recommendations for Future Research

Science.gov (United States)

Prinzel, Lawrence J., III; Kaber, David B.

2006-01-01

This report presents a review of literature on approaches to adaptive and adaptable task/function allocation and adaptive interface technologies for effective human management of complex systems that are likely to be issues for the Next Generation Air Transportation System, and a focus of research under the Aviation Safety Program, Integrated Intelligent Flight Deck Project. Contemporary literature retrieved from an online database search is summarized and integrated. The major topics include the effects of delegation-type, adaptable automation on human performance, workload and situation awareness, the effectiveness of various automation invocation philosophies and strategies to function allocation in adaptive systems, and the role of user modeling in adaptive interface design and the performance implications of adaptive interface technology.

A critical review of advance directives in Germany: attitudes, use and healthcare professionals’ compliance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Evans, N.; Bausewein, C.; Meñaca, A.; Andrew, E.V.W.; Higginson, I.J.; Harding, R.; Pool, R.; Gysels, M.

2012-01-01

Objective Recent legal changes in Germany make non-compliance with advance directives (ADs) a criminal offence. This article assesses the evidence on attitudes towards, use of, and physician compliance with ADs in Germany. Methods Critical review: studies on ADs, identified from a systematic review

Using Critical Incidents of Instructional Design and Multimedia Production Activities to Investigate Instructional Designers' Current Practices and Roles

Science.gov (United States)

Sugar, William A.; Luterbach, Kenneth J.

2016-01-01

Through consideration of critical incidents, this study analyzed 106 effective, ineffective and extraordinary instructional design and multimedia production (MP) activities discussed by 36 instructional design professionals. This evaluation provided insights into these professionals' best and not so best practices during the past 6 months.…

Strategies used for the promotion of critical thinking in nursing undergraduate education: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Carvalho, Diana P S R P; Azevedo, Isabelle C; Cruz, Giovanna K P; Mafra, Gabriela A C; Rego, Anna L C; Vitor, Allyne F; Santos, Viviane E P; Cogo, Ana L P; Ferreira Júnior, Marcos A

2017-10-01

Identifying the strategies used to promote critical thinking (CT) during undergraduate education in nursing courses. Systematic review. Five electronic databases were searched without language, publication time or geographic filters. A systematic review of the literature. Including experimental studies that considered at least one teaching strategy to promote critical thinking of undergraduate students in Nursing courses. The search for studies occurred in three phases: title and summary review, complete text and implementation of a clinical form of selection according to predetermined criteria. All included studies were assessed for quality through a classification tool for experimental studies. Six studies were selected. The results were grouped into three key themes: an evaluation of the quality of the selected studies, characterization of the studies and the strategies used to promote critical thinking. All selected studies were in English, with significant conceptual similarity of Critical Thinking and dominance in choosing the approached theme during strategies in clinical nursing education with an emphasis on the nursing process. The most widely used teaching intervention was Problem-Based Learning. Nursing education mediated by strategies that stimulate CT is considered a positive difference in undergraduate curriculums. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International entrepreneurship research in emerging economies : A critical review and research agenda

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kiss, A.N.; Danis, W.D.; Cavusgil, S.T.

This article systematically reviews and critically examines international entrepreneurship research in emerging economies (IEEE research), and articulates its importance, timeliness and relevance in consideration of the growing influence of emerging markets in the global economy. A systematic

Office design and health: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Ann; Potter, John; Paterson, Margaret; Harding, Thomas; Tyler-Merrick, Gaye; Kirk, Ray; Reid, Kate; McChesney, Jane

2017-12-15

To carry out a systematic review of recent research into the effects of workplace design, comparing individual with shared workspaces, on the health of employees. The research question was "Does workplace design (specifically individual offices compared with shared workspaces) affect the health of workers?" A literature search limited to articles published between 2000 and 2017 was undertaken. A systematic review was carried out, and the findings of the reviewed studies grouped into themes according to the primary outcomes measured in the studies. The literature search identified 15 relevant studies addressing health effects of shared or open-plan offices compared with individual offices. Our systematic review found that, compared with individual offices, shared or open-plan office space is not beneficial to employees' health, with consistent findings of deleterious effects on staff health, wellbeing and productivity. Our findings are also consistent with those of earlier reviews. These findings have public health implications for the New Zealand workforce. Decisions about workplace design should include weighing the short-term financial benefits of open-plan or shared workspaces against the significant harms, including increased sickness absence, lower job satisfaction and productivity, and possible threats to recruitment and retention of staff.

The use of cultured epithelial autograft in the treatment of major burn injuries: a critical review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, F M; Kolybaba, M L; Allen, P

2006-06-01

The need to achieve rapid wound closure in patients with massive burns and limited skin donor sites led to the investigation of in vitro cellular expansion of keratinocytes. The use of cultured epithelial autografts (CEA) was first reported in the treatment of major burns in 1981. Since that time, support for the use of CEA has varied, ranging from 'a useful agent' to having 'no demonstrable effect on the outcome of extensively burned patients'. This critical review of the literature examines issues associated with the use of CEA and the introduction of the technology into clinical practice. The factors potentially limiting the use of cultured CEA are the time necessary to culture CEA sheets, the reliability of 'take', vulnerability of grafts on the newly healed surface, long-term durability and the cost implications of such treatment. The available literature was located and critically evaluated using the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Guidelines. In the identified literature, the level of evidence to support the use of CEA in major burn injures is limited and often restricted to case studies and case series with no Level 1 evidence currently available. The main question arising 'Does CEA have a role in the treatment of major burns?' has proven difficult to answer due to the wide variation in both the quality of study design and the findings. At best, the literature review has highlighted areas of concern that have hindered the successful use of CEA. Our review critically evaluates the use of CEA and explores the advances in techniques towards attempting to improve reliable clinical implementation of CEA. The need for higher level research into the use of CEA is emphasised by this review.

A review of costing methodologies in critical care studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Pines, Jesse M; Fager, Samuel S; Milzman, David P

2002-09-01

Clinical decision making in critical care has traditionally been based on clinical outcome measures such as mortality and morbidity. Over the past few decades, however, increasing competition in the health care marketplace has made it necessary to consider costs when making clinical and managerial decisions in critical care. Sophisticated costing methodologies have been developed to aid this decision-making process. We performed a narrative review of published costing studies in critical care during the past 6 years. A total of 282 articles were found, of which 68 met our search criteria. They involved a mean of 508 patients (range, 20-13,907). A total of 92.6% of the studies (63 of 68) used traditional cost analysis, whereas the remaining 7.4% (5 of 68) used cost-effectiveness analysis. None (0 of 68) used cost-benefit analysis or cost-utility analysis. A total of 36.7% (25 of 68) used hospital charges as a surrogate for actual costs. Of the 43 articles that actually counted costs, 37.2% (16 of 43) counted physician costs, 27.9% (12 of 43) counted facility costs, 34.9% (15 of 43) counted nursing costs, 9.3% (4 of 43) counted societal costs, and 90.7% (39 of 43) counted laboratory, equipment, and pharmacy costs. Our conclusion is that despite considerable progress in costing methodologies, critical care studies have not adequately implemented these techniques. Given the importance of financial implications in medicine, it would be prudent for critical care studies to use these more advanced techniques. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

Implementing system-wide risk stratification approaches: A review of critical success and failure factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Huckel Schneider, Carmen; Gillespie, James A; Wilson, Andrew

2017-05-01

Risk stratification has become a widely used tool for linking people identified at risk of health deterioration to the most appropriate evidence-based care. This article systematically reviews recent literature to determine key factors that have been identified as critical enablers and/or barriers to successful implementation of risk stratification tools at a system level. A systematic search found 23 articles and four promising protocols for inclusion in the review, covering the use to 20 different risk stratification tools. These articles reported on only a small fraction of the risk stratification tools used in health systems; suggesting that while the development and statistical validation of risk stratification algorithms is widely reported, there has been little published evaluation of how they are implemented in real-world settings. Controlled studies provided some evidence that the use of risk stratification tools in combination with a care management plan offer patient benefits and that the use of a risk stratification tool to determine components of a care management plan may contribute to reductions in hospital readmissions, patient satisfaction and improved patient outcomes. Studies with the strongest focus on implementation used qualitative and case study methods. Among these, the literature converged on four key areas of implementation that were found to be critical for overcoming barriers to success: the engagement of clinicians and safeguarding equity, both of which address barriers of acceptance; the health system context to address administrative, political and system design barriers; and data management and integration to address logistical barriers.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nerida Hyett

2014-05-01

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

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2014-01-01

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

Nuclear Criticality Safety Data Book

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hollenbach, D. F. [Y-12 National Security Complex, Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-11-14

The objective of this document is to support the revision of criticality safety process studies (CSPSs) for the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12). This design analysis and calculation (DAC) document contains development and justification for generic inputs typically used in Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) DACs to model both normal and abnormal conditions of processes at UPF to support CSPSs. This will provide consistency between NCS DACs and efficiency in preparation and review of DACs, as frequently used data are provided in one reference source.

Nuclear Criticality Safety Data Book

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollenbach, D. F.

2016-01-01

The objective of this document is to support the revision of criticality safety process studies (CSPSs) for the Uranium Processing Facility (UPF) at the Y-12 National Security Complex (Y-12). This design analysis and calculation (DAC) document contains development and justification for generic inputs typically used in Nuclear Criticality Safety (NCS) DACs to model both normal and abnormal conditions of processes at UPF to support CSPSs. This will provide consistency between NCS DACs and efficiency in preparation and review of DACs, as frequently used data are provided in one reference source.

Exploring the Group Prenatal Care Model: A Critical Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Thielen, Kathleen

2012-01-01

Few studies have compared perinatal outcomes between individual prenatal care and group prenatal care. A critical review of research articles that were published between 1998 and 2009 and involved participants of individual and group prenatal care was conducted. Two middle range theories, Pender’s health promotion model and Swanson’s theory of caring, were blended to enhance conceptualization of the relationship between pregnant women and the group prenatal care model. Among the 17 research studies that met inclusion criteria for this critical review, five examined gestational age and birth weight with researchers reporting longer gestations and higher birth weights in infants born to mothers participating in group prenatal care, especially in the preterm birth population. Current evidence demonstrates that nurse educators and leaders should promote group prenatal care as a potential method of improving perinatal outcomes within the pregnant population. PMID:23997549

A systematic review of protocol studies on conceptual design cognition: design as search and exploration

OpenAIRE

Hay, Laura; Duffy, Alex H.B.; McTeague, Chris; Pidgeon, Laura M.; Vuletic, Tijana; Grealy, Madeleine

2017-01-01

This paper reports findings from the first systematic review of protocol studies focusing specifically on conceptual design cognition, aiming to answer the following research question: What is our current understanding of the cognitive processes involved in conceptual design tasks carried out by individual designers? We reviewed 47 studies on architectural design, engineering design and product design engineering. This paper reports 24 cognitive processes investigated in a subset of 33 studie...

Consensus standards utilized and implemented for nuclear criticality safety in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nomura, Yasushi; Okuno, Hiroshi; Naito, Yoshitaka

1996-01-01

The fundamental framework for the criticality safety of nuclear fuel facilities regulations is, in many advanced countries, generally formulated so that technical standards or handbook data are utilized to support the licensing safety review and to implement its guidelines. In Japan also, adequacy of the safety design of nuclear fuel facilities is checked and reviewed on the basis of licensing safety review guides. These guides are, first, open-quotes The Basic Guides for Licensing Safety Review of Nuclear Fuel Facilities,close quotes and as its subsidiaries, open-quotes The Uranium Fuel Fabrication Facility Licensing Safety Review Guidesclose quotes and open-quotes The Reprocessing Facility Licensing Safety Review Guides.close quotes The open-quotes Nuclear Criticality Safety Handbook close-quote of Japan and the Technical Data Collection are published and utilized to supply related data and information for the licensing safety review, such as for the Rokkasho reprocessing plant. The well-established technical standards and data abroad such as those by the American Nuclear Society and the American National Standards Institute are also utilized to complement the standards in Japan. The basic principles of criticality safety control for nuclear fuel facilities in Japan are duly stipulated in the aforementioned basic guides as follows: 1. Guide 10: Criticality control for a single unit; 2. Guide 11: Criticality control for multiple units; 3. Guide 12: Consideration for a criticality accident

Measuring culture: a critical review of acculturation and health in Asian immigrant populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Salant, Talya; Lauderdale, Diane S

2003-07-01

The number of studies examining how acculturation affects the health of Asian immigrants has increased in recent years. The proliferation of studies reflects the growing size and heterogeneity of Asian immigrant populations in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. This paper compares various approaches to acculturation within the health literature on Asian immigrants by reviewing the literature in three-health domains (1) mental health (2) physical health and (3) health services use. The review critically examines the conceptualizations and measures of acculturation in these three domains and presents major findings. We observe that measurement difficulties posed by the experiences of heterogeneous Asian groups compound theoretical and disciplinary disparities between acculturation instruments. The extent to which conceptual and methodological critiques of acculturation studies in Hispanic populations apply to studies of Asian populations is also discussed. The critical review thus provides insights into the diverse ways that the relationship between culture and health is measured in this complicated and growing literature.

Iatrogenic Opioid Withdrawal in Critically Ill Patients: A Review of Assessment Tools and Management.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Ada W; Contreras, Sofia; Mehta, Sangeeta; Korman, Jennifer; Perreault, Marc M; Williamson, David R; Burry, Lisa D

2017-12-01

To (1) provide an overview of the epidemiology, clinical presentation, and risk factors of iatrogenic opioid withdrawal in critically ill patients and (2) conduct a literature review of assessment and management of iatrogenic opioid withdrawal in critically ill patients. We searched MEDLINE (1946-June 2017), EMBASE (1974-June 2017), and CINAHL (1982-June 2017) with the terms opioid withdrawal, opioid, opiate, critical care, critically ill, assessment tool, scale, taper, weaning, and management. Reference list of identified literature was searched for additional references as well as www.clinicaltrials.gov . We restricted articles to those in English and dealing with humans. We identified 2 validated pediatric critically ill opioid withdrawal assessment tools: (1) Withdrawal Assessment Tool-Version 1 (WAT-1) and (2) Sophia Observation Withdrawal Symptoms Scale (SOS). Neither tool differentiated between opioid and benzodiazepine withdrawal. WAT-1 was evaluated in critically ill adults but not found to be valid. No other adult tool was identified. For management, we identified 5 randomized controlled trials, 2 prospective studies, and 2 systematic reviews. Most studies were small and only 2 studies utilized a validated assessment tool. Enteral methadone, α-2 agonists, and protocolized weaning were studied. We identified 2 validated assessment tools for pediatric intensive care unit patients; no valid tool for adults. Management strategies tested in small trials included methadone, α-2 agonists, and protocolized sedation/weaning. We challenge researchers to create validated tools assessing specifically for opioid withdrawal in critically ill children and adults to direct management.

Critical Review of rate constants for reacitons of hydrated electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buxton, G.V.; Greenstock, C.L.; Phillips Helman, W.; Ross, A.B.

1988-01-01

Kinetic data for the radicals Hx and xOH in aqueous solution,and the corresponding radical anions, xO - and e/sub =/, have been critically reviewed. Reactions of the radicals in aqueous solution have been studied by pulse radiolysis, flash photolysis and other methods. Rate constants for over 3500 reaction are tabulated, including reaction with molecules, ions and other radicals derived from inorganic and organic solutes

Knowledge Management : Review of the Critical Success Factors and Development of a Conceptual Classification Model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sedighi, M.; Zand, F.

2012-01-01

Knowledge management is a critical issue in today's business world. Knowledge is considered as one of the most strategic resources of the firm and sources of competitive advantage. This research provides a comprehensive review of the literature on the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) and identifies

Design Review Closure Report for the SY-101 Rapid Transfer System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

POWELL, W.J.

1999-01-01

The purpose of this report, is to document closure of design review open items, resulting from design reviews conducted for the SY-101 Respond And Pump In Days (RAPID) Transfer System. Results of the various design reviews were documented in the Design Review Report for The SY-101 Rapid Mitigation System, HNF-4519. In that report, twenty-three open items were identified. In this report the 23 items are reviewed and statused

Design Review Closure Report for the SY-101 Rapid Transfer System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

POWELL, W.J.

1999-11-29

The purpose of this report, is to document closure of design review open items, resulting from design reviews conducted for the SY-101 Respond And Pump In Days (RAPID) Transfer System. Results of the various design reviews were documented in the Design Review Report for The SY-101 Rapid Mitigation System, HNF-4519. In that report, twenty-three open items were identified. In this report the 23 items are reviewed and statused.

Design review report for rotary mode core sample truck (RMCST) modifications for flammable gas tanks, preliminary design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corbett, J.E.

1996-02-01

This report documents the completion of a preliminary design review for the Rotary Mode Core Sample Truck (RMCST) modifications for flammable gas tanks. The RMCST modifications are intended to support core sampling operations in waste tanks requiring flammable gas controls. The objective of this review was to validate basic design assumptions and concepts to support a path forward leading to a final design. The conclusion reached by the review committee was that the design was acceptable and efforts should continue toward a final design review

Rationing in health systems: A critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Keliddar, Iman; Mosadeghrad, Ali Mohammad; Jafari-Sirizi, Mehdi

2017-01-01

Background: It is difficult to provide health care services to all those in need of such services due to limited resources and unlimited demands. Thus, priority setting and rationing have to be applied. This study aimed at critically examining the concept of rationing in health sector and identifying its purposes, influencing factors, mechanisms, and outcomes. Methods: The critical interpretive synthesis methodology was used in this study. PubMed, Cochrane, and Proquest databases were searched using the related key words to find related documents published between 1970 and 2015. In total, 161 published reports were reviewed and included in the study. Thematic content analysis was applied for data analysis. Results: Health services rationing means restricting the access of some people to useful or potentially useful health services due to budgetary limitation. The inherent features of the health market and health services, limited resources, and unlimited needs necessitate health services rationing. Rationing can be applied in 4 levels: health care policy- makers, health care managers, health care providers, and patients. Health care rationing can be accomplished through fixed budget, benefit package, payment mechanisms, queuing, copayments, and deductibles. Conclusion: This paper enriched our understanding of health services rationing and its mechanisms at various levels and contributed to the literature by broadly conceptualizing health services rationing.

Application of project design peer review to improve quality assurance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McClure, F.E.

1989-01-01

DOE ORDER 5481.1B Safety Analysis and Review Systems and DOE ORDER 6430.1A General Design Criteria require that the design of facilities shall incorporate the necessary Quality Assurance review requirements to assure that the established program quality assurance objectives are met in the design criteria and the construction documents. The use of Project Design Peer Review to satisfy these requirements is presented. The University of California manages the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the Los Alamos National Scientific Laboratory. The 1988 University Seismic Safety Policy requires the use of independent Project Design Peer Review in its capital improvement and seismic reconstruction program

A Review of Criticality Accidents 2000 Revision

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas P. McLaughlin; Shean P. Monahan; Norman L. Pruvost; Vladimir V. Frolov; Boris G. Ryazanov; Victor I. Sviridov

2000-05-01

Criticality accidents and the characteristics of prompt power excursions are discussed. Sixty accidental power excursions are reviewed. Sufficient detail is provided to enable the reader to understand the physical situation, the chemistry and material flow, and when available the administrative setting leading up to the time of the accident. Information on the power history, energy release, consequences, and causes are also included when available. For those accidents that occurred in process plants, two new sections have been included in this revision. The first is an analysis and summary of the physical and neutronic features of the chain reacting systems. The second is a compilation of observations and lessons learned. Excursions associated with large power reactors are not included in this report.

A Review of Criticality Accidents 2000 Revision

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McLaughlin, Thomas P.; Monahan, Shean P.; Pruvost, Norman L.; Frolov, Vladimir V.; Ryazanov, Boris G.; Sviridov, Victor I.

2000-01-01

Criticality accidents and the characteristics of prompt power excursions are discussed. Sixty accidental power excursions are reviewed. Sufficient detail is provided to enable the reader to understand the physical situation, the chemistry and material flow, and when available the administrative setting leading up to the time of the accident. Information on the power history, energy release, consequences, and causes are also included when available. For those accidents that occurred in process plants, two new sections have been included in this revision. The first is an analysis and summary of the physical and neutronic features of the chain reacting systems. The second is a compilation of observations and lessons learned. Excursions associated with large power reactors are not included in this report

Application of design review in the heavy power plant industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yound, N.

1977-01-01

The application of design review technique in a company engaged in the design and manufacture of turbo-generators for power stations, is described. One benefit arising from design review is its use as a means of design verification. (U.K.)

Integration of Mobile Health Technology in the Treatment of Chronic Pain: A Critical Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Sundararaman, Lalitha V; Edwards, Robert R; Ross, Edgar L; Jamison, Robert N

This article provides a critical overview and best-evidence synthesis of the use of mobile health (mHealth) technology among persons with chronic pain and their health care providers and examines the future benefits and barriers of implementing mHealth technology in clinical care. We critically review articles about electronic pain diaries, pain assessment programs, text messaging, and smartphone pain apps for management of persons with pain. Also presented are findings on the utility of activity trackers and use of telehealth to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy. Finally, barriers, study gaps, and future challenges of incorporating mobile technology for chronic pain are discussed. Although the future of mHealth technology and telemedicine in clinical practice is promising, this critical review highlights the need for rigorous studies to establish an association of the use of mHealth technology with improved quality of life, functional autonomy, and decreased hospital use.

Critical Issues in Research Design in Action Research in an SME Development Context

Science.gov (United States)

McGrath, Helen; O'Toole, Thomas

2012-01-01

Purpose: The main aim of this paper is to develop guidelines on the critical issues to consider in research design in an action research (AR) environment for SME network capability development. Design/methodology/approach: The issues in research design for AR studies are developed from the authors' experience in running learning sets but, in…

On critical reflection : A review of Mezirow’s theory and its operationalization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lundgren, H.; Poell, R.F.

2016-01-01

In this article, we review empirical studies that research critical reflection based on Mezirow’s definition. The concepts of content, process, and premise reflection have often been cited, and operationalizing Mezirow’s high-level transformative learning theory and its components has been the

Human-system interface design review guideline -- Review software and user's guide: Final report. Revision 1, Volume 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-06-01

NUREG-0700, Revision 1, provides human factors engineering (HFE) guidance to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff for its: (1) review of the human system interface (HSI) design submittals prepared by licensees or applications for a license or design certification of commercial nuclear power plants, and (2) performance of HSI reviews that could be undertaken as part of an inspection or other type of regulatory review involving HSI design or incidents involving human performance. The guidance consists of a review process and HFE guidelines. The document describes those aspects of the HSI design review process that are important to the identification and resolution of human engineering discrepancies that could adversely affect plant safety. Guidance is provided that could be used by the staff to review an applicant's HSI design review process or to guide the development of an HSI design review plan, e.g., as part of an inspection activity. The document also provides detailed HFE guidelines for the assessment of HSI design implementations. NUREG-0700, Revision 1, consists of three stand-alone volumes. Volume 3 contains an interactive software application of the NUREG-0700, Revision 1 guidance and a user's guide for this software. The software supports reviewers during review preparation, evaluation design using the human factors engineering guidelines, and in report preparation. The user's guide provides system requirements and installation instructions, detailed explanations of the software's functions and features, and a tutorial on using the software

Review of studies on criticality safety evaluation and criticality experiment methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naito, Yoshitaka; Yamamoto, Toshihiro; Misawa, Tsuyoshi; Yamane, Yuichi

2013-01-01

Since the early 1960s, many studies on criticality safety evaluation have been conducted in Japan. Computer code systems were developed initially by employing finite difference methods, and more recently by using Monte Carlo methods. Criticality experiments have also been carried out in many laboratories in Japan as well as overseas. By effectively using these study results, the Japanese Criticality Safety Handbook was published in 1988, almost the intermediate point of the last 50 years. An increased interest has been shown in criticality safety studies, and a Working Party on Nuclear Criticality Safety (WPNCS) was set up by the Nuclear Science Committee of Organisation Economic Co-operation and Development in 1997. WPNCS has several task forces in charge of each of the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Program (ICSBEP), Subcritical Measurement, Experimental Needs, Burn-up Credit Studies and Minimum Critical Values. Criticality safety studies in Japan have been carried out in cooperation with WPNCS. This paper describes criticality safety study activities in Japan along with the contents of the Japanese Criticality Safety Handbook and the tasks of WPNCS. (author)

Silver (Ag) Transport Mechanisms in TRISO coated particles: A Critical Review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

I J van Rooyen; J H Neethling; J A A Engelbrecht; P M van Rooyen; G Strydom

2012-10-01

Transport of 110mAg in the intact SiC layer of TRISO coated particles has been studied for approximately 30 years without arriving at a satisfactory explanation of the transport mechanism. In this paper the possible mechanisms postulated in previous experimental studies, both in-reactor and out-of reactor research environment studies are critically reviewed and of particular interest are relevance to very high temperature gas reactor operating and accident conditions. Among the factors thought to influence Ag transport are grain boundary stoichiometry, SiC grain size and shape, the presence of free silicon, nano-cracks, thermal decomposition, palladium attack, transmutation products, layer thinning and coated particle shape. Additionally new insight to nature and location of fission products has been gained via recent post irradiation electron microscopy examination of TRISO coated particles from the DOE’s fuel development program. The combined effect of critical review and new analyses indicates a direction for investigating possible the Ag transport mechanism including the confidence level with which these mechanisms may be experimentally verified.

Silver (Ag) transport mechanisms in TRISO coated particles: A critical review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rooyen, I.J. van, E-mail: isabella.vanrooyen@inl.gov [Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID 83415-6188 (United States); Dunzik-Gougar, M.L. [Department of Nuclear Engineering, Idaho State University, ID (United States); Rooyen, P.M. van [Philip M. van Rooyen Network Consultants, Midlands Estates (South Africa)

2014-05-01

Transport of {sup 110m}Ag in the intact SiC layer of TRISO coated particles has been studied for approximately 30 years without arriving at a satisfactory explanation of the transport mechanism. In this paper the possible mechanisms postulated in previous experimental studies, both in-reactor and out-of reactor research environment studies are critically reviewed and of particular interest are relevance to very high temperature gas reactor operating and accident conditions. Among the factors thought to influence Ag transport are grain boundary stoichiometry, SiC grain size and shape, the presence of free silicon, nano-cracks, thermal decomposition, palladium attack, transmutation products, layer thinning and coated particle shape. Additionally new insight to nature and location of fission products has been gained via recent post irradiation electron microscopy examination of TRISO coated particles from the DOE's fuel development program. The combined effect of critical review and new analyses indicates a direction for investigating possible the Ag transport mechanism including the confidence level with which these mechanisms may be experimentally verified.

Preliminary design review report for K Basin Dose Reduction Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blackburn, L.D.

1996-01-01

The strategy for reducing radiation dose, originating from radionuclides absorbed in the K East Basin concrete, is to raise the pool water level to provide additional shielding. This report documents a preliminary design review conducted to ensure that design approaches for cleaning/coating basin walls and modifying other basin components were appropriate. The conclusion of this review was that design documents presently conclusion of this review was that design documents presently completed or in process of modification are and acceptable basis for proceeding to complete the design

Hospitalization stay and costs attributable to Clostridium difficile infection: a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabriel, L; Beriot-Mathiot, A

2014-09-01

In most healthcare systems, third-party payers fund the costs for patients admitted to hospital for Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) whereas, for CDI cases arising as complications of hospitalization, not all related costs are refundable to the hospital. We therefore aimed to critically review and categorize hospital costs and length of hospital stay (LOS) attributable to Clostridium difficile infection and to investigate the economic burden associated with it. A comprehensive literature review selected papers describing the costs and LOS for hospitalized patients as outcomes of CDI, following the use of statistics to identify costs and LOS solely attributable to CDI. Twenty-four studies were selected. Estimated attributable costs, all ranges expressed in US dollars, were $6,774-$10,212 for CDI requiring admission, $2,992-$29,000 for hospital-acquired CDI, and $2,454-$12,850 where no categorization was made. The ranges for LOS values were 5-13.6, 2.7-21.3, and 2.8-17.9 days, respectively. The categorization of CDI attributable costs allows budget holders to anticipate the cost per CDI case, a perspective that should enrich the design of appropriate incentives for the various budget holders to invest in prevention so that CDI prevention is optimized globally. Copyright © 2014 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A leadership programme for critical care.

Science.gov (United States)

Crofts, Linda

2006-08-01

This paper describes the genesis, design and implementation of a leadership programme for critical care. This was an initiative funded by the National Health Service (NHS) Nursing Leadership Project and had at the core of its design flexibility to meet the needs of the individual hospitals, which took part in it. Participation was from the multi-disciplinary critical care team. Six NHS hospitals took part in the programme which was of 20 days duration and took place on hospital sites. The programme used the leadership model of as its template and had a number of distinct components; a baseline assessment, personal development, principles of leadership and critical case reviews. The programme was underpinned by three themes; working effectively in multi-professional teams to provide patient focussed care, managing change through effective leadership and developing the virtual critical care service. Each group set objectives pertinent to their own organisation's needs. The programme was evaluated by a self-reporting questionnaire; group feedback and feedback from stakeholders. Programme evaluation was positive from all the hospitals but it was clear that the impact of the programme varied considerably between the groups who took part. It was noted that there was some correlation between the success of the programme and organisational 'buy in' as well as the organisational culture within which the participants operated. A key feature of the programme success was the critical case reviews, which were considered to be a powerful learning tool and medium for group learning and change management.

Computerized tomography and schizophrenia: critical review of the literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krakauer Huebner, C.V.; Gattaz, W.F.

1988-01-01

A critical review of the literature regarding structural brain abnormalities in Schizophrenia is presented. It is reported that the prevalence and the localization of the abnormalities vary widely among studies. These differences might stem from samples heterogeneity, from the choice of the computer tomographic (CT) parameter to be investigated and from the use of different criteria for defining abnormalities. It seems established that at least one subgroup of Schizophrenia patients shows mild or moderate brain atrophy, in spite of some contradictory findings. (M.A.C.)

Global electricity transformation: The critical need for integrated market design and risk management research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hung-po Chao

2006-01-01

The past three decades transformed the electricity industry. The essential goals of liberalization have been to lower costs, improve reliability, and stimulate investment and innovations through establishment of competitive electricity markets, while also relying on market mechanisms to provide creative solutions to environmental and security problems. In many instances, these goals have been achieved, but the occurrence of some spectacular market failures have brought into question the whole restructuring effort. This paper reviews recent experiences with market reform and concludes that a significant cause of failure has been the rush to unbundle vertically integrated utilities without sufficient consideration of alternative ways to manage the risk of electricity market restructuring. In particular, there is a critical need for integrated market design and risk management research to improve the process of market transformation by taking a more evolutionary approach to discover a 'Third Way' above vertical integration and full unbundling. Such research can offer a crucial feedback link to the restructuring process by identifying important lessons to be learned from past experience and developing new analytical tools to help introduce more successful market designs for the future. (author)

A critical review of the neuroimaging literature on synesthesia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Michel eHupé

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Synesthesia refers to additional sensations experienced by some people for specific stimulations, such as the systematic arbitrary association of colors to letters for the most studied type. Here we review all the studies (based mostly on functional and structural MRI that have searched for the neural correlates of this subjective experience, as well as structural differences related to synesthesia. Most differences claimed for synesthetes are unsupported, due mainly to low statistical power, statistical errors and methodological limitations. Our critical review therefore casts some doubts on whether any neural correlate of the synesthetic experience has been established yet. Rather than being a neurological condition (i.e., a structural or functional brain anomaly, synesthesia could be reconsidered as a special kind of childhood memory, whose signature in the brain may be out of reach with present brain imaging techniques.

The Reasons Requirement in International Investment Arbitration: Critical Case Studies (book review)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tang, Yi Shin

2008-01-01

3. In the article, the Researcher reviews the work of Professors Guillermo A. Alvarez and W. Michael Reisman from Yale Law School, regarding the mechanisms of international investment arbitration and their importance for developing countries. The article provides a critical perspective on the aut...

Openness in Adoption: What We Know So Far--A Critical Review of the Literature

Science.gov (United States)

Wolfgram, Susan M.

2008-01-01

What are the factors that keep adoptive parents and birth parents connected and sustain their kinship relationships over time? This is the central research question critically reviewed across studies dating from 1987 to 2000. A preliminary review of the literature revealed 15 to 20 studies within this 13-year scope limited to the perspective of…

Review of criticality safety benchmark data of plutonium solution in ICSBEP handbook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamamoto, Toshihiro; Miyoshi, Yoshinori; Okubo, Kiyoshi

2003-01-01

The criticality data of plutonium solutions published in the ICSBEP Handbook were reviewed. Criticality data for lower plutonium concentration and higher 240 Pu content, which correspond to a reprocessing process condition, are very scarce and hence the criticality data in this area are desired. While the calculated k eff 's with ENDF/B-V show the dependence of the plutonium concentration, the dependence has been corrected in JENDL-3.3 because of energy distribution of the capture cross section of 239 Pu. Based on the generalized perturbation theory, the sensitivity coefficient of k eff with respect to fission and capture cross section in plutonium solutions were obtained. In a plutonium solution with a lower concentration, cross sections in the thermal energy less than 0.1 eV have significant effects on the criticality. On the other hand, the criticality of higher concentration plutonium solutions is mostly dominated by cross sections in the energy range larger than 0.1 eV. Regarding the effect of 240 Pu on criticality, the capture cross section 240 Pu around the resonance peak near 1 eV is dominant regardless of the concentration. (author)

Design review of SPWR with PSA methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oikawa, Tetsukuni; Muramatsu, Ken; Iwamura, Takamichi; Tone, Tatsuzo; Kasahara, Takeo; Mizuno, Yoshio

1993-01-01

This paper presents the procedures and results of a PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment) of the SPWR (System-Integrated PWR), which is being developed at the Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) as a medium sized innovative passive safe reactor, to assist in the design improvement of the SPWR by reviewing the design and identifying the design weaknesses. This PSA was performed in four steps: (1) identification of initiating events by the failure mode effect analysis and other methods, (2) delineation of accident sequences for three selected initiating events using accident progression flow charts and event trees, (3) quantification of event trees based on the review of past PSAs for LWRs, and (4) sensitivity analysis and interpretation of results. Qualitative and quantitative results of PSA provided very useful information for decision makings of design improvement and recommendations for further consideration in the process of detailed design

Advanced human-system interface design review guidelines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Hara, J.M.

1990-01-01

Advanced, computer-based, human-system interface designs are emerging in nuclear power plant (NPP) control rooms. These developments may have significant implications for plant safety in that they will greatly affect the ways in which operators interact with systems. At present, however, the only guidance available to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) for the review of control room-operator interfaces, NUREG-0700, was written prior to these technological changes and is thus not designed to address them. The objective of the project reported in this paper is to develop an Advanced Control Room Design Review Guideline for use in performing human factors reviews of advanced operator interfaces. This guideline will be implemented, in part, as a portable, computer-based, interactive document for field use. The paper describes the overall guideline development methodology, the present status of the document, and the plans for further guideline testing and development. 21 refs., 3 figs

A Critical Review of Digital Storyline-Enhanced Learning

Science.gov (United States)

Novak, Elena

2015-01-01

Storyline is one of the major motivators that lead people to play video games. However, little empirical evidence exists on the instructional effectiveness of integrating a storyline into digital learning materials. This systematic literature review presents current empirical findings on the effects of a storyline game design element for human…

A critical review of "internet addiction" criteria with suggestions for the future

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.J. van Rooij (Antonius); N. Prause (Nicole)

2014-01-01

textabstractAims: In the last 5 years a deluge of articles on the topic of Internet addiction (IA) has proposed many candidate symptoms as evidence of this proposed disease. We critically reviewed the current approach to the measurement and identification of this new excessive behavior syndrome.

Design/Operations review of core sampling trucks and associated equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shrivastava, H.P.

1996-01-01

A systematic review of the design and operations of the core sampling trucks was commissioned by Characterization Equipment Engineering of the Westinghouse Hanford Company in October 1995. The review team reviewed the design documents, specifications, operating procedure, training manuals and safety analysis reports. The review process, findings and corrective actions are summarized in this supporting document

What is bizarre in bizarre delusions? A critical review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cermolacce, Michel René Joseph; Jensen, Lars Meldgaard Sass; Parnas, J

2010-01-01

or incomprehensible. Then, we provide a critical review of contemporary studies on the reliability of BD and their methodological and conceptual limitations. Current approaches have focused intensely on BD's reliability and have defined BD strictly in terms of delusional content--mainly in terms of the physical...... to delusional contents alone and requires taking into account the subjective side of BD (how altered experience manifests itself) as well as the conditions of intersubjective encounter (how BD are expressed to and experienced by the clinician). The notion of "bizarreness" in schizophrenia is not purely...

Operability design review of prototype large breeder reactor (PLBR) designs. Final report, September 1981

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beakes, J.H.; Ehman, J.R.; Jones, H.M.; Kinne, B.V.T.; Price, C.M.; Shores, S.P.; Welch, J.K.

1981-09-01

Prototype Large Breeder Reactor (PLBR) designs were reviewed by personnel with extensive power plant operations experience. Fourteen normal and off-normal events, such as startup, shutdown, refueling, reactor scram and loss of feedwater, were evaluated using an operational evaluation methodology which is designed to facilitate talk-through sessions on operational events. Human factors engineers participated in the review and assisted in developing and refining the review methodologies. Operating experience at breeder reactor facilities such as Experimental Breeder Reactor-II (EBR-II), Enrico Fermi Atomic Power Plant - Unit 1, and the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF) was gathered, analyzed, and used to determine whether lessons learned from operational experience had been incorporated into the PLBR designs. This eighteen month effort resulted in approximately one hundred specific recommendations for improving the operability of PLBR designs

Review of the critical heat flux correlations for liquid metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong Bum; Han, H. D.; Chang, W. P.; Kwon, Y. M.

1999-09-01

The CHF phenomenon in the two-phase convective flows has been an important issue in the fields of design and safety analysis of light water reactor (LWR) as well as sodium cooled liquid metal reactor (LMR). Especially in the LWR application, many physical aspects of the CHF phenomenon are understood and reliable correlations and mechanistic models to predict the CHF condition have been proposed over the past three decades. Most of the existing CHF correlations have been developed for light water reactor core applications. Compared with water, liquid metals show a divergent picture of boiling pattern. This can be attributed to the consequence that special CHF conditions obtained from investigations with water cannot be applied to liquid metals. Numerous liquid metal boiling heat transfer and two-phase flow studies have put emphasis on development of models and understanding of the mechanism for improving the CHF predictions. Thus far, no overall analytical solution method has been obtained and the reliable prediction method has remained empirical. The principal objectives of the present report are to review the state of the art in connection with liquid metal critical heat flux under low pressure and low flow conditions and to discuss the basic mechanisms. (author)

Considering Sound in Planning and Designing Public Spaces : A Review of Theory and Applications and a Proposed Framework for Integrating Research and Practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bild, E.; Coler, M.; Pfeffer, K.; Bertolini, L.

2016-01-01

We critically review the literature on the relationship between users of public spaces and their auditory environments, and how this knowledge is integrated in the planning, design, and management of public spaces as well as in technologies for acoustic and spatial data collection, analysis, and

Explaining Differences in Age at Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnosis: A Critical Review

Science.gov (United States)

Daniels, Amy M.; Mandell, David S.

2014-01-01

The diagnosis of autism is often delayed, which translates into a missed opportunity to provide treatment during a critical developmental period. This study reviews studies that assessed factors associated with age at autism spectrum disorder diagnosis and provides recommendations on future research, programs, and policies to improve early…

Psychogeriatric inpatient unit design: a literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrohotoff, John T; Llewellyn-Jones, Robert H

2011-03-01

In many parts of the world the provision of psychogeriatric inpatient units (PGUs) remains limited. More units will be required over coming decades given rapid population aging. Medline (1950-2010), psycINFO (1806-2009), EMBASE (1980-2009) and CINAHL (1982-2009) were searched for papers about PGU design. Selected non-peer reviewed literature such as government reports and unpublished academic dissertations were also reviewed. Data were also obtained from the literature related to general adult psychiatry inpatient units where there was limited information from studies of units designed for older people. Over 200 papers were reviewed and 130 were included. There are few good quality studies to guide the design of acute PGUs and much of the existing literature is based on opinion and anecdote or, at best, based on observational studies. Randomized controlled studies comparing different designs and assessing outcomes are virtually non-existent. Several studies have identified violence and trauma resulting from hospitalization as significant problems with current acute PGU care. Despite its limitations the available literature provides useful guidance on how PGU design can optimize patient and staff safety and improve clinical outcomes. There are significant problems with current acute PGUs, and patient mix on existing units is an important issue. Future research should examine patient and staff perceptions of different PGU ward environments, the relationship between ward design and clinical outcomes, the effects of segregating patients with challenging behaviors in dementia and the benefits or otherwise of gender segregation.

Social science research of HIV in Vietnam: A critical review and future directions

OpenAIRE

Dao, Amy; Hirsch, Jennifer; Giang, Le Minh; Parker, Richard G.

2013-01-01

Social science research, with theoretical and methodological tools that are well suited to capture the complexities of Vietnam’s rapidly changing social and political context, could contribute important insights that would enhance the response to Vietnam’s growing HIV epidemic. The present paper reviews the published, peer-reviewed English-language social science literature on HIV in Vietnam in order to identify critical theoretical and substantive gaps and lay the groundwork for future resea...

Present status of Japanese Criticality Safety Handbook

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okuno, Hiroshi

1999-01-01

A draft of the second edition of Nuclear Criticality Safety Handbook has been finalized, and it is under examination by reviewing committee for JAERI Report. Working Group designated for revising the Japanese Criticality Safety Handbook, which is chaired by Prof. Yamane, is now preparing for 'Guide on Burnup Credit for Storage and Transport of Spent Nuclear Fuel' and second edition of 'Data Collection' part of Handbook. Activities related to revising the Handbook might give a hint for a future experiment at STACY. (author)

Study-design selection criteria in systematic reviews of effectiveness of health systems interventions and reforms: A meta-review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rockers, Peter C; Feigl, Andrea B; Røttingen, John-Arne; Fretheim, Atle; de Ferranti, David; Lavis, John N; Melberg, Hans Olav; Bärnighausen, Till

2012-03-01

At present, there exists no widely agreed upon set of study-design selection criteria for systematic reviews of health systems research, except for those proposed by the Cochrane Collaboration's Effective Practice and Organisation of Care (EPOC) review group (which comprises randomized controlled trials, controlled clinical trials, controlled before-after studies, and interrupted time series). We conducted a meta-review of the study-design selection criteria used in systematic reviews available in the McMaster University's Health Systems Evidence or the EPOC database. Of 414 systematic reviews, 13% did not indicate any study-design selection criteria. Of the 359 studies that described such criteria, 50% limited their synthesis to controlled trials and 68% to some or all of the designs defined by the EPOC criteria. Seven out of eight reviews identified at least one controlled trial that was relevant for the review topic. Seven percent of the reviews included either no or only one relevant primary study. Our meta-review reveals reviewers' preferences for restricting synthesis to controlled experiments or study designs that comply with the EPOC criteria. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the current practices regarding study-design selection in systematic reviews of health systems research as well as alternative approaches. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Games on Games. Game Design as Critical Reflexive Practice

OpenAIRE

Giovanni Caruso; Riccardo Fassone; Gabriele Ferri; Stefano Gualeni; Mauro Salvador

2016-01-01

Can video game design be compared to more formalized practices of scientific research or speculation within game studies? And, by virtue of an intellectual leap that in itself calls for discussion, can video games be considered as an efficient vehicle for the presentation of certain kinds of knowledge, in the same way in which papers, conference presentations, and books are? What Ratto defines as critical making (2011), the practice of producing artifacts of different sorts in order to supple...

Simulation-based crisis resource management training for pediatric critical care medicine: a review for instructors.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Adam; Donoghue, Aaron; Gilfoyle, Elaine; Eppich, Walter

2012-03-01

To review the essential elements of crisis resource management and provide a resource for instructors by describing how to use simulation-based training to teach crisis resource management principles in pediatric acute care contexts. A MEDLINE-based literature source. OUTLINE OF REVIEW: This review is divided into three main sections: Background, Principles of Crisis Resource Management, and Tools and Resources. The background section provides the brief history and definition of crisis resource management. The next section describes all the essential elements of crisis resource management, including leadership and followership, communication, teamwork, resource use, and situational awareness. This is followed by a review of evidence supporting the use of simulation-based crisis resource management training in health care. The last section provides the resources necessary to develop crisis resource management training using a simulation-based approach. This includes a description of how to design pediatric simulation scenarios, how to effectively debrief, and a list of potential assessment tools that instructors can use to evaluate crisis resource management performance during simulation-based training. Crisis resource management principles form the foundation for efficient team functioning and subsequent error reduction in high-stakes environments such as acute care pediatrics. Effective instructor training is required for those programs wishing to teach these principles using simulation-based learning. Dissemination and integration of these principles into pediatric critical care practice has the potential for a tremendous impact on patient safety and outcomes.

78 FR 51327 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for the Austin...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-20

...). Any additional tools or supporting information that we may develop for this critical habitat.... We think those benefits include educational and regulatory benefits afforded to all of our critical... Service 50 CFR Part 17 Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Designation of Critical Habitat for...

Design reviews: A process perspective for improved efficiency and effectiveness

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Young, M

2013-06-01

Full Text Available -Black and Iverson 1994) and systematic (Pahl and Beitz 1996) review of the design. Even though it is advisable to use a generic checklist or compliance matrix as the basis for determining these criteria, it is important to use these generics as a guideline only... review to allow sufficient time to address any outstanding issues prior to review meeting. Evolutionary design reviews. When dealing with complex systems, it is advisable to conduct sub-system reviews, building up to a system review that deals...

Space, the final frontier: A critical review of recent experiments performed in microgravity.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandenbrink, Joshua P; Kiss, John Z

2016-02-01

Space biology provides an opportunity to study plant physiology and development in a unique microgravity environment. Recent space studies with plants have provided interesting insights into plant biology, including discovering that plants can grow seed-to-seed in microgravity, as well as identifying novel responses to light. However, spaceflight experiments are not without their challenges, including limited space, limited access, and stressors such as lack of convection and cosmic radiation. Therefore, it is important to design experiments in a way to maximize the scientific return from research conducted on orbiting platforms such as the International Space Station. Here, we provide a critical review of recent spaceflight experiments and suggest ways in which future experiments can be designed to improve the value and applicability of the results generated. These potential improvements include: utilizing in-flight controls to delineate microgravity versus other spaceflight effects, increasing scientific return via next-generation sequencing technologies, and utilizing multiple genotypes to ensure results are not unique to one genetic background. Space experiments have given us new insights into plant biology. However, to move forward, special care should be given to maximize science return in understanding both microgravity itself as well as the combinatorial effects of living in space. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

A critical review of simulation-based medical education research: 2003-2009.

Science.gov (United States)

McGaghie, William C; Issenberg, S Barry; Petrusa, Emil R; Scalese, Ross J

2010-01-01

This article reviews and critically evaluates historical and contemporary research on simulation-based medical education (SBME). It also presents and discusses 12 features and best practices of SBME that teachers should know in order to use medical simulation technology to maximum educational benefit. This qualitative synthesis of SBME research and scholarship was carried out in two stages. Firstly, we summarised the results of three SBME research reviews covering the years 1969-2003. Secondly, we performed a selective, critical review of SBME research and scholarship published during 2003-2009. The historical and contemporary research synthesis is reported to inform the medical education community about 12 features and best practices of SBME: (i) feedback; (ii) deliberate practice; (iii) curriculum integration; (iv) outcome measurement; (v) simulation fidelity; (vi) skill acquisition and maintenance; (vii) mastery learning; (viii) transfer to practice; (ix) team training; (x) high-stakes testing; (xi) instructor training, and (xii) educational and professional context. Each of these is discussed in the light of available evidence. The scientific quality of contemporary SBME research is much improved compared with the historical record. Development of and research into SBME have grown and matured over the past 40 years on substantive and methodological grounds. We believe the impact and educational utility of SBME are likely to increase in the future. More thematic programmes of research are needed. Simulation-based medical education is a complex service intervention that needs to be planned and practised with attention to organisational contexts.

A critical review of objective personality inventories with sex offenders.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Karen M; Archer, Robert P

2010-12-01

This review provides a critical analysis of the ability of multiscale inventories to distinguish between sex offender and nonoffender control groups, as well as to discriminate sex offenders from other types of offenders. In addition to expanding upon previous reviews that examined the utility of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) with this population (e.g., Levin & Stava, 1987), the current review included studies that utilized other multiscale inventories commonly used in forensic practice (i.e., MMPI-2, Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III [MCMI-III], Personality Assessment Inventory) and, when possible, provides effect sizes to evaluate group differences. Based on the review, the various forms of the MMPI and MCMI are clearly the most widely used instruments in sex offender populations. The MMPI Pd scale has shown moderate to large effect sizes when distinguishing between sex offender and nonsex offender groups, but this relationship may be reflective of antisocial behavior in general rather than traits specific to sex offenders. Recommendations to standardize future research classification strategies and more effectively utilize these instruments when assessing sex offenders are also provided. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

School effectiveness research: a review of criticisms and some proposals to address them.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andres Sandoval-Hernandez

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Based on Lakato’s notion of research programmes, the paper analyses the structure of the School Effectiveness Research (SER programme and reviews the main criticisms that have arisen, stressing those regarding its objectivity and theoretical limitations. Then, some proposals are made to address these criticisms, namely: to adopt a critical realist approach to the study of SE and an Abductive Theory of Scientific Method that lead to the development of sound theory in the field. Based on this analysis the paper concludes that, in terms of Lakatos, a movement towards a new research programme is needed in order to ensure that the main objectives originally set for SER can be eventually reached.

Anticonvulsant pharmacotherapy for generalized and localized vulvodynia : a critical review of the literature

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spoelstra, Symen K.; Borg, Charmaine; Schultz, Willibrord C. M. Weijmar

Anticonvulsant therapy has occasionally been recommended to treat vulvodynia. However, convincing evidence to support this therapeutic option is lacking. The goal of this study was to critically review studies published on the effectiveness of anticonvulsants for the treatment of vulvodynia.

Criticality design evaluation of the White Sands reactor building storage vault

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philbin, J.S.; Nelson, W.E.

1979-03-01

This report describes the conceptual design and criticality evaluation of a storage vault for components of the fast pulse reactor at White Sands Missile Range. Criticality calculations were performed with the KENO-IV Monte Carlo code for various storage configurations in order to investigate the coupling between the portable reactor and storage arrays of spare reactor rings or other fissile components of similar mass. Abnormal conditions corresponding to pseudo--random arrays of the fuel components, as well as a number of flooded configurations, were also evaluated to assess criticality potential for highly unlikely situations. In a normal, dry configuration, the neutron self-multiplication factor, k/sub eff/, of the fully loaded 3 x 8 planar array plus the reactor is less than 0.87. A completely flooded vault was found to produce self-multiplication factors in excess of 1.2

Photodesorption: a critical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lichtman, D.; Shapira, Y.

1975-01-01

A critical review of the literature in the field of photodesorption is presented. Material is covered through December 1975. Although it is impossible to include every paper ever published which is in some way related to photodesorption, it is felt that the material covered is sufficiently complete to permit reasonable conclusions to be reached. The literature naturally falls into two basic categories, namely, papers involved with metal substrates and those involved with semiconductor substrates. Since the effects on these two kinds of surfaces are very different, they are each considered in separate sections. Photodesorption from metals seems to be an extremely inefficient process if it occurs at all. That is, cross sections are equal to or less than 10 -23 cm 2 . The reason for this extremely low cross section is not yet well understood. Photodesorption from semiconductors seems to be a very efficient process with cross sections as high as 10 -17 cm 2 . On most substrates studied, e.g. ZnO, TiO 2 , CdS, the chrome oxide surface of stainless steel, etc., impurity carbon atoms play a very significant role. On all these materials, the single or dominant process involves chemisorption of molecular oxygen onto the impurity carbon surface atoms. Electrons are captured from the conduction band to produce a chemisorbed CO 2 - complex. The application of band gap and higher energy radiation produces electron-hole pairs. Some of the photogenerated holes migrate to the surface where they combine with the negative ion complex. The resulting physisorbed CO 2 is then thermally desorbed

A mixed-methods systematic review protocol to examine the use of physical restraint with critically ill adults and strategies for minimizing their use

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Louise Rose

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Critically ill patients frequently experience severe agitation placing them at risk of harm. Physical restraint is common in intensive care units (ICUs for clinician concerns about safety. However, physical restraint may not prevent medical device removal and has been associated with negative physical and psychological consequences. While professional society guidelines, legislation, and accreditation standards recommend physical restraint minimization, guidelines for critically ill patients are over a decade old, with recommendations that are non-specific. Our systematic review will synthesize evidence on physical restraint in critically ill adults with the primary objective of identifying effective minimization strategies. Methods Two authors will independently search from inception to July 2016 the following: Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PROSPERO, Joanna Briggs Institute, grey literature, professional society websites, and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform. We will include quantitative and qualitative study designs, clinical practice guidelines, policy documents, and professional society recommendations relevant to physical restraint of critically ill adults. Authors will independently perform data extraction in duplicate and complete risk of bias and quality assessment using recommended tools. We will assess evidence quality for quantitative studies using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE approach and for qualitative studies using the Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research (CERQual guidelines. Outcomes of interest include (1 efficacy/effectiveness of physical restraint minimization strategies; (2 adverse events (unintentional device removal, psychological impact, physical injury and associated benefits including harm prevention; (3 ICU outcomes (ventilation duration, length of stay, and mortality; (4

Probability based load criteria for the design of nuclear structures: a critical review of the state-of-the-art

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shinozuka, M.; Ellingwood, B.R.; Wang, P.C.; Meyer, C.; Wen, Y.K.; Kao, S.; Shooman, M.L.; Philippacopoulos, A.J.

1981-04-01

Structures for nuclear power plant facilities must be designed to withstand safely and effectively all kinds of loads and load combinations that may be expected to occur during their lifetime. The traditional methods of structural design attempt to account for the inevitable variability in the loads, material strengths, in-service environments, and fabrication process, etc., through the use of safety factor, allowable stresses or load and resistance factors. These approaches may result in an unknown and nonuniform reliability because of the subjective manner in which the safety factors have been determined. The stochastic nature loads and the uncertainties in material properties dictate a probabilistic approach for a rational assessment of structural safety and performance. This report presents: an in-depth review of the state-of-the-art pertaining to probability-based analysis and design of civil engineering structures; basis for extending existing probability-based methods to seismic category I nuclear structures; and the availability of the pertinent data required to perform probabilistic analysis for seismic category I nuclear structures.

Cold vacuum drying facility 90% design review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

O'Neill, C.T.

1997-01-01

This document contains review comment records for the CVDF 90% design review. Spent fuels retrieved from the K Basins will be dried at the CVDF. It has also been recommended that the Multi-Conister Overpacks be welded, inspected, and repaired at the CVD Facility before transport to dry storage

Cold vacuum drying facility 90% design review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O`Neill, C.T.

1997-05-02

This document contains review comment records for the CVDF 90% design review. Spent fuels retrieved from the K Basins will be dried at the CVDF. It has also been recommended that the Multi-Conister Overpacks be welded, inspected, and repaired at the CVD Facility before transport to dry storage.

Critical Points in Distance Learning System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Airina Savickaitė

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Purpose – This article presents the results of distance learning system analysis, i.e. the critical elements of the distance learning system. The critical points of distance learning are a part of distance education online environment interactivity/community process model. The most important is the fact that the critical point is associated with distance learning participants. Design/methodology/approach – Comparative review of articles and analysis of distance learning module. Findings – A modern man is a lifelong learner and distance learning is a way to be a modern person. The focus on a learner and feedback is the most important thing of learning distance system. Also, attention should be paid to the lecture-appropriate knowledge and ability to convey information. Distance system adaptation is the way to improve the learner’s learning outcomes. Research limitations/implications – Different learning disciplines and learning methods may have different critical points. Practical implications – The information of analysis could be important for both lecturers and students, who studies distance education systems. There are familiar critical points which may deteriorate the quality of learning. Originality/value – The study sought to develop remote systems for applications in order to improve the quality of knowledge. Keywords: distance learning, process model, critical points. Research type: review of literature and general overview.

Design review of the INTOR mechanical configuration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, T.G.

1981-01-01

The INTOR conceptual design has been carried out by design teams working in the home countries with periodic workshop sessions in Vienna to review the ongoing work and to make decisions on the evolving design. The decisions taken at each workshop session were then incorporated into each national design activity, so that the four national design contributions would progressively converge toward a single design with increasingly greater detail. This paper defines the final INTOR configuration that has evolved during the conceptual design phase, defining the major system design alternatives that were considered and the rationale for selecting the final system configuration

Nuclear renaissance, public perception and design criteria: An exploratory review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goodfellow, Martin J.; Williams, Hugo R.; Azapagic, Adisa

2011-01-01

There is currently an international drive to build new nuclear power plants, bringing about what is being termed a 'nuclear renaissance'. However, the public perception of nuclear energy has historically been, and continues to be, a key issue, particularly in light of the Fukushima nuclear incident. This paper discusses the disparity between perceived and calculated risks based on the last four decades of research into risk perception. The leading psychological and sociological theories, Psychometric Paradigm and Cultural Theory, respectively, are critically reviewed. The authors then argue that a new nuclear-build policy that promotes a broader approach to design incorporating a wider range of stakeholder inputs, including that of the lay public, may provide a means for reducing the perceived risk of a nuclear plant. Further research towards such a new approach to design is proposed, based on integrating expert and lay stakeholder inputs and taking into account broader socio-cultural factors whilst maintaining the necessary emphasis on safety, technological development, economics and environmental sustainability. - Highlights: → Globally, a number of countries are investing in or considering building new nuclear plants. → Public acceptance of nuclear safety is important to continuing new nuclear build efforts. → Theories are discussed attempting to explain the public perception of nuclear safety. → A socially informed design process is proposed which could assist in ensuring public support. → Further research to understand how this design process might be performed is proposed.

Topiramate in the treatment of substance related disorders: a critical review of the literature

Science.gov (United States)

Shinn, Ann K.; Greenfield, Shelly F.

2013-01-01

Objective To critically review the literature on topiramate in the treatment of substance related disorders. Data Sources A PubMed search of human studies published in English through January 2009. Study Selection 26 articles were identified and reviewed; these studies examined topiramate in disorders related to alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, methamphetamine, opioids, ecstasy, and benzodiazepines. Data Extraction Study design, sample size, topiramate dose and duration, and study outcomes were reviewed. Data Synthesis There is compelling evidence for the efficacy of topiramate in the treatment of alcohol dependence. Two trials show trends for topiramate’s superiority over oral naltrexone in alcohol dependence, while one trial suggests topiramate is inferior to disulfiram. Despite suggestive animal models, evidence for topiramate in treating alcohol withdrawal in humans is slim. Studies of topiramate in nicotine dependence show mixed results. Human laboratory studies that used acute topiramate dosing show that topiramate actually enhances the pleasurable effects of both nicotine and methamphetamine. Evidence for topiramate in the treatment of cocaine dependence is promising, but limited by small sample size. The data on opioids, benzodiazepines, and ecstasy are sparse. Conclusion Topiramate is efficacious for the treatment of alcohol dependence, but side effects may limit widespread use. While topiramate’s unique pharmacodynamic profile offers a promising theoretical rationale for use across multiple substance related disorders, heterogeneity both across and within these disorders limits topiramate’s broad applicability in treating substance related disorders. Recommendations for future research include exploration of genetic variants for more targeted pharmacotherapies. PMID:20361908

Review of design optimization methods for turbomachinery aerodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Zhihui; Zheng, Xinqian

2017-08-01

In today's competitive environment, new turbomachinery designs need to be not only more efficient, quieter, and ;greener; but also need to be developed at on much shorter time scales and at lower costs. A number of advanced optimization strategies have been developed to achieve these requirements. This paper reviews recent progress in turbomachinery design optimization to solve real-world aerodynamic problems, especially for compressors and turbines. This review covers the following topics that are important for optimizing turbomachinery designs. (1) optimization methods, (2) stochastic optimization combined with blade parameterization methods and the design of experiment methods, (3) gradient-based optimization methods for compressors and turbines and (4) data mining techniques for Pareto Fronts. We also present our own insights regarding the current research trends and the future optimization of turbomachinery designs.

Who should be responsible for supporting individuals with mental health problems? A critical literature review.

Science.gov (United States)

Pope, Megan A; Malla, Ashok K; Iyer, Srividya N

2018-05-01

Individuals with mental health problems have many support needs that are often inadequately met; however, perceptions of who should be responsible for meeting these needs have been largely unexplored. Varying perceptions may influence whether, how, and to what extent relevant stakeholders support individuals with mental health problems. To critically evaluate the literature to determine who different stakeholders believe should be responsible for supporting individuals with mental health problems, what factors shape these perceptions, and how they relate to one another. A critical literature review was undertaken. Following an extensive literature search, the conceptual contributions of relevant works were critically evaluated. A concept map was created to build a conceptual framework of the topic. Views of individual versus societal responsibility for need provision and health; the morality of caring; and attributions of responsibility for mental illness offered valuable understandings of the review questions. Creating a concept map revealed that various interrelated factors may influence perceptions of responsibility. Varying perceptions of who should be responsible for supporting individuals with mental health problems may contribute to unmet support needs among this group. Our critical review helps build a much-needed conceptual framework of factors influencing perceptions of responsibility. Such a framework is essential as these views iteratively shape and reflect the complex divisions of mental healthcare roles and responsibilities. Understanding these perceptions can help define relevant stakeholders' roles more clearly, which can improve mental health services and strengthen stakeholder accountability.

Transgender Stigma and Health: A Critical Review of Stigma Determinants, Mechanisms, and Interventions

Science.gov (United States)

White Hughto, Jaclyn M.; Reisner, Sari L.; Pachankis, John E.

2015-01-01

Rationale Transgender people in the United States experience widespread prejudice, discrimination, violence, and other forms of stigma. Objective This critical review aims to integrate the literature on stigma towards transgender people in the US. Results This review demonstrates that transgender stigma limits opportunities and access to resources in a number of critical domains (e.g., employment, healthcare), persistently affecting the physical and mental health of transgender people. The applied social ecological model employed here elucidates that transgender stigma operates at multiple levels (i.e., individual, interpersonal, structural) to impact health. Stigma prevention and coping interventions hold promise for reducing stigma and its adverse health-related effects in transgender populations. Conclusion Additional research is needed to document the causal relationship between stigma and adverse health as well as the mediators and moderators of stigma in US transgender populations. Multi-level interventions to prevent stigma towards transgender people are warranted. PMID:26599625

Flexible receiver adapter formal design review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krieg, S.A.

1995-01-01

This memo summarizes the results of the Formal (90%) Design Review process and meetings held to evaluate the design of the Flexible Receiver Adapters, support platforms, and associated equipment. The equipment is part of the Flexible Receiver System used to remove, transport, and store long length contaminated equipment and components from both the double and single-shell underground storage tanks at the 200 area tank farms

Review and compilation of criticality accidents in nuclear fuel processing facilities outside of Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watanabe, Norio; Tamaki, Hitoshi

2000-04-01

On September 30, 1999, a criticality accident occurred at the Tokai-mura uranium processing plant operated by JCO Co., Ltd., which resulted in the first nuclear accident involving a fatality, in Japan, and forced the residents in the vicinity of the site to be evacuated and be sheltered indoors. There have now been 21 criticality accidents reported in nuclear fuel processing facilities in foreign countries: seven in the United States, one in the United Kingdom and thirteen in Russia. Most of them occurred during the period from mid-1950's to mid-1960's, but one criticality accident tool place in Russian in 1997. This report reviews and compiles the published information on these accidents, including the latest information, focusing on the event sequence, the consequence of accident, and the cause of accident. The observations from the reviews are summarized as follows: Twenty of the 21 accidents occurred with the fissile material in a liquid. Twenty of the 21 accidents occurred in vessels/tanks with unfavorable geometry but one occurred in the vessel with favorable geometry. There were seven fatalities that were involved in five accidents. Three accidents involved a re-criticality condition caused by inadequate operator actions and two of them led to the death of the operators. One accident reached a re-criticality condition several hours after the first excursion was terminated by injecting borated water into the affected vessel. This accident implies the possibility that the borated water injection might not be effective to the criticality termination due to solubility of boric acid. Mechanisms of the criticality termination vary as follows: ejection or splashing of the solution at the time of power excursion, boiling or evaporation, addition of neutron poisons, or manual draining of solutions. (author)

Review and compilation of criticality accidents in nuclear fuel processing facilities outside of Japan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watanabe, Norio [Planning and Analysis Division, Nuclear Safety Research Center, Tokai Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan); Tamaki, Hitoshi [Department of Safety Research Technical Support, Tokai Research Establishment, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan)

2000-04-01

On September 30, 1999, a criticality accident occurred at the Tokai-mura uranium processing plant operated by JCO Co., Ltd., which resulted in the first nuclear accident involving a fatality, in Japan, and forced the residents in the vicinity of the site to be evacuated and be sheltered indoors. There have now been 21 criticality accidents reported in nuclear fuel processing facilities in foreign countries: seven in the United States, one in the United Kingdom and thirteen in Russia. Most of them occurred during the period from mid-1950's to mid-1960's, but one criticality accident tool place in Russian in 1997. This report reviews and compiles the published information on these accidents, including the latest information, focusing on the event sequence, the consequence of accident, and the cause of accident. The observations from the reviews are summarized as follows: Twenty of the 21 accidents occurred with the fissile material in a liquid. Twenty of the 21 accidents occurred in vessels/tanks with unfavorable geometry but one occurred in the vessel with favorable geometry. There were seven fatalities that were involved in five accidents. Three accidents involved a re-criticality condition caused by inadequate operator actions and two of them led to the death of the operators. One accident reached a re-criticality condition several hours after the first excursion was terminated by injecting borated water into the affected vessel. This accident implies the possibility that the borated water injection might not be effective to the criticality termination due to solubility of boric acid. Mechanisms of the criticality termination vary as follows: ejection or splashing of the solution at the time of power excursion, boiling or evaporation, addition of neutron poisons, or manual draining of solutions. (author)

Design of capacitance measurement module for determining critical cold temperature of tea leaves

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongzong Lu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Critical cold temperature is one of the most crucial control factors for crop frost protection. Tea leaf's capacitance has a significant response to cold injury and appears as a peak response to a typical low temperature which is the critical temperature. However, the testing system is complex and inconvenient. In view of these, a tea leaf's critical temperature detector based on capacitance measurement module was designed and developed to measure accurately and conveniently the capacitance. Software was also designed to measure parameters, record data, query data as well as data deletion module. The detector utilized the MSP430F149 MCU as the control core and ILI9320TFT as the display module, and its software was compiled by IAR5.3. Capacitance measurement module was the crucial part in the overall design which was based on the principle of oscillator. Based on hardware debugging and stability analysis of capacitance measurement module, it was found that the output voltage of the capacitance measurement circuit is stable with 0.36% average deviation. The relationship between capacitance and 1/Uc2 was found to be linear distribution with the determination coefficient above 0.99. The result indicated that the output voltage of capacitance measurement module well corresponded to the change in value of the capacitance. The measurement error of the circuit was also within the required range of 0 to 100 pF which meets the requirement of tea leaf's capacitance. Keywords: Tea leaves, Critical cold temperature, Capacitance peak response, Frost protection, Detector

Design review of the N Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1986-09-01

This review of the design features of the N Reactor was initiated at the request of the Secretary of Energy, John S. Herrington, shortly after, and as a consequence of, reports of the accident at the Soviet reactor complex located at Chernobyl, on April 26, 1986. In the review, special attention was given to those plant systems which are most important in preventing the release of radioactive materials from the plant in the event of combined major equipment failures and human errors. Also, the review studied the potential effects of various severe accident sequences, and addressed the question of whether an event similar in causes or consequences to the Chernobyl accident could occur in the N Reactor. In light of experiences at both Three Mile Island and Chernobyl, the potential for accumulation of hydrogen in excess of flammable limits was given particular attention. The review team was also asked to identify possible improvements to the N Reactor plant, and to evaluate the effects and significance of service-induced degradation. The overall conclusion of the design review is that the N Reactor is safe to operate and that there is no reason to stop or alter its operation in any major respect at this time. Certain additional analyses and testing, are recommended to provide a firmer basis for decisions on long-term operation and on measures which may be needed in the future to accommodate long-term operation

Online learning control using adaptive critic designs with sparse kernel machines.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xin; Hou, Zhongsheng; Lian, Chuanqiang; He, Haibo

2013-05-01

In the past decade, adaptive critic designs (ACDs), including heuristic dynamic programming (HDP), dual heuristic programming (DHP), and their action-dependent ones, have been widely studied to realize online learning control of dynamical systems. However, because neural networks with manually designed features are commonly used to deal with continuous state and action spaces, the generalization capability and learning efficiency of previous ACDs still need to be improved. In this paper, a novel framework of ACDs with sparse kernel machines is presented by integrating kernel methods into the critic of ACDs. To improve the generalization capability as well as the computational efficiency of kernel machines, a sparsification method based on the approximately linear dependence analysis is used. Using the sparse kernel machines, two kernel-based ACD algorithms, that is, kernel HDP (KHDP) and kernel DHP (KDHP), are proposed and their performance is analyzed both theoretically and empirically. Because of the representation learning and generalization capability of sparse kernel machines, KHDP and KDHP can obtain much better performance than previous HDP and DHP with manually designed neural networks. Simulation and experimental results of two nonlinear control problems, that is, a continuous-action inverted pendulum problem and a ball and plate control problem, demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed kernel ACD methods.

Two-Phase Iteration for Value Function Approximation and Hyperparameter Optimization in Gaussian-Kernel-Based Adaptive Critic Design

OpenAIRE

Chen, Xin; Xie, Penghuan; Xiong, Yonghua; He, Yong; Wu, Min

2015-01-01

Adaptive Dynamic Programming (ADP) with critic-actor architecture is an effective way to perform online learning control. To avoid the subjectivity in the design of a neural network that serves as a critic network, kernel-based adaptive critic design (ACD) was developed recently. There are two essential issues for a static kernel-based model: how to determine proper hyperparameters in advance and how to select right samples to describe the value function. They all rely on the assessment of sa...

A critical review of classical bouncing cosmologies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Battefeld, Diana, E-mail: dbattefe@astro.physik.uni-goettingen.de [Institut for Astrophysics, University of Goettingen, Friedrich-Hund Platz 1, D-37077 (Germany); Peter, Patrick, E-mail: peter@iap.fr [Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, UMR 7095-CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 98 bis boulevard Arago, 75014 Paris (France)

2015-04-01

Given the proliferation of bouncing models in recent years, we gather and critically assess these proposals in a comprehensive review. The PLANCK data shows an unmistakably red, quasi scale-invariant, purely adiabatic primordial power spectrum and no primary non-Gaussianities. While these observations are consistent with inflationary predictions, bouncing cosmologies aspire to provide an alternative framework to explain them. Such models face many problems, both of the purely theoretical kind, such as the necessity of violating the NEC and instabilities, and at the cosmological application level, as exemplified by the possible presence of shear. We provide a pedagogical introduction to these problems and also assess the fitness of different proposals with respect to the data. For example, many models predict a slightly blue spectrum and must be fine-tuned to generate a red spectral index; as a side effect, large non-Gaussianities often result. We highlight several promising attempts to violate the NEC without introducing dangerous instabilities at the classical and/or quantum level. If primordial gravitational waves are observed, certain bouncing cosmologies, such as the cyclic scenario, are in trouble, while others remain valid. We conclude that, while most bouncing cosmologies are far from providing an alternative to the inflationary paradigm, a handful of interesting proposals have surfaced, which warrant further research. The constraints and lessons learned as laid out in this review might guide future research.

Historical and Critical Review on Biophysical Economics

Science.gov (United States)

Adigüzel, Yekbun

2016-07-01

Biophysical economics is initiated with the long history of the relation of economics with ecological basis and biophysical perspectives of the physiocrats. It inherently has social, economic, biological, environmental, natural, physical, and scientific grounds. Biological entities in economy like the resources, consumers, populations, and parts of production systems, etc. could all be dealt by biophysical economics. Considering this wide scope, current work is a “biophysical economics at a glance” rather than a comprehensive review of the full range of topics that may just be adequately covered in a book-length work. However, the sense of its wide range of applications is aimed to be provided to the reader in this work. Here, modern approaches and biophysical growth theory are presented after the long history and an overview of the concepts in biophysical economics. Examples of the recent studies are provided at the end with discussions. This review is also related to the work by Cleveland, “Biophysical Economics: From Physiocracy to Ecological Economics and Industrial Ecology” [C. J. Cleveland, in Advances in Bioeconomics and Sustainability: Essay in Honor of Nicholas Gerogescu-Roegen, eds. J. Gowdy and K. Mayumi (Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham, England, 1999), pp. 125-154.]. Relevant parts include critics and comments on the presented concepts in a parallelized fashion with the Cleveland’s work.

Critical Jostling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pippin Barr

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Games can serve a critical function in many different ways, from serious games about real world subjects to self-reflexive commentaries on the nature of games themselves. In this essay we discuss critical possibilities stemming from the area of critical design, and more specifically Carl DiSalvo’s adversarial design and its concept of reconfiguring the remainder. To illustrate such an approach, we present the design and outcomes of two games, Jostle Bastard and Jostle Parent. We show how the games specifically engage with two previous games, Hotline Miami and Octodad: Dadliest Catch, reconfiguring elements of those games to create interactive critical experiences and extensions of the source material. Through the presentation of specific design concerns and decisions, we provide a grounded illustration of a particular critical function of videogames and hope to highlight this form as another valuable approach in the larger area of videogame criticism.

A Critical Review of the Use of Virtual Reality in Construction Engineering Education and Training.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Peng; Wu, Peng; Wang, Jun; Chi, Hung-Lin; Wang, Xiangyu

2018-06-08

Virtual Reality (VR) has been rapidly recognized and implemented in construction engineering education and training (CEET) in recent years due to its benefits of providing an engaging and immersive environment. The objective of this review is to critically collect and analyze the VR applications in CEET, aiming at all VR-related journal papers published from 1997 to 2017. The review follows a three-stage analysis on VR technologies, applications and future directions through a systematic analysis. It is found that the VR technologies adopted for CEET evolve over time, from desktop-based VR, immersive VR, 3D game-based VR, to Building Information Modelling (BIM)-enabled VR. A sibling technology, Augmented Reality (AR), for CEET adoptions has also emerged in recent years. These technologies have been applied in architecture and design visualization, construction health and safety training, equipment and operational task training, as well as structural analysis. Future research directions, including the integration of VR with emerging education paradigms and visualization technologies, have also been provided. The findings are useful for both researchers and educators to usefully integrate VR in their education and training programs to improve the training performance.

Feasibility and reliability of frailty assessment in the critically ill: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Pugh, Richard J; Ellison, Amy; Pye, Kate; Subbe, Christian P; Thorpe, Chris M; Lone, Nazir I; Clegg, Andrew

2018-02-26

For healthcare systems, an ageing population poses challenges in the delivery of equitable and effective care. Frailty assessment has the potential to improve care in the intensive care setting, but applying assessment tools in critical illness may be problematic. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate evidence for the feasibility and reliability of frailty assessment in critical care. Our primary search was conducted in Medline, Medline In-process, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, AMED, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science (January 2001 to October 2017). We included observational studies reporting data on feasibility and reliability of frailty assessment in the critical care setting in patients 16 years and older. Feasibility was assessed in terms of timing of evaluation, the background, training and expertise required for assessors, and reliance upon proxy input. Reliability was assessed in terms of inter-rater reliability. Data from 11 study publications are included, representing 8 study cohorts and 7761 patients. Proxy involvement in frailty assessment ranged from 58 to 100%. Feasibility data were not well-reported overall, but the exclusion rate due to lack of proxy availability ranged from 0 to 45%, the highest rate observed where family involvement was mandatory and the assessment tool relatively complex (frailty index, FI). Conventional elements of frailty phenotype (FP) assessment required modification prior to use in two studies. Clinical staff tended to use a simple judgement-based tool, the clinical frailty scale (CFS). Inter-rater reliability was reported in one study using the CFS and although a good level of agreement was observed between clinician assessments, this was a small and single-centre study. Though of unproven reliability in the critically ill, CFS was the tool used most widely by critical care clinical staff. Conventional FP assessment required modification for general application in critical care, and an FI

On Mixed Data and Event Driven Design for Adaptive-Critic-Based Nonlinear $H_{\\infty}$ Control.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Ding; Mu, Chaoxu; Liu, Derong; Ma, Hongwen

2018-04-01

In this paper, based on the adaptive critic learning technique, the control for a class of unknown nonlinear dynamic systems is investigated by adopting a mixed data and event driven design approach. The nonlinear control problem is formulated as a two-player zero-sum differential game and the adaptive critic method is employed to cope with the data-based optimization. The novelty lies in that the data driven learning identifier is combined with the event driven design formulation, in order to develop the adaptive critic controller, thereby accomplishing the nonlinear control. The event driven optimal control law and the time driven worst case disturbance law are approximated by constructing and tuning a critic neural network. Applying the event driven feedback control, the closed-loop system is built with stability analysis. Simulation studies are conducted to verify the theoretical results and illustrate the control performance. It is significant to observe that the present research provides a new avenue of integrating data-based control and event-triggering mechanism into establishing advanced adaptive critic systems.

Current practices in the identification of critical habitat for threatened species.

Science.gov (United States)

Camaclang, Abbey E; Maron, Martine; Martin, Tara G; Possingham, Hugh P

2015-04-01

The term critical habitat is used to describe the subset of habitat that is essential to the survival and recovery of species. Some countries legally require that critical habitat of listed threatened and endangered species be identified and protected. However, there is little evidence to suggest that the identification of critical habitat has had much impact on species recovery. We hypothesized that this may be due at least partly to a mismatch between the intent of critical habitat identification, which is to protect sufficient habitat for species persistence and recovery, and its practice. We used content analysis to systematically review critical habitat documents from the United States, Canada, and Australia. In particular, we identified the major trends in type of information used to identify critical habitat and in occupancy of habitat identified as critical. Information about population viability was used to identify critical habitat for only 1% of the species reviewed, and for most species, designated critical habitat did not include unoccupied habitat. Without reference to population viability, it is difficult to determine how much of a species' occupied and unoccupied habitat will be required for persistence. We therefore conclude that the identification of critical habitat remains inconsistent with the goal of protecting sufficient habitat to support persistence and recovery of the species. Ensuring that critical habitat identification aligns more closely with its intent will improve the accuracy of the designations and may therefore help improve the benefits to species recovery when combined with adequate implementation and enforcement of legal protections. © 2014 Society for Conservation Biology.

An Opening: Graphic Design's Discursive Spaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Blauvelt, Andrew

1994-01-01

Introduces a special issue on critical histories of graphic design with a review of the particular problems identified with the history of graphic design as a field of study and the emerging discipline of graphic design history. Makes a case for the examination of graphic design through its relationships with larger discourses. (SR)

Inverse Problems in Systems Biology: A Critical Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Guzzi, Rodolfo; Colombo, Teresa; Paci, Paola

2018-01-01

Systems Biology may be assimilated to a symbiotic cyclic interplaying between the forward and inverse problems. Computational models need to be continuously refined through experiments and in turn they help us to make limited experimental resources more efficient. Every time one does an experiment we know that there will be some noise that can disrupt our measurements. Despite the noise certainly is a problem, the inverse problems already involve the inference of missing information, even if the data is entirely reliable. So the addition of a certain limited noise does not fundamentally change the situation but can be used to solve the so-called ill-posed problem, as defined by Hadamard. It can be seen as an extra source of information. Recent studies have shown that complex systems, among others the systems biology, are poorly constrained and ill-conditioned because it is difficult to use experimental data to fully estimate their parameters. For these reasons was born the concept of sloppy models, a sequence of models of increasing complexity that become sloppy in the limit of microscopic accuracy. Furthermore the concept of sloppy models contains also the concept of un-identifiability, because the models are characterized by many parameters that are poorly constrained by experimental data. Then a strategy needs to be designed to infer, analyze, and understand biological systems. The aim of this work is to provide a critical review to the inverse problems in systems biology defining a strategy to determine the minimal set of information needed to overcome the problems arising from dynamic biological models that generally may have many unknown, non-measurable parameters.

Initial conceptual design study of self-critical nuclear pumped laser systems

Science.gov (United States)

Rodgers, R. J.

1979-01-01

An analytical study of self-critical nuclear pumped laser system concepts was performed. Primary emphasis was placed on reactor concepts employing gaseous uranium hexafluoride (UF6) as the fissionable material. Relationships were developed between the key reactor design parameters including reactor power level, critical mass, neutron flux level, reactor size, operating pressure, and UF6 optical properties. The results were used to select a reference conceptual laser system configuration. In the reference configuration, the 3.2 m cubed lasing volume is surrounded by a graphite internal moderator and a region of heavy water. Results of neutronics calculations yield a critical mass of 4.9 U(235) in the form (235)UF6. The configuration appears capable of operating in a continuous steady-state mode. The average gas temperature in the core is 600 K and the UF6 partial pressure within the lasing volume is 0.34 atm.

A meta-analysis of the effects of non-traditional teaching methods on the critical thinking abilities of nursing students.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, JuHee; Lee, Yoonju; Gong, SaeLom; Bae, Juyeon; Choi, Moonki

2016-09-15

Scientific framework is important in designing curricula and evaluating students in the field of education and clinical practice. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of non-traditional educational methods on critical thinking skills. A systematic review approach was applied. Studies published in peer-reviewed journals from January 2001 to December 2014 were searched using electronic databases and major education journals. A meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.2. Reviewing the included studies, the California Critical Thinking Dispositions Inventory (CCTDI) and California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) were used to assess the effectiveness of critical thinking in the meta-analysis. The eight CCTDI datasets showed that non- traditional teaching methods (i.e., no lectures) were more effective compared to control groups (standardized mean difference [SMD]: 0.42, 95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.26-0.57, p teaching and learning methods in these studies were also had significantly more effects when compared to the control groups (SMD: 0.29, 95 % CI: 0.10-0.48, p = 0.003). This research showed that new teaching and learning methods designed to improve critical thinking were generally effective at enhancing critical thinking dispositions.

Optimizing the design of preprinted orders for ambulatory chemotherapy: combining oncology, human factors, and graphic design.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeon, Jennifer; White, Rachel E; Hunt, Richard G; Cassano-Piché, Andrea L; Easty, Anthony C

2012-03-01

To establish a set of guidelines for developing ambulatory chemotherapy preprinted orders. Multiple methods were used to develop the preprinted order guidelines. These included (A) a comprehensive literature review and an environmental scan; (B) analyses of field study observations and incident reports; (C) critical review of evidence from the literature and the field study observation analyses; (D) review of the draft guidelines by a clinical advisory group; and (E) collaboration with graphic designers to develop sample preprinted orders, refine the design guidelines, and format the resulting content. The Guidelines for Developing Ambulatory Chemotherapy Preprinted Orders, which consist of guidance on the design process, content, and graphic design elements of ambulatory chemotherapy preprinted orders, have been established. Health care is a safety critical, dynamic, and complex sociotechnical system. Identifying safety risks in such a system and effectively addressing them often require the expertise of multiple disciplines. This study illustrates how human factors professionals, clinicians, and designers can leverage each other's expertise to uncover commonly overlooked patient safety hazards and to provide health care professionals with innovative, practical, and user-centered tools to minimize those hazards.

Early enteral nutrition in critically ill patients with hemodynamic instability: an evidence-based review and practical advice.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Shuofei; Wu, Xingjiang; Yu, Wenkui; Li, Jieshou

2014-02-01

Early enteral nutrition (EEN) in critically ill patients is associated with significant benefit as well as elevated risk of complications. Concomitant use of EEN with vasopressors has been associated with nonocclusive bowel necrosis in critically ill patients with hemodynamic instability. The decision when to initiate enteral nutrition in hemodynamically unstable patients that require vasoactive substances remains a clinical dilemma. This review summarizes the effect of EEN and vasoactive agents on gastrointestinal blood flow and perfusion in critically ill patients, based on current evidence. Animal and clinical data involving simultaneous administration of EEN and vasoactive agents for hemodynamic instability are reviewed, and the factors related to the safety and effectiveness of EEN support in this patient population are analyzed. Moreover, practical recommendations are provided. Additional randomized clinical trials are warranted to provide cutting-edge evidence-based guidance about this issue for practitioners of critical care.

The chemistry and behaviour of antimony in the soil environment with comparisons to arsenic: A critical review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, Susan C.; Lockwood, Peter V.; Ashley, Paul M.; Tighe, Matthew

2010-01-01

This article provides a critical review of the environmental chemistry of inorganic antimony (Sb) in soils, comparing and contrasting findings with those of arsenic (As). Characteristics of the Sb soil system are reviewed, with an emphasis on speciation, sorption and phase associations, identifying differences between Sb and As behaviour. Knowledge gaps in environmentally relevant Sb data for soils are identified and discussed in terms of the limitations this imposes on understanding the fate, behaviour and risks associated with Sb in environmental soil systems, with particular reference to mobility and bioavailability. - A critical and comparative review of Sb and As chemistry and associations in soil systems identifies research directions needed for better understanding of risks.

A critical scoping review of external uses of comfrey (Symphytum spp.).

Science.gov (United States)

Frost, R; MacPherson, H; O'Meara, S

2013-12-01

External preparations of the herb comfrey (most commonly Symphytum officinale L.) are widely available for over-the-counter, practitioner and healthcare professional usage. Traditional practice suggests comfrey can be used to treat musculoskeletal disorders, wounds and various other conditions; however a full and critical coverage of the evidence base has not yet been undertaken. A critical scoping review was undertaken. Six bibliographic databases, 10 grey literature databases and nine trials registers were searched plus reference lists of included studies and a descriptive overview of comfrey. Randomised or non-randomised clinical trials assessing the external use of comfrey for any indication were included and methodological and reporting quality were assessed. Observational studies were included only in the assessment of adverse events. Studies were grouped and summarised according to the type of indication treated. Of 1348 identified records, 64 full texts were screened for inclusion and 26 were included in the review - 13 RCTs, 5 non-randomised controlled trials and 8 observational studies evaluating treatments for ankle distortion, back pain, abrasion wounds, venous leg ulcers and osteoarthritis. The majority of included trials had an overall unclear risk of bias due to poor quality of reporting. Few adverse events were reported. Individual clinical trials showed evidence of benefit for ankle distortion, back pain, abrasion wounds and osteoarthritis. Topical application appears to be safe but further rigorous assessment is needed. Systematic reviews focussing on particular indications may clarify the treatment effect and safety of external comfrey preparations. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Role of Gender in Workplace Stress: A Critical Literature Review

Science.gov (United States)

Gyllensten, Kristina; Palmer, Stephen

2005-01-01

Objective: The aim of this review was to evaluate research relating to the role of gender in the level of workplace stress. A further aim was to review literature relating to stressors of particular relevance to working women. These stressors included, multiple roles, lack of career progress and discrimination and stereotyping. Design: Systematic…

Spent Nuclear Fuel Cold Vacuum Drying facility comprehensive formal design review report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

HALLER, C.S.

1999-01-01

The majority of the Cold Vacuum Drying Facility (CVDF) design and construction is complete; isolated portions are still in the design and fabrication process. The project commissioned a formal design review to verify the sufficiency and accuracy of current design media to assure that: (1) the design completely and accurately reflects design criteria, (2) design documents are consistent with one another, and (3) the design media accurately reflects the current design. This review is a key element in the design validation and verification activities required by SNF-4396, ''Design Verification and Validation Plan For The Cold Vacuum Drying Facility''. This report documents the results of the formal design review

Review of Designs for Haptic Data Visualization.

Science.gov (United States)

Paneels, Sabrina; Roberts, Jonathan C

2010-01-01

There are many different uses for haptics, such as training medical practitioners, teleoperation, or navigation of virtual environments. This review focuses on haptic methods that display data. The hypothesis is that haptic devices can be used to present information, and consequently, the user gains quantitative, qualitative, or holistic knowledge about the presented data. Not only is this useful for users who are blind or partially sighted (who can feel line graphs, for instance), but also the haptic modality can be used alongside other modalities, to increase the amount of variables being presented, or to duplicate some variables to reinforce the presentation. Over the last 20 years, a significant amount of research has been done in haptic data presentation; e.g., researchers have developed force feedback line graphs, bar charts, and other forms of haptic representations. However, previous research is published in different conferences and journals, with different application emphases. This paper gathers and collates these various designs to provide a comprehensive review of designs for haptic data visualization. The designs are classified by their representation: Charts, Maps, Signs, Networks, Diagrams, Images, and Tables. This review provides a comprehensive reference for researchers and learners, and highlights areas for further research.

Laser and electron-beam powder-bed additive manufacturing of metallic implants: A review on processes, materials and designs.

Science.gov (United States)

Sing, Swee Leong; An, Jia; Yeong, Wai Yee; Wiria, Florencia Edith

2016-03-01

Additive manufacturing (AM), also commonly known as 3D printing, allows the direct fabrication of functional parts with complex shapes from digital models. In this review, the current progress of two AM processes suitable for metallic orthopaedic implant applications, namely selective laser melting (SLM) and electron beam melting (EBM) are presented. Several critical design factors such as the need for data acquisition for patient-specific design, design dependent porosity for osteo-inductive implants, surface topology of the implants and design for reduction of stress-shielding in implants are discussed. Additive manufactured biomaterials such as 316L stainless steel, titanium-6aluminium-4vanadium (Ti6Al4V) and cobalt-chromium (CoCr) are highlighted. Limitations and future potential of such technologies are also explored. © 2015 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

On-line Peer Review in Teaching Design-oriented Courses

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hai Ning

2004-02-01

Full Text Available Peer review has been one of the very important designfacilitating processes practiced in education field, particularly in design-oriented courses such as MIT's 2.007 Robot Design. Typically students exchange ideas sketched on a piece of paper and critique on each other's design within a small team. We designed PREP web application backed up by a range of web services that handle the peer-review process on-line, and we argue that this is a significant step towards supporting designoriented course on-line. We believe that the lessons learned could be applied to other interested institutes that offer designoriented courses.

Transgender stigma and health: A critical review of stigma determinants, mechanisms, and interventions.

Science.gov (United States)

White Hughto, Jaclyn M; Reisner, Sari L; Pachankis, John E

2015-12-01

Transgender people in the United States experience widespread prejudice, discrimination, violence, and other forms of stigma. This critical review aims to integrate the literature on stigma towards transgender people in the U.S. This review demonstrates that transgender stigma limits opportunities and access to resources in a number of critical domains (e.g., employment, healthcare), persistently affecting the physical and mental health of transgender people. The applied social ecological model employed here elucidates that transgender stigma operates at multiple levels (i.e., individual, interpersonal, structural) to impact health. Stigma prevention and coping interventions hold promise for reducing stigma and its adverse health-related effects in transgender populations. Additional research is needed to document the causal relationship between stigma and adverse health as well as the mediators and moderators of stigma in US transgender populations. Multi-level interventions to prevent stigma towards transgender people are warranted. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A critical review of simulation-based mastery learning with translational outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

McGaghie, William C; Issenberg, Saul B; Barsuk, Jeffrey H; Wayne, Diane B

2014-04-01

This article has two objectives. Firstly, we critically review simulation-based mastery learning (SBML) research in medical education, evaluate its implementation and immediate results, and document measured downstream translational outcomes in terms of improved patient care practices, better patient outcomes and collateral effects. Secondly, we briefly address implementation science and its importance in the dissemination of innovations in medical education and health care. This is a qualitative synthesis of SBML with translational (T) science research reports spanning a period of 7 years (2006-2013). We use the 'critical review' approach proposed by Norman and Eva to synthesise findings from 23 medical education studies that employ the mastery learning model and measure downstream translational outcomes. Research in SBML in medical education has addressed a range of interpersonal and technical skills. Measured outcomes have been achieved in educational laboratories (T1), and as improved patient care practices (T2), patient outcomes (T3) and collateral effects (T4). Simulation-based mastery learning in medical education can produce downstream results. Such results derive from integrated education and health services research programmes that are thematic, sustained and cumulative. The new discipline of implementation science holds promise to explain why medical education innovations are adopted slowly and how to accelerate innovation dissemination. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Life Cycle Assessment Application to the Wine Sector: A Critical Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carmen Ferrara

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Life Cycle Assessment (LCA is a powerful tool that allows evaluation of the environmental performances of a product, service or process considering the whole life cycle or a part of it. In the wine sector, the application of LCA has grown significantly in recent years and several studies have been carried out about this topic that are similar to other research fields. Nowadays, LCA is an important and acknowledged environmental assessment tool but its application to the wine sector is still in a developing phase. For this reason, the present study proposes a critical review of papers dealing with both the wine sector and LCA. The critical review points out that the main wine hotspots are the viticulture phase (mainly due to fuel, fertilizer and pesticides consumption and the wine primary packaging production (due to glass bottles. Furthermore, the papers taken into consideration have a wide variability in the system boundaries definition as well as a shortage of availability of original and site-specific inventory data. Such key factors are sensitive aspects that have a huge influence on the results of a study and they are also affected by a wide variability: these issues need further scientific contribution through future studies.

Knowledge mobilisation in healthcare: a critical review of health sector and generic management literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferlie, Ewan; Crilly, Tessa; Jashapara, Ashok; Peckham, Anna

2012-04-01

The health policy domain has displayed increasing interest in questions of knowledge management and knowledge mobilisation within healthcare organisations. We analyse here the findings of a critical review of generic management and health-related literatures, covering the period 2000-2008. Using 29 pre-selected journals, supplemented by a search of selected electronic databases, we map twelve substantive domains classified into four broad groups: taxonomic and philosophical (e.g. different types of knowledge); theoretical discourse (e.g. critical organisational studies); disciplinary fields (e.g. organisational learning and Information Systems/Information Technology); and organisational processes and structures (e.g. organisational form). We explore cross-overs and gaps between these traditionally separate literature streams. We found that health sector literature has absorbed some generic concepts, notably Communities of Practice, but has not yet deployed the performance-oriented perspective of the Resource Based View (RBV) of the Firm. The generic literature uses healthcare sites to develop critical analyses of power and control in knowledge management, rooted in neo-Marxist/labour process and Foucauldian approaches. The review generates three theoretically grounded statements to inform future enquiry, by: (a) importing the RBV stream; (b) developing the critical organisational studies perspective further; and (c) exploring the theoretical argument that networks and other alternative organisational forms facilitate knowledge sharing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A critical review on the scaling theory of dispersion

Science.gov (United States)

Zech, Alraune; Mai, Juliane; Attinger, Sabine; Dietrich, Peter; Teutsch, Georg; Fiori, Aldo; Rubin, Yoram

2014-05-01

The phenomenon of dispersive mixing of solutes in aquifers is subject of research since decades. The characterization of dispersivity at a particular field site is a prerequisite to predict the movement and spreading of a contaminant plume. Experimental investigations have shown, that field-scale dispersivities vary over orders of magnitude, which apparently depends on the scale of measurement. Gelhar et al. [1992] and Schulze-Makuch [2005] have reviewed a large number of transport experiments reported in the literature. Based on that data Schulze-Makuch [2005] performed a trend analysis of longitudinal dispersivity, fostering the empirical relationship of a power law between dispersivities and the scale of measurement without an upper bound. The goal of our study is to critically revisit not only the data used for the trend analysis but the power-law scale dependence of longitudinal dispersivity (e.g. Neuman [1990], Xu and Eckstein [1995]). Our particular focus is on the reported dispersivities of large amount (larger than 100m) and large measurement scales (in the order of kilometers). We aim to evaluate current theories of transport against a critical "mass" of field experiments and to bracket the conditions of their applicability. We further aim to evaluate the adequacy of the field sampling techniques that were employed from the perspective of more than 30 years development in modeling and field characterization. Given the tremendous progress in field data acquisition techniques and new insights gained, it is reasonable to expect that interpretations of past experiments may be flawed due to the limitations or inadequacy of field sampling techniques. Gelhar, L.W., C. Welty, and K.R. Rehfeldt, 1992, A critical review of data on field-scale dispersion in aquifers, Water Resources Research 28, No. 7: 1955-1974. Schulze-Makuch, D., 2005, Longitudinal dispersivity data and implications for scaling behavior, Ground Water, Vol. 43, No. 3, 443-456. Neuman, S.P., 1990

Neutronic Design of an Accelerator Driven Sub-Critical Research Reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pesic, M.

2002-01-01

Conceptual design of an accelerator driven sub-critical research reactor (ADSRR), as a new project in the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences, is suggested for support to the Ministry of science, technologies and development of Republic Serbia, Yugoslavia. This paper show initial results of neutronic analyses of the proposed ADSRR carried out by Monte Carlo based MCNP and SHIELD codes. According to the proposal, the ADSRR would be constructed, in a later phase, at high-energy channel H5B of the VINCY cyclotron of the TESLA Accelerator Installation, that is under completion in the Vinca Institute. The fuel elements of 80%-enriched uranium dioxide dispersed in aluminium matrix, available in the Vinca Institute, are proposed for the ADSRR core design. The HEU fuel elements are placed in aluminium tubes filled by the 'primary moderator' - light water. These 'fuel tubes' are placed in a square lattice within lead matrix in a stainless steel tank. The lead is used as a 'secondary moderator' in the core and as the axial and radial reflector. Such design of the ADSRR shows that this small low neutron flux system can be used as an experimental 'demonstration' ADS with some neutron characteristics similar to proposed well-known lead moderated and cooled power sub-critical ADS with intermediate or fast neutron spectrum. The proposed experimental ADSRR, beside usage as a valuable research machine in reactor and neutron physics, will contribute to following and developing new nuclear technologies in the country, useful for eventual nuclear power option and nuclear waste incineration in future. (author)

Marine monitoring surveys for desalination plants-A critical review

KAUST Repository

Lattemann, Sabine

2013-01-01

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) studies are standard practice and a regulatory requirement for most new desalination projects today. However, most of the EIA studies are limited to predictive information; that is, they gather information on the project and the project\\'s environment before project implementation to make predictions about likely impacts. The EIAs may involve comprehensive studies, such as field monitoring, laboratory toxicity testing, and modeling studies. Consequently, the"surprising paucity of useful experimental data, either from laboratory tests or from field monitoring studies", which was observed by the US National Research Council in 2008, has been gradually decreasing. However, there is still a long-term research need on the site-specific effects of desalination plants after project commissioning has taken place. A main challenge of field research is the adequate design of the monitoring studies, which have to adequately distinguish the effects of the desalination project from natural processes over long periods of time. The existing monitoring studies have so far used a wide range of approaches and methods to investigate the environmental impacts of desalination plant discharges. Shortfalls are often that they are limited in scope, short-term, or localized. In essence, many studies fall short of recognizing the potentially synergetic effects of the single waste components of the discharges on marine organisms and the complexity of the potential responses by the ecosystem. While the possible risk of damage arising from the concentrate discharge to the marine environment in close proximity to the outfall is at hand, no conclusive evidence can yet be provided concerning the long-term impacts of desalination plant discharges, let alone the cumulative impacts on certain sea areas. This paper conducts a critical review of existing monitoring programs for desalination plants. Shortcomings of current practices are identified and relevant

Critical thinking evaluation in reflective writing: Development and testing of Carter Assessment of Critical Thinking in Midwifery (Reflection).

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

2017-11-01

develop and test a tool designed for use by academics to evaluate pre-registration midwifery students' critical thinking skills in reflective writing. a descriptive cohort design was used. a random sample (n = 100) of archived student reflective writings based on a clinical event or experience during 2014 and 2015. a staged model for tool development was used to develop a fifteen item scale involving item generation; mapping of draft items to critical thinking concepts and expert review to test content validity; inter-rater reliability testing; pilot testing of the tool on 100 reflective writings; and psychometric testing. Item scores were analysed for mean, range and standard deviation. Internal reliability, content and construct validity were assessed. expert review of the tool revealed a high content validity index score of 0.98. Using two independent raters to establish inter-rater reliability, good absolute agreement of 72% was achieved with a Kappa coefficient K = 0.43 (pcritical thinking in reflective writing. Validation with large diverse samples is warranted. reflective practice is a key learning and teaching strategy in undergraduate Bachelor of Midwifery programmes and essential for safe, competent practice. There is the potential to enhance critical thinking development by assessingreflective writing with the CACTiM (reflection) tool to provide formative and summative feedback to students and inform teaching strategies. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Actinic Mask Inspection at the ALS Initial Design Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barty, A; Chapman, H; Sweeney, D; Levesque, R; Bokor, J; Gullikson, E; Jong, S; Liu, Y; Yi, M; Denbeaux, G; Goldberg, K; Naulleau, P; Denham, P; Rekawa, S; Baston, P; Tackaberry, R; Barale, P

2003-01-01

This report is the first milestone report for the actinic mask blank inspection project conducted at the VNL, which forms sub-section 3 of the Q1 2003 mask blank technology transfer program at the VNL. Specifically this report addresses deliverable 3.1.1--design review and preliminary tool design. The goal of this project is to design an actinic mask inspection tool capable of operating in two modes: high-speed scanning for the detection of multilayer defects (inspection mode), and a high-resolution aerial image mode in which the image emulates the imaging illumination conditions of a stepper system (aerial image or AIM mode). The purpose and objective of these two modes is as follows: (1) Defect inspection mode--This imaging mode is designed to scan large areas of the mask for defects EUV multilayer coatings. The goal is to detect the presence of multilayer defects on a mask blank and to store the co-ordinates for subsequent review in AIM mode, thus it is not essential that the illumination and imaging conditions match that of a production stepper. Potential uses for this imaging mode include: (a) Correlating the results obtained using actinic inspection with results obtained using other non-EUV defect inspection systems to verify that the non-EUV scanning systems are detecting all critical defects; (b) Gaining sufficient information to associate defects with particular processes, such as various stages of the multilayer deposition or different modes of operation of the deposition tool; and (c) Assessing the density and EUV impact of surface and multilayer anomalies. Because of the low defect density achieved using current multilayer coating technology it is necessary to be able to efficiently scan large areas of the mask in order to obtain sufficient statistics for use in cross-correlation experiments. Speed of operation as well as sensitivity is therefore key to operation in defect inspection mode. (2) Aerial Image Microscope (AIM) mode--In AIM mode the tool is

Critical Factors of E-Learning Adoption and Acceptance in Pakistan: A Literature Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Kanwal

2017-08-01

Full Text Available This review paper examines the prior studies on critical factors of e-learning adoption in Pakistan. The search terms identified 40 papers reporting 25 conceptual and qualitative and 15 quantitative evidence about the e-learning adoption and critical factors that may influence the adoption of e-learning in Pakistan. The findings revealed that modern paradigm shift requires the in-depth analysis of government policies, institutional and management role, students and faculty attitude, social norms, cultural values as well as technological advancement. These factors may directly or indirectly affect the intention of students towards e-learning adoption. The lack of quantitative evidences illustrate that policy makers, practitioners and researchers need to pay attention for further research of identifying and analyzing the critical factors which enhances the e-learning adoption in Pakistan.

Design and criticality considerations for 9977 and 9978 shipping packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reed, R.; Biswas, D.; Abramczyk, G.

2009-01-01

Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has developed two new, Type B, state-of-the-art, general purpose, fissile material Shipping Packages, designated as 9977 and 9978, as replacements for the U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) specification 6M container. The packages accommodate plutonium, uranium, and other special nuclear materials in bulk quantities and in many forms with capabilities exceeding those of the 6M. A nuclear criticality safety evaluation demonstrates the safe configurations of the new shipping container for plutonium and uranium metal/oxide loading under various conditions for the Safety Analysis Report for Packaging (SARP). The evaluation is in compliance with the performance requirements of 10CFR 71, specifically 10CFR71.55 and 71.59. The criticality safety index (CSI) is 1.0 for most of the contents (Max. Pu Loading -4.4 kg). (authors)

Design guidance for fracture-critical components at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Streit, R.D.

1982-01-01

Fracture is an important design consideration for components whose sudden and catastrophic failure could result in a serious accident. Elements of fracture control and fracture mechanics design methods are reviewed. Design requirements, which are based on the consequences of fracture of a given component, are subsequently developed. Five categories of consequences are defined. Category I is the lowest risk, and relatively lenient design requirements are employed. Category V has the highest potential for injury, release of hazardous material, and damage. Correspondingly, the design requirements for these components are the most stringent. Environmental, loading, and material factors that can affect fracture safety are also discussed

The regulatory review: general comments, current status of review, identification of critical issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vigfusson, J.; Franck, E.

2004-01-01

Typically, a lot of interesting and important details add up to give a coherent and convincing picture of a safe repository. A good portion of these details must be studied and the scientific basis of the system must be clearly understood by the reviewing authority in order to be able to pass a judgement on the safety case. HSK has already received a large part of the documentation relating to the project, including the three high level documents that summarize the synthesis of the geological information, the demonstration of repository design and construction feasibility and the safety case. After a first look at the contents of the documentation we would like to complement Nagra on the maturity and clarity of the presentation in these reports. At this early stage, we shall not present any review judgements. The reviewer usually is dependent upon having not only the high level documents but also all the detailed reference reports in front of him in order to do his job, and HSK is still receiving very relevant documents. Thus we are still at the very beginning of our review. Here, we offer some comments of general nature about the review process and mention a few points that seem to be uppermost in our mind at this stage. (author)

Flight critical system design guidelines and validation methods

Science.gov (United States)

Holt, H. M.; Lupton, A. O.; Holden, D. G.

1984-01-01

Efforts being expended at NASA-Langley to define a validation methodology, techniques for comparing advanced systems concepts, and design guidelines for characterizing fault tolerant digital avionics are described with an emphasis on the capabilities of AIRLAB, an environmentally controlled laboratory. AIRLAB has VAX 11/750 and 11/780 computers with an aggregate of 22 Mb memory and over 650 Mb storage, interconnected at 256 kbaud. An additional computer is programmed to emulate digital devices. Ongoing work is easily accessed at user stations by either chronological or key word indexing. The CARE III program aids in analyzing the capabilities of test systems to recover from faults. An additional code, the semi-Markov unreliability program (SURE) generates upper and lower reliability bounds. The AIRLAB facility is mainly dedicated to research on designs of digital flight-critical systems which must have acceptable reliability before incorporation into aircraft control systems. The digital systems would be too costly to submit to a full battery of flight tests and must be initially examined with the AIRLAB simulation capabilities.

Design Review Report for Concrete Cover Block Replaced by Steel Plate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

JAKA, O.M.

2000-07-27

The design for the steel cover plates to replace concrete cover blocks for U-109 was reviewed and approved in a design review meeting. The design for steel plates to replace concrete blocks were reviewed and approved by comparison and similarity with U-109 for the following additional pits: 241-U-105. 241-I-103, 241-Ax-101. 241-A-101, 241-SX-105, 241-S-A, 241-S-C, 241-SX-A.

Plasmapheresis and other extracorporeal filtration techniques in critical patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Daga Ruiz, D; Fonseca San Miguel, F; González de Molina, F J; Úbeda-Iglesias, A; Navas Pérez, A; Jannone Forés, R

2017-04-01

Plasmapheresis is an extracorporeal technique that eliminates macromolecules involved in pathological processes from plasma. A review is made of the technical aspects, main indications in critical care and potential complications of plasmapheresis, as well as of other extracorporeal filtration techniques such as endotoxin-removal columns and other devices designed to eliminate cytokines or modulate the inflammatory immune response in critical patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEMICYUC. All rights reserved.

Design iteration in construction projects – Review and directions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Purva Mujumdar

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Design phase of any construction project involves several designers who exchange information with each other most often in an unstructured manner throughout the design phase. When these information exchanges happen to occur in cycles/loops, it is termed as design iteration. Iteration is an inherent and unavoidable aspect of any design phase which requires proper planning. Till date, very few researchers have explored the design iteration (“complexity” in construction sector. Hence, the objective of this paper was to document and review the complexities of iteration during design phase of construction projects for efficient design planning. To achieve this objective, exhaustive literature review on design iteration was done for four sectors – construction, manufacturing, aerospace, and software development. In addition, semi-structured interviews and discussions were done with a few design experts to verify the different dimensions of iteration. Finally, a design iteration framework was presented in this study that facilitates successful planning. Keywords: Design iteration, Types of iteration, Causes and impact of iteration, Models of iteration, Execution strategies of iteration

Two-Phase Iteration for Value Function Approximation and Hyperparameter Optimization in Gaussian-Kernel-Based Adaptive Critic Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xin Chen

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Adaptive Dynamic Programming (ADP with critic-actor architecture is an effective way to perform online learning control. To avoid the subjectivity in the design of a neural network that serves as a critic network, kernel-based adaptive critic design (ACD was developed recently. There are two essential issues for a static kernel-based model: how to determine proper hyperparameters in advance and how to select right samples to describe the value function. They all rely on the assessment of sample values. Based on the theoretical analysis, this paper presents a two-phase simultaneous learning method for a Gaussian-kernel-based critic network. It is able to estimate the values of samples without infinitively revisiting them. And the hyperparameters of the kernel model are optimized simultaneously. Based on the estimated sample values, the sample set can be refined by adding alternatives or deleting redundances. Combining this critic design with actor network, we present a Gaussian-kernel-based Adaptive Dynamic Programming (GK-ADP approach. Simulations are used to verify its feasibility, particularly the necessity of two-phase learning, the convergence characteristics, and the improvement of the system performance by using a varying sample set.

A review of metabolic and enzymatic engineering strategies for designing and optimizing performance of microbial cell factories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda K. Fisher

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Microbial cell factories (MCFs are of considerable interest to convert low value renewable substrates to biofuels and high value chemicals. This review highlights the progress of computational models for the rational design of an MCF to produce a target bio-commodity. In particular, the rational design of an MCF involves: (i product selection, (ii de novo biosynthetic pathway identification (i.e., rational, heterologous, or artificial, (iii MCF chassis selection, (iv enzyme engineering of promiscuity to enable the formation of new products, and (v metabolic engineering to ensure optimal use of the pathway by the MCF host. Computational tools such as (i de novo biosynthetic pathway builders, (ii docking, (iii molecular dynamics (MD and steered MD (SMD, and (iv genome-scale metabolic flux modeling all play critical roles in the rational design of an MCF. Genome-scale metabolic flux models are of considerable use to the design process since they can reveal metabolic capabilities of MCF hosts. These can be used for host selection as well as optimizing precursors and cofactors of artificial de novo biosynthetic pathways. In addition, recent advances in genome-scale modeling have enabled the derivation of metabolic engineering strategies, which can be implemented using the genomic tools reviewed here as well.

A critical review of published research literature reviews on nursing and healthcare ageism.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Donna M; Nam, Mavis A; Murphy, Jill; Victorino, João P; Gondim, Ellen C; Low, Gail

2017-12-01

To establish how common and impactful nursing and healthcare ageism is and whether proven interventions or prevention methods exist. Ageism has been a concern since 1969 when it was first introduced as a concept for social reform. As ageism has been linked to lower quality health services and reduced health care access, it is imperative that healthcare and nursing ageism is prevented or identified and reduced or eliminated. A qualitative narrative review of published research literature reviews using a scoping design to map all published reviews was undertaken. The EBSCO Discovery Service (providing access to articles in 271 databases, including MEDLINE and CINAHL) and Directory of Open Access Journals (providing access to over 9,000 open access journals) were used to find review articles. Using predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria, and limited by English language and peer-review publications, 12 eligible reviews were identified and information from them was systematically identified, assessed and synthesised. The 12 reviews did not provide clear and convincing information to determine how common and impactful nursing or healthcare ageism is, nor what can best be done to prevent or address it. Although each review had value since research literature was collected and discussed on nursing or healthcare ageism, the array of literature search and analysis methods, and diversity in conclusions reached about the evidence is highly problematic. Research literature reviews offering a more balanced perspective and demonstrating greater care in finding and using quality evidence are needed. At this point in time, there is no clear understanding of how widespread and impactful nursing or healthcare ageism is, and what can best be done to prevent or address it. Nurses need to be aware that ageism may be common and impactful, and guard against it. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Independent design review report for truck number 1 modifications for flammable gas tanks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, G.W.

1997-01-01

The East and West Tank Farm Standing Order 97-01 requires that the PMST be modified to include purging of the enclosed space underneath the shielded receiver weather cover per National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 496, Purged and Pressurized Enclosures for Electrical Equipment. The Standing Order also requires that the PMST be modified by replacing the existing electrical remote latch (RLU) unit with a mechanical remote latch unit. As the mechanical remote latch unit was exactly like the RLU installed on the Rotary Mode Core Sampler Trucks (RMCST) and the design for the RMCST went through formal design review, replacing the RLU was done utilizing informal design verification and was completed per work package ES-97-0028. As the weather cover purge was similar to the design for the RMCSTS, this design was reviewed using the independent review method with multiple independent reviewers. A function design criteria (WHC-SD-WM-FDC-048, Functional Design Criteria for Core Sampling in Flammable Gas Watch List Tanks) provided the criteria for the modifications. The review consisted of distributing the design review package to the reviewers and collecting and dispositioning the RCR comments. The review package included the ECNs for review, the Design Compliance Matrix, copies of all drawings affected, and copies of outstanding ECNs against these drawings. A final meeting was held to ensure that all reviewers were aware of the changes to ECNs from incorporation of RCR comments

Decomobil, Deliverable 3.6, Human Centred Design for Safety Critical Transport Systems

OpenAIRE

PAUZIE, Annie; MENDOZA, Lucile; SIMOES, Anabela; BELLET, Thierry; MOREAU, Fabien

2014-01-01

The scientific seminar on 'Human Centred Design for Safety Critical Transport Systems' organized in the framework of DECOMOBIL has been held the 8th of September 2014 in Lisbon, Portugal, hosted by ADI/ISG. The aims of the event were to present the scientific problematic related to the safety of the complex transport systems and the increasing importance of human-­centred design, with a specific focus on Resilience Engineering concept, a new approach to safety management in highly complex sys...

Critical review of the literature on the corrosion of copper by water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, Fraser

2010-12-01

The conventional belief that copper is thermodynamically stable in oxygen-free water has been questioned by a research group from the Royal Inst. of Technology, Stockholm lead by Dr. Gunnar Hultquist. A critical review of the literature both in support of the proposed mechanism and that which argues against it has been conducted. The critical review has been supported by supplementary analyses, with particular focus on the scientific validity of the reported observations and their significance for the corrosion of a copper canister. It is found that: - the scientific evidence in support of the suggestion that water oxidises copper is not conclusive and there are many aspects which are unclear and contradictory, - despite a number of attempts, no other researchers have been able to reproduce the observations of Hultquist and co-workers, - even if correct, the mechanism is not important for copper canisters in a repository, both because of differences in the environmental conditions and because, even if corrosion did occur by this mechanism, it would quickly stop, and - there is no adverse impact on the lifetime of copper canisters due to this proposed, but unproven, mechanism

Critical review of the literature on the corrosion of copper by water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, Fraser (Integrity Corrosion Consulting Limited (Canada))

2010-12-15

The conventional belief that copper is thermodynamically stable in oxygen-free water has been questioned by a research group from the Royal Inst. of Technology, Stockholm lead by Dr. Gunnar Hultquist. A critical review of the literature both in support of the proposed mechanism and that which argues against it has been conducted. The critical review has been supported by supplementary analyses, with particular focus on the scientific validity of the reported observations and their significance for the corrosion of a copper canister. It is found that: - the scientific evidence in support of the suggestion that water oxidises copper is not conclusive and there are many aspects which are unclear and contradictory, - despite a number of attempts, no other researchers have been able to reproduce the observations of Hultquist and co-workers, - even if correct, the mechanism is not important for copper canisters in a repository, both because of differences in the environmental conditions and because, even if corrosion did occur by this mechanism, it would quickly stop, and - there is no adverse impact on the lifetime of copper canisters due to this proposed, but unproven, mechanism

What do we mean by Human-Centered Design of Life-Critical Systems?

Science.gov (United States)

Boy, Guy A

2012-01-01

Human-centered design is not a new approach to design. Aerospace is a good example of a life-critical systems domain where participatory design was fully integrated, involving experimental test pilots and design engineers as well as many other actors of the aerospace engineering community. This paper provides six topics that are currently part of the requirements of the Ph.D. Program in Human-Centered Design of the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT.) This Human-Centered Design program offers principles, methods and tools that support human-centered sustainable products such as mission or process control environments, cockpits and hospital operating rooms. It supports education and training of design thinkers who are natural leaders, and understand complex relationships among technology, organizations and people. We all need to understand what we want to do with technology, how we should organize ourselves to a better life and finally find out whom we are and have become. Human-centered design is being developed for all these reasons and issues.

A review of shear wave splitting in the crack-critical crust

Science.gov (United States)

Crampin, Stuart; Chastin, Sebastien

2003-10-01

Over the last 15 years, it has become established that crack-induced stress-aligned shear wave splitting, with azimuthal anisotropy, is an inherent characteristic of almost all rocks in the crust. This means that most in situ rocks are pervaded by fluid-saturated microcracks and consequently are highly compliant. The evolution of such stress-aligned fluid-saturated grain-boundary cracks and pore throats in response to changing conditions can be calculated, in some cases with great accuracy, using anisotropic poro-elasticity (APE). APE is tightly constrained with no free parameters, yet dynamic modelling with APE currently matches a wide range of phenomena concerning anisotropy, stress, shear waves and cracks. In particular, APE has allowed the anisotropic response of a reservoir to injection to be calculated (predicted with hindsight), and the time and magnitude of an earthquake to be correctly stress-forecast. The reason for this calculability and predictability is that the microcracks in the crust are so closely spaced that they form critical systems. This crack-critical crust leads to a new style of geophysics that has profound implications for almost all aspects of pre-fracturing deformation of the crust and for solid-earth geophysics and geology. We review past, present and speculate about the future of shear wave splitting in the crack-critical crust. Shear wave splitting is seen to be a dynamic measure of the deformation of the rock mass. There is some good news and some bad news for conventional geophysics. Many accepted phenomena are no longer valid at high spatial and temporal resolution. A major effect is that the detailed crack geometry changes with time and varies from place to place in response to very small previously negligible changes. However, at least in some circumstances, the behaviour of the rock in the highly complex inhomogeneous Earth may be calculated and the response predicted, opening the way to possible control by feedback. The need is

Book Review: Critical Condition: Replacing Critical Thinking with Creativity by Patrick Finn

OpenAIRE

Matthews, Jodie

2016-01-01

In Critical Condition: Replacing Critical Thinking with Creativity, Patrick Finn expands upon his 2011 TEDx Talk, ‘Loving Communication’, to suggest that critical thinking implies disapproval and unnecessary judgement originating from a particular mode of Classical thought. Jodie Matthews argues that Finn’s discussion is dependent upon a crudely drawn straw man and neglects to consider thinking critically as a necessary corollary, rather than antithesis, to thinking creatively.

Design for six sigma: A review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kouroush Jenab

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Six Sigma is recognized as an essential tool for continuous improvement of quality. A large num-ber of publications by various authors reflect the interest in this technique. Reviews of literature on Six Sigma have been done in the past by a few authors. However, considering the contributions in the recent times, a more comprehensive review is attempted here. The authors have examined vari-ous papers and have proposed a different scheme of classification. In addition, certain gaps that would provide hints for further research in Six Sigma have been identified. As a results the rela-tionship between Six Sigma, Design for Six Sigma (DFSS, and how these two concepts support the quality system for organizational learning and innovation performance have been discussed that would help researchers, academicians and practitioners to take a closer look at the growth, devel-opment and applicability of Six Sigma in Design.

Microfinance institutions' failure to address poverty: A narrative critical literature review

OpenAIRE

Guðjónsson, Sigurður

2017-01-01

This critical literature review begins by giving a short introduction to the microfinance industry. Microfinance institutions (MFIs) are explained and an account is given of their dual performance goals of financial performance (‘financial sustainability’) and social performance (‘outreach’). While MFIs’ social performance is directly aimed at poverty reduction, it is noteworthy that often they fail to address poverty (i.e., they fail to deliver outreach). The aim of the paper is to answer th...

50 CFR 424.21 - Periodic review.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 7 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Periodic review. 424.21 Section 424.21... SPECIES AND DESIGNATING CRITICAL HABITAT Revision of the Lists § 424.21 Periodic review. At least once every 5 years, the Secretary shall conduct a review of each listed species to determine whether it...

Relevance of collagen piezoelectricity to "Wolff's Law": a critical review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahn, Andrew C; Grodzinsky, Alan J

2009-09-01

According to "Wolff's Law", bone is deposited and reinforced at areas of greatest stress. From a clinical perspective, this "law" is supported by the strong association between bone density and physical activity. From a mechanistic standpoint, however, the law presents a challenge to scientists seeking to understand how osteocytes and osteoblasts sense the mechanical load. In the 1960s, collagen piezoelectricity was invoked as a potential mechanism by which osteocytes could detect areas of greater stress but piezoelectricity diminished in importance as more compelling mechanisms, such as streaming potential, were identified. In addition, accumulating evidence for the role of fluid-related shear stress in osteocyte's mechanosensory function has made piezoelectricity seemingly more obsolete in bone physiology. This review critically evaluates the role of collagen piezoelectricity (if any) in Wolff's Law--specifically, the evidence regarding its involvement in strain-generated potentials, existing alternate mechanisms, the present understanding of bone mechanosensation, and whether piezoelectricity serves an influential role within the context of this newly proposed mechanism. In addition to reviewing the literature, this review generates several hypotheses and proposes future research to fully address the relevance of piezoelectricity in bone physiology.

Developing critical practitioners: A review of teaching methods in the Bachelor of Radiography and Medical Imaging