78 FR 18680 - Rehabilitation Research and Development Scientific Merit Review Board, Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-27

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Rehabilitation Research and Development Scientific Merit Review... Service, and the Chief Research and Development Officer on the scientific and technical merit, the mission... Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, that a meeting of the Rehabilitation Research and Development Service...

2008 DOE Hydrogen Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2008-06-13

This report summarizes comments from the Peer Review Panel at the 2008 DOE Hydrogen Program Annual Merit Review, held on June 9-13, 2008, in Arlington, Virginia. It covers the program areas of hydrogen production and delivery; hydrogen storage; fuel cells; technology validation; safety, codes, and standards; education; systems analysis; and manufacturing.

2010 DOE Hydrogen Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2010-12-01

This report summarizes comments from the Peer Review Panel at the 2010 DOE Hydrogen Program Annual Merit Review, held on June 7-11, 2010, in Washington, DC. It covers the program areas of hydrogen production and delivery; hydrogen storage; fuel cells; manufacturing R&D; technology validation; safety, codes, and standards; education; and systems analysis.

2009 DOE Hydrogen Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Satyapal, S. [Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Washington, DC (United States)

2009-10-01

This report summarizes comments from the Peer Review Panel at the 2009 DOE Hydrogen Program Annual Merit Review, held on May 18-22, 2009, in Arlington, Virginia. It covers the program areas of hydrogen production and delivery; hydrogen storage; fuel cells; education; safety, codes, and standards; technology validation; systems analysis; and manufacturing R&D.

75 FR 3542 - Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-21

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit... (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that the Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit... Board is to review rehabilitation research and development applications for scientific and technical...

76 FR 42167 - Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-18

... subcommittees of the Board will meet to evaluate merit review applications: August 9--Rehabilitation Engineering... Rehabilitation. August 16--Rehabilitation Engineering and Prosthetics/Orthotics. August 16-17--Psychological... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit...

77 FR 21622 - Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-10

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit...-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that a meeting of the Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board will be held on April 20, 2012, 131 M Street NE., Washington, DC...

75 FR 72872 - Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-26

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit...-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that a meeting of the Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board will be held on December 13-14, 2010, at the Hilton Alexandria Old...

An Investigation of How Black STEM Faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities Approach the National Science Foundation Merit Review Process

Science.gov (United States)

Rankins, Falcon

This qualitative inquiry explored the ways in which US-born, Black faculty member participants in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) interact with the National Science Foundation (NSF). Eight Black HBCU STEM faculty members with a range of involvement in NSF-related activities were individually interviewed. Topics of discussion with participants included their prior experiences with NSF, their understanding of the merit review process, and their understanding of their personal and institutional relationships with NSF and the STEM community. Two broad findings emerged from the conversations. The first was that issues of communities and social identity were important to the participants' work as research scientists. Participants prioritized advancing people and communities over advancing the knowledge of ambiguous, disembodied scientific disciplines, and some participants were motivated by interests in social justice. However, participants maintained strong identities as scientists and the discussions provided no evidence that other social factors influenced their application of the scientific method. The second major finding dealt with the role participants perceived their institutions playing in their involvement with NSF. All participants described challenges associated with pursuing research in HBCU environments and, in some cases, the institutional challenges served as the motivation for participants' projects, with varying consequences. The participants' discussions about their institutions also raised important questions about how well-aligned participants' visions are with the visions of their institutional leadership, regarding how research should be incorporated into the HBCU mission. Finally, this study developed and refined a theoretical framework for explaining the underrepresentation of HBCUs in NSF funding streams. In developing this framework, a brief history of

The assessment of science: the relative merits of post-publication review, the impact factor, and the number of citations.

Science.gov (United States)

Eyre-Walker, Adam; Stoletzki, Nina

2013-10-01

The assessment of scientific publications is an integral part of the scientific process. Here we investigate three methods of assessing the merit of a scientific paper: subjective post-publication peer review, the number of citations gained by a paper, and the impact factor of the journal in which the article was published. We investigate these methods using two datasets in which subjective post-publication assessments of scientific publications have been made by experts. We find that there are moderate, but statistically significant, correlations between assessor scores, when two assessors have rated the same paper, and between assessor score and the number of citations a paper accrues. However, we show that assessor score depends strongly on the journal in which the paper is published, and that assessors tend to over-rate papers published in journals with high impact factors. If we control for this bias, we find that the correlation between assessor scores and between assessor score and the number of citations is weak, suggesting that scientists have little ability to judge either the intrinsic merit of a paper or its likely impact. We also show that the number of citations a paper receives is an extremely error-prone measure of scientific merit. Finally, we argue that the impact factor is likely to be a poor measure of merit, since it depends on subjective assessment. We conclude that the three measures of scientific merit considered here are poor; in particular subjective assessments are an error-prone, biased, and expensive method by which to assess merit. We argue that the impact factor may be the most satisfactory of the methods we have considered, since it is a form of pre-publication review. However, we emphasise that it is likely to be a very error-prone measure of merit that is qualitative, not quantitative.

78 FR 50144 - Health Services Research and Development Service, Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-16

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Health Services Research and Development Service, Scientific Merit... management, and nursing research. Applications are reviewed for scientific and technical merit, mission... Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, that the Health Services Research and Development Service (HSR&D...

77 FR 42365 - Health Services Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board, Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-18

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Health Services Research and Development Service Scientific Merit...-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that various subcommittees of the Health Services Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board will meet on August 28-30, 2012, at the Boston Omni Parker...

76 FR 17846 - Objective Merit Review of Discretionary Financial Assistance and Other Transaction Authority...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-31

.... 2. Merit Review Panel Member Selection. The DOE Senior Procurement Executive (SPE) has the ultimate.... Reviewers shall not accept any invitations, gratuities (i.e., meals, gifts, favors, etc.), or job offers... single case deviation, while the Director, Procurement and Assistance Management (Senior Procurement...

2015 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2015-10-01

This report summarizes comments from the Peer Review Panel at the 2015 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review, held on June 8-12, 2015, in Arlington, Virginia. It covers the program areas of hydrogen production and delivery; hydrogen storage; fuel cells; manufacturing R&D; technology validation; safety, codes, and standards; market transformation; and systems analysis.

2011 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2011-09-01

This report summarizes comments from the Peer Review Panel at the 2011 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review, held on May 9-13, 2011, in Arlington, Virginia. It covers the program areas of hydrogen production and delivery; hydrogen storage; fuel cells; manufacturing R&D; technology validation; safety, codes, and standards; education; market transformation; and systems analysis.

2013 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2013-10-01

This report summarizes comments from the Peer Review Panel at the 2013 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review, held on May 13-17, 2013, in Arlington, Virginia. It covers the program areas of hydrogen production and delivery; hydrogen storage; fuel cells; manufacturing R&D; technology validation; safety, codes, and standards; market transformation; and systems analysis.

2014 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2014-10-01

This report summarizes comments from the Peer Review Panel at the 2014 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review, held on June 16-20, 2014, in Washington, DC. It covers the program areas of hydrogen production and delivery; hydrogen storage; fuel cells; manufacturing R&D; technology validation; safety, codes, and standards; market transformation; and systems analysis.

2012 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

none,

2012-09-01

This report summarizes comments from the Peer Review Panel at the 2012 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review, held on May 14-18, 2012, in Arlington, Virginia. It covers the program areas of hydrogen production and delivery; hydrogen storage; fuel cells; manufacturing R&D; technology validation; safety, codes, and standards; education; market transformation; and systems analysis.

78 FR 50144 - Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meetings

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-16

... Review Board; Notice of Meetings The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) gives notice under the Federal... Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board will meet from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the dates indicated below: Subcommittee Date(s) Location Career Development Award Program.... August 6, 2013........ VHA National...

2017 MERIT Exercise close to completion!

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2017-01-01

The 2017 MERIT Guidelines, approved by the Standing Concertation Committee (SCC), concern various processes and procedures, among which those for the annual exercise (or MERIT interview), promotions, and changes of benchmark job. The processes for “annual exercise” and “promotions” – “changes of benchmark job” have been programmed for two periods: from 1st December 2016 to 15 June 2017: MERIT interviews, evaluation, performance qualification and payment with effect as of the salary of May; from 3 April 2017 to 1st July 2017: promotions and changes of benchmark job. 2017 MERIT Interviews The results of the MERIT interviews have been announced to staff members, most of whom saw their salary increase. Only persons who are not eligible and those with “Insufficient” performance qualification did not receive a raise. Same goes for performance payments – the staff members whose performance was qualified as &ldq...

DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program 2017 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2017-10-16

The fiscal year 2017 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR), in conjunction with DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office AMR, was held from June June 5-9, 2017, in Washington, D.C. This report is a summary of comments by AMR peer reviewers about the hydrogen and fuel cell projects funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program 2016 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2016-11-01

The fiscal year 2016 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR), in conjunction with DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office AMR, was held from June 6-10, 2016, in Washington, D.C. This report is a summary of comments by AMR peer reviewers about the hydrogen and fuel cell projects funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

76 FR 6197 - Health Services Research and Development Service Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-03

... Board will be held March 2-3, 2011, at the Hilton San Francisco Financial District, 750 Kearny Street... management, and nursing research. Applications are reviewed for scientific and technical merit... subcommittee on Nursing Research Initiatives will convene from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; the subcommittee for pilot...

Merits and Demerits of Food Additives

OpenAIRE

YANG, Xuening; ZHAN, Yong

2014-01-01

Food additive is a double-edged sword. It has merits and demerits. Food additives have such merits as improving sensory properties of foods, preventing deterioration and extending the shelf life, increasing varieties of foods, enhancing convenience of foods, facilitating food processing, and satisfying other demands. However, excessive and illegal use of food additives will exert adverse influence on food security. Therefore, it is required to take proper measures to bring merits of food addi...

U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program 2011 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Satypal, S.

2011-09-01

This document summarizes the comments provided by peer reviewers on hydrogen and fuel cell projects presented at the FY 2011 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program and Vehicle Technologies Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR), held May 9-13, 2011 in Arlington, Virginia

Merits and Demerits of Food Additives

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Xuening; YANG; Yong; ZHAN

2014-01-01

Food additive is a double-edged sword. It has merits and demerits. Food additives have such merits as improving sensory properties of foods,preventing deterioration and extending the shelf life,increasing varieties of foods,enhancing convenience of foods,facilitating food processing,and satisfying other demands. However,excessive and illegal use of food additives will exert adverse influence on food security.Therefore,it is required to take proper measures to bring merits of food additives into full play,and get rid of their demerits.

The merit of synesthesia for consciousness research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tessa Marije Van Leeuwen

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Synesthesia is a phenomenon in which additional perceptual experiences are elicited by sensory stimuli or cognitive concepts. Synesthetes possess a unique type of phenomenal experiences not directly triggered by sensory stimulation. Therefore, for better understanding of consciousness it is relevant to identify the mental and physiological processes that subserve synesthetic experience. In the present work we suggest several reasons why synesthesia has merit for research on consciousness. We first review the research on the dynamic and rapidly growing field of the studies of synesthesia. We particularly draw attention to the role of semantics in synesthesia, which is important for establishing synesthetic associations in the brain. We then propose that the interplay between semantics and sensory input in synesthesia can be helpful for the study of the neural correlates of consciousness, especially when making use of ambiguous stimuli for inducing synesthesia. Finally, synesthesia-related alterations of brain networks and functional connectivity can be of merit for the study of consciousness.

Performance appraisal and merit recognition exercise 2007

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2006-01-01

The 2007 performance appraisal and merit recognition exercise will start in the usual way with annual interviews between staff and their supervisors. This year, these interviews should be held in the period from 8 January 2007 to 16 April 2007. Interconnection with the 5-yearly review, a number of modifications to the procedures relating to the performance appraisal and merit recognition are currently under study. Administrative Circular No. 26 (Procedures governing the Career Development of Staff Members) and the electronic MAPS form in EDH are being reviewed and will be available from January onwards. HR Department will shortly provide further information on this subject. Human Resources Department Tel. 73566

77 FR 8330 - Health Services Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-14

... Disorders; HCR 2--Substance Use Disorders; HCR 3--Rehabilitation/Rural; HCR 4--Women's Health; HCR 5--Pain... Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board will meet on March 6-8, 2012, at the Hilton New Orleans... to the Chief Research and Development Officer. On March 6, the subcommittee on Nursing Research...

U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program: 2017 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popovich, Neil A [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2017-10-18

The fiscal year 2017 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR), in conjunction with DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office AMR, was held from June June 5-9, 2017, in Washington, D.C. This report is a summary of comments by AMR peer reviewers about the hydrogen and fuel cell projects funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

The merit of meritocracy.

Science.gov (United States)

Son Hing, Leanne S; Bobocel, D Ramona; Zanna, Mark P; Garcia, Donna M; Gee, Stephanie S; Orazietti, Katie

2011-09-01

We argue that the preference for the merit principle is a separate construct from hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies (i.e., system justification beliefs, prejudice, social dominance orientation), including descriptive beliefs that meritocracy currently exists in society. Moreover, we hypothesized that prescriptive beliefs about merit should have a stronger influence on reactions to the status quo when hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies are weak (vs. strong). In 4 studies, participants' preference for the merit principle and hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies were assessed; later, the participants evaluated organizational selection practices that support or challenge the status quo. Participants' prescriptive and descriptive beliefs about merit were separate constructs; only the latter predicted other hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies. In addition, as hypothesized, among participants who weakly endorsed hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies, the stronger their preference for the merit principle, the more they opposed selection practices that were perceived to be merit violating but the more they supported practices that were perceived to be merit restoring. In contrast, those who strongly endorsed hierarchy-legitimizing ideologies were always motivated to support the status quo, regardless of their preference for the merit principle. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved.

Wind energy and electricity prices. Exploring the 'merit order effect'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morthost, P.E.; Ray, S.; Munksgaard, J.; Sinner, A.F.

2010-04-01

This report focuses on the effect of wind energy on the electricity price in the power market. As the report will discuss, adding wind into the power mix has a significant influence on the resulting price of electricity, the so called merit order effect (MOE). The merit order effect has been quantified and discussed in many scientific publications. This report ends the first phase of a study on the MOE, evaluating the impact of EWEA's 2020 scenarios on future European electricity prices. The basic principles of the merit order effect are provided in the first part of the document. The literature review itself contains methods and tools not only to quantify the merit order effect but also in order to forecast its future range and volume.

2017 MERIT exercise

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2016-01-01

Slide from HR public meeting. In 2017, the annual advancement exercise MARS will be replaced by the annual performance evaluation and recognition exercise MERIT. The HR Department has invited staff members to attend two information meetings “2017 MERIT Public Sessions”, the purpose of which is to explain the “general principles of the Merit, Evaluation and Recognition Integrated Toolkit”. The first meeting was held in English on Tuesday, 6 December. The second meeting will be in French on Thursday, 15 December at 10.00, in room 774-R-013 (Prévessin site). The Staff Association appreciates the HR Department’s efforts to inform staff members, especially regarding the changes between the MARS system and the MERIT system. Nevertheless, we find it useful if we inform you, from our side, taking up the issues we find the most pertinent. Benchmark jobs and the new salary scale The HR presentation looks back on the changes that took place in September 20...

75 FR 65404 - Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-22

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit... & Regenerative Medicine Subcommittee of the Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit..., examination, reference to, [[Page 65405

U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program, 2013 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report (Book)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2013-10-01

The fiscal year (FY) 2013 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR), in conjunction with DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office AMR, was held from May 13-16, 2013, at the Crystal City Marriott and Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia. This report is a summary of comments by AMR peer reviewers about the hydrogen and fuel cell projects funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).

U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program 2012 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report: May 14-18, 2012, Arlington, VA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2012-09-01

This document summarizes the comments provided by peer reviewers on hydrogen and fuel cell projects presented at the fiscal year (FY) 2012 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program and Vehicle Technologies Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR), held May 14-18, 2012, in Arlington, VA.

Merit in Principle, Merit in Practice: An Investigation into Merit-based Human Resources Management Through the Lens of Title 5-exempt Federal Organizations

OpenAIRE

Woodard, Colleen A.

2000-01-01

This dissertation research investigates whether merit-based principles and practices are embedded into the HRM systems of 19 Title 5-exempt federal organizations. Title 5-exempt organizations, such as government corporations, serve as a vehicle for exploring the question of what constitutes merit in more loosely regulated public environments. This research fills a void in the discussion about how we can sustain a merit foundation in deregulated and decentralized federal human resources syste...

An Optimization Model for the Allocation of University Based Merit Aid

Science.gov (United States)

Sugrue, Paul K.

2010-01-01

The allocation of merit-based financial aid during the college admissions process presents postsecondary institutions with complex and financially expensive decisions. This article describes the application of linear programming as a decision tool in merit based financial aid decisions at a medium size private university. The objective defined for…

Value-Added Merit Pay.

Science.gov (United States)

Twomey, Daniel F.

The purpose of merit pay is to reward employees for their accomplishments and motivate them to continue improving. Critics of merit pay say the increased extrinsic motivation that it prompts is more than offset by the decrease in intrinsic motivation. Supporters of performance-based pay claim several benefits of the practice. This study addressed…

Chess players' fame versus their merit.

Science.gov (United States)

Simkin, M V; Roychowdhury, V P

2015-12-12

We investigate a pool of international chess title holders born between 1901 and 1943. Using Elo ratings, we compute for every player his expected score in a game with a randomly selected player from the pool. We use this figure as the player's merit. We measure players' fame as the number of Google hits. The correlation between fame and merit is 0.38. At the same time, the correlation between the logarithm of fame and merit is 0.61. This suggests that fame grows exponentially with merit.

4 CFR 5.3 - Merit pay.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 4 Accounts 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Merit pay. 5.3 Section 5.3 Accounts GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE PERSONNEL SYSTEM COMPENSATION § 5.3 Merit pay. The Comptroller General may promulgate regulations establishing a merit pay system for such employees of the Government Accountability Office as the...

The clinical case report: a review of its merits and limitations.

Science.gov (United States)

Nissen, Trygve; Wynn, Rolf

2014-04-23

The clinical case report has a long-standing tradition in the medical literature. While its scientific significance has become smaller as more advanced research methods have gained ground, case reports are still presented in many medical journals. Some scholars point to its limited value for medical progress, while others assert that the genre is undervalued. We aimed to present the various points of view regarding the merits and limitations of the case report genre. We searched Google Scholar, PubMed and select textbooks on epidemiology and medical research for articles and book-chapters discussing the merits and limitations of clinical case reports and case series. The major merits of case reporting were these: Detecting novelties, generating hypotheses, pharmacovigilance, high applicability when other research designs are not possible to carry out, allowing emphasis on the narrative aspect (in-depth understanding), and educational value. The major limitations were: Lack of ability to generalize, no possibility to establish cause-effect relationship, danger of over-interpretation, publication bias, retrospective design, and distraction of reader when focusing on the unusual. Despite having lost its central role in medical literature in the 20th century, the genre still appears popular. It is a valuable part of the various research methods, especially since it complements other approaches. Furthermore, it also contributes in areas of medicine that are not specifically research-related, e.g. as an educational tool. Revision of the case report genre has been attempted in order to integrate the biomedical model with the narrative approach, but without significant success. The future prospects of the case report could possibly be in new applications of the genre, i.e. exclusive case report databases available online, and open access for clinicians and researchers.

U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program 2016 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report: June 6-10, 2016, Washington, DC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popovich, Neil

2016-10-01

The fiscal year 2016 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR), in conjunction with DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office AMR, was held from June 6-10, 2015, in Washington, D.C.. This report is a summary of comments by AMR peer reviewers about the hydrogen and fuel cell projects funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program 2015 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report: June 8-12, 2015, Arlington, Virginia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Popovich, Neil

2015-10-01

The fiscal year 2015 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR), in conjunction with DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office AMR, was held from June 8-12, 2015, in Arlington, Virginia. This report is a summary of comments by AMR peer reviewers about the hydrogen and fuel cell projects funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.

Figures of merit for surface plasmon waveguides

Science.gov (United States)

Berini, Pierre

2006-12-01

Three figures of merit are proposed as quality measures for surface plasmon waveguides. They are defined as benefit-to-cost ratios where the benefit is confinement and the cost is attenuation. Three different ways of measuring confinement are considered, leading to three figures of merit. One of the figures of merit is connected to the quality factor. The figures of merit were then used to assess and compare the wavelength response of hree popular 1-D surface plasmon waveguides: the single metal-dielectric interface, the metal slab bounded by dielectric and the dielectric slab bounded by metal. Closed form expressions are given for the figures of merit of the single metal-dielectric interface.

A review on the process technology for Mo-99 production

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Jin Hoh; Yoo, Jae Hyung; Jung, Won Myung; Lee, Kyoo Il; Woo, Moon Sik; Hwang, Doo Sung; Kim, Yun Koo [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

1994-07-01

Tc-99m is most frequently used in nuclear medical diagnostics because of its favourable nuclear properties and reasonable prices, and the demand of Tc-99m, is on the increase recently. Mo-99, the parent radionuclide of Tc-99m, is the only source of Tc-99m. This review described overall aspects of process technologies for Mo-99 production. Firstly, the chemical, physical and radioactive properties of Tc-99m, Mo-99 were examined to understand Mo-99 separation process. Also, the technology for Mo-99 production with both the neutron capture and nuclear fission method were examined. But the neutron capture method was scarcely used for large production of Mo-99 because of its low specific activity and high production cost. This review also described mainly process technologies in the nuclear fission method, fabrication and condition for irradiation of targets, transport and dissolution of targets irradiated, separation and purification of Mo-99, etc. Especially, for Mo-99 separation and purification process, the characteristics, merits and demerits of various processes, which have been developed in a few countries, were examined and analyzed. 30 figs., 16 tabs., 60 refs. (Author).

Digital Signal Processing. A review of DSP formalism, algorithms and networks for the beam instrumentation workshop, Vancouver, Canada, October 4, 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linscott, I.

1995-01-01

The formalism of Digital Signal Processing (DSP), is reviewed with the objective of providing a framework for understanding the utility of DSP techniques for Beam Instrumentation and developiong criteria for assessing the merits of DSP applications. copyright 1995 American Institute of Physics

Merit exponents and control area diagrams in materials selection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zander, Johan; Sandstroem, Rolf

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Merit exponents are introduced to generalise the merit indices commonly used in materials selection. → The merit exponents can rank materials in general design situations. → To allow identification of the active merit exponent(s), control area diagrams are used. → Principles for generating the control area diagrams are presented. -- Abstract: Merit indices play a fundamental role in materials selection, since they enable ranking of materials. However, the conventional formulation of merit indices is associated with severe limitations. They are dependent on the explicit solution of the variables in the equations for the constraints from the design criteria. Furthermore, it is not always easy to determine which the controlling merit index is. To enable the ranking of materials in more general design cases, merit exponents are introduced as generalisations of the merit indices. Procedures are presented for how to compute the merit exponents numerically without having to solve equations algebraically. Merit exponents (and indices) are only valid in a certain range of property values. To simplify the identification of the controlling merit exponent, it is suggested that so called control area diagrams are used. These diagrams consist of a number of domains, each showing the active constraints and the controlling merit exponent. It is shown that the merit exponents play a crucial role when the control area diagram (CAD) is set up. The principles in the paper are developed for mechanically loaded components and are illustrated for engineering beams with two or three geometric variables.

Universal Curve of Optimum Thermoelectric Figures of Merit for Bulk and Low-Dimensional Semiconductors

Science.gov (United States)

Hung, Nguyen T.; Nugraha, Ahmad R. T.; Saito, Riichiro

2018-02-01

This paper is a contribution to the Physical Review Applied collection in memory of Mildred S. Dresselhaus. Analytical formulas for thermoelectric figures of merit and power factors are derived based on the one-band model. We find that there is a direct relationship between the optimum figures of merit and the optimum power factors of semiconductors despite of the fact that the two quantities are generally given by different values of chemical potentials. By introducing a dimensionless parameter consisting of the optimum power factor and lattice thermal conductivity (without electronic thermal conductivity), it is possible to unify optimum figures of merit of both bulk and low-dimensional semiconductors into a single universal curve that covers many materials with different dimensionalities.

Information Quality in Regulatory Decision Making: Peer Review versus Good Laboratory Practice.

Science.gov (United States)

McCarty, Lynn S; Borgert, Christopher J; Mihaich, Ellen M

2012-07-01

There is an ongoing discussion on the provenance of toxicity testing data regarding how best to ensure its validity and credibility. A central argument is whether journal peer-review procedures are superior to Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) standards employed for compliance with regulatory mandates. We sought to evaluate the rationale for regulatory decision making based on peer-review procedures versus GLP standards. We examined pertinent published literature regarding how scientific data quality and validity are evaluated for peer review, GLP compliance, and development of regulations. Some contend that peer review is a coherent, consistent evaluative procedure providing quality control for experimental data generation, analysis, and reporting sufficient to reliably establish relative merit, whereas GLP is seen as merely a tracking process designed to thwart investigator corruption. This view is not supported by published analyses pointing to subjectivity and variability in peer-review processes. Although GLP is not designed to establish relative merit, it is an internationally accepted quality assurance, quality control method for documenting experimental conduct and data. Neither process is completely sufficient for establishing relative scientific soundness. However, changes occurring both in peer-review processes and in regulatory guidance resulting in clearer, more transparent communication of scientific information point to an emerging convergence in ensuring information quality. The solution to determining relative merit lies in developing a well-documented, generally accepted weight-of-evidence scheme to evaluate both peer-reviewed and GLP information used in regulatory decision making where both merit and specific relevance inform the process.

U.S. Department of Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program 2014 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report: June 16-20, 2014, Washington, D.C.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2014-10-01

The fiscal year (FY) 2014 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR), in conjunction with DOE's Vehicle Technologies Office AMR, was held from June 16-20, 2014, at the Washington Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C. This report is a summary of comments by AMR peer reviewers about the hydrogen and fuel cell projects funded by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE).

Merit-Based Scholarships and Student Effort

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez-Julian, Rey

2010-01-01

Twenty-one states offer merit scholarships that require students to maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA). Using a comprehensive administrative database from Clemson University, this study estimates the relationship between the incentives created by a South Carolina merit scholarship (LIFE) and students' academic performance. I hypothesize…

NIH Peer Review: Scored Review Criteria and Overall Impact

Science.gov (United States)

Lindner, Mark D.; Vancea, Adrian; Chen, Mei-Ching; Chacko, George

2016-01-01

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the largest source of funding for biomedical research in the world. Funding decisions are made largely based on the outcome of a peer review process that is intended to provide a fair, equitable, timely, and unbiased review of the quality, scientific merit, and potential impact of the research. There have…

An Accounting Program Merit Pay Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Lindsay, David H.; Campbell, Annhenrie; Tan, Kim B.; Wagner, Andrew

2010-01-01

Basing the compensation of accounting professors on merit pay in order to encourage better teaching, research and service is controversial. Before the effectiveness of merit-based salary plans can be examined empirically, it must be determined which accounting programs use such a system. In this study, the 852 accounting programs in the United…

Merit pay as a motivator in the federal sector.

OpenAIRE

Engel, James D.

1982-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited The Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 required the implementation of the Merit Pay System for a portion of the Federal civilian workforce as a means of increasing productivity through the use of monetary incentives. To test the validity of this concept, several theories of worker motivation are reviewed and their relation to money motivation and pay-for-performance is established. These relationships are compared to the results of dat...

Context-Aware Recommender System: A Review of Recent Developmental Process and Future Research Direction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalid Haruna

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Intelligent data handling techniques are beneficial for users; to store, process, analyze and access the vast amount of information produced by electronic and automated devices. The leading approach is to use recommender systems (RS to extract relevant information from the vast amount of knowledge. However, early recommender systems emerged without the cognizance to contextualize information regarding users’ recommendations. Considering the historical methodological limitations, Context-Aware Recommender Systems (CARS are now deployed, which leverage contextual information in addition to the classical two-dimensional search processes, providing better-personalized user recommendations. This paper presents a review of recent developmental processes as a fountainhead for the research of a context-aware recommender system. This work contributes by taking an integrated approach to the complete CARS developmental process, unlike other review papers, which only address a specific aspect of the CARS process. First, an in-depth review is presented pertaining to the state-of-the-art and classified literature, considering the domain of the application models, filters, extraction and evaluation approaches. Second, viewpoints are presented relating to the extraction of literature with analysis on the merit and demerit of each, and the evolving processes between them. Finally, the outstanding challenges and opportunities for future research directions are highlighted.

4 CFR 2.4 - Merit system principles.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

.... (a) Merit personnel systems are based on the principle that an organization is best served by... embody the following merit system principles: (1) Recruitment should be from qualified individuals from...) Equal pay should be provided for work of substantially equal value, with appropriate consideration of...

Optimization of Nonlinear Figure-of-Merits of Integrated Power MOSFETs in Partial SOI Process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fan, Lin; Jørgensen, Ivan Harald Holger; Knott, Arnold

2016-01-01

State-of-the-art power semiconductor industry uses figure-of-merits (FOMs) for technology-to-technology and/or device-to-device comparisons. However, the existing FOMs are fundamentally nonlinear due to the nonlinearities of the parameters such as the gate charge and the output charge versus...

Merit Pay Misfires

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez, Al

2011-01-01

Critics argue that the uniform salary schedule is unfair because it promotes mediocrity by rewarding poor performers while failing to recognize outstanding achievement on the job. Advocates for merit pay systems for preK-12 education also contend that the uniform salary schedule ignores the basic purpose of education--student learning. Although…

77 FR 40412 - Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board, Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-09

...: August 7 Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease; Rehabilitation Engineering and Prosthetics/Orthotics; and... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit...-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that subcommittees of the Rehabilitation Research and Development...

76 FR 5650 - Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-01

... Rehabilitation. March 1--Rehabilitation Engineering and Prosthetics/Orthotics. March 1-2--Psychological Health... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit...-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that a meeting of the Rehabilitation Research and Development...

77 FR 9731 - Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board; Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-17

...--Rehabilitation Engineering and Prosthetics/Orthotics. March 7--Career Development Award Program. March 13--Spinal... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit...-463 (Federal Advisory Committee Act) that a meeting of the Rehabilitation Research and Development...

78 FR 9455 - Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit Review Board, Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-08

.... Rehabilitation Engineering and February 20, 2013 Courtyard DC/U.S. Prosthetics/Orthotics. Capitol. Brain Injury... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Rehabilitation Research and Development Service Scientific Merit... Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. App. 2, that the subcommittees of the Rehabilitation Research and...

Exercice MERIT 2017 en passe de s’achever !

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2017-01-01

Les lignes directrices 2017 du MERIT (https://cds.cern.ch/record/2239422/files/2017_MERIT_Guidelines.pdf?version=1), approuvées par le Comité de Concertation permanent (CCP), concernent divers processus et procédures parmi lesquels, l’exercice annuel (ou entretien MERIT), la promotion, le changement d’emploi repère. Les processus « exercice annuel » et « promotions » - « changement d’emploi repère » ont été programmés sur deux périodes : du 1er décembre 2016 au 15 juin 2017, les entretiens MERIT, l’évaluation, la qualification et la rétribution de la performance, avec effet sur le salaire de mai ; du 3 avril 2017 au 1er juillet 2017, les promotions et les changements d’emploi repère. Entretie...

[The long pilgrimage of Spanish biomedical journals toward excellence. Who helps? Quality, impact and research merit].

Science.gov (United States)

Alfonso, Fernando

2010-03-01

Biomedical journals must adhere to strict standards of editorial quality. In a globalized academic scenario, biomedical journals must compete firstly to publish the most relevant original research and secondly to obtain the broadest possible visibility and the widest dissemination of their scientific contents. The cornerstone of the scientific process is still the peer-review system but additional quality criteria should be met. Recently access to medical information has been revolutionized by electronic editions. Bibliometric databases such as MEDLINE, the ISI Web of Science and Scopus offer comprehensive online information on medical literature. Classically, the prestige of biomedical journals has been measured by their impact factor but, recently, other indicators such as SCImago SJR or the Eigenfactor are emerging as alternative indices of a journal's quality. Assessing the scholarly impact of research and the merits of individual scientists remains a major challenge. Allocation of authorship credit also remains controversial. Furthermore, in our Kafkaesque world, we prefer to count rather than read the articles we judge. Quantitative publication metrics (research output) and citations analyses (scientific influence) are key determinants of the scientific success of individual investigators. However, academia is embracing new objective indicators (such as the "h" index) to evaluate scholarly merit. The present review discusses some editorial issues affecting biomedical journals, currently available bibliometric databases, bibliometric indices of journal quality and, finally, indicators of research performance and scientific success. Copyright 2010 SEEN. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Young children consider merit when sharing resources with others.

Science.gov (United States)

Kanngiesser, Patricia; Warneken, Felix

2012-01-01

MERIT IS A KEY PRINCIPLE OF FAIRNESS: rewards should be distributed according to how much someone contributed to a task. Previous research suggests that children have an early ability to take merit into account in third-party situations but that merit-based sharing in first-party contexts does not emerge until school-age. Here we provide evidence that three- and five-year-old children already use merit to share resources with others, even when sharing is costly for the child. In Study 1, a child and a puppet-partner collected coins that were later exchanged for rewards. We varied the work-contribution of both partners by manipulating how many coins each partner collected. Children kept fewer stickers in trials in which they had contributed less than in trials in which they had contributed more than the partner, showing that they took merit into account. Few children, however, gave away more than half of the stickers when the partner had worked more. Study 2 confirmed that children related their own work-contribution to their partner's, rather than simply focusing on their own contribution. Taken together, these studies show that merit-based sharing is apparent in young children; however it remains constrained by a self-serving bias.

Young children consider merit when sharing resources with others.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patricia Kanngiesser

Full Text Available MERIT IS A KEY PRINCIPLE OF FAIRNESS: rewards should be distributed according to how much someone contributed to a task. Previous research suggests that children have an early ability to take merit into account in third-party situations but that merit-based sharing in first-party contexts does not emerge until school-age. Here we provide evidence that three- and five-year-old children already use merit to share resources with others, even when sharing is costly for the child. In Study 1, a child and a puppet-partner collected coins that were later exchanged for rewards. We varied the work-contribution of both partners by manipulating how many coins each partner collected. Children kept fewer stickers in trials in which they had contributed less than in trials in which they had contributed more than the partner, showing that they took merit into account. Few children, however, gave away more than half of the stickers when the partner had worked more. Study 2 confirmed that children related their own work-contribution to their partner's, rather than simply focusing on their own contribution. Taken together, these studies show that merit-based sharing is apparent in young children; however it remains constrained by a self-serving bias.

Reward Merit with Praise.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Hans A.

1987-01-01

Describes the efforts of two educational institutions to reward teaching excellence using positive feedback rather than merit pay incentives. An Arizona district, drawing on Herzberg's motivation theories, offers highly individualized rewards ranging from computers to conference money, while an Illinois community college bestows engraved plaques…

Merit Principles Survey 2016 Data

Data.gov (United States)

Merit Systems Protection Board — MPS contains a combination of core items that MSPB tracks over time and special-purpose items developed to support a particular special study. This survey differs...

Rethinking Feedback Practices in Higher Education: A Peer Review Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Nicol, David; Thomson, Avril; Breslin, Caroline

2014-01-01

Peer review is a reciprocal process whereby students produce feedback reviews on the work of peers and receive feedback reviews from peers on their own work. Prior research has primarily examined the learning benefits that result from the receipt of feedback reviews, with few studies specifically exploring the merits of producing feedback reviews…

Merit Pay and Music Education: A Motivation Perspective

Science.gov (United States)

Vagi, Robert

2014-01-01

Recently, state and federal legislators have emphasized teacher quality in their efforts to improve public education. Many reformers believe that merit pay may prove invaluable in attracting highly qualified educators to the workforce and retaining them, as well as in improving students' test scores. While merit pay's ability to recruit and retain…

Clinical track faculty: merits and issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Won-Hee; Kim, Cho Ja; Roh, Young Sook; Shin, Hyunsook; Kim, Mi Ja

2007-01-01

Clinical track faculty (CTF) has been in operation for more than two decades in the United States, and 12 of the top 20 schools of nursing with the highest National Institutes of Health funding in the United States have CTF in place. Yet, only limited articles have been published regarding the merits and issues related to its operation. This article examines the advantages/merits of establishing CTF in schools of nursing, discusses the qualification criteria and types of appointment for CTF, and analyzes issues related to operating CTF in Korea. A questionnaire survey and two workshops were conducted involving faculty from a college of nursing and clinical nurse managers from university-affiliated medical centers and community agencies. Most of the respondents indicated that establishing CTF was advantageous. Merits included the following: increasing reality-based clinical education and training; decreasing the reality shock of students; increasing student satisfaction; and linking education, practice, and research more effectively. Major issues were as follows: getting the approval of medical centers/universities; developing an agreement on CTF operation between the college of nursing and clinical agencies; clarifying types and criteria of appointment and promotion; and developing a statement on role and compensation policies. Most issues are similar to what U.S. schools of nursing have faced, except for the first one. In conclusion, establishing CTF in Korea appears to be highly desirable. Merits outweigh issues/concerns, and Korean nursing schools may look for an opportune time for obtaining the approval of medical centers/universities. Nursing schools in other countries that face a similar challenge of providing clinical teaching with high research performance may consider instituting CTF.

Free parameter, figure of merit and ionization quench in liquid scintillation counting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carles, P. Grau; Malonda, A. Grau

2001-01-01

A statistical study of the detection process demonstrates that the free parameter is essential to compute the counting efficiency in both CIEMAT/NIST and TDCR methods. An analysis of the computed counting efficiencies shows the uselessness of old definition of the figure of merit. A new definition is required and we adopt the idea of taking quantities related with the output of the photomultiplier. In addition, we justify the application of the chemical quenching simulation with the electronic variation of the photomultiplier gain. Finally, we describe a new procedure to determine the figure of merit and the optimum ionization-quenching factor from the pulse spectrum of different radionuclides. The robustness of the new procedure is tested with three different sets of stopping power for low-energy electrons

Teleconference versus face-to-face scientific peer review of grant application: effects on review outcomes.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephen A Gallo

Full Text Available Teleconferencing as a setting for scientific peer review is an attractive option for funding agencies, given the substantial environmental and cost savings. Despite this, there is a paucity of published data validating teleconference-based peer review compared to the face-to-face process. Our aim was to conduct a retrospective analysis of scientific peer review data to investigate whether review setting has an effect on review process and outcome measures. We analyzed reviewer scoring data from a research program that had recently modified the review setting from face-to-face to a teleconference format with minimal changes to the overall review procedures. This analysis included approximately 1600 applications over a 4-year period: two years of face-to-face panel meetings compared to two years of teleconference meetings. The average overall scientific merit scores, score distribution, standard deviations and reviewer inter-rater reliability statistics were measured, as well as reviewer demographics and length of time discussing applications. The data indicate that few differences are evident between face-to-face and teleconference settings with regard to average overall scientific merit score, scoring distribution, standard deviation, reviewer demographics or inter-rater reliability. However, some difference was found in the discussion time. These findings suggest that most review outcome measures are unaffected by review setting, which would support the trend of using teleconference reviews rather than face-to-face meetings. However, further studies are needed to assess any correlations among discussion time, application funding and the productivity of funded research projects.

Teleconference versus Face-to-Face Scientific Peer Review of Grant Application: Effects on Review Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Gallo, Stephen A.; Carpenter, Afton S.; Glisson, Scott R.

2013-01-01

Teleconferencing as a setting for scientific peer review is an attractive option for funding agencies, given the substantial environmental and cost savings. Despite this, there is a paucity of published data validating teleconference-based peer review compared to the face-to-face process. Our aim was to conduct a retrospective analysis of scientific peer review data to investigate whether review setting has an effect on review process and outcome measures. We analyzed reviewer scoring data from a research program that had recently modified the review setting from face-to-face to a teleconference format with minimal changes to the overall review procedures. This analysis included approximately 1600 applications over a 4-year period: two years of face-to-face panel meetings compared to two years of teleconference meetings. The average overall scientific merit scores, score distribution, standard deviations and reviewer inter-rater reliability statistics were measured, as well as reviewer demographics and length of time discussing applications. The data indicate that few differences are evident between face-to-face and teleconference settings with regard to average overall scientific merit score, scoring distribution, standard deviation, reviewer demographics or inter-rater reliability. However, some difference was found in the discussion time. These findings suggest that most review outcome measures are unaffected by review setting, which would support the trend of using teleconference reviews rather than face-to-face meetings. However, further studies are needed to assess any correlations among discussion time, application funding and the productivity of funded research projects. PMID:23951223

Characteristics of National Merit Scholars from Small Rural Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Peltier, Gary; And Others

This study compares 1988 National Merit Scholars enrolled in rural public schools with a senior class smaller than 99 students to other merit scholars and the national sample of SAT takers. Rural scholars were more likely to be female (45.5%) and Caucasian (98%) than other scholars. Involvement in extracurricular activities was significantly…

Profiles of Merit Pay Provisions in Ohio School Districts

Science.gov (United States)

Willis, Chris; Ingle, W. Kyle

2018-01-01

A small number of districts in Ohio from a variety of locales have adopted merit pay provisions. Using Springer's (2009) taxonomy of teacher compensation, we analyzed compensation provisions of these districts. We asked: What are the characteristics of these districts? What criteria are used to determine merit? Who is determining who receives…

The merit of cogeneration: Measuring and rewarding performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verbruggen, Aviel

2008-01-01

Cogeneration or combined heat and power (CHP) is a thermal power generation cycle with the merit of recovering part or all of the heat that is fatally discarded by such cycles. This merit of higher efficiency is subject of rewarding by public authorities. When the EU enacts CHP promotion in a Directive (1997-2004), crucial measurement and qualification issues remain unsolved. CEN (coordinator of the European Bureaus of Standards) contributes in clarifying the measurement of CHP activities, but shortfalls remain, while CEN bypasses the debate on qualifying CHP performance. This article offers appropriate methods for measuring CHP activities based on design characteristics of the plants. The co-generated electric output is a necessary and sufficient indicator of CHP merit and performance. Regulators can extend this indicator, but should avoid the perverse effects of biased external benchmarking as the EU Directive entails

Redefining the merit order of stochastic generation in forward markets

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Morales González, Juan Miguel; Zugno, Marco; Pineda Morente, Salvador

2014-01-01

This letter proposes a new merit order for the dispatch of stochastic production in forward markets (e.g., dayahead markets). The proposed merit order considers not only the marginal cost of the stochastic generating unit, which is often very low or zero, but also the projected cost of balancing...

Teachers' Perceptions of Merit Pay

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Vanessa; Langheinrich, Cornelia; Loth, Dan

2012-01-01

The purpose of the study is to show the various perceptions teachers have on merit pay. This research was designed to examine the perceptions and attitudes of teachers towards the idea of performance based pay. This topic has been an ongoing battle within school systems since the 1800s. The participants in this study were teachers from the state…

Employee Reactions to Merit Pay: Cognitive Approach and Social Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yingchun

2010-01-01

The dissertation aims to tackle one of the most pressing questions facing the merit pay system researchers and practitioners: Why do merit pay raises have such a small effect on employees' satisfaction, commitment and job performance? My approach to the study of this question is to develop explanatory frameworks from two perspectives: cognitive…

A user's perspective on the merits and shortcomings of ASME Section III

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Antaki, G.A.

1994-01-01

There are several aspects of Section III which when compared to process industry codes (ASME VIII, ASME B31.3, API, etc.) have proven to be a significant improvement in engineering practice. There are, however, other aspects of ASME III which have added to costs without clear benefits in safety or reliability. The authors present a user's perspective on some of the relative merits and shortcomings of the nuclear codes (ASME III and XI) compared to the process industry codes (such as ASME VIII, B31.3 and API)

An economics figure of merit in ALPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shatilla, Y.A.

2000-01-01

One of the most pressing issues facing the deregulated nuclear electric power industry is its economic competitiveness when compared to other sources of electrical power. Traditionally, finding the optimum loading pattern (LP) that meets all the safety and operational objective functions and at the same time produces the most attractive economical solutions is an iterative process. This is because (a) LP search tools usually lack the capability to generate equilibrium solutions and (b) economics objective functions are hard to include in the search process. In this paper, the Westinghouse Advanced Loading Pattern Search code (ALPS) has been demonstrated to successfully find LPs that meet user-defined operational and safety as well as economics objectives. This has been made possible by the development of TULIP language that allows the integration of external procedures into the search process of the main program, ALPS. In the example given, an economic figure of merit (EFM) has been defined and included via TULIP script into the fuel management optimization problem of a three-loop Westinghouse core operating an 18-month cycle. The LPs found by ALPS exhibit a clear trend of meeting and, in some cases, exceeding the EFM objective function defined for the ALPS search process a priori

Publication of administrative circular No. 26 (Rev. 8) – Recognition of merit

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2008-01-01

Administrative Circular No. 26 (Rev. 8) – Recognition of merit Administrative Circular No. 26 (Rev. 8) – "Recognition of merit", approved by the Standing Concertation Committee at its meeting on 3 September 2008, is now available on the intranet site of the Human Resources Department. It cancels and replaces Administrative Circular No. 26 (Rev. 7) – "Recognition of merit of staff members" of May 2007. Paper copies will shortly be available in Departmental secretariats. Human Resources Department Tel. 78003

Publication of administrative circular No. 26 (Rev. 8) – Recognition of merit

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2008-01-01

Administrative Circular No. 26 (Rev. 8) – Recognition of merit Administrative Circular No. 26 (Rev. 8) – "Recognition of merit", approved by the Standing Concertation Committee meeting on 3 September 2008, is now available on the intranet site of the Human Resources Department. It cancels and replaces Administrative Circular No. 26 (Rev. 7) – "Recognition of merit of staff members" of May 2007. Paper copies will shortly be available in Departmental secretariats. Human Resources Department Tel. 78003

The effective communication methodology and influence of merit information on nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oiso, Shinichi

2007-01-01

It was found by the survey the author carried out in 2005 that there is a possibility that even the person who opposes nuclear power generation may change his or her opinion after understanding the advantage of nuclear power. Then, how should merit information be transmitted? Is there a possibility that people feel repulsion after receiving merit information? What is the influence of providing merit information of nuclear power? Those kinds of questions were investigated in 2006. As a result, it was found that the use of magazine and NPO/NGO is effective. The utilization of all-night television broadcasting, iPod, energy environmental education in schools and science cafe have an effect too, especially for young generation. It was also found that 20% or less of the people feel repulsion for providing merit information of nuclear power. Concerning people's attitude towards nuclear power utilization, it was found that the number of those who support nuclear power generation tended to increase significantly by providing information depicting merits or benefits of nuclear power, however, it did not increase by explaining electric power companies' effort to promote nuclear power. Further more, concerning to the image of a nuclear power station site, it became clear that merit information of nuclear power provided positive effect for some items in explaining nuclear power generation. (author)

76 FR 42140 - Public Availability of the Merit Systems Protection Board's FY 2010 Service Contract Inventory

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-18

... MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD Public Availability of the Merit Systems Protection Board's FY 2010 Service Contract Inventory AGENCY: Merit Systems Protection Board. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Merit.../service-contract-inventories-guidance-11052010.pdf . The MSPB's inventory is posted on its Web site at...

75 FR 3939 - Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Provides Notice of Opportunity To File Amicus Briefs

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-25

... MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Provides Notice of Opportunity To File Amicus Briefs AGENCY: Merit Systems Protection Board. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 7521 and 5 CFR 1201.131, the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is providing notice of...

Merit Pay and the Music Teacher

Science.gov (United States)

Elpus, Kenneth

2011-01-01

Current proponents of education reform are at present seeking to fundamentally change the system of teacher compensation by eliminating the traditional single salary schedule and instituting a merit pay system that directly links teacher pay to student achievement. To date, the scholarly literature in music education has been silent on the subject…

Metacognitive reflection and insight therapy (MERIT) for patients with schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

de Jong, S; van Donkersgoed, R J M; Timmerman, M E; Aan Het Rot, M; Wunderink, L; Arends, J; van Der Gaag, M; Aleman, A; Lysaker, P H; Pijnenborg, G H M

2018-04-25

Impaired metacognition is associated with difficulties in the daily functioning of people with psychosis. Metacognition can be divided into four domains: Self-Reflection, Understanding the Other's Mind, Decentration, and Mastery. This study investigated whether Metacognitive Reflection and Insight Therapy (MERIT) can be used to improve metacognition. This study is a randomized controlled trial. Patients in the active condition (n = 35) received forty MERIT sessions, the control group (n = 35) received treatment as usual. Multilevel intention-to-treat and completers analyses were performed for metacognition and secondary outcomes (psychotic symptomatology, cognitive insight, Theory of Mind, empathy, depression, self-stigma, quality of life, social functioning, and work readiness). Eighteen out of 35 participants finished treatment, half the drop-out stemmed from therapist attrition (N = 5) or before the first session (N = 4). Intention-to-treat analysis demonstrated that in both groups metacognition improved between pre- and post-measurements, with no significant differences between the groups. Patients who received MERIT continued to improve, while the control group returned to baseline, leading to significant differences at follow-up. Completers analysis (18/35) showed improvements on the Metacognition Assessment Scale (MAS-A) scales Self Reflectivity and metacognitive Mastery at follow-up. No effects were found on secondary outcomes. On average, participants in the MERIT group were, based on MAS-A scores, at follow-up more likely to recognize their thoughts as changeable rather than as facts. MERIT might be useful for patients whose self-reflection is too limited to benefit from other therapies. Given how no changes were found in secondary measures, further research is needed. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

An output evaluation of a health research foundation's enhanced grant review process for new investigators.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, Gregory W; Lê, Mê-Linh; Novotny, Tannis; Caligiuri, Stephanie P B; Pierce, Grant N; Wade, John

2017-06-19

We assessed the ability of the Manitoba Medical Service Foundation (MMSF, a small not-for-profit foundation affiliated with Manitoba Blue Cross) to determine the best candidates for selection to receive research funding support among new researchers applying to the Research Operating Grants Programme (ROGP). Using bibliometric and grants funding analyses, we retrospectively compared indices of academic outputs from five cohorts of MMSF-funded and not MMSF-funded applicants to the annual MMSF ROGP over 2008 to 2012, from 1 to 5 years after having received evaluation decisions from the MMSF enhanced grant review process. Those researchers funded by the MMSF competition (MMSF-funded) had a statistically significant greater number of publications, a higher h-index and greater national Tri-Council (TC) funding, versus those not selected for funding (not MMSF-funded). MMSF-funded applicants and the Manitoba research community have created a strong and rapid (within 1 to 5 years of receiving the MMSF grant) local economic return on investment associated with the MMSF ROGP that supports new investigators, of approximately nine-fold for TC grants by the principal investigator, and of 34-fold for the principal investigator on collaborative (total) TC grants. The use of small amounts of seed money for competitive research grants at early stages of an MMSF-funded applicant's career correlates with future short-term success of that applicant. The ability to correctly select promising candidates who subsequently demonstrate greater academic performance after the MMSF funding shows the selection process and the ROGP to be of merit. Multiple components may have contributed to this outcome, including a direct presentation and interview process of the candidate with five-person selection subcommittees, plus an assessment by an external reviewer (the enhanced grant review process). The selection methods used here may add value to the research grant selection processes of new

Thermoelectric figure of merit of chiral carbon nanotube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mensah, N.G.; Nkrumah-Buandoh, G.K.; Mensah, S.Y.; Allotey, F.K.A.; Twum, A.K.

2005-09-01

We have investigated the thermoelectrical properties of chiral carbon nanotube and numerically evaluated the figure of merit. We observed that the properties are highly anisotropic and depend on the geometric chiral angle (GCA) θ h , temperature and the overlapping integrals (exchange energy) for the jumps along the tubular axis Δ z and the base helix Δ s . The thermopower α exhibited giant values with the peak occurring between 100 K and 150 K. The electron thermal conductivity showed unusually high value with the peaks shifting towards high temperature. We attribute the high peak values to electron-phonon interactions. Finally we noted that by changing the Δ s and Δ z it is possible to get a figure of merit greater than 1. (author)

49 CFR 1103.19 - Advising upon the merits of a client's cause.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 8 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Advising upon the merits of a client's cause. 1103... Practitioner's Duties and Responsibilities Toward A Client § 1103.19 Advising upon the merits of a client's cause. A practitioner shall try to obtain full knowledge of his client's cause before advising thereon...

Risk Aversion and Support for Merit Pay: Theory and Evidence from Minnesota's Q Comp Program

Science.gov (United States)

Nadler, Carl; Wiswall, Matthew

2011-01-01

Recent research attributes the lack of merit pay in teaching to the resistance of teachers. This article examines whether the structure of merit pay affects the types of teachers who support it. We develop a model of the relative utility teachers receive from merit pay versus the current fixed schedule of raises. We show that if teachers are risk…

High figure-of-merit SOI power LDMOS for power integrated circuits

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yashvir Singh

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The structural modifications in the conventional power laterally diffused metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (LDMOS are carried out to improve the breakdown voltage, on-resistance, gate-charge and figure-of-merits of the device with reduced cell pitch. The modified device has planer structure implemented on silicon-on-insulator which is suitable for low to medium voltage power integrated circuits. The proposed LDMOS consists of two gate electrodes placed vertically in two separate trenches build in the drift region and single source and drain contacts are taken on the top. The trench structure reduces the electric field inside the drift region and allow increased drift layer doping concentration leading to higher breakdown voltage, lower specific on-resistance, reduced gate-drain charge, and substantial improvement in the figure-of-merits. Using two-dimensional simulations, the performance of the proposed LDMOS is optimized and results are compared with the conventional LDMOS. Our simulation results show that the proposed device exhibits 110% higher breakdown voltage, 40% reduction in cell pitch, 19% lower specific on-resistance, 30% lower gate-to-drain charge leading to 5.5 times improvement in Baliga's figure-of-merit and 43% reduction in dynamic figure-of-merit over the conventional device.

Minimización de una función normal-merit mediante un algoritmo convergente globalmente

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gómez Suárez, M.

1998-01-01

Full Text Available En este trabajo presentamos dos conceptos relacionados con la solución de sistemas de ecuaciones no lineales y con desigualdades. El primer concepto es el de una función normal merit, que resume las propiedades básicas que tienen distintas funciones merit conocidas. El segundo concepto es el de un operador Newtoniano, cuyos valores generalizan el concepto de Hessiana para la función normal merit. Combinando el resultado del método generalizado de Newton con ciertos métodos de primer orden, obtenemos un algoritmo de convergencia global para minimizar funciones normales merit.

5 CFR 335.106 - Special selection procedures for certain veterans under merit promotion.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... veterans under merit promotion. 335.106 Section 335.106 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PROMOTION AND INTERNAL PLACEMENT General Provisions § 335.106 Special selection procedures for certain veterans under merit promotion. Preference eligibles or veterans who have...

Cybersecurity Figure of Merit

Science.gov (United States)

2016-04-30

Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command The Cybersecurity Challenge in Acquisition Sonia Kaestner, Adjunct Professor, McDonough School of Business ...qÜáêíÉÉåíÜ=^ååì~ä= ^Åèìáëáíáçå=oÉëÉ~êÅÜ= póãéçëáìã= tÉÇåÉëÇ~ó=pÉëëáçåë= sçäìãÉ=f= = Cybersecurity Figure of Merit CAPT Brian Erickson, USN, SPAWAR...the Acquisition Research Program of the Graduate School of Business & Public Policy at the Naval Postgraduate School. To request defense acquisition

Demystifying the peer-review process - workshop

Science.gov (United States)

Scientific writing and peer-review are integral parts of the publishing process. This workshop aims to demystify the peer-review process for early career scientists and provide insightful tips for streamlining the submission and peer review process for all researchers. Providing ...

Reactions to merit pay increases: a longitudinal test of a signal sensitivity perspective.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, Jason D; Duffy, Michelle K; Mitra, Atul; Lockhart, Daniel E; Bowler, Matthew

2003-06-01

The relationships among merit pay raises, trait positive affectivity (PA), and reactions to merit pay increases (pay attitudes and behavioral intentions) were explored in a longitudinal study of hospital employees. Drawing on signal sensitivity theory, the authors expected that PA would moderate the relationship between merit pay raise size and reactions to the increase such that pay raise size would be more strongly related to pay attitudes and behavioral intentions among those low in PA. Results strongly supported the predictions in the case of reactions to the raise amount (happiness and effort intentions) but not for pay level satisfaction. Implications of the results and directions for future research are identified.

Policy Perspectives: No Merit in these Scholarships

Science.gov (United States)

Vincent, Fay

2005-01-01

Mr. Fay Vincent, former Commissioner of Major League Baseball and Executive Vice President of The Coca Cola Company, provides a crisp, concise assessment of a trend that has worried us for quite a while: the growing trend of rewarding academically-gifted and typically-affluent students with an extra dose of merit aid, often at the expense of…

Improving Teaching Effectiveness: Merit Pay vs. Organizational Culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Bushardt, Stephen C.; Fowler, Aubrey R.

1987-01-01

Identifies four conditions which cause merit pay systems to fail to increase teacher performance: lack of skills, the poor timing of rewards, an inability to measure performance; and competing reinforcers. Explains why organizational culture is a more effective mediator of rewards. (SD)

SRL process hazards review manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-08-01

The principal objective of the Process Hazards Management Program is to provide a regular, systematic review of each process at the Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) to eliminate injuries and to minimize property damage resulting from process hazards of catastrophic potential. Management effort is directed, through the Du Pont Safety Program, toward those controls and practices that ensure this objective. The Process Hazards Management Program provides an additional dimension to further ensure the health and safety of employees and the public. Du Pont has concluded that an organized approach is essential to obtain an effective and efficient process hazards review. The intent of this manual is to provide guidance in creating such an organized approach to performing process hazards reviews on a continuing basis

Measuring Provider Performance for Physicians Participating in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System.

Science.gov (United States)

Squitieri, Lee; Chung, Kevin C

2017-07-01

In 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began requiring all eligible providers to participate in the Quality Payment Program or face financial reimbursement penalty. The Quality Payment Program outlines two paths for provider participation: the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Advanced Alternative Payment Models. For the first performance period beginning in January of 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that approximately 83 to 90 percent of eligible providers will not qualify for participation in an Advanced Alternative Payment Model and therefore must participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System program. The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System path replaces existing quality-reporting programs and adds several new measures to evaluate providers using four categories of data: (1) quality, (2) cost/resource use, (3) improvement activities, and (4) advancing care information. These categories will be combined to calculate a weighted composite score for each provider or provider group. Composite Merit-Based Incentive Payment System scores based on 2017 performance data will be used to adjust reimbursed payment in 2019. In this article, the authors provide relevant background for understanding value-based provider performance measurement. The authors also discuss Merit-Based Incentive Payment System reporting requirements and scoring methodology to provide plastic surgeons with the necessary information to critically evaluate their own practice capabilities in the context of current performance metrics under the Quality Payment Program.

The Impact of Merit Pay on Teaching and Research Outcomes of Accounting Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Lindsay, David H.; Campbell, Annhenrie; Tan, Kim B.

2012-01-01

Basing the compensation of accounting professors on merit pay in order to encourage better teaching, research and service is controversial. This study uses data from a survey of the 852 accounting programs in the United States to empirically examine the influence of merit-based salary plans. Findings indicate a strong positive association between…

The merits of a robot : A Dutch experience

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mobach, M.P.

2006-01-01

Purpose: To determine the merits of a robot at the community pharmacy in a quasi-experiment. Method: The applied methods for data-collection were barcode-time measurements, direct observations, time-interval studies, and tally at a Dutch community pharmacy. The topics consisted of workload, waiting

Relative Merits of Four Methods for Scoring Cloze Tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, James Dean

1980-01-01

Describes study comparing merits of exact answer, acceptable answer, clozentropy and multiple choice methods for scoring tests. Results show differences among reliability, mean item facility, discrimination and usability, but not validity. (BK)

Enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit in a quantum dot due to external ac field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Qiao, E-mail: cqhy1127@yahoo.com.cn [Department of Maths and Physics, Hunan Institute of Engineering, Xiangtan 411104 (China); Wang, Zhi-yong, E-mail: wzyong@cqut.edu.cn [School of Optoelectronic Information, Chongqing University of Technology, Chongqing 400054 (China); Xie, Zhong-Xiang [Department of Mathematics and Physics, Hunan Institute of Technology, Hengyang 421002 (China)

2013-08-15

We investigate the figure of merit of a quantum dot (QD) system irradiated with an external microwave filed by nonequilibrium Green's function (NGF) technique. Results show that the frequency of microwave field influence the figure of merit ZT significantly. At low temperature, a sharp peak can be observed in the figure of merit ZT as the frequency of ac field increases. As the frequency varies, several zero points and resonant peaks emerge in the figure of merit ZT. By adjusting the frequency of the microwave field, we can obtain high ZT. The figure of merit ZT increases with the decreasing of linewidth function Γ. In addition, Wiedemann–Franz law does not hold, particularly in the low frequency region due to multi-photon emission and absorption. Some novel thermoelectric properties are also found in two-level QD system.

NASA Product Peer Review Process

Science.gov (United States)

Jenks, Ken

2009-01-01

This viewgraph presentation describes NASA's product peer review process. The contents include: 1) Inspection/Peer Review at NASA; 2) Reasons for product peer reviews; 3) Different types of peer reviews; and 4) NASA requirements for peer reviews. This presentation also includes a demonstration of an actual product peer review.

[New International Classification of Chronic Pancreatitis (M-ANNHEIM multifactor classification system, 2007): principles, merits, and demerits].

Science.gov (United States)

Tsimmerman, Ia S

2008-01-01

The new International Classification of Chronic Pancreatitis (designated as M-ANNHEIM) proposed by a group of German specialists in late 2007 is reviewed. All its sections are subjected to analysis (risk group categories, clinical stages and phases, variants of clinical course, diagnostic criteria for "established" and "suspected" pancreatitis, instrumental methods and functional tests used in the diagnosis, evaluation of the severity of the disease using a scoring system, stages of elimination of pain syndrome). The new classification is compared with the earlier classification proposed by the author. Its merits and demerits are discussed.

Practical epistemology: the role of peer review in organizing scientific research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexei V. Shestopal

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The article considers peer review as the main procedure for demarcating scientific knowledge from other kinds thereof, which do not meet the criteria set for research results. The authors examine the history of peer review, which has first been used in early scientific journals and then has become one of the key approaches to distributing funds for research in science foundations, such as the U.S. National Science Foundation. The article also considers the role of peer review in the legal process, wherein observance of this procedure can be seen as the main criteria, which separates scientific evidence from mere testimony. The description of the main elements of the peer review procedure is based on the "Statement of principles for scientific merit review" the summary of the results of the Global Summit on Merit Review, which brought together heads of science funding organizations from more than 50 countries. The Statement listed the following principles: expert assessment, transparency, impartiality, appropriateness, confidentiality, integrity and ethical considerations. Although these principles are seen as a way to guarantee efficient peer review one has to consider the peculiarities of a particular research area, first of all the differences between social and natural sciences. Accordingly the article gives an overview of key traits of peer review in the social sciences and humanities. The authors also consider the main procedural elements - preparation of individual reviews, consideration by panels, anonymity of reviewers. Finally the article addresses the problems of peer review such as non-transparent process, elitism in selecting reviewers, conservativeness of decisions, and possible ways of handling these problems.

HIV / AIDS prevalence testing - merits, methodology and outcomes ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

HIV / AIDS prevalence testing - merits, methodology and outcomes of a survey conducted at a large mining organisation in South Africa. ... These baseline prevalence data also provide an opportunity for monitoring of proposed interventions using cross-sectional surveys at designated intervals in the future. South African ...

Evaluation and review of alternative waste forms for immobilization of high level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The objective of this study was to review the relative merits and potential of 15 (fifteen) alternative waste forms being considered for the solidification and disposal of radioactive wastes. The relative merits of 4 (four) alternative pre-solidification processing approaches were also assessed in this study. A Peer Review Panel composed of 8 (eight) scientists and engineers representing independent, non-DOE laboratories from industry, government, and universities and the disciplines of materials science, ceramics, glass, metallurgy, and geology conducted the review. A numerical rating of alternative waste forms was arrived at individually by the panel members taking into consideration 9 (nine) scientific and 9 (nine) engineering parameters affecting the long term performance and production of waste forms. At a meeting on May 9, 1980, a group ranking for the alternative forms was achieved by averaging the individual scores and discussing the available data base. Three final ranking lists comparing: (A) Present Scientific Merits or Least Risk for Use Today; and (B) Research Priority; and (C) Present and Potential Engineering Practicality were prepared by the Panel. Each waste form in the lists is assigned a value of either (1) Top Rank, (2) Intermediate Rank, or (3) Bottom Rank. A discussion of the relative strengths and weaknesses of the alternative waste forms and recommendations for future program directions is presented in the body of the accompanying Peer Review Panel report

Figures of Merit Guiding Research on Organic Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Kirchartz, Thomas; Kaienburg, Pascal; Baran, Derya

2018-01-01

these criteria considering thermodynamic limits, their correlation to photocurrent and photovoltage, and effects on the fill factor. Each criterion is quantified by a figure of merit (FOM) that directly relates to device performance. To ensure a wide

Merit-order effects of renewable energy and price divergence in California’s day-ahead and real-time electricity markets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woo, C.K.; Moore, J.; Schneiderman, B.; Ho, T.; Olson, A.; Alagappan, L.; Chawla, K.; Toyama, N.; Zarnikau, J.

2016-01-01

We answer two policy questions: (1) what are the estimated merit-order effects of renewable energy in the California Independent System Operator’s (CAISO’s) day-ahead market (DAM) and real-time market (RTM)? and (2) what causes the hourly DAM and RTM prices to systematically diverge? The first question is timely and relevant because if the merit-order effect estimates are small, California’s renewable energy development is of limited help in cutting electricity consumers’ bills but also has a lesser adverse impact on the state’s investment incentive for natural-gas-fired generation. The second question is related to the efficient market hypothesis under which the hourly RTM and DAM prices tend to converge. Using a sample of about 21,000 hourly observations of CAISO market prices and their fundamental drivers during 12/12/2012–04/30/2015, we document statistically significant estimates (p-value≤0.01) for the DAM and RTM merit-order effects. This finding lends support to California’s adopted procurement process to provide sufficient investment incentives for natural-gas-fired generation. We document that the RTM-DAM price divergence partly depends on the CASIO’s day-ahead forecast errors for system loads and renewable energy. This finding suggests that improving the performance of the CAISO’s day-ahead forecasts can enhance trading efficiency in California’s DAM and RTM electricity markets. - Highlights: •Estimate the day-ahead and real-time merit-order effects of renewable energy in California. •Document statistically significant merit-order effects of solar and wind energy. •Document the difference between the day-ahead and real-time prices. •Attribute the price differences to forecast errors for load, solar and wind energy. •Discuss the evidence’s implications for California’s energy policy.

Review on Polymers for Thermoelectric Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Culebras, Mario; Gómez, Clara M; Cantarero, Andrés

2014-09-18

In this review, we report the state-of-the-art of polymers in thermoelectricity. Classically, a number of inorganic compounds have been considered as the best thermoelectric materials. Since the prediction of the improvement of the figure of merit by means of electronic confinement in 1993, it has been improved by a factor of 3-4. In the mean time, organic materials, in particular intrinsically conducting polymers, had been considered as competitors of classical thermoelectrics, since their figure of merit has been improved several orders of magnitude in the last few years. We review here the evolution of the figure of merit or the power factor during the last years, and the best candidates to compete with inorganic materials. We also outline the best polymers to substitute classical thermoelectric materials and the advantages they present in comparison with inorganic systems.

When reviews attack: ethics, free speech, and the peer review process.

Science.gov (United States)

Hadjistavropoulos, T; Bieling, P J

2000-08-01

The peer review process, whether formally applied in publication and grant review, or informally, such as exchange of ideas in scientific and professional newsgroups, has sparked controversy. Writers in this area agree that scholarly reviews that are inappropriate in tone are not uncommon. Indeed, commentators have suggested rules and guidelines that can be used to improve the review process and to make reviewers more accountable. In this paper, we examine the relevance and impact of ethical codes on the conduct of peer review. It is our contention that the peer review process can be improved, not by a new set of rules but through closer attention to the ethical principles to which we, as psychologists, already subscribe.

47 CFR 76.10 - Review.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Review. 76.10 Section 76.10 Telecommunication... TELEVISION SERVICE General § 76.10 Review. (a) Interlocutory review. (1) Except as provided below, no party may seek review of interlocutory rulings until a decision on the merits has been issued by the staff...

75 FR 6728 - The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is Providing Notice of the Opportunity to File Amicus...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-10

... MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is Providing Notice of the Opportunity to File Amicus Briefs in the Matters of Conyers v. Department of Defense, Docket No...: Merit Systems Protection Board. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: On January 25, 2010, the MSPB published in the...

Teacher Merit Pay: Is It a Good Idea?

Science.gov (United States)

Clabaugh, Gary K.

2009-01-01

President Obama's education agenda, which unhappily seems to be George W. Bush's program squared, contains two major features that will impact teacher pay and working conditions. The first is that charter schools are to be promoted aggressively. The second is an insistence on teacher merit pay. In this article, the author talks about teacher merit…

Half-metallic perovskite superlattices with colossal thermoelectric figure of merit

KAUST Repository

Upadhyay Kahaly, M.; Ozdogan, K.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2013-01-01

Nowadays heavy experimental efforts are focussed on doped oxide thermoelectrics to increase the thermopower and thermoelectric performance. We propose a high thermoelectric figure of merit for half-metallic SrTi1−xCoxO3 (x = 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.375, and 0.5) in a superlattice with SrTiO3, which is stable at high temperatures and in an oxygen environment. The maximal value of Z hardly depends on the doping, while the temperature at which the maximum occurs increases with the Co concentration. The easy tunability from being an insulator to a half-metal under substitutional doping combined with the colossal figure of merit opens up great potential in the emerging field of spin-caloritronics.

Half-metallic perovskite superlattices with colossal thermoelectric figure of merit

KAUST Repository

Upadhyay Kahaly, M.

2013-05-09

Nowadays heavy experimental efforts are focussed on doped oxide thermoelectrics to increase the thermopower and thermoelectric performance. We propose a high thermoelectric figure of merit for half-metallic SrTi1−xCoxO3 (x = 0, 0.125, 0.25, 0.375, and 0.5) in a superlattice with SrTiO3, which is stable at high temperatures and in an oxygen environment. The maximal value of Z hardly depends on the doping, while the temperature at which the maximum occurs increases with the Co concentration. The easy tunability from being an insulator to a half-metal under substitutional doping combined with the colossal figure of merit opens up great potential in the emerging field of spin-caloritronics.

75 FR 25885 - The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is Providing Notice of the Opportunity to File Amicus...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-10

... MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is Providing Notice of the Opportunity to File Amicus Briefs in the Matter of Larry L. Evans v. Department of Veterans Affairs, MSPB Docket Number AT-3330-09-0953- I-1. AGENCY: Merit Systems Protection Board. ACTION: Notice...

75 FR 20007 - The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Is Providing Notice of the Opportunity To File Amicus...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-16

... MERIT SYSTEMS PROTECTION BOARD The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Is Providing Notice of the Opportunity To File Amicus Briefs in the Matter of Hyginus U. Aguzie v. Office of Personnel Management, MSPB Docket Number DC-0731- 09-0261-R-1 AGENCY: Merit Systems Protection Board. ACTION: Notice...

Figures of merit for the evaluation of regenerative power converters

CERN Document Server

AUTHOR|(CDS)2083258; Rossini, Stefano; Le Godec, Gilles; Papastergiou, Konstantinos; Carrica, Daniel; Retegui, Rogeli Garcia

2016-01-01

In some applications, like those for particle accelerators and transfer lines, electromagnet loads operate in cycling mode i.e. absorbing or extracting energy from or to a power source. Built-in energy storage such as electrochemical capacitors can be used whose lifetime is heavily depended on the current ripple and depth of discharge. Moreover, the sizing of this storage element is a trade-off between power taken from the grid and energy stored. Additionally, the adopted power conversion structure and control strategy impact on such decision process. In this work, a number of topologies have been evaluated for these applications and the key metrics used to compare them. The proposed figures of merit are used through examples to highlight the trade-offs related with the choice of dc-bus regulation topology and control strategy.

Short communication: Genetic lag represents commercial herd genetic merit more accurately than the 4-path selection model.

Science.gov (United States)

Dechow, C D; Rogers, G W

2018-05-01

Expectation of genetic merit in commercial dairy herds is routinely estimated using a 4-path genetic selection model that was derived for a closed population, but commercial herds using artificial insemination sires are not closed. The 4-path model also predicts a higher rate of genetic progress in elite herds that provide artificial insemination sires than in commercial herds that use such sires, which counters other theoretical assumptions and observations of realized genetic responses. The aim of this work is to clarify whether genetic merit in commercial herds is more accurately reflected under the assumptions of the 4-path genetic response formula or by a genetic lag formula. We demonstrate by tracing the transmission of genetic merit from parents to offspring that the rate of genetic progress in commercial dairy farms is expected to be the same as that in the genetic nucleus. The lag in genetic merit between the nucleus and commercial farms is a function of sire and dam generation interval, the rate of genetic progress in elite artificial insemination herds, and genetic merit of sires and dams. To predict how strategies such as the use of young versus daughter-proven sires, culling heifers following genomic testing, or selective use of sexed semen will alter genetic merit in commercial herds, genetic merit expectations for commercial herds should be modeled using genetic lag expectations. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Merit Goods, Education Public Policy--India at Cross Roads

Science.gov (United States)

Misra, Satya Narayan; Ghadai, Sanjaya Ku.

2015-01-01

Merit Goods have always received handsome attention and allocation from countries which have witnessed a congruence between high significant economic growth and Human Development Index (HDI). The Emerging Market Economies (EMEs) have become significant manufacturing hubs by universalizing education and improving their Incremental Capital Output…

Review on Polymers for Thermoelectric Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mario Culebras

2014-09-01

Full Text Available In this review, we report the state-of-the-art of polymers in thermoelectricity. Classically, a number of inorganic compounds have been considered as the best thermoelectric materials. Since the prediction of the improvement of the figure of merit by means of electronic confinement in 1993, it has been improved by a factor of 3–4. In the mean time, organic materials, in particular intrinsically conducting polymers, had been considered as competitors of classical thermoelectrics, since their figure of merit has been improved several orders of magnitude in the last few years. We review here the evolution of the figure of merit or the power factor during the last years, and the best candidates to compete with inorganic materials. We also outline the best polymers to substitute classical thermoelectric materials and the advantages they present in comparison with inorganic systems.

14 CFR 1262.309 - Judicial review.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Judicial review. 1262.309 Section 1262.309... PROCEEDINGS Procedures for Considering Applications § 1262.309 Judicial review. Judicial review of final... the determination to the court of the United States having jurisdiction to review the merits of the...

The thermoelectric figure of merit of poor thermal conductors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, A.J.

1977-01-01

Calculations are given to show that for low thermal conductivity materials the radiation losses at even moderate temperatures preclude the use of the Harman technique for measuring the thermoelectric figure of merit. Measurements on liquid Tl 66 Se 34 , which has suitable thermoelectric properties, confirm this. (author)

DOE Hydrogen Program 2004 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2004-10-01

This document summarizes the project evaluations and comments from the DOE Hydrogen Program 2004 Annual Program Review. Hydrogen production, delivery and storage; fuel cells; technology validation; safety, codes and standards; and education R&D projects funded by DOE in FY2004 are reviewed.

Review of potential processing techniques for the encapsulation of wastes in thermoplastic polymers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, B.R.; Lageraaen, P.R.; Kalb, P.D.

1995-08-01

Thermoplastic encapsulation has been extensively studied at Brookhaven National Laboratory's (BNL) Environmental and Waste Technology Center (EWTC) as a waste encapsulation technology applicable to a wide range of waste types including radioactive, hazardous and mixed wastes. Encapsulation involves processing thermoplastic and waste materials into a waste form product by heating and mixing both materials into a homogeneous molten mixture. Cooling of the melt results in a solid monolithic waste form in which contaminants have been completely surrounded by a polymer matrix. Heating and mixing requirements for successful waste encapsulation can be met using proven technologies available in various types of commercial equipment. Processing techniques for thermoplastic materials, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), are well established within the plastics industry. The majority of commercial polymer processing is accomplished using extruders, mixers or a combination of these technologies. Extruders and mixers are available in a broad range of designs and are used during the manufacture of consumer and commercial products as well as for compounding applications. Compounding which refers to mixing additives such as stabilizers and/or colorants with polymers, is analogous to thermoplastic encapsulation. Several processing technologies were investigated for their potential application in encapsulating residual sorbent waste in selected thermoplastic polymers, including single-screw extruders, twin-screw extruders, continuous mixers, batch mixers as well as other less conventional devices. Each was evaluated based on operational ease, quality control, waste handling capabilities as well as degree of waste pretreatment required. Based on literature review, this report provides a description of polymer processing technologies, a discussion of the merits and limitations of each and an evaluation of their applicability to the encapsulation of sorbent wastes

Review of potential processing techniques for the encapsulation of wastes in thermoplastic polymers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patel, B.R.; Lageraaen, P.R.; Kalb, P.D.

1995-08-01

Thermoplastic encapsulation has been extensively studied at Brookhaven National Laboratory`s (BNL) Environmental and Waste Technology Center (EWTC) as a waste encapsulation technology applicable to a wide range of waste types including radioactive, hazardous and mixed wastes. Encapsulation involves processing thermoplastic and waste materials into a waste form product by heating and mixing both materials into a homogeneous molten mixture. Cooling of the melt results in a solid monolithic waste form in which contaminants have been completely surrounded by a polymer matrix. Heating and mixing requirements for successful waste encapsulation can be met using proven technologies available in various types of commercial equipment. Processing techniques for thermoplastic materials, such as low density polyethylene (LDPE), are well established within the plastics industry. The majority of commercial polymer processing is accomplished using extruders, mixers or a combination of these technologies. Extruders and mixers are available in a broad range of designs and are used during the manufacture of consumer and commercial products as well as for compounding applications. Compounding which refers to mixing additives such as stabilizers and/or colorants with polymers, is analogous to thermoplastic encapsulation. Several processing technologies were investigated for their potential application in encapsulating residual sorbent waste in selected thermoplastic polymers, including single-screw extruders, twin-screw extruders, continuous mixers, batch mixers as well as other less conventional devices. Each was evaluated based on operational ease, quality control, waste handling capabilities as well as degree of waste pretreatment required. Based on literature review, this report provides a description of polymer processing technologies, a discussion of the merits and limitations of each and an evaluation of their applicability to the encapsulation of sorbent wastes.

Epistemic merit, autonomy, and testimony

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jesús VEGA ENCABO

2008-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, it is argued that both the informer and the hearer in a testimonial situation deserve epistemic merit insofar as they contribute to the collaborative achievement of sharing knowledge. The paper introduces a distinction between the ideals of self-sufficiency and epistemic autonomy. The autonomous exercise of our epistemic agency is very often carried out under strong conditions of epistemic dependence. Testimony exhibits a kind of social dependence that does not threaten the autonomy of the subjects that need to consider their own epistemic capacities. When involved in a testimonial situation, both speaker and hearer declare, at least implicitly, the standings they occupy in an epistemic space and are obliged to recognise certain epistemic requirements.

Public Entrepreneurs and the Adoption of Broad-Based Merit Aid beyond the Southeastern United States

Science.gov (United States)

Ingle, William Kyle; Petroff, Ruth Ann

2013-01-01

The concentration of broad-based merit aid adoption in the southeastern United States has been well noted in the literature. However, there are states that have adopted broad-based merit aid programs outside of the Southeast. Guided by multiple theoretical frameworks, including innovation diffusion theory (e.g., Gray, 1973, 1994; Rogers, 2003),…

EDCTP regional networks of excellence: initial merits for planned clinical trials in Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

Miiro, George M; Oukem-Boyer, Odile Ouwe Missi; Sarr, Ousmane; Rahmani, Maerangis; Ntoumi, Francine; Dheda, Keertan; Pym, Alexander; Mboup, Souleymane; Kaleebu, Pontiano

2013-03-22

Achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and combating hotspots with escalating but preventable communicable diseases remain major challenges in Africa. The European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) intervened to combat poverty-related diseases including malaria, tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS, and to conduct multi-centre clinical trials and multi-disciplinary health research through an innovative model of regional Networks of Excellence (NoEs). We participated in a quasi-formative evaluation between October and December 2011 on the 4 regional-led research networks. These included the: Central Africa Network on Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS and Malaria (CANTAM); East African Consortium for Clinical Research (EACCR); West African Network of Excellence for TB, AIDS and Malaria (WANETAM), and the Trials of Excellence for Southern Africa (TESA) launched between 2009 and 2010. We shared a participatory appraisal of field reports, progress reports and presentations from each network to jointly outline the initial experiences of the merits, outputs and lessons learnt. The self-regulating democratic networks, with 64 institutions in 21 African countries, have trained over 1, 000 African scientists, upgraded 36 sites for clinical trials, leveraged additional € 24 million and generated 38 peer-reviewed publications through networking and partnerships. The shared initial merits and lessons learnt portray in part the strengthened capacity of these networks for improved research coordination and conduct of planned multi-center clinical trials in Africa. Increased funding by African agencies, governments and international health partners will ensure sustainability of these networks for research capacity development and demonstrate their commitment to achieving the MDGs in Africa.

Statistical process control charts for attribute data involving very large sample sizes: a review of problems and solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammed, Mohammed A; Panesar, Jagdeep S; Laney, David B; Wilson, Richard

2013-04-01

The use of statistical process control (SPC) charts in healthcare is increasing. The primary purpose of SPC is to distinguish between common-cause variation which is attributable to the underlying process, and special-cause variation which is extrinsic to the underlying process. This is important because improvement under common-cause variation requires action on the process, whereas special-cause variation merits an investigation to first find the cause. Nonetheless, when dealing with attribute or count data (eg, number of emergency admissions) involving very large sample sizes, traditional SPC charts often produce tight control limits with most of the data points appearing outside the control limits. This can give a false impression of common and special-cause variation, and potentially misguide the user into taking the wrong actions. Given the growing availability of large datasets from routinely collected databases in healthcare, there is a need to present a review of this problem (which arises because traditional attribute charts only consider within-subgroup variation) and its solutions (which consider within and between-subgroup variation), which involve the use of the well-established measurements chart and the more recently developed attribute charts based on Laney's innovative approach. We close by making some suggestions for practice.

Exact Solution of a Constraint Optimization Problem for the Thermoelectric Figure of Merit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wolfgang Seifert

2012-03-01

Full Text Available In the classical theory of thermoelectricity, the performance integrals for a fully self-compatible material depend on the dimensionless figure of merit zT. Usually these integrals are evaluated for constraints z = const. and zT = const., respectively. In this paper we discuss the question from a mathematical point of view whether there is an optimal temperature characteristics of the figure of merit. We solve this isoperimetric variational problem for the best envelope of a family of curves z(TT.

Exact Solution of a Constraint Optimization Problem for the Thermoelectric Figure of Merit.

Science.gov (United States)

Seifert, Wolfgang; Pluschke, Volker

2012-03-21

In the classical theory of thermoelectricity, the performance integrals for a fully self-compatible material depend on the dimensionless figure of merit zT. Usually these integrals are evaluated for constraints z = const. and zT = const., respectively. In this paper we discuss the question from a mathematical point of view whether there is an optimal temperature characteristics of the figure of merit. We solve this isoperimetric variational problem for the best envelope of a family of curves z(T)T.

Risk Aversion and Support for Merit Pay: Theory and Evidence from Minnesota's Q Comp Program. Working Paper #09-05

Science.gov (United States)

Nadler, Carl; Wiswall, Matthew

2009-01-01

Recent research attributes the lack of merit pay in teaching to the resistance of teachers. This paper examines whether the structure of merit pay affects the types of teachers who support it. We develop a model of the relative utility teachers receive from merit pay versus the current fixed schedule of raises. We show that if teachers are risk…

10 CFR 26.413 - Review process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Review process. 26.413 Section 26.413 Energy NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION FITNESS FOR DUTY PROGRAMS FFD Program for Construction § 26.413 Review process. Licensees and other entities who implement an FFD program under this subpart shall establish and implement...

Workplace health understandings and processes in small businesses: a systematic review of the qualitative literature.

Science.gov (United States)

MacEachen, Ellen; Kosny, Agnieszka; Scott-Dixon, Krista; Facey, Marcia; Chambers, Lori; Breslin, Curtis; Kyle, Natasha; Irvin, Emma; Mahood, Quenby

2010-06-01

Small businesses (SBs) play an important role in global economies, employ half of all workers, and pose distinct workplace health problems. This systematic review of qualitative peer-reviewed literature was carried out to identify and synthesize research findings about how SB workplace parties understand and enact processes related to occupational health and safety (OHS). The review was conducted as part of a larger mixed-method review and in consultation with stakeholders. A comprehensive literature search identified 5067 studies. After screening for relevance, 20 qualitative articles were identified. Quality assessment led to 14 articles of sufficient quality to be included in the meta-ethnographic findings synthesis. This review finds that SBs have distinctive social relations of work, apprehensions of workplace risk, and legislative requirements. Eight themes were identified that consolidate knowledge on how SB workplace parties understand OHS hazards, how they manage risk and health problems, and how broader structures, policies and systems shape the practice of workplace health in SBs. The themes contribute to 'layers of evidence' that address SB work and health phenomena at the micro (e.g. employer or worker behavior), meso (e.g. organizational dynamics) and macro (e.g. state policy) levels. This synthesis details the unique qualities and conditions of SBs that merit particular attention from planners and occupational health policy makers. In particular, the informal workplace social relations can limit workers' and employers' apprehension of risk, and policy and complex contractual conditions in which SBs are often engaged (such as chains of subcontracting) can complicate occupational health responsibilities. This review questions the utility of SB exemptions from OHS regulations and suggests a legislative focus on the particular needs of SBs. It considers ways that workers might activate their own workplace health concerns, and suggests that more

An empirically derived figure of merit for the quality of overall task performance

Science.gov (United States)

Lemay, Moira

1989-01-01

The need to develop an operationally relevant figure of merit for the quality of performance of a complex system such as an aircraft cockpit stems from a hypothesized dissociation between measures of performance and those of workload. Performance can be measured in terms of time, errors, or a combination of these. In most tasks performed by expert operators, errors are relatively rare and often corrected in time to avoid consequences. Moreover, perfect performance is seldom necessary to accomplish a particular task. Moreover, how well an expert performs a complex task consisting of a series of discrete cognitive tasks superimposed on a continuous task, such as flying an aircraft, does not depend on how well each discrete task is performed, but on their smooth sequencing. This makes the amount of time spent on each subtask of paramount importance in measuring overall performance, since smooth sequencing requires a minimum amount of time spent on each task. Quality consists in getting tasks done within a crucial time interval while maintaining acceptable continuous task performance. Thus, a figure of merit for overall quality of performance should be primarily a measure of time to perform discrete subtasks combined with a measure of basic vehicle control. Thus, the proposed figure of merit requires doing a task analysis on a series of performance, or runs, of a particular task, listing each discrete task and its associated time, and calculating the mean and standard deviation of these times, along with the mean and standard deviation of tracking error for the whole task. A set of simulator data on 30 runs of a landing task was obtained and a figure of merit will be calculated for each run. The figure of merit will be compared for voice and data link, so that the impact of this technology on total crew performance (not just communication performance) can be assessed. The effect of data link communication on other cockpit tasks will also be considered.

First MARS exercise of merit recognition: what's the outcome?

CERN Multimedia

Staff Association

2007-01-01

In June, the decisions concerning the various forms of merit recognition of the staff are taken. The Staff Association commends all those involved and, in particular, the supervisors who, for this first exercise, have had to assess your performance in record time, in accordance with the new provisions in the recently revised administrative circular no. 26.

Figures of merit of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for compliant analysis of waters and wastes using USEPA standard operating procedures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brenner, I.B.; Spence, B.; Walder, A.

2004-01-01

The scope of this study is to critically review the performance of the ICP-MS instrumentation and aspects of the analytical methodology for compliant determination of Al, Sb, As, Ba, Be, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni, Se, Ag, Tl, V, and Zn in surface and subsurface water, soil, sludge, sediments and various solid wastes. The evaluation was performed using conventional and practical figures of analytical merit detailed in using USEPA SW (Solid Waste) 846 procedures and ISO/EC 17025

Time Structure of Particle Production in the Merit High-Power Target Experiment

CERN Document Server

Efthymiopoulos, I; Palm, M; Lettry, J; Haug, F; Pereira, H; Pernegger, H; Steerenberg, R; Grudiev, A; Kirk, H G; Park, H; Tsang, T; Mokhov, N; Striganov, S; Carroll, A J; Graves, V B; Spampinato, P T; McDonald, K T; Bennett, J R J; Caretta, O; Loveridge, P

2010-01-01

The MERIT experiment is a proof-of-principle test of a target system for high power proton beam to be used as front-end for a neutrino factory complex or amuon collider. The experiment took data in autumn 2007 with the fast extracted beam from the CERN Proton Synchrotron (PS) to a maximum intensity of about 30 × 1012 protons per pulse. We report results from the portion of the MERIT experiment in which separated beam pulses were delivered to a free mercury jet target with time intervals between pulses varying from 2 to 700 μs. The analysis is based on the responses of particle detectors placed along side and downstream of the target.

15 CFR 290.8 - Reviews of centers.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... TRANSFER OF MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY § 290.8 Reviews of centers. (a) Overview. Each Center will be reviewed... involved Center, and Federal officials. An official of NIST shall chair the panel. Each Merit Review Panel... Center be provided by the NIST Manufacturing Technology Centers Program after the sixth year of support...

Reflections on receiving the ASIS&T 2016 Award of Merit

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingwersen, Peter

2016-01-01

At the ASIS&T Annual Meeting in Copenhagen, Peter Ingwersen expressed surprise and gratitude for being honored with the Association’s 2016 Award of Merit. The professor emeritus from Denmark’s Royal School of Library and Information Science thanked peers for recognizing him as a mentor and research...

The Role of Merit-Based Scholarships in Meeting Affordability Goals

Science.gov (United States)

Pugh, Susan L.; Thompson, Roger J.

2010-01-01

Institutions across the country continue to ponder and evaluate strategies for aligning financial aid to complement their enrollment goals. Two Indiana University enrollment managers examine the purposeful application of institutional aid in financial aid packaging. In response to the debate about the of merit-based aid vs. the appropriate share…

Understanding the Federal Proposal Review Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Cavin, Janis I.

Information on the peer review process for the evaluation of federal grant proposals is presented to help college grants administrators and faculty develop good proposals. This guidebook provides an overview of the policies and conventions that govern the review and selection of proposals for funding, and details the review procedures of the…

On-Chip Sensing of Thermoelectric Thin Film’s Merit

OpenAIRE

Xiao, Zhigang; Zhu, Xiaoshan

2015-01-01

Thermoelectric thin films have been widely explored for thermal-to-electrical energy conversion or solid-state cooling, because they can remove heat from integrated circuit (IC) chips or micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices without involving any moving mechanical parts. In this paper, we report using silicon diode-based temperature sensors and specific thermoelectric devices to characterize the merit of thermoelectric thin films. The silicon diode temperature sensors and thermoelect...

Treatment of plutonium-contaminated solid waste: a review of handling systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meredith, B.E.; Hardy, A.R.

1985-02-01

Handling techniques are reviewed to identify those suitable for adaptation for use in transporting large items of redundant plutonium contaminated plant and equipment to a remotely operated size reduction facility, moving them into the facility, presenting them to size reduction equipment and loading the processed waste into drums. It is concluded that an integrated system based on a combination of slatted conveyors, roller tables, air transporters and manipulators, merits further consideration. An appropriate experimental programme is outlined. (author)

33 CFR 331.7 - Review procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... process, and assist the division engineer in making a decision on the merits of the appeal. The division... evaluated, appeal decisions would be of little or no precedential utility. Therefore, an appeal decision of... engineer will make the decision on the merits of the appeal, and provide any instructions, as appropriate...

Metabolic safety-margins do not differ between cows of high and low genetic merit for milk production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knight, Christopher Harold; Alamer, Mohammed A; Sorensen, Annette

2004-01-01

Three galactopoietic stimuli, frequent milking (4X), bovine somatotrophin (bST) and thyroxine (T4) were used in an additive stair-step design to achieve maximum output (metabolic capacity) in six peak-lactation cows of high genetic merit (HT) and six of low genetic merit (LT). A further six of ea...... the commonly held belief that selective breeding of dairy cows for high milk production has rendered them markedly more susceptible to metabolic disturbances.......Three galactopoietic stimuli, frequent milking (4X), bovine somatotrophin (bST) and thyroxine (T4) were used in an additive stair-step design to achieve maximum output (metabolic capacity) in six peak-lactation cows of high genetic merit (HT) and six of low genetic merit (LT). A further six of each...... elevated heart rate and significant loss of body weight and condition compared with the combination of 4X and bST. As a result, treatments were discontinued, on an individual cow basis, before completion of this 6-week phase. Time on experiment did not differ between HT and LT. The results do not support...

Review process for license renewal applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, John W.; Kuo, P.T.

1991-01-01

In preparation for license renewal reviews, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has recently published for public review and comment a proposed rule for license renewal and a draft Standard Review Plan as well as a draft Regulatory Guide relating to the implementation of the proposed rule. In support of future license renewal applications, the nuclear industry has also submitted 11 industry reports for NRC review and approval. This paper briefly describe how these parallel regulatory and industry activities will be factored into the NRC review process for license renewal. (author)

Research on the Effects of Rewards: Implications for Annual Merit Pay.

Science.gov (United States)

Burke, Richard R.

Some research suggests reduced cooperation and collaboration among college faculty may result when annual pay increments are based on merit evaluations. Various theories and principles have been put forward to explain these effects. The overjustification theory suggests that extrinsically presented rewards become more salient than one's intrinsic…

7 CFR 3400.21 - Scientific peer review for research activities.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 15 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Scientific peer review for research activities. 3400... STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SPECIAL RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAM Peer and Merit Review Arranged by Grantees § 3400.21 Scientific peer review for research...

Radiopharmaceutical drug review process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frankel, R.

1985-01-01

To ensure proper radioactive drug use (such as quality, diagnostic improvement, and minimal radioactive exposure), the Food and Drug Administration evaluates new drugs with respect to safety, effectiveness, and accuracy and adequacy of the labeling. The IND or NDA process is used for this purpose. A brief description of the process, including the Chemical Classification System and the therapeutic potential classification, is presented as it applies to radiopharmaceuticals. Also, the status of the IND or NDA review of radiopharmaceuticals is given

The Zernike expansion--an example of a merit function for 2D/3D registration based on orthogonal functions.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Shuo; Kettenbach, Joachim; Hinterleitner, Isabella; Bergmann, Helmar; Birkfellner, Wolfgang

2008-01-01

Current merit functions for 2D/3D registration usually rely on comparing pixels or small regions of images using some sort of statistical measure. Problems connected to this paradigm the sometimes problematic behaviour of the method if noise or artefacts (for instance a guide wire) are present on the projective image. We present a merit function for 2D/3D registration which utilizes the decomposition of the X-ray and the DRR under comparison into orthogonal Zernike moments; the quality of the match is assessed by an iterative comparison of expansion coefficients. Results in a imaging study on a physical phantom show that--compared to standard cross--correlation the Zernike moment based merit function shows better robustness if histogram content in images under comparison is different, and that time expenses are comparable if the merit function is constructed out of a few significant moments only.

A review: deposition and resuspension processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sehmel, G.A.

1979-01-01

A review chapter was written on deposition and resuspension processes for the forthcoming Department of Energy publication, Atmospheric Sciences and Power Production, edited by D. Randerson. The chapter includes eleven tables and thirteen figures summarizing data from 241 references. The conclusions of that review chapter are given

Merit pay: the Federal Government's pay-for-performance experience.

OpenAIRE

Holliman, Sherry Diane.

1983-01-01

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited For many years, businesses in private industry have been utilizing and experimenting with various forms of performance-based pay. These innovations have been part of a continuing search by organizations for better approaches to administering pay. With the passing of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, the Federal Government began its form of this concept entitled, 'Merit Pay'. Although many studies have examined uses in the areas of ...

Theory and Applications of Covalent Docking in Drug Discovery: Merits and Pitfalls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hezekiel Mathambo Kumalo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available he present art of drug discovery and design of new drugs is based on suicidal irreversible inhibitors. Covalent inhibition is the strategy that is used to achieve irreversible inhibition. Irreversible inhibitors interact with their targets in a time-dependent fashion, and the reaction proceeds to completion rather than to equilibrium. Covalent inhibitors possessed some significant advantages over non-covalent inhibitors such as covalent warheads can target rare, non-conserved residue of a particular target protein and thus led to development of highly selective inhibitors, covalent inhibitors can be effective in targeting proteins with shallow binding cleavage which will led to development of novel inhibitors with increased potency than non-covalent inhibitors. Several computational approaches have been developed to simulate covalent interactions; however, this is still a challenging area to explore. Covalent molecular docking has been recently implemented in the computer-aided drug design workflows to describe covalent interactions between inhibitors and biological targets. In this review we highlight: (i covalent interactions in biomolecular systems; (ii the mathematical framework of covalent molecular docking; (iii implementation of covalent docking protocol in drug design workflows; (iv applications covalent docking: case studies and (v shortcomings and future perspectives of covalent docking. To the best of our knowledge; this review is the first account that highlights different aspects of covalent docking with its merits and pitfalls. We believe that the method and applications highlighted in this study will help future efforts towards the design of irreversible inhibitors.

Handover training: does one size fit all? The merits of mass customisation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kicken, Wendy; Van der Klink, Marcel; Barach, Paul; Boshuizen, Els

2012-01-01

Kicken, W., Van der Klink, M., Barach, P., & Boshuizen, H. P. A. (2012). Handover training: does one size fit all? The merits of mass customisation. British Medical Journal Quality & Safety, 21, i84-i88. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2012-001164

State technical review of the HLNW program and the peer review process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacob, G.R.

1986-01-01

Millions of dollars are being spent on state governments' review of the Department of Energy (DOE) high level waste (HLW) repository program. A significant portion of the review efforts focus on technical issues surrounding the development and installment of HLW disposal technologies. Some view the states' technical review efforts as part of a peer review process. However, this interpretation reveals a misunderstanding of the concept of peer review and the purposes of state technical review

Magnetothermoelectric figure of merit of Co/Cu multilayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, X. K., E-mail: xiukun.hu@ptb.de; Krzysteczko, P.; Liebing, N.; Schumacher, H. W. [Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Bundesallee 100, D-38116 Braunschweig (Germany); Serrano-Guisan, S. [International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory, Av. Mestre José Veiga, 4715-330 Braga (Portugal); Rott, K.; Reiss, G. [Fakultät für Physik, Universität Bielefeld, Postfach 100131, D-33501 Bielefeld (Germany); Kimling, J.; Böhnert, T.; Nielsch, K. [Institut für Angewandte Physik, Universität Hamburg, Jungiusstraße 11, D-20355 Hamburg (Germany)

2014-03-03

The switching of the magnetic configuration of giant magnetoresistance multilayers not only changes the electrical and thermal conductivities but also the thermopower. We study the magnetotransport and the magnetothermoelectric properties of Co/Cu multilayer devices in a lateral thermal gradient. The Seebeck coefficient reaches values up to −18 μV/K at room temperature and shows a magnetic field dependence up to 28.6% upon spin reversal. In combination with thermal conductivity data of the same Co/Cu stack, we find a magnetothermoelectric figure of merit of up to 65%. Furthermore, a magneto-power factor of up to 110% is derived.

Environmental review process: The U.S. experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Russo, T.N.

1993-01-01

The environmental review process used by the United States Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was discussed. The process has enabled the Commission to assess proposed small hydropower projects, but in the view of the author the Commission has done so at considerable cost and time to developers. Principal reasons for the delays and additional costs were examined, and ways were suggested that developers, agencies, regulators and other stakeholders could facilitate the siting of small hydropower projects without sacrificing the quality of the environmental review process. The highly duplicative nature of the environmental review process for hydropower projects was highlighted. The Commissions's power to regulate hydropower was claimed to have become severely eroded and the Energy Policy Act of 1992 did not significantly improve the process. Conflicts between developers, federal and state agencies, and the Commission over jurisdiction and interpretation of statutes continue to cause siting delays, which could render many projects financially infeasible. A more proactive Federal Energy Regulatory Commission was suggested to work with developers, agencies, Indian tribes and non-government organizations to resolve disputes. 1 tab

Using simplified peer review processes to fund research: a prospective study

Science.gov (United States)

Herbert, Danielle L; Graves, Nicholas; Clarke, Philip; Barnett, Adrian G

2015-01-01

Objective To prospectively test two simplified peer review processes, estimate the agreement between the simplified and official processes, and compare the costs of peer review. Design, participants and setting A prospective parallel study of Project Grant proposals submitted in 2013 to the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) of Australia. The official funding outcomes were compared with two simplified processes using proposals in Public Health and Basic Science. The two simplified processes were: panels of 7 reviewers who met face-to-face and reviewed only the nine-page research proposal and track record (simplified panel); and 2 reviewers who independently reviewed only the nine-page research proposal (journal panel). The official process used panels of 12 reviewers who met face-to-face and reviewed longer proposals of around 100 pages. We compared the funding outcomes of 72 proposals that were peer reviewed by the simplified and official processes. Main outcome measures Agreement in funding outcomes; costs of peer review based on reviewers’ time and travel costs. Results The agreement between the simplified and official panels (72%, 95% CI 61% to 82%), and the journal and official panels (74%, 62% to 83%), was just below the acceptable threshold of 75%. Using the simplified processes would save $A2.1–$A4.9 million per year in peer review costs. Conclusions Using shorter applications and simpler peer review processes gave reasonable agreement with the more complex official process. Simplified processes save time and money that could be reallocated to actual research. Funding agencies should consider streamlining their application processes. PMID:26137884

Discharge Onset Voltage Prediction for a Gas-Insulated System Via the Figure-of-Merit Concept

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Crichton, George C; Vibholm, Svend

1987-01-01

The accuracy of discharge onset prediction via thefigur figure-of-merit concept for a strongly electronegative gas is examined. A coaxial system is employed, for which the inner electrode possesses a surface roughness of Ra=35 ¿m. With SF6 as the insulating medium a reference discharge......-onset characteristic is obtained for gas pressures up to 0.8 MPa. From a knowledge of this onset characteristic, the direct calculation of discharge onset voltages in other strongly electronegative gases is undertaken by utilizing thefigur figure-of-merit concept. For gas pressures in the range O.02...

8 CFR 287.10 - Expedited internal review process.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... jurisdiction regarding criminal violations of law. [68 FR 35281, June 13, 2003] ... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Expedited internal review process. 287.10... OFFICERS; POWERS AND DUTIES § 287.10 Expedited internal review process. (a) Violations of standards for...

DECOMPOSITION OF MANUFACTURING PROCESSES: A REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.M.Z.N. Mohamed

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Manufacturing is a global activity that started during the industrial revolution in the late 19th century to cater for the large-scale production of products. Since then, manufacturing has changed tremendously through the innovations of technology, processes, materials, communication and transportation. The major challenge facing manufacturing is to produce more products using less material, less energy and less involvement of labour. To face these challenges, manufacturing companies must have a strategy and competitive priority in order for them to compete in a dynamic market. A review of the literature on the decomposition of manufacturing processes outlines three main processes, namely: high volume, medium volume and low volume. The decomposition shows that each sub process has its own characteristics and depends on the nature of the firm’s business. Two extreme processes are continuous line production (fast extreme and project shop (slow extreme. Other processes are in between these two extremes of the manufacturing spectrum. Process flow patterns become less complex with cellular, line and continuous flow compared with jobbing and project. The review also indicates that when the product is high variety and low volume, project or functional production is applied.

Low activity resin processing and disposal options review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gardner, F.

1996-01-01

New processing options for low activity resin processing and disposal are available. This presentation reviews the economics and technical requirements associated with the following low activity resin processing options. (1) Bulk release resin. (2) Direct disposal. (3) Decontamination and bulk release of cleaned resin. New processing and disposal options have been developed during 1995. Commercial experience with each of these options will be reviewed and the economics associated with the processing method described in detail. Technical requirements for each option will be identified specifying the activity limits and operational requirements for implementation

Constellation Mission Operation Working Group: ESMO Maneuver Planning Process Review

Science.gov (United States)

Moyer, Eric

2015-01-01

The Earth Science Mission Operation (ESMO) Project created an Independent Review Board to review our Conjunction Risk evaluation process and Maneuver Planning Process to identify improvements that safely manages mission conjunction risks, maintains ground track science requirements, and minimizes overall hours expended on High Interest Events (HIE). The Review Board is evaluating the current maneuver process which requires support by multiple groups. In the past year, there have been several changes to the processes although many prior and new concerns exist. This presentation will discuss maneuver process reviews and Board comments, ESMO assessment and path foward, ESMO future plans, recent changes and concerns.

Review of NRC Regulatory processes and functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1980-01-01

The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) has spent much time over many years observing and examining the NRC licensing process. The Committee is, consequently, in a position to comment on the situation, and it believes this review will be helpful to those examining the regulatory process by discussing how it works, where it is weak, and the opportunities for improvement. The Committee's review may also help put current proposals and discussions in perspective

Fluorine disposal processes for nuclear applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Netzer, W.D.

1977-01-01

A study was performed to determine the best method for disposing of waste fluorine in the effluent from a uranium oxide conversion facility. After reviewing the fluorine disposal literature and upon considering the nuclear safety constraints, it was determined that the two most promising processes were the fluidized alumina bed and the caustic scrubber. To obtain more design data for the latter process, a 3-stage, 5-in. I.D. spray tower was constructed and operated. This unit used a 10% potassium hydroxide solution at flows of 1.5 to 3 gpm and achieved a 90% fluorine efficiency at fluorine flowrates as high as 4 scfm. However, two toxic by-products, oxygen difluoride and nitroxy fluoride, were detected in the effluent gases. After considering the relative merits of both disposal processes, it is concluded that the fluidized bed is superior, especially if the contaminated waste material were salable

Fluorine disposal processes for nuclear applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Netzer, W.D.

1977-04-08

A study was performed to determine the best method for disposing of waste fluorine in the effluent from a uranium oxide conversion facility. After reviewing the fluorine disposal literature and upon considering the nuclear safety constraints, it was determined that the two most promising processes were the fluidized alumina bed and the caustic scrubber. To obtain more design data for the latter process, a 3-stage, 5-in. I.D. spray tower was constructed and operated. This unit used a 10% potassium hydroxide solution at flows of 1.5 to 3 gpm and achieved a 90% fluorine efficiency at fluorine flowrates as high as 4 scfm. However, two toxic by-products, oxygen difluoride and nitroxy fluoride, were detected in the effluent gases. After considering the relative merits of both disposal processes, it is concluded that the fluidized bed is superior, especially if the contaminated waste material were salable.

The JSC Engineering Directorate Product Peer Review Process

Science.gov (United States)

Jenks, Kenneth C.

2009-01-01

The JSC Engineering Directorate has developed a Product Peer Review process in support of NASA policies for project management and systems engineering. The process complies with the requirements of NPR 7120.5, NPR 7123.1 and NPR 7150.2 and follows the guidance in NASA/SP-2007-6105. This presentation will give an overview of the process followed by a brief demonstration of an actual peer review, with audience participation.

Marketing Academics' Perceptions of the Peer Review Process

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Charles D.; Hair, Joe F.; Hermanson, Dana R.; Crittenden, Victoria L.

2012-01-01

Publication in refereed journals is critical to career success for most marketing faculty members, and the peer review process is the gatekeeper for a refereed journal. The study reported here examines marketing academics' perceptions of this peer review process. Based on responses from 653 marketing academics, we find favorable overall…

Merits and difficulties in adopting codes, standards and nuclear regulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El-Saiedi, A.F.; Morsy, S.; Mariy, A.

1978-01-01

Developing countries planning for introducing nuclear power plants as a source of energy have to develop or adopt sound regulatory practices. These are necessary to help governmental authorities to assess the safety of nuclear power plants and to perform inspections needed to confirm the established safe and sound limits. The first requirement is to form an independent regulatory body capable of setting up and enforcing proper safety regulations. The formation of this body is governed by several considerations related to local conditions in the developing countries, which may not always be favourable. It is quite impractical for countries with limited experience in the nuclear power field to develop their own codes, standards and regulations required for the nuclear regulatory body to perform its tasks. A practical way is to adopt codes, standards and regulations of a well-developed country. This has merits as well as drawbacks. The latter are related to problems of personnel, software, equipment and facilities. The difficulties involved in forming a nuclear regulatory body, and the merits and difficulties in adopting foreign codes, standards and regulations required for such body to perform its tasks, are discussed in this paper. Discussions are applicable to many developing countries and particular emphasis is given to the conditions and practices in Egypt. (author)

Islands Unto Themselves: How Merit Pay Schemes May Undermine Positive Teacher Collaboration

Science.gov (United States)

Brewer, T. Jameson; Myers, P. S.; Zhang, Michael

2015-01-01

Educational reforms have become the new policy mainstay in educational discourse and policy. Without doubt, "fixing" teachers and increasing student test scores have both been a large component of much of the reform rhetoric. Moreover, calls for implementing merit pay schemes have uniquely combined reformer's efforts to "fix"…

NTP comparison process

Science.gov (United States)

Corban, Robert

The systems engineering process for the concept definition phase of the program involves requirements definition, system definition, and consistent concept definition. The requirements definition process involves obtaining a complete understanding of the system requirements based on customer needs, mission scenarios, and nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) operating characteristics. A system functional analysis is performed to provide a comprehensive traceability and verification of top-level requirements down to detailed system specifications and provides significant insight into the measures of system effectiveness to be utilized in system evaluation. The second key element in the process is the definition of system concepts to meet the requirements. This part of the process involves engine system and reactor contractor teams to develop alternative NTP system concepts that can be evaluated against specific attributes, as well as a reference configuration against which to compare system benefits and merits. Quality function deployment (QFD), as an excellent tool within Total Quality Management (TQM) techniques, can provide the required structure and provide a link to the voice of the customer in establishing critical system qualities and their relationships. The third element of the process is the consistent performance comparison. The comparison process involves validating developed concept data and quantifying system merits through analysis, computer modeling, simulation, and rapid prototyping of the proposed high risk NTP subsystems. The maximum amount possible of quantitative data will be developed and/or validated to be utilized in the QFD evaluation matrix. If upon evaluation of a new concept or its associated subsystems determine to have substantial merit, those features will be incorporated into the reference configuration for subsequent system definition and comparison efforts.

Agreement in polar motion measurements during the MERIT campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Djurovic, D.; Techy, C.; Paquet, P.

From the original polar motion (PM) measurements performed during the MERIT Campaign, the Chandler and the annual components are removed. The analysis of the residuals shows a high level of significant correlation between the various techniques mainly for phenomenon ranging from 30 days to a few months. For periods smaller than one month the series are not correlated except for the X component, deduced from laser and Doppler techniques, which remains significant at the 99 percent level. These results led to the belief for a new earth rotation service open to different sources of data.

Review of Biomedical Image Processing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ciaccio Edward J

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract This article is a review of the book: 'Biomedical Image Processing', by Thomas M. Deserno, which is published by Springer-Verlag. Salient information that will be useful to decide whether the book is relevant to topics of interest to the reader, and whether it might be suitable as a course textbook, are presented in the review. This includes information about the book details, a summary, the suitability of the text in course and research work, the framework of the book, its specific content, and conclusions.

Figures of merit for detectors in digital radiography. II. Finite number of secondaries and structured backgrounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pineda, Angel R.; Barrett, Harrison H.

2004-01-01

The current paradigm for evaluating detectors in digital radiography relies on Fourier methods. Fourier methods rely on a shift-invariant and statistically stationary description of the imaging system. The theoretical justification for the use of Fourier methods is based on a uniform background fluence and an infinite detector. In practice, the background fluence is not uniform and detector size is finite. We study the effect of stochastic blurring and structured backgrounds on the correlation between Fourier-based figures of merit and Hotelling detectability. A stochastic model of the blurring leads to behavior similar to what is observed by adding electronic noise to the deterministic blurring model. Background structure does away with the shift invariance. Anatomical variation makes the covariance matrix of the data less amenable to Fourier methods by introducing long-range correlations. It is desirable to have figures of merit that can account for all the sources of variation, some of which are not stationary. For such cases, we show that the commonly used figures of merit based on the discrete Fourier transform can provide an inaccurate estimate of Hotelling detectability

Significant enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit of polycrystalline Si films by reducing grain size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valalaki, K; Nassiopoulou, A G; Vouroutzis, N

2016-01-01

The thermoelectric properties of p-type polycrystalline silicon thin films deposited by low pressure chemical vapour deposition (LPCVD) were accurately determined at room temperature and the thermoelectric figure of merit was deduced as a function of film thickness, ranging from 100 to 500 nm. The effect of film thickness on their thermoelectric performance is discussed. More than threefold increase in the thermoelectric figure of merit of the 100 nm thick polysilicon film was observed compared to the 500 nm thick film, reaching a value as high as 0.033. This enhancement is mainly the result of the smaller grain size in the thinner films. With the decrease in grain size the resistivity of the films is increased twofold and electrical conductivity decreased, however the Seebeck coefficient is increased by 30% and the thermal conductivity is decreased eightfold, being mainly at the origin of the increased figure of merit of the 100 nm film. Our experimental results were compared to known theoretical models and the possible mechanisms involved are presented and discussed. (paper)

Research Program Peer Review: Purposes, Principles, Practices, Protocols

Science.gov (United States)

2004-06-01

Statement 1994-95. Canberra: AGPS. Cook- Deegan , R.M. Merit Review for Federally Funded Science and Technology: A White Paper for the Council of the...18p. Craig -B, "SPE Peer-Review Critique", JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY, 1994, Vol 46, Iss 7, pp 563-563 Cram-DL Stebbins-M Eom-HS Ratto-N

Relative merits of size, field, and current on ignited tokamak performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uckan, N.A.

1988-01-01

A simple global analysis is developed to examine the relative merits of size (L = a or R/sub 0 /), field (B/sub 0 /), and current (I) on ignition regimes of tokamaks under various confinement scaling laws. Scalings of key parameters with L, B/sub 0 /, and I are presented at several operating points, including (a) optimal path to ignition (saddle point), (b) ignition at minimum beta, (c) ignition at 10 keV, and (d) maximum performance at the limits of density and beta. Expressions for the saddle point and the minimum conditions needed for ohmic ignition are derived analytically for any confinement model of the form tau/sub E/ ∼ n/sup x/T/sup y/. For a wide range of confinement models, the ''figure of merit'' parameters and I are found to give a good indication of the relative performance of the devices where q* is the cylindrical safety factor. As an illustration, the results are applied to representative ''CIT'' (as a class of compact, high-field ignition tokamaks) and ''Super-JETs'' [a class of large-size (few x JET), low-field, high-current (≥20-MA) devices.

How Money Helps Keep Students in College: The Relationship between Family Finances, Merit-Based Aid, and Retention in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Olbrecht, Alexandre M.; Romano, Christopher; Teigen, Jeremy

2016-01-01

In this paper, we leverage detailed, individual-level student data to understand the relationships between family finances, merit-based aid, and first-year student retention. With three cohorts of student data that comprise family financial status, institutional merit scholarships, and many of the other known correlates of student retention, we…

Streamlining the license renewal review process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dozier, J.; Lee, S.; Kuo, P.T.

2001-01-01

The staff of the NRC has been developing three regulatory guidance documents for license renewal: the Generic Aging Lessons Learned (GALL) report, Standard Review Plan for License Renewal (SRP-LR), and Regulatory Guide (RG) for Standard Format and Content for Applications to Renew Nuclear Power Plant Operating Licenses. These documents are designed to streamline the license renewal review process by providing clear guidance for license renewal applicants and the NRC staff in preparing and reviewing license renewal applications. The GALL report systematically catalogs aging effects on structures and components; identifies the relevant existing plant programs; and evaluates the existing programs against the attributes considered necessary for an aging management program to be acceptable for license renewal. The GALL report also provides guidance for the augmentation of existing plant programs for license renewal. The revised SRP-LR allows an applicant to reference the GALL report to preclude further NRC staff evaluation if the plant's existing programs meet the criteria described in the GALL report. During the review process, the NRC staff will focus primarily on existing programs that should be augmented or new programs developed specifically for license renewal. The Regulatory Guide is expected to endorse the Nuclear Energy Institute (NEI) guideline, NEI 95-10, Revision 2, entitled 'Industry Guideline for Implementing the Requirements of 10 CFR Part 54 - The License Renewal Rule', which provides guidance for preparing a license renewal application. This paper will provide an introduction to the GALL report, SRP-LR, Regulatory Guide, and NEI 95-10 to show how these documents are interrelated and how they will be used to streamline the license renewal review process. This topic will be of interest to domestic power utilities considering license renewal and international ICONE participants seeking state-of-the-art information about license renewal in the United States

Internal quality assurance reviews: challenges and processes ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Internal quality assurance reviews: challenges and processes – Walter Sisulu University\\'s Business, Management Sciences and Law Faculty. ... This article examines some of the challenges and processes followed by six of the departments ...

Some opinions on the review process of research papers destined for publication.

Science.gov (United States)

Roohi, Ehsan; Mahian, Omid

2015-06-01

The current paper discusses the peer review process in journals that publish research papers purveying new science and understandings (scientific journals). Different aspects of peer review including the selection of reviewers, the review process and the decision policy of editor are discussed in details. Here, the pros and cons of different conventional methods of review processes are mentioned. Finally, a suggestion is presented for the review process of scientific papers.

Peer Review Quality and Transparency of the Peer-Review Process in Open Access and Subscription Journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Wicherts, Jelte M

2016-01-01

Recent controversies highlighting substandard peer review in Open Access (OA) and traditional (subscription) journals have increased the need for authors, funders, publishers, and institutions to assure quality of peer-review in academic journals. I propose that transparency of the peer-review process may be seen as an indicator of the quality of peer-review, and develop and validate a tool enabling different stakeholders to assess transparency of the peer-review process. Based on editorial guidelines and best practices, I developed a 14-item tool to rate transparency of the peer-review process on the basis of journals' websites. In Study 1, a random sample of 231 authors of papers in 92 subscription journals in different fields rated transparency of the journals that published their work. Authors' ratings of the transparency were positively associated with quality of the peer-review process but unrelated to journal's impact factors. In Study 2, 20 experts on OA publishing assessed the transparency of established (non-OA) journals, OA journals categorized as being published by potential predatory publishers, and journals from the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ). Results show high reliability across items (α = .91) and sufficient reliability across raters. Ratings differentiated the three types of journals well. In Study 3, academic librarians rated a random sample of 140 DOAJ journals and another 54 journals that had received a hoax paper written by Bohannon to test peer-review quality. Journals with higher transparency ratings were less likely to accept the flawed paper and showed higher impact as measured by the h5 index from Google Scholar. The tool to assess transparency of the peer-review process at academic journals shows promising reliability and validity. The transparency of the peer-review process can be seen as an indicator of peer-review quality allowing the tool to be used to predict academic quality in new journals.

Blocked, Diluted, and Co-Opted: Interest Groups Wage War against Merit Pay

Science.gov (United States)

Buck, Stuart; Greene, Jay P.

2011-01-01

According to the latest "Education Next" poll, public support for merit pay gained significant ground over the past year and now outdistances opposition by a 2:1 margin. Replacing the standardized salary schedule, where the only factors that determine teacher salaries are the number of years on the job and academic credentials, seems a…

A figure of merit for selective absorbers in flat plate solar water heaters

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Roberts, DE

2013-12-01

Full Text Available We derive from first principles an analytical expression for a figure of merit (FM) for a selective solar absorber in a single glazed flat plate water heater. We first show that the efficiency of a collector with an absorber with absorptance α...

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

Negative ion formation processes: A general review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alton, G.D.

1990-01-01

The principal negative ion formation processes will be briefly reviewed. Primary emphasis will be placed on the more efficient and universal processes of charge transfer and secondary ion formation through non-thermodynamic surface ionization. 86 refs., 20 figs

Figures of merit for measuring aging management program effectiveness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knudson, R.; Sciacca, F.; Walsh, R.; Zigler, G.

1991-01-01

One of the requirements for nuclear plant license renewal may be the establishment and demonstration of an effective aging management program. An analysis of both qualitative and quantitative information will be required to define the contents of this aging management program. The authors propose two quantitative figures of merit, Mean Event Detection Frequency and Mean Renewal Rate, that can be used to compare the effectiveness of various inspection, surveillance, test, and monitoring (ISTM) activities for aging mitigation. An example showing the relative effectiveness of an enhanced Loose Parts Monitoring System with current ISTM activities for steam generators and reactor internals is provided. (author)

How operational issues impact science peer review

Science.gov (United States)

Blacker, Brett S.; Golombek, Daniel; Macchetto, Duccio

2006-06-01

In some eyes, the Phase I proposal selection process is the most important activity handled by the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). Proposing for HST and other missions consists of requesting observing time and/or archival research funding. This step is called Phase I, where the scientific merit of a proposal is considered by a community based peer-review process. Accepted proposals then proceed thru Phase II, where the observations are specified in sufficient detail to enable scheduling on the telescope. Each cycle the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Telescope Allocation Committee (TAC) reviews proposals and awards observing time that is valued at $0.5B, when the total expenditures for HST over its lifetime are figured on an annual basis. This is in fact a very important endeavor that we continue to fine-tune and tweak. This process is open to the science community and we constantly receive comments and praise for this process. In this last year we have had to deal with the loss of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and move from 3-gyro operations to 2-gyro operations. This paper will outline how operational issues impact the HST science peer review process. We will discuss the process that was used to recover from the loss of the STIS instrument and how we dealt with the loss of 1/3 of the current science observations. We will also discuss the issues relating to 3-gyro vs. 2-gyro operations and how that changes impacted Proposers, our in-house processing and the TAC.

Divine intervention? A Cochrane review on intercessory prayer gone beyond science and reason

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Karsten Juhl; Hróbjartsson, Asbjørn; Gøtzsche, Peter C

2009-01-01

We discuss in this commentary a recent Cochrane review of 10 randomised trials aimed at testing the religious belief that praying to a god can help those who are prayed for. The review concluded that the available studies merit additional research. However, the review presented a scientifically u...

Improved merit order and augmented Lagrange Hopfield network for short term hydrothermal scheduling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vo Ngoc Dieu; Ongsakul, Weerakorn

2009-01-01

This paper proposes an improved merit order (IMO) combined with an augmented Lagrangian Hopfield network (ALHN) for solving short term hydrothermal scheduling (HTS) with pumped-storage hydro plants. The proposed IMO-ALHN consists of a merit order based on the average production cost of generating units enhanced by heuristic search algorithm for finding unit scheduling and a continuous Hopfield neural network with its energy function based on augmented Lagrangian relaxation for solving constrained economic dispatch (CED). The proposed method is applied to solve the HTS problem in five stages including thermal, hydro and pumped-storage unit commitment by IMO and heuristic search, constraint violations repairing by heuristic search and CED by ALHN. The proposed method is tested on the 24-bus IEEE RTS with 32 units including 4 fuel-constrained, 4-hydro, and 2 pumped-storage units scheduled over a 24-h period. Test results indicate that the proposed IMO-ALHN is efficient for hydrothermal systems with various constraints.

PRISM Software: Processing and Review Interface for Strong‐Motion Data

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Jeanne M.; Kalkan, Erol; Stephens, Christopher D.; Ng, Peter

2017-01-01

A continually increasing number of high‐quality digital strong‐motion records from stations of the National Strong Motion Project (NSMP) of the U.S. Geological Survey, as well as data from regional seismic networks within the United States, calls for automated processing of strong‐motion records with human review limited to selected significant or flagged records. The NSMP has developed the Processing and Review Interface for Strong Motion data (PRISM) software to meet this need. In combination with the Advanced National Seismic System Quake Monitoring System (AQMS), PRISM automates the processing of strong‐motion records. When used without AQMS, PRISM provides batch‐processing capabilities. The PRISM software is platform independent (coded in Java), open source, and does not depend on any closed‐source or proprietary software. The software consists of two major components: a record processing engine composed of modules for each processing step, and a review tool, which is a graphical user interface for manual review, edit, and processing. To facilitate use by non‐NSMP earthquake engineers and scientists, PRISM (both its processing engine and review tool) is easy to install and run as a stand‐alone system on common operating systems such as Linux, OS X, and Windows. PRISM was designed to be flexible and extensible to accommodate implementation of new processing techniques. All the computing features have been thoroughly tested.

Measurement of the figure of merit M for 1-C3F6/SF6 mixtures

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Jørn Erik Berril; McAllister, Iain Wilson

1997-01-01

High precision measurements of the linear part of the Paschen curve are reported for 1-C3F6/SF6 mixtures. From these measurements, values for the pressure-reduced limiting electric field strength (E/p)lim and the associated figure of merit M are derived. These two parameters can be used to charac......High precision measurements of the linear part of the Paschen curve are reported for 1-C3F6/SF6 mixtures. From these measurements, values for the pressure-reduced limiting electric field strength (E/p)lim and the associated figure of merit M are derived. These two parameters can be used...

Examining Marketing Journals' Publication Process and Reviewer Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Seiler, Vicky L.; Reisenwitz, Timothy H.; Schibrowsky, John A.

2011-01-01

This study examines reviewer practices at 11 marketing journals. The results for the top three journals are compared to eight comparable journals that are typically considered to be non-top-tier journals. The results suggest that the reviewers and the review processes at the top journals differ significantly from those of the non-top-tier…

NRC perspectives on the digital system review process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mauck, J.L.

1998-01-01

Since about 1988, the USNRC has been involved in the review of digital retrofits to instrumentation and control (I and C) systems in nuclear power plants. Initially, this involvement was limited but with the advent of the 1990s, NRC involvement has become greater because of increased interest in and application of digital systems as existing analog systems become obsolete. Criteria for the design of such systems to ensure safety has been promulgated over the years and the USNRC has been actively involved both nationally and internationally with this effort. With the publication of the Zion Eagle 21 Safety Evaluation Report in 1992, Generic Letter 95-02 in April 1995 which endorses EPRI guidance document TR-102348 on digital upgrades and the latest revision to Regulatory Guide 1.152 which endorses IEEE 7.4.3.2-1993; a basic digital system review process was established. The NRC supplemented this review process with recently issued inspection procedures for use by NRC inspectors when conducting onsite reviews of digital modifications. In addition, the NRC undertook a major effort to codify the above guidance and the experience gained from digital system reviews of both operating plant modifications and advanced reactor designs, over these years into a revision to Standard Review Plan, (SRP), NUREG-0800, Chapter 7, Instrumentation and Control. This SRP revision was published in June, 1997, and included new SRP sections, branch technical positions and six new regulatory guides endorsing IEEE standards on software quality. The NRC staff believes that a stable digital system review process is now in place. (author)

12 CFR 563b.115 - How will OTS review my business plan?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 5 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false How will OTS review my business plan? 563b.115... business plan? (a) OTS will review your business plan to determine that it demonstrates a safe and sound... will be determinative. OTS will review every case on its merits. (b) You must file your business plan...

A code inspection process for security reviews

Science.gov (United States)

Garzoglio, Gabriele

2010-04-01

In recent years, it has become more and more evident that software threat communities are taking an increasing interest in Grid infrastructures. To mitigate the security risk associated with the increased numbers of attacks, the Grid software development community needs to scale up effort to reduce software vulnerabilities. This can be achieved by introducing security review processes as a standard project management practice. The Grid Facilities Department of the Fermilab Computing Division has developed a code inspection process, tailored to reviewing security properties of software. The goal of the process is to identify technical risks associated with an application and their impact. This is achieved by focusing on the business needs of the application (what it does and protects), on understanding threats and exploit communities (what an exploiter gains), and on uncovering potential vulnerabilities (what defects can be exploited). The desired outcome of the process is an improvement of the quality of the software artifact and an enhanced understanding of possible mitigation strategies for residual risks. This paper describes the inspection process and lessons learned on applying it to Grid middleware.

A code inspection process for security reviews

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garzoglio, Gabriele

2010-01-01

In recent years, it has become more and more evident that software threat communities are taking an increasing interest in Grid infrastructures. To mitigate the security risk associated with the increased numbers of attacks, the Grid software development community needs to scale up effort to reduce software vulnerabilities. This can be achieved by introducing security review processes as a standard project management practice. The Grid Facilities Department of the Fermilab Computing Division has developed a code inspection process, tailored to reviewing security properties of software. The goal of the process is to identify technical risks associated with an application and their impact. This is achieved by focusing on the business needs of the application (what it does and protects), on understanding threats and exploit communities (what an exploiter gains), and on uncovering potential vulnerabilities (what defects can be exploited). The desired outcome of the process is an improvement of the quality of the software artifact and an enhanced understanding of possible mitigation strategies for residual risks. This paper describes the inspection process and lessons learned on applying it to Grid middleware.

A code inspection process for security reviews

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garzoglio, Gabriele; /Fermilab

2009-05-01

In recent years, it has become more and more evident that software threat communities are taking an increasing interest in Grid infrastructures. To mitigate the security risk associated with the increased numbers of attacks, the Grid software development community needs to scale up effort to reduce software vulnerabilities. This can be achieved by introducing security review processes as a standard project management practice. The Grid Facilities Department of the Fermilab Computing Division has developed a code inspection process, tailored to reviewing security properties of software. The goal of the process is to identify technical risks associated with an application and their impact. This is achieved by focusing on the business needs of the application (what it does and protects), on understanding threats and exploit communities (what an exploiter gains), and on uncovering potential vulnerabilities (what defects can be exploited). The desired outcome of the process is an improvement of the quality of the software artifact and an enhanced understanding of possible mitigation strategies for residual risks. This paper describes the inspection process and lessons learned on applying it to Grid middleware.

Figures of merit for self-beating filtered microwave photonic systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, Daniel; Gasulla, Ivana; Capmany, José; Fandiño, Javier S; Muñoz, Pascual; Alavi, Hossein

2016-05-02

We present a model to compute the figures of merit of self-beating Microwave Photonic systems, a novel class of systems that work on a self-homodyne fashion by sharing the same laser source for information bearing and local oscillator tasks. General and simplified expressions are given and, as an example, we have considered their application to the design of a tunable RF MWP BS/UE front end for band selection, based on a Chebyshev Type-II optical filter. The applicability and usefulness of the model are also discussed.

Arsenene and Antimonene: Two-Dimensional Materials with High Thermoelectric Figures of Merit

KAUST Repository

Sharma, S.

2017-10-25

We study the thermoelectric properties of As and Sb monolayers (arsenene and antimonene) using density-functional theory and the semiclassical Boltzmann transport approach. The materials show large band gaps combined with low lattice thermal conductivities. Specifically, the small phonon frequencies and group velocities of antimonene lead to an excellent thermoelectric response at room temperature. We show that n-type doping enhances the figure of merit.

Information processing speed in obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Kilpinen, R; Saunamäki, T; Jehkonen, M

2014-04-01

To provide a comprehensive review of studies on information processing speed in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) as compared to healthy controls and normative data, and to determine whether continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment improves information processing speed. A systematic review was performed on studies drawn from Medline and PsycINFO (January 1990-December 2011) and identified from lists of references in these studies. After inclusion criteria, 159 articles were left for abstract review, and after exclusion criteria 44 articles were fully reviewed. The number of patients in the studies reviewed ranged from 10 to 157 and the study samples consisted mainly of men. Half of the studies reported that patients with OSAS showed reduced information processing speed when compared to healthy controls. Reduced information processing speed was seen more often (75%) when compared to norm-referenced data. Psychomotor speed seemed to be particularly liable to change. CPAP treatment improved processing speed, but the improvement was marginal when compared to placebo or conservative treatment. Patients with OSAS are affected by reduced information processing speed, which may persist despite CPAP treatment. Information processing is usually assessed as part of other cognitive functioning, not as a cognitive domain per se. However, it is important to take account of information processing speed when assessing other aspects of cognitive functioning. This will make it possible to determine whether cognitive decline in patients with OSAS is based on lower-level or higher-level cognitive processes or both. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Brief Introduction on Peer Review: New Possibilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean Scanlan

2013-06-01

Full Text Available From the classroom, to the lab, to the studio, to industry, and to the academy, evaluating work is part of everyday life. Whether we call it critiquing, refereeing, or peer reviewing, the goals are the same: to make the object under review better, to verify that its claims are not false, or at the very least, to ascertain that the object has some merit. Jenna Pack Sheffield’s note "Open Peer Review: Collective Intelligence as a Framework for Theorizing Approaches to Peer Review in the Humanities" discusses the definition of “open peer review” and looks at various ways it’s been used to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the process. This issue of NANO includes interviews with three editors who share their ideas about the shape of current peer review problems and what the future might look like for academics, tenure review boards, and publishers. First, Sean Scanlan conducted an email interview with Masoud Yazdani, the editor of Intellect Books, an independent academic publisher in the fields of creative practice and popular culture, whose aim is to publish scholarly books and journals that provide a vital space for widening critical debate in new and emerging subjects. Second, Sean Scanlan interviews Aaron Barlow, of New York City College of Technology, who shares his views on the problems of traditional peer review. Third, NANO assistant editor Rebecca Devers interviews Martha J. Cutter, the former editor of MELUS, about the complexities of processing, reviewing, and publishing a journal that receives in over 300 submissions each year.

Moral Judgment as Information Processing: An Integrative Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steve eGuglielmo

2015-10-01

Full Text Available This article reviews dominant models of moral judgment, organizing them within an overarching framework of information processing. This framework poses two fundamental questions: (1 What input information guides moral judgments?; and (2 What psychological processes generate these judgments? Information Models address the first question, identifying critical information elements (including causality, intentionality, and mental states that shape moral judgments. A subclass of Biased Information Models holds that perceptions of these information elements are themselves driven by prior moral judgments. Processing Models address the second question, and existing models have focused on the relative contribution of intuitive versus deliberative processes. This review organizes existing moral judgment models within this framework, critically evaluates them on empirical and theoretical grounds, outlines a general integrative model grounded in information processing, and offers conceptual and methodological suggestions for future research. The information processing perspective provides a useful theoretical framework for organizing extant and future work in the rapidly growing field of moral judgment.

Improving the reviewing process in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Grossman, G. D.

2014-06-01

Full Text Available I discuss current issues in reviewing and editorial practices in ecology and evolutionary biology and suggest possible solutions for current problems. The reviewing crisis is unlikely to change unless steps are taken by journals to provide greater inclusiveness and incentives to reviewers. In addition, both journals and institutions should reduce their emphasis on publication numbers (least publishable units and impact factors and focus instead on article synthesis and quality which will require longer publications. Academic and research institutions should consider reviewing manuscripts and editorial positions an important part of a researcher’s professional activities and reward them accordingly. Rewarding reviewers either monetarily or via other incentives such as free journal subscriptions may encourage participation in the reviewing process for both profit and non–profit journals. Reviewer performance will likely be improved by measures that increase inclusiveness, such as sending reviews and decision letters to reviewers. Journals may be able to evaluate the efficacy of their reviewing process by comparing citations of rejected but subsequently published papers with those published within the journal at similar times. Finally, constructive reviews: 1 identify important shortcomings and suggest solutions when possible, 2 distinguish trivial from non–trivial problems, and 3 include editor’s evaluations of the reviews including identification of trivial versus substantive comments (i.e., those that must be addressed.

Lifetime Net Merit vs. annualized net present value as measures of profitability of selection

Science.gov (United States)

Current USDA linear selection indexes such as Lifetime Net Merit (NM$) estimate lifetime profit given a combination of 13 traits. In these indexes, every animal gets credit for 2.78 lactations of the traits expressed per lactation, independent of its productive life (PL). Selection among animals wit...

Ultrahigh figure-of-merit for hydrogen generation from sodium borohydride using ternary metal catalysts

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Lunghao; Ceccato, R.; Raj, R.

We report further increase in the figure-of-merit (FOM) for hydrogen generation from NaBH 4 than reported in an earlier paper [1], where a sub-nanometer layer of metal catalysts are deposited on carbon nanotube paper (CNT paper) that has been functionalized with polymer-derived silicon carbonitride (SiCN) ceramic film. Ternary, Ru-Pd-Pt, instead of the binary Pd-Pt catalyst used earlier, together with a thinner CNT paper is shown to increase the figure-of-merit by up to a factor of six, putting is above any other known catalyst for hydrogen generation from NaBH 4. The catalysts are prepared by first impregnating the functionalized CNT-paper with solutions of the metal salts, followed by reduction in a sodium borohydride solution. The reaction mechanism and the catalyst efficiency are described in terms of an electric charge transfer, whereby the negative charge on the BH 4 - ion is exchanged with hydrogen via the electronically conducting SiCN/CNT substrate [1].

Search for thermoelectrics with high figure of merit in half-Heusler compounds with multinary substitution

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhary, Mukesh K.; Ravindran, P.

2018-04-01

In order to improve the thermoelectric performance of TiCoSb we have substituted 50% of Ti equally with Zr and Hf at Ti site and Sb with Sn and Se equally at Sb site. The electronic structure of Ti0.5Zr0.25Hf0.25CoSn0.5Se0.5 is investigated using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method and the thermoelectric transport properties are calculated on the basis of semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. Our band structure calculations show that Ti0.5Zr0.25Hf0.25CoSn0.5Se0.5 has semiconducting behavior with indirect band gap value of 0.98 eV which follow the empirical rule of 18 valence-electron content to bring semiconductivity in half Heusler compounds, indicating that one can have semiconducting behavior in multinary phase of half Heusler compounds if they full fill the 18 VEC rule and this open-up the possibility of designing thermoelectrics with high figure of merit in half Heusler compounds. We show that at high temperature of around 700K Ti0.5Zr0.25Hf0.25CoSn0.5Se0.5 has high thermoelectric figure of merit of ZT = 1.05 which is higher than that of TiCoSb (˜ 0.95) suggesting that by going from ternary to multinary phase system one can enhance the thermoelectric figure of merit at higher temperatures.

The effects of an editor serving as one of the reviewers during the peer-review process.

Science.gov (United States)

Giordan, Marco; Csikasz-Nagy, Attila; Collings, Andrew M; Vaggi, Federico

2016-01-01

Background Publishing in scientific journals is one of the most important ways in which scientists disseminate research to their peers and to the wider public. Pre-publication peer review underpins this process, but peer review is subject to various criticisms and is under pressure from growth in the number of scientific publications. Methods Here we examine an element of the editorial process at eLife , in which the Reviewing Editor usually serves as one of the referees, to see what effect this has on decision times, decision type, and the number of citations. We analysed a dataset of 8,905 research submissions to eLife since June 2012, of which 2,747 were sent for peer review. This subset of 2747 papers was then analysed in detail.   Results The Reviewing Editor serving as one of the peer reviewers results in faster decision times on average, with the time to final decision ten days faster for accepted submissions (n=1,405) and five days faster for papers that were rejected after peer review (n=1,099). Moreover, editors acting as reviewers had no effect on whether submissions were accepted or rejected, and a very small (but significant) effect on citation rates. Conclusions An important aspect of eLife 's peer-review process is shown to be effective, given that decision times are faster when the Reviewing Editor serves as a reviewer. Other journals hoping to improve decision times could consider adopting a similar approach.

Non-invasive method of determination of thermoelectric materials figure of merit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ashcheulov А. А.

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Thermoelectric effects arising in a sample placed in a measuring oscillating loop have been studied. It has been shown that asymmetric character of flowing current results in a volumetric bundle of induced Foucault currents and regions of Peltier heat release by thermoelectric sample which leads to increasing of irreversible heat losses recorded by measuring oscillating loop. The presence of this effect has caused the emergence of ingenious non-invasive method for recording of thermoelectric materials figure of merit.

Cooling System for the Merit High-Power Target Experiment

CERN Document Server

Haug, F; Silva, P; Pezzeti, M; Pavlov, O; Pirotte, O; Metselaar, J; Efthymiopoulos, I; Fabich, A; Lettry, J; Kirk, H G; McDonald, K T; Titus, P; Bennett, J R J

2010-01-01

MERIT is a proof-of-principle experiment of a target station suitable as source for future muon colliders or neutrino factories. When installed at the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) PS (Proton Synchrotron)complex fast-extracted high-intensity proton beams intercepted a free mercury jet inside a normal-conducting, pulsed 15-T capture solenoid magnet cooled with liquid nitrogen. Up to 25 MJ of Joule heat was dissipated in the magnet during a pulse. The fully automated, remotely controlled cryogenic system of novel design permitted the transfer of nitrogen by the sole means of differential pressures inside the vessels. This fast cycling system permitted several hundred tests in less than three weeks during the 2007 data taking campaign.

The application of a figure of merit for nuclear explosive utility as a metric for material attractiveness in a nuclear material theft scenario

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, Wayne E.; Bradley, Keith; Jones, Edwin D.; Kramer, Kevin J.; Latkowski, Jeffery F.; Robel, Martin; Sleaford, Brad W.

2010-01-01

Effective integration of nonproliferation management into the design process is key to the broad deployment of advanced nuclear energy systems, and is an explicit goal of the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) project at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The nuclear explosives utility of a nuclear material to a state (proliferator) or sub-state (terrorist) is a critical factor to be assessed and is one aspect of material attractiveness. In this work, we approached nuclear explosives utility through the calculation of a 'figure of merit' (FOM) that has recently been developed to capture the relative viability and difficulty of constructing nuclear explosives starting from various nuclear material forms and compositions. We discuss the integration of the figure of merit into an assessment of a nuclear material theft scenario and its use in the assessment. This paper demonstrates that material attractiveness is a multidimensional concept that embodies more than the FOM. It also seeks to propose that other attributes may be able to be quantified through analogous FOMs (e.g., transformation) and that, with quantification, aggregation may be possible using concepts from the risk community.

The Peer Review Process: An Expanded Role for Repositories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joanna Richardson

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Peer review has been regarded as a cornerstone of scientific research for a considerable time. Journals seeking to attract high quality scholarship rely on peer review to maintain their credentials in the publishing industry. However, over a period of time—and especially given the advent of the Internet—complaints have arisen from authors, reviewers and even editors as to the efficacy of the system. The authors outline a range of models which have evolved that either complement or replace evaluation processes which characterise traditional peer review. Research data is presented in the context of quality assessment. The authors introduce several approaches which are utilising repositories to support the process. Consideration is given as to how this might change the current institutional repository environment.

Anomalous enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit by V co-doping of Nb-SrTiO3

KAUST Repository

Ozdogan, K.

2012-05-10

The effect of V co-doping of Nb-SrTiO3 is studied by full-potential density functional theory. We obtain a stronger increase of the carrier density for V than for Nbdopants. While in Nb-SrTiO3 a high carrier density counteracts a high thermoelectric figure of merit, the trend is inverted by V co-doping. The mechanism leading to this behavior is explained in terms of a local spin-polarization introduced by the V ions. Our results indicate that magnetic co-doping can be a prominent tool for improving the thermoelectric figure of merit.

Anomalous enhancement of the thermoelectric figure of merit by V co-doping of Nb-SrTiO3

KAUST Repository

Ozdogan, K.; Alshareef, Husam N.; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Upadhyay Kahaly, M.

2012-01-01

The effect of V co-doping of Nb-SrTiO3 is studied by full-potential density functional theory. We obtain a stronger increase of the carrier density for V than for Nbdopants. While in Nb-SrTiO3 a high carrier density counteracts a high thermoelectric figure of merit, the trend is inverted by V co-doping. The mechanism leading to this behavior is explained in terms of a local spin-polarization introduced by the V ions. Our results indicate that magnetic co-doping can be a prominent tool for improving the thermoelectric figure of merit.

76 FR 50453 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-15

... DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request The Department of Commerce will... merits of designation, the economic benefits, increased federal management in the archipelago, the... Clearance Officer, (202) 482-0266, Department of Commerce, Room 6616, 14th and Constitution Avenue, NW...

Process Review for Development of Quantitative Risk Analyses for Transboundary Animal Disease to Pathogen-Free Territories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jonathan Miller

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Outbreaks of transboundary animal diseases (TADs have the potential to cause significant detriment to animal, human, and environmental health; severe economic implications; and national security. Challenges concerning data sharing, model development, decision support, and disease emergence science have recently been promoted. These challenges and recommendations have been recognized and advocated in the disciplines intersecting with outbreak prediction and forecast modeling regarding infectious diseases. To advance the effective application of computation and risk communication, analytical products ought to follow a collaboratively agreed common plan for implementation. Research articles should seek to inform and assist prioritization of national and international strategies in developing established criteria to identify and follow best practice standards to assess risk model attributes and performance. A well-defined framework to help eliminate gaps in policy, process, and planning knowledge areas would help alleviate the intense need for the formation of a comprehensive strategy for countering TAD outbreak risks. A quantitative assessment that accurately captures the risk of introduction of a TAD through various pathways can be a powerful tool in guiding where government, academic, and industry resources ought to be allocated, whether implementation of additional risk management solutions is merited, and where research efforts should be directed to minimize risk. This review outlines a part of a process for the development of quantitative risk analysis to collect, analyze, and communicate this knowledge. A more comprehensive and unabridged manual was also developed. The framework used in supporting the application of aligning computational tools for readiness continues our approach to apply a preparedness mindset to challenges concerning threats to global biosecurity, secure food systems, and risk-mitigated agricultural economies.

A review of serological tests used in the diagnosis of Brucellosis ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Brucellosis is of serious economic importance in livestock and in humans. There are batteries of serological tests developed and in use for the diagnosis of brucellosis in human and livestock Brief history, merits and demerits of some of these test are enumerated in this review. The purpose of the review is to bring together in ...

Moral judgment as information processing: an integrative review.

Science.gov (United States)

Guglielmo, Steve

2015-01-01

How do humans make moral judgments about others' behavior? This article reviews dominant models of moral judgment, organizing them within an overarching framework of information processing. This framework poses two distinct questions: (1) What input information guides moral judgments? and (2) What psychological processes generate these judgments? Information Models address the first question, identifying critical information elements (including causality, intentionality, and mental states) that shape moral judgments. A subclass of Biased Information Models holds that perceptions of these information elements are themselves driven by prior moral judgments. Processing Models address the second question, and existing models have focused on the relative contribution of intuitive versus deliberative processes. This review organizes existing moral judgment models within this framework and critically evaluates them on empirical and theoretical grounds; it then outlines a general integrative model grounded in information processing, and concludes with conceptual and methodological suggestions for future research. The information-processing framework provides a useful theoretical lens through which to organize extant and future work in the rapidly growing field of moral judgment.

Moral judgment as information processing: an integrative review

Science.gov (United States)

Guglielmo, Steve

2015-01-01

How do humans make moral judgments about others’ behavior? This article reviews dominant models of moral judgment, organizing them within an overarching framework of information processing. This framework poses two distinct questions: (1) What input information guides moral judgments? and (2) What psychological processes generate these judgments? Information Models address the first question, identifying critical information elements (including causality, intentionality, and mental states) that shape moral judgments. A subclass of Biased Information Models holds that perceptions of these information elements are themselves driven by prior moral judgments. Processing Models address the second question, and existing models have focused on the relative contribution of intuitive versus deliberative processes. This review organizes existing moral judgment models within this framework and critically evaluates them on empirical and theoretical grounds; it then outlines a general integrative model grounded in information processing, and concludes with conceptual and methodological suggestions for future research. The information-processing framework provides a useful theoretical lens through which to organize extant and future work in the rapidly growing field of moral judgment. PMID:26579022

Electron beam flue gas treatment process. Review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honkonen, V.A.

1996-01-01

The basis of the process for electron beam flue gas treatment are presented in the report. In tabular form the history of the research is reviewed. Main dependences of SO 2 and NO x removal efficiencies on different physico-chemical parameters are discussed. Trends concerning industrial process implementation are presented in the paper,finally. (author). 74 refs, 11 figs, 1 tab

Process modeling and bottleneck mining in online peer-review systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Premchaiswadi, Wichian; Porouhan, Parham

2015-01-01

This paper is divided into three main parts. In the first part of the study, we captured, collected and formatted an event log describing the handling of reviews for proceedings of an international conference in Thailand. In the second part, we used several process mining techniques in order to discover process models, social, organizational, and hierarchical structures from the proceeding's event log. In the third part, we detected the deviations and bottlenecks of the peer review process by comparing the observed events (i.e., authentic dataset) with a pre-defined model (i.e., master map). Finally, we investigated the performance information as well as the total waiting time in order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the online submission and peer review system for the prospective conferences and seminars. Consequently, the main goals of the study were as follows: (1) to convert the collected event log into the appropriate format supported by process mining analysis tools, (2) to discover process models and to construct social networks based on the collected event log, and (3) to find deviations, discrepancies and bottlenecks between the collected event log and the master pre-defined model. The results showed that although each paper was initially sent to three different reviewers; it was not always possible to make a decision after the first round of reviewing; therefore, additional reviewers were invited. In total, all the accepted and rejected manuscripts were reviewed by an average of 3.9 and 3.2 expert reviewers, respectively. Moreover, obvious violations of the rules and regulations relating to careless or inappropriate peer review of a manuscript-committed by the editorial board and other staff-were identified. Nine blocks of activity in the authentic dataset were not completely compatible with the activities defined in the master model. Also, five of the activity traces were not correctly enabled, and seven activities were missed within the

A review on the beneficial aspects of food processing.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boekel, van M.A.J.S.; Fogliano, V.; Pellegrini, N.; Stanton, C.; Scholz, G.; Lalljie, S.P.D.; Somoza, V.; Knorr, D.; Rao Jasti, P.; Eisenbrand, G.

2010-01-01

The manuscript reviews beneficial aspects of food processing with main focus on cooking/heat treatment, including other food-processing techniques (e.g. fermentation). Benefits of thermal processing include inactivation of food-borne pathogens, natural toxins or other detrimental constituents,

Nuclear Regulatory Commission's antitrust review process: an analysis of the impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-06-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) antitrust process is reviewed and its impacts to small systems and applicant systems are studied. This process takes the form of a description of the NRC's antitrust review process as implemented, a generic categorization of potential impacts and individual case-by-case studies of four different utilities

Treatment planning figures of merit in thermal and epithermal boron capture therapy of brain tumours

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallace, S.A.; Mathur, J.N. (Wollongong Univ., NSW (Australia)); Allen, B.J. (Ansto PMB 1 Menai, NSW (Australia). Biomedicine and Health)

1994-05-01

The boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) figures of merit of advantage depth, therapeutic depth, modified advantage depth and maximum therapeutic depth have been studied as functions of [sup 10]B tumour to blood ratios and absolute levels. These relationships were examined using the Monte Carlo neutron photon transport code, MCNP, with an ideal 18.4 cm diameter neutron beam incident laterally upon an ellipsoidal neutron photon brain-equivalent model. Mono-energetic beams of 0.025 eV (thermal) and 35 eV (epithermal) were simulated. Increasing the tumour to blood [sup 10]B ratio predictably increases all figures of merit. [sup 10]B concentration was also shown to have a strong bearing on the figures of merit when low levels were present in the system. This is the result of a non-[sup 10]B dependent background dose. At higher levels however, the concentration of [sup 10]B has a diminishing influence. For boron sulphydryl (BSH), little advantage is gained by extending the blood [sup 10]B level beyond 30 ppm, whilst for D, L,-p-boronophenylalanine (BPA) this limit is 10 ppm. Applying the epithermal beam under identical conditions, the therapeutic depth reaches the brain mid-line with a tumour to blood [sup 10]B ratio of only 5.7 for BPA. For BSH, the maximum therapeutic depth reaches the brain mid-line with a tumour to blood ratio of only 1.9 with 30 ppm in the blood. Human data for these compounds are very close to these requirements. (author).

A Figure-of-Merit for Beta Cell Detector Characterization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Foxe, Michael P. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Miller, Brian W. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Suarez, Rey [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hayes, James C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-09-02

In order to decrease the minimum detectable activities (MDAs) of beta-gamma radioxenon detectors, it is important to increase the ability to resolve the individual isotopes. One proposed method for doing this is to increase the energy resolution of the beta cell through the use of silicon detectors. While silicon detectors can improve the energy resolution, it is accompanied with a decrease in detection efficiency compared to plastic scintillator beta cells. Due to the uncertainty on the impact of the competing variables, we have developed a figure-of-merit (FOM) capable of determining the impact of detector parameters on the MDAs. By utilizing the FOM to analyze different detectors, we are able to directly compare current and future detectors and estimate their impact on the radioxenon MDAs.

Investigation of High-Efficiency Wireless Power Transfer Criteria of Resonantly-Coupled Loops and Dipoles through Analysis of the Figure of Merit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles Moorey

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The efficiency of a Wireless Power Transfer (WPT system is greatly dependent on both the geometry and operating frequency of the transmitting and receiving structures. By using Coupled Mode Theory (CMT, the figure of merit is calculated for resonantly-coupled loop and dipole systems. An in-depth analysis of the figure of merit is performed with respect to the key geometric parameters of the loops and dipoles, along with the resonant frequency, in order to identify the key relationships leading to high-efficiency WPT. For systems consisting of two identical single-turn loops, it is shown that the choice of both the loop radius and resonant frequency are essential in achieving high-efficiency WPT. For the dipole geometries studied, it is shown that the choice of length is largely irrelevant and that as a result of their capacitive nature, low-MHz frequency dipoles are able to produce significantly higher figures of merit than those of the loops considered. The results of the figure of merit analysis are used to propose and subsequently compare two mid-range loop and dipole WPT systems of equal size and operating frequency, where it is shown that the dipole system is able to achieve higher efficiencies than the loop system of the distance range examined.

12 CFR 617.7310 - What is the review process of the CRC?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What is the review process of the CRC? 617.7310... on Applications; Review of Credit Decisions § 617.7310 What is the review process of the CRC? (a) How will an applicant or borrower know when the CRC will consider the review request? The qualified lender...

A review of processes important in the floodplain setting

OpenAIRE

Stuart, M.E.; Lapworth, D.J.

2011-01-01

This report reviews the physical and geochemical processes reported in the literature and likely to be operating in the floodplain setting. The review supports a study of the Port Meadow, located within the floodplain of the River Thames to the northwest of the city of Oxford, an area affected by urban pollution. It focuses on floodplains but includes both material for the hyporheic zone and also generally for riparian zones. It describes the processes, generically covers case ...

AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ASSESSING RELIABLE NUCLEAR FUEL SERVICE APPROACHES: ECONOMIC AND NON-PROLIFERATION MERITS OF NUCLEAR FUEL LEASING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreyling, Sean J.; Brothers, Alan J.; Short, Steven M.; Phillips, Jon R.; Weimar, Mark R.

2010-01-01

The goal of international nuclear policy since the dawn of nuclear power has been the peaceful expansion of nuclear energy while controlling the spread of enrichment and reprocessing technology. Numerous initiatives undertaken in the intervening decades to develop international agreements on providing nuclear fuel supply assurances, or reliable nuclear fuel services (RNFS) attempted to control the spread of sensitive nuclear materials and technology. In order to inform the international debate and the development of government policy, PNNL has been developing an analytical framework to holistically evaluate the economics and non-proliferation merits of alternative approaches to managing the nuclear fuel cycle (i.e., cradle-to-grave). This paper provides an overview of the analytical framework and discusses preliminary results of an economic assessment of one RNFS approach: full-service nuclear fuel leasing. The specific focus of this paper is the metrics under development to systematically evaluate the non-proliferation merits of fuel-cycle management alternatives. Also discussed is the utility of an integrated assessment of the economics and non-proliferation merits of nuclear fuel leasing.

Optical Diagnostic Results from the MERIT High-Power Target Experiment

CERN Document Server

Kirk, H G; Tsang, T; Efthymiopoulos, I; Fabich, A; Haug, F; Lettry, J; Palm, M; Mokhov, N; Striganov, S; Carroll, A J; Graves, V B; Spampinato, P T; McDonald, K T; Bennett, J R J; Caretta, O; Loveridge, P

2010-01-01

We re­port on the anal­y­sis of data col­lect­ed from the op­ti­cal di­ag­nos­tics of the MERIT ex­per­i­ment which was run at CERN in the fall of 2007. The breakup of the free mer­cury jet re­sult­ing from the im­pact of in­tense pro­ton beams from the CERN PS with­in a mag­net­ic field en­vi­ron­ment is de­scribed.

Relative merits of travelling-wave and resonant operation of linac

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shoffstall, D.R.; Gallagher, W.J.

1985-01-01

Discussion of the relative merits of so-called standing wave vis-a-vis travelling wave operation of linear accelerator waveguides is complicated by various considerations. In the first instance, standing wave should be distinguished from resonant operation. Standing wave operation is exactly the same as travelling wave, excepting that the waveguide is terminated by a total reflection of power instead of a matched load. In resonant operation a length of slow wave structure is terminated, theoretically at reflection planes of symmetry; the discrete modes of resonance consist of two oppositely directed travelling wave ensembles, one of which will provide a space harmonic of an intended phase velocity

Processing Instruction: A Review of Issues

Science.gov (United States)

Rasuki, Muhlisin

2017-01-01

This paper provides a critical review of Processing Instruction (PI). This type of instructional option was specifically designed to help second/foreign language (L2) learners grasp meaning manifested in the use of particular grammatical forms in a target language effectively through the provision of input. In this way, PI attempts to help…

Influences of environmental and operational factors on dark fermentative hydrogen production: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammadi, Parviz; Ibrahim, Shaliza; Ghafari, Shahin; Annuar, Mohamad Suffian Mohamad; Vikineswary, Sabaratnam; Zinatizadeh, Ali Akbar

2012-01-01

Hydrogen (H 2 ) is one of renewable energy sources known for its non-polluting and environmentally friendly nature, as its end combustion product is water (H 2 O). The biological production of H 2 is a less energy intensive alternative where processes can be operated at ambient temperature and pressure. Dark fermentation by bacterial biomass is one of multitude of approaches to produce hydrogen which is known as the cleanest renewable energy and is thus receiving increasing attention worldwide. The present study briefly reviews the biohydrogen production process with special attention on the effects of several environmental and operational factors towards the process. Factors such as organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time, temperature, and pH studied in published reports were compared and their influences are discussed in this work. This review highlights the variations in examined operating ranges for the factors as well as their reported optimum values. Divergent values observed for the environmental/operational factors merit further exploration in this field. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Influences of environmental and operational factors on dark fermentative hydrogen production: a review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mohammadi, Parviz [Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Health, Kermanshah University of Medical Sciences, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ibrahim, Shaliza; Ghafari, Shahin [Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Annuar, Mohamad Suffian Mohamad; Vikineswary, Sabaratnam [Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia); Zinatizadeh, Ali Akbar [Department of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, Razi University, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Water and Wastewater Research Center (WWRC), Razi University, Kermanshah (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2012-11-15

Hydrogen (H{sub 2}) is one of renewable energy sources known for its non-polluting and environmentally friendly nature, as its end combustion product is water (H{sub 2}O). The biological production of H{sub 2} is a less energy intensive alternative where processes can be operated at ambient temperature and pressure. Dark fermentation by bacterial biomass is one of multitude of approaches to produce hydrogen which is known as the cleanest renewable energy and is thus receiving increasing attention worldwide. The present study briefly reviews the biohydrogen production process with special attention on the effects of several environmental and operational factors towards the process. Factors such as organic loading rate, hydraulic retention time, temperature, and pH studied in published reports were compared and their influences are discussed in this work. This review highlights the variations in examined operating ranges for the factors as well as their reported optimum values. Divergent values observed for the environmental/operational factors merit further exploration in this field. (Copyright copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

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

2013 Geothermal Technologies Office Peer Review Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geothermal Technologies Office

2014-01-01

Geothermal Technologies Office conducted its annual program peer review in April of 2013. The review provided an independent, expert evaluation of the technical progress and merit of GTO-funded projects. Further, the review was a forum for feedback and recommendations on future GTO strategic planning. During the course of the peer review, DOE-funded projects were evaluated for 1) their contribution to the mission and goals of the GTO and 2) their progress against stated project objectives. Principal Investigators (PIs) came together in sessions organized by topic “tracks” to disseminate information, progress, and results to a panel of independent experts as well as attendees.

Peer Review as a Strategy for Improving Students' Writing Process

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Kimberly M.

2016-01-01

Peer review is an established strategy for improving the quality of students' writing. This study moves beyond the focus on outcomes to assess the peer-review process. In particular, this study focuses on the timing of the peer review, a highly structured feedback form, and student writers' revisions after engaging in peer review. This study draws…

Thermoelectric System in Different Thermal and Electrical Configurations: Its Impact in the Figure of Merit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Vargas-Almeida

2013-05-01

Full Text Available In this work, we analyze different configurations of a thermoelectric system (TES composed of three thermoelectric generators (TEGs. We present the following considerations: (a TES thermally and electrically connected in series (SC; (b TES thermally and electrically connected in parallel (PSC; and (c parallel thermally and series electrical connection (SSC. We assume that the parameters of the TEGs are temperature-independent. The systems are characterized by three parameters, as it has been showed in recent investigations, namely, its internal electrical resistance, R, thermal conductance under open electrical circuit condition, K, and Seebeck coefficient α. We derive the equivalent parameters for each of the configurations considered here and calculate the Figure of Merit Z for the equivalent system. We show the impact of the configuration of the system on Z, and we suggest optimum configuration. In order to justify the effectiveness of the equivalent Figure of Merit, the corresponding efficiency has been calculated for each configuration.

The effect of level of feeding, genetic merit, body condition score and age on biological parameters of a mammary gland model.

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, J R; Lopez-Villalobos, N; Holmes, C W; Pryce, J E; Pitman, G D; Davis, S R

2007-03-01

An evolutionary algorithm was applied to a mechanistic model of the mammary gland to find the parameter values that minimised the difference between predicted and actual lactation curves of milk yields in New Zealand Jersey cattle managed at different feeding levels. The effect of feeding level, genetic merit, body condition score at parturition and age on total lactation yields of milk, fat and protein, days in milk, live weight and evolutionary algorithm derived mammary gland parameters was then determined using a multiple regression model. The mechanistic model of the mammary gland was able to fit lactation curves that corresponded to actual lactation curves with a high degree of accuracy. The senescence rate of quiescent (inactive) alveoli was highest at the very low feeding level. The active alveoli population at peak lactation was highest at very low feeding levels, but lower nutritional status at this feeding level prevented high milk yields from being achieved. Genetic merit had a significant linear effect on the active alveoli population at peak and mid to late lactation, with higher values in animals, which had higher breeding values for milk yields. A type of genetic merit × feeding level scaling effect was observed for total yields of milk and fat, and total number of alveoli produced from conception until the end of lactation with the benefits of increases in genetic merit being greater at high feeding levels. A genetic merit × age scaling effect was observed for total lactation protein yields. Initial rates of differentiation of progenitor cells declined with age. Production levels of alveoli from conception to the end of lactation were lowest in 5- to 8-year-old animals; however, in these older animals, quiescent alveoli were reactivated more frequently. The active alveoli population at peak lactation and rates of active alveoli proceeding to quiescence were highest in animals of intermediate body condition scores of 4.0 to 5.0. The results

Development of the PRO-LOCA Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Code, MERIT Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, Paul; Kurth, Robert; Cox, Andrew; Olson, Rick; Rudland, Dave

2010-12-01

The MERIT project has been an internationally financed program with the main purpose of developing probabilistic models for piping failure of nuclear components and to include these models in a probabilistic code named PRO-LOCA. The principal objective of the project has been to develop probabilistic models for piping failure of nuclear components and to include these models in a probabilistic code. The MERIT program has produced a code named PRO-LOCA with the following features: - Crack initiation models for fatigue or stress corrosion cracking for previously unflawed material. - Subcritical crack growth models for fatigue and stress corrosion cracking for both initiated and pre-existing circumferential defects. - Models for flaw detection by inspections and leak detection. - Crack stability. The PRO-LOCA code can thus predict the leak or break frequency for the whole sequence of initiation, subcritical crack growth until wall penetration and leakage, instability of the through-wall crack (pipe rupture). The outcome of the PRO-LOCA code are a sequence of failure frequencies which represents the probability of surface crack developing, a through-wall crack developing and six different sizes of crack opening areas corresponding to different leak flow rates or LOCA categories. Note that the level of quality assurance of the PRO-LOCA code is such that the code in its current state of development is considered to be more of a research code than a regulatory tool.

Development of the PRO-LOCA Probabilistic Fracture Mechanics Code, MERIT Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, Paul; Kurth, Robert; Cox, Andrew; Olson, Rick (Battelle Columbus (United States)); Rudland, Dave (Nuclear Regulatory Commission (United States))

2010-12-15

The MERIT project has been an internationally financed program with the main purpose of developing probabilistic models for piping failure of nuclear components and to include these models in a probabilistic code named PRO-LOCA. The principal objective of the project has been to develop probabilistic models for piping failure of nuclear components and to include these models in a probabilistic code. The MERIT program has produced a code named PRO-LOCA with the following features: - Crack initiation models for fatigue or stress corrosion cracking for previously unflawed material. - Subcritical crack growth models for fatigue and stress corrosion cracking for both initiated and pre-existing circumferential defects. - Models for flaw detection by inspections and leak detection. - Crack stability. The PRO-LOCA code can thus predict the leak or break frequency for the whole sequence of initiation, subcritical crack growth until wall penetration and leakage, instability of the through-wall crack (pipe rupture). The outcome of the PRO-LOCA code are a sequence of failure frequencies which represents the probability of surface crack developing, a through-wall crack developing and six different sizes of crack opening areas corresponding to different leak flow rates or LOCA categories. Note that the level of quality assurance of the PRO-LOCA code is such that the code in its current state of development is considered to be more of a research code than a regulatory tool.

The application of a figure of merit for nuclear explosive utility as a metric for material attractiveness in a nuclear material theft scenario

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

King, Wayne E., E-mail: weking@llnl.go [Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States); Bradley, Keith [Global Security Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States); Jones, Edwin D. [Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States); Kramer, Kevin J.; Latkowski, Jeffery F. [Engineering Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States); Robel, Martin [Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States); Sleaford, Brad W. [Engineering Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA 94551 (United States)

2010-11-15

Effective integration of nonproliferation management into the design process is key to the broad deployment of advanced nuclear energy systems, and is an explicit goal of the Laser Inertial Fusion Energy (LIFE) project at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The nuclear explosives utility of a nuclear material to a state (proliferator) or sub-state (terrorist) is a critical factor to be assessed and is one aspect of material attractiveness. In this work, we approached nuclear explosives utility through the calculation of a 'figure of merit' (FOM) that has recently been developed to capture the relative viability and difficulty of constructing nuclear explosives starting from various nuclear material forms and compositions. We discuss the integration of the figure of merit into an assessment of a nuclear material theft scenario and its use in the assessment. This paper demonstrates that material attractiveness is a multidimensional concept that embodies more than the FOM. It also seeks to propose that other attributes may be able to be quantified through analogous FOMs (e.g., transformation) and that, with quantification, aggregation may be possible using concepts from the risk community.

Image processing system for videotape review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bettendroffer, E.

1988-01-01

In a nuclear plant, the areas in which fissile materials are stored or handled, have to be monitored continuously. One method of surveillance is to record pictures of TV cameras with determined time intervals on special video recorders. The 'time lapse' recorded tape is played back at normal speed and an inspector checks visually the pictures. This method requires much manpower and an automated method would be useful. The present report describes an automatic reviewing method based on an image processing system; the system detects scene changes in the picture sequence and stores the reduced data set on a separate video tape. The resulting reduction of reviewing time by inspector is important for surveillance data with few movements

The influence nuclear power has on corporate image and the effect of offering merit information of nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oiso, Shinichi

2006-01-01

Many electric power companies in Japan, irrespective of their nuclear power generation ratio's difference, have nuclear power plants. These days, corporate brand image is becoming more and more important. Therefore, a survey was carried out to study the effect that nuclear power (including comparison with the other type of industry besides electric power) has on the corporate image of an electric power company. Further more, the survey includes a research about the effect on people's attitude change towards nuclear power before and after discovering the merits or benefits of nuclear power. The possibility of enhancing the corporate brand image of electric power companies by providing merit information of nuclear power was studied. (author)

Cui Bono? On the Relative Merits of Technology-Enhanced Learning and Teaching in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Mykhnenko, Vlad

2016-01-01

This article provides evidence from a 4-year longitudinal study on the comparative use of illustrative video podcasts during Economic Geography lectures vis-à-vis traditional educational methods in order to guide pedagogic practice and future research on the relative merits of technology-enhanced learning in higher education. Key benefits derived…

A review on the susceptor assisted microwave processing of materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhattacharya, Madhuchhanda; Basak, Tanmay

2016-01-01

Microwave processing has received significant attention based on the energy efficient volumetric processing. The internal heat generation during the microwave heating unleashes the heat transfer limitations of the conventional furnaces and thus, the microwave processing can be performed at much faster rates than the conventional furnaces. Susceptors further accelerate the microwave processing via providing a two-way heating with reduced heat losses from the surface of the material. In addition, the rapid initial heating via susceptors becomes the key factor to execute the energy efficient microwave processing for the poorly microwave absorbing materials. These characteristics have been massively exploited for various applications (material processing, synthesis and waste treatments) over the last few decades and this review evaluates those processing characteristics with an emphasis on the energy efficiency. Till date, the advancement of the susceptor assisted microwave processing is primarily based on the experimental trials and this review brings together various case studies so that the readers can have a clear idea about the current status in each field of applications. This can be of immense help not only to select the appropriate susceptor, but also to select the future research direction for the advancement of the energy efficient processing. - Highlights: • Susceptor assisted hybrid microwave processing has been reviewed. • Energy efficiency of the hybrid heating has been analyzed for various applications. • The applications include material processing, synthesis and waste treatment. • The role of susceptors on the energy efficient material processing is highlighted. • The enhancement of the processing via the susceptors has been reported.

High Thermoelectric Figure of Merit by Resonant Dopant in Half-Heusler Alloys

OpenAIRE

Chen, Long; Liu, Yamei; He, Jian; Tritt, Terry M.; Poon, S. Joseph

2017-01-01

Half-Heusler alloys have been one of the benchmark high temperature thermoelectric materials owing to their thermal stability and promising figure of merit ZT. Simonson et al. early showed that small amounts of vanadium doped in Hf0.75Zr0.25NiSn enhanced the Seebeck coefficient and correlated the change with the increased density of states near the Fermi level. We herein report a systematic study on the role of vanadium (V), niobium (Nb), and tantalum (Ta) as prospective resonant dopants in e...

Processing and review interface for strong motion data (PRISM) software, version 1.0.0—Methodology and automated processing

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Jeanne; Kalkan, Erol; Stephens, Christopher

2017-02-23

A continually increasing number of high-quality digital strong-motion records from stations of the National Strong-Motion Project (NSMP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as well as data from regional seismic networks within the United States, call for automated processing of strong-motion records with human review limited to selected significant or flagged records. The NSMP has developed the Processing and Review Interface for Strong Motion data (PRISM) software to meet this need. In combination with the Advanced National Seismic System Quake Monitoring System (AQMS), PRISM automates the processing of strong-motion records. When used without AQMS, PRISM provides batch-processing capabilities. The PRISM version 1.0.0 is platform independent (coded in Java), open source, and does not depend on any closed-source or proprietary software. The software consists of two major components: a record processing engine and a review tool that has a graphical user interface (GUI) to manually review, edit, and process records. To facilitate use by non-NSMP earthquake engineers and scientists, PRISM (both its processing engine and review tool) is easy to install and run as a stand-alone system on common operating systems such as Linux, OS X, and Windows. PRISM was designed to be flexible and extensible in order to accommodate new processing techniques. This report provides a thorough description and examples of the record processing features supported by PRISM. All the computing features of PRISM have been thoroughly tested.

Walter Scandale receives the decoration of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic

CERN Multimedia

2008-01-01

On 9 December 2008, Walter Scandale, a member of the EN Department, received the decoration of Knight of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, one of Italy's highest decorations. He was awarded the medal by the Consul-General of Italy in Geneva.

Is mandatory research ethics reviewing ethical?

Science.gov (United States)

Dyck, Murray; Allen, Gary

2013-08-01

Review boards responsible for vetting the ethical conduct of research have been criticised for their costliness, unreliability and inappropriate standards when evaluating some non-medical research, but the basic value of mandatory ethical review has not been questioned. When the standards that review boards use to evaluate research proposals are applied to review board practices, it is clear that review boards do not respect researchers or each other, lack merit and integrity, are not just and are not beneficent. The few benefits of mandatory ethical review come at a much greater, but mainly hidden, social cost. It is time that responsibility for the ethical conduct of research is clearly transferred to researchers, except possibly in that small proportion of cases where prospective research participants may be so intrinsically vulnerable that their well-being may need to be overseen.

Cable Television: The Process of Franchising.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Leland L.; Botein, Michael

In an effort to insure that cable television franchising procedures at the local level are based on a competitive and well-conceived selection process, this report discusses some of the most important steps of the franchising process. Not only does it show how the community should assess its needs and appraise the merits of the cable operator, but…

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.

Engaging patients and stakeholders in research proposal review: the patient-centered outcomes research institute.

Science.gov (United States)

Fleurence, Rachael L; Forsythe, Laura P; Lauer, Michael; Rotter, Jason; Ioannidis, John P A; Beal, Anne; Frank, Lori; Selby, Joseph V

2014-07-15

The inaugural round of merit review for the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) in November 2012 included patients and other stakeholders, as well as scientists. This article examines relationships among scores of the 3 reviewer types, changes in scoring after in-person discussion, and the effect of inclusion of patient and stakeholder reviewers on the review process. In the first phase, 363 scientists scored 480 applications. In the second phase, 59 scientists, 21 patients, and 31 stakeholders provided a "prediscussion" score and a final "postdiscussion" score after an in-person meeting for applications. Bland-Altman plots were used to characterize levels of agreement among and within reviewer types before and after discussion. Before discussion, there was little agreement among average scores given by the 4 lead scientific reviewers and patient and stakeholder reviewers. After discussion, the 4 primary reviewers showed mild convergence in their scores, and the 21-member panel came to a much stronger agreement. Of the 25 awards with the best (and lowest) scores after phase 2, only 13 had ranked in the top 25 after the phase 1 review by scientists. Five percent of the 480 proposals submitted were funded. The authors conclude that patient and stakeholder reviewers brought different perspectives to the review process but that in-person discussion led to closer agreement among reviewer types. It is not yet known whether these conclusions are generalizable to future rounds of peer review. Future work would benefit from additional data collection for evaluation purposes and from long-term evaluation of the effect on the funded research.

Review process of PSA level 2 of KBR - Concept and Experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andernacht, M.; Glaser, H.; Sonnenkalb, M.

2013-01-01

In Germany, a periodic safety review (PSR) has to be performed every ten years by the utility. In the past, a PSR only included a plant-specific probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) Level 1 study. Since a revised version of the German PSA guideline has been released in 2005, these plant-specific PSAs have to include a PSA Level 2, too. For the NPP Brokdorf (KBR) PSA Level 2 project, an agreement was reached between all parties involved that the study will be performed not as a part of the PSR process, but supplementary to it. This paper will focus on conclusions and findings from an ongoing parallel review process of the first full scope PSA Level 2 performed by the utility for KBR, a typical German PWR-1300. The responsible authority 'Ministerium fuer Soziales, Gesundheit, Familie, Jugend und Senioren des Landes Schleswig- Holstein' (MSGF) initiated this parallel review process in agreement with the utility KBR and the E.ON Kernkraft in 2006. The project will be completed soon. Such a review process allows that essential steps of the PSA will be reviewed and commented before the PSA Level 2 will be finished. So the benefit from this parallel review process is a significant enhancement of the quality and completeness of the PSA Level 2 study as the majority of the recommendations given by the review team has been taken over by the utility and the developer of the PSA, the AREVA NP company. Further, a common understanding and agreement will be reached at the end between all parties involved on the major topics of the PSA Level 2 study. The paper is followed by the slides of the presentation. (authors)

Review process of PSA Level 2 of KBR. Concept and experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andernacht, Martin; Glaser, Hendrik; Sonnenkalb, Martin

2009-01-01

In Germany, a periodic safety review (PSR) has to be performed every 10 years by the utility. In the past, a PSR only included a plant-specific probabilistic safety analysis (PSA) Level 1 study. For the NPP Brokdorf (KBR) PSA Level 2 project, an agreement was reached between all parties involved that the study will be performed not as a part of the PSR process, but supplementary to it. Since a revised version of the German PSA guideline has been released in 2005, these plant-specific PSAs have to include a PSA Level 2, too. This paper will focus on conclusions and findings from a ongoing parallel review process of the first full scope PSA Level 2 performed by the utility for KBR, a typical German PWR-1300. The responsible authority 'Ministerium fuer Soziales, Gesundheit, Familie, Jugend und Senioren des Landes Schleswig-Holstein (MSGF)' (Ministry of Social Affairs, Health, Family, Youth and Senior Citizens of Schleswig-Holstein) initiated this parallel review process in agreement with the utility KBR and the E.ON Kernkraft in 2006. The project will be completed soon. Such a review process allows that essential steps of the PSA will be reviewed and commented before the PSA Level 2 will be finished. So the benefit from this parallel review process is a significant enhancement of the quality and completeness of the PSA Level 2 study as the majority of the recommendations given by the review team has been taken over by the utility and the developer of the PSA, the Areva NP company. Further, a common understanding and agreement will be reached at the end between all parties involved on the major topics of the PSA Level 2 study. (orig.)

The MELCOR peer review process and findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyack, B.E.; Dhir, V.K.; Haste, T.J.; Gieseke, J.A.; Viskanta, R.; Kenton, M.A.; Khatib-Rahbar, M.; Leonard, M.T.

1991-01-01

MELCOR is a fully integrated, engineering-level computer code the models the progression of severe accidents in light water reactor nuclear power plants. MELCOR is being developed at Sandia National Laboratories for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) as a second-generation plant risk assessment tool and as the successor to the Source Term Code Package. MELCOR has been under development since 1982. The code has now reached sufficient maturity that a number of organizations inside and outside the NRC are using or are planning to use the code. Although the quality control and validation efforts are in progress, the NRC identified the need to have a broad technical review of recognized experts to determine or confirm the technical adequacy of the code for the serious and complex analyses it is expected to perform. A peer review committee was organized using recognized experts from the national laboratories, universities, MELCOR user community, and independent contractors to perform this assessment. The objective of this paper is to summarize the peer review process and to summarize the findings of the MELCOR Peer Review Committee formed to conduct the MELCOR peer review

Facilitation as a management discipline to support organizational development processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Laura; Goduscheit, René Chester

2015-01-01

facilitation may be employed as a method to support organisational development processes. The article unfolds the concept of facilitation, identifies the processes that merit facilitation and demonstrates how facilitation work may be approached. The first step in the process is acknowledgement of the need...

Review of porous silicon preparation and its application for lithium-ion battery anodes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ge, M; Fang, X; Rong, J; Zhou, C

2013-01-01

Silicon is of great interest for use as the anode material in lithium-ion batteries due to its high capacity. However, certain properties of silicon, such as a large volume expansion during the lithiation process and the low diffusion rate of lithium in silicon, result in fast capacity degradation in limited charge/discharge cycles, especially at high current rate. Therefore, the use of silicon in real battery applications is limited. The idea of using porous silicon, to a large extent, addresses the above-mentioned issues simultaneously. In this review, we discuss the merits of using porous silicon for anodes through both theoretical and experimental study. Recent progress in the preparation of porous silicon through the template-assisted approach and the non-template approach have been highlighted. The battery performance in terms of capacity and cyclability of each structure is evaluated. (topical review)

Progress in centralised ethics review processes: Implications for multi-site health evaluations.

Science.gov (United States)

Prosser, Brenton; Davey, Rachel; Gibson, Diane

2015-04-01

Increasingly, public sector programmes respond to complex social problems that intersect specific fields and individual disciplines. Such responses result in multi-site initiatives that can span nations, jurisdictions, sectors and organisations. The rigorous evaluation of public sector programmes is now a baseline expectation. For evaluations of large and complex multi-site programme initiatives, the processes of ethics review can present a significant challenge. However in recent years, there have been new developments in centralised ethics review processes in many nations. This paper provides the case study of an evaluation of a national, inter-jurisdictional, cross-sector, aged care health initiative and its encounters with Australian centralised ethics review processes. Specifically, the paper considers progress against the key themes of a previous five-year, five nation study (Fitzgerald and Phillips, 2006), which found that centralised ethics review processes would save time, money and effort, as well as contribute to more equitable workloads for researchers and evaluators. The paper concludes with insights for those charged with refining centralised ethics review processes, as well as recommendations for future evaluators of complex multi-site programme initiatives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Operational testing of a figure of merit for overall task performance

Science.gov (United States)

Lemay, Moira

1990-01-01

An overall indicator or figure of merit (FOM), for the quality of pilot performance is needed to define optimal workload levels, predict system failure, measure the impact of new automation in the cockpit, and define the relative contributions of subtasks to overall task performance. A normative FOM was developed based on the calculation of a standard score for each component of a complex task. It reflected some effects, detailed in an earlier study, of the introduction of new data link technology into the cockpit. Since the technique showed promise, further testing was done. A new set of data was obtained using the recently developed Multi-Attribute Task Battery. This is a complex battery consisting of four tasks which can be varied in task demand, and on which performance measures can be obtained. This battery was presented to 12 subjects in a 20 minute trial at each of three levels of workload or task demand, and performance measures collected on all four tasks. The NASA-TLX workload rating scale was presented at minutes 6, 12, and 18, of each trial. A figure of merit was then obtained for each run of the battery by calculating a mean, SD, and standard score for each task. Each task contributed its own proportion to the overall FOM, and relative contributions changed with increasing workload. Thus, the FOM shows the effect of task changes, not only on the individual task that is changed, but also on the performance of other tasks and of the whole task. The cost to other tasks of maintaining constant performance on an individual task can be quantified.

Thermoelectric-figure-of-merit enhancement of silicon-germanium through nanocomposite concept

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Dezhi

SiGe alloy has been the thermoelectric material element of RTGs (Radioisotope thermoelectric power generators) for more than 20 years because of its good performance at high temperature. It also has a very high potential application in converting exhaust heat into useful electricity, which currently attracts a lot of research interest in the automotive industry where 40% of the energy was rejected as exhaust heat. However, its low conversion efficiency (8%) is a major concern although it is the best in practice. A new concept, namely Si-Ge nanocomposite, was proposed to enhance thermoelectric figure-of-merit. Fast heating pressure sintering was found to be an appropriate synthesizing method and a lab-made direct current-induced hot press system was established. It can reach l200°C within several minutes and many parameters can be controlled. The uniquely designed graphite die assembly can stand l60MPa pressure which is better than the best commercial products (127MPa). Numerous Si-Ge nanocomposite samples were pressed using our DC hot press. Fully dense n-type Si-Ge nanocomposite samples of nanoSi80nanoGe20P were finally obtained. The nanocomposite structure was characterized via XRD, SEM, EDS, and TEM. The proposed nanocomposite structure, dots in a matrix, was observed. Most importantly, the thermoelectric property measurements showed that the Si-Ge nanocomposite of n-type nanoSi80nanoGe20 possessed higher electrical conductivity but lower thermal conductivity, thus a higher ZT than that of n-type nanoSi80microGe20. This result proved that thermoelectric-figure-of-merit enhancement through the nanocomposite concept was the right direction.

A meta-analysis and review of holistic face processing.

Science.gov (United States)

Richler, Jennifer J; Gauthier, Isabel

2014-09-01

The concept of holistic processing is a cornerstone of face recognition research, yet central questions related to holistic processing remain unanswered, and debates have thus far failed to reach a resolution despite accumulating empirical evidence. We argue that a considerable source of confusion in this literature stems from a methodological problem. Specifically, 2 measures of holistic processing based on the composite paradigm (complete design and partial design) are used in the literature, but they often lead to qualitatively different results. First, we present a comprehensive review of the work that directly compares the 2 designs, and which clearly favors the complete design over the partial design. Second, we report a meta-analysis of holistic face processing according to both designs and use this as further evidence for one design over the other. The meta-analysis effect size of holistic processing in the complete design is nearly 3 times that of the partial design. Effect sizes were not correlated between measures, consistent with the suggestion that they do not measure the same thing. Our meta-analysis also examines the correlation between conditions in the complete design of the composite task, and suggests that in an individual differences context, little is gained by including a misaligned baseline. Finally, we offer a comprehensive review of the state of knowledge about holistic processing based on evidence gathered from the measure we favor based on the 1st sections of our review-the complete design-and outline outstanding research questions in that new context. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Merits of CMOS/SIMOX technology for low-voltage SRAM macros

CERN Document Server

Kumagai, K; Yamada, T; Nakamura, H; Onishi, H; Matsubara, Y; Imai, K; Kurosawa, S

1999-01-01

A 128-kbit SRAM (static random access memory) macro with the 0.35 mu m FD (fully-depleted) CMOS/SIMOX (separation by implantation of oxygen) technology has been developed to demonstrate the merits of that technology for low-voltage $9 applications. Its access time at Vdd =1.5 V was comparable with that obtained with the 0.35 mu m standard bulk CMOS technology at Vdd=3.3 V, due to the combination of the small S/D capacitance and the small back-bias effect. As the $9 yield of the 128-kbit SRAM macros was almost the same as the standard bulk CMOS technology, the manufacturability of the 0.35 mu m FD-CMOS/SIMOX technology has also been demonstrated. (7 refs).

Study on team evaluation. Team process model for team evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sasou Kunihide; Ebisu, Mitsuhiro; Hirose, Ayako

2004-01-01

Several studies have been done to evaluate or improve team performance in nuclear and aviation industries. Crew resource management is the typical example. In addition, team evaluation recently gathers interests in other teams of lawyers, medical staff, accountants, psychiatrics, executive, etc. However, the most evaluation methods focus on the results of team behavior that can be observed through training or actual business situations. What is expected team is not only resolving problems but also training younger members being destined to lead the next generation. Therefore, the authors set the final goal of this study establishing a series of methods to evaluate and improve teams inclusively such as decision making, motivation, staffing, etc. As the first step, this study develops team process model describing viewpoints for the evaluation. The team process is defined as some kinds of power that activate or inactivate competency of individuals that is the components of team's competency. To find the team process, the authors discussed the merits of team behavior with the experienced training instructors and shift supervisors of nuclear/thermal power plants. The discussion finds four team merits and many components to realize those team merits. Classifying those components into eight groups of team processes such as 'Orientation', 'Decision Making', 'Power and Responsibility', 'Workload Management', 'Professional Trust', 'Motivation', 'Training' and 'staffing', the authors propose Team Process Model with two to four sub processes in each team process. In the future, the authors will develop methods to evaluate some of the team processes for nuclear/thermal power plant operation teams. (author)

High thermoelectric figure of merit in nanocrystalline polyaniline at low temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nath, Chandrani; Kumar, Ashok, E-mail: ask@tezu.ernet.in, E-mail: okram@csr.res.in [Materials Research Laboratory, Department of Physics, Tezpur University, Tezpur 784 028 (India); Kuo, Yung-Kang [Department of Physics, National Dong-Hwa University, Hualien 974, Taiwan (China); Okram, Gunadhor Singh, E-mail: ask@tezu.ernet.in, E-mail: okram@csr.res.in [Electrical Transport Laboratory, UGC-DAE Consortium for Scientific Research, University Campus, Khandwa Road, Indore 452 017 (India)

2014-09-29

Thermoelectric coolers with figure of merit (ZT) close to unity at low temperatures are the need of the hour with new advances in high temperature superconductors, superconducting microelectronic circuits, quantum computers, and photonics. Here, we demonstrate that the conducting polymer polyaniline (Pani) doped with camphor sulfonic acid synthesized in semi-crystalline nanostructures, possesses a giant Seebeck effect at low temperatures. The resulting enormously large Seebeck coefficient (up to 0.6 V/K) combined with an intrinsically low electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity give rise to a ZT = 0.77 at 45 K and ZT = 2.17 at 17 K.

Research progress of novel adsorption processes in water purification:A review

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2008-01-01

As an effective, efficient, and economic approach for water purification, adsorbents and adsorption processes have been widely studied and applied in different aspects for a long time. In the recent years, a lot of novel adsorption processes have been developed for enhancing the efficiency of removing the organic and inorganic contaminants from water. This article reviews some new adsorbents and advanced adsorption methods that specialize in their compositions, structures, functions, and characteristics used in water treatment. The review emphasizes adsorption/catalytic oxidation process, adsorption/catalytic reduction process, adsorption coupled with redox process, biomimetic sorbent and its sorption behaviors of POPs, and modified adsorbents and their water purification efficiency.

Overcoming pitfalls: Results from a mandatory peer review process for written examinations.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilby, Kyle John; El Hajj, Maguy S; El-Bashir, Marwa; Mraiche, Fatima

2018-04-01

Written assessments are essential components of higher education practices. However, faculty members encounter common pitfalls when designing questions intended to evaluate student-learning outcomes. The objective of this project was to determine the impact of a mandatory examination peer review process on question accuracy, alignment with learning objectives, use of best practices in question design, and language/grammar. A mandatory peer review process was implemented for all midterm (before phase) and final (after phase) examinations. Peer review occurred by two reviewers and followed a pre-defined guidance document. Non-punitive feedback given to faculty members served as the intervention. Frequencies of flagged questions according to guidance categories were compared between phases. A total of 21 midterm and 21 final exam reviews were included in the analysis. A total of 637 questions were reviewed across all midterms and 1003 questions were reviewed across all finals. Few questions were flagged for accuracy and alignment with learning outcomes. The median total proportion of questions flagged for best practices was significantly lower for final exams versus midterm exams (15.8 vs. 6.45%, p = 0.014). The intervention did not influence language and grammar errors (9.68 vs. 10.0% of questions flagged before and after, respectively, p = 0.305). A non-punitive peer review process for written examinations can overcome pitfalls in exam creation and improve best practices in question writing. The peer-review process had a substantial effect at flagging language/grammar errors but error rate did not differ between midterm and final exams. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utilization of a technical review group during a BWR owners group technical specification improvement study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hansell, H.F.; Moyer, D.P.

1986-01-01

A BWR Owners' Group Technical Specification Improvement (TSI) Committee was formed in late 1983. A primary goal of this Committee was to encourage the development of a probabilistic methodology for technical specification improvements which could be readily applied by utilities. The TSI Committee elected to hire a Contractor to develop and demonstrate a method. After the Contractor was selected and has started work, the committee decided to establish a Technical Review Group (TRG) to efficiently and effectively review the Contractor's analyses. The TRG met frequently with the Contractor as the analyses were being performed. These meetings were held at the Contractor's facility in order to allow direct contact between reviewers and individuals performing the work. The TRG was also involved with all major interactions with the NRC. The significance and merit of using a peer review group in this manner is the theme of this paper. In order to present a discussion of the significance and merit of the TRG, the activities are described. The summary of the analytical approach is provided to more full understand the TRG activities

Information Processing and Dynamics in Minimally Cognitive Agents

Science.gov (United States)

Beer, Randall D.; Williams, Paul L.

2015-01-01

There has been considerable debate in the literature about the relative merits of information processing versus dynamical approaches to understanding cognitive processes. In this article, we explore the relationship between these two styles of explanation using a model agent evolved to solve a relational categorization task. Specifically, we…

Environmental Science and Engineering Merit Badges: An Exploratory Case Study of a Non-Formal Science Education Program and the U.S. Scientific and Engineering Practices

Science.gov (United States)

Vick, Matthew E.; Garvey, Michael P.

2016-01-01

The Boy Scouts of America's Environmental Science and Engineering merit badges are two of their over 120 merit badges offered as a part of a non-formal educational program to U.S. boys. The Scientific and Engineering Practices of the U.S. Next Generation Science Standards provide a vision of science education that includes integrating eight…

Processes for pretreating lignocellulosic biomass: A review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McMillan, J.D.

1992-11-01

This paper reviews existing and proposed pretreatment processes for biomass. The focus is on the mechanisms by which the various pretreatments act and the influence of biomass structure and composition on the efficacy of particular pretreatment techniques. This analysis is used to identify pretreatment technologies and issues that warrant further research.

Literature review for oxalate oxidation processes and plutonium oxalate solubility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nash, C. A. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

2015-10-01

A literature review of oxalate oxidation processes finds that manganese(II)-catalyzed nitric acid oxidation of oxalate in precipitate filtrate is a viable and well-documented process. The process has been operated on the large scale at Savannah River in the past, including oxidation of 20 tons of oxalic acid in F-Canyon. Research data under a variety of conditions show the process to be robust. This process is recommended for oxalate destruction in H-Canyon in the upcoming program to produce feed for the MOX facility. Prevention of plutonium oxalate precipitation in filtrate can be achieved by concentrated nitric acid/ferric nitrate sequestration of oxalate. Organic complexants do not appear practical to sequester plutonium. Testing is proposed to confirm the literature and calculation findings of this review at projected operating conditions for the upcoming campaign.

Efficacy and safety of maraviroc versus efavirenz, both with zidovudine/lamivudine: 96-week results from the MERIT study.

Science.gov (United States)

Sierra-Madero, Juan; Di Perri, Giovanni; Wood, Robin; Saag, Michael; Frank, Ian; Craig, Charles; Burnside, Robert; McCracken, Jennifer; Pontani, Dennis; Goodrich, James; Heera, Jayvant; Mayer, Howard

2010-01-01

The MERIT study evaluated maraviroc versus efavirenz, both with zidovudine/lamivudine, in treatment-naïve patients with CCR5-tropic (R5) HIV-1. Post hoc analyses previously assessed week 48 outcomes in patients rescreened with R5 virus by a more sensitive tropism assay. Week 96 efficacy (post hoc, n = 614) and safety (n = 721) were assessed. Proportions of subjects <50 copies/mL (58.8% maraviroc, 62.7% efavirenz) and time to loss of virologic response (TLOVR) responders (<50 copies/mL: 60.5% vs 60.7%) were similar. Maraviroc recipients had greater CD4 increases (+ 212 vs + 171 cells/mm(3)) and fewer adverse event discontinuations (6.1% vs 15.5%), malignancies, and category C events. Week 96 data confirm week 48 observations in MERIT.

The Four-Part Literature Review Process: Breaking It Down for Students

Science.gov (United States)

Price, Rebecca H.

2017-01-01

Both undergraduate and graduate students face similar challenges when tasked with writing literature reviews. Breaking down the literature review into a four-part process helps students decrease frustration and increase quality. This article provides usable advice for anyone teaching or writing literature reviews. Tips and illustrations illuminate…

Central Processing Dysfunctions in Children: A Review of Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Chalfant, James C.; Scheffelin, Margaret A.

Research on central processing dysfunctions in children is reviewed in three major areas. The first, dysfunctions in the analysis of sensory information, includes auditory, visual, and haptic processing. The second, dysfunction in the synthesis of sensory information, covers multiple stimulus integration and short-term memory. The third area of…

Figures of merit for microwave photonic phase shifters based on semiconductor optical amplifiers.

Science.gov (United States)

Sancho, Juan; Lloret, Juan; Gasulla, Ivana; Sales, Salvador; Capmany, José

2012-05-07

We theoretically and experimentally compare the performance of two fully tunable phase shifter structures based on semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) by means of several figures of merit common to microwave photonic systems. A single SOA stage followed by a tailored notch filter is compared with a cascaded implementation comprising three SOA-based phase shifter stages. Attention is focused on the assessment of the RF net gain, noise figure and nonlinear distortion. Recommendations on the performance optimization of this sort of approaches are detailed.

Addressing Clinical Faculty Need: Creating a Process and Evaluation for Peer Review of Practice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean Y. Moon

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: To describe the evolving process and evaluate the perceived value of peer review for clinical faculty. Methods: Using a 5-point Likert scale, clinical faculty rated the value of an electronic peer review process by completing an electronic 30 item survey across six areas of clinical faculty practice-related activity. Based on feedback, modifications were made and faculty were re-surveyed the following year. Results: Initially, 78% of faculty found peer review to be beneficial, mostly in the area of practice development and portions of practice dissemination. After modifications, 45% found peer review to be beneficial. Conclusions: Clinical faculty are challenged to leverage their practice into teaching and scholarly activities; however, clinical faculty often need feedback to accomplish this. Although the peer review process was designed to address perceived needs of clinical faculty, the process is dynamic and needs further refinement. Overall, clinical faculty find value in a peer review process. This evaluation of peer review illustrates the challenges to provide feedback across six key areas of clinical faculty activity.   Type: Original Research

Processing Instruction: A review of issues

OpenAIRE

Muhlisin Rasuki

2017-01-01

This paper provides a critical review of Processing Instruction (PI). This type of instructional option was specifically designed to help second/foreign language (L2) learners grasp meaning manifested in the use of particular grammatical forms in a target language effectively through the provision of input. In this way, PI attempts to help learners develop grammatical competence in a target language in ways that foster their comprehension and production skills. The paper starts with outlining...

Krsko periodic safety review project prioritization process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basic, I.; Vrbanic, I.; Spiler, J.; Lambright, J.

2004-01-01

Definition of a Krsko Periodic Safety Review (PSR) project is a comprehensive safety review of a plant after last ten years of operation. The objective is a verification by means of a comprehensive review using current methods that Krsko NPP remains safety when judged against current safety objectives and practices and that adequate arrangements are in place to maintain plant safety. This objective encompasses the three main criteria or goals: confirmation that the plant is as safe as originally intended, determination if there are any structures, systems or components that could limit the life of the plant in the foreseeable future, and comparison the plant against modern safety standards and to identify where improvements would be beneficial at justifiable cost. Krsko PSR project is structured in the three phases: Phase 1: Preparation of Detailed 10-years PSR Program, Phase 2: Performing of 10-years PSR Program and preparing of associated documents (2001-2003), and Phase 3: Implementation of the prioritized compensatory measures and modifications (development of associated EEAR, DMP, etc.) after agreement with the SNSA on the design, procedures and time-scales (2004-2008). This paper presents the NEK PSR results of work performed under Phase 2 focused on the ranking of safety issues and prioritization of corrective measures needed for establishing an efficient action plan. Safety issues were identified in Phase 2 during the following review processes: Periodic Safety Review (PSR) task; Krsko NPP Regulatory Compliance Program (RCP) review; Westinghouse Owner Group (WOG) catalog items screening/review; SNSA recommendations (including IAEA RAMP mission suggestions/recommendations).(author)

Application of the MERIT survey in the multi-criteria quality assessment of occupational health and safety management.

Science.gov (United States)

Korban, Zygmunt

2015-01-01

Occupational health and safety management systems apply audit examinations as an integral element of these systems. The examinations are used to verify whether the undertaken actions are in compliance with the accepted regulations, whether they are implemented in a suitable way and whether they are effective. One of the earliest solutions of that type applied in the mining industry in Poland involved the application of audit research based on the MERIT survey (Management Evaluation Regarding Itemized Tendencies). A mathematical model applied in the survey facilitates the determination of assessment indexes WOPi for each of the assessed problem areas, which, among other things, can be used to set up problem area rankings and to determine an aggregate (synthetic) assessment. In the paper presented here, the assessment indexes WOPi were used to calculate a development measure, and the calculation process itself was supplemented with sensitivity analysis.

Personal attributes of authors and reviewers, social bias and the outcomes of peer review: a case study [v2; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/5gj

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Walker

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Peer review is the "gold standard" for evaluating journal and conference papers, research proposals, on-going projects and university departments. However, it is widely believed that current systems are expensive, conservative and prone to various forms of bias. One form of bias identified in the literature is “social bias” linked to the personal attributes of authors and reviewers. To quantify the importance of this form of bias in modern peer review, we analyze three datasets providing information on the attributes of authors and reviewers and review outcomes: one from Frontiers - an open access publishing house with a novel interactive review process, and two from Spanish and international computer science conferences, which use traditional peer review. We use a random intercept model in which review outcome is the dependent variable, author and reviewer attributes are the independent variables and bias is defined by the interaction between author and reviewer attributes. We find no evidence of bias in terms of gender, or the language or prestige of author and reviewer institutions in any of the three datasets, but some weak evidence of regional bias in all three. Reviewer gender and the language and prestige of reviewer institutions appear to have little effect on review outcomes, but author gender, and the characteristics of author institutions have moderate to large effects. The methodology used cannot determine whether these are due to objective differences in scientific merit or entrenched biases shared by all reviewers.

Performance Appraisal and Merit Compensation. Community Colleges: Quality Education for a Learning Society. Round Table Talk.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Robert A., Jr.

Detailed information is provided on the Performance Appraisal/Salary System adopted by the New Mexico Junior College (NMJC) Board in 1981 as the basis for the performance evaluation of all college employees. Introductory material discusses the concepts of performance appraisal and merit compensation and provides an update on changes in NMJC's…

Space Launch System Complex Decision-Making Process

Science.gov (United States)

Lyles, Garry; Flores, Tim; Hundley, Jason; Monk, Timothy; Feldman,Stuart

2012-01-01

The Space Shuttle program has ended and elements of the Constellation Program have either been cancelled or transitioned to new NASA exploration endeavors. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has worked diligently to select an optimum configuration for the Space Launch System (SLS), a heavy lift vehicle that will provide the foundation for future beyond low earth orbit (LEO) large-scale missions for the next several decades. From Fall 2010 until Spring 2011, an SLS decision-making framework was formulated, tested, fully documented, and applied to multiple SLS vehicle concepts at NASA from previous exploration architecture studies. This was a multistep process that involved performing figure of merit (FOM)-based assessments, creating Pass/Fail gates based on draft threshold requirements, performing a margin-based assessment with supporting statistical analyses, and performing sensitivity analysis on each. This paper focuses on the various steps and methods of this process (rather than specific data) that allowed for competing concepts to be compared across a variety of launch vehicle metrics in support of the successful completion of the SLS Mission Concept Review (MCR) milestone.

High room-temperature figure of merit of thin layers prepared by laser ablation from Bi2Te3 target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walachova, J.; Zeipl, R.; Zelinka, J.; Malina, V.; Pavelka, M.; Jelinek, M.; Studnicka, V.; Lost'ak, P.

2005-01-01

The figure of merit ZT is measured by a Harman method on simple devices prepared on single thermoelectric layers of different thicknesses. The thermoelectric layers are prepared at different conditions by laser ablation from Bi 2 Te 3 target. The best measured figure of merit ZT is for our devices ZT=2.65. This result is comparable with the results obtained on superlattices. ZT oscillated with the thickness of the layers. On some devices the Seebeck coefficient is measured and using conductivity measurements along the thermoelectric layers the thermal conductivity is estimated from ZT. The low thermal conductivity of samples is explained by the quantum size effect and by existence of few phases of type Bi 2(m+n) Te 3n in the thermoelectric layers

A qualitative systematic review of studies using the normalization process theory to research implementation processes.

Science.gov (United States)

McEvoy, Rachel; Ballini, Luciana; Maltoni, Susanna; O'Donnell, Catherine A; Mair, Frances S; Macfarlane, Anne

2014-01-02

There is a well-recognized need for greater use of theory to address research translational gaps. Normalization Process Theory (NPT) provides a set of sociological tools to understand and explain the social processes through which new or modified practices of thinking, enacting, and organizing work are implemented, embedded, and integrated in healthcare and other organizational settings. This review of NPT offers readers the opportunity to observe how, and in what areas, a particular theoretical approach to implementation is being used. In this article we review the literature on NPT in order to understand what interventions NPT is being used to analyze, how NPT is being operationalized, and the reported benefits, if any, of using NPT. Using a framework analysis approach, we conducted a qualitative systematic review of peer-reviewed literature using NPT. We searched 12 electronic databases and all citations linked to six key NPT development papers. Grey literature/unpublished studies were not sought. Limitations of English language, healthcare setting and year of publication 2006 to June 2012 were set. Twenty-nine articles met the inclusion criteria; in the main, NPT is being applied to qualitatively analyze a diverse range of complex interventions, many beyond its original field of e-health and telehealth. The NPT constructs have high stability across settings and, notwithstanding challenges in applying NPT in terms of managing overlaps between constructs, there is evidence that it is a beneficial heuristic device to explain and guide implementation processes. NPT offers a generalizable framework that can be applied across contexts with opportunities for incremental knowledge gain over time and an explicit framework for analysis, which can explain and potentially shape implementation processes. This is the first review of NPT in use and it generates an impetus for further and extended use of NPT. We recommend that in future NPT research, authors should explicate

Validity and reliability of an application review process using dedicated reviewers in one stage of a multi-stage admissions model.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeeman, Jacqueline M; McLaughlin, Jacqueline E; Cox, Wendy C

2017-11-01

With increased emphasis placed on non-academic skills in the workplace, a need exists to identify an admissions process that evaluates these skills. This study assessed the validity and reliability of an application review process involving three dedicated application reviewers in a multi-stage admissions model. A multi-stage admissions model was utilized during the 2014-2015 admissions cycle. After advancing through the academic review, each application was independently reviewed by two dedicated application reviewers utilizing a six-construct rubric (written communication, extracurricular and community service activities, leadership experience, pharmacy career appreciation, research experience, and resiliency). Rubric scores were extrapolated to a three-tier ranking to select candidates for on-site interviews. Kappa statistics were used to assess interrater reliability. A three-facet Many-Facet Rasch Model (MFRM) determined reviewer severity, candidate suitability, and rubric construct difficulty. The kappa statistic for candidates' tier rank score (n = 388 candidates) was 0.692 with a perfect agreement frequency of 84.3%. There was substantial interrater reliability between reviewers for the tier ranking (kappa: 0.654-0.710). Highest construct agreement occurred in written communication (kappa: 0.924-0.984). A three-facet MFRM analysis explained 36.9% of variance in the ratings, with 0.06% reflecting application reviewer scoring patterns (i.e., severity or leniency), 22.8% reflecting candidate suitability, and 14.1% reflecting construct difficulty. Utilization of dedicated application reviewers and a defined tiered rubric provided a valid and reliable method to effectively evaluate candidates during the application review process. These analyses provide insight into opportunities for improving the application review process among schools and colleges of pharmacy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Process and implementation of participatory ergonomic interventions: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

van Eerd, Dwayne; Cole, Donald; Irvin, Emma; Mahood, Quenby; Keown, Kiera; Theberge, Nancy; Village, Judy; St Vincent, Marie; Cullen, Kim

2010-10-01

Participatory ergonomic (PE) interventions may vary in implementation. A systematic review was done to determine the evidence regarding context, barriers and facilitators to the implementation of participatory ergonomic interventions in workplaces. In total, 17 electronic databases were searched. Data on PE process and implementation were extracted from documents meeting content and quality criteria and synthesised. The search yielded 2151 references. Of these, 190 documents were relevant and 52 met content and quality criteria. Different ergonomic teams were described in the documents as were the type, duration and content of ergonomic training. PE interventions tended to focus on physical and work process changes and report positive impacts. Resources, programme support, ergonomic training, organisational training and communication were the most often noted facilitators or barriers. Successful PE interventions require the right people to be involved, appropriate ergonomic training and clear responsibilities. Addressing key facilitators and barriers such as programme support, resources, and communication is paramount. STATEMENT OF RELEVANCE: A recent systematic review has suggested that PE has some effect on reducing symptoms, lost days of work and claims. Systematic reviews of effectiveness provide practitioners with the desire to implement but do not provide clear information about how. This article reviews the literature on process and implementation of PE.

Modelling of additive manufacturing processes: a review and classification

Science.gov (United States)

Stavropoulos, Panagiotis; Foteinopoulos, Panagis

2018-03-01

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a very promising technology; however, there are a number of open issues related to the different AM processes. The literature on modelling the existing AM processes is reviewed and classified. A categorization of the different AM processes in process groups, according to the process mechanism, has been conducted and the most important issues are stated. Suggestions are made as to which approach is more appropriate according to the key performance indicator desired to be modelled and a discussion is included as to the way that future modelling work can better contribute to improving today's AM process understanding.

Examining the Impact of a Highly Targeted State Administered Merit Aid Program on Brain Drain: Evidence from a Regression Discontinuity Analysis of Missouri's Bright Flight Program

Science.gov (United States)

Harrington, James R.; Muñoz, José; Curs, Bradley R.; Ehlert, Mark

2016-01-01

The adoption of state-funded merit-based aid programs has become increasingly popular among policy-makers, particularly in the southeastern part of the United States. One of the primary rationales of state-funded merit-based aid is to provide scholarships to the best and brightest students as a means to retain high quality human capital in the…

Processability analysis of candidate waste forms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gould, T.H. Jr.; Dunson, J.B. Jr.; Eisenberg, A.M.; Haight, H.G. Jr.; Mello, V.E.; Schuyler, R.L. III.

1982-01-01

A quantitative merit evaluation, or processability analysis, was performed to assess the relative difficulty of remote processing of Savannah River Plant high-level wastes for seven alternative waste form candidates. The reference borosilicate glass process was rated as the simplest, followed by FUETAP concrete, glass marbles in a lead matrix, high-silica glass, crystalline ceramics (SYNROC-D and tailored ceramics), and coated ceramic particles. Cost estimates for the borosilicate glass, high-silica glass, and ceramic waste form processing facilities are also reported

State Merit-Based Aid and Enrolling in Graduate Study: Evidence from the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship

Science.gov (United States)

Delaney, Jennifer A.

2011-01-01

This study considers the effect of a state merit-based aid program for undergraduate students on subsequent enrollment in graduate school. It uses student unit record data to analyze the impact of the Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarship (KEES). Price theory is used as a framework for understanding the incentives provided by KEES. Using a…

A review and integration of socio-political processes in marketing channel relationships

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Nils Bøgelund; Skytte, Hans

, and all issues from 1980 until the summer of 1996 were systematically examined for empirical contributions to understanding marketing channel relationships. This, and some further articles, which turned up by reviewing references in the articles, resulted in a total of 92 papers on the subject. This paper......, influence strategies, adaptation, trust and commitment are seen as important aspects of marketing channel relationships. 3. The review is split into two sections. One, which focuses on the behavioural processes and one which focuses on the sentiment processes. For each category the relevant empirical papers......1. The objective of the paper is to review the empirical contributions to understanding socio-political processes in marketing channels. The results of the study will be used as a starting point for our own studies. Nine leading international journals were used to review the empirical evidence...

Administrative Circular No. 26 (Rev.10) - Recognition of merit

CERN Multimedia

2014-01-01

Administrative Circular No. 26 (Rev. 10) entitled “Recognition of Merit”, approved by the Director-General following discussion at the Standing Concertation Committee meeting of 5 December 2013 and entering into force on 1 January 2014, is available on the intranet site of the Human Resources Department (see here).   This circular is applicable to staff members. It cancels and replaces Administrative Circular No. 26 (Rev. 9) entitled “Recognition of Merit” of December 2011. The circular was revised in order to take into account the work performed in the framework of an elective mandate during the exercise of merit recognition of staff members. In addition, the circular was revised to provide that, in the case of staff members on special leave for professional reasons for a period equal to or longer than half a year, it will no longer be possible to grant an exceptional advancement. Department Head Office HR Department

A Review on Parametric Analysis of Magnetic Abrasive Machining Process

Science.gov (United States)

Khattri, Krishna; Choudhary, Gulshan; Bhuyan, B. K.; Selokar, Ashish

2018-03-01

The magnetic abrasive machining (MAM) process is a highly developed unconventional machining process. It is frequently used in manufacturing industries for nanometer range surface finishing of workpiece with the help of Magnetic abrasive particles (MAPs) and magnetic force applied in the machining zone. It is precise and faster than conventional methods and able to produce defect free finished components. This paper provides a comprehensive review on the recent advancement of MAM process carried out by different researcher till date. The effect of different input parameters such as rotational speed of electromagnet, voltage, magnetic flux density, abrasive particles size and working gap on the performances of Material Removal Rate (MRR) and surface roughness (Ra) have been discussed. On the basis of review, it is observed that the rotational speed of electromagnet, voltage and mesh size of abrasive particles have significant impact on MAM process.

Philosophy of medicine 2017: reviewing the situation.

Science.gov (United States)

Daly, Patrick

2017-12-01

In this introduction to a special subsection of Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics comprising separate reviews of the Springer Handbook of the Philosophy of Medicine, The Routledge Companion to Philosophy of Medicine, and The Bloomsbury Companion to Contemporary Philosophy of Medicine, I compare the three texts with respect to their overall organization and their approach to the relation between the science and the art of medicine. I then indicate two areas that merit more explicit attention in developing a comprehensive philosophy of medicine going forward: health economics and systematic relations within the field as a whole. The reviews that follow speak for themselves.

The Effect of Merit Aid on Enrollment: A Regression Discontinuity Analysis of Iowa's National Scholars Award

Science.gov (United States)

Leeds, Daniel M.; DesJardins, Stephen L.

2015-01-01

The cost of attending college has risen steadily over the past 30 years, making financial aid an important determinant of college choice for many students and a subject of concern for colleges and state governments. In this paper, we estimate the effect of rule-based merit aid assignment on students' enrollment decisions at the University of Iowa.…

Quality Assurance for Distance Education: A Faculty Peer Review Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Ross, Kathryn R.; Batzer, Lyn; Bennington, Elaine

2002-01-01

Discusses the need for quality assurance in distance education; describes evaluation criteria; and reports how Ivy Tech State College (Indiana) created a peer review process as a formative evaluation tool to assure the quality of its distance education courses. Explains roles of the participants and evaluation of the peer review prototype. (LRW)

The systematic review as a research process in music therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanson-Abromeit, Deanna; Sena Moore, Kimberly

2014-01-01

Music therapists are challenged to present evidence on the efficacy of music therapy treatment and incorporate the best available research evidence to make informed healthcare and treatment decisions. Higher standards of evidence can come from a variety of sources including systematic reviews. To define and describe a range of research review methods using examples from music therapy and related literature, with emphasis on the systematic review. In addition, the authors provide a detailed overview of methodological processes for conducting and reporting systematic reviews in music therapy. The systematic review process is described in five steps. Step 1 identifies the research plan and operationalized research question(s). Step 2 illustrates the identification and organization of the existing literature related to the question(s). Step 3 details coding of data extracted from the literature. Step 4 explains the synthesis of coded findings and analysis to answer the research question(s). Step 5 describes the strength of evidence evaluation and results presentation for practice recommendations. Music therapists are encouraged to develop and conduct systematic reviews. This methodology contributes to review outcome credibility and can determine how information is interpreted and used by clinicians, clients or patients, and policy makers. A systematic review is a methodologically rigorous research method used to organize and evaluate extant literature related to a clinical problem. Systematic reviews can assist music therapists in managing the ever-increasing literature, making well-informed evidence based practice and research decisions, and translating existing music-based and nonmusic based literature to clinical practice and research development. © the American Music Therapy Association 2014. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

CERN's Merit Appraisal and Recognition System from the point of view of the supervisor

CERN Multimedia

CERN. Geneva

2013-01-01

The required training consists of 2 parts : This presentation explaining “CERN’s merit recognition system”, followed by a session of questions/answers – duration : 2 hours A training session on “How to get, as a supervisor, the most out of the annual interview” – duration : 1 day. This hands-on training focuses on how to set smart work and development objectives, how to give feedback and how to run the annual interview in a constructive way.

Government and research: thirty years of evolution

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Henkel, Mary; Kogan, Maurice; Hanney, Stephen

2006-01-01

... The Chief Scientist ' s Organisation and External Research Bases: the Case of the DHSS Research Units 115 9 Review of Units and Scientific Merit: Chief Scientist ' s Visits 131 10 Review of Units and Policy Relevance: the Customer Review 153 PART III EMERGING PROCESSES AND ROLES 165 11 The Functions, Process and Impact of Research Commissioning 1...

20 CFR 10.608 - How does OWCP decide whether to grant or deny the request for reconsideration?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... review for this type of non-merit decision is an appeal to the ECAB (see § 10.625), and OWCP will not... THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES' COMPENSATION ACT, AS AMENDED Appeals Process Reconsiderations and Reviews by...

A review on water fault diagnosis of PEMFC associated with the pressure drop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pei, Pucheng; Li, Yuehua; Xu, Huachi; Wu, Ziyao

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Reviewed the effect factors and estimations of pressure drop associated with water fault diagnosis. • Reviewed pressure drop-based water fault diagnosis using different indicators. • Deviation of pressure drop is used frequently to diagnose water fault. • Reviewed recovery strategies based on pressure drop used in commercial PEMFC. • Merits, demerits and application prospects of pressure drop-based water fault diagnosis are discussed. - Abstract: The pressure difference between the inlet and outlet of the reactant in fuel cells is called the pressure drop, which is related to the water amount inside the fuel cells. In recent years there have been many studies that used the pressure drop to detect the water content and diagnose water fault of proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs). To our knowledge, there has not been a systematic review of these studies. In this paper, the effect variables of pressure drop are reviewed firstly. Then estimations of the theoretical pressure drop are reviewed mainly based on the following four aspects: Bernoulli’s equation, two-phase flow multiplier, Darcy’s law and artificial intelligence. Afterward, the water fault diagnosis based on the pressure drop using the following six indicators are reviewed: indicator of direct pressure drop, its deviation, frequency, multiplier, the ratio of pressure drop to flow rate and the flooding degree. In addition, the strategies of water fault recovery are also summarized. Finally the merits, demerits and application prospects of pressure drop-based water fault diagnosis are presented.

On the Need for Quantitative Bias Analysis in the Peer-Review Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Fox, Matthew P; Lash, Timothy L

2017-05-15

Peer review is central to the process through which epidemiologists generate evidence to inform public health and medical interventions. Reviewers thereby act as critical gatekeepers to high-quality research. They are asked to carefully consider the validity of the proposed work or research findings by paying careful attention to the methodology and critiquing the importance of the insight gained. However, although many have noted problems with the peer-review system for both manuscripts and grant submissions, few solutions have been proposed to improve the process. Quantitative bias analysis encompasses all methods used to quantify the impact of systematic error on estimates of effect in epidemiologic research. Reviewers who insist that quantitative bias analysis be incorporated into the design, conduct, presentation, and interpretation of epidemiologic research could substantially strengthen the process. In the present commentary, we demonstrate how quantitative bias analysis can be used by investigators and authors, reviewers, funding agencies, and editors. By utilizing quantitative bias analysis in the peer-review process, editors can potentially avoid unnecessary rejections, identify key areas for improvement, and improve discussion sections by shifting from speculation on the impact of sources of error to quantification of the impact those sources of bias may have had. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Pharmacoeconomic evaluation in Ireland: A review of the process

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Tilson, Lesley

2010-01-01

The aim of this review is to describe the pharmacoeconomic assessment process in Ireland and to provide examples of recent appraisals and the subsequent impact on pricing and reimbursement decisions.\\r\

Bayesian inference on genetic merit under uncertain paternity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tempelman Robert J

2003-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract A hierarchical animal model was developed for inference on genetic merit of livestock with uncertain paternity. Fully conditional posterior distributions for fixed and genetic effects, variance components, sire assignments and their probabilities are derived to facilitate a Bayesian inference strategy using MCMC methods. We compared this model to a model based on the Henderson average numerator relationship (ANRM in a simulation study with 10 replicated datasets generated for each of two traits. Trait 1 had a medium heritability (h2 for each of direct and maternal genetic effects whereas Trait 2 had a high h2 attributable only to direct effects. The average posterior probabilities inferred on the true sire were between 1 and 10% larger than the corresponding priors (the inverse of the number of candidate sires in a mating pasture for Trait 1 and between 4 and 13% larger than the corresponding priors for Trait 2. The predicted additive and maternal genetic effects were very similar using both models; however, model choice criteria (Pseudo Bayes Factor and Deviance Information Criterion decisively favored the proposed hierarchical model over the ANRM model.

The merits of measuring challenge and hindrance appraisals.

Science.gov (United States)

Searle, Ben J; Auton, Jaime C

2015-01-01

The challenge-hindrance framework has shown that challenge stressors (work characteristics associated with potential personal gain) tend to have positive outcomes, whereas hindrance stressors (those which obstruct goals) have negative outcomes. However, typical research methods assume that stressors allocated to these categories are appraised consistently by different people and across different situations. We validate new measures of challenge and hindrance appraisals and demonstrate their utility in stress research. We used a cross-sectional survey of American employees (Study 1, n = 333), a diary survey of Australian employees (Study 2, n = 241), and a survey of Australian college students whose performance was evaluated independently (Study 3, n = 350). Even after accounting for the effects of stressors, challenge and hindrance appraisals consistently explained unique variance in affective states, with indications that stressors have indirect effects via appraisals. Such effects were seen within- as well as between-participants (Study 2). Appraisals also had expected associations with specific coping behaviors (Study 1), while challenge appraisal was associated with task performance (Study 3). The scales of challenge and hindrance appraisals were psychometrically sound across multiple contexts. RESULTS highlight the merit of considering appraisal in stress research.

Current developments on the coal and gas markets and their retroactive effects on the Merit Order; Aktuelle Entwicklungen auf den Kohle- und Gasmaerkten und ihre Rueckwirkungen auf die Merit Order

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hecking, Harald; Cam, Eren; Schoenfisch, Max; Schulte, Simon [ewi Energy Research and Scenarios gGmbH, Koeln (Germany)

2017-06-15

Coal and gas continue to play a significant role in the European power generation system, especially in Germany. According to the AG energy balances, the share of hard coal in German gross electricity generation in 2016 was 17.2% and natural gas 12.4%. In addition to the CO{sub 2} price, the prices for steam coal and natural gas are a key factor in determining which gas or coal power station is in Merit Order and whether it comes to a fuel switch. Declining gas prices have been rising sharply since the middle of 2016, and the volatile prices for steam coal have been rising. This article discusses the developments and factors responsible for these developments, which could be expected in the near future, and the implications for the gas-coal spread in the electricity market. [German] Kohle und Gas spielen weiterhin eine bedeutende Rolle im europaeischen Stromerzeugungssystem, insbesondere in Deutschland. Laut AG Energiebilanzen lag 2016 der Anteil der Steinkohle an der deutschen Bruttostromerzeugung bei 17,2 % und der von Erdgas bei 12,4 %. Neben dem CO{sub 2}-Preis sind die Preise fuer Kesselkohle und Erdgas massgeblich dafuer verantwortlich, welches Gas- bzw. Kohlekraftwerk welche Position in der Merit Order einnimmt und ob es zu einem Fuel Switch kommt. Sinkende Preise beim Gas stehen seit Mitte 2016 stark gestiegenen und volatilen Preisen fuer Kesselkohle gegenueber. Dieser Artikel diskutiert, welche Entwicklungen und Faktoren fuer diese Entwicklungen verantwortlich sind, womit in naher Zukunft zu rechnen sein koennte und welche Implikationen dies fuer den Gas-Kohle-Spread im Strommarkt hat.

Fundamental mechanisms and reactions in non-catalytic subcritical hydrothermal processes: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Yousefifar, Azadeh; Baroutian, Saeid; Farid, Mohammed M; Gapes, Daniel J; Young, Brent R

2017-10-15

The management and disposal of solid waste is of increasing concern across the globe. Hydrothermal processing of sludge has been suggested as a promising solution to deal with the considerable amounts of sludge produced worldwide. Such a process not only degrades organic compounds and reduces waste volume, but also provides an opportunity to recover valuable substances. Hydrothermal processing comprises two main sub-processes: wet oxidation (WO) and thermal hydrolysis (TH), in which the formation of various free radicals results in the production of different intermediates. Volatile fatty acids (VFAs), especially acetic acid, are usually the main intermediates which remain as a by-product of the process. This paper aims to review the fundamental mechanism for hydrothermal processing of sludge, and the formation of different free radicals and intermediates therein. In addition, the proposed kinetic models for the two processes (WO and TH) from the literature are reviewed and the advantages and disadvantages of each model are outlined. The effect of mass transfer as a critical component of the design and development of the processes, which has been neglected in most of these proposed models, is also reviewed, and the effect of influencing parameters on the processes' controlling step (reaction or mass transfer) is discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical and mechanical properties of PLA, and their functions in widespread applications - A comprehensive review.

Science.gov (United States)

Farah, Shady; Anderson, Daniel G; Langer, Robert

2016-12-15

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA), so far, is the most extensively researched and utilized biodegradable aliphatic polyester in human history. Due to its merits, PLA is a leading biomaterial for numerous applications in medicine as well as in industry replacing conventional petrochemical-based polymers. The main purpose of this review is to elaborate the mechanical and physical properties that affect its stability, processability, degradation, PLA-other polymers immiscibility, aging and recyclability, and therefore its potential suitability to fulfill specific application requirements. This review also summarizes variations in these properties during PLA processing (i.e. thermal degradation and recyclability), biodegradation, packaging and sterilization, and aging (i.e. weathering and hygrothermal). In addition, we discuss up-to-date strategies for PLA properties improvements including components and plasticizer blending, nucleation agent addition, and PLA modifications and nanoformulations. Incorporating better understanding of the role of these properties with available improvement strategies is the key for successful utilization of PLA and its copolymers/composites/blends to maximize their fit with worldwide application needs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preoperative Nutrition Status and Postoperative Outcome in Elderly General Surgery Patients: A Systematic Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Stijn, Mireille F. M.; Korkic-Halilovic, Ines; Bakker, Marjan S. M.; van der Ploeg, Tjeerd; van Leeuwen, Paul A. M.; Houdijk, Alexander P. J.

2013-01-01

Background: Poor nutrition status is considered a risk factor for postoperative complications in the adult population. In elderly patients, who often have a poor nutrition status, this relationship has not been substantiated. Thus, the aim of this systematic review was to assess the merit of

PRISM, Processing and Review Interface for Strong Motion Data Software

Science.gov (United States)

Kalkan, E.; Jones, J. M.; Stephens, C. D.; Ng, P.

2016-12-01

A continually increasing number of high-quality digital strong-motion records from stations of the National Strong Motion Project (NSMP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as well as data from regional seismic networks within the U.S., calls for automated processing of strong-motion records with human review limited to selected significant or flagged records. The NSMP has developed the Processing and Review Interface for Strong Motion data (PRISM) software to meet this need. PRISM automates the processing of strong-motion records by providing batch-processing capabilities. The PRISM software is platform-independent (coded in Java), open-source, and does not depend on any closed-source or proprietary software. The software consists of two major components: a record processing engine composed of modules for each processing step, and a graphical user interface (GUI) for manual review and processing. To facilitate the use by non-NSMP earthquake engineers and scientists, PRISM (both its processing engine and GUI components) is easy to install and run as a stand-alone system on common operating systems such as Linux, OS X and Windows. PRISM was designed to be flexible and extensible in order to accommodate implementation of new processing techniques. Input to PRISM currently is limited to data files in the Consortium of Organizations for Strong-Motion Observation Systems (COSMOS) V0 format, so that all retrieved acceleration time series need to be converted to this format. Output products include COSMOS V1, V2 and V3 files as: (i) raw acceleration time series in physical units with mean removed (V1), (ii) baseline-corrected and filtered acceleration, velocity, and displacement time series (V2), and (iii) response spectra, Fourier amplitude spectra and common earthquake-engineering intensity measures (V3). A thorough description of the record processing features supported by PRISM is presented with examples and validation results. All computing features have been

Measuring Student Growth within a Merit-Pay Evaluation System: Perceived Effects on Music Teacher Motivation Career Commitment

Science.gov (United States)

Munroe, Angela

2017-01-01

In this experimental study, music teachers from a large school district were randomly assigned to one of two hypothetical conditions reflecting different methods for measuring student growth under a merit pay compensation system. In Scenario A, half of a teacher's effectiveness rating was based on student standardized test scores in reading,…

Strategic Review Process for an Accountable Care Organization and Emerging Accountable Care Best Practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Conway, Sarah J; Himmelrich, Sarah; Feeser, Scott A; Flynn, John A; Kravet, Steven J; Bailey, Jennifer; Hebert, Lindsay C; Donovan, Susan H; Kachur, Sarah G; Brown, Patricia M C; Baumgartner, William A; Berkowitz, Scott A

2018-02-02

Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), like other care entities, must be strategic about which initiatives they support in the quest for higher value. This article reviews the current strategic planning process for the Johns Hopkins Medicine Alliance for Patients (JMAP), a Medicare Shared Savings Program Track 1 ACO. It reviews the 3 focus areas for the 2017 strategic review process - (1) optimizing care coordination for complex, at-risk patients, (2) post-acute care, and (3) specialty care integration - reviewing cost savings and quality improvement opportunities, associated best practices from the literature, and opportunities to leverage and advance existing ACO and health system efforts in each area. It then reviews the ultimate selection of priorities for the coming year and early thoughts on implementation. After the robust review process, key stakeholders voted to select interventions targeted at care coordination, post-acute care, and specialty integration including Part B drug and imaging costs. The interventions selected incorporate a mixture of enhancing current ACO initiatives, working collaboratively and synergistically on other health system initiatives, and taking on new projects deemed targeted, cost-effective, and manageable in scope. The annual strategic review has been an essential and iterative process based on performance data and informed by the collective experience of other organizations. The process allows for an evidence-based strategic plan for the ACO in pursuit of the best care for patients.

Merits and demerits of engaging in athletic, academic and part-time job roles among university student-athletes in Japan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamada, Yasuyuki; Mizuno, Motoki; Ebara, Takeshi; Hirosawa, Masataka

2011-12-01

Although role conflict management is necessary for the prevention of dropout from participation in sports, little has been known about it, especially regarding Japanese university student-athletes. Hence, this study examined the aspects of merit and demerit involved in their performances of academic, athletic, part-time job, family and human relationship roles. The merits and demerits were evaluated using the theoretical concepts of negative spillover (NSP), positive spillover (PSP), compensation and segmentation. In the research, a total of 108 participants (63 males, 45 females) described information about their multiple roles in the Multiple Roles Map (MRM) form. NSP with high frequency rates (3rd quartile) showed demerit that negative condition in athletic and part-time job roles tended to disturb performance of other roles (male ≥ 17.5%, female ≥ 15.6%). The results of PSP showed merit that positive condition in the athletic, part-time job and academic roles contributes to accomplishment of good performance in other roles (male ≥ 19.0%, female ≥ 17.8%). Compensation indicated that negative conditions in the roles were compensated by satisfaction in the human relationships and family roles and private time (male ≥ 9.5%, female ≥ 11.1%). The family role was segmented from other roles (male ≥ 71.4%, female ≥ 68.9%). Sharing these findings will be effective in helping to solve role conflict problems of university student-athletes in Japan.

The relationship between genetic merit for yield and live weight, condition score, and energy balance of spring calving Holstein Friesian dairy cows on grass based systems of milk production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Buckley, F.; Dillon, P.; Rath, M.; Veerkamp, R.F.

2000-01-01

The objectives of this study were to estimate the effects of genetic merit for milk yield on energy balance, DM intake (DMI), and fertility for cows managed on three different grass-based feeding systems and to estimate possible interactions between genetic merit and feeding system. Individual

The effects of pre-processing strategies in sentiment analysis of online movie reviews

Science.gov (United States)

Zin, Harnani Mat; Mustapha, Norwati; Murad, Masrah Azrifah Azmi; Sharef, Nurfadhlina Mohd

2017-10-01

With the ever increasing of internet applications and social networking sites, people nowadays can easily express their feelings towards any products and services. These online reviews act as an important source for further analysis and improved decision making. These reviews are mostly unstructured by nature and thus, need processing like sentiment analysis and classification to provide a meaningful information for future uses. In text analysis tasks, the appropriate selection of words/features will have a huge impact on the effectiveness of the classifier. Thus, this paper explores the effect of the pre-processing strategies in the sentiment analysis of online movie reviews. In this paper, supervised machine learning method was used to classify the reviews. The support vector machine (SVM) with linear and non-linear kernel has been considered as classifier for the classification of the reviews. The performance of the classifier is critically examined based on the results of precision, recall, f-measure, and accuracy. Two different features representations were used which are term frequency and term frequency-inverse document frequency. Results show that the pre-processing strategies give a significant impact on the classification process.

Insights from the panel review process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Searborn, B.

1998-01-01

The environmental review process for nuclear waste management and disposal was unusual in that the Panel was asked to examine a concept rather than a specific project at a specific site. The Panel was charged with commenting on the safety and acceptability of the AECL concept, examining criteria for determining the safety and acceptability of any concept for managing nuclear fuel waste, and examining future steps which should be taken. In short, it was asked to provide policy advice to governments. The Panel concluded that safety is a key part, but only one part, of acceptability, and that safety must be viewed from both a technical and a social perspective. It judged that safety of the AECL concept had been adequately demonstrated from a technical perspective, but not from a social perspective. It also concluded that the AECL concept does not have the required level of public acceptability to be adopted as Canada's approach for managing nuclear fuel wastes. The paper examines in some detail the various aspects of the public concerns surrounding the nuclear cycle in general, and the safety of the proposals put forward by AECL for nuclear fuel waste management in particular. It notes the differences between those who look at safety from a technical perspective, and those who look at safety from a social perspective. And it lists the concerns related to acceptability in addition to the key factor of safety. After outlining the Panel's recommendations to governments on future steps to be taken, the paper discusses the extent to which the recommendations respond to the public's concerns. It stresses the importance of Aboriginal participation; of the creation of a new agency to deal with the full range of activities, technical and social, related to long-term management; of the public and decision-makers having more than one viable option to choose from; and of the essentiality of an inter-active process of public participation at all stages of decision-making. Finally

Guidelines regarding the Review Process under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

These guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties on the process for reviewing National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 and thereby to facilitate the efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention. The aim of the review process should be to achieve a thorough examination of National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, so that Contracting Parties can learn from each other's solutions to common and individual nuclear safety problems and, above all, contribute to improving nuclear safety worldwide through a constructive exchange of views [fr

Guidelines regarding the review process under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

These guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties on the process for reviewing National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 and thereby to facilitate the efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention. The aim of the review process should be to achieve a thorough examination of National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, so that Contracting Parties can learn from each other's solutions to common and individual nuclear safety problems and, above all, contribute to improving nuclear safety worldwide through a constructive exchange of views

Guidelines regarding the review process under the convention on nuclear safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

These guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties on the process for reviewing national reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 and thereby to facilitate the efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention. The aim of the review process should be to achieve a thorough examination of national reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, so that Contracting Parties can learn from each other's solutions to common and individual nuclear safety problems and, above all, contribute to improving nuclear safety worldwide through a constructive exchange of views

Guidelines regarding the Review Process under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

These guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties on the process for reviewing National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 and thereby to facilitate the efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention. The aim of the review process should be to achieve a thorough examination of National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, so that Contracting Parties can learn from each other's solutions to common and individual nuclear safety problems and, above all, contribute to improving nuclear safety worldwide through a constructive exchange of views

Guidelines regarding the review process under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

These guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties on the process for reviewing national reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 and thereby to facilitate the efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention. The aim of the review process should be to achieve a thorough examination of national reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, so that Contracting Parties can learn from each other's solutions to common and individual nuclear safety problems and, above all, contribute to improving nuclear safety worldwide through a constructive exchange of views

Guidelines regarding the Review Process under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

These guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties on the process for reviewing National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 and thereby to facilitate the efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention. The aim of the review process should be to achieve a thorough examination of National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, so that Contracting Parties can learn from each other's solutions to common and individual nuclear safety problems and, above all, contribute to improving nuclear safety worldwide through a constructive exchange of views [es

Application of nonliner reduction techniques in chemical process modeling: a review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muhaimin, Z; Aziz, N.; Abd Shukor, S.R.

2006-01-01

Model reduction techniques have been used widely in engineering fields for electrical, mechanical as well as chemical engineering. The basic idea of reduction technique is to replace the original system by an approximating system with much smaller state-space dimension. A reduced order model is more beneficial to process and industrial field in terms of control purposes. This paper is to provide a review on application of nonlinear reduction techniques in chemical processes. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique reviewed are also highlighted

Financial security of the state in terms of globalization processes escalation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Svitlana Tkalenko

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The article provides review of the globalization and global integration processes impact on the financial sector formation characterized by an increase in financial flows with the lead role played by transnational corporations and transnational banks. The globalization study has been already reflected by numerous scientific publications and various issues of reputable international academic journals describing the process as irreversible and objective along with demonstrating globalization merits and demerits, etc. In the 21st century, globalization is an issue discussed by everyone: ranging from presidents, prime ministers and members of parliament supposed to solve problems of any scale taking into consideration the global development phenomenon, to ordinary citizens. Today, globalization has obviously become a major trend of the modern world development, which is why issues implying sound development assurance become pressing for each country. The article dwells upon the main component of economic security — the financial one (Ukraine case study. Thus, we are engaged in studying the global development trend in terms of assuring security of the state under conditions of financial flows globalization and existence of global integration processes.

The merits of a robot: a Dutch experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Mobach, Mark P

2006-01-01

To determine the merits of a robot at the community pharmacy in a quasi-experiment. The applied methods for data-collection were barcode-time measurements, direct observations, time-interval studies, and tally at a Dutch community pharmacy. The topics consisted of workload, waiting times, congestion, slack, general work, counter work, and work at the consultation room. The topics were studied in pre-test and post-test stages, each stage during six weeks. By using these topics and some additional data from the pharmacy, the economics of the robot were also assessed. The workload decreased with 15 prescriptions per person per day. The waiting times decreased with one minute and 18 seconds per dispensing process, reducing the wait until counter contact. The day congestion decreased with one hour 27 minutes and 36 seconds, and the day slack increased with 28 minutes. The analysis of the general work showed no appreciable difference in the bulk of the care-related activities and the other activities. However, some work was re-shuffled: 7% increase at counter work and 7% decrease at logistics. Moreover, statistically significant increases were observed at counter work (5%) and robot work (4%), and significant decreases at telephone (3%) and filling work in presence of the patient (4%). The counter tally study showed a rise in care-related activities with 8%. Moreover, it also illuminated a statistically significant decrease at no information (11%) and an increase at only social (2%). The consultation room was never used during the study. The pharmacy economics of the robot showed that the robot had high estimated costs for purchase, depreciation, and maintenance: EUR 187,024 in the first year. Moreover, the robot had positive impact on waiting times, congestion, staffing, logistics, and care-related work, which was estimated on EUR 91,198 in the first year. The estimated payback time of the robot was three years. An introduction of the robot may indeed have the often

Systematic review of the effectiveness of training programs in writing for scholarly publication, journal editing, and manuscript peer review (protocol).

Science.gov (United States)

Galipeau, James; Moher, David; Skidmore, Becky; Campbell, Craig; Hendry, Paul; Cameron, D William; Hébert, Paul C; Palepu, Anita

2013-06-17

An estimated $100 billion is lost to 'waste' in biomedical research globally, annually, much of which comes from the poor quality of published research. One area of waste involves bias in reporting research, which compromises the usability of published reports. In response, there has been an upsurge in interest and research in the scientific process of writing, editing, peer reviewing, and publishing (that is, journalology) of biomedical research. One reason for bias in reporting and the problem of unusable reports could be due to authors lacking knowledge or engaging in questionable practices while designing, conducting, or reporting their research. Another might be that the peer review process for journal publication has serious flaws, including possibly being ineffective, and having poorly trained and poorly motivated reviewers. Similarly, many journal editors have limited knowledge related to publication ethics. This can ultimately have a negative impact on the healthcare system. There have been repeated calls for better, more numerous training opportunities in writing for publication, peer review, and publishing. However, little research has taken stock of journalology training opportunities or evaluations of their effectiveness. We will conduct a systematic review to synthesize studies that evaluate the effectiveness of training programs in journalology. A comprehensive three-phase search approach will be employed to identify evaluations of training opportunities, involving: 1) forward-searching using the Scopus citation database, 2) a search of the MEDLINE In-Process and Non-Indexed Citations, MEDLINE, Embase, ERIC, and PsycINFO databases, as well as the databases of the Cochrane Library, and 3) a grey literature search. This project aims to provide evidence to help guide the journalological training of authors, peer reviewers, and editors. While there is ample evidence that many members of these groups are not getting the necessary training needed to excel

Nuclear Detection Figure Of Merit (NDFOM) Version 1.2 User's Guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stroud, Phillip D.; Dufresne, Thomas A.

2012-01-01

NDFOM is a detector database and detector evaluation system, accessible as a web service. It runs on the same server as the Patriot service, but uses port 8081. In this user's guide, we will use the example case that the patriot service is running on http://patriot.lanl.gov. Then the NDFOM service would be accessible at the URL http://patriot.lanl.gov:8081/ndfom. In addition to local server installations, common server locations are 1) a patriot server running on a virtual machine (use the virtual machine URL with :8081/ndfom), and 2) a patriot server running on a local machine (use http://localhost:8081/ndfom or http://127.0.0.1:8081/ndfom). The home screen provides panels to select detectors, a scenario, and a figure-of-merit. It also has an 'analyze' button, which will evaluate the selected figure-of-merit for the selected detectors, for the scenario selected by the user. The detector effectiveness evaluations are presented through the browser in a ranked list of detectors. The user does not need to log in to perform analysis with pre-supplied detectors, scenarios, and FOMs. The homepage view is shown in Figure 1. The first panel displays a list of the detectors in the current detector database. The user can select one, some, or all detectors to evaluate. On the right of each listed detector, there is a star icon. Clicking that icon will open a panel that displays the details about that detector, such as detector material, dimensions, thresholds, etc. The center panel displays the pre-supplied scenarios that are in the database. A scenario specifies the source of interest, the spectrum of the radiation, the background radiation spectrum, the distance or distance of closest approach, the allowable false positive rate, and the dwell time or speed. Scenario details can be obtained by clicking the star to the right of a scenario. A scenario can be selected by clicking it.

Figures of Merit Guiding Research on Organic Solar Cells

KAUST Repository

Kirchartz, Thomas

2018-03-02

While substantial progress in the efficiency of polymer-based solar cells was possible by optimizing the energy levels of the polymer and more recently also the acceptor molecule, further progress beyond 10% efficiency requires a number of criteria to be fulfilled simultaneously, namely, low energy-level offsets at the donor–acceptor heterojunction, low open-circuit voltage losses due to nonradiative recombination, and efficient charge transport and collection. In this feature article we discuss these criteria considering thermodynamic limits, their correlation to photocurrent and photovoltage, and effects on the fill factor. Each criterion is quantified by a figure of merit (FOM) that directly relates to device performance. To ensure a wide applicability, we focus on FOMs that are easily accessible from common experiments. We demonstrate the relevance of these FOMs by looking at the historic and recent achievements of organic solar cells. We hope that the presented FOMs are or will become a valuable tool to evaluate, monitor, and guide further development of new organic absorber materials for solar cells.

Evaluation and review of alternative waste forms for immobilization of high level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1979-01-01

Objective was to review the relative merits and potential of eleven alternative waste forms being considered for the solidification and disposal of radioactive wastes. A numerical rating of the alternative waste forms was arrived at individually by peer review panel members taking into consideration nine scientific and nine engineering parameters affecting the long-term performance and production of waste forms. A group rating for the alternative forms was achieved by averaging the individiual scores and discussing the available data base. Three final ranking lists comparing: (A) Present Scientific Merits or Least Risk for Use Today; (B) Research Priority; and (3) Present and Potential Engineering Practicality were prepared by the Panel. Each waste form in the lists is assigned a value of either (1) Top Rank, (2) Intermediate Rank, or is assigned a value of either (1) Top Rank, (2) Intermediate Rank, or (3) Bottom Rank. Relative strengths and weaknesses of the alternative waste forms and recommendations for future program directions are discussed

Progress in catalytic naphtha reforming process: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahimpour, Mohammad Reza; Jafari, Mitra; Iranshahi, Davood

2013-01-01

Catalytic naphtha reforming process is a vital process for refineries due to the production of high-octane components, which is intensely demanded in our modern life. The significance of this industrial process induced researchers to investigate different aspects of catalytic naphtha reforming process intensively. Some of the investigators try to improve this process by representing more effective catalysts, while others try to elucidate its kinetic and deactivation mechanisms and design more efficient reactor setups. The amount of these established papers is so much that may confuse some of the researchers who want to find collective information about catalytic naphtha reforming process. In the present paper, the published studies from 1949 until now are categorized into three main groups including finding suitable catalyst, revealing appropriate kinetic and deactivation model, and suggesting efficient reactor configuration and mode of operation. These studies are reviewed separately, and a suitable reference is provided for those who want to have access to generalized information about catalytic naphtha reforming process. Finally, various suggestions for revamping the catalytic naphtha reforming process have been proposed as a guideline for further investigations

Thermoelectric figure of merit of polymeric systems for low-power generators

Science.gov (United States)

Cigarini, Luigi; Ruini, Alice; Catellani, Alessandra; Calzolari, Arrigo

2017-10-01

The request of thermoelectric materials for low-power and flexible applications fosters the investigation of the intrinsic electron and thermal transport of conducting polymeric chains, which are building blocks of the complex variety of organic composites proposed in experimental samples. Using calculations from first principles and the Landauer approach for both electron and phonon carriers, we study the thermoelectric figure of merit zT of three representative and largely used polymer chains, namely poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), polyaniline and polyfluorene. Our results provide an upper-limit estimate of zT, due to the intrinsic electronic and vibrational properties of the selected compounds, and pave the way to a microscopic understanding of the mechanisms that affect their electronic and transport characteristics in terms of structural distortions and chemical doping.

Stake holder involvement in the Canadian review process for uranium production projects in Northern Saskatchewan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Underhill, D.

2004-01-01

This report describes the Canadian environmental review process for uranium production projects as a case study for the purpose of understanding the nature and value of stakeholder involvement in the management of radiological hazards. While the Canadian review process potentially applies to any development, this case study focuses on the assessment of the uranium projects of northern Saskatchewan conducted during the 1990's. It describes the environmental assessment (EA) conducted in the 1990's for six new uranium facilities (including mines and mills and related tailings disposal sites) planned in northern Saskatchewan. Both the Canadian federal and the Saskatchewan provincial government have extensive environmental review processes that must under law be complete before any major industrial development judged to have potential environmental impacts is undertaken within their respective territories. However, even in those instances where no clear potential environmental impacts are evident, Canadian law mandates 'if public concern about the proposal is such that a public review is desirable, the initiating department shall refer the proposal to the Minister for review by a Panel'. (Wh95) As a stakeholder under law, in both Canada and Saskatchewan, the public plays an important role in the environmental review process. To encourage participation and assist the public in its review the two governments may provide funding (as done in this review) to assist qualified individuals or groups to participant in the review process. The first section of this case study sets the scene. It describes the Saskatchewan uranium mining story, focusing on how the importance of the public stakeholder evolved to become a major component, under law, in the EA process for new uranium mines. This increase in stakeholder involvement opportunities coincided with heightened public concern for the socio-economic impacts of the projects. In the late 1980's both governments were advised by

Acceleration processes in the magnetospheric plasma: a review

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nishida, A [Tokyo Univ. (Japan). Inst. of Space and Aeronautical Science

1975-01-01

Our present knowledge on the acceleration process in the magnetospheric plasma is reviewed and major problems are summarized. Acceleration processes can be classified into three categories. First, acceleration can be made by the reconnection process in the magnetotail. The occurrence of reconnection during substorm expansion phases has been confirmed, but details of the energy conversion mechanism need be clarified. Second, acceleration by the electric potential drop along magnetic field lines has been strongly suggested from observations of precipitating particles. The position and structure of the potential layer, however, have not been clarified, and theoretical understanding of the process is still in the early stage of development. Third, particles can be adiabatically heated as they are driven toward the earth in the course of their convective motion. Spatial structure and dynamical development of the auroral precipitation pattern represent both challenge and clue to the understanding of the magnetospheric acceleration process.

Guidelines regarding the Review Process under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

These Guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties on the process for reviewing National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention and thereby to facilitate the efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention. The aim of the review process should be to achieve a thorough examination of National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, so that Contracting Parties can learn from each other's solutions to common and individual nuclear safety problems and, above all, contribute to improving nuclear safety worldwide through a constructive exchange of views. [fr

Guidelines regarding the Review Process under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

These Guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties on the process for reviewing National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention and thereby to facilitate the efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention. The aim of the review process should be to achieve a thorough examination of National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, so that Contracting Parties can learn from each other's solutions to common and individual nuclear safety problems and, above all, contribute to improving nuclear safety worldwide through a constructive exchange of views.

Guidelines regarding the Review Process under the Convention on Nuclear Safety

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

These Guidelines, established by the Contracting Parties pursuant to Article 22 of the Convention, are intended to be read in conjunction with the text of the Convention. Their purpose is to provide guidance to the Contracting Parties on the process for reviewing National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention and thereby to facilitate the efficient review of implementation by the Contracting Parties of their obligations under the Convention. The aim of the review process should be to achieve a thorough examination of National Reports submitted in accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, so that Contracting Parties can learn from each other's solutions to common and individual nuclear safety problems and, above all, contribute to improving nuclear safety worldwide through a constructive exchange of views. [es

Quality Control and Peer Review of Data Sets: Mapping Data Archiving Processes to Data Publication Requirements

Science.gov (United States)

Mayernik, M. S.; Daniels, M.; Eaker, C.; Strand, G.; Williams, S. F.; Worley, S. J.

2012-12-01

Data sets exist within scientific research and knowledge networks as both technical and non-technical entities. Establishing the quality of data sets is a multi-faceted task that encompasses many automated and manual processes. Data sets have always been essential for science research, but now need to be more visible as first-class scholarly objects at national, international, and local levels. Many initiatives are establishing procedures to publish and curate data sets, as well as to promote professional rewards for researchers that collect, create, manage, and preserve data sets. Traditionally, research quality has been assessed by peer review of textual publications, e.g. journal articles, conference proceedings, and books. Citation indices then provide standard measures of productivity used to reward individuals for their peer-reviewed work. Whether a similar peer review process is appropriate for assessing and ensuring the quality of data sets remains as an open question. How does the traditional process of peer review apply to data sets? This presentation will describe current work being done at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in the context of the Peer REview for Publication & Accreditation of Research Data in the Earth sciences (PREPARDE) project. PREPARDE is assessing practices and processes for data peer review, with the goal of developing recommendations. NCAR data management teams perform various kinds of quality assessment and review of data sets prior to making them publicly available. The poster will investigate how notions of peer review relate to the types of data review already in place at NCAR. We highlight the data set characteristics and management/archiving processes that challenge the traditional peer review processes by using a number of questions as probes, including: Who is qualified to review data sets? What formal and informal documentation is necessary to allow someone outside of a research team to review a data set

Human-system interface design review guideline -- Process and guidelines: Final report. Revision 1, Volume 1

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 1 consists of two major parts. Part 1 describes those aspects of the review process of the HSI design that are important to identifying and resolving human engineering discrepancies. Part 2 contains detailed guidelines for a human factors engineering review which identify criteria for assessing the implementation of an applicant's or licensee's HSI design

Automation of the DoD Export License Application Review Process

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Young, Shelton

2002-01-01

.... The overall audit objective was to determine whether Federal automation programs supporting the export license and review process could be used to establish a common electronic interface creating...

Optimization principles and the figure of merit for triboelectric generators.

Science.gov (United States)

Peng, Jun; Kang, Stephen Dongmin; Snyder, G Jeffrey

2017-12-01

Energy harvesting with triboelectric nanogenerators is a burgeoning field, with a growing portfolio of creative application schemes attracting much interest. Although power generation capabilities and its optimization are one of the most important subjects, a satisfactory elemental model that illustrates the basic principles and sets the optimization guideline remains elusive. We use a simple model to clarify how the energy generation mechanism is electrostatic induction but with a time-varying character that makes the optimal matching for power generation more restrictive. By combining multiple parameters into dimensionless variables, we pinpoint the optimum condition with only two independent parameters, leading to predictions of the maximum limit of power density, which allows us to derive the triboelectric material and device figure of merit. We reveal the importance of optimizing device capacitance, not only load resistance, and minimizing the impact of parasitic capacitance. Optimized capacitances can lead to an overall increase in power density of more than 10 times.

Paper Prototyping: The Surplus Merit of a Multi-Method Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie Bettina Linek

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This article describes a multi-method approach for usability testing. The approach combines paper prototyping and think-aloud with two supplemental methods: advanced scribbling and a handicraft task. The method of advanced scribbling instructs the participants to use different colors for marking important, unnecessary and confusing elements in a paper prototype. In the handicraft task the participants have to tinker a paper prototype of their wish version. Both methods deliver additional information on the needs and expectations of the potential users and provide helpful indicators for clarifying complex or contradictory findings. The multi-method approach and its surplus benefit are illustrated by a pilot study on the redesign of the homepage of a library 2.0. The findings provide positive evidence for the applicability of the advanced scribbling and the handicraft task as well as for the surplus merit of the multi-method approach. The article closes with a discussion and outlook. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs150379

Working in Triads: A Case Study of a Peer Review Process

Science.gov (United States)

Grainger, Peter; Bridgstock, Martin; Houston, Todd; Drew, Steve

2015-01-01

Peer review of teaching has become an accepted educational procedure in Australia to quality assure the quality of teaching practices. The institutional implementation of the peer review process can be viewed as genuine desire to improve teaching quality or an imposition from above as a measure of accountability and performativity. One approach is…

An examination of gender differences in the American Fisheries Society peer-review process

Science.gov (United States)

Handley, Grace; Frantz, Cynthia M; Kocovsky, Patrick; DeVries, Dennis R.; Cooke, Steven J.; Claussen, Julie

2015-01-01

This study investigated the possibility of gender differences in outcomes throughout the peer review process of American Fisheries Society (AFS) journals. For each manuscript submitted to four AFS journals between January 2003 and December 2010, we collated information regarding the gender and nationality of authors, gender of associate editor, gender of reviewers, reviewer recommendations, associate editor's decision, and publication status of the manuscript. We used hierarchical linear modeling to test for differences in manuscript decision outcomes associated with author, reviewer, and associate editor gender. Gender differences were present at some but not every stage of the review process and were not equal among the four journals. Although there was a small gender difference in decision outcomes, we found no evidence of bias in editors’ and reviewers’ recommendations. Our results support the conclusion that the current single-blind review system does not result in bias against female authors within AFS journals.

Physical processes in the Gulf of Kachchh: A review

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Vethamony, P.; Babu, M.T.

A brief review of various physical processes acting in the Gulf of Kachchh (GoK), which have prominent roles in Gulf dynamics, is presented in this article. The eddies present in the GoK confirm that they are permanent features of the Go...

Review of Manganese Processing for Production of TRIP/TWIP Steels, Part 1: Current Practice and Processing Fundamentals

Science.gov (United States)

Elliott, R.; Coley, K.; Mostaghel, S.; Barati, M.

2018-02-01

The increasing demand for high-performance steel alloys has led to development of transformation-induced plasticity (TRIP) and twinning-induced plasticity (TWIP) alloys over the past three decades. These alloys offer exceptional combinations of high tensile strength and ductility. Thus, the mechanical behavior of these alloys has been a subject of significant work in recent years. However, the challenge of economically providing Mn in the quantity and purity required by these alloys has received considerably less attention. To enable commercial implementation of ultrahigh-Mn alloys, it is desirable to lower the high material costs associated with their production. Therefore, the present work reviews Mn processing routes in the context of the chemical requirements of these alloys. The aim of this review is to assess the current state of the art regarding reduction of manganese ores and provide a comprehensive reference for researchers working to mitigate material processing costs associated with Mn production. The review is presented in two parts: Part 1 introduces TRIP and TWIP alloys, current industrial practice, and pertinent thermodynamic fundamentals; Part 2 addresses available literature regarding reduction of Mn ores and oxides, and seeks to identify opportunities for future process development.

Development of an evidence-based review with recommendations using an online iterative process.

Science.gov (United States)

Rudmik, Luke; Smith, Timothy L

2011-01-01

The practice of modern medicine is governed by evidence-based principles. Due to the plethora of medical literature, clinicians often rely on systematic reviews and clinical guidelines to summarize the evidence and provide best practices. Implementation of an evidence-based clinical approach can minimize variation in health care delivery and optimize the quality of patient care. This article reports a method for developing an "Evidence-based Review with Recommendations" using an online iterative process. The manuscript describes the following steps involved in this process: Clinical topic selection, Evidence-hased review assignment, Literature review and initial manuscript preparation, Iterative review process with author selection, and Manuscript finalization. The goal of this article is to improve efficiency and increase the production of evidence-based reviews while maintaining the high quality and transparency associated with the rigorous methodology utilized for clinical guideline development. With the rise of evidence-based medicine, most medical and surgical specialties have an abundance of clinical topics which would benefit from a formal evidence-based review. Although clinical guideline development is an important methodology, the associated challenges limit development to only the absolute highest priority clinical topics. As outlined in this article, the online iterative approach to the development of an Evidence-based Review with Recommendations may improve productivity without compromising the quality associated with formal guideline development methodology. Copyright © 2011 American Rhinologic Society-American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy, LLC.

REVIEW ARTICLE: Spectrophotometric applications of digital signal processing

Science.gov (United States)

Morawski, Roman Z.

2006-09-01

Spectrophotometry is more and more often the method of choice not only in analysis of (bio)chemical substances, but also in the identification of physical properties of various objects and their classification. The applications of spectrophotometry include such diversified tasks as monitoring of optical telecommunications links, assessment of eating quality of food, forensic classification of papers, biometric identification of individuals, detection of insect infestation of seeds and classification of textiles. In all those applications, large numbers of data, generated by spectrophotometers, are processed by various digital means in order to extract measurement information. The main objective of this paper is to review the state-of-the-art methodology for digital signal processing (DSP) when applied to data provided by spectrophotometric transducers and spectrophotometers. First, a general methodology of DSP applications in spectrophotometry, based on DSP-oriented models of spectrophotometric data, is outlined. Then, the most important classes of DSP methods for processing spectrophotometric data—the methods for DSP-aided calibration of spectrophotometric instrumentation, the methods for the estimation of spectra on the basis of spectrophotometric data, the methods for the estimation of spectrum-related measurands on the basis of spectrophotometric data—are presented. Finally, the methods for preprocessing and postprocessing of spectrophotometric data are overviewed. Throughout the review, the applications of DSP are illustrated with numerous examples related to broadly understood spectrophotometry.

Figure of merit comparison of PP-based electret and PVDF-based piezoelectric polymer energy harvesters

Science.gov (United States)

Mrlík, M.; Leadenham, S.; AlMaadeed, M. A.; Erturk, A.

2016-04-01

The harvesting of mechanical strain and kinetic energy has received great attention over the past two decades in order to power wireless electronic components such as those used in passive and active monitoring applications. Piezoelectric ceramics, such as PZT (lead zirconate titanate), constitute the most commonly used electromechanical interface in vibration energy harvesters. However, there are applications in which piezoelectric ceramics cannot be used due to their low allowable curvature and brittle nature. Soft polymer PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) is arguably the most popular non-ceramic soft piezoelectric energy harvester material for such scenarios. Another type of polymer that has received less attention is PP (polypropylene) for electret-based energy harvesting using the thickness mode (33- mode). This work presents figure of merit comparison of PP versus PVDF for off-resonant energy harvesting in thickness mode operation, revealing substantial advantage of PP over PVDF. For thickness mode energy harvesting scenarios (e.g. dynamic compression) at reasonable ambient vibration frequencies, the figure of merit for the maximum power output is proportional to the square of the effective piezoelectric strain constant divided by the effective permittivity constant. Under optimal conditions and for the same volume, it is shown that PP can generate more than two orders of magnitude larger electrical power as compared to PVDF due to the larger effective piezoelectric strain constant and lower permittivity of the former.

The disciplinary process for chiropractors in the Province of Ontario: a review

OpenAIRE

Gotlib, Allan

1998-01-01

The purpose of this manuscript is to review in a generic sense, the process of discipline of chiropractors in the jurisdiction of Ontario and to raise the consideration currently extended to various provisions set out in the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, as amended (RHPA). Various procedural logistics are reviewed in the context of procedural fairness and due process. While authority rests with the law and the courts, the implementation of discretionary initiatives may not be in the...

Processing methods, characteristics and adsorption behavior of tire derived carbons: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Tawfik A; Gupta, Vinod Kumar

2014-09-01

The remarkable increase in the number of vehicles worldwide; and the lack of both technical and economical mechanisms of disposal make waste tires to be a serious source of pollution. One potential recycling process is pyrolysis followed by chemical activation process to produce porous activated carbons. Many researchers have recently proved the capability of such carbons as adsorbents to remove various types of pollutants including organic and inorganic species. This review attempts to compile relevant knowledge about the production methods of carbon from waste rubber tires. The effects of various process parameters including temperature and heating rate, on the pyrolysis stage; activation temperature and time, activation agent and activating gas are reviewed. This review highlights the use of waste-tires derived carbon to remove various types of pollutants like heavy metals, dye, pesticides and others from aqueous media. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

15 CFR 400.32 - Procedure for review of request for approval of manufacturing or processing.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... approval of manufacturing or processing. 400.32 Section 400.32 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations... REGULATIONS OF THE FOREIGN-TRADE ZONES BOARD Manufacturing and Processing Activity-Reviews § 400.32 Procedure for review of request for approval of manufacturing or processing. (a) Request as part of application...

Consolidated principles for screening based on a systematic review and consensus process.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobrow, Mark J; Hagens, Victoria; Chafe, Roger; Sullivan, Terrence; Rabeneck, Linda

2018-04-09

In 1968, Wilson and Jungner published 10 principles of screening that often represent the de facto starting point for screening decisions today; 50 years on, are these principles still the right ones? Our objectives were to review published work that presents principles for population-based screening decisions since Wilson and Jungner's seminal publication, and to conduct a Delphi consensus process to assess the review results. We conducted a systematic review and modified Delphi consensus process. We searched multiple databases for articles published in English in 1968 or later that were intended to guide population-based screening decisions, described development and modification of principles, and presented principles as a set or list. Identified sets were compared for basic characteristics (e.g., number, categorization), a citation analysis was conducted, and principles were iteratively synthesized and consolidated into categories to assess evolution. Participants in the consensus process assessed the level of agreement with the importance and interpretability of the consolidated screening principles. We identified 41 sets and 367 unique principles. Each unique principle was coded to 12 consolidated decision principles that were further categorized as disease/condition, test/intervention or program/system principles. Program or system issues were the focus of 3 of Wilson and Jungner's 10 principles, but comprised almost half of all unique principles identified in the review. The 12 consolidated principles were assessed through 2 rounds of the consensus process, leading to specific refinements to improve their relevance and interpretability. No gaps or missing principles were identified. Wilson and Jungner's principles are remarkably enduring, but increasingly reflect a truncated version of contemporary thinking on screening that does not fully capture subsequent focus on program or system principles. Ultimately, this review and consensus process provides a

Consolidated principles for screening based on a systematic review and consensus process

Science.gov (United States)

Hagens, Victoria; Chafe, Roger; Sullivan, Terrence; Rabeneck, Linda

2018-01-01

BACKGROUND: In 1968, Wilson and Jungner published 10 principles of screening that often represent the de facto starting point for screening decisions today; 50 years on, are these principles still the right ones? Our objectives were to review published work that presents principles for population-based screening decisions since Wilson and Jungner’s seminal publication, and to conduct a Delphi consensus process to assess the review results. METHODS: We conducted a systematic review and modified Delphi consensus process. We searched multiple databases for articles published in English in 1968 or later that were intended to guide population-based screening decisions, described development and modification of principles, and presented principles as a set or list. Identified sets were compared for basic characteristics (e.g., number, categorization), a citation analysis was conducted, and principles were iteratively synthesized and consolidated into categories to assess evolution. Participants in the consensus process assessed the level of agreement with the importance and interpretability of the consolidated screening principles. RESULTS: We identified 41 sets and 367 unique principles. Each unique principle was coded to 12 consolidated decision principles that were further categorized as disease/condition, test/intervention or program/system principles. Program or system issues were the focus of 3 of Wilson and Jungner’s 10 principles, but comprised almost half of all unique principles identified in the review. The 12 consolidated principles were assessed through 2 rounds of the consensus process, leading to specific refinements to improve their relevance and interpretability. No gaps or missing principles were identified. INTERPRETATION: Wilson and Jungner’s principles are remarkably enduring, but increasingly reflect a truncated version of contemporary thinking on screening that does not fully capture subsequent focus on program or system principles

Process monitoring for reprocessing plant safeguards: a summary review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kerr, H.T.; Ehinger, M.H.; Wachter, J.W.; Hebble, T.L.

1986-10-01

Process monitoring is a term typically associated with a detailed look at plant operating data to determine plant status. Process monitoring has been generally associated with operational control of plant processes. Recently, process monitoring has been given new attention for a possible role in international safeguards. International Safeguards Project Office (ISPO) Task C.59 has the goal to identify specific roles for process monitoring in international safeguards. As the preliminary effort associated with this task, a review of previous efforts in process monitoring for safeguards was conducted. Previous efforts mentioned concepts and a few specific applications. None were comprehensive in addressing all aspects of a process monitoring application for safeguards. This report summarizes the basic elements that must be developed in a comprehensive process monitoring application for safeguards. It then summarizes the significant efforts that have been documented in the literature with respect to the basic elements that were addressed

Reactor systems for syngas fermentation processes: a review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Asimakopoulos, Konstantinos; Gavala, Hariklia N.; Skiadas, Ioannis V.

2018-01-01

Abstract Implementation of biofuels as an alternative to fossil fuels has been established as an answer to climate change by limiting GHG emissions. Syngas fermentation has emerged as a promising process for the conversion of waste biomasses to valuable products with bioethanol being on the main...... of this review is to assemble all these techniques applied in syngas fermentation, focusing on the different bioreactor configurations operated in continuous mode for the production of liquid and gas biofuels. This article also outlines the so far entrepreneurial initiatives and the progress made towards...... the commercialization of the process....

Advanced Thermoelectric Materials for Efficient Waste Heat Recovery in Process Industries

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adam Polcyn; Moe Khaleel

2009-01-06

The overall objective of the project was to integrate advanced thermoelectric materials into a power generation device that could convert waste heat from an industrial process to electricity with an efficiency approaching 20%. Advanced thermoelectric materials were developed with figure-of-merit ZT of 1.5 at 275 degrees C. These materials were not successfully integrated into a power generation device. However, waste heat recovery was demonstrated from an industrial process (the combustion exhaust gas stream of an oxyfuel-fired flat glass melting furnace) using a commercially available (5% efficiency) thermoelectric generator coupled to a heat pipe. It was concluded that significant improvements both in thermoelectric material figure-of-merit and in cost-effective methods for capturing heat would be required to make thermoelectric waste heat recovery viable for widespread industrial application.

Nuclear fuel waste management and disposal concept: Report. Federal environmental assessment review process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

The Canadian concept for disposing CANDU reactor waste or high-level nuclear wastes from reprocessing involves underground disposal in sealed containers emplaced in buffer-filled and sealed vaults 500--1,000 meters below ground, in plutonic rock of the Canadian Shield. This document presents the report of a panel whose mandate was to review this concept (rather than a specific disposal project at a specific site) along with a broad range of related policy issues, and to conduct that review in five provinces (including reviews with First Nations groups). It first outlines the review process and then describes the nature of the problem of nuclear waste management. It then presents an overview of the concept being reviewed, its implementation stages, performance assessment analyses performed on the concept, and implications of a facility based on that concept (health, environmental, social, transportation, economic). The fourth section examines the criteria by which the safety and acceptability of the concept should be evaluated. This is followed by a safety and acceptability evaluation from both technical and social perspectives. Section six proposes future steps for building and determining acceptability of the concept, including an Aboriginal participation process, creation of a Nuclear Fuel Waste Management Agency, and a public participation process. The final section discusses some issues outside the panel's mandate, such as energy policy and renewable energy sources. Appendices include a chronology of panel activities, a review of radiation hazards, comparison between nuclear waste management and the management of other wastes, a review of other countries' approaches to long-term management of nuclear fuel wastes, and details of a siting process proposed by the panel

2011 Mars - Refresher presentation - General principles of the Merit, Appraisal and Recognition Scheme

CERN Multimedia

HR Department

2010-01-01

Staff members are invited to attend one of the following three information sessions that shall outline the general principles of the 2011 annual Merit, Appraisal and Recognition Scheme (MARS). Monday 10 January at 16:00-17:00 BE Auditorium Prévessin (864-1-D-02) – French;   Tuesday 11 January at 15:00-16:00 – Council Chamber (503-1-001) – English;   Thursday 13 January at 15:00-16:00 - Kjell Johnsen Auditorium (30-7-018) – French. General information on the MARS exercise may also be found on the Human Resources website: https://hr-eguide.web.cern.ch/hr-eguide/mars/mars.asp Tel. 70674 / 72728

Human-system interface design review guideline -- Process and guidelines: Final report. Revision 1, Volume 1

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 1 consists of two major parts. Part 1 describes those aspects of the review process of the HSI design that are important to identifying and resolving human engineering discrepancies. Part 2 contains detailed guidelines for a human factors engineering review which identify criteria for assessing the implementation of an applicant`s or licensee`s HSI design.

Systematising "System": One Reviewer's Analysis of the Review Process

Science.gov (United States)

Coniam, David

2011-01-01

This paper describes one reviewer's experience of reviewing for the journal "System" over an eight-year period, 2003-2011. The paper reports on the reviews produced by the single reviewer, which have been compiled into a specific purpose--an "occluded"--corpus (Swales, 1996) of 122 reviews, comprising 93,000 words. The paper first describes the…

[Ecological security of wastewater treatment processes: a review].

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Sai; Hua, Tao

2013-05-01

Though the regular indicators of wastewater after treatment can meet the discharge requirements and reuse standards, it doesn't mean the effluent is harmless. From the sustainable point of view, to ensure the ecological and human security, comprehensive toxicity should be considered when discharge standards are set up. In order to improve the ecological security of wastewater treatment processes, toxicity reduction should be considered when selecting and optimizing the treatment processes. This paper reviewed the researches on the ecological security of wastewater treatment processes, with the focus on the purposes of various treatment processes, including the processes for special wastewater treatment, wastewater reuse, and for the safety of receiving waters. Conventional biological treatment combined with advanced oxidation technologies can enhance the toxicity reduction on the base of pollutants removal, which is worthy of further study. For the process aimed at wastewater reuse, the integration of different process units can complement the advantages of both conventional pollutants removal and toxicity reduction. For the process aimed at ecological security of receiving waters, the emphasis should be put on the toxicity reduction optimization of process parameters and process unit selection. Some suggestions for the problems in the current research and future research directions were put forward.

Teaching undergraduates the process of peer review: learning by doing.

Science.gov (United States)

Rangachari, P K

2010-09-01

An active approach allowed undergraduates in Health Sciences to learn the dynamics of peer review at first hand. A four-stage process was used. In stage 1, students formed self-selected groups to explore specific issues. In stage 2, each group posted their interim reports online on a specific date. Each student read all the other reports and prepared detailed critiques. In stage 3, each report was discussed at sessions where the lead discussant was selected at random. All students participated in the peer review process. The written critiques were collated and returned to each group, who were asked to resubmit their revised reports within 2 wk. In stage 4, final submissions accompanied by rebuttals were graded. Student responses to a questionnaire were highly positive. They recognized the individual steps in the standard peer review, appreciated the complexities involved, and got a first-hand experience of some of the inherent variabilities involved. The absence of formal presentations and the opportunity to read each other's reports permitted them to study issues in greater depth.

Toward Cognitively Constrained Models of Language Processing: A Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margreet Vogelzang

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Language processing is not an isolated capacity, but is embedded in other aspects of our cognition. However, it is still largely unexplored to what extent and how language processing interacts with general cognitive resources. This question can be investigated with cognitively constrained computational models, which simulate the cognitive processes involved in language processing. The theoretical claims implemented in cognitive models interact with general architectural constraints such as memory limitations. This way, it generates new predictions that can be tested in experiments, thus generating new data that can give rise to new theoretical insights. This theory-model-experiment cycle is a promising method for investigating aspects of language processing that are difficult to investigate with more traditional experimental techniques. This review specifically examines the language processing models of Lewis and Vasishth (2005, Reitter et al. (2011, and Van Rij et al. (2010, all implemented in the cognitive architecture Adaptive Control of Thought—Rational (Anderson et al., 2004. These models are all limited by the assumptions about cognitive capacities provided by the cognitive architecture, but use different linguistic approaches. Because of this, their comparison provides insight into the extent to which assumptions about general cognitive resources influence concretely implemented models of linguistic competence. For example, the sheer speed and accuracy of human language processing is a current challenge in the field of cognitive modeling, as it does not seem to adhere to the same memory and processing capacities that have been found in other cognitive processes. Architecture-based cognitive models of language processing may be able to make explicit which language-specific resources are needed to acquire and process natural language. The review sheds light on cognitively constrained models of language processing from two angles: we

Review of thin film solar cell technology and applications for ultra-light spacecraft solar arrays

Science.gov (United States)

Landis, Geoffrey A.

1991-01-01

Developments in thin-film amorphous and polycrystalline photovoltaic cells are reviewed and discussed with a view to potential applications in space. Two important figures of merit are discussed: efficiency (i.e., what fraction of the incident solar energy is converted to electricity), and specific power (power to weight ratio).

Process variables in organizational stress management intervention evaluation research: a systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Havermans, B.M.; Schelvis, R.M.C.; Boot, C.R.L.; Brouwers, E.P.M.; Anema, J.R.; Beek, A.J. van der

2016-01-01

Objectives This systematic review aimed to explore which process variables are used in stress management intervention (SMI) evaluation research. Methods A systematic review was conducted using seven electronic databases. Studies were included if they reported on an SMI aimed at primary or secondary

Process variables in organizational stress management intervention evaluation research : A systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Havermans, B.M.; Schlevis, Roosmarijn Mc; Boot, Cécile Rl; Brouwers, E.P.M.; Anema, Johannes R; van der Beek, Allard J

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aimed to explore which process variables are used in stress management intervention (SMI) evaluation research. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted using seven electronic databases. Studies were included if they reported on an SMI aimed at primary or

Depathologising gender diversity in childhood in the process of ICD revision and reform.

Science.gov (United States)

Suess Schwend, Amets; Winter, Sam; Chiam, Zhan; Smiley, Adam; Cabral Grinspan, Mauro

2018-01-24

From 2007 on, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been revising its diagnostic manual, the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD), with approval of ICD-11 due in 2018. The ICD revision has prompted debates on diagnostic classifications related to gender diversity and gender development processes, and specifically on the 'Gender incongruence of childhood' (GIC) code. These debates have taken place at a time an emergent trans depathologisation movement is becoming increasingly international, and regional and international human rights bodies are recognising gender identity as a source of discrimination. With reference to the history of diagnostic classification of gender diversity in childhood, this paper conducts a literature review of academic, activist and institutional documents related to the current discussion on the merits of retaining or abandoning the GIC code. Within this broader discussion, the paper reviews in more detail recent publications arguing for the abandonment of this diagnostic code drawing upon clinical, bioethical and human rights perspectives. The review indicates that gender diverse children engaged in exploring their gender identity and expression do not benefit from diagnosis. Instead they benefit from support from their families, their schools and from society more broadly.

Emotion and persuasion: cognitive and meta-cognitive processes impact attitudes.

Science.gov (United States)

Petty, Richard E; Briñol, Pablo

2015-01-01

This article addresses the multiple ways in which emotions can influence attitudes and persuasion via primary and secondary (meta-) cognition. Using the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion as a guide, we review evidence for five fundamental processes that occur at different points along the elaboration continuum. When the extent of thinking is constrained to be low, emotions influence attitudes by relatively simple processes that lead them to change in a manner consistent with the valence of the emotion. When thinking is constrained to be high, emotions can serve as arguments in favour of a proposal if they are relevant to the merits of the advocacy or they can bias thinking if the emotion precedes the message. If thinking is high and emotions become salient after thinking, they can lead people to rely or not rely on the thoughts generated either because the emotion leads people to like or dislike their thoughts (affective validation) or feel more confident or doubtful in their thoughts (cognitive validation). When thinking is unconstrained, emotions influence the extent of thinking about the persuasive communication. Although prior theories have addressed one or more of these fundamental processes, no other approach has integrated them into one framework.

Process innovation in tourism management: A review of the literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irma Elia Damian

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Purpose: Identifying gaps in the academic literature regarding three great management topics: Process Innovation, Tourism Management and Process Innovation in Tourism Management in order to establish the conceptual framework and identify future lines of research. Design/methodology: For this research, a systematic review was conducted on items obtained from accredited databases recognized as EBSCO, OECD, among others, the literature on Process Innovation, Tourism Management and Process Innovation in Tourism Management. Findings: As a result of this review the opportunity for academic research was identified, this due to a theoretical gap which exists on the subject of Process Innovation in Tourism Management. Research limitations/implications: For the realization of this research the databases used were: EBSCO, Emerald, OECD, ProQuest and Scientific Research. The authors are aware that there may be other papers of the subject that were not considered in this article. Practical implications: Following this research the road to research other issues is opened, such as: what impact does it have and how do Process Innovations in Tourism Management are carried along in organizations belonging to Sector Originality/value: The knowledge of how process innovation in tourism management occurs in hospitality organizations gives a better understanding and comprehension of this subjects opening the possibility, for other organizations, of adopting and adapting them in areas related to customer satisfaction, improvement of the image of the organization and quality of the service offered.

Estimating total economic merit for the Portuguese Holstein cattle population under new economic conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joana B.M. Almeida

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to develop a total economic merit index that identifies more profitable animals using Portugal as a case study to illustrate the recent economic changes in milk production. Economic values were estimated following future global prices and EU policy, and taking into consideration the priorities of the Portuguese dairy sector. Economic values were derived using an objective system analysis with a positive approach, that involved the comparison of several alternatives, using real technical and economic data from national dairy farms. The estimated relative economic values revealed a high importance of production traits, low for morphological traits and a value of zero for somatic cell score. According to several future market expectations, three scenarios for milk production were defined: a realistic, a pessimistic and an optimistic setting, each with projected future economic values. Responses to selection and efficiency of selection of the indices were compared to a fourth scenario that represents the current selection situation in Portugal, based on individual estimated breeding values for milk yield. Although profit resulting from sale of milk per average lactation in the optimistic scenario was higher than in the realistic scenario, the volatility of future economic conditions and uncertainty about the future milk pricing system should be considered. Due to this market instability, genetic improvement programs require new definitions of profit functions for the near future. Effective genetic progress direction must be verified so that total economic merit formulae can be adjusted and selection criteria redirected to the newly defined target goals.

Relationships between Milk Progesterone Profiles and Genetic Merit for Milk Production, Milking Frequency, and Feeding Regimen in Dairy Cattle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Windig, J.J.; Beerda, B.; Veerkamp, R.F.

2008-01-01

Milk progesterone profiles were determined from samples obtained twice weekly for 100 d postpartum in 100 Holstein primiparous cows at a Dutch experimental farm. Three treatments were applied in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement with high-low genetic merit for overall production, high-low caloric

25 CFR 170.501 - What happens when the review process identifies areas for improvement?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... identifies areas for improvement? When the review process identifies areas for improvement: (a) The regional... 25 Indians 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What happens when the review process identifies areas for improvement? 170.501 Section 170.501 Indians BUREAU OF INDIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR LAND AND...

Data Analytics in CRM Processes: A Literature Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gončarovs Pāvels

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, the data scarcity problem has been supplanted by the data deluge problem. Marketers and Customer Relationship Management (CRM specialists have access to rich data on consumer behaviour. The current challenge is effective utilisation of these data in CRM processes and selection of appropriate data analytics techniques. Data analytics techniques help find hidden patterns in data. The present paper explores the characteristics of data analytics as the integrated tool in CRM for sales managers. The paper aims at analysing some of the different analytics methods and tools which can be used for continuous improvement of CRM processes. A systematic literature has been conducted to achieve this goal. The results of the review highlight the most frequently considered CRM processes in the context of data analytics.

Process variables in organizational stress management intervention evaluation research: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Havermans, Bo M; Schlevis, Roosmarijn Mc; Boot, Cécile Rl; Brouwers, Evelien Pm; Anema, Johannes; van der Beek, Allard J

2016-09-01

This systematic review aimed to explore which process variables are used in stress management intervention (SMI) evaluation research. A systematic review was conducted using seven electronic databases. Studies were included if they reported on an SMI aimed at primary or secondary stress prevention, were directed at paid employees, and reported process data. Two independent researchers checked all records and selected the articles for inclusion. Nielsen and Randall's model for process evaluation was used to cluster the process variables. The three main clusters were context, intervention, and mental models. In the 44 articles included, 47 process variables were found, clustered into three main categories: context (two variables), intervention (31 variables), and mental models (14 variables). Half of the articles contained no reference to process evaluation literature. The collection of process evaluation data mostly took place after the intervention and at the level of the employee. The findings suggest that there is great heterogeneity in methods and process variables used in process evaluations of SMI. This, together with the lack of use of a standardized framework for evaluation, hinders the advancement of process evaluation theory development.

LITERATURE REVIEW FOR OXALATE OXIDATION PROCESSES AND PLUTONIUM OXALATE SOLUBILITY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nash, C.

2012-02-03

A literature review of oxalate oxidation processes finds that manganese(II)-catalyzed nitric acid oxidation of oxalate in precipitate filtrate is a viable and well-documented process. The process has been operated on the large scale at Savannah River in the past, including oxidation of 20 tons of oxalic acid in F-Canyon. Research data under a variety of conditions show the process to be robust. This process is recommended for oxalate destruction in H-Canyon in the upcoming program to produce feed for the MOX facility. Prevention of plutonium oxalate precipitation in filtrate can be achieved by concentrated nitric acid/ferric nitrate sequestration of oxalate. Organic complexants do not appear practical to sequester plutonium. Testing is proposed to confirm the literature and calculation findings of this review at projected operating conditions for the upcoming campaign. H Canyon plans to commence conversion of plutonium metal to low-fired plutonium oxide in 2012 for eventual use in the Mixed Oxide Fuel (MOX) Facility. The flowsheet includes sequential operations of metal dissolution, ion exchange, elution, oxalate precipitation, filtration, and calcination. All processes beyond dissolution will occur in HB-Line. The filtration step produces an aqueous filtrate that may have as much as 4 M nitric acid and 0.15 M oxalate. The oxalate needs to be removed from the stream to prevent possible downstream precipitation of residual plutonium when the solution is processed in H Canyon. In addition, sending the oxalate to the waste tank farm is undesirable. This report addresses the processing options for destroying the oxalate in existing H Canyon equipment.

A REVIEW ON EFFICACIOUS METHODS TO DECOLORIZE REACTIVE AZO DYE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jagadeesan Vijayaraghavan

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper deals with the intensive review of reactive azo dye, Reactive Black 5. Various physicochemical methods namely photo catalysis, electrochemical, adsorption, hydrolysis and biological methods like microbial degradation, biosorption and bioaccumulation have been analyzed thoroughly along with the merits and demerits of each method. Among these various methods, biological treatment methods are found to be the best for decolorization of Reactive Black 5. With respect to dye biosorption, microbial biomass (bacteria, fungi, microalgae, etc, and outperformed macroscopic materials (seaweeds, crab shell, etc. are used for decolorization process. The use of living organisms may not be an option for the continuous treatment of highly toxic organic/inorganic contaminants. Once the toxicant concentration becomes too high or the process operated for a long time, the amount of toxicant accumulated will reach saturation. Beyond this point, an organism's metabolism may be interrupted, resulting in death of the organism. This scenario is not existed in the case of dead biomass, which is flexible to environmental conditions and toxicant concentrations. Thus, owing to its favorable characteristics, biosorption has received much attention in recent years.

Review on biofuel oil and gas production processes from microalgae

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amin, Sarmidi

2009-01-01

Microalgae, as biomass, are a potential source of renewable energy, and they can be converted into energy such as biofuel oil and gas. This paper presents a brief review on the main conversion processes of microalgae becoming energy. Since microalgae have high water content, not all biomass energy conversion processes can be applied. By using thermochemical processes, oil and gas can be produced, and by using biochemical processes, ethanol and biodiesel can be produced. The properties of the microalgae product are almost similar to those of offish and vegetable oils, and therefore, it can be considered as a substitute of fossil oil.

Review of desulfurization process for biogas purification

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Cong; Ma, Yunqian; Ji, Dandan; Zang, Lihua

2017-12-01

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is a toxic and odorous compound present in biogas produced by the anaerobic digestion of biosolids and other organic materials. Elimination of H2S is necessary as it is extremely hazardous to human health, poisonous to process catalysts and corrosive to equipment. The desulfurization technology is an important part for efficient utilization of biogas. In this paper, the traditional wet and dry desulfurization technology for biogas was reviewed, and the new research progress of biological desulfurization technologies are also introduced.

Extrusion Processing of Raw Food Materials and by-products: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Offiah, Vivian; Kontogiorgos, Vassilis; Falade, Kolawole O

2018-05-22

Extrusion technology has rapidly transformed the food industry with its numerous advantages over other processing methods. It offers a platform for processing different products from various food groups by modifying minor or major ingredients and processing conditions. Although cereals occupy a large portion of the extruded foods market, several other types of raw materials have been used. Extrusion processing of various food groups, including cereals and pseudo cereals, roots and tubers, pulses and oilseeds, fruits and vegetables, and animal products, as well as structural and nutritional changes in these food matrices are reviewed. Value addition by extrusion to food processing wastes and by-products from fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat and seafood, cereals and residues from starch, syrup and alcohol production, and oilseed processing are also discussed. Extrusion presents an economical technology for incorporating food processing residues and by-products back into the food stream. In contemporary scenarios, rising demand for extruded products with functional ingredients, attributed to evolving lifestyles and preferences, have led to innovations in the form, texture, color and content of extruded products. Information presented in this review would be of importance to processors and researchers as they seek to enhance nutritional quality and delivery of extruded products.

Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): Harsh Choices For Interventional Pain Management Physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Manchikanti, Laxmaiah; Helm Ii, Standiford; Benyamin, Ramsin M; Hirsch, Joshua A

2016-01-01

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) was created by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA) to improve the health of all Americans by providing incentives and policies to improve patient health outcomes. MIPS combines 3 existing programs, Meaningful Use (MU), now called Advancing Care Information (ACI), contributing 25% of the composite score; Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS), changed to Quality, contributing 50% of the composite score; and Value-based Payment (VBP) system to Resource Use or cost, contributing 10% of the composite score. Additionally, Clinical Practice Improvement Activities (CPIA), contributing 15% of the composite score, create multiple strategic goals to design incentives that drive movement toward delivery system reform principles with inclusion of Advanced Alternative Payment Models (APMs). Under the present proposal, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has estimated approximately 30,000 to 90,000 providers from a total of over 761,000 providers will be exempt from MIPS. About 87% of solo practitioners and 70% of practitioners in groups of less than 10 will be subjected to negative payments or penalties ranging from 4% to 9%. In addition, MIPS also will affect a provider's reputation by making performance measures accessible to consumers and third-party physician rating Web sites.The MIPS composite performance scoring method, at least in theory, utilizes weights for each performance category, exceptional performance factors to earn bonuses, and incorporates the special circumstances of small practices.In conclusion, MIPS has the potential to affect practitioners negatively. Interventional Pain Medicine practitioners must understand the various MIPS measures and how they might participate in order to secure a brighter future. Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, merit-based incentive payment system, quality performance measures, resource use, clinical practice

Enhancement in figure-of-merit with superlattices structures for thin-film thermoelectric devices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Venkatasubramanian, R; Colpitts, T

1997-07-01

Thin-film superlattice (SL) structures in thermoelectric materials are shown to be a promising approach to obtaining an enhanced figure-of-merit, ZT, compared to conventional, state-of-the-art bulk alloyed materials. In this paper the authors describe experimental results on Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Si/Ge SL structures, relevant to thermoelectric cooling and power conversion, respectively. The short-period Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Si/Ge SL structures appear to indicate reduced thermal conductivities compared to alloys of these materials. From the observed behavior of thermal conductivity values in the Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} SL structures, a distinction is made where certain types of periodic structures may correspond to an ordered alloy rather than an SL, and therefore, do not offer a significant reduction in thermal conductivity values. The study also indicates that SL structures, with little or weak quantum-confinement, also offer an improvement in thermoelectric power factor over conventional alloys. They present power factor and electrical transport data in the plane of the SL interfaces to provide preliminary support for the arguments on reduced alloy scattering and impurity scattering in Bi{sub 2}Te{sub 3}/Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} and Si/Ge SL structures. These results, though tentative due to the possible role of the substrate and the developmental nature of the 3-{omega} method used to determine thermal conductivity values, suggest that the short-period SL structures potentially offer factorial improvements in the three-dimensional figure-of-merit (ZT3D) compared to current state-of-the-art bulk alloys. An approach to a thin-film thermoelectric device called a Bipolarity-Assembled, Series-Inter-Connected Thin-Film Thermoelectric Device (BASIC-TFTD) is introduced to take advantage of these thin-film SL structures.

Computer Vision and Image Processing: A Paper Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

victor - wiley

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Computer vision has been studied from many persective. It expands from raw data recording into techniques and ideas combining digital image processing, pattern recognition, machine learning and computer graphics. The wide usage has attracted many scholars to integrate with many disciplines and fields. This paper provide a survey of the recent technologies and theoretical concept explaining the development of computer vision especially related to image processing using different areas of their field application. Computer vision helps scholars to analyze images and video to obtain necessary information,    understand information on events or descriptions, and scenic pattern. It used method of multi-range application domain with massive data analysis. This paper provides contribution of recent development on reviews related to computer vision, image processing, and their related studies. We categorized the computer vision mainstream into four group e.g., image processing, object recognition, and machine learning. We also provide brief explanation on the up-to-date information about the techniques and their performance.

Laser processing of metals and alloys

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goswami, G.L.; Kumar, Dilip; Roy, P.R.

1988-01-01

Laser, due to its high degree of coherence can produce powder density in the range of 10 3 -10 11 W/mm 2 . This high power density of the laser beam enables it to be utilized for many industrial applications, e.g. welding, cutting, drilling, surface treatment, etc. Laser processing of materials has many advantages, e.g. good quality product at high processing speed, least heat affected zone, minimum distortion, etc. In addition, the same laser system can be utilized for different applications, a very cost effective factor for any industry. Therefore laser has been adopted for processing of different materials for a wide range of applications and is now replacing conventional materials processing techniques on commercial merits with several economic and metallurgical advantages. Applications of laser to process materials of different thicknesses varying from 0.1 mm to 100 mm have demonstrat ed its capability as an important manufacturing tool for engineering industries. While lasers have most widely been utilized in welding, cutting and drilling they have also found applications in surface treatment of metals and alloys, e.g. transfor mation hardening and annealing. More recently, there has been significant amount of research being undertaken in laser glazing, laser surface alloying and laser cladding for obtaining improved surface properties. This report reviews the stat us of laser processing of metals and alloys emphasising its metallurgical aspects a nd deals with the different laser processes like welding, cutting, drilling and surface treatment highlighting the types and choice of laser and its interaction with metals and alloys and the applications of these processes. (author). 93 refs., 32 figs., 7 tables

Effects of the Boy Scouts of America Personal Fitness Merit Badge on Cardio-Metabolic Risk, Health Related Fitness and Physical Activity in Adolescent Boys.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, Justin; Burns, Ryan D; Brusseau, Timothy A

2017-01-01

A growing number of adolescents are more sedentary and have fewer formal opportunities to participate in physical activity. With the mounting evidence that sedentary time has a negative impact on cardiometabolic profiles, health related fitness and physical activity, there is a pressing need to find an affordable adolescent physical activity intervention. One possible intervention that has been overlooked in the past is Boy Scouts of America. There are nearly 900,000 adolescent boys who participate in Boy Scouts in the United States. The purpose of this research study was to evaluate the effect of the Personal Fitness merit badge system on physical activity, health-related fitness, and cardio-metabolic blood profiles in Boy Scouts 11-17 years of age. Participants were fourteen (N = 14) Boy Scouts from the Great Salt Lake Council of the Boy Scouts of America who earned their Personal Fitness merit badge. Classes were held in the Spring of 2016 where boys received the information needed to obtain the merit badge and data were collected. Results from the related-samples Wilcoxon signed rank test showed that the median of differences between VO 2 peak pre-test and post-test scores were statistically significant ( p = 0.004). However, it also showed that the differences between the Pre-MetS (metabolic syndrome) and Post-MetS scores (p = 0.917), average steps taken per day ( p = 0.317), and BMI ( p = 0.419) were not statistically significant. In conclusion, the merit badge program had a positive impact on cardiovascular endurance, suggesting this program has potential to improve cardiovascular fitness and should be considered for boys participating in Boy Scouts.

A review of breast tomosynthesis. Part I. The image acquisition process

Science.gov (United States)

Sechopoulos, Ioannis

2013-01-01

Mammography is a very well-established imaging modality for the early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer. However, since the introduction of digital imaging to the realm of radiology, more advanced, and especially tomographic imaging methods have been made possible. One of these methods, breast tomosynthesis, has finally been introduced to the clinic for routine everyday use, with potential to in the future replace mammography for screening for breast cancer. In this two part paper, the extensive research performed during the development of breast tomosynthesis is reviewed, with a focus on the research addressing the medical physics aspects of this imaging modality. This first paper will review the research performed on the issues relevant to the image acquisition process, including system design, optimization of geometry and technique, x-ray scatter, and radiation dose. The companion to this paper will review all other aspects of breast tomosynthesis imaging, including the reconstruction process. PMID:23298126

ALARA Design Review for the Resumption of the Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP) Cementation Process Project Activities

CERN Document Server

Dayley, L

2000-01-01

The requirements for the performance of radiological design reviews are codified in 10CFR835, Occupational Radiation Protection. The basic requirements for the performance of ALARA design reviews are presented in the Hanford Site Radiological Control Manual (HSRCM). The HSRCM has established trigger levels requiring radiological reviews of non-routine or complex work activities. These requirements are implemented in site procedures HNF-PRO-1622 and 1623. HNF-PRO-1622 Radiological Design Review Process requires that ''radiological design reviews [be performed] of new facilities and equipment and modifications of existing facilities and equipment''. In addition, HNF-PRO-1623 Radiological Work Planning Process requires a formal ALARA Review for planned activities that are estimated to exceed 1 person-rem total Dose Equivalent (DE). The purpose of this review is to validate that the original design for the PFP Cementation Process ensures that the principles of ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) were included...

Analysis of Scaling Law and Figure of Merit of Fiber-Based Biosensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jui-Teng Lin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a normalized transmitted signal (NTS of a fiber-based sensor using gold nanorods as the plasmon excitation medium of the evanescent wave. The NTS and the refractive index (RI sensitivity is calculated as a function of the gold aspect ratio (R, the RI of the sensing medium, and a scaling parameter given by the ratio of the fiber length and its diameter. Finally, the optimal value of gold aspect ratio is calculated to be R = (3.0–4.0 for maximum figure of merits (FOMs defined by the ratio of the refractive index sensitivity and the full width at half maximum. The scaling laws and the FOM presented in this paper may serve as the guidelines for optimal designs in fiber-based nanosensors.

Review: how do hospital organizational structure and processes affect quality of care?: a critical review of research methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Hearld, Larry R; Alexander, Jeffrey A; Fraser, Irene; Jiang, H Joanna

2008-06-01

Interest in organizational contributions to the delivery of care has risen significantly in recent years. A challenge facing researchers, practitioners, and policy makers is identifying ways to improve care by improving the organizations that provide this care, given the complexity of health care organizations and the role organizations play in influencing systems of care. This article reviews the literature on the relationship between the structural characteristics and organizational processes of hospitals and quality of care. The review uses Donabedian's structure-process-outcome and level of analysis frameworks to organize the literature. The results of this review indicate that a preponderance of studies are conducted at the hospital level of analysis and are predominantly focused on the organizational structure-quality outcome relationship. The article concludes with recommendations of how health services researchers can expand their research to enhance one's understanding of the relationship between organizational characteristics and quality of care.

A Review of (Elementary) School Self-Assessment Processes: Ontario and Beyond

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Thomas G.; Telfer, Leslie

2011-01-01

This review draws attention to issues related to school self-assessment. This process has been similarly implemented in a variety of jurisdictions globally in the past decade hence their inclusion herein as an attempt to understand the school self-assessment process which has also been developed for use in local Ontario (Canadian) elementary…

Review of friction modeling in metal forming processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, C.V.; Bay, N.

2018-01-01

Abstract In metal forming processes, friction between tool and workpiece is an important parameter influencing the material flow, surface quality and tool life. Theoretical models of friction in metal forming are based on analysis of the real contact area in tool-workpiece interfaces. Several...... research groups have studied and modeled the asperity flattening of workpiece material against tool surface in dry contact or in contact interfaces with only thin layers of lubrication with the aim to improve understanding of friction in metal forming. This paper aims at giving a review of the most...... conditions, normal pressure, sliding length and speed, temperature changes, friction on the flattened plateaus and deformation of the underlying material. The review illustrates the development in the understanding of asperity flattening and the methods of analysis....

Implementing a Standardised Annual Programme Review Process in a Third-Level Institution

Science.gov (United States)

Wickham, Sheelagh; Brady, Malcolm; Ingle, Sarah; McMullan, Caroline; Nic Giolla Mhichíl, Mairéad; Walshe, Ray

2017-01-01

Purpose: Ideally, quality should be, and is, an integral element of education, yet capturing and articulating quality is not simple. Programme quality reviews in third-level education can demonstrate quality and identify areas for improvement, offering many potential benefits. However, details on the process of quality programme review are limited…

Treatment of persistent organic pollutants in wastewater using hydrodynamic cavitation in synergy with advanced oxidation process.

Science.gov (United States)

Badmus, Kassim Olasunkanmi; Tijani, Jimoh Oladejo; Massima, Emile; Petrik, Leslie

2018-03-01

Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are very tenacious wastewater contaminants. The consequences of their existence have been acknowledged for negatively affecting the ecosystem with specific impact upon endocrine disruption and hormonal diseases in humans. Their recalcitrance and circumvention of nearly all the known wastewater treatment procedures are also well documented. The reported successes of POPs treatment using various advanced technologies are not without setbacks such as low degradation efficiency, generation of toxic intermediates, massive sludge production, and high energy expenditure and operational cost. However, advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have recently recorded successes in the treatment of POPs in wastewater. AOPs are technologies which involve the generation of OH radicals for the purpose of oxidising recalcitrant organic contaminants to their inert end products. This review provides information on the existence of POPs and their effects on humans. Besides, the merits and demerits of various advanced treatment technologies as well as the synergistic efficiency of combined AOPs in the treatment of wastewater containing POPs was reported. A concise review of recently published studies on successful treatment of POPs in wastewater using hydrodynamic cavitation technology in combination with other advanced oxidation processes is presented with the highlight of direction for future research focus.

A Review of Literature on analysis of JIG Grinding Process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sudheesh, P. K.; Puthumana, Govindan

2016-01-01

in jig grinding, because of their uniformity and purity. In this paper, abrief review of the analysis of jig grinding process considering various research trends is presented. The areas highlighted are: optimization, selection of abrasives, selection of processing conditions and practical considerations....... The optimization of parameters in jig grinding process is important to maximize productivity and to improve quality. The abrasives of hard jig grinding wheels get blunt quickly so these are recommended to grind workpiece of low hardness and soft grinding wheels are recommended for hard material workpieces. The jig...

Kas õpetajad on teie kaudu tööd otsinud? / Natalija Gansen, Merit Laan, Ilmar Kütt... [jt.

Index Scriptorium Estoniae

2010-01-01

Küsimusele vastavad: Eesti töötukassa Tallinna ja Harjumaa osakonna teenusekonsultant Natalija Gansen, Eesti töötukassa Viljandimaa osakonna juhataja Merit Laan, Viljandi maavalitsuse haridus- ja sotsiaalosakonna juhataja Ilmar Kütt, CV-Online Estonia OÜ värbamisspetsialist Ivika Born, Lääne-Viru maavalitsuse haridus- ja sotsiaalosakonna vanemspetsialist Tiina Halling ja Valga maavalitsuse haridus- ja kultuuritalituse juhataja Kalle Vister

Behavioural processes in marketing channel relationships: Review and integration of empirical evidence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Nils Bøgelund; Skytte, Hans

1997-01-01

This paper reviews the empirical research on behavioural processes in marketing channel relationships. Systematically examining nine international journals, we find 49 papers on behavioural processes. On the basis of the hypothesis tests in the papers, we discuss the results and integrate...

Mushroom cultivation, processing and value added products: a patent based review.

Science.gov (United States)

Singhal, Somya; Rasane, Prasad; Kaur, Sawinder; Garba, Umar; Singh, Jyoti; Raj, Nishant; Gupta, Neeru

2018-06-03

Edible mushrooms are an abundant source of carbohydrates, proteins, and multiple antioxidants and phytonutrients. This paper presents a general overview on the edible fungus describing the inventions made in the field of its cultivation, equipment and value added products. To understand and review the innovations and nutraceutical benefits of mushrooms as well as to develop interest regarding the edible mushrooms. Information provided in this review is based on the available research investigations and patents. Mushrooms are an edible source of a wide variety of antioxidants and phytonutrients with a number of nutraceutical properties including anti-tumor and anti-carcinogenic. Thus, several investigations are made for cultivation and improvement of the yield of mushrooms through improvisation of growth substrates and equipment used for mushroom processing. The mushroom has been processed into various products to increase its consumption, providing the health and nutritional benefit to mankind. This paper summarizes the cultivation practices of mushroom, its processing equipments, methods of preservation, value added based products, and its nutraceutical properties. The review also highlights the various scientific feats achieved in terms of patents and research publications promoting mushroom as a wholesome food. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Process hazards review of the 904-A trench

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Snyder, D.E.

1988-01-01

The 904-A trench is an enclosed underground concrete containment for high level and low level radioactive waste lines between the main Laboratory Building 773-A and waste storage and shipping Building 776-A. The waste generated in laboratories and other facilities in 773-A flows by gravity into the high level and low level drain lines, which proceed from 773-A through the 904-A trench. The trench ends at 776-2A, where the underground was handling tanks for both high level and low level liquids are located. The trench serves to contain any leaks originating in the drain lines. The trench is sloped downward toward the Building 776-2A pipe gallery. Any liquid collected from the sump can be pumped automatically to a waste tank sampled. The review of the 904-A trench system included a study of the trench and piping itself, as well as a study of the high level and low level drain lines from the laboratories to the trench. The present review emphasized on examination of the hazards involved in chemical reactions in the drain lines, misuse of the drains, and criticality. The following items were examined: Process Hazards Review of the Liquid Waste Collection System, Nuclear Criticality Review of the High Level Drain System, Improvements in the 904-A Trench System, Operating Procedures, and Unusual Incidents

Grant Application Development, Submission, Review, & Award

Science.gov (United States)

This infographic shows the National Cancer Institute general timeline progression through Grant Application Development, Submission, Review, and Award Infographic. In the first month, Applicant prepares and submits Grant Application to Grants.gov in response to FOA. In month two, The Center for Scientific Review (CSR) assigns applications that fall under the category of R01s, etc. to a Scientific Review Group (SRG) or the CSR assigns applications that fall under the category of Program Projects and Center Grants to NCI Division of Extramural Activities (DEA). Months four through five: First-level review by Scientific Review Group (SRG) for Scientific Merit: SRG assigns Impact Scores. Month five Summary Sstatements are prepared and are available to NCI Program staff and applicants. Month six, second-level review by National Cancer Advisory board (NCAB) for NCI Funding determination begins. NCAB makes recommendation to NCI Director, NCI develops funding plan, Applications selected for Funding, “Paylists” forwarded to Office of Grant Administration (OGA). Month ten, Award Negotiations and Issuance: Award issued, Award received by Institution, and Investigator begins work. www.cancer.gov Icons made by Freepik from http://www.flaticon.com is licensed by CC BY3.0

Calcineurin inhibitor sparing with mycophenolate in kidney transplantation: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Moore, Jason

2009-02-27

Limiting the exposure of kidney transplant recipients to calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs) has potential merit, but there is no clear consensus on the utility of current strategies. In an attempt to aid clarification, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials that assessed CNI sparing (minimization or elimination) with mycophenolate as sole adjunctive immunosuppression.

A scoping review protocol on the roles and tasks of peer reviewers in the manuscript review process in biomedical journals.

Science.gov (United States)

Glonti, Ketevan; Cauchi, Daniel; Cobo, Erik; Boutron, Isabelle; Moher, David; Hren, Darko

2017-10-22

The primary functions of peer reviewers are poorly defined. Thus far no body of literature has systematically identified the roles and tasks of peer reviewers of biomedical journals. A clear establishment of these can lead to improvements in the peer review process. The purpose of this scoping review is to determine what is known on the roles and tasks of peer reviewers. We will use the methodological framework first proposed by Arksey and O'Malley and subsequently adapted by Levac et al and the Joanna Briggs Institute. The scoping review will include all study designs, as well as editorials, commentaries and grey literature. The following eight electronic databases will be searched (from inception to May 2017): Cochrane Library, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Educational Resources Information Center, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science. Two reviewers will use inclusion and exclusion criteria based on the 'Population-Concept-Context' framework to independently screen titles and abstracts of articles considered for inclusion. Full-text screening of relevant eligible articles will also be carried out by two reviewers. The search strategy for grey literature will include searching in websites of existing networks, biomedical journal publishers and organisations that offer resources for peer reviewers. In addition we will review journal guidelines to peer reviewers on how to perform the manuscript review. Journals will be selected using the 2016 journal impact factor. We will identify and assess the top five, middle five and lowest-ranking five journals across all medical specialties. This scoping review will undertake a secondary analysis of data already collected and does not require ethical approval. The results will be disseminated through journals and conferences targeting stakeholders involved in peer review in biomedical research. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the

The role of verbalization in the Rorschach response process: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, J M

1987-01-01

Traditional Rorschach theory has consistently overlooked the linguistic aspect of the response process. Most conceptualizations focus on the perceptual and cognitive aspects of the process, never examining the subject's need to find a linguistic representation for the inner, perceptual process. This review examines the traditional formulations and suggests that new research from information-processing, neuropsychological, and dual-coding memory theory paradigms offer new possibilities for Rorschach research that would incorporate an appreciation of the unique cognitive demand of the test--the linking of percept with language.

Warehouse Order-Picking Process. Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. V. Korobkov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available This article describes basic warehousing activities, namely: movement, information storage and transfer, as well as connections between typical warehouse operations (reception, transfer, assigning storage position and put-away, order-picking, hoarding and sorting, cross-docking, shipping. It presents a classification of the warehouse order-picking systems in terms of manual labor on offer as well as external (marketing channels, consumer’s demand structure, supplier’s replenishment structure and inventory level, total production demand, economic situation and internal (mechanization level, information accessibility, warehouse dimensionality, method of dispatch for shipping, zoning, batching, storage assignment method, routing method factors affecting the designing systems complexity. Basic optimization considerations are described. There is a literature review on the following sub-problems of planning and control of orderpicking processes.A layout design problem has been taken in account at two levels — external (facility layout problem and internal (aisle configuration problem. For a problem of distributing goods or stock keeping units the following methods are emphasized: random, nearest open storage position, and dedicated (COI-based, frequency-based distribution, as well as class-based and familygrouped (complimentary- and contact-based one. Batching problem can be solved by two main methods, i.e. proximity order batching (seed and saving algorithms and time-window order batching. There are two strategies for a zoning problem: progressive and synchronized, and also a special case of zoning — bucket brigades method. Hoarding/sorting problem is briefly reviewed. Order-picking routing problem will be thoroughly described in the next article of the cycle “Warehouse order-picking process”.

Dual-process models of health-related behaviour and cognition: a review of theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Houlihan, S

2018-03-01

The aim of this review was to synthesise a spectrum of theories incorporating dual-process models of health-related behaviour. Review of theory, adapted loosely from Cochrane-style systematic review methodology. Inclusion criteria were specified to identify all relevant dual-process models that explain decision-making in the context of decisions made about human health. Data analysis took the form of iterative template analysis (adapted from the conceptual synthesis framework used in other reviews of theory), and in this way theories were synthesised on the basis of shared theoretical constructs and causal pathways. Analysis and synthesis proceeded in turn, instead of moving uni-directionally from analysis of individual theories to synthesis of multiple theories. Namely, the reviewer considered and reconsidered individual theories and theoretical components in generating the narrative synthesis' main findings. Drawing on systematic review methodology, 11 electronic databases were searched for relevant dual-process theories. After de-duplication, 12,198 records remained. Screening of title and abstract led to the exclusion of 12,036 records, after which 162 full-text records were assessed. Of those, 21 records were included in the review. Moving back and forth between analysis of individual theories and the synthesis of theories grouped on the basis of theme or focus yielded additional insights into the orientation of a theory to an individual. Theories could be grouped in part on their treatment of an individual as an irrational actor, as social actor, as actor in a physical environment or as a self-regulated actor. Synthesising identified theories into a general dual-process model of health-related behaviour indicated that such behaviour is the result of both propositional and unconscious reasoning driven by an individual's response to internal cues (such as heuristics, attitude and affect), physical cues (social and physical environmental stimuli) as well as

Treatment of winery wastewater by physicochemical, biological and advanced processes: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Ioannou, L A; Li Puma, G; Fatta-Kassinos, D

2015-04-09

Winery wastewater is a major waste stream resulting from numerous cleaning operations that occur during the production stages of wine. The resulting effluent contains various organic and inorganic contaminants and its environmental impact is notable, mainly due to its high organic/inorganic load, the large volumes produced and its seasonal variability. Several processes for the treatment of winery wastewater are currently available, but the development of alternative treatment methods is necessary in order to (i) maximize the efficiency and flexibility of the treatment process to meet the discharge requirements for winery effluents, and (ii) decrease both the environmental footprint, as well as the investment/operational costs of the process. This review, presents the state-of-the-art of the processes currently applied and/or tested for the treatment of winery wastewater, which were divided into five categories: i.e., physicochemical, biological, membrane filtration and separation, advanced oxidation processes, and combined biological and advanced oxidation processes. The advantages and disadvantages, as well as the main parameters/factors affecting the efficiency of winery wastewater treatment are discussed. Both bench- and pilot/industrial-scale processes have been considered for this review. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS): A Primer for Otolaryngologists.

Science.gov (United States)

Rathi, Vinay K; Naunheim, Matthew R; Varvares, Mark A; Holmes, Kenneth; Gagliano, Nancy; Hartnick, Christopher J

2018-05-01

Following passage of the 2015 Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, most clinicians caring for Medicare Part B patients were required to participate in a new value-based reimbursement system known as the Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) beginning in 2017. The MIPS adjusts payment rates to providers based on a composite score of performance across 4 categories: quality, advancing care information, clinical practice improvement activities, and resource use. However, factors such as practice size, setting, informational capabilities, and patient population may pose challenges as otolaryngologists endeavor to adapt to this broad-reaching payment reform. Given potential barriers to adoption, otolaryngologists should be aware of several important initiatives to help optimize their performance, including advocacy efforts by the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, the development of otolaryngology-specific MIPS quality measures, and the launch of a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-qualified otolaryngology clinical data registry to facilitate reporting.

2013 MARS – Refresher presentation | General principles of the Merit, Appraisal and Recognition Scheme

CERN Multimedia

2013-01-01

Staff members are invited to attend one of the three following information sessions that shall outline the general principles of the 2013 annual Merit, Appraisal and Recognition Scheme (MARS).   Monday 14 January at 10:00-11:30 – Filtration Plant (222-R-001) Thursday 17 January at 10:00-11:30 – Kjell Johnsen Auditorium (30-7-018) Monday 21 January at 10:00-11:30 - BE Amphitheatre Prévessin (864-1-D02)   General information on the MARS exercise may also be found in the CERN admin e-guide: https://admin-eguide.web.cern.ch/admin-eguide/mars/mars.asp. Human Resources Department Tel. 72728

A Short Review of Membrane Fouling in Forward Osmosis Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Chun, Youngpil; Mulcahy, Dennis; Zou, Linda; Kim, In S.

2017-01-01

Interest in forward osmosis (FO) research has rapidly increased in the last decade due to problems of water and energy scarcity. FO processes have been used in many applications, including wastewater reclamation, desalination, energy production, fertigation, and food and pharmaceutical processing. However, the inherent disadvantages of FO, such as lower permeate water flux compared to pressure driven membrane processes, concentration polarisation (CP), reverse salt diffusion, the energy consumption of draw solution recovery and issues of membrane fouling have restricted its industrial applications. This paper focuses on the fouling phenomena of FO processes in different areas, including organic, inorganic and biological categories, for better understanding of this long-standing issue in membrane processes. Furthermore, membrane fouling monitoring and mitigation strategies are reviewed. PMID:28604649

Non-meritocratic Factors and the Recruitment Process in Oyo State ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Results show that the dynamics of the recruitment and selection processes in Oyo State civil service are driven more by nonmeritocratic influences such as ethnicity, religion, statism, politicization etc. which have become embedded into the socio-economic and political organization/structure of Nigeria. Merit is undermined ...

Processing Instruction: A review of issues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhlisin Rasuki

2017-07-01

Full Text Available This paper provides a critical review of Processing Instruction (PI. This type of instructional option was specifically designed to help second/foreign language (L2 learners grasp meaning manifested in the use of particular grammatical forms in a target language effectively through the provision of input. In this way, PI attempts to help learners develop grammatical competence in a target language in ways that foster their comprehension and production skills. The paper starts with outlining main characteristics of PI which distinguish it from other types of L2 grammar instruction. Then, a large body of research attempting to investigate the relative efficacy of PI is scrutinized. The paper concludes with a number of important issues that future studies on PI need to address.

Enhanced thermoelectric figure of merit in strained Tl-doped Bi2Se3

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Y.

2014-07-21

We explain recent experimental findings on Tl-doped Bi2Se3 by determining the electronic and transport properties by first-principles calculations and semi-classical Boltzmann theory. Though Tl-doping introduces a momentum-dependent spin-orbit splitting, the effective mass of the carriers is essentially not modified, while the band gap is reduced. Tl is found to be exceptional in this respect as other dopants modify the dispersion, which compromises thermoelectricity. Moreover, we demonstrate that only after Tl-doping strain becomes an efficient tool for enhancing the thermoelectric performance. A high figure of merit of 0.86 is obtained for strong p-doping (7 × 10^20 cm^(−3), maximal power factor) at 500 K under 2% tensile strain.

Phenotypic and genetic relationships of feed efficiency with growth performance, ultrasound, and carcass merit traits in Angus and Charolais steers.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, F; Chen, L; Vinsky, M; Okine, E; Wang, Z; Basarab, J; Crews, D H; Li, C

2013-05-01

Feed efficiency is of particular importance to the beef industry, as feed costs represent the single largest variable cost in beef production systems. Selection for more efficient cattle will lead to reduction of feed related costs, but should not have adverse impacts on quality of the carcass. In this study, we evaluated phenotypic and genetic correlations of residual feed intake (RFI), RFI adjusted for end-of-test ultrasound backfat thickness (RFIf), and RFI adjusted for ultrasound backfat thickness and LM area (RFIfr) with growth, ultrasound, and carcass merit traits in an Angus population of 551 steers and in a Charolais population of 417 steers. In the Angus steer population, the phenotypic and genetic correlation of RFI with carcass merit traits including HCW, carcass backfat, carcass LM area, lean meat yield, and carcass marbling were not significant or weak with correlations coefficients ranging from -0.0007 ± 0.05 to 0.18 ± 0.21. In the Charolais steer population, the phenotypic and genetic correlations of RFI with the carcass merit traits were also weak, with correlation coefficients ranging from -0.07 ± 0.06 to 0.19 ± 0.18, except for the genetic correlation with carcass average backfat, which was moderate with a magnitude of 0.42 ± 0.29. Inclusion of ultrasound backfat thickness in the model to predict the expected daily DMI for maintenance explained on average an additional 0.5% variation of DMI in the Angus steers and 2.3% variation of DMI in the Charolais steer population. Inclusion of both the ultrasound backfat and LM area in the model explained only 0.7% additional variance in DMI in the Angus steer population and only 0.6% in the Charolais steer population on top of the RFIf model. We concluded that RFIf adjusted for ultrasound backfat at the end of the test will lead to decreases of both the phenotypic and genetic correlations with carcass backfat and marbling score to a greater extent for late-maturing beef breeds such as Charolais than

Membrane contactors for CO2 capture processes - critical review

Science.gov (United States)

Nogalska, Adrianna; Trojanowska, Anna; Garcia-Valls, Ricard

2017-07-01

The use of membrane contactor in industrial processes is wide, and lately it started to be used in CO2 capture process mainly for gas purification or to reduce the emission. Use of the membrane contactor provides high contact surface area so the size of the absorber unit significantly decreases, which is an important factor for commercialization. The research has been caried out regarding the use of novel materials for the membrane production and absorbent solution improvements. The present review reveals the progress in membrane contactor systems for CO2 capture processes concerning solution for ceramic membrane wetting, comparison study of different polymers used for fabrication and methods of enzyme immobilization for biocomposite membrane. Also information about variety of absorbent solutions is described.

The use of tomographic techniques in the mineral processing Industry. A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Witika, L.K.; Jere, E.H.

2002-01-01

Process tomographic techniques may be used to analyse the internal state of most of the multiphase process engineering systems such as material segregation in a reactor multiphase flow in pipes and the spatial resolution of mineral grains in multiphase particles. These techniques include radiation computed tomography (X-ray or ray), electrical methods(capacitance, impedance and inductive tomography) positron emission tomography,optical tomography, microwave tomography, acoustic tomographical methods and many more. Many potential applications exist for process tomographic instrumentation for quantitative analysis and fault-detection purposes. Amongst these, electrical methods are widely used for those mineral processes deserving particular attention such as dense-medium separation, hydro cyclones, flotation cells and columns, gas-liquid absorbers, solvent extraction and other liquid-liquid processes, filtration and other solid-liquid processes, grinding mills (both dry and wet, conveyors and hoppers). Development in on-line measurement instrumentation now allow direct observation of the behaviour of fluids inside mineral separation equipment. This offers the possibility to acquire process data to enable models to be devised, to verify theoretical computational fluid dynamics predictions and control of various unit processes. In this review, the most important tomographic sensing methods are reviewed. Examples of the implementation of some electrical methods are illustrated. (authors)

Application of radiation technology to sewage sludge processing: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jianlong; Wang Jiazhuo

2007-01-01

Sewage sludge is unwanted residual solid wastes generated in wastewater treatment and its management is one of the most critical environmental issues of today. The treatment and disposal of sludge contribute a considerable proportion of the cost for running a wastewater treatment plant. The increasing amount of swage sludge and more and more legislative regulation of its disposal have stimulated the need for developing new technologies to process sewage sludge efficiently and economically. One ideal consideration is to recycle it after proper treatment. Radiation technology is regarded to be a promising alternative for its high efficiency in pathogen inactivation, organic pollutants oxidation, odor nuisance elimination and some other characteristics enhancement, which will facilitate the down-stream process of sludge treatment and disposal. Here we present a brief review of application of radiation technology on sewage sludge processing. Some basic information of two currently available irradiation systems and fundamental radiation chemistry are introduced firstly; then the world-wide application of this promising technology is reviewed; various effects of radiation on sludge is discussed in detail; and some concluding remarks are given and some future directions are also proposed

ALARA Review of 233-S Process Hood D and D and Related Activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Landsman, S.D.

1999-01-01

This document is an as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) review of design packages for planned work at the 233-S Facility. The ALARA review was initiated in accordance with the Bechtel Hanford, Inc. (BHI) Integrated Environmental, Safety, and Health Management System (ISMS) workflow process

Drugs Cleared Through The FDA's Expedited Review Offer Greater Gains Than Drugs Approved By Conventional Process.

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, James D; Thorat, Teja; Wilkinson, Colby L; Neumann, Peter J

2017-08-01

We investigated whether drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) through expedited review have offered larger health gains, compared to drugs approved through conventional review processes. We identified published estimates of additional health gains (measured in quality-adjusted life-years, or QALYs) associated with drugs approved in the period 1999-2012 through expedited (seventy-six drugs) versus conventional (fifty-nine) review processes. We found that drugs in at least one expedited review program offered greater gains than drugs reviewed through conventional processes (0.182 versus 0.003 QALYs). We also found that, compared to drugs not included in the same program, greater gains were provided by drugs in the priority review (0.175 versus 0.007 QALYs), accelerated approval (0.370 versus 0.031 QALYs), and fast track (0.254 versus 0.014 QALYs) programs. Our analysis suggests that the FDA has prioritized drugs that offer the largest health gains. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Genetic merit for fertility traits in Holstein cows: I. Production characteristics and reproductive efficiency in a pasture-based system.

Science.gov (United States)

Cummins, S B; Lonergan, P; Evans, A C O; Berry, D P; Evans, R D; Butler, S T

2012-03-01

The objective of the present study was to characterize the phenotypic performance of cows with similar proportions of Holstein genetics, similar genetic merit for milk production traits, but with good (Fert+) or poor (Fert-) genetic merit for fertility traits. Specifically, we tested the hypothesis that cows with a negative estimated breeding value for calving interval would have superior fertility performance and would have detectable differences in body reserve mobilization and circulating concentrations of metabolic hormones and metabolites compared with cows that had a positive estimated breeding value for calving interval. For the duration of the study, cows were managed identically as a single herd in a typical grass-based, spring-calving production system. A total of 80 lactation records were available from 26 Fert+ and 26 Fert- cows over 2 consecutive years (2008 and 2009). During yr 1, cows were monitored during a 20-wk breeding season to evaluate reproductive performance. Milk production, body condition score (scale 1 to 5), body weight, grass dry matter intake, energy balance, and metabolic hormone and metabolite data were collected during both years. The Fert+ cows had greater daily milk yield (19.5 vs. 18.7 kg/d), shorter interval from calving to conception (85.6 vs. 113.8 d), and fewer services per cow (1.78 vs. 2.83). No difference between groups in grass dry matter intake, energy balance, or body weight was observed. The Fert+ cows maintained greater BCS during mid (2.84 vs. 2.74 units) and late lactation (2.82 vs. 2.73 units). Circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I were greater throughout the gestation-lactation cycle in Fert+ cows (148.3 vs. 128.2 ng/mL). The Fert+ cows also had greater circulating concentrations of insulin during the first 4 wk of lactation (1.71 vs. 1.24 μIU/mL). Analysis of records from national herd data verified the association between genetic merit for fertility traits and phenotypic reproductive

Application of hydrometallurgy techniques in quartz processing and purification: a review

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Min; Lei, Shaomin; Pei, Zhenyu; Liu, Yuanyuan; Xia, Zhangjie; Xie, Feixiang

2018-04-01

Although there have been numerous studies on separation and purification of metallic minerals by hydrometallurgy techniques, applications of the chemical techniques in separation and purification of non-metallic minerals are rarely reported. This paper reviews disparate areas of study into processing and purification of quartz (typical non-metallic ore) in an attempt to summarize current work, as well as to suggest potential for future consolidation in the field. The review encompasses chemical techniques of the quartz processing including situations, progresses, leaching mechanism, scopes of application, advantages and drawbacks of micro-bioleaching, high temperature leaching, high temperature pressure leaching and catalyzed high temperature pressure leaching. Traditional leaching techniques including micro-bioleaching and high temperature leaching are unequal to demand of modern glass industry for quality of quartz concentrate because the quartz products has to be further processed. High temperature pressure leaching and catalyzed high temperature pressure leaching provide new ways to produce high-grade quartz sand with only one process and lower acid consumption. Furthermore, the catalyzed high temperature pressure leaching realizes effective purification of quartz with extremely low acid consumption (no using HF or any fluoride). It is proposed that, by integrating the different chemical processes of quartz processing and expounding leaching mechanisms and scopes of application, the research field as a monopolized industry would benefit.

Oral Nutrition as a Form of Pre-Operative Enhancement in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bruns, Emma R. J.; Argillander, Tanja E.; van den Heuvel, Baukje; Buskens, Christianne J.; van Duijvendijk, Peter; Winkels, Renate M.; Kalf, Annette; van der Zaag, Edwin S.; Wassenaar, Eelco B.; Bemelman, Willem A.; van Munster, Barbara C.

2018-01-01

Background: Nutritional status has major impacts on the outcome of surgery, in particular in patients with cancer. The aim of this review was to assess the merit of oral pre-operative nutritional support as a part of prehabilitation in patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer. Methods: A

Hybrid Integrated Si/SiN Platforms for Wideband Optical Processing

Science.gov (United States)

2017-05-08

annealing process, makes the process prone to dopant redistribution, that hinderers the SiN deposition after full Si device fabrication. To resolve...with 220 nm of crystalline Si. In parallel, a Si die goes through a wet oxidation process to grow 5 μm of thermal oxide. In the next step, 400 nm of... annealing methods. As a figure of merit in hydrophilic bonding, we monitored the surface roughness and bonding strength of a thin oxide layer to

Early screening of nuclear waste retrieval and processing alternatives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitty, W.J.; Cox, N.D.

1979-01-01

The retrieval and processing of the buried transuranic-contaminated waste stored at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory was studied by two task force teams. A linear additive scoring model was used for the evaluation. The figures of merit for the retrieval systems showed that one of the systems was superior to the others

45 CFR 147.136 - Internal claims and appeals and external review processes.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

..., appropriateness, health care setting, level of care, or effectiveness of a covered benefit. (ii) The State process... pay the cost of the IRO for conducting the external review. Notwithstanding this requirement, the... not impose, for example, a $500 minimum claims threshold. (vi) The State process must allow at least...

A Comparison of Individual and School Level Approaches to Merit Pay: A Case Study of the Dade County Public Schools.

Science.gov (United States)

Provenzo, Eugene F., Jr.; And Others

This policy study discusses two models of merit pay programs enacted in Florida: the Florida Meritorious Teacher Program and the Quality Instruction Incentives Program (QUIIP). Using the Motivation-Hygiene Theory (Herzberg et al.) as a theoretical framework, each program was analyzed from the perspective of how it worked as a motivator and source…

Collaborative peer review process as an informal interprofessional learning tool: Findings from an exploratory study.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Jae Yung; Bulk, Laura Yvonne; Giannone, Zarina; Liva, Sarah; Chakraborty, Bubli; Brown, Helen

2018-01-01

Despite numerous studies on formal interprofessional education programes, less attention has been focused on informal interprofessional learning opportunities. To provide such an opportunity, a collaborative peer review process (CPRP) was created as part of a peer-reviewed journal. Replacing the traditional peer review process wherein two or more reviewers review the manuscript separately, the CPRP brings together students from different professions to collaboratively review a manuscript. The aim of this study was to assess whether the CPRP can be used as an informal interprofessional learning tool using an exploratory qualitative approach. Eight students from Counselling Psychology, Occupational and Physical Therapy, Nursing, and Rehabilitation Sciences were invited to participate in interprofessional focus groups. Data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. Two key themes emerged, revealing that the CPRP created new opportunities for interprofessional learning and gave practice in negotiating feedback. The results reveal that the CPRP has the potential to be a valuable interprofessional learning tool that can also enhance reviewing and constructive feedback skills.

ROLLING PROCESS WITH OHSAS AND TEXTURE FORMATION– A REVIEW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. CHANDRAMOHAN

2009-03-01

Full Text Available Rolling is a mechanical treatment, which plays an important part in the processing of ferrous and nonferrous alloys. Texturing is an important phenomenon that occurs after rolling process. Preferred orientation increases the strength of the material enormously. Hence the research is focused on the rolling studies and the texture formation, which occurs after rolling process. This review mainly focuses on rolling process carried out in different alloys. It also highlights the analysis made on various rolling parameters for improving the mechanical properties. Texture studies carried on various ferrous and non-ferrous alloys; particularly in nitrogen alloyed duplex stainless steel is discussed. Finally the need for implementation of occupational health and safety during a thermomechanical treatment is also discussed. The state of art in this field is encouraging and showing positive signs of commercializing rolled nitrogen alloyed duplex stainless steel after proper texture control.

Assessing the Process of Retirement: a Cross-Cultural Review of Available Measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Rafalski, Julia C; Noone, Jack H; O'Loughlin, Kate; de Andrade, Alexsandro L

2017-06-01

Retirement research is now expanding beyond the post-World War II baby boomers' retirement attitudes and plans to include the nature of their workforce exit and how successfully they adjust to their new life. These elements are collectively known as the process of retirement. However, there is insufficient research in developing countries to inform the management of their ageing populations regarding this process. This review aims to facilitate national and cross-cultural research in developing and non-English speaking countries by reviewing the existing measures of the retirement process published in English and Portuguese. The review identified 28 existing measures assessing retirement attitudes, planning, decision making, adjustment and satisfaction with retirement. Information on each scale's item structure, internal reliability, grammatical structure and evidence of translations to other languages is presented. Of the 28 measures, 20 assessed retirement attitudes, plans and decision-making, 5 assessed adjustment to retirement and only two assessed retirement satisfaction. Only eight of the 28 scales had been translated into languages other than English. There is scope to translate measures of retirement attitudes and planning into other languages. However there is a paucity of translated measures of retirement decision-making and adjustment, and measures of retirement satisfaction in general. Within the limitations of this review, researchers are provided with the background to decide between translating existing measures or developing of more culturally appropriate assessment tools for addressing their research questions.

Impartial judgment by the "gatekeepers" of science: fallibility and accountability in the peer review process.

Science.gov (United States)

Hojat, Mohammadreza; Gonnella, Joseph S; Caelleigh, Addeane S

2003-01-01

High publication demands and the low acceptance rate of peer review journals place the journal editors and their reviewers in a powerful position. Journal reviewers have a vital role not only in influencing the journal editor's publication decisions, but also in the very nature and direction of scientific research. Because of their influence in peer review outcomes, journal reviewers are aptly described as the "gatekeepers of science." In this article we describe several pitfalls that can impede reviewers' impartial judgement. These include such issues as confirmatory bias, the negative results bias (the file drawer problem), the Matthew effect, the Doctor Fox effect, and gender, race, theoretical orientation, and "political correctness." We argue that procedures currently used by many professional journals, such as blind or masked review, may not completely alleviate the effects of these pitfalls. Instead, we suggest that increasing reviewers' awareness of the pitfalls, accountability, and vigilance can improve fairness in the peer review process. The ultimate responsibilities belong to the journal editors who are confronted with the difficult task of satisfying journal readers, contributors, reviewers, and owners. We recommend that the journal editors conduct periodic internal and external evaluations of their journals' peer review process and outcomes, with participation of reviewers, contributors, readers and owners.

Functional Nausea in Children: A Review of the Literature and Need for Diagnostic Criteria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra C. Russell

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Nausea is common amongst children with functional gastrointestinal disorders and is associated with a high burden of somatic and psychosocial comorbidities in both the short and long-term. Current treatments including medications, phytotherapy, stress-reduction techniques, and gastric electrical stimulation for recalcitrant cases, are reviewed. Functional nausea merits its own diagnostic criteria as a pediatric functional gastrointestinal disorder.

Framing and the health policy process: a scoping review.

Science.gov (United States)

Koon, Adam D; Hawkins, Benjamin; Mayhew, Susannah H

2016-07-01

Framing research seeks to understand the forces that shape human behaviour in the policy process. It assumes that policy is a social construct and can be cast in a variety of ways to imply multiple legitimate value considerations. Frames provide the cognitive means of making sense of the social world, but discordance among them forms the basis of policy contestation. Framing, as both theory and method, has proven to generate considerable insight into the nature of policy debates in a variety of disciplines. Despite its salience for understanding health policy debates; however, little is known about the ways frames influence the health policy process. A scoping review using the Arksey and O'Malley framework was conducted. The literature on framing in the health sector was reviewed using nine health and social science databases. Articles were included that explicitly reported theory and methods used, data source(s), at least one frame, frame sponsor and evidence of a given frame's effect on the health policy process. A total of 52 articles, from 1996 to 2014, and representing 12 countries, were identified. Much of the research came from the policy studies/political science literature (n = 17) and used a constructivist epistemology. The term 'frame' was used as a label to describe a variety of ideas, packaged as values, social problems, metaphors or arguments. Frames were characterized at various levels of abstraction ranging from general ideological orientations to specific policy positions. Most articles presented multiple frames and showed how actors advocated for them in a highly contested political process. Framing is increasingly an important, yet overlooked aspect of the policy process. Further analysis on frames, framing processes and frame conflict can help researchers and policymakers to understand opaque and highly charged policy issues, which may facilitate the resolution of protracted policy controversies. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford

Evaluation procedure for radioactive waste treatment processes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whitty, W.J.

1979-11-01

An aspect of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's nuclear waste management R and D programs has been to develop an evaluation procedure for radioactive waste treatment processes. This report describes the process evaluation method. Process worth is expressed as a numerical index called the Figure-of-Merit (FOM), which is computed using a hierarchial, linear, additive, scoring model with constant criteria weights and nonlinear value functions. A numerical example is used to demonstrate the procedure and to point out some of its strengths and weaknesses. Potential modifications and extensions are discussed, and an extensive reference list is included

Inside the Black Box: The Case Review Process of an Elder Abuse Forensic Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro, Adria E; Wysong, Julia; DeLiema, Marguerite; Schwartz, Elizabeth L; Nichol, Michael B; Wilber, Kathleen H