Functionalized Media and Methods of Making and Using Therefor

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Yongsong (Inventor); Dillon, James (Inventor)

2017-01-01

Methods, compositions, devices and kits are provided herein for separating, scavenging, capturing or identifying a metal from a target using a medium or scaffold with a selenium-containing functional group. The medium or the scaffold including the selenium-containing functional group has affinity and specificity to metal ions or compounds having one or more metals, and efficiently separates, recovers, and scavenges of the metals from a target such as a sample, solution, suspension, or mixture.

Gas measuring apparatus with standardization means, and method therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Typpo, P.M.

1980-01-01

An apparatus and a method for standardizing a gas measuring device has a source capable of emitting a beam of radiation aligned to impinge a detector. A housing means encloses the beam. The housing means has a plurality of apertures permitting the gas to enter the housing means, to intercept the beam, and to exit from the housing means. The device further comprises means for closing the apertures and a means for purging said gas from the housing means

Applied Behavior Analysis Is a Science And, Therefore, Progressive

Science.gov (United States)

Leaf, Justin B.; Leaf, Ronald; McEachin, John; Taubman, Mitchell; Ala'i-Rosales, Shahla; Ross, Robert K.; Smith, Tristram; Weiss, Mary Jane

2016-01-01

Applied behavior analysis (ABA) is a science and, therefore, involves progressive approaches and outcomes. In this commentary we argue that the spirit and the method of science should be maintained in order to avoid reductionist procedures, stifled innovation, and rote, unresponsive protocols that become increasingly removed from meaningful…

Nonlinear programming analysis and methods

CERN Document Server

Avriel, Mordecai

2012-01-01

This text provides an excellent bridge between principal theories and concepts and their practical implementation. Topics include convex programming, duality, generalized convexity, analysis of selected nonlinear programs, techniques for numerical solutions, and unconstrained optimization methods.

Separable programming theory and methods

CERN Document Server

Stefanov, Stefan M

2001-01-01

In this book, the author considers separable programming and, in particular, one of its important cases - convex separable programming Some general results are presented, techniques of approximating the separable problem by linear programming and dynamic programming are considered Convex separable programs subject to inequality equality constraint(s) and bounds on variables are also studied and iterative algorithms of polynomial complexity are proposed As an application, these algorithms are used in the implementation of stochastic quasigradient methods to some separable stochastic programs Numerical approximation with respect to I1 and I4 norms, as a convex separable nonsmooth unconstrained minimization problem, is considered as well Audience Advanced undergraduate and graduate students, mathematical programming operations research specialists

Tritium removing method and device therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kitayama, Hisao.

1993-01-01

A part of cleaned gases introduced from the exit of an adsorber is used for regeneration of the adsorbent which removes tritium water by processing gases to be cleaned, and off-gases are dehydrated and joined with the gases to be cleaned before compression. Further, the exits of a plurality of adsorbers for the cleaned gases are in communication with each other by a regenerated gas supply channel having a heater, and a circulation channel is disposed for circulating the regenerated gases on the suction side of the compressor by way of a cooling dehydration device. Then, it is not necessary to prepare exclusive gases for regeneration, and in the regeneration system, only heating to the temperature for regeneration is sufficient for cleaned gases. Further, regenerated gases can be introduced only by switching of adsorption and removing steps and by operating valves for regeneration and, in addition, gases after regeneration are circulated after joining to the gases to be cleaned. Accordingly, it is not necessary to completely remove tritium water upon dehydration treatment and cold trap is also unnecessary. (N.H.)

Cooling tower, construction method method therefor and precast prestressed concrete building units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lin, T.Y.; Yang, Y.C.

1978-01-01

A large, thin-shell cooling tower, a method for its erection, and novel precast units are described. Upon a foundation a series of angularly-extending columns is erected, and the columns are joined at their upper ends by a lower ring. Then a ribbed, waffle-like reinforced concrete wall is constructed to extend up from the lower ring and to provide a shell with a shape such as a hyperbolic paraboloid. The ribbed outer (or inner) surface strengthens the structure while enabling the thickness of the portions in between the ribs to be relatively thin. A series of vertically-spaced horizontal circumferential reinforcing bars or post-tensioning cables and a series of horizontally-spaced vertical or inclined bars or cables are included in the wall. The wall is preferably made up from a series of precast units that are of novel structure in themselves. At the top of the wall is an upper ring joining the various elements together

Experiment in Application of Methods of Programmed Instruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Fradkin, S. L.

In a document translated from the Russian, an analysis is made of various forms and methods of programed learning. The primary developments in the introduction of programed learning methods are: creation of programed teaching aids; use of existing textbooks for programed lectures with feedback; and use of both teaching machines and machineless…

An overview of solution methods for multi-objective mixed integer linear programming programs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Kim Allan; Stidsen, Thomas Riis

Multiple objective mixed integer linear programming (MOMIP) problems are notoriously hard to solve to optimality, i.e. finding the complete set of non-dominated solutions. We will give an overview of existing methods. Among those are interactive methods, the two phases method and enumeration...... methods. In particular we will discuss the existing branch and bound approaches for solving multiple objective integer programming problems. Despite the fact that branch and bound methods has been applied successfully to integer programming problems with one criterion only a few attempts has been made...

Discount method for programming language evaluation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kurtev, Svetomir; Christensen, Tommy Aagaard; Thomsen, Bent

2016-01-01

This paper presents work in progress on developing a Discount Method for Programming Language Evaluation inspired by the Discount Usability Evaluation method (Benyon 2010) and the Instant Data Analysis method (Kjeldskov et al. 2004). The method is intended to bridge the gap between small scale...... internal language design evaluation methods and large scale surveys and quantitative evaluation methods. The method is designed to be applicable even before a compiler or IDE is developed for a new language. To test the method, a usability evaluation experiment was carried out on the Quorum programming...... language (Stefik et al. 2016) using programmers with experience in C and C#. When comparing our results with previous studies of Quorum, most of the data was comparable though not strictly in agreement. However, the discrepancies were mainly related to the programmers pre-existing expectations...

Method for the removal of a gaseous fluid and arrangement therefore

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ursem, W.N.J.; Marijnissen, J.C.M.

2011-01-01

The invention provides a method for the removal of a gaseous fluid comprising (a) applying an electric field between a first electrode arranged to generate a corona discharge and a second electrode, comprising a haze-permeable electrically conductive sieve of a plurality of conductive strands, (b)

Method for programming a flash memory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brosky, Alexander R.; Locke, William N.; Maher, Conrado M.

2016-08-23

A method of programming a flash memory is described. The method includes partitioning a flash memory into a first group having a first level of write-protection, a second group having a second level of write-protection, and a third group having a third level of write-protection. The write-protection of the second and third groups is disabled using an installation adapter. The third group is programmed using a Software Installation Device.

A Rational Method for Ranking Engineering Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Glower, Donald D.

1980-01-01

Compares two methods for ranking academic programs, the opinion poll v examination of career successes of the program's alumni. For the latter, "Who's Who in Engineering" and levels of research funding provided data. Tables display resulting data and compare rankings by the two methods for chemical engineering and civil engineering. (CS)

Method for removing hydrogen sulphide from oil-containing water and equipment therefore; Fremgangsmaate for aa fjerne hydrogensulfid fra oljeholdig vann

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoeyvik, H; Hovland, J; Eskilt, J P

1995-02-27

The invention relates to an method for removing hydrogen sulphide (H{sub 2}S) from oil-containing water and equipment therefore. Oil-containing water and nitrate is conducted through a bioreactor to remove H{sub 2}S. Nitrate is added to the oil-containing water in a dose ratio (sulphide:nitrate) of 1:10 to 1:40. The retention time in the reactor tank is for 10-60 minutes. After this treatment, purified water, where >90% of the H{sub 2}S-amount is removed, is let out of the tank. The equipment for performing the above mentioned method, is based on a bioreactor having large density of denitrifying bacteria. The reactor tank, is filled with carrying material providing large contact area. Even distribution of oil-containing water and nitrate over the carrying material which already may be covered by septic mud, forms an active sulphide oxidizing biofilm having large surface. This biofilm makes an extremely effective equipment for removing sulphide from oil-containing water. 3 figs.

Gaussian beam profile shaping apparatus, method therefore and evaluation thereof

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dickey, F.M.; Holswade, S.C.; Romero, L.A.

1999-01-01

A method and apparatus maps a Gaussian beam into a beam with a uniform irradiance profile by exploiting the Fourier transform properties of lenses. A phase element imparts a design phase onto an input beam and the output optical field from a lens is then the Fourier transform of the input beam and the phase function from the phase element. The phase element is selected in accordance with a dimensionless parameter which is dependent upon the radius of the incoming beam, the desired spot shape, the focal length of the lens and the wavelength of the input beam. This dimensionless parameter can also be used to evaluate the quality of a system. In order to control the radius of the incoming beam, optics such as a telescope can be employed. The size of the target spot and the focal length can be altered by exchanging the transform lens, but the dimensionless parameter will remain the same. The quality of the system, and hence the value of the dimensionless parameter, can be altered by exchanging the phase element. The dimensionless parameter provides design guidance, system evaluation, and indication as to how to improve a given system. 27 figs

Modular programming method at JAERI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asai, Kiyoshi; Katsuragi, Satoru

1982-02-01

In this report the histories, concepts and a method for the construction and maintenance of nuclear code systems of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) are presented. The method is mainly consisted of novel computer features. The development process of the features and experiences with them which required many man-months and efforts of scientists and engineers of JAERI and a computer manufacturer are also described. One of the features is a file handling program named datapool. The program is being used in code systems which are under development at JAERI. The others are computer features such as dynamic linking, reentrant coding of Fortran programs, interactive programming facility, document editor, quick system output viewer and editor, flexible man-machine interactive Fortran executor, and selective use of time-sharing or batch oriented computer in an interactive porgramming environment. In 1980 JAERI has replaced its two old computer systems by three FACOM M-200 computer systems and they have such features as mentioned above. Since 1981 most code systems, or even big single codes can be changed to modular code systems even if the developers or users of the systems will not recognize the fact that they are using modular code systems. The purpose of this report is to describe our methodology of modular programming from aspects of computer features and some of their applications to nuclear codes to get sympathetic understanding of it from persons of organizations who are concerned with the effective use of computers, especially, in nuclear research fields. (author)

Equipment abnormality monitoring method and device therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Izumi; Asakura, Yamato; Uemura, Hiroshi; Uchida, Shunsuke; Oyamada, Osamu; Oyobe, Koji.

1994-01-01

In the present invention, it is judged whether the operation state of equipments used in a plant are normal or not by using learning performances. That is, a plurality of monitoring parameters are measured for an equipment. Previously determined monitoring parameters are extracted. A leaning mode or a monitoring mode is selected. In the leaning mode, based on the values of previously determined monitoring parameters, values of other monitoring parameters during normal states are learned. In the monitoring mode, based on the values of the previously determined monitoring parameters, typical values of other leaned monitoring parameters are outputted. The typical values of other normal monitoring parameters after learning and the values of other parameters at the present time are compared. If the values of the other parameters at the present time are out of normal range, it is judged as abnormal, and the result is alarmed and displayed. (I.S.)

Coakial gamma ray detector and method therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harchol, M.

1977-01-01

A coaxial gamma ray detector is fabricated using intrinsic Ge semiconductor material in a geometry whereby full depletion of electrical carriers is prevented within a small region proximate the point of electrical contact thereby allowing greater biasing potentials across the detector and, consequently, providing reduced electronic noise and increased energy resolution

Microneedle, microneedle array and production method therefor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berenschot, Johan W.; Wissink, Jeroen Mathijn; Tas, Niels Roelof; de Boer, Meint J.

2009-01-01

The present invention provides a microneedle, comprising a shaft of a monocrystalline material having at least three walls which are formed by a crystal plane of the monocrystalline material; and a tip connected to an end of the shaft comprising at least three walls which are formed by a crystal

Microneedle, microneedle array and production method therefor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Berenschot, Johan W.; Wissink, Jeroen Mathijn; Tas, Niels Roelof; de Boer, Meint J.

2008-01-01

The present invention provides a microneedle, comprising a shaft of a monocrystalline material having at least three walls which are formed by a crystal plane of the monocrystalline material; and a tip connected to an end of the shaft comprising at least three walls which are formed by a crystal

Microneedle, microneedle array and production method therefor

OpenAIRE

Berenschot, Johan W.; Wissink, Jeroen Mathijn; Tas, Niels Roelof; de Boer, Meint J.

2009-01-01

The present invention provides a microneedle, comprising a shaft of a monocrystalline material having at least three walls which are formed by a crystal plane of the monocrystalline material; and a tip connected to an end of the shaft comprising at least three walls which are formed by a crystal plane of the material. The material is preferably silicon. Two of the walls of the tip are formed by the same crystal planes as two walls of the shaft. These two walls are formed by a crystal plane. ...

Liquid temperature measuring method and device therefor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maruyama, Fumi; Karasawa, Hirokazu

1995-06-02

In the present invention, temperature of liquid metal in coolants in an FBR type reactor can accurately be measured at rapid response time. Namely, ultrasonic waves are emitted from an ultrasonic wave sensor disposed in the air to a guide wave tube. Ultrasonic waves are reflected at reflection plates disposed at front and back or upper and lower portions of a small hole disposed to the wave guide tube. The reflected waves are received by the sensor described above. The difference of the reaching time of the reflected waves from the reflecting plates disposed at the front and the back or the upper and lower portions is measured. The speed of sounds in this case is determined based on the size of the small hole and the distance of the upper and the lower reflection plates. The speed of sounds is determined by the formula below: V(m/s) = 2500 - 0.52 T, where T: temperature. The temperature of the liquid can easily be calculated based on the formula. Accordingly, since the speed of the ultrasonic waves from their emission to the reception is msec order, and the processing of the signals are simple, the temperature can be measured at a response time of several msecs. In addition, since the ultrasonic wave sensor is disposed at the outside of the reactor, no special countermeasure for environmental circumstances is necessary, to improve maintenance ability. (I.S.).

Method of magnetic separation and apparatus therefore

Science.gov (United States)

Oder, Robin R. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

An apparatus for magnetically separating and collecting particulate matter fractions of a raw sample according to relative magnetic susceptibilities of each fraction so collected is disclosed. The separation apparatus includes a splitter which is used in conjunction with a magnetic separator for achieving the desired fractionation.

Radon Measurement Proficiency (RMP) Program methods and devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harrison, J.; Hoornbeek, J.; Jalbert, P.; Sensintaffar, E.; Hopper, R.

1991-01-01

The US EPA developed the voluntary Radon Measurement Proficiency Program in 1986 in response to a Federal and State need for measurement services firms to demonstrate their proficiency with radon measurement methods and devices. Since that time, the program has set basic standards for the radon measurement industry. The program has grown dramatically since its inception. In 1986, fewer than 50 companies participated in the program. By 1989, more than 5,000 companies were participating. Participants represent firms with an analytical capability as well as firms that rely upon another firm for analysis service. Since the beginning of the RMP Program, the Agency has learned a great deal about radon measurement methods and devices. This paper reviews the measurement devices used in the program and what the EPA has learned about them since the program's inception. Performance data from the RMP Program are used to highlight relevant findings

Non-linear programming method in optimization of fast reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavelesku, M.; Dumitresku, Kh.; Adam, S.

1975-01-01

Application of the non-linear programming methods on optimization of nuclear materials distribution in fast reactor is discussed. The programming task composition is made on the basis of the reactor calculation dependent on the fuel distribution strategy. As an illustration of this method application the solution of simple example is given. Solution of the non-linear program is done on the basis of the numerical method SUMT. (I.T.)

Childhood fever management program for Korean pediatric nurses: A comparison between blended and face-to-face learning method.

Science.gov (United States)

Jeong, Yong Sun; Kim, Jin Sun

2014-01-01

A blended learning can be a useful learning strategy to improve the quality of fever and fever management education for pediatric nurses. This study compared the effects of a blended and face-to-face learning program on pediatric nurses' childhood fever management, using theory of planned behavior. A nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design was used. A fever management education program using blended learning (combining face-to-face and online learning components) was offered to 30 pediatric nurses, and 29 pediatric nurses received face-to-face education. Learning outcomes did not significantly differ between the two groups. However, learners' satisfaction was higher for the blended learning program than the face-to-face learning program. A blended learning pediatric fever management program was as effective as a traditional face-to-face learning program. Therefore, a blended learning pediatric fever management-learning program could be a useful and flexible learning method for pediatric nurses.

Methods for evaluation of industry training programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morisseau, D.S.; Roe, M.L.; Persensky, J.J.

1987-01-01

The NRC Policy Statement on Training and Qualification endorses the INPO-managed Training Accreditation Program in that it encompasses the elements of effective performance-based training. Those elements are: analysis of the job, performance-based learning objectives, training design and implementation, trainee evaluation, and program evaluation. As part of the NRC independent evaluation of utilities implementation of training improvement programs, the staff developed training review criteria and procedures that address all five elements of effective performance-based training. The staff uses these criteria to perform reviews of utility training programs that have already received accreditation. Although no performance-based training program can be said to be complete unless all five elements are in place, the last two, trainee and program evaluation, are perhaps the most important because they determine how well the first three elements have been implemented and ensure the dynamic nature of training. This paper discusses the evaluation elements of the NRC training review criteria. The discussion will detail the elements of evaluation methods and techniques that the staff expects to find as integral parts of performance-based training programs at accredited utilities. Further, the review of the effectiveness of implementation of the evaluation methods is discussed. The paper also addresses some of the qualitative differences between what is minimally acceptable and what is most desirable with respect to trainee and program evaluation mechanisms and their implementation

Population Estimation with Mark and Recapture Method Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Limohpasmanee, W.; Kaewchoung, W.

1998-01-01

Population estimation is the important information which required for the insect control planning especially the controlling with SIT. Moreover, It can be used to evaluate the efficiency of controlling method. Due to the complexity of calculation, the population estimation with mark and recapture methods were not used widely. So that, this program is developed with Qbasic on the purpose to make it accuracy and easier. The program evaluation consists with 6 methods; follow Seber's, Jolly-seber's, Jackson's Ito's, Hamada's and Yamamura's methods. The results are compared with the original methods, found that they are accuracy and more easier to applied

Simple Calculation Programs for Biology Immunological Methods

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Simple Calculation Programs for Biology Immunological Methods. Computation of Ab/Ag Concentration from EISA data. Graphical Method; Raghava et al., 1992, J. Immuno. Methods 153: 263. Determination of affinity of Monoclonal Antibody. Using non-competitive ...

Sparsity Prevention Pivoting Method for Linear Programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Peiqiang; Li, Qiyuan; Li, Canbing

2018-01-01

When the simplex algorithm is used to calculate a linear programming problem, if the matrix is a sparse matrix, it will be possible to lead to many zero-length calculation steps, and even iterative cycle will appear. To deal with the problem, a new pivoting method is proposed in this paper....... The principle of this method is avoided choosing the row which the value of the element in the b vector is zero as the row of the pivot element to make the matrix in linear programming density and ensure that most subsequent steps will improve the value of the objective function. One step following...... this principle is inserted to reselect the pivot element in the existing linear programming algorithm. Both the conditions for inserting this step and the maximum number of allowed insertion steps are determined. In the case study, taking several numbers of linear programming problems as examples, the results...

Sparsity Prevention Pivoting Method for Linear Programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Peiqiang; Li, Qiyuan; Li, Canbing

2018-01-01

. The principle of this method is avoided choosing the row which the value of the element in the b vector is zero as the row of the pivot element to make the matrix in linear programming density and ensure that most subsequent steps will improve the value of the objective function. One step following......When the simplex algorithm is used to calculate a linear programming problem, if the matrix is a sparse matrix, it will be possible to lead to many zero-length calculation steps, and even iterative cycle will appear. To deal with the problem, a new pivoting method is proposed in this paper...... this principle is inserted to reselect the pivot element in the existing linear programming algorithm. Both the conditions for inserting this step and the maximum number of allowed insertion steps are determined. In the case study, taking several numbers of linear programming problems as examples, the results...

Interior-Point Methods for Linear Programming: A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, J. N.; Singh, D.

2002-01-01

The paper reviews some recent advances in interior-point methods for linear programming and indicates directions in which future progress can be made. Most of the interior-point methods belong to any of three categories: affine-scaling methods, potential reduction methods and central path methods. These methods are discussed together with…

Method to render second order beam optics programs symplectic

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Douglas, D.; Servranckx, R.V.

1984-10-01

We present evidence that second order matrix-based beam optics programs violate the symplectic condition. A simple method to avoid this difficulty, based on a generating function approach to evaluating transfer maps, is described. A simple example illustrating the non-symplectricity of second order matrix methods, and the effectiveness of our solution to the problem, is provided. We conclude that it is in fact possible to bring second order matrix optics methods to a canonical form. The procedure for doing so has been implemented in the program DIMAT, and could be implemented in programs such as TRANSPORT and TURTLE, making them useful in multiturn applications. 15 refs

Diagnostic test for prenatal identification of Down's syndrome and mental retardation and gene therapy therefor

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Desmond J.; Rubin, Edward M.

2000-01-01

A a diagnostic test useful for prenatal identification of Down syndrome and mental retardation. A method for gene therapy for correction and treatment of Down syndrome. DYRK gene involved in the ability to learn. A method for diagnosing Down's syndrome and mental retardation and an assay therefor. A pharmaceutical composition for treatment of Down's syndrome mental retardation.

Simple Calculation Programs for Biology Other Methods

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Simple Calculation Programs for Biology Other Methods. Hemolytic potency of drugs. Raghava et al., (1994) Biotechniques 17: 1148. FPMAP: methods for classification and identification of microorganisms 16SrRNA. graphical display of restriction and fragment map of ...

Operation aid system upon occurrence of abnormality and display method therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubota, Ryuji; Ueno, Takashi.

1995-01-01

The present invention provides an operation aid system for a plant having a large number of systematic equipments upon occurrence of an abnormality and a method of displaying it. Namely, contents of an operation manual upon occurrence of an abnormality is displayed in the form of a flow chart divided into a judging section and an operation section depending on symptoms of plant parameters. Discrimination numbers are provided to a plurality sets of the judging sections and the operation sections respectively. With such procedures, using various measured signals of the plant as inputted data, the discrimination numbers of the judging sections in accordance with the inputted data are stored. Then a flow chart for the judging sections and the operation sections corresponding to the stored discrimination numbers are displayed. Further, an operation manual upon occurrence of abnormalities relevant to the judging sections and the operation sections in the form of writings, and previously determined drawings of relevant systems and trend graphs of the plant are also displayed with reference to the discrimination numbers described above. As a result, both of an appropriate operation manual and relevant information are displayed simultaneously for the occurrence of a plant abnormality and an operator's erroneous operation. (I.S.)

Manufacturing method for parts opposed to plasmas and manufacturing device therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fuse, Toshiaki; Tachikawa, Nobuo.

1995-01-01

The present invention provides a method of and a device for manufacturing heat insulation parts which are opposed to plasmas, such as parts in the inside of a thermonuclear reactor, which less suffer from defects such as crackings and peelings in the vicinity of the joining portion of the parts. Namely, when an armour and a heat sink are cooled to a room temperature after joining them, the upper surface of the armour and the bottom of the heat sink are pressurized. Then after restricting the convex deformation at the upper surface of the armour and the concave deformation at the bottom of the heat sink, the heat sink bottom are extended at from 600degC to a room temperature or at a room temperature. When a heat resistant material with a small heat expansion coefficient is joined with a cooling material with a large heat expansion coefficient and then cooled, deformation and residual stresses are generated by the difference of the shrinking amount. But deformation and the residual stresses can be reduced by gradually cooling them while restricting them by using a joining device compared with a case of not restricting them. As a result, occurrence of crackings and peelings in the vicinity of the joining portion can be prevented. (I.S.)

Matlab and C programming for Trefftz finite element methods

CERN Document Server

Qin, Qing-Hua

2008-01-01

Although the Trefftz finite element method (FEM) has become a powerful computational tool in the analysis of plane elasticity, thin and thick plate bending, Poisson's equation, heat conduction, and piezoelectric materials, there are few books that offer a comprehensive computer programming treatment of the subject. Collecting results scattered in the literature, MATLAB® and C Programming for Trefftz Finite Element Methods provides the detailed MATLAB® and C programming processes in applications of the Trefftz FEM to potential and elastic problems. The book begins with an introduction to th

Simple Calculation Programs for Biology Methods in Molecular ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

First page Back Continue Last page Overview Graphics. Simple Calculation Programs for Biology Methods in Molecular Biology. GMAP: A program for mapping potential restriction sites. RE sites in ambiguous and non-ambiguous DNA sequence; Minimum number of silent mutations required for introducing a RE sites; Set ...

Pipeline leak detection method and control device therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bell, D.A.

1983-01-01

Leaks may be located in a pipeline by introducing into the pipeline an assembly that includes a pipe-sealing packer unit, a control unit, and a radioactive source shielded from the control unit. The control unit includes a gamma ray detector that controls the sealing and unsealing of the pipe by the packer in response to the detection of radiation exceeding a preset threshold - a detection event. The assembly is pushed through the pipeline by a relatively low fluid pressure behind it. The progress of the assembly through the pipeline may be monitored externally by a gamma ray detector

Method of mounting filter elements and mounting therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karelin, J.; Neumann, G.M.

1981-01-01

A process for the insertion and exchange of the filter elements for suspended matter is performed from the clean-air-side. During the insertion of a filter element, a plastic tube (Which encircles the circumference of the filter element and which exceeds in its length the layer thickness of the filter element several times) is tightly connected in its middle section with the side walls, which side walls form a border around the filter element; and then the open end of the plastic tube, which faces the frame, is connected by way of a tight fit with a ring, which is actually known and which surrounds the orifice of the frame into which the filter element is inserted. The filter element is connected with the frame by means of tightening devices, and the outer free end of the tube is turned inside out and around the filter element for the purpose of unhindered air passage through the filter layer, that during the exchange of the contaminated filter element, the outer open end of the tube is heat sealed. The filter element is disconnected and removed from the frame by flipping down of the tightening devices, and the tube is heat sealed in the section between the filter element and the frame, and, that during the insertion of a new filter element, a new tube is attached by way of tight fitting to the ring of the frame , which tube is at its middle section tightly connected with the filter element, and which tube is attached to the ring of the frame in an actually known by overlapping of the heat-sealed tube rest. The tube rest is pulled onto the new tube and pulled off the ring, and the filter element is tightly connected with the frame by means of the tightening devices

Recovering method for solid waste and facility therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omura, Yutaka

1998-01-01

When recovering solid wastes in a dry-type storage vessel, a crusher is hoisted down from a cask, and the crusher is operated to crush the solid wastes while holding them. The crushed wastes are temporarily stored at the upper portion of the crusher, and recovered as crushed wastes. In this case, the crusher is turned down, and a shielding vessel is laid the recover downwardly to temporary store the crushed wastes in the shielding vessel. Then, the crusher and the shielding vessel are turned 180deg to contain the crushed wastes into the shielding vessel. With such procedures, the stored solid wastes can be recovered reliably, the stored solid wastes can be reduced in the size, and efficiency of recovering operation can be improved. (T.M.)

Radioactive waste processing method and processing device therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuo, Toshiaki; Nishi, Takashi; Noge, Kenji; Matsuda, Masami; Takeshi, Kiyotaka

1998-01-01

Each predetermined amount of aggregates such as cements and sands as water-hardening solidification materials and kneading water are charged from a solidification material containing vessel, an aggregate containing vessel and a kneading water containing vessel to a kneading vessel of a paste supply device. The cements, the sands and the kneading water are kneaded by the rotation of a kneader. A produced solidification material paste is charged from the kneader to a drum through a paste transporting pump. Miscellaneous radioactive solid wastes have been filled in a drum. The solidification paste produced while supplying the cements, the sands and the kneading water into the kneader is discharged from the kneader. Since increase of viscosity of the solid material paste in the kneader is suppressed, the solidification paste can be easily flown into narrow gaps between radioactive miscellaneous solid wastes in the drum. (I.N.)

Interactive Methods for Teaching Action Potentials, an Example of Teaching Innovation from Neuroscience Postdoctoral Fellows in the Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) Program

Science.gov (United States)

Keen-Rhinehart, E.; Eisen, A.; Eaton, D.; McCormack, K.

2009-01-01

Acquiring a faculty position in academia is extremely competitive and now typically requires more than just solid research skills and knowledge of one’s field. Recruiting institutions currently desire new faculty that can teach effectively, but few postdoctoral positions provide any training in teaching methods. Fellowships in Research and Science Teaching (FIRST) is a successful postdoctoral training program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) providing training in both research and teaching methodology. The FIRST program provides fellows with outstanding interdisciplinary biomedical research training in fields such as neuroscience. The postdoctoral research experience is integrated with a teaching program which includes a How to Teach course, instruction in classroom technology and course development and mentored teaching. During their mentored teaching experiences, fellows are encouraged to explore innovative teaching methodologies and to perform science teaching research to improve classroom learning. FIRST fellows teaching neuroscience to undergraduates have observed that many of these students have difficulty with the topic of neuroscience. Therefore, we investigated the effects of interactive teaching methods for this topic. We tested two interactive teaching methodologies to determine if they would improve learning and retention of this information when compared with standard lectures. The interactive methods for teaching action potentials increased understanding and retention. Therefore, FIRST provides excellent teaching training, partly by enhancing the ability of fellows to integrate innovative teaching methods into their instruction. This training in turn provides fellows that matriculate from this program more of the characteristics that hiring institutions desire in their new faculty. PMID:23493377

Filtering and concentrating device for processing radioactive waste and operation method therefor, processing facility for radioactive wastes and processing method therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Serizawa, Ken-ichi; Yamazaki, Masami

1998-01-01

A filtering and concentrating device is prepared by assembling a porous ceramic filtering material having a pore diameter of 1 μm or less secured by a support to a filtering device main body. The porous ceramic filtering material preferably comprises a surface portion having pores having a diameter of 1 μm or less and a hollow ceramic material having filtering flow channels having a diameter greater than the pores on the surface portion. The ratio of the diameter and the thickness of the hollow ceramic material is determined to greater than 50 : 1. The filtering and concentrating device precisely filter and concentrate radioactive liquid wastes containing an insoluble solid content generated from a nuclear power plant to conduct solid/liquid separation thereby forming a filtrate and concentrated wastes having a mass concentration of 20% or more. With such a constitution, stable filtration and concentration can be conducted while reducing occurrence of clogging of filtering materials. In addition, the frequency for the exchange of filtering materials can be reduced. (I.N.)

Pyrochemical and Dry Processing Methods Program. A selected bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDuffie, H.F.; Smith, D.H.; Owen, P.T.

1979-03-01

This selected bibliography with abstracts was compiled to provide information support to the Pyrochemical and Dry Processing Methods (PDPM) Program sponsored by DOE and administered by the Argonne National Laboratory. Objectives of the PDPM Program are to evaluate nonaqueous methods of reprocessing spent fuel as a route to the development of proliferation-resistant and diversion-resistant methods for widespread use in the nuclear industry. Emphasis was placed on the literature indexed in the ERDA--DOE Energy Data Base (EDB). The bibliography includes indexes to authors, subject descriptors, EDB subject categories, and titles.

Pyrochemical and Dry Processing Methods Program. A selected bibliography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDuffie, H.F.; Smith, D.H.; Owen, P.T.

1979-03-01

This selected bibliography with abstracts was compiled to provide information support to the Pyrochemical and Dry Processing Methods (PDPM) Program sponsored by DOE and administered by the Argonne National Laboratory. Objectives of the PDPM Program are to evaluate nonaqueous methods of reprocessing spent fuel as a route to the development of proliferation-resistant and diversion-resistant methods for widespread use in the nuclear industry. Emphasis was placed on the literature indexed in the ERDA--DOE Energy Data Base (EDB). The bibliography includes indexes to authors, subject descriptors, EDB subject categories, and titles

Program-target methods of management small business

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gurova Ekaterina

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Experience of small businesses in Russia are just beginning their path to development. difficulties arise with the involvement of small businesses in the implementation of government development programmes. Small business in modern conditions to secure a visible prospect of development without the implementation of state support programmes. Ways and methods of regulation of development of the market economy are diverse. The total mass of the huge role is played by the program-target methods of regulation. The article describes the basic principles on the use of program-target approach to the development of a specific sector of the economy, as small businesses, designed to play an important role in getting the national economy out of crisis. The material in this publication is built from the need to maintain the connection between the theory of government regulation, practice of formation of development programs at the regional level and the needs of small businesses. Essential for the formation of entrepreneurship development programmes is to preserve the flexibility of small businesses in making management decisions related to the selection and change of activities.

An introduction to fuzzy linear programming problems theory, methods and applications

CERN Document Server

Kaur, Jagdeep

2016-01-01

The book presents a snapshot of the state of the art in the field of fully fuzzy linear programming. The main focus is on showing current methods for finding the fuzzy optimal solution of fully fuzzy linear programming problems in which all the parameters and decision variables are represented by non-negative fuzzy numbers. It presents new methods developed by the authors, as well as existing methods developed by others, and their application to real-world problems, including fuzzy transportation problems. Moreover, it compares the outcomes of the different methods and discusses their advantages/disadvantages. As the first work to collect at one place the most important methods for solving fuzzy linear programming problems, the book represents a useful reference guide for students and researchers, providing them with the necessary theoretical and practical knowledge to deal with linear programming problems under uncertainty.

Step by step parallel programming method for molecular dynamics code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orii, Shigeo; Ohta, Toshio

1996-07-01

Parallel programming for a numerical simulation program of molecular dynamics is carried out with a step-by-step programming technique using the two phase method. As a result, within the range of a certain computing parameters, it is found to obtain parallel performance by using the level of parallel programming which decomposes the calculation according to indices of do-loops into each processor on the vector parallel computer VPP500 and the scalar parallel computer Paragon. It is also found that VPP500 shows parallel performance in wider range computing parameters. The reason is that the time cost of the program parts, which can not be reduced by the do-loop level of the parallel programming, can be reduced to the negligible level by the vectorization. After that, the time consuming parts of the program are concentrated on less parts that can be accelerated by the do-loop level of the parallel programming. This report shows the step-by-step parallel programming method and the parallel performance of the molecular dynamics code on VPP500 and Paragon. (author)

Semi-definite Programming: methods and algorithms for energy management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorge, Agnes

2013-01-01

The present thesis aims at exploring the potentialities of a powerful optimization technique, namely Semi-definite Programming, for addressing some difficult problems of energy management. We pursue two main objectives. The first one consists of using SDP to provide tight relaxations of combinatorial and quadratic problems. A first relaxation, called 'standard' can be derived in a generic way but it is generally desirable to reinforce them, by means of tailor-made tools or in a systematic fashion. These two approaches are implemented on different models of the Nuclear Outages Scheduling Problem, a famous combinatorial problem. We conclude this topic by experimenting the Lasserre's hierarchy on this problem, leading to a sequence of semi-definite relaxations whose optimal values tends to the optimal value of the initial problem. The second objective deals with the use of SDP for the treatment of uncertainty. We investigate an original approach called 'distributionally robust optimization', that can be seen as a compromise between stochastic and robust optimization and admits approximations under the form of a SDP. We compare the benefits of this method w.r.t classical approaches on a demand/supply equilibrium problem. Finally, we propose a scheme for deriving SDP relaxations of MISOCP and we report promising computational results indicating that the semi-definite relaxation improves significantly the continuous relaxation, while requiring a reasonable computational effort. SDP therefore proves to be a promising optimization method that offers great opportunities for innovation in energy management. (author)

Reasons for non-participation in a parental program concerning underage drinking: a mixed-method study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eriksson Charli

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Alcohol consumption among adolescents is a serious public health concern. Research has shown that prevention programs targeting parents can help prevent underage drinking. The problem is that parental participation in these kinds of interventions is generally low. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to examine non-participation in a parental support program aiming to prevent underage alcohol drinking. The Health Belief Model has been used as a tool for the analysis. Methods To understand non-participation in a parental program a quasi-experimental mixed-method design was used. The participants in the study were invited to participate in a parental program targeting parents with children in school years 7-9. A questionnaire was sent home to the parents before the program started. Two follow-up surveys were also carried out. The inclusion criteria for the study were that the parents had answered the questionnaire in school year 7 and either of the questionnaires in the two subsequent school years (n = 455. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to examine reasons for non-participation. The final follow-up questionnaire included an opened-ended question about reasons for non-participation. A qualitative content analysis was carried out and the two largest categories were included in the third model of the multinomial logistic regression analysis. Results Educational level was the most important socio-demographic factor for predicting non-participation. Parents with a lower level of education were less likely to participate than those who were more educated. Factors associated with adolescents and alcohol did not seem to be of significant importance. Instead, program-related factors predicted non-participation, e.g. parents who did not perceive any need for the intervention and who did not attend the information meeting were more likely to be non-participants. Practical issues, like time demands, also seemed to

MULTI-CRITERIA PROGRAMMING METHODS AND PRODUCTION PLAN OPTIMIZATION PROBLEM SOLVING IN METAL INDUSTRY

OpenAIRE

Tunjo Perić; Željko Mandić

2017-01-01

This paper presents the production plan optimization in the metal industry considered as a multi-criteria programming problem. We first provided the definition of the multi-criteria programming problem and classification of the multicriteria programming methods. Then we applied two multi-criteria programming methods (the STEM method and the PROMETHEE method) in solving a problem of multi-criteria optimization production plan in a company from the metal industry. The obtained resul...

Next Generation Nuclear Plant Methods Technical Program Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richard R. Schultz; Abderrafi M. Ougouag; David W. Nigg; Hans D. Gougar; Richard W. Johnson; William K. Terry; Chang H. Oh; Donald W. McEligot; Gary W. Johnsen; Glenn E. McCreery; Woo Y. Yoon; James W. Sterbentz; J. Steve Herring; Temitope A. Taiwo; Thomas Y. C. Wei; William D. Pointer; Won S. Yang; Michael T. Farmer; Hussein S. Khalil; Madeline A. Feltus

2010-12-01

One of the great challenges of designing and licensing the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) is to confirm that the intended VHTR analysis tools can be used confidently to make decisions and to assure all that the reactor systems are safe and meet the performance objectives of the Generation IV Program. The research and development (R&D) projects defined in the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Design Methods Development and Validation Program will ensure that the tools used to perform the required calculations and analyses can be trusted. The Methods R&D tasks are designed to ensure that the calculational envelope of the tools used to analyze the VHTR reactor systems encompasses, or is larger than, the operational and transient envelope of the VHTR itself. The Methods R&D focuses on the development of tools to assess the neutronic and thermal fluid behavior of the plant. The fuel behavior and fission product transport models are discussed in the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) program plan. Various stress analysis and mechanical design tools will also need to be developed and validated and will ultimately also be included in the Methods R&D Program Plan. The calculational envelope of the neutronics and thermal-fluids software tools intended to be used on the NGNP is defined by the scenarios and phenomena that these tools can calculate with confidence. The software tools can only be used confidently when the results they produce have been shown to be in reasonable agreement with first-principle results, thought-problems, and data that describe the “highly ranked” phenomena inherent in all operational conditions and important accident scenarios for the VHTR.

Program Aplikasi Optimalisasi Perencanaan Produksi Dengan Metode Goal Programming (Kasus Cv. G

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahedi Zahedi

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Indonesia today is still a State agrarian. Thus agriculture in Indonesia always get more attention by the government. Many government programs are rolled out to support the agricultural development of Indonesia, and one of them is the fertilizer subsidy to farmers Indonesia. Fertilizer itself is very useful to nourish the soil and provide vitamins to the plants, thus increasing the amount of production generated. Therefore it is necessary fertilizer for agriculture in Indonesia. CV. G company is one of the companies that produce fertilizer. Fertilizer produced by this company is an organic fertilizer and inorganic fertilizer. Problems faced by these companies are in planning the production of fertilizer produced. Companies want to optimize the amount of production of each fertilizer, maximize revenues, minimize production costs, and simultaneously optimize the working hours of employees. To meet these objectives, this research created program package using goal programming methods. Goal programming method can provide an effective solution / equilibrium toward the goals set, and the calculation will be assisted by using the Simplex method that has been modified. This method is an extension of linear programming, linear programming which can only solve problems with a single goal while the goal programming to solve problems with multiple objectives.

MULTI-CRITERIA PROGRAMMING METHODS AND PRODUCTION PLAN OPTIMIZATION PROBLEM SOLVING IN METAL INDUSTRY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tunjo Perić

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the production plan optimization in the metal industry considered as a multi-criteria programming problem. We first provided the definition of the multi-criteria programming problem and classification of the multicriteria programming methods. Then we applied two multi-criteria programming methods (the STEM method and the PROMETHEE method in solving a problem of multi-criteria optimization production plan in a company from the metal industry. The obtained results indicate a high efficiency of the applied methods in solving the problem.

Methods and computer programs for PWR's fuel management: Programs Sothis and Ciclon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aragones, J.M.; Corella, M.R.; Martinez-Val, J.M.

1976-01-01

Methos and computer programs developed at JEN for fuel management in PWR are discussed, including scope of model, procedures for sistematic selection of alternatives to be evaluated, basis of model for neutronic calculation, methods for fuel costs calculation, procedures for equilibrium and trans[tion cycles calculation with Soth[s and Ciclon codes and validation of methods by comparison of results with others of reference (author) ' [es

Control rod driving mechanism of reactor, control device and operation method therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ariyoshi, Masahiko; Matsumoto, Fujio; Matsumoto, Koji; Kinugasa, Kunihiko; Nara, Yoshihiko; Otama, Kiyomaro; Mikami, Takao

1998-01-01

The present invention provides a device for and a method of directly driving control rods of an FBR type reactor linearly by a cylinder type linear motor while having a driving shaft as an electric conductor. Namely, a linear induction motor drives a driving shaft connected with a control rod and vertically moving the control rod by electromagnetic force as an electric conductor. The position of the control rod is detected by a position detector. The driving shaft is hung by a wire by way of an electromagnet which is attachably/detachably held. With such a constitution, the driving shaft connected with the control rod can be vertically moved linearly, stopped or kept. Since they can be driven smoothly at a wide range speed, the responsibility and reliability of the reactor operation can be improved. In addition, since responsibility of the control rod operation is high, scram can be conducted by the linear motor. Since the driving mechanism can be simplified, maintenance and inspection operation can be mitigated. (I.S.)

Manufacturing device for vacuum vessel of thermonuclear reactor and manufacturing method therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanagi, Hiroshi; Shibui, Masanao; Uchida, Takaho

1998-01-01

The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a vacuum vessel of a thermonuclear reactor with no welding deformation. Namely, there are disposed a manufacturing device comprises a welding machine equipped with a plurality of welding torches which can conduct synchronizing welding and a torch positioning mechanism for positioning the plurality of welding torches each at an optional distance. Then, both ends of a splice plate can be welded by the plurality of welding torches under synchronization. Accordingly, joining portions of sectors of a vacuum vessel can be welded in the site with no deviation of beveling at joining portions between an outer wall and an inner wall with the splice plate due to welding deformation. In addition, the welding machine is mounted on a travelling type clamping mechanism stand or a travelling type clamping mechanism. With such a constitution, since the peripheries of the joining portions on the inner wall are clamped with each other by the travelling type clamping mechanism, no angular distortion is caused in any welded portion of the outer wall. (I.S.)

77 FR 48733 - Transitional Program for Covered Business Method Patents-Definitions of Covered Business Method...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-14

... Office 37 CFR Part 42 Transitional Program for Covered Business Method Patents--Definitions of Covered... Business Method Patents-- Definitions of Covered Business Method Patent and Technological Invention AGENCY... forth in detail the definitions of the terms ``covered business method patent'' and ``technological...

Systems and methods for interpolation-based dynamic programming

KAUST Repository

Rockwood, Alyn

2013-01-03

Embodiments of systems and methods for interpolation-based dynamic programming. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an object function and a set of constraints associated with the objective function. The method may also include identifying a solution on the objective function corresponding to intersections of the constraints. Additionally, the method may include generating an interpolated surface that is in constant contact with the solution. The method may also include generating a vector field in response to the interpolated surface.

Systems and methods for interpolation-based dynamic programming

KAUST Repository

Rockwood, Alyn

2013-01-01

Embodiments of systems and methods for interpolation-based dynamic programming. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an object function and a set of constraints associated with the objective function. The method may also include identifying a solution on the objective function corresponding to intersections of the constraints. Additionally, the method may include generating an interpolated surface that is in constant contact with the solution. The method may also include generating a vector field in response to the interpolated surface.

ROTAX: a nonlinear optimization program by axes rotation method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Tadakazu

1977-09-01

A nonlinear optimization program employing the axes rotation method has been developed for solving nonlinear problems subject to nonlinear inequality constraints and its stability and convergence efficiency were examined. The axes rotation method is a direct search of the optimum point by rotating the orthogonal coordinate system in a direction giving the minimum objective. The searching direction is rotated freely in multi-dimensional space, so the method is effective for the problems represented with the contours having deep curved valleys. In application of the axes rotation method to the optimization problems subject to nonlinear inequality constraints, an improved version of R.R. Allran and S.E.J. Johnsen's method is used, which deals with a new objective function composed of the original objective and a penalty term to consider the inequality constraints. The program is incorporated in optimization code system SCOOP. (auth.)

The Value of Developing a Mixed-Methods Program of Research.

Science.gov (United States)

Simonovich, Shannon

2017-07-01

This article contributes to the discussion of the value of utilizing mixed methodological approaches to conduct nursing research. To this end, the author of this article proposes creating a mixed-methods program of research over time, where both quantitative and qualitative data are collected and analyzed simultaneously, rather than focusing efforts on designing singular mixed-methods studies. A mixed-methods program of research would allow for the best of both worlds: precision through focus on one method at a time, and the benefits of creating a robust understanding of a phenomenon over the trajectory of one's career through examination from various methodological approaches.

Program for searching for semiempirical parameters by the MNDO method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bliznyuk, A.A.; Voityuk, A.A.

1987-01-01

The authors describe an program for optimizing atomic models constructed using the MNDO method which varies not only the parameters but also the scope for simple changes in the calculation scheme. The target function determines properties such as formation enthalpies, dipole moments, ionization potentials, and geometrical parameters. Software used to minimize the target function is based on the simplex method on the Nelder-Mead algorithm and on the Fletcher variable-metric method. The program is written in FORTRAN IV and implemented on the ES computer

Mathematical programming methods for large-scale topology optimization problems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rojas Labanda, Susana

for mechanical problems, but has rapidly extended to many other disciplines, such as fluid dynamics and biomechanical problems. However, the novelty and improvements of optimization methods has been very limited. It is, indeed, necessary to develop of new optimization methods to improve the final designs......, and at the same time, reduce the number of function evaluations. Nonlinear optimization methods, such as sequential quadratic programming and interior point solvers, have almost not been embraced by the topology optimization community. Thus, this work is focused on the introduction of this kind of second...... for the classical minimum compliance problem. Two of the state-of-the-art optimization algorithms are investigated and implemented for this structural topology optimization problem. A Sequential Quadratic Programming (TopSQP) and an interior point method (TopIP) are developed exploiting the specific mathematical...

Solar control: A general method for modelling of solar gains through complex facades in building simulation programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuhn, Tilmann E.; Herkel, Sebastian [Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2, 79110 Freiburg (Germany); Frontini, Francesco [Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, Heidenhofstr. 2, 79110 Freiburg (Germany); Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento BEST, Via Bonardi 9, 20133 Milano (Italy); Strachan, Paul; Kokogiannakis, Georgios [ESRU, Dept. of Mechanical Eng., University of Strathclyde, Glasgow G1 1XJ (United Kingdom)

2011-01-15

This paper describes a new general method for building simulation programs which is intended to be used for the modelling of complex facades. The term 'complex facades' is used to designate facades with venetian blinds, prismatic layers, light re-directing surfaces, etc. In all these cases, the facade properties have a complex angular dependence. In addition to this, such facades very often have non-airtight layers and/or imperfect components (e.g. non-ideal sharp edges, non-flat surfaces,..). Therefore building planners often had to neglect some of the innovative features and to use 'work-arounds' in order to approximate the properties of complex facades in building simulation programs. A well-defined methodology for these cases was missing. This paper presents such a general methodology. The main advantage of the new method is that it only uses measureable quantities of the transparent or translucent part of the facade as a whole. This is the main difference in comparison with state of the art modelling based on the characteristics of the individual subcomponents, which is often impossible due to non-existing heat- and/or light-transfer models within the complex facade. It is shown that the new method can significantly increase the accuracy of heating/cooling loads and room temperatures. (author)

New Jersey's residential radon remediation program - methods and experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pluta, T.A.; Cosolita, F.J.; Rothfuss, E.

1986-01-01

As part of a remedial action program to decontaminate over 200 residential properties, 12 typical properties were selected and a demonstration program was initiated in the spring of 1985. The residences selected represented a range of contamination levels and configurations and differing architectural styles representative of the age of construction. The physical limitations of the sites and the overall nature of a decontamination project in active residential communities imposed a number of severe restrictions on work methods and equipment. Regulations governing transportation and disposal set virtually zero defect standards for the condition of containers. The intrusive nature of the work in residential neighborhoods required continual interaction with local residents, public officials and citizen task forces. Media coverage was very high. Numerous briefings were held to allay fears and promote public understanding. Numerous issues ranging in content from public health and safety to engineering and construction methods arose during the remedial action program. These issues were resolved by a multi-disciplined management team which was knowledgeable in public administration, radiation physics, and engineering design and construction. This paper discusses the nature of the problem, the methods applied to resolve the problem and the experience gained as a result of a remedial action program

The program FEM3D users manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Misfeldt, I.

1977-11-01

A short description of the program FEM3D that solves the three-dimensional, multigroup, neutron diffusion equation by the finite element method. The elements are box-formed Lagrange type elements of order 1, 2, or 3. The program gives very reliable results within reasonable calculation times, but it is not a fast program and should therefore mostly be used where high precision is needed. (author/BP)

Interior Point Methods for Large-Scale Nonlinear Programming

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lukšan, Ladislav; Matonoha, Ctirad; Vlček, Jan

2005-01-01

Roč. 20, č. 4-5 (2005), s. 569-582 ISSN 1055-6788 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA1030405 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10300504 Keywords : nonlinear programming * interior point methods * KKT systems * indefinite preconditioners * filter methods * algorithms Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.477, year: 2005

Numerical methods of mathematical optimization with Algol and Fortran programs

CERN Document Server

Künzi, Hans P; Zehnder, C A; Rheinboldt, Werner

1971-01-01

Numerical Methods of Mathematical Optimization: With ALGOL and FORTRAN Programs reviews the theory and the practical application of the numerical methods of mathematical optimization. An ALGOL and a FORTRAN program was developed for each one of the algorithms described in the theoretical section. This should result in easy access to the application of the different optimization methods.Comprised of four chapters, this volume begins with a discussion on the theory of linear and nonlinear optimization, with the main stress on an easily understood, mathematically precise presentation. In addition

Path Following in the Exact Penalty Method of Convex Programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Hua; Lange, Kenneth

2015-07-01

Classical penalty methods solve a sequence of unconstrained problems that put greater and greater stress on meeting the constraints. In the limit as the penalty constant tends to ∞, one recovers the constrained solution. In the exact penalty method, squared penalties are replaced by absolute value penalties, and the solution is recovered for a finite value of the penalty constant. In practice, the kinks in the penalty and the unknown magnitude of the penalty constant prevent wide application of the exact penalty method in nonlinear programming. In this article, we examine a strategy of path following consistent with the exact penalty method. Instead of performing optimization at a single penalty constant, we trace the solution as a continuous function of the penalty constant. Thus, path following starts at the unconstrained solution and follows the solution path as the penalty constant increases. In the process, the solution path hits, slides along, and exits from the various constraints. For quadratic programming, the solution path is piecewise linear and takes large jumps from constraint to constraint. For a general convex program, the solution path is piecewise smooth, and path following operates by numerically solving an ordinary differential equation segment by segment. Our diverse applications to a) projection onto a convex set, b) nonnegative least squares, c) quadratically constrained quadratic programming, d) geometric programming, and e) semidefinite programming illustrate the mechanics and potential of path following. The final detour to image denoising demonstrates the relevance of path following to regularized estimation in inverse problems. In regularized estimation, one follows the solution path as the penalty constant decreases from a large value.

A mathematical method for boiling water reactor control rod programming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tokumasu, S.; Hiranuma, H.; Ozawa, M.; Yokomi, M.

1985-01-01

A new mathematical programming method has been developed and utilized in OPROD, an existing computer code for automatic generation of control rod programs as an alternative inner-loop routine for the method of approximate programming. The new routine is constructed of a dual feasible direction algorithm, and consists essentially of two stages of iterative optimization procedures Optimization Procedures I and II. Both follow almost the same algorithm; Optimization Procedure I searches for feasible solutions and Optimization Procedure II optimizes the objective function. Optimization theory and computer simulations have demonstrated that the new routine could find optimum solutions, even if deteriorated initial control rod patterns were given

On the complexity of a combined homotopy interior method for convex programming

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Bo; Xu, Qing; Feng, Guochen

2007-03-01

In [G.C. Feng, Z.H. Lin, B. Yu, Existence of an interior pathway to a Karush-Kuhn-Tucker point of a nonconvex programming problem, Nonlinear Anal. 32 (1998) 761-768; G.C. Feng, B. Yu, Combined homotopy interior point method for nonlinear programming problems, in: H. Fujita, M. Yamaguti (Eds.), Advances in Numerical Mathematics, Proceedings of the Second Japan-China Seminar on Numerical Mathematics, Lecture Notes in Numerical and Applied Analysis, vol. 14, Kinokuniya, Tokyo, 1995, pp. 9-16; Z.H. Lin, B. Yu, G.C. Feng, A combined homotopy interior point method for convex programming problem, Appl. Math. Comput. 84 (1997) 193-211.], a combined homotopy was constructed for solving non-convex programming and convex programming with weaker conditions, without assuming the logarithmic barrier function to be strictly convex and the solution set to be bounded. It was proven that a smooth interior path from an interior point of the feasible set to a K-K-T point of the problem exists. This shows that combined homotopy interior point methods can solve the problem that commonly used interior point methods cannot solveE However, so far, there is no result on its complexity, even for linear programming. The main difficulty is that the objective function is not monotonically decreasing on the combined homotopy path. In this paper, by taking a piecewise technique, under commonly used conditions, polynomiality of a combined homotopy interior point method is given for convex nonlinear programming.

Methods for evaluating a mature substance abuse prevention/early intervention program.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, L R; Hall, M; Fisher, D A; Miller, T R

2000-05-01

The authors describe methods for work in progress to evaluate four workplace prevention and/or early intervention programs designed to change occupational norms and reduce substance abuse at a major U.S. transportation company. The four programs are an employee assistance program, random drug testing, managed behavioral health care, and a peer-led intervention program. An elaborate mixed-methods evaluation combines data collection and analysis techniques from several traditions. A process-improvement evaluation focuses on the peer-led component to describe its evolution, document the implementation process for those interested in replicating it, and provide information for program improvement. An outcome-assessment evaluation examines impacts of the four programs on job performance measures (e.g., absenteeism, turnover, injury, and disability rates) and includes a cost-offset and employer cost-savings analysis. Issues related to using archival data, combining qualitative and quantitative designs, and working in a corporate environment are discussed.

Frontiers in economic research on petroleum allocation using mathematical programming methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowse, J.

1991-01-01

This paper presents a state of the art of operations research techniques applied in petroleum allocation, namely mathematical programming methods, with principal attention directed toward linear programming and nonlinear programming (including quadratic programming). Contributions to the economics of petroleum allocation are discussed for international trade, industrial organization, regional/macro economics, public finance and natural resource/environmental economics

Combustible gas concentration control facility and operation method therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshikawa, Kazuhiro; Ando, Koji; Kinoshita, Shoichiro; Yamanari, Shozo; Moriya, Kimiaki; Karasawa, Hidetoshi

1998-01-01

The present invention provides a hydrogen gas-control facility by using a fuel battery-type combustible gas concentration reducing device as a countermeasure for controlling a hydrogen gas in a reactor container. Namely, a hydrogen electrode adsorb hydrogen by using an ion exchange membrane comprising hydrogen ions as a charge carrier. An air electrode adsorb oxygen in the air. A fuel battery converts recombining energy of hydrogen and oxygen to electric energy. Hydrogen in this case is supplied from an atmosphere in the container. Oxygen in this case is supplied from the air outside of the container. If hydrogen gas should be generated in the reactor, power generation of is performed by the fuel battery by using hydrogen gas, as a fuel, on the side of the hydrogen electrode of the fuel battery and using oxygen, as a fuel, in the air outside of the container on the side of the air electrode. Then, the hydrogen gas is consumed thereby controlling the hydrogen gas concentration in the container. Electric current generated in the fuel battery is used as an emergency power source for the countermeasure for a severe accident. (I.S.)

End plug for fuel rod and welding method therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoneda, Hiroshi; Murakami, Kazuo; Oyama, Jun-ichi.

1996-01-01

An end plug of a fuel rod comprises a pressure-insertion portion having a diameter somewhat greater than the inner diameter of a fuel cladding tube and a welding portion having a diameter substantially the same as the outer diameter of the cladding tube. A V-shaped recess having an outer diameter smaller than the greatest outer diameter of the pressure-insertion portion is formed over the entire circumferential surface of the outer circumference of the connection portion of the pressure-insertion portion and the welding portion. The pressure-insertion portion of the end plug is inserted to the end of the cladding tube till the end of the cladding tube abuts against the inclined surface of the V-shaped recess. The abutting surfaces of the end plug and the cladding tube are subjected to resistance welding in this state. The inner portion bulged from the inclined surface of the V-shaped recess is filled in the recess in a molten state. Lowering of temperature of the cladding tube in the vicinity of the welded portion is decreased by γ heat during reactor operation. Accordingly, lowering of ductility of the cladding tube and degradation of material of the welded region due to segregation of hydrogen in the cladding tube can be suppressed. (I.N.)

Reactor auxiliary cooling facility and coolant supplying method therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ando, Koji; Kinoshita, Shoichiro.

1996-01-01

A reactor auxiliary cooling facility of the present invention comprises a coolant recycling line for recycling coolants by way of a reactor auxiliary coolant pump and a cooling load, a gravitational surge tank for supplying coolants to the coolant recycling line and a supplemental water supplying line for supplying a supply the supplemental water to the tank. Then, a pressurization-type supply water surge tank is disposed for operating the coolant recycling line upon performing an initial system performance test in parallel with the gravitational surge tank. With such a constitution, the period of time required from the start of the installation of reactor auxiliary cooling facilities to the completion of the system performance test can be shortened at a reduced cost without enlarging the scale of the facility. (T.M.)

Multi-layered pallet and production method and device therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudo, Shigeru.

1995-01-01

The present invention concerns the production of a solid tritium pellet for use in a thermonuclear reactor. A first pellet constituent material constituting an outer layer of the pellet is solidified under cooling to form a solidification product for the pellet. A cave is formed on one end face of the pellet solidification product. A second pellet constituent material constituting an inner layer of the pellet is supplied and solidified under cooling. After scraping a predetermined amount of the other end face of the pellet solidification material, the first pellet constituent material is additionally supplied and solidified under cooling. The size and the relative position of each of layers can be determined definitely and the inner layer can be formed reliably while fuels can be accurately supplied with no loss to a required portion in plasma. (N.H.)

Reactor auxiliary cooling facility and coolant supplying method therefor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ando, Koji; Kinoshita, Shoichiro

1996-06-07

A reactor auxiliary cooling facility of the present invention comprises a coolant recycling line for recycling coolants by way of a reactor auxiliary coolant pump and a cooling load, a gravitational surge tank for supplying coolants to the coolant recycling line and a supplemental water supplying line for supplying a supply the supplemental water to the tank. Then, a pressurization-type supply water surge tank is disposed for operating the coolant recycling line upon performing an initial system performance test in parallel with the gravitational surge tank. With such a constitution, the period of time required from the start of the installation of reactor auxiliary cooling facilities to the completion of the system performance test can be shortened at a reduced cost without enlarging the scale of the facility. (T.M.)

Combustible gas concentration control facility and operation method therefor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yoshikawa, Kazuhiro; Ando, Koji; Kinoshita, Shoichiro; Yamanari, Shozo; Moriya, Kimiaki; Karasawa, Hidetoshi

1998-09-25

The present invention provides a hydrogen gas-control facility by using a fuel battery-type combustible gas concentration reducing device as a countermeasure for controlling a hydrogen gas in a reactor container. Namely, a hydrogen electrode adsorb hydrogen by using an ion exchange membrane comprising hydrogen ions as a charge carrier. An air electrode adsorb oxygen in the air. A fuel battery converts recombining energy of hydrogen and oxygen to electric energy. Hydrogen in this case is supplied from an atmosphere in the container. Oxygen in this case is supplied from the air outside of the container. If hydrogen gas should be generated in the reactor, power generation of is performed by the fuel battery by using hydrogen gas, as a fuel, on the side of the hydrogen electrode of the fuel battery and using oxygen, as a fuel, in the air outside of the container on the side of the air electrode. Then, the hydrogen gas is consumed thereby controlling the hydrogen gas concentration in the container. Electric current generated in the fuel battery is used as an emergency power source for the countermeasure for a severe accident. (I.S.)

Melting method for radioactive solid wastes and device therefor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Komatsu, Masahiko; Abe, Takashi; Nakayama, Junpei; Kusamichi, Tatsuhiko; Sakamoto, Koichi

1998-11-17

Upon melting radioactive solid wastes mixed with radioactive metal wastes and non metal materials such as concrete by cold crucible high frequency induction heating, induction coils are wound around the outer circumference of a copper crucible having a water cooling structure to which radioactive solid wastes are charged. A heating sleeve formed by a material which generates heat by an induction heating function of graphite is disposed to the inside of the crucible at a height not in contact with molten metals in the crucible vertically movably. Radioactive solid wastes are melted collectively by the induction heat of the induction coils and thermal radiation and heat conduction of the heating sleeve heated by the induction heat. With such procedures, non metal materials such as concrete and radioactive metal wastes in a mixed state can be melt collectively continuously highly economically. (T.M.)

Structure of steel reactor building and construction method therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamakawa, Toshikimi.

1997-01-01

The building of the present invention contains a reactor pressure vessel, and has double steel plate walls endurable to elevation of inner pressure and keeping airtightness, and shielding concretes are filled between the double steel plate walls. It also has empty double steel plate walls not filled with concretes and has pipelines, vent ducts, wirings and a support structures for attaching them between the double steel plate walls. It is endurable to a great inner pressure satisfactory and keeps airtightness by the two spaced steel plates. It can be greatly reduced in the weight, and can be manufactured efficiently with high quality in a plant by so called module construction, and the dimension of the entire of the reactor building can be reduced. It is constructed in a dock, transported on the sea while having the space between the two steel plate walls as a ballast tanks, placed in the site, and shielding concretes are filled between the double steel plate walls. The term for the construction can be reduced, and the cost for the construction can be saved. (N.H.)

Dismantling method for reactor shielding wall and device therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akagawa, Katsuhiko.

1995-01-01

A ring member having an outer diameter slightly smaller than an inner diameter of a reactor shielding wall to be dismantled is lowered in the inside of the reactor shielding wall while keeping a horizontal posture. A cutting device is disposed at the lower peripheral edge of the ring member. The cutting device can move along the peripheral edge of the circular shape of the ring member. The ring member is urged against the inner surface of the reactor shielding wall by using an urging member to immobilize the ring member. Then, the cutting device is operated to cut the reactor shielding wall into a plurality of ring-like blocks at a plurality of inner horizontal ribs or block connection ribs. Then, the blocks of the cut reactor shielding wall are supported by the ring member, and transported out of the reactor container by a lift. The cut blocks transported to the outside are finely dismantled for every block in a closed chamber. (I.N.)

Hybrid Cryogenic Tank Construction and Method of Manufacture Therefor

Science.gov (United States)

DeLay, Thomas K. (Inventor)

2011-01-01

A lightweight, high-pressure cryogenic tank construction includes an inner layer comprising a matrix of fiber and resin suitable for cryogenic use. An outer layer in intimate contact with the inner layer provides support of the inner layer, and is made of resin composite. The tank is made by placing a fiber preform on a mandrel and infusing the preform with the resin. The infused preform is then encapsulated within the outer layer.

Determination of HSE program proportional to organizational Corporate life cycles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2013-02-01

Result: Corporate life cycles questionnaire with 10 indicators, available HSE programs score cards with 47 indicators according to OGP model and corporate life cycles proper programs table were results of this article. .Conclusion: The results showedweakness in the HSE programs implementation.Therefore, we offered the management methods like upgrade HSE culture and leadership for modification.

Polyhedral and semidefinite programming methods in combinatorial optimization

CERN Document Server

Tunçel, Levent

2010-01-01

Since the early 1960s, polyhedral methods have played a central role in both the theory and practice of combinatorial optimization. Since the early 1990s, a new technique, semidefinite programming, has been increasingly applied to some combinatorial optimization problems. The semidefinite programming problem is the problem of optimizing a linear function of matrix variables, subject to finitely many linear inequalities and the positive semidefiniteness condition on some of the matrix variables. On certain problems, such as maximum cut, maximum satisfiability, maximum stable set and geometric r

Evaluating a physician leadership development program - a mixed methods approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Throgmorton, Cheryl; Mitchell, Trey; Morley, Tom; Snyder, Marijo

2016-05-16

Purpose - With the extent of change in healthcare today, organizations need strong physician leaders. To compensate for the lack of physician leadership education, many organizations are sending physicians to external leadership programs or developing in-house leadership programs targeted specifically to physicians. The purpose of this paper is to outline the evaluation strategy and outcomes of the inaugural year of a Physician Leadership Academy (PLA) developed and implemented at a Michigan-based regional healthcare system. Design/methodology/approach - The authors applied the theoretical framework of Kirkpatrick's four levels of evaluation and used surveys, observations, activity tracking, and interviews to evaluate the program outcomes. The authors applied grounded theory techniques to the interview data. Findings - The program met targeted outcomes across all four levels of evaluation. Interview themes focused on the significance of increasing self-awareness, building relationships, applying new skills, and building confidence. Research limitations/implications - While only one example, this study illustrates the importance of developing the evaluation strategy as part of the program design. Qualitative research methods, often lacking from learning evaluation design, uncover rich themes of impact. The study supports how a PLA program can enhance physician learning, engagement, and relationship building throughout and after the program. Physician leaders' partnership with organization development and learning professionals yield results with impact to individuals, groups, and the organization. Originality/value - Few studies provide an in-depth review of evaluation methods and outcomes of physician leadership development programs. Healthcare organizations seeking to develop similar in-house programs may benefit applying the evaluation strategy outlined in this study.

Method of processing dismantled products of radiation-contaminated equipments and transportation container therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komura, Shiro; Heki, Hideaki.

1991-01-01

In a method of decontaminating dismantled products of radiation-contaminated equipments removed at nuclear power facilities and classifying the dismantled products depending on their remaining radioactivity levels measured at a processing facility, the dismantled products are contained in a transportation container, to which decontamination liquids are injected and they are transferred to the processing facility. The decontaminated liquid wastes are drained from the transportation container, the dismantled products are washed while being contained in the transportation container as they are. Then, they are transferred to a step for measuring their remaining radioactivity level. This can shorten the time from the containment of the dismantled products to the transportation container to the completion of the decontamination, to improve the efficiency for the decontamination processing. Further, by separately containing the dismantled products on every kind of materials to respective containers, the processing time can be appropriately controlled respectively even if the dissolving efficiency to the decontamination liquids is different depending on the materials. (T.M.)

The simplex method of linear programming

CERN Document Server

Ficken, Frederick A

1961-01-01

This concise but detailed and thorough treatment discusses the rudiments of the well-known simplex method for solving optimization problems in linear programming. Geared toward undergraduate students, the approach offers sufficient material for readers without a strong background in linear algebra. Many different kinds of problems further enrich the presentation. The text begins with examinations of the allocation problem, matrix notation for dual problems, feasibility, and theorems on duality and existence. Subsequent chapters address convex sets and boundedness, the prepared problem and boun

A Practical Framework for Evaluating Health Services Management Educational Program: The Application of The Mixed-Method Sequential Explanatory Design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bazrafshan Azam

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction:Health services managers are responsible for improving the efficiency and quality in delivering healthcare services. In this regard, Health Services Management (HSM programs have been widely established to provide health providers with skilled, professional managers to address those needs. It is therefore important to ascertain the quality of these programs. The purpose of this study was to synthesize and develop a framework to evaluate the quality of the Health Services Management (HSM program at Kerman University of Medical Sciences. Methods: This study followed a mixed-method sequential explanatory approach in which data were collected through a CIPP survey and semi-structured interviews. In phase 1, participants included 10 faculty members, 64 students and 90 alumni. In phase 2, in-depth semi-structured interviews and purposeful sampling were conducted with 27 participants to better understand their perceptions of the HSM program. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. NVivo N8 was used to analyze the qualitative data and extract the themes. Results: The data analysis revealed both positive and negative attitudes toward the HSM program. According to the CIPP survey, program objectives (74%, curriculum content (59.5% and graduate skills (79% were the major sources of dissatisfaction. However, most respondents (n=48 reported that the classes are well equipped and learning resources are well prepared (n=41. Most respondents (n=41 reported that the students are actively involved in classroom activities. The majority of respondents (n=43 pointed out that the instructors implemented appropriate teaching strategies. Qualitative analysis of interviews revealed that a regular community needs assessment, content revision and directing attention to graduate skills and expertise are the key solutions to improve the program’s quality.Conclusion: This study revealed to what extent the HSM program objectives is being

Major structural response methods used in the seismic safety margins research program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, C.K.; Lo, T.; Vagliente, V.

1979-01-01

In order to evaluate the conservatisms in present nuclear power plant seismic safety requirements, a probabilistic based systems model is being developed. This model will also be used to develop improved requirements. In Phase I of the Seismic Safety Margins Research Program (SSMRP), this methodology will be developed for a specific nuclear power plant and used to perform probabilistic sensitivity studies to gain engineering insights into seismic safety requirements. Random variables in the structural response analysis area, or parameters which cause uncertainty in the response, are discussed and classified into three categories; i.e., material properties, structural dynamic characteristics and related modeling techniques, and analytical methods. The sensitivity studies are grouped into two categories; deterministic and probabilistic. In a system analysis, transfer functions in simple form are needed since there are too many responses which have to be calculated in a Monte Carlo simulation to use the usual straightforward calculation approach. Therefore, the development of these simple transfer functions is one of the important tasks in SSMRP. Simplified as well as classical transfer functions are discussed

FATAL, General Experiment Fitting Program by Nonlinear Regression Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salmon, L.; Budd, T.; Marshall, M.

1982-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: A generalized fitting program with a free-format keyword interface to the user. It permits experimental data to be fitted by non-linear regression methods to any function describable by the user. The user requires the minimum of computer experience but needs to provide a subroutine to define his function. Some statistical output is included as well as 'best' estimates of the function's parameters. 2 - Method of solution: The regression method used is based on a minimization technique devised by Powell (Harwell Subroutine Library VA05A, 1972) which does not require the use of analytical derivatives. The method employs a quasi-Newton procedure balanced with a steepest descent correction. Experience shows this to be efficient for a very wide range of application. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: The current version of the program permits functions to be defined with up to 20 parameters. The function may be fitted to a maximum of 400 points, preferably with estimated values of weight given

29 CFR 1209.05 - Closing of meetings; reasons therefor.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

....05 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD PUBLIC OBSERVATION OF NATIONAL MEDIATION BOARD MEETINGS § 1209.05 Closing of meetings; reasons therefor. (a) Except where the...) (matters specifically exempted from disclosure by statute); (c)(4) (trade secrets and commercial or...

Programming by Numbers -- A Programming Method for Complete Novices

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Glaser, Hugh; Hartel, Pieter H.

2000-01-01

Students often have difficulty with the minutiae of program construction. We introduce the idea of `Programming by Numbers', which breaks some of the programming process down into smaller steps, giving such students a way into the process of Programming in the Small. Programming by Numbers does not

Interior Point Method for Solving Fuzzy Number Linear Programming Problems Using Linear Ranking Function

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-hua Zhong

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, various methods have been developed for solving linear programming problems with fuzzy number, such as simplex method and dual simplex method. But their computational complexities are exponential, which is not satisfactory for solving large-scale fuzzy linear programming problems, especially in the engineering field. A new method which can solve large-scale fuzzy number linear programming problems is presented in this paper, which is named a revised interior point method. Its idea is similar to that of interior point method used for solving linear programming problems in crisp environment before, but its feasible direction and step size are chosen by using trapezoidal fuzzy numbers, linear ranking function, fuzzy vector, and their operations, and its end condition is involved in linear ranking function. Their correctness and rationality are proved. Moreover, choice of the initial interior point and some factors influencing the results of this method are also discussed and analyzed. The result of algorithm analysis and example study that shows proper safety factor parameter, accuracy parameter, and initial interior point of this method may reduce iterations and they can be selected easily according to the actual needs. Finally, the method proposed in this paper is an alternative method for solving fuzzy number linear programming problems.

GENGTC-JB: a computer program to calculate temperature distribution for cylindrical geometry capsule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Someya, Hiroyuki; Kobayashi, Toshiki; Niimi, Motoji; Hoshiya, Taiji; Harayama, Yasuo

1987-09-01

In design of JMTR irradiation capsules contained specimens, a program (named GENGTC) has been generally used to evaluate temperature distributions in the capsules. The program was originally compiled by ORNL(U.S.A.) and consisted of very simple calculation methods. From the incorporated calculation methods, the program is easy to use, and has many applications to the capsule design. However, it was considered to replace original computing methods with advanced ones, when the program was checked from a standpoint of the recent computer abilities, and also to be complicated in data input. Therefore, the program was versioned up as aim to make better calculations and improve input method. The present report describes revised calculation methods and input/output guide of the version-up program. (author)

Application of the simplex method of linear programming model to ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This work discussed how the simplex method of linear programming could be used to maximize the profit of any business firm using Saclux Paint Company as a case study. It equally elucidated the effect variation in the optimal result obtained from linear programming model, will have on any given firm. It was demonstrated ...

Advanced Topics in Computational Partial Differential Equations: Numerical Methods and Diffpack Programming

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katsaounis, T D

2005-01-01

The scope of this book is to present well known simple and advanced numerical methods for solving partial differential equations (PDEs) and how to implement these methods using the programming environment of the software package Diffpack. A basic background in PDEs and numerical methods is required by the potential reader. Further, a basic knowledge of the finite element method and its implementation in one and two space dimensions is required. The authors claim that no prior knowledge of the package Diffpack is required, which is true, but the reader should be at least familiar with an object oriented programming language like C++ in order to better comprehend the programming environment of Diffpack. Certainly, a prior knowledge or usage of Diffpack would be a great advantage to the reader. The book consists of 15 chapters, each one written by one or more authors. Each chapter is basically divided into two parts: the first part is about mathematical models described by PDEs and numerical methods to solve these models and the second part describes how to implement the numerical methods using the programming environment of Diffpack. Each chapter closes with a list of references on its subject. The first nine chapters cover well known numerical methods for solving the basic types of PDEs. Further, programming techniques on the serial as well as on the parallel implementation of numerical methods are also included in these chapters. The last five chapters are dedicated to applications, modelled by PDEs, in a variety of fields. In summary, the book focuses on the computational and implementational issues involved in solving partial differential equations. The potential reader should have a basic knowledge of PDEs and the finite difference and finite element methods. The examples presented are solved within the programming framework of Diffpack and the reader should have prior experience with the particular software in order to take full advantage of the book. Overall

Fundamental solution of the problem of linear programming and method of its determination

Science.gov (United States)

Petrunin, S. V.

1978-01-01

The idea of a fundamental solution to a problem in linear programming is introduced. A method of determining the fundamental solution and of applying this method to the solution of a problem in linear programming is proposed. Numerical examples are cited.

Study program for constant current capacitor charging method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pugh, C.

1978-10-04

The objective of the study program was to determine the best method of charging 20,000 to 132,000 microfarads of capacitance to 22 kVdc in 14 to 15 sec. Component costs, sizes, weights, line current graphs, copies of calculations and manufacturer's data are included.

A Comprehensive Study of the Incentive Award Program at General Leonard Wood Army Community Hospital

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Cox, Michael

2001-01-01

.... Therefore, they commissioned this study to evaluate the present incentive award program based on fairness and effectiveness and to explore methods of reshaping the program into one that both rewards...

Perceived Risks Associated with Contraceptive Method Use among ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJRH Managing Editor

Communication Programs, Baltmore, Maryland2; Center for Interdisciplinary Inquiry and Innovation in Sexual and Reproductive. Health .... sterilization making up the remaining method mix .... substandard material and could therefore break or.

Next Generation Nuclear Plant Methods Technical Program Plan -- PLN-2498

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richard R. Schultz; Abderrafi M. Ougouag; David W. Nigg; Hans D. Gougar; Richard W. Johnson; William K. Terry; Chang H. Oh; Donald W. McEligot; Gary W. Johnsen; Glenn E. McCreery; Woo Y. Yoon; James W. Sterbentz; J. Steve Herring; Temitope A. Taiwo; Thomas Y. C. Wei; William D. Pointer; Won S. Yang; Michael T. Farmer; Hussein S. Khalil; Madeline A. Feltus

2010-09-01

One of the great challenges of designing and licensing the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) is to confirm that the intended VHTR analysis tools can be used confidently to make decisions and to assure all that the reactor systems are safe and meet the performance objectives of the Generation IV Program. The research and development (R&D) projects defined in the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Design Methods Development and Validation Program will ensure that the tools used to perform the required calculations and analyses can be trusted. The Methods R&D tasks are designed to ensure that the calculational envelope of the tools used to analyze the VHTR reactor systems encompasses, or is larger than, the operational and transient envelope of the VHTR itself. The Methods R&D focuses on the development of tools to assess the neutronic and thermal fluid behavior of the plant. The fuel behavior and fission product transport models are discussed in the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) program plan. Various stress analysis and mechanical design tools will also need to be developed and validated and will ultimately also be included in the Methods R&D Program Plan. The calculational envelope of the neutronics and thermal-fluids software tools intended to be used on the NGNP is defined by the scenarios and phenomena that these tools can calculate with confidence. The software tools can only be used confidently when the results they produce have been shown to be in reasonable agreement with first-principle results, thought-problems, and data that describe the “highly ranked” phenomena inherent in all operational conditions and important accident scenarios for the VHTR.

Integrating Program Assessment and a Career Focus into a Research Methods Course

Science.gov (United States)

Senter, Mary Scheuer

2017-01-01

Sociology research methods students in 2013 and 2016 implemented a series of "real world" data gathering activities that enhanced their learning while assisting the department with ongoing program assessment and program review. In addition to the explicit collection of program assessment data on both students' development of sociological…

A comparison of fitness-case sampling methods for genetic programming

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez, Yuliana; Naredo, Enrique; Trujillo, Leonardo; Legrand, Pierrick; López, Uriel

2017-11-01

Genetic programming (GP) is an evolutionary computation paradigm for automatic program induction. GP has produced impressive results but it still needs to overcome some practical limitations, particularly its high computational cost, overfitting and excessive code growth. Recently, many researchers have proposed fitness-case sampling methods to overcome some of these problems, with mixed results in several limited tests. This paper presents an extensive comparative study of four fitness-case sampling methods, namely: Interleaved Sampling, Random Interleaved Sampling, Lexicase Selection and Keep-Worst Interleaved Sampling. The algorithms are compared on 11 symbolic regression problems and 11 supervised classification problems, using 10 synthetic benchmarks and 12 real-world data-sets. They are evaluated based on test performance, overfitting and average program size, comparing them with a standard GP search. Comparisons are carried out using non-parametric multigroup tests and post hoc pairwise statistical tests. The experimental results suggest that fitness-case sampling methods are particularly useful for difficult real-world symbolic regression problems, improving performance, reducing overfitting and limiting code growth. On the other hand, it seems that fitness-case sampling cannot improve upon GP performance when considering supervised binary classification.

Computer programs of information processing of nuclear physical methods as a demonstration material in studying nuclear physics and numerical methods

Science.gov (United States)

Bateev, A. B.; Filippov, V. P.

2017-01-01

The principle possibility of using computer program Univem MS for Mössbauer spectra fitting as a demonstration material at studying such disciplines as atomic and nuclear physics and numerical methods by students is shown in the article. This program is associated with nuclear-physical parameters such as isomer (or chemical) shift of nuclear energy level, interaction of nuclear quadrupole moment with electric field and of magnetic moment with surrounded magnetic field. The basic processing algorithm in such programs is the Least Square Method. The deviation of values of experimental points on spectra from the value of theoretical dependence is defined on concrete examples. This value is characterized in numerical methods as mean square deviation. The shape of theoretical lines in the program is defined by Gaussian and Lorentzian distributions. The visualization of the studied material on atomic and nuclear physics can be improved by similar programs of the Mössbauer spectroscopy, X-ray Fluorescence Analyzer or X-ray diffraction analysis.

Real-time object-oriented programming: studies and proposals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fouquier, Gilles

1996-01-01

This thesis contributes to the introduction of real-time features in object-oriented programming. Object-oriented programming favours modularity and reusability. Therefore, its application to real-time introduces many theoretical and conceptual problems. To deal with these problems, a new real-time object-oriented programming model is presented. This model is based on the active object model which allows concurrence and maintains the encapsulation property. The real-time aspect is treated by replacing the concept of task by the concept of method processing and by associating a real-time constraint to each message (priority or deadline). The set of all the running methods is scheduled. This model, called ATOME, contains several sub-models to deal with the usual concurrence control integrating their priority and deadline processing. The classical HPF and EDF scheduling avoid priority or deadline inversion. This model and its variants are new proposals to program real-time applications in the object-oriented way, therefore easing reusability and code writing. The feasibility of this approach is demonstrated by extending and existing active object-based language to real-time, in using the rules defined in the ATOME model. (author) [fr

APPLYING ROBUST RANKING METHOD IN TWO PHASE FUZZY OPTIMIZATION LINEAR PROGRAMMING PROBLEMS (FOLPP

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monalisha Pattnaik

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Background: This paper explores the solutions to the fuzzy optimization linear program problems (FOLPP where some parameters are fuzzy numbers. In practice, there are many problems in which all decision parameters are fuzzy numbers, and such problems are usually solved by either probabilistic programming or multi-objective programming methods. Methods: In this paper, using the concept of comparison of fuzzy numbers, a very effective method is introduced for solving these problems. This paper extends linear programming based problem in fuzzy environment. With the problem assumptions, the optimal solution can still be theoretically solved using the two phase simplex based method in fuzzy environment. To handle the fuzzy decision variables can be initially generated and then solved and improved sequentially using the fuzzy decision approach by introducing robust ranking technique. Results and conclusions: The model is illustrated with an application and a post optimal analysis approach is obtained. The proposed procedure was programmed with MATLAB (R2009a version software for plotting the four dimensional slice diagram to the application. Finally, numerical example is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results, and to gain additional managerial insights. 

Teaching methods and surgical training in North American graduate periodontics programs: exploring the landscape.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghiabi, Edmond; Taylor, K Lynn

2010-06-01

This project aimed at documenting the surgical training curricula offered by North American graduate periodontics programs. A survey consisting of questions on teaching methods employed and the content of the surgical training program was mailed to directors of all fifty-eight graduate periodontics programs in Canada and the United States. The chi-square test was used to assess whether the residents' clinical experience was significantly (Pperiodontal plastic procedures, hard tissue grafts, and implants. Furthermore, residents in programs offering a structured preclinical component performed significantly more procedures (P=0.012) using lasers than those in programs not offering a structured preclinical program. Devising new and innovative teaching methods is a clear avenue for future development in North American graduate periodontics programs.

NRC-BNL Benchmark Program on Evaluation of Methods for Seismic Analysis of Coupled Systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chokshi, N.; DeGrassi, G.; Xu, J.

1999-01-01

A NRC-BNL benchmark program for evaluation of state-of-the-art analysis methods and computer programs for seismic analysis of coupled structures with non-classical damping is described. The program includes a series of benchmarking problems designed to investigate various aspects of complexities, applications and limitations associated with methods for analysis of non-classically damped structures. Discussions are provided on the benchmarking process, benchmark structural models, and the evaluation approach, as well as benchmarking ground rules. It is expected that the findings and insights, as well as recommendations from this program will be useful in developing new acceptance criteria and providing guidance for future regulatory activities involving licensing applications of these alternate methods to coupled systems

An Improved Method for Solving Multiobjective Integer Linear Fractional Programming Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meriem Ait Mehdi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We describe an improvement of Chergui and Moulaï’s method (2008 that generates the whole efficient set of a multiobjective integer linear fractional program based on the branch and cut concept. The general step of this method consists in optimizing (maximizing without loss of generality one of the fractional objective functions over a subset of the original continuous feasible set; then if necessary, a branching process is carried out until obtaining an integer feasible solution. At this stage, an efficient cut is built from the criteria’s growth directions in order to discard a part of the feasible domain containing only nonefficient solutions. Our contribution concerns firstly the optimization process where a linear program that we define later will be solved at each step rather than a fractional linear program. Secondly, local ideal and nadir points will be used as bounds to prune some branches leading to nonefficient solutions. The computational experiments show that the new method outperforms the old one in all the treated instances.

Content Validity of National Post Marriage Educational Program Using Mixed Methods

Science.gov (United States)

MOHAJER RAHBARI, Masoumeh; SHARIATI, Mohammad; KERAMAT, Afsaneh; YUNESIAN, Masoud; ESLAMI, Mohammad; MOUSAVI, Seyed Abbas; MONTAZERI, Ali

2015-01-01

Background: Although the validity of content of program is mostly conducted with qualitative methods, this study used both qualitative and quantitative methods for the validation of content of post marriage training program provided for newly married couples. Content validity is a preliminary step of obtaining authorization required to install the program in country's health care system. Methods: This mixed methodological content validation study carried out in four steps with forming three expert panels. Altogether 24 expert panelists were involved in 3 qualitative and quantitative panels; 6 in the first item development one; 12 in the reduction kind, 4 of them were common with the first panel, and 10 executive experts in the last one organized to evaluate psychometric properties of CVR and CVI and Face validity of 57 educational objectives. Results: The raw data of post marriage program had been written by professional experts of Ministry of Health, using qualitative expert panel, the content was more developed by generating 3 topics and refining one topic and its respective content. In the second panel, totally six other objectives were deleted, three for being out of agreement cut of point and three on experts' consensus. The validity of all items was above 0.8 and their content validity indices (0.8–1) were completely appropriate in quantitative assessment. Conclusion: This study provided a good evidence for validation and accreditation of national post marriage program planned for newly married couples in health centers of the country in the near future. PMID:26056672

Method for Statically Checking an Object-oriented Computer Program Module

Science.gov (United States)

Bierhoff, Kevin M. (Inventor); Aldrich, Jonathan (Inventor)

2012-01-01

A method for statically checking an object-oriented computer program module includes the step of identifying objects within a computer program module, at least one of the objects having a plurality of references thereto, possibly from multiple clients. A discipline of permissions is imposed on the objects identified within the computer program module. The permissions enable tracking, from among a discrete set of changeable states, a subset of states each object might be in. A determination is made regarding whether the imposed permissions are violated by a potential reference to any of the identified objects. The results of the determination are output to a user.

Integrated Data Collection Analysis (IDCA) Program - SSST Testing Methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandstrom, Mary M. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Brown, Geoffrey W. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Preston, Daniel N. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Pollard, Colin J. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Warner, Kirstin F. [Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Indian Head, MD (United States). Indian Head Division; Remmers, Daniel L. [Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Indian Head, MD (United States). Indian Head Division; Sorensen, Daniel N. [Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Indian Head, MD (United States). Indian Head Division; Whinnery, LeRoy L. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Phillips, Jason J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); Shelley, Timothy J. [Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Huntsville, AL (United States); Reyes, Jose A. [Applied Research Associates, Tyndall AFB, FL (United States); Hsu, Peter C. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States); Reynolds, John G. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2013-03-25

The Integrated Data Collection Analysis (IDCA) program is conducting a proficiency study for Small- Scale Safety and Thermal (SSST) testing of homemade explosives (HMEs). Described here are the methods used for impact, friction, electrostatic discharge, and differential scanning calorimetry analysis during the IDCA program. These methods changed throughout the Proficiency Test and the reasons for these changes are documented in this report. The most significant modifications in standard testing methods are: 1) including one specified sandpaper in impact testing among all the participants, 2) diversifying liquid test methods for selected participants, and 3) including sealed sample holders for thermal testing by at least one participant. This effort, funded by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is putting the issues of safe handling of these materials in perspective with standard military explosives. The study is adding SSST testing results for a broad suite of different HMEs to the literature. Ultimately the study will suggest new guidelines and methods and possibly establish the SSST testing accuracies needed to develop safe handling practices for HMEs. Each participating testing laboratory uses identical test materials and preparation methods wherever possible. The testing performers involved are Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Indian Head Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, (NSWC IHD), Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/RXQL). These tests are conducted as a proficiency study in order to establish some consistency in test protocols, procedures, and experiments and to compare results when these testing variables cannot be made consistent.

78 FR 45253 - National Toxicology Program Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-26

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES National Institutes of Health National Toxicology Program... Alternative Methods (ICCVAM), the National Toxicology Program (NTP) Interagency Center for the Evaluation of... Director, National Toxicology Program. [FR Doc. 2013-17919 Filed 7-25-13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4140-01-P ...

Relaxation and decomposition methods for mixed integer nonlinear programming

CERN Document Server

Nowak, Ivo; Bank, RE

2005-01-01

This book presents a comprehensive description of efficient methods for solving nonconvex mixed integer nonlinear programs, including several numerical and theoretical results, which are presented here for the first time. It contains many illustrations and an up-to-date bibliography. Because on the emphasis on practical methods, as well as the introduction into the basic theory, the book is accessible to a wide audience. It can be used both as a research and as a graduate text.

TOWARDS THE USE OF A NOVEL METHOD: The First Experiences on Measuring The Cognitive Load of Learned Programming Skills

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Murat Pas UYSAL

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Teaching object-oriented programming (OOP is a difficult task, especially to the beginners. First-time learners also find it difficult to understand. Although there is a considerable amount of study on the cognitive dimension, a few study points out its physiological meaning. Moreover, it has been suggested that neuroscientific studies and methods can enable educational researchers gain an insight into brain and cognitive processes as well. Therefore, this experimental study explored the previously learned OOP skills in terms of cognitive load. By using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS method, we measured the cognitive load of participants when executing OOP tasks. The average oxygenation changes in prefrontal cortex of the brain represented their total cognitive response to a set of OOP tasks. There were two research questions investigated by this study. The first research question explored whether the average oxygenation changed according to the participants’ academic achievements and task completion status. The second research question was for identifying the instant changes in the oxygenations to find out which programming tasks were more contributing to the oxygenation. Later, we compared the findings with experts’ judgments. We observed that the fNIRS system was an effective and promising technology for monitoring cognitive tasks both in classrooms and in experimental environments.

Fuel removing method for high burnup fuel and device therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terakado, Shogo; Owada, Isao; Kanno, Yoshio; Aizawa, Sakue; Yamahara, Takeshi.

1993-01-01

A through hole is perforated at the center of a fuel rod in a cladding tube by a diamond drill in a water vessel. Further, the through hole is enlarged by the diamond drill. A pellet removing tool is attached to a drill chuck instead of the diamond drill. Then, the thin cylindrical fuel pellet remaining on the inner surface of the cladding tube is removed by using a pellet removing tool while applying vibrations. Subsequently, a wire brush having a slightly larger diameter than that of the inner diameter of the cladding tube is attached to the drill chuck and rotated to finish the inner surface, so that a small amount of pellets remained on the inner surface of the cladding tube is removed. Pellet powders in the water vessel are collected and recovered to the water container. This can remove high burnup fuels which are firmly sticked to the cladding tube, without giving thermal or mechanical influences on the cladding tube. (I.N.)

Dynamic Frames Based Verification Method for Concurrent Java Programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mostowski, Wojciech

2016-01-01

In this paper we discuss a verification method for concurrent Java programs based on the concept of dynamic frames. We build on our earlier work that proposes a new, symbolic permission system for concurrent reasoning and we provide the following new contributions. First, we describe our approach

Survey of engineering computational methods and experimental programs for estimating supersonic missile aerodynamic characteristics

Science.gov (United States)

Sawyer, W. C.; Allen, J. M.; Hernandez, G.; Dillenius, M. F. E.; Hemsch, M. J.

1982-01-01

This paper presents a survey of engineering computational methods and experimental programs used for estimating the aerodynamic characteristics of missile configurations. Emphasis is placed on those methods which are suitable for preliminary design of conventional and advanced concepts. An analysis of the technical approaches of the various methods is made in order to assess their suitability to estimate longitudinal and/or lateral-directional characteristics for different classes of missile configurations. Some comparisons between the predicted characteristics and experimental data are presented. These comparisons are made for a large variation in flow conditions and model attitude parameters. The paper also presents known experimental research programs developed for the specific purpose of validating analytical methods and extending the capability of data-base programs.

A Sequential Quadratically Constrained Quadratic Programming Method of Feasible Directions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jian Jinbao; Hu Qingjie; Tang Chunming; Zheng Haiyan

2007-01-01

In this paper, a sequential quadratically constrained quadratic programming method of feasible directions is proposed for the optimization problems with nonlinear inequality constraints. At each iteration of the proposed algorithm, a feasible direction of descent is obtained by solving only one subproblem which consist of a convex quadratic objective function and simple quadratic inequality constraints without the second derivatives of the functions of the discussed problems, and such a subproblem can be formulated as a second-order cone programming which can be solved by interior point methods. To overcome the Maratos effect, an efficient higher-order correction direction is obtained by only one explicit computation formula. The algorithm is proved to be globally convergent and superlinearly convergent under some mild conditions without the strict complementarity. Finally, some preliminary numerical results are reported

Bystander programs addressing sexual violence on college campuses: A systematic review and meta-analysis of program outcomes and delivery methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Jouriles, Ernest N; Krauss, Alison; Vu, Nicole L; Banyard, Victoria L; McDonald, Renee

2018-02-06

This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluates the effectiveness of bystander programs that address sexual violence on college campuses. Program effects on student attitudes/beliefs and bystander behavior were examined. Durability of program outcomes and the influence of program-delivery methods (e.g., facilitator-led programs vs. video, online or poster campaign programs) and program-parameters (e.g., program length) were also evaluated. Twenty-four studies met criteria for inclusion in the meta-analysis, and 207 separate results from these studies were coded. Students who participated in a bystander program, compared to those who had not, had more pro-social attitudes/beliefs about sexual violence and intervening to prevent it, and engaged in more bystander behavior. Program effects diminished over time, but meaningful changes persisted for at least three months following program delivery. Longer programs had greater effects than shorter programs on attitudes/beliefs. Bystander programs can be a valuable addition to colleges' violence prevention efforts.

Precursor incident program at EDF

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fourest, B.; Maliverney, B.; Rozenholc, M.; Piovesan, C.

1998-01-01

The precursor program was started by EDF in 1994, after an investigation of the US NRC's Accident Sequence Precursor Program. Since then, reported operational events identified as Safety Outstanding Events have been analyzed whenever possible using probabilistic methods based on PSAs. Analysis provides an estimate of the remaining protection against core damage at the time the incident occurred. Measuring the incidents' severity enables to detect incidents important regarding safety. Moreover, the most efficient feedback actions can be derived from the main accident sequences identified through the analysis. Therefore, incident probabilistic analysis provides a way to assess priorities in terms of treatment and resource allocation, and so, to implement countermeasures preventing further occurrence and development of the most significant incidents. As some incidents cannot be analyzed using this method, probabilistic analysis can only be one among the methods used to assess the nuclear power plants' safety level. Nevertheless, it provides an interesting complement to classical methods of deterministic studies. (author)

Pembuatan Kakas Pendeteksi Unused Method pada Kode Program PHP dengan Framework CodeIgniter Menggunakan Call Graph

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Divi Galih Prasetyo Putri

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Proses evolusi dan perawatan dari sebuah sistem merupakan proses yang sangat penting dalam rekayasa perangkat lunak tidak terkecuali pada aplikasi web. Pada proses ini kebanyakan pengembang tidak lagi berpatokan pada rancangan sistem. Hal ini menyebabkan munculnya unused method. Bagian-bagian program ini tidak lagi terpakai namun masih berada dalam sistem. Keadaan ini meningkatkan kompleksitas dan mengurangi tingkat understandability sistem. Guna mendeteksi adanya unused method pada progam diperlukan teknik untuk melakukan code analysis. Teknik static analysis yang digunakan memanfaatkan call graph yang dibangun dari kode program untuk mengetahui adanya unused method. Call graph dibangun berdasarkan pemanggilan antar method. Aplikasi ini mendeteksi unused method pada kode program PHP yang dibangun menggunakan framework CodeIgniter. Kode program sebagai inputan diurai kedalam bentuk Abstract Syntax Tree (AST yang kemudian dimanfaatkan untuk melakukan analisis terhadap kode program. Proses analisis tersebut kemudian menghasilkan sebuah call graph. Dari call graph yang dihasilkan dapat dideteksi method-method mana saja yang tidak berhasil ditelusuri dan tergolong kedalam unused method. Kakas telah diuji coba pada 5 aplikasi PHP dengan hasil  rata-rata nilai presisi sistem sebesar 0.749 dan recall sebesar 1.

The comparison of two different embryo culture methods in the course of in vitro fertilization program.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Grzechocinska

2008-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of the study was to compare two different embryo culture methods in the course of in vitro fertilization program by means of fertilization rate, embryo development, total time and cost. 98 patients undergoing assisted reproduction procedures due to infertility were analyzed. The inclusion criteria for the study: first IVF-ET program, at least 10 MII oocytes, no indications for ICSI. Oocytes were divided into two study groups: group A- open culture (oocytes placed in four-well dishes together, then inseminated and cultured in successive wells and group B - a closed culture (oocytes placed in microdroplets, each embryo cultured separately. The fertilization rate was assessed around 18 hours from insemination. The embryos were classified into four classes. The best embryos were chosen for transfer. In the group A the fertilization rate obtained was lower than in group B (68% vs. 78%, respectively. The microdroplet culture required more time on the insemination day and on the second day of culture, while the four-well dish method required more time on the first day of culture and on the day of transfer. On analyzing the total cost of the above procedures (MI medium and oil costs it occurred that the microdroplet culture was more expensive than the four-well dish method (due to the intake of paraffin oil. However, the difference was of no practical importance. In the conclusion, microdroplet culture gives a higher fertilization rate than four-well dish culture, probably due to a homogenous sperm distribution. Despite the differences in time outside the incubator and laboratory expenses (which are after all insignificant microdroplet culture allows a better control over the embryo development. The embryos of best developmental potential can therefore be chosen for ET.

Response Matrix Method Development Program at Savannah River Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sicilian, J.M.

1976-01-01

The Response Matrix Method Development Program at Savannah River Laboratory (SRL) has concentrated on the development of an effective system of computer codes for the analysis of Savannah River Plant (SRP) reactors. The most significant contribution of this program to date has been the verification of the accuracy of diffusion theory codes as used for routine analysis of SRP reactor operation. This paper documents the two steps carried out in achieving this verification: confirmation of the accuracy of the response matrix technique through comparison with experiment and Monte Carlo calculations; and establishment of agreement between diffusion theory and response matrix codes in situations which realistically approximate actual operating conditions

Method and computer program product for maintenance and modernization backlogging

Science.gov (United States)

Mattimore, Bernard G; Reynolds, Paul E; Farrell, Jill M

2013-02-19

According to one embodiment, a computer program product for determining future facility conditions includes a computer readable medium having computer readable program code stored therein. The computer readable program code includes computer readable program code for calculating a time period specific maintenance cost, for calculating a time period specific modernization factor, and for calculating a time period specific backlog factor. Future facility conditions equal the time period specific maintenance cost plus the time period specific modernization factor plus the time period specific backlog factor. In another embodiment, a computer-implemented method for calculating future facility conditions includes calculating a time period specific maintenance cost, calculating a time period specific modernization factor, and calculating a time period specific backlog factor. Future facility conditions equal the time period specific maintenance cost plus the time period specific modernization factor plus the time period specific backlog factor. Other embodiments are also presented.

A two-step method for developing a control rod program for boiling water reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Taner, M.S.; Levine, S.H.; Hsiao, M.Y.

1992-01-01

This paper reports on a two-step method that is established for the generation of a long-term control rod program for boiling water reactors (BWRs). The new method assumes a time-variant target power distribution in core depletion. In the new method, the BWR control rod programming is divided into two steps. In step 1, a sequence of optimal, exposure-dependent Haling power distribution profiles is generated, utilizing the spectral shift concept. In step 2, a set of exposure-dependent control rod patterns is developed by using the Haling profiles generated at step 1 as a target. The new method is implemented in a computer program named OCTOPUS. The optimization procedure of OCTOPUS is based on the method of approximation programming, in which the SIMULATE-E code is used to determine the nucleonics characteristics of the reactor core state. In a test in cycle length over a time-invariant, target Haling power distribution case because of a moderate application of spectral shift. No thermal limits of the core were violated. The gain in cycle length could be increased further by broadening the extent of the spetral shift

Usage of I++ Simulator to Program Coordinate Measuring Machines when Common Programming Methods are difficult to apply

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gąska A.

2014-02-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, simulators facilitate tasks performed daily by the engineers of different branches, including coordinate metrologists. Sometimes it is difficult or almost impossible to program a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM using standard methods. This happens, for example, during measurements of nano elements or in cases when measurements are performed on high-precision (accurate measuring machines which work in strictly air-conditioned spaces and the presence of the operator in such room during the programming of CMM could cause an increase in temperature, which in turn could make it necessary to wait some time until conditions stabilize. This article describes functioning of a simulator and its usage during Coordinate Measuring Machine programming in the latter situation. Article also describes a general process of programming CMMs which ensures the correct machine performance after starting the program on a real machine. As an example proving the presented considerations, measurement of exemplary workpiece, which was performed on the machine working in the strictly air-conditioned room, was described

An object-oriented class design for the generalized finite element method programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dorival Piedade Neto

Full Text Available The Generalized Finite Element Method (GFEM is a numerical method based on the Finite Element Method (FEM, presenting as its main feature the possibility of improving the solution by means of local enrichment functions. In spite of its advantages, the method demands a complex data structure, which can be especially benefited by the Object-Oriented Programming (OOP. Even though the OOP for the traditional FEM has been extensively described in the technical literature, specific design issues related to the GFEM are yet little discussed and not clearly defined. In the present article it is described an Object-Oriented (OO class design for the GFEM, aiming to achieve a computational code that presents a flexible class structure, circumventing the difficulties associated to the method characteristics. The proposed design is evaluated by means of some numerical examples, computed using a code implemented in Python programming language.

Using Program Package NSPCG to Analyze the Trunk Reservation Service Protection Method

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Barker, Vincent A.; Nielsen, Bo Friis

1994-01-01

, by purely numerical methods, a set of balance equations, Ax = 0, often of very high order. Since the coefficient matrix is typically sparse, it is natural to apply iterative methods to this task. Many such methods have been incorporated in program package NSPCG, developed at the Center for Numerical...

Female Juvenile Delinquents' Reactions to a Reading Program: A Mixed Methods Study

Science.gov (United States)

Sanger, Dixie; Ritzman, Mitzi; Schaefer, Lauren; Belau, Don

2010-01-01

Older students who struggle with reading are more motivated to participate in instructional intervention if they are interested in the program. This mixed methods study examined opinions and reactions of 41 female juvenile delinquents on a 1-hour demonstration of the START-IN (STudents Are Responding To INtervention) reading program. Following a…

Space program management methods and tools

CERN Document Server

Spagnulo, Marcello; Balduccini, Mauro; Nasini, Federico

2013-01-01

Beginning with the basic elements that differentiate space programs from other management challenges, Space Program Management explains through theory and example of real programs from around the world, the philosophical and technical tools needed to successfully manage large, technically complex space programs both in the government and commercial environment. Chapters address both systems and configuration management, the management of risk, estimation, measurement and control of both funding and the program schedule, and the structure of the aerospace industry worldwide.

Using Mixed Methods and Collaboration to Evaluate an Education and Public Outreach Program (Invited)

Science.gov (United States)

Shebby, S.; Shipp, S. S.

2013-12-01

Traditional indicators (such as the number of participants or Likert-type ratings of participant perceptions) are often used to provide stakeholders with basic information about program outputs and to justify funding decisions. However, use of qualitative methods can strengthen the reliability of these data and provide stakeholders with more meaningful information about program challenges, successes, and ultimate impacts (Stern, Stame, Mayne, Forss, David & Befani, 2012). In this session, presenters will discuss how they used a mixed methods evaluation to determine the impact of an education and public outreach (EPO) program. EPO efforts were intended to foster more effective, sustainable, and efficient utilization of science discoveries and learning experiences through three main goals 1) increase engagement and support by leveraging of resources, expertise, and best practices; 2) organize a portfolio of resources for accessibility, connectivity, and strategic growth; and 3) develop an infrastructure to support coordination. The evaluation team used a mixed methods design to conduct the evaluation. Presenters will first discuss five potential benefits of mixed methods designs: triangulation of findings, development, complementarity, initiation, and value diversity (Greene, Caracelli & Graham, 2005). They will next demonstrate how a 'mix' of methods, including artifact collection, surveys, interviews, focus groups, and vignettes, was included in the EPO project's evaluation design, providing specific examples of how alignment between the program theory and the evaluation plan was best achieved with a mixed methods approach. The presentation will also include an overview of different mixed methods approaches and information about important considerations when using a mixed methods design, such as selection of data collection methods and sources, and the timing and weighting of quantitative and qualitative methods (Creswell, 2003). Ultimately, this presentation will

Interviews with College Students: Evaluating Computer Programming Environments for Introductory Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Uysal, Murat Pasa

2014-01-01

Different methods, strategies, or tools have been proposed for teaching Object Oriented Programming (OOP). However, it is still difficult to introduce OOP to novice learners. The problem may be not only adopting a method or language, but also use of an appropriate integrated development environment (IDE). Therefore, the focus should be on the…

Whys & therefores a rational look at the English language

CERN Document Server

Rutherford, William

2011-01-01

Whys & Therefores aids the reader to arrive at generalizations for the shape of the English language: words, grammar, meaning, sound and spelling. The format adopted throughout is that of a light-hearted ongoing Socratic dialogue between a mentor and a pupil. The intended effects of such activity are: awareness of what it means to 'know' a language; reliance upon native-language intuition; discovery of what one didn't know that one already 'knows' about the language; use of ungrammaticality as an investigative tool; healthy questioning of received facts about language from so-called experts; a

Electromagnetic modeling method for eddy current signal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D. H.; Jung, H. K.; Cheong, Y. M.; Lee, Y. S.; Huh, H.; Yang, D. J.

2004-10-01

An electromagnetic modeling method for eddy current signal analysis is necessary before an experiment is performed. Electromagnetic modeling methods consists of the analytical method and the numerical method. Also, the numerical methods can be divided by Finite Element Method(FEM), Boundary Element Method(BEM) and Volume Integral Method(VIM). Each modeling method has some merits and demerits. Therefore, the suitable modeling method can be chosen by considering the characteristics of each modeling. This report explains the principle and application of each modeling method and shows the comparison modeling programs

New method for the temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of ammonia experiment for characterization of zeolite acidity: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Niwa, Miki; Katada, Naonobu

2013-10-01

In this review, a method for the temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) of ammonia experiment for the characterization of zeolite acidity and its improvement by simultaneous IR measurement and DFT calculation are described. First, various methods of ammonia TPD are explained, since the measurements have been conducted under the concepts of kinetics, equilibrium, or diffusion control. It is however emphasized that the ubiquitous TPD experiment is governed by the equilibrium between ammonia molecules in the gas phase and on the surface. Therefore, a method to measure quantitatively the strength of the acid site (∆H upon ammonia desorption) under equilibrium-controlled conditions is elucidated. Then, a quantitative relationship between ∆H and H0 function is proposed, based on which the acid strength ∆H can be converted into the H0 function. The identification of the desorption peaks and the quantitative measurement of the number of acid sites are then explained. In order to overcome a serious disadvantage of the method (i.e., no information is provided about the structure of acid sites), the simultaneous measurement of IR spectroscopy with ammonia TPD, named IRMS-TPD (infrared spectroscopy/mass spectrometry-temperature-programmed desorption), is proposed. Based on this improved measurement, Brønsted and Lewis acid sites were differentiated and the distribution of Brønsted OH was revealed. The acidity characterized by IRMS-TPD was further supported by the theoretical DFT calculation. Thus, the advanced study of zeolite acidity at the molecular level was made possible. Advantages and disadvantages of the ammonia TPD experiment are discussed, and understanding of the catalytic cracking activity based on the derived acidic profile is explained. Copyright © 2013 The Chemical Society of Japan and Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

77 FR 31756 - Energy Conservation Program: Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods and Alternative Rating...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-30

...-AC46 Energy Conservation Program: Alternative Efficiency Determination Methods and Alternative Rating... regulations authorizing the use of alternative methods of determining energy efficiency or energy consumption... alternative methods of determining energy efficiency or energy consumption of various consumer products and...

A Multiobjective Programming Method for Ranking All Units Based on Compensatory DEA Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haifang Cheng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In order to rank all decision making units (DMUs on the same basis, this paper proposes a multiobjective programming (MOP model based on a compensatory data envelopment analysis (DEA model to derive a common set of weights that can be used for the full ranking of all DMUs. We first revisit a compensatory DEA model for ranking all units, point out the existing problem for solving the model, and present an improved algorithm for which an approximate global optimal solution of the model can be obtained by solving a sequence of linear programming. Then, we applied the key idea of the compensatory DEA model to develop the MOP model in which the objectives are to simultaneously maximize all common weights under constraints that the sum of efficiency values of all DMUs is equal to unity and the sum of all common weights is also equal to unity. In order to solve the MOP model, we transform it into a single objective programming (SOP model using a fuzzy programming method and solve the SOP model using the proposed approximation algorithm. To illustrate the ranking method using the proposed method, two numerical examples are solved.

20 CFR 617.23 - Selection of training methods and programs.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Selection of training methods and programs. 617.23 Section 617.23 Employees' Benefits EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR... for which training is undertaken shall not preclude the development of an individual retraining...

ARSTEC, Nonlinear Optimization Program Using Random Search Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmuson, D. M.; Marshall, N. H.

1979-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: The ARSTEC program was written to solve nonlinear, mixed integer, optimization problems. An example of such a problem in the nuclear industry is the allocation of redundant parts in the design of a nuclear power plant to minimize plant unavailability. 2 - Method of solution: The technique used in ARSTEC is the adaptive random search method. The search is started from an arbitrary point in the search region and every time a point that improves the objective function is found, the search region is centered at that new point. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Presently, the maximum number of independent variables allowed is 10. This can be changed by increasing the dimension of the arrays

Brucellosis Prevention Program: Applying “Child to Family Health Education” Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Allahverdipour

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: Pupils have efficient potential to increase community awareness and promoting community health through participating in the health education programs. Child to family health education program is one of the communicative strategies that was applied in this field trial study. Because of high prevalence of Brucellosis in Hamadan province, Iran, the aim of this study was promoting families’ knowledge and preventive behaviors about Brucellosis in the rural areas by using child to family health education method.Materials & Methods: In this nonequivalent control group design study three rural schools were chosen (one as intervention and two others as control. At first knowledge and behavior of families about Brucellosis were determined using a designed questionnaire. Then the families were educated through “child to family” procedure. At this stage the students gained information. Then they were instructed to teach their parents what they had learned. After 3 months following the last session of education, the level of knowledge and behavior changes of the families about Brucellosis were determined and analyzed by paired t-test.Results: The results showed significant improvement in the knowledge of the mothers. The knowledge of the mothers about the signs of Brucellosis disease in human increased from 1.81 to 3.79 ( t:-21.64 , sig:0.000 , and also the knowledge on the signs of Brucellosis in animals increased from 1.48 to 2.82 ( t:-10.60 , sig:0.000. Conclusion: Child to family health education program is one of the effective and available methods, which would be useful and effective in most communities, and also Students potential would be effective for applying in the health promotion programs.

A program-compiling method of nuclear data on-line fast analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Shangbai

1990-01-01

This paper discusses how to perform assembly float point operation by using some subroutine of applesoft system, and a program compiling method of nuclear data fast analysis in apple microcomputer is introduced

AUTOMR: An automatic processing program system for the molecular replacement method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuura, Yoshiki

1991-01-01

An automatic processing program system of the molecular replacement method AUTMR is presented. The program solves the initial model of the target crystal structure using a homologous molecule as the search model. It processes the structure-factor calculation of the model molecule, the rotation function, the translation function and the rigid-group refinement successively in one computer job. Test calculations were performed for six protein crystals and the structures were solved in all of these cases. (orig.)

Integrating design science theory and methods to improve the development and evaluation of health communication programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Neuhauser, Linda; Kreps, Gary L

2014-12-01

Traditional communication theory and research methods provide valuable guidance about designing and evaluating health communication programs. However, efforts to use health communication programs to educate, motivate, and support people to adopt healthy behaviors often fail to meet the desired goals. One reason for this failure is that health promotion issues are complex, changeable, and highly related to the specific needs and contexts of the intended audiences. It is a daunting challenge to effectively influence health behaviors, particularly culturally learned and reinforced behaviors concerning lifestyle factors related to diet, exercise, and substance (such as alcohol and tobacco) use. Too often, program development and evaluation are not adequately linked to provide rapid feedback to health communication program developers so that important revisions can be made to design the most relevant and personally motivating health communication programs for specific audiences. Design science theory and methods commonly used in engineering, computer science, and other fields can address such program and evaluation weaknesses. Design science researchers study human-created programs using tightly connected build-and-evaluate loops in which they use intensive participatory methods to understand problems and develop solutions concurrently and throughout the duration of the program. Such thinking and strategies are especially relevant to address complex health communication issues. In this article, the authors explore the history, scientific foundation, methods, and applications of design science and its potential to enhance health communication programs and their evaluation.

Purpose and methods of a Pollution Prevention Awareness Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flowers, P.A.; Irwin, E.F.; Poligone, S.E.

1994-08-15

The purpose of the Pollution Prevention Awareness Program (PPAP), which is required by DOE Order 5400.1, is to foster the philosophy that prevention is superior to remediation. The goal of the program is to incorporate pollution prevention into the decision-making process at every level throughout the organization. The objectives are to instill awareness, disseminate information, provide training and rewards for identifying the true source or cause of wastes, and encourage employee participation in solving environmental issues and preventing pollution. PPAP at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant was created several years ago and continues to grow. We believe that we have implemented several unique methods of communicating environmental awareness to promote a more active work force in identifying ways of reducing pollution.

A Smooth Newton Method for Nonlinear Programming Problems with Inequality Constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vasile Moraru

2012-02-01

Full Text Available The paper presents a reformulation of the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT system associated nonlinear programming problem into an equivalent system of smooth equations. Classical Newton method is applied to solve the system of equations. The superlinear convergence of the primal sequence, generated by proposed method, is proved. The preliminary numerical results with a problems test set are presented.

Method for the determination of lignin content of a sample by flash pyrolysis in an atmosphere of hydrogen or helium and method therefor

Science.gov (United States)

Shakkottai, Parthasarathy (Inventor); Kwack, Eug Y. (Inventor); Lawson, Daniel D. (Inventor)

1991-01-01

The lignin content of wood, paper pulp or other material containing lignin (such as filter paper soaked in black liquor) is more readily determined by flash pyrolysis of the sample at approximately 550.degree. C. in a reducing atmosphere of hydrogen or in an inert atmosphere of helium followed by a rapid analysis of the product gas by a mass spectrometer. The heated pyrolysis unit as fabricated comprises a small platinum cup welded to an electrically-heated stainless steel ribbon with control means for programmed short duration (1.5 sec, approximately) heating and means for continuous flow of hydrogen or helium. The pyrolysis products enter an electron-ionization mode mass spectrometer for spectral evaluation. Lignin content is obtained from certain ratios of integrated ion currents of many mass spectral lines, the ratios being linearly related to the Kappa number of Klason lignin.

FURNACE; a toroidal geometry neutronic program system method description and users manual

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verschuur, K.A.

1984-12-01

The FURNACE program system performs neutronic and photonic calculations in 3D toroidal geometry for application to fusion reactors. The geometry description is quite general, allowing any torus cross section and any neutron source density distribution for the plasma, as well as simple parametric representations of circular, elliptic and D-shaped tori and plasmas. The numerical method is based on an approximate transport model that produces results with sufficient accuracy for reactor-design purposes, at acceptable calculational costs. A short description is given of the numerical method, and a user manual for the programs of the system: FURNACE, ANISN-PT, LIBRA, TAPEMA and DRAWER is presented

From Procedural to Object-Oriented Programming (OOP- Performance in OOP: An empirical study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irene Govender

2011-02-01

Full Text Available This exploratory study of introductory pre- and in-service teachers’ performance in object-oriented programming (OOP assessments reveals important issues with regard to learning and teaching OOP, using java. The study is set against the backdrop of the country’s transition of its national IT curriculum from a procedural to an object-oriented programming language. The effect of prior programming experience and performances in different types of questions are examined. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods is used to analyse the data. The effect of prior programming experience of a procedural kind and the type of assessments given is shown to have a marked influence on the performance in programming assessments and teaching of OOP. Many introductory OOP courses are in effect taught procedurally as courses in the small. Therefore educating teachers how to teach programming is a significant educational challenge. Some implications for teaching are therefore suggested

Survey of public participation potential regarding the Muria NPP program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yarianto-SBS; Sri Hariani Syarif; Heni Susiati; Imam Hamzah; Fepriadi

2003-01-01

Socio-culture aspect is a part of site feasibility evaluation of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP)program. Indonesia is under going democratization, therefore the paradigm of development has also been changed where the people have freedom or liberty and they can express their opinion independently. The people are significant factor that involving in the decision making of regional development.Even the socio-culture, such as social riot can reject the site. Therefore socio-culture aspect should be considered in the NPP site evaluation. The first step of the study,mapping of public participation potential should be conducted by field survey. The method used in there search is quantitative approach with field survey guided by questioner without any treatment of object sampled. Qualitative approach was also conducted by in-depth interview technique to collect more detailed information. Information were collected from general public without any stratification in the 10 km radius from NPP site. Sampling method used was full random sampling technique. The results of survey show that the most of the people have significant potential for participating in the NPP Program. Conducive atmosphere should be maintained by social setting, therefore the present good momentum will not be lost. (author)

Monteray Mark-I: Computer program (PC-version) for shielding calculation with Monte Carlo method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pudjijanto, M.S.; Akhmad, Y.R.

1998-01-01

A computer program for gamma ray shielding calculation using Monte Carlo method has been developed. The program is written in WATFOR77 language. The MONTERAY MARH-1 is originally developed by James Wood. The program was modified by the authors that the modified version is easily executed. Applying Monte Carlo method the program observe photon gamma transport in an infinity planar shielding with various thick. A photon gamma is observed till escape from the shielding or when its energy less than the cut off energy. Pair production process is treated as pure absorption process that annihilation photons generated in the process are neglected in the calculation. The out put data calculated by the program are total albedo, build-up factor, and photon spectra. The calculation result for build-up factor of a slab lead and water media with 6 MeV parallel beam gamma source shows that they are in agreement with published data. Hence the program is adequate as a shielding design tool for observing gamma radiation transport in various media

[Galaxy/quasar classification based on nearest neighbor method].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiang-Ru; Lu, Yu; Zhou, Jian-Ming; Wang, Yong-Jun

2011-09-01

With the wide application of high-quality CCD in celestial spectrum imagery and the implementation of many large sky survey programs (e. g., Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), Two-degree-Field Galaxy Redshift Survey (2dF), Spectroscopic Survey Telescope (SST), Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) program and Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST) program, etc.), celestial observational data are coming into the world like torrential rain. Therefore, to utilize them effectively and fully, research on automated processing methods for celestial data is imperative. In the present work, we investigated how to recognizing galaxies and quasars from spectra based on nearest neighbor method. Galaxies and quasars are extragalactic objects, they are far away from earth, and their spectra are usually contaminated by various noise. Therefore, it is a typical problem to recognize these two types of spectra in automatic spectra classification. Furthermore, the utilized method, nearest neighbor, is one of the most typical, classic, mature algorithms in pattern recognition and data mining, and often is used as a benchmark in developing novel algorithm. For applicability in practice, it is shown that the recognition ratio of nearest neighbor method (NN) is comparable to the best results reported in the literature based on more complicated methods, and the superiority of NN is that this method does not need to be trained, which is useful in incremental learning and parallel computation in mass spectral data processing. In conclusion, the results in this work are helpful for studying galaxies and quasars spectra classification.

The Army Method Revisited: The Historical and Theoretical Backgrounds of the Military Intensive Language Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Bayuk, Milla; Bayuk, Barry S.

A program currently in use by the military that gives instruction in the so-called "sensitive" languages is based on the "Army Method" which was initiated in military language programs during World War II. Attention to the sensitive language program initiated a review of the programs, especially those conducted by the military intelligence schools…

ADVANCING THE STUDY OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN USING MIXED METHODS: INTEGRATING QUALITATIVE METHODS INTO A QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAM

Science.gov (United States)

Testa, Maria; Livingston, Jennifer A.; VanZile-Tamsen, Carol

2011-01-01

A mixed methods approach, combining quantitative with qualitative data methods and analysis, offers a promising means of advancing the study of violence. Integrating semi-structured interviews and qualitative analysis into a quantitative program of research on women’s sexual victimization has resulted in valuable scientific insight and generation of novel hypotheses for testing. This mixed methods approach is described and recommendations for integrating qualitative data into quantitative research are provided. PMID:21307032

DISSOLUTION OF ZIRCONIUM AND ALLOYS THEREFOR

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, J.L.

1961-07-11

The dissolution of zirconium cladding in a water solution of ammonium fluoride and ammonium nitrate is described. The method finds particular utility in processing spent fuel elements for nuclear reactors. The zirconium cladding is first dissolved in a water solution of ammonium fluoride and ammonium nitrate; insoluble uranium and plutonium fiuorides formed by attack of the solvent on the fuel materiai of the fuel element are then separated from the solution, and the fuel materiai is dissolved in another solution.

Adopting an Evidence-Based Lifestyle Physical Activity Program: Dissemination Study Design and Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Dunn, Andrea L; Buller, David B; Dearing, James W; Cutter, Gary; Guerra, Michele; Wilcox, Sara; Bettinghaus, Erwin P

2012-06-01

BACKGROUND: There is a scarcity of research studies that have examined academic-commercial partnerships to disseminate evidence-based physical activity programs. Understanding this approach to dissemination is essential because academic-commercial partnerships are increasingly common. Private companies have used dissemination channels and strategies to a degree that academicians have not, and declining resources require academicians to explore these partnerships. PURPOSE: This paper describes a retrospective case-control study design including the methods, demographics, organizational decision-making, implementation rates, and marketing strategy for Active Living Every Day (ALED), an evidence-based lifestyle physical activity program that has been commercially available since 2001. Evidence-based public health promotion programs rely on organizations and targeted sectors to disseminate these programs although relatively little is known about organizational-level and sector-level influences that lead to their adoption and implementation. METHODS: Cases (n=154) were eligible if they had signed an ALED license agreement with Human Kinetics (HK), publisher of the program's textbooks and facilitator manuals, between 2001 and 2008. Two types of controls were matched (2:2:1) and stratified by sector and region. Active controls (Control 1; n=319) were organizations that contacted HK to consider adopting ALED. Passive controls (Control 2; n=328) were organizations that received unsolicited marketing materials and did not initiate contact with HK. We used Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DIT) constructs as the basis for developing the survey of cases and controls. RESULTS: Using the multi-method strategy recommended by Dillman, a total of n=801 cases and controls were surveyed. Most organizations were from the fitness sector followed by medical, nongovernmental, governmental, educational, worksite and other sectors with significantly higher response rates from government

The Accident Sequence Precursor program: Methods improvements and current results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Minarick, J.W.; Manning, F.M.; Harris, J.D.

1987-01-01

Changes in the US NRC Accident Sequence Precursor program methods since the initial program evaluations of 1969-81 operational events are described, along with insights from the review of 1984-85 events. For 1984-85, the number of significant precursors was consistent with the number observed in 1980-81, dominant sequences associated with significant events were reasonably consistent with PRA estimates for BWRs, but lacked the contribution due to small-break LOCAs previously observed and predicted in PWRs, and the frequency of initiating events and non-recoverable system failures exhibited some reduction compared to 1980-81. Operational events which provide information concerning additional PRA modeling needs are also described

Nuclear methods - an integral part of the NBS certification program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gills, T.E.

1984-01-01

Within the past twenty years, new techniques and methods have emerged in response to new technologies that are based upon the performance of high-purity and well-characterized materials. The National Bureau of Standards, through its Standard Reference Materials (SRM's) Program, provides standards in the form of many of these materials to ensure accuracy and the compatibility of measurements throughout the US and the world. These standards, defined by the National Bureau of Standards as Standard Reference Materials (SRMs), are developed by using state-of-the-art methods and procedures for both preparation and analysis. Nuclear methods-activation analysis constitute an integral part of that analysis process

Automatic generation of Fortran programs for algebraic simulation models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schopf, W.; Rexer, G.; Ruehle, R.

1978-04-01

This report documents a generator program by which econometric simulation models formulated in an application-orientated language can be transformed automatically in a Fortran program. Thus the model designer is able to build up, test and modify models without the need of a Fortran programmer. The development of a computer model is therefore simplified and shortened appreciably; in chapter 1-3 of this report all rules are presented for the application of the generator to the model design. Algebraic models including exogeneous and endogeneous time series variables, lead and lag function can be generated. In addition, to these language elements, Fortran sequences can be applied to the formulation of models in the case of complex model interrelations. Automatically the generated model is a module of the program system RSYST III and is therefore able to exchange input and output data with the central data bank of the system and in connection with the method library modules can be used to handle planning problems. (orig.) [de

Application of Multio-bjective Fuzzy Goal Programming to Optimize Cropping Pattern with Emphasis on Using Conservation Tillage Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

samad erfanifar

2014-10-01

Full Text Available In this study, the optimal cropping patterns based on individual aims are presented and followed by a multi-objective cropping pattern with emphasize on the use of conservation tillage methods in Darab region presented. Individual goals consisted of maximizing gross margin and food secIn this study, the optimal cropping patterns based on individual aims were presented and followed by using a multi-objective fuzzy goal programming with emphasize on the use of conservation tillage methods in the Darab region. Individual goals consisted of maximizing gross margin and food security and minimizing water consumption and urea fertilizer use. The results showed that in the multi-objective cropping pattern, gross margin and food security increased by 23.5% and 6.1% , while water and energy consumption decreased by 4% and 5.1%, respectively as compared to the current cropping pattern. The fuzzy composite distance improved by %36, as compared to the current condition. Moreover, having replaced the conventional tillage methods with conservation tillage methods in the cropping pattern, the diesel fuel consumption reduced by 27%. Therefore, replacing multi-objective cropping pattern ,on which the conservation tillage methods are emphasized, with the conventional cropping patterns improves economic and environmental conditions. urity index and minimizing water and urea fertilizer.The results showed that in the multi-objective cropping pattern, gross margin and food security index respectively increase by 23.5% and 6.1% and water and energy consumption decrease by 4% and 5.1% respectively as compared to current cropping pattern. The fuzzy composite distance improves by %36 compares to current condition and represents better cropping pattern than the others. Morever in this cropping pattern, conventional tillage method will be replaced by conservation tillage practices, therefore the amount of diesel fuel consumption reduces by 27% that is equivalent to an

Comparison of microscopic method and computational program for pesticide deposition evaluation of spraying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chaim Aldemir

2002-01-01

Full Text Available The main objective of this work was to compare two methods to estimate the deposition of pesticide applied by aerial spraying. Hundred and fifty pieces of water sensitive paper were distributed over an area of 50 m length by 75 m width for sampling droplets sprayed by an aircraft calibrated to apply a spray volume of 32 L/ha. The samples were analysed by visual microscopic method using NG 2 Porton graticule and by an image analyser computer program. The results reached by visual microscopic method were the following: volume median diameter, 398±62 mum; number median diameter, 159±22 mum; droplet density, 22.5±7.0 droplets/cm² and estimated deposited volume, 22.2±9.4 L/ha. The respective ones reached with the computer program were: 402±58 mum, 161±32 mum, 21.9±7.5 droplets/cm² and 21.9±9.2 L/ha. Graphs of the spatial distribution of droplet density and deposited spray volume on the area were produced by the computer program.

Probabilistic dual heuristic programming-based adaptive critic

Science.gov (United States)

Herzallah, Randa

2010-02-01

Adaptive critic (AC) methods have common roots as generalisations of dynamic programming for neural reinforcement learning approaches. Since they approximate the dynamic programming solutions, they are potentially suitable for learning in noisy, non-linear and non-stationary environments. In this study, a novel probabilistic dual heuristic programming (DHP)-based AC controller is proposed. Distinct to current approaches, the proposed probabilistic (DHP) AC method takes uncertainties of forward model and inverse controller into consideration. Therefore, it is suitable for deterministic and stochastic control problems characterised by functional uncertainty. Theoretical development of the proposed method is validated by analytically evaluating the correct value of the cost function which satisfies the Bellman equation in a linear quadratic control problem. The target value of the probabilistic critic network is then calculated and shown to be equal to the analytically derived correct value. Full derivation of the Riccati solution for this non-standard stochastic linear quadratic control problem is also provided. Moreover, the performance of the proposed probabilistic controller is demonstrated on linear and non-linear control examples.

Relaxation Methods for Strictly Convex Regularizations of Piecewise Linear Programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiwiel, K. C.

1998-01-01

We give an algorithm for minimizing the sum of a strictly convex function and a convex piecewise linear function. It extends several dual coordinate ascent methods for large-scale linearly constrained problems that occur in entropy maximization, quadratic programming, and network flows. In particular, it may solve exact penalty versions of such (possibly inconsistent) problems, and subproblems of bundle methods for nondifferentiable optimization. It is simple, can exploit sparsity, and in certain cases is highly parallelizable. Its global convergence is established in the recent framework of B -functions (generalized Bregman functions)

Devoluming method of acidic radioactive liquid waste and processing system therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shirai, Takamori; Honda, Tadahiro

1998-01-01

Radioactive liquid wastes such as liquid wastes discharged from chemical decontamination (containing free acids, metal salts dissolved in acids, not-dissolved iron rust and radioactive metals) are introduced to an acid recovering device using a diffusion permeation membrane and separated to a deacidified liquid and separated acid liquid. The separated acid liquid mainly comprising free acids is recovered to a tank for recovered acids, and used repeatedly for removing crud. The deacidified liquid mainly comprising salts is concentrated in a reverse osmosis membrane (RO) concentration device. RO concentrated liquid containing radioactive metals is dried, and salts are decomposed in a drying/salt-decomposing device and separated into metal oxides and a mixed gas of an acidic gas and steams. The gas is cooled in an acid absorbing device and recovered as free acids. The metal oxides containing radioactive metals are solidified. (I.N.)

A two-stage inexact joint-probabilistic programming method for air quality management under uncertainty.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Y; Huang, G H; Li, Y P; Yang, Z F; Sun, W

2011-03-01

A two-stage inexact joint-probabilistic programming (TIJP) method is developed for planning a regional air quality management system with multiple pollutants and multiple sources. The TIJP method incorporates the techniques of two-stage stochastic programming, joint-probabilistic constraint programming and interval mathematical programming, where uncertainties expressed as probability distributions and interval values can be addressed. Moreover, it can not only examine the risk of violating joint-probability constraints, but also account for economic penalties as corrective measures against any infeasibility. The developed TIJP method is applied to a case study of a regional air pollution control problem, where the air quality index (AQI) is introduced for evaluation of the integrated air quality management system associated with multiple pollutants. The joint-probability exists in the environmental constraints for AQI, such that individual probabilistic constraints for each pollutant can be efficiently incorporated within the TIJP model. The results indicate that useful solutions for air quality management practices have been generated; they can help decision makers to identify desired pollution abatement strategies with minimized system cost and maximized environmental efficiency. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of quality management methods in the transition from efficacious prevention programs to effective prevention services.

Science.gov (United States)

Daniels, Vicki-Smith; Sandler, Irwin; Wolchik, Sharlene

2008-06-01

This paper applies concepts and methods developed in management to translate efficacious prevention programs into effective prevention services. The paper describes Quality Function Deployment (QFD) as a method for structured planning and development that connects the needs and wants of the consumer with the design of the product or service. The paper describes basic tools used in quality management, and discusses how they might be applied to prepare a prevention program for implementation by community agencies. Prevention programs are conceptualized as having multiple consumers (i.e., stakeholders), including the participants who receive the service, the service providers, the organizations that deliver the program, and the researchers who evaluate the programs. As an illustration of one step in the application of QFD to translate efficacious prevention programs into effective prevention services, analysis of the needs and preferences of Family Courts for the implementation of an the New Beginnings Program is presented.

Advances in mixed-integer programming methods for chemical production scheduling.

Science.gov (United States)

Velez, Sara; Maravelias, Christos T

2014-01-01

The goal of this paper is to critically review advances in the area of chemical production scheduling over the past three decades and then present two recently proposed solution methods that have led to dramatic computational enhancements. First, we present a general framework and problem classification and discuss modeling and solution methods with an emphasis on mixed-integer programming (MIP) techniques. Second, we present two solution methods: (a) a constraint propagation algorithm that allows us to compute parameters that are then used to tighten MIP scheduling models and (b) a reformulation that introduces new variables, thus leading to effective branching. We also present computational results and an example illustrating how these methods are implemented, as well as the resulting enhancements. We close with a discussion of open research challenges and future research directions.

Heuristic Methods of Integer Programming and Its Applications in Economics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dominika Crnjac Milić

2010-12-01

Full Text Available A short overview of the results related to integer programming is described in the introductory part of this paper. Furthermore, there is a list of literature related to this field. The main part of the paper analyses the Heuristic method which yields a very fast result without the use of significant mathematical tools.

Finite element method programs to analyze irradiation behavior of fuel pellets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Rayji; Harayama, Yasuo; Ishibashi, Akihiro; Ono, Masao.

1979-09-01

For the safety assessment of reactor fuel, it is important to grasp local changes of fuel pins due to irradiation in a reactor. Such changes of fuel result mostly from irradiation of fuel pellets. Elasto-plastic analysis programs based on the finite element method were developed to analyze these local changes. In the programs, emphasis is placed on the analysis of cracks in pellets; the interaction between cracked-pellets and cladding is not taken into consideration. The two programs developed are FEMF3 based on a two-dimensional axially symmetric model (r-z system) and FREB4 on a two-dimensional plane model (r-theta system). It is discussed in this report how the occurrence and distribution of cracks depend on heat rate of the fuel pin. (author)

Workload, study methods, and motivation of students within a BVSc program.

Science.gov (United States)

Parkinson, Tim J; Gilling, Marg; Suddaby, Gordon T

2006-01-01

The workloads, study methods, and motivation of students in a five-year BVSc program were studied using questionnaires and focus groups. Students in each year of the program were asked, on three occasions over an academic year, to record details of their out-of-class study time for each course they were taking and to record the study methods they used, how they prioritized their time between subjects, and how they allocated time to study and leisure activities. Mean response rates were 57% (range: 43-85%). Overall mean out-of-class study time ranged from 19 hours per week in Year 2 to 28 hours per week in Year 4. Study time was related to the level of interest the student had in the subject, the demands of assessments, and the number of subjects being studied. Study methods were related to students' perceptions of the requirements of the subject as well as to their interest in it. Reliance on memorization and the use of set study materials were the predominant methods for courses with low interest scores, whereas higher interest was associated with a broad range of study methods. Leisure time was ring-fenced, especially when workloads were high. Students' motivation was high when they were studying subjects that were new or were seen as relevant to clinical practice; when working with animals or with enthusiastic faculty members; and when involved in subjects more tightly focused on the ultimate goal of becoming a practitioner. It was poor when students were faced with high workloads, disciplines becoming "stale," excessive detail, and low perceptions of relevance. Constant assessment activities were also seen as a burden. In terms of good learning practices, workload and the demands of assessment were considered to be antagonistic. A tension between these perceptions of students and the values of faculty in terms of the development of critical thinking skills in the program is evident.

A Comparison of Traditional Worksheet and Linear Programming Methods for Teaching Manure Application Planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmitt, M. A.; And Others

1994-01-01

Compares traditional manure application planning techniques calculated to meet agronomic nutrient needs on a field-by-field basis with plans developed using computer-assisted linear programming optimization methods. Linear programming provided the most economical and environmentally sound manure application strategy. (Contains 15 references.) (MDH)

34 CFR 429.1 - What is the Bilingual Vocational Materials, Methods, and Techniques Program?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... techniques for bilingual vocational training for individuals with limited English proficiency. (Authority..., and Techniques Program? 429.1 Section 429.1 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of... MATERIALS, METHODS, AND TECHNIQUES PROGRAM General § 429.1 What is the Bilingual Vocational Materials...

Mehar Methods for Fuzzy Optimal Solution and Sensitivity Analysis of Fuzzy Linear Programming with Symmetric Trapezoidal Fuzzy Numbers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sukhpreet Kaur Sidhu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The drawbacks of the existing methods to obtain the fuzzy optimal solution of such linear programming problems, in which coefficients of the constraints are represented by real numbers and all the other parameters as well as variables are represented by symmetric trapezoidal fuzzy numbers, are pointed out, and to resolve these drawbacks, a new method (named as Mehar method is proposed for the same linear programming problems. Also, with the help of proposed Mehar method, a new method, much easy as compared to the existing methods, is proposed to deal with the sensitivity analysis of the same type of linear programming problems.

Technical methods for a risk-informed, performance-based fire protection program at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dey, M.K.

1998-01-01

This paper presents a technical review and examination of technical methods that are available for developing a risk-informed, performance-based fire protection program at a nuclear plant. The technical methods include ''engineering tools'' for examining the fire dynamics of fire protection problems, reliability techniques for establishing an optimal fire protection surveillance program, fire computer codes for analyzing important fire protection safety parameters, and risk-informed approaches that can range from drawing qualitative insights from risk information to quantifying the risk impact of alternative fire protection approaches. Based on this technical review and examination, it is concluded that methods for modeling fires, and reliability and fire PRA analyses are currently available to support the initial implementation of simple risk-informed, performance-based approaches in fire protection programs. (author)

Technical methods for a risk-informed, performance-based fire protection program at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dey, M.K.

2000-01-01

This paper presents a technical review and examination of technical methods that are available for developing a risk-informed, performance-based fire protection program at a nuclear plant. The technical methods include 'engineering tools' for examining the fire dynamics of fire protection problems, reliability techniques for establishing an optimal fire protection surveillance program, fire computer codes for analyzing important fire protection safety parameters, and risk-informed approaches that can range from drawing qualitative insights from risk information to quantifying the risk impact of alternative fire protection approaches. Based on this technical review and examination, it is concluded that methods for modeling fires, and reliability and fire probabilistic risk analyses (PRA) are currently available to support the initial implementation of simple risk-informed, performance-based approaches in fire protection programs. (orig.) [de

cp-R, an interface the R programming language for clinical laboratory method comparisons.

Science.gov (United States)

Holmes, Daniel T

2015-02-01

Clinical scientists frequently need to compare two different bioanalytical methods as part of assay validation/monitoring. As a matter necessity, regression methods for quantitative comparison in clinical chemistry, hematology and other clinical laboratory disciplines must allow for error in both the x and y variables. Traditionally the methods popularized by 1) Deming and 2) Passing and Bablok have been recommended. While commercial tools exist, no simple open source tool is available. The purpose of this work was to develop and entirely open-source GUI-driven program for bioanalytical method comparisons capable of performing these regression methods and able to produce highly customized graphical output. The GUI is written in python and PyQt4 with R scripts performing regression and graphical functions. The program can be run from source code or as a pre-compiled binary executable. The software performs three forms of regression and offers weighting where applicable. Confidence bands of the regression are calculated using bootstrapping for Deming and Passing Bablok methods. Users can customize regression plots according to the tools available in R and can produced output in any of: jpg, png, tiff, bmp at any desired resolution or ps and pdf vector formats. Bland Altman plots and some regression diagnostic plots are also generated. Correctness of regression parameter estimates was confirmed against existing R packages. The program allows for rapid and highly customizable graphical output capable of conforming to the publication requirements of any clinical chemistry journal. Quick method comparisons can also be performed and cut and paste into spreadsheet or word processing applications. We present a simple and intuitive open source tool for quantitative method comparison in a clinical laboratory environment. Copyright © 2014 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Plant equipment integrity monitoring and diagnosing method and device therefor, plant equipment maintenance and inspection time determining method and device therefor, as well as nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Takahiko; Ando, Masashi; Osumi, Katsumi; Horiuchi, Tetsuo; Asakura, Yamato; Akamine, Kazuhiko.

1995-01-01

The present invention can accurately forecast a time for occurrence of troubles of plant equipments in contact with recycling water, to conduct its maintenance and inspection before occurrence of the troubles. Namely, change of water quality in plant equipments caused by corrosion of recycling water occurred in constitutional parts of the plant equipments is measured. The time upon occurrence of the troubles of the plant equipments to corrosion of the recycling water is forecast based on the measured value. A time till the occurrence of the change of water quality after starting the use of the plant equipments is calculated based on the measured value. The calculated time is compared with a correlation between the time of occurrence of the troubles after starting the use of the plant equipments and the time of occurrence of change of the water quality, to forecast the time of occurrence of the troubles. Preferably, electroconductivity and pH of recycling water in the inside or at the exit of the plant equipments are measured as an object for the measurement of change of water quality. (I.S.)

A mixed-methods exploration of an environment for learning computer programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard Mather

2015-08-01

Full Text Available A mixed-methods approach is evaluated for exploring collaborative behaviour, acceptance and progress surrounding an interactive technology for learning computer programming. A review of literature reveals a compelling case for using mixed-methods approaches when evaluating technology-enhanced-learning environments. Here, ethnographic approaches used for the requirements engineering of computing systems are combined with questionnaire-based feedback and skill tests. These are applied to the ‘Ceebot’ animated 3D learning environment. Video analysis with workplace observation allowed detailed inspection of problem solving and tacit behaviours. Questionnaires and knowledge tests provided broad sample coverage with insights into subject understanding and overall response to the learning environment. Although relatively low scores in programming tests seemingly contradicted the perception that Ceebot had enhanced understanding of programming, this perception was nevertheless found to be correlated with greater test performance. Video analysis corroborated findings that the learning environment and Ceebot animations were engaging and encouraged constructive collaborative behaviours. Ethnographic observations clearly captured Ceebot's value in providing visual cues for problem-solving discussions and for progress through sharing discoveries. Notably, performance in tests was most highly correlated with greater programming practice (p≤0.01. It was apparent that although students had appropriated technology for collaborative working and benefitted from visual and tacit cues provided by Ceebot, they had not necessarily deeply learned the lessons intended. The key value of the ‘mixed-methods’ approach was that ethnographic observations captured the authenticity of learning behaviours, and thereby strengthened confidence in the interpretation of questionnaire and test findings.

Next Generation Nuclear Plant Methods Research and Development Technical Program Plan -- PLN-2498

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richard R. Schultz; Abderrafi M. Ougouag; David W. Nigg; Hans D. Gougar; Richard W. Johnson; William K. Terry; Chang H. Oh; Donald W. McEligot; Gary W. Johnsen; Glenn E. McCreery; Woo Y. Yoon; James W. Sterbentz; J. Steve Herring; Temitope A. Taiwo; Thomas Y. C. Wei; William D. Pointer; Won S. Yang; Michael T. Farmer; Hussein S. Khalil; Madeline A. Feltus

2008-09-01

One of the great challenges of designing and licensing the Very High Temperature Reactor (VHTR) is to confirm that the intended VHTR analysis tools can be used confidently to make decisions and to assure all that the reactor systems are safe and meet the performance objectives of the Generation IV Program. The research and development (R&D) projects defined in the Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP) Design Methods Development and Validation Program will ensure that the tools used to perform the required calculations and analyses can be trusted. The Methods R&D tasks are designed to ensure that the calculational envelope of the tools used to analyze the VHTR reactor systems encompasses, or is larger than, the operational and transient envelope of the VHTR itself. The Methods R&D focuses on the development of tools to assess the neutronic and thermal fluid behavior of the plant. The fuel behavior and fission product transport models are discussed in the Advanced Gas Reactor (AGR) program plan. Various stress analysis and mechanical design tools will also need to be developed and validated and will ultimately also be included in the Methods R&D Program Plan. The calculational envelope of the neutronics and thermal-fluids software tools intended to be used on the NGNP is defined by the scenarios and phenomena that these tools can calculate with confidence. The software tools can only be used confidently when the results they produce have been shown to be in reasonable agreement with first-principle results, thought-problems, and data that describe the “highly ranked” phenomena inherent in all operational conditions and important accident scenarios for the VHTR.

Dynamic programming for QFD in PES optimization

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sorrentino, R. [Mediterranean Univ. of Reggio Calabria, Reggio Calabria (Italy). Dept. of Computer Science and Electrical Technology

2008-07-01

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a method for linking the needs of the customer with design, development, engineering, manufacturing, and service functions. In the electric power industry, QFD is used to help designers concentrate on the most important technical attributes to develop better electrical services. Most optimization approaches used in QFD analysis have been based on integer or linear programming. These approaches perform well in certain circumstances, but there are problems that hinder their practical use. This paper proposed an approach to optimize Power and Energy Systems (PES). A dynamic programming approach was used along with an extended House of Quality to gather information. Dynamic programming was used to allocate the limited resources to the technical attributes. The approach integrated dynamic programming into the electrical service design process. The dynamic programming approach did not require the full relationship curve between technical attributes and customer satisfaction, or the relationship between technical attributes and cost. It only used a group of discrete points containing information about customer satisfaction, technical attributes, and the cost to find the optimal product design. Therefore, it required less time and resources than other approaches. At the end of the optimization process, the value of each technical attribute, the related cost, and the overall customer satisfaction were obtained at the same time. It was concluded that compared with other optimization methods, the dynamic programming method requires less information and the optimal results are more relevant. 21 refs., 2 tabs., 2 figs.

A computer program for unilateral renal clearance calculation by a modified Oberhausen method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brueggemann, G.

1980-01-01

A FORTAN program is presented which, on the basis of data obtained with NUKLEOPAN M, calculates the glomerular filtration rate with sup(99m)Tc-DTPA, the unilateral effective renal plasma flow with 131 I-hippuran, and the parameters for describing the isotope rephrogram (ING) with 131 I-hippuran. The results are calculated fully automatically upon entry of the data, and the results are processed and printed out. The theoretical fundamentals of ING and whole-body clearance calculation are presented as well as the methods available for unilateral clearance calculation, and the FORTAN program is described in detail. The standard values of the method are documented, as well as a comparative gamma camera study of 48 patients in order to determine the accuracy of unilateral imaging with the NUKLEOPAN M instrument, a comparison of unilateral clearances by the Oberhausen and Taplin methods, and a comparison between 7/17' plasma clearance and whole-body clearance. Problems and findings of the method are discussed. (orig./MG) [de

Safer Roads: Comparisons Between Road Assessment Program and Composite Road Safety Index Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohd Razelan Intan Suhana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In most countries, crash statistics have becoming very crucial in evaluating road’s safety level. In Malaysia, these data are very important in deciding crash-prone areas known as black spot where specific road improvements plan will be proposed. However due to the unavailability of reliable crash data in many developing countries, appropriate road maintenance measures are facing great troubles. In light of that, several proactive methods in defining road’s safety level such as Road Assessment Program (RAP have emerged. This research aim to compare two proactive methods that have been tested in Malaysian roads ; road assessment program and road environment risk index which was developed based on composite index theory in defining road’s safety level. Composite road environment risk index was combining several crucial environment indicators, assigning weight and aggregating the individual index together to form a single value representing the road’s safety level. Based on the results, it can be concluded that both road assessment program and composite road environment risk index are contradicted in six different ways such as type of speed used, type of analysis used and their final outcomes. However, with an aim to promote safer roads, these two methods can be used concurrently as the outcomes in both methods seems to fulfil each other’s gap very well.

A practical, cost-effective method for recruiting people into healthy eating behavior programs.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Paul W

2007-04-01

The population impact of programs designed to develop healthy eating behaviors is limited by the number of people who use them. Most public health providers and researchers rely on purchased mass media, which can be expensive, on public service announcements, or clinic-based recruitment, which can have limited reach. Few studies offer assistance for selecting high-outreach and low-cost strategies to promote healthy eating programs. The purpose of this study was 1) to determine whether classified newspaper advertising is an effective and efficient method of recruiting participants into a healthy eating program and 2) to determine whether segmenting messages by transtheoretical stage of change would help engage individuals at all levels of motivation to change their eating behavior. For 5 days in 1997, three advertisements corresponding to different stages of change were placed in a Canadian newspaper with a daily circulation of 75,000. There were 282 eligible people who responded to newspaper advertisements, and the cost was Can $1.11 (U.S. $0.72) per recruit. This cost compares favorably with the cost efficiency of mass media, direct mail, and other common promotional methods. Message type was correlated with respondent's stage of change, and this correlation suggested that attempts to send different messages to different audience segments were successful. Classified advertisements appear to be a highly cost-efficient method for recruiting a diverse range of participants into healthy eating programs and research about healthy eating.

Development of CAD implementing the algorithm of boundary elements’ numerical analytical method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yulia V. Korniyenko

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Up to recent days the algorithms for numerical-analytical boundary elements method had been implemented with programs written in MATLAB environment language. Each program had a local character, i.e. used to solve a particular problem: calculation of beam, frame, arch, etc. Constructing matrices in these programs was carried out “manually” therefore being time-consuming. The research was purposed onto a reasoned choice of programming language for new CAD development, allows to implement algorithm of numerical analytical boundary elements method and to create visualization tools for initial objects and calculation results. Research conducted shows that among wide variety of programming languages the most efficient one for CAD development, employing the numerical analytical boundary elements method algorithm, is the Java language. This language provides tools not only for development of calculating CAD part, but also to build the graphic interface for geometrical models construction and calculated results interpretation.

76 FR 39006 - Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing Program; Correction

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-05

... and 480 [CMS-3239-CN] RIN 0938-AQ55 Medicare Program; Hospital Inpatient Value-Based Purchasing... Value-Based Purchasing Program.'' DATES: Effective Date: These corrections are effective on July 1, 2011... for the hospital value-based purchasing program. Therefore, in section III. 6. and 7. of this notice...

Methods for robustness programming

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Olieman, N.J.

2008-01-01

Robustness of an object is defined as the probability that an object will have properties as required. Robustness Programming (RP) is a mathematical approach for Robustness estimation and Robustness optimisation. An example in the context of designing a food product, is finding the best composition

COMPARISON OF CRM PROGRAMS BASING ON IMPROVING CUSTOMER PROFITABILITY: USING THE AHP METHOD

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dong-Fei Xue

2014-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we generalize the cause-related marketing (CRM methods that used by most current enterprises. And then, we probe into the difference of the effects of different types of CRM programs aiming at improving customer profitability by analytic hierarchy process (AHP. Consequently, we find out the sequencing results and provide some reference to the enterprises while performing CRM programs.

MoDOT pavement preservation research program volume IV, pavement evaluation tools-data collection methods.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-10-01

The overarching goal of the MoDOT Pavement Preservation Research Program, Task 3: Pavement Evaluation Tools Data : Collection Methods was to identify and evaluate methods to rapidly obtain network-level and project-level information relevant to :...

Linear programming models and methods of matrix games with payoffs of triangular fuzzy numbers

CERN Document Server

Li, Deng-Feng

2016-01-01

This book addresses two-person zero-sum finite games in which the payoffs in any situation are expressed with fuzzy numbers. The purpose of this book is to develop a suite of effective and efficient linear programming models and methods for solving matrix games with payoffs in fuzzy numbers. Divided into six chapters, it discusses the concepts of solutions of matrix games with payoffs of intervals, along with their linear programming models and methods. Furthermore, it is directly relevant to the research field of matrix games under uncertain economic management. The book offers a valuable resource for readers involved in theoretical research and practical applications from a range of different fields including game theory, operational research, management science, fuzzy mathematical programming, fuzzy mathematics, industrial engineering, business and social economics. .

Method of inhibiting the onset of acute radiation syndrome and also inhibiting the onset of septicemia and a composition therefor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ribi, E E

1986-01-14

A method is described for inhibiting the onset of acute radiation syndrome caused by the exposure of warm-blooded animals to a whole body dose of at least 100 rads of x-radiation. Also described is a method for inhibiting the onset of septicemia. The methods comprise administering to a warm-blooded animal an effective amount of a pharmaceutical preparation containing refined detoxified endotoxin in combination with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Exploring Art and Science Integration in an Afterschool Program

Science.gov (United States)

Bolotta, Alanna

Science, technology, engineering, arts and math (STEAM) education integrates science with art, presenting a unique and interesting opportunity to increase accessibility in science for learners. This case study examines an afterschool program grounded in art and science integration. Specifically, I studied the goals of the program, it's implementation and the student experience (thinking, feeling and doing) as they participated in the program. My findings suggest that these programs can be powerful methods to nurture scientific literacy, creativity and emotional development in learners. To do so, this program made connections between disciplines and beyond, integrated holistic teaching and learning practices, and continually adapted programming while also responding to challenges. The program is therefore specially suited to engage the heads, hands and hearts of learners, and can make an important contribution to their learning and development. To conclude, I provide some recommendations for STEAM implementation in both formal and informal learning settings.

Evolutionary programming as a platform for in silico metabolic engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Patil, Kiran Raosaheb; Rocha, Isabel; Förster, Jochen

2005-01-01

, and it is therefore interesting to develop new faster algorithms. Results In this study we report an evolutionary programming based method to rapidly identify gene deletion strategies for optimization of a desired phenotypic objective function. We illustrate the proposed method for two important design parameters...... of close to optimal solutions. The identified metabolic engineering strategies suggest that non-intuitive genetic modifications span several different pathways and may be necessary for solving challenging metabolic engineering problems....

Rapid review programs to support health care and policy decision making: a descriptive analysis of processes and methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Polisena, Julie; Garritty, Chantelle; Kamel, Chris; Stevens, Adrienne; Abou-Setta, Ahmed M

2015-03-14

Health care decision makers often need to make decisions in limited timeframes and cannot await the completion of a full evidence review. Rapid reviews (RRs), utilizing streamlined systematic review methods, are increasingly being used to synthesize the evidence with a shorter turnaround time. Our primary objective was to describe the processes and methods used internationally to produce RRs. In addition, we sought to understand the underlying themes associated with these programs. We contacted representatives of international RR programs from a broad realm in health care to gather information about the methods and processes used to produce RRs. The responses were summarized narratively to understand the characteristics associated with their processes and methods. The summaries were compared and contrasted to highlight potential themes and trends related to the different RR programs. Twenty-nine international RR programs were included in our sample with a broad organizational representation from academia, government, research institutions, and non-for-profit organizations. Responses revealed that the main objectives for RRs were to inform decision making with regards to funding health care technologies, services and policy, and program development. Central themes that influenced the methods used by RR programs, and report type and dissemination were the imposed turnaround time to complete a report, resources available, the complexity and sensitivity of the research topics, and permission from the requestor. Our study confirmed that there is no standard approach to conduct RRs. Differences in processes and methods across programs may be the result of the novelty of RR methods versus other types of evidence syntheses, customization of RRs for various decision makers, and definition of 'rapid' by organizations, since it impacts both the timelines and the evidence synthesis methods. Future research should investigate the impact of current RR methods and reporting to

Dependent failure analysis research for the US NRC Risk Methods Integration and Evaluation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bohn, M.P.; Stack, D.W.; Campbell, D.J.; Rooney, J.J.; Rasmuson, D.M.

1985-01-01

The Risk Methods Integration and Evaluation Program (RMIEP), which is being performed for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission by Sandia National Laboratories, has the goals of developing new risk assessment methods and integrating the new and existing methods in a uniform procedure for performing an in-depth probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) with consistent levels of analysis for internal, external, and dependent failure scenarios. An important part of RMIEP is the recognition of the crucial importance of dependent common cause failures (CCFs) and the pressing need to develop effective methods for analyzing CCFs as part of a PRA. The NRC-sponsored Integrated Dependent Failure Methodology Program at Sandia is addressing this need. This paper presents a preliminary approach for analyzing CCFs as part of a PRA. A nine-step procedure for efficiently screening and analyzing dependent failure scenarios is presented, and each step is discussed

A BENCHMARK PROGRAM FOR EVALUATION OF METHODS FOR COMPUTING SEISMIC RESPONSE OF COUPLED BUILDING-PIPING/EQUIPMENT WITH NON-CLASSICAL DAMPING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, J.; Degrassi, G.; Chokshi, N.

2001-01-01

Under the auspices of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) developed a comprehensive program to evaluate state-of-the-art methods and computer programs for seismic analysis of typical coupled nuclear power plant (NPP) systems with nonclassical damping. In this program, four benchmark models of coupled building-piping/equipment systems with different damping characteristics were analyzed for a suite of earthquakes by program participants applying their uniquely developed methods and computer programs. This paper presents the results of their analyses, and their comparison to the benchmark solutions generated by BNL using time domain direct integration methods. The participant's analysis results established using complex modal time history methods showed good comparison with the BNL solutions, while the analyses produced with either complex-mode response spectrum methods or classical normal-mode response spectrum method, in general, produced more conservative results, when averaged over a suite of earthquakes. However, when coupling due to damping is significant, complex-mode response spectrum methods performed better than the classical normal-mode response spectrum method. Furthermore, as part of the program objectives, a parametric assessment is also presented in this paper, aimed at evaluation of the applicability of various analysis methods to problems with different dynamic characteristics unique to coupled NPP systems. It is believed that the findings and insights learned from this program will be useful in developing new acceptance criteria and providing guidance for future regulatory activities involving licensing applications of these alternate methods to coupled systems

Waste Tank Organic Safety Program: Analytical methods development. Progress report, FY 1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Campbell, J.A.; Clauss, S.A.; Grant, K.E.

1994-09-01

The objectives of this task are to develop and document extraction and analysis methods for organics in waste tanks, and to extend these methods to the analysis of actual core samples to support the Waste Tank organic Safety Program. This report documents progress at Pacific Northwest Laboratory (a) during FY 1994 on methods development, the analysis of waste from Tank 241-C-103 (Tank C-103) and T-111, and the transfer of documented, developed analytical methods to personnel in the Analytical Chemistry Laboratory (ACL) and 222-S laboratory. This report is intended as an annual report, not a completed work

Systems and methods for tracking a device in zero-infrastructure and zero-power conditions, and a tracking device therefor

KAUST Repository

Shamim, Atif

2017-03-23

Disclosed are embodiments for a tracking device having multiple layers of localization and communication capabilities, and particularly having the ability to operate in zero-infrastructure or zero-power conditions. Also disclosed are methods and systems that enhance location determination in zero-infrastructure and zero-power conditions. In one example, a device, system and/or method includes an infrastructure-based localization module, an infrastructure-less localization module and a passive module that can utilize at least two of the modules to determine a location of the tracking device.

The computer program system for structural design of nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aihara, S.; Atsumi, K.; Sasagawa, K.; Satoh, S.

1979-01-01

In recent days, the design method of the Nuclear Power Plant has become more complex than in the past. The Finite Element Method (FEM) applied for analysis of Nuclear Power Plants, especially requires more computer use. The recent computers have made remarkable progress, so that in design work manpower and time necessary for analysis have been reduced considerably. However, instead the arrangement of outputs have increased tremendously. Therefore, a computer program system was developed for performing all of the processes, from data making to output arrangement, and rebar evaluations. This report introduces the computer program system pertaining to the design flow of the Reactor Building. (orig.)

Calculation methods in program CCRMN

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chonghai, Cai [Nankai Univ., Tianjin (China). Dept. of Physics; Qingbiao, Shen [Chinese Nuclear Data Center, Beijing, BJ (China)

1996-06-01

CCRMN is a program for calculating complex reactions of a medium-heavy nucleus with six light particles. In CCRMN, the incoming particles can be neutrons, protons, {sup 4}He, deuterons, tritons and {sup 3}He. the CCRMN code is constructed within the framework of the optical model, pre-equilibrium statistical theory based on the exciton model and the evaporation model. CCRMN is valid in 1{approx} MeV energy region, it can give correct results for optical model quantities and all kinds of reaction cross sections. This program has been applied in practical calculations and got reasonable results.

An iterative method for tri-level quadratic fractional programming problems using fuzzy goal programming approach

Science.gov (United States)

Kassa, Semu Mitiku; Tsegay, Teklay Hailay

2017-08-01

Tri-level optimization problems are optimization problems with three nested hierarchical structures, where in most cases conflicting objectives are set at each level of hierarchy. Such problems are common in management, engineering designs and in decision making situations in general, and are known to be strongly NP-hard. Existing solution methods lack universality in solving these types of problems. In this paper, we investigate a tri-level programming problem with quadratic fractional objective functions at each of the three levels. A solution algorithm has been proposed by applying fuzzy goal programming approach and by reformulating the fractional constraints to equivalent but non-fractional non-linear constraints. Based on the transformed formulation, an iterative procedure is developed that can yield a satisfactory solution to the tri-level problem. The numerical results on various illustrative examples demonstrated that the proposed algorithm is very much promising and it can also be used to solve larger-sized as well as n-level problems of similar structure.

A new 2D segmentation method based on dynamic programming applied to computer aided detection in mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timp, Sheila; Karssemeijer, Nico

2004-01-01

Mass segmentation plays a crucial role in computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems for classification of suspicious regions as normal, benign, or malignant. In this article we present a robust and automated segmentation technique--based on dynamic programming--to segment mass lesions from surrounding tissue. In addition, we propose an efficient algorithm to guarantee resulting contours to be closed. The segmentation method based on dynamic programming was quantitatively compared with two other automated segmentation methods (region growing and the discrete contour model) on a dataset of 1210 masses. For each mass an overlap criterion was calculated to determine the similarity with manual segmentation. The mean overlap percentage for dynamic programming was 0.69, for the other two methods 0.60 and 0.59, respectively. The difference in overlap percentage was statistically significant. To study the influence of the segmentation method on the performance of a CAD system two additional experiments were carried out. The first experiment studied the detection performance of the CAD system for the different segmentation methods. Free-response receiver operating characteristics analysis showed that the detection performance was nearly identical for the three segmentation methods. In the second experiment the ability of the classifier to discriminate between malignant and benign lesions was studied. For region based evaluation the area A z under the receiver operating characteristics curve was 0.74 for dynamic programming, 0.72 for the discrete contour model, and 0.67 for region growing. The difference in A z values obtained by the dynamic programming method and region growing was statistically significant. The differences between other methods were not significant

An Alternating Direction Method for Convex Quadratic Second-Order Cone Programming with Bounded Constraints

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuewen Mu

2015-01-01

quadratic programming over second-order cones and a bounded set. At each iteration, we only need to compute the metric projection onto the second-order cones and the projection onto the bound set. The result of convergence is given. Numerical results demonstrate that our method is efficient for the convex quadratic second-order cone programming problems with bounded constraints.

Spur gears: Optimal geometry, methods for generation and Tooth Contact Analysis (TCA) program

Science.gov (United States)

Litvin, Faydor L.; Zhang, Jiao

1988-01-01

The contents of this report include the following: (1) development of optimal geometry for crowned spur gears; (2) methods for their generation; and (3) tooth contact analysis (TCA) computer programs for the analysis of meshing and bearing contact on the crowned spur gears. The method developed for synthesis is used for the determination of the optimal geometry for crowned pinion surface and is directed to reduce the sensitivity of the gears to misalignment, localize the bearing contact, and guarantee the favorable shape and low level of the transmission errors. A new method for the generation of the crowned pinion surface has been proposed. This method is based on application of the tool with a surface of revolution that slightly deviates from a regular cone surface. The tool can be used as a grinding wheel or as a shaver. The crowned pinion surface can also be generated by a generating plane whose motion is provided by an automatic grinding machine controlled by a computer. The TCA program simulates the meshing and bearing contact of the misaligned gears. The transmission errors are also determined.

235U Holdup Measurement Program in support of facility shutdown

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomason, R.S.; Griffin, J.C.; Lien, O.G.; McElroy, R.D.

1991-01-01

In 1989, the Department of Energy directed shutdown of an enriched uranium processing facility at Savannah River Site. As part of the shutdown requirements, deinventory and cleanout of process equipment and nondestructive measurement of the remaining 235 U holdup were required. The holdup measurements had safeguards, accountability, and nuclear criticality safety significance; therefore, a technically defensible and well-documented holdup measurement program was needed. Appropriate standards were fabricated, measurement techniques were selected, and an aggressive schedule was followed. Early in the program, offsite experts reviewed the measurement program, and their recommendations were adopted. Contact and far-field methods were used for most measurements, but some process equipment required special attention. All holdup measurements were documented, and each report was subjected to internal peer review. Some measured values were checked against values obtained by other methods; agreement was generally good

The method of global learning in teaching foreign languages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tatjana Dragovič

2001-12-01

Full Text Available The authors describe the method of global learning of foreign languages, which is based on the principles of neurolinguistic programming (NLP. According to this theory, the educator should use the method of the so-called periphery learning, where students learn relaxation techniques and at the same time they »incidentally « or subconsciously learn a foreign language. The method of global learning imitates successful strategies of learning in early childhood and therefore creates a relaxed attitude towards learning. Global learning is also compared with standard methods.

The Canadian program for management of spent fuel and high level wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barnes, R.W.; Mayman, S.A.

A brief history and description of the nuclear power program in Canada is given. Schedules and programs are described for storing spent fuel in station fuel bays, centralized water pool storage facilities, concrete canisters, convection vaults, and rock or salt formations. High-level wastes will be retrievable initially, therefore the focus is on storage in mined cavities. The methods developed for high-level waste storage/disposal will ideally be flexible enough to accommodate spent fuel. (E.C.B.)

Development of three-dimensional program based on Monte Carlo and discrete ordinates bidirectional coupling method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Jingru; Chen Yixue; Yuan Longjun

2013-01-01

The Monte Carlo (MC) and discrete ordinates (SN) are the commonly used methods in the design of radiation shielding. Monte Carlo method is able to treat the geometry exactly, but time-consuming in dealing with the deep penetration problem. The discrete ordinate method has great computational efficiency, but it is quite costly in computer memory and it suffers from ray effect. Single discrete ordinates method or single Monte Carlo method has limitation in shielding calculation for large complex nuclear facilities. In order to solve the problem, the Monte Carlo and discrete ordinates bidirectional coupling method is developed. The bidirectional coupling method is implemented in the interface program to transfer the particle probability distribution of MC and angular flux of discrete ordinates. The coupling method combines the advantages of MC and SN. The test problems of cartesian and cylindrical coordinate have been calculated by the coupling methods. The calculation results are performed with comparison to MCNP and TORT and satisfactory agreements are obtained. The correctness of the program is proved. (authors)

Task Characterisation and Cross-Platform Programming Through System Identification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Theocharis Kyriacou

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Developing robust and reliable control code for autonomous mobile robots is difficult, because the interaction between a physical robot and the environment is highly complex, it is subject to noise and variation, and therefore partly unpredictable. This means that to date it is not possible to predict robot behaviour, based on theoretical models. Instead, current methods to develop robot control code still require a substantial trial-and-error component to the software design process. Such iterative refinement could be reduced, we argue, if a more profound theoretical understanding of robot-environment interaction existed. In this paper, we therefore present a modelling method that generates a faithful model of a robot's interaction with its environment, based on data logged while observing a physical robot's behaviour. Because this modelling method — nonlinear modelling using polynomials — is commonly used in the engineering discipline of system identification, we refer to it here as “robot identification”. We show in this paper that using robot identification to obtain a computer model of robot-environment interaction offers several distinct advantages: Very compact representations (one-line programs of the robot control program are generated The model can be analysed, for example through sensitivity analysis, leading to a better understanding of the essential parameters underlying the robot's behaviour, and The generated, compact robot code can be used for cross-platform robot programming, allowing fast transfer of robot code from one type of robot to another. We demonstrate these points through experiments with a Magellan Pro and a Nomad 200 mobile robot.

Probabilistic methods for maintenance program optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liming, J.K.; Smith, M.J.; Gekler, W.C.

1989-01-01

In today's regulatory and economic environments, it is more important than ever that managers, engineers, and plant staff join together in developing and implementing effective management plans for safety and economic risk. This need applied to both power generating stations and other process facilities. One of the most critical parts of these management plans is the development and continuous enhancement of a maintenance program that optimizes plant or facility safety and profitability. The ultimate objective is to maximize the potential for station or facility success, usually measured in terms of projected financial profitability, while meeting or exceeding meaningful and reasonable safety goals, usually measured in terms of projected damage or consequence frequencies. This paper describes the use of the latest concepts in developing and evaluating maintenance programs to achieve maintenance program optimization (MPO). These concepts are based on significant field experience gained through the integration and application of fundamentals developed for industry and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)-sponsored projects on preventive maintenance (PM) program development and reliability-centered maintenance (RCM)

Learning Programming Technique through Visual Programming Application as Learning Media with Fuzzy Rating

Science.gov (United States)

Buditjahjanto, I. G. P. Asto; Nurlaela, Luthfiyah; Ekohariadi; Riduwan, Mochamad

2017-01-01

Programming technique is one of the subjects at Vocational High School in Indonesia. This subject contains theory and application of programming utilizing Visual Programming. Students experience some difficulties to learn textual learning. Therefore, it is necessary to develop media as a tool to transfer learning materials. The objectives of this…

The HACMS program: using formal methods to eliminate exploitable bugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Kathleen; Launchbury, John; Richards, Raymond

2017-10-13

For decades, formal methods have offered the promise of verified software that does not have exploitable bugs. Until recently, however, it has not been possible to verify software of sufficient complexity to be useful. Recently, that situation has changed. SeL4 is an open-source operating system microkernel efficient enough to be used in a wide range of practical applications. Its designers proved it to be fully functionally correct, ensuring the absence of buffer overflows, null pointer exceptions, use-after-free errors, etc., and guaranteeing integrity and confidentiality. The CompCert Verifying C Compiler maps source C programs to provably equivalent assembly language, ensuring the absence of exploitable bugs in the compiler. A number of factors have enabled this revolution, including faster processors, increased automation, more extensive infrastructure, specialized logics and the decision to co-develop code and correctness proofs rather than verify existing artefacts. In this paper, we explore the promise and limitations of current formal-methods techniques. We discuss these issues in the context of DARPA's HACMS program, which had as its goal the creation of high-assurance software for vehicles, including quadcopters, helicopters and automobiles.This article is part of the themed issue 'Verified trustworthy software systems'. © 2017 The Authors.

The HACMS program: using formal methods to eliminate exploitable bugs

Science.gov (United States)

Launchbury, John; Richards, Raymond

2017-01-01

For decades, formal methods have offered the promise of verified software that does not have exploitable bugs. Until recently, however, it has not been possible to verify software of sufficient complexity to be useful. Recently, that situation has changed. SeL4 is an open-source operating system microkernel efficient enough to be used in a wide range of practical applications. Its designers proved it to be fully functionally correct, ensuring the absence of buffer overflows, null pointer exceptions, use-after-free errors, etc., and guaranteeing integrity and confidentiality. The CompCert Verifying C Compiler maps source C programs to provably equivalent assembly language, ensuring the absence of exploitable bugs in the compiler. A number of factors have enabled this revolution, including faster processors, increased automation, more extensive infrastructure, specialized logics and the decision to co-develop code and correctness proofs rather than verify existing artefacts. In this paper, we explore the promise and limitations of current formal-methods techniques. We discuss these issues in the context of DARPA’s HACMS program, which had as its goal the creation of high-assurance software for vehicles, including quadcopters, helicopters and automobiles. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Verified trustworthy software systems’. PMID:28871050

77 FR 7095 - Transitional Program for Covered Business Method Patents-Definition of Technological Invention

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-10

... 0651-AC75 Transitional Program for Covered Business Method Patents-- Definition of Technological... definition of technological invention that the Board will use in conducting transitional covered business... definition for covered business method patent in proposed Sec. 42.301(a). Additionally, the Office in a...

A brief overview of NASA Langley's research program in formal methods

Science.gov (United States)

1992-01-01

An overview of NASA Langley's research program in formal methods is presented. The major goal of this work is to bring formal methods technology to a sufficiently mature level for use by the United States aerospace industry. Towards this goal, work is underway to design and formally verify a fault-tolerant computing platform suitable for advanced flight control applications. Also, several direct technology transfer efforts have been initiated that apply formal methods to critical subsystems of real aerospace computer systems. The research team consists of six NASA civil servants and contractors from Boeing Military Aircraft Company, Computational Logic Inc., Odyssey Research Associates, SRI International, University of California at Davis, and Vigyan Inc.

Methods for evaluating educational programs: does Writing Center participation affect student achievement?

Science.gov (United States)

Bredtmann, Julia; Crede, Carsten J; Otten, Sebastian

2013-02-01

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of the introduction of a Writing Center at a university, which aims at improving students' scientific writing abilities. In order to deal with the presumed limited utility of student feedback surveys for evaluating the effectiveness of educational programs, we use students' actual learning outcomes as our quality measure. Based on this objective measure, different statistical evaluation methods established in the labor market treatment literature are applied. We present and discuss the validity of these methods to evaluate educational programs and compare the results of these approaches to implications obtained using corresponding student surveys. Although almost all students reported the writing courses to be helpful, we find no significant effect of course participation on students' grades. This result highlights the need for institutions not to rely solely on student course evaluations for evidence-based policy decisions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Intervention Methods of Neurofeedback Training (NFT and the Movement Program on the Handwriting Performance of 9-11 Years Old Children with Dysgraphia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saeid Arsham

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background: Learning disorders, especially dysgraphia, are among the students' educational disabilities. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two intervention methods of neurofeedback training and the movement program on the handwriting performance of 9-11 years old children with dysgraphia. Materials and Methods: This was a quasi-experimental comparative study with a pretest-posttest design. Thirty right-handed boy students aged 9 to 11 years old were selected from elementary and middle schools (district 4 in Karaj, based on the dysgraphia Fallahchai test. Participants were randomly divided into three groups each included 10 subjects. The movement program group did activities with emphasis on visual-motor coordination, fine motor control, visual-motor integrity, and eye-hand coordination 3 sessions per week, for 4 weeks (total of twelve sessions. The neurofeedback group did a training protocol (decreasing beta wave and increasing alpha wave at C3 zone in 4 weeks, 3 sessions per week each session for 20 minutes. The control group did not any training intervention. Results: The data analysis showed that there were significant differences between two groups of intervention and the control group. The two experimental groups had a significant improvement compared to the control group. Also, the results showed that the selected movement program is more effective than neurofeedback training intervention. Conclusion: Overall, the selected movement program was more effective than the neurofeedback training and control group. Therefore, it is suggested that the movement program intervention should be used to improve the handwriting performance of students with poor handwritten quality.

Physiotherapists supporting self-management through health coaching: a mixed methods program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dufour, Sinéad Patricia; Graham, Shane; Friesen, Josh; Rosenblat, Michael; Rous, Colin; Richardson, Julie

2015-01-01

To evaluate a program in support of chronic disease self-management (CDSM) that is founded on a health coaching (HC) approach, includes supervised exercise and mindfulness-based stress reduction components and is delivered within a private practice physiotherapy setting. An explanatory mixed method design, framed by theory-based program evaluation, was employed to evaluate an eight-week group-based program. Standardized self-rated and performance measures were evaluated pre- and post intervention. Additionally, participant focus groups were conducted following the intervention period. An inductive thematic approach was undertaken to analyze the qualitative data. Seventeen participants (N = 17) completed the study. Improvements were seen in both self-report and performance outcomes. Participants explained how and why they felt the program was beneficial. Six themes were generated: (1) group dynamic; (2) learning versus doing; (3) holism and comprehensive care; (4) self-efficacy and empowerment; (5) previous solutions versus new management strategies; and (6) healthcare provider support. This study established that a group program in support of CDSM founded on a HC approach demonstrated potential value from participants as well as favorable outcomes. A pragmatic randomized control trial is required to determine efficacy of this intervention.

Bayesian methods for hackers probabilistic programming and Bayesian inference

CERN Document Server

Davidson-Pilon, Cameron

2016-01-01

Bayesian methods of inference are deeply natural and extremely powerful. However, most discussions of Bayesian inference rely on intensely complex mathematical analyses and artificial examples, making it inaccessible to anyone without a strong mathematical background. Now, though, Cameron Davidson-Pilon introduces Bayesian inference from a computational perspective, bridging theory to practice–freeing you to get results using computing power. Bayesian Methods for Hackers illuminates Bayesian inference through probabilistic programming with the powerful PyMC language and the closely related Python tools NumPy, SciPy, and Matplotlib. Using this approach, you can reach effective solutions in small increments, without extensive mathematical intervention. Davidson-Pilon begins by introducing the concepts underlying Bayesian inference, comparing it with other techniques and guiding you through building and training your first Bayesian model. Next, he introduces PyMC through a series of detailed examples a...

A Recourse-Based Type-2 Fuzzy Programming Method for Water Pollution Control under Uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Liu

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this study, a recourse-based type-2 fuzzy programming (RTFP method is developed for supporting water pollution control of basin systems under uncertainty. The RTFP method incorporates type-2 fuzzy programming (TFP within a two-stage stochastic programming with recourse (TSP framework to handle uncertainties expressed as type-2 fuzzy sets (i.e., a fuzzy set in which the membership function is also fuzzy and probability distributions, as well as to reflect the trade-offs between conflicting economic benefits and penalties due to violated policies. The RTFP method is then applied to a real case of water pollution control in the Heshui River Basin (a rural area of China, where chemical oxygen demand (COD, total nitrogen (TN, total phosphorus (TP, and soil loss are selected as major indicators to identify the water pollution control strategies. Solutions of optimal production plans of economic activities under each probabilistic pollutant discharge allowance level and membership grades are obtained. The results are helpful for the authorities in exploring the trade-off between economic objective and pollutant discharge decision-making based on river water pollution control.

Effects of a tailor-made exercise program on exercise adherence and health outcomes in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a mixed-methods pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Fung-Kam Iris; Lee, Tze-Fan Diana; So, Winnie Kwok-Wei

2016-01-01

Previous studies showed that exercise intervention was effective in symptoms control of knee osteoarthritis (OA) but poor intervention adherence reduced the exercise effect. It has been suspected that the design of exercise intervention mainly from the health care professionals' perspective could not address the patients' barriers to exercise. Therefore, a tailor-made exercise program which incorporated the patient's perspective in the design was developed and ready for evaluation. This pilot study estimated the effects of a tailor-made exercise program on exercise adherence and health outcomes, and explored the participants' perception and experience of the program. The intervention of this study was a 4-week community-based group exercise program, which required the participants to attend a 1-hour session each week. Thirty-four older people with knee OA were recruited to the program. Mixed-methods study design was used to estimate the effects of this program and explore the participants' perception and experience of the program. Exercise adherence and performance in return-demonstration of the exercise were assessed at 12 weeks after the program. Disease-specific health status (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index), general health status (12-item Short Form of the Medical Outcome Study Questionnaire), knee range of motion, muscle strength, and endurance of the lower extremities (Timed-Stands Test) were measured at the beginning of the program and 12 weeks after. Six participants were interviewed individually on the 12th week. Thirty-three participants (75.0±7.3 years) completed the one-group pretest and post-test study. The participants' exercise adherence was 91.4%±14.54%, and their correct performance in return-demonstration was 76.7%±21.75%. Most of the participants' health outcomes significantly improved at posttests except the 12-item Short Form of the Medical Outcome Study Questionnaire physical health summary score. The

A Method for Developing Standard Patient Education Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Lura, Carolina Bryne; Hauch, Sophie Misser Pallesgaard; Gøeg, Kirstine Rosenbeck; Pape-Haugaard, Louise

2018-01-01

In Denmark, patients being treated on Haematology Outpatients Departments get instructed to self-manage their blood sample collection from Central Venous Catheter (CVC). However, this is a complex and risky procedure, which can jeopardize patient safety. The aim of the study was to suggest a method for developing standard digital patient education programs for patients in self-administration of blood samples drawn from CVC. The Design Science Research Paradigm was used to develop a digital patient education program, called PAVIOSY, to increase patient safety during execution of the blood sample collection procedure by using videos for teaching as well as procedural support. A step-by-step guide was developed and used as basis for making the videos. Quality assurance through evaluation with a nurse was conducted on both the step-by-step guide and the videos. The quality assurance evaluation of the videos showed; 1) Errors due to the order of the procedure can be determined by reviewing the videos despite that the guide was followed. 2) Videos can be used to identify errors - important for patient safety - in the procedure, which are not identifiable in a written script. To ensure correct clinical content of the educational patient system, health professionals must be engaged early in the development of content and design phase.

A New Method for Solving Multiobjective Bilevel Programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ying Ji

2017-01-01

Full Text Available We study a class of multiobjective bilevel programs with the weights of objectives being uncertain and assumed to belong to convex and compact set. To the best of our knowledge, there is no study about this class of problems. We use a worst-case weighted approach to solve this class of problems. Our “worst-case weighted multiobjective bilevel programs” model supposes that each player (leader or follower has a set of weights to their objectives and wishes to minimize their maximum weighted sum objective where the maximization is with respect to the set of weights. This new model gives rise to a new Pareto optimum concept, which we call “robust-weighted Pareto optimum”; for the worst-case weighted multiobjective optimization with the weight set of each player given as a polytope, we show that a robust-weighted Pareto optimum can be obtained by solving mathematical programing with equilibrium constraints (MPEC. For an application, we illustrate the usefulness of the worst-case weighted multiobjective optimization to a supply chain risk management under demand uncertainty. By the comparison with the existing weighted approach, we show that our method is more robust and can be more efficiently applied to real-world problems.

Analytical throughput-estimating methods for the Hot Fuel Examination Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keyes, R.W.; Phipps, R.D.

1983-01-01

The Hot Fuel Examination Facility (HFEF) supports the operation and experimental programs of the major Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor (LMFBR) test facilities; specifically, the Fast Flux Test Facility (FFTF), the Experimental Breeder Reactor II (EBR-II), and the Transient Reactor Test (TREAT) Facility. Successful management of HFEF and of LMFBR safety and fuels and materials programs, therefore, requires reliable information regarding HFEF's capability to handle expected or proposed program work loads. This paper describes the 10-step method that has been developed to consider all variables which significantly affect the HFEF examination throughput and quickly provide the necessary planning information

Parametric synthesis of a robust controller on a base of mathematical programming method

Science.gov (United States)

Khozhaev, I. V.; Gayvoronskiy, S. A.; Ezangina, T. A.

2018-05-01

Considered paper is dedicated to deriving sufficient conditions, linking root indices of robust control quality with coefficients of interval characteristic polynomial, on the base of mathematical programming method. On the base of these conditions, a method of PI- and PID-controllers, providing aperiodic transient process with acceptable stability degree and, subsequently, acceptable setting time, synthesis was developed. The method was applied to a problem of synthesizing a controller for a depth control system of an unmanned underwater vehicle.

A SCILAB Program for Computing General-Relativistic Models of Rotating Neutron Stars by Implementing Hartle's Perturbation Method

Science.gov (United States)

Papasotiriou, P. J.; Geroyannis, V. S.

We implement Hartle's perturbation method to the computation of relativistic rigidly rotating neutron star models. The program has been written in SCILAB (© INRIA ENPC), a matrix-oriented high-level programming language. The numerical method is described in very detail and is applied to many models in slow or fast rotation. We show that, although the method is perturbative, it gives accurate results for all practical purposes and it should prove an efficient tool for computing rapidly rotating pulsars.

A health equity impact assessment umbrella program (AAPRISS) to tackle social inequalities in health: program description.

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, Thierry; Bidault, Elsa; Villeval, Mélanie; Alias, François; Gandouet, Benjamin; Servat, Martine; Theis, Ivan; Breton, Eric; Haschar-Noé, Nadine; Grosclaude, Pascale

2016-09-01

The failure to simultaneously address two objectives (increasing the average health of the population and reducing health inequalities) may have led to what has been observed in France so far: an overall decrease in mortality and increase in inequality. The Apprendre et Agir pour Réduire les Inégalités Sociales de Santé (AAPRISS) methodology is to analyze and modify interventions that are already underway in terms of their potential impact on health inequalities. It relies on partnership between researchers and actors in the health field, as well as policy makers. In this paper, we describe the program and discuss its feasibility and acceptability. This program is not a single intervention, but a process aiming at assessing and reshaping existing health programs, therefore acting as a kind of meta-intervention. The program develops scientific and methodological support stemming from co-construction methods aimed at increasing equity within the programs. Stakeholders from prevention policy-making and the health care system, as well as researchers, collaborate in defining interventions, monitoring their progress, and choosing indicators, methods and evaluation procedures. The target population is mainly the population of the greater Toulouse area. The steps of the process are described: (1) establishment of AAPRISS governance and partnerships; (2) inclusion of projects; and (3) the projects' process. Many partners have rallied around this program, which has been shown to be feasible and acceptable by partners and health actors. A major challenge is understanding each partner's expectations in terms of temporality of interventions, expected outcomes, assessment methods and indicators. Analyzing the projects has been quite feasible, and some modifications have been implemented in them in order to take inequalities in health into account. © The Author(s) 2015.

BOOK REVIEW: Advanced Topics in Computational Partial Differential Equations: Numerical Methods and Diffpack Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Katsaounis, T. D.

2005-02-01

The scope of this book is to present well known simple and advanced numerical methods for solving partial differential equations (PDEs) and how to implement these methods using the programming environment of the software package Diffpack. A basic background in PDEs and numerical methods is required by the potential reader. Further, a basic knowledge of the finite element method and its implementation in one and two space dimensions is required. The authors claim that no prior knowledge of the package Diffpack is required, which is true, but the reader should be at least familiar with an object oriented programming language like C++ in order to better comprehend the programming environment of Diffpack. Certainly, a prior knowledge or usage of Diffpack would be a great advantage to the reader. The book consists of 15 chapters, each one written by one or more authors. Each chapter is basically divided into two parts: the first part is about mathematical models described by PDEs and numerical methods to solve these models and the second part describes how to implement the numerical methods using the programming environment of Diffpack. Each chapter closes with a list of references on its subject. The first nine chapters cover well known numerical methods for solving the basic types of PDEs. Further, programming techniques on the serial as well as on the parallel implementation of numerical methods are also included in these chapters. The last five chapters are dedicated to applications, modelled by PDEs, in a variety of fields. The first chapter is an introduction to parallel processing. It covers fundamentals of parallel processing in a simple and concrete way and no prior knowledge of the subject is required. Examples of parallel implementation of basic linear algebra operations are presented using the Message Passing Interface (MPI) programming environment. Here, some knowledge of MPI routines is required by the reader. Examples solving in parallel simple PDEs using

Improved method for fibre content and quality analysis and their application to flax genetic diversity investigations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oever, van den M.J.A.; Bas, N.; Soest, van L.J.M.; Melis, C.; Dam, van J.E.G.

2003-01-01

Evaluation for fibre content and quality in a breeding selection program is time consuming and costly. Therefore, this study aims to develop a method for fast and reproducible fibre content analysis on small flax straw samples. A protocol has been developed and verified with fibre screening methods

Comparing the Medicaid Retrospective Drug Utilization Review Program Cost-Savings Methods Used by State Agencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Prada, Sergio I

2017-12-01

The Medicaid Drug Utilization Review (DUR) program is a 2-phase process conducted by Medicaid state agencies. The first phase is a prospective DUR and involves electronically monitoring prescription drug claims to identify prescription-related problems, such as therapeutic duplication, contraindications, incorrect dosage, or duration of treatment. The second phase is a retrospective DUR and involves ongoing and periodic examinations of claims data to identify patterns of fraud, abuse, underutilization, drug-drug interaction, or medically unnecessary care, implementing corrective actions when needed. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services requires each state to measure prescription drug cost-savings generated from its DUR programs on an annual basis, but it provides no guidance or unified methodology for doing so. To describe and synthesize the methodologies used by states to measure cost-savings using their Medicaid retrospective DUR program in federal fiscal years 2014 and 2015. For each state, the cost-savings methodologies included in the Medicaid DUR 2014 and 2015 reports were downloaded from Medicaid's website. The reports were then reviewed and synthesized. Methods described by the states were classified according to research designs often described in evaluation textbooks. In 2014, the most often used prescription drugs cost-savings estimation methodology for the Medicaid retrospective DUR program was a simple pre-post intervention method, without a comparison group (ie, 12 states). In 2015, the most common methodology used was a pre-post intervention method, with a comparison group (ie, 14 states). Comparisons of savings attributed to the program among states are still unreliable, because of a lack of a common methodology available for measuring cost-savings. There is great variation among states in the methods used to measure prescription drug utilization cost-savings. This analysis suggests that there is still room for improvement in terms of

Cost Savings From the Provision of Specific Methods of Contraception in a Publicly Funded Program

Science.gov (United States)

Rostovtseva, Daria P.; Brindis, Claire D.; Biggs, M. Antonia; Hulett, Denis; Darney, Philip D.

2009-01-01

Objectives. We examined the cost-effectiveness of contraceptive methods dispensed in 2003 to 955 000 women in Family PACT (Planning, Access, Care and Treatment), California's publicly funded family planning program. Methods. We estimated the number of pregnancies averted by each contraceptive method and compared the cost of providing each method with the savings from averted pregnancies. Results. More than half of the 178 000 averted pregnancies were attributable to oral contraceptives, one fifth to injectable methods, and one tenth each to the patch and barrier methods. The implant and intrauterine contraceptives were the most cost-effective, with cost savings of more than $7.00 for every $1.00 spent in services and supplies. Per $1.00 spent, injectable contraceptives yielded savings of $5.60; oral contraceptives, $4.07; the patch, $2.99; the vaginal ring, $2.55; barrier methods, $1.34; and emergency contraceptives, $1.43. Conclusions. All contraceptive methods were cost-effective—they saved more in public expenditures for unintended pregnancies than they cost to provide. Because no single method is clinically recommended to every woman, it is medically and fiscally advisable for public health programs to offer all contraceptive methods. PMID:18703437

An efficient inverse radiotherapy planning method for VMAT using quadratic programming optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoegele, W; Loeschel, R; Merkle, N; Zygmanski, P

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of an inverse planning optimization approach for the Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) based on quadratic programming and the projection method. The performance of this method is evaluated against a reference commercial planning system (eclipse(TM) for rapidarc(TM)) for clinically relevant cases. The inverse problem is posed in terms of a linear combination of basis functions representing arclet dose contributions and their respective linear coefficients as degrees of freedom. MLC motion is decomposed into basic motion patterns in an intuitive manner leading to a system of equations with a relatively small number of equations and unknowns. These equations are solved using quadratic programming under certain limiting physical conditions for the solution, such as the avoidance of negative dose during optimization and Monitor Unit reduction. The modeling by the projection method assures a unique treatment plan with beneficial properties, such as the explicit relation between organ weightings and the final dose distribution. Clinical cases studied include prostate and spine treatments. The optimized plans are evaluated by comparing isodose lines, DVH profiles for target and normal organs, and Monitor Units to those obtained by the clinical treatment planning system eclipse(TM). The resulting dose distributions for a prostate (with rectum and bladder as organs at risk), and for a spine case (with kidneys, liver, lung and heart as organs at risk) are presented. Overall, the results indicate that similar plan qualities for quadratic programming (QP) and rapidarc(TM) could be achieved at significantly more efficient computational and planning effort using QP. Additionally, results for the quasimodo phantom [Bohsung et al., "IMRT treatment planning: A comparative inter-system and inter-centre planning exercise of the estro quasimodo group," Radiother. Oncol. 76(3), 354-361 (2005)] are presented as an example

Control method for biped locomotion robots based on ZMP information

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kume, Etsuo

1994-01-01

The Human Acts Simulation Program (HASP) started as a ten year program of Computing and Information Systems Center (CISC) at Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) in 1987. A mechanical design study of biped locomotion robots for patrol and inspection in nuclear facilities is being performed as an item of the research scope. One of the goals of our research is to design a biped locomotion robot for practical use in nuclear facilities. So far, we have been studying for several dynamic walking patterns. In conventional control methods for biped locomotion robots, the program control is used based on preset walking patterns, so it dose not have the robustness such as a dynamic change of walking pattern. Therefore, a real-time control method based on dynamic information of the robot states is necessary for the high performance of walking. In this study a new control method based on Zero Moment Point (ZMP) information is proposed as one of real-time control methods. The proposed method is discussed and validated based on the numerical simulation. (author)

Method of development of the program of forming of parametrical drawings of details in the AutoCAD software product

Science.gov (United States)

Alshakova, E. L.

2017-01-01

The program in the AutoLISP language allows automatically to form parametrical drawings during the work in the AutoCAD software product. Students study development of programs on AutoLISP language with the use of the methodical complex containing methodical instructions in which real examples of creation of images and drawings are realized. Methodical instructions contain reference information necessary for the performance of the offered tasks. The method of step-by-step development of the program is the basis for training in programming on AutoLISP language: the program draws elements of the drawing of a detail by means of definitely created function which values of arguments register in that sequence in which AutoCAD gives out inquiries when performing the corresponding command in the editor. The process of the program design is reduced to the process of step-by-step formation of functions and sequence of their calls. The author considers the development of the AutoLISP program for the creation of parametrical drawings of details, the defined design, the user enters the dimensions of elements of details. These programs generate variants of tasks of the graphic works performed in educational process of "Engineering graphics", "Engineering and computer graphics" disciplines. Individual tasks allow to develop at students skills of independent work in reading and creation of drawings, as well as 3D modeling.

Research on numerical method for multiple pollution source discharge and optimal reduction program

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Mingchang; Dai, Mingxin; Zhou, Bin; Zou, Bin

2018-03-01

In this paper, the optimal method for reduction program is proposed by the nonlinear optimal algorithms named that genetic algorithm. The four main rivers in Jiangsu province, China are selected for reducing the environmental pollution in nearshore district. Dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) is studied as the only pollutant. The environmental status and standard in the nearshore district is used to reduce the discharge of multiple river pollutant. The research results of reduction program are the basis of marine environmental management.

An Augmented Lagrangian Method for a Class of Inverse Quadratic Programming Problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Jianzhong; Zhang Liwei

2010-01-01

We consider an inverse quadratic programming (QP) problem in which the parameters in the objective function of a given QP problem are adjusted as little as possible so that a known feasible solution becomes the optimal one. We formulate this problem as a minimization problem with a positive semidefinite cone constraint and its dual is a linearly constrained semismoothly differentiable (SC 1 ) convex programming problem with fewer variables than the original one. We demonstrate the global convergence of the augmented Lagrangian method for the dual problem and prove that the convergence rate of primal iterates, generated by the augmented Lagrange method, is proportional to 1/r, and the rate of multiplier iterates is proportional to 1/√r, where r is the penalty parameter in the augmented Lagrangian. As the objective function of the dual problem is a SC 1 function involving the projection operator onto the cone of symmetrically semi-definite matrices, the analysis requires extensive tools such as the singular value decomposition of matrices, an implicit function theorem for semismooth functions, and properties of the projection operator in the symmetric-matrix space. Furthermore, the semismooth Newton method with Armijo line search is applied to solve the subproblems in the augmented Lagrange approach, which is proven to have global convergence and local quadratic rate. Finally numerical results, implemented by the augmented Lagrangian method, are reported.

First experience of programming a court decision

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sergey B. Polyakov

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Objective Consideration of the computer program model for making a lawful and wellgrounded judicial act in order to reduce the times for making the court decision. Methods universal dialecticmaterialistic method which removes the contradictions of the professional training of judges and procedural controls the formal legal method for transferring the requirements of the law and jurisprudence for the lawenforcement activity into programs for judges and case participants the objectoriented modeling objectoriented programming methodology. Results a computer program was created that allows to adjudicate in a civil case if the claim is recognized by the defendant. The program does not resolve the judge from the decisionmaking process but creates conditions to move along the stages of lawenforcement procedure and legal reasoning in accordance with the requirements of the law and of legal science. Therefore filling forms manually in the trial should be simultaneous with writing the decision judgment sentence assessment. The program includes the following sections preparation of forms common to certain types of proceedings certain categories of cases courts in the above forms determination of the order to establish the actual circumstances the burden of proof distribution types of evidence methods of law interpretation characteristics of collisions and gaps in legislation and ways to overcome them the standard wording in the judicial act templates and in the forms mandatory and optional information in the form. Based on the above the article concludes that by analogy with the presented program it is possible to create software for making a lawful wellgrounded and fair judicial act for other categories of cases and as a consequence to reduce the period of making judicial decisions. Scientific novelty the first computer program is created for rendering and production of judicial decisions. Practical significance the model is made to create a mass tool of

Economic Evaluation of a Comprehensive Teenage Pregnancy Prevention Program: Pilot Program

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenthal, Marjorie S.; Ross, Joseph S.; Bilodeau, RoseAnne; Richter, Rosemary S.; Palley, Jane E.; Bradley, Elizabeth H.

2011-01-01

Background Previous research has suggested that comprehensive teenage pregnancy prevention programs that address sexual education and life skills development and provide academic are effective in reducing births among enrolled teenagers. However, there have been limited data on costs and cost-effectiveness of such programs. Objectives To use a community-based participatory research approach, to develop estimates of the cost-benefit of the Pathways/Senderos Center, a comprehensive neighborhood-based program to prevent unintended pregnancies and promote positive development for adolescents. Methods Using data from 1997-2003, we conducted an in-time intervention analysis to determine program cost-benefit while teenagers were enrolled and then used an extrapolation analysis to estimate accyrred economibc benefits and cost-benefit up to age 30. Results The program operating costs totaled $3,228,152.59 and reduced the teenage childbearing rate from 94.10 to 40.00 per 1000 teenage females, averting $52,297.84 in total societal costs, with an economic benefit to society from program participation of $2,673,153.11. Therefore, total costs to society exceeded economic benefits by $559,677.05, or $1,599.08 per adolescent per year. In an extrapolation analysis, benefits to society exceed costs by $10,474.77 per adolescent per year by age 30 on average, with social benefits outweighing total social costs by age 20.1. Conclusions We estimate that this comprehensive teenage pregnancy prevention program would provide societal economic benefits once participants are young adults, suggesting the need to expand beyond pilot demonstrations and evaluate the long-range cost-effectiveness of similarly comprehensive programs when implemented more widely in high-risk neighborhoods. PMID:19896030

United States Air Force Summer Research Program 1991. Graduate Student Research Program (GSRP) Reports. Volume 9. Wright Laboratory

Science.gov (United States)

1992-01-09

plotting mode shapes. All programs are written in FORTRAN for use on the VAX system. A flowchart of the entire analytical prediction method is shown...in Figure 1. below. RBDAT.FOR ’Lx [RBIN.DAT RBUP2.FOR ,. MODE.DAT --- ---- -4- -- RBOUT.DAT ~ I MODPLT.PRO II MODPLT.LN3 Figure 1. Flowchart for...CMES is LK Tool’s own derivation of DMIS; therefore, the only documentation is from LK Tool. I received a reference manual and a beginners training

Methods and challenges for the health impact assessment of vaccination programs in Latin America

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Marli Christovam Sartori

2015-01-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE To describe methods and challenges faced in the health impact assessment of vaccination programs, focusing on the pneumococcal conjugate and rotavirus vaccines in Latin America and the Caribbean. METHODS For this narrative review, we searched for the terms "rotavirus", "pneumococcal", "conjugate vaccine", "vaccination", "program", and "impact" in the databases Medline and LILACS. The search was extended to the grey literature in Google Scholar. No limits were defined for publication year. Original articles on the health impact assessment of pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccination programs in Latin America and the Caribbean in English, Spanish or Portuguese were included. RESULTS We identified 207 articles. After removing duplicates and assessing eligibility, we reviewed 33 studies, 25 focusing on rotavirus and eight on pneumococcal vaccination programs. The most frequent studies were ecological, with time series analysis or comparing pre- and post-vaccination periods. The main data sources were: health information systems; population-, sentinel- or laboratory-based surveillance systems; statistics reports; and medical records from one or few health care services. Few studies used primary data. Hospitalization and death were the main outcomes assessed. CONCLUSIONS Over the last years, a significant number of health impact assessments of pneumococcal and rotavirus vaccination programs have been conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean. These studies were carried out few years after the programs were implemented, meet the basic methodological requirements and suggest positive health impact. Future assessments should consider methodological issues and challenges arisen in these first studies conducted in the region.

LWR-PV Surveillance Dosimetry Improvement Program review graphics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McElroy, W.N.; Gold, R.; Gutherie, G.L.

1979-10-01

A primary objective of the multilaboratory program is to prepare an updated and improved set of dosimetry, damage correlation, and the associated reactor analysis ASTM standards for LWR-PV irradiation surveillance programs. Supporting this objective are a series of analytical and experimental validation and calibration studies in Benchmark Neutron Fields, reactor Test Regions, and operating power reactor Surveillance Positions. These studies will establish and certify the precision and accuracy of the measurement and predictive methods which are recommended for use in these standards. Consistent and accurate measurement and data analysis techniques and methods, therefore, will have been developed and validated along with guidelines for required neutron field calculations that are used to (1) correlate changes in material properties with the characteristics of the neutron radiation field and (2) predict pressure vessel steel toughness and embrittlement from power reactor surveillance data

US Religious Congregations' Programming to Support Veterans: A Mixed Methods Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Derose, Kathryn Pitkin; Haas, Ann; Werber, Laura

2016-06-01

Religious congregations may be well equipped to address veterans' reintegration needs, but little is known about the prevalence and nature of such support. We conducted a mixed methods study using nationally representative congregational survey data and in-depth interviews with congregational leaders. Overall, 28% of congregations nationally reported having programming to support veterans and positive, independent predictors included: community context (county veteran presence, high-poverty census tract, rural compared to urban location); congregational resources (more adult attendees, having a paid employee that spent time on service programs); and external engagement (assessing community needs, collaboration, and social service participation). Qualitative interviews revealed a range of activities, including attending to spiritual issues, supporting mental, physical and social well-being, and addressing vocational, legal, financial, and material needs.

Programs and datatypes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Doornbos, H.; Gasteren, van A.J.M.; Backhouse, R.C.; Brink, C.H.; Kahl, W.; Schmidt, G.

1997-01-01

We are programmers, in the sense that it is our concern to improve the process of program construction. Therefore we want to answer questions like: What is programming, why is it so difficult and error-prone, and how can we learn what is needed to make the process more manageable? In the following

An evolutionary programming based simulated annealing method for solving the unit commitment problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Christober Asir Rajan, C. [Department of EEE, Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry 605014 (India); Mohan, M.R. [Department of EEE, Anna University, Chennai 600 025 (India)

2007-09-15

This paper presents a new approach to solve the short-term unit commitment problem using an evolutionary programming based simulated annealing method. The objective of this paper is to find the generation scheduling such that the total operating cost can be minimized, when subjected to a variety of constraints. This also means that it is desirable to find the optimal generating unit commitment in the power system for the next H hours. Evolutionary programming, which happens to be a global optimisation technique for solving unit commitment Problem, operates on a system, which is designed to encode each unit's operating schedule with regard to its minimum up/down time. In this, the unit commitment schedule is coded as a string of symbols. An initial population of parent solutions is generated at random. Here, each schedule is formed by committing all the units according to their initial status (''flat start''). Here the parents are obtained from a pre-defined set of solution's, i.e. each and every solution is adjusted to meet the requirements. Then, a random recommitment is carried out with respect to the unit's minimum down times. And SA improves the status. The best population is selected by evolutionary strategy. The Neyveli Thermal Power Station (NTPS) Unit-II in India demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach; extensive studies have also been performed for different power systems consists of 10, 26, 34 generating units. Numerical results are shown comparing the cost solutions and computation time obtained by using the Evolutionary Programming method and other conventional methods like Dynamic Programming, Lagrangian Relaxation and Simulated Annealing and Tabu Search in reaching proper unit commitment. (author)

I simulated, therefore I can- I reflected, therefore I know - I acted as a patient, therefore I feel

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Selberg, Hanne; Hovedskov, Jette; Steenberg Holtzmann, Jette

setting enhances the transfer. Collaboration between project leader, clinical experts and educators was crucial in order to create an appreciative and safe learning environment. The personal physical experience both in relation to hands-on and patient acting brought about a more lasting learning...... a dynamic simulation learning model as decribed by Dr Roger Kneebone into a Danish hospital setting enabling students and staff to provide better care.Summary of work:Real-life scenarious were embedded in the authentic clinical setting,interactive role-play and hand-on training in addition to sessions...... identified as learning outcomes.Conclusions:The real-life scenarious contributed to the learning environmentin a safe and appreciative manner, changing the culture around patient- safety and interprofessional collaborationTake-home messages:The interaction between simulation and the authentic clinical...

Systems and methods for tracking a device in zero-infrastructure and zero-power conditions, and a tracking device therefor

KAUST Repository

Shamim, Atif; Bilal, Rana Muhammad

2017-01-01

and systems that enhance location determination in zero-infrastructure and zero-power conditions. In one example, a device, system and/or method includes an infrastructure-based localization module, an infrastructure-less localization module and a passive

LAMP-B: a Fortran program set for the lattice cell analysis by collision probability method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuchihashi, Keiichiro

1979-02-01

Nature of physical problem solved: LAMB-B solves an integral transport equation by the collision probability method for many variety of lattice cell geometries: spherical, plane and cylindrical lattice cell; square and hexagonal arrays of pin rods; annular clusters and square clusters. LAMP-B produces homogenized constants for multi and/or few group diffusion theory programs. Method of solution: LAMP-B performs an exact numerical integration to obtain the collision probabilities. Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: Not more than 68 group in the fast group calculation, and not more than 20 regions in the resonance integral calculation. Typical running time: It varies with the number of energy groups and the selection of the geometry. Unusual features of the program: Any or any combination of constituent subprograms can be used so that the partial use of this program is available. (author)

Beams configuration design in target area with successive quadratic programming method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shi Zhiquan; Tan Jichun; Wei Xiaofeng; Man Jongzai; Zhang Xiaomin; Yuan Jing; Yuan Xiaodong

1998-01-01

The author describes the application of successive quadratic programming method (SQP) to design laser beam configuration in target area. Based on the requirement of ICF experiment physics, a math model of indirect-driver beam geometry is given. A 3D wire-frame is plotted, in which support lines represent 60 laser entireties and 240 turning points of support lines' segments stand for the spatial positions of reflectors

Method of generating energy by acoustically induced cavitation fusion and reactor therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flynn, H.G.

1982-01-01

Two different cavitation fusion reactors (cfr's) are disclosed. Each comprises a chamber containing a liquid (host) metal such as lithium or an alloy thereof. Acoustical horns in the chamber walls operate to vary the ambient pressure in the liquid metal, creating therein small bubbles which are caused to grow to maximum sizes and then collapse violently in two steps. In the first stage the bubble contents remain at the temperature of the host liquid, but in the second stage the increasing speed of collapse causes an adiabatic compression of the bubble contents, and of the thin shell of liquid surrounding the bubble. Application of a positive pressure on the bubble accelerates this adiabatic stage, and causes the bubble to contract to smaller radius, thus increasing maximum temperatures and pressures reached within the bubble. At or near its minimum radius the bubble generates a very intense shock wave, creating high pressures and temperatures in the host liquid. These extremely high pressures and temperatures occur both within the bubbles and in the host liquid, and cause hydrogen isotopes in the bubbles and liquid to undergo thermonuclear reactions. In one type of cfr the thermonuclear reaction is generated by cavitation within the liquid metal itself, and in the other type the reaction takes place primarily within the bubbles. The fusion reactions generate energy that is absorbed as heat by the liquid metal, and this heat is removed from the liquid by conduction through the acoustical horns to an external heat exchanger, without any pumping of the liquid metal

Boron carbide-coated carbon material, manufacturing method therefor and plasma facing material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Takayuki; Kikuchi, Yoshihiro; Hyakki, Yasuo.

1997-01-01

The present invention concerns a plasma facing material suitable to a thermonuclear device. The material comprises a carbon material formed by converting the surface of a carbon fiber-reinforced carbon material comprising a carbon matrix and carbon fibers to a boron carbide, the material has a surface comprising vertically or substantially vertically oriented carbon fibers, and the thickness of the surface converted to boron carbide is reduced in the carbon fiber portion than in the carbon matrix portion. Alternatively, a carbon fiber-reinforced carbon material containing carbon fibers having a higher graphitizing degree than the carbon matrix is converted to boron carbide on the surface where the carbon fibers are oriented vertically or substantially vertically. The carbon fiber-reinforced material is used as a base material, and a resin material impregnated into a shaped carbon fiber product is carbonized or thermally decomposed carbon is filled as a matrix. The material of the present invention has high heat conduction and excellent in heat resistance thereby being suitable to a plasma facing material for a thermonuclear device. Electric specific resistivity of the entire coating layer can be lowered, occurrence of arc discharge is prevented and melting can be prevented. (N.H.)

Method for solving fully fuzzy linear programming problems using deviation degree measure

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Haifang Cheng; Weilai Huang; Jianhu Cai

2013-01-01

A new ful y fuzzy linear programming (FFLP) prob-lem with fuzzy equality constraints is discussed. Using deviation degree measures, the FFLP problem is transformed into a crispδ-parametric linear programming (LP) problem. Giving the value of deviation degree in each constraint, the δ-fuzzy optimal so-lution of the FFLP problem can be obtained by solving this LP problem. An algorithm is also proposed to find a balance-fuzzy optimal solution between two goals in conflict: to improve the va-lues of the objective function and to decrease the values of the deviation degrees. A numerical example is solved to il ustrate the proposed method.

Revealing the programming process

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennedsen, Jens; Caspersen, Michael Edelgaard

2005-01-01

One of the most important goals of an introductory programming course is that the students learn a systematic approach to the development of computer programs. Revealing the programming process is an important part of this; however, textbooks do not address the issue -- probably because...... the textbook medium is static and therefore ill-suited to expose the process of programming. We have found that process recordings in the form of captured narrated programming sessions are a simple, cheap, and efficient way of providing the revelation.We identify seven different elements of the programming...

Implementing corporate wellness programs: a business approach to program planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Helmer, D C; Dunn, L M; Eaton, K; Macedonio, C; Lubritz, L

1995-11-01

1. Support of key decision makers is critical to the successful implementation of a corporate wellness program. Therefore, the program implementation plan must be communicated in a format and language readily understood by business people. 2. A business approach to corporate wellness program planning provides a standardized way to communicate the implementation plan. 3. A business approach incorporates the program planning components in a format that ranges from general to specific. This approach allows for flexibility and responsiveness to changes in program planning. 4. Components of the business approach are the executive summary, purpose, background, ground rules, approach, requirements, scope of work, schedule, and financials.

Indefinitely preconditioned inexact Newton method for large sparse equality constrained non-linear programming problems

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lukšan, Ladislav; Vlček, Jan

1998-01-01

Roč. 5, č. 3 (1998), s. 219-247 ISSN 1070-5325 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA201/96/0918 Keywords : nonlinear programming * sparse problems * equality constraints * truncated Newton method * augmented Lagrangian function * indefinite systems * indefinite preconditioners * conjugate gradient method * residual smoothing Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.741, year: 1998

[The German program for disease management guidelines. Background, methods, and development process].

Science.gov (United States)

Ollenschläger, Günter; Kopp, Ina; Lelgemann, Monika; Sänger, Sylvia; Heymans, Lothar; Thole, Henning; Trapp, Henrike; Lorenz, Wilfried; Selbmann, Hans-Konrad; Encke, Albrecht

2006-10-15

The Program for National Disease Management Guidelines (German DM-CPG Program) was established in 2002 by the German Medical Association (umbrella organization of the German Chambers of Physicians) and joined by the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF; umbrella organization of more than 150 professional societies) and by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (NASHIP) in 2003. The program provides a conceptual basis for disease management, focusing on high-priority health-care topics and aiming at the implementation of best practice recommendations for prevention, acute care, rehabilitation and chronic care. It is organized by the German Agency for Quality in Medicine, a founding member of the Guidelines International Network (G-I-N). The main objective of the German DM-CPG Program is to establish consensus of the medical professions on evidence-based key recommendations covering all sectors of health-care provision and facilitating the coordination of care for the individual patient through time and across interfaces. Within the last year, DM-CPGs have been published for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes, and coronary heart disease. In addition, experts from national patient self-help groups have been developing patient guidance based upon the recommendations for health-care providers. The article describes background, methods, and tools of the DM-CPG Program, and is the first of a publication series dealing with innovative recommendations and aspects of the program.

Java Programs for Using Newmark's Method and Simplified Decoupled Analysis to Model Slope Performance During Earthquakes

Science.gov (United States)

Jibson, Randall W.; Jibson, Matthew W.

2003-01-01

Landslides typically cause a large proportion of earthquake damage, and the ability to predict slope performance during earthquakes is important for many types of seismic-hazard analysis and for the design of engineered slopes. Newmark's method for modeling a landslide as a rigid-plastic block sliding on an inclined plane provides a useful method for predicting approximate landslide displacements. Newmark's method estimates the displacement of a potential landslide block as it is subjected to earthquake shaking from a specific strong-motion record (earthquake acceleration-time history). A modification of Newmark's method, decoupled analysis, allows modeling landslides that are not assumed to be rigid blocks. This open-file report is available on CD-ROM and contains Java programs intended to facilitate performing both rigorous and simplified Newmark sliding-block analysis and a simplified model of decoupled analysis. For rigorous analysis, 2160 strong-motion records from 29 earthquakes are included along with a search interface for selecting records based on a wide variety of record properties. Utilities are available that allow users to add their own records to the program and use them for conducting Newmark analyses. Also included is a document containing detailed information about how to use Newmark's method to model dynamic slope performance. This program will run on any platform that supports the Java Runtime Environment (JRE) version 1.3, including Windows, Mac OSX, Linux, Solaris, etc. A minimum of 64 MB of available RAM is needed, and the fully installed program requires 400 MB of disk space.

Steepest descent method implementation on unconstrained optimization problem using C++ program

Science.gov (United States)

Napitupulu, H.; Sukono; Mohd, I. Bin; Hidayat, Y.; Supian, S.

2018-03-01

Steepest Descent is known as the simplest gradient method. Recently, many researches are done to obtain the appropriate step size in order to reduce the objective function value progressively. In this paper, the properties of steepest descent method from literatures are reviewed together with advantages and disadvantages of each step size procedure. The development of steepest descent method due to its step size procedure is discussed. In order to test the performance of each step size, we run a steepest descent procedure in C++ program. We implemented it to unconstrained optimization test problem with two variables, then we compare the numerical results of each step size procedure. Based on the numerical experiment, we conclude the general computational features and weaknesses of each procedure in each case of problem.

Development of a nursing education program for improving Chinese undergraduates' self-directed learning: A mixed-method study.

Science.gov (United States)

Tao, Ying; Li, Liping; Xu, Qunyan; Jiang, Anli

2015-11-01

This paper demonstrates the establishment of an extra-curricular education program in Chinese context and evaluates its effectiveness on undergraduate nursing students' self-directed learning. Zimmerman's self-directed learning model was used as the theoretical framework for the development of an education program. Mixed-method was applied in this research study. 165 undergraduate students from a nursing college were divided into experimental group (n=32) and control group (n=133). Pre- and post-tests were implemented to evaluate the effectiveness of this education program using the self-directed learning scale of nursing undergraduates. Qualitative interview was undertaken within participants from the experimental group to obtain their insights into the influence of this program. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses showed that the program contributed to nursing students' self-directed learning ability. In the experimental group, the post-test score showed an increase compared with pretest score (plearning activities and influence on learning environment. It can be found in the qualitative analysis that learners benefited from this program. The education program contributes to the improvement of nursing undergraduates' self-directed learning. Various pedagogic methods could be applied for self-directed learning. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nurse Leaders’ Experiences of Implementing Career Advancement Programs for Nurses in Iran

Science.gov (United States)

Sheikhi, Mohammad Reza; Khoshknab, Masoud Fallahi; Mohammadi, Farahnaz; Oskouie, Fatemeh

2015-01-01

Background and purpose: Career advancement programs are currently implemented in many countries. In Iran, the first career advancement program was Nurses’ Career Advancement Pathway. The purpose of this study was to explore nurse leaders’ experiences about implementing the Nurses’ Career Advancement Pathway program in Iran. Methods: This exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2013. Sixteen nurse managers were recruited from the teaching hospitals affiliated to Shahid Behesthi, Qazvin, and Iran Universities of Medical Sciences in Iran. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling method. Study data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The conventional content analysis approach was used for data analysis. Results: participants’ experiences about implementing the Nurses’ Career Advancement Pathway fell into three main categories including: a) the shortcomings of performance evaluation, b) greater emphasis on point accumulation, c) the advancement-latitude mismatch. Conclusion: The Nurses’ Career Advancement pathway has several shortcomings regarding both its content and its implementation. Therefore, it is recommended to revise the program. PMID:26156907

Comparison of linear, mixed integer and non-linear programming methods in energy system dispatch modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ommen, Torben Schmidt; Markussen, Wiebke Brix; Elmegaard, Brian

2014-01-01

In the paper, three frequently used operation optimisation methods are examined with respect to their impact on operation management of the combined utility technologies for electric power and DH (district heating) of eastern Denmark. The investigation focusses on individual plant operation...... differences and differences between the solution found by each optimisation method. One of the investigated approaches utilises LP (linear programming) for optimisation, one uses LP with binary operation constraints, while the third approach uses NLP (non-linear programming). The LP model is used...... as a benchmark, as this type is frequently used, and has the lowest amount of constraints of the three. A comparison of the optimised operation of a number of units shows significant differences between the three methods. Compared to the reference, the use of binary integer variables, increases operation...

Software documentation and user's manual for fish-impingement sampling design and estimation method computer programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murarka, I.P.; Bodeau, D.J.

1977-11-01

This report contains a description of three computer programs that implement the theory of sampling designs and the methods for estimating fish-impingement at the cooling-water intakes of nuclear power plants as described in companion report ANL/ES-60. Complete FORTRAN listings of these programs, named SAMPLE, ESTIMA, and SIZECO, are given and augmented with examples of how they are used

A low-voltage flash memory cell utilizing the gate-injection program/erase method with a recessed channel structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu Dake; Huang Ru; Wang Pengfei; Tang Poren; Wang Yangyuan

2008-01-01

In this paper, a low-voltage recessed channel SONOS flash memory using the gate-injection program/erase method is proposed and investigated for NAND application. It is shown that the proposed flash memory can achieve 8 V lower programming voltage compared with planar flash memory, due to the effective capacitance coupling and the electric-field enhancement by combining the recessed channel structure and the gate-injection program/erase method. In addition, more than 30% larger threshold voltage window and improved short channel effects can be obtained in the proposed flash memory

Optimal operation method coping with uncertainty in multi-area small power systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shota Tobaru

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Japan contains a vast number of isolated islands. Majority of these islands are poweredby diesel generators (DGs, which are operationally not economical. Therefore, the introduction of renewableenergy systems (RESs into these area is very much vital. However, the variability of RESs asa result of weather condition as well as load demand , battery energy storage system (BESS is broughtinto play. Demand response (DR programs have also been so attractive in the energy management systemsfor the past decades. Among them, the real-time pricing (RTP has been one of the most effectivedemand response program being utilized. This program encourages the customer to increase or reducethe load consumption by varying the electricity price. Also, due to the increase in power transactionmarket, Japan electric power exchange (JEPX has established spot (day-ahead, intraday hour-ahead,and forward market programs. This paper utilizes day-ahead and hour-ahead markets, since these marketscan make it possible to deal with uncertainty related to generated power fluctuations. Therefore,this paper presents the optimal operation method coping with the uncertainties of RESs in multi-areasmall power systems. The proposed method enables flexibility to correspond to the forecasting error byproviding two kinds of power markets among multi-area small power systems and trading the shortageand surplus powers. Furthermore, it accomplishes a stable power supply and demand by RTP. Thus, theproposed method was able to reduce operational cost for multi-area small power systems. The processof creating operational plan for RTP, power trading at the markets and the unit commitment of DGs arealso presented in this paper. Simulation results corroborate the merit of the proposed program.

Transactive Demand Side Management Programs in Smart Grids with High Penetration of EVs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poria Hasanpor Divshali

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Due to environmental concerns, economic issues, and emerging new loads, such as electrical vehicles (EVs, the importance of demand side management (DSM programs has increased in recent years. DSM programs using a dynamic real-time pricing (RTP method can help to adaptively control the electricity consumption. However, the existing RTP methods, particularly when they consider the EVs and the power system constraints, have many limitations, such as computational complexity and the need for centralized control. Therefore, a new transactive DSM program is proposed in this paper using an imperfect competition model with high EV penetration levels. In particular, a heuristic two-stage iterative method, considering the influence of decisions made independently by customers to minimize their own costs, is developed to find the market equilibrium quickly in a distributed manner. Simulations in the IEEE 37-bus system with 1141 customers and 670 EVs are performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that the proposed method can better manage the EVs and elastic appliances than the existing methods in terms of power constraints and cost. Also, the proposed method can solve the optimization problem quick enough to run in real-time.

Overview of Evaluation Methods for R&D Programs. A Directory of Evaluation Methods Relevant to Technology Development Programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ruegg, Rosalie [TIA Consulting, Inc., Emeral Isle, NC (United States); Jordan, Gretchen B. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2007-03-01

This document provides guidance for evaluators who conduct impact assessments to determine the “realized” economic benefits and costs, energy, environmental benefits, and other impacts of the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy’s (EERE) R&D programs. The focus of this Guide is on realized outcomes or impacts of R&D programs actually experienced by American citizens, industry, and others.

.A computer program for nuclear lifetimes measurements by DSAM using a self-supporting target

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morand, C.; Chan, T.U.

1981-02-01

The present Doppler Shift Attenuation Method, for nuclear lifetimes measurements using self supporting target, has already been described. Therefore this paper only mentions the peculiar features of that DSAM, describes several code facilities, comments the subroutines working along the program structure, in order to be easily handled by other physicists

Research program in reactor core diagnostics with neutron noise methods: Stage 3. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pazsit, I.; Garis, N.S.; Karlsson, J.; Racz, A.

1997-09-01

Stage 3 of the program has been executed 96-04-12. The long term goal is to develop noise methods for identification and localization of perturbations in reactor cores. The main parts of the program consist of modelling the noise source, calculation of the space- and frequency dependent transfer function, calculation of the neutron noise via a convolution of the transfer function of the system and the noise source, i.e. the perturbation, and finally finding an inversion or unfolding procedure to determine noise source parameters from the neutron noise. Most previous work is based on very simple (analytical) reactor models for the calculation of the transfer function as well as analytical unfolding methods. The purpose of this project is to calculate the transfer function in a more realistic model as well as elaborating powerful inversion methods that do not require analytical transfer functions. The work in stage 3 is described under the following headlines: Further investigation of simplified models for the calculation of the neutron noise; Further investigation of methods based on neural networks; Further investigation of methods for detecting the vibrations and impacting of detectors; Application of static codes for determination of the neutron noise using the adiabatic approximation

Evaluation of methods to reduce background using the Python-based ELISA_QC program.

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, Rose P; Cohen, Cinder F; Saeed, Fatima O; Wetzel, Hanna N; Ball, William J; Kirley, Terence L; Norman, Andrew B

2018-05-01

Almost all immunological approaches [immunohistochemistry, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Western blot], that are used to quantitate specific proteins have had to address high backgrounds due to non-specific reactivity. We report here for the first time a quantitative comparison of methods for reduction of the background of commercial biotinylated antibodies using the Python-based ELISA_QC program. This is demonstrated using a recombinant humanized anti-cocaine monoclonal antibody. Several approaches, such as adjustment of the incubation time and the concentration of blocking agent, as well as the dilution of secondary antibodies, have been explored to address this issue. In this report, systematic comparisons of two different methods, contrasted with other more traditional methods to address this problem are provided. Addition of heparin (HP) at 1 μg/ml to the wash buffer prior to addition of the secondary biotinylated antibody reduced the elevated background absorbance values (from a mean of 0.313 ± 0.015 to 0.137 ± 0.002). A novel immunodepletion (ID) method also reduced the background (from a mean of 0.331 ± 0.010 to 0.146 ± 0.013). Overall, the ID method generated more similar results at each concentration of the ELISA standard curve to that using the standard lot 1 than the HP method, as analyzed by the Python-based ELISA_QC program. We conclude that the ID method, while more laborious, provides the best solution to resolve the high background seen with specific lots of biotinylated secondary antibody. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Using a Mixed-Methods RE-AIM Framework to Evaluate Community Health Programs for Older Latinas.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwingel, Andiara; Gálvez, Patricia; Linares, Deborah; Sebastião, Emerson

2017-06-01

This study used the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance) framework to evaluate a promotora-led community health program designed for Latinas ages 50 and older that sought to improve physical activity, nutrition, and stress management. A mixed-methods evaluation approach was administered at participant and organizational levels with a focus on the efficacy, adoption, implementation, and maintenance components of the RE-AIM theoretical model. The program was shown to be effective at improving participants' eating behaviors, increasing their physical activity levels, and lowering their depressive symptoms. Promotoras felt motivated and sufficiently prepared to deliver the program. Some implementation challenges were reported. More child care opportunities and an increased focus on mental well-being were suggested. The promotora delivery model has promise for program sustainability with both promotoras and participants alike expressing interest in leading future programs.

Homotopy Method for a General Multiobjective Programming Problem under Generalized Quasinormal Cone Condition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Zhao

2012-01-01

Full Text Available A combined interior point homotopy continuation method is proposed for solving general multiobjective programming problem. We prove the existence and convergence of a smooth homotopy path from almost any interior initial interior point to a solution of the KKT system under some basic assumptions.

Solving the Fully Fuzzy Bilevel Linear Programming Problem through Deviation Degree Measures and a Ranking Function Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aihong Ren

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper is concerned with a class of fully fuzzy bilevel linear programming problems where all the coefficients and decision variables of both objective functions and the constraints are fuzzy numbers. A new approach based on deviation degree measures and a ranking function method is proposed to solve these problems. We first introduce concepts of the feasible region and the fuzzy optimal solution of a fully fuzzy bilevel linear programming problem. In order to obtain a fuzzy optimal solution of the problem, we apply deviation degree measures to deal with the fuzzy constraints and use a ranking function method of fuzzy numbers to rank the upper and lower level fuzzy objective functions. Then the fully fuzzy bilevel linear programming problem can be transformed into a deterministic bilevel programming problem. Considering the overall balance between improving objective function values and decreasing allowed deviation degrees, the computational procedure for finding a fuzzy optimal solution is proposed. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the proposed approach. The results indicate that the proposed approach gives a better optimal solution in comparison with the existing method.

Data Programming: Creating Large Training Sets, Quickly

Science.gov (United States)

Ratner, Alexander; De Sa, Christopher; Wu, Sen; Selsam, Daniel; Ré, Christopher

2018-01-01

Large labeled training sets are the critical building blocks of supervised learning methods and are key enablers of deep learning techniques. For some applications, creating labeled training sets is the most time-consuming and expensive part of applying machine learning. We therefore propose a paradigm for the programmatic creation of training sets called data programming in which users express weak supervision strategies or domain heuristics as labeling functions, which are programs that label subsets of the data, but that are noisy and may conflict. We show that by explicitly representing this training set labeling process as a generative model, we can “denoise” the generated training set, and establish theoretically that we can recover the parameters of these generative models in a handful of settings. We then show how to modify a discriminative loss function to make it noise-aware, and demonstrate our method over a range of discriminative models including logistic regression and LSTMs. Experimentally, on the 2014 TAC-KBP Slot Filling challenge, we show that data programming would have led to a new winning score, and also show that applying data programming to an LSTM model leads to a TAC-KBP score almost 6 F1 points over a state-of-the-art LSTM baseline (and into second place in the competition). Additionally, in initial user studies we observed that data programming may be an easier way for non-experts to create machine learning models when training data is limited or unavailable. PMID:29872252

Microbial enhanced oil recovery and compositions therefor

Science.gov (United States)

Bryant, Rebecca S.

1990-01-01

A method is provided for microbial enhanced oil recovery, wherein a combination of microorganisms is empirically formulated based on survivability under reservoir conditions and oil recovery efficiency, such that injection of the microbial combination may be made, in the presence of essentially only nutrient solution, directly into an injection well of an oil bearing reservoir having oil present at waterflood residual oil saturation concentration. The microbial combination is capable of displacing residual oil from reservoir rock, which oil may be recovered by waterflooding without causing plugging of the reservoir rock. Further, the microorganisms are capable of being transported through the pores of the reservoir rock between said injection well and associated production wells, during waterflooding, which results in a larger area of the reservoir being covered by the oil-mobilizing microorganisms.

Research and Development Program in Reactor Diagnostics and Monitoring with Neutron Noise Methods, Stage 18

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pazsit, Imre; Nam, Tran Hoai; Dykin, Victor; Jonsson, Anders

2013-01-01

This report constitutes Stage 18 of a long-term research and development program concerning the development of diagnostics and monitoring methods for nuclear reactors. The objective of the research program is to contribute to the strategic research goal of competence and research capacity by building up competence within the Department of Nuclear Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology, regarding reactor physics, reactor dynamics and noise diagnostics. The purpose is also to contribute to the research goal of giving a basis for SSM's supervision by developing methods for identification and localization of perturbations in reactor cores. Results up to Stage 17 were reported in SKI and SSM reports, as listed in the report's summary

The Role of Managers in Employee Wellness Programs: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Passey, Deborah G; Hammerback, Kristen; Huff, Aaron; Harris, Jeffrey R; Hannon, Peggy A

2018-01-01

The purpose of this study is to evaluate managers' barriers and facilitators to supporting employee participation in the Washington State Wellness program. Exploratory sequential mixed methods. Four Washington State agencies located in Olympia and Tumwater, Washington. State employees in management positions (executive, middle, and line), whose job includes supervision of subordinates and responsibility for the performance and conduct of a subunit or group. We interviewed 23 managers and then used the results to create a survey that was fielded to all managers at the 4 agencies. The survey response rate was 65% (n = 607/935). We used qualitative coding techniques to analyze interview transcripts and descriptive statistics to summarize survey data. We used the Total Worker Health framework to organize our findings and conclusions. Managers support the wellness program, but they also face challenges with accommodating employees' participation due to workload, scheduling inflexibility, and self-efficacy to discuss wellness with direct reports. About half the managers receive support from the manager above them, and most have not received training on the wellness program. Our findings point to several strategies that can strengthen managers' role in supporting the wellness program: the provision of training, targeted messages, formal expectations, and encouragement (from the manager above) to support employees' participation.

Impacts of alternative allowance allocation methods under a cap-and-trade program in power sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Beibei; He Pan; Zhang Bing; Bi Jun

2012-01-01

Emission trading is considered to be a cost-effective environmental economic instrument for pollution control. However, the policy design of an emission trading program has a decisive impact on its performance. Allowance allocation is one of the most important policy design issues in emission trading, not only for equity but also for policy performance. In this research, an artificial market for sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emission trading was constructed by applying an agent-based model. The performance of the Jiangsu SO 2 emission trading market was examined under different allowance allocation methods and transaction costs. The results showed that the market efficiency of emission trading would be affected by the allocation methods when the transaction costs are positive. The auction allowance allocation method was more efficient and had the lowest total emission control costs than the other three allocation methods examined. However, the use of this method will require that power plants pay for all of their allowance, and doing so will increase the production costs of power plants. On the other hand, output-based allowance allocation is the second best method. - Highlights: ► The impact of allowance allocation methods is examined for a cap-and-trade program. ► The market efficiency would be distinct when the transaction costs are positive. ► The auction method would have lowest total emission control costs.

A novel Python program for implementation of quality control in the ELISA.

Science.gov (United States)

Wetzel, Hanna N; Cohen, Cinder; Norman, Andrew B; Webster, Rose P

2017-09-01

The use of semi-quantitative assays such as the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) requires stringent quality control of the data. However, such quality control is often lacking in academic settings due to unavailability of software and knowledge. Therefore, our aim was to develop methods to easily implement Levey-Jennings quality control methods. For this purpose, we created a program written in Python (a programming language with an open-source license) and tested it using a training set of ELISA standard curves quantifying the Fab fragment of an anti-cocaine monoclonal antibody in mouse blood. A colorimetric ELISA was developed using a goat anti-human anti-Fab capture method. Mouse blood samples spiked with the Fab fragment were tested against a standard curve of known concentrations of Fab fragment in buffer over a period of 133days stored at 4°C to assess stability of the Fab fragment and to generate a test dataset to assess the program. All standard curves were analyzed using our program to batch process the data and to generate Levey-Jennings control charts and statistics regarding the datasets. The program was able to identify values outside of two standard deviations, and this identification of outliers was consistent with the results of a two-way ANOVA. This program is freely available, which will help laboratories implement quality control methods, thus improving reproducibility within and between labs. We report here successful testing of the program with our training set and development of a method for quantification of the Fab fragment in mouse blood. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Attempt of Making Program-Generated Animation in a Beginners’ Programming Class

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuyama, Chieko; Nakashima, Toyoshiro; Ishii, Naohiro

In general, mathematical subjects are used for programming education in universities. In this case, many students lose the interest in the programming because the students have the preconception that is difficult to program by using the mathematical expressions. Especially beginners of the programming are a tendency to lose the interest. Therefore it is pointed out to use the subjects which do not need mathematical knowledge as much as possible. In this paper the authors have tried to make animation that are generated by programs instead of the mathematical subjects in a beginners’ programming class using C language used in a wide-ranging field. The authors discuss about improvements of the interest of students for programming by the try that is to make animation by programs in a programming class and refer to its effects.

Algorithms, The λ Calculus and Programming

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

IAS Admin

developed a model to understand ... Hence the ¸ calculus also served as an alternate model ...... Practical programming using usual languages based on .... and return values as. 'answers'. This style of programming that emerges is therefore.

Program Analysis as Model Checking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Olesen, Mads Chr.

Software programs are proliferating throughout modern life, to a point where even the simplest appliances such as lightbulbs contain software, in addition to the software embedded in cars and airplanes. The correct functioning of these programs is therefore of the utmost importance, for the quality...

The Usefulness of Appreciative Inquiry As a Method to Identify Mass Sports Program Success

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernadine VAN GRAMBERG

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The importance of the relationship between good health and physical activity is well known. Despite the growth of public mass sports programs in many countries, few evaluate them to ensure they meet their targets. Measuring organizational effectiveness and program success in public sports organizations is difficult and cannot be done directly as it involves a number of complex dimensions involving both internal (organizational and external (customer factors. Recognizing this, the paper advances the Appreciative Inquiry approach as a culturally sensitive method to focus on the positives of human experience rather than finding faults or gaps and as a means of identifying the success factors of service delivery. The paper outlines the research strategy to investigate success in Malaysian mass sport programs.

Development of ray tracing visualization program by Monte Carlo method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Higuchi, Kenji; Otani, Takayuki [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokyo (Japan); Hasegawa, Yukihiro

1997-09-01

Ray tracing algorithm is a powerful method to synthesize three dimensional computer graphics. In conventional ray tracing algorithms, a view point is used as a starting point of ray tracing, from which the rays are tracked up to the light sources through center points of pixels on the view screen to calculate the intensities of the pixels. This manner, however, makes it difficult to define the configuration of light source as well as to strictly simulate the reflections of the rays. To resolve these problems, we have developed a new ray tracing means which traces rays from a light source, not from a view point, with use of Monte Carlo method which is widely applied in nuclear fields. Moreover, we adopt the variance reduction techniques to the program with use of the specialized machine (Monte-4) for particle transport Monte Carlo so that the computational time could be successfully reduced. (author)

Yager’s ranking method for solving the trapezoidal fuzzy number linear programming

Science.gov (United States)

Karyati; Wutsqa, D. U.; Insani, N.

2018-03-01

In the previous research, the authors have studied the fuzzy simplex method for trapezoidal fuzzy number linear programming based on the Maleki’s ranking function. We have found some theories related to the term conditions for the optimum solution of fuzzy simplex method, the fuzzy Big-M method, the fuzzy two-phase method, and the sensitivity analysis. In this research, we study about the fuzzy simplex method based on the other ranking function. It is called Yager's ranking function. In this case, we investigate the optimum term conditions. Based on the result of research, it is found that Yager’s ranking function is not like Maleki’s ranking function. Using the Yager’s function, the simplex method cannot work as well as when using the Maleki’s function. By using the Yager’s function, the value of the subtraction of two equal fuzzy numbers is not equal to zero. This condition makes the optimum table of the fuzzy simplex table is undetected. As a result, the simplified fuzzy simplex table becomes stopped and does not reach the optimum solution.

Improving student understanding in web programming material through multimedia adventure games

Science.gov (United States)

Fitriasari, N. S.; Ashiddiqi, M. F.; Nurdin, E. A.

2018-05-01

This study aims to make multimedia adventure games and find out the improvement of learners’ understanding after being given treatment of using multimedia adventure game in learning Web Programming. Participants of this study are students of class X (ten) in one of the Vocational Schools (SMK) in Indonesia. The material of web programming is a material that difficult enough to be understood by the participant therefore needed tools to facilitate the participants to understand the material. Solutions offered in this study is by using multimedia adventures game. Multimedia has been created using Construct2 and measured understood with method Non-equivalent Control Group Design. Pre-test and post-test has given to learners who received treatment using the multimedia adventure showed increase in understanding web programming material.

System and Method for Providing a Climate Data Analytic Services Application Programming Interface Distribution Package

Science.gov (United States)

Schnase, John L. (Inventor); Duffy, Daniel Q. (Inventor); Tamkin, Glenn S. (Inventor)

2016-01-01

A system, method and computer-readable storage devices for providing a climate data analytic services application programming interface distribution package. The example system can provide various components. The system provides a climate data analytic services application programming interface library that enables software applications running on a client device to invoke the capabilities of a climate data analytic service. The system provides a command-line interface that provides a means of interacting with a climate data analytic service by issuing commands directly to the system's server interface. The system provides sample programs that call on the capabilities of the application programming interface library and can be used as templates for the construction of new client applications. The system can also provide test utilities, build utilities, service integration utilities, and documentation.

Promoting Healthy Development among Adolescent Girls: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of the HERstory Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily MacFarlane

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The Leadership Program’s HERstory is a school-based, universal, preventative intervention designed to promote healthy youth development among adolescent girls by increasing their connections to pro-social peers and to school and community while developing social-emotional skills that serve as protective factors. In this school-year-long program, a facilitator implements three program phases: group development activities in Community Building, self-reflective Writing Workshop exercises, and a final Creative Output project, an ethnographic theater production or literary journal developed from participants’ Writing Workshop responses. The current mixed-methods study presents early evidence of program effectiveness based on focus groups and school record data review at two NYC public schools during the 2010-2011 school year. Participants reported improvements in key areas targeted by HERstory, including peer connectedness, academic achievement, and a range of protective factors including future orientation and goal setting. Results suggest this program approach may be suitable promoting healthy adolescent development for girls.

The application of the fall-vector method in decomposition schemes for the solution of integer linear programming problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sergienko, I.V.; Golodnikov, A.N.

1984-01-01

This article applies the methods of decompositions, which are used to solve continuous linear problems, to integer and partially integer problems. The fall-vector method is used to solve the obtained coordinate problems. An algorithm of the fall-vector is described. The Kornai-Liptak decomposition principle is used to reduce the integer linear programming problem to integer linear programming problems of a smaller dimension and to a discrete coordinate problem with simple constraints

Social cohesion through football: a quasi-experimental mixed methods design to evaluate a complex health promotion program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kemp Lynn

2010-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Social isolation and disengagement fragments local communities. Evidence indicates that refugee families are highly vulnerable to social isolation in their countries of resettlement. Research to identify approaches to best address this is needed. Football United is a program that aims to foster social inclusion and cohesion in areas with high refugee settlement in New South Wales, Australia, through skills and leadership development, mentoring, and the creation of links with local community and corporate leaders and organisations. The Social Cohesion through Football study's broad goal is to examine the implementation of a complex health promotion program, and to analyse the processes involved in program implementation. The study will consider program impact on individual health and wellbeing, social inclusion and cohesion, as well as analyse how the program by necessity interacts and adapts to context during implementation, a concept we refer to as plasticity. The proposed study will be the first prospective cohort impact study to our knowledge to assess the impact of a comprehensive integrated program using football as a vehicle for fostering social inclusion and cohesion in communities with high refugee settlement. Methods/design A quasi-experimental cohort study design with treatment partitioning involving four study sites. The study employs a 'dose response' model, comparing those with no involvement in the Football United program with those with lower or higher levels of participation. A range of qualitative and quantitative measures will be used in the study. Study participants' emotional well being, resilience, ethnic identity and other group orientation, feelings of social inclusion and belonging will be measured using a survey instrument complemented by relevant data drawn from in-depth interviews, self reporting measures and participant observation. The views of key informants from the program and the wider community will

Using Scripting Languages to Teach Programming

OpenAIRE

Syropoulos, Apostolos; Stavrianos, Athanasios

2014-01-01

Nowadays, scripting programming languages like Python, Perl and Ruby are widely used in system programming, scientific computing, etc. Although solving a particular problem in these languages requires less time, less programming effort, and less concepts to be taught to achieve the desired goal, still they are not used as teaching tools. Therefore, the use of scripting languages as a teaching vehicle for programming course is very promising. On the other hand, GUI programming, when performed ...

A new method of measuring gravitational acceleration in an undergraduate laboratory program

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qiaochu; Wang, Chang; Xiao, Yunhuan; Schulte, Jurgen; Shi, Qingfan

2018-01-01

This paper presents a high accuracy method to measure gravitational acceleration in an undergraduate laboratory program. The experiment is based on water in a cylindrical vessel rotating about its vertical axis at a constant speed. The water surface forms a paraboloid whose focal length is related to rotational period and gravitational acceleration. This experimental setup avoids classical source errors in determining the local value of gravitational acceleration, so prevalent in the common simple pendulum and inclined plane experiments. The presented method combines multiple physics concepts such as kinematics, classical mechanics and geometric optics, offering the opportunity for lateral as well as project-based learning.

Analysis of programming properties and the row-column generation method for 1-norm support vector machines.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li; Zhou, WeiDa

2013-12-01

This paper deals with fast methods for training a 1-norm support vector machine (SVM). First, we define a specific class of linear programming with many sparse constraints, i.e., row-column sparse constraint linear programming (RCSC-LP). In nature, the 1-norm SVM is a sort of RCSC-LP. In order to construct subproblems for RCSC-LP and solve them, a family of row-column generation (RCG) methods is introduced. RCG methods belong to a category of decomposition techniques, and perform row and column generations in a parallel fashion. Specially, for the 1-norm SVM, the maximum size of subproblems of RCG is identical with the number of Support Vectors (SVs). We also introduce a semi-deleting rule for RCG methods and prove the convergence of RCG methods when using the semi-deleting rule. Experimental results on toy data and real-world datasets illustrate that it is efficient to use RCG to train the 1-norm SVM, especially in the case of small SVs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Loyalty program: current content, types and methods of realization at B2C market

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nehaenko Ekaterina

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The article is devoted to researching the content of the key concepts for partnership relations marketing – customer loyalty. It presents the results of scientific-theoretical substantiation of the typical structure and methods of implementation of loyalty programs in retail.

49 CFR 192.945 - What methods must an operator use to measure program effectiveness?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) PIPELINE SAFETY TRANSPORTATION OF NATURAL AND OTHER GAS BY PIPELINE: MINIMUM FEDERAL SAFETY STANDARDS Gas Transmission Pipeline Integrity Management § 192.945 What methods must an operator use to measure program...

Overview of Flour Fortification Program with Iron and Folic Acid in Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marjan Mahdavi-Roshan

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction and purpose: A large percentage of the world population suffers from hidden hunger, which is defined as micronutrients deficiency. Iron deficiency anemia is one of the most common complications of the micronutrients deficiency and there is a lot of effort to deal with this problem. For this purpose, this study aimed to examine the program of flour fortification with iron in Iran. Methods: The cohort, case-control, and clinical trial studies with the search strategies such as iron deficiency anemia, fortification, and micronutrients deficiency, which were conducted until 2015 were included. The data sources entailed PubMed, Ovid, Elsevier Science, Blackwell Synergy, and Google. All the selected studies were available in English and Persian. Results: In several countries, the best method for correction of the iron deficiency anemia is food fortification due to high efficacy and low adverse effects of this method. Bread is a staple food in Iran; therefore, flour fortification was performed in this country. The premix powder containing 30 ppm of iron and 1.5 ppm of folic acid was used for flour fortification. Considering the various types of wealth, the total amount of iron in flour was up to 80 to 85 ppm that may lead to iron poisoning in people with a low socio-economic status because of high bread consumption, as well as the individuals with high socio-economic status since they receive iron from the other resources. Therefore this program was stopped in several provinces due to the mentioned complication. Conclusion: Prior to the implementation of this program, it was essential to carry out abundant pilot studies to investigate the probable complications and problems of this plan. To the best of our knowledge, there is limited number of studies conducted on the adverse effects of iron fortification in Iran; therefore, further studies are recommended in this issue.

Trading Rules on Stock Markets Using Genetic Network Programming with Reinforcement Learning and Importance Index

Science.gov (United States)

Mabu, Shingo; Hirasawa, Kotaro; Furuzuki, Takayuki

Genetic Network Programming (GNP) is an evolutionary computation which represents its solutions using graph structures. Since GNP can create quite compact programs and has an implicit memory function, it has been clarified that GNP works well especially in dynamic environments. In addition, a study on creating trading rules on stock markets using GNP with Importance Index (GNP-IMX) has been done. IMX is a new element which is a criterion for decision making. In this paper, we combined GNP-IMX with Actor-Critic (GNP-IMX&AC) and create trading rules on stock markets. Evolution-based methods evolve their programs after enough period of time because they must calculate fitness values, however reinforcement learning can change programs during the period, therefore the trading rules can be created efficiently. In the simulation, the proposed method is trained using the stock prices of 10 brands in 2002 and 2003. Then the generalization ability is tested using the stock prices in 2004. The simulation results show that the proposed method can obtain larger profits than GNP-IMX without AC and Buy&Hold.

Computer program CDCID: an automated quality control program using CDC update

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Singer, G.L.; Aguilar, F.

1984-04-01

A computer program, CDCID, has been developed in coordination with a quality control program to provide a highly automated method of documenting changes to computer codes at EG and G Idaho, Inc. The method uses the standard CDC UPDATE program in such a manner that updates and their associated documentation are easily made and retrieved in various formats. The method allows each card image of a source program to point to the document which describes it, who created the card, and when it was created. The method described is applicable to the quality control of computer programs in general. The computer program described is executable only on CDC computing systems, but the program could be modified and applied to any computing system with an adequate updating program

Max-out-in pivot rule with Dantzig's safeguarding rule for the simplex method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tipawanna, Monsicha; Sinapiromsaran, Krung

2014-01-01

The simplex method is used to solve linear programming problem by improving the current basic feasible solution. It uses a pivot rule to guide the search in the feasible region. The pivot rule is used to select an entering index in simplex method. Nowadays, many pivot rule have been presented, but no pivot rule shows superior performance than other. Therefore, this is still an active research in linear programming. In this research, we present the max-out-in pivot rule with Dantzig's safeguarding for simplex method. This rule is based on maximum improvement of objective value of the current basic feasible point similar to the Dantzig's rule. We can illustrate by Klee and Minty problems that our rule outperforms that of Dantzig's rule by the number of iterations for solving linear programming problems

A Semantics for Modular General Logic Programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Etalle, Sandro

1998-01-01

Modular programs are built as a combination of separate modules, which may be developed and verified separately. Therefore, in order to reason over such programs, compositionality plays a crucial role: the semantics of the whole program must be obtainable as a simple function from the semantics of

A semantics for modular general logic programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Etalle, S.

1998-01-01

Modular programs are built as a combination of separate modules, which may be developed and verified separately. Therefore, in order to reason over such programs, compositionality plays a crucial role: the semantics of the whole program must be obtainable as a simple function from the semantics of

Evaluation of mathematical methods and linear programming for optimization of the planning in radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernandes, Marco A.R.; Fernandes, David M.; Florentino, Helenice O.

2010-01-01

The work detaches the importance of the use of mathematical tools and computer systems for optimization of the planning in radiotherapy, seeking to the distribution of dose of appropriate radiation in the white volume that provides an ideal therapeutic rate between the tumor cells and the adjacent healthy tissues, extolled in the radiotherapy protocols. Examples of target volumes mathematically modeled are analyzed with the technique of linear programming, comparing the obtained results using the Simplex algorithm with those using the algorithm of Interior Points. The System Genesis II was used for obtaining of the isodose curves for the outline and geometry of fields idealized in the computer simulations, considering the parameters of a 10 MV photons beams. Both programming methods (Simplex and Interior Points) they resulted in a distribution of integral dose in the tumor volume and allow the adaptation of the dose in the critical organs inside of the restriction limits extolled. The choice of an or other method should take into account the facility and the need of limiting the programming time. The isodose curves, obtained with the Genesis II System, illustrate that the adjacent healthy tissues to the tumor receives larger doses than those reached in the computer simulations. More coincident values can be obtained altering the weights and some factors of minimization of the objective function. The prohibitive costs of the computer planning systems, at present available for radiotherapy, it motivates the researches to look for the implementation of simpler and so effective methods for optimization of the treatment plan. (author)

Evolutionary programming-based univector field navigation method for past mobile robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Y J; Kim, J H; Kwon, D S

2001-01-01

Most of navigation techniques with obstacle avoidance do not consider the robot orientation at the target position. These techniques deal with the robot position only and are independent of its orientation and velocity. To solve these problems this paper proposes a novel univector field method for fast mobile robot navigation which introduces a normalized two dimensional vector field. The method provides fast moving robots with the desired posture at the target position and obstacle avoidance. To obtain the sub-optimal vector field, a function approximator is used and trained by evolutionary programming. Two kinds of vector fields are trained, one for the final posture acquisition and the other for obstacle avoidance. Computer simulations and real experiments are carried out for a fast moving mobile robot to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.

Numerical calculation of elastohydrodynamic lubrication methods and programs

CERN Document Server

Huang, Ping

2015-01-01

The book not only offers scientists and engineers a clear inter-disciplinary introduction and orientation to all major EHL problems and their solutions but, most importantly, it also provides numerical programs on specific application in engineering. A one-stop reference providing equations and their solutions to all major elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) problems, plus numerical programs on specific applications in engineering offers engineers and scientists a clear inter-disciplinary introduction and a concise program for practical engineering applications to most important EHL problems

A Generic multi-dimensional feature extraction method using multiobjective genetic programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yang; Rockett, Peter I

2009-01-01

In this paper, we present a generic feature extraction method for pattern classification using multiobjective genetic programming. This not only evolves the (near-)optimal set of mappings from a pattern space to a multi-dimensional decision space, but also simultaneously optimizes the dimensionality of that decision space. The presented framework evolves vector-to-vector feature extractors that maximize class separability. We demonstrate the efficacy of our approach by making statistically-founded comparisons with a wide variety of established classifier paradigms over a range of datasets and find that for most of the pairwise comparisons, our evolutionary method delivers statistically smaller misclassification errors. At very worst, our method displays no statistical difference in a few pairwise comparisons with established classifier/dataset combinations; crucially, none of the misclassification results produced by our method is worse than any comparator classifier. Although principally focused on feature extraction, feature selection is also performed as an implicit side effect; we show that both feature extraction and selection are important to the success of our technique. The presented method has the practical consequence of obviating the need to exhaustively evaluate a large family of conventional classifiers when faced with a new pattern recognition problem in order to attain a good classification accuracy.

Program generator for the Incomplete Cholesky Conjugate Gradient (ICCG) method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuo-Petravic, G.; Petravic, M.

1978-04-01

The Incomplete Cholesky Conjugate Gradient (ICCG) method has been found very effective for the solution of sparse systems of linear equations. Its implementation on a computer, however, requires a considerable amount of careful coding to achieve good machine efficiency. Furthermore, the resulting code is necessarily inflexible and cannot be easily adapted to different problems. We present in this paper a code generator GENIC which, given a small amount of information concerning the sparsity pattern and size of the system of equations, generates a solver package. This package, called SOLIC, is tailor made for a particular problem and can be easily incorporated into any user program

New generation of docking programs: Supercomputer validation of force fields and quantum-chemical methods for docking.

Science.gov (United States)

Sulimov, Alexey V; Kutov, Danil C; Katkova, Ekaterina V; Ilin, Ivan S; Sulimov, Vladimir B

2017-11-01

Discovery of new inhibitors of the protein associated with a given disease is the initial and most important stage of the whole process of the rational development of new pharmaceutical substances. New inhibitors block the active site of the target protein and the disease is cured. Computer-aided molecular modeling can considerably increase effectiveness of new inhibitors development. Reliable predictions of the target protein inhibition by a small molecule, ligand, is defined by the accuracy of docking programs. Such programs position a ligand in the target protein and estimate the protein-ligand binding energy. Positioning accuracy of modern docking programs is satisfactory. However, the accuracy of binding energy calculations is too low to predict good inhibitors. For effective application of docking programs to new inhibitors development the accuracy of binding energy calculations should be higher than 1kcal/mol. Reasons of limited accuracy of modern docking programs are discussed. One of the most important aspects limiting this accuracy is imperfection of protein-ligand energy calculations. Results of supercomputer validation of several force fields and quantum-chemical methods for docking are presented. The validation was performed by quasi-docking as follows. First, the low energy minima spectra of 16 protein-ligand complexes were found by exhaustive minima search in the MMFF94 force field. Second, energies of the lowest 8192 minima are recalculated with CHARMM force field and PM6-D3H4X and PM7 quantum-chemical methods for each complex. The analysis of minima energies reveals the docking positioning accuracies of the PM7 and PM6-D3H4X quantum-chemical methods and the CHARMM force field are close to one another and they are better than the positioning accuracy of the MMFF94 force field. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Developing medical educators - a mixed method evaluation of a teaching education program.

Science.gov (United States)

Roos, Marco; Kadmon, Martina; Kirschfink, Michael; Koch, Eginhard; Jünger, Jana; Strittmatter-Haubold, Veronika; Steiner, Thorsten

2014-01-01

Background It is well accepted that medical faculty teaching staff require an understanding of educational theory and pedagogical methods for effective medical teaching. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 5-day teaching education program. Methods An open prospective interventional study using quantitative and qualitative instruments was performed, covering all four levels of the Kirkpatrick model: Evaluation of 1) 'Reaction' on a professional and emotional level using standardized questionnaires; 2) 'Learning' applying a multiple choice test; 3) 'Behavior' by self-, peer-, and expert assessment of teaching sessions with semistructured interviews; and 4) 'Results' from student evaluations. Results Our data indicate the success of the educational intervention at all observed levels. 1) Reaction: The participants showed a high acceptance of the instructional content. 2) Learning: There was a significant increase in knowledge (Pteaching performance. Semistructured interviews reflected a higher level of professionalism in medical teaching by the participants. 4) Results: Teaching performance ratings improved in students' evaluations. Conclusions Our results demonstrate the success of a 5-day education program in embedding knowledge and skills to improve performance of medical educators. This multimethodological approach, using both qualitative and quantitative measures, may serve as a model to evaluate effectiveness of comparable interventions in other settings.

A method for making a glass supported system, such glass supported system, and the use of a glass support therefor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Unnikrishnan, S.; Jansen, Henricus V.; Berenschot, Johan W.; Fazal, I.; Louwerse, M.C.; Mogulkoc, B.; Sanders, Remco G.P.; de Boer, Meint J.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

2008-01-01

The invention relates to a method for making a glass supported micro or nano system, comprising the steps of: i) providing a glass support; ii) mounting at least one system on at least one glass support; and iii) bonding the system to the glass support, such that the system is circumferentially

JAC, 2-D Finite Element Method Program for Quasi Static Mechanics Problems by Nonlinear Conjugate Gradient (CG) Method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biffle, J.H.

1991-01-01

1 - Description of program or function: JAC is a two-dimensional finite element program for solving large deformation, temperature dependent, quasi-static mechanics problems with the nonlinear conjugate gradient (CG) technique. Either plane strain or axisymmetric geometry may be used with material descriptions which include temperature dependent elastic-plastic, temperature dependent secondary creep, and isothermal soil models. The nonlinear effects examined include material and geometric nonlinearities due to large rotations, large strains, and surface which slide relative to one another. JAC is vectorized to perform efficiently on the Cray1 computer. A restart capability is included. 2 - Method of solution: The nonlinear conjugate gradient method is employed in a two-dimensional plane strain or axisymmetric setting with various techniques for accelerating convergence. Sliding interface conditions are also implemented. A four-node Lagrangian uniform strain element is used with orthogonal hourglass viscosity to control the zero energy modes. Three sets of continuum equations are needed - kinematic statements, constitutive equations, and equations of equilibrium - to describe the deformed configuration of the body. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem - Maxima of: 10 load and solution control functions, 4 materials. The strain rate is assumed constant over a time interval. Current large rotation theory is applicable to a maximum shear strain of 1.0. JAC should be used with caution for large shear strains. Problem size is limited only by available memory

“I Sign, Therefore I am” (Unstable Traces of Professional Practices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Gherardi

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Signatures will be read as (unstable traces of professional knowledges, practices, and identities. The paper intends to propose a theoretical framework to explore the sociomateriality of signature in occupational and professional practices. This exploration will be conducted by assuming a practice-based approach to “signing in practice” and therefore by paying attention to knowing as a situated practice within organizations. The aim of the paper is to invite to a line of research that considers signatures—in occupational and professional practices—as “matters of fact,” i.e. stable traces resistant to disputation that “make” the professional accountable, and as “social fabrications,” i.e. traces which emerge from professional learning and knowing, thus resulting from stable negotiations of human and nonhuman assemblages.

A method of numerically controlled machine part programming

Science.gov (United States)

1970-01-01

Computer program is designed for automatically programmed tools. Preprocessor computes desired tool path and postprocessor computes actual commands causing machine tool to follow specific path. It is used on a Cincinnati ATC-430 numerically controlled machine tool.

Implementation of visual programming methods for numerical techniques used in electromagnetic field theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Metin Varan

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Field theory is one of the two sub-field theories in electrical and electronics engineering that for creates difficulties for undergraduate students. In undergraduate period, field theory has been taught under the theory of electromagnetic fields by which describes using partial differential equations and integral methods. Analytical methods for solution of field problems on the basis of a mathematical model may result the understanding difficulties for undergraduate students due to their mathematical and physical infrastructure. The analytical methods which can be applied in simple model lose their applicability to more complex models. In this case, the numerical methods are used to solve more complex equations. In this study, by preparing some field theory‘s web-based graphical user interface numerical methods of applications it has been aimed to increase learning levels of field theory problems for undergraduate and graduate students while taking in mind their computer programming capabilities.

Motor relearning program and Bobath method improve motor function of the upper extremities in patients with stroke

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jinjing Liu; Fengsheng Li; Guihua Liu

2006-01-01

BACKGROUND: In the natural evolution of cerebrovascular disease, unconscious use of affected extremity during drug treatment and daily life can improve the function of affected upper extremity partially, but it is very slow and alsc accompanied by the formation of abnormal mode. Therefore, functional training should be emphasized in recovering the motor function of extremity.OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of combination of motor relearning program and Bobath method on motor function of upper extremity of patients with stroke.DESIGN: Comparison of therapeutic effects taking stroke patients as observation subjects.SETTING: Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Beijing Jingmei Group.PARTICIPANTS: Totally 120 stroke patients, including 60 males and 60 females, averaged (59±3) years, who hospitalized in the Department of Neurology, General Hospital of Beijing Jingmei Group between January 2005 and June 2006 were recruited. The involved patients met the following criteria: Stroke attack within 2 weeks;diagnosis criteria of cerebral hemorrhage or infarction made in the 4th National Cerebrovascular Disease Conference; confirmed by skull CT or MRI; Informed consents of therapeutic regimen were obtained. The patients were assigned into 2 groups according to their wills: rehabilitation group and control group, with 30 males and 30 females in each group. Patients in rehabilitation group averaged (59±2)years old, and those in the control group averaged (58±2)years old.METHODS: ① Patients in two groups received routine treatment in the Department of Neurology. When the vital signs of patients in the rehabilitation group were stable, individualized treatment was conducted by combined application of motor relearning program and Bobath method. Meanwhile, training of activity of daily living was performed according to the disease condition changes of patients at different phases, including the nursing and instruction of body posture, the maintenance of good extremity

Portfolio selection problem: a comparison of fuzzy goal programming and linear physical programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fusun Kucukbay

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Investors have limited budget and they try to maximize their return with minimum risk. Therefore this study aims to deal with the portfolio selection problem. In the study two criteria are considered which are expected return, and risk. In this respect, linear physical programming (LPP technique is applied on Bist 100 stocks to be able to find out the optimum portfolio. The analysis covers the period April 2009- March 2015. This period is divided into two; April 2009-March 2014 and April 2014 – March 2015. April 2009-March 2014 period is used as data to find an optimal solution. April 2014-March 2015 period is used to test the real performance of portfolios. The performance of the obtained portfolio is compared with that obtained from fuzzy goal programming (FGP. Then the performances of both method, LPP and FGP are compared with BIST 100 in terms of their Sharpe Indexes. The findings reveal that LPP for portfolio selection problem is a good alternative to FGP.

"System evaluates system": method for evaluating the efficiency of IS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dita Blazkova

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In paper I deal with the possible solution of evaluating the efficiency of information systems in companies. The large number of existing methods used to address the efficiency of information systems is dependent on the subjective responses of the user that may distort output evaluation. Therefore, I propose a method that eliminates the subjective opinion of a user as the primary data source. Applications, which I suggests as part of the method, collects relevant data. In this paper I describe the application in detail. This is a follow-on program on any system that runs parallel with it. The program automatically collects data for evaluation. Data include mainly time data, positions the mouse cursor, printScreens, i-grams of previous, etc. I propose a method of evaluation of the data, which identifies the degree of the friendliness of the information system to the user. Thus, the output of the method is the conclusion whether users, who work with the information system, can handle effectively work with it.

Method for Determining the Time Parameter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. P. Baslyk

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This article proposes a method for calculating one of the characteristics that represents the flight program of the first stage of ballistic rocket i.e. time parameter of the program of attack angle.In simulation of placing the payload for the first stage, a program of flight is used which consists of three segments, namely a vertical climb of the rocket, a segment of programmed reversal by attack angle, and a segment of gravitational reversal with zero angle of attack.The programed reversal by attack angle is simulated as a rapidly decreasing and increasing function. This function depends on the attack angle amplitude, time and time parameter.If the projected and ballistic parameters and the amplitude of attack angle were determined this coefficient is calculated based the constraint that the rocket velocity is equal to 0.8 from the sound velocity (0,264 km/sec when the angle of attack becomes equal to zero. Such constraint is transformed to the nonlinear equation, which can be solved using a Newton method.The attack angle amplitude value is unknown for the design analysis. Exceeding some maximum admissible value for this parameter may lead to excessive trajectory collapsing (foreshortening, which can be identified as an arising negative trajectory angle.Consequently, therefore it is necessary to compute the maximum value of the attack angle amplitude with the following constraints: a trajectory angle is positive during the entire first stage flight and the rocket velocity is equal to 0,264 km/sec by the end of program of angle attack. The problem can be formulated as a task of the nonlinear programming, minimization of the modified Lagrange function, which is solved using the multipliers method.If multipliers and penalty parameter are constant the optimization problem without constraints takes place. Using the determined coordinate descent method allows solving the problem of modified Lagrange function of unconstrained minimization with fixed

Light Water Reactor Sustainability Program: Evaluation of Localized Cable Test Methods for Nuclear Power Plant Cable Aging Management Programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Glass, Samuel W. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Fifield, Leonard S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hartman, Trenton S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-05-30

This Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) milestone report describes progress to date on the investigation of nondestructive test (NDE) methods focusing particularly on local measurements that provide key indicators of cable aging and damage. The work includes a review of relevant literature as well as hands-on experimental verification of inspection capabilities. As NPPs consider applying for second, or subsequent, license renewal (SLR) to extend their operating period from 60 years to 80 years, it important to understand how the materials installed in plant systems and components will age during that time and develop aging management programs (AMPs) to assure continued safe operation under normal and design basis events (DBE). Normal component and system tests typically confirm the cables can perform their normal operational function. The focus of the cable test program is directed toward the more demanding challenge of assuring the cable function under accident or DBE. Most utilities already have a program associated with their first life extension from 40 to 60 years. Regrettably, there is neither a clear guideline nor a single NDE that can assure cable function and integrity for all cables. Thankfully, however, practical implementation of a broad range of tests allows utilities to develop a practical program that assures cable function to a high degree. The industry has adopted 50% elongation at break (EAB) relative to the un-aged cable condition as the acceptability standard. All tests are benchmarked against the cable EAB test. EAB is a destructive test so the test programs must apply an array of other NDE tests to assure or infer the overall set of cable’s system integrity. These cable NDE programs vary in rigor and methodology. As the industry gains experience with the efficacy of these programs, it is expected that implementation practice will converge to a more common approach. This report addresses the range of local NDE cable tests that are

Development of sample size allocation program using hypergeometric distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hyun Tae; Kwack, Eun Ho; Park, Wan Soo; Min, Kyung Soo; Park, Chan Sik

1996-01-01

The objective of this research is the development of sample allocation program using hypergeometric distribution with objected-oriented method. When IAEA(International Atomic Energy Agency) performs inspection, it simply applies a standard binomial distribution which describes sampling with replacement instead of a hypergeometric distribution which describes sampling without replacement in sample allocation to up to three verification methods. The objective of the IAEA inspection is the timely detection of diversion of significant quantities of nuclear material, therefore game theory is applied to its sampling plan. It is necessary to use hypergeometric distribution directly or approximate distribution to secure statistical accuracy. Improved binomial approximation developed by Mr. J. L. Jaech and correctly applied binomial approximation are more closer to hypergeometric distribution in sample size calculation than the simply applied binomial approximation of the IAEA. Object-oriented programs of 1. sample approximate-allocation with correctly applied standard binomial approximation, 2. sample approximate-allocation with improved binomial approximation, and 3. sample approximate-allocation with hypergeometric distribution were developed with Visual C ++ and corresponding programs were developed with EXCEL(using Visual Basic for Application). 8 tabs., 15 refs. (Author)

Evaluating OO example programs for CS1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Börstler, Jürgen; Christensen, Henrik Bærbak; Bennedsen, Jens

2008-01-01

Example programs play an important role in learning to program. They work as templates, guidelines, and inspiration for learners when developing their own programs. It is therefore important to provide learners with high quality examples. In this paper, we discuss properties of example programs...... that might affect the teaching and learning of object-oriented programming. Furthermore, we present an evaluation instrument for example programs and report on initial experiences of its application to a selection of examples from popular introductory programming textbooks....

RODDRP - A FORTRAN program for use in control rod calibration by the rod drop method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, W.E.

1972-01-01

The different methods to measure reactivity which are applicable to control rod calibration are discussed. They include: 1) the positive period method, 2) the rod drop method, 3) the source-jerk method, 4) the rod oscillation method, and 5) the pulsed neutron method. The instrument setup used at WSU for rod drop measurements is presented. To speed up the analysis of power fall-off trace, a FORTRAN IV program called RODDRP was written to simultaneously solve the in-hour equation and relative neutron flux. The procedure for calculating the worth of the rod that produced the power trace is given. The reactivity for each time relative flux point is obtained. Conclusions about the status of the equipment are made

Cement solidification method for miscellaneous radioactive solid, processing device and processing tool therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mihara, Shigeru; Suzuki, Kazunori; Hasegawa, Akira.

1994-01-01

A basket made of a metal net and a lid with a spacer constituting a processing tool for processing miscellaneous radioactive solid wastes is formed as a mesh which scarcely passes the miscellaneous solids but pass mortars. The size of the mesh is usually from about 10 to 30mm. Since this mesh allows fine solids approximate to powders such as burning ashes and heat insulation materials, they fall to the bottom of a dram can, to cause corrosion. Then, the corners of the bottom and the bottom of the dram can are coated with cement. The miscellaneous solid wastes are contained, and the lid of a metal net having a spacer at the upper portion thereof is set, a provisional lid is put on, and it is evacuated, and mortars are injected. Since there is a possibility that light and fine radioactive powders are exposed on the surface of the mortars coagulated and hardened by curing, conditioning for further adding mortars is applied for securing the mortars in order to prevent scattering of the radioactive powders. With such procedures, a satisfactory safe solidified products can be formed. (T.M.)

Novel methods for Solving Economic Dispatch of Security-Constrained Unit Commitment Based on Linear Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Sangang

2017-09-01

There are two stages in solving security-constrained unit commitment problems (SCUC) within Lagrangian framework: one is to obtain feasible units’ states (UC), the other is power economic dispatch (ED) for each unit. The accurate solution of ED is more important for enhancing the efficiency of the solution to SCUC for the fixed feasible units’ statues. Two novel methods named after Convex Combinatorial Coefficient Method and Power Increment Method respectively based on linear programming problem for solving ED are proposed by the piecewise linear approximation to the nonlinear convex fuel cost functions. Numerical testing results show that the methods are effective and efficient.

Program Management Plan for the Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site Environmental Restoration Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1994-07-01

This program management plan describes the scope, objectives, and method of accomplishment for the Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems) Oak Ridge National laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program. The ORNL ER Program is one of five site program, receiving guidance from and reporting to the Energy Systems ER Division. Therefore, all ORNL ER policies and procedures are consistent with ER Division policies and procedures. This plan covers all ORNL ER activities, the participants involved in these activities (and their roles and responsibilities), and all phases of the remediation process. This plan will also serve as a template that may be supplemented as necessary to produce individual project management plans for specific projects. This document explains how the Energy Systems ORNL ER Program does business, so the ORNL ER Program`s management structure is illustrated in detail. Personnel are matrixed to the ER Program from other organizations to assist with specific projects. This plan identifies positions at the program level and discusses responsibilities and interactions with positions at the project level. This plan includes sections that describe requirements for project plans, work breakdown structures, schedules, project management and cost control systems, and information and reporting. Project management plans will utilize the work breakdown structure and dictionary pages in the appropriate life cycle baseline report This plan describes the information that should be contained in ORNL ER project management plans. The most important milestones are primary documents relating to the management and remediation of contaminated sites. Primary document milestones are subject to stipulated penalties and receive paramount attention.

A method for reducing environmental pollution by using essential oils in rodent pest management program.

Science.gov (United States)

Jokić, Goran; Blažić, Tanja; Đurović-Pejčev, Rada; Đorđević, Tijana; Đedović, Suzana; Vukša, Marina

2017-08-01

Strong-smelling plant extracts, such as essential oils, have a variety of feeding effects on mammals. Considering current concerns over long-term health issues and environmental effects of chemicals, plant-based products with repellent or antifungal activities may represent good solutions for improvement of rodent pest control programs. The present study was therefore focused on examining the effects of bergamot, lavender, and thyme essential oils as additional bait components on daily intakes of cereal-based baits by wild house mice. Lavender essential oil, containing linalool and linalyl acetate as main components, and thyme essential oil with a prevailing thymol component had no effects on house mice diet. Bergamot essential oil, whose main components were linalool, limonene, and linalyl acetate, showed a repellent effect on house mouse diet.

Analysis the evaluation of reinforces concrete structure Block 62 by Non Destructive Method, Destructive Method and Esteem Computer Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohd Jamil Hashim; Norhazwani Mohd Azahari

2012-01-01

The evaluation of old and unrecorded building is a difficult task to work on. This is because no detail record of building component such as reinforce concrete strength test record, type of reinforcement used, construction methods and soil investigation (SI) which make it impossible to analyse. Through NDT building reinforced concrete component is easily evaluated and mean while DT method give assurance through actual sample testing. From these early result detail drawing plans can be rebuild and building forensic work can be done. These data will be fed into the computer program to produce a structure evaluation result whether it is safe or not in accordance to design standard BS8110. (author)

Methods for optimizing over the efficient and weakly efficient sets of an affine fractional vector optimization program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Le, T.H.A.; Pham, D. T.; Canh, Nam Nguyen

2010-01-01

Both the efficient and weakly efficient sets of an affine fractional vector optimization problem, in general, are neither convex nor given explicitly. Optimization problems over one of these sets are thus nonconvex. We propose two methods for optimizing a real-valued function over the efficient...... and weakly efficient sets of an affine fractional vector optimization problem. The first method is a local one. By using a regularization function, we reformulate the problem into a standard smooth mathematical programming problem that allows applying available methods for smooth programming. In case...... the objective function is linear, we have investigated a global algorithm based upon a branch-and-bound procedure. The algorithm uses Lagrangian bound coupling with a simplicial bisection in the criteria space. Preliminary computational results show that the global algorithm is promising....

Analytical methods manual for the Mineral Resource Surveys Program, U.S. Geological Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Arbogast, Belinda F.

1996-01-01

The analytical methods validated by the Mineral Resource Surveys Program, Geologic Division, is the subject of this manual. This edition replaces the methods portion of Open-File Report 90-668 published in 1990. Newer methods may be used which have been approved by the quality assurance (QA) project and are on file with the QA coordinator.This manual is intended primarily for use by laboratory scientists; this manual can also assist laboratory users to evaluate the data they receive. The analytical methods are written in a step by step approach so that they may be used as a training tool and provide detailed documentation of the procedures for quality assurance. A "Catalog of Services" is available for customer (submitter) use with brief listings of:the element(s)/species determined,method of determination,reference to cite,contact person,summary of the technique,and analyte concentration range.For a copy please contact the Branch office at (303) 236-1800 or fax (303) 236-3200.

DNA mediated assembly of lipid particles and uses therefor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2007-01-01

The present invention relates to detection of target nucleic acids by targetnucleic acid induced liposome assembly. The invention provides oligonucleotides for use in detection and a method of detecting target nucleic acids.Other aspects of the invention are use of the oligonucleotide of the inve...

Integrative improvement method and mixed-integer programming in system planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadegheih, A.

2002-01-01

In this paper, system planning network is formulated for mixed-integer programming and a Ga. The cost function of this problem consists of the capital investment cost in discrete form, the cost of transmission losses and the power generation costs. The Dc load flow equations for the network are embedded in the constraints of the mathematical model to avoid sub-optimal solutions that can arise if the enforcement of such constraints is done in an indirect way. The solution of the model gives the best line additions. and also provides information regarding the optimal generation at each generation point. This method of solutions is demonstrated on the expansion of a 5 bus -bar system to 6 bus-bars

Practical method for generation expansion planning based on the dynamic programming. Dynamic programming ni motozuku dengen keikaku shuho

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tanabe, R.; Yasuda, K.; Yokoyama, R. (Tokyo Metropolitan Univ., Tokyo (Japan))

1992-05-20

To supply cheap, high-reliable and a planty of the electricity is an important task of the electric supply system because the requirement for the electricity is rapidly increased in Japan. In order to solve this problem, the authors of the paper are developing a most suitable practical method based on algorithm, according to which the generation expansion planning is divided into two problems: the optimal generation mix and the optimal generation construction process and the two problems are solved respectively. But there are some bad points in the method, for example, there are only approximative practical restriction of the capacity of single machine and the existing electric supply etc., because the optimal generation mix is determined on the basis of non-linear planning. So, in the present paper, the electric supply support system is practically constructed while proposing an unified generation expansion planning based on the dynamic programming that is possible to consider these restrictions strictly and the usefullness of the method is inspected. 12 refs., 7 figs., 5 tabs.

Gompertz: A Scilab Program for Estimating Gompertz Curve Using Gauss-Newton Method of Least Squares

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surajit Ghosh Dastidar

2006-04-01

Full Text Available A computer program for estimating Gompertz curve using Gauss-Newton method of least squares is described in detail. It is based on the estimation technique proposed in Reddy (1985. The program is developed using Scilab (version 3.1.1, a freely available scientific software package that can be downloaded from http://www.scilab.org/. Data is to be fed into the program from an external disk file which should be in Microsoft Excel format. The output will contain sample size, tolerance limit, a list of initial as well as the final estimate of the parameters, standard errors, value of Gauss-Normal equations namely GN1 GN2 and GN3 , No. of iterations, variance(σ2 , Durbin-Watson statistic, goodness of fit measures such as R2 , D value, covariance matrix and residuals. It also displays a graphical output of the estimated curve vis a vis the observed curve. It is an improved version of the program proposed in Dastidar (2005.

Gompertz: A Scilab Program for Estimating Gompertz Curve Using Gauss-Newton Method of Least Squares

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surajit Ghosh Dastidar

2006-04-01

Full Text Available A computer program for estimating Gompertz curve using Gauss-Newton method of least squares is described in detail. It is based on the estimation technique proposed in Reddy (1985. The program is developed using Scilab (version 3.1.1, a freely available scientific software package that can be downloaded from http://www.scilab.org/. Data is to be fed into the program from an external disk file which should be in Microsoft Excel format. The output will contain sample size, tolerance limit, a list of initial as well as the final estimate of the parameters, standard errors, value of Gauss-Normal equations namely GN1 GN2 and GN3, No. of iterations, variance(σ2, Durbin-Watson statistic, goodness of fit measures such as R2, D value, covariance matrix and residuals. It also displays a graphical output of the estimated curve vis a vis the observed curve. It is an improved version of the program proposed in Dastidar (2005.

Development of a software to bone age assessment by Tanner and Whitehouse method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caetano, Nattan R.; Ghilardi Netto, Thomaz; Tomita, Ines

2011-01-01

The aim of the present work was to optimize the process of bone age reading. Several methods existent nowadays consist of skeletal maturity analysis, based on the bone details of the hand and wrist. The most effective method is proposed by Tanner and Whitehouse (TW), which produces results about five times more accurate than the other methods like the Grelish and Pyle (GP) one, which is widely used due the simplicity of the reading processes. However, the TW method is not often used at most hospitals because it presents high complexity degree. Thus, a computational program was developed to implement it in pediatric services, where the precision in bone age measurement is important. The program is similar to TW atlas, presenting images of skeletal maturity stages of analyzed bones, followed by explanatory texts. Besides, the reading processes and the calculations are automated by the program. Therefore, the diagnosis based on bone ages is produced faster and safely, taking into account that 19% of readings by means of GP present deviations of about 30% in comparison to TW. The TW method produces results with a precision five times greater than GP and with the program developed in this work, bone age reading becomes simple. The automation of bone age reading turns TW method more dynamic, enabling its use without interference in measurement values. (author)

Multiobjective programming and planning

CERN Document Server

Cohon, Jared L

2004-01-01

This text takes a broad view of multiobjective programming, emphasizing the methods most useful for continuous problems. It reviews multiobjective programming methods in the context of public decision-making problems, developing each problem within a context that addresses practical aspects of planning issues. Topics include a review of linear programming, the formulation of the general multiobjective programming problem, classification of multiobjective programming methods, techniques for generating noninferior solutions, multiple-decision-making methods, multiobjective analysis of water reso

An Evidence-Based Assessment of Faith-Based Programs: Do Faith-Based Programs "Work" to Reduce Recidivism?

Science.gov (United States)

Dodson, Kimberly D.; Cabage, Leann N.; Klenowski, Paul M.

2011-01-01

Faith-based organizations administer many of the prison-based programs aimed at reducing recidivism. Many of these organizations also manage treatment programs for substance abusers, at-risk juveniles, and ex-offenders. Much of the research on religiosity and delinquency indicates that the two are inversely related. Therefore, it seems plausible…

BRAND program complex for neutron-physical experiment simulation by the Monte-Carlo method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Androsenko, A.A.; Androsenko, P.A.

1984-01-01

Possibilities of the BRAND program complex for neutron and γ-radiation transport simulation by the Monte-Carlo method are described in short. The complex includes the following modules: geometric module, source module, detector module, modules of simulation of a vector of particle motion direction after interaction and a free path. The complex is written in the FORTRAN langauage and realized by the BESM-6 computer

Evaluating the market transformation impacts of a DSM program in the Province of Quebec

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Baillargeon, P.; Michaud, N. [Econoler, 160 St-Paul Street, Quebec, QC, G1K 3W1 (Canada); Schmitt, B. [Hydro-Quebec, Complexe Desjardins, East Tower, C.P. 10000, Place Desjardins, Montreal, QC, H5B 1H7 (Canada); Megdal, L. [Megdal and Associates, 198 High Street, Acton, MA 01720 (United States)

2012-01-15

In 2006, Hydro-Quebec introduced a large DSM program on the market to promote the adoption of compact fluorescent lamps in Quebec households. After 3 years of program implementation, there was significant indication on the part of market actors that the promotional campaign component was quite effective in transforming the Quebec market. Hydro-Quebec therefore decided to modify its approach to program evaluation to include the quantification of market effects. Econoler led a team including American partners, Opinion Dynamics Inc. and Megdal and Associates to conduct an evaluation of program impacts on market transformation. An evaluation strategy was designed where different research tools would be integrated to determine market evolution over the two previous years. Each research method was used to determine an estimate of program impacts, then triangulated with other approaches to determine the most appropriate impact evaluation method regarding the Hydro-Quebec program. Research efforts included a non-participant survey, interviews at manufacturer headquarters across Canada, interviews with banner distributor representatives across Canada, the collection of sales and market share data from manufacturers and retailers as well as secondary research to identify other players that could influence the market. The evaluation revealed that savings of 168 GWh could be attributed to direct and indirect impacts of the program for the 2006-2007 period.

Program Management Plan for the Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc., Oak Ridge National Laboratory Site Environmental Restoration Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-07-01

This program management plan describes the scope, objectives, and method of accomplishment for the Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems) Oak Ridge National laboratory (ORNL) Environmental Restoration (ER) Program. The ORNL ER Program is one of five site program, receiving guidance from and reporting to the Energy Systems ER Division. Therefore, all ORNL ER policies and procedures are consistent with ER Division policies and procedures. This plan covers all ORNL ER activities, the participants involved in these activities (and their roles and responsibilities), and all phases of the remediation process. This plan will also serve as a template that may be supplemented as necessary to produce individual project management plans for specific projects. This document explains how the Energy Systems ORNL ER Program does business, so the ORNL ER Program's management structure is illustrated in detail. Personnel are matrixed to the ER Program from other organizations to assist with specific projects. This plan identifies positions at the program level and discusses responsibilities and interactions with positions at the project level. This plan includes sections that describe requirements for project plans, work breakdown structures, schedules, project management and cost control systems, and information and reporting. Project management plans will utilize the work breakdown structure and dictionary pages in the appropriate life cycle baseline report This plan describes the information that should be contained in ORNL ER project management plans. The most important milestones are primary documents relating to the management and remediation of contaminated sites. Primary document milestones are subject to stipulated penalties and receive paramount attention

DEVELOPMENT PERSONALITY/SOCIAL COMPETENCY OF SECONDARY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TROUGH A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING PROGRAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anwar Sutoyo

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract The goal this research is to find the effectiveness of model guidance and counseling comprehensive program to develop the personality/ social competency of secondary high school students.This research uses method one group pretest and posttest design. In data collecting technique, this research was directly done through interview, documentation and assessment scale.The conclusions of the research are, The model of guidance and counseling comprehensive program that developed is effective to evolving the personality/ social competency of secondary high school students. Therefore it, counselor need to have leadership ability, create an collaboration atmospherebetweenstakeholders, and tecnology information mastered. Keywords: Comprehensive Program; Personality/ Social Competency 

A Dynamic Programming based method for optimizing power system restoration with high wind power penetration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hu, Rui; Hu, Weihao; Li, Pengfei

2016-01-01

and relatively low cost. Thus, many countries are increasing the wind power penetration in their power system step by step, such as Denmark, Spain and Germany. The incremental wind power penetration brings a lot of new issues in operation and programming. The power system sometimes will operate close to its...... stable limits. Once the blackout happens, a well-designed restoration strategy is significant. This paper focuses on how to ameliorate the power system restoration procedures to adapt the high wind power penetration and how to take full advantages of the wind power plants during the restoration....... In this paper, the possibility to exploit the stochastic wind power during restoration was discussed, and a Dynamic Programming (DP) method was proposed to make wind power contribute in the restoration rationally as far as possible. In this paper, the method is tested and verified by a modified IEEE 30 Buses...

[Development and effects of emotional intelligence program for undergraduate nursing students: mixed methods research].

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Oi Sun; Gu, Mee Ock

2014-12-01

This study was conducted to develop and test the effects of an emotional intelligence program for undergraduate nursing students. The study design was a mixed method research. Participants were 36 nursing students (intervention group: 17, control group: 19). The emotional intelligence program was provided for 4 weeks (8 sessions, 20 hours). Data were collected between August 6 and October 4, 2013. Quantitative data were analyzed using Chi-square, Fisher's exact test, t-test, repeated measure ANOVA, and paired t-test with SPSS/WIN 18.0. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis. Quantitative results showed that emotional intelligence, communication skills, resilience, stress coping strategy, and clinical competence were significantly better in the experimental group compared to the control group. According to the qualitative results, the nursing students experienced improvement in emotional intelligence, interpersonal relationships, and empowerment, as well as a reduction in clinical practice stress after participation in the emotional intelligence program. Study findings indicate that the emotional intelligence program for undergraduate nursing students is effective and can be recommended as an intervention for improving the clinical competence of undergraduate students in a nursing curriculum.

Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogeka, G.J.

1991-12-01

Today, new ideas and opportunities, fostering the advancement of technology, are occurring at an ever-increasing rate. It, therefore, seems appropriate that a vehicle be available which fosters the development of these new ideas and technologies, promotes the early exploration and exploitation of creative and innovative concepts, and which develops new fundable'' R D projects and programs. At Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), one such method is through its Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program. This discretionary research and development tool is critical in maintaining the scientific excellence and vitality of the Laboratory. Additionally, it is a means to stimulate the scientific community, fostering new science and technology ideas, which is the major factor achieving and maintaining staff excellence, and a means to address national needs, with the overall mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The Project Summaries with their accomplishments described in this report reflect the above. Aside from leading to new fundable or promising programs and producing especially noteworthy research, they have resulted in numerous publications in various professional and scientific journals, and presentations at meetings and forums.

Effect of Comprehensive Health Promotion Program on Quality of Life, Weight, and Physical Activity among Iranian Overweight School-age Girls

OpenAIRE

Saeedeh Jafarzadeh; Sima Mohammad Khan Kermanshahi; Ali Khani Jeihooni

2017-01-01

Background Prevalence of overweight and obesity in children and its trend in recent years has taken a worrying figure. Overweight in childhood is the most important cause of adulthood obesity. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effect ofcomprehensive health program on quality of life, weight and physical activity in Iranian overweight school-age girls. Materials and Methods In this quasi-experimental study, 80 overweight girls participated in a comprehensive health program ...

THE VIEWS OF FOREST OUTSKIRT COMMUNITY ON AGROFORESTRY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dewa Oka Suparwata

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, development of agroforestry has been focused on the people living near forest. Positive views from community may have a good impact on agroforestry development program. This research aims to study the views of the forest outskrit community on the agroforestry development program in Dulamayo Barat village, Telaga Sub District, Gorontalo Regency, Gorontalo Province. The study used survey approach and focus group discussion (FGD method. Respondents were all the members of agroforestry farmer group. The entire population were taken for interview (10 respondents while FGD was attended by 26 participants. Data were analyzed descriptively. The result showed that 100% of the respondents want the program to be sustainable, although from the socio economic point of view the impact has not contributed significantly. From the respondents views of its benefit, 50% believe that the program is for critical land rehabilitation, 30% have a view for the improvement of environmental service, 10% view to increase community economy, and 10% view that the program is to eliminate erosion. These indicate that the community is concerned with agroforestry development, therefore, continuous facilitation is needed. Furthermore, the community expects to be actively involved in the agroforestry development program.

Animal-Assisted Stress Reduction Programs in Higher Education

Science.gov (United States)

Haggerty, Julie M.; Mueller, Megan Kiely

2017-01-01

This study investigated the prevalence of increasingly popular animal-assisted stress relief programs at higher education institutions across the United States. Although research on animal-assisted programs is increasing, there is still a lack of information documenting implementation of these programs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to…

Cavalier perspective plots of two-dimensional matrices. Program Stereo

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Los Arcos Merino, J.M.

1978-01-01

The program Stereo allows representation of a two-dimensional matrix containing numerical data, in the form of a cavalier perspective, isometric or not, with an angle variable between 0 deg and 180 deg. The representation is in histogram form for each matrix row and those curves which fall behind higher curves and therefore would not be seen are suppressed. It has been written in Fortran V for a Calcomp-936 digital plotter operating off-line with a Univac 1106 computer. Drawing method, subroutine structure and running instructions are described in this paper. (author)

[Poverty profile regarding households participating in a food assistance program].

Science.gov (United States)

Álvarez-Uribe, Martha C; Aguirre-Acevedo, Daniel C

2012-06-01

This study was aimed at establishing subgroups having specific socioeconomic characteristics by using latent class analysis as a method for segmenting target population members of the MANA-ICBF supplementary food program in the Antioquia department of Colombia and determine their differences regarding poverty and health conditions in efficiently addressing pertinent resources, programs and policies. The target population consisted of 200,000 children and their households involved in the MANA food assistance program; a representative sample by region was used. Latent class analysis was used, as were the expectation-maximization and Newton Raphson algorithms for identifying the appropriate number of classes. The final model classified the households into four clusters or classes, differing according to well-defined socio-demographic conditions affecting children's health. Some homes had a greater depth of poverty, therefore lowering the families' quality of life and affecting the health of the children in this age group.

Development of a numerical simulation method for melting/solidification and dissolution/precipitation phenomena. 1. Literature survey for computer program design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uchibori, Akihiro; Ohshima, Hiroyuki

2004-04-01

Survey research of numerical methods for melting/solidification and dissolution/precipitation phenomena was performed to determine the policy for a simulation program development. Melting/solidification and dissolution/ precipitation have been key issues for feasibility evaluation of several techniques applied in the nuclear fuel cycle processes. Physical models for single-component melting/solidification, two-component solution solidification or precipitation by cooling and precipitation by electrolysis, which are moving boundary problems, were made clear from the literature survey. The transport equations are used for thermal hydraulic analysis in the solid and the liquid regions. Behavior of the solid-liquid interface is described by the heat and mass transfer model. These physical models need to be introduced into the simulation program. The numerical methods for the moving boundary problems are categorized into two types: interface tracking method and interface capturing method. Based on the classification, performance of each numerical method was evaluated. The interface tracking method using the Lagrangian moving mesh requires relatively complicated algorithm. The algorithm has high accuracy for predicting the moving interface. On the other hand, the interface capturing method uses the Eulerian fixing mesh, leading to simple algorithm. Prediction accuracy of the method is relatively low. The extended finite element method classified as the interface capturing method can predict the interface behavior accurately even though the Eulerian fixing mesh is used. We decided to apply the extended finite element method to the simulation program. (author)

Optimization of hot water transport and distribution networks by analytical method: OPTAL program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barreau, Alain; Caizergues, Robert; Moret-Bailly, Jean

1977-06-01

This report presents optimization studies of hot water transport and distribution network by minimizing operating cost. Analytical optimization is used: Lagrange's method of undetermined multipliers. Optimum diameter of each pipe is calculated for minimum network operating cost. The characteristics of the computer program used for calculations, OPTAL, are given in this report. An example of network is calculated and described: 52 branches and 27 customers. Results are discussed [fr

The Effect of a Program Using Some Therapeutic Methods to Rehabilitate Patients Suffering from Neck Pain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ayad O MAR

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Neck pain is one of the common physical problems of the adults which needs to be taken seriously in order to prevent further health problems. As the daily life of the modern people leads physical in activity, and the use of electronic devices causes imprope r effect on certain parts of the body, specials programs have to be developed as preventive treatment. Therapeutic methods can also be listed through such preventive methods. The purpose of this study was to i dentify the impact of the proposed program usin g some natural methods of treatment for the rehabilitation of people with neck pain , to i dentify the improved range of motion in all directions to the neck area , and also t o identify the extent of improvement in muscle strength for the neck and back. Twelv e patients in Ain Zara Physiotherapy Center and Tripoli Clinic (in Tripoli city were chosen as voluntarily whose age ranged from 30 to 50 years, and the subjects were divided into two groups , as experimental and control groups. This study proved that pro posed therapeutic methods help the treatment of neck pain.

Promoting physical activity in children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis through an internet-based program : results of a pilot randomized controlled trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lelieveld, Otto; Armbrust, Wineke; Geertzen, Jan H. B.; de Graaf, Inez; van Leeuwen, Miek A.; Sauer, Pieter J. J.; van Weert, Ellen; Bouma, Jelte

OBJECTIVE: Patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) are less physically active than healthy peers. Therefore, we developed an Internet-based intervention to improve physical activity (PA). The aim of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the program in improving PA. METHODS: PA was

Student perception of initial transition into a nursing program: A mixed methods research study.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Meghan; Brown, Janine; Knihnitski, Crystal

2018-05-01

Transition into undergraduate education programs is stressful and impacts students' well-being and academic achievement. Previous research indicates nursing students experience stress, depression, anxiety, and poor lifestyle habits which interfere with learning. However, nursing students' experience of transition into nursing programs has not been well studied. Incongruence exists between this lack of research and the desire to foster student success. This study analyzed students' experiences of initial transition into a nursing program. An embedded mixed method design. A single site of a direct-entry, four year baccalaureate Canadian nursing program. All first year nursing students enrolled in the fall term of 2016. This study combined the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire (SACQ) with a subset of participants participating in qualitative focus groups. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify statistically significant differences in full-scale and subscale scores. Qualitative data was analyzed utilizing thematic analysis. Significant differences were seen between those who moved to attend university and those who did not, with those who moved scoring lower on the Academic Adjustment subscale. Focus group thematic analysis highlighted how students experienced initial transition into a baccalaureate nursing program. Identified themes included reframing supports, splitting focus/finding focus, negotiating own expectations, negotiating others' expectations, and forming identity. These findings form the Undergraduate Nursing Initial Transition (UNIT) Framework. Significance of this research includes applications in faculty development and program supports to increase student success in the first year of nursing and to provide foundational success for ongoing nursing practice. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mixed-Methods Assessment of Trauma and Acute Care Surgical Quality Improvement Programs in Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

LaGrone, Lacey N; Fuhs, Amy K; Egoavil, Eduardo Huaman; Rodriguez Castro, Manuel J A; Valderrama, Roberto; Isquith-Dicker, Leah N; Herrera-Matta, Jaime; Mock, Charles N

2017-04-01

Evidence for the positive impact of quality improvement (QI) programs on morbidity, mortality, patient satisfaction, and cost is strong. Data regarding the status of QI programs in low- and middle-income countries, as well as in-depth examination of barriers and facilitators to their implementation, are limited. This cross-sectional, descriptive study employed a mixed-methods design, including distribution of an anonymous quantitative survey and individual interviews with healthcare providers who participate in the care of the injured at ten large hospitals in Lima, Peru. Key areas identified for improvement in morbidity and mortality (M&M) conferences were the standardization of case selection, incorporation of evidence from the medical literature into case presentation and discussion, case documentation, and the development of a clear plan for case follow-up. The key barriers to QI program implementation were a lack of prioritization of QI, lack of sufficient human and administrative resources, lack of political support, and lack of education on QI practices. A national program that makes QI a required part of all health providers' professional training and responsibilities would effectively address a majority of identified barriers to QI programs in Peru. Specifically, the presence of basic QI elements, such as M&M conferences, should be required at hospitals that train pre-graduate physicians. Alternatively, short of this national-level organization, efforts that capitalize on local examples through apprenticeships between institutions or integration of QI into continuing medical education would be expected to build on the facilitators for QI programs that exist in Peru.

Implementing and evaluating a program to facilitate chronic disease prevention and screening in primary care: a mixed methods program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Manca, Donna Patricia; Aubrey-Bassler, Kris; Kandola, Kami; Aguilar, Carolina; Campbell-Scherer, Denise; Sopcak, Nicolette; O'Brien, Mary Ann; Meaney, Christopher; Faria, Vee; Baxter, Julia; Moineddin, Rahim; Salvalaggio, Ginetta; Green, Lee; Cave, Andrew; Grunfeld, Eva

2014-10-08

The objectives of this paper are to describe the planned implementation and evaluation of the Building on Existing Tools to Improve Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening in Primary Care (BETTER 2) program which originated from the BETTER trial. The pragmatic trial, informed by the Chronic Care Model, demonstrated the effectiveness of an approach to Chronic Disease Prevention and Screening (CDPS) involving the use of a new role, the prevention practitioner. The desired goals of the program are improved clinical outcomes, reduction in the burden of chronic disease, and improved sustainability of the health-care system through improved CDPS in primary care. The BETTER 2 program aims to expand the implementation of the intervention used in the original BETTER trial into communities across Canada (Alberta, Ontario, Newfoundland and Labrador, the Northwest Territories and Nova Scotia). This proactive approach provides at-risk patients with an intervention from the prevention practitioner, a health-care professional. Using the BETTER toolkit, the prevention practitioner determines which CDPS actions the patient is eligible to receive, and through shared decision-making and motivational interviewing, develops a unique and individualized 'prevention prescription' with the patient. This intervention is 1) personalized; 2) addressing multiple conditions; 3) integrated through linkages to local, regional, or national resources; and 4) longitudinal by assessing patients over time. The BETTER 2 program brings together primary care providers, policy/decision makers and researchers to work towards improving CDPS in primary care. The target patient population is adults aged 40-65. The reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintain (RE-AIM) framework will inform the evaluation of the program through qualitative and quantitative methods. A composite index will be used to quantitatively assess the effectiveness of the prevention practitioner intervention. The CDPS actions

Software Tool Implementing the Fuzzy AHP Method in Ecological Risk Assessment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radionovs Andrejs

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Due to the increased spread of invasive animals and plants in the territory of Latvia, the necessity of ecological risk assessment related to such kind of spread has grown lately. In cases with sufficient statistical data, the risk assessment may be successfully performed on the basis of statistical methods. The amount of statistical data in the context of spread of invasive animals and plants is pretty poor; therefore, the only method of ecological risk assessment remains subjective judgements of experts. The present paper proposes using a programming tool for ecological risk analysis elaborated by the authors. With the help of this programming tool the method of Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchical Process is implemented. The elements of the pairwise comparison matrix are allowed to be expressed by triangular and trapezoidal fuzzy sets. The presented tool makes it possible to design the fuzzy pair-wise comparison matrix and process the results in a user-friendly way.

Towards automatic verification of ladder logic programs

OpenAIRE

Zoubek , Bohumir; Roussel , Jean-Marc; Kwiatkowska , Martha

2003-01-01

International audience; Control system programs are usually validated by testing prior to their deployment. Unfortunately, testing is not exhaustive and therefore it is possible that a program which passed all the required tests still contains errors. In this paper we apply techniques of automatic verification to a control program written in ladder logic. A model is constructed mechanically from the ladder logic program and subjected to automatic verification against requirements that include...

A method for developing standard patient education program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lura, Carolina Bryne; Hauch, Sophie Misser Pallesgaard; Gøeg, Kirstine Rosenbeck

2018-01-01

for developing standard digital patient education programs for patients in self-administration of blood samples drawn from CVC. The Design Science Research Paradigm was used to develop a digital patient education program, called PAVIOSY, to increase patient safety during execution of the blood sample collection...... of the educational patient system, health professionals must be engaged early in the development of content and design phase....

A mixed-methods evaluation of a multidisciplinary point of care ultrasound program.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Andrew; Parsons, Michael; Renouf, Tia; Boyd, Sarah; Rogers, Peter

2018-04-24

Point of Care Ultrasound (PoCUS) is well established within emergency medicine, however, the availability of formal training for other clinical disciplines is limited. Memorial University has established a cost-efficient, multidisciplinary PoCUS training program focusing on training residents' discipline-specific ultrasound skills. This study evaluates the skills, knowledge, and attitudes of residents who participated in the program. Analysis was conducted using a mixed-methods, sequential exploratory approach. Initially, a focus group of seven first year residents was conducted to generate themes that were used to guide development of a survey administered to residents over a two-year period. Thirty residents responded to the survey (response rate 63.8%) with 53.3% meeting the training requirements for focused assessment using sonography in trauma, 43.3% for pleural effusion, 40.0% for aortic aneurysms, and 40.0% for cardiac scans. Early pregnancy assessment was the skill of least interest with 46.6% not interested. Over half the residents (53.6%) agreed or strongly agreed that a multidisciplinary program met their needs while 21.4% disagreed. The focus group found the multidisciplinary approach adequate. A single PoCUS curriculum has been shown to meet the needs and expectations of a majority of residents from multiple disciplines. It can enhance collaboration and bridge gaps between increasingly compartmentalized practices of medicine.

Quantitative Research Methods Training in Education Leadership and Administration Preparation Programs as Disciplined Inquiry for Building School Improvement Capacity

Science.gov (United States)

Bowers, Alex J.

2017-01-01

The quantitative research methods course is a staple of graduate programs in education leadership and administration. Historically, these courses serve to train aspiring district and school leaders in fundamental statistical research topics. This article argues for programs to focus as well in these courses on helping aspiring leaders develop…

Method for limiting movement of a thermal shield for a nuclear reactor, and thermal shield displacement limiter therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meuschke, R.E.; Boyd, C.H.

1989-01-01

This patent describes a method of limiting the movement of a thermal shield of a nuclear reactor. It comprises: machining at least four (4) pockets in upper portions of a thermal shield circumferentially about a core barrel of a nuclear reactor to receive key-wave inserts; tapping bolt holes in the pockets of the thermal shield to receive bolts; positioning key-wave inserts into the pockets of the thermal shield to be bolted in place with the bolt holes; machining dowel holes at least partially through the positioned key-way inserts and the thermal shield to receive dowel pins; positioning dowel pins in the dowel holes in the key-way insert and thermal shield to tangentially restrain movement of the thermal shield relative to the core barrel; sliding limiter keys into the key-way inserts and bolting the limiter keys to the core barrel to tangentially restrain movement of the thermal shield relative and the core barrel while allowing radial and axial movement of the thermal shield relative to the core barrel; machining dowel holes through the limiter key and at least partially through the core barrel to receive dowel pins; positioning dowel pins in the dowel holes in the limiter key and core barrel to restrain tangential movement of the thermal shield relative to the core barrel of the nuclear reactor

A METHOD FOR SOLVING LINEAR PROGRAMMING PROBLEMS WITH FUZZY PARAMETERS BASED ON MULTIOBJECTIVE LINEAR PROGRAMMING TECHNIQUE

OpenAIRE

M. ZANGIABADI; H. R. MALEKI

2007-01-01

In the real-world optimization problems, coefficients of the objective function are not known precisely and can be interpreted as fuzzy numbers. In this paper we define the concepts of optimality for linear programming problems with fuzzy parameters based on those for multiobjective linear programming problems. Then by using the concept of comparison of fuzzy numbers, we transform a linear programming problem with fuzzy parameters to a multiobjective linear programming problem. To this end, w...

Trajectory Optimization Based on Multi-Interval Mesh Refinement Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ningbo Li

2017-01-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the optimization accuracy and convergence rate for trajectory optimization of the air-to-air missile, a multi-interval mesh refinement Radau pseudospectral method was introduced. This method made the mesh endpoints converge to the practical nonsmooth points and decreased the overall collocation points to improve convergence rate and computational efficiency. The trajectory was divided into four phases according to the working time of engine and handover of midcourse and terminal guidance, and then the optimization model was built. The multi-interval mesh refinement Radau pseudospectral method with different collocation points in each mesh interval was used to solve the trajectory optimization model. Moreover, this method was compared with traditional h method. Simulation results show that this method can decrease the dimensionality of nonlinear programming (NLP problem and therefore improve the efficiency of pseudospectral methods for solving trajectory optimization problems.

Validation and further development of a novel thermal analysis method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mathews, E.H.; Shuttleworth, A.G.; Rousseau, P.G. [Pretoria Univ. (South Africa). Dept. of Mechanical Engineering

1994-12-31

The design of thermal and energy efficient buildings requires inter alia the investigation of the passive performance, natural ventilation, mechanical ventilation as well as structural and evaporative cooling of the building. Only when these fail to achieve the desired thermal comfort should mechanical cooling systems be considered. Few computer programs have the ability to investigate all these comfort regulating methods at the design stage. The QUICK design program can simulate these options with the exception of mechanical cooling. In this paper, Quick`s applicability is extended to include the analysis of basic air-conditioning systems. Since the design of these systems is based on indoor loads, it was necessary to validate QUICK`s load predictions before extending it. This article addresses validation in general and proposes a procedure to establish the efficiency of a program`s load predictions. This proposed procedure is used to compare load predictions by the ASHRAE, CIBSE, CARRIER, CHEETAH, BSIMAC and QUICK methods for 46 case studies involving 36 buildings in various climatic conditions. Although significant differences in the results of the various methods were observed, it is concluded that QUICK can be used with the same confidence as the other methods. It was further shown that load prediction programs usually under-estimate the effect of building mass and therefore over-estimate the peak loads. The details for the 46 case studies are available to other researchers for further verification purposes. With the confidence gained in its load predictions, QUICK was extended to include air-conditioning system analysis. The program was then applied to different case studies. It is shown that system size and energy usage can be reduced by more than 60% by using a combination of passive and mechanical cooling systems as well as different control strategies. (author)

Benchmarking of gene prediction programs for metagenomic data.

Science.gov (United States)

Yok, Non; Rosen, Gail

2010-01-01

This manuscript presents the most rigorous benchmarking of gene annotation algorithms for metagenomic datasets to date. We compare three different programs: GeneMark, MetaGeneAnnotator (MGA) and Orphelia. The comparisons are based on their performances over simulated fragments from one hundred species of diverse lineages. We defined four different types of fragments; two types come from the inter- and intra-coding regions and the other types are from the gene edges. Hoff et al. used only 12 species in their comparison; therefore, their sample is too small to represent an environmental sample. Also, no predecessors has separately examined fragments that contain gene edges as opposed to intra-coding regions. General observations in our results are that performances of all these programs improve as we increase the length of the fragment. On the other hand, intra-coding fragments of our data show low annotation error in all of the programs if compared to the gene edge fragments. Overall, we found an upper-bound performance by combining all the methods.

Using stated preference methods to design cost-effective subsidy programs to induce technology adoption: an application to a stove program in southern Chile.

Science.gov (United States)

Gómez, Walter; Salgado, Hugo; Vásquez, Felipe; Chávez, Carlos

2014-01-01

We study the design of an economic incentive based program - a subsidy - to induce adoption of more efficient technology in a pollution reduction program in southern Chile. Stated preferences methods, contingent valuation (CV), and choice experiment (CE) are used to estimate the probability of adoption and the willingness to share the cost of a new technology by a household. The cost-effectiveness property of different subsidy schemes is explored numerically for different regulatory objectives. Our results suggest that households are willing to participate in voluntary programs and to contribute by paying a share of the cost of adopting more efficient technologies. We find that attributes of the existing and the new technology, beyond the price, are relevant determinant factors of the participation decision and payment. Limited access to credit markets for low income families can be a major barrier for an effective implementation of these types of programs. Variations in the design of the subsidy and on the regulator's objective and constraints can have significant impact on the level and the cost of reduction of aggregate emissions achieved. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Programs and analytical methods for the U.S. Geological Survey acid-rain quality-assurance project. Water Resources Investigation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

See, R.B.; Willoughby, T.C.; Brooks, M.H.; Gordon, J.D.

1990-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey operates four programs to provide external quality-assurance of wet deposition monitoring by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program and the National Trends Network. An intersite-comparison program assesses the precision and bias of onsite determinations of pH and specific conductance made by site operators. A blind-audit program is used to assess the effect of routine sample-handling procedures and transportation on the precision and bias of wet-deposition data. An interlaboratory-comparison program is used to assess analytical results from three or more laboratories, which routinely analyze wet-deposition samples from the major North American networks, to determine if comparability exists between laboratory analytical results and to provide estimates of the analytical precision of each laboratory. A collocated-sampler program is used to estimate the precision of wet/dry precipitation sampling throughout the National Atmospheric Deposition Program and the National Trends Network, to assess the variability of diverse spatial arrays, and to evaluate the impact of violations of specific site criteria. The report documents the procedures and analytical methods used in these four quality-assurance programs

Computer programs in BASIC language for graphite furnace atomic absorption using the method of additions. Part 2. Documentation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyle, W.G. Jr.; Ryan, D.P.

1979-08-01

There are four computer programs, written in the BASIC language, used for taking and processing data from an atomic absorption spectrophotometer using the graphite furnace and the method of additions for calibration. The programs chain to each other and are divided into logical sections that have been flow-charted. The chaining sequences, general features, structure, order of subroutines and functions, and the storage of data are discussed. In addition, variables are listed and defined, and a complete listing of each program with a symbol occurrence table is provided

75 FR 30113 - Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-28

...)); Removing ``socially-disadvantaged'' and clarifying that the percentage of rural entrepreneurs that received... entrepreneurs that have not received a microloan from an MDO under this program would not be able to receive... the Agency is easier to implement and consistent with other program regulations. The Agency, therefore...

Social cohesion through football: a quasi-experimental mixed methods design to evaluate a complex health promotion program.

Science.gov (United States)

Nathan, Sally; Bunde-Birouste, Anne; Evers, Clifton; Kemp, Lynn; MacKenzie, Julie; Henley, Robert

2010-10-05

Football United program poses challenges for measurement, and requires the study design to be responsive to the dynamic nature of the program and context. Assessment of change is needed at multiple levels, drawing on mixed methods and multidisciplinary approaches in implementation and evaluation. Attention to these challenges has underpinned the design and methods in the Social Cohesion through Football study, which will use a unique and innovative combination of measures that have not been applied together previously in social inclusion/cohesion and sport and social inclusion/cohesion program research.

PROGRAMMING FUNDAMENTALS TEACHING TO THE STUDENTS OF PHYSICO-MATHEMATICAL PROFILE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vdovychyn Tatiana

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The article provides methodical recommendations on studying of the discipline "Informatics" for the specialists preparation of the first (Bachelor level of higher education of the field of knowledge 01 "Education" of the specialty 014.04 "Secondary education (mathematics", 014.08 "Secondary education (physics". This discipline plays a particularly important role in the higher education establishments physical and mathematical field specialists training, since it combines both the fundamental concepts and principles of various mathematical and informatics disciplines, as well as applied models and algorithms for their application. The methodological aspects of the discipline "Informatics" study include the pedagogical feasibility of the forms, methods and means of training for students who are qualified as a teacher of mathematics and a physics teacher respectively. The discipline program includes issues on informatics theoretical foundations, applied software, and the basics of programming. Students are encouraged to consider the basics of programming in the C ++ environment. Basic C ++ language designs have a convenient, professional programming toolkit. Integrated C ++ environment is characterized by speed, convenience in debugging and compiling of the program. Therefore, the article focuses on the practical skills formation in the C ++ environment for the students of the physical and mathematical profile and highlights the methodological aspects of the C ++ programming language use in the course of the discipline "Informatics" teaching. The formation of practical skills takes place during the performance of laboratory works, namely: the original problem setting, the construction of an algorithm for its solution, analysis of the received results.

Development and Validation of the Motivation for Tutoring Questionnaire in Problem-Based Learning Programs

OpenAIRE

Kassab, Salah Eldin; Hassan, Nahla; El-Araby, Shimaa; Salem, Abdel Halim; Alrebish, Saleh Ali; Al-Amro, Ahmed S.; Al-Shobaili, Hani A.; Hamdy, Hossam

2017-01-01

Purpose: There are no published instruments, which measure tutor motivation for conducting small group tutorials in problem-based learning programs. Therefore, we aimed to develop a motivation for tutoring questionnaire in problem-based learning (MTQ-PBL) and evaluate its construct validity. Methods: The questionnaire included 28 items representing four constructs: tutoring self-efficacy (15 items), tutoring interest (6 items), tutoring value (4 items), and tutoring effort (3 items). Tutor...

Cost-Effectiveness of a Family Planning Voucher Program in Rural Pakistan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edward Ivor Broughton

2017-09-01

Full Text Available IntroductionThis study reports on the effectiveness and efficiency from the program funder’s perspective of the Suraj Social Franchise (SSF voucher program in which private health-care providers in remote rural areas were identified, trained, upgraded, and certified to deliver family planning services to underserved women of reproductive age in 29 districts of Sindh and 3 districts of Punjab province, Pakistan between October 2013 and June 2016.MethodA decision tree compared the cost of implementing SSF to the program funder and its effects of providing additional couple years of protection (CYPs to targeted women, compared to business-as-usual. Costs included vouchers given to women to receive a free contraceptive method of their choice from the SSF provider. The vouchers were then reimbursed to the SSF provider by the program.ResultsA total of 168,206 married women of reproductive age (MWRA received SSF vouchers between October 2013 and June 2016, costing $3,278,000 ($19.50/recipient. The average effectiveness of the program per voucher recipient was an additional 1.66 CYPs, giving an incremental cost-effectiveness of the program of $4.28 per CYP compared to not having the program (95% CI: $3.62–5.31.ConclusionThe result compares favorably to other interventions with similar objectives and appears affordable for the Pakistan national health-care system. It is therefore recommended to help address the unmet need for contraception among MWRA in these areas of Pakistan and is worthy of trial implementation in the country more widely.

Nurse Leaders' Experiences of Implementing Career Advancement Programs for Nurses in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Sheikhi, Mohammad Reza; Fallahi Khoshknab, Masoud; Mohammadi, Farahnaz; Oskouie, Fatemeh

2015-02-24

Career advancement programs are currently implemented in many countries. In Iran, the first career advancement program was Nurses' Career Advancement Pathway. The purpose of this study was to explore nurse leaders' experiences about implementing the Nurses' Career Advancement Pathway program in Iran. This exploratory qualitative study was conducted in 2013. Sixteen nurse managers were recruited from the teaching hospitals affiliated to Shahid Behesthi, Qazvin, and Iran Universities of Medical Sciences in Iran. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling method. Study data were collected through in-depth semi-structured interviews. The conventional content analysis approach was used for data analysis. participants' experiences about implementing the Nurses' Career Advancement Pathway fell into three main categories including: a) the shortcomings of performance evaluation, b) greater emphasis on point accumulation, c) the advancement-latitude mismatch. The Nurses' Career Advancement pathway has several shortcomings regarding both its content and its implementation. Therefore, it is recommended to revise the program.

[Extraction of management information from the national quality assurance program].

Science.gov (United States)

Stausberg, Jürgen; Bartels, Claus; Bobrowski, Christoph

2007-07-15

Starting with clinically motivated projects, the national quality assurance program has established a legislative obligatory framework. Annual feedback of results is an important means of quality control. The annual reports cover quality-related information with high granularity. A synopsis for corporate management is missing, however. Therefore, the results of the University Clinics in Greifswald, Germany, have been analyzed and aggregated to support hospital management. Strengths were identified by the ranking of results within the state for each quality indicator, weaknesses by the comparison with national reference values. The assessment was aggregated per clinical discipline and per category (indication, process, and outcome). A composition of quality indicators was claimed multiple times. A coherent concept is still missing. The method presented establishes a plausible summary of strengths and weaknesses of a hospital from the point of view of the national quality assurance program. Nevertheless, further adaptation of the program is needed to better assist corporate management.

Solving the Fully Fuzzy Bilevel Linear Programming Problem through Deviation Degree Measures and a Ranking Function Method

OpenAIRE

Aihong Ren

2016-01-01

This paper is concerned with a class of fully fuzzy bilevel linear programming problems where all the coefficients and decision variables of both objective functions and the constraints are fuzzy numbers. A new approach based on deviation degree measures and a ranking function method is proposed to solve these problems. We first introduce concepts of the feasible region and the fuzzy optimal solution of a fully fuzzy bilevel linear programming problem. In order to obtain a fuzzy optimal solut...

Program information architecture/document hierarchy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woods, T.W.

1991-09-01

The Nuclear Waste Management System (NWMS) Management Systems Improvement Strategy (MSIS) (DOE 1990) requires that the information within the computer program and information management system be ordered into a precedence hierarchy for consistency. Therefore, the US Department of Energy (DOE). Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) requested Westinghouse Hanford Company to develop a plan for NWMS program information which the MSIS calls a document hierarchy. This report provides the results of that effort and describes the management system as a ''program information architecture.'' 3 refs., 3 figs

A Method of Sample Models of Program Construction in Terms of Petri Nets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. I. Kharitonov

2015-01-01

Full Text Available In the article a method of automated construction of Petri nets simulating the behaviour of imperative programs is considered from the formal point of view. Petri net samples with certain characteristics are necessary in programming new algorithms for program analysis; in particular, they can be used for developing or optimizing algorithms of Petri nets compositions and decompositions, building the reachability tree, checking invariants and so on. The generation process consists of two stages. At the first stage, construction templates for a resulting net and parameters for construction are described. With the help of these parameters it is possible to regulate the final size and the absolute or relative amount of certain structures in the resulting net. At the second stage, iterative process of automated net construction is used for Petri net generation of any size, limited only by an available computer memory. In the first section of the article the minimum necessary definitions are given and a new version of Petri nets composition operation by places is introduced. Commutative and associative properties of introduced binary operation allow to synchronize any number of Petri nets in arbitrary order. Then construction template is defined as a marked Petri net with input and output interfaces and rules for templates composition using this interfaces. A number of construction templates can be united in a collection, for which the evolution rules are defined. The completeness property of a collection guarantees that the collection evolution results in a Petri net that simulates the imperative program behavior. The article provides a version of the construction templates complete collection and an example of Petri net simulating sequential imperative program construction.

IFNA approved Chinese Anaesthesia Nurse Education Program: A Delphi method.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Jiale; Fallacaro, Michael D; Jiang, Lili; Wu, Junyan; Jiang, Hong; Shi, Zhen; Ruan, Hong

2017-09-01

Numerous nurses work in operating rooms and recovery rooms or participate in the performance of anaesthesia in China. However, the scope of practice and the education for Chinese Anaesthesia Nurses is not standardized, varying from one geographic location to another. Furthermore, most nurses are not trained sufficiently to provide anaesthesia care. This study aimed to develop the first Anaesthesia Nurse Education Program in Mainland China based on the Educational Standards of the International Federation of Nurse Anaesthetists. The Delphi technique was applied to develop the scope of practice, competencies for Chinese Anaesthesia Nurses and education program. In 2014 the Anaesthesia Nurse Education Program established by the hospital applied for recognition by the International Federation of Nurse Anaesthetists. The Program's curriculum was evaluated against the IFNA Standards and recognition was awarded in 2015. The four-category, 50-item practice scope, and the three-domain, 45-item competency list were identified for Chinese Anaesthesia Nurses. The education program, which was established based on the International Federation of Nurse Anaesthetists educational standards and Chinese context, included nine curriculum modules. In March 2015, 13 candidates received and passed the 21-month education program. The Anaesthesia Nurse Education Program became the first program approved by the International Federation of Nurse Anaesthetists in China. Policy makers and hospital leaders can be confident that anaesthesia nurses graduating from this Chinese program will be prepared to demonstrate high level patient care as reflected in the recognition by IFNA of their adoption of international nurse anaesthesia education standards. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementation of density functional theory method on object-oriented programming (C++) to calculate energy band structure using the projector augmented wave (PAW)

Science.gov (United States)

Alfianto, E.; Rusydi, F.; Aisyah, N. D.; Fadilla, R. N.; Dipojono, H. K.; Martoprawiro, M. A.

2017-05-01

This study implemented DFT method into the C++ programming language with object-oriented programming rules (expressive software). The use of expressive software results in getting a simple programming structure, which is similar to mathematical formula. This will facilitate the scientific community to develop the software. We validate our software by calculating the energy band structure of Silica, Carbon, and Germanium with FCC structure using the Projector Augmented Wave (PAW) method then compare the results to Quantum Espresso calculation’s results. This study shows that the accuracy of the software is 85% compared to Quantum Espresso.

Reliability Analysis of RSG-GAS Primary Cooling System to Support Aging Management Program

Science.gov (United States)

Deswandri; Subekti, M.; Sunaryo, Geni Rina

2018-02-01

Multipurpose Research Reactor G.A. Siwabessy (RSG-GAS) which has been operating since 1987 is one of the main facilities on supporting research, development and application of nuclear energy programs in BATAN. Until now, the RSG-GAS research reactor has been successfully operated safely and securely. However, because it has been operating for nearly 30 years, the structures, systems and components (SSCs) from the reactor would have started experiencing an aging phase. The process of aging certainly causes a decrease in reliability and safe performances of the reactor, therefore the aging management program is needed to resolve the issues. One of the programs in the aging management is to evaluate the safety and reliability of the system and also screening the critical components to be managed.One method that can be used for such purposes is the Fault Tree Analysis (FTA). In this papers FTA method is used to screening the critical components in the RSG-GAS Primary Cooling System. The evaluation results showed that the primary isolation valves are the basic events which are dominant against the system failure.

Correction method of slit modulation transfer function on digital medical imaging system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jung Min; Jung, Hoi Woun; Min, Jung Whan; Im, Eon Kyung

2006-01-01

By using CR image pixel data, We examined the way how to calculate the MTF and digital characteristic curve. It can be changed to the text-file (Excel) from a pixel data which was printed with a digital x-ray equipment. In this place, We described the way how to figure out and correct the sharpness of a digital images of the MTF from FUJITA. Excel program was utilized to calculate from radiography of slit. Digital characteristic curve, Line Spread Function, Discrete Fourier Transform, Fast Fourier Transform digital specification curve, were indicated in regular sequence. A big advantage of this method, It can be understood easily and you can get results without costly program an without full knowledge of computer language. It shows many different values by using different correction methods. Therefore we need to be handy with appropriate correction method and we should try many experiments to get a precise MTF figures

A Genetic Programming Method for the Identification of Signal Peptides and Prediction of Their Cleavage Sites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David Lennartsson

2004-01-01

Full Text Available A novel approach to signal peptide identification is presented. We use an evolutionary algorithm for automatic evolution of classification programs, so-called programmatic motifs. The variant of evolutionary algorithm used is called genetic programming where a population of solution candidates in the form of full computer programs is evolved, based on training examples consisting of signal peptide sequences. The method is compared with a previous work using artificial neural network (ANN approaches. Some advantages compared to ANNs are noted. The programmatic motif can perform computational tasks beyond that of feed-forward neural networks and has also other advantages such as readability. The best motif evolved was analyzed and shown to detect the h-region of the signal peptide. A powerful parallel computer cluster was used for the experiment.

Supervisor's role in training programs as a manager of learning program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2011-06-01

Full Text Available According to the training literature, a supervisor's role in training programs has two major elements: supervisor support and supervisor communication. The ability of supervisors to play effective roles in training programs may increase employees' motivation to learn. The nature of this relationship is interesting, but the role of supervisor's role as a predicting variable is less emphasized in a training program models. Therefore, this study was conducted to examine the effect of supervisor's role in training programs on motivation to learn using 152 usable questionnaires gathered from non-academic employees who have worked in a technological based public university, Malaysia. The outcomes of stepwise regression analysis showed that the supervisor support and supervisor communication significantly associated with motivation to learn. Statistically, this result demonstrates that supervisor's role in training programs does act as an important predictor of motivation to learn in the organizational sample. In addition, discussion, implication and conclusion are elaborated.

Development of phased mission analysis program with Monte Carlo method. Improvement of the variance reduction technique with biasing towards top event

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang Jinan; Mihara, Takatsugu

1998-12-01

This report presents a variance reduction technique to estimate the reliability and availability of highly complex systems during phased mission time using the Monte Carlo simulation. In this study, we introduced the variance reduction technique with a concept of distance between the present system state and the cut set configurations. Using this technique, it becomes possible to bias the transition from the operating states to the failed states of components towards the closest cut set. Therefore a component failure can drive the system towards a cut set configuration more effectively. JNC developed the PHAMMON (Phased Mission Analysis Program with Monte Carlo Method) code which involved the two kinds of variance reduction techniques: (1) forced transition, and (2) failure biasing. However, these techniques did not guarantee an effective reduction in variance. For further improvement, a variance reduction technique incorporating the distance concept was introduced to the PHAMMON code and the numerical calculation was carried out for the different design cases of decay heat removal system in a large fast breeder reactor. Our results indicate that the technique addition of this incorporating distance concept is an effective means of further reducing the variance. (author)

Evaluation of Electric Power Procurement Strategies by Stochastic Dynamic Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Saisho, Yuichi; Hayashi, Taketo; Fujii, Yasumasa; Yamaji, Kenji

In deregulated electricity markets, the role of a distribution company is to purchase electricity from the wholesale electricity market at randomly fluctuating prices and to provide it to its customers at a given fixed price. Therefore the company has to take risk stemming from the uncertainties of electricity prices and/or demand fluctuation instead of the customers. The way to avoid the risk is to make a bilateral contact with generating companies or install its own power generation facility. This entails the necessity to develop a certain method to make an optimal strategy for electric power procurement. In such a circumstance, this research has the purpose for proposing a mathematical method based on stochastic dynamic programming and additionally considering the characteristics of the start-up cost of electric power generation facility to evaluate strategies of combination of the bilateral contract and power auto-generation with its own facility for procuring electric power in deregulated electricity market. In the beginning we proposed two approaches to solve the stochastic dynamic programming, and they are a Monte Carlo simulation method and a finite difference method to derive the solution of a partial differential equation of the total procurement cost of electric power. Finally we discussed the influences of the price uncertainty on optimal strategies of power procurement.

Development of Bi-phase sodium-oxygen-hydrogen chemical equilibrium calculation program (BISHOP) using Gibbs free energy minimization method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okano, Yasushi

1999-08-01

In order to analyze the reaction heat and compounds due to sodium combustion, the multiphase chemical equilibrium calculation program for chemical reaction among sodium, oxygen and hydrogen is developed in this study. The developed numerical program is named BISHOP; which denotes Bi-Phase, Sodium - Oxygen - Hydrogen, Chemical Equilibrium Calculation Program'. Gibbs free energy minimization method is used because of the special merits that easily add and change chemical species, and generally deal many thermochemical reaction systems in addition to constant temperature and pressure one. Three new methods are developed for solving multi-phase sodium reaction system in this study. One is to construct equation system by simplifying phase, and the other is to expand the Gibbs free energy minimization method into multi-phase system, and the last is to establish the effective searching method for the minimum value. Chemical compounds by the combustion of sodium in the air are calculated using BISHOP. The Calculated temperature and moisture conditions where sodium-oxide and hydroxide are formed qualitatively agree with the experiments. Deformation of sodium hydride is calculated by the program. The estimated result of the relationship between the deformation temperature and pressure closely agree with the well known experimental equation of Roy and Rodgers. It is concluded that BISHOP can be used for evaluated the combustion and deformation behaviors of sodium and its compounds. Hydrogen formation condition of the dump-tank room at the sodium leak event of FBR is quantitatively evaluated by BISHOP. It can be concluded that to keep the temperature of dump-tank room lower is effective method to suppress the formation of hydrogen. In case of choosing the lower inflammability limit of 4.1 mol% as the hydrogen concentration criterion, formation reaction of sodium hydride from sodium and hydrogen is facilitated below the room temperature of 800 K, and concentration of hydrogen

Introduction into scientific work methods-a necessity when performance-based codes are introduced

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dederichs, Anne; Sørensen, Lars Schiøtt

The introduction of performance-based codes in Denmark in 2004 requires new competences from people working with different aspects of fire safety in the industry and the public sector. This abstract presents an attempt in reducing problems with handling and analysing the mathematical methods...... and CFD models when applying performance-based codes. This is done within the educational program "Master of Fire Safety Engineering" at the department of Civil Engineering at the Technical University of Denmark. It was found that the students had general problems with academic methods. Therefore, a new...

Using an Evaluability Assessment To Select Methods for Evaluating State Technology Development Programs: The Case of the Georgia Research Alliance.

Science.gov (United States)

Youtie, Jan; Bozeman, Barry; Shapira, Philip

1999-01-01

Describes an evaluability assessment of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), a technology development program. Presents the steps involved in conducting an evaluability assessment, including development of an understanding of the program and its stakeholders. Analyzes and compares different methods by which the GRA could be evaluated. (SLD)

Radiation cured coating containing glitter particles and process therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sachs, P.R.; Sears, J.W.

1992-01-01

Radiation curable coatings for use on a variety of substrates and curable by exposure to ionizing irradiation of ultraviolet light are well known. The use of urethane type coatings cured with ultraviolet light to provide protective wear layers for wall or floor tile is for instance described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,615. U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,393 describes a method for obtaining a non-glossy coating on various substrates by curing radiation sensitive material with ionizing irradiation or ultraviolet light in two stages. In this process the coating is partially cured in an oxygen-containing atmosphere and the curing is completed in an inert atmosphere. U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,225 discloses a method and apparatus for coating tile which involves the application of one coat of radiation curable material to an entire substrate followed by partial curing and the subsequent application and curing of a second coat or radiation curable material only on high areas of the substrate which are subject to greater than average wear. Use of pigment in radiation cured coatings on products such as floor covering which are subject to wear during use has presented substantial difficulties. Incorporation of pigment, especially enough pigment to make the coating opaque, makes the coating hard to cure and substantially reduces the thicknesses of coating which can be cured relative to a clear coating cured under the same conditions

Automatic programming via iterated local search for dynamic job shop scheduling.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Su; Zhang, Mengjie; Johnston, Mark; Tan, Kay Chen

2015-01-01

Dispatching rules have been commonly used in practice for making sequencing and scheduling decisions. Due to specific characteristics of each manufacturing system, there is no universal dispatching rule that can dominate in all situations. Therefore, it is important to design specialized dispatching rules to enhance the scheduling performance for each manufacturing environment. Evolutionary computation approaches such as tree-based genetic programming (TGP) and gene expression programming (GEP) have been proposed to facilitate the design task through automatic design of dispatching rules. However, these methods are still limited by their high computational cost and low exploitation ability. To overcome this problem, we develop a new approach to automatic programming via iterated local search (APRILS) for dynamic job shop scheduling. The key idea of APRILS is to perform multiple local searches started with programs modified from the best obtained programs so far. The experiments show that APRILS outperforms TGP and GEP in most simulation scenarios in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. The analysis also shows that programs generated by APRILS are more compact than those obtained by genetic programming. An investigation of the behavior of APRILS suggests that the good performance of APRILS comes from the balance between exploration and exploitation in its search mechanism.

Reactor Network Synthesis Using Coupled Genetic Algorithm with the Quasi-linear Programming Method

OpenAIRE

Soltani, H.; Shafiei, S.; Edraki, J.

2016-01-01

This research is an attempt to develop a new procedure for the synthesis of reactor networks (RNs) using a genetic algorithm (GA) coupled with the quasi-linear programming (LP) method. The GA is used to produce structural configuration, whereas continuous variables are handled using a quasi-LP formulation for finding the best objective function. Quasi-LP consists of LP together with a search loop to find the best reactor conversions (xi), as well as split and recycle ratios (yi). Quasi-LP rep...

An e-learning Programming Method And It's Implementation Based On Multimedia And Web

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madenda, Sarifuddin; Tommy, F. R.

2001-01-01

New developments in information technology and telecommunication play an important rile in exchanging fast and accurate information which range from text, sound, graphic to video. These technologies seem to be very effective for Distance learning, Virtual University and E-learning. This paper presents an E-learning programming method and it's implementation based on multimedia and Web. An example of the study case corresponds to human organ, where the organ functions are presented as texts and sounds and the activities as graphic and video

Computer programs in BASIC language for graphite furnace atomic absorption using the method of additions. Part 1. Operating instructions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boyle, W.G. Jr.; Ryan, D.P.

1979-01-01

These instructions describe how to use BASIC language programs to process data from atomic absorption spectrophotometers using the graphite furnace and the method of additions calibration technique. The instructions cover loading the programs, responding to computer prompts, choosing among various options for processing the data, performing operations with an automatic sampler, and producing reports. How the programs interact with each other is also explained. Examples of computer/operator dialogue are presented for typical cases. In addition, a concise set of operating instructions is included as an appendix

Evaluation of criteria for sustainability of community-based rural homestay programs via a modified pairwise comparison method

Science.gov (United States)

Ramli, Rohaini; Kasim, Maznah Mat; Ramli, Razamin; Kayat, Kalsom; Razak, Rafidah Abd

2014-12-01

Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia has long introduced homestay programs across the country to enhance the quality of life of people, especially those living in rural areas. This type of program is classified as a community-based tourism (CBT) as it is expected to economically improve livelihood through cultural and community associated activities. It is the aspiration of the ministry to see that the income imbalance between people in the rural and urban areas is reduced, thus would contribute towards creating more developed states of Malaysia. Since 1970s, there are 154 homestay programs registered with the ministry. However, the performance and sustainability of the programs are still not satisfying. There are only a number of homestay programs that perform well and able to sustain. Thus, the aim of this paper is to identify relevant criteria contributing to the sustainability of a homestay program. The criteria are evaluated for their levels of importance via the use of a modified pairwise method and analyzed for other potentials. The findings will help the homestay operators to focus on the necessary criteria and thus, effectively perform as the CBT business initiative.

Program Leadership from a Nordic Perspective - Program Leaders' Power to Influence Their Program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Högfeldt, Anna-Karin; Strömberg, Emma; Jerbrant, Anna

2013-01-01

research demonstrated that program leaders have quite different positions, strategies and methods when it comes to monitoring and developing their programs. In this paper, a deeper investigation is carried out of the (im-) possibilities to make real influence on the study courses that constitutes...... the respective Engineering study programs. Eight program leaders from the five N5T universities have been interviewed, and the analysis of these studies, has culminated in a model for the analysis of program leadership for Engineering education development....

DOE methods compendium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leasure, C.S.

1992-01-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) has established an analytical methods compendium development program to integrate its environmental analytical methods. This program is administered through DOE's Laboratory Management Division (EM-563). The primary objective of this program is to assemble a compendium of analytical chemistry methods of known performance for use by all DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management program. This compendium will include methods for sampling, field screening, fixed analytical laboratory and mobile analytical laboratory analyses. It will also include specific guidance on the proper selection of appropriate sampling and analytical methods in using specific analytical requirements

The method and program system CABEI for adjusting consistency between natural element and its isotopes data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tingjin, Liu; Zhengjun, Sun [Chinese Nuclear Data Center, Beijing, BJ (China)

1996-06-01

To meet the requirement of nuclear engineering, especially nuclear fusion reactor, now the data in the major evaluated libraries are given not only for natural element but also for its isotopes. Inconsistency between element and its isotopes data is one of the main problem in present evaluated neutron libraries. The formulas for adjusting to satisfy simultaneously the two kinds of consistent relationships were derived by means of least square method, the program system CABEI were developed. This program was tested by calculating the Fe data in CENDL-2.1. The results show that adjusted values satisfy the two kinds of consistent relationships.

Bending Moment Calculations for Piles Based on the Finite Element Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-xin Jie

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Using the finite element analysis program ABAQUS, a series of calculations on a cantilever beam, pile, and sheet pile wall were made to investigate the bending moment computational methods. The analyses demonstrated that the shear locking is not significant for the passive pile embedded in soil. Therefore, higher-order elements are not always necessary in the computation. The number of grids across the pile section is important for bending moment calculated with stress and less significant for that calculated with displacement. Although computing bending moment with displacement requires fewer grid numbers across the pile section, it sometimes results in variation of the results. For displacement calculation, a pile row can be suitably represented by an equivalent sheet pile wall, whereas the resulting bending moments may be different. Calculated results of bending moment may differ greatly with different grid partitions and computational methods. Therefore, a comparison of results is necessary when performing the analysis.

Five-year review of an international clinical research-training program

Science.gov (United States)

Suemoto, Claudia Kimie; Ismail, Sherine; Corrêa, Paulo César Rodrigues Pinto; Khawaja, Faiza; Jerves, Teodoro; Pesantez, Laura; Germani, Ana Claudia Camargo Gonçalves; Zaina, Fabio; dos Santos, Augusto Cesar Soares; de Oliveira Ferreira, Ricardo Jorge; Singh, Priyamvada; Paulo, Judy Vicente; Matsubayashi, Suely Reiko; Vidor, Liliane Pinto; Andretta, Guilherme; Tomás, Rita; Illigens, Ben MW; Fregni, Felipe

2015-01-01

The exponential increase in clinical research has profoundly changed medical sciences. Evidence that has accumulated in the past three decades from clinical trials has led to the proposal that clinical care should not be based solely on clinical expertise and patient values, and should integrate robust data from systematic research. As a consequence, clinical research has become more complex and methods have become more rigorous, and evidence is usually not easily translated into clinical practice. Therefore, the instruction of clinical research methods for scientists and clinicians must adapt to this new reality. To address this challenge, a global distance-learning clinical research-training program was developed, based on collaborative learning, the pedagogical goal of which was to develop critical thinking skills in clinical research. We describe and analyze the challenges and possible solutions of this course after 5 years of experience (2008–2012) with this program. Through evaluation by students and faculty, we identified and reviewed the following challenges of our program: 1) student engagement and motivation, 2) impact of heterogeneous audience on learning, 3) learning in large groups, 4) enhancing group learning, 5) enhancing social presence, 6) dropouts, 7) quality control, and 8) course management. We discuss these issues and potential alternatives with regard to our research and background. PMID:25878518

Five-year review of an international clinical research-training program.

Science.gov (United States)

Suemoto, Claudia Kimie; Ismail, Sherine; Corrêa, Paulo César Rodrigues Pinto; Khawaja, Faiza; Jerves, Teodoro; Pesantez, Laura; Germani, Ana Claudia Camargo Gonçalves; Zaina, Fabio; Dos Santos, Augusto Cesar Soares; de Oliveira Ferreira, Ricardo Jorge; Singh, Priyamvada; Paulo, Judy Vicente; Matsubayashi, Suely Reiko; Vidor, Liliane Pinto; Andretta, Guilherme; Tomás, Rita; Illigens, Ben Mw; Fregni, Felipe

2015-01-01

The exponential increase in clinical research has profoundly changed medical sciences. Evidence that has accumulated in the past three decades from clinical trials has led to the proposal that clinical care should not be based solely on clinical expertise and patient values, and should integrate robust data from systematic research. As a consequence, clinical research has become more complex and methods have become more rigorous, and evidence is usually not easily translated into clinical practice. Therefore, the instruction of clinical research methods for scientists and clinicians must adapt to this new reality. To address this challenge, a global distance-learning clinical research-training program was developed, based on collaborative learning, the pedagogical goal of which was to develop critical thinking skills in clinical research. We describe and analyze the challenges and possible solutions of this course after 5 years of experience (2008-2012) with this program. Through evaluation by students and faculty, we identified and reviewed the following challenges of our program: 1) student engagement and motivation, 2) impact of heterogeneous audience on learning, 3) learning in large groups, 4) enhancing group learning, 5) enhancing social presence, 6) dropouts, 7) quality control, and 8) course management. We discuss these issues and potential alternatives with regard to our research and background.

[The effectiveness of physical therapy methods (Bobath and motor relearning program) in rehabilitation of stroke patients].

Science.gov (United States)

Krutulyte, Grazina; Kimtys, Algimantas; Krisciūnas, Aleksandras

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine whether two different physiotherapy regimes caused any differences in outcome in the rehabilitation after stroke. We examined 240 patients with stroke. Examination was carried out at the Rehabilitation Center of Kaunas Second Clinical Hospital. Patients were divided into 2 groups: Bobath method was applied to the first (I) group (n=147), motor relearning program (MRP) method was applied to the second (II) group (n=93). In every group of patients we established samples according to sex, age, hospitalization to rehab unit as occurrence of CVA degree of disorder (hemiplegia, hemiparesis). The mobility of patients was evaluated according to European Federation for Research in Rehabilitation (EFRR) scale. Activities of daily living were evaluated by Barthel index. Analyzed groups were evaluated before physical therapy. When preliminary analysis was carried out it proved no statically reliable differences between analyzed groups (reliability 95%). The same statistical analysis was carried out after physical therapy. The results of differences between patient groups were compared using chi(2) method. Bobath method was applied working with the first group of patients. The aim of the method is to improve quality of the affected body side's movements in order to keep both sides working as harmoniously as possible. While applying this method at work, physical therapist guides patient's body on key-points, stimulating normal postural reactions, and training normal movement pattern. MRP method was used while working with the second group patients. This method is based on movement science, biomechanics and training of functional movement. Program is based on idea that movement pattern shouldn't be trained; it must be relearned. CONCLUSION. This study indicates that physiotherapy with task-oriented strategies represented by MRP, is preferable to physiotherapy with facilitation/inhibition strategies, such the Bobath programme, in the

Implementation of density functional theory method on object-oriented programming (C++) to calculate energy band structure using the projector augmented wave (PAW)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alfianto, E; Rusydi, F; Aisyah, N D; Dipojono, H K; Martoprawiro, M A; Fadilla, R N

2017-01-01

This study implemented DFT method into the C++ programming language with object-oriented programming rules (expressive software). The use of expressive software results in getting a simple programming structure, which is similar to mathematical formula. This will facilitate the scientific community to develop the software. We validate our software by calculating the energy band structure of Silica, Carbon, and Germanium with FCC structure using the Projector Augmented Wave (PAW) method then compare the results to Quantum Espresso calculation’s results. This study shows that the accuracy of the software is 85% compared to Quantum Espresso. (paper)

Method for hydrogen production and metal winning, and a catalyst/cocatalyst composition useful therefor

Science.gov (United States)

Dhooge, Patrick M.

1987-10-13

A catalyst/cocatalyst/organics composition of matter is useful in electrolytically producing hydrogen or electrowinning metals. Use of the catalyst/cocatalyst/organics composition causes the anode potential and the energy required for the reaction to decrease. An electrolyte, including the catalyst/cocatalyst composition, and a reaction medium composition further including organic material are also described.

Residual stress improving method for reactor structural component and residual stress improving device therefor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Enomoto, Kunio; Otaka, Masahiro; Kurosawa, Koichi; Saito, Hideyo; Tsujimura, Hiroshi; Tamai, Yasukata; Urashiro, Keiichi; Mochizuki, Masato

1996-09-03

The present invention is applied to a BWR type reactor, in which a high speed jetting flow incorporating cavities is collided against the surface of reactor structural components to form residual compression stresses on the surface layer of the reactor structural components thereby improving the stresses on the surface. Namely, a water jetting means is inserted into the reactor container filled with reactor water. Purified water is pressurized by a pump and introduced to the water jetting means. The purified water jetted from the water jetting means and entraining cavities is abutted against the surface of the reactor structural components. With such procedures, since the purified water is introduced to the water jetting means by the pump, the pump is free from contamination of radioactive materials. As a result, maintenance and inspection for the pump can be facilitated. Further, since the purified water injection flow entraining cavities is abutted against the surface of the reactor structural components being in contact with reactor water, residual compression stresses are exerted on the surface of the reactor structural components. As a result, occurrence of stress corrosion crackings of reactor structural components is suppressed. (I.S.)

Residual stress improving method for reactor structural component and residual stress improving device therefor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Enomoto, Kunio; Otaka, Masahiro; Kurosawa, Koichi; Saito, Hideyo; Tsujimura, Hiroshi; Tamai, Yasukata; Urashiro, Keiichi; Mochizuki, Masato.

1996-01-01

The present invention is applied to a BWR type reactor, in which a high speed jetting flow incorporating cavities is collided against the surface of reactor structural components to form residual compression stresses on the surface layer of the reactor structural components thereby improving the stresses on the surface. Namely, a water jetting means is inserted into the reactor container filled with reactor water. Purified water is pressurized by a pump and introduced to the water jetting means. The purified water jetted from the water jetting means and entraining cavities is abutted against the surface of the reactor structural components. With such procedures, since the purified water is introduced to the water jetting means by the pump, the pump is free from contamination of radioactive materials. As a result, maintenance and inspection for the pump can be facilitated. Further, since the purified water injection flow entraining cavities is abutted against the surface of the reactor structural components being in contact with reactor water, residual compression stresses are exerted on the surface of the reactor structural components. As a result, occurrence of stress corrosion crackings of reactor structural components is suppressed. (I.S.)

Clean-up system for pool water in pressure suppression chamber and operation method therefor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirabayashi, Kentaro; Kinoshita, Shoichiro

1996-09-17

Pool water in a pressure suppression chamber of a BWR type reactor is sucked by a pump of an after-heat removing system. The pool water pressurized here is sent to the pressure suppression chamber by way of a heat exchanger and a test line backwarding pipeline to stir the pool water in the pressure suppression chamber. Further, the pool water pressurized by the pump is sent to the pressure suppression chamber by way of a filtration desalting device and an exit pipe to purify the pool water. Upon cleaning of pipelines before the start of a periodical test, the pool water sucked by the pump is sent to the filtration desalting device and recovered to the pressure suppression chamber. This can reduce the amount of impurities carried to the suppression chamber. After the cleaning of the pipelines, pool water is passed through the test line backwarding pipeline, so that the pool water can be stirred at the same time. (I.N.)

An interval fixed-mix stochastic programming method for greenhouse gas mitigation in energy systems under uncertainty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Y.L.; Li, Y.P.; Huang, G.H.; Li, Y.F.

2010-01-01

In this study, an interval fixed-mix stochastic programming (IFSP) model is developed for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction management under uncertainties. In the IFSP model, methods of interval-parameter programming (IPP) and fixed-mix stochastic programming (FSP) are introduced into an integer programming framework, such that the developed model can tackle uncertainties described in terms of interval values and probability distributions over a multi-stage context. Moreover, it can reflect dynamic decisions for facility-capacity expansion during the planning horizon. The developed model is applied to a case of planning GHG-emission mitigation, demonstrating that IFSP is applicable to reflecting complexities of multi-uncertainty, dynamic and interactive energy management systems, and capable of addressing the problem of GHG-emission reduction. A number of scenarios corresponding to different GHG-emission mitigation levels are examined; the results suggest that reasonable solutions have been generated. They can be used for generating plans for energy resource/electricity allocation and capacity expansion and help decision makers identify desired GHG mitigation policies under various economic costs and environmental requirements.

Impact of a public cholesterol screening program.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, P M; Guinan, K H; Burke, J J; Karp, W B; Richards, J W

1990-12-01

The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has endorsed physician case finding as the primary method to detect individuals with elevated cholesterol levels. Despite this recommendation, promotional and for-profit public screening programs have flourished. We surveyed participants of a mall-based cholesterol screening program 1 year after their screening. Sixty-four percent of those screened had not previously known their cholesterol levels. Those who were newly screened were less likely to benefit from this testing than the general public, since they were older (mean age, 55.3 years), more likely to be female (67.4%), and nonsmokers (88%). Screenees had excellent recall of their cholesterol level (mean absolute reporting error, 0.24 mmol/L [9 mg/dL]) and a good understanding of cholesterol as a coronary heart disease risk. Those with elevated cholesterol levels reported high distress from screening but no reduction in overall psychosocial well-being and an actual decrease in absenteeism. Only 53.7% of all who were advised to seek follow-up because of an elevated screening value had done so within the year following the screening program. However, of those with values greater than 6.2 mmol/L (240 mg/dL), 68% had sought follow-up. Many of those who participate in public screening programs have been previously tested, fall into low-benefit groups, or fail to comply with recommended follow-up. We therefore conclude that cholesterol screening programs of the type now commonly offered are unlikely to contribute greatly to the national efforts to further reduce coronary heart disease.

Novel Method for Recruiting Representative At-Risk Individuals into Cancer Prevention Trials: Online Health Risk Assessment in Employee Wellness Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Hui, Siu-Kuen Azor; Miller, Suzanne M; Hazuda, Leah; Engelman, Kimberly; Ellerbeck, Edward F

2016-09-01

Participation in cancer prevention trials (CPT) is lower than 3 % among high-risk healthy individuals, and racial/ethnic minorities are the most under-represented. Novel recruitment strategies are therefore needed. Online health risk assessment (HRA) serves as a gateway component of nearly all employee wellness programs (EWPs) and may be a missed opportunity. This study aimed to explore employees' interest, willingness, motivators, and barriers of releasing their HRA responses to an external secure research database for recruitment purpose. We used qualitative research methods (focus group and individual interviews) to examine employees' interest and willingness in releasing their online HRA responses to an external, secure database to register as potential CPT participants. Fifteen structured interviews (40 % of study participants were of racial/ethnic minority) were conducted, and responses reached saturation after four interviews. All employees showed interest and willingness to release their online HRA responses to register as a potential CPT participant. Content analyses revealed that 91 % of participants were motivated to do so, and the major motivators were to (1) obtain help in finding personally relevant prevention trials, (2) help people they know who are affected by cancer, and/or (3) increase knowledge about CPT. A subset of participants (45 %) expressed barriers of releasing their HRA responses due to concerns about credibility and security of the external database. Online HRA may be a feasible but underutilized recruitment method for cancer prevention trials. EWP-sponsored HRA shows promise for the development of a large, centralized registry of racially/ethnically representative CPT potential participants.

75 FR 31609 - Conservation Stewardship Program

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-03

... producers who are members of the protected groups have participated in NRCS conservation programs at parity..., color, national origin, gender, sex, or disability status. Therefore, the CSP rule portends no adverse...

Study of mixed programming gamma spectrum acquisition method based on MSP430F4618

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yuezhong; Tang Bin; Zhang Zhongliang; Xie Xiaolin

2012-01-01

In order to reduce the hand-held gamma spectrometer measurements dead time and to complete the low-voltage and low-power design, the spectrum signal acquisition circuit is constituted by the ultra-low power microcontroller MSP430F4618 and its external signal conditioning circuit, anti-coincidence circuit interface and its on-chip sample hold and A/D converter. C language programming and assembly one have been used together. The sample hold and A/D conversion and spectrum acquisition programming is accomplished by assembly language, and the system monitoring and task scheduler designing is accomplished by C language programming. The handhold gamma spectrometer power supply, which just uses two No.5 rechargeable batteries, is designed by high-efficiency DC-DC circuit. The prototype gamma spectrometer is developed by the method, and its testing shows that the implementation of spectrum acquisition time is shorten by twice to 3 times, that is, the dead measurement can be reduced; and the machine operating current does not exceed 150 mA. By using two 2400 mAh No.5 rechargeable battery, the machine can work continuously more than 10 hours, and it can meet the application requirements. (authors)

Method Mixins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ernst, Erik

2005-01-01

The world of programming has been conquered by the procedure call mechanism, including object-oriented method invocation which is a procedure call in context of an object. This paper presents an alternative, method mixin invocations, that is optimized for flexible creation of composite behavior, ...... the call stack, e.g., to a callee's callee. The mechanism has been implemented in the programming language gbeta. Variants of the mechanism could be added to almost any imperative programming language.......The world of programming has been conquered by the procedure call mechanism, including object-oriented method invocation which is a procedure call in context of an object. This paper presents an alternative, method mixin invocations, that is optimized for flexible creation of composite behavior...

Implementation and Evaluation of a Smartphone-Based Telemonitoring Program for Patients With Heart Failure: Mixed-Methods Study Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Ware, Patrick; Ross, Heather J; Cafazzo, Joseph A; Laporte, Audrey; Seto, Emily

2018-05-03

Meta-analyses of telemonitoring for patients with heart failure conclude that it can lower the utilization of health services and improve health outcomes compared with the standard of care. A smartphone-based telemonitoring program is being implemented as part of the standard of care at a specialty care clinic for patients with heart failure in Toronto, Canada. The objectives of this study are to (1) evaluate the impact of the telemonitoring program on health service utilization, patient health outcomes, and their ability to self-care; (2) identify the contextual barriers and facilitators of implementation at the physician, clinic, and institutional level; (3) describe patient usage patterns to determine adherence and other behaviors in the telemonitoring program; and (4) evaluate the costs associated with implementation of the telemonitoring program from the perspective of the health care system (ie, public payer), hospital, and patient. The evaluation will use a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative component will include a pragmatic pre- and posttest study design for the impact and cost analyses, which will make use of clinical data and questionnaires administered to at least 108 patients at baseline and 6 months. Furthermore, outcome data will be collected at 1, 12, and 24 months to explore the longitudinal impact of the program. In addition, quantitative data related to implementation outcomes and patient usage patterns of the telemonitoring system will be reported. The qualitative component involves an embedded single case study design to identify the contextual factors that influenced the implementation. The implementation evaluation will be completed using semistructured interviews with clinicians, and other program staff at baseline, 4 months, and 12 months after the program start date. Interviews conducted with patients will be triangulated with usage data to explain usage patterns and adherence to the system. The telemonitoring program was launched in

Evaluating the economic benefits of nonmotorized transportation : case studies and methods for the nonmotorized transportation pilot program communities.

Science.gov (United States)

2015-03-01

This report examines potential methods for evaluating the economic benefits from nonmotorized transportation investments. The variety of potential economic benefits of bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure and programming investments discussed includ...

PROGRAM PENGHITUNG JUMLAH ORANG LEWAT MENGGUNAKAN WEBCAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sudianto Lande

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The amount of public places's visitor data is very important. Usually we get it manually. AT the moment, video camera has been used for security. Therefor, the people counter software has been made using Normalized Sum-squared difference (NSSD method that take differences the sum of frame fixel and background, squared it then normalized by detection window area. The NSSD values that have been count then thresholded to detect the people occurance in detection window. This project is made using Borland Delphi 5.0 with Tvideo component. Corect people counting percentation of more than 90% was obtained. The succesness of this program depends on the right thresholding values. Abstract in Bahasa Indonesia : Data jumlah pengunjung suatu tempat umum sangat penting. Data jumlah pengunjung biasanya didapat secara manual. Saat ini kamera video telah diterapkan untuk kepentingan keamanan. Karena itu dibuatlah program penghitung jumlah pengunjung dengan metode Normalized Sum-Squared Differences (NSSD yang mengambil selisih jumlah pixel frame dan background dan dikuadratkan, dinormalisasi dengan luasan detection window. Nilai NSSD yang didapat diseleksi dengan proses thresholding untuk mendeteksi keberadaan orang pada detection window. Penelitian ini dibuat dengan menggunakan Borland Delphi 5.0, dengan tambahan komponen TVideo. Program ini secara keseluruhan menunjukkan keberhasilan lebih dari 90%. Keberhasilan dari program ini sangat dipengaruhi oleh penentuan nilai threshold yang tepat. Kata kunci: penghitungan orang, sensor kamera, NSSD, Image processing.

Collection of proceedings of the international conference on programming and mathematical methods for solution of physical problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

Traditional International Conference on programming and mathematical methods for solution of physical problems took place in Dubna in Jun, 14-19, 1993. More than 160 scientists from 14 countries participated in the Conference. They presented about 120 reports, the range of problems including computerized information complexes, experimental data acquisition and processing systems, mathematical simulation and calculation experiment in physics, analytical and numerical methods for solution of physical problems

Program Management Approach to the Territorial Development of Small Business

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia Aleksandrovna Knysh

2016-06-01

Full Text Available This article presents the results of the research of the application on a state level of the program management approach to the territorial development of small business. Studying the main mechanism of the state policy implementation in the sphere of small business on a regional level, the authors have revealed the necessity to take into account the territorial specificity while the government programs of small business development are being formed. The analysis of the national practice of utilizing the program management mechanism in the regional system of the government support of small entrepreneurship was conducted on the example of Omsk region. The results of the analysis have shown the inefficiency of the current support system for small business and have determined the need to create an integrated model of territorial programming, which would not only contribute to the qualitative development of small business, but also provide the functioning efficiency of program management mechanism. As a result, the authors have created the two-level model of the programming of the territorial development of small business, which allows to satisfy purposefully the needs of entrepreneurship taking into account the specificity of the internal and external environment of the region. The first level of the model is methodological one and it is based on the marketing approach (the concepts of place marketing and relationship marketing to the operation of the program management mechanism. The second level of the model is methodical one. It offers the combination of the flexible methods of management of programming procedure (benchmarking, foresight, crowdsourcing and outsourcing. The given model raises the efficiency of the management decisions of the state structures in the sphere of small business. Therefore, it is interesting for the government authorities, which are responsible for the regional and municipal support programs of small business, as well

Root Causes of Component Failures Program: Methods and applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Satterwhite, D.G.; Cadwallader, L.C.; Vesely, W.E.; Meale, B.M.

1986-12-01

This report contains information pertaining to definitions, methodologies, and applications of root cause analysis. Of specific interest, and highlighted throughout the discussion, are applications pertaining to current and future Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) light water reactor safety programs. These applications are discussed in view of addressing specific program issues under NRC consideration and reflect current root cause analysis capabilities

E-learning program for medical students in dermatology

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Cristiana Silveira; Souza, Murilo Barreto; Filho, Roberto Silveira Silva; de Medeiros, Luciana Molina; Criado, Paulo Ricardo

2011-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Dermatological disorders are common in medical practice. In medical school, however, the time devoted to teaching dermatology is usually very limited. Therefore, online educational systems have increasingly been used in medical education settings to enhance exposure to dermatology. OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to develop an e-learning program for medical students in dermatology and evaluate the impact of this program on learning. METHODS: This prospective study included second year medical students at the University of Technology and Science, Salvador, Brazil. All students attended discussion seminars and practical activities, and half of the students had adjunct online seminars (blended learning). Tests were given to all students before and after the courses, and test scores were evaluated. RESULTS: Students who participated in online discussions associated with face-to-face activities (blended learning) had significantly higher posttest scores (9.0±0.8) than those who only participated in classes (7.75±1.8, p dermatology. PMID:21655756

A Formal Verification Method of Function Block Diagram

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koh, Kwang Yong; Seong, Poong Hyun; Jee, Eun Kyoung; Jeon, Seung Jae; Park, Gee Yong; Kwon, Kee Choon

2007-01-01

Programmable Logic Controller (PLC), an industrial computer specialized for real-time applications, is widely used in diverse control systems in chemical processing plants, nuclear power plants or traffic control systems. As a PLC is often used to implement safety, critical embedded software, rigorous safety demonstration of PLC code is necessary. Function block diagram (FBD) is a standard application programming language for the PLC and currently being used in the development of a fully-digitalized reactor protection system (RPS), which is called the IDiPS, under the KNICS project. Therefore, verification issue of FBD programs is a pressing problem, and hence is of great importance. In this paper, we propose a formal verification method of FBD programs; we defined FBD programs formally in compliance with IEC 61131-3, and then translate the programs into Verilog model, and finally the model is verified using a model checker SMV. To demonstrate the feasibility and effective of this approach, we applied it to IDiPS which currently being developed under KNICS project. The remainder of this paper is organized as follows. Section 2 briefly describes Verilog and Cadence SMV. In Section 3, we introduce FBD2V which is a tool implemented to support the proposed FBD verification framework. A summary and conclusion are provided in Section 4

Methods and characteristics of assembly language software testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Lingfang

2001-01-01

Single chip micro-controllers are widely implemented to the controlling and testing products in industrial controlling and national defence embedded controlling systems. The invalidation of the source programs could lead to the unreliability of the whole systems, even to cause fatal results. Therefore, software testing is the necessary measures to reduce the mistakes and to improve the quality of the software. In the paper, the development of the software testing is presented. The distinctions between the assembly language testing and those of the high level languages is introduced. And the essential flow and methods of software testing are discussed in detail

Development of a Self-Rated Mixed Methods Skills Assessment: The NIH Mixed Methods Research Training Program for the Health Sciences

Science.gov (United States)

Guetterman, Timothy C.; Creswell, John W.; Wittink, Marsha; Barg, Fran K.; Castro, Felipe G.; Dahlberg, Britt; Watkins, Daphne C.; Deutsch, Charles; Gallo, Joseph J.

2017-01-01

Introduction Demand for training in mixed methods is high, with little research on faculty development or assessment in mixed methods. We describe the development of a Self-Rated Mixed Methods Skills Assessment and provide validity evidence. The instrument taps six research domains: “Research question,” “Design/approach,” “Sampling,” “Data collection,” “Analysis,” and “Dissemination.” Respondents are asked to rate their ability to define or explain concepts of mixed methods under each domain, their ability to apply the concepts to problems, and the extent to which they need to improve. Methods We administered the questionnaire to 145 faculty and students using an internet survey. We analyzed descriptive statistics and performance characteristics of the questionnaire using Cronbach’s alpha to assess reliability and an ANOVA that compared a mixed methods experience index with assessment scores to assess criterion-relatedness. Results Internal consistency reliability was high for the total set of items (.95) and adequate (>=.71) for all but one subscale. Consistent with establishing criterion validity, respondents who had more professional experiences with mixed methods (e.g., published a mixed methods paper) rated themselves as more skilled, which was statistically significant across the research domains. Discussion This Self-Rated Mixed Methods Assessment instrument may be a useful tool to assess skills in mixed methods for training programs. It can be applied widely at the graduate and faculty level. For the learner, assessment may lead to enhanced motivation to learn and training focused on self-identified needs. For faculty, the assessment may improve curriculum and course content planning. PMID:28562495

An Introduction of Behavior-Based Safety Program in Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong Hee; Lim, Hyeon Kyo

2011-01-01

There are many methods and approaches for a human error assessment that is valuable for investigating the causes of undesirable events and counter-plans to prevent their recurrence in the nuclear power plants (NPPs). There is behavior-based safety refers to the process of using a proactive approach to safety and health management. It either focuses on risk of behaviors that can lead to an injury, or on safe behaviors that can contribute to injury prevention. Early applications of behavior based safety included the construction and manufacturing industries, but today behavior based safety is applied to a wide variety of industries and service lines. This behavior based safety program can offer a set of significant human error countermeasures to be considered for human error in NPPs as well as other fields of industry. The current methods for the human error prevention in NPPs are several techniques such as Self-Check, Peer Check, Concurrent Verification, 3-way Communication, etc. However, it is not enough to grasp the whole human error problems in operations because the things are needed in fields are a behavior technique not a simple knowledge. Therefore, we applied a behavior based safety program on the current methods

A FORTRAN program for numerical solution of the Altarelli-Parisi equations by the Laguerre method